Ambassador Magazine: September 2023

ambassador

Public Membership Magazine – September 2023

Robotic Assisted Surgery underway at our hospitals

Inside this issue

New triage space opens in Cygnet Wing at Bedford Hospital

Complete bowel cancer screening home test kit

Redevelopment Update

NHS75 Photo Competition

New patient wheelchairs at the L&D Staff summer engagement events

Highest point reached for the new acute services block and ward block

Governor spotlight

Next Medical Lecture – Hearing Loss and Tinnitus

Next Annual Members’ Meeting

Bedfordshire Hospitals carries out first total jaw replacement in East of England

welcome to ambassador

Ambassador is our way of communicating with you, our Trust members. We want to ensure that we keep you up to date with developments at the Trust and how you can get involved. We now have more than 26,000 members and we are keen for as many of you as possible to play an active role in shaping how the Trust is managed and developed for the future.

Contents

3. Chair ’s Message

4. Impact of COVID-19 and Recovery Plan – update

5. Robotic Assisted Surgery now underway

7. NHS care – a family’s story

8. Bowel cancer screening, home test kit encouraged

9. Redevelopment Update

10. Emergency Department upgrades at the L&D

11. Community diagnostic centre opens

12. NHS75 Photo Competition

14. Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity update

15. New patient wheelchairs at the L&D

16. Therapy dogs at the Trust

17. Caroline giving back to staff who saved her life

18. Staff summer engagement events

Dear Members

A warm welcome to the summer edition of ‘Ambassador’, the first since the appointment of our new Chair Richard Sumray, who has been in post since April. His message to members is on page 3. We bid farewell to outgoing Chair Simon Linnett and I would like to express enormous thanks to him for his tireless work for the Trust. We also say goodbye to outgoing Non-Executive Director (NED) Steve Hone, and welcome to Yasmin Mahmood and David Harrison, newly appointed NEDs.

The Redevelopment programme (page 9) continues at pace with the ‘topping out’ ceremony of the new Acute Services Block and the upgrades to the Emergency Department, both on the L&D site. Cygnet Wing at Bedford has seen improvements, more on this on page 6. Both Emergency Departments now have functioning CT scanners which will improve patient care enormously. Robotic assisted surgery may sound like science fiction - but it is happening right now on both sites- do read the article on page 5!

20. Governor Spotlight

21. Medical Lecture / Diary Date

22. Next Annual Members’ Meeting / Next Roadshow

23. Bedfordshire Hospitals carries out first total jaw replacement in East of England

24. Job advert for Associate Non-Executive Director post

We hope you enjoy our Membership Magazine. If we have your name or address incorrect or the person to whom we have sent this magazine no longer lives at the address mentioned in the address label please let us know by emailing us at FTMembership@bedsft.nhs.uk

If you have already informed the hospital of any changes but we have not updated our Membership database please accept our apologies – this is because our Membership database is not linked to the Patient database.

Can I draw your attention to the special articles written by patients on pages 7-8, and to the spotlight on some of our staff on pages 12-13, with a special mention to our canine therapists on page 16.

Our hospital’s Charity remains very busy and if you can help with the current appeals, please see page 14. The summer staff engagement events, which coincided with the 75th birthday of the NHS, were well attended on both sites with the theme of ‘Everybody plays their part’.

Dates for your diary: The Annual Members Meeting will be held on 27 September, and ‘Hearing loss and Tinnitus’, two common conditions, will be addressed at our next Medical Lecture on 10 October. Both events will be hosted at the Rufus Centre in Flitwick, more information on pages 21-22. You are welcome to bring non-members along, just please RSVP and let us know!

Dr Jacquie Farhoud

Public Governor and Chair of the Membership & Communications Committee

If you would like to receive an electronic copy of the Ambassador in the future please send your email address to FTMembership@bedsft.nhs.uk

Contact us:

The Foundation Trust Membership Department Email: FTMembership@bedsft.nhs.uk

Post: Membership Dept – Nova House, Luton & Dunstable University Hospital, Lewsey Road, Luton LU4 0DZ

Governors can be contacted by email at Governors@bedsft.nhs.uk or write to the Membership Department as above.

by the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Membership Department

Chair’s Message

Dear Members

I would, first of all, like to pay tribute to my predecessor, Simon Linnett, for his total commitment to our hospitals, the governors and members. He achieved a great deal in his years here, guiding the merger, helping us through the ravages of COVID and, perhaps, most of all being instrumental in obtaining the money to proceed with the current new developments.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first few months as Chair, working alongside my fellow nonexecutive and executive Board members and governors. I have been very impressed by the staff I have met during the various visits I have made around both hospitals. Despite some of the difficulties many are encountering in their working conditions, they always try to do their best for our patients in whatever capacity they work. We are lucky to have them.I have appreciated my one-to-one meetings that I have held with nearly all the governors now. They have a mixture of skills to offer as well as, in a significant number of cases many years of association with one or other of our hospitals.

I have made some changes during these months. One is to establish a rota of non-executive directors to report to the governors on what they have been doing in their various roles and what the key issues are for them. This will enable the governors to better appraise the performance of the non-executives. It is one of their most important responsibilities. Another that is in progress is to shorten Board and committee papers so that they focus on the most important points with analyses and proposals for change where appropriate. Regular visits around the hospitals by a combination of a governor, an executive and a non-executive are also in the process of being implemented.

I am aware that our Board does not reflect well enough the communities that make up Bedfordshire. Consequently, the governors agreed that we would seek to appoint two associate nonexecutives who can help redress the balance and learn, if they do not already know, the skills necessary to become full Board members. We do need to do more as a Trust to work more closely with our communities and that will be a focus in the period ahead.

