VIDEO: Pledging to help make the NHS better

Across the county, people made pledges to make the NHS better, with almost 1,000 people signed up by midday on Monday at Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust.

“More people than ever have got behind NHS Change Day - double the number who took part in our organisation last year,” said Melissa Deighton, one of the NHS Change Day organisers for the trust.

“People have told us they like the opportunity to be proactive and it is a simple idea, to pledge something they can do in their workplace towards making things better for everyone around them.”

Among the pledges made by staff were to spend time with families to understand the challenge they face and taking time to ask patients what they want and need.

Patients themselves pledged to ensure they take their tablets and to eat and drink properly when they left hospital.

Members of Derbyshire County Council also supported Monday’s event, with cabinet members including council leader Anne Western making their own pledges.

Cllr Western pledged to work closely with the NHS across Derbyshire to look at ways of doing things differently to provide better services for local people, while Cllr Dave Allen, cabinet member for health and communities, pledged to continue to support food banks in Derbyshire so they can help feed those who would otherwise go hungry.

Melissa added: “We will be going back to people in three and six months to see how their pledges are going and offer them practical support if they need it to keep their pledge going.”

A video produced by Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust to promote NHS Change Day and highlight some of the pledges that have been made is available to view online at www.dchs.nhs.uk/home.

The first NHS Change Day took place last year.

To find out more, see the website at https://changeday.nhs.uk.