Dementia team sets out its vision for next five years to improve care for its patients – North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
A health trust’s dementia team have launched their strategy for the coming years – setting out the key areas of focus.
The team at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust have developed their plan for the next five years to help deliver the highest quality of dementia care.
These areas of focus have been identified by a host of specialists including the Trust’s dementia team, dementia nurses Ste Nicholson and Janette McGuire, dementia occupational therapist Laura Greig, patients and carers, the National Audit of Dementia and local Healthwatch groups.
Key areas in the new dementia strategy include patient centred care, education and training, communication, partnership working, therapeutic activity and wellbeing, supporting families and carers, living well at home and end of life care.
Ste said: “The strategy lays out everything we are planning to do to continually improve dementia care in the organisation.
“This dementia strategy takes on a new attractive format from previous ones and is full of familiar faces.
“The new strategy also focuses on the areas which will covered in the national audit, which measures against standards from professional guidance including NICE quality standards and guidance, the Dementia Friendly Hospitals charter and reports from the Alzheimer’s Society, Age Concern and Royal Colleges.
“The national audit, which is due to commence in September and run through to early 2023 involves every trust in the country. Our results were positive from the last audit in 2019– we are looking forward to showing how we have improved, despite the challenges of the pandemic.
“There are three elements to the upcoming audit, admission, inpatient dementia care and discharge, plus questionnaires for carers and patients.
“At this organisation, we strive to be the very best we can be and I know this will be shown during this process.”
Ste – with dedicated support from occupational therapist Laura Greig, whom is a part of the Community Dementia Liaison service (CDLS) – will be leading on the organising and completion of the national audit.
They would like to thank Debbie Fraser in clinical effectiveness and Charlotte Pett from patient experience who have provided support with the audit.
They would also like to thank the Trust’s dementia champions, enhanced care team, volunteers, liaison psychiatry and all staff, for the dementia care they deliver, in particular the promotion of the All about me and John’s Campaign.
To view the dementia strategy for 2022-26, visit https://www.nth.nhs.uk/about/trust/annual-reports-plans/