One+all issue 9

Issue 9 May 2015

Walk for Wards Our annual summer fundraiser is back

St Michael’s Hospital 100 years of high quality care+compassion

Incredible gift

Mobile Chemotherapy Unit arrives

Dartmoor so much more than you ever imagined!

PHOTOGRAPH Š WWW.DARTMOORPHOTOS.CO.UK

Places to Stay, Places to Eat and Places to Visit

Everything you could possibly need for a fabulous holiday on Dartmoor at

www.visitdartmoor.co.uk

CONTENTS www.rcht.nhs.uk

Editorial Communications, Bedruthan House 01872 253216 oneandall@cornwall.nhs.uk

Royal Cornwall Hospitals

NHS Trust

Design Edgemoor Design 01837 659224 simon@edgemoordesign.co.uk Advertsing Zara Media 01392 201227 grant@zaramedia.co.uk

One+all is published 3 times a year. Copy date for each issue is approximately six weeks before publication.

DISCLAIMER Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that adverts and articles appear correctly. Edgemoor Publishing cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the contents of this publication. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher or editor.

Cover Picture RCHT Fundraising Manager, Jessica Silye gets set for Walk for Wards aided by Erin Molloy and Buster

Welcome

CONTENTS TRUST VIEW

Welcome to the latest edition of One + All – our regular magazine for patients, staff, volunteers, Foundation Trust members and My View anyone with an interest in their local NHS. Professor Steve Thornton - Non Executive Director 5 In this edition we look ahead to an exciting summer of events for the Trust including our Competition Hall for Cornwall - win tickets to Oklahoma!

6 second ‘Walk for Wards’ at Trebah Garden in aid of Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity Trust People

on Sunday 14th June – see front cover and News and views from around the Trust 7 Charity section for details.

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity is INCREDIBLE GIFT vital to the development of RCHT, supporting Introducing our new mobile chemotherapy unit 10 us to provide gold standard care. Whether it is OBSTETRIC SPECIALIST IS NATIONAL WINNER additional equipment, refurbishing a patient Life-saving work rewarded with Tommy’s Award 12 area or supporting our staff, the charity can make a real difference to the care we offer.

In Focus We are eternally grateful to everyone who St Michael’s Hospital - 100 years of contributes to the charity and ‘Walk for Wards’ high quality care+compassion 14 is just one way to support our hospitals. We are also delighted to be a chosen charity at Grapevine the Royal Cornwall Show this year so look Competitions, discounts and a party!

18 out for us on 4th, 5th and 6th June at the Volunteering showground – stand 85 and 86.

News from our Friends and volunteers 20 At the Royal Cornwall Show we will also be promoting St Michael’s Hospital which this year Membership is celebrating 100 years of high quality care and Being a Shadow Governor 23 compassion. The hospital in Hayle consistently receives outstanding feedback and we want Charitable Funds Get ready for Walk for Wards!

24 more people to choose the services on offer there. Find out more on page 14.

ASSISTANT PRACTITIONERS I hope you enjoy the magazine and thank Supporting safer care 28 you for your continued support.

Bill Shields - Chief Executive

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Working for our future

MY STORY

Transplant patient selected for World Games

DID YOU KNOW

Voluntary sector helps patients to get home

FOND FAREWELLS

A round up of retirements

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Garth Davies Associate Director, Communications at RCHT. oneandall@cornwall.nhs.uk

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WHAT’S ON & COMPETITION Diary dates and Spot the Difference competition

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TRUST VIEW

Bill Shields, Chief Executive Bill Shields joined RCHT as Chief Executive in January 2015. Bill was previously Chief Financial Officer at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London and for a time was their Acting Chief Executive jointly with the Medical Director. Bill has also been Director of Finance and Performance at the South West Strategic Health Authority and held leadership positions at a range of NHS organisations. He is known for his financial acumen for which he has won national awards and was recently named in the top 50 public finance trailblazers by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA).

The CIPFA judges described Bill as an outstanding innovator who has dedicated his life to public service and praised his work in major healthcare providers as well as his leadership in the NHS’s Future-Focused Finance programme - setting out a persuasive vision for first-class services that require investment in a time of austerity. Bill is married with one son and outside work his interests include playing and listening to music, reading, football and the cinema.

What attracted you to work at RCHT? I am delighted and feel privileged to join RCHT as Chief Executive. I trained as an accountant in the NHS in Cornwall in the late 1980s, living in the county for six years and so it is humbling to return as Chief Executive. I am excited at the prospect of taking this organisation on the next stage of its journey at what is a pivotal time for the NHS. The Trust has made good progress from just a few years ago but there is still a great deal to do to become an outstanding NHS provider.

What are your priorities at RCHT? The Trust had set out three sensible priorities before my arrival which are keeping patients safe, seeing patients quickly in the Emergency Department and managing our finances effectively. My focus will be delivering on those priorities and ensuring that we do what we say we will do. We need a step change in clinical engagement within the Trust, sustained improvement in our Emergency Department performance and to stabilise our financial position with full recovery by the end of 2016. Good progress is already being made in patient safety and we must continue to put safety and quality at the heart of our work.

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The Five Year Forward View produced

by NHS England sets out a range of interesting organisational models and opportunities for us to pursue and our goal must be to work with our partners to better integrate services while being cognisant of the financial challenges facing all NHS providers in 2015/16 and beyond. We must clearly articulate our organisational and clinical strategy which will become the touchstone for all future decision-making.

organisation. Overall, we provide good care and in some areas outstanding care as identified by the Care Quality Commission. It is also pleasing to note that 95% of patients would recommend our care to their friends and family and we have some particularly good results in a recent outpatient survey. We must build on the good foundations that we have.

What have been your first impressions?

Clinical engagement and leadership are essential. We will need to make difficult decisions about models of care, partnerships with private organisations or other NHS organisations and on our financial priorities. We have recently embarked on an important Cost Improvement Programme which is designed to ensure we become a more efficient organisation and most importantly that we change the way we work to not only improve our financial position but also the quality of our care.

Success in the next few years will depend on the level of partnership and ownership by clinical colleagues at RCHT and across the region. n

My first impressions are of an organisation that has been bruised by financial difficulties, leadership changes and a lack of clinical engagement in the overall direction of the Trust. The 2014 staff survey results were poor and to be honest I am ashamed to be the Chief Executive of an organisation with such low scores and where many colleagues would not recommend their place of work. This has to change and we need an honest discussion with staff and the wider community about the task ahead of us and our collective responsibility to improve.

Having said that, I have been impressed by the potential and capability of the

There are tough financial and operational decisions ahead. What will be your approach?

MY VIEW www.rcht.nhs.uk

Prognosis is critical for the high-quality care NHS provides Professor Steve Thornton is Dean of the University of Exeter Medical School/Dean of Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry and has been a Non-Executive Director at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust since May 2014. Earlier this year he wrote an excellent article on the future of the NHS for the Western Morning News and here we publish an abridged version.

To read this article in full go to www.westernmorningnews.co.uk.

Here in the UK, we have the best national health care system in the world, delivered at a fraction of the cost of alternatives. However, chronic underfunding and increased demand mean the whole system is at breaking point. Dedicated staff often provide this care due to their commitment to public health, despite the fact that the NHS is continually undermined from a number of quarters.

The NHS has been stretched in the past, but its current condition is critical. The predicted increase on NHS demand is simply not sustainable. We will see an exponential population growth in the coming decades: by 2060 the number of people aged over 85 in the UK will have almost trebled, rising from under two million today to 5.8 million.

This will increase demand – but there is an additional problem – those people surviving to old age will have complex diseases, so management costs will also soar. Current efforts to answer this conundrum lead to relatively minor changes in healthcare provision, to reduce costs or increase productivity. Examples include the provision of care by private providers – but this will

not enable seamless expensive treatments to be delivered at low cost. Another example is the administration of clinical care in the community, which may reduce costs, but the financial benefits of community care with new ways of working are yet to be conclusively demonstrated.

NHS England has named South Devon and Cornwall pioneers, where schemes to deliver fully-integrated care and support are being trialled, and this may improve care delivery. NHS England has also invited applications to be “vanguard” sites, to accelerate change through the New Models of Care Programme.

This is all a drive towards efficient and joined-up working between acute, mental health, community and social care providers, which should enable patients to be discharged to appropriate care, relieving some of the pressures on accident and emergency departments and the ambulance services. Some basic tasks traditionally delivered by doctors can be provided by nonmedical staff such as nurses, pharmacists and radiographers with extended roles, reducing salary costs. Utilising technology at home may yield efficiencies, and Cornwall provides an excellent test bed opportunity with superfast broadband. However, none of these can provide the step change in efficiencies or reduce costs enough to maintain the quality of healthcare that the public deserves.

So, what should healthcare look like in the next 15 years and beyond? Collaboration across the South West is crucial. Patients should be able to access the care they need, when they need it.

Primary care teams – those on the frontline of service delivery – should be working with acute, social care and mental health providers to deliver efficient care. These teams will need to work hand-in-hand, at times in the same location, with rapid triage, admission, specialised care and discharge. Importantly, the region’s providers need to work together, with particular trusts taking the lead to manage certain pathways of care, while more common treatments are provided in each locality. Such integrated care will improve the patient experience. However, if we are really going to provide the very best care, healthcare providers need to continue to work with universities to ensure that we educate the very best clinical staff.

Equally important is our high quality health research. Data overwhelmingly demonstrates that healthcare providers who are undertaking research deliver better quality care. This is not surprising – one would not expect any industry to produce high quality products without research, innovation and development.

So, universities and healthcare providers must work together even more closely than we do today. We must also strive to attract external non-commercial and commercial investment in healthcare research with the development of specialised centres, units and institutes. These attract high-quality staff and external resource, and lead healthcare developments for the future.

The South West is doing well to deliver high-quality healthcare despite underfunding and unprecedented demand. However, if the NHS is going to continue to deliver excellent healthcare into the future, we need to maximise collaboration across NHS trusts, universities and commercial sectors.

We need the public and government to decide whether it wants to fund the high-quality care that the NHS is capable of delivering in a new, seamless vision. n

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Music & Lyrics and Royal & Derngate Northampton present

Starring Belinda

Lang and Gary Wilmot

WIN 4 TICKETS to the opening night of

OKLAHOMA!

