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S FOUNDATION TRUST
NH
L
ITA
SP
HO
L
YA
RO
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IEL
RF
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THE STAFF MAGAZINE OF CHES
Life@the
DOING OUR
RESEARCH
PAGES 10 AND 11
Royal
2012 - ISSUE 3
THE
OLYMPIC
SPIRIT
LIVEPASGESO8 &N9
COMMUNITY
SERVICES WHO’S ’ON THE
SPOT’ THIS TIME?
PAGES 12 & 13
LIFE OUTSIDE
THE ROYAL!
PAGES 4 & 5
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They can be controlled remotely via this device
The packs, as worn
by Georgia and Hollie
INSULIN PUMPS
FOR CHILDREN
Children suffering from diabetes
will get more accurate insulin
doses thanks to new pumps
introduced at Chesterfield Royal
Hospital.
The pumps, used regularly on
adults, are a relatively new
addition to the treatment of
childhood diabetes and, as it has
been recommended as a possible
treatment option for under
twelves by NICE (2008), more
children will be given the choice
of having an insulin pump. The
devices are ordered on a patient
by patient basis but funding is
there for 25 per year.
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Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012
They’re already in use on
Nightingale ward and Gemma
Bills is the paediatric diabetes
nurse involved in the training. She
said: “All children requesting a
pump will be considered but they
will be assessed against specific
criteria. If they’re not managing
their current treatment regime,
despite best efforts from
themselves or parents, then these
pumps are an option.
“The parent’s ability is also
assessed to see if they can
manage, for example, to adjust
the amount of insulin based on
meals and activity. The parents
and child will then come back to
learn about the pumps in more
detail at pump schools held in
The Den.”
The first two girls to try out the
pumps were Georgia Partridge
from Chesterfield and Hollie
Green from Killamarsh, both
seven years old, who were fitted
with the pumps in June 2012.
They used to need four injections
each day but now it’s just one
that stays in the pump for two
days delivering insulin in
increments.
Describing the benefits of these
pumps, Gemma added: “There is
a better physiological uptake of
insulin in short bursts and
reduced injections. Doses can be
controlled remotely through blue
tooth so there’s more parental
control and a more accurate
dosage that is altered as the child
grows whilst the handset
calculates the dose.
“They also stabilise the blood
glucose levels to be as close to
‘normal’ as possible which can
reduce future problems
associated with diabetes such as
neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy
and nephropathy. There is a low
battery warning on the device
that is raised well before it runs
out, the technical support is
superb and all of our ward nurses
have had training so any of them
can care for a child with a pump
should the child be admitted to
hospital and that training is
extended into schools.”
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Steven 'in print'
In his current role as Home Oxygen Assessment Clinical Nurse Specialist
STEVEN COLLIS IN HIS
Steven in his clinical
skills days
OWN WORDS
The trust’s home oxygen nurse
has had his work printed in the
very book series that he used for
his training.
Steven Collis responded to a
routine plea for contributions,
sent to all relevant practitioners,
by submitting a piece on capillary
blood gas sampling that has since
been published and sent to every
hospital in the country.
Steven said: “It’s for the ‘Oxford
Handbook of Clinical Skills for
Children’s and Young People’s
Nursing’ and when I saw the
email I had just left my role within
the clinical skills team. I had done
a lot of research into ear lobe
capillary sampling and looked at
paediatrics as well as adults so
thought I’d submit it.
“I was involved in drawing up the
trust policy for the service on ear
lobe capillary blood sampling and
that procedure had to be
evidence based for the book. It’s
the first time they’ve produced an
edition for clinical skills in
paediatric nursing so to be
published was a great
achievement.”
The article can be found in the
‘Emergency and High
Dependency Care’ section whilst
he also contributed to a section
on arterial blood gases. However,
it turns out that this isn’t the first
time Steven has seen his name in
print.
“I had two full articles published
in 2006,” he explains. “There was
one about the use of deception in
healthcare for the Nursing
Standard and another about the
nurse’s role in clinical audit for the
Nursing Times.
“I’d intended to have another go
at being published again but time
is always an issue. I’ve got the
bug again though and would
certainly encourage others to do
the same.
“I did a masters degree and they
emphasise the importance of
sharing knowledge, good practice
and publicising your own good
work. In fact one student nurse
has already told me that she
referred to me in her university
work and it’s such a good feeling
to know that you’re helping
others to do their job.”
Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012
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A huge amount of interest in our community services
2
1
0
2
M
AG
C
O
T
D
U
PRO
Chief Executive Gavin Boy
le and Chairman
Richard Gregory answe
r questions
The child development
psychology team's stall
Lots of interactive elem
ents to try
ue
ved to be a popular ven
Casa in Chesterfield pro
COMMUNITY SERVICES
TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT THIS YEAR’S AGM
After surgery and research were
given the chance to sparkle at
last year’s event, the women and
children’s directorate were the
focus of this year’s AGM.
The directorate sees close to
150,000 patients out in the
community with around 150
community midwives, therapists,
psychologists and nurses visiting
patients’ homes, schools and
community centres.
Debbie Eardley is the general
manager of women and
children’s, she said: “It was a
great opportunity for us to show
that the care we offer does not
begin and end within the walls of
the hospital. A lot of our younger
patients benefit from being seen
within an environment that’s
familiar to them.
“We involve other people in the
patient’s care in the community,
for example we contact schools,
leisure centres and go out to
people’s homes to fully involve
4
Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012
family members and provide
training to families and care
teams.
“It’s a different type of care and
by no means suitable for
everyone or for every condition,
but it can make a tremendous
difference to how the patient
responds and reacts to treatment
and recovery.”
before Debbie Eardley and public
us must lose sight of the fact that
governor Janet Portman talked
the patient and the care we give
about how they are working
to them must be at the heart of
together on the Trinity ward and
all we do. We will work together
Women’s Health Unit scheme.
as a board and with the support
Debbie Eardley then introduced a
of our Council of Governors and,
video to explain more about the
indeed, all our staff to ensure
women and children’s
that this is the case.”
directorate’s community
Another example of han
ds-on care
presence.
The first half of the AGM saw
twelve different stalls, mainly
relating to the care of children, to
showcase how they operate in a
community setting. There was
also space to promote the current
development of the Women’s
Health Unit and Trinity ward and
the upgrade plans for Buxton
Health Centre
Chief executive Gavin Boyle
said: “This was my first AGM
with the Royal and I was
bowled over by the level of
interest and the commitment
of staff to making it a
success. I was very impressed
with how our community
teams presented themselves
with such enthusiasm and
passion for the job.
The second half saw around 120
people stay to hear about the
trust’s activities over the past
twelve months as well as the
challenges ahead. They heard
from chairman Richard Gregory
and chief executive Gavin Boyle
“It’s going to be an interesting
and challenging year as we
grapple with the economic
challenges and move ever closer
to the implementation of the
new NHS system including GP
commissioning. However, none of
Women and
Children's General
Manager Debbie
Eardley presents...
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Community children's nurse
practitioner Rosie Wilson checks
this one year old's oxygen levels
O CARE
IN THE
Y
T
I
N
U
COMM
A transitional session by
the school nurses
COMMUNITY SERVICES
AN INSIDE LOOK
The care offered at the Royal
doesn’t just stay within the
confines of the hospital.
As anyone who went to this
year’s AGM discovered, there is a
thriving community service which
looks after patients in schools and
nurseries, community clinics and
health centres, community
hospitals and even in their own
homes.
Tina Shewring is the head of
children’s therapies, she said:
“Certainly when you’re talking
about children it’s not always
appropriate to ask them to come
to see us. Our therapy services
provide a lot of appointments in
the community and we try to do
this as often as possible as we can
show that it is beneficial.
“For example some children with
physiotherapy needs may find it
more re-assuring to see a
physiotherapist at school where
the environment is familiar and
they have the support of friends
and teachers. Similarly some
younger children who need
speech and language therapy
may be more relaxed and respond
better to sessions at home.
guage therapy visit
A home speech and lan
A physio session taking
place in the school
“Our Child and
Adolescent Mental
Health Service (CAMHS)
team will frequently visit
children outside of The
Den whilst our
occupational therapists
will work with children
to improve functional skills in the
environment where they will be
needed.”
The School Nursing Team work
with schools and partner agencies
to meet the health needs of
school age children and young
people. School Health Assistants
carry out health surveillance,
which includes height/weight and
hearing tests on school entry. The
Orthoptists also carry out vision
A specialist children's occ
upational health visit
The child audiology test
s start at birth
tests in schools to help detect
squints and problems with eye
movement which can be treated
early before they potentially
develop into something more
serious.
Community services feature very
strongly in maternity as well and
this was strengthened in 2011
with the high profile opening of
the Staveley Community
Midwifery Base at the Staveley
Healthy Living Centre in
partnership with Chesterfield
Borough Council.
The trust has produced a ten
minute video that outlines more
about services provided by the
women’s and children’s
directorate in the community. You
can see it on our YouTube
channel (www.youtube.com/
thechesterfieldroyal) or on the
trust’s website on the women and
children’s directorate page.
Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012
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Trina with staff
nurse Vanessa
Stapleton and HCA
Stephanie
Goodwin, two of
her 'Angels'
‘Angels of the ward’
at
The picture th
urney
inspired her jo
SHALL I
COMPARE
THEE TO A
SUMMER’S
DAY?
A patient on Markham ward has been
moved to write a series of poems,
inspired by her care and surroundings.
Trina Thomson from Boythorpe was
admitted to the ward on 15th August,
her 48th birthday, suffering from acute
myeloid leukaemia. However, her stay
on Markham proved to serve as the
inspiration for several poems.
Trina said: “I like to write the odd ditty
from time to time and in my room was
a photograph of a countryside scene.
It was the inspiration for a journey
through woodlands, down a path and
6
Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012
there was a field in the distance where
I would hopefully end up.
“The nurses suggested I write one
about them so I did and one male
nurse in particular objected to not
being featured so I wrote one about
him and what a diva he was, all
tongue in cheek of course!”
Trina has kindly given permission for
Life@theRoyal to reproduce her work,
inspired by one of the new features of
the Markham ward upgrade and the
care and attention of its staff.
Sitting in the hospital
There’s little chance to get bored
You’re forever being visited
By the Angels of the ward
Aileen is so funny
She never lets me whine
And whenever I’m being mischievous
She pulls me back in line!
Then there’s Steph and Kiri
Each one – a breath of fresh air
Both cheeky little buggers
But you really know they care
Vanessa is always rushing round
And so is Kelly too
Nearly always forgetting something
When chemo time is due!
As for Claire and Jovana
They keep me in ‘check’
Just a ‘look’ is all I need
It makes the hair stand on my neck!
Then we have Naomi
Her smile just lights a room
It just makes you feel better
When your day seems full of gloom
Maricel is always on the ball
A true professional girl
Sometimes, she does take too much on
And her head gets in a whirl
Each and every one of them
Mentioned here or not
Are the ‘Angels of the ward’
And they’re a cracking lot!
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SECURITY ROUNDUP
One of the many CCTV
cameras on site
Access controlled areas make sure you're not followed
BROUGHT TO
JUSTICE
BREAKING AND ENTRY
A Rotherham man was given 31
weeks in prison after breaking
into six of our vending machines
on four separate occasions.
33 year old Shane O’ Garr carried
out the first of his crimes in
January 2012 and was caught on
CCTV by security and arrested
shortly afterwards by police.
He stole a total of £2,500 over
the course of the thefts and was
sentenced at Rotherham Crown
Court in August.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Even low level crime is worth
reporting to police as it can still
result in sanctions.
an apology, the return of a stolen
item or paying for damages,
depending on the crime.
In July 2012 a coat was stolen in
a waiting area but the thief was
caught and dealt with by
restorative justice.
The sanction will go on the
offender’s record so that if the
person offends again, the case
could go to court so acts as a
form of deterrent.
Restorative justice can only be
administered for a first time
offence and is dealt with at the
scene between the police, victim
and offender and usually involves
In the case of the stolen coat it
was dealt with by a verbal
apology and the coat was
returned.
DRUG DEALER DENIED
A man was fined £135 and
ordered to pay £85 costs on
drugs charges
crew to call security and the
police, believing the driver may
have been selling drugs.
Reports of suspicious behaviour
and a car driving aimlessly around
car park 10 alerted an ambulance
The drugs were destroyed and the
man charged with being in
possession of a controlled drug.
DON’T BE A VICTIM OF CRIME
There has been an increase in the
number of thefts of staff and
patient’s property.
Personal property, particularly
valuables such as purses, wallets,
phones and ipods should be
locked away or kept with you at
all times and never left in insecure
offices, staff areas or changing
rooms.
Most thefts occur when staff leave
items unsecured in the office or
staff room, even if it’s just for a
minute.
All unattended offices must be
locked, do not allow others to
tailgate you into access controlled
areas and report any suspicious
activity or people to security on
extension 3634 or, in an
emergency, 7777.
Patient’s belongings should also be
stored securely.
Any incident of theft, no matter
how small, should be reported to
the police and an incident form
completed.
The poster above contains more
advice.
Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012
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KEEPING THE OLYM
Adam at just under 10,
000
feet
team
Adam with the Elmton
Steve Holt suffers a
ry
setback in his bid for glo
EIR
ELMTON WARD SHOW US TH
FUN SIDE
You’ve got to have a bit of fun
from time to time and that’s
exactly what two nurses from
Elmton ward provided.
Sister Fiona Bramley and nurse Liz
Claridge organised a ‘Fun Day’
that took place on Sunday 5th
August to raise money for the
wards charitable fund and involve
some of the other wards.
