Issue 114 • May 2013

Pennine NewsT O P R O V I D E T H E V E R Y B E S T C A R E F O R E A C H P A T I E N T O N E V E R Y O C C A S I O N

LIA PASS IT ON EVENT

• Double ‘whammy’ from UNICEF for PAT

• New community vascular clinics

• Honour for Trust as it hosts FRCS exams

• Ruby Wax to host staff awards

In the news2 May 2013

ContentsNew vascular clinics in the community .................... Pg 4

Another award for PAT library service ............................ Pg 4

Too posh to wash? Lou’s chapter in national report ...... Pg 5

Asthma awareness in children ... Pg 5

Ruby Wax named to host staff awards ..................... Pg 6

Endoscopy improvements increase best practice .............. Pg 6

From a pope to a riot! ............ Pg 7

Sponge cakes at dawn in ICU bake-off! ........................... Pg 7

Exam success ............................ Pg 7

Team Talk ................................. Pg 8

Team focus on pharmacy ........ Pg 9

Working together on records .. Pg 10

Mayor of Bury praises FGH ...... Pg 10

PAT to host PIP ........................ Pg 10

Fundraising kicked off for CAU .. Pg 11

Thought for the month ........... Pg 11

The giggle doctors are coming ...Pg 11

LiA pass it on event ................. Pg 12/3

Highlighting nutrition ............. Pg 14

Hands on with life support ..... Pg 14

Charity news ............................ Pg 15

Staff noticeboard ..................... Pg 16

OVARIAN cancer awareness month in March was marked by the Trust with a series of events.

Over 70 people turned up to hear gynaecology Macmillan clinical nurse specialist Julie Dale give a talk highlighting the different types of gynaecological cancer, their symptoms and how to seek advice and treatment.

According to Cancer Research UK, gynaecological cancers account for 12% of all UK cancers, responsible for almost 10% of female deaths in the UK. In 2010, 160,000 new female cancers were diagnosed in the UK.

Julie said: “There are different types of gynaecological cancer. The main symptoms can be very general and it is important to recognize what is normal for you and if you notice any abnormal changes it is recommended to seek advice from your GP as soon as possible. It is important that if you develop any symptoms related to gynaecological cancers and they occur on a regular basis, to get them checked by your doctor. If further investigations are required you will be referred to our specialist team. The earlier any cancer is diagnosed, the greater chance there is of survival.”

Information events and poster displays were also held at the Trust’s hospitals promoting the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. Shoppers at Oldham’s Elkmill retail park and the Manchester Fort retail park could also speak to Macmillan gynaecology nurse specialists

about the disease during the national awareness drive.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer can include new, frequent and persistent pelvic and abdominal pain, swelling of the abdomen and bloating, difficulty eating and feeling full quickly, and urinary symptoms (needing to wee more urgently or often than usual).

Julie added: “All the events were really well attended and we were pleased that we could offer reassuring advice and support to the women who approached us.”

More information about ovarian cancer can be found online at www.macmillan.org.uk or call 0808 808 0000, or www.targetovarian.org.uk or www.ovacome.org.uk

Pictured above are staff at on the women’s investigation unit at NMGH.

Inside NewsTHE Trust has several communication tools to help keep staff up to date:

Team Talk is sent round monthly, for use in all team briefings.

Weekly bulletins are emailed on Mondays and contain a range of operational and site information.

Online copies of all the bulletins and Team Talk, plus more, can be found on the Trust intranet at nww.pat.nhs.uk/communications

You can send your stories for either Pennine News or for local media to Trust communications at trust.communications@pat.nhs.uk, or call Nicola Berry on 44284.

If you have any ideas, views or suggestions regarding communications across the Trust, please email staff.views@pat.nhs.uk

Offering support during awareness month

Diary dates

9 May - Research & Development presentation, 2 pm, education centre, TROH

30 May - Clinical teaching in the 21st century. 1 to 4pm, clinical skills & simulation training dept, NMGH

24 June - Nutrition and dietetics talk. 2 to 4pm, education centre, TROH

MIDWIVES at the Trust are celebrating after achieving an outstanding result in a recent breastfeeding audit.

The audit, conducted in November by the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, analysed how the midwifery teams at North Manchester General Hospital, who care for mothers from Manchester, Bury and Salford, cared for local mothers and their newborn babies before and after giving birth.

UNICEF spent two days on the maternity wards and contacted 45 local women from the boroughs who had recently given birth at North Manchester General Hospital. They asked for detailed feedback from the new mothers on topics such as: breastfeeding and bottle feeding support and advice; the care they had received throughout the pregnancy and during labour, and about the care and help they had received after the birth by the community midwifery team.

The Trust’s maternity and infant feeding teams have held a high accreditation since 2006.

Each of the UNICEF ten standards must achieve a pass mark of 80%. However, the midwives at the Trust achieved above this in most categories from postnatal support and neonatal support, to bottle feeding. UNICEF’s comments included: “…evidence of some excellent care found.”

For the Trust, it means the team can continue to demonstrate exceptional quality of care and support for breastfeeding and bottle feeding mothers and infants.

Dr Val Finigan, consultant midwife for the infant feeding team at The Pennine

Acute Trust, said: “Despite the two days being exceptionally

busy with a high workload for the midwives, plus the

challenges of the recent reconfiguration of services and the merging of North Manchester, Salford and Bury teams, we have jointly succeeded to sustain the UNICEF standards for breastfeeding

demonstrating the quality of services provided by the

Trust.

“The pass rates achieved are an outstanding example of the midwives’

ability to work together to ensure local women receive the best standards of care in relation to feeding and caring for their babies. I am so very proud of the teams - they consistently drive forwards best practice and always keep their focus on mothers, babies and families being the centre of their care.”

Pictured left to right: Tina Hughes, infant feeding advisor; Gail Gaynor, antenatal clinic manager; Dr K Sohail; Val Finigan, consultant midwife infant feeding; Elizabeth Maffia, infant feeding support worker and Jenna Haycocks, midwife from the antenatal ward.

3In the news

Honour for Trust as it hosts FRCS examsTHE Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has had the honour of hosting the prestigious FRCS examinations at their North Manchester General Hospital site.

The Royal Colleges of Surgeons’ examinations are the gold standard for surgeons and the qualifications are recognised as a mark of excellence amongst surgeons internationally.

The Colleges host intercollegiate fellowship examinations for the international surgical community including the Joint Surgical Colleges Fellowship Examination (JSCFE), where success results in the FRCS qualification. Gaining this elite qualification allows election as a fellow to any of the four Royal Colleges in the UK (Edinburgh, England, Glasgow or Ireland).

