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(Title)

September 2015

New look maternity reception - page 8

AAA screening saving lives

pg 2

pgs 5-7Membership

Monica turns 100 on

ward 14 at the QE Hospital

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Welcome

News in briefWe’re recruiting nurses!Are you a nurse? Or used to be a nurse and

interested in coming back to the profession?

Email general. recruitment@ghnt.nhs.uk to find

out more information.

We’re getting our flu jab to protect you!This year we’re hoping to vaccinate 75% of our

frontline staff to help protect you from the flu.

Ask your GP if you’re eligible for a free

vaccine too!

Visited by the Royal College of NursingPresidentWe were visited recently by the Royal College

of Nursing President Cecilia Anim. We were

honoured that during a flying visit to the north

east, Cecilia only chose to visit the QE to see

our new emergency care centre. She said: I

very much enjoyed visiting the fantastic new

facilities at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in

Gateshead. The new Emergency Care Centre is

a huge improvement on the old facilities, but

what ultimately makes a centre of excellence are

the staffing resources: the nurses, health care

assistants and other healthcare professionals

who deliver the service. I was fortunate enough

to meet some excellent front line staff on the day

that I visited. I congratulate them on the hard

work that they do, and the quality of service that

they deliver.

We retained our band 6 ratingEvery quarter the CQC (Care Quality

Commission) rates us on our services, and we’re

thrilled to say that we have retained the highest

banding a possible, a band 6 .

Welcome to the September edition of your foundation trust membership magazineWelcome to QE NewsIn the last issue we celebrated some of the recent changes across QE Gateshead and I’m pleased to say that all our new facilities are now well established and providing first class services to the public.

Our new Emergency Care Centre (ECC) now offers cutting edge treatment to people in need of urgent care in bright, modern surroundings that have been attracting lots of attention from across the UK. It’s so pleasing to see projects like this, which were once just plans on the drawing board, come alive and prove to be such an asset to the NHS and our local community.

The ECC and our new state-of-the-art Pathology Centre really puts QE Gateshead at the forefront of healthcare in the North East and stands us in excellent stead for the future.

Although both these building projects are now complete they’re not the only improvements going on around the hospital. In this issue you can read about a beautiful new mosaic that has been installed in our palliative care unit as well as a fantastic redevelopment of the maternity unit.

The new waiting area for maternity is particularly pleasing because it’s all thanks to your feedback and excellent ideas for the type of furniture we should buy. We asked for your thoughts and opinions using the social media site Facebook and as a result more than 70 people joined a dedicated group to help develop the unit and provide the things that mums and families want. A big thank you to everyone who was involved in the group – babies, bumps and beyond – because it’s your input that helps us develop better services and facilities.

This month also sees the publication of our annual report which highlights many of the successes during the last 12 months, but also outlines some of the major challenges facing us as an acute NHS hospital.

Like many other NHS organisations across the country QE Gateshead is now facing an increasingly challenging financial landscape. The local healthcare system is coming under increasing strain and at the QE we are seeing unprecedented demand for our services. Many similar Trusts, both here in the North East and across the rest of the UK, are facing the same financial pressures and we’re working very hard to develop a range of plans that will improve the financial position. We have already taken significant steps to tackle our financial deficit and are now developing robust and sustainable plans to guide us through this challenging economic situation.

However our unremitting focus has been on high quality and outstanding patient care and we remain one of the few Trusts in the country who are consistently rated as band six – the best possible score – by healthcare regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

At a time when the NHS nationally has been under more pressure and scrutiny than ever before, our staff teams have risen to the challenge and as always it’s a privilege to see that passion, commitment and achievement first hand.

Ian Renwick

Chief Executive of QE Gateshead

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Screening saves lives

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AAA stands for abdominal aortic aneurysm. The aorta is the main blood vessel that supplies blood to your body. It runs from your heart down through your chest and abdomen. In some people, as they get older, the wall of the aorta in the abdomen can become weak. It can then start to expand and form what is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The condition is most common in men aged 65 and above.

Without intervention, the aneurysm will rupture when it gets to a certain width and in the majority of cases is fatal.

