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Trust scores highly in Patient Environment Action Team inspection
IN the latest
Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) inspection for environment,
food and privacy and dignity, Southport & Ormskirk Hospital NHS
Trust has again scored very highly. The marks are awarded separately
for each hospital, and both scored 2 'Excellent' and a
'Good'.
At Ormskirk Hospital the environment and food categories scored
excellent and privacy and dignity scored 'Good'; at Southport
the food and privacy and dignity categories scored 'Excellent'
and the environment scored 'Good'.
The assessments were carried out during February and March this year
and looked at 8 specific areas, giving each area a score between 0
and 5 with the scores representing:-
0 = Not applicable;
1 =
Unacceptable;
2 = Poor;
3 = Acceptable;
4 = Good;
5 = Excellent
Geoff Wilding, Facilities Manager said:- "This is good news
and is once again a testament to the hard work and dedication from
everyone in the Trust, but especially from the hotel service teams.
It should also be reassuring to our patients to know that an
inspection team caries out such inspections each year and that we
consistently score very well. It was disappointing to not score the
top mark in all categories, but it spurs us on to do so next year.
The assessment team looked at specific areas such as paediatric
wards, accident & emergency, and a percentage of the wards. They
looked at things like the cleanliness of patient equipment,
radiators, curtains, blinds, seating, beds, lockers, baths, showers,
toilets and so on. In the food category they looked at the menu from
which patients choose their meals, the choice of food, the
availability of food, the quality and quantity, the temperature,
presentation, the taste and the service. All our meals are freshly
prepared in-house and wherever possible with fresh local produce
using the skills of our enthusiastic and committed catering teams.
All in all, it is a very comprehensive assessment."
PEATs consist of NHS staff, including nurses, matrons, catering and
domestic service managers, executive and non-executive directors,
and estates directors. They also include patients, representatives
of our patient experience group and for the first time this year
representatives from the Patient & Public Involvement Forum. |
Are
Old Fashioned Notions Holding Back Bright Young Things?
OLD fashioned
notions of Apprenticeships could be holding Greater Merseyside’s
youngsters back from developing the skills they need for a
successful, high-flying career. That’s the concern of the
Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in the North West, which points
out that Apprenticeships are still one of the most successful
vehicles for raising skill levels and helping young people to
achieve their career goals - despite some people thinking that
Apprenticeships are only available in more traditional trades!
Over 4,876 youngsters are currently training as part of an
Apprenticeship in the Greater Merseyside area alone.
Explains Paul Holme, Regional Director of Skills for the LSC North
West:- “The perception of Apprenticeships as training that
only prepares you for a ‘trade’ is an outdated notion. People who
associate them only with blue collar jobs are sadly mistaken. In
fact, Apprenticeships are used to train youngsters in a wide range
of occupations, from traditional skills like joinery through to 21st
century careers like developing IT systems and communication
technologies.”
Apprenticeships combine training, study, work and earning a wage and
the LSC points to Apprenticeships as an important element in
bridging the skills gaps the UK faces over the next few years.
Paul Holme continues:- “There are currently around 3.2 million
unqualified adults in work in the UK, but by 2020 it is estimated
that there will only be around 600,000 unskilled jobs available, so
upskilling the workforce has to be a priority. Apprenticeships
provide an ideal way to meet this challenge and at this time of
year, when so many young people and their parents are anxiously
awaiting GCSE and ‘A’ level results, it’s a good idea to really
think about career goals and the training options available.
For many, an Apprenticeship is an ideal solution and helps to build
confidence in a work environment at an earlier age, putting money in
their pocket and giving them all the skills they need for a
successful career.”
For more information on Apprenticeships, log on to
www.apprenticeships.org.uk.
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