Chatterbox: 13 November 2020

13 November 2020

Inside this issue: Festive Lottery Draw: Page 3 Staff Survey Update: Pages 4 & 5 People Pulse Survey: Page 10 Staff Support: Pages 12-15

Trauma service shortlisted for RJAH award A partnership between the trauma teams at SaTH and the neighbouring Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) has been shortlisted for an award.

RJAH took over responsibility for the trauma service from SaTH in March to help us free up capacity to manage an influx of COVID-19 patients. Several members of the team at SaTH were redeployed to RJAH as part of the move.

Now Trauma Services has been chosen as a finalist in the Board of Directors Award category in the RJAH Stars Awards 2020.

Debbie Kadum, Interim Managing Director of the MSK Unit at RJAH said: “Transferring of the trauma service was a remarkable achievement in just two short weeks.”

Callum MacLennan, SaTH’s Trauma Coordinator, said: “From the start we knew it would be a challenge to pull off such a big move in such a short period of time, but everyone pulled together and made it so. Every member of staff at RJAH and SATH that made this happen deserves a huge amount of praise and respect.

“Our Orthopaedic patients were looked after and cared for at RJAH whilst our wards at SaTH looked after some of this pandemic’s most vulnerable patients.

We couldn't of asked for much more than that—patient focused teamwork at its finest. The team is proud to be nominated for this award.”

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Wearing PPE and frequent hand washing takes its toll on skin, as does the change in weather.

Donations and volunteers brighten up outdoor area for Therapy staff A plain-looking area at William Farr House at RSH has been made into an attractive outdoor space with items gifted from members of the public and local companies.

Percy Throwers, Salop Leisure, Ridge Fuels, Salop Sand and Gravel, Tesco, and Access to Trees all contributed items to turn the area into a place for patients and staff to enjoy.

Members of the public also donated items, including a Princess Alexandra of Kent Rose gifted by Kathryn Downton in memory of her late husband.

Volunteer Helen Crofts raised £60 through Yoga sessions to buy flowers and other items. A Peony and Verbena were received with thanks to Carol Thickins.

The work started in July with thanks to Helen Crofts and fellow Volunteer Caroline Graham, who put in all the hard work to get it looking shipshape.

Festive Lottery draw On 22 December there will be a festive lottery lucky dip with 25 top prizes available.

All SaTH lottery players will be in the lucky dip and all new players will be automatically added and given two “dips”. Top prize will be a Festive Hamper and there will also be wine, spirits, hair and beauty products up for grabs.

To be included in the festive draw, applications must be received at the Charity office by email or hard copy no later than 21 December.

For details on how to enter the lottery, click here.

SaTH Charity has filled the Staff Winter Wellbeing trolley with lip balm, hand and face cream which has been taken around both hospitals by a team of volunteers.

Julia Clarke, Director of Corporate Services, said: “Charitable funds are raised to help patients and staff. We know PPE is creating discomfort for staff, especially those wearing masks and gloves for long periods. Whilst we can’t solve the problem, these items will hopefully offer some relief.”

This is the latest in a range of items provided by SaTH Charity based on feedback from colleagues. Other items include staff lockers and outdoor seating, and we are always looking for suggestions for items that could improve your time and comfort at work.

Funding for the skincare items came from donations from members of the public who wanted to support staff, and income generated by the Staff Lottery.

The skincare items have been really well received by grateful colleagues and we want to continue supplying items as often as we can. If you missed out please contact us at we.supportsath@nhs.net and we’ll get them to you.

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A group of Telford College apprentices have had a unique start to their careers in the NHS after taking up new roles during lockdown.

The students are working SaTH and received a visit at their workplace from course tutors who were delighted to see their progress so far.

The college has been working in partnership with SaTH for over 15 years, training apprentices in many sectors including business administration, healthcare, and engineering.

Beckie Bosworth, the college’s employer engagement manager, said: “It was great to catch up with four of our apprentices, and to see how they are coping with their new roles in the midst of the pandemic.

“Aimee Sellars, Megan Easter, Emily Cousans and Rachel Butler all successfully reached our shortlist stage and had a virtual video interview with our recruitment team, who were also working from home, as part of the process of getting through to the NHS panel for final interviews.

