Connect winter 2015

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

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NHS Foundation Trust

WINTER 2015 • VIEW ONLINE ON THE INTRANET

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100 REASONS

Proud

TO BE PROUD

TELL US WHY YOU’RE PROUD!

(L-R) Dr Beardmore, Consultant Radiologist; Marion Fogarty, Chairman of the local support group of the National Osteoporotic Society; Karen Partington, Chief Executive; Caroline Mee, Clinical Manager of Imaging; Alison Worthington, Specialist Radiographer; Peter Kent-Baldwin, Representative from Med Imaging - supplier of the Stratos dR DEXA scanner

We are the first in the world to use 3D DEXA scanner to test for weak bones We are the first place in the world to use 3D software to test patients for fragile bones that may be at increased risk of fracture.

A new DEXA bone densitometry service has been launched at Royal Preston Hospital and for the first time ever, 3D software has been installed on the scanner which means we can now get a better and more accurate view of patients’ bones.

Bone Densitometry is a test for Osteoporosis, which is a condition where the bones become more fragile and are at increased risk of fracture. Earlier detection of the risk of Osteoporosis means we can start treatment earlier and reduce the chances of the condition developing.

The DEXA scanner is used elsewhere but is new to Royal Preston Hospital, which means patients no longer have to travel for treatement. However the 3D software that we have installed into our scanner is not currently used anywhere else in the world.

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Dr Simon Beardmore, Consultant Radiologist said: “It’s great that we can offer our patients a world class and world first service. This new software will really help us to get a more accurate view of the area which, with research, hopefully means we will be able to detect any bone weakness earlier than ever before and therefore begin treatment much sooner. This development is so important now as we are seeing an ageing population and Osteoporosis tends to affect people in later life so this new piece of technology will really help to improve the lives of the older people in our communities.”

This means patients no longer have to travel for treatement.

We have launched our 100 reasons to be proud campaign, we want you to tell us what makes you proud to do the job you do, for example is it your team, the people and patients you get to work with, the type of work you do, the work you are involved in or the fact you work here?

We know from talking to you that you have many reasons to feel proud, but sometimes you may think it is not big enough to shout about as you are “just doing your job”.

We want to hear from you about what makes you, your team and our organisation great.

We have had enough of always hearing negative stories in the press about the wider NHS, we have had enough of other trusts always getting in first and showcasing their achievements, SO COME ON IT IS OUR TURN – TELL US WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD! You should have all received your 100 reasons to be proud postcard with your payslip, simply write down your reason to be proud and return it via the internal post. You can also print them off using the toolkit on the 100 reasons to be proud page on the intranet, and while you’re there check out the 100 reasons to be proud video!

Welcome to our new intake of undergraduate medical students!

This autumn we have welcomed 89 new undergraduate medical students. This included two students from France who are coming to Preston as part of their ERASMUS exchange programme funded by the European Union. The new intake takes our total number of students to 262 and numbers are expected to rise further.

To ease the new third year medical students into life at hospital, the Student Welfare and Professionalism (SWAP) team and Preston MedSoc teamed up to host a ‘welcome’ evening. The aim of the evening was to show the new intake what we offer in terms of support, societies and general social life…and the students were given free food!

The aim of SWAP is to provide help and support to any students struggling with any aspect of the

course for whatever reason. Preston MedSoc’s role is to organise social events so that all of the medical students from different years can integrate and get to know each other. On top of this they provide a platform for the societies and enable students to communicate with our undergraduate team and run educational events for students.

Stalls hosted by different societies were set up in the canteen at Education Centre 1. There was even a ‘create your own society’ stall so

that like-minded students may set up a new group. This led to the creation of the Preston BakeSoc group, which recently raised £90 at their annual garden party!

The evening was a great success with some fantastic feedback.

If anyone feels like they have something new to offer the medical students, or if you want to get involved in what’s already going on, please contact Barbara Crank to discuss.