AAA screening is a free national screening programme, run in the north east by QE Gateshead, that screens men aged 65 plus to check if they have an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The screening is by invitation, and men should receive a letter shortly after their 65th birthday.

One such man, who life was saved by the screening programme is 67-year-old Robert Hunt from Nunthorpe in Middlesbrough. The biggest danger about AA is that there are no symptoms, and most men have no idea there is a problem until something is found during screening.

Robert said: “When I got the letter inviting me for screening, it was to my local screening centre 15 minutes away, and thought I had nothing to lose so I attended. During the screening my technician found that my aorta was enlarged, and I was at risk of rupture. I knew that this must be unusual when my technician shouted to a colleague ‘I think I’ve found one!’”

When asked what advice he would give to other men in the north east who receive their letter but aren’t sure about whether to attend, he said: “I had no symptoms, and for me, this screening has meant an extension of life. If they hadn’t found it, it was in danger of rupturing, and my chance of survival would have been pretty slim. The whole process of the screening took an hour, the staff were all so friendly, and it didn’t hurt at all.”

After Robert was found to have an AAA, he had regular check-ups over the next three years to check its size, the growth of an enlarged aorta can be reduced through healthy eating and exercise, and stopping smoking. Once an AAA reaches 5.5cm in circumference it is the point of no return and patients are referred for treatment. Robert was referred to surgeon Ian Nichol, at the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, as the 100th man to have been referred for treatment. After discussing his options, Robert opted to have open surgery to have his repaired.

Robert added: “The surgery went much better than I thought it would, and after 2-3 weeks I felt absolutely fine! Although they do advise it can take 3-6 months before you are back to your normal self. I’ve made a full recovery now, and it means that I’m still around and well enough to play with my grandchildren. The screening technicians, the surgical team and the nurses involved in my care have all been superb.”

To read more about the AAA screening programme you can visit www.qegateshead.nhs.uk/aaa

The screening technicians, the surgical team and the nurses involved in my care have all been superb Robert Hunt’s life was saved thanks to AAA screening

100th man referred for life‐saving treatment by QE screening programme This month sees the 100th referral from QE Gateshead’s AAA screening programme to surgery, which has saved the lives of at least 100 local men.

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Palliative care unit

New artwork welcomes patients and families to St Bede’s

The mosaic welcome piece was created by artist Mark Todman who worked with staff to choose the design. He said: “I worked closely with patients and staff on the unit, getting to know the people who use the unit and we worked on a design together. We decided to echo the design of a stained glass window which had been brought over from the old unit when this one opened in 2012, a candle on a hill. For the staff and patients this represented a light in the darkness. It was felt that the entrance to the unit had been a little busy with information boards and things, and they thought the artwork would be much more peaceful and welcoming.

Mark added: “The mosaic was made up of broken cups and saucers, everyone is familiar with the blue willow pattern, and this touch of the familiar makes it quite a comforting piece.”

The artwork was part funded by the QE charitable funds, the official hospital charity which raises money for equipment and services, as well the little additional things which can make coming into hospital a better experience.

The unit worked with an organisation called Room For You who funded the other half of the work. They are an arts in health organisation, which was set up 16 years ago by two patients undergoing cancer treatment.

Mark Mulqueen, chief executive at Room For You said: “These two patients felt that their experience could have been improved through engagement with art. We’ve been working in hospitals and in the community for 16 years, and had already done some work at the QE’s chemotherapy and gynae-oncology units, and we’re always looking to develop new services for patients and families at the QE.”

Liz Lough, ward manager on St Bede’s said: “The mosaic has made a warm and personal touch to the entrance of our lovely unit. It enables patients and their loved ones to feel welcome and supported as soon as they arrive at the unit and is also a reminder of the dedication and care of patients given at the old Dunston Hill Hospital which has shaped the culture we have at the unit today and we’ll never forget.”

We’re always looking to develop new services for patients and families at the QE

A new piece of artwork is providing a peaceful welcome to patients and visitors at our St Bede’s palliative care unit at the QE.

