Introduction - Northampton General Hospital

Northampton General Hospital
NHS Trust
Members’
Newsletter
The newsletter for NGH NHS Trust Members
Introduction
Welcome to our Autumn edition. We have
had a very busy summer here at NGH, with
more people coming through our A & E
department than ever recorded. In July, we
had 9,882 attendances which is 15% higher
than during the same month last year.
We are now looking towards traditionally the
busiest time of the year and would ask that you
carefully consider the options before coming
into A & E.
We will have more than 120 additional nursing
staff in place by October which will help us to
care for the many more patients that are being
admitted to the hospital. As the population ages,
patients come to us with many more health
needs, so we must be ready to provide the care
that our patients need and deserve. We will keep
you updated on how we are working to improve
safety at our hospital.
Issue 17
Autumn 2013
In July 2012, NGH set up a Patient Safety
Academy which looks at 5 key areas for
improvement, you can read about them in
this issue.
There has been a great deal of negative press
about the NHS recently, so we were very
heartened to receive some wonderful messages
and thank-yous from patients who had recently
been treated here.
Our festival in September which followed our
AGM was a resounding success; it was wonderful
to see so many people who had a chance to learn
more about us and what we do. They were royally
entertained by our fabulous choir, a jazz band
made up of staff here at the hospital and dancers
and drummers from our local Sikh community.
And finally, we are delighted to announce the
appointment of Dr Sonia Swart as our new
Chief Executive. Sonia has been a Consultant
Haematologist and Medical Director here at >>
In this edition
P2 A&E has busiest
month on record
P3 Thank you NGH!
P4 Choir is hitting
the right notes
P5 AGM and festival
P6 Safety Academy
aims to save lives
P7 NGH people
P8 Friends and
Family Test
results published
Right care, first time, every time
News round-up
>> NGH for many years and brings with her
a wealth of knowledge about the hospital
and its people, and is the very best person to
guide us through the coming years.
If you have any comments or would like to
find out how you can become more involved
in your hospital, please don’t hesitate to
contact me.
Elinor Morton, Membership Manager
Northampton General Hospital
NHS Trust
Dr Sonia Swart
appointed as
Substantive
Chief Executive
A&E has busiest
month on record
The number of people attending our
accident and emergency department
continues to rise, with July’s total of
9,882 making it the busiest ever month
at NGH. The figure is 15 per cent higher
than the same month last year, and the
equivalent of one person arriving every
four and a half minutes, night and day,
throughout the whole month.
Radio Northampton heard that, as well as
very serious cases, people were also known
to present at A&E for trivial complaints –
including hair loss, and being bitten by a
hamster. Consultant Dr Julia Weatherill said:
“Often you think ‘I don’t need a medical
degree to do this’ but then minutes later
there can be a pile-up on the motorway,
people come in shattered, and we have to
try and fix them.”
We are delighted
to announce the
appointment of
Dr Sonia Swart as our
new Chief Executive.
Dr Sonia Swart has been
appointed as Chief
Executive of Northampton General
Hospital NHS Trust and will take up the
role with immediate effect.
Dr Swart, formerly the Trust’s Medical
Director, has been acting Chief Executive
for the past three months.
Announcing her appointment, Trust
Chairman, Paul Farenden, said ‘Sonia
was the outstanding candidate from a
strong field of applicants who underwent
a rigorous recruitment process. Her
experience as a consultant and also as
Medical Director of the Trust, gives her
a unique insight into the needs and
future development of the organisation.
I am confident Sonia has the vision
drive and commitment and will provide
the leadership we need to face the
challenges ahead.’
Dr Swart said, ‘I am looking forward
to working with all my colleagues
here at NGH and across the healthcare
economy and intend to approach the
CEO role with a mixture of optimism,
reality, ambition and an appropriate
degree of humility. We face a number
of challenges but I firmly believe that
NGH is fundamentally a good hospital
with many excellent services. We need
to rekindle the essential pride in our
work and the sound teamwork based
approach that forms the foundation of
any successful organisation. I see my role
as leading all of us to the point where
we can all stand up and be proud of all
the care this hospital provides.’