Professor Robert Woodwards, consultant and clinical director of the maxillofacial unit at North Manchester General Hospital, who was instrumental in organising and hosting this year’s exams explains: “It was a privilege to host this year’s FRCS examinations. The last time the Trust actually did so was in April 2003, so it doesn’t happen too often.

“We hosted the exams for 13 specialty registrars who work and train in maxillofacial units across the UK. The exams require intensive learning and specialist knowledge from the surgeons.

They involve a one hour examination with four separate examiners followed by three 30-minute oral exams.

“The surgeons have to examine patients and come to a conclusion about the treatment the patient needs, so there is no

room for error. The exams are very tough indeed. Gaining the qualification shows a surgeon has achieved the highest standard of surgical knowledge and this definitely contributes to them providing the best standard of care for their patients.”

The Royal Colleges of Surgeons enable surgeons to achieve and maintain the highest professional standards of care through training and support throughout their careers. They also help to highlight best working practices through ongoing training and research.

As one of the examination centres, Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to

supporting the College in helping surgeons achieve the highest professional standards and accreditation.

Professor Woodwards adds: “We’re very pleased that this year’s examinations were held successfully and that the Trust was able to do its part to help surgeons throughout the UK gain this final hurdle before appointment to a consultant post in the NHS.”

Pictured: Professor Woodwards, Beverley Mason, dental nurse specialist and Professor Woodward’s PA, Cath Williams in the dental chair.

Double whammy from UNICEF for PAT

New vascular clinics to open in New vascular clinics to open in New vascular clinics to open in New vascular clinics to open in New vascular clinics to open in New vascular clinics to open in the communitythe communitythe communitythe communitythe communitythe community

THE Trust is due to open new vascular disease clinics within the community setting for Tameside residents.

The new consultant-led clinics will be held at Higher Openshaw Primary Care Centre and offer a range of outpatient vascular services aimed at treating patients with conditions such as abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease, venous disease, lymphodema and vascular trauma.

Consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon and cinical lead, Dr Oshodi, said: “We’re keen to make GPs and patients aware of the new vascular clinics being offered by the Trust. The aim behind the new service is to not only help improve access to vascular services for Tameside residents, but also improve their whole quality of life and cardiovascular health.

“We think it’s important that patients are able to access services that are close to home and with referral by GPs through the Choose and Book system, we hope that this will make the whole process quick and easy for patients.”

Vascular disease affects a wide range of people – in fact 9% of the UK population. It is typically caused by hardening of the arteries due to a thickening of the artery lining from fatty

deposits or plaque. This makes it difficult for blood to flow freely around the body and commonly affects

organs including the heart, legs and brain. The condition particularly affects those with

diabetes, smokers and people over 60.

It is hoped that the new service will help raise awareness of the disease with

Tameside residents, so that people can take preventative action to avoid vascular conditions, and also ensure that those suffering with the condition get the treatment they need at an early stage.

Dr Oshodi adds: “The good news is that when the disease is diagnosed early, treatment and lifestyle changes can be effective in managing the condition.

“A combination of lifestyle changes and medication can help to minimise the risk. As a service, we want to raise awareness with patients about the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle. Things like

stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet, avoiding saturated

fats, losing weight and more exercise can make a big difference.

Our consultants and outpatient nursing staff will offer help and advice

to patients to make these changes.”

If you would like more information on the new vascular service, please contact vascular

nurse specialist, Deborah Ruff on 0161 778 5090.

News - Trust stories4 May 2013

Not just shelving books but polishing trophies too!PENNINE Acute’s library service has won its second national award in three years.

Consisting of a series of video clips featuring library manager John Addison, he explained how to use many of the electronic resources purchased by the library on behalf of its users. The clips are hosted on the library pages of the Trust intranet and the entry was subsequently judged to be the best marketing and promotion innovation submitted to this year’s national Sally Hernando Awards for Innovation in NHS Library and Knowledge Services.

John said: “The innovation came about as a result of collaboration between the library service and the Trust’s e-learning team. The two services have recently merged and it is hoped that the new service will be able to build on past successes which include one previous national award and two additional commendations, one for innovation, and one for marketing materials.

“The award was a team effort, but particular mention should be made of the fine contribution by Kieran Simpson, the e-learning project support assistant whose technical know-how turned potentially dry contributions into more animated video.”

5News - Trust stories

HEALTH practitioners are being asked to help raise awareness about the dangers of asthma in children. Every 17 minutes a child with asthma is admitted to hospital as a result of complications. In the North West alone, it is estimated that one in 11 children - two children in every classroom suffer with this long-term condition.

National data shows that over 5,800 children are admitted with asthma to North West hospitals every year. In fact, 38.5% of all emergency hospital admissions for asthma are for children aged 14 and under, despite the fact that many of these cases are preventable. These worrying statistics highlight the serious nature and scale of the problem.

That’s why NHS Northwest is working with Asthma UK to promote awareness of asthma with parents, carers and teachers. They want to highlight the potentially serious nature of asthma in children. The aim behind the campaign is to highlight the importance of children using their medication properly.

Acting medical director, Dr Christina Kenny, said: “We don’t fully understand what causes asthma, but attacks can occur when a child comes into contact with something that irritates the lungs. This often results in a range of symptoms including wheezing, coughing and a tightness in the chest.

“It is often everyday things like the cold virus, exercise, air pollution, tobacco smoke and allergens such as pollen, animal fur and dust mites that trigger asthma symptoms.

“The good news is, asthma medicines, when used correctly, can be very effective in helping to prevent, control and relieve the symptoms. The problem is that children and their carers don’t always fully understand how to use the medicines they are given properly.”

Asthma medicines are usually taken using inhalers. These devices deliver the medicine directly into the child’s airways when they breathe in.

Dr Kenny adds: “The sad reality is that a number of children are dying unnecessarily because they don’t use their asthma medication properly. It’s really important that we teach not only the children, but also their parents, carers and teachers about how to take the medication properly.

“It can be frightening for everyone involved when an asthma attack occurs. The quicker people can respond and treat the symptoms, the better.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about asthma should contact Asthma UK. They have a range of resources to help support parents, carers and schools manage asthma more effectively. Visit their website: www.asthma.org.uk

Asthma awareness in children

EMBRACING change and having a ‘can do’ attitude has led to a clinical manager at Rochdale having a chapter published in a national report.

The ‘Too posh to wash – reflections on the future of nursing’ report features a chapter on ‘Letting leaders lead’ which was written by Lou Harkness-Hudson, clinical manager of the Urgent Care Centre (UCC) and Clinical Assessment Unit (CAU).

