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Inside ‘For you’ pull-out – your

questions answered

Protected mealtimes – making a difference to patients

Staff sign up to be environmental champions

‘For you’ pull-out – your questions answered

Protected mealtimes – making a difference to patients

Staff sign up to beenvironmental champions

NUHorizonsJanuary/February 2010Issue 31

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WelcomeWelcome to the fi rst issue of NUHorizons for 2010. I hope you have all had a very happy start to the New Year.

Contacts

You will notice that this issue of the magazine is bigger than usual. In response to the feedback we received at the ‘For you’ events at the end of last year we have included a special pull-out supplement which answers many of the questions you raised. This supplement is just the start of our efforts to keep you better informed and answer your questions. We will continue to address your questions and issues – please look out for further communications.

Also in this issue I’m delighted to announce the launch of the NUH environmental campaign which is an important milestone in our drive to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent by 2010.

More than 140 staff have already signed up to become environmental champions and I hope more of you will join us to promote the campaign in your area of work. It’s a great start to the campaign, which encourages staff to do their bit to help the environment by making small changes which then have a big impact on the amount of carbon dioxide we produce as a Trust.

Thank you to everyone who came along to the events and made suggestions about how we can reduce our carbon footprint. If you couldn’t make it to the events but are interested in taking part in the campaign, please contact the campaign team by emailing littlechangesbigimpact@nuh.nhs.uk or calling Alberto Jaume on ext 56898. We’d be delighted to hear your views about how we can work better to improve the impact we have on the environment.

John SimpsonDirector of Estates and Facilities

NUHorizons, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust’s staff magazine, is published bi-monthly by the Communications Team. Comments and story ideas are welcomed.

Contact Elizabeth Champion, Internal Communications Manager on 0115 924 9924 ext 62133 or elizabeth.champion@nuh.nhs.uk

Extracts from NUHorizons should not be reproduced without prior permission from the Communications Team.

The opinions expressed in NUHorizons are not necessarily those of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

This publication is available in other languages and formats. For further information please contact 0115 924 9924 ext 62133. A plain text version is available.

Contents Launch of the environmental

campaign

NUH News

Protected mealtimes – do they make a difference?

Essence of Care – staff celebrate gold standards

Find out how you can keep fi t with our Focus on Fitness feature

Meet NUH’s epilepsy specialist nurse team

Your news

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10-11

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14-15

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Staff champion new environmental campaign

Staff at NUH are championing the environmental cause with the launch of a new campaign which aims to reduce our carbon footprint.

The campaign, Little Changes, Big Impact, encourages and supports NUH staff to make small changes, such as switching off computers overnight and recycling waste, to help reduce the amount of carbon emissions the Trust produces.

As part of the campaign NUH is recruiting a team of environmental champions who will promote the campaign in their areas of work and advise colleagues on environmental issues.

The launch week, which included events at City and QMC campuses and Ropewalk were a huge success with more than 140 staff signing up to become environmental champions.

Environment consultant Penney Poyzer, who has been nicknamed Nottingham’s ‘Queen of Green’ after presenting the TV programme No Waste Like Home, presented the events along with Tim Nicholson from the Campaign for a Greener Healthcare and Helen Ross from the Directorate of Public Health and Social Care East Midlands.

Alberto Jaume, NUH’s Environmental Services and Sustainable Development Manager, said: “NUH is committed to becoming a more sustainable organisation. We have already signed up to the national 10:10 campaign to reduce our carbon emissions by 10 per cent and this campaign is an important part of that.

“Many of our staff are already making changes at home. We wanted to make sure they can do the same at work and put forward their ideas on how we can improve the impact we have on the environment.”

For more information on the campaign please contact Alberto Jaume on extension 56898 or email littlechangesbigimpact@nuh.nhs.uk.

BIGIMPACT

Little Changes

Matron Cath Edwards Queen of Green, Penny PoyzerNUH’s John Hughes opens the launch event

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NUHNews...

Staff and students in Nottingham are urged to ‘Do Something Different’ A new campaign is launching in Nottingham to encourage staff and students at NUH and the city’s two universities to pedal their way to a healthier, more active 2010.

The ‘Do Something Different’ campaign, being launched by sustainable transport charity Sustrans as part of the Ucycle Nottingham project, is urging staff and students to make an online pledge to change their travel behaviour by cycling to help benefi t their health and the local environment.

By making a pledge to either start cycling, travel to university sites by bike or encourage a friend to cycle, staff and students will receive regular emails with helpful cycling tips and advice to help boost motivation.

Sustrans’ Project Manager, Joanna Ward, said: “This

campaign will give staff and students an opportunity to make a difference to their overall fi tness levels, whether they’re new to cycling or have been pedalling for years.

“Cycling is a fantastic leisure activity as well as an easy, affordable and convenient way to get fi t and healthy while commuting.

“There are plenty of scenic, traffi c-free routes waiting to be explored around Nottingham, so we’re hoping that the Do Something Different campaign will inspire people to take to the saddle as part of their everyday travel needs. The Ucycle Nottingham project team will be on hand to support and encourage everyone who pledges.”

To fi nd out more or to make a pledge, visit www.sustrans.org.uk/ucyclenottingham or call Steph Knowles, NUH’s project Offi cer on ext 63642.

For local cycling information, visit www.thebigwheel.org.uk.

New magazine for Foundation Trust membersNUH has launched an exciting new magazine to help keep its members up-to-date with the latest news and information from the Trust.

The fi rst issue of NUHorizons for Members is now available to the hospital’s 21,000 staff and public members and is also available online. As well as information about NUH’s campaign to become an NHS Foundation Trust, the magazine includes important updates from the hospital, interviews, competitions, event information, and health and lifestyle articles.

