News from The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

THe PulseIssue 138 Autumn 2014

Home sweet homeBaby Violet is setting a trend with our help

The PulseAutumn 2014

Issue 138

2 The Pulse

Produced by:The Communications Department

email: communications@thh.nhs.uk

Print: Streamline Your Print

The Pulse magazine is for our patients, local people, staff and members of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Copies can be picked up from the Trust and downloaded from our website www.thh.nhs.uk.

THIS ISSUE

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8-11

13

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Who’s who

Follow us @HillingdonNHSFT

ContentsA word from shane

Homebirth Midwives

save a life: organ donations

Review of the year

Acute Medical unit taking shape

Nuts to cancer

Governors’ voice

Meet Mr McCool

Gold at end of the rainbow for baby unitThe Mayor of Hillingdon

proved there is gold at the end of the rainbow when he helped raise £15,000 for a new baby incubator.

Allan Kauffman and his wife Lynne were invited to visit Hillingdon Hospital’s neonatal unit by consultant Jide Menakaya.

They were so moved by the visit that they decided to raise money despite it not being on their official Mayor’s Rainbow Charity Appeal.

The now former Mayor Allan Kauffman said: “It was a real honour visiting the unit and meeting staff, parents, volunteers and their babies.

“They do a great job under

demanding circumstances and both myself and Lynne knew we wanted to help as soon as we left the hospital. The response from the public has been fantastic.”

Dr Menakaya, who personally collected the cheque, added: “I invited the mayor and mayoress to see for themselves the work of our neonatal unit on World Prematurity Day.

“I knew they were moved by what they saw and the babies and families they met but was absolutely shocked when I learnt they had managed to raise a huge amount of money from the community on our behalf”.

“I can’t thank them enough for their support”.

Dr. Menakaya recieving a cheque from the Mayor of Hillingdon

Front page: Kristi Lowther pictured with baby Violet, who was born at home with the help of The Halcyon Homebirth Team. Full story on page 4

www.thh.nhs.uk

WELCOME

A word from shane DeGaris

Chief executive

Shane DeGaris, Chief executiveThe Hillingdon Hospitals NHS

Foundation Trust

3

This issue of The Pulse looks back on the past financial

year and it’s encouraging to see what we have achieved, despite sometimes challenging circumstances.

The ability to get more out of less is always a tricky proposition but a combination of a drive to improve quality, sound financial management and partnership working has seen several major projects get under way or come to fruition for our patients.

This includes our new 48 bed Acute Medical Unit taking shape behind the hospital tower, a purpose-built endoscopy building, a 16-bed neuro-rehabilitation unit at Mount Vernon and a Macmillan Cancer Information Centre.

Throughout the year the Trust also continued to achieve all of the tough performance targets set by the Foundation Trust regulator, Monitor.

We have another forthcoming test in the shape of inspectors from the Care Quality Commission who will carry out a two-week long review of our services starting on 29 September.

The 30-strong team will inspect at least eight core services across the Mount Vernon and Hillingdon sites which will be rated as ‘outstanding,’ ‘good,’ ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate.’

These core services are A&e, medical care including older people, surgery, intensive/critical care, maternity and family planning, services for children and young people, end-of-life care and outpatients.

Fast work: our £30 million contract is a winner

The Trust punched above its weight to win a five year

tender to provide pathology services for the london Borough of ealing.

The contract, which is worth £4.9 million a year with the option of a further two years, will provide a more responsive service to local GPs working in the Hillingdon area.

Shane DeGaris, the Trust’s Chief executive, said: “I’m delighted we’ve won the contract. We’ve a proven track record in this field and have invested in analytical technology to ensure we remain competitive.”

The Trust beat off competition from a number of other major providers.

Hillingdon has invested heavily in IT in recent years to provide a faster more responsive pathology service with GPs able to both make requests and view pathology reports on line.

The pathology department also has linked databases with West Middlesex Hospital so GPs and other clinicians can easily access a more complete record of a patient’s pathological and radiology history.

The Trust’s latest success follows a successful bid to provide pathology services for the London Borough of Hounslow in 2012.

At present, the pathology service analyses around 800,000 samples a year ranging from blood tests to biopsies.

The new contract, which starts in October 2014, will increase its workload by 20 per cent. The Trust plans to expand its current workforce of 60 to meet demand.

