Issuu

staff magazine | Spring 2021

Inside the vaccine story Plus: Your lockdown living

Contents

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk 4-5 Making the most of now – Your lockdown hobbies 6

Excellence in Practice graduates

The story of the vaccine roll-out

8-9 Reasons to be cheerful – awardwinning LTHT 10 Latest from Building the Leeds Way 11 New Ambulatory Surgical Centre opening 12-13 Stress less – colleagues share their health and wellbeing tips 4 Making the most of now – Your lockdown hobbies

14 In the spotlight: Clinical Educators International team

7 The story of the vaccine

15 Staff celebrate AHP Day 16–17 BME Allyship – Meaningful actions

8 Reasons to be cheerful – Award-winning LTHT

12 Stress less – colleagues share health and wellbeing tips

Leeds Cares corner

My Job – Andrew Price

Lockdown Kitchen

Organ Donation Week

22–23 Farewells 24

StaffConnect // Staff Lottery

60 Seconds – Victoria Cranston

Bulletin is produced quarterly by the Communications Department. Photography by Medical Illustration Design by Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd Send your feedback, ideas and suggestions for the next edition to communications.lth@nhs.net or call exts. 64303/66494/66244. Copy deadline is 1st May 2021

14 Team spotlight: Clinical Educators International team

For more news on a daily basis from LTHT please follow us on social media: 20 Lockdown Kitchen – Your new favourite recipe

search for ‘Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’

@LeedsHospitals

Cover photo by Simon Hulme. Thanks to The Yorkshire Post for use of the picture.

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News

Historic moment for Leeds as first Covid-19 vaccines delivered It was a historic moment for LTHT, the city, and even the world, as St James’s became one of the first hospitals in the country to deliver the very first Covid-19 vaccines on 8 December. The landmark date saw Leeds Teaching Hospitals selected as one of the first 50 ‘hospital hub’ sites to take delivery of the Pfizer vaccine and start providing vaccinations to the initial priority groups.

housekeeper, Bridget (Marie) Kelly, the Trust’s oldest nurse, and 89-year old medical secretary (still in active employment) Connie Bray. Sylvia joined LTHT when she was 26 years old and has been shielding at home during the pandemic. She said: “I miss all the people I work with. I’m so glad I’ve got it done.”

Frontline health and social care staff from across the city were among the first to receive the vaccine, along with care home staff and patients aged 80 and above who were already attending hospital as an outpatient or being discharged after a hospital stay.

Dr Phil Wood, Chief Medical Officer, said: “The work involved in bringing this moment together is a tremendous achievement and another example of partners across the city working together to ensure we are ready to deliver the biggest immunisation programme in the history of the NHS.”

Amongst those vaccinated on the day included Sylvia Harris, 80-year-old ward

Read the behind-the-scenes story of the Covid vaccine roll out in Leeds on p. 7.

Welcome Welcome to the Spring issue of Bulletin! A year ago, in my editorial message in the first Bulletin of 2020, I asked you to consider making the year about you – about your health and wellbeing and putting your needs first. What I don’t think any of us realised then was just how important this would be throughout the rest of the year. This issue of the Bulletin gives us a timely opportunity to reflect on the past twelve months, and the adjustments we have all had to make through repeated lockdowns, social distancing, and restrictions, not to mention the enormous amount of hard work from everyone. All of this takes its toll. And so this issue is all about the ways we’ve been coping – from new hobbies taken up during lockdown to ways of recharging and tips for de-stressing during difficult moments – we’re hearing from colleagues across LTHT about how they have coped and made the most of things. With so much disruption, isolation and uncertainty in our lives, it is more important than ever that we are taking time to look after ourselves and look out for each other. There are some great contributions from colleagues in this issue, so do please enjoy reading them. Who knows? Maybe you’ll read something that might make you think: “I’d like to try that.” We’re all in this together – looking out for one another and staying true to our Leeds Way values will help us all get through this. Kind regards

Julian Hartley Chief Executive

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Making the most of now – your new lockdown hobby

The pandemic has forced us to look at life in new ways. With lockdown restrictions curtailing socialising and making some past-times impossible to enjoy as we once did, many people have been picking up new hobbies or learning new skills to make the most of living through these strange times. Carol Scholfield

Carol Scholfield, Chief Dental Technician, and Anna Edgren-Davies, Senior HR Manager – wild swimming: Carol: “A life-changing accident and, further to this, a life-altering illness has meant that for many years I have struggled to find an activity I could do that wouldn’t leave me gasping for air. Sarcoidosis has meant I’ve been unable to walk far or use equipment safely. It wasn’t until earlier last year when a lovely friend of mine - who shares my diagnosis – encouraged me to join her in her new hobby of wild swimming. “I have always loved water, and so one afternoon in May I visited my friend at her canal boat near Manchester and we dipped into the river alongside the canal. I was absolutely hooked from there. I could swim, I didn’t need any aids or assistance, and I felt empowered as I hadn’t done for the past five years. It was thrilling, and the fear of the cold water made it even more so - but all we did was laugh and squeal like kids. “My family have been so supportive. We came up with a rule not to go alone, so

I’ve been going to to a local lake through the summer with my son and his lovely girlfriend. We stopped as the weather got colder but on Christmas Eve my son announced we were going to the lake the following morning. There was sparkling ice and bright sunshine. We broke the ice all the way down to the lake and, once in the water, lasted about five minutes. We couldn’t have been colder, but the feeling of elation lasted throughout the whole of Christmas Day, which we spent in the garden, with a full Christmas dinner in a tinsel-clad gazebo with log fires going around us and had the merriest Christmas possibly ever. “I realise I am luckier than most but my time at home has made me realise the value of having a workplace to go to. For many of us, our boundaries between work and home have been eroded with workspace taking over our living space so that there’s no way to ignore it. It has been so important to me to have something far removed from work and home when our world has shrunk so much. Wild swimming and the possibilities it opens up all over the country, when we’re allowed to travel, gives me some hope. “We’re looking at running some wild swimming starter sessions for staff who are interested in testing this hobby out. If you would like to register your interest please email anna.edgren-davies@nhs. net and when local restrictions permit we will arrange a session.”

Kate Davies, Patient Admin at Wharfedale Hospital – homegrown food: “We were fortunate to have amazing weather during the first lockdown, this brought out the inner gardener in me. It’s always been there but with the added tension from the pandemic gardening helped me to de-stress and take time out on my days off. The kids got involved so it meant we were outside more and enjoying the simple things in life. We managed to grow a variety of things: courgettes, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, raspberries (these were gobbled up in seconds), tomatoes, peppers and peas. “My gardening skills and knowledge have grown, it’s been lovely speaking to older members of the family to get hints and tips. There’s nothing more satisfying then when you get a basket full of produce to have for a meal. I’m already planning what to grow this year!”

Janette Gibson Administration Manager, Organisational Learning – crocheting: “I picked up crocheting again and found I love making blankets. I first learnt when

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Tom Dickie, Head of Podiatry – wildflower gardening:

I was 10 (over 50 years ago!), my friend’s mum taught me. I have been watching YouTube videos to learn, they are one of the best sources of inspiration and learning again has been brilliant.

“I started a vegetable plot in my front garden some years ago, and we found that we didn’t really need it any more. So I planted a wild garden. It all started with the chairs, as we wanted something nice to look at as we sat of a summer’s evening. The garden has included bee bombs to attract insects and wild bees and striking poppies, it was a real talking point during the nicer weather. Neighbours would stop as they passed by, or have a drink at the other side of the poppy, it kept us in (socially distanced) contact with people.”

