One & All - Issue 11

Issue 11 July 2016

West Cornwall Hospital

Outstanding for caring

Achieving high standards in endoscopy and bowel cancer screening Investment in facilities improves patient experience

Trust View

New Chief Executive Kathy Byrne

Happy Birthday

Royal Cornwall Hospital at 50

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CONTENTS www.rcht.nhs.uk

Editorial Communications, Bedruthan House 01872 253216 rcht.oneandall@nhs.net

Royal Cornwall Hospitals

NHS Trust

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One+all is published twice a year. Copy date for each issue is approximately six weeks before publication.

DISCLAIMER Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that adverts and articles appear correctly. Edgemoor Publishing cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the contents of this publication. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher or editor.

Cover Picture Some of the West Cornwall Hospital team celebrating their ‘outstanding’ rating for caring.

Photo by Greg Martin for The Cornishman

TRUST VIEW Kathy Byrne, Chief Executive

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Welcome

Welcome to the latest edition of One + All – our regular magazine for patients, staff, volunteers, Foundation Trust members and My View anyone with an interest in their local NHS. Iain Davidson, Chief Clinical Information Officer 5 In this edition, we are delighted to feature our West Cornwall Hospital team (front page) Trust People

who recently achieved an ‘outstanding’ rating News and views from around the Trust 6 from the Care Quality Commission for ‘caring’ with our two other main hospitals achieving a IN FOCUS ‘good’ rating for ‘caring’.

Achieving high standards in endoscopy & bowel cancer screening 8 Amongst all the challenges within the NHS right now, we continue to have some CELEBRATING SUCCESS outstanding areas of practice and award winning colleagues who feature throughout A look at some of our inspiring teams and individuals 10 this magazine.

In May, we marked the 50th year of Royal RCHT CHARITY Cornwall Hospital (page 14) and in June we Funding for radial lounge transforms care 12 held our first ever ‘Thank a Volunteer Week’ (page 18) to recognise and celebrate all those HAPPY BIRTHDAY amazing people who give their own time to Royal Cornwall Hospital At 50 14 make our NHS extra special.

We have a fantastic team at Royal BUZZ Cornwall Hospitals who work tirelessly for the community we serve and through this News from Improving Working Lives 16 publication we aim to highlight just some of the services we offer and the people who make Volunteering the NHS great.

Our first ‘Thank A Volunteer’ week 18 I hope you enjoy the magazine and thank you for your continued support.

CARE+COMPASSION

The holistic approach to cancer care

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Membership Let’s talk – engagement events success continues

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Garth Davies Associate Director, Communications at rcht.oneandall@nhs.net

My Story Stroke survivor says thank you

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What’s On and Competition Diary dates and Spot the Difference

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GET IN CORNWALL Signposting to careers in health and care

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TRUST VIEW

Kathy Byrne Kathy Byrne is the new Chief Executive of Royal Cornwall Hospitals joining the Trust in April 2016. She has a long and distinguished career as a health service Chief Executive in Australia and was formerly head of Health Support Queensland and Deputy Director General at Queensland Department of Health. Kathy has considerable experience of leading major healthcare organisations and transforming health and care systems.

What has brought you to the UK and Royal Cornwall Hospitals?

I have had an interest in working in the UK and NHS for a long while and had been looking for the right opportunity to make the move from Australia. After more than 20 years as a Chief Executive I had only two basic criteria, which were (1) to live in a nice place and (2) to work in an interesting organisation with the right ambition. I have been to the UK many times and to Cornwall several times over the years. When I decided to come for the interview I was really taken by the warmth of the people and quality of the staff and I am delighted to be here.

What have been your first impressions of Royal Cornwall Hospitals and the NHS? I have friends working in the NHS and so I knew something about the health system in England before my arrival. I did my research for the role in Cornwall and I had a reasonable understanding of the challenges. Within 2 weeks of arrival I received a comprehensive report from the Care Quality Commission following their inspection visit in January 2016.

This report was a balanced assessment

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and matched my own view of a caring organisation with some areas of outstanding practice but also some areas where we have not found the right solutions or responded with the required speed. Overall, I believe we have a great team and the right ingredients to be an outstanding organisation.

Is the health system in England very different to Australia?

There are lots of similarities between the healthcare system in England and Australia – indeed across many of the major economies in the world – including the challenges we all face in terms of rising demand, ageing population, chronic illnesses and rising expectations. In terms of the main difference, I am used to a more integrated approach to health service delivery, and in Australia there is no commissioning system and not the same level of regulation. I am finding the NHS structures quite complex although some are very sound. One of my aims is to simplify the way we work in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to focus clearly on the needs of our citizens and work across organisational boundaries. It is clear to me that we have many talented clinicians

who are extremely busy and working under immense pressure but we need to think ahead, focus on a few core priorities and work as one system to redesign a more effective delivery of the care we provide.

What is your vision for transforming local services?

I think I have come into this role at a great time. Right now, all the leaders of the main health and care organisations are working together very effectively on a five year Sustainability and Transformation Plan to improve services for the local population. This provides us with a golden opportunity to plan over five years, work as one team and involve all our partners and citizens to create a health and care system for the future that we can all be proud of. I would like to see us focus more resources on prevention and providing care outside of hospitals, ensuring people only come into hospital as a last resort.

I would also like to see better use of technology to transform care and keep people at home, independent for longer, as well as being more efficient in the way we spend public money. n

MY VIEW www.rcht.nhs.uk

e-Health lead Iain Davidson talks about technology in healthcare and the Trust’s successful bid for £2.2 million to implement ‘Scan4Safety’ Iain Davidson, is the Trust’s Chief Pharmacist and Chief Clinical Information Officer - making sure that we get maximum benefit out of new technology to provide safe and efficient services.

Iain says:

“Royal Cornwall Hospitals has an ambitious digital strategy over the next few years with some major changes planned to improve patient care and save clinical time. Systems such as e-prescribing, e-observations single sign-on and a ‘Safe Care’ staffing tool are supporting clinical teams to provide safe medication, better monitoring of patient conditions and ensure we have the right number of nurses on each ward depending on the sickness of the patients.”

One of the most significant and nationally important projects utilising information technology is called Scan4Safety to introduce new standards into healthcare that will improve patient safety, release time to care and produce significant efficiencies.

Royal Cornwall Hospitals is one of six demonstrator sites across the country who are pioneering GS1 and PEPPOL (Pan European Public Procurement Online) standards in the NHS, and earlier this year we were awarded £2.2 million from the Department of Health to implement Scan4Safety.

In simple terms, this is using scan technology for products, people and places to deliver safer and more efficient healthcare.

For example, specific products will be tracked to individual patients and clinicians to quickly identify the treatments provided or required - ranging from medicines to implants. The bar codes will also help NHS staff track how much a product is being used and by whom to help with stock ordering and the effectiveness of particular products.

The GS1 and PEPPOL standards have been used in retail and international healthcare for many years and Lord Carter’s recent report recognised that these standards are a vital part of the collaboration needed across NHS Trusts, and their suppliers, to build an effective system for looking after their supply chain, their inventory and their patients. Overall, Lord Carter estimates that hospitals across England could save an estimated £5bn by reducing unwarranted variations through changes such as the implementation of GS1 standards.

Iain Davidson who now also has a national role on the DoH GS1 project board is delighted about our successful bid for Department of Health funding to start the project here in Cornwall:

“It is great to be at the forefront of innovation in the NHS and at Royal Cornwall Hospitals we want to be leading the way in patient safety as well as spending our money more effectively. With medicines and devices there are huge benefits to linking these products to specific patients, clinicians and locations to help better manage product recalls, stock holdings and purchasing.

