Starry night at hospital awards - Brighton and Sussex University

Talkback
All the latest news from BSUH
Autumn/Winter 2013
Starry night at
hospital awards
Saving A&E for saving lives
BSUH stars on small screen
Hip hooray for mortality drop
Also...
Get ready for winter
60 Second Interview
Day in the Life
Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
Caption
Competition
Thank you to everyone who took
part in the competition to come up
with the best caption for the above
picture of our Occupational
Therapists showing some of the
implements they use to help
patients become independent. The
winner of the £25 gift voucher is
James Brown, Assistant
Administrator for Diabetic Eye
Screening, with:
“ ,,
On lunch breaks the
occupation therapy
team play a new and
exciting version of rock,
paper, scissors.
For this edition, another voucher is
up for grabs for the best caption for
this picture of Star Award winner
Mhairi Donald speaking to Medical
Director Steve Holmberg and Mayor
of Brighton and Hove Denise Cobb.
Email your answers to
communications@bsuh.nhs.uk
Talkback
Talkback is produced by
the Communications Team.
Send ideas, comments
or contributions to:
communications@bsuh.nhs.uk
or call 01273 664757.
2
Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
Chief
Executive’s
message
What strikes me about this latest issue of Talkback is that the pages
are full of people who seem to genuinely love their jobs and for
whom coming to work is much more than just a means to an end, and
I include myself in that. I know it can feel very tough out there, and
sometimes harder than it should be, but in my experience that does
not equate to “morale being at an all-time low” which is what some
people would have us believe.
On page 10 our Complaints Team, for example, talk about their
meticulous attention to the detail of every complaint they receive
and how they do their utmost to tailor their investigations to meet
the needs of each individual patient or family member. The whole
team who take care of patients who are admitted to our hospital
having fractured their hip have spent the last five years refining and
improving the quality of their service to deliver the best possible
outcomes for patients (page 4) and as a result BSUH now has one of
the lowest mortality rates in the country for these patients. All the
winners and runners-up in our Hospital Star Awards (featured in the
centre-spread) spoke on the night with genuine passion about the
work they do and the people they work alongside. Our Security Team
(featured on page 8) has received national recognition for a new
initiative which challenged convention by altering the way they
approach difficult and aggressive behaviour and our Senior Clinical
Nurse Specialist in Acute Pain Wendy Caddye sums it up in the 60
second interview (on page 11) when she says “I genuinely love my job
– I wouldn’t have been doing it as long as I have if I didn’t.”
What all of those featured have in common with each other, and with
teams and individuals I meet all the time, is that they are not settling
for ‘good enough’. When things are tough people could be forgiven for
doing the minimum required to get by and no more but instead our
staff continue to strive to do better for our patients and their
families; they also support each other. The overwhelming response to
the appeal launched by our Filipino staff (featured on page 12) to
raise funds and collect food, clothes and other essentials to help the
thousands of people affected by typhoon Haiyan is a testament to this
and the camaraderie and compassion which is endemic right across
the Trust.
Matthew Kershaw
Chief Executive
Saving A&E for
saving lives
Awareness campaigns have been launched to
help reduce the number of people coming to
the Emergency Departments unnecessarily this
winter. BSUH has been working with the local
Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to highlight
the alternative services available and to ensure
people get the most appropriate care in the most
appropriate place.
The campaign in Brighton and Hove encourages
people living in and visiting the city to be heroes
by “saving A&E for saving lives” by using the other
services available, such as the minor injuries
walk-in centre at Brighton station, pharmacies, GP
surgeries and the 111 phone line.
The campaign can be seen
on posters, bus stops and
leaflets throughout the
city, on short animated
films shown at GP
surgeries, and can be
heard on local radio.
It also has a dedicated
website and has been
promoted through social
media.
Be a hero: The Brighton
campaign was
launched by A&E staff
(main picture) and
can be seen on an
animation film (above)
and posters (right)
across the city.
A separate awareness campaign has also been
launched in Mid Sussex, promoting alternatives to
A&E at the Princess Royal Hospital, particularly the
use and role of local pharmacies. It can be seen
through short films shown on a phone application,
radio advertising and bus advertising.
Dr Paul Wallman, BSUH Lead Consultant in Emergency
Medicine, said: “We want people to stop and think
about whether they really need to come to A&E.
We often see people who have painful and annoying
problems but not ones that need to be treated
by emergency staff so we want those people to
remember that by using the alternative services
available, it enables A&E staff to concentrate on
people suffering from strokes, heart attacks and
other life threatening illnesses and injuries.”