Care Quality Commission Inspection Report As you will know the Care Quality Commission (CQC) undertook a routine, announced inspection of our hospitals in July, and we have now received the final report and judgement.

In the main, the CQC report makes very positive reading. Many areas of good and outstanding practice have been identified, and, most importantly, the inspectors said that without exception, every patient they saw in our hospitals was treated with compassion, dignity and respect.

The report says our staff are caring, committed, skilled, and competent – and very much focused on delivering high quality care. The CQC inspectors were impressed by lots of examples of best practice including: how well our Emergency Department team works, our dementia-friendly care, research and innovation, end of life care, pain relief practice, speech and language therapies for neonatal babies, and the alcohol liaison team.

Although the report is, overall, extremely positive, the CQC has given us a judgement of ‘requires improvement’.

The CQC has made it very clear that the main reason for this judgement is the significant capacity pressure we have been experiencing for a sustained period and they have recognised that this can only be resolved by the whole health economy.

We are now working together with our local partners to develop and implement an action plan to make this happen.

The full report can be accessed via the intranet.

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Awards and Achievements Apprentice of the Year Award Well done to catering apprentice Cheryl Broxton who has won the Apprentice of the Year award for leisure and service at Preston College for her work on the Level 2 Cookery Diploma!

For the past two and a half years Cheryl has supported chefs at Chorley and she attends college every week to complete her cookery diploma. Before starting her adult apprenticeship she worked as a basic catering assistant for 15 years.

Catering Manager Ian Curwen said: “Just over a year ago, one of the kitchen chefs left so we saw it as an opportunity to support Cheryl and help her to progress in her career. Cheryl is a great support for the chefs.“

Cheryl Broxton has been named 'Apprentice of the Year'.

Award for Orthopaedic Specialist Mr Rajavelu Chinnusamy, Associate Specialist in Orthopaedics, has been awarded as Honorary Lecturer by Manchester University Medical School for his commitment and reputation in teaching Medical Students.

Mr Rajavelu Chinnusamy, Associate Specialist in Orthopaedics.

This year his supervised project “DVT in Foot and Ankle surgery” was awarded Best Presentation.

Staff development success!

SMRC honoured

by Armed Forces

Laura Cuerden, who joined us as an Appointments Clerk nine years ago and has recently been working as a Radiotherapy Trainee Assistant is now a fully qualified Band 5 Therapy Radiographer!

Our Specialist Mobility Rehabilitation Centre (SMRC) which provides care for amputees and disabled people has been honoured at the first ever Armed Forces Business Awards.

Laura has graduated with a BSc in Radiotherapy from Sheffield Hallam University. She completed a three year course while still working at Rosemere Cancer Centre full time.

Staff at the SMRC were praised during the ceremony at the Imperial War Museum North, in Salford, for our work with service personnel who have lost limbs.

We picked up the award for our commitment to supporting injured personnel after they leave service.

Dr Fergus Jepson, Clinical Director at the SMRC, said: “Myself and the team are overwhelmed by the award, it’s great to get this honour and is a real recognition of how hard so many people work to achieve the same standard that MOD has managed to maintain for these war heroes.”

More than 200 people, most of them from the business community across the North West, attended the event. The aim was to recognise the businesses and organisations which have shown the most support to the Armed Forces.

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Well done Laura!

Our Trust Secretary has won a national award Paul Howard was named ‘Company Secretary of the Year’ at the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators Excellence in Governance (ICSA) Awards.

Judges said Paul has “Clearly gone the extra mile above and beyond a very strong field of nominees. The last few years in the NHS have been full of change, and Paul has remained abreast of these developments and has acknowledged the need to change working practices as a result. He understands the need for the company secretary to be outward-facing as well as a strong leader within their own organisation, and articulates the need for collaborative working amongst NHS foundation trusts.”

The ICSA awards celebrate the highest standards in governance, rewarding individuals, teams and organisations for their achievements.

