Chatterbox - 250509

CHATTER BOX Your fortnightly bulletin for SaTH colleagues and events Friday 9 May 2025

VE Day “They gave their today for our tomorrow.”

Yesterday, Thursday 8 May, we marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. We remembered the courage, sacrifice, and resilience shown by those who fought for peace and freedom during the Second World War. 80 yeards ago in 1945, the world celebrated as it marked the end of the war in Europe.

Winston Churchill, Prime Minister at the time, addressed the nation to announce that peace had come. It was a moment that remained in the memory of all those who witnessed it, for those serving in the armed forces and also for civilians at home.

Here at SaTH, we have many colleagues from armed forces backgrounds, including those who are members of 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital - a unit of the Royal Army Medical Corps within the Army Reserve of the British Army, based at Copthorne Barracks in Shrewsbury. We also have a variety of military veterans across many departments who bring a wide range of skills and experience to our hospitals.

The Trust, along with local partners, organisations and businesses, support armed forces personnel through the Armed Forces Covenant, of which we are a proud signatory. Through the Covenant, we recognise the value that serving

personnel, reservists, veterans, and military families bring to the Trust.

Veteran Aware is an accreditation programme designed to support NHS trusts in understanding and meeting the needs of the armed forces community and providing better healthcare. By holding this accreditation, as a Trust, we seek to deliver a more joined-up experience of care for serving personnel and their families and continue to play a leading role in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin in improving the care of veterans in our community.

As a Trust, we pledge that no member of the armed forces community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen. We are committed to honour the Covenant and support the armed forces community. More information can be found on the intranet.

Thank you to everyone who is a part of and supports our armed forces communities, and I hope you found some time yesterday to reflect on what a special anniversary VE Day is to us all.

This week we launched The Little Things Challenge to help us stop and think about every pound we spend to ensure that we are adding value for patients and taxpayers.

You might not think that your work habits have an impact on the Trust’s budget, but if everyone thought this it would soon mount up.

Did you know that last year we spent £360k on printing, £1m on postage and just under £10m on gas and electricity?

We can all do little things every day to make a difference.

Not only are these more cost effective, they are also better for the environment and means we can reinvest in patient care.

We have some big transformation programmes over the next few years to help drive forward improvements and reach financial balance, but we mustn’t forget about the ‘little things’ too.

You are the experts in your areas so please share your efficiency ideas, big and small – sath.strongertogether@nhs.net. We really want to hear from you.

For more information please visit the intranet.

Research, Education and Improvement Week Research, Education and Improvement Week is taking place from Friday 16-Friday 23 May, and we would love as many of you as possible to get involved in the exciting activities we have planned.

The week starts with the Research and Innovation Conference on Friday 16 May at the Mercure Hotel, Telford. If you would like more information please

email sath.research@nhs.net and you can book your place via LMS. The SaTH Improvement Showcase will be held on Tuesday 20 May in SERII. Book your place by emailing sath.improvementhub@nhs.net or via LMS. Please see the timetable for the list of activities taking place during the week.

Deaf Awareness Week This week we have been celebrating Deaf Awareness Week.

The theme for Deaf Awareness Week 2025 in the UK is “Beyond Silence.” This powerful theme highlights the importance of looking beyond the common misconceptions about deafness and recognising the rich experiences, identities, and contributions of deaf individuals in society.

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“Beyond Silence” encourages greater understanding of the diverse ways in which deaf and hard-of-hearing people communicate, from British Sign Language (BSL) to lip-reading, written communication, and assistive technology.

Language through an introductory e-learning package and a face-to-face accredited 12week programme.

Check out this video of some colleagues who have just completed their course.

A deaf awareness training session is available on the LMS. The sessions involves a staff member talking about the support they gave a deaf patient together with a member of the deaf community who gives advice on how to support deaf patients attending our hospitals.

There is a BSL library of information on the Trust website to provide people with information about the Trust and health problems.

It also sheds light on the social, cultural, and professional barriers that many deaf individuals face, advocating for improved accessibility, inclusivity, and equal opportunities.

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Here at SaTH we have a number of initiatives to support the deaf and hard of hearing community:

For further information on the support we offer please see the intranet.

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Hearing Loops have been installed in reception desks and outpatient clinics across both sites. Other areas can access a portable hearing loop from the equipment library.

• British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters are available for patients that require them through VIIS the Trust’s preferred provider.