For more information about the magazine or becoming an NHS Foundation Trust member please call Kelly Fletcher, Membership Offi cer, on 0115 924 9924 ext 62904 or email ft@nuh.nhs.uk. To read the magazine please visit http://www.nuh.nhs.uk/ft/documents/NUHorizons%20Members%20Issue%201.pdf

Nottingham researchers awarded £750,000 to develop pioneering virtual reality treatment for ‘lazy eyes’A pioneering virtual reality treatment for children with a ‘lazy eye’ has been awarded a £750,000 grant so researchers at NUH and the University of Nottingham can develop the technology towards a commercial product.

Up to three per cent of children have a ‘lazy eye’, or amblyopia. Traditional treatment has been to put a patch over the stronger eye to make the weaker one work harder, but it often only has a limited effect and has to be done before the age of eight. This is the fi rst new treatment to be developed for about a century.

Statutory and mandatory training Dates are now available for statutory and mandatory training sessions for all staff up to the end of April.

The dates and venues are available on the learning and organisational development intranet page or ask your manager for further details.

They are all drop-in sessions except for patient handling where places must be booked. If you would like more information please contact Rose on extension 55648 or Julie McCarthy on ext 55974.

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Winter health campaign helps patients get the Right Care, First TimeA new campaign, Right Care, First Time, has been launched by health organisations across the East Midlands. This will make sure patients know the different ways they can access advice, support and treatment. We want to help make sure that patients do not use the Emergency Department when other choices are more appropriate.

Leafl ets are available on the intranet and in Outpatients.

New precision head and neck radiotherapyA treatment that provides more targeted radiotherapy for patients with head and neck cancers is now being performed by the Oncology Service at the City Hospital campus.

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is an advanced

type of high-precision radiation that varies the intensity of the radiation beams as well as geometrically shaping them. This has the effect of maximising the radiation dose on the tumor while simultaneously protecting the surrounding healthy tissue. This can result in better tumor targeting, reduced side effects and improved treatment outcomes for patients.

Have you seen the new-look websites? To help improve communications with staff and patients, NUH has launched two news websites.

The sites www.nuh.nhs.uk, for use on home computers, and www.nuh.nhs.uk/mobile, which is for use on mobile phones, have been developed in response to feedback from staff and the

public. Some of the changes to the www.nuh.nhs.uk main internet site include improved accessibility for users with certain disabilities, additional easy to fi nd sections about research for clinicians and medical professionals and for those interested in our NHS Foundation Trust application.

The mobile site is a brand new venture for NUH. Its content has been designed to help patients and visitors looking for information when away from home. Key information about the Emergency Department, Maternity Services and the Nottingham Children’s Hospital is available as well as detailed information about parking and directions to each hospital. It is believed NUH is one of just a few Trusts nationally to have a mobile site.

Please share the web addresses for the two sites with as many patients and visitors as you can, in particular www.nuh.nhs.uk/mobile. Your comments and feedback about the sites are very much welcome. Please contact Chris Hughes on chris.hughes@nuh.nhs.uk.

For you – magazine insideIn this issue of NUHorizons we’ve included a special ‘For you’ magazine.

After the success of the ‘For you’ launch events we are keen to keep the two-way communications going and answer the questions and issues you raised.

The supplement brings you up to date with the main issues raised at the events and what we’re doing to improve things for all our staff.

We’d like to hear your thoughts on the progress being made. Please email foryou@nuh.nhs.uk

NUH celebrates hitting the 10,000th member mark More than 10,000 members of the public have now signed up to support NUH in its campaign to become an NHS Foundation Trust.

Members, staff and patients celebrated this important milestone at the fi rst Medicine for Members event held at NUH this month.

Membership Offi cer Kelly Fletcher said: “We’re delighted that so many members have signed up. It takes our total number, which includes staff and public members, to well over 21,000. It’s a great achievement for the Trust and means we have a lot of support as we continue our application to become an NHS Foundation Trust. Since starting our campaign to recruit members we’ve been very pleased with the response from patients, staff and the wider community.”

As an NHS Foundation Trust, NUH will provide local people with a stronger voice. The general public, patients, carers and staff can all become members of the Trust, stand for election as its Governors and have a real say in how it is run.

For more information about becoming a member please contact the membership team on 0115 924 9924 ext 62904 or email ft@nuh.nhs.uk.

y

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To help improve the experience for patients and identify patients who are at risk from not getting the nutrients they need to make a speedy recovery, NUH launched its protected mealtimes policy. Since its introduction across both City Hospital and QMC campuses just over a year ago, staff and patients have reported an improvement in the mealtime experience. They say it is more structured and easier to identify patients who need extra nutrients or help around mealtimes.

During protected mealtimes staff on the wards stop all non-urgent clinical activity and dedicate their time to serving and helping patients with their food.

Making a meal of it

The ENT/Maxillo-facial ward (C24) at QMC campus is just one of the wards to notice improvements thanks to the introduction of the policy. Staff are committed to making protected mealtimes a success and say they now have more time to dedicate to patients and making mealtimes an enjoyable experience. The monthly audits have also revealed an improvement in the quality of the food being served to patients.

Sister Sue Mazengarb has worked at QMC campus for 18 years and has successfully led her team on C24 to implement the policy. “All the staff on the ward are involved in serving the meals which means they can make sure each patient is getting the food they need to help their recovery,” says Sue. “Before the ward implemented the protected mealtimes policy patients were often interrupted or even missed mealtimes.

“Sometimes patients would be interrupted half way through a meal and then we’d have to throw the food away and order something else later. There was a lot of inconvenience for the patient and also a lot of waste.”

Introducing protected mealtimes has put an end to this. Now once meals have been served, staff close the doors to the bays and siderooms and patients are left to enjoy their meal without any interruptions.