Tue 26 May, 7.30pm For a chance to win four tickets, please answer the following question: Who wrote the music for Oklahoma?

To enter, please send your answer along with your name, home address, or Department and extension number to oneandall@cornwall. nhs.uk or send it to: One & All Magazine, c/o Press Office, Bedruthan House, RCH There will be just one winner, no cash equivalent prizes. The competition is open to RCHT staff only, excluding those associated with the competition. The prize is nontransferable and is available to entrants aged 18 and above. All entries must be made by 12 May 2015. The decision of the Press Office is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

TUE 26 SAT 30 MAY

Box Office: 01872 262466 hallforcornwall.co.uk

TRUST PEOPLE www.rcht.nhs.uk

Planning consent brings Cove Macmillan Support Centre a step closer doing whatever they can to support us, whether it’s baking cakes, taking on tough physical challenges or simply donating what they can. We have been blown away by the enthusiasm and generosity shown by everyone involved. We still have much more to raise, so we’re appealing to everyone out there to keep up the amazing work and help us improve the lives of people affected by cancer in Cornwall.”

Ways to donate to the Cove Macmillan Support Centre Make a donation online at www.macmillan.org.uk/thecove

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As the Cove Macmillan Support Centre fundraising appeal continues to gather momentum the building has come a step closer as the eagerly anticipated green light on planning has been given.

Director for Cancer Services at RCHT, Dr Bryson Pottinger said, “We’ve been working towards a support centre in Cornwall for a long time and know it’s something patients and their families have been asking for. It is an exciting development, offering an invaluable

extra dimension to the care and support we can give and we can’t wait to see the Centre open next summer.”

Suzie Warren, Area Fundraising Manager for Macmillan in Devon and Cornwall said: “We are delighted to have reached this important milestone, it means we are one step closer to this ambitious project becoming a reality. People in Cornwall have now raised well over £120,000 for the centre, which is a fantastic achievement. People have been

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Send a cheque to: Freepost THE MACMILLAN COVE APPEAL Text a £5 donation: Text COVE50 £5 to 70070 Buy a virtual brick for a minimum donation of £50 at www.macmillancove. wordpress.com (donation made via JustGiving) Make a donation over the phone by calling 0300 1000 200

Endometriosis experts at RCHT help to develop national guides Experts at RCHT have played an important part in the development of new national guides, launched by the Royal College of Nursing, to support the role of clinical nurse specialists in endometriosis.

One publication sets out a blueprint for the clinical nurse specialist role and the other is an informative fact sheet for all health professionals caring for women of child bearing age.

RCHT was among the first hospitals to set up an accredited Endometriosis Centre and consultant gynaecologist, Dominic Byrne is the national lead. The involvement of experts from RCHT in developing the guides stems from the pioneering and highly regarded service they have established.

One of the principal contributors is Cathy Dean, RCHT’s clinical nurse specialist in endometriosis. “‘A need for a specialist support role in endometriosis was identified some time ago but only since 2014 has it become a requirement for a specialist centre to have a nurse in post,” explains Cathy. “Until now there hasn’t been a clear definition

of what that role should be or the extent of duties that ought to be included to ensure women are fully supported throughout their diagnosis and treatment.”

Endometriosis – the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside of the uterus is believed to affect 1:10 women. It can cause symptoms such as painful periods, painful sex or pain when passing urine or with bowel movements. The Endometriosis Centre at RCHT treats around 50 major cases each year.

The fact sheet provides clear information about symptoms, how less severe cases can be managed and when to refer to a specialist. Both new guides are supported by the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE) and charity Endometriosis UK and are available on the Royal College of Nursing website.

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TRUST PEOPLE

Prostate cancer support group celebrates its 10th anniversary

A group run by patients in partnership with specialist nurses to support those being treated for, and living with, prostate cancer has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The Cornwall Prostate Support Association (CPSA) meets on the third Monday of every month at 7pm at the Victoria Inn, Threemilestone and offers support and information with members being able to share their experiences. They also have regular speakers on different topics, many related to prostate cancer but others are more light-hearted but equally interesting. The group extends to families too, as it is often the partners and carers who share in the strain that a cancer diagnosis can bring.

An earlier simulation excercise helped to prepare staff

Caring and professional response to possible Ebola case Staff at the Royal Cornwall Hospital demonstrated their readiness to respond in a high risk situation as they managed a possible case of Ebola earlier this year.

After a call from the NHS111 service, who had been contacted by a member of the public with symptoms that may have indicated a serious viral infection, a quick-thinking response from the senior doctor on duty meant that a calm and planned admission could be made.

After arrival at the hospital’s specialist infection control ward, the patient was cared for by the ward team, requiring the use of necessary protective clothing and equipment, before receiving the good news that the illness was not caused by the Ebola virus.

“It’s given us a chance to test and further refine our processes and the staff involved must be commended for their caring and professional response,” said Joint Director for Infection Prevention and Control, Dr Andrew Collinson.

Successful ‘back to work’ placements ‘Back to work’ placements at RCHT are helping unemployed people to get back into the job market. Among the latest recruits via a scheme with NHS England and Job Centre Plus called Socially Responsible Employers are David Sandry and Steven Dew who after their eight week placements have both gained employment with RCHT’s in-house staff bank, Kernowflex.

The idea of the scheme is to get the long term unemployed back into paid employment by offering opportunities for them to experience working life, increasing their skills and confidence to apply for paid jobs.

For more information on back to work schemes go to: www.jobcentreguide.org

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Specialist Nurse Debbie Victor said, “I can’t believe we’re marking the 10th anniversary of CPSA and never imagined it would be as successful as it has been. The group is led by the committee and members. Their willingness to share their experiences and to be open and honest about living with prostate cancer is so valuable to those in similar circumstances, be they newly diagnosed or having been living with the disease for a number of years. Their support has become an integral part of the care and treatment we provide from the hospital.

The members of CPSA also play a key part in raising awareness of prostate cancer, handing out information and talking to members of the public and small groups about signs, symptoms and risk factors.”

The CPSA is always open to those who would like to join as members or to have others to talk to who can relate personally to their experience of having prostate cancer. They can be contacted via Debbie Victor or her colleague Wendy Meyers on 01872 253143.

Memorable eclipse

It wasn’t the total eclipse we enjoyed in Cornwall back in 1999 but March’s event was still a memorable experience thanks to clear weather. Ophthalmologist, Mr Ashish Patwardhan was called upon by local media for his expert advice on the dangers of looking at the sun and safe ways to view the eclipse.

This wonderful image of the 85% partial eclipse was caught on camera by RCHT medical photographer, Colin Swanepoel.

TRUST PEOPLE www.rcht.nhs.uk

Infant Feeding Coordinator is West Briton Community Award winner Helen Shanahan, Infant Feeding Coordinator at Royal Cornwall Hospital was thrilled to be presented with the Health Worker of the Year Award at this year’s West Briton Community Awards.

It’s another wonderful achievement for Helen who has worked at Royal Cornwall Hospital for 19 years, as well as one day a week at the Falmouth Breast Feeding group she helped to set up in 1997.

A video played at the awards ceremony described Helen as ‘The baby whisperer of Cornwall’, as well as a ‘Breast Feeding Guru’ but Helen says that she feels very honoured to be a part of women’s lives when they have become a mother. “It is such a pleasure and a privilege to help women with their babies, any support that I can give them to help their confidence to look after their baby is time well spent,” said Helen. “It is so demanding being a mum, especially when it is your first child, so to be able to help them in any way I can is hugely satisfying.”

Helen assists women with all aspects of breast feeding along with referrals to local groups for mums requiring ongoing support, as well as helping with babies who have lost weight or developed an infection. Last year alone, Helen supported between 300 to 400 mothers and their babies!

New ward transforms environment for older patients The former Wheal Agar ward team is settling in to a new purposedesigned environment following its recent move.

After a comprehensive, £1.8 million refurbishment of the ward template on the on the western side of the second floor of the Tower Block at RCH, the new ward provides 25 beds predominately caring for older people.

“It’s a complete transformation.

The new Karensa ward provides a big difference for our patients,” says Ward Sister, Tracey Frowde. “The dementia friendly colour coding and signage make it easier for patients to find their way around and consequently they are more mobile and increasing their independence more quickly. That will help their recovery and ultimately reduce the time our patients need to be in hospital.”

Health Minister visits maternity and neonatal units

Health Minister, Dr Daniel Poulter, took time during his trip to Cornwall to visit the maternity and neonatal units at the Princess Alexandra Wing.

Dr Poulter was joined by local MP, Sarah Newton, who toured the units and talked with staff about current challenges and the future plans to remodel and refurbish facilities for parents and babies.

Dr Poulter (pictured above with midwife Sarah Cole) said: “It is great to return to Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust to meet patients and staff. I had an excellent tour of maternity services to talk to mums, families and clinicians about the quality of care.

“I was also able to talk to the Trust Chief Executive and Chairman about recent pressure on services and would like to commend all staff for their hard work during this busy time.”

There are lots of features to make caring for patients easier, including ceiling mounted hoists in each bay and in the assisted shower rooms and all 5 of the single rooms have their own en-suite toilet.

Toilet and shower rooms are fitted with motion senor lighting controls, together with clear signage denoting male and female facilities.

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ACHIEVEMENTS

Incredible gift will make a huge difference for cancer patients

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A mobile chemotherapy unit, donated by the charity Hope for Tomorrow, is set to make a huge difference to treatment for around 2000 cancer patients each year.

It’s a journey that started around 3 years ago when Kathryn Radcliffe, RCHT’s Lead Nurse for Cancer services was inspired by a presentation made by the Charity’s founder Christine Mills.

Christine told the story of her late husband’s battle against cancer and how after his sad death it prompted her to reflect on better ways to provide chemotherapy. Like many patients in Cornwall they endured long trips to and from hospital and together with colleagues she set about designing a mobile chemotherapy unit and subsequently setting up a charity to provide them.

Kathryn knew immediately it was something desperately needed in Cornwall, approached Christine and the rest is history as a sparking new mobile chemotherapy unit takes to the roads in the county. It’s the ninth unit the Charity has provided and this one comes thanks to support from the Mark Master Masons of Cornwall who themselves have donated £250,000 to Hope for Tomorrow.

