InTouch magazine - November - December 2022

Welcome

Relocation to Gibberd Ward

New associate directors of operations

Virtual Hospital service begins

Call for winter rapid responders Maternity triage service

Festive events

Our year in highlights...

Our year in highlights...

Our year in highlights...

Our year in highlights...

Charity update e-Consent introduced

Our patients said...

Wise about wellbeing

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

Thank you to everyone for your hard work and dedication throughout another busy year, with COVID-19 as a backdrop.

In this edition, we focus on some of our highlights of the year, from the opening of the Alex Lounge and the Learning and Education Centre, to signing the Armed Forces Covenant and seeing our colleagues recognised with a variety of accolades (p.8-11).

We also cover the relocation of services to Gibberd Ward (p.3) and welcome Claire Clarke, associate director of operations for the clinical support services division, and Bernard Johnson, associate director of operations for the medical division (p.4).

We update on the new Virtual Hospital service, where patients will receive care in their own homes and will be supported by experienced clinical teams (p.5).

In addition, we call for winter rapid responders to dedicate some of their time to support our patients during mealtimes (p.6), and detail the introduction of our new maternity triage service (p.6).

You can also read the latest updates from our charity (p.12), wellbeing tips (p.15), and much more.

Wishing you and your families a fantastic festive season. Special thanks goes to all who are working over the Christmas and New Year period to support our patients.

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

Services relocating from the main building to Gibberd Ward to support patient flow this winter

A range of services previously in the main building at The Princess Alexandra Hospital have relocated to Gibberd Ward, at the rear of the site, to support patient flow this winter.

From 28 November, the following services moved to Gibberd Ward (Building 6), red zone. Building 6 is shown on the map (below), at the rear of the Derwent Centre and the Williams Day Unit (WDU).

Blood tests

y Phlebotomy (blood tests) services at Herts and Essex Hospital, Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping are unaffected

y The service at The Princess Alexandra Hospital

reopened on 29 November in the new location at Gibberd Ward, and will remain there until at least 31 March 2023

y Due to the reduced waiting area capacity at Gibberd Ward, patients should attend appointments by themselves where possible

y Please note that the new location is away from the facilities in the main building, including the Alexandra Restaurant, Marks & Spencer and Costa Coffee

y Opening hours remain the same at the new location7am to 4:30pm.

Appointments are required as before, which patients can book online using our online booking system, Swiftqueue: www.swiftqueue.co.uk

Therapies

y The therapies department has moved from B27 in the main hospital to Gibberd Ward (Building 6)

y This includes the musculoskeletal (MSK) outpatient physiotherapy service, together with office space for the inpatient occupational therapists and physiotherapists and management team

y Contact details for the department remain 01279 827199 for inpatients and 01279 827606 for outpatients (if the team are unable to answer, there will

be an opportunity to leave a message)

y The MSK outpatient service resumed on 29 November

y No therapy services remain at location B27

Non-elective specialty procedures

y Some non-elective procedures will be completed on Gibberd Ward that were previously carried out on our Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) Unit. These include ascitic drains, pleural effusions and transfusions

y Any patients requiring these

procedures will be booked and contacted directly

y Due to the reduced waiting area capacity at Gibberd Ward, patients should attend appointments by themselves where possible

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Thank you for your patience during this time whilst we temporarily reorganise our services to support patient flow through our emergency department (ED) this winter. Please share this information with your colleagues, patients and visitors.

Appointment of two new associate directors of operations

We are pleased to share that Claire Clarke (pictured, right) has joined us as the associate director of operations for the clinical support services division, and Bernard Johnson (pictured, far right), has joined us as the associate director of operations for the medical division.

Clare previously worked at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as the operations manager for the transplant directorate, a post that she held for eight years.

Bernard has held diverse senior leadership roles across many specialties within the NHS. More recently, he worked at NHS England and Improvement as an operational implementation lead for elective recovery and transformation.

Please join us in welcoming both Claire and Bernard as they take on their new roles.

A huge thank you to Gail De Souza, who supported the clinical support services division as the interim associate director of operations, and to Darren Hobbs, former associate director of operations for the

medical division, who has now left PAHT for a new opportunity – wishing you both all of the best in your future endeavours.