Some people get anxious about these visits but I prefer to see them as an opportunity to showcase the great work we are doing.

I know the inspectors want the same thing as we do at the end of the day which is to deliver the best possible hospital services to patients.

Staff-patient relations can go a long way to addressing that and the Trust is about to adopt a national campaign called ‘Hello my name is …’

This will make it obligatory for staff to introduce themselves on meeting new patients, providing their name, position and what they are doing.

The campaign was started by Leeds-based clinician Dr Kate Granger who found herself a patient of the NHS after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

She found some staff didn’t really acknowledge her in their day-to-day work and that she was seen more as a condition than a person. She has since campaigned tirelessly for the campaign to be adopted across the NHS.

‘Hello my name is …’ is a small gesture but one that can make all the difference in how a patient feels. It also reflects our own Trust’s CARES values of putting patients first.

4

It’s a labour of love say midwivesMore than 4,000 women

give birth in Hillingdon every year but only a fraction chose to have their babies at home.

The Halcyon Home Birth Team at Hillingdon Hospital is now giving more mums the option of giving birth outside hospital.

Team leader Suzanna Gribble is one of four midwives providing the round-the-clock service.

Suzanna said: “Many women feel giving birth at home is more comfortable and relaxing and it is safe option for healthy women.

“On the rare occasion a complication does arise, we call an ambulance and have the mother and baby transferred to hospital.

“We bring all the necessary equipment to the home and can usually be with someone within 30 minutes if needed.

One keen advocate is Mrs Denise Smith of Crest Gardens, Ruislip, who has recently had her fifth homebirth.

Denise said: “My first birth at hospital was fine but my second was more difficult and I just decided that being at home I would be more comfortable and in control.

“It seemed like the natural thing to do and has worked out pretty well. The children always come into the room within an hour to look at the new baby and my husband Darren is on hand to make the tea and help out during the labour.”

Kristi Lowther (pictured with Violet on our front cover) and husband Simon opted for a homebirth with second child Violet after having to stay in hospital for four days when their first child was overdue.

Kristi said: “I wanted more control with my second pregnancy and it was the right decision. I was more comfortable at home and Violet was born 20 minutes after the midwife came.

The homebirth team has set itself a target of 80 deliveries a year reflecting the Government’s

drive to encourage more homebirths.

Suzanna added: “The important issue here is choice.

“Women should be allowed to choose where they give birth unless they are in a ‘high risk’ group, such as with diabetes, high blood pressure or have previous been advised to give birth in hospital.”

For more information call 01895 279 472 and ask for the Halcyon Home Birth Team.

Fast aidPatients at Hillingdon Hospital

are treated faster than almost anywhere else in the capital. A national report shows it is the second best performing hospital for meeting its 18 weeks target.

Almost 97 per cent of patients were seen within the target compared to larger hospital trusts like Barts and St Thomas’ and Guys.

Denise Smith with her latest arrival, delivered at home with the Home Birth Team

EqUITy

www.thh.nhs.uk 5

Friendly ward takes on problems of dementiaA pioneering hospital ward

has officially opened its doors.

The Trust is one of several trusts that won government funding to look at new ways of caring for and supporting patients with dementia.

The £845,000 project has created a dementia-friendly environment on Beaconsfield East, a 20-bed ward for elderly people with complex health conditions.

The unit was opened by Baroness Cumberlege, a former junior health minister who praised the hospital for choosing ‘not to be overwhelmed by the condition but to do something about it.’

She said: “Mending bones is easier than caring for people with broken minds and I have the utmost respect for staff working in this area of care.”

Associate Clinical Director Dr Julie Vowles added: “We are a rehabilitation unit and want to return people to their own homes. The new environment gives us a great opportunity to enhance what we already do in a much more appropriate space.

“Dementia is one of the major challenges facing the NHS. It affects one in four over 65s in hospital at any one time, and is a problem that isn’t going away.

“The new ward will allow us to provide better support to the older population who are likely to have a higher incidence of dementia or confusion associated with infections and hospital stays.”

The revamped ward includes colour coded walls for each bay, distinctive specially commissioned artwork above each bed and a general décor that is deliberately non-clinical, including new flooring and updated lighting which can be adjusted to suit the needs of the patients.

The new therapy spaces include a sensory activity room and an assessment ‘home ready’ kitchen, which helps patients prepare for returning home.

