r u o yhospital Summer 2014
How we’re encouraging patients to eat and drink PLUS: Research good for you, good for the NHS
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your hospital your health
The magazine for members and supporters of east Kent’s hospitals
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Welcome!
Nicholas Wells, Chairman A warm welcome to this latest edition of Your Hospital, the special magazine for members of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.
As ever, it is full of interesting news items and articles. I was particularly impressed by the story describing the Trust’s research successes. Inevitably, it only covers a small number of the very many research projects involving Trust personnel but it clearly shows the great importance of research to improving the treatment outcomes for patients. I also enjoyed reading Junetta Whorwell’s account of ‘a day in the life as a Governor’. Our Governors play a very important role and particularly so in acting as a link between the Trust and its members. I therefore fully support her encouragement to members to take opportunities to meet with our Governors and to attend members’ events organised by the Trust. In closing, I want to draw particular attention to the article entitled ‘Could you give us a fresh perspective?’ The Trust has more than 10,000 members living in east Kent and many have substantial experience of the care and services it provides. By tapping into this wealth of knowledge, the Trust can gain valuable insights into how it can develop and improve. So if you are interested in helping to shape the provision and future direction of your Trust’s services, please do get in touch. Happy reading!
We are pleased to welcome Matt Williams, our new Governor for Swale. Matt will work alongside Paul Durkin to represent Swale Foundation Trust members’ views at our Council of Governors. Matt has worked in the UK, Australia and South Asia, sat on numerous company boards and been a trustee of several educational, youth and heath focused charities. He takes an active interest in local health and educational issues. He is Trustee of Kent Union at the University of Kent and has been part of his area Patient Representation Group.
Making finding your way easier
The Wi-Fi will be available free of charge, making it easier for patients to keep in touch with friends and relatives and the outside world. An exact date for go live has not yet been set, but it is likely to be towards the end of this year.
Annual Members’ Meeting
Patients will be able to access our Wi-Fi network on their personal devices, following requests from patient groups.
Andy Barker, our IT Director, said: “I am really pleased with this decision. It allows us to take advantage of the significant investment we make in our WiFi network so that it can be used not only for important clinical reasons but for patients’ personal use, which we believe will aid their recovery process.”
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New Governor appointed
Patients and visitors have told us that finding your way around our hospitals is not easy – especially if you have never been here before. So staff from different areas of the Trust have got together to work on this issue. We are looking at all parts of the way finding process, from signage to appointment letters to the Trust’s public website. We are asking community groups, like Mencap and the Kent Association for the Blind, to join in the development process.
Free Wi-Fi for patients
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News in brief
Thursday 2 October 2014 Kent County Cricket Club, Old Dover Road, Canterbury CT1 3NZ 18.00-19.00 exhibition 19.00-20.30 Presentations and questions RSVP 01227 766877 ext 73636
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news
Drinks for carers to help keep patients hydrated
A uniform approach
During a stay in hospital, eating and staying hydrated is a key part of recovery yet some patients can find this more difficult. In fact some patients with learning disabilities, confusion, or dementia sometimes find encouragement to drink or eat more if their carer is drinking with them too. And so we are caring for these carers as well as our patients and have initiated a partnership with our patient food and drink providers Serco to ensure carers are offered hot or cold drinks at the same time as patients.
Brian Glew, Elected Governor, Canterbury
A Governor writes... Alan Hewett, Elected Governor, Shepway We all take our health for granted, illness, disease, no, that always happens to someone else. Then one day you go for a routine scan assuming you are wasting your time and the hospital’s when bang, you are asked to go back again for another more detailed scan. Well, this has happened before you must have moved at the wrong moment or the picture wasn’t good enough for proper examination. Back you go and have the scan, the radiographer asks you to wait to see the doctor, now you start to worry. She tells you that you have a shadow in your left breast which needs further investigation, she then suggested that she take a biopsy which was done and sent off to the lab. Two days later you receive an appointment by phone to see a Breast Surgeon, you still think is probably a bit of fatty tissue nothing to worry about as there is no lump that you are told to look for. You sit down as you are called in to the Surgeon and then the world stops as you are told you have Cancer. You then begin to meet the most caring dedicated professionals you ever want to meet from the theatre staff, after your op to remove the cancer, through the pathway of your care, to the Oncologist who organises your chemotherapy, the Radiologists for your radio therapy to remove all traces of the cancer, to the point when you are told you are in remission. You are then looked after for up to ten years with regular appointments providing you stay in remission. Where are all these dedicated professionals? Here in our hospitals. We are lucky to have one of the best Breast Cancer Services in the Country right here on our door stop in Canterbury, William Harvey in Ashford and the QEQM at Margate. Now this journey for patients isn’t an easy one as complications can occur and the treatment can be aggressive and it would be wrong to say otherwise. The moral of this story is however, when you receive an appointment for a routine scan, make sure you keep it, even if it appears to be a waste of time, because if some of these cancers are caught early then your chances of survival are increased.
