15 minute read
Young volunteers support patients during pandemic p
The Cancer Wellbeing Service at Peterborough City Hospital has continued with its Garden Project, despite the pandemic.
Advertisement
Mary Green, who volunteers at the service, is part of a team of volunteers who wanted to use their love of art, and in particular mosaics, to create an outdoor wellbeing space for service users to enjoy. Mary said: “I had to use the centre myself, and while I was there I started teaching people mosaics. One day I was looking through the window into the garden and saw what a state it was in. I said: ‘wouldn’t it be lovely to do something with it.’ And as a group we devised the project. A special mention must go to, Jennie Grainger, our super gardener who has spent many hours digging and planting.” Since the project started in July 2019, the team have added colour to the space, with artwork and flowers. With the support of generous wellwishers they are transforming this centre’s garden into a tranquil area for meditation, thought, and happiness. Covid-19 has meant that fewer people can go onto the Cancer Wellbeing Service site, but the transformation continues to take shape, as currently
Patients receiving cancer treatment expect to see clinical staff during hospital visits, but there is a small group of Cancer Support
Workers who also play an important part in patient care. The Survivorship team works across Peterborough City and
Hinchingbrooke Hospitals supporting patients and their carers living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis, offering both practical and emotional support.
Alanna Farrow, a support work based at
Peterborough City Hospital said: “A cancer diagnosis can be life-changing; we work with patients to identify what matters to them, ensuring information is tailored to their needs and supports their wider health and wellbeing.”
Patients are contacted to offer a Holistic Needs
Assessment (HNA) which helps them reflect on any physical, financial, psychosocial, information and support needs they have. Where concerns are identified the team offers a personalised care plan and support, signposting to available local and national resources. volunteers and centre users are creating much of the art for the garden at home, with mosaics picked up and transported to the centre. If you wish to support the Cancer Wellbeing Service’s Garden Project then you can follow the team’s progress via their Facebook page, or support them via JustGiving. To find these pages, search for ‘Cancer Wellbeing Service Garden Project’ on the
Meet the team supporting patients with cancer
respective site.
The Survivorship Team at Peterborough City Hospital
Nicole Hayden, a Support Worker at Hinchingbrooke Hospital said: “Patients who may be struggling with sadness and need emotional support can be introduced to the wellbeing service and counselling via our team. It gives us the utmost satisfaction knowing we make a difficult situation more manageable, our aim is to help patients when they are at their most vulnerable.” Any patient interested in the scheme should mention it to their clinical team for referral.
Young volunteers support patients
During the COVID-19 pandemic the Trust’s Young Volunteers Programme has been inundated with applications to come into the hospital and help out! In August, our Young Volunteers, alongside some of our regular volunteers, welcomed visitors back to the hospitals. The volunteer’s role was to help visitors understand the new restrictions and also to spend time with patients if they didn’t have any visitors.
For many young people this was a great way to spend their six-week summer break, with one young volunteer saying: “I was able to gain valuable experience speaking to a variety of different patients, so I could develop my communication and consultation skills in preparation for medical school.”
During the second lockdown young volunteers were again helping out around the hospital delivering Letters for Loved Ones and patient belongings, as well as Wayfinding. The volunteering team has also joined forces with the apprenticeship team to offer young volunteers a more rounded experience by combining six weeks of volunteering on wards prior to completing an intensive fourday work experience. If you are interested in joining the Trust’s Young Volunteer Programme please contact our Young Person Co-Ordinator, Taite Hawes: taite.hawes@ nhs.net
Trust ‘Hello My Name Is’ badges get a new look
The Trust’s ‘hello my name is’ badges have been given a new look as part an initiative to make the Trust more accessible to patients with dementia and those with visual impairments.
This work is the result of a collaboration with patients with disabilities, including Jimmy who is deafblind. He recently help us implement accessible signage across Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford and Rutland Hospitals. Alison Gray, Dementia Specialist Nurse, said: “Staff are now wearing yellow ‘hello my name is’ badges, which have been designed to help those with visibility issues, learning disabilities and dementia. I think this will be hugely beneficial in helping patients and staff build better relationships and help improve communication, and it’s great to see the Trust continuing to make positive changes for patient care.” Chief Nurse, Jo Bennis, said: “It’s great to see the Trust continuing to make great strides in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work. These badges help to support those with a visual impairment the new yellow colour means that these badges will more identifiable and visible to both staff and patients. The Royal National Institute of Blind People has highlighted that clear colour contrast is more visible to those with sight problems and these benefits have helped us to make this decision. This badge will also help to support those with learning disabilities and our dementia patients, if the individual can read the staff members name this can lead to building better relationships and improve patient care. “The Trust remains committed to the development of a culture that promotes and celebrates equality, diversity and inclusion and is a part of a wider strategy to make the NWAngliaFT more accessible.”
