RETIREMENT
CASUALTY STAFF TOLD: 'MIND YOUR MANNERS'
Hospital patients should feel reassured during their visit
By Victoria Fletcher Health Editor
HOSPITAL accident and emergency staff are being told to mind their manners and treat patients with more respect.
Workers are being sent nine key rules on how to behave.
Receptionists are being told to be “courteous and welcoming” while doctors and nurses must formally introduce themselves and explain what they do.
Staff will also ask patients whether they want to be called by their title of Mr or Mrs or by their first name.
Nursing leaders and patient groups developed the list.
Dr Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said people rushing to casualty needed to feel reassured.
He said: “Going to A&E can be a frightening time for many people.
“We know nurses desperately want to give patients high-quality, dignified care, but the busy nature of emergency care means there are times when they are hard-pressed to deliver the kind of care they would like.
“These principles set out the basic standards patients can expect from all healthcare staff.”
Patients are already asked to fill in questionnaires about their hospital experience, including whether they were given privacy and proper information about their treatment.
Scores for each hospital are published by the Healthcare Commission.
Last week the Government said it wanted to grade the quality of nursing care at each hospital using these patient surveys.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said that even if a patient’s operation had gone well, they would not say they had a good experience if nurses had not treated them with compassion and kindness.
Ministers plan to put dignity at the heart of an NHS constitution to be published later this year.
Meanwhile, nursing unions are drawing up their own standards for staff.
The moves are a victory for The Daily Express Respect For The Elderly Crusade, which has highlighted shocking breaches of dignity and care in the health system.
The Patients Association’s Katherine Murphy said it was vital that the NHS treated all patients with care.
She said: “Respect and dignity are essential ingredients for any relationship.
“It should go without saying that one of the essential prerequisites for ensuring that patients are treated with dignity and respect is that patients are treated as individuals in their own right.
“Dignity should be at the heart of healthcare.”
RCN'S RULES FOR CASUALTY STAFF...
Reception staff will be welcoming, courteous and helpful.
You will be given approximate waiting time.
All healthcare professionals will introduce themselves and their role.
Staff will ask if you wish to be addressed formally or informally.
All staff will cleanse their hands regularly and before each patient contact.
You will be asked for your informed consent before any procedure.
You will be kept informed about your treatment. Your details will
remain confidential, though we may need to inform other healthcare
professionals.
You will be treated with respect and dignity at all times.
Staff will do their best to respect religious or cultural needs.
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