he Care Ward Programme, a hospital-based initiative in the New Territories West Cluster, is the first of its kind in the HA. It puts together different specialities in meeting such objectives as providing a safe and caring environment for patients and staff, preserving the time of doctors and nurses for direct patient care, enhancing clinical competency of ward staff and boosting staff morale and team spirit.

The NTWCare Ward Team is pioneering structural and cultural changes in wards by rolling out an integrated care system to enhance service quality. Under its Care Ward Programme, the Team has put in place a series of measures to enhance the line of management, manpower, staff professionalism, as well as resources, ward environment and equipment in hospital wards. In addition to these initiatives, a top-down and bottom-up cultural approach has been adopted to engage front-line staff in decision-making.

When the NTWCare Ward Team first started the Care Ward Programme in October 2008, 12 care wards adopted the model. The programme has now been extended to cover 25 wards, comprising a total of seven specialties. "Healthy patients, happy staff" is what the Team would like to achieve under the Programme. It will continue to make progress and move towards this goal.

Members of the NTWCare Ward Team advocate structural and cultural changes in wards.

Members of the Cluster's senior management drop by to thank colleagues for their good work.