January 2012 - Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

Mainstream
www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/mainstream.shtml
Happy anniversary –
in hospital!
Couple celebrate 55th wedding anniversary
in Colchester General Hospital – page 2
Sharing news about the Trust directly with staff and public members | Number 231 | January 2012

“Zero tolerance”
of pressure sores 10
US audience learns
about improved care6
Sister Alison Ruffell tells US audience
about improved care in Colchester
And the
winners are...
8
Results for the At Our
Best Awards plus
launch of next round
CQC report: “staff
12
well-trained
A CQC report is positive following
unannounced inspection of our hospital
The Co-op
– good
with food
16
Other news
Midwives off to Bangladesh......6
Radiotherapy plans ...................6
Win £25,000 says CoHoC! .......6
ThinkGlucose Awards .............11
Thanks to our volunteers ........11
What’s being said about Trust.12
Regulars
How long will I wait?..............13
In the diary.....................13 & 15
In the news...............................4
Letters | Emails | Your views ....15
National news.........................11
People news .............................7
Sixty seconds interview ...........14
Briefly for staff .................6 & 12
Contents
Valuing everyone as an individual – At Our Best
The first of the Trust’s
behaviour standards and
values – “being welcoming”
– is highlighted this month
as part of the next phase of the
At Our Best programme.
Being welcoming
is an attribute that
many staff at the
Trust already
demonstrate
every day as they
meet colleagues,
patients and visitors.
But it is a quality that
Chief Executive Dr Gordon
Coutts says everyone should
demonstrate all of the time to
every person they meet.
All staff are being urged to
focus on the first of the behaviour
standards and values by
valuing and treating everyone –
patients and staff – as an individual
all of the time, by being
courteous, polite and by introducing
themselves when appropriate.
Two important elements of
successful roll-out of the behaviour
standards and values are
role modelling by individuals,
At Our Best is a programme
to inspire, support
and develop all
staff to consistently deliver the
very best patient experience.
In October the Trust
launched its behaviour standards
and values. The three
themes – caring, communication,
consistency – have key
actions underlying them. All
staff will be caring, welcoming,
respectful and kind. All staff
will communicate clearly, keep
by managers and by senior
staff, and ensuring good examples
are praised and recognised.
To ensure Trust staff are
using these values towards
patients and each other, all
4,000+ staff will attend
a mandatory training
development
session during this
year. As at the end
of December, 505
Trust staff have had
the 2 1 ⁄2 hour training
session, with 288 staff
booked for January. With staff
being trained in teams, numbers
will increase as training is
taken to the wards and departments.
i To book your place, email:
AtOur.Best@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
The team on the Isolation Unit demonstrated how to be
welcoming perfectly last month when they discovered
that one of their patients – John Reece – was about to
celebrate his 55th wedding anniversary.
John and his wife May married on 15 December
1956 and moved to St Osyth in 1969. They did not
think they would reach their emerald wedding
anniversary when John was rushed to Colchester
General Hospital last autumn after his pancreas burst.
But with the help of Isolation Unit staff, the pair
celebrated in style. Staff put up banners and cards,
invited the Head of Communications to take some
photos and got the patient’s family involved in the big
celebration. The Daily Gazette were tipped off about
the anniversary and published a story.
patients and colleagues
informed and be responsive to
their individual needs. All staff
will give a consistently professional
and safe service, to
make a difference to patients
and their health.
page 2 | Mainstream

The Trust is on target to
receive a £400,000
bonus. NHS North
East Essex will give our Trust
the money if we achieve our
target for reducing the number
of falls that result in at
least moderate harm to inpatients.
The maximum number of
such falls agreed for 2011/12
is 45 but after the first eight
months of the year there had
been only 17, compared with
41 for the same period in
2010/11. In the whole of that
year, there were a total of 57
cases.
In addition, there was a
15% reduction in the total
number of falls between
April and November (841
compared with 991 in 2010).
Kevin O’Hart, Assistant
Director of Nursing and
Patient Safety, said that if the
Trust achieved its target the
bonus would be spent on
patient services.
“Unfortunately, there will
Trust on target for £400k
bonus after reducing falls
always be a risk of falls in
hospital given the nature of
the patients that are admitted,”
he said.
“Accidental falls are the
most commonly reported
patient safety incidents in
NHS hospitals, with more
than 200,000 every year.
Although about 96% of falls
result in minor injuries or no
harm, even these falls can
result in reduced confidence,
delays in discharge, and loss of
independent living. However,
there is much that can be done
to reduce the risk of falls and
minimise harm while at the
same time properly allowing
patients freedom and mobilisation
during their stay in hospital.”
Kevin said the introduction
of “patient rounding” in
Colchester 12 months ago was
one of the factors contributing
to a reduction in falls.
The scheme, which has
been rolled out to many wards,
increases the amount of contact
between patients and
health care professionals.
For example, patients are
asked every two hours if they
need help with going to the
toilet. Consequently, the number
of patient falls associated
with toileting has fallen from
half of the total to under one
third.
A senior nurse
– Carrie Tyler – has
for the past year been
seconded into the post
of falls prevention
nurse and in 2010 the
Trust appointed its first
nurse consultant for
older people – Louise
Notley – who has also
led work to reduce the risk of
falls in older patients.
The Trust recently bought
40 sensor systems, which are
placed in beds and chairs of
patients who tend to become
confused, sometimes as the
result of dementia, and wander
off. The panels alert nursing
staff when this happens.
January 2012 | page 3