Thumbs up for the meal deal

Hospital patients are being served up a treat with

the introduction of a new expanded meals service.

The Trust has recently introduced a 36 meal menu in partnership with meals provider Anglia Crown giving people a fresh menu choice seven days a week.

Hillingdon Hospital, which can cater for more than 300 meals a day, has also introduced a new menu card with accompanying pictures of the meals and a coding system so patients can choose healthier options. This includes nutritional ratings, cultural choices including Asian, Kosher and Halal and high energy options. There are also milk, nut, egg and wheat free meals.

And it is not just about taste.

Trust shortlisted for national awardThe Trust has been shortlisted for a Health Service Journal Award for

the innovative use of an electronic touchscreen whiteboard which has helped reduce the average length of stay of inpatients by ten per cent.

The joint project with Newton europe has focused on increasing quality of care and outcomes for patients, reducing staff workloads with the aid of technology and freeing up more beds.

Baroness Cumberlege speaking with a patient on the new dementia-friendly ward

Presentation, presentation, presentation is the mantra of the modern day menu and meal providers have devised a new way of keeping the food neat and tidy which involves a tear-off tab on the bottom of the meal packaging. It is a clever technique and a UK first.

Patient Catherine Brady gave the thumbs up to the new menu by ordering her favourite curry twice in the same day.

EqUITy

6

You can help save a lifesingle donor can give hope to nine lives

If you want to help people after you have passed away

why not become an organ donor?

Donor figures have more than doubled since a national taskforce was introduced six years ago but three people still die every day waiting for a transplant.

Specialist nurse Claire Dua is responsible for identifying potential donors at Hillingdon Hospital who have been admitted to the A&e and intensive care units with traumatic injuries.

The majority are unlikely to regain consciousness and Claire chooses the appropriate time to raise the possibility of donation

the death of a loved one. It often comforts them at a difficult time.”

Consent is followed by a flurry of activity as the donor is matched with a recipient via a national data base, a surgical team dispatched to remove the organ(s) and emergency transport arranged.

The time frame for moving organs between bodies can be as little as four hours for a heart and lungs with surgical teams on standby at both ends. A liver transplant takes eight hours while kidneys have a longer 20 hour window.

A single donor can potentially help up to nine people with the body offering a variety of life saving organs and tissue donations.

Sadly, demand always outstrips supply.

There were 760 organ transplants in the UK last year which was dwarfed by a waiting list of nearly 2,000 people.

For more information about organ donation call 0300 123 2323 or visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk

with loved ones as well as liaise with medical staff.

Claire said: “People generally agree because they can see something positive coming out of

Diabetes team go back to school

A specialist diabetes team is the first in the UK to work

in schools.Hillingdon Hospital decided

to offer the outreach service to youngsters aged 11-16 with Type One diabetes following poor attendance rates for hospital-based appointments and a desire to meet youngsters on their own ground.

The multi-disciplinary team comprising consultants, specialist nurses, dieticians and a psychologist has subsequently seen non-attendance fall from 30 per cent to just two per cent since moving into the three participating schools.

Dr Jaikumar Ganapathi, a diabetes specialist at Hillingdon Hospital, said: “There is a drive for more services to be patient friendly

and we find going into schools less disruptive for pupils and their parents.

“It also removes the stigma of having diabetes because absence from school raises questions from classmates about where you have been.”

At present, more than 15,000 people live with diabetes in Hillingdon which is expected to rise to more than 18,000 by 2020.

Diabetes team

Nurses Carol Wylie (left) and Claire Dua

ATTITUdE

www.thh.nhs.uk 77

The Rev on two wheels

One of Hillingdon Hospital’s most surprising employees

is hospital chaplain Jack Creagh who provides a quiet but reassuring presence for people in need.

Hospital is one of the few places where people of all faiths come together under one roof and, strangely enough, where Jack often puts religion aside in his day-

to-day work.

He doesn’t wear a clerical collar or cross unless required.

“The two most important qualities of my work in hospital are compassion and listening,” says the American born chaplain who spent 18 years involved in mission work in east Africa.

He is also refreshingly down-to-earth about the public’s perception

of hospital chaplains as ‘people who loiter with intent at patients’ bedsides.’

“People think of the chaplain as someone downstairs who wears a cassock,” Jack says with a laugh. “I like to challenge that stereotype and let people know that I am here for everyone.”

