Do you know who I am?

Susan, I’m the Chief of Nursing Services for Hairmyres Hospital.

Hairmyres Hospital is committed to providing the best possible care for all our patients as well as support for families and carers.

We aim to put you at the centre of everything that happens to you and consider what matters to you when discussing your treatment and care. We know that good communication between patients and staff, as well as between different staff groups is essential if we are to deliver safe, person-centred care that is effective.

We realise you see lots of different staff whilst you are in hospital and it is important that you know who they are. All our staff will introduce themselves to you and explain their role in your treatment and care. This is reinforced at safety briefs and staff handovers, as well as during staff training sessions. Ward staff also wear “# hello my name is” badges to help you identify them.

We have also developed patient bedside boards to improve communication.

Patient Bedside Board – Ward 5

The left side of the board is completed with the patient, or their family. We will ask what name you like to be known by and also “what matters” to you. This can vary greatly and is personal to you.

Having this information readily available allows staff to take account of what is important to you. This has proved particularly useful, especially for staff visiting the ward that may not have access to your records, such as phlebotomists, porters, domestic staff and volunteers.

If you have an experience of Hairmyres Hospital you would like to share, please speak to a member of staff, respond on Patient Opinion, or visit the “Your Feedback” Section of the NHS Lanarkshire website to see the other ways to get in touch www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk

The “#hello my name is” campaign was started by Dr Kate Granger after she became frustrated with the number of staff who failed to introduce themselves to her when she was in hospital. You can find out more about Dr Granger’s campaign at www.hellomynameis.org.uk