Chatterbox - 260116

CHATTER BOX Your fortnightly bulletin for SaTH colleagues and events Friday 16 January 2026

Help shape our future identity!

We’ve launched an engagement survey to gather your views for the new Group name.

We know our name needs to reflect our geography, our purpose and our NHS status. Please complete the short survey here. The closing date for the survey is Tuesday 20 January 2026.

Christmas decoration competition Thank you to all departments who entered the SaTH Christmas decorations competition. We loved seeing all the wonderful, festive decs around the hospitals.

The results are in, and the winners are Ward 19, Paediatrics at PRH with 86 votes. Thank you to everyone who voted. It was a tight competition, with only one vote between the winners and the Heart Assessment Team, RSH who came in second.

Dry January Dry January is your chance to give alcohol a break and start the year feeling fresh.

Whether you’re going all-in or just cutting back, every little helps.

Regular heavy drinking can creep up on you.

Over time, it can affect your sleep, mood, and energy levels. It can also put strain on your organs. Cutting back, even for a month, gives your body a chance to recover and helps you reset your habits.

Why give it a go?

• Sleep better • Feel more energised • Save some pennies • Enjoy that smug sense of achievement Tips to help you cut down on alcohol You do not necessarily need to go teetotal to feel the benefits of drinking less alcohol. Even just setting and sticking to a few drink-free days a week, or swapping to lower-strength drinks, are great steps in the right direction. Here are some practical things you can try to help you cut back.

1. Have a game plan: Use the NHS Drink Free Days app to set yourself a weekly unit target and stick to it. But if one week you do go over your limit, don’t stop trying – next week is a fresh start.

2. Switch from stronger stuff: Choose drinks that are lower in alcohol. Try lighter beers – under 4% ABV. As a rule of thumb, white and rosé wines are lower in strength than reds. Or try swapping some or all of your drinks for no or low-alcohol alternatives.

3. Stick with it! It might take a bit of time to get used to the change from your usual choices, so if you notice a difference in taste with lowerstrength drinks, do not give up! There are so many options, it’s likely there’s one out there for you – and switching means you can enjoy the health benefits of drinking less without losing your social life.

4. Shake up your social plans: Going for drinks is not the only way to see friends. You could watch a film, meet up for breakfast, grab a coffee and go for a walk, go bowling, head to the gym or sign up for a class to do together, for instance.

5. Set a booze budget: Sticking to a budgeted amount for alcohol can be a good way to drink less. If you are going out, try taking only the exact cash, or set up a spending alert on your card.

6. Write off the rounds: Being involved in rounds makes it easy to end up drinking more than you meant. Try to avoid them if you can, and do not feel like you have to say yes to a drink just because someone else is buying.

There’s always next time.

7. Only wine and dine: Waiting for your evening meal before you have a drink – and having your first only once you’ve started eating – is another simple way to help you cut down.

8. Beat boredom: If a drink is a way you handle boredom or stress, try finding something else to do instead. Exercise is a great stress reliever, and simple things like cleaning, a new hobby or DIY can be a good way to occupy mind and body.

Short-term benefits of drinking less alcohol: • feeling better in the mornings • being less tired and more energetic • better-looking skin • saving some money Long-term benefits of drinking less alcohol: • lower blood pressure • lower risk of stroke, hypertension, cancer and liver disease • lower cholesterol levels • better mood, memory and quality of sleep • help with weight management For more advice on Health and Wellbeing – visit the intranet pages.

Elf on the Shelf In the run up to Christmas the two pesky elves, Claude and Maude popped up in places around SaTH causing mischief.

We asked you send the locations of all of the places they visited.

They particularly enjoyed causing havoc in Trust HQ at PRH and picking up some sweets and snacks in the League of Friends shop at RSH. The full list of where the visited can be found below: 1. Captain Tom’s Garden at PRH 2. William Farr House Phlebotomy Department Reception Desk

3. Market Express Shop at PRH 4. Estates Department, PRH 5. Children’s Ward Playroom at PRH 6. The construction site, RSH 7. Charity and HTP Hub at PRH 8. IT Department, RSH 9. New Modular Wards, RSH 10. League of Friends Shop, RSH 11. Helipad at PRH 12. Trust HQ, PRH Thank you to everyone who entered - the winner was Carmen Harper from the Communications Team.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week Cervical cancer is a cancer that’s found anywhere in the cervix, which is the opening between the vagina and the womb.

screening, you might be invited for a colposcopy.

