CHATTER BOX
Your fortnightly bulletin for SaTH colleagues and events
Congratulations to volunteer Terry who has turned 90
Congratulations to our dedicated RSH volunteer Terry Seston who has celebrated turning 90.
He volunteers as a ‘Meet and Greet’ volunteer which involves welcoming patients and visitors when they arrive at hospital and supporting and directing them to where they need to go. It is a year of celebrations for Terry, as Terry’s wife Babs is also turning 90 in May, and they are planning a garden party for their 69th wedding anniversary in June.
Babs also volunteered at SaTH for many years and the twosome were joint winners of the very first ‘Volunteer of the Year’ in the Trust Awards ceremony in 2016, when they received a standing ovation from everyone in the room.
Terry said: “My wife and I started volunteering with the hospital about 15 years ago. I was so
appreciative after receiving care for bowel cancer 30 years ago, they gave me additional years of life, so I volunteered as a way to say thank you. I suggest to anyone who has spare time on their hands, it’s worth trying a volunteer role, you might find the same satisfaction I’ve found alongside all the other charity work I’ve been involved in.”
Hannah Morris, Head of Public Participation, who recruited Terry and Babs, said: “We are so grateful for the dedication that both Terry and Babs have shown to their volunteering. To know that Terry is now 90 and is still going strong, is an inspiration to us all.”
Julia Clarke, Director of Public Participation, said: “I want to wish Terry happy 90th birthday and I want to personally thank Terry for his hard work and commitment to the Trust. We can learn so much from Terry and his work ethic and as he said you are only as old as you feel.”
Proud to support Welsh speakers
SaTH is proud to support the Iaith Gwaith (Working Welsh) campaign, a workplace initiative which aims to support Welsh speakers.
The Iaith Gwaith scheme provides orange badges for Welsh-speaking colleagues to wear which allows patients and visitors to know that they can speak Welsh. Colleagues can collect the badges from the SaTH libraries at both PRH and RSH. You simply wear the badge to show patients that you can speak Welsh.
SaTH is the main provider of acute hospital care for almost 500,000 people from Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and mid Wales. The 2021 census showed that 17.8% of the Welsh population could speak Welsh.
Paula Gardner, Interim Chief Nursing Officer at SaTH, said: “We are incredibly proud to support the Iaith Gwaith scheme which supports the use of the Welsh language, makes Welsh more visible and accessible, and helps to create a more inclusive environment.
“The initiative will help to support patients and visitors at their most vulnerable, which will help us
to continue to provide excellent care for the communities we serve.”
The Patient Experience Team will be by the old League of Friends at PRH next Tuesday 28 January lunchtime and at the Mytton Restaurant, RSH, next Thursday 30 January if you want to find out more about the scheme.
During February, we will be celebrating LGBT+ History Month.
We want to hear what the month means to you.
Please email sath.commsteam@nhs.net and tell us your story.
SaTH welcomes nine interns as part of employment project
SaTH has welcomed young adults from across the county into a range of different roles.
The Trust has partnered with DFN Project Search, Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Colleges Group to offer young people with learning disabilities and autism the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and paid employment in areas such as catering, housekeeping, pharmacy, pathology and radiology.
To date, the programme in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin has achieved an average employment rate of 60%, compared to the national average of 6% for people with learning disabilities and autism.
The first cohort of interns finished in the summer of 2024. They all graduated as job-ready, with some securing paid employment at the Trust, including Lauren Clarke, who is now a porter at RSH.
Lauren said: “The internship has been life-changing. It has given me the skills and confidence to take on full time employment, and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it.
“I absolutely loved my rotation in portering, and it felt too good to be true when a role came up. I was nervous about doing an interview, but the DFN team supported me with my preparations, and I was thrilled to be given a job. I love coming to work every day and love knowing I am making a difference for our patients.”
Ali Beshir, Portering & Logistics Manager at RSH, said: “Lauren came into our team and hit the ground running with ideas and enthusiasm. She has had a hugely positive impact on the team and makes a difference to our patients every day. We are so proud to have her in our team.”
SaTH recognised as a Disability Confident Leader for commitment to disability inclusion
SaTH is proud to have been recognised as a Disability Confident Leader as part of a Government scheme that promotes inclusive and accessible workplaces for disabled people.
Disability Confident is a government scheme which is creating a movement of change, encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.
SaTH has been validated as a leader for having a forward-thinking approach to inclusivity and for making impactful steps to foster disability inclusion within the organisation.
SaTH has embedded inclusivity and accessibility into its recruitment practices, as well as offering adjustments and support at every stage of the application process. In addition, SaTH has established strong partnerships with disability charities such as DFN Project Search to provide work experience opportunities for young people.
SaTH is also a member of several disability organisations, including the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyards Scheme, to ensure colleagues have the best opportunity to have the right support at work.
