Lincolnshire Wire Spring 2015

For staff, patients, GPs, volunteers and all local people

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

spring 2015

Staff awarded for exceptional care and service

Beyond Good

Contents

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Beyond Good – the latest on our improvement journey Tidy ward champions clean up at ULHT Staff and long service awards celebrate excellence

Mental Health Awareness Month

Message from Jane Lewington With great sadness I wish to inform you that I will be retiring as Chief Executive of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust in July.

It has been a huge privilege to lead the Trust for the last two and a half years Jane Lewington, and working in this role has been the Chief Executive most rewarding job I have done in my 33 years in the NHS. Sadly, for family reasons, I know I am not going to be able to dedicate the amount of time needed as Chief Executive if we are to be successful in transforming the way we deliver hospital services and see our clinical strategy translated into reality over the coming years.

I am so proud of the progress we have already made and every single member of staff has contributed to the significant improvements in the quality and safety of our services which have led to us being taken out of special measures following our recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). You have all gone the extra mile in ensuring that the high quality care of patients is our number one priority and you continue to do so.

We cannot underestimate the massive progress we have made as a Trust over the 20 months. The CQC recognised the huge improvements we’ve made to the quality of our care and services.

They said we have taken “significant action” since the last inspection and made a “substantial number of improvements”.

The inspectors highlighted how well we engaged with staff, our caring and compassionate staff, improvements we’ve made to our equipment and how well we have handled complaints.

You may be disappointed with the overall “requires improvement” rating. Don’t be. Each and every one of you should be proud of helping to turn around the organisation.

To come out of special measures is a significant achievement but it wasn’t our end goal. Now we need to pull together more than ever to continue this work around improving our services. To this end, we will now prioritise recruiting more nurses, doctors and clinical staff, rolling out seven day working to more areas and reviewing our systems for patients waiting for an appointment.

We will also be moving forward with the redesign of our services with partners through the Lincolnshire Health and Care Review.

I know I will be leaving the Trust in the very capable hands of a strong and committed executive team who will continue to move forward with these important pieces of work and continue to prioritise improvements on behalf of patients and staff. Thank you for your continued dedication, professionalism and compassion. Thank you again for all you have done and all you continue to do. We couldn’t have achieved this fantastic success without your support.

Jane Lewington, Chief Executive 2

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Be Proud. Make a Difference

Listening into Action The Listening into Action (LiA) Rapid teams have had some fantastic successes in supporting us to deliver our quality improvement journey and had the chance to showcase their achievements when the CQC re-inspected the Trust in February. These have included reducing medications errors at Pilgrim to piloting a front door frailty service at Lincoln.

Other schemes have involved increasing the number of morning discharges from Grantham hospital to improving training opportunities at Louth.

Over the coming months we will be revisiting all the past LiA teams to look at how their good ideas and achievements can be rolled out across the organisation.

Moving forward – priorities for 2015 LiA Original Following an LiA listening event attended by nearly 70 consultant and SAS doctors the following teams have been set up to tackle the themes raised by senior doctors: • Recruitment and retention of medical staff with a particular focus on junior doctor recruitment – team led by Zakir Mohamed, consultant for general surgery.

LiA Local – coming to a ward or department near you!

LiA Local will focus on changes that the staff on your ward or in your department want to make to help them deliver even better quality and safety by stopping the things that frustrate them at work every day. The following areas have been identified as part of the first wave of teams: • Ward 3B, AMU and Stroke ward at Pilgrim • The porters at Grantham • Burton ward at Lincoln Each team will have 20 weeks to make a difference and will be supported by Jane Lewington, Chief Executive.

• Reducing elective cancellations – increasing orthopaedic activity at Louth, team led by Paul Pavlou, consultant for orthopaedics.

• Doctors and nurses in charge i.e. those in clinical leadership roles having the authority to appoint and hold staff to account – team led by Sudhakar Rao, consultant paediatrician and clinical director for women and children’s services.

LiA Strategic Focus has been set up to help solve a large complex Trust priority. A team looking at reducing ward paperwork will start their LiA journey in May 2015 and will have 40 weeks to deliver their objectives.

Let us know if you would like to be involved by e-mailing the LiA inbox (lia@ulh.nhs.uk).

Beyond Good

Be Proud. Make a Difference

ULHT in the news Featured in the Lincolnshire Echo: Lincolnshire’s hospitals out of special measures

Medical staff have breathed a sigh of relief after the county’s health Trust was taken out of special measures almost two years after a damning report on death rates.

County Hospital by ambulance where ambulance staff have direct access to the centre without patients having to go to A&E first.

Featured on BBC Radio Lincolnshire: Community midwife wins national midwife of the year award

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust was one of 11 to be given the emergency status because it was not providing good and safe care to patients.