2
Issue 17 Autumn 2013
Interviewed by BBC Northampton, A&E
consultant nurse Piers Massey said there
were many reasons for the rise, including
the obvious one of population growth.
However it was also clear that a lot of
people came for convenience. He said:
“People don’t want to leave work for
something like a twisted ankle or a cut,
so they’ll save it up till the evening. Then
there’s less provision for help elsewhere,
so A&E is an easy place to turn up to. We
can usually predict when people will arrive,
and there is always a spike in attendances
between 6 - 7pm.”
Piers Massey was interviewed by BBC Northampton’s
Elinor Cross
As attendances for the year topped
100,000 for the first time at NGH, the
hospital reiterated its advice that A&E
was there for genuine accidents and
emergencies – and should not be used for
Anything and Everything.
What is A&E for?
Many people continue to use the department inappropriately as a short cut, particularly to
out of hours care. You can help take pressure off A&E by only using it appropriately – here
are some examples.
✔
Examples of appropriate use
of A&E:
✘
Examples of inappropriate uses
of A&E:
✔ Serious medical problems such
as chest pain, collapse, or heavy
blood loss
✘ Coughs and colds - most people
would be best just to stay at home
or see their local pharmacist
✔ Limb injuries which are very
painful and could be caused by a
broken bone
✘ Old injuries or joint problems - are
best seen by your GP, at least initially
✔ Burns which are large, or deep, and
need dressings
✔ Deep cuts which won’t stop
bleeding, may have damaged
tendons or may need stitches to
heal properly
✘ Queries about medication - these
are best dealt with by your GP
✘ Toothache - you need to be
seen by a dentist. Hospitals like
Northampton General do not have
trained dentists in A&E
✘ Trying to use A&E to get a
‘second opinion’ rather than using
the GP service
Remember, unnecessary visits to A & E mean that patients who really need to go will be
at risk of delays in their treatment
Do you really need to go there?
Right care, first time, every time
PATIENT PRAISE
Thank you NGH!
NGH has been basking in its own summer of love as patients have rung up,
written in, logged on and spoken up to voice their praise for the great care
they received here.
Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) has been inundated with messages from
satisfied patients, while others have written to the local paper or posted positive comments
online – we’ve even had one patient call BBC Radio Four to express her approval of NGH. And
the hospital’s rating on the NHS Choices has surged to a very healthy four stars. We’re grateful
for all your kind words, and it’s a tremendous boost to staff morale when we hear from you.
Thank you!
Here are some of the nice things you’ve been saying about your experience at Northampton
General Hospital.
Thanks for the singing an
d
good humour!
Thanks to Gosset three times over
One of our most popular
posts on the NGH Facebook
page was this picture of three
gorgeous girls - triplets Alice,
Hannah and Georgina. Now
over one year old, they were
born 10 weeks prematurely
weighing just 3lbs 10oz, 3lbs
6oz and 2lbs 14oz.
Parents Simon Armson and
Charlotte Bird were thrilled
with the care they received on
Gosset neonatal ward. Simon
said: “The support we and the
girls got was amazing. I can’t
put it into words – they were
just fantastic.
“Without the dedication, skill
and commitment of the entire
Gosset team we simply would
not be here today with three
healthy daughters.”
Simon decided to fundraise
to ‘give something back’
to the hospital, and his
sponsored golf marathon
– playing at four different
courses on the same day in
June – raised over £1,500
for Gosset ward.
I was admitted into hospi
tal early Saturday morni
ng
(between 5am and 6 am
) with possible appendicit
is
(we now think I may jus
t have an ovarian cyst and
awaiting a scan).
Although, your hospital
appeared to be having a
busy weekend, everyone
was helpful and attentive
.
But best of all, even after
long shifts, they rushed
around full of zest and hu
mour. I lay in the A&E and
could hear nurses/doctors
singing and speaking to
each other, and other pat
ients, with friendliness
and kindness that it made
me relax in a rather scary
situation (at that stage I
wasn’t sure whether I wa
s
going into theatre).
Thank you for the singin
g, good humour and ma
king
me remain positive! This
is what all hospitals sho
uld
be like - not places of glo
om and doom!
