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Medway NHS Foundation Trust is committed to bringing its patients healthcare services in line with some of the best in the country. The Medway Maritime Hospital site is home to the Macmillan Cancer Care unit, the West Kent vascular centre, a state-of-the-art obstetrics theatre suite, the neonatal intensive care unit, a foetal medicine centre, a dedicated stroke unit and the West Kent centre for urology.
Medway NHS Foundation Trust has a new vision; to be seen as a centre of effective, modern healthcare delivery for the growing communities they serve. It is their aim that the Trust will become recognised as a high-performing provider of core and specialist health services with a distinctive, patient centred and responsive philosophy.
We asked Rita Lawrence, Head of Organisational Development, why The WOW! Awards is having such a positive effect on Medway NHS and this is what she said...
What made you join The WOW! Awards?
As part of our Patient Experience strategy we wanted to give our patients the opportunity to comment on where they had received an excellent experience. We had seen that wow was being used in the hospitality / retail sector and we thought that it could work for us too. Also we wanted to have something that would recognise our people for the wonderful care they give every day and because wow nominations come from patients, that means so much.
How long did it take to launch/ implement The WOW! Awards?
Not that long, from when we spoke with Derek initially, it was within 2/3 months.
How long did it take to really pick up within your organisation?
Instantly!! We started receiving a good level of
nominations in our first month which we were thrilled
about and we are now just past our third birthday and nominations are still increasing.
How has The WOW! Awards helped your organisation achieve its financial target(s)?
In terms of return on investment for the money, the awards pay for themselves. Cost of increased morale, pride and recognition – money can’t buy that.