Community Midwife Karen Swan and Mum, Zena Barclay spoke on the Breakfast Show about Karen’s win at the Royal College of Midwives Annual Midwifery Awards.

Featured on The Lincolnite and Lincolnshire Echo: Lincolnshire Heart Centre exceeds national targets

Sponsored by Johnson’s® Baby, the Midwife of the Year awards are a special way for new mums to say thank you to those who helped them throughout pregnancy and birth.

A 24/7 specialist heart service at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust is providing gold standard treatment to people suffering a heart attack in Lincolnshire. In its first year, it has achieved fantastic successes and exceeded all national targets.

Featured in The Lincolnite, Lincolnshire Echo, BBC Radio Lincolnshire and the Health Service Journal: Lincoln hospital outpatient department £580k revamp begins

The Heart Centre is a great asset for the whole of Lincolnshire. When a patient has a heart attack, wherever they live in the county, the patient is transferred to Lincoln

The Trust was featured a number of times when the Lincoln outpatient department revamp began. Building work costing more than £580,000 has been carried out to improve Lincoln County Hospital’s

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outpatients department. The first phase of the revamp was the creation of a central reception area for many of the clinics near the main outpatient entrance. This continues to be followed by improvements to clinical areas including the upgrade of treatment rooms to improve access for disabled patients, particularly people in wheelchairs.

Signs guiding people around the outpatient area will be improved along with installation of more effective and efficient lighting.

Clinical nurse manager, Sandra Hayes was interviewed by the BBC about these developments and how they will improve the patient care offered in the department.

Featured in the Lincolnshire Echo and Spalding Guardian: Better outcomes for prostate cancer The Trust offers a specialist form of treatment for patients with prostate cancer to provide better outcomes and a reduction in the length of the treatment. This story featured the meeting of the first and 250th patient who have both undergone and completed this treatment.

Beyond Good - our improvement journey A project to better learn from complaints and concerns from patients has been introduced across the organisation as part of our Beyond Good quality improvement journey.

Historically, patients, relatives and staff told us the complaints process was not working. The Keogh Review in 2013 also highlighted that our complaints process was ‘not fit for purpose’.

A new complaints process called ‘See it my way’ was implemented for all complaints from the end of April 2013.

New documentation was developed to ensure that all issues raised are answered to reduce the number of dissatisfied complainants.

25 ex-complainants were involved in designing the complaints process and staff workshops were held exploring their involvement with, and handling of, complaints.

Alongside a letter from the chief executive, each complainant also receives an investigation grid which lists all issues and concerns raised and a response to them. This ensures the Trust addresses all of the concerns raised as well as indicating where lessons have been learnt or further actions undertaken.

Jennie Negus, deputy chief nurse, said: “Our aim was to use the experience of past

complainants and staff to develop a patientcentred approach to handling concerns and complaints that was responsive, compassionate, caring, open and honest.

“The feedback we’ve had so far from complainants has been very positive. We have managed to significantly increase the number of complainants satisfied with the response.”

Jackie, a complainant involved in the process, said: “The letter from the chief executive was very clear and the response grid was brilliant, as that made it quite clear what the answers were to each of the questions I had raised.”

The CQC also highlighted the improvements made to the complaints system in their report following their reinspection of the Trust in February 2015.

The report said: “In 2015 we saw that a strengthened and renewed complaints team were actively working to address complaints in a timely way. The new system for identifying and responding to each individual comment by complainants was improving the effect of the first response to the complaint. Growing numbers of complaints were closed following this first response. The system recently introduced, of first contacting the complainant, was also improving the relationship with complainants and handling of complaints.”

Medical records

The poor condition of many patient records was highlighted by the Care Quality Commission in 2014 and the work remains an important part of our Quality Improvement Programme.

The Trust has more than 180,000 active records and, while more than 9,000 of the records in the worst condition have been repaired, there is still a long way to go.

While repairing the paper records continues, a business case is being prepared for digitisation linked to the implementation of electronic patient records. Following the recent inspection by the CQC the inspection team reported that “the condition of medical records had been significantly improved”.

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Our hospitals highlights

Be Proud. Make a Difference

Pauleen’s tidy champions clean up Three clinical teams are celebrating after cleaning up in ULHT’s Tidy Up and Clear Out competition.

The medical emergency assessment unit (MEAU) at Lincoln, outpatients and dermatology outpatients at Boston and the physiotherapy department at Grantham each won £5,000 after being named as our 2015 champions.

A team of judges led by chief nurse Pauleen Pratt and Kevin Shaw, head of infection control and prevention for Lincolnshire CCGs, chose the winning trio from ten entries.

