NHS Change Day 2015 is a bit different from last year. Last year, we asked people to give pledges for change. This year, we’re asking people to tell us about change they’ve actually started. Most changes have got a lot of steps, so if all you’ve done is take the first step of discussing it with one other person, we still want you to tell us, which you can do by logging your action on the NHS Change Day website.
Once you have logged the first step in your action, you can also use the site to track your progress.
You can share your action with others and inspire them to do the same. You can also let everyone know when you’ve completed your action and tell them what a difference you are making.
You don’t need permission from your boss or colleagues to take action, you don’t even have to work for the NHS. If you care, if you have an idea you think could help make the NHS or social care a little bit better – or a great deal better – for one day or every day, you can take action.
Cook, consultant, junior doctor, social worker, matron, patient or medical secretary, whether you work in the NHS or social care, volunteer, or simply want to see an improvement or say thanks, you can act now to do something better together.
Some changes are things that you can just do yourself, others will need to get other people on board. If you have an idea for an action, there’s no limit to who you can talk to or what you do.
What could your story be?
Every day, for the 100 days prior to NHS Change Day, we are sharing stories of change as part of the #100DaysofChange campaign. These stories are designed to highlight great actions and to inspire others to make a change for the better. From patients to nurses, carers to doctors, people who have made a change for the better are sharing their story so that they can encourage other people to also embrace the change that they made, and to inspire new changes and great ideas. Sharing these stories is also about giving ourselves permission to change. They show that anyone can make a change for the better – you just have to take that first step.
For great examples of changes you could make, you can read the #100DaysofChange stories or review the action log on our website.
Your action could cover a number of different areas.
- Improving patient experience and/or patient safety – from making people smile more to improving the quality and way we do things; from the introduction of a mechanism which alerts to a patients' deterioration to patient centred pathways which allow patients to alert health care professionals to a change in their health.
- Improving culture – introducing a positive mindset or behaviour that encourages others to do the same.
- Improving the way I or others make change improvement – this could be starting an all change process with a team conversation about what works now and what could be done better.
- Improving my own skills – attending additional training or signing up to a course.
- Giving people a voice – such as setting up a new forum or channel for staff to air their concerns and opinions.
So what’s your story?
If you have actions to share, of changes you have made or are making to improve health and care, please log your actions on the NHS Change Day website.
Whatever you are doing: do, share and inspire!