Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in the UK and a new group for patients who have been diagnosed has now been set up to help Countess patients.
The group met for the first time in late 2022 and plans to meet regularly to provide information and support to patients and their loved ones.
Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Rishi Sharma, said: “Our vision is to increase the involvement of our patients and local community in their own care. It is a great feeling to be able to help our patients and involve them in their own care.”
“My hope it that this support group will support not only the people who come together to form it but the wider plastic surgery team to help us learn and grow and provide even better care to our patients.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in the UK with one in five people being diagnosed with it in their lifetime. The Plastic Surgery Team operates on over 200 skin cancer cases a month. This coupled with the fact that sometimes patients may
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develop multiple skin cancers adds to the growing demand on a skin cancer service.
Dr Sharma added: “The patient support group is a patient driven group for current and previous skin cancer patients from the region. It’s all voluntary and it aims to be supportive and informative to its members.
To find out more about the group and when it is next meeting, please contact the Plastic Surgery Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist, Carole Thompson, on 01244 366751.
A team of senior nurses monitors the status of every patient, A&E waiting times and ambulance handovers in the Coordination Centre every day. The centre acts as an operational hub in the same way air traffic control works in airports. Here Steph Pearson, Coordination Centre Matron, discusses how the service works. What happens in the Coordination Centre? Why is it important?
The Coordination Centre has oversight of the entire hospital, including any pressures emerging. We are a team of clinical site coordinators and discharge facilitators who use this information to maintain a flow of patients throughout the hospital. This covers all parts of a patient’s journey, from monitoring capacity in our Emergency Department (A&E) to removing any barriers preventing patients returning home when they are ready. The focus is on making sure our patients are in the right place at the right time.
How do staff in the Coordination Centre work with colleagues in ED, clinics, theatres and wards?
We have digital systems monitoring all our departments in the Coordination Centre, but we also hold regular meetings with Emergency Department colleagues and our discharge facilitators work with staff on our wards to provide regular updates on their patients. We also liaise with theatres to plan
ahead and allocate appropriate beds for patients to go to for recovery after having surgery. If a patient attends a clinic and requires an inpatient bed we also arrange this. What was your background before being in this role? How does this help you?
Prior to joining the Coordination Centre in 2021 I worked in The Countess’ Emergency Department for 14 years. During that time my focus was obviously always on A&E waiting times, but I can now fully appreciate just how much work goes into caring for patients on our wards and helping them to return home at the right time. I also see every day how being able to get just one patient home from hospital has a knock-on effect on at least four other patients whose journey with us can then take the next step. Our Coordination Centre Team all have different backgrounds, which combines to create an invaluable set of skills, knowledge and experience.
Helping patients return home when they are ready is better for their health and the hospital in general. What is the hospital doing to support this?
Our Clinical Vision centres around the four questions we want patients, their families and our staff to be thinking about all the time: What is the matter with me? What is going to happen today? What is needed to get me home? When can I expect to go home?
To help us focus on these questions, our teams host daily Board Rounds, which see all staff working on each ward, including doctors, nurses, physios and pharmacy, taking the time to discuss each patient and review what they need from us. We’re also fortunate to have a range of community, social and voluntary services we work with to help people adjust to returning to home after being in hospital.
What can patients and their families do to support their loved ones returning home sooner?
People can help our teams by understanding that hospitals aren’t the best place for patients once treatment is complete. Returning home is always in their best interests once it’s safe to do so. During hospital stays, it is also important that patients get up, dressed and stay mobile as much as possible. Friends and relatives can also help by preparing patients’ homes when they are getting close to leaving hospital, assisting them with that transition. Something as simple as stocking the fridge can make a huge difference.
You can read more about how we are working to support patients to get home sooner on page 6.
Surgeons at the Countess are using cutting-edge technology after the Trust invested almost £600,000 in new tower systems that are used to see inside patient’s bodies while they are being operated on.
Ten new Stryker 1688 Advanced Imaging Modalities 4K Platforms have been purchased for use in theatres. They connect to scopes that go inside patients’ bodies and allow healthcare professionals to see closely what is happening while a procedure is being carried out.
The new systems, which provide a crisp 4K display giving surgeons greater clarity than ever before, are being rolled out across the Trust over the next few months.
The systems also feature NearInfrared-Red Fluorescence Technology
which, when combined with IndoCynanine Green (ICG) dye, allows surgeons to clearly see the passage of fluid through circulatory or lymphatic systems or to map the biliary system (the organs and ducts that make and store bile).
