The Link August 2003 25/7/03 4:14 PM Page 1
The Link
A newsletter for The Whittington Hospital
August 2003
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Please recycle
The Whittington gets
two star rating
IN THIS
ISSUE OF
THE LINK ...
The Whittington was again awarded two stars in the Commission for
Health Improvement’s performance ratings for hospitals. Chief executive
Trevor Campbell Davis said: "Maintaining this high standard is the result
of hard work by all our staff. Well done to you all."
★★
Two stars means a
hospital has performed
well overall. The
performance rating
reflects our good
performance across a
wide range of measures.
The Whittington
exceeded seven of the
nine key targets,
including shorter
inpatient and outpatient
waiting times, reductions
in the number of
emergency department
waits, commitment to
improving the working
lives of staff, and hospital
cleanliness.
The hospital received the
highest grading in the
patient focus part of the
ratings for better hospital
food, the privacy and
dignity of patients, and
the total number of
patients waiting to come
into hospital. It was also
recognised that the
hospital has greatly
improved its infection
control procedures.
Royal
Northern
exhibition
On Thursday 19 June, Baroness Caroline Cox daughter of
one of the Royal Northern’s most distinguished surgeons,
Robert McNeill Love, came to formally open the exhibition
on the Royal Northern Hospital in the Great Northern
building (June Link). She is photographed with Dr Albert
Rinsler, retired GP and local historian, who put together
this outstanding exhibition along with many others around
the hospital.
• Modernising cancer
services
• Nurses welfare
service
• Tissue viability
• Redevelopment
update
• Clinical leadership
• New consultants
• Farewell to ...
• Theatre project
• Jane Wilson receives
her MBE
• First healthworks
25+ course
• Improving child care
PLUS much more!
OPEN DAY FOR
GPs, PRACTICE
STAFF AND
HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONALS
Thursday 18 September, 2003
3.00pm – 7.30pm
Social Space, Postgraduate
Centre, Archway Campus,
The Whittington Hospital
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THE LINK AUGUST 2003
MODERNISING
CANCER
SERVICES
By Kevin Telfer
The government’s "cancer tsar" was the speaker
at the second Whittington oration on
Wednesday 2 July.
And Professor Mike
Richards recalled his last
visit to the Whittington
twenty-five years ago with
mixed feelings.
"It is a great pleasure to be
back here at the
Whittington," he said.
"I haven’t been here for
twenty-five years and the
last time I came, almost 25
years ago, was not exactly a
happy occasion because I
was applying for an SHO
post and I was turned
down!"
Appointed as national
director of cancer services
in 1999, Professor Richards
was immediately labelled
the "cancer tsar," an
appellation that he sees as
inaccurate. "I can assure
you that the term ‘tsar’ is
an entirely inappropriate
one," he said. "It is a term
that suggests one has
ultimate authority, and I
can assure you I have none
of that."
However, after being in
post for almost four years,
Professor Richards has a
unique knowledge of NHS
provision of cancer services
in the UK. In his talk,
"Modernising Cancer
Services," he outlined what
he saw as the future in the
way that the NHS treat
cancer patients.
The advent of multidisciplinary teams and the
tracking of ‘pathways’ of
patients have been some of
2
the recent developments
that Professor Richards sees
as delivering a better
service. He also
emphasised the fact that
there has been an
unprecedented level of
spending on new
technology and personnel
across the NHS, delivering
improved cancer treatment.
But it is not only patients
with cancer that have to be
considered, but those that
may have cancer. "There
are over 200, 000 new cases
a year diagnosed," he said.
Whittington
achievement
awards
The Whittington
achievement award
scheme gives you the
opportunity to nominate
and honour someone you
know who makes a
valuable contribution to
hospital life.
Just get a form from the
Intranet or alternatively
contact Deborah Goodhart
on extn 5983. Closing date
Friday 15 August 2003.
Awards will be given at the
Trust’s annual public meeting
on 24 September 2003.
