A scheme which recognises good work by Emergency Department staff has been singled out for praise following a recent visit by the Scotland Deanery Quality Management Team. It was among several plaudits which also included praise for the formal teaching programme.
Excell-ED is a simple way of saying thank you for great practice and capturing the details so they can be repeated in the future. Examples such as overhearing good interaction between a junior doctor and an elderly confused patient could be submitted via a simple form which is handed in to the Department’s administration office. Details are recorded and the staff member receives a letter of appreciation that can be used for their portfolio or Turas. The letter is also copied to their educational supervisor or line manager.
Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Dr Elspeth Pitt, said reports are compiled monthly and shared at quality of care meetings, clinical governance meetings and daily safety briefings. They are also posted in the seminar room for staff to learn from. All plaudits are anonymous.
She explained: “What is coming out of these reports time and time again is that good team work is improving patient care and patient safety. It’s defining what aspects make team work great such as keeping calm in a fraught situation, showing compassion and care and gaining a patient’s trust in difficult situations.”
Other positive areas highlighted in the Deanery report are:
- The formal teaching programme is well run and time to attend is protected on the rota. This includes regional teaching
- Senior trainees have two sessions a month for 1:1 teaching and portfolio work
- There is a well run and established incidence reporting system where learning from incidents is fed back
- The handover is consultant-led and multidisciplinary. There are learning opportunities including the safety card
The report also noted the lack of Wi-fi and mobile phone reception and said Wi-fi must be provided to support the learning needs of doctors in training. An action plan has been developed to address the issues raised in the report.