The project to introduce this technology to theatres is the result of a strong partnership between the Trust and the supplier.
Mr Dale Vimalachandran, Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon (pictured), said: “The new equipment is state-of-the-art and means surgeons can better see inside the body of the person they’re operating on. This means surgeons can be even more accurate and precise when operating which is really important because it means patients will recover more quickly and we can get them home faster.”
Over 120 apprentices work at the Trust and hold a range of roles in a variety of departments. With roles from data specialists through to occupational therapists, apprentices make a real difference to Trust services and patient care.
A significant number of our recruited apprentices go on to be employed by the Trust with many developing their career, moving to more senior roles.
Molly Whelan, Vocational Development Manager said: “Apprentices make a huge contribution to the Trust and its services and we’ve been privileged to welcome so many over the years. We work hard to support apprentices through their time with us so they can learn and develop and we’re really pleased that so many gain permanent employment in the Trust after they have completed their apprenticeship.”
Apprenticeship Week 2023
Every year, apprentices and their contributions are celebrated across the country as part of Apprenticeship Week. To mark the week, held 6-12 February, a number of events were organised.
The 2023 Apprenticeship Awards were launched with nominations invited for a number of awards including: Rising Star Award, Apprentice Endeavour Award and the Apprentice Champion Award. The awards will be presented in May 2023.
During Apprenticeship Week, an open event was held to promote apprenticeships – to help managers understand the benefits of hosting an apprentice in their team and to show staff how an apprenticeship could support their own personal development. Some of the Trust’s 128 apprentices shared their experiences of being an apprentice at the Trust and what it is like to learn whilst they work.
Nicola Laing, Level 6
Occupational Therapist: “I have learnt so much academically and being able to apply the skills and knowledge in working practice has helped me further understand the role of occupational therapy.”
George Dobson, Level 3
Business Administrator: “I am thoroughly enjoying what I deem as learning valuable transferable skills applicable to the COCH workplace.”
La’Raib Wayn, Level 7
Artificial Intelligence, Data Specialist: “This apprenticeship has taught me practical aspects of machine learning using Python and allowed me to undertake a project specific to the Countess.”
Fewer care home residents attended A&E this winter after healthcare professionals increased support for social care providers in Chester.
Hospital at Home – a growing multidisciplinary team of doctors, advanced clinical practitioners, therapists, nurses, pharmacist and therapy assistants –provides hospital-level treatment in patients’ homes, avoiding unnecessary admissions and helping people return home sooner whilst continuing to receive treatment.
Last summer the team began liaising with local care homes to increase awareness of the service and promote direct referral from the homes to the service for urgent needs. After six months of this collaboration, 38% fewer care home residents attended A&E in November and December 2022 compared to the year before.
Alexandra James, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, said: “Strengthening our partnership with local care homes and seeing it have an impact so quickly has been one of the most rewarding pieces of work we’ve done.
“Our patients get the treatment they need and can continue their lives otherwise as normal. Hearing how much they, their families and care home staff appreciate what we do makes such a difference.”
An Urgent Community Response or UCR, responds to a person in crisis in their
usual place of residence within 2 hours. The care homes use a decision making support tool that they work through before calling Hospital at Home, so they signpost appropriately. Typically, the service will respond to a variety of acute issues that would otherwise result in the care home calling an ambulance. The Hospital at Home service responds to these triaged calls between 8am-8pm, 7 days a week. When this UCR was launched, Alexandra and the service spotted an opportunity to work closely with local care homes in Chester to support them using it. At first, the team targeted a select few care homes
but by November 2022 all care homes in West Cheshire had been engaged with.
Alexandra added: “It was fantastic seeing how open our local care homes have been to working with us more closely. Their enthusiasm is what has made it possible for us to make such an impact on A&E attendances.”
Patients can also be referred into Hospital at Home by a variety of routes such as GPs, North West Ambulance Service, NHS111, Community and specialist teams and other NHS colleagues.
Every patient is monitored in a ‘virtual ward’ depending on their needs, with the team managing their care from its base at Ellesmere Port Hospital. If reviews or treatment such as fluids or antibiotics need to be given, the team travel out in branded electric vehicles to the patient’s residence.
From October to December 2022 a total of 919 patients were seen by Hospital at Home overall, with 92% of those being treated at home and not needing to go into hospital. This equates to an average of 2,507 days in hospital being saved for those patients.
