Staff at George Eliot Hospital have been encouraged to make a commitment to uphold patients’ rights to dignity as part of Dignity Action Day.
This year’s action day, which is organised by the Dignity in Care Network, took place on Wednesday 1 February and aims to ensure people in care are treated as individuals. The theme of this year’s event was ‘Taking the Time to...’ and healthcare staff as well as members of the public were asked to give the gift of time in order to make a difference.
The campaign is championed by Sir Michael Parkinson who said: “"It might well be that the difference people make individually is a mere ripple on the surface of our care system, but each of those ripples added together create a wave, a social movement, and if this makes life better for some - then it has to be worthwhile."
At George Eliot Practice Development Nurse Sally Prytherch, took the opportunity to visit wards at the hospital to talk to staff about dignity and encourage them to make a personal commitment to take the time to treat every single patient as an individual, whilst recognising that this is what staff strive for on a daily basis.
Sally said that: “This event is about encouraging staff to go the extra mile to treat our patients with the dignity and respect they deserve. It recognises that it is quite often the small things we do that can make all the difference to the care we provide. Nurses are very busy people and sometimes it is important to remind ourselves to take the time to stop and think about the importance of treating each patient as an individual.”
