Your donations funded an Enhanced Care Observation (ECO) Matron for 12 months, looking at patients who need enhanced care at our hospitals. This includes patients who are confused, at a higher risk of falling, experiencing mental illness or who have additional needs.

The aims of the role were to:

• Improve safety outcomes for patients requiring enhanced care whilst an inpatient
• Greatly improve the experience for patients in the adult division with enhanced care needs
• Improve education and awareness of this group of patients
• Review ward areas to improve patient safety by introducing dementia-friendly activities
• Reduce incidents of violence and aggression, brought about my patients with dementia due to their environment and increased anxiety.

ECO Matron Lucy Harrison said:

My role has provided a fantastic opportunity to explore how we support patients who have enhanced care needs and has enabled the valuable time needed to develop new ways to improve how to support our patients.

"The success of the role has been due to funding being provided for a specific role, which has enable focused work alongside our other hospital colleagues. We have gained some extremely helpful insights and achieved some highly positive outcomes, which have helped us create new roles, develop new practices and be creative in our approaches. 

"This post will have a long-lasting legacy and has provided the foundation for further work in this area of patient care."

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Patient feedback

Funding also provided sensory activities for patients, including games, crafts and memory cards, and Sharon's Crafty Cafe - lunchtime activity sessions in the cafe on Ward A522. Activities have been themed around Halloween, Remembrance Day and Christmas.

Feedback from patients and their families included:

• "Mum loves company and we have seen an improvement in her mood and alertness. This activity is positive all round."
• "It made me feel like I am close to going home. Keep up the good work."
• "I was happy to be off the ward and have a game of cards."

The projects started by the ECO Matron have been so successful that sensory activity trolleys have now been funded in other hospital areas and an Activity Coordinator is being trialed at Weston General Hospital.

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Make a donation and you can help us improve the patient experience for people spending time in our hospitals.