Cervical cancer develops from pre-cancerous changes to the cervix caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Which is why early detection is crucial via smear tests, which aims to detect and treat abnormal cells before they turn into cancer.

•

Cervical cancer causes around 685 deaths in England each year, but thanks to cervical screening and the HPV Vaccination programme, eliminating cervical cancer is more achievable than ever before.

Approximately 300 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK, making this the 14th most common cancer. The peak age for cervical cancer is between 30-35 yrs old, although it can occur at any age.

The key symptoms of cervical cancer can include: • Unusual vaginal bleeding, such as bleeding between periods or bleeding after sex.

• Post-menopausal bleeding.

• Changes to vaginal discharge • Pain during sex • Pelvic pain A colposcopy examination is a look at the cervix with a microscope. This takes a more in-depth look at the cell changes and any abnormality to the cervix.

There are several reasons why, following cervical

•

•

Your cervical screening result shows both highrisk HPV and that there are cell changes You don’t have cell changes, but you’ve had 3 cervical screening results in a row that show high-risk HPV The nurse or doctor who did your cervical screening test wants a Colposcopist to have a closer look at your cervix for a second opinion

Cervical screening SAVES LIVES. A few minutes in taking a smear could prevent cervical cancer. It’s your cervix, show it you care- book your screening if eligible, its quick, simple and could save your life.

Cervical Smear Tests are available at both RSH and PRH for staff who are due or overdue their smear test. To arrange an appointment please contact the Colposcopy Secretaries on Ext 5969, 5968 or 5967.

A testimonial from a colleague: “I kept forgetting to book a smear test (due to work commitments) and to be honest I kept putting it off due to past experiences and embarrassment.

Then I saw the colposcopy service was giving up their free time in their lunch break,to offer SaTH staff a smear test. Booking was easy and I felt completely comfortable as I was so anxious (as previous smears had caused a lot of distress) – she was so friendly and professional and her skill/ expertise meant it was over within a matter of minutes with no discomfort. Thank you – I would recommend the service to any woman.”

January wellbeing

As we step into a new year, January gives us a valuable chance to pause, reset, and set the tone for a healthier, more balanced 2026.

This month isn’t about resolutions or pressure it’s about creating space for clarity, energy, and wellbeing, both individually and as a team. By focusing on a few simple, meaningful actions, we can build habits that support us throughout the year and strengthen the way we work together.

To help you choose your areas of focus for 2026, you may find it useful to complete the 5-minute Healthy Choices Quiz, launched by the Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS. It will give you personalised steps to help improve the suggested health changes identified.

These changes may include making time for bettering your mental health, prioritising nutrition and exercise, or taking time to get support and understanding of your overall wellbeing.

To help you achieve this, the Trust have a range of resources available to you which can be found within the information booklet and the wellbeing intranet page.

Wellbeing is not solely an individual issue, but it should be recognised as everyone’s responsibility as we all play a significant role in shaping the wellbeing, environment and culture of those around us which all impact on employee experience.

Please can we remind colleagues and line managers about the importance of wellbeing check ins at the start of team meetings, as well as conducting wellbeing conversations as our 1:1’s and talent conversations.

Supporting documents can be found here.

Key dates for January 2026 • • • •

1-31 January - Dry January Starting Monday 5 January – Online Mindful Yoga for NHS Workers (part of Menopause Programme) - book here Wednesday 28 January Mental Health and Menopause session, 1.30-2.30pm, PRH Education Centre - book here Staff Stop Smoking Support Drop in Clinics every Wednesday 2pm – 5pm in SERII

Trek26 Peak District challenge Katie Hall, who is a Trainee Associate Respiratory Physiologist with the Cardiorespiratory Team, is hoping to complete the Trek26 Peak District challenge in June this year to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society.

my husband’s Nan has it and has done for quite some time now and my father in law was also diagnosed a couple of years ago and is deteriorating much faster than we would have hoped for.”

The 13-mile route starts at the Bakewell Showground and heads out east to the river Derwent before enjoying the grand Chatsworth experience and heading back over Calver Peak through lush countryside, with a total elevation of 497m.

“It is nothing short of soul crushing to have your loved one still alive but to slowly lose the person that they are until they don’t even know who they are any more, let alone who you are. This can happen to anyone; it is the most common form of dementia and is a leading killer, surpassing breast and prostate cancer combined in the USA.”

The 13 miles should take approximately 5-6 hours but can take some walkers up to 9 hours.