He prefers the description of providing spiritual and pastoral care to and is often alerted to people’s plight by ward sisters after which he quietly pays a visit asking if they would like to talk.

He might be called to perform last rites, support a mother who has lost a child in labour or talk to a member of staff who has been personally affected by an incident.

How does he marry the measured clinical environment of a hospital with the emotional and spiritual need of some of its patients?

“Medical procedures don’t alleviate spiritual pain and the two approaches can sit comfortably aside one another. We’re all people at the end of the day.”

staff help out in AfricaA group of doctors and

midwives from Hillingdon have been sharing their skills with hospital staff in Africa.

The four person team, led by senior midwife Gillian Pearce spent two weeks at Kamuli Mission Hospital in Uganda which delivers more than 2,000 babies a year, despite having no trained paediatrician.

The team provided training for more than 250 staff including managing birth emergencies and emergency life support for new born babies.

An important part of their work was a ‘train the trainer’ programme so that new trainers could pass their skills onto colleagues once the team had returned to the UK.

Dr Menakaya, a neonatal paediatrician at Hillingdon Hospital said the team felt

Head of spiritual and pastoral care, Jack Creagh

Doctors and nurses training staff in Uganda

privileged to make the visit and share their skills.

He said: “We were humbled when we saw the huge responsibilities taken on by young doctors, nurses and midwives and their ability to make the best of limited training and clinical resources.”

ATTITUdE

8

Shane DeGaris, Chief Executive

Investing for the future

It was an incredibly busy and successful year for the Trust which saw a number of major projects and initiatives gathering pace.

The construction of our new Acute Medical Unit and endoscopy Department got underway; part of a £12.3 million programme to improve emergency care services – the biggest single investment at the Trust in more than 40 years.

Last year also saw the start of a more than £1 million investment in our maternity services providing brand new facilities, refurbished labour rooms and an all-round better quality experience. We also established a dedicated homebirth team to give local mums more choice.

A further £845k was invested in a newly redesigned Beaconsfield East ward, which now offers a unique dementia-friendly environment for our elderly patients. We also opened a Macmillan Cancer Information Centre at the Hillingdon site and a new state-of-the-art endoscopy unit at Mount Vernon.

We had another strong year of meeting our statutory Monitor targets. The Trust was given a green rating on all 13 indicators ranging from 90 - 99.3 per cent compliance. We did exceptionally well on our infection control, reducing clostridium difficile (C.diff) by 48 per cent on the previous year and met all A&e and cancer waiting time targets. We were also one of the best performers in London on the 18 week GP referral target.

Looking ahead we will continue strongly supporting the Shaping a Healthier Future agenda, which is reconfiguring health services across NW London; working even more closely with our local Hillingdon Clinical Commission Group to deliver services in a community setting where possible and finally seeing some of our investment projects come to fruition.

2013 - 2014 YeAR IN RevIew

James Reid, Interim Chair

www.thh.nhs.uk 9

Improved emergency and urgent careWork began on £12.3m improvement project to provide a new 46-bed Acute Medical Unit linked to A&e.

Care pathways have also been redesigned with GPs and patients to deliver a more seamless service overall.

New Fracture Clinic opened The opening marked the completion of the first phase of the £12.3m emergency care modernisation.

Beaconsfield East gets dementia-friendlyWe secured £845,000 from the Department of Health to create a dementia-friendly environment on our rehabilitation ward for elderly people.

The revamped ward includes: a new patient day room, a sensory activity room and a wonderful new sensory garden.

New endoscopy unit A new £800k endoscopy unit opened at Mount Vernon providing a four-bedded ward where patients requiring a gastroscopy or colonoscopy can be accommodated until ready for discharge.

A&e waiting times Ninety-five per cent of patients were seen within the agreed waiting time of four hours. The Trust remains one of the strongest performers in the capital.

Here are some of our highlights…

yEAr rEvIEW

10

Improvements to Maternity servicesThe Trust is spending £1.4m on refurbishing ten labour ward rooms and improving birthing rooms in the maternity unit.

A dedicated home birth team was established.

CARES makes finals of two national awardsOur CARES values initiative saw it shortlisted in the HR Distinction Awards and highly commended in the Patient engagement Awards.

QPR team visit hospital childrenStars from Queens Park Rangers Football Club brought some Christmas cheer to children at Hillingdon Hospital when they visited the children’s wards.