Dr William McManus, Hospital at Home clinical Lead, said: “We are extremely proud of the service we provide and the impact it has for our patients. The work Alexandra led in our local care homes is a great example of the significant changes we can make.”
Alexandra James supporting a patient in their care home.A priority for our teams at the Countess is to help patients get home faster, where we know they feel more at ease and comfortable.
We all know that it’s much better for a patient’s physical and mental wellbeing to leave hospital as soon as they are medically ready to do so. Patients who stay in hospital longer than is necessary may face associated risks, such as infections and the loss of independence and mobility. That’s why we are doing everything we can to reduce prolonged hospital stays and help our patients continue their recovery at home or, for those that can’t go straight home, within a care location most suited to their needs. We will be rolling out a new approach to support patients and their loved ones and help to get them home, where we know they will feel more comfortable. It is our hope that the ‘When am I going home?’ approach will empower and encourage patients and their families to feel confident in asking questions about their care and recovery beyond the hospital setting.
Stephanie Williams, Ward Manager on Ward 42, one of the pilot wards said: “We recognise it can sometimes be hard for patients to ask questions about where their care is up to, especially if they’re unsure about their illness or they can see staff are busy; but encouraging them to ask key questions can help them feel more in control of their recovery.”
The campaign is centred around four questions that patients can ask so they understand everything they need to know about their care and recovery plan. We will be actively encouraging patients to
ask these questions when they are staying in hospital:
1. What is wrong with me?
2. What is going to happen next?
3. What can I do to help myself get better?
4. When am I likely to go home?
Stephanie added: “These are simple, but really important questions. Ward staff should be able to answer these questions and the answers should all be contained within the notes of each patient and easy to find.”
There’s are many things that loved ones can do to help ensure patients are ready to go home – on a practical basis. Stephanie said: “We would encourage family, friends and carers to ask the questions too so they can provide support the patient but also make sure all the necessary arrangements are in place for someone when they are ready to go home.”
The things that loved ones can do to support a patient leaving hospital are:
• make arrangements to be available at the time of discharge
• make the home comfortable for the patients return
• arrange help around the home
• arrange transport and clothes to leave hospital in
• put the heating on if needed
• stock the patient’s home with basic food and any medicine they might need.
If you have any questions about our ‘When am I going home?’ approach, speak to the staff on the ward or our PALS team. PALS are now located in the main entrance of the hospital and can be contacted on:
Freephone: 08001951241 (please select option 2)
Phone: 01244 366066
Email: cochpals@nhs.net
Write: PALS Manager, PALS, Countess of Chester Hospital Foundation Trust, Liverpool Road, Chester CH2 1UL.
The Trust is implementing a new approach to patient care called Patient Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU).
Patient Initiated Follow-Up gives patients the choice about whether they feel they need an appointment with the Trust rather than having a regular or pre-set clinic appointment. This helps to reduce unnecessary clinic appointments, reduce waiting times, and help clinical teams to support more patients in a timely manner.
By allowing patients to decide if they require a follow up appointment, it
promotes a more collaborative approach to healthcare, in which patients and their families are active partners in the decisionmaking process.
Dr. Peter Fitzmaurice, Paediatric Consultant, who’s been leading the roll out in the Paediatric department over the past few months said: “This is a real positive step in allowing patients more autonomy into their follow up care. It has the potential to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction, as well as to reduce healthcare costs.”
Our ward accreditation programme is well established and in March, we began the process of assessing and accrediting our outpatient wards.
The accreditation process seeks to develop the quality of care, patient experience, the environment and governance on wards with clear and measurable standards. The aim is to reduce variations in care and quality, standardise practices, increase staff engagement, improve accountability and governance and create a culture of pride and accomplishment.
Hilda Gwilliams, Director of Nursing and Quality said: “Our ward accreditation programme is a really positive way to encourage our nurses and midwives to use their knowledge, experience and values to deliver change and continue to strive for the highest possible standards of care for our patients.”
An assessment team looks at data for the ward and then visits the area to speak to staff, review the environment and get an overall sense of ward leadership. The team comprises representatives from the Quality team, Infection Prevention and Control team, Safeguarding team, Palliative Care team, matrons and ward managers.