Warm wishes, Michella
Dos Santos
care for
Amazing, professional
the birth of my daughter
complete satisfaction and
I am writing to share my
o cared for me during the
praise for Faiza Rehman wh
on the 12 July. Faiza is a
ebe
birth of my daughter Pho
was professional, caring and
credit to your hospital. She
can look back on that day
I
so so kind. Because of her
h
erience. Please ensure bot
as an incredibly positive exp
tI
fac
In
.
nks
tha
my
of
aware
Faiza and her manager are
t
tha
rd
wa
er of staff on labour
found every single memb
thanks.
day to be amazing. Many
Rachel Mason
Where would we be without you!
One of the cards we received was simp
ly signed ‘from a
Satisfied Patient’...
It’s difficult to know who exactly to send
thanks etc to...
especially if one has had various and
many needs to rely on
our wonderful NHS.
I wish people would be more grateful...
after all, where the
heck would we be without you all!
A billion and more thanks for such a
great service – across
the board.
Wishing all staff much joy and satisfacti
on in their dedication.
(Whoever you are, thank you for that!
)
£1.9m for
more nurses
at NGH
More than 120 additional
nursing staff will be in place on
Northampton General Hospital’s
wards by October.
Director of nursing and midwifery Suzie
Loader said: “A huge amount of work
has been done to assess the nursing
skill mix over the last six months, and
as a result we have developed a fouryear nursing and midwifery staffing
strategy. The hospital board approved
this in March and agreed to contribute
£1.9 million to the first year of the plan,
which is incredibly exciting.
This is a tremendous
boost for NGH.
“This is a tremendous boost for NGH and
demonstrates the board’s commitment to
ensuring that we have the right numbers
and skill mix of staff on the wards to
provide the best care. It means that there
will be more staff to deliver really good,
high quality care for our patients, which
is our absolute number one priority.”
The extra investment means a total
increase in establishment of 123 posts –
58 registered nurses and 65 healthcare
assistants. Many are already in place,
with the remainder expected to be in
place by the end of September.
And over a hundred potential applicants
attended a nationally advertised
recruitment open day at NGH in July
to recruit another 15 children’s nurses.
The extra posts are needed to open
a paediatric assessment unit, staff
additional cots on the neonatal unit and
paediatric high dependency unit, and to
fill other vacancies.
The newsletter for NGH NHS Trust Members members@ngh.nhs.uk, telephone 01604 523894
Issue 17 Autumn 2013
3
THE CHOIR
Choir members assemble for Tuesday evening practice
Members of the NGH choir find their voice
Choir is hitting the right notes
Something odd has been happening at Northampton General Hospital. On Tuesday
evenings over the summer, sounds have been emanating from the 19th century
board room which have caused staff, patients and visitors alike to stop and listen.
The sounds were not the type you would normally associate with a hospital – people
putting aside their worries and enjoying themselves as they burst forth into song!
The NGH choir was born when Kerry Horner,
founder of the Military Wives Choir in Dishforth,
North Yorkshire, returned to her home town of
Northampton and contacted the hospital to see if
we wanted to do something similar. Kerry, a music
graduate with a varied background as a professional
flautist, music teacher, and conductor of bands,
orchestras and choirs, believed people working in
the medical profession could really benefit from a
choir in the same way as the military does.
Head of communications Sally-Anne Watts
recognised the potential benefits for staff, and set
out to advertise the formation of the NGH choir.
Before long, more than 50 people had put their
names forward and began to meet for weekly
practice – their objective being to make a first
public appearance at the trust’s AGM and Festival
in September.
Kerry, now the choir’s musical director, said: “The
NGH choir is progressing at an incredibly quick rate.
I have been surprised at what the choir, which is
predominantly made up of inexperienced singers,
has achieved in such a short amount of time. The
choir effectively managed to sing accurately in
three part harmony within an hour of their very first
rehearsal, which is astounding. I have chosen songs
of varying difficulty to suit the vast range of abilities
within the choir, and all singers have taken on the
challenge with enthusiasm and determination, with
very impressive results. At two months old the choir
is now performing some very challenging music
with style and sounding great.”
So why not come along to the NGH Festival and
hear our choir – they will be performing in the
marquee on Saturday afternoon, 14 September.