Commissioned by Gail Beer, director of operations at 2020health, the report looks at the future of nursing in the public sphere. It seeks to address the thoughts, visions and concerns of those working from Board level to those on the shop floor and around 50% of the articles were submitted by nurses.

Lou wanted her article to be about leadership and trying to change the culture around thinking outside the box and doing things differently.

As a relatively new unit, Lou felt that the CAU was a perfect example of effective change in delivering a service. As the only unit of its kind in the country, referrals are taken direct from GPs, the UCC, community matrons and repatriated patients from within other PAT hospitals.

Operating a 24 hour, seven day a week service which is medical led, Lou feels that the original setting up of the service and getting the right team was crucial. She said: “The selected staff underwent a complete change in their ethos, perspective and roles in order to deliver the success of the CAU. As a consequence they have evolved into a more efficient, understanding empathetic and organised team who deliver an excellent service to the public.

“This is the result of ‘thinking outside the box’ leadership. It is about having a co-operative approach to change. It is about embracing change from the bottom

up and therefore taking ownership for change across all levels.

“Our mantra is ‘we never say no’ we want the service to be used by as many service users as possible. As a team we are constantly exploring new possibilities and ways of extending our service even further, putting our patients at the centre of everything we stand for.

“My philosophy is to treat CAU as I would a successful competitive business, generating standards which include privacy and dignity, good manners, a smile, care and compassion, excellent communication and trust, knowledge and expediency. This approach must encompass the highest expectations of care delivery and all that this entails. Leadership is also about effective empowerment of staff to have belief in themselves, and belief in what we, as a team, are trying to achieve.

“I think that if you empower nurses to own change and look upon where they work as their own, it allows them to shape the way that their area runs. It takes a long time and a lot of hard persistence to work to change and reshape cultures that are embedded, but it is achievable. Change isn’t always a bad thing and can lead to a better service.

“Every single member of the team is important to success and change should involve everyone. It cannot work from the top down, it has to be inverted and work from the bottom up with strong leadership to guide the process. Lead by example and encourage a collaborative approach to change allowing input from every level to shape a service that is right for the people that use it and healthy for the staff that provide it.”

The report is available to view at www.2020healthorg/2020health/Publication2012/Nursing/Too-posh-to-wash

C

Too posh to wash? No, the CAU

will see how they CAN DO IT!

Ruby Wax to host staff awardsRUBY Wax, well-known TV personality and comedian has been named as this year’s celebrity to host The Pennine Acute Trust staff awards.

Ruby first came to Britain in 1977 and initially trained as an actress working with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1979 she moved into television, writing for ‘Not the Nine O’clock News’. She teamed up with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders and worked alongside them on a number of television series throughout the 80s and 90s including ‘French and Saunders’ and ‘Absolutely Fabulous’.

She got her own chat show and gained access to a wide variety of personalities. Her inimitable style became her trademark and she provided the television public with a truly different insight into the lives of the rich and famous. She has appeared on numerous television shows including ‘The Ruby Wax Show’, ‘Ruby Takes a Trip’ and ‘Ruby’. She has also supported Comic Relief over many years.

As an accomplished stand-up comedian she has taken her tour around the world, as well as participated at a variety of corporate events entertaining after dinner or presenting awards.

Her hugely successful two-woman show ‘Losing It’ has recently finished its West End run. The show is a dark comedy about mental illness and coping with the toxins of modern life. Ruby has been nominated for the Jo Hutchinson International Best Solo Performance in the 2012.

Ruby is a prominent speaker on mental health issues.

WITH demand for endoscopy services increasing year on year, hospitals trusts have been asked to look at new ways to increase capacity and improve the productivity of endoscopy teams across the country.

Demand for endoscopy services is set to double over the next five years, driven largely by the extension of screening programmes for conditions such as bowel cancer, but also the success of the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI), to help improve awareness of cancer symptoms amongst the public, and increased surveillance of patients with enhanced risk.

This increase is affecting endoscopy services across the country and as a result, hospitals have been working with NHS Improvement (NHS Improving Quality from 1 April 2013) to look at ways of not only meeting demand, but also improving service quality.

The project has involved teams from twenty three sites across the country coming together to discuss the challenges faced, share new ideas and identify areas of best practice.

Rachel Scott, directorate manager of the gastroenterology service at The Royal Oldham Hospital, explains: “We’ve been working with other hospitals across the country over the past year to share ideas, solutions and best practice, to help meet the challenges we face as a service.

“Like many other hospitals, we are seeing demand for services like colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy increase significantly and we have been working with NHS Improvement to identify ways to manage capacity in line with demand.”

The project, which has been led by deputy directorate manager, Janet Nicholls and unit manager, Fiona Lord, has been looking at various ways to improve the service and patient experience. As part of this process, the team have identified ways to improve data collection and use this information to analyse demand and variations in the service across all Trust

sites. This has resulted in significant improvements to the endoscopy team’s overall productivity and optimised capacity.

Dr Roger Prudham, gastroenterology consultant at Fairfield General Hospital, said: “Better communication and clinical engagement have been key to the improvements the team have made – not only with patients but also with staff. Simple changes such as daily team huddles have helped our staff to deal with any issues that arise and allowed them to feedback directly into the way we manage the service.

“Regular team meetings dealing with every aspect of the service have harnessed many ideas such as a new process letter, patient diaries and noticeboards that we have been able to use to provide the best quality service we can.”

The team have also used patient feedback from comment cards and patient surveys to inform their planning and make improvements to the service. A new reminder service has also helped to reduce cancellations and the number of patients who fail to attend appointments.

Patients now have their care managed by skilled and integrated teams of endoscopists and nursing staff. The team have also been able to introduce new, streamlined care pathways, which have resulted in shorter waiting times and better care for patients.

Rachel adds: “Patient feedback has been really important throughout this project. It has allowed us to identify a number of ways to improve the overall patient experience and ensure that patients receive a high quality of care throughout the four endoscopy units within the Trust.”

The team will be sharing details of the improvement programme at a seminar to be held on 17th May 2013 at the Village Hotel in Bury. Anyone interested in attending should contact Julie Benyon on 0161 778 2250 or e-mail her at: Julie.benyon@pat.nhs.uk

News - Trust stories6 May 2013

Improvements galore within endoscopy

7People

From a pope to a riot!A member of staff who has dealt with a papal visit, the Strangeways riots, police shootings and the Manchester bomb is hoping for a more subdued retirement!

John Robinson, who has worked for the NHS for 38 years left the Trust in March with the good wishes of his friends and colleagues ringing in his ears.

Starting at the Manchester Area Health Authority in 1974, John worked his way up from a hospital porter to become the portering services manager at the North Manchester Health Authority in the late 1980s.

