Nottinghamshire Healthcare
NHS
NHS Trust
JULY 2011
about integrated healthcare
A window of Hope L-r: Melvin James, Simon Wildgust and Nigel Marsh
Stained glass window revealed – see page 3
CHAIR VISITS ROSEWOOD RISING TO THE CHALLENGE COMMUNITY SERVICES ANTI-BULLYING HELPLINE HARMLESS OUR GLADYS
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
Many of you will have seen recent coverage in the media of some truly awful treatment of vulnerable people in care. The fact that the very people who are meant to be caring for these individuals were carrying out such abuse was disturbing enough, but for it to be allowed to continue for a period of time due to people ‘turning a blind eye’ was disgraceful and unacceptable. The Board’s greatest concern is to ensure that this does not happen in our Trust and that any incidence of people abusing their position of care is reported and acted upon promptly. The safety of our patients and staff is of the utmost importance and I implore anyone who has any concerns to bring them to our attention. Staff must not be afraid to speak up; there will be no recrimination for anyone by doing so. Further guidance is available in the Trust’s Whistleblowing policy. Service users or carers with concerns should raise these with a member of staff they feel comfortable to confide in. On a much brighter note I would like to offer my congratulations to the team at the Mother and Baby Unit for their successful accreditation by the Quality Network for Perinatal Mental Health Services. This is marvellous news and very well deserved by everyone who works so hard at the unit. Congratulations also to the team working with Harmless to provide support to people who self harm. The project is obviously making a real difference and it is great to see this being recognised. And there is more great news; the Peaks Learning Unit at Rampton Hospital has been shortlisted for a prestigious award and Les Townend, Communication Support Worker at the Hospital has received an MBE. Very well done to you all.
Janet Sheard, Executive Director, Nursing and Allied Health Professionals
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Trust Chair visits Rosewood Centre The Trust’s Chair, Professor Dean Fathers, had his first visit to the Rosewood Centre on 27 May, spending the afternoon with staff, service users and carers. Service user Chair Trevor Hogg showed Dean around the centre and explained about some of the work currently being carried out. Dean chatted to service users and carers and gave a short talk about himself, his work and his role as Chair. “I really enjoyed my visit,” said Dean. “It was most informative and I certainly felt privileged to be there. It was a fantastic afternoon. The value of the good work carried out at Rosewood is enormous and it has a real positive impact on people’s lives.”
Top: Dean (right) learns about the centre garden from Sam (left), service user and project manager of ‘Rosehenge’, while Trevor Hogg (centre) looks on. Left: Dean with a card presented to him by Trevor Hogg and made by Trevor’s wife, Angela.
Stained glass window unveiled Anyone passing the Involvement Centre at Duncan Macmillan House will now notice the addition of a bright stained glass window. The eye-catching window was designed to provide a level of privacy for people in the centre whilst at the same time offering a feature for enjoyment which is also meaningful, as it represents recovery and hope. The window was designed and created by Involvement Centre regulars Nigel Marsh, Simon Wildgust and Melvin James and was revealed to an expectant crowd on 6 June by Chief Executive Professor Mike Cooke. He said: “This is such a wonderful testament to everything we aspire to and embody in the Trust. People, involvement, hope and recovery. It’s a fantastic design; it’s even got our Positive tick in the middle! A lot of thought, time and hard work has gone
Main: Mike unveils the window. Inset: work in progress.
into this, so thank you to Nigel, Simon and Melvin. It really is something great which I hope will be a source of enjoyment and inspiration for many.” Following the ‘big reveal’ Simon and Nigel gave a presentation showing how the window was created and the special skills involved. Nigel had worked with stained glass before as part of his own recovery and having come up with a design centred around the Recovery Star, brought it to the Tuesday group at the centre and asked if anyone wanted to be involved in bringing it to life.
The team sourced the glass from Kansa Craft in Elsecar, Barnsley. They then brought it back to Nottingham where work continued at the Trust. Production took around eight weeks. The team thoroughly enjoyed the project and would gladly do more. Nigel said: “Doing stained glass work has definitely helped with my recovery and this has been a great opportunity to share it with others and hopefully they will continue with it as well.” “It was something new to learn and be involved in and I found it really enjoyable,” said Melvin. Simon added: “Part of the project was learning new skills to take forward; working as a team and presentation skills. It’s been great and about everything combined together. This is a great testament to our work as a team, recovery and what it represents. It’s not just a window.”
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There has been a lot of change at Nottinghamshire Healthcare in recent months amidst much national discussion and proposed change as to the future of the NHS and the wider health and social care system. How does this affect us all? For those of us who work in the Trust, everyone who uses our services and the people who help us to deliver those services. With so much changing at such a fast pace it can be hard to keep up and understand exactly what is happening, how we are doing and where we are going. So we thought it was time to go to the person with the answers, the man with the plan who knows exactly what we are doing and where we are heading, Chief Executive, Professor Mike Cooke, CBE.
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ottinghamshire Healthcare is doing well. We are in a good place; we should feel lucky and proud to be part of such a great organisation; especially with the turmoil going on in the wider NHS. But we must all use that pride to underpin our commitment, redouble our efforts and work continually to do better. A successful future is about striving to be the best we can be and making sure everyone is on board working to the same goal.
It was a proud moment last year to be assessed for Foundation Trust (FT) Standard; what I call the ‘fit bit of the NHS’, the only future-proof model for providers in the NHS. It was a really good thing which has given us renewed confidence. We were delighted to be in the top quartile of all
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Trusts assessed by Monitor and this meant a lot to me and to everyone else who worked to achieve this. So how have we been using this accreditation and the freedoms that come with it? We have used it to bid for new contracts and been successful there, bringing in £103 million worth of services for patients. It has made us look at our governance, leadership and systems in more depth and we have improved on all those key areas. We are picking up increased momentum with members and engagement, for example the Members’ Council and Communities of Interest which are bringing a new exciting dimension to the organisation. This means we are moving to a new phase of development. It is very important that we use wisely the precious ground we have gained at such a time of uncertainty. This is very important to me and why I remain passionate about mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, and the integrated healthcare we now provide. I know you share that passion and will not be surprised to know that we are well placed to be a major player in the move to integrate health and social care in the new NHS.
We are nationally important, locally relevant and we need to be valued by all who come into contact with our services. We are a self regulated organisation. This means a great deal in how we behave and demonstrate improvements. I’ve heard many people say ‘I work for an FT’. People are proud of it and it means something tangible to them. This itself is not a means to an end however. It is progress on our journey to being the best and showing that we have the potential to be the very best. We need to understand that there are variations however and we need to tackle this variation better.
Nationally important, locally relevant We are nationally important, locally relevant and we need to be valued by all who come into contact with our services as well as all of you who deliver those services and our partners who work with us to improve the services we offer. I am regularly impressed and amazed at the skills of our fantastic frontline staff. We must be realistic too. We are facing a time of public sector austerity; a time of wage restraint and funding cuts which will make our working environment much more challenging. We need to prioritise better and redouble our efforts to be the very best we can be each day for our patients. Distributed leadership is one of the best things we have introduced here. Leadership doesn’t just come from the top; it is in what all staff do in their role as ambassadors for the Trust. We are investing in clinical leadership at the point of service so we have the best opportunity of delivering more in a personalised and individualised way with less resource over less time.
