Queen's Hospital sets the bar high
HEALTH chiefs are aiming high in a bid to improve the quality of services delivered at Burton’s Queen’s Hospital.
Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s quality strategy for 2012 to 2014 was discussed at a meeting of its board of directors.
The trust has set out its vision as being a ‘leading healthcare provider consistently delivering the best possible patient experience’.
Chief nurse Dawn Leese said: “What we have said here as a trust is we will be successful.”
The strategy defined quality as being ‘consistently safe, effective and experienced by our patients in a positive way’.
The trust sets out objectives in order to achieve this outcome, including meeting all Care Quality Commission standards and outcomes, achieving year on year reduction in serious incidents leading to patient harm and year on year hospitalacquired infection.
The trust also plans to ensure staff have the right skills, knowledge and support to lead on patient safety and grow a culture of continuous improvement at the hospital.
During the first year alone it is seeking to reduce the number of serious incidents by 50 per cent — halving the number of patients harmed by falls and eliminating grade three and four hospital-acquired pressure sores.
It also hopes to reduce mortality by 10 per cent and improve patient experience.
When asked by one of her colleagues at the meeting whether the improvements were achievable, Mrs Leese replied: “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. It’s ambitious but achievable.
“When we look at the serious incidents we have had over the last year, if you can put in place measures to reduce falls and hospital-acquired infections we’ll reduce the serious incidents by 50 per cent.
“What we’re saying is we’re going to focus on the right intervention to bring this to fruition.” The strategy has been developed via consultation with patients, the public, staff and partners on how the trust could improve.
