Insight Northampton Autumn 2013

Insight

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R N O R T H A M P T O N G E N E R A L H O S P I TA L PAT I E N T S A N D V I S I T O R S

Autumn 2013 Issue 48

FaRgaEziE ne m

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Thank you NGH! Surge in patient praise for great care

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2 ❘ INSIGHT

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Contents

Welcome

4 ACCIDENT & EMERGENCY have their busiest month ever 5 Are you coming to the NGH FESTIVAL in September? It’s free!

6 The NGH CHOIR is hitting all the right notes – see them in rehearsal 8 Our PATIENT SAFETY ACADEMY is aiming to save more lives 10 One of the academy’s projects is about improving the WARD ROUND

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14 Our MACMILLAN INFORMATION CENTRE has moved downstairs to a new purpose-built location 15 The charity AGE UK are helping to support older people attending our A&E department

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16 Meet Dr Clare Topping – our energy and sustainability manager is in the PEOPLE SPOTLIGHT

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COVER IMAGE: CHRONICLE AND ECHO

29 Read about one mum’s TREK PLAN to help more sick children have their wishes granted 30 Your gifts to our CHARITABLE FUND help us do that little bit more for patients

The NHS hasn’t been out of the headlines for a single week this year and, although some of the criticism is clearly justified, it doesn’t take into account the hundreds of thousands of positive outcomes for patients.

33 BBC Radio Northampton’s Helen Blaby makes an ORGAN DONATION plea 34 Read about a colorectal SUPPORT GROUP that has been set up, and a Macmillan professional shortlisted for an award

Maybe that’s why so many of you have felt compelled to tell us that your experience of the service here was actually a good one?

Until our next edition in December, you can keep up-todate with all the news from NGH on the hospital’s website (www.northamptongeneral. nhs.uk).

Peter Kennell Editor

24 Meet a selection of NGH PEOPLE who have been making the news recently 26 Could you help to feed patients as a VOLUNTEER on one of our wards?

Welcome to the Autumn edition of Insight, which this time contains a bumper collection of letters from patients praising their care at NGH.

Whatever the reason, we’re very grateful for all your kind comments, and we hope you’ll keep them coming – it’s such a morale boost to our hardworking staff. Please email us at pals@ngh.nhs.uk to tell us about your experience, or leave a review on our page at www.nhs.uk

19 See some of the bumper crop of PATIENT PRAISE letters we’ve received in this four-page special

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36 Announcements, diversions on the Insight NOTICEBOARD 37 Find your way to departments and wards with the WAYFINDING MAP 38 Read about NGH times gone by in FROM THE ARCHIVE

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Insight, the magazine for NGH patients, visitors and the local community is published every three months by Northampton General Hospital Communications, Cliftonville, Northampton NN1 5BD. Insight is available online at www. northamptongeneral.nhs.uk where you can also read all our back issues (go to About Us, Documents and publications) Editor: Peter Kennell 01604 523871 (peter.kennell@ngh.nhs.uk) Photos: Medical Illustration 01604 545251 Advertising: Octagon Design & Marketing 01909 478822

40 Win tickets to see Wind in the Willows in our Royal & Derngate COMPETITION

It’s a Free for All! Insight is a free magazine, and we encourage our patients and visitors to take one home with our compliments. Please pass it on to a friend or relative when you have read it.

Insight doesn’t cost the hospital anything either, as the print and design are provided free of charge in return for the revenue from advertisers. No NHS or charitable donations are used to fund its production.

INSIGHT ❘ 3

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

What we do Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust provides general acute services for a population of 380,000 and hyper-acute stroke, vascular and renal services to people living throughout the whole of Northamptonshire, a population of 684,000.

The Trust is also an accredited cancer centre and provides cancer services to a wider population of 880,000 who live in Northamptonshire and parts of Buckinghamshire.

In addition to the main hospital site, which is located close to Northampton town centre, the Trust also provides services at the following sites in the county: ◗ Danetre Hospital in Daventry: Outpatients, day surgery and in-patient rehabilitation ◗ Isebrook Hospital in Wellingborough: In-patient rehabilitation services ◗ Corby Community Hospital: In-patient rehabilitation services We provide the full range of outpatients, diagnostics, inpatient and day case elective and emergency care and also a growing range of specialist treatments that distinguishes our services from many district general hospitals.

Our vision and values Our vision is to provide the very best care for all of our patients. This requires NGH to be recognised as a hospital that delivers safe, clinically effective acute services focused entirely on the needs of the patient, their relatives and carers. These services may be delivered from our acute or community hospital sites or by our staff in the community.

The Trust’s prime focus is to provide excellent care for our patients, regardless of the setting where this is undertaken.

In order to achieve our vision, the Trust has set out these aims: ◗ Be a provider of quality care for all our patients ◗ Enhance our range of hyper acute services for the wider community ◗ Provide appropriate care for our patients in the most effective way ◗ Foster a culture where staff can give their best and thrive ◗ Ensure we invest wisely to make improvements in care

Who we are Chairman Paul Farenden | Interim chief executive and medical director Dr Sonia Swart | Interim chief operating officer Clive Walsh | Director of nursing, midwifery and patient services Suzie Loader | Acting director of finance Andrew Foster | Director of facilities and capital development Charles Abolins | Director of strategy and partnerships Chris Pallot | Director of workforce and transformation Janine Brennan | Nonexecutive directors Graham Kershaw, David Noble, Nick Robertson, Liz Searle, Phil Zeidler.

Contact us NGH all departments: 01604 634700 Website: www.northamptongeneral.nhs.uk

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◗ NEWS ROUND-UP

A&E has busiest month on record The number of people attending our accident and emergency department continues to rise, with July’s total of 9,882 making it the busiest ever month at NGH. The figure is 15 per cent higher than the same month last year, and the equivalent of one person arriving every four and a half minutes, night and day, throughout the whole month.

Interviewed by BBC Northampton, A&E consultant nurse Piers Massey said there were many reasons for the rise, including the obvious one of population growth.

However it was also clear that a lot of people came for convenience. He said: “People don’t want to leave work for something like a twisted ankle or a cut, so they’ll save it up till the evening. Then there’s less provision for help elsewhere, so A&E is an easy place to turn up to.

We can usually predict when people will arrive, and there is always a spike in attendances between 6 - 7pm.”

Piers Massey was interviewed by BBC Northampton’s Elinor Cross

Radio Northampton heard that, as well as very serious cases, people were also known to present at A&E for trivial complaints – including hair loss, and being bitten by a hamster.

Consultant Dr Julia Weatherill said: “Often you think ‘I don’t need a medical degree to do this’ but then minutes later there can be a pile-up on

the motorway, people come in shattered, and we have to try and fix them.”

As attendances for the year topped 100,000 for the first time at NGH, the hospital reiterated its advice that A&E was there for genuine accidents and emergencies – and should not be used for Anything and Everything.

What is A&E for?

Many people continue to use the department inappropriately as a short cut, particularly to out of hours care. You can help take pressure off A&E by only using it appropriately – here are some examples.

✘ Examples of inappropriate uses of A&E:

✔ Examples of appropriate use of A&E:

◗ Old injuries or joint problems - are best seen by your GP, at least initially

◗ Serious medical problems such as chest pain, collapse, or heavy blood loss ◗ Limb injuries which are very painful and could be caused by a broken bone ◗ Burns which are large, or deep, and need dressings ◗ Deep cuts which won’t stop bleeding, may have damaged tendons or may need stitches to heal properly

◗ Coughs and colds - most people would be best just to stay at home or see their local pharmacist

◗ Queries about medication - these are best dealt with by your GP ◗ Toothache - you need to be seen by a dentist. Hospitals like Northampton General do not have trained dentists in A&E ◗ Trying to use A&E to get a ‘second opinion’ rather than using the GP service

NEWS ROUND-UP ◗

n – 4pm o o n 2 1 r, e b m e t Saturday 14 Sep

Pictures from one of our previous open days

Join us at the NGH Festival!

Everyone at NGH is getting very excited about our first NGH Festival.

“We wanted to do more than we have in the past at our open days,” said Sally Watts, head of communications, who is helping plan the Festival with Elinor Morton, our membership manager. “Having the support of the hospital charity has made a

There is so much for everyone to see and do.

real difference to what we can do this year and we are really pleased with the response we have had from departments across the hospital.

Having the support of the wider community is also a great bonus. We are pleased to have Bhangra dancers and Dhol drummers to entertain visitors in our marquee, as well as a jazz band (many of whom are NGH staff), our own NGH Choir, and I know a lot of people are looking forward to having a go with the Salsa experience provided by Cripps Recreation Centre.”

Visitors to the Festival can have basic health checks, take their teddy to the Well Teddy Clinic, see inside a mock major incident room, take the ‘Play Your Costs Right’

challenge, and find out more about how chemotherapy drugs are made in our pharmacy. Entrants to the NGH History Quiz have the chance of winning tickets for a family of four to see The Wind in The Willows at The Derngate later in the year.

Or they could find out how NGH is supporting wildlife and paint their own bird box; find out what’s under the microscope in pharmacy; have a tour inside the ‘engine’ of NGH – the boiler room; have a lovely cream tea at Café Royale or enjoy a burger from the barbecue. Radio Nene Valley will be doing a live broadcast on the day.

“There is so much for everyone to see and do,” said Sally, “they will struggle to fit it all in before we have to close at 4.00pm!”

£1.9m for more nurses at NGH More than 120 additional nursing staff will be in place on Northampton General Hospital’s wards by October.

Director of nursing and midwifery Suzie Loader said: “A huge amount of work has been done to assess the nursing skill mix over the last six months, and as a result we have developed a four-year nursing and midwifery staffing strategy. The hospital board approved this in March and agreed to contribute £1.9 million to the first year of the plan, which is incredibly exciting.