Future direction There is currently huge doubt about the future direction of the NHS. There has been a pause and a rethink of reforms. What we know for certain is that FTs are an important bridge into the new NHS and the public sector offer. We battled hard for a standard which gives us the autonomy to do what is best for service users and patients. We are determined (as are our colleagues) to take that opportunity. In the last two years we have differentiated ourselves from others in terms of performance, quality and depth and the dignity with which we provide services for our service users and carers. I feel very positive about our brand, which now encompasses and reflects all the integrated healthcare services we provide. The brand is well known regionally and
nationally and it is important that it reflects and represents us directly through our services and indirectly through good communication that brings alive what we do and how well we do it. All the time Nottinghamshire Healthcare needs to evolve as we’re high performing in a dynamic environment and we need to keep moving with pace and the challenges of Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention. Our values I personally wrote to the NHS Future Forum Chair and suggested 12 things as propositions. They were fairly simple and common sense, but I hope they chime with our values and what we want for our patients. My understanding is that they chimed with those senior people I sent them to.
1. Keeping our eye on the “whole ball” 2. Recognise both the residual and current risk in the system 3. Build on the Foundation Trust model 4. We need regulation not just registration 5. Unitary Boards are key to statutory organisations working in the NHS 6. Project the brand of the NHS system 7. Clinical engagement is vital and it needs some symmetry so that primary, secondary and tertiary care clinicians all feel involved 8. The NHS needs to concentrate and improve on its partnership working 9. We need Local Commissioning but it needs to be able to scale up 10. Patient and Public Involvement needs authenticity 11. Drive research forward so that what we know is what we do 12. There are many dilemmas facing NHS leaders, clinicians, patients and the public, day in day out. This has always been the case but we need to think together about how we drive services forward despite those dilemmas.
Sources of innovation So there’s still a lot of ambition in me and in Nottinghamshire Healthcare for all our patients, service users and staff, now and in the future. I can see this in the fact that we host the Institute of Mental Health with the University of Nottingham, with the ambition of our partnerships, with our primary care colleagues, third sector and selectively with the private sector. We also host a leadership academy for the region. These are important sources of innovation for us now and in the future. I’m restating and redoubling my efforts to ensure that the positive culture around people being important, engaged and included in what we do now and in the future remains to the fore. We all have a big contribution to make and I am particularly pleased with the rising levels of patient and staff satisfaction. We have won a £103m increase in our service delivery; we have been selected as a national Recovery demonstration site and we have our FT standard. These are not easy to achieve or sustain but I thank everyone within Nottinghamshire Healthcare for those, including service users and patients. They are the people who inspire us through their progress, recovery and feedback to lock in the progress we have made but also challenge and innovate in areas where we could improve. It’s certainly never dull in the NHS and there have always been dilemmas including quality and money, innovation and consolidation; development and maintenance; centralised control and devolution. So it will always be; what we’ve got to do together is ensure we use the autonomy we’ve been given to increase our success and inspire us to have the confidence to continue to do what we do well and improve and maximise our contribution to public services in future.
Our plans for the future remain ambitious so that we can support and develop further all of our staff to do a great job every day in better environments. There is no place for complacency. This is not a time for that. It’s a time to continuously improve. We all know where things can be improved and I urge you all to make those improvements. Because when we do, it makes us better and service users and patients notice it. Being nationally important we have a responsibility to stay that way and continually improve. To stay locally relevant and to stay personally valued by all who come into contact with our services we still need to improve.
I see many signs of improvement day in day out. So whilst there is change around us, let’s be an important constant in the local NHS and social care system. I see many signs of improvement day in day out as well as areas where we need to maintain and deliver consistently. So whilst there is change around us, let’s be an important constant in the local NHS and social care system. I am very proud to be Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare. You will have your own thoughts about the present and future; let me know and I will respond in any way I can.
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BME Dementia Champions and team
Rising to the challenge: a whole system approach to BME Dementia A celebration conference was held on 6 May 2011 at the East Midlands Conference Centre to recognise the work of the Mental Health Services for Older People’s (MHSOP) BME Dementia Champions. The project group took the opportunity to share their findings from the Strategic Health Authority supported project into BME dementia. The Champions organised the day and delivered moving presentations of their experiences which are also recounted in a booklet developed as part of the project. The day was well attended by BME community members, Dementia Service Users and Carers, the voluntary and community sector as well as health and social care staff. The Trust played a vital linking role for many organisations
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involved in the dementia field by championing BME service users and carers voices. The event marked the conclusion of both the Nottinghamshire BME dementia project and the regional project, led by Maria Dowbenko (Community Psychiatric Nurse, MHSOP). Both involved many elder communities, including long established African Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani, European, Chinese, Gypsy and Travellers to raise awareness and reduce the stigma and shame often associated with dementia. Michelle Persaud, Associate Director of Nursing, Local Services, chaired the morning session and Dr Ola Junaid, Clinical Director for MHSOP led the afternoon. Andrea Ward, General Manager, MHSOP, gave an inspirational address and thanked everyone for their highly valued and appreciated work which she stated “was making a real difference to service users and their carers”. Many others contributed to the event’s success including project sponsors, Catherine Conchar, Trust Head of Equality and Diversity and Angela Foster, Service Manager MHSOP. Feedback on the day included: “What a wonderful atmosphere, positive, ‘can do’ people. It was an excellent celebration.” The National Dementia Strategy will continue to be the driving force for future planning and delivery of dementia services, including BME needs, addressing issues of race, culture, faith and language. Andrea Ward and other Trust senior managers are committed to continuing consultation and engagement with the BME Dementia Champions and wish to consolidate and develop the achievements of this project.
Sculpture creates expressive art group A sculpture made by patients at Rampton Hospital has sparked an idea for a group to be set up for patients to allow them to engage in a range of expressive arts.
their story, with their choice of animals and colours aiming to illustrate this. The animals selected include an eagle, turtle, bear and snake. Poems were also written in relation to some of these. As well as reflecting the meaning behind the animals these poems also reflect some of the personal life experiences of the patients.
The totem pole on display in the David Wilson Unit at Rampton Hospital.
The Southwell Sculpture Group was formed following the successful completion of a sculpture which is now displayed in the David Wilson Unit (the National High Secure Learning Disability Service) at the Hospital. The group aims to support patients’ continued involvement in a meaningful occupation and provides an environment in which they are able to engage in a range of creative occupations including drawing, painting, model making and sculpture. The group is one element of a programme offered by the Therapies and Education Department within the Southwell Centre, the therapeutic area at the David Wilson Unit.