It’s a family affair with Katie completing the walk with her husband, mother-in-law, brother-inlaw, brother in law’s girlfriend, and cousin in law and his girlfriend. The charity they are raising money is close to their hearts, with multiple family members suffering from the disease.

Katie said: “My grandfather on my Pop’s side had Alzheimer’s, and it can be hereditary so there’s every possibility that I could get it myself,

“Anyone that knows me knows that I don’t do exercise. I don’t have time as I work a lot and to be completely honest, I don’t really enjoy exercise, so this is probably going to kill me.

For me to commit to something like this is a big deal. My target is £200 which I think is do-able but I’m hoping that I can smash that. If I reach my target with less than a month to go, I will receive a free trekking top!”

You can donate to Katie’s JustGiving page here.

Sanni’s self-defence classes make BBC News Sanni Aujla, Head of Financial Recovery Programme Office and Registered Nurse, was recently featured in the regional news for her proactive work in organising self-defence classes for women in her local area.

Sanni wanted to organise the training after being worried about her safety following a number of recent attacks in Birmingham and the Black Country.

“As a runner I used to go out on my own, and since we’ve had the recent attacks on women, especially Asian women, I felt quite unsafe,” she said.

Women of all ages have been attending Sanni’s classes with their children and partners. The first class was full within 48 hours of advertising it and Sanni hopes to organise another free class soon.

You can read the BBC article here.

If anyone would like to know more about the initiative, or would like support to organise a similar

event in their local area, please contact Sanni on sanni.aujla1@nhs.net.

Well done Sanni!

Leadership Programmes As our Trust continues to navigate change, every one of us plays an important role in supporting our teams. Our leadership programmes (previously SaTH 1-4) provide a welcoming and supportive environment to help you strengthen your leadership skills or develop new ones whether you’re stepping into leadership for the first time or looking to enhance your existing experience.

Through these programmes, you’ll also have the opportunity to learn from colleagues, share ideas, and explore approaches that make a real difference in the workplace.

• • • •

Leadership 1 (previously SaTH 1) - Personal Leadership Leadership 2 (previously SaTH 2) - Team Leadership Leadership 3 (previously SaTH 3) - Middle Management Leadership 4 (previously SaTH 4) - Senior Management

To apply, please email sath.leadership@nhs.net to request the relevant application form.

Further guidance on each programme is available on the intranet, helping you determine which option best suits your role.

Thyroid Awareness Month January is Thyroid Awareness Month, highlighting the importance of understanding thyroid disorders, which affect millions globally.

The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland located in the lower front of the neck. The role of the thyroid is to make thyroid hormones.

These hormones are secreted into the blood and then carried throughout the body.

The thyroid controls the body’s metabolism, increases heart rate, and affects how fast things move through the body such as food, bone loss, and sugar.

Cherrylene Mari, who is a Diabetes and Endocrine Specialist Nurse at RSH, has pulled together an awareness pack for colleagues. To read it in full, click here.

SaTH Improvement Sharing Huddle The Improvement Hub would like to invite you to join them at their next monthly SaTH Improvement Sharing Huddle which is taking place on Wednesday 28 January 2026 from 3.30pm-4pm, via MS Teams.

At the huddle you will hear about the fantastic improvement work your colleagues at SaTH are involved in. This month the speakers will be: • •

Martha McIntosh, Theatre Admin Clerk sharing her improvement to allergy alerts in planned care Gloria Udzu, Resident Doctor sharing her project on improving pain score reassessment on Ward 23

Recordings of previous huddles and further information can be found on the intranet.

Can you help bring a special cuddly toy home?

Annette Meredith, who is a Support Secretary for the Colorectal Ward at RSH, is looking for a special cuddly toy for her mother who suffers from vascular dementia.

She said: “I’m after advice and help please. My mother is 88 years old and has vascular dementia. Her best friend is a Mandrill monkey cuddly toy. She was recently an inpatient at RSH on AMU and in the Discharge Lounge from 17-19 December. Her monkey came into hospital with her. He is now missing and has gone AWOL. “I’ve checked both with the staff in AMU and the Discharge Lounge who have kindly looked for monkey for me, but he hasn’t turned up. Both wards have been fantastic and very understanding. The monkey is her best friend, and she gets very tearful when he’s not about. He is similar to the one above, slightly smaller in height, grey furred, has plastic covers over his eyes and pink around his eyeballs - he’s very recognisable.

“I’ve looked at buying her another one, but he seems to be one of a kind. All the other Mandrill monkeys I’ve looked at are either too long in the body, arms, legs or too fat in the face so although she has dementia, she would notice the difference. If anyone has seen this monkey around the hospital, I would really appreciate it if you could contact me. Hoping he might have turned up in another department.”

