Your fortnightly bulletin for SaTH colleagues and events
Thursday 12 June 2025
In May 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.
To help us spread the word, our very own Penny the pig (pictured below) has been trotting around this week visiting wards and departments and listening to your ideas.
On Wednesday Penny was joined by Tracey Cotterill, Director of Recovery, to meet and engage with colleagues on opportunities to drive efficiency
and improvement. Penny will be visiting many more areas in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for her!
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 about the Little Things Challenge, please visit the intranet
We can all do little things every day to make a big difference.
Men’s Health Week 2025 starts on Monday 9 June, and this year’s theme is a powerful call for action: the need for a dedicated Men’s Health Strategy within the NHS.
Led by the Men’s Health Forum, the campaign highlights the urgent reality that one in five men in the UK dies before the age of 65—often from preventable causes.
From heart disease and prostate cancer to mental health struggles and suicide, men continue to face serious health challenges, many of which are made worse by stigma, late diagnosis, and lack of tailored support. This week aims to change that by raising awareness, encouraging conversations, and pushing for lasting policy change.
The Men’s Health Forum website has a helpful FAQs page, which provides answers to many commonly asked questions that are often asked of GPs, relating to men’s health.
The Men’s Health Forum are also promoting DIY Man MOT which is a quick and easy health check you can do at home. You can do some simple tests at home and get further guidance for any concerns you might have. For more details, visit the website
Diabetes Awareness Week
Diabetes Week is a week to make some noise, raise awareness and shout about the things that matter to people with diabetes, shining a light on what it’s like to live with day in, day out.
Having diabetes means that you are more at risk of serious foot problems. Diabetes causes more than 180 amputations in the UK every week. But there is good news, 80% of amputations are preventable with the right care.
If you have diabetes, there is information available on the intranet to help keep your feet healthy.
What’s on at SaTH?
There are resources available to colleagues to help support with Men’s Health.
Men’s Wellness Walk
Hosted by Simon and Jordan, a chance to get outdoors, connect with others, and have meaningful conversations while getting some fresh air. Walking side by side makes it easier to open up, share thoughts, and simply enjoy the moment. Then back at the pub for a FREE hot drink or a discounted pint. No need to book, just turn up at 10:15am.
• Date: Last Sunday of every month
• Location: Meet at the Cock Hotel, Wellington TF1 2DL
• Time: 10:30am-12:30pm
Men’s Walking and Talking
Mental health walks, with the aim of bringing men together in a safe space to end the stigma around men’s mental health by supporting each other. More information can be found on their website.
Andropause Support
Andropause is that time in a man’s lift when physical and emotional changes occur, often affecting their mental health and wellbeing. This normally starts in the mind-40s to early 50s. This can be a very challenging time so we have some resources and signposting available in the Health and Wellbeing Brochure
The campaign “Lift the sheet – check the feet” is being introduced on all wards to promote better inpatient footcare and we are listening to our patients and highlighting people’s stories of living with diabetes.
In the below videos, Danielle and Hilary talk about their diabetes journeys.
Biomedical Science Day
On Thursday 5 June we marked Biomedical Science Day – a day to celebrate the passion, expertise and dedication of our Biomedical Scientists.
Did you know in March 2025…
• Blood Sciences performed 1,100,031 tests.
• Cellular Pathology processed 17,747 slides.
• Microbiology performed 37,147 tests.
There are 110 Healthcare Scientists (HCSs) working at SaTH and they are supported by
Healthcare Scientists work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to test samples for the patients within our hospitals and samples taken from GP surgeries all over Shropshire, Telford and Mid Wales.
It is estimated that 80% of clinical decisions are informed by testing completed by Healthcare Scientists.
Sarah Green is a Biomedical scientist in Blood sciences. She said: “The job is multidisciplinary, so we cover Haematology, Blood Transfusion and Biochemistry. I enjoy that it is varied, and we are constantly learning new and interesting things. The team I work with are great and hardworking. We are always sharing our knowledge.”