• The Trust provides training in British Sign

International Day of the Midwife This week we marked International Day of the Midwife, saying thank you to all of our midwifery colleagues.

We had some lovely pictures and messages of thanks sent through. Here are just a few of those thoughtful messages.

Experience of Care Week Congratulations to the teams who achieved excellent scores in the Friends and Family surveys and the Local Inpatient Survey.

These teams were recognised during Experience of Care Week. Well done to everyone!

Highest Response Rate in Friends and Family Test

Ward 10, PRH

Ward 5, PRH

Fertility Services

Endoscopy, PRH

Highest Satisfaction Rate in Friends and Family Test

Ward 8, PRH

Endoscopy, PRH

Ward 5, PRH

Cardiac Day Unit, PRH

Highest satisfaction rate on the Local Inpatient Survey

Elective Surgery Hub, PRH

Day Surgery Unit, RSH

Special Commendations and Outstanding Award

Special Recognition Award

Day Surgery Unit, RSH

Ward 16, PRH

Food hub opens as RAAC work progresses at PRH A new temporary food hub has opened at Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford as work progresses to safely remove Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

will not impact on our patients or staff, their safety is paramount.

The hub’s opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am-4pm. They are closed at weekends and bank holidays. The takeaway service offers a range of meals, including main meals, baked potatoes, salads, sandwiches and hot and cold drinks. Seating is available in the conservatory.

The kitchen and Apley restaurant at PRH have been closed since the RAAC was identified in Autumn 2023.

The Apley Food Hub has been set up to provide temporary catering facilities for patients, staff and visitors. The takeaway service has now moved from the first floor to a new location on the ground floor near the conservatory whilst specialist teams carry out work to the kitchen and restaurant.

Work is being carried out in phases and includes the upgrade of the hospital’s restaurant and kitchen, a new doctors’ mess and a new purpose-built plant room.

Inese Robotham, Assistant Chief Executive, said: “We would like to thank our catering and estates teams who have worked tirelessly to create this modern temporary food hub, which will serve our patients, visitors and colleagues.

“It allows the specialist teams to work on removing the RAAC in a safe and efficient manner, paving the way for enhanced catering facilities for all.

“I would also like to thank our patients, visitors and staff for their continued patience and understanding during these works.”

Vote for your wellbeing initiative!

SaTH Charity is putting forward a bid for up to £50,000 as a grant from NHS Charities Together, to support a wellbeing initiative for colleagues.

We have identified four schemes based on your feedback and we want to hear from YOU on what scheme you would like us to put forward. In

#SaTHCha

The work will be carried out by specialist contractors in line with guidance and whilst it

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alphabetical order these are: • • • •

Bereavement counselling Menopause support Physio4staff services Wellbeing walks/spaces

Please vote for your scheme on this survey.

Staff health checks at PRH Telford & Wrekin Council’s Healthy Lifestyle Mini Health Check Team will be on site on Tuesday 20 May to This is available, to those aged <40 and >74 or to those who have accessed an NHS Health Check in carry out health checks for staff.

CVD Health Check This is only available to those aged 40-74 who have not accessed an NHS Health Check in the last 5 years. This includes: • Cholesterol Test (Finger Prick) • HbA1c Test (Finger Prick) • Blood Pressure Reading • Height • Weight • Body Mass Index • Carbon Monoxide Breath Test (Smokers Only)

the last 5 years. This includes: • Blood Pressure Reading • Height • Weight • Body Mass Index • Carbon Monoxide Breath Test (Smokers Only) Bookings required, please email sath. ahealthieryou@nhs.net for an appointment.

Please note this is just for PRH colleagues, other locations will be arranged in the future.

The first ‘Men Like Us’ session in Telford The first ‘Men Like Us’ session has been held in Telford.

Katey Evans, Personalised Care Navigator, and three volunteers were joined by 14 men at the first session, which supports men diagnosed with cancer. It was held at Telford Fire Station.

She said: “Much like our other groups the first meeting was used for everyone to introduce themselves and to learn a little bit about ‘Men Like Us’ - how we started and where we are. There was plenty of conversation, a good amount of camaraderie already and we look forward to welcoming more men next month. We are proud to be embedding ‘Men Like Us’ throughout the county.”

The next meeting will be at 10am on Wednesday 14 May at Telford Central Station, Stafford Park One, TF3 2BW.

Fire service to the rescue at Hollinswood House Fire crews came to the rescue at Hollinswood House in Telford after a roof panel became loose.

