Gynaecology Team who put patients at the forefront of department improvements recognised with award
A team who worked creatively and innovatively to be able to deliver improvements to patient experience for those undergoing gynaecology treatments, has been recognised with a Making a Difference Award.
Colleagues on Ward 209 at Royal Derby Hospital expanded the Gynaecology same-day service to see more patients admitted for elective surgery, while continuing to provide personalised care for patients attending day appointments and emergencies.
Sharon Hill, Matron for Gynaecology, said patients were at the heart of the changes and the pathways are constantly evolving to 'ensure patient safety and satisfaction are the best they can be' with the team ensuring that side rooms remained available to provide individualised and holistic care to ladies who had experienced a loss during pregnancy.
Sharon said: "Every year colleagues on Ward 209 work together to respond at pace to the needs of different specialities and different environments but this year they went above and beyond to work quickly, solving solutions themselves and implementing changes to improve patient experience. They have done this whilst working alongside multiple multi-disciplinary teams (MDT), different cohorts of patients, managing a bigger area of beds and a bigger team, all with a roaring determination to provide the best patient care."
To support planning for winter pressures, the team, led by Gwen Hatton, Divisional Nurse Director - Paediatrics and Gynaecology, and Sharon Hill, Matron for Gynaecology, have increased the number of beds on Ward 209 to provide more patients attending hospital with non-gynaecology related issues, with medical care, making better use of the space.
Collaborating as a multi-disciplinary team, they worked flexibly to find solutions and combine services, transforming the day case unit into an inpatient ward which added a further 14 beds for patients.
Sharon added that she is immensely proud of her team who went 'above and beyond' what is required of them to overcome challenges and make improvements in the unit.
Sharon said: "The impact of the team's efforts was far reaching for colleagues across the Trust and I cannot thank everyone enough for their ongoing commitment to deliver compassionate and safe patient care during times of pressure within the Trust."
"The team have worked together and we have drawn on good practice elsewhere and creativity to improve our service for those coming through our doors. It was a real team effort and could only have been achieved because we all shared the same goal with the patient at the forefront of that."
Stephen Posey, Chief Executive at UHDB, was joined by Guy Tuxford, Divisional Director for Women's and Children, to present the team with the CEO award.
He said the team has been inspired by the work of other centres and is using their learning to increase productivity and implement best practice to benefit patients.
Stephen said: "The impact Gwen, Sharon and the team have made in a short time has been really significant for our patients and shows that by being curious, learning from others and making a number of relatively small changes, we can greatly improve the experience and care we provide to our patients.
"The team has worked innovatively, efficiently and tirelessly to implement these improvements, which will prove crucial during times of pressure and there is clearly real value in the work they are doing to deliver improvements.
"On behalf of myself and the board, it's a huge thank you."
Would you like to nominate a colleague for a Monthly Making a Difference Award?
If you would like to nominate a colleague or team for a Monthly Making a Difference Award, please let us know.
Our Monthly Making a Difference Awards celebrate those who have shown exceptional care and who have delivered improvements across safety, quality, effectiveness and patient experience and demonstrated the Trust values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence.
If you are a patient who has experienced exceptional care, you can nominate a staff member for a Patient Hero award.
You can nominate:
- By sending a 300 word nomination, along with the name of the team or individual, their job title and where they work, to: uhdb.employeeawards@nhs.net