We are now working within what is called an integrated care system that has a Board, of which David Carter is a member. I believe it is very important that we work closely with the integrated care board, and I have regular meetings with its Chair. The next step is a board to board in October to get to know each other better and to discuss some of important strategic issues. We shall also work more closely with other trusts, primary care, local authorities and the voluntary sector, much of this through the Bedfordshire Care Alliance.

The last few months have not been easy for the NHS with the junior doctors’ and consultants’ strikes taking place regularly. They have put an immense strain on our staff, and everybody is doing their best to keep our patients safe. This has halted progress in reducing waiting lists and meeting our targets following the COVID years. It is frustrating but the issues have to be resolved nationally.

Our last medical lecture on long COVID was well attended and I look forward to seeing many of you at the next medical lecture and Annual Member’s Meeting – for details please see pages 21 and 22.

Kind regards

Richard Sumray

Farewell to Chair Simon Linnett and Steve Hone, Non-Executive Director

It is with great sadness that we said goodbye to Chair Simon Linnett in March.During his eight years as Chair, he took immense pride in what has been achieved by all – good CQC ratings, a successful merger and all the new funding to further develop our hospitals for both staff and patients.

We also said goodbye to Steve Hone, Non-Executive

Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. Steve joined Bedford Hospital in October 2017 and was appointed to the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Board on merger in April 2020. He supported us with knowledge and organisational memory of Bedford Hospital to develop the strategic direction of the newly merged Trust. We thank him for his contribution of five and a half years..

New appointments

We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new non-executive directors (NED), David Harrison and Yasmin Mahmood.

David has been a resident of Bedford Borough for almost 40 years, and now lives in Biddenham. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, David worked in the public sector as a senior civil servant (with both the Department of Health and HM Treasury), in the private sector (in investment banking and consultancy) and in the third sector (with charities and social enterprises).

David has considerable NED experience. He spent a combined 11 years as a NED, and then chair, of a medium size community health and primary care services social enterprise in Essex. He also has

a well-developed interest in integrated care, both nationally and internationally, and is currently NED and Treasurer of the International Foundation for Integrated Care.

Yasmin brings a strong voice to the board in her work and experience gained in the equality and diversity sector. She has worked in a number of high profile roles including that of Senior Equality Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Programme Manager and worked across a number of large health care organisations supporting the equality, diversity and inclusion strategy to drive improvement for patient outcomes and to strengthen accountability.

Impact of COVID-19 and the Recovery Plan –update

In our previous edition of Ambassador we reported a mixed position regarding the Trust’s ongoing aspiration to return to pre-pandemic levels of activity, waiting times and waiting list sizes for planned care.The situation as we near the end of the summer remains much the same.

The Trust has delivered 13 successive months of good performance against 104 week waits, with no-one waiting longer than two years for treatment at the end of any month. In addition to this, we are forecasting that we will meet the target of no 78 week waits at the end of August 2023. This is testament to the hard work of all our Clinical Service Lines, and the many different teams across the Trust that support them in delivering services.

Of course, compared to pre-pandemic levels, many people wait much longer than anyone would want, and we apologise for any difficulties that this is causing. We will continue to prioritise procedures according to clinical need so that patients are kept safe, and wait as little time as possible.

The total overall number of inpatients and outpatients who are waiting for a first treatment is just over 94,000 - up around 8,000 since the

By David Carter, Chief Executive and Cathy Jones, Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Chief Executive

beginning of the year - 12,000 of whom are on an inpatient list. The average amount of time waiting to be treated or discharged from an inpatient list is running at around 23.5 weeks (compared to 20 weeks a year ago), while for outpatients it is running at around 19.5 weeks (compared to 18.5 weeks in January 2023).

Looking ahead, we will be working hard to ensure no-one is having to wait longer than 65 weeks by the end of the March 2024, but the on-going industrial action may make this difficult.

With plans in place to support the administrative teams who manage the waiting lists, improve diagnostic waiting times and focus on greater efficiency in both outpatient and theatre settings, the Trust is setting its sights on mitigating these risks as much as possible.

Robotic Assisted Surgery now underway at Bedfordshire Hospitals

Bedfordshire Hospitals has embraced the latest in Robotic Assisted Surgery with the arrival of two da Vinci Xi robots, one at Bedford Hospital and one at Luton & Dunstable University Hospital (L&D), which will bring considerable benefits for both patients and staff.

said: “I would like to thank the whole team for their hard work in getting this programme off the ground in a relatively short space of time. It really is an immense achievement!” Robotic assisted surgery enables us to perform complex procedures with enhanced precision, dexterity and control. This translates to optimised surgical outcomes for our patients.”

Unlike in many other hospitals in the UK, the two robots will be used across a variety of different specialties, treating patients with conditions ranging from bowel and renal cancer to endometriosis, gynaecology, bariatric and biliary surgery, and complex head and neck conditions.

Benefits for patients include reduced post-operative pain, a faster recovery leading to a shorter stay in hospital, and improved quality of life after surgery.

Colorectal surgeon Mrs Katharine Bevan, was the first to carry out a robotic assisted procedure at Bedford Hospital - on 17 April. She said “This is the beginning of a new era of surgery at Bedfordshire Hospitals and we are tremendously excited to have introduced this new technology and improve the care of our patients.

The first procedure at the L&D was performed on 2 May by Colorectal Surgeon Mr Firas Younis. He

David Carter added: “This is fantastic news for our patients, and will future proof our surgical services - the commitment to innovation, and the training, education and research it brings, will help us retain and attract high calibre staff.”

