NUH Together - Issue 5

NUH Together ISSUE 5 • WINTER 2023

Help us

help children like Odette

Family thank life-saving nurse

Terminally ill mum’s wedding joy

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NUH staff shine at awards

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VIP visits hospital

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NTF U F O ISC S STA

D R NH FO

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Contents Introduction

4

NUH launch latest staff film

5

Our Chief Executive Anthony May

With help from some very special Nottingham guests

Hospital at Home

A pioneering scheme to deliver hospital care in patients’ home is expanded

Vicky McClure visits the QMC

The actress puts a smile on young patients’ faces by reading them her new book

Home with a new knee by 7pm

6 8-9

The new pathway discharges patients on the same day as their operation

10-11

Play in Hospital week

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Snakes, spiders and donkeys!

Team NUH Awards

We are passionate about celebrating and recognising staff achievements

Family surprise NUH staff member

After saving a toddler’s lives whilst on holiday, a staff member received a special thank you

A wedding to remember

14-15 16

A terminally-ill mum able to watch son get married thanks to staff

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New unit opened at QMC

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Nottingham Hospitals Charity

20-21

Research and Innovation

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This will help with hospital flow ahead of winter

The latest Charity news

NUH expands its research capabilities for children

A very special art donation

Nottingham City Hospital was the first in UK to receive this artwork

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A decade on:

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A new 24-bed Geriatric Assessment Unit

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Tomorrow’s NUH

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“How my apprenticeship shaped my career”

First look at the new unit

A £370k grant for enabling works

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/nottinghamhospitals

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Introduction

from our Chief Executive The People First report, published in January 2023, identified our barriers to success and provided our top three priorities to help us achieve our strategic goals, meet the expectations of our patients and partners, and provide confidence to our regulators.

On 25 and 26 April 2023, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as the government’s appointed regulator, assessed our maternity services. On 6 and 7 June 2023, they also reviewed our leadership and governance, carrying out a Well-Led review. Following both inspections, the CQC decided our ratings for maternity services and WellLed should change from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’. It is positive news that our hospitals are improving, and the change is a significant step forward on our improvement journey.

Across our maternity services, the CQC reported most colleagues felt positive and proud to work at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH). There were improvements in the management of serious incidents, and women felt listened to and involved in their care. Through the Well-Led review, regulators identified a strengthened leadership capacity and capability, an improved culture of highquality sustainable care, and a greater oversight and challenge of quality and performance information. The ratings demonstrate that we are making real and sustained improvements, and I hope it is an encouragement for colleagues and our local people, that our plans are working. I want to thank everyone at NUH for their continuing support and hard work. I am grateful to them all for everything they have done and continue to do for our community.

To prepare for winter pressures, the 2023/24 NUH winter plan has been under development since the summer. Winter plans, mitigations and our bed model have been worked up and finalised for decision at the Trust Leadership Board

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Anthony May, Chief Executive

(TLB) and Trust Board. Plans include the expansion of virtual ward services, making improvements within the integrated discharge hub, and protecting our planned care activity through running additional weekend emergency theatre lists. At QMC we have invested in the development of the new Transfer of Care

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Unit (TOCU) and a new 24-bed Geriatric Assessment Unit (GAU), to help improve flow out of the Emergency Department and increase capacity. Investing in our estate aims to improve health outcomes and patient experience by ensuring patients have the right care at the right time, in the right place.

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NUH launch latest staff film – with help from special Nottingham guests This is England and Line of Duty star, Vicky McClure and Nottingham’s Young Poet Laureate, Georgina Wilding joined forces with NUH staff for the creation of our latest annual film.

The film called ‘Your Poem’ highlights NUH as an intrinsic part of the community, telling real stories, but equally, does not shy away from elements that could be improved, including operation times.

Production Company, CWA started filming in September and documented staff, patients and visitors in our hospitals to highlight daily life at NUH. The film includes footage from all three NUH hospital sites, Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC), City Hospital, Ropewalk House, as well as Nottinghamshire landmarks like The NET trams, Nottingham Council House and the River Leen.

Georgina Wilding was invited on a walk around the sites in order to get a feel of the hospitals, visit wards and meet staff in order to be inspired to write the poem.

Georgina said: ‘When I was invited to create this commission, I felt the weight of that responsibility almost instantly. My family, like most of ours in this room, has been touched by the hands of fate that lead us to needing help. In the last year, we lost our auntie, a grandparent, and friends. I have seen first-hand the fight you fight for those in need. I hope this poem serves as a small piece of history to document some of those successes to date, but more than that, I hope it’s

a pause in time for you to take stock of all your personal successes; to reflect on your individual journey and note of how incredibly thankful we all are for you.”

Vicky McClure narrates the poem throughout the film and was asked to take part after her work with NUH in the past.

These include performing at City Hospital with ‘Our Dementia Choir’ and as part of her book launch, where she read some of her novel to patients on the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at QMC.

The final film was exclusively shown to nominees at the Team NUH awards ceremony which took place at the start of October.

Scan me

You can view the film here. Just scan the QR code with your phone and watch the full video.

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Pioneering scheme to deliver hospital care in patients’ home is expanded An initiative run by NUH - aiming to ease the pressure on hospital beds – has expanded, helping more medically fit patients to get home.

The initiative, known as, Hospital at Home involves a nursing team travelling with the patient when they leave the ward to support them as they settle in at home.