In Boston, outpatients sister Katy Lishman is hoping the cash can be used to revamp part of the department, particularly replacing carpets to improve infection prevention and control.

She praised her team for their enthusiasm in tidying the department.

“They were delighted when we heard we had won – it has been a real morale booster,” she said.

And in Grantham Ros Keane said: “I am really pleased with the effort put in by everyone in this department and would like to thank them for their contributions.

“We are now in a position to make changes to the physiotherapy department which will improve the working environment for patients and staff.

Judging criteria included sticking to the uniform policy – bare below the elbows, no watches and good hand hygiene – no boxes on the floor obstructing cleaning, patient noticeboards being kept up to date and patient notes kept out of public view.

“I would like to thank everyone who took part. Keeping clinical areas tidy is a vital part of infection control and it was good to see so much thought and attention being devoted to these areas,” said Pauleen.

Her thanks were echoed by Kevin Shaw who added: “The New Year Clear Out was a great opportunity for staff to de-clutter – a simple but vital contribution to effective cleaning and infection prevention.”

In Boston, teams from the endoscopy department, ward 5A/surgical assessment unit, ward 3B, ward 6A, accident and emergency and the orthoptic department joined the tidy up along with Lincoln’s intensive care unit.

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Innovative service to support frailty patients is success at Lincoln The older people’s team based at Lincoln hospital has been looking at ways to improve the medical care of frail older patients admitted to A&E or the medical emergency assessment unit (MEAU).

Historically these patients were admitted to hospital without specialist review, but the team has been looking to admit these patients to elderly care wards where their needs can be better cared for.

A trial of a front door frailty service was launched in December and ran until March.

Patients aged 75 and over (or 65 from a care home) who were identified as being frail were assessed as soon as they are admitted to A&E. The team responded within 30 minutes of patients arriving at the hospital and helped to ensure these people got home safely.

Evidence shows that if the team see a patient as soon as they are admitted it improves patient outcomes, as they are often seen quicker and it can reduce their length of stay in hospital. Otherwise patients can come into MEAU from A&E and can be moved to wards that don’t specialise in frailty.

A comprehensive geriatric assessment started in the emergency department, which involved a consultant geriatrician and specialist nurses and physiotherapists and occupational therapists when required. This involved assessing the patient in a number of ways including dementia screening falls and medication reviews. The patient was then discharged or admitted to the older people’s

wards if further treatment was required.

For those patients who did have to be admitted the team managed to reduce their length of stay to around eight days, compared to national average of around 12 days.

During the course of the pilot the team saw 345 new patients and made 793 follow ups.

• They made 46% medically fit for discharge.

• They safely discharged 34% within 24 hours.

• They reduced the length of stay by 3.5 days.

The team also worked closely with social services and the voluntary sector to arrange support at home. They also liaised with the community to provide rehabilitation and recovery.

Dr Lucy Daniels, care of the elderly consultant said: “The purpose of the frailty service pilot was to provide high quality care for these patients so they were seen by staff who specialise in their needs.

“We managed to turn around two to four patients a day if not more, ensuring they had a safe discharge from hospital and liaising closely with social care.

“The feedback from patients and families has been fantastic because they were seen by the same staff to provide continuity of care.”

Moving forward the Trust is looking at ways to roll the service out on a permanent basis.

Our hospitals highlights

Be Proud. Make a Difference

A glance at… …Dr Gill Garden We know that as a population we are living longer and inevitably with this comes the need for improved healthcare resources both within hospital but also in our communities.

Dr Gill Garden, consultant for older people’s services/consultant in psychological medicine has worked for ULHT over the past two decades. During that time she has overseen numerous projects and has been at the forefront of the development of elderly care in Lincolnshire.

Gill’s interests lie in frailty and the last stages of life. She feels that her biggest achievement is the care home service she has implemented.

south of the county for people with dementia.

She suggested that I draw something up.”

“I presented to the Bromhead charity and a week later my proposal was approved. They gave us the funding for two nurses over two years to set up a care home service in Boston, essentially delivering a service based on the evidence we already had. This involved delivering education on delirium, assessing residents and doing advanced care plans with them and their families.

In the first year of the project being set up, they found that overall staff confidence and knowledge improved enormously and residents not only died in their preferred place

“When I was at Lincoln I set up a day-care service in the East Lindsey area and also got the Louth service expanded which was quite an achievement for the population. I was proud of the fact that I did deliver the liaison service without any junior nursing staff. It was quite hard work.”

“I attended a dementia workshop and met some really interesting people from all walks of life who were interested in dementia. One of them was one of the trustees from the Bromhead Medical Charity and she explained that they wanted to fund a project in the

Last year, Gill had planned on retiring with her husband. But when the Bromhead Medical Charity approached her again to do a similar project in another part of Lincolnshire, as well as looking at nutritional assessments of patients, she changed her mind.

