Talking Point April 2016

TALKING POINT April 2016

‘We’ve done it!’

South Cleveland Heart Fund reaches £1m target page 2

‘We’ve done it!’

Adrian Davies celebrates with other SCHF volunteers after reaching the £1m target for upgrading the MRI scanner at James Cook

South Cleveland Heart Fund reaches £1m target THE South Cleveland Heart Fund has reached its £1m target for the upgrade of an MRI scanner, thanks to generous donations from the public.

The £1m milestone was reached within 18 months, after a number of kind-hearted people rallied together to raise vital funds for the cause.

The scanner upgrade will enable cardiac consultants to carry out state of the art scanning and a full Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) Imaging service, supporting James Cook’s existing status as a regional cardiothoracic centre at the leading edge of heart care advances.

Doctors will now be able to view the moving heart in high definition from any angle and without exposure to x-rays.

This will enable them to identify areas of scarring due to heart attacks or heart muscle disorders.

Dr Neil Maredia, consultant cardiologist

at James Cook, described it as being like “putting the heart under a microscope, without the need for an invasive tissue biopsy.”

He added the trust was very grateful to the South Cleveland Heart Fund for raising “such an impressive sum.”

“Thanks to their efforts, we have now commenced a major upgrade of our existing MRI scanner, which will bring it up to the latest specifications, allowing us to provide a high quality and resilient service for the region,” he said.

“A further portion of the money raised will be used to facilitate the installation of a brand new high-powered MRI scanner which will bring greater capacity to the unit and, with its wider bore, allow us to undertake scans in a greater proportion of the population than was previously possible.

“As well as expanding the clinical service we provide to patients these developments will drive an increase in the

unit’s research activity.”

Adrian Davies, chairman of South Cleveland Heart Fund, said: “The SCHF committee, who are all volunteers, received invaluable help from the Gazette campaign, Rotary Clubs in our catchment area of 1.6m raised £80k, led by Mike Overy of Middlesbrough Erimus, MFC Charity partnership, Psyche, Acklam and Stockton Rugby clubs, and all the donations from grateful patients and their loved ones too numerous to mention. A massive thank you to all who supported this vital campaign.”

He added the South Cleveland Heart Fund still had a number of other items on its ‘shopping list’ and would continue to raise money for the trust.

Dr Michael Stewart, consultant cardiologist and chief of cardiothoracic services at the trust said: “To have raised so much money for this appeal in such a timely way is a fantastic achievement.

We, and our patients, owe them a huge thank you!”

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Global first as hospital uses new heart pump to enable complex procedure to go ahead WHEN Bill Geldart suffered a heart attack and consultants told him it was too risky to give him a heart bypass he feared his options were limited.

Initially the 72-year-old managed on medication alone, but the chest pain was so bad it was keeping him awake at night and left him unable to even take his dog for a walk.

Bill’s existing lung problems meant surgery was out of the question, or at least it was until interventional cardiologists at James Cook suggested they could perform the procedure using a new device which would keep his heart beating at a normal rhythm during the operation.

The Stockton grandad was undeterred by the fact that it was an extremely high risk procedure and on Thursday 21 January he became the first patient to undergo an operation with the HeartMate PHP cardiac assist device.

The minimally invasive device from St Jude Medical is designed to improve consistent blood flow for severely ill patients during high risk procedures and has only previously been used in research - this was its first commercial use worldwide and its first ever use in the UK. After implanting the HeartMate PHP device interventional cardiologists Douglas Muir and Paul Williams were able to carry out an operation to insert stents into Bill’s blood vessels to allow his blood to flow more freely - with an increased level of safety.

The retired British Gas worker says he has never felt better as his pain has completely vanished. He is now out of hospital and looking forward to being able to take his dog Bess for a walk again.

“Impressed does not even begin to describe it,” said Bill. “When Dr Muir came up with the idea I jumped at it.

“What they have done for me is unbelievable. I can’t fault any of the care I have received.”

Dr Muir said: “The device took on part of the pumping action of the heart which enabled us to carry out the angioplasty. I don’t think his heart would have supported him during the procedure without it.”

Dr Williams said: “It let us concentrate on the technicalities of the procedure and not worry about his blood pressure dropping as the pump was taking care of that part.”

While similar devices have been used in operations before, this is the only one on the market which can pump four to five litres of blood per minute – the same as an actual heart would.

Dr Muir added: “It’s good to know this technology exists now for similar patients.”

The HeartMate PHP system

Bill Geldart on the coronary care unit with cardiologists Rob Wright, Douglas Muir and Paul Williams

An inspector calls back...

THE CARE Quality Commission will be carrying out a further inspection of the trust from 8 to 10 June and, once again, talking to patients, carers and staff (both individually and in focus groups) and checking the right systems and processes are in place.

This time inspectors will specifically focus on the key areas identified as ‘requiring improvement’ in the safe and effective care domains at their last inspection in December 2014 which were: • Safe medication practice - ensuring that patients have their medication reconciled upon admission to hospital, where medication doses are omitted that these are escalated and reported and that controlled drugs checks take place • Ensuring that the documentation of do not attempt cardio-pulmonary resuscitation decisions records discussions with patients and their relatives and, where a patient is identified as lacking the mental capacity to make a decision about resuscitation, a mental capacity assessment is carried out and recorded • Ensuring better attendance at mandatory training and subject specific training, particularly around safeguarding and mental capacity training • Ensuring patients’ records are appropriately updated and stored to ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times and that daily checks of equipment on wards are carried out and documented • All areas are to ensure that patient information leaflets are up to date Following the CQC visit – and publication of their report in June 2015 – the trust was given an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’ for providing safe and effective care although inspectors found services were caring, responsive and well led.

In total, 89 of the 105 individual ratings (84%) were either good or outstanding and a number of areas of excellent and outstanding practice were also identified, particularly in maternity services.

England’s chief inspector of hospitals Professor Mike Richards reported that inspectors came across numerous examples of excellent care and that patients and their relatives were happy with their experience of care and treatment. Staff at every level were positive about working for the trust and the quality of care they provided.’

While we’ve made some good progress to address the CQC’s findings, there are always areas where we can make further improvement.

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Gift of life – a friend’s gift KIDNEY disease affects a huge number of people in the UK. It can affect people at any age and has many different causes.

The trust’s living kidney donor team of dedicated doctors and nurses help prepare patients for donation and transplantation.

Jean’s story Jean Butcher, 70, from Pinchinthorpe has carried a donor card since the 1970s and it never crossed her mind she would be given the opportunity to be a living donor. She tells Talking Point about her journey: “Julia and I have been friends for many many years and most of the time she played down her condition, in her own words, being ‘in denial’ about her steady deterioration.

“Inevitably there came the time, as you know if you have polycystic kidney disease, (PKD) when the need for dialysis has to be addressed, either that or a transplant was her only option.

“After consulting with and having the blessing of my very dear family, I talked to Julia about our wish to try and help.

Initially she was averse to the offer and quite frankly neither of us was very hopeful of me being a good match.

“I’m not going to go through the extensive number of tests required to ensure the best possible outcome not only for Julia, but for me as well. Neither can I explain the trepidation, on every hospital visit, of fearing being told the transplant procedure would not be able to progress any further.

“However the euphoria, after all the long and anxious waiting, of being told all was well, was so exhilarating it was worth the wait. Giving Julia the gift of a new life was really going to happen and we couldn’t wait for the big day.