Diabetes Team first to get Certificate of AchievementOur Diabetes Team became the first in the country to receive a Silver Certificate of Achievement from NHS Improving Quality for their care.

Hillingdon launches Twitter accountThe Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust began “tweeting” on Monday 14 April to help patients and the public keep up-to-date with the latest news from the Trust and to provide information and advice about healthy living.

Hillingdon Hospital wins three teaching awardsStaff from the Trust have received three “Teaching excellence Awards” for their undergraduate work with Imperial College London.

Trust highly commended by Dr Foster The Trust was highly commended for improvements in its performance for weekend emergency HSMR (Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios) as part of the 2013 Dr Foster Hospital Guide awards.

yEAr rEvIEW

New Cancer Information Centre opens The new Macmillan Cancer Information Centre was officially opened by the Mayor of Hillingdon.

The centre provides information and support to patients and their families.

Diabetic patients among first to benefit from new drugPatients were among the first in England to benefit from a life changing drug that will mean they retain their sight.

www.thh.nhs.uk 11

A top performer for referrals We met the 18 week GP referral target making us one of London’s top performers.

seven day working An increasing number of clinical services - including therapy and radiology - are now available over seven days to accommodate public demand.

Hospital infections downThe number of cases involving Clostridium difficile fell by 48 per cent from 24 reported incidents in 2012-13 to 12 in 2013-14.

This was due to sharing best practice, antibiotic reviews and close monitoring of bowel testing.

Among the best for hip care The National Hip Fracture Database 2013 (NHFD) found The Trust to have some of the best results in London.

New MRI scannerOur new MRI scanner means we have the capacity to test more than 500 people a month.

Comfort at night launchedThe Trust launched the Comfort at Night campaign to help patients get a more restful time at night.

It focuses on the needs of patients, staff behaviour and the ward environment.

yEAr rEvIEW

COMMUnICATIOn

12

From ambulance to mic… steve’s switched onswITCHING from ambulance

driver to part-time radio presenter is all in a day’s work for steve Hickman.

The 37 year-old often finishes his 12-hour shift and heads straight for Hospital Radio Hillingdon’s (HRH) studios, which are conveniently located beneath the A&e ramp.

Steve, who lives in Philpots Close, Yiewsley, said: “I often go round the hospital wards asking people for music requests and come across someone I have bought in earlier by ambulance.

“It is a hospital station so we get everyone involved including staff

doing some of the information breaks between songs. It’s a bit of fun for them and helps us out.”

The presenter began working at the station as a teenager and was hosting his own show at the tender age of 16. Since then he has put his hand to everything at the station from road manager and fire officer to fundraising co-ordinator and local news reporter.

He currently hosts two weekly shows, as well as being chairman of the station. HRH has recently been voted the fourth most listened-to hospital radio station in the UK, averaging more than 3,500 listeners a week.

It has certainly come a long way since its roots in 1970 when four trainees from eMI set up some equipment in the staff canteen to play Christmas songs to patients.

The station broadcasts 24/7 with a range of shows, including the A-Z of Pop, The Vintage Years and Mellow Mix.

The most popular show is the nightly request show which is repeated again the following day. Patients make requests free of charge from their bedside phone.

Radio volunteersWould you like to join

Hillingdon Hospital Radio as a volunteer?

The award winning station is looking for a person whose duties will include collecting patient requests and being trained to eventually present a radio show.

For details go to:www.radiohillingdon.com and click on “Join our Team”

Top TweetsFollow @HillingdonNHsFT for news, updates, information, jobs and public involvement.

@minkymurray #hillingdonhospital amazing treatment received in A&e, ITU

& Marina Ward all drs, nurses, porters, X-ray guys were all outstanding!

@Herbie139 @HillingdonNHSFT Was at the endoscopy Unit at Mount Vernon

last wednesday, very impressed.

@Flyingvicar05 Staff at @HillingdonNHSFT Plaster Room superb

today The choice of colours for casts is so varied Mrs FV could have had a sparkly one!

@mikeshuter @NHS_Hillingdon great commitment from Bev Hall

and the team at hillingdon hospital to put things right when things do go wrong #Patientexp

@ChrisCeOHopson Thanks to @shanedegaris and the rest of the

team for a great and really interesting visit to Hillingdon Hospital this afternoon.

