Patient Panel Annual Report - 2020/21

Annual Report The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

2020-21

The NHS Constitution You have the right to be involved, directly or through representatives, in the planning of healthcare services commissioned by NHS bodies, the development and consideration of proposals for changes in the way those services are provided, and in decisions to be made affecting the operation of those services.

The NHS belongs to the people It is there to improve our health and wellbeing, supporting us to keep mentally and physically well, to get better when we are ill and, when we cannot fully recover, to stay as well as we can to the end of our lives. It works at the limits of science – bringing the highest levels of human knowledge and skill to save lives and improve health. It touches our lives at times of basic human need, when care and compassion are what matter most.

Patient panel – terms of reference The Patient Panel is made up of a group of volunteers who represent patients of PAHT, families and carers.

We’re passionate about PAHT being an outstanding provider of services for the people of the area it serves.

We identify means of improving the patient experience at PAHT, encourage their application, and represent patients’ interests in all areas of the trust.

Patient panel – what we do Panel members monitor the operation and standard of services across the trust by: receiving presentations each month from clinical teams; providing wide-ranging advice and assistance to many projects, departments and sites; serving as the voice of the patient and as a critical friend of the trust; by serving on operational and strategic committees, specific projects, etc.

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Introduction Who would have thought when you received and read the 2019/2020 Annual Report that the unprecedented times that we discussed in that report would still be as impactful 18 months later?

Despite the pandemic, the patient panel is as active as ever as we continue with our usual activities – albeit most of the meetings and planning sessions being carried out over Zoom or Teams.

This year we have been involved in assessments in both A&E and the Adult Assessment Unit (AAU), we have delivered a cancer conference as well as a diabetes conference – each was very well attended, either virtually or in person.

Diane, as my vice chair, has been actively involved with the digital senate – PAHT team members, led

by Miss Helen Pardoe (PAHT consultant), who are looking at the way forward as we move towards paper light systems, virtual appointments, electronic patient records, wayfinding apps, etc.

We were involved in discussions regarding the future development of the new hospital with Deloitte, with a focus on promoting environmental sustainability.

That clearly is the ethos of the PAHT board. We were interviewed by the CQC as part of their 2021 inspection of the hospital and their findings are referenced below.

We dedicate this year’s report to all of The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) staff who have continued to work throughout this pandemic (and those who are no longer with us), and who have the patients’ safety and care at the forefront of all that they do.

On behalf of the patient panel – thank you Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust teams.

Ann Nutt

chair of the patient panel

4

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

OUTSTANDING PRACTICE The trust’s patient panel was the only model of its kind regionally.

The patient’s panel was a voluntary group whose main objective was to provide support for patients and their relatives/carers. The panel received funding from the trust to ensure that patients’ voices were heard.

2021 CQC inspection report

Future events

If you are interested in joining the patient panel, which is an autonomous group acting as a ‘critical friend’ for all of our patients at PAHT, please contact Ann Nutt:

07932 524505 paht.patient.panel@nhs.net

Patient panel away day • March 2022 Public event to meet ED team • April 2022 Afternoon tea for patients • July 2022 PAHT annual general meeting • September 2022 Patient panel annual conference • October 2022 Volunteers’ Christmas party • December 2022

5

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Foreword As the newly appointed chair of The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) I am really pleased and proud that the first thing I have written in my new role is this piece for the trust’s amazing patient panel. I know and am very clear about the benefit their input has on the trust and the importance of its role in helping us to make sure that patients are at the heart of all our decisions.

All NHS trusts have a board of directors that are made up of the most senior staff in the organisation and a group of people from outside the organisation with skills like accountancy. Together, it’s our job to be responsible for setting the direction for the organisation, ensuring it is performing well and holding the organisation to account for the services it provides. That means that over and above meetings we are part of, we also can be seen out and about on all our sites, meeting people, seeing how things are working on the ground, meeting with all our external partners and working with them to provide an integrated service for the people of Harlow and the surrounding area. Our board meetings are open to the public, so please drop in on one (they are virtual at the moment) and see what we do.

The last eighteen months have been incredibly tough for everyone, including our people and our patients.