“Aren’t you nervous?” People would ask me and maybe I was a bit or even probably very naïve, but it never once, in spite of being told more than once the statistics regarding the risks of surgery, made me doubt my decision.

You will be in safe hands from beginning to end and I cannot praise the health professionals enough.

“From my first blood test at James Cook in late 2013 to the date I was discharged home from the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle in July 2014, I was met with a smile. Nothing was a bother; don’t ever be afraid to ask questions, no matter how trivial they seem to you. They will all be answered in an empathetic, professional and straight forward manner.

“It would be wrong of me to say the procedure wasn’t painful but all I could think of was how was Julia doing. 24 hours after the operation I was being taken to visit her and her new kidney in the transplant unit and I admit it was with a bit of trepidation as to what I was going to find. Lo and behold there she was, sitting up in a chair, surrounded by beeping machinery and with enough pipe work attached to fit out a bathroom.

“But what was so special was that she had the biggest smile ever, how wonderful that made me feel I would never have the words to tell. Anyone who knows us knows it “If I could turn doesn’t take much to set us off, but I can honestly say the clock back there were plenty of tears would I do it shed and all tears of joy.

again? Without hesitation a big fat yes.”

“If you are contemplating putting yourself forward for testing then I can categorically say there isn’t a thing to worry about.

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(left to right) Natalie Snaith, ward clerk and sister Debbie Slimings, specialist nurse in anaemia and nephrology with Julia and Jean in the renal unit

“The following day it was time to go home and I was discharged, armed with lots of tips on how to manage my recovery. If I was asked for a recovery time tip I would suggest having close at hand all of the numerous

bits and pieces you don’t realise you need during the day. Take advantage of any offers of help as your friends and family will be only too pleased to help where they can.

“Julia made remarkable progress in the Freeman and it was wonderful to see her looking so well. It’s still hard for me to grasp what a difference this has made to her life.

“As for me, if I could turn the clock back would I do it again? Without hesitation a big fat yes. People ask me what it feels like living with one kidney. To be frank, I feel exactly the same as I did before the operation.

“What a year we had last year, mostly visiting hospitals. So, this year with that all behind us who knows what lies ahead. With Julia feeling ‘marvellous’ and me having now gone up a year in age to the big 70, me thinks it’s time for a good time!”

Julia’s story Julia King, 66, from Stokesley found out over 20 years ago she had inherited polycystic kidney disease when her mother, aged 80, had a scan for an ulcer. How long she had had PKD was not known.

Julia and her children had scans. Julia had PKD, her son was clear and her daughter had the beginning of PKD, at age 12. She tells us about her story: “My daughter and I had regular blood tests and because I felt so well and active I put it to the back of my mind. I continued

to have regular check-ups and still felt well, even though my renal function was decreasing. I was in denial and my consultant told me I would need a kidney transplant or I would need dialysis in seven years.

“Just over seven years later and feeling lethargic and not as active, a living donor was mentioned. After hearing about my visits to the hospital my son Paul, and friends June Gathergood and Jean, all said they would be tested to see if they were suitable to donate a kidney to me.

“It took a while for me to accept they all wanted to do this special thing for me.

After testing, Jean was found suitable.

“I went in to the Freeman Hospital two days before my operation on 1 July 2014.

Jean had arrived the morning of the operation and when I was told she had gone to theatre my thoughts were all about her and what she was doing for me.

“We have been friends for over 30 years, I was not nervous myself at all.

Arriving at theatre my thoughts were, “this is really happening” and I wanted to get it over with and find out how Jean was.

“My children went to see Jean and to say a big thank you. I couldn’t wait to see her. Dave, her husband, brought her to see me on their way home and what could I say but a big thank you and give her a box of chocolates, this has been a joke between us as a reward for her.

“Back home recovery was good, Jean and I kept in touch about our progress and as we live near each other we saw each other as often as we did before.

“Our friends after hearing our story have thought about going on the donor register. We are making people more aware and encouraging them to think about organ donation and being on the register.

“I cannot believe how well I feel, my favourite word is marvellous.

“My grateful thanks to Dr Jonathan Louden and his team at James Cook, Professor David Talbot and his team at the Freeman and special thanks to my dear friend Jean, who has indeed given me a gift for life.”

If you have a friend or relative affected by kidney disease and would like to know more about living kidney donation please contact Alison Callaway, transplant specialist nurse on 01642 854732, extension 54732. The NHS website www.organdonation.nhs.uk gives more information and patient stories.

UK first as brave mum undergoes innovative robotic lung surgery – just weeks after giving birth GEMMA Walker was pregnant with her second child when she was told she had a tumour on her lung.

But because of the delicate nature of the proposed operation to remove the tumour she was told that her surgery would have to wait until the baby had been born.

The 27 yearold from Darlington was put under the care of cardiothoracic consultant Joel Dunning who wanted to treat Gemma as quickly and as least invasively as possible with the use of the cutting-edge Da Vinci robot at James Cook.

Thanks to a team effort involving a number of departments a plan was put into place. Baby Finlay was born six weeks early and was home four weeks later – five days before his mum went into hospital for an innovative operation to remove a carcinoid tumour from her lung.

Gemma said: “I had got to the stage whenever I made physical effort like climbing the stairs I was seriously out of breath. I knew something had to be done. Mr Dunning explained that he was going to use the robot to help remove the tumour, which sounds quite scary, but the speed of my recovery has been fantastic, compared to what it would have been without it.”

Mr Dunning added: “This is the first time in the UK that the Da Vinci robot has been used for the removal of a tumour from the main airway

of a lung. The difficulty comes in the fact that the left lung had to be disconnected from the rest of the airways and then stitched back together after the tumour had been removed.

“This is impossible with our usual method of minimally invasive lung surgery as it is too difficult, but with the Da Vinci robot to help us with the delicate stitching, we managed this and also managed to preserve the whole of her left lung.

“The only alternative would have been to create a 25cm chest wound to do the operation the conventional way but then Gemma would not have been able to lift or carry her baby for six weeks, so we wanted to go the extra mile to get her back home as quickly as possible to her two children.”

Gemma is recovering well and was home in four days due to the minimally invasive procedure.

She added: “The short stay in hospital flew by. I can’t thank the staff enough for what they, and the robot, have done for me. It was great to be back with Finlay, his two-yearold brother Henry and my partner Daniel so soon after the procedure.

I feel a hundred times better than I did just a few weeks ago.”

The benefits of robotic lung surgery have been immense in the short time that we have been performing this surgery. Together with Newcastle we are the first unit to offer this kind of surgery in the UK.

To see a video of Gemma’s story visit: https://youtube/qRvymvKTXjE

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Archbishop pays a visit

THE ARCHBISHOP of York, the most reverend and right honourable Dr John Sentamu, visited the Friarage as part of his pilgrimage of prayer, witness and blessing.

He was welcomed by hospital chaplain, Reverend Rod Breckon and members of the chaplaincy team and then went on to spend about two hours visiting several wards, chatting with staff and patients.

Members of the chaplaincy team and staff at the Friarage welcome the Archbishop of York

Rev Sentamu was warmly received by all who met him. An email from a staff member perhaps captures the feeling: “The topic of conversation today has been yesterday’s visit which really lifted the spirits of both patients and staff.

