Surrey and Sussex Healthcare
NHS Trust
May/June 2017
Inside this issue: A right royal affair Business update SASH opens its new surgery centre Mouthcare Matters with Mili There is newt going on here
A word from Michael Wilson CBE chief executive Welcome to the latest edition of Insight magazine – for everyone at SASH. It is great to see the range of topics in the magazine and I know how much you are enjoying Insight and finding out more about SASH. As we celebrate another new development with the completion of the Surgery Centre, we have features on the centre and also a look at what is involved as we improve and extend our hospital on page 4. Remember to get in touch with the communications team at communications@sash.nhs.uk with suggestions and items to include in the magazine – I look forward to reading them.
A word from: Michael Wilson CBE, chief executive Contents
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Business Insight
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New Surgery Centre opens Building work going on
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Mouthcare Matters with Mili
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There is newt new here...
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A right royal affair SASH supports carers
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Whats happening at Crawley and East Surrey hospital libraries Ideas to innovation
Best wishes
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Michael Wilson CBE Chief executive The next TeamTalk events will take place on Thursday 13 July, 11-12pm, lecture theatre, PGEC, East Surrey Hospital and on Tuesday 18 July 8-9am, lecture theatre, Crawley Hospital. View the TeamTalk schedule on Intranet.
If you have a story for Insight please let the communications team know at communications.sash.nhs.uk or x2633
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News in brief: For more information about Catherine Sharpe, freedom to speak up guardian, and raising concerns visit the Intranet or email: raising.concerns@sash.nhs.uk
Staff Friends and Family Test
Thank you to everyone who took part in the recent Staff Friends and Family Test. We had a 12% response rate to the survey that also asked two questions about support and development. The outcomes of the survey will be used to help map and develop talent.
Whether you are a permanent employee, an agency or temporary staff member, a volunteer or a trainee please familiarise yourself with the whistleblowing policy for raising of serious concerns and speak up when you feel something is not right. We want you to speak out safely and confidently.
Raising concerns
At SASH we take raising concerns very seriously and understand the importance and the need to provide effective channels for staff to raise concerns. We are committed to supporting all members of staff who are worried about an issue or risk which affects them or others and encourage staff to speak up without fear of repercussion or reprisal. This includes areas of poor clinical practice, attitudes or inappropriate behaviour within our organisation.
Are you a carer? Do you look after someone who could not manage without your help? We are looking into whether any of our staff who also have an unpaid caring role outside of work would be interested in attending a carers’ support group at East Surrey Hospital.
In line with our whistleblowing policy for raising serious concerns, we want to encourage openness and transparency and we will ensure there is no negative comeback for individuals who have acted genuinely in raising concerns that may compromise patient safety or care.
Interested? Please let us know the issues that are concerning you and what help and advice you would find helpful. All contact is confidential.
The Trust Board and senior leadership team understand the need to work towards creating a more open and transparent culture and promises that where concerns are raised, these will be investigated thoroughly.
For further information and questions please contact Sally Harper, patient experience facilitator at sally.harper@sash.nhs.uk or x6289
Staff can report their concerns to: • • • •
Their line manager Their professional lead Staffside or other union representatives Freedom to Speak Up Guardian
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New Surgery Centre opens This facility will allow us to increase the amount of this type of surgery we do on the East Surrey site. Mr Alan James, clinical lead general surgery breast and vascular, said: “This is an excellent new facility and will help us streamline our day surgery service.” Ian Mackenzie, director of information and facilities said: “The new £1.7 million pound surgery centre used to be some of the hospital’s management offices. It has taken six months to strip out these offices and build the new Surgery Centre.”
A brand new Surgery Centre has opened above the East entrance at East Surrey Hospital. Michael Wilson CBE, chief executive, said: “This new unit continues our development of our hospital to meet growing needs of local people.”
The new state of the art Centre has two procedure rooms, three consultation rooms, recovery and trolley and waiting areas.
The Centre, which officially opened on 26 June, is a dedicated area for patients who need day case or short stay surgery.
Pictured above left: Ian Mackenzie and Mr Alan James
Building work going on... In addition to these major schemes a wide range of smaller schemes are underway. This includes, outpatients where clinic rooms are being updated and refurbished. Holmwood Ward which is having an extensive refurishment. The bereavement office and security office are being swapped around so that the bereavement office is directly accessible from the East Entrance.
