Bulletin Spring 2013 by Octagon D&M Ltd

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals

b bulletin

NHSâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Trust

staff magazine | Spring 2013

contents

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals

b bulletin

NHS Trust

staff magazine | Spring 2013

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National first: Professor Simon Kay with Mark Cahill, the recipient of the UK’s first hand transplant, which was undertaken at Leeds General Infirmary recently.

4-5 Hand transplant is a national first for Leeds

14-15 New Generator Hall is centrepiece of

6 Generous donation in gratitude for life-saving care

8 Trust launches new screening service to save men’s lives 11 Eye patients see improvements at new Macular Centre 12 Delight at new Chapel Allerton Dermatology Centre

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electrical revolution at St James’s

Bulletin is produced quarterly by the Communications Department

Sports stars drop in to children’s wards

Editor: Suzanne Breen

20 Archbishop supports Children’s Heart Surgery Unit 23 Brave children take first steps after pioneering op 25 Young cancer patients enjoy Paralympian visit

Photography by Medical Illustration Designed by Octagon Design and Marketing Ltd Send your ideas, suggestions or articles for the next edition of Bulletin to suzanne.breen@leedsth. nhs.uk or call 0113 2066494. Copy deadline is 1st May 2013

Leeds Children’s Hospital gets a Royal Patron Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex GCVO has officially become the Royal Patron of the Leeds Children’s Hospital. Mr Mike Collier CBE, the outgoing Chairman of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, made the announcement at his last Trust Board meeting in January. “I am absolutely delighted that Her Royal Highness has accepted our invitation,” he said. “Her patronage will be a huge boost to what is one of the finest children’s hospitals in the country, seeing tens of thousands of young patients from across our region every year. “Her Royal Highness made a wonderful impression when she visited us last March to declare the Leeds Children’s Hospital open. Her obvious interest in the care we provide here and her warmth and charm when meeting children, parents and staff made this one of the most successful such events we have ever hosted. “After the visit there was such a buzz of goodwill created in the hospital that it seemed a natural progression to look at ways of carrying on the relationship on a more formal basis. “We feel proud and honoured that she has decided to choose to be the Royal Patron of Leeds Children’s Hospital.”

The countess at the official opening of the Leeds Children’s Hospital last year.

Crutch amnesty is a success Grateful patients and carers stepped up to the mark when the Trust announced a ‘crutch amnesty’ recently. Around 120 pairs of crutches, plus 20 adult walking frames and 10 children’s walking frames were returned to our hospitals after use. Superintendent physiotherapist Lorna Williams said: “We were really pleased to get this many back, considering we usually get none returned at all. We have to assess the condition before we decide what happens next.

Saving resources: Andrea Mortimer, Senior physiotherapist, with some of the crutches.

“The main thing is that this is equipment that we really need and we would need to buy otherwise. It’s better reused or refurbished than forgotten about in people’s cupboards and lofts.”

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Hand transplant is a national first for Leeds The Trust made national headlines at the start of the New Year after a surgical team at Leeds General Infirmary led by Professor Simon Kay carried out the UK’s first hand transplant operation. The complex 8-hour operation was undertaken on 51-year-old, Mark Cahill, from Greetland, near Halifax, who previously had a non-functioning right hand. In a new development internationally, the recipient’s hand was removed at the same operation as the donor hand was transplanted. This allowed very accurate restoration of nerve structures and is believed to be the first time this approach has been used. The techniques used in transplantation called upon the experience of the team at Leeds General Infirmary, who have some of the world’s greatest expertise in microvascular surgery.

Ground-breaking: Professor Kay with Mark Cahill when he was recovering on Ward L38 after the complex surgery.

Professor Kay said: “This operation is the culmination of a great deal of planning and preparation over the last two years by a team including plastic surgery, transplant medicine and surgery, immunology, psychology, rehabilitation medicine, pharmacy and many other disciplines. “The team was on standby from the end of November awaiting a suitable donor limb, and the call came just after Christmas. It was extremely challenging to be the first team in the UK to carry out such a procedure. Any organ donation brings something positive from tragedy and I would like to acknowledge the tremendous gift the family of the donor have made at such a distressing time.”

Expert team: The hand transplant operation underway at Leeds General Infirmary.

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Mr Cahill made extremely good progress and was able to leave the hospital in mid-January, although is returning regularly for check up and intense physiotherapy. He spoke of his gratitude to all the team who have worked together to make the operation happen, as

Recognition for research to improve care of elderly inpatients Trust Physiotherapist Jonathan Topp is celebrating a major success at the British Geriatrics Society conference held recently in Harrogate. Jonathan, who has been undertaking research into the patient experiences of the deaf or hearing-impaired elderly inpatient at St James’s for the past two years, was awarded both the John Brocklehurst prize for the best Clinical Effectiveness poster and the Eva Huggins prize for best poster by an Allied Health Professional. His research abstracts have also been accepted for publication in a future edition of Age and Ageing journal. He said: “It was a privilege just to have had my posters accepted for presentation at such a major conference. To have won two awards, given that there were over 100 other posters also on display - some of them produced by seasoned researchers, was overwhelming. “More significantly, the conference provided me with the opportunity to bring this important subject matter to the forefront of geriatric medicine and I was able to talk to and share my views with a large number of people”, he added. Optimising the care and experience of this patient group is a subject matter very close to Jonathan’s heart given that he himself has been severely hearingimpaired since birth.

He said: “In the hospital environment, the presence of hearing-impairment in the elderly inpatient has an impact on their ability to communicate their needs and wishes with hospital staff. This is a particularly important aspect of dignified care and essential for providing safe patient-centred care and allowing patients to be fully involved in decision making, leading to timely discharge”. Age related hearing loss is an increasingly prevalent chronic condition that will affect most people at some point in their lives, with predictions suggesting that there will be at least 15.8 million people over the age of 65 in the UK with some degree of hearing loss by 2031. “As we become an increasingly ageing population, we will encounter more and more elderly patients with hearing loss and we will need to be able to effectively deal with and manage the unique difficulties and issues they present with”, added Jonathan. Jonathan is currently investigating a number of ways in which we can better improve the care and experiences of deaf or hearing-impaired elderly inpatients presenting to the acute admissions floor, wards J27 and J28, as part of the Leeds Action for Safety and Quality Programme.

well as the family of the donor. The Trust announced in late 2011 that it was starting to look for potential candidates for hand/arm transplant and since then the team at Leeds General Infirmary has been going through the painstaking process of putting protocols in place and assessing potential recipients from across the country. This involves careful checking of an individual’s health and the potential benefits to their quality of life, plus psychological assessment to ensure potential recipients have carefully considered the implications of the procedure. The team worked closely with NHS Blood and Transplant in the build up to the operation. • A BBC One documentary on the hand transplant was screened at the end of February.

Proud winner: Trust Physiotherapist, Jonathan Topp.

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Helping others: Nicholas Holmes and Jo White, Clinical nurse specialist in Rheumatology.

Generous donation in gratitude for life-saving care A grateful patient has donated £1,000 to Rheumatology at Chapel Allerton Hospital to recognise the quality of the treatment and support he has received from staff. Mr Nicholas Holmes, who now lives in Halifax, first came into contact with Chapel Allerton after he was referred to Professor Emery’s clinic from another hospital which had been having trouble diagnosing the cause of problems he had been having in his hands, including joint pain and fingers seizing up. These meant that in his early 30s he had to give up his job in the haulage industry. After further tests with Consultant rheumatologist Dr Sarah Bingham a condition called psoriatic arthritis was diagnosed, and a drug treatment was started to relieve the symptoms, much to Mr Holmes’s relief. Staff at the hospital were keeping a careful watch on his health to monitor for possible side effects of the treatment, and in particular were worried about his blood pressure which remained very high even

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when he was taken off the drug. Concerned about the symptoms, he was sent for a kidney scan which gave him the devastating news that he was suffering from kidney cancer, unrelated to his other condition. “As you can imagine I was very upset and really thought this would be the end of me,” he explained. “However in fact I was very lucky that by chance my other symptoms meant the cancer had been diagnosed earlier and had a good chance of treatment. This quite literally helped save my life. Within two weeks he was at St James’s having keyhole surgery to remove one of his kidneys and his adrenal gland, and within days he was back home and recovering. More than four years on he is continuing to enjoy his new lease of life and extremely grateful for the work of all the staff at both Chapel Allerton and St James’s who have helped him.