“The potential safety and efficiency benefits for the NHS in using GS1 and PEPPOL standards are well evidenced in other sectors and will be significant whether you are a surgeon, a pharmacist or a caterer. We are delighted that Royal Cornwall Hospitals has been chosen to be an early adopter and look forward to sharing our progress with other NHS organisations.” n For more information on GS1 in healthcare visit: www.gs1uk.org/our-industries/healthcare One+all 5

TRUST PEOPLE

CQC rates Trust as ‘requiring improvement’ The Care Quality Commission published its report on its inspection of our hospitals carried out in January this year, giving the Trust an overall rating of ‘requires improvement.’ Within the report the care provided by everyone at our hospitals was rated as ‘good’ overall and ‘outstanding’ at West Cornwall Hospital specifically.

The report highlights important areas where we have not made enough progress as well as new areas to improve.

Looking to our next steps, RCHT Chief Executive Kathy Byrne said, “Going forward we need strong, capable leadership right throughout our organisation and in the wider health and social care system to

‘Outstanding’ for caring The team at West Cornwall Hospital was delighted to receive an ‘outstanding’ rating for care from the Care Quality Commission.

Inspectors visited the hospital in January this year, rating the hospital as ‘good’ overall but highlighting the standard of caring.

Chief Executive Kathy Byrne said, “I am delighted by the patient comments that are provided in the report and the recognition that our staff throughout the Trust is compassionate, kind and caring. There are examples of outstanding practice in the CQC report of which our staff and community can be proud. We are all thrilled by the ‘outstanding’ care identified at West Cornwall Hospital and by their work with the local community.”

According to CQC Chief Inspector, Professor Sir Mike Richards, “The staff were seen to deliver care that was kind and compassionate and at times went the extra mile to care for both patients and relatives.”

Backing up the CQC’s findings, Local MP Derek Thomas said the report confirmed what local people already knew about West Cornwall Hospital. “The fact the Care Quality Commission has rated the care shown to patients as outstanding will come as no surprise to those who know and use the hospital.”

achieve our ambition of being ‘outstanding’.

“Our collective aim in the healthcare system must be to achieve fundamental reform over the next five years – placing the citizen at the heart of all we do and ensuring we always have the right resources and right capacity available in the best place to meet the needs of our community.”

Full reports and ratings for all core services including accident and emergency, medical care (including older people’s care), surgery, intensive/critical care, maternity and family planning, children’s care, end of life care, outpatients and sexual health services are available at www.cqc.org.uk/provider/REF

Reducing our carbon footprint The Trust has formed a 16 year partnership with ENGIE (an energy services specialist) to help meet our objectives to reduce our carbon footprint by 32% and our energy costs by over £300,000 each year.

Over £2 million will be invested in new technologies including renewable energy sources, making improvements to our heating plant with the use of combined heat and power and biomass, and better lighting. It should make it possible for us to achieve our 2020 carbon reduction target 4 years early.

Vascular clinics bring services closer to patients in North Cornwall There’s good news for patients in North Cornwall as RCHT’s vascular service introduced a new outpatient clinic based at Stratton Hospital, Bude.

North Cornwall is among the most remote parts of the county and for hospital patients that often means long distances to travel for specialist outpatient appointments. At RCHT there is firm commitment to bringing services closer to patients’ own homes and the vascular services clinics are the latest development.

“We’ll be bringing our specialist outpatient clinics to Stratton

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Hospital once a month,” says Consultant Vascular Surgeon, Ken Woodburn. “We’ll be accepting referrals from GPs in that part of Cornwall and nearby Devon for patients with all aspects of arterial disease, deep or superficial venous disease, including varicose veins, ulcers and lymphedema.”

Patients in North Cornwall and those in Devon for whom BudeStratton may be closer to home will be able to Choose & Book the new clinic when they are referred to vascular services by their GP.

TRUST PEOPLE www.rcht.nhs.uk

A great year for surgery at St Michael’s There were more orthopaedic and breast operations at St Michael’s Hospital in 2015/16 than ever before: with over 4,600 patients going through its theatres - that’s over 800 more than last year. It means over 92% of planned breast surgery operations and over 70% of planned orthopaedic operations now take place at the hospital in Hayle. This is increasing year on year as specialties make sure that all patients who can be treated at St Michael’s Hospital are!

Surgeons undertook 1,577 operating lists across the 4 theatres - over 200 more than the previous year. In addition SMH also accommodated more than 400 orthopaedic post operation transfers from the Royal Cornwall Hospital, providing patients with excellent rehabilitation and relieving pressure at the main site.

For patients having hip and knee operations the length of time they need to stay in hospital is reducing with the help of anaesthetic

techniques and intensive input from the therapists. More and more patients are now able to get out of bed and stand up on the same day as their operation and a quicker return home has proven to speed up recovery times.

Warm welcome for overseas recruits After a highly successful international recruitment drive, almost 100 nurses from overseas have been offered posts in recent months. A range of experienced and recently qualified nurses have all been welcomed with a specially-designed induction programme to introduce them to our hospitals, the teams they will work with and life in Cornwall.

As part of the recruitment campaign, many staff at RCHT got involved in a series of videos, offering potential candidates an introduction to different areas such as ED, theatres and surgical wards. These are all available to view on our YouTube channel. (/royalcornwallhospitals)

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IN THE FOCUS IN NEWS

Achieving high standards in endoscopy and bowel cancer screening It’s been an exciting year for RCHT’s Endoscopy Service and Bowel Cancer Screening Programme following an extensive refurbishment and a highly successful quality assurance visit. Add to that a significant donation from the Friends of the Royal Cornwall Hospital; patients with bowel disease can be assured of the highest standards of care.

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Complex building programme transforms environment for endoscopy service Having once again achieved Joint Advisory Group (JAG) accreditation - the national standard for quality and safety of patient care in endoscopy, the endoscopy team at the Royal Cornwall Hospital set about planning a significant refurbishment to ensure facilities would keep pace with the latest requirements.

Mindful that throughout this process they would need to maintain a full service, a complex programme of building works was devised. The end result has transformed the environment for patients coming for planned and emergency investigations. Garth Weaver, Acting Director of Estates, explained the challenges that had to be met: “The project was part of RCHT’s Clinical Site Development Plan that was put together a number of years ago and through which we have been investing in an on-going programme of upgrade works. For the endoscopy unit this meant improving decontamination facilities and procedure rooms and what we ended up doing was a full refurbishment of the entire department.

“Originally, the plan was to relocate endoscopy to the floor above, which would have given us a completely empty workspace. However, because the hospital was so busy we weren’t able to temporarily close the ward, which was the original assumption, so the challenge really was to refurbish the department whilst it remained operationally active.”

“It’s completely transformed the department and what’s been achieved is a real tribute to the team working between the building contractor, the endoscopy team and our own project planning team. The facilities are much better for patients, as you’ll see when you walk around. It’s been brought up to the absolute current standards in terms of infection protection and control and is now a nice bright environment for staff to work in.”

www.rcht.nhs.uk www.rcht.nhs.uk

Dr Paul Fortun, Clinical Lead for Endoscopy, talked through the changes that have taken place within the unit and how these improvements have helped patients’ experiences.

Paul says, “The unit has increased in size, going from 3 to 4 scoping rooms, with the option to go up to up to 5 rooms, which will help us serve the growing population in Cornwall and increasing demand for endoscopy services. We have new decontamination units to process our scopes both for us and for other departments. The rooms are bigger, easier to clean and much more pleasant and relaxing for patients who are often worried about their procedure. We also have complete gender separation now, so the moment patients come to the endoscopy unit the sexes are separated, resulting in more dignity and privacy.”

Bowel Cancer Screening Programme The endoscopy service plays an essential role in the bowel cancer screening programme, seeing patients whose screening results have highlighted a need for further investigation.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. If it’s detected at an early stage, before symptoms appear, it’s easier to treat and there’s a better chance of surviving it. To detect cases of bowel cancer sooner, the NHS offers two types of bowel cancer screening to adults registered with a GP in England, faecal occult blood (FOB) test, which men and women aged 60 to 74 are invited to and a flexible sigmoidoscopy which is currently being rolled out as a national programme to screen men and women at the age of 55.