In continuing the Disability Confident journey, SaTH is acting as a champion for Disability Confident within the local and business communities, which includes encouraging and supporting other businesses in its supply chain and networks to become Disability Confident. In doing so, SaTH will be showing disabled people that they are leading the way in getting every business to become Disability Confident.
International Women’s Day is celebrated on Saturday 8 March.
We want to hear about which female colleagues inspire you.
Please tell us about these women, how they inspire you and any words of thanks. Email sath.commsteam@nhs.net.
New patient Park & Ride trial starts on Monday 27 January
Thank you to all our colleagues who have really embraced the Park & Ride and who have recognised that this small change to use the service is making a big difference to our patients and shiftworking colleagues.
From Monday 27 January we will begin a 12week trial allowing patients to use the Park & Ride. Patients will be able to use the service between 10am and 3pm to ensure colleagues can get to and from work without disruption. The bus route will not change during the trial and patients will not take part in the loyalty card promotion.
The trial will be taking place at RSH only. We will be working on updating the car parks at PRH this year and we will wait and see what the data shows us from the trial to see if this is something we can look at in the future for our Telford patients.
Please share this news with our patients. You can find a downloadable colleague information pack here, and more information on the intranet
Support the Park & Ride – New Year, New You
Why not try something new this year and join all of the amazing colleagues using the Park & Ride.
Over 230 colleagues are using the service and making a real difference to the parking experience of our patients and shift-working colleagues. If there are issues preventing you from using the Park & Ride, you can talk to your line manager or HR business partner to find a solution.
211 free drinks have been claimed so far!
ROYAL SHREWSBURY HOSPITAL FREE 12 WEEKTRIAL
From Monday 27 January we are trialling a Park & Ride service for patients and visitors from the Oxon Park & Ride site to the Treatment Centre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital Patients and visitors can use this service from 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday (except bank holidays)
Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
This week is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.
Cervical cancer is a cancer that’s found anywhere in the cervix, which the opening between the vagina and the womb.
Symptoms of cervical cancer include:
• Vaginal bleeding that’s unusual for you –including bleeding during or after sex, between your periods or after the menopause, or having heavier periods than usual
• Changes to your vaginal discharge
• Pain during sex
• Pain in your lower back, between your hip bones (pelvis), or in your lower tummy.
If you have another condition like fibroids or endometriosis, you may get symptoms like these regularly. You might find you get used to them but it’s important to be checked by a GP if your symptoms change, get worse, or do not feel normal for you.
Approx. 3,300 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK making this the 14th most common cancer. The peak age for cervical cancer is between 30 and 34 yrs old.
Cervical smear services are available at both RSH and PRH for colleagues who are due or overdue their smear test. To arrange an appointment, contact the Colposcopy secretaries on extension 5969, 5968 or 5967.
A testimonial from a colleague:
“I kept forgetting to book a smear test (due to work commitments) and to be honest I kept putting it off due to past experiences and embarrassment. Then I saw the colposcopy service was giving up their free time to offer SaTH staff a smear test in work time. Booking was easy and Sister Claire made me feel completely comfortable as I was so anxious (as previous smears had caused a lot of distress) –she was so friendly and professional and her skill/ expertise meant it was over within a matter of minutes with no discomfort. Thank you – I would recommend the service to any woman”
“There are several reasons why, following cervical screening, you might be invited for a colposcopy. A colposcopy is an examination to have a closer look at your cervix. It checks to see if there are cell changes.Your cervical screening result shows both high-risk HPV and that there are cell changes. You don’t have cell changes, but you’ve had three cervical screening results in a row that show high-risk HPV. You’ve had several cervical screening tests which all gave an unclear result or the nurse or doctor who did your cervical screening wanted a colposcopist to have a closer look at your cervix for a second opinion.”
Claire Carr, Lead Colposcopist
Cake sale!
30th January 2025 10am-3pm
SERII Building
All proceeds go to the Lullaby trust
STAFF LOTTERY
This month ’s winners
1st £550
Danielle Priest, Urology 2nd £275
Kelly Sneade, Renal 2nd £275
Kathryn Poli 3rd £125
Louise Clayton, Cancer Services 3rd £125
Natasha Taylor 4th £100
Geraldine Quinn, Pathology 4th £100
Fiona Boddy, Hospital @ Night 5th £50
Kathy George, Adult Safeguarding 5th £50
Shirley Bailey, AMU 5th £50
Dency Chacko, Ward 37 5th £50
Steph Gamble, Respiratory 5th £50
Rachel Hanmer, Improvement Hub
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 recently had a scary episode which led me to my GP’s surgery. I phoned the Paul Brown Unit at Princess Royal and was given an appointment. Once at the Unit the service I received from every single member of staff, including the staff in the MRI department, was outstanding. To be able to receive all the tests, observations and assessments, the results and treatment plans on the same day, indeed within three hours, is absolutely amazing and so reassuring. I am delighted to say all serious conditions were ruled out but the relief of knowing this on the day was incredible and gratefully appreciated.