- Families are not able to come into the Trust
- Reduce calls re follow up delays (certificates/property etc)
- Decrease stress levels of relatives during a period when visiting is restricted
- Unwillingness of registration service to work electronically to deliver service
Aim
- To keep service running as efficiently as possible whilst visitors are unable to come into hospital
Plan
- Coming up with initial ideas to deliver changes required for a quality service
- Approval from Gold Command
- Changes needing to be implemented quickly and having to keep up with the pace
- Some modifications occurring a number of times in one day
Benefits
- Speed and efficiency for families that makes such a difference
- Retired doctors recruited to support with signing medical certificates have made such a difference; we don’t want to go back to the old ways if possible
- Not needing to constantly follow up process with ward staff
- Less stress within the team –chasing people up etc. This has all gone completely and is working extremely well
- Registry office have reported they are starting to meet their targets more effectively to register deaths within 5 days
Measures
- The ease in which we can be contacted now; not waiting several hours as our time is freed up
- Family feedback is fantastic; to still access information without experiencing delays
- Given a specific day for delivery of property with no reported delays in having to store belongings
- More time to chat to bereaved families as not under previous pressures; has the potential to reduce complaints
- A reduction in phone calls to the team has already been noted as well as having to follow up with wards and delays in sending certificates
Resources / team
- The medical certificate is now scanned and sent to the Registry office then Registrars ring families at home to register and issue Death Certificate.
- Property taken to patients home via a volunteer to save relatives coming into hospital and reducing footfall of visitors to the Trust
- Team of retired doctors recruited and tasked with signing of medical certificates to keep the process going.
Key learning
- Be less worried about implementing new ideas
- Work at pace - enabled changes more effectively
- Thinking broadly
Tips for others
- I try to encourage colleagues anyway to come up with new ideas
- Now Teams is working we can share ideas and have meetings more easily
- Speak up and say what their idea is, whoever you are
Contact name: Ruth Birkinshaw, Bereavement Coordinator