Integrated Virtual Hospital service begins

You can now start referring patients into the new Virtual Hospital service.

Patients will receive care in their own homes and will be supported by an experienced clinical team led by a consultant and supported by advanced clinical practitioners, nurses, and social care teams.

The service is being delivered by Essex Partnership University Trust (EPUT) on behalf of the West Essex Health and Care Partnership, as part of the Out of Hospital Model of Care.

From 5 December there has been a soft launch of the service for patients who will benefit from daily clinical oversight and digital remote monitoring. You can refer patients into the service where they will be assessed, before receiving up to two weeks of remote monitoring interventions and face-to-face care, where indicated, along with social care support in their usual place of residence.

The service is for patients whom you feel are at high risk of admission to hospital in the next 24-48 hours. It will support patients with a range of conditions that would otherwise require them to be admitted to hospital. The service provides the following:

1. Response to frailty related syndromes

2. Acute respiratory infection - pneumonia with CRB-65=1

3. Response to worsening heart failure symptoms and diuresis management

4. Response to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation deteriorating, despite primary care management

5. Response to infectious conditions requiring antibiotic therapies

6. Remote monitoring of health status via enabling technology

Referrals for the Integrated Virtual Hospital will go via the Care Coordination Centre (CCC), which is led by EPUT. It is the single point for managing referrals and capacity and transferring care through the system.

To make a referral into the Virtual Hospital or to discuss any case you feel may be suitable to be managed in this service, to avoid a need for

admission to hospital, please call 07581 013636 from 8am until 8pm. This is a dedicated professional hotline number.

Integrated Virtual Hospital inclusion criteria:

1. Adults aged 18 years and over

2. NEWS2 score of 4 or less (with the exception of three in a single parameter)

3. The adult requires daily monitoring and support for recovery

4. The adult, or a nominated advocate, consents to the adult being cared for at their usual place of residence

Integrated Virtual Hospital exclusion criteria:

1. Adult not registered with a GP in west Essex

2. NEWS2 score of 5 or above

3. Adult has an acute surgical emergency e.g. acute abdomen, fractures and stoma issues

You can read more on AlexNet >

Call for winter rapid responders

For the winter months ahead, we are in need of rapid responders to dedicate some of their time to support our patients during mealtimes.

Nutrition is a key element of recovery for our patients and we can make a real difference with your invaluable support.

As part of the role, you will assist with a variety of tasks, including:

y Clearing patient tables ahead of mealtimes

y Encouraging patients to wash or wipe their hands before eating

y Delivering the correct meals to patients

y Ensuring that the patient

has everything that they need and that they are comfortable

y Supporting those who find it difficult to eat their meals, for example opening packets or cutting up their food

y Position trays, cutlery and cups correctly on the table

so that patients can access them easily

y Assist the housekeepers to collect trays and tidy after the mealtime has finished

y Offering companionship to our patients whilst eating their meals

You can read more, including a your questions answered document and application form on AlexNet >

If you have any further questions, please contact our voluntary services team at paht.volunteers@nhs.net or call 01279 978786

New maternity triage service introduced

Our maternity team has introduced a new triage service for women and birthing people who are more than 22 weeks pregnant or up until 14 days after the birth of their baby and have pregnancy related concerns.

Giuseppe Labriola, director of midwifery and gynaecology at PAHT (pictured, second from right, with maternity team colleagues), said: "We are pleased to offer this new triage service.

"Our specialist team of midwives are on hand to provide expert care and offer advice 24 hours a day, seven days per week, both at the

maternity triage unit and via the telephone helpline.

"We aim to see people within 15 minutes of arrival for an initial review and assessment.

"It's so important that women and birthing people with pregnancy related concerns such as abdominal pain, leaking of fluid, or changes in their baby's movements, can

seek the appropriate advice and follow up care as soon as possible.

"We recommend to women and birthing people that they contact the maternity triage helpline before attending the hospital, so that our team can advise accordingly.

"Our amazing team work extremely hard to provide high quality care and experiences for all."

The maternity triage service can be found on the lower ground floor, zone A, location A40.

Festive events

Support for you during the festive period –Blue Christmas

Christmas time can be wonderful, but for some it can be lonely and stressful too.