He added: “We are incredibly grateful to Bedford Hospital Charity and Friends for their energy, enthusiasm and support with spearheading this project at Bedford Hospital, having contributed £900,000 to the cost of the robot which is phenomenal. Our huge thanks also go to Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity which has raised money for the console element of the robot at the L&D.”

Four weeks after her operation, Mrs Bevan’s first patient, 38 year old Kelly Rose, has been back to theatres – but only to see the robot and meet some of the staff who had been involved in her care!

Following her surgery for rectal cancer, she said: “When I found out I was actually the first patient to undergo robotic assisted surgery at Bedfordshire Hospitals I was so excited – it really is an amazing thing. I am so grateful to Mrs Bevan and the whole team. I am now cancer free. They saved my life.”

On 17 April Mrs Katharine Bevan and her team carried out the first patient case at Bedford Hospital Mrs Bevan’s patient, Kelly Rose, visited theatres to see the robot and meet staff four weeks after her operation. She is pictured (2nd left) with Mrs Katharine Bevan (left), Theatre Nurse Natasha Lynch and Nimisha Pulickal, Senior Nurse Practitioner

Mr Firas Younis, General Surgeon (5th from right), celebrating with the team after the first patient case at the L&D on 2 May.)

The da Vinci system –how does it work?

The robots have four mechanical arms and a surgical instrument attached to each arm, controlled by a surgeon seated at a computer console near the operating table.

The console gives the surgeon a magnified high-definition, 3D view of the area, so they can perform complex procedures with more precision, flexibility and control than conventional techniques. The tiny wristed instruments move like a human hand, but with a greater range of motion, allowing surgeons to perform a variety of different procedures, while only making a few small incisions.

Mr Montasser Mahran, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, has now carried out a number of robotic assisted surgeries, and said: “This will be particularly beneficial for our patients

who have a high BMI or for patients with lung problems. “It provides highly skilled surgery with a reduced risk of complication as the 3D viewing gives an improved depth perception, limitation of tremor, potential for greater precision and discrimination of tissues.”

The new robotic systems will be used in General Surgery – Colorectal, Upper GI and Bariatrics – Gynaecology, Urology, ENT and OMFS. Our regional Bariatric specialist team have just become one of only three centres in the UK using surgical robots.

All surgeons and their teams go through a comprehensive training course before carrying out robotic assisted surgery with patients. The robot technology and training has been supplied by Intuitive Surgical.

New triage space opens in Cygnet Wing at Bedford Hospital

A bright new triage space and reception for Delivery Suite was officially opened in the Cygnet Wing at Bedford Hospital in May.

The area has been specifically designed to provide the ideal environment for expectant mothers, birthing people and their families at the time when they need monitoring and reassurance. There is also a brand new, fit for purpose reception desk and working space and kitchen area for the team.

A collaborative approach was held on the design of this project, with input from maternity colleagues, the Trust Capital Projects team and service user input, facilitated by the Bedford Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP).

David Carter, CEO, Richard Sumray, Trust Chair and a number of maternity colleagues to mark this momentous occasion

NHS care – a family’s story

My wife’s and my fate was cast from birth. We now know that our inherited DNA has the ability to affect our lives in such a way, that for every precious moment of our future lives;

Somewhere in the 1950s our DNA is born, but to cut a fascinating tale short, I shall begin with the early morning of my rude awaking in 2008 when my wife informed me that she was in excruciating pain, and requested me to drive her straight to Bedford’s A & E south wing hospital. I did as I was told, and while she explained her condition to the examining doctor, which left me miffed, as I hadn’t a clue of what she was talking about. “I’ll explain later dear” she said.

Knocking on death’s door

It transpired that our GP had organised some tests for my wife a few years previously, where she learned that she had a condition known as polycystic kidney disease an inherited condition. She hadn’t informed me until now because she didn’t wish to worry me. My wife at this moment was surviving only because of the intravenous antibiotics. She now urgently needed her gall bladder removed which was problematically entwined with her cyst laden liver, therefore due to her liver condition this had to be done using the specialist skills at Addenbrooke’s hospital. And so we were put under the care of a wonderful consultant there.

I learned that this condition is due to a faulty pesky Gene inherited; in my wife’s case from her father (we have learned this fact since). Apparently, as we age, cells in our soft tissue organs die; and renew themselves. But with this faulty Gene the re-new process goes wrong and instead cysts are formed. It turns out that my wife has a fast deteriorating kidney function; also her liver was similarly affected. With kidney failure being imminent, a fistula was fitted at Lister Hospital (Stevenage) in her arm in readiness for kidney dialysis. (never used).

This new knowledge brings heavy responsibilities with must dos and donts.

Armed with this knowledge, we had the dreadful task of informing our three daughters, to see if they have inherited this condition. After investigation it was found that two of our

children do indeed have the kidney form of the disease; which is found to have more severe consequences in females compared to males. We learned later that my wife’s sister, two step sisters and her father passed away with this condition. This was a closely guarded family secret, which was called kidney cancer wrongly. There must have been some shame associated with this condition.

I’d heard of kidney transplants, but I never thought that I would become a kidney donor. Scary or what! As soon as I found out such a thing was possible, I volunteered to donate a kidney to my beloved wife.

After a lot of testing, I was able to donate my kidney at Addenbrooke’s hospital, in 2015. On the transplant ward we witnessed the magnificent life extending work of the transplant teams.

A transplant operation is not the end of the journey - as the chemical warfare has to continue with the scientists regulating the medication to avoid organ rejection, and infection, including a strict exercise and a dietary regime. The serious side effects of medication have to be managed with care, like skin cancer and bowel movements. As for myself I have needed Bedford hospital services again, when I developed stomach ulcers where my gall bladder had to be removed.