I know it has put enormous pressures on everyone in so many different ways. It has also meant that we have all had to learn new ways to do things, which

6

can be difficult and frustrating at times. I would like to thank all our patients and our local community for the amazing support that you have shown us during this period of time. It has made so much difference to everyone at PAHT to know how important the trust is to you all. It will take a little while to return to the levels of service we had before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but we are working incredibly hard to do this. I hope you will be patient while we do this.

I am really looking forward to working with the patient panel and learning more about their experiences and their views on our services. I know we will be a better organisation with their help and input.

Hattie LlewelynDavies PAHT chair

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Welcome Hello, my name is Sharon McNally. I am so proud to be our director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals (DoN) and, since September 2020, also privileged to be the deputy chief executive at the hospital.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the annual report. What does a DoN role undertake within an organisation?

Fundamentally, at the core of my role I provide leadership and am professionally responsible for the nurses, midwifes and allied health professionals that work with us. My portfolio also includes executive leadership and responsibility on behalf of the board for the chaplaincy service, the vulnerable people that use our service (mental health, learning disability and dementia) and safeguarding, harm free care (falls and pressure ulcers), infection prevention and control (IPC) and patient experience (including our complaints and PALs service). Along with our medical director (Dr Fay Gilder) I also have responsibility for the quality and safety of our services and the care we deliver, of which all the elements above are key contributors. My role has the patient at the heart; it is about delivering safe and compassionate care to the patients that we serve. As such, my role is so very closely entwined with the purpose of our patient panel who support the improvement of patient experience, services and represent those that we are here to serve.

Representing the voice of our patients and our community, the patient panel offers us a wonderful

opportunity to work in partnership. A supportive, valuable, critical friend – which genuinely supports and enhances my role.

I would like to offer a sincere and heartfelt thank you to all the amazing volunteers that work and support the patient panel. The last year has been challenging in so many ways and we have needed to be adaptable, work differently and throughout this those golden threads of the panel – support, constructive challenge, advice and much needed praise for our people has been so very tangible.

Thank you, you are truly amazing. I am delighted that your service has been recognised by the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services.

Sharon McNally

director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals and deputy chief executive

7

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Patient experience team During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the patient experience team learned how to manage their workload from home and how we can deliver exceptional care ‘virtually’, ensuring this new way of working doesn’t impact on our patients, their carers and loved ones.

In March 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement endorsed a three month pause on all complaints due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to enable hospital trusts to focus on clinical care. The patient experience team contacted all patients/complainants who made a new complaint during this time or had an existing complaint with The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) apologising for any delays in responding to their concern.

Taking the these measures into consideration, since 20 March 2020, the patient experience team logged: 303 formal complaints

On 24 March 2021, we held our first ‘In Your Shoes’ virtual workshop. The workshop was delivered online which allowed patients to have their say about how their experience of care could have been delivered differently or how our services could be delivered in the future. The focus of the workshop is to share the learning and improve services in order to improve a level of safe, quality care and how we work collaboratively with our patients to achieve this.

‘My Story’ at trust board continued virtually during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with families sharing their story with our executives and nonexecutives. ‘My Story’ gives our patients and their families the opportunity to share their complaints and what could have been done differently. The healthcare group are given the opportunity to share with the family and board any actions identified from the family’s complaint and shared learning to prevent this happening to another family.

4932 PALS enquiries 1329 compliments Patient property was quickly identified as an area for concern during the first wave, with patients and their loved ones being parted from their most treasured belongings. A patient belongings steering group was implemented, chaired by the head of patient experience and 356 families were reunited with misplaced possessions.

8

Kerry Riches

head of patient experience and the patient experience team

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Parents of children with additional needs Late last year the patient panel met with a group of parents that have children with additional needs. At this meeting we heard about their frustration and the stress both they and their children have on visiting the hospital.

This led to us inviting Victoria Kerr, a parent, to join the patient panel and make sure that their voices are heard in the planning and delivery of services.

So far, we have arranged for Victoria to meet the associate director of nursing for outpatients and the radiology department, where they will work together to better understand how the experience of their departments can be more family focused.

