Bulletin Summer 2021

staff magazine | Summer 2021

The Kindness Issue

Learning from Lockdown p8

Strictly NHS champion! p3

Supporting opportunities for BME staff p20

Contents

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk 4-5

Acts of kindness

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Team Spotlight

7 New CAT Unit opened by The Countess of Wessex 8-9

Learning from lockdown

10 Day One launches as first national charity for patients with lifechanging major traumatic injuries 12 Junior Doctor Health and Wellbeing Champions 13

Civility saves lives elearning

14 New hospitals on track despite 4 Acts of kindness

the COVID pandemic

7 New CAT Unit opened by The Countess of Wessex

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Vaccine news round-up

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DIT news

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Charity corner

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My Job

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Opportunities for BME staff

21 Staff take a dose of ‘Vitamin G’ thanks to RHS 22-24 Farewells 8

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Learning from Lockdown

Recognition and reset

26 What’s your kindness type?

Take our quiz and find out!

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60 Seconds

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 August 2021

20 Supporting opportunities for BME staff

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www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

Strictly NHS sees Adam Wilson crowned dancefloor champion Adam Wilson, from the LTHT Safeguarding team, was crowned Strictly NHS champion along with his professional dance partner Amy following a night of glitz and glamour at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool at the beginning of June.

The event was the culmination of months of preparation and saw twelve NHS colleagues from across the country – including five from LTHT – perform alongside their professional dance partners in front of a live audience and a panel of judges.

The members of staff from LTHT, included Karen Sykes, Lauren Pickup, Andrew Viggars, Nilam Jadav-Patel, as well as winner Adam Wilson, all trained with their partners during the six weeks leading up to the live extravaganza.

As well as having the chance to show off the results of their hard work in training, the night was also a celebration of the dedication of colleagues working across the NHS during the course of the pandemic. The show exceeded its fundraising target of £10,000 for NHS charity partner Blue Skies.

News

Welcome Welcome to the Summer issue of Bulletin!

The pandemic has caused us all to take a step back, re-evaluate, and consider what needs changing in our lives.

As an organisation, we have taken this to heart on several levels. First – and most importantly – is looking to our staff. The pandemic has affected us all in different ways, and it is crucial we are looking out for each other and making our own health and wellbeing a priority. We have to have everyone on board if we are to tackle the challenges ahead and we can’t expect to deliver excellent care for our patients if we are not first looking after ourselves.

Our operational transformation programmes are our way of ensuring we our recovering our services in the best and most efficient way possible, ensuring we do our best for our patients, work alongside our local partners, and anticipate how our services will fit within and alongside the new hospitals being built at the LGI site. We are using the Leeds Improvement Method to ensure we are constantly looking at ways to improve how we do things.

Underpinning all of this is a broader question, a cultural question, one that I want to put to everyone at LTHT: How can we be a kinder organisation?

And this is what this issue of Bulletin is all about – whether that’s being kind to ourselves, kind to one another, or kind to the planet. We remember kindnesses, we replicate them, and we thrive on them – most importantly, kindness starts with you.

So, what does kindness means to you?

I would love to hear what you think.

Kind regards

Julian Hartley, Chief Executive

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Feature

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Acts of kindness Colleagues share how kindness has made a difference to their work Kindness can come in all shapes and sizes, from a single small act to a whole way of listening, interacting and being. As part of our campaign to make LTHT a kinder organisation, we asked staff for examples of acts of kindness that have turned a bad day around, cleared a raft of troubles, or simply left them with a smile on their face.

Lisa Beaumont, Play Team Leader “Recently I heard that a parent talking about me to a new member of the play team was still thanking me for the play support I gave to their child ten years ago! She asked for her thanks to be passed on to me again! That really did make me smile.

“Members of my team often leave diet cokes on my desk as presents, and I even got them sent in the post when I had Covid – it makes me smile every time! Even a simple act such as someone telling me ‘you’ve got this’ when I’m having a wobble makes a huge difference.!

“The unbelievable support, kindness and advice I got from my work family and friends when I recently got Covid, especially the support and guidance for my parents, really helped me get through some very dark days. It made me feel valued and loved and of course very lucky to be part of an amazing team here at Leeds Children’s Hospital.”

Lisa Beaumont

Tracy Campey

Tracy Campey, Bereavement Midwife “I’d like to tell you how extremely grateful I am to my colleagues in the Risk Management team. Agnes Woodhouse, Jo Morley, Rosie Richardson and Kirsty Gregory. They are all simply wonderful and are always incredibly kind to me, in particular when I’m looking for a shoulder to cry on. They make me cups of tea and will often ask if there is anything they can do to help ease my work load.

“I don’t think they actually realise what a difference they make to me. I’d love their kindness to be acknowledged!”

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www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

Feature

Gemma Issrir, Medical Secretary HIV Outpatients Department Sophie Blow

Sophie Blow, Advanced Clinical Pharmacist “When someone offers to make you a coffee and asks how your day is - that’s made my day. When heads are down, and the pressures is on, with everyone working so hard it’s easy to forget to check in with each other. You lose what was normal pre-COVID and when you have that 5 minutes it just makes you remember who you are, what you are part of, and how we are all doing this together. Asking a friend or colleague ‘would you like a drink making’ can make their day, as tough as it has been and continues to be I try and remember that.”

“I had a very difficult Ramadan this year as due to the pandemic my family were (and still are) stuck abroad - however the day of Eid (the end of Ramadan, day of celebration) my colleagues made my day so special! They bought me gifts and they were so kind to me and respectful. This was one of the million acts of kindness that I receive from colleagues every day. I am so grateful to work with them.”

Gemma Issrir

Celebrating the life and career of Pete Colmer A memorial bench commemorating the life and career of Pete Colmer was unveiled at St James’s Hospital in April.

Pete sadly died in July 2020 after retiring from his role at LTHT the previous May due to ill health. Pete worked at the Trust for 34 years, starting as a ward housekeeper, before moving on to work in Geoffrey Giles theatres, where he stayed until his retirement.

During a special dedication, the memorial bench was unveiled by Pete’s wife, Angela, their three daughters – Gabby, Kate, and Megan – Chief Executive Julian Hartley, and many of Pete’s friends and former colleagues.

Emma Williams

Emma Williams, Lead Nurse, Elland Road Vaccination Centre “If there are any complaints about patient experience at Elland Road, then they come to me and it can be easy to get caught up in the negatives. I have learnt the importance of mindfully checking in on the Friends and Family Test feedback for the vaccination centre, where the comments and experience are overwhelmingly positive and it gives me a more balanced view.

Zoe Lock, non-registered vaccinator (next to number 6) “I’m a strong believer in kindness. I have always done charity work and I think I always will do it. Kindness spreads and it’s infectious and it helps me believe that out of everything bad comes something good. I was offered a job recently from a chance meeting and an act of kindness.”

Zoe Lock

Pete met his wife, Angela, in 1997, who also works for the Trust as a discharge coordinator.

She said: “Pete brought so much warmth to the lives of those he met and worked alongside. He was a much-loved member of the team and his colleagues held him in very high regard.”

She added: “He didn’t just work for the NHS, he believed in it - he was the Leeds Way in every way.”

The memorial bench was funded

by Pete’s family and colleagues and is sited on the terrace on level 4 of the Bexley wing at St James’s, where Pete would often have a coffee break looking out across the city.

“I was really pleased recently to get a card and a box of chocolates from a colleague who was leaving the vaccination programme and going back to their substantive role. We had worked closely together and it was lovely to be thanked personally for the support she felt I had given her.”

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News

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Team Spotlight: Clinical Skills and Simulation Education Team The Clinical Skills and Simulation Education Team are based at the Clinical Practice Centre at St James’s. A team of ten, their primary role is to support, advise and deliver education to clinical teams at LTHT using the latest medical simulation equipment, whether that’s through in-situation training or delivering regional and national boot camps.

What are the different roles within the team?

