BMA recognises 'coming of age' patient experience

An innovative project that has transformed the experience of patients who have had hip and knee replacements has won a prestigious British Medical Association (BMA) patient information award.

My recovery pack for my hip/knee surgery, produced by Guy’s and St Thomas’, in partnership with Janssen Healthcare Innovation and DePuy Synthes, combines a ‘recovery pack’ and website that has drastically reduced the amount of time that patients spend in hospital following a hip or knee replacement.

It is the second year running that the Trust’s patient information team has won the innovation award. The team was also ‘highly commended’ for their range of easy read information for adults with learning disabilities.

Anita Knowles, Director of Communications at Guy’s and St Thomas’, says: “It was very inspiring to hear Sarah Smith describe the project as ‘patient information coming of age’. From the outset, our ambition was to create a new and very different way for patients to communicate with the orthopaedic team before and after their treatment.”

Peter Earnshaw, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, says: “Working with our partners, we had a simple vision to transform the experience of patients by placing powerful engagement tools at the heart of our care.

“The success we’ve seen has exceeded our expectations. For most patients, their length of stay in hospital has reduced from five or six days to just three. This means we are now able to treat twice as many patients in the same number of beds, and more importantly the overall quality of care and patient satisfaction has significantly improved with this programme.”

The annual BMA Patient Information Awards support and encourage patient centred care by meeting patients’ needs through accessible and well designed information.