AN inspirational health-care assistant has been recognised for putting dignity at the top of the agenda at Worcestershire hospitals.

Rebecca Banner has been acknowledged nationally as dignity champion of the month by the national Dignity in Care network.

Ms Banner, who works for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, was nominated by her colleague Karen Titley, junior sister, herself a dignity champion several years ago and a leading light in the trust’s campaign to promote dignity in care.

She said: “Rebecca is an inspiring individual. She encourages everyone – staff and students on placement, to sign up as dignity champions and never misses an opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of providing dignity to everyone, patients, relatives, friends, carers and all members of staff.”

Since a Dignity Action Day in February this year, where staff pledged to promote dignity in care, 250 dignity champions are working across the county’s acute hospitals.

All three of the trust’s hospitals, including Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester, scored well in a national assessment from the Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT), carried out between January and March this year.

The PEAT assessment asks trusts to self-assess against strict criteria which cover issues such as the patient environment (lighting, furnishing, bedside entertainment systems, car parking and signage); food (choice, availability, quality, quantity, presentation, service and support) and privacy and dignity (confidentiality of patient information, visiting hours, assistance with personal care, appropriate patient clothing and ability to follow usual faith practices).

Helen Blanchard, chief nursing officer, said: “The PEAT assessments add to the volume of evidence that shows just how hard we are working to put patients at the centre of everything we do.”