Joining the monitoring team in 1989, John stayed within that service until the formation of Pennine Acute in 2002.

He then worked within the facilities division and became responsible for most of the soft facilities services at North Manchester, including cleaning. He played a pivotal role in bringing the portering services back in-house and worked hard with the departments on site

to improve the services and staff morale.

Latterly John has worked within the estates development team giving operational support to the women and children’s developments at Oldham and North Manchester.

John’s primary aim has always been to ensure that services for patients are maintained and he has been

described as having common sense, a calm manner and the trust and respect of those who work with him.

John Wilkes, director of facilities, said: “John you have made a difference. You’ve made a difference to all the staff over the years and everybody that’s worked with you, as well as all the patients who have used the services that you were responsible for at North Manchester.”

The Trust hasn’t seen the last of John yet though. Always working closely with Northern Air hospital radio station throughout his career, John will now be working as a volunteer for the service and will be broadcasting his dulcet tones over the airwaves!

Exam successCONGRATULATIONS to the following students who have completed information technology qualifications with the PAT IT training team.

ECDL advanced Word William Lippett Pauline Alker Stacey Brogan

Microsoft Office Specialist Training

Catriona Hogan Yvonne Taylor Charlotte Britt Amanda Ryan Tina Kulikowski

E-type

Jane Ingers

ITQ (BCS level two in IT user skills)

Zoey Maye Jacqueline Maiden Jillian Cheetham Julie Roberts Saiqa Yousaf Diana Eden-Maughan Joanne Tuohy

Sponge cakes at dawn in the great ICU bake off!CREATORS of delicious confections at North Manchester have had their work praised by a TV star.

Staff from the intensive care unit at the hospital recently held their own ‘Great ICU bake off’ in homage to the BBC2 show ‘The Great British Bake off’ and they managed to secure third place baker for 2012, Dr Daniele Bryden.

Daniele is an ICU consultant in Sheffield and was asked to be the chief judge.

Organised by Dr Ella Checkley, consultant anaesthetist, staff quickly donned their aprons and got their wooden spoons at the ready to create some stunning cakes which were initially judged by Eileen Jones, a retired

sister from intensive care and David and Lori Driver. David had been a patient on the unit and his wife Lori was renowned for bringing mouth-watering home-made cakes onto the unit for staff to enjoy.

Narrowed down to the final two cakes in a beginners and advanced category, Daniele then had the final say as to who the winner was by studying both photos of the cakes and tasting notes from the on-site judges.

Winner of the advanced category was Dr Nicholas Jones for his Victoria sponge. He was closely followed by HDU ward clerk Martina Aldrige for her chocolate fudge cake.

Daniele’s verdict on the Victoria sponge was: “On the basis of the notes and that a Victoria sponge that is nicely balanced like that with good even quantities of filling, I’d say that edges it as the tasting of both was good.”

Chilli chocolate pirate cakes stole the show in the beginners’ category. ICU nurse Bill Roberts was declared

the winner over ICU consultant, Dr Mary Cardwell’s lemon drizzle cake.

Dr Bryden commented: “This is a winner for chocolate. Small cakes can be dry, and balancing with the chilli is hard, so having successfully avoided both those traps, the baker of the chocolate chilli cupcakes is the winner.”

Both winners were then presented with a glass cake stand and a vintage glass sugar sifter, with

runners-up receiving wooden spoons.

Dr Nicholas Jones who won the advanced category said that he was “surprised” about winning, but the rest of the team said his cakes are “legendary” in the department.

However, other winners at North Manchester were the staff who ended up sampling the cakes, as they were then sold in aid of The Intensive Care Foundation, which is a UK charity supporting research into intensive care. A fantastic £150 was raised.

Team talk8 May 2013

Have you been briefed?Team Talk takes place once a month and is a way of updating you about the latest news from the Trust.

APRIL TEAM TALK

Smoking

LAST year we introduced red painted hatched smoking exclusion zones outside all our main hospital entrances to address the specific problem of patients and visitors smoking and clustered around entrances.

Talk back – Are the smoking exclusion zones outside our main entrances working? What else can we do?

Strategy

HEALTHIER Together - the Greater Manchester Transformation programme - published its Strategic Direction Case on 25th March 2013. The document now gives some greater detail, the thinking and vision for the future of the NHS.

Staff should take the opportunity to read this document which is available on our intranet.

Talk back – What does the Healthier Together Strategic Direction Case mean for you and your service?

Annual planTHE Trust Board has endorsed key objectives for 2013/14. These objectives are:

- Quality Improvement (patient safety and the patient experience) – drive up performance and quality of patient care

- Strategy Development – a clinical strategy designed to deliver sustainable services in the medium to long term

- Financial Sustainability – deliver all our financial targets

- Productivity – make a step change in productivity and efficiency to provide even better patient care

- Leadership – expand and build on the foundations of positive staff engagement including Listening into Action (LiA)

- Foundation Trust – subject to guidance from the NTDA, continue to focus on our FT application.

Within these key objectives, the Board has identified five improvement priorities which will significantly improve patient care and patient and staff experience: - Reduce mortality - Reduce C Diff - Reduce readmissions - Reduce sickness absence - Improve performance in the national staff survey

Divisions and directorates will now develop their own local plans over the next month.

Talk back – Are these the key priorities we should be addressing that will improve patient care?

Francis Inquiry

THE Trust Board has identified four key questions it would like staff to discuss arising from the issues identified in the Francis Inquiry. These are:

How far does the Trust support a positive, patient centred, safety and quality culture across our services with openness, honesty and candour inbuilt and applied within systems and processes;

Does the Trust have a culture of tolerance of poor practice and allows unsafe issues to operate;

Does the information the Trust produces or interprets accurately reflect what is happening ‘on the ground’;

Does the Trust Board lead on improving quality across the Trust and the whole of the patient experience.

We are seeking comments from all staff on these four important questions as we develop our Long Term Quality Plan and build up to the Trust quality congress event in May.

The Government published its initial response to the Francis Inquiry, called ‘Patients First and Foremost’, on 26th March. It sets out a collective commitment and plan of action for the whole health and care system and everyone who works in it.

The Government’s response is accompanied by a statement of common purpose signed by the chairs of key organisations across the health and care system. It renews and reaffirms the commitment to the values of the NHS, as set out in the NHS Constitution, and includes pledges to work together for patients, always treat patients and their families with compassion, dignity and respect, to listen to patients and to act on feedback.

Talk back – What are your responses to the four questions outlined above? Please submit your feedback to staff.views@pat.nhs.uk to help us develop our long term quality plan.