If anyone can help Annette with her search, please contact her on annette.meredith@nhs.net.

DFN Project Search Mentor of the Month Congratulations to Lee Herkes, League of Friends Shop Manager, who has been awarded Mentor of the Month by the Shrewsbury College and DFN Project Search tutors.

Lee has been an exceptional mentor to George and is always so supportive. Well done Lee!

Relaunch of SaTH reusable cup The SaTH reusuable cup scheme, where colleagues and visitors were able to purchase the cup and return it when they finished and swap for a clean one, is to be relaunched.

From Monday 2 February, the scheme will relaunch and will mean there will now be a 50p fee to pay on top of the hot drink for those people who do not bring a reusable cup when they buy their drink.

Similar to the carrier bag charges in supermarkets, there will be a charge for each disposable cup.

People have two options to not incur the additional charge - either bring their own reusable cup or make a one-off payment and join the SaTH cup scheme. Help us to help you one sip at a time with this reusable cup scheme at the Trust. Each cup and lid can be reused a 1,000 times.

Not only does it reduce carbon emissions, it also significantly reduces the amount of waste going into incineration. For more details visit the intranet.

Drop off your tubs for recycling and raise Macmillan Cancer Support funds Colleagues are being encouraged to go green and also raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support by recycling empty plastic confectionary and cracker tubs.

The Sustainability Team has set up a collection point for clean, empty plastic chocolate tubs and biscuit/ cracker boxes, and will arrange for the tubs to be recycled rather than going into our waste stream.

Tubs can be dropped off between now and the end of January into the purple wheelie bin outside Estates at RSH. The team will then take them to a local Greene King pub.

If you can’t get along to the collection point, staff can also drop off their tubs at any local Greene King pub/hotel. All tubs taken to Greene King will then be collected and taken to a plastic reprocessing centre where they’re shredded, before being sold onto plastic manufacturers to use in place of virgin plastics.

All money raised from the sale of Tub2Pub plastics will be given directly to Macmillan Cancer Support, helping them provide care and resources to individuals affected by cancer. For more details visit: www.tub2pub. co.uk/tub2pub/.

Inhaler recycling scheme to cut Trust’s carbon footprint A recycling scheme has been introduced for metered-dose inhalers (MDIs, the commonest type of inhalers) in a move to reduce the Trust’s carbon footprint.

All used, empty, unwanted or expired inhalers should always be returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal. They should never be put into general waste or sharps bins. This is because: • •

•

•

•

Inhalers account for about 3% of the NHS carbon footprint.

Most of this is due to the propellants in metered dose inhalers (MDIs). These propellants have a global warming potential 1,000-3,000 times greater than CO2.

The propellant remains in the inhaler even if the drug has been used up. After disposal, they can leak out into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming/climate change.

Climate change is the biggest threat facing human health, and we must ensure that we minimise the climate harm generated by the healthcare we provide.

By 2026, the health service is expected to deliver a 50% reduction in carbon emissions produced from waste management, according to targets set out in the NHS Clinical Waste Strategy. Between 2028-2032 that figure rises to 80%.

To reduce the harm from used inhalers,

they should be returned to a pharmacy for environmentally safe disposal. At SaTH, until now, that has meant high temperature incineration, which destroys the propellant gases.

However as of September 2025, we are pleased to announce that we now have MDI inhaler recycling at both SaTH pharmacies. You can find out more here.

By returning all inhalers to pharmacy for disposal, you will ensure they are disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way possible.

Currently, we can accept inhalers returned to inpatient pharmacy from within the Trust (ie those from patients on inpatient wards, ED, or having a test performed by the trust that involve inhalers).

We can’t accept inhalers that outpatients, relatives or staff bring in.

If you have a community role or support patients at the point of discharge, encourage patients at home to take any used/empty/unwanted/expired inhalers to their local community pharmacy, which will also dispose of them safely (by high temperature incineration).

For more details, there is a One-minute Brief on the intranet.

Bonding hearts from Lottie Lottie has been busy making beautiful bonding hearts for our families, including a special Christmas collection made with festive fabrics.

These hearts are used to help mums and babies stay connected whilst on the Neonatal Ward - one heart stays with baby, and one with mum. When swapped, the familiar scent helps release oxytocin, supporting milk expression and strengthening that special bond between them.