“It’s going to make an incredible difference,” says Kathryn.

“People currently living in places like Launceston or St Just can travel up to an hour and a half to hospital. Coupled with side effects such as tiredness and nausea, that can be an unpleasant time. We’re already getting phone calls from patients asking if they can have their treatment on the mobile unit.”

Whist the mobile unit won’t be suitable for every patient having chemotherapy - some treatment regimes are particularly complex and need the back up of facilities only available in hospital - for many patients it will transform their care. To begin with the unit will go out to Bodmin and West Cornwall Hospitals, with the number of locations set to increase over the coming months. Around 12-15 patients will be able to receive treatment each day.

The unit itself is fitted out just like a small hospital bay, with recliner chairs and access to all the facilities needed to provide chemotherapy treatments. It comes complete with a support vehicle to transport the nursing team and in a similar way to the mobile breast screening units, it will travel to local hospitals where the unit can be linked up with specialist power supplies. The unit

ACHIEVEMENTS www.rcht.nhs.uk

is maintained by Hope for Tomorrow and local business, Britannia Lanes, has offered free use of its lorry wash to keep the vehicle looking smart.

In a special ceremony, David Richards CBE cut the ribbon to officially launch the Unit.

He said, “For most of us travelling around Cornwall is a pleasure with its wonderful scenery and coastline, but not necessarily for those suffering from cancer, whose regular journeys are of necessity for treatment. The availability of the county’s first mobile chemotherapy unit will make an enormous difference to these patients, relieving the stress of travelling to hospital and offering treatment close to home.”

Christine Mills, Founder and Trustee of Hope for Tomorrow said, “I am absolutely thrilled that we have launched our ninth mobile chemotherapy unit and hope that as a result, patients throughout Cornwall will feel the benefits from receiving their treatment closer to home, which is the ultimate goal of Hope for Tomorrow and our Mobile Chemotherapy Unit project.”

With the number of people being diagnosed with cancer ever increasing, the mobile chemotherapy unit is a invaluable addition to cancer care facilities in Cornwall and is one of the innovative ways being development to provide chemotherapy.

Dr Bryson Pottinger, RCHT’s Director for Cancer Services said, “We are enormously grateful to Hope for Tomorrow and the Mark Master Masons for making it possible for us to have such a fantastic facility. It really underlines our passion to be innovative about our approach to developments in cancer care so that our patients can have truly world-class treatment.” n

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ACHIEVEMENTS

Obstetric specialist is national award winner

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onsultant, Dr Aylur Rajasri has been announced as a winner from nominations from parents all over the UK for a Healthcare Hero Tommy’s Award.

Dr Rajasri – Raji as she is familiarly known - is a specialist in maternal and fetal medicine at RCHT and was put forward for the Award by parents Emma and Steve Sansbury who say they owe their daughter’s life to her. Baby Lucia was born 13 weeks early in February 2013, weighing just 1lb, and spent six months in different specialist units before she was well enough to finally go home. She is now a thriving and lively 2 year old.

For Emma it was a complex and high-risk pregnancy and her story was featured in local and national papers early last year. She was cared for throughout by Dr Raji and her team whose careful monitoring and treatment meant it was possible to get Emma’s pregnancy far enough along to give Lucia a fighting chance.

Emma said: “It really was touch and go. Lucia had pretty much every premature baby issue and it’s not been an easy ride. Quite a few times we were told she might not make it through the night.

We are just so grateful to all the medical staff who helped us. They were just so brilliant - particularly Raji. There is no doubt that Lucia would not have survived the pregnancy without what Raji did.”

Raji said: “They were an incredibly family to work with and they were very brave. I call Lucia my miracle baby. Their story really shows the difference we can make.”

“We are lucky in the Royal Cornwall Hospital that we have a service where such high risk pregnancies can be identified and monitored from as early as a positive pregnancy test. These pregnancies need intense Consultant-led monitoring to achieve the best outcome. This is definitely anxiety provoking for most parents, however they appreciate that they are receiving the highest quality care.

After receiving her award Raji said: “I am very humbled by this honour from such a renowned charity organisation as Tommys. I would like to thank Emma and Steve for nominating me for this award and Tommys to have organised this. I share the common goal with Tommy’s that is to help parents to have healthy pregnancy and babies. The maternal medicine service which was set up in Royal Cornwall Hospital was with the sole mission to achieve this. I take this opportunity to thank each and every member of my team who have put the mothers and the babies care at the forefront. I hope this will be an opportunity to progress our work for the benefit of mothers and babies in Cornwall and promote Tommys mission and work.”

Raji is highly regarded for her expertise and is joint lead for the Royal College of Gynaecologists South West on a nation-wide network overseeing the development of simulation training in obstetrics and gynaecology.

The aim is to design simulated training exercises that allow maternity teams to rehearse complex situations they may come across and to further develop skills and team-working. She shares the two-year post with colleague Dr Kadhra Galaal, gynaecological oncologist, and their appointments are a reflection on the innovative approach to simulation training at RCHT which Dr Rajarsi has played a significant role in developing. n

Training and Apprenticeships delivered in partnership with

TRURO & PENWITH COLLEGE BUSINESS

Excellence in training and learning for the health sector Truro and Penwith College has been recognised for excellent delivery of training and learning to the health sector after receiving the Skills for Health Quality Mark. This is awarded to organisations who meet the high standards for the quality of training and skills development provided to healthcare and is administered by the National Skills Academy for Health.

The College has developed a portfolio of new training programmes to deliver essential skills across Health and Care settings in Cornwall. The latest programmes that are being launched include Awards in Awareness of Dementia, Technology in Care, and Healthier Eating and Special Diets in a Care Environment.

Truro and Penwith College is committed to responding to the needs of local students and employers, offering a rich and varied range of courses within the Health and Social Care sector, as well as acting as the Lead Partner of the Developing Excellence in Care and e-Health Task and Finish Group, focusing on skills provision within the industry.

One of the most exciting and employer responsive courses that the College is offering is the new Care CertiďŹ cate in the Workplace. The programme is suitable for those new to the Health and Social Care sector who are required to work towards the Care CertiďŹ cate.

Based in the Threemilestone Business Park (opposite the main Treliske Hospital site) with plenty of parking, Law In Cornwall Solicitors already acts on behalf of many NHS employees in Truro and beyond.

We offer 10% discount for NHS staff and open at 7am to assist shift workers.

Having three generations of lawyers who have practised in the south west of England, Law In Cornwall Solicitors offers legal services to our community at cost effective prices - with the bonus of an extra 10% discount for NHS staff.

For more information, please contact Truro and Penwith College Business on 01872 242711.

Law In Cornwall Truro Solicitors serving Cornwall Among the services we offer are: n n n n n n n n n n n n n

Divorce and Separation, Co-habitation and Civil Partnership Disputes Property and Finance Disputes Partnership Disputes Workplace problems Contract Claims Land and Neighbour Disputes Inheritance Disputes Wills and Probate Contested Wills and Inheritance Issues Mediation Personal Injury Claims Litigation Attorneys and Court of Protection issues

For more information telephone us today at our Truro office on 01872 302342 or email info@lawincornwall.co.uk Affordable, approachable, friendly solicitors in Truro serving Cornwall

IN FOCUS

100 years of high quality care + compassion

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n September 2014, St Michael’s Hospital celebrated 100 years of service to the local community. Set up by catholic ‘Sisters’ in the days of the Great War and then taken on by the NHS in the 1970’s, the hospital in Hayle has been a source of pride to the local community for over a century. Patient feedback is always outstanding and clinicians love working at the specialist facility.

Over the years there has been lots of debate about the financial sustainability of the Hayle site - even before it came into NHS control - as well as changes to the core services but today it continues to be a jewel in the crown of the local NHS. St Michael’s specialises in outstanding breast surgery and care for cancer patients and orthopaedic services for those in need of hip, knee and joint treatments. There are also outpatient and pre-operative assessment clinics on site and a specialist facility for neurological patients in Marie Therese House.

These days the talk at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) is not about financial sustainability or closure of St Michael’s but how we can expand and maximise the range of services on offer. The Trust Board of Directors and senior clinicians are determined to make St Michael’s Hospital work financially and continue the high standards of care that have become synonymous with the Hayle site. It is true that St Michael’s Hospital will never provide care for acutely ill, medical patients but it is a fantastic choice for planned operations, rehabilitation and a wide range of other clinical services outside of Truro.

IN FOCUS

Right now there are exciting discussions about redeveloping the site and the potential of serving paying patients as well as NHS patients to reinvest in high quality care for one and all. It is clear that the site needs additional investment and refurbishment to make it fit for the next century of service and in the next few months the Trust will set out plans to ensure St Michael’s continues to provide first class healthcare to an even greater number of people. Here we look at the past, present and future of St Michael’s Hospital.

Foundations of high quality care + compassion St Michael’s Hospital in Hayle first opened its doors to patients in September 1914, just weeks after the declaration of the First World War. It’s construction had been planned for some time though with the foundation stone laid in August 1913.

The founders of the hospital in Hayle were the Daughters of the Cross of Liege – a religious order committed to the catholic faith and helping others. The name ‘St Michael’ came from the Archangel, the Patron of Cornwall and the hospital ethos became ‘Service with Love’.

In 1913, the Daughters of the Cross established a ‘fundraising appeal’ to support the building of the hospital: “It has been decided to open a hospital at Hayle in Cornwall, where it is much needed, there being none in the district nearer than Penzance. The Daughters of the Cross…will give their services and take the entire charge and responsibility. However, as there is no endowment, they are bound to rely on the sympathy and generosity of the public in obtaining funds for the building and furnishings.”

The cost of the building was estimated at £1,800 and the appeal stated that “St Michael’s, though not large will be thoroughly up-to-date and well fitted up with all that is necessary. There will be beds for 20 patients, some of whom will be admitted free, if funds permit. It is hoped that it will be enlarged at some future time.”