Team Talk

Team focus on pharmacy

A typical dayMy day starts at 8.30am, I have already produced a weekly rota so all the pharmacy technicians know where they are working. I would generally carry out an accuracy checking session, which involves checking the accuracy of dispensed items before they go out to the patient.

At 10.00am I attend the daily bed meeting and gather any information I may need to help reduce delays.

Throughout the day I troubleshoot any problems, manage workflow through the department, manage staff and accurately maintain the pharmacy tracker system – an essential tool for the wards to track their work through the pharmacy and therefore reducing the number of phone calls to the department.

What are the highlights of your job/service?

What don’t you like about your job/service?

What would make your job/service better?

What word best describes your job/service?

What is the current biggest challenge in your

job/to your team?

What is the one thing you would change about your

job/service?

How do you see your role developing?

What aspect of your job/service is the most

rewarding?

How has your job/service changed?

Team focus - a day in the life of

When I first took on the role of dispensary manager I managed workload based on the work we received into the department. Recently I have been attending the site daily bed meeting; this allows me to identify areas within the hospital experiencing bed pressures or delays. With this information I am able to make necessary changes to work flow and help pharmacy play a part in eliminating some of the pressures. My role now feels more integrated into the day to day running of the hospital.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is supporting the progression of a pre-registration pharmacy technician through to becoming a registered professional. Seeing an individual become the best that they can be within our team is very worthwhile.

My role is constantly developing with the changes that occur, although I do feel my role becoming more technical as we change over to using an electronic prescribing and administration system (ePMA). These future developments will see the end of paper drug charts and the implementation of electronic records.

Pharmacy is constantly adapting to reflect the needs and demands of an ever changing hospital. I could not identify one area I feel that needs to be changed.

The biggest challenge for the pharmacy team is the unpredictability of the day to day workload. We are very much controlled by the pressures within the hospital each day and this reflects on the workload we receive into the department. For example a bed crisis will result in many discharges needing to be turned around quickly but still maintaining accuracy and efficiency.

Patient-centred

I feel that the pharmacy team and the roles we play are not fully understood by some wards and departments. I think if this understanding was increased it could potentially provide a much better service not just for the ward but the patients as well.

Lack of understanding of the pharmacy service by other staff within the hospital.

The highlight of my job is knowing, that on a daily basis, the pharmacy team have worked hard together to provide an effective service for the hospital.

Tracey Bidwell is the senior pharmacy technician - dispensary manager within the pharmacy at Fairfield General Hospital. Her role is to manage and co-ordinate a team of registered pharmacy techncians who provide daily ward services including drug reconciliations, inpatient medication supply and discharges at ward level. She ensures that the dispensary runs well and provides an efficient service.

9

The 60 second interview

News - Trust stories10 May 2013

Working together to improve patient records

A new project to improve patient records has got off to a great start thanks to the enthusiastic involvement of staff across the Trust.

Doctors, nurses and the clinical professions; ward clerks, medical secretaries and health records staff; training and development representatives; clinical coding, clinical audit and risk managers are all taking part in the Improving clinical records project.

Why are we doing this?

Enhance patient care and safety

Improve communication between health care professionals

Prepare the way for electronic patient records (EPR)

Reduce the number of complaints and claims that cannot be defended due to poor record keeping

Reduce the possibility of inaccurate clinical coding having a negative impact on the Trust’s income

Reduce the possibility of large monetary fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

Help the Trust gain the benefits of achieving levels 2 & 3 assessments with the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA)

What are we seeking to achieve?

Implementation across all divisions of the soon to be published essential clinical record keeping standards

Less bulky casenotes with folders in good condition

Accurate, complete and consistent filing within casenotes

Consistently high standard of completion of documents in casenotes

More shared clinical documents and less duplication of clinical information

Elimination of loose filing

Regular liaison between the site health records managers and the wards and departments

Systematic implementation across all divisions of the soon to be published minimum standards for casenote management.

Interested in knowing more about this exciting project? Please contact: Jo Keogh, Chair of the Clinical Records Improvement Board at joanne.keogh@pat.nhs.uk Nicola Nicholls, Chair of the Documents in Casenotes Task and Finish Group at nicola.nicholls@pat.nhs.uk Lisa Parr, Chair of the Improving Casenote Condition and Filing in Casenotes Task and Finish Group at lisa.parr@pat.nhs.uk

Look out for further updates in Pennine News as the project progresses.

PAT to host PIP

Mayor of Bury praises services at FairfieldTHE Mayor of Bury has praised the “brilliant services” which she saw at Fairfield General Hospital.

During a visit on 26 March, the Mayor, Councillor Joan Grimshaw JP and Consort, Mr Paul Grimshaw, were shown around a number of the hospital’s services including the integrated cardiology unit, the day case unit and outpatients department, where they met staff and patients.

They also visited the primary stroke unit which is on ward 5 within the hospital. On the unit was patient John Curran from Heywood who had suffered a stroke six days earlier. Mr Curran praised his treatment at the hospital saying that: “The service I have received has been absolutely fantastic. From the staff to the meals, it has been brilliant. They have been really welcoming to me and have treated me wonderfully. If all the NHS was run like this unit it would be a good thing as it is so slick. If I have another stroke I would definitely want to come back to Fairfield General Hospital for treatment!”

The service has further plans for expansion which were explained by consultant stroke physician, Dr Khalil Kawafi. He said: “We are looking to centralise all stroke patients to come to Fairfield General Hospital from the end of this year, when we move into wards 11A and 11B. All acute care would be carried out here and so stroke patients would have their first 72 hours of care at Fairfield and then be repatriated back to their local hospitals.

“The new service would run from 7am until 11pm, seven days a week, which would provide a local service for local people in their local hospitals.”

Councillor Joan Grimshaw JP, the Mayor of Bury, said: “I was very impressed with the way that the stroke service is going in terms of expansion to a seven day a week service.

“The improvements that we have seen at Fairfield General Hospital with the stroke care unit and the silver heart unit are brilliant. These coupled with the expansion of the A&E department will put a real footprint on local services for the people of Bury and the surrounding areas.

“I think the services at Fairfield General Hospital are brilliant and the staff and patients have been friendly to us during our visit.”

The Mayor of Bury Councillor Joan Grimshaw and Consort Mr Paul Grimshaw are pictured with patient Mr John Curran and staff nurse Janette Chadwick.

PENNINE Acute Trust is one of a number of NHS Trusts across the country selected to be a locally based ‘supply chain partner’ commissioned by Atos Healthcare to deliver face to face assessments for the new disability benefits, known as Personal Independence Payments (PIPs).

