Dr Kate Granger

Dr Kate Granger

A few months ago we covered a new development in UK healthcare. This was Dr Kate Granger’s #hellomynameis campaign. You can read more about it here.

Now the #hellomynameis campaign is going on tour. Its founder Dr Kate Granger will be visiting healthcare organisations in June. The tour will see them cover over 1,600 miles across England, Wales and Scotland to meet NHS staff.

“I started the campaign almost two years ago when I became frustrated by the number of hospital staff who failed to introduce themselves to me when I was an inpatient,“ explains Granger . “As a doctor it felt very wrong that this basic step in communication and compassion was missing. So supported by my husband I vowed to try and bring about a lasting positive change.”

Her idea was a simple one; to use social media primarily to remind, encourage and inspire healthcare staff to introduce themselves to their patients. “I firmly believe a friendly introduction is about far more than just common courtesy but rather human connections, therapeutic relationships and building trust with patients.” Kate has since been awarded an MBE for her services to the NHS and improving care.

The campaign gathered incredible momentum with a national ‘big bang’ launch on Monday 2 February 2015, in collaboration with the Listening into Action network. It attracted support from over 100 NHS organisations and significant media attention. It has since reached across the globe with hospitals in America, Australia, Canada and Europe all becoming involved. UK volunteers treating patients with Ebola in Sierra Leone have also been following the campaign’s ethos by writing their names on their protective clothing.

John Adler, Chief Executive at Leicester’s Hospitals said: “We are honoured that Kate has chosen to visit our organisation as part of her #hellomynameis tour.

“Backing this campaign was an easy decision. We had already adopted it in small ways across our organisation, but since the official launch of the campaign in February we have continued to push this to the forefront of everyone’s minds.

“We look forward to meeting Kate and sharing with her what we have been doing to support her campaign and ensure that our staff introduce themselves to patients and their relatives when they come our hospitals. I know that staff are looking forward to meeting her and asking her questions.”

To find out more about visit www.hellomynameis.org.uk or follow #hellomynameis @GrangerKate on Twitter.

Hello my name is…

The ‘Hello my name is…’ campaign was created by Dr Kate Granger, who at 29 was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Kate is a young hospital consultant from Yorkshire who works in elderly care. Last summer whilst having treatment, Kate became frustrated with the number of staff who failed to introduce themselves to her. Her campaign, started on social media platform Twitter, has inspired many staff from across the NHS to lend their support to the campaign.

The campaign is simple – it is about reminding staff to go back to basics and introduce themselves to patients and their relatives properly. Kate talks about this as “the first rung on the ladder to providing compassionate care” and sees it as the start of making a vital human connection, helping patients to relax, and building trust. Feedback from patients across the country has shown how vital this is to them, saying that the smallest things make the biggest difference.

John Adler, Chief Executive at Leicester’s Hospitals said: “Backing this campaign was an easy decision. We had already adopted it in small ways across the organisation, but working with the Listening into Action (LiA) team and other NHS Trusts will push this to the forefront of everyone’s minds.”

“We want our patients to remind us if we are busy and forget to introduce ourselves when we first meet them. I know how important the patient experience is to my staff and that they will all give their backing to Dr Granger’s campaign.”

“As well as asking staff to tell their patient’s their names, we are also reminding them to introduce colleagues who are taking over an individual’s care following a shift change. That way, our patients and their families will always know who is looking after them, which in turn will help them to relax and feel safe while in our care”.

Kate said: “ I think the main messages from the campaign about high quality communication and always treating our patients as people with respect and dignity. I really hope my legacy will be exactly that, putting compassionate practice right at the heart of healthcare delivery every single day.”

You can see more about Dr Granger’s campaign at http://hellomynameis.org.uk/home and on Twitter #hellomynameis.

Patient Talk

Patient Talk

Dr Kate Granger takes her #hellomynameis on a national tour to meet NHS staff

‘Hello my name is…’ Have you heard about the campaign yet? #hellomynameis