Celebrations are taking place at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley this week as two clinical wards have both received Gold Standard Framework (GSF) accreditations, which is an esteemed national recognition of the high level of care being delivered by those departments.
Ward C5 which specialises in Respiratory Care and Ward C6 which specialises in Urology have successfully managed to achieve the accreditation for the very first time.
Ward sister on the Urology Ward Leanne McKeown said “As a team we are so passionate about palliative and end of life care, so we are thrilled to receive GSF accreditation. This achievement acknowledges all the hard work the team put in to make a difference to patients”
In addition, wards providing care in the areas of Renal, Oncology and Frailty have cemented Gold Standards Framework re-accreditation, another huge achievement for the Trust.
The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is the UK’s leading training provider for frontline healthcare staff, caring for people in their last years of life. GSF is a practical and evidence-based end of life care improvement programme, which aims to enable a ‘gold standard’ of care for everyone, with any condition, in any setting, given by any care provider, at any time in a person’s last years of life.
When hosting an external assessor, staff on the Respiratory Ward also took the opportunity to debut their new ‘Sunflower Suite’ which was funded by generous donations through the Trust’s charity. The room is a calm and peaceful space for both patients and their loved ones, as well as staff to take a moment of respite whenever they need it.
The accreditation lasts for a period of three years before it can be re-applied for. In order to obtain the accreditation, the areas have to clearly show how they are supporting both families and patients to discuss end of life care planning and what matters to them. To gain accreditation the wards have undergone an inspection from the GSF national team to review their practices against the evidence submitted by the ward teams.
Diane Wake, chief executive for The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, said “I am thrilled that our Respiratory and Urology teams have successfully achieved the accreditation from GSF for the first time.
“Having this accolade further demonstrates the hard work and dedication our staff show every day to their patients to ensure the highest standard of care is being given to the people of Dudley. I’m equally proud of our Oncology, Frailty and Renal teams who have achieved re-accreditation!
“It’s brilliant for our staff to see their hard work being recognised to a national standard and that they can proudly say they work on a ward that is delivering such high-quality care.”
The Gold Standard Framework supports healthcare staff to enable a ‘gold standard’ of care for people nearing end of life, supporting both families and patients to discuss end of life care planning and what matters to them the most. Securing the accreditation solidifies that The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust are providing a high standard of care consistently.
The awards will be presented at the GSF Conference and Awards Ceremony in September of this year.