We have two administrators, Lesley and Daniel, who are responsible for much of the background work in running our courses, e.g. booking in trainees and faculty, advertising, customer service and collating feedback and evaluation. They are also involved in new course development. In many ways, they are the glue that sticks the team together.

Our clinical skills and simulation technicians are led by Dan, and he is joined

by Dave, Jack and Mark.

They are responsible for all technical aspects of courses, including setting them up.

They are often involved in setting up complex audio visual and virtual reality kit.

They often work with course leaders in driving simulations using our 3G Sim Man and other high-fidelity manikins.

Our technicians are skilled in making complex anatomical models using ‘medical meat’ (animal tissue that is made into human anatomical models), and often work with faculty in the development of new educational models. Our technicians are ably supported

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• by developing colleagues to become better educators within their workplace, through the development and delivery of a bespoke debriefing course.

by porter technicians Laura and Yusaf.

The team is managed by Rachael and Hilary, our clinical skills and simulation development leads, registered nurses who also deliver training as clinical educators.

Hilary and Rachael advise on the development of new courses, oversee the course portfolio and offer educational support, advising on the delivery of local, regional and national courses.

What happens on an average day?

There is no such thing as an average day within the Clinical Skills and Simulation Team as our work is so varied and different. One day we can be running in-situ simulation within a department at the Trust as well as a regional Health Education England programme in the Clinical Practice Centre. The next we could be delivering a national programme on behalf of the Royal College of Surgeons.

The following week, we might be running a full-week boot camp for 60 trainees. We also

coordinate loans of kit to departments within the Trust and manage the VR room, in which trainees can access a vast range of VR simulators for surgical training.

We have been very reactive to training needs, especially since the onset of the Covid pandemic and we are always reviewing and altering the way we work as we strive to deliver the best service possible for trainee and faculty.

How do the team make a difference at LTHT? By supporting, advising on and delivering education within the Trust, we aim to constantly improve the educational experience of staff: • through the use of in-situ simulation (delivered in a clinical area to improve the use of human factors and clinical skills within the team); • by revisiting a difficult clinical situation and debrief the staff;

We support educational events at the Clinical Practice Centre, ranging from a single trainee using a VR simulator to large-scale regional or national programmes.

Our team is here to support, develop and enhance education for all staff here at the Trust, which improves the care delivered to our patients.

Are there any recent achievements or plans for the future?

We are currently developing our portfolio of boot camp programmes following the successful pilot of our first Obstetrics and Gynaecology Boot Camp, which ran in April this year. This builds on the success of the awardwinning national Urology Boot Camp, developed here at Leeds, which is now in its 7th year.

We are also in the process of recruiting a Clinical Skills and Simulation Educator who will enable us to support and deliver a lot more in-situ simulation education across the Trust.

In addition, following on from the success of our pilot Introduction to Debriefing courses, we are looking to expand and reach out to trainees from outside the Trust. We are also promoting the excellent range of VR simulation surgical trainers that we have available for all staff to access.

www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

News

New Children’s Assessment and Treatment Unit opened by The Countess of Wessex Staff and patients at Leeds Children’s Hospital were delighted to welcome HRH The Countess of Wessex to officially open the newly relocated Children’s Assessment and Treatment (CAT) Unit via a virtual event in March.

Her Royal Highness was ably assisted on the day by 11 year old Hajrah Hussain who was being cared for in the unit and kindly agreed to unveil a commemorative plaque.

The CAT Unit assesses and manages the care for children and babies aged from 1 day to 16 years old who have been referred by their GP, the Paediatric Emergency Department or other healthcare professionals in the community. The team on the unit sees children with a wide variety of urgent medical problems including asthma, gastroenteritis, infections, diabetes complications as well as suspected appendicitis and any other illness that requires further investigation and diagnosis.

During the virtual tour of the unit The Countess was able to speak with young patients and their parents and heard first-hand how the new unit has improved patient experience. She also spoke to ward staff about the difference the new environment had made to the way they delivered patient care.

The CAT Unit sees up to 18,000 children and young people every year. The former unit catered for around 3540 young people per day but due to increasing demand has been relocated

and expanded to allow up to 90 patients to be cared for at the busiest times. The relocation has meant that the unit has more side rooms and consultation rooms and has the additional advantage of now being co-located with other children’s services within the Leeds Children’s Hospital footprint of the Leeds General Infirmary site.

Her Royal Highness said of the new unit: “It’s wonderful to have met some of the patients who have helped me unveil the plaque but have also had a chat with me about their experience.

It’s not until you actually hear the feedback that you realise what has been

achieved very quickly and under difficult circumstances… The patients’ and families’ experience is everything you want it to be.”

The new unit has been designed with young people in mind, with specific areas where play leaders can run activities for children which makes their stay not only more enjoyable but allows them to engage in their treatment, and learn more about it so that if they do have to come back they’re much more comfortable. Staff facilities have also been carefully incorporated with office, training and rest spaces all located on the unit for easy access.

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Feature

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Learning from Lockdown Staff share what they have learned about themselves during the pandemic and what they’re resolving to do differently The coronavirus pandemic and the succession of lockdowns over the course of 2020-21 has caused many of us to take a long hard look at our lives and re-evaluate our values, goals, and how we spend our time. It’s caused us to ask questions about how we do things and what we can do differently to better enjoy the time we’re given. Here, colleagues share some of their insights and resolutions from the past year.

Lisa Beaumont, Play Team Leader “I learnt that I really need to get better at the worklife balance and have made some positive changes, but I find it hard especially with the children being at the heart of all we do at Leeds Children’s Hospital. I did try some mindfulness exercises but couldn’t get into this! I find it hard to switch off, but I have started to walk more with friends and I will ensure that this continues.

“I have always felt very lucky to have some amazing family and friends in my life, after losing my brother in a road traffic accident many years ago. I have each and every day felt truly lucky to have the strength and support of all my good friends, many who I have been lucky to meet at some point along the many years of working at LTHT.”

Sophie Blow, Advanced Clinical Pharmacist “I work best when I have people around me - a bit tricky in a lockdown but I’ve learnt the importance of scheduling time with people to touch base, catch up and check in. It can be very easy when you’re not working directly with patients to find that you’re isolated from people, especially

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with people trying to work from home (where possible) you can find yourself working on a corridor with no-one else around. That’s why as part of planning my working time I try and ensure a mix of focused, alone working, group teams calls and one to one calls. It’s important to keep talking and feel connected.

“My new habit is an old habit, but one I’ve got better at! I work at my best when both my mind and body are active. I’ve always run but through lockdown I’ve run more frequently. To avoid the crowds I’ve had to explore new routes as well as finding ways to run past the good spots for a take away coffee. I’ve also found it a way of connecting with my community, you smile at people as you run past, say thank you to people for giving you space.

That’s been really great.”

Jo Reynard, nurse in charge, Elland Road Vaccination Centre “I have enjoyed the strong local community spirit that has risen during and post lockdown where I live in Bingley. With my background as an Infection Prevention Nurse, I set up a Coronavirus Resilience Group on Facebook and we have over 2,500 members now. It was a place to check in on people, to share community support and to post the right information about the virus and vaccines. There have been so few cases in the area. I really felt the closeness of my family at this time and with two parents working full time, it has taught my teenagers a great deal about the need to be more self-sufficient.”

Fatimah Bint-Hanif, vaccination administrator “I fostered stray cats and their kittens during the first lockdown with Henry’s Haven Cat Rescue, then I paused to focus on university though I’m still involved with the cat rescue now (doing admin jobs). I think lockdown helped me learn so much about compassion and I thrived on helping others. At one point we had seven cats in the house! I’m studying speech and language therapy and I think this work with animals (I also helped nurture some birds) has helped my communication skills. I felt like I’m giving a voice to the voiceless.”

