CHATTER BOX
Stronger Together
Our team recently stopped by wards and departments at RSH, including Wards 27, 28, and the Acute Medical Floor, to personally say a huge thank you for all the incredible work being done to improve patient flow in our hospitals.
Dr Jenni Rowlands and Dr Laurence Ginder joined last week’s round and loved hearing from so many of you about what Stronger Together means to you. The feedback was really valuable. We’ll be doing more walk rounds over the next few weeks to visit as many departments as possible, so keep an eye out for those pink T-shirts.
Meet our Trust Celebratory Awards finalists
We had hundreds of amazing nominations for our Trust Celebratory Awards, each highlighting the outstanding dedication and commitment of so many colleagues and teams.
Each one of them has brought into focus the wonderful work that happens in our organisation every day across a wide variety of services within our hospitals and the wider community.
Our shortlisting panels had the privilege of selecting our finalists – an incredibly difficult task given the amazing examples of innovation happening. We are delighted to announce our brilliant finalists. You can meet the finalists, and read why they’ve been nominated, on the Trust Celebratory Awards website.
This year, the awards ceremony will be in person, so all finalists will be able to celebrate together at The Telford Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort on Friday 15 November when the winners will be announced.
Our deserving finalists represent some of the best examples of high-quality care, ongoing improvement and dedication within our organisation. However, we know that it is only a fraction of the excellent work that happens in our Trust every day. Therefore, we would like to
take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all of you and invite you to take part in our Annual Recognition Week.
Annual Recognition Week kicks off with celebrations on Monday 4 November and will feature a number of events recognising and celebrating the fantastic contribution that colleagues, volunteers and partners make, supporting our patients, families and communities.
The Long Service Afternoon Tea will celebrate colleagues that have recently celebrated 25 or 40-years’ service. Eligible colleagues should have received an invitation.
Volunteers will be invited to a celebration event to recognise key achievements, individual stories and give thanks for their generous and selfless contributions to the services we provide and communities we serve.
The Learning and Development Celebration will recognise those who have completed training and development. We will also be holding an Inclusion and Belonging event, which will celebrate diversity across the Trust. More details will be announced soon.
On Monday 11 November we will take an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the contribution of valued colleagues who are former or serving military personnel. As part of our duty under the Armed Forces Covenant, we will highlight the support and care that the Trust provides for those who serve or have served in the armed forces and their families in
our community. A Service of Remembrance will also take place on Monday 11 November at the Captain Tom’s gardens on both hospital sites.
All colleagues are very welcome. Please gather at 10.50am for a two-minute silence at 11am. A short Service of Remembrance will follow with refreshments.
NHS Staff Survey update by division
The NHS Staff Survey 2024 is open. Thank you to those who have completed it so far, an amazing 34.9% of you have taken the time to share your views to ensure that the changes we make now and in the future are informed by you.
Trust = 34.9% of completed and submitted surveys
Total number of completed substantive surveys: 2819
Total number of completed bank surveys: 154
A special shout out to Ward 7, Endocrine, General Medicine and Cardiology who have a response rate of 77.5%, compared to 7.5% last week.
Drop-in sessions
Come along and ask questions and find out more:
RSH:
Monday 4 November – Ward block, by the chaplains’ office, 12-1pm
Thursday 28 November – Mytton Restaurant, 12-1pm
PRH:
Wednesday 13 November – W&C Atrium, 12-1pm
Tuesday 26 November – Restaurant corridor, 12-1pm
If you need support to access or complete your survey, please contact sath.organisationaldevelopmentteam@nhs.net.
Prizes
We have some fantastic prizes available for individuals and teams who complete their survey including shopping vouchers, spa days, hotel stays and wellbeing hampers. By completing your survey, you will be automatically put forward. The earlier you complete the survey, the more chance you stand of winning.
Donna Clark, Lead Nurse for Education, Preregistration Nursing and Student Nursing Associate, won a voucher for completing her NHS Staff Survey.
Did you know the NHS Staff Survey...
is completely confidential What you say is kept anonymous
only takes 15 minutes to complete and can help make the NHS the workplace we all want it to be
is aligned to the People Promise This sets out, in the words of our NHS people, the things that would most improve our working experience is one of the biggest employee surveys in the world
is used to better understand the experiences of our NHS people and to see where more change is needed is an official statistic, run independently to the highest standards of quality and accuracy
Complete the survey to have your say
Leading the way
On Friday 18 October we hosted the SaTH Leadership Conference 2024, which brought together healthcare professionals from across the organisation to address the critical issues shaping the future of healthcare and the topics most relevant to today’s leaders.
