Winter 2019
www.LiverpoolFT.nhs.uk
A new Trust Royal, Broadgreen and Aintree hospitals join together Helping addiction CURE launches to support smokers
Exclusive:
Sir Kenny and Lady Marina Dalglish visit Broadgreen
2 Working together to improve care
Joining together with Aintree Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust celebrated its first day as a new organisation on 1 October 2019. The Trust, which is now caring for a population of around 630,000 people in Merseyside came into operation, following the merger of Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust. Bringing together a combined workforce of over 12,000 staff, the Trust has become the largest NHS employer in Merseyside and Cheshire. As well as providing general hospital services to people in Merseyside, the Trust will provide a range of highly specialist services to more than two million people in the North West and beyond. Each hospital will still keep its existing name – Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool University Dental Hospital and Aintree University Hospital – but they are all under the one organisation. “This is a really significant moment for the healthcare of the city. We’re proud to have officially merged and are looking forward to achieving the ambitions we have for the organisation,” said Steve Warburton, chief executive of Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. “This merger provides a monumental opportunity to address the serious health challenges we face as a community, to improve care and provide sustainable services for people across Merseyside. We
firmly believe that this merger will help to serve the best interests of patients, staff and the people we serve.” Plans to merge were developed and supported by doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals at both Trusts who believe it will enable them to improve care for patients and enhance our appeal in terms of clinical research, ensuring we continue to provide the latest drugs and treatments for our patients. Dr Tristan Cope, medical director, said: “Evidence shows that highly complex and specialist procedures are more successful when teams are performing them more often. This can only be achieved by providing specialist services to a wider group of patients.
“Merging the two trusts is vital to ensuring that we continue to provide these specialist services to the people of Merseyside. Safeguarding the services and ensuring they remain and grow here is vital to providing excellent, quality care.” Over time, we are planning to look at how individual services are delivered. By taking what works well from across our hospitals, we will start to make improvements for patients and this may involve some change. With any major changes we propose for the future, we will discuss proposals with patients, the public and local communities to understand their views and use this information to assess the potential impacts of the improvements. This will be done before making any final decisions. Patients will see very few changes to begin with and for the time being services will remain the same. We encourage all patients to attend appointments at their given hospital as normal and they will still be seeing the same staff. “This is a very exciting time. The Board has great ambition for the Trust and will be working closely with staff and stakeholders to develop our culture and ability to deliver all the benefits of the merger for patients and the communities we serve,” said Sue Musson, chair. “We look forward to developing the new Trust as an organisation that provides first-class care to the people of Liverpool, is a centre of excellence for research and education and represents the first choice for individuals seeking to develop a rewarding career in the NHS.”
Working together to improve care
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Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Board members
Chair Sue Musson
Chief operating officer Beth Weston
Chief executive Steve Warburton
Chief people officer Debbie Herring
Medical director Dr Tristan Cope
Director of corporate governance Madelaine Warburton
Key points Trust name: Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Our hospitals will still keep their names: Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Liverpool University Dental Hospital. Aintree switchboard: 0151 525 5980 Broadgreen switchboard: 0151 706 2000 Royal switchboard: 0151 706 2000 Website: www.LiverpoolFT.nhs.uk Twitter / Facebook: @LivHospitals
Chief nurse Dianne Brown
Non-executive members: Neil Willcox Mike Eastwood Angela Phillips Mandy Wearne Tim Johnston Professor Louise Kenny David Fillingham
4 Supporting Patient Care
Hospital volunteers take home two national awards Our volunteers scooped two sets of awards at the national Helpforce Champions awards in October which recognises the amazing work that volunteers do throughout the country.
patient, their family and the nursing staff. Dianne Brown, chief nurse, said: “I’m incredibly proud of our volunteers and this award is richly deserved. The end of life service really enhances the quality of support available to our patients and their families, and the volunteers do a superb job alongside our clinical nursing teams.
Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Royal Liverpool University Hospital volunteer, Gary Thomas. Gary started volunteering at the Royal in 2015. He provides emotional support and companionship to patients on wards who are facing an amputation. As an amputee himself, Gary has enormous empathy and understanding of the impact of this diagnosis and uses his own experience to support, encourage and inspire those he meets. Upon being announced the winner, Gary was described as being ‘a person with a very positive outlook on life. He gives tremendous support to amputee patients, showing them that they can still enjoy their life fully.’ Colin Hont, deputy chief nurse, said: “We are ecstatic that Gary has been recognised with this national award. The manner in which he supports patients is simply fantastic. He has real compassion and empathy, and is often a trusted confidante to patients and their families when they need it most.
“He always goes the extra mile and spends so much of his personal time helping others. He is massive asset to the Trust, and is a well-deserved winner of this award. Congratulations Gary.”
“Being able to spend time simply sitting with a dying patient, talking to them and their relatives can be an enormous comfort. And for those without any family to be with them, the presence of a volunteer ensures that a patient doesn’t die alone.”
However the awards didn’t stop there, as the volunteers’ team from Aintree University Hospital took home the Outstanding Volunteering Team Award for the work they do with terminally ill patients - making it their second national award in the space of three months. It follows their success at the NHS Parliamentary Awards in July, where they were named Volunteers of the Year for their end of life companionship service. Starting in 2012, the team provide patients with companionship during their last days, holding their hands, listening to their requests and acting as a liaison between the
Celebrating our AHPs Recently we celebrated the amazing work our AHP teams do as part of Allied Health Professions Day (AHP), which took place 14 October 2019. We had a range of celebrations throughout the week starting at Aintree University Hospital and culminating in a day of events on Friday 18 October at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. The AHP teams provide a wide variety of services to our patients, and many of them set up display stands to show the great work they do around the hospital including operating department practitioners, cardio respiratory, dietetics, orthoptist, podiatry, radiography, rheumatology MDT, emergency department therapy team, Phoenix Unit rehab from Broadgreen, critical care therapy team, speech and language and clinical physiology. This was followed by an awards ceremony for AHP staff in the Royal’s Lecture Theatre.