One patient going home under the scheme can free up to six beds in the patient journey to help relieve the pressure across the hospitals. Since starting in November, Hospitals at Home has successfully sent home 200 medically fit patients, resulting in saving a total of 1,000 bed days. The team has also grown, initially starting with two members of staff, they are now made up of twelve staff, with plans to expand further.

Becky Saxton, Clinical Lead for Hospital at Home, based at Berman Ward 2 at Nottingham City Hospital, said: “It’s all about patient care and getting people home to their own environment. It’s proven that patients benefit from this because they are not sitting in hospital, they are not deconditioning or being exposed to infections. It can make rehabilitation a lot shorter and they recover well.”

Lillian, an 85-year-old patient, was admitted to Queens Medical Centre after complications with her diabetes.

She was deemed medically fit to go home, but needed a care package in place. This is where Hospital at Home are able to bridge the gap and staff was able to deliver care in the patient’s home until that social care is put in place.

Until then, a rehabilitation nurses visited Lillian up to four times a day at her home in Nottingham.

Lillian said: “It’s just brilliant, I feel much happier. Now I’m home so I’m happy. I’m not going to cry, I’m just going to relax.”

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Vicky McClure visit to QMC puts smile on young patients’ faces by reading them her new book As part of her recent visit to Nottingham to promote her new book, ‘Castle Rock Mystery Crew’, actress Vicky McClure MBE visited the Children’s Ward and the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at Nottingham University Hospital’s Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC).

The Line of Duty star spent time with patients and their families on the wards and unit and read Chapter 5 from her first children’s book, which she wrote in collaboration with Kim Curran. The book is inspired by her work with the Dementia Choir and by her caravan holidays as a child growing up. Vicky kindly donated copies of the book to patients.

The story, aimed at ages 9-12 focuses on 10-year-old Jase, who is spending the summer holidays at the Castle Rock caravan park with his auntie and grandma, who has dementia. Young patients at the QMC were captivated by Vicky’s reading, which helped to take their mind off being in hospital.

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Jamie-Lee Phillipson, Lead Hospital Play Specialist for the Children’s Hospital at NUH said: “It was so kind of Vicky to visit and do a special reading for our patients, it really made their day. We are going to sit with some of our patients and help them read the rest of the book as it sounds like a great story that I am sure our patients will enjoy reading it. We would like to thank Vicky for her kindness and generosity and for visiting the ward.

Everyone was delighted to see her, and we enjoyed the reading.”

Vicky McClure MBE said: “It was lovely to be able to spend some time at E39 Teenage Cancer Unit and on the Children’s Ward. I am proud to support Teenage Cancer Trust, who I have worked closely with for 10 years.

It is a cause close to my heart, so it was a privilege as always to spend some time on the unit. It’s tough being in hospital when you are so young, so if my visit put a smile on people’s faces, even just for a short while, it’s worth it and important to make time for my community.

“The book is all about friendship, elements of dementia and an exciting mystery to solve with the help of Nana Rose who was an ex-police officer. All the characters have got different family set ups and there’s a variety of characters that I hope young readers will be able to relate to. I enjoyed reading to everyone at the QMC and I hope they will enjoy the copies I left for them, and it will allow them to escape and take their mind of things, even if just for a little while.”

Anthony May, Chief Executive of NUH, welcomed Vicky to the Trust and took the opportunity to congratulate her on her recent MBE and thank her for all her support. He said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Vicky to the Trust and hear about her new book. Vicky has always been a great support to NUH and to Nottingham. I would like to thank her on behalf of our staff, patients, volunteers, and visitors for taking the time to visit our young patients today and for all her support to our community.

Vicky is a very kind person, and we appreciate all she does for our hospitals.”

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Home with a new knee by 7pm A leading surgeon at NUH says a short hip and knee replacement pathway which discharges patients on the same day as their operation could bring down a waiting list of more than 1,000 people.

The new pathway introduced in August has already reduced the average length of stay for people who have had hip and knee replacements.

Doctors say the initiative could help to ease winter pressure at NUH and give patients a better recovery journey.

One of those to have already benefitted from the system is 68-year-old Robert Curtis. Mr Curtis is the managing director of Skyminers, an industrial cleaning company.

Despite still working day-in, day-out at his business, the condition of Mr Curtis’ knees meant that he recently had to give up his role as a reserve firefighter at the East Leake fire station, where he had been based for 13 years.

Mr Curtis’ operation was for his right knee, though he hopes that an appointment can be found for his left knee when he returns for a follow-up appointment.

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In his hospital gown ready for his operation, Mr Curtis praised the new system. He said: “People criticise very easily, but they don’t see that these innovations are made locally and affect everybody. It’s a brilliant system, I’ve never experienced it before so I can’t say what the old system was like, but what I can say is that I’m very happy to be going home today.”

Ben Bloch, a consultant hip and knee surgeon, who is the Head of Service for Elective Orthopaedics at NUH, said the new pathway was already having benefits.

Of the 263 joint replacements that have taken place since August 1, 40 patients have gone home on the same day. After that, 116 patients went home on day one and 42 patients went home on day two.

With over 1,000 patients still on the joint replacement waiting list, Mr

Bloch said: “It’s based on a desire first of all to get patients out of hospital much more quickly, because clearly the best place to recover is at home. If you can use the resource more efficiently and get more patients done, then that can only be a good thing in terms of reducing our waiting lists.”

