Tell us what you think..

During a recent complaint investigation we found that staff had given information to service users and had documented they had done so, but service users and carers felt they had not received this information.  Clearly something had gone wrong and the information was lost somewhere in the middle.  In the light of this, and the fact that  information and communication to patients is a theme from many complaints we handle, we are asking all staff to think carefully about the way they communicate and ways in which this can be improved. 

   If a service user is particularly distressed or anxious they might not be able to take in the information  they are being given so one strategy is to revisit the subject at another time or think about alternate ways of providing the information.  We are also looking to put a strapline in letters from doctors so that if service users want to discuss something that has been sent, they can do so at the next doctor’s appointment.  This will allow the service user time to think about the information that has been sent and come prepared at the next appointment to ask questions and clarify things.  We hope that this will help.

 

Have you got any thoughts or ideas on how we can continue to work with our staff to further improve communication?  What works well for you?  All ideas, thoughts and opinions are very welcome!