Clinical handover

Dear Editor,

I write to you with reference to the article: ‘Clinical handover of the trauma and medical patient: a structured approach’ (Loseby et al, 2013).

I was gratified to see this article; I am all too aware of the importance of the clinical handover and to the extent at which it can influence a patient's outcome. Poor communication represents a notable part of complaints in the NHS. This alone underlines this critical skill for the continuity of our patient care.

As a paramedic, I have always deliberated on how I could better my handover. This led me to a secondment on a rapid response car. I felt this would give me an opportunity to develop my handovers with a more concise structure to my fellow colleagues. Doing this for the six months of the secondment gave me ample time and opportunity to build on my handover skills in an everyday environment. I found this beneficial for cognitive skills when in a more time-critical environment.