Steve Hickman on the mic

@GdnHealthcare New today: ‘I took a pay cut to be a home birth

midwife, but it was worth it’, says @cheziefisher @HillingdonNHSFT

www.thh.nhs.uk

rESPOnSIBILITy

13

New medical unit gets into shapeHillingdon Hospital’s

new Acute Medical unit (AMu) and endoscopy Department took a step closer to completion when the final piece of 75 modules was put into place by a giant crane.

The £13.5m building has quietly been taking shape behind the main hospital tower for the past five months and marks the largest single redevelopment project in the past 20 years.

The 46-bed AMU will be linked to the emergency department accommodating emergency admissions who would normally be treated and discharged within 72 hours.

Its benefits include reducing the number of times a patient is moved between wards and better access to senior clinicians.

Chief executive Shane Degaris said: “The majority of hospital visitors won’t have noticed the development because its largely taking shape out of sight.

“It will be linked to the main hospital via an enclosed walk way

which will provide direct access to the A&e department.”

The redevelopment, which will be completed by the end of 2014, has already seen improvements

made to the hospital’s A&e department, and paediatric emergency department.

The AMU will open its door to patients this winter.

Final piece of the AMU build is lifted into place

14

Meet the man who says nuts to cancersome of the best health

ambassadors are people with personal experience of the illness they are talking about.

Trevor Walker is no exception.

Frank, honest and with a dash of gallows humour he talks to organisations around the UK about his fight with prostate cancer.

One week he could be addressing a group of GPs or medical students, the next a Rotary Club. The 71 year-old survivor has even braved a 300-strong Women’s Institute meeting to spread the message.

Prostate cancer only affects men and, in many cases, there are no outward signs of illness. A specific blood test is the only safeguard although even that isn’t fool-proof.

Trevor’s wish is that all over 45s receive an annual test and he tirelessly campaigns on behalf of Prostate Cancer UK.

“My mantra is better tested than permanently rested,” says the former building society manager who was himself diagnosed 16 years ago.

“I’m an optimist by nature but felt the world come crashing down

around me when the consultant told me he had found a cancerous growth.

“I remember struggling to take it in which is why it is always good to have someone with you. My wife, Babs, was wonderful. Anyone who tells you they aren’t scared when they receive a diagnosis like that are lying.

“However, you have to make the best of things because life is for living at the end of the day.”

Trevor, who lives in Morgans Lane, Uxbridge, highlights the fact that the forgotten victims are

New Mayor opens new MRI scanner room

Mayor of Hillingdon Catherine Dann has

officially opened a new MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) room at Hillingdon Hospital.

The MRI scanner, which is one of the hospital’s busiest pieces of equipment, can be used to examine almost any part of the

“ ” How to find hope and get the most from life

Trevor Walker talks honestly about living with prostate cancer

body, including the brain and spinal cord, bones and joints and internal organs, such as the liver, womb or prostate gland.

The results of an MRI scan can be used to help diagnose conditions, plan treatments and assess how effective previous treatment has been.

often loved ones who have to both share the bad news and help their partners adjust to life-changing circumstances.

“It can be tough,” said Trevor, ‘but the biggest danger for men is to pretend nothing is wrong and soldier on. That can be potentially fatal so don’t be afraid to speak with your GP.

“It really helps to talk with someone who has been through a similar experience and realise that there is hope and life is worth living.”

He says the national awareness campaign led by comedian Bill Bailey has helped raise public awareness and cites the recent example of a rotary club member who stood up during a meeting and told members he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer as a great way of confronting your fears.

“I thought that was an incredibly brave thing to do.”

If you have any concerns about prostate cancer speak to your GP or a specialist nurse at Prostate Cancer UK on 0800 074 8383. For details, go to prostatecanceruk.org

Trevor is also happy to come and talk to any groups and can be contacted at trevorewalker@aol.com or call 07768 96612.

ATTITUdE

www.thh.nhs.uk 15

GOvErnOrS’vOICE

I am now in my forth year as a Public Governor representing

the North Constituency and was a shadow Governor for the previous two years.

During this time I have met and/ or spoken to some of the members I represent, helped them obtain answers to their questions and passed on their ideas to executive Directors.

There are over 7,000 Members of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (THH) who are effectively the shareholders of the Trust and who have a vested interest in its performance. Many of you or your families and friends

are also patients who are entitled to the best care possible. It is the Public Governors’ role to act as your mouthpiece to the executive Board as and when you need it.