Winner at HSJ awards Dr Fergus Jepson, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine, has won the Clinical Leader of the Year award at the prestigious national Health Service Journal (HSJ) awards.

Elder Friendly Quality Mark Five of our wards at Preston and Chorley Hospitals have received recognition of the support that our staff give to older people.

We have been awarded an Elder Friendly Quality Mark. The Quality Mark is run by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and was developed in partnership with organisations including the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Nursing and the British Geriatrics Society. It was established to encourage wards to become involved in improving the quality of essential care of older people and to recognise good care provision.

To achieve the mark, our staff took part in an assessment which looked at quality of care and they had to demonstrate continued focus on improving care for older people. As part of the assessment, patients over the age of 65 were asked for their feedback about care, including their experiences of comfort, food and drink, support from staff, getting help when needed, and privacy and dignity. They were also asked if they would be happy if a friend or family member was cared for on the wards.

The wards which received the mark are Ward 21, Barton Ward, and Bleasdale Ward at Preston and Rockwood A, and Rockwood B at Chorley.

Dr Steven Whatmough

Foundation end of year awards

FY1 of the year - Dr Steven Whatmough FY1 portfolio of the year - Dr Nick Denny FY1 trainer of the year - Dr Ajay Dhaygude, Dr Nick Consultant Renal Physician Denny FY2 of the year - Dr Diana Frimpong FY2 portfolio of the year Dr Frances Wood Dr Ajay FY2 trainer of the year Dhaygude Dr Emma Nixon, Consultant Gastroenterologist Dr Frances Wood

Chief Executive Karen Partington, said, “We are absolutely delighted that Fergus’s leadership and outstanding clinical practice has been recognised at a national level. Fergus has set the standards for how returning injured UK armed services personnel should be treated in this country. He has also shown excellent leadership in working with national government departments to make sure civilians affected by the Libyan conflict, including many children, received the highest standards of care and treatment, and has supported the development of amputee services in Libya. We are very proud of his achievements.”

We were also shortlisted for an additional four accolades at the Health Service Journal awards.

Karen Partington was ‘highly commended’ in the ‘Chief Executive of the Year’ category. Karen was recognised for her excellent leadership, including her commitment to working with local health and social care organisations to develop joined-up care for patients, as well as her efforts to create an engaged and empowered workforce, and positive environment where staff feel proud to work.

Our Proactive Elderly Care Team was also ‘highly commended’ in the ‘Acute Sector Innovation’ category. The team was shortlisted for developing and providing a range of services for elderly patients, including providing dementia screening as standard for patients aged 75 and above, developing dementia-friendly care, and supporting older people and their families to access services to maintain health, well-being and independence in the community.

Each year we hold end of year awards for both the FY1 and FY2 doctors.

Congratulations to the winners:

Dr Diana Frimpong

Dr Jepson, who works at the Specialist Mobility Rehabiltation Centre (SMRC) was recognised for his leadership in developing services for the treatment of UK armed services veterans, and for his care of Libyan amputees and major trauma patients.

In partnership with partnership with CHS Healthcare, our Hospital Discharge Support Service was also shortlisted in this category. This service supports patients and their families to choose and move to a care home following a stay in hospital.

Dr Emma Nixon

Our patient-focused antibiotic service was shortlisted in the ‘Secondary Care Service Redesign’ category. This service, led by microbiologists, was established to support patients who would otherwise have had to stay in hospital to receive regular intravenous antibiotics (medication that has to be administered through the vein), to have treatment at home, or during a brief hospital visit.

This causes less disruption in patients’ lives and has significantly improved their experience of care.

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News in Brief Margaret Molloy and Eileen Cuerden from the Hutton Priory Patchers who donated the cushions.

Thoughtful donation to the breast unit A group of generous women have donated some heart shaped cushions to the breast unit at Chorley hospital to help women who are recovering from breast surgery.

The idea behind the shape of the cushion is to allow better placement beneath the affected arm to promote support and comfort in the first few days following surgery.

