Communicating regularly with relatives of patients | from NHS North Bristol

To improve communication with anxious relatives, staff looked at what regular communications looked like (an admissions call, a daily update, a deterioration call and a discharge or death call) so they could build on this.

Staff on each ward were given a "toolkit" folder outlining the flow of communications and enabling the recording of details of previous conversations with relatives to ensure consistency of approach.

Prompt sheets were created for each type of call staff might be making, as well as self-care guidance for staff following difficult calls.

A family liaison team was also established to support calls and virtual visits. This includes calling families beforehand so they know what to expect when "visiting" a family member, and a check-up call afterwards to support them and answer any questions they might have.

Source: http://www.ihi.org/regions/Europe/Pages/Resources.aspx

Recording of the webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEXa1svI-68&list=PLHWxeEqcNV7zJhlO1lvJVJDHwB7fheZc5&index=3

Another example stories on a similar topic are from Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS and St Bartholomew's Hospital.