HEALTH + WELLNESS
A Q & A WITH
BENENDEN HOSPITAL ’ S NEW HOSPITAL DIRECTOR , CLAIRE HARLEY
What are you most excited about for the year ahead in your new role ? What gets me out of bed each morning is being there for our people and our patients and working with our multidisciplinary teams to provide safe and effective patient care , the very best customer service and to ensure a balance with the health and wellbeing of our people . There is no room for complacency and I will be working to ensure that we continually improve , keep pace with the wider healthcare landscape and needs , and that we are responsive and proactive in ensuring that we are providing the right services . Alongside this , I ’ d like to focus on developing and strengthening ways to improve the overall patient experience , growing our Cosmetics and Robotics services , welcoming new consultants and colleagues to expand the range of treatments we offer and working on our environmental sustainability programme to strive towards a net zero carbon emissions target .
You are a centre of excellence for hip and knee replacement , varicose vein ( EVLT ) treatment and cataract surgery - what does this mean for patients ? Our excellent outcomes , low complication rates and high patient satisfaction rates across these and all our other treatments and services are testament to our commitment to providing high-quality care . As well as being a centre of excellence for hip and knee replacement , we are also England ’ s largest provider of EVLT treatment for varicose veins and the number one provider of private cataract surgery in Kent and Sussex .
You are the only CQC Outstanding Hospital in Kent . How do you maintain such high standards ? What is important here is that our staff have pride in the care and services that we provide , and that we are all focused on checking that our systems , processes and practice support the high standards expected in healthcare , but that we are also outwardly focused , benchmarking our services against national standards while keeping abreast with changes in healthcare delivery .
What sets Benenden Hospital apart from other private hospitals ? We ’ re privileged to be located in a unique setting amidst acres of beautiful Wealden countryside , which offers a truly therapeutic environment for our patients and staff .
I am hugely proud of the hospital , which has a long history and a heritage of providing the highest standards of patient care for over 110 years , and all our values in practice today resonate with our storied past .
Within the last year , we have introduced a new liver scanning ultrasound service - the first of its type in South East England , roboticassisted knee replacement surgery and Aquablation robotic prostate procedures . This work not only ensures that we can offer more choice to our patients , but it also serves as an attraction to staff who then want to work in an environment where we have pride and commitment to progressing .
What achievements have you been most proud of during your time at Benenden Hospital ? I am immensely proud of all of our teams and the difference they are making every day , both in terms of individual contribution , team contribution and then teams linking with teams to ensure that wider commitment to patient care . In terms of our standards of care , we have most recently been recognised with a National Joint Registry Quality Data Provider gold award , which we received for the third year running , and our reaccreditation with the Joint Advisory Group ( JAG ), which provides national recognition for standards of practice in our endoscopy service .
You accept patients from different pathways – what are they ? We offer a wide range of healthcare consultations , treatments and diagnostic services to patients who are choosing to self-pay , Benenden Health members and those with private health insurance , as well as some services for patients who are referred via the NHS e-referral system .
What would you say is your biggest passion when it comes to work ? This is an easy question to answer – for me it is customer service , patient safety , quality of care and staff health and wellbeing .
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