Maternity goes from strength to strength

Talk back
All the latest news from BSUH
Spring / Summer 2013
Maternity goes from
strength to strength
Butterfly Scheme takes off
Patients ‘tuck’ into new scheme
Whiteboards go live on wards
Plus...
Star Award winners
CEO’s first 100 days
60 second interview
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013
Caption
Competition
Thank you to everyone who
took part in the competition to
come up with the best caption
for the above photograph of
Chief Nurse Sherree Fagge
being interviewed in the snow.
The winner of a £25 gift
voucher is Vivienne Chauhan,
Urology Secretary, with:
“
,,
If you tell me one more
time to step back a bit
I’ll be in A&E myself.
For this edition, another voucher is
up for grabs for the best caption to
go with this picture of our
Occupation Therapists with some
of the implements they use to help
patients become independent.
Email your answers to
communications@bsuh.nhs.uk
Talkback
Talkback is produced by the
Communications Department.
Send ideas, comments
or contributions to:
communications@bsuh.nhs.uk
or call 01273 664757.
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013
Chief
Executive’s
message
At the end of July we launched a new programme of work
designed to get us all working together on setting out how we
will address the areas where we need to do better, build on our
strengths and make the most of our opportunities. Over the next
six months we are going to create our ‘Foundations for Success’
by investing some real time and energy in four key priority
areas: vision, values and behaviours; clinical strategy; clinical
structure; and empowerment, accountability and performance
management. Although each of these areas needs a meaningful
output in its own right, it is probably as if not more important
that they overlap, support and cross-reference each other so
that they make sense when looked at together as well as in
isolation. I do not underestimate the scale of the challenge and
how much easier said than done this is but I am absolutely
convinced that the benefits of doing this now, and doing it well,
will make it well worth the effort.
What the pages of Talkback always illustrate is how motivated
staff across our hospitals are and the levels of commitment
people are demonstrating to supporting their colleagues,
improving the way we run our services and ensuring the
experience of the people who use our services is as good as it
can be. And this issue is no exception. What every story has in
common is it demonstrates the refusal of our people to settle
for ‘good enough’. Technological advances like the new
electronic, touch-screen whiteboards and the development of
our new Electronic Patient Record; finding ways of enhancing
existing services such as our new home-birth service; and even
more simple innovations like the new patient tuck bags; do not
happen without drive, creativity and persistence – and the
motivation to keep looking at what we do and finding ways of
doing it better.
Matthew Kershaw
Chief Executive
New high tech whiteboards
improve efficiency on wards
Interactive electronic touch-screen whiteboards
have been introduced across BSUH to improve
efficiency on wards.
New 40-inch screens have been installed in all
inpatient areas to enable clinical staff to easily
access and update information they need about
a patient to help provide the highest standard of
care.
Previously information about patients being cared
for on a ward was hand written on a white board
and had to be manually updated regularly.
The new touch-screen system gives real-time
information and allows the recording of patient
admissions, discharges and transfers on wards to be
done quickly and more efficiently.
Sherree Fagge, BSUH Chief Nurse, said: “Ward
staff can now see key information at a glance,
including test results, whether a patient is at a
risk of infection or those who are waiting for an
assessment. The new whiteboards also give details
of when patients are expected to go home and
referrals for any nursing or social care they may
need when they leave hospital.
Electronic whiteboards have been rolled
out across the Trust to improve efficiency
“We used to use the old manual whiteboards which
were time consuming to use and maintain. Now we
can see the current status of every ward and every
bed and we can see the location of every patient
as they move throughout the hospital. This means
we can be much more efficient and will ultimately
result in improved care for patients.”
Team reduces discharge delays
A team working to ensure patients leave the
Princess Royal Hospital on time and with the right
support has significantly reduced the number of
delayed discharges. The hospital is now better
than the national target for patients being delayed
in being discharged thanks to the work of an
Integrated Discharge Team (IDT).