Left to right back row: Gill Nixon, Dr Shiva Tripathi Front row: Kate Sutherland, Karen Williams.

‘Bake off’ on ward 4 Staff on ward 4 raised a fantastic £153.12 for the Rosemere Cancer Foundation by holding a cake bake.

There was a variety of delicious treats on offer, a big well done to everyone who kindly donated the goodies…and to everyone who ate them!

Staff complete triathlon!

A group of staff have taken part in a triathlon which saw them complete a 5k run, 400m swim and 21k bike ride!

The team, who were mainly therapy staff, trained together, shared support and advice and have developed new friendships.

Well done to all who took part and an extra special well done to Helen Lloyd, an OT at RPH who had never taken part in a triathlon before and came first in the solo event!!

If anybody is interested in having a go next year please contact Rachel Imms.

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We host regional study day More than 80 anaesthetists from across the North West visited us for a ‘perioperative acute pain’ study day.

The Acute Pain Team organised the regional study day which covered topics such as trauma and acute pain, enhanced recovery and managing pain in pregnancy.

The training helps to share best practice and improve patient experience and the team plan to host this study day every year.

New transportation trolleys for critically ill patients We have recently introduced a new transportation trolley which will help to improve transfers for critically ill patients.

Following a review by the Lancashire and South Cumbria Critical Care Network, we have been given a bespoke FERNO CCT MK2 trolley which will be used to transport critically ill patients across our region and will facilitate timely patient preparation and safer transportation for patients of all sizes.

Swallowing assessments take on a new dimension!

The Speech and Language Therapy service has developed a new technique used to assess patients with swallowing disorders.

The new Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) uses specially designed equipment which enables the team to assess the swallowing function using a scope. It offers an objective assessment and is portable so an assessment can be carried out at the bedside.

New Paediatric life support course introduced

Resuscitation Officer, Anna Cunningham.

The resuscitation team has introduced a new course to provide training in the early recognition of a child in respiratory or circulatory failure.

Neutropenic sepsis awareness week The Acute Oncology team took part in Neutropenic Sepsis Awareness week educating staff, patients and visitors to the hospital.

One of the main aims of the team is to improve the care received by suspected neutropenic patients. People who are undergoing treatment for cancer can be at risk of neutropenic sepsis because the treatment can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells, which can be life threatening.

The Acute Oncology team encourages patients to contact the oncology helpline if they develop symptoms in order to highlight problems early, but also to ensure that hospital staff are administering antibiotics within 60 minutes of arrival to hospital in line with the guidelines.

Stands were set up in various different areas throughout the week across both hospital sites; pocket guides were given to staff and information leaflets were given to patients and visitors.

The team now aim to host this awareness week every year.

Pictured below, left to right: Lindsay Wallbank - Acute Oncology Nurse Specialist, Amy Vercell - Acute Oncology/CUP Nurse Specialist, Jo Wilkinson - Lead Chemotherapy Nurse

The department has added the new European Paediatric Life Support (EPLS) course after Resuscitation Officers Anna Cunningham and Consultant Anaesthetist Mandy Shaw have spent the past 12 months gaining the necessary qualifications and all Resuscitation Officers will qualify as EPLS instructors by the time the course begins in December.

Resuscitation Officer Anna Cunningham said: “We applied for course centre approval in July 2013, we were assessed and approval was granted in August 2013. We look forward to welcoming candidates on this EPLS course; who are healthcare professionals who would be expected to apply the skills taught as part of their clinical duties, or to teach them on a regular basis.

The team also welcomes new Resuscitation Officer James Grayston and Apprentice Alice Dewhurst.

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Managed Print Services update All areas at Preston now have MPS accessible devices which means we have reduced our devices from 1800 to just 282 multi-functional machines that print, scan and photocopy.

