Airedale Hospital managers are looking at making themselves more visible in a bid to strengthen their relationships with staff.

It is just one idea put forward in response to the national Francis Report, which was commissioned following the Stafford Hospital scandal, where neglect and abuse led to hundreds of needless patient deaths.

Debating Airedale’s response, director of nursing Rob Dearden said: “As an organisation we have been in a good place and we haven’t been out of kilter with what the Francis Report is recommending. But there is always more we can do.

“One area I’d highlight is ‘visibility and listening’, which is about making our board more visible through walk-arounds, ward visits and talking to staff and patients.

“We should challenge ourselves about how we can get out there and fully represent our organisation.”

He added that board members should be prepared to ask hard, probing questions to uncover any concerns or problems which are not immediately apparent.

He also asked managers to approve a new set of standards designed to ensure patients are treated with dignity and respect.

Mr Dearden said these standards had been very carefully formulated, and needed to be embedded in the foundation trust’s staff recruitment and induction processes.

Ann Wagner, director of strategy and business development, said it was important to recognise that maintaining and improving care quality was about more than just monitoring and inspecting.

She stressed the role of “appreciate inquiry”, where staff are asked to give their thoughts on how the foundation trust can be improved.

Non executive director Anne Gregory said she was concerned that the foundation trust’s response to the Francis Report was too heavily focused on Airedale Hospital itself.

“We’re concentrating on the hospital when many of our services are provided in the community,” she said. “I’d like to see more emphasis on the services we provide elsewhere.”