“This is a tremendous boost for NGH and demonstrates the board’s commitment to ensuring that we have the right numbers and skill mix of staff

on the wards to provide the best care.

It means that there will be more staff to deliver really good, high quality care for our patients, which is our absolute

number one priority.”

The extra investment means a total increase in establishment of 123 posts – 58 registered nurses and 65 healthcare assistants. Many are already in place, with the remainder expected to be in place by the end of September.

And over a hundred potential applicants attended a nationally advertised recruitment open day at NGH in July to recruit another 15 children’s nurses.

The extra posts are needed to open a paediatric assessment unit, staff additional cots on the neonatal unit and paediatric high dependency unit, and to fill other vacancies.

INSIGHT ❘ 5

◗ THE CHOIR

Choir is hitting the right notes Something odd has been happening at Northampton General Hospital.

On Tuesday evenings over the summer, sounds have been emanating from the 19th century board room which have caused staff, patients and visitors alike to stop and listen. The sounds were not the type you would normally associate with a hospital – people putting aside their worries and enjoying themselves as they burst forth into song!

The NGH choir was born when Kerry Horner, founder of the Military Wives Choir in Dishforth, North Yorkshire, returned to her home town of Northampton and contacted the hospital to see if we wanted to do something similar. Kerry, a music graduate with a varied background as a professional flautist, music teacher, and conductor of bands, orchestras and choirs, believed people working in the medical profession

The NGH choir is progressing at an incredibly quick rate.

Members of the NGH choir find their voice

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could really benefit from a choir in the same way as the military does.

Head of communications SallyAnne Watts recognised the potential benefits for staff, and set out to advertise the formation of the NGH choir. Before long, more than 50 people had put their names forward and began to meet for weekly practice – their objective being to make a first public appearance at the trust’s AGM and Festival in September.

Kerry, now the choir’s musical director, said: “The NGH choir is progressing at an incredibly quick rate. I have been surprised at what the choir, which is predominantly made up of inexperienced singers, has achieved in such a short amount of time. The choir effectively managed to sing accurately in three part harmony within an hour of their very

first rehearsal, which is astounding.

I have chosen songs of varying difficulty to suit the vast range of abilities within the choir, and all singers have taken on the challenge with enthusiasm and determination, with very impressive results. At two months old the choir is now performing some very challenging music with style and sounding great.”

So why not come along to the NGH Festival and hear our choir – they will be performing in the marquee on Saturday afternoon, 14 September.

They will be performing three songs in three- and four-part harmony, which they have been working very hard to perfect for the occasion. If you can’t make the Festival, look out for news of Christmas events when we hope they will have an opportunity to sing in the hospital and bring pleasure and entertainment to patients, visitors and staff.

Choir members assemble for Tuesday evening practice

WHAT THEY SAY “One of the really nice things about going to choir is that you get to feel part of the NGH ‘family’. Each evening so far has started with laughter – because we’re struggling to learn the words and tune but by the end of the night we’re starting to sound pretty good!” – Kate “The choir is a great idea. I didn’t know anyone else before I went along, but I met some wonderful people and it was fantastic. I’ve not sung before, only along with CDs in my kitchen! I came out of there feeling more alive than for a long time. It gave me a real buzz.” – Gill

The choir’s musical director Kerry Corner and Ali the piano man

They offer a chance for everyone to experience the excitement of performing regardless of their musical abilities.

Meanwhile nearby wards and passers-by continue to listen to and enjoy Tuesday evening practice, and members of the choir are constantly hearing stories of how it has touched various people around the hospital.

It seems the choir, now almost 100 strong, is not just benefiting the members who attend each week – it is becoming a pleasure to others in the NGH community and an important part of hospital life.

“Directing a choir is like nothing else I do,” said Kerry. “I have taught

music in many different ways but choirs are unique. They offer a chance for everyone to experience the excitement of performing regardless of their musical abilities.

As Stephen Sondheim famously said, ‘If I cannot fly, let me sing’. Singing is so uplifting. When you have had a tough day it helps you relax, put aside your worries and just enjoy the moment. Just for a moment nothing matters except the music. That’s the importance of music and why I love it - everybody needs music in their lives in some way or another.”

“I’ve always wanted to sing in a hospital choir. It is a fantastic way to relax at the end of a demanding day at work. It’s wonderful to see such a mix of people all working together. Shame we haven’t got more men!” – Natasha “The choir brings staff together to celebrate our voices and our hospital in a positive uplifting way. One voice that hopefully will bring joy to others as well as ourselves.” – Brian “I was absolutely delighted when Kerry got in touch. I’d been thinking that an NGH Choir would be a great way for people to get to know one another outside our work roles.

Singing is a great way of breaking down barriers and makes you feel good – even if you’ve had the worst day ever at work!” – Sally

INSIGHT ❘ 7

◗ PATIENT SAFETY

Safety Academy aims to save lives Improving the safety of patient care is a significant challenge for the NHS, and for health services around the world. In this country, we are fortunate in many ways with our healthcare system. It is affordable and accessible to all; it is staffed by skilled and dedicated professionals; and anybody who falls ill can reasonably expect a high standard of care.

Healthcare relies on a range of complex interactions between people, skills, technologies and drugs. Sometimes things can – and do – go wrong, and patients can unintentionally become the victim of an error.

In July 2012 Northampton General Hospital established a Patient Safety Academy, led by the medical director, five clinical leads and a project management team trained to support improvement techniques. The academy has an overall three-year aim of reducing harm by 50 per cent and saving an extra 300 lives.

The team lead in five key areas of improvement: ◗ Reducing harm from failure to plan

Many more people are working throughout the whole organisation to help improve patient safety.

◗ Reducing harm from failure to rescue ◗ Reducing harm from failures of care ◗ Learning from and sharing lessons from failures and successes ◗ Learning from error and human factors – safety science The five work streams encompass a broad and challenging portfolio of projects. Many more people are working throughout the whole organisation to help improve patient safety, and much of the work they are doing impacts across all five of these work streams – for example staff in Information Technology, Pharmacy and Medication Safety.

Healthcare relies on a range of complex interactions between people, skills, technologies and drugs.

The majority of our projects focus on the day to day work our doctors and nurses are involved with on the ‘shop floor’.

Members of the Patient Safety Academy at a recent meeting

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Dr Jonny Wilkinson – Lead for the Failure to Plan work stream Consultant anaesthetist and intensivist Dr Jonny Wilkinson is the lead for the ‘Failure to plan’ work stream. He said: “Ideally when patients come into hospital there would be a clear plan for their care – but sometimes despite everything, this doesn’t happen.

“The majority of our projects focus on the day to day work our doctors and nurses are involved with on the ‘shop floor,’ and fall into three areas. Firstly, what we do at the start – record keeping.

We are constantly looking at ways to improve the quality of our patient records. For example we have just launched new nursing documentation which aims to minimise time wasted writing and maximise patient contact time.

None of our patients should be the victims of poor record keeping.

“Then there is what we do in the middle, and ward rounds form a large part of this. One example is around having more structured ward rounds, resulting in both patients and staff having formulated plans – and therefore less confusion – after the round.

None of our patients should be the victims of poor planning.

“Finally, what we do at the end – discharge and the GP. Communication between our hospital and GPs has been a challenge. One area of particular concern is the quality of electronic discharge information they receive from us when their patients leave the hospital. There is a body of work taking place to target this and improve things.”

You can read more about one aspect of the work of this team in our feature Improving the ward round on the following pages – and we will be featuring more work from the Patient Safety Academy in future issues of Insight. Meanwhile, meet the other clinical leads from the academy here.

Dr Jono Hardwick – Lead for the Failure to Rescue work stream Most of our patients do get the care that we intend but even then sometimes their condition gets worse unexpectedly and we don’t always recognise this or act upon it and this puts patients at risk. There are ways that we can minimise the chances of this happening.

Mary Burt – Lead for the Failures of Care work stream Occasionally – for one reason or another – the care plan doesn’t always get acted upon. This work stream covers many of the most basic elements of care that we provide as hospital staff – including fluids and nutrition, pressure ulcer prevention, care of patients with dementia, medicines management and so on.

Dr Lyndsey Brawn – Lead for the Learning from and Sharing from Failures & Successes work stream Even with the best care things still sometimes go wrong and it’s crucial that when this happens we learn as much as we can about how to prevent similar things happening in the future. The NHS hasn’t generally been very good at this so we’re giving it an extremely high priority.

Dr Chris Frerk – Lead for the Learning from Error and Human Factors Safety Science work stream Most people act with the best of intentions, however the NHS is a very complicated machine and there are all sorts of reasons why we don’t perform as well as we think. These are “human factors” such as communication problems which are well known to be major contributors to critical incidents.

Celia Warlow – Patient Safety Academy and Resuscitation Services Manager Celia and the Resuscitation Service team joined the Patient Safety Academy in May. Celia’s role is to ensure that all projects are running to time and the leads are reporting on their work streams. She ensures everything is on track and keeps everyone informed, under the direction of the academy’s programme director Jane Bradley – who has been supporting and working with the medical director for the past four years to improve patient safety and quality at NGH.

INSIGHT ❘ 9

◗ PATIENT SAFETY

Improving the ward round All acutely ill patients require at least a once a day structured clinical review, usually undertaken on a ward round. Ward rounds are one of the most fundamental processes in any hospital. At a recent healthcare conference one NHS doctor described them as the “pit stops” of clinical care, saying that they require as much study and optimisation as a Formula One team would put into

The hospital is getting ever busier and there’s continuing pressure to see increasing numbers of patients in a safe and timely manner.

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their pit stop routines.

Here at NGH one of the work streams of our Patient Safety Academy is targeted with making improvements to the ward round.

