YH Wins Bid To Deliver 'Schwartz Rounds' - 'Francis' Response   You are here: Home » News Detail

Our Continued Response to Francis Report

In response to recommendations from the Francis Report, Your Healthcare previously bid and as of this week, won the opportunity to deliver what are known as ‘Schwartz Rounds’ to help support continued excellent quality of care.

Background? Two years ago, the Sir Robert Francis’ Inquiry into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust recommended Schwartz Rounds as a way to help bring about positive culture change in the NHS.  In April 2013 - at which point there were only 23 organisations running the proven reflective practice technique - the Point of Care Foundation charity since took over responsibility for supporting the Schwartz Rounds programme from The King’s Fund.   As of now, the number of organisations signed up to run rounds is 104 including Your Healthcare as the first ‘mutual’ to do this in the UK. Attached is a recent feature from Nursing Times on this.    

What are Schwartz Rounds? Schwartz Rounds are expertly facilitated, confidential, meetings where staff from all backgrounds and professions voluntarily come together to discuss the emotional and social challenges associated with their jobs. The underlying premise for Rounds is that the compassion shown by staff can make all the difference to a patient’s experience of care, but that in order to provide care with compassion, staff must themselves feel supported in their work. 

Why are Schwartz Rounds important to staff and patients? Rounds have been shown to be an effective strategy for providing support to healthcare staff and for enhancing relationships among them and with their patients (Lown and Manning, 2010).

Point of Care Foundation Announces 4 x Increase in NHS providers delivering Schwartz Rounds Nationally

This announcement represents a positive step forward with a four-fold increase in NHS providers delivering Schwartz round since April 2013 but the challenges remain nationally in maintaining a positive impact from outcomes arising from the 2013 Francis Report:

Jocelyn Cornwell, chief executive of The Point of Care Foundation, said: “Two years after the publication of the Francis Inquiry, the positive uptake of Schwartz Rounds across the NHS and beyond shows organisations are embracing culture change.  But while the ‘Francis effect’ is not dead, it is a difficult time for the NHS. The Point of Care Foundation maintains that the NHS cannot deliver good care unless it provides good support to staff. Schwartz Rounds provide much needed support to healthcare staff.”

Additional background

Sir Robert Francis, in the public inquiry into care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, says Schwartz Rounds are a good method for bringing staff together for the benefit of the patient (paragraph 20.129, page 1394 of the third volume).

The 'Francis effect' refers to the drive to improve patient care, and support for staff, which happened after the publication of the public inquiry into care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

It typically takes about six months between organisations signing up to run Schwartz Rounds and running their first Round. This is to allow time for training, setting up the Rounds organising committee and recruiting speakers.

A team of researchers based at King’s College London are currently undertaking a national evaluation of Schwartz Rounds. The study aims to uncover to what extent participation in Schwartz Rounds affects staff wellbeing at work, improves relationships between staff and patients, and aids the provision of compassionate care in the UK.

Evidence on the benefits of Schwartz Rounds is presented in: Lown, Beth A., and Colleen F. Manning. "The Schwartz Centre Rounds: evaluation of an interdisciplinary approach to enhancing patient-centred communication, teamwork, and provider support." Academic Medicine 85.6 (2010): 1073-108.

About The Point of Care Foundation

• The Point of Care Foundation is an independent charity dedicated to improving patients’ experience of care and increasing support for the staff who work with them.
• We provide evidence and resources to support health and care staff in the difficult work of caring for patients.
• We believe a truly patient-centred approach – focussed on listening,  understanding and responding to the needs of the whole individual – is essential to the delivery of the best possible quality of care.
• For further information about our work please visit our website www.pointofcarefoundation.org.uk or follow us on Twitter @pointofcarefdn.

 Organisations signed up to run Schwartz Rounds, by type