Would you thank everyone involved in the visit on behalf of myself and the staff.”

Thanks to all staff members who helped facilitate the visit.

Heart failure patients at James Cook first in world to benefit from new life-saving technology TEESSIDE’S world renowned cardiology unit has become the first to treat heart failure patients using a new wireless pacemaker the size of a grain of RICE. A handful of seriously ill patients at James Cook were the first to benefit from the potentially lifesaving new technology, which could revolutionise surgery for heart failure.

Surgeons and cardiologists conventionally treat the condition with a cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) device, known as a biventricular pacemaker.

This sits below the collar bone and relies on wires that feed into the right chambers of the heart, which perform the vital function of pumping deoxygenated blood into the lungs.

A third wire is required to maintain a steady heartbeat by “pacing” the left ventricle, where blood is pumped out through the aortic valve into the aortic arch and onward to the rest of the body.

It is thought up to 30% of patients fail to respond to treatment with these pacemakers.

But the new type of wireless pacemaker, developed by EBR Systems Inc and known as WiSE Technology, is implanted directly into the innermost layer of tissue that lines the left chamber of the heart.

This can then perform the same job as a traditional CRT pacemaker - controlling abnormal heart rhythms using lowenergy electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate - but without the need for wires and the risk of complications that come with them.

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Simon James, consultant cardiologist, said: “Early indications show patients are responding well to this new type of treatment and we are confident we will be able to provide more information on the benefits to patients in the very near future.

“By eliminating the need for a left ventricular lead, the technology allows us to target the exact site where we pace the heart.

The “It also allows us to wireless fit the device exactly pacemaker where an individual on a 20p patient needs it, which piece could enable us to increase the number of patients who respond to this therapy, helping them to live a longer, more active life.”

During recent clinical trials of the device, patients whose conventional CRT pacemaker treatment had failed benefited from an 81% improvement in their condition.

This led to the device being approved for use in hospitals – with James Cook being the first to take advantage of the new type of treatment on behalf of patients outside of a research study.

Andrew Shute, vice president Europe for EBR Systems, said: “WiSE Technology delivers stimulation directly to the inside of the left ventricle.

“This is seen as being more consistent with the functioning of a healthy heart and may explain why it benefits patients who previously failed treatment.”

(left to right) Dr Andrew Turley, Dr Simon James and Mr Andrew Owens Approximately 900,000 people in England & Wales have heart failure. Studies have demonstrated successful CRT therapy significantly improves symptoms, reduces hospitalisation - and saves lives.

It is thought the new device could improve CRT therapy success rates, improving a patient’s quality of life and helping them to live longer than they would if left untreated, or if their treatment using the conventional CRT pacemaker was unsuccessful.

Andrew Turley, one of two cardiologists involved in bringing the new technology to Teesside alongside Simon and cardiac surgeon Andrew Owens, said: “This is an exciting and important addition to the treatment options available for our patients with heart failure.

“We are proud to have been able to introduce it on Teesside before any other hospital in the country - or indeed, the world.”

District nurse Jill bows out after 36 years of service JILLIANNE James from the district nursing team in Richmond has loved her 36-year career and knows she is leaving her patients in the hands of a very capable and compassionate team.

Richard Laughton (right) from CryoLife – makers of the HeRO graft - illustrates how it works to Dr Ahmed Kaabneh, consultant radiologist and Monica Hansrani, consultant vascular surgeon

Regional first is Elizabeth’s life-saving HeRO ELIZABETH Fraser was given the ‘best Christmas present’ – a life-saving procedure at James Cook – and now looks forward to a brighter future.

The HeRO (haemodialysis reliable outflow) graft operation– the first one of its kind in the North east – was carried out on the 55 year-old dialysis patient as the last possible course of action the medical team looking after her could offer her.

Due to the state and continuing deterioration of Elizabeth’s veins after 15 years of dialysis and previous operations, this procedure involved putting a length of silicone-coated catheter inside her central vein in her neck to re-enforce the collapsing vein.

The catheter’s diameter is three times wider than a conventional stent and goes from one of her heart vessels to beneath her collar bone and shoulder blade.

A titanium connector then runs a second graft from there under the skin to the main vein in the inside of her elbow. It will be this area that will be used in further dialysis treatment.

Without this procedure dialysis would no longer be possible for Elizabeth and the outcome would be a lot bleaker for the social care manager from Catterick Garrison.

There have been over 50 such procedures in the UK to date, but this is

the first one to be carried out in North east England.

Monica Hansrani, consultant vascular surgeon, who helped to carry out the three-hour procedure with other vascular and radiology consultants, said: “This catheter is more durable, withstanding a lot more pressure from outside and, because it’s much bigger than conventional stents, it will allow more rapid access dialysis and hopefully stay open for much, much longer.

“The procedure involves close teamwork. A consultant radiologist inserts the main catheter to the heart using x-ray guidance and then the vascular surgeon works the second graft under the skin to join onto the main catheter. This second graft is the one which will allow access to dialysis.”

A bonus of the HeRO system is that the company has designed the device in such a way as to allow the team to tailor the components to the specific access needs of the patient - offering a truly individualised access solution.

In this case Elizabeth needed to dialyse within a few hours. Conventional grafts require a ‘settling in’ period of around two weeks before patients can resume dialysis safely, time Elizabeth didn’t have. By combining the HeRO system with an ‘instant-stick graft’ (a new self-sealing graft from Gore, called Acuseal) the surgeons guaranteed Elizabeth was able to dialyse almost immediately after the procedure was complete.

Jill trained as a nurse in Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and qualified in 1979, where she worked for two years in the renal transplant unit, coronary care and general medicine.

In 1981 she joined the Richmond district nursing team and has remained there for the last 34 years! She joined the team as one of the first staff nurses. Prior to then community staff were employed as sisters.

The local doctors were not convinced about the development of the staff nurse role but Jill soon won them over. She went on and completed her district nursing qualification in 1983 and has All her since worked in the team colleagues as the sister.

wished her well at a farewell party for her.

Jill says over the years she has seen many changes.

In her initial years she spent most mornings in the community getting patients up, dressed and washed and health care assistants were called ‘bath nurses’! Now these services are delivered by social services and private organisations and community nurses are delivering care to patients with complex health needs.

All her colleagues wished her well at a farewell party for her in the Friary hospital in Richmond.

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Lab results screened live to theatres!

THEATRE teams can now see blood clotting results live on the big screen while they are being processed in the pathology lab.

This innovative way of working means theatre teams see the test results much faster which enables them to deliver individually-tailored care to patients.

The new system also potentially reduces use of blood products which improves patient safety, improves efficiency and reduces demand on vital resources.

When a patient is rushed into theatre suffering severe blood loss a blood sample is sent to the pathology lab at James Cook to be analysed on a TEG (Thromboelastograph) machine.

The TEG machine assesses how a patient’s blood is clotting to work out what type of blood product (platelets, fresh frozen plasma etc) they actually need.

This is good news for patients as blood product transfusions can impact on morbidity so the less blood that is transfused the lower the risk of any complications.

Thanks to assistance from the IT team, the results can now be seen live on screens in the emergency theatres as they are processed so the most effective treatment can be given without delay.

Traditionally TEG machines are designed to be used by the doctor near to the patient but, as anaesthetist Elke Kothmann explains, this can take their attention away from the operating table for vital seconds.

