A DIGNIFIED REVOLUTION NEWSLETTER: August 2014
”Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever does" (Margaret Meade)
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A useful quote that we came across recently
“The care that you walk past is the care that you accept”
HEADLINE NEWS
This month we would like to share correspondence that we have received from a senior health professional working on the frontline in Wales. We welcome views from anyone who would like share their views.
Keep up the good work. Currently, the service is facing huge pressures and scrutiny like never before. As a result there is an explosion of reviews, spot checks, visits by just about any party who has a viewpoint, which is resulting in more vague recommendations and action plans which I am afraid will not address the underlying problems .We need a period of strong steady leadership which reflects on what’s been going on and takes practical steps to move the service forward. The current target driven culture in which the service is being run does not marry well with delivering quality care. There are huge tensions between delivering compassionate care and meeting targets. I always feel that we hit the targets but quite frankly miss the point!
There are some real issues that require attention, which include the following:
· A radical review of the number of targets which organisations need to meet
· The need for appropriate environments to care for our ageing population. Our hospitals need upgrading to be able to deliver this
· The time for social and health care to become one organisation is now. Cost shunting and integrated frameworks will not help our older population. Continuing health care funding is a great example of a bureaucratic mess
· We cannot carry on spending millions on free prescriptions for all. I wonder how many nurses could be employed with just targeting that spend to those who really need help
· A wholesale review of all the inspecting bodies should be undertaken. Take out duplication, make reviews fit for purpose. I remember a very good body when I worked in England called the health advisory service for the elderly who did extremely thorough but professional reviews
· More honesty and transparency by politicians about what the service really can do. We can’t continue trying to do everything especially when you consider the dire financial situation the Welsh NHS is facing over the next few years
· And finally, we must strive to make sure that the many staff who go that extra mile for their patients are recognised and that there is still much that we should be proud of in Wales about our health service - but we need strong leadership at the very top.
ABMU SEE IT SAY IT CAMPAIGN
The See It Say It Campaign is being launched across all hospitals in ABMU Health Board to make it as simple as possible for patients, visitors and staff to report concerns about poor care. Posters will be displayed at all ABMU hospitals with dedicated email, voicemail and text contact details, enabling patients, relatives, carers, and staff to flag up concerns quickly and easily.
Also, in September ABMU Health Board will be running a series of In Your Shoes Workshops which will give the opportunity for patients, their families and carers to influence how the health board delivers consistently safe, compassionate, high quality health care. The Health Board is asking patients who have experienced care in Morriston, Singleton, Neath Port Talbot and/or the Princess of Wales hospitals since January 2014 to attend. Click on the above link for more information or ring 01639 684468.
GOOD NEWS STORIES
Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board is running a pilot project to improve and maintain the health and safety of people living in residential homes in Conwy County. A new Residential Home Liaison Nurse post has been created to focus on the project, and Gill Jones,a community Nurse in Colwyn Bay has been appointed. Source: BCUB Finger on the Pulse
FEEDBACK
· I always read your newsletter; it is “true to the point!” Reference to Victoria Franklin article – how can a Director for Nursing Services be responsible for nurses but not standards of care? Surely the two go together?
· Keep up the good work, I am desperate to bring about change and will do my utmost to support you and others who are doing the same!
· Please add me to your mailing list. As an ex-employee of the NHS it saddens me to read of these cases and makes one afraid to be old or ill in this country!
· From personal experience, dying patients are being sent home to die when there is no appropriate care for them in their last hours. My case goes back to 2011 it was horrific. They would not give my husband a hospital bed, and then tried to say he wanted to go home even though he was clearly dying and not true. He was not allowed a dignified death and I believe his death was speeded up. In my opinion we were bullied out of that hospital. The complaints system was equally horrendous, and not fit for purpose. No one appears to be concerned about this and I am still devastated at what happened in those last hours. There was not appropriate care available for him. I am terrified for this new bill assisted dying to become law. It will equally be interpreted in whichever way the hospital chooses, and I fear dying patients will simply be put down to save resources. The whole concept is absolutely horrendous in a civilised society.
ACTIVITY
On 6 June we wrote to Welsh Health Minister Mark Drakeford. To date, we have received no response, though following receipt of our newsletter we have heard from his private secretary.
On 7 July we wrote to Chief Nursing Officer for Wales Jean White to ask where we could access a copy of the 2014 annual report of the Fundamentals of Care audit that was published on 13 June. On 8 July she responded to say that the national audit report should be available on the Welsh Government website shortly (there have been some minor technical delays). On 15 July she wrote to say that the document is having a front cover designed before being put on the website which is taking a little longer than anticipated. At the time of writing this newsletter the document is still unavailable.
On 12 July we wrote to the NMC to askif it is investigating whether underperforming hospitals at ABMU are fit for nurses in training and whether, when monitoring takes place, reviewers take into account other reports that have been published about hospitals. For example, inspectorate dignity spot checks, Ombudsman reports, independent reviews etc. We have to date, received no response.
On 20 July we wrote to ABMU to ask where we could find a copy of the health board’s Annual Fundamentals of Care audit report because it didn’t appear to be on the ABMU website. The response was that “it appears it didn’t appear on the internet although it should have, so thanks for drawing this to our attention”. It can now be accessed on this link along with Healthcare Inspectorate and Ombudsman’s reports.