They will be performing three songs in three- and
four-part harmony, which they have been working
very hard to perfect for the occasion. If you can’t
make the Festival, look out for news of Christmas
events when we hope they will have an opportunity
to sing in the hospital and bring pleasure and
4
Issue 17 Autumn 2013
entertainment to patients, visitors and staff.
Meanwhile nearby wards and passers-by continue
to listen to and enjoy Tuesday evening practice, and
members of the choir are constantly hearing stories
of how it has touched various people around the
hospital. It seems the choir, now almost 100 strong,
is not just benefiting the members who attend
each week – it is becoming a pleasure to others
in the NGH community and an important part of
hospital life.
“Directing a choir is like nothing else I do,” said
Kerry. “I have taught music in many different
ways but choirs are unique. They offer a chance
for everyone to experience the excitement of
performing regardless of their musical abilities.
As Stephen Sondheim famously said, ‘If I cannot
fly, let me sing’. Singing is so uplifting. When you
have had a tough day it helps you relax, put aside
your worries and just enjoy the moment. Just for
a moment nothing matters except the music.
That’s the importance of music and why I love it everybody needs music in their lives in some way
or another.”
WHAT THEY SAY
“One of the really nice things about
going to choir is that you get to
feel part of the NGH ‘family’. Each
evening so far has started with
laughter – because we’re struggling
to learn the words and tune but by
the end of the night we’re starting
to sound pretty good!” – Kate
“The choir is a great idea. I didn’t
know anyone else before I went
along, but I met some wonderful
people and it was fantastic. I’ve not
sung before, only along with CDs
in my kitchen! I came out of there
feeling more alive than for a long
time. It gave me a real buzz.” – Gill
“I’ve always wanted to sing in a
hospital choir. It is a fantastic way
to relax at the end of a demanding
day at work. It’s wonderful to see
such a mix of people all working
together. Shame we haven’t got
more men!” – Natasha
“The choir brings staff together to
celebrate our voices and our hospital
in a positive uplifting way. One
voice that hopefully will bring joy to
others as well as ourselves.” – Brian
The choir’s musical director Kerry Corner and Ali
the piano man.
‘I was absolutely delighted when
Kerry got in touch. I’d been thinking
that an NGH Choir would be a great
way for people to get to know one
another outside our work roles.
Singing is a great way of breaking
down barriers and makes you feel
good – even if you’ve had the worst
day ever at work!’ – Sally
Right care, first time, every time
AGM and festival
Bird box
painting
Cake sale*
Our staff*
Changing
faces*
Face fax*
Dancers*
Inside an
operating
theatre*
of the
This year we threw open the doors
nce to
cha
the
ors
visit
hospital and gave our
the
ind
beh
on
s
learn more about what goe
all
to
out
scenes. A huge thank you goes
some
the staff who turned up and laid on
over
wonderful displays. We also raised
nk You!
Tha
–
ds
£1,000 for our Charitable Fun
, with a clinical
The AGM got us off to a great staff
eb highlighting
Elde
presentation from Professor Hany
radiotherapy
that
s
way
the
some of the advances in
to
age
dam
the
that
so
er
is used to treat canc
ced.
redu
tly
grea
is
es
tissu
ding
surroun
nity to ask
Attendees were given the opportu
and were then
rd
Boa
the
of
bers
mem
of
questions
of the NGH
ance
treated to the first public perform
. Their
year
this
er
earli
ed
Choir which was form
the eyes of
to
tear
a
ght
brou
h
eluja
rendition of Hall
were given a
they
many members of the audience, and
ion.
very deserved standing ovat
locations around
The festivities continued in various
ed to take part in
invit
e
the hospital where visitors wer
e entertained by
wer
We
.
ities
activ
a variety of visits and
and by a jazz band
another performance of the choir
. The afternoon
staff
made up of members of hospital
of Bhangra
ns
ratio
onst
dem
was rounded off with
g
min
drum
l
Dho
dancing and
that our visitors got
These are just some of the things
s that joined us.
tion
nisa
orga
the
involved with, and
Pets as Therapy*
The Sustainability Team*
*Photographs courtesy of Lisa Grier
The newsletter for NGH NHS Trust Members members@ngh.nhs.uk, telephone 01604 523894
Issue 17 Autumn 2013
5
PATIENT SAFETY
Safety Academy aims to save
Improving the safety of patient care is a significant challenge for the NHS, and for health services around the
world. In this country, we are fortunate in many ways with our healthcare system. It is affordable and accessible
to all; it is staffed by skilled and dedicated professionals; and anybody who falls ill can reasonably expect a high
standard of care.
intensivist Dr Jonny
Wilkinson is the lead
for the ‘Failure to plan’
work stream. He said:
“Ideally when patients
come into hospital
there would be a
clear plan for their
care – but sometimes
despite everything, this
doesn’t happen.
