Royal Devon and ExeterNHS Foundation TrustRD&ExpressRD&Express

August 2010

The newsletter for members of the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust

Respond, Deliver & Enable

New ward visiting timesPatient welfare and recovery is at the heart of new ward visiting times at the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital. Matrons asked for the visiting period to be reviewed in response to feedback from patients, visitors and staff. The new visiting times (from Monday 19 July onwards) will be 2.30pm to 4.30pm and 6pm until 8pm.

We expect there will be a transitional period when visitors who have been to the RD&E before do not realise the visiting times have changed and we will endeavour to accommodate this where practical and possible rather than turn them away and cause unnecessary inconvenience.

Visiting times previously at the RD&E were 2.30pm right through without a break to 8pm.

RD&E Deputy Director of Nursing & Patient Care Jane Viner said: “We believe on balance that the new visiting times will be better for our patients. Visitors are welcome and we recognise the benefit of having family or close friends coming in to offer support and lift spirits.

“It is also important though that our patients have uninterrupted mealtimes and get plenty of rest to help their recovery. Our matrons have found that patients can be very tired if they have visiting right through from 2.30pm until eight in the evening.

“Patient care and safety is better when essential ward-based activity like drug rounds and cleaning are not disrupted.

“All our patients have individual needs so there will be circumstances where visiting is not restricted, for example if a patient is very poorly or if a relative or carer would like to be involved at mealtimes. Families can ask the matron if they would like to visit outside the allocated times.”

About 170 local residents who are signed up Members of this Trust attended the fi rst ever ‘Members’ Say’ event to share their views on what they expect and need from the RD&E.

As a Foundation Trust the RD&E places the needs and views of the community it serves at the very heart of what it does and plans for the future.

In addition over 700 members completed an online questionnaire.

See page 2 for highlights•

Events for MembersBook your place

(page 5)

2

As a Foundation Trust the RD&E is committed to placing the needs of local people at the heart of service development. This summer we hosted our first ever Members’ Say event which was attended by about 170 local residents who are signed up Members of this Trust.

The event programme included popular Medicine for Members talks on cardiology, infection control, nursing & elderly patient care. This was also an opportunity for members to come together to think about and discuss the values and priorities they would like to see at the heart of the Trust’s forward plans, as well as sharing their aspirations for the future of the

Trust. Activities included group discussions, ballot boxes, and poster walls. In addition over 700 members completed our online questionnaire.

Our Members told us……..what was most important to them. The top four were:

• A hospital where I am seen as soon as possible• A hospital that has access to the latest technologies and drugs• A well maintained environment that is clean, safe and modern

• A seamless NHS service from GP through to the hospital and beyond.

Our Members told us…….the most common values they associated with their ideal hospital were:

Clean, efficient, caring, professional and accessible.

Our Members told us…..for patients, they want to see a Trust which:

• Reflects their values and is clean, caring, efficient, accessible & professional

• Is a centre of excellence

• Is friendly, welcoming and safe

• Inspires confidence and trust.

Our Members told us….. for the community they want to see a Trust which is:

• An integral part of the community

• A Trust to be proud of

• Responsive to local needs.

Our Members told us.. for Trust staff they want the RD&E to be:

• A safe, clean & friendly environment in which to work

• Supportive & offers good training and development

• A place to be proud of

• A place where staff are valued & respected

• A rewarding place to work.

We plan to hold another Members’ Say event.

3

The scale of the national debt and the government commitment to reducing public expenditure has been widely reported on. The RD&E, as part of the NHS community and public sector, is rising to the challenge of reducing fi nancial spending and maintaining high quality patient care and services.

The range and quality of services we provide at the RD&E now and in the future depends on how well the RD&E becomes more cost effective – doing more for less without compromising quality or safety. The Trust ‘Fit for the Future’ programme is identifying where savings can be made and ensures that everything we do and the resources used (staff, accommodation, equipment, time) makes best use of public money and achieves effi ciency savings.

The focus will be on three key areas:

• How, where and who provides the services to patients – ensuring closer working with other health and social care organisations to reduce duplication and waste with a focus on delivering care as cost effectively as possible. This will involve changing how and where we deliver care.

• The workforce – about 60 % of the Trust’s annual spend is on staff costs so we are seeking to reduce these costs in a range of ways including reducing staff sickness rates, fi xed term contracts and less vacancies being fi lled as they become available for example through retirement. Redundancies are not being sought but if savings are not achieved the Trust may have to consider this option.

• Making the money go further – every member of staff has been informed of the need to use resources wisely. Staff participation is essential and we have received very constructive and supportive ideas from staff which are being followed up.

The Trust welcomes suggestions from members, patients and visitors on how they think the RD&E could be more cost effi cient. Write to Ian Lynes, Fit for the Future project manager, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Room 214 Noy Scott House, Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5DW or email: FitForTheFuture@rdeft.nhs.uk

A simple push of a button has given RD&E staff a way to vote anonymously on impor-tant issues in the workplace.

This equipment is proving popular with staff as one of several ways the Trust fi nds out what they think. The Trust recognises that a happy, motivated and valued workforce provides better standards of service.