Over the years and through two world wars, the hospital was expanded and developed by the Sisters to include a children’s ward and maternity services. Then in January 1975 the Area Health Authority for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly agreed to take over the site to keep it financially viable. The Daughters of the Cross were finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the service financially and it was agreed that the National Health Service should take on the facilities and beds. In 2000, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust took over the running of St Michael’s Hospital to develop the site and provide modern healthcare services. m

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IN FOCUS

Today, St Michael’s Hospital provides first class breast and orthopaedic care with new operating theatres and two wards for recovery. Patient feedback is consistently outstanding. Patients can also choose St Michael’s Hospital for oral or vascular surgery, outpatient appointments, ear, nose and throat services, x-rays, physiotherapy and pre-operation assessment. Marie Therese House – towards the back of the site - provides rehabilitation services for people with neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Huntington’s disease, cerebral palsy and traumatic brain injuries.

The clinical teams and support staff who work at St Michael’s always come in for high praise and public support for the hospital is phenomenal. A vital part of the St Michael’s Hospital success story is ‘the Friends of St Michael’s Hospital’ established in 1945 – an amazing group of people who over the years have raised funds and volunteered to keep the hospital going - maintaining its place at the heart of the community. Their generosity has helped develop the facilities and ensure the NHS continues to provide the very best care.

Competition within the NHS these days means that St Michael’s needs to hold its own alongside facilities like the Duchy Hospital in Truro and in recent times campaigners have called for the local community to ‘choose it or lose it’. The current Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust Board is certainly committed to utilising the St Michael’s facilities and maximising the number of patients who can use the site.

Duncan Bliss, the Divisional Manager responsible for St Michael’s says: “In April 2014, there were 106 surgical operating sessions at St Michael’s and we treated 263 patients. In March 2015, there were 131 surgical sessions and we treated 360 patients – almost 100 patients more than this time last year. We have also increased the number of patients we see for surgical pre-assessment and changed the way we work so that more patients are seen on the day of their outpatient appointment by the surgeon or assessed by our nurses so that they do not require any additional trips to the hospital until their surgery. This has led to a 45% increase in the number of patients who are assessed as ready for surgery here at St Michael’s.

“This rise in the number of patients using St Michael’s is encouraging and the message continues to be to patients and GPs – choose St Michael’s for a high quality patient experience.”

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IN FOCUS www.rcht.nhs.uk

Another patient said: A new accelerated hip and knee service at St Michael’s Hospital offers short waiting times for surgery – 4 to 6 weeks from your outpatient appointment including a one stop clinic for initial clinical review and pre-operative assessment with a choice of dates for surgery. You can choose and book St Michael’s Hospital by making your preference clear.

High praise for care + compassion at St Michael’s Hospital today Each month, RCHT ask its patients for feedback on services and whether they would recommend their care to friends and family. In the most recent survey an extraordinary 57 patients out of 60 said they would be ‘extremely likely’ to recommend St Michael’s Hospital, 2 said they would be ‘likely’ to recommend the hospital 1 said they were neither likely nor unlikely. These are exceptional scores by any standard.

In the same survey, month after month, 100% of patients consistently say that they are treated with care, compassion, dignity and respect at St Michael’s Hospital. Indeed, across the range of feedback from nutrition to pain relief, St Michael’s Hospital consistently comes out with top marks.

One patient recently said about their care: “This was the second time I have been a patient at St Michael’s and the standard of care is outstanding. I have been treated with nothing but outstanding care by every single member of staff. All staff including cleaning, catering and the man who took me to theatre have done everything possible to make my stay as comfortable as possible. Lastly the incredible sense of humour of everyone was brilliant. Thank you all very much.”

“Not having been in hospital for many years and constantly hearing about all the problems with the NHS, I was delighted to discover that St Michael’s seems to be unaffected. The staff were excellent, friendly, kind and helpful in every way…”

Staff also enjoy working at St Michael’s Hospital and lead nurse Liz Thornton says: “There is an excellent team spirit at St Michael’s Hospital. We are a close team and provide that personalised care that leads to excellent patient experience. It is a great place to recover from an operation and get the dedicated support you need. All the staff here just want to see St Michael’s thrive and expand.”

Bright future for St Michael’s Hospital After years of uncertainty, the current Trust Board have committed to developing St Michael’s Hospital to ensure we continue to provide the very best healthcare at the Hayle site.

Step one is to ensure that we maximise the current facilities and ensure that as many patients as possible benefit from the unique St Michael’s service – fast, safe, compassionate care in a calm and accessible location. In recent months, the number of surgical patients has been increasing with more people aware of the St Michael’s choice available to them.

In the longer term, St Michael’s needs investment and redevelopment and this may mean changes to the site to ensure the facilities are fit for another century of healthcare. Over the past five years, RCHT has invested £7 million in St Michael’s Hospital and more is being planned.

New RCHT Chief Executive, Bill Shields says: “St Michael’s has an outstanding reputation and offers a good base to develop services outside of Truro. There are exciting ideas being put forward and the Trust now needs to work with the local community and colleagues across the NHS to ensure we make the right long term decisions.”

When the Daughters of the Cross of Liege left St Michael’s Hospital they produced a publication which said: “Times are changing and, we hope, St Michael’s is changing to meet the needs of these times, while retaining the original spirit which was there at its inception and which has been its hallmark over the years.”

Sue Preston is the senior nurse in charge at St Michael’s Hospital and she says that she admires that original spirit and ethos of ‘Service with Love’: “Care and compassion are central to RCHT’s values, and I want to make sure that whatever changes we make to the site here in Hayle, that St Michael’s Hospital continues to be known for gold standard services. With the right care and attention St Michael’s has a very bright future.” n One+all 17

VI

NG W OR KIN

G

I M P RO

Grapevine

LIVES

Coming soon!

Staff Photography Competition - Categories will be

announced soon, watch this space for more details on how you can enter and have your photos displayed on the walls at RCH!

Christmas Dinner & Dance - It’s never to early to get in the festive spirit! Look out for details of the 2015 Christmas Dinner and Dance, to be announced soon.

Facebook - Like to set up a Lunchtime walk? Looking

for a local dance class? You’ll be able to find information like this on Facebook soon!

IWL – Sign up now!!

Look for RCHT staff health and wellbeing activities via the IWL site. Just look for IWL on the intranet A-Z of resources.

If you are interested in finding out more about Improving Working Lives (IWL) and taking part in the group, please contact IWL via Groupwise – iwl@rcht.cornwall.nhs.uk IWL organise and run lots of initiatives for RCHT staff – lottery, photography competition, thank you awards, sports classes, cyclescheme, activities, events and much more…

We meet every month and always welcome new members!

IWL Staff Lottery Would you like to join the Improving Working Lives Staff Lottery?

The top prize each month is £3,200 with four runners up prizes of £800. To have a chance at winning or to increase your chances (limit now £10), join the IWL Staff Lottery by emailing iwl@rcht.cornwall.nhs.uk for an application form.

Every month the IWL Staff Lottery draw takes place in the Payroll Department when the winning numbers are randomly generated. Following the draw the winners are contacted by telephone by the payroll team.

Sign up now, it could be you!

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Grapevine Did you know we have salary sacrifice schemes for cars and bicycles?

IWL Cycle to Work Scheme l

Save up to 40% on the cost of a bike and safety equipment.

For any RCHT member of staff who receives a regular salary (minimum 12 month contract)

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Pay over 12 months.

Improving Working Lives on 01872 252297 or email at iwl@rcht.cornwall.nhs.uk

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Tucker Car scheme Tusker provides employees with a brand new, fully insured and maintained car for up to 3 years.

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To access the scheme, simply go to tuskerdirect.com click create an account, Company Code is ‘RCHT’ and Unique Employee Identifier is your employee number.

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Contact hello@tuskerdirect.com or 0333 400 1010

IWL Thank You

One of our recent IWL Thank You winners was Sally Dale, Ward Manager, St Mawes. Sally was nominated by colleague Nancy Sheppard – ‘I would like to nominate Sally Dale from St Mawes Unit please, she always gives 100% to her job and is so supportive to staff and patients!’

This was shortly followed by several other members of the Team, who also wished to nominate Sally for a ‘Thank You’ bouquet of flowers from Improving Working Lives. Nearly 40 Staff from St Mawes attended

the Christmas Dinner and Dance so the opportunity was taken to present Sally with the bouquet on the night, which made it extra special.

If you would like to nominate a colleague to win a bunch of flowers or a £15 gift voucher. email iwl@rcht.cornwall.nhs.uk and tell us why you think they should win!

The IWL group will review the nominations at their monthly meeting and decide who the lucky person will be!

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Volunteer

In the

spotlight Bishop’s visit celebrates coffee shop anniversary

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visit by the Bishop of St Germans to see the work of the Friends of the Royal Cornwall Hospital brought a fine opportunity to mark a year since the modernisation of their popular coffee shop.

Located in the Tower Block reception, the coffee shop was the first stop on a two-hour visit for the Bishop who was also joined

by Friends President, Michael Galsworthy, Chairman, Beatrice Dyer and RCHT Senior Chaplain Rev Mark Richards. The coffee shop has been open for almost 50 years and last year underwent an extensive makeover, creating a bigger seating area with stylish new counter, equipment, display and preparation areas. Bishop Chris took time to enjoy a drink with coffee shop volunteers and its co-ordinator, Suzie Woodier.

Next stop on the tour was Phoenix Ward where Bishop Chris talked to advanced stroke nurse practitioner Ally James about improving short and long term outcomes for stroke patients and to Mary Jones, Friends volunteer who plays an important role as a mealtime volunteer and pastoral visitor.

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Mary said, “One of the greatest gifts is to be able to give someone nourishment that is going to help their recovery and having that time to be there. We can sit for much longer with someone who needs time and following instructions we get from the speech therapists we can respond to each individual’s needs. Just being there is such an important thing for that person.”

As well as an insight into some of the valuable volunteering input from the Friends Bishop Chris also saw the examples of the fundraising support they give to the hospital.

In the newly opened Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit, which is paying dividends in reducing unnecessary hospital admissions, the Friends have recently donated around £5,000 to purchase six electric reclining chairs for the patient lounge. He also saw specialist patient weighing equipment purchased for Godolphin Ward as well as a drinking water cooler provided for patients using the hydroptherapy pool.

