InTouch magazine - March - April 2024

InTouch

Staff Survey results

Ministerial visit

Alex Health

Demolition

Alex has arrived... UKAS accreditation for blood transfusion team

Welcome to InTouch magazine – your insight into the latest news and updates from across PAHT.

In this edition, you can read more about the results of the most recent national NHS Staff Survey, highlights, key points, and next steps from our feedback (p.3-4). We also thank you for your support during the recent period of junior doctors’ industrial action (p.4) and you can read the latest exciting updates on our new electronic health record (EHR), Alex Health (p.5-6).

Our patients said...

Take a look at our coverage of the ministerial visit to the Bishop’s Stortford Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Herts and Essex Hospital, Bishop’s Stortford, to showcase the services available as part of the CDC programme on p.7. Additionally, you can read the latest update as demolition begins to make way for the new elective care hub at St Albans City Hospital to support patients across west Essex and Hertfordshire (p.8).

We also share an important update on car parking for our people, with the Linkway due to close in October, as we work to identify the most suitable alternative solution (p.9). Other areas of focus include National Apprenticeship Week (p.9-10), new Safe Spaces for our internationally recruited nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (AHPs) (p.10); accolades for our people and our celebrations of awareness days (p.11-13).

You can also read the latest feedback from our patients (p.14); wellbeing tips (p.15), and much more.

This magazine is for and about you, our #PAHTPeople –please contact the communications team if you would like to see your team featured, at paht.communications@ nhs.net

I hope you enjoy the read.

Best wishes

Lance McCarthy Chief executive

On 7 March the results of the most recent national NHS Staff Survey were published. You can see our results in the NHS Staff Survey Benchmark Report 2023 here >

I am delighted to share the highlights, key points and next steps from our feedback below.

Highlights

Thank you to everyone who completed the most recent National Staff Survey*. This year we had the highest response rate ever at PAHT with over 1,900 of us taking the opportunity to give our feedback. We also had a response rate that was 5% above the average response rate for acute and community Trusts in the country.

Our feedback shows that we feel there to have been improvements in all 7 of the NHS People Promises, with significant improvement in 6 of the 7.

Our feedback also shows that we have improved significantly in both of the NHS themes (staff engagement and staff morale).

It is fantastic to see and hear that so many more of us

are more content, feel more supported and recognised, and have more of a voice than we did a year ago.

Thank you to everyone for continuing to support each other better and working with colleagues to improve each of our experiences of working here. Thank you also to everyone who engaged with the feedback to action approach across the Trust following last year’s survey.

Comparisons

Relative to other acute and community Trusts in the country, working flexibly was our best NHS People Promise and always learning was our worst NHS People Promise

We know from feedback that our introduction of a new style appraisal on TiMS has contributed to our always learning rating outcome, but we also know, from the results, that where an appraisal was completed that more of us felt it was of value and a positive experience. Our new appraisal year starts in April and line managers will be booking sessions with everyone. A high-quality appraisal is really important for all of us, for our learning, development and

ongoing improvement.

Our results also show that we had a much greater level of diversity in our responders to the survey than the national average; we are a diverse organisation and everyone’s views matter.

Whilst our results are very encouraging and show significant improvements in our experiences, they remain below the national average for each of the NHS People Promises. The detailed results also show significant variations in experiences across the Trust, depending on where we work. This makes our ongoing focus on our feedback to action approach all the more important for each of us. Please continue to engage with this over forthcoming months to support all of our experiences of working at PAHT.

I have read every free text comment in our Staff Survey results. There are many varied and wide-ranging comments as we would all expect. The key positive themes that have struck me include:

y Teams are friendly

y Flexible working provides support for many

y A warm welcome is experienced by people new to PAHT

The key themes for focused improvement based on the concerns that have been raised include:

y The lack of communication and discussion in local divisional teams

y The impact, positive and negative, that a direct line manager has on our experience at work

Ongoing improvement

Every year our clinical and corporate divisional teams develop action plans for improvement based on the previous year’s Staff Survey results for that part of the Trust. All divisional leads are currently reviewing the detailed results for their division and will be organising conversations across all teams to discuss these. Please engage with your divisional teams to influence the plans that would make the most difference for you and your colleagues locally in your departments.

This year we will continue to embed oversight of progress against locally agreed actions through the normal governance structure including SMT (senior management team) meetings; divisional boards; DRMs (divisional review meetings) and individual team meetings.

