8 minute read
Welcoming our new Chairman
MEDICAL EDUCATION HOSTS CELEBRATION EVENT
Graduating as a doctor is a special achievement that our Medical Education team has been privileged to witness many times over the years.
Advertisement
However, during the pandemic it hasn’t been possible for traditional cap-and-gown ceremonies to take place. This year the Medical Education team pulled out all the stops to create a celebration for the final year University of Liverpool students finishing their placements at the Countess. The ceremony was also attended by Professor Hazel Scott, Head of the School of Medicine, and saw all the newly qualified doctors recite the Declaration of Geneva (the modern-day Hippocratic Oath). Medical Education even set up a live Zoom call so the graduates’ families could watch along at home and savour the momentous occasion.
Ms Nicola Eardley, Consultant General Surgeon and Clinical Education Sub-dean at the Countess, said: “The University of Liverpool asked us to facilitate the event and the Medical Education team were fantastic at pulling it together at short notice. They ensured social distancing was maintained and a Zoom call was set up so families could send through messages of pride as the newly qualified doctors recited the Declaration of Geneva.”
Eventually it is hoped all the students who missed out on face-to-face ceremonies will have one retrospectively, however thanks to the Medical Education team they still have something to look back on. Jan Ellis, Medical Education Manager, said: “This has been a difficult year and we were delighted to see so many smiles because of this ceremony. We work so closely with our students that we feel like an extended family and we’re all so proud of them. We wish them all the best of luck as they begin their careers.”
Welcome our new F1 doctors
Our new cohort of Foundation Year 1 doctors started in August and the team are delighted to welcome them. They will start their professional lives as doctors at the Countess over the next two years before embarking on their specialist training.
PEOPLE PULSE SURVEYS BEGIN
Working through the pandemic has been incredibly challenging for NHS staff, which is why health and wellbeing programmes are more important than ever before.
Taking whatever steps are possible to improve day-to-day working conditions for staff is ultimately one of the best ways to ensure patients at the Countess continue receiving high quality care. In addition to the annual NHS Staff Survey, colleagues at the Countess are now being asked to complete regular ‘People Pulse’ surveys. Alyson Hall, Director of Human Resources and Organisation Development, said: “We want our colleagues to tell us how they’re feeling and what we can do to support them on a more regular basis. The People Pulse surveys are a tried and tested way of doing that and we are hopeful that they will help us to be more responsive in delivering a working environment tailored to the needs of our staff as well as our patients.” The ‘People Pulse’ is a national survey framework that has been developed for all provider and commissioner organisations in the NHS. Staff are asked to complete quarterly questionnaires, with anonymised feedback then being returned to the organisation. Fleur Flanagan, Head of Organisation Development, said: “People Pulse surveys are designed to give us insightful feedback which only takes a few minutes to complete. It will be extremely beneficial for us to receive more timely feedback from colleagues to help us understand what improvements they want to see, underlining the fact that all voices matter at the Countess.”
Welcoming our new Chair
Ian Haythornthwaite has joined the Countess as our new Chair.
Mr Haythornthwaite joins the Trust from the BBC where he is the Chief Operating Officer, Nations and Regions, and a key figure in the BBC’s senior leadership group. He brings with him a wealth of experience, not only from his financial background and BBC career but also as a non-Executive Director of Liverpool Women’s Hospital and former Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Central Lancashire.
The Trust’s Council of Governors confirmed the appointment earlier this year following a robust recruitment process. Mr Haythornthwaite will take over from Chris Hannah, Interim Chair, who will say farewell to the Trust after helping the Countess navigate through the pandemic. Chris, who has worked in the NHS for more than 40 years, started in the role in April 2020 after taking over from Sir Duncan Nichol CBE on his retirement.
Peter Folwell, Lead Governor, said: “I am looking forward to welcoming Ian Haythornthwaite to the Trust when he takes up the post. I and the rest of the Council of Governors would like to thank Chris Hannah for the experience and expertise she brought to the role at a very difficult time.”