“There’s the individuals you hope you’ve helped, and I think liaison work made quite a difference to Pilgrim hospital I do think we have a much better liaison service.

Along the way I have done a lot of training of both nursing and medical staff and tried to educate consultants too. There have been whole cohorts of medical students and junior doctors who have been trained in dementia and perhaps understand a bit more. I think that would be my contribution.”

Working in a medical profession can lead you in all sorts of directions. Whilst working in psychiatry, Gill found herself working as the psychiatrist for the Diocese of Lincoln.

“In 2010, in the course of becoming a liaison psychiatrist, I became very aware of the plight of our very old and frail patients, particularly those with dementia. They don’t do well in hospital environments, as they are unfamiliar and confusing, which means the patients tend to deteriorate both physically and mentally.”

“The whole concept was really good. One of the things we have seen over the last few years is that length of stay has plummeted.”

Without a doubt, Gill’s work has had a great impact on the care home services that Lincolnshire has to offer, but what does she think to her contribution?

“I also became an examiner for the Royal College of Psychologists and ended up on the working group which set up the new style exams.

I drew up exams, piloted them and rolled them out as they are used now.”

A care home service was Gill’s most recent adventure.

Society to set up a hospital liaison service; the first of its kind in the UK. Three support workers were appointed to help families and patients understand their care and individual needs both inside and out of the hospital setting.

“I think the other contribution would be getting dying onto the agenda - ‘good death’ and appropriate care.” of care but admission rates went down by 37% and by 55% in the second and third year respectively.

“I have drawn up a case for Lincoln and have been awarded funding for over two years providing a service using some of my time and nurses.

We are implementing lessons learned from the Boston service. We are able to do more physical assessments and comprehensive geriatric assessments. It’s not just about people with dementia, it’s about any resident; people with both frailty and dementia.”

In 2012, Gill worked with the Alzheimer’s

“I do love what I do but we are public servants. I have had a good life; it has been stressful and hard at times but if you go into medicine it’s because you want to do some good. I suppose I feel that if I can spend the last bit of my time doing something that provides or starts off a movement in Lincolnshire then that is useful. The thing with doing a consultant job is that when you stop doing it, it stops.

I want to leave behind something that can carry on.”

So, after all of this, what are Gill’s plans for the future? “I have also recently registered for a PhD at Nottingham but I am hoping to do more in the garden really.” spring 2015

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Celebrating our staff

Be Proud. Make a Difference

Awards ceremony ce Our staff were recognised for their hard work and dedication at a special awards evening in March.

Over 150 members of staff, from a broad range of roles right across the Trust, attended the second annual ULHT staff awards at the EPIC Centre, Lincolnshire Showground. The event was hosted by BBC Radio Lincolnshire’s Melvyn Prior and sponsored by NL Managed Services and Kier Group.

There were 13 award categories including awards for Compassion and Respect Towards Others, Improving Patient Service and Unsung Hero. Each highly commended and overall award winner was presented with a trophy or certificate by a member of the Board, or one of our sponsors.

Members of the public, patients and carers had been invited to nominate staff who they believed had shown dedication and commitment to providing high quality care.

Around 150 nominations were received in total, showcasing the enthusiasm and quality of care that is given to colleagues, as well as patients.

After one of the busiest winter periods in recent

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history, the evening brought together staff and patients from across Lincolnshire and provided a glimpse at the inspirational work and care that is delivered every day. This was emphasised further with a patient nomination video which was shown to the audience.

Twitter also played a part in the event, with a group photo highlighting the ‘Hello My Name Is’ campaign, as the Trust prepares for the delivery of around 4,000 name badges as part of the national campaign to raise awareness of the importance of introducing yourself to a patient in a hospital setting.

ULHT Chairman Ron Buchanan said: “The event was a great way to celebrate the achievements and successes of the staff who work tirelessly to ensure that the quality of care delivered across all our hospitals is the best that it can be.

Listening to our winners, presenters and patients talk about their experiences and hearing the dedication and pride in their voices was a humbling experience for all.”

Plans are already underway to make the 2016 event even bigger and better, with nominations opening in early summer. Watch this space!

Celebrating our staff

Be Proud. Make a Difference

elebrates excellence Long service awards 2015

The long service awards took place at Lincoln, Grantham and Pilgrim hospitals, honouring those who have completed 20 years, 30 years, 35 years and 40 years’ service in the NHS. Biographies of each member of staff were read out and awards were presented by a member of the Trust board.