Artist Mark Todman with a member of staff from St Bede’s unit

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SEPT

22

OCT

7

OCT

28

NOV

18

NOV

25

JAN

27

FEB

17

FEB

24

SEPT

23

Calendar of eventsBoard of Directors’ Meeting

Education Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital at 9.30am

Council of Governors’ Annual General Meeting

Education Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital at 10.00am

Medicine for Members – Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s and Colitis)

Education Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital from 6.15pm to 8.00pm

Registration opens at 5.30pm where a tea, coffee and scones will be served. Come along and find out more about inflammatory bowel disease including symptoms, diagnoses, causes and treatment available at the QE.

Board of Directors’ Meeting

Education Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital at 9.30am

Council of Governors’ Meeting

Education Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital at 10.00am

Board of Directors’ Meeting

Education Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital at 9.30am

Board of Directors’ Meeting

Education Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital at 9.30am

Medicine for Members – Prostate Cancer

Education Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital from 6.15pm to 8.00pm

Registration opens at 5.30pm where refreshments will be served. Come along to find out more about prostate cancer including symptoms, diagnosis, causes and treatment available at the QE.

Council of Governors’ Meeting

Education Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital at 10.00am

Membership Office contact informationThe Membership Office can be contacted by post to:

FREEPOST NAT14353

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation TrustQueen Elizabeth HospitalSheriff HillGatesheadNE9 6BR

by telephoning:

0191 445 3713 (voicemail available out of working hours)

via email to: foundation.enquiries@ghnt.nhs.uk

They can either complete the membership application form online at http://www.qegateshead.nhs.uk/apply or contact the Membership Office direct for an application form. This can be done by telephoning 0191 4453713 or sending an email to foundation.enquiries@ghnt.nhs.uk

Once their completed application form

is received, we will confirm their

membership and send out a

membership card.

Go on – why not introduce a

friend today!

Do you have any family or friends who would like to become a member? If yes, it’s easy for them to join.

Introduce a friend

Membership

@Send us your email addressesMembers can receive their copy of QE News either by post, by email or by accessing a copy on the Trust’s website.

However, we are always looking at ways to improve how we keep in touch with members. To assist this, we would be grateful if you could send us your email address so that we can send future communications - including QE News - to you electronically.

Over 1,400 members have already supplied the Membership Office with an email address. However, a number of these emails are no longer in use. If you have supplied us with an email address and it needs updating, please let the Membership Office know.

If however, you would like to receive a posted copy of the newsletter and currently do not receive it this way, then please contact the Membership Office to request this.

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Membership

Could you be a voice for your Community

The role of the Council of Governors is to provide local assurance to the people of Gateshead that the Trust is being correctly managed by its Board of Directors and that it is listening to the views of its members who access services, in its forward planning. They are also involved in the development of our Annual Plan and the Quality Account, and are members of various Trust committees. Being a governor is an exciting opportunity to get involved in the work of the Trust. For more information on being a governor, our guide is available at http://www.qegateshead.nhs.uk/elections

Anyone who is a member of the Trust is eligible to apply to become a governor. However, those who are thinking of applying for the first time are asked to attend a short information session on Thursday 1st October 2015 at 5.00 pm.

Key dates are:

• Information session for potential governors: Thursday 1st October 2015

• Deadline to apply to be a governor: Friday 30th October 2015

• Results of the poll published: Thursday 10th December 2015

• Governors’ term of office begins: Tuesday 5th January 2016

Ballot papers for the contested constituencies will be sent to all members on Thursday 19th November 2015 and you will have until Wednesday 9th December 2015 to cast their vote.

For more information on the elections or to book a place at the information session, please contact the Membership Office on 0191 4453713 or via email to foundation.enquiries@ghnt.nhs.uk

In follow up to this, last week a small number of those members were invited back to take part in a “walk-through” exercise.As part of the exercise, members worked in groups of two or three are were given two different way-finding tasks. The first task asked them, as a visitor, to find their relative on a particular ward/department from a specified entrance using only the new signage. Once they reached their first destination, they were then told that their relative had been moved to another ward and they then

had to find that ward again using only the new signage.The second task asked them to find a ward/department, this time as a visitor. The information given to them included an appointment letter and a new map.After the exercises, the members were then able to give their feedback and comments to Trust staff. These comments and suggestions will now be included in a final audit report on the new signage and any relevant improvements will be acted upon.