“Making these blankets gives me a chance to put thinking about work to one side, I go off into my own world where Covid doesn’t exist. I’d recommend it to anyone, it’s a skill you can take with you through life.”

Bradie Page

Bradie Page, Graphic Designer - mixology:

Sarah Rogers, Volunteer Services Manager – from roller skating to house plants: “I love rollerskating. The lockdown meant that I couldn’t do some of my usual skating classes or activities but forced me to find new places to skate. One spot was an unused car park, a factory that had been closed for business. If it was dry I’d spend a couple of hours just rolling around or practising new things. “Sadly, if it was bad weather, skating was off. So, I turned my attention to house plants. I acquired a couple of plants in April time, since then my collection has grown to around 40 plants of varying sizes. I am constantly tinkering with them. I have watering regimes, window sills full of propagating plants and an endless supply of spider pups. I think I prefer my house plants to actual gardening. It feels a bit less daunting than tackling the shrubs in the garden!”

“The idea to try Mixology was a bit of fun really. I love going out for a cocktail, so when we couldn’t go out because of lockdown, I ordered a cocktail making kit! Initially I started looking up my favourite recipes online, but as lockdown continued one of my favourite cocktail bars started doing live mixology classes via social media, so you would buy the ingredients in advance and then make the cocktails alongside them on the video. “This has made me feel like I wasn’t missing out by being locked in, and it was just something fun to do during a tough time. I can’t wait to host a celebratory cocktail party when we are able to!”

Andy Bennett, Estates Officer – ballroom dancing: “I love to go and watch Leeds United, take foreign holidays and socialising with friends and family in the pub. Basically, everything that has been banned recently. So our latest adventure is learning ballroom dancing via Zoom. Every Monday night for 45 minutes my wife and I dance around our front room with Rise Dance from Farsley.”

Georgie Duncan, Deputy Chief Clinical Information Officer – mini market: “I have an allotment where I grow veg and flowers. During the pandemic, I’ve created a mini market stall at the end of my drive, raising over £400 for J54 (Intensive Care Unit). This ‘seedling’ of an idea - pun intended - has turned into a real community project, with other people also contributing produce and plants to sell.”

News

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Excellence in Practice programme sees first cohort graduate The Excellence in Practice programme introduced by Chief Nurse Lisa Grant and her team in July 2020, focuses on demonstrating excellence across Nurses, Midwives and Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) at LTHT Lisa joined the Trust in 2019 and clearly set out her vision for a nationally recognised programme that values, supports and recognises the workforce, whilst also attracting the very best people into the organisation. Ensuring that we provide the right education and skills for staff in their clinical areas, built on evidence based practice and research, whilst also undertaking areas of development that are at the heart of the Trust’s aims, was a key priority for the programme. The programme was developed and delivered in collaboration with Leeds Beckett University, University of Leeds, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, organisations in the Leeds Academic Health Partnership. It was launched as an important part of the celebrations around the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, which began in January 2020 for the bicentenary of the birth of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale. Designated by the World Health Organisation as the first ever global Year

of the Nurse and Midwife, the year-long effort to raise awareness of their valuable work, and celebrate the positive impact they make on the lives of so many, has been embraced all over the world. In December last year, the very first cohort of the Leeds Excellence in Practice programme were celebrated, as an impressive number of nurses, midwives and ODPs completed their programme in just 12 weeks, during one of the most challenging times the NHS has faced. Whilst the celebrations were moved online, it was a grand event nonetheless, kindly supported by Leeds Hospitals Charity with ‘live’ performances from solo singer and Associate Community Matron, Zoe Dunphy from Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust kicking off the event and Shire Oak C of E Primary School Choir ending the proceedings and congratulatory speeches led by Dame Linda Pollard, Chair of LTHT and Julian Hartley, Chief Executive. Core elements of the Excellence in Practice programme include Compassionate Leadership and the Leeds Improvement Method, and taking part embodies the Leeds Way Values and Respectful Behaviours. Nurses, Midwives and ODPs receive a specially designed badge, created to echo the traditional Nurses badge worn with pride on completion of training and dating

The launch of the Excellence in Practice programme in July last year.

Chief Nurse Lisa Grant

back to the late 19th century. The Leeds Excellence in Practice badge was inspired by the Leeds Owl and the Yorkshire Rose. The Leeds Owl was chosen because of the Greek Goddess Athene who is often depicted as an owl for her wisdom, courage, inspiration, skill and strength. The badge symbolises recognition of our staff, pride in our professions and in LTHT. The 201 participants of this first cohort are a shining example of their professions and it is hoped that they will share their experiences and learning with their colleagues, and encourage others to take part. Thanks to Leeds Hospitals Charity for charitable funding that supported the initiative.

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News

Innovation through collaboration: The story of the Covid vaccine rollout At the end of 2020 and earlier this year, across a matter of weeks, extraordinary measures were undertaken to create two high functioning vaccination centres in Thackray Medical Museum and Centenary Pavilion Elland Road, in addition to other vaccinating locations across West Yorkshire.

in January, the Elland Road vaccination centre is now open as an additional option for the general public. Sue Peak, Senior Sister, said: “For me personally, being part of this programme has been a real privilege. I am a neonatal nurse by background moved to a very different environment but the teamwork, positive atmosphere and endgame that we are all working towards, has made it all worthwhile.”

Opening one of the very first Covid-19 vaccination hubs in the world, the Thackray Medical Museum vaccination centre was up and running within just two weeks. The centre began operating out of six pods with a cross-functional team of professionals including pharmacists, nurses, doctors, health professionals, and administration staff, who were recruited and mobilised from LTHT and partner organisations across the city.

Dr Phil Wood, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Responsible Officer for the vaccination programme said: “There have been incredible achievements in science over the past year and we have been witness to some landmark moments in medicine. As a doctor and scientist myself, it has given me great pride and inspiration to see not one, but several vaccines approved for use here in the UK, and our vaccination rollout programme is one of the leading programmes in the world. It’s a leading programme because of the partnerships we have built, across all areas, including healthcare organisations, construction, IT, operations and those who staff the centres from all backgrounds of healthcare What an impressive operation.”

Tim Hiles, Director of Operations of the vaccine programme in Leeds, said: “Collaboration is the word repeated most frequently when talking about the vaccination programme and this is perhaps one of the most impressive, cooperative and forward-thinking collaborations we have seen in a long time, bringing together medical and nonmedical organisations and individuals in the fight against the global pandemic.” Underlying this ambitious project from the start has been the Leeds Improvement Method. The Kaizen Promotion Office (KPO) team have been involved helping observe, measure and shape the project as it developed using the tools of the Leeds Improvement Method. Over the space of a week in December, the Thackray Medical Museum was transformed into an operational vaccination centre, fully staffed, and ready to open for the first uptake. Through changes to processes, observations of patient flow, and improvements to communication refined over the intervening weeks, the Elland

Road vaccination centre had a strong foundation of learning on which to build on, and was set up with the potential to operate at a maximum capacity of 10 pods through the Centenary Pavilion. Joining forces with the Quality Improvement team from Leeds Community Healthcare, the KPO team were able to bring significant experience to the project so that the centre could open rapidly with an efficient process ready to go.

On 20 January, the first health and care staff from Leeds came through the doors to Elland Road for their vaccine, with Dawn Boyle the first person to receive the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. A housekeeper in neurology for the last four years, Dawn said that she was incredibly excited by the moment: “I like looking after people. When not working, I have been shielding at home with my husband, who has had two strokes, and so this means a great deal to me to get this done.”

