to A&E staff at Watford General
The Health Secretary praised the ‘amazing’ staff at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust after hearing how frontline teams had eliminated corridor care.
Just over three years ago, West Herts was ranked close to the bottom of the NHS league tables for A&E waiting times – with patients routinely cared for in crowded public corridors due to a lack of beds on the wards.
Now, the Trust is consistently in the Top 10 Trusts in England and has had no corridor care for six months - after embedding a new culture, embracing data, and working closely with local partners to manage the flow of patients in and out of the hospital
On a visit to Watford General Hospital, James Murray thanked teams for their hard work and progress.
“I want to say a big thank you to everyone working at West Herts. I've been here today at Watford General Hospital and seen the amazing work people have been doing here, including eliminating corridor care.
“I know that people right across West Herts have been working flat out, particularly during the recent months when we've had heat waves and as the demand on services has gone up.
“I want to say thank you for everything the staff do to keep the NHS here in such a good state, providing the care and support for people that need it.”
Watford General with Chief Operating Officer
Rachel Thorman
During the visit, Mr Murray spoke to nurses in the Emergency Department and heard first-hand accounts of how corridor care had previously impacted on patients and staff members.
“The change started with a simple commitment: that we wouldn’t accept corridor care, chief nurse Kelly McGovern explained to Mr Murray.
“And that we would treat each patient like they were our own mother, father, son or daughter. Changing culture and mindset doesn’t happen fast. It takes time. We’re very proud to have removed corridor care, which means we can focus on providing the high quality care patients deserve.”
Mr Murray also toured the Trust’s control centre and heard how real-time data on beds spaces had helped clinical teams to make faster and better decisions. The approach was influenced by the systems used by air traffic control at Heathrow Airport.
Watford MP Matt Turmaine joined Mr Murray on the visit, which was hosted by West Herts chair Catherine Dugmore and acting chief executive Paul Bannister.
Acting chief executive, Paul Bannister, said: “We would like to thank the Secretary of State for visiting Watford General and showing such interest in our work, our teams and our approach to tackling complex issues like corridor care.
“It was wonderful for our teams to be able to talk to him about their work and it was clear that their passion, care and dedication shone through.”