News for You - Winter 2021

South Tyneside and Sunderland

NHS Foundation Trust

NEWS for YOU

into Step mas Christ our out check atures fe festive e insid

STAFF MAGAZINE

NEWS for YOU

Welcome from Ken

to the latest edition of News for You for 2021 Welcome to the latest edition of our ‘award winning’ magazine, News for You which recently won the gold award for best publication at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Awards.

We have included some festive features in this edition to celebrate the time of year and spread a little Christmas joy. We’ve also tried to make the focus much more on you and the many different important roles we have across the Trust.

This will be our last magazine for 2021 and as we come into the festive period, it’s a chance for us all to reflect on the past year and our challenges and achievements. What’s been constant throughout the last year is your continued dedication to safely care for patients both in the community and in our hospitals.

Your support for our organisation, despite the huge pressures we continue to face, has not gone unnoticed and I hope you know how grateful I am for all that you do.

Chief Executive Ken Bremner, MBE

I hope that you find our latest edition an enjoyable read and like some of the new things that we have introduced on the back of your feedback. Please let us know what you think and what else we can do to improve News for You. Once again thank you for everything that you do to support the Trust and each other. On behalf of the board and our Executive Team I would like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

However you plan to celebrate in the coming weeks, I hope you have some well deserved rest and relaxation and time with family and friends.

Our leadership team

Ken Bremner

Kath Griffin

Melanie Johnson

Shahid Wahid

Hayley Wardle

Peter Sutton

Director of Human Resources & Organisational Development

Director of Nursing, Midwifery & Allied Health Professionals

Medical Director

Director of Finance

Director of Planning & Business Development

Liz Davies

Sean Fenwick

Andrea Hetherington

Andy Hart

Alison King

Director of Operations

Director of Corporate Affairs & Legal, Trust Secretary & Freedom to Speak Up Guardian

Steve Jamieson

Director of Communications

Director of Information Management & Technology

Director of Performance

Director of Estates, Facilities and Clinical Engineering

Chief Executive

2

NEWS for YOU

Contents page

page

page

04 Team shout out

19 Cardiologists pride

30 In the Christmas

06 Thank you will

never be enough

08 News roundup 10 Path to Excellence 12 Ask the Executives 13 Celebrating our

International Nurses

14 Our People Promise 15 Team Talk update 16 Introducing our

Alcohol Care Team

18 Jenson’s Journal

at starting Great North Run

spotlight

31 Festive treats and

20 All in a day’s work

21 Our social circle

32 Festive fitness

23 Long service awards

33 Christmas reviews

24 Our £10m investment

34 Stay safe this

25 Our festive features 26 Be kind to yourself

this Christmas

27 What’s on at STSFT

this Christmas

28 Christmas around

the world

Christmas crafts

festive season

35 Our Christmas stars 36 Festive brainteasers 38 Who are you

supporting this Christmas

39 A final word...

Editorial team intro Hello and welcome to the latest edition of your Team STSFT staff magazine ‘News For You’.

As part of the Team STSFT family, we want every one to have multiple opportunities to hear what’s going on across the Trust - whether you like to sit down with a cuppa on your break and read the latest News For You, or scroll through our Staff Facebook Group when you get home after work. Maybe you

like finding out information via our weekly e-bulletin or monthly Team Brief update. Our intranet is also a hub of information for news, from success stories to important policy changes and everything inbetween.

We hope you enjoy reading this special festive edition of News For You. Don’t forget to get involved and let us know what you think, using our Staff Facebook Group and our Trust comms email address -

stsft.trustcomms@nhs.net 3

Gold Winner in 6 categories • Best Publication • Best Healthcare Campaign • Best Integrated Campaign • Best Covid Response • Best Staff Wellbeing Initiative • In-house PR Team Of The Year

T F S T S #Team

T U O SH to...

OUT

Whether you work in a clinical or a non-clinical role, in one of our acute hospitals or in the community, everyone plays an important role in our organisation.

If you would like to give a ‘SHOUT OUT’ to a colleague or team let us know on the Staff Facebook Group or via stsft.trustcomms@nhs.net

“

“

on Carolyn Lond

I would like to nominate the South Planned Community Team for their outstanding work and compassion for their patients and peers during this difficult time. Especially, Carolyn London who has gone above and beyond her role to ensure the health and happiness of her patients.

“

I would like to thank everyone who looked after me. I couldn’t have wished for better care at SRH. The day case unit and C33 staff were fantastic and Miss Helen Cocks and Dr Harry Tustin. You are simply the best. Now leading onto another simply the best, what can I say? My ward D46. Where I work.

My friends/work family. I am so blessed and grateful to everyone on the ward. You’ve shown me kindness and friendship which will last forever. You are the ones who kept me going when I was so down. Thanks again everyone.

Harry Tustin

“

s Helen Cock

4

THANK

#TeamSTSFT

“

Shout out to all staff involved in my care in the hand trauma clinic this morning at South Tyneside. Wendy Luther was so kind and caring and explained every step of my rather painful procedure, whilst giving me a hand to hold (or squeeze). All staff from consultant to radiographer and nurse were polite and friendly. Thanks again guys. I’m in good hands.

Top class care.

Wendy Luthe r

“

“

Since starting my new role a Junior Sister, Joanne has given me nothing but support. She has been an approachable and welcoming role model to work alongside and learn from. She has demonstrated she wants to develop her junior staff and lead with a main focus for innovation and patient safety. As well as being a dedicated and highly skilled Registered Nurse / Ward Manager, she is kind and caring and helped me transition into my new role with ease.

I couldn’t be more thankful.

“

Joanne Simm

“

I would like to nominate Sister Debbie Dack from paediatrics. She is relatively new to the Trust taking up the sister’s role on F64 last year and is currently working on F63. When the shielding categories were announced it was apparent one of her sons required shielding so she moved out of her family home to live in temporary accommodation provided by the Trust to continue her work. She was joined by her other son Dylan Dack who has just completed his paediatric nurse training and returned the Trust to assist as part of the new group of Band 4 nurses. I would like to commend them both for sacrificing 12 weeks of the stability of normal family life at such a stressful time. They have both come to work with such a positive attitude which has been uplifting for the whole unit.

Debbie Dack

“

“

I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone at SRH Emergency Department for the care you gave me when I came in as an emergency with abdo pain. You were all wonderful, I couldn’t have been better looked after and also to Mr Mahawar and the sisters and all staff on ward C31 where I was admitted. You all were excellent and I received the best care anyone could ask for, thank you so much.

“

YOU

5

Mr Mahawa r

“Thank you will never be enough” Emergency Practitioner

“

Claire Skaife, 36, was heavily pregnant when she developed COVID-19. Here, she tells her story and thanks her colleagues at Sunderland Royal Hospital for saving her life and her son, Jack Arthur.

Thank you to all who kept me calm, to the consultant for keeping my husband informed and staff who captured our son’s first moments.

The photos will be treasured forever.

She said: “I was 32 weeks pregnant with a special package of love, a much-wanted rainbow IVF baby, when I started to develop cold-type symptoms. By day seven, I’d been admitted to hospital.

“

“After eight days of admission, I was allowed to go home, but four days later the symptoms worsened.

“My husband Neil and our furbaby dog Charlie took me back to Sunderland Royal Hospital.

Little did I know that it would be our last physical contact for 16 horrendous days.

“Twelve hours post-partum, in ICCU, I seemed to be doing great and was stepped down to ward care. But things changed.

“By day three of admission I was unable to breathe and consultants planned an emergency C-Section to save mine and my baby’s life.

“I was transferred back to ICCU as I could not breathe, I needed an arterial line and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) to save my life a second time. This was a critical point in my journey, I really felt that I could die.

“I begged not to be ventilated so I could see him born. He cried, I cried, I kissed his foot and he was off to the Neonatal Unit and I went to ICCU.

6

#TeamSTSFT

Claire Skaife tells her story...

“So many gestures and acts of kindness helped me through.”

