Following a pledge by NHS East Lancashire CCG to support the successful national campaign #hello my name is…, and offer support to Dr Kate Granger, the terminally ill founder of the campaign who visited the CCG in June this year, retailer Boots has agreed to adopt the positive campaign too.

Dr Granger, who has been awarded an MBE for her services to the NHS and improving care, believes that the importance of introductions in the delivery of health care is not just about knowing someone’s name. She says “I firmly believe a friendly introduction is about far more than just common courtesy but rather human connections, therapeutic relationships and building trust with patients.”

As well as the campaign to encourage health service staff to introduce themselves before delivering care; the CCG has been leading the way by promoting Compassion in Practice.  In June the CCG held its first Compassion in Practice week which included the launch and provision of Compassion Champion training to nearly 150 staff locally including health service, CCG and GP practice staff.

Listening to Dr Granger’s story inspired Boots UK who are going to adopt the #hello my name is… campaign and also take part in the CCG’s Compassion Champion training. Salma Iqbal, Boots Area Manager for East Lancashire, said: “At Boots we are passionate about doing what's right for our customers. We put care into everything we do and the campaign has really made our colleagues think how something as little as introducing yourself by name can make such a big difference. Working collaboratively has helped us spread the message and our colleagues are excited to be attending the workshops run by the CCG.”

Helen Collinge, Macmillan Cancer Improvement Partnership Project Facilitator at the CCG said: “The beauty of the #hello my name is… campaign is that it focuses on the simple act of introducing yourself.  As Dr Granger says – it’s the first rung on the ladder to providing compassionate care. Compassion is a key value of NHS East Lancashire CCG and our patients and service users are our first priority. We believe that they should receive effective care from caring, compassionate and committed staff in any of the health services they attend or use.”

Sharon Martin, Director of Performance & Delivery at the CCG said “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work in partnership with Boots UK and share our knowledge about what compassionate practice should look like.  We are pleased that the message of #hello my name is… is spreading from the health service to the high street.”

 

 ENDS

 

About Boots UK

Boots UK (boots.com), the UK’s leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, is part of the Retail Pharmacy International Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise.  With 2,511* stores in the UK, Boots UK is committed to providing exceptional customer and patient care, be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare and offer innovative 'only at Boots' exclusive products such as the UK’s leading skincare brand No7, all delivered with the great value customers love. Created over 165 years ago, the Boots brand is still at the heart of the communities it serves.

*As at 31 May 2015 excluding equity method investments.