Best wishes

Lance McCarthy Chief executive

Junior doctors' industrial action -

thank you

Thank you to everyone for your hard work and dedication during the recent period of junior doctors' industrial action.

Junior doctors took industrial action from 7am on Saturday 24 February to 11.59pm on Wednesday 28 February.

Our focus was on working together as one team to maintain patient flow through timely discharges and ensuring that no ambulances were waiting over 30 minutes to handover.

Thank you for working in a different way to support each other and to maintain high quality patient care.

Alex Health: 32 weeks to go...

Alex Health will go live over the weekend on 12-13 October this year.

With less than 32 weeks to go and time flying by, it’s really important everyone engages with Alex Health and understands what it will mean for your area. If you would like us to come and talk to your team about Alex Health and how it will impact your work, please get in touch >

Weekly messages

Every week we are sharing messages about Alex Health and where we are in the journey to go-live. Everyone should be receiving these

whether that’s via your manager, all user emails, the This is Us briefing or via the Alex Health team, including our ambassadors. The messages are also on AlexNet here >

If you’re not receiving the messages or have any feedback on what you’d like them to contain, again, please let us know (example below).

First Look Fridays

First Look Fridays are your chance to see a live demo of our new electronic health record Alex Health in action. Thanks to those who attended our third Alex Health First Look Friday on 15 March. The team shared a first look at the emergency department (ED) patient journey from admission to discharge. You can watch the recording and read the your questions answered section on AlexNet >

The next Alex Health First Look Friday is on 22 March which will look at ward rounds and how junior doctors will conduct ward rounds in Alex Health; as well as how jobs are handled and where to document out of hours.

Team blog: Emergency department (ED) Vera Pinto, ED/ADS sepsis workstream lead on Alex Health (left) has written a blog about how Alex Health will minimise delays in getting patients reviewed and highlight those that have been waiting longer than expected, helping us take steps to speed up their patient journey.

You can read Vera’s blog here >

Tell us what you know

There’s one week left to take part in the second Alex Health Pulse Survey. These 40-second surveys measure the awareness of Alex Health and how it will improve our work at PAHT. Please use the QR code or link to take part.

How can I find out more?

For more information about Alex Health and the benefits it will bring click here or read our Alex Health your questions answered here >

Thanks again to everyone who’s been involved so far – this is one of the biggest transformation projects PAHT has ever seen and you are making it happen.

Key benefits spotlight

• One login, one password, one system

• Patient data updated in real time, with device connectivity

• Increased patient safety, less room for duplication, delay or error

• Improved patient experience, more time with clinicians, less repeat testing

• Improved communication between services and reliability of referrals

Hospital showcases services to enhance care for the community at ministerial visit

We welcomed a ministerial visit to the Bishop’s Stortford Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Herts and Essex Hospital, Bishop’s Stortford, on 4 March to showcase the services available as part of the CDC programme.

The Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson CBE MP, Minister of State (Minister for Health and Secondary Care) attended alongside Julie Marson, MP for Hertford and Bishop’s Stortford, to see the modernised X-ray rooms and ultrasound services, and to meet with PAHT colleagues. This is part of our plans to support quicker and more local access to diagnostic tests close to patients’ homes.

As part of the CDC programme, the services provided at Herts and Essex Hospital, Bishop’s Stortford, will include extended hours for cardiology, ultrasound and X-ray. Extended hours for non-obstetric (non-pregnancy) ultrasound have begun to be provided, with additional hours to be available this year (2024). There will also be additional hours for X-ray this year (2024).

Additionally, we held a public consultation in January regarding our separate proposals for a Community Diagnostic Centre at St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping.

Planned to be open from summer 2025, there will be extended opening times and additional equipment at the St Margaret’s Hospital CDC, including:

y Two additional computerised tomography (CT) scanners;

y Extended hours for X-rays;

y New ultrasound equipment;

y New cardiology equipment;

y New respiratory equipment;

y Relocated MRI scanner;

y More phlebotomists to be recruited – increasing the number of blood tests that can be carried out

Jim McLeish, director of quality improvement, who attended the visit, said: “We were delighted to welcome Minister Stephenson and Julie Marson MP to Herts and Essex Hospital.

“It was fantastic to showcase the diagnostic services we provide to improve the experience for our patients, enabling our patients to be seen more quickly and closer to their homes. It was also an opportunity to discuss our next plans for modern, integrated, outstanding healthcare to support our community.”

Demolition paves the way for new health facility

New operating theatres and shorter waiting times are on the horizon for patients from Hertfordshire and west Essex, with work in full swing for a new regional health facility.

