Hospital scheme gets global attention

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Whanganui District Health Board's approach to dealing with the families of patients who die in Wanganui Hospital received international attention recently. WDHB's director of nursing, Sandy Blake, attended the 30th International Society for Quality in Health Care conference in Scotland, where she discussed how the DHB meets and communicates with the families of deceased patients.

Mrs Blake said the WDHB was the only one in New Zealand which wrote to the family of every patient who died.

"The main purpose of this letter is to express our condolences to the bereaved family. But it's also to let the family know they can come and talk to us if they have any concerns about their loved one's death," she said.

The DHB analysed every patient's notes and scrutinised the circumstances around the death to see if there was anything to be concerned about. Mrs Blake said the process was now deeply embedded at the hospital.

Mrs Blake said her presentation was well-received.

"This process is not something many hospitals do worldwide, but judging by the level of interest shown by the international delegates at the conference, I think that may change."

The goal was to listen, learn and make changes where needed, to improve the care the hospital delivers to patients in the final stages of their lives, she said.