“The patients are happy because they are not interrupted and can eat their meal in peace,” adds Sue. “The staff are happy because they have time to dedicate to their patients and can monitor each patient’s food intake.”

The National Patient Safety Agency has identifi ed poor nutrition and de-hydration as a patient safety issue and has recommended that all staff are encouraged to implement protected mealtimes for patients. Research shows that patients who are not interrupted and receive appropriate service and support during mealtimes are happier, more relaxed and eat more.

“It has not been easy,” says Sue. “We have had to try wherever possible to keep patients on the ward during mealtimes and prevent non-urgent interruptions from any other member of staff. The key things to implement the policy were communication, listening to patient feedback and making sure staff had time.”

At City Hospital campus staff on Lister Two ward have also noticed a big difference. Sister June Vango says the hard work of her team is now paying off.

“We have a dedicated meal monitor,” says June. “Each day one of the team takes this

Muriel Donaldson, Clinical Specialist Dietician

Sister Sue Mazengarb and Deputy Sister Bindhu Saraswathy

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Protected mealtimes• The aim is to protect

every meal served – breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Nursing staff do not take breaks during these times and free themselves up to help prepare for meals, assist patients who require help (and have red trays to identify patients at risk of malnutrition, and require careful monitoring, assistance and recording of nutritional care)

• Restricted entry to ward areas by all staff where possible

• It is a multi-disciplinary team approach, not just the ward team, but the wider team

• It is aimed at making the patient experience as good as possible, and as safe as possible

on as their responsibility. It has really helped a lot in making sure patients do not miss a meal, all food charts are completed and identifying patients who need extra help.

“It’s been a massive team effort,” adds June. “We feel passionate about our patients getting the best food to meet their nutritional needs and I’m delighted that we have implemented this so successfully.”

Alison Cargill is the Acting Clinical Lead for Diabetes, Infection, Renal and Cardiac and is the Trust’s lead for nutrition. “NUH is committed to the protected mealtimes initiative. The policy provides a framework for mealtimes which places the patient at

the centre of the mealtime experience. Many of our wards are already implementing this but we need to make sure all staff are aware of its importance and how it can make a big difference to the patient experience and identify patients who are at risk and may need extra nutritional support.”

To read more on the protected mealtimes policy please visit the intranet or contact Alison Cargill on ext 54343 or email alison.cargill@nuh.nhs.uk.

Darrel Hodkinson enjoys his meal

Sister June Vango and the team on Lister Two who say protected mealtimes have improved the patient experience

Ward Host Liam Cutts serves meals to staff nurse Roselyn Riveral

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Nottingham hospital staff rewarded for achieving

standardsStaff at NUH have been rewarded for their hard work after achieving a gold score in the Trust’s benchmarking standards for patient care.

Six areas of the Trust have achieved NUH’s gold score against the Essence of Care national benchmarking programme for their outstanding work in nutrition, the ward environment and record keeping.

Four wards at the City campus and two wards at QMC have achieved the Trust’s gold standard. Well done to the staff on Lister Two, Hogarth, Harvey One, and the ante-natal clinic at City Hospital campus and wards C24 and C31 at QMC.

In recognition of their hard work, Alec McKee, NUH’s Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Essence of Care Steering Committee, presented staff with vouchers to be used at a healthcare event of their choice.

Alec said: “I’m delighted that our staff are committed to maintaining such high standards. The Essence of Care benchmarking is used to review the quality of care on the wards and departments, make improvements and share good practice.

“To achieve the gold standard each ward or department has to achieve 100 percent against around 14 indicators for each benchmark. Assessments are made from a random sample of patients, and independently scored. The standards are very specifi c so there is no ambiguity, you either achieve it or not. Achieving the gold standard gives patients the confi dence that they are receiving excellent care.”

Julie Holland is the Sister on ward C31 at QMC, which has been recognised for its excellent ward environment. She said: “It is a very busy ward but the staff are committed to maintaining very high standards. Patients always comment on how nice, clean, calm and tidy the ward is for such a busy place. The staff deserve a lot of praise for their hard work. It’s a real team effort and everyone from the ward sister to the domestic staff plays their part.”

The Essence of Care government strategy aims to improve the quality of important aspects of patient care through the process of clinical benchmarking. It uses a process of benchmarking where indicators for best practice are identifi ed and performance measured against these.

Lister Two ward staff

QMC staff on wards C24 and C31

Harvey One ward teamThe team on Hogarth Ward, City campus

Congratulations to the staff working at the ante-natal

clinic at City Hospital campus, on Lister Two, Hogarth,

Harvey One, and Wards C24 and C31 at QMC Campus.

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7 days with...Samantha O’DowdAs a Materials Management Assistant Samantha O’Dowd works hard to make the process of ordering supplies easier for NUH staff.

After four years in the Procurement Team Samantha says it’s her organisation skills which make her so suited to the job – and the fact that she can remember all the ordering codes. Outside of work Samantha enjoys gardening and, currently seven months pregnant, is looking forward to the birth of her fi rst baby in March.

MondayI like to get to work around 7am on Mondays. My fi rst job is to update my computer with any changes from NHS Supply Chain, the online ordering system. This doesn’t take too long and it means I’m up to date for the week ahead.

Every morning I work on the wards – doing stock-takes, re-ordering and basically making sure supplies are in order. This morning I will be visiting three wards at the City campus, which is where I’m based.

The stock rooms on two of the wards are really organised, which means it doesn’t take me long to fi nish scanning. Unfortunately the third ward’s stock room is a bit chaotic after a busy weekend so I have to tidy up before starting.

After scanning the wards I head back to the offi ce to process the orders electronically. Today I’m fi nishing at 3pm and I head home to do some organising for my new baby boy’s bedroom.

Tuesday We visit each of our wards once a week so I spend the morning with three wards making sure they have everything they need.