Left to right: Mrs Celia Ingham Clarke, Professor Mike Richards and
Professor Albert Singer
"But that’s only the tip of
the iceberg in many ways
because probably ten times
that figure – two million
people – get symptoms that
could be due to cancer and
get the worry of cancer and
come to hospitals like this
to have cancer excluded,
and obviously it matters
that that is done effectively,
well and in a timely
fashion."
Professor Richards also
stated that there should not
be any complacency in the
fight against smoking.
"We’ve got to bring the
focus on bringing down the
smoking rates because
smoking actually accounts
for a third of all cancer
deaths," he said.
His overall prognosis on
the state of cancer services
was optimistic, saying that
great progress had already
been made. However, he
conceded that "there is a
very long way to go and we
all need to recognise that".
Friends news
Members of
the Friends
were invited
to the
opening of
the
upgrading of
the day
room at the
Dorothy
Warren Day Hospital on Friday 14 July.
Deborah Wheeler, director of nursing and clinical
development, welcomed people present and expressed
her delight at the transformation. She thanked the
Friends for their generous donation, which made their
work possible. The colour scheme is relaxing and
inviting, well thought out by matron, Debbie Clatworthy.
We were then served with a splendid tea and lots of
chatter ensued, with nurses and patients present.
Members of the Friends came away delighted to have
helped this important and worthwhile cause to take place.
Tilda Siebert – Publicity Officer
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THE LINK AUGUST 2003
Nurses Welfare Service
No one can feel 100 per cent all the time. Most of
us confide in a friend, or let off steam when we
get home (late again?). If things get more serious
the NHS ensures there is workplace counselling
available.
But what if you’re a
nurse or a midwife?
Everyone expects you to
care for others, and to
cope yourself. To make it
worse we get called
"angels," when we
sometimes feel
diabolical. Accepting
help can be like
admitting failure.
➢ Janet didn’t want to
let her colleagues down so
came on duty when she
was sick – she made a
serious drug error.
➢ Sandra found
comfort in strong painkillers and started helping
herself from ward
supplies.
➢ James could not
begin a shift without
several strong drinks.
All were dismissed and
reported to their
regulatory body the NMC
(formerly the UKCC),
which ensures public
protection through
professional standards. All
thought their careers were
over.
That is when they
contacted the Nurses
Welfare Service, a charity
founded in 1972 to
support those whose
problems are so serious
that they risk being struck
off the register. Covering
the whole UK, NWS offers
free, confidential, skilled
support and counselling.
It helps nurses face up to
what has gone wrong, but
it goes on to address what
might be the root cause:
depression, bereavement,
loneliness, domestic
violence, racism, bullying,
a lack of assertiveness or
just "not fitting in."
Following in-depth work
with NWS many are
helped to attend the NMC
Health or Professional
Conduct Committee and
explain what they have
done to ensure that the
public can now have
confidence in their
practice and their
behaviour. NWS are not
representatives but they
can present a confidential
report to explain the
personal and social
background to the case.
For some there is no way
back and the service helps
them leave the profession
with some dignity.
Few people reading this
will have heard of the
Nurses Welfare Service. Its
six welfare advisers work
in sensitive and highly
personal situations with
individuals often at their
lowest ebb. But some like
Janet, Sandra and James
(not their real names)
have allowed us to
mention them because
the NWS helped them get
back to safe professional
practice – three less
vacant posts in the NHS!
How can I help?
The Nurses Welfare Service desperately needs your
financial support to maintain its skilled support of
nearly 500 nurses and midwives every year.
Grateful patients or relatives often want to give to a
nursing charity. Would you be willing to suggest a
donation, or make one yourself (a Gift Aid
declaration will boost its value to us at no extra cost
to you)?
Better still your Trust has offered to deduct a regular
sum from your payroll, to which the Government
adds ten per cent. For example, if you pledge £2
per month, only £1.56 comes out of your salary and
Nurses Welfare Service gets £2.20.
