As a hospital Trust we are now using specially tailored screens in high dependency areas to help protect patients’ privacy and dignity.

Before: Many patients require a higher than normal level of observation, immediately following surgery, due to the complex nature of their operations. A number of years ago these patients would have been nursed in a critical care/high dependency unit. However, due to the extended skills of our nursing staff, they are now able to be transferred back to their specialists wards immediately post surgery.  They are transferred back into what we call “level one bays” where they are regularly observed and receive intensive nursing care.

We provide level one bays on Wolf and Stonehouse wards as well as on Carey ward where patients immediately post renal transplantation are nursed. On Moorgate ward which is the sub-regional neurosurgical unit patients are also nursed in this way as they are on Hexworthy and Honeyford wards which accept patients for non invasive ventilation which helps them to breathe effectively. The Acute Stroke Unit on Burrator Ward also has a high dependency area.

These level one bays are specialist areas because they allow nurses to intensively observe patients when they are in the early stages of recovery. On occasions, these specialist areas have a mix of male and female patients.

 

After: In order to try to protect patients’ privacy and dignity we have purchased unique screens to help segregate male and female patients and afford them more privacy. These have been embossed with pictures of Plymouth and the West Country which have been taken by members of our hospital staff. These images are intended to be restful and remind patients of the surroundings that they may more usually find themselves in. Within the Trust we aim to ensure that all patients whether they require critical care or not are treated with respect and dignity.

Feedback: 78% of patients said that they were always treated with respect and dignity and 3% of patients felt this was not the case in the 2008 inpatient survey. In a more recent Trust-wide survey covering the months between 1st July and 30th September 09,  91% of patients responded positively to this and no patients reported not being treated with respect and dignity.