Issue 9 - The Great Western Hospital

Star quality 

Celebrating excellence at staff awards 

Also in this issue 

❭ A Year in Review 2011-12 

❭ Better services for Wiltshire’s 

wheelchair users 

❭ How you can reduce the risk 

of falling 

❭ What is… Cancer of Unknown 

Primary?

" 

Welcome 

Hello and welcome to the latest issue of in the next edition of . There will falling, one of the main causes of injury in older 

, keeping you updated on key 

developments at the Trust. 

At the end of June I had the privilege to 

attend the third annual GWH Staff Excellence 

Awards which celebrate the achievements 

of our staff. I always find it such a humbling 

experience to see the difference our staff 

make to the lives of our patients and service 

users and I was so impressed with the calibre 

of our nominees, as I am sure you will be 

too. For the first time this year, we launched 

a People’s Choice Award where patients and 

visitors had the chance to nominate the wards 

and areas which went above and beyond. You 

can find out all the results on page 4. 

We have also honoured the long service of 

some of our hundreds of volunteers who have 

dedicated so much of their free time to the 

Trust – so look out for more awards photos 

also be more from the Team of the Year award 

winners the Ambulatory Care Unit and Acute 

Medical Unit in the Autumn issue. 

We also look back at the Trust’s 

achievements over the past 12 months on 

page 16 with our Review of the Year. 

This issue is full of success stories across 

the Trust and you can find out more about 

how a revamp of our Wheelchair Services in 

Melksham is helping people to be set up of 

with equipment quickly and efficiently and 

the work of the specialist nurses who treat 

patients with Cancer of Unknown Primary 

(CUP), where the primary site of the cancer 

being diagnosed cannot be identified. 

We always like to give you an insight into 

what it’s like working in different parts of the 

Trust and on page 12 you can find out what 

it’s like helping people to reduce their risk of 

people, and you can read about the work of our 

Neighbourhood Teams on page 10. 

You can find out more about the Trust 

and have your say at our Annual Members 

Meetings this September. Turn to page 20 for 

more details. 

The Great Western Hospital is celebrating 

its 10th anniversary in December 2012 and 

we’d like to hear your ideas about how we 

should mark this very special occasion. Please 

email comms@gwh.nhs.uk with your 

suggestions. 

If there are topics you would like covered 

in future editions please do get in touch with 

us. Email: comms@gwh.nhs.uk 

Best wishes, 

Nerissa Vaughan 

Chief Executive 

Star quality 

Celebrating excellence at staff awards 

Contents 

4 

Awards night honours Trust staff. 

THINK Drink 

In the Winter 2011 edition of 

we featured an invention 

being trialled at GWH called the 

Hydrant. This was invented by Mark 

Moran, of Hydrate for Health who 

came up with the idea after being 

in hospital for an operation and 

finding it difficult to reach for a 

drink. 

It is a hands-free drinks system which 

helps patients to have access to fluids at 

all times without having to reach for or 

hold their drink. Its design enables staff 

to accurately measure how much fluid a 

patient is taking in and it also benefits 

patients on fluid restrictions as staff can 

see at a glance what has been consumed. 

It was first being trialled on Jupiter 

Ward at GWH which specialises in 

treating adult elderly patients. Since 

then the trial has gone from strength to 

strength with the invention now being 

introduced on other wards within the 

hospital, and a huge amount of interest 

from our community hospitals too. 

Karen Braid, Project Lead Productive 

Ward at Great Western Hospitals NHS 

Foundation Trust said: “The feedback 

from patients continues to be positive, 

and staff are also really positive about 

it and have been actively involved in 

training. The key thing is making sure 

it is being properly assessed, so we are 

monitoring patients’ fluid balance. We 

have also been promoting the Hydrant 

and its benefits to GPs as well.” 

Karen has recently been working with 

others to help further raise awareness 

of the importance of hydration to both 

patients and staff. They have developed 

a THINK Drink campaign designed to 

encourage people to keep hydrated 

and ensure they are drinking the right 

amount during the day. 

This has included creating THINK 

Drink resource folders for all wards 

and for community inpatients, and 

also producing leaflets and posters 

encouraging people to have the 

recommended two litres of water per day. 

Karen said: “It is really important that 

people are drinking the right amount 

of fluids, lots of people don’t realise 

they need to be drinking two litres a 

day. At the end of June we held an 

awareness day in the Atrium reception 

at GWH where we organised a two litre 

challenge. We had lots of different mugs 

and glasses and asked staff, patients and 

visitors to pour out what they thought 

two litres of water was. It was a very 

successful day and we had lots of interest 

and some interesting results. 

The majority of staff, patients and 

visitors were aware they were not 

drinking enough and were surprised that 

on average it was 500mls short of the 

recommended two litres. 

Ambition 

Karen is also working with 

Occupational Health to make hydration 

awareness part of the Trust’s staff 

induction, and their health and wellbeing 

visits. 