“The idea is you are supposed to do the TEG test near to the patient so you can see the result developing,” she said.

“But in reality it’s difficult to do the tests and if you don’t do it properly the results are useless. It’s a very skilled thing to do so we decided it

was best carried out by experts in the pathology lab.

“Now if I have a bleeding patient in theatre I send a blood sample to the lab and they do the test extremely accurately and we can see the results via a live link in theatre so we instantly know what we need to do to treat the patient.

“This is great news for the patient as they get the full attention of the anaesthetist and the results are much quicker.

“Conventional clotting tests can take 45 minutes to get a blood result but now we have a much quicker turnaround.

“It means we get all the benefits of near patient testing, but the test is done by a professional scientist in a quality controlled area. It’s like having a biomedical scientist in theatre with you!”

South Tees currently has four TEG machines bought with charitable funds from cardiothoracic services and regional haematology. Each machine cost around £10,000.

All four machines are now based in the pathology lab to maximise availability across the trust.

Daniella Winterburn trust haemostasis lead said: “We have around 30 biomedical scientists trained to do these tests. We offer a 24/7 service and all the governance, quality checks and maintenance.

“It’s been exciting to learn something new and this has really integrated pathology with the rest of the trust.”

Cardiothoracic anaesthetist Nick Stratford was the first to use one at the trust and teamed up with Dr Angela Wood, Daniella Elke and Andy Roberts from IT to link the results live to theatres following a successful pilot scheme last year.

The test is mainly used for patients with severe bleeding, major trauma or heart problems.

Daniella Winterburn demonstrates how to use the TEG machine

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Director of integrated therapies Barbara Stoker with So

Boost for therapy THERAPY services across Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland are set to be increased thanks to a £1.5million funding boost.

The substantial investment will see therapy services provided seven days a week from community hospitals and a higher level of treatment being delivered to patients in their own homes.

The trust is recruiting an additional 35 therapy staff as well as providing existing staff with advanced training in specialist areas such as respiratory, stroke/ neurology, complex musculoskeletal conditions and dementia.

This extended provision will minimise the amount of time patients need to spend in hospital as well as reducing waiting times for patients requiring rehabilitation at

The team that made it happen! Left to right: Fiona Lisle, Daniella Winterburn, Angela Wood, Elke Kothmann, Rachel Webb, Andy Roberts and Nick Stratford

home- a significant improvement to the current waiting times.

Currently patients have to wait up to four weeks for occupational therapy in the community and up to eight weeks for physiotherapy, but from 1 April all non-urgent patients should be seen within two weeks by the community therapy team.

The new way of working will also see a central point of contact created for referrals to ensure patients always go straight to the right therapist for their rehabilitation.

South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is investing in therapy services as part of its IMProVE (Integrated Management and Proactive Care for the Vulnerable and Elderly) programme which aims to treat more people in the community and to provide additional support to hospital patients to help them regain their independence.

Skin cancer project is aiming high AN INNOVATIVE project at the forefront of cancer research will help identify skin cancer patients with a high risk of the disease spreading to other parts of the body.

Melanoma Focus has provided a scientific group at Newcastle University with a £100,000 grant, as part of its patient impact programme.

outh Tees therapy staff

y services Director of integrated therapies Barbara Stoker said: “A review of local community therapy services in 2013 revealed that 60% of patients in our primary care hospitals would have benefitted from a higher level of occupational therapy and physiotherapy.

“This substantial investment means we are now able to provide this extended service for patients across Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland.

“This is fantastic news as it will help prevent avoidable hospital admissions, reduce admissions to care homes, shorten the amount of time people have to stay in hospital and increase the range of rehabilitation services we can provide closer to home.”

Dr Ali Tahmassebi, local GP and member of South Tees CCG added: “It’s great to see our IMProVE plans coming to fruition. This is another important step in supporting patients to remain independent.”

Dr Rob Ellis, consultant dermatologist at James Cook and honorary clinical senior lecturer at Newcastle University along with Professor Penny Lovat from the university, are leading the project to look at why ulceration of the skin above a melanoma leads to a greater risk of the disease spreading.

The initial patient recruitment and pathology work for the project was carried out at James Cook, thanks to a £3,000 donation from James Cook University Hospital Voluntary Services to Dr Ellis.

This donation allowed initial patient samples to be created, which were used to generate pilot data for the successful grant application. It also paid for a biomedical scientist, Alison Greenwood’s time to work on the project and for some of the antibodies and laboratory kit required for the samples to be prepared and analysed.

Following the Melanoma Focus grant, historical melanoma samples will be collected and analysed in the histopathology laboratory at James Cook and will form a large part of Dr Diana Tang, The study, which will be conducted over a current dermatology registrar’s research 18 months, aims to validate the role of doctorate. A new full time laboratory scientist prognostic biomarkers for the early detection post at Newcastle University will also be of high-risk melanomas - Ambra-1 and created, to allow further analysis of Loricrin - and how the levels of these the melanoma samples produced two proteins change in the layer of “They may during the project. skin over melanomas.

well become

Dr Rob Ellis said: “If the The findings will help improve part of the biomarkers we are developing diagnosis, by predicting which continue to identify high risk patients are at a higher risk formal staging patients, they may well become of their skin cancer spreading criteria for part of the formal staging criteria to other parts of the body for melanoma and as such be (metastatic melanoma) and as melanoma.” adopted worldwide. This would such require closer follow-up. This put James Cook on the map as a would allow patients to plan for their centre of skin cancer excellence, as well future treatment appropriately and help as strengthen our ties with the internationally to reduce uncertainty. recognised academic melanoma research at Initial evidence suggests these markers may Newcastle University. also help design a new drug to be given to “Without the backing of James Cook University high-risk patients at initial surgery, to help Hospital Voluntary Services we would have found prevent the spread of the disease and reduce it difficult to further develop our initial findings overall mortality. in melanoma samples.

Their generous donation will hopefully have a positive impact on not only patients at James Cook, but potentially much further afield.

(left to right) Research team: Professor Penny Lovat, Dr Rob Ellis, Dr Diana Tang and Alison Greenwood

“We are looking forward to working on this exciting project and are grateful for the Melanoma Focus grant, which will importantly lead to more joint working on future skin cancer projects for the benefit of our patients.”

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Partnership forged to improve treatment and outcomes for cancer patients AN innovative partnership has been forged to improve treatment and outcomes for cancer patients across Teesside, County Durham and North Yorkshire.

continued progress in 2016.”

Alongside the MacICC programme, the trust has linked in with NHS England’s ‘acceleration co-ordination and evaluation’ (ACE) initiative which looks at early cancer diagnosis.

STORP brings together Tees Local The Macmillan integration of cancer Ophthalmic Committee (LOC) and care (MacICC) programme – the neurosciences team at James a collaboration between Cook so opticians can directly Macmillan Cancer refer patients to hospital Support, the trust and “This is an if they have specific health and social care concerns following an eye inspiring partners – looks at the examination rather than to whole patient journey a GP first. project.” from diagnosis and Professor Philip Kane, consultant treatment to living with, neurosurgeon and lead clinician and beyond, cancer. for cancer at South Tees said: ‘This is A number of pioneering an inspiring project which will lead to projects focusing on earlier the earlier diagnosis and treatment of diagnosis of the disease are being brain tumours.” launched including: Carol Taylor, Macmillan programme • South Tees optical referral project manager at South Tees, agrees. She (STORP) – the first project of its said: “This is a really exciting piece of kind in the country which allows work as it’s allowed us to work with a Middlesbrough, Redcar and highly skilled group of professionals, Cleveland opticians to directly refer patients to the neurosciences team at with accessible, community based James Cook if concerns are picked up practices, fantastic facilities, state of the art equipment supporting earlier during an eye examination diagnosis of cancer.”