On 4 August we wrote to Kirsty Williams AM. We are awaiting a reply
RESOURCES
How do we care for carers?
Duty to Care? Supporting and involving unpaid carers of people at the end of life is partly a report and partly a teaching aid produced by the National Council for Palliative Care.In addition to containing reflections and insights from the day, the publication also contains the three scenarios, notes on how to use them, discussion points from the day, and prompts to reflect on practice.
A better life for older people with high support needs.
Two new films highlight what makesa better life for older people with high support needs. Based on the findings of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s A Better Life programme, the films explore what makes a difference in the community and in residential care settings.
NEWS
Wales' largest health board paid millions in compensation to patients and families due to clinical negligence
Cardiff and Vale Health Board haspaid out more than £25m in compensationpay outs to patients and families due to clinical negligence in the last three years: Western Mail
Pensioner awarded £250,000 by North Wales health board following botched hip operation
A grandmother who endured a seven-year nightmare after a surgeonbotched her hip operationhas been awarded £250,000 in damages: Western Mail.
Welsh Tory leader hits out at Police decision not to release hospital complaints
Andrew RT Davies has hit out at a police decisionnot to release how many complaints had been receivedabout two hospitals at the centre of investigations over alleged poor standards of care: Western Mail
Welsh hospital death rate data is 'misleading', claims independent review
Data which monitorsdeath rates in Welsh hospitalscannot be used as an effective smoke alarm to warn about potential failings in care, an independent review has found: Western Mail
Patients and families 'too scared' of upsetting staff to make complaints
Patients and their families aretoo scared to complainabout conditions in Welsh hospitals and there is a failure to learn from complaints that have been made, Labour MP Ann Clwyd has said: Western Mail
Wales Ombudsman's casebook
The latest casebook indicates that once again,health-related complaintsaccounted forthe largest proportion of complaints against publicbodiesand the volume of work in the Ombudsman’s office continues torise.
Another ABMU nurse suspended
Another nurse at the Princess of Wales Hospital has been suspended as a result of an ongoing internal investigation into alleged record-keeping improprieties. This brings the total number to 15: Wales Online
Three Princess of Wales Hospital nurses bailed over records
Three nurses have appeared at Bridgend magistrates court charged with wilful neglect of nine patients at the Princess of Wales Hospital.The defendants did not enter pleas and wereremanded on bailto appear at Cardiff Crown Court on 11 August: BBC News
Nurse admits falsifying records
Rebecca Jones has admitted neglecting nine vulnerable patients at Princess of Wales hospital: Evening Post
Spot checks reveal failings in safe storage of medicines at Welsh hospitals
A total of 44 wards in 13 hospitals have been visited in response to the Andrews report. As a result immediate action is being taken toaddress failings in the safe storage of medicines: Western Mail
Dignity and Essential Care Inspection (DECI) reports published
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales has recently published spot check reports on Cardiff and Vale LHB and the Royal Gwent It has also produced a publication of final Dignity and Essential Care reports for Inspections completed in 2013
Former magistrate's upset over five-hour wait to empty commode at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd
A former magistrate has expressed deep concern about thelack of dignitya patient was shown claiming she waited five hours for a nurse to empty an overflowing commode: Daily Post
Employment tribunal defeat for 'whistle blower' nurse
A former Bridgend nurse who has spent five years fightingclaims of unfair dismissal against Princess of Wales hospital has lost a fourth employment tribunal since 2009: Western Mail
Half of doctor whistle-blowers 'not listened to'
Half of doctors who have'blown the whistle'and raised fears about patient care say no action has been taken, a study of medics has found: Telegraph
Whistleblowing framework: call for evidence - government response
Following a consultation on support for whistle blowers, thisdocumentoutlines the government's response. Employees who blow the whistle on wrongdoing in the workplace will receive more information and support under new measures to strengthen whistleblowing legislation.
Social media driving rise in complaints to GMC
Complaints to the doctors' regulatorthe General Medical Council have doubled in five years with patients discussing their treatment on Twitter and Facebook identified as one of the main drivers: Telegraph
Government launches inquiry over 100 suspicious deaths at a Hampshire hospital
A Hillsborough-style inquiry toinvestigate up to 100 suspicious deathsat a Hampshire hospital during the 1990s is set to be announced by the Government: Independent
The secret to transforming a failing hospital
After being put into special measuresBasildon hospital has improvedwith the help of the London's Royal Free Hospital and regular contact with an external improvement director: BBC news
Hospital red flag events should prompt staffing action
Complaints by patients, their relatives or carers aboutfailures in providing basic careshould force NHS hospitalsto look at immediately increasing the number of nurses on overnight wards, under new guidance: Guardian
Duty of candour extended to cover wider set of incidents
A statutoryduty of candour in the NHSwill cover a wider set of incidents than previously expected, and will force NHS trusts to apologise to affected patients: HSJ
Putting human rights at the heart of healthcare
Sanchita Hosali, Deputy Director of the British Institute of Human Rights, explains what puttinghuman rights into healthcaremeans and how this can improve quality and accountability: GMC