Countess Matters June 2016

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Countess June 2016

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matters

dementia DO…

RAISING AWARENESS at the countess

t Find oPuage 4 more

03 Spotlight on Jackie Hughes

06 Model Hospital

10 Jess meets the Mayor

Ready, Steady Puree!

Page 7

Contents

07 Blood bikes trial

08 Airbus donate £2,000

09 New labour room

Welcome

FROM YOUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Fourth theatre and ward extension opens at Jubilee Day Surgery Centre

As we find ourselves heading into the summer months we can reflect on what has been a busy start to 2016.

We had our Care Quality Commission inspection in February and there has been a heightened focus on the NHS both in the national and local media – covering everything from the industrial action by junior doctors to financial pressures.

While it has been a difficult time we have kept patient safety, support for our staff and planning for our future as The Model Hospital at the forefront of our minds. The motivation of our staff never ceases to amaze me.

Inside this edition you’ll see our dementia team continues to be a beacon of collaboration, while the Speech and Language Therapists’ ‘Ready, Steady Puree’ challenge demonstrates going the extra mile to provide more empathetic care. Jess Cooke’s efforts to champion Parkinson’s awareness highlights the individual drive that so many of our staff have to ensure the Countess delivers safe, kind and effective care for all.

There remains much to be proud of and celebrate. I hope you enjoy the pages that follow…

A fourth day-case theatre has opened at the Countess after a £2.1million refurbishment of the Jubilee Day Surgery Centre.

The project, which took around 15 months to complete, also included increasing ward capacity and improved facilities for both patients and staff.

After opening at the end of March the new facilities have proven popular.

“Everybody loves it,” Day Surgery Centre Ward Manager Linda Bennett said. “All the staff really enjoy working in the brand new ward and we’ve had great feedback from patients.”

One of the biggest benefits has been allowing more patients to have both their procedure and recovery in the same building.

Previously, following a national drive to increase the number of day cases, significant numbers of patients were being transported from in-patient theatres elsewhere in the hospital to the Jubilee for recovery.

That was seen as being far from ideal and

the development was earmarked as a way to streamline that process.

“This was a quality initiative designed to improve the patient experience,” Divisional Director Linda Fellowes said. “The consultants are pleased, it’s a brand new theatre and the environment for patients is very pleasant.”

A number of trials are now either under way or being planned that could see more in-patient procedures adopted as day cases at the Jubilee in future. Our aim is to treat as many appropriate patients as possible via the day-case pathway.

It is hoped that if they prove successful they can reduce pressures on the rest of the hospital.

Linda Fellowes added: “It’s also part of a wider bed reconfiguration in planned care that will create an ‘escalation’ or ‘decant ward’ on ward 53, which we’ve never had before. Ward 53 will then form part of the Trust-wide winter plan and provide the extra bed capacity for winter pressures as required. This in turn will help avoid cancelling elective inpatient operations.”

New Friends and Family Test model increases patient response rates The Trust, in continuing partnership with Health Care Communications, has introduced two new methods for patients to provide feedback about our services.

In response to low feedback rates from patients, Healthcare Communications have added SMS and IVM (Interactive voice messaging) channels to allow for more efficient surveying of patients. Responses are automatically fed into digital software that allows for live analysis and immediate results. Patient surveys remain, but now patients have the additional option to respond 48 hours after their visit.

Craig Brothwood, FFT Project Manager comments: “Having the data so freely available to all staff means real time monitoring can take place and feedback to staff is almost immediate after the patient has been discharged.”

Within one month of the initial roll out, 29% more patients returned feedback and this figure is steadily rising.

The Trust is now fully utilising all three delivery methods (SMS, IVM and paper) across the Emergency Department, adult inpatient wards and Outpatients.

Spotlight on… the Northwest Milk Bank’s Jackie Hughes Jackie Hughes has been Strategy Manager of the Northwest Human Milk Bank for a year. During that time she has overseen structural changes to the service, which is run as a joint venture between the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are based at the University of Chester.

