The TRUST PA

HOSPITAL BUDDY SCHEME

THE BACKGROUND

A six month 24/7 period in a hospital unit observing the NHS process identified the need for this service, also  previous experiences & the suggestions of a long term in-patient.

OUR PROPOSITION

“Trust PA Hospital Buddy Scheme” to be adopted progressively throughout the NHS/Wales/UK.

A vital new service provision at negligible cost but maximum advantage, not currently offered.

A system to release professional nursing staff and services from time-hungry – nominal tasks.

A system to improve the patient care experience of NHS delivery so raising the service profile.

A opportunity to identify future quality NHS staff through a volunteer experience  & directory.

An opportunity for volunteers to demonstrate their potential  for possible NHS employment.

Opportunity for students to experience the NHS workplace as well as personal hands – on patient care.

A practical opportunity for the NHS to provide and demonstrate true customer care and service.

WHO WOULD NEED THIS HELP?

People needing the scheme include: anyone unable to use their arms or hands, spinal cord injured, paralysed, stroke victims, cerebral palsy, brain damaged, where immobility is necessary for recovery i.e. burns victims, post operative incapacity, sight impaired, or simply too ill or frail to cater for themselves. Anyone in need, being any: age, race, religion.

REQUIREMENTS: Volunteers where do we find them?

Hospital students including doctors, nurses, physios, occupational therapists even administration.

Other students-  e.g. law, ecclesiastical etc.

Retired NHS staff, interested parties, charities, patient’s relatives, care organisations etc

Any volunteers already giving their services.

HOW WILL IT WORK?

As part of the ongoing ward management process, a schedule of volunteers would be maintained and additional volunteers identified – ideally by the NHS Trust HRM section.

THE BENEFITS

The advantage to the Trust & NHS would be healthier, happier patients who would enjoy the benefit of a more caring and user friendly hospital environment, probably contributing to a shorter recovery period.

A good patient experience = a positive public impression of the NHS Care Delivery.

A good student experience = students who really understand and experience the problems for the patient, helping them to be better doctors, nurses etc.

The above information is in brief, following is the detail on how the scheme should work and be introduced:

BACKGROUND:

After spending a number of periods in hospital personally and then both of us (wife/husband) spending almost continually 24/7 for 6 month in the Spinal Repair & Rehabilitation Unit at Salisbury Hospital, we have a full detailed knowledge of the many issues relating to the care or lack of care for in-house patient welfare. One issue which was voiced by our spinal cord injured son, who was totally paralysed from the chin down and unable to even breathe for himself was; that had there been someone available to help him with his basic needs, issues like feeding, drinking, conversation, reading the papers, letters, music and similar needs, then we his parents could have been released to take a break from his bedside occasionally.

 It was evident to us that nursing as per Florence Nightingale in today’s NHS is a myth and long since replaced by a job specification, targets and the general management of the recovery process, rather than the specific personal basic needs of any particular patient. To illustrate the point, its common knowledge also from our experience, that many elderly and infirm patients fail to enjoy the benefit of personal assistance for example, with their feeding when in a position of being unable to feed or care for themselves. Anyone in need, being any; age, religion or race.

SO WHAT IS OUR PROPOSITION?

Simply that across the NHS there is a vital need to provide a personal standard of care which the current system is unable to deliver. This should and could be achieved outside the current hospital staffing arrangement without the requirement for remuneration or major funding if organised and managed properly, using a register of voluntary assistants on a volunteer basis.

However, we would strongly suggest that such a system should be involved as part and parcel of the NHS Trust healthcare delivery process, across the NHS in the UK. This would ensure that a quality Buddy Scheme would be monitored, organised and efficiently run to ensure continuity in the provision and resulting support that any needy patient would value and could benefit from. 

WHO WOULD NEED THIS HELP?

People needing the scheme include: Anyone unable to use their arms or hands, spinal cord injured, paralysed, stroke victims, cerebral palsy, brain damaged, where immobility is necessary for recovery, burns victims, post operative incapacity, sight impaired or just too ill or frail to cater for themselves.

HOW WILL IT WORK?

It would be adopted as part of the ward management process across the NHS. It would consist of a schedule of volunteers which would be maintained by the ward manager to ensure the smooth and efficient running of such a scheme to the benefit of the nursing staff and especially those patients dependant on the help.

There would be an ongoing need to find new volunteers through the HR employment section of the NHS Trust, local authority, employment agencies and similar advertising channels. We would see the Buddy Scheme releasing nursing staff from many basic tasks, enabling them to concentrate on the more expert issues and requirements of patient care to ensure enhanced health recovery and an ensured feeding regime. The advantage to the NHS Trust would be a healthier, happier patient who would enjoy the benefit of a more caring and user friendly hospital ward environment. Doubtless there would also be the opportunity for feedback from the volunteer helpers to indicate any adverse issues to nursing staff which would enable them to address the problems and concerns of the patients in their care.

THE REQUIREMENTS: Volunteers where do we find them?

I propose that there are thousands of willing people available that do not even know that they would help if asked. Annually the NHS Trusts teach and employ all manner of students, doctors, nurses, clinical & associated support staff. These come from university, colleges, and hospitals. There are also retired NHS staff and other people, interested parties, even those volunteers already giving their time and support.

If there was a coordinated and mandatory scheme in place, where anyone proposing to work for an NHS Trust had to undertake a formal period of contribution in a volunteering capacity, every NHS Trust would have the available volunteers to run the scheme to cope with many issues.

This would benefit the volunteer as they would ensure themselves that their aspiration to work for an NHS Trust was a fact and not a pipedream. It would also give a valuable insight into the daily needs and requirements for patient care and necessities. It would also ensure that many of the offhand doctor/nurse attitudes currently experienced by patients could be monitored and eradicated prior to any full employment. In addition mature sections of the retired society could and would also form part of this volunteer client base.

The scheme should operate independent of visiting hours but where necessary include visiting time for those patients without the benefit of personal family or friends visiting to help them (being single, away from home or no family etc). By being properly organised, managed and monitored there could also be the possibility of earning NVQ qualification for willing and interested volunteers, giving credits towards their eventual employment prospects. When employing someone – it’s better the devil you know, than the one you don’t!

We believe that this proposal would provide the NHS Trusts throughout the UK with a valuable tool to enhance an important area which is currently seriously lacking. 

For anyone doubting our sentiment; please consider that next week a close friend, parent or offspring – even you due to an unforeseen accident/injury could be unfortunate enough to need this type of care?

How would you feel at the mercy of an over stretched system, where your mealtime and vital nutrition took the lowest priority, where your food was removed cold and uneaten as no one was there to help feed you?Yes it is happening unfortunately everyday in a hospital near you!

Gerri Blundell Charity Treasurer

Rob Blundell Charity Director