Despite some horrendous
weather in the build up to the
event, they had a dry day that
was a big success as the girls
raised close to £1,000 thanks to a
number of stalls and rides.
Fiona said: “It was a tough task
to organise and I think we
surprised a few people by pulling
it off. We had a bouncy castle,
inflatable slide, roundabouts,
Derbyshire Police brought over
one of their police cars for the
kids to explore and there was
plenty of food and drink.
“The highlight for us was our
own version of the Olympics
where we had a number of teams
Fiona makes a new
friend at the mini zoo
Take the strain!
compete in events such as the
wheelbarrow race, three legged
race, an obstacle course and a
tug o’ war. The teams put
everything into it and we all had a
fantastic time.”
17 year old Adam Buckley also
presented the ladies with a
cheque for £710 that he raised
doing a skydive following
treatment he received on Elmton
ward in January 2012.
He said: “I had an operation for
Crohn’s disease but there were
complications so I was in for quite
a while with further operations.
The way they looked after me
there was brilliant and when I
came out I was determined to do
something to raise some money
for them and show my
appreciation.”
Thanks to Adam’s high flying
antics and a very successful first
attempt at organising a fun day,
another one is already being
planned for 2013 so watch this
space.
LEADING FROM
THE FRONT
One of our nurse practitioners
literally led the way for our
Olympic medallists.
During the week Helen Heeley is
an ophthalmic nurse practitioner
in diabetic retinopathy but she
also moonlights for a Sheffield
firm that specialises in providing
security for events.
Helen said: “We became involved
in the Olympics and I worked on
some of the torch routes in Leeds
and Birmingham and also during
the Paralympics marathon,
making sure the crowd didn’t get
in front of the athletes.
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Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012
“I got drafted into the medal
procession on Monday 10th
September and they asked for
staff to go and walk at the front. I
don’t think I realised what I was
letting myself in for but I ended
up leading the procession from
Fleet Street to the Palace, in front
of all the buses, and then stayed
for the speeches and concert.
“The atmosphere was just
amazing and it was an incredible
feeling being involved in such an
historic occasion.”
Helen works for Showsec UK and
frequently spends her weekends
Helen with her Diabetic Retinopathy colleagues
and evenings working at various
concerts, shows and festivals.
was stood just at the side of the
stage in the VIP area.
“It’s fantastic,” she said. “I’ve met
all kinds of people including Tina
Turner and Gene Simmons from
Kiss. I did the Sports personality
of the Year two years ago and
“One of my jobs that night was
to escort Eddie Izzard to the
toilet. It was the year he ran 43
marathons for Sports Relief and
he was such a lovely guy, very
funny and very friendly.”
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YMPIC SPIRIT ALIVE
lier in 2012
A toy donation from ear
Things turn a bit nasty!
The whole ward want
to get in on the act
k
ato teams in Queen's Pea
The Nightingale and Arv
THE REAL THING
ARVATO DELIVERS
Elmton ward weren’t the only
ones to get themselves involved
in a bit of Olympics-style fun.
Nightingale ward threw
themselves into an old fashioned
sports day organised by Arvato, a
business outsourcing company
based in Chesterfield town hall,
with all proceeds going to the
ward’s charitable fund.
Arvato had chosen Nightingale as
its charity for the year, hoping to
raise enough money to allow the
ward to refurbish its play room.
On top of the year’s fundraising
they’ve also visited the ward
several times to make toy
donations and visit the children
and staff.
Peter Schriewersmann is from
Arvato, he said: “We always look
for a local charity to raise money
for and one of our staff has a
daughter with diabetes who was
treated here. She spoke about the
great treatment she received and
how good the staff were so
decided to make Nightingale this
year’s charity.”
Jenny Reaney is the play
specialists team leader, she said:
“We’d like to improve the play
room with new flooring, sensory
equipment and soft furnishings.
We’re grateful for all of the hard
work Arvato have put into
fundraising and delighted to be
working with them.
Whilst the staff were pretending
to be in the Olympics, children
were treated to a glimpse of the
real thing.
Paul Staniforth runs a martial
arts class for children and was
one of the torchbearers who
picked up the torch outside the
Royal on Jun 29th.
saw it on television and heard
their parents walking about it.
Paul stopped for us to take some
pictures during the run so for
him to think of us again is very
kind. It made our day!”
He stopped by at the hospital
and gave the kids the chance to
hold the torch and be a part of
the celebrations that continue to
capture the imagination months
after the tournament ended.
Jenny added: “Some of the
children have been so excited
about Paul bringing the torch in.
