Privacy and dignity in a hospice environment-the development of a clinical audit

A clinical audit was developed and conducted at St Gemma's Hospice, Leeds, to provide evidence of the standard of privacy and dignity afforded to patients in the wards and Day Hospice. It involved setting standards from key documents and including patients, carers, and staff in developing questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered to 30 patients and 130 members of the multidisciplinary team. The response rates were 91% (patients) and 78% (staff). Evaluation of the questionnaires showed that 70% of patients rated their satisfaction with privacy and dignity as 'excellent', with the remaining 30% rating it 'very good'. For the most part, the ratings of staff and patients were in agreement and indicated achievement of the expected standard. However, some areas of concern were identified, including providing opportunity for hand washing prior to meals, closer monitoring of visitor numbers, avoiding interruption to staff, and maintaining privacy during conversations with staff. Disseminating the results of the audit resulted in some important discussions in the clinical teams and the formulation of an action plan to address the concerns.