'NH-S Club 7' help the medicines go down

24th April 2017

Harmonious healthcare staff are showing they have the X-factor in a bid to crack the charts.

Only it’s not the Top 40 they are looking to conquer, but patients’ drug charts – with Dorset HealthCare producing a pop video to help raise awareness about medicines safety in its hospitals and out in the community.

Staff at the Trust have recorded a new version of the S Club 7 classic ‘Reach’, with specially re-written lyrics to promote good practice in administering medication.

And the fun-packed film of ‘Reach for the Charts’ – which can be seen at https://youtu.be/OZZS-DC2Hsk – will be played at staff conferences and in training sessions around Dorset over the coming months.

The project – funded by the Wessex Academic Health and Science Network – was led by the Trust’s Medication Safety Officer Katie Griffiths.

“We wanted to find a way to raise awareness of common medication errors, such as missed doses, delays in obtaining the right medication and not filling in drug charts properly,” Katie explained.

“We chose ‘Reach’ because it was a catchy, upbeat song, and it was fairly easy to re-write the lyrics. Once we had the necessary permissions, we put a call out to staff for volunteer singers and performers.”

Solent Creatives, a team of students from the media department at Southampton’s Solent University, filmed the music recording session in Dorchester, before obtaining further footage at Bridport Hospital and the Herm Ward at Alderney Hospital in Poole.

“The video was great fun to make. Everyone just threw themselves into it, from our Associate Medical Director to people we just grabbed while we were filming on the day,” said Katie.

“We can show it at conferences, away days and team meetings to help with staff training. Hopefully it’s a fun way of getting across some important messages, and will stick in people’s minds.”

Fiona Haughey, Dorset HealthCare’s Director of Nursing and Quality, added: “We are constantly seeking to improve the quality of our care and minimise errors. There is a huge array of different drug treatments available today, and we need to do everything we can to ensure we administer medicines as effectively and safely as possible.”

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