There are already signs that her team’s hard work is making a difference after the Milk Bank hit record figures in March – selling 182.5 litres of milk and distributing 217l. We had a chat with Jackie to find out more about what makes her tick.

Is it tough talking to women in that position?

I don’t find it hard to have those discussions because I spent so many years as a midwife that I’ve had those conversations and worse. It isn’t a tough conversation because they’ve approached you and it helps them. Although you’re obviously sympathetic and you don’t want to dwell too much on the negatives with them so you’re saying this could help you, it’s going to help us and it will really help premature babies. So we really focus on the positives for us, them and the babies who receive the milk. In our filing system we always identify bereaved mums with different coloured sheets so people are immediately alerted to that fact.

What’s the least favourite part of your job?

I think the continual checking for blood results, the micropath results and there

is a lot of double checking. I’m currently looking at ways we can do that differently.

After a recent restructure it will no longer need to be me doing all the checking. I think the other thing that drives me mad is our office is quite small because we’re growing we need more people in there.

We just need more space. But we’re talking to the university and we’re top of their list for more space. They work really well with us, they really look after us. They want us here.

What was your dream job when you were younger?

An actress. I would have liked to have been some sort of comedy actress. I’ve got a nickname, because I’m always having disasters, so in my old job they called me Bridget like Bridget Jones. This was because I always fall over in front of the exec office or lose something in town or wear odd shoes to work! I’d love to be Bridget Jones in a movie.

What do you do to unwind when you’re not at work?

I’ve joined the Popvox Choir in Chester, which performs modern music. We perform anything from Uptown Funk to Marvin Gaye, we’ve also learned Imagine

by John Lennon. I absolutely love it. I really do, it’s just so good for just relaxing and having fun. I really enjoy it. I can’t sing though, but it’s still great fun. I just stand in the middle and do my thing.

What’s your favourite film?

It’s got to be Bridget Jones hasn’t it?! I can’t really pick one over the other either, I love all of them. I can’t wait to see the new one.

What’s your favourite song?

It’s got to be Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. I love Queen...

If a film was made of your life, who would you like to play you?

It’s got to be Renee Zellweger hasn’t it?!

That was easy!

Have you had your 15 minutes of fame yet?

No! Well, actually, I’ve met quite a few famous people.

Who’s the most famous person you’ve met?

I had dinner with Brian May once. An old boyfriend of mine who’s since remained a really good friend was the biggest Queen fan. He sort of brainwashed me!

One day we went down to London, we weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend at the time we were just friends, and he met the person that ran the Queen Fan Club. He got really friendly with all of the Queen members, including Freddie. When Freddie died there was a tribute concert at Wembley and actually I met quite a few people that day because I stood next to George Michael.

So you were backstage at that?

Well, we got invited to the after-party.

Long time ago.

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What do you love most about working at the Milk Bank?

On a day-to-day basis it’s working with the team. I also enjoy talking to the donors, which is great because they’ve all got a story to tell. There is always a reason why they want to donate, whether their friend’s baby is on the unit or they’ve had a baby on the unit or one that’s received donor milk. The lady this morning that I spoke to had a stillbirth, went to the stillbirth group and found out that it helped some bereaved mums to donate breast milk. It’s great because we’re saying thank you to her, but then she’s saying thank you to us.

DEMENTIA AWARENESS Welcome to Kate’s Corner Ellesmere Port Hospital is launching a new service called Kate’s Corner.

The room, located on Ruby Ward, will be primarily used as a next-step-home area, allowing people to learn or prove they know how to take care of their loved ones without help.

Kate’s Corner has been specifically designed to look and feel different from other areas in the hospital, with comforting décor, an en suite and a personal television and kettle. It is effectively a small apartment with multiple beds so visitors can stay in comfort alongside patients on site.