They all want to know how
heavy it is, what it feels like and
how big it is because they all
Paul makes some of the
young patients very hap
py
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RESEARCH AT
The midwifery research nurses in antenatal
Dr Justin Cooke, consult
ant cardiologist
and clinical research lead
THE TEAM
Research has been part of the
Royal for more than ten years
and, unusually for a hospital
outside of a big city, it’s getting
bigger!
Clinical research rooms were
opened on site in 2007 but the
team quickly outgrew this,
relocating to a converted
residence with three offices and
two clinic rooms on Sycamore
Drive in 2010.
The team are now looking to
expand again with the number of
clinical trials growing across
nearly all specialties.
Sue Glenn is matron for Research
and Development, she said: “It’s
an exciting time and we work
very closely with many other
areas of the hospital. We are
particularly reliant on support
from pharmacy, pathology and
10 Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012
imaging and these departments
are always fantastically helpful
and keen to be involved.”
Amanda Whileman, matron for
clinical research said: “The
research department is expanding
rapidly and our aim is to increase
involvement from staff within the
Trust and for research to be
embedded in the culture of the
organisation.
“We are inviting patients under
the care of health professionals in
North Derbyshire to be involved
in essential research and anybody
involved is helping us to shape
the future of healthcare both
nationally and internationally.
“With regard to patient
involvement, some patients are
concerned about being used as
guinea pigs but it’s more about
future patients benefitting from
Cancer is one of the
major areas of research
Research promote themse
lves
medical advancements.
Patients participating in
research will continue to
receive treatment by the
same health professionals
and the research team’s input
will be additional.
at last year's AGM
“If a patient is assessed as
being suitable for a current
research trial, they will be
approached by their healthcare
professional. They will have the
opportunity to discuss the nature
of the trial with them and
relatives, if agreeable, following a
rigorous consent process, they
are recruited to the trial”.
The Research Database is on the
front page of the staff intranet. It
lists all of the currently active
clinical trials. If you think one of
your patients may benefit then
you can contact the research
team on extension 3932.
Amanda (left) and Julie
outside
the clinical research bui
lding
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T THE ROYAL
Discussing how the
equipment works
and asking questions
Examining the intricacies
of the
list
E
IV
T
C
E
P
S
R
E
P
’S
T
N
IE
A PAT
Eric Dobson’s story began in 1999
when he suffered a heart attack.
Nine years later he had a
pacemaker fitted, at which point
he reported problems with
snoring and waking up very tired,
despite appearing to have a long,
unbroken night’s sleep.
He was diagnosed with central
sleep apnoea, whereby the
brain’s respiratory control centres
are imbalanced during sleep,
resulting in a loss of breathing for
a number of seconds before a
very fast rate of breathing occurs.
That person may not be aware
that they have sleep apnoea but
it can result in them feeling
sleepy during the day because
they don’t enter a deep sleep
state and put extra strain on their
cardiovascular system.
64 year old Mr Dobson from
Holme Hall met Dr Justin Cooke
(consultant cardiologist and
clinical research lead for the trust)
who told him about a new
treatment that they were trialling,
asking if he would like to
participate in the study.
it’s made to my health and the
way I feel is staggering.”
“I couldn’t see a reason why
not,” said Mr Dobson. “I felt
washed out every single morning
and my snoring was so bad that
my wife frequently had to sleep
in another room so it was having
an effect on my life. The next
thing I knew I spent a night at
the hospital with the mask, under
the watchful eye of Amanda and
Julie, to see if I was compatible
and if it was appropriate for me
to continue.
Julie Toms is one of the research
practitioners involved in Mr
Dobson’s trial, she said: “We
want to increase the number of
patients recruited to clinical trials.
We want it to be normal practice
to approach patients in clinical
areas and in the community and
would like ward staff, clinicians
and anyone involved in treating
patients to let us know if they
have a patient that may be
appropriate for a clinical trial. You
can see a list of current trials on
the Intranet by clicking on
‘Research Database’ and then
downloading the spreadsheet.”
“I can tell the difference. I can’t
say it was plain sailing right from
the start. It is strange having a
mask over your face whilst you’re
sleeping so that took some
getting used to but the difference
Mr Dobson added: “I wouldn’t
hesitate to recommend anyone
for a trial. The nurses are
fantastic, there’s a page number
for emergencies, they come to
my house if I can’t get in, arrange
taxis and transport as I can’t drive
after having my pacemaker fitted
and they always keep me fully
informed on what’s happening.”
Checking to see if the oxy
gen mask fits
Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012 11
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E
H
T
ON
.
.
.
T
O
SP
y
e
n
a
e
R
Jenny
In the run up to Christmas,
where better to go to find
someone to put ‘On the
Spot…’ than the Children’s
ward, Nightingale. Jenny
Reaney is the play specialist
team leader whose crucial role
it is to ensure the children’s
recovery is aided by using play
as a form of therapy. Here’s a
bit more about her…
What did you want to be
when you were little?