Patients who are ready for discharge are leaving
the hospital at the time that is most right for them
with the best support and care around them so
they can continue getting better, or being looked
after, in the best place. The IDT introduced a
new way of working which brought BSUH, Sussex
Community NHS Trust (SCT) and West Sussex County
Council social care teams even closer aligned to
work collaboratively to ensure the safe and timely
discharge of patients.
Working in partnership with the hospital wards,
the IDT begin planning for discharge from the point
of admission and provides support to ward staff
regarding discharge planning for both simple and
complex patients.
PRH is now performing better than the national
target for delayed transfers of care (3.5% of
patients), with just 3% of all patients delayed in
2012/13, an improvement on the 4.5% from the
previous year.
Emma Sheriff, BSUH Head of Nursing Discharge
Partnership and Clinical Site Management, said:
“This is a fantastic start to multi-disciplinary working
which has undoubtedly improved the experience for
patients and reduced delayed transfers of care.”
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013
Butterfly Scheme takes off
for patients with dementia
A new scheme has been launched at BSUH to
improve the care of patients with dementia.
The ‘Butterfly Scheme’ started to be used in
wards from the beginning of June as a way of
clearly identifying dementia patients to ensure
their needs are being appropriately met.
The scheme involves butterflies being discreetly
placed above the beds of patients with
dementia or cognitive impairment to let the
staff know that specialist care is needed. The
scheme also gives staff a practical strategy to
care appropriately for the patient and gives
greater involvement to carers.
The initiative has been adopted by 50 hospitals
around the country and has already led to
improved outcomes for patients with dementia.
Patients and their carers can choose not to take
part but the uptake from other hospitals has so
far been 100 per cent. The scheme was created
by a carer to try to improve the way dementia
patients are cared for. It is endorsed by the
Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College
of Psychiatrists and is widely recognised as the
gold standard for caring for dementia patients.
It is estimated that up to 40 per cent of
patients in beds at BSUH have dementia or
cognitive impairment, which is well above the
average of 25 per cent.
When a butterfly is used to identify a patient,
all staff who interact with that person are
trained to offer a specific five-point targeted
response. It also alerts all staff to the
existence of an easy-to-use carer sheet.
The scheme is being led at BSUH by Dementia
Champion Lucy Frost. She said: “A significant
number of patients in our hospital have
dementia or cognitive impairment so it is very
important they are given the most appropriate
care. This scheme is not about labelling
patients, it is about identifying them so staff
can understand their behaviour and provide
the most appropriate care. It is a very simple
approach but it will make such a difference
because we are introducing it in every area.”
Lucy added: “Patients with dementia or
cognitive impairment do not always understand
what is happening so we need to make them
feel safe and supported. This scheme is an
active request for support and empowers
people with dementia to personalise the care
they receive. It also recognises the important
role of carers and allows their voice to be
heard and acknowledged.”
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013
Patients can safely ‘tuck’ into
food thanks to new initiative
Innovative new ‘tuck bags’ have been introduced
across wards at BSUH to help improve the control of
infection. Re-sealable water resistant paper bags are
available to every patient to allow them to safely
store food at the bedside. The aim is to prevent food
being contaminated with airborne micro-organisms
and reduce the risk of cross infection.
Bugs such as C. difficile and norovirus can be
transmitted by airborne particles and can potentially
contaminate loose items of patient food that are
often brought to the bedside by patients and their
visitors, such as fruit.
The new tuck bags eliminate this potential
contamination by keeping the food sealed and they
are lined with a special material that prolongs the
life of fresh fruit and other foods.
The idea was the brainchild of Paula Tucker, Head
of Nursing Patient Safety and Quality. She said: “We
tried a few different solutions to the problem of
storing food safely at the bedside but none were
very effective.
“We tried re-sealable plastic boxes and other
containers but they had to be cleaned regularly and
were difficult for elderly or weak patients to open.
These new tuck bags solve these problems and are
a more effective way of protecting patients’ food.
They are inexpensive, keep the patient food fresh
for longer and a new bag can be used for each
patient.”