IN THE NEWS
Highlighting how the media
reported on our Trust last month
8December was notable for an
almost total absence of any
“negative” coverage in the media.
8Features were published on: a
support group for women with
gynaecological cancer that the
Trust helped to set up; organ
transplantation; the use of the
Nintendo Wii game console in
rehabilitation; Christmas on the
Children’s Ward; how the Trust’s
physiotherapists help amputees;
and the work of volunteers at our
hospitals. 8The Daily Gazette
published a spread across two
pages after the winners of the At
Our Best Awards were
announced. A spread also
appeared in the Essex County
Standard. 8The Trust is backing
the PCT’s “Norovirus: stop the
spread!” campaign and Dr Tony
Elston, Director of Infection
Prevention and Control, was
widely quoted in many papers.
8Consultant vascular surgeon
Chris Backhouse was interviewed
live on the BBC Suffolk breakfast
programme on 20 December, just
three days before the end of the
three-month “public engagement
exercise” about creating a centre
for major vascular surgery at
Colchester General Hospital.
8The TV production company
making chef Gordon Ramsay’s
Christmas Cookalong visited to
sort out the logistics of a live
interview between the chef and a
Christmas Day new mum. Ours
was one of several hospitals
visited but in the end the
interview took place at the Royal
Hampshire County Hospital,
Winchester.
In the news
Rehab project wins national award
Aprestigious national
competition has been won
by staff at Colchester
General Hospital for a project that
speeds up the recovery of
orthopaedic patients, it was
announced this month
It has been worked out that if
the initiative, which involves
physiotherapy and nursing staff,
was rolled out across England it
would save the NHS over £100m a
year – as well as benefiting
patients.
The intensive rehabilitation
programme, known as the
Colchester Orthopaedic
Rehabilitation Protocol (CORP), was
named on 12 January as the
overall winner of the 2011
Capgemini and Health Service
Journal (HSJ) Liberating Ideas
Awards. In November, it won the
secondary care category. The
awards celebrate the best local
innovations that improve services
and the patient experience, and
which can be adopted by NHS
trusts across the country.
CORP began 12 months ago
as a three-month pilot on Fordham
Ward, Colchester General Hospital,
for patients who had undergone
emergency hip replacement
surgery. It reduced the average
length of time these patients spent
in hospital from 17 days to 11.5
days – about half the national
average length of stay of 22 days.
It also resulted in 78% of
patients being discharged directly
home as opposed, for example, to
residential or nursing homes,
compared with 42% before the
pilot began. Following the pilot’s
success, CORP has now been
expanded to all orthopaedic
patients at Colchester General
Hospital.
Archie Kaul-Mead, Head of
Physiotherapy, said: “We are very
pleased and excited to have
received this prestigious national
award. We have worked out that if
the CORP model was adopted
throughout England, it would save
the NHS about £100m a year. The
team thoroughly deserves this
recognition for all their hard work
and commitment to always strive
for the very best for all our
patients.”
Archie accepted the award
trophy in a ceremony in London.
She and her colleagues will now be
supported by Capgemini to help
CORP to be adopted all over the
country.
Alastair McLellan, editor of
HSJ, said: “The judging process
was a difficult one. But the judges
were unanimous that this was a
project which had clear and real
benefits and was ready for rapid
spread.”
Chief Executive Dr Gordon
Coutts said: “I am very proud that
the CORP project has received such
national recognition. This
demonstrates that good ideas
enthusiastically implemented can
make huge changes to patients’
lives. I am especially pleased that
the physios and nurses first got on
and started the project. They didn’t
ask for permission – there is a
lesson there!”
i Read more on our website:
www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
page 4 | Mainstream

Chemo
initiative
wins Jo
£1,000
bursary
An initiative that helps chemotherapy
patients led to Jo Tonkin, nurse consultant
in haematology, joining 30,000
delegates at the annual meeting of the American
Society of Hematology.
She won a £1,000 bursary in a competition held by the
charity UK Myeloma Forum, which wanted to hear about
projects that had improved the experience of patients. She
put it towards the cost of attending the four-day meeting in
San Diego, California.
The prize was awarded for a project devised by Jo and
consultant haematologist Dr Mike Hamblin. They produced a
treatment planner for patients with myeloma who undergo a
particular type of chemotherapy.
Jo said that the majority of delegates were doctors, who
attended from all over the world. It was a chance to hear the
latest research but was also reassuring as it made her realise
that our patients were already benefiting from some of the
latest techniques.
Jo Tonkin – and
cactus! – in
San Diego,
California
January 2012 | page 5

BRIEFLY FOR STAFF
For more news, staff can go to
the intranet: http://apollo and
click on “News” or “Forums”
Radiotherapy plans
Last month, the Board of
Directors considered the
progress of the radiotherapy
project, in light of the judicial
review (see November’s Mainstream).
The Board agreed to
proceed with further design
work in conjunction with construction
company Interserve
to agree a guaranteed maximum
price by June. On this
basis, start on site (Colchester
General Hospital) would be in
July, with the scheme handed
over in December 2013.
Win £25,000, says CoHoC!
Colchester Hospitals Charity
(CoHoC) has launched a lottery,
offering entrants the
chance of winning up to
£25,000. The more people
who play, the more money
CoHoC gets. For every £1
entry, 50p comes directly back
to CoHoC as profit.
How to enter the lottery:
For £1 per week you will be
allocated a lottery number.
You can buy more than one
entry it you wish. Every Saturday,
prize cheques are posted
directly to winners, so there is
no need for you
to claim. You
must be 16 or
over to enter.
i To join the lottery,
complete the online form:
http://tinyurl.com/8xskfn6
More news for staff, page 12
Briefly for staff
US audience learns about
improved care in Colchester
Midwives off to Bangladesh
INDIA
BANGLADESH
CHINA
Anurse has just returned from a visit to the United
States where she told clinicians how a new
invention is helping critical care patients in
Colchester. The Critical Care Unit at Colchester General
Hospital is one of the first hospitals in the UK to use the
device, which holds the endotracheal (breathing) tube in
place on patients who are breathing with the help of a
ventilator.
Sister Alison Ruffell, who has worked on the unit for
15 years, was one of only eight critical care nurses from
the UK invited to St Joseph’s Hospital, Tampa, Florida.
“This new type of tube fastener holds the breathing
tube more securely in place on patients who are
unconscious compared to other products,” she said. “In
addition, it gives staff better access to the patient’s
mouth, allowing us to provide a higher standard of mouth
hygiene which reduces the risk of infections, such as
ventilator-associated pneumonia. It is also cheaper overall
than the product we previously used which means we are
delivering a higher standard of care for less money.”
Sister Ruffell said the new tube fastener was
introduced onto the Critical Care Unit last month and had
been universally welcomed by staff.
It is called Anchor Fast and is manufactured by
Hollister, an international company with its headquarters
in Chicago.
Annie Halls and Anne
Lines, midwives at
Colchester General Hospital,
are off to Bangladesh at
the end of the month. The trip
has been organised through
obstetric registrar Dr Rehana
Zaman and her husband, who
is involved with the
Bangladeshi charity, People’s
Oriented Program Implementation
(POPI).
The two midwives are taking
two weeks’ annual leave
from 29 January to travel
around rural Bangladesh, helping
train health workers in
emergency midwifery skills to
improve outcomes for vulnerable
women and children. Only
21% of mothers and babies
have antenatal care in
Bangladesh and only one in
four babies is delivered by a
trained midwife or doctor.
POPI was founded in 1986
to improve living conditions
and to alleviate the poverty of
people in Bangladesh. The
charity covers more than half a
million poor and marginalised
people, in more than 4,000 vil-
page 6 | Mainstream