Victoria has also prepared a leaflet about blood testing that has now gone live for parents. We have also produced comfort bags for parents who are staying overnight with their child.

Victoria Kerr

9

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Diabetes conference 2021 – third time lucky Since its inception eight years ago, the patient panel has organised some acclaimed conferences ranging from discharge issues to end of life care provision.

In late 2019, it was decided to devote the next conference to diabetic services. Members of the patient panel had attended the hospital 10-year planning session and were also very aware that the demands on the service were constantly increasing.

Raising awareness of this serious condition was seen as an important part of our function as patients’ representatives.

A date was set and much planning took place but our hopes for fruition were dashed by the arrival of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Unfortunately, the conference was delayed and then rearranged again for many months later, so we are truly thankful for the resilience and patience of our supporters and speakers.

We were determined to have a real conference with actual attendees and were delighted to host it in early July 2021 at the beautiful study barn in Harlow.

This was spacious and airy, so perfect for restrictions which were still in place.

Positive outcomes of the delay were that we were able to reference the centenary of discovery of insulin and the recent WHO declaration that diabetes is a pandemic which must be controlled at a global level by as many resources as possible. We were also able to devote much time to the conference brochure

10

which contained very interesting material including an article by the Commons Speaker Sir Lyndsay Hoyle who described his shock at becoming a type 1 diabetic recently.

We were fortunate to have two acclaimed guest speakers – Professor Roman Hovorka, who is credited with completing the artificial pancreas system and Lane Desborough, a tech guru working in California.

Roman inspired us with his passion for technology and the relief and reassurance it offers users. His time is very precious so we were delighted he joined us to share his expertise.

Lane has a personal commitment to the treatment of diabetes and has brought much innovation to the market place in recent years. We had serious envy of his poolside office under the Californian sun.

A contingent of year 12 students from a local college attended and their questions and responses generally indicated that they valued the experience as a rare learning opportunity. We hope to use their youthful enthusiasm in other areas in the future.

Remote attendees were also impressed by the progress and optimism related to diabetes treatment currently.

As a sufferer myself, I was able to offer a perspective on the day-to-day management of the condition. This was very well received and we hope to develop the personal experience element further in our ongoing support for patients and families.

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

A direct result of the conference is our determination to raise awareness of the many challenges of diabetes. If the condition is well managed, debilitating side-effects should be avoided which has cost saving benefits for the NHS. The patient panel would like this to be an ongoing project and with the cooperation of the diabetic team, have much innovation in the pipeline. We are hoping to contribute to a new and much improved service in anticipation of a state-of-the-art department at the new hospital.

Our thanks go to Integrated Care Services who sponsored this event.

Diane DeaneBowers

‘While I was annoyed at first that I had diabetes, it is now as much a part of my routine as cleaning my teeth.’

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons

Someone is diagnosed with diabetes every two minutes*.

vice-chair/complaints assurance lead/ digital senate representative

* www.diabetes.org.uk

11

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Hospital sanctuary reopens The sanctuary area of The Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) has been fully refurbished. There has been considerable growth in the use of the facility in recent years and updating the facility had long been identified as essential, so that PAH could provide an accessible and a well-resourced space for the religious and spiritual wellbeing of staff, patients, and families.

The refurbishment now provides a high-quality multifaith facility: There is a sanctuary area – a beautiful space featuring a stunning light wall that is open to all for prayer, reflection or simply to be still and quiet.

There is a prayer room with separate washing facilities for male and female colleagues.

The facility is flexible with a partition between the sanctuary and prayer area that can be moved to provide a larger area as required.

Andrew Stuttle

readers’ panel/ complaints team/PSQ

12

There is also an adjoining and comfortable quiet room, which can be used for private pastoral conversations.

To enable the chaplaincy team to be more accessible, there is also office space.

The sanctuary was reopened on 23 December 2020 and rededicated on 24 March 2021 with faith representatives, members of staff and volunteers in attendance.

This wonderful area is open to all for prayer, reflection or just to sit and find a moment of calm.