“I’m not sure what changed as I was put on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), but I thank whoever made that decision. The next day I was stepped down to the COVID ward, and then the hard work began.

“A consultant asked if I’d been proned (where the patient is put flat on their belly with their chest and face down). That night, petrified of a return to ICCU, I begged nursing staff to help partially prone me – finally I could breathe and sleep. From then on, I proned at every opportunity, my appetite returned, I could taste and smell.

“I had no strength, but plenty fight to be reunited with our son, my husband and dog.

You genuinely cannot beat a mother’s love for fighting back.

“

“

“I cannot thank all staff and my #TeamED family enough for keeping me sane in my darkest hours. Thank you to all who kept me calm, to the consultant for keeping my husband informed and staff who captured our son’s first moments, the photos will be treasured forever.”

Thank you will never be enough!

7

2021 news round up July

August

In July, our children’s services at South Tyneside District Hospital changed.

It is now nurse-led, with the team offering urgent care during core hours. Our experienced colleagues help treat our youngest patients for a host of urgent injuries and conditions.

In August, we unveiled plans to create a new £10 million Integrated Diagnostic Centre at South Tyneside Hospital.

It will create additional scanning facilities so that we can treat more patients, including a PET-CT scanner.

The demolition of the former nurses’ home, where the proposed centre will go, also began.

NEWS

October

In October, our new outpatient pharmacy opened in South Tyneside District Hospital giving our staff a new brighter, lighter and modern place to work.

The £800,000 project features a new dispensing robot, helping the team select drugs ready to issue to patients.

September

This autumn the Endoscopy Unit at South Tyneside moved into its new £2 million base, bringing the department together into one location.

In September, we welcomed the first medical students from the University of Sunderland onto our wards as they began their placements with the Trust.

The 48 students will be with us until April 2022 and we can expect to see greater numbers of undergraduates in future years as more students come through the five year course.

8

The unit was designed by the team and provides a new first class facility. It has received excellent feedback from patients and glowing reviews from colleagues.

News

November

December

Left to right....

Joanne Bruce, Simone Rowlands and Paige Keighley

Eye Hospital

Award wins for STSFT

Our plans to create a new state-of-the-art Eye Hospital in Sunderland were given the green light

by Sunderland City Council.

Two of our innovation projects took the top prize at the recent Bright Ideas in Health Awards.

The winning projects included digitally enhanced cardiac rehabilitation, which provided online consultations and monitoring to help patients stay well at home during COVID-19.

The planning application for the new £36m facility was submitted over the summer. The new Eye Hospital will replace the existing Sunderland Eye Infirmary, which is now over 75 years old. The new hospital means Sunderland will remain home to the region’s only dedicated standalone eye hospital and one of very few standalone specialist centres for ophthalmology care in the NHS.

Emergency Medicine Consultants Dr Philip Dowson (left) and Dr Ala Mohammed were also recognised for adapting a shoulder bench to treat patients with a dislocation. The kit reduced the need for sedation and length of stay in hospital.

9

Path to Excellence: A year in This year clinical teams in South Tyneside and Sunderland restarted their work to create outstanding future hospital services through Phase Two of the Path to Excellence programme.

The hospital transformation work was paused in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This allowed our clinical teams to focus on the operational response.

The impact of COVID-19 has made the reasons for change more, not less, urgent than ever before.

We want to provide the best working environment for our staff and the best possible quality of care for our patients.

In February we published our draft updated case for change. This provided a reminder of the reasons for change and a summary of how COVID-19 has impacted the programme.

In September we published a further update on our ‘working ideas’. You can read it here: https://pathtoexcellence. org.uk/publications/case-forchange/

Given the ongoing challenge of COVID-19 we have decided to focus on surgical changes as a priority in Phase Two. The surgical services we are focusing on are Trauma and Orthopaedics and General Surgery.

Our ‘working ideas’ would mean: • Patients who need an emergency operation would have this at Sunderland Royal Hospital • Most patients who need a ‘planned’ operation would have this at South Tyneside District Hospital • Some patients would continue to have their planned operations at Sunderland Royal Hospital • Both hospitals would continue to run 24/7 adult Emergency Departments (A&E) services just as they do now • Outpatient care and diagnostic tests and scans would continue on both hospital sites just as they do now • Patients would only need to attend the specific hospital for their surgical procedure. Other tests and appointments would take place locally, just as they do now We think this would give us the best chance of supporting staff and managing ongoing COVID-19 pressures. Most importantly, it would mean we can provide the highest quality of care and timely access to all of our patients who need an operation.

10

You can contact us any time via: Email: stsft.trustcomms@nhs.net 10

News

review…

The path to

excellence

Staff Engagement Over Spring/Summer we refined our ‘working ideas’ and invited colleagues to get involved in the discussion. We wanted to find out what you thought about the ‘working ideas’ and what we needed to consider. We also wanted to hear about any worries you may have as we understand that this can be a worrying time for staff.

Colleagues also helped us to assess our ‘working ideas’ by attending an evaluation workshop. We received your views on travel and transport through an online travel survey for surgical staff. This helped us to understand how you travel to work. Many of you provided valuable comments that are now being independently analysed and will be included in a travel and transport impact assessment report.

What happens next?

Over the last few months we have been fine-tuning our ‘working ideas’ for surgical services. We are now at the final stages of work before starting a public consultation.

We will inform colleagues before this is due to start. We would only progress ideas that are realistic and are genuine proposals for change. This doesn’t include keeping things as they are. We plan to involve you again soon before public consultation begins. This will include a number of staff engagement events. Please keep an eye out for these events as we will promote them via our internal channels.

www.facebook.com/nhsexcellence

@NHSexcellence

11

How to get involved There are lots of ways to get involved and give your views.

The best way to find out what is going on is to look at our dedicated website or the Path to Excellence intranet page. These include up-to-date documents, links to surveys and details of upcoming events. We also widely promote activities through our internal comms channels.

www.pathtoexcellence.org.uk 11

#TeamSTSFT

Ask the executives...

Melanie Johnson Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals.

Melanie answers some questions about her role and chats about a very special Christmas gift…

What are the most important qualities you need to do your job?

Like any registered nurse I am bound by the NMC Code. This explains the qualities all nurses must have and summarises them as; prioritising people, practicing effectively, preserving safety, and promoting professionalism and trust. I always keep a copy of the NMC Code in the top drawer of my desk - it’s been a consistent guide for me over these last 38 years as a Registered Nurse.

Why did you choose to do it?

After school I went to University and did a history degree, but had no idea what I wanted to do. During my summer holidays I worked as an auxiliary nurse and that, along with inspiration from my Aunty May and Aunty Sadie who were both nurses, made me apply to do my training at St Thomas’ in London. Once I was a Staff Nurse, I could see how you can influence the care of patients and conditions for staff in more senior positions, so I set out to be a Ward Sister and one thing led to another until I became a Nurse Director in 2004.

What do you like most about it?

I love being a nurse and feel privileged to be the Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals in South Tyneside and Sunderland. I enjoy the constant opportunity to improve care for patients and their families and for our staff.

What is your favourite Christmas film?

This is really hard for me to answer, there are so many I love! I usually start watching them in about September. If I have to pick one, then it is Miracle on 34th Street because “I believe!”

What is your favourite Christmas song?

I’ve been listening to Christmas songs in my car since the beginning of November and it’s easy for me to pick my favourite. Driving home for Christmas by Chris Rea. I lived in London for a long time but would always come back home to the North for Christmas with this playing over and over again.

It brings back lots of happy memories.

What is your favourite Christmas tradition?

Bacon sandwiches and a glass of fizz for breakfast while we open our presents.

What has been your most memorable Christmas present?

When my father was alive, he would always take me shopping on Christmas Eve for an extra present. One year that present was a heart shaped locket which I wear nearly every day. Inside the locket is a tiny curl from each of my two children. It’s very precious to me.

