Sherwood Forest Hospitals Summer 2015
NHS Foundation Trust
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NURSE OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2015 4-5 Improving for excellence
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14 Celebrating Nurses Week
Welcome to SFH News Welcome to the second edition of the new style SFH News. It’s been a busy few months since the last edition of the magazine, with our substantive Chief Executive Paul O’Connor leaving to pursue alternative career options in late March. I have now taken on the role of acting Chief Executive, having joined the Trust in April 2008 as Executive Director of Human Resources. In my new role I continue to be hugely proud of the work of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. At the time of going to print, we had just played host to a team of Care Quality Commission inspectors who spent a week with us visiting our wards and departments to speak to patients, visitors and staff. The informal feedback we received was, in the main, positive. We were particularly delighted that so many of our staff welcomed the opportunity to speak to the inspectors to share the good work of their wards and departments, and the changes made to improve patient care over the last year. We expect to receive first sight of the full inspection report in the autumn, attending our Quality Summit before the final report is published. In the meantime, may I thank all staff for their continued hard work and commitment.
Trust welcomes Neal Gossage
S
herwood Forest Hospitals is delighted to announce the appointment of Neal Gossage as Non-executive Director. Neal replaces Dr Gerry McSorley, who left the Trust on 31 May to relocate out of the area.
Neal brings expert knowledge from his career in finance, covering both the public and private sectors. He has held finance director roles for Powerhouse Retail Limited, Specialist Computer Holdings Ltd, Argos, the FTSE250 Swallow Group plc, Nottingham based Nelson’s Solicitors and Education Development International plc. In 2008 Neal worked as group finance director for Myhome international plc, and also as a consultant for a number of businesses and property development sectors.
This issue is packed with our latest news, including a pull-out souvenir feature on our prestigious Nurse of the Year Awards recognising and celebrating the compassion and dedication of the Trust’s nursing staff.
I hope you enjoy reading this edition of SFH News. If you have any feedback on how we could further improve the magazine please email our communications team at e.communications@sfh-tr.nhs.uk. Karen Fisher Acting Chief Executive
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Trust website: www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk Children & Young People’s website: www.cyp.sfh-tr.nhs.uk
Sean Lyons, Chairman of Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “Neal’s professional knowledge and expertise will prove invaluable to the Trust. I am delighted to welcome him to the Board. Neal will play a crucial role in the Trust’s development and drive to further improve the safety and quality of our services. “The Board of Directors and Council of Governors also wish to recognise the invaluable contribution made by Gerry for the last two years. His unique breadth of experience has been a major source of support to the Trust in challenging times.”
New Interim Director of HR
Finally, I would like to say farewell to Non Executive Director Dr Gerry McSorley, who left the Trust at the end of May, and warmly welcome Neal Gossage. Neal brings with him a wealth of financial experience and is a welcome addition to the Board of Directors.
@sfhft
New Non-Executive Director, Neal Gossage
Graham Briggs has joined the Trust as interim Director of Human Resources, taking over Karen Fisher’s HR role while she is currently Acting Chief Executive. Graham is an experienced HR director of more than 23 years, working across NHS, foundation trusts, acute and community services. << New Interim Director of HR, Graham Briggs
Councillor ShaRron Adey joins Council of Governors A warm welcome is extended to Councillor Sharron Adey who has joined the Trust’s Council of Governors, replacing Councillor Sonya Ward as the appointed Governor from Mansfield District Council. The Trust would like to thank Sonya for her valued contribution.
Proud to work at
Sherwood Forest Hospitals There is lots of fantastic working going on at the Trust’s hospitals each and every day. Staff were asked to showcase their achievements and a new poster campaign was launched to celebrate what makes staff ‘Proud’ to work for Sherwood Forest Hospitals. The posters, displayed around the site, highlight some of the ground-breaking work carried out and celebrate the accomplishments of dedicated staff.
Choose Newark Hospital Nurses and healthcare workers from Newark Hospital spent two days in May at the Nottinghamshire County Show at Newark Showground promoting the hospital to over 2,000 people.
Hospital’ campaign intended to increase awareness of the range of services available, and to encourage more residents to choose Newark Hospital when they are referred onwards by their GP.
Members of the public spoke with staff and governors about the services available at the hospital and wrote comments about what Newark Hospital meant to them on large posters.
The campaign team is working hard to increase public understanding of what services are available at the hospital and encourage local people to choose Newark Hospital when they talk to their GP or use the Healthcare Gateway system.
It was part of the Trust’s programme of events for the ‘Choose Newark
SFHnews | Summer 2015 3
Improving for excellence Leading the way in intensive care rehabilitation
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taff on the intensive care unit at King’s Mill Hospital have been recognised nationally for their innovations in treating patients with life threatening conditions.
As one of only a few Trusts in the country to provide full rehabilitation care to patients with critical illness, Critical Care Nurse Consultant Michele Platt and Clinical Educator Mandy Coggon were invited to showcase the team’s work to other healthcare trusts at a national study day in Birmingham; sharing best practice through a series of workshops for hospital staff. The patient’s recovery is planned by the unit’s specialist team of doctors, nurses and physiotherapists from day one of admission via a rehabilitation pathway. Innovations and improvements the unit has made to aid rehabilitation include providing a series of information booklets to inform the patient and their family of the changes to expect during recovery, encouragement to family and friends to write a diary for the patient about their stay, and support when they are transferred to a normal ward. Michele Platt said: “Time spent in the hightech environment of an intensive care unit can be stressful for patients and their families, and the patient often does not remember large parts of their stay, which is where the diary
comes in to help them ‘fill in the gaps’ about missing time. “Some patients have nightmares and flashbacks, feel low in mood, have changes in their appetite and activity levels, or have aches and pains that they never had before.