Joy’s joy
A specialist nurse based at Colchester
General Hospital has been
shortlisted in the final five of a
national nursing awards competition.
Joy Mason, Clinical Nurse Specialist,
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
(IBD), has been chosen from
more than 450 nominations from
patients in the Crohn’s and Colitis
UK IBD Nursing Awards for
2011/12.
Crohn’s and Colitis UK invited
their 31,000 members living with
IBD to nominate their specialist
nurse for the award.
The prizes are educational
bursaries, which can be used for
professional development, with
the winner’s bursary worth
£1,000.
Sister Mason has her own clinics,
including a fortnightly clinic at
Clacton Hospital, sees inpatients
on the wards and runs a helpline,
which she set up.
The winners of the Crohn’s
and Colitis UK IBD Nursing
Awards will be announced at a
ceremony in London on 1 March.
lages. It runs programs and project
activities through more 200
offices and with a team of nearly
2,000 qualified and experienced
staff, 500 paid volunteers and several
thousand unpaid volunteers.
Annie and Anne have organised
a quiz night with the help of
Frinton Lawn Tennis Club this
month to help raise money for
their trip and the charity.
For full details, see In the
Diary, on page 13.
i Visit the POPI website:
www.popibd.org
4 PEOPLE II| NEWS ABOUT STAFF FROM THE INTRANET’S FORUM
People news
Christmas round-up!
The Mayor of Colchester visited
the Trust on 13 December to
judge the Christmas tree
competition. First prize went to
the Children’s Ward for their
Michael “Bauble” themed tree
(pictured below) and runners-up
were the Outpatients
Department, Essex County
Hospital. Full results are on the
intranet. Congratulations to the
winners and thanks to all who
entered.
Meanwhile, players from
Colchester United and Ipswich
Town visited the Children’s Unit
at Colchester General Hospital
last month to give out presents
and meet parents and staff. The
Colchester Referees’ Society
visited the unit as well on 21
December to hand out presents
they had bought. Their visit was
also in memory of Kieran
Mallett, who passed away at the
age of seven shortly after the
referees met him during their
Christmas visit six years earlier.
LYNDA PEARCE, Matron for
Children’s Services, said: “I know
how much the staff, children and
parents really appreciate all of
this continuing support.”
When Sally met Santa
Patients on the Children’s Ward
were able to visit Santa
Claus on Christmas
Day after staff had
transformed the
sensory room into a
magical grotto.
Sally Irvine,
Chair, visited on
25 December
and met ward
clerk Paul Raven
who was playing
the role of Father
Christmas.
Paul said many staff on
the ward were involved: “We did
it to bring Christmas cheer to children,
their parents and staff on a
day that is very special to many of
us, as it’s a time when we should be
at home, celebrating with our families
and friends. All the children
enjoyed the day very much.”
Dedham donation
Last month Ward Sister HELEN
BENNETT was presented with a
cheque for £436.05 by the
Women’s Institute who chose to
fundraise for cardiology and
Dedham Ward at Colchester
General Hospital in 2011.
Farewell Stephanie
Last November STEPHANIE
SIMPSON retired as a midwife,
having worked for the Trust for
over 30 years. For the last 15
years she worked in the Iceni
Midwifery Group Practice. She
will be greatly missed by her
colleagues in the Iceni team.
Don’t be tempted
Don’t be tempted by those
unopened chocolates and
biscuits you have left over after
Christmas.
Instead, please donate them
to the Colchester & Tendring
Women’s Refuge, as so many of
you did generously last year.
Please send or bring them to
Anita Bryan, PALS/Complaints,
Villa 2, ext 2700.
Welcome and farewell
PAUL BOOCOCK starts as
Director of Estates & Facilities on
30 January.
PHILIP KITCHENER will retire
in March and IAN CROCKETT,
Associate Director Estates and
Facilities, has taken over
responsibility for estates services
from Philip.
January 2012 | page 7

And the
winners are...
Pictured from left are Gemma
Coates, Emma Mazerolle, Chief
Executive Dr Gordon Coutts,
Lucy Powell and Peter Carrington
Here we reproduce the citations written about each of the winners and runners up
Joint winners
(Individual)
Lucy Powell,
Urology Cancer
Nurse Specialist
“I have over the last five years
found Lucy to be both at the same
time, a real lady and an extremely
knowledgeable, utter professional,
understanding and caring nurse.
She is well able to mix her professional
approach, with a fine sympathetic
listening ear. I have to say as
a prostate cancer patient, I would
feel at a loss without her.”
“Lucy is the best patient’s
advocate I have ever worked with
as a doctor. She consistently stands
up for patients and delivers outstanding
clinical care. She puts
patients above her own needs and
routinely works extra hours for the
sake of her patients and the
department. She is an excellent
mentor to junior doctors.”
Emma Mazerolle,
Staff Nurse,
Rhys Lewis Ward
“Kept a Skype link
going, and sat with my late husband,
enabling him to see and hear
most of his eldest son’s wedding
on 4 August 2011. He died the following
morning. Emma, especially
cared for him throughout the last
week of his life in Rhys Lewis
Ward. The team too tried so hard
to get him to the wedding without
success. He was dressed in the
shirt and cravat that he was to have
worn. A bitter sweet memory but
without the support he and my
family received it would have been
unbearable.”
Runner-up (Individual)
Annette Brown, Lung Cancer
Nurse Specialist
“Annette is extremely hard working.
She is always polite and kind
to all the patients. She is an excellent
communicator and team player.
She is always willing to travel to
CGH or Clacton to see patients.
She is an excellent support to the
patients and their families/carers.
She puts herself out for patients. I
even heard her say the other day,
(even though she is part time and
now working on her own), she is
happy for the oncology secretary
to phone her and she will call worried
patients back even on her days
off. There is no one better I would
want to support patients diagnosed
with lung cancer.”
Winner (Team)
Audiology
Receptionists
(Lorraine Applin
and Gemma Coates)
“Gemma and Lorraine work in the
Reception Area of the Hearing
and Balance Dept at Essex County
Hospital. They deal with face to
face enquiries and telephone calls
throughout the day and are the key
to the patient having a good serv-
page 8 | Mainstream

