Bupa Cromwell Hospital leads the way with hourly rounding

Bupa Cromwell Hospital is introducing hourly rounding, a new nursing concept which guarantees that patients will receive a proactive visit from a nurse at regular hourly intervals, in addition to their usual patient duties.

Through this new approach, Bupa Cromwell Hospital nurses will visit patients every hour during the day from 8am to 10pm, and every two hours at night between 12am and 6am. This initiative is combined with a higher than average nurse to patient ratio of 1:4.

Hourly rounding is a well established practice in the US, where studies have shown that patients' outcomes are greatly improved. Bupa Cromwell Hospital is the first private hospital in the UK to introduce this approach.

Findings from the US studies revealed that hourly rounding increases patient safety and satisfaction. Patients reported that they are reassured by regular updates on their care and condition. Hourly checks were found to reduce call bell requests by an average of 37 percent and nurses reported that their shifts were less stressful, more controlled and productive.

Commenting on the initiative, Philippa Fieldhouse, director of operations at Bupa Cromwell Hospital said:  "We're always looking at how we can further improve our patients' experience. Ensuring that our nurses are proactively supporting their patients in addition to their reactive duties is a simple but effective way of reassuring our patients that their needs are central to everything we do. Our high nurse-to-patient ratio, coupled with hourly rounding, means that patients receive exceptional care and support during their stay."