“I’m so delighted about the care I received and I would particularly like to commend Dr Sarah Bingham and Jo White, Clinical nurse specialist in Rheumatology, for their valuable ongoing help and support – they deserve an award for what they do, “ he said. “ To recognise this work and to help other patients I contacted Jo and told her I wanted to donate £1,000 to the department, and she suggested this monitor.” Jo White added: “We’re so grateful to Mr Holmes for thinking of us in this way and wanted to use the money to buy a piece of equipment that can help us improve the quality of patient care further. As blood pressure was central to his condition it seemed a particularly appropriate purchase and will make a real difference to our ongoing work.” Mr Holmes remains in close touch with both hospitals as his health continues to be monitored, and has recently started volunteer work with Macmillan at St James’s.

Ward staff help Zambian orphans Staff nurse, Sarah Harris, and her colleagues on ward L8 Neuro HDU at the LGI have been raising money in support of an orphan’s charity in Ndola, Zambia. So far the team have raised around £550 for the Kaniki project that helps children who have been orphaned mainly due to HIV. One of the local villages has a 50% HIV rate. Sarah explained why the project is so important: “It is a project that my sister and brother-in-law run so I have a first-hand knowledge of the great need of these children who are living in poverty with no parents to provide for them.

raised over £400 towards the building of the school and spent this year’s secret Santa money to send food packages to the most desperate families. “Many of the guardians wept with joy when they received the packages as they had no food to feed many of the orphans who they care for.” For more information about the project contact Sarah Harris on ward L8, Neuro HDU at the LGI, or visit the website www.kaniki.org/kop.

“With the donations received, each family who looks after the orphans receive a basic parcel containing salt, sugar, cooking oil, soap and a candle. They also receive second hand clothes, blankets, food parcels and medicine when resources allow.

Joined-up care was the theme of a series of displays at St James’s last month. It is often top of the list of patient wishes when they are asked what they want from healthcare reforms. The displays, run jointly by the NHS and Adult Social Care, highlighted the importance of the hospital and community working together, and raised awareness about 12 new integrated community teams working in the city. The new teams – made up of nursing, social care and other staff – can work with hospitals, patients and communities to plan faster, safer, well-coordinated discharge for older people and people with long-term health conditions, starting as soon as the person arrives in hospital.

The children are also helped to get an education and provided with material for uniforms and books so they can go to school. Sarah said: “We are currently raising money to build a better school which will provide greater opportunity for the children to climb out of the cycle of poverty. On ward L8 we

Bridging the gap between hospital and community

All smiles: Children in Ndola, Zambia supported by the project.

Hospitals will be able to work closely with the community teams in the future, to avoid delays, getting community support in place and ensure that patients and families are involved in planning what might work best for them when they leave. Dr Eileen Burns, Consultant in elderly medicine at the Trust and clinical sponsor of integrated health and social care, spent time at the stands speaking with some of the visitors about the changes in Leeds. She said: “We know from evidence in other parts of the country that there are real benefits for patients in bringing health and social care professionals closer together. More people can avoid hospital admission and stay at home, they’re less likely to go into residential care unless that’s really the only option and the option that they and their families choose. ‘By working more closely together, we can make sure that we’re doing our very best for our patients and helping people to live the life that they want to live with as few constraints as possible”.

Supporting the cause: Sarah Harris, Staff nurse (front right), with colleagues on ward L8 at the LGI.

To find out more about these and other citywide changes, see the Trust intranet or visit www. leeds.gov.uk/transform or email healthandsocialcare@leeds.gov.uk

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Life-saving: Dennis Pattinson with Sarah Appleyard, AAA Screening Administrator, and Suzie Clarke, AAA screener

Trust launches new screening service to save men’s lives

A Leeds man who says his life was saved by a new screening service run by the Trust is urging other local men aged 65 and over to take up the invitation to attend a simple abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) test.

The aorta is the main blood vessel which runs from the heart down through the chest and abdomen. As people get older, the wall of the aorta in the abdomen can become weak and expand to form what is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm or AAA. Men are around six times more likely to develop an AAA than women, which is why the Trust has introduced the service to offer AAA screening to all men in their 65th year. Dennis Pattinson has more reasons than most to be grateful for the new service. He received a screening invitation shortly after his 65th birthday and was screened at his GP surgery. “It was a very simple procedure which only took a few minutes, and I found out immediately that something potentially was wrong,” he said. “The screener told me straight away that she had spotted a problem and made arrangements for me to go into hospital for tests the following Monday.

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“I was actually planning to drive down to Devon on holiday and thought I’d be able to put the hospital visit off until later but they said the risk of rupture was very high and it was urgent so I was seen straight away. A few days later I was having major surgery. “I’d had no pain or any indication that I had a problem of this nature and I’m just so glad I went for the screening when I did. I’d urge anyone who gets a letter inviting them to take the test to do so – it could literally save their life like it saved mine.” Suzie Clarke, one of a five-strong team of screeners at the Trust who provide the service in a variety of settings, added: “I knew immediately when I scanned Mr Pattinson that it was a very large aneurysm - at over 7cm in diameter is was the biggest I have seen so far. “The advantage of the screening service is if a problem is spotted we can make arrangements straight away to get a patient into hospital and have the aneurysm dealt with safely.”

Large aneurysms are rare but can be very serious because as the wall of the aorta stretches it becomes weaker and can give way. If this happens, the person usually dies. However, if detected early, as in Mr Pattinson’s case, large aneurysms can be treated with surgery and most patients go on to make a full recovery. Most men who have the AAA screening test have a normal result and never need to be screened again. Only around 4% of men tested have an aneurysm detected and they are either offered regular surveillance tests and lifestyle advice or referred to a vascular surgeon depending on the size of their AAA. AAA screening is quick and convenient. The test itself takes only 10-15 minutes and is similar to the ultrasound test offered to women during pregnancy. Nationally, deaths from ruptured AAA account for around 2% of all deaths in men aged 65 and over and AAA screening for men in their 65th year is being rolled out gradually across the whole of the UK.

Trust welcomes new Chair Linda Pollard OBE has recently joined the Trust as Chair, succeeding Mike Collier CBE, who announced his retirement in November. Linda has a wide experience of leadership in the local NHS, and joins the Trust from her role as Cluster Chair of NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds, having been Chair of NHS Leeds since early 2009. She is also a former Chairman of West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority, Bradford District Care Trust, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, former Regional Chairman of the Learning and Skills Council and Deputy Chairman of Yorkshire Forward. She also has considerable private sector experience as an entrepreneur, having started her first business at the age of 23. Linda commented: “I am delighted to be taking up this new and challenging role and am looking forward to working to develop the strong potential of the nationally renowned teaching hospitals we have in Leeds. “I intend to ensure the strong

partnership working from my time at NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds carries across into relationships between the Trust, Clinical Commissioning Groups and Local Authorities.” Maggie Boyle, Chief Executive, said: “Linda has an extremely strong track record of experience in the local NHS and the wider public and private sector which will be a tremendous asset to our organisation. “I am looking forward to welcoming Linda to the Trust and am sure she will be well placed to continue the progress which has been made by our hospitals in recent times to maintain, develop and improve services for the patients who depend on us. “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mike Collier, who has served the Trust well as an extremely able Chairman for the past four years and has made a huge contribution to our hospitals during this time. We wish him well for a long and happy retirement”

Caroline joins Board Another new face on the Board this year is Caroline Johnstone, who has joined us as a Non-executive Director. Originally trained as a chartered accountant, Caroline has had a career of 30 years working in professional services, based in Leeds, Edinburgh and London. As a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, she worked at senior board level, supporting some of the largest organisations in the UK. Among her other current roles, Caroline is Chair of BARCA - Leeds, a communitybased charity in the city, and a Nonexecutive member of the audit committee of the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales. She is also a member of the governing body of the University of Leeds. Caroline replaces Howard Cressey, who has left the Board of the Trust after completing more than eight years as a Non-Executive Director. She also steps into Howard’s shoes as Chair of the Trust’s Audit Committee.