“Kate’s Corner is the result of a massive achievement which I take some personal pride in as well as great pride in the team on Ruby,” Matron Clare Edwards said. “It is somewhere where patients of the future are going to benefit and have a better experience in hospital.”

the serious nature of her condition, coupled with her dementia, she was recommended for discharge to a care home.

their number one priority and that their lives would be about looking after her at home,” Clare added.

That is something that Kate’s children, Ron and Rosemary, desperately wanted to avoid.

They began to work with Clare and Ruby Ward Manager Fin Vella to find a way to get Kate back home, where they were more than happy to provide round-the-clock care for her.

Ron, who came through the assessment with flying colours, has never forgotten the lengths the hospital staff went to.

“They wanted to put her in a care home,” Ron said. “That was extremely hard to deal with because it’s something we didn’t want.”

Plan of action With Ron and Rosemary in the fortunate position of being able to care for their Mother, who was a popular figure on the ward, staff at the hospital resolved to do all they could to help them.

Kate’s story An all-consuming campaign to get a patient with severe dementia discharged home to her family sowed the seeds for this innovation.

Clare and Fin put plans in place for Ron and Rosemary to spend a weekend on the ward. This was set up so staff could teach them specialist skills such as complex wound dressing and manual handling techniques before assessing them.

Kathleen Herbert, 90, spent six months on the Ruby Ward last year undergoing treatment for a severe pressure sore. Due to

“We 100% believed the best place for Kate was at home with Rosie and Ron, who were absolutely committed to making their mum Andy’s poem about dementia has been featured by the Academy of Fabulous Stuff Memory Nurse Specialist Andy Tysoe

“What they’ve done in that ward is give us back our Mum. And for that we will be forever grateful,” he said.

Clare and Fin worked with the Continuing Health Care team to formulate a plan to get Kate discharged home, with mechanisms in place to support the family.

Discharge day On the Monday after the two-day experiment Kate was finally able to leave the hospital.

Fin describes that day as one of both joy and sadness, but she beamed with pride as she recalled personally going along with Kate in the taxi back to her front door.

“We just wanted to get her home because we wanted to see Kate’s face but we also wanted to see Rosie and Ronnie and they were just so overjoyed that all they did was cry, but it was lovely,” she said.

“We’ve been back a couple of times to see her and she’s doing really, really well. Rosie and Ronnie are coping admirably. It’s a real success story.”

Kate’s Corner Thanks to funding from NHS Properties the area of the hospital used by Ron and Rosemary has now been kitted out and turned into a permanent feature – the aptly named ‘Kate’s Corner’.

It is hoped that it can help out patients in a similar situation to Kate, but the room could equally be used by someone with severe dementia settling into life in hospital after being admitted.

“I think it’s incredible, I think it’s a wonderful asset for them,” Ron added. “I think if people that use it can get the sort of satisfaction out of Kate’s Corner that we’ve had then, well, what can I say? It can only be brilliant can’t it?”

Cheshire Oaks staff put #DementiaDO into action Memory Nurse Specialist Andy Tysoe is constantly saying: “It’s not enough to just talk about supporting people with dementia, you need to DO something about it as well.”

Once a month or so a team from the designer outlet arrives at the hospital to spruce up the garden and maintain it as a pleasant environment for patients to enjoy – complete with potted plants, park benches and a multi-coloured mosaic.

Such was the popularity of the volunteering venture that the Cheshire Oaks team had to implement a rotation system so all of their volunteers could get involved.

Further discussions about how to help the hospital led to the donations of Twiddlemuffs, which are sensory hand muffs designed to keep patients both Ellesmere Port’s Rachel Bell holds one of the Twiddlemuffs

warm and entertained.

They come in all shapes, sizes and colours, with everything from bracelets to buttons and baubles attached for ‘twiddling’. This variety of textures can keep patients calm by giving their hands something to do.

Kenny added: “A member of our Customer Service Team, Carol Dobbins, is a keen knitter and she has been hand-making these.”

Having this kind of support has made a huge difference to morale at the hospital.