We are incredibly proud of the work we do in our intensive care unit and were honoured to be given the opportunity to share our innovations with other Trusts nationally “The booklets help patients to realise that these things are normal after critical illness and encourage patients and families to talk about these experiences together. “During their stay on intensive care all our patients have their own nurse to look after only them. When patients recover and go back to a ‘normal’ ward the patient can feel stressed as care is not as intense, so the unit’s Critical Care Outreach Team visit them to make sure
everything is going as well as expected.” The Critical Care Outreach Team also provides a unique follow up service for patients who are rehabilitating after an episode of intensive care. Two to three months after the patient has left intensive care, they are invited back to a critical care follow-up clinic as part of their ongoing rehabilitation. Run by Michele Platt and a senior physiotherapist, this is bespoke to each patient’s needs. Patients are able to discuss their experiences, ask questions and get further assistance with physical and psychological issues. Some patients like to visit the bed they stayed in and speak to some of the professionals who cared for them. If required, patients are invited back to the clinic again at six months and 12 months. Michele Platt added: “We are incredibly proud of the work we do in our intensive care unit and were honoured to be given the opportunity to share our innovations with other Trusts nationally. “The money earned from showcasing our work will be used to buy equipment for patients on the unit to make their stay as comfortable as possible. “We pride ourselves in putting the patient first and making sure their journey of care is a positive one.”
Second CT scanner for King’s Mill The Trust is now in proud possession of a second CT scanner at King’s Mill Hospital to assist in the early detection of disease and improve treatment planning and monitoring. CT (Computed Tomography) scanners use x-rays in a more sophisticated way to create a computerised picture of “slices” through the body. It is a non-invasive and quick way to look inside the body at organs, soft tissues, blood vessels and bones, and can accurately diagnose many conditions. The new scanner represents a significant investment by the Trust ensuring the hospital is equipped with the latest technology to deliver the most 4 SFHnews | Summer 2015
advanced service to the local community. Jayne Burkitt, Radiology Services Manager, said: “The second scanner will dramatically improve patient care by increasing scan availability for inpatients, shortening hospitals stays (as scans can be performed on an outpatient basis), improving waiting list times and improving imaging to treatment times. The CT service has also increased its provision towards a seven-day working service.” Newark Hospital will also benefit from a new replacement scanner of the same type, which will be installed in a few months’ time.
NEW EMERGENCY flow team A
n emergency flow programme has been established across the organisation to improve flow within patient pathways. The main objective is to ensure that patients who are admitted as an emergency are managed as safely, compassionately and effectively as possible. The aim is to improve and maintain flow across the whole patient emergency pathway. There is a growing body of evidence to demonstrate that older frail patients start to lose their independence and functionality within 72 hours of being admitted. Once they start to lose that capacity, it is very difficult for them to regain it to its former level. The Trust needs to ensure, therefore, that patients are discharged back home as safely and as timely as possible. Why is flow important in emergency care? • Recent research has shown that the most significant issue in emergency care flow is not about the numbers of people presenting at the Emergency Department, but the ability to discharge patients safely and quickly from the hospital as a whole. This means focusing on improving the flow of patients through the hospital
and increasing the speed at which patients are discharged • Nationally there has been an increase of 54% in emergency hospital admissions through Emergency Departments over the last 10 years. If patients are not ‘flowed’ through the hospital, beds become blocked far more quickly • Maintaining momentum in the patient journey helps identify problems and delays promptly • Every older patient who is in hospital with 10 days of bed rest loses 14% of aerobic and 10% of muscle capacity (the equivalent of 10 years of aging in 10 days). You may have noticed examples across the Trust of changes made to improve flow. These include: • Flow Co-ordinators are now based in the Emergency Department (ED) and Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU) • Each Ward now has an allocated
Transfer of Care Co-ordinator to assist with discharge planning • Board Rounds have been refreshed
Every older patient who is in hospital with 10 days of bed rest loses 14% of aerobic and 10% of muscle capacity (the equivalent of 10 years of aging in 10 days) • Two different models of care have been piloted in ED & EAU to ensure patients have a senior clinical review earlier in the patient pathway • The location of the Discharge Lounge has been moved to ensure the Trust is providing the best service for patients.
The emergency flow team, (Left to right) Sophie Haynes, Kim Ashall, Claire Probert, John Squires, Amanda Barrett and Kim Harper. SFHnews | Summer 2015 5
Expansion of VitalPAC
VitalPAC comes to Newark and Mansfield Community hospitals Following on from the hugely successful implementation of VitalPAC at King’s Mill Hospital, the system has now also been rolled out at Newark & Mansfield Community hospitals. VitalPAC replaces the traditional paper observations chart at the end of each patient’s bed. Instead of writing down patient observations including blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and breathing rate, nurses now input them into an electronic device. The readings are then analysed and an Early Warning Score is automatically calculated, warning the staff of any patients who may be deteriorating The recent roll-out of the system extends the many benefits of VitalPAC and electronic observations across the
whole Trust and means that all adult wards are easily able to communicate key patient information clearly and rapidly, as required between wards and healthcare professionals. VitalPAC project manager, Morgan Thanigasalam, said: “We now have the whole Trust utilising a system that has already proved its worth at King’s Mill Hospital. Staff at both Newark Hospital and Mansfield Community were extremely keen to have standardised practice throughout the Trust and the implementation at both sites was very smooth. Particular thanks are due to the expert VitalPAC training team and the ward leaders who supported us throughout.”