Joanna Winska is currently an Apprentice BMS in the Microbiology Department at RSH, gaining practical experience alongside academic training to qualify as a registered Biomedical Scientist. She started as a Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA), progressed to an Associate Practitioner role, and is in the final stages of her Biomedical Scientist apprenticeship, working towards becoming an HCPC-registered Biomedical Scientist.
Jessica Sigheartau has been been working as a Specialist Biomedical Scientist working on the 24/7 rota within Haematology and Blood Transfusion. She said: “The most interesting thing for me, about the job is morphology (what our blood cells look like down the microscope). I find it so fascinating that we can tell so much about a patient just by looking at their blood. A lot of diagnoses could not be made without the input of Biomedical Scientists and laboratory support staff.”
Siena Gibbs is a Specialist Biomedical Scientist in the Microbiology department, this covers Bacteriology, Virology, Mycology and Serology. She has been working as a Biomedical Scientist in Microbiology at SaTH for four years. Previously to this she worked in Cellular Pathology, first as a placement student and later as an Associate Practitioner.
Rebecca Morgan is an apprentice BMS working in Biochemistry at RSH. She joined the Trust in 2023. She is currently completing an IBMS training portfolio alongside a degree in Healthcare Science with the hope of becoming a HCPC registered biomedical scientist in Biochemistry.
Jan Shields is a Senior Biomedical Scientist in Blood Transfusion at RSH. She started at RSH in 1986 as a MLSO working during the day but also covering on call in Haematology and Blood Transfusion for RJAH and RSH. She was appointed as the Blood Transfusion Senior Biomedical Scientist post at PRH when the hospital opened in 1989.
One of her career highlights was to bring Antenatal Screening for Shropshire and mid Wales in house which reduced turnaround times and gave us more ownership of testing and results. She was the laboratory lead for the introduction of cell-free foetal DNA screening in pregnancy which is now routinely offered to patients.
Join one of our staff networks
Multi Faith and Belief Network
The Multi-Faith & Belief (MF&B) Staff Network is here to support colleagues of all faiths, beliefs, and none, offering a space to connect, reflect, and feel valued. We aim to promote spiritual and emotional wellbeing, encourage respectful dialogue, and celebrate the rich diversity of beliefs across our SaTH community. We believe that real support begins with understanding, so we want to hear from you. Your thoughts will help us build the network in a way that truly reflects what matters to you and what kind of support would make a difference.
Pride Network
Our PRIDE Staff Network offers a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other colleagues under the LGBT+ umbrella, together with our allies. The network plays a vital role in supporting each other, raising awareness, tackling discrimination, and contributing to a culture where everyone can thrive and be their authentic selves. Through regular meetings, events and awareness campaigns, the network helps to foster a culture of acceptance, belonging and mutual respect. The PRIDE network plays an essential role in making SaTH a better place to work for everyone.
DAWN Network
The DAWN Staff Network is here to offer a safe, supportive, and empowering space for staff living with disabilities and long-term health conditions. As a network, we provide peer support, raise awareness, and advocate for inclusive workplace practices. We aim to work closely with managers and supervisors to better understand what support staff would like to see.
REIN Network
The REIN Staff Network is here to ensure everyone gets a seat at the table, lifting others, creating a safe space, and sharing our cultures. We are deeply committed to making a difference, where equity is not just a goal, but a reality and inclusion is not just a value but a way of life. REIN aims to create a staff network emphasising that everyone matters, and underrepresented voices are amplified in our diverse and inclusive organisation.
Find out more about the staff networks on the intranet
Pride Month is celebrated globally from Sunday 1 - Monday 30 June.
It is a month long celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their achievements.
It commemorates the Stonewall Riots in June 1969 that inspired the historic gay liberation movement and the fight for LBGTQIA+ rights
that followed. Today, it is the celebration of the LGBTQIA+ identity and a call to action to recognise pressing issues about equality above all else.
As a Trust, we are fully committed to becoming a more inclusive place for colleagues, patients, and visitors, and we all have a part to play in this.
