In recent years the importance of the dignity in care agenda has rightly increased within the health and social care context. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to ensuring that all patients and their families/carers are treated with dignity and respect throughout their care journey. Equally, employees of the Trust have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
Dignity in care is everyone’s business. Whether engaged in direct patient care or working in one of the many supportive roles within the organisation, each employee must understand the impact of their words and actions upon the qualitative patient experience.
If you have any questions about this website or any aspect of dignity in care, please feel free to email the Dignity in Care Committee at [email protected].
Dignity pledges
Our staff will treat patients the way they would wish to be treated
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust vision and values states that the delivery and development of our service will be patient-centred.
Patient-centred care means ensuring we value individual preferences, that we listen, provide support, comfort and compassion, that we involve family, friends and carers and that we give information and ensure continuity and coordination of care.
- We will: greet you and your visitors in a welcoming and sincere way and introduce ourselves and our roles; ‘Hello, my name is…’
- We will: ensure that all staff involved in your care know about you and that information is consistent across your care team.
- We will: make sure we use your preferred name and communicate with you in your preferred language and in a format that meets your requirements.
- We will: ensure we meet your medication, food, drink, and daily comfort needs in a sensitive and compassionate manner and assist you whenever necessary.
- We will: ensure you experience care in an environment that actively encompasses respect for your individual values, beliefs and personal relationships.
- We will: consider your confidentiality at all times and be particularly careful when talking at the bedside and on the telephone.
- We will: involve you in discussions and decisions about your care and treatment and offer you time to check you have understood what has been said and ask any questions.
- We will: ask you what matters and is most important to you and do everything we can to achieve this.
- We will: ensure we involve your family and carers when you wish or need them to be.
- We will: treat you with kindness, compassion and empathy; we will treat you as we would ourselves wish to be treated.
- We will: maintain your modesty and privacy and dignity during care and treatment and we will respond promptly when you call for assistance or explain reasons for any delay.
- We will: ask you for your feedback and use this to make any changes to your care and treatment and to help us to improve our services.
Our staff would like to know if at any time you feel we are not meeting these pledges or could do better, please do let us know. You can also ask a family member to let us know if this is more comfortable for you or contact our PALS team.
You can download a printable PDF version of this information by clicking the link below.