Winners were announced last
month of the Trust’s first
quarterly At Our Best
awards, launched to recognise staff
and volunteers achievements and to
thank them for what they do.
There were three categories:
Individual, Team and Volunteer.
Anyone – colleagues, patients and
the public – could nominate a person
or a team they felt had made an outstanding
contribution.
More than 240 people entered
and the winners were invited to a
ceremony on 16 December and given
a framed certificate, glass paperweight,
and retail or leisure vouchers
by Chief Executive Dr Gordon Coutts.
Although 241 people entered the
awards, not everyone wrote down
the reason why the person or team
deserved to win. Nevertheless, 140
entries were completed, with some
individuals and teams nominated
more than once. There were 37 nominations
from patients.
Everyone who was nominated
has been written to by Dr Coutts.
Enter the next round!
The deadline for the next
round of awards is fast
approaching and so this is a
chance for colleagues, patients
and the public to nominate the
people they feel have made outstanding
contributions at
our Trust.
The Awards are held
on a quarterly basis with
an annual ceremony on
Tuesday 26 June. Runners
up, as well as winners, will
be invited to the next
Awards ceremony on Friday
2 March. Three awards
will be presented, one to an individual
staff member, one to a
volunteer and one to a team.
Anyone can make a nomination
of an individual or a team
and nominations have been
open since November. (Entries
submitted late for the first round
of awards have been put into
this latest round.)
People who nominate are
asked to write a description of
up to 50 words – the citation – of
the reasons a person or team
should win. The judges want to
see what qualities the nominees
have that make them so outstanding.
The judging panel
includes directors, governors,
clinical and Staff Side representatives.
It’s very important that people
who enter write down the
reason why the person or team
deserves to win, otherwise they
are not valid entries.
Entries will be judged on the
citation and the individual staff
member, volunteer and team
that demonstrates the At Our
Best behaviours standards and
values (caring, communication
and consistency).
For instance:
n were they caring, welcoming,
respectful and
kind?
n did they communicate
clearly, keep you informed
and stay responsive to
your individual needs?
n did they give you a
consistently professional and
safe service?
n did they make a difference to
you and your health?
i The deadline for the next
quarterly awards is Wednesday
8 February. Enter now:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/At_Our_Best
_Awards
ice from our department. Many of
our patients have hearing problems
and they are always sensitive and
caring, speaking clearly and showing
kindness and respect to all.
They take time to listen carefully
and help patients get the correct
care. They help patients by
responding to their needs, ensuring
no one is left waiting or feeling
excluded. They show compassion
and are approachable to all who
come to the Department. Both
Gemma and Lorraine deliver a
service which is appreciated by
patients and colleagues whose job
is made possible by their enthusiasm
and attention to detail.”
(Gemma is pictured at the ceremony as
Lorraine couldn’t be there.)
Runners-up (Team)
Professor Roger Motson and his
multi-disciplinary team
“The whole team make you feel at
ease. You are treated like a private
patient. I have been under the
team since January 2007 and am
still under their care. I have bowel
cancer and have had a few operations.
I could possibly have a couple
more but I do not care as I feel
so safe in their hands.”
Rhys Lewis Ward
“My family and I cannot thank the
staff on Rhys Lewis Ward enough,
especially Bev Pickett. The support
and care that they gave my dad in
his last few days was second to
none and could easily rival that of
private health care. I would also
like to mention Alice, the ward
housekeeper, who was so helpful
and kind enough to bring a newspaper
into my dad every day during
his time in hospital.”
Winner (Volunteer)
Peter Carrington
“Peter consistently
displays all the values
and behaviours above,
he regularly will go the extra mile
for patients AND staff listening to
both patients families and professionals
concerns. He has impacted
on the quality of health of many
terminally ill patients ensuring that
they receive time and the dignity
they deserve.”
Runner-up (Volunteer)
Janie van Helfteren
“I would like to nominate Janie as
she is always friendly, helpful,
happy, she has also done a lot to
raise funds for Rhys Lewis Ward
and has currently raised £10k+ to
assist with the purchase of new
chairs for patients. Janie has put a
lot of her own personal time into
the fundraising, by organising a
fashion show, which raised £5k+,
she has also run the Dublin
Marathon to raise money for the
ward. I think everyone on Rhys
Lewis Ward would agree Janie
deserves an award for everything
she does.”
January 2012 | page 9