The FOB test is a home test kit which is sent out every 2 years which checks the presence of blood in the stool sample. If the test shows positive for blood, the participant will be offered an appointment and a colonoscopy or another diagnostic procedure. Since screening began in Cornwall, in October 2009, a total of 3,676 colonoscopies have been performed and from that 279 cancers have been found.

One of the patients who attended a colonoscopy via the bowel screening programme in March 2016, Terence Addicoat, was extremely pleased with his care. “On arrival I was very well treated. When the time came for my colonoscopy I was really put at ease by all the staff,” stated Terence. “I consider it a very professional and well administered set-up, many thanks to everyone.”

The introduction of flexible sigmoidoscopy screening began at West Cornwall Hospital in October last year, with a plan to extend this to the Royal Cornwall Hospital this

in focus IN THE NEWS

Summer and gradually build up to full capacity over the next 18 months. Evidence has shown that men and women aged 55 to 64 attending a one-off screening test of this type can significantly increase their chances of survival if they are diagnosed with bowel cancer or decrease their risk of going on to develop the disease.

In just over 6 months, out of the 1,252 people invited for flexible sigmoidoscopy screening around 50% have taken part and out of those, 23 required further investigation.

Once both screening programmes reach full capacity the endoscopy team at RCHT expects to be carrying out around 120 screening procedures each week.

‘Excellent screening service’ impresses assessors The Bowel Cancer Screening Programme Quality Assurance assessment earlier this year, left the team in no doubt they can be proud of their caring and compassionate service.

Assessors remarked on ‘a well-managed, well-performing Centre providing an excellent screening service to the population of Cornwall’.

Dr Hyder Hussani, Senior Director of the bowel cancer screening programme at RCHT was delighted with the recent report and the findings from it. He said, “The success of establishing the extension of bowel screening and highly commended Quality Assurance visit is down to the magnificent team working of the programme, led by Lisa Ivers and Rebecca Warren, in conjunction with the management team of the trust. They are the beacon of excellence!”

Friends play vital part in extending bowel cancer screening programme in Cornwall Thanks to a £40,000 donation from the Friends of the Royal Cornwall Hospital, the extension of the flexible sigmoidoscopy screening programme for men and women aged 55-64 years will be going ahead this Summer.

The Friends adopted bowel cancer screening as their ‘appeal’ for the year and coupled with their being the chosen charity to benefit from community fundraising at the local branch of Sainsburys, were able to purchase an additional scope guide for the endoscopy unit.

Bowel Cancer Programme Lead Nurse, Rebecca Warren said, “We’re so grateful to the Friends for their support.

This essential piece of kit will enable more patients to be screened and for the experience to be less uncomfortable than it might otherwise be. Screening can be a life-saver and there is absolutely no doubt the Friends donation will play a big part doing just that.” n

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ACHIEVEMENTS

Celebrating Success It’s been a fantastic six months for teams across RCHT who have either won or been finalists for awards on both a national and international stage.

Hot topic is high on the agenda in Cornwall NHS Antibiotic resistance is a world-wide issue and there has been much publicity of late as the number of drugs we have available to fight resistant strains of viruses continues to dwindle. In Cornwall, RCHT has been leading a communitywide approach to managing the way we use antibiotics, working not only within the health sector, but also with farming and veterinary leaders and education. The work here is being seen as a blueprint for other parts of the country and led to Chief Pharmacist Iain Davidson being among the finalists in this year’s national Antibiotic Guardian Awards.

App for people living with epilepsy gains international acclaim An innovative app that helps people with epilepsy to monitor their condition and alerts them to signs that should be reported to their GP has been appearing in the line-up for a host of national and international awards.

As winners of the US-based SUDEP Institute challenge prize, the team of developers, which includes RCHT specialists Dr Brendan McLean and Mary Parrett, together with colleagues from Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Plymouth University and SUDEP Action UK, were able to secure the necessary funding to launch the App in the United States.

More recently, the team was winner of the British Medical Journal Neurology Team of the Year award and were finalists in no less than three categories in the Health Service Journal Value in Care Awards. EpSMon, now free to download, is set to enhance patient safety and to reduce avoidable deaths.

STOP PRESS

More success for our Blood Transfusion and Neurology Teams as both are announced as winners in the Health Service Journal and Nursing Times national Patient Safety Awards.

More success for blood labelling system As One+All | We Care and Health Service Journal award winners in 2015, RCHT’s Blood Transfusion team were delighted to be shortlisted as finalists in two categories in the national Value in Care awards. The team’s computerised labelling system has been attracting attention across the NHS for its benefits in improving the safety of blood transfusion and has further potential to be adapted for use in other clinical areas.

Award winning research improving patient care It was an international stage for Tissue Viability Nurse Specialists Julie Trudgeon and Elaine Miller, as Julie returned after speaking at an international advanced education forum

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ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE NEWS www.rcht.nhs.uk

Julie Trudgian Award Lisbon

with a prize for their research in the field of topical negative pressure therapy. This is used in the treatment of wounds that are slow to heal and difficult to manage. Their research has led to the development of a clear treatment pathway intended to increase the level of confidence among nurses charged with the treatment of infected wounds, while also reducing the number of referrals requiring specialist intervention.

Simulation training raising awareness and improving response to hypoglycaemia The Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust in-patient diabetes nurse team based at RCHT was named as runners up in this year’s Rowan Hillson Awards. Amanda Veall, Amanda Davis and Kim Bull were recognised for the diabetes simulation training, which has been developed at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. The simulation training offers ward-based, multidisciplinary team training in the early identification and treatment of hypoglycaemia.

Iain Davidson

Do you know someone at RCHT who should be recognised for their outstanding achievement or innovative practice over the last 12 months?

Why not nominate them for a 2016 One+all | We Care Award.

BMJ Neurology Team of the Year

There are 5 categories in this year’s awards, reflecting our Trust values. The awards are open to all RCHT staff, including our colleagues from Mitie and volunteers.

Nominations should be between 300 – 400 words, explaining why you think the team or individual deserve recognition.

One+all | We Care Award categories:

Diabetes Adult Inpatient Nurse Speci alists - Kim Bull, Amanda Veall and Amanda Davis

Care+Compassion Inspiration+Innovation Working Together Pride+Achievement Trust+Respect You can make your nomination online at: bit.ly/RCHTWeCare16 Or email us at rcht.communication@nhs.net for a paper copy.

Closing date for nominations: 16 August 2016 n

Blood Transfusion Team

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CHARITABLE FUNDS

Spring Newsletter

Volume 2, Issue 1

ice delivery significantly improves with new Radial Lounge

Patricia, Tara Dobson (ward sister), Steven Wilby (health support workGaiawyn (F1 doctor), Kayleigh Annear (assistant practitioner), Pamela.

for patients.

Now, thanks to the Radial Lounge, Pamela and Patricia were seen quickly and recovered in a safe and comfortable room within a relaxed environment; they were in and out in within a few hours; and their consultants have a full understanding of their clinical symptoms so they can begin a customized treatment plan immediately.

When asked about the impact of the Radial Lounge, Dr Alistair Slade, consultant cardiologist, has shared, “These areas are more comfortable for patients and most importantly will reduce the chances of cancellation significantly. This development could not have been achieved without the generosity of the those who donate to the CHUF Fund theofdepartment is as everThis will reduce theand chances cancellation significantly. development haveefforts been achieved without very gratefulcould for notthe of all whothe generosity of the those who donate to the CHUF Fund and the donate or raise funds for the cardiology department is as ever very grateful for the efforts of all who patients Cornwall. donate in or raise funds for the cardiology patients in Cornwall.

