FOCUS POINT The members newsletter for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
March2012 2015 Winter
The campaign is spearheaded by Dr Kate Granger, a young hospital consultant with terminal cancer who became frustrated with the number of staff who failed to introduce themselves to her as a patient. THE TRUST – and our staff – have joined forces with more than 100 NHS organisations to pledge their support for the ‘Hello my name is’ campaign.
Its message is simple – reminding staff to go back to basics and introduce themselves to patients properly. Find out more on page 5.
Welcome
Contact us… If you’d like any further information about anything featured in Focus Point contact Caroline Parnell, director of communications and engagement, on: 01642 835592, or email: foundation.trust@stees.nhs.uk.
WELCOME to the latest issue of Focus Point, designed to keep you, our members up-to-date with news about the trust. It’s been a really busy time since our last newsletter – we’ve had a CQC inspection, announced a very challenging three-year financial recovery plan and remain under the scrutiny of our independent regulator Monitor.
You can contact our governors at: gov@stees.nhs.uk or for more information about the trust go to: www.southtees.nhs.uk If you choose to receive future issues of this newsletter electronically you will be helping us to save money on printing and postage. Just email: foundation.trust@stees.nhs.uk to let us know if you’d like electronic issues of this newsletter.
Yet despite the issues we face, our staff continue to innovate and do a great job for patients – day in and day out ... In this edition I hope we’ve managed to strike that balance – yes it is tough at the moment but we’ll continue to have those open and honest conversations about the challenges we face and also share some of the excellent work going on across our hospitals and in the community.
Deborah Jenkins - Chairman
An inspector calls THE Care Quality Commission visited the trust in December and spent four days observing our practices across all our sites – the James Cook and Friarage hospitals and our community settings including primary care hospitals.
Inspectors were particularly impressed with children’s and maternity services across the organisation but some specific points which were initially raised included the trust’s position on pressure ulcers and infection control, staffing levels and issues around patient flow.
This year’s meeting will take place on Tuesday 21 July 2015.
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Chief executive Prof Tricia Hart said; “The inspectors’ overall impression of South Tees - and our culture – was that staff were ‘courteous, helpful, welcoming and supportive, which really helped to make the process easier. They described staff as being very real and honest about the challenges the trust faces but felt there was a lot of mutual support across the organisation.”
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The official CQC report is due out any time but their interim feedback was very positive.
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In total, more than 60 inspectors were involved in the process and during their time with us talked to patients, carers and staff, followed patient pathways and reviewed our data, policies and other information, particularly the complaints process.
For more details of the venue and times, please keep checking our website at www.southtees.nhs.uk 2
Leading-edge robotic surgery comes to Teesside PROSTATE cancer patients were the first on Teesside to benefit from leading-edge robotic surgery, which will be used to treat many more illnesses over time. In November, a team of urologists at The James Cook University Hospital successfully used, for the first time, a da Vinci robot to treat prostate cancer.
robotic surgery, which was made possible through the generosity of the local population donating to South Tees Hospitals Charity.
It is hoped that the hi-tech procedure will dramatically improve outcomes and cure rates for men with the disease, while reducing the side effects and complications of surgery and the length of time patients have to stay in hospital.
Consultant urologist David Chadwick said: “Robotic surgery allows surgeons to have improved vision and a greater level of precision than the use of conventional surgical techniques. This has significant benefits for the patient.
The robot has revolutionised surgical treatment for prostate cancer by making it possible for surgeons to perform minimally-invasive surgery with greater precision and control than ever before.
“It’s a significant development for the trust and, over time, will be used not only to treat patients with prostate cancer but also bladder cancer, kidney cancer, colorectal and gynaecological disease, head and neck disease and thoracic surgery.
It uses tiny instruments, controlled remotely by the surgeon sitting at a console. The surgeon has the benefits of 3D vision and hand and foot controls to control the micromanipulators, which have a greater range of movement than the human hand. It is estimated that between 300 and 400 patients a year, including 100 men with prostate cancer, will benefit from
“This complements our specialist cancer centre portfolio as we can now offer state-of-the-art surgical oncological treatment as well as state-of-the-art radiotherapy and that’s thanks to everyone who has contributed to the trust’s charitable funds and the clinical commissioning groups which have supported us in taking this forward.”
Consultant urologists Aftab Bhatti and David Chadwick, with members of the theatre staff alongside the Da Vinci robot
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And if one robot wasn’t enough The automated system, based in the hospital’s main pharmacy, dispenses and labels a required drug in just seven seconds. As well as increasing the speed at which medicines are given out, it will also allow the pharmacy team to redesign the services they provide to patients, supporting more staff to work on the wards.
A HI-TECH robot is also helping to ensure patients at the hospital get their medicines quicker ...