• An open access chest X-ray clinic Julie Breen, chair of the Tees LOC, to aid the earlier diagnosis of added: “I’m proud to say this is lung cancer (in partnership with the first collaboration in the UK public health shared services and between community opticians and funded by South Tees Clinical secondary hospital care to improve Commissioning Group) the patient journey outside of our Consultant haematologist and natural, close relationship with the the trust’s programme sponsor, Dr hospital eye department.

Angela Wood, said: “Through closer “It’s great to see the skills and partnership working, this programme equipment that opticians have on wants to make a real impact on every High Street being used in this various aspects of care across the whole patient journey - from diagnosis innovative way. The community optometrists are working very hard, as and treatment to living with and are all those involved from South Tees beyond cancer.” trust and Macmillan integration of Dawn Graham, senior Macmillan cancer care programme, to make this development manager, added: a success.

“This is all about improving patient “We all want to see the diagnosis experience by making adjustments and treatment of this rare but to the system and better use of devastating group of conditions resources. It’s a key piece of work speeded up and to see many more which should bring many benefits people diagnosed with brain to local people affected by cancer. tumours surviving and recovering, as Macmillan Cancer Support is delighted to be working with our partners and well as speedy detection of young looking forward to the programme’s stroke and mini stroke.”

Setting the P prostate canc JAMES Cook is very proud to be the first hospital in the north of England to recruit suitable patients to the prostate advances in comparative evidence (PACE) trial for prostate cancer.

This trial is looking at a type of radiotherapy called stereotactic radiotherapy and comparing it with either conventional radiotherapy or surgery. The trial is for men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer that has not grown outside the prostate gland.

In this trial, some men will have keyhole surgery to remove the prostate gland (laparoscopic prostatectomy), some will have conventional radiotherapy and some will have stereotactic radiotherapy delivered by a linear accelerator.

Stereotactic radiotherapy is given over a much shorter period of time than conventional radiotherapy. All of the treatments listed above work well, but doctors don’t know if one is better than the other or which one has the fewest side effects.

The trial is led by researchers at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research, London. It is endorsed by Cancer Research UK and funded by Accuray.

The aim of the study is to compare the

10

Cancer teams first to scoop six quality awards

PACE with cer research different treatments to find out how long men live after each treatment without any sign of their cancer coming back and more about the side effects of each treatment One patient who took up the opportunity to be part of the trial was 69 year-old Martin Jewkes (pictured above) of Croft near Darlington.

Martin said: “During a consultation with Dr David Chadwick, consultant oncologist at James Cook, he told me about the PACE trial. I was then referred to Dr Hans Van Der Voet.

After meeting the criteria, I was accepted on the trial and took the shorter course of radiotherapy.

SOUTH Tees is thought to be the first NHS trust in the country to receive six Macmillan quality awards.

by cancer. It was clear that the unit is committed to providing the highest level of support, care and comfort for its users within a safe environment.”

The Trinity Holistic Centre is the latest service to receive the prestigious Macmillan Quality Environment Mark (MQEM) which demonstrates to staff, visitors and patients that a facility is not only welcoming and accessible to all, respectful of people’s privacy and dignity and supportive to the user’s comfort and well-being, but also gives choice and control to people using the service while listening to the user.

Dawn Graham, senior Macmillan development manager for the North of England, said: “This award reflects the hard work and dedication of the team at the centre and people using the service to create a welcoming and supportive environment.

The centre opened in 2003, when it began providing complementary therapies to cancer patients. The range of services has since been widened to include additional complementary therapies to patients with long-term conditions, as well as emotional and psychological support and wellbeing.

It is the first time the centre has been evaluated for a quality award and, overall, it achieved a score of four (very good) with the majority of indicators being rated as very good or excellent.

Assessors wrote: “Staff are to be commended for their insights into the needs of people affected

“To receive the award, environments have to score highly in areas such as the use of space, privacy and dignity, comfort and well-being and accessibility - all areas highlighted as really important by people living with cancer who helped develop the award.”

Centre manager Heather McLean said: “We’re so proud of the centre and the facilities and support we can offer to patients. Our staff and volunteers are delighted to have received this recognition and it really reinforces the message about the kind of services patients and their families can expect from the team.”

MQEM awards have previously been presented to the Endeavour unit, ward 14, the chemotherapy day unit, the Macmillan information and support centre at James Cook and the Macmillan information centre at the Friarage.

“I’d encourage others who meet the criteria to go on the trial. Although it sounds strange, I had a good experience and hope that whatever the results conclude I’ve played a part in making it easier to treat prostate cancer. The staff were fantastic and extremely supportive throughout the process.”

Dr Hans Van Der Voet added: “James Cook became the first hospital in the north of England to treat suitable patients to the PACE study in December last year. This is a very exciting development that offers patients the opportunity to receive very sophisticated radiotherapy that may revolutionise the way radiotherapy is given if the trial is successful.”

Stars: (left to right) Kathryn Almond, complementary therapy manager, Maureen Rutter, non executive director, Janice Worton, deputy cancer services manager, Heather McLean, Trinity Holistic Centre manager, Nicky Hand, lead cancer nurse and Sue Clarke, learning and development manager for Macmillan 11

Kenzie stars in So after Mr Tumble c

New novel from brain surgeon NEUROSURGEON Fred Nath has put pen to paper to write another novel.

Fred, who already has five French resistance thrillers in print, has written four books in the ‘Galdir (Barbarian Warlord)’ series and a four book Roman adventure series set at the end of the Roman republic called ‘Amulet’.

He says he got the idea for his first book when he found himself moved by the inscriptions on the war “It’s dedicated to memorial in teacher, the the brave French Bergerac’s third an town square. partisans who artist, the “It’s dedicated gave their lives fourth a chef to the for France during and the fifth brave French a philosopher.

World War 2.” partisans who gave their lives “In The for France during Promise, I’ve World War 2. I felt painted a picture of before writing the first book a medical student. I think that I wanted to explore how fans of The Cyclist, my first it might have felt to be there book, which sold 30,000 in those terrible times. copies on Amazon, will enjoy it,” he said.

His new book ‘The Promise’ is set in war-torn France and To find out more about the is about a brutal outsider book visit his Amazon page: with a grudge. Each book http://www.amazon.co.uk/ takes a look at a new Fred-Nath/e/B004DAL3VS/ character and his or her ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0.

Or follow the links on his conflicts in a lousy wartime author website: occupation. The first is a http://www.frednath.com policeman, the second a 12

A LITTLE boy who uses eyegaze technology provided by the trust is the envy of his friends, after starring in popular children’s TV show Something Special.

Nine-year-old Kenzie Hughes, whose cerebral palsy means he is unable to speak, interacted with star of the show Justin Fletcher using Tobii Dynavox eyegaze technology - a tablet-like device - that has given him a voice for the first time.

