Health Trust launches new quality report

The Southern Trust’s Annual Quality report has been published to coincide with World Quality Day.

Launching the Trust’s report Health Minister Jim Wells said: “I welcome this important report which provides information about the quality and safety of services provided by the Southern Trust.

“I hope that the public will find it useful and that the report will provide an assurance to those using health and social care services, of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to quality and safety.”

Mairead McAlinden, Trust Chief Executive said: “We want to provide excellent and compassionate care for everyone who needs our services.

“Staff in the Southern Trust are responding to our population’s increasing need for health and social care by changing how we deliver our care and introducing new and innovative ways of working. Our Quality Report recognises the achievements of our staff in delivering a safe high quality service, and it is reassuring to see that we usually compare well against high performing Trusts across the UK.

“Our Quality Report showcases many examples of how the Trust is improving quality and safety, for example the Trust’s Infection control rates continue to be amongst the best in the UK and figures for 2013/14 indicate the Trust has the lowest rate of Clostridium difficile and MRSA in Northern Ireland.

“In the community we are also seeing positive quality improvements in care, such as our Family Nurse Partnership – a nurse led home visiting programme which is proven to improve health and wellbeing of first time young parents and their children. The programme is offered to young mums aged 19 and under. The same nurse visits mum and her family from early pregnancy until the child’s second birthday and focuses on the health and wellbeing of the child and mother.”

“The report shows how we are delivering the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety’s ‘Quality 2020’ strategy to protect and improve quality in health and social care in Northern Ireland in terms of safety, effectiveness and patient and client focus. It can be accessed on the Trust website at www.southerntrust.hscni.net/Publications.”