There are some activity sheets available to download on the Intranet:
• LGBT Icons Quiz
• Pride Wordsearch
• LGBT Crossword
• Historic Facts and Events Crossword
Have you thought about becoming a Freedom to Speak Up Ambassador?
Currently the Trust has around 40 Freedom to Speak Up Ambassador but we are always keen for new ambassadors to join our team to help raise awareness of Freedom to Speak Up.
What is the role of a Freedom to Speak Up Ambassador?
The primary role of a Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) Ambassador is:
1. Awareness raising of Freedom to Speak Up and its role and purpose.
2. Signposting and supporting staff who wish to raise concerns.
Why should I apply?
As an FTSU Ambassador you will make a real difference to the working lives of your colleagues and the experience of our patients ultimately creating an open, safe and transparent culture at SaTH.
Who should apply?
Those who are genuinely interested in creating an open, safe and transparent culture at SaTH and who role model the values of integrity, courage, impartiality, empathy and learning. Courage … speaking truthfully and challenging appropriately Impartiality… remaining objective and unbiased
Empathy … listening well and acting with sensitivity
Learning … seeking and providing feedback and looking for opportunities to improve
Case study: Reem Fathelrahman
Reem Fathelrahman is a Year 2 Internal Medical Trainee, currently working on the Geriatric Ward at PRH.
When she started at the Trust, she witnessed colleagues making racist comments. She addressed the comments, however the colleagues were ignorant as to why their words had been unacceptable and implied that Reem had been over reacting. This made her feel nervous about starting her position at SaTH. After speaking with her supervisor, she was directed to a FTSU ambassador, who in turn connected her with Helen Turner, FTSU Guardian.
Helen escalated the concern to the employee’s manager who spoke with the employee involved, who apologised for the way the situation was handled. Reem felt supported throughout the process and was provided with regular updates.
She said: “Speaking up is so important as it protects us all. When staff feel safe and respected, this in turn gives them confidence which leads to better patient care. Above all I was made to feel my voice mattered and that I was welcome in this organisation as a black Muslim female. FTSU works to make everybody feel respected and safe, regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation.”
Endoscopy Team are going digital
The Endoscopy Team have been busy completing training for the new system, Medilogik which is replacing Endobase on Monday 23 June.
Medilogik brings key benefits of reducing delays, improving safety, supporting productivity and becoming a paper-light process.
Key changes to note:
• From Monday 23 June, paper referrals will no longer be accepted – all referrals must be made digitally via Medilogik
• Rejected referrals will be logged in the system, with email notifications sent to requesters
• Endoscopy reports will move to the “Documents” tab in the Clinical Portal
Training is already well underway with great feedback so far. Colleagues have said that the new system is user friendly and intuitive. Training guides and videos are available on the Endoscopy intranet page and colleagues should review these before Monday 23 June.
If you request endoscopic procedures it is highly
Carers Week: 9-15 June
Carers Week is an annual campaign, designed to raise awareness of the challenges faced by unpaid carers and to recognize the invaluable contribution they make to families and communities throughout the country.
In the UK, there are an estimated 6.5 million unpaid carers, providing care and support to family members, friends, or neighbours who are ill, disabled, or elderly. The role of an unpaid carer can be incredibly demanding, both physically and emotionally. Carers often juggle multiple responsibilities, including personal care, administering medication, managing finances, and providing emotional support.
recommended that you attend this training. Next week is the last chance to come along to complete face to face training and test the new system.
All training sessions are located in IT training suite, RSH library. For any further questions, please contact thomas.wareing2@nhs.net or cathy.hordley@nhs.net
• Monday 16 June: 9am-12pm
• Tuesday 17 June: 12.30pm-3pm
• Wednesday 18 June: 9am-12pm
• Thursday 19 June: 12.30pm-3pm
• Friday 20 June: 9am-12pm
This year the theme is ‘Caring About Equality’ highlighting the inequalities faced by unpaid carers, including a greater risk of poverty, social isolation, poor mental and physical health. Far too often, carers of all-ages miss out on opportunities in their education, careers, or personal lives, just because of their caring role.