The Practice Development Team have recently been awarded the National Preceptorship Interim Quality Mark. The Trust was one of only two in the North West to achieve this highly credited status and there are only 9 other Trusts nationally who have also received the Quality Mark to date. Preceptorship plays a key role in supporting newly qualified professionals to settle into their roles, apply their knowledge into every-day practice and to have the best start in their careers. The team were required to meet several national Preceptorship Standards that aligned with the national framework.
Hilda Gwilliams, Director of Nursing and Quality said: “I’m so proud of the team for working so hard to achieve this award. This is a fantastic achievement for them and the Trust as it will support new staff and help our staff retention. It is so positive to see the team’s work celebrated at a national level.”
Kelsey Jones, Practice Development Lead Nurse said, “We are extremely proud of the Preceptorship programme we offer at the Trust. It is great to be recognised nationally and receive the Quality Mark”. Kelsey and her colleague Nikita Rudd, Practice Development Nurse, travelled to London in March to receive the award at an NHS England event.
Wards are awarded a gold, silver, bronze or white level of quality. As the accreditation process continues, wards that repeatedly receive a gold award will be awarded platinum status.
Dani Webster, Matron of Urgent Care said of the visit: “The assessments are really important for our wards to showcase their services to patients and reassures our patients that the area they are receiving care in, is regularly assessed and that they will receive excellent quality care.”
Kelsey Jones and Nikita Rudd pictured after collecting the award in London
A new tracker has been implemented in the Pharmacy department to provide a better service to patients.
The tracker is currently being used in Pharmacy and the Discharge Lounge to track the flow of prescriptions and medicines that patients need to take home with them.
The tracker has multiple functions which will help to improve the efficiency of the service. The team can prioritise prescriptions through the department and can address any bottlenecks and solve issues more quickly.
Emma Williams, Dispensary Manager said: “The tracker has already had a huge impact on our team and there’s huge potential given the level of functionality within it. The tracker will help us to prepare the medicines that patients need to take home with them more efficiently based on an individual patient’s circumstance, to speed up the discharge of patients. For example, a patient travelling home by ambulance can be tagged so we can identify that their medication needs to be prioritised.”
The tracker records how long different types of prescriptions are taking to be processed and the team in the Discharge Lounge can view this to track progress. The tracker is being rolled out to other areas of the hospital.
Two new strategies are set to re-set the Trust’s approach to wellbeing and equality, diversity and inclusion.
Staff wellbeing is central to the organisational culture of the Trust and a new approach will support staff and make the Trust an employer of choice.
Nicola Price, Chief People Officer said: “We’re constructing a new wellbeing hub – a dedicated space for staff to use for wellbeing activities – which will open later this year and our new wellbeing manager will start in the coming months and help drive our strategy and future plans forward so we can provide the best possible support to our staff.”
The new three-year strategy has four core pillars: physical wellbeing, mental health, financial and safety and will launch in May.
The Trust is focused on building a culture which ensures equality and diversity runs through every part of the Trust, its services and the way it supports its patients and staff.
Nicola added: “We want patients and staff to feel comfortable and safe being their true self whether they are receiving care or working for us. We know we have a lot more work to do in this area but we are on the right path and I’m confident we can make the improvements we know we need.”
New Staff Networks relaunch
A key part of the EDI Strategy are Staff Networks and on International Women’s Day, the Women’s Network and BAME Network relaunched (pictured).
Jenni Millard, Chair of the Women’s Network said: “We’ve already got a number of areas that we will focus on and some incredibly enthusiastic and motivated members which is really positive. I’m looking forward to helping to inform the Trust’ agenda and to work with other Staff Networks to better represent staff in the Trust’s future plans and activities.”
The Trust’s text reminder service is now live across Outpatients. The service enables patients to confirm, cancel or rebook their appointment in a quick and convenient way.
It supports patients to ensure they know when their appointment is, and it is already making a difference by helping to reduce the number of appointments that are missed. It’s a free
service and patients can opt out at any time. If you do receive a text reminder, please follow the instructions carefully by responding with ‘YES’, ‘CANCEL’ OR ‘REBOOK’ along with the relevant 4 digital code included on the text message. Responding to the text message in the appropriate way will help to ensure your response is received and processed by the hospital teams correctly.
Patients who need emergency medical care can now be seen in the Trust’s new Same Day Emergency Care Unit. Known as the SDEC, it hosts a range of services which will see and treat patients on the same day rather than them being admitted to hospital.
