Background Schwartz Centre Rounds (SCR) offer healthcare providers a protected time to talk openly and honestly about situations in their work that challenge them on a human level. Evidence suggests that SCR’s strengthen team working and are valuable to the healthcare providers which translates to the care they offer their patients¹.

In 2012, Princess Alice Hospice was one of the first hospices in the UK to adopt SCR’s and opened the rounds to both clinical and non-clinical staff and volunteers. Presenters have included nurses, doctors, housekeeping staff, healthcare assistants, trustees and volunteers.

Aim To explore in detail the experience of multidisciplinary staff and volunteers of SCR’s in a UK hospice after one year.

Methods A mixed method approach triangulating quantitative evaluation data from the first year and qualitative data from 3 focus groups (presenters, attendees and non-attendees). Categorical indexing was generated from the topic guide themes and sub-categories generated within the identified key themes².

Results Over the year SCR’s have had a mean attendance of 46 people (range 37-57). They are consistently well evaluated with 90.5% gaining knowledge helpful in their work, 98.2% gaining insight into how others think/feel in caring for patients and 85.1% feeling the SCR will help them work better with colleagues. Twenty six people attended three focus groups. Each group was representative of clinical and non-clinical staff as well as volunteers. General themes: values and challenges of an inclusive multidisciplinary SCR; appreciating the roles and experience of others; time and commitments; dissonance between the personal and professional self; safety versus exposure; and communicating about Schwartz in a UK Hospice.

Conclusion Overall, SCR’s are well valued at Princess Alice Hospice influencing individuals in their everyday work and working relationships. Issues around communication, format and representation have been taken forward to further develop SCR’s at the Hospice.