Ellesmere Port Administrator Lesley Johnson said: “We can’t thank McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Cheshire Oaks enough for everything they have done for us.

“The garden looks amazing now and I don’t even know where to start with the amount of Twiddlemuffs they have sent over! Other groups such as Knit and Natter at the Hope Farm Methodist Church have also knitted some. They are all a real credit to the community.”

In the long term the team is hoping to turn the designer outlet into a dementia inclusive site. They would like to see representatives from each brand becoming a Dementia Friend and have even been in touch with Andy about making that happen.

“If somebody can’t communicate, for whatever reason, they’re able to point or say what they want from those images and it means they can make their own food choices,” she said.

“We know they’re picking something they like rather than a member of the ward staff having to choose something for a patient because they can’t communicate with them.”

Patients living with dementia can benefit from the way the menu has been designed, with the userfriendly layout, colour scheme and images of relevant animals capable of boosting recognition and their interest in eating.

The menu, which was designed and printed by Tudor Office Supplies, will also make a huge difference for some stroke patients, while it could help to break down language barriers and educate children about nutrition.

“Every ward I gave them to were really positive for a different reason, even ones that I hadn’t considered, which was great to hear,” Victoria added. “It’s exciting to think about just how many types of patients will benefit from it.”

“It’s hugely humbling to think about everything they have done since coming to a #DementiaDO session,” Andy said. “The sessions, which are free and open to anyone to attend, are aimed at sending ripples through the community on how we can all help to improve everyday life for people living with dementia so it’s great to see that in action.”

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“Andy’s presentations make everyone a lot more aware of the struggle that people with dementia have every day,” Kenny Murray, Centre Manager, said. “If there’s anything we can do to make their experience better then we will. It was really inspiring.”

The menu, which features images of fresh food cooked daily on site, has been launched across all wards at the Chester and Ellesmere Port hospitals.

Food First Dietitian Victoria Forrest, who worked to drive the introduction of the menu alongside the catering department, believes it will make a real difference.

That’s how he came up with the name ‘#DementiaDO’ for his dementia sessions and this is his call to action at the end of each one.

Andy might hope people take his words to heart and go away to have a think, but staff from the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Cheshire Oaks decided to run with them instead. They have since volunteered to maintain the courtyard garden at Ellesmere Port Hospital and have also knitted a plethora of ‘Twiddlemuffs’ for patients on the wards.

Pictorial Menus now available on all wards

‘gains momentum’ By now many of you will be familiar with work at The Countess to deliver The Model Hospital, based on the learning from the national review into NHS Productivity led by Lord Carter. Ten major projects are underway to improve the way we work at the same time as delivering efficiencies amounting to more than £20million over the next two years. Read on to find out how this ambitious programme is progressing…

Staff engagement ‘Clinical Experts’ are now in place to steer and maintain the clinical and patient focus at every opportunity. The team includes Vascular Consultant Sameh Dimitri, Ward Manager Ali Hunt, Specialist Nurse Karen Woodcock and therapists Alex Holroyd and Claire Hankinson. These experienced clinicians have the knowledge and ability to engage staff, cut through the jargon and make the work of The Model Hospital real for the frontline.

At the same time a proactive group of staff have started ‘Bureaucracy Busting’ within the hospital. This team is reducing the burden of overly-complicated administrative procedures that get in the way of direct patient care. These ‘fixers’ have gathered more than 100 ideas for change from colleagues to stop unnecessary or unhelpful practices. We are already reaping the rewards of this scheme after a new bowel prep area was introduced on ward 44 to help maintain

patients’ privacy and dignity. Previous efforts to do that were left frustrated by red tape, but this time the Bureaucracy Busters helped to make it happen.

Matching staffing levels to patient need A key project The Model Hospital will deliver is an innovative electronic rostering tool that uses real-time information to allocate appropriate nursing levels to wards and clinical areas. This will be the first rostering tool of its kind in the country.