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One of the recent surveys the Governors have run on the Trust's website is about the ease of identifying exactly who is talking to you and providing your care when you visit hospital as a patient. Are they a nurse, a doctor, a physiotherapist or another healthcare professional? And what's their name? What the majority of you have told us is that: • You’re not always clear about the identity and job of the staff you meet • It isn’t always easy to identify doctors compared with other staff • You think doctors should wear some sort of identifiable uniform • Easier identification of doctors might make you feel more confident • Name badges are – definitely – more important than uniforms • The name badges staff currently wear are not always easy to read. We are grateful to those of you who have completed the survey. To you, and those who didn’t manage to do so, please watch out for further surveys. They will be in the same place on the website, and there will usually be a signpost to them on the first of the membership pages. They are important to us, because they help to inform the issues we, as Governors, pursue and how we do so. The strongest message from your answers was that name badges (showing name and job title) are the most important element. We know that these are sometimes difficult to read. They sometimes contain too much information, and they are fixed in different places. And sometimes they are partly obscured. We will be talking to the Trust about what improvements might be made both in the design and the consistency around how they are worn. 3
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Could you give us a fresh perspective?
We are looking for members to give us a fresh perspective on our hospital services and our plans for the future. We regularly meet with a number of patient and public representatives to talk through our plans and listen to their views. We believe this helps us to get it right first time. We need more members to take part, so if you would enjoy helping us improve our services, if you respect confidentiality and equality, are committed and able to add your point of view to discussions as a ‘critical friend’, please get in touch with us to find out more. Please contact Mandy Carliell by telephone on 01227 866384 or by e-mail at mandy.carliell@nhs.net.
Outpatient services in east Kent Our Board and Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group have agreed to go ahead with proposals to modernise our outpatient services (appointments with a hospital doctor). We are now going ahead with implementing the proposals, which means a much greater range of services within a 20 minute drive for most of the population – made possible by concentrating services from 15 to 6 sites. Services at these sites – in Ashford, Margate, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Whitstable – will include ‘one stop shop’ clinics and diagnostics such as X-ray and blood tests, providing a much more streamlined service for patients. We are working with Stagecoach to supply better bus routes to the hospitals and will also work to offer more services out of hours and at weekends. We are investing £28 million in improving outpatient services, of which £23 million is being spent on the new Dover Hospital and the remainder on improvements to outpatient facilities on other sites.
Health events for members are listed for you to see on our website www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/members or phone 01843 62696 for more information.
Good Morning Britain from Margate’s A&E! A&E at Margate’s QEQM hospital played host to ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme during the July heat wave. The cameras were in A&E reporting on the effects of the heat on people’s health.
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Think Sepsis Paul Durkin, Elected Governor - Swale When you watch your mother die of an infection you know little about, it tends to concentrate the mind. All I ever knew before about Sepsis was the use of antiseptic creams on wounds. Since then friends and relatives have also confirmed their ignorance. By this article, copied from the UK Sepsis Trust, I hope it will help you to be at least aware and not let what happened to my mother happen to people you care for. The key message is suspect sepsis and save someone's life. What is sepsis? Sepsis was previously known as septicaemia or blood poisoning. Sepsis is the body’s reaction to an infection and means your body attacks its own organs and tissues. If not spotted and treated quickly, sepsis can rapidly lead to organ failure and death. Patients and health workers need to work together to ensure life-saving treatment is delivered as soon as possible. Sepsis kills! Sepsis accounts for 37,000 deaths annually in the UK. That’s more than bowel cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer put together. This means that a person dies from sepsis every 14 minutes in the UK. Patients with the most severe forms of sepsis are up to five times more likely to die than patients with a heart attack or stroke.