Director of pharmacy Jacqueline Miller said: “Robotic dispensing is becoming commonplace in hospital pharmacies across the UK and the benefits it brings to service delivery are proven. This new addition to our team will help us to deliver a faster and more efficient service to our patients.” The new robot will be used for dispensing discharge prescriptions, supplying medicines for named inpatient use and providing stocks to wards and departments and it is estimated around 350,000 items will be dispensed each year.
Make your vote count
THANK you to everyone who has put themselves forward as candidates in this month’s Council of Governors election. Ballot papers are now being distributed and the closing date for members to cast their votes is Monday 30 March. Two public constituencies – Hambleton and Richmondshire (4 seats) and patient and/or carer (two seats) – were uncontested and I would like to congratulate all the candidates who automatically join us as governors. They are: • Hambleton and Richmondshire – Plym Auty and Noel Beal (both existing governors) and Stella Kilvington, founding secretary of the Northallerton and District Diabetic Club, and Dr John Wilkinson, a public health doctor. • Patient and/or carer – Elaine Lewis (existing governor) and Grant Reid, a professional chartered engineer and dialysis patient. Elections will still be held in the Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland constituencies, which each have three vacant seats and the staff constituency which has one vacancy.
Trust chairman Deborah Jenkins said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has taken the time in putting themselves forward as a potential governor. They do make a significant contribution to the development of the trust and I’d ask our members of the constituencies where elections will be held to take the time to vote.” Details of all the candidates – plus new governors – are on the trust’s website at: http://southtees.nhs.uk/about/membership/elections/nhs.uk/about/membership/elections/
The financial challenges we face This is not without real challenges - we have to save around £91million between now and 2017 – and we do not underestimate just how difficult that will be while at the same time protecting the quality and safety of services we provide. Our biggest challenge is in 2015/2016, when we’re looking to save £40.1million – a huge amount of money – and we’ve set up a transformation office to work on a number of project which will not only save money and drive out waste, but hopefully improve services, systems and processes to benefit patients and staff. 4
THE trust has been asked by Monitor – our independent regulator – to develop a recovery plan that will get us back to a sustainable financial position within three years.
Some key areas we’re already looking at include: • Making improvements to our emergency pathway • Using IT to improve our outpatient services, such as electronic check-in • Driving the standardisation of many of the clinical supplies we use so we can get better deals from the companies that provide them Our trust is not alone in having to tackle a difficult financial position but unlike many others, we are ahead by having a deliverable plan to turn our position around. Further information is available on the trust’s website.
WE’RE proud to be part of the massive social media movement launched by a terminally ill doctor to boost compassionate care. The ‘Hello my name is ...’ campaign was spearheaded by Dr Kate Granger, a young hospital consultant from Yorkshire who became frustrated with the number of staff who failed to introduce themselves to her when she was in hospital. She has made it her mission in whatever time she has left to get as many members of NHS staff as possible pledging to introduce themselves to their patients. The trust has now joined forces with more than 100 NHS organisations that have pledged to support the cause with their own campaigns. Karen Harwood, lead nurse for the patient relations department, said: “Sometimes it’s the smallest things that can make the biggest difference and taking the time to introduce ourselves to our patients is something everyone at the trust can do. “We’re also reminding staff to introduce colleagues who are taking over an individual’s care following a shift change so our patients and their families always know who is looking after them, which in turn will help them to relax and feel safe while in our care.”
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Changes to minor injury units PATIENTS and the public are being reminded that the way they access minor injury units will change this April. From 1 April 2015 the minor injury units at Guisborough and East Cleveland Hospitals will no longer be open and anyone from these areas requiring treatment for a minor injury will need to attend Redcar Primary Care Hospital’s Urgent Care Centre. Redcar’s Urgent Care Centre is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will be offering extended x-ray department opening hours. The changes were announced last year following an extensive three-month public consultation as part of South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group’s IMProVE (integrated management and proactive care for the vulnerable and elderly) programme. To find out more about the IMProVE consultation and the reasons behind service changes please visit http:// www.southteesccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/improve/. Julie Suckling, accident and emergency department directorate manager said: “This change will enable a broader range of urgent care conditions to be assessed and treated at Redcar by emergency care practitioners. “We are also reminding people that your local pharmacy offers fast, effective expert advice on common complaints and the best medicine to treat them without the need for an appointment. If you need health advice or information about local health services contact NHS 111 by dialling 111 or visit www.nhs.uk.”
Minor injuries that can be treated at Redcar’s Urgent Care Centre include: • bumps, cuts and grazes • bruises strains or sprains • open wounds and dressings • minor burns and scalds • ear or eye infections • animal bites or stings • fractures and splinting of minor bones • rashes and minor skin complaints • removal of splinters/thorns • viral infections Dr Janet Walker chair South Tees CCG said: “The CCG is working in partnership with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust and with Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland local authorities to improve services for the vulnerable, elderly and those with long-term conditions in the area. “The changes made through the IMProVE programme will help us to invest in more services in the community to benefit not only the elderly and vulnerable but the whole of the South Tees population by getting more services closer to people’s homes, reducing the reliance on hospital based services.” For more information on hospital services in the South Tees area visit www.southtees.nhs.uk.