Next phase – system enhancements The next phase of the VitalPAC project will soon be delivered across all three Trust sites. This will initially see
enhancements to the existing system, enabling fluid balance charts, nutrition screening and MRSA screening to be recorded electronically. Training will be delivered by the VitalPAC team as it was for the initial rollout, supporting staff by delivering training on the wards.
Millionth set of observations! In June the Trust will pass a significant milestone – the millionth set of observations! The first phase of the implementation of VitalPAC only completed last July, and already Trust staff have nearly completed a million sets of observations on the devices. Nurses and healthcare assistants are excited to know that one of them will be ‘the one’ who completes this observation, and will be presented with a certificate and gift from VitalPAC.
VitalPAC system is extended and enhanced across the Trust
Improving record keeping in ED Emergency Department staff have been working together to improve record keeping within the department, after identifying that records were sometimes unclear. After identifying the barriers to good record keeping, and the current problems, the team highlighted a number of issues including a lack of clarity regarding individual documents they were expected to complete, difficulties in keeping individual documents together (especially with regard to the National Early Warning Score – NEWS) and logistical difficulties in calculating Anderson pressure area assessments on a patient’s arrival due to the scoring tool not being available at the trolley side. Using the evidence-based PDSA (Plan Do Study Act) cycle of change management, 6 SFHnews | Summer 2015
small improvements were made to documentation and an audit cycle was initiated to monitor improvements. The NEWS chart was included within the ED documentation, together with an Anderson Score box, for which staff were given a laminated ‘aide memoir’ pocket card. An audit tool was devised giving a one point score for every part of the documentation appropriately completed, and a charter of record keeping standards was written and signed up to by every member of the nursing staff. Twenty sets of notes were audited each month. Following implementation of the first PDSA cycle, a significant improvement was made in the recording of pressure area assessments and a small improvement in NEWS scoring. While it was agreed staff were ‘on
the right road’, it was felt not enough progress was being made. In addition to further adjustments being made to the documentation, a robust file note system was also implemented for the management of individual staff members who were not as compliant with the documentation standards. Following the second PDSA cycle, the documentation was further streamlined to include fluid balance charts and cannula VIP charts and the ‘accountability handover’ criteria. This was presented to the Trust’s Documentation Group for ratification and implemented in the department, with steadily improving results. In May the Sepsis Screening Tool was also included and the Emergency Department continues to audit and adjust documentation as required in order to continually improve record-keeping.
MEMBER NEWS Dates for your diary
Do you want to get more involved as a member? If so, why not come along to a member event? Come and learn more about a service or condition, with
the opportunity to ask questions of the Trust’s healthcare professionals. New members are always welcome too. Events take place monthly and all staff, volunteers and members are invited to
attend. Places on the Emergency Life Support sessions are limited to 20 per session so please book early to avoid disappointment. Light refreshments are provided at all events.
EVENT
DATE AND TIME
VENUE
Emergency Life Saving training
Tuesday 28 July 2015 – first session at 3pm, second session at 6pm
Holy Trinity Centre, Boundary Road, Newark, Notts NG24 4AU
Emergency Life Saving training
Tuesday 4 August 2015 first session at 3pm, second session at 6pm
Wotchorn Church Hall, Derby Road, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 7AQ
Emergency Life Saving training
Wednesday 19 August 2015 – first session at 3pm, second session at 6pm
Lecture Theatre 2, King’s Mill Conference Centre, King’s Mill Hospital, Mansfield Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield NG17 4JL
Healthy Living
Tuesday 6 October 2015 6.00-8.00pm
Wotchorn Church Hall, Derby Road, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 7AQ
Cyberchondria member event (Researching symptoms of a rare disease, Illness or condition, and manifesting a state of medical anxiety)
Thursday 29 October 2015 6.00-8.00pm
Lecture Theatre 2, King’s Mill Conference Centre, King’s Mill Hospital, Mansfield Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield NG17 4JL
Meet your hospital governors Ever wondered what the role of a hospital governor involves? Do you have a question for your hospital governor? Over the coming months, ‘Governor clinics’ will be held at both King’s Mill and Newark hospitals. You’ll have the chance to meet the governors and ask questions about their role and how they are here to help you. The hospital governors can be contacted at any time by emailing Governors@sfh-tr.nhs.uk DATE AND TIME
VENUE
Governor clinic
Wednesday 8 July 2015 10am-2pm
King’s Treatment Centre King’s Mill Hospital Mansfield Road, Sutton-inAshfield NG17 4JL
Governor clinic
Thursday 23 July 2015 10am-2pm
Newark Hospital Boundary Road Newark NG24 4DE
Governor clinic
Wednesday 12 August 2015 10am-2pm
King’s Treatment Centre King’s Mill Hospital Mansfield Road, Sutton-inAshfield NG17 4JL
Wednesday 26 August 2015 10am-2pm
Newark Hospital Boundary Road Newark NG24 4DE
Governor clinic
Board of Directors Meetings The Trust’s Board of Directors meetings are held every month and members of the public are welcome to attend. Please contact the Head of Corporate Services on 01623 622515 extension 4007 if you would like to attend or require more information about any of the agendas, minutes or papers. The next three meetings are: Thursday 25 June, 10am Thursday 30 July, 9.30am Thursday 27 August, 9.30am All meetings are held in the Board Room (Classroom 1), Level 1, King’s Mill Hospital. A full list of dates for the 2015 meetings can be found on the Trust’s website at www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk under the “About us” drop down menu, then “Board of Directors”.