Housekeepers were the fi rst staff group to take part in a ‘Staff Say’ workshop to share their views and ideas on how to improve the service they pro-vide and their working life experience. Trust-wide sessions have been planned for the year to capture staff feedback on a range of issues including their own health and wellbeing.

4

Governors News Round-upCouncil of Governors (CoG) meeting

on 14 July 2010

The Trust Chairman, Angela Ballatti, has thanked

governors who are due to leave the Council at the

end of their term of offi ce in September. Seven

existing governors will move aside in September

as new governors came onto the Council. The

Chairman gave particular thanks to those governors

(Stan White, Brian Perriss, Linda Fryer, Imraan

Jhetam, and Rachel Jackson) who have been with

the Trust for the last six years and had helped shape

the role of the governors from the early days.

Dianne Pearson and Jean Clark joined the Council

in September 2009. Jean chose not to stand for

election while Dianne was not re-elected. Angela

thanked them for their work and contribution to

the Council.

Chief Executive’s Report

Angela Pedder gave an overview of the coalition

government’s new White Paper ‘Equity and

Excellence: Liberating the NHS’. She highlighted

the signifi cant changes facing the NHS although

confi rmed that healthcare would remained free

at the point of delivery and that the White Paper

gave a strong commitment to Foundation Trusts.

Governors queried what would happen to targets

such as the 18-week referral to treatment target.

Angela said that targets were being replaced with

outcome measures but added that patients were

still entitled to receive treatment within 18 weeks

of referral from their GP as this was a legal right

enshrined in the NHS Constitution.

Performance Report

Elaine Hobson, Chief Operating Offi cer, presented

the performance report for the period up the end

of May 2010. Elaine reported that cancer targets

remained a challenge for the Trust. The Trust

had formed working groups to look at the issues

around meeting the targets and the best way of

managing them. As an example, waiting time

targets did not take into account the time taken

by patients to make decisions on their treatment.

The Trust’s performance against the Accident &

Emergency four hour wait was improving after

the diffi cult period over the winter months. The

target is 98% of patients admitted, transferred or

discharged within 4 hours of attending A&E and

the Trust was at 98.9%.

Elaine also informed the Council that the Trust’s

deep cleaning programme was now underway and

it included a maintenance programme.

In other business

Governors discussed a range of other issues including

reviewing its constitution, the Trust’s Annual Plan

and the approach to openness, transparency

and accountability. Governors also were given

an overview of the work of the Foundation Trust

Governors Association as well as the recent Members

Say! Event ( see page 2).

5

Events for Members

‘Medicine for Members’ These talks are presented by leading RD&E specialist staff about their roles and patient services.

Multiple Sclerosis – Tuesday 28 September 2010, 1.30pm-3pm

Parkinson’s Disease – Thursday 28 October 2010, 1.30pm-3pm

Spaces are limited so Members are advised to book a place in advance by contacting Bernadette Coates on 01392 403977 or email foundation.trust@rdeft.nhs.uk

Council of Governors Meeting Wednesday 13 October, 2pm-4.30pm

Venue: FlyBe Suite, St James Centre, Exeter City Football Club, Stadium Way, Exeter EX4 6PX

Annual Members MeetingWednesday 15 September, 12 noon-2pm

A review of Trust performance over the last year and look ahead

Contact Foundation Trust Offi ce for more details

Any enquiries about meetings and events contact Bernadette Coates in the Foundation Trust Offi ce on 01392 403977 or email foundation.trust@rdeft.nhs.uk

Governor election results 2010Thank you to everyone who voted in our Council of Governor elections held in June and to those members who stood for election.

The election results:

• In East Devon, Dorset & Somerset we have four new Governors – Andrew Kyle, Lynne Wright, Peter Hull and Nicholas Morse. The turnout was 45.1%.

• In Exeter and South Devon, we had fi ve vacancies. Kate Caldwell was re- elected. New governors elected are Janice Cackett, Edward Pitman, Kenneth Counter and Phil Jenkins. The turnout was 41.5%.

• In Mid, North, West Devon & Cornwall, there were two vacancies. Dianah Pritchett-Farrell was re-elected, with David Giles newly elected. Dianne Pearson stood for re-election but was not successful. The turnout was 41.2%.

How to get hereVisitors to the RD&E are encouraged to use our dedicated Park & Ride service. It runs non-stop to Wonford Hospital from Digby (near Tesco and J30 of the M5) every 10 minutes and costs £1.30 return.

Stagecoach buses H1 and H2 run to Wonford Hospital every 15 minutes or so from the High Street in the city centre.

Buses from Exmouth, Dawlish, Torbay, Teignmouth, Plymouth, Crediton & Seaton stop next to the hospital on Barrack Road.

Details are on our website www.rdehospital.nhs.uk

106

Accounting for Quality In its latest Quality Report, the RD&E has underlined its strong commitment to providing the highest possible quality of the healthcare services to the communities it serves.

In developing its report this year, the Trust decided that it needed to better understand what quality healthcare means to members and patients alike. By using a combination of surveys and data on patient experience, the Trust was better able to refl ect what matters most to people who use the hospital and how they judge the quality of the experience they have at the RD&E.