Please remember to adhere to social distancing when visiting the sanctuary. The chaplaincy team can be contacted on extension 3407 (or via the switchboard 24/7 if urgent).

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Medication delivery to the community John Biddulph, chief pharmacist We would like to thank everyone at Epping Forest and Harlow Community Transport (EFCT) for all their help and support since the last week in March 2020.

All of the people involved, drivers and administrators, have helped the pharmacy and chemotherapy unit to support our cancer and some paediatric patients during the pandemic. Over the last year, they have worked tirelessly to deliver oral chemotherapy medication to the homes of these patients. On average, they delivered to nine patients a day, which has meant they have completed around 2,520 deliveries since March 2020. The patients have not had to attend the hospital, which has been a huge support and so important for them at, often, the most vulnerable time in their lives.

recently, going back more than once to a patient who has not been in.

It would have been impossible for us to provide the delivery service without the EFCT team. We are sad the service is coming to an end, but are so grateful to everyone involved. We would like to send the team our heartfelt thanks; from the pharmacy, nursing and medical staff and, most importantly, the patients.

The EFCT team are always kind and cheerful and have a smile for everyone. We have really appreciated their smiles in pharmacy, giving us a boost in the middle of our day. The patients have also really appreciated that. The team have gone above and beyond what has been expected of them, by: going out of the EFCT area regularly (including Romford, North London, Barnet, Great Dunmow, as well as many places in Hertfordshire; completing the deliveries, sometimes after 7pm despite several unexpected problems (a puncture, broken-down bus and traffic delays);

13

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Older Persons Assessment and Liaison Unit (OPAL Ann Nutt and I had the pleasure (and honour) to meet with Janice Bernardo, Frailty Lead and it would appear she is the brains and the drive behind the magnificent OPAL unit.

Janice Bernardo

The OPAL unit provides day stay assessment for older people who are frail. Although the majority of the patients were referred from the emergency department (ED), the unit also received direct referrals from the GP, paramedics and community specialist teams, completely bypassing ED. The environment is dementia-friendly with a carefully chosen bright colour scheme and stunning murals providing calm, uplifting and friendly space, especially for those with cognitive impairments. To facilitate patient orientation to time and space, bed spaces were individually designed, room

14

doors were labelled and colour coded.

Restricted areas are painted the same as the walls and rails and bumpers are installed on long corridors assisting mobility to ensure safety of patients wandering around. Also, dementia clocks and orientation boards are widely used in this unit. The team uses digital technology (interactive projector, iPads, etc) and has a dedicated gym to encourage their patients to get involved in meaningful activities and provide suitable space for confidential patient/ family meetings, cognitive or mental health assessment to support timely discharge. The unit has a direct access door for those arriving from GP and paramedic referrals to prevent anxiety from entering via the emergency department.

On our visit, we noticed that patients are encouraged to sit and wear their own clothes which reassures them and gives everyone a mindset that patients are aiming to go home when safe to do so.

The OPAL team is a m team of a consultant doctors in training, n a social worker, a pha staff and administrati comprehensive geriat crisis intervention. Th use the voluntary sec discharges and after d checks. The team exp service is like a one-st The unit is equipp computers s the pati assess pati all

E se m th pr on the right right ti possible cr and avoids unn from the moving equ important for their co with dementia or del

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

L)

multi-professional geriatrician, nurses, therapists, armacist, support ive staff providing tric assessment and he team also widely ctors to support discharge welfare plained that the top shop MOT. ped with mobile so they can sit with ient whilst doing sments, putting the ient at the centre of l the team are doing.

Each bed has eparate wallmounted monitors, hermometers, blood ressure cuffs etc. Not nly does this ensure e team have the t equipment at the me, it also reduces ross contamination necessary noise uipment which is ohort of patients lirium.

Janice continuously seeks feedback from patients and their family, staff and other service users to further improve the experience of all visiting the OPAL unit. The team is also introducing a clear and easily readable staff name badge and planning for all their main doors to have a decoy, to distract patients who may wander from heading to the outside of the unit unnecessarily. This will support the patients to be able to move around in the unit as well as support the team in maintaining patient safety and promote use of non-pharmacological strategies in management of dementia and delirium. The team has also proposed the recruitment of support staff who will champion hydration and nutrition for their patients.