Mr Curtis’ operation began at 9am and the whole procedure was finished within the hour.

Following an X-ray, Mr Curtis was moved onto a ward to begin his recovery. Here he was visited by physiotherapists, who gradually built his mobility back up to the point where he could climb up and down a small set of stairs.

Speaking about the efficiency of the new pathway, Mr Bloch said: “We’re not cutting corners.

The important thing is to be safe.

Clearly, this won’t work for all patients. You have to be safe from

the physiotherapy point of view, and you need someone at home with you to look after you on the first night.”

The new pathway has partly been funded by the Nottingham Hospitals Charity, which gave £20,418 towards it. Barbara Cathcart, the Chief Executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said: “We are pleased to have given funding to enable this new pathway to be implemented, and it’s rewarding to see that this is having a positive impact on recovery times and waiting times for patients at NUH.” With an NHS England target for all oneyear waits to be abolished by next March, Mr Bloch says he hopes the new pathway will continue to bring numbers down.

Following successful visits from physiotherapists and several observations, Mr Curtis was discharged at 6.40pm, less than 12 hours after first arriving at the hospital for his operation.

As reported in Nottingham Post.

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Having fun is child’s play at NUH Youngsters at the Nottingham Childrens Hospital (NCH) got to spend some time with donkeys, snakes and tarantulas for national Play in Hospital Week for the first time since before the pandemic.

The campaign aims to support children to experience the power of play to boost their wellbeing during treatment, and the theme for this year is Play for ‘Creativity and Innovation in Play’.

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The NCH Play Service Team were joined by charities and businesses such as Sam’s Superhero’s’, Urban Bushcraft, Animal Encounter, Jumping Clay and Spread a Smile – who, throughout the week, brought in a variety of different activities for the children to do. These included petting tarantulas and donkeys, writing children’s stories and taking part in illustrations, as well as an outing to the theatre.

13 year old, Olivia said: ‘We had the most

wonderful time as a family at the theatre, thank you so much.”

Jamie Lee Phillipson, Lead Hospital Play Specialist for the Children’s Hospital at NUH said: “The children absolutely loved it. It was so special to have so many people getting involved and enjoying it. Thank you so much to all the teams who helped to make it happen. It’s been an amazing week of fun and laughter for our patients, families and staff.”

NUH Trust awards shine a spotlight on staff stars

Staff across NUH came together to celebrate a whole host of successes to be proud at their annual awards ceremony.

patients and staff and brightens everyone’s day! He is an example of how any role can have a trusting and positive impact on a patient’s experience whilst in hospital.”

From empowering student nurses and setting up whole new units to working tirelessly on a daily basis to support staff, patients, carers and service users, there was much to celebrate on the night.

Members of the public also got the chance to nominate individuals or teams who they thought had really had an impact.

Winners of the Public Award were the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Team, who were nominated for the excellent care they provide to their patients. Their nominator said: “The MND Team have been a tremendous support to me. The journey for a patient with a terminal illness not only involves the patient themselves but also loved ones and carers as well and the team have always been completely supportive to all of us.

The event was held at Colwick Hall, Nottingham and was attended by more than 400 people, including staff, sponsors and guests.

More than 500 nominations were received across the award categories, which reflect the Trust’s values, including the; Trust Award, Empower Award, Ambitious Award, Mindful Award, Nurturing Award, United Award and Honest Award. There was also a Public Award and Volunteer of the Year Award.

In partnership with local bus company, Nottingham City Transport (NCT), the winner of our Trust Award will have a bus named after them, sponsored by NCT. Winner of the award, Ward Caterer, Ernesto Marongiu, was nominated for always having a positive attitude and uplifting presence. His nominator said: “Ernesto deals with patients with very complex needs with great understanding and approaches everyone with compassion and without judgement. He is encouraging, supporting patients to make their own food choices, and is kind, caring and passionate about his work. He asks appropriate questions around care, supports the rehabilitation of patients and encourages patient interaction. He has a significant and positive impact on both

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“We could not have imagined a better consultant and my MND specialist nurse is a force of nature. We have been astonished by the joined up care we have received, the team are professional yet friendly and instil confidence. We are very grateful for their care and could not imagine better care than we have received.”

The Awards also had a number of sponsors, whose generosity and support made the awards ceremony possible.

These included; Nottingham City Transport, Nottingham Health Science Partners, Nottingham Trent University, DrDoctor, Browne Jacobson and Nottingham Hospitals Charity.

Speaking before the ceremony, Trust Chair Nick Carver OBE said: “The awards ceremony is a culmination of the fantastic work we have seen throughout NUH over the last year, and an opportunity to celebrate colleagues and volunteers who won awards, were highly commended or were shortlisted.

“On behalf of the Trust Board, we would like to say thank you to all colleagues at NUH. Your commitment and dedication, day in, day out, is outstanding. We would like to say a big well done to all winners and highly commended awardees from our quarterly rounds, and to everyone else who was nominated for a Team NUH award this year.”