Suzanne Slater, Quality Improvement practitioner from Leeds Community Healthcare, said: “We are building on what we have learned through processmapping the experience of our health and care staff and looking at the operational processes and the patient journey to ensure the highest standards of care for our patients.” Initially opening as an extension of the hospital hub for health and care staff

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Reasons to be cheerful 2020 had plenty of awards to celebrate and be proud of – here are just a few

Dame Linda Pollard

Year in November. The Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design, as well as the studios and the individual architects and designers producing the most outstanding work.

NHS Parliamentary Awards shortlist announced In November, LTHT was represented in three categories for the NHS Parliamentary Awards after making the regional shortlist thanks to nominations put forward by Rt Hon. Hilary Benn MP. The Health Equalities Award: The Viral Hepatitis team, for their work with the Street Outreach Initiative for Hepatitis C, a collaborative project during the first Covid-19 national lockdown between the Bevan outreach team, the Hepatitis C Trust, and the LTHT team. The NHS Rising Star Award: Emily Lane, Apprentice Nurse on Ward J20, who was nominated for her courage and compassion during the testing of drive-through patients for Covid-19 earlier in 2020. Wellbeing at Work Award: The Future You programme team, for their work in developing a programme of apprenticeships enabling people from all walks of life to get into healthcare at their own pace. The nominees have made a shortlist selected from more than 700 entries submitted by almost half of all MPs in England. The winners of each category will be announced and presented with a national award at a special ceremony in the Palace of Westminster in July 2021.

Trust Chair Linda Pollard awarded a damehood Trust Chair Linda Pollard was awarded a damehood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours announced in October. The award was for her services to healthcare, which span almost 30 years, and in recognition of her unbroken contribution

to the community. It also recognises her tireless commitment to address the under-representation of women in senior roles across corporate Britain and in public services.

HTN Awards Highly Commended LTHT was Highly Commended in the ‘Excellence in engagement and communications’ category at the Health Tech News Awards 2020 in November. The commendation recognises the work of the Trust’s Critical Care and Digital IT teams in converting paper to digital e-forms, supporting a safe and effective delivery of the service during Covid-19. The team worked collaboratively to develop a suite of critical care documents that could be used within the Trust’s own electronic health record, PPM+, focusing on patient safety, assurance and supporting remote working.

The centre also won the 2021 Civic Trust Awards Orange heart award in January. These awards recognise architectural projects that offer a positive cultural, social, economic and environmental benefit to their local communities. Maggie’s Centre Leeds is the cancer charity’s twenty-sixth care centre in the UK and was designed by Heatherwick Studio. The centre is built a short walk from Leeds Cancer Centre. Drawing upon the philosophy of Maggie’s and the belief that great design can help people feel better, the building’s design draws heavily upon a natural aesthetic and a sustainable outlook.

Jonny Gamble named HFMA’s Deputy Finance Director of the Year Jonny Gamble, Deputy Finance Director, was awarded the Deputy Finance

The Trust was also shortlisted for its Paper Lite approach, which has delivered significant efficiencies and has also played an important role in supporting the Covid-19 infection prevention programme.

Maggie’s Centre Leeds scoops architectural awards Maggie’s Centre Leeds based at St James’s won the Dezeen Awards 2020 Public vote for Civic Building of the

Jonny Gamble

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Director of the Year Award at the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) National Healthcare Finance Awards in October. The award reflects Jonny’s work as Director of Finance at NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and the Humber in Harrogate through the pandemic, along with his work supporting the achievements of the finance team at LTHT over the last year.

in anaesthesia. In one year, the Trust reduced carbon emissions from anaesthetic gases by 52% through the use of Sevoflurane in favour of Desflurane. A saving of 4,044 tonnes of CO2e has been made through this scheme, with the scope to reduce these emissions even further. The Dermatology team was also shortlisted for the Teledermatology Initiative as part of the Leeds Cancer Programme. This initiative has improved the waiting time for skin cancer diagnosis and patients with benign moles have received speedier reassurance after the introduction of new cameras at GP surgeries.

Prestigious accreditation for Anaesthetists

Starlight Children’s Foundation Play Team of the Year/Play Specialist of the Year Starlight Children’s Foundation, working with the National Association of Health Play Specialists named Leeds Children’s Hospital Play Team as Health Play Specialist Team of the Year 2020. It’s the first time this national accolade has been awarded and, in addition, Lisa Beaumont, Therapeutic and Specialised Play Manager, was named as Health Play Specialist of the Year 2020. Lisa has dedicated 32 years of her life to helping children in hospital, by providing play and distraction to support young patients in the medical setting. The Play Team’s win for recognises how they have gone above and beyond to provide play for their patients under difficult circumstances.

Teams shortlisted for BMJ Awards Two LTHT teams shortlisted in the BMJ awards held virtually in October. The Sustainability and Anaesthetics teams were shortlisted for the Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action Team award, for their work to reduce the use of desflurane

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The Anaesthetists department, headed by Dr Moira O’Meara, achieved the prestigious Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) from the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) in November. This recognised their work in providing the highest quality care to their patients.

Strictly come LTHT Five LTHT colleagues were announced as part of the final twelve of dance competition Strictly NHS in November. The LTHT finalists include Karen Sykes, Nilam Jadav-Patel, Andrew Viggars, Adam Wilson, and Lauren Pickup. The competition will see each contestant training with a professional dancer for six weeks before performing together in front of an audience at the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool in February. The competition aims to raise £10,000 for NHS Charities Together.

To receive this accreditation, departments are expected to demonstrate high standards in areas such as patient experience, patient safety and clinical leadership.

Partnership working commended at Health Business Awards The Trust’s partnership working alongside Yorkshire Ambulance Service was commended in two categories at the Health Business Awards 2020, announced in December. LTHT and Yorkshire Ambulance Service were commended in two categories the Patient Data Award, recognising innovative ways to store, retrieve and distribute data, and the NHS Collaboration Award, recognising effective partnership working with other public/private sector organisations. The commendations recognise work to automate the electronic transfer of ambulance care records directly into LTHT IT systems. This ensures clinical and care teams are provided with up to date information at the right time, and speeds up the patient transfer process, reducing manual effort and saving valuable clinical time.

Procurement Team win HCSA Award The Leeds eProcurement Team, won the Health Care Supply Association (HCSA) Technology Award, at what was the Diamond Jubilee anniversary of the HCSA in November. This award celebrates a team or project for creating an innovative, new or improved solution that supports procurement value delivery and the digital transformation agenda. The Leeds eProcurement Team together with Connexica Ltd. developed a platform which allows for near realtime visibility on procurement metrics through its synchronisation with other procurement systems. The project team included Mark Songhurst - Scan4Safety, Ketan Chauhan - Product Support, Charlie Marsh - Project Manager, Jordan Hope - Product Owner, David Berridge – Sponsor, and Chris Slater – Sponsor.

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Hospitals of the Future Moving ahead in 2021 This year promises to be another exciting year for our Hospitals of the Future programme. Readers may already know that this is the project to build a new adults’ hospital, and a new Leeds Children’s Hospital on the Leeds General Infirmary site. If you’ve walked up Calverley Street in Leeds recently, you won’t have failed to notice that work has definitely begun on the new hospitals’ development. In December, young patient Violet Grace and former nurse Pat Taylor joined our Chief Executive Julian Hartley and Chair Dame Linda Pollard to mark this huge milestone by waving the green flag to start the demolition of the Old Nurses’ Home. This was the first visible sign that the project has begun and attracted a great deal of media interest, including in the Yorkshire Evening Post and BBC Look North. Demolition on the Leeds General Infirmary site in preparation for the development continues this year. In Spring, our focus will be on appointing the architects and specialist contractors who will work on the new hospitals. Over the summer, the architects and design teams will work closely with us as we continue to engage with patients and staff to develop

the hospitals’ design further and ensure it reflects their needs. The views of patients and staff are a vitally important aspect of the development, to ensure the hospitals work in the best way possible for them.