Working together: BSUH Chief Executive Matthew Kershaw, Lead A&E Consultant Dr Paul Wallman
and Brighton and Hove CCG Chair Dr Xavier Nalletamby help launch the campaign
Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
3
Hip hooray for reduction
in mortality rates at BSUH
Mortality rates for hip fracture patients at
Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals (BSUH)
are among the best in the country, according to an
independent national report.
Information published in the National Hip Fracture
Database Report has shown BSUH has a mortality
rate of 5.6%, which is significantly lower than the
national average of 8.2%.
Nationally hip fractures are the most common
cause of injury related death, which is largely
due to the high proportion of patients with hip
fractures being elderly and frail with pre-existing
medical problems.
Patients who come to BSUH with a fractured
hip undergo surgery at the Royal Sussex County
Hospital in Brighton and have their rehabilitation
after the operation at the Princess Royal Hospital
in Haywards Heath.
Dr Henry Alexander, Consultant in Elderly
Medicine, said: “This outstanding achievement
has only been made possible by the dedication not
only of my medical and nursing colleagues but of
all the staff involved in hip fracture care, from the
X-ray porter to the ward cleaner, from the ward
pharmacist to the discharge coordinator.
“We are absolutely delighted by this result; it is
evidence that our multi-disciplinary approach to
providing good quality care really does save lives.”
Mortality rates for hip fracture patients at BSUH
have consistently declined over the last few
years following the introduction of a number
of improvements. These have included the
introduction of daily patient assessments in the
surgical ward by an Orthogeriatric Consultant,
improvements in the way the patients are given
anaesthesia, more effective planning for when
the patient goes home and better team working
between different specialists.
Dr Stuart White, Consultant Anaesthetist, said:
“This is a result of a five-year project that has
seen a year-on-year decline in mortality and
illness after hip fracture. Patients follow a
specific, innovative pathway of care and are
looked after by dedicated medical, nursing and
administrative staff, committed to improving
the quality of care for these most vulnerable of
hospital inpatients.”
The National Hip Fracture Database Report is
produced by the British Orthopaedic Association,
the British Geriatrics Society and the Royal College
of Physicians and looked at over 60,000 patients
from 180 hospitals across the country.
As well as excellent mortality rates, the report
also highlighted BSUH as a top performing Trust for
the speed at which patients undergo surgery, with
94.6% of patients having their operation within 48
hours, compared to a national average of 87.3%.
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Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
BSUH stars on the
small screen
Staff and patients take part in two TV shows
A moving documentary was shown on BBC One
involving a blind patient who regained his sight
thanks to a radical procedure at BSUH.
The hour-long programme showed the story of how
Ian Tibbetts was able to see his twin sons for the
first time after having one of his teeth inserted in
his eye.
Prof Christopher
Liu, Consultant
at the Sussex
Eye Hospital, is
the only surgeon
in Britain to
carry out the
procedure,
known as OOKP.
The surgery involves a tiny plastic lens being
fixed into a tooth, which acts as a cradle to be
implanted in the eye. The lens provides a window
for the patient to be able to see and because the
tooth belongs to the patient, it is not rejected
by the body. Only a few patients can undergo the
procedure due to its complex nature and it is not
always successful.
The documentary,
called “The Day
I Got My Sight
Back”, took
eight months to
film and showed
how initially Mr
Tibbetts could not
see following the
surgery but he gradually regained his
sight and was eventually able to read to his sons.
The Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital was turned
festive as television cameras from ITV filmed a
Christmas special of the Martin Lewis Money Show.
The programme showed staff, young patients and
their parents and siblings enjoying a Christmas
party hosted on level 10.
TV money expert Martin
Lewis was joined by
fellow presenter and
former Apprentice
contestant Saira Khan
to give money saving
tips for Christmas.
The party-goers were
asked to take part in
taste-test challenges with different priced food
and speak about what they do to save money
over the festive period. The event was organised
by Rockinghorse and the programme was a good
opportunity to promote the good work of the
charity and the hospital to a national TV audience.
Ryan Heal, Rockinghorse Chief Executive, said:
“This was the best
exposure Rockinghorse
has ever had and
was a fantastic way
of highlighting our
partnership with
the Alex. We are a
relatively small charity
so to have the chance
to be on national TV
watched by millions
was brilliant for us and the young
patients we work to support.”
Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
5
Starry starry night for
Staff from across the Trust enjoyed a glittering awards night to recognise and celebrate the
efforts of our hospital stars.
Clinical, non-clinical, frontline and behind-the-scenes staff in departments and clinics across
BSUH had their hard work recognised with awards and prizes at the fourth annual Hospital Star
Awards, held at the Corn Exchange in Brighton.
