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Community Engagement Update
October 2024
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Marketplace focus at Annual Members' Meeting |
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We welcomed around 80 people into the hospital, and more online, for this year's Annual Members' Meeting on Wednesday 11 September. This was our opportunity to reflect on and share the achievements and challenges of the past year and to outline our plans for the year ahead.
For the second year since the pandemic, we saw the return of the ‘marketplace’ - a number of stands providing information about services and initiatives supporting patient care.
This included our new patient portal Patients Know Best, and our improvement programme Patient First which helps us focus on the right priorities to make the biggest difference. We also shared again our exhibition marking 25 years of maternity services at Medway Maritime Hospital from All Saints Hospital.
We were pleased to welcome our partners Healthwatch who promoted their services, and NHS Kent and Medway, who joined us to share information about mental health Safe Havens and to give information about redesigning urgent care services in Medway and Swale.
A number of Trust Governors were attending their first Annual Members’ Meeting after joining us in July this year. To find out more about their role or to get in touch with them, please visit our Leadership page.
To become a member and receive invites to future events, please visit our membership page.
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Welcoming new university students to Medway
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 Starting university is an exciting time and we were among local groups and employers offering support and advice to students at the Universities of Medway Freshers’ Fair on 18 September.
The Engagement team warmly welcomed to our stand 185 students studying a wide range of courses at the Medway campus, including Midwifery, Pharmacy, Nursing, Paramedic Science, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science.
We shared information about local healthcare services, including physical and mental health provision and many students were keen to play our fun game, where they hooked a duck and then answered trivia questions about the hospital or local health services.
Students were able to find out more about careers in the NHS, volunteering at the hospital and some signed up to become a member of the Trust, which gives them the opportunity to:
- learn more about how the Trust and the wider NHS works
- help us improve patient care by sharing feedback and ideas
- become involved in plans for future development
- vote to elect the Council of Governors and stand for election as a governor.
Our thanks to the universities for allowing us to join the Freshers' Fair and to all the students who stopped by to talk to us.
Colleagues are working hard to improve the experience when patients, families and others try to contact the hospital by telephone. We know that just over half of all telephone calls made to us are abandoned without being answered and this is something we need to try to put right.
We are introducing new technology into our contact centre to help reduce waiting times, make it easier to reschedule appointments and provide quicker and more accurate responses to patient queries.
We will soon be holding focus groups to help us test the technology and user experience. Volunteers will simulate patient interactions, help identify any issues and suggest improvements.
This is a unique opportunity for those passionate about healthcare and patient services to make a meaningful impact. If you have a keen eye for detail, strong communication skills, and a desire to make a difference, please register your interest at met-tr.members-medway@nhs.net
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This summer, our Engagement Team has been actively involved in fostering community spirit and supporting important causes through a range of events.
The Summer Fun Day was a hit, featuring stalls, live music, face painting, and activities by local groups. It gave visitors the opportunity to see the wonderful charities that support the hospital. Thank you to all who came along.
We were also delighted to join Medway Pride for the second year, marching through Rochester with local community groups. Members of the hospital’s LGBTQIA+ staff network and other colleagues showcased our commitment to inclusivity as an employer and a healthcare provider.
To stay updated on our events, please visit our website.
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Could you be a Patient Safety Partner? |
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 We're looking for two new Patient Safety Partners to help play a crucial role in enhancing our safety culture.
Jessica Campbell, Head of Patient Safety Improvement (pictured above) has been working hard to let people know about this exciting opportunity.
If you are a Medway or Swale patient who wants to help improve safety across our services, we want to hear from you!
You will:
- take part in online and face to face meetings
- engage with our staff to support awareness and education sessions
- help us develop policies, guidance, action plans, improvement projects and literature including patient information
Interested? Find out more on our website.
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Exciting events in the pipeline.. |
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Our next public event will be on Friday 22 November
Members will have the opportunity to visit Lawrence Ward and Galton Day Unit and see for themselves how we care for patients with cancer.
Look out for further details!
Coffee and Chat
Also, we will be launching regular 'Coffee and Chat' sessions with our Governors new for 2025. This will be your opportunity to meet Governors and informally discuss any issues you may wish them to raise.
Dates and further details will be shared in the coming weeks.
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You're invited to our weekly open improvement session! |
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To help us improve the care we give, we are following a programme called Patient First which helps us focus on the areas in the hospital where improvement is most needed.
As part of this, each week, we hold an open session in the main entrance which everyone is welcome to join, whether they are staff, patients, family, carers or visitors.
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This session, known as ‘Patient First: In the Spotlight’ gives our staff an opportunity to share a success they have achieved in their area which has resulted in an improvement in the way we care for our patients.
It’s a different speaker each week and they give a short presentation about the improvement they have made or are making. It lasts no longer than 15 minutes and there’s an opportunity afterwards for anyone in the audience to ask a question about what they have heard.
It’s free to join in, and open to all, so please do come along and hear about the great work we are doing: every, Thursday, 8:15am, Hospital main entrance (outside First Rate Café and Shop)
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Can you support The Medway Hospital Charity?
 Take a look at some of the great events you can be part of whilst supporting The Medway Hospital Charity, here on their website.
If you would like to get in touch with The Medway Hospital Charity, please email: medwayft.charity@nhs.net
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Join Sheppey Matters for Positivi-Tea and Coffee Mornings!
Join every first Thursday of the month at Leysdown Family Hub for a friendly chat, a warm drink, and the chance to discover local activities with Sheppey Matters.
It’s the perfect way to connect, relax, and stay informed!
Leysdown Family Hub, Warden Bay Road
Leysdown, Isle of Sheppey, ME12 4NA
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Organ donation is the gift of life.
Grab some time to talk about it today with loved ones and add your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
This is the official record which specialist nurses check if a person dies in circumstances where organ donation is possible, so it’s important to register your decisions here and share them with the people you love.
Recording your decision takes just a couple of minutes online – click here to do it: https://bit.ly/4169cXu |
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