Bishop Chris rounded off his visit with tours of the Headland Unit, Mermaid and Sunrise Centres, where the Friends provide patient refreshments and ending in the Hospital Chapel where he met with the pastoral care team and volunteers.

Farewell to familiar face at St Michael’s The Friends of St Michael’s said farewell to former chairman Mike Rowe, when he retired from his full time role as a member of staff at the hospital in January. Mike has been the familiar, welcoming face at St Michael’s where he has worked for the past 8 years and such is his dedication to the hospital that he also took on the voluntary role of chairman of the Friends from January 2013 to May 2014.

Mike is pictured on his last day with Friends Trustees Harry Blakeley and Ray Wyse, Treasurer Eileen Lewis, current chairman Yvonne Bates and RCHT Charitable Funds Manager, Jessica Silye, although it is hoped he will he still pop back for the odd shift on the RCHT staff bank!

WI visits raise profile of Friends, volunteers and membership Friends Chairman, Beatrice Dyer, has been busy promoting the work of Friends and volunteers as well as RCHT’s membership scheme with visits to a number of WI groups in and around the Truro area.

Beatrice said, “I’ve had a wonderful reception from all the groups I’ve been to talk to, with WI members really interested in the work of the Friends and the volunteering opportunities we can offer. They’ve also been keen to hear of some of the equipment and projects we are supporting at the hospital, with more than 50 joining the RCHT membership scheme so they can keep up with news and potentially get involved with future developments. It’s a great opportunity to talk about the fantastic work of the staff and for local people to get beyond the headlines they might read in our local papers.”

Volunteer Introducing Verity Barker -

Voluntary Services Co-ordinator I’ve worked with volunteers for the past 28 years and I passionately believe that volunteers can do anything! The opportunity to work here was particularly exciting because I see them, very much, as the heartbeat of the hospital. The amazing volunteers at Royal Cornwall Hospital, St Michael’s and West Cornwall Hospital all add value and really provide impact on patient experience. That is the yardstick with which we should measure our success. What impact have we had on our patients’ stay? What impact have we had on visitors, carers, patient-supporters?

Since I’ve been here and worked with the Friends’ organisations as well across all three sites, we are looking to develop new opportunities for our volunteers and especially to encourage younger volunteers into the Trust. If you can get the volunteer habit early, hopefully, it will stick. We are also very keen to support youngsters in their quest for a career within healthcare, whether that be as a doctor, physio, nurse, or the other myriad of careers out there. By giving them an opportunity to see how the hospital operates and the impact they can have as a volunteer, we hope to support their professional development too.

The best thing that’s happened since I started four months ago is that we have recruited over 60 new volunteers! We are also looking to provide new opportunities in different areas.

Why not come in and see us? We’re going to be holding a series of events to explain what volunteering is about at RCHT and how you, your organisation, your company, your school, your friends can become involved.

Volunteer: Date for the Diary Sunday 12 July - RCH Friends 70th Anniversary Tea Trewithen Gardens, Probus

On par for a big day One of the fundraising highlights on the calendar for the RCH Friends is the Charity Golf Day. It takes place on Friday 26th June at Truro Golf Club.

The Golf Day has been organised to coincide with the RCH Friends’ 70th Anniversary and aims to support a garden party to say thank you to volunteers as well as being part of a drive to raise £50,000 this year towards the purchase of a new bowel scope which will help to detect possible cancers as part of the bowel cancer screening programme.

St Michael’s Friends re-energised as new chairman takes up post The Friends of St Michael’s Hospital are looking forward to a busy future under the leadership of new chairman Yvonne Bates.

Yvonne’s top priority is recruiting more volunteers to join the team of around 60 already carrying out a wide variety of tasks at the hospital, from ‘meeting and greeting’ at reception, providing drinks and light refreshments from the snack bar, visiting wards with their mobile shop and library trolley, and supporting patients during their time at St Michael’s and Marie Therese House.

“We really do have something to suit everyone who might be interested in volunteering,” explains Yvonne. “Time is an invaluable gift we can give - just a while to pause and chat to patients or visitors or to help staff with a variety of tasks can really make a big difference to their day. It’s a truly rewarding way to spend some of your free time whether your retired or want to fit in some volunteering around your working life.”

The Friends are also looking for someone who is keen to take on the role of co-ordinating all of the volunteers. “We’re looking for an individual who loves to be organised and who probably has experience of sorting out duties for a team,” says Yvonne.

“We know RCHT is making plans to bring more work to St Michael’s Hospital and the Friends are really keen to get behind that and to build our team support the increase in patients and visitors that will bring. Volunteers have a big part to play and we’ll also be putting renewed focus on our fundraising activities too!”

To find out more about volunteering opportunities at with the Friends at St Michael’s Hospital contact call 01872 253737 or email verity.barker@rcht.cornwall.nhs.uk

There are several ways in which people can support the Charity Golf Day:

Enter a team of 4, £20 per person (£10 if a Truro Golf Club + member) – includes a bacon bap and coffee!

Sponsoring a hole, £50 (advertising on the tee and + in the programme) + Donating a raffle prize Entry forms and more information are available from mo.hammond@talktalk.net or call the RCH Friends on 01872 252599.

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We’re committed to excellence Band five nursing opportunities At RCHT we are committed to excellence, in both the services we provide our patients and the support we give our staff. We’re proud at providing a nationally recognised, Nursing Times award winning service. We’re looking for qualified Band 5 Nurses to join our team and be part of our our journey.

Joining us, you’ll be part of a close, supportive team, taking personal ownership for the levels of care our patients receive. With award-winning, innovative, gold standard service at your fingertips, you’ll help us move forward as a Trust. With a clear sense of direction, we’re aiming for Foundation Status. You’ll be at the forefront, providing the highest standard of evidence based and research informed care. you’ll plan, assess and implement individual care programmes to those who need it most, and maintain a compassionate, caring and safe environment for all.

As a member of our team you’ll use your extensive understanding and knowledge of evidence based practice to enhance the care of our patients. Your ability to plan and evaluate nursing care will be crucial as you lead and supervise the work of qualified and unqualified nurses in your team.

With our increased importance on continued improvement and development of our acute services, we’re as committed to going the extra mile for you, as you do for our patients. We work together to create a positive team spirit, recognising achievements and celebrating success. We know that happy patients start with happy staff.

To find out more please visit www.cornwallnursing.co.uk

www.rcht.nhs.uk

Membership News

Shadow Governor Profile Planning the year ahead We are entering the summer of 2015 with over 7,400 members who will have unique opportunities to get involved with RCHT. We will be continuing with our Let’s talk events which are proving very popular (Please see below for schedule) Our membership team will be out and about over the summer season recruiting more members and hearing what you have to say about our services. Anyone aged 11 and over can join, so please encourage your friends and family to sign up at www.rcht.nhs.uk/ftsignup Let’s talk research took place in March with presentations from Dr Duncan Wheatley – Consultant in Oncology, Dr Khadra Galaal – Consultant in Gynaecological Oncology and patient representatives. There were also information stands showcasing the type of research taking place at our Trust.

Let’s talk volunteering took place in April which gave members the opportunity to learn about many of the volunteering opportunities through RCHT. Coming soon ...

Name: Andy Cole Constituency: South East Governor Newquay Why have you become a Governor?

As a member of many different organisations, I work with local people to make sure their thoughts and views are listened to.

As Chair of Newquay Neighbourhood Agreement and a member of Newquay Safe, I have worked with all agencies; Police, Local and County Councils and the Fire Brigade to discuss all issues affecting the town of Newquay and its surrounding areas.

My knowledge of working with various agencies assists me greatly in fulfilling the role of South East Governor.

As Chair of the Newquay Regeneration Forum I have chaired many town open meetings to discuss various issues relating to Newquay. I believe in fairness for all and will ensure the views of everyone are listened to and acted upon.

My knowledge of Treliske and sister hospitals has been as an outpatient and parent. As parents, my wife and I tended our youngest daughter, who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia at the age of 11. We spent many weeks and months in Treliske Hospital over a period of two years witnessing firsthand the fantastic work of the many Doctors and Nurses who treated her.

I am extremely proud to act as your governor and welcome any discussion regarding how best I can serve you.

Event Royal Cornwall Show

Venue Date Wadebridge

June 4th,5th and 6th

Let’s talk Knowledge Spa, July 9th midwifery RCH

For more information or to book onto an event please contact 01872 252858

Foundation Trust update The RCHT Board has been in discussions with the NHS Trust Development Authority and Monitor about our Foundation Trust application. It has been agreed that we will submit a new Foundation Trust application once we are in a strong position to succeed and we expect it to take a further two years before we achieve our ambition to become an NHS Foundation Trust. This is a sensible approach given Trust Board changes and the current operational and financial challenges.

We will keep our members updated with news and developments from across the Trust. We are continuing to recruit new members and are planning an on-going series of events and other opportunities where members can learn more and get involved.

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CHARITABLE FUNDS

Join us for the second annual, Walk for Wards Fundraiser!

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his year’s sponsored walk will take place on 14th June. Enjoy free entry to Trebah Garden and choose one of two customised routes for your walk: a family-friendly, toddler trot suitable for buggies or a challenge hike including coastal path views and exclusive entry back into the gardens.

Participants are asked to raise £15 to support an area or department that means something to them, but we hope you’ll raise as much as you can!

Register and begin your walk between 10 am – 11 am, then meet back at the House for cream tea and a team photo!

Register for free here: http://bit.ly/W4WTrebah If your company is interested in promotions and marketing as an event sponsor, contact Jessica Silye, Fundraising Manager, at 01872 252858 or Jessica.Silye@rcht.cornwall.NHS.UK. Registered Charity No. 1049687

Don’t miss the fun!

It’s easier than ever to give!

Text: RCHT01 + amount + to 70070 (Donate £1, £2,

£3, £4, £5 or £10)

nline: www.justgiving. + Ocom/royalcornwallhopsitals Cheque: Payable to RCHT + Charitable Funds, Mail to General Office, RCH, Truro, TR1 3LJ

Make us your company’s + Charity of the Year Leave a Legacy or + Bequest gift for

future generations

Volunteer at our events or + throughout the year Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/

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CHARITABLE FUNDS www.rcht.nhs.uk

Thank You! Your support has provided‌

High-dependency trolleys with emergency kit near high-risk patients

Recliners and footstools for cardiology patients needing to keep their feet elevated

Heart models that are used for teaching and patient education by specialist nursing team

Clipboards that keep the NEWS scores handy and on-time Top notch physiotherapy thanks to new foam rollers across the three sites

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CHARITABLE FUNDS

Will you help make our 2015 Wish List a reality?

