Chatterbox - 250926

CHATTER BOX Your fortnightly bulletin for SaTH colleagues and events Friday 26 September 2025

Congratulations to our 2025 finalists We had a whopping 464 amazing nominations for our Trust Celebratory Awards, each one shining a spotlight on the outstanding dedication, creativity and teamwork happening across our hospitals and the wider community every single day.

Every nomination tells a story of compassion, innovation and commitment. Thank you for making our Trust such a special place!

Our shortlisting panels had the privilege of selecting our finalists – an incredibly difficult task given the amazing examples of innovation and care happening.

This year, the awards ceremony will be held on Friday 17 October at The Mercure Hotel, Telford, where the winners will be announced.

Turn to the next page to meet our 2025 finalists!

Meet our Trust Celebratory Awards finalists Star Awards

Health Equality Hero

Values Star – Partnering

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Dr Kevin Eardley, CKD nurses and Renal Dialysis Team, RSH Shropshire OPAT Team Janine Laming, Organisational Development

Values Star – Ambitious • • •

Ashley Goldstraw, Healthcare Assistant Orthopaedic Team Rachel Bennet, Matron, Paediatrics

Values Star – Caring • • •

Sam Tonks, Senior Medical People Advisor Jenni Rose, Deputy Head of PALS & Complaints Rachael House, Housekeeper

Respiratory Nurse Specialists, RSH The Menopause Team Musili Oshevire, Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Officer

Sustainability Advocate • •

Shona Baugh, Senior Capital Project Manager Jeremy Harris and David Roberts, Senior Dialysis Assistant and Senior Specialist Medical Equipment Technologist, Renal Unit, Hollinswood House

Leader of the Year •

Rebecca Hammond, Lead for Critical Care Outreach Practitioners Gordon Lumsden, Physiotherapist Carl Ray, Medical Equipment Team Leader

Values Star – Trusted

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We are always Learning Champion

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Hospital At Night Clinical Support Workers, RSH & PRH Ward 11, PRH Professional Development Team for Theatres, RSH and PRH

Rising Star • • •

Molly Jasper, Medical Recruitment Specialist Srinivasan Gopalakrishnan, Patient Experience Information Officer Danielle Alexander, People and OD Business Partner

Moving to Excellence Awards Research and Innovation Champion • • •

Jules Lewis, Swan End of Life Care Facilitator/ Lead Nurse, Palliative Care, RSH Early Pregnancy Assessment Service, PRH TRIOMIC Trial Team

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Ben Jenkins, EPR Lead Junior Radiographers Medical Devices Team

Community Awards Volunteer of the Year • • •

Volunteer Drivers Community Diagnostic Centre Volunteers Chaplaincy Companion Volunteers

Partner of the Year • • •

Telford College Lingen Davies Cancer Fund Clive Knowles, MD British IronWorks

We also have some special awards, which will be announced on the evening.

Exercise Jupiter On Wednesday 24 September, colleagues at PRH took part in a live training simulation around the Emergency Department.

The scenario – Exercise Jupiter – focused on a helicopter crash and the possible contamination of casualties by a hazardous substance.

It gave staff the chance to test their major incident

plans, including the use of a decontamination tent and chemical protection suits.

Volunteers, including Uniformed Services students from SCAT, acted as patients to help make the exercise as realistic as possible.

Thank you to everyone who took part – colleagues, partners and volunteers.

Falls Awareness Week Last week we celebrated Falls Prevention Awareness Week.

The theme is “From Awareness to Action”, highlighting the important message that falls are not an inevitable part of ageing.

Most falls can be prevented and older adults have the ability to reduce their risk through physical activity and improved fitness.

Colleagues can attend a variety of national webinars providing education around Falls Awareness during September.

Medline ran webinars on the topics: • Toileting and unsafe mobilization • Bed rails • Deconditioning

At SaTH the Quality team is running a quiz which is open to all departments.

Entries can be sent to lynette. williams3@nhs. net via email or the Quality team will be walking the wards to collect entries at the end of Falls Awareness Week.

Take the quiz here.

Answers will be published in the Information Bulletin next week.

National Inclusion Week Last week was National Inclusion Week, and was the perfect time to reflect on what inclusion really means for all of us.

important to remember that “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” Verna Myers.

The NHS is for everyone, and its strength comes from embracing that diversity. Inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s essential for delivering the best care, building trust and supporting a workforce that reflects the communities it serves.

If you haven’t already, please take a few minutes to watch the special video from our four fantastic staff networks. They’re open to everyone and are a great way to connect, share and get support. You can find out more about our networks on the intranet.