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post! Thank you to everyone who completed the member survey insert in the last issue. In order to keep postage costs down, this is the last issue the Trust will be posting out to all members unless you have advised that you wish to keep receiving it. Please telephone the membership office on 01623 622515 ext 3575, or email: membership@sfh-tr.nhs.uk, to advise if you wish to receive future issues by post or email. You can still complete the survey about what you would like to see in your magazine at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/sfhmembership Thank you for your co-operation. SFHnews | Summer 2015 7
Discovering the benefits of health research L
ocal people were recently invited to King’s Mill Hospital to discover how medical research can transform lives, and how they can get involved.
studies focusing on:
As part of International Clinical Trials Week in May, research nurses ran a stall in the main entrance of the hospital to talk to patients and visitors about what research involves, and about successful research trials the Trust has already undertaken.
• Lung and breathing problems
They also provided expert advice to people wishing to undertake research activities, and information on resources available to researchers to assist them to conduct clinical trials within their specialist areas.
• Skin problems
Dominic Nash, Research Team Leader at the Trust, said: “Over the last year we have successfully recruited over 800 people to research trials in many clinical areas across the Trust. “Clinical research improves health outcomes and getting involved not only has the potential to benefit the people that take part, but also gives the opportunity to have a positive impact on the care and treatment of other people in the future.”
Raising equality awareness Members of the Trust’s Diversity and Inclusivity Committee celebrated International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in May. A stand in the King’s Treatment Centre at King’s Mill Hospital raised awareness of diversity amongst staff and patients, and how local organisations can help to support them. The event was also supported by Nottinghamshire Police, Trust staff side representatives and the Royal College of Nursing. 8 SFHnews | Summer 2015
There are over 240 active research trials taking place at the moment, with current
• Pregnancy and childbirth • Stroke • Cancer • Heart related illnesses • Childhood illness • Stomach and bowel disease • Joint disease and arthritis If you’re interested in taking part in a trial speak to your consultant or contact the research team by telephoning: 01623 622515 ext: 3990 or emailing: research.andInnovation@sfh-tr.nhs.uk
Over the last year we have successfully recruited over 800 people to research trials in many clinical areas across the Trust
Right to left – Dr Sandeep Dhir, Karen Fisher, Claire Ward, Sinead Anderson, Gloria De Piero, Bronwyn Jones, Colin Harriman, Lorraine Hogg, Susan Hodgman, Mr Jones
Organ donation campaign A
successful campaign for raising awareness about organ donation was held in May, organised by the Trust’s Organ Donation Committee.
Trust Chairman, Sean Lyons, and the acting Chief Executive Karen Fisher were present on the first day to support to the campaign. Clinical Lead for Organ Donation at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, Dr Sandeep Dhir, Consultant in Intensive Care and Anaesthesia, spoke about the national shortage of solid organs. He advised there are around ten thousand patients waiting for a solid organ transplant and three patients are unfortunately dying each day due to a shortage of organs. He encouraged staff, visitors and members of the public to come forward and sign the organ donation register. He also emphasised that everyone should ensure their wish to donate is known to their loved ones. Almost 200 people signed up during the three days, including the Trust’s Chairman and acting Chief Executive. Claire Ward, Non-executive Director at the Trust and Chair of the Organ Donation Committee said: “Transplants are one of the
most miraculous achievements of modern medicine, but they depend entirely on the generosity of donors and their families. “Most people think of organ donation as the giving of major organs such as heart and lungs, and are unaware that they can also, for example, give the gift of sight to someone who is blind or partially sighted through corneal donation.” As part of the campaign, a poster design competition was held on the theme of ‘What Organ Donation means to me’. Designers of the winning posters were presented with a prize and certificate by local MP, Gloria De Piero, who also signed up to the organ donation register. The winning artwork will play an integral part of the Trust’s Organ Donation Campaign and will be displayed across all areas of the Trust. One of the successful recipients of an organ transplant, Bronwyn Jones from Sutton, shared her experience during the campaign. Another local resident, Sinead Anderson, who is on the waiting list for receiving an organ transplant, spoke about her experience of
waiting for a donor. Chair of the Trust’s Organ Donation Committee and Non-Executive Director, Claire Ward, thanked everyone for their support in making the campaign a success and again urged everyone to give the ‘Gift of Life’ by signing the organ donation register.
Flying the rainbow flag Acting Chief Executive, Karen Fisher, raised the rainbow flag at the King’s Mill Hospital site – during Equality, Diversity & Human Rights Week in May - in partnership with Richard Townsley (pictured), Chair of the Nottinghamshire IDAHOBiT group and Trade Unions representatives. Richard Townsley said: “Nottinghamshire has taken a stand against discrimination. All across Notts and Nottingham the rainbow flag will be flying high and proud thanks to the work of our local LGBT community and the support of so many organisations. Over 100 rainbow flags were raised during the week at locations across the county, including all district and borough council offices, both universities and a number of businesses, schools, colleges and hospitals.”
Mr John Smith, winner of first prize in the poster competition, pictured with Gloria De Piero and Dr Sandeep Dhir holding all the winning posters SFHnews | Summer 2015 9
Focus on Finance Over the first two months of the year, the Trust spent £7.8m more than it earned. Pay costs are the major cost driver, with over £0.3m more than planned being spent on pay in April and May. Getting better control on the pay spend whilst maintaining patient safety is critical. Control and reduction of bank and agency spend is the first workstream being implemented by the Turnaround Board. This work is concentrating on improving the procedures for assessing the need for, authorising and hiring, bank and agency. Work is also on-going to try to avoid the need to incur these costs. Measures include permanent recruitment of staff to vacancies, rota planning, annual leave planning and improving sickness rates. This will be better for patients and the Trust’s finances. The Trust’s 2015/16 Financial Plan assumes a deficit of £44.5m for the year. This includes delivery of a cost improvement programme of £6.5m. Monitor, the Trust’s regulator, has commented that both the level of deficit and the size of the cost improvement programme are not acceptable. A Turnaround Team has been appointed by the Trust and work has begun to produce a detailed turnaround plan for submission in autumn 2015. This will include a range of measures to safely improve the long term finances of the Trust.