Turtle Carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. Cared for within a protective shell. A place to withdraw… a place for healing. Bear Do the dreaming, give me care. I’ve got the power, can I change? Whale Swimming through the waves. Moving with the ebb and flow of life. Seeking through play to create a balance. Eagle To dream of spreading our wings. To dream I can fly. To be free to fly! Where there is an eagle, there is power. There is wisdom, there is healing. The messenger of the sky, the master at work.
The theme for the sculpture project was decided upon by those taking part. They began by exploring the purpose and meaning of totem poles and decided they would like to make their totem pole tell
Staffside rep receives honours from national association The Professional Trade Union for Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers (POA) has honoured Steve Oxby, Forensic Staff Side Chair and Prison Officers’ Association representative at Rampton Hospital, with a lifetime membership of the Association. The POA is the largest union in the United Kingdom representing uniformed prison grades and staff working within the field of secure forensic psychiatric care, with more than 35,000 members in the public and private sectors. Steve Oxby was awarded lifetime membership of the Association at its annual
conference held in Southport in May. Steve is only the 36th person to achieve this honour in the Association’s 72-year history of representing staff in prisons and high secure hospitals. Steve began his employment at Rampton Hospital in May 1976, and in addition to his qualified nursing role undertook a role as POA representative, supporting a number of members over the years and taking an active role in employee relations. In 2001 Steve became Chair of the Forensic Services Division Staff Side, a remit that he still holds alongside his role as POA Branch Chair. In 2004 Steve was awarded the Cronin Clasp by the POA in recognition of his services to members of the Union. During the conference the Trust was commended for its partnership working with Police and local security management staff for their efforts in prosecuting patients who assault members of staff and dealing with the aftermath of those assaults. Congratulations to Steve.
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Peer Support Worker Service to launch in the county A new Countywide Peer Support Worker Service will launch in August. It will comprise two teams; one based in the north covering the Mansfield, Ashfield, Bassetlaw Newark and Sherwood areas and the second covering the south of the County including Gedling, Broxtowe and Hucknall and Rushcliffe. A peer support worker is an employee of the Trust who has had personal experience of mental health problems, and is therefore able to offer support to service users and carers who are experiencing similar challenges. The role of a peer support worker is to inspire hope and provide support to people experiencing mental health problems by normalising experiences of mental illness, showing true empathy and offering practical means of support. The post has been developed as part of the Trust’s ongoing focus on recovery orientated practice.
Above: the peer support worker applicants with staff members, Martyn Illingworth, Project Manager, Nicky Bennet, trainer, Sarah Haines, administrator, and Kelly Stafford, Clinical Lead. Left: Cleo and Judith, two prospective carer support workers
The peer support workers will work with individuals to understand their needs and support them to reach their personal goals, assisting with their continuing recovery. A group of people hoping to take up posts in the new service have all completed a ten week course accredited to NVQ Level 4 and will now go through a competitive interview process. The Institute of Mental Health provided the training. Marissa Lambert,
To celebrate the forthcoming London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a variety of fun physical challenges are being held across the Trust as we countdown to the big event.
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Clinical Lead for Peer Support training at the Institute said: “The peer support training is designed to equip people with lived experience with the skills and qualities needed to work within services. Peer support is helping to shape and develop the recovery agenda for the Trust and other areas within the NHS.” The County service follows the success of the Nottingham City Peer Support Worker Service which has been running since 2010. It will aim to take
self referrals and referrals from teams for both inpatient and community clients. A number of carer support workers will also be employed to work directly with the Family Intervention Service. They will have first hand experience of caring for a person will a mental illness and will provide essential emotional and practical support for carers and families. For more information please contact Kelly Stafford, Clinical Lead kelly.stafford@nottshc.nhs.uk.
Throughout the year leading up to the Games, events and activities will take place indoors and out, at different sites and at levels to suit everyone. There will even be some virtual challenges. Activities will be open to staff, service users, families and friends. Join in, get fit and have fun – be part of the challenge! To find out more and how to get involved or get your own Olympics inspired activities and events up and running, visit the interactive Olympics area on the intranet or contact Julie Royston on 0115 952 9488 or Julie.royston@nottshc.nhs.uk
Les Townend MBE Congratulations to John Leslie Townend, Communication Support Worker at Rampton Hospital for being awarded an MBE for services to D/deaf people in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2011. Les (as he is known) is profoundly D/deaf. He works in The National High Secure Deaf Service (NHSDS) and has been part of the specialist team for eight years. In his role as Support Worker, Les works to facilitate communication between deaf patients and hearing staff by effectively translating the signs of the D/deaf patient into BSL/English. He also works with hearing staff to transform written and promotional materials into visual materials. Les said: “I am really shocked to receive this award. I just can’t believe it. When I received the letter my wife and I struggled to understand what it all meant at first as English isn’t our first language (British Sign Language is). Once it became clear, I was of course really pleased and happy to
accept the invitation to meet the Queen. I really feel quite emotional about the whole thing.” Les is proud to be deaf and works hard to promote a positive image of the D/deaf community at the Hospital. He is a role model for the Trust due to the respect he shows to all service users, carers, and staff regardless of their background. Professor Mike Cooke, Chief Executive said: “I am delighted for Les. He truly deserves this recognition for his hard work and dedication to our D/deaf patients and positive promotion of the D/deaf community. He is an asset to the Trust. Many congratulations.” Les Townend (pictured at the OSCARS 2009 where he picked up the award for Unsung Hero – Clinical)
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Community Services Update Paul Smeeton
Chief Operating Executive appointed
New identity for CHP After weeks of deliberation and voting, a new logo and corporate identity for County Health Partnerships (CHP) has now been agreed. The Partnership Board shortlisted three logos which were then sent to CHP staff for their vote. The winning logo was the clear favourite. Staff commented that they were pleased to have been involved in the decision making process and were extremely positive about the new look of CHP.
Paul Smeeton has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of County Health Partnerships. On announcing the appointment, Professor Mike Cooke, Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare said: “I am sure you will all wish to join me in congratulating Paul and wishing him well in his new and very important role as he works towards enabling positive change for patients and front line staff.” Paul said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Chief Operating Executive of County Health Partnerships. The Partnership is a unique approach to delivering community health services working in partnership with primary care. Key to our future success is a strong engagement approach which ensures that every member of staff feels able to contribute to the future development of these vital services. I look forward to meeting with many of those staff at forthcoming briefing sessions.”
Locality ‘Quick Wins’ Interim plans for all five localities have been developed in partnership with Primary Care through special workshops. Three ‘Quick Wins’ per locality have been identified and are to be achieved in the first quarter. Below is a snapshot of each: Highpoint • Review the phlebotomy service with local commissioners • Review referral pathway and process and access criteria
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for all services • Develop a locality website for CHP with directory of services Newark and Sherwood • Review the phlebotomy service with local commissioners • Share information about the current portfolio of services • Review of referral pathway and process and access criteria for all services Nottingham North and East • Develop a Communications
Plan for the promotion of CHP services, including roles and responsibilities • Pilot a Community Ward Model in the Carlton area • Introduce a generic referral form for locality based services Nottingham West • Improve communication between primary and community services across the locality • Development and implementation of the clinical engagement model
• Understand all the current community and mental health services Principia • Review terms of reference of CHP/Principia forum to allow greater clinical involvement and empowerment • Review management structure of adult nursing teams • Pilot early referrals for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease to prevent avoidable admissions
Carer receives national award Angela Parker, Health Care Assistant on John Procter Ward at Lings Bar Hospital has been nationally recognised for her commitment to her role and her patients. Angela was successful in the regional CERETAS Home Care Worker Awards in March and on 14 May, went on to win the national award at a glittering ceremony in London. Angela works full-time as a Health Care Assistant on John Procter Ward, but works in the social sector on her days off and in the evenings. She has worked in the care sector for 28 years and told the judges she does it because she “loves it and believes in treating everyone as individuals with great respect.” Ward Manager, Gillian McDonald said “Angela is an excellent carer and we as a team are very proud of her achievement.”