When everyone feels valued, heard and respected, we create a culture where patients receive compassionate, personalised care and staff can thrive. Inclusion drives innovation, improves outcomes and strengthens our shared mission: to care for every person with dignity, fairness and excellence.

Together, by putting inclusion at the heart of everything we do, we ensure the NHS remains a beacon of hope, equality and strength for all.

We must be comfortable to talk about the uncomfortable,” especially when it comes to racism and discrimination. Inclusion means facing those tough conversations and building a culture where everyone feels safe and respected.

A huge thank you to everyone who got involved in the amazing celebrations across our Trust. It’s

Everyone Belongs Here: Meet our inclusion advocates Earlier this year, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin’s health and care system launched the ‘Everyone Belongs Here’ campaign to celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion across our county.

Since then, the campaign has grown into a powerful movement, thanks to the support of colleagues who stepped forwards to become inclusion advocates.

This National Inclusion Week (15-19 September), we are sharing our colleague’s voices to put a spotlight on equality and diversity in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

These individuals represent a wide range of roles and backgrounds, from nurses and social workers to pharmacists and project officers.

Each one brings a unique perspective and a shared commitment to creating a workplace where everyone feels safe, respected and valued.

Over the past few months, we’ve held a series of events and photoshoots to capture their voices. Through images, video clips and personal reflections, these advocates have shared what inclusion means to them and why it matters.

The ‘Everyone Belongs Here’ campaign is an ongoing commitment to making inclusion part of our everyday culture. We invite you to explore the campaign, reflect on what belonging means to you, and join us in building a health and care system where everyone belongs.

Watch the video and view the gallery plus download the Teams background and e-mail signature to show your support here.

Half marathon to raise funds for the Bereavement Team SaTH Charity is pleased to announce that we have secured several places in this year’s Shrewsbury Half Marathon, which is taking place on Sunday 28 September 2025.

One of our fundraisers, who has bravely accepted the challenge, despite not being a seasoned runner, is Stephanie Kitchenham-Laing. Her determination to support SaTH Charity is inspiring, as she embarks on this journey to raise funds for our Bereavement Team. Stephanie has already raised £275.

Julia Clarke, Director of Public Participation said: “We are incredibly proud of Stephanie’s commitment to supporting the Bereavement Team through her participation in the Shrewsbury Half Marathon. We will be cheering her on as she runs to raise funds for the team.”

Stephanie said: “I’m excited that I’ll be running in support of SaTH Charity, raising funds for the

incredible Bereavement Team at the Women’s and Children’s Centre at Princess Royal Hospital. This team goes above and beyond to provide care, compassion and support during the most difficult times, and their work has made a real difference to so many of us.

“As someone who isn’t a runner, taking on a metric half marathon is a big personal challenge, but one I’m proud to take on for such a meaningful cause. I’ll be chuffed just to cross the finish line, and I’d be so grateful for your encouragement and support thank you so much.”

You can donate to Stephanie’s JustGiving page here.

First major rollout of recycling goes live The first major rollout of recycling has now gone live at SaTH. Recycling has been rolled out in some areas at PRH as we move towards a more sustainable future following the change in legislation which means we must recycle the way we do at home (paper/card, food, plastics/tins).

You will start to see bins popping up all over the Trust as the rollout continues over the coming months with areas moving to recycling. Under desk/office bins will be removed and replaced with more communal recycling bins like the ones in the pictures to ensure we are recycling as much as we can within the Trust.

at the Trust. Now as we begin rolling recycling out, this is a huge step towards a more sustainable and resource focused management of waste.

This has been a huge team effort with colleagues from Portering, Cleanliness and the wider Facilities teams being fundamental to its implementation.

Thanks to colleagues from across the Trust who have been extremely supportive as we build on the success of other initiatives.

Earlier in the year, we introduced effective cardboard segregation and baling, and with the NHS Clinical Waste Strategy completely embedded, we have completely reshaped waste management

EV Car Leasing scheme Have you thought about leasing an electric car?

Join the webinar on MS Teams on the Trusts Car Leasing scheme provided by NHS Fleet Solutions on Tuesday 30 September at 12:00pm.

Mother and son take skydive leap for SaTH Charity A daring mother and son leapt into the skies to raise funds for the Research and Innovation department.

Mandy Carnahan and her son Harry were due to skydive from a plane on Harry’s 21st birthday last week, but it didn’t go ahead because of the weather. It is now due to take place on Saturday 27 September at Tilstock Airfield near Whitchurch.