“Now they are in the workplace and we’re looking forward to watching them kick-start their careers. I’m sure they will all continue to work hard and create a successful future in their chosen sectors.”

Aimee is working on the Nephrology ward.

could learn while getting invaluable job experience.

“She says she is enjoying her new role which is challenging and busy, and she’s hoping her apprenticeship will lead to a rewarding and successful career in the NHS.”

“She had applied for two roles with the NHS, and worked with the recruitment team who could see her potential, her good work ethic, and her caring nature,” said Beckie. Beckie said during the apprenticeship team’s visit, they “When the next role came up with also caught up with two previous SaTH, Aimee was instantly students who had now completed snapped up, and she is now a their courses and who were valued member of the team.” working as key members of the Rachel works in Cardiology, NHS team.

Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Emily Cousans and Claire Gonnelly She didn’t feel university would be both completed Level 2 business right for her, and saw an administration apprenticeships, apprenticeship as be the way to securing a full-time role while achieve her dream of a career with continuing their training and the NHS. It meant she could gain progressing to Level 3 business experience, a qualification and earn administration. at the same time.

Fern Farmer, supervisor of the Megan originally began a career in medical secretaries’ team and the beauty industry, but she now office manager, helped to host the works in the Trust’s Neurology visit, and completed her own department. apprenticeship with Telford College in a Level 3 in team leading and “Megan had some business management. administration experience and a lot of customer service skills, but she She said: “Apprenticeships bring in wanted to move into a new industry new and enthusiastic staff to learn with a more admin-based role to new skills, and the programme helps us with future planning as the develop her skills,” said Beckie. apprentices grow into the available “She is loving her new role, earning roles that develop within the Trust.” and learning, and said the career change has been challenging yet exciting.”

Emily decided an apprenticeship was the best choice for her so she

Sign up for these great offers today!

Christmas collections Ironbridge & Severn Gorge Lions have launched its annual Christmas Hamper Appeal, which enables the club to donate food parcels to those families and individuals in crisis at Christmas.

In 2019 the club collected over three tonnes of non-perishable foodstuffs which translated into some 150 food parcels.

The number of families in crisis at Christmas is likely to reach a new high this year and the Lions need help to collect as much food as possible.

To this aim we they launched the 100 bag challenge to find 100 individuals, families, friends, workmates or groups to donate a bag of non-perishable foodstuffs.

The collected bags, alongside the food collected via street collections and Santa and his sleigh visits to local supermarkets, will make a great difference to Christmas for many in our local communities.

To support this drive, a collection box will be placed in the Women and Children’s Admin Hub at PRH. If you can help, or want to know more, please contact either Graham Powell 07887 638207, email grahamlion@btinternet.com or Colin Thompson 07970 417497.

While not strictly Christmas related, we couldn’t ignore Children in Need!

A collection bucket for donations to the annual fundraiser will be in place next week just inside the entrance to Stretton House at RSH.

As Christmas approaches during these difficult times, vulnerable families need our support more than ever.

Montgomery Family Crisis Centre helps support men, women and children experiencing or affected by domestic abuse. Most families arrive with very little.

Sarah Voice, Warfarin Nurse at SaTH, is collecting unwrapped new gift items such as toys/gift sets for adults and children of all ages.

You can donate items from 9 November—11 December.

Please drop off any gifts at the RSH Pathology Labs for the attention of Sarah.

Other drop off points are: Tesco Superstore Welshpool, Smithfield Rd, Welshpool Morrison’s Supermarket Welshpool, 16 Berriew Rd, Welshpool Talbot Hotel, Berriew, Welshpool Ivy House Cafe & Post office, Broad Street, Montgomery Tesco Superstore, Pool Road, Newtown The Montgomery Church in Wales School is supporting the campaign again this year, with children donating “Reverse Advent Calendar” hampers.

For more information, email s.voice@nhs.net

People Pulse survey MSK Alliance briefing As we mentioned last week, SaTH is working alongside partners from across the system in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin as part of a MSK Alliance.

