#GatesheadHealth Weekly 29 August 2023

#GatesheadHealth

Weekly Newsletter – 29th August 2023

Gateshead pioneers dietetics service for those living with cancer

Diet and nutrition are vital in ensuring the effectiveness of cancer therapies and Gateshead Health is breaking new ground through a unique dietetics service for cancer patients.

Dedicated Macmillan dietitians

Emma Atkinson and Abigail Garbutt are at the forefront of this service. It is delivered in partnership with the Trust’s Oncology service, nursing staff, St Bede’s Palliative Care Unit and community teams to establish how best to support patients. They are already seeing better outcomes, extending both the length and quality of life for patients.

“We see patients who are having trouble maintaining nutritional intake for a whole range of reasons,” said Emma. “From the position of the tumour impacting on oral intake through to loss of appetite, each case is different.”

Abi said: “Treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy do have a profound effect on appetite, causing inflammation and pain. They can also cause nausea, taste changes and difficulty swallowing, and lead to extreme fatigue, which can impact on weight.”

Highlights

Executive update: Kris Mackenzie, Group Director of Finance and Digital –page 2

Message of thanks to all staff during industrial action – page 3

Jabathon competition ends this Friday – page 3

New elective orthopaedic ward opens (ward 28 in surgery centre) - page 4

Fancy being a staff governor – page 4

New ‘on the job’ apprenticeship scheme launches – page 5

and dietetics service

Emma has a master’s in dietetics and has worked for 18 years as a dietitian, including in oncology services. Abi is also an experienced dietitian having previously worked within an acute NHS team.

Why are dietetics and nutrition important for cancer patients?

The dietitians treat all types of patients with specialist dietetic needs, from the recently diagnosed to those across the palliative care journey. Emma and Abi are also key members of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) made up of a broad range of healthcare experts. In an ongoing collaboration with the dietitians, the MDT looks at innovative care design to identify patient needs early and offer specialised nutritional support for individuals with cancer-related malnutrition.

See InPhase in the Hub on 31 August – page 7

Get involved

Ask a question anonymousl y for the next staff Faceboo k Live

Go to Tea and Chat on 7 September, 2-3pm in the Hub to ask Gill Findley a question in person

Check out the upcoming events in the Trust

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Director update

I hope this message finds you well and that you all had a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend. Personally, I was fortunate enough to take some time off and enjoy a local festival with my family. We even had the incredible experience of spotting dolphins swimming alongside us during our surfing adventure in Northumberland too.

discuss and plan ways to ensure our long-term financial stability. The aim is to implement effective measures that will help us to position our organisation. This is absolutely a key priority for us all and our financial sustainability will not be achieved if we don’t all work together.

I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude and appreciation for all the hard work and dedication that each of you continues to demonstrate. Your contributions are invaluable, and they play a significant role in our collective success.

Thank you once again for your unwavering commitment and hard work. Your efforts are truly appreciated.

Best wishes,

Kris

Kris Mackenzie Group Director of Finance and Digital

As we navigate through these challenging times, it is crucial that we prioritise financial sustainability. To address this, I have refocused one of our existing management meetings specifically on this topic. This meeting will provide us with an opportunity to

Read the CEO and chair’s update on how the Trust is responding to the Lucy Letby case

Kris Mackenzie, Group Director of Finance and Digital

Trudie Davies, Chief Executive

Alison Marshall, Chair

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Thank you

We wanted to take a moment to express our appreciation and gratitude to each and every one of you following the recent periods of industrial action. Your unwavering commitment and support during this challenging time have not gone unnoticed.

We understand that the repeated rounds of industrial action may have left you feeling tired and disheartened. However, we kindly request that you continue to stand together as a team and refrain from passing judgment on others for their choices. We are all part of the same team, united in our mission to provide the best care for our patients. The disputes lie between the unions and the government, and not between our colleagues or the Trust and our staff.

If there is anything the Trust can do to provide further support, please do not hesitate to reach out to your clinical lead or service manager. Your well-being is of the utmost importance to us. Once again, we extend our deepest gratitude for your hard work and dedication. Your contributions are truly valued and appreciated.

Andrew Beeby, Medical Director, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Amanda Venner, Interim Director of People and Organisational Development

Back to basics

We’re always looking at how we can improve our services for patients and staff.

You’ll be seeing a lot over the coming weeks about how we must get back to basics to ensure we’re getting things right that make a difference.