Angela Parker collects her award
Good news roundup We are officially baby friendly! County Health Partnerships has been awarded a Stage 1 Baby Friendly accreditation and was highly commended for the exceptionally high quality of documentation and thorough processes to implement the Baby Friendly standards. Initial accreditation as a Baby Friendly organisation takes place in three stages over a five year period: • Stage 1 – Policies,
guidelines, information and mechanisms are in place to allow health care providers to implement the Baby Friendly standards effectively. • Stage 2 – Assessment of staff knowledge and skills. • Stage 3 – New mums are interviewed to ascertain the level of care provided.
aim of ensuring that the standards are maintained.
Once fully accredited, reassessment takes place every two years with the
For more information visit the Baby Friendly website at www.unicef.org.uk.
Baby friendly accreditation is an internationally recognised framework ensuring that providers follow best practice including the best way to support mums in breastfeeding their babies and embed breastfeeding into the culture of families and local communities.
Working together in the community
Excellent outcomes for urgent care support
The Community Matrons and Community Nursing teams in the HighPoint locality have been working together in order to achieve the task of joining together on one SystmOne Unit.
The Urgent Care Support Service pilot in Principia is already showing excellent outcomes. More than 70% of referrals have resulted in avoiding an emergency admission, with the majority of patients being able to stay in their own home upon discharge from the service.
This will give clear clinical advantages and also save time and frustrations for staff due to everything being in one area. This change has required support and commitment from many staff; clinical, admin and health informatics. Well done to all concerned.
Referrals are being received from a range of professionals, including community matrons, district nurses, GPs and social services.
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Events Family Nature Trail and Picnic On 1 June, Market Place Children’s Centre held a Family Nature Trail and Picnic. The event was held at The Ranges in Hucknall and the children and families explored the environment by taking part in a nature collection. Hats were then made using the natural resources. The children especially enjoyed looking for and identifying the insects.
Funding success Adult Speech and Language Therapy Stroke Team The Adult Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Stroke Team has secured new funding to deliver SLT services at the weekend to patients who have had a stroke. The funding will pay for two parttime therapists to provide a seamless service during the week and on Saturdays. They will be responsible for ensuring that patients newly diagnosed with stroke have a timely assessment and management of any swallowing and communication difficulties. They will also aim to ensure more patients who are suitable can be discharged safely at the weekend. The team will also be working closely with the Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists who are providing some weekend working to further improve the service. Reablement funds During May new schemes were developed in collaboration with locality consortia to support the practical rehabilitation of patients, facilitate discharge from hospital, reduce the risk of unnecessary hospital admissions and readmissions and the need for long term support. The three successful bids are: • Intermediate Care spot purchasing • Integrated Physiotherapy service • Supporting timely discharge from Lings Bar Hospital Further information will follow next month.
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Following the picnic the children participated in a physical song time session that included songs of the children’s choice.
Healthy Eating Celebration Market Place Children’s Centre, working alongside partner agencies including Nutrition and Dietetics organised a free healthy eating event in Hucknall on 2 June. 62 children and their families attended. The aim of the event was to promote healthy lifestyles and to engage with wider members of the community, raising awareness of Sure Start services. A variety of activities included:
Tasting foods from around the world, Beat the Broccoli – a football exercise with a life-size broccoli, and Pop-up Fruit Shy and growing beans. Families were encouraged to think about how they could swap snacks for healthier options. As the event coincided with National Smile Month, puppets, large teeth sets and toothbrushes encouraged role play, whilst the children learnt more about maintaining good oral hygiene. Some comments from parents included: “I will encourage more exercise for my older kids and introduce new fruits” “I might join the gym and use the eatwell plate” “I’ll try to brush teeth for longer” “I’ll eat less chocolate, more healthier snacks and use the snack swapper”
Cutting out bullying, harassment and discrimination The Trust is carrying out a staff survey to help identify and improve issues of equality and diversity within the organisation.
provision of an equitable service to a diverse patient group and issues of harassment and bullying in both patient and staff communities.
All Trust staff working in Local and Corporate Services Divisions should have received a survey with their June payslips. Please take the time to complete it fully and honestly as your responses are valuable.
In September 2010 the Forensic Services Division developed a survey and issued it to all staff in that Division, providing them with the opportunity to share their understanding and experience of these issues in more detail and with the confidence afforded by total anonymity. The results of the survey have proved to be very helpful in identifying actions and areas for improvement and consequently it has been sent to all Local and Corporate Services Staff.
The survey comes in the wake of analysis of the National Staff Survey and local complaints which suggest that some colleagues have concerns in respect of equality and diversity issues relating to employment practice, the
The survey is being administered by CAPITA and the results will be presented in such a way that no individual, or their responses, can be identified. If you would like further information please contact Catherine Conchar, Trustwide Head of Equality and Diversity on 0115 9934543 or email catherine.conchar@nottshc.nhs.uk.
Anti-bullying helpline launched A confidential helpline has been launched to support Trust staff who are feeling bullied or harassed. The helpline is available 24/7 and offers all Trust staff a safe environment to talk about any issues of bullying or harassment. It will also signpost callers to other relevant services if appropriate. The number to call is 01777 880533. If calling from Wathwood or Arnold Lodge call free on 8296533. The wellbeing of all staff is an important issue and anyone feeling affected by bullying or harassment is encouraged to use the helpline. The helpline is part of the Pacesetters project “Break free from bullying�, which aims to prevent staff from suffering in silence and to help them break free from the emotional effects of harassment. Members of the Pacesetters project team at the helpline launch. Left to right: Sheila Wright (Pacesetters Non-Executive lead), Janet Sheard (Executive Sponsor), Sharon Esprit, Doreen Kupera and Sharon Rochester.