Corrine and Nicola from the Neonatal Ward were delighted to invite Lottie into the unit to say thank you and give her a small token of appreciation. She wants to provide us with more bonding hearts and wants to make us some colourful muslins.

Thank you Lottie for spreading so much love and warmth.

Thank you Emily and Jonny A massive thank you to Emily Lovell and Jonny Roberts, who took on the Shrewsbury Half Marathon and raised over £2500 for our Children’s Ward - an area that holds a very special place in their hearts.

Their son spent time on the ward shortly after birth, so every mile they ran was a tribute to the incredible care their family received and a heartfelt way of helping future families who may find themselves in the same situation. They visited the ward to present their amazing fundraising cheque to the team.

Thank you Emily and Jonny - you are truly wonderful.

IHP fundraising We are incredibly grateful to companies Integrated Health Partners (IHP), Dalkia, JCS, Longworth and O&B who joined together to raise an amazing £14,000 for Children’s Services at SaTH. The different companies worked together as a team to raise a monumental amount for our newly launched campaign to raise money to build a sensory room and Sky Garden for the new children’s ward, as part of our Hospitals Transformation Programme.

From walking up Snowdon in 80mph winds in November, to a 24-hour Cycling Santa Challenge with non-stop indoor cycling, this team truly went above and beyond. A special mention to Jim Hampshire, who powered through the final 12 hours solo, cycling right through the night.

The dedication of our teams and the generosity of those who sponsored them will make a real difference to the children and families we support. We are so thankful and even more excited that the New Year will bring more fundraising adventures!

Creating a calmer space for our young patients Thanks to your generous donations, the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Charity has purchased a sensory bubble lamp for the phlebotomy department.

This new addition will make a big difference for children attending the department – helping to create a soothing and relaxing environment during blood tests.

Laura, one of our phlebotomists, said: “Thank you for your continued support - your donations truly help us make a difference for our young patients – the staff quite like it too!”

Thank you to SnakeByte Thank you to electronics group SnakeByte who, for the second time, have made a £1,000 donation to Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Charity for Christmas.

Rich Green from Snakebyte came in to present the cheque to our Play team and said the German-based company let’s employers pick a charity of their choice each year and he knows how much of a difference this donation will make to the Children’s Ward.

This incredible donation will go towards our Children’s Services campaign to help fund a sensory room and Sky Garden for our new Children’s Ward.

Half marathon success for Stephanie A huge thank you to Stephanie Kitchenham-Laing, who works in Women and Children’s at PRH, who completed the Shrewsbury Half Marathon for SaTH Charity.

Stephanie ran every mile with families in mind and with a passion for supporting the vital work our bereavement midwives do each day.

Her kindness will directly help us continue providing compassionate care to those facing a heartbreaking loss.

We’re so grateful for Stephanie’s incredible effort - and for everyone who supported her along the way.

Colleague Notice Board

Supporting you to a smoke free site in 2026 What does this mean?

No one will be allowed to smoke on any SaTH premises.

What support is available for staff?

Confidential service tailored to individuals in onsite clinic at RSH. Free NRT for 4 weeks and 12 weeks behavioural support.

Every Wednesday SERII, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital 2pm - 5pm (offsite appointments are available, out of these hours) How do I book an appointment?

01743 254237 or 07977381165 katie.laffey@nhs.net

Short introduction to Medical Terminology

A selection of new arrivals now available at

Shrewsbury and Telford Health Libraries.

For more resources visit us online at: https://www.library.sath.nhs.uk

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.

Tuesday 20th January — 10am Ͳ 11am

Tuesday 17th February — 9.30am Ͳ 10.30am Friday 13th March — 11am Ͳ 12pm Wednesday 22nd April — 2.30pm Ͳ 3.30pm 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

STAFF LOTTERY This month ’s winners...

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

1st £700 Emma Martin, Stroke 2nd £325 Louise Jenkinson, Respiratory 2nd £325 Dominador Germino, Pre-Op Assessment 3rd £175 Kathy Gough, Emergency Department 3rd £175 Beccy Heron, Microbiology 4th £125 Kaye Renshaw, Orthodontics 4th £125 Jay Cooke, Women and Children’s 5th £75 Jacqueline Doughty, ITU/HDU 5th £75 Sheila Gould, Women and Children’s 6th £60 Verity Alldridge, Digital Services 6th £60 Caroline Cross, Communications 6th £60 Gerry Lee, RSH Theatres 6th £60 Beks Tudor, Service Improvement 6th £60 Lauren Dorsett, Patient Flow

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