Events taking place at SaTH during Carers Week: Friday 13 June at RSH
• 12.00noon to 2pm – Stand at the bottom of the Ward Block outside the multifaith room for visitors
• 2.30pm to 3pm – Session for staff in Room 2, SaTH Education, Research and Improvement Institute (SERII).
• 3pm to 4pm – Drop in session for staff who are carers in Room 2, SERII
You can find more information on our website
New Consultant and GP System Welcome
The New Consultant and GP System Welcome event brought newly appointed Integrated Care System (ICS) and SaTH Consultant colleagues together for an educational event held over course of two days.
The event, organised by Medical Director’s Service Team, has run twice a year since 2022 and is a huge success, creating an environment for peer support, networking across the healthcare boundaries.
It provides colleagues with greater understanding of the ICS and SaTH strategic direction and importance of the strong relationship between the ICB CMO and SaTH MD. Colleagues heard presentations from Dr John Jones, Executive Medical Director, Dr Jenni Rowlands, Deputy Medical Director and Dr Lorna Clarson, Chief Medical Officer (ICS).
In addition, discussion with heads and leaders of key services within SaTH, reviewed wider working relationships across the Trust from Operational Teams to Research and Innovation. Open discussion with Prof. Trevor Purt, NonExecutive Director, stimulated dialogue about how the Trust functions and the involvement needed from senior doctors.
Dr Jenni Rowlands said: “It’s fantastic for new consultants to understand what being a part of SaTH means and have opportunities to meet colleagues from various disciplines and healthcare settings across the county.”
Armed Forces Day
Armed Forces Day is being celebrated on Wednesday 25 June.
We are proud to be Veteran Aware Hospitals, supporting the employment of Veterans and Reservists in the NHS Workforce.
There will be awareness stands to celebrate Armed Forces Day in the Treatment Centre at RSH and in the Conservatory at PRH from 122pm.
Information for staff, patients and relatives will be available.
Come along to meet our Veteran Aware Champions and find out what the Trust does to support our Armed Forces colleagues and patients.
National Bike Week and Dr Bike
Bike Week is taking place from Monday 9 to Sunday 15 June 2025. It doesn’t matter whether you ride to work every day or haven’t ridden a bike for years, why not get your wheels in motion and take part in the UK’s biggest celebration of cycling?
Not only is cycling fun and cheap, it gives you the freedom to get right where you want to go without worrying about traffic jams and parking. It is also a great way to increase your fitness, improve your wellbeing, and it’s kinder for the environment too.
Did you know…
• Cycling to work can mean you have a lower risk of developing cancer, and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease
• If you cycle regularly in adulthood, you will enjoy a level of fitness equivalent to someone 10 years younger.* (*source Active Together)
If you would like to give cycling a go and/or would like to purchase a new bike, you can take advantage of the Trust Cycle to Work scheme: https://www.vivup.co.uk/users/sign_up
We also have staff-only secure cycle shelters across both sites and have just installed additional cycle shelters at Zone 3 car park RSH, by the Women & Children’s unit PRH and at Hollinswood House.
We have also listened to feedback from our cyclist community and are pleased to announce that two brand-new tool stations have been installed - one next to the catering stores cycle
SaTH 4 success
Congratulations to the recent participants on our SaTH 4 senior leadership development programme who completed the programme on Monday 2 June 2025.
shelter and the other is located inside Pathology/ Theatres cycle shelter to help with your cycle maintenance needs.
Dr Bike
Dr Bike will be on site to provide a free bicycle health check for all staff.
• Thursday 12 June at RSH, by the Catering Stores/back entrance 8am to 2pm.
• Friday 13 June at PRH, by Fracture Clinic / Women and Children’s Centre 8am-2pm.
Bring your bike along and Dr Bike will check it over and will be able to advise if any further work is needed.