Please contact us now at Nurses Welfare Service,
Victoria Chambers, 16-18, Strutton Ground,
London SW1P 2HP.
Telephone: 020-7222-1563 or email:
[email protected]
Childcare information stall
To celebrate National Sure Start Month, and as part of
the trust’s commitment to Improving Working Lives,
Liz Lieberman, trust childcare co-ordinator, ran a
childcare information stall outside the Turning Point
restaurant on 18 June. With assistance from the
Islington Children’s Information Service she was
available to offer help and advice to staff with children
and provide information about the exciting new
childcare initiatives planned for the trust, including
holiday play-schemes, childcare vouchers and a
workplace nursery.
Liz will be running the stall every three to four months
so keep an eye out for the next date and please come
along to let Liz know how she can help you.
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THE LINK AUGUST 2003
Tissue viability
Redevelopment update
After sterling service
ferrying staff, patients
and visitors between
the two blocks, the
old link bridge has
been demolished. Its
temporary replacement will be in place
until the new atrium
opens next year.
Steve Job Redevelopment Project
Manager
July was Tissue Viability on the "Patient Care
Priorities Calendar" and the new guideline is being
launched on the prevention and management of
pressure ulcers (also called sores). The guideline
has been developed supported by guidance from
the National Institute of Clinical Excellence
(NICE). It will help staff when making decisions
as to how best to care for their patients and
includes an easy to follow flow chart with
recommendations for selecting the most
appropriate pressure relieving aids. The guideline
also includes pictures of different grades of ulcers
including reddened skin, which may appear
healthy, but is in fact at risk of going on to
become sore and ulcerated.
Whittington supporters
call it a day!
by Phil Ient
There cannot be many staff who are not familiar with
the scaffold that supports the bays on the south
elevation of the hospital. Those of you used to seeing
the familiar maze of supporting poles may have
noticed a significant change recently. At the end of
June the scaffolding supporting the bays was removed.
This was because a three-month project to strengthen
the structure and refurbish the interiors was
completed.
Dr Michael Abrams unscrewing the scaffolding
with Stephen Primrose and Jerry Burrell
An audit of pressure ulcers
took place over a four
month period between
September and December
2002, in conjunction with
the Royal College of
Nursing (RCN). During the
audit, the trust tissue
viability nurse assessed
patients on every ward in
the hospital. The audit
identified a number of
discrepancies in the way
patients are assessed and a
knowledge gap in what
surface a patient who is at
risk should be nursed on.
The aim of the guideline
and a new teaching
programme is to ensure
staff are supported and
informed when caring for
patients.
4
Close links with the tissue
viability nurses in
neighbouring hospitals
have also been established.
A programme of bed
management has begun
and new cushions have
been delivered to wards for
patients who are at risk
while they sit out of bed. A
pilot of electronic beds is
also in progress. There are
plans to re-audit to ensure
improvements have been
made once training has
been completed.
Paula Reeves – Head of
Clinical Governance
The new
accommodation
provides new day
rooms, bed spaces
and clinical
treatment areas,
and the views from
the upper floor
across London are
spectacular.
So after ten years of
support to the Whittington,
and to celebrate the end of
the scaffold, we are having
a competition. The prize
on offer is two free tickets
to the Whittington Hospital
autumn ball to be held at
the Café Royale, on 27
September 2003. All you
have to do is answer this
question:
How many tons of
scaffold were used to
support both bays?
To enter, complete the
entry form available from
the Club, and leave your
answer in the box provided
on the Club bar.
The closing date for
entries is Friday 22
August 2003
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THE LINK AUGUST 2003
Clinical Leadership
By Penny Roberts - Gynaecology Specialist Nurse
The second cohort of nine team leaders completed the
year long RCN clinical leadership programme in April this
year. Our group was made up of NHS workers from
diverse backgrounds including pharmacy, physiotherapy,
and maternity, as well as hospital and community based
nurses.
The clinical leadership course
aims to assist team leaders to
develop patient-centred
strategies in order to improve
patient’s day-to-day experience
of care.