The installation team has been resolving any teething problems as they go along. One particular issue that has been highlighted is the amount of direct printing required across the organisation that does not require the user to log on with their new Trust (Proximity) ID badge. This along with generic user accounts/passwords is under review by the IT Department and we will keep you updated.

There have also been a few enquiries about the ‘Print and Keep’ function. The system has been initially set up to automatically erase any print jobs that are on the server after 48 hours. The ‘Print and Keep’ option allows you to keep the job on the server for a further ten hours. If that individual job is not printed again within the ten hours it will be automatically deleted.

However if the job is printed again within the ten hours, then a further ten hours keep time is assigned to that job. This goes on indefinitely if the job is printed on a regular basis.

You can find more information about MPS on the intranet.

Seven day service We are currently working with local health and social care organisations as one of 13 early adopter sites in the country to pilot seven day services. This pilot will inform the national Seven Day Service Improvement Programme, and our involvement gives us the opportunity and support to start changing how we work, and to influence national policy development.

It’s important to note that the NHS is working towards a seven day service – but this doesn’t mean staff working seven days a week. Also it won’t be necessary for all services and departments to operate seven days a week.

For more information about the pilot, and to get involved, keep an eye on the seven day service intranet site or contact Deborah Rickards.

New home video technology to help dialysis patients

Get your flu jab!

It’s that time of year again when the cold dark nights are drawing in and we are urging all staff to protect themselves, their families and their patients by getting the flu jab!

Find out how and where you can get your flu jab by going to the intranet homepage. There’s also a Star Wars themed video to inspire you to get your vaccine… check it out!

And there are prizes on offer for people who have their flu jab and for those staff who are doing the jabbing!

Our Renal department has introduced new state-of-the-art home video technology which means many dialysis patients can now receive treatment at home if they wish.

The innovative video link can be set up in patients’ homes along with a dialysis machine so that the patient can undergo dialysis in the comfort of their own home while still receiving one-to-one care from a specialist.

Dialysis patients usually have to travel to hospital up to three times a week and the appointments can last up to four hours each time. This new video link means patients don’t have to leave their home; patients can dial up a specialist nurse or doctor via the video link anytime they need to.

The type of treatment will not be appropriate for every patient and patients have the option to dialyse at home or they can continue to come to hospital if they prefer.

Tracey Berry, Home Dialysis Sister said: “The video link allows the patient to have much more control and a better quality of life; they can fit their dialysis around their own routine and can manage their own treatment in comfort and privacy. Those patients who are using this new service receive detailed training for three months before they can dialyse at home.”

John Slater, a Dialysis patient who lives in Arnside in Cumbria, said: “I like to be independent and this means I’m not stuck to a fixed time, it gives me freedom and the video link is just like being in the room with the nurse, it’s great.”

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New ‘REAL LIFE’ Birthing Simulator We have introduced a new ‘real life’ birthing simulator to help train junior doctors and midwives.

The mannequin called ‘Victoria’ is a state of the art simulation of a full-term expectant mother who is about to give birth and also features the unborn baby inside. It is the first of its kind in the country.

‘Victoria’ can breathe, talk, scream, push and has contractions. The baby also moves and cries.

The mannequin can demonstrate a normal or breech birth and a caesarean-section as well as all obstetric emergencies.

‘Victoria’ can breathe, talk, scream, push and has contractions.

The baby also moves and cries.

This month’s Star Volunteer is

The simulator is used to train medical students and trainee midwives. The simulator is currently being passed around to be used at other birth centres and we are hoping that we will get one to keep permanently.

Susan Sherlock, Head of Midwifery said: “This mannequin is a great way to demonstrate a birth as realistically as possible. A lot of our medical students don’t have the opportunity to witness or take part in a real life birth whilst training so the simulator is a really good way to give them insight and the opportunity to learn. Every labour is different and our staff often need to act fast so it’s important that our students can see what happens and all the possible eventualities before they are in the situation for real.”

In the last issue of Connect we launched our search for a star volunteer!