Our AHP Awards were presented by chief nurse Dianne Brown and deputy chief nurse Colin Hont.
Supporting Patient Care
Sir Kenny and Lady Marina Dalglish with patient, Carl Sherry
Surgeon Robin Weston with the new Da Vinci XI robot
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Sir Kenny Dalglish testing out the robot
£1.25m donation funds surgical robot for Broadgreen A vital £1.25million donation from the Marina Dalglish Appeal will allow urology surgeons at Broadgreen Hospital to carry out minimally invasive operations on patients with prostate, kidney and bladder cancers. Money donated from the charity, set up by Lady Marina Dalglish, the wife of former Liverpool FC manager and player Sir Kenny, has purchased the latest da Vinci XI robot and will mean patients and surgeons have access to the best technology and 3D imaging. It is the most advanced surgical robotic system in the world and has an array of additional features to improve safety of surgery. This new robot replaces the previous da Vinci model which has been used to treat over 1,000 patients since it was purchased by the Trust in 2011. The old machine has been refurbished and installed within the operating theatres at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, meaning that surgeries can be performed at both sites, and more patients can be treated on Merseyside. “The Marina Dalglish Appeal is so proud to be involved in this project at Broadgreen and we are really excited at its potential to offer patients on Merseyside the most advanced surgery available,” said Marina Dalglish. “Just having this robot in Liverpool is of huge benefit to patients and we are delighted that we have once again been able to bring the most advanced technology to the city. I would therefore like to thank everyone who has supported the MDA and helped us to raise the money needed to buy this amazing piece of equipment.” Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with over 47,000 men diagnosed annually. Purchasing the robot is The Marina Dalglish Appeal’s first step towards helping those affected by the disease on Merseyside. Fundraising for this £1.25million donation
Sir Kenny and Lady Marina Dalglish with Surgeon Robin Weston, patient Carl Sherry and the urology team at Broadgreen Hospital to purchase cutting edge technology for Broadgreen Hospital represents Marina’s longstanding aim to ‘make a difference’ to the people of Merseyside. One of those people is Carl Sherry. Carl was one of the first patients to be operated on by the new robot, having prostate surgery that wouldn’t have been possible without this technology. “I have prostate cancer, but I am also a kidney transplant recipient. This meant that standard prostate cancer surgery would have been impossible as when I received my transplant it was placed near my pelvis. This is near to where the prostate cancer was, so it would have been very difficult to operate around it. Without the advanced technology of this robot, my surgery wouldn’t have happened,” said Carl. “I am so grateful to the Marina Dalglish
Appeal for their generous donation; it will no doubt transform many lives – especially those in similar situations like mine.” Mr Robin Weston, consultant urological cancer surgeon based at Broadgreen Hospital said: “We expect about 300 patients per year to benefit from this new equipment. It will save more lives and provide better results for patients, meaning they spend less time in hospital and recover more quickly after they have been discharged from hospital.” “The new robot with its technological enhancements will allow us to continue to expand robotic surgery for the benefit of patients from Liverpool. This generous charitable donation from The Marina Dalglish Appeal has funded new technology called ‘table-motion’ which is used alongside the new robot to enhance safety and efficiency of surgery. We are delighted to have this technology!”
6 Creating a great place to work for the benefit of staff and patients
Clear identification through lanyards The Royal’s Emergency Department is one of the busiest in the North West with over 300 patients attending every day of the year. To cover this demand, a large team of clinicians work 24/7 shift patterns with different groups of doctors rotating throughout the year. Due to the dynamic nature of emergency care many specialist teams are often in the Emergency Department, plus we have to facilitate shift patterns for nurses, medical students, paramedics, elective students and dentists which can lead to staff not being sure who the best person is to speak to, or who to approach in an emergency situation. Consultant in ED Terry McLoughlin said: “It’s essential that our staff and patients know who they are talking to. So we started using a simple, cost-effective way to identify staff members – by using different graded and colour-coded lanyards. “A total of 10 colours with 12 different grades were created for ED staff in order to boost patient experience and drive good quality, patient-centred care. This method of non-verbal communication has achieved truly positive results.” A total of 94% of Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospital staff surveyed found that the lanyards had improved non-verbal communication within the department, with 87% expressing how positive the colour-coding was in identifying the level of doctor they were communicating with. Terry added: “It was particularly helpful in critical cases in RESUS where time was of the essence in identifying the team, with particular emphasis for nonemergency department staff, such as paramedics, surgeons, specialist nurses and anaesthetists.” The initiative, which has been tested in other hospitals, has the full support and backing of Health Education North West and the General Medical Council as it provides high levels of patient safety by identifying the correct level of doctor and competency level. The care delivered in emergency departments can be complex and challenging, but this very simple costeffective method, highlights how this improves good standard communication, and, in turn, good quality patientcentred and visitor experience.
