Patients give their views as Peninsula Centre celebrates Dignity Action Day

Company news

Feb 06, 2015

A Plymouth children’s charity that promotes compassion and dignity was at the heart of the Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre’s Dignity Action Day celebrations on Friday 30 January.

The Care UK team sold around 110 cakes in two hours to raise funds for Plymouth-based charity Jeremiah’s Journey, which provides support to children and young people who have experienced a close bereavement.

The team at Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre also spent the afternoon talking to patients and members of the public to find out what is important to them during a digni-tea with cakes cooked by the team and sold to raise funds for the charity.

Sue Farrell, the centre’s clinical effectiveness and governance manager, said: “It was very busy in reception with lots of people keen to get involved. I’ve been reading through the comments written in our dignity memory book during the afternoon and there are some very helpful thoughts as well as some lovely compliments from patients and former patients about the care they received while at the centre. The message is very clear that the team is already working hard to promote dignity, wellbeing and excellent care.

“People told us it’s important for all patients that they are treated as we would a member of our own family. They also said they appreciate being listened to because they feel it empowers them to make the right choices. I think this is a really important comment as all too often patients in hospital don’t have a voice and this is something we at the centre feel is very important.”

Hospital director Patricia Warwick said: “I was delighted with the enthusiasm of patients and colleagues as they joined in with the event. The consideration they gave to all aspects of dignity has given us some exceptional feedback that can help us further promote dignity within the centre, as well as helping improve patients’ experience of care.

“Maintaining patients’ dignity is a fundamental part of all we do here at the centre. Dignity Action Day gave us all a valuable opportunity to think about how we contribute to upholding people's rights to dignity and how we can find new ways to increase a patient’s sense of choice, control and their experience of our service.”