A new strategy agreed by the Trust’s board of directors| has made patient and public involvement a top priority at the hospital.
The strategy sets out plans to engage patients, staff, members and the public to ensure they maintain a close relationship with their hospitals and take an active role in influencing decisions made here.
As well as a strong online presence with the opportunity to comment on aspects of the hospital, staff will consult and involve people in planning and redesign of services.
The Trust will continue to host a range of engagement events throughout the year, from the popular annual open day, to specialist evenings where patients, staff and local residents can listen to presentations from lead consultants and matrons with the opportunity to feed back on how the hospital is run.
This year’s open day|, on 15 October, attracted over 2,000 visitors and gave people the opportunity to see behind-the-scenes of a number of different departments and increase their understanding of how the hospital functions on a daily basis.
Over 250 staff and 30 volunteers from local schools and colleges were involved on the day, representing over 40 different areas of the hospital including fertility, pathology, theatres and cardiac care. Visitors were able to question staff and share their views on service design.
Julia Barton, associate director nursing, said: “Giving our patients and public a stronger voice is essential to us providing high quality care that is patient centred.
“Events such as the open day are important in breaking down barriers and increasing people’s knowledge of a large teaching hospital.
“Their involvement in developing and evaluating services at events, online and through numerous consultation meetings will ensure that they continue to improve and meet the needs of our local community.”