Demolition started on 12 February to make way for three new operating theatres and a surgical procedure room at St Albans City Hospital, all due to open their doors this coming winter.

Patients from across Hertfordshire and west Essex who are waiting for noncomplex orthopaedic surgery, spinal injections or ear, nose and throat (ENT) procedures will be invited to choose this new health facility for their care.

A whole new block is being built next to the current theatre suite, where two of the theatres and the procedure room will be for patients whose care is provided by either us at PAHT, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, or West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

As well as shorter waiting times, there will be an extremely low risk of cancellations or delays because the schedules are not affected by emergency surgery. More than 4,400 patients will be treated each year, with around half going home on the same day and others staying for a maximum

of just one night. Those who need more specialised care will be seen at The Princess Alexandra Hospital, The Lister Hospital, or Watford General Hospital, depending on which of these would normally provide their hospital care. Patients who could be treated in St Albans but would prefer to be seen at the hospital nearest to them can choose to wait a little longer if that is their preference.

Staff from all three of the hospital trusts will work together to form a combined theatre team, which will be bolstered by new recruits. Roles at the new elective care hub have been advertised to existing staff, with external adverts to follow later this year.

Michael Meredith, director of strategy and estates at PAHT, who leads the project, said: “It’s fantastic to see the demolition start, as it takes us a step nearer to being able to run an efficient and professional surgical facility for patients across west Essex and Hertfordshire.

“By treating patients sooner, we can improve their experiences and outcomes. This is a real step change in the way we provide care for our communities.”

Whilst added parking is planned, spaces will be at a premium during the demolition and throughout the construction phase and so anyone visiting the St Albans City Hospital site is asked to consider public transport, if possible, or drop off and pick up.

Important update: Car parking for our people - your involvement

Many of you will be aware that the Linkway car park is due to close in October this year (2024). This presents a complex, difficult situation in finding an alternative solution for parking.

On average, around 300 staff park at Linkway on weekdays – from October this will no longer be an option so we will have to redesign our parking solution for all staff.

Our car parking project team are working hard to identify the most suitable alternative solution. Options we are considering include off-site car parking (some would involve

providing transport to the main hospital site); and also on-site options, for which we would need to source considerable capital funding which isn’t currently available to us.

Please be assured that we understand how important car

parking is for those that drive to and from work, and we are committed to having agreed a way forward by the end of March.

You will all receive a request soon to ask you to complete a short questionnaire about your car parking needs, to ensure we can work together to provide the best possible solution for car parking at The Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Thank you for your support –we will keep you updated.

Michael Meredith Director of strategy and estates

Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week

National Apprenticeship Week 2024 (NAW24) ran from 5-11 February; an opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate our amazing apprentices and to highlight the opportunities available through apprenticeships for career progression.

Apprenticeships are open to everyone at any age, at any level, and in all sectors. They enable people to develop skills that employers need and can help people get onto career pathways.

Have you considered an apprenticeship as part of your career progression?

Did you know?:

y You can complete an apprenticeship alongside your current role as a development course

y There is no upper age limit to becoming an apprentice

y Apprenticeship qualifications or standards range from

levels 2-7. This is the equivalent of GCSE level up to a master's degree level

y Apprentices can develop themselves by learning new skills whilst earning at the same time

y You can gain a nationally recognised qualification

Managers… have you considered an apprentice in your team?

y It can help you attract a wide range of talent

y Create career pathways for the professions in your department

y Helps to improve retention. Between 2019 and 2023 88.5% of apprentices at

PAHT who completed their apprenticeship have remained working here

y Apprenticeships are a potential pipeline of future talent

y Apprenticeships are available to new and existing employees

We are currently supporting a wide variety of apprenticeships, including:

y Academic professional

y Assistant practitioner

y Advanced clinical practitioner

y Business administration

y Coaching professional

y Data analyst

y Data engineer

y Healthcare support worker

y Healthcare science

y Occupational therapy

y Operating department practitioner

y Nursing associate

y Pharmacy technician

y Play specialist

y Production chef

y Registered nurses

y Senior leadership and team leader (Master’s Degree)

y Speech and language

Find out more

y Email paht. apprenticeships-workexperience@nhs.net to set up a call or 1:1 appointment with one of the team

Our apprentices in the spotlight

There are currently 91 apprentices at PAHT (figure correct as of January 2024) and for National Apprenticeship Week 2024 we shone the spotlight on some of our #PAHTPeople who are undertaking an apprenticeship. Take a look:

y A spotlight on... Sue LordPractice development lead - theatres >

y A spotlight on... Radigha Murugaiyan - Advance nurse practitioner >

Our learning and organisational development team lined up a host of activities that took place across the week to share information, highlight opportunities and help promote the benefit of apprenticeships across the trust - thank you.