Positive sessions for A&E teams Consultant Terry McLoughlin and sister Gillian Mellody have been working with staff in our Emergency Department (ED) to make sure they can enjoy their role without taking the stress of the shift home with them. Our teams spend a lot of time in challenging and pressurised environments, often with patients that have high medical demands, so helping staff to manage those pressures is key to ensuring they’re happy and feel valued. Gillian said: “One project that is going really well is our yoga day which takes place every two weeks from 9am until 4pm, there are 15 minute sessions of meditation and yoga. “This has been really good for staff, we have had around 40 members going along to the 15 minute sessions in one day. It has been fantastic and we’ve had great feedback from everyone that has attended. “It gives staff the chance to unwind and a few minutes of relaxation. The meditation part of the session has been really helpful too, some staff have found this to be a great emotional release. Plus it’s for everyone so doctors, nurses, receptionists from the Emergency floor can all come along. “We also have a football team which includes nurses, HCAs, security and reception staff so it’s another great team building exercise that lets people have a bit of fun with colleagues. We’re also looking for other ward or service teams to play against; it would be good to have a number of teams around the Trust so we can engage with our colleagues outside of work.” Matron Sarah Burke, Gillian and Terry also arranged a Resilience Day that took place in
October which was all about helping staff to better manage pressures of the service. There was a guest speaker, transformative coach, John Scott as well as self-defence sessions and yoga that staff could take part in, plus a talk from a physiotherapist about keeping your back and pelvis healthy while at work. Over 50 people attended the event. Gillian added: “We have introduced a lot of small things but they’re all designed to make a difference to our teams and make them happier. We also have a ‘Greatix Board’ designed to highlight good things staff have done that week, we want people to know how appreciated they are, they even get a certificate. “It’s all about team work, if you’re happy and helping then it will encourage other members of the team to feel positive and pass on that attitude. If you’re not in a good mood then that can easily spread around the team.” Additionally, Terry is encouraging staff to ask themselves five quick questions before they leave work – such as what went well today, what didn’t, are you feeling ok, are your colleagues ok – it’s all about taking a minute to unwind before heading home. Gillian continued: “Another great project that has been set up is for new starters, they all get a ‘buddy’ for three months. A member of the ED team will message the new starter before they begin welcoming them and answering any questions they have about anything from what shoes to wear to the best places to eat lunch or shift patterns. It gives the new team members someone to turn to if they’ve had a bad shift and it helps build that team work.”
Deliver high quality care to all patients
Learning disability nurse joins A&E team to improve patient care Making sure all our patients get the right care is a top priority, which is why recently we added our first learning disability nurse, Lauren Johnston, to work exclusively in our Emergency Department. As one of the first in the country to fill this role, Lauren has grown up around people with learning disabilities but feels we still have a way to go as a society. Lauren said: “In many ways, learning disability has been my entire life. The house I grew up in was a home where my parents were both respite carers for individuals with learning disabilities and my mum has worked in a special needs school for nearly 40 years. During my training, and now within my job role, when I talk to my mum about my experiences, I can see she’s amazed at how much things have changed for those with learning disabilities since the 1980’s when she first started work. “One of the people my parents care for is Michael, a gentleman who has Downs syndrome, is visually impaired and who is also deaf. We first had Michael on respite care when my mum was pregnant with me, and he’s been in our respite care every year for a week or two while his mum has gone on holiday so she can recharge her batteries. I don’t see Michael as someone I care for, but more like an older brother. I recently helped him learn how to wet shave during my training as part of one of my assignments, and it reassured me that ‘Yeah, I’m doing the right thing’. “In 2011, I went to Liverpool Hope University and studied Special Educational Needs, then following graduating in 2014, I did support work but I always felt I could offer so much more. After decided to start studying again, in 2016 I attended Edge Hill University and began my Learning Disability Nursing degree, it was the best decision I ever made!”
Lauren with Michael, the man she and her parents have cared for her entire life, and she considers like her older brother.
Lauren has become one of the first learning disability nurses in the country to be based in the Emergency Department.
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Our new nursing recruitment campaign We have recently launched a new recruitment campaign - Liverpool Nurse – which highlights all the key information you need when thinking about joining our hospitals in a nursing role. Liverpool Nurse covers all roles based at the Royal Liverpool, Broadgreen, Liverpool Dental and Aintree Hospitals. On the new website you can find details about the different career programmes offered in our hospitals, whether you’re a newly qualified nurse and may need guidance or you’re ambitious and want to progress your career to the next level. Even if you want to try out a different medical specialism there is a rotational programme available too.
Lauren worked within our learning disability liaison team for around six months, when the opportunity came up to develop this new role. Our aim is to reduce the length of stay for those with learning disabilities in hospital, and enhance their experience. Through the fantastic work of our liaison team, there has already been a high number of patients whose stay has been reduced significantly. Lauren said: “I would personally like to thank Sarah Burke, A&E matron, which without her enthusiasm, my role within our department may have taken much longer to come into effect.” She added: “Coming into hospital for anyone can be a daunting experience, let alone for those individuals who find the loudness and fast-paced nature of the hospital overwhelming. “We see lots of individuals coming into our hospital, some of whom live independently, to those who require full support 24 hours a day with all aspects of daily living. That’s one thing I’ve enjoyed about working in the Royal; no day is ever the same. I like the fact that I’m in a position where patients come into hospital in need of health interventions and during what can be a very difficult time, we are able to build those vital relationships up to support the patient and their families. “Working within the Emergency Department I have staff coming up to me, asking for guidance, unsure of how to best support those with learning disabilities. This new role means my colleagues can focus on a patient’s physical health needs and I’m able to focus on their learning disability needs. Together we can offer a more complete package, and a prime example of teamwork.”
