Eng-Choo (June) Hitchcock
As regular users of the NHS, June and her family has been most fortunate to have access some really wonderful medical care and dedicated staff in the acute and primary care sector without the worry of huge medical expenses. However, over the years there were instances when the care provided fell below an acceptable standard. Some of these unfortunate but preventable events include: mismanagement or misdiagnosis of injuries, pain or emergencies, including a post partum haemorrhage at home following emergency surgery. Other incidents reflect poor infection prevention/control in healthcare, poor or absent communication, and transfer of high risk patient by public transport (taxi) between hospitals.
June’s professional background is extensive, having worked over 30 years in the NHS, privately and abroad. Her roles included being a sister in hospital and community settings during the 1970s and 1980s, and she was awarded Marie Curie Nurse of the Year in the 1990s. She completed her MSc Med Science at the University of Glasgow in 2000 and the Diploma in Infection Control at the South Bank University in 2002.
Her most recent roles include being a Health Protection Specialist Nurse & Infection Control Specialist Advisor. Whilst working in Infection Control, she had an additional role as a Decontamination Project Lead (surgical instruments), and lectured on Infection Control, Vaccination & Immunisation & Travel Health at University level. June has recently completed a short term secondment at an Acute Trust which provided her with a better understanding of IC issues in this area and of the interface issues between acute and community settings.
Professionally, she has witnessed some wonderful & innovative work being delivered, however there were regular occurrences whereby, committed staff were unable to deliver quality care due to the lack of resources e.g. numbers as well as appropriately skilled staff, lack of equipment, cluttered & chaotic ward environment lacking in clear/strong leadership; medics who do not observe the basic rules of hygiene; a reticence of senior staff to challenge poor performance and commitment to patient safety still lacks behind achievement of other targets.
Having emigrated to UK and experienced medical care in many parts of the world as an avid traveller and as a health professional, she is more than able to compare standards of services and care provided. The Health Service in the UK remains unique and she is passionate that it should continue to be free to those who need it. Current standards of care, however, is worrying, and needs to be enhanced and maintained by changing current cultures, behaviours, practice and systems to ensure consistent safe standards. Collaboration with all stakeholders, in particular, the users of the service, is pivotal to drive forward and embed the new vision of ZERO tolerance to minimum standards.
Patient safety is a key priority and she looks forward to working with the Patient Safety Champion network, to play an effective part to improve safe health care delivery in the UK.