This accreditation highlights QEH’s dedication to providing outstanding care and services to those who care for family members or friends who are patients with long-term health conditions, disabilities, or other complex needs.
Caring Together Charity, which supports unpaid carers across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, and Norfolk, is committed to ensuring carers do not feel isolated, overwhelmed, or unsupported.
The Carer Friendly Tick Award recognises organisations that go above and beyond to identify, support, and empower carers within their workforce, community, and services.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital received the award after undergoing a thorough review by a panel of carers, who praised the hospital’s wide-ranging initiatives for raising awareness and supporting carers.
These include the creation of a strong network of carer champions, personalised carer agreements, and comprehensive staff training to ensure all carers feel valued and heard.
The panel’s feedback highlighted several areas of excellence, including the hospital’s efforts to raise awareness about carers, the creation of accessible, personalised resources, and the ongoing collaboration with organisations, including West Norfolk Carers, to improve carer support.
Chief Nurse Pippa Street expressed her pride in receiving the Carer Friendly Tick Award, commenting: “At QEH, we understand the crucial role unpaid carers play in the lives of patients, and we are dedicated to ensuring they receive the recognition and support they deserve. This award is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our staff, who consistently go the extra mile to provide a carer-friendly environment. We will continue to develop our services to meet the evolving needs of carers and enhance the quality of care for all.”
The Caring Together Charity panel specifically noted the hospital’s “excellent” practices in providing a carer leads, developing personalised carers’ agreements, and providing tailored training to staff. These efforts have resulted in a significant increase in carer identification and support at QEH.
The panel also commended QEH for offering extensive resources and information for carers, ensuring that they are not only identified but also empowered and supported throughout their journey. The hospital’s approach to carer engagement was described as “best practice,” setting a benchmark for other healthcare services.
The Carer Friendly Tick Award, which remains valid for two years, encourages organisations to embed a culture of carer awareness within their services. For QEH, this award is the result of years of dedicated effort, and the Trust is committed to continuing to improve its carer support services.
As part of the recognition, QEH will be added to the Caring Together Charity’s Hall of Fame and will proudly display the Carer Friendly Tick Award logo across its services.
Ends. Notes to editors; For media enquiries only, please contact Communications Team, media.enquiries@qehkl.nhs.uk or 01553 613216. For all other enquiries, please contact QEH Switchboard on 01553 613613.
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