Tailgating & Security
Please be mindful about other cyclists who you let into the secure shelters with you and always ask for ID if in doubt.
Galvanise programme
Last Friday (6 June), Jo Williams and Rhia Boyode joined our amazing colleagues who have successfully completed their Galvanise programme.
18 colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds completed the course from a range of teams across SaTH and ShropCom, including nursing, therapies, corporate and many more teams. Galvanise was established in 2022 by Dr Victoria Walton, a former junior doctor in training in SaTH.
The programme’s goal is to ensure that ethnic minority colleagues have a space to come together and share their challenges and opportunities.
Many mentors and managers joined the Galvanise participants on Friday, to listen to the truly inspirational presentations and journeys our colleagues have been on. Anyone can be a leader in SaTH! It was fantastic to see our 2025 class’s energy and enthusiasm to lead change in
their areas to build a culture where everyone has a voice and feels they belong.
Throughout the year the group has completed training on DiSC (understanding themselves and others), action learning, civility and respect and courageous conversations, reflective essay, equality diversity and inclusion, Freedom to Speak Up as well as reverse mentoring and observing board meetings, to give them the confidence to take forward their ideas and improvements.
46% of participants have gained a promotion since taking part in the course and a further 30% are actively seeking promotion.
Each year our Galvanise course gets bigger and better and we will soon be promoting the launch of our next group, which will start on 25 September 2025.
Keep looking out for our communications or email sath.leadership@nhs.net if you have any questions.
See it my way sessions
The Patient Experience Team have released dates for the coming year for the ‘See It My Way’ Patient Story sessions.
The sessions involve listening to a patient story followed by a reflective discussion. Valuable learning can be gained to inform service improvement from all experiences and the reflective piece can be used for revalidation and for evidence of training for your Talent Conversations.
Live sessions are conducted at PRH, RSH and on-line via Teams. All sessions are bookable here
In addition to the live sessions in order to facilitate self-directed learning and ensure accessibility for all staff, a number of e-learning modules have now been created involving a variety of themes using patient stories. You can access these by logging onto the LMS, click on ‘Search for a Course’ then scroll down to the Patient Experience tab.
For further information around patient stories, please see our intranet page here or email sath.patientexperience@nhs. net
See It My Way
Join us for a lunchtime educational session.
Hear a patient story and take part in a reflective discussion
All sessions 2pm-2.45pm
Book a place via the LMS here. For info please call ext 5126 or e-mail sath.patientexperience@nhs.net
Happy retirement to Alison
Radiographer Alison Cook retired from the Radiography department on Monday 19 May after spending her whole career at RSH.
Alison said: “I still feel very overwhelmed and emotional after working my very last day in a job. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed over the last 50 years. A big thank you to the X-ray department for giving me the most amazing and heartfelt send off and the most beautiful gifts.”
Alison started her training with a chest x-ray 53 years ago, and her last image taken on Monday was also a chest x-ray. Alison has always been a valued member of the team and will be very missed by all her colleagues.
Another Successful SaTH Charity Football Tournament
The third annual SaTH Charity Football Tournament took place on Sunday 1 June at the Sports Village in Shrewsbury.
The event was a great success with 160 members of NHS staff, from SaTH, Keele University and West Midlands Ambulance, taking part and together they raised nearly £4,600 for the Dementia appeal and the Neonatal Unit of SaTH Charity.
The event was organised by Mark Rawlings, a porter based at RSH. 16 teams took part, and the event was particularly poignant this year as the team from the Urgent Treatment Centre had lost a colleague a month before and honoured her memory with an armband.
The day was filled with lots of fun and support from the players friends and families. There were some gripping times along the way – a halfway line goal by Anna Mophet, Physio, from all women’s team Still Haven’t Jota Clue and multiple draws or last-minute goals – even the final could only be decided by a 4 – 5 difference in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Congratulations to the winning team Drongo’s United and the runners up SaTHletico Madrid. The winner of the runners up SaTH Charity cup was Fantasy First Responders, made up of West Midlands Ambulance Service.