Thank you to everyone who attended.
2nd Annual GIRFT Event 2024
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2nd Annual Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) event which was held on Thursday 17 October. It was great to see so many colleagues celebrating the sharing of good practice and improvements.
You could save up to £175 by going
on
the Park & Ride
Cancel that parking permit and start using the Park & Ride from next week and you could save up to £175 between now and the end of March 2025.
This is based on the money saved from not having to pay for a parking permit, plus the money you will save by receiving a free drink with our fantastic new Park & Ride loyalty card!
Ten round trips on the Park & Ride at either PRH or RSH and you will receive a free drink from one of the Trust restaurants. Ask your bus driver for your loyalty card from Monday 4 November 2024.
Terms and Conditions...
• Only one loyalty card and one stamp will be stamped per round trip on the Park & Ride.
• A loyalty card is valid to redeem a free drink when 10 stamps have been collected.
• To redeem your free drink, present the loyalty card with stamps completed
before ordering at any Trust restaurant.
• Free hot drink refers to a regular 12oz drink –Americano, latte, cappucino, white coffee, hot chocolate. Syrups and additional milks are an additional cost.
• Seasonal promotional beverages are not included in this promotion.
• Free cold drink refers to a 330ml can or bottled water.
• Free drinks are subject to availability.
• This promotion is due to run until Monday 31 March 2025.
• Rewards cannot be redeemed in conjunction with any other offers or promotions.
• Check at the café for any relevant allergen information.
• The loyalty card cannot be exchanged for cash.
Our data shows there are around 450 colleagues that are parking within the hours of the Park & Ride.
We all need to challenge ourselves to do our bit to save car parking spaces for our shift working colleagues and in doing so, save money.
Traffic lights on Mytton Oak Road
Please be aware that there will be four-way traffic lights on Mytton Oak Road from Tuesday 5 November – Saturday 9 November.
The traffic lights will be outside William Farr House and are expected to cause disruption to traffic coming onto site at both William Farr House and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. Please allow extra time for your journey and consider using the Park & Ride to help ease congestion.
Your voice counts
FTSU wouldn’t be possible without the FTSU guardians and FTSU ambassadors.
We are still looking for more FTSU ambassadors –from all over the organisation, at every level.
The primary role of a FTSU ambassador is to raise awareness of FTSU and its role and purpose. The second is signposting and supporting colleagues who wish to raise concerns.
The role is open to all colleagues and we particularly encourage those from groups who are underrepresented within the organisation such as workers with a disability, those from minority backgrounds, agency or shift workers, junior doctors and trainees.
If you are an excellent communicator, have high levels of emotional intelligence and are a good team player, please think about applying.
Hospital Artwork Competition
We have had such an amazing response to our artwork competition that we have extended the deadline to Friday 15 November.
Winners of the competition will have their artwork featured on the construction hoarding at RSH and near the main reception at PRH. If you know any budding artists then please share the details with them.
Full details along with the design brief can be found on our website
Construction Cascade
You can read issue 10 of the Hospitals Transformation Programme (HTP) construction newsletter here. The newsletter provides an overview of upcoming building works and what you and your colleagues can expect. For previous issues of Construction Cascade and further information on HTP please visit our dedicated HTP intranet pages
Friday 18 October marked World Menopause Day.
Whilst some women sail through menopause, three in four experience symptoms and as many as one in four have serious symptoms. However, around half have never consulted a healthcare professional about their menopause. At SaTH, we are passionate about the wellbeing of our colleagues and that means talking about menopause openly.
We have created a new toolkit to support managers and colleagues. You can download the toolkit here For more information about the support we offer, please visit the intranet
Time to book your flu jab
It is time to top up your immunity with an autumn annual flu vaccine to keep yourself and those you care for safe.
Flu vaccination is important because, while flu is unpleasant for most people, it can be very dangerous for some. You can have your flu vaccine at one of our dedicated walk-in flu clinics.