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Patient Opinion helps celebrate International Nurses Day Patients on Ward B2 have posted positive feedback about the unit on the Patient Opinion website. The postings were created as part of a live feedback session run on 12 May to coincide with International Nurses Day. Jane Danforth, Trust Lead for Patient Opinion, Simon Wildgust, Service User Involvement, and Tim Hunt from the Patient Opinion team held the event in the day room on Ward B2, an acute mental health ward in Bassetlaw, from 10am until 2pm. During the session they supported patients to create postings for the Patient Opinion website. The postings generated some excellent feedback, particularly in relation to the caring nature of the nursing team. Comments included: “On Ward B2 the nursing staff are brilliant. All of them are compassionate and will see you one to one; they appear to be listening and have been very supportive.” “Staff have been brilliant, you can have a laugh with them.” “I think B2 is a five star hotel, every possible facility is here. I think staff are great and very professional.” “My recovery is going well on Ward B2 at Bassetlaw – thanks in no small part to the friendly, informal ambience of the ward, the friendly, helpful and dedicated staff, and the social intermingling with fellow patients.” Simon Barnitt, Ward Manager, said: “I must admit I was a little apprehensive about a live feedback session on the ward, but this proved to be an excellent day with fantastic feedback both for the nursing staff and to generate ideas for improving the service provided.” International Nurses Day is celebrated on 12 May (Florence Nightingale’s birthday) each year to highlight the important role nurses play in patient care.
County Network is of one Mind The three Nottinghamshire-based Mind organisations – Bassetlaw, Central Notts and Newark – have joined forces to form the Notts Mind Network. The three organisations have come together with a shared vision of: • Increasing strength, capacity and capability of the Nottinghamshire Mind organisations • Sharing resources, expertise and professional knowledge • Identifying and developing services to meet the needs of local communities • Promoting good mental health across the county • Fundraising and continuing provision • Tendering to deliver public services • Providing a central point for contact and liaison • Developing an on-going network committee
Nic Roberts, Network Manager, said: “As Mind organisations we have the commitment and also feel it is necessary to work collaboratively to respond to the changes in mental health service commissioning and ensure that we can compete in the current environment. The Network is an excellent opportunity to join forces and share skills, experiences and expertise and is a valuable vehicle for moving forward services for people with mental health issues across Nottinghamshire.” For more information telephone Nic Roberts on 07733 841744, email nottsmindnetwork@hotmail.co.uk, visit www.nottsmindnetwork.co.uk or follow the network on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
Measles: are you protected? Measles is a vaccine preventable disease for which there is a national immunisation programme in the UK. The Department of Health has drawn attention to a recent outbreak of measles in France. Outbreaks of measles continue to occur across many countries in Europe but the risk of exposure to measles is not restricted to Europe alone. There have been several recent cases of measles among healthcare workers in the UK. In addition to the effect on the individual concerned these cases: • put all unimmunised patients at risk of infection, especially those who cannot have vaccinations because of
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Funding to kick-start the Network development has been gratefully received from the Local Minds Associations Fund and the Network was officially launched at a drinks reception in June.
their condition or treatment. Their symptoms can also be much worse. • risk spreading the disease to their family and colleagues • require staff to take time off from work • inconvenience the team that has to cover for absence. Children/adolescents who are not immunised with two doses of MMR vaccine remain at risk of measles (mumps and rubella) infection both in the UK and when they travel abroad. Most adults born before 1970 in the UK are likely to have had measles infection and therefore be immune. Adults born between
1970 and 1980 may have been exposed to the disease and would only have been eligible for one dose of measles vaccine. Adults born after 1980 are less likely to have been exposed to measles but should have acquired protection through two doses of measles containing vaccines. Any healthcare worker, and particularly those who come into contact with patients/service users, who is unsure of their immunity should have two doses of MMR vaccine one month apart. MMR vaccines for healthcare workers are provided by the Trust’s Occupational Health Service. Further information and contact details for Occupational Health are available on the Intranet.
Mother and baby unit gains national accreditation The Trust’s Perinatal Psychiatric Inpatient Unit has been accredited by the Quality Network for Perinatal Mental Health Services. The accreditation means that the unit, which is based at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, has demonstrated that it meets service standards set out by the Quality Network. The mother and baby unit cares for women with serious mental illness in late pregnancy and during the first year after giving birth. It provides physical and psychological care for the mother whilst promoting the mother/infant relationship and safeguarding the infant. Feedback from the accreditation report stated that it is “clear mothers feel extremely well supported and cared for by staff as well as involved in decisions around their care.” It also documented that partners and family members provided positive feedback and were appreciative of the way in which staff communicated with them and the way in which the service benefitted their family.
The review team noted the professionalism of the staff at the unit and were impressed by the commitment to managing even the most acutely unwell women. The benefits to the unit from medical input provided by a consultant who is very much embedded within the service were highlighted and the strength of the community team working alongside the service was applauded. Judy Gardiner, Ward Manager, said: “We are delighted with the accreditation, which is a recognition of the hard work and commitment from the team. The amount of preparation required for this process was labour intensive for the ward staff, but a worthwhile exercise in validating our self ratings and compiling comprehensive reports.” The accreditation status is valid for three years on the condition that the unit continues to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the standards. The unit will be officially named The Margaret Oates Mother and Baby Unit Nottingham on 22 July 2011.
Let’s talk about sex Service users at the Willows have benefited from a discussion session looking at sexuality, intimacy and relationships.
The session was held at the Willows Mental Health Intensive Care Unit (MHICU) at Highbury Hospital on 25 May to provide a safe space for service users to explore issues that impact on mental health and wellbeing. The group examined the effects of prescribed medication on sexual functioning and spoke about the importance of appropriate boundaries and therapeutic relationships. The discussion throughout promoted positive healthy relationships and recovery. The discussion was facilitated by Lindsay Rawson, Mental Health Nurse with Special Interests in Safeguarding, and Sarah Fairbank, Clinical Psychologist. Lindsay has carried out work surrounding privacy and dignity in inpatient settings, focusing on safeguarding and sexual safety on behalf of the Local Services Safeguarding Team. The outcome of this work focuses on aspects such as resources, skills, attitudes and collaborative connections to take the service forward and improve the experiences for our service users as inpatients. Lindsay Rawson
Hucknall House staff success Congratulations to Hucknall House healthcare assistants Linda Costello and Sam Smithen for completing NVQs in Health and Social Care at level II (Linda) and level III (Sam). Well done and keep up the excellent work.
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Mental health expo at Bassetlaw Hospital An expo taking place next month will celebrate and provide information about a range of services in the Bassetlaw locality. Bassetlaw mental health services Ward B2 has already confirmed more than 20 exhibitors including voluntary, third sector and statutory services from around the Bassetlaw area and from within the Trust. Some of those confirmed include the Involvement Centre, Patient Opinion, Health Trainers, the Human Library and an exhibit with information on prescriptions. The expo will be of interest to anyone working in mental or physical healthcare, service users and carers, students and anyone considering a career in mental healthcare. The free event will take place on Tuesday 19 July from 1pm to 3pm on the ground floor of the mental health department near the A&E Department at Bassetlaw Hospital. For further information please contact Lisa Richardson on 01909 502032.
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Health and wellbeing success at Arnold Lodge The Arnold Lodge Health & Wellbeing Community of Interest has celebrated its first successful group of graduates.
Arnold Lodge Health and Wellbeing graduates (in blue Tshirts) with the Health and Wellbeing Facilitation Team, left to right: James Routen, Health and Wellbeing Coordinator; Dr Alan Cunningham, Clinical Psychologist and Nichola Mistry, Primary Health Care Manager/Junior Matron.
