January - February 2025
InTouch
New hospital Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) Innovation event
Dear
It is with a heavy heart that I let you know that I will be leaving PAHT on 28 March.
I have immensely enjoyed my time as chair of the Trust Board and it has been wonderful to meet many of you since I joined in September 2021
I have so many memories and some sad ones as well. From my first visit ages before I was appointed as chair when a lovely healthcare assistant (HCA) found me lost in our corridors and stopped to make sure I was OK and could find my way to where I was going, your care and compassion has made every contact a pleasure.
I have felt very lucky to be part of our amazing journey of improvement and to get to know so many colleagues and patients. It has been like being part of a very special community of people who put patients at the heart every day. I would like to thank you all for welcoming and working with me to strive to make PAHT an even better place for our patients and our people.
I will be leaving to join Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) as their new chair from 1 April
I am delighted to be able to tell you that Darshana Bawa will take over from me as interim chair of PAHT for the next year. Lots of you will already know Darshana, she has been on the Board for four years, she is our senior independent director and chair of our People Committee. I know that she and Thom will lead the Trust forward with skill, determination and compassion. I can’t think of anyone better than them to hand over the reins to.
I will remain very much part of the NHS community in Essex and will be sure to keep in touch with you, my PAHT colleagues.
With best wishes,
Hattie Llewelyn-Davies Chair
Dear colleagues,
On behalf of all of us at PAHT, I would like to acknowledge the tremendous contribution that Hattie Llewelyn-Davies, chair, has made to our Trust Board and wider organisation since joining us in September 2021
Hattie welcomed me to PAHT in November and I am very grateful for the support and guidance she has afforded me to date. Hattie’s wisdom and experience; coupled with her kind, compassionate yet determined style has dramatically moved the organisation over the past few years into a stronger, more resilient space.
I will very much miss working with Hattie but equally can see the huge benefits she will bring to Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), one of our key system partners.
I am delighted that Darshana Bawa, currently a non-executive director and senior independent director on our Trust Board, will take on the role of interim chair once Hattie leaves on 28 March.
This allows our Board to benefit from Darshana’s leadership style and experience, whilst ensuring stability and continuity at a time of significant change for our organisation.
My sincere thanks goes to Hattie for her outstanding service to PAHT and to Darshana for stepping in to lead our Trust Board.
With best wishes,
Thom Lafferty Chief executive
New Princess Alexandra Hospital to start construction in 2032
On 20 January the Secretary of State, Wes Streeting, made an announcement on the new hospital programme, and you may be wondering what that means for PAHT.
Here’s what we know:
y We will get a new hospital – this has been confirmed and budgeted for.
y We will be in ‘wave two’ of the programme which means construction isn’t expected to start until 2032
y We have a costing allocation of £1.5-£2 billion, which is realistic given the scale of our plans and rising costs.
y We will move ahead with plans to buy the land for our new hospital.
While we are pleased at this news after years and years of hard work, delay, and waiting, nonetheless it’s hard not to feel some disappointment as it will be at least another 10 or so years until our new hospital is ready to open its doors.
Behind the headlines, our hard work on our new hospital continues. Thank you for all that you do, especially as our ageing estate continues to present significant and
ongoing challenges. You all work together remarkably to overcome these challenges to maintain high levels of care for our patients.
The announcement gives us the certainty and clarity to keep going. That feels to me like a big step forward in delivering our new hospital.
Michael Meredith Chief strategy officer
Bringing innovation to PAHT – an event for all our people
Arise Innovation Hubs and Ignite Life Science, together with our research, development, and innovation (RDI) team, are set to host an event, open to all of our people, that is dedicated to innovation on Monday (24 February), from 10am-12noon, at the lecture theatre, the Learning and Education Centre. It will include:
• A focus on current and future innovation needs at PAHT -share the challenges you face and ideas you have about innovative technologies that could make the most impact on your work.
• A number of innovative businesses will exhibit at the event to offer inspiration on new and emerging technologies within health and medical technology.
• One-to-one discussions with Dr. Imran Haq of Ignite Life Science, an Arise-commissioned consultant, who will also compile a short report based on discussions and innovation ideas throughout the day.