Here are the winners: Trust Award Ernesto Marongiu, Ward Caterer

United Award - Paula Charlton, EFM Hub Manager

Nurturing Award - David Lynch, Grounds person

Honest Award - Hannah Chatterjee, Therapy Services Manager

Volunteer of the Year Award Steven Coulby

Mindful Award - The Patient Advice and Liaison Service Team Empower Award - Ward D35 Nurses and Clinical Support Workers

Ambitious Award - The Frailty Admission and Discharge Unit Leadership Team

Public Award - The Motor Neurone Disease Team

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Family surprise NUH staff member after saving a toddler’s life whilst on holiday The family of a three-year-old toddler who choked on his food whilst in a restaurant have thanked NUH staff member, Carrie Maxfield, who saved him, with a special certificate and video.

Carrie is a Service Manager in Diabetic Eye screening at Ropewalk House and was out for a meal in Skegness in August. On the table opposite, three-year- old Harrison Ruddell started to choke on a piece of sausage which had got stuck in his throat.

Mum, Rebecca Ruddell said: “Harrison was turning blue and dying in front of our eyes. I started first aid with back slaps without any success. That’s when Carrie stepped in.”

Carrie got on her knees and applied the Heimlich manoeuvre. When this did not work, Carrie placed Harrison over her knee and applied several forceful slaps to his back. The sausage became dislodged and Harrison started to breathe again.

Carrie said: “It didn’t really sink in what had happened, I think it only did when I went home and told friends and family what I’d done. One of my best friends said ‘you’ve just earnt a place in heaven’.”

Carrie was presented with a certificate of recognition and shown the video which Rebecca and Harrison made for her.

In the video, Rebecca said: “You

Harrison

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Harrison and sister moments before incident

saved a little boy’s life and we will be forever grateful. It makes me want to tear up just thinking about it. But without you, I might not have had my little boy, so thank you so much. It is massively appreciated.”

When asked about receiving the award and surprise, Carrie said: “I was in shock.

I didn’t have a clue what we were meeting about and when I found out it was just so emotional.

It is so lovely for them to reach out and find me at work.

I’ve had training for this since joining the NHS 24 years ago and, thankfully, I’ve never had to use it before. I’m so glad I had the training or I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did.”

Harrison’s Grandad, Stephen, said: “Carrie literally saved Harrison’s life. She is a heroine and we are all so grateful for her life-saving actions. You, the NHS, has also played its part in training your staff.

Thank you.”

Carrie receiving award from Anthony May

Terminally-ill mum able to watch son get married thanks to staff A terminally-ill mum got to attend her son’s wedding via FaceTime thanks to the dedication and support of staff at the Queens Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham.

Jillian Crossland, 70, from Nottingham feared she would not be able to see her son get married after she fell at home and fractured her hip shortly before he was due to get married.

Although the Trauma and Orthopaedics team at QMC tried their best to make it so that Jillian could attend the wedding in person, she was not feeling well enough to attend, so they did the next best thing and got her there virtually through the power of technology.

Not only did the team make sure that Jillian got to see her son get married, but they also helped to recreate the day on the ward to help make it really special.

On the big day, Jillian was assisted by the team to get ready for her son’s wedding. Her hair was washed and blow-dried, dress on and lipstick applied.

The family room in the ward was decorated, along with finger foods, cake and nonalcoholic prosecco - even the fine china was brought out to help celebrate.

Jillian’s sister, Janet and niece, Vanessa, arrived to take her to the family room in a wheelchair and her family got to see her Mother of the Groom entrance via FaceTime. Jillian watched the entire ceremony with friends in her own private ceremony on the ward.

Ian said. “We did consider cancelling the wedding, but after being reassured by Mum’s care team that they could still make it special for her, we decided to go ahead.

“It made my day because I was feeling guilty about getting married without my mum being there, but this was the next best thing.”

On the Saturday following the wedding, the groom and his new bride – Natasha, and their two daughters, Mia (17) and Sophia (12), arrived in full wedding attire to take official photographs on the ward balcony – which was kitted out with flowers from Woodborough Garden Centre.

Hannah Shaw, Ward Sister from Trauma & Orthopaedics said: “I’ve never seen Jillian smile so much as when she arrived in that room and saw the effort we had gone to, to make it as special as we could.

“It was an honour to be able to provide something so small - but that meant so much to the family and Jillian. We cannot thank chaplaincy and catering enough for their support in making this day perfect. Proud is an understatement to be able to allow this family to celebrate such a joyous occasion – This is what Nursing is all about!”

Ian added. “The nurses were fantastic. I’m really grateful the team let us do it. They really went to town and helped out. My mum was loving it. She said she felt really spoilt.”

Since writing this piece, sadly Jillian has passed away, but her family still wanted us to run this story. Our sincere condolences go to all her family and friends at this sad time.

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New unit to help with hospital flow ahead of winter A brand new unit has opened at the QMC to help improve care for patients whilst they are waiting to be discharged.

The new unit, which opened in September, will provide 24 hour discharge support, seven days a week and will ensure a relaxed and comfortable area for patients to wait to get their medications, transport home or anything they need before they get discharged from hospital, helping to free up beds for patients who need them the most. The funding came from the government for environmental improvements to discharge areas across NHS trusts.

The unit will provide a friendly environment with access to snacks, hot meals, activities and even food bags for patients to take home. A clothes bank has also been set up at the unit to make sure that patients who need them have appropriate clothes to travel home in.

With 20 beds and 20 chairs across the unit, it is expected that the unit could potentially save around 6 bed spaces per patient, meaning that it will have a significant impact on patient flow throughout the Trust as we enter into winter.