Wayfinding updateIn June last year, members and local people attended an open event to look at the Trust’s new signage.

October sees the beginning of the Trust’s annual election process. This time 10 seats on the Council of Governors are becoming vacant; two in Western Gateshead, two in Central Gateshead, two in Eastern Gateshead and three in the Staff constituency and one patient governor.

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Membership

New non-executive Director A qualified solicitor and former healthcare governor has joined QE Gateshead as a new non-executive director. Paul Hopkinson joins the board of the Trust after serving as a governor for the past nine years.

Paul qualified as a solicitor in 1999 having had a previous career in banking. He currently runs his own legal business advising a small portfolio of public sector organisations in the fields of health and education. He also acts in a voluntary capacity as a school governor and a cancer charity trustee.

He said: “In the last few years, I have been heavily involved with Primary Care Trusts, Local Authority education teams and on a project with a large mental health trust working with them for the redevelopment of facilities. I’m delighted to be taking on a larger role within QE Gateshead and working with the board as a non-exec, after several years as a governor.”

Julia Hickey, Chairman of the Trust, said: “I am delighted to welcome Paul to our Board after he has already served with the Trust for several years as a governor. He will bring a wealth of experience to this important role as well as a clear commitment to our overall aim of delivering excellent healthcare to our patients.”

The board is responsible for the effective running of the hospital in line with established objectives and priorities. It also has a duty to consult and involve governors in the strategic planning of the organisation. The trust board is made up of eight non-executive directors (one of whom serves as chairman) and six executive directors.

Paul has been appointed to the board until 2018.

What staff governors do?

The role of the staff governors includes:

• Representing the interests and views of all staff throughout the organisation

• Giving you information about the hospital, its vision and its performance

• Selecting and appointing non-executive directors and the chairman of the corporation

• Approving the appointment of the chief executive

• Attending meetings of the Council of Governors

• Approving the remuneration of the chairman and non-executive directors

What they can’t do...

• Your staff governors are not there to deal with any personal issues you may be involved with, for example, disciplinary procedures or changes to your contract. They are not in a position to take on situations normally dealt with through personnel, staff-side organisations or trade unions.

There are three staff governor vacancies to be filled in this year’s election.

Any staff member can apply to be a governor. Any interested staff members should contact Debbie Atkinson, Trust Secretary on extension 3713 or Joanne Williamson, Membership Co-ordinator on extension 3713 or via internal email.

Paula MacGregor

New non-executive director, Paul Hopkinson

Council of Governors’ Annual General MeetingThe Council of Governors Annual General meeting is being held at 10.00 am on Wednesday 23rd September 2015 in the Education Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The meeting is open to members and the public.

At the meeting, the Trust’s Directors will present the Annual Report and Accounts for 2014/15 and a review of the year. Any members in attendance will also be invited to ask questions at the end of the meeting.

Copies of the Annual Report and full accounts will be available. Further copies are available by contacting the Trust Secretary, Mrs D Atkinson, Trust Headquarters, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, NE9 6SX, via email debbie.atkinson@ghnt.nhs.uk or by telephoning 0191 445 3712.

If you would like to attend the meeting please contact the Membership Office on 0191 4453713.

Staff GovernorsSTAFF CONSTITUENCY

The staff governors are:

The staff governors are working with the Trust on behalf of all staff. They represent staff interests and you can support them in carrying out their role well by giving them your views. For example you could tell them how you think services could be developed or pass on suggestions that you feel would improve patient care or the working lives of staff.

My name is Paula MacGregor and I am an Assessment Co-ordinator for Clinical Support and Screening Services at the QE.

My name is Helen McKee and I am the Deputy Manager of the Woodside Centre based at Dunston Hill Hospital.