Director of Nursing and Quality Alison Kelly said: “Our senior nursing team and the clinical experts are heavily involved in developing this system. We need to adopt more flexible ways of working and reduce time spent using paper-based approaches.

This e-rostering system will start with nursing and be rolled out to other areas.

As well as improving patient care we will increase our productivity and generate up to £5m in savings.”

Reviewing and setting clear standards for services The Countess will also look at services across the Trust and introduce new operational blueprints. These standards will define the parameters that a service or team will operate or effectively manage themselves and how they work with others.

Chief Executive Tony Chambers explained: “This will consider a wide range of factors including best practice, costs, staffing, activity, impact on patient care and most significantly how any improvement will be monitored and measured to understand its value. Quality improvement methodology, learning from High Quality Care Costs Less, and use of data from NHS benchmarked operating costs known as the Adjusted Treatment Index (ATI) is a key part in the development of these blueprints.

This will be challenging, but we have the potential to generate between £5m and £9m in savings.”

New bowel prep area gets the green light thanks to Bureaucracy Busters A new bowel prep room has been opened on ward 44 thanks to the combined efforts of ward manager Helen Mcgrotty and the Model Hospital Bureaucracy Busters.

but with the support of the Model Hospital Bureaucracy Busters, questions were asked and instead of accepting no as the answer, solutions were sought until the green light was given.

The room, originally a bathroom which was set to be turned into a cupboard, has now been transformed into a private room that ensures patients’ privacy and dignity is maintained during the procedure.

Not only does the room maintain the privacy and dignity of patients, but it will also save time and money. Previously, patients who required bowel prep prior to surgery were required to have either a bed on a ward, which in the current climate often proved difficult to provide, or to attend endoscopy for the pre-surgical procedure, which in one

Previous efforts to have the room converted into a specialist area for patients prior to surgery had been frustrated by red tape,

particular instance took four hours due to the logistics.

Sonia Boulton, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and bureaucracy buster said, “Often when people are told no by a manager they give in, bureaucracy busting is about finding a solution, it’s about getting other people involved and being able to step back and look at the processes as a whole. It’s about having the confidence to ask why, because in the past, when you had an idea, you were often met with a brick wall of bureaucracy.”

Blood bikes hit the road the strict temperature regulations for the bloods, platelets and plasma they will be transporting to and from the NHS Blood and Transplant facility in Speke.

The volunteer-led charity, which has worked with the North West Human Milk Bank for two years, has been transferring urgent blood products and samples from 3pm to 7am on weekdays since mid-April.

“Our volunteers come from all walks of life. Some work full time, others are retired.

They include ex-police officers, fire officers, teachers and all sorts of other vocations.

They give up their free time so that we can provide this service,” Helen added.

The use of a bespoke blood bike has the potential to increase the effectiveness of sample transportation, with advanced trained riders possibly able to navigate traffic more easily.

“We’re expecting the trial to be a success following extensive planning by hospital and SSBB representatives and we’re hoping to make a difference,” SSBB Chair Helen Bundy said as the trial began.

“The Countess knew about the service we carry out for other Trusts and one of our members actually approached the hospital to say ‘this is who we are and this is what we do, is there anything we can do for you?’.”

Around 30 volunteer riders have access to a blood bike, which is stored in a secure location at the hospital.

All of them have completed Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) training days at the Countess, which outlined

If the pilot scheme, which will support haematology and oncology patients, gets rolled out full time it has the potential to save the Trust up to £1,500 per month on traditional transport and courier costs.

Kathleen Holden, Pathology Quality Manager, said: “We’ve had discussions with the Royal Stoke University Hospital, who already use SSBB, and they were more than happy to endorse them.

“They (the SSBB riders) will play an important role in helping us continue to deliver a high standard of care to our patients.

“We want to say a huge thank you to all those blood bike riders, who will be volunteering their time taking part in transporting blood, components and samples for us. We feel incredibly lucky to have the chance to work with them and are excited about what it can lead to in the future.”