Staff awards categories and their winners Great Leadership Award Winner: Ian Holdich, charge nurse, Ashby Ward, Lincoln Highly commended: Andy McDowall, supervisor, portering, Grantham Extra Mile Award Winner: ULHT paediatric diabetes team Highly commended: Adi Brereton, health and safety support officer, Lincoln Unsung Hero Award Winner: Chris Sharpe, housekeeper, Pilgrim Highly commended: Sharon Taylor, assistant practitioner, Pilgrim Great Patient Experience Award Winner: Linda Hart, healthcare support worker, Lincoln Highly commended: Val Blatchford, service

manager, Pilgrim

Winner: Shuttleworth Ward, Lincoln

Chairman’s Fantastic Customer Service Award Winner: Colorectal Team, Lincoln

Highly commended: Sam McCarthy-Phull, clinical education nurse

Highly commended: Ankylosing Spondylitis Team

Volunteer of the Year Award Winner: John Duggins

Improvement Award Winner: Shuttleworth Ward, Lincoln

Chief Executive’s Award Winner: A&E Teams at Lincoln, Grantham and Pilgrim

Highly commended: Darralynne Stell, specialist glaucoma nurse, Pilgrim

Highly commended: Gill Garden, consultant in psychological medicine

Partnership Work Award Winner: Nicky Hine, clinical nurse specialist, Lincoln

Compassion and Respect Towards Others Award Winner: Debbie Alexander, A&E nurse, Grantham

Highly commended: The DXA Team, Lincoln Quality and Safety Award Winner: The Patient Safety Team Highly commended: A&E Nursing Team, Lincoln Lightbulb Award

Highly commended: Elham Abdelaziz, doctor, breast unit, Pilgrim Team of the Year Award Winner: Paediatric Dietetic Team, Lincoln Highly commended: Surgical Admissions Lounge, Lincoln spring 2015

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In the spotlight

Be Proud. Make a Difference

“ULHT is an organisation on the move” with Paul Boocock, Director of Estates We caught up with Paul to find out about his background, the plans to improve the Trust’s environment and the best thing about working for ULHT. 1. What is your background / how did you get to where you are?

I started out as an apprentice at York Hospital in the mid-eighties, although in the early days I did not have the intention to develop my career in the way it has but over time this ambition developed.

I funded my own graduate engineering degree which I studied during evenings and weekends.

This opened up opportunities for me and I later spent some time in private industry working on challenging major telecommunications and oil and gas infrastructure projects before returning to the NHS. Having returned to the NHS I have always taken every opportunity to work on challenging initiatives, working at five very different trusts before joining ULHT, each of these having unique improvement requirements, whether that is the need to improve the estate or environment or within supporting services.

2. Why did you choose to work at ULHT? I think there is a good fit with the issues I have dealt with at other trusts and the work that is needed here. I was aware that ULHT had some significant challenges within what we call ‘the built environment’ and I was very pleased to be able to bring my earlier experience here to focus on making improvements.

Improving the estate and environment is a key ambition for the Trust. There is a need for the buildings and space provided for services to be changed to make sure they offer flexible and safe accommodation to support excellent care and provide a great patient experience.

3. What are your objectives over the next 12 months?

My objectives will be to continue to build the team within estates and facilities, focussing on the people and services we provide. We are looking in-depth at all of our services over the next year, from 8

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maintenance and repairs to portering, catering and even our business activities to see if we can make any changes or improvements.

We also need to develop how we involve patients in improving their experience and ensure we collaborate with our nursing colleagues.

4. What do you think you can bring to this role?

The most important part for me is being able to make a difference. If initial plans don’t succeed then it is important to keep going. There is always a way to break through and achieve what you want even if it takes time you need to keep the aim central to your work.

5. What are the main aspects of your role?

In addition there is significant work that has already started to replace and renew the infrastructure of the buildings.

My directorate covers all maintenance, building and repair works, also strategic estate planning and investment requirements along with familiar facilities services such as portering, catering, security and some cleaning services.

We will be looking at developing plans to improve the patient environment.

There will also be work around how the Lincolnshire Health and Care Review and the clinical strategy might influence future needs and further changes or development work.

There is a good deal of ‘behind the scenes’ work that is needed to ensure that we are compliant and meet legal and statutory requirements. In engineering there are hundreds of pieces of guidance, legal or statutory approved codes of practice that we need to meet, so this is a continual focus.

There is also a need to provide increasingly efficient services, so looking at new ways of being able to deliver improvements is also important.

6. Describe a typical day.

It’s very varied and usually starts out with calls to some of my managers, catching up on e-mails and meetings. Take a recent day for example, I was in a Team Grantham meeting, then reviewing an engineering system for improving water safety, then in a 1-1 meeting with one of my team. Later on I visited the wards to review cleaning with infection control before reviewing progress against the capital infrastructure programme.