12

#TeamSTSFT

Celebrating our

international nurses

Every year we welcome hundreds of international nurses from all countries such as India, Africa and the Philippines.

They play a vital role in supporting the Trust and are valued members of TeamSTSFT.

also be exhausting, but it allows me to work with some amazing people and make a difference in their lives. Seeing their smiles, their appreciation and hearing them laugh is more than enough to keep me going.”

Many nurses from the Philippines have followed in Mayflor’s footsteps and made a home for themselves here. Including the Quiano sisters, who joined #TeamSTSFT following a recommendation from a close friend.

This year, we celebrated the incredible milestone of 20 years since the very first cohorts of Filipino nurses joined our Trust.

Khrystyne Camille Quiano, 28, Khryztynne Alec M. Quiaño, 26 and their twin sisters Khrystyne Alyssa Quiaño and Khryztynne Adrianne M. Quiaño, 24, applied to work for the Trust together, as they didn’t want to leave anyone behind.

Thirty-three of our Filipino colleagues, who were some of the very first to join our Trust, are still working here and are key members of the Filipino community in Sunderland.

They then made the 6,578 mile journey together to start a new life, swapping Taguig City in the Philippines for the City of Sunderland.

And while they may be many miles from home, the sisters have said that the relocation was made that much easier by being together.

Mayflor Bernal, who joined the Trust in 2001 at 22 years old, left the Philippines to embark on her career as an Adaptation Nurse. She then progressed to Junior Sister, followed by Ward Manager, and has recently been appointed as the Trust’s Lead Nurse for International Nurses.

Khryztynne Adrianne M. Quiaño, said: “Having my sisters here has really helped to reduce some of the homesickness and made the transfer more enjoyable. Not to mention, it really eases some of your worries to have someone going through similar changes and adjusting to new things with you.”

Khrystyne Alyssa, added: “It’s a totally new experience, especially since the culture is so different, but everyone is really helpful and understanding - especially the Filipino community in Sunderland.”

She said: “I am delighted to celebrate 20 years of service here at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, as the saying goes ‘time flies when you’re having fun.’

Each sister works in an acute inpatient area at Sunderland Royal Hospital including; Care of the Older Person, Gastroenterology, Trauma and Orthopaedics and Gynaecology.

“Working in the UK can be a challenge, from the massive cultural differences to the weather! It can

13

Our People Promise

Always remember you matter, you’re important and you are loved, and you bring to this world things no one else can.

Charlie Mackesy

A little something

to say a STSFT

People Promise

BIG

Thank you Scan the QR code to learn more.

STSFT

You should have now received your Promise special STSFT People delivery in the post to your home address.

Your Winter Wellness pack includes: • Our STSFT People Promise - a guide to remind you of all of the support we have available to keep you healthy and well.

• A snuggly snood (which doubles up as a handy face covering and is re-usable and machine washable) to keep you warm and protected from the elements.

Your Winter Wellness pack is just a small token of our appreciation and an important reminder to look after yourself this winter too. It’s our way of saying a big ‘thank you’ for everything you continue to do to provide outstanding care for our patients. Whether you work in our community teams, in our hospital teams, in our many support services and corporate functions, or as part of our team at CHoICE or Haven Court, your efforts are very much appreciated.

• A ‘Take a Break’ brew kit including a soothing Fair Trade hot choccie, Kit Kat and coaster to help you take a moment to recharge.

‘Plus! 100 staff will also be selected at random to receive our special ‘Golden Tickets’.

We have tried to source as many of these products as p ​ ossible from UK based businesses who are doing their bit to uphold the highest ethical and environmental standards. We also encourage you to recycle the packaging and paper found inside your box.

If you are one of the lucky ones, please contact stsft.trustcomms@nhs.net to claim your treat.

14

“

Give your immunity a boost Double the jab, double the protection.

Book your COVID booster and flu jab now.

#DOYOURBIT

#PROTECTYOURCOMMUNITY

To book an appointment call 0191 569 9929 between 10.30am and 4pm (Monday-Friday). Choose option 2 to speak to the winter vaccination team.

Big STSFT Team Talk update A massive thank you to everyone who took the time to get involved with our STSFT Big Team Talk. We have received a huge amount of feedback from colleagues across the Trust.

This has now been sent off to be independently analysed and we expect to have some of the initial themes back early in the New Year.

15

So, whether you commented on our graffiti walls, in the post boxes or fed back to one of our Big Team Talk Champions, Senior Management or Communications Team you are helping us to shape our vision and strategic priorities for the future.

Keep an eye out for further updates in our staff comms.

Introducing the Alcohol Care Team – our ground-breaking new service Earlier this year we launched a new, dedicated ‘Alcohol Care Team’ to support people who are dependent on alcohol.

With one of the highest rates of alcohol-related hospital admissions in England, we are the first Trust in the North East to have secured over £250,000 in national funding to deliver a new way of better supporting people whose lives are affected by alcohol.

• The team is based at South Tyneside District Hospital and Sunderland Royal Hospital • They work with colleagues from Local Authorities, GPs and other external partners in the community and voluntary sector.

• Specialist nurses and doctors help to identify patients who attend the Emergency Department, or who are already being cared for on a hospital ward, who would benefit from specialist support in relation to alcohol consumption.

Dr Shaz Wahid, our Medical Director said: “Alcohol addiction plays a direct role in over 60 diseases including some cancers, heart and liver disease, as well as depression. Addressing harm from alcohol is all of our jobs but we also recognise that specialist expertise is needed.

Our Alcohol Care Team will make a huge difference and open up the conversation that we all need to have about alcohol harm.”

• They also help prepare patients for their discharge from hospital. Key to this is making sure people have ongoing care and support in place to manage their drinking and, crucially, that they are given help to tackle the reasons which may be causing their alcohol dependence.

16

#TeamSTSFT

Roisin Burdis, Alcohol Care Team Lead said: “We know Christmas and New Year can be a particularly difficult time for people. From the increase in advertising of alcohol, to the stress that can go with family gatherings. We are expecting an increase in the number of patients attending our hospitals, and an increase in referrals, but we are all passionate about meeting their needs and through working with our partners, helping them tackling the harm from alcohol.”

Ryan Swiers, the Trust’s Consultant in Public Health said: We don’t want to stop colleagues from enjoying themselves over Christmas and New Year, but at the same time please remember that we shouldn’t be taking a break from looking after our health.

“If you want to feel festive rather than frazzled, it’s a good idea to make a plan in advance, of how much you want to drink, and try to stick to it.”

“The DrinkCoach app is the perfect way to keep track of how much you’re drinking, how many units you’ve had and how much you’ve spent.

And if you’re planning on doing Dry January in the New Year, you can use it to track your dry days and savings!”

This year, many of us are looking forward to socialising and mixing with friends and family over Christmas and New Year. While there’s a temptation to make up for lost time following last year’s festive restrictions, we still need to look after our health and safety while drinking.

To find out more about how we are working towards reducing the harmful impacts of alcohol on our communities and services, read our Health and Wellbeing Strategy on the staff intranet.

The DrinkCoach app is free to download and use and available on iOS and Android. It has a range of useful features designed to help people track and change their drinking on the go.

How to contact us: Email: stsft.act@nhs.net South Tyneside District Hospital Tel: 0191 404 1000 ext: 4074 Sunderland Royal Hospital Tel: 0191 5656256 ext: 41560 Working Hours: Mon-Fri: 8am-8pm, Sat-Sun: 8am-2pm

17

#TeamSTSFT

Jenson’s Journal on Hello frens, let me introduce myself. I’m Jens and I am a hearing assistance dog.