With key teams co-located in the building, clinicians can work more closely together to provide joined up, quicker assessment of patients. Patients are referred to the SDEC directly from the Emergency Department, by NHS111, their local GP or by the North West Ambulance Service.
Karen Townsend, Divisional Director of Urgent Care said: “Since opening in December, we’ve had good, constructive feedback from patients telling us what we’ve done well and what we can improve.
“Based on this feedback, we’re working to improve the temperature of the waiting area, removed the temporary fencing to improve access and we’re also looking at how we can improve access to disabled car
parking. As our clinical teams have settled into the new building and got used to a new way of working, we’ve also been able to address some of the concerns patients had about waiting times and we continue to review the way we work.”
Some of the comments from patients include:
“It was an excellent place to be –much more comfortable than A&E and because it’s more comfortable I feel well-looked after. It was a much shorter wait than A&E! So very grateful – a much better experience than I expected.”
“Great service. All tests done including X-ray and consultation and treatment plan in less than 2 hours.”
“I was very impressed with the building and excellent care from the friendly staff. This unit is a brilliant idea if it keeps people cared for in their own homes and not admitted to a ward.”
“Staff were very helpful, very kind. Wait times in between being seen frustrating but inevitable.”
Construction of the new Women and Children’s Building is set to begin later this year following Cheshire West and Chester Council’s approval of the Trust’s planning application.
The new building will enhance the quality of care and treatment for the local community and wider region and reflect the Trust’s ambition to provide high quality, safe and effective treatment and care to patients and their families.
The new building will house maternity, paediatric, neonatal, ultrasound and gynaecology services across its three floors. The Trust is on-track to secure a £110 million investment in the project from NHS England and building work will begin in the summer with completion scheduled for 2025.
Joan Carter, Project Director for the Trust said: “Getting the green light from the Council for our plans was a milestone in our plans. We know we have more work to do with our local communities to ensure they are part of the process and understand what’s happening on site and we are already making progress in this area.”
“This new facility will enable a stepchange in how we provide families with the highest levels of care and treatment.”
Enabling works have already begun on site to ensure that construction can get underway in the coming months. At the end of March, site hoarding was erected and there are plans in place to ensure safe access for construction vehicles. The Trust is working towards a strong and collaborative working relationship with Upton Parish Council and local residents and further engagement meetings will be arranged.
An artist’s impression of how the new building might look.“Professional,
“Absolutely great, the doctors, the staff were all very professional and friendly. I had my first ever operation and an overnight stay. Thank you.”
A Derbyshire mother has donated more than 60 litres of breast milk in three months to the Milk Bank at Chester.
Natalie Endean, from Buxton, gave birth to her son Bryn last August at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport. Bryn was born at 27 weeks, weighing 840g, which meant he had to be transferred to the neonatal unit at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester – where he is doing well and since grown to weigh over 9lbs.
When Natalie realised her milk was not only feeding Bryn but also gradually filling up two freezers at home, one of Bryn’s nurses signposted her towards the Milk Bank at Chester, which is run by the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and supplies human milk donations to hospitals all over the country.
Natalie said: “When Bryn was born we discovered how important breast milk is for premature babies, but he could only drink small amounts at a time so we soon built up an excess stock.
“I didn’t want to slow down expressing or let it go to waste. This is when I heard about the Milk Bank at Chester and how they collect milk from mums’ homes, before sending donations to hospitals all over the country to feed babies like Bryn.
“I’m aware how lucky I am to be able to express as much as I do, so donating makes me really proud, knowing I am helping other families who need it. I can’t speak highly
enough of the Milk Bank, Blood Bikes and hospital teams for all the support they’ve given me.”
Natalie has donated more than 60 litres of milk since October to become one of the charity’s largest donors. At times Bryn was only feeding on 0.5ml of milk in hourly feeds, which means Natalie’s donations may have delivered up to 2,000 feeds for babies like Bryn.
She added: “As I go along it doesn’t feel like much, but I realised recently 60 litres overall is about the same as 120 bottles (500ml) of Pepsi, which made me appreciate the impact this has.”
The Milk Bank at Chester uses a volunteer network of Blood Bikes to collect donations from mums’ homes all over the country and return them to Chester for processing.
A team of specialists then log, pasteurise, test and re-freeze the milk, before it is redistributed through the Blood Bikes network to 44 different
hospitals in England and Wales, as well as occasionally the Isle of Man and Ireland. Frozen human milk can be carefully stored for up to three months, depending on certain conditions, before being used to feed babies.