SAYING FAREWELL TO IBD NURSE ELIANE MARSDEN
Eliane Marsden began her North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust journey in 1980, when she joined the Trust as a Health Care Assistant. After 20 years working across the Peterborough District Hospital site as a Health Care Assistant, Eliane was able to progress her career and become a nurse, as the Trust supported her to complete her nurse training.
After five years working on a variety of wards across the hospital, Eliane was promoted to a Deputy Sister position on the Gastroenterology Ward. It was this move that sparked a desire in Eliane to help IBD patients for the remainder of her career and a year later she was successful in gaining an IBD Specialist Nurse role, which she has held for 10 years. Her colleague and fellow IBD Specialist Nurse Gill Anderson said, “Eliane has provided expert
Our Maternity Services has worked in collaboration with Peterborough and Hinchingbrooke Maternity Voices
Partnership to launch a series of
Facebook live events for pregnant women and their families.
So far the Trust has hosted two live events - Infant Feeding with Cathi Rai and Debbie
Abbott from the Infant Team, and Maternity care to our IBD patients during her ten years in the role as a specialist nurse. She is caring, professional, dedicated and selfless and has made a huge difference to so many lives. She will be hugely missed by the team.” Eliane said, “I have seen great changes in the NHS since I began as a nursing auxiliary and one that stands out is the patient relationship with the care giver. Patients are able to have more input into their treatment and their view is often invaluable to assess their needs. This has been shown with our IBD Patient Panel who help us to see the patient journey from their perspective and this can help us plan and organise our services around them. “The NHS will always strive to improve and I have been very proud to have been a small part
of its history.” Visiting Restrictions During Covid-19 with Deputy Head of Midwifery, Nicky Griffin and Matron, Teresa McCarthy. With the successful of these two Facebook lives Maternity Team have got plans in place to hold more so make sure to follow the @NWAngliaFTMaternityServices page on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest information and updates.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: KATE MARTIN
Kate Martin is the Soft FM Monitoring Officer at Peterborough City Hospital. We have spoken to Kate about her role and what she loves most about it.
“My role involves monitoring the activities of our PFI partners and their contractors and ensuring they carry out their contractual and legislative duties within Peterborough City Hospital. I also hold responsibility for Waste Management and some elements of Sustainability across the entire Trust which has earned me a nickname in the office – Queen of the Bins!
“Lots of people give me a blank look when I use my full job title and ask what it means. My colleague, Hard FM Manager Matthew Grant, has described Facilities Management beautifully; “If you remove all the people, then pick up the building and shake it, anything that stays put is Hard FM, and anything that falls out is Soft FM.” Hard FM involves but is not limited to electrical, water, lifts, grounds and gardens, pest control, fire, medical gases etc. Soft FM comprises but is not limited to catering, cleaning, portering, security, linen, traffic etc. “The fact that no two days are ever the same means my job is still as exciting today as it was the day I started. There is always something new and different happening to challenge you and keep you on your toes, and every day is a learning opportunity in Facilities Management. I work across all of our sites, too, which really helps to keep things fresh! “The variation of people I meet and work with on a daily basis is also a huge morale booster. A large part of my role means I am frequently auditing around the building in various types of areas. I meet clinical staff, patients, visitors, other members of corporate, administration and secretarial staff…and everyone, without exception, is brilliant. New projects and ideas are met with excitement and enthusiasm. Problems and concerns are resolved quickly and professionally. Everyone is exceptionally skilled, incredibly friendly, and we’re all genuinely cheering everyone else on. There is a real sense of family here.”
Looking to move into the NHS?
We have a whole host of clinical and non-clinical you can apply for to become a member of Team North West Anglia.
Simply go to our website to see what role you can take on as part of our Trust: www.nwangliaft.nhs.uk
Staff Spotlight: Harun Nazir
Harun Nazir is a Business Admin Apprentice at Peterborough City Hospital. We spoke to Harun to find about about his role.