One of the two doctors leading the project, consultant anaesthetist and intensivist Dr Jonny Wilkinson, said: “The hospital is getting ever busier and there’s continuing

pressure to see increasing numbers of patients in a safe and timely manner. We’re focusing on tightening ward rounds to best use all available skills and resources, and a new pilot scheme is being trialled on four acute care medical wards. The overall aim is to improve team and patient communication, expedite discharge of those who are ready, and improve safety.”

Dr Jon Timperley, Dr Ghatouri-Shiraz, staff nurse Becci Smith with patient Richard Card

◗ PATIENT SAFETY

Ward rounds tend to be larger on ITU. Here Dr Indu Venkadatasari, Dr Jonny Wilkinson, Dr Kate McClean, Dr Nick Brazel, Sister Gloria Sinyoro discuss progress with patient Jonathan Poyser (Jonathan was not wearing a top at his own request – it was the July heatwave!)

The rounds take slightly longer to complete, but when you finish the ward round that’s it, you’re done.

12 ❘ INSIGHT

Instead of multiple doctors, nurses and support staff taking part, the roles have been condensed, and some ward rounds now often consist just of the consultant, one junior doctor and a nurse performing all the roles together. A ward round template has been introduced, which sets out various checklists and communication steps which should be adhered to, and a video has been produced to highlight to other staff how rounds can be run safely and efficiently.

Technology also plays its part in the new style round with two essential components being the use of digital dictation, and a computer on a trolley, affectionately known as a ‘cow’ (computer on wheels).

Consultant cardiologist Dr Jon Timperley, the second project lead, said: “There are two parts to the ward round – one is making sure we’re informing the patient and they’re getting what they need out of it. The other is being as efficient as possible, so the aim is to make the ward round as short as you can, but getting everything done.

“So we have a junior doctor who, instead of writing in the notes, uses the computer to do the ordering of tests on each patient before we move on to the next.

The consultant dictates the notes, and these are printed off after being typed it up - so it frees up a doctor’s time and also improves what’s in the notes as it’s more

accurate and it’s legible.

“The rounds take slightly longer to complete, but when you finish the ward round that’s it, you’re done. It may be half an hour longer but previously people would be doing two hours of work after the end of the ward round, referring back through the notes to see what needed to be done, and then placing orders for tests. This way we order tests as we go and that means departments such as radiology can be more efficient too. It may be more efficient for the consultant to do it by what is known as batch processing, but it’s not efficient for anyone else – and we’re here for the patients not the consultants.”

INSIGHT ❘ 13

◗ PARTNERSHIPS

Cancer information and support moves to a new home Macmillan Cancer Support and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust have worked together for many years to develop the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service at Northamptonshire Centre for Oncology. The service has been so successful that they have recently moved to a bigger and better centre provided by the Trust and are expanding the service they offer.

We are thrilled to have moved in to our new centre which has meant we can expand the level of support we can provide to people affected by cancer.

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The service has consistently offered free, good quality, comprehensive information and support to people affected by cancer, their relatives, friends and carers. They have a huge resource library including books, leaflets, videos and audio tapes. The centre is staffed by a Macmillan Information Specialist and Information Assistant who are supported by volunteers. Many of the volunteers have had personal experiences of cancer and are trained to provide appropriate emotional support.

Rhian Langford in the new information centre

The new cancer information centre is downstairs from the oncology waiting area

The service has now moved to a centre on the ground floor of the Oncology Department (Area N) and the size of the new centre means there will now be appropriate space for Macmillan Welfare Benefits Advisers to attend and offer a financial advice outreach service. There are also plans to offer complementary therapies in the new centre and link in with the Look Good Feel Better workshops which teach women how to manage the visible side effects of cancer and its treatment.

other developments we are also hoping to run the HOPE Programme which is designed to help people become more knowledgeable and confident in managing the physical, emotional and psychological consequences of living with and being affected by cancer.”

Rhian Langford, Macmillan Information Specialist at the centre says: “We are thrilled to have moved in to our new centre which has meant we can expand the level of support we can provide to people affected by cancer. Amongst the

To find us, please come down the stairs or in the lift from the main oncology waiting area. Visitors can also enter the new centre direct to the ground floor from the oncology entrance close to the exit from car park 5.

The centre is now open Monday to Friday, 9am – 4pm (except for Bank holidays.) For more information about the service please either drop in for a chat or you can contact Rhian on 01604 544211 or Rhian.langford@ngh.nhs.uk

PARTNERSHIPS ◗

Age UK helping older people in A&E

Michele Baker (left) and Jillian Powell from Age UK

Over the last six months a new service has been provided in our A&E department to help older people when they need it most. Staff from Age UK Northamptonshire have been on site during peak times, 5pm-10pm Friday - Sunday, to help with practical and emotional support to older people 55+ attending the department.

We hope this service is something we are able to continue in the future.

These staff have been supporting professionals in the hospital by attending to patients’ non-medical needs, supporting discharge requirements and providing further care or support after discharge.

Derry Miller, Services Director of Age UK Northamptonshire, said: “We have worked very closely with the top clinicians at NGH to work out how we as a charity can best help older people entering A&E. A&E isn’t the nicest of places to be at the best of times, but it is 100 times harder if you

are older, vulnerable or do not have a family member to help you with practical support.”

Two of the carers told us about their role. Jillian Powell said: “We’re there to act as that point of care for an older person entering A&E. It could be something as simple as getting them a drink of water, contacting relatives and carers for the patient or supporting them with their emotional needs We’re taking on the role of a concerned relative, so if someone comes in on their own we can ask the questions they don’t ask because they’re often anxious or frightened. It can be a little distressing to see people coming in in the states they do but the fact that you can help change that a little bit is really worthwhile.”

Michele Baker said: “I’m normally a carer, which is a similar role in many ways. You’ve got to have an understanding ear, and listen to the patients. We’ve had lots of excellent feedback, people think

it’s absolutely brilliant, really beneficial. We’re also taking a bit of pressure off the nurses so I think they appreciate it too. I’ve been into A&E with my children a couple of times, but it all seems very different when you’re on the other side of the fence. You don’t realise the amount of work that happens behind the scenes.”

Debbie Alderson, medicine group director at NGH, added: “We are delighted to be working with Age UK Northamptonshire to provide this additional service for vulnerable patients in A&E which will support their privacy and dignity, as well as ensuring they get the help and advice they need whilst they are here and when they return home. We hope this service is something we are able to continue in the future.”

For more information about Age UK Northamptonshire’s services call 01604 611200, or visit their website at www.ageuk.org.uk

INSIGHT ❘ 15

◗ PEOPLE SPOTLIGHT

Clare’s mission is minimum impact Dr Clare Topping hates waste of any description – time, people or resources – and she has a passion for the environment. As our energy and sustainability manager that’s perhaps not unexpected, though she is keen to stress that she is not an eco-warrior or even a conservation volunteer. “I own a car and I enjoy much of the technology that modern life has to offer. But, although I have always had a passion for nature, I find myself getting more and more concerned about the throwaway, everything now society that we seem to be living in.”

Clare’s philosophy is “You only live once, but others have to live here with you and after you.” And she tries where possible to reduce her personal impact on the environment.

For instance she refuses to fly on holiday any more, her travel highlight being a trip by Eurostar and TGV to Provence, where “the light is beautiful, it’s so relaxed, a slower pace of life - and they have nice wine! Besides, flying is a terrible way to travel. Breathing in recycled air on the plane, not to mention taking off your shoes and belt to go through security – it’s just not fun!”

You only live once, but others have to live here with you and after you.

At work, NGH is also reducing its impact on the environment. Clare says: “We’re making progress on our local carbon reduction targets, which are more stretching than the nationally agreed targets. Last winter was cold and it set us back a little, but we have a new combined heat and power (CHP) system being installed in the spring, and that will get us back on track.” The system will be four times bigger than the old one it replaces and will enable the hospital to produce more of the electricity it needs.

“From a carbon perspective we’re

16 ❘ INSIGHT

doing all the right things. We get energy consultants coming in, saying they can save us money, but they generally can’t suggest anything we don’t already do.” Energy reduction is a continuing priority for Clare, although working out where it is all being used has been proving a bit of a headache. “We only have four water meters and four gas meters for this massive site, but we do now have more electricity meters which we are busy checking so we can be more in control.”

“We have recently set a target to double the amount of recycling we carry out. We’re very good at recycling cardboard - and more

metal now - which both generate some income for us. And we will be working with the Phoenix resource centre at Raunds, an environmental charity, to recycle more materials.

But if we take out clinical waste, we’re only recycling around 22 per cent of domestic waste so there’s much more we can do. We will be targeting that, putting in more, better bins to encourage patients and visitors as well as staff to recycle.”

And sustainability covers so many other things as well. Clare says: “We’re looking at the garden spaces around our site to see how we can improve those for wildlife. We have put up four swift nestboxes (swifts

Some of Clare’s photographs

When I was made redundant I applied for jobs I thought I might get, and jobs I would love - this was in the latter category.

are an endangered species) that our carpenters made, and we’re going to put up some bug houses to try and encourage bees and ladybirds and so on. I’m also hoping to set up a ‘Free-bay’ type of website which will allow people to advertise what they no longer need.

We’ll try and find a home for it or, if not, find a charity that will take it to make sure it’s recycled correctly.”

Before arriving at NGH in April 2012, Clare’s previous jobs included making contact lens material and running a sterilisation plant – so this is something of a career change. “When I was made redundant I applied for jobs I thought I might get, and jobs I would love - this was in the latter category.

Many people have jobs they do to pay the bills, but sustainability has long been a huge passion of mine so to be able to do something I love is really the highlight of my career so far.”

QUICK QUESTIONS How would you describe yourself in three words? Direct, genuine, tenacious.

