Improving the ward environment for patients

Citation

Morris, B. (2001), "Improving the ward environment for patients", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 14 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2001.06214aab.012

Improving the ward environment for patients

Improving the ward environment for patients

The NHS Plan, the ten-year blueprint for the health service published in July 2000, announced a nation-wide clean up campaign, backed by a £31 million cash injection. Under the campaign, action teams are being sent into every hospital to check that patient areas, visitor toilets, outpatient and accident/emergency departments, furniture, linen, blinds and floor coverings are all clean. So far they have visited over 150 hospitals.

Eight trusts have been identified as exemplars of good practice: Bassetlaw District General Hospital; Royal Hampshire County Hospital; Bedford Hospital; The Royal Oldham Hospital; Homerton Hospital; Staffordshire General Hospital; Dewsbury and District Hospital; and Dorset County Hospital. Managers from other hospitals will be able to visit these sites to help them develop strategies of their own to improve cleanliness. Managers at the hospitals are drawing up standards which will become part of a national action plan for cleanliness, due to be published in December 2000. National standards for cleanliness will form part of the NHS Performance Assessment Framework. Every hospital's performance will be measured against these standards.

Another major initiative to improve ward environments is the issue of bank-style credit cards for nurses which will enable them to spend new ward budgets more efficiently. The NHS Purchasing Cards will allow ward sisters to order direct from the supplier, cutting down on hospital bureaucracy. The sum spent will be recorded electronically and the ward sister will receive monthly expenditure statements, similar to those sent to bank customers. The cards are being piloted by over 250 ward sisters in England, who will use them to spend ward budgets of at least £5,000 a year. The budget can be spent on whatever the nurse managers consider will best enhance patient care or improve the working lives of staff. This includes improvements and repairs to the ward itself, medical and non-medical equipment, and consumables. The one restriction is the budgets cannot be spent on staff pay costs, or other staff related costs, such as training. It is the first time nurse managers have had the power to spend money on the improvements they know are needed on their wards, such as decorating and buying new furniture.

£25 million of NHS cash has been allocated to launch the budgets, announced at the Royal College of Nursing Congress earlier this year. Those not taking part in the card pilot will use traditional ordering and invoice systems. However provided the pilot proves a success, by April 2001 up to 50 percent of ward sisters could be using the NHS Purchasing cards.