The fundraiser aims to support crucial research and innovation projects within The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), enhancing patient care and advancing medical research.

Mandy said: “We are raising money for the Research and Innovation (R&I) department at SaTH to enable more research to be done for our patients. R&I currently has over 50 research studies open across a range of conditions and we would

really like to be able to do more.

“Harry and I thought jumping out of a perfectly serviceable aeroplane might attract attention – and we were due to do it on Harry’s 21st birthday!

The jump is all paid for, so any money raised goes directly to the charity. Any support for us would be very much appreciated.”

There’s still time to donate to their JustGiving page, click here for more information.

EDI Focus Group The EDI team is inviting you to participate in a focus group to discuss Domain 2 of the Equality Delivery System (EDS2022).

This is a great opportunity to share your insights and experiences and help shape the future of colleague experience of EDS2022.

EDS2022 is an equality improvement tool to review and develop services, the workforce and leadership within the organisation. This is achieved in active conversations with patients, public, staff, staff networks and trade unions.

It provides a focus for us to assess the physical impact of discrimination, stress and inequality, providing an opportunity for us to support a healthier and happier workforce, which in turn will increase the quality of care provided for patients.

EDS2022 implementation by NHS provider organisations is mandatory in the NHS Standard Contract.

The three Domains assessed are: 1. Commissioned or provided Services 2. Workforce Health and Wellbeing 3. Inclusive leadership The session will be held on Monday 20 October at 10.00am-12.30pm in the Lecture Theatre at PRH. During the session, we’ll discuss: • Your understanding of Domain 2 • Your experiences related to Domain 2 • Your ideas for how to achieve Domain 2 Your participation is valuable and will help us develop a better understanding of how to achieve this important goal.

Please RSVP by sath.edi@nhs.net by Thursday 16 October 2025.

Many thanks to those of you that have already signed up or attended the RSH session and your continued support to improve staff wellbeing in the Trust.

Patient Experience Whether you are patient facing or not, every role in the NHS contributes to the patient experience.

The Patient Experience team has developed a short e-learning course to highlight how all colleagues can support a positive patient experience. The course highlights elements such as the importance of gathering and acting on feedback, inclusive communication, our responsibility to carers and the invaluable work of our patient partners.

The course will take around 45 minutes to complete and is available on the Patient Experience tab on the LMS.

SaTH 4 success Congratulations to the SaTH 4 senior leadership programme graduates.

Participants completed the four-day programme over four months on 8 September 2025 with final group presentations delivered, with Nigel Lee in attendance.

Health & Wellbeing: What’s on

If you have attended any of the Menopause Support and Education sessions, we would like your feedback, please could you let us know your thoughts here.

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Menopause Café’s: Come along for a drink and a shared conversation about Menopause in an informal setting.

• Wednesday 15 October, 12pm-12.45pm at PRH Education Centre • Thursday 16 October, 12pm-12.45pm at SERII, RSH Gentle Yoga at SERII Room 13, Mondays at 5.15pm. Book here on a weekly basis, using your NHS email address Menopause Advocate Training: New dates added for October book here Osteoporosis and Menopause: A session with Professor Mark Garton on Friday 3 October book here

Embers of Care Embers of Care is a series of 100 paintings by artist John Yayen, celebrating the strength, resilience and profound contributions of migrants in the UK healthcare sector.

Two SaTH Colleagues were chosen to have their portrait painted, which was unveiled during Inclusion Week in the Mytton Restaurant, RSH.

Marsha arrived in Shrewsbury from a bustling Indian city, facing the challenge of her new quiet environment. “It’s beautiful, calm, serene - but where are the happenings? It’s too quiet for me,” she recalled. Encouraged by her manager, she stepped into a Practice Education Facilitator role, creating a transition programme for new international nurses, something she wished had existed when she arrived.

The portrait reflects the lived experiences of staff whose care often goes unseen, and Inclusion Week gives us the right space to honour those voices. It’s about recognising everyone’s contribution and making sure people feel seen, valued and included

Her early days were filled with difficulty. She faced COVID-related challenges, inadequate PPE, delayed OSCEs, no support system, and housing and transportation issues. “We had to look for houses on foot, taxis weren’t even running” she said.

Sabha’s journey spanned three countries. In India, she evolved from a sheltered student to an empathetic professional while working with HIV patients in rural settings, understanding poverty.