Manik Chandra, Consultant Anaesthetist “The pandemic allowed me to rekindle my love of cricket! I went about reseeding my back garden, preparing a wicket and setting up a cricket net, which allowed me to practice along with my two sons who also love the game!”

www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

Mike Fulton, Research and Innovation Communications Manager “When the first lockdown happened, all the social cycle rides I’d been enjoying immediately stopped and working from home became the norm. However, I soon realised that there was a fantastic opportunity to cycle like never before.

The rush hour ceased to exist meaning the roads were open, quiet and safer. My evening commute rides turned into more adventurous rides cycling close to where I live in Calderdale.

“Between lockdowns and as restrictions eased, I ventured further afield. As my fitness, endurance and stamina improved I was able to ride distances I’d not really done for years. I ventured all across the stunning countryside of the Yorkshire Dales and the Forest of Bowland. My physical fitness improved significantly. The fantastic endorphin rush of cycling coupled with the sense of achievement and taking in some of the best countryside in England helped me to manage stress, and had a greatly positive impact on my mental health.

Feature

Julie Atkinson, Clinical Supervisor “With my husband, we learnt and performed TikTok dances in the garden during the pandemic and it has been great. It was something to do to get both me and the other half moving and it was a complete laugh. He hates dancing but I love it and it has kept us going and kept us (and our friends) entertained. Our daughter is turning 21 soon and we’ve a surprise planned for her…”

“As the cycling ‘season’ came to a close in October 2020, I looked back on my Strava stats and noticed I’d covered an astonishing (for me), 2400 miles, the distance from Moscow to Lisbon and 160,800 feet of climbing – just over 5 times the height of Mount Everest. I’ve carried on cycling in 2021, so far cycling 850 miles. As lockdown has lifted, group rides have started again with the club I’m part of which is great. I’ve led other cycling events and shared the joy I’ve got from cycling in 2020 with other cyclists.”

WIN a day out at RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate, with Afternoon Tea in Bettys Café Tearoom and Shop Enjoy a good dose of Vitamin G and experience the uplifting and restorative power of plants (and cake) with a visit to RHS Harlow Carr and Bettys Café Tea Rooms and Shop.

Garden-loving staff from Leeds Teaching Hospitals recently visited RHS Harlow Carr just ahead of National Gardening Week in April, to enjoy a hands-on learning session with the gardeners to improve their knowledge and develop their skills.

Now it’s your turn to make some time for yourself and three guests and absorb the calm and tranquil setting in the gardens, before settling in for a much deserved cup of tea and treats as part of the Bettys Café Tea Room Afternoon Tea experience.

To be in with a chance of winning, please answer the following question: What does the G mean in Vitamin G? Submit your answer via Typeform: https://leedsth.typeform.com/ HarlowCarrComp

Terms & Conditions The competition is open to all staff working at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. There is no monetary equivalent and the prize must be taken before the

end of December 2021 and is subject to availability. Entry to RHS Harlow Carr Gardens and Afternoon Tea is based on four people. The winner will be notified by email by 31 August 2021.

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News

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Pictured: LTHT Chief Executive Julian Hartley with Lucy Nickson, CEO of Day One.

Day One launches as first national charity for patients with life-changing major traumatic injuries Day One Trauma Support announced its official launch as the first national independent charity supporting survivors of major traumatic injuries across the UK in May. Day One was created to offer financial, legal, practical and emotional support to help people cope with the wider implications of life-changing injuries, such as those resulting from car accidents, sporting accidents, physical attacks or falls from height. The charity was founded by Professor Peter Giannoudis, Orthopaedic Surgeon, and has been operating in West Yorkshire since 2014.

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While some rehabilitation support already exists for neurological and spinal injuries, Day One will now also serve a much wider group of patients, including those with musculoskeletal injuries, for whom no existing support exists. The charity, which has supported more than 1,000 patients locally since its inception, now looks to extend its reach to the 27 major trauma centres across the country.

Julian Hartley, Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted that Day One is now able to share more widely the expertise it has developed alongside our clinicians not just in our Major Trauma Centre here in Leeds, but also in allied services

and throughout the Major Trauma Network across West Yorkshire. It’s an important step forward to bringing this much-needed support to patients across the country.”

The charity offers a broad range of support, including emergency funding for accommodation for families needing to be close to their loved one whilst in hospital, as well as longer-term funding to support survivors and their families. A dedicated team of volunteer Peer Supporters who have had similar accidents or injuries are able to support patients in person or over telephone by empathising and sharing their own experience of recovery.

www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

Leeds Children’s Diabetes Team celebrate DigiBete App winning App of the Year The DigiBete App – made in partnership with the Leeds Children’s Diabetes Team – won ‘App of the Year’ at this year’s prestigious UK Dev Awards in March.

The DigiBete App in partnership with Leeds Children’s Diabetes Team, was officially commissioned by NHS England under the COVID-19 emergency response in June last year, having already been adopted by NHS Wales.

The app builds on the success of the established DigiBete.org digital diabetes platform to provide a bespoke digital self-management tool for young people and families living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), to help overcome barriers to good diabetes care.

Every resource on the app is co-designed and clinically approved by the Leeds Children’s Diabetes Team based at Leeds Children’s Hospital. The DigiBete Team incorporates clinical staff including Dr Fiona Campbell, paediatric diabetes specialist nurse Caroline Mulier and dietician Frances Hanson.

The DigiBete app provides a wide range of clinically approved, age-appropriate resources to help with the selfmanagement of T1D. Users can favourite and save video resources to their device,

store insulin ratios/doses and pump settings, add appointments and school healthcare plans and much more.

After only 9 months, the app has already been rolled out across 95% of clinics in England and Wales with nearly 40% of the 30,000 strong patient cohort for this app now actively using it. This is not only resulting in some significant cost savings for the NHS but is also having an extremely positive impact on the lives of thousands of children and their families.

The DigiBete app is also the only app of its kind specifically aimed at children and their families. The app was developed using a co-creation approach with parents, clinicians and the wider T1D community.

News

A for effort to AAA Team Following an extraordinary effort, the Central Yorkshire Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening team has successfully screened all men who were due to be invited for screening during the 2020/21 year.

The team, based at Seacroft Hospital, would usually perform ultrasound screening scans for over 7,000 men each year, operating from 140 locations in the Leeds and Wakefield area.

Screening was suspended during the first national lockdown and recommenced in June 2020, however with a disrupted service.

The team has since brought the programme back up to date, with all eligible men invited for screening with an impressive attendance rate of 81% - only 2% lower than the average prepandemic attendance. One of the few programmes in the country to have achieved this goal, the team can now continue to offer this service to the benefit of local communities.

The app was praised for its impact and creativity, with the judges commenting; “This app has clearly made an incredible impact and has creatively solved a need that hasn’t been addressed before. An impressive focus on their metrics for success really stood out to the judging panel.”

The UK Dev Awards celebrate innovation in digital communication, recognising those who are optimising user experiences, and improving accessibility.

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News

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Junior Doctor Wellbeing Champions’ projects improve trainees’ experience at Leeds Inspired by our junior doctors’ genuine interest in improving working conditions, the Guardian of Safeworking Team created a voluntary role to enable junior doctors to follow their passion and support their colleagues in this area.

Twelve Junior Doctor Wellbeing Champions were appointed, after which a series of training days on different aspects of health and wellbeing were held together with mentoring and leadership training.

Although this was all held virtually, the Guardian of Safeworking Team have really enjoyed working with the Champions and feel very much part of a big team.

As part of their new role, the Champions organised two wellreceived surveys exploring health and wellbeing among their colleagues during the pandemic alongside testing knowledge about wellbeing resources.

Over 70% of respondents described a significant impact on their health over the last 18 months. The results also showed that few doctors were aware of all the support available from the Trust for their health and wellbeing.

These include simple practical things like where you can make a cup of tea at 2am through to accessing support from our team of staff clinical psychologists and our Professional Support and Wellbeing Team.

The Guardian of Safeworking

of my colleagues. It has been a good platform to offer help and ideas for the wellbeing of doctors.”

