NURSES' ideas on improving patients' experiences in hospital are being promoted in a good practice guide.

More than 50 ideas from senior nurses at the University Hospital of North Durham, ranging from simple information leaflets to nurses taking on extra training to undertake junior doctors' work, are being released to colleagues throughout North Durham Health Care NHS Trust in a quarterly good practice report.

Four nurses from the university hospital's medical admissions ward have attended a clinical skills training course, which has provided them with the knowledge and skills to take on some of junior doctors' diagnostic roles, allowing patients to be seen and treated quicker.

A number of developments have also taken place in the hospital's accident and emergency department, including the introduction of new guidelines for assessing patients.

In the Intensive Therapy Unit, information for visitors and a facility for them to provide comments have been introduced.

Steve Mason, chief executive of the trust, said: "Our nurses know exactly what will help improve the experiences of our patients and their families and we are more than happy to develop those ideas into trust policy wherever possible.