• An opportunity to identify one or two of the most promising innovation requests and actively pursue collaboration.
• Connect with colleagues across the organisation who are interested in innovation.
To attend, book your place via this online form (selecting one of the time slots), or simply drop in on the day.
Hospital welcomes MP to Community Diagnostic Centre
We recently welcomed a visit from Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Epping Forest, to the Community Diagnostic Centre site at St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping.
Dr Neil Hudson had the opportunity for a tour of the site, where construction work is underway, and to meet with Thom Lafferty, chief executive, Martin John, New Hospital Programme director, and the CDC project team on 14 February.
The Community Diagnostic Centre programme is part of PAHT’s plans to support quicker and more local access to diagnostic tests close to patients’ homes.
Construction work at the St Margaret’s Hospital site is progressing well, with foundations for the new build poured, and refurbishment underway in the existing building.
The CDC building is due for completion in December 2025, with the first patient planned for the following month.
There will be extended opening times and additional equipment at the St Margaret’s Hospital CDC to support the current additional capacity being provided for MRI scans, X-rays and non-obstetric (non-pregnancy) ultrasounds, including:
y Two additional computerised tomography (CT) scanners;
y Extended hours for X-rays;
y New ultrasound equipment;
y New cardiology equipment;
y New respiratory equipment;
y Relocated MRI scanner; and
y More phlebotomists to be recruited – increasing the number of blood tests that can be carried out
Additionally, as part of the CDC programme, the services provided at Herts and Essex Hospital, Bishop’s Stortford, include extended hours for ultrasound, X-ray and audiology. Additional capacity for non-obstetric (nonpregnancy) ultrasound and audiology are currently
being provided, together with additional hours for X-ray.
Thom Lafferty, chief executive, said: “I was delighted to welcome Dr Neil Hudson MP to the Community Diagnostic Centre site at St Margaret’s Hospital.
“It was an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the fantastic benefits that the CDC will bring for our patients and the asset this will be for our community.
“Thank you to everyone who is working on this important project to ensure that we can provide modern, integrated and outstanding care into the future.”
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Epping Forest, said: “It was great to tour the site of the new Community Diagnostic Centre and hear about the new stateof-the-art equipment they will have there. I am delighted that this project initiated and committed to by the previous Conservative Government is on track, and that under concerted pressure from me, the Labour Government agreed to continue this muchneeded project.
“A huge thanks to everyone working so hard to deliver this amazing centre.
“I have no doubt that the centre will hugely benefit residents of Epping Forest and beyond by easing the pressure on our local hospitals. I very much look forward to seeing the CDC once it is completed.
“However, I remain deeply concerned about the impact the delays to the rebuilds of The Princess Alexandra
Hospital in Harlow and Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone will have. I will continue advocating for urgent investment in these vital projects for my constituents.”
Pictured: Thom Lafferty, chief executive (fifth from right); Dr Neil Hudson MP (sixth from right); Martin John, New Hospital Programme director (fifth from left); and the CDC project team.
Announcing our new director of communications and engagement
As you will be aware, we have made some important changes to our executive team structure recently. This is to ensure we continue delivering on our strategic priorities effectively.
We are pleased to announce that our new director of communications and engagement, Marcel Berenblut (pictured, right), will join us on 7 April.
Marcel is currently the director of communications at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Marcel has worked in a variety of NHS settings over the past 20 years, including at West Herts Hospitals. Before that, Marcel led marketing, communications, and fundraising for a number of not-for-profit organisations.
He also has experience as a charity trustee and helped to create a new primary school, where he was a founding governor.
Marcel said: "I'm really looking forward to working with colleagues across the trust to
Thom Lafferty, chief executive, said: "I am delighted to welcome Marcel to PAHT at this exciting time as we focus on our role as an anchor institution for our community
and our vision of providing modern, integrated, and outstanding services for our patients."
Changes to executive/senior leadership team portfolio
Please note that from 1 February:
y Tom Burton took on estates and facilities, under the new title of chief financial and infrastructure officer
y Michael Meredith transitioned to chief strategy officer, with estates moving out of his portfolio
y Heather Schultz is now the director of corporate governance, aligning her title more closely with her function
y The Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) function has moved under Sharon McNally, our
Updated structure
strengthen relationships with the public and stakeholders and help position PAHT as an innovative, high-performing healthcare provider."
chief nurse and deputy chief executive’s portfolio
These updates reflect our ongoing commitment to strengthening leadership and supporting our organisational goals. Thank you for your support as we implemented these changes.