Video conferencing facilities J
unior doctors and clinicians at Sherwood Forest Hospitals are benefitting from improved video conferencing facilities at the Trust. The Trust has worked closely with the Nottinghamshire Health Informatics Service (NHIS) to modernise and expand their existing video conferencing facilities in a cost effective way. The new system allows clinicians to attend meetings held at other hospitals via a video link from their own office, reducing the need and time spent travelling. It enables users to share images and presentations on their computer with other meeting attendees; for example, everyone within the meeting can view the x-ray images of the case being discussed. All of the video conferences use secure encrypted networks to maintain the confidentiality of all the discussions taking place. Previously video conferencing was only available in the Trust’s lecture theatres and the board room at Newark Hospital, which didn’t
offer clinicians the flexibility and convenience that was needed. Users can now also use the system on their own computers. A mobile unit has also been introduced that can be taken into the operating theatres to transmit footage of operations where the patient has consented. This footage is then used to demonstrate operations to students in the lecture theatre where they can discuss the operation in detail. The Trust has also hosted national training sessions using this facility. Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Trust, Mr Desai said: “This facility has allowed my department to participate in an interactive manner with other hospitals in our region. We are all able to participate in discussions which have proved very useful for all the hospitals involved. “These discussions are vital in the management of patients requiring certain types of complex procedures and the video conferencing facility allows all the teams involved to improve patient care and share best practice.”
New resuscitation trolleys New resuscitation trolleys are being rolled out across the Trust this summer, ensuring immediate access at all times to high quality resuscitation equipment in an emergency.
The new system benefits from the existing quality control support from the MEMD (Medical Equipment Management Department) team, which has been in place at the Trust for over 30 thirty years, and ensures all patients have immediate access at all times to high quality resuscitation equipment in an emergency. The system used by most organisations is staff maintaining, stocking and checking their own equipment on a daily basis. When a ward or department is extremely busy, this pulls nurses away from looking after the patients when they are needed the most. Over a period of a year, allowing 30 minutes per day to check equipment, this represents 24 working days for a nurse for every department! The existing quality control system in place at Sherwood Forest Hospitals involves providing support to clinical staff from a dedicated MEMD team who 10 SFHnews | Summer 2015
are responsible for stocking, checking and sealing resuscitation boxes. This results in the confidence of being fully assured that all the essential resuscitation equipment within the boxes on every ward and department is in a full state of readiness - cleaned, sealed and ready to go. The system will continue to be in place for the new trolleys, with MEMD monitoring contents and expiry dates of all items contained with them to ensure they are available and in date for an emergency situation. A busy few weeks approaches for resuscitation & MEMD staff to ensure all the Trust’s clinical staff are fully informed and ready for this exciting change. After using one of the 83 new resuscitation trolleys, staff will simply replace it with a new ready-prepared trolley from the equipment back-up point, and immediately report the used trolley to the MEMD Dept. Only a handful of organisations in the country have such a support system in place. Sherwood Forest Hospitals is very proud to have had this system in place for almost 30 years!
Celebrating staff success
NURSE OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2015 A big thank you to everyone who submitted nominations for the Trust’s 2015 Nurse of the Year Awards, run in conjunction with the CHAD and Newark Advertiser newspapers. The awards celebrate the outstanding commitment of all the dedicated nursing and midwifery staff across the Trust. It was extremely difficult to choose winners from an overwhelming number of heart-warming stories about the huge impact the Trust’s nursing staff have had on patients’ lives. Congratulations to… NURSE OF THE YEAR
NEWARK NURSE OF THE YEAR
NURSING TEAM OF THE YEAR
Winner - Oakham Ward, Mansfield Community Hospital “The staff are always smiling.” Winner - Vallet Brown, Deputy Ward Sister, Ward 14 King’s Mill Hospital “Vallet is a wonderful, caring and respectable lady.” “Her dedication to her work is outstanding – giving 110% to her patients and staff.” “Vallet takes her role above & beyond, and this is noticeable throughout the ward.” “She is definitely somebody for others to look up to and follow in her footsteps.” Runner-up – Marie Sissons, Ward Sister on Ward 11, King’s Mill Hospital Highly commended – Carly-Jo Pickering, Staff Nurse Ward 31 King’s Mill Hospital
Winner - Dawn Muers, Haematology Nurse Specialist (pictured on right) “She explained everything in a very professional yet down-to-earth and friendly manner that immediately banished all my anxieties.” “She took time to ensure I understood all she had told me.”
“They are professional, polite, kind, helpful and caring.” “They treat patients like royalty – nothing is too much to ask.” “ All staff go above and beyond the call of duty to make Oakham Ward a happy place to be.” “God bless them all.”
“On every occasion she made me feel as though I was the only patient on her books.”
Runner-up - Hysteroscopy Nursing Team, King’s Mill Hospital
“I don’t doubt that her very demeanor is worth a dozen prescriptions!”
