Pictured: Deputy Chief Executive, Martin Hodgson raises the Speak Up flag at RBTH with Jane Butcher and Nicola Bamber to mark the start of Speak Up Month.
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust will be taking part in Speak Up Month this October.
The Trust will join other organisations across England to raise awareness of the importance of speaking up; and demonstrate their willingness to listen to workers.
ELHT appointed Staff Guardian Jane Butcher in May 2017 and the launch of this year’s campaign also coincides with Jane celebrating 22 years of working for the NHS. Jane said:
“When things go wrong, we need to make sure that lessons are learnt and improvements made.
“If we think something might go wrong, it’s important that we all feel able to speak up so that potential harm is prevented.
Even when things are good, but could be even better, we should feel able to say something and should expect that our suggestion is listened to and used as an opportunity for improvement.
“Myself and Deputy Staff Guardian Nicola Bamber are extremely passionate about creating this culture of openness at ELHT. We strongly encourage staff that if they see something that is wrong, they must say something. Our role is to also ensure they can do this confidentially and without fear of negative repercussions.”
Kevin McGee, Chief Executive of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said:
“The role of Staff Guardian is vital so staff know they have a safe space where they can express their concerns. Jane and Nicola sit independently to the Trust which enables them to carry out their jobs extremely effectively. Patient safety is and always will be our priority and staff must feel able to speak out if they see anything that is amiss.
“The service is working extremely well with our staff being amongst the most confident when it comes to speaking up freely about issues and concerns, according to a recent report.”
Dr Henrietta Hughes OBE, National Guardian for the NHS, says, “Speaking up can really make a difference. But it’s only effective if people listen up, and follow up. In this way Freedom to Speak Up will be business as usual.”
This year, the National Guardian’s Office is drawing up an Alphabet of Speak Up. From Accountability to Zero Tolerance – there will be films, podcasts, blogs and resources sharing how Freedom to Speak Up is making a difference.
There are 26 letters of the alphabet and 26 days to explore the issues, the people, the values, the challenges – everything which goes into what Freedom to Speak Up means in health.
You can join in with the Alphabet of Speak Up on Twitter and LinkedIn with #SpeakUpABC