Members of the Patient Safety Academy at a
recent meeting
Healthcare relies on
a range of complex
interactions between
people, skills,
technologies and drugs.
Sometimes things can
– and do – go wrong,
and patients can
unintentionally become
the victim of an error.
In July 2012 Northampton
General Hospital
established a Patient
Safety Academy, led by
the medical director,
five clinical leads and
a project management
team trained to support
improvement techniques.
The academy has an
overall three-year aim
of reducing harm by 50
per cent and saving an
extra 300 lives. The team
lead in five key areas
of improvement:
• Learning from error
and human factors safety science
The five work streams
encompass a broad
and challenging
portfolio of projects.
Many more people are
working throughout
the whole organisation
to help improve patient
safety, and much of
the work they are
doing impacts across
all five of these work
streams - for example
staff in Information
Technology, Pharmacy
and Medication Safety.
• Reducing harm from
failure to plan
• Reducing harm from
failure to rescue
• Reducing harm from
failures of care
• Learning from and
sharing lessons from
failures and successes
6
Dr Jonny Wilkinson –
Lead for the Failure to
Plan work stream
Consultant
anaesthetist and
Issue 17 Autumn 2013
“The majority of our
projects focus on the
day to day work our
doctors and nurses are
involved with on the
‘shop floor,’ and fall
into three areas. Firstly,
what we do at the start
- record keeping. We
are constantly looking
at ways to improve the
quality of our patient
records. For example we
have just launched new
nursing documentation
which aims to minimise
time wasted writing
and maximise patient
contact time. None of
our patients should
be the victims of poor
record keeping.
“Then there is what
we do in the middle,
and ward rounds form
a large part of this.
One example is around
having more structured
ward rounds, resulting
in both patients and
staff having formulated
plans - and therefore
less confusion - after
the round. None of
our patients should
be the victims of
poor planning.
“Finally, what we do at
the end – discharge and
the GP. Communication
between our hospital
and GPs has been a
challenge. One area of
particular concern is
the quality of electronic
discharge information
they receive from us
when their patients leave
the hospital. There is
a body of work taking
place to target this and
improve things.”
You can read more
about one aspect of the
work of this team in
our feature Improving
the ward round on the
following pages – and
we will be featuring
more work from the
Patient Safety Academy
in future issues of
Insight. Meanwhile, meet
the other clinical leads
from the academy here.
Dr Jono Hardwick –
Lead for the Failure to
Rescue work stream
Most of our patients
do get the care that
we intend but even
then sometimes their
condition gets worse
unexpectedly and we
don’t always recognise
this or act upon it and
this puts patients at
risk. There are ways
that we can minimise
the chances of
this happening.
Mary Burt – Lead for
the Failures of Care
work stream
Occasionally - for one
reason or another - the
care plan doesn’t always
get acted upon. This work
stream covers many of
the most basic elements
of care that we provide as
hospital staff – including
fluids and nutrition,
pressure ulcer prevention,
care of patients with
dementia, medicines
management and so on.
Dr Lyndsey Brawn –
Lead for the Learning
from and Sharing from
Failures & Successes
work stream
Even with the best care
things still sometimes go
wrong and it’s crucial that
when this happens we
learn as much as we can
about how to prevent
similar things happening
in the future. The NHS
hasn’t generally been
very good at this so we’re
giving it an extremely
high priority.
Dr Chris Frerk – Lead for
the Learning from Error
and Human Factors Safety
Science work stream
Most people act with
the best of intentions,
Right care, first time, every time
NGH
people
e lives
however the NHS is a
very complicated machine
and there are all sorts
of reasons why we
don’t perform as well
as we think. These are
“human factors” such as
communication problems
which are well known to
be major contributors to
critical incidents.
