The conference which took place on 14 May 2012, was a collaboration between patient representatives and staff, all of whom are passionate about improving the care of vulnerable patients at Noble's Hospital.
David Anderson, Minster for Health said:
“This conference follows on from work undertaken previously when practitioners were asked what difficulties they had experienced when caring for vulnerable adults within the busy environment of an acute hospital setting. It became clear to us that there was a lack of complete understanding of the additional and specific needs which vulnerable patients might have, in addition to the problems which brought them into hospital, and we are seeking to address this by providing further training for all staff which we hope will make a real difference to the care received by our patients”.
Bev Critchlow, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Therapies said:
"This second Vulnerable Adults conference is a terrific opportunity to expand the understanding of the needs which vulnerable patients (in this case older people, people with learning disabilities and people with an enduring mental health problem being cared for within an acute hospital setting) may have whilst receiving care at Noble’s Hospital. Clearly, there is a great need for this type of information to be shared amongst our staff as the first conference was fully booked within 5 days of being advertised."
In addition to organising the second conference, the group has established a "Champions' Network" across the hospital.
The champions are registered nurses or midwives who have taken on additional responsibilities for ensuring that vulnerable adults within their wards receive optimum care. The champions have undergone additional training in aspects related to the care of vulnerable adults within an acute hospital setting and have already started sharing their knowledge with their colleagues.
Speaking after the Conference Cathie Quine, Senior Nurse, who was the chair of the Vulnerable Adult Conference said:
"We have been really lucky to have a rich diversity of speakers with a wealth of knowledge. The speakers we have heard from today are not only Health and Social Care Professionals but Patient and Public Representatives and Carers who shared with us their personal viewpoint and emphasised how an integrated approach can help deliver the best care. It was evident from the wide range of Health & Social Care Professionals that were in the audience that something that we all share in common is a deep commitment to raising the quality of care for Vulnerable Adults."
Further information about the Vulnerable Adults initiatives is available from Shelagh Leonard, Senior Nurse, Professional Development, at Noble's Hospital on +44 1624 650116.