I then head off to a meeting to discuss the roll-out of materials management for another ward. The meeting lasts a couple of hours. I work with the person who does the ordering at the moment and the ward manager to agree on stock levels before we take the ward on. The meeting goes well and I’m pleased that we’re taking on another ward.

WednesdayOne of the wards contacts me because they are using a particular product more than normal and need extra supplies. I’m more than happy to help and place the order immediately. If staff need something for a patient we do all we can to help.

I spend the afternoon processing stock requisition orders. These are the yellow forms for people who haven’t yet been taken on by materials management.

ThursdayI visit a new ward, which is in the process of transferring to materials management. I spend a few hours looking at their existing system,

the type of products they have, how they order things, the cost implications and the organisation of their store rooms. I then return to my desk to work out how we can help improve the system and how much money we can save them. My best so far has been saving one area over £24,750. I think they were amazed at what we can do.

I work late every Wednesday and Thursday – we’re on fl exi time but have a team rota to make sure the offi ce is covered until 5pm. Because I’m later home I don’t have as much time as I do the rest of the week so I spend the evening reading my gardening books and getting some tips to improve my garden and fruit and vegetable growing for next year.

FridayIt’s an early start again today. I’m keen to visit one of the wards we’ve recently taken on and get some feedback about how things are going. The staff on the ward have some really positive things to say about the new system, which is the highlight of my week.

I really love my job. I can see the difference having a structured ordering system has on the staff. It frees up their time so they have more time to focus on patients instead of having to worry about ordering supplies. I head home pleased that we’ve had such positive feedback.

Weekend

As well as catching up with my washing and cleaning, I visit my friends and family before spending a few hours in the garden – planting and watering.

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positive feedback.

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A team of NUH runners who are currently training to take part in the Rushcliffe 10km fun run in March, will be joined on the start line by NUH’s Chief Executive Peter Homa.

Peter is a keen runner and was delighted to be asked to join the team at the 10km in March.

“Running is the main way I keep fi t”

“I really enjoy it – it’s relaxing and a great way to de-stress,” says Peter. “The 10km in the spring has given me something to train for through the cold winter months. I’m really looking forward to joining the team – it’ll be challenging but fun.”

Despite the diffi cult weather conditions of the past few weeks Peter has continued with his dedicated training programme running up to 25 miles a week.

“The last few weeks have been diffi cult because of the weather,” says Peter. “So I’ve had to do most of my running on a treadmill which isn’t as enjoyable as running outside. I’ve managed to keep training and now the snow has gone I’m looking forward to getting out for a run with our dog.”

As well as pounding the pavements Peter also enjoys cycling. You may have seen him cycling between QMC and City Hospital campuses. “Cycling is better for the environment,” says Peter. “So I like to travel by bike whenever I can. It also helps with my fi tness.

“I’ve got a fold-up bike,” adds Peter. “It may be small but it gets me between campuses and is easy to take on trains.”

Focus onFitness

In the fi rst of a new series on fi tness NUHorizons catches up with Chief Executive Peter Homa.

Peter Homa in training

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Running group for beginnersIf you are interested in starting to run then Q-Active can help.

We’re launching a 10-week running course for beginners. If you’ve never really run before or you’ve tried to run and never quite got going, then the Q-Active learn to run group is for you. The group caters for all ages, shapes and sizes and is being supported by award-winning coach, Cathy Rooney, who has helped lots of women in Nottingham learn to run with the Woodthorpe Huffers and Puffers group. She’s also recently launched a group for men who are interested in running.

Cathy has funded two members of NUH staff to train to become jog leaders. The group will start in the next few weeks. With the right support, anyone can learn to run. The courses will be led at City Hospital and QMC campuses and will follow a gentle walk/run programme. The group will meet at a time that suits the people taking part.

If you are interested in taking part, please contact Catherine Hughes on ext 64771 or email activities@qactive.co.uk

Here are some comments from runners who joined the Huffers and Puffers running group.

‘I was a couch potato before I joined the group. Everyone looks ‘normal’ and we’re all encouraged no matter how good we are. I ran the Twiggy and Emma 5km and I’m doing the Race for Life in June’ Margaret, 48

‘I never thought I’d be able to run non-stop… I’ve never done any exercise before. The sessions started with walk/running, moved up very gradually and I got loads of support from other members. Eight weeks on and I can run two miles.’’ Clare, 45

The kilomathon, a new race distance of 26.2km (around 16 miles), takes place in March with participants running from Nottingham to Derby.

Esther is busy training and looking forward to her latest challenge. “I run twice a week,” says Esther. “I’m part of the Woodthorpe Huffers and Puffer’s club, a running group for beginners, which is great fun. There is no pressure to run fast – everyone runs at their own pace. We do a long run at the weekend and a shorter run during the week. I’ve made some great friends through it.”

Before she started running Esther’s keep fi t programme revolved around gym sessions and swimming. She was amazed at how quickly her fi tness improved when she started running. “I lost a stone just through running. It’s also a great stress buster. I would recommend running to anyone – within a few weeks you can really notice a big improvement in your fi tness levels. It can be quite addictive – after a few months I wanted to take part in a race and now here I am training for a kilomathon.”

On the road – NUH matron taking part in kilomathon Since she started running nine months ago NUH matron Esther Gaskill has completed 10km and half-marathon races and is now taking on the challenge of completing the UK’s fi rst kilomathon road race.

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The NUH adult epilepsy specialist nurse service is available for patients who need help managing their epilepsy. NUHorizons met the team to fi nd out more.

NUH’s adult epilepsy specialist nurses offer advice to patients on a range of epilepsy issues including seizure control, pre-conception advice if necessary, and self-management.

The team includes Angela Jones, Natasha Kazinski, and Selina White, all experienced epilepsy specialist nurses who are committed to helping NUH patients who have epilepsy and advising staff who are treating patients with the condition.