Building the Leeds Way The Trusts’s wider programme to transform healthcare facilities for patients and staff,

known as Building the Leeds Way, will also see some significant progress this year. In January, demolition starts at St James’s to make way for the building of a new Pathology laboratory that will serve the Trust and hospitals across West Yorkshire and Harrogate. This is a really exciting development that will benefit patients across the region. Building work on the new laboratory is expected to begin later this year and be completed in 2023.

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A new service set on easing pressure in Leeds Teaching hospitals One of the positives from 2020 was the opening of a pioneering new consultant-led outpatient surgical facility at St James’s in Leeds in October, the Ambulatory Surgical Centre (ASC). Two years in development, the unit was created to reduce high pressure impact on other key units of LTHT, providing innovative and streamlined new pathways for same day emergency surgical care, GP advice and guidance, and straight to test diagnostics, primarily for general surgery patients.

clinically and academically.” In the first two months since opening, the team took 465 triage calls from various primary care operators, of which 51% were seen in ASC and 17% were either given advice or re-directed based on the triage process. Pathways continue to be developed but of those patients referred from primary care, 73% have been managed on an ambulatory pathway with only 128 patients requiring inpatient treatment. The new service has had a significantly

positive effect on the surgical assessment unit, with reduced numbers attending this care stream each day. Similar work in other centre models has demonstrated a reduction in waiting time to see a senior decision maker from just over four hours to 22 minutes, and similarly for access to acute theatres the project has demonstrated an improvement from an average waiting time of 29 hours to same day surgery and discharge for day cases.

The Acute General Surgical unit at LTHT is the busiest in the UK (NELA Data) and the unit is one of only a few centres in the country, with its own dedicated team of Emergency General Surgeons. The centre has been designed to improve patient experience for those well enough to walk into the unit, with a triage facility providing rapid senior assessment of cases, leading to a higher percentage of sameday discharges and fewer overnight stays. When fully up and running, the ambitious unit will have a dedicated 12-person team of Emergency General Surgeons, efficiently working to deliver ambulatory assessment and surgery preventing patients needing hospital admission. Says Dr Phil Wood, “We fully believe that this service places Leeds at the forefront of acute general surgery both

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Stress less – your best ways of unwinding, recharging and coping during uncertain times Never before has the word ‘wellbeing’ been so widely used as it has this past year, as the global pandemic has spread adding to pressures on jobs, family, friends and our general mental health. Many have taken inspiration to focus on making time for their own wellbeing, so we asked colleagues what they do to decompress and recharge. Got a top tip you want to share? Let us know at communications.lth@nhs.net

the blinding sun shining on it, children playing and laughing, or a beautiful smelling flower garden. I absorb my surroundings. “My four-year-old cat, Gordy, plays an important role in keeping me calm, he is so fluffy and cuddly like a teddy bear. I sit with him and really look at him and take note of his features and yes, I talk to him – I’m sure he has no idea what I’m saying and he does seem to look disapprovingly at me most of the time! “I think what has helped, is to stop or slow down and breathe. I have also found that if you wait a while, sometimes the worrisome things don’t need as much of your precious time as you might previously have given them.”

Sarah Dodsworth, Assistant Patient Services CoOrdinator in Pre-assessment at Wharfedale Hospital – Slow down, pay attention: “To help me cope, I have continued to have lots of walks outdoors and I take the time – real time – to slow down and really look at, listen and smell things around me, whether it’s a frosty leaf with

Gordy

Mike Adlam, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, and health and wellbeing consultant lead – Team exercise challenges: “After wave one we organised a summer health and wellbeing fortnight across the Adult Critical Care CSU. There were sessions across the city on mindfulness, dignity at work, chair yoga, and Mike Adlam more besides. Over the fortnight we asked staff to submit their stairs climbed from health apps to see if we could collectively climb the equivalent height of Mount Everest. It proved extremely popular and we managed to summit Everest three times. “In the run-up to Christmas we wanted to set a challenge that would give a good guide of our progress each time we updated. I also thought a calming picture would help. So, we settled on walking the coast of Great Britain – all 10,600km – in just over four weeks. We set off on 25th November from Robin Hood’s bay and headed North. One

immediate success was several staff accessing their phone health app at the end of the day and seeing they had covered several km just from being at work, one Consultant managing 10Km in a day! Another success was teams across the CSU bringing colleagues on board with up to 40 staff members submitting from across the city for each challenge. As Christmas approached and we had some torrential rain, we did slow up a little, and fear grew we would be stuck in Humberside. However, ACC pulled together and with the final submissions on Boxing Day we happily rolled into Robins Hood’s Bay.”

Ester Jamera, Senior Project Nurse for Diversity and Inclusion – Spectator sports for the whole family: “I have been Ester Jamera watching a lot of sports, in particular football, darts, golf and snooker. Football is a family favourite, however, we all support different teams. You can imagine how heated things get when these teams are playing. I am a big fan of Leeds United. I am very happy they are in the Premier League after 16 years of hard work! “We like watching sports because anything can happen and it engages your emotions especially when the score-line is tight and everything is at stake. The Darts World Championships were particularly inspiring. “We are also really impressed by Marcus Rashford’s courageous End Child Food Poverty Campaign where he called on the government to support vulnerable children with meals and activities during holidays. I respect that a lot because sometimes, as we live in a developed country like ours, it is difficult to imagine families going to bed hungry.”

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Nicola Nicholson, General Manager, Medicines Management and Pharmacy Services – Real crime podcasts and soft toy sewing:

Sam Bacha

“Doing something creative is a really effective coping mechanism, but it’s important to realise that you don’t have to be good at what you do to get something out of it – just let yourself go and see what comes out. You never know, you might even surprise yourself!” Nick Clark

“I enjoy spending my free time listening to podcasts and audiobooks whilst sewing. During lockdown, I have started to learn how to make soft toys whilst listening to real crime podcasts. It’s quite a contrast of interests I realise, but it makes me calm and gives me satisfaction - I am quite proud of my monkey.”

Fiona Dickie, Operating Department Practitioner Dogwalking: “I love my dog Brodie, not only does he give us unconditional love, he provides us with a need to get out in the fresh air and move. He’s a 3 ½ year old German Shepherd dog and when I’m not working my shifts, we walk around ten miles a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Standing for ten hours doing my job can be hard and stressful, I find getting outside and walking in nature a great stress relief.”

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enjoyed getting into various different TV shows on Netflix and relaxing with my family instead of rushing around trying to fit outdoor activities in on an evening. I have done more yoga practice during the pandemic than ever before, and have re-joined Duo-Lingo language app to progress my French. And I have also now perfected my maltester cheesecake without needing the instructions”

Anna Winfield, Associate Specialist in Elderly Medicine – Running and hiking: “In the summer months I found running really helped me relax and blow off steam – I was running daily off road in my local area. Over the colder months I re-discovered a love of hiking; I found you can more-or-less forget about everything when you are in the middle of nowhere in beautiful surroundings! Pictured is one of my favourite places that I can run or walk to from my house – Almscliffe Crag.”

Nick Clark, Senior Communications Officer – Creative writing:

Brodie

Sam Bacha, Senior Oncology Occupational Therapist Family, food, and French: “I relax and switch off by choosing to park my car a lot further than I need to so that work is further behind me by the time I get to driving home. I have also

“I’ve always found creative writing cathartic but the pandemic was the first time I really relied on my writing to get to grips with the disruptions and anxieties of everyday life. “I poured a lot of what had built up into a short story I wrote over about four months. The first draft had a lot going on, but in the second draft I was able to take a step back and craft what was there into something more effective on the page. It’s now out for initial feedback from my writing group, so it will be interesting to see whether it resonates with others.

