Patient First

What is Patient First?

Patient First is our improvement programme to help us improve the care and services we provide to the people of Medway and Swale. It means exactly as it says – that we put the patient first in everything we do.

By following Patient First and using its tools and methodology, we focus on fewer, more targeted priorities that can have a big impact quickly. With this approach, we can deliver real and lasting change over time.

Patient First gives our staff the skills, tools and confidence to make small changes that matter most. All colleagues play their part, whether they are out on the wards, in other clinical areas or providing essential support services.

The programme is still being rolled out across the Trust but we have already seen a number of improvements from its introduction. For example, thanks to increased focus on feedback from the patient Friends and Family Test, we have changed the food offering for patients using maternity services; and we have increased the number of patients treated as day cases in Sunderland Day Case Centre, which has led to improvements in patient care and satisfaction.

A diagram of a triangle showing that Patient First is our priority and at the top of the triangle. Our mission - best of care by the best of people, providing excellent care every time. Our values put our patients first and inspire us to be the B.E.S.T. Bold - we are inspiring and ambitious. Every person counts - we are respectful and supportive. Sharing and open - we are open and speak up. Together - we are inclusive and responsible. Our True North Domains are Sustainability, People, Patients, Quality and Systems and Partnerships. Strategic Initiatives are Patient First Programme, Clinical Strategy, Culture, Leadership and Engagement, Emergency Performance and Flow, Financial Recovery and Elective Recovery Programme.

The Patient First Triangle

We can use the Patient First Triangle to explain how the approach works.

The patient is at the very top, to show that everything we do leads up to the patient, they are first and foremost – we call this our ‘True North.’

Supporting us to ensure patients remain our focus are our Trust mission and values – what staff aim achieve, every day, and the behaviours and expectations that guide what we do.

The next layer sets out the five priority areas that our activity needs to line up with, to make sure we are focused on constantly improving standards of care.

Take a look at the triangle in more detail

Our five domains are:

Patients, People, Sustainability, Quality and Systems and Partnerships.

At the base sit our strategic initiatives – the Executive-led areas of work we need and want to focus on over the next one to three years so that we can deliver the improvements we need to make.