I live with my owner, Sarah Urwin – she’s Directorate Manager for Urgent and Emergency Care. e and Sarah is profoundly deaf so I help her at hom h Sara at work. It’s very impawtant work as I alert . I’m to key sounds like a door bell or a fire alarm are mine ugh altho her ears at home and work e com to get floppier and furrier! It does mean I own into the Trust with Sarah and even have my t! wtan impa very feel me es staff badge, which mak ters, dogthe I love working at the hospital with job nurses and other hoomans - they do a brilliant and certainly get a bark of approval from me. y to see me around both hospitals at South Day-to-day I’m pretty paws on and you’re likel asked to write my own regular pupdate and Tyneside and Sunderland. I’m flattered to be average doggie day at STSFT. hope you enjoy finding out more about my 6am – Sarah likes to get up early, but I could stay in bed fur-ever. Once I hear the hairdryer I know I have 10 minutes before it’s getty-up time.

7am – Hygiene is important to a busy dog like myself so it’s time to get my canines brushed (no one likes dog breath). It’s then a quick toilet stop before I run out to the car.

7.15am – I love watching the traffic on the way to work.

I get to sit in the front seat and when we arrive at the hospital I carry my favourite toy into the office – it’s my paw-fect start to the day.

8.30am – Breakfast is the most impawtant meal of the day and I’m a hungry boy.

Sarah or one of my office frens will take me to the staff room for water and a quick bite to eat.

9am onwards – Hoomans have lots of meetings and have lots of tails to tell.

This gives me a chance to have a well earned sit or lie down. I may make a guest pawformance on Teams every now and again if you’re lucky, but I get a bit tired of the puparazzi. You might see me around ED saying hi to my hooman colleagues. I try to cheer them up if they’ve had a ruff day and then I might have a nap as it’s tiring being so pup-ular.

Lunchtime is walkies time.

I love the fresh air and when a dog’s got to go…well I’m sure you understand!

18

5pm – I make sure to collect my toy and head to the car after saying goodbye to my hooman frens. When we get home I will try to sneak upstairs for a cheeky nap, but hearing dogs need playtime off the lead, so Sarah gets me ready for my next walk. This is so exciting! I love doing zoomies, sniffs and play - I am just living my best doggie life!

7pm ish – After my walk I feel like I have a new leash on life. At tea time I chow down on something tasty and then when Sarah isn’t looking I sneak off to bed with my cat sisters and brothers. By this point I am feline pawsome!

Join me in the next edition for more tails from Jenson’s Journal.

#TeamSTSFT

Consultant cardiologist’s pride

at starting Great North Run STSFT’s very own Consultant Cardiologist, who helped start this year’s Great North Run, has spoken of how proud he was to represent the Trust and his fellow work colleagues.

Dr Jachuck said: “It has been a huge honour and privilege to represent my colleagues at STSFT as one of the four NHS workers who were given the once in a lifetime opportunity to start this year’s Great North Run. “I’m not sure if I can put into words what it has meant to me personally and professionally.”

He continued: “I’m so proud of what I do, who I work for and who I work with, and for everything we collectively do.

Dr Mickey Jachuck, Clinical Director of Cardiothoracic Medicine and Consultant Cardiologist, was one of four frontline health workers invited to help launch the 2021 event as it made its return for its 40th anniversary.

They were part of the run’s ‘Great North Thank You Campaign,’ which paid tribute to the heroic efforts of all NHS staff during the pandemic.

Dr Jachuck and his team worked on the Trust’s COVID-19 admission and inpatient wards, in addition to his day job as a Consultant Cardiologist.

“

I’m so proud of what I do, who I work for and who I work with, and for everything we collectively do.

“

His team provided 24/7 cover for patients admitted with the virus, many of whom had developed severe respiratory failure and were critically ill.

Left to right....

Occupational Health Lead, Deborah Southworth from Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Community Nurse, Dorathy Operaeche, from Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Senior Sister, Jade Trewick from Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Consultant Cardiologist, Dr Mickey Jachuck from South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.

19

#TeamSTSFT

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK

My name is Mandy Bates and I’m one of the three Directorate Managers for Urgent and Emergency Care. I’m also a Staff Representative on the Trust’s Council of Governors.

One sentence to sum up your role

Executive’s Award at the Reward and Recognition night some years ago! It was, and remains a very proud moment to have been a part of that team.

I’m responsible for managing all aspects of the Emergency Department, Same Day Emergency Care, Emergency Assessment Unit and the Urgent Care for Children Service at South Tyneside.

The hardest part of my job… Currently, is feeling that at times I can’t make things easier for the teams. It’s been a very challenging time for everyone, but my magic wand has ran out of magic recently!

My day starts… Between 7am and 7:30am and the first thing I like to do (apart from have a cuppa!) is check on how things were in ED the day before and how the beds are looking in EAU. Doing this generally gives me a feel of how the morning is going to be.

The best part of my job… Is receiving a very simple “thank you,” it can make all the difference during a very busy day.

A day in my role… Two days are never the same! Working in Emergency Care is always different and full of surprises – which is actually what I like about the job! I do however attend bed meetings three times a day along with a 9am safety huddle in ED to discuss the previous day and talk through any issues or updates the team wish to raise. We also now have an ED ‘Team Brief’ which is discussed at the huddle. I try to pop over to ED throughout the day to make sure things are going ok. A role in the emergency setting in any form is very reactive, so I have to be ready to respond to things at the drop of a hat, which clearly doesn’t suit everyone!

When I’m not working at Christmas you’ll find me… With my wonderful friends and family, especially my beautiful one-year-old grandson, Dylan, whom I simply adore.

Something most people don’t know about me…

I got my job… In February 2000, just after the

In my youth (a long time ago – I know!) I represented the county running the 100m.

Those days are long gone, however, I am well known by some of my colleagues for walking too fast and some people not being able to keep up!

Millennium! My first day was my daughter’s 11th birthday, she’s now almost 34! I cannot believe that was almost 23 years ago already.

My most memorable moment… Was seeing my Sunderland ED team being given the Chief

20

Social Circle

STSFT social circle…

At South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust we have over 26,000 followers on our social media channels who we love to get social with!

Here’s what some of our followers have been saying over the last few months... mstong91

Iain Armstrong @IainAr

Kevin @Kevsafc22

Sunderland Hospital Thank you to @STSFTrust e and compassion Ward F65. Excellent car during her recent Isla given to my daughter the staff including admission! Thanks to all uNHS Sue and Vicky #thankyo

Just wanted to thank the amazing team at @STSFTrust @NHS for getting my mam better.

This time last week she was critically ill and now she’s home. We should never take for granted what these people do for us day in day out.

Alex Cowley

Rebecca Lin RD @diateticbec

rs Massive thanks to the orthodontic team of docto level C girls, and many helpers especially the admin theatre team for having us today, especially for ng after looking after Lily in recovery and F63 for looki work good Lily today before and after - keep up the

nt Spent the morning with the catering departme truly was and y toda ital hosp ide at South Tynes of blown away by the hard work and dedication being to ard forw ng looki y Reall . the staff there catering link & supporting excellent care for our patients! @STSFTrust

Jordan Cook @cookz10 Emma Dixon

To the nurses and staff at Sunderland Royal Hospital, The Phoenix Unit…

Thankyou for getting my Mam through her chemotherapy treatment these past few months forever grateful

the I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all all boy little my to gave you care staff on F64, the ing amaz all are You al. omen phen been this week has and a credit to the trust.

zw

Elizabeth @elizabetheli

sse @Devynemmerson

e 2 days a week but I lov I’m contracted to work d ire ret I doing more. my job so always end up back to work. I never nt we and was so bored I ht I’d work for the NHS in a million years thoug @STSFTrust and I love it.

Devyn Emmerson-Duca

Darcie Rose Grainger We welcomed our little am weighing 6lb 8oz of into the world at 07:42 ry to the amazing midwife perfection. Thank you e car e Th Birthing Centre. team @STSFTrust at the to nt from admission we received was excelle squishing those cheeks! discharge. Now back to

Allenore Azizi Thank you to the surgical day case unit for taking care of me so well on Tuesday. Surgeon Mr Steele ,Anaesthetist Dr Farrar and the rest of team you’ve done an excellent job. As well as the staff on D47.Recovering at home now.

