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 12 May 2008 22:49 BST

Strategy aims to double nurses' time for patient care

Thursday, 08 May 2008 12:42
The Productive Wards strategy aims to improve time spent on patient care

Health In Focus 

Nurses could double the amount of time they spend on direct patient care under a new strategy launched today by the government.

Health secretary Alan Johnson said the £50 million Productive Wards scheme could help to cut time spent on paperwork and handovers.

It enables nurses to look at how their ward is organised and to make changes that allow them to spend more time with patients.

The national roll-out of Productive Wards follows trials in four trusts.

According to the Department of Health these trials showed the strategy can double the amount of time for patient care; cut handover time by a third; reduce medicine round time by 63 per cent; and cut meal wastage rates from seven per cent to one per cent.

Mr Johnson said he was "deeply impressed" by the effect of the pilot at Nottingham City hospital when he visited last year.

"By taking small but significant steps, nurses have freed up time to make enormous improvements to patient care," he added.

"The programme works because nurses have total ownership. The power is in their hands to make changes."

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Dr Peter Carter said he is "very pleased" the national roll-out could improve the provision of high-quality care.

"Frontline staff work on wards, day in, day out and are best placed to devise and implement the changes that will allow them to spend more time at the bedside caring for patients," he commented.

"The RCN would welcome further government moves to ensure that future changes to the delivery of healthcare are locally-led and clinically driven."

Eight out of ten trusts have already signed up to the Productive Wards programme and two are rolling it out across all their wards.

Directors of nursing in strategic health authorities have been asked to report back to the chief nursing officer by the end of October 2008, outlining where and how the money has been spent, as well as the benefits achieved.
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