Around 700 people give up their time to volunteer for us and these people play a vital role in our teams and make a real difference to the lives of patients.

So we want to recognise the amazing work that is carried out by our volunteers, which is why we have launched our Star Volunteer campaign.

In each issue of Connect we will recognise a different star volunteer and the first ever star volunteer is Ken Tomkinson who has been a member of the Endoscopy team for the last eight years!

★★★ ENDOSCOPY ★★★

The Endoscopy team nominated Ken to be a star volunteer because they say he is invaluable! He always helps out twice a week and makes amazing brews and toast for the patients on recovery. They enjoy his little chats of comfort after their procedure and he is willing to help the staff at all times and is very reliable. At 88 years of age he is a credit to the hospital!

To nominate your Star Volunteer, please email Helen.Burke@lthtr.nhs.uk. Let us know who they are, what they do and why they are a star.

Ken is a star volunteer because of his willingness and commitment to the unit. Thanks to Ken for all the hard work, you are this month’s STAR VOLUNTEER!

KEN TOMKINSON

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New CT scanner in Emergency Department The new CT scanner in the Emergency Department at Preston is now up and running. The scanner will be used mainly by the Emergency Department and inpatients, and will help to make sure any patients with life and limb threatening injuries receive prompt diagnostics.

This new service means that the most urgent CT cases will be now undertaken within the local environment of the ED and will minimise patient transfer times. The new unit has direct access to the major trauma and resuss bay and other hospital inpatients will also be transferred to this scanner to have their investigation undertaken in a modern, bright, well equipped area.

The new CT scanner has excellent, advanced, clinical capabilities and will ensure that we maintain high image quality and an excellent service for patients.

Information Management & Technology Our Information Management and Technology (IM&T) strategy has been developed to make sure we’re using information technology to support clinicians to deliver safe and effective care.

The steering group aims to develop an IT function that supports you to do your job – that enables you to spend as much time as possible in face to face contact with your patient, that automates workflow and processes, minimising manual intervention, and that gives you real intelligence about your patients and how you are performing.

A team from Quadramed have been building nursing risk assessment forms and the elective and emergency admission documentation within QCPR. This has been done with broad and excited engagement from the nursing team led by Katie Swarbrick, ward nurses and practice educators. In addition to this the Quadramed team have also 10

worked with Dr Dan Cottle and the Critical Care Unit IM&T team to design and build some of the CrCU documentation.

We have submitted three applications to the 2014 Integrated Digital Care Fund. We have a single ‘stand alone’ bid for an Electronic Prescribing and Medicine Administration solution and two ‘partnership’ bids with Lancashire Care. We are lead applicant on a bid to provide an electronic hand held record for maternity patients and also for new parents with the personal child health record (eRedBook). We are also partners in a further bid to fund a Lancashire wide digital platform for health and social care (Lancashire Patient Record Exchange Service LPRES).

This platform will facilitate the exchange of electronic patient information between primary care, secondary care, community care and social care. It will also support a patient portal to allow patient access to appropriate information (eg health records, discharge summaries, medication and appointments).

The steering group aims to develop an IT function that supports you to do your job

Social club day out!

45 people enjoyed a trip to a vineyard, organised by our social club.

The group, made up of members, non-members and retired members of staff, headed to Holmfirth, West Yorkshire (where Last of the Summer Wine was filmed!) for a day of wine tasting and sightseeing.

After the wine tasting, the group were left to do their own thing, some took a bus tour of the film set, while others visited the local market and galleries and then the day ended with a final drink in a pub overlooking the river Holme, before heading back!

“We have a wide range of social club activities coming up, including trips to the theatres, Christmas markets and hopefully a weekend to France!”

Soo Wadsworth, social club secretary said: “It was a fantastic day and everybody really enjoyed themselves. We have a wide range of social club activities coming up, including trips to the theatres, Christmas markets and hopefully a weekend to France!”