New directors As this issue of Bulletin went to press the names of three new members of the Board were announced. They are Suzanne Hinchcliffe CBE, our new Executive Director of Nursing and Quality who joins us from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust: Dr Yvette Oade, Executive Medical Director, previously at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, and: Dr Mark Smith, our new Chief Operating Officer, who moves from City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. Maggie Boyle welcomed the appointments and said: “These three new directors will play a crucial role in helping to introduce the revised management arrangements and working with clinicians as we move to a clinicianled, managerially supported structure.” More details on the new management arrangements will be covered in the next issue of Bulletin.

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Improved surgical training piloted at St James’s The surgical department at St James’s has been awarded £89,000 from Health Education England’s Better Training Better Care (BTBC) programme to enhance the training and education of the surgeons of tomorrow. The Trust is one of 16 selected NHS pilot sites across England for the BTBC programme, which aims to improve the quality of training and learning of medical professionals and thus improve patient care.

“We are looking forward to the positive changes the pilot will make in our Trust and, if successful, in trusts across the country.” The project devised by the St James’s surgical department is based on better care in emergency general surgery. This will involve the introduction of novel interventions alongside the existing surgical training programme for junior doctors over a one year period.

National award for Medical Education Medical Education at the Trust has been recognised nationally for its work to develop an interactive and engaging clinical e-induction for junior doctors. The team beat off stiff competition from the BBC, British Airways and Virgin Media to pick up silver at the 2012 e-learning awards ceremony in London. Clinical e-induction forms part of the induction programme for junior doctors, including a ‘face-to-face’ welcome from the Director of Postgraduate Medical Education and a specialty-specific induction to their own department. Margaret Ward, Medical Education Manager, explained: “The previous induction was described as ‘formulaic and uninspiring’ so we set about creating an interactive, scenario-based programme which engages and encourages interaction, promotes understanding through decision making, maintains interest by embedding in practice, and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. The team worked with Dynamic Business Solutions to develop the programme. Feedback has been very positive, particularly from the Foundation doctors who are in their first years of postgraduate training. Following the successful pilot in Leeds, the programme has now been rolled out across the Yorkshire and Humber region. Margaret added: “Our thanks go to the

Strategic Health Authority who funded the initial project, and to all the experts in the Trust who made time to review the scenarios and provide us with comments and amendments before the programme went ‘live’.” The web-based programme is part of the Department of Medical Education’s commitment to using technology to develop a ‘blended’ approach to learning, where teaching and training delivered in the clinical area is enhanced through the use of e-learning, mobile applications, interactive textbooks, and clinical skills and simulation. This builds on recommendations made in the Department of Health’s Technology Enhanced Learning Framework. The lessons of the programme will benefit the whole Trust, and collaboration with other departments is welcome. If you would like further details of the clinical e-induction or would be interested in working with us on developing technology-based teaching packages, please contact our Education Technology team: Stephen Lloyd-Smart (ext 67264) or Henry Fuller (ext 66997).

Dr John Watson, Clinical Fellow in Hepatobilliary and Transplant surgery, commented: “This additional programme is aimed at further improving levels of training and skills for surgeons of the future, building on the good foundations we already have in place. The results will be carefully assessed and we hope the lessons can be rolled out locally and nationally as the work develops. “We are looking forward to the positive changes the pilot will make in our Trust and, if successful, in trusts across the country.” The results from the pilot project will be published by the Better Training Better Care Team at Health Education England and via various surgical meetings and publications.

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Top honour: Margaret Ward, Medical Education Manager and her team, pick up the award at a ceremony in London.

New facility: Michael Forster, Staff nurse, Charmain Tidswell, Research nurse, Martin McKibbin, Ophthalmic consultant, Maureen Wilson, patient, and Damian O’Neill, Ophthalmic consultant.

Eye patients see improvements at new Macular Centre West Yorkshire eye patients are now benefitting from a new wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (wet AMD) service based at Seacroft Hospital. The new clinic has been designed specifically for local people with wet AMD, with the aims of encouraging faster clinic visits, reduced waiting times and increasing the total number of patients that the clinic will be able to assess and treat. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the UK, and predominantly affects those aged 55 and over. The original wet AMD service in the city was based at St James’s, which was one of the first in the country to introduce a new service for wet AMD in 2007. However, over recent years demand has continued to rise and the original unit was unable to provide the support needed for the greater number of patients.

The new and expanded wet AMD service at Seacroft has five ‘clean rooms’ which means that patients can receive assessment and treatment if required in the same room and on the same day. This compares to the single treatment room at St James’s University Hospital and will enable a 70% increase in the number of patients that can be seen each week once the necessary increase in staffing is also in place. The new facility also has a dedicated waiting area and benefits from being co-located with refurbished ophthalmology outpatient facilities which also include a laser suite and a number of clinic rooms. Mr Martin McKibbin, Consultant Ophthalmologist, is delighted that he is able to offer treatment and care from the new facility. He said: “The new service builds on the good work that has already taken place

at St James’s University Hospital over the past five years for the treatment of wet AMD. “We are very proud of the new service and it is really great news for local people with wet AMD and other macular diseases, as we will soon be able to assess significantly more patients every week. This is particularly important as the management of these conditions requires regular treatment to ensure the best outcomes.” As well as the work to create the £300,000 facility, in partnership with Novartis Pharmaceuticals, the Trust has invested around £20,000 in improvements to patient access on site. These include a new entrance to the facility, improved highvisibility signposting and waymarkers to help pedestrian access from entrances to the hospital perimeter and the dedicated parking area.

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Delight at new Chapel Allerton Dermatology Centre The Leeds Centre for Dermatology’s bright and modern new home at Chapel Allerton Hospital has been opened to acclaim from patients and staff alike. The impressive new facility, which has over 50,000 attendances from across the region each year, has moved from Leeds General Infirmary where it was in old and inadequate accommodation. Trust Chairman, Mike Collier, performed the opening ceremony. A patient panel worked closely with the Trust to help design the new facilities, which include a spacious outpatients department, a surgical laser unit and 10 adult inpatient beds, plus a daycare infusion service. The service is now the most comprehensive in its history, with 12 consultants and 7 specialist registrars and a nursing team more than 20 strong offering a wide range of specialist expertise to patients across the North of England. Dr Mark Wilkinson, lead clinician for the Leeds Centre for Dermatology, said: “We are extremely fortunate to have been able to bring services together in the excellent environment offered at Chapel Allerton Hospital. It provides high quality treatment and care for inpatients and outpatients and has excellent facilities to support research and innovation.

Celebration time: Staff, patients and visitors in the new Dermatology Centre.

“Whilst patients were very fond of our former facilities at Leeds General Infirmary, we have been able to transfer the high quality care into a much newer and more spacious setting and the feedback from both patients and staff has been extremely positive. Retired dermatology consultant Professor Bill Cunliffe, who is one of the patient panel advising on the creation of the new facility, commented: “Patients have been involved throughout the process and have worked with the clinical team and planning managers to achieve a really good outcome which provides a far superior environment and truly state-of-the art facilities.” Impressive facility: (l-r) Janice Parker, Staff nurse, Walayat Hussain, Consultant dermatologist and Charles White, Staff nurse in the Mohs surgery suite.