“Zero tolerance” approach to
pressure sores yields results
A large reduction in the number of the most serious pressure ulcers acquired at our
hospital is due to a “zero tolerance” approach, dedicated staff, and tough measures
Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure
sores or bedsores, are caused when the
affected area of skin is placed under too
much pressure and can lead to serious pain
and severe harm to patients, even resulting
in life-threatening complications such
as blood poisoning or gangrene.
Much of the work to reduce pressure
ulcers at our Trust is due to the tissue viability
nurse specialist, Lindsay Young
(pictured above). The introduction in
December 2010 of a scheme called “patient
rounding” (see page 3) has also helped.
Other measures that have contributed
to the reduction include:
n carrying out a risk assessment of every
day case patient and every inpatient
n providing equipment such as specialist
pressure-relieving mattresses and cushions
if a risk is identified
n establishing link nurses on every ward
n ensuring that a patient’s nutritional
needs are fully met
n carrying out a root cause analysis of the
more serious pressure ulcers
n monthly meetings of a tissue viability
steering group which includes representatives
from community health services.
There has been an almost 45% reduction in
the number of the most serious pressure
ulcers acquired at Colchester General Hospital
and Essex County Hospital.
In the three months from April 2011, there
were 30 grade three or grade four pressure
ulcers compared with 21 from July to September
and just 13 between October and December
– a reduction of 43.3%.
If the Trust has 18 or fewer cases in the first
three months of 2012, it
will be paid a bonus of
£400,000 by NHS North
East Essex to spend on
patient services.
Pressure ulcers are
caused when the affected
area of skin is placed
under too much pressure (see panel on the
left). Yet the majority of cases can be prevented
if simple measures are followed.
The NHS spends about £4bn treating pressure
ulcers and related conditions each year –
approximately 4% of the total Health Service
budget – and the costs of treating the most
severe cases are as high as £40,000 per person.
Kathy French, Deputy Director of Nursing
for Patient Safety and Patient Experience, said
the Trust had a “zero tolerance” approach to
pressure ulcers.
“Our goal is the elimination of avoidable
pressure ulcers at both hospitals,” she said.
“However, even with the highest standards of
clinical care, it is not always possible to prevent
them in particularly vulnerable people, and
some patients already have them when they
“Our goal is the elimination
of avoidable pressure ulcers
at both hospitals”
come to us. We have been working successfully
to reduce the number of patients who develop
pressure ulcers in our hospitals, and further
reductions remain an important priority for the
organisation.
“Agreeing a reduction target for the year
with NHS North East Essex has been very helpful
because it has increased awareness of the
issue right across the Trust.”
As well as being painful and, potentially,
deadly, having a pressure
ulcer also increases the
amount of time that
patients stay in hospital,
she added.
Much of the work to
reduce pressure ulcers is
led by Lindsay Young,
tissue viability nurse specialist, who supports
health care professionals, such as doctors and
nurses, across the Trust’s wards and departments.
She also delivers a comprehensive training
programme.
The introduction in December 2010 of a
scheme called “patient rounding”, in which
patients are asked every two hours whether
they need to change position, has also helped.
Other measures that have contributed to the
reduction are detailed in the panel on the left.
Pressure sores are graded between one and
four – the higher the grade, the more severe
the injury to the skin and underlying tissue.
Two out of every three cases of pressure ulcers
develop in people who are 70 years old or
more. The most common site for them at the
Trust is the heel.
page page 10 10 | | Mainstream

Thanks to our volunteers
The volunteers’ annual Christmas party took place at Colchester
General Hospital on 9 December to thank the 150 volunteers
who give up their time to support patients and
staff at Colchester’s hospitals. The number of volunteers has doubled
in the past year, and they range in age from 18 to 88, plus
three dogs who visit patients on some wards.
Volunteers’ Co-ordinator Lucy Archer said: “The work our volunteers
do is invaluable and makes a major contribution to helping
the Trust in trying to achieve its ambition of being at its best
all of the time. It’s no surprise to me that a number of volunteers
have been nominated for the Trust’s At Our Best Awards.”
Other volunteers support the Trust too, including lay chaplains,
volunteers from the Colchester League of Hospital and
Community Friends, Hospital Radio Colchester and the Essex
Blind Charity.
i For more information about becoming a volunteer, contact
Lucy on 01206 744006 or email lucy.archer@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
ThinkGlucose Awards
Congratulations to the Stroke Unit who were the overall
winners of the December 2011 ThinkGlucose awards. They
won a mug and a box of chocolates for the consistency,
timing and percentage of completed Diabetes Inpatient Assessment
forms over the previous few months.
ThinkGlucose is a major programme to improve the management
of people with diabetes when they are admitted to hospital.
It has been chosen as one of the Trust’s patient safety initiatives
for this year’s CQUIN. See In the Diary, health talk, page 13.
4 NATIONAL NEWS II| IIPrimary care, Dept of Health and beyond
National news
Mapping variations in the NHS
The NHS Atlas of Variation has been published by the Department
of Health to highlight
the amount each primary care
trust (PCT) spends on clinical
services which links this with
the health outcomes patients
see. Consisting of 71 interactive
maps, the atlas will help
COLCHESTER l
commissioners learn from one
other, consider the appropriateness
of a service, and
investigate when clinical
health outcomes are not
reflecting the financial investment
that has been made.
i Go straight to the interactive atlas: http://tinyurl.com/782v7kd
Renewed focus on improving patient results
NHS hospitals are to be measured against 60 new benchmark
targets with the aim of saving more than 20,000 lives a year.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has said doctors and hospitals
will be judged on the quality of care patients receive,
rather than the speed they are treated.
The NHS Outcomes Framework includes a focus on improving
cancer survival and a zero tolerance approach to hospitalacquired
infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile.
It is intended to ensure patients are treated with dignity
and respect by measuring the responsiveness of staff to patient
needs when staying in hospital.
i Read more on the Department of Health website:
http://tinyurl.com/83fs5xt
From left: ThinkGlucose project nurse Shirley Davis,
diabetes specialist nurse Karen Turner, nurse consultant
Moira Keating, Stroke Unit Sister Sue Bazzoni
and consultant diabetologist Dr Charles Bodmer
Mums asked for views on maternity care
New mums and mothers-to-be will be asked for their views on
maternity services in Harwich, Clacton, Halstead and Colchester.
NHS North East Essex (the PCT) and our Trust are holding
public events between February and April. The dates and venues
are still being finalised and Denise Hagel, Director of Nursing
at the PCT, wants the views of service users.
The discussion sessions are being planned with the help of
the local Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC) which
has local mums among its members.
i Full details will be published at:
www.northeastessex.nhs.uk
January 2012 | page 11