The Telford crews mobilised an Aerial Hydraulic Platform to remove the panel at the building, which houses the Community Diagnostic Centre and Renal Dialysis Unit.

Thanks to the quick actions of the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Team there was minimal impact on our patients, including those having renal dialysis. A box of biscuits was delivered to Telford Central Fire Station the next day as a thank you to the fire crews.

’Life of Riley’ bike ride from Lands End to John O Groats In June, Nolan Oakley & Darren Woodhall are cycling the entire length of the UK from Lands End to John O’Groats, 900 miles in 12 days to honour the memory of a brave boy named Riley Evans from Shrewsbury.

Riley who fought Burkitt Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer, sadly lost his fight at just 12 years old in November 2023. Riley’s strength and spirit inspired many during his short life, and now his family has established ‘The Life of Riley’ charity to help others in similar situations.

The charity provides support for families dealing with childhood illnesses, easing some of the financial burdens they face. Their mission includes sponsoring a room at Ronald McDonald House for families and offering birthday packages to children in hospitals, which reflects Riley’s love for celebrations.

You can donate to their GoFundMe here.

Study day success for our internationally educated midwives Our current cohort of internationally educated midwives completed their “1 Year On Study Day” on Friday 25 April.

Sherilyn Ndhlovu, EDI Midwife, said: “The IEM Study Day was a powerful celebration of learning, collaboration, and cultural exchange.

It’s truly inspiring to work within such a diverse workforce at SaTH, where Internationally Educated Midwives bring invaluable knowledge, skills, and perspectives to our maternity services.

Congratulations to all our IEMs on their achievements so far—we are proud of your progress and excited for all that’s still to come.”

The study day was an opportunity for our 10 current international midwives to get together, share experiences, gain an update from key speakers such as our Chaplain Ashia Miah, Safeguarding Midwife Kathy Stubbs, Perinatal Mental Health Midwife Claire Bennet, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Inequalities Lead Midwife Sherilyn Ndhlovu and Electronic Fetal Monitoring Congratulations and well done to everyone Lead Midwife Paula Pryce. The study day was an involved with the day. overwhelming success and received exceptional feedback.

We have had two new international midwives join the trust in December last year, Esi Nkrumah and Erica Amponsah. Both Esi and Erica have undertaken a rigours OSCE training programme and have successfully passed their OSCE examination.

Donation to the Children’s Oncology Ward The Children’s Oncology Ward at PRH have received a very generous donation from a patient and her family.

Nina, a patient from Ward 20, her mother and their family and friends gifted lots of fashion and character tapes for Naso-Gastric Tubes, which lots of children are given when admitted if they find swallowing food or medication particularly difficult.

The idea of having a tube attached to children’s cheeks, for sometimes weeks, can be upsetting. However, this donation can make the prospect of an NG tube just a little bit more fun.

Thank you to Nina, her mother, and their family and friends for the lovely donation.

Pictured is Nina, Play Assistant Beth and Paediatric Oncology Nurse Specialist Jackie.

NHS birthday ‘Thank a colleague’ campaign SaTH Charity are giving you the opportunity to nominate a deserving colleague with a special SaTH Charity Daisy.

We are all so very busy we sometimes struggle to take a moment to say a special thank you to a colleague, something we all appreciate.

The Thank You Daisy is a token of appreciation which SaTH Charity are giving to nominated* staff who have going above and beyond at SaTH. Each daisy is gifted with your message of thanks to someone who has gone out of their way to be supportive or gone that extra mile.

Colleagues nominated for a daisy and have their location listed as PRH or RSH will be able to collect them from their respective hospitals on Friday 04 July from 11:00 – 14:00 at the following places: • RSH – Mytton Oak Restaurant • PRH – Volunteer Desk in the PRH Main Reception

If your location is listed as anything other than PRH or RSH the daisy will be posted to you. Nominations are open from Friday 9 May to Friday 13 June. To nominate your special someone** please fill in the form below.

https://shrewsburytelfordhospitalnhstrust. beaconforms.com/form/7e4c6b4c *The number of thank you daisies are limited and hence nomination does not guarantee your nominee will receive a daisy. **Due to the limited number of daisies available we can only accept nominations for individuals and not teams.

SaTH Charity football tournament group fixtures announced We are excited to share that we now have 16 teams for the SaTH Charity Football tournament which is being held on Sunday 1 June at the Shrewsbury Sports Village.