You can find out about the benefits of joining our Trust as a nurse, and you’ll soon discover that it’s our staff – your potential colleagues – that make our hospitals so special. They’ll be ready to offer you support on good days and the days that bring a challenge. Plus with patients travelling from all over the region to receive treatment your days will never be dull, each patient brings their own wonderful story to share with you while on the wards. Visit LiverpoolNurse.co.uk for more information or to register your interest. You can also find a full list of nursing positions currently available.
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Creating a great place to work for the benefit of staff and patients
Progress on the new Royal Following the merger of Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, into Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the new Royal remains a priority. We are committed to delivering the state of the art facilities that our patients need and the world class hospital we’ve all been waiting for. In addition, we remain committed to providing regular updates on progress as we move to completion of the new Royal. There are currently around 60 contractors and over 385 workers on site. Construction is progressing well and work on the structural issues is ongoing. This work involves providing the 220 cubic metres of concrete reinforcements required to the structure. To help understand this complex process and reassure you that every measure is being taken to ensure the building is finished to the high standards required, we have created a number of videos which we publish on our website and social media. The other key element of the remedial works is installing 165 tonnes of new fabricated steelwork parts, which will start in late autumn. The solution for the areas of external cladding that need to be removed is still being worked through with specialist advisors. There are significant challenges in ensuring that the existing cladding system can be fixed to meet compliance and the options being looked at have varying impact on the timescale and costs. When this solution is confirmed, we will have the full costs and timescales. We are working extremely hard to scrutinise contracts with the aim of getting the best value for money for the NHS and ultimately for the tax payer. In addition, we have taken legal advice for potential legal redress to the inherited issues on the project. In the meantime, Laing O’Rourke is finishing a number of ‘exemplar rooms’. These will be
used to benchmark the standard throughout the hospital and will help to illustrate the state of the art facilities that we are all working hard to deliver for our patients and staff.
For the latest updates on the new Royal please follow our social media channels @LivHospitals and website: www.LiverpoolFT.nhs.uk.
Working together to improve care
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Groundbreaking initiative aims to save the lives of stab victims A member of the Trust’s trauma team who treats victims of knife crime has launched a new initiative, Knifesavers, to help improve people’s survival rates from knife violence. The KnifeSavers team aims to empower and educate the public on how to control lifethreatening bleeding from knife wounds. Plus they have helped design specialist bleeding control kits which will be placed in targeted locations around the region, starting in Liverpool. Mr Nikhil Misra is a consultant general and trauma surgeon at Aintree University Hospital, which is home to the Major Trauma Centre serving Merseyside and Cheshire, and he has seen the number of knife cases he treats rise year-on-year. Nikhil said: “Equipping people with the knowledge and tools to prevent massive blood loss at the scene of a stabbing is the single most effective step we can take towards improving the chances of survival for victims. We’ve seen increasing numbers of people coming through our Emergency Department who have been stabbed and I would say it is reaching epidemic proportions. “The aim of KnifeSavers is to ensure people
who have been stabbed have the greatest chance of not dying and making a successful recovery and the best way to do this is to limit blood loss as quickly as possible.” A person who has been stabbed could suffer a significant loss of blood before they reach hospital – just five minutes of heavy bleeding can lead to loss of consciousness or even death. KnifeSavers has been created with help from victims of knife crime and their families, as well as support from trauma data analysts at the Public Health Institute at Liverpool John Moores University. KnifeSavers is being backed by both Everton and Liverpool Football Clubs. The main focus of the campaign is education and training. The KnifeSavers team has been delivering teaching on bleeding control in community centres in Liverpool to teenagers and will be going into schools around the city to teach pupils, as well as running training events for pub, bar and nightclub owners and staff around the city centre. The bleeding control kits contain scissors, gloves, tourniquets and trauma dressings as well as military-grade gauze and chest wound sealant – everything you need to help limit the loss of blood.
Rob Jackson, emergency nurse clinician at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital said: “If even one life is saved thanks to the Knifesavers project then it is worth it. The last eight people, under the age of 18 living in our community that have suffered a knife attack, have died as a result of a single stab wound. “The night time economy, such as bars, clubs and restaurants, have been fantastic in joining together and supporting Knifesavers by taking part in the training events and keeping the specialist bleeding control kits on hand in their premises. This is a fantastic example of how our hospitals are working together with local partners to ensure Knifesavers really can save lives.” Dr Chris Grant, medical director at North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “This is a fantastic initiative. Even in the few minutes that it takes for an ambulance to arrive, if people at the scene of a stabbing are equipped with the knowledge and tools to limit blood loss then this will make a real difference to the patient’s chances of survival and a full recovery.” For more information, visit www.knifesavers.co.uk. To make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ knifesavers.
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Fundraising
Liverpool FC legends take part in Alan Ingham’s golf day Every year one of our most loyal fundraisers, Alan Ingham, holds a charity golf day at West Derby golf club in order to raise money for our urology department. This year was no exception; the golf day was held on the 6 September 2019 and raised a staggering £9,000. Over 20 teams were involved in the day including Liverpool FC legends Bruce Grobbelaar and Alan Kennedy; guests were greeted with breakfast on arrival before heading out on the course for a round of golf. Post golf Alan organised a raffle and auction which included a vast array of prizes including football and golf memorabilia. Alan’s fundraising started after he became our first ever patient in Liverpool to undergo surgery using the Da Vinci robot in May 2011. The machine uses four robotic arms to make incisions while a surgeon controls the machine from a hi-tech console. The impressive piece of kit removed prostate cancer from Alan and eight years on he continues to raise money for our hospitals as an ambassador for R Charity.