My wife often helps by being a volunteer patient with Lister Hospital, for doctor training and examinations and helps with Covid vaccinations trials for the vulnerable at Addenbrooke’s hospital. She is also takes part in knit and natter groups where they make baby blankets for charity and warm hats for the needy. They also skilfully make figurines on themes for St Pauls Christmas tree celebrations.

We have donated sums of money to each of the three hospitals involved in our care. We are members of Bedford Hospitals Charity and Friends, helping to raise funds for Bedford Hospital projects. We continue to change the way we live, to reduce pollution in all its forms, after our daily chores; we seek a little joy; which is only possible because of the hard working people within our nation, that provide the heaven sent services of our NHS

Surrounded by miracles. This is our ongoing journey through life where we learn that the words 'Thank You' are so inadequate.

Patient encourages public to complete bowel cancer screening home test kit after lifesaving operation

The faecal immunochemical test (FIT) kit is an NHS bowel cancer screening home test kit to help prevent bowel cancer or find it at an early stage, when it’s easier to treat. It is sent every two years to individuals aged 60 to 74.

Stephen Sweetlove MBE had received several routine screening FIT kits in the post, but was too embarrassed to take a stool sample.

He said: “I am certain if I had taken the samples and posted them back, the bowel cancer would have been found at an early stage and treated straight away without any complications.

“I started to get symptoms of bowel cancer, but they seemed like things that I could explain away. I didn’t go to my GP because I didn’t want to burden the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.”

In April 2022, Mr Sweetlove felt unwell and hadn’t been to the toilet for several days, so he booked an appointment with his GP. He was prescribed medication and told if it got worse to call 111.

He continued: “I took the medication and all it did was make me vomit. This was the first time I realised I was ill. I had sudden strong pains in my stomach area, I was bloated and being sick.

“I rang 111 and they instructed me to go to A&E. 11 hours later I was in theatre having a lifesaving operation and I woke up in intensive care, lucky to still be alive.

“After the operation I underwent eight months of chemotherapy and now, 14 months later, I am about to have another operation to reverse my stoma.

“A big thank you to all the doctors, nurses and staff who saw me through the two weeks I had in hospital, and those who helped through the chemotherapy treatment.”

Mr Sweetlove is now raising awareness of the FIT kit and encouraging people to send off their stool sample.

He said: “Don’t be embarrassed to take samples of your poo, send it through the post and talk to your doctor. The sooner you act, the sooner you can be treated and the more chance you have of a complete recovery.”

For more information on bowel cancer screening, visit:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-cancer-screening/

A Bedford Hospital patient is urging the public not to ignore the NHS bowel cancer screening home test kit after being rushed into an emergency operation to remove a large cancerous tumour from his bowel.

Redevelopment Update

Acute Services Block and New Ward Block at the L&D

Back in May, a topping out ceremony was held to mark the highest point reached for the new acute services block and ward block.

Staff from Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Kier Construction Group, and local key partners were joined by Andrew Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire, to celebrate this important milestone.

Pictured from left

Andrew Selous MP, Richard Sumray Chair of Bedfordshire Hospitals, David Carter, Chief Executive of Bedfordshire Hospitals, Melanie Banks, Director of Redevelopment and Strategic Planning at Bedfordshire Hospitals and Andrew Davies Chief Executive of Kier Group, signing the final piece of steel.

Work on the acute services block and new ward block started in January 2022, with an enormous amount of progress made to reach the highest point of the five-storey buildings.

Once complete at the end of 2024, the £150m buildings will provide modern and enhanced facilities for maternity, neonatology, critical care and theatre services.

Maternity - providing increased theatre capacity to support higher risk women, as well as a dedicated and standalone bereavement suite.

Neonatal - providing additional cots for our sickest babies and new rooming-in facilities for families to gain additional support before they go home.

Critical care - accommodating patients requiring an increased level of care and additional capacity meaning patients will be cared for in one location.

Theatres - eight new operating theatres to provide additional capacity, allowing old theatres to be re-purposed. The theatres will feature two hybrid theatres, capable of delivering interventional and specialist services.

Dr Glyn Harrison, Clinical Director for Theatres at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital said: “It’s incredible to see how well the acute services block and new ward block is coming along, and this highlights an exciting step in our journey to

providing the very best care to patients in the very best environment.”

Plans for the rest of the year include removal of one of the tower cranes, completion of the roofs, starting on the removal of scaffold wrapping as well as the start of the internal fit out works from the ground floor working upwards.

to right:

External shot of acute service block construction progress

Internal shot of progress in the acute services block progress

Redevelopment Update...

Energy Centre at the L&D

The Energy Centre will deliver combined heat and power to the hospital estate and delivers a substantial reduction in energy consumption, supporting the Trust’s drive to Net Zero Carbon.

The Energy Centre building and landscaping around it is now complete and work is now underway to connect the Energy Centre to the whole hospital site, to ensure we have improved resilience. This will also support plans and developments for the future.

Main entrance upgrades at the L&D

The front of the hospital site on Lewsey Road has been transformed to create a new bright, modern and welcoming entrance for staff, patients and visitors.

Within the main entrance we also have two new retail outlets.

The Market is a place for staff, patients and visitors to grab sandwiches, snacks and drinks. There is also a range of personal and electrical items, magazines, newspapers and stationary items.

Costa Coffee located slightly further down the entrance opens at the beginning of September, As well as a fantastic range of hot and cold drinks, the new Costa Coffee will sell a range of M&S food products.

Emergency Department upgrades at the L&D

Many patients are now being treated in a brand new area of the Emergency Department (ED) at the L&D.