On Monday 19 December, our chaplaincy team will hold a blue Christmas event to provide advice and support to anyone who may be feeling isolated or anxious during the festive period.

There will also be a memory tree (pictured) for our patients, people and visitors to leave

special messages or prayers for lost loved ones, which will be available inside the hospital

sanctuary until the New Year.

The event will take place at the main hospital (ground floor, outside of the main lifts) from 10am-2pm and at Kao Park from 10am-12pm

The day will finish with a simple service of reflection, music and prayer in the hospital sanctuary from 5pm5.30pm– all are welcome to attend.

Join the festive spirit at our Christmas carol service

Warm up your vocal cords and get ready to join the festive spirit at our annual Christmas carol service on Tuesday 20 December.

The service will take place from 5:30-6:30pm at St. Paul’s Church (College Square, Harlow Town Centre, CM20 1LP), followed by a glass of

Help bring

Christmas

The Christmas countdown has begun for many of us, but as we know, it can be a difficult time for those spending the festive period in hospital.

You can help bring Christmas cheer to our patients and put a smile on their faces by joining our hospital chaplaincy team, our hospital choir and local

mulled wine and delicious mince pie.

The evening brings our people and the local community together as we sing carols and listen to readings and prayers from local people and our executive team.

cheer to our patients

church members on Friday 23 December as they tour the wards singing festive songs. You do not need to be a skilled vocalist - all are welcome. To join, please meet the group at the hospital sanctuary (lower ground floor) at 5pm on the day. You do not need to be a skilled vocalist - all are welcome.

If you would like any further information, please contact Christian Okeke or Gill Newman, our chaplaincy team, at christian.okeke1@nhs.net or gill.newman@nhs.net

Our year in highlights...

New non-executive directors and finance director appointed

We appointed three new non-executive directors to our board in 2022. Colin McCready (pictured right) joined the hospital as a non-executive director, and Liz Baker (pictured, far right) as an associate non-executive director, in February.

Additionally, in February, Darshana Bawa (pictured below, far right) became an associate non-executive director - she was previously a NExT nonexecutive director. In September, Darshana became a non-executive director.

In April, we appointed local GP Dr Rob Gerlis (pictured right) to our board as an associate non-executive director. After joining as interim finance director in May, we appointed Tom Burton (pictured above, centre) as our new finance director in July.

Opening of the Alex Lounge

We celebrated the official opening of the Alex Lounge on 17 March, with Lance McCarthy, chief executive, and Hattie Llewelyn-Davies, chair.

The Alex Lounge, next to the Alexandra Restaurant (location A21) at The Princess Alexandra Hospital, is a hub for you to meet colleagues and relax together, to take some time out for yourself, or to join one of the health and wellbeing sessions. Open to all and free of charge, the space is a bright, modern area and was funded in response to your feedback about how important a new staff area was to support your health and wellbeing.

Our Learning and Education Centre

Our fantastic Learning and Education Centre was unveiled for our people in April.

Open to all, the bright and modern facility consists of a library, lecture theatre, training rooms, a clinical skills room, a resuscitation training room, a simulation suite, IT training room, and a manual handling training room.

The centre is adjacent to The Princess Alexandra Hospital main entrance.

Thank you to everyone involved.

Additional Freedom to Speak Up Guardians appointed

Our Freedom to Speak Up Guardians are here to support all of our people with raising concerns in a protected, confidential and safe environment.

We now have six Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, with lead guardian Lindsay Hanmore, Natalie Gray, Dr Jeff Phillips and Dr Jane Snook joining Lisa Thurley and Lorraine Nixon. We have also welcomed 11 Freedom to Speak Up ambassadors, increasing accessibility for people to speak up if they have a concern in the workplace and to highlight the importance of the service.

Introducing Our Journal

We introduced Our Journal, our new publication by clinical people, for clinical people, in August.

You can read the latest edition here > Thank you to all who have taken part so far - if you would like your updates to be featured, please contact paht.communications@nhs.net

Our new recruitment site

We are pleased to have introduced a new recruitment site, a hub of information about the fantastic opportunities available, in August.

The site, hosted as part of the main website, includes features such as engaging video content with teams sharing more about their roles at PAHT, blogs with stories from colleagues on their development, and all of the information to support people to apply to work at PAHT.

Welcoming Dame Ruth May, chief nursing officer

for England

We welcomed Dame Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, for a special visit in August.

Ruth (pictured, centre, with Giuseppe Labriola, director of midwifery and gynaecology, left, and Sharon McNally, chief nurse and deputy chief executive, right) joined us as a surprise opportunity, where we showcased the amazing work of our nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to provide high quality care and experiences for patients.

Signing the Armed Forces Covenant in support of veterans

We signed the Armed Forces Covenant in support of veterans in October.

This demonstrates PAHT’s commitment to supporting veterans across all areas. This includes ensuring that veterans receive appropriate care; raising awareness of veterans; with established links to veteran services in the community; and making referrals for veterans to other services as appropriate. It also involves our pledge as an employer; with training and education on the needs of veterans, and veterans’ champions.

Pictured: Stephanie Lawton, chief operating officer (left) and Ogechi Emeadi, director of people, organisational development and communications (right) after signing the covenant.

Welcoming TV presenter Emma Willis back to the frontline for hit series

We welcomed TV presenter Emma Willis back to our maternity unit for the hit series Delivering Babies

Emma returned to her role as a maternity care assistant (MCA) this summer, rejoining the team after two challenging years as they managed the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The series was broadcast on W Channel in the autumn. Thank you to everyone involved.

Our amazing people have been recognised with a variety of accolades this year – congratulations to all. They include:

y The chaplaincy team and estates and facilities teams were nominated for Heart for Harlow Community Awards in recognition of their fantastic support in January

y Caroline Ashton-Gough, dementia clinical nurse specialist, was awarded a prestigious High Sheriff’s Award in recognition of the valuable contributions she has made for our patients living with dementia in April

y The compassionate care Namaste voluntary services team were shortlisted for the Helpforce Champions Awards 2022, in the Outstanding Team of the Year category, in October (pictured below, centre)

y The One Step at a Time team, which includes colleagues from PAHT, the PAHT Patient Panel, and the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), won the Team of the Year category at The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Awards 2022 in October (pictured below, right)

y Paralympian, Anne Wafula Strike MBE, who is an associate non-executive director on the board of PAHT, was included in The Essex Life 50 most influential people list in December (pictured below, left)

Charity update...

Collaborating with children’s charity to bring joy and smiles to younger patients

We have collaborated with Spread a Smile, a charity that aims to bring joy and laughter to unwell children who are visiting and staying in hospital.

The Spread a Smile team consists of professional entertainers, musicians, magicians, poets, facepainters, and many more, who spend quality time with children at the hospital oncology clinics each month.

The team also host a number of virtual group visits, drop special treats to the hospital, and organise activity themed events throughout the year.

Sharon McNally, chief nurse and deputy chief executive, said: “A heartfelt thank you to the Spread a Smile team for sharing joy across PAHT.

“Visiting or staying in hospital

can be a worrying experience for many, especially our younger patients, so this initiative helps to put them at ease and make a real difference.

“It’s also a worrying time for parents and carers to see their child unwell, and we hope that seeing a smile on their child’s face brings comfort and reassurance.

“We are committed to living our trust values and this initiative

is a great example of our three key values - patient at heart, everyday excellence, and creative collaboration. Thank you to all involved with making this project happen.”

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile chief executive officer, added: “We are delighted to offer entertainment visits to the children’s oncology clinic at PAHT, both in person and online. The visits help younger patients to feel more relaxed and comfortable within the hospital setting, whilst taking their minds off the various treatments and procedures that they will need to undergo.

“We look forward to future visits, particularly during the lead up to the festive season.”

Pictured: The Spread a Smile team with a young patient at our hospital.

Company makes generous donation for babies this Christmas Frugi, a children’s clothing company, have kindly donated 20 bundles of clothes for babies who are at our hospital this Christmas.

The gifts include organic cotton babygrows, vests, hats and muslins which will be given to the Neonatal Unit team.

This follows our Neonatal Unit being selected by their customers as the place to benefit from the gifts this year.

Thank you for this generous donation.

Tap to donate machines

As you may be aware, we have three tap to donate fundraising machines for The Princess Alexandra Hospital Charity.