My name is Ian Stafford and I’m Facilities Manager for the Trust.

Helen McKee

Ian Stafford

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Charitable Funds

Charitable Funds There’s been lots of action happening with our charitable funds, people donating, and donations being put to good use, read all about it below! If you’d like to enquire about making a donation, you can contact the charity office on 0191 445 6451 or email qecharitablefunds@ghnt.nhs.uk.

St Bede’s nurses Amy Molloy and Joyce Richardson can be seen showing off the the completed spa bathroom for patients on the unit. The bathroom cost just over £30,000 and was paid for thanks to the fundraising that took place over the last year. The room is designed to resemble a hotel rather than a hospital and the extra large bath has coloured lights. Patients can watch television or listen to their favourite music and the screen, which features some stunning photography of water scenes, helps patients to relax and enjoy their surroundings.

This bathroom is really making a difference to the quality of the experience we can offer our patients and wouldn’t be possible without our fantastic fundraisers so thanks very much.

Deborah Hubbert, Deputy Sister on the Chemo Day Unit, was delighted to receive a donation in one of our special envelopes for £450 from grateful patients Angela (pictured) and Robert Hunter. Mr Hunter explained: “Since having treatment in 2010 Angela and I both qualified as ballroom dance teachers in 2012, despite being in our sixties. We now run two ballroom dances ‐a tea dance at Fencehouses community centre on Wednesday afternoons, and a sequence dance at Bowburn Community Centre on Saturday nights. The £450 was collected at these dances while celebrating Angela’s 65th birthday and we are grateful to those who contributed. With family commitments including grandchildren and our dancing we lead a busy life and are grateful to all concerned for helping it happen. “Incidentally it is also 5 years since I had cancer. In October 2010 I had a kidney containing a cancerous tumour removed (at Sunderland Royal) and 9 weeks later Angela was found to have a small (but HER2 pos) tumour in her breast.

Following the op she had radiotherapy, chemotherapy and Herceptin, and continues on the five year course of Exemestane; we are very lucky and very grateful.” Thanks very much Robert and Angela - and keep dancing!

Thanks to Peter Forbes who popped in to our St Bede’s Unit to hand over a cheque for £500. Peter was our fantastic fundraiser who challenged himself to bend six inch nails as a thank you for the care the unit gave to his mother in law, Joy Hewson. Alongside a further £500 he has raised online, the money will be going towards a refurbishment of the patient and family sitting areas on the unit. He said: “I’m just really pleased to be able to do something that will make a difference to the staff and patients.” Pictured left to right are Staff Nurse Amy Molloy, Peter, Junior Sister Joyce Richardson and Peter’s wife Paula and daughter Erin. Thanks so much!

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New look for Gateshead maternity

A brand new maternity reception area is proving a big hit after new and expectant mothers helped to help make the big decisions about design, new equipment and furniture.

More than 2,000 babies are born each year at the Queen Elizabeth and the new reception area is the latest in a long line of new developments at the hospital.

Midwives in Gateshead were overwhelmed by the response when they took to social media site Facebook to ask new mums and pregnant ladies to get involved in the redesign of the reception area. More than 70 people contacted the unit to act

as volunteers to offer their feedback, help shape the service and get more ideas about how the maternity unit should look and feel in the future.

The area now has a bright, modern and colourful design with a layout that is based on what the group said they wanted.

Modern Matron Jo Crawford set up the group – Bumps, babies and beyond - which will now continue running to help doctors, nurses and midwives better understand the issues facing those who use the unit and build closer links with them. She said:

“We had such an amazing response from ladies across the region and it was lovely

to get the chance to meet so many of them as part of this group. This sort of feedback from new mums or ladies who are currently on their pregnancy journey is vital to our unit and making that special day even more amazing.

“Our new reception area looks lovely and we couldn’t have done it without the help of all the volunteers who came along to the group and made such brilliant suggestions. QE Maternity really wants to engage with local women and their families to help drive the unit forward. Local families are essential as they inform us what we need to do to improve and this group really helps them influence the way we operate.”