Jacqueline Jackson

risk management, complaints and research teams

15

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Research at the trust Chris Cook, head of research, development and innovation Summary of performance The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) continues to support its staff when undertaking research. Its main research activity is recruiting patients into high quality National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) portfolio adopted, multi-centre studies for which we receive funding from North Thames Clinical Research Network (NTCRN) hosted at Barts Health.

During 2020/2021, one commercial study and 18 academic studies had recruitments.

The final number of participants recruited for 2020/2021 being 1,337.

Research income 2020/2021 The research funding from NT CRN is primarily based on the previous year’s research activity, targeted investment and an allowance for research data management.

Research capability funding (RCF) PAHT received RCF of £20,000 for achieving the recruitment of patients in excess of 500 between October 2019 and October 2020.

Commercial activity The trust continues to work directly with various pharmaceutical companies, including Roche, Pfizer, Gilead and GSK as well as closely with IQVIA and PRA Health Sciences – both clinical research organisations.

16

Only one commercial study had recruitment in the last 12 months, compared to six for the previous financial year. This reduction is due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Year end recruitment performance The final number of patients recruited into research for the last financial year was 1,337.

This year’s recruitment was high primarily due to urgent public health studies.

We are delighted to have patient panel members attending all our meetings.

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Patient panel receives Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services (QAVS) Ann Nutt, chair of the patient panel In the summer of 2019, Ann Nutt and Diane DeaneBowers invited members of the patient panel (PP) to meet Lady Rosemary Ruggles-Brise DL to discuss the role of the PP at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT), as we were one of many groups across the region who had been recognised for their voluntary contributions.

Ann and Diane presented paperwork relating to the work that the PP do to support PAHT, plus each panel member was asked to give a brief update of the work groups that they are involved in. The meeting/ interview lasted about two hours and we were told that if we were chosen for this prestigious award that the ceremony would be in July 2020.

The patient panel at Down Hall Please note that relevant COVID guidance was in place for this event.

Little did we know then on that sunny afternoon in the communications team meeting room, how very different things would be in 2020.

The great news was shared that we had been chosen to receive The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – which I know gave us all a boost. However, the decision was made that rather than have a Zoom presentation, we would wait until we could all meet in person.

So on Tuesday, 20 July 2021, we met at Down Hall Hotel, for an amazing reception and presentation – members of the PAHT team who had worked very closely with us also attended with four teams being given honorary awards for the work that

17

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

they (and their teams) do to support the patient panel, these included: the Harlow Hospital Radio team, Chris Cook (research, development and innovation), Karen Abraham (graphic design) and Robbie Ayers (Quality First).

Lance McCarthy (CEO) thanked the patient panel for their support as well as all PAHT volunteers who support the hospital, before handing over to Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Essex, who gave each member of the patient panel a Queen’s Award medal.

She also awarded the team an engraved glass obelisk and a citation signed by Her Majesty, which cited the reasons the award had been made.

Sadly, a number of the patient panel could not attend, but Ann made sure that the rest of the team received their medals in the post. Hopefully we will all soon be able to meet in person and wear our awards with pride. Our thanks go to Down Hall Hotel for giving us the venue for free.

As a footnote, it is worth mentioning that Ann Nutt is one of the few people who have received the award twice – the first time linked to her work with the Scouts (wow, now that Ceremony is impressive). at Chelmsford Cathedral

Please note that relevant COVID guidance was in place for this event.

18

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

One Step at a Time cancer group Emma Harnett, education and workforce nurse lead/Macmillan primary care nurse

facilitator, WECCG

In February 2020, just before lockdown, I met Ann Nutt, for a coffee at the Harlow Leisure Zone. The aim of the meeting was to make contact, network and see how we might work collaboratively. As the newly appointed Macmillan primary care nurse facilitator for west Essex, I was keen to work with Ann, knowing that she was a real advocate for patient representation. What transpired was a shared passion to better support and promote the patient voice.