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SOUTH TEES HOSPITALS CHARITY Together we do the amazing
SOUTH Tees Hospitals Charity covers The James Cook University Hospital and the Friarage Hospital as well as community services. All donations given are used to enhance patient care over and above the core services and facilities that the NHS provides. We have big ambitions to make a difference to the experience of patients who need to be cared for in the trust’s nine hospitals and community. With your help we want to: • Keep our hospitals at the forefront of care provision; delivering the best possible care to the region’s population by purchasing state-of-the-art equipment • Enhance our staff’s training to keep our teams upto-date on medical advances • Create the best possible environments for patients and staff We can only do this with the help of patients, carers, staff and local communities who organise fundraising events and give donations and legacies. Further details are available by contacting the charity team on 01642 854160 or visiting their website at www.southtees.nhs.uk/charity. You can also keep up to date with the latest on South Tees charity on twitter @STeesCharity Your support is priceless. Thank you to everyone who has generously supported our charity. Every penny raised counts and will make a huge difference to our patients and your hospitals.
Tractors to trundle for garden goal
TRACTOR drivers from across the north of England are being invited to get in gear and join a spring morning convoy through one of the most beautiful forests in the country later this month.
A drive through Hamsterley Forest in County Durham takes place on Sunday 22 March in aid of the spinal injuries unit at The James Cook University Hospital. Organised by John McLeod, the 20-plus mile drive begins from Hamsterley Working Men’s Club – and he’s still looking for other tractor aficionados to take part – for a £10 entry fee. John, 43, who after an accident many years ago left him paraplegic, said: “Having spent so much time in the spinal injuries unit following my accident, I just want to help them raise funds towards a garden for the benefit of the patients.” To get involved or volunteer on the day call John on 07792 764310 or Martin Hodgson on 07812 137999. LOCAL lads and lasses mammoth fundraising mission to help ward 14 at James Cook has got off to a flying start. The fat lads on bikes and phat lasses in trainers - launched their 2015 events at launch night party ‘Phoenix nights’ at Eston Labour Club - and raised a whopping £6,800. The lads and lasses have challenged themselves to raise £50,000 to help the ward which cares for cancer patients. Dad-of-three Neal, 41, said: “Our tag line is ‘It’s all about ward 14’ sums it up perfectly.
Fundraising wheels are turning
“We would like to say a big thank you to everyone for their support. What an amazing night, it was a great fun and everyone enjoyed themselves.” To see what else they are up to and for further information check out www.fatladsonbikes.com 7
Rural Belles sing for scanner
The Friarage
MRI SCANNER APPEAL
THE RURAL Belles sang again with a special concert for the scanner appeal raising a fantastic £1,300. The group – most with connections to the East Witton area – held a concert in East Witton Church and did carol singing around Leyburn and other local communities to raise this fantastic amount. A big thank you to the ladies and all the generous people who made a donation.
Countdown to scanner appeal target OUR ambitious appeal
to raise £2million for an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanner at the Friarage is in its final year and we are over the half way mark. Be part of the £2m party by getting involved or taking part in some of our upcoming events. If these events are not for you, why not take on a new challenge and new adventure and help raise money for the scanner appeal at the same time. Donate online at: justgiving.com/FriarageMRIscannerappeal Alternatively you can contact the appeal office telephone on 01609 764936 or email judith.masterman@stees.nhs.uk, or contact our appeal partners, the Friends of the Friarage Hospital on 01609 762013. We feature below some of the events, local people and businesses who have supported the appeal so far. For more details visit www.friaragescannerappeal.org.uk or check out twitter @STeesCharity.
Events calendar ...
Flipping great fun Contact the appeals office for further information on any of the events.
Event
Date
Venue
Fundraising market stall
Saturday 11 April
Northallerton high street
Coffee morning
Wednesday 29 April
Northallerton town hall
Bubble football match
Saturday 16 May
Northallerton Football Club
Lyke Wake walk
Friday 5 June
North Yorkshire Moors (weather dependent)
Great North Swim
Sunday 14 June
Windermere, Lake District
M&Co fashion show
Wednesday 24 June
M&Co store Northallerton
Home grown food festival
Sunday 28 June
Applegarth playing fields Northallerton
Northallerton Carnival
Sunday 5 July
Northallerton high street
The Dales Trail
Sunday 20 September
Romanby Golf & Country Club, Northallerton Designed by public relations (MICB4891).
SHROVE Tuesday’s pancake race saw staff from stores, businesses and other organisations in Northallerton come together flipping a pancake all the way. South Tees Charity’s Judith Masterman had a lot of fun taking part winning first lady across the line and receiving a certificate and breakfast at Sam Turner’s café for her efforts. A big thank you to everyone who took part and to Lewis & Cooper for choosing us to benefit from the race.