You and your loved ones deserve gold standard care. We need your support to benefit patients across our three hospitals.

Community fundraising and donations will make a difference in the following ways: funds a sitting stool for nurses to regularly check on + £400

patients in recovery funds one of our 12 Days of Christmas bids + £1,000 £1,000 our asthma testing capabilities to accurately + diagnoseexpands

and treat children in outpatients provides a specialist Tilt Table for a more comfortable + £2,000

experience for our vascular studies patients upgrades visual field testing software for patients + £6,500

with glaucoma buys a state-of-the art optometry camera for testing + £40,000

and treating glaucoma

Thanks to our community fundraisers

Ali James and Heather Triggs’ ‘Fun Day Sunday’ contributed £6,520 to the Mermaid Centre, Sunrise Centre and Headland Unit

Mr Clarke raised £1,100 by playing his keyboard around supermarkets and hotels in Cornwall

The Newquay Male Voice Choir hosted a special concert to support the Rheumatology Unit, raising over £400 Bone Cancer Awareness Trust donated £6,000 to honour Luke ‘s memory

Gill Johns rode the 100 mile Prudential Ride London to raise over £400 for the Aubrey Williams Renal Unit at WCH

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Penmount Crematorium nominated the Phoenix Unit as their Charity of the Year and raised over £2,000

LEGAL AID REMAINS FOR FAMILY MEDIATION THROUGH ACCORD the couple is splitting up, so his or her job is simply to help the couple make arrangements for their children and divide financial assets fairly. A mediator is impartial: he or she cannot give advice on a best position basis, and does not make any decisions for you. The parties remain in control throughout the process and they make the decisions.

For most people, mediation is a much less stressful process than going to court. It is also cheaper.

At an initial assessment meeting you are seen on your own. The mediator will check your eligibility for legal aid if you request this and discuss you current situation and concerns with you.

The mediator will then discuss what type of mediation may be appropriate if your case is suitable.

Accord offers mediation across Cornwall, Devon and the Somerset, and Legal Aid to help with the costs where eligible, so there is no need to shy away from approaching a helpful and friendly service where we can assist both parties through the difficulties that arise on separation and you do not need to see a solicitor first. So please contact us to find out more.

Accord has been conducting mediation throughout the southwest since the practice was established in 1996. Accord offers the services of 20 independent fully accredited professionals with the vast majority having practised Law. Accord was one of the founding members of mediation in this country and holds a contract with the Legal Aid Agency to deliver family mediation free of charge to clients who are eligible for legal aid.

In April 2013 Legal Aid was withdrawn from solicitors except where there was proven Domestic Abuse or in Care proceedings. It appears that it is not widely known enough that Legal Aid does remain available for mediation.

It remains means tested but for those on certain benefits such as Income Support or JSA (Income Based) this is a passport to Legal Aid and even those in work can be entitled once housing costs, tax & NI and children are taken into account.

Mediation is a voluntary, legally privileged process which involves the parties sitting down with a mediator to discuss issues in order to move towards a settlement. The mediator will take it for granted that

Cornwall Health Services Retirement Fellowship Enjoy your retirement join our Fellowship

Contracted with the Legal Aid Agency

Family Mediation Divorce & Separation

Commercial Mediation

Co-Habitation

Inheritance

Civil Partnerships

Workplace & Employment

Property & Finance Childrens Residence Childrens Contract

Partnership Disputes Contracts County Court Claims Neighbourhood & Land Disputes

For more information contact us today Truro: 01872 225022 St Austell: 01726 77720 Plymouth: 01752 226800 www.accordmediation.co.uk

Welcome

Fed up after a long, wet, Winter? Not us!

We are looking forward to a new year of holidays and outings, beginning with a “behind the scenes� visit to the Minack Theatre. If you have retired or are about to retire from the NHS or any if its related professions, as a member of staff or a volunteer, come and join us.

We are a friendly, fun loving group and we will make you very welcome.

Our Fellowship is Cornwall-wide and all our money is spent for our members. We may not be able to offer a benefit scheme or holidays abroad (yet!) but neither do we pay a substantial fee from your subscriptions to a National body.

Tel: 01872 863987

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Contact: Margaret Herbert Hon.Sec margirvinherbert@tiscali.co.uk l Roseleigh Frogpool Truro TR4 8RS Tawanroath Engine House Chapel Porth, Photo by Terry Thomas

FEATURE

Assistant Practitioner role supports safer care…

RCHT’s Learning and Development team has been leading a series of mini roadshows highlighting the opportunities for health care support staff interested in becoming Assistant Practitioners. It’s a growing and key role, with training in a range of advanced tasks to support registering nursing and clinical colleagues.

Trainee Assistant Practitioner Kara Clennel prepares a dressing in the Emergency Department

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lexandra James is Lead Facilitator for the Level 5 Diploma at RCHT, the qualification needed to become an Assistant Practitioner. “It’s an exciting time for the Assistant Practitioner role at RCHT,” says Ally. “We now have around 80 in post and the range of roles is constantly growing as we recruit our next group of trainees. This enables Assistant Practitioners to develop extended skills to deliver safe, effective and high quality care.”

Assistant Practitioners offer a natural career progression for health care assistants. Training takes two years and can be done either at RCHT or through Cornwall College on a day release basis. Candidates have to already hold a Level 3 Diploma or NVQ in healthcare, GCSEs in maths and English as well as a minimum of 2 year’s relevant experience. One big advantage is being able to ‘earn while you learn’, making the training more appealing for those who’d be unable to take on full-time study.

Current trainee Lois Trathen who is part of the Outpatients Department team at RCH said, “Training to become an Assistant Practitioner was a way of moving forward in the environment I really enjoy. I feel valued as a team member and can carry out tasks that allow the nurses to get on with more advanced duties.

Once I have completed my Level 5 diploma I’m looking forward to making the most of my extended skills and running clinics.”

The combination of working and study is by no means an easy option; there is private study to be done outside of the weekly classroom-based sessions. But that doesn’t put students off as they find they get such good support from the specialist nurses and nurse practitioners at RCHT who give their time to teaching the Diploma course and from their colleagues in their own departments who support them as mentors.

“The course has allowed me to gain more in-depth knowledge,” adds Kara Clennel who is a trainee Assistant Practitioner in the Emergency Department. “You’re trained by specialist nurses and get to bring back skills to the department which gives you greater confidence to care for different types of patients.”

The training programme has been developed at RCHT and has the flexibility to be applied to a number of settings. This means Assistant Practitioner roles can be established not only to support nursing colleagues but also other allied health professions such as clinical imaging.

If you would like to find out more email: Alexandra.james@rcht.cornwall.nhs.uk or give the Learning & Development team a call on 01872 25 5148.

FEATURE

A distinct advantage Assistant Practitioner qualification comes highly recommended Lin Scoffin is a qualified Assistant Practitioner who carried out the course alongside her role as a Health Care Assistant at Royal Cornwall Hospital.

She joined RCH four years ago and it was whilst working here she found out about the Assistant Practitioner (AP) courses on offer.

“I have always had a thirst for knowledge, so when I found out about the AP course and how I could carry it out alongside my current job, I was extremely interested,” stated Lin. Lin began the Foundation degree in September 2012. This included a one day a week day release to Camborne College, part of Plymouth University. The course combined theory as well as practical elements on the ward under the observation of senior colleagues. Lin admits it was a very intense course but it gave her the knowledge and confidence to undertake her extended role as an Assistant Practitioner.

Lin was very proud to gain a distinction and even though in Lin’s case she part-funded her course, the Learning & Development department at RCH contributed as well.

During her studies, Lin went for a generic interview for one of a number of Assistant Practitioners roles being created in different departments. As Lin was already part of the Hospital at Night team at the time, it was decided to take her on in this role, making her the first Assistant Practitioner within the team.

The Hospital at Night team is an out of hours service which gives support to Junior doctors, as well as working alongside the site coordinators, working nights, weekends and bank holidays.

Lois Trathen enjoys the extended skills she can use to support patient care as part of the Outpatients team Lin says she would highly recommend the course to others who are interested in becoming an Assistant Practitioner and was extremely grateful to RCH for giving her the opportunity to learn and work at the same time.

“Carrying out this course and others alongside Qualification is stepping stone to nursing degree it have really helped to increase my confidence There’s great news for Assistant Practitioners undertaking in carrying out my role as an AP. I am now more the Level 5 programme at RCHT with the recent confident in voicing my opinion to senior colleagues confirmation that students successfully completing the regarding patient care and other aspects I feel need qualification will be able to use it towards the first year addressing,” said Lin. “I think the NHS, RCHT in of a nursing degree course. Accreditation of the RCHT particular recognises the potential of the Assistant programme by the University of Plymouth recognises Practitioner role and the way in which it could the high quality of training provided by the Learning develop.” and Development team at the Trust, together with the “We are very proud of Lin and how well she workplace experience, support and mentoring from has done with the course,” said Alexandra James, colleagues in wards and other clinical settings.

Lead Facilitator . “She is a credit to us and really highlights the potential for staff who carry out the Level 5 diploma or as in Lin’s case, the Foundation degree. With these new roles they can assist with improving patient care and patient safety in our hospitals.”

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ACHIEVEMENTS

Sustainable Development – working for our future Sustainable Development is not just compost toilets and buildings made from recycled plastic bottles, it is about making use of cutting edge technology to build structures that last, help us preserve our precious resources, allow us to work and live efficiently and effectively, and enable us to harness the elements for heat, power and cleaning.

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A

t RCHT, we have good foundations on which to build, such as resource monitoring, use of some solar power, an Active Travel plan is in place, work is on-going to reduce the amount of waste generated and ensure it is properly disposed of, patient meals and much of the retail food is sourced and prepared locally, technology is being used to reduce paper usage, the Trust has an action plan to become more sustainable and is working with other organisations locally and nationally to share best practice.