A conversation around a shared experience of cancer was the catalyst to a further meeting with Shahid Sardar, whose expertise in patient engagement would prove to be invaluable. For one hour, once a week, the three of us met online and our ideas of patient information – by patients, for patients – became a reality. We produced four films, one of which was translated into five languages, to address health inequalities in our locality.

Reviewing the feedback from the cancer conference of 2018 and the National Cancer Survey, gave us a baseline with which to work on. Having listened to our lived experience patient partners, we used their voice to help shape our project. The idea of the name came from needing to take one day or one step at a time, when going through a cancer diagnosis.

We launched the One Step at a Time project, known as OSAAT in October 2020. Since then, our work has been viewed and promoted by the East of England

Cancer Alliance, Herts and West Essex ICS, Mid and South Essex CCG Anglia Ruskin University and Macmillan to name but a few.

It is our vision that all patients with cancer in Herts and west Essex will have access to supportive information, written from the patient’s perspective.

Cancer has no respect for age, gender or ethnicity. It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you do, nothing can prepare you for being diagnosed with cancer.

The key to getting through it is the support that you receive along your cancer journey.

We were keen to engage our cancer patients, especially now more than ever they needed our support. Next up was the cancer conference. We had an idea to run a live event and livestream over Zoom.

This took place on Wednesday, 29 September 2021.

Going forward we plan to continue working with our patient groups so that we can amplify their voice, making sure that they are at the front and centre of cancer care.

19

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Cancer conference 2021 Emma Harnett, education and workforce nurse lead/Macmillan primary care nurse

facilitator, WECCG

Our vision was simple: From the team that brought you ‘One Step at a Time’ we’re here to help you pick up the pieces and guide you through your journey. The ‘Fight Cancer with Hope’ conference aims to address those concerns, and help support with the financial, emotional and practical side of a cancer diagnosis. We have representation from the many charities, health care professionals and above all those who know best, people with lived experience of cancer.

We welcome anyone who has just been diagnosed, and those affected by cancer to attend the live/online event. Your voice and perspective will help shape cancer services of the future. Remember you are not alone, let’s do this together, one step at a time.

We are currently reviewing the feedback from the conference, what we have seen so far is that the conference was a great success. There was a real sense of community, the students at BMAT STEM academy worked with our lived experience partners, people connected, shared their own experiences and some rich and helpful information came out of the day.

Going forward we plan to continue working with our patient groups so that we can amplify their voice, making sure that they are at the front and centre of cancer care.

Our thanks go to Integrated Care Services who sponsored this event.

Emma Harnett

education and workforce nurse lead and Macmillan primary care nurse facilitator, WECCG

20

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

New hospital, new website We have been busy behind the scenes building a new website for the new hospital, with the focus on engagement rather than just the sharing of information. This site will grow as the project progresses, with more to communicate and more ways to for you to feed your ideas in.

Patients will be able to have their say through polls, surveys and direct feedback links. If you place a vote in our latest poll for example, the results are updated in real time on the site, so you see how your vote has made a difference!

The website features photos of PAHT people, taken from recent photoshoots on site. We will be using these wonderful images across our new hospital communications from the new year.

We welcome any feedback and ideas for how to make this site work for patients. And please share it amongst your networks, friends and families so we can reach as many people as possible.

website www.newpah.org email paht.newhospital@nhs.net #OurNewPAH #OurNHSBuildings

21

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Remembrance Day 2020 Reverend Gill Newman, trust chaplain The primary purpose of our Remembrance Day event at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) was to provide an opportunity for staff to remember and honour those who gave and who continue to give their lives in war in order that others may live in peace. 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. It will also be known as the year when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic first battered the lives of our communities and robbed so many of us of loved ones. As the year drew to a close in November, we knew therefore that this Remembrance Day would be especially poignant. Our own challenge was how to mark it appropriately yet safely at a time when gatherings were discouraged.

Together with the patient panel team, it was decided to organise two simultaneous events: a live ‘virtual’ event broadcast online which any member of staff could join and a short ‘actual’ act of remembrance outside the main hospital entrance attended by a few

22

representatives of the hospital and local community so that wreaths could physically be laid. Both services took place at 11am on 11 November and had at their centre the traditional Exhortation, the Last Post, the two-minute Silence and the Kohima epitaph.