The programme itself uses a
series of experiential learning
activities to do this, including
observations of care, patient
stories, workshops, personal
development plans, mentoring
and action learning sets. This
enables the team leaders to
develop insight in to their and
other people’s behaviour,
influence change and helps
them learn how to motivate,
manage and develop others.
The programme does involve a
great investment in time away
from the clinical setting (on
average, one-day a week). This
has a significant impact, not
only on those undertaking the
programme, but also their
team, who have to shoulder
any additional workload
created by their absence. To
date, 96 Trusts have invested in
this programme but only 16,
including the Whittington
Hospital, have run a second
cohort. Which I believe, shows
a great commitment by the
trust and its management team.
Here at the Whittington
Hospital, we in the first two
cohorts have greatly benefited
from having Margaret Cronin as
our local facilitator.
Margaret has now moved on to
greater things… and will be
sorely missed I am sure!
Will there be a third cohort of
team leaders undertaking the
RCN clinical leadership
programme at the Whittington,
I hear you ask? I understand
that the Trust hopes to run
another programme from the
autumn, so watch this space.
Interestingly, according to the
recent chief nursing officer’s
bulletin (May 2003) there are
plans to extend the leadership
programme to "frontline staff"
including D and E grade
nurses.
On a personal note, I have
greatly benefited from
undertaking the clinical
leadership programme, and not
just on a professional level. I
have learned so much from
listening to patients telling of
their experience of our service,
observing my department at
work, from our action learning
sets, and the wise words from
my mentor. In particular, I
would say that the insight I
have gained into why people
behave as they do (including
myself) has been incredibly
useful both at work and at
home.
Although the programme has
come to an end, we clinical
leaders are only now starting to
make the changes that I hope
will positively effect our
patients care.
Chaplain’s
corner
Are you getting any holiday? These
days people seem to spread holidays
out across much of the year, but there
still seems to be something special
about a holiday in the summer. If you
still have leave to come, I hope you
enjoy it, whether or not you get away
from home. If, like me, your holiday
is now history, I hope you can still
feed off the memories.
"Strange place to go on holiday," someone
said to me when they heard I’d been to
Norway. Well I guess that depends on what
sort of holiday you enjoy. If you want a hot
beach and night-life then don’t go to Norway!
If what you enjoy is dramatic scenery then put
Norway high on your "must visit" list. It is
spectacularly beautiful, indeed awesome.
There is something about such landscape that
moves the inner person even beyond words –
it touches the spirit.
Within the department of spiritual and
Pastoral Care we often find ourselves trying to
explain what we mean by the word spiritual.
Yes, sometimes it is related to faith and
beliefs, but it is far broader than that and very
much includes those parts of us we sense
stirring but find hard to put into words.
Soon after I came back from my holiday I was
in conversation with a patient who was
marvelling at the work the medical staff had
been able to do in treating a complex injury.
This person went on to reflect on how
amazing it is that our joints and our organs
and our bodily systems do work in balance
most of the time. Yes, modern medical
science can work wonders, and we can all be
grateful. Yet I suspect for those of us who
work in a hospital environment it is often very
easy to focus on the "going wrong" and to lose
sight of the marvel that our bodies exist and
work at all.
Maybe we would all benefit from a few
minutes "holiday" every day when we just step
back and allow ourselves to re-experience a
sense of wonder and marvel and awe. It will
refresh our spirits, help to rebalance the way
we see things, especially problems, and so will
revitalise us and everything we do.
Revd Daphne Williams - Department of
Spiritual and Pastoral Care
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THE LINK AUGUST 2003
Paula Reeves
Emma Mulcahy
Head of Clinical Governance
NVQ co-ordinator
Paula
Reeves has
been
appointed
head of
clinical
governance.
Do you know anyone that
wants to get involved in
National Vocational
Qualifications?
If so they might be in luck!
