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Dignity consists of many overlapping aspects involving respect, privacy, autonomy and self-worth. While ‘dignity’ may be difficult to define, what is clear is people know when they have not been treated with dignity and respect (DoH 2007).
Many factors have been held responsible for the absence of dignity in care including:
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bureaucracy
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staff shortages
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poor management and lack of leadership
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absence of appropriate training and induction
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difficulties in recruitment and retention leading to overuse of temporary staff
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wider societal issues including ageism and other forms of discrimination and abuse.
Dignity is both a national and local priority.
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We are determined to tackle negative attitudes towards all of our population and to ensure that such attitudes have no place within East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.
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Your right to be treated with respect. High quality care services that respect people's dignity should (from the Department of Health’s ten point challenge):
- Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse
- Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of your family
- Treat each person as an individual by offering a personalised service
- Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence, choice, and control
- Listen and support people to express their needs and wants
- Respect people’s right to privacy
- Ensure people feel able to complain without fear of retribution
- Engage with family members and carers as care partners
- Assist people to maintain confidence and a positive self-esteem
- Act to alleviate people’s loneliness and isolation.
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for all of our patients to be treated with dignity
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to improve the patient experience in all care areas within the Trust around the following key themes:
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personal world and identity
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personal boundaries and space
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communication between staff and service users
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privacy and confidentiality of personal information
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privacy, dignity and modesty
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the Essence of Care Benchmarks (2003)
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to ensure privacy and dignity is a fundamental part of our core values and strategic objectives
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to ensure single sex sleeping accommodation, toilets and wash facilities for all of our patients.
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Responsibilities of all staff within East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust:
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every member of staff has a duty to ensure the privacy and dignity of all patients is respected at all times
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each manager is responsible for consistently monitoring the environment within the Trust's premises with regards to privacy and dignity issues
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promoting and encouraging positive attitudes and behaviours within our culture to eliminate the risk of any negative experience for all of our patients
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to give clear information to patients and relatives on how to raise immediate concerns and who to contact
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monitor and report, through the incident, complaints or clinical governance processes, any problems in relation to standards and guidelines on privacy and dignity in our care of patients.
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Please visit the link below to access the Trust wide privacy and dignity action plan:
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Delivering Same-Sex Accommodation - March 2012
Privacy and Dignity update - November 2009
Privacy and Dignity update - June 2009
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Privacy and Dignity Report front page
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Privacy and Dignity Report
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Privacy and Dignity Report appendix 1
Read our Clinical Quality and Patient Safety reports by following the links below:
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Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) ‘Practice guide 09: Dignity in care, Published November 2006 (Updated August 2007)’
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Department of Health. (2001) National Service Framework for Older People
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Modernisation Agency (April 2003) Essence of Care: Patient Focussed Benchmarking for Healthcare Practitioners
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Department of Health 2007. Dignity in Care
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