QE Gateshead already offers the highest possible standards of care and was rated as one of the best in the country by the National Maternity Survey. Gateshead was also one of only 15 in the country to be given the highest possible rating for maternity risk management standards by the NHS litigation unit.

The unit already has an amazing family room so that children have somewhere to play when visiting their new siblings. The unit also includes designated single rooms with en-suite bathrooms to accommodate birthing partners or family support so that others can be with you during your stay.

For more information including a virtual 360 tour of the unit visit: www.qegateshead.nhs.uk/maternity

Bumps, babies and beyond

The new maternity reception area.

We consulted with mums on how the new area should look

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Discharge from Hospital

What happens when… I get discharged from hospital?

During your stay with us, you’ll be seen regularly by your consultant who will decide when you’re ready to go home. On their morning round of your ward, your consultant will look at all of your observations, see how you are and if you’re ready, give you the all clear to leave hospital and which medications you should take. When it comes to the end of your stay in hospital, you should always be thinking about how you’re going to get home. Just because you arrived via an NHS patient transport ambulance that was free of charge, doesn’t mean that this is the same way you will leave. There are new eligibility

guidelines around who is eligible for free transport, so make sure you know how you’re getting home. Preferably ask a family member or close friend who can pick you up and get you settled back at home. This is a good point to call your pick up and let them know that you will be discharged today.

Once you’ve been given the all clear and we’ve helped you pack your things you will be taken to the discharge hospitality lounge (DHL) to await your transport home or for your medication. You’ll only stay on the ward at this point if you’re bedbound or unable to sit or be transferred into a chair. The DHL is an area that has been developed to provide a comfortable experience for your while you wait to be discharged. You’ll have access to unlimited refreshments, you can watch television, play board games with other patients, read or even just chat to our staff. There’s even an outside patio area for the

warmer months if you’d like to sit outside. One of the benefits of the DHL is that frees up beds for any seriously ill patients coming in via our Emercency centre. It also makes sure that we have enough beds to be able to carry out all our planned surgery ( No cancelled operations due to no beds). Overall we are able to provide the right beds to the right patients at the time they need it. The DHL also enables your relatives to easily collect you as it is located at the back of the hospital with its own pick up point right outside the front door. This means your friends and relatives don’t need to find and pay for parking, or locate a wheel chair if you need one, as we have one in the DHL and can help you out to the car. It also makes the discharge process easier for the ambulance service collecting one area instead of going to lots of different wards. This means that if you are going home by ambulance you are not left waiting for other patients and can get home quicker.

Once your discharge has been decided and you have gone to the DHL there are several behind the scene processes that need to take place. Once the doctor has finished consulting with all of the patients on his wards they will complete a discharge summary letter which goes to your GP to let them know that you have been in hospital, what happened, how we treated you and what they need to do to look after you now you’re home. It will also provide the list of medications that you have been discharged on. This letter also acts as your prescription that is processed in our pharmacy. Once the

doctor has completed the letter, the ward pharmacists must validate the prescription (make sure that all of the medications prescribed by the doctor are safe for you to take based on your medical history and what other drugs you may be taking) then your prescription is sent off via our POD system (you can read all about this overleaf on page 6!) to the pharmacy. The prescription writing process can sometimes cause a delay due to the number of patients reviewed by the doctor who may each need a discharge summary letter written.

Whilst you are waiting in the discharge lounge the staff will begin organising your transport if you’re eligible for free NHS ambulance transport (All patients requesting an ambulance are assessed for eligibility using the North East Ambulance assessment criteria). Ambulances are only provided for patients that need them for a medical reasons, they will not provide ambulances for social reasons e.g. you can’t afford a taxi, or don’t want to go home on your own/in

the dark. The DHL organise all ambulance transport for any patients being discharged If a family member or friend is coming to collect you the DHL staff will call and let them know that you are there and at good time to come and get you (depending on your prescription if you are waiting form one).