Cancer Prevention Action Week
It’s Cancer Prevention Action Week (17-23 February), a time to focus on the steps that can be taken to modify or change the risk of getting cancer.
Did you know… (source: World Cancer Research Fund)
y 1 in 10 cancers are caused by inherited genes.
y 40% of cancers are preventable if people live healthy lifestyles.
y Being overweight or obese is a cause of 12 different types of cancer.
Many cases of cancer don’t need to happen; the technical term for this is modifiable, meaning the cause of the cancer could be modified or changed.
Evidence from studies undertaken by researchers who look at cells in a laboratory suggests that around 40% of cancer cases could be prevented if people follow these recommendations and if governments create environments where it’s easier to live healthily.
Myths and rumours about what causes cancer
We have been focusing on different themes/topics from the World Cancer Research International Fund that help to dispel some myths and clarify some facts:
Organic food
y Organic farming makes use of crop rotation, environmental management and good animal husbandry
including cancer.
y Two large studies have looked at organic food consumption and cancer risk. The Million Women Study, a large study of UK women, showed in 2014 little or no decrease in the incidence of cancer associated with consumption of organic food.
y A study published in 2018 in a large group of French adults showed that people who had more organic foods, more often, in their diets, had a lower risk of several types of cancer.
y However, this is a single study and due to its design, it is not possible to be sure that the organic food was causing the lower risk of cancer. There may be other factors, such as income, which influence the results.
y There is currently limited evidence to suggest that organic foods may offer added protection against cancer compared to conventionally grown produce. Choosing fresh, frozen, canned, conventional or organic produce does not affect your cancer risk.
Remember: Not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight by having a balanced diet and keeping active, are the most effective ways to reduce your cancer risk.
View the World Cancer Research Fund International interactive cancer risk matrix, and discover more about how diet, nutrition and physical activity affect cancer risk.
to control pests and diseases. This means that there are limited additives used in organic food production.
y Processed organic foods use ingredients that are produced organically, and for a food to be certified organic, at least 95% of the food must be made up of organic ingredients.
y There are many different reasons why consumers choose to buy organic food, such as concern for the environment and animal welfare. Consumers may also choose to buy organic food because they believe it is safer and more nutritious than other food, and that artificial fertilisers and pesticides may increase the risk of some diseases,
Procurement Act go live
The new Procurement Act will go live on Monday (24 February) It is important that you contact the procurement team as soon as possible if you have any urgent waiver requests. They will aim to process waivers under the current regulations and using existing forms.
From next week, direct awards (formerly known as waivers) will only have limited reasons that can be used to justify above-threshold waivers and will have details published and a standstill period.
During this time, no contract can be signed. There will also be the risk of a supplier challenge, which will mean the requirements cannot proceed until this is resolved.
What this means is that processes will take longer, retrospective waivers will no longer be possible, and there is a risk of challenge before we can contract for above-threshold waivers (direct awards).
Our procurement team are here to help navigate these changes. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Svetlana Opacic, associate director for non-clinical procurement, at s.opacic@nhs.net
Our patients said...
"We recently attended the maternity unit for the birth of our daughter. We had a brilliant experience from start to finish. All the staff we met were very helpful and knowledgeable. They went above and beyond to assist us in this new experience for us."
Two weeks left to complete appraisals – is yours still overdue?
Please remember that all outstanding PAHT 2024-25 appraisals must be finalised by 28 February 2025
Appraisers must ensure they complete this Microsoft form so that the organisational development (OD) partners can update records accordingly on TiMS.
Everything you need is on AlexNet, or you can schedule a 1:1 with the OD partners by emailing paht.odpartners@nhs.net.
Managers are also advised to double-check their teams are correct on ESR (and therefore TiMS) to ensure compliance records are accurate. Please contact the people information team with any ESR queries at paht.peopleinformation@nhs.net.
