Patient insight leads to better quality care on mental health ward

Willow Ward, an acute mental health inpatient unit for women, has made huge improvements to care after Healthwatch Milton Keynes held almost 400 conversations with patients. The changes have transformed the ward from a place where women felt unheard and not properly informed to one where they feel respected and safe.

What issues did women raise about Willow Ward?

During conversations with Healthwatch Milton Keynes, women raised concerns about their treatment on Willow Ward. 

People talked about the dismissive and unkind language used by some staff, and staff not knowing how to meet their individual needs when they were in crisis. Some women felt intimidated and overwhelmed during ward rounds, and as though their feelings went unheard.

Though a team staffed the ward 24 hours a day, there were concerns about staff not spending enough time with patients because their evenings were taken up with paperwork. And when it came to leaving the ward, women told Healthwatch Milton Keynes they weren’t given enough information. This meant they felt anxious about leaving the ward.

How did these insights change care for patients?

Healthwatch Milton Keynes shared people’s feedback with Willow Ward’s management, so that they could take the necessary steps to improve care. 

Now more than 80% of staff have been through training on trauma-informed care, and staff have also either completed or signed up to training on caring for people with personality disorders.

People staying on the ward can also fill out a one-page profile to be displayed in their room, where they can say what would make them feel safe and cared for.

There are changes to the running of the ward, too. Staff stagger the times they write up their paperwork so they can spend more time with patients, including doing social activities like card and board games. To address concerns about ward rounds, staff have additional guidance on how to carry these out. 

And the ward recruited a peer support worker to lead a dedicated discharge group, to ensure women have the proper support to be able to leave the ward.

These changes have improved care on Willow Ward, and made people staying there feel safe and heard.

Nurses have been hearing me so I can open up.  We can have one-to-ones in the evenings now and it’s been really good. — A woman staying on Willow Ward