A huge thank you from us all!”

A huge thank you from us all!”

onths ago, Pamela and The solution? would have had to A new Radial Lounge has an in-patient bed for been opened for suitable lowrdiology procedures at risk, Day Case would elective wo months ago, Pamela and Patricia have had to wait for an in-patient bed for their cardiology ornwall Hospital. Low- patients. Taking inspiration procedures at Royal Cornwall Hospital. Lowgiograms can now be fromcanthe loungewith atanone risk angiograms nowradial be performed increasingly rapid recovery time in a recliner chair and no ed with an increasingly of Europe’s leading cardiac requirement for a bed. The Cardiology Team was frustrated ecovery time in a centres in Amsterdam, staff with the high number of cancellations and negative patient r chairexperiences and when no emergency designed two areas on were the no admissions meant there available for routine cases. ment for beds a bed.

The Cardiac Investigation Unit l o g y TThe e a m solution? w a s that could accommodate 2 ed withA new theRadialhigh Lounge recliner has been opened for suitable low-risk, chairs in each (andDay Case elective patients.

Taking inspiration from the radial of cancellations and most importantly could lounge not at one of Europe’s leading cardiac centres in Amsterdam, staff patient designed experiences a bed!).

The two areas onaccommodate the Cardiac Investigation Unit that could 2 recliner chairs in each (and most emergencyaccommodate admissions Radial Lounge hostsimportantly 4 or could not accommodate a bed!). The Radial Lounge hosts 4 or there were no beds more patients dailywhich for routine more patients daily for routine investigations are necessary for routine cases.the right diagnosis to provide and right treatment for investigations which patients. are Now, thanks to the Radial Lounge, Pamela and Patricia were necessary to provide the right seen quickly and recovered in a safe and comfortable room within a diagnosis and right relaxed environment; they were in and out in withintreatment a few hours; and

T

their consultants have a full understanding of their clinical symptoms so they can begin a customised treatment plan immediately.

When asked about the impact of the Radial Lounge, Dr Alistair Slade, consultant cardiologist, has shared, “These areas are more comfortable for patients and most importantly 12 One+all

Your Support advances Care Through:  State-of-the-art equipment  Healing environments  Specialty staff training  Innovative research

We’re on the Web: www.rcht.nhs.uk/charitablefunds

CHARITABLE FUNDS www.rcht.nhs.uk

Thank You For Fundraising For Us!

Mr Clarke raised £600 for the CLIC unit with his keyboard skills

Bingo Night raises £1500 for Neonatal Unit

Be a Living Legend

Legacies are vital to our very survival, a fact that most of our supporters don’t realise. To raise some much needed awareness, we’ve joined forces with Remember A Charity, the largest consortium of its kind in the UK working to promote legacy giving.

With 35% of people saying they would consider including a gift to charity after providing for their family and friends in their will, and only 7% doing so, there is huge potential to increase income from legacies.

We are proud to be working with Remember A Charity to make this a reality.

For more information visit www.rememberacharity.org.uk We’re looking forward to participating in Will Week this September. Details to come...

Pink Wig Events raise £7500 for Mermaid Centre

£677.99 given in memory to the Headland Unit Amenity Fund

Donate Today

Your gifts innovate and advance healthcare in Cornwall. Thank you!

Here are all the ways to give: Online www.justgiving.com/royalcornwallhospitals Text Text RCHT01 followed by the amount you wish to donate, to 70070. You can donate £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 and all the money you donate goes straight to us.

There is no SMS charge from your provider.

Cheque payable to Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity (mail to: Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity, Bedruthan House, Penventinnie Lane, Truro, TR1 3LJ) Telephone using your debit/credit card 01872 252690 Bank Sort code 20-87-94 Account number 00766070 In Person Drop off cash or a cheque to the General Office, Royal Cornwall Hospital, St Michael’s Hospital, West Cornwall Hospital Monthly Donation select “Make a monthly donation” on our JustGiving webpage: www.justgiving.com/royalcornwallhospitals Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/royalcornwallhospitalscharity Follow us on Twitter: @RCHTCharity Visit us on the web: www.rcht.nhs.uk/charitablefunds Get in touch Contact our Fundraising Manager, Jessica Silye, at 01872 252858 or RCHT.Charity@nhs.net Charity Registration No 1049687 One+all 13

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday Royal It is 50 years since the Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske site opened its doors to its first patients and on 4th May we celebrated by officially opening our new CT Scanner in the Trelawny Wing Scanning Suite.

The ribbon was cut by Pirate FM Breakfast Show presenters Neil & Tina at the same time the first patient was recorded to be admitted 50 years ago. They were joined by members of the imaging CT team along with clinical imaging colleagues who are themselves celebrating half-century birthdays this year.

It took just eight weeks to swap the old CT scanner with its £1 million replacement, amid a carefully planned programme that had to ensure its sister scanner remained operational throughout. Clinical Imaging Lead Emma Spouse said, “It’s a tribute to the teamwork between the imaging and RCHT estates teams, CT supplier Toshiba and builders Modus that it’s been possible to install and commission the new scanner without any disruption to patient care.”

The new scanner is equipped with the latest CT technology and is among the most advanced currently available in the UK. Its 128 slice imaging capability means it is faster

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and can carry out wider range of diagnostic examinations, using lower doses of radiation.

The CT scanning team has taken part in an intensive training programme over the last two weeks to familiarise themselves with the advances on the new scanner and to ensure they can maximise its benefits for patients.

Meanwhile at just after 10am, Peter Wiggans from St Agnes became our ‘golden patient’ having been admitted to the Surgical Admissions Lounge exactly 50 years after the first patient in 1966 – 67 year old Evelyn Rickard.

See our short video of the CT Scanner opening on our Facebook page (/ RoyalCornwallHospitalsTrust) or YouTube Channel (/royalcornwallhospitals)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY www.rcht.nhs.uk

Cornwall Hospital!

Another innovative feature at the time was a central suction unit to do away with the need for vacuum cleaners – whatever happened to that?! What’s more the hospital employed only around 400 staff and cost approximately £300,000 a year to run.

We’ve managed to dig out an original staff handbook from 1966 and just love some of these extracts – how some things change and some remain the same but are as important now as they were then!

The Patient – COURTESY, CO-OPERATION, CONFIDENCE

Step Back in Time The arrival of our first patients marked the opening of the first phase of the hospital which housed 6 wards, 180 beds, operating and x-ray departments, laboratories, kitchens, a chapel and a ‘admin corridor’; all costing £1.7m to build. Described as having ‘a hotel air’, one then-described ‘unusual feature’ was wards where ‘men and women patients are accommodated in the same ward – but in different sections.’

It is often easy to forget that the care of patients is the sole purpose of being employed in a hospital. The function of all staff is inevitably related in some way to the service of the patient…

The importance of working harmoniously together cannot be overstressed. If we fail to co-operate…the standard of patient care will suffer…

Voluntary Services…The supplementary services play a very important part in maintaining high standards of patient care; a close relationship between staff and voluntary assistants is therefore invaluable.

Smoking…Smoking is not permitted in wards, corridors or public areas….You may smoke in the cafeteria during morning and afternoon breaks, but at main meals, smoking will only be permitted in the coffee lounge.

Annual leave…Ancillary Staff have their entitlement of leave calculated according to their length of service in the previous year (for example if a person starts duty on 1st August annual leave cannot be taken until after April 1st of the following year). n

Hospital Radio join the celebrations Our thanks to the volunteers at Cornwall Hospitals Broadcasting Network (CHBN) who supported Royal Cornwall Hospital’s 50th Birthday with a 50-hour live broadcast from the Trelawny Wing entrance starting on Bank Holiday Monday and running through until 10 am on the 4 May. The entertainment included lots of 60’s hits and DJ Jason Moyles gave a marathon contribution, hosting the show for a non-stop 24 hours!

