New hourly rounds at King’s Mill Hospital

King’s Mill Hospital has received its fair share of the criticism but is attempting to rectify this by ensuring hourly rounds across all wards.

They are known as care and comfort rounds and are designed to address the four essential areas of pain, personal care such as using the toilet and drinks or food, a comfortable position and ensuring personal possessions are within reach.

They have been implemented following pressure from Prime Minister David Cameron and the former Health Secretary Andrew Lansley last year.

Kerry Moore, Practice Development Matron at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “Our staff were already doing this but now it has been formalised.

“We worked closely with other hospitals, sharing procedures, and now what we are hoping to do is bring it into an out-patient setting.”

Susan, a patient on ward 14, told the Chad: “The staff just cannot do enough for you. Knowing somebody is just there to check on you is great.”

The introduction of hourly rounds at King’s Mill could well go some way to mending the hospitals’s reputation after being criticised in an NHS report last July.

Fluid management, patient experience issues and staffing levels were all listed as below standard in the report by Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director’ of NHS England, into patient care across 14 NHS hospital trusts.

Said Ms Moore: “Staffing levels are being reviewed and we aim to complete the model of care and comfort rounds to see a registered nurse every hour.

“We are asking patients if they need the toilet on a regular basis so there should not be an occurrence of patients being left on commodes or having soiled themselves.

“Care and comfort rounds work with the projects underway on nutrition, hydration and staffing and offering patients a drink and something to eat – pre-empting their care needs.”

At present, care and comfort rounds are carried out hourly between 8am-10pm with two-hourly rounds between 10pm-8am.

Registered nurses are used on alternate hours with untrained nurses picking up the remaining rounds.

Ms Moore added: “Patient safety and experience is our number one priority. This is the key reason for implementing care and comfort Rounds.

“Nursing staff throughout the Trust do a fantastic job at taking care of our patients and our care and comfort rounds demonstrate how we have taken care delivery one step further to improve experiences for all.

“Having rapidly implemented care and comfort rounds we are already seeing amazing results and staff are truly engaging in outstanding care delivery.”

A spokesman for Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust said he hoped the rounds would see a reduction in falls, pressure ulcers, a rise in hydration and nutrition standards, improved patient experience, a reduction in call bell usage, and an increase in coaching and pain assessments.