Royal Leamington Spa Rehabilitation Hospital 2022-06-12 Person 2 5 0

No communication pathway exists between staff and carers / NOK where the patient is unable to effectively communicate. Staff Managers need to promote procedures to ENSURE that NOK are fully informed of all procedures / processes and updates re their loved ones. As there exists a booking system for visitors, the staff who are responsible for managing the care of an individual patient, could facilitate a 5 minute two way update daily. Alternatively a communication book could be produced for each patient where communication is a barrier. It appears to be an inconvenience to track down the appropriate member of staff at the end of a session to gain relevant updates.

Staff should not need to be TOLD by the patient's NOK that an assessment of support needs 3 days following an intercranial bleed should be made PRIOR to leaving them to manage their own food with no supervision. It is distressing for NOK and humiliating to a patient who, prior to this health incident was an engaged well educated, highly articulate and professional person, to find them trying to feed himself with the wrong end of a fork!!! This was pointed out to the Ward Manager at the time. Only after following this up at the later visiting session was the patient 'red trayed' and comments re feeding and offering a urinal bottle 2 hourly to prevent incontinence, taken on board. Staff are surely aware that all patients will potentially return home to their NOK and any opportunities for collaboration should be embraced and extended.