If you’d like to know more about CHBN or how you can volunteer with station which broadcasts to our hospitals and the local community go to: www.chbnradio.org One+all 15

Buzz

Best Bees – Thank you Gifts

Lucky Bees - Lottery Winners Are you part of the IWL Lottery yet?

Don’t think it will ever ‘be you’?! Well that’s what these three past lottery winners thought until they stuck gold!

Nurse Jackie Chandler, was nominated by CCU for a surprise Thank-you gift from IWL. She was surprised to receive her bouquet of flowers and is shown here in the picture with her colleagues Julian Berry and Dave Ashton-Cleary, and Joani Miller from IWL. Another winner was Sue Parkyn, Clinical Admin Lead for Surgery, who was nominated by her colleagues due to ‘working tirelessly in Surgery to keep us all on the straight and narrow and goes above and beyond her job on a day to day basis’. If you work with someone who you feel deserves to have a special thank you (either a bouquet of flowers or a gift voucher), then send a nomination to rch-tr.iwl@nhs.net

Rachel Driver, who works in Theatre Recovery at St Michael’s Hospital, joined the lottery when she started the Trust in 2010.

“It’s the first time I’ve won anything so it was a great surprise when I got the phone call telling me I’d won second prize!” stated Rachel. “I’m looking to change my car this year so it has already gone in the fund for that, keeping a bit back for a few treats as well!”

Another lucky winner was Kerry Youngman, Midwife at RCH. “This is my first win and came at just the right time as I had just booked flights to visit my daughter in Melbourne, Australia. The win was the same amount as the flights” explained Kerry, who joined the lottery 4 years ago.

Another happy winner was quoted saying how she spent her winnings “I actually won twice and used my winnings, not only as an investment but also to visit my home in India to attend a family wedding.”

If you would like to join the IWL lottery, please contact Joani Miller on rch-tr.IWL@nhs.net

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Buzz No Strings at Stringers! No need to get tied in to a gym membership if all you want to do is give it a try. Stringers Gym in Newham Truro are offering 10 session Cards for as little as £35. And, they are dateless, so you can use them whenever you want, not by a certain date. Go to their website: www.stringersgym.com for more info.

Staff Benefits IWL has signed up with Staff Benefits to provide you with even more offers and discounts. Just go to this link to sign up – www.staffbenefits.co.uk/login/rcht

Joani Miller from IWL presenting Jane Pinckney, Medical Secretary with a Kindle Fire, following being the lucky winner of the IWL Staff Survey draw!

Book Bees The IWL Book Club Reading Group meet every month to discuss their chosen book and to meet with other fellow bookworms! Books are borrowed from the Cornwall Health Library, K Spa. If you are interested in joining the IWL Book Club, contact Joani on rch-tr.IWL@nhs.net

Thrifty Bees

What’s Buzzing?

How are we doing? What would you like IWL to do for you? Have you found the IWL Packs and Colouring In materials useful? Is anyone interested in a Lunchtime Walking Group or a group for singles? Christmas is coming – where would you like to go for the Annual Staff Christmas ‘Do’? Please do let us know by contacting us rch-tr.IWL@nhs.net

Discounts. IWL is proud to announce that we have agreed the following new discounts and offers: Save 5p per litre of fuel at the Esso Garage on Dracaena Avenue in Falmouth. Just show your NHS ID Card when paying.

For information on the above and more besides, email IWL at rch-tr.iwl.nhs.net

Busy Bees – Exercise Classes IWL currently run Yoga, Pilates and Zumba classes at RCH, contact IWL via the email below for dates and to book a place. We are currently looking at holding Exercise classes at SMH and WCH, if you are based at either of these sites and are interested in attended exercise classes, please contact IWL (rch-tr. iwl@nhs.net) to express your interest and also to say what classes you would like to see!

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Volunteer

In the

spotlight Thank a volunteer week

In June we celebrated the Trust’s first ‘Thank a volunteer week’.

This gave staff, patients and public the chance to thank our 500-strong army of volunteers for all they do.

Being a volunteer at RCHT is more than just giving up your time, it is comforting people, making them feel welcome and adding extra care and compassion to what can be a daunting experience.

The week’s celebrations included tea parties or lunches for volunteers at each of our three hospitals hosted by members of the Trust Board.

Kathy Byrne, Chief Executive, said “I haven’t been here for too long but I have worked within not for profit organisations and the volunteers always work tirelessly providing support for patients and staff, so Thank you.”

Members of the RCHT executive team also joined our volunteers during the week to work alongside them providing refreshments and acting as hospital guides.

Acting Director of Human Resources, Ruth Bardell said, “It has been a wonderful experience learning about everything the volunteers do. It’s so much more than simply serving tea and coffee!”

Nurse Director, Christine Perry added, “I love anything that helps me have direct contact with our patients and they are all so appreciative of what the volunteers do.”

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Volunteering at St Michael’s Marie Brock Marie Brock started volunteering at St Michaels Hospital in 1992 within the Physiotherapy department and this year received a Long Service award for her dedication.

When asked why she began volunteering, Marie said, “My husband retired and I wanted to escape him for a couple of hours!” Marie used to work at ‘Barncoose Hospital’ in Redruth so she was used to a hospital setting and wanted to keep herself busy.

Jacqueline Sinden, volunteer co-ordinator at St Michael’s Hospital said, “Marie is greatly thought of throughout the whole of St Michael’s Hospital, her dedication and commitment is unwavering and she is great with patients. The Physio department miss her on the days when she is not in.”

Marie continued, “I wanted to volunteer as a way to say thank you for the amazing care and treatment I have received over my lifetime.”

Volunteer Bette Pearce Bette Pearce has volunteered at Royal Cornwall Hospital for the last 15 years. She began in the Dermatology department, moved to Sunrise ,Mermaid and finally come back to Dermatology where she continues to enjoy spending her time.

Bette volunteers each Monday morning taking patient records between reception and the nurses’ station, making sure the notes are ready for the consultants and sits with patients to comfort them in times of distress. Bette said, “I wanted to volunteer because I wanted to give something back to the NHS and if I can make someone’s day easier by helping them, that’s a bonus!”

Julie Knowles (pictured), Dermatology Lead Nurse, praised Bette by saying she “is a highly valued member of our team”. Julie Peters, Senior Nurse, added “Bette is considered part of the team, she is great to work with and even better with the patients. Her contribution is extremely appreciated.”

Bette received the Queens Award for volunteering in 2013 and also co-ordinates the WI in Truro.

Ann Jeffery

Ann Jeffery’s volunteers at West Cornwall Hospital in the memory café on a Thursday afternoon for 4 years. The memory café offers our patients something different to look forward to and some time in an environment which is designed to stimulate the mind and memories of years gone by. Ann has always been interested in dementia care as

her aunt lived with dementia for many years, so when the opportunity came up to volunteer within the Dementia Café Ann knew it was perfect.

Before retiring after 49 years working within an education setting, Ann tried taster sessions of volunteering so when she finally retired she knew she could commit and enjoy the café. Ann said, “It is so important to volunteer within your local community to keep these extra services going.

The memory café brings so much joy to both patients and staff within West Cornwall Hospital and that is enough for me. When you see a shy patient start tapping their finger to the music and come out of their shell, you know your time has been well spent.”

Memory café follows in West Cornwall Hospital footsteps

Following the success of the weekly memory café now well established on the medical wards at West Cornwall Hospital, Kerensa Ward has welcomed the launch of a similar project for the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

With Kerensa Ward’s focus on caring for people with dementia, the idea of the weekly reminiscence session is to aid communication and relaxation in an environment which can otherwise be particularly disorientating for this group of patients.

Each Wednesday afternoon patients can ‘step back in time’ playing board games they might remember from their childhood, watching old films and news reports, enjoying a sing song, or tucking into a traditional cuppa, cake or biscuits.