I wanted to be a Ballerina but was
told that you can’t stand on
tiptoes if your second toe is
longer than your big toe. After
that I wanted to be an air hostess,
they look so glamorous on TV.
What’s your earliest
memory?
I remember my brother was
obsessed with taking tins out of
cupboards in the kitchen and I
remember one occasion when I
shut him in. I’ve no idea how old
we were.
What was your first pet?
I had a rabbit called Cloudy when
I was 13, I’d been pestering my
parents for at least three years.
What was your favourite
subject at school?
I hated things like games and
drama and wasn’t very good at
English which is probably why my
favourite subject was Maths.
Written off by
a scooter
What was your first car?
I had a blue, ‘D’ reg Diahatsu
Domino. It was very small and I
don’t think they make them
anymore. It got written off by a
man riding a scooter who
sneezed and went right into the
back of me.
Where did you go for your
holiday last year?
I went camping with friends at a
little site near Newquay in
Cornwall. We got lucky with the
weather as we took in the week
that included the August bank
holiday when the weather was
good.
Have you ever met anyone
famous?
No, but I am going to an Olly
Murs book signing so I soon will.
Do you know any good
jokes?
Have you got a favourite
TV programme?
What do you a call a deer with no
eye? No idea (no eye-deer, get
it?). What do you call a reindeer
with no eyes and no legs? Still no
idea! We hear a lot like that on
Nightingale
ward!
I love ‘Come Dine With Me’, it’s
so addictive. I don’t know where
they find the people who go on
but the guy who does the
voiceover makes the show.
What CD
have you
got in your
car at the
moment?
A bit embarrassing but
A guilty
pleasure
it’s the ‘Dirty Dancing’
soundtrack. It was on TV a few
days ago so I decided to put it on.
I do listen to the radio a lot in the
car.
What’s
your
favourite
film?
Obviously I like
‘Dirty Dancing’
but my favourite
is probably
for the
‘Shrek’ which is very funny. One family
whole
12 Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012
t
One of the mos
er seen
bizarre I've ev
What was the last film you
went to see at the
cinema?
‘Ted’ which is a comedy about a
boy who wishes his teddy bear
would come to life to be his best
friend. The film picks up 20 years
later where they’re still friends but
the boy is now an adult. It’s very
bizarre but appealed to my sense
of humour.
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How will you spend
Christmas this year?
If you had a superpower
what would it be?
Probably at my Mum and Dad’s
with my two brothers and sister in
law. We’ll do the usual family
thing with presents and Christmas
dinner.
Invisibility so that I can be really
nosey and find out what it’s really
like to be a fly on the wall.
A modern Chris
tmas classic
If you went to a fancy
dress party who would
you go as?
Minnie Mouse because I love her.
I already have the ears, I just need
the dress.
Can you play a musical
instrument?
I used to play the flute but gave
up when I went to university as I
didn’t have the time to carry on.
What’s your favourite
Christmas song?
‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’
by Mariah Carey, you have to
have it on full blast.
What do you want for
Christmas?
A new TV. I’d like a flatscreen TV
because I’ve put up with my old
chunky one for too long and it’s
taking up too much space.
Yes please, as
long as I
don't have to
buy it...
Marmite…like it or
hate it?
I like it but I don’t tend to buy it. I
put chocolate spread on my toast.
What’s your
favourite meal?
I’ve been watching Battersea
Dogs Home so I’d buy a big
house and open a dog rescue
centre. That’s after I get myself a
nice car and have a luxury holiday.
Roast Beef with
Yorkshire Pudding!
One half of th
e ideal dinner
party
guest list
What’s your proudest
moment?
Graduating with a 2:1 in Early
Childhood Studies at Sheffield
Hallam University. The whole
ceremony was so grand.
Is there something you’ve
always wanted to do but
not got round to?
What would you do if you
won the lottery?
I’d love to do a bungee jump, a
proper one from a bridge rather
than a crane in a car park
somewhere. I hate being
underground but have no
problems with heights; the higher
the better!
Can you tell us
one thing about
yourself that
your colleagues
won’t know?
I did a tandem sky
dive a few years ago, it
was a charity thing for
the British Heart
Foundation and I’d love to do it
again.
What’s the worst
Christmas present you’ve
ever been bought?
I once got a very cheap, fake
diamond ring from an old
boyfriend…without sounding
ungrateful that relationship didn’t
last very long.
probably be David Beckham,
Jenson Button, Olly Murs and
Brad Pitt.