Pete Price with Loren Slade from R Charity (left) at the annual R Charity Ball
Over 200 people attended the annual R Charity Ball
The Ball was a huge success raising £35,000
Businesses, staff and local people all came to show support
R Charity Ball raises £35,000 towards a new cancer machine A staggering £35,000 was raised at the R Charity Ball which will help our hospital purchase a machine to detect and diagnose prostate cancer. Held in the Hilton Liverpool on 6 September 2019, this glamourous charity event was attended by over 200 local people and businesses who were all keen to show their support to R Charity. Lauren Davies, R Charity’s head of fundraising, said: “All the funds raised from the Ball will help our urology department to purchase a TRUB machine (trans-rectal ultrasound biopsy) which helps to detect and diagnose prostate cancer in our patients.
Liverpool FC legends Bruce Grobbelaar and Alan Kennedy take part in Alan Ingham’s annual golf day
Alan Ingham pictured with R Charity mascot
“Approximately 40,000 men are diagnosed with the disease each year in England alone making this the most common form of cancer in males.
Andrew Dean. All the auction and raffle prizes were donated by local businesses and stakeholders including Avrenim Facilities Management, Laing O’Rourke, Sutcliffes, Novosco, Hill Dickinson, Santander, HSBC, Barclays, Comoo and Electric Hair. A number of local celebrities also attended including June Bernicoff from Goggle Box. Afterwards she said: “We had a great time at the Ball and are so pleased to contribute to the charity. “I was glad to meet the urology team so I could thank them for the wonderful care Leon received over the years at Broadgreen and the Royal. We will be forever indebted to all the staff who took such great care of him.”
“The £35,000 raised on the night will take us that little bit closer to our £100,000 goal.”
Lauren added: “On behalf of R Charity we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported this year’s annual ball, we continue to be overwhelmed with the generosity of our supporters. We’ve already booked for 2020 - Friday 25 September 2020 at Hilton Liverpool.
Professor Philip Cornford, consultant urological surgeon, added: “It was a fantastic night at the R Charity Ball raising money to help fund the earlier diagnosis of prostate cancer for our patients. It’s the number one cancer in men in the UK.”
“R Charity continues to work with doctors, nurses and other staff to identify needs for equipment and facilities that will enhance care and enable our staff to make a positive difference to the lives of tens of thousands of patients each year.”
The fabulous evening, which was hosted by Radio City’s Simon Greening and Pete Price, included live entertainment from Where’s Moo, as well as Up All Night and magician
To support the care and treatment we offer our patients donate to R Charity online www.rlbuht.nhs.uk/r-charity/ or call 0151 706 3153.
Fundraising 11
Providing comfort packs for What’s on families in palliative care In August two members of staff from our palliative care team signed up with R Charity and abseiled down the Anglican Cathedral to help raise money for Comfort Care packs.
“So, Lynne and I decided to raise money to reinstate this support and we aimed to raise enough to get us going for a year. Luckily through a lot of generosity I think we will get two years out of this fundraiser.
The Comfort Care packs contain essential toiletry items for families visiting relatives on the palliative care ward when they don’t want to leave their family member’s bedside.
“Next year I plan to do a sky dive to help sustain this even further!”
Lynne Cannell, who has worked with the palliative care team since 2001 – first as a clinical nurse specialist and then as a manager, said: “The comfort care packs show families that we care about them, they are just as important to us as the patient.” Abby Ponsonby, receptionist for the academic palliative and end of life care department, added: “We have previously provided the Comfort Care packs to patient’s relatives and the feedback was well received by the families. However they need to be supported through donations.
On Saturday 17 August the pair took to the heights of the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and then descended 150ft with other R Charity fundraisers. Lynne said: “It was terrifying to begin with as you take your first step off but it was so exhilarating. The views from the top of the cathedral are amazing.” Abby added: “I loved it! I would definitely do it again. At first I was a little anxious, but as soon as I was over the edge I instantly felt a rush of excitement! Not only is it something I did for charity to support patients and their relatives, I also did it to push myself and do something way out of my comfort zone and I enjoyed it!”
Christmas Elf Hunt Get your wellies on and help us find the elves hidden in the trees along the trail. Father Christmas needs them back in his workshop! Taking place on Saturday 7 December 2019, this is a perfect Christmas event for the whole family. Set in the beautiful grounds of Allerton Manor Golf Club it will raise funds for our hospitals. Tickets are £6.50 per child and a £1 donation per adult. Tickets are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. Visit: r-charity-elf-hunt.eventbrite.co.uk.
Liverpool Life Christmas Concert Our ‘Celebrate a Liverpool Life Christmas Concert’ is being held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Prescot Street. The concert takes place from 7pm on Thursday 12 December 2019. There’ll be readings, carols for you to join in with, and of course mulled wine and mince pies! Tickets are £10 or £8 concession and include a mince pie and light refreshments.
Three Peaks Challenge The 24-hour national 3 Peaks Challenge is taking place from Friday 19 June until Saturday 20 June 2020. Over the course of two days, you will trek around 26 miles and ascend to a total height of almost 3,000m as you take on the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales. We ask that you aim to raise £450 and we will provide support along the way, including sponsorship forms, fundraising games and set you up with your own online fundraising page. For more information on events contact fundraising@rlbuht.nhs.uk or call 0151 706 3150.
