This is the fourteenth #WILTW

The story is told of how President John Kennedy once visited NASA. He came across a cleaner and asked him what his job was. The cleaner replied: ‘My job is to help to put a man on the moon.’

This is an oft quoted story which may not be based in truth. It does emphasise an important point, however cheesy, that knowing your value to an organisation is very important. The Emergency Care pathway involves patients from the moments they become unwell, onto health seeking behaviour, to urgent or emergency care settings, into hospital and then back into the community. Although ‘Emergency’ makes people instantly think of  the Emergency Departments role; we are only one part of the puzzle.

Leicester Hospitals have just launched #everybodycounts. A campaign to energise staff to improve and celebrate the care we provide for patients who receive emergency care wherever they are on the pathway. A few videos have been released demonstrating the little things that can be done to improve the quality of care provided (I apologise to Kate Granger for mistaking Leeds to be in the “North-West”).  It’s deliberate we have a nurse, junior doctor, and play specialist all contributing – they are all part of the process. In fact in some respects they are far more important  than the consultants and matrons who set strategy.  It is the hands on, patient facing, staff who will be the arbitrators of patient experience, quality of care and delivery of standards.

Everybody Counts – Debs Dakin – Successful Introduction of the Sub-Wait from Leicester’s Hospitals on Vimeo.

I have written previously about how anyone can make simple mistakes on obvious tasks that demonstrate compassionate care. And it is the same simple things, performed by any member of staff, that can brighten up a patients otherwise miserable day.

#everybodycounts – all the time, every time.

What did you learn this week ? #WILTW