Powered by Care: Staff Led Ideas Bringing Meaningful Change to QEH

In the busy corridors of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), change doesn’t always arrive with fanfare or headline grabbing innovation. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a new chair, a clock, or a discreet alarm. Small changes, perhaps, but ones that can make a profound difference to daily life on the ward.

Behind these practical improvements is something truly remarkable: hospital staff quietly and creatively transforming everyday care. Last year, the QEHKL Charity has awarded £34,121,80 through its Room for Improvement scheme — a staff‑led initiative launched in 2022 to support ideas that enhance patient care, improve staff wellbeing, and positively transform the hospital environment.

These are ideas shaped by lived experience. By nurses, midwives, doctors, support workers and teams who see, day in and day out, where a small change could ease anxiety, restore dignity, or simply make a difficult day a little easier. Through small grants of up to £5,000, those ideas are given the chance to become reality — even when they sit outside traditional NHS funding routes.

Made possible by the generosity of the charity’s supporters, Room for Improvement is turning compassion into action, and thoughtful observation into lasting change. It is proof that when staff are empowered to lead improvements, everyone benefits.

Thanks to this scheme, the hospital is now benefiting from:

• A DVD player for Day Surgery Unit – Upgrading the outdated DVD player allows young patients to be entertained before and after their surgery. The distraction helps to reduce anxiety and improve their overall experience during their stay.
• Neonatal Resuscitation Training Mannequin – This mannequin enhances the realism and effectiveness of simulation training for midwives and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurses. Improved simulation supports safe, high-quality care and ensures staff are well prepared to respond confidently and effectively in emergency situations at birth.
• Quiet call system for small Pharmacy waiting area – Recognising long wait times and limited space in pharmacy, this application was for the introduction on a quiet call system for patients. By issuing a bleep-style device, patients would be free to leave the waiting area while their prescription is prepared. This has improved patient comfort and reduced overcrowding.
• iPads for Safeguarding team – This equipment was bought to replace paper notebooks for safeguarding practitioners. This change has improved information security, enable real-time documentation and support faster communication across the team. Moving to digital recording aligns with information governance requirements, enhances efficiency, reduces delays in patient care and contributes to wider digital, sustainability and green plan objectives.
• Shoehorns for Radiology – After receiving feedback from patients, it was brought to clinicians attention that some individuals experienced difficulty when putting their shoes back on after MRI scans. Providing shoehorns has supported patient’s independence, dignity, and confidence, particularly for elderly or mobility-limited patients.
• Specialist chair for Radiology – An application was made to replace a non-standard chair used for seated radiology examinations. The chair ensures a safer imaging scan for frail or mobility-restricted patients, reduce risk of injury and support compliance with clinical and safety standards.

Reflecting on the impact of the scheme, Trust Charity Manager Rebecca McMinn said:
“Our Room for Improvement scheme is integral to how we care for our patients. Some simple additions to departments, such as adaptive cutlery or shoe horns often go a great way to improving patient independence. Through this increased independence, where possible, our clinicians can focus on our more critically ill patients.”

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Posted on: April 23 2026    •    Posted in: Patient Care, QEH Hospital