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Amanda Dean, Matron for Dermatology, added: “One thing patients will notice about all our new facilities is how bright and modern they are, and we have tried to

learn from best practice at other hospitals in terms of the layout and facilities. A particular advantage of our new location is the amount of natural light, which is particularly beneficial when dealing with skin conditions.” The Leeds Centre for Dermatology has an international reputation for clinical and academic excellence. As well as general dermatology it has specific expertise in connective tissue diseases, hair and nail disorders, genital disorders, laser therapy, leg ulcers, contact allergy, dermatological surgery, Mohs surgery, paediatric dermatology, phototherapy, skin cancer and clinical trials. The dermatology outpatient suite at Chapel Allerton is adjacent to the dermatology ward. The service also provides clinics where there is internationally recognised expertise in melanoma treatment and research.

Generous bequest supports Leeds kidney youngsters A £300,000 legacy left to a Yorkshire charity is helping youngsters with kidney disease being treated at Leeds Children’s Hospital. The bequest from a lady in Calderdale to the Yorkshire Kidney Research Fund (YKRF) specified the money was to help babies and toddlers with kidney disease being treated in Leeds. YKRF representatives recently visited the children’s kidney unit to see how some of the money is being spent on funding two valuable staff members who are there in part-time roles to help youngsters and their families. The pair are Clinical nurse specialist, Sophie Yates, and Clinical psychologist, Kate Hall (covering the maternity leave of postholder Simone Friedel). Paediatric nephrologist, Dr Maggie Fitzpatrick, said: “We are hugely grateful for the work done by the YKRF in terms of supporting renal research and through the Strang legacy funding these two posts, which really make a huge difference to the quality of the service we can provide for children with renal disease and their families.” Charity patron, Baroness Helen Afshar, who herself had a kidney transplant in Leeds, said

Making a difference: (l-r) Kate Hall, Clinical psychologist, Sophie Yates, Clinical nurse specialist with patient, Aamina Khalil, Baroness Afshar, Patron of YKRF, and Rachel Dunhill and Pam Firth from YKRF.

she was delighted to see the difference the bequest was making: “You can see the impact

this kind of money can have, particularly on vulnerable groups like children,” she added.

Facilities team’s fair boosts elderly fund A festive fair held in Gledhow Wing at St James’s helped to raise over £1,400 for Elderly Care Services at the Trust.

to donate money raised from it to help elderly patients at our hospitals too.” The presentation was one of the final tasks

undertaken by Al before he left the Trust to take up a new post as Executive Director of Nursing on the Isle of Wight.

Divisional nurse manager, Al Sheward, gratefully received the cheque on behalf of the service and thanked the Facilities team who organised the event for making it such a success. Live music and stalls selling handmade cards, jewellery, and gifts were on offer to staff, patients and visitors in the foyer of St James’s main wing for the day. Advice, tips and freebies were also provided by Red Watch home fire services, security advisors and the Trust’s Health & Wellbeing and Care Services team. Kay Lawton, Deputy Head of Facilities (Commercial Services), said: “We were delighted by the success of the fair and intend to bring it back as an annual event. It was fantastic that we were able

Thank you and goodbye: Al receives the cheque from some of the Facilities team

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New Generator Hall is cent of electrical revolution at St

A new state-of-the-art standby generator building which guarantees much more robust electric University Hospital complex has been formally unveiled.

Mike Collier, outgoing Chairman of the Trust, officially opened the new Generator Hall, which is part of a £29m replacement project designed to upgrade the hospitals electrical infrastructure and provide more resilience should there be problems with its regular power supply. The new building – on the edge of the Millennium car park - houses four highcapacity standby generators which are designed to respond to any loss of power affecting some or all of the hospital site and thus ensure critical clinical services are maintained. In tandem with the work, a major project has been underway to totally replace the high voltage cable network which connects the hospital’s main blocks to each other and to the power grid. Mick Taylor, Head of Estates, who is overseeing the on-going project, said: “St James’s is a huge site which has developed considerably over the last 40 years to such an extent that increasingly the electrical infrastructure was struggling to cope. “This resulted in a number of failures within the cable network and interruptions to supplies. We were also

Proud partnership: Trust Chairman, Mike Collier (left), and Dan Doherty, Operations Director, Laing O

concerned that our existing backup generators could only supply about 30% of the electricity needed on site in the event of a major power failure.

“The importance that a robust electrical infrastructure plays in providing safe and effective care to our patients really can’t be overestimated.”

Outside view of the Generator Hall at St James’s.

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“Thanks to this major investment, when complete, we will have new emergency standby generators in place which can keep all clinical services working as normal to guarantee the safety of all our patients.

Most wards and departments would not notice the difference in the event of a power failure thanks to this new equipment.” Darryn Kerr, Director of Estates and Facilities, added: “The importance that a robust electrical infrastructure plays in providing safe and effective care to our patients really can’t be overestimated. Modern healthcare demands a significantly higher level of electrical resilience than we have traditionally provided in the NHS. When the scheme is completed, 100% of our site clinical services will be on essential supplies and backed up by the new emergency standby generators. “The management and delivery of this scheme on time and on cost, in what is generally regarded as Europe’s largest acute teaching hospitals complex has

trepiece St James’s

cal supplies to the vast St James’s

Raising the profile: Steve Parry, Olympic athlete (4th right) and Tom Mansell, Macmillan information support officer (2nd right) with patients, Finbar Lavert, David Brook, Eric Condliffe, and Ray Williams.

Olympic star visits prostate cancer exercise group Bronze medal winning Team GB swimmer Steve Parry joined five male patients from a recently completed prostate exercise programme run by the Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre and Trust Urology teams. Steve - who competed in Athens 2004 talked to the men about his own experience of a diagnosis of testicular cancer five years after winning his medal and the participants shared their own experiences. Steve opened up about his anxiety about visiting the doctor and the group talked

O’Rourke, celebrate the Generator Hall opening.

been exemplary and is a credit to both the in-house electrical engineering team and our external partners.” Work to complete the project will continue until 2015, such is the amount of work to be undertaken, which reflects the complexity of the layout of St James’s. The project has been undertaken under the Department of Health P21 partnership arrangement. This has brought significant advantages of a long term working relationship between the Trust and the main contractor, Laing O’Rourke and their sub-contractor Crown House Technologies. The partnership has enabled the teams from both sides to ensure the project is being progressed on time and within budget.

about their own fears about visiting their GP. There was widespread agreement about the need for men to change their behaviour and to access more support. All the men interviewed completed a 12 week exercise and support programme and talked about how much they benefited from meeting other males in their situation during the programme. BBC Radio 5 also covered the event, and broadcast a piece to coincide with the “Movember” campaign led by Prostate Cancer UK to raise the profile of men’s cancer.

Trust welcomes new Chaplain Rev. Brian Chiyesu has joined the Chaplaincy team as a full-time Chaplain after volunteering for the Trust since 2010. Rev. Chiyesu has been a church leader in the city for more than seven years and has previously worked in Central and Southern Africa in various capacities. He has also been involved in training around Europe and Asia. Brian said of his appointment: “It is a great privilege to be a part of such a big and diverse Trust with ambitious goals to improve the care it gives to patients. I hope to be able to contribute positively to patients’ experience as well as play a part in supporting the staff.”

New role: Rev. Brian Chiyesu (left) is greeted by The Rt Rev. John Packer, Bishop of Ripon and Leeds outside St James’s chapel.

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Sports stars drop in to children’s wards

Sporting heroes turned out in force for their annual visit to cheer up young patients and families at Leeds Children’s Hospital. Players from Leeds Carnegie rugby club came along as part of their ongoing relationship with the Leeds Children’s Hospital Appeal, which is one of two charities the players have adopted for this year.

The team worked with play leaders at the hospital to find out what gifts would be most appreciated by young patients, and each player individually packed a large shoebox with the presents they bought themselves. Meanwhile, the Leeds United football team also delighted youngsters who had the chance to meet their favourite players during a tour around 13 children’s wards and day units. During the visit they also handed out gifts and signed autographs. Jacquie Cross from the Leeds Children’s Hospital Appeal said: “Sporting visits are always one of the highlights of the year and cause great excitement on all our wards. We are so grateful for the support local teams give to our young patients, and are particularly grateful to Leeds Carnegie for their commitment to fundraise for us this year.”