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Fundraising
Services benefit from new wheelchair donation Paul Dixon, who amazingly donated his kidney five years ago and now volunteers at the Royal each week, has once again provided two brand new wheelchairs to specialist services in our Trust. Paul, who has already bought seven wheelchairs for the Royal, donated another one to St Paul’s out-patient department this week. Joanna O’Dowd and Chris Plews from St Paul’s ophthalmology department said: “Thank you so much, we’re all really grateful and the wheelchairs come to such good use as many of our patients can struggle to get around the hospital. This just makes their hospital appointment go so much smoother. “We’re very lucky to have someone like Paul who is so thoughtful and volunteers his time throughout the week supporting our hospital.” Paul also presented a wheelchair to the fracture clinic: “I love to be able to help out when I can and I know if each department or ward has their own personalised wheelchair then that’ll make a positive difference to patient care.” Catherine Rees from orthopaedic outpatients added: “This is amazing, we can certainly make use of having a wheelchair dedicated to our department so we can assist patients to and from their appointments. It’s great that Paul has also had the plaque put on the chair too so we know it belongs to our department.”
Making breast screening more accessible The breast team based at Broadgreen have received a brand new motorised mammography chair that will help transform the way mammograms for patients that cannot stand are carried out. The £4,500 needed to purchase the new chair was raised by R Charity, who are actively looking to support departments within the Trust with new equipment to assist in the care of patients. A mammogram is a breast x-ray. During your appointment, you are normally asked to undress to the waist and stand in front of the mammogram machine. Your breasts will then be placed one at a time on the x-ray machine, where they will be pressed down firmly on the surface by a clear plate and pictures taken. However for women receiving a mammogram in a wheelchair and cannot stand, the mammogram can be performed but restrictions in the movement of a regular chair or wheelchair can greatly reduce the ability to image the entire breast. “This specially designed positioning chair will allow the breast screening service to become more accessible for disabled women,” said Ali Guest, superintendent radiographer at Broadgreen Hospital. “It will increase the chances of obtaining a good quality image for those who cannot stand during their mammogram.”
The new Wolverston chair was delivered to the Alexandra Wing of Broadgreen in September, replacing the old mammography positioning chair – which had no motorised movements and was becoming increasingly difficult to use. “As the new chair is fully motorised, it is better for both patients and the radiographers using it. It really will make a huge difference for our patients and we thank R Charity for being able to support us in funding for the equipment,” said Ali. “We’re thrilled that we have been able to fundraise for this new mammography chair, especially as it was in use for Breast Cancer Awareness month in October,” said Lauren Davies, head of fundraising. “As part of the awareness month, we have been working hard to get as many people signed up to run the Scouse 5k for us on October 27 – as money raised from the event will go toward funding more equipment for the breast unit. We also encouraged people to host their own Pink Party during October! Knowing equipment like this will make a real difference for both patients and staff is incredible.” If you want to get involved call 0151 706 3153 or email fundraising@rlbuht.nhs.uk.
Creating a great place to work for the benefit of staff and patients 13
CURE launches to support smokers In October we launched the CURE project which supports inpatients who smoke and provides them with treatment from our new in-house smoking cessation team.
we want to change these terrible statistics by helping smokers to quit when they are admitted to hospital.”
The project will routinely offer patients treatment for nicotine withdrawal as well as access to an individual management plan by delivered by our new CURE team. The team’s support will continue for up to four weeks once patients have been discharged.
•A culture change within secondary care to embed the treatment of tobacco addiction into all medical teams’ day-to-day practice.
Dr Gareth Jones, respiratory consultant, said: “Tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable death and illness, and figures show one in two smokers die prematurely due to their smoking. There are many highly effective treatments for this disease and
The CURE project aims to ensure:
•A ll patients who are admitted are asked whether they smoke and their response is recorded in the hospital’s electronic records. •A ll smokers are offered immediate Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) at the moment of admission to help alleviate the cravings for nicotine during their admission.
•A ll smokers are offered specialist support through motivational interviewing and behavioural change support as well as access to additional evidence-based pharmacotherapy treatments for tobacco addiction. • S tandardised and robust handover of treatment plan to primary care/community stop smoking providers upon discharge. Gareth added: “CURE also aims to ensure our hospital grounds are to become smokefree environments for all, supporting smokers in their quest to stop smoking and protecting patients, public and staff from second-hand smoke. “We have been training staff to enable them to discuss and initiate the treatment for tobacco addiction with smokers, as well as moving the smoking assessment form onto the ADT Whiteboard system to make it easier for clinicians to identify and screen patients who smoke. “There is strong evidence that secondary care represents a uniquely powerful “teachable moment” when a smoker is admitted to hospital to seed the concept of a quit attempt and achieve successful long term abstinence.”
Supporting staff against violence After noticing an increase of abusive and violent behaviour in our hospitals, our security team has been taking action and working alongside staff to help tackle the issue. The security incident management system (SIMS) found that security officers were responding to more incidents which involved greater levels of abuse and violence where drugs were prominent and weapons have been used. Additionally, incidents were also occurring more frequently on our hospital wards. Staff also raised similar concerns in our 2018 staff survey results. Stephen Mangan security manager, said: “The survey results showed that there is an issue with staff experiencing violence and aggression in the workplace from either patients, visitors or in some cases fellow colleagues. To help tackle this issue a Rapid Improvement Group was
set up and a number of key actions have been identified and undertaken. “We have now made it easier for staff to report incidents that have taken place and so far an additional nine incidents have been reported using this simplified reporting system. “We have also increased the support available to staff after any violence or abuse has taken place. Plus, based upon intelligence we have improved our preventative measures so issues are resolved before they escalate to a level of violence.” Since May 2019 we have written 30 formal warning letters to patients that have either verbally abused or violently assaulted staff – compared to only four issued in 2018/19. To provide an advanced warning for staff we have put nine ‘risk of violence’ markers alongside patient details who have previously caused incidents.