Team have been working with the Wellbeing Champions to find ways to address these findings. Their first practical project has been developing a wellbeing handbook, which is hoped to be a physical aid rather than an online resource, in response to feedback suggesting that IT contact can sometimes feel overwhelming. This will ultimately form part of a welcome pack which will be included in face-toface induction when permissible. If this proves successful then the team hope to extend these resources across more staff groups so everyone can benefit.

Despite being a challenging year, the Wellbeing Champions have provided enthusiasm and positivity for the future. Their individual projects have touched on many aspects of life as a junior doctor that have been enlightening, and has empowered them to be active throughout their career in supporting colleagues of all disciplines within the NHS. The Junior Doctor Wellbeing Champions talk about their experience in their roles over the past year: Jo Corrado “I have absolutely loved being a Wellbeing Champion for the second year running. This year the role expanded to enable me to mentor the 2020/2021 Wellbeing Champions.

It has been really satisfying to see their creative ideas come to fruition as they developed projects and interventions to support the wellbeing of all junior doctors within the Trust.

It’s amazing that even though clinical pressures have been enormous over the past 12 months, promoting the wellbeing of doctors has remained top of the agenda for the Guardians of Safeworking and the Professional Support and Wellbeing Team.”

Moruf Salawu “Being a Wellbeing Champion for me has been about service and improving the welfare

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Azza Almaremi “I enjoy my role as a Wellbeing Champion because it allows me to advocate for junior doctors, to help them have a positive experience while working at LTHT. It is also a chance to work with highlymotivated individuals who are invested in the wellbeing of others. The LTHT champion network has been an incredible source of support for me and many colleagues who struggled during the pandemic.”

Josh Wren “It has been a pleasure working with similarly-minded people with the aim of promoting junior doctor wellbeing. I hope to continue wellbeing related work throughout my medical career and this role has bolstered this hope!”

Laura Yeates “Being a Wellbeing Champion gives me the unique opportunity to improve working lives and gain the skills needed to support my colleagues in a difficult role. We help to communicate junior doctor needs and direct change. I have also been able to signpost colleagues to wellbeing resources which previously I had not known were available following our training days. This has been especially important during the pandemic where methods have support have needed to be adapted and I am proud to have contributed to the improvements.”

www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

News

New Staff Support Chaplain prioritises staff wellbeing Long shifts in full PPE. No time for a break. Lost opportunities to connect with colleagues. All this and more, has unfortunately become all too familiar throughout the pandemic. Where once you could at least rely on a quick cup of tea and a chat with a colleague for the most basic of physical and mental rejuvenation, the pressures of the last 12+ months have seen staff dedicate their all to their patients, often at the expense of their own wellbeing.

In recognition of this, LTHT has introduced numerous measures to try and increase support for staff wellbeing.

These initiatives have been aided by more than £1 million in donations for our NHS heroes, provided by Leeds Hospitals Charity and including a £400,000 donation from NHS Charities Together, raised by fundraisers from all over the country.

Appointed in early April, the recruitment of Andrea Farley-Moore as the new Staff Support Chaplain has been an integral step to provided more holistic support to NHS staff across all LTHT sites.

Andrea said: “This year has affected us all differently, producing a whole range of thoughts and feelings from anger to anxiety, exhaustion to confusion. Some people just feel numb, others feel their deeply held values have been jeopardised during this time. These are all normal responses to abnormal events and it can be helpful to talk them through in a safe space with someone outside your immediate work context.”

Staff Support Chaplain Andrea Farley-Moore

Appointed to the Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care team, Andrea is keen to highlight that support from the Chaplaincy is open to everyone, regardless of their background, faith and beliefs: “Even if someone just wants a five minute chat, I’m here to listen.”

“We all need to discover a sense of wellbeing…and work out what gives us strength. You don’t need to be feeling at the end of yourself to talk to

a chaplain - we are here for the good as well as the challenging times, to uncover hope in the busyness of life, to celebrate the small wins and share the life changing moments.”

Staff from all areas and roles at LTHT are welcome to contact Andrea for support - or just a chat - by emailing andrea. farley-moore1@nhs.net, calling 07385 460931 or via the Chaplaincy Office on 0113 20 65935.

What is Civility Saves Lives Training?

Evidence shows that rudeness impairs performance, and can lead to negative outcomes for patients.

When healthcare staff experience rudeness, 80% of people lose time worrying about it and 38% reduce the quality of their work.

The 15 minute short training video provides an overview of the importance of civility in the workplace, and the possible impact of incivility on our team members and the people we care for. The training is delivered in the form of a Ted Talk and provides an interesting and educational perspective on civility.

By accessing this learning you will be referred to the Civility Saves

Lives website, where you can access further information and resources to support you to embed the learning.

How do I access the learning?

This learning can be accessed through the LTHT Training Interface: Leeds Teaching Hospitals (leedsth.nhs.uk) under the local compulsory section.

Or you can visit the Civility Saves Lives website directly: www.civilitysaveslives.com Please note: You will need to access the training either through Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.

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New hospitals on track despite the pandemic Our plans to build two new hospitals at Leeds General Infirmary have been making great progress despite all the challenges that the Covid pandemic has brought about.

The Trust’s plan to develop a new state-of-the-art adults’ hospital and a new home for Leeds Children’s Hospital are on track and we will be shortly announcing those companies who will be producing the designs – a significant step forward for the project.

The new hospitals, which will be completed in 2025, will focus on patient-centred care with modern and forward-thinking environments allowing staff to provide the most advanced care and treatments in hospital or remotely.

The new hospital development will also release estate at Leeds General Infirmary to support a new Innovation District in the centre of Leeds, bringing huge economic benefits for the city and wider region.

The development is one of the most significant in the UK covering more than 94,000 square metres with initial funding of £600 million for the project confirmed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

It is predicted that the LGI Development Site project could deliver direct and wider economic benefits estimated to be up to £11.2bn in net present value terms - and more than 3,000 jobs.

The project, known as Building the Leeds Way, also includes a new pathology laboratory at St James’s Hospital that will provide state-of-theart pathology facilities for Leeds, West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

The design company for the new hospitals will be announced soon and, shortly afterwards, there will be a first set of concept designs available for people to see. This will be followed by further engagement with staff, clinicians, patients and the public to give their input as the detailed designs are taken forward.

LTHTChair, Dame Linda Pollard, said: “We are trailblazers here in Leeds, and this significant investment in health services for patients from Leeds and the wider region is moving forward at pace despite all the challenges we’ve faced with the Covid pandemic.”

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Demolition is progressing on the old buildings, with the contractors currently sensitively deconstructing the empty building that adjoins Jubilee

Wing to reduce any disruption to patients and staff.

Hoardings around the LGI site have been completed and depict staff and patients who use the hospital services – as well as some of the designs produced by young children showcased along the Calverley Street side of the site.

Further demolition will be continuing throughout 2021 to prepare the site for the start of construction on the new hospitals sometime in late 2022.

Engaging with patients, staff and wider stakeholders is a key part of the Building the Leeds Way programme. Their input is crucial throughout the project, from taking part in the public consultation on co-locating inpatient maternity and neonatal services to sharing feedback on the hospitals’ design.

Engagement with staff, clinicians

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and young patients and their families has been particularly important for the new Leeds Children’s Hospital who have all had an input into the design process.

Recently the Countess of Wessex, who is patron of Leeds Children’s Hospital, heard all about the development plans from some of the children when she paid a virtual visit to the hospital.

She also heard from some of those working on the new buildings on what it means personally to them. DSM demolition site supervisor, Mark Neave, spoke to HRH about his role and how the hospitals have a special meaning for him after the stillbirth of one of his children and the premature arrival of his son Kobi. He told her how special the care was that he and his family received at the time, and said he was delighted to now be involved in helping with the development of the new hospital.

Recognition and reset As part of the goal to make Leeds Teaching Hospitals the best place to work, supporting colleagues through challenging times at work and at home is key. When you spend most of your working life looking after others, it’s important to often have a reminder to take care of yourself too. The time to prioritise your health and wellbeing is always now.