As well as advice on seizure types and treatment, the team can help patients who have had their fi rst seizure or patients who

have a history of the condition. They can support staff and patients with diagnosis, medication issues, lifestyle, and driving issues and provide general health and wellbeing advice on living with epilepsy.

Epilepsy Specialist Nurse Natasha Kazinsk says: “Epilepsy is a complex condition so we’re keen to raise awareness about the condition and our role here at the Trust. We want staff to be aware that we are here to support them and to help provide the best treatment for people with epilepsy.

“Some staff are nervous about seizures and what to do if a patient has a seizure or goes into status-epilepticus, which is a seizure lasting for 30 minutes or more,” says Natasha. “Some staff still apply the old rules about how to clinically manage patients with epilepsy. We’re here to tackle some of the stigma that is still attached to epilepsy. There are many different types of seizure so we want to raise awareness about how to recognise the different types and how to treat patients to make sure our patients get the right care.”

The team hold two nurse-led clinics each week and are also available for telephone consultations. They also hold monthly pregnancy clinics, teenage clinics, and a learning disability clinic, which is run by Learning Disability Specialist Nurse Sarah Pashley.

“There are lots of issues to consider when treating and advising pregnant women who have epilepsy,” says Natasha. “There are lots of myths around epilepsy and pregnancy. We need to make sure women are presented with the right information so they can make educated choices throughout their pregnancy.”

The team are hoping to develop the adult epilepsy service and have plans to roll-out training across the Trust as well as setting up a transition service to support patients as they move from paediatric to adult services.

Natasha adds: “There’s lots of work to be done but we want staff to know that we are here to help. We can support staff, the patients and their relatives. We can see any inpatients and consultants can refer patients.

“As a team we are really passionate about what we do and want to provide a really good service. So far we’ve had some very positive feedback but there is more we can help with – we’re determined to make a difference across the Trust.”

If you would like more information please contact the team on ext 61030. This is an answer machine service so please leave a message and the team will return your call.

You can also email angela.jones3@nuh.nhs.uk, natasha.kazinski@nuh.nhs.uk, or selina.white@nuh.nhs.uk.

Meet NUH’s adult epilepsy team

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Angela Jones Angela is a trained learning disability nurse who joined NUH in September last year having previously worked in Lincoln.

She is currently working towards a masters degree in Epilepsy.

Selina White Selina has worked at NUH since qualifying as a nurse seven years ago. She has always been interested in Neurosciences and worked on the Neuro day case unit for 18 months before being offered the epilepsy nurse post in August last year.

Natasha KazinskiNatasha has been a nurse for 22 years and was keen to specialise in epilepsy after having a personal link with the condition. She worked in the Neurology department at NUH before joining the epilepsy team in 2009.

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StaffNews...Pantomime time at NUHIt was pantomime time again at NUH with staff members making up the cast and crew of Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates.

Wayne Croves co-producer for the pantomime said: “The initial preparations began in the summer when we chose a script, closely followed by the start of weekly rehearsals in September. All hands have been to the pump during the fi nal few weeks as cast, crew, friends and family all chip in to help with the stage constructions and the fi nal touches to make each performance as exciting and entertaining as possible.”

Thank you to antenatal services at City Hospital campusColleen Pearce Lead Midwife from Antenatal Services at City Hospital campus gratefully accepted £370 in gift vouchers from Lisa and Jonathan Smith and sons Elliot and Marcus.

The vouchers were donated as a thank you for the care Lisa received throughout both her pregnancies.

Lisa’s medical condition made it necessary to make frequent visits from her home in Mansfi eld to the clinic and she chose NUH because of the continuity of care we could offer.

Both Lisa and Jonathan wanted to mark the completion of their family by donating a gift. The money was raised by asking family and friends to donate money instead of buying christening gifts. The vouchers will be used for the refurbishment of the breast feeding room and to buy a DVD player for parent education.

Jacquie Willey Memorial AwardRoz Connery and Nick Bestwick from the recovery teams at QMC campus have been jointly awarded the Jacquie Willey Memorial Award for Patient Care.

The award, which is open to all staff working in the operating theatres at NUH, recognises staff who go the extra

mile to improve patient care. It was launched in 2003 in memory of Jacquie Willey, a Sister in the recovery team at QMC campus, who tragically died.

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NUH staff get into the panto spirit

The Smith family present a cheque to Colleen Pearce

Roz and Nick receive their awards

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Christmas CornerThere were many visits to the Nottingham Children’s Hospital over Christmas including Sven Goran-Eriksson, Nottingham County Cricket Club and Nottingham Rugby Club.

Farewell to Dr Andy Evans Colleagues said farewell to Dr Andy Evans who has left NUH to take up a post as Professor of Radiology in Dundee. Andy has worked as a consultant radiologist in breast imaging at NUH for 17 years.

He has been a major driving force behind the Nottingham International Breast Education Centre in terms of both research and teaching, and has been lead radiologist for several national trials related to breast

disease. Andy is also a very talented musician. He has played the French horn in the Nottingham Symphony Orchestra for many years.

Andy is a very popular fi gure who will be missed by his many friends in Nottingham. We hope to continue to collaborate on many research projects and tempt him back to teach on our courses in the future.

FaAColhasRacofo

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disease. Andy isF h h i h N i h S

Joan Simms retires after 41 yearsAuxiliary nurse Joan Simms has retired after 41 years at NUH. Joan worked on Morris ward and has been a valuable and loyal employee – not to mention a good friend to the many people she worked with. Everyone who knows Joan would like to wish her well in her retirement – she will be missed.

Blue trolley dasher Jill Charles retires

Goodbye to Gloria HallFriends and colleagues would like to wish Gloria Hall a very long, happy and healthy retirement.