Ready, steady, Puree!

The Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) team sampled their own medicine by following a puree diet to coincide with Nutrition and Hydration Week 2016.

Patients who have trouble swallowing for whatever reason can be put on a diet of pureed food and thickened fluids. This allows them to get all the nutrients they need without the risks of choking or food going into the lungs.

Stroke patients and those living with dementia can be put on this kind of plan and SALT, who oversee its implementation, were keen to get a better understanding of what it is like to consume all their meals in this way.

“We have more empathy now for patients on a puree diet,” Speech and Language Therapist Amy Bastow said.

“It’s nice to be able to say we can understand how having solid food taken off the menu feels because we’ve been there ourselves.”

Seven members of the SALT team, a therapy assistant and a dietitian ate all their meals in pureed form from March 14-18 as part of their ‘Ready, steady, puree’ challenge.

They raised more than £1,000 for a new iPad and relevant apps for use as a communication aid on the stroke unit.

The challenge was co-ordinated with the help of the catering department; although those involved still followed it for their meals at home as well.

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Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes (SSBB) have been trialling transporting blood products and samples for the Countess.

Airbus workers donate £2,000 to Colorectal Stoma Care services Airbus workers at Broughton have donated £2,000 to the Trust’s charity for the benefit of patients receiving Colorectal Stoma Care services.

Airbus staff handover a cheque for £2,000 to the Stoma Care team

The funds, donated by Unite the Union Airbus branch, have been used to purchase five tablet computers to roll out the use of popular Skype clinics for stoma care patients.

In addition to being kitted out with Skype, the tablets will also have specific apps and information stored on them for users to peruse at their leisure. This means Maria and her team can rest easy knowing their patients have the correct information to hand instead of searching for themselves online.

Tony Stevenson and Brian Adair, who both work as primary operators at Airbus, were the driving force behind the aerospace manufacturer getting involved having been patients themselves.

“We can’t say thank you enough to Airbus for everything they have done,” Maria added. “The tablets will make a real difference to our patients and it’s a huge boost for us to have such support from a great group of people.”

“With everything that the hospital’s done for me I feel that it’s only right I put something back and Brian’s the same,” Tony said.

“The Skype idea is absolutely fantastic because, having been Skyped myself, it improves your wellbeing. If you’re at home in your own environment it makes things easier.”

then return later at a post-surgery check-up.

Previously, Skype clinics have been limited to people who are still in hospital or already set up on the application via a personal device.

This initial period can be a confusing time and the use of Skype clinics is proving to be a successful way of providing additional support.

It is hoped that the Samsung Tab A tablets can be handed out to pre-op patients for them to take away and

“The patients get to see us, they can see a familiar face,” Maria Brown, Associate Practitioner in Stoma Care, said.

Bench unveiled in memory of Carl A bench in memory of catering’s Carl Wilson was unveiled at a recent ceremony in the Countess gardens. Carl, who worked at the Countess for 36 years, passed away on 18 August 2015. Polly Durban worked with Carl in the catering team and said: “Carl was a fun loving person and a bit of a joker. He liked to change the lyrics to songs playing on the radio to make people laugh. He was always kind, courteous, a true gent and he always kept the female staff up to date with the soaps and sadly missed.

“If they wake up and something is going wrong and they can’t get into the hospital they can Skype us instead.

It helps to have that interaction and they can also use the camera to actually show us what’s going on so it’s better for us as well.”

The Countess charity exists to enhance and improve the experience of patients and their families. Ngozi Ikoku, Trust and Legacy Fundraiser for the charity commented: “This donation is a classic example of why our charity was set up - to focus on areas that are not covered by central NHS funds. We are very grateful to Tony and the Airbus Branch of Unite the Union for their generosity and support.”