Leeds United player, Paul Green, with Karl and Kerry Wood, patient.

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Footballers, Michael Tonge and Jason Pearce with Carena and Jordan Walker, patient.

Leeds Carnegie players, Jacob Rowan and Sam Lockwood with patient, Nighait Syed.

Patient focused: Dr Maria Gilleece, Consultant Haematologist using the Allinex website.

Valuable new resource for transplant patients A new website with important information for bone marrow and stem cell transplant patients has been launched as part of a research project in Leeds. The site called Allinex which stands for allograft (all-) information (-in-) exchange (-ex) was developed by the University of Leeds in collaboration with the bone marrow transplant service at St James’s and with funding from Macmillan Cancer Support. It provides all the information that transplant patients would wish to know about such as details of the local clinical team and associated specialists including psychologists, dieticians, physiotherapists, and local support groups. A more detailed background is also available including information about diagnoses before transplant, bone marrow function and types of transplant, what a transplant involves, possible complications and longer term effects. There is plenty of practical information for patients post-transplant too, including finances, insurance and employment, and general well-being tips. Additionally Allinex contains a forum

where patients can post messages and start conversation threads, and send private messages to the clinical team for non-urgent issues. Leaflets are available to download and there are links to other useful websites. Dr Maria Gilleece, Consultant Haematologist and Director of the Yorkshire Blood and Marrow Transplantation Programme, said: “The research project to develop Allinex has taken place over three years. The first phase was to understand what issues transplant patients have and what services were provided for the patients. Once we knew what information patients wanted, we turned to the clinical team and associated specialists to provide the appropriate content for the website. “It was then pilot tested with patients, staff and GPs. I am delighted to say that a review of the site rated it as good/excellent and feedback has been very positive.” Comments from patients who have used the site have included: “Much of the information on the website took me years to amass so

having it all together in one site would have been very useful to me.” (Male, 63) “I would like it as part of standard care.” (Female, 41) “This (Allinex) needs to be part of care just before transplant or at an early stage of transplant.” (Female, 32) Comments from clinicians have included: “I plan to use it a lot and will refer patients to it”, and “Absolutely brilliant”. Dr Gillece added: “The future for Allinex is either to stay as a Leeds based resource or to be opened up to other centres. The website has been built in such a way to allow other centres to have their own sections with local information, to have separate forums and clinical team messaging facilities but to share the vast majority of the information. Activity on the website, www.allinex.org, will continue to be tracked and a survey is available for obtaining feedback. For more information contact maria.gilleece@ leedsth.nhs.uk or ring: 0113 2068433

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Harry’s wonderful legacy lives on Gina McGawley, Head of clinical physiology (Cardiology and Respiratory), said: “Harry was a patient but he also felt like a member of our team. His presence on his stall in Beckett Wing over the years was by appreciated by patients and staff alike. “He always welcomed everyone with a friendly smile and chat. In addition to this he knew what it was like to be a patient and his contributions to the cardiology department have been invaluable.” In line with Harry’s wishes, the money he had raised from his stall on Beckett Wing was also distributed by his family to clinical areas including cardiac surgery, the foot clinic, haematology, cardiology, and physiotherapy.

Harry’s family, including his wife Rosemary and son Richard with staff from cardiology.

In a moving remembrance ceremony held at the chapel at St James’s, a book of condolences signed by the many people from across the Trust who had the pleasure of knowing him, was handed over to his family. Harry’s wife Rosemary, has sent “a very big thank you for Harry’s wonderful book” and expressed her gratitude to everyone who had contributed to it.

The family of the late Harry Clements MBE paid a special visit to the cardiology wards at St James’s recently, to see the array of hi-tech equipment now available to patients, as a result of Harry’s kind and generous donations over many years. Harry was one of the Trust’s most longstanding fundraisers, best known for his stall in Beckett Wing which he held for over two decades, raising well over £100,000 to help cardiac patients like himself. In the last year of his life, Harry was the subject of the Channel 4 TV programme The Secret Millionaire, where a member of the public who has dedicated their life to helping others is rewarded for their work by a ‘secret’ benefactor. In true Harry style he donated much of the money he received from the programme to our hospitals. Cardiology received a massive £30,000. The unit has since bought four heart monitors, two blood pressure monitors, four ECG machines which have been shared between the LGI and St James’s, and a crash trolley for resuscitation.

Former Trust Chairman, Mike Collier, presents Harry’s family with the book of condolences.

Leading the way Congratulations to the first cohort of staff from the Trust to be awarded

a Level 2 certificate in Team Leading as part of the Chartered Management

Proud moment: Karen Vella, Head of Organisational Learning and Margo Himsworth, course tutor, with the students.

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Institute (CMI) programme of studies.

qualifications in the future.”

The certificates were presented by Karen Vella, Head of Organisational Learning, at an awards ceremony in January.

The successful students were: Carol Sykes, Christopher Whamond, Amy Dickinson, Hannah Walasek, Alexandra Regan, Matthew Dixon, Hayley Gibson, Debbie Barnes, Nina Wildash, Emma Williamson, Jay Ashton, Peter Winnard-Haley, Mary Wooltorton, Siobhan Stubbs, and Karen Heaney.

Karen said: “I am extremely proud of their achievements and hope they put their new knowledge and skills to good use in the Trust, and perhaps carry on to gain more

Anyone interested in applying for these courses should email janet_cpd. wilson@leedsth.nhs.uk and dates will be sent when they become available.

The course, provided by Leeds City College, involved around eight months of work and is one of several level 2 and 3 CMI programmes being undertaken by Trust employees.

Trust team help young men with haemophilia enjoy sport The Leeds Haemophilia Team has hosted a fun event designed to encourage young men with severe haemophilia to get some exercise and advice about their condition as well as have some fun. Athlete Jack Bridges came along and joined in with the event and give the ‘low down’ on his training and performance in the London Paralympic Games. Jack, who also has severe haemophilia A, narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in the 100 metres breast stroke in the 2012 Games and he is already gearing up for Brazil in 2016. The all-day event – which was strictly no parents allowed - took place at the ‘state of the art’, John Charles Centre for Sport. The lads under went a fully qualified gym induction, which acted as a warm up for the one hour tennis coaching session and an opportunity to compete against one another and also with staff members. Adult and paediatric Consultant haematologists, Dr Lishel Horn and Dr Michael Richards, the Trust’s specialists in clotting disorders, were available to answer any questions on

Great team: Paralympian athlete Jack Bridges with some of the young men at the event.

haemophilia, its medical management and up and coming therapies. Clinical nurse specialists Angela Westoby and Katie McGoohan were also on hand to facilitate discussions and provide support in the event of an acute bleed on the day.

sporting theme. Games such as rugby and to a less extent football are not encouraged with haemophilia patients due to the high risk of injury to the head or bones and joints, but the event showed the group that they can still have fun and enjoy sport.

The event was designed to allow young men with haemophilia the opportunity to meet up, in a non-hospital environment, with a

Feedback of this pioneering day has been very positive and it is hoped that another event will be held in the future.

Liver network marks milestone

Over 70 members of the Yorkshire and the Humber Liver Network (YHLN) attended an event recently to celebrate its 5th year anniversary at the Thackray Museum in Leeds.

The network is made up of healthcare professionals specialising in the care of patients with liver disease. It includes gastroenterologists, hepatologists and specialist nurses from hospital departments in

the region, general practitioners and practice nurses, public health doctors, community nurses and allied health professionals. It was founded as a forum for sharing knowledge and practice, developing guidance and strengthening links between specialists in secondary care, gastroenterology services and with the supra-regional unit in Leeds for the benefit of better care for patients with liver disease around the region. Healthcare professionals who deliver services

to patients with liver disease are welcome to join as general members. Membership is free and advantages include involvement in the development of new guidance, e-mail alerts when new guidance is produced by the network, invitations to network meetings and educational events and access to the members’ area of the website. For further information see the website www.yhln.org.uk or email Carol Sleigh: carol.sleigh@leedsth.nhs.uk

Sharing knowledge: Members of the Yorkshire and the Humber Liver Network.