Specialist rooms for end of life care have also been created as part of the new unit, which will ensure privacy for families and

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patients who are on end of life care or have had a particular traumatic event.

These rooms will be able to be used for patients who may have previously had to wait in the emergency department or on wards, allowing for a calmer and more private space for them.

Lisa Wells, Deputy Clinical Lead for Admitted Care at the Trust, said: “The new discharge unit will have a significant impact on patient safety and will help with capacity across the Trust as it will ensure that more beds are freed up

for patients who need them the most, ensuring that patients can be handed over to the emergency department quicker and ambulances can get back out on the roads.

“We already have discharge lounges which help with flow throughout the hospital, but the new unit will be able to run 24/7, which we hope will have an even bigger impact, helping to get patients who are ready for home discharged in a comfortable area whatever time of day it is.”

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Giant Robin Hood puppet launches Big Appeal for Nottingham Children’s Hospital A 3.5-metre high Robin Hood puppet visited the Queen’s Medical Centre and took part in a parade around Nottingham city centre this September, to officially launch the next phase of the Big Appeal for Nottingham Children’s Hospital.

The giant puppet, which is the mascot for the Children’s Hospital, represents the big ambitions of the hospital’s next fundraising appeal. The appeal, run

by Nottingham Hospitals Charity, aims to raise £1.5million over three years to enhance facilities and care for the youngest patients in Nottingham.

Every week, more than 1,000 critically ill babies, children and young people are cared for at Nottingham Children’s Hospital, which is based at the Queen’s Medical Centre. Nottingham Hospitals Charity’s Big Appeal is raising money to support these children, and the families and staff caring for them.

The Appeal will help children like Odette Derry, aged four, who has been treated at Nottingham Children’s Hospital for a rare brain tumour since February 2022.

Odette has undergone surgery 17 times, and spent seven months as an inpatient at the hospital. Her parents, Sophie and Tom Derry, are supporting the Big Appeal in gratitude for the staff who cared for her.

Sophie said: “Odette received incredible care from the staff on ward E40 during her time in hospital. You are thrust into this unknown world that you really don’t want to be part of, but the staff do everything they can to make a horrendous situation bearable. The capabilities of the surgical team are mind blowing, and the nursing staff are angels in uniform!

“You see the same faces day in, day out, and they start to feel like family. They see you at your darkest moments, and are always there to support. Nothing was ever too much trouble, and Odette loved everyone. From

the play workers, to the rehab team, to the cleaners, everyone was wonderful.”

Donations to the Big Appeal will fund enhancements in three key areas of Nottingham Children’s Hospital: • Neonatal Unit – including a dedicated ultrasound machine, plus improvements to accommodation for parents and families while their premature babies are being cared for in the unit.

• Children’s Outpatients – brand new sensory rooms and clinic rooms, and a complete redecoration of the department to breathe new life into the ‘front door’ of Nottingham Children’s Hospital.

• Play areas – toys, games, reading materials and play equipment, to help children feel calm, settled and at ease when in hospital.

You can support the Big Appeal by making a donation, taking part in one of Nottingham Hospitals Charity’s fundraising events, holding your own event, or pledging a gift in your Will.

To find out more about the Big Appeal or to make a donation, please visit www.nottinghamhospitalscharity.org. uk/bigappeal

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0115 962 7905

@NUHCharity

Show you care this

Christmas The festive season is a time of goodwill and generosity – and the perfect time to show you care for the patients, families and staff who will be spending this Christmas at Nottingham’s hospitals.

There are a whole host of ways you can support patients and staff at our hospitals this festive season, through Nottingham Hospitals Charity…

• Don your festive socks – kick-start the festive season by wearing your favourite festive socks and make a

NottinghamHospitalsCharity

donation in support of our staff and their patients this National Sock Day, Monday 4th December.

• Give a gift to a child in hospital – support our ‘Grant a Christmas Wish’ campaign by making a donation so we can provide toys and games to bring a smile to the faces of young patients at Nottingham Children’s Hospital.

• Remember a loved one – dedicate a Christmas tree light through our ‘Lights to Celebrate’ scheme, and remember someone special this festive season.

0115 962 7905

• Recycle your Christmas tree – our popular Christmas tree recycling scheme is back! For a donation from just £10, volunteers from Nottingham Hospitals Charity will collect and recycle your unwanted Christmas tree in the New Year, all in aid of Nottingham’s NHS hospitals.

Find out more and get involved in our festive fundraising campaigns by visiting www.nottinghamhospitalscharity.org. uk/christmas 21 10

Research & Innovation NUH expands its research capabilities for children A new facility dedicated to researching new treatments for conditions affecting younger patients will be officially unveiled at the Queen’s Medical Centre in November.

Backed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the NIHR Clinical Research Facility (CRF) for children expands NUH’s capabilities from catering for outpatients only, to providing five new beds to be used for inpatients and day care, or outpatients.

The refurbished facility, which is on E Floor in West Block, will allow researchers to expand their portfolio of studies to offer more “early phase” trials investigating paediatric diseases.

The CRF is being decorated with a bright, woodland theme to provide a welcoming environment and includes a play area. The Nottingham Hospitals Charity has funded the artwork, and the CRF has employed a full-time play specialist to support the psychological well-being of children who are taking part in research.