To find out more about the Hydrant 

drinks system and benefits it has brought 

to patients and the Trust watch the 

Hydrant video on YouTube ‘The Hydrant 

– preventing dehydration in a healthcare 

setting.’ 

For more information about The 

Hydrant visit www.hydrateforhealth. 

co.uk 

Photo courtesy of Swindon Advertiser 

Also in this issue 

❭ A Year in Review 2011-12 

❭ Better services for Wilthire’s 

wheelchair users 

❭ How you can reduce the risk 

of falling 

❭ What is… Cancer of Unknown 

Primary? 

10 Focus on 

Neighbourhood Teams 

Care closer to you. 

11 Boost for Wiltshire’s 

Wheelchair Services 

How improvements are 

helping patients. 

Editorial Group 

If you have any ideas and suggestions about the magazine and would like to be part of a small 

editorial group, please contact comms@gwh.nhs.uk 

12 Reducing the risk of 

falling 

Meet our Falls Avoidance team. 

16 A Year in Review 2011-12 

Looking back at our 

achievements over the past 

year. 

©2012, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Printed on 100% recycled paper 

CS33011, NHS Creative, July 2012. 

20 Membership news 

Dates announced for Annual 

Members’ Meetings. 

22 Staff successes 

Achievements and special 

recognition for our staff. 

Copy deadlines 

❱Autumn: 14th September 2012 

Feedback from the two-litre challenge 

“Very interesting 

initiative game, really 

made you aware of how 

much you should drink” 

“Proves I’m not drinking 

enough.” 

“Excellent information 

and practical demo - 

hits home” 

“Not enough time to 

drink” 

“Informative and 

motivating campaign” 

Stop press: A July 2012 Care 

Quality Commission inspection looked 

at the way nutrition and hydration are 

met at GWH. The CQC’s report said: 

“Both wards we visited had information 

in the main corridors in prominent 

positions drawing attention to patients, 

staff and visitors of the importance 

of good hydration. The staff we met 

showed dedication, professionalism 

and a caring attitude to patients.” 

2 9 Summer 2012 9 Summer 2012 3

Ambition 

Celebrating excellence 

Outstanding achievements of Trust staff 

showcased at awards ceremony 

The winners 

Ambition 

For the third year running staff at Great Western 

Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have celebrated their 

achievements and commitment to improve patient 

care over the last 12 months at a special awards 

ceremony at the STEAM Museum in Swindon on 

Friday 22nd June. 

Over 400 people, including Doctors, Nurses, Midwives, 

Therapists and a range of other Trust staff attended the 

awards. Also attending the ceremony was David Brewer, 

Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, and Cllr Mick Bray, Mayor 

of Swindon. There were 28 finalists up for the chance to win 

one of six awards. The Awards were established to recognise 

those staff who deliver an exceptional service to patients. 

Nerissa Vaughan, Chief Executive at Great Western 

Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “The Staff Excellence 

Awards have gone from strength to strength since they 

were introduced in 2010. This year they are doubly special 

because as well as recognising the efforts of staff at GWH 

in Swindon, they also recognise the hard work of staff across 

the Wiltshire community, from parts of Bath and North East 

Somerset, Salisbury to Chippenham, Warminster to Trowbridge, 

Melksham and beyond. 

“We received over 200 nominations for the awards put 

forward by the staff themselves from across the hospital and 

the community. The finalists were shortlisted because of their 

professionalism and commitment to their patients.” 

“This year’s winners are true role models to everyone who 

works for the Trust in the passion they have for their work and 

the way they do their best for the people around them. 

“The awards give our staff the opportunity to take time out 

from their busy day jobs and it is great to see them rewarded 

in this way.” 

The awards were made possible through sponsorship from 

the GWH Staff Lottery, GWH Charitable Fund and CCube 

Solutions. 

Thank you to the following for donating raffle prizes: 

Friends of Savernake Hospital 

CCube Solutions 

DRC Locums 

Cherish Wellbeing, Beauty Salon, Swindon 

Interact Medical 

West Isley Stables, Newbury 

Team of the Year 

Award 

The Team of the Year Award for improvements 

in service which have significantly enhanced 

patient experience was given to the Ambulatory 

Care Unit and Acute Medical Unit. They have 

delivered a new and innovative service, leading to 

significant improvements for patients, including 

rapid turnarounds and reduced length of stay. The 

team have also delivered efficiencies and financial 

savings for the Trust. 

Charlotte Cannon, Consultant Physician, Acute 

Medical Unit said: “The whole AMU team are 

delighted to have been nominated for the Team 

of the Year Award, and to have won makes us 

very proud. The changes we have delivered have 

been as a result of 18 months hard work and 

winning this award is recognition and reward 

for the team’s dedication. We are proud of our 

People’s Choice Award 

The People’s Choice Award, a new category where 

nominations were sought direct from patients using 

letters and other patient feedback received during the 

year, was won by the Cardiac Rehab Team. The 

patient who put forward the team for this award had 

a cardiac arrest and stent fitting earlier this year. They 

nominated the team for the support they have been 

given since then and for being given a new lease of life 

with many more years to look forward to. 