On Thursday 1 May the draw for the teams took place in Captain Tom’s Garden, with Julia Clarke, Director of Public Participation representing SaTH Charity and Di Jones representing the Dementia Fund. This year the tournament is supporting both the Neonatal Unit and Dementia services. Mark Rawlings has again organised the tournament for the third year running.

Karen Breese, Dementia Care Clinical Specialist, said: “We are so grateful to have been chosen for the second year in a row to receive half the donations raised by the teams taking place in the tournament. The donations from last year’s tournament meant that we could purchase lots of items for patients who are living with Dementia who are admitted into the hospital.

Due to Infection Prevention Control the items we purchase are single use and stay with the patient, so every donation means we can continue our work supporting these patients and improving their experience of the hospital.”

Corinne Dacosta, Neonatal Ward Manager, said: “Thank you to Mark and everyone involved in the tournament for choosing to support the Neonatal unit. This money will impact the youngest patients and their families, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone and cheering you on from the sidelines.”

Julia Clarke, Director of Public Participation said “We are grateful to Mark for taking on the organisation of another football tournament, last year’s event had a festival feel with so many people coming down to support their friends and family, we can’t wait to see who triumphs as the winner.

Also a big thank you to the Wellington Cobbler who are again supporting the trophies and medals for participants.”

The draw is as follows: Group A: • Paris-cetamol St Germain • Manilla United • Fantasy First Responders • Real Estates Group B: • Still no Jota Clue • Vital Signs Vigilantes • SaTHampton FC • SaTHletico Madrid Group C: • Drongos United • Jaw Patrol • Step & Sheet • Team ED Group D: • AMFC • Barely Athletic • Keele Medics FC • Not So Athletico UTC FC

Table and chairs purchased for children visiting the Outpatient Department at RSH Thanks to the donations to SaTH Charity the Children’s Outpatient and Medical Day Unit at RSH, recently received a brand-new table and chairs and a bookcase, for their young patients.

If you would like to donate to the Children’s Unit to enable the team to purchase items that help our patient’s, you can support one of our fundraisers who is undertaking 12 events in the year. Her next event is the Wrexham 10k and the Evo Games Weekender.

The table, chairs and bookcase are proving to be a big hit as some of the children can be in the unit for a long time whilst they are receiving tests or infusions.

Georgia Reade, Paediatric Staff Nurse, said: “We are so grateful to everyone who donates to the Children’s Unit fund as they have enabled us to make visits to the unit easier. Lots of children enjoy reading or colouring so we knew a table and chair and a bookcase would be a great hit with our patients. It has been hugely beneficial especially for the children who are with us for long periods to attend outpatient appointments/ endocrine tests as it keeps them busy and distracted whilst waiting, we have had lots of positive feedback from patients and their families. Thank you so much!”

Cake sales galore at RSH Tuesday 8 April saw not one but two cake sales taking place at RSH. The Emergency Department held a cake sale to raise funds for their area and the Critical Care team split the money raised between their fund and Severn Hospice as they are taking part in their upcoming Dragon Boat Race.

Thanks to all the talented bakers, the Emergency Department raised £80.70 and the Critical Care team raised £480.92.

Julia Clarke, Director of Public Participation, said: “We are so grateful for all the talented bakers who made both cake sales such a success. We have never seen a cake sale take this much money in one day, so a huge thank you to everyone who purchased a cake and donated. We know this money will be used to improve patient care, and every penny makes a difference.”

If your area wants to raise funds for SaTH Charity by organising a cake sale please contact sath. charity@nhs.net and we will support you with advertising and can provide a card reader, table cloths and cake stands.

SaTH Charity purchase bike racks for William Farr House SaTH Charity has helped the Trust go greener by purchasing new bike racks for colleagues and patients travelling to William Farr House (Shrewsbury).

The previous bike racks were old and unable to be used unusable so SaTH Charity applied to the Small Things Big Difference Fund to purchase and install the ‘toaster’ style racks. Within minutes of them being installed someone was already using them.

Nicola Brockley, Public Participation Development Manager, said: “I used to cycle to work when we were based at Stretton House and when the charity moved location, I realised the bike racks weren’t secure and I wasn’t happy to leave my bike on-site.

“Parking at William Farr House is a challenge so anything we can do to support staff to use alternative methods of transport is a good thing.

It’s really helpful to have access to the Small Things Fund so we can order items such as these”.

The Small Things Big Difference fund can be used to purchase anything from a kettle to bike racks, you can apply to the fund by clicking here.