Hospital cleanliness and infection control were seen by survey respondents as being the main issues when considering quality. Members also said that being properly informed by clinicians and being cared for were also important. Interestingly, survey respondents said that whether the hospital was recommended by family or friends as well as the views of patients on the perception they had of their care in hospital, were the most important factors they would take into account when assessing quality care.

These views have helped inform the priorities for improving quality services at the RD&E over the coming years. These priorities include:

• boosting key measures on patient experience and cleanliness

• promoting clinical effectiveness

• keeping patients safe and ensuring they receive a consistently good service

• building productivity gains that boost quality.

The Trust will regularly report on progress against the priorities it has selected to ensure that members, patients and the pubic are kept informed about how we are doing over the months and years ahead.

The Quality Report 2009/10 can be downloaded from the RD&E’s website (http://www.rdehospital.nhs.uk/trust/documents.html

77

Welcome to...Em Wilkinson-Brice as our new Director of Nursing & Patient Care.

Em is no stranger to this area – she started her career at Exeter School ofNursing which involved working on RD&E wards throughout her trainingin the late eighties.

Cardiology and Critical Care became the focus of her career, with 12years spent at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, in various clinical andmanagerial positions. Whilst in Oxford, Em spent two years seconded tothe Department of Health where she was Project Manager for thenational Ward Housekeeper Project, working closely with Facilitiesand Nursing colleagues across the country.

In 2004 Em took up the post of Deputy Director of Nursing in Derby, becoming Directorof Nursing, Facilities & Infection Control in January 2008.

e.

ofg

do

ecoming Director

Dr Simon Harrison was welcomed as

Lead Chaplain for the Royal Devon &

Exeter NHS Foundation Trust when the

Bishop of Crediton, The Right Reverend

Bob Evens, offered his authority and

recognised Simon as a chaplain through

licensing as lay worker under seal.

The ceremony in the chapel at the RD&E

Wonford hospital, was attended by members

of Simon’s family and colleagues, including

Chief Executive Angela Pedder and Deputy

Director of Nursing & Patient Care Jane Viner.

Simon has worked in chaplaincy for over

10 years and he was Chaplain for Devon

Partnership NHS Trust from 2005 until taking

up the post with the RD&E. Before chaplaincy

he worked as a nursing agency administrator

and an auxiliary/support worker so he has

a longstanding familiarity with hospital life.

Simon said he hopes to build relationships

across the Trust so that people have an

understanding of what the chaplaincy service

can offer to support staff, patients and

visitors of all faith and none.

Unconditional registration The Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust was awarded unconditional registra-tion as a provider of NHS services under the Care Quality Commission’s new regulatory system.

The Trust’s unconditional registration by the CQC confi rms there are no issues regarding the safety or quality of care provided at the Royal Devon & Exeter.

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 introduced a new, single registration system that applies to providers of health and social care services. The new focus for the regulatory standards extends to patient experience as well as policies, and on outcomes rather than processes and systems.

8

Caring for carersThe RD&E is supporting an initiative designed to make sure that if carers for any reason could not perform their role, then a pre-prepared contingency plan is in place to ensure the person they care for is not compromised.

The emergency alert card scheme has been launched by Devon Carers Link.

The card is carried by the carer so that in an emergency, for example, the carer being rushed into hospital as a patient, the card gives instructions for a phone call to be made to initiate a plan so the person they care for is looked after in their absence.

Additionally if carers show this card to staff in the RD&E hospital catering outlets they will receive a staff discount. Under this initiative which was arranged by the RD&E Carers’ Group, carers can also benefi t from this discount if they show their Carers’ UK membership cards.

Carer representatives told us that their role can involve regular hospital visits for appointments and treatment. They explained how the cost of caring creeps up as they carry out their responsibilities so we hope that the discount they receive for meals and drinks in our cafes and restaurant helps.

• Carers who would like to join the alert card scheme should contact Devon Carers Link on 08456 431 341

Parking partner The new partner working with the

Trust to enforce and manage car

parking on RD&E hospital sites is

CP Plus.

The three year contract took effect

on 31 May when the current contract

with Exeter City Council expired. The

council will continue to collect and

pursue unpaid funds from tickets it

has issued.

Trust car parks will be patrolled by an

RD&E member of staff trained and

equipped by CP Plus. All appeals

against Parking Infringement Notices

issued by CP Plus on behalf of the

RD&E will continue to be forwarded to

the Trusts Appeals Panel.

Have you recently moved house or changed your contact details? Let us know and we can ensure you continue to receive information from us.

The Foundation Trust membership offi ce can be contacted by telephoning 01392 403977, by emailing Foundation.Trust@rdeft.nhs.uk or by writing to: RD&E NHS Foundation Trust Offi ce, Room E219, RD&E Hospital, Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5DW.

For more information about the Foundation Trust visit the RD&E website: www.rdehospital.nhs.uk

We can arrange language translation if you do not speak English. We can arrange British Sign Language interpretation, and also give you this information in larger text. Please ask us on (01392) 403977.

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