In April, LTHT organised some special events to recognise the hard work that has taken place over the last year.

There has also been excellent progress with the new pathology development with the site at the lower end of St James’s Hospital now cleared and prepared for construction to begin later this year once designs have been finalised and approved.

The new facility - which will also provide pathology services to hospitals across West Yorkshire and Harrogate - will allow Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to bring many of its pathology services together into a purpose-built stateof-the-art laboratory.

Due to be completed in Spring 2023 – the new laboratory will be designed for fast, accurate, routine and specialist testing. New concept designs showing what the new facility may look like have been produced and are currently part of the engagement with staff and stakeholders leading to final designs and a start of construction later this year.

LTHT cocktail party Over 70 colleagues from across the organisation joined a special LTHT cocktail party hosted by Mix & Twist in April. Each were gifted a fabulous cocktail making kit, including all the ingredients needed to make three delicious cocktails.

Conor and Anthony from Mix & Twist led a special Zoom masterclass showing everyone how to create their cocktail masterpieces.

This was a fantastic opportunity for teams to come together virtually and enjoy doing something fun together.

The cocktail kits were gifted by Mix & Twist and their suppliers - Neils Catering Division, Drinkstuff, Leeds Parcel Company, dine delivered, Involution Uniform & Merchandise Supplier and Preston Baker.

Compassion and courage To mark a year since the start of the

pandemic, every member of staff at Leeds Teaching Hospitals received a special staff recognition medal. These were a small token of appreciation for all the hard work and commitment teams have shown in managing the response to Covid-19, and recognition of the continuing work as part of stabilisation and reset for hospital services. Included with the medal, a voucher announced the introduction of a special ‘Birthday Leave’ day this year, to provide staff with an extra day of much needed rest and relaxation.

Comments from staff included: “Felt proud and emotional receiving this. It means a lot. It prompted moments of reflection, gratitude for the people around me at home and work, a few tears, and the kids insisted on a cake.”

“Thank you for this very special gesture.

The words mean so much. It has been a privilege to be able to care for our patients through such difficult times.

We couldn’t have done this alone.”

“It’s been a year which has tested our limits and shown us all we can be supported by each others strength, courage and laughter during the most testing of days. Thank you for recognising our compassion and courage.”

“I glow with warmth & perhaps some reflection as I opened this. It has not always been easy but huge thank you. I’m eternally grateful that I work alongside so many amazing colleagues who supported me during my ICU shifts.”

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Millions now protected in vaccination surge The number of people vaccinated in the West Yorkshire region continues to climb at a striking rate, at the last official count there were 1.3 million people who had been vaccinated, with just under 1 million now equipped to emerge fully from the lockdown with their two doses.

Dr Phil Wood, Chief Medical Officer and lead Senior Responsible Officer for the vaccination programme across West Yorkshire, recently praised the work of the project; “This tremendous achievement is down to the hard work of our teams, pharmacies and GPs across

West Yorkshire and the vital support from our partners and many volunteers.”

With the landscape changing at such a pace, by the time you read this article, all adults may already be receiving their vaccination and trials into third ‘booster’ doses will be well underway across the country.

Work is ongoing to bring forward second doses for people in the nine priority groups, with the NHS contacting those whose appointments can be brought forward.

The findings of Public Health England published recently showed that the vaccines are effective against variants of concern, including the newly renamed Delta strain, and that second doses are particularly important for protecting people.

Work is ongoing to bring forward second doses for people in the nine priority groups, with the NHS contacting those

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whose appointments can be brought forward. For staff in those priority segments, they are being encouraged to make contact with the booking team and check availability to re-schedule their appointment earlier.

With increased capacity to ensure people can get vaccinated even faster, including opening four additional pharmacy vaccination centres in both Kirklees and Leeds, additional clinics and roving services are helping to reach more people in the priority groups who have not yet had their vaccinations and dropin services have proved popular, with further planned.

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Digital IT - building the foundations for the long term This year, the DIT team is working on a number of important projects and upgrades that will make a real difference to the speed and efficiency of our IT systems. This includes upgrading our Patient Administration System (PAS), building a new Data Platform, continuing work on our new IT Service Desk and migrating PPM+ to the Cloud, which will improve its resilience and support continued growth of the system.

This work will start to deliver some of the IT priorities you’ve told us about, improving the way we work across the Trust.

Much of the work we’re doing this year focuses on building the foundations for the long term. This will make sure we can continue to build a digital environment that supports our staff in providing excellent clinical care, putting patients at the centre of everything we do.

More information about our longer term plans is included in our DIT vision and strategy, which can be accessed from the IT requests and support page on the Trust Intranet. We’ll also be

running regular Q&A sessions this year to give colleagues an opportunity to find out more about the work we’re doing. These sessions will be advertised in the Trust’s communication channels so please take the opportunity to submit a question if there’s something specific you’d like to ask.

•W orking in partnership with the Scan4Safety team

Some of the IT projects delivered so far this year

•A utomated reporting

New IT Service Desk • A new digital portal, available from the link on your desktop, provides a quicker, easier way to request support and track progress.

Dose •E nables the Trust to proactively monitor patient radiation doses from x-ray equipment, allowing us to provide assurance around radiation dose levels to CSUs

•D irect access to patient dose data, enabling more efficient, patientcentred ways of working •W orking in partnership with Medical Physics & Radiology Oscopies (Phase 1)

• Improved colleague experience and first time fix rate.

•A n efficient, paperless, reliable solution

Scan4Safety Transfers

•A utomatically provides quality, safety and coding data, integrating with core systems to ensure information is available across the Trust.

• A fast, easy way to transfer patients, saving around 10 minutes per transfer.

• Supports a precise Live Bed State down to bed level, and provides a record of the patient’s journey around the Trust.

•W orking in partnership with AMS & Bronchoscopy

Transforming our operations for the post-Covid future The Leeds Hospitals’ response to Covid-19 has been a truly collaborative effort, between everyone in the organisation, the region and beyond.

the last year. It is important that this is taken into consideration and that wellbeing is at the heart of any future service planning.

And now, with a successful vaccination programme underway, and with less Covid patients coming to hospital than during the winter, thoughts turn to what happens next.

At Leeds Teaching Hospitals, the next stage is ‘reset and stabilisation’.

This work is being delivered in seven programme areas, each with a designated project group to focus on how to move forward. The seven programme areas are:

There is still a long way to go and although we may have become tired of Covid-19, it certainly hasn’t become tired of us. It is more important than ever that everyone continues to maintain the enhanced social distancing and infection prevention practices that will keep our loved ones and those that are most vulnerable in our society safe.

However, while everyone wants to bring our service delivery back up to ‘pre-Covid’, there are so many challenges that staff have faced over

• Unplanned care • Planned care and cancer • Outpatients • Diagnostics • Maternity, children and young people • Pharmacy LCP integration • Covid response and learning All of this is underpinned by a commitment to support all colleagues

working in the Trust with an ongoing programme of health and wellbeing support. This programme recognises that LTHT people need time and support to regroup from this experience to be in the best possible position to tackle the challenges ahead. Led by Jenny Lewis, Director of HR and OD, there are some key principles around how teams will work going forward.

As a Trust, we: • Empower, listen and engage • Recognise and seek to address tensions • Re-build teams; purpose, priorities and belonging • Acknowledge our feelings and are kind • Look back, acknowledge, learn and improve • Create time to work this way

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Latest news from Leeds Hospitals Charity Leeds Hospitals Charity Shops After opening our first charity shop at Crossgates Shopping Centre in Leeds in April, we’re excited to have recently opened our second charity shop at the Merrion Centre! Both of our fantastic charity shops sell a wide variety of pre-loved items from homeware, to clothing, accessories, books, toys and more! Every item sold will help Leeds Hospitals Charity continue to support the incredible work of over 20,000 staff working across Leeds Teaching Hospitals, helping them provide the best possible care and support for patients and their families.