The sessions are supported by League of Friends volunteers who also have access to a ‘memory trolley’ which can be taken round to other wards. All have been through Dementia Friend training to give them confidence and an understanding of working with people with memory loss.

The memory café has been made possible through the support of the volunteers and a combination of funding from the RCHT Charity and Cornwall Rural Community charity donation. The initial start-up cost was around £500 to purchase, games, activities and art materials, a DVD player and trolley and further funding has been given towards on-going costs.

Long Service Awards for St Michael’s Hospital Volunteers The first Long Service Awards for St Michael’s Hospital volunteers took place in June at Rosewarne Manor in Connor Downs. Many of the volunteers gathered for afternoon tea to recognise one and other’s achievements. Senior Matron Sue Preston and Rev. Mark Richards, chaplaincy and volunteer lead for RCHT, joined the celebrations to thank all the attendees for their valuable contribution to care at St Michael’s Hospital.

Those who have volunteered for 5 years or more all received a bouquet of flowers and a certificate and the few who have volunteered for over 10 years also received a vase.

Mark Richards said, “The volunteers at St Michael’s Hospital play an integral role in providing care and compassion to our patients, carers and staff. It was a wonderful celebratory afternoon.”

Jacqueline Sinden, volunteer co-ordinator for St Michael’s Hospital added, “It was long-overdue and we should recognise every volunteer as every minute of their time is valuable and enhances the services the NHS provides.”

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IN FOCUS

With a great adingreputation and le Royal edge research the re among the a ls a it p s o H ll a w Corn eatment. The tr r e c n a c r fo t s e b es pride k ta m a te s e ic rv e cancer s care and to h c a ro p p a c ti s in holi are delighted by nts. recent developme

CARE+COMPASSION

A holistic approach to cancer care Secondary Breast Cancer Pledge underpins specialist support

A diagnosis of breast cancer stirs many emotions within patients and their relatives, but a diagnosis of secondary breast cancer brings even more complex issues and worries for all concerned. RCHT has joined the national Secondary Breast Cancer Pledge to provide a gold standard of care to those affected by secondary breast cancer to identify important changes to enhance services for local people diagnosed with incurable secondary breast cancer.

Wendy Aynsley, RCHT’s Secondary Breast Cancer Nurse Specialist who has been in post just over a year said “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with Breast Cancer Now, Breast Cancer Care and the patients and staff who have supported us in achieving our Pledge. I want to say a huge thank you to the patient representatives who, while undergoing continuous treatment, have given their time and energy to come and talk to us about how we can improve this level of service.”

The launch was supported by patient representatives, Angela, Mary and Lynne. Angela, who has been living with secondary breast cancer for over 10 years, praised the services at RCHT by saying, “We’re fine-tuning what is already an excellent service. It has been a privilege to

20 One+all

IN FOCUS www.rcht.nhs.uk

be a part of [The Pledge] and to see these things come into practice.” Mary added, “It’s been a tremendous privilege to be able to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who has cared for me. It takes courage as a hospital to ask its patients what they think. My care has been amazing; I have never had any reason to complain, but I know that is not the same for everyone.”

One of the seven goals the Pledge sets out; specifically, securing funding for a psychologist to support patients with secondary breast cancer has already been achieved and will be among the many services available from The Cove Information & Support Centre when it opens later this year.

Specialist team supports teenagers and young adults A dedicated support team for teenagers and young adults facing a cancer diagnosis and treatment is among the latest developments. The Teenagers and Young Adults Cancer Service is part of a southwest region-wide initiative funded by the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The team at RCHT, Specialist Nurse, Hannah Heayn, CLIC Sargent Young Person’s Social Worker Richard Nobes and Clinical Lead Dr Toby Talbot, work together to provide age appropriate cancer treatments and bring about the creation of better facilities for patients aged 16 to 24 years. Through their work, the aim is to improve the quality of life and chances of survival for young people diagnosed with cancer through a combination of peer support, networking, learning opportunities and the sharing of practices and information.

Hannah’s role is essential to supporting the needs and concerns of teenagers and young adults coping with a diagnosis of cancer. “This includes providing emotional and social support for patients through diagnosis and treatment,” says Hannah, “as well as offering further support and information for patients, their family and friends. It’s also about linking them to other specialists such as counselling and psychology, wig referrals, support groups and general social activities intended to aid treatment and recovery.”

As the Teenagers and Young Adults Cancer Service continues to develop its members – nurses, doctors, social workers and other specialists working with young people with cancer - want to see the organisation flourish and become THE voice of professionals working with teenagers and young adults with cancer.

For more information email: hannahheayn@nhs.net or richard.nobes@clicsargent.org.uk

Kitted out with hi-viz and hard hats, visitors were able to have a good look around the building which due to open in the autumn of this year and find out a little about its construction and the interesting environmentally friendly features. The Cove will provide a hub for information and support services, including counselling and benefits advice, for people living with cancer and their families.

A call for volunteers for The Cove has been attracting much interest. The RCH League of Friends will be running a refreshment area in the centre as well as other supporting roles across RCHT’s Cancer Services. If you or someone you know who would like to learn more about Volunteering contact Verity Barker on 01872 253737 or email rch-tr. voluntaryservices@nhs.net To find out more about The Cove and how you can support Macmillan Cancer Support’s appeal, visit www.macmillanbuilds.co.uk

Open day demonstrates community interest in cancer care Familiarity with people and surroundings can help to ease the anxiety of coming to hospital for cancer treatment for patients and family members.

As part of their latest community open day the Cancer Services team opened their doors for tours around the Sunrise Centre, Headland Unit, Mobile Chemotherapy Unit as well as The Cove construction site, offering an insight into the different areas of care provided. n

Site tours build anticipation ahead of The Cove opening Tours of the The Cove Macmillan Support & Information Centre were among the highlights of a successful Cancer Services open day, offering members of the public a chance to have a look around the building as it continues to take shape.

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awards 2016 Invitation for Nominations Recognise the contribution and achievements of our staff by nominating them in one of the following 5 categories: Anyone can make a nomination – patients, visitors or staff members – and individuals or teams from any part of the Trust can be nominated.

For more information and for a nomination form, please visit www.rcht.nhs.uk or call us on 01872 252934

Nomination deadline: 16 August 2016

Membership News Let’s talk

We are heading into the second half of 2016 with over 7,500 members who receive our monthly bulletins or One + all magazine. If you aren’t a member yet then join us at www.rcht.nhs.uk/ftsignup.

Being a member makes sure you are kept up to date with the latest Trust news and you get to book onto our popular ‘Let’s talk’ events first.

We have been running Let’s talk events for nearly two years and have covered various health topics ranging from Diabetes, Dementia and Midwifery to Volunteering and Research.

We’d now like to hear from you. What health topics are you interested in? For example, would you attend first aid training at a Let’s talk event if it was offered? Let us know your thoughts by emailing RCHT.oneandall@nhs.net

Let’s talk research

Over 80 people attended this year’s ‘Let’s Talk Research Event’, including patients, members of the public, healthcare professionals and local students. This was nearly three times as many as last year!

Each of the research teams from the Trust showcased their work around the theme of ‘the past, present and future of research.’

Partner organisations, such as the Mental Health Research Team from the Cornwall Foundation Partnership Trust, joined to talk to attendees about the work they are carrying out.

There were also a large variety of posters displayed about past and present projects in Cornwall. One patient gave an interesting presentation about his involvement in a research study alongside Research Sister, Fiona Hammonds.

RCHT out and about

For this year’s Royal Cornwall Show we teamed up with our colleagues at Cornwall Partnership Trust, Cornwall Council and NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group to provide an interactive health and public services exhibit. Together we provided information and advice under the headings of Start Well, Live Well, Stay Well, reflecting the key themes from our plans for integration of health and social care services.