Interests outside work? Photography (particularly macro and film) and nature (especially insects).

Ideal dinner guests? David Attenborough – a great storyteller, Robert Hooke – my favourite polymath who was into everything, and Rachel Carson – she wrote Silent Spring and was a pioneer in the environmental movement.

How would you like to be remembered? As someone who made a positive impact.

First record you ever bought? The Damned – Eloise (bought it second hand).

What possession could you not live without? Unable to choose between my iPad and one of my cameras.

What single thing would improve your life? Living closer to a mainline railway station.

What motivates you? The fact that life is short.

What is your favourite film of all time? Kill Bill.

Who would play you in a film? Uma Thurman.

What was your favourite children’s TV programme?

Chorlton and the Wheelies.

If you had one last meal what would you eat? Pizza followed by Sticky Toffee Pudding.

See more at www.flickr.com/photos/photograclare/ and read her blog at www.enviro-mentalist.org.uk

INSIGHT ❘ 17

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18 ❘ INSIGHT

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PATIENT PRAISE ◗

Thank you NGH! NGH has been basking in its own summer of love as patients have rung up, written in, logged on and spoken up to voice their praise for the great care they received here.

Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) has been inundated with messages from satisfied patients, while others have written to the local paper or posted positive comments online – we’ve even had one patient call BBC Radio Four to express her approval of NGH. And the hospital’s rating on the NHS Choices has surged to a very healthy four stars. We’re grateful for all your kind words, and it’s a tremendous boost to staff morale when we hear from you. Thank you!

Here and on the next three pages are some of the nice things you’ve been saying about your experience at Northampton General Hospital.

Thanks for the singing and good humour!

I was admitted into hospital early Saturday morning (between 5am and 6 am) with possible appendicitis (we now think I may just have an ovarian cyst and awaiting a scan).

Although your hospital appeared to be having a busy weekend, everyone was helpful and attentive. But best of all, even after long shifts, they rushed around full of zest and humour. I lay in the A&E and could hear nurses/doctors singing and speaking to each other, and other patients, with friendliness and kindness that it made me relax in a rather scary situation (at that stage I wasn’t sure whether I was going into theatre).

Thanks to Gosset three times over One of our most popular posts on the NGH Facebook page was this picture of three gorgeous girls - triplets Alice, Hannah and Georgina. Now over one year old, they were born 10 weeks prematurely weighing just 3lbs 10oz, 3lbs 6oz and 2lbs 14oz.

they were just fantastic.

Parents Simon Armson and Charlotte Bird were thrilled with the care they received on Gosset neonatal ward. Simon said: “The support we and the girls got was amazing. I can’t put it into words –

Simon decided to fundraise to ‘give something back’ to the hospital, and his sponsored golf marathon – playing at four different courses on the same day in June – raised over £1,500 for Gosset ward.

“Without the dedication, skill and commitment of the entire Gosset team we simply would not be here today with three healthy daughters.”

Thank you for the singing, good humour and making me remain positive! This is what all hospitals should be like - not places of gloom and doom!

Warm wishes, Michella Dos Santos Serap Yadel Ates Past two days have been horrible for me and family, but I seriously cannot thank the Doctors, Specialists, Nurses & Everyone else that’s involved enough. They are all absolutely brilliant! I know my dad will be back up and back to normal very soon and I’m sure of this.

INSIGHT ❘ 19

◗ PATIENT PRAISE

Can’t praise everyone enough for Mum’s treatment The paramedics who transported Mum after her fall were exceptional with their care and understanding of Mum’s severe dementia, securing a quiet end cubicle at the hospital. She was always treated with dignity and courtesy throughout, and always spoken to as an individual, although her understanding was extremely limited. As her carer, I was also reassured and kept

Amazing, professional care for the birth of my daughter I am writing to share my complete satisfaction and praise for Faiza Rehman who cared for me during the birth of my daughter Phoebe on the 12 July. Faiza is a credit to your hospital. She was professional, caring and so so kind. Because of her I can look back on that day as an incredibly positive experience. Please ensure both Faiza and her manager are aware of my thanks. In fact I found every single member of staff on labour ward that day to be amazing. Many thanks.

Rachel Mason Hayley Downey Would like to say a big thank you to Midwife Faiza on labour ward she was great on Friday, when I was induced with my son. I was so nervous but could not have asked for a better experience great midwife.

Where would we be without you!

One of the cards we received was simply signed ‘from a Satisfied Patient’...

It’s difficult to know who exactly to send thanks etc to... especially if one has had various and many needs to rely on our wonderful NHS. I wish people would be more grateful... after all, where the heck would we be without you all!

A billion and more thanks for such a great service across the board.

Wishing all staff much joy and satisfaction in their dedication.

(Whoever you are, thank you for that!)

20 ❘ INSIGHT

informed of all her treatment, which was carried out efficiently and kindly. Everyone was happy, and took time to answer any questions I had.

I can’t praise everyone enough with whom we came into contact, from porters to x-ray, nurses and doctors, etc for the friendly and caring way they professionally looked after Mum. 5 star rating on NHS Choices

So impressed with A&E care and expertise I would just like to express my gratitude, and that of my wife and two-year-old son Aiden, for the treatment administered by Des Daly in Minor Injuries on Sunday.

We visited A&E after Aiden tried to run into the road and I grabbed at his arm to stop him. He was clearly in pain immediately after the incident so we though we’d better have it checked. I can’t remember precisely what Mr Daly called the injury but it was something along the lines of ‘pulled elbow’.

Absolutely amazing staff on assessment ward Got sent to A&E on Saturday after shortness of breath where I spent many hours going through tests and eventually transferred onto the risk assessment ward. It was the first time I have spent any time in a hospital and was feeling a little bit nervous but all the staff on the ward have been absolutely amazing and the doctor I saw in a and e as well and all have made me feel at ease.

I would like to say thanks so much to all the really nice staff of the risk assessment ward and am going back to the hospital tomorrow for my scan at the nuclear dept. and can only hope they’re as great as this ward ! x 5 star rating on NHS Choices

by Amanda

He was extremely calming with Aiden and gently manipulated the joint, following which the effect was instantaneous and pronounced rather than being clingy, favouring his arm and crying, Aiden was back to his normal self, running around as usual.

We were so impressed with Mr Daly’s clear demonstration of care and expertise that we thought it only right that we pass on our thoughts to the hospital administration.

CF

Very good experience for 9-year-old’s tonsillectomy

Very impressed with a very positive experience at NGH

My 9 year old child attended the hospital for a tonsillectomy. From the moment we arrived at the ward, it was clear that they were organised and concerned for the children’s welfare. The ward was spotless, airy and had a cheerful atmosphere.

Throughout the operation we were kept informed of options and potential outcomes. The operation treatment rooms/post op recovery ward were staffed with professional kind staff. In our situation, my child was a little distressed about the pain after the operation, but the staff immediately offered pain relief and comfort. On leaving the hospital we were given a full briefing of the next stage, together with details about what to do in the event of problems.

Altogether a very good experience.

My thanks to clinician and the nursing team.

5 star rating on NHS Choices Sharon Dascombe All staff on Spencer ward were fantastic stayed there twice in three weeks. Staff helpful, polite and very caring. I would like to say a big thank you for all your care.

I recently spent just over two weeks in Northampton General Hospital after an accident and trust I am writing to the correct people.

Reassuring and friendly staff make the difference I wish to acknowledge the excellent service I received when I attended for an MRI scan.

The receptionist at the MRI desk went well beyond the call of duty in making sure my husband would be able to find me once the procedure was over. The person who wheeled me to the ‘mobile’ scanner was reassuring, informative and friendly and of course everyone involved with the actual scan was supportive and encouraging.

We expect the medical parts to work efficiently but it is the ‘connecting bits’ that make the difference to what can be a very anxiety provoking experience.

Please let the above mentioned people know how much I appreciated their care.

Susan Sawtell

Reassuring care and Excellent care for treatment for my 6-year-old son’s daughter at A&E broken arm

I would like to thank the hospital for the excellent care given to my 6 year old son Luke last Friday and Saturday. Luke broke his arm on Friday lunchtime whilst playing on the school field. He was seen by A&E and Minor injuries, and then admitted on to Disney ward. He went into Manfield theatres on Saturday morning for his arm to be straightened. The level of care that he received in all the departments was excellent, and all the staff kept us well informed of what was happening.

Many thanks.

D, K and L P

I am very grateful for the care I received in AEU, Abington and Cedar Wards. I have been very impressed with how all the staff I came in contact with were helpful, caring and reassuring. You read so many bad things in newspapers I feel I have to redress the balance. I witnessed very elderly people being fed with lots of patience, despite the staff involved being kicked and punched.

My main stay was in Cedar Ward.

This ward was cleaned regularly and thoroughly and the ancillary personnel giving out the meals were all helpful and cheerful. The trained nurses and HCAs tried their best to make patients comfortable.

I was in the same hospital over thirty years ago and feel there has been a great improvement in care since then. I found the Porters kind and considerate and for me this has been a very positive experience. I am very grateful to the doctors, surgeons, X-ray staff etc. for the help I received.

Please find enclosed a cheque for £50 as a small thank you to Northampton General Hospital towards any equipment needed.

Janice (Jan) Roy

With all the negativity of the NHS I have nothing but praise for the care we experienced today.

I went with my daughter to A&E and the staff nurse put my 13 year old at ease and gave her reassurance and kept her informed exactly what was happening, which made her own individual experience of being in A&E as less traumatic as possible.

His professionalism was beyond the call of duty and despite my daughter being extremely nervous, his calmness and quality care given to her, she’s come away happy.

I can not thank you enough for your experience, care and patience. Thank you to all Northampton A&E staff especially the staff nurse who initially reviewed her in minors and went through her pathway to A&E dept and stayed with her treatment till discharge. Thanks again we can not thank you enough.