The money raised from the day will enable the dementia team to purchase single use items including reminiscence dolls, nostalgic items
and activities for patients living with dementia. It will also enable the Neonatal Unit to purchase information boards to support parents of neonatal babies.
Karen Breese, Dementia Care Clinical Specialist, said: “A massive thanks goes to Mark and the players for choosing the dementia care appeal. We use lots of single use items to support our patients like reminiscence dolls and teddies, the money raised will make a real difference to our patients and enable us to provide more support.”
Jo Demers, Neonatal Matron, said: “We are grateful to have been selected as one of the funds to benefit from the money raised by the SaTH Chairty Annual Football Tournament. We know our young patients and their families will benefit from the money raised, we are always striving to improve their experience during their time on the unit.”
Julia Clarke, Director of Public Participation, said: “It was another amazing tournament and great that staff can come together to support such a great cause. We know the hospital treats lots of patients who are living with dementia and bringing them comfort in such an unfamiliar environment improves their experience. We also understand the value of improving areas for the loved ones of our youngest patients in the Neonatal Unit. Some of our babies are with us for a while and the families end up seeing the unit as a second home, so the money will be used to provide comfort to the families during what can be a challenging period.”
Colleague Notice Board
MASTERCLASS - How t Learning & Developm achieve your poten
What is the Purpose of the course?
This masterclass will give learners the opportunity to reflect on their career pathway to date and map out and discuss where they see themselves in the future, what support they may require, educational opportunities are available within SaTH and how to access local learning providers
Who is this course for?
Individuals who are keen to develop in their careers and have awareness of the different pathways available
Scan the QR code to book a place or find out more
CHARITY FUNDRAISER Gig
SATURDAY
6PM - 10:30PM
THE WHEATSHEAF, FRANKWELL
Live music from Papa Nappy Soul Revue, The Untamed Shrews, The Average Dad Band, Anonymous
F R E E E N T R Y
All donations will go to Lingen Davies Cancer Fund - the region’s primary cancer charity
Raising money for
•
• Recognising and remembering the sacrifices faced by the armed forces community
• Encouraging activities which help to integrate the armed forces community into local life
• Encouraging the armed forces community to help and support the wider community, whether through participation in events and joint projects, or other forms of engagement For more about the Armed Forces Covenant and what it means for you, visit: www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk
We provide free and confidential services, without judgement for people having challenges with drugs and alcohol.
Need advice for yourself or a loved one? Call us on 01743 294700 or reach out to us at wearewithyou.org.uk. every step of the way
We are open Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm
Excl. Bank Holidays Drop in closes at 4:30pm
Colleague Notice Board
STAFF LOTTERY
This month’s winners...
1st £600
Hannah Mitchell, Clinic 7 RSH 2nd £300
Ninu Alex, Ward 37 2nd £300
Kaysey O’Toole, Neonatal Unit 3rd £150
Carole Powell, Audiology 3rd £150
Shannon Clewes, A&E PRH 4th £100
Emma Page, Frailty PRH 4th £100
Sarah Dale, AMU 5th £75
Annie Watkins, Patient Access Care 5th £75
Karthika Manjusha Satheesh Kumar, AMU 6th £50
Patricia Ward, Audiology 6th £50
Sara Whitley, Pathology 6th £50
Eilidh Greer, Neonatal Community 6th £50
Rachael Maskell, Corporate Education
JOIN THE STAFF LOTTERY AND BE IN WITH A CHANCE TO WIN
13 CASH PRIZES EVERY MONTH!
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
To all the staff on Ward 23,
The care, kindness, compassion and support has been second to none. I have never seen a team who work so closely and so well together, taking time for every single patient. Molly, Marie and Juna have been amazing nurses and the care assistants and the other staff have been out of this world. From the moment I arrived with you my care has been second to none. Please continue to do the amazing job you are all doing, you are all angels and I am so thankful.