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Archbishop supports Children’s Heart Surgery Unit The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has given his blessing to the fight to keep children’s heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary. Dr Sentamu was invited to make a personal visit to meet patients and staff and see for himself the high quality services available under one roof in the Leeds Children’s Hospital at the Infirmary. His visit was hosted by the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, who are spearheading the Save Our Surgery campaign to overturn a national decision taken last year to concentrate children’s heart surgery for North of England patients in Newcastle and Liverpool. This has caused huge concern in Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire because of the high numbers of children and families facing much longer journeys, as well as the fact that other hospitals do not have the co-location of children’s services Leeds can offer.

“This Unit serves the whole region and has saved the lives of so many across Yorkshire and further afield. It is inconceivable that we could lose such a fantastic integrated local service. Dr Sentamu said: “It was a great privilege to visit Leeds Children’s Heart Surgery Unit and to see the life-saving work that is being undertaken on a daily basis. “I want to thank all the staff here for the work they are doing serving others. They are there for families in tough times, not only offering professional clinical care but also offering support when it’s needed. “For 40% of children operated on, but who need long-term care, the staff are there to support patients and their families right through to adulthood. Sometimes that will be through providing

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Welcome visitor: (l-) Sharon Cheng from the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, Stephanie Carncross, Staff Nurse, Rev. Jane Parker, LGI Chaplain and Lyndsay Marston, Staff Nurse, welcome Dr Carey to the children’s heart ward

Grateful heart patient resumes songwriting career Huddersfield musician Phil Maybury is on song once more thanks to heart treatment at Leeds General Infirmary.

such things as accommodation but often it will be through offering words of encouragement. That’s a really important role.

only one with the recognised ‘gold standard’ of having the co-location of all paediatric services that are required.

Phil has been under the care of the Yorkshire Heart Centre for the past twelve months because of serious arrhythmia problems, which have been treated by Dr Chris Pepper and his team. This included two procedures in the catheter labs which successfully restored his normal heart rhythm.

“I have been supporting this campaign to keep the Children’s Heart Surgery Unit at Leeds open for some time behind the scenes. I have raised my concerns personally with Government Ministers.”

“I have been supporting this campaign to keep the Children’s Heart Surgery Unit at Leeds open for some time behind the scenes. I have raised my concerns personally with Government Ministers. But today I want to say publicly that we need to keep this Unit open.”

Phil commented: “I’d had problems with arrhythmia for over ten years and it always had an impact on my life. When it deteriorated I became weak and lacked energy, my thinking was sluggish and my confidence collapsed. I lost my creativity and my memory became foggy.

As Bulletin went to press we were awaiting the outcome of a judicial review by Save Our Surgery challenging the fairness of the decision-making process, and a separate independent review set up by the Health Secretary after concerns from councillors across Yorkshire.

“After the ablation, my ability to focus was restored, my thinking cleared and my creativity and inspiration returned. Since then I’ve begun to expand my catalogue of songs, enter competitions both in the UK and across

Double joy: The Archishop chats to Charlotte Formosa with her twin sons Caleb and Ethan Hudson, a week after Caleb’s heart surgery.

the Atlantic, and promote my work to an increasing number of followers around the world, as well as planning towards future live performances. “I’m indebted to Dr Pepper and his team for their support through this process. From the start he made it clear that ablation is not a cure, and that it controls arrhythmia in different people for different lengths of time. But for now I feel like I’ve been cured and I’m making the most of it!” A prolific writer of his own material, Phil has been submitting to the UK Songwriting Contest over the past four years and achieved a total of 17 semi-finalists and 32 commended entries. The results of the 2012 contest have recently been announced and despite his ill health he achieved two semi-finalists and nine commended entries – congratulations to him! You can check out Phil’s work and listen to some of his songs by clicking on his website, www.philmaybury.com

Grant targets colorectal therapies Researchers at the Trust have been awarded £800,000 to run one of eight prestigious new Healthcare Technology Co-operatives for England, funded by the Department of Health. The Leeds co-operative will be led by Professor David Jayne and will focus on developing keyhole therapies for people with colorectal disease The new Healthcare Technology Co-operatives are intended to enable NHS organisations to act as centres of expertise that focus in clinical areas or themes of high morbidity and unmet need for NHS patients. Working collaboratively with industry, they will develop new medical devices, healthcare technologies or technology-dependent interventions, which improve treatment and quality of life for patients.

Back on track: Musician, Phil Maybury.

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Top national children’s conference showcases Leeds services Over 300 people attended the 40th British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes annual national meeting held in Leeds recently. The Trust’s Department of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes hosted the two day event which featured renowned speakers from across the world, including the US, Italy and Germany One of the event organisers, Dr Sabah Alvi, Consultant paediatric and adolescent endocrinologist said: “It was a particularly special conference as it marked the 40th anniversary of the Society and we were privileged to be able to host it here in Leeds. Myself and colleagues, Talat Mushtaq, Fiona Campbell and specialist nurses, Carole Gelder, Jenny Walker and Amanda Whitehead, were very pleased with the event which was two years in the planning.” “Everyone felt that it was a resounding success, showing off the Leeds Children’s

Leading the way: (l-r) Jenny Walker, Children’s endocrine nurse specialist, Carole Gelder, Children’s diabetes nurse specialist, Dr Sabah Alvi, Consultant paediatric endocrinologist, Dr Talat Mushtaq, Consultant paediatric endocrinologist, Sister Amanda Whitehead, Children’s endocrine nurse specialist

Hospital’s achievements and the city of Leeds itself, in the best light. “The speakers delivered state of the art lectures on hormone conditions and diabetes in children and adolescents, and, as it was held in Olympic year, there was particular emphasis on the impact of sports and

exercise on health and disease.” In parallel with the endocrine medical arm of the conference there was a multidisciplinary diabetes day and an endocrine nurse day where clinicians and researchers from Leeds and across Yorkshire presented their work.

Showing support for older people Over £1,800 was raised by a group of staff from the Trust who donned their running shoes to take part in the annual Abbey Dash in support of the Leeds Centre for Older Peoples Medicine.

It was the idea of Al Sheward, former Divisional Nurse Manager for Acute Medicine, who corralled a team together to run the 10K race to raise money to help improve the care and environment for older people at the Trust.

Al said: “In particular we wanted to raise money to purchase stimulation equipment for patients with dementia, and to improve the environment. “The Abbey Dash is organised by Age UK, so it was fitting to link the existing work to strengthen the care we deliver to older people to the theme of the run.” The ridged training regime paid off with many of the team crossing the line within one hour. Nicola Turner, Lead clinician for the Older Peoples Directorate said: “As I staggered along the Kirkstall Road I was cursing Al for persuading me to enter, but now my muscles have recovered I am really proud of everyone’s great efforts for such an excellent cause!”

Some of the 50 Trust staff who took part in the Abbey Dash.

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To donate to the Older Peoples Trust fund visit http://www. justgiving.com/Alan-Sheward. The Just Giving page will remain open until April 2013.