The bags have a clear window to allow the contents
to be easily seen and are made out of material that
can be recycled. They can be clearly labelled and
the patient can take the bag and its contents home
at the end of their stay if they wish.
Paula created the bags with the help of NHS
Innovations South East (NISE), who developed the
idea based on Paula’s specifications. The initiative
was trialled successfully in selected areas of the
hospital before being introduced to all wards.
Photo: Paula Tucker (centre) shows off the
new tuck bags with Staff Nurse Raquel NsueSha Akieme and Sister Karen Lee.
Photo courtesy of The Argus
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013
Maternity services going
New service
boosts home
birth choice
A new service has been launched at BSUH to allow
more women to give birth at home. New 24-hour
community midwives dedicated to home births have
been introduced to ensure better support is available
for mums-to-be who want to have their babies at home.
Previously, community midwives only covered
homebirths until 5pm, with midwives from the
maternity units at hospitals covering the evenings and
nights. The new dedicated community midwives liaise
between themselves and the labour wards, ensuring
there is sufficient cover across the whole of the BSUH
area. They carry their own mobile phone for ease of
contact and have fully equipped cars so that they can
travel out to births with all equipment available. The
new service has already made a positive impact, with
the number of home births doubling in the first month
after it was introduced.
Mo Cleland, Community Midwifery Manager, said:
“Homebirths for low risk women have always been
encouraged and supported but we knew the service we
had was disjointed and needed to change. We wanted to
give families a real choice of place of birth and this new
service enables us to do that and to be more responsive
to the needs of the individuals. Our aim is to increase
the number of homebirths in the BSUH area and this
new service is key to being able to achieve this.”
New mum Verity Willison was one of the first
women to use the new service after giving birth to
a baby boy Ozzy at home in Brighton. She said: “It
was a top quality service and I felt utterly spoilt by
having a midwife with me giving one-to-one care.”
Dad Travers Burcham added: “I found the
experience of the homebirth much more relaxed
than being in hospital. I felt more in control at
home and felt less anxious.”
When not committed at a birth, the dedicated
community midwives are able to provide home visits
in the evening to give support and advice to families.
Individual homebirth discussion appointments can also
now take place in the comfort of a women’s home
rather than in a hospital clinic.
Better facilities for women in labour
Work to improve the facilities for expectant parents
at BSUH is almost complete. The birthing rooms at
the Royal Sussex County Hospital and Princess Royal
Hospital are being enhanced and renovated to include
the addition of en-suite facilities, which will improve
privacy and dignity. Women in established labour
previously had to leave the privacy of their own room
and go into a public corridor to use shared toilets
and bathrooms. The work has been paid for by a
£400,000 grant received from the Government’s £25
million capital funding programme to improve birthing
environments across the country.
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013
from strength to strength
Presigious award for “inspiring” Jan
Jan Mattis, a specialist midwife at BSUH, has won the
Midwife of the Year Award at the British Journal of
Midwifery (BJM) Practice Awards. The awards were held
in London to recognise the outstanding achievements in
midwifery practice throughout the country. Jan won for
her work as a Specialist Midwife for Substance Misuse,
Homeless and Travellers. She leads a one-stop clinic at
BSUH for pregnant women with issues around substance
use as well as caring for women from the travelling
communities. She was nominated by her colleagues, who
said: “It is her commitment to tackling the prejudices
and stereotypes often experienced by these women
that is particularly inspiring. Jan is unafraid to speak
out, to challenge comments made in ignorance and is a
committed advocate for her women ensuring their voice
is heard.”
Charity link-up
to help early
pregnancy
The Royal Sussex County Hospital’s Early Pregnancy
Unit (EPU) has teamed up with local charity
Alternatives Pregnancy Choices and Loss Support
to help and support women who are experiencing
a miscarriage or pregnancy complications, up to 18
weeks into their pregnancy.