5 star rating on NHS Choices

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◗ PATIENT PRAISE

Truly brilliant staff at A&E On Saturday I was taken to hospital by ambulance after falling at my home and banging my head. The whole incident was very frightening for my family as I was knocked out for approximately 20mins. The ambulance came and transported me to hospital, where, after treatment I was well enough to go home.

In praise of the NHS Following the recent public criticisms of the NHS I felt the need to write a few words of praise for the service.

At the end of my chemotherapy treatment and 8 months of visits to Northampton General Hospital, the care provided by the consultant surgeons and nursing staff was exemplary.

I would also like to express my thanks to the doctors and staff at the Cottons Medical Centre, the district nurses who administered my daily injections, and to all my kind friends and neighbours for the get well messages and offers of help which were so appreciated. Thank you all very much.

Gill Horner Claire Jones Would like to say a huge thank you from myself and my husband for the amazing care you have shown to our 3 year old son this week. From the receptionist and the drs and nurses in a and e, to the operators of the scanners and to the drs nurses and hcas on paddington ward....you were all amazing! Thank you xxxx

Outstanding service from A&E and EAU I suffered an asthma attack on Wednesday, was taken to NGH and sent home this afternoon. I wanted to say a very big thank you for the service I received, which was outstanding. The paramedics were brilliant, as were the staff in A & E. I was admitted to the EAU and found the staff to be a wonderful bunch of individuals. Monica, Ilena, Karleen, Dario and Sophia were the names I made a note of yesterday. Apologies again as I cannot remember the names of the two ladies who looked after me today and I hope you can add these members of staff to this. All of these people work so hard. They are conscientious and professional and are also caring and friendly. They looked after me so well, and even though they clearly had lots to do they took time to speak to me and the other patients and worked so hard to meet our needs. They are lovely people who do a fine job and I am very grateful to all of them.

RC

22 ❘ INSIGHT

I would like to thank all the doctors, nurses and all concerned who helped me that night, you all truly brilliant and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

What you guys put up with on a Saturday night is beyond belief, you think that some of the people there didn’t want help! The standard of care I

received from both EMAS and Northampton General Hospital was absolutely outstanding.

The doctor and nurses that treated me were kind, friendly and above all kept me (once I was conscious again) fully informed what was happening. This was the first time in about 8yrs that I had to attend an A&E department, you guys deserve every penny you earn, and that still is not enough in my books.

All I have left now is a headache and a bump on my head from my ordeal. It could have been a lot worse I am sure if it wasn’t for the brilliant care and speedy response of your teams. Many thanks again.

Lee Gamble

Extremely impressed by care received for gynae op I was recently diagnosed with cancer of the uterus and underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy at Northampton General Hospital.

From my very first appointment discussing the MRI scan findings I was treated with the utmost care and sensitivity and this has continued right through from surgery continuing to follow up appointments.

The care I received in the Spencer Ward was incredible and deserves

Big thank you for care in A&E and Benham Although my stay in hospital was one night on the 13th of June I just want to say a big thank you for the care and consideration I was given both in A&E and later in Benham Ward.

Please pass on my appreciation to all as I feel far too many negative issues are broadcast/published in the media and not enough compliments.

Peter Beddoes

comment. People are quick to find fault with the NHS but I believe praise should also be accredited where due. I cannot praise all the staff highly enough, the consultants, doctors, nursing staff, meal providers and cleaning staff - a real credit to the NHS. It certainly made a very worrying time extremely easy to cope with and I felt I had to highlight this - Thank you all.

5 star rating on NHS Choices

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Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

Northampton General Hospital 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 Northampton General Hospital 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, it 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. ©2013.

Britannic Chambers, 8a Carlton Road, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 1PH. Tel: 01909 478822

INSIGHT ❘ 23

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4

NGH people 1 W

Laura Pannell and John Wasniowski met in our Finance department and were married earlier this year, honeymooning on a Mediterranean cruise. Laura said: “John proposed just after our second anniversary by the Great Oak in Salcey Forest – it was a great surprise as I had no idea he had bought a ring.” The couple say they limit work talk at home, and don’t see too much of each other at work but “it is very nice to be able to have the occasional lunch together”.

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to maternity 2 Congratulations staff who took part in the Race for Life, helping to raise £1,000 for Cancer Research. Ronnie Heslip, Caroline

24 ❘ INSIGHT

De-Garston, Rachel Dobb, Stephanie Knox, Kathy Toyloco and Maria Maclaren-Love completed the 10k race in the morning - and Julie James, Babita Williams, Kath Pentlow and Paula Rowlatt completed the 5k race. They dedicated their race to midwife colleague Caroline who is currently undergoing treatment, and to the memory of former midwife Frances Colledge who died suddenly earlier this year.

3 W

Best wishes to staff engagement manager Jackie Boore who left in July for pastures new, after four years at NGH as training consultant and then training and development manager. For

the last twelve months Jackie was the lead for our Listening into Action programme, facilitating and coaching 20 teams to help them become involved in bringing about change to the organisation.

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Say hello to some of the members of the newly formed Clinical Site Management Team who, led by Andy Daly, manage the capacity of the hospital and help the flow of patients through both elective and emergency beds on a round-the clock basis. Out-of-hours the site managers can be called upon to take on clinical and non-clinical emergencies – which could be anything from a fire alarm to a cardiac arrest.

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Congratulations to Dolly Barron, Macmillan specialist palliative care clinical nurse specialist and acting team leader who graduated from the University of Keele on 9 July. Dolly has been awarded the degree of Master of Arts in the Ethics of Cancer and Palliative Care with Merit.

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Congratulations to medicine care group director Deborah Alderson, who became Mrs Deborah Needham when she married Mark. Debbie said: “We had an amazing day and 120 members of our family and friends joined us during the day and evening, including some friends from NGH. We also had three lovely bridesmaids, all of whom had kept me awake the night before and still managed to dance the night away until midnight!”

The newlyweds spent two weeks in Koh Samui, Thailand for their honeymoon.

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A&E consultant and wannabe triathlete Dr Julia Weatherill followed up her April marathon with

8 another charity endurance feat when she took part in the Prudential Ride London 100 mile bike ride. This time Julia raised over £350 for MIND the mental health charity and recorded an impressive 8 hrs 20mins including drink, food and toilet stops. There’s still time to sponsor her at www.virginmoneygiving.com/ JuliaWeatherill.”

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And a big Well Done to NGH medical secretary Lauren Paredes, who took part in the ‘Race for Life’ this year for the third time. Lauren, who was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly two years ago, is now in remission and raised over £830 for Cancer Research UK in this year’s 5k race in Abington Park.

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Twelve volunteers for the Friends of Northampton General Hospital received long service awards at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting.

The dedicated dozen were honoured for serving 20, 15 and 10 years at the

charity.

Pictured are Mayor Les Marriott, Joyce Tebbutt, Sylvia Stuart, John Sturgess, Chrissie Osborne, Brian Dew, Ruth Lowe, Ken Cheshire, Trevor Gandine, and Mayoress Lisa Marriott. Volunteers Joyce Craddock, Maureen Ormerod, Kathy Layt and Kay Stevens were unable to attend.

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Security supervisor Ian Harrison has retired after more than 40 years NHS service, the last 21 being at NGH. Ian won a Star Award in 2011 when he was praised for his energy, empathy and focus on patient care. One of his colleagues said: “We all enjoy working with Ian – he is genuine with people and always makes time to talk to them. He has been a real asset to the department, to the whole trust and, in short, a complete gent.”

INSIGHT ❘ 25

◗ VOLUNTEER

Could you be a volunteer on an NGH ward?

Meet Joanne Rist who, despite having a full-time job as a medical secretary at NGH, also volunteers on the stroke unit for two evenings a week.

She says: “I think if anyone were to spend five minutes with someone who has suffered a stroke and can’t do things for themselves, they would want to help.”

Ward volunteer Joanne Rist helps stroke patient Ann with her evening meal

Volunteering for a couple of hours just gives me the feeling that I’ve done something good for the day.

26 ❘ INSIGHT

“These people are really poorly. It’s not like a surgical ward where people can be better in a couple of days.

Stroke patients have been through a massive trauma, and they tend to be here for weeks or months.”

Joanne, who volunteers from around 4.30pm to 6.30pm on Mondays and Thursdays, says: “It can be tough fitting it in to your schedule when

you work full-time, but then I think of a patient that can’t pick up a knife and fork to feed themselves, or an elderly patient that has no family and is very lonely. Volunteering for a couple of hours just gives me the feeling that I’ve done something good for the day.”

Joanne previously worked in the motor industry but decided that

Could you be a volunteer? what she really wanted to do was help look after people.

Being squeamish she knew she would never be a nurse, but she started volunteering 18 months ago, and has not looked back.

Her main role is to help feed patients that are unable to eat their dinner on their own, but she also helps clear up, deliver the dinners, clean and change the bed areas before new patients come in, help patients with their mouth and speech exercises, run bloods down to pathology and much more.

“I go to the shops to get a newspaper if a patient asks me, or take them in a wheelchair to sit in the sun for ten minutes and get some fresh air if that’s what they want.

One of our patients just wanted to play Connect 4 so I’d sit and play that with him. These are all things that the nurses don’t really have time to do.”

“I don’t have to deal with blood and needles, but I’ve overcome a lot of fears working here, and my husband is really proud of me. I can now handle people being sick, I cope with blood and needles despite my huge needle phobia, and I sometimes sit with patients at the end of their life, which has also been a learning curve for me.

One of our patients just wanted to play Connect 4 so I’d sit and play that with him.

These are all things that the nurses don’t really have time to do.