Anna Winfield

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Team Spotlight:

International Clinical Educators We’re getting to know teams across the Trust in a new feature, ‘Team Spotlight’ where we find out about teams and the many different ways that LTHT people work together to make sure hospitals in Leeds are working. Want to put your team in the spotlight? Get in touch via communications.lth@nhs.net In this issue we are meeting a small team of three, who work within the wider Education Practitioner team supporting international nurses at the Trust. In October last year, LTHT welcomed Adam Tucker, Hannah Chapman and Iris Bituin who started in a new clinical education role supporting International Nurses with their transition to UK practice. All three are keen advocates of education and are delighted to work with the Education Practitioner team supporting over 100 international nurse trainees who have travelled to work in Leeds from countries around the world.

Meet the team Iris qualified 26 years ago in the Philippines working in ophthalmology and urology departments before moving to the UK and basing herself in Birmingham, where she continued her career as a surgical nurse. Iris then relocated to Leeds where she has recently become a surgical sister. Adam has provided healthcare for 27 years, in a variety of roles and settings

from a care assistant to ward manager; from critical care to rehabilitation settings and most recently worked in infectious diseases and travel medicine. Hannah has worked in healthcare since 2012 and has a passion for helping others. As a registered nurse, Hannah has worked across different trusts in surgery, theatres, and emergency medicine.

for their clinical exams by teaching either in the work setting or at University. We may be greeting trainees at the airports as they land or ensuring that they are attending their exams in another city. We act as a point of advice for ward staff and have to keep abreast of a wide range of world news. We work in a pastoral and supportive role too. How do the team make a difference at LTHT?

Q&A What happens on an average day? There is no average day for an international clinical educator! We spend time supporting International nurses in clinical practice, helping prepare them

We make a difference by helping the international nurses settle into Leeds. All of the nurses are an asset to the Leeds hospitals family. We make a difference by supporting the nurses to pass their clinical exams and progress into independent practice within the workplace team by achieving their goals and we provide additional support for the clinical areas and ward staff. What do you enjoy about working in the team? Over a very short time we have evolved as a close-knit team that shares skills and supports each other. We share common experiences with a varied and diverse group of learners. Each individual has their own unique personality and strengths that enhances the team. Any recent achievements? We are overjoyed to share the news that all Cohort 3 international nurses have just passed their clinical examinations. We have also welcomed another cohort of 60 international nurses to Leeds over December and January.

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News

Celebrating Allied Health Professional Day Allied Health Professionals (AHP) make up the third largest workforce in the NHS, and there are more than 1100 AHPs working across many professional groups at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. During AHP Day, on 14 October, Chief Nurse Lisa Grant met virtually with a representative from each professional group to discuss their reasons why it’s great to be an AHP. Lisa was delighted to be part of the celebration and recognised the contribution AHPs make to patient pathways and experience. She was very keen that AHP voices were heard and offered her support to ensure AHPs’ contributions and value are represented in the organisation. Although the group couldn’t meet in person as they have done in previous years, AHPs across the Trust connected with each other and with colleagues across the country using social media to share and celebrate their profession. This year a competition was also held, where AHPs were asked to design a poster or take a creative photo that best represents their profession. There were some great entries which showed not only the pride AHPs have for their profession, but also the care and respect colleagues have for their team members - truly representative of the

Leeds Way values. The top three entries in the competition were: 1st Place - ODPs (“Who you gonna call”)

2nd Place - Paed Radiographers (“Funnybones”) 3rd Place - Orthoptics (“Rainbow vision”) Thank you to Leeds Hospitals Charity who funded prizes for the winners.

Paper Lite delivers Trust-wide benefits Along with many other teams across the Trust, the Covid pandemic has seen the Corporate & Health Records team completely change the way they work. With restrictions around document handling in place, they have quickly adapted to a different way of delivering their service, using digital solutions to help. This approach, known as Paper Lite,

involves digitising paper Medical Records, which are scanned and uploaded into ppm+. Paper Lite is a key step in our digital journey, providing many efficiency and sustainability benefits, and also building upon the investment made in ppm+, contributing to an increasingly rich electronic patient record. Paper Lite has also played an important role in supporting our

Covid Infection Prevention regime by significantly reducing the volumes of documents and people moving around the Trust. The team run a comprehensive Pick-up & Scan Service for all in-patient and outpatient areas, and the Clarendon Wing Library, which was previously full of paper records, has now been closed down.

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George Floyd and me: What can I do to eliminate racism in the workplace? Ester Jamera

Nick Clark

racism in the workplace, and see how you can join in. • Take a look at the I-APPLAUD initiative in full by searching for BME Staff Network on the Trust Intranet • Join the BME Staff Network (it is open to all LTHT staff and volunteers) and attend their regular meetings where possible to connect and hear the latest news and issues.

Initiate a conversation with a BME colleague Ester Jamera, Senior Project Nurse for diversity and inclusion and Co-chair of the BME Staff Network, and Nick Clark, Senior Communications Officer, explore how White colleagues can use allyship to make a meaningful difference to the everyday experience of their BME colleagues and help make LTHT the best place to work for all. When the video of George Floyd’s brutal arrest and killing was shared online in May 2020, it sent shockwaves around the world. The incident cast a harsh spotlight on the discriminatory treatment faced by Black people in America and gave a new urgency to the messages championed by the Black Lives Matter movement. For many BME staff at LTHT, racism and discrimination often impacts their everyday experience at work. Many people from a White background have now started asking questions about their own beliefs and views on race and racism, privilege and discrimination, and what they can do to make a difference.

What is allyship and why is it important? Allyship is a process of building relationships with marginalised groups or people based on trust, consistency and accountability. Allyship encourages one to understand the experience of others, especially those who don’t look or sound like us. In order to create a workplace with equity we must be intentional in bettering ourselves and each other for the common good. Allyship is a one of the concepts that supports us in this endeavour.

In October last year, the Trust launched the I-APPLAUD BME allyship initiative. The initiative aims to encourage and support White colleagues to actively participate in the equality, diversity and inclusion of BME staff across all levels of the organisation. Allyship is a role and a choice we step into. We can be an ally behind the scenes or choose to be very visible in our support. Being a BME ally doesn’t necessarily mean you fully understand what it feels like to be on the receiving end of race inequality. It means you’re taking on the struggle for equality, diversity and inclusion as your own to help create just systems and workplaces.

Simple Actions - Big Difference • Be observant and aware of discrimination and harassment in the workplace. If you observe discrimination or harassment: - Check in with the victim -C hallenge and call out the offence if safe to do so - Report the incident and seek support • Attend personal development opportunities that aid your understanding and equip and empower you to contribute to the Equality, Diversity and inclusion agenda. You can access a number of these opportunities via ESR. The Equality and Diversity Team can also deliver bespoke sessions for your team if needed. • Look out for trustwide, citywide, regional and national campaigns to end

Why not step outside your comfort zone and talk to a BME colleague and ask them about their experiences in and out of the workplace? Here are some ideas for the best way to do this. No one likes being put on the spot. And this is even more likely to be the case when it comes to talking about race. So on your initial conversation with BME colleagues avoid the ‘Where do you come from? No, where are you really from?’ questions. Asking ‘Where do you really come from?’ implies that you do not think they come from the UK and are not British simply because they are not White. For all we know they could have been born here including their parents and grandparents. Why not offer up some insight on your own cultural heritage first? You could follow this up with where your own family originate from. This sets a pattern for the depth of response you’re looking for, rather than the awkward situation of hearing about where someone lives right now when what you are really interested in is their cultural heritage. For BME staff - If you are keen to share your story and no one has asked you, be courageous and create opportunities for yourself to share.

