16 February 2010
As part of its commitment to ensuring all patients are treated with the utmost dignity and privacy, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust will be marking the first ever national Dignity Action Day later this month.
Dignity Action Day, which will be held on Thursday 25 February, has been organised by the Department of Health to raise awareness about the importance of dignity in healthcare.
The Trust will mark the special day by launching a number of new initiatives, including a 'red peg' privacy system (where patients pin their curtains together with a red peg, indicating that people may only enter the cubicle with permission) and new patient gowns, which will help to protect patients' privacy even further.
Deputy Director of Nursing, Lisa Knight is leading the activities for Dignity Action Day. She said: "Dignity is a basic human right, and it's at the heart of the care we give our patients. But now we want to raise awareness of how important it is, and encourage everyone to preserve and respect one another's dignity.
"We want all people, including staff, volunteers, visitors and patients, to stand up and promote respectful challenging. Together, we can all be positive role models by treating other people with respect, particularly those who are less able to stand up for themselves, for instance people who are unwell in hospital."
In recent years, the Trust has implemented a raft of measures to improve the privacy and dignity of its patients, including investing more than £1.1 million over the last ten months to help eliminate mixed sex accommodation. This has included building more single rooms.