Dr Jeyanthi Rangaraj, senior clinical

research physician at the CRF, said: “I enjoy working in a team and environment at a pace that is flexible, safe and comfortable for families, children and the research team caring for them.

“This unit is unique,” she added. “In the past I have been involved in trials where we had to use different facilities and ward spaces to conduct a study...the new children’s CRF brings everything together under one roof.”

Jess Simkin, senior research nurse, said: “The children’s research unit will help

raise the profile of children’s research within NUH. “Our vision is for the facility to enable essential research in an environment which is fun, friendly and inviting. We want to normalise research for children and their families and embed this into their hospital experience.”

Elisha Manasoko, research data clerk, said: “This amount of equipment and facilities in a single unit will not only improve the patient experience but also open more opportunities in terms of the kinds of research we can deliver.”

MP sees Nottingham liver research in action NUH’s adult clinical research facility hosted a VIP visit in September, when Maggie Throup MP and Pamela Healy OBE, CEO of the British Liver Trust, came to the NIHR Nottingham Clinical Research Facility – sister unit to the paediatric facility – to fund out more about cutting-edge liver research conducted in Nottingham.

Professor Stephen Ryder, Director of the Nottingham Clinical Research Facility, hosted the VIPs on their tour, during which they were able to learn about Fibroscan to diagnose liver disease – a technique developed in Nottingham. They also visited F21 ward at the QMC, which specialises in treating patients with digestive diseases.

Maggie Throup MP is a member of the House of Commons Health Select Committee, has served as a junior minister for vaccines and public health, and represents Erewash.

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Mobile Research Unit takes breathing tests into the community Our Mobile Research Unit made its first outing to Clifton in the autumn, to assist with a research study looking at methods of diagnosing a debilitating lung disease.

The unit, funded by NUH Research & Innovation, was making one of its first visits to people living in the outer suburbs after its official public launch this July in Nottingham city centre.

It is a self-contained research clinic with an on-board laboratory, designed to increase access to research, usually carried out in NUH’s dedicated research facilities at QMC, Nottingham City Hospital and Ropewalk House.

The Mobile Research Unit was located in the car park of Morrison’s car park to help with the C-FIND COPD Study. This research included pre-arranged lung tests for people.

The study is led by Professor Charlotte Bolton from the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), and

the University of Nottingham. Professor Bolton said: “It is fantastic to see the first people recruited to the C-FIND COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) study and using the mobile unit. There

has been a lot of hard work by many people to get to this point, for which many thanks. We are now delivering real research in the real world and with immediate impact on a person’s health.”

Nottingham researchers investigating genetics and fibrotic diseases During Black History Month, researchers in Nottingham spoke about their work to improve understanding of fibrotic diseases involving multiple organs.

Some people are more genetically vulnerable than others are, and the study investigates the mechanisms of how that happens. Part of the work will look at whether some ethnic groups are more affected.

A key speaker at the R&I Research Lounge event was Professor Dr Guru Aithal, honorary consultant in gastroenterology at NUH, and head of Gastrointestinal and Liver Research for the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre.

He is leading Nottingham’s research within the DEMISTIFI study (Defining MechanIsms Shared across mulTI-organ Fibrosis to prevent the development of long-term multimorbidity). This runs across several hospitals, funded by the Medical Research Council.

Professor Guru Aithal

Can you help our research at Nottingham University Hospitals? Visit the live trials page of our website for more information https://www.nuh.nhs.uk/live-trials/ 23

Nottingham City Hospital first in UK to receive very special art donation Nottingham City Hospital is the very first setting in the UK to receive a donation from the Art for Healing Foundation, which is based in Canada.

Set up in 2002, the foundation has donated more than 13.500 works to healthcare institutions across the globe, with Lister 1 Ward at City Hospital being the first in the UK to receive one.

The ward now has two very special original art pieces by artist, Steve Driscoll, which patients will be able to enjoy.

The donation was kindly set up by former patient of Lister 1 Ward, Mike Burkinshaw who met Art for Healing members. Earl Pinchuk and Gary Blair at a conference in the USA and thought the initiative would greatly benefit the patients and staff on the ward, so got in touch with the arts programme at Nottingham University Hospitals, who then helped coordinate the initiative.

The arts programme is funded by Nottingham Hospitals Charity and aims to bring arts to the hospitals to improve patient, staff and visitor experience.

officially unveiled by Earl Pinchuk and Gary Blair from the foundation, who came over all the way from Canada to personally present the artwork to the ward.

The artwork will become part of the Arts at NUH Programme and has since been

Former patient, Mike Burkinshaw who was at the unveiling event said: “It was really lovely to see. The photographs don’t do it justice. The photos are great but the artwork is just fabulous.

“When I was last on Lister Ward in 2021 there wasn’t really anything to look at but this is incredible. It feels like a new place.

“Real art is different and engaging and will make a big difference to the ward and the patients and staff on it. People will experience it. To me it’s not just a painting it is a welcome distraction to help patients take their mind off what’s happening.”

Earl Pinchuk from the Art for Healing Foundation said: “Art is our one true global language. It knows no nation, it favours no race, and it acknowledges no class. It speaks at our need to reveal, heal and transform. It transcends our ordinary lives and lets us imagine what is possible.”