“Volunteering also helped me get a temporary position at the hospital, and I’ve just learned that I now have a permanent job at NGH as a medical secretary. That is a completely different role, and one you often do not see the results of as such. Here on the ward, being able to feed people and recover from their stroke, the results are more visible.

You don’t usually need any special skills to be a volunteer at NGH, and we provide any training necessary. Our volunteers are made up of a diverse range of people and it is more important that they have qualities such as friendliness, reliability and a genuine willingness to help.

Each volunteer decides how much time they are able to offer, but typically it is one or two sessions of 2-3 hours a week, usually on the same days every week.

Volunteers must be over the age of 16 but, as long as you are fit enough to undertake the role, there is no upper age limit.

Our volunteers have many different reasons for getting involved. Some want to gain experience for a career in the NHS. For others it can help improve their confidence before returning to work. Some like to meet new people once they have retired, and others just wish to give something back.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Friends voluntary service manager Sheila Baker on 01604 545802 or email Sheila.Baker@ngh.nhs.uk

“All the staff put in such a lot of time and care to help get people home, and the occupational therapists do a great job at rehabilitating patients. We have a lady on the ward at the moment who was wheelchair bound for months, and one evening I saw her suddenly get up and walk. It was just lovely to see.”

Friends voluntary service manager Sheila Baker said: “Joanne is an inspiration to us all. Despite having a very hectic life, Joanne still finds time to help others by volunteering, and is well thought of by both staff and patients on Holcot ward.”

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OCTAGON DESIGN & M A RKE T I NG LT D

Working in partnership with the NHS • FT members’ magazines and literature • Mailing service and socio economic profiling • Annual reports, quality reports and summaries – print runs from as low as 10 copies • Advertising funded social care directories and information • Advertising funded staff magazines • Promotional items e.g. lanyards, pens, balloons, mugs etc • Ebooks

Britannic Chambers, 8A Carlton Road, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 1PH 01909 478822 | www.octagon.org.uk info@octagon.org.uk 28 ❘ INSIGHT

NEWS ROUND-UP ◗

Canyon trek for children’s wishes Alicia was just two years and nine months old in May 2009 when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Mum Billie-Jo Marston said: “After a month of intense chemotherapy, Dr Ali (NGH paediatric consultant) told us that bone marrow tests had come back showing she was at high risk of relapse. We decided to put Alicia into a clinical trial and from there on she received what is known as regimen C – the most intensive form of treatment – which involved five intensification blocks and 18 months maintenance – a total treatment time of two and a half years.”

Alicia has now finished treatment but still has eight-weekly blood tests to ensure she is still in remission.

In December 2010, after she had finished the most intense period of chemotherapy and was well enough to travel, Starlight children’s foundation granted Alicia’s wish to go to Lapland and meet Santa!

Billie-Jo said: “She was over the moon, so excited, and it was lovely to see after she had gone through such a hard year.”

I know how much it meant to Alicia to have her wish granted, and I’d like to help other terminally and seriously ill children have theirs granted too.

Alicia Marston

She was over the moon, so excited.

Now Billie-Jo is raising money for Starlight and other wish-granting charities by taking part in her own personal challenge. “I heard that Have a Heart – a campaign run by Heart FM radio – were organising a Grand Canyon Trek for these charities, and I decided I was going to take part. I know how much it meant to Alicia to have her wish granted, and I’d like to help other terminally and seriously ill children have theirs granted too.”

The trek takes place in March 2014 and Billie-Jo and other participants each need to raise £3,850. If you would like to help make another child’s dream come true, please visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/ billiejomarston and give what you can.

‘Friends and Family Test’ results published Data from the NHS Friends and Family survey, which asks patients whether they would recommend A&E and inpatient wards to their nearest and dearest based on their own experience, has been published for the first time. NGH’s overall score for June, the latest of the three months’ results published, was 67, described as “within the normal range”.

Suzie Loader, NGH director of nursing and midwifery, said: “We are quite pleased with the score, but we are aiming to do much better than that. We want to provide excellent care for all our patients on every ward. The information provided by the survey, which includes comments and suggestions as well as the scores, is already proving invaluable in helping us to see where improvements can be made.

“For instance we have made changes to address issues such as noise on some wards at night, we are enhancing our ‘protected mealtimes’ initiative, and we are piloting a revised more efficient format for ward rounds. We are also involving patients more in decisions about their care, talking to patients about their concerns, and explaining about possible sideeffects of any medication they are using. We’ve developed cards and leaflets with contact information for patients should they have worries about their condition after leaving hospital.

“More than 75% of the comments we receive from the survey are positive. Our aim is to further improve scores on all our wards so that we can be sure we are providing the very best care to every one of our patients.”

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◗ CHARITABLE FUND

NGH

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Northampton General Hospital Registered charity no: 1051107

All donations to the hospital are managed, separately from NHS finances, by the trustees of the NGH Charitable Fund, a registered charity.

If you would like to make a donation, or be involved in raising money for NGH, please contact our fundraising office on 01604 545857.

Please visit our website for more fundraising stories and details of how you can get involved www.nghgreenheart.co.uk

NSB students raise cash for chemo suite Roz Young, matron for oncology and haematology, met with students Niall Lawrence and Tom Hammersley from Northampton School for Boys together with their teacher Norman Barker to accept a donation for £1,150.

The students raised the funds by doing a 50

Pastor Nathan A. Adeseko pictured with two of his congregation and Paddington senior staff nurse Liane Harris

Church congregation donates to Paddington Gospel Tabernacle Outreach Ministries, who worship at The Brookside Hall, in Billingbrook Road, Lings, have raised money for our children’s wards.

The church congregation raised £250 which they donated to Paddington ward, where the money will be used to purchase some manual blood pressure monitors.

30 ❘ INSIGHT

mile bike ride and a race night. Roz said: “We intend to use the money for the chemo suite refurbishment which will make an enormous improvement to the patient experience when receiving chemotherapy at NGH. We are always very grateful to the fundraising efforts of our local community.”

Towcester WI say thank you to screening unit Towcester evening WI held a coffee morning in June to raise funds in aid of Breast Care Services. The group were inspired to raise the funds to show their appreciation for the mobile Breast Screening Unit. When the unit recently visited Towcester three out of the 50 woman screened were found to need treatment. The president of the group, Eileen Reid, presented £350 to say thank you for the service that they provide.

Breast screening programme manager Gill Baxter said: “We very much appreciate the support of the local community and are very thankful for this donation. The funds will enable us to change the use of the x-ray light boxes that are no longer used in the

ultrasound machine room, to provide an additional light source by means of an illuminated picture which will enhance our patient’s experience.”

Gill Baxter (left) receives a cheque from WI president Eileen Reid

CHARITABLE FUND ◗

£12,000 lamp will help treat skin cancers Weedon-based charity PDT for Cancer Cure has donated a £12,000 photo dynamic therapy (PDT) lamp to NGH for treating skin cancers. Dermatologists will now be able to use the kit as a non-invasive alternative to conventional treatment, including surgical procedures, for certain types of skin cancer and sun-damaged skin which might one day turn cancerous. In PDT a special light activates a cream which has been applied to the affected area of skin.

This treatment kills the abnormal cells in the skin.

PDT for Cancer Cure managing director, Bill Loryman, said: “We’re a national charity with around 6,000 donors and our ambition is to see every hospital equipped with PDT systems so that patients can get the best treatment locally, as well as to support those at the forefront of ongoing skin cancer research.” The charity was established in 2011 with the aim of promoting the use of PDT in skin cancer treatment, and to raise funds to equip every major hospital to be able to provide a local service for patients.

NGH consultant dermatologist, Dr Pick Woo, said: “We are very excited at the prospect of receiving this photo dynamic therapy lamp as it will give our patients with sun-damaged skin, certain types of skin cancer and a variety of skin conditions a wider range of treatment options. It is an effective form of non-invasive treatment and results in minimal scarring.”

For more information about PDT for Cancer Cure, visit www.pdtforcancercure.com

Richard Nicholson (left) and co-organiser Andrew Kunman present a cheque for £4,750 to Cathy Finnerty

Richard’s golfing gift to cancer patients Richard Nicholson held his second Charity Golf day in aid of NGH in July. Last year he raised £8,000 and donated £4,000 to the Oncology department and this year he raised £9,500 and donated half of it to Talbot Butler ward.

The ward’s junior sister Cathy Finnerty, who received the cheque, said: “This is a fabulous amount of money to be donated to the ward, and we thank Richard very much for all his efforts in raising the funds. It’s really lovely for someone to show their appreciation for the nurses and the ward in this way.”

The donation will go towards providing a relatives’ room where family members can go to have time away from the patient’s bedside, make a drink, or sleep.

En-suite facilities will be included. Some of the funds will also go towards another room on the ward where doctors and nurses can take patients and relatives to talk to them in a quiet environment.

We are very excited at the prospect of receiving this photo dynamic therapy lamp.

Bill Loryman from PDT for Cancer Cure and his wife Barbara

Cathy said: “Richard’s donation means that the ward is able to give something back to the patients and their families, and having these two rooms will make a big difference to the whole experience of the ward.”

INSIGHT ❘ 31

STRAFFORD - QUALITY BUILT IN

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We are able to offer a bespoke design and manufacturing service or supply products to reflect your own ideas whilst complying with current building regulations.

Our traditional or modern staircases can incorporate a wide variety of materials including satin and mirror polished stainless steel, brass and aluminium. Also glass and a wide range of hardwoods are used to compliment our metalwork. We can also offer a powder coating service with a full range of colours.

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www.straffordfabrications.co.uk 32 â?˜ INSIGHT

Our experienced fitters complete installations quickly and considerately with minimum disruption to your property and ensure your complete satisfaction.

We welcome enquiries from members of the public as well as architects and developers and will be pleased to advise on any queries you may have.