Listen carefully and acknowledge what your BME colleagues are saying When BME colleagues are sharing their experience, seek to understand and not dismiss or attempt to explain away their lived experience. At this point resist the temptation to share your own story as it risks undermining the story

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your BME colleague is sharing and will negatively affect the level of trust you can build. Check for clarity about what you have heard or play it back to confirm understanding and ask the impact of their experience on their life. It is also important to be mindful that whatever we are hearing, the individual will be speaking from their own experience and not on behalf of everyone from a similar ethnic origin. Appreciate and acknowledge what you hear, even if you don’t relate to the experience that has been shared or don’t feel that you really ‘get it’. It’s the individual’s experience - they have lived it, so it is vital to accept what you hear on that basis. Always thank the person for sharing their story – it is likely it has taken them a lot of effort to open up to you.

What’s next? There’s plenty more you can do to be a meaningful ally to BME colleagues at the Trust, with many resources available at the LTHT library and online. For a starter, search online for Sandra Kerr’s ‘Let’s Talk About Race’ handbook, which helped inform this article, and has some good pointers for getting past the starting blocks in talking about race and racism in the workplace.

Contact details: BME Staff network: leedsth-tr.BME@nhs.net E& D: Leedsth-tr.editeam@nhs.net LTHT Libraries: www.leedslibraries.nhs.uk

News

Leeds goes live - scaling up digital pathology across the country

LTHT’s digital pathology journey has reached new heights of achievement as the National Pathology Imaging Cooperative (NPIC) launched on 1 January. Its mission is to create the infrastructure and knowledge for the NHS to be a global leader in digital pathology and artificial intelligence (AI). A new £20m investment will enable NPIC to deploy scanners across 15 hospitals in the North and a further 25 hospitals throughout England. The high-tech, data-driven artificial intelligence initiative is led by the Trust and includes the West Yorkshire NHS Trusts, the Northeast pathology network, York, and Hull Hospitals. It also funds two national networks in childhood tumours and in bone and soft tissue tumours, led by Great Ormond St Hospital and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospitals.

“This significant investment allows us to use digital pathology to help diagnose cancer across the NHS and provides a large platform on which we can develop artificial intelligence tools to be used around the world.” NPIC will have the capacity to scan over 2.3m images per year, creating 3 Petabytes of data, and spans across all 29 pathology networks in the country, propelling the NHS to the leading position internationally in digital

pathology and artificial intelligence. NPIC will also provide a platform to run clinical trials and build diagnostics capability in collaboration with the life sciences industry. Director of the programme, Dr Darren Treanor, Consultant Pathologist at LTHT, said: “This significant investment allows us to use digital pathology to help diagnose cancer across the NHS and provides a large platform on which we can develop artificial intelligence tools to be used around the world.” Since the latest funding announcement was made a £1m refurbishment of the National Training Centre for Digital Pathology at St James’s was carried out, which will accommodate training and workshops, dedicated resources and expertise in digital pathology and AI. Dr Phil Wood, Chief Medical Officer at LTHT said: “Digital pathology is becoming a key enabling technology for both clinical delivery of cancer and wider disease diagnostics. In addition to improving patient care in our hospitals, this programme will also teach others how to use this technology and report cases remotely, an area that has increased in importance during the COVID-19 pandemic.” NPIC is one of the centres to receive funding as part of a £50 million investment in innovative technology for Data to Early Diagnosis and Precision Medicine announced on by Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock in August 2020.

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Leeds Hospitals Charity - news and donations

Leeds Hospitals Charity shop…opening soon! This year, we’re opening our first community based charity shop in Crossgates, Leeds! Please watch this space for updates on when our charity shop will be open and accepting donations. If you’re interested in volunteering in the charity shop, you can find out more and apply on our website: https://volunteers.leedshospitalscharity. org.uk/opportunities

Leeds Parks Challenge In partnership with Great North, Leeds Hospitals Charity are excited to share our first event of 2021 – the Leeds Parks Challenge! The challenge, starting on 1 February, is to complete ten 5k (runs, walks or hops!) around your local park or even up and down your stairs and help raise funds for your local NHS hospitals. You have 12 weeks to complete the challenge, whether you do one run a week or decide to run a marathon a week! Register for just £10 on our website: https://www.leedshospitalscharity.org.uk/ Event/ten-parks-challenge

In 2020 our supporters helped fund…

Clinical Psychology Programme

Thanks to our amazing supporters, we helped provide an additional £6 million worth of projects to support staff, patients and families across Leeds Teaching Hospitals. From a specialist incubator on the Neonatal Unit to help premature babies like Archie, to a clinical psychology programme for frontline NHS staff and a brand-new surgical laser to treat lung cancer patients like John.

We’ve invested £900,000 for a clinical psychology programme for frontline health workers during the second wave to support staff, including those who are treating patients with Covid-19.

Archie’s Story Thanks to the amazing generosity and kind donations of the local people of Leeds, we’ve been able to buy a new state-of-the-art ‘baby Leo’ incubator for the Neonatal Unit at Leeds Children’s Hospital. New parents, Chris and Emma were in hospital with their one-month old baby Archie when we launched our Urgent Equipment Appeal. Archie spent two weeks in an incubator on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and grew from strength to strength until the family were able to return home together in time for Christmas. Chris said: “We’re absolutely over the moon that the appeal has raised enough to buy a new incubator for the ward! We see the nurses, doctors and surgeons as Archie’s first family, Emma and I will forever be in their debt. Only really now that Archie has grown to a ‘normal birth weight’, we realise just how vulnerable he was when he was born at 2lb 12oz, 10 weeks prematurely back in August. We are so lucky to have the unbelievably skilful and knowledgeable NHS staff looking after our little boy.”

Jenny Lewis, Director of HR and Organisational Development, said “Over the last nine months we’ve had the most amazing support from people across Leeds who have put on public displays of appreciation for our NHS staff, donated to our causes, and raised money.” You can read our latest news and funding projects here https://www. leedshospitalscharity.org.uk/Pages/News/

John’s Story Thanks to donations to our Limax Laser appeal, a brand-new £138,000 surgical laser is now in use at Leeds Cancer Centre. The laser is a small but extremely precise hand-held device that is used by surgeons on patients with primary and metastatic cancer in the lung.

John, a lung-cancer patient from Grimsby, had surgery using the laser in 2016. He said, “I really don’t think I’d be here now if it wasn’t for the team at Leeds using the laser. It gave my family hope for the future and meant I was able to have more surgeries and further treatment if needed.”

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My Job

Andrew Price This was a fantastic role where I could utilise the experience I had already gained and have the opportunity to learn and develop and begin a new chapter in another field. I have been given the opportunity to support my learning by completing role specific courses and successfully completed a degree course. This part of my journey established the foundations for promotion and in 2011 I moved to SJUH as the Senior Engineer. This role came with added responsibility and more learning opportunities in different Estates disciplines. Following an Estates re-structure I was once again promoted into my current role as Head of Estates(SJUH & Peripherals). Here the challenge was to build a new team, focus on our objectives and learning and really be the best that we can to support patient care.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Andrew Price, Head of Estates SJUH, has worked for the Trust for nearly 15 years. Summarise the main aspects of your role? My principal role is to manage and provide leadership to the Engineering teams at SJUH and the Peripheral hospitals ensuring that all the Statutory and reactive maintenance is carried out correctly to support patient care. We carry out a wide variety of different works from straightforward tasks such as changing a tap washer to ensuring complex control systems are functioning correctly. The work the teams and contractors do is both diverse, challenging yet can be extremely rewarding. I have a real responsibility to ensure that we provide a safe environment for patients and staff alike. I have a financial responsibility to ensure we invest and spend Public money correctly and wisely for the benefit of both the Estate and patients along with a duty of care for my teams ensuring in these difficult times that their health and well-being is prioritised and to the forefront of what we do.

