Exploring good practice

Crathes Ward and the IPCU at the Royal Cornhill Hospital (NHS Grampian) have adopted an approach that focuses on ‘How are you?’ rather than ‘Where are you?’ during routine ward environment and fire safety checks. If patients are identified as potentially deteriorating or at risk of harm – self-isolating, experiencing distress due to psychotic symptoms, being verbally or physically disinhibited or aggressive – they are rapidly followed up with an engagement activity or intervention as part of an immediate personalised action plan.

Ward 10 at Woodland View (NHS Ayrshire and Arran) is working to ensure that there is always core, familiar, nursing visibility in communal ward areas so that patients have constant access to support. This increases the opportunity for early nursing intervention where it may be required – for example, to reduce distress or de-escalate a situation. This approach has led to an improved quality of the information being shared during safety huddles and a quicker, more proactive response to signs of deterioration.

For more information, please refer to our From Observation to Intervention (PDF) guidance document.