If you’re interested in volunteering in one of our charity shops you can find out more and apply here on the Leeds Hospitals Charity website.

Get involved in our 2021 events!

Our fundraising events are back this Summer! This is a great opportunity to take on a personal challenge, or get a team of friends together to raise funds for your local NHS hospitals. We have an amazing calendar of events, from walking, to running, skydiving, obstacle courses and more! Your donations will help us continue to fund medical equipment, life-saving equipment and other projects to improve the hospital experience for staff, patients and families.

If you’re interested in taking part in one of our events to raise funds for Leeds Teaching Hospitals, you can find out more and register here on the events page of the Leeds Hospitals Charity website.

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Meet our ambassador…

Dr Amir Khan!

Leeds Hospitals Charity are thrilled to announce Dr Amir Khan as our very first ambassador. Bradford-born Dr Amir Khan, who has been a GP in West Yorkshire for over a decade, first appeared on hit TV series GPs: Behind Closed Doors and is now well-known for regular appearances on ITV’s Lorraine and Good Morning Britain. To announce his new role with the charity, Dr Amir joined volunteers on Friday 12th March at the Leeds Covid-19 Vaccination CentreElland Road, which is being run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals, as part of a city-wide partnership.

Dr Amir said: “It is an absolute privilege to be joining Leeds Hospitals Charity as their first ever ambassador. Being from Yorkshire, and working within the NHS myself, I can see first-hand the great support these charities provide to our NHS organisations. The NHS is fantastic, but Leeds Hospitals Charity provides that over and above support to staff and patients, funding the things the NHS wouldn’t usually provide.”

Babi Leeds Project Thanks to donations, Leeds Hospitals Charity has contributed over £60,000 to support a ground-breaking research study for mums-to-be in the city. The ‘Born and Bred in’ (BaBi) Leeds project will see midwives asking pregnant women in Leeds to consent to become part of BaBi Leeds. The project will mean health researchers will join together lots of health information so that they can build up a much clearer picture of people’s lives and look at ways to improve inequalities, health and care through research and planning of services in Leeds. They will be asking every pregnant woman in Leeds to join the project.

Kate Robinson, Senior Research Midwife and Manager of the Reproductive Health and Childbirth Research Team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals is one of the NHS staff leading the BaBi Leeds project. She says “It’s fantastic to have received this funding as we really believe this project has the ability to improve healthcare for pregnant women and their babies across Leeds.

Being able to link data like this is a fantastic opportunity. It means we can use this data to analyse the current health trends for maternity and early years care in the city and see where we might be able to make improvements.

We’re really excited about getting this project underway.”

Specialist shower chair helps patients like Stellio Thanks to donations, we recently provided £2,843 to fund a specialist seating shower chair for the Neurology ward at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. This shower chair is designed to ensure that patients are safe and comfortable in the shower and can be easily cleaned in between uses. After spending 72 days in hospital, patient Stellio was finally able to have his first proper shower since being admitted to hospital thanks to the new shower chair.

Jess Farman, Senior Sister on the Neurology ward said, “We’re so grateful to Leeds Hospitals Charity for funding this shower chair. It means so much for our patients to be able to have a proper shower and have their hair washed, you can see how much joy it brings them, and it definitely makes a huge difference to their mental wellbeing.”

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My Job

Courtney Lewis What else have you done in your career so far?

The most rewarding part of my career so far is being involved in and supporting the Reciprocal Mentoring Programme which supports the organisation’s objectives for greater inclusivity and the Equality and Diversity agenda.

What’s the best thing about your job?

I work within a team of approachable individuals who have a variety of different skills and knowledge that I can learn from. Each day I learn something different which helps my own personal development but also supports the team in moving forward to achieve their goals and ambitions.

What is the one thing you would change at LTHT to help you do your job better?

Courtney is an HR Advisor for Apprenticeships, and has worked at LTHT for two years.

Summarise the main aspects of your role?

My role is to support and promote a consistent and effective development and management approach to all apprenticeship programmes; providing best practice advice and support to line managers who host apprentices.

If I could change one thing at LTHT it would be to have dedicated accommodation which was suitable for a variety of different delivery models (face to face and virtual) allocated specifically for Training and Education activity.

What’s your best advice to a new starter at the Trust?

Join the networks to widen your accessibly to learning and attend learning and development opportunities that are available to develop your own skills and knowledge.

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 room makeovers – 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!

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Supporting opportunities for BME staff It is the Trust’s ambition to improve the experience of all BME staff at LTHT. This is part of the organisation’s People Priorities that set out to eliminate discrimination and support everyone to realise their full potential in the workplace.

Data shows that BME staff are almost twice less likely to be appointed from shortlisting than people from a white background.

To address this, LTHT has put in place several initiatives to empower colleagues from a BME background to get to where they want to be in their career.

Career Clinics Career Clinics were launched in January to help support BME staff with their career progression aspirations.

Career Clinics are one-to-one sessions aimed at nurses, midwives, and AHPs. Career Clinics run virtually via Zoom or MS Teams. After the career clinics launched in January we are already hearing about colleagues moving up a pay band after years of trying unsuccessfully.

Come and talk to us about your career aspirations and see what support might be available to you.

For more information, email: leedsthtr.workbasedlearners@nhs.net

respective professional bodies in the UK. Occupational English Test (OET) programme at LTHT helps support clinical colleagues to prepare for the OET test and the registration process.

The programme is funded by the Trust.

• Sign posting and networking information

For more information, email: leedsthtr.workbasedlearners@nhs.net

• Enhanced knowledge, understanding and skills to present your best self

Moving Up The Moving Up Programme is a twoday programme which supports staff in career development. There will be five programmes running between July 2021 and March 2022.

The programme is available to all staff, however some course dates have been specifically set aside for staff who are from a BME background and some are specifically for staff who have a disability.

The programme will include: • Career conversations

OET programme Overseas-trained healthcare professionals are required to prove their English language proficiency prior to registering with their

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• Presentation Skills • Personal Resilience • Emotional Intelligence • Effective Communication Skills training • Interview Skills

Candidates will leave with: • An understanding of what are your career anchors

• The confidence to put yourself forward for new opportunities Find out more by emailing: leedsth-tr.OLcoursebookings@nhs.net

For Senior Leaders and Managers The success of the above initiatives requires the understanding and engagement of senior leaders and managers on the issues and a commitment to make a difference in the lives of our BME workforce. For an insight into the issues and steps you can take locally book onto one of the BME Allyship Support Sessions run by Equality & Diversity team in collaboration with the BME Staff Network.

Dates are available on ESR. For more information Contact the Equality and Diversity team on: Leedsth-tr.editeam@nhs.net

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NHS and RHS join forces to promote green wellbeing LTHT staff received a dose of ‘Vitamin G’ in April as part of the Trust’s plan to focus on wellbeing and kindness following an incredibly tough year.

LTHT and Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Harlow Carr Gardens joined forces to help hardworking NHS staff reenergise through the restorative power of ‘Vitamin G’ to ensure staff were rested, recovered, and ready to tackle the next big challenge.

Ahead of National Gardening Week (26 April – 2 May) members of LTHT staff who had discovered gardening as a hobby during lockdown were invited to RHS Harlow Carr and had the chance to speak to RHS horticulturalists.

During the week itself, LTHT staff had the chance to talk about how gardening has helped with their health and wellbeing during the course of the pandemic, as well as share tips and advice.

Lisa Grant, Chief Nurse at LTHT, said: “We have made the health and wellbeing of our staff a top priority with a range of resources and initiatives across our hospitals. Gardening has been shown to be a highly effective method of reducing stress levels and now is the perfect time to get back to the garden. We are so grateful to RHS Harlow Carr for this opportunity for our staff to learn direct from the experts.”