Women are referred to the EPU if they are
experiencing any problems early on in their
pregnancy, such as bleeding and pain, or they may
have had a scan that reveals complications that
need further investigation. Women are able to
discuss their situation with the nurse in charge of
the clinic, have a scan and receive medical advice
as to the best way forward for their particular
situation. The news women are given can often be
shocking or upsetting so to ensure they are given
enough emotional support, the EPU have linked up
with volunteers from Alternatives. They have been
working alongside EPU staff to spend time with
women, listening to them and providing additional
emotional support.
They are also able to offer further long term support
at the Alternatives centre based at the Brighthelm
Community Centre in Brighton.
The Alternatives volunteers are fully trained and
are regularly supervised as well as being trained as
hospital volunteers. They provide help and support
during the EPU clinic on a Friday and are hoping to
extend their presence to another day. Alternatives
offers support to women who have experienced a
miscarriage, still birth or are struggling to come to
terms with an abortion or unplanned pregnancy. For
more information, phone 01273 207010 or log onto
www.alternatives-brighton.org
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013
And the Star Award winners are...
The winners and runners-up for this year’s Hospital
Star Awards have been decided by independent
judges. Those who will be receiving awards and
prizes at the ceremony on 10 September at the Corn
Exchange in Brighton are:
• Nurse of the Year
Winner: Deborah Cooley, Level 8a East, RSCH
Runner-up: Samantha Morris, Park Centre Breast Care
• Midwife of the Year
Winner: Sonya Brear, Bolney Ward
Runner-up: Yvette Eggleton, Community PRH
• Healthcare Assistant of the Year
Winner: Becky Dunn – Sussex Rehab Centre, PRH
Runner-up: Stewart Allison – Fleming and Lister, RSCH
• Doctor of the Year
Winner: Dr Tim Corbett – Clinical Haematology Unit
Runner-up: Dr Henry Alexander – Twineham Ward
• Allied Health Professional of the Year
Winner: Kayleigh Nash - Imaging, RSCH
Runner-up: Emma Boulter – Sussex Rehab Centre, PRH
• Cleaner of the Year
Winner: Bill Setford – Pathology, PRH
Runner-up: Tony Scott – HDU, RSCH
• Support Services Star of the Year - frontline
Winner: Steven Mitchell – Porter, RACH
Runner-up: Denise Ball – Receptionist, RSCH
• Support Services Star of the Year – behind scenes
Winner: Beverly Brooker - Orthopaedics, RSCH
Runner-up: Philip Boyle - Clinical Sterile Services, PRH
• Team of the Year
Winner: Trevor Mann Baby Unit
Runner-up: Balance Blaster Team, Physio PRH
• Volunteer of the Year
Winner: Rose Skilton - Sussex Cancer Centre
Runner-up: Ann Nealer - Play Team, RACH
• Outstanding Leadership
Winner: Emma Sherriff - Discharge Team
Runner-up: Kate Moscovici - Paediatric Research
• Educator/Mentor of the Year
Winner: Samir Dilmahomed - Baily Ward, RSCH
Runner-up: Sue Dawson - Level 9a, RSCH
• Good News Story of the Year
Winner: Mhairi Donald, Oncology Team, RSCH
• Chief Executive’s Special Award
Winner: Reverend Canon Peter Wells
Sarah wins award for excellent care
Paediatric Nurse Sarah Matthews won an award for excellent care at
the Proud to Care Nursing Awards held by NHS Sussex. The awards,
held at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton,
celebrated the best nursing care across the county with nominations
from patients, families, carers and nursing colleagues.
Sarah, who works at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, was
the winner of the individual award in the communication
category. Her nomination said: “I have nominated Sarah
because communicating with small children requires a
specific set of skills and she possesses them all.”
The Trevor Mann Baby Unit were runners-up in the
compassion team award, the Oncology Research
Team were runners-up in the communication team
award, and Dementia Nurse Specialist Lucy Frost was
runner-up in the courage individual category.
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013
Sarah Matthews receives her award from
BSUH Chief Nurse Sherree Fagge
Matthew Kershaw
100 day interview
Matthew Kershaw reached 100 days in his role as Chief Executive at BSUH during the summer so
Talkback caught up with him to find out his thoughts on the job so far...