“I really wanted to improve the skills I need to start a career in business administration. I enjoy the routine of business administration but knew that I needed to get some experience to move into a career. The apprenticeship on offer at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust enables me to learn and acquire skills on the job, allowing me to build up my confidence and ability to succeed in my desired career. “I started at the Trust as a volunteer, helping to create easy read leaflets for patients with a learning disability. The manager of this team then helped me to secure an internship doing this work. I loved this because I could see the difference I was making in lifting barriers for patients who could not access our usual leaflets.
“I told the Trust that I wanted to build a career in business administration, and they helped me to find the kind of apprenticeship that would help me to flourish and build the skills I need.”
Trust holds Annual Public Meeting virtually
The Annual Public Meeting took place on 6 October from 6 – 6.45pm as a virtual event via MS Teams. Dr Kanchan Rege, Chief Medical Officer and Deputy CEO, gave a presentation on our Trust response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a successful event with a good virtual audience and lots of questions for our Board to answer.
If you missed the event and are interested in what went on, you can replay the meeting via this link on our website: https://www.nwangliaft.nhs. uk/about-us/trust-board/board-papersmeetings/ . You will find Dr Rege’s presentation and questions asked with the answers given there as well. Keep an eye out on social media and, if you are a member, your email inbox, for information on the next Members’ meeting.
Join us on social media
Did you know that you can keep up to date with the latest news from your local hospital through following our social media accounts? We are on Twitter, Facebook and even Instagram! Twitter
@NWAngliaFT @PboroCityHosp @HinchHospital @Stamford_Hosp
Peterborough City Hospital Hinchingbrooke hospital Stamford & Rutland Hospital
North West Anglia NHS FT
BECOME A TRUST MEMBER TODAY!
Becoming a member of our Trust means you can give us your views on how we can make our services better for you, your family and the community in which you live.
As a Foundation Trust member you can also:
• Apply to stand for election as a Trust
Governor
• Vote in our Governor elections
• Attend events and meetings • Receive a free copy of The Pulse magazine – either through the post or online • Get involved in specific focus and feedback groups As a Foundation Trust member you are also entitled to register with NHS Discounts, to take advantage of the same benefits that are offered to NHS staff. Just log on and register at www. healthservicediscounts.com to receive a range of discounts from participating high street stores and restaurants.
To sign up as a member, you can use our portal, designed especially for you. Just log on to: https://secure.membra.co.uk/ memberportal/NorthWestAnglia Register your name and create a password, then you can be in charge of the information we hold for you. You can use the portal to change or update the information that we have for you – for example, change a postal or email address, check what format you would like to receive The Pulse, or even delete your file altogether.
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust endorse any of the products or services.
Every possible care has been taken to ensure that the information given in this publication is accurate. Whilst the publisher would be grateful to learn of any errors, it cannot accept any liability over and above the cost of the advertisement for loss there by caused. Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd endorse any of the products or services. No reproduction by any method whatsoever of any part of this publication is permitted without prior written consent of the copyright owners.
Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd. ©2020. Hawks Nest Cottage, Great North Road, Bawtry, Doncaster, DN10 6AB. Tel: 01302 714528
Clayburn Court care home A friendly and safe welcome
In many ways, daily life at Clayburn Court care home is still very much the same, where the care and welfare of our residents remains at the heart of what we offer. Our highly qualified staff team have implemented robust guidelines around PPE and adhere to required policies. Our cleaning procedures are also robust, to ensure our residents maintain a great quality of life, and more importantly, are safe. Our care team is passionate about what they do, dedicated to delivering quality tailored care and specially selected for their personal qualities, such as being instinctively warm with a natural desire to help. This is complemented by a wide range of facilities, which include a hair and beauty salon, a cafe and cosy quiet areas. For those who wish to be more active, we provide a wealth of socially distanced activities, where we encourage people to spend their time as desired. We have regular light exercise, as research has shown that exercise can assist fall prevention, general mood and wellbeing in older people. Clayburn Court is operated by Anchor, which is part of the Anchor Hanover Group. They are England’s largest provider of care and housing on a not-for-profit basis. We’re currently offering 2 weeks free on a permanent stay.* You can arrange a virtual show round, simply by contacting us on 01733 807616 or visiting www.clayburncourt.org.uk We are located at Clayburn Court, Clayburn Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE7 8LB
*T&C’s apply. Please see website for details.
• Purpose built pre-school with garden and outside teaching area • 3 outside play areas • Separate baby unit • Home-cooked meals • High quality childcare from specialist staff
Day Nursery and Pre-School Open 7.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday Overton House, 42 Cold Overton Road, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6NT 01572 723 810 www.scallywagsoakham.co.uk