Further information

y You can download a video from our learning and organisational development team to find out more about how apprenticeships work here >

y You can visit the workspace on AlexNet here >

New Safe Spaces for our internationally recruited nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (AHPs)

The leadership team at PAHT recognises the importance of creating Safe Spaces for internationally educated and recruited nurses, midwives, and allied health care professionals. This new initiative has been launched to gain insights into the challenges faced and to give a platform by which concerns can be raised and solutions explored.

Workshop meeting invitations have been sent directly to our internationally recruited staff according to their diaspora group (Asian, Afro-Caribbean, Filipino, Australian); if you have not received an invitation, please email Michelle Wells-Braithwaite: m.wellsbraithwaite@nhs.net.

Unable to attend a workshop?

If you can’t attend a workshop, please complete the survey being run by Healthwatch Hertfordshire. Healthwatch Hertfordshire is independent from the NHS and anything you share will be strictly confidential. You can access the survey using this link > Please be assured, whether you attend a workshop or complete an online survey, your anonymity will be maintained. Further information is on AlexNet here >

Alex has arrived… she is just settling in

You may have seen that Alex, our friendly and helpful virtual assistant, has now arrived at the main entrance of The Princess Alexandra Hospital.

She is just settling in and our teams are carrying out final testing – she will be ready to help you and our patients soon.

Using artificial intelligence (AI), Alex will support with wayfinding and answering queries. She will guide our patients to their appointments or visitors to wards, and provide useful information about our hospital.

With Alex’s help, we aim to have…

• Improved wayfinding

• More meaningful conversations between our volunteers, patients and visitors

• Out of hours support

Alex is continuing to learn – please bear with her as she settles in. Alex is currently learning four different languages including Polish, Romanian, Italian and British Sign Language to be more inclusive and support our local community.

We will keep you updated when Alex is ready to help.

UKAS accreditation to ISO15189 for our blood transfusion team

We are delighted to announce that following a recent assessment, the blood transfusion team have been accredited to the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) standard ISO15189.

UKAS is a national accreditation scheme that checks the competences of organisations. ISO15189 specifies the requirements for quality and competence in medical laboratories.

Our blood transfusion team underwent a two day assessment which reviewed their quality management system and also observed staff undertaking all processes carried out. You can view the full schedule of testing on the UKAS website here >

ISO15189 recognises that our transfusion management system is centred around the patient journey, and that we have a robust quality management system in place, focused on continual improvement. This accreditation also gives assurance of the standards the team are working to, to our patients and all other stakeholders too.

Congratulations to the blood transfusion team for attaining this accreditation.

Chair of Patient Panel shortlisted for Unsung Hero Award

Ann Nutt, chair of the PAHT Patient Panel, has been recognised for her incredible contribution to putting patients at the heart of all the hospital does, and has been shortlisted in the Unsung Hero Awards.

The awards recognise the contributions of non-medical NHS staff and the work they do behind the scenes.

Ann, who has been chair of the Patient Panel for 10 years, works tirelessly for the wellbeing of patients; organising conferences to raise awareness of health issues in the local community and collaborates with staff on patient-focused initiatives. She also sits on interview panels, organises celebratory tea parties for patients and is renowned for her incredible commitment to the wider hospital community.

Diane Deane-Bowers, vice chair of the Patient Panel, said: “Ann is a remarkable and inspirational woman and I am delighted she has been shortlisted for this prestigious award. Her astonishing work ethic is an inspiration to everyone she meets.”

Sharon McNally, chief nurse and deputy chief executive, said: “The Patient Panel at PAHT is highly respected within the trust and wider community and Ann has been at the forefront of its success. I was delighted to learn that

Ann had been shortlisted in the Unsung Hero Awards, very well deserved.”

The main awards ceremony will take place in Manchester this spring.

For further information, please visit the Unsung Hero Awards website >

Nutrition and Hydration Week 2024

Nutrition and Hydration Week 2024 took place from 11 – 17 March. The purpose of this awareness week was to highlight and educate people on the value of food and drink in maintaining health and wellbeing in health and social care.