BRIEFLY FOR STAFF
Continued from page 6
ICT Trainers on intranet
The ICT Trainers – Emma
Arber and Michelle Flatt – are
now part of the Information
Governance Team based in
Villa 1, at Colchester General
Hospital. Emma and Michelle
provide systems training to all
staff grades, offering courses
from induction sessions to
refresher sessions.
They have a new intranet
page with training dates, user
guides, quick help guides and
minutes from meetings.
You can find the ICT Trainers
page under “Info About”
and “ICT Training Team”.
Latest office moves
Work started last month on a
series of phased moves involving
about 270 staff at Colchester
General Hospital and 30
staff at Essex County Hospital.
n Planning & Development
have moved to Villa 5
n Business Informatics Team
have moved to Villa 10
n Urology Department is now
in Admin Corridor 2
n On 23 January, orthopaedic
secretaries, booking clerks
and consultants move to
Constable Wing’s first floor
n On 25 January, orthopaedic
secretaries and operations
team move to Constable
Wing’s second floor
n On 30 January, Materials
Management move to the
Facilities Corridor.
All phone numbers
remain the same.
i Denise French, ext 2309
page 12 | Mainstream
Staff
news!
Briefly for staff
CQC report: “staff well-trained
to provide care and treatment”
On 11 January, the Care Quality Commission
(CQC) published a positive report
into our Trust, looking at essential standards
of quality and safety, following an unannounced
visit to Colchester General Hospital.
The CQC report was complimentary, stating:
“People with whom we spoke reported that
they were listened to and respected by staff
and most spoke highly about the information
available. They felt that staff were well-trained
to provide care and treatment. They told us
that they enjoyed the food offered by the service
and that they were offered choice about
what they ate… and were happy with the standard
of cleanliness of the hospital.”
The CQC made an unannounced visit to the
hospital on 22 November as part of its routine
schedule of planned reviews. Inspectors spent
two days looking at essential standards across
more than a dozen wards and departments.
The Trust was found to be compliant with seven
of the eight standards reviewed, and the CQC
had a “minor concern” with one standard,
which was to do with mandatory safe-guarding
training. A “minor concern” means that people
who use services are safe but are not always
experiencing the outcomes relating to this standard.
On nutrition, their report stated: “The Trust
has made significant improvements to address
all issues identified during our dignity and
nutrition inspection in April 2011. These
changes were seen to have had a positive
What is being said about our hospitals
impact on the Trust’s ability to meet the nutritional
needs of people using the service and we
now consider that the Trust is compliant with
this outcome.”
The report also said the Trust had put in a
lot of work to support its staff since the results
of the 2010 NHS Staff Survey. “Every member of
staff interviewed, whether clinical or lay, spoke
about the positive effect the [staff morale initiatives]
have had. They feel that the Trust is
now a good place to work and that there is
supportive, ‘open’ and ‘no blame’ culture.”
Dr Gordon Coutts, Chief Executive, said:
“We welcome and accept in full the CQC report
and I am delighted with its findings.
“I have thanked all staff for their concerted
efforts over many months to improve the quality
of the care we provide at our Trust. Earlier
this year we started a programme called At Our
Best to inspire, support and develop all staff to
consistently deliver the very best patient experience.
Although there are other areas that we
can improve, our progress – and this report –
gives us confidence that the programme is
working.
“It is my personal ambition and that of the
Trust’s Board of Directors that we are at our
best consistently. I am confident that this
review by the CQC will inspire us and all of our
staff to work towards achieving that goal.”
i Read the CQC report on their website:
www.cqc.org.uk/directory/rdee4
The Trust’s website has a new page displaying up-to-the-minute news items, web pages
and blogs from the world wide web which mention Colchester General Hospital and
Essex County Hospital. It also shows comments by patients, visitors and the public
made about the two hospitals, taken from the NHS Choices website. A separate page
shows comments on the Patient Opinion website.
Both pages have a link from our home page – look for the logo shown on the left.
i www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/rss.shtml

How long
will I wait?
For April to November 2011
(Apr to Nov 2010’s figures in red):
JOutpatients attending hospital
for first time 69,560 (70,900)
LFollow-up outpatients 153,282
(151,296)
LDay case spells 15,418 (15,009)
JElective inpatient spells 5,269
(5,442)
JNon-elective inpatient spells
22,409 (25,631)
LRegular day attendances 8,049
(7,601)
In November 2011 (Nov 2010):
LA&E department attendance
5,943 (5,601)
LAverage performance of
patients seen, treated or
discharged against the four-hour
standard 95.10% (98.53%)
L18-week referral to treatment
was 91.78% (93.64%) for
admitted patients
JFor non-admitted patients, it
was 97.13% (95.34%)
J0.02% (0.02%) breaches in
outpatients 13-week target
LUrgent suspected cancer
referrals (those meeting twoweek
maximum wait from GP
urgent referral to first outpatient
appointment) 93.9% (96.20%)
JMRSA 0 cases (0)
(ceiling is 1 for 2011/12)
JC diff 1 case (2)
(ceiling is 25 for 2011/12)
LHand hygiene compliance
94.83% (97.64%).
i Visit the page “How long
will I wait” on Trust website:
www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
Enter the 2012
Sports Challenge!
The 2012 Sports Challenge
was launched this month
by the Health & Wellbeing
Team. They are inviting
wards and departments to
enter and are offering a fabulous
prize as an incentive.
The idea is that each hour
of exercise undertaken by a
departmental team will equal
100 virtual miles. The team
that has virtually travelled the
furthest by 27 July will win a
flat screen TV with a DVD
player.
To enter, wards or departments
are required to name
their team members, nominate
a captain and vice captain
and choose a team name.
4 THIS MONTH’S GRAPH
Each week, the captain
will email Health & Wellbeing
with the number of hours of
exercise done by the team.
Teams can define their own
start and finish destinations,
such as London to New York,
or Colchester to Lands End.
To qualify, the team are
required to have exercised
hard enough that their heart
rate and breathing has
increased, or participated in a
body strengthening and flexibility
class, such as yoga or
pilates. Golf does not count!
i Register your team now by
emailing:
claire.kelly@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
The red line shows the number of falls that result in
at least moderate harm to inpatients. Between
April and December 2011 there were only 17 such
falls, compared with 41 for the same period in
2010/11 (see page 3).
Source: Division of Medicine Quarter 3 Report for
the Patient Committee Meeting, January 2012
4 IN THE DIARY
All events at Colchester General Hospital unless
otherwise stated. Members are invited to
attend public events with their friends or
family. Details from Membership Helpline on back
page. (Staff members should look on the Trust
intranet’s Forums under Events at: http://apollo)
4 Friday 20 January
Midwives Quiz Night
The two midwives who are off to Bangladesh at the end
of the month – see page 6 – are having a Quiz Night,
courtesy of Frinton Lawn Tennis Club. 7.30pm (for 8pm).
Tickets are £4 and can be reserved or bought during
office hours from Frinton Tennis Club on 01255 674055
or from Annie Lines on 01255 678888. Any contributions
surplus to this year’s trip will either go towards
financing a repeat visit next year or be handed over to
POPI, the umbrella charity.
4 Tuesday 31 January
North Essex Primary Care
Trusts’ Charitable Funds AGM
The Annual General Meeting at 1.30pm will preceed the
NHS North Essex PCT board meeting. Great Baddow Millennium
Community Centre, Baddow Road, Chelmsford,
Essex, CM2 9RL. More information on 01206 286818.
4 February
Make a Will Month
Colchester Hospitals Charity (CoHoC) has teamed up
with local solicitors to provide a will writing service during
February. Whatever your age, it is important to have
an up-to-date will to ensure that your family and friends
are provided for. You will be invited to make a voluntary
donation to CoHoC as the solicitors have waived their
fees for simple wills. The amount suggested is £75 for a
single will and £100 for a joint will. You do not have to
leave a gift to CoHoC in your will. When you make an
appointment please say that you are taking part in
COHOC’s Make A Will Month. For further details please
contact Caroline Bates on 01206 745282.
4 1 st Wednesday of month*
Cancer support group
The NE Essex Urology Cancer Support Group meets at
Essex County Hospital on the first Wednesday of the
month (*except January and August). The informal
meetings are for patients, partners and carers whose
lives have been affected by any urological cancer. People
who go along have plenty of time to chat with each
other, and activities also include social evenings, guest
speakers and a chance to meet clinicians. Call urology
cancer nurse specialist Lucy Powell on 01206 742964.
4 Wednesday 8 February
At Our Best Awards deadline
See page 9.
i You can also see monthly
reports on our website under
“Board Meetings” Continues on page 15
Public
event!
Public
event!
Public
event!
Public
event!
Public
event!
January 2012 | page 13