Wreaths of poppies were then movingly laid at the foot of a ‘Forgotten Tommy’: the silent silhouette of a foot soldier generously provided for us by the patient panel.

The virtual service included a selection of short interviews with PAHT people explaining what Remembrance Day meant to them and some

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

beautiful images put together by the PAHT and patient panel teams. In both services, members of the executive team contributed prayers and poems.

Our 2020 remembrance services were greatly enhanced by hanging baskets of knitted poppies and stunning artificial poppies adorning the flower beds kindly donated to us by Harlow Council for which we thank them.

During the period when restrictions were eased, the chair and vice chair of the patient panel were able to spend a very productive morning decorating the hospital. Thanks to the assistance of the estates

team, various baskets were hung and poppies were planted around several entrances. There were enough poppies to decorate the numerous planters around the hospital. Tommy stood near the main entrance surrounded by poppies and the life-size statue was extremely moving. The display received much praise on the day and throughout the month.

Special thanks must go the Royal Army Medical Corp whose advice led to the purchase of books for the hospital library written by nurses who had done active service in World War I and Korea, as with the British Legion, we purchased all items from them to help with their funds.

We were delighted that the Harlow Hospital Radio team joined us at Down Hall where, after a one year delay, Lance McCarthy, PAHT chief executive, presented them with a certificate commemorating their 50th anniversary.

Please note that relevant COVID guidance was in place for this event.

23

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Throughout the year Intensive Care Unit Steps Harlow Admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) can be considered one of the most traumatic/stressful events in life. The period of recovery and rehabilitation after discharge can be protracted and often impacts a the patient’s and their family’s way of life.

Dealing with such changes and adapting to facilitate day-to-day activities can be tough.

The importance of patient support groups and peer support during this transition was identified by the critical care rehabilitation team, which led to the setting up of ICU steps Harlow on 25 October 2019.

ICU Steps Harlow is one of 24 critical care rehabilitation support groups in the country (supported by intensive care foundation and ICU Steps). The group continues to provide support for ICU survivors and families in the catchment area as well as adjoining areas in a regular basis. The group meets once a month and has successfully conducted 11 meetings till now (three face-to-face and eight virtual meetings). The meetings focus on various topics that would benefit the group towards recovery. To contact the group, you can either email icustepsharlow@yahoo.com or visit our website, https://icusteps. org/support/support-groups/ harlow. Our thanks go to the patient panel for their support.

Alisha Clark

My name is Alisha Clark and I am currently studying psychology at the university of Hertfordshire. To move on to third year I was asked to complete 120 hours of work experience as a prerequisite for a third-year project. The patient panel kindly allowed me to do my work experience with them. During my time working with Ann Nutt, Diane Deane-Bowers and Jacqueline Jackson, I have assisted with the cancer conference ‘Fight Cancer with Hope’, the follow-up diabetes conference, helped to set up a Facebook page, designed a diabetes survey and contributed to the patient panel website.

I also looked at the ongoing effects of long-term illnesses such as diabetes.

I have enjoyed my time with the patient panel; seeing what they do and how they improve patients’ overall hospital experience.

24

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Support 4 Sight at PAH Sharon Schaffer, CEO, Support 4 Sight We were delighted to meet Jaqueline and Ann (who were also receiving their award) at the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service reception at Chelmsford Cathedral on Friday, 24 September where we took the opportunity to discuss the work we do at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT).

Support 4 Sight helps people that are living with the challenges of sight loss. Our eye clinic liaison officer, Sue King, provides an essential point of contact for people newly diagnosed or living with the challenges

sight loss. It can be devastating to be told that you are going blind. Sue provides an empathic ear, an understanding of the impact of such a diagnosis, and provides emotional support, practical help, advice and guidance on the services that are available from Support 4 Sight, as well as other agencies and groups, to enable people to maintain a full and active life with sight loss. Sue also runs the weekly low vision clinics which offers magnifiers and aids to help people use their vision effectively.