Rebecca Childs Ward Manager for Lister 1 Ward added: “It is amazing to have this artwork, which has come all the way from Canada. We would like to thank both Mike and the Art for Healing Foundation for the kind donation, it will really make a difference to our patients and will help brighten up the ward.”

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A decade on: “How my apprenticeship shaped my career” With 12 years’ at NUH under her belt, our Deputy Head of Resourcing, Jodie Kelly tell us how and why beginning her career at NUH as an apprentice opened her up to a working world full of development and career opportunities.

is a great way of beginning a career journey that in time, like me you will be in a position where you will be helping the next generation of apprenticeships and colleagues realise their potential’.

With life insurance Company LV quoting that the average UK worker will change employer every five years, Jodie speaks on why she has decided to stay at NUH “I think personally it’s the flexibility, the development and the team. Even though I am not in a patient facing role, our role in recruitment is to get the best staff in to deliver great patient care which for me is a more rewarding line of recruitment work, helping a wider organisation.”

Back in 2011, Jodie embarked on an apprenticeship in Business Administration at NUH that she said “would give me the opportunity to continue learning whilst getting work experience”. Jodie was one of 13 young people that took part in the Trust’s apprenticeship scheme in 2011/12 of which she also featured in the NUH Newspaper to promote her role as a new NUH apprentice. Now over a decade later, Jodie is Deputy Head of Resourcing and manages a team of over 50 people at Trust HQ. Jodie reflects on how her apprenticeship opened her up to a breadth of different roles within the NUH. “I started my apprenticeship within the Human Resources (HR) Operations Team. I did a day in each HR Team which included the recruitment team, the equality and diversity team and the HR Ops team. I also worked on reception for recruitment which is where I got my experience to apply for my next role as a HR Administrator within the team.”

12 years later, there is now a variety of different apprenticeships released throughout the year across the trust, with a staggering 274 new apprenticeship starters at NUH within the last financial year.

Within each team she has worked in, Jodie spoke of her desire to learn a bit more in each role, “if there was different task in another department that I could pick up and to gain more experience, I always said yes as this has helped me get to where I am today. I have practically done every job in recruitment, so understanding each job and its responsibilities has been invaluable to me” she said.

“I never dread coming to work, I have loved all the jobs I have undertaken and I have had such good opportunities to progress myself further, with great managers who have encouraged my development. This included a 10 month secondment with East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN) whilst still under NUH employment, which allowed me to explore other job roles in a different setting before starting my current role.”

My job now revolves around making sure we get the right candidates in the right place at the right time. An apprenticeship

If you are inspired by Jodie’s story, scan the QR code to find out how you can become part of the next generation of talent at NUH or contact wideningparticipation@ nuh.nhs.uk. To find about careers at NUH, visit www.nuh.nhs.uk/jobs

As a staff member at NUH you get at least • 27 annual leave days plus bank holidays • Free Medilink Transport Use • Discounted £2 Hot Meals • Access to free webinars and online e-learning • Blue light card

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First look at new 24-bed Geriatric Assessment Unit The new Geriatric Assessment Unit (GAU) is a specialised 24-bed ward for older people, planned for B floor behind Costa Coffee and is being built as part of a £9.8 million investment to increase the number of beds at the QMC. These additional beds will help to improve flow out of the Emergency Department.

The GAU has been designed specifically with the older person in mind, some of whom may be frail, and will also to be a dementia-friendly space.

It is ideally located as it is close to our Emergency Department, which will ensure a smooth transfer for patients who need to be admitted to the GAU unit.

The construction of the GAU is part of a wider piece of work which looks to improve the pathway for older patients. This work aims to improve experience and health outcomes by ensuring patients have the right care at the right time and in the right place.

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£370k grant for Tomorrow’s NUH enabling works A 1,500-space multi-storey car park and other essential works to enable the redevelopment of the hospitals have moved another step closer to becoming a reality at Nottingham University Hospitals thanks to national funding.

changes proposed under the Tomorrow’s NUH programme will be subject to public consultation and while this has not yet taken place, it is important to prepare the ground through these enabling works for any future implementation.

Nottingham University Hospitals has been granted £370,000 from the New Hospital Programme to allow them to further scope and explore plans for key projects needed to prepare our hospital sites ready for the future changes proposed by the Tomorrow’s NUH programme.

He said: “This funding is vital in paving the way for the future of our hospitals because it allows us to prepare the QMC site ready for the wider Tomorrow’s NUH plans should they be approved following consultation.

Tomorrow’s NUH is in Cohort 4 of the national New Hospitals Programme and is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine the main hospital sites and look at how and where services are delivered so that they are more joined up and accessible.

“We know that any redevelopment on the QMC site will require us to have the space to be able to build new facilities and these inevitably will need to be constructed on existing car parks, and therefore we are going to continue to progress our plans for the 1,500 space multi-story car park so we are ready to proceed.

Philip Britt, Programme Director for Tomorrow’s NUH, explained that any

“We will also start to work with National Grid to make sure the power supply to

both our sites meets the future needs of our staff and patients.”

Part of the £370,000 will be used to update the outline business case for the 1,500-space multi-storey car park to reflect the predicted number of vehicles needing to use it, the number of electric vehicle charging spaces and other changes to the QMC site. This car park is essential for the delivery of the Tomorrow’s NUH Programme as it will free up two ground level car parks to enable the potential construction of new clinical facilities, should they be approved following consultation.