RSH:
• Friday 1 November, Mytton Restaurant, 8am5pm
• Sunday 3 November, outside the Chaplains office, 6.30am-1.30pm
• Monday 4 November, outside the Chaplains office, 4.30pm-10pm
• Tuesday 5 November, outside the Chaplains office, 7.30am-10am
• Tuesday 5 November, Mytton Restaurant, 12pm-2pm
• Friday 8 November, SERII, 10am-3pm
• Friday 8 November, Mytton Restaurant, 12pm3pm
• Friday 8 November, outside the Chaplains office, 4.30pm-8pm
PRH:
• Wednesday 6 November, Medical Escalation Entrance, 7am-2pm
• Thursday 7 November, Medical Escalation Entrance, 11.30am-2pm
SaTH colleagues
You can have your flu jab now
To see the up-to-date vaccination venues and timings - scan the QR code
Please get vaccinated as soon as possible – it is the best protection for you and those you care for. Prior to your vaccination, you will need to fill out a flu vaccination record form. Please bring this with you to the clinic.
To arrange for a vaccinator to visit your department at a time that suits you, please email Karen Mann, Flu Co-ordinator on karen.mann2@ nhs.net.
Kind Finley’s spooky goody bags for crews
Kind youngster Finley-Jay loves ambulances and whenever he has a spare moment he hands out little goody bags to crews when they arrive at RSH.
The eight-year-old found out about a Facebook group called ‘’Hit the Ambulance gamers”, where a ‘hit’ is a random act of kindness, such as a smile, wave or giving anything such as sweets, chocolates or drinks to ambulance crews. He then started making up goody bags and hands them out to the crews. Finley made a special trip to RSH yesterday to hand out Halloween goody bags to crews.
Finley’s love for ambulances has grown and he has his own Facebook page called Finley-Jay’s Ambulance Bags Journey.
His mum Laura Stubbs said: “I am so proud of him – he is such a kind little boy. Whenever we have some spare time you can find Finley up at the hospital by A&E handing out little bags that he’s made up to hand out to every ambulance that
arrives at A&E. He’s that popular that Shrewsbury ambulance crews all know him now.”
The youngster who has ADHD puts tea, coffee, sweets, biscuits, chocolates and pens in the bags he makes up. All of the items that go in the bags are gifted to him by friends and family.
Jo Williams, Chief Executive, popped along to see Finley and his mum when he was on site yesterday. She gave him his own Halloween goody bag to say a special thank you, which he loved.
Hayley Flavell, Director of Nursing, said: “What a lovely and kind gesture by Finley – his goody bags will make all the difference to the ambulance crews that arrive at our hospital. Well done Finley!”
Will Gould, Senior Operations Manager at West Midlands Ambulance Service’s Shrewsbury Hub, said: “Finlay is someone our crews look forward to seeing. He has been doing this for a while now and each time he does, it really brings a smile to the crew he ‘hits’.”
New off-road cycle route launched
Marcher Castles Way offers a perfect blend of challenge, reward, culture, and natural beauty; making it an exciting adventure for cyclists.
Starting in the historic town of Shrewsbury, you’re immediately immersed in rich history and beautiful scenery, from the Roman ruins at Wroxeter to the industrial heritage of Ironbridge. As you leave Ironbridge, the hills begin to rise, with steady climbs and rolling terrain. Each climb rewards you with breathtaking views, from the mythic Wenlock Edge to the Clee Hills, offering panoramic views across Wales and England. You can find out more about the route here
Multi-faith space opening
Apprenticeship Awards
Congratulations to Francesa Farruggio, Education Support Unit Co-Ordinator, who was named as a finalist in the Health and Social Care category at the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Apprenticeship Awards. She was a finalist out of over 180 nominations, well done!
Earlier this month we celebrated the opening ceremony of the newly renovated Multi Faith room at PRH.
It is a room for patients, their families, colleagues and volunteers – it is a space where all faiths and beliefs are welcomed and supported.
You are encouraged to use the room as both a quiet and reflective area, but also a place for conversations and relaxation.
Hayley Flavell, Director of Nursing, said: “We want all our patients, visitors and staff to feel supported and included, and our chaplaincy team have done a fantastic job in transforming this space.”
Diwali
More than a billion Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists around the world are celebrating Diwali or the festival of lights.
