In May 2010, over 90 people came to Ashton Town Hall to tell the LINk about their experiences of care at Tameside Hospital. The two hour event gave people a chance to share their experiences with each other and to talk about ideas for improving care. Whilst some people had positive stories to tell, it was inevitable that much of the talk would be about things that people were unhappy with.

The LINk’s hospital working group has analysed everything people said and come up with eight key recommendations:

Staffing

1. Improvements in staffing levels and planning required by the Care Quality Commission (as a condition of Registration in April 2010) must be monitored for effectiveness.
   
   Communication
   
2. Where falls and accidents occur in the hospital these must always be recorded in patient notes and reported to relatives as well as recorded in statutory accident recording mechanisms. Referral to relevant clinicians must always take place following an accident or fall.
   
3. * Patients and their families should be more effectively involved in decisions about their care.
   
   Information
   
4. * Every patient and their family should be given clear, accessible and effective information about their diagnosis, treatment and how they can manage their ongoing care.
   
   Leadership
   
5. Leadership at the highest levels within the hospital must be seen to drive improvements at the hospital and must take responsibility for engaging with the communities they serve.
6. * Leadership at a ward/clinic level must focus on ensuring that all aspects of care are delivered consistently to all patients and that sufficient checks are made on patients most likely to need higher levels of care, especially at night.
   
   Eating and Drinking
   
7. The effectiveness of the hospital’s systems for ensuring that everyone gets sufficient food and drink should be reviewed.
   
   Bathing and Toileting
   
8. * All patients must have the help and support they need, when they need it, to meet their toileting and bathing needs. This should be consistent across all hospital areas including A&E, day surgery and wards.
   
   

The hospital has agreed to work with us to make sure that these turn into improved care for patients.

Copies of the report can be downloaded here:

 LINk Tameside Hospital Improvement Report - July 2010

 LINk Tameside Hospital Improvement Summary Report

 LINk Tameside Hospital Improvement Summary Report - large print

For more information contact Peter the LINk Co-ordinator on 0161 339 4985 or email tamesidelink@t3sc.org