7.Where do you think the organisations strengths lie?

I firmly believe ULHT’s strengths are with its staff, I think this has been demonstrated by the Listening into Action initiatives and reflects people’s desire to make changes and

In the spotlight

Be Proud. Make a Difference

”: Interview and Facilities. improve services when they are given the opportunity to do so. The improvements in quality and safety would have been impossible without the dedication and hard work of the people involved and the organisations strengths are only as strong as that desire.

8. What drives you?

It’s all about wanting to make a difference and it is the main reason I came to ULHT. I want to see our services as a key part of the patient journey and to raise the profile of the work that we do.

9. What is the best thing about your job?

It is really the variety and challenge that working within such a diverse Trust brings. I try to spend time at all of the sites each week and each are unique in their distinct way.

It is also very satisfying to see some service improvements begin and start to take shape.

ULHT needs the same kind of investment in the estate that some other trusts have had and enabling that to happen is one of the best parts.

10. What do you think the organisations biggest challenge is?

I feel this will be the national context that will challenge all the NHS over the next few years in terms of the resources needed and demand for services. Also the shift from the current models of care to more integrated systems will undoubtedly put great pressure on services, but if it can be achieved then it offers real benefits for patient care.

11. What is your message to the staff at ULHT? It would be to thank them for the fantastic work that they are doing under enormous pressure. This has been particularly evident over the winter period and for both clinical and non-clinical staff and is very real when I speak to the frontline staff. Despite this ULHT continues to improve and I would encourage staff to look forward as the benefits of their endeavours are seen and recognised.

12. What would you say to someone who was considering working for ULHT? They should not hesitate, it is a dynamic and welcoming organisation full of possibilities for their future career and it is an organisation on the move, making improvements and looking to the future.

On the spot…

Favourite food?

It’s almost a cliché but a good chicken tikka masala is difficult to beat.

First record bought?

That was Deep Purple’s Perfect Strangers back in 1984 I believe. I think actually I borrowed it from the library to begin with on a tape in the days when you used to do that sort of thing, no streaming media back then!

What are you listening to at the moment?

I spend a lot of time in the car so I mainly use it to catch up on the news and factual programmes on Radio 4. I’ll sometimes download a podcast if there is something particularly interesting. The last thing I added to Spotify was Von Hertzen Brothers, someone described them as sounding like Foo Fighters playing Pink Floyd’s Greatest hits after spending years in India singing Beach Boys tunes.

If you we’re having a dinner party which three people would you invite and why?

If I could bring people from the past then for the leadership essentials it would be Genghis Khan, who created an empire from nothing. For architecture it would be Tutankhamun and the pyramids (not a NHS ProCure 21+ construction contract in sight) and for engineering it would have to be Isambard Kingdom Brunel. I think that trio would make for interesting after dinner chat.

Who inspires you?

It’s the stories of man against impossible

odds, Charles Upham for example who was decorated with two Victoria Crosses or Captain Scott’s expedition to the Antarctic. It’s the people with incredible resilience and determination.

Where is your favourite place in the world?

Coromandel peninsula, New Zealand.

Perfect beaches and landscapes in a subtropical paradise, it should be packed but there is no-one there.

If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you take?

In 1704 Scotsman Alexander Selkirk survived for four years on an isolated island in the South Pacific with a musket a knife and carpenters tools so I would go for that. Alternatively a barbeque, a nice bottle of red and a good friend.

What do you like to do with your spare time?

I spend any spare time either walking, travelling, or in the garden. My wife has landscaped our garden over the last few years from a bare field and I have been her ‘willing’ accomplice. Inevitably I turn my hand to a good deal of DIY as our house needed a fair amount of work over the years and I like to think that I am more proficient than I probably am.

What three things would your friends or colleagues say about you?

Most likely that I am restless, I don’t like to fail at any target and I always strive for the best. spring 2015

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About our members

Be Proud. Make a Difference

Me and

you Roger, a public member of the Trust and Sarah, lead for outpatient’s transformation at Lincoln talk about their shared experience of working together.

Roger Thorley, Trust member

I got involved in the outpatient transformation programme after the Trust’s membership office put out a call for someone to participate and help the programme board from a patient perspective.

I was keen to get involved and now I’ve been involved for a while I really do think I’m helping to make a difference.

What I do is challenge. The purpose of my attendance is to be there as a representative of the patients and my focus is to get a better experience for the patients who attend the department. Sarah has been very receptive to my input. She’s happy for me to ring her and share ideas outside of formal meetings.

I have worked with her on a ‘mystery shopper’ activity which was really interesting.