You will probably have noticed work taking place outside A&E to provide a remodeled ambulance parking area. This will include a new canopy which will provide better shelter for the ambulance parking area. We are also extending the A&E building to provide a primary care streaming area, this will be completed in October.
Pictured above and left: Work in progress outside of A&E
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Mouthcare Matters with Mili Did you know? One in four adults admit they don’t brush their teeth twice a day, including a third of men. One in three people have never flossed their teeth. Nearly half the population are unhappy with their teeth (48%) with discoloured teeth (64%) the main reason for being unhappy. Mili Doshi, consultant in special care dentistry, shares her insight about Mouthcare Matters and National Smile Month, a UK campaign to promote good oral health.
A smile is top of the list of things we first notice when meeting a new person. Brushing only once a day means your 33% more likely to develop tooth decay.
Mili said: “Over the last few years the Mouth Care Matters (MCM) initiative at SASH has worked hard on improving the oral health for our inpatients but we also want to remind staff to focus on their oral health.
Your dentist will carry out a visual mouth cancer check during your regular check-up.
“We recommend that everyone brushes their teeth last thing at night and on at least one other occasion with a fluoride toothpaste. Cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks and visit your dentist regularly or as often as they recommend.
Top tips for good oral health… Chew sugar-free gum after eating or drinking, especially sugary foods, to help protect your teeth and gums in between meals.
“It is also important to regularly visit a dentist. The NHS Choices website can help you find a local NHS dentist but a good tip is asking family and friends for a recommendation.
Wait an hour after eating or drinking anything before brushing as then enamel will be softened and you could be brushing away tiny particles.
“I always advise people to tell your dentist if you are nervous about treatment as there are ways in which they can help.
Quit smoking to help reduce the chances of tooth staining; gum disease; tooth loss and in more severe cases, mouth cancer.
Please contact the Mouthcare matters team at dentalmaxillofacial.sash@nhs.net for any MCM questions or advice.
Make sure your toothpaste contains fluoride; it helps strengthen tooth enamel.
Pictured above left: The Mouthcare Matters team, l-r Mili Doshi, Lorraine Lee, Katie Blake, Jessica Mann and Jenny Chay
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There is newt new here... return to the water around March to breed, moving back to the land after a couple of months. Newts need water to lay their eggs in and for their larvae to develop. The newts’ territories often consist of groups of ponds - inevitably as we build more houses and indulge in more intensive farming we are destroying the newts’ habitat.
The great crested newt at East Surrey Hospital – something else special about SASH
Britain is something of a stronghold for the great crested newt and the newts and their eggs, breeding sites and resting places are protected by the powers applied through the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act, and also parts of other laws. When a site with newts around is being developed, as happened with our theatre build, you have to get a licence from Natural England, carry out ecological surveys and mitigate the damage done to the newts’ home.
Paul Simpson, chief finance officer, gives us an insight into the world of our SASH newts. Unusually, as some of you may recall, one of the practical things we had to deal with when we were completing the upgrading and extension of our operating theatres was what to do about the newts living in a pond behind the hospital. We had to fill in part of the longestablished pond behind Brickfield House and cardiology to complete the theatre complex. That meant disturbing the resident great crested newts, a protected species. So, we had to build them a new home.
With our build, Natural England dealt with the process in a very practical and objective way. However, other things unconnected to the newts affecting the build timetable and the fact that we could not disturb the hibernating newts in winter meant there was a bit of a delay to the theatre build. Nevertheless, we did the right thing and the mitigation was to build a new pond, which is the one behind the Sunshine Day Nursery. With much of the old pond still there, the newts now have two ponds to choose from and we have a state of the art theatre complex. Another example of how SASH works with its local community, in this case amphibians, as well as our patients and local people.
The great crested newt (aka: crested, northern crested or warty newt) is a large and impressive creature, easily distinguished from its smaller British cousins the smooth newt and the palmate newt. It is black and warty (with a sprinkling of fetching white speckles) and has a vivid orange belly irregularly spotted with black. In the breeding season the male sports an ostentatious jagged crest along its back, hence its common name. Found throughout Europe, populations of great crested newts have declined and continue to decline. The main cause is people and development.
