Improving communication at NHS Nightingale Hospital North West: Medical updates to next of kin.

Abstract

The Nightingale North West (NNW) was a UK temporary field hospital set up during the COVID-19 pandemic. Policies and standard operating procedures were undeveloped. Visitors were permitted only in exceptional circumstances, resulting in heightened anxiety for patients and next of kin (NOK). Recognising the importance of effective NOK communication, a quality improvement project (QIP) was undertaken to improve communication between doctors and NOK. NOK satisfaction with communication received from doctors (scored 1-5) was the primary outcome measure and data was collected through standardised phone-calls.A wide four point (1-5) variability in satisfaction was identified.PDSA methodology was used to introduce interventions: (1) 'Gold standard' for frequency of NOK updates; (2) Record date of NOK update on the doctors' list. Early post-intervention data showed reduced variability in satisfaction with 82% of NOK scoring '4' or '5'. Process measures demonstrated excellent uptake of interventions. Conclusions are limited by the project's short time-frame but there is a promising role for these interventions in enhancing doctor-NOK communication.