Deteriorating Patient collaborative: Time to showcase your ideas

Following our first Deteriorating Patient collaborative event in March, the Quality Improvement team have been visiting the collaborative wards involved to see first-hand from colleagues just how the changes you identified are making an impact.

During the event colleagues were asked to choose one idea to take away and work on implementing within their areas.

On the recent ward walk arounds, staff showcased how these changes either already have or will look to positively influence our ability to improve the recognition and management of deteriorating patients.

As part of this new way of working, it’s important that we create a supportive environment to ensure that colleagues feel they are able to develop local solutions and deliver change more rapidly.

Samantha Westwell, Director of Nursing for the Royal site and Clinical Lead for the Deteriorating Patient Collaborative, said: “It will be great to see how colleagues continue to go forward and implement your change ideas. We want colleagues to feel able to make changes and try new ideas for the benefit of patients and their teams.” Through the event we have also acknowledged what you identified as the blockers to providing great care, such as hardware issues, and a commitment has been made to follow these up further.

Ward 21 at Aintree University Hospital has successfully made a positive impact on improving patient care through their change idea. The team has introduced set six-hour observations for patients on their ward, which has not only boosted their compliance, but is making a real difference to the safe care they are able to provide.

By increasing set observations (obs) from eight to six hours for those patients with a NEWS2 (National Early Warning Score) score of 0, staff should now have an increased recognition of, or will be able to act quicker on, signs that a patient is deteriorating.

Maree Halsall, Ward Manager, said: “We found the collaborative event really useful and enjoyed being able to talk through different ideas. By giving a new idea a go and making a difference has empowered the team. They feel listened to and it’s important ward colleagues feel permission to make changes they know will improve both patient care and their working day.”

Following on from the success of introducing six-hour obs, Helen Isik, Matron of Ward 21, is looking to introduce ‘Obs Champions’ across her three wards: 21, 24, and 25. Helen said: “A nurse from each side of the ward will act as a champion, having oversight of the obs, ensuring that within their team together they are fulfilling their aims and escalating any patient safety issues.”