NURSES in Worcestershire hospitals need to be as helpful as staff in top hotels, says a boss.

Nurses must treat patients with kindness, compassion and respect at all times, says Helen Blanchard, director of nursing and midwifery at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

‘Confidence in Caring’ is a new strategy to increase the faith patients have in the care they receive at the county’s hospitals, including Worcestershire Royal in Worcester.

The plans were discussed at a meeting of the trust board at Kidderminster Hospital.

“It’s like going into a restaurant or hotel,” said Ms Blanchard.

“As soon as you walk in the entrance, you have an impression. We’re trying to bring that back to the attention of our staff. It’s an exciting initiative.

“You can tell a well-organised ward – at times of pressure it doesn’t mean the care is poor.

“We’re trying to improve the overall experience of patients so they receive the same high level of care irrespective of what’s happening in the ward.”

To help nurses increase patient confidence in the care they receive, five ‘confidence creators’ have been identified – a calm, clean, safe environment; a positive, friendly culture; good team-working and good relationships; well-managed care with efficient delivery; personalised care for and around every patient.

The scheme will be piloted on Beech 2 ward at Worcestershire Royal before it is rolled out to other wards as well as Kidderminster Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

Beech 2, an acute surgical ward, was chosen because it was such a well-organised ward.

Health chiefs hope the new strategy can be rolled out to other wards after 12 months.

The plan follows the publication of the results of a Healthcare Commission in-patient survey which showed that 19 per cent of patients in Worcestershire did not believe they were treated with dignity and respect.

The results of the survey were revealed exclusively in your Worcester News on Monday, April 28.