Over 750 nominations for 13 different categories were received from patients and their families,
work colleagues and readers of The Argus newspaper. The winners and runners-up were chosen
by a panel of independent judges, and Chief Executive Matthew Kershaw also presented his own
special award.
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Healthcare Assistant of the Year
Winner: Becky Dunn,
Sussex Rehab Centre, PRH
Runner-up: Stewart Allison,
Fleming and Lister Ward, RSCH
Midwife of the Year
Winner: Sonya Brear,
Bolney Ward, PRH
Runner-up: Yvette Eggleton,
Community, PRH
Volunteer of the Year
Winner: Rose Skilton,
Sussex Cancer Centre
Runner-up: Ann Nealer, RACH
Frontline Support Services Star
Winner: Steven Mitchell,
Porter, RACH
Runner-up: Denise Ball,
Receptionist, RSCH
Good News Story of the Year
Winner: Mhairi Donald,
Oncology Team, RSCH
‘Every Mouthful Counts’
Nurse of the Year
Winner: Deborah Cooley,
Level 8A East, RSCH
Runner-up: Samantha Morris,
Park Centre for Breast Care
Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
r our hospital heroes
Cleaner of the Year
Winner: Bill Setford, Pathology,
PRH (accepted by a colleague)
Runner-up: Tony Scott, HDU,
RSCH
Allied Health Professional of
the Year
Winner: Kayleigh Nash, Imaging
Runner-up: Emma Boulter,
Sussex Rehab Centre, PRH
Behind the Scenes Support
Services Star
Winner: Beverley Brooker,
Orthopaedics, RSCH
Runner-up: Philip Boyle, Clinical
Sterile Services, PRH
Doctor of the Year
Winner: Dr Tim Corbett,
Clinical Haematology Unit, RSCH
Runner-up: Dr Henry Alexander,
Twineham Ward, PRH
Educator/Mentor of the Year
Winner: Samir Dilmahomed,
Bailey Ward, RSCH
Runner-up: Sue Dawson, Level
9A, RSCH
Outstanding Leadership Award
Winner: Emma Sheriff, Discharge
Team (accepted by colleagues)
Runner-up: Kate Moscovici,
Paediatric Research
Team of the Year
Winner: Trevor Mann Baby Unit
Runner-up: Balance Blaster
Team, Physiotherapy, PRH
Chief Executive’s Special Award
Winner: Reverend Canon Peter
Wells, BSUH Chaplain
A big thank
you to all our
Star Awards
sponsors on
the next page
Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
7
A big thank you to our
Star Awards sponsors
The Star Awards 2013 was supported by a number of local businesses who generously donated prizes
worth £200-£300 to the winners. BSUH extends a big thank you to all the business, listed below, for
their knind donations which helped make the night so special.
BSUH scoops security award
An initiative that helps reduce assaults on staff
working at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals
(BSUH) has received a national award. The BSUH
Security Team were winners of the training initiative
of the year at the Security Excellence Awards held in
London’s Park Lane. The awards recognise the best
projects and processes within UK security and were
attended by almost 1,000 people.
The winning initiative aims to reduce assaults on
staff by looking at a patient’s clinical condition.
It has been piloted over 18 months and has
demonstrated impressive results, with the numbers
of assaults on clinical and security staff showing a
decrease, as well as the amount of restraints and
safeguarding incidents.
The initiative was developed by the BSUH Security
Team and Manual Handling Trainer Sarah Bright, in
partnership with independent training specialists
Maybo. It has led to the Trust revising the staff
training for conflict management and assault
avoidance and has also contributed to new NHS
guidance on dealing with challenging behaviour.
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Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
Simon Whitehorn, BSUH Security Operational
Manager (pictured receiving the award), said:
“Winning this security training initiative award
jointly with Maybo is really pleasing, but actually
it’s not about security it’s about the safety of our
most vulnerable patients and staff. Our security and
clinical staff now receive theoretical and practical
training which helps keep them safe and emphasises
that challenging behaviour from patients and visitors
is frequently caused by those individual’s clinical
and emotional needs.”
It will be snow joke if you
don’t plan for winter
BSUH staff are being asked to start
planning for severe weather this winter to
ensure any disruption to services is kept to
a minimum.
Another cold winter has been forecast and
it is essential staff have plans in place to
get to work whatever the weather.
Staff should consider the following when
planning for winter:
• Ensure you are aware of the weather
forecast and take early action if
severe weather is forecast.
• Consider alternative arrangements
should there be a disruption to your
usual transportation and/or child care
/dependants provision.