This includes a brand new entrance and waiting area, a dedicated paediatric area and nine new Major cubicles. A CT scanning facility in the department has also opened and is having a positive impact on patient journeys and care.

The bright, modern and spacious areas make a huge difference to patient dignity and experience when attending ED, and also allow staff to provide outstanding care in the very best environment.

The final phase of works now underway will see the expansion of the department where there will be a further increase in capacity, including assessment and triage rooms and sensitively designed mental health care rooms. This work is due to be complete at the beginning of 2024.

Dr Ahmad Mchaourab, Consultant for Emergency Medicine and Redevelopment Lead at the L&D said: “Seeing the major improvements and refurbishments in the department over the last few months has been incredible. This work has allowed our staff to provide the best care for our patients in what can be their greatest time of need.”

Paediatrics treatment area

New waiting area for paediatric patients

New cubicle treatment bay

External shot of Energy Centre fully built

New main entrance and Emergency Department entrance

New CT Scanners for our Emergency Departments

Thanks to generous donations, both hospital Emergency Departments now have operational CT scanners that will help us centralise care for patients coming to the departments, and minimise the need for them to travel across the site.

A huge thank you to

Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends and Bedfordshire Charitable Trust who have funded the £2.6m CT scanner at Bedford, and for the generous donation in memory of Clifton Ibbett OBE. We are pleased to acknowledge this incredible generosity by naming the new CT facility ‘The Clifton Ibbett Suite’. There will be an official opening later this year and we look forward to sharing photos of the event in the next edition of Ambassador.

At the L&D the CT scanner was made possible thanks to a generous donation by a former member of staff, Dr Dhabuwala, through Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity. Dr Dhabulwala originally joined the L&D in 1968 working in the geriatric wards before moving to genitourinary (GU) medicine in 1974 where he worked until his retirement in 2008.

We were delighted to welcome Dr Dhabulwala and his colleagues to the site to officially open the CT scanner, and see the difference this will make.

Thank you to the CT teams at both sites for their hard work in setting up the service and getting it operational as quickly as possible. All of the team have made a supreme effort to help and support each other during a very fast training programme to ensure the scanner was ready to use as soon as available and have adapted quickly to working in a new environment.

Community diagnostic centre at Gilbert Hitchcock House

We have appointed a contractor to begin the exciting project of transforming the Bedford North Wing site into a one-stop shop for primary and secondary care that will improve access to healthcare and diagnostics for our patients in modern facilities, while reducing the pressure on our hospital sites.

We are creating a community diagnostic centre at Gilbert Hitchcock House (a building owned by the Trust) and this will deliver therapy services, phlebotomy, and a number of diagnostic services including MRI, CT, ultrasound, x-ray and cardiology, amongst others. The new facilities will allow patients to access planned diagnostic care nearer to home without the need to attend our hospital sites, taking some pressure off our acute hospitals and allowing us to focus resources on the emergency cases coming through our doors. The project will also deliver a primary care hub in

the Enhanced Services Centre (ESC) which will see the co-location of the De Parys GP practices and a number of community services that we hope will ensure patients have improved access to highquality primary care services.

Our enabling works are ongoing in Rye Close to support the move of Moorfields eye services to the South Wing Site at Bedford Hospital from the ESC. We hope to complete this project by spring 2025.

New CT scanner in Bedford Hospital’s Emergency Department

Dr Dhabuwala (seated second from left) alongside his colleagues and members of staff from Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Gilbert-Hitchcock House

NHS75 Photo Competition

As part of the NHS75 celebrations, the Trust entered the NHS75 national photography competition in the ‘Our People’ category.

The photos were based on the ‘best of both sides’ theme, showcasing members of staff both inside and outside of work.

Ann Williams is Deputy Director of Nursing at the L&D

She runs roughly four races every year and has been doing it so long that she’s lost track of the total number, but has dozens of medals from races all over the world.

Ann generally runs 100km in 12 hours, but used to do it in 9. Her favourite runs are the Sahara or Kilimanjaro ultramarathons. Most of the races Ann takes part in are with Action Challenge.

Phill Dickson is POCT Coordinator at Bedford Hospital

He started martial arts in 1992 and Tae Kwon Do in 1994. He has black belts in six separate martial arts, but achieved his first Dan in ITF Tae Kwon Do in 2021 and his second Dan in May 2023. He also won the UK national championships on 13 May 2023.

Phill said: “There is a lot of theory behind Tae Kwon Do. As part of the five tenants, all practitioners are excepted to show courtesy, integrity, selfcontrol, perseverance and an indomitable spirit, both in training and in life in general. My club is also actively involved with various charities and community projects.”

Debbie Green is Assistant Director of Estates & Facilities at Bedfordshire Hospitals

Debbie is the only female owner and driver of a BAC Mono Road Legal track racing car in the world! Previously being a biker, she decided to start racing cars around 6 years ago, and has purchased a range of cars since.

Debbie said: “Owning a BAC Mono and driving to events, whether that be road trips, track days or display events, gets myself and the car a lot of attention.

“People expect a younger man rather than an older woman to get out of the car.”

More recently Debbie has obtained an Ultima road legal racing car to attend events in colder and wet weather. This is similar in performance but has a roof. The intention is to use both cars this year.

Robbie Barrett works as CT Modality Lead at Bedford Hospital

Outside of work, she has been playing the bagpipes for about 10 years. The main pipe band she plays for is the Seaforth Highlanders, but she also plays for Bedford Pipe Band.

As part of her role, she liaises with charities who would like the pipe band to help raise money for their charity, co-ordinating events. She also organises and helps co-ordinate trips for pipe bands who want to play in International Tattoos, such as Berlin, Hamburg, Brussels and Bremen.