Gloria joined NUH in 1989 as a clerical offi cer within the clinic preparation offi ce and then became departmental clerk. In 1992 she joined the Data Protection Administration Offi ce where she has worked until her retirement. She is starting her retirement with an extended holiday to Australia.

courses in the future.

GoFrieHal

GlothedeProwore

Jill Charles, also known as the blue trolley dasher, retired from NUH in December.

Jill has worked at the Leengate Clinic as a clerical administrator for the past six years and before that worked in the case notes department. Her in-depth knowledge of hospital systems and her ability to navigate around the maze that is QMC campus is unmatched. Jill’s leaving is a big loss to everyone who works with her – especially Elaine. The team would all like to thank Jill for her hard work – they will miss her sense of humour and ability to get things done.

We wish her a very happy retirement and hope she enjoys her holidays.

Daniel O’Callaghan with mum Jo, cricketers Steven Mulleney and Charlie Shrek

The Leengate team say goodbye

Joshua Norton with Sven Goran-Eriksson

Gloria (centre) heading to Australia

Fond farewell on Morris Ward

Andy Evans - now professor of

Radiology in Dundee

16

The Linden Lodge Neuro-Rehabilitation Unit has benefi ted from a donation of £1,450 after two sisters took part in a gruelling charity run.

Louisa Coyne and Angie Clayton took part in the ‘Hell Run’ to raise money for the NUH Charity after their brother, Darren Clayton, was treated for a brain tumour.

Darren, 36, had an operation at the QMC campus to remove a tumour in July 2008. Unfortunately, he suffered a stroke and lost the movement on his left side.

He was moved to Linden Lodge Neuro-Rehabilitation Unit, at the City hospital campus, for more than three months and still returns for physiotherapy as an outpatient.

Angie said: “Linden Lodge have been amazing with the treatment and equipment provided and we immediately saw a difference.”

Louisa, 37, and Angie, 33, completed the HellRunner’s Hell Down South Run 2009, to raise money for the NUH Charity.

The run is held at Longmoor Camp, a military training camp in Hampshire, and is advertised as ‘nature at its toughest’. The gruelling 10 to 12 mile run is over varying terrain, including water-fi lled areas and steep hills.

Louisa and Darren handed over a cheque for £1,450 to NUH Charity.

The Trent Cardiac Centre at the City campus is to benefi t from an £80,000 state-of-the-art ultrasound system after an anonymous donation.

The NUH Charity received £100,000 from the donor, with the remaining £20,000 to be used for research into heart problems.

The new 3D imaging machine will be used in one of the two theatres at the Trent Cardiac Centre, the other of which already has one of the state-of-the-art systems.

It will help surgeons get a better picture of their patients’ heart functions, aiding diagnosis and assessment.

Mr Ian Mitchell, Cardiac Surgeon, said: “It’s an ultrasound machine specifi cally for looking at the heart.

“It will help us to look at the function of the heart and particularly look at the function of the valves to get a better assessment of what might be wrong with the patient.

“Also, when you have done an operation or put a new valve in, you can see if it is working properly.”

The 3D scanner has been delivered to the Trent Cardiac System and is awaiting installation. The machine will replace a 2D ultrasound scanner which is currently used in the theatre, and which will be moved to the cardiac intensive care unit once the new equipment is installed.

Researchers will use £20,000 from the anonymous donation to study the connection between cells in relation to post-operative heart problems. The donor was particularly interested in combining the equipment with the research when she decided to support Mr Mitchell and his team.

Mr Mitchell explained: “After cardiac surgery, some patients have an irregular heart rate. About a quarter of patients will have that as a short-term, temporary complication. There’s a risk of stroke and clots forming in the heart, so if you can avoid it, that is good.

“Nobody knows quite why this happens. This research project is to try and look at one aspect of heart function to see if we can understand what might cause the problem. We are grateful to this donor who is enhancing patient care in two ways: by providing specialist equipment and relevant research”

For more information about the NUH Charity and how it could help your ward or department, go to www.nuhcharity.org.uk.

Hell of a run for sisters

Mystery donation buys ultrasound system

Darren Clayton (second from left) and Louisa Coyne (third from left) present the cheque to the team at Linden Lodge

John Sherriff, Operating Department Practitioner, with the new ultrasound system

For YouListening to you

2

We value your contribution and want to keep you updated at every stage of the programme. We’d still be delighted to hear your views on how we can improve. It is thanks to the hard work of our staff that we can now look forward to the next stage in the development of NUH.

Dr Peter Barrett Chairman

Listening

I’m delighted that so many of you took time out of your busy schedules to attend the For you launch events which we held at the end of last year.

It was the first time we have ever organised an event on such a scale and I’d like to thank you for your contribution and for putting your ideas and suggestions forward. After the success of the launch events we are keen to move forward, keep the momentum going, and act on your comments and feedback as quickly as possible. The Board was updated on the launch events and feedback in early February. It’s time now to update you on the issues that you raised and what we are doing to change and improve things at NUH as a result.I’m pleased to say that we have already taken many of your ideas forward. Some things we can immediately change, others will take more time and planning but we want you to know that we are committed to acting on your feedback.

to you

3

For you update...

What do you really think of the For you tent events and what does this mean for the future of NUH? We received more than 5,000 comments, questions and suggestions from staff through the postcards and flipcharts. This is a fantastic response and will help us, along with feedback from our staff survey, to better understand staff frustrations. We can understand what works, what doesn’t and what we can do about your frustrations so we can work together to find solutions and answers.

Our NHS Foundation Trust application

You saidHow much did the tent events cost?

We’re listeningBefore launching the events we looked into many different options about how we could deliver an event on this scale, within our tight budget. The tent option was the most cost-effective working out at £2.92 per person.

You saidWhy did you

decide to put on these events?