"I fell and broke my wrist. The service I got was amazing. The staff were brilliant and very professional. The treatment I received was second to none, the staff were so calm and lovely, putting me at ease."
A further reminder that medical and dental employees who use the Clarity system are not currently required to complete a PAHT appraisal.
Watch this space for an update on 2025-26 appraisals…
The winner of the PAH charity staff raffle is…
Congratulations to Shelley Stubbs, a complex booker for endoscopy, who was the lucky winner of our staff raffle and two hospitality tickets to the England V Scotland, Guinness Six Nations Rugby this weekend (22 February).
"My appointment with the cardiologist at Herts and Essex Hospital was a calm, comfortable and enjoyable experience. Various staff members showed kindness and help with my mobility issues, with readiness and humour.
"Then I had a kind consultation with help and explanation of issues and reassurance. I left feeling gratitude and happiness. Thank you."
She was so happy to find out she had won, as her and her husband are hardcore rugby fans. She broke the good news to her husband during their Valentine’s Day dinner. Shelley (pictured right) presented her winning raffle ticket and collected the hospitality tickets from Ruth Thursfield (pictured left), charity assistant, at the hospital today (20 February). Thank you to everyone who took part in the raffle. A total of 236 tickets were sold, and with some extra donations, an amazing £1,185 was raised for the PAH charity.
About the PAH charity
The charity’s mission is to enhance the experience of patients, our people and visitors, being cared for and working at PAHT. They provide supplementary support that is beyond the scope of the NHS, for example enhancing patient care, purchasing special equipment, improving facilities and investing in vital research. There are a number of charitable funds within the charity, supporting specific wards and departments. There’s also a general charitable fund, which staff can apply to, that supports projects across the hospital to benefit our patients and our people. If you have any fundraising ideas to raise money for the charity, or want to apply for funding, please email Natalie Tarrant, head of charity, and Ruth Thursfield, charity assistant, for further information at paht.fundraising@nhs.net
Welcome to our new #PAHTPeople
Since 1 January, 85 new #PAHTPeople have joined us:
Ali Abbasi
Noha Abdelzaher
Saira Banu Adbul
Hakkim
Oluwaseun
Adeniwura
Faye Mary Agpalo
Joyce Evon
Alduhesa
Ahmed Alhussni
Islam Ali
Anshu Anshu
Bridget Anum
Naheemat Ayofe
Ana Flávia
Azevedo Querichelli
Rosalinda Bacciu
Susan BahbouhKennard
Nargiza Baltayeva
Charmane
Barnaby
Amy Barnes
Denni Leigh Barron
Rachael Benson
Georgina Buchan
Leigh-Ann
Burbridge
Kayan Campbell
Nolan Castillo
Craig Church
Nikhila Cleetus
Jhon Manuel
Crescini
Luchia Crush
Stephen Daly
Sam Daniels
Aarathi Devi
Venhur Domingo
Nicoleta Dorneanu
Ihuoma Emenike
Grace Evans
Yolanda Fernandes
Brook Ferridge
Sheriff Folorunso
Grazyna Franklin
Jewel Gamueda
Jenitta Gnana
Pragasam
Ahmed Hashish
Luke Hoskins
Sara Howard
Naomi Hurlock
Liam Inglis
Godagedara
Jayawardhana
Oluwarotimi Jimbola
Hassan Khan
Lana Lewington
Katie Logan
Dilip Mathew
Emma McGlone
Emma Mcallister
Shahid Saeed Mian
Marian Michael
Nadia Mohammed
Carol Muir
Aghogho Ofurhie
Omotunde Ogunjimi
Olusola Oladoyinbo
Philip Owusu-Antwi
Dorji Penjor
Mireya Ponce Bao
Aila Rabelas
Reema Rahman
Sara Rajput
Teresa Rann
Danielle Reid
Branson Reji
Hira Saleem
Ana Scott
Shejin Shaji Mathew
Thomas Silkstone
Daniel Sinclair
Matilda Smith
Damilola Sulaimon
Juliya Sunny
Helly Suthar
Tintu Varghese
Ellie Walker
Hui Wang
Charlotte White
Luke Whiting
Daone Williams
Clare Wootten
In this time, 76 people have left PAHT - thank you for supporting our patients and our people.