Join the conversation… @STSFTrust www.facebook.com/STSFTrust @STSFTrust Join our staff Facebook page, search ‘STSFT Staff’

21

Leanne Andrews staff Would just like to say a huge thank you to the early on F63 for looking after my little girl from the I hours Friday morning and throughout the day.

They can’t tell you how grateful I am for your help. my literally went above and beyond to help me and shift) t 4 children. Special thanks to Nurse Holly (nigh ) on and the nurse in charge (sorry I forgot your name Friday day time for being just so lovely.

#TeamSTSFT

Introducing Schwartz Mickey Schwartz Rounds to STSFT Rounds

story

A chance to look back at the experiences of people across the Trust is being offered as way to explore and understand the emotional response to our work.

The programme is led by Dr Sonia Wilson, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Head of Clinical Health Psychology Services.

She said: “Schwartz Rounds

are an opportunity for staff from all different levels of the organisation, clinical and non-clinical, to come together and talk freely about their personal reaction and emotional response of working in healthcare’.

Internationally recognised Schwartz Rounds are open to all colleagues, with each given their own theme to spark the discussion.

“Staff are given time to think about what resonates with them about the stories that are being shared’.

The hour-long rounds follow a standard format and start with a 15 minute section where speakers share their stories before the discussion begins.

Look out for more Schwarts Rounds sessions being advertised on the intranet.

The aim is to acknowledge the emotional, psychological and social response of working in healthcare as people discuss their own experiences.

Want to get involved?

Have suggestions for topics?

They are confidential and aim to create a safe place for people to talk freely.

Or do you want to volunteer to help promote the round in your area?

Benefits include reduced feelings of stress and isolation and improving communication and building a sense of togetherness.

The Schwartz Rounds will complement our wider Health and Wellbeing work for colleagues across the Trust.

Please email stsft.schwartzrounds@nhs.net for more information about how you can get involved and attend the forthcoming Schwartz Round at STSFT.

Schwar Schwartz Rounds

22

#TeamSTSFT

Long Service Awards

...congratulations Denise Simpson - 40 years

Susan Gray – 30 years

Denise, who is Matron for the General Surgery and Vascular Directorate here at #TeamSTSFT started her career aged 17 as an Orthopaedic Student Nurse and qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1986.

Susan began her career in 1991 on a temporary six month contract in the Ear, Nose and Throat Department. Thirty years later, Susan works as a General Divisional Administration Manager in our Division of Surgery and Theatres.

Denise Simpson

40

She said: “I remain passionate about nursing and love nothing more than finishing my working day and leaving knowing that I have made a difference.”

30

Susan shared that: “It’s an amazing place to work, I am so very proud to work here.”

Dr Mickey Jachuck – 25 years

Anne Hill – 30 years Anne started her career in 1976 when she began her training as a Registered Nurse. In 1991 Anne joined South Tyneside Maternity Unit as a Midwife. After 30 amazing years Anne is still caring for babies in our Antenatal Service.

Susan Gray

Anne Hill

Mickey has spent 10 of his 25 years of NHS service as a Cardiology 25 Consultant here at South Tyneside and more recently in Sunderland. From Dr Mickey Jach uck developing our cardiology service to improving our GMC survey rankings, Dr Jachuck has had many stand out moments.

30

Mickey said: “From the moment I first walked into STSFT to have a look around, I instantly felt at home and felt welcomed and appreciated. I knew straight away that I wanted to work here, and it’s a feeling that I still get 10 years later.”

Anne shared that she ‘wouldn’t change it for anything!’ after caring for hundreds of women and their families.

As we went to print a number of our colleagues retired after many years of service: • Geraldine Wilson - Head and Neck Children’s Pre-assessment Sister • • Maria Bell – District Nursing Sister with the West Planned Integration Team • • Sue Pollock – Macmillan Lung Cancer Nurse • Brian Readman - Waste Porter • • John Pattison - Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist • Elaine Embleton – Staff Nurse • • Keltie Ellis - Staff Nurse • Sheila Ford - Head of Midwifery • Brigid Marron - Diabetes Specialist Nurse • • Tim Thornhill - Urology Cancer Nurse Specialist • Lynne McClurg - Staff Nurse • Sabith Jettoo - Staff Nurse • Angela Goldsmith - Clerical Officer • Angela Goldmsmith – Sunderland Eye Infirmary Clerical Officer • Good luck and enjoy your well deserved retirement

23

News

Our £10 million investment

in South Tyneside

World-class NHS facilities, that’s what we hope to be able to provide for the people of South Tyneside and Sunderland. Our plans to invest £10 million in a brand-new, purpose-built, Integrated Diagnostic Centre (IDC) are helping to do just that.

The IDC will be home to a PET-CT scanner, advanced scanning technology that uses a mild radioactive drug to show up areas where cancer cells may be active. It helps clinicians to spot exactly where cancer has spread to in the body.

This is fantastic news for our patients in South Tyneside and Sunderland and will save people from having to travel to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle or the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. As well as the PET-CT scanner, the IDC will also have two MRI machines and two CT scanners. The project has been made possible thanks to a partnership with Alliance Medical, which has provided mobile diagnostic vans to the Trust for more than a decade, and holds the national PET-CT scanning contract.

This investment is an exciting step forward for the Trust and a huge improvement to the services we are able to provide. Offering our patients scans closer to home and more choice about where they receive their treatment.

Steve Jamieson, our Director of Estates and Facilities, said feedback has been “very positive” and added: “The IDC will provide a fantastic experience for patients and we look forward to having the additional capacity.

The IDC joins a host of other projects on the South Tyneside site, including a new £800,000 outpatient pharmacy, £2.5 million upgrade to our Intensive Care Unit and £2 million of work on our endoscopy unit.

“For the staff, again, it’s a tangible demonstration of the how the Trust is continuing to develop this hospital site”.

Did you know?

We have just installed 20 new electric vehicle charging points at South Tyneside District Hospital, Palmer and Clarendon as part of our commitment to sustainability.

This follows on from work to upgrade our Trust fleet to electric cars and vans. There are plans for a further 16 electric charging points at Sunderland Royal in the near future, but this is just the start of our investment as we look to make more charging points available to staff and patients in the future.

Artist impression

24

Step into

Christmas with our STSFT festive features

#TeamSTSFT

25

STSFT-mas

Be kind to yourself this Christmas Whether or not Christmas is part of your life, your mental health might be affected by it happening around you.

Our Clinical Psychologist and Thrive Lead, Dr Sonia Wilson, reminds us how we can be kind to ourselves this Christmas and where to go if you feel like you (or someone you know) might need some support.

our sadness at what we may have lost and what may be different this year.

“Christmas can be a time of year filled with mixed emotions, both good and bad. It often brings a lot of pressure and a weight of expectation.

“Christmas can be a challenging time for those who are bereaved and feelings of grief and sadness often increase. It can also be a stressful time and can exacerbate anxiety and depression. It is important to be kind to ourselves, to take a step back and reflect on what is most important, rather than trying to achieve it all which can result in us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, or miserable and wanting to withdraw.”

“Our mind can unhelpfully set unrealistic expectations of ourselves and other people, or give us unfair comparisons with other people or previous Christmases we may have had.

Social media and the glossy Instagram pictures or perfect Facebook posts can often add to this unfair social comparison. Our sense of pressure to spend money we may not have, or reinforce

If you would like advice or support with anything from stress, anxiety and depression to bereavement and financial worries, you can find helpful information on our intranet and further support is available through our Thrive service.

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour and some style Maya Angelou

0191 569 9699

stsft.thrive@nhs.net 26

e”.

STSFT-mas

?

T F S T S t a s a m t s i r What’s on this Ch Events

Reminders

Christmas carols • Monday 13 December 2021 at 6.00pm St Gabriels Church, 1 St Gabriels Avenue, Sunderland, SR4 7TF • Thursday 16 December 2021 at 6.00pm St Gregory’s Church, 20 St Gregory’s Court, South Shields, NE34 6NR

Christmas lunches Our staff restaurants at Sunderland Royal Hospital and South Tyneside District Hospital will be offering Christmas lunches with all the trimmings this year. Keep a close eye on the intranet and the weekly staff e-bulletin for updates.