The events in the tent

We’re listening We want to involve staff in the future of NUH – it’s as simple as that. Nothing has been done like this before and we think it’s important that you can have your say and that we listen to you. We’re trying to keep the two-way communication going.

You saidAre the For you events linked to the Foundation Trust application?

We’re listening No, the events were completely separate to our application to become an NHS Foundation Trust. There was no underlying agenda other than involving staff in the future of NUH and letting you all know our vision for the future.Staff shortages

You saidWe are always short-staffed which means it’s so hectic. What are you doing to improve the staffing situation?

We’re listeningWe’ve set up a working group to look at all areas of recruitment. This includes attracting people to work at NUH, the recruitment process, appointing and retention. We’ll keep you updated.

for you

4

We’re here for you

You saidWe get lots of information that we need to complete certain courses and repeat them every

year, but to be honest we’re not entirely sure about what we do and don’t need to do and when.There’s so much training it’s hard to keep track. It would help if it was clearer and the booking process was easier.

We’re listeningIt’s important for our patients and staff that everyone keeps up to date with mandatory training. We’re trying to develop our staff and make sure everyone feels they have the skills to do their job safely and effectively. We’re looking at ways to help make the process easier.

Training includes fire training, back care, load handling, safeguarding children and young people, infection prevention and control, patient handling, health and safety, and conflict resolution. Your manager will be able to advise on which course you should attend. Some courses are drop-in sessions while others will need to be booked. The dates are available on NUHnet with details on how to book.

We know how difficult it can be to find time to attend. To help we’re making sure managers release staff so they don’t have to come to the sessions at the end of their shifts.

Training and development

Being confident

You saidWe try and make sure everyone gels their hands and is bare below the elbow when they come into our area. I’m always on guard to make sure people are taking notice

but it’s really hard to have the confidence to challenge consultants when they are breaking the rules. When I do bring it up, some of them are really good and even roll their sleeves up when they see me approaching others are less bothered and completely ignore me or are quite rude. It’s hard when I’m trying to do my bit and some senior staff don’t follow the rules. It’s even harder for me to have the confidence to bring it up in the first place.

We’re listeningIt’s great that so many of you are tackling patients and staff on the importance of hand hygiene. We know this is difficult and our values and behaviours programme aims to make this easier

We’re launching the all-staff workshops which will tackle these types of issues. We can’t provide an overnight solution but we are working to improve things through the programme.

5

Launch of behavioural standards handbook

Behavioural standards are part of the We are here for you programme and will help us to support each other so we consistently provide high quality care to our patients.When we spoke to our patients and staff they agreed that our patients should always feel cared for, feel safe and confident in the excellence of their treatment.We believe the 12 standards we have developed by working with patients and staff will help us to achieve this. The standards described in this handbook apply to all NUH staff – clinical and non-clinical – and are part of everyone’s job.

Shared values and behaviours workshop for all staffOver the next 18 months, all staff (over 13,000 at NUH) will attend a values and behaviours workshop. The aim of the workshop is to explain why the programme is important. We have made a pledge to our patients that we will each do all we can, all day, everyday, to make sure they are cared for, safe and confident in the treatment they receive. We all have a part to play to make this become a reality.We have a commitment to each of our colleagues to do our best to make sure we are appreciated, supported and encouraged to improve the quality of our services to patients by listening to their needs.

More information on We are here for you will follow in Trust Briefing and soon on NUHnet.

Sharing good practiceYou said

I think it would be useful for all areas to share good practice –

we don’t get to hear much at the moment it seems to all be in isolation.

We’re listening There are lots of examples of best practice across NUH and we agree that we need to share this more with staff. We’re looking into better ways of doing this and will get back to you with some ideas. In the meantime we’d love to hear more ideas about how you think this could work.

Send your ideas to foryou@nuh.nhs.uk

Sickness absenceYou said

What are you going to do to improve the number of people going off sick?

We’re listeningTackling sickness absence is one of our main priorities – and by this we’re not asking staff to come to work when they are sick. We want to identify the reasons why staff are absent and suggest ways we can support staff. Management teams in your area will start to look at this issue and how, with the support of the Human Resources team, they can improve this locally.

Coming soon

Just do it

What’s happening in...theatresMore than 300 of you threw yourselves at the opportunity to improve the way we work in theatres. That’s more than half of all theatres staff. As launches go, we were excited by the enthusiasm you showed for Better for you. We’re looking forward to hearing even more of your ideas over the coming weeks at workshops, events and in the project hub.

The hub is open to everyone at any time – so, if you want to know more about what we’re up to, want to add

your two penn’orth or have had a brainwave, the hub is the place to come.

QMC project lead Alison Jebson or City project lead Kim Hope will be

Already better for you

6

A theatre porter came up with a practical solution to carrying

out regular checks on oxygen cylinders. Now, all reception staff have been trained on how to change the cylinders, relieving pressure on other theatre staff. It was a really simple change to make and straight away it’s made things easier and more efficient.

more than happy to listen. In fact, Kim and Alison are currently looking at all the Just do it ideas that came out of the first sessions to identify where immediate changes and improvements can be made. We’re trialling change in two areas first – urology theatres at City and gynaecology at QMC – where we’ll be getting to the bottom of what a well organised theatre looks like. Each of us will have a real say on how the service is run.Contact Kim on ext 59956 or Alison on ext 63151 email theatres.project@nuh.nhs.uk.

Better for you is the whole hospitals change programme that will empower us all to improve our daily working lives, the care we provide for our 2.5 million patients and the way we feel about our hospitals.There are more than 13,000 of us involved in running our hospitals. Each of us has a unique and valuable perspective on how we deliver care, based on the job that we do, our time at the hospitals and our previous experience.We all have ideas on how we could be doing things better. Better for you is a way of discovering what those ideas are, testing them out and doing the ones that will have a positive impact on staff, on wards, in departments, across the whole

hospital and on patient care. Better for you involves each and every one of us. You may have been through hospital change before. Better for you is about real change, for the right reasons and so we hope you will do what you can to make it work. Just do its are a really important part of this process. If something can be changed very simply and easily and there’s a great reason for doing it, Just do its will give us the power to make it happen.