Other Trusts providing this service include Kings College Hospital, York Teaching Hospitals, University College London Hospitals and Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Atos Healthcare and their partners will work within the framework for PIP, developed by the Department for Work

and Pensions. The service, which is not a NHS service, will be provided at North Manchester General Hospital.

Nick Berry, general manager of the PIP contract for Atos Healthcare, said: “This is a new approach to delivering health and disability assessments working with local NHS services to help ensure a quality service is delivered in a way that best meets local needs. This means that face to face consultations will be undertaken by experienced staff who are used to dealing with people with disabling conditions, differing needs and challenges, and have knowledge of their local communities.”

Thought for the month by chaplaincy co-ordinator Rev John Hall

AS I left the bedside of a patient who had her curtains drawn around the bed I couldn’t resist making a reference as I struggled to find the opening in the curtains to being a bit like Morecombe and Wise when Eric couldn’t find his way out of the curtains. As I had judged the generation of relatives gathered as being able to remember this reference correctly, smiles and laughter followed my eventual successful attempt to exit the bedside curtains!

Being able to smile and laugh even when times are difficult is important. Laughter has a healing quality that can connect with us spiritually which can, when used appropriately, help all of us whenever we reach times of crisis.

Living in these challenging times of budget restrictions, target cultures and massive changes to many aspects of our society, can at times feel quite depressing. This can have two types of effect upon us, we become more apathetic, shrug our shoulders and just carry on, or we become more active in trying to have our voice heard as part of the debate about cuts or in trying to speak up for the most vulnerable.

As an ordained Baptist Minister I was pleased to see a joint report produced alongside The Methodist and United Reformed Churches with the Church of Scotland, that tries to dispel the media stereotypes about those who claim benefits. It was an attempt to put in clear statistical evidence who the poorest really are. In the Christian faith Jesus rising from the dead gave hope to those who felt hopeless, the least important in society. This report gave a voice to those who are often voiceless or who are portrayed in a negative way and so gave some hope for a fair hearing, to be treated as valued human beings. As a team we are here to value everyone, to give time to those in need. Using humour appropriately can lift spirits when the going gets tough. Laughter gives us strength, can bring healing and comes without any budget restrictions!

Fundraising ‘kicked off’ with football!PATIENTS at Rochdale’s clinical assessment unit (CAU) are set to benefit from the generosity of a local ambulance driver.

Mark Anderson, who works for Medical Services, who provide the private ambulance service for the CAU, has set himself the challenge of raising as much money as possible for the unit over the next 12 months.

He ‘kicked off’ the fundraising challenge by auctioning a football which had been signed by Manchester United star Paul Scholes. This raised a fantastic £180 and along with a Christmas hamper raffle, Mark is well on his way to boosting the unit’s coffers considerably.

Mark said: “I really enjoy fundraising and I couldn’t think of a more worthy cause than the clinical assessment unit at Rochdale Infirmary.”

Lou Harkness-Hudson, clinical manager of the urgent care centre and the CAU, said: “Mark has been so helpful to us in raising these funds. He offered to do it and we want him to know how truly grateful we all are for his efforts.

“The money will be used to buy equipment for the unit. We have already invested in a new dressings trolley.”

11News - Trust stories

THE children’s wards at North Manchester Hospital and The Royal Oldham Hospital are set for an invasion. The Trust will be continuing their partnership with the Theodora Children’s Trust as we invite the Giggle Doctors to come in and entertain our youngest patients.

The award winning Theodora Children’s Trust specialise in providing entertainment for sick children in a way which is suitable for the ward environment. As trained entertainers, the Giggle Doctors know exactly how to raise a smile from a child and are always careful not to disturb those who need their rest!

Set up in 1994 by Andre and Jan Poulie, the Theodora Children’s Trust is named after the brother’s mother and is based upon the attention and love she showed Andre as he recovered from a serious accident as a child. It is this inspiration that made the brothers keen to take fun into the wards and to alleviate some of the pressure on the families of children in hospital by bringing laughter and smiles.

Now after 18 years, and with 22 fully

trained Giggle Doctors spreading smiles and laughter, we are delighted to welcome them back, but we need YOUR help to do so. To help fund the fun, the Theodora Children’s Trust is holding a ‘Chores for Chuckles Week’ from 13th – 19th May 2013.

It just wouldn’t be the Giggle Doctors’ way to simply ask for money, oh no. Instead we’re asking you to roll up

those sleeves and do a little bit more. The simple idea is to collect donations for chores, whether that be making the office coffees, cleaning a desk or fetching lunch, this is all about helping each other out just a little bit and raising money for an excellent cause at the same time.

The Pennine Acute Hospitals Charity will be working in conjunction with the Theodora Children’s Trust and will be doing everything to make sure the week is a success. Maybe it’s us that you want to see delivering your lunch or making a brew!

To get involved, make a donation or even place your order, please contact: Gareth Lloyd-Johnson at: gareth.lloyd-johnson@pat.nhs.uk or Sarah Flaherty at: Sarah.Flaherty@pat.nhs.uk or call the Fundraising Office on 44497.

The giggle doctors are coming!

LiA pass it on eventNews - Trust stories12 May 2013

The first team was the booking and scheduling team based at Rochdale Infirmary who had tackled the problems of an ENT outpatient clinic at FGH. Using a PowerPoint presentation and a comic book they had designed, the team showed how they had reduced the waiting times to see a consultant from a maximum of two hours, to a maximum of 15 minutes. This resulted in happier patients and staff, a reduction in patients classed as ‘Did Not Attend’ and with an increase in the number of patients seen.

Next up was the unscheduled care team based at Rochdale Infirmary who had been concerned about negative staff attitude and lack of customer care. Using a PowerPoint presentation they showed the initiatives they had employed to address the issues. Smile Week was a great success and they had set up a mystery shopper scheme showing the results in graph form. A hard hitting video showing the consequences of poor customer care completed their session.

Third in line was the paediatric team from North Manchester whose leader alighted the stage to the sound of the song “Jai Ho” to showcase with a PowerPoint presentation the paediatric allergy clinic that had been set up for the children in the local area. This meant that parents and children did not have to travel to central Manchester, and the waiting time to see a consultant and specialist nurse was greatly reduced. The team leader gave a frank insight into his move from pessimism to optimism during the process.

The Trust pathology team had truly listened to the comments made by staff and had addressed a number of issues. Via a PowerPoint presentation the teams demonstrated that their efforts had resulted in the number of blood test results not being viewed had reduced from 20% to 5%. This prevented patients from having unnecessary blood tests. In addition, the ‘Recipe Book’ which guides doctors in the A&E department in which blood tests to do for each presenting condition was overhauled and reviewed. Again this resulted in less blood tests, and tests undertaken being more appropriate. They spearheaded a campaign to raise the awareness of pathology services and increased staff access to results. Extra pick ups of samples were initiated and a set schedule of when phlebotomists would be visiting wards has been initiated to reduce the number of times patients are unavailable when blood is required.