What else have you done in your career so far? My career at LTHT began in 2005 after a 17 year career in the HM Forces where I was given the opportunity as an Estates Manager at the LGI.

The best things about my job are the success stories. This is twofold really the actual Estates works that directly impact upon patient care, such as the Oxygen upgrade works or the works in support of the Harrogate Nightingale hospital or breakdowns resolved. Secondly the individual personal successes where elements of the team have worked hard to learn and better themselves and have consequently been promoted and recognised for the work and effort that they put in to forge a career in the NHS.

What is the one thing you would change at LTHT to help you do your job better? I think sometimes it is easy to criticise or pass judgement, for me sometimes I would like the “tools” and flexibility to do the job more effectively. It is obvious that in my tenure at the Trust things have really moved forward in terms of how we work but I feel we do need to embrace the new technologies, better ways of working and really improve the IT systems and procedures that we have to eliminate waste.

What’s your best advice to a new starter at the Trust? Be open minded, honest and really seek to make a difference by embracing the opportunities that will undoubtedly come your way. Be pro-active, have a hunger to learn, challenge the “norm” and work on building relationships within the teams and different areas and remember ultimately what you do directly affects the patients that walk through the door. Always give of your best as you would expect others to do if your “loved ones” walked through the door.

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Lockdown Kitchen Sick of your own cooking? Never want to see banana bread again? Welcome to the LTHT Lockdown Kitchen where we’re sharing the best recipes, meal ideas, healthy treats and lockdown feasts from colleagues across the Trust. Got a recipe you’d like to share? Send in your best lockdown gastronomic discovery to communications.lth@nhs.net and don’t forget to include a picture!

The ‘signature’ Lemon Drizzle Cake - Nick Marston, Assistant Technical Officer I use various loaf tins 2lb or 1kg Ingredients 225g of ‘margarine’ I use Aldi’s Beautifully Buttery 225g caster sugar 4 eggs, medium or large 225g self-raising flour 1 large lemon, zested For the drizzle topping 1½ lemons, juiced approx. 60mls 75g caster sugar 6 Sugar cubes Method STEP 1 Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

STEP 2 Beat together the butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. STEP 3 Sift in the self-raising flour, then add the lemon zest and mix well. STEP 4 Line your loaf tin with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon. STEP 5 Bake for 55-65 minutes until a thin skewer or toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Whilst baking add the caster sugar to the juice and rest on the oven to dissolve the sugar STEP 6 While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the lemons juice and caster sugar to make the drizzle. STEP 7 While the cake is cooling in its tin prick the warm cake all over with the skewer or toothpick, then spoon the drizzle quickly adding the sugar cubes for extra crunch. STEP 8 Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve. Stand back and watch it disappear...

Low-carb quick and tasty postshift meal Pauline Newsome, Clinical Educator My healthy quick meal after a day at work can be ready in 10 minutes! • In a large frying pan put half a tin of anchovies and its olive oil on a medium heat (or just oil) • A dd some garlic & a bit of chilli (or not) • Cook soba noodles (5 minutes) or courgette noodles - to use that spiralizer you got for Christmas for a low carb meal (or if not, use linguine or other pasta if that’s what you have in the cupboard) • In the frying pan throw in a bag of seafood, prawns or pre-cooked hot salmon. • Add your cooked ‘pasta’ to the pan to mix. • I add a bit of rocket for a bit of greenery and voila. Fast and healthy - means I can have my chocolate later whilst I read my kindle - nothing like a bit of murder to help me relax!

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News

LTHT transplant patients and families share their stories for Organ Donation Week The first week of September is Organ Donation Week. Our teams are typically very involved in raising awareness about organ donation and transplantation across the region and nationally. This year was very different as the majority of campaigns moved online. We shared the stories of two very special families over organ donation week.

Paul Cooper Paul died at Leeds General Infirmary after suffering severe brain damage in a car accident. Three people benefited from Paul’s organs - two women, one in her 30s and the other in her 50s, and a man in his 40s.

“I find great comfort in knowing that there are people out there today alive because of my husband and feel so proud of him.” Jess Cooper, Paul’s wife, said ward staff on the neuro ICU ward “couldn’t have done more” for her, letting them

peacefully stay with Paul, after life support was withdrawn. Since he died, Jess has been fundraising to provide memory boxes for children who lose parents suddenly.

husband and feel so proud of him. If there is one thing you can do after reading this is please tell your loved ones whether you would like to be an organ donor or not!”

She said: “I find great comfort in knowing that there are people out there today alive because of my

Tom Coupe Tom died at St James’s Hospital aged just 17 after collapsing unexpectedly at school. Four people benefited from Tom’s organs when his family made the brave decision for him to become a donor. Robin Coupe, Tom’s dad, said that, as a family, they had often talked about organ donation and Tom had said it was what he wanted should the situation arise. This undoubtedly made this incredibly difficult decision easier for his family. Tom’s legacy will continue in the people whose lives he saved, but also on the permanent plaque that his dad unveiled in his memory during Organ Donation Week in Gledhow Wing at St James’s. Robin joined some of the clinical team who cared for Tom and Julian Hartley, Chief Executive of LTHT, to celebrate his son’s amazing story.

Farewell

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David Evans

Gill Fallon

Gill Dyson

The Bed Board’s David Evans retired from the Trust in December. David started at the Trust in 1985 where he worked in A&E reception, meeting some members of staff who are still his colleagues today.

Gill Fallon, Senior Sister on Ward J97, retired in the autumn. Gill started as a Student Nurse in 1983 and worked in Orthopaedics as a Registered General Nurse before joining Oncology in 1995 where she has spent the last 25 years.

Gill has retired after 35 years working at Wharfedale Hospital. She started her working life at Wharfedale as a nursing auxillary and worked on many of the wards and theatre in the old Wharfedale Hospital. When the hospital moved to the present building, Gill worked as a receptionist in the pre-assessment department and latterly as a clerk to the secretaries in the patient admin department. During her last couple of months of work Gill worked on the main reception making sure all patients and visitors to the hospital were well looked after.

David spent over 20 years at the LGI in A&E and became the reception supervisor before moving to the Bed Board team in 2009. David has been doing the Bed Board role for far longer as back in the day the role was carried out by the A&E reception staff overnight. David and his team have had many laughs over the last 11 years and he has met many interesting characters. The whole of the Bed Board and PCAL will miss David terribly, as will everyone in the wider Trust who knows him. His colleagues wish him all the best for his retirement, and hope he achieves his aim of improving his golf handicap!

Gill is her colleagues’ ‘go to’ person in Oncology due to her vast amount of knowledge and experience and is loved by all. She was awarded with the CSU’s ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award at the last celebration event. She is very well respected by her colleagues and is known for working tirelessly throughout her nursing career for the benefit of patients. Her colleagues will miss her and wish her well in her retirement.

Gill was a very helpful member of the Wharfedale team and has shown a lot of dedication to Wharfedale over the years to which her colleagues are very thankful. She will be missed greatly by all her colleagues and friends who wish her all the best in her retirement.

Terry Roberts Terry Roberts, one of the Trust’s longest-serving volunteers, finally hung up his iconic cowboy hat in November after volunteering as a fundraiser for Leeds hospitals since 1993, with 50 years of charity work under his belt in total.

