31 Jan 2012

Witney Community Hospital – Graeme Armitage, Director of HR and OD

I worked a shift at Witney Community Hospital and my day started out taking on the role of a Healthcare Assistant. I attended staff meetings, delivered breakfasts to patients on the ward and worked with the team to find out how a Community Hospital ward is run every day. I also spent time with the physiotherapy team which helped me to better understand the role they play in supporting the rehabilitation of patients on the wards. I attended a Memory Clinic with staff from the Occupational Therapy team. It helped me to get a well rounded view of how patients are supported by the Community Hospital.

Throughout the day I discovered how many areas rely on IT and ensuring that the IT support systems in place are accessible and work well. This covered a range of things including patient records and recording when patients left the ward to attend appointments. Ensuring that there are clear processes in place across all areas and duties was critical for the smooth running of the ward.

I was impressed by the work that had taken place through the Productive Ward Programme and it was great to hear about the positive impacts it has been having on staff and patients. Working in new ways and having to be critical about how we do things can be challenging and difficult but the benefits once new ways of working are put in place are definitely worth it. The notice board detailing all the key measures the wards put in place is a useful tool and I was impressed that any staff member on the ward was able to talk me through it.

Having worked a shift at the hospital, I feel I have insight into the way staff are working on our wards and the challenges they face. I also have first hand experience of the rewards that come with providing care directly to patients. Thank you to all the staff who made me feel welcome and supported me to work a shift at the hospital.

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