If you are interested in joining the social club, please contact Soo Wadsworth. The social club calendar is available on the Health and Wellbeing page on the intranet.

Volunteers supporting our elderly patients

Imaging team get a mention in Health Service Journal

Volunteers from the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) are helping out on our elderly care wards at Chorley.

Our Imaging department has featured in the Health Service Journal in an article about the benefits of using smaller MRI scanners, as well as larger ones.

The group of volunteers spend time with our older patients to provide companionship and reassurance, relieve boredom and take part in a range of activities. The volunteers work alongside our nursing and medical staff to support our patients while they are in hospital.

The article highlighted how the smaller Esaote O-scan, that is mainly used for musculoskeletal scans and joints and knees in particular, has helped us to “reduce waiting times, reduce expenditure on private sector scans and generate additional income by offering direct access to GPs”.

Denise Morris, Public Health Co-ordinator said: “This is a great initiative and we are pleased to be working with the Royal Voluntary Service. Volunteers are a real asset to our teams and help staff to look after our older patients. Activities such as chatting to patients, reading with them or playing cards with them really helps to keep patients physically and mentally active and sociable, which is so important for the elderly and is part of a wider initiative that we have launched in our hospitals to improve care for our older patients.”

If anybody is interested in volunteering for the Royal Voluntary Service please contact Kim Snape on 01200 442513, email kim.snape@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk or visit www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

Dr Chooi Oh, Consultant Radiologist, said: “The new scanner is a better experience for patients. It’s much smaller and isn’t nearly as scary for the patient.”

Dr Chooi Oh and the Imaging team.

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Maureen Evans.

Annette Ashcroft and Barbara Cartmell.

Wendy Seaman.

Happy retirement!

• Special Health Visitors ANNETTE ASHCROFT and BARBARA CARTMELL are retiring after a whopping 90 years of service to the NHS combined! Together they have gone from being colleagues to being friends, and now after working together for more years than they care to remember, they are retiring together too.

The 62-year-olds have both spent the latter part of their working life at Broadoaks Child Development Centre in Leyland. Their official role has been to provide a comprehensive approach to the assessment, management and support of children with identified severe or complex additional needs.

The pair have started a walking club, which they do every six weeks, to ensure that they keep in contact with each other and their team, as well as other colleagues who have retired.

Annie Whiteside.

Maureen is well known for her overseas travel and she has already planned a lengthy overseas trip in the next few weeks to Australia to meet old friends and Borneo to visit new ones…Orangutans!!

They insist they will come back and keep in touch with everyone, Annette said: “It’s always been a very good team here at Broadoaks and we couldn’t have done what we have done without them.”

• WENDY SEAMAN is retiring after 37 years of service.

• MAUREEN EVANS is retiring after working for us for 24 years! Maureen started off in surgery, then moved to critical care and followed a career path as part of the pain team, joining critical care outreach team in 2006.

Wendy said: “I have enjoyed my time as an Enrolled Nurse and seen many changes, however I feel it is now time for me to retire and focus on family life and other interests. I wish to say that I have always enjoyed working with children and families and found my role satisfying but challenging at times”.

Maureen has been key to the planning and implementation of a training programme to develop the knowledge and skills of health care professionals providing care for patients with a tracheostomy.

Her colleagues will miss her sensitivity for others, professional outlook at all times and her abundant amount of energy within and outside work.

Wendy has worked within Child Health since the hospital opened in 1984, being one of the original team to transfer from the Deepdale Isolation Hospital.

• ANNIE WHITESIDE is retiring after 39 years’ service.

Annie started as a domestic at Preston then tried her hand as a theatre orderly. For the past 14 years she has worked as an auxiliary nurse in a busy obstetrics and gynaecology unit and has spent a lot of her career working the anti-social permanent night shifts!

The theatre team would like to wish Annie a healthy and happy retirement and thank her for all her hard work and dedication over the past 39 years.

We would like to wish them all the very best in their retirements!

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