Highly commended - Falls Leads, King’s Mill Hospital
Runner-up – Carly Rollinson, Interim Matron Highly commended – Joanne Codd, Outpatients Department Leader SFHnews | Summer 2015 11
Celebrating staff success
HEALTHCARE ASSISTANT OF THE YEAR
NEWARK HEALTHCARE CHILDREN’S NURSE OF ASSISTANT OF THE YEAR THE YEAR Winner - Julie McIlvaney, Healthcare Assistant, Sconce Ward “Julie gave excellent care to myself and everyone else, and always had a positive outlook.” “She was very bright when it came to patient concerns.”
Winner - Sue Blunt, King’s Treatment Centre, King’s Mill Hospital
“My injuries caused anxiety due to the trauma of a major road traffic accident, but Julie was very active in encouraging me to motivate myself for the future and actively seek a positive recovery.”
“Sue is a credit to the hospital.” “She is so helpful to others and always has a big smile on her face.”
Winner - Susannah Morelle, Bramley Children’s Unit, Newark Hospital
“Whenever you are in Sue’s company, she makes you feel happy and cheerful.”
“Susannah has been a constant support and driver of our children’s services.”
“She is hardworking, brilliant at her job and loved by both colleagues and patients.” Runner-up - Deb Barlow, Ward 14, King’s Mill Hospital Highly commended - Jane Imms, Oakham Ward, Mansfield Community Hospital
Susan Bowle r, Executive D irector of Nursing & Quality
song “Sisters” rm their version of the The nursing choir perfo led by Liz Williamson 12 SFHnews | Summer 2015
“She has demonstrated excellent professional leadership of her team to enhance the environment for children, including driving forward the refurbishment of the unit’s outside play area.”
“Susannah is an excellent ambassador for children’s services, the hospital and the Trust.” Runner-up - Sue Selby, Ward Sister, Neonatal Unit, King’s Mill Hospital
DIRECTOR OF NURSING AWARD
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Highly commended – Kerry Morris, Paediatric Nurse, Ward 25
MIDWIFE OF THE YEAR
Winner - Karen Beastall, Former Ward Leader - Ward 43, KMH (recently retired)
Winner - Sarah Addlesee, Patient Safety Lead
Winner – Sally Goodwin, King’s Mill Hospital “Sally is working tirelessly to enhance women’s birth experience locally. She is passionate about promoting normality in birth, champions the ethos of providing quality midwifery care to her families and is active in the RCM.” “Sally recently spent her annual leave in Kenya, working in a birth centre run by a charity trying to improve the birth experience of women living in povety. She is truly a ‘with woman’ midwife!”
“Sarah takes on every role and every request with professionalism and maintains exceptionally high standards at all times. Some essential roles which fall outside of direct patient care are often not recognised, and this person does not like to be noticed. She is very highly respected by her colleagues, and her tireless dedication and meticulous attention to detail is critical to the continuous improvement of the care we provide.”
“Karen has always been a strong role model who constantly reminds others what a very privileged position they are in as nurses, and enthuses about the many valuable rewards of a nursing career. Karen set a bar that could be quite difficult for others to reach, yet always sees the potential in people and developed a strong team around her through excellent support and leadership. She has always been very proud to wear her uniform and call herself a nurse, and her colleagues are very proud to have had the absolute pleasure of working alongside her.”
Runner-up – Yvette Sheppard, King’s Mill Hospital Highly commended – Caroline Renshaw, King’s Mill Hospital
SFHnews | Summer 2015 13
Celebrating staff success
Great Nursing Bake-off Congratulations to Sue Stringer, who won the bake-off for a second year with another amazing cake!
Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry into the competition, or donated homebaked goodies for our nurses to enjoy. All the cakes were distributed amongst nursing staff across the Trust’s sites.
Sue Stringer, Nursing bake-off winner
Celebrating Nurses Week Staff from across the Trust joined together in May to celebrate the invaluable role of nurses at Sherwood Forest Hospitals. A weeklong series of events took place at Mansfield Community, Newark and King’s Mill hospitals, as nurses officially marked their profession and the difference they make to patients in their care. During the week nurses manned information stands in the Trust’s reception areas, travelled to West Notts College to educate the health professionals of the future and hosted an evening event to showcase the role of the international nurse here in Nottinghamshire 14 SFHnews | Summer 2015
Members of the Trust’s Learning Disability Steering Group at the official opening of the Changing Places amenities. Pictured left to right: Adrian Hartley, Claire Henley, Tyrone Warren, Dale Hartley, Peter Wozencroft and Lisa Dinsdale.
New disabled facilities benefit patients and visitors P
eople with complex disabilities are now able to access state of the art toilet and changing facilities with the installation of Changing Places amenities at King’s Mill Hospital.
Changing Places facilities are different to standard disabled facilities. They have extra features and more space to meet the needs of adults with serious impairments such as profound and multiple learning disabilities, spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis or an acquired brain injury.
Places toilet in the future.” The facility at King’s Mill Hospital is located opposite the main bank of lifts to the wards, just off the main entrance of the hospital. It is accessible via the use of a radar key, which is available from the main reception at the hospital between 8am and 8pm, or from the security office next to the Emergency Department at any other time. Users of the facility must provide their own slings. A similar facility at Newark Hospital will be available in the near future.
The facilities provide:
Bowel cancer awareness – know the symptoms The Trust is encouraging local people to be aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer. Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in the UK affecting both men and women, with around 40,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Approximately one in every 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer during their lifetime.
• A height adjustable adult-sized changing bench
Sharon Hudson, Lead Macmillan Colorectal Nurse Specialist at the Trust, said:
• A height adjustable sink
“We want to draw attention to three key actions that people can do to reduce the impact of bowel cancer on our community. Firstly, if you are aged over 60 participate in screening. Secondly, make positive lifestyle changes including eating a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Thirdly, know the symptoms, which include blood in poo or bleeding from the bottom, changes in bowel habit lasting three weeks or more, extreme tiredness for no reason, weight loss for no reason and a pain or lump in the tummy.
