Our Patient Safety Priorities
Patient safety is the responsibility of us all at #TeamKGH and while it affects every aspect of our work, whether your work is clinical, support or administration, we have set out three clear Patient Safety priorities in our most recent Quality Report:
1. Pain relief in Urgent Care
Effective pain relief is an essential element of outstanding care, reducing complications and improving patient satisfaction
Our patient safety pledges
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We will provide a pain assessment for every patient within 15 minutes of arrival in ED and they will receive pain relief medication within 20 minutes
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We are training senior nurses to deliver pain relief medication
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We are reassessing all patients given pain relief within one hour to assess if the medication has been effective.
2. Nutrition and hydration
Ensuring our patients are eating and drinking properly is an essential pary of the care we deliver.
Our patient safety pledges:
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We are improving the records we keep on patients’ fluid intake and nutrition to identify adult patients who are at risk of malnutrition
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We are carrying out fluid balance assessments for at least 70% of patients within 24 hours of them being admitted
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We are carrying out MUST assessments (Malnutrition Universal Screen Tool) for at last 95% of patients with 24 hours of admission.
3. Increase Smoke-Free Pregnancy
Smoking in pregnancy increases the chances of stillbirths and new-born baby deaths and can lead to health complications, such as asthma and other serious illnesses for your child.
Our patient safety pledges:
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We are referring mothers who smoke, or who live with someone who smokes, to a trained Stop Smoking Advisor
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We are ensuring all Midwives and Maternity Support Workers are trained to use carbon dioxide monitors (these help to identify the level of exposure to tobacco smoke) and to have a meaningful conversation with women about smoking
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We are sharing outcomes and learning from good practice with colleagues across Northamptonshire.