In addition, the £370,000 will help to fund technical assessments with the National Grid and develop a business case to ensure that the power supply infrastructure will meet the needs of the Tomorrow’s NUH programme at both sites.

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National Rehabilitation Centre gets green light For the first time, the UK will have a ‘National Rehabilitation Centre’ (NRC) following Government approval for the £105million plans.

Approval by HM Treasury means work on the site (near Loughborough in the East Midlands) can now start in earnest, creating a 70-bed, purpose-built and highly energy efficient new facility as part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme. The specialist NHS facility will be built on the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate, already home to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre which opened in 2018.

Combining patient care delivered by staff from Nottingham University Hospitals with research, innovation and training, the centre’s objective is to act as the National hub to transform how people recover and regain fitness and function following serious injury or illness, and to widen access to rehabilitation beds.

The unique opportunity to pioneer innovative new approaches to rehabilitation, including new technologies, with real time feedback from clinicians and patients, is a clinical model that it is hoped will be rolled out across the country. This will be enabled not least via an academic partnership led by the University of Nottingham and Loughborough University.

The fundamental purpose of the NRC is to enable better outcomes for people who have been seriously injured or experienced debilitating illness, and the construction of the centre aims to be completed by the end of 2024.

Miriam Duffy, NRC Programme Director at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The National Rehabilitation Centre will transform how we provide clinical rehabilitation in this country. This long overdue centre will push the boundaries of rehabilitation for the next generation and bring real impact in terms of helping people to realise their full potential following injury or illness.”

24 28

NUH partners with E.ON to deliver net zero aims A new Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) heating and cooling system is expected to cut CO2 emissions by around 10,000 tonnes a year– the equivalent of taking more than 2,200 cars off the road.

We are partnering with E.ON to deliver a 15-year energy efficiency programme that will help us deliver our ambitious environmental targets and improve staff and patient comfort.

Work has begun on major works to renovate the energy systems and reduce emissions at our QMC site in Nottingham, including installing a renewable geothermal heating and cooling system, as well as new energy saving windows and smarter building controls.

At the heart of the initiative will be a new £15 million energy centre providing low carbon heating and cooling to the QMC. Built and operated by E.ON, the new energy centre will house four high-efficiency heat pumps that extract heat from the air and will also draw from the natural warmth of the earth. To do that, 64 boreholes descending up to 250 metres (the length of seven Nottingham trams end-to-end) under the ground will provide the hospital with a sustainable low carbon energy source.

The project, costing a total of £65 million, is expected to cut QMC’s carbon emissions by 10,000 tonnes of CO2 or 30% a year initially, increasing to around 43% once the current gas-fired heating system is decommissioned.

We are the largest recipient of funding from Phase 3 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, initiated by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Salix Finance. The programme is being facilitated by the Carbon and Energy Fund (CEF) which manages complex energy infrastructure upgrades for the NHS.

Anthony May, Chief Executive of NUH, said: “This partnership demonstrates our significant commitment to environmental sustainability and offers a creative solution to meeting our energy needs and tackling climate change, while at the same time improving patient and staff comfort by allowing us to better manage temperatures within our buildings.

“Innovative projects like these will play a hugely important role in helping us meet our ambitious goal of achieving a net zero carbon operation for heating and cooling system emissions by 2040.”

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Refurbishments

estimating@pacy-wheatley.co.uk

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Sheffield Children’s Hospital Refurbishment

Client: Sheffield Children’s Hospital Sector: Healthcare Type: Refurbishment Procurement Method: Tender Location: Sheffield Project Value: £3.5 million

Project Description:

A 12-month refurbishment project of Ward 6 at the Sheffield Children’s Hospital creating a newly transformed Cancer and Leukaemia ward. This involved a complete strip out taking the building back to a concrete shell. We also built an extension at the back of the ward to form new doctor office with kitchens and places for the staff to relax on their breaks, In the new ward area we created ensuite bespoke bedrooms, interactive playrooms, school rooms and more for the children, to make the stay as comfortable as possible. Around the back of the hospital in between 3 building we manufactured and installed a steel mezzanine plant deck at roof level, on this 2 new AHU and 2 new chillers were built servicing all ward 6 and the ED department sending fresh filtered air in the ensuites.

Our works included new mechanical and electrical installations, new partitioning and ceilings, replacement of all external windows on the entire hospital and roof coverings, all the joinery in the bedrooms was bespoke making the new rooms bright and welcoming, it is now a more comfortable place to stay.

The Solution:

Working a tricky shaped building can sometimes cause problems, luckily our teams knew how to solve problems quickly so as not to cause any hold ups. Biggest issue was the size of the void above the ceiling and fitting the vast ducts up there whilst also getting electrics and pipe work underneath, all the teams working hand in hand, so they all had enough space.

The design and build steel plant deck at roof level connects to three different building on four different elevations.

The steel had to be crane lifted over the roof of the main hospital building and assembled from a crash deck in the void between all four buildings. This deck had to be designed and installed in phases this was subject to road closure restrictions to the main road in front of the hospital and the installation was completed while operations continued in all four of the adjacent hospital buildings.

Testimonial:

Project was very successful, work was done to the scheduled program and completed with respect to the hospital’s requirements. A safe and welcoming safe space was created for the children, along with quiet and calming space for the parents and staff.

01302 760 843

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