The group lost a total of 29lb in 12 weeks with seven out of eight participants who completed the programme losing weight. All patients involved with the project reduced fat percentages and waist measurements, increased muscular endurance and flexibility and learnt about the benefits of good nutrition and being more active.
but this isn’t the beginning of the end, it’s the end of the beginning” and “I’m gutted it’s the last one. I’m glad we are continuing the Thursday activity group.”
Evidence shows that obesity contributes to long term physical health problems and patients with a diagnosis of enduring mental health difficulties are more at risk. The health and wellbeing strategy developed within Arnold Lodge addresses the increasing levels of obesity of patients and the physical health concerns this brings. Comments from the patients after completing the first session included: “It’s the first day of the new me!” and “I thought it would be boring, but it wasn’t! I enjoyed exercising. I will promise to do my best and try to understand the things I’m learning and put this into practice.” At the end of the programme comments included: “I’m upset that the end is near,
Staff members Nicky Mistry, James Routen and Alan Cunningham have driven this Community of Interest with endless enthusiasm, supported by Charlotte Weaver, Matron, and Ruth Hawkins, Executive Director of Finance and Performance, as Executive Sponsor. James is now performing post programme follow up assessments to see if the group maintains its weight loss and behavioural changes. Early results are positive with one patient losing an additional stone in weight since completing the programme. A second cohort of nine patients is currently under way, with plenty of referrals coming in from patients keen to take the first steps to a healthier lifestyle. For more information about Communities of Interest contact Jane Danforth on 0115 9691300 ext 11130 or email jane.danforth@nottshc.nhs.uk.
Poetry corner The following poem was written anonymously by a Highbury Hospital client in recognition of Nottingham City Aspergers Team. The fifth line is in reference to an article on the National Autistic Society’s website written by Lorna Wing which talks about the triad of impairment of social interaction, social communication and social imagination.
I am I am what I am so therefore I accept what I am. On top of the world’s highest mountain peak, observing all beneath me and surrounding me. In the deepest abyss of the world’s oceans, observing all that is above and surrounding me. I am what I am so therefore I accept what I am. I am on Wing’s journey to the triad of adventures that lie ahead of me. I am individual and non-comparable, yet I am distant and far away from those nearest me. I am what I am so therefore I accept what I am. A life so rich and beautiful and yet so empty. A void I fill in abundance yet so empty still. I am so empty and yet I am so content. I try and understand yet I am not understood. I am what I am so therefore I accept what I am. I am state of the art of unimaginable brilliance, genetically engineered but somewhere reverse engineered. I am what I am so I accept what I am.
Shaping Our Futures, following up on feedback In February 2011 the Trust held the ‘Shaping our Futures’ consultation event about its plans for services. It gave service users, carers, members and Governor Members an opportunity to hear and respond to the plans for the year 2011/12 and be involved in shaping services. Feedback has been used to influence and shape future plans. Below are some of the outcomes: • Adult Mental Health Services in Nottingham City progressed with plans for a Recovery Education Centre. This has now opened and provides a range of courses and workshops to help people in their recovery. • In response to carer requests Adult
Mental Health Services in the County has identified carer link workers and training for all teams in the service. Special carer peer support workers will also be employed. • Mental Health Services for Older People has incorporated the need to improve access to speech and language therapies into plans. • The issue of transitions between services was raised for the Specialist Services Directorate and this has now been identified as a key area for further work. • Wathwood Hospital and Arnold Lodge will extend the Releasing Time to Care project which aims to increase the amount of time spent in direct patient care.
• The Mental Health and Learning Disability Directorate at Rampton Hospital will work more closely with its carers’ champion and include staff education on information sharing with carers as part of the Training Strategy. Paul Sanguinazzi, Head of Involvement, said: “We were really pleased that so many people wanted to be involved in shaping our future services. It is important that we listen to people and work in partnership to develop services which meet people’s needs.” Feedback of the event was positive and 95% of attendees said they would be interested in attending a similar event next year. Details of how to get involved in shaping the Trust’s plans for 2012/13 will be publicised in the coming months.
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New group supports Mansfield carers A new carers support group is inviting anyone interested to come along to an open evening later this month. Carers provide an invaluable role in the day-to-day lives of people with mental health needs, providing stability and promoting well being in those they care for. Caring for someone with mental health needs can be difficult at times and carers can feel overwhelmed, isolated and in need of a place to turn for support and advice. This is where the new group can help. The group’s aim is to provide support and advice to carers, recognising the valuable work they do. It also offers an opportunity for carers to share their experiences and get ideas from others in a similar situation in an informal setting over refreshments. The group meets on Monday evenings from 5.30pm to 8pm (except on Bank Holidays) in the activities room of the Acute Recovery Team at Millbrook Mental Health Unit in Mansfield. All carers are welcome to come along and join in.
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‘Our Gladys’ the octogenarian Long-standing Involvement volunteer Gladys Bombek, known to many Trust employees, service users and carers, reached the grand age of 80 on 7 June.
The open evening will take place on Monday 25 July between 5.30pm and 8pm and is open to all carers, service users, mental health professionals and other interested parties. Drinks and nibbles will be available and anyone who attends will have a chance to meet the carers’ group facilitators, ask questions and mix with others who are supportive of the group.
A celebration was held in the Involvement Centre with many people coming together to mark the occasion and wish Gladys many happy returns of the day.
For any further information about the group or the open evening please call 01623 785913 and speak to Lisa Ball, Teresa Hart, Amy Johnson, Pat Hankinson or Jackie Hemstock.
“I would like to say thank you to everyone for all their kind wishes, flowers, gifts and cakes,” said Gladys. “I had a lovely day. It’s great to have a second family here in the Trust and to be able to celebrate with you all.”
Presenting Gladys with her gifts, Professor Mike Cooke, Chief Executive, said: “Gladys is my oldest friend. She is a constant source of inspiration to all of us. She does wonders for Involvement, bringing along so many people, especially young people. We all think she’s great to have around. You mean a lot to us all.”
Recognition for Harmless Harmless counsellor Adrienne Grove meets with a client
Since 2009 the Trust has been working closely with community self harm project Harmless in a collaborative venture to deliver support to people that self harm from age 11 upwards and to promote health, hope and recovery. Independent evaluation by the Institute of Mental Health has shown significant improvement in the rate and severity of self harm, alongside significant improvement in quality of life factors, with 90%+ customer satisfaction. The success of the project has recently led to recognition in several national award schemes. One of which is The National Lottery Good Causes Awards in which Harmless reached the top 10 in the Best Health Project category. The team is currently waiting to hear if they
have made it to the final voting stage which takes place in September. Harmless has also have been awarded a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service; equivalent to an MBE. This great
accolade will be presented soon and as this edition of Positive goes to print, members of the team will be attending a prestigious ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The Trust partnership has thus far proved an excellent endeavour. Although awards are a great recognition for its success, the bigger reward for all involved is the vast changes and improvements reported by clients.