The PowerPoint presentation designed by the unscheduled care team based at FGH demonstrated how they had formed a successful collaboration across disciplines to reduce the amount

or paperwork that keeps nurses away from direct patient care. They completely overhauled the admission

documentation for a patient presenting with an acute condition, reducing the paperwork by 50%,

thereby releasing nurses and doctors and allowing them time with their patients.

The unscheduled care team’s project at North Manchester was still a work in progress and a PowerPoint presentation showed how Listening into Action had promoted joint working and ownership in the interest of patients. The team had devised a patient pathway to prevent repeated moves for patients being admitted with a chronic respiratory condition and explained the impact that LiA had on their management style and communication inside and outside of their team.

The anaesthetic team at North Manchester, another project in process, showed via

PowerPoint how listening to staff resulted in a complete change of direction for them. The team

listened to staff who wanted health care assistants to gain more skills

and they are in the process of adapting and implementing the Trust training programme for untrained theatre staff. Giving an open and honest overview of the process, the team leader related the struggles and triumphs encountered along the way and the positive impact there had been on staff morale.

The theatre team at North Manchester had decided to combine an audition for ‘Britain’s got Talent’ with the Pass it On event in the form of the team leader who had the audience rolling in the aisles! A hilarious monologue accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation

AS people filtered into the lecture theatre at North Manchester on the morning of 28 February to the strains of Dolly Parton’s ‘9-5’, Take That’s ‘Shine’ and David Bowie’s ‘Changes’ there was a definite feeling of excitement and anticipation in the air..

Sustained by coffee and pastries and clutching free pens and wrist bands they made their way through a balloon festooned room to tables covered in coloured tablecloths and sweets.

Today was the day that the Listening into Action first 10 teams were going to present the work they had been doing over the previous months.

John Saxby, chief executive, opened the event heaping praise on the team members for their sterling efforts and commitment to patient care. To her great surprise, he then presented Julie Lowe, the ‘Car 4 Christmas’ winner, with a framed photograph of her with the car and a copy of her winning ticket.

What did the first 10 teams achieve?

Our patient promisesAn impromptu LiA Staff Conversation was held after the presentations had finished with the audience feeding back their ideas to improve services in their own areas. At the end of the event everyone participated in the recital of the ‘Patient Promises’ to remind all of why we are in the health service.

I will... make you feel welcome

I will... make time to listen to you

I will... be polite, courteous and respectful

I will... keep you informed and explain what is happening

I will... admit to mistakes and do all I can to put them right

I will... value your point of view

I will... be caring and kind

I will... keep you involved

I will... go the extra mile

After thanking the members of the First 10 Teams for their superb work, Julie Owen, LiA lead, invited people to stay behind and look at the poster presentations designed by the teams and to ask any questions.

Feedback from the event was excellent and we are looking forward to seeing what the next 20 teams will be taking on. These dedicated individuals are now forming their own sponsor groups and are planning their own staff conversations.

13News - Trust stories

charted the success of the team who had improved urology patient throughput by ensuring consent forms were completed in an outpatient setting. They had also devised multi-use consent forms to save time when patients were coming back for repeat procedures.

The clinical assessment unit at Rochdale Infirmary showed a videoed interview that explained their mission to provide a bespoke environment for patients coming to the unit suffering from dementia. When they get the green light, the team have everything in place to be able to provide a gold standard area for these vulnerable people. The team praised the LiA process for the impact it had had on their ability to communicate with senior executives in order to remove barriers for them to succeed at their mission.

The team from Ward 6 at FGH were unable to present at the event due to unforeseen circumstances. They had made progress in setting up a ‘Bureaucracy Free Ward’ - a project dear to the hearts of many staff who had commented on this at the Staff Conversations in July and August last year.

All the teams were positive about the LiA format and they were delighted to have been involved. They all agreed that they felt it had empowered them and given

them ownership, plus provided increased motivation.

Good luck to all the

new teams!

The next 20 teams are:Karen Gaunt - Floyd unit at Birch Hill Josie Fletcher - PIU at RI Angela Booth - ultrasound at FGH Libby Woodcock - ESR at NMGH Nicola Ellis-Roberts - OT at NMGH Gavin Wild - theatres at NMGH Kelly Fidoe-White - radiology at TROH Tracy Shaw - AMU at TROH Yvonne Taylor- stroke services at FGH Jane Bryan - anaesthetics at NMGH Lindsey Lowe - pharmacy at FGH Dr Mukesh Jaradi - elderly care at NMGH John Dewar - payroll at NMGH Karen Hulley - neo natal unit at NMGH Dr Mark Riley - A&E at TROH Joanne Sloan - unscheduled care at TROH Yvonne Shatwell - ICU at TROH Glynis Jones - security mgt at NMGH Catherine Mammen - obs/gynae at TROH Dr Georges Ng Man Kwong - respiratory at TROH

News - Trust stories14 May 2013

Children are chosen as special charity winnersGENEROUS shoppers at Asda Pilsworth have helped to put extra smiles on children’s faces.

The mother of a child who had attended the children’s outpatient department at Fairfield General Hospital, nominated the unit to be the charity of the month at the superstore. Shoppers then had to choose out of three charities nominated, which one they wanted to support.

Winning the most votes, the team at Fairfield were then rewarded with a £200 shopping spree to gather toys and books for the waiting room in the hospital department.

Play specialist Angela O’Neill and nursing student Kate got the enviable task of choosing all the goodies to entertain the children whilst they are waiting for their hospital appointment.

Angela and Kate are pictured with healthcare worker Diane Buckley and patient Mina Buckley, surrounded by the fabulous books and toys.

Highlighting the importance of nutrition for patientsDIETITIANS and catering staff worked together to promote good nutrition and hydration on a national awareness day.

The nutrition and hydration day on 20 March was marked by the catering and dietetic team, having information stands at the main entrances to the Trust’s hospitals to highlight good practice and the availability of food provided by PAT.

Policies and information were provided on the stands, along with a dietitian and catering department representative talking to visitors and staff about why nutrition and hydration are essential to ensure patients’ well being whilst in hospital.

The stands were well visited , with lots of positive feedback received.

Former patient Malcom Blakeman is pictured with his wife Ann and catering services manager Howard Cartledge. Malcolm had returned to Fairfield General Hospital to thank the staff on ward 5 for the care that he had received there. He said: “The care I received from the ambulance arriving at my house, to going home was excellent. The food provided was of a very good quality and very tasty.” He also praised the food on the ward for dysphagia, whereby the action of swallowing is difficult to perform.