Christmas Jumper Day - Friday 10 December 2021 A chance to don your seasonal sweaters.

We know that colleagues working in clinical areas cannot wear Christmas jumpers, so why not wear festive socks or tights instead? Don’t forget to share your pictures on our staff Facebook Group.

Christmas parties and buffets We don’t want to put the ‘bah humbug’ into your celebrations, but we do want you to be safe. We ask that all colleagues consider the following when planning a festive celebration: 1. Avoid shared buffets to minimise the risk of COVID-19.

2. Hold your gathering in well ventilated, COVID-19 secure areas 3. COVID-19 is still very prevalent in our local communities. Take a home test before the event or if you have symptoms of COVID-19 stay at home and arrange a PCR test.

Christmas t-shirts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day We are pleased to support colleagues working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day who wish to wear a Christmas t-shirt. Please make sure you also bring in your usual uniform in case you need to change into this, for example if there is an emergency situation or when you are talking to family members or relatives. Please follow the IPC advice below at all times: 1. Staff working in clinical areas must be bare below the elbow at all times

Facebook Live with Ken Bremner Tuesday 14 December 2021 at 6.00pm Staff Facebook Group

2. Make sure you wear a clean/new t-shirt for each shift 3. Make sure any festive t-shirts are washed in line with the Trust Dress Code policy We hope this brings some festive cheer and please share your festive photos on the Staff Facebook Group.

27

Christmas around the world Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do at #TeamSTSFT and we all have our own ways of celebrating Christmas with our friends and loved ones. Family traditions, work patterns and cultural practices all shape the way we share our festive spirit.

In the Philippines the traditional Filipino Christmas celebrations start at the beginning of September when Christmas carols start to be heard and homes start to be decorated. As the Philippines is a predominately Catholic nation, the religious aspects of Christmas are very important. Simbang Gabi is a devotional 9-day series of masses held around 4am starting on the 16th December practiced by the Filipino catholic population. For our Filipino colleagues at STSFT, this year there will be Simbang Gabi celebration on the 18th December at St Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle.

For many people celebrating Christmas is about attending church, carol singing, decorating trees and visiting family, friends and loved ones. But did you know not all countries celebrate Christmas in the same way or even on the same day?

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team has been busy researching traditions from around the world.

Christmas is a very important time for families in the Philippines. On Christmas Eve family members dine together at midnight before exchanging gifts and playing parlour games. Christmas Day is spent visiting elders in their own homes and eating Christmas dishes such as lechon (roast whole pork), embutido (meatloaf), ham, cheeseballs, fruit salads, spaghetti and spring rolls. Children also visit their Godparents and receive gifts.

Did you know we employ staff from 54 different nationalities and celebrate a number of different faiths and religions.

We are very proud of the diversity of TeamSTSFT, which helps us all to communicate better and learn from colleagues with diverse backgrounds, ethnic origins or beliefs.

Christianity is India’s third largest religion after Hinduism and Islam, with 2.3 per cent of the population practising it. This makes Christmas much smaller than other religious festivals in the country but something that is still celebrated, particularly in Goa and Mumbai.

On Christmas Eve, the whole family will usually walk to midnight mass. Churches in India are adorned with Poinsettia flowers and candles for the midnight mass service. In North-West India, some people go out every evening for a week at Christmas to sing their own carols. They go to surrounding villages singing to people and spreading the Christmas story.

By Jake Higgins and Philippa Poole

28

STSFT-mas

For many Jewish people Winter is a time of celebration of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days usually in December. It is sometimes referred to as the “Festival of Lights”. It’s a special time for families to be thankful and rededicate themselves to their faith. It is customary to eat food fried in oil during Hannukah, such as latkes (which are a kind of potato fritter), pancakes and doughnuts.

For many Italians giving and receiving of gifts happens on the 12th day of Christmas, January 6th. A witch known as La Befana is said to bring gifts in the night to put in children’s stockings.

Attending midnight mass and eating a meatless dinner on Christmas Eve is an important part of Christmas in Italy.

Many of our colleagues with other, or no, faith will still celebrate Christmas in their own way and enjoy spending the time catching up with loved ones but without the religious element in their traditions.

We are sure this year will still see many traditions being upheld in various households embodying what Christmas means to you.

Our Australian colleagues will know that weather can play a big part in the creation of Christmas traditions. As the 25th December falls in the middle of the Australian summer, Christmas jumpers aren’t quite as relevant as they are in the UK! Christmas dinner in Australia is often cold or consists of shrimps and prawns cooked on the BBQ. Sport also plays a large part in the Christmas calendar with the famous Sydney Hobart Yacht Race taking place on Boxing Day, along with (every 4 years) the Boxing Day Ashes Cricket Test against England. This year The Ashes begin in December and continue into January for STSFT cricket fans!

Let’s also not forget those team members who will be spending Christmas away from their loved ones, those who will be working and those who find Christmas time difficult.

So once again please look out for each other and seek support from our services including Thrive or our Chaplaincy Team should you feel like you need it.

We hope to meet more of you in the New Year, so from the whole Inclusion Team we wish you all well and hope you have a happy and peaceful New Year.

29

STSFT-mas #TeamSTSFT

s a m t s i r Ch

In the

spotlight... spotlig ht...

Gaynor and Abby Bryden

Gaynor and Abby Bryden are sisters who work in the Discharge Lounge at South Tyneside District Hospital, Gaynor is a Health Care Assistant and Abby is a Staff Nurse. Whilst the Discharge Lounge is closed on Christmas Day, Christmas Eve can be busy with patients getting ready for discharge in advance of the big day.

What’s Christmas Eve like at work?

Gaynor and Abby - On the Discharge Lounge Christmas Eve is quite an exciting day. Patients are excited about going home and staff are excited for them. It’s lovely to see relatives/ friends coming to pick up their loved ones.

Especially grandchildren who arrive to get their grandparents. We often get patients who cry with joy as they are so happy to be going home for the Christmas holidays.

What do you like about working on Christmas Eve? Gaynor - I like getting my Secret Santa present!

It’s always so lovely getting the patients ready to go home. Also when I worked over at Sunderland Royal Hospital staff from the Dementia and Delirium Outreach Team (DDOT) who fundraise for the Nightwear Before Christmas, would come over to the ward with presents to give to patients so they could wear their new PJs on Christmas Day.

What’s it like working on Christmas Day? Abby – I’ve worked many Christmas Days on the wards. It’s lovely getting bacon sarnies in the morning and doing our Secret Santas.

Everyone who comes on the ward always has the Christmas spirit – colleagues such as physiotherapists always wear something Christmassy.

What is your favourite Christmas film?

Gaynor – Me and the kids love Home Alone Abby – I love Elf – it is so funny

What have you asked for this year?

We really just want to see our Nanna – she’s in a care home and obviously we’re not able to see her, and not seeing her feels worse around Christmas time. Everything that has happened over the last couple of years has meant that material things don’t seem as important – for us it’s even more about family than it’s ever been.

What is the one Christmas present you remember really wanting as a child?

Both – We have a vivid memory of when we were kids of Abby really wanting a specific Powerpuff Girl doll – “Blossom.”

Instead she got “Buttercup” and I’ll never forget seeing the disappointment on her little face when she opened her present.

What is your favourite Christmas song?

Both – It’s got to be “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues and Kirsty McColl

STSFT-mas

Fiona’s indulgent festive treats If Christmas pudding isn’t an indulgence enough, then these brownies should hit the spot.

Our very own Communications Officer Fiona Thompson shares the secret! These gooey treats may not win prizes for presentation, but they do taste good and make a cracking dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This basic recipe, inspired by the Hummingbird Bakery, works well if you want to make it your own and mix your favourite flavours, with spoonfuls of peanut butter, berries, dried cherries and nuts all good additions.

