Royal Stoke Emergency Department launches new patient relative enquiry line to transform patient experience
Relatives of patients attending the Emergency Department at Royal Stoke can now receive timely updates on their loved ones, thanks to a newly launched patient enquiry telephone line.
In its first seven days, the new process has already dramatically improved the communication between relatives and clinical teams by using a call management system. This allows relatives to request callbacks from a clinician and receive clear information on where their loved one is within the department, what has happened to them and where they will go next. This initiative aims to ease stress and improve communication during what is often a difficult and uncertain time for friends and relatives.
The new patient enquiry line helps to address the challenge of overwhelmed phone lines, as relatives previously struggled to get through to the department easily and ask for any relevant information. The innovative system now ensures that relatives and service users can experience:
• Callbacks within 90 minutes and escalation if this doesn’t occur
• Average call answer time of 30 seconds to speak with the emergency department reception team
• Standardised communication process
• Reduced caller frustration
Since the system has launched, they have been able to manage and direct over 750 calls.
Joseph Kiely-Bromage, Business Support Manager at UHNM has overseen the project from start to finish. He said: “The main focus of this project was to improve the experience of patients and their relatives as there is nothing worse than not knowing where or if your relative is in the department, what is happening and if they are ok. The new telephone line ensures that they can talk to our receptionists with ease and speed, and any concerns can be heard and passed onto the clinical team.
“It’s really important that we give our patients and their relatives a voice and ensure that they are not on the other end of the phone struggling to speak with a member of the department. Being able to talk to one of our receptionists allows us to give relatives more reassurance that their loved ones are being cared for and helps to manage their expectations on when they can speak with a clinician about the care their relatives are receiving.
“As we have a large demand of phone calls in the Emergency Department, this new system and process has allowed us to better manage the call flows, helping to drastically reduce the number of repeat and inappropriate calls to the department, alongside reducing the levels of frustration between patients, relatives and staff working across the area. Now that we can better manage expectations and reassure friends and family that they will receive a call from us, the experience is much more positive for everyone involved which is especially important given that people contact us at some of the worst and frightening parts of their life. I am proud of the work we have done and look forward to seeing the levels of improvement this change will continue to deliver for the people that access our service.”
Paula Lane, Lead Nurse Emergency Medicine, added: “The teams that are looking after our patients can now give timely updates while also having more efficient communications with loved ones about their relative and any additional needs such as their personal items, additional medication and ultimately help patients get home quicker and have their needs met. It’s great to see all of our teams working together to ensure that the patient journey and experience is improved.”
If your relative is in the emergency department you can call the patient enquiry line on 01782 674455