UK Health Minister urges A&E matrons to claim their £10,000

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 09 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT


Modern matrons are improving the experience of patients in A&Es across the country and they met today at a summit to agree how they will keep pushing improvements forward.

More than one million patients use emergency care services every month. Ninety per cent of these patients are now seen, treated and discharged from A&Es within four hours. Patients want to be treated more quickly.

Matrons are instantly recognisable to all patients and they have a vital role in improving the experience of all patients.

Last year the Government set aside £10,000 for every A&E matron in England to help them make a difference locally to the experience of their patients. Matrons could use this cash however they wanted in consultation with their patients, to raise standard in cleanliness, hygiene and care. For example:

Julie Dean, Matron at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust consulted her local PALS office before deciding to buy new floor covering, a loop system to improve communication, magazine subscriptions, new furniture and an interactive play area for young children.

Jayne Norbury, Matron at Southport and Formby NHS Trust, looked at her patient survey results and decided to introduce pagers for patients so that they can leave the department while they wait for blood test results.

Not only was this better for the patient, but also helped to ease congestion in the waiting area.

Lucie Butler, Matron at King's College Hospital, looked at her PEAT report and A&E suggestions box as well as her patient survey before deciding to use the money on improving the environment for children and older people and a new patient information screen.

Rose Bateman and Lynn Anderson, Matrons at North Cumbria NHS Trust, also looked at their PEAT report and will be getting air conditioning units, special chairs for elderly and disabled patients, TV and video and an improved, separate paediatric area.

Speaking at the summit, Health Minister Rosie Winterton congratulated matrons and other key frontline emergency care staff for their hard work in meeting the four hour target and in improving patient experience.

She said:

'It's no great mystery that patients put shorter waiting times at the top of their list for improvements in emergency care. But there are other improvements they would like to see starting with better information especially about how long they'll wait and what will happen to them. People also want clean, pleasant surroundings and friendly, helpful staff.

'Last year, we set aside £10,000 for every matron to make the improvements they thought were needed to improve patient experience in their A&E. Matrons across the country have been making those improvements and going further whether it's buying new furniture and floor coverings, creating separate areas for children and older or better information so patients know what's going on.

'But not all matrons have claimed their £10,000. I would urge them to do it now. Otherwise they will lose out and their patients will lose out. Matrons all over the country have used this money and used it well. There is no reason why it shouldn't be happening in every A&E in the country.'

Notes to Editors:

1. The summit took place at the Insitute of Director, Pall Mall, London and was chaired by Jonathan Asbridge, first National Clinicla Director for Patient Experience in A&E.

2. Matron was reintroduced - with a modern, enhanced set of responsibilities - in the Government's 10 year NHS Plan, after an absence of 30 years. The NHS Plan, published in July 2000, promised 500 matrons in place by April 2002. The latest estimates show that the number of NHS matrons has risen to over 2,000.

3. The function of modern matrons in A&E include:

Clinical Leadership

Provide clinical leadership and be responsible for the quality of patient care and patient experience within the A&E department. This will include clinical standards and infection control standards.

As part of the Emergency Services Collaborative, they will be part of the clinical team involved in improving patient experience, reducing total time in A&E, and ensuring that there is a system in place for monitoring the quality of care.

This will include mapping the patient journey through A&E, identifying the blocks/constraints in the system or process that delays the patient's journey, identifying steps in the process that does not add any value to the patient's experience, and developing an action plan to reduce delays and improve experience.

Liaise with other departments and services to improve systems and processes so that the clinical team is better able to meet patients' needs effectively and efficiently.

Provide the leadership around the governance arrangements for the A&E department.

Patient Experience

Oversee the development and implementation of local action plans arising from the results and local feedback from the national patient survey of A&E departments.

Co-ordinate the clinical advice around the handling of informal and formal complaints made by patients and carers; and monitor the implementation of actions plans agreed as a result of complaints.

Actively engage with the hospital's PALS department and collaborate on improving communication and information for patients and carers, acting on any feedback received from patients and carers, and patient forum/focus groups, and developing a strategy for better patient and public involvement in improving the service and quality of care.

Establish and implement a policy for improving communication and information for patients, and ensure that all staff have access to appropriate training and encourage positive interaction with patients and the public.

Clinical/Patient Environment

Manage the reception, housekeeping and domestic staff employed by the A&E department and ensure that they have access to training to support them in maintaining high standards of cleanliness.

Monitor the level of service provided by any contracted cleaners and domestic staff and manage any shortfall in service provision.

Monitor the level of service provided by support services to the A&E department including porters, linen services, and catering services.

Ensure that there are services and facilities in place so that patients and carers have access to food and refreshments.

Contribute to the redesign including small-scale building work with A&E departments to improve patient flows through the system, to ensure that children and young people are provided with an appropriate environment, and that waiting areas are patient-friendly with access to toilet facilities.

Ward/department environment budget

Prioritise and manage the ward environment budget to ensure that it is used effectively to improve the patient experience and the patient environment. Plan and manage the process for maintaining the painting and decoration of the A&E department.

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