Heartbeat: Health watchdog highlights board rounds as “good practice”

January 15, 2020

Our Trust has been hailed by a leading health watchdog as having good practice when it comes to patient care.

We were highlighted in the report “Caring for doctors, Caring for patients” for the General Medical Council. It looked at how better solutions around patient care can lead to the better wellbeing of doctors.

Our “board rounds” are scheduled daily and are discussions held by doctors, nurses, physiotherapists as well as other clinicians. They are used to share information about patients so that they receive the best care possible.

The report by the GMC found these types of initiatives could be a “model for the world” in how to develop workplace cultures that support doctors’ core work needs if these solutions were consistently applied.

David Carruthers, Medical Director said: “This is one of the many ways we are working to support our junior doctors, not only in the direct provision of care to our patients but also for their general well-being, reducing work-related stress and anxiety. These factors will all contribute to improving the quality and safety of care we provide to patients and maintain a supportive work environment for our junior doctors.”

Other recommendations for health service leaders include improvements to team-working, culture and leadership, and workloads.

Charlie Massey, the GMC’s Chief Executive, said: “Medicine has always been a high-pressure career, but doctors are telling us that the demands on them are now so great they risk becoming unmanageable. As a result, their health suffers, and patient care is compromised.

“Solutions are not easy, but this report shows that there are already many examples of great practice to build from. As a regulator, we will use all our influence and powers to support doctors and medical students.”