NEWS ROUND UP ◗

BBC Helen’s organ donation plea BBC Radio Northampton presenter Helen Blaby has written on her blog about the shock and the grief she has experienced following her mother’s death in July. She described her mum Daphne as her best friend, and said that they laughed about everything in life, being able to ‘see the absurd in most things’.

Daphne spent three weeks in NGH where Helen said that the doctors and nurses on Becket Ward looked after her like she was one of their own. She got better and went home, but was then taken ill again and sadly died after three days in intensive care. Helen said she was thankful that “Mum and I had talked about organ donation and I knew she wanted to donate anything she was able.”

She said: “The hospital are very well geared up to talk you through these things, and to be honest they couldn’t have dealt with me better. Every time it looked like I was going to cry I got handed a new box of tissues. Everyone was down-to-earth and matter of fact about everything.

I knew my Mum wasn’t going to make it from the first conversation I had with a doctor on that ward, and I do appreciate her honesty. False hope would have made everything so much worse to deal with.

“The specialist organ donation nurses are amazing.

Nothing happened that I didn’t know about, they answered all my questions thoroughly, and without dressing anything up. They also knew that Mum had put herself on the organ donation register 10 or so years ago, something I wasn’t aware of. I know she and I had conversations about it, but it was good to know her

BBC Radio Northampton presenter Helen Blaby

actions backed that up. Please, if you are on the donation register, make people aware of it. It was such a comfort knowing I was carrying out her wishes just as she wanted them.”

Helen added: “Two people will be able to see in the future as a direct result of my Mum. Really, that is awesome in the proper sense of the word.”

Helen’s Mum , Daphne Blaby

Pathology donate microscopes

Left to right: Mike Gibson, who runs the Microscopy section for both NNHS and U3A, NGH governor Allan McRae, Josh Hamilton from Pathology, and Cyril Sampson, General Secretary of NNHS

Our Pathology department has donated some old microscopes to Northampton Natural History Society’s microscopy group. In addition to the NNHS microscopy group, the microscopes will also be made available to the microscopy section of the University of the 3rd Age (U3A) – a learning cooperative run by older people for older people no longer in full time work. Two members of NNHS and NGH governor Allan McRae came to collect the microscopes. Allan is an ambassador for the benefits of lifelong

learning, as he is also a tutor for a different course run by U3A. Energy And Sustainability Manager Dr Clare Topping, who organised the donation, said: “The microscopes had sat in cupboards for a few years, and hadn’t attracted a lot of interest or money when we previously tried to sell them. These local organisations will be able to put them to good use, and NNHS will be making a donation to the hospital for more than we would have received selling them to a microscope company.”

INSIGHT ❘ 33

◗ CANCER SERVICES

Group support for cancer patients Angela O’Dell, NGH Macmillan colorectal clinical nurse specialist, describes the early development of a colorectal support group.

At Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, we see a large number of patients with colorectal cancer, not only from Northampton, but from surrounding areas too. The clinical nurse specialists (CNS) at the trust had come to recognise that because of the nature of colorectal cancer, many patients need support to come

to terms with their diagnosis and the long-term effects of treatment.

Patients would regularly tell us that they simply wanted someone with whom they could share their experience. With advances in treatment, colorectal patients are living well for longer. Many of our patients who had been through most

of their treatment, and were living beyond their cancer, told us they simply wanted to help others.

The CNS team were aware too that there was little, if any, support beyond standard treatment follow-up, and nothing in the Northampton area that addressed survivorship needs.

We agreed to ask our patients if that’s what they wanted, and their answer was a resounding yes.

Angela O’Dell (right) with her clinical nurse specialist colleagues Andrea Leonard and Carole-Ann Sims (standing). Their colleague Lisa Tibbles was away when the photograph was taken. Angela said the whole team are fundamental to the running of the support group

34 ❘ INSIGHT

CANCER SERVICES ◗

We meet every two months except during the summer.

Sue Kells (left) with patient Keith Birt and wife Sue

Over several cups of tea, the CNSs agreed that a support group was needed. We agreed to ask our patients if that’s what they wanted, and their answer was a resounding yes.

A strong turnout We began by agreeing on invitation criteria: patients who had completed treatment but were still receiving routine follow-up. We then sent out letters inviting patients to an inaugural meeting. We piloted the group with patients who had completed treatment, accompanied by their carers. We were overwhelmed by the turnout to the first meeting.

We allowed time to listen to each and every patient, exploring how they felt and what they wanted from a support group. The group agreed that meetings should be open not only to patients who had completed treatment, but also to those still receiving treatment and those whose cancer cannot be cured.

Sue Kells shortlisted for award We congratulate NGH Macmillan upper gastrointestinal nurse specialist Sue Kells, who was shortlisted for this year’s Macmillan Professionals Excellence Award for Innovation. The awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding contribution Macmillan professionals make to cancer services, and their work is so vital in improving the lives of people affected by cancer.

The group has met three times now and continues to grow. We meet every two months except during the summer. Each meeting begins with an informative talk from an external speaker, such as a dietitian, an alternative therapist or a benefits adviser. The remaining time is devoted to open discussion.

Being unable to swallow is an awful symptom for patients and can very quickly lead to dehydration and malnutrition.

Different skills

Sue, who has worked in oncology for over 20 years and the last eight in her current role, developed the dysphagia service at NGH to provide a direct route for patients with oesophageal cancer to access advice and support.

She set up a system where patients with swallowing difficulties could be rapidly assessed, and ensuring that emergencies received prompt access to endoscopy, and improving quality of life for these patients.

Northampton has three other colorectal nurse specialists (Carole-Ann Sims, Andrea Leonard and Lisa Tibbles) working across both the surgical and oncology pathway, ensuring that patients receive physical, psychological, emotional and practical support from a keyworker throughout their cancer experience. As a close team, we all attend the support group, each of us bringing a different set of skills. Our patients tell us that sharing their experience with others and feeling that they are not alone has made a significant difference to them.

It is still early days but we hope that the group will continue to grow and evolve.

Consultant gastroenterologist Dr Iqbal Khan said: “Being unable to swallow is an awful symptom for patients and can very quickly lead to dehydration and malnutrition. Sue and the Macmillan team do a wonderful job in bringing these patients to our attention and helping them through a very difficult time.”

Interim lead cancer nurse Trish Hughes said: “Although Sue did not win the award outright it was a significant achievement to be shortlisted. We commend her for the excellent work she does in providing a high quality service for the patients of NGH.”

INSIGHT ❘ 35

◗ NOTICEBOARD

MORE ONE-LINERS I’ve owned three Golden Retrievers and not once has one of them brought me any gold.

When I said I wanted to live life in the fast lane, I didn’t mean the one with oncoming traffic.

I don’t have a problem with caffeine. I have a problem without caffeine.

Wait, there’s nothing in this Air and Space Museum!

I always mean what I say... I just don’t always mean to say it out loud.

FOR HIRE MARQUEE The Friends of Northampton General Hospital have a Marquee for hire. The Marquee comes in two sections each measuring 20ft x 10ft with sides. The cost of hire is £20 for each section.

For further information telephone Sheila Baker on tel 01604 545802 or email friendsofngh@ngh.nhs.uk

DO SOMETHING AMAZING…

The average income of the modern teenager is about 2am.

I have a condition that renders me unable to go on a diet. I get hungry.

My wife is a water sign. I’m an earth. Together we make mud.

On the 90th day of Christmas, my true love said to me: “You take Christmas too seriously.”

Of all the different blood groups, Type Os make the most spelling mistakes.

SUDOKU Fill the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 block contains the numbers 1 to 9.

96% of us rely on the other 4% to give blood.

Please don’t leave it to someone else.

Who can give blood?

Most people can give blood. If you are generally in good health, age 17 to 65 (if it’s your first time) and weigh at least 7st 12Ib you can donate.

You can give blood every 16 weeks, that’s approximately every four months.

For more information please visit www.blood.co.uk The next donor sessions at St Giles Church Rooms, St Giles Terrace, Northampton NN1 2BN are:

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Friday 15 November 1.30pm to 3.30pm; 4.30pm to 7.30pm

RETIRED (or soon to be?) NHS Retirement Fellowship (Northampton Branch) meets on first Wednesday of each month at 2.15pm at Northampton East Salvation Army, Northampton, NN3 8EZ. Range of speakers and activities. Open to ex NHS staff, together with spouse or partner.

Please contact the chairman Mrs Pat Oliver on 01604 839085.

Monday 25 November 10.30am to 12.30pm; 2.00pm to 5.00pm

TO ADVERTISE in Insight, please contact us on 01909 478822

Monday 09 December 1.30pm to 3.30pm; 4.30pm to 7.30pm

BACK ISSUES of Insight are available online at www.northamptongeneral.nhs.uk - go to About Us > Documents and Publications

Friday 18 October 10.00am to 12.30pm; 2.00pm to 5.00pm Monday 04 November 1.30pm to 3.30pm; 4.30pm to 7.30pm

To book an appointment call 0300 123 23 23.

Come and join us By becoming a member of Northampton General Hospital you can have a say in the way your hospital develops, and you can be sure your voice is heard. You may want to simply sign up for our members’ newsletter, or you may want to attend meetings and local focus groups, or even stand for election to become a member of our Governors’ Council. The choice is yours.

All you need to do is fill in the form and return it to the Freepost address below; or you can call us on 01604 523894, or email us at members@ngh.nhs.uk . We look forward to hearing from you.

Please return your form to this Freepost address – there is no need for a stamp: Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, Membership Office, Freepost RRBA-RGGA-TEEL, Cliftonville, Northampton NN1 5BD. Title and name .....................................................................................................................................

Address ................................................................................................................................................. ....................................................................................................Postcode ............................................

Telephone . ............................................................................................................................................

Email address ......................................................................................................................................