For the past nine months she has been
acting as Head of Clinical Audit and
Effectiveness and during this time she has
written the clinical governance annual
report and worked on the hospital patient
identification and the trust consent policy.
Paula first came to the Whittington to work
as a research nurse on the bed study,
which informed the redevelopment team
on the provision of non-acute care.
Paula says she is very excited to have been
given the opportunity to take clinical
governance forward within the hospital
and support staff to further improve the
quality of clinical care we provide.
Emma Mulcahy has just started as
the NVQ co-ordinator for the
Whittington, and she is extremely
motivated in raising the profile of
NVQ’s throughout the hospital.
Many people are not quite sure just
what NVQ’s are all about, but
Emma is working to change that.
Part of Emma’s role is to develop
the roles of the support workers,
and to ensure that they receive
high quality training. Emma used
to work on Meyrick ward where
she was one of the Ward Sisters.
She is based in the Jenner building
in room 209.
An NVQ is a nationally recognised
standard of training that is directly
relevant to your everyday work, it is
an opportunity to gain recognition
for the work that you do, it is a
flexible and accessible way to
improve your skills.
If there is anything you want to
know about further training at NVQ
level, for clinical and non clinical
staff you can contact her on extn
3369, pager: 07659 122 540 or
e-mail on:
[email protected]
New consultants
Mr Carlos Cobiella
Dr Valerie Stevenson
Orthopaedic surgeon
Neurology
Mr Carlos
Cobiella,
orthopaedic
surgeon, joined
the Whittington
Hospital at the
beginning of July
2003.
Dr Valerie
Stevenson took
up her post as
consultant
neurologist in
July 2003.
Mr Cobiella, who qualified
in 1989 from the University
of Madrid (Spain), came to
England in 1993. In 1997,
he got on to the Royal
National Orthopaedic
Hospital training
programme and did his
basic surgical rotation in
various London hospitals,
including the Whittington
in both 1995 and 1996.
6
Mr Cobiella’s main interests
lie in upper limb surgery in
particular the shoulder and
elbow.
"I am really delighted to be
back at the Whittington.
There are many friendly
familiar faces here even
after seven years" said Mr
Cobiella.
Having qualified in 1991
from Newcastle University
Dr Stevenson got her MD
in imaging techniques
applied to multiple
sclerosis (MS) from UCL
in 1999.
Her special research
interests lie in MS and
neuro-rehabilitation.
Dr Stevenson previously
worked as a specialist
registrar at the National
Hospital for Neurology and
Neurosurgery and at the
Charing Cross Hospital.
Dr Stevenson will divide her
time between the
Whittington and the
National Hospital for
Neurology and
Neurosurgery.
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THE LINK AUGUST 2003
Recep is new imaging services manager
Recep Suleyman was appointed as imaging services manager from 1 July. He
replaces Diane Elphinestone who left at the beginning of the year.
Recep will, I am sure, prove to be a very capable member of the trust's management
team.
Mike Lloyd – Director of Operations
Whittington
radio news
Caring for your heart
Pam Duke – Occupational Health
The Occupational Health Service launched the cardiovascular risk factor screening
clinic in November 2002, as part of improving working lives. There were 273
people in our initial target group of all male employees over 50 years and female
employees over 55 years old.
From the 211 invitation letters sent to date, 50 individuals have made
appointments and been assessed. The last groups of invitations are just being sent
out to the remaining 62 women.
Fifty per cent of all those assessed so far have required a second appointment and
about half of this group have required further support from either our medical
adviser or their own GP.
If you are male and over 50 years or female and over 55 years and have not
received an invitation letter and would like to be assessed please can you contact
the OHS direct on 0207 288 3351.
We hope that in a future magazine, you will be able to read one of your colleagues
account of their experience in attending the clinic.
The aim of the risk factor screening clinic, is to identify those of us who are most
likely to be at risk and therefore most likely to benefit from an individual
assessment. So…….don’t forget!
We are shortly to send more invitations out (to all male employees over 45 years
and all female employees over 50 years). If you receive an invitation please consider
having the assessment as the person to benefit from a reduction in risk is YOU.
