Healthcare bosses attend conference
Nearly 200 healthcare professionals and patient representatives from across the country gathered in Shrewsbury this week to learn more about how working together is improving quality of care.
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (Shropcom) hosted the event at Shrewsbury Town Football Club on Wednesday to share the success it has had through working with patients and carers – in particular its Observe & Act tool. The tool was designed by volunteers and staff specifically for use in community services, and helps to highlight areas of good practice and flag up things that need to improve.
This innovative work has been recognised nationally and representatives from both NHS England and NHS Improvement gave presentations at the event alongside Shropcom staff and Patient and Carer Panel members.
Mark Donovan, patient experience and engagement lead at Shropcom, said: “I think it speaks volumes about the success of what we have been doing when you see the kind of turnout we have had here.
"Our Observe & Act tool really is helping to drive forward improvement and this has been recognised nationally. Having our Patient and Carer Panel at the heart of this work has been key to its success and it has been good to see so many people turning out to hear about what is being done, as well as what more we can do to continue improving.”
Shropcom’s Patient and Carer Panel was set up in 2014.
Panel members are involved in activity throughout the organisation, for example they are take part in interviewing new staff, observe and reflect on the care being provided, design services and sit on key committees.
Volunteers have also been instrumental at a national level in the design and implementation of a new patient story toolkit. Patient stories are being used at more forums throughout the trust to ensure the voices of patients and carers