I was asked to go into the outpatients department and find my way to different clinics so that I could feed back on the signage and how easy it was to find your way around. I got lost quite a few times!

I’m particularly interested in the work that’s going on to improve health records. I know

that I’m very demanding in the meetings with the programme board, because I think it’s really important to provide challenge to ensure change takes place.

I’m also very supportive, because I believe that the staff do also need to know where they are doing well, and as a patient representative I can provide that external view. It’s worthwhile working with the Trust on this work, I can see progress being made and I’m committed to working with the Trust to deliver this important work for patients in Lincolnshire.

Sarah Brown, outpatient transformation programme lead Transforming outpatients is a big priority for the Trust. In 2014, three areas of outpatients at Lincoln were judged inadequate by the CQC. Transforming outpatients isn’t about saving money. It’s about improving patient experiences and working lives for our staff.

We want all patients to have good patient experiences and be well communicated at each and every interaction with the Trust.

I am the programme lead for outpatients.

We currently have over 1,150 members, many of whom act as patient representatives on our boards and committees or give independent perspectives on our services through visits and inspections.

Become a member of our Trust and learn more about what we do, have your say and have a direct influence on the decisions we take. Being a member is free and you can be as involved as little or as much as you like.

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We are also working with our staff members to create a really great package for those who sign up to our membership scheme. So if there is something you’d like to see included and you’re not already a member, sign up today and get involved.

Working with patients is fundamental to the success of the work. I work closely with Roger as our patient rep for the programme board.

He’s knowledgeable, enthusiastic and always happy to say if our plans aren’t right or we aren’t working quickly enough.

Roger’s insight as a patient of the Trust is really invaluable. He offers a perspective on all parts of the patient journey from receiving letters from the Trust to seeing clinicians. His background in industry also adds a different mix and experience around the table.

Outside meetings, he has led work on mystery shopping of patient information boards and signage. His input has helped us focus better on meeting the needs of all our patients.

During their re-inspection in February this year, the CQC noted improvements the Trust had made in outpatients. Roger was a valued member of the team who helped lead these improvements. We know there is more to do, but I know Roger will be with us to see through the final changes.

It really is a pleasure working with such a committed patient rep.

We are now booking members’ locality forum meetings in Lincoln, Boston, Grantham and Louth for the next year, where members can gain real insight into the work of our hospitals and have a direct influence on decision-making. Keep an eye out in the next edition of the Lincolnshire Wire for the dates and venues.

To find out more contact us at: Membership Office Robey House Lincoln County Hospital Lincoln LN2 5QY 01522 572301 foundationtrustoffice@ULH.nhs.uk www.ulh.nhs.uk/foundation_trust/

Living well

Be Proud. Make a Difference

Health and Wellbeing – Mental Health Awareness As May focuses on mental health awareness we’re looking to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing issues across our hospitals.

Although mental health disorders are extremely common, the stigma that is attached to them can often prevent people talking about it.

In the UK, one in four people will experience some kind of mental health concern every year. The most common mental health problems are mixed anxiety and depression with around 8-12% of the population experiencing depression at some point.

Mental health disorders can affect anyone, so it is important to understand how to try and maintain good mental and personal well-being which are important for a healthy and happy lifestyle. Although some mental health illnesses are genetic, there are a number of simple steps to take to try and prevent them.

Here are a few of our tips: • Talk about your feelings to those you are closest to. This can help you deal with things if you feel troubled.

• Eat healthily.

• Take a break-even just a few minutes can be enough to de-stress.

• Take up a hobby in something you enjoy or are good at- enjoying yourself helps to beat stress.

• Be sure to regularly get a good night’s sleep.

• Ask for help- putting too much pressure on yourself can lead you to feel stressed.

Some people do suffer and it is important to seek help. Mental health illnesses are treatable and people do recover. If you or someone you know is suffering, contact your GP or the occupational health department at the Trust who will give you access to confidential advice and support.

Top tweets peter ‫@‏‬tomlinsonnaje @ULHTNews Very proud and honoured to have presented the great leadership award at last nights ULHT staff awards, congrats to all involved.

ULHT OT Depts ‫@‏‬OtUlht Well done to Claire Hardy who has secured a permanent Senior OTA position at Grantham OT @ULHTNews

claire kent ‫@‏‬ckentone Proud to see @ULHTNews with @patientopinion. As @pmjp97 says “we’re not perfect, but we aspire to be better”

Dave Holmes ‫@‏‬DaveHolmes279 Lots of rhetoric recently about the NHS failing, after the last 24 hrs I would like to thank Lincoln’s efforts in looking after me @ULHTNews

‫@‏‬steveoscroft @nhsejlew @ULHTNews well done to all the staff at ULHT for all the hard work undertaken to come out of special measures.