Our RCHT teams again proved popular with showgoers who were particularly keen to stop for a quick blood pressure check provided by teams from Pre-Operative Assessment and the Medical Admissions Unit. Over the three days they carried out almost 400 checks, with over 200 of those on the Saturday alone!

A chance to have a go at ultrasound offered by our Clinical Imaging team and making use of a hi-tech simulation of a baby also attracted much attention and linked closely with the Get In Cornwall stand promoting the different routes into careers in the NHS. Teams from Bowel Cancer and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm also used the Show to reach out to the public and raise awareness of the importance of taking part in these potentially life-saving screening programmes. Once again, our colleagues from Cornwall Food – RCHT’s central ‘kitchen’ for patient meals, as well as a number of successful commercial contracts – tempted passers-by with flapjack and granola tasters.

We had some great feedback from visitors to the stand and more than 100 shared their ideas on what they’d like us to take to the Show next year!

Online? Let us know …

We are trying to save costs by emailing our members instead of posting news out. If you are an existing member please email RCHT.oneandall@nhs.net to confirm your email address. All we need is your full name, address and email address. Thank you. n

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PATIENT STORY

my

story

As this May saw the Trust celebrate the Stroke Association’s Make May Purple campaign, one former patient, who was keen to support this alongside his family, raised just over £700 for the Phoenix Ward at Royal Cornwall Hospital. and Jo Blackmore. Jo and Paula were so impressed by their uncle’s care that they subsequently ran the Plymouth Half Marathon as an effort to give something back. “It was such a special moment to go back and see all the people who had looked after me during my time on the ward and I was so thrilled that my nieces and I could hand over a cheque for just over £700. The consultant, Dr Harrington, spent half an hour talking to us and said to me it was so lovely to see me come back and looking so well; it gave her the heart to carry on doing her job, which was such a lovely thing for her to say.”

Even though Richard’s recovery is still going well, he has one main goal to reach for. “My biggest plan is to visit Australia and see my two daughters and my grandson, which I hope I will achieve very soon.”

R

ichard Hicks, from St Merryn, suffered a stroke last September and another just six weeks later. “It was a long hard recovery but the staff on Phoenix Ward were absolutely amazing,” said Richard. “I can’t praise them enough!” He added, “My whole balance had completely gone and to this day, which was about 6 months ago, I still can’t feel hot and cold on my left side.”

By the time he was ready to be transferred to CamborneRedruth Hospital for the next stage in his rehabilitation Richard was still unable to walk unaided. “The physios that looked after me at Camborne-Redruth Hospital were absolutely brilliant,” explained Richard. “They managed to get me walking within 21 days with the aid a three-wheeled walker. I was then transferred over to Bodmin and after being discharged they arrange for physios to come my home every day for 6 weeks carrying out intensive physiotherapy and by the end of it, I was able to walk with two sticks.”

“They give you all the exercises and a great deal of them you have to do very slowly in order to build up your core muscles,” added Richard. “You don’t realise it but your whole body changes when you have a stroke. I still do the exercises every day and I would say I’m 90% back to normal.”

Richard feels that one of the reasons he has recovered so well from his stroke was setting himself small goals. After completing the first goal, he would set the next one even higher. “One of my goals was to walk down to my fish pond at the end of the lane where live. I was so happy once I managed to do it, it was so important to me to achieve it.” “Richard explained further, “By setting these goals, you can gradually work yourself up to getting back to normality, which is what anyone who has had a stroke wants to be.”

For Richard, it was such a significant moment to be able to walk into the Phoenix Ward with his two nieces, Paula Symons 24 One+all

Act FAST to the signs of stroke Strokes are the third biggest killer in the UK and with an ageing population it is a condition that is affecting increasing numbers of people. This is why it is now more important than ever for members of the public to be aware of the immediate response to take when recognising the signs of a stroke.

One of the key drives in educating people on stroke awareness has been the FAST initiative, which identifies the major factors of stroke recognition: Face, Arms, Speech and Time. Natalie Keogh, Phoenix Ward Senior Staff Nurse said, “A stroke is an unpredictable event and could happen to anyone. During the Stroke Awareness month, it gave us an opportunity to remind people about the signs to look out for as well as the things we can do to reduce our own risk of a stroke, such as managing medical conditions, drinking less alcohol, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, doing more exercise and eating a healthy diet.”

Aspiring to ‘gold standard’ care At Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, some aspects of stroke care were among those highlighted for improvement in our recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report; only around half of stroke patients were spending at least 90% of their hospital stay on the stroke unit.

“We welcome the renewed focus the recent CQC report has put on stroke care at RCHT,” says Dr. Katja Adie, specialist in stroke and rehabilitation. “Whilst we are among the best hospitals in ensuring suspected stroke patients have rapid access to CT scans and referral to TIA clinics, the acute pressures we’ve seen on the hospital have meant that we’ve been unable to get all patients to the stroke ward. We know that our patients will see the best outcomes the more quickly they are admitted to a specialist ward and have already put in plans to ring-fence beds and to extend our specialist nurse service.” n

WHAT’S ON

Competition WIN a meal for two at the Dining Galleries Restaurant at the Penventon Park Hotel!

Penventon Park Hotel Redruth, Cornwall TR15 1TE The Penventon Park Hotel is a hidden gem in the heart of Cornwall’s mining capital of Redruth. Tucked away down a tranquil avenue of verdant trees and subtropical palms you’ll be surprised by the grand reveal. An impressive façade of the former Georgian Mansion house standing proud and ready to welcome you to one of the finest, boutique hotels in Cornwall. Independently owned and run by the Pascoe family for over 45 years, Penventon is a charming, and elaborate 3 star hotel, restaurant, spa and special occasions venue.

The Dining Galleries restaurant offers classic decor styles mixed with modern surprises to create an opulent setting filled with alluring aromas. A feast for both eyes and your taste buds; curious art collections adorn the walls and classic dishes such as Chicken Duchesse with truffle creamed potatoes staying true to traditional Georgian roots.

Can you spot six differences from the photos below?

For a chance to win, circle the six differences and send your entries to Spot the Difference Competition, Communications Department, Bedruthan House, RCH – Good Luck!

What’s On SEPTEMBER 1 – 30 - National Blood Cancer Awareness Month 10 - World Suicide Prevention Day 14 – 20 - Sexual Health Week 21 – 27 - National Eye Health Week 26 - World Contraception Day

OCTOBER 7 - National Personal Safety Day 7 – 11 - Back Care Awareness Week 9 – 16 - OCD Awareness Week 10 - World Mental Health Day 12 – 18 - National Arthritis Week 22 - International Stammering Awareness Day

NOVEMBER 1 – 30 - Lung Cancer Awareness Month 5 - National Stress Awareness Day 16 – 12 - Alcohol Awareness Week

Name……………………………….......................................................................

21 – 28 - National HIV Testing Week

Department (if applicable)…………………......................................................

Email ……………………................................................................................

Contact Number …………………….............................................................

All correct entries will be entered into a draw and a winner picked at random. There will be just one winner, no cash equivalent prizes. The competition is open to all, excluding those associated with the competition.

The prize is non-transferable and is available to entrants aged 18 and above. All entries must be made by 30 September 2016. The decision of the Communications Team is final and no correspondence will be entered into. A list of winners will be on the Magazine’s facebook page www.facebook.com/ RoyalCornwallHospitalsTrust

Follow us on Twitter or Facebook to find out about events at our hospitals.

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Want to GET IN to a career in Health & Care in Cornwall?

The Get In Team are working in partnership with local public Health & Care providers to deliver a more diverse range of education, training and employment opportunities across Cornwall Health Ambassadors Are you passionate about your work and want to inspire young people to join the NHS? Would you like the chance to encourage young people to see their potential future in the health care sector?