There are various ways we can try to get back to basics. For example:

• Improve rostering

• Make sure we introduce ourselves

• Always be friendly

• Smile

• Answer ward call bells.

Watch a video from Gill Findley, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Nurse, to find out more.

Jabathon competition ends Friday

Time is running out to submit an idea for a poster to help promote our annual flu campaign.

Remember, we’re looking for creative puns based on famous film quotes, for social media and posters.

So, put your heads together and see if you can come up with a ‘flu’ idea before entries close on Friday

(1 September). Up to 10 winning ideas will be on display during our September ‘jabathon’.

Please send your entries by email to ghnt.comms@nhs.net.

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Tech for less with salary sacrifice

Once again, we’re pleased to offer colleagues the opportunity to purchase home technology and white goods via salary sacrifice.

Our dedicated microsite is now live, with products including computers, TVs, mobile phones, wearables, fridges, freezers, ovens and washing machines.

Buying through the platform means you can spread payments over time (generally 24 or 36 months) and payments are taken directly from your salary. This can help you save in National Insurance and pension contributions.

Find out what this could mean for you.

Annual General Meeting

Our Annual General Meeting and Members' Meeting will be held on 20 September 2023 from 9:30am to 11am. This will take place in the lecture theatre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital site).

We will be looking back at another unprecedented year and hearing about how our fantastic teams continued to work incredibly hard to look after our patients in Gateshead and beyond. You will hear directly from some of our teams involved in delivering women's health services over 2022/23 – an area we are hugely passionate about and proud of.

You can register your attendance via Eventbrite.

Gateshead staff are region’s top quitters

Recent figures show that Gateshead colleagues were the most active throughout the North East and North Cumbria in taking up free support to help them quit smoking.

Colleagues can choose a course of free nicotine replacement products or a refillable ecigarette and have access to a support programme with a dedicated stop smoking advisor. Those with a busy schedule or irregular work patterns can even gain free premium access to the Smokefree app.

To find out more, call 0191 445 8144 or email ghnt.qef-stopsmokingservice@n hs.net

New elective orthopaedic ward opens

We’re delighted to confirm that ward 28 on level 3 of the Peter Smith Surgical Centre opened as an elective orthopaedic ward on Friday 25 August.

Downtime for the Image Exchange Portal

The Image Exchange Portal (IEP) downtime between 8am and 11am Saturday 2 September. Only clinically urgent image transfers will be actioned in this time.

Fancy being a staff governor?

An election to fill three staff governor positions on the Council of Governors is now underway.

Becoming a governor is your opportunity to influence the strategy in Gateshead Health and work with the Board to help shape services, develop plans and influence change.

You don’t need any special skills or qualifications and relevant training will be given. All you need is enthusiasm and a willingness to represent the views of staff.

Why not join one of the governor awareness sessions below to find out more about the role and how to apply?

Thursday 7 September from 10:30am until 11:30am in person in Room 3, Education Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Tuesday 12 September from 3:30pm until 4:30pm via Microsoft Teams

To register, please contact Diane Waites, Corporate Services Assistant, on 0191 445 6043 or email ghnt.foundation. enquiries@nhs.net

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New ‘on the job’ apprenticeship scheme launches

The GAiN project (Gateshead Apprenticeship in Nursing) is a bespoke four and a half year, in-house programme developed to support school and college leavers who may not have come into nursing via the university route, or whose learning style suits a more ‘on the job’ model. It leads to a Registered Nurse Degree qualification.

The Trust has employed 10 GAiN apprentices to start their training in September. They’re all external candidates who have little or no health training and wish to become a registered nurse via an apprenticeship.

They will be allocated a work base and for the first six months they will work as health care support workers to gain the experience needed. In this time, they will complete their care certificate and core skills.

Find out more about GAiN

Making a difference and supporting our future workforce

In May, the Learning and Development team organised an industry placement for three Gateshead College tutors who deliver the college’s Health T level and Health and Social Care programmes.

The aim of the placement was for the tutors to gain NHS front-line experience, develop their knowledge and skills to support teaching and understand the placements their students will attend. It was an excellent example of how we can work in collaboration with our Gateshead partners to engage and support our future workforce.

Following the placement, one tutor who attended posted a blog sharing her experience here at Gateshead on the Gateshead College website.

Application form and interview skills support

In early November, the National Careers Service will be visiting the Queen Elizabeth site to offer application filling and interview skills support.

The sessions are open to all staff. Follow the instructions below to secure your place.

Welcome to Gateshead

A warm welcome on behalf of Gateshead Health to the 23 new colleagues who attended the corporate induction on Monday 21 August.

