Newham Hospital leads the way in patient engagement
Colleagues at Newham Hospital are leading the way when it comes to engaging and working with our patients.
In a first for Barts Health, individuals who have been treated at Newham worked with the hospital’s people participation leads to co-design and facilitate two workshops for patients and staff, which aim to improve how the hospital runs and give patients a better experience.
The first of these workshops – known as World Cafés – was held in August and focused on listening and responding to people who are worried or distressed when they come to hospital. In the second café, held last week (22 November), participants discussed how we involve patients and their families or carers in decisions about discharge from the hospital.
“We want to create a dialogue,” explains Anna Sandiford, one of the people participation leads at Newham Hospital. “We want to create a safe space. A space where staff and service users can come together, learn from each other, and have open, thought provoking, idea generating conversations about how we can improve the hospital.”
Each patient-designed workshop takes a similar approach. A problem in the hospital or an area that can be approved is discussed in three rounds: a general discussion to focus attention; another round of discussion where people dig deeper into the issue; a final round where solutions are proposed.
Colleagues from the hospital took part in the cafés have said they’re ‘excellent’, ‘allow collaboration’, are ‘well planned and interesting’ and ‘gave me ideas of things I can improve in my role’. But perhaps more importantly, the patients involved found it useful too.
“I learned so much,” says Abena Mintah, one of the facilitators at the recent World Café. She attended the café with her husband, who has dementia and whom she cares for. “It opened my mind to how the hospital works, some of the problems it’s facing, like needing more staff, and some of the work it’s doing to fix these problems, like working with the council and social workers. Everyone was given the chance to speak and be listened to, no matter who they are. I really enjoyed the café and so did my husband. We both hope they continue and that we can attend another one.”
Changes are already being made off the back of the cafés. For example, after feedback that more can be done to support the needs of our neurodiverse patients and those with learning disabilities, the hospital has included the Oliver McGown training in their statutory / mandatory training. It aims to ensure those who work in health and social care have the skills and knowledge they need to provide informed, safe, compassionate care to. The hospital is also in the process of improving how it shares messages with patients in waiting rooms using digital screens.
Anna continues: “It’s great that we’ve made real changes off the back of just one café, and I’m confident that we’ll do the same once we dive into the feedback from the most recent one.”
The Newham Hospital World Cafés involve members of the hospital’s Working Together Group. To find out more about this group and how you can get involved in shaping and improving services at the hospital, contact our participation leads by email ( bartshealth.nuhparticipation@nhs.net) or phone (mobile: 07551675963; 07551675913). There are also other ways to give feedback on your experience at Newham Hospital.