For the financial year of 2018/19 a total of 360 incidents have been reported to the security team. Stephen added: “We want staff to be reassured that we will provide support if any incidents take place, plus visitors and patients should understand any violence or abuse towards our staff isn’t tolerated. “We have seen a number of successful prosecutions when members of staff have been subject to abusive or violent incidents and have also had a successful prosecution for hate crime offence. Just one example resulted in the person being sentenced to provide £200 compensation, probation service for six months, treatment for alcohol abuse and rehabilitation activities. “This demonstrates that polices put in place to support staff post incident are having an impact.”
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Creating a great place to work for the benefit of staff and patients
Staff recognition awards Employee of the month
Excellence in supply awards 2019 Our Lloyds Pharmacy team based at the Royal and Broadgreen picked up an award in October at the Excellence in Supply Awards 2019. Professor Alison B Ewing, clinical director of pharmacy collected the award on behalf of the team who were Highly Commended in the Acute Sector Awards for their outpatient dispensing service (OPD). The OPD at Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals opened in November 2009 and the service has developed over the last 10 years to make patient care more accessible, improve patient experience and reduce waiting times. This pioneering approach has subsequently been expanded to 44 other acute hospitals across England and the opening of Aintree University Hospitals’ Lloyds Pharmacy OPD in November 2019 will mark the 10 year anniversary. Additionally, Aintree University Hospital also picked up the winners award in the NHS Supplier Engagement sector nominated by Lexmark.
February 2019 - Jade Thomas
March 2019 - Terry Wilson
May 2019 - Jackie Timperley
June 2019 - Gill Williams
Team of the month
March 2019 - A&E
Ambulatory care awards The ambulatory care team at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital has won two awards at the Society for Acute Medicine Awards 2019 for our ‘virtual ward’. The two awards were for the team’s poster which explained how the virtual dashboard system works which was then nominated for an oral presentation. Maeve Kinsella and Iain Davidson who were displaying the poster on the day had a queue of people waiting to speak to them. Vicky Price, our consultant in acute medicine, who attended and represented the presentations on the day, along with Maeve and Iain was incredibly happy to have won, she said: “We submitted three posters from the acute medical unit which were accepted, one of which was accepted for a talk. The poster won the Highly Commended Poster Award for our amazing work.”
April 2019 - Acute Integrated Frailty Unit Of the 16 oral presentations heard on amazing NHS innovations, the team went home with the prize. Vicky added: “The presentation about our virtual dashboard data and ambulatory data won the award for best talk. So we went home with two awards!”
Deliver high quality care to all patients 15
New study to improve the diagnosis of eye infections Clinicians and scientists from St Paul’s Eye Unit and the University of Liverpool are leading a new study to diagnose corneal infections using the latest highly sensitive molecular DNA and RNA techniques. These new approaches have the potential to be more accurate and could reduce the diagnostic time to a few hours instead of several days or weeks. The cornea is the transparent window of the front of the eye and is susceptible to infections that can lead to pain and loss of sight. Identifying the cause of infection can be difficult as many different bacteria, viruses or fungi can cause corneal infections and may mimic each other. Current methods of identifying the cause, including growing the bacteria or fungi for several days, are successful in only approximately 30% of cases, limiting the ability to give patients the best treatment. Dr Davide Borroni, Corneal Fellow at the Royal, said: “The idea is to take a sample from the patient’s infected eye and directly analyse all the microbial DNA and RNA, leading to a quicker and more accurate diagnosis of infections.
Metagenomics is an advanced method of determining the sequence of genetic material which will enable clinicians and scientists to identify the key players in these infections.” Dr Tobi Somerville, Medical Research Council clinical research training fellow, said: “If we can make this new diagnostic test clinically useful, the impact could be huge, because ophthalmologists will have the precise number, the DNA/RNA sequence of all the microorganisms. This will allow doctors to target the microorganisms more quickly and accurately and will lead the way for the development of personalised treatment.” Dr Davide Borroni explained: “Earlier and more precise diagnosis will give a better outlook for the patient. It may also reduce the need for more invasive treatments, such as a corneal transplant.” The study is being funded by The Medical Research Council (MRC) and The European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) and is expected to last for three years. The results will be shared with eye doctors around the world.
St Paul’s welcomes new volunteers Two new hospitality volunteers have joined our team at St Paul’s Eye Unit. Carol Brackley and Emily King will join our first hospitality volunteer, Myrddin Hands (Cat), to help give patients the best experience when they visit St Paul’s. Part of their role will be to guide St Paul’s patients between departments, make tea and toast for patients who have just had surgery and even going into theatre with worried patients to hold their hand and reduce anxiety and fear. We’d like to wish them a warm welcome and look forward to giving our patients an even better experience.
16
Creating a great place to work for the benefit of staff and patients
Tree planted in memory of organ donors On Friday 4 October at Broadgreen Hospital a tree was planted in memory of those who have died and given their organs to others. Organised by Reverend George Perera, the tree was part of the Organ and Tissue Donation Thanksgiving Service which acknowledged everyone involved in organ donation, including the memory of those who have died and donated their organs, those who have received, people who have given altruistically as well as their family members and staff. The tree was planted in the Therapies Garden area of Broadgreen Hospital so everyone can benefit while in this area of relaxation and rehabilitation. Additionally, the Therapies Garden has recently been recognised by NHS Forest when our hospitals picked up an award for Best Community Engagement due to the benefits the greenspace brings to our patient recovery. Ian Stenton, head of sustainability, was also doing a presentation at the NHS Forest conference about community engagement and greenspace in hospitals, he said: “It’s really good that we have been recognised for our use of greenspace at Broadgreen for patients. The Therapies Garden assists in the health and well-being of complex rehabilitation patients, so is used by The Phoenix Rehabilitation Centre on Ward 5 as well as Macmillan Cancer Support. “For patients access to the garden provides a space to practice their outdoor mobility, challenge their balance as well as have a space where they can enjoy some time off the ward. “Some of our patients will experience visual and sensory problems and having the garden available provides the benefits of stimulation to all their senses as well as giving them a purpose of creating something.” We have also just won a bid for £150,000 from Veolia Environmental Trust to upgrade the green space at Broadgreen. The funds will provide an outdoor gym, food growing space and develop the garden.