VIRTUAL REALITY TRAINING LAUNCHES
Virtual reality technology is enhancing training for doctors and nurses.
The Countess is one of the first hospitals in the North West to adopt the Oxford Medical Simulation (OMS) platform, which puts healthcare professionals in computergenerated wards with highly realistic virtual patients. Participants work with their patient and team in the same way they would in real life, ensuring they deliver safe, compassionate and high-quality care, with real-time feedback provided on their performance. Dr Dhanya Stephen, F1, who was one of the first to use the VR technology, said: “The VR training felt very different and much more realistic than other simulations I’ve done before, and I’d be very keen to do it again. It helps you apply your knowledge because of the way it forces you to think quickly on your feet.” When a scenario starts, a virtual nurse explains that there is a patient waiting to be seen. Clinicians can then interact with the environment, their patient and the wider team. For example, they may wash their hands, talk to the patient, use medical equipment, perform examinations, and start treatment – all in real time.
Dr Stephen added: “It took a bit of getting used to at first, but it was very user friendly and I really enjoyed it.”
The OMS platform, which utilises the Oculus VR headset and controls, was first introduced at the Countess in May. This summer’s cohort of nursing students,
VIRTUAL REALITY TRAINING LAUNCHES
junior doctors and physician associates are the first to use it regularly. Previously, this kind of simulation training required the use of advanced mannequins only, with the greater immersion provided by the VR generating excellent user feedback so far. Both types of training will be used at the Countess to give staff the best of both worlds in terms of pressurised decision-making and honing hands-on skills.
Steven Hughes, Clinical Skills Tutor for Medical Education, led the project to bring in virtual reality training, successfully applying for funding from Health Education England after a successful pilot study. He now works alongside Kate Vaughan, Acting Clinical Skills Lead, to deliver the VR experience to students. “When COVID-19 arrived and education was suspended, I started searching for ways we could continue,” Steven said. “We were part of a pilot for Oxford Medical Simulation, and we are delighted with it so far. I can see this transforming the way we train healthcare professionals because of the way it focuses on decisionmaking in such an immersive way.” The design of the OMS platform was led by clinicians, taking inspiration from the benefits seen in other sectors such as aviation and industrial safety. Jack Pottle, Chief Medical Officer at OMS, said: “At OMS, we design all of our scenarios to let clinicians practice, learn from their mistakes and provide the best possible care for their patients. We appreciate how difficult the last twelve months have been across the NHS and are proud to be supporting the team at Countess of Chester to overcome their challenges in such an innovative way. We’re excited to continue working with them to enhance clinical training across the North West and prepare junior doctors for the next stage in their careers.”
MARQUEES REDUCE APPOINTMENT DELAYS
Several marquees located outside the main hospital buildings have been reducing appointment delays.
These areas have been used to accommodate additional outpatients who otherwise wouldn’t have been seen due to social distancing limitations inside the hospital. Teams based in the marquees contact colleagues in outpatient waiting areas via radios, identifying as soon as there is space for patients to head through to the department and wait for their appointment. On average patients wait in the marquees for 10 minutes before being called through. David Coyle, Chief Operating Officer, said: “The marquees have made a real difference and allowed us to keep more of our outpatient clinics open and see around 50% more people than we could have done without them. It’s so important for our patients that we do everything we can to see them as soon as possible and I’m delighted with the commitment and flexibility shown by our teams to make this work.” In the first five weeks the marquees were up and running this summer, 2,500 more patients were able to have their appointments. Although hands, face, space guidance has relaxed in the wider community, it remains firmly in place at NHS hospitals, which is why seating in normal waiting areas is restricted.
Many of the staff working in this new way have also previously been integral to setting up and managing the Trust’s COVID-19 testing and vaccination centres.
Amanda Woodard, Matron for Outpatients, has led each of these pandemic innovations and was the first person in Cheshire to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Everyone has pulled together once again to create a completely new way of working very quickly for the benefit of our patients,” she said. “I can’t thank the team enough for once again mobilising so quickly and so well. They are a true credit to the NHS.”