You’ll see some of these very changes in these few pages.Initially, Better for you is being taken up in four major areas of hospital life: ED, theatres, diagnostics and corporate services. Eventually, it will become an every day part of our culture. Ultimately, it will take us along the journey to becoming the best acute teaching Trust by 2016. But for now, let’s do what we can in the time we have today.

I think we’ve been listened to and something has been done.

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Just do itStaff in ED identified that

transporting bloods was delaying care for some patients. We wanted to dedicate a member of staff to collect and transport bloods to the laboratory as we believed it would improve patient experience and reduce their wait in ED. Now, clinical support worker Chris Hunter (pictured) is responsible for making sure bloods are collected and analysed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Coming soonThe next team to take on the Better for you change programme will be Diagnostics, specifically imaging. Led by Mark Brassington, the imaging project will be launched in the next couple of weeks.The hubs are now open – at QMC in the X-Ray department and at City campus in the old Room 11. Project leads Julia August, Chris Wellings and Jon Coupland will be coming to talk to you about your ideas soon. Call the Diagnostics hub at QMC campus on ext 61649 or at City Hospital campus on ext 53063.

We were the first hospital team to take on the Better for you change programme. Patient care and experience has already improved as a result of the way we’ve committed to the process and put energy into it. For the past few months, we’ve been looking at the way we work in the department, why certain things happen and how they happen. We’ve tweaked some processes around the edges and we’re redesigning others completely. We’re in the process of trialling these new systems to see how they

work in practice. One trial is taking place in adult and children’s minor injury and illness. We’re trying to change the flow of patients in the department to reduce waiting times and improve the overall experience of patients who come to the department for treatment.We’re constantly reviewing the processes with feedback from patients and staff during the trial and this is helping to refine the systems we’re designing. The project hub is always open if you want to find out how things are coming along. Contact Amber in the project hub on ext 70121 or Project Director Liz Williamson on ext 55919.

We’re working on three main projects that will make things more efficient for us all. The first is digital dictation, to be launched in the next few weeks, which is aimed at speeding up clinical correspondence with GPs. Digital dictation is a transcribing system that will replace tape-based transcription. The devices are connected to PCs and digital files are sent straight down the line to secretaries’ inboxes. It’s the equivalent of swapping your VHS for a DVD player and we know many of you can’t wait to get your hands on the equipment because of the obvious benefits. Gone will be the days when desk drawers were filled with tapes in little envelopes waiting to be typed up, with no idea of how long they would take or if there are urgent items waiting to be listened to. The system was trialled in the City’s renal department last year with great results. More than 70 per cent of all

What’s happening in...Emergency Department

What’s happening in...digital dictation

clinical letters were sent to the GP within 72 hours. Doctors found it easy to adapt to and medical secretaries loved having information at their fingertips and managing their workloads much better. The next projects to be launched will be E-Discharge and non-elective pathways. It’s still early days for both projects but we’ll let you know more as they develop. In the meantime, come to the project hub in the boardroom at Trust HQ, City campus or call Joan on ext 57130 or Ceri on ext 58385.

I take bloods to the lab to help speed things up in the

department and make things much easier for the team.

Our vision is to be the best acute teaching Trust in the country by 2016. To do this we will measure and demonstrate excellence in six key areas:

•Clinical outcomes

•Patient experience

•Teaching and training

•Research

•Staff satisfaction

•Value for moneyWe will achieve this through Better for you our whole hospitals change programme.

Questions and answersAt the For you events we recorded all the questions you raised. Due to the sheer volume of questions and comments received it isn’t possible to answer each one of them separately. To make sure all the issues are addressed we have themed the responses where appropriate.The questions and answers from the sessions are now available on NUHnet. We will be providing regular updates on all of these programmes and coming back to you with progress and further answers to your questions.

The future of NUHOur

vision

ContactsBetter for you Executivelead: Jenny LeggottProgrammeDirector: Tim Guyler

We are here for youExecutivelead: Danny Mortimer, Director of Human Resources AssistantDirectorofLearningandOrganisationalDevelopment: Paula Ward

ClinicalservicestrategiesPlease visit NUHnet for more information or speak to your directorate lead.

For you in corporate services

How to get involved If you missed the launch events or want to put forward more ideas or opinions, it’s not too late to get involved. We would be delighted to hear your ideas. Please email foryou@nuh.nhs.uk. A video of the event is also available on NUHnet.

Future updatesWe are planning to hold another event for all staff in 2011 to provide a further update on Better for you and Here for you. This is another opportunity to feedback and keep the two-way communications going.

Finance The team will be increasing financial awareness across NUH and preparing for NHS Foundation Trust status.

Human ResourcesThe team will support directorates to reduce sickness absence to three percent. They will continue to support managers to make sure all staff have an appraisal.

Integrated GovernanceMeeting the rising demand for mandatory training is a key priority for the team.

OperationsSupporting the preparation of business cases for critical care, stroke and heart attack centres will be a priority as well as supporting directorates in reducing the number of cancelled appointments.

ICTImplementing the electronic discharge process and preparing for future electronic systems will be a main part of the work for ICT.

Communications and EngagementIn preparation for NHS Foundation Trust status, the team will engage our 10,000 public members as part of our Public and Patient Involvement.

Estates and FacilitiesSome of the main aims include increasing car parking provision and working with directorates to deliver same-sex wards.

What does the programme mean for staff in corporate directorates? Here’s a brief round-up of some of the priorities for the coming year.