Diwali is one of the biggest festivals in India and is also widely celebrated in Nepal, Malaysia, Fiji, and other countries with large South Asian community. Homes, businesses and public spaces are lit up with lights or lamps and fireworks abound. People gather with their families, eat sweets and exchange gifts.
Sanni Aujla is the Head of Financial Recovery Programme Office. She describes in her own words how she celebrates and what Diwali means to her and her family.
“For Sikhs, Diwali isn’t just about light overcoming darkness, but it is also about the triumph of good over evil. It is also a time to celebrate justice and freedom.
“During Diwali we will visit the Gurudwara. Everyone is welcome and there will be a feast. At the Gurudwara there is a Langar – a free kitchen where everyone in the community can come and receive a hot meal. This is available to everyone regardless of their background, beliefs, colour or
religion. We meet up with family and friends to light lamps and candles, say prayers and watch beautiful firework displays.
“Community and Service is a big belief in Sikhism, we live by showing gratitude through our service to our communities and live by honesty and by being good to other people.”
During the festival, the Multi-faith rooms will be lit with party lights in celebration.
Here one of our Hindu staff members, Asha Nair, tells her story.
Get
involved
The next Multi Faith and Belief network meeting is taking place on Thursday November 21 on MS Teams between 12-1pm.
A MS Teams background can be downloaded here
Foundations of Supervision & Team Leadership (FOSATL) Cohort 2
Congratulations to the latest colleagues who have commenced their FOSATL Journey.
Twenty-two colleagues from right across the Trust with one shared common goal – future aspiration for Supervison/Team Leadership.
Five days dedicated training now awaits the colleagues to prepare them for leadership. The programme commenced on Monday 30 September whereby Helen Troalen, Director of Finance joined the group as part of an Executive Welcome, thank you Helen. The group were then taken through an Understanding Yourself Session through DiSC. The group will rejoin each month now to increase their
knowledge, skill and competence as they move forward through the programme.
Applications are now open for 2025. Information briefings are also scheduled for 20 and 28 January. Please reach out to marie.mason6@nhs.net for further details.
Showing Racism the Red Card
On Friday 18 October we Showed Racism the Red Card. Racism has no place in our Trust, and we continue to invest in our diverse workforce and ensure that everyone feels welcome, respected and valued.
Thank you to the League of Friends
Snowdrops planted in memory of June Whittaker
Snowdrop bulbs paid for by the League of Friends, SaTH Charity and Lingen Davies have been planted in memory of June Whittaker. June was involved with the League of Friends for 51 years, during which time she was both Chairman of the Executive committee and the Fundraising committee.
Twenty years ago, June opened up her estate in Westbury to host the first snowdrop walk. Over the years this event has gained in popularity and raised thousands for charity with hundreds of people attending.
June has been presented with numerous awards for outstanding voluntary service, always thinking of others before herself and she will always be remembered for what a wonderful person she was and an inspiration to us all. The snowdrops should be in bloom in late February.
Win £100: Hospital League of Friends logo competition
The League of Friends at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital is celebrating the changing of its name with a competition to design a new logo.
The League of Friends has been working in partnership with The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust for over 60 years.
League of Friends Chairman, Richard Steventon said: “The funds we have been raising have been invested into equipment for both PRH and RSH. We are asking for help designing our new logo with our new name – The League of Friends of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital.”
If you would like to get involved and enter your design, the League of Friends are offering a prize of £100 to the winning entry.
Specification and requirements are:
1. Logo formats: JPEG and PDF (full colour and grayscale), resolution 300 dpi
2. ‘The League of Friends of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital’ should be incorporated in the logo design
3. We are happy to accept designs using
different colours to our current logo
4. Only original and unpublished work is eligible
5. The League of Friends of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital will own the copyright of the winning design, which will be used widely on websites, publications, e-mails, social media, etc
6. Maximum three entries per person
7. Entries should be emailed to s.hurdiss@nhs. net
The closing date for entries is Sunday 10 November 2024. Please read the full terms and conditions before entering.
Queensway coffee morning
The Sterile Services department at Queensway held a MacMillan Coffee morning organised by technician Carol Bowen who has raised money annually for this great cause. The morning was a great success featuring fabulous bakes, and some tasty samosas, raising over £150 on the day.
Walkers bid to raise more charity funds
Shell Causier and Gem Selby, Quality Governance Advisors for ED and Acute Medicine Division, tackled the Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness: 78 miles in four days earlier this month.