Robbie said: “I played for a number of years for the War Widows Association of Great Britain at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Weekends. I also played at the Queen’s 90th birthday parade in London, down the Mall.

“I lost my husband four years ago, and this has really impelled me to work hard at this and try and help people as much as possible.”

Sally Smith is ED Matron at Bedford Hospital

For the last 30 years, she has been volunteer with Bedford Sea Cadets, demonstrating many, if not all the THRIVE values of the Trust.

Sally said: “Sea Cadets welcomes and supports many youngsters from all walks of life and all abilities and strives to ensure all youngsters get opportunities to participate in as many activities as

they want to and have great experiences.

“Cadets learn so much knowledge and many skills in their time with us, many of which are accredited with external bodies. This is great for personal development for both adult volunteers like myself and the youth of today.”

Sama Kailondo is Service Manager for Children’s Services at Bedford Hospital

He has been a British Red Cross Crisis Response Volunteer for more than five years, starting after the Grenfell Tower fire in London. The role involves offering practical and emotional support to affected people during an emergency or crisis.

Bedford Hospital granted provisional approval to run Advanced Trauma Nursing Course

Bedford Hospital has been granted provisional approval by the Royal College of Surgeons of England to run the Advanced Trauma Nursing Course (ATNC) from 2024.

This will be the only hospital in the East of England region to offer this.

The ATNC is a three-day course for registered nurses, paramedics and Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs). It allows individuals to develop the knowledge, skill and attitude necessary to care for trauma patients.

It’s also recognised as appropriate preparation for achieving Level 2 National Major Trauma Nursing Competencies. Level 2 training is a National Standard Requirement for all Trauma Units, of which Bedford Hospital is one.

Paul Tisi, Medical Director for Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“This will allow us to train our own staff from both our hospitals and develop our own training faculty. This is another example of why Bedfordshire Hospitals is an excellent teaching centre.” He continued: “We will be able to improve the quality of nursing knowledge, skill and care given to our trauma patients and improve their journey and experience.”

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity update

You can make a difference: fundraising@ldh.nhs.uk / 01582 718289

We are proud to be working on some incredible appeals, which have a personal meaning to many within the team and we are sure they will mean something to you too –please do get involved and help us create more amazing spaces.

Little Feet Appeal is supporting the maternity unit at the L&D which will be moving to their new home in the Acute Services Block in 2024, and we want to make it the best possible space, where life memories happen, for patients on their pregnancy journey.

Butterfly Project focuses on maternity bereavement supporting anyone experiencing loss who needs that extra special care.

Critical Care Garden Appeal is supporting the ITU and HDU at the L&D with a large outdoor balcony space in the new Acute Services Block that can accommodate critically ill patients in beds and their family members.

You can give back too by; spreading the word, sponsoring a butterfly, making a donation, organising your own event or signing up to one of our events below:

22nd September – Corporate Lunch with Guest Speaker Jason Leonard

5th October - Autumn Quiz Night

7th April – London Landscape half Marathon

We would love to hear how you would like to support us. If you have any questions, please contact the team at fundraising@ldh.nhs.uk or 01582 718289.

You can make a difference:Volunteering

We are now welcoming back a number of returning volunteers in addition to recruiting new ones. As well as our regular volunteers, we have teams supporting both the Charity Shop and our amazing Blossom Project which provides comfort to patients on an end of life pathway and their families. We have therapy dogs and their lovely ‘humans’ providing therapeutic benefits to patients and to many staff too – we all love their visits.

Working with a number of local schools and colleges, the Charity also supports a Student Volunteering programme and Work Experience.

We have a growing number of volunteer opportunities across both sites and so we welcome applications from anyone wishing to volunteer with us. For more information please contact: voluntaryservices@ldh.nhs.uk or voluntaryservices@bedfordhospital.nhs.uk

Appeals update

These are some of the areas we have recently supported: The purchase of an additional monitor for the Theatre Assisted Robot at the L&D. This piece of equipment is cutting edge technology – it allows surgeons to operate making very small incisions which supports patient recovery.

Through local grants we have purchased a Central Monitoring System in the Majors Emergency Department at the L&D. A central monitoring system allows the continual monitoring of up to 12 patients by one nurse.

An individual donor with very strong links to our hospitals donated funds for a CT-Scanner for the Emergency Department at the L&D.

We have also bought 30 Sky Panels for the Children’s Emergency Department, as well as an interactive projector for the waiting room, and several more items that help make the department a less scary place for children, and their parents.

We would like to thank all our supporters who have made donations to our appeals.

Charity Hub

Did you know we have a Charity shop in the Maternity Unit? It’s a fantastic little shop with refreshments to purchase, gifts for loved ones, gifts for staff, an assortment of cards and so much more! We also have a Costa Coffee machine situated outside which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When you’re next in pop along to see what we have to offer and meet some of our wonderful volunteers.

New patient wheelchairs at the L&D

In the Spring a new patient wheelchair pilot scheme was launched at the L&D with 12 brand new wheelchairs located at the bottom of the multi-storey car park on Lewsey Road. Patients can take out a wheelchair using their mobile phone and the wheelchair is free for up to seven hours. You will be asked to put in your contact and card details to use the wheelchair, and return within the timeframe without being charged.

For those who do not want to use their bank card, or who don't have a mobile phone, we will still have green wheelchairs located around the site.

We really hope this makes a difference to our patients and their experience and helps to solve the thorny problem of ensuring that wheelchairs are always available.

If this pilot is successful we will look at rolling it out at other sites.