Yummy!
What four people
would you invite to a
dinner party and why?
I’d probably surround myself with
good looking men so it’d
Jenny with her
favourite character
Christmas
tree…real
or fake?
Definitely real
and the
bigger the
better! My
parents never
had a real
one because my mum
always thought they were dirty so
now I’ve got my own place I take
advantage to buy the biggest
that’ll fit.
It has to be
a real one
What book are
you reading at
the moment?
‘Please Daddy, No’
by Stuart Howarth.
It’s an
autobiographical
account of a man
who was abused
as a boy. It’s heavy
going; in fact I
don’t know why I
put myself through it.
Heavy reading
material
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THE ROYAL
YOUR DETAILS
NEEDED TO
WHU/TRINITY WARD
REFURBISHMENT
COMBAT FRAUD UPDATE
The trust is participating in the
National Fraud Initiative 2012/13.
Run by the Audit Commission, it
started in 1996 and has helped to
detect £939million in fraud,
overpayments and errors across
the public sector by comparing
information held by around 1,300
different organisations.
The payroll data matching will
take place shortly and will include
personal information on
employees. This is authorised
under Part 2A of the Audit
Commission Act 1998 and does
not require the consent of the
individuals concerned under the
Data Protection Act 1998. Where
a match is then found it will
simply indicate that there is an
inconsistency which may require
further investigation. However, no
assumption can be made as to
whether there is fraud, error or
another explanation until an
investigation is carried out.
For further information, please
see, or alternatively contact Iain
Kennedy, your LCFS on 07738
995864.
The Women’s Health Unit (WHU)
and Trinity ward updates are
almost ready.
Building work on the
development, that has seen the
WHU completely redesigned and
Trinity ward updated in the style
of the Chesterfield Birth Centre, is
in its closing stages with a view to
opening to patients towards the
end of October.
Work began in early May with
Trinity ward and some WHU
services moving to Portland ward
with the Early Pregnancy
Assessment Unit and WHU
outpatient clinics moving to
Margaret Grieve Suite.
We’ll take a more in depth look in
the next issue.
NURSING NUMBERS
NEED MET WITH
AMSPAR LEVEL 2
AWARD IN MEDICAL
TERMINOLOGY
Congratulations to the admin
staff that passed the AMSPAR
Level 2.
Alison Proud, Rachel Perry,
Annette Jones, Carol Walke,
Christine Rollin, Pauline Woods
and Sharon Haywood all made
the grade as the whole group
passed
There were two passes (70-80%),
three merits (81-90%) and 2
distinctions (90% and over) which
is a tremendous achievement.
The course continues to be very
popular and covers such things as
the structure of medical terms,
words relating to the different
body systems and also common
pharmacy abbreviations.
£1.5 MILLION
INVESTMENT
The number of qualified nurses
working here will rise by 40 –
thanks to almost £1.5 million
worth of investment backed by
the board of directors.
the pledges I made was to listen
to staff; and to act if we can. Well
in this case staff were ‘spot on’ we have listened; and we have
been able to take action.”
The move is a direct response to
concerns staff raised through the
2011 staff survey and follows a
review of every adult in-patient
ward in the hospital to assess
staffing levels against a host of
national standards and best
practice.
Chief nurse Alfonzo Tramontano
headed-up the ward review and
said: “We are about to launch a
new care strategy, which aims to
improve the basic care patients
receive on the wards. Combined
with improved staffing, this is a
real opportunity to make massive
improvements to the care we
give; - we can, and will make a
difference.”
Chief Executive, Gavin Boyle said:
“When I joined the Royal one of
THE FUTURE IS E-LEARNING
The Trust is looking at introducing e-learning
modules to replace parts of corporate
induction and the rolling programme.
Staff surveys have shown that taking long
periods of time out of a busy working day is
14 Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012
problematic. The trust is trialling an e-learning
system currently in use in Derby that has
resulted in 99% of rolling programme sessions
broken up into small sessions that can be
conducted online.
This is being looked at as part of ongoing
efforts to react to staff suggestions and
introduce more efficient ways of working.
More details will follow in the coming months.
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ROUNDUP
FLU
VACCINATION
CLINICS
This year’s flu vaccination
programme is well underway.
The World Health Organisation is
anticipating a difficult year and
therefore, as a trust, we feel it is
absolutely essential that we offer
ALL of our staff the opportunity
to be vaccinated against the virus
to protect themselves, their
families and their patients.
A number of clinics have been set
up (full details can be found on
the staff Intranet) with all
members of staff welcome to
attend and there is no need to
book, just see which clinic best
suits your availability. Last year’s
vaccination will not protect you
against this year’s strain so you
must make sure you are
vaccinated.