You have been in the job for 100 days
now, how have you found it so far?
What have been your first impressions of
BSUH?
Inspiring, exciting, interesting and incredibly
hard work. I’ve worked in the NHS for more
than 20 years but each new job is like starting
over and a very steep learning curve.
I’ve said it before but my overriding first
impression is of the commitment and passion of
the people who work here - for their hospital,
their service, their colleagues and their
patients.
Is there anything you haven’t been very
impressed with?
The view from my office is nothing to write
home about but then I only have to walk 100
metres from my offices on either site to find a
great view.
What is a typical day at work like for
you?
It’s a cliché but there is really no such thing as a
typical day. They are all different and the only
thing they have in common is that there aren’t
enough hours in them – but that’s the same for
everyone.
What have you enjoyed about working
at BSUH so far?
The people, spending some of my working week
by the sea and some of my working week in the
beautiful mid Sussex countryside, the
combination of working on what is happening
right here right now whilst simultaneously
thinking about and planning for the next one,
two, three, five, ten years.
How do your relax outside of work?
Exercise, particularly running, is my main form
of relaxation. And I have three daughters under
eight who help me switch off from work as soon
as I walk through the front door.
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013
A day in the life of
Clinical Site Management Team
A lot more goes into admitting patients into hospital
than you might think. It is not just a case of finding
a free bed and putting someone in it. There are
a large number of factors to assess, consider
and arrange and it is the job of the Clinical Site
Management Team to tackle them 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
A team of 21 experienced nurses work at the
Royal Sussex County Hospital and Princess Royal
Hospital to ensure patients are put in the right bed,
at the right time. They are a key cog in making
sure patients are being constantly admitted and
discharged in an appropriate manner to allow the
hospital to function as it should be.
Karen Wootton, Clinical Site Management Team
Leader, said: “We get patients coming in through
A&E, elective surgery, outpatients and transfers and
we have to make sure the patient is put in the bed
that is most suitable for them.
“It is not just a case of putting them in the first
bed available, there are a lot of things to consider.
These include what is wrong with the patient,
what their gender is, whether they have particular
needs, what specialist treatment they may need,
and whether they have infection control issues. It
is not just about medical diagnosis either, we also
consider the emotional needs of the patient, the
nursing needs and how dependent the patient is.
“If the right bed is not available then we create beds
by looking at discharging and transferring patients.
We are constantly assessing and reassessing the
situation to make sure patients are being cared for
in the most appropriate and safe place. I see our
role as being a systems navigator of getting the right
patient into the right system to provide optimal
medical and nursing care so that it works for the
patient and appears from their perspective to work
seamlessly.”
At the County, there is always one site manager and
two bed managers on duty during the day, with one
site manager and two night practitioners working
during the night. At PRH there is one site manager on
duty 24 hours a day.
As well as arranging admissions and discharges,
the team also have a number of other important
responsibilities out of hours to ensure the hospital
runs smoothly. These include dealing with out of
hours staffing issues, responding to major incidents,
attending cardiac arrests and Medical Emergency
Team (MET) calls, and dealing with violent and
untoward incidents when needed.
Karen said: “We basically deal with a bit of
everything and anything at any time which is why the
team is made up of the most senior nurses. We are
very experienced so we can deal with most things
when needed. To do the role you need to be able to
multi-task and be able to communicate with lots of
different people in lots of different ways.”
A lot of work is done by the Clinical Site Management Team
before a bed can even be made ready for a new patient
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013
60 second interview
Nora Tester, Medical Education Manager
How long have you been in your job?
Four and a half years. I previously worked for West
Sussex PCT as a dental services manager.
What do you like most about your job?
The team. It is like a second family. We work hard
but we have great camaraderie.
What do you like least about your job?
The NHS bureaucracy and politics can be frustrating
at times.
What three words would your colleagues
use to describe you?