PEOPLE II| IISIXTY SECONDS INTERVIEW
4 DR NADEEM AFTAB
4 CONSULTANT PHYSICIAN
4 BASED AT COLCHESTER GENERAL
4 WORKED IN NHS FOR 11 YEARS
Describe your job
I provide medical cover on
Tiptree and Peldon wards for
elderly patients admitted with an
acute illness. I have a specialist
interest in Parkinson’s disease
and run a weekly clinic at
Colchester and Clacton hospitals.
My work involves close working
with neurology and Parkinson’s
disease nurse specialists to
provide quality care for our
patients.
How does your role
improve patient care?
Elderly patients have complex
needs. This requires
comprehensive assessment of
elderly patients and initiating a
clear management plan. By
working closely with nurses,
occupational therapists and
physiotherapists, I am able to
promote patients’ health and
wellbeing.
60 seconds
What would you change
at the Trust?
I am keen on using modern IT
services at the Trust. Our systems
do the essentials but it is time to
move to having mobile
computers (computers on
wheels, tablet PCs) to enable us
to look at the patients’ results
and make decisions promptly.
Best part of your job?
I find my work rewarding and
satisfying. With the positive
feedback from patients in the
form of thank you cards and
letters, I know how much they
appreciate our work to make
them feel better. It is good to
know that our hard work is
making a big impact on our
patients’ lives.
i Do the interview. Visit:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/60_Sec_
Interview
Every day
and with
every patient
At the start of the month, I visited
the Emergency Department
(A&E) and Emergency
Assessment Unit (EAU) where I was
impressed by the calm efficiency of
both areas following the challenges
of Christmas and New Year. On Tuesday
3 January we had no patients on
outlying wards (medical patients on
surgical wards and vice versa) and
60% fewer flexible beds in use than
at the same time 12 months ago.
There are many factors behind
these improvements; the changes in
the Emergency Department including
consultant presence until midnight
every day; the changes in the EAU
including the integration of the Short
Stay Unit and consultant presence
until 10pm every day; the improvements
in our discharge co-ordination;
and changes on our wards, such as
the Board rounds and intentional
“patient rounding” (see page 3).
Together these improvements in efficiency
make us a safer Trust.
Of course, the weather has been
milder. However, we have seen at
least as many patients as last year and
are performing better than most of
the region’s hospitals, so I would like
to thank all staff for their contribution.
It’s still early winter but we have
started the year well – thank you.
In a speech this month, the Prime
Minister commented about what he
sees as a real problem with patient
care and called for the highest standards.
We have already made great
strides in improving the consistency
of the care in our hospitals. We have
the well-established patient rounding
initiative, as well as the red tray and
red jug lid system for patients who
require extra help at meal times. Our
matrons do quality checks when
walking round their departments and
we have the Clinical Area Assessment
Programme. Patients have told us
from At Our Best that they expect
care, communication and consistency
and the recent Care Quality Commission
(CQC) report captures how
patients said that they found “staff
very nice and courteous”.
We do therefore, have good and
robust processes in place to improve
the consistency of patient care. The
key to our success is using these
processes every day and with every
patient – consistency is the key word.
While the latest CQC visit (see
page 12) was generally very positive,
it did highlight areas where we can
be more consistent and rigorous in
our use of these excellent arbiters of
quality patient care. The start of a
new year is a good time for resolutions
so let’s make one of ours to
improve the consistency of care we
provide and to personally demonstrate
the “At Our Best” behaviours
every day!
I wish you all a healthy and happy
New Year.
Dr Gordon Coutts | Chief Executive
page 14 | Mainstream