Celebrating our furvourite therapists across the Trust

Therapy dogs have been making a huge difference in the lives of people all over the world. These furry friends have been specially trained to provide companionship to individuals in public environments, and their impact on people's lives is immeasurable.

We are thrilled to introduce our latest Pet Therapy dog, Logan (Golden Retriever), and owner Julie (left), who visit the L&D every Friday afternoon to engage with patients. Interaction with pets has been shown to help promote an overall sense of well-being for patients, combating feelings of loneliness and stress through the affection they provide, and even helping to reduce physical issues such as pain.

Beanz & Milo (Chihuahuas), and their best friend Cody (Labrador Retriever) have been visiting patients on Harpur, Elizabeth, Russell and Arnold Whitchurch Wards at Bedford, with their owner Sarah, for the past four and a half years. They are all trained and accredited by Therapy Dogs Nationwide and have a calm and happy temperament, ideal for visiting elderly patients who thoroughly enjoy the attention they can give and gain from our four-legged volunteers.

The beneficial impact of the dogs has been noticeable. They bring a smile to patients’ faces, and in some cases patients who have been predominantly non-verbal due to their dementia have spoken to the dogs whilst stroking and engaging with them. The physical interactions also appear to induce calmness, even with some of our more agitated patients.

Ward staff look forward to their visits just as much as our patients, and absolutely love having them on-site. We can't wait to see the positive impact Logan, Milo, Beanz and Cody continue to make, and we're excited to see them spread joy and positivity throughout our hospitals.

Caroline giving back to staff who saved her life

A woman whose hands and feet were amputated after she developed sepsis is giving back to staff who saved her life at Bedford Hospital by returning with her dog as a therapy pet.

Caroline Coster was being treated for COVID-19 when she developed sepsis. Whilst in hospital, she was placed in an induced coma and almost died twice.

Following a long and hard recovery, Caroline will be visiting the hospital once a week as a volunteer alongside her dog, Duke, to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of staff.

Cathy O’Brien, Deputy Head of Nursing for Surgical Specialities, was one of those colleagues who looked after Caroline whilst she was in hospital.

Following an emotional reunion, Cathy said: “It’s wonderful to see the life that she’s living and to see the work that we’ve done and how much it’s appreciated by her.”

One of her visits to Bedford Hospital was filmed by BBC Look East earlier in the year.

She said: “It's been very emotional seeing some of the staff who looked after me for the first time since I came out of hospital, because I'm so grateful to them. They did so much for me in such a difficult time.”

Caroline added: “To come back here and feel useful is an amazing gift for me. It's supposed to be me giving back to the hospital but I think it's giving me as much, if not more.”

Caroline is using her story to raise awareness of sepsis and shares her experiences on her Facebook blog ‘A journey of recovery’.

Congratulations to our latest newly qualified staff for completing their preceptorship programme at the L&D!

Preceptorship is provided for all newly registered staff to support them through their first year on the register and includes a mixture of newly qualified registrants, overseas trained staff who are new to working in the Trust, as well as those returning to practice.

Our preceptees cover all members of the MDT including, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiographers, ODP’s and pharmacists.

Staff summer engagement events a great success

The staff engagement events ‘in the tent’ were held at both Bedford Hospital and the L&D in the first two weeks of July, and were a great success, with more than 4000 staff attending.

The events are held in an outside marquee in the summer and provide an opportunity for staff to take time out from their busy schedules, and come along with their colleagues, and enjoy some refreshments and join in some lively discussions which this year focused on ‘Everybody plays their part’.

This was aimed at demonstrating how every single member of staff is a vital cog in the wheel of healthcare provision, and without any one member of staff, our hospitals would not function as they should. An array of roles come together to allow us to deliver high quality healthcare to the people of Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas. The aim of the session was to see how we can improve how we work, for the benefit of our local population.

Hosted by the Executive team, it is an opportunity for them to meet staff and thank them in person for all the incredible work they do, every day.

The next staff engagement events will take place at the beginning of December in the ‘Christmas Grotto’.

can you spot yourself?…

can you spot yourself? @L&D Hospital...

Governor Spotlight

Role of a Governor

Governors have a general duty to represent the interests of members of the public and staff who have elected them. Governors therefore interact regularly with members of the public and staff to ensure that they understand their views, and to make sure that they clearly communicate information on trust performance and planning.

The public governors can be contacted via email at governors@bedsft.nhs.uk and staff governors on their staff email addresses. If you wish to know who your governors are please visit the Trust website https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/ and the staff intranets.

Governor opportunities in 2024

Have you ever considered becoming a Public Governor or a Staff Governor of the Trust?

Elections for 2024 will start in May and notices will be displayed on the Trust website and sent out to our public members around that time. There are eight seats to be contested. Elections are to be held for the following constituencies:

Eight Public Governors vacancies in the following constituencies:

n Public: Luton (3 vacancies)

n Public: Central Bedfordshire (4 vacancies)

n Public: Hertfordshire (1 vacancy)

We hold one to one Governor Awareness virtual briefing sessions which give you the opportunity to find out more about the Governor roles and provide you with information on the procedure for applying to be a governor at the Trust. Each session lasts an hour.

Kindly let us know if you are interested in attending the session by emailing us at FTMembership@bedsft.nhs.uk. If you cannot attend the briefing sessions, do not worry, they are not mandatory.

Vote In July 2024 YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT

Why is the Trust having elections each year? The Trust holds Governor Elections each year to fill any vacant seats to its Council of Governors or for those Governors whose term of office is ending.

The elected Governors represent members in our public and staff constituencies.

Governors are your voice. They are accountable to you!

Please vote for your governor representative.

The voting packs/ballot papers will be sent to eligible members in July. Please cast your vote each year for your next governor representative. Governors are your voice!