Celia Warlow –
Patient Safety Academy
and Resuscitation
Services Manager
Celia and the
Resuscitation Service
team joined the Patient
Safety Academy in May.
Celia’s role is to ensure
that all projects are
running to time and
the leads are reporting
on their work streams.
She ensures everything
is on track and keeps
everyone informed,
under the direction
of the academy’s
programme director Jane
Bradley – who has been
supporting and working
with the medical director
for the past four years to
improve patient safety
and quality at NGH.
Congratulations to maternity staff who took part in
the Race for Life, helping to raise £1,000 for Cancer
Research. Ronnie Heslip, Caroline De-Garston,
Rachel Dobb, Stephanie Knox, Kathy Toyloco and
Maria Maclaren-Love completed the 10k race in
the morning - and Julie James, Babita Williams,
Kath Pentlow and Paula Rowlatt completed the 5k
race. They dedicated their race to midwife colleague
Caroline who is currently undergoing treatment, and to
the memory of former midwife Frances Colledge who
died suddenly earlier this year.
Twelve volunteers for the Friends of Northampton
General Hospital received long service awards at the
organisation’s Annual General Meeting. The dedicated
dozen were honoured for serving 20, 15 and 10 years
at the charity. Pictured are Mayor Les Marriott, Joyce
Tebbutt, Sylvia Stuart, John Sturgess, Chrissie
Osborne, Brian Dew, Ruth Lowe, Ken Cheshire,
Trevor Gandine, and Mayoress Lisa Marriott.
Volunteers Joyce Craddock, Maureen Ormerod,
Kathy Layt and Kay Stevens were unable to attend.
Say hello to some of the members of the newly formed
Clinical Site Management Team who, led by Andy
Daly, manage the capacity of the hospital and help the
flow of patients through both elective and emergency
beds on a round-the clock basis. Out-of-hours the site
managers can be called upon to take on clinical and
non-clinical emergencies – which could be anything
from a fire alarm to a cardiac arrest.
Congratulations to
medicine care group
director Deborah
Alderson, who became
Mrs Deborah Needham
when she married Mark.
Debbie said: “We had
an amazing day and 120
members of our family and
friends joined us during
the day and evening,
including some friends
from NGH. We also had
three lovely bridesmaids,
all of whom had kept me
awake the night before
and still managed to
dance the night away until
midnight!” The newlyweds
spent two weeks in
Koh Samui, Thailand for
their honeymoon.
A&E consultant and
wannabe triathlete Dr Julia
Weatherill followed up
her April marathon with
another charity endurance
feat when she took part
in the Prudential Ride
London 100 mile bike ride.
This time Julia raised over
£350 for MIND the mental
health charity and recorded
an impressive 8 hrs 20mins
including drink, food and
toilet stops. There’s still
time to sponsor her at
www.virginmoneygiving.
com/JuliaWeatherill
Congratulations to Dolly
Barron, Macmillan
specialist palliative care
clinical nurse specialist
and acting team leader
who graduated from the
University of Keele on
9 July. Dolly has been
The newsletter for NGH NHS Trust Members members@ngh.nhs.uk, telephone 01604 523894
awarded the degree of
Master of Arts in the
Ethics of Cancer and
Palliative Care with Merit.
Laura Pannell and John
Wasniowski met in our
Finance department and
were married earlier this
year, honeymooning
on a Mediterranean
cruise. Laura said: “John
proposed just after our
second anniversary by
the Great Oak in Salcey
Forest – it was a great
surprise as I had no idea
he had bought a ring.”
The couple say they limit
work talk at home, and
don’t see too much of
each other at work but
“it is very nice to be able
to have the occasional
lunch together”.
And a big Well Done to
NGH medical secretary
Lauren Paredes, who
took part in the ‘Race for
Life’ this year for the third
time. Lauren, who was
diagnosed with breast
cancer nearly two years
ago, is now in remission
and raised over £830
for Cancer Research UK
in this year’s 5k race in
Abington Park.
Issue 17 Autumn 2013
7
‘Friends and Family
Sue Kells shortlisted
Test’ results published for award
improvements can be made.
