Colleagues from across CHFT met last week to discuss progress so far on the Noise at Night programme which promotes as its tag line "Quiet Hospitals Help Healing".

Each ward has a dedicated colleague/champion linked in to the project and the cross-site meeting was an opportunity to discuss how they could:

• Raise the profile of the improvement work around Noise at Night
• Share the learning and improvement work across CHFT
• Promote the 3 step challenge (see below)
• Generate further discussion and debate about how all colleagues across CHFT can take responsibility and ownership I their areas.

Lead Directorate Nurse Children's Services, Julie Mellor who is heading up the work, wants colleagues to take the opportunity to reduce noise throughout the day as well as night.

Julie said “More than 33 different areas across the organisation received patient feedback about Noise at Night being a problem.

“This session helped to raise awareness amongst colleagues about the importance of a quieter hospital to help healing.

“Every colleague at CHFT can play their part to help reduce noise. I’d urge you to consider the three- step challenge in your area and help make changes for the benefit of a restful night for patients.” 

Squeaky doors, old pipes, noisy bins, computer equipment, phones ringing, colleagues talking on the ward, noisy footwear, and trolleys on their way from Emergency Department amongst others, all disrupt a patient’s sleep.

Julie who last year had a two night stay in another hospital said “It really became obvious that all the things we’d heard at CHFT from patients through the Friends and Family Test (FFT) were common in other hospitals too. 

“The combination of being on the Patient Experience Group and my stay in hospital has highlighted how we can all take small steps to improve the experience for our patients to contribute towards their healing - and we should all feel comfortable challenging where we feel it necessary.

Three step challenge to better sleep:

Take a minute - to listen and imagine you are trying to rest or sleep and think how you can help create a quieter environment

Take five minutes - to ask patients and families what disturbs their rest

Make it happen – just like we challenge colleagues about being naked below the elbow – please make it normal practice to help reduce unnecessary noise