Christine Toh, resident artist, pictured with the team on Ward 2X and the new artwork which was inspired by working with our dementia patients.
Therapy art sessions for patients Commissioned artist in print and textiles Christine Toh, displayed her latest piece of work in our ‘Arts For Health’ project in the Royal. Christine has been working with patients living with dementia, hosting art therapy sessions, which have had a really positive and stimulating effect for participating patients. The collage of flowers was hung in the foyer of Ward 2X on Tuesday 8 October, with Christine using the results of her patient sessions to create a highly colourful installation of flowers and garden fauna. Flowers that were pressed during those activities have been mounted on postcards funded by R Charity. Christine is our third artist in residence and the project is sustained by a variety of stakeholder funding and donations. Christine Toh said: “The vision seemed to come to life when we were doing this work, it was inspired by the workshop that we undertook in the hospitals working with patients living with dementia. We used a lot of bright colours and plants, flowers and the idea was to bring a little bit of the garden to life at the bedside.
“Because the hospital environment is not always very stimulating, the staff are fantastic but they don’t always have the time to engage intimately with people, so this was a really positive workshop for patients.” After the artwork was installed Shaun Lever, dementia lead, said: “A massive thank you to Christine Toh, who has developed this amazing piece of art. It was created with Christine working therapeutically with many patients with dementia and engaging them in meaningful activities, giving them purpose for the day and allowing them to be creative. “When patients are in hospital and unwell with dementia it can be a scary place. Boredom can be an issue, so being engaged in meaningful activities and creative pieces of work can really help reduce anxiety and inadvertently reduce things like falls and the lengths of stay in hospital and better compliance with treatment. It has been truly amazing the work that Christine has done.” Ian Stenton, head of sustainability, said: “We’re hoping that we can carry on these art residencies as long as possible but they’re totally reliant on our funders. Hopefully the funding will continue and we can keep doing them here and in the new Royal too.”
Creating a great place to work for the benefit of staff and patients 17
Patients enjoy canine visits to aid recovery Patients at Broadgreen Hospital have been receiving some regular canine companionship to aid their recovery. We have launched an exciting new programme with Pets as Therapy, a charity that works alongside people who take their pets into places where patients may want to see or stroke them, in order to help their mood and help them to recover from illnesses. Wards 5, 9 and 11 have been working with two Pets as Therapy dogs, Lucy, a rescue greyhound, and Orla, a golden retriever, to help patients who are recovering from illnesses and are facing long stays in hospital. Beverly Sheaf, deputy therapy manager, said: “Our patients have had some sort of trauma such as a vehicle accident on the roads or an accident in work, have been a victim of violence or have had a lengthy hospital stay in the intensive care unit. Many have suffered brain injuries as well as physical injuries and, as you can imagine, their rehabilitation is long and involves a team from multiple departments working closely together. The dogs are regulars on the wards now and have been absolutely amazing!
They’re really working wonders for staff and patients alike.” Tim Villanueva, therapist, said: “The most striking effect of the therapy dogs is that they allow the patients to have time where they aren’t just focused on the things that may have happened to them or the rehab they have to get through. The dogs are fantastic – they have such a positive impact on people’s mood and their engagement with rehab. They really help our patients understand that their stay here isn’t just about rehab, it’s about them as a person.
Developing innovative medical devices
“One of the nicest things about us being able to utilise these therapy dogs is that the patients don’t have to travel anywhere to feel the benefits. The dogs can come to the bedside or spend time with patients in the day rooms.”
Two of our theatre team members were recently selected from over 1,000 applicants and are proud to be the first from both of their professions to become NHS Clinical Entrepreneurs.
Deborah Dow, CEO of Pets as Therapy, said: “Our Pets as Therapy volunteers regularly visit hospitals across the UK, offering joy, comfort and companionship to patients. We are delighted to be working in Broadgreen Hospital and look forward to supporting patients in the future.”
Rob Brothwood, our senior operating department practitioner and Matt Cullinane, anaesthesia associate, have secured positions on the National NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme which is a great achievement. This training programme provides opportunities for clinical, NHS staff and health professionals to develop their entrepreneurial aspirations during their clinical training period. With support from our Research, Development and Innovation team (RD&I) Rob and Matt have been developing innovative medical devices for the past five years. One of these devices - a single patient use airway securing device - has reached patent stage, and with the hope of forthcoming commercialisation it could benefit millions of patients worldwide. Matt says: “We are two ordinary theatre workers who identified a real problem. We decided to try and come up with a solution and took it from there with the assistance and guidance from RD&I. It’s taken a long time to get to this point, but we haven’t given up. “We believe that there are many staff out there who also have great idea’s to the problems we are all working with every day, and hope that we are an example to them that with hard work, the right support and a never give up attitude, you can get to where we are now.”
18
Exceptional patient experience
Patient thanks
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sary today. I’d like to kidney #transplant anniver It‘s my husband’s 9 year life. Thank you! his ing for the essentially sav thank @RoyalLpoolHosps nsplant #OurNHS #nhs #kidneytra
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