Hello, my name is...

While visiting the hospital, you have probably noticed the bright yellow identity badges being worn by staff. These highly visible badges are worn so that our patients can easily see the name of the member of staff they are speaking to. However the badges, and the campaign behind them, represent far more than just information and politeness – it is about breaking down barriers between staff and patients.

The ‘Hello, my name is…’ campaign was created by Dr Kate Granger MBE (pictured below), a registrar in elderly medicine who developed terminal cancer at the age of 29. Dr Granger started the campaign in August 2013 after she became frustrated with the number of staff who failed to introduce themselves to her when she was an inpatient with post-operative sepsis.

Kate asked frontline NHS staff to make a pledge to introduce themselves in future to their patients. She used social media to help kick start the campaign and created the hashtag #hellomynameis

Speaking of the campaign Kate said: “It’s the first thing you are taught in medical school, that when you approach a patient you say your name, your role and what you are going to do.

“This missing link made me feel like I did not really matter, that these people weren’t bothered who I was. I ended up at times feeling like I was just a diseased body in a hospital bed.”

Kate spent her final years promoting the campaign, significantly improving patient care and raising money for charity.

At Medway, we urge every member of staff to always say their name, their role and what they are going to do when first approaching a patient.

Lesley Dwyer, Chief Executive of Medway NHS Foundation Trust commented: “As a Trust, the greatest tribute we can pay to Kate is to always remember the principles she held.

“Our patients come to us vulnerable and in need of help and a simple piece of communication can go a very long way in comforting and reassuring them.

“Introductions are about making a connection between one human being who is suffering and vulnerable, and another human being who wishes to help. They begin therapeutic relationships and can instantly build trust in difficult circumstances. That is why I urge all our staff to begin any conversation with ‘Hello, my name is.'”