Please be reminded about the importance of taking breaks and looking after your own hydration and nutrition. There is further information on AlexNet here >

Healthcare Science Week

We celebrated Healthcare Science Week from 11-15 March, with activities including an information stand and an awards ceremony at the Alex Lounge. Congratulations to everyone who was recognised.

Healthcare science covers many different disciplines at PAHT whose activity supports and directly influences patient care including: laboratory science, clinical engineering, medical photography, audiology, cardiac and respiratory physiology, clinical informatics and pharmacy.

Little is often known about these teams and so Healthcare Science Week was an opportunity to raise awareness and celebrate the work they do, and the important role they play.

Thank you to everyone involved.

International Women’s Day 2024

Friday 8 March was International Women’s Day. This year’s campaign theme was Inspire Inclusion.

When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment. Collectively we can all #InspireInclusion.

For further information, visit the International Women’s Day 2024 website here >

Our staff health and wellbeing team also shared details of menopause resources available on AlexNet here >

Our patients said...

"A very big thank you to all the staff in the Eye Unit and Day Stay Unit for their kindness and consideration during my recent eye surgery, and to all the hospital staff who keep on going often under difficult circumstances."

"My dermatology experience was perfect. There was not much of a wait. I was looked after nicely and kindly.

"I was reassured and told exactly what the cause was and why. I couldn't get any better treatment, I was entirely satisfied with the service.

"Nothing could have been better than the service I received."

"Many thanks once again for your dexterity in performing my colonoscopy.

"Your assistants are compassionate and caring. They are responsive to every instruction delivered calmly and sensibly.

"My thanks again to you all for making the experience as comfortable as possible."

Wise about wellbeing

While you are caring for our patients, or supporting those who provide care, it is extremely important to remember to focus on your wellbeing and to check in with your colleagues too.

There are a wide variety of resources available to you to support your health and wellbeing. Each month, we share practical information and tips as part of our wise about wellbeing feature. This month, we are focusing on the forthcoming NHS East of England financial wellbeing webinars.

y Thursday 21 March, 12pm – 1pm: Retirement - planning ahead

Would you like to feel in control and understand what actions you can take now to plan for a comfortable retirement? This presentation discusses the importance of knowing your options when it comes to planning ahead for your retirement, and tools and support to help you plan. You can book onto the session here >

y Tuesday 26 March, 12pm – 1pm: New to the UK

This session provides an overview of some key areas to think about to help you feel in control and understand the steps you could take to feel confident about your finances when moving to the UK. It features information to support you and your family for a successful start to life in the UK and would be of particular relevance to our international colleagues. You can book onto the session here >

You can access details of the full range of health and wellbeing resources on the staff health and wellbeing workspace on AlexNet >

Welcome to our new #PAHTPeople

In the last month, 65 new #PAHTPeople have joined us:

Ifueko

Aiguobasinmwin

Imadeldin Ajban

Fatai Ajidagba

Hafeez Akinyemi

Joyal Androos Sabu

Sandra Arum

Mohamed Bar

Amanda Blackburn

Janet Broom

Aaliyah Casimir

Jasmina Choukair

Amy Cooper

Arcely Crickett

Hawkson Kofi

Darkwah

Sherida Dwarika

Anna Elsom

Alexander Emberson

Charlotte Fuller

Teena George

Daniel Gray

Anthony Green

Kolawole Hammed

Michelle Hayes

Kirsty Henderson

Gemma Hornsby

Uzma Ihsan

Majedul Islam

Sagar Jesrani

Monica Karunakaran

Paul Kettle

Julie Khan

Hilary Langham

Clifford Lewis

Susan Lynch

Anita McCole

Ella Mcarthur

Lauren MolyneuxSella

Freetha Mundathode

Felix Nwankwo

Mercy Olateru

Deepshikha Palit

Anika Patel

Sarahjane Paul

Thomas Pullen

Caruso

Namitha Pushpala

Sumaiyah Rahman

Alluwiya Rajab

Aliyah Reynolds

Lucy Rolt

Gbenga Saola

Boby Sarder

Ambilimol Satheesh

Lily Seabright

Rosemary

Segun-Durojaiye

Kirstie Simpson

Robyn Skinner

Colin Taylor

Nitin Thakur

Ellen Tysterman

Shuyeb Uddin

Kingsley Udeagha

Mbuotidem

Udosen

Bob Uwakwem

Rediet Wiebel

Deborah Williams

In this time, 33 people have left PAHT - thank you for supporting our patients and our people.