• A tracking hoist system • Adequate space in the changing area for the disabled person and up to two carers • A screen to allow the disabled person and carer some privacy • A shower facility with non-slip floor. Claire Henley, Learning Disability Nurse Specialist at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Trust makes every effort to ensure patients and visitors are able to come to our hospitals freely without any accessibility worries.
“People may experience one, some, all, or none of these symptoms. While these symptoms may be due to other conditions, it’s important to see a doctor to be sure.
“Proper toileting facilities are extremely important and we are committed to delivering these for the people who needed them. “The number of people with complex disabilities is growing; we are all living longer, meaning many more people are likely to need access to a Changing
New facility gets the seal of approval by the first users
“I want to give everyone a positive message – saving lives through early detection – as bowel cancer is one of the most curable types of cancer if found early.” SFHnews | Summer 2015 15
Safe & secure car parking C
ommended for its commitment to creating safe and secure car parks across its hospitals, the Trust has received the coveted ‘Park Mark’ award. This demonstrates that patients, visitors and staff can be confident of their personal safety, and the safety of their vehicle, whilst they are on the hospital premises. Car parking is managed on the Trust’s behalf by Medirest. Under the Park Mark scheme, car parking facilities have been fully risk-assessed by the Police as providing a high standard of cleanliness, effective security and car park staff visibility, CCTV cameras, signage and good lighting.
Davinder Atwal of Medirest said: “This is a great achievement and excellent news for people using our car parks. I would like to congratulate the car parking team for their diligence and hard work, which has enabled us to win this award for our facilities.” Ben Widdowson, Head of Estates and Facilities at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “We’re delighted with the Park Mark award, which recognises our commitment to ensuring our car parks are safe and secure. I hope motorists who visit and work at our hospitals will have increased confidence when using them. “Park Mark awards are recognised nationally as a standard of excellence and demonstrate
that our car parks meet the stringent standards set by the British Parking Association.” Each year the car parking facilities at Newark, Mansfield Community and Kings Mill hospitals will undergo a rigorous risk assessment to ensure that the high standards of the Park Mark award are maintained. The Trust continues to invest in its car parking facilities at Newark and King’s Mill hospitals, which have also been designed and built to meet British Parking Association standards. For more information about the car parking facilities provided at our hospitals visit www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk/index.php/visitors/car-parking
(L-R) Davinder Atwal (Medirest), Ben Widdowson (Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) and Andrew Castledine (HCP)
Committed to protecting patients Sherwood Forest Hospitals successfully vaccinated over 70 per cent of hospital staff against flu last winter, making it one of the best performing Trusts in the country. With a national average of 54.9 per cent, this is one of the highest uptakes the Trust has ever reached, with 70.2 per cent of staff across King’s Mill, Newark and Mansfield Community hospitals committed to protecting themselves, their patients and their families against this highly contagious infection. 16 SFHnews | Summer 2015
Over 40 nurses from all areas of the Trust volunteered their time to be trained in administering the vaccination, which led to a strong taskforce proactively vaccinating colleagues within clinical areas and in numerous ‘grab a jab’ clinics over the three hospital sites. Rebecca Garner, Senior Occupational Health Nurse and lead for the flu vaccination campaign, said the results were a huge success: “The tireless efforts of the taskforce to offer vaccinations to staff day and night were driven by one factor – patient safety.
Encouraging staff to get vaccinated is one action we take to decrease the risk of infection to our patients, and consistently, year by year, our aims are achieved.” Flu is much more severe than a cold. Anyone can catch it and it can lead to a number of nasty, even lifethreatening, complications - especially for elderly vulnerable patients in hospital and for those in ‘at risk’ groups, A comprehensive flu vaccination campaign is essential for the Trust in order to stop the risk of flu spreading.
Congratulations to our latest ‘Star of the Month’ winners Star of the Month recognises and rewards those staff who regularly go that extra mile to provide the best service possible. Staff may nominate
a colleague and all nominations are judged by the Chief Executive and the Executive Director of Human Resources. Each month’s winner receives a framed
certificate and a High Street gift voucher, and is automatically entered into the “Unsung Hero” category of the annual Staff Excellence Awards.
February Emily Reed, Staff Nurse on ward 43 Nominated by Angela Hill, Nutritional Nurse Specialist “Emily is a natural nurse who goes that extra mile to make every patient feel special. I have watched her delivering care and chatting away, and have always thought she is who I would want caring for my relatives if ever they were in hospital. She is a little bundle of energy who always has a smile on her face and is always cheerful and positive. Nothing ever seems too much trouble for her and she is so helpful. Every ward and department should have a little Emily.”
March Holly Halili, Patient Pathway Co-ordinator in Diabetes Nominated by Dr Bud Mendis “With her friendly, smiling, no-nonsense demeanour, Holly has been a breath of fresh air and is a huge asset to the Diabetes Department. Well-liked and respected by all the consultants and diabetes nurses, Holly deserves to be recognised for the dedication and attitude she brings to the department.”