So with these firm foundations, where do we go in the future?

On a Trust-wide basis, negotiations are on-going to secure grant funding from the Carbon and Energy Fund to enable a number of key schemes aimed at reducing our energy bills and carbon footprint. These will include more solar panels, a new biomass boiler and the installation of LED lighting throughout the three sites.

Alongside this, there will be work to encourage all staff and visitors to Trust sites to be more energy efficient. Did you know that by switching off non-essential equipment in an office overnight enough energy is saved to run a small car for 100 miles or a photocopier left on overnight uses enough energy to produce over 1500 copies! At a time when we are all being asked to save money in the Trust, this is an easy way we can all get involved in helping to reduce costs.

We have an active group of Environment and Sustainable Champions, volunteers from all areas of the Trust who are working to improve practices and share their passion for improving the environment. Whether this is to raise levels of recycling, encourage more people to cycle to work and for fun, turn off lights and equipment or finding new homes for our feral bee colonies and producing ‘Hospital Honey’ – these champions are doing amazing work.

Most recently, Yvonne Hacon won a competition to design a logo for Sustainable Development. Yvonne, pictured here with Jonathan Bray from Trebah, and Gill Pipkin, Sustainable Development Manager, RCHT, won a family pass to Trebah and a book of photographs of the garden.

To celebrate NHS Sustainablity Day in March an energy efficiency roadshow was laid on for staff at the Knowledge Spa. The event offered helpful information on how to benefit from renewable energy technology at home, as well as at work, together with advice on active travel and incentives to cycle to work.

For more information on Sustainable Development, becoming an Environment and Sustainability Champion or NHS Sustainability Day 2015, please contact gillian.pipkin@rcht. cornwall.nhs.uk. n

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STOCKISTS OF

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PATIENT STORY

my

story

Tracy Carroll

W

hen Tracy Carroll was diagnosed with kidney failure over 4 years ago, she never dreamt that she would not only go on to take part in the British Transplant games but also win five medals.

Tracy from Helston found out in August 2010 that her kidney function was only working at just 6%, after developing symptoms of low energy and feeling constantly cold. As time went on, she became continually nauseous, resulting in vomiting regularly and started developing bruises all over her body. “Initially I just thought it was just a sign of getting old but as time went on I knew it was a lot more serious so decided to get it checked out” said Tracy.

Upon diagnosis, Tracy went straight to the Medical Admissions Unit at the Royal Cornwall Hospital where it was discovered that her blood pressure was extremely high at around 250/150. She was transferred to the High Dependency Unit before spending further time on Godolphin ward. “I have never spent any time in hospital before this, so I had no idea what to expect,” stated Tracy. “The care I received was exemplary, the consultants and nursing staff looking after me were caring, considerate and informative.”

When Tracy found out that she needed a kidney transplant she was very lucky to have several offers from friends willing to donate a kidney for her. After being tested for blood matching and tissue typing, it was discovered her mum was the best match. “I was extremely grateful to my mother for doing this for me but I was worried that if something went wrong, I would have felt like it would have been my fault.”

Tracy and her mum had the transplant carried out in Derriford Hospital and it was a worrying time for Tracy’s partner Trev and all of her family as they waited for news from both of them. “ I had to wait about four hours to find out that my mum’s operation was successful, it was such a relief to hear that news,” explained Tracy. Tracy’s mum was discharged from hospital 4 days after her operation, with Tracy needing to stay in for ten days due to the new kidney working so hard. “The doctors told me my mum’s kidney was like a 19 year olds, I was passing about 18 litres of water a day!” stated Tracy. The doctors managed to get this under control and she was discharged from hospital.

The next six months for Tracy was a very difficult time, due to her results being up and down, as well as feeling very tired. “I was 32 One+all

hoping that I was going to wake up feeling like a different person but unfortunately, that was not for me,” said Tracy. However after six months, Tracy starting to feel a great deal better and since then, she has not looked back.

After her transplant, Tracy decided she wanted to improve her fitness levels but she felt she needed a goal and an incentive to keep it up. This is when she made the decision to enter the British Transplant Games. “Being competitive I wanted to do my very best so I had to keep up my training; this kept me very focused!” she said. “As well as fitness, I wanted to promote organ donation.

I was lucky enough to get an organ from my mum, however the wait would have been much longer if I had to go onto the list.”

Tracy entered her first games in August 2014 and due to her strength in swimming, decided to take part in these races. “As a child, I was a fairly good swimmer, however this was more than 20 years ago!” said Tracy. “ Initially the training for this was very hard going, I still had the technique but not the stamina, I was gasping after one length.” Tracy’s will and determination kept her going, swimming most days before work and before long she was swimming a minimum of a mile per session.

Tracy joined the Plymouth Transplant Team, due to her operation taking place in Derriford. The games themselves took place in Bolton and Tracy says the atmosphere was amazing.

“On the morning of the swimming events I was really nervous, I hadn’t had a chance to dive off a block as the pool that I go to doesn’t have any and I hadn’t swum in a race since childhood. I really wanted a medal but I didn’t get my hopes up. However, in my first race I got silver! I was over the moon and relaxed about the rest!” Tracy went on to win a medal in all her 5 races, winning 1 gold, 3 silvers and 1 bronze.

To add to this fantastic achievement, Tracy was overjoyed to receive an email asking her to represent GB in the World Transplant Games in Argentina, which is taking place August 2015. “We were told when we took part in the GB games that if you win a medal in these games, it does not guarantee that you will be selected to take part in the World Transplant games, only participants with medal hopes at the World games get chosen,” said Tracy. “I did not expect to get that email; I could not believe my eyes, it was such an honour!”

Since being selected, Tracy has increased her training, so she now currently attends a Sunday morning boot camp, a running club and has joined Helston & Carn Brae swimming club. “The swimming club has shown that my training last year was just kid’s play, it’s really tough!” she says. “I would love to come home from Argentina with a medal, so I am training extra hard for this.

It should be an amazing experience, my partner Trev is coming with me to support me and we are going to extend our stay to see a bit more of the country.”

As there is no funding for Tracy to travel and be part of these

PATIENT STORY www.rcht.nhs.uk

games, she is currently fundraising to support the event as she feels it is also an important way to spread the word on the benefits of organ donation. “Friends and family have also been sponsoring me and I have also written to a lot of organisations for this support.

I am so thankful for everyone who has sponsored and supported me so far!”

Tracy is now treasurer of the Plymouth Transplant Games Team and plans to enter the games each year. She is very eager to encourage others to do the same. “I want to continue living a balanced healthy fun life” stated Tracy. “I work hard, train hard and play hard, I don’t want any of that to change!”

Having the transplant for Tracy has given her a new lease of life, compared to how her life was before the transplant. “I was only on dialysis for a short period of time and it was a very difficult time. I was still working full time so really didn’t feel like I really had a home life” said Tracy. “My life is now like everyone else’s, I am always on the go and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

Tracy says she will always be eternally grateful to her mother for donating one of her kidneys to her, giving her this new love for life. She is now very passionate to encourage others to join the organ donation register. “I always ask people if they would like to have an organ if they were unwell, if the answer is yes, they should think about signing up,” states Tracy. “Three people die each day waiting for a transplant. With kidney failure you can have dialysis, but what about those needing a new heart, or lungs? Out of tragic circumstances, several people can be saved.” n

We said: Dr Rob Parry, Medical Director and kidney specialist at Royal Cornwall Hospital, was one of Tracy’s doctors during her time at hospital and explained that kidney transplants are carried out at Derriford Hospital as our regional transplant centre.

“We assess and treat all patients prior to transplant at Royal Cornwall Hospital. We have approximately 50 patients currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant,” he explains. “After patients from Cornwall have had the transplant, their long term follow up is carried out here and we look after over 200 patients at present.”

Dr Parry adds, “Many of those patients are reliant on the gift of organ donation. It’s not only important for people to sign up to the Organ Donation Register, but equally so to make sure their friends and family are aware of their wishes. Knowing that can help them making choices should there ever need to be a decision about organ donation.”

Thank you

Letters Amazing staff , well done and thank you!

I want to thank all the staff on duty 5th and 6th March 2015, they were all really amazing, professional and caring people.

After very long labour and emergency c-section my boy was born. Superb service !

A very undervalued service!

I supported someone to the A&E department and was astounded by the service we received from the doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and other members of staff. Everyone seemed to work together and even though our leaving was delayed by ambulance transport, they were more than helpful when they did arrive! The nurses were friendly, helpful and professional and the doctors worked hard to help us despite a busy A&E department and informed us of any updates or information. Thank you very much for everything!

Exactly the kind of care everyone would want to receive I can’t speak highly enough of the care I received on St Michael’s ward. It was a truly positive experience. I was already very impressed with the thoughtful way in which my diagnosis of breast cancer and the consequent planning of treatment was handled, but I was still a bit apprehensive about the surgery itself.

I need not have worried as every member of staff, from the medics to the porter, clearly worked seamlessly as part of a team. I felt confident that they all had my best interests at heart and that every detail had been carefully thought through to ensure that even the most nervous patient could relax. I know this does not happen without a great deal of hard work and dedication and I think they have achieved a really inspirational service.

On the ward, the welcome was kind and reassuring. All nursing staff were quietly efficient but also happy to pause to talk. The atmosphere was warm and there was also a bit of humour. All nursing tasks were performed in such a way that I was comfortable throughout and felt perfectly safe.

The standard of cleanliness was very high, owing to the dedication of staff who have been in post for many years, and the food was nice too!

I am delighted to be able to write such a glowing review. We all know this standard is often not achieved in our hospitals. Where it can be managed, the physical and psychological benefits for patients are enormous and their recovery can be more complete. I certainly feel I have benefited from a great service and I am very thankful.

Click to like us on facebook at Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust And you can follow us on Twitter: @RCHT2013

Sign up to the Organ Donation Register online at www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call on 0300 123 23 23.

One+all 33

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know…RCHT partners with the voluntary sector to help get patients home

Nurses Shirley Harris and Tina Elliott talking with former health Minister Norman Lamb and former local MP Andrew George about the ‘Welcome Home’ project

F

or some time now, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust - and indeed the entire local health and social care system - has been in the news about the challenges of discharging patients home from hospital.