Sepsis is a medical emergency, if caught early the outlook is good for the vast majority of cases hence it is crucial not to delay seeking medical attention International recommendations suggest that treatment should be started within one hour of sepsis being suspected. Research has shown that treatment with intravenous antibiotics and fluids works. Sepsis is an emergency, just like heart attacks and stroke. Sepsis facts • Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. • Infections which can give rise to sepsis are common, and include lung infections (pneumonia), water infections, infections in wounds, bites or the joints, and problems like burst ulcers • Sepsis can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and death, especially if not recognized early and treated promptly. How will I know? If a person has two or more of the following: • A very high (or very low) temperature • A racing heart beat • Rapid shallow breathing • Confusion they may have sepsis. You should seek medical advice if you are at all concerned. If you suspect sepsis, try to ensure that the patient receives urgent medical attention. Don’t be afraid to say "I think this might be sepsis". Remember, if it does turn out to be sepsis, getting this patient treated even one hour earlier might make the
difference between life and death. What can be done? The good news is life-saving treatment for sepsis is often relatively straightforward. Early recognition, and getting basic treatments including antibiotics and fluids into the patient within the first hour, can halt the progression of sepsis and hugely improve outcomes for patients. The Sepsis Trust believes that, once sepsis is accepted as a medical emergency and as a clinical priority for the NHS, we can save up to 10,000 lives each year. We will achieve this through the promotion of earlier recognition of sepsis and more reliable delivery of immediate life-saving treatments including earlier antibiotics and fluids, by raising awareness, and through innovation, research and the sharing of good practice. To make this happen, we need to ensure that members of the public, patients and their relatives, and health professionals work together to think sepsis. For further information, to join our campaign, or to make a donation, please visit: www.sepsistrust.org Tel: 0845 606 6255
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Our research success Research: Good for you, good for the NHS We know that research and innovation leads to better care and outcomes for patients and we want to place it at the heart of what we do. We carry out research across a whole range of areas from clinical trials that test new drugs and treatments, developing new treatments and techniques and engaging with patients and carers to improve their experience of treatment. We are the biggest recruiter in Kent to National Institutes for Health Research (NIHR) Portfolio studies, which are supported by funding from the Kent & Medway Comprehensive Local Research Network (CLRN), the South East Stroke Research Network (SESRN) and the K&M Cancer Research Network (CRN). We also work closely with researchers in other hospitals and universities as well as developing our own research in a diverse and wide range of areas including occupational and physio- therapies to ophthalmology and advanced neuroimaging. You can find out more about our research programmes on our website at: www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/ research
Anticancer agent trial Our Haematology Clinical Trials Unit has gained recognition with a paper coauthored by Principal Investigator Chris Pocock published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in May. The paper was about the excellent results obtained in relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukaemia with the first-inclass oral inhibitor of Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase, Ibrutinib. East Kent was the only district general hospital invited to participate in the trial in the UK.
Landmark study into Parkinson’s treatment The Movement Disorder Service would like to acknowledge their appreciation to the 21 East Kent patients with early Parkinson’s Disease who contributed over the last ten years to the landmark study of the initial treatment of this condition published last month by the Lancet.
Pressure ulcer prevention trial Judy Elliott, Lead Tissue Viability Nurse is collaborating with the University of Leeds on a national research project called PRESSURE-2, comparing high specification foam mattresses versus alternating pressure mattresses in the prevention of pressure ulcers. The study is running until 2017. The study is looking to recruit over 2000 patients nationally.
For more news you can follow us on Twitter @ekhuft or like us on Facebook!
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A day in my life as a Governor Junetta Whorwell – Elected Governor for Ashford Since last I wrote for the Spring Edition of the Trust Magazine for Members and Supporters of East Kent Hospitals (EKHUFT) I am honoured to inform members in the Ashford constituency that I was reelected to the Council of Governors. I will continue to perform the many statutory duties as required by law. Governors have an important role in making an NHS Foundation Trust publicly accountable for the services provided.
of Directors and to represent the interests of the Foundation Trust Members and the Public. Attending the various meetings is necessary. As a Governor I am required by law to represent the interest of the Public and Members of the trust.
