Prestigious Macmillan first for City Hospital
The Specialist Receiving Unit (SRU) at City Hospital has become the first emergency admissions unit in the Midlands to receive the highly prestigious Macmillan Quality Environment Mark (MQEM).
And Pooches, the therapy dogs, helped unveil a commemorative plaque at the unit.
The MQEM award – from Macmillan Cancer Support - is the first of its kind in the UK and designed in collaboration of people living with cancer. It champions cancer environments that go above and beyond to create welcoming and friendly spaces for patients.
The award criteria is evidence-based and recognised by regulatory bodies, including the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England. The award is assessed by an independent quality assurance agency every three years.
The areas units are assessed on are:
- design and use of space
- user’s journey
- service experience
- user’s voice
SRU ward manager Ann-Marie Appleyard said: “This is such a massive and amazing achievement. It has been a tough couple of years and this has given the staff a much-needed morale boost.”
Dr Vincent Crosby is Clinical Director for Oncology services at NUH. He said: “It is a testament to the dedication, care and compassion showed by the SRU team that they have been recognised with this prestigious award.
“The team know that being admitted to hospital in an emergency can be a very worrying time for patients and families and this award demonstrates that patient experience is central to the philosophy of the SRU team.”
Alison Hall, Macmillan Cancer Information Specialist at NUH, said “I am delighted that NUH’s Specialist Receiving Unit has been awarded an MQEM. NUH’s Macmillan Information and Support Centres at both City Hospital and Queen’s Medical Centre have held the MQEM Award for many years, so I know how much work goes into to not only achieving the award, but maintaining it.
“MQEM is the only assessment of cancer environments in the UK; achieving it gives the department recognition for being an outstanding cancer environment, and it also gives our patients confidence in the department they are being treated in. The SRU Team should feel very proud of this achievement.”
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