During the first lockdown, many people in the UK discovered the joy of gardening as a way of enjoying the outdoors without leaving home, with households planting 322 million more plants in 2020 than in 2019. Staff at LTHT also found a new hobby in gardening, with many embracing wildflowers, homegrown vegetables and more. A study from the RHS and collaborating universities showed that simply adding a few plants in a bare front garden could reduce

Podiatrist Tom Dickie relaxes in his garden

stress levels as effectively as eight weekly mindfulness sessions.

As the UK has come to appreciate its gardens and green spaces more than ever over the last year, the RHS is encouraging the nation to celebrate the feel-good power of gardens and finding easy ways to ‘Get Your Dose of Vitamin G’ by taking a few minutes each day to connect with nature.

“Vitamin G is ‘green’, and research has shown that getting a daily dose improves our sense of personal wellbeing,” explains RHS Director of Science Professor Alistair Griffiths. “Aim to bring green into your daily life as much as possible for maximum benefits. There are dozens of ways to connect with nature, and you don’t even need to have your own garden to get your Vitamin G.” Podiatrist Tom Dickie explains how his interest in gardening has developed over the last year and how it has helped his health and wellbeing during lockdown.

“Over the past year I’ve become much more clued up to wildlife considerations - butterfly watching, bird watching, thinking organically and looking at what grows well in our garden. Using gardening books has definitely helped me shape this broader outlook.

“Being outdoors, speaking to people walking past, and being able to relax in a colourful environment has been a wonderful gift over the course of several lockdowns. Growing something from seed is amazing really. From an instant-gratification and throwaway society, gardening teaches life skills, patience and happiness from both the small and larger successes.

Normally success can be measured easily as plants, flowers (or flowering weeds) are very forgiving. Watching life through plants is very satisfying, especially wild gardens that attract a wide range of non-human users and human onlookers.”

“I have very limited experience of gardening really but, I have grown a love of the outdoors, starting with an allotment and growing vegetable and fruit. Then I moved this to my front garden, where it morphed into growing flowers, plants and then a wild garden. I’ve learned as I go with my trusted companion - and probably better equipped at gardening - Mrs Fiona Dickie!

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Farewell

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Carole Appleby

Maria Caschetto

Maria Caschetto Maria retired from the Trust in February after 29 year’s service starting in 1992 as an administration clerk in Radiology at St James’s, where she stayed for 24 years. Maria then decided she would like a career change and in 2016 joined the Data Quality Department learning new skills and was with the team for five years until her retirement.

Maria was well known around St James’s and when she first joined the Data Quality team would visit the wards on a daily basis collecting VTE/Dementia data.

Maria was a quick learner having to deal with the complex investigative work the DQ team carry out.

Maria was not only an asset to the department she was a breath of fresh air in the office, on arriving to work she always had a funny tale to tell. Maria was excellent at bringing people out of their shells with her bubbly personality and lovable chatter. Maria has an identical twin, Filippa, who worked in Medical Records and there was many a time she would have a tale to tell about mistaken identity.

With lockdown and the restrictions in place, the team still managed to have a ‘surprise do’, arranging for an individual goody bag to be brought in for a few staff to celebrate and met up with the remainder of the team on MS Teams which was a lovely surprise for Maria.

Maria will be missed greatly by all her colleagues and friends as will the clatter of her tiny heels on the corridor.

Now she has a ‘smart phone’ (another achievement) she will endeavour to keep in touch! Her team wish her the all best in her retirement.

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Carole Appleby, Macmillan Children’s Haematology & Oncology Outreach Nurse Specialist, has retired after a remarkable 33-year career, standing side-by-side with families and their children as they’ve faced up to the most devastating news that of a cancer diagnosis.

Having started training as a dual qualified adult and children’s nurse in 1984, Carole has since worked in various roles across Harrogate, Martin House Hospice, Barnsley, Leicester and Leeds – and even a stint in New Zealand in between.

Carole said, “I will miss the families most without a doubt. They have just been a delight. Even in the cases where unfortunately children have died, having the privilege of taking care of their child in the most difficult circumstances has been something I will treasure. Every one took a bit of my heart with them.”

In recent times, Carole has championed the work of Macmillan in her personal life also, taking part in many fundraising activities; which she fully intends to continue after her retirement at the end of March. She will be missed by her colleagues and all who knew her, who wish her well for her next steps in life.

Carole Appleby

David Berridge

David Berridge David Berridge, Medical Director – Operations and Deputy Chief Medical Officer, retired from his role in April after 26 years at the Trust.

David joined LTHT as a consultant vascular surgeon in 1995, after which he moved into management, becoming medical lead for the development of the Major Trauma Centre, then clinical centre director, and divisional medical director for surgery and oncology, before starting his outgoing role in 2013.

David has been a familiar figure at the Trust and will be well-remembered for his championing work as executive clinical lead for Scan4Safety in Leeds and across WYAAT. Over the years he has made an enormous contribution to helping make LTHT what it is today and in putting Leeds on the national – and international – map for excellence.

Friends and colleagues from over the years joined David at a surprise virtual send-off, with many kind comments on his aptitude for driving forward projects and remaining calm in a crisis. They all wish him the very best for his retirement and his next steps in life.

A fond farewell to our longserving staff

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Farewell

A fond farewell to our long-serving staff Ann-Marie Jones

Elizabeth Toger Elizabeth started her NHS career in Glasgow before getting married and moving to Leeds in 1971 and commencing her career within Outpatients at LGI. Following having her three children Elizabeth moved to work in Casualty reception until the late 1990s within Martin Wing A&E. Elizabeth transferred to Surgical Admissions and co-ordinated the setting up of the first admission and discharge central team before moving to Endoscopy.

Elizabeth supported and inspired her daughter Claire to set out in a career within LTHT and between them have nearly 80 years of experience within the Trust.

Elizabeth Toger

After 39 years working on the Renal Unit, and a total of 47 years in the NHS, Clinical Nurse Specialist Mary Cullen retired at the end of May.

Ann-Marie Jones Ann-Marie Jones, Senior Sister for Surgical Pre-operative Assessment at SJUH, retired in May. Ann-Marie started her training at Wharfedale General Hospital in 1982, working mainly in the day surgery unit and came to St James’s 20 years ago to work in urology and then to Surgical Pre-Assessment.

Ann-Marie has worked tirelessly to give Pre-Assessment a ‘profile’ and she is immensely proud that she was instrumental in the opening of the Admissions Lounge twice in 2008 and 2015.

She recalls the most scariest of moments when she presented ‘A Streamline Service’ to delegates at the Rose Bowl, stating “That there is nothing like having 400 eye balls staring at you to make you focus!”

Melanie Hall Melanie Hall retired on 31 March after 43 years’ service to LTHT. Mel started her career at Cookridge Hospital in May 1978, moving to Chapel Allerton Hospital, St James’s Hospital and finally to the LGI Old Medical School.

Mel has worked her way up the ranks from Junior A to Service Lead for Bacteriology and Mycology. Mel has had a keen interest in respiratory bacteriology, cystic fibrosis, containment level 3 and quality management.

In her spare time Mel likes to walk her dog, holiday in the Canaries (Covid permitting) and is a keen gardener and recently taken up a hobby of building outdoor furniture from pallets. Mel will be missed in Microbiology and her team wish her all the very best for the future in her retirement.

Mary Cullen

The past year has brought its many challenges, Ann-Marie led from the front introducing new digital and remote ways of working. She was instrumental in the opening of the Covid screening pods at St James’s and the Covid drive-through service at Chapel Allerton Hospital.

Mary moved to Yorkshire from her home in Waterford, Ireland in March 1974 to do her nurse training at Pontefract General Infirmary. After qualifying as an Enrolled Nurse, she moved to the Ida Hospital (aka Cookridge), where she worked on (what were then known as) the geriatric wards.

In 1982, Mary joined the Renal Unit at St James’s on a rotational post, before eventually settling in Peritoneal Dialysis for 26 years. During this time, she also completed the conversion course to become a registered nurse. In 2008, Mary joined the Renal CNS team, where she remained until her retirement.

