Star Wards Action NetworkWelcome to the latest issue of SWAN. Following on from edition #4’s theme of medication, I’m very grateful to Darren O’Brien from the excellent charity Network for Change for sending me exactly what I’d previously been unable to locate – a paper outlining the specific issues of medication for people with mental health problems. It’s available on the Internet: And you’ll no doubt have seen the very worrying report from the Healthcare Commission about medication on acute wards, but if not, it’s on: http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/_db/_documents/Talking_about_ medicines_mht_report_tagged.pdf Customer Service Inspiration, courtesy of Phil Dourado Jan Carlzon, legendary turnaround artist at Scandinavian airline SAS was one of the first to move away from word-heavy, pompous ‘rulebook’-style manuals. He developed a cartoon book, The Little Red Book, to communicate the new SAS vision to employees. John Timpson transformed his Timpsons chain of high street outlets in part by re-designing the training manuals to be picture-led, at a cost of £2 million. “People learn best through images, not written words,” says John, who has pushed Timpsons into the Top 5 of the Sunday Times Great Places to Work list in recent years and whose stores have increased their profits consistently since the mid-1990s by focusing relentlessly on customers. News from trusts Thanks again to Alan Metherall from Gloucester for the Star Wards’ self-assessment tool attached to this fortnight’s email. You’ll remember from the last newsletter that Wotton Lawn Hospital that they employ sports’ therapists and we’ll soon have on our website a really interesting paper from Alan’s colleague Leon Meek about exercise therapy. And you all got the email from Owen Luck about the exciting link-up with Oxleas’ local (as in national local…) football club. Great. I’m very grateful to one of Bright’s trustees, Sally Malin who is the chair of Barnet PCT for showing me the gorgeous new Edgware Community Hospital. Among many impressive features (including the best canteen meal I’ve ever had), it has a stunning advice and information centre. The centre includes a suite of meeting rooms used on a totally inspired ‘time-share’ basis by local voluntary organisations, for example BME groups providing counselling in mother tongue languages. And a huge, beautiful library that’s well used by patients as well as staff, including patients from the on-site mental health units. . This visit prompted the inclusion this time of these two Star Wards’ ideas. Ideas in action #11 Community groups hold regular sessions It would be great to hear from you about which community groups provide services and resources in your trusts. Ones that spring to mind include:
#45 Self-help books and tapes Patients who can manage reading in hospital, need access to books, in particular ones that enable us to accelerate our own recoveries and to support fellow patients. Ones we’d particularly recommend are:
All the best Marion |