Quality of life: John Goodden catches up with Ella, James (centre) and Noah and their mothers after their SDR surgery

Brave children take first steps after pioneering op A highly specialised operation to help improve the walking ability of certain children with cerebral palsy is now being offered at Leeds Children’s Hospital. Until recently youngsters from our region and the rest of the UK had to travel to the United States for the microneurosurgical procedure, known as Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR). Now, consultant neurosurgeon Mr John Goodden has begun carrying out the technique in Leeds, putting us among a small group of specialist centres able to undertake the surgery. The first three young patients to undergo the procedure and their parents met up at a special launch event. This was the culmination of years of planning and preparation for Mr Goodden, who travelled to St Louis in the US to study the technique. Ella Bowles, 3, from Leeds, was the first Yorkshire patient to undergo SDR surgery at the hospital and is already much more mobile. Next came Noah Banks, 6, from Eggborough, who is delighting his parents with his progress. The third patient James Driver, 8, from Rothwell, was still recovering

in hospital from his surgery at the time of the event, and looking forward to walking soon. SDR is a specialised procedure which involves identifying and cutting selected spinal nerves causing stiffness which makes it difficult for the child to walk. The surgery improves their walking, potentially allowing them to walk for the first time and in some cases, allowing them to walk without aids. Previously they would have had to use a wheelchair or walking frames or sticks. Mr Goodden said: “For a small but significant number of children with a particular form of cerebral palsy, this operation can make a tremendous difference to the quality of their life. “I felt passionately that this was an operation that these children deserved to be able to have in their own country. I am delighted we are now one of the major centres offering SDR in the UK. Previously these three patients would have had to pay privately for treatment in the USA. Instead, we have been able to treat them in their local children’s

hospital as NHS patients. “We need to give these children every opportunity to fulfil their potential, and the freedom of walking and independent mobility is one of the most important gifts any child can have and has a huge impact on their ability to play, learn and enjoy their life more.” Around 1,200 children are born in the UK each year with cerebral palsy, and approximately 400 of these will have the spastic diplegic form. SDR surgery may help up to half of these children, and would normally be performed from the age of three upwards. Assessment is undertaken via a multidisciplinary specialist clinic at Leeds Children’s Hospital by a three-strong team including Mr Goodden together with specialist neurology, physiotherapy. They look in detail at the circumstances of each individual patient and the likelihood of a successful outcome.

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Tom’s innovation is patient safety breakthrough Tom Bamford, a third year medical student based at the Trust, has won a special commendation prize at the Yorkshire and Humber Health Innovation and Education Cluster Patient Safety Innovation awards. The prize is awarded to individuals or teams working in Yorkshire and the Humber who have demonstrated innovative practice to solve or improve a patient safety problem. Tom won for his work to develop a nasogastric (NG) safety pack to help reduce the harm caused to patients by misplaced nasogastric feeding tubes. Since the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) first issued guidance on this subject, there have been 21 deaths and 79 cases of harm reported nationally due to feeding into the lungs through misplaced NG tubes. With the support of the Trust’s NG steering group, Tom undertook a root cause analysis of a misplaced nasogastric (NG) tube. He explained: “This prompted my initial thought of developing the safety pack. I then took a proposal to the steering group who were fully supportive.” The NG safety pack includes all equipment required for the initial NG insertion including a pH strip, disposable tape measure, marker pen, syringe for aspiration, instructions, troubleshoot card, sticker recording the initial insertion, non-sterile gloves, dressing to hold tube in place. It also holds cues for the clinician to follow in line with NPSA

Useful tool: Tom Bamford (left), medical student, with Pierre Laloë, (2nd left), Yorkshire Quality & Safety Research Group judging panel rep, with some of the other attendees at the awards ceremony.

guidance, and on the reverse is an advice sheet on how to obtain aspirate if this has become difficult. Tom added: “We have had discussions with NHS supply chain and are now working with a large manufacturer, Enteral UK, to develop the pack. We will then trial them in selected clinical areas. We aim to have this product available to trusts nationwide

through NHS Supply chain. “The prize money will be used to assist in raising awareness of the project and the NPSA alerts, for instance by developing poster or flyers which can advertise the use of the pack throughout the trust. The findings will also allow us to visit other trusts to discuss the use of the pack in their clinical areas.”

New ultrasound system limbers up at Chapel Allerton Chapel Allerton Hospital has installed a new ultrasound system which is being used for scans on sports injuries, including tendon assessments and ultrasound-guided intervention. Patients who will use it include those from a number of professional sports clubs both nationally and around the Yorkshire region. The system, manufactured by Siemens Healthcare is designed to provide strain analysis of muscle and tendons which assist with investigations and diagnosis. This technique allows compression elasticity imaging and uses the latest technology to quantify stiffness.

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Sporting aid: (l-r) Dr Phil O’Connor, Consultant radiologist at Chapel Allerton Hospital with Peter Downing and James Semons from Siemens.

Inspirational event: Athlete Hannah Cockroft with recent patient Alex Anstess, who is wearing the two gold medals

Young cancer patients enjoy Paralympian visit The children’s cancer unit at the LGI recently held its first ‘End of Treatment Day’ for children and young people who have recently finished cancer treatment, along with their siblings and parents. It was arranged by the team from the children and teenage cancer service at the LGI and supported by Candlelighters, the local charity linked to the service. The day was intended to mark the end of treatment, which brings mixed feelings of relief, and anxiety about what happens next. The day focussed on reflecting on the ‘cancer journey’, and looking ahead to what happens next. There was also an emphasis on adopting healthy lifestyles - which is so important for these young patients, and the

importance of sport and exercise.

been through so much.”

CLIC Sargent, the UK cancer charity for children and young people, invited Team GB’s double Paralympic gold medallist Hannah Cockroft to come along to the meeting; she shared her summer memories and tips for success at the event.

Rachel Hollis, Lead nurse for children’s cancer, said: “This was the first event of its type we have held for children and younger teenagers and their families, although previous successful events have been held for our older teenagers. It was great to see it go so well. Hannah is an inspirational person and to have her here to talk to the children and their families was wonderful.

Hannah - who was treated at the St James’s neonatal unit as a baby, was once told she would not live past her teenage years after suffering two cardiac arrests at birth, but she went on to win gold in two events at London 2012. She said: “It was fantastic to meet so many of the children and young people who have been through cancer, and they were all great to talk to. Obviously the summer was a really special time for everyone, and I always enjoy bringing a bit of that joy to people who have

“Of course the end of treatment does not mean the end of the cancer journey for these children and young people, but it is a time for reflection and is certainly worth celebrating. The day went well, and I cannot thank Hannah enough for coming along. We are now looking at what patients and parents themselves had to say, and plan to make this a regular event, to which we invite all patients and families who finish treatment with us.’’

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Fond farewell to long-serving staff The Trust bids a fond farewell to colleagues who retired from the Trust recently. Some of those include:

Pat Benson, Business manager for Renal Services, who has retired after more than 35 years. Pat started work in the NHS at the Regional Blood Transfusion Service at Seacroft Hospital. She spent the last 13 years working in a senior role in renal services.

Friends and colleagues turned out to wish Staff nurse, Pauline Bowie, a happy retirement after 29 years’ service. She worked at David Beevers Day Unit at St James’s.

Linda Cowpe, Nursery assistant at Clarendon Nursery, has retired after more than 36 years. She started work at the St James’s nursery at the age of 17.

Support services lead in Organisational Learning, Bronwen Quarmby, retired after 37 years at the Trust.

Polly Booth, Sister in Clarendon Wing, has also retired from her role in Recovery. She did her training in the early 1970s at the LGI and started work as a scrub nurse in theatres. Colleagues said: “She is admired and respected by countless staff, nursing and medical, and will be sorely missed.” Polly’s picture is one of those on the mural outside the Chapel.

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Elaine Sargeson, Clinical dietetic manager, has retired after 36 years NHS service which includes 18 years working at Seacroft, Wharfedale and St James’s. Colleagues said “Elaine is an extremely well-respected dietitian and manager. Her dedicated approach will be greatly missed by patients and staff alike. It has been a privilege to work with Elaine and we wish her a long and happy retirement.”

Mr Martin Glass, Consultant gynaecologist, has also retired after a long and distinguished career. He joined the Trust in 1978 and was appointed as a Consultant in Gynaecology and Obstetrics to the former Maternity and Women’s Hospital. He is also a Senior clinical lecturer in the University of Leeds, and has taken full part in post graduate training. He was instrumental in setting up the Assisted Conception Unit at the Clarendon Wing. Colleagues said: “Mr Glass is a well-respected consultant and colleague. He is the epitome of patient centred care. He has always shown patience, encouragement and support to junior doctors and nurses. He will be greatly missed by all the staff and patients who have known him at Wharfedale Hospital and the LGI.”

Marion Robinson, Staff nurse in paediatrics, has retired after more than 40 years.