This is clearly not a problem unique to Cornwall but with an older population and pressures on funding it is a particular - and growing - concern for our clinicians and of course patients and their families.

During our busiest times, Royal Cornwall Hospital has around 50 patients per day who are medically fit to go home but delayed waiting for social care, a community hospital bed or obtaining further support in the community. This has an impact on patients who are waiting

34 One+all

for a bed for their operation or waiting to be admitted for further medical care.

At West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance and now at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, hospital clinicians have teamed up with Volunteer Cornwall and Age UK to find an innovative solution that will help get patients home quicker when they are ready to leave.

The programme is called ‘Welcome Home’ and is a collaboration between all health and social care providers and the voluntary sector to help get patients home. Most patients will tell you that they would rather be at home than in hospital but sometimes they just need that extra help and support to get them there and give them confidence.

This can range from having someone to talk to if they are on their own to help with shopping, cooking, washing, getting equipment through to more intensive support provided by the NHS and social services.

Through the ‘Welcome Home’ project volunteers are working with the NHS and social services to help with that initial transfer from hospital and then providing ongoing support as needed.

At West Cornwall Hospital the project is already having excellent results with the total number of patients who need to be readmitted into hospital almost halved and the average length of stay for a patient down by 33%. Interestingly, 20% of those patients who benefit from the service go on to be volunteers themselves supporting the ‘Welcome Home’ scheme.

The project has been so successful that it is now being expanded to include Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro with additional funding provided by the government to support the project.

The ‘Welcome Home’ scheme can’t provide all of the answers for the complex issue of delayed patient discharges from hospital but it does go to show that through innovative thinking, partnership working and community action we can make a difference to local healthcare provision and most importantly improve people’s life experience.

The NHS is changing and we need to make sure that we meet patient expectations to provide more care outside of acute hospitals and closer to people’s own homes.

If you would like to find out more about the ‘Welcome Home’ project or become a volunteer please contact Volunteer Cornwall on 01872 266988. n

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE WIN ONE OF FIVE £25

STEVE ANDREWS TYRES MONEY OFF VOUCHERS!

YEE EMPLOUNT DISSCidO e must b fy NH to quali shown

Name……………………………….............................................

Department (if applicable)………………….............................

Contact Number ……………………...................................

To enter, please send a scan of your completed spot the difference along with your name, Department and extension number to oneandall@cornwall.nhs.uk or send a copy of the completed spot the difference to: One & All Magazine, c/o Press Office, Bedruthan House, RCH

There are 10 differences There will be FIVE winners, no cash equivalent prizes. The competition is open to RCHT staff only, excluding those associated with the competition.

The prize is non-transferable and is available to entrants aged 18 and above. All entries must be made by 19th June 2015. The decision of the Press Office is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

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TRUST PEOPLE

Fond Farewell

Rob Mcleod After working for the NHS for 33 years, Rob Mcleod, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner has retired. Rob started his career in Stoke-on-Trent as a Charge Nurse before moving to Exeter, where he spent 17 years. Having lived in Cornwall as a child in the 60’s, Rob was happy to move back to the county, joining Royal Cornwall Hospital as an Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Colleagues gathered to thank Rob for the care he has given to young babies and to acknowledge his calm manner and skill which will be much missed by the team.

Sue Littler A well-known face to colleagues across RCHT, Outpatient Therapy Lead and Acting Allied Health Professionals Lead, Sue Littler retired earlier this year. A qualified Dietitian, Sue began her career in the NHS in 1978, coming to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in 1987 as a District Officer as Head of Nutrition and Dietetics. Being a part of many service developments and changes over the years, Sue said she will be sad to leave many friends and colleagues but also looking forward to a new chapter in her life. Good luck and best wishes, Sue! 36 One+all

Hilary Penny It was a fond farewell to Hilary Penny, radiographer at the Mermaid Centre, who recently retired after 23 years in the NHS. Hilary trained at the former Cornwall School of Radiography and worked at St Austell, Newquay and Royal Cornwall hospitals before joining the

Mermaid Centre team in 2003. Making good use of her knowledge and expertise, Hilary jointly managed the radiology quality assurance systems for the Centre and played an important part in the Cornwall Breast Screening Programme becoming one of the first to move to digital mammography.

Tina Prestwood Best wishes go to cardiac catheter laboratory manager Tina Prestwood who retired from the Royal Cornwall Hospital after a 35 year nursing career. Tina trained as a nurse in her native Germany before coming to the UK in 1987. She spent several years working in London, gaining extensive experience in cardiology and in particular the specialist and high skilled work carried out in cardiac catheter laboratories where patients undergo often complex procedures such as angioplasty and fitting pacemakers.

Since moving to Cornwall and then joining RCHT in 2003, Tina has worked tirelessly to maintain, improve and develop practices, including the attainment of nurse specialist status for nurses working within the cath labs. Inspirational, motivational and fun, Tina will be hugely missed by her colleagues. She is looking forward to a busy retirement including travel, gardening and spending time with family.

TRUST PEOPLE

Carol Strevens IT expert Carol Strevens retired after almost 30 years in the NHS in Cornwall. After early roles as a ward clerk, in 2004 Carol joined the Cornwall IT services team, which provides specialist support for NHS organisations across the county, becoming skilled in systems administration and earning a reputation as the ‘fastest fixer in town’!

During her time with CITS she has assisted on many of the projects developing IT systems to support front-line clinical staff and patient care. Carol has also been a great support to her colleagues and in their words ‘is a real team player who will leave a huge hole’. She has many talents outside of her work and is looking forward to a busy retirement.

The Therapies team has been sad to say farewell to two colleagues who have recently retired. Sylvia Pearce and Julia Cran have notched up over 50 years NHS service between them. Sylvia started her career as a physiotherapy assistant before qualifying as a technical instructor in 2002, having concentrated most of her work on the trauma wards. Julia, a physiotherapist, first worked at the former City Hospital and most recently has been a key member of the weekend therapy services team.

Christine Geraghty Theatre Operating Department Practitioner Christine Geraghty retired after a career spanning almost 30 years. Chris started her NHS career in Wolverhampton in 1986 as an Auxiliary Nurse before becoming an OPD. Nine years ago, she moved to Cornwall, joining the theatre team at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. Acknowledging her extensive expertise and experience in orthopaedics, Chris received the team’s good wishes for the future.

Sue Turk Young patients and parents joined colleagues on the children’s unit as they said farewell to muchloved specialist nurse Sue Turk as she retired after 19 years at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

A respected, skilled and compassionate paediatric nurse, particularly in the care of young patients with cancer and leukaemia, Sue has been a massive support for so many.

During her career at RCH she has led the teams on Sennen Ward and Fistral Units as ward sister and most recently her role has been to support children having cancer treatments at home to avoid admission to hospital.

One+all 37

WHAT’S ON

Competition WIN a 3 course á la carte meal for two with a bottle of house wine at Rosewarne Manor!

Rosewarne Manor Gwinear Road Connor Downs HAYLE

Can you spot six differences from the photos below?

For a chance to win, circle the six differences and send your entries to Spot the Difference Competition, Communications Department, Bedruthan House, RCH – Good Luck!

What’s On JUNE Motor Neuron Disease (MND) Awareness month 1 – 7 – Volunteers week 4 – 5 – 6 – Royal Cornwall Show 14 – Walk for Wards 15 – 19 – Learning Disability week

Tucked away from the madding crowds, yet just a few moments off of the A30 near Hayle, is award winning restaurant and function venue Rosewarne Manor.

With an excellent reputation for quality food they offer, on a day to day basis, both bar style and á la carte meals. A brilliant place to dine out for special occasions but also for when you fancy a steak or pub style meal - often at a price that is less than pubs!

Rosewarne Manor is a really interesting place.

Friendly and welcoming, and a place you can relax.

Expect that your meals will be prepared entirely from scratch in their own kitchens and using the very best Cornish ingredients.

The bar & a la carte menu are served Wednesdays to Saturdays, whereas Sunday’s see traditional roasts with a lunchtime carvery, as well as bar meals. Functions are welcomed 7 days a week with everything from Christenings to Weddings, Funerals and every celebration in between.

Regular Murder mystery evenings are also a highlight. www.rosewarnemanor.co.uk

38 One+all

15 – 21 – National Men’s Health week 26 – RCH Friends Charity Golf Day JULY Group B Strep Awareness Month Sickle Cell Awareness Month 1 – Blue Light Day 9 – Let’s Talk Midwifery 24 – 24/7 Samaritans Awareness Day 27 – World Hepatitis Day AUGUST 1 – 7 – World Breastfeeding Week

Name……………………………….......................................................................

SEPTEMBER Blue September - Men’s cancers awareness

Department (if applicable)…………………......................................................

7 – 13 – National Transplant Week

Email ……………………................................................................................

21 – 27 – Eye Health Week

Contact Number …………………….............................................................

All correct entries will be entered into a draw and a winner picked at random. There will be just one winner, no cash equivalent prizes. The competition is open to all, excluding those associated with the competition. The prize is non-transferable and is available to entrants aged 18 and above. All entries must be made by 31 June 2015. The decision of the Communications Team is final and no correspondence will be entered into. A list of winners will be on the Magazine’s facebook page www.facebook.com/RoyalCornwallHospitalsTrust

28 – World Heart Day

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Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for Ford Focus Zetec: urban 34,0 (8,3), extra urban 61,4 (4,6), combined 47,9 (5,9). Official CO 2 emission 136g/km.

This programme is subject to the standard conditions of the Motability 3-year Contract Hire Scheme. Full written details and quotations available on request from a Ford Authorised participating dealer or Motability Operations Limited. Under the scheme the vehicles are leased from Motability Operations Limited (Registered Company No. 1373876), City Gate House, 22 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HB. Free rear parking sensors will be included on all new Ford cars, with the exception of Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy which will be supplied with front and rear free parking sensors, contracted through the Motability Scheme by a Ford Authorised Dealer. Where such sensors are not already included as standard, no cash alternative is available.

Applications must be received and accepted between 20/03/2015 and 30/06/2015 by Motability Operations Limited.