This month’s recipe A healthy diet is a good way to ensure that our brains are working to the best that they can be. Eating oily fish, such as salmon, is one way to add omega-3 fatty acid to your diet which can help support mental wellbeing.

Salmon and prawn curry (serves 2) 2 x salmon fillets, chopped into cubes 100g defrosted, raw prawns 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon laksa paste (available at most supermarkets) 1 tin of coconut milk 200ml chicken or fish stock 2 kaffir lime leaves 1 tablespoon of fish sauce (plus more to taste) Small packet of green beans and/or asparagus 150g rice 1 lime 1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and add the laksa paste. Fry for a couple of minutes then add the coconut milk and stock and stir to combine. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer.

2. Add the prawns and salmon to the saucepan and cook until the salmon is soft and the prawns are pink.

3. Once cooked, add the kaffir lime leaves and fish sauce, stir in and leave to simmer for 2 minutes.

4. Add the beans and/or asparagus and cook through.

5. Taste and add more fish sauce if you feel that it needs it.

6. Serve with boiled rice and lime wedges.

‫@‏‬tamaciro Great day ...We are out special measure @ULHTNews

spring 2015

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5 minutes with...

Be Proud. Make a Difference

Get to know…

Staff and board members tell us a bit about their lives, careers and a few secrets.

Kate Truscott – non executive director

Julie Scott, matron, County Hospital Louth

Katy Treasure, complaints manager

What do you like best about your job?

Working with other people to support patients and staff.

What do you like best about your job?

What do you like best about your job?

Being able to help people and hopefully make a difference. Every day is different and brings its own challenges which makes the role interesting and varied. I work within a great team who are as passionate as I am about doing the best for our patients.

What was the first record you ever bought?

Roy Orbison “Pretty Woman”-with the help of my brother because I didn’t have enough money.

What makes you proud to work at ULHT? Being part of providing important services for local people.

Name one thing you couldn’t live without?

Scarves (I’ve got five drawers full to date!)

Making a difference.

What makes you proud to work at ULHT? I am most proud of the way ULHT has dealt with significant challenges over recent years.

Who or what inspires you?

My grandchildren.

How would your friends and colleagues describe you?

Fair, hardworking, loyal and dedicated to patient care.

How would your friends and colleagues describe you?

Caring, committed, loyal.

Which three people, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party and why?

Which three people, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party and why?

Victoria Wood – she is such a witty and perceptive woman. Peter Kay because he is so funny and my uncle Fred – he was my number one fan and I was his.

Frank Sinatra – Imagine the tales he could tell.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

A chimpanzee laughing whilst he was being tickled.

What is your greatest achievement?

Achieving my master’s degree.

Where is your favourite place in the world?

Fowey in Cornwall If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

A sleeping bag – I need to be warm at night.

Sunblock - or else I look like a boiled lobster and champagne – to while away the time.

How would you like to be remembered?

As a person that people wanted to spend time with.

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spring 2015

Vincent Van Gogh – I would let him paint me a picture (imagine how much it would be worth).

A Young Omar Sharif – the best looking man that ever lived.

Who is your favourite band?

Kasabian.

What is your favourite book?

Anything by Tom Clancy.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

My Kindle, family photos, wine.

How would you like to be remembered?

Fondly and that I made a difference, even if it was small.

Name one thing you couldn’t live without?

My iMac

How would your friends and colleagues describe you?

I hope they would say that I am fun, caring and thoughtful.

Which three people, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party and why?

Michael Jackson – to dance with, Beyonce – to sing with, Lee Evans – to laugh with.

What’s your favourite sport?

Horse riding If you could have any superpower what would it be?

Flying. To be able to leap into the air and glide around would be phenomenal way to escape from day to day life and let your thoughts drift.

What talent do you wish you had?

Although I can read music I have always wanted to be able to pick up any instrument and play something off the cuff that sounds amazing. I know a few people that can do this and makes me very envious.

What’s your favourite book?

I have a travel book which is huge and has a page for every country in the world. Each page has some great photos as well as facts and I could spend hours, curled up in an armchair looking through and letting my mind drift.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

My husband (he is a bit like Bear Grylls) and our two children.

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spring 2015

• FT members’ magazines and literature • Mailing service and socio economic profiling • Annual reports, quality reports and summaries • Advertising funded social care directories and information • Advertising funded staff magazines • Promotional items e.g. lanyards, pens, balloons, mugs etc • Ebooks Hawks Nest Cottage, Great North Road, Bawtry, Doncaster DN10 6AB 01909 478822 | www.octagon.org.uk | info@octagon.org.uk

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