This was to raise money for Telford and Wrekin Young Carers Charity, which support young people who care for their relatives.
Gemma said: “The longest day was 26 miles, the hardest day was the third, where we went
up higher than the Wrekin twice after we camped in the rain, in a layby full of potholes!
“Shell and I are not fit and we have never challenged ourselves like this before. This was a real achievement for us. We wanted to show the Young Carers that we appreciate everything they do and push ourselves so we could give them something back!”
There is still time to donate, click here for the JustGiving page.
Colleague Notice Board
Research and Innovation
SaTH Charity Fund
Pitch your research ideas to secure funding
For an application form or for any enquiries, please conact
SaTH.Research@nhs.net
Occupational Therapy Week
6th Novemver 2024 3-4pm Join the conversation 'The importance of Occupation': A system discussion Men aged 65+
As part of this years OT week celebrations we are inviting Occupational Therapists across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin to celebrate and share views on what occupation means in the context of occupational therapy. On joining the discussion, please consider three things RCOT has suggested members focus on as part of OT Week:
1. Talk about occupations, weave them into every conversation so that people understand what occupation means in the context of occupational therapy.
2. Own your superpower, occupations are at the core of occupational therapy. Make them the focus on everything you do.
3. Find out how to overcome barriers is something stopping you from talking about occupations?
4–10 November 2024
Ultimately all incidents involve people; they might be the public we are serving or responders who are providing that service To achieve our overarching aim of ‘working together saving lives reducing harm’, we need to put people at the centre of the incident from planning through to response and recovery
To find out more, email sath emergencyplanning@nhs net or call the team on Ext 1244
Scan the QR code to enrol on the course
Colleague Notice Board
POLIO FACT SHEET The Basics
What is Polio?
Polio is a highly infectious and life-threatening disease which Rotary has been working hard to eradicate globally since 1985.
In 1985, when Rotary began its pledge, there were 125 polio endemic countries.
Rotary has helped immunise 2.5 billion children globally since 1985.
It costs just 20p to protect a child with a life changing polio vaccine
Polio cases globally have reduced by 99.9% from 350,000 cases in 1988 to less than 250 wild polio cases annually in the last few years.
Today there just two polio endemic countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Polio mainly affects children under the age of 5.
Every £1 raised will be matched by an additional £2 from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Polio could be just the second human disease to be eradicated worldwide in history.
The Future
Phenomenal progress has been made towrards eradicting polio but we must finish the job. Although many countries are no longer polio-endemic, they are still at risk of the disease returning, making continued immunisation programmes vitally important. Failure to eradicate polio could result in as many as 200,000 new cases worldwide every year within a decade. That’s why Rotary members, governments, nongovernmental organisations and the public are working together to raise the money needed each year to eradicate polio for good. Together we can beat polio
STAFF LOTTERY
This month ’s winners
1st £500
Simon Pugh, Medical Engineering
2nd £250
Roweena Humphreys, Haematology Day Unit
2nd £250
Thomas Roker, Pathology Blood Sciences
3rd £100
Karen Richards, Pharmacy
3rd £100
Vanessa Ellison, Pathology (Phlebotomy)
3rd £100
Yvonne Draper, Medical Education
3rd £100
Jade Jones, Outpatients RSH
4th £50
Jade Jones, Outpatients RSH
4th £50
Adrian Houghton, Pharmacy Stores
4th £50
Callum Blundred, Medical Engineering
4th £50
Katherine Gough, A&E Reception
4th £50
Anne-Marie Fothergill, Pharmacy
12 cash prizes every month!
Payment will be deducted from your salary; winnings are paid into your salary the following month.
Why not join our lottery?
50% of profits are given out in prizes and the other 50% is adding to our Small Changes Make a Big Difference Fund which is all spent on items for staff.
The SaTH Small Things Make a Big Difference Fund aims to improve the working environment and amenities for all employees.
Click here to download the T&C’s and enter the staff lottery
Thank you
I had an appointment last Friday at the colposcopy clinic and I wanted to say a big thank you to the Women’s Services Dept. These are the sorts of appointment that nobody really wants to attend but your whole department was calm caring and gentle. Your staff were all lovely and even made a hot drink for you after the appointment. We are always too ready to criticise, but I hope that you will give the whole team a pat on the back for doing a great job.