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Privacy and dignity

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) recognises that dignity in care is one of the most important issues for patients who come to us for care and treatment. We are committed to maintaining patient privacy and dignity and reducing mixed sex accommodation within our ward areas.

When we are ill, we want care, rest and comfort in pleasant hospital surroundings and to know that healthcare staff do all they can to protect our privacy and dignity.

As a Trust we expect our staff to respect patients' rights to privacy and dignity. We continue to work hard to ensure that there is a culture, in both our hospitals, which values privacy and dignity.

• Privacy refers to freedom from intrusion and relates to all information and practice that is personal or sensitive in nature to an individual
• Dignity is being worthy of respect

We want our patients to feel that they matter – that their values, beliefs and personal relationships will be respected. This applies to all our patients, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, social or cultural backgrounds, or their psychological or physical requirements.

Our Trust has confirmed its commitment to the national Dignity Challenge and has a number of projects under way that embrace Dignity in Care, all of which feed into the Trust Care Quality Group, which drives the aspirations of "best in care ".

All the matrons and senior nursing staff at UHB are involved in "Back to the Floor" exercises which incorporate ward visits and designated time in clinical areas reviewing all aspects of care delivery and patient feedback.

The two main projects are Eliminating Mixed Sex Accommodation and the Dignity Champions Project.

We are further developing arrangements for monitoring patient experience and link in additional project work and good practice which support the Dignity in Care agenda at UHB.

Kay Fawcett, Chief Nurse