Terry has been a charity volunteer since 1970, and has worked with the Donkey Sanctuary, Wheatfields Hospice, and St Gemma’s, before fundraising for Leeds Cancer Centre after his wife sadly passed away from liver cancer in 1993. Terry is well known across hospitals in Leeds for his friendly personality, and his penchant for dressing up as a cowboy or a US Civil War Cavalryman as part of his efforts. Even into his 80s, Terry was always ready and willing to roll his sleeves up and get stuck in. His weekly LGI charity stall and supermarket bucket collections raised over £200,000 for Leeds Hospitals Charity.

A fond farewell to our long-serving staff

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Farewell

A fond farewell to our long-serving staff Debra Wheeler

John Eveleigh

Debra Wheeler retired from her post as General Manager of the Yorkshire Congenital Cardiac Network during the summer. This was a culmination of a 38 year commitment to the NHS. After an initial short time in Grimsby District Hospital, Debra worked continuously in the constituent hospitals of LTHT.

Last October the Trust said goodbye to John Eveleigh, Head of Corporate & Health Records, as he retired after 42 years of service to the NHS.

Debra oversaw major structural changes during this time. As a General Manager on site, she integrated Wharfedale General Hospital into the Trust. She was also a Business Manager for the department of Medical Physics and Engineering, and then became the head of the Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine Unit clinical management team. She was appointed General Manager of the Children’s Directorate in 2009. She held this post for approximately 8 years during which time she oversaw the centralisation of the majority of children’s services onto the LGI site to establish Leeds Children’s Hospital. This was a huge undertaking and has made an immense difference to the provision of services for children and young people in Leeds, the region and beyond. During her tenure she established an effective operational function and an ambitious culture wholly in line with the Leeds Way values. Her final post was as General Manager for the Congenital Heart Disease Network in Yorkshire and Humber which she established and has an outstanding reputation for quality nationally. Debra brought exceptionally high standards of management skills, commitment and detail to all her positions. She managed a number of challenging circumstances and led significant strategic developments during her career. She also brought a sense of humour and was famous for making Christmas in hospital special. Over the years her teams have been cast in pantomimes, enrolled in best decorated ward competitions and handbell concerts. The annual rota for the advent calendar opening was always eagerly anticipated! Debra’s colleagues are grateful for her huge commitment and achievements across the Trust and wish her all the best cycling into her well-deserved retirement.

John’s career in Medical Records started at the tender age of 17, when he joined Essex County Hospital as Medical Records Clerical Officer. John headed north to join LTHT in 1988 and stayed for the rest of his career. Julian Hartley, CEO, commented on the huge contribution John has made: “John is leaving the Trust on a real high after his fantastic work on the Paper Lite project, which is testament to his inspirational leadership and the dedication and commitment of the whole team. John can look back with immense pride on his achievements at LTHT, and on behalf of the Executive Team I’d like to say a huge thank you to him for his 42 years of dedicated service to the NHS.” John paid tribute to his team and colleagues, recognising the support he’s received throughout his career: “I’ve been incredibly proud to work for the NHS - it’s a fantastic institution which has provided an amazing level of support throughout the Covid pandemic. I’ve worked with so many dedicated and talented people throughout my career, and I’m particularly proud of my team. This last year has seen a culmination of everything we’ve been working towards, and I’m leaving the department in very safe hands.” John has been kept busy looking after his 18-month-old grandson two mornings a week, and has recently re-joined the DIT team under the NHS-wide scheme to bring recently retired colleagues back to the NHS as part of the response to Covid. The team are very glad to have him back, albeit temporarily!

Mike Weston Dr Mike Weston retired from his role in the Trust in November, after a 26year career as a Consultant Radiologist at LTHT. Specialising in diagnostic and interventional ultrasound, Dr Weston helped to develop the ultrasound service, promote the national reputation of Leeds as a centre of excellence, and facilitate the development of sonographers as independent practitioners. He is the current Editor-in-Chief of the UK’s leading Radiology journal, Clinical Radiology, and will continue with this role into retirement. His colleagues would like to thank Dr Weston for his huge commitment to the Radiology profession and to Leeds Teaching Hospitals and wish him a long and happy retirement.

Terry Humphrey and Sara Riley On December 31, the Radiology Academy said farewell and a huge thank you to Sara Riley and Terry Humphrey who had both been working as Consultant Sonographers, Terry since 2012 and Sara since 2016. Their role has been pivotal in training over 70 of the Trust’s trainee doctors and is unique in the UK. Trainees have not only benefitted from their expertise in learning basic diagnostic ultrasound but also in advanced techniques such as transplant and contrast enhanced ultrasound and they will be sorely missed by everyone. Although they have retired from their teaching role, Terry will continue her work as a Consultant Sonographer at Leeds Children’s Hospital and Sara is at Bradford Teaching Hospitals.

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StaffConnect – Let’s stay connected What can I do on StaffConnect? With the launch of StaffConnect, staff will be able to use their Trust or personal smart phone or their desktop to access to all the latest Trust news usually received via email, including Intouch and Start the Week. Staff will also be able to access more personalised information from their CSU or corporate team in the My Community feed, once this is up and running. Staff will be able to ask a question, comment on a story or tag a colleague to get the conversation going.

StaffConnect is the new communications app for LTHT, available to all colleagues. All staff will have already received an email with instructions on how to download the app and log in.

Why an app? When we have talked to colleagues

about what could be improved in LTHT internal communications, people have always highlighted not being able to read emails or access a PC and getting too much information that is not relevant. StaffConnect allows internal communications to be much more accessible and makes more targeted, personalised content.

Why don’t you give it a try? There are other functionalities to explore within StaffConnect, including a section for events, a dedicated survey area and an area to store frequently accessed documents that can be shared within a team. Feedback is invited through commenting on one of the posts or by answering some of the questions in the survey section of the app.

Staff Lottery – what’s on your wishlist? Did you know that, as an LTHT staff member, you could be in with a chance to win up to £1,000 every month? Did you know you can apply for funding to improve staff amenities in your workplace? Join the Staff Lottery and you will be automatically entered into the monthly draw with the potential to be one of ten lucky winners. Prizes range from £50 up to a jackpot of £1000! Membership costs just £2 a month and comes from a salary deduction, so once signed up you don’t need to worry about a thing. And if you fancy your chances you can increase your likelihood of winning by paying for multiple entries – for example, paying £10 a month will give you five entries into the monthly draw, making you that more likely to be a winner! Look out for special bonus prize draws also held throughout the year. The Staff Lottery bidding process is a simple concept – your money, your projects. Funds are drawn from staff

membership and allow any member of staff to apply for funds for an improvement to amenities in their work environment. This could be almost anything – from a new kettle or fridge, to outdoor picnic benches or rest rooms – the lottery team want to hear what’s on your wishlist.

For more information on how to sign up or on making a bid for funding, head over to the Staff Lottery Intranet page. Good luck!

www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

60 seconds

60 seconds Victoria Cranston

What do you do to wind down and relax after a hard week at work?

Tell us something we don’t know about you … In my midwifery interview 13 years’ ago I told my interviewer my passion would be to work with women who have suffered FGM - and here I am today fulfilling my dream.

I like to keep myself fit and active so make sure that I commit to regular gym and PT sessions this helps me relax and unwind and have a clear mind.

What is your ideal holiday destination and why? Vietnam - hot weather, lots of culture and amazing food.

What is your favourite food? Curry.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Victoria Cranston, FGM & BAME Specialist Midwife, Community Midwifery Team Leader, has worked for the Trust for 10 years

In my year 9 careers interview I wanted to be a Top Gear Presenter.

What is your favourite film? Anything with The Rock or Jason Statham.

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