Colleague Notice Board PREM Results 2024 Every year the Kidney PREM (patient reported experience measure) collects the views of kidney patients across the UK to understand experiences of renal care. We received over 90% satisfaction with our service and an excellent response rate from SaTH patients. We are very pleased that overall patient satisfaction was very good. We would like to offer our sincere thanks to our patients for their valuable contribution. It is very important patients are offered actions following the results of the survey and so we have produced this poster to confirm changes made and plans for the future on how we can improve our service.

Patients were asked to rate their experience on a scale of 1-7 with 1 being the lowest and 7 the highest.

We asked...

We did...

How involved patients feel in their care...

Routine dialysis patients are booked a minimum of three monthly reviews with their consultant. This review can take place either in a clinic room setting, whilst on dialysis or on the telephone. You can let the ward clerk or secretaries know your preference for how you would like the review to take place. If outside of the three monthly reviews you would like to speak to your consultant then we urge you to mention to a member of the renal team.

Email is: sath.renalunitadmin@nhs.net Renal patients can inform the nephrology secretaries of their preference to be reviewed, and all efforts will be made to accommodate your preferred choice.

Patients transport experience...

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24th June: Chair Yoga on MS Teams 25th June: Roadshow at RSH and Health MOT’s at Shrewsbury Business Park 27th June: Roadshow at PRH and Health MOT’s at Community Diagnostic Centre

A variety of stalls and stands will be at each roadshow event to cover all aspects of your wellbeing, and members of our executive team will also be present. Further details coming soon but will include: Health MOT’s, Menopause Café’s, Financial Support and information from our local councils on what they can also offer.

For more information please contact: sath.ahealthieryou@nhs.net Look out for more details in comms soon.

We want our patients to understand that we understand the parking challenges on our Royal Shrewsbury Hospital site. At the beginning of 2025 the Trust introduced a trial service running a park and ride bus for patients, to reduce the pressures of parking. Our satellite units at Ludlow and Hollinswood House fortunately do not typically face parking difficulties. We will ensure any new satellite units secured in future offer enough parking spaces to meet demand.

We’re exploring holding some face to face appointments at other locations to help alleviate the parking stress patients can experience when attending outpatient appointments.

About the input and interactions with the renal dieticians...

The dietetic team has expanded over the past twelve months which is excellent news for our patients. If you would like to speak with a member of the renal dietetic team, you can contact them on ext 1358 or via our email: sath.renalunitadmin@nhs.net and we will request the team get in touch with you.

Our renal dieticians can offer a range of advice on your diet and can tailor this specifically based on your blood Produced by Vicky Edwards. Created April 2025

ϭϮƚŚ—ϭϴƚŚ DĂLJ The DSN team will be visiting wards across PRH and RSH to test your knowledge & give out prizes!

A selection of new books now available at

We look forward to seeing you!

For more resources visit us online at:

Shrewsbury and Telford Health Libraries. https://www.library.sath.nhs.uk

STAFF LOTTERY This month ’s winners...

JOIN THE STAFF LOTTERY AND BE IN WITH A CHANCE TO WIN 12 CASH PRIZES EVERY MONTH!

1st £550 Mathew Meredith, Pharmacy 2nd £275 Lesley Cannon 2nd £275 Rosa Zapater Requena, Biochemistry 3rd £125 Sophie Rawlings-Jones, Communications 3rd £125 Rachel Leek, Gynaecology 4th £100 Kimberley Caldecott, Critical Care 4th £100 Carrie Wade, Ward 9 5th £50 Emily Lovell, Communications 5th £50 Dr Gemma Styles, Improvement Hub 5th £50 Pamela Williams, Corporate Nursing 5th £50 Julie Griffiths 5th £50 Gemma Dunseith, Pharmacy

To whom it may concern,

Tickets only £1 Payment will be deducted from your salary; winnings are paid into your salary the following month.

Why join our staff lottery?

50% of profits are given out in prizes and the other 50% is adding to our Small Changes Make a Big Difference Fund which is all spent on items for staff.

The SaTH Small Things Make a Big Difference Fund aims to improve the working environment and amenities for all employees.

Click here to download the T&C’s and enter the staff lottery

Thank you

I feel the need to write and express our gratitude for everything you have done for my brother who hopefully, is now on the very long road to recovery.

From the very first telephone call to Mr Soods secretary, who started the ball rolling for us, we have nothing but praise and a huge thank you, you have all been exceptional, too many to name but the people who have gone above and beyond.