The Countess of Chester Hospital was paid a visit by the founder of national social media campaign #hellomynameis on Monday (June 22).
The campaign to encourage healthcare workers to introduce themselves to their patients was devised by Dr Kate Granger, herself a terminally ill cancer patient, and has been adopted by the Countess of Chester.
Dr Granger, who has been awarded an MBE for her services to the NHS, launched the hospital’s rollout of #hellomynameis phone stickers to remind staff that they can introduce themselves across all forms of communication.
Having been diagnosed with a rare form of metastatic sarcoma in 2011, she said: “I started the campaign when I became frustrated by the number of hospital staff who failed to introduce themselves to me when I was an inpatient.
“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.”
“So supported by my husband I vowed to try and bring about a lasting positive change.”
Deputy director of nursing Sian Williams explained that the drive has ‘really struck a chord’ at the Countess.
“The principles of the campaign, making a connection between patients and staff and building trust are ones that we hold dear,” she said.
“Yes, we are all under pressure and there is always another job that needs to be done but by taking the time to introduce ourselves properly we begin to build that valuable bond that so reassures patients and makes them feel safe in our care.
“We were so pleased to welcome Kate. She is an inspiration to NHS colleagues and we are delighted to have the chance to thank her for raising awareness of such simple but important values.”
Dr Granger has been accompanied by her husband Chris Pointon on her tour of 16 healthcare organisations and has covered over 1600 miles throughout England, Wales and Scotland to meet NHS staff.
To say a special thank you to the couple for visiting the Countess, Chester Zoo kindly provided them with tickets to the zoo and Claremont Farm gave them a hamper.
The icing on the cake was Hello My Name Is cake baked by the Countess’ head chef Sue Miller.
For more information about the campaign, click here or follow #hellomynameis on Twitter.