• Line managers should ensure they have
updated staff records to include contact
details, staff skills, mode of transport
to work and staff dependants/child care
arrangements.
• Line Managers should familiarise
themselves with the Adverse Weather
Condition HR Policy, and Cold Weather
Plan and discuss them with staff.
• Medical/Nursing/AHP Staff should make
sure they identify vulnerable patients to
cold weather and that arrangements are
in place to support them appropriately
when discharged home.
The Trust’s full winter plan can be seen on
the infonet.
Electronic Patient Record
goes ‘live’
The Electronic Patient Record (EPR) Programme has gone live in the first of the Trust’s Emergency
Departments.
EPR started to be used in the Sussex Eye Hospital A&E in November, and will be followed by the
Emergency Departments at the Princess Royal Hospital, Royal Sussex County Hospital, and the Royal
Alexandra Children’s Hospital in the New Year. All patient care in A&E will be recorded on the new
electronic ALERT system, with manual A&E paper notes no longer being used.
The new system and ways of working will be the first step in moving towards having a single health
record for all BSUH patients. The EPR Team have been working hard to test and develop the system, as
well as undertaking various levels of training and engagement with staff on how to use it.
After the A&E project, the next stage of the programme will focus on implementing electronic ordering
of Pathology and Radiology tests across the Trust.
Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
9
A day in the life of
The Complaints Team
No two days are ever the same in the BSUH
Complaints Department. The eight-strong team have
to deal with a multitude of issues raised by patients,
relatives and carers. But one thing that does remain
the same is the commitment of the team to ensure
the concerns of patients, relatives and carers are
dealt with as thoroughly as possible.
Last year the team handled around 1,300 complaints.
Although this represents a fraction of the total
number of patients treated by the Trust, the
concerns raised are taken extremely seriously and
the team will always want to resolve these quickly
and fairly. Although each complaint is managed in
the same meticulous way, the team recognise that
people are different and will try to tailor their
investigations to the needs of individuals in order to
achieve a positive outcome for them.
The complaints received by the Trust cover many
different areas and every day brings something new.
Whatever the reason, each complaint means that a
patient has not had the experience they had hoped
for and the team’s job is to find out why, and what
can be done to put things right.
Each person who complains is allocated a complaints
manager who will be their contact throughout the
process. The complaints manager will contact the
person at an early stage to discuss the issues and to
see if they can be resolved informally. They will then
discuss the complaint with the relevant staff either
face-to-face, over the phone or via email, to obtain
as much information as possible. After this they
will prepare a written investigation report detailing
their findings, which will form the basis of a written
response from the chief executive.
The team knows from experience that inviting
people to meet with senior staff to discuss what
has happened, either at the outset of the process
or following the letter from the chief executive, is
often a very effective way of resolving issues.
Often, misunderstandings and less than effective
communication are at the route of the problem
and this is always stressed by the team during the
regular training sessions they hold with frontline
staff. Saying sorry when things have gone wrong is
an important part of how the Trust, and the team in
particular, deal with complaints.
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Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
Who are ya? The Complaints Team are
committed to their work but not to posing for a
photo! They insisted on having their faces blurred
to ensure their work was not compromised but,
really, we suspect they just didn’t want their
picture taken.
They genuinely believe that in BSUH, every effort
is made, from the chief executive downwards, to
respond to complaints honestly and openly. Many
people who complain are happy with most of their
care but want to bring to the Trust’s attention things
they feel could be improved.
Even after the chief executive’s response is sent to
the person, the Complaints Team’s work is still not
done. If the person is unhappy, they will look again
at the issues raised to see what further can be done.
Following this the person has the right to ask the
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to
carry out an independent investigation. The team
are mindful how upsetting it is for members of staff
who have been personally criticised by a patient
or relative. As well as supporting those who make
complaints, they also want to support staff in this
situation.
They do not deal only with complaints – they also
handle the many positive comments the Trust
receives. Many of these letters are hugely touching
and inspiring and are used to share good practice
throughout the Trust. Dealing with complaints can
be difficult at times but for the team, achieving
a positive outcome for all concerned, makes it all
worthwhile.
60 second interview
Wendy Caddye
Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist in Acute Pain
How long have you been in your job?
I have been in my role for ten years and have been
at BSUH since 1995. Before that I was in recovery at
PRH before the Trust merged.
What do you like most about your job?
I genuinely love my job - I wouldn’t have been doing
it as long as I have if I didn’t. What I enjoy most is
being able to take away patients’ pain.
What do you like least about your job?
There can sometimes be snobbery working in the
NHS and there are times when my role is not taken
seriously or not seen as important as it should be.