Ingredients 200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces 250g of dried mixed fruit, soa ked in boiled water overnight (or if you prefer sherry or brandy) 175g unsalted butter 325g caster sugar 130g plain flour (swap to coc onut flour to make them gluten free) 3 eggs Flaked almonds to scatter on top Cooking Time: 30-40 mins

Method • Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F fan/ gas mark 3) and line a deep baking tray with greaseproof paper. 20cm by 20cm makes very thick brownies.

• Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or put in a pan on a very low heat, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth, then take off heat.

• Stir in sugar until well mixed, add flour and stir until well mixed.

• Add eggs and mix until thick and smooth.

• Spoon half mixture into the baking tray, even out and then sprinkle over the fruit if you’re adding.

• Add in the rest of the mixture, scatter almonds and bake.

• Checking after 30 minutes, if needed place back in the oven. They should be flaky on the top but still soft in the centre.

• Leave to go cold before you cut them into servings and decorate with icing sugar or edible glitter if you wish.

Go pompom mad this Christmas and have a go at making Jo’s...

e-ell Sprout’

‘Bruc

All you need is a piece of thick card, green wool, googly eyes, scissors and glue! pl a tem te

Po m po

m

1

2

Place both pieces of card on top of each other and start to wind the wool around the card.

3

Keep winding until it’s chunky as shown above leaving a gap at the edges.

Carefully place the scissors between the two pieces of card and start to cut the wool, continue right around the pompom.

Trace round the template and make two card circles.

4

5

Cut a long piece of wool and loop between the two cards and tie with a double knot. Gently remove the card and your pompom is ready to be SPROUTED! Finishing touches add the hat and googly eyes.

Hat template

31

Share pictures of your festive treats and pompom creations on our Staff Facebook Group.

You can also share your own recipes and ideas for future issues.

STSFT-mas

Festive Fitness If you want to incorporate some festive fun into your training why not give this happy christmas work out a try, put together by our wellbeing team.

Rachel Penman

Do 12 repetitions of each exercise and ‘hold’ for 60 seconds.

Tag onto the end of your workout for a festive finisher or repeat the workout three to four times for a challenging full-body workout. Look out for our video demo on the intranet and staff Facebook group if you’re unsure on what each exercise is, or how to perform it correctly.

Remember to warm up and cool down appropriately, wear suitable footwear/clothing and have a bottle of water at hand to keep yourself hydrated.

•

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Hip bridge Abdominal crunch Plank (hold) Press ups Yoga pose (Downward dog hold) Calf raise High knees Reverse plank (hold) Inch worm Sumo squats Tricep press Mountain climbers Alternating lunge Shoulder taps

Step into Christmas...

Did you know, it would take 6,960,858 steps to get from South Tyneside to the North Pole?! And 6,981,350 steps from Sunderland to the North Pole!

That means, to walk to the North Pole in the month of December, you’d need to do 224,544 steps (from South Tyneside) or 225,205 steps (from Sunderland) each day in order to reach the North Pole! Sounds like a lot doesn’t it?

Why not put your team to the challenge?

Get together and log your daily steps for a whole month, try to get as many as you can and see how far you get at the end of the month! Don’t forget to share your successes with us and we can give you a shout out on the intranet, bulletin and staff Facebook group!

32

STSFT-mas

Christmas reviews Hopefully you’ll get a chance to enjoy some down time this Christmas. Why not kick back with a festive film or delve into a good book? Here, our PR Apprentice, Harry Newhouse, shares his top picks for favourite films and riveting reads...

Our top Christmas films:

2

1 Home Alone (1990) This hilarious Christmas classic is a must-watch every year to well and truly get you into the festive spirit.

Home Alone embodies the Four Fundamental Principles of Christmas: Excess, Iconography, Generosity and Family and never fails to leave you in stitches.

Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left behind when his family leaves for France. At first, he is happy to be in charge, but when thieves try to break into his home, he tries to put up a fight.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

(2000) During the Christmas holidays people usually look for a movie that the whole family can watch together and How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the perfect choice.

This heart-warming film stars Jim Carrey as the Grinch, who lives in solitude just outside the town Whoville and plans to ruin Christmas until a six-year-old girl, Cindy Lou (Taylor Momsen) aims to change his ways.

3 A Christmas Carol (2009) Disney’s version of the timeless novel

by Charles Dickens is an exhilarating visual experience directed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump), and starring Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge and the three ghosts that come to haunt him on Christmas Eve. This classic tale of Christmas spirit sees miserly Scrooge believing Christmas is humbug until a terrifying visit from his dead partner Marley (Gary Oldman) tells him the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet To Come in the hope he will become a better man.

Books to read on a snowy day:

2

1 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia novels are some of the most read books of all-time and with no surprise either as C.S. Lewis jumps into a magical fairy-tale perfect to read in front of the fire.

In the first novel, four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion.

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

3 Little Women – Louisa May Alcott

Everyone should read Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief as it is one of the best, most beautifully written novels that will leave you not being able to put it down.

Little Women is one of the nation’s best-loved novels and you can see why as it still influences and inspires readers a century and a half after Louise May Alcott published it.

The main character, Liesel, lives with her foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann in Nazi Germany.

She finds comfort from the horrors around her by stealing books from the mayor’s house to learn new words.

This enduring novel looks into the life of Jo March who reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters who are four young women, each determined to live life on her own terms.

33

#TeamSTSFT

Stay safe this party season As we enter the festive season we want to help you stay safe when you’re out and about during the winter period. Whether that’s a big night out in town or just heading to a friends for a night in, here are some of our top safety tips to keep in mind:

Drink in moderation and watch your drink Always stay in control when drinking alcohol. Know your limits and never push them.

Keep a close eye on your drinks and never leave them unattended at any point.

Stay in well-lit areas If you’re lucky enough to live within walking distance from your party venue of choice, always stay in well-lit areas where there are plenty of people. Always plan a route home and stick to well-lit routes that you know. Never take short cuts, especially down dark alleys, back lanes or through unlit parks. You can always share your location with someone using your mobile phone.

Safety in numbers Always stay within a group when possible, even when going to the loo!

Get taxis or arrange a lift When travelling at night always book a taxi or get a lift with someone you trust.

If travelling by bus it’s best to sit on the lower deck as this is closer to the exit and within sight of the bus driver. Always remember to let someone know you are on your way home when travelling alone.

Keep valuables hidden Don’t advertise your mobile phone or other valuables to people on the street - keep it in your bag or pocket.

Book ahead It can be difficult to get a taxi without booking. When you book a licensed minibus or taxi you know it is reputable and reliable. Don’t be tempted to get into an unlicensed cab for a quicker ride home.

Stay away from hostile situations Don’t try to be a hero on a night out. If there is a fight or an argument stay out of it and if needed get help from security or the police.

34

STSFT-mas

Our Christmas stars We want you to nominate someone who you think deserves a shout out for being a Christmas Star!

Heather Simpson and Deb Cowie: “For stepping up covering the ward, extra shifts due to sickness, making me feel extremely welcome as a student.”

Linda Crosby: “She is amazing, always has a smile and a kind word and helps whenever its needed and has covered many shifts for colleagues due to sickness.”

Do you have a colleague who has gone above and beyond this year? if so, we want to hear all about them.

Our Christmas Star Campaign is running throughout December and will feature in our weekly staff e-bulletin, intranet and staff Facebook group.

Tracy Dawson: “She is the most supportive, kind and hard working person. She juggles managing a team and no question is too silly to ask. She is very approachable and professional. I am new to the Trust I have witnessed her go above and beyond on a daily basis.”

To nominate your Christmas Star, simply complete the form on the intranet by searching ‘Christmas Stars’ or email stsft.trustcomms@nhs.net or send us a message through our social channels.

