We sometimes need to have important conversations about end-of-life care and it helps if staff and relatives can talk in a calm and dedicated space.
Last week, a fully refurbished Swan Suite was officially opened by Ward Manager Sharon Angelides and Matron Claire Saphier on wards 15 and 16 at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH).
The suite was developed by Jules Lewis, Swan End of Life Care Lead Nurse, with Ward Manager Sharon Angelides and team to give relatives and doctors a dedicated space to have open and honest conversations about end-of-life care.
The refurbishment saw the suite decorated with new furniture purchased with thanks to the generous donations from the Swan Fund of SaTH Charity. The fund is used to pay for Swan Model of Care Resources for the care and support we offer to our patients and the people important to them in those last hours or days of life and to support staff to deliver good and excellent end of life care.
Fund donations enabled the team to improve the layout and create a calm space which will give relatives an area for respite from the ward and an opportunity to have further discussions about the next steps in care.
Thank you to all those who were involved in the project which makes a real difference to our patients and their relatives during a very difficult time.
We are also looking to improve the experience with for our patients with support for the Sunflower Lanyard campaign, which is a widely recognised tool used to communicate a hidden disability.
Our Trust supports the campaign and wants to ensure that adequate support is given to our patients who need it. A sunflower lanyard encourages our patients to ask for extra support if they need it and to let us know if they require any assistance.
The lanyards are available for free to patients and can be collected from the Treatment Centre RSH and also at the Outpatient Reception or Women and Children’s Reception at Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford.
Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day (Thursday) and this year’s theme is ‘Tea and Talk’. Please make sure you take the time to check in with your friends, family and colleagues, as it could make a real difference.
Talking about our mental health can help us cope better with life’s ups and downs.
Are there any budding young artists out there who have a creative streak and would like to take part in a Trust artwork competition?
It’s a fantastic opportunity for children and young people to draw, paint, colour, design what health and wellbeing means to them.
The winning artwork could feature on the construction hoarding at RSH and near the main reception at the PRH.
The full competition brief and how to enter can be found below. The closing date for entries is Friday 1 November, and can be sent by post or digitally.
Groups and individuals are invited to take part. There are two categories: Children up to 10 years old and children and young adults aged 11-18.
Full details can be found on our website.