Where it all began


Schwartz rounds originated 14 years ago in Boston, USA. They were developed at the bequest of Kenneth Schwartz, a lawyer who was being treated for cancer and noted the personal cost to staff of looking after him with care and compassion. Rounds are now run in over 150 organisations in the UK. They were brought to the UK by the Point of Care Foundation who continue to provide support and guidance to NHS trusts: www.pointofcarefoundation.org.uk


MAJOR INCIDENTS IN LONDON In response to a series of major incidents in London where our hospitals treated some of the injured, the Schwartz team organised three rounds to help staff process their experiences. These rounds attracted nearly 300 attendances and were described by one staff member as a “complete, open, honest discussion where the element of trust in the room was staggering.”


Dr Anu Mitra, consultant emergency physician, was on duty the night of the Grenfell Tower fire. At one of the Schwartz rounds that followed, Anu took part in the panel and shared his personal experience of the major incident response. “The round helped me to deal with my own feelings about the Grenfell Tower incident. Although there were many people at the Schwartz round, it still felt very intimate and private. It also helped me to hear how others found it tough going – people who I would have expected to be ‘resilient’. It was reassuring to hear I’m not alone in my experience.”


THE VALUE OF ROUNDS All staff who attend the Schwartz rounds, or present at them, are encouraged to give feedback and rate their effectiveness. Responses are consistently positive and encouraging: 97 per cent are keen to recommend the round to their colleagues; 90 per cent feel more connected to their colleagues after attending; 92 per cent feel the round increased their insight and self- awareness; and 78 per cent feel rounds contribute to a healthier workplace.


Winter 2017/2018 From the Schwartz round l-r:


Joanne Thompson, Rosie Andrews, Alex King, Catherine Lacey and Neil Duncan


Alex and his team acknowledge that colleagues can’t always make the time to go to a round – no matter how frequent they are. Does that matter? Alex is confident that anyone who attends even one Schwartz round will pass on the spirit of it to a wider circle of colleagues: “As people attend rounds, and spread the word to their colleagues and teams, they are infusing their workplace with the confidence that our personal reactions and experiences are valid, can be talked about honestly and openly, and we can


be stronger for it. In other words, we believe that rounds will help us shape and sustain the kind and collaborative organisational culture we want.”


SUPPORT FOR SCHWARTZ ROUNDS


Funding from Macmillan, Health Education North West London (HENWL) and Imperial Health Charity has enabled the Trust to set up and run Schwartz rounds. Rounds will continue throughout 2017, thanks to the Charity and HENWL.


TELL YOUR STORY AT THE NEXT SCHWARTZ ROUND Alex and the Schwartz team of facilitators are keen to connect with colleagues who have a vivid story to share – a clinical case that meant a lot, a personal experience or a change in a team. They also welcome colleagues interested in contributing more actively to the running of the Schwartz rounds, in various roles. Email: imperial.schwartz.rounds@nhs.net or call ext. 21658. All details of upcoming Schwartz rounds are available on the Source.


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