Mike helps Gladys cut one of her birthday cakes
“Harmless helped me to understand that I am not alone, and that there is hope for someone like me. I have self harmed for the best part of my life, and now I see a future where it is no longer there. I didn’t even know that was possible. Without this chance I don’t know where I would be right now, but I am feeling more positive than I have in a long, long time” – Michael, 51. Harmless Director Caroline Roe said: “Harmless’ work with the Trust has been an enormous success for young people and adults. The collaboration has enabled us to extend our ability to work with people who have needed or been looking for help for a long time. Their lives have been changed and we are proud of every step that each person achieves.” For more information about Harmless contact 0115 9348445, info@harmless.org.uk or visit www.harmless.org.uk.
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Let’s Talk – Wellbeing Service at county show On the weekend of 14 and 15 May a team from Let’s Talk – Wellbeing (IAPT) promoted the service at the Newark and Notts County Show at Newark Showground. The team hoped to reach out to parts of the rural and farming communities which can often be isolated and have limited access to information on psychological wellbeing, and to break down the stigma of mental health.
Public feedback was very positive with many visitors keen to talk about their problems and possible solutions to get their wellbeing back on track. Books and other materials were available to discuss and take away. As well as promoting the partnership between the Trust and Rethink, Let’s Talk – Wellbeing also promoted a new online service, funded to use in partnership with GP practices across Nottinghamshire County and Bassetlaw. ‘Living Life to the Full’ promotes a healthier outlook on life and has a variety of online self help resources for patients to use. The team agreed it was an excellent day for both staff and public with the show as a whole proving a great success, despite the gloomy weather. Let’s Talk – Wellbeing highlighted the importance of a primary carebased, easy access, psychological therapies service, and the opportunity to engage with hard to reach and seldom heard groups was an added bonus.
Above and left: staff members of the Let’s Talk - Wellbeing service at the county show
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News, leaflets, posters and websites – a week in Communications Wollaton student Rhea Badwal completed a week’s work experience in the Trust’s Communications Team in May. She writes about her week: “As I sat down on a totally new bus I was anxious about what this totally new experience would be like. I walked into the office and was greeted by friendly faces. I had my own desk, computer login, email, everything. It was all quite professional and I was still a bit scared. The routine was totally different to school and I had a lot more independence. “Initially I thought that this would be like the nine to five jobs you hear all adults drone on about. I was excited, yet worried it wouldn’t turn out to be how I hoped. Luckily the week was great, certainly better than being in double English at school! I wrote press releases, designed leaflets, made posters, edited the website, attended meetings and even
Social Networking The Trust has recently entered the world of social media by joining Twitter and launching its own Facebook page. You can follow us on Twitter at @NottsHealthcare and find us on Facebook by searching for
helped the team when setting up their new Twitter and Facebook accounts. It wasn’t just me doing something new this week! “Importantly though, I’ve learnt all about mental ill health and how it can affect people hugely. Whether the sufferer is themselves or a loved one, it can be hard for anyone to handle. Not only that, this helped me realise how little I and many others know about mental health. It’s something one in four of us will suffer from in our lives; it’s nothing alien, yet still there is this stigma. “This is what the Communications Team deals with a lot of the time; handling the media and raising awareness about mental health in an interesting way. Instead of just a newspaper article, they create CDs, award-winning films, theatre productions and a monthly newsletter, not forgetting Twitter and Facebook. “I never really thought there was more
Nottinghamshire Healthcare or by following the links on our website. Please take some time to look around, engage with us and feedback your thoughts. Guidance for staff on using Social Media and Networking sites can be found on the intranet and will be available in hard copy in the future. For more information and advice or if you have any suggestions or comments about the Trust’s social network sites, please contact the Communications Team on 0115 955 5403.
Rhea Badwal, work experience student
to the NHS than the doctors and nurses up front, but I realised how important some of these services that I didn’t really know about are. Although it was a bit scary at first, once I got into the routine it was a great week. The worst thing was that when it was over, it was back to school for a first lesson of German.”
Sharing Stories at our Annual General Meeting The Trust’s Annual General Meeting and Annual Members’ Meeting will be held on Friday 23 September 2011 at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham. The theme for this year is ‘Sharing Stories’ and we are asking you to showcase stories about recovery journeys and share your stories of excellence. We will also be running workshops during the day and would like to hear from you if you have any ideas based around our ‘Sharing Stories’ theme this year. Please contact us on agm@nottshc.nhs.uk with your ideas.
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Conference focuses on women’s health A conference highlighting the difficulties faced by women with mental health issues was held at Duncan Macmillan House in May. Organised by Involvement Centre volunteers Rachael Murnaghan and Sue Paling, the ‘Women, Medication and Mental Health’ conference was packed with medical professionals and service users alike. The audience saw presentations on topics of sexual health, pregnancy, and the risks of psychotropic medication. Matron Rachel Garton, introducing the speakers, said: “We want to share the work that’s been going on, to make sure that women who access services are able to make informed decisions.” Talks were given by clinical psychologist Dr Sarah Fairbank, senior pharmacist John Lawton, consultant perinatal psychiatrist Dr Ben Di Mambro, and service user/peer support worker and young mum Corrine Hendy. John Lawton offered more details of the specific effects of medications on women, including impacts on sexual appetite, pregnancy and breast feeding. Dr Di Mambro discussed the mental health difficulties many women have soon after delivering a child, and explained the importance of trying to plan pregnancies around periods of good mental health, to help manage the risks of taking medication. Corinne Hendy related the story of her son
q&a This month we speak to Business Manager Amy Barksby q
What is your job title and what does your role entail? a Business Manager for the Capital Planning Unit. The Unit manages the Trustwide portfolio of new build and refurbishment projects with a capital value of over £1m, helping services with identification of need, completion of
Ewan’s delivery, and her experience of mental ill health. “There’s still a taboo around some of these areas,” said Dr Fairbank, a Psychologist from the Community Assessment and Treatment Service, “but sexual concerns can contribute to
feasibility studies, business case development, management of construction and ultimately project handover with post project support. Capital Planning also supports the Trust in terms of strategic property issues, managing all land and building acquisitions and disposals and the continual development of the Trust’s property information database known as the ‘property wallpaper’. My role is quite varied and includes managing the operational aspects of the department, leading specific projects, seeking and implementing innovative systems and new ways of working to improve efficiency of our department, providing support to colleagues and ensuring everything is in order to allow the team to meet its objectives in terms of planned capital expenditure and of our capital projects in terms of time, cost and quality.
q How long have you been with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust? a I started working for the Trust in January 2004 when the Capital Planning Unit was first set up, so just over seven years. q
What do you see as your priorities for Nottinghamshire Healthcare? a To work as part of the Capital Planning Unit team to provide environments which promote health and wellbeing for all and complement service strategies for recovery for our patients.
q
What is your employment background? a My first full time job was working for
depression and anxiety, and sexual functioning is often implicated as a factor in decisions whether to take medication.” This Community of Interest group has been running for less than a year but has designed an ASK ‘prompt card’ to be given to anyone who may need to ask healthcare professionals about contraception, sexual health, planning a pregnancy and the effects of medication. If you would like a supply of ‘ASK’ cards please contact Becky Cassidy at The Rosewood Centre, Ollerton on 01623 835210 or email becky.cassidy@nottshc.nhs.uk. For more information about communities of interest contact Jane Danforth on 0115 9934567 or email jane.danforth@nottshc.nhs.uk.