“For instance we have made
changes to address issues such
as noise on some wards at night,
we are enhancing our ‘protected
mealtimes’ initiative, and we are
piloting a revised more efficient
format for ward rounds. We are
also involving patients more in
decisions about their care, talking
to patients about their concerns,
and explaining about possible sideeffects of any medication they are
using. We’ve developed cards and
leaflets with contact information
for patients should they have
worries about their condition after
leaving hospital.
More than 75% of
the comments we
receive from the
survey are positive.
“More than 75% of the comments
we receive from the survey are
positive. Our aim is to further
improve scores on all our wards
so that we can be sure we are
providing the very best care to
every one of our patients.”
We congratulate NGH
Macmillan upper
gastrointestinal nurse
specialist Sue Kells,
who was shortlisted for
this year’s Macmillan
Professionals Excellence
Award for Innovation.
The awards recognise and
celebrate the outstanding
contribution Macmillan
professionals make to
cancer services, and their
work is so vital in improving
the lives of people affected
by cancer.
Sue, who has worked in
oncology for over 20 years and
the last eight in her current
role, developed the dysphagia
service at NGH to provide a
direct route for patients with
oesophageal cancer to access
advice and support. She set up
a system where patients with
swallowing difficulties could be
rapidly assessed, and ensuring
that emergencies received
prompt access to endoscopy,
and improving quality of life
for these patients.
Consultant gastroenterologist
Sue Kells (left) with patient
Keith Birt and wife Sue
Dr Iqbal Khan said: “Being
unable to swallow is an
awful symptom for patients
and can very quickly lead to
dehydration and malnutrition.
Sue and the Macmillan team
do a wonderful job in bringing
these patients to our attention
and helping them through a
very difficult time.”
Interim lead cancer nurse
Trish Hughes said: “Although
Sue did not win the award
outright it was a significant
achievement to be shortlisted.
We commend her for the
excellent work she does in
providing a high quality service
for the patients of NGH.”
Come and join us, make sure that your voice is heard
We are very fortunate to have a membership that has been active and committed in helping us to improve and to shape our
services to that we can strive to provide the very best patient care that we think our community deserves.
We have focus groups run by and for our members who look at various aspects of the hospital, and have been responsible for driving real
change. But we know it’s an ongoing process, and we have to keep the momentum up, and by becoming a member, you can help us to maintain
that momentum.
Becoming a member is very easy, and it’s completely free so if you know anyone who you think would like to become a member, please ask them
to fill in the application form and return it to us at the freepost address shown. Or they can email us at members@ngh.nhs.uk with their name
and postal address, and we’ll add them to our membership database.
Don’t worry if you don’t want to get actively involved, you can opt to simply receive the newsletter, and have the opportunity to vote for members
of the council of governors who are there to represent you and to share your views with our Trust Board.
You can find out more about becoming a member on our website www.northamptongeneral.nhs.uk. Follow the link to the Get Involved pages.
The more members we have, the more we can be sure that we are meeting the needs of our community.
Please return your form to this Freepost address – there is no need for a stamp: Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust,
Membership Office, Freepost RRBA-RGGA-TEEL, Cliftonville, Northampton NN1 5BD.
Title and name: . ...............................................................................................................................
Address: ...........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................
Postcode: ............................................ Telephone: ...........................................................................
Email address: . .................................................................................................................................
Please write clearly in BLOCK CAPITALS, thank you
8
Issue 17 Autumn 2013
Right care, first time, every time
Designed by: Octagon Design and Marketing Ltd, Britannic Chambers, 8a Carlton Road, Worksop, Notts S80 1PH. Tel: 01909 478822
Data from the NHS Friends
and Family survey, which asks
patients whether they would
recommend A&E and inpatient
wards to their nearest and
dearest based on their own
experience, has been published
for the first time. NGH’s overall
score for June, the latest of
the three months’ results
published, was 67, described as
“within the normal range”.
Suzie Loader, NGH director of
nursing and midwifery, said:
“We are quite pleased with the
score, but we are aiming to do
much better than that. We want
to provide excellent care for all
our patients on every ward. The
information provided by the survey,
which includes comments and
suggestions as well as the scores,
is already proving invaluable
in helping us to see where