“You go beyond materialistic things. You see people suffering in real life,” she recalled. In Dubai, she managed COVID-19 communications, gaining insights into the importance of collective action. In the UK, the NHS’s ethos of universal care resonated deeply with her. Her overarching reflection: “I became much more grateful in life.

For us, it’s a daily thing to come to the hospital, for the patient, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

The paintings is currently on display at RSH, before it will more to PRH.

Australian Chaplain visit SaTH chaplains were excited to host a visit from Sarah Simpson, Lead Chaplain and Manager for Pastoral Services at St. John of God Hospital in Perth, Australia.

During the visit chaplains discussed ideas about best practice and the offering of pastoral care to our hospital communities. We discovered we have much in common and plenty of shared learning. Hopefully, these relationships will develop and the chaplaincy team look forward to the return visit.

Surprise 80th birthday celebration for Gill On Tuesday 23 September, colleagues in SERII threw a surprise celebration for Gill Griffiths who turned 80.

Gill has been in the organisation for 23 years and has been cleaning SERII since it opened.

She always ensures the centre is cleaned to her very high standards and is welcoming to visitors. She has a great sense of humour and makes time to chat with all those who work within the building.

Gill celebrated with presents and a cake.

Many happy returns!

SaTH’s Got Talent Would you like to take part in the SaTH Staff and Family Talent Show?

Join our hospital’s talented staff and children in this special evening of music, song, poetry and laughter.

It is taking place on Friday 21 November at St Alkmund’s Church, Shrewsbury at 6.30pm with the William Farr Memorial Dinner being held at the Prince Rupert Hotel afterwards.

For more information, and to book your tickets please click here.

Colleague Notice Board

Short introduction to Medical Terminology

This training session is an introduction to medical terminology for nonͲmedical staff.

It covers the components of medical terms, using prefixes and suffixes, and the Greek and Latin origins of medical words.

Wednesday 8th October — 2.30pm—3.30pm Tuesday 14th October — 2pmͲ3pm Tuesday 11th November — 9.30am—10.30am Via Microsoft Teams

Book on LMS Ͳ search for ‘Short Introduction to Medical Terminology’ For more information contact: Sarah Rochelle on ext. 4440 sarah.rochelle@nhs.net Or Jenny Fry on ext. 1440 jennifer.fry4@nhs.net

INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN RADIOLOGY? We would like to invite you to our taster sessions in our radiology department, where you will gain an insight into the department and find out more about the training and job opportunities which exist.

You must be 16+ to apply.

When: Saturday 1st November 2025 Early Session: 09:30 to 11:30 Later Session: 12:00 to 14:00 Venue: Royal Shrewsbury Hospital Booking is essential as places are limited. For further information or to book a place please email: HannahBlackwell@nhs.net

Colleague Notice Board

6—12th October

See It My Way

For HYPO AWARENESS WEEK the DSN team will be visiting the wards in PRH &

RSH where you can take part in our hypo activity and win some prizes!

Join us for an educational session.

Hear a patient story and take part in a reflective discussion

September 2025 2pm

December 2025 2pm

March 2026 2pm

PRH - 9th RSH - 11th TEAMS - 10th

PRH - 9th RSH - 11th TEAMS - 12th

PRH - 10th RSH - 12th TEAMS - 13th

All sessions 2pm - 2.45pm Book a place via LMS For info call ext 5126 or e-mail sath.patientexperience@nhs.net

STAFF LOTTERY This month ’s winners...

JOIN THE STAFF LOTTERY AND BE IN WITH A CHANCE TO WIN 13 CASH PRIZES EVERY MONTH!

1st £600 Shanice Roberts, Women and Children’s 2nd £300 Susie Pajak, Research 2nd £300 Kirsten Pearce, AMU 3rd £150 Colm Tidman, Orthopaedics 3rd £150 Joshua Harrison, Pathology 4th £100 Samantha Funge, Medical Education 4th £100 Gillian Dean 5th £75 Ella Watkin, Cancer Services 5th £75 Alice Jones, Delivery Suite 6th £50 Maggie Davison 6th £50 Theresa Edwards, MSK 6th £50 Sharon Whitehead, Ward 7 6th £50 Kate Adney, Leadership and OD

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

Thank you so much for the support given to my Dad, particularly in the final stages of his life. He felt that you truly listened to him.

I asked Dad how the Shrewsbury Renal Unit compared to his previous one in Lincolnshire and he said: “They are so proffessional here - they actually know what they are doing!”

I know Dad could be very dry and grumpy, but this is genuinely a huge compliment to the renal team which I would like to pass on.