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an insurance broker. I really enjoyed meeting lots of different people and being able to help them when things went wrong. It taught me a lot about people skills and I feel I have taken these lessons with me through life. I then spent six years working for a company which had two different business streams – one managing a portfolio of leisure properties and a second holding events to promote tourism in disadvantaged countries. This was an extremely demanding role and taught me the importance of having good organisation and systems in place and approaches to time management.
q
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given? a Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.
q What was the last CD you bought? a I don’t buy many CDs but I did buy the latest one from The Streets, ‘Computer and Blues’.
q What is your greatest achievement? a Graduating last year with a 1st class BSc (Hons) in Construction Management and winning two awards for my academic achievements. Also having a happy marriage seven years in.
q What makes you angry? a When people are discriminated against
budgets are more restrained, given the known importance of physical environments to patients, staff and visitors. There are banks of evidence which demonstrate well designed environments lead to better patient outcomes and actually aid the recovery process. So it is important in Capital Planning that we get this right.
q
What single thing would improve your working life at Nottinghamshire Healthcare? a Being able to find more hours in the week to allow me to spend more time supporting projects.
q What is your favourite hobby? a I like using any free time I have to go out walking with my husband. We tend to try and visit the seaside as much as we can for walks on the coast.
q What keeps you awake at night? a Thinking about what I need to get done the following day.
q What is your favourite film? a I like films with a good twist that you don’t always see coming like The Usual Suspects, Arlington Road and the classic Shawshank Redemption.
and treated differently to others. I don’t like seeing people being treated unfairly.
q What is your idea of bliss? a Having a change of scenery, either
q What are you most passionate about? a Ensuring the success of our projects, even
in this country or abroad, to take some time out, recharge your batteries and not have to worry about things for a while.
through these tough economic times when
q
What three words would you use to describe yourself? a Hard-working, honest, loyal.
q
What is your favourite holiday destination? a El Gouna in Egypt. I always know there’ll be great weather and there are dedicated kite-surfing beaches which means I get to lie on the beach instead of acting as my husband’s launching and landing assistant.
q
Who would you take to a desert island? a I am guessing we might only be able to eat what we can pick or catch ourselves therefore it would have to be my husband Troy as he’s the only one who could put up with my panic at what I might have to eat there (those who know me will understand). Plus he is my best friend.
q
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? a Hopefully happy and healthy, having completed a Master’s degree and working in a more senior role within the Capital Planning Unit. I’d also like my new home to be all decorated and also have more free time so I can have a pet dog.
q Do you have a ‘claim to fame’? a I don’t think I actually have one. q
How would you like to be remembered? a As someone who worked hard and always tried her best at work and at home.
Half price makeover days for NHS staff NHS employees can take advantage of two makeover days for the price of one from gift experience company I Need Pampering (www.ineedpampering.com). The sessions take place in the company’s Nottingham city centre studio and include a professional makeover, photographic session and free image of your choice. This offer is only available to NHS employees but the gifts can be passed on to any family or friend. To purchase two makeover days for a total of £55 simply call 0208 2083132 and mention the NHS twofor-one offer.
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Being Open when things go wrong The Trust has implemented a policy on open communication with patients, families, carers and colleagues whenever a patient is harmed. The Being Open Framework is for use after any incident that results in moderate harm, severe harm or death to a patient. Its key elements are openness in communication, thorough investigation of the causes and identification of learning points and support for staff. Commitment to the Framework will help create an environment where patients, their carers and families receive the information they need to understand what happened and the reassurance that everything possible will be done to ensure that a similar type of incident does not occur and that patients, carers, families, healthcare professionals and managers feel supported when things go wrong. Being Open means: • Acknowledging, apologising and explaining when things go wrong. • Conducting a thorough investigation into the incident and reassuring patients, their families and carers that lessons learned will help prevent further incidents. • Providing support for those involved to cope with the physical and
Peaks Learning Team success The Peaks Learning Unit at Rampton Hospital has been shortlisted in the Most Improved Provider – WBL/ACL/Offender Learning category of the national Leading the Learner Voice Awards; recognising innovation, effort and action in supporting and promoting learners. Organised by the national Learning and Skills Improvement Service in partnership with the National Union of Students, the Leading the Learner Voice Awards attracted 96 entries nationwide this year. The awards highlight the role of thousands of learners and trainees who are actively engaged in contributing to the continuous improvement of their organisation. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London. Well done and good luck to the team.
psychological consequences of what has happened. Saying sorry is not an admission of liability and is the right thing to do. Patients have the right to expect openness in their healthcare. Openness also has benefits for healthcare professionals as it can help to reduce stress, alleviate the fear of being ‘found out’, and improve job satisfaction by: • Ensuring that communication with patients, families and carers has been handled in the most appropriate way. • Helping the healthcare professional develop a good reputation for handling a difficult situation. • Improving healthcare professionals’
understanding of incidents from the perspective of patients, families and carers. The Trust’s policy is supported by local procedures to ensure that it becomes fully embedded in the practice and culture of the organisation. A copy is available on the Intranet under Trust Wide Policies and Procedures – Risk Management – 15.11 Being Open When Patients are Harmed. Patients, families or carers may approach staff for a more detailed discussion or see the source document on the National Reporting and Learning Service website at www.npsa.nhs.uk.
WHO WE ARE... WE NEED YOU! You may have picked up this copy of the newsletter not knowing what Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is. We provide integrated healthcare services including mental health, learning disability and community health services. We also manage medium-secure units in Leicester and Rotherham, and the high-secure Rampton Hospital near Retford.
Printed on Revive · 100% recycled paper
If you have any ideas or suggestions for the newsletter, please contact Suzanne Aitken in the Trust Communications Team on 0115 955 5403 or via email at suzanne.aitken@nottshc.nhs.uk We are always pleased to receive articles for possible publication, but ask that they do not exceed 300 words. If any individuals other than yourself are mentioned in what you write or featured in accompanying photographs, please make sure you check with them that they are happy to be potentially featured. Please note that the Communications Team has full editorial control and may have to edit articles appropriately. Therefore, if you want to see the final version please ensure you send your article in with plenty of time before the deadline and state clearly what you require.
If you would like copies of any past editions of Positive, or if you are having any ‘distribution issues’ with the newsletter – whether you’re receiving too many copies, too few, or none at all then please contact us. If you would like your story in the September issue of Positive, please contact us by 5 August 2011. However, due to space constraints we cannot guarantee the publication of all articles received by the deadline. Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, The Resource, Duncan MacMillan House, Porchester Road, Nottingham, NG3 6AA. Tel 0115 9691300 www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk