Purple Bag Scheme

Published: 18th October 2018

An unexpected hospital admission can be stressful and upsetting for a client and any informal carers/family members. As such, communication of needs can be impaired with sometimes vital information being overlooked at such stressful times.

At OCUK, we aim to minimise errors/omissions through the use of our ‘Purple Bag Scheme’. A ready-prepared bag is kept in each client’s home. It contains a supply of essential items, such as toiletries, care and support protocols. It also contains any instructions for specialised care, such as PEG fed or tracheotomy care, medication details, contact details for the COUK Office, next of kin and information about Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) protocol as directed by Health Professionals.

In our latest CQC Inspection of September 2017, Inspectors noted that “People told us the service was responsive to the change in their needs. One person told us that If I need something changing, it just happens here, no fuss, no inquisition.”