Laura Atherton, Interim Support Manager at the Milk Bank at Chester (pictured 2nd from right with the rest of the Milk Bank team), said: “We are so proud of Natalie. She is doing an amazing job for so many families and we are privileged to play our part in helping her donations feed so many babies.”
The Milk Bank at Chester is one of the largest services of its type in the UK, with the team being invited to speak at infant feeding conferences. A total of 790 litres of milk was processed and sent to hospitals in the six months to the end of January 2023.
There are satellite Milk Bank hubs that enable milk to be dispatched 24/7 across the north of England, meaning that almost every hospital in the North of England and North Wales is within 50 miles of a hub.
To find out more about the Milk Bank at Chester call 01244362226, email milkbank.chester@nhs.net or visit https://www.milkbankatchester.org.uk/.
“Nothing but thanks and praise for the care my mum received from all concerned, thank you.”
extremely skilled, caring and the communication was excellent despite how stressed and pressured they must have been. And we had a lovely little group in the waiting room! Thanks NHS and staff.”
The Blue Skies Balcony Appeal was launched to build a balcony for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) so that patients could see blue skies and feel fresh air on their faces away from the clinical area of ICU.
As with all projects the initial thoughts have evolved, and a key use of the balcony will be for physical therapy. During this time our ambitions, plans and costs have increased as has the need for outside space that can be easily accessed from ICU.
Dr Lawrence Wilson, Consultant in Intensive Care & Anesthesia said “The nicer weather in early March meant we were able to take one of our critically ill patients out into the ground floor garden for some fresh air. Four
staff and a myriad of specialist equipment and monitoring were needed to be able to do this. Having a medically configured balcony, accessed directly from the unit, will allow us to take a greater number of patients, some of whom would not have been suitable for the longer trip downstairs to the garden, will be such a boost to our patients’ physical recovery as well as their mental wellbeing.”
Lesley Woodhead, Head of Fundraising said: “A huge thank you to everyone who has supported this appeal so far. To date you have helped us raise £550k of the £750k target. We are aiming to complete the appeal during the 75th Anniversary of the NHS. Please help in any way you can with fundraising for this appeal.”
The Ursula Keyes Trust generously donated £69,500 to purchase a Faxitron Trident HD Specimen Radiography System which will streamline patient care and speed operations when undergoing breast surgery.
Consultant Breast Surgeon and Clinical Lead for Breast Services, Anita Hargreaves said; “The care provided to our patients and the operative standards will be significantly improved with this state-of-the-art Faxitron equipment. On behalf of the team here at the Ursula Keyes Breast Care Centre I would like to thank the Ursula Keyes Trust for supporting us over the years and especially with the funds for this new Faxitron machine.”
We have a number of events coming up and we’d love to come along or get involved.
If you’d like to find out more please visit the Fundraising Office (open 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday) in the main reception area of the Countess, call us on 01244 366240 or email coch.fundraising@nhs. net. You can also follow us on Facebook to keep up to date. 22
Former Breast and Paediatric consultant surgeon at the centre, Elizabeth Redmond, now a Trustee of the Ursula Keyes Trust, added; “This is an important way the Ursula Keyes Trust can make a difference to the community and quality of life in the city. We are proud to be able to support this project which will help our staff, nurses, consultants and above all patients at the Countess of Chester.”
Ian Russell, Sian Preston and Liz Redmond, Trustees of the Ursula Keyes Trust present the cheque to Consultant Breast Surgeon and Clinical Lead for Breast Services, Anita Hargreaves
Meeting staff and getting a sense of how an area functions or could be improved are the aim of Governor walkabouts which now happen every month.
In early February governors Lucy Liang and Paula Edwards visited the Trust’s Estates Department along with Andrea Campbell, associate non-executive director. They wanted to get a better understanding of what it does to support the wider Trust and were shown round the department by Tony Chare, Head of Estates and Ian Miller, Director of Estates.
The Estates team checks that the buildings and general environment are running to the highest standards for patients, visitors and staff. This involves maintaining the bricks and mortar of the buildings, engineering systems and certain equipment. There are a number of professions in the team including engineers, electricians, joiners and plumbers.
Lucy Liang tell us about their visit:
“We were really impressed by the volume and breadth of work that the team do.
Anyone can join the Trust as a member and help develop services by giving feedback and supporting the Trust in its work.