Working closely with colleagues in both Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery, Mary played an integral role in transforming the service offered to patients requiring vascular access for their dialysis.

Mary will be very much missed by the many patients she has cared for and supported over the years, as well as by her friends and colleagues across the Trust. She will be remembered as a passionate patient advocate, and someone you would want on your side if you were in a predicament.

Her colleagues said: “Anne-Marie has been a fantastic senior sister and has always been a great example of everything a leader should be, demonstrating a commitment to delivering a first-class service to our patients and being an advocate for her team. We will miss her fabulous sense of humour, her laugh and lemon drizzle cake! We wish you every happiness and will all miss you immensely.”

Ann-Marie can now finally fulfil her long-made plans to sail the waterways of France in the first two years of retirement.

Mary Cullen

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Farewell

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Peter Milner

Sharon Harris

Peter Millner has retired from his role as a consultant in the Orthopaedic and Spinal department following 26 years at LTHT. Peter has shown tremendous commitment to both training and his clinical work over this time. He was responsible for the administration of the British Orthopaedic Association National Spine Fellowship based in Leeds, and over 50 spinal consultants throughout the UK and abroad have been able to benefit from his expertise.

At LTHT, Peter began working at St James’s on the trauma rota and providing single-handed spinal cover. He moved to the LGI as part of the merger of orthopaedic services in 2006 and helped to expand the number of spinal surgeons to the service’s current levels.

Peter will be very much missed by his colleagues and all who knew him.

Peter Milner

Steve King Steve King started his career in Leeds in 1993 on the cardiac unit at Killingbeck Hospital, moving to LGI Cardiac ICU when this unit relocated. Since 1999, Steve has worked on Neuro Critical Care, initially as a charge nurse, and then becoming matron of this area since 2012.

Sharon Harris Staff Nurse Sharon Harris retired from her role at the Trust with the Adult Critical Care team in March. Sharon has worked in the NHS for 43 years and has spent the last year of her career responding to the pandemic in full PPE. Sharon’s commitment over the years is greatly appreciated by the whole team.

Steve has been a lead in organ donation projects, digital strategy and successfully combined Neuro HDU and ICU. Steve’s staff describe him as a highly visible and supportive leader who puts patient care at the heart of everything he does.

Steve is a highly respected and knowledgeable nurse, leader and role model whose colleagues have loved working alongside and he will be missed greatly.

Steve King

Julian Hartley, Chief Executive, said: “I really enjoyed meeting Sharon - albeit virtually - and I can only imagine the difference she has made to the lives of so many patients and their families, as well as her colleagues during this time. I’m sure I join many colleagues in wishing Sharon the best of luck in your retirement and thank you for all your outstanding work.”

A fond farewell to our long-serving staff 24

www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

News

New goods vehicles supporting LTHT Green Plan The transport team have added three new lorries to the fleet. This is part of the Trust’s ambition to support the Leeds City Council transport strategy and the LTHT Green Plan which is underway. The new 18 tonne HGV have DAF euro 6 engines which offer reduced emission levels along with state-of-the-art safety systems.

The vehicles are based at Seacroft Hospital and deliver patient meals every day to each of the Trust’s hospitals. They are just one part of a complex logistics service, which is undertaken by a team of experienced drivers operating a fleet of over 50 vehicles. This includes everything from moving patient related goods such as medicines, samples, notes, post and over 3 million patient meals, to driving the staff shuttle buses.

Recycle, be Aware, be Sustainable for our Patients.

The GRASP Rewards website and mobile app show a range of simple actions that everyone working at Leeds Teaching Hospitals can take that will have a big sustainable impact. In return, anyone who takes an action will be awarded Green Points. Each month those who earn the most Green Points will win a £20 voucher, or be a lucky monthly raffle winner simply for taking part.

There are a range of activities to choose,

including reporting recycling, travelling to work sustainably and switching off electrical equipment, to eating local food and growing plants!

That’s not all, staff compete as part of their CSU team, and every six months the teams that have earned the most Green Points per person will win a share of £200 to donate to their favourite Leeds Hospitals Charity funding area.

All staff can sign up now to GRASP Rewards at: www.leedsth.greenrewards. co.uk/.

The team have successfully delivered a critical service through the pandemic and continue to work in collaboration with Leeds City Council, LTHT departments and local Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Earn rewards for sustainable actions GRASP Rewards is a new online platform that makes it easy (and rewarding!) for all staff to take positive environmental actions.

GRASP is the Trust’s sustainability campaign and stands for be Green,

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Feature

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Kindness Quiz How kind are you?

1. What’s the kindest thing you have done? a) Held a door for someone b) Sent flowers to someone for no reason c) Nursed a baby bee with sugar water 2. If you could bring something to work to share with your colleagues to make them happy, what would it be? a) A cake b) A dog or animal to pat c) A good pair of ears and the time to listen to them all day 3. When you disagree with someone, do you… a) Stand your corner and tell them their opinion is wrong? b) Pretend you agree, so as not to offend or upset them? c) Try and work together to an agreement and both learn from this?

4. In your downtime, what are you most likely to do? a) Relax, read, just catch up with myself b) Spend time with a friend eating and drinking c) Volunteer in the community or on a project that needs some support

5. If you’re down to your last Rolo, what would you do? a) Eat it, it’s only small, you deserve it and no-one will know b) Ask if anyone would like it (hoping they won’t) and then share if they say they do c) Give it away, it’s not possible to eat the last Rolo, it’s the ultimate sacrifice

Mostly A

Mostly B

Mostly C

You are kind at heart and know what it takes to make people happy, and to also to keep yourself topped up - you are the plumb spirit of kindness. Not one to make a fuss, your kindness is simple and direct, but you might want to work on your delivery at times.

If you were an object, you’d be a fluffy pillow, always ready to support others with just the right level of kindness that they need. Who doesn’t love and need a bit of animal therapy or an afternoon drinking and eating your cares away?

Just be mindful of your own needs and that they are matched by those of others.

You are a ray of sunshine in the kindness stakes and the world glows in your path of kindness. It’s just natural to you to keep on giving, perhaps at the risk of your own happiness at times. Just be careful though, like the sun’s rays can burn, can you be too kind?

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www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

60 seconds

60 seconds Tif Carter

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

After a busy week at work I enjoy relaxing at home spending time with my husband, and gorgeous dogs. I’ll always try and fit in some time to bake, sew, craft or read; but Sundays are usually our time to go out for a long walk in local countryside and clear our heads before the following week.

What is your ideal holiday destination and why?

Tif is Deputy Voluntary Services Manager, and has worked at LTHT for nine years.

I love to holiday in the UK, anywhere with long county walks or a trip to the coast. If I could pick anywhere it would be the Lake District because it is just so stunningly beautiful.

What is your favourite food?

Anyone who works with me knows I always have a few snacks hidden away in my desk drawers and an emergency chocolate bar on hand!

If I had to pick a favourite food, I think I’d have to go for steak medium-rare, chunky chips and a side salad (which of course makes it healthier and justifies a sticky toffee pudding for dessert!)

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

I don’t really think I knew what I wanted to be, it ranged from a police officer, teacher, psychologist and lots of other ideas in between. Then, just as I left university and was ready to start a profession I realised I didn’t really know what I wanted to be at all. Through working at LTHT I found myself in a role supporting volunteers and finally realised what I was supposed to do with my life. I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else.

What is your favourite film?

I would have to say Pride and Prejudice, with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. I know, my friends think I’m wrong too but I just never really liked the BBC version that much!

Tell us something we don’t know about you …

I entered a sewing competition during lockdown and with the help of an experienced quilter who provided advice on Zoom, text, and email, I finished my first ever quilt… as long as you don’t look too closely its actually quite good!

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust endorse any of the products or services.

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staff magazine | Summer 2021

The Kindness Issue

DESIGN PRINT SUPPORT

Learning from Lockdown p8

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Strictly NHS champion! p3

Supporting opportunities for BME staff p20

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