Letters | Emails
Your views
GP fax numbers
Does anyone have or know a quick way
of getting a list of all local GP fax numbers
please? They don’t appear on the
courier list.
Sarah Sexton, Ward Clerk
(posted on the intranet Forum)
REPLY: The GP courier list now includes
fax numbers. Following your posting, it
was re-written to include them.
http://neapex/GPcodes.html
New staff name badges
Do you know who to contact about staff
name badges please? We were expecting
some new ones with corrections on, my
colleagues all got theirs but I didn’t. Also
one of the badges has broken and needs
replacing. If anyone could point us in the
right direction we’d be very grateful!
Steven Chan, Orthopaedic Technician
(posted on the intranet Forum)
REPLY: There is an email address on the
global address book:
name.badges@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
Shut that window!
I received an email from a nurse making
valid statements on the number of corridor
windows left open at night (and day)
during the heating season . This is a waste
of expensive energy. It should be the
responsibility of all members of the Trust
when walking past an open window to
take a few seconds to close any they pass.
David Hansford, Senior Team Leader
(Estates), 01206 742090
david.hansford@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
# WRITE TO: Mainstream Editor
Trust HQ, Colchester General Hospital
; EMAIL: info@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
Sarah Kitchener Perrow Fund
Our family and friends have been continuing
to come to terms with the devastating
loss of our beloved Sarah [Kitchener]
in March 2010. Sarah was very determined
to continue her life to the full
despite the setback of her brain tumour.
Her bravery and positive approach to her
situation constantly reminds us that we
need to continue to help others to find a
cure in any way we can.
Last year we were able to hold and
take part in a number of successful charity
events. In 2011, the Sarah Kitchener Perrow
Fund was able to raise £45,284.50!
We have been humbled at the continued
help and support received. These donations
have been sent to the Samantha
Dickson Brain Tumour Trust to help fund
important brain tumour research.
Once again, thank you to everyone
for your kind support, thoughtful messages
and helpfulness. It’s great to know
so many wonderful and generous people.
Philip Kitchener
phil.kitchener@hotmail.co.uk
Read the full letter on the intranet’s
Forum, under “People News”
Unwanted toys
I have some unwanted toys that my
grandchildren are too old for and was
wondering whether you would like them
for any Children’s wards or units. They are
all in excellent condition. The toys range
from 1-3 years old.
SA, by email
REPLY: Thank you for thinking of the
Children’s Unit. Yes, we will gratefully
receive these toys and put them to good
use in our children’s clinics. Please contact
either myself or Sister Kim Ness on the
Children’s Ward. Lynda Pearce, Matron
Children’s Services, 01206 742484
Your views
4 IN THE DIARY | FROM PAGE 13
4 February to May
Members’ Council &
Board of Directors meetings
The Members’ Council works closely with the Board of
Directors to influence decision-making and strategic
planning. The public and staff are represented by their
governors. Staff and the public are welcome to attend.
Meetings are on the following Thursdays:
n 16 Feb 1.30pm Board of Directors meeting in public
n 26 Apr (NEW) Members’ Council meeting in public
n 17 May 1.30pm Board of Directors meeting in public
Download the agenda and papers, with venue and time,
from our website (look for Board Meetings under the
About Us menu) or contact the FT Membership Office
on 01206 742586. www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
4 February to April
Chief Exec’s Staff Briefing
Postgraduate Centre. Dr Gordon Coutts briefs senior
managers. Key messages are then cascaded to all staff.
If you do not receive the cascade, email
info@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
n Fri 17 Feb, 10.30am
n Tue 13 Mar, 10.30am
n Thu 19 Apr, 10.30am (NEW DATE)
For more information, go to the intranet’s Home page
http://apollo (under Info About > ‘B’ for Briefing).
4 February to November
Health Talks for the public
A series of free talks where a leading doctor or other
healthcare professional speaks on a health topic relevant
to today’s lifestyle. Anyone, including public and staff
members, their friends and family, are more than welcome
to come along. 6.30-8pm.
n Wed 29 Feb “Bowels and Bottoms!”
(Postgrad Medical Centre, Colchester General)
Miss Sharmila Gupta, Consultant Colorectal and
Laparoscopic Surgeon
n Wed 28 Mar “ThinkGlucose”
(St Helena Hospice, Clacton)
Dr Charles Bodmer, Consultant Physician. See page 11
and also November’s Mainstream.
Future dates (all Wednesdays): 25 Apr, 30 May,
27 Jun, 25 Jul, 29 Aug, 26 Sep, 17 Oct, 28 Nov.
More details on our website. For the exact location and
details, call the Membership Helpline (see back page).
4 Mon-Tue 27-28 February
Public
event!
Public
event!
STIF course
The Colchester Sexual Health Centre are running a STIF
(sexually transmitted infection foundation) multi-disciplinary
course at the Marks Tey Hotel, Colchester. More
details on the intranet.
4 Friday 2 March
At Our Best Awards ceremony
For winners and runners-up – see page 9.
January 2012 | page 15

n,
Patients undergoing chemotherapy at
Essex County Hospital are enjoying free
refreshments, thanks to support from
the East of England Co-operative Society.
The Co-op decided to supply patients, relatives
and staff with tea, coffee, hot chocolate
and biscuits after one of its directors
went there for chemotherapy following a
diagnosis of oesophageal cancer. The refreshments
are being sponsored by the Easier Living
Mobility Centre located in the Co-op
supermarket in Peartree Road, Stanway.
The Co-op also donated food and drink
for the Christmas party for hospital volunteers
(see page 11) and supplied goodie bags for
the Trust’s Santa Fun Run last month.
Roger Grosvenor, Group General Manager
Trading, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring
refreshments for the Mary Barron
Suite. I have never met such dedicated and
cheerful people giving great service to the
community as those staff I have encountered
on my numerous visits to the hospital and the
Mary Barron Suite.”
Macmillan Lead Cancer Nurse and Matron
Donna Booton said: “We are very honoured
that the Co-op is providing this support.”
The Co-op decided to become involved
after its director Les Double, who is also a
Tendring district councillor, underwent
chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He was a
stakeholder governor on the Members’ Council
of the Trust from May 2008 until 2010.
Donna was – and remains – a staff governor.
Les said: “The care and treatment I
received at the hospital was absolutely excellent.
When I told Roger about it, he was very
enthusiastic and was keen to find out what
the Co-op could do to help the hospital.”
i Read the full story on our website:
www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
From left: Les Double,
chemotherapy clinical nurse
specialist Vanessa Bradbury
and patient Derek Ball
(seated)
The Co-op – good with food
(and drinks), say cancer patients
Membership Helpline: 0800 0 51 51 43, weekdays 9.30am to 5pm. Email: ft.membership@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
Freepost ANG 2707, Chief Executive, Colchester General Hospital, Colchester, CO4 5BR
4 EDITOR: Paul Searle, Head of Communications, 01206 742348. Send your photos, news or articles to: info@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk
4 DISTRIBUTION: 2,000 copies delivered monthly to Trust sites (7,000+ to Public members in March, June, September and December).
4 ONLINE: Monthly at: www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/mainstream.shtml 4 NEXT EDITION’S DEADLINE: Monday 30 January by midday.