We hope you quickly settle into your new roles and soon feel part of #TeamGateshead

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The Queen’s Nursing Institute online conference

The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) will be hosting their annual online conference from 2 to 5 October.

The conference is the UK’s leading event for community nurses and is free to attend for all registered nurses and student nurses. There will be four days of discussion and presentations, covering evidence-based practice, workforce development, population health and sustainability and integration.

Please share the details of the conference with colleagues and b ook your place.

Binning the bins!

Staff in the Beacon Centre have removed all desk bins to help improve sustainability.

By encouraging colleagues to use the main waste and recycling area they have seen increased use of the recycling bin and an 86% reduction in bin liner usage.

Improving digital services

We will be piloting a new Patient Engagement Portal (PEP) through the NHS App within our symptomatic breast clinics from the end of August.

The PEP is a key part of the Trust’s ambition to offer the best digital experience for patients through better communication via the NHS App. Benefits include making it easier for patients to view, manage and prepare for their appointments. It will also free up clinical and administrative time and help to reduce wasted ‘did not attend’ appointments.

Over time, the PEP will be introduced to outpatient clinics across the Trust.

Contacting the medical examiner service

The medical examiner office can be found in the Swan Centre (Purple Zone).

The Lead Medical Examiner Officer is Jo Charlton (phone number 2738). The Deputy Lead Medical Examiner Officer is David Dafter. They are supported by Valerie Fleming and Dan North. The team can be contacted on ghnt.meoffice@nhs.net

Find out more about the medical examiner service.

Preceptorship: change of business unit and facilitator

From 1 September, Preceptorship will move from the Practice Education team to the Nursing and Midwifery business unit and will sit within the Practice Development team. Lisa Anderson, Senior Sister Practice Development team, will take over from Stephen Williams as Preceptorship Facilitator, supported by the rest of the team.

The Practice Development Team would like to thank Stephen for his excellent work and contribution to the Preceptorship Programme and for his ongoing support during the transition phase.

Lisa can be contacted by email on lisa.anderson18@nhs.net and the wider Practice Development Team can be reached on extension 5730.

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Safeguarding newsletter

The Safeguarding Adults & Children n ewsletter is now available.

We aim to keep all staff updated on local safeguarding issues, contacts and key information. This issue includes:

• New members of the team and updated contact details,

• Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service

• Safeguarding Policies

• National Safeguarding Week 2023

• Dementia Conference,

• Safeguarding Supervision Sessions

• Findaway

Safeguarding policies

Our Safeguarding Adults, Domestic Abuse, MCA and DOLS policies have all been updated and are available on pandora:

• RM74 Mental Capacity Act 2005.docx

• OP57 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Policy v7.1 (1).docx

• OP75d Safeguarding Adults from Abuse Policy v8.0.docx

• OP75f Group Domestic Violence and Abuse Policy v3.0.docx

Remember, safeguarding and domestic abuse can affect anyone, including staff. If you need advice or support, please contact the office on ex 2036 or ghnt.safeguarding.adults@nhs.net

InPhase is incoming!

Come and join the InPhase team in the Hub on 31 August between 10am and 2pm to see the system live and try it for yourself.

An InPhase representative and some of the project team will be there to show you the new system and answer any questions you have.

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Facebook Lives

The next Facebook Live session is with Andy Beeby, Medical Director, and Joanna Clark, Director of Operations for Community and Older Persons Mental Health.

We hope you can join.

Upcoming sessions:

• 12 September: Trudie Davies, Chief Executive and Steven Harrison, Managing Director of QEF

Tea and chat

Tea and chat is your opportunity to ask any questions to an Executive Team member, raise concerns and offer suggestions on how we can improve Gateshead Health for you.

Upcoming dates:

• 7 September, 2-3pm: Gill Findley, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Nurse and Professional Lead for Midwifery and Allied Health

Please add these dates to your diaries.

Upcoming events

• 31 August: see InPhase in action, 10am-2pm, in the Hub

• 7 September: find out about being a governor, 10.3011.30am, room 3 in education centre

• 12

September: find out about being a governor, 3.30-4.30pm via Teams. Email ghnt.foundati on.enquiries @nhs.net for the link

• 12

September: AHP conference. Please book your pla ce

• 20

September: Annual General meeting: please register if you would like to attend

• 28

September: Dementia conference

• 10-12

October:

Leading Well: register your i nterest

• 14-16

November:

Leading Well: register your i nterest