Under evaluation with potential for adoption
Patient Care Packs
Patients are often admitted to hospital at short notice. This means that some come ill equipped for their stay.
Evidence indicates that nurses spend more than 5 minutes per patient obtaining essential items, or patients survive without, having a negative impact on their well being and impeding nursing ability.
Patient Care Packs (PCP’s) include essential items (such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, grip socks, ear plugs and eye mask). Costs start at 77p for a sleep pack up to £1.97 for a welcome pack. Equivalent savings in nursing time range from £2.42 to £8.61 per shift, per band 4-7 nurse.
About
Working in collaboration with NHS Trusts we produce customised care packs that include a range of personal care items and Trust literature e.g. safety leaflet, FFT, information on ward routines, nurses uniforms etc, everything a patient needs for their own personal hygiene, protecting their dignity and enhancing the feeling of comfort at what is often a confusing and difficult time and supporting keys NHS strategies e.g. noise at night, falls prevention, patient information. We are winners of the Medilink EM 2016 'Collaboration with the NHS' Business Award for working with over 50 Trusts.
In collaboration with the HIN (Health Innovation Network), a trial of PCP’s took place over winter 2016-17 amongst HIN’s South London members, including King’s College Hospital NHSFoundation Trust, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals as well as in a mental health service for homeless people run by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Nursing staff gave a customised packs to patients, which included dental kit, grip socks, ear plugs, eye mask and short feedback survey. Nursing staff also completed surveys. 262 patients and 68 nursing staff completed surveys. Additionally, University of Leicester colleagues used observational techniques to understand the impact the packs had on patient and staff experience.
Key findings include:
- 94% of patients felt that PCP’s ensured they felt cared for during their hospital stay.
- 84% of nursing staff felt that PCP’s saved them more than 5 minutes per patient.
- Releasing at least 40 minutes per shift (1:8 patient ratio) for effective nursing.
- Saving the NHS £1,705 for every band 4 nurse.
- 9 out of 10 nurses reported improved job satisfaction
- 93% of nurses felt that PCP’s promoted positive interactions with patients