What three words would your colleagues
use to describe you?
I’ve asked my colleagues and they came up with…
organised, decisive and caring.
What is your greatest extravagance?
I am not a very extravagant person but I did go to
New Zealand on holiday for three weeks which was
fantastic.
What is your most annoying habit?
The Three Degrees: Wendy has multiple
academic achievements to her name
What is the first thing you do when you get
home from work?
Where would like to be in five year’s time?
Swearing at the computer.
It sounds sad but I love watching Neighbours. My son
got me hooked on it years ago and I’ve watched it
every day since.
How would you spend an ideal day off?
Playing and umpiring hockey. I am the captain of
Burgess Hill 3rd team.
Where did you last go on holiday?
I went to Canada for two and a half weeks and it
was brilliant. I went camping in the wilderness,
kayaked with humped back whales and watched a
black bear eat my supper 50 metres away.
With whom would you most like to be
stranded on a desert island?
It has to be my husband. He is good at DIY, he
can cook, and I know all his faults already so he
wouldn’t annoy me.
I will probably be retired by then and hopefully be
kayaking with orca whales in Canada.
Who would play you in a film about your life
and why?
Miranda, because she is good at laughing at herself
and she is completely un-PC.
And finally…tell us something interesting or
unusual about yourself…
I have three degrees. I have a BSc in Geology, and
MSc in Pain Management and a PHD in Paleontology.
I did my nursing training when I left school but I left
on the day I qualified and went to university to do
my first degree. I went on to do my PHD but I was
a research based Geologist and the only jobs were
in Algeria. I met my husband and it was a choice of
going to Algeria or settle down so I went back into
nursing and haven’t looked back since.
Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
11
Staff come together to help
typhoon hit Philippines
H
U
S
B
New equipment to help
young patients
Rockinghorse purchased two new portable ultrasound
machines for the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital
(Alex) and the Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU). The
children’s charity unveiled the new equipment with
patron Lady Mary Mumford and special guest Rosamond
Hallett, daughter of Dr Trevor Mann who founded
Rockinghorse in 1967.
Rockinghorse is the
official fundraising
arm of the Alex,
also supporting
TMBU, and helps
ensure children
are treated in an
environment that
is best suited to
their needs.
Dr Trevor Mann
recognised there
was a real need for specialist paediatric care for the
children of Sussex and launched the appeal to initially
raise funds for research into children’s diseases.
Rosamond Hallett said: “It has been a privilege to join
the team at Rockinghorse for this special launch and to
celebrate the successful work that the charity achieves
to support local sick children and their families. I think
my father would be proud of the strong link between
Rockinghorse and the Alex and the TMBU, and it has
been lovely to see his vision continues to flourish.”
The purchase of two portable ultrasound machines
enables staff to diagnose patients quicker with minimal
disruption as they are mobile units.
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Talkback Autumn/Winter 2013
BSUH staff
helped raise
thousands of
pounds and
donated food,
clothes and
other essentials
to help those
affected by the
typhoon in the
Philippines.
Over 10,000
lives were lost and half a million people were left
homeless after typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippine islands
in November. The 170 Filipino staff that work at BSUH
came together to co-ordinate an appeal to raise funds
and to collect food, toiletries, blankets, candles and
clothes to send to their homeland and the response of
all staff across the Trust was overwhelming. Thousands
of pounds were raised from
cakes sales held at the Audrey
Emerton Building, the Princess
Royal Hospital and the Sussex
Eye Hospital. Nurse Ma Cris
Ann Buison helped organise
the events and gave special
thanks to all the staff involved
in supporting the appeal,
especially Pickford Ward Sister
Janet Avery and Nurse Choon
Dickinson.
Photos: Filipino staff hold one of their cake sales at the
Audrey Emerton Building (top) and BSUH Chief Executive
Matthew Kershaw lends his support to appeal coordinator Junjun Medran.
Staff impressing overseas
Senior Paediatric Respiratory Nurse Specialist Edwina
Wooler attended a European Respiratory Society
meeting in Barcelona where she was part of a European
Task Force on monitoring paediatric asthma and chaired
a thematic poster session. As a result of this trip she was
asked to co-author an asthma management paper which
will appear in the European Respiratory Review next
year; an important recognition of Edwina’s expertise
in this area and a boost for the reputation of the Alex
and BSUH. Also promoting BSUH overseas is Jason Gray,
Paediatric ED Nurse Consultant, and Noel O’Connor,
ED Charge Nurse, who are presenting their paediatric
nursing work at an event in Qatar in December.