A video has been produced that
can be found on the staff
Intranet, just click on the
‘Seasonal Flu’ button on the front
page. This video explains the
importance of vaccination and
what will happen in the clinic.
The page also has full details,
including dates, times and venues
of each clinic and a consent form
to bring with you.
Also, if you have the vaccination
outside of work, at your GP or
elsewhere then please contact
Occupational Health so that they
can keep track of numbers.
For further details contact
occupational health on 2188.
CANCER SERVICES
STRIKE GOLD
Our cancer service has been
placed in the country’s top ten
following the results of the latest
patient experience survey.
Undertaken by Quality Health on
behalf of the Department of
Health, with respondents from
twelve different tumour groups
instead of just four, this is the
biggest survey of its type
conducted amongst patients.
It showed that our patients are
being treated with more respect,
are being kept better informed,
given more treatment choices and
have more faith in the care they
receive than ever before.
Steven Swift, the head of cancer
services, said: “A lot of hard work
has gone into improving our
service since
the last
survey,
which was
by no
means a
bad survey,
particularly
in the
areas of
information and
communication.”
Chief executive Gavin Boyle
added: “This is a fantastic
achievement and proves again
what a magnificent group of
professionals we have working
here. I’ve been hugely impressed
by the work that goes on across
the cancer team and it’s no
surprise to me that this survey
backs up my early impressions.”
BE SEEN TO BE CLEAN
Everyone has a responsibility to be
visible about hand hygiene.
‘community’ infections including
influenza and Norovirus.
As a must, every member of staff
should clean their hands when
entering and leaving clinical areas;
and those with direct patient
contact should follow the five
moments of hand hygiene ‘rules’.
The intention is to ensure that staff
are seen to be cleaning their hands
and therefore encourage patients
and visitors to do the same.
To get all of us playing our part, the
trust has launched a new hand
hygiene campaign called ‘Be Seen
to Be Clean’, which is designed to
get staff, patients and visitors onboard and supporting our
commitment to reducing infections
as well as preventing the spread of
Hand hygiene stations throughout
the hospital have been given a
makeover – and are now bright red
with lights and sensor activated
messages in some areas. Later on
in the month a radio advertising
campaign will also get underway to
support the Be Seen to Be Clean
message.
Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012 15
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RUNNING
FOR
YOUR LIFE
rehab nurse
Speaking with cardiac
r's membership
Sara Adams at this yea
evening on Cardiology
John and Helen after completing the run
Both of them in full flow
One of our cardiac patients has
completed the Robin Hood Half
Marathon to raise money for the
rehab nurses that he says saved his
life.
47 year old John Wilkinson suffered
a severe heart attack on April 21st in
2011. Waking up on Manvers ward,
John doesn’t recall much about the
incident itself but the effect it had
on him was immense.
He said: “It completely floored me
and I had no confidence whatsoever.
I struggled to venture out of the
front door. If I went for a walk and I
couldn’t see my car then I panicked
because I would wonder how the
paramedics would find me if I had
another attack.”
The cardiac rehab nurses stepped in
and introduced him to a programme
of exercise and confidence building
to help get his life back.
“I owe them everything,” he said.
“At first I was dubious and wanted
nothing to do with it but the way
they spoke to me, they made me
feel that I could do anything and
that’s why I did this for them.”
The cardiac rehab team
that'll benefit from Joh
n's
16 Life@theRoyal Issue 3 - 2012
efforts
By taking things slow and steady at
first, within a year John was able to
return to work, cycle up to 30 - 50
miles per day and, with the support
of his wife Helen, begin training for
and enrolled in the Robin Hood Half
Marathon.
John added: “We wanted to raise
money for them so that anyone in
Chesterfield who suffers a heart
attack will get the same type of
treatment and aftercare as I’ve had.
It really has been the difference
between me staying at home and
being able to put my life back
together.”
Helen said: “I’m so proud of John,
he’s truly an inspiration. He had to
have his knee strapped at around
the seven mile mark and I struggled
with my breathing but we managed
to finish in two hours and 32
minutes and were both thrilled.”
Nurse practitioner Nicola Holmshaw
said: “We’re delighted to see John
running again, pleased that he’s
taken all of our advice on board and
for him to raise money for us like
this is just amazing.
“Results have shown that those who
undergo a programme such as this
are more likely to return to a normal
life following heart problems and
reduce the risk of further problems
and John’s story is a perfect example
of this.”
You can still donate to John’s cause
by going to
www.chesterfieldroyal.nhs.uk, going
to the ‘Donate Online’ link under
‘Donate’ and click on the ‘Charity
Choice’ logo.