Debbie Dixon: “She is someone who knows her job inside out and I could not of asked for a more helpful, patient, encouraging work colleague to start my new job in. She has made me feel welcome and good about the work I am being trained in and it is a pleasure to come into work and learn from her. She LOVES Christmas and deserves to be a Christmas Star in my eyes.”

Here’s a small selection of just some of the Christmas Stars we’ve received so far...

(You can view them all on the intranet)

Ruth Rayner: “Ruth is an amazing manager and over the last year has took more and more work under her management. Nothing is ever too much and she always makes sure that she has time for all her staff’s wellbeing. Ruth is a true star.”

35

Festive brainteasers Wordsearch

Quick quiz

N

G

U

R

J

F

S

I

R

S

O

R

T

P

M

R

I

N

T

D

L

Q

E

X

E

A

R

A

I

G

C

R

S

I

E

S

B

E

N

A

C

N

S

T

F

L

P

O

I

L

M

Q

S

C

G

Z

T

T

V

S

A

I

G

T

E

O

T

N

D

A

L

W

R

A

G

U

H

G

C

R

N

R

Z

Y

E

H

T

R

O

N

S

E

E

H

E

E

C

A

T

Q

Y

E

S

W

I

K

D

D

S

T

A

E

O

C

X

E

B

A

R

K

R

Y

E

T

N

S

E

E

R

L

L

A

M

E

C

Z

R

V

D

M

L

O

D

C

Y

O

V

T

A

O

P

J

Y

N

E

D

I

X

E

A

P

G

S

T

T

Z

V

F

B

R

E

I

N

D

E

E

R

I

H

S

S

U

G

A

R

P

L

U

M

T

F

P

R

T

Z

H

O

L

L

Y

N

A

M

W

O

N

S

H

D

A

G

E

H

M

Q

I

P

U

D

Z

X

X

C

J

P

CANDY CHRISTMAS HOLLY MISTLETOE POLE SANTA STAR TREE

CANE CLAUS LIGHTS NORTH PRESENTS SLEIGH STOCKING WREATH

Sudoku

6 9

CAROLING DECEMBER MERRY PEACE REINDEER SNOWMAN SUGARPLUM

5

8

5

7

2 9

3 4

8 7

9 2

7

2 3

5

5 3

9 8

5

2. The Twelve Days of Christmas traditionally finish on which date?

3. St. Stephen’s Day is also known as?

4. Between 1996 and 1998, which British girl band celebrated three consecutive UK Christmas number one singles?

5. In the song ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’, how many ladies were dancing?

6. Who wrote ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’, the famous Christmas poem with the opening line ‘Twas the night before Christmas’?

7. ‘Walking in the Air’ is a song taken from which Christmas film?

8. Which UK monarch delivered the first Christmas Broadcast to the BBC in 1932?

9. Christmas fruit cake Stollen is traditionally associated with which country?

7

8

1. In which Pacific Ocean island nation is Father Christmas known as Santa-san (Mr Santa)?

1

4 36

10. On Christmas Day 1950, what did four Scottish students steal from Westminster Abbey?

STSFT-mas

1

Crossword 2 4

5

3

6

7 8 10

12

11

14

13

15

ACROSS 3. Desire. (4) 5. If you send some, you will receive some. (5) 9. Bright light leads the way. (4) 10. He comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve. (5,5) 11. The Christmas Season. (8) 12. First word of a famous Christmas poem. (4) 14. Freedom from war. (5) 15. What you do before giving a present. (4)

DOWN 1. They twinkle and glow. (6) 2. Stand underneath to get a kiss. (8) 4. A short word for Christmas. (4) 6. Santa’s favourite animals. (9) 7. Traditional meat for Christmas dinner. (6) 8. They hang from the Christmas tree. (7) 10. Keeper of the flocks. (8) 13. Flakes that fall from the sky. (4)

1. Japan 2. January 5th 3. Boxing Day 4. Spice Girls 5. Nine 6. Clement Clark Moore 7. The Snowman 8. George V 9. Germany 10. Stone of Destiny

Sudoku

Quick quiz

Across: 3 – Wish 5 – Cards 9 – Star 10 – Santa Claus 11 – Yuletide 12 – Twas 14 – Peace 15 – Wrap

Crossword

37

Answers

9

Down: 1 – Lights 2 – Mistletoe 4 – Xmas 6 – Reindeers 7 – Turkey 8 – Baubles 10 – Shepherd 13 – Snow

#TeamSTSFT STSFT-mas

Who are you supporting this Christmas?

Our #NightwearBeforeChristmas appeal is back.

The idea is that older patients across the Trust who do not have anyone to spoil them at the most special time of year, wake up on Christmas morning to a new nightdress or pyjamas.

You can also support our very own STS Charity which helps us raise funds for the necessary extras that make a real difference to our patients! To find out how you can donate to a specific ward or service, please visit our website: https:// www.stsft.nhs.uk/our-charity or scan the QR code.

Here’s what you need to do: Wrap up your nightwear Label it ‘male’ or ‘female’ and indicate the size Drop it off at...

Alexandra Centre, Sunderland Royal Hospital, 8am - 4pm

Amazon Smile You can also help our STS Charity if you are doing any Christmas shopping on Amazon this year by using Amazon Smile: https://smile. amazon.co.uk or scan the QR code.

Discharge Lounge next to Moorlands Day Unit opposite Outpatients at South Tyneside District Hospital, Monday - Saturday, 8am - 8pm Sunday 8am - 6pm

Amazon Smile is a website operated by Amazon.

It features the same products at the same prices as the standard Amazon site. The only difference is, when you shop on Amazon Smile, the Amazon Smile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the cost of all eligible products to your chosen charity.

#NightwearBeforeChristmas

Simply search for ‘South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust Charitable Funds’.

Me

rry

Ch ristm as

, Female Size 16

38

#TeamSTSFT

A final word…

“I confess that it is a very difficult task to capture the last 18 months or so in a few sentences, but I will try. My starting point is that moment when we became aware of what was later to be known as the COVID-19 Pandemic.

have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.’

“I use these words in the context of knowing that the greatest resource that South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has is YOU, members of staff at all levels. As we therefore learn to adapt to the ‘new normal’ and its challenges, never forget that when you go through dark moments that ‘only in the darkness can you see the stars.’

“It has been a physical as well as an emotional journey for us all. Physically, in the sense of becoming exhausted for all sorts of reasons.

Emotionally, because of the inability to separate ourselves from it - especially when it comes to the pain of loss - be it patients and their families or our indeed our own families. I mustn’t forget our work colleagues who have also sadly died, or continue to bear the scars of the whole experience. This includes the volunteers who give so much of themselves.

“On behalf of myself and the Chaplaincy Team, it’s been an honour to have travelled with you through the highs and lows, and we look forward to travelling with you in the future, whatever it holds.

“Christmas is a time of hope. Let us all continue to carry the candle of hope as we step out into a new season and a New Year, but never forgetting that ‘it doesn’t take a hundred candles to light a place, it takes only one.’

“For several of us, Christmas will mean an empty chair at the dinner table, or no one to give or receive a Christmas present. Or even, in some cases, no one to give a hug. We have had mixed experiences over the last several months, which have been both high and low. If you do feel alone at this time whether in your personal or professional life, remember the words of Mandy Hale: ‘A season of loneliness and isolation is when the caterpillar gets its wings.’

“I hope YOU will be that candle.

As we leave 2021 in order to meet 2022, it is my hope that the New Year will smile at you.

Have a good Christmas and best wishes for 2022.”

Revd Canon Remi Omole Lead Chaplain

“In the midst of it all our work reminds us that life won’t stop, hence the need for us to confront change. In the words of the late Nelson Mandela: ‘What counts in life is not the mere fact that we

39

#TeamSTSFT

Christmas is a time to say THANK YOU ...so we’d like to say

Thank You #TeamSTSFT for another year of hard work, care and passion despite the very challenging times.

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.

See you in 2022.

#TeamSTSFT

40