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

132 5. Our Governors and Members
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Annual Report and Accounts 2012/13
Members’ Say -
September 2012
The Members’ Say event last
September was attended by around
180 of our members who heard talks
on a theme of elderly care, as well
as being involved in discussions on
hospital nutrition.
As in previous events, attendees were
able to take part in a number of
interactive activities and join in focus
group discussions. Members also
heard from the Trust Chairman, Chief
Executive, Lead Governor and the
Trust’s auditors as part of the RD&E’s
Annual Members Meeting. The event
was a great success and the vast
majority of people (over 80%) who
attended found it informative, useful
and stimulating.
James Brent, Chairman of
the Trust
“These events are always very
enjoyable. There is a real buzz
about the place that comes from
lively discussions and interaction
from our Members, who are
deeply committed and passionate
about the NHS and our Trust. For
me, it is a real privilege to meet
our Members, to hear their views
and take these on board as we
navigate the hospital through some
challenging times.”
Angela Pedder, Chief
Executive
“Members’ Say events have
become an important part of our
agenda as a hospital. It is our
chance to ask Members about
their views, to listen to them and
discuss their opinions, and for us
to take these views away to help
inform our strategy or improve
our services. Our Board and our
Governors have a duty to ensure
that we understand and meet
the needs of the communities we
serve and, given that members
broadly represent the wider public,
Members' Say events are a great
way of doing this.”
Quality Care
The focus groups looked in detail
at issues concerning quality and
safety. This was useful to understand
members’ priorities on these issues.
It will also feed into the issues the
Governors decide to focus on in the
Trust’s Annual Quality Report.
What does good quality mean to you?
“First rate outcomes”
“Personalised care”
“A positive experience at every stage”
“All the basics taken care of”.
How do you recognise poor quality?
“Poor communications and
information”
“Care is not delivered well”
“Bureaucratic and inefficient”
“Poor experiences”
“Basic standards not met”.
More details on these sessions are
included in the Quality Report.
Safe Care
Focus group attendees said that they
expected:
• To “always feel safe in hospital”
• That their “personal safety was a
given”.
Any concerns they had on safety
included:
• Staffing ratios
• Pressure of work leading to safety
lapses
• The reliance on the lowest paid staff
members to keep the hospital clean.
Discussions also focused on whether
there needed to be changes in the way
the NHS operated to ensure continued
good quality of care at a time of
financial constraint.
The views expressed in these sessions
will inform our quality and safety
priorities over the next year.
Visiting hours for patients with
dementia
Members were asked about visiting
times for patients with dementia
and whether any changes should be
considered to better meet their needs.
Their views will be considered in
reviewing the visiting hours for patients
with dementia.
Money, money, money
Attendees were given £50 of fake
money and were asked how they
would prioritise how this should
be spent.