Leadership guru to work with ward managers as hospital gives them 'power to do things differently'

The board of The Shrewsbury & Telford Hospitals NHS Trust heard that the hospitals have recently seen two strains of norovirus and a higher than expected occurrence of diarrhoea-inducing bug clostridium difficile.

Paula Gardner, SaTH’s Chief Nursing Officer, said there would be a “complete deep clean of the wards” and bay cleaning was taking place “whenever we can”.

The hospitals have also seen a number of the pressure ulcers on patients who aren’t turned in bed as often as they should be.

Richard Miner, a Non-Executive Director, asked Ms Gardner at Thursday’s board meeting what was happening to ensure the “rigour of ward managers.”

Ms Gardner said there had recently been an “element of all hands to the pumps” but that ward managers had to take “24/7 responsibility and accountability”.

“We are holding them to account on the fundamentals of care,” she said.

Ms Gardner told the board that Professor Brian Dolan, a teacher of ward leadership and management, has been commissioned to lead 50 hospital ward managers from across the trust in their training.

Part of this training would be to teach ward managers how to take decisions, the board heard.

“We are taking it back to the wards,” said Ms Gardner. “It will be bespoke training for ward managers.”

Sarah Dunnett, a Non-ExecutiveDirector (Associate), said it would mean that people are “held to account” while being “given the power to do things differently”.

Andrew Morgan, the chair in common at SaTH and Shropcom, said: “It is coming back to people understanding what’s your job and what support you can get.”