Email Membership Department at FTMembership@bedsft.nhs.uk if you wish to know about your eligibility to vote.

Present and past governors at the recent Medical Lecture.

Medical Lecture

‘Evolution of COVID, its heath implications and the impact on our hospitals.’

More than 160 members and patients came along to find out more about the ongoing COVID pandemic and how it is evolving at our lecture held in May 2023 at Bedford.

The presentations were delivered by: Clinical Director for Respiratory Medicine Dr Tim Chapman who talked about the challenge, the research and the future of Covid.

Dr Iain Southern, Consultant Physician in Respiratory and General Medicine, talked about Long COVID which was followed by a Patient story.

Cathy Jones, Deputy Chief Executive, talked about how this is affecting our hospitals and our recovery plans.

Feedback from our members showed that having access to health information is one of the key benefits of being a member of the Trust. Governors are working with staff to plan a series of new lectures.See below and page 22 for details of our next medical lecture and other meetings.

Diary Date

The next Medical Lecture is on ‘Hearing Loss and Tinnitus’ Tuesday, 10 October 2023. All are invited – RSVP by 1 October 2023

Come along to find out more about Hearing loss and Tinnitus. Hearing loss is common, particularly as you get older. There are lots of possible causes of hearing loss. It may be caused by something treatable or it may be permanent. Tinnitus is the term for hearing sounds that come from inside your body, rather than from an outside source. It is often described as "ringing in the ears".

The lecture will be presented by Clinical Director Pranay Singh and his colleagues at Bedford and the L&D.

This will take place at 5.30pm for a 6pm start

and finish at 7.30pm on 10 October, at Rufus Centre, Steppingley Road, Flitwick, Beds MK45 1AH. There will be time for questions following the presentation and the opportunity for informal discussions with our Trust Governors, from 5.30pm. If you would like to attend the lecture, please contact us in order to book a place, as spaces are limited.

Come along with your family and friends and invite anyone who might benefit from this lecture.

To book a place you can contact us at FTMembership@bedsft.nhs.uk

Cathy Jones, Deputy Chief Executive

Pictured left to right: Iain Southern, Tim Chapman, Katherine Demeter and Farida Parkar.

Public members at the event.

Next Annual Members’ Meeting – 27 September 2023 All are invited

Come along and find out all you need to know about how Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, incorporating Luton & Dunstable University Hospital and Bedford Hospital, has been performing over the past year, and learn more about their strategy for the future. If you are a member this is your opportunity to meet your governor representatives and hear from the senior staff from the Trust.

Date: Wednesday 27 September 2023, 5.30pm for 6pm start, 7.30pm finish

Venue: Rufus Centre, Steppingley Road, Flitwick, Beds MK45 1AH Refreshments on arrival: tea, coffee and sandwiches will be provided.

RSVP: To register, email at FTMembership@bedsft.nhs.uk

The next Roadshow in Flitwick… How it all began for Bedfordshire Hospitals… but what’s next?

Join us on Thursday 5 October 2023, 2pm at Flitwick Community Football Centre, Ampthill Road, Flitwick MK45 1BA

Following the merger of Bedford and Luton & Dunstable Hospitals there has been major development at both sites. Come along to hear our ‘before & after’ stories & where we go from here…

Speakers include Chair & senior staff from the redevelopment team and governors.

To find out more information email Pam Brown at Pam.Brown@ldh.nhs.uk

We hope to see you there!

Bedfordshire Hospitals carries out first total jaw replacement in East of England

Bedfordshire Hospitals has carried out the first total jaw joint replacement operation in the East of England, one of only five hospitals in England to currently offer the surgery.

The operation is performed on patients who either have arthritis of the jaw – similar to a hip or knee replacement – or for patients with tumours of the jaw, or where the jaw joint needs to be removed.

Although an established procedure, it has not been available for patients in the East of England before – they have previously had to travel to Oxford or Nottingham for appointments and surgery. It is highly specialised – and expensive - surgery which requires funding approval from NHS England.

Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Mr. Alan Parbhoo and Mr. Valmiki Sharma carried out the procedure with the help of the maxillofacial theatre team at the Luton & Dunstable University Hospital (L&D) on 18 year old Ivana who had an unusual tumour of the jaw joint. Mr. Parbhoo said:

“Ivana had an aggressive bone cyst of the jaw joint which was expanding, causing her cheek to swell, and she could only eat an extremely soft diet in the few months prior to surgery.

“We were extremely pleased to get the funding to carry out Ivana’s operation and that it went so well. She is making an excellent recovery.

Talking about her operation, Ivana, who lives in Essex, said: “I first noticed something wasn’t right in April of last year, and it got steadily worse and I had to be extremely careful what I ate. I was so keen to have the operation, and now I have got my life back, and am eating completely normally, which is brilliant.”

Ivana’s mother, Maria, said: “We were extremely worried and scared but Mr Parbhoo and his team were amazing and saved her life and we are so grateful.”

Mr Parbhoo added: “Now that we have carried out our first case successfully I am hopeful that we will be given the funding to set up a full tertiary service at the L&D, enabling us to become the regional centre for the East of England, and treat patients with all types of jaw joint pathology in the region. This type of pathology often goes unrecognised and patients deserve to receive the highest standards of care regardless of where they live.”

I first noticed something wasn’t right in April of last year, and it got steadily worse and I had to be extremely careful what I ate. I was so keen to have the operation, and now I have got my life back…

The team who carried out the first total jaw replacement, with Mr Parbhoo pictured second from right and Mr Sharma centre front

X ray of the new jaw in place

3d model showing the prosthetic jaw