CLUB NEWS! ... CLUB NEWS!
Thanks to everyone who attended Lesley's leaving party at the end
of June. Whilst she'll be a hard act to follow, we are pleased to
announce that a new Club Manager has been appointed. His name
is Tom Clementson and he is due to start with us on 18 August.
Also, please remember the date for your diary for this year's Autumn Ball which is
being held at the Café Royale, Regent Street on Saturday, 27 September. Further
details will be communicated around the hospital in over next couple of weeks
and bookings can be made via the Club starting 3 August.
Well the hospital radio has had a
busy month. We’ve had a few
guests, Rob Reynolds came in to
the Monday night main event
and played an acoustic track for
us live in the studio, and we also
had the singer Bea come in for
an interview. Abbi interviewed
Gemma from Eurovision
entrants Jemini for her Tuesday
night Kidz Radio programme
and found out what they’re
hoping to do since their fateful
nil points.
We attended the Waterlow summer
fun day, where the new art installation
in the foyer of the Waterlow unit was
officially opened by the mayor of
Islington. We interviewed the three
artists that created the piece of art and
relayed the unveiling and official
naming of the piece. We also
broadcast live from the stage, where
there were a variety of bands playing,
and interviewed members of the bands
in the studio. The highlight for some
of us, I know, was the live bongo
session we had in the studio.
Everyone from the station who came
out to appreciate the sun and live
music enjoyed themselves.
August sees on us getting our
fundraising hats on with a trip to
Kenwood over the bank holiday
weekend where we’ll be shaking our
buckets to try and get some of the
music lovers to give us some money.
If anyone’s going, be sure to come and
say hello.
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THE LINK AUGUST 2003
to
Ron Lendon
Many
volunteers
gathered in
the Turning
Point restaurant
to celebrate
Ron’s eighty-fifth
birthday on
Tuesday 15 July.
Philip Ient, director of
facilities, wished Ron a
happy birthday on behalf
of the Whittington
management. He also
thanked him for the excellent service he was
providing to the hospital and to the volunteers. "I
couldn’t believe Ron was 85,” said Phil, “I really
hope to be half as good looking at the same
age."
In response Ron said: "I would like to thank
everybody who has expressed their good
wishes to me, as well as the ones who came,
phoned or sent me cards. I have sometimes
to pinch myself to the reality of my longevity.
"Occasionally, courageous members of staff
and friends ask me if I have given
consideration to retirement to which I
usually reply… not yet but sometime I will
be able to answer in the affirmative.
"Meanwhile, a big thank you to
everybody for their various
contributions to ensuring that I enjoy a
youthful geriatricity."
8
Letter
from
Ron Le
ndon
You we
re
advisin kind enough
to prin
g of my
t a shor
recent
Whittin
t articl
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th visits
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dated
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leagues
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ld
May I t
ake thi
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showed
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a
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them th at my indispo nk all those w
s
a
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I canno
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tention
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I receiv
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al heal
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rment
a
to expr
at the d
of the n
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ursing
on an
staf
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out at t f, who mainta d cheerfulnes
s
imes, a
in such
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qualiti
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My tha
ur shift
nks in
.
par
also a
volunte ticular to Na
nc
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my abs
coped a y, my secreta
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ng
Volunt
Ron Le
ary Se
nd
rvices
Co-ord on –
inator
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THE LINK AUGUST 2003
Farewell to ...
John Scadding
Consultant neurologist Dr John Scadding bade farewell to the
Whittington at the end of June after 21 years as a consultant
here. Dr Scadding has taken up the post of associate dean at
the Royal Society of Medicine.
At a party held in his honour on 7 July both chairman Michael Abrams and
Dr Scadding’s colleague Dr Nick Lessoff paid tribute to his exceptional
expertise, skill as a clinician and great contribution to medical education.
He was very popular with everyone – colleagues, staff and students.