Responding to requests from our donors for new ways to give, as an alternative to cash, patients, relatives and visitors can use the machines to make a contactless donation from their debit or credit card. They can also give via mobile phone on Apple Pay/Google Pay.

The machines are located at the main entrance, in the maternity waiting area, and the outpatients' waiting area (pictured, right) of The Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The hospital charity enhances patient care, purchases special equipment, improves facilities and invests in research to support patients now and in the future. Please direct people to the machines if they ask how to donate - it is quick and easy.

For more information, please contact paht.fundraising@nhs.net

eConsent introduced in all areas

Following the successful introduction of eConsent in the obstetrics and gynaecology and trauma and orthopaedics departments, from 28 November we rolled out electronic consent (eConsent) technology to all areas across PAHT.

This is to improve patient experience at our hospitals and help to relieve pressure as we recover from the impact of the pandemic.

The solution chosen with input from your colleagues is a web-based digital consent App called Concentric.

Concentric allows patients to receive information about their treatment and provide their

consent online via a link sent by email and/or text message (SMS). Where appropriate, they can also consent for procedures on the day using existing computers/devices during their appointment or on the ward.

It is to be used for all specialties and types of consent to fully replace the

current paper process.

The benefits of eConsent include:

y Patients have more time to review and understand information

y Saves time for clinicians and administrators, allowing more time to care

y Enables remote consultations and care pathways

y Fewer cancellations and delays to surgery/treatment

y More personalised information and better documentation which meets new national standards

y Better patient engagement in shared decision making

You can read more on AlexNet >

Our patients said...

"I really can't express the huge gratitude that I still feel towards all the professionals who supported me during one of the most difficult times of my life. I always felt that they listened to me and helped me the best they could."

"I would like to pay a massive compliment to the staff for their efficiency, good attitude, and general approach to making patients feel comfortable."

"I know how important compassionate care is, and today I witnessed this. The nurse took her time to see me and comfort me, even though she was very busy. It really meant a lot."

"Your staff are a credit to you. They were all extremely helpful and generous with their time, despite being very busy."

Wise

They attended the Alex Lounge on 6 December and will return on 20 December to highlight the wide range of financial and wellbeing support available. The team can help you with managing finances and debt, housing and benefits, and support services for mental health concerns. If you were unable to attend the sessions, you can email the team at harlowcommunityhub@rainbowservices.org. uk or call 01279 927005. For additional health and wellbeing advice, please visit the staff health and wellbeing workspace on AlexNet >

#PAHTPeople - making a difference

Tottenham Hotspur players deliver Christmas surprise

Young patients received a special festive surprise on 13 December when Clément Lenglet and Japhet Tanganga from Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) visited to deliver early Christmas presents.

The children received a selection of gifts, including games and soft toys. THFC and Molton Brown also treated the team working on Dolphin Ward (pictured), with some gifts for pre-Christmas pampering.

Japhet Tanganga, defender for THFC said: “It’s been great to come in and bring some joy to children who are in hospital at this time of year, that’s what it’s all about.”

Helen Weaving, Dolphin Ward manager, said: “The children were so excited when they found out that players from Tottenham Hotspur were coming to visit them. It really gave them a boost and it was a delight to see the look on their faces.”

Sharon McNally, chief nurse and deputy chief

Welcome to our new #PAHTPeople

executive, said: “We are so grateful for the support of the club and to the players for taking time to come and visit the children on Dolphin Ward. Staying in hospital at this time of year can be challenging for children and their families and this was a very welcome surprise that certainly lifted spirits on the ward.”

In the last month, 28 new #PAHTPeople have joined us:

Eiman Araib

Louise Baker

Venusia Barbosa

Amanda Bishop

Sarah Breese

Gayle Buckland

Husniye Cinpolat

Hollie Dawson

Loren Gleeson

Lisa Howkins

Henson Joseph

Dileesh Kannoth

Sukumaran

Paul Keen

Sasha Kirby

Lynda McCallum

Dinah Mcdonald

Shamimara Nipa

Karen Oliver

Holly Osborne

In this time, 33 people have left PAHT.

Brian Perrin

Rachelle Picones

Amisha Rathore

Mahesh Rubasundaram

Anil Sam

Shristi Shristi

Jennifer Sivak

Mathew Thomas Richard Walker