April Paul Holt, Audio Visual Technical Support Officer Nominated by Jo Lincoln, Infant Feeding Coordinator “I would like to nominate Paul Holt. I am a midwife and a practical person, but part of my role is to give presentations. Paul is consistently calm, cool and collected. As I start to panic when unable to get the volume to work, or my film to play, Paul saves the day, with never a grumble or a moan. “I know I am not the only person who needs help as many colleagues sing his praises. He helps organise our PowerPoint so that clips and video links reliably play. Only this week I was very excited by a new educational film I had to improve practice at the Trust, but unfortunately it was in a format that was not compatible with our system. Paul has remedied this without fuss so we can start our next new project. Although Paul is not directly involved in patient care, he is really making a difference with the skills he has combined with his very approachable manner.” SFHnews | Summer 2015 17
New Lead Chaplain The Trust is pleased to welcome new lead chaplain, Ruth Lambert. Ruth has replaced John Wood, who has taken up a new position as chaplain at John Eastwood Hospice. As lead chaplain, Ruth is responsible for the Trust’s chaplaincy team, which provides pastoral, spiritual and religious needs and support to staff, patients, relatives and visitors of all faiths and none. Ruth also manages the Trust’s bereavement centre team, which supports and advises people on what they need to do following a death. Ruth was previously senior chaplain and team leader at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in central London, and brings with her a wealth of chaplaincy experience. Her husband Malcolm is the new vicar of Annesley with Newstead. Ruth said: “I am delighted to have been appointed lead chaplain for the Trust. The role of hospital chaplains is a varied one. While we do facilitate care for specific religious needs, a lot of support we give is to people who are lonely, isolated or struggling to cope. “Thousands of people attend our hospitals every year who need to be cared for holistically. Their spiritual health impacts their overall well-being and recovery. “Our team is professionally trained to serve people from any spiritual background. We represent a wide range of Christian communities and will contact other faith groups if needed. Our aim is to ensure that all people who work and visit our hospitals feel valued, respected and well cared for.”
Trust welcomes friends and family feedback S
herwood Forest Hospitals has welcomed NHS England’s announcement that the Friends and Family test is to be expanded, allowing millions more patients to give their views on care and treatment received.
The test now includes acute outpatients, day case patients and minor injuries units, as well as ambulance and patient transport services and dental practices. Very favourable results have been received by the Trust since the launch of the test in 2013. Positive comments received recently include: “All the doctors, nurses, carers and hostesses made my wife’s stay in the maternity ward exceptionally comfortable, and we welcomed Joshua Mark into the world with all of their respectful and professional care. Every single member of staff we met was so helpful towards us. Thank you.”
New Lead Chaplain, Ruth Lambert 18 SFHnews | Summer 2015
“I was brought into A&E after I cut my hand doing some DIY. Everyone from the receptionist, nurse, carers, and doctors were very helpful and caring. One nurse, Mark, made me comfortable and reassured
me all the time. I’m very happy with the service I received at King’s Mill and would certainly recommend the hospital to my family and friends.” “The staff on the ward really cared for my elderly frail mother, who had fallen at home. The staff helped her to eat her meals, assisted her to have a bath, and generally aided her recovery. I was very impressed with the standard and level of care we received.” Enhancing people’s experience of the Trust’s services is a key goal of the organisation’s improvement initiatives, and the Friends and Family test plays an important role in assessing expectations, experience and satisfaction.
“I was brought into A&E after I cut my hand doing some DIY. Everyone from the receptionist, nurse, carers, and doctors were very helpful and caring.”
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Better Together chosen as a vanguard site
NHS leaders in England have announced that the MidNottinghamshire ‘Better Together’ programme has been chosen to take a national lead on transforming care for patients. The programme has been selected from amongst 269 groups of nurses, doctors and other health and social care staff from across the country who put forward their ideas for how they want to redesign care in their areas, and then helped chose the first 29 of the most innovative plans. These sites will be known as vanguards. Drawing on a new £200 million transformation fund and tailored national support, the vanguards will develop local health and care services to keep people well, and bring home care,
mental health and community nursing, GP services and hospitals together for the first time since 1948. Speaking about the announcement, Mansfield and Ashfield and Newark & Sherwood CCG’s Chief Officer, Amanda Sullivan, said: “This is fantastic news for the health community in Mid-Nottinghamshire. Being chosen as a vanguard site means that we will be working with other pioneers in this area and can build on those developments in services which are already having a positive impact on patients’ lives. “This is good news for MidNottinghamshire patients, carers and members of the public. It will move us forward at a pace which will lead to a significant improvement in their experience of health services. It is estimated that more
Dr Amanda Sullivan than five million patients will benefit across the country just from this first wave. To keep up-to-date on the latest news visit: www.bettertogethermidnotts.org.uk or follow the progress of the programme on Twitter @bettermidnotts#FutureNHS.
Contact
Have your say H
ealthwatch Nottinghamshire is an independent charity that helps people get the best from their local health and social care services. Information gathered about the public’s experiences of local services across Nottinghamshire is used to bring about changes in how these are designed and delivered.
•W ebsite providing latest news and requesting the public to add comments: www.healthwatchnottinghamshire.co.uk • Chatting to a wide variety of community groups.
How is this achieved?
Some of the services which Healthwatch is interested in include GPs, dentists, hospitals, mental health, care homes, ambulances, opticians, clinics, social workers, children and young people’s services.
• ‘Have Your Say’ information points in hospitals and community centres around the county
Call Healthwatch on 0115 963 5179 or email info@healthwatchnottinghamshire.co.uk for more information.
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Mansfield Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts. NG17 4JL Tel: 01623 622515 The CQC (Care Quality Commission) is now responsible for inspecting health services, GPs and Care Homes, and their inspectors contact Healthwatch before an inspection to find out what local people think. Comments made by service users are, therefore, vital in ensuring that everyone receives a safe, fair and timely service. Feedback is reported to the service providers and Healthwatch can request to be kept informed of improvements made. Healthwatch will not pass on a person’s details, or send any information that will make it possible for them to be identified, unless that person asks them to do so.
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