Time for Tea!
Kate Burgess – Midwifery Lecturer, Bournemouth University
She/her
Instagram- @midwife_by_the_sea
Introduction
I’m Kate Burgess, a midwife, Professional Midwifery Advocate (PMA) and currently a Midwifery Lecturer at Bournemouth University. Whilst working in an NHS Trust, I completed a course for aspiring maternity leaders run by the Florence Nightingale Foundation (Home – Florence Nightingale Foundation (florence-nightingale-foundation.org.uk). As part of this programme, we were asked to conduct a Quality Improvement (QI) project. I wanted a project to support all staff who make the maternity department run every day.
It’s no secret that midwives are currently working under immense pressure, this often has a negative impact on culture in the workplace. Having a workforce that feels supported enables them to go on and provide women-centred and supportive care (NHS England » Our NHS People Promise). Bringing colleagues together, even for only a short period of time, could potentially start forming a support network and enhancing a team working. The concept of ‘Time for Tea’ was born!
The inspiration: Fika
In the early mapping stage, I came across the Swedish concept of Fika, pronounced ‘fee-kah’, a tradition where people come together, take a pause from their day and enjoy a coffee. Often, the coffee is enjoyed with something sweet on the side. This is something that midwives are no strangers to! I could really see how embracing Fika would benefit the maternity department, it would bring the staff together, regardless of their designation or role. My hope was this would start to make some positive changes to the culture by fostering a supportive environment of teamwork.
Having a cup of tea could be described as a quintessentially British institution. It’s used when we come together, in times of crisis and could be said is synonymous with healthcare. I don’t think there is anything better than a hot cup of tea and a biscuit at 3 a.m. to get you through the last few hours of a night shift!
The journey to ‘Time for Tea’
Seven months after designing the original concept, ‘Time for Tea’ was launched, it was hard but hugely rewarding. I was doing this alone, alongside my full-time role as the Mental Health Midwife. I learned very quickly to spin plates while planning this project. I can admit there were several different hoops I’ve jumped through, from infection control, health and safety right down to where to get the funding to start the project, and how would we be able to fund the tea bags going forward – as it would take a lot of tea to keep the team going! This is not something I could do on my own; I was supported by wonderful people along the way. We all had a common goal to improve the culture, and this showed.
The Head of Midwifery loved this concept and I was given the green light to get started, which was great! I left the meeting feeling so excited – I just needed to get the money to start – not as easy as it sounds. Getting one person onside was easy, even all the Senior Midwifery Team onside was one thing, but getting the staff onside was another, this was the hardest part of the whole project. Initially, staff were worried about how this would impact their working day and most importantly their breaks. I often questioned myself about implementing ‘Time for Tea’, but then I thought how valuable this could be for the team and so my answer to ‘should I still be doing this?’ was, YES!
I started to talk to more and more staff groups, and as they started to get on board, this gave me the confidence to continue. When I started the project, I wanted to make sure all areas of the maternity unit would benefit from the ‘Time for Tea’ project. But…. I was under no illusion this could be done without making sure I had input from all the staff that worked within the different areas. They all work differently, who would I have been to say, ‘This is what I want you to do’ and ‘This is how I want you to do it’, I really wanted to work collaboratively together – this enables positive changes.
Finding the money
The maternity department has a funding pot from the Trust’s charitable funds for maternity services. A small part of this has been ring-fenced for staff wellbeing – this was perfect for the project. I applied for all the start-up costs and an amount for sundries – essentials like tea, coffee and snacks. The fund’s manager however, would only give funding for the equipment, not the sundries. This is where another of my lovely colleagues came to the rescue and suggested using an Amazon wish list, this way we can ensure there is a regular order for these.
Team working: The heart of healthcare
Teams work in all areas of healthcare. How can this small QI project be a springboard for the rest of the hospital? I was given some fantastic advice from a midwife I had met through the FNF course. He told me: ‘Knock on the door, you never know what will happen if you do?’
So, this is what I did! I had a meeting with the Chief Nurse and the Wellbeing Lead for the Trust, my Head of Midwifery came too. They said they loved the idea and there was scope to see how it could be expanded into the rest of the hospital, after a pilot in maternity – I was ecstatic.
‘Time for Tea’ started on 8 November 2022. I was able to hear the bell from my office, I would come out to take part and see how well it was working. Seeing people bring cakes and biscuits to share with their teams – it happens on every shift and everyone gets involved. Anecdotal research into work environments has shown there is better teamwork and more productivity when implementing this Fika-style break – two of the aims of this initiative. I could see this first-hand, and the feedback has been extremely positive. This has not only been from staff but has been noticed by women and families that have used these services.
‘Time for Tea’ initiative is a testament to the power of passion, collaboration and a simple cup of tea. The wonderful team have embraced ‘Time for Tea’ wholeheartedly and it continues to be a success to this day.