Once your prescription arrives in pharmacy it has go through the dispensing process. Once your medications have been dispensed the pharmacists in the pharmacy will check the content and labelling to make sure that the dispensing is correct. All in all the dispensing process takes 20-30 mins on average. If you are in the DHL, the staff from

the DHL will go to pharmacy to collect your prescription. If you are on the ward on discharge because you are unable to go to the DHL, your prescription will arrive when the pharmacy bags arrive on the ward. It all depends on when your prescription is initially completed and arrives in pharmacy that determines what bag your prescription will be in. there are 4 bag drops a day to the wards 10am, 12 pm, 2pm and 4pm. Occasionally the ward staff will collect if your ambulance has arrived on the ward and your prescription has not arrived on the ward.

Your medication has arrived, your transport is waiting, you are ready to go home and start recovering.

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Membership

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Monica Cassidy, a patient at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, turned 100-years-old on ward 14 on Saturday. Monica, who lives in Washington, has three children, six grandchildren and six great grandchildren, and was delighted to receive a telegram from the Queen whilst recovering from a broken hip.

Her granddaughter Patricia said: “I normally take my grandma out most Fridays and we do something nice like go for lunch or shopping, and she was getting ready for one of our outings when she fell and broke her hip, which is how she ended up on ward 14!”

Monica was born in Newcastle in 1915, and attended St Andrew’s School. When she had finished her schooling, she was asked by her teacher if she would like to help out at her home in the mornings, and Monica was thrilled to have her first proper job.

However it turned out to not be everything Monica had hoped for, she said: “My teacher asked me if I’d like to help out at her house in the mornings, but it turned out to be morning, noon and night! She had me cooking, cleaning, washing, looking after the children. They’d moved me into the house and I felt like a slave! My father became worried that I was being worked too hard and he helped me plot to escape! One day he met me on the corner of the

road with all my things and kidnapped me! My mother died when I was three so my dad is the one who brought up my brothers Teddy and Dennis and I, he was very protective of us. My father’s name was Edward O’Donnell and he worked on the railways as a porter.

“After that I started to work at Hunter’s bakery in Gateshead, which is where I met my husband Richie, who sadly passed away in 1985. We got married when I was 19 at St Wilfred’s church on Sunderland Road and we also moved to live in Gateshead about this time, lodging with an older couple.

“I’ve had a good life, and I’ve seen lots of things, for example when the war broke out, it was a very scary time, but there was also humour. Richie and I were standing on the banks of the Tyne, in ‘The Bunk’ as it was known, the ferry crossing, watching my Uncle Jimmy row across when bombs started to rain down, my uncle was stuck in the middle of the Tyne because he didn’t know which side to row to! Where we lived was also next to ‘Big Bertha’ as she was affectionately known, a huge gun in Lobley Hill, and when it went off, the whole house used to shake!

“During the war I also worked in Dodds the butcher’s and the Co-Op in Gateshead which is where the Tilley Stone is now. The men were all off to war so we got to do some interesting work. I eventually started work in another baker’s off the back of Gateshead High Street, where I worked for many years whilst raising my children Monica 79, Richard

76 and Patricia – 68 who sadly passed away last year. We raised the children from our home in King Edwards Street, and my husband Richie had a huge family who all lived there too, so it was a really nice sense of community.

When asked about the secret of living to 100, Monica said: “Family is everything, you just get on with things and do what you can to help your family, and they help you in return, especially my daughter Monica. The odd glass of sherry doesn’t hurt either!”

And of the staff at the QE she said: “I couldn’t speak more highly of them. They are so kind and wonderful, very helpful, and nothing is too much trouble.”

Monica’s daughter, Monica Holleran said: “Before mum slipped and broke her hip, we had a big party for fifty planned at my home which we had to cancel, but the ward at the QE have been brilliant and let us have the a party in the day room bringing in food and inviting her children, grandchildren great-grandchildren to celebrate her 100th. We also went all out for mum’s 99th birthday last year when we took her to the Schooner Inn which we hired, as this is the site of ‘The Bunk’ which mum often referred to!”

Monica Cassidy turns 100 on ward 14 at QE Gateshead

Monica Cassidy with her family on ward 14.

I’ve had a good life, and I’ve seen lots of things

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