Annual Review 2009 - Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals

Chapter One
11
Compliments
Compliments are always appreciated by
our staff, who work hard to ensure patients
have the best possible experience at our
hospitals.
The number of patients who have a
poor experience or complain is very low
compared to the number of patients we
treat and many patients and relatives send
thank you letters direct to the wards or
departments where they have been cared
for.
We can’t always count every single letter
or compliment we receive, but we do know
that in 2008/09 over 2,585 people took
the trouble to write thank you letters to the
Trust.
Customer Care
Promises
Patients, carers and staff have welcomed
the introduction of a set of Customer Care
Promises for the Trust.
The nine promises have been devised by
a group of front-line staff as the result of a
Listening into Action project on Customer
Care.
During April (2009), staff across all three
hospitals were asked to comment via the
staff newspaper and team brief where it
was a key discussion topic. 96% of staff
said the promises were a good idea, with
around two-thirds saying they would make a
difference to how we work in the Trust.
Feedback suggested they should be kept
as a daily reminder, used as screen savers,
posters at the entrance to every ward and
as cards kept by the phone.
Local people were also asked to comment,
with around 250 responding. There was
overwhelming support for the promises
and those who had been patients at the
Trust gave some encouraging feedback on
how we are measuring up against them.
The idea is to agree a set of standards
for the way that all staff should treat their
‘customers’ – whether patients, carers,
visitors or staff in other departments or
from other organisations.
Over the next year, we are planning a
series of initiatives to integrate these
promises into the culture of the Trust and
monitor how well we are doing.
HERE ARE OUR PROMISES
1. I will... make you feel welcome
2. I will... make time to listen to you
3. I will... be polite, courteous and
respectful
4. I will... keep you informed and explain
what is happening
5. I will... admit to mistakes and do all I
can to put them right
6. I will... value your point of view
7. I will... be caring and kind
8. I will... keep you involved
9. I will... go the extra mile