Please write clearly in BLOCK CAPITALS, thank you

OUR COMMUNITY WAYFINDING ◗

Find your way around the hospital Follow the signs to the area letter, then look for local signs to the ward or department you need DEPARTMENTS D Accident & Emergency L Antenatal Assessment Unit K Antenatal Outpatients K Audiology W Billing House H Biochemistry K Blood Taking Unit R Centre for Elderly Medicine E Chapel D Chest Clinic L Child Development Centre K Children’s Hearing Clinic K Children’s Outpatients U Chiropody J Cripps Centre K Day Surgery Unit K Dermatology J Diabetes Centre E Discharge Lounge C Echocardiography K ENT L Eye Unit B Forrest Centre D Fracture Clinic R Genitourinary Medicine K Gynaecology Outpatients G Haematology D Hand Therapy C Heart Centre Q Human Resources B Integrated Surgery W Limb Centre F Main Theatres Admissions Unit A Manfield day case L Maternity day unit R Maxillofacial Unit K Medical Outpatients H Mortuary and Chapel of Rest J Neurophysiology E Nuclear Medicine N Oncology Centre S Pain Relief Clinic R PALS and Bereavement Service G Pathology K Pre-operative Assessment D Radiology (X-ray) D Rapid Access Chest Pain J Research and Development F Respiratory Laboratory F RESTART C Rheumatology W Sunnyside Q Training & Development

WARDS E Abington (Orthopaedic) 545982, 544945 C Allebone (Cardiac, respiratory, medicine) 545804, 545336 S Althorp (Elderly medicine) 544410, 544415 L Balmoral (Maternity postnatal) † 545434, 544955 D Becket (Respiratory) 545981, 544972 C Benham (Emergency assessment - male) 545537, 545337 R Brampton (Elderly medicine) 544460, 544462 A Cedar (Trauma & orthopaedic) 545553, 545353 A Collingtree (Medical) 523870, 523780 A Collingtree (Surgical) 523944, 523939 C Creaton (General medicine) 545539, 545339 M Disney (Children’s) † 545518, 545318 C Dryden (Cardiology) 545540, 545340 C Eleanor (General medicine) 545804 D Emergency Assessment Unit (Female) † 545613, 545304 D Finedon (Renal) 523530, 523560 M Gosset (Neonatal) † 545520, 545320 A Hawthorn (Orthopaedic) 545551, 545351 S Head & neck 545509 C High Dependency Unit (HDU) † 545544, 545344 R Holcot Stroke Unit † 544430, 544432 C Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) † 545542, 545342 S Knightley (General medicine) 544620 M Paddington (Children’s) † 545319, 545519 M Paddington HDU (Children’s) † 545836 L Robert Watson (Maternity) † 544928, 544819 A Rowan (General surgical) 545549, 545349 L Singlehurst (Ophthalmology) 545483, 545083 S Spencer (Gynaecology) 545525 M Sturtridge (Labour ward) † 545058, 545426, 523629 M Sturtridge HDU † 545055 G Talbot Butler (Oncology & Haematology) 545534, 545334 S Victoria (Elderly Medicine) 545326 A Willow (Vascular) 545548, 545348 Visiting 2.00pm – 4.30pm; 6.00pm – 8.00pm unless marked with † (please check with these wards)

INFORMATION Northampton General Hospital, Cliftonville, Northampton NN1 5BD Tel: 01604 634700 www.northamptongeneral.nhs.uk D Reception Cliftonville. Open Mon-Fri 9.00am – 6.00pm.

Dial 0 from any corridor phone and ask for “operator” when prompted.

E Restaurant Hospital Street, open Mon-Fri 7.15am – 7.00pm; Sat-Sun 7.15am – 6.00pm.

D Café Royale Main reception, Cliftonville, open Mon-Fri 8.00am – 7.00pm.

WRVS shops E South entrance, open Mon-Fri 7.00am – 8.00pm; Sat, Sun, bank holidays 10.00pm – 4.00pm.

T Billing Road entrance, open Mon-Fri 9.00am – 4.00pm.

Buggy service Guiding and transport service provided by Friends of NGH volunteers Mon–Fri 8.30am – 4.00pm.

Dial 88 then 4501 then enter your extension number to request the buggy.

D Travel office For car parking permits, and travel info. Open MonThurs 9.00am – 4.30pm; Fri 9.00am – 4.00pm.

01604 545966 or 544600.

E Bank Cash dispensers in lift lobby near south entrance and near Billing Road entrance E Chapel Open to all. For details of services or to contact the chaplains, call 01604 545773.

INSIGHT ❘ 37

From the Archive

King Edward Memorial centenary Following the death of King Edward VII in 1910 it was felt that there should be a memorial in the town. The authorities were searching for a suitable site when the Governors of Northampton General Hospital offered a piece of land on the corner of Billing Road and Cheyne Walk. The offer was accepted and it was erected where the Porter’s Lodge had previously been located. It is now under the ownership and care of Northampton Borough Council.

Sir George Frampton, the eminent sculptor, was approached to submit a design for the memorial.

Several of his works can be seen in London and include the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens, the Edith Cavell memorial and the lions outside the British Museum. His proposal for this memorial was a bust of King Edward on a pedestal of Ketton stone and above a bronze statue of St George slaying the Dragon of Disease and this design was accepted. Sir Henry Randall then set up a memorial fund and despite some opposition donations came in steadily to finance the project.

Part of the inscription links King Edward with hospitals. It reads: “Thoughtful for the care and cure of the sick, he founded the King Edward Hospital Fund and left the world a noble example of wise philanthropy.”

This charitable fund was founded in 1897, still in existence today and now known as the King’s Fund. It seeks to understand how health systems in England can be improved.

It was originally planned to unveil the memorial in October 1913 when news came that King George V and Queen Mary would be visiting the county for the army manoeuvres planned.

King George had requested to see his father’s memorial whilst visiting Northampton and the work was speeded up ready for his visit.

The official unveiling of the memorial took place on Saturday 20 September that year by Mayor Harvey Reeves and attended by local dignitaries and local residents. It had cost £1,200 (£51,672 today) which was raised by public subscription.

The day arrived for the royal visit and the crowds who attended numbered 50,000 adults and 15,000 school children. There were another thousand privileged guests around a raised dais on the Market Square, all this for a visit that lasted 15 minutes. The story goes that the cavalcade taking the royal party diverted via Cheyne Walk to pass the memorial. At this point the cars paused, King George stood up, saluted his father, then sat down again and the procession drove on to Althorp for lunch and then on to Towcester to join the army manoeuvres.

The memorial following the unveiling ceremony and a chance for two local residents to have a closer look The bronze figure of St George slaying the Dragon of Disease, part of the King Edward VII monument

The team at the NGH Historical Archive were aware that the centenary was this year and got in touch with Edmund Fox, Town Centre Projects (Heritage) at Northampton Borough Council enquiring about possible funding for restoring the memorial ready for the anniversary. This

was successful and the restoration work was carried out last winter by Les and Greg of LA Simblet Stonework of Northampton. Not only had the stonework suffered from pollution over the past century but in the 1990s the sword of St George was vandalised and this has now also been replaced.

It rained that day and how long had this group waited for the King and Queen to pass by?

It is fitting that this monument has been restored to its former glory as it has always figured as one of the prominent landmarks in Northampton.

So if you are lingering at the traffic lights in your car, or on foot, take a fresh look at Edward and George before moving on your way.

Learn more about the history of the hospitals in Northamptonshire by visiting the Historical Archive at NGH. Open on Wednesday mornings 8am to 1pm. Telephone: 01604 544868 Email: sue.longworth@ngh.nhs.uk

38 ❘ INSIGHT

INSIGHT ❘ 39

Believe me, my young friend there is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.

Win free theatre tickets The Wind in the Willows “Believe me, my young friend there is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”

For Christmas 2013, Kenneth Grahame’s classic children’s story is brought lovingly to life on the Royal stage in a charming tale of friendship and adventure for all the family.

Poop! Poop! The peace of the countryside is shattered as Toad takes to the open road and his new-found love of the motor-car leads him into endless trouble. Join shy Mole, faithful Ratty and sensible old Badger as they try to get their bombastic friend back onto the straight and narrow.

This nostalgic but lively adventure takes the four friends from the tranquil riverbank (and the joys of picnics and boating) to the sinister Wild Wood and the battle for Toad Hall, meeting carolsinging field mice and wicked weasels along the way.

After the huge success of A Christmas Carol last year, director Gary Sefton (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Diary Of A Nobody) returns to bring his inventive and energetic storytelling style to the wonderfully funny and visual production.

Based on the book

by Kenneth Grahame

For more information and to buy tickets for The Wind In The Willows and other productions at Royal & Derngate, call the Box Office on 01604 624811 or visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk For a chance to win a family ticket* to see The Wind in the Willows on Saturday 30 November at 5.15pm, answer the five questions below.

Send your entry to arrive by Friday 1 November to peter.kennell@ngh.nhs.uk – or by post to Insight Editor, NGH, Cliftonville, Northampton NN1 5BD. Please note that your entry must include a daytime telephone number.

1 Who wrote The Wind in the Willows?

2 What was the percentage increase of A&E attendances at NGH in July compared to 2012?

3 Where is the Macmillan cancer information service now based at NGH?

Don’t miss this delightful Christmas show – a festive treat for all ages!

4 When in December can you donate blood in Northampton town centre?

“Sensational... Miss it at your peril” whatsonstage.com on A Christmas Carol (2012)

5 How many key areas of improvement are being addressed by the NGH Patient Safety Academy?

Tickets £10 - £21

*A family ticket is equivalent to four tickets (Max two adults)

◗ The winner of the ‘To Sir, With Love’ tickets in our last competition was Mrs E Swayne of Daventry.

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