How it all began…
Our Trust is the first in the country to empower patients and relatives in an innovative way. The ‘Call 4 Concern©’ (C4C) system was introduced to enable patients and their relatives to have direct access to the critical care outreach team if they have concerns about the patient’s condition that they feel is not being acknowledged by the ward teams.
The Critical Care Outreach team and an early warning scoring system has been in place since 2001, and its remit is to support and assist ward staff in the early detection and appropriate management of deteriorating ward patients.
The introduction of the C4C service is an additional safety net to ensure the highest quality of care is delivered to our patients. C4C was inspired by the Condition H(elp) system developed at the University of Pittsburgh’s Medical Centre in the United States. Condition H(elp) was set up there in 2005 as a result of the case of an 18 month old child, Josie King who died in 2001 due to hospital errors and poor communication. Josie’s mother and others have campaigned tirelessly in the USA to give patients and relatives more involvement in patient care issues.
C4C
Patient Safety is a high priority in the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, especially with regards to patients whose health is getting worse.
The Critical Care Outreach Team are available 24 hours a day to help support health care teams who are caring for acutely ill patients. Call 4 Concern© is a patient safety service run by the Critical Care Outreach Team, that enables patients and families to call for immediate help and advice when they feel concerned that the health care team has not recognised their own or their loved one’s changing condition. The Critical Care Outreach Team can be contacted directly if:
The C4C service has received very positive feedback from patients and relatives and is available across the whole site for anyone who has concerns about a patient’s condition.
Call C4C if you have ongoing concerns after you have spoken to the ward nurse or doctor. Please do not feel concerned that using this system will negatively affect the patient’s care in any way. We recognise that sometimes the patient or a close loved one can see that something is wrong. No one knows your health care needs better than you and your family.
Responding to your call
When the Critical Care Outreach Team receive your call, they will need to know the patient’s name and the ward they are on, as well as a brief description of the problem. After prioritising the urgency of the problem, the team will visit you on the ward to discuss your concerns and assess the situation and instigate treatment or further review if necessary.
The Critical Care Outreach team will liaise with the patient’s medical team and other healthcare professionals as needed, to discuss further treatment options.
Sometimes, we are unable to take your call immediately, but you can leave a message providing the same information as stated above, and a contact number. We will aim to get back to you as soon as possible.
When NOT to make a C4C call…
C4C is a patient safety service.
To report problems regarding your hospital bed, room, food, parking or any other general issues, please speak to your nurse or the ward manager. You can also contact the matron to discuss any issues further.
Patient Advice & Liaison Service
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service – PALS – can liaise with staff and managers to sort out issues quickly and can provide patients, relatives and carers using the Royal Berkshire Hospital with ‘on the spot’ help, support and information about hospital services and any concerns.
PALS is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm. Telephone them on
0118 322 8338, email them at PALS@royalberkshire.nhs.uk or ask a member of staff to contact them to visit you on the ward.
Further information and contact
Critical Care Outreach Team – Bleep 250
Call or text us on our dedicated mobile phone: 0777 475 1352
More information about patient safety can be found at www.josieking.org