Could you attend careers events, facilitate work experience and volunteer placements or offer advice and guidance about your area of speciality?

Are you looking for an interesting opportunity to continue your professional development?

To find out more about becoming a Health Ambassador, please contact Sophie Stokes sophiestokes@nhs.net Work Experience Since September 2015, RCHT has accommodated 106 students of all ages and abilities across a wide range of clinical and non-clinical departments. Work experience allows NHS employers to influence the quality and flexibility of our future workforce. Done well, work experience programmes will draw in our future nurses, doctors, managers, healthcare scientists and make young people aware of the huge range of opportunities in roles within the NHS. Care Academy This autumn, in Partnership with Truro and Cornwall College, RCHT will launch the Care Academy; an extended work experience placement whereby L3 Health & Social Care students can work towards their care certificate. The placements offer hands on experience within an acute Healthcare setting with expert mentorship, along with the promise of graduating with the Care Certificate and an interview with our temporary staffing agency.

Are you passionate about growing your own staff and engaging with young people? Can you offer a nurturing learning environment? Don’t miss out on being part of this opportunity – contact us for more details.

Apprenticeships Since 2009 RCHT has been recruiting Apprentices into various roles across the organisation. This has become a very successful programme which is continuing to grow. See our ‘Apprenticeships’ page overleaf for more information.

Careers Our new website hosts the most accurate and up to date information on careers in the Cornish Health & Care sector. You’ll also find real-life stories and films of industry professionals, raising the profile of support roles in Healthcare, with details of local vacancies and the entry requirements and skills you will need to succeed.

Volunteers Our volunteers play an integral part in the care and support we offer at RCHT; offering valuable support to our staff and everybody who needs NHS care. Volunteering creates huge opportunities to help transform pressurised health and social care services, to bring about improved personalised care and support for patients, their families and local communities.

Additionally Volunteering can equip young people with the skills and experiences to gain future employment.

Find out more about all the above at www.getincornwall.com 01872 255148 CORNWALL

CORNWALL

Apprenticeships Apprenticeships are being viewed by RCHT as fundamental to providing both skills development for existing staff and attracting future workforce to the Trust. Apprentices contribute to the increased productivity, greater staff retention and a more highly skilled and motivated workforce for the future.

In April 2017 the Apprenticeship Levy will be launched. This is being introduced to fund a step change in apprenticeships numbers and quality - this delivers on the Government’s commitment of increasing Apprenticeship numbers to 3 million by 2020. Following this, RCHT have pledged to recruit 200 Apprentices by the end of March 2018.

• Improve patient care

•

Provide opportunities and recognition for all support staff (clinical and nonclinical) including the development of transferable skills, resulting in increased flexibility of the workforce

• Support the expansion of national standards across the NHS • Provide flexible training programmes and increased organisational efficiency and effectiveness

‘I am a 55 year old married, proud mother of one. 3 years ago when my husband became ill I realised how amazing the NHS is. I knew I wanted to be a part of this special organisation but I didn’t tick any of the boxes for qualifications or experience required to apply.

On the NHS jobs website I spotted the ‘new’ apprenticeship programme advertised. I thought I would be too old apart from anything else, but I applied anyway and the rest is history!

It has been a wonderful opportunity to learn, work and earn in such a helpful environment, with realistic expectations and responsibilities.

This really is a special opportunity to enter the NHS and the myriad of career pathways it offers.’

Name: Matthew Venton Apprenticeship Role and Qualification: Business Administrator -NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration

Benefits for Employers: • Can be used as a developmental pathway for existing staff up to degree level

Name: Tracey D’Silva Apprenticeship Role and Qualification: Apprentice Healthcare Support Worker

For more information on development opportunities for staff, or if you’re considering employing an Apprentice, please contact Helen Lynch Helen.lynch8@nhs.net

Benefits for Apprentices: • Apprenticeships are real jobs with paid employment offering a great start to a career path with future potential • Genuine, viable alternative to a university education

‘Before I joined the NHS as an apprentice, I was really struggling with what I was going to do in the future.

I was not a big fan of academic work, so I chose not to go to college. Instead I chose an Apprenticeship and it was the best decision I have ever made. I was able to achieve my NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration whilst learning confidence, people skills, and office skills. I have since been given another Year contract and will be starting my NVQ Level 3 very soon.

I am very passionate when it comes to promoting apprenticeships as it changed my life for the better. When I Just managed to pass my GCSE’s I feared I would not be able to have a successful future, but now I am full of hope and feel I am heading in the right direction. ‘

Just An Apprentice Leah Stevens (Healthcare Apprentice) Well this is me, and I feel blessed, I finally got accepted into the NHS!

• Apprentices gain real work experience, making them more employable long term

An Apprenticeship scheme, I am on the right track, It’s time to shine and to never look back.

• Excellent progression opportunities, whether looking to climb the ranks within the workplace or study further

A personal challenge, with his lows and highs, May have been a rocky road but eyes are still on the prize.

•

There are three entry points and progression through the different levels: – Intermediate Level Apprenticeship (level 2) – Advanced Level Apprenticeship (level 3) – Higher Apprenticeship (level 4 or above) which are equivalent to a degree

A Nurse, a Midwife, whatever will I be?

You never know, I may even bag myself a master’s degree!

Find out more about becoming an Apprentice at:

www.cornwallapprenticeships.com www.getincornwall.com www.getingofar.gov.uk

A fantastic opportunity to those with a passion, You’ll get very far with a whole lot of compassion.

You’ll achieve great satisfaction, a sense of pride, I remember my first encounter when a beautiful soul died.

So being just an ‘Apprentice’ is better than it seems, Little do you know it could be the start of your dreams!

ADVERTORIAL ADVERTORIAL from Truro & Penwith College

from Truro & Penwith College

Moving with the Times Changes within the NHS have resulted in different ways of working and more integration between ‘health’ and ‘care’ services.

The introduction of the apprenticeship levy, the creation of new roles such as the associate nurse, not to mention Devolution for Cornwall, are all examples of the evolving landscape of the NHS. But due to public sector budget squeezes, there is also a constant pressure to try and deliver more for less.

One of the key ways to try and help square this difficult circle, is through the development of skills, knowledge and ways of working, allowing individuals and departments to increase efficiency in a challenging environment.

This takes organisation, and it takes both organisational will as well as individual energy.

To respond to this need, Truro and Penwith College has worked closely with health and care providers to develop a range of programmes, courses, workshops and apprenticeships, resulting in a dynamic and necessary ‘skills escalator’.

It provides staff with the support and skills needed to fully contribute within this changing landscape.

While many of these courses are medical or specific to care in their focus, other programmes have included training in Lean Systems, Management and Leadership and Business Administration.

Employees who have undertaken these courses have noted becoming more versatile, confident and better equipped for the workplace.

Two organisations who undertook the Level 5 Leadership & Management course were emphatic in their praise of the programmes.

Cornwall Care said the course had “empowered the whole organisation”, while employees of the Cornwall Foundation Trust said it had “been amazing and has helped me develop as a manager”, “it was all really interesting and relevant to work” and “the whole course has had an impact on my confidence, it has supported my role (as a manager) and has enabled me to challenge myself”.

Yes, the landscape is changing. But by moving with the times and being proactive with our learning, we can all progress together.

Visit www.truro-penwith.ac.uk/ business for our full range of courses.

Truro & Penwith College Business The College that works

Professional Business Skills Apprenticeships, qualifications and training developed in partnership with workforce professionals

• Striving for efficiencies and training that deliver results?

• Need training to help implement effective systems and procedures?

• Does your organisation find it challenging to recruit?

• Would you benefit from a tailored training programme that covers all your regulatory obligations?

01872 242711 business@truro-penwith.ac.uk @TruroBusiness

Contact us to discuss how we can help you reach your goals

TruroBusiness

www.truro-penwith.ac.uk/business