Staff nurse on ICU at St James’s, Sam Mungur, celebrated 40 years’ service at a buffet lunch with colleagues. Sam worked in Mauritius as a teacher before coming to England to do his nurse training. Colleagues said ‘He is part of the fabric of the place, and ICU would be a different place without such an interesting funny and hardworking character.”

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60 seconds Pre-Registration Pharmacist, Marc Wilkinson talks about wheaty ale, juggling paperwork, fundraising in his undies and ambitions to travel the globe

In the office…

What does your typical day at work involve?

It varies depending on my rotation. I could be on the wards, in clinics with patients to help optimise their medication or answering phone enquires for doctors and patients.

How did you get to be a Pre-Registration Pharmacist at LTHT? Being a born and bred Yorkshireman, it was important to come back home to work, predominantly due to the inability of anyone outside this county to hand-pull a fine, wheaty ale. When the opportunity arose at LTH, I applied and was lucky enough to get the job.

What’s the best thing about your job?

The people. The pharmacy department is like a family and I am delighted to be a part of it. I may not have been such a sweaty, nervous wreck on my first day had I known how friendly and supportive everyone in the team is. No-one more so than the late Adel Hussain*, a true gentleman whose name alone will resonate with those who knew him more than my words ever could.

And there must be something about your work that really frustrates you… The good Lord did not see fit to grant humanity with an extra pair of arms. This has caused many an embarrassing moment trying to juggle medicines, sign a drug chart, annotate the handover sheet and explain what I’m doing to a rather bemused looking patient. This occasionally leads to a catastrophic series of events whereby paperwork ends up strewn across floor, Marc looks like fool.

What’s your best advice to a new starter at the Trust?

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Make an effort with everyone. Everybody is an equally important cog in the NHS machine, the place simply doesn’t function unless we all pull together. A cleaner and a consultant both play a role, we all fill our own niches and in doing so we should appreciate the contributions of everyone.

What are the behaviours that are most important to you? Too many people look for something to moan about. A negative attitude spreads quickly, helps no-one and 90% of the time it’s caused by something largely irrelevant. I have had my problems, but overall I live a happy life and as such see it as my duty to help those less fortunate. A smile is free, and you never know, it might catch on.

And out of hours…

What do you do to wind down and relax after a hard day at work? I’m training for a year-long series of charity events on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Society. So far I’ve swam across a freezing lake, been electrocuted, run a marathon, jumped through ice and shot with a painball rifle… in my undies. We’ve nearly hit our target of £2500 and would love some more support at www.justgiving.com/Tomversusmarc. Nevertheless, by the time you read this I will have had operations 5 & 6 on my knees so I’m taking a break before the coast2coast bike race and Olympic triathlon in summer.

If you could go anywhere this weekend, where would you go? The Galapagos islands. The animals have little or no fear of humans; I’ve seen pictures of people spooning wild sea-lions. I mean come on, how can I make it through life not being cuddled by a 25 stone sea creature with fish breath! It’s a better offer than any other I’ve had recently.

You’re sitting down to your favourite meal, what’s on the menu? Best meal I ever had was from a street stall in Asia. A local fisherman grabbed something he’d freshly caught, stuck a spike through it and chucked it on the barbeque. Throw in a rum and fresh coconut milk cocktail and butterscotch angel delight for afters and we’re not doing too badly.

If you won the national lottery, what would you do? Financially adopt David Attenborough and have him narrate my hangovers.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? I’ll let you know when I start.

What is your favourite film?

Cool Runnings. It had everything; the agony, the ecstasy and a Jamaican with a lucky egg being coached by John Candy. Wow.

Tell us something we don’t know about you…

I have a real passion for helping others. My best ‘holiday’ was working in a children’s summer camp in Romania. The kids are so loving and eager to learn, I think they taught me more than I did for them. Next year, I want to see the world and I’m hoping to volunteer in some HIV and tuberculosis clinics in Asia and South America. *Adel sadly lost his life in a road traffic accident in February. The Pharmacy department would like to pay tribute to Adel ‘a true gentleman with a kind heart’. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

KFC Harehills KFC Gotts Park KFC Headingley KFC White Rose KFC Crossgates KFC Beeston KFC Colton Mill (Drive Thru)

KFC Centre 27 Birstall

30th June 2013.

✃

KFC Meanwood KFC Guiseley KFC Hunslet KFC Merrion Centre

(Our New Leeds Store)

Offers only available at the above stores. Please present the voucher before you order. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. No cash alternatives. No photocopies accepted. Limited time only. Management reserves the right to change or withdraw these offers without prior notice.

Thackray Medical Museum A Great Year Out in Leeds! In 2013 Medicine becomes Magic at the award-winning Thackray Medical Museum. Our spellbinding new exhibition “The Magic of Medicine” examines the many connections between magic and medicine through the ages and into the present day. Take part in street magic, be intrigued by mysterious illusions and explore the amazing power of your mind. Discover an ever-changing calendar of all new events, trails and activities. Launching 29 March!

Tickets last for 12 months

• For all ages and group sizes • Open all year round* • Unique conference and meetings venue • Only £1 for on-site car parking** • Concession and group rates • Unique gift shop and Café

“Camuco is a welcome antidote to hunger and well worth a visit in its own right”

NHS staff. Up to 20% off

Little Oliver, Yorkshire Evening Post

Speed up your luchtime

1) Ring 0113 2451111 and pre-order your lunch, including your drinks and time of collection 2) Go to fast track counter, collect & pay without queuing 3) Eat your lunch in our gorgeous café or take-away

Sign up to our Newsletter for 10% discount* Including NHS staff discount of 10% gives you 20% off Sign up at www.camuco.co.uk www.thackraymuseum.org Beckett Street, Leeds LS9 7LN

0113 244 4343

info@thackraymuseum.org *The museum is open daily 10-5pm, visitors need to allow between 2 and 3 hours for their visit. (Closed 24th, 25th, 26th, 31st Dec and 1st Jan.) ** For museum and café visitors (other chargers apply for non-visitors.) The museum is supported by The Thackray Medical Research Trust

Newsletter-receive weekly updates • Daily specials • Special events both in café and museum • Weekly recipe of your favorite dishes from the café • Questionnaires to help us improve your café, so we offer the best service to you *Discounts apply on hot food only

www.leedsth.nhs.uk

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Victoria House Care Home The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust endorse any of the products or services.

Every possible care has been taken to ensure that the information given in this publication is accurate. Whilst the publisher would be grateful to learn of any errors, they cannot accept any liability over and above the cost of the advertisement for loss there by caused. No reproduction by any method whatsoever of any part of this publication is permitted without written consent of the copyright owners. Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd. ÂŠ2013 Britannic Chambers, 8a Carlton Road, Worksop, Notts. S80 1PH Tel: 01909 478822

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Victoria House is one of the most reputable providers of Residential, Dementia, Transitional and Respite care for the elderly in the South West of Leeds. The home has an internet cafe and games room, hair salon as well as extensive grounds and a roof terrace with some stunning views of Leeds. All our bedrooms are tastefully decorated, fully furnished and equipped with call systems, TV aerial and each room has ensuite. Sky TV and internet access is also available. There are regular activities, one of the most popular being baking day where the residents get to make their own buns!

Victoria Care Leeds

Low Grange Crescent, Belle Isle, Leeds, Yorkshire, LS10 3EB T: 0113 270 8529 F: 0113 276 5090 www.victoriacareleeds.co.uk

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust endorse any of the products or services.

www.leedsth.nhs.uk

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Norton Connor Solicitors Expert solicitors with the personal touch Based on Town Street in Horsforth Norton Connor Solicitors offer a range of legal services delivered in a professional, friendly and highly accessible manner.

Residential property, wills, probate, family law. 145 - 147 Town Street, Horsforth, Leeds LS12 5BL

Tel: 0113 239 0088

Fax: 0113 258 2715 Email: enquiries@nortonconnor.co.uk

www.leedsth.nhs.uk

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Designed & published by Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd, Britannic Chambers, 8a Carlton Road, Worksop, Notts. S80 1PH Tel: 01909 478822