Maternity Unit celebrates opening of new specialist labour room A new high risk labour and delivery room equipped with mood lighting and water-birth facilities has been designed for those women who are classed as high risk and require additional monitoring during labour. The room supports and encourages women to achieve a normal birth in a more welcoming and homely environment; whilst being safe in the knowledge they are being monitored and any medical interventions can be carried out if necessary.

control, people with Parkinson’s need their medication on time – every time.”

A bonny baby boy named Charlie was the first child to be born in the new room. Charlie’s Mum Jennifer who required constant monitoring during her labour, said: “It was like being in a hotel room; less hospital like and more relaxing. I didn’t have the option of a water-birth with our first child and this really helped take the pressure off my back – so much better than being in bed.”

With help and resources provided by the Parkinson’s Society, Jess has facilitated the training of ‘Parkinson’s Champions’ on three of our wards. These nurses are now responsible for disseminating their learning and raising awareness of the ‘Get it on time’ campaign, ensuring our patients receive the best possible care from the moment they are admitted.

Julie Fogarty, Head of Midwifery added, “Our goal with the dedicated high risk labour and delivery room is to support women in achieving their vision of normality irrespective of whether they fall outside the low risk category; we are delighted that the room is already making a difference to the women and babies we care for.”

Jess meets chester lord mayor

Jess explained: “Parkinson’s disease is a common and complex neurodegenerative condition. Sadly, through Datix reporting of incidents we know there are shortfalls in the quality of care for inpatients with Parkinson’s disease who are admitted nonelectively. This is largely due to the lack of understanding of the complex requirements of patients with Parkinson’s and particularly the importance of getting medication on time; to stop their condition getting out of

Jess added: “We have already seen a significant decrease in Parkinson’s medication related incidents on the Acute Medical Unit, which was the first to have a trained Parkinson’s Champion and we hope to see similar results for the two wards that followed. The next step is to have at least one Parkinson’s Champion on every ward within a year.”

The Countess welcomes Infection Prevention Society Torch Tour 2016 Our Infection Prevention and Control Team recently welcomed the Infection Prevention Society’s hand hygiene torch as it continues its tour of the UK and Ireland.

The Infection Prevention Society are using the torch tour to raise awareness of the importance of hand hygiene among the general public, promote the Infection Prevention Society

nationally and internationally and to highlight the annual World Health Organisation’s ‘Clean Your Hands - Call to Action’ for healthcare workers.

The torch began its whistle stop tour of the Countess when it was handed over to our Infection Prevention and Control Team nurses in the main reception by Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation.

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Back in April, Practice Development Nurse Jess Cooke was invited as a special guest of the Lord Mayor Cllr Hugo Deynem at the Parkinson’s Society’s annual Spring Lunch. At the lunch, Jess was awarded a certificate of thanks in recognition for her on-going work raising awareness of the ‘Get it on time’ campaign across the Trust.

GoveRnors’ News Would you like to become a Governor?

Meeting Dates Tuesday, 5 July 2016 at 10.45am

How to contact your Governors

Council of Governors meeting held in public

If you would like to contact a Governor please call on 01244 365816.

Board of Directors meeting held in public

Would you like to get involved with your local hospital – you can make a difference.

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s Governor nomination process will open during July 2016 and a drop in session on the following date is available to find out more about this exciting role, so why not come along.

15 July 2016 at 12noon – 1pm in the Education and Training Centre

Tuesday 5 July 2016 at 1.30pm

Annual Members Meeting Tuesday, 4 October 2016 at 5pm

If you are not able to make this date, please call on 01244 365816 to arrange an informal chat, at a time to suit you.

