Ward 11 (5) has been leading the way holding daily safety huddles, with other wards following their best practice.

Sister Amy Whitehead told CHFT Weekly:  “We always have a huddle at 9am Monday to Friday. Nurses, doctors, consultants and cardiology are all involved, and the most senior member of the team has a prompt list.

“We talk through each patient to identify potential risks so we can minimise them.

“If there is a risk of the patient falling we make sure the falls prevention bundle is completed and that falls equipment is available.

“We also look at whether there are any potential issues with food and drink – and we may refer them to a dietician. We also cover diabetes, infection risk and whether patients have catheters and that we have the right bundle in place.

“We also discuss the DNAR with the patient and their family – and update the board accordingly.

Amy added: “The huddles are a real benefit for patient safety. We still have unforeseen problems, but this is a massive step in the right direction for us to detect early on if a patient may need an intervention, or more support. It’s all about sharing knowledge and information for the best outcome for the patient”.

Pictured above at a recent huddle were Sandip Kaur, Giles Fitch Respiratory ST7, Pamela Hoyle, Carol Taylor, Christine Marsden, Amy Whitehead.

And after a go-see, ward 2CD at CRH has become the first Medical Assessment Unit in West Yorkshire to introduce new safety huddles.

Sister Stacey McGowan (pictured in the attachment above in their huddle) from ward 2CD told CHFT Weekly "We've seen a decline in the number of falls we've had. The huddles don't replace handover but are really valuable. Everyone on the ward gets told where patients are at risk from a fall, diabetes or they have problems with food or drink. This means they are able to spot when a patient is at risk and can help them avoid harming themselves and that we have everything in place to support them".