In response Dr Scadding reminisced about days gone by and thanked many
people who had helped him such as Sister Tilda Siebert who was a
remarkable ward sister (now a leading light in the Friends), Julia Keane and
especially his secretary Sarah Hill who has worked for him for 12 years.
Rob Hurd
Deputy director of finance
Rob Hurd left the Whittington after seven years on Tuesday 15 July
and took up his post as deputy director of finance at UCLH the
following day.
At a party to bid him farewell, director of finance Susan Sorensen paid tribute to
Rob's extraordinary ability as a finance manager and adviser, as well as his universal
popularity. She recalled his arrival at the Whittington as a newly-qualified
accountant and charted his professional growth and achievement over the years.
Susan also drew attention to his wider contribution to the Trust, including his
prowess as a key member of the Finance department football team and the
"Whittington Fun Days".
He will be very much missed both as a colleague and a friend, but there is
consolation in his continued presence in the local NHS scene.
Ray Lincoln
Facilities information officer
Ray Lincoln retired on Thursday 27 June 2003.
Ray worked in facilities for the past five years providing information and
technical support to the directorate. He had previously worked for the
directorate on the introduction of the estates labour management
system.
Ray's departure has created a temporary but notable knowledge gap
within the directorate’s technical information service area.
9
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THE LINK AUGUST 2003
Theatre
project:
Jane Wilson receives
her MBE
improving our theatres
Patient
information
co-ordinator
Jane Wilson
received her
MBE from the
Queen on 8
July 2003.
The Whittington Hospital was
awarded some funds from the
Modernisation Agency to improve
the performance of the operating
theatres. The trust has used these
funds to set up a theatre project to
reduce cancelled operations and to
improve the utilisation of our
theatres.
The project runs for two years from
September 2002 and is lead by Sarah
Metson, service director for surgery and
Katie Lindsey, theatre project manager.
By using our operating theatres most
efficiently and reducing cancelled
operations, we will be able to reduce the
waiting times for surgery and so improve our
services for patients.
The theatre project involves working across
many boundaries including pre-operative
assessment, admissions, the wards, bed
management and theatres. Clinicians and
managers are working together to develop
improvements to the service and are
supported by the IM&T department.
The project has already made significant
progress in reducing cancelled operations.
Several working groups have been set up to
tackle specific problem areas. One of these
is working to reduce the DNA rate (patients
that fail to attend for their operation).
Patients initiate 50 per cent of our
cancellations. The most common reason for
cancellation is that patients fail to attend and
do not notify the hospital. The admissions
staff and pre-assessment nurses have been
very successful in reducing the DNA rate and
the project target for this has already been
achieved. The challenge will now be to
maintain this rate.
The project is making progress in improving
the service that we provide and we hope to
be able to report further successes soon.
Katie Lindsey Theatre Project Manager
10
First healthworks
25+ course
The first
Whittington
"Healthworks
25+" trainees
successfully
completed their six
week course and
received their
certificates at a
presentation
ceremony on
Friday 13 June.
"The first course has been really
successful with 85 per cent of
students completing the course
and their feedback being very
positive. Many of them said how
much they wanted to join our
team at the Whittington," said
Rebecca McKenzie-Young, human
resources projects manager.
Students even expressed that the
course has made them feel more
positive about the hospital as a
health provider than they had
previously. A number of trainees
have been applying for jobs and
we will follow their progress over
the next few months to see how
they get on.
The next course starts in mid
September and recruitment has
already begun. If you have any
suitable A&C or Facilities vacancies
in the pipeline please let me know
so that we can direct our
successful trainees to your
vacancies.
For more information, please
contact Rebecca McKenzieYoung, HR projects manager on
extension 5206 or via
email: [email protected]
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THE LINK AUGUST 2003
Improving
child care
As part of the
paediatric
department's
commitment to
improving care for
acutely unwell
children, Ifor ward’s
sister Majella Travers
and clinical nurse
manager Jason Gray
recently successfully
undertook the multidisciplinary Advanced
Paediatric Life Support
(APLS) at St Mary's
Hospital.
