Pleased to Meet You

“If you knew how unreasonably sick people suffer from reasonable causes of distress, you woulld take more pains about all of these things. Florence Nightingale 1860

First impressions are so important and hospitals who actively greet patients on arrival do so much to help patients in those first anxious moments.

• A hug or a sqeeze can make all the difference
• A simple smile can mean so much
• A supply of long straws by the bed help patients drink when they struggle to sit up
• Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust lifts the spirits of patients and relatives through art
• Blankets can bring warmth and comfort to immobile patients
• Chatting to other visitors on the wards - one visitor's personal view
• Clearly written notes, clearly displayed can help carers care for patients in the community
• Derby City General Hospital's Big Yellow Bus now has volunteers on hand to help.
• Dorset County Hospital Stroke unit volunteers make a huge difference
• First impressions are so important
• A senior ward nurse explains why communication at every level is so important
• Heartlands Hospital invites school choir's to sing to patients and relatives
• Helpful advice on admission to hospital. A personal view from a relative
• Helping to run their care home dignifies many residents
• Holding hands brings great comfort to some patients
• How a family coped when their child with Down's syndrome developed leukaemia
• 'Hospital help' offers simple suggestions on how to prepare for a hospital stay
• Ipswich Hospital Offers Ward Matron Drop-in sessions to patients and relatives
• Ipswich Hospital offers Ward Matron Drop-in sessions to Patients and Carers
• Ipswich Hospital use sensitively placed symbols to alert staff when patients have additonal needs
• Juliet Shaw, District Nursing Student offers her thoughts on care in the community
• Kind, reassuring words can make a huge difference to patient care
• Large hospitals often have several car parks Be warned
• Making connections can make patients feel more at home
• Mirrors can add light to a room, and so much more
• Mr Smith's outpatients appointment
• Neonatal unit in Scotland provides thoughtful items for their babies
• Oldham hospital can make patients feel more like a person than a number
• Patients should be treated as guests
• Perfume makes a real difference
• Pets as Therapy
• Political Correctness? There are moments when the best staff know it's best to ignore the rules!
• Pre-packed suitcase saves time and helps to maintain the dignity of an elderly patient
• Project Linus brings comfort to sick children through beautifully hand-made blankets and quilts
• Regularly checking if a patient is happy with everything is so important
• Seats of different heights and sizes bring comfort to patients with mobility problems
• Selly Oak hospital - Not perfect.. but it was the little things that made a difference!
• Studer Group in America recalls the five fundamentals of good service and applies them to hospitals
• Simple life history in a picture frame helps communication with stroke victim
• A cheerful smile goes a long way
• Surname, first name or preferred name?
• Taking time to understand a patient before treatment begins can make an enormous difference
• Broomfield hospital 'tape around beds' gives reassurance about cleanliness to patients
• The perfect tea or coffee
• Derby's hospitals' Thoroughly Modern Housekeepers
• University Hospital, Coventry's Memory Lane and Forget-me-not Lounge help patients with dementia
• Visitors are the best entertainment of all!
• St James Institute of Oncology volunteers in Leeds give that all important greeting
• Walsall Manor Hospital Main Entrance includes a restaurant, cafe, shop and cash machine
• The American 'Associated Content' website offers advice on Warmth and Coolness in hospital