We hosted the third National Sharing and Learning event as part of the Virginia Mason Institute (VMI) partnership at Queen’s Hospital this week.

We welcomed colleagues from the four other trusts which are part of the VMI partnership for an opportunity to share our achievements and what we’ve learned so far.

There was lots of thought provoking discussions, including the importance of how we behaviour towards each other, involving all colleagues in improving our services and sharing experiences of leadership.

We hosted a series of workshops. In one, two of our junior doctors, Luke Parker and James Lam, gave an honest account of how, at the beginning of their Rapid Process Improvement Week, they were sceptical.

But they soon found themselves questioning why things were done a certain way – and where they could make improvements.

One of our trainee nursing associates, Alina Stevens, also shared how her idea had made a huge difference to our elderly patients.

She put together ‘Betty’s Box’, named for the patient who inspired it, as a safe place to keep our elderly patients’ sensory aids, such as glasses and hearing aids, safe when they are taken to surgery,

She fashioned this simply by re-angling a container given to patients suffering from nausea.

Our Chief Executive, Matthew Hopkins, said: “Waking up from surgery can be very disorientating, so imagine what it must be like to be without the things you rely on to help you see or hear.

“It has been such a success that she’s now working with our Patient Experience team to find a permanent container to become ‘Betty’s Box’. This proves any idea, big or small, can make a huge difference to our patients.”

Pictured above are our junior doctors, James and Luke, during their workshop