A new initiative has been launched which will enable our ward staff to increase the time they spend on direct patient care. Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust is one of the first mental health trusts in the country to embark on the Releasing Time to Care programme.

As well as helping staff free up time for more direct patient care, the programme focuses on improving ward processes and environments which also helps Ward Teams to improve safety and efficiency.

Modern Matron at the Evington Centre, Pauline Higham said, "This is a brilliant opportunity for the staff on our wards to look very closely at the way we organise our work. It will give us tools to bring about change so that we can increase the amount of time we spend in direct contact with our patients. This project will lead to improved efficiency of the care of the patients on our wards, and an improved, less stressful working environment for our staff."

Staff are supported through a series of modules, that help to redesign processes, such as ward rounds, hand-overs between staff at the beginning and end of shifts, admissions and discharges and make them as efficient as possible and thus release time to care.

The wards involved in the first phase of the programme are:

Adult Acute Wards:

Beaumont Ward (Bradgate Unit), Stretton Ward (Brandon Unit)

Specialist Areas:

Phoenix Ward (Herschel Prins Unit), Cedar Ward (The Willows)

Older People Wards:

Clarendon Ward & WakerleyWard (Evington Centre),
Barnsdale Ward (Brandon Unit)