Care’ initiative. Another part of my day is spent at Committee Meetings. I currently sit on three committees: • Patient and Staff Experience • Strategic • Communication and Membership
How do I represent the members?
Are these meetings really necessary?
There are other events organised by the trust for members, eg, Stroke Awareness, Nutrition, Diabetes, all are topics which give the public the opportunity to attend and hear from the clinicians and other highly professional practitioners how the trust delivers the services to meet the needs of the patients.
All three cover specific areas which relate to the services which the trust provides to their patients and staff My duty as a Governor is never dull. There is a wealth of valuable information to absorb, a lot of reports to read. All of which are necessary to be able to make a positive contribution. I bring to the Council, matters from the wider community and my involvement and experience of my role in other public organisations, for example , my role as an independent monitor in Her Majesties Prisons in Kent. Yes, offenders in prison do have health needs which have to be provided by many NHS Trusts across the country. Perhaps this will be an article for the next edition.
Most definitely. They are open, productive and transparent. The Directors present valid, important information which demonstrates the performance of the Trust. The overriding rule of the Council of Governors is to hold the Non— Executive Directors individually and collectively to account for the performance of The Board
The newly refurbished Out Patients Reception is an ideal place to meet the public. I must highlight the professionalism of the staff who are at the reception. They surely represent the trust positively. They are respectful and professional to patients and visitors. They clearly demonstrate the values and behaviours embedded in the ‘We
If you read this feature you may wonder, how does she find the time to fill so much in a day! Somehow I do, and will endeavour to play a positive part as one of the Governors for EKHUFT. I encourage members of the public to come to the various events laid on by the trust, and meet the governors and other staff members of the trust.
My Nursing, Midwifery and Health visiting background and my extensive experience within the NHS, plus my years spent in local Government enables me to bring valuable perspectives from the people using the Health Service. I will continue to represent the interest of the members of the trust and ensure your concerns are raised. What does a day as a Governor mean? There are meetings to attend, eg: • Board of Directors • Council of Governors • Committee Meetings
As part of my day, I have the opportunity to meet people in many ways, eg, Meet the Governor Sessions held in each of the Hospitals; Ashford, Canterbury, Margate. I engage with people who are willing to meet Governors and share their experience of the care given.
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How to join us There are many ways to be part of your hospital Trust - as a member, a volunteer, a fund raiser or all of the above! More information is available on our website at www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/support us or complete the form below and send it to: Membership OfďŹ ce, FREEPOST RSGJ-CLYR-UCKY, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, St Peters Road, Margate CT9 4AN. (No stamp required). Become a member
Volunteer
As a member you will be able to share your opinions and ideas and have a voice in the development of hospital services in east Kent.
Charity
We value the involvement of local people as volunteers in activities that enhance the quality of life for our patients, visitors, carers and also support the staff in delivering high quality health care.
I am applying For Foundation Trust membership (please circle as appropriate)
Leagues of Friends
At East Kent Hospitals Charity we would like to know if you are thinking of raising funds for any of our hospitals or in support of the services the Trust provides.
To be a volunteer
There are five separate Leagues of Friends' or 'Friends' in east Kent which individually support the five hospitals across the Trust. Each League of Friends is a voluntary organisation and registered charity.
To support the Charity
Surname First name(s) Address Postcode Telephone E-mail Date of birth Gender How would you like us to contact you? Ethnic group
Male
White British White Irish Mixed, White & Black Caribbean Mixed, White & Asian Asian, Asian British, Indian Asian, Asian British, Bangladeshi Black, Black British, Caribbean Black, Black British, Other Other Ethnic Group
Do you consider yourself to have a disability?
Female
Post White Other Mixed, White & Black African Mixed, Other Asian, Asian British, Pakistani Asian, Other Black, Black British, African Chinese
Yes
No
We are required by law to keep public registers of members which will include your name plus constituency. Please indicate if you wish to have your name removed from the public register. Yes No We are required to request the above information in order to ensure that our membership is representative of the local population. All information is protected in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Signed Date 8
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