A relatively small number of you regularly attend People in Partnership meetings to hear about current developments and talk to Governors. You also receive the quarterly edition of THH’s magazine, The Pulse, which gives you regular updates about the Hospitals’ progress. We are currently exploring ways we can further improve communication between governors and members.

You can also read updates on the THH website www.thh.nhs.uk

However, I feel that we need more interaction between you and your Governors for us to gain a better understanding of your needs. There is a good opportunity for you to meet us at the THH

Annual Members Meeting on Wednesday 10 September (details below) where you will hear about the Trust’s annual report and be able to quiz Directors about performance. Please do make every effort to attend.

All Public Governors serve on various committees ranging from Shaping a Healthier Future to Patient engagement. These meetings enable us to feed in ideas and comments from Members and to influence change as and where necessary.

We are very lucky to have hospitals that maintain such high standards as THH and we must make every effort to support the Trust. I for one thoroughly enjoy the part I am privileged to play in such a fine organisation.

Tony ellis, Governor,

Public Constituency North

Governor Tony ellis encourages you to get involved

Pastpresentfuture

It’s been quite a year for Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust so why not find out what we’ve been up to at our Annual General Meeting on wednesday 10 september?

It will include presentations from the Chief executive, the Chair and others about progress in the past year as well as our plans for the future.

Senior clinicial staff will talk about how the Trust supports patients to return home after a hospital stay.

The public meeting runs from 5.15 - 7.30pm and includes a Q&A session and light buffet.

The meeting will be held in the Education Centre, Hillingdon Hospital, Pield Heath Road, Uxbridge, UB8 3NN.

For more information, call 01895 279853 / e-Mail: foundation@thh.nhs.uk

Find out how your Trust has been working

16

Keeping the peace with Mr McCool

Dave McCool reckons he walks several miles during

his 12 hour shift as a security guard at Hillingdon Hospital.

He is part of a six-strong team responsible for keeping the peace on the 27-acre site as well as ensuring the hospital’s maze of rooms and buildings are secure after hours.

Dave is a reassuring sight for staff, especially in A&e where he is sometimes called to calm aggressive or difficult patients.

problems and decide to take it out on staff.

“You do become an expert at reading body language so can often predict what people are going to do. I’ve found the more verbal they are the less likely it is to get physical.”

The softly, softly approach doesn’t always work.

Dave admits to having being punched, kicked, pinned to the wall and wrestled to the ground in various incidents over the years.

He says the hospital’s community spirit is something he still enjoys after 30 years, despite the confrontations.

Dave said: “I live opposite the hospital so I bump into a lot of people I know. I’ve spent most of my working life here and am attached to it. I wouldn’t have stayed if I didn’t like it.”

The size of the hospital, which includes more than 30 buildings, means the team can’t be everywhere. They keep an eye on things with the help of a bank of TV monitors hooked up to more than 65 cameras.

“ ” You become an expert at reading body language

“You have to be firm but calm even when people are being abusive,” says the 57 year-old father of one who lives up to his name.

“Someone might have drunk too much, be upset about the waiting time or have mental health

Dave McCool controls 65 cameras from his station

Public invite to annual meetingThe Trust looks back on a

busy year at its annual meeting from 5.15pm on 10 september with a series of presentations from senior officers and clinicians.

In addition to presentations by Chair James Reid, Chief Executive Shane DeGaris, directors Theresa Murphy and Paul Wratten, lead governor John Coleman will also look at the Trust’s future plans.

There will be a keynote presentation from senior hospital clinicians examining how the Trust’s work can support people to get back home more quickly after a hospital stay.

All members of the public are welcome to attend and raise questions about the Trust’s work during a Q&A session. A light buffet will be available.

The meeting takes place in the education Centre, Hillingdon Hospital, Pield Heath Road, Uxbridge, UB8 3NN. Details are on page 15.

Heart to heartA People in Partnership (PIP)

meeting will take place at 7pm on Monday 3 November in the education Centre, Hillingdon Hospital.

Richard Grocott-Mason, Medical Director and Consultant Cardiologist will be talking about recent developments in Coronary Heart Disease.

everyone is welcome and parking is free for those attending.

SAfETy

Governors’ meetingThe Trust’s next Council of

Governors’ meeting takes place from 6.30pm 27 October at Hillingdon Civic Centre, Uxbridge.