Kenzie, who also uses a wheelchair, was accompanied by his carer Michelle Hughes, 34, and Joanna Henfrey, a specialist speech and language therapist at South Tees, as he filmed the CBeebies show centring on his hobby playing wheelchair football with Middlesbrough Powerchair Football Club.

As fans of the show will know, a clown called Mr Tumble sends Justin to

Picture courtesy of BBC

meet a new friend in each episode, complete with a bright yellow spotty bag containing clues about things they need to look for on their adventures.

Justin and the Tumble family use Makaton, a special language using signs and symbols alongside speech, which the South Tees speech and language therapy team also use in their work with children.

Last year, Justin’s travels for filming of the tenth series brought him to Saltburn and Middlesbrough, where Kenzie’s episode was filmed at The Rainbow Leisure Centre and Middlesbrough Sports Village.

He loves jokes w and eve Justin a had scr his b

Michelle, Kenzie’s permanent carer, said: “Kenzie had a fantastic day with Justin, who is so lovely.

The whole team have been

omething Special came to town

s telling with it en told a tiger ratched belly!

(left to right) Justin Fletcher, Kenzie Hughes and Joanna Henfrey just brilliant with him.

“He’s very clever with that computer and can join in a lot more with other kids now. He takes notice of everything. He’s a bubbly boy – his sense of humour is terrific!”

Michelle added that since getting the technology, he is also “making more noises” and trying to say more words himself, has benefited from improved muscle tone and head control and has “more confidence”.

Joanna added the device, which is mounted on Kenzie’s wheelchair so it goes everywhere with him, has given him a new lease of life and a sense of independence most children at the age of nine would naturally take for granted.

She programs the device term by term with lessons just for him, with the help of his school Priory Woods, in Middlesbrough.

And as well as being able to construct his own sentences and unique phrases and access entertainment in the same way many children use a tablet, simple things like turning the TV up or down, changing the channel, switching a light on or off and even opening a door are now a possibility for Kenzie using the device.

Joanna said: “With this communication aid, controlled by his eyes, he can make his needs known. He loves telling jokes with it and even told Justin a tiger had scratched his belly! He can also carry out schoolwork and activities on it.”

Justin said he was proud to be part of the “wonderful” production that helps so many children and their families to communicate.

“A huge thank you to all of the children and their families who appeared in the new series,” he said. “You are all stars!”

Emergency childcare at Playdays DID YOU know Playdays day nursery on the James Cook site can provide emergency childcare?

The nursery provides flexible care from 6.45am to 6pm.

Rated “good” by OFSTED, the nursery offers part-time, full-time and sessional places for children aged six weeks to school age and can also arrange emergency childcare at short notice – even if the child does not normally use the nursery.

flexible sessions can be booked to work around shifts - but it can also be used by staff from other trust sites as well as health organisations that have a service level agreement with the trust such as Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust and Carillion.”

Contact the nursery on 01642 282810 for more information or visit the Playdays website which includes a video tour southtees.nhs.uk/staff/childcare/ playdays-day-nursery/

Emergency childcare can be booked for an hour, a full day, a week or longer if required.

Michele Tullius, nursery manager said: “We currently have some places available at the nursery and we want to make people aware that we can also help with emergency childcare.

“The nursery is convenient for staff working on site – we have a drop off bay outside the building and 13

News from North Yorkshire….

Prestigiou working F

THE FRIARAGE Hos endoscopy unit has been awarded JAG - a national award t departments able t a safe, patient cent efficient service.

Weekend closure for short-stay paediatric assessment unit THE short-stay paediatric assessment unit (SSPAU) at the Friarage Hospital closes on weekends from this month (April) following a 12-month review of the service.

Currently the children’s any change to services unit opens 10am to causes anxiety it must 8pm – Mondays be considered in the to Fridays – and context that fewer Doctors 10am to 7pm on need to have stressed children weekends and come into hospital Bank Holidays the impact on and can be treated but from 1 April more appropriately patients will 2016, the new

by GPs. This opening times be minimal. demonstrates will be 9am to improvements in 7pm on weekdays children’s health with the unit closed on although those that need Saturday, Sunday and care often need the facilities Bank Holidays. of an inpatient unit.”

Doctors have stressed the impact on patients will be minimal as weekends are very quiet with an average attendance of below four children a day. On some occasions no children have attended the unit at all.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Ginny Birrell said: “Currently we’re not making the best use of the skills or time of staff working on the short-stay paediatric assessment unit at weekends based on the numbers of children we see.”

Fran Toller, Operations Director of Community Care, added: “While we appreciate 14

The SSPAU opened in October 2014 following changes to children’s and maternity services at the Friarage Hospital and assesses, observes and treats children and young people referred by their GP or who have an open-access arrangement.

Once the unit was operational, it was agreed with Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group that the trust would review its activity over the course of the year and between October 2014 and September 2015, 1,666 children received

care on the unit (planned and non-planned) alongside 944 ward attenders.

Following the review, a recommendation was made to the CCG to change the opening times on Mondays to Fridays for the service to be open when needed and to close on weekends and this was supported.

The public are also reminded that as there are no children’s doctors or inpatient facilities in the Friarage overnight, children who are unwell should be seen by their GP in the first instance rather than going to the hospital’s accident and emergency department, although staff will continue to treat children with minor injuries.

As is the case now, if a child is unwell and needs medical attention there are a number of options available such as ringing your GP, NHS 111 (out-of-hours) or getting advice from the local pharmacy. In an emergency, if a child needs urgent and immediate attention ring 999 and call an ambulance.

The accreditation recog endoscopy unit as a serv and excels beyond natio standards. The patient-c workforce focused sche the principle of indepen against recognised stan JAG accreditation is the gold standard peer asse endoscopy service has d excellent compliance wi framework. It helps end • Stimulate continuous processes and patient • Strengthen endoscopy • Provide a knowledge best practices • Increase patient confid • Improve the managem of services • Provide education on best practices • Provide comparison w • Enhance the workforc and satisfaction • Increase chances to ad grow services John Greenaway, consu gastroenterologist, said

Endoscopy unit nurse, Jan

us award for hard Friarage endoscopy team

spital’s s recently G accreditation to endoscopy to demonstrate tred and

gnises the vice that maintains onal health centred and eme is based on ndent assessment ndards. e professional, essment that an demonstrated ith the required doscopy units to: improvement in outcomes y services base of

dence in services ment and efficiency better/

with self and others ce, retention

dd to and

ultant d: “The Friarage

endoscopy team all worked exceptionally hard to achieve this accreditation.

Unit nurse manager Jane Bradshaw in particular, put in a huge amount of work to ensure the evidence presented to the (JAG) endoscopy assessment team adequately represented the high quality of their service and standard of care for patients.

“The assessment day was the culmination of months of hard work and the experienced assessors were lavish with their praise for the general feel of the unit in addition to the quality of the evidence.

“Only a small proportion of units are granted an immediate pass without further actions and is was incredibly pleasing for the unit to be told that accreditation had been secured on the day of the assessment visit.

“The assessment team made suggestions to help maximise capacity and recognised some of our equipment was nearing the end of its useful life. The trust is actively supporting the team in addressing these issues to improve the quality of the service still further.”

Congratulations go to all the staff on their continuous hard work and dedication to their roles and patients.

