Staff and patients will be in the General Hospital foyer asking people coming in for their views on dignity in care.
They will be invited to write down what they think the Trust does well in regard to Dignity and where it could make further improvements, and their comments will influence the way care is delivered in future.
Matters coming under the theme of dignity include preserving patients’ privacy while they are being examined, and helping those for whom reading is difficult to choose their food from a pictorial menu, for example.
The day will see the launch of a North Somerset-wide “What Does Dignity Mean to You?” campaign.
The Trust will be inviting local groups, representing elderly care, dementia care, learning disabilities, Brownie and Cub packs, local schools and patient representatives to design posters and send in their thoughts on this theme.
Trust staff will also be invited to submit examples of how they have enriched the dignity of their patients during the past year.
These will be used during the year, to raise awareness of Dignity to the general public using hospital services, and to all staff delivering care within the Trust.
They will all also then be on public display during a Dignity Open Day at the Hospital’s Academy building on Monday, September 24.
Weston Area Health NHS Trust’s Dignity lead, Matron Debra Parsons, said: “The Trust, in common with the rest of the NHS, is acutely aware of its duty to treat all its patients with dignity.
“We have a dynamic Dignity in Care group with staff from all disciplines represented on it. We take actions to help our Trust deliver a dignified patient-centred service.
“Our message is: “Let’s work together to keep Dignity in all our hearts and minds.”
“Every year on February 1 we mark National Dignity Day. This year the Trust is using this date to launch a community-wide campaign to raise awareness of both our staff's achievements in improving dignity within the hospital, and of our community’s thoughts and ideas about how we could improve still further – and we hope people will be keen to join in.”
For details of how to submit an entry to the What Does Dignity Mean to You? campaign, please contact Caroline Welch, Head of Communications at Weston Area Health NHS Trust on 01934 647091 or weston.enquiries@nhs.net