I went and asked the team and the three words they
came up with was bossy, little, and dynamic. I am
little and I quite like the word dynamic and as for
being bossy, they sometimes call me the Fuhrer so
you could say I am a bit bossy.
What is your greatest extravagance?
I’ve just bought a new mini which is quite an
extravagance. I also like buying antique jewellery
and have quite a lot of it.
What is your most annoying habit?
I may need a 60 minute interview, not a 60 second
one, to go through them all! I am impatient and I
tend to finish people’s sentences for them which can
be rather annoying.
How would you spend an ideal day off?
I’m a member of the National Trust so I like to visit
the local properties and gardens, especially Nymans
Gardens. I also like spending time sewing, cooking
and gardening, which would seem boring to some
people but I love it.
Where did you last go on holiday?
I went to Ireland but I’m Irish by birth so I go there a
lot to see parents and family and I don’t really count
that as a holiday.
With whom would you most like to be
stranded on a desert island?
Someone good at making things, like a handyman. I
don’t care if I didn’t get on with him, he could live
on another part of the island and only come over
when I needed him to build something useful.
Me bossy? Nora Tester, with two of her team
members, admits she can be bossy at times
Where would like to be in five year’s time?
I know I should say something like “to be the Chief
Executive” but really I would like to be in a cottage
in the country somewhere growing my own
vegetables and flowers.
Who would play you in a film about your life
and why?
The only person I can think of is Barbara Windsor,
because she is short like me. She would be more like
her character in Eastenders, rather than the Carry
On films though.
And finally…tell us something interesting or
unusual about yourself…
I once danced on stage on Top of the Pops. It was
when I was 19 and I worked at the BBC as a
secretary.
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013
Physio wows experts
H
U
S
B
A clinical specialist physiotherapy travelled to Turkey
to present results of a project to experts from across
Europe. Jacqueline Pattman attended a European
Conference to present an aquatic physiotherapy
evaluation project being run at BSUH, which showed
that over a three month period 90.8% of patients
improved after aquatic physiotherapy.
Going to theatre is child’s
play thanks to new car
EPR set to go live in Autumn
The Electronic Patient Record Programme will be
going live in the Emergency Departments (ED) in the
Autumn. Patients will be registered on the new ALERT
system, with all their care with the ED being recorded.
Clinicians will have the facility to order radiology and
pathology tests and receive the results electronically.
The programme will with rolling out to inpatient and
outpatient departments next year. For more information
visit the intranet.
Nurses walk all night for Jude
A group of theatre and day surgery nurses at the Royal
Alexandra Children’s Hospital walked through the night
to show their support for a colleague. The team took
part in a 13-mile ‘Midnight Walk’ run by The Martlets
Hospice under the name ‘Jude’s Gems’ to support their
fellow worker Jude Stokes. Jude works in theatres at
the Alex and was diagnosed with advanced stomach
cancer in January. She is being cared for daily by The
Martlets Hospice and the money raised by the team was
donated to the charity.
Young patients can arrive in operating theatres in style
thanks to a donation of a new mini electric car. Brighton
accounting firm Plus Accounting presented the new car
to staff at The Alex to help children take their minds of
medical procedures and investigations.
Young patients can
drive the electric car
to theatre, which
provides a distraction
for the children and
makes the experience
less daunting.
Corryn Bedlow, Ward
Manager at the Alex,
said: “The cars make
a big difference to
the children. Instead
of being frightened
or scared of going to
theatre, it becomes
something which is
enjoyable for them
to do.”
Staff show sporting prowess
Congratulations to Joel Spragg, plumber with the Estates
team, for reaching the final of the senior national
Amateur Boxing Association Championships. Joel, who
boxes for Brighton City Amateur Boxing Club, claimed
the Senior South East Counties Champion title along
the way to the final in Durham, where he was narrowly
beaten on points.
Well done to Lauren Rivers, staff nurse at the Alex, for
running the London Marathon. She completed the epic
26 mile race to raise money for an African charity.
Talkback Spring / Summer 2013