JAG accredited units have high quality outcomes, ensure that privacy and dignity is maintained and promote innovation and continuous improvement. Patients attending at JAG accredited units can be confident they are being treated in a service operating at the highest standard.

ane Bradshaw, (third left) with some of the unit’s dedicated staff

Business as usual for Guisborough Hospital clinics PATIENTS are reminded that all outpatient, diagnostic and therapy services will continue to be provided at Guisborough Primary Care Hospital when Priory ward closes.

The ward closure, announced following formal consultation

by South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in 2014, will see the hospital’s inpatient service transfer its remaining beds to East Cleveland Primary Care Hospital in Brotton by April 2016.

All other services will remain at Guisborough Hospital with plans to redevelop part of the site later this year to better accommodate existing services and potentially create space for some additional ones.

South Tees CCG plans to redevelop the hospital’s Chaloner Building (the former maternity unit opposite the main building) but is also exploring the possibility of building a new health centre on the main hospital site if national funding can be secured.

“A decision on whether we can proceed with this will be made in August, at which stage we will further engage with the public to seek their views,” said Julie Stevens, commissioning and delivery manager for South Tees CCG. In future patients who would have been treated on Priory Ward will be admitted to East Cleveland Hospital’s

newly refurbished Tockett’s Ward or Redcar Primary Care Hospital, which specialises in stroke rehabilitation.

Priory ward’s nursing staff will all be relocated to other wards across the trust including East Cleveland, James Cook and Friarage hospitals.

Bev Dredge, directorate manager for community services in Redcar and Cleveland, said: “We want to reassure patients that all existing outpatient, diagnostic and therapy services will continue to operate from Guisborough as usual after the ward closure.”

The changes are being implemented as part of South Tees CCG’s IMProVE (Integrated Management and Proactive Care for the Vulnerable and Elderly) programme which aims to improve health services for vulnerable and elderly patients in Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland.

The IMProVE project is investing in community services to enable more patients to be treated closer to home, reducing the demand for community hospital beds.

Reviews conducted as part of the IMProVE programme revealed it would be too costly to maintain the ward building at Guisborough to an acceptable standard.

For more details on the IMProVE project visit www. southteesccg.nhs.uk/improve or for the latest updates on Guisborough Hospital services visit southtees.nhs.uk/ hospitals/guisborough/ 15

Patient feedback with a difference ORTHOPAEDIC teams at James Cook have improved patient experience and reduced complaints in a matter of months by designing their own bedside survey.

Patient Geoffrey Hobbs completes the survey with orthopaedic discharge sister Bev Tytler

The Picker patient experience questionnaire is completed on an iPad with a discharge nurse shortly before a patient leaves hospital. Two patients from each ward are selected randomly each day to give an honest opinion of their hospital stay and the results are analysed on a monthly basis.

Since its launch on wards 34, 36 and 37 in March 2015 around 800 questionnaires have been completed.

Statistics already show a 24% reduction in the number of complaints received up to the end of quarter 3 2015-16 compared with same time period last year.

“We want to improve patient experience and bring complaints down,” said orthopaedic discharge sister Bev Tytler, who has been conducting the surveys. “Because the survey is

completed with us there we can identify any problems early and nip them in the bud before the patient goes home.”

Orthopaedic consultant Paul Baker, who helped design the survey said: “Patient experience is a key NHS outcome, but as clinicians we can often overlook this.

We wanted a process put in place to measure both patient experience and satisfaction and benchmark our practices against national standards.

“Picker patient enables us to identify areas for improvement and monitor the impact of any changes we make.”

• L ovely ward and staff from the domestic to the consultant • S taff are very busy but still manage to make time to make you feel valued as a patient •T he doctor that came to see me smiled at me - this makes a difference in a positive way • F ood rarely appetising. Little variety.

Staff very good • Cost of TV is high The Picker patient experience questionnaire has proven so successful that it has now been modified to capture views from the surgical admissions unit and outpatients.

16

“Compelling stories as to why people have raised money have touched us and the bravery of some has inspired us. It has been a truly monumental effort that has gotten us this far in the appeal.

The communities of North Yorkshire have truly shown their mettle.

“In the last Talking Point I described this period as the ‘hard yards’ it is the point where many give up.

The survey has collated a lot of positive feedback as well as highlighting areas that could be improved. Below are a few examples of comments received:

Patient Geoffrey Hobbs with Paul Baker, Bev Tytler and Angela Artley (right)

HEAD OF South Tees Hospitals Charity Paul Watkins said: “We continue to be amazed at the lengths to which people have gone to support the Friarage MRI appeal.

Head of nursing for trauma and theatres Angela Artley added: “We have tried to design it in a way that will work for all general areas across the trust.”

Close shave for scanner KIND-HEARTED Fiona Saxby and Alex Brading’s phenomenal fundraising has led to a massive £32,181.50 donation to the appeal.

Both have lost close family and friends to cancer and this was an opportunity to do something as a tribute to them.

In Fi’s case it was also an opportunity to do something in recognition of the tremendous efforts and dedication of

“However I recall the first donation that was made to the appeal in July 2013 by a lady who gave me £10 after she stopped me and asked what had been happening.

“She told me the scanner could have made all the difference to her son who had unfortunately been paralysed from the neck down. It makes the hard yards easier knowing the difference the unit will make to future patients.

We wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to those who have helped us.”

Fabulous four

Celebration for scanner A WELCOME £2,659.39 has been received thanks to Aske Chapel, Aske Hall Estate, choosing the appeal as their charity of the year.

A big thank you to the congregation for their donations to the collection tin. A musical evening held in the chapel and a harvest thanksgiving service attended by Bishop James Jones were a couple of events which helped to raise funds.

THE SUCCESSFUL ball - organised by Dr Vicky Tay from the Friarage’s Allerton ward and Dr Jennifer Walsh from the Rutson - has raised a welcome £1,045.06.

A fun time was had by hospital staff, family and friends at the popular event at Crathorne Hall. Big thank you to everyone who came along, dancing the night away and enjoying the live band Airborne, for helping to raise money.

e r all the staff treating her at the Friarage and James Cook.

Alex had her hair shaved recently at The Hair Company in Ripon, (who kindly waived the charge) surrounded by family and friends. Fi is losing her hair at a slower rate! Alex’s hair has been posted to The Little Princess Trust so it can be used to make wigs for children with cancer.

A big thank you to Fiona and Alex and everyone who generously made a donation. This fantastic amount will make a real difference and provide a massive boost to the scanner appeal total.

Having a ball at Crathorne Hall

Flipping good fun for scanner NORTHALLERTON’S annual pancake race was held for the scanner appeal again this year. Reinstated in 2010 by Lewis & Cooper the race was supported by Northallerton & District Round Table, Northallerton Retail and Business Forum, Bettys, Sam Turner and Sons, Colin Hutson Accounting and Northallerton Town Council.

A lot of fun was had by all and the winner of the adult men and women’s race was staff from Sam Turner & Sons. Thanks to all the pancake racers who took part at the event on Applegarth playing fields and everyone who supported it £51.63 was raised.

Elsie’s birthday bonus for hospitals ELSIE Cornforth’s closest family and friends came from far and wide across the UK to join her at The Village Inn, Brompton to celebrate a special milestone, her 85th birthday.

Elsie from Northallerton asked for donations in lieu of birthday presents and thanks to everyone’s generosity the renal research and education fund at James Cook and the Friarage MRI scanner appeal received £450 between them.