His wife Ann said: “We couldn’t have been treated better. The staff on the ward explained everything to me and put my mind at ease over Malcolm’s treatment.”

Pathology’s belts bulging for Red Nose Day!CONGRATULATIONS to pathology staff on their fund raising for Red Nose Day. Organised by Tracey Wells and colleagues, staff were invited to submit their baking triumphs to be auctioned and sold in aid of Comic Relief on Friday 15 March.

The department raised £402.73 and the winner of the best looking cake, as awarded by Len Fielding and a small team of judges, was baked by Kathryn Gaskell, however the standard was excellent, with more than 30 entries of cakes, buns, tray bakes etc, which when displayed appeared enough to feed a small army, and it would have taken a small army to wrestle the cakes from path staff that day! Well done.

Charity round up

Small change BIG difference

Pantomime characters help patients in the eye unitJack from Jack and the Beanstalk has helped to put smiles on the patients’ faces in the eye unit at Rochdale Infirmary.

Two new Toshiba 32” TVs worth £1000 and several children’s DVDs were donated to the unit, courtesy of the Pennine Panto Players.

The generous donation came about following a suggestion from Laura Makinson who is a member of the retinopathy screening staff and also a member of the acting group. She suggested that money from the group’s plays be given to the eye unit to replace TVs which were stolen from them last year.

Laura said: “The Pennine Players regularly donate their takings from their shows to worthy causes within the Trust and local charities. We were devastated when our TVs were stolen and so I thought that it would be a good idea to get them replaced courtesy of the Players.”

Now up and running in the children’s ward, the eye ward reception and the clinic reception, staff and patients are overjoyed.

Sr Janice Crabtree, ward manager, said: “The TVs give patients something to watch whilst they are waiting in the unit and the children are now able to watch DVDs as well as the TV, which helps to take their minds off the surgery which they are having.

“The ward and clinic staff are very grateful for the donation and we would like to thank the Pennine Players for their generosity.”

‘Eggstra’ special Easter for children in hospitalEASTER came early for youngsters on the children’s ward at NMGH thanks to a delivery of Easter eggs from local businesses.

Liz Smythe, manager and Kimberly Wilcox, deputy manager from H&T Pawnbrokers in Cheetham Hill surprised the children on the ward by dropping off 40 Easter eggs they kindly collected with other local businesses including Tesco, Golden Wines, Chicken Cottage and the Jolly Rogers Chippy.

Liz Smythe said: “Our staff get involved in a lot of fundraising with customers and other local businesses throughout the year as part of our ‘Keep It Local’ campaign.

“Everyone has been really generous contributing cash and collecting Easter eggs. We want to thank everyone who got involved.”

Pam Lord, hospital play specialist, on the children’s ward, said: “We’re incredibly grateful for the donation and generosity shown by local businesses, particularly H&P Pawnbrokers. It really makes a difference on the ward and helps to bring a smile to the children’s faces. I would like to say a big thank you on behalf of all the patients and staff.”

Pictured (L-R): Pam Lord, Liz Smythe, Sabeeyah Akhtar, Imogen Linas, Kimberley Wilcox and Katie Linas.

KIND hearted shoppers from Tescos in Blackley also donated Easter eggs which were given out to sick and injured children in NMGH’s A&E department and children’s ward on Easter Sunday.

A trolley at the front of the supermarket was filled to the brim with chocolate goodies. Store manager Darren O’Hara said: “It’s our great pleasure to support NMGH in their quest to provide Easter eggs for children who are poorly over the Easter period. As always our staff and local community have given generously and I would like to thank them for supporting us and our local hospital.”

Lisa Kelly from NMGH’s A&E is pictured with Psalm Lockwood, Tesco’s community champion.

15Fundraising

Fond farewell to Sarah and RhiSr Pogson and all her team on ward 8 at Fairfield would like to thank Sarah and Rhi for their dedication over the 10 years they have worked on the ward. We wish them all the best in their future roles.

Staff room - noticeboard16 May 2013

Staff noticeboard

Farewell to SandraSISTER Sandra Marr has retired from Oldham day surgery theatres after 38 years of dedicated service.

Sandra started her career as a cadet nurse in 1975, going on to do a conversion course to become a staff nurse.

ENT and ophthalmics were her main specialties and in January 2008 she became a sister.

Sandra helped to make international news in 1978 when she was a valuable member of Dr Patrick Steptoe’s team who helped with the pioneering first test tube baby, Louise Brown.

The day surgery unit and phase I theatre staff wish her a long, happy and much deserved retirement. Good luck Sandra, thank you for all your hard work over the years.

Happy 40th Jo DanielsLIFE begins on your 40th birthday. But so do fallen arches, rheumatism, faulty eyesight and the tendency to tell a story to the same person, three or four times! But when the incontinence kicks in, your team will be on hand to you help you.

Happy 40th Jo from your team, the continence service, and all your friends and colleagues at Newton Heath Health Centre.

Well done JaneCONGRATULATIONS to CSW Jane Hanmer on completing the QCF level 2 diploma in health care.

Sr Karen Ackerley and the staff in the main outpatient department at Fairfield send their best wishes.

Charity begins in booking & scheduling dept!THE girls in the booking & scheduling department at Rochdale Infirmary have

been busy raising money for various charities.

Kathy Miller’s Christmas Stars raised a whopping £180 for The Christie Hospital.

Clerk, Debbie Chadwick said: “Red Nose Day was a great success, our bake sale and raffle raised

£225.08. My colleague Kim Stone, has been brilliant at persuading local businesses to donate raffle prizes, it’s been hard work but well worth it. Since moving here our department has raised a grand total of £1568.23.

“The most recent event was a raffle in aid of the Special Care Baby Unit at The Royal Oldham Hospital. The main prize was a wonderful beauty product gift hamper, kindly donated by Boots Rochdale, which managed to raise a wonderful total of £410.00!!!”

Thanks go to BOOTS Rochdale; The Salon, Norden; Suzanne Hassett at Tan Tropics, Rochdale; Pizza Express Trafford Centre; Regis Hairdressers Trafford Centre; The Body Shop Trafford Centre; Lush Trafford Centre; La Tandoor Restaurant ,Rochdale and Photography by Karl, Rochdale, for their kind donations.

FarewellTHE pharmacy department at Fairfield said a sad farewell to Jan Whittam who retired at the end of March. She had worked as a pharmacist at Bury General and then at Fairfield for more than 30 years.

She will be greatly missed in the department and we wish her well in her retirement. Hope the weather improves Jan so that you can enjoy your garden!