Staff shortages within Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust mean that live-in patients at mental health units have trips out cancelled on a daily basis, a patient has said.<\/p>\n
Corey, who lives at Arnold Lodge \u2013 in Leicester but run by the Nottingham-based authority \u2013 made the statement during a \u201cpatient story\u201d segment of a trust board meeting on Thursday,\u00a0 September 25.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cStaff shortages are a pressing issue. It is having a direct impact on patients\u2019 care. In my ward, patients\u2019 care is cancelled daily due to staff shortages. Structured day activities are disturbed and quality of care suffers. This is not just frustrating, it is disheartening.\u201d<\/p>\n
The comments came before a discussion by board members about staff numbers. Statistics show that across the trust, an average of 32% of staff members on a weekly basis are temporary employees, compared to 68% who are permanent.<\/p>\n
In July, sickness absence among staff at the trust was 6.88% \u2013 much higher than the expected 4% in summer months. A report said this metric is \u201cone we must urgently improve as an improvement within this metric would reduce the trust\u2019s reliance on temporary staffing cover\u201d.<\/p>\n
Non-executive director Nigel Smith said there were some \u201cworrying figures\u201d in the performance report.<\/p>\n
Director of people and culture Jen Guiver said the board would take Corey\u2019s comments away and \u201cdo some work to understand exactly what\u2019s driving that\u201d.<\/p>\n
Addressing Corey directly, Chief Nurse Dianne Hull said: \u201cI\u2019m sorry because I know it does impact on people. We still need to recruit some healthcare support workers. We\u2019ve got to get it right, and what I would ask from you is to keep on challenging us.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that the right staff \u2013 not just the numbers but people with the right values and everything \u2013 have a direct impact on you and your colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Corey also said improvements needed to be made regarding digital access for patients. Currently, Arnold Lodge residents are only allowed access to the internet for 30 minutes per week to do shopping.<\/p>\n
While he raised concerns, he also praised the trust, saying that Arnold Lodge was the first place at which he had the chance to \u201cunderstand my mental health\u201d and start a \u201cjourney to recovery with the right help, support and medication\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThis gives me hope for a brighter future.\u00a0 At Arnold Lodge I started building good therapeutical rapports with staff. I\u2019m very pleased with how my progress is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also gave credit to the improvement in how the trust listens to patients\u2019 voices through the appointment of Patient Involvement Support Workers.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI can proudly say that (old policies) have changed. Now patients\u2019 voices are not just acknowledged, they are celebrated. It is at the heart of everything that the hospital does.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatients are no longer just participants. Our concerns are not just noted, they are addressed, and our feedback is not just collected, it is acted upon.\u201d<\/p>\n
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