The Alliance has been formed to transform the provision of musculoskeletal services – all of us working together more collaboratively than ever before to deliver the best possible service for our patients and service users.

It’s an exciting project, but also a complex one. You may not be aware of all the detail or the work that has been done already to draw up a proposed service model for what will be known as MSST – Musculoskeletal Services for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

That is where this briefing comes in. The event, on Wednesday (18 November), from 11am-12.30pm, is your chance to hear from some of the programme team, and from clinical leads, on the aims and objectives of the Alliance and the timeframe for the introduction of MSST. You will be able to learn more about how this might impact on your organisation and your role.

In this new normal that we are working in, managing the risks brought about by COVID-19, we are not able to run this session face-to-face. Instead we will be running it on Microsoft Teams as a Live Event.

Staff from all organisations will be able to log in to the session and watch live, as well as submitting written questions as it runs.

These questions will be collated and put to the panel in a Q&A as part of the agenda. The session will also be recorded and made available afterwards so that staff unable to join live can still watch the presentations and the discussion.

To join click here

Listening and responding to your concerns is as important as ever and your health and wellbeing remains a top priority for us. So as we enter the next phase of our response to COVID-19 and safely bring back NHS services, we want to continue to provide the support that you deserve and need.

That is why, in partnership with NHS England and Improvement, we have implemented a new staff ‘pulse check’ which is entirely anonymous and voluntary. NHS People Pulse will give us another way to listen to your views and help improve the support we provide during the COVID-19 response and recovery. Your feedback will also inform local and national changes that improve the experiences of our people and patients.

Please take just five minutes every month to check in on a number of important questions via this quick and simple People Pulse. Click now to tell us how you feel. You can find out more information about this survey on our intranet.

Staff Support

Staff Support

Peer-to-peer listeners In many situations, having someone to talk to can lighten our load; when we are listened to this helps us to feel valued.

Therefore we have trained a group of staff from across the Trust as Peer to Peer (P2P) Volunteers to help support colleagues. P2P are trained to provide confidential, non-judgmental peer support, signposting to other internal contacts where appropriate.

P2P listeners are trained in supportive listening skills but they won’t be acting as counsellors.

Teresa Love, Nurse and Workforce Project Office, P2P Lead Teresa.love3@nhs.net Charlotte Beirne, OD Practitioner, P2P Lead Charlotte.beirne@nhs.net Ella Collison, ITU Staff Nurse e.collison@nhs.net Angie Lunt, Recovery Staff Nurse angelamary.lunt@nhs.net Sarah Thomas, Senior Corporate Education Advisor sarahthomas@nhs.net Nerys Cox, Pain Nurse Specialist nerys.cox@nhs.net Jules Lewis, End of Life Care Nurse Specialist jules.lewis@nhs.net Lucy Stanley, HCA SAU lucy.stanley3@nhs.net Nyree Porter, PA nyree.porter@nhs.net

Rachel Hanmer, TCI Administrator Rachel.hanmer@nhs.net Adam Anderson-Woods, Library Assistant, adam.anderson-woods@nhs.net Samantha I'Anson, Corporate Educator s.i'anson@nhs.net Viv Orme, Radiographer viv.orme@nhs.net Maria Scenters, Library Assistant maria.scenters@nhs.net Erica Davies, Barista erica.davies@nhs.net Sally Roberts, Barista sally.roberts23@nhs.net Elaine Evans, Nurse, TBC Caroline Callister, Workforce Assurance caroline.callister@nhs.net Nick Robinson, Leadership & OD Coordinator nick.robinson5@nhs.net Jeanette Barnes, Specialist Nurse jeanette.barnes3@nhs.net Petro Hryziuk, Champlain petro.hryziuh@nhs.net Megan Griffith, A&E Sister megan.griffith2@nhs.net Mervyn Williams, Champlain mervyn.williams@nhs.net Kirsty Wagg, Specialist Nurse kirsty.wagg1@nhs.net Lynette Charles, Specialist Nurse lynette.charles@nhs.net Jules Lock, EOL Volunteer juleslock@live.com Rachael Maskell, Corporate Education Assistant rachael.maskell@nhs.net