Annual Report and Accounts 2012/13 - Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital

56 4. Annex A
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Quality Report 2012/13
Statement from the Council
of Governors
This report has been prepared on
behalf of the Council of Governors
by the Patient Safety and Quality
Group (PSQG) - a sub-group of
COG with the particular remit to
focus on issues relating to patient
safety and quality of care. The
COG as a whole is informed and
can seek assurance from many
information sources including
Board papers; attendance at Board
meetings; performance reports
and the results from the Trust’s
participation in national surveys.
In addition, three Governors
(including the chair of PSQG) are
members of the Engagement and
Experience Committee and provide
updates to other Governors at
COG meetings.
Governors welcome the Trust’s focus
on using a variety of methods such
as the CQAT for obtaining ‘real-time’
patient feedback and staff experience
to identify improvement priorities.
Likewise, the ‘what went well, even
better if...’ scheme allows the early
identification of patient concerns as
well as confirmation of good practice.
At Board level, Governors are reassured
to see actions taken to understand
and resolve real or potential problems
identified in the ‘ward to board’
reports. In addition, COG has received
detailed presentations on topics such
as the CQAT assessment tool; end
of Life care; dementia care; patient
pathways; complaints; nursing
vision; frail and elderly care. These
presentations provide the opportunity
for Governors to question senior staff
about the Trust’s approach to these
areas of patient care.
Progress with
Governor priorities
for 2012-13
1. Accessible information
The Trust’s Equality and Diversity
Manager is working with the Patient
Experience Group (PEG) on the
production of easy read pamphlets
on eight topics: coming into hospital,
information for outpatients, protection
and use of information, ‘your
experience counts’, your spiritual
health, MRSA screening, colonoscopy
and anaesthesia.
2. Frail older patients
Governors are aware of the Trust’s
emphasis on all aspects of care for
this vulnerable group of patients, and
some Governors are directly involved
in the Frail and Older People Project.
The Consultant Nurse leading this
project regularly reports on progress
to the COG. Further details about this
project are provided in Part Three of
this report.
3. Written communications
between staff and patients
Governors have previously commented
on the many variations in the format
of hospital letters, and are pleased
that a working group has been
formed to revise letter formats and
produce draft templates. The Patient
Experience Group have asked patient
representatives to test the new formats
and report on their findings.
4. Dignity and respect
There is no single measure for this
priority, but there are many sources
of information which relate to these
aspects of care including national
surveys; the Trust’s own CQAT tool;
complaints and commendations; and
the ‘what went well - even better if’
scheme. In addition, senior nursing
staff and members of the Trust
executive undertake ‘walk arounds’
where they can directly observe
whether dignity and respect are
preserved by all members of the
care teams.