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Jonathan Asbridge, Clinical Director, Patient Experience in A&E

Jonathan commended A&E staff on getting the basics right by making patient experience as crucial as quality care, 'Improving the patient experience goes hand in hand with improving clinical outcomes; it's more than just an add-on. Being patient-centred is often the best way of sorting out other problems in the service.'

Common themes which pose more complex challenges were discussed, including care for older people, children and adolescents; more joined up working around mental health service users and patients with learning difficulties; and better provisions for ethnic minority patients and those who don't speak English as a first language.

Health minister Rosie Winterton also congratulated modern matrons on providing 'what is increasingly being seen in the community as a first-class service.' She added 'Over a million people attend A&E, Minor Injuries Units and Walk-in Centres every month. Nine out of every ten patients are still going through the system within four hours, and this high level of performance has been achieved despite increasing numbers.'

The minister agreed that there was now a need to focus on the more succinct issues that really matter to patients and staff. She stressed the significance of a 24-hour support infrastructure from local services in enabling A&E staff to provide better facilities for patients with more complex needs, and the importance of continued co-operation from the wider NHS in what emergency care is trying to achieve.

Many A&E departments already have measures in place to help ensure that all patients have access to the services they need. Examples shared with the minister included a triage ward to aid swifter assessment of mental health patients; the on-site presence of district nurses and a social worker; and a switchboard team which keeps a database of doctors' language skills to ease communication difficulties between staff and patients.

Rosie Winterton concluded by urging modern matrons to claim their £10,000 from the patient experience fund by 31 March and asked those experiencing problems in making their claim to contact Clare Allcock, details below.

Chief nursing officer Sarah Mullally closed the summit, saying that nurses continue to lead on delivering change. 'Things are changing for the better, not just in terms of hitting targets, but in improving the individual's experience. And lots of the things that improve the patient experience change make things better for staff as a result.'

The top five themes emerging from the summit will be fed back to the health minister and chief nursing officer for further exploration

A key person from social care will be invited to the next summit

Other speakers

John Badham, Programme Director for Essence of Care, Clinical Governance Support Team, NHS Modernisation Agency, 'Staging the opportunities'.

Neil Thompson, NHS Estates 'Improving the environment - how the built environment can support the delivery of care and improve the patient experience.'