Elsie whose motto is ‘to laugh every day’ was keen to support both causes in memory of husband Brian, who was cared for on James Cook’s renal unit and son Ian, who had cancer and was cared for at the Friarage.

17

18

Let us know if you can’t make it AS many as 1,600 people a year fail to turn up to our hospitals for operations.

Jan Rock, founder of Matrix Neurological, (left) and Karen Harwood

Praised for our commitment to carers WE VALUE and recognise the contribution our patients’ carers make to their health and wellbeing.

That’s the message as the trust outlined its commitment to strengthening the care and support given to healthcare’s unsung heroes.

Across the UK, an estimated 6.5million people are carers, supporting a loved one who is older, disabled or seriously ill in hospital.

The trust hosted a number of carer drop-in events across James Cook and the Friarage hospitals to celebrate their contribution - and issue new carers’ information cards.

These contain useful information for carers, which is also available on the trust’s website.

Head of patient and carer engagement Karen Harwood said the carers’ events provided an opportunity to highlight the important role carers have – but also to share the work we’ve already done to support them when their loved ones are in hospital.

“There is still more we can do to improve both patient and carer experience and outcomes,” she said.

“Even the smallest adjustments can have a massive impact on people, like welcoming carers onto our wards and departments outside normal visiting hours and signposting carers to the different carers’ support agencies and local authorities, which can offer both emotional and financial support.”

One of the trust’s actions is to improve staff awareness around the role of carers and how the support we give to them

leads to better outcomes for both patient and carer.

Other organisations who attended our carer drop-in events included Matrix Neurological, which supports the families of young people who have suffered a brain injury, Redcar-based The Junction Foundation for Young Carers, Healthwatch Middlesbrough and Parents 4 Change.

The trust’s commitment to carers has been praised by John’s Campaign, which is promoting the right for carers (particularly family) to stay with a person with dementia if they are admitted to hospital.

Co-campaigner Nicci Gerrard (better known under her author pseudonym Nicci French) said: “With its commitment to supporting carers, South Tees Trust becomes a pioneer in the growing movement towards the person-centred, relationship-centred care of all those who are vulnerable and in need. Bravo!”

Every year theatre teams at James Cook, Friarage and Redcar Hospital carry out 36,000 procedures but 1,600 slots are wasted because they are cancelled at the last minute.

Patients not attending procedures, or cancelling at short notice, account for around 46% of all theatre cancellations at the trust.

“It’s a huge problem,” said Stuart Finn, directorate manager for trauma and theatres.

“It increases our waiting lists, leaving other patients facing a longer wait and while tariffs vary for each different specialty, the cost to the trust in terms of lost income alone is more than £1.5million a year.

“We are currently reviewing how we can reduce our Did Not Attend (DNA) rates and we are looking at everything from patient letters to introducing reminder services.

“But we need patients to help us by letting us know in advance if they can’t make their appointment.

“If you are planning on not attending or you can see a change in circumstances and need to change the date of your operation please get in touch with us and give us plenty of notice. The easiest way to do this is to call the department listed on your patient letter.

“If we know in advance that you can’t get here we can rebook your procedure for a time that suits you better and give the slot to another patient who is equally or even more in need of that operation.”

Karen Ainsworth, dementia clinical educator and Gill Hunt, director of nursing at our carers event at James Cook

Find out more about how you can help ease pressures on your local hospital this winter by viewing our videos at southtees.nhs.uk/news/hospitals/howyou-can-help-the-nhs-this-winter/ 19

A trolley-load of love for neonatal parents A GROUP of caring teenage students made a very generous donation to the parents of neonatal babies at James Cook. The 15 students from East Durham College in Peterlee were asked to devise a plan they felt would make a difference to people in their community as part of their studies.

The students handed over 25 packs to a delighted neonatal team. They also wheeled 10 food parcels onto the ward for parents staying in the accommodation which the unit offers.

One of the young people, Rianna Massingham-Beale, shared her story about when her family were affected by the early birth of one of her siblings. She knew from personal experience that the baby is everyone’s focus while on the unit, leaving little time for the parents.

So after contacting the charity they decided on making packs to enable the parents to ‘freshen up’ without having to travel home.

The group took part in a number of fundraising activities including an eight-hour bag pack at ASDA, tombolas and a 100km sponsored row, raising a fantastic £550 to help them compile the packs.

Fab four We feature below a small selection of the fantastic fundraisers who have helped us recently. If anyone is interested in fundraising contact the charity team on 01642 854160 or visit their website at www.southtees.nhs.uk/charity.You can also keep up to date with the latest on South Tees charity on twitter @STeesCharity

Kerry’s thank you

A tribute to Catherine

Young patients benefit from Table’s cycle tour EIGHT intrepid cyclists from Northallerton Round Table got on their bikes to raise funds for paediatric services at the Friarage. Four iPads were purchased with the £2,500 raised from their 118-mile cycle ride over two days, following the ‘Tour de France’ route.

The iPads will benefit the young patients for distraction purposes.

20

THE FAMILY and friends of Catherine Chambers raised over £3,000 in her memory for James Cook’s intensive care unit 2.

Catherine suffered a head injury aged 35 and her family and friends wanted to thank the staff who cared for her. The overall amount includes money collected at her funeral, Great North Run sponsorship from cousin Vickie Brown and Kelly Springthorpe and Middlesbrough Motor Club where her mum and dad, Marie and Tom are members.

Fundraising wheels are turning THE fat lads on bikes and phat lasses in trainers’, mammoth fundraising mission to help ward 14 at James Cook raised a whopping £7,850 at ‘Phoenix nights’ at Eston Labour Club. It was an amazing night, great fun and everyone enjoyed themselves.

INTREPID Kerry Thompson really challenged herself and raised a fantastic £2,500 by taking part in the Great North Run and zip sliding across the River Tyne, to thank James Cook’s ward 24 neurosurgery and ward 26 neuro rehabilitation staff for saving her life and helping her on the road to recovery following a brain haemorrhage.

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Please contact us or visit one of our settings below: Montessori Pre-School Nursery, Blue Peter House, 127 - 129 Green Lane, Middlesbrough, TS5 7AD Tel: 01642 814252 Montessori Pre-School Nursery, 462 Thornaby Road, Thornaby, Stockton, TS17 8QH Tel: 01642 750113 Montessori Pre-School Central, 46 Southfield Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3EU Tel: 01642 252723

28 CHALONER STREET, GUISBOROUGH TS14 6QD

01287 348 265

www.montessoripreschoolnursery.co.uk

www.thornabychildrensnursery.co.uk

guisborough@sadiethebralady.com

Providers of bespoke funeral plans from

£2,400 A Safe Hands funeral plan is the most affordable and effective way to protect your loved ones from rising funeral costs.

Call 01642 756324 enquiries@roseberryfuneralservice.co.uk www.roseberryfuneralservice.co.uk

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Working in partnership with the NHS Hawks Nest Cottage, Great North Road, Bawtry, Doncaster DN10 6AB 01302 714528 | www.octagon.org.uk info@octagon.org.uk

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Rent a Stairlift for just £350 per year...

This covers installation, servicing and repairs during office hours.

Anything out of office hours will include a £40 call out fee.

We only ask for a minimum contract of 12 months.

For an efficient and friendly service and all enquiries please contact either Chris or David who will be happy to help

Telephone: 01325 307473

“A lift in the right direction...”

find out more at our website:

www.stairliftsolution.co.uk

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