Please contact our Membership Team (details at bottom of page) to become a member or find out about becoming a governor.
• Free copies of Countess Matters
• Invitations to take part in discussions or surveys about services
• A vote in the annual governor elections
• A personal invitation to the Annual Members’ Meeting
Governors are elected to our Council of Governors and usually hold their position for three years after which they can run for re-election. Only members can become governors.
You can find out more, including who our Governors are on the Trust’s website: www.coch.nhs.uk.
They’re relatively small compared to the size of the Trust but very committed to supporting other teams and providing a safe environment for patients.
“The team have recently introduced a new system – all digitised on computer – to log and record the job requests they receive and the work they do. This is giving them a better understanding of what’s needed, where and where there might be recurrent issues or problem areas.
“It also means that the team can plan their work because they can see at a glance on a big screen in the department, jobs of various size or location so they can plan their days better.
“There’s a number of different skilled roles in the team and we talked to them about succession planning and suggested they could consider introducing apprenticeships to help build the team for the future. We thought this would be really positive – for those with such knowledge and skill to pass it on to the next generation.
“The visit was really interesting and opened my eyes to the importance of Estates in a busy hospital.”
The residents were thrilled to see their new friend John the Owl Man, who came with his feathered companions, Sam, Otis, and Holly, they also had entertainer Paul who serenaded everyone in the sunshine.
For those that like a bit of retail therapy the fayre was a fabulous opportunity with local businesses selling their wares and the residents, relatives, staff, and guests also got to try their luck on the tombola which featured a wealth of prizes donated by families and the local community, it was a marvellous day!
The residents and staff of the Ellesmere Port home would like to say a massive thank you to everybody involved and to everybody that came, as the Fayre raised over £300 for the residents’ fund! We look forward to welcoming you all again to our Summer Fayre on Saturday 5th August.
Aaron Court Care Home is open for show rounds and visits, contact us on 0151 3571233 or email aaroncourtmanager@hillcare.net for more information.
We offer a wide range of programmes across our Chester, Birkenhead, Warrington and Shrewsbury sites, from apprenticeships and foundation studies to bachelors, masters and doctorates.
Courses include Nurse Associate, Assistant Practitioner, Return to Practice Nursing, Art Therapy, Advanced Practice, Non Medical Prescribing and many more.
To find out more about our programmes, please visit www.chester.ac.uk/health
For admissions enquiries please contact hscadmissions@chester.ac.uk
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FhscChester university-of-chester-faculty-of-health-and-social-care
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Client: Sheffield Children’s Hospital
Sector: Healthcare
Type: Refurbishment
Procurement Method: Tender
Location: Sheffield
Project Value: £3.5 million
Project Description:
A 12-month refurbishment project of Ward 6 at the Sheffield Children’s Hospital creating a newly transformed Cancer and Leukaemia ward. This involved a complete strip out taking the building back to a concrete shell. We also built an extension at the back of the ward to form new doctor office with kitchens and places for the staff to relax on their breaks, In the new ward area we created ensuite bespoke bedrooms, interactive playrooms, school rooms and more for the children, to make the stay as comfortable as possible. Around the back of the hospital in between 3 building we manufactured and installed a steel mezzanine plant deck at roof level, on this 2 new AHU and 2 new chillers were built servicing all ward 6 and the ED department sending fresh filtered air in the ensuites.
Our works included new mechanical and electrical installations, new partitioning and ceilings, replacement of all external windows on the entire hospital and roof coverings, all the joinery in the bedrooms was bespoke making the new rooms bright and welcoming, it is now a more comfortable place to stay.
The Solution:
Working a tricky shaped building can sometimes cause problems, luckily our teams knew how to solve problems quickly so as not to cause any hold ups. Biggest issue was the size of the void above the ceiling and fitting the vast ducts up there whilst also getting electrics and pipe work underneath, all the teams working hand in hand, so they all had enough space.
The design and build steel plant deck at roof level connects to three different building on four different elevations. The steel had to be crane lifted over the roof of the main hospital building and assembled from a crash deck in the void between all four buildings. This deck had to be designed and installed in phases this was subject to road closure restrictions to the main road in front of the hospital and the installation was completed while operations continued in all four of the adjacent hospital buildings.
Testimonial:
Project was very successful, work was done to the scheduled program and completed with respect to the hospital’s requirements. A safe and welcoming safe space was created for the children, along with quiet and calming space for the parents and staff.
