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Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 23 July

July 23, 2021

One of the privileges, in fact probably the main privilege of the job I do, is getting out and about and meeting colleagues delivering or supporting the delivery of care, in their work environments.  It keeps me grounded about the realities of what I am accountable for.  It gives me the opportunity to get the Trust leadership message across, about strategy and staff development.  It also shows me that much of the information I receive on which to base my decisions or seek my assurance on, has come through many filters to get to me.  The unabridged, and at times brutal, lived experience of colleagues when shared with me, keeps me humble and allows me to challenge more positive perceptions about life in our Trust.

This week has been a great example.  I have done my weekly drop in session, visited the AMU and ward D30 at City Hospital and have visited Rowley Regis Hospital, to learn about their unique contribution to our service portfolio and the future.  I asked lots of questions about how working life is for people at the moment and their working lives are clearly stressful, difficult and anxiety raising.  My experience and learning from the conversations I have had this week was to remind me and then to remind colleagues, that civility saves lives.

What do I mean by the statement “civility saves lives?”.  Well, there is strong evidence, nationally and internationally, that when a colleague interprets a request, instruction or conversation with another colleague as rude, belittling, dismissive or intimidatory, this can have a profound impact, not just on the recipient, but also on other team members and on patient care.  Did you know that, when a colleague is rude to another, even when they don’t intend to be:

  • 80% of the recipients spend time worrying about the rudeness
  • 38% reduce the quality of their work as a result
  • 48% reduce time at work as a result
  • 25% take out their anxieties on their patients
  • 50% reduction is seen in people’s willingness to help others in the team

In other words, incivility affects everyone, not just the recipient of the incivility.  This week, I have witnessed examples of when managers and leaders, under great strain to meet sometimes unrealistic organisational expectations, treat others with rudeness or incivility.  They probably think that they are just trying to get the job done and none of the examples I heard about, were of people intending to cause hurt or harm people psychologically.  But nevertheless people have been harmed by it and, as the research evidence above shows, it can have a ripple effect on patient care that is very negative.

I have also this week, seen examples of great kindness and understanding between colleagues, whether that’s a focus on their mental wellbeing, or professional development or on the often unheralded work of improving team dynamics and team morale.  Our organisation is friendly and capable of great civility and kindness.  Civility saves lives.

Have a good week

Richard