All meetings are held in the Education and Training Centre, Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Foundation Trust Council of Governors Public

Chairman - Sir Duncan Nichol CBE

Chester and Rural Cheshire

Helen Clifton Until October 2018

Caroline Stein Until October 2017

Marilyn King Until October 2016

Tom Bateman Until October 2018

Ellesmere Port and Neston

Brian Ellingham Until October 2016

Pat Clare Until October 2017

Chris Hannah

Local Authority

Cllr Matt Bryan

Sue Sheldon Until October 2016

Sue Elphick Until October 2017

Fran Parry Until October 2017

Russell Jackson Until October 2016

Geoffrey Lloyd Until October 2016

Flintshire

Brian Jones Until October 2018

Sue Bagby Until October 2018

University of Chester

Voluntary Services

Partnership Organisations West Cheshire CCG

Elizabeth Bott Until October 2017

Liz Kevan Until October 2016

Staff

Professor Dorothy Marriss

Michael Hemmerdinger

ÕÀÃiÃÉ `Ü Ûià +Õ> wi`

Katie Greenhalgh Until October 2017

Flintshire CHC

All other staff groups

Linda Harper

Steve Bridge Until October 2017

Karen Woodcock Until October 2017

Doctors

Carole Jones Until October 2017

Dr Ian Benton Consultant, Until October 2017

Allied Health Professionals

Sarah Balogh Until October 2017

Chris Green Until October 2016

Fundraising roundup Hanna joins Fundraising Team

Jade Elliott and baby Charlie on the Neonatal Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital

Jean Peers, Neonatal Assistant, and baby Charlie on the Neonatal Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Lesley Woodhead, Interim Head of Fundraising, said: “We welcome Hanna Clarke to the Fundraising Team.

Hanna joins as Corporate and Events Fundraising Manager and will be taking the lead on our now famous Chester Duck Race and we can now confirm the date has been set for 24 September.”

Hanna can be contacted on 01244 366397.

Support from far and wide

Yvonne Griffiths, Deputy Manager of the Countess of Chester Hospital Neonatal Unit, said: “The Kanmed beds are an invaluable addition to our unit and we are most grateful to the Thomas Cook

On your marks!

Children’s Charity and Radio City Cash for Kids for giving us grants to enable us to buy three. In time we would like to replace all of our cots with these ones.

“In addition to the nursing and clinical benefits that the beds provide – they also make a huge difference to the experience of baby and parent at what is a most difficult time for them both.”

Jade Elliott, Charlie’s mum said: “The Kanmed Bed was great. Being able to sit next to Charlie with the sides down and at the same level as him meant we could be right there for him even when we couldn’t hold him. It made difficult time that much easier to cope with.”

Elaine Hulse raised £2,500 for Babygrow

The Babygrow Appeal was delighted to be chosen for the second time by Active Leisure as the official charity of the Chester Half Marathon. Jenny Jones Key, one of our amazing neonatal nurses, is running for the appeal. To sponsor Jenny visit www.justgiving.com and search “jennydoingitforthebabies” Every £ will help get her around the course!

Dates for your Diary The team have a busy year planned fundraising for the Babygrow Appeal and we would love to hear from anyone who can help us in any way as we aim to raise £550k this year to get the project started. In the coming months we will be at:

Thanks Jenny and Good Luck.

Jenny Jones Key holds Arthur and Poppy

Liverpool to Chester Bike Ride 3 July Ladies’ Lunch 15 September Arthur and Poppy who have been cared for in the neonatal unit and are now at home. Also pictured is Elaine Hulse from Active Leisure who ran the Virgin London Marathon for the Babygrow Appeal and raised £2500!

Walk for Wards 9 October Santa Dash 4 December Sportsman’s Lunch 9 December Call the fundraising office on 01244 366240 or pop in – we are in the main reception at The Countess.

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Funding was received from the Thomas Cook Children’s Charity to buy two Kanmed Baby Beds for the Neonatal unit and for an additional one from Radio City Cash for Kids to make three in total. The beds enable kangaroo care (skin to skin contact) and easy access for mums nursing their babies. The beds provide an excellent environment for sick, premature or vulnerable babies and promote important early bonding between mother and child.

Student Accommodation Close to Chester University Main Campus We have houses to accommodate groups of 2 up to 10 students Please visit our web site @ roomschester.com For a full list of our houses and prices.

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