Sue is at PAH every Thursday and can be contacted on 07932 729669 or sue@support4sight.org.uk

Thank you to our emergency department and intensive care unit The patient panel donated two cakes to the staff in emergency department and intensive care unit to thank them for their tireless work over the last 12 months.

25

Patient Panel Annual Report 2020-21

Collaborative lunch with the patient panel It gives me immense pleasure to write about the patient panel of our trust, led by Ann Nutt (chair) and Diane Deane-Bowers (vice-chair). My relationship with Ann, goes back a long way, even before I was elected the chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC). Over the years, our relationship strengthened further because of our common interest in improving the service provisions delivered by the trust and the communication with our local community. Our joint efforts of lobbying with the trust and the CCG for a chronic pain service came to fruition in the form of a community pain service. This service is still developing, but our local community is benefiting from it and not having to travel miles to achieve the delivery of their chronic pain service. It was Ann, who requested me to write a patient information leaflet to set to rest the mind of the anxious preoperative patients. Anxious patients waiting for the operation on the day often do not know what to expect from anaesthetics and the questions they could ask the anaesthetist on the day, when they meet them for the first time.

I, as chairman, had invited Ann to the MAC meeting in the past to learn more about the patients’ perspectives and expectations directly, rather than listening from a third person/agent. This helped our other consultant and colleagues to clarify and understand the patients’ perspectives. Similarly, I was invited to the meeting of patient panel to get across our perspectives to our local patient group. It was amazing and very refreshing to find how supportive

26

our patient panel is towards our consultants. The patient panel is helping us create a MAC award for consultants.

The current pandemic obviously took a toll on our efforts to materialise a lot of these plans. We, however, took every possible opportunity to work together and streamline our ideas over periodic special lunches arranged by Ann, Diane and Shahid Sardar (patient experience lead).

I am very lucky and proud to be working with such an active patient group, who work tirelessly to improve the service provisions and communications for the local community. Our patient panel also arranges study and information days for doctors and patients by inviting medical experts from around the world.

It is, therefore, no surprise that such a group was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2020.

Dev Dutta

medical advisory committee chair/ consultant anaesthetist

The patient panel I have developed a regional forum of the elected consultant leaders, called the Confederation of Consultant Leaders (CoCL) with the neighbouring faster than expected with currently consultant leaders of 17 NHS hospitals as members. I invited Ann and Diane to our meeting where they talked about ‘the added value of patient engagement’. The talk was very well received and it triggered interest in a wider inter-hospital collaboration of patient groups.

I am sure Ann and Diane will become even busier from now on, advising other patient groups from other NHS hospitals.

Currently, we are working on a training video locally describing how best to communicate with patients. I am sure, if we are successful with this video, it will be circulated right across other hospitals within the members of our forum.

Ann Nutt Chairperson/ Diane Deane-Bowers Quality and Vice-chairperson/ Jacqueline Safety/numerous Infection control lead/ Jackson committees Complaints assurance lead/ Risk management/ Digital senate Complaints team/ representative Research team Helen Crompton Andrew Pam Dixon Stuttle Julia Green Readers’ panel/ Sue Eggert Fred Lloyd Minute Complaints Audrey Taffs Complaints secretary Angela Weeks team/PSQ team lead Readers’ panel Mollie Quinton Cyril Cleary Victoria Kerr Pattenden Cartlidge Cancer (Barrett’s Parents of Medicine children with Nutrition lead oesophazgus) lead/ management additional needs Research team lead Frank Sumair End-of-life (committee)

Angela Weeks Falls prevention discharge

Barry Rogers Sandra Newens Mark Cancer services Chair – Organ Hamilton donation lead/ lead/Complaints Harlow College team Eye unit lead lead/Research team Khalid Javid Kieron Clegg Support 4 Sight End-of-life William Stringer Sensory Advisors (survey lead) New member

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

Patient Panel, Second Floor, Galen House, Hamstel Road, Harlow CM20 1QX Telephone: 07932 524505 Email: paht.patient.panel@nhs.net www.pah.nhs.uk