Whittington
pair marry
Pictured right are Noreen McBirney
from the patient advice and liaison
office and Antony Cecco from TSSU
who married on Saturday 17 May.
Congratulations and all the
best!
Whittington births!
Congratulations to:
★ Morna Carroll and Hasan Mukhtar who had a
baby girl Sasha on Friday 11 July.
★ Sophie Harrison who had a baby boy Ben on
Saturday 12 July.
★ Tara Donnelly who had a baby girl Ruby on
Monday 14 July.
Jason was also selected
to be an instructor and
teach on future
courses on behalf of
the Whittington.
Congratulations
to both of you!
Lorraine Tinker Service Manager
Paediatrics
11
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THE LINK AUGUST 2003
LINK CROSSWORD
compiled by Ellen Beckett
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Are you the one?
Do you have the
purrrrfect
name for a new ward?
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A new eight bedded ward has recently opened in the
Emergency Department, and it needs a name!
Are you bursting with ideas?
24
25
26
ACROSS
£50
1. Annual Royal event at
Henley. (7)
1. String of beads used by
Roman Catholics. (6)
4. Principal Italian opera
house. (2,5)
2. The head of the Salvation
Army. (7)
8. Ancient Roman state
council. (6)
9. Rich heiress in
Shakespeare’s Merchant of
Venice. (6)
10. A screen behind an altar. (7)
11. French poet and artist,
author of Les Enfants
Terribles. (7)
13. One of the essential parts of
anything. (7)
3. A three-lobed form,
ornament or aperture. (7)
LINK
CONUNDRUM
Name that
CROSSWORD underground
station!
5. Powerful instrument made
of wood and bark. (7)
6. Decorative style of the
1920’s and 30’s. (3,4)
Strong lady
park
7. A counting frame. (6)
Solutions to last
month’s Link
Crossword
12. Signs of some future event,
either good or evil. (5)
15. Programmes of business for
discussion. (7)
14. French Black Forest cake?
(7)
21. To throw up? (7)
16. One of the Marx Brothers,
real name Julius. (7)
22. Relating to tin in its
quadrivalent state. (7)
With a
prize,
it’s at least worth having a go!
Send your ideas (with reasons) to
PAULA MATTIN
in the Emergency Department, by 8 August.
or email: [email protected]
DOWN
23. Sloping type used for
emphasis. (6)
17. A Merchant of Venice who
also appeared in The
Tempest. (7)
24. Emily Bishop, formerly Miss
……. In Coronation Street.
(6)
18. A line that touches a curve.
(7)
25. Figure with six sides and
angles. (7)
19. Venue for the Oktoberfest.
(6)
26. Inscribed stone discovered
in 1799 near Alexandria. (7)
20. Added to Nova, a province
of East Canada. (6)
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U T A H
H
C
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C O M F I
S
O
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J
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M I L T O
I
B
N
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L O G I S
H
Y
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C O B R A
N
E
27
E P S T E
3
4
S A
F A
C
O
8
O N Y X
U
T
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T
T R I
O
T
17
B
N
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G
R
23
T I C
M
F
A
25
F O H N
I
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28
I N
D E
5
R A D A
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9
B L A C
E
12
L L I O
B
14
L
I
O N S A
T
19
L
A I L E
A
26
U M B
A
M P S E
Please send your
answers to:
6
Y
U
K
O
N
Deborah Goodhart,
JENNER BUILDING
Last month’s solution to:
City of culture 2008?
I
Liverpool Street
20
A
R
G
O
S
Y
Winner:
Tony Chiassaro
Club bar and beverage
assistant
Let us have your comments, ideas and stories for The Link. Send them to
The Press Office, Jenner Building, The Whittington Hospital, Highgate Hill, London N19 5NF
Telephone: 020 7288 5983 Fax: 020 7288 5858
email: [email protected]
Editor: Deborah Goodhart