"Seeing that everyone who enters the site is greeted and cared for in a non-judgemental and caring way is vital" - Experience of Care Week, Elaine's thoughts
Experience of Care Week is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate some of the great examples of the work and care happening within Solent NHS Trust.
Elaine Peachy is the Operational Lead for the vaccine centre at Oakley Road, she works with the clinical leads to deliver a safe and effective service for the mass delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations. Elaine has been on secondment since 21 January 2021.
“We are all unique and coming in for a vaccine is also a new experience. We therefore need to acknowledge that not everyone may be comfortable with the experience and give them the support they need.
“For me, seeing that everyone who enters the site is greeted and cared for in a non-judgemental and caring way is vital. When people feel positive about their experience, this promotes the vaccine centre as a ‘safe place’ to be.
“We have now delivered 70,000 vaccines at Oakley Road, both to the community and to health and social care staff. People have different needs and we have ensured these are met, with our feedback showing this is very much appreciated. We have a number of different solutions including taking someone to a private room and completing the process in that room together with their chosen partner or carer. We also see people before normal opening times, reducing anxiety with fewer people being present. We are rightly proud of our work with local faith groups to reach out to those who were unsure of the vaccine and also in securing wonderful volunteers.”
Elaine admitted: “I always want to hear if someone has had a poor experience as I think it is important to try and unpick what happened and make changes to prevent any reoccurrence. Recently I met with a delightful lady who was unhappy about her experience; her feedback led to information posters telling people what they might expect and answering questions, being placed in our vaccine centres. We are ensuring that when we communicate with our service users, we are mindful of how we engage and adapt to their needs.”