Pictured above left: Great Crested newt, right newts from the pond at East Surrey Hospital
Hibernating on land, great crested newts
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A right royal affair
In April, Denise Newman, divisional risk manager and deputy head of midwifery received an invite to the Queens Garden Party on 16 May. Denise, who has worked for the NHS since 1979, was invited in honour of her many years of service in the NHS. Denise said: ”I was really surprised and honoured to receive the invitation.”
and military uniforms. People were milling around talking and having tea, sandwiches and cake.
“On the day of the garden party, It was a strange feeling to see all the tourists gathered outside the palace and I was so excited to be one of the people going in.
“There was a procession of the Yeomen of the Guards then the Queen accompanied by Prince Phillip and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge came out and made their way through the crowd towards their marquee.
“On arrival, after security, we went through the courtyard, through the palace and out to the garden, the palace was amazing and very ornate. In the gardens there were marquees and bands playing and hundreds of people dressed in their finery, some in national dress
“We walked around the gardens, which were beautiful. It was a wonderful experience and I feel very privileged to have been there.”
SASH supports carers ‘A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend, neighbour or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support’ Carers Trust. A carer can be any age and carers come from all backgrounds and cultures.
Pictured above: Carers event organisers Christine Turner, Macmillan specialist nurse for breast, Sally Harper, patient experience facilitator and Liz Darragh, Macmillan senior breast clinical nurse specialist
Carers play a vital role in delivering the best possible care to our patients, they also have needs and rights of their own. Being carer aware does not need to involve extra work but it can make a big difference to both patients and their carers. The patient experience team are working hard to raise awareness of carers and how we can value, involve and support them.
across the organisation to refer carers to either West Sussex Carers Support or Action for Carers Surrey, either of whom can help carers navigate through what can be a confusing system to better understand what is available for them. We also recently held our fourth annual carers event for members of the public and staff to attend, which was well attended by staff, patients and their carers.
We offer a carers’ passport which allows discounted, multi-entry parking, discounts on food made on-site at the Three Arches restaurant and drinks during ward refreshment rounds. We encourage staff
For more information please contact Cathy White x6140 or Sally Harper x6289
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Books now available for leisure reading
Ideas to Innovation The Ideas to Innovation portal was launched two years ago as a dedicated place for everyone at SASH to their share suggestions and ideas for improvements.
The libraries at East Surrey and Crawley Hospitals have a collection of books from the their local public library service. The books aim to support literacy and wellbeing; titles are swapped every three months and are for the use of staff and students working locally in the NHS. If you want to borrow from these collections you need to be a member of the hospital library.
All ideas that are shared on the portal are considered in the belief that capturing, sharing and putting these ideas into action will lead to improved quality and patient satisfaction. A big thank you to all those staff who have logged on to share ideas or join in with the conversation.
At East Surrey their are a range of thrillers, crime novels, and classic novels. The books are selected by the public library staff and we provide feedback to the library on what titles are popular. Their are also biographies and travel books so why not visit and see what we have. At Crawley Hospital library as well as some fiction you can find books on crafts, photography, travel, walking and art.
The next step is to use the portal to invite you to help identify solutions and innovations in how we transform our services to meet the needs of our public. There is a new page on the portal where we will record the challenges that we are seeking your insight into. No idea is too small, please share your ideas with us.
If you enjoy fiction there is a reading group for staff which meets on a Tuesday lunchtime every six weeks.
Your ideas: The management and support of those people who live with addiction is the first challenge that we are seeking to improve. The physical effects of alcohol misuse and smoking are common and result in frequent attendance to hospital.
Interested in joining in? contact us at: library.esh@sash.nhs.uk Come along and choose a book to enjoy this summer.
The same is true for other addictions. Addiction is hard to treat and equally not always supported by a single system wide approach, where different agencies see small parts of an overall pathway. We now need your help, your insights and your ideas on how we can shape and adapt our services to meet this challenge.
Take part in the 2017 Library Survey The library team value your feedback so please let them know what you think about the library service at East Surrey Hospital and/or Crawley Hospital by completing the library survey.
You can join the conversation on the main page of the portal in the section called ‘Help us with’.
Print copies are in both libraries or complete the survey online http://tinyurl.com/ycs8ea6h
Produced by the communications team
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