Stephanie Taylor, Cardiac Rehabilitation said: “We 

are very honoured to win the People’s Choice Award; it is 

very special and demonstrates the value patients place 

on our service. I am immensely proud of my 

team, to be one of the three finalists was 

amazing, but to actually win is fantastic. 

I want to thank the team, and the staff 

who assist with our programmes including 

hospital and community dieticians, 

Physiotherapy assistants, Pharmacy staff, 

Cardiologists, and our volunteers whose 

help is invaluable.” 

achievements so far and continue to be motivated 

to deliver further improvements on behalf of 

our patients and the Trust. We would like to 

acknowledge the support of the whole hospital 

who have worked with us to deliver these changes, 

including the two other finalists for this award, the 

Mortuary Team and the Equipment Library.” 

Finalists: The Mortuary Team; Equipment 

Library. 

Finalists: Cerila Parajes, Staff Nurse 

and the Day Therapy Unit; Karen King, 

Speech and Language Therapist. 

4 9 Summer 2012 9 Summer 2012 5

Ambition 

Ambition 

STAR of the Year 

Award 

The STAR of the Year Award is linked to our Trust 

values: Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect 

(STAR), and recognises staff who demonstrate an 

outstanding commitment to providing an excellent, 

professional and caring service. The award went 

to Elizabeth Clarke and Andrea Goodman, 

who work as Theatre Reception Clerks. They 

work at the front door of a busy and integral 

department and were given the award for their 

positive attitudes and strong customer service 

in dealing every day with a range of visitors and 

enquiries. 

Elizabeth and Andrea were both delighted 

to be joint winners: “We are very proud to have 

won this award; it is wonderful to get recognition 

for ourselves and for Theatres. We were over the 

moon when we found out we’d been nominated, 

and would like to thank Louise Taylor, Business 

Support Manager, in Theatres and Anaesthetics 

for nominating us, and everyone who voted for 

us.” 

Finalists: Heather Kahler, Neighbourhood 

Team Coordinator, Warminster (August 

2011); Rhoda Masango, Staff Nurse, Beech 

Ward (September 2011); Dr Adam Brooks, 

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Dr 

Hyat Khan, Speciality Registrar (October 

2011); Leanne Lawson, Nurse Bank 

Administrator (November 2011); Hilary 

Butt, Directorate Support Administrator 

(December 2011); Ann Creedon, Heart 

Failure Specialist Nurse (February 2012); 

Alison Davis, Secretary/Administrator 

Chippenham Birthing Centre (March 2012); 

Maxine Sleath, Medical Device Clinical 

Nurse Specialist, The Academy (April 

2012); Martin DeCastro, Theatres (direct 

nomination) and Sue Tucker, Antenatal 

Newborn Screening Coordinator (direct 

nomination). 

Quality and Safety Award 

With high quality, safe service being the 

top priority for the Trust the winner of the 

Quality & Safety Award was chosen by 

looking at the range of quality indicators 

such as MRSA screening, mandatory 

training, patient falls and patient complaints 

to see which ward had performed the 

best. The winning ward was Beech Ward 

who provide care for women undergoing 

gynaecological or breast surgery or 

experiencing problems in early pregnancy. 

Val Mortimer, Senior Sister, Beech Ward 

said: “We are ecstatic to have won the 

Quality and Safety Award. We constantly 

work hard to achieve audits, so it is a 

wonderful feeling to achieve such positive 

recognition and see all our hard work 

pay off. I am so proud of the team, it was 

amazing to be nominated but to win is a 

huge morale boost for them. Our aim now is 

to ensure that we keep delivering excellent 

results.” 

Finalists: Meldon Ward; Coronary 

Care Unit (CCU). 

Leadership 

Award 

The Leadership Award is given to a leader who has 

inspired others by acting as an excellent role model. 

Chris Grist, General Manager, Unscheduled 

and Community Care, was given the award for 

her passion and for supporting and inspiring her 

colleagues. 

On receiving the award Chris said: “Being a 

good leader is not down to any one individual, it 

relies on a good team. My job is to create the right 

environment so that members of my team can 

shine and do the things they do best which are to 

do their best for patients. I am delighted to win 

this award, it is recognition of the good work we 

are doing within the directorate which is making 

a real difference. As someone with almost 34 

years working in the NHS, moving from being a 

Radiographer and into management, I am proud 

that I am able to play a small part in changing 

peoples’ lives.” 

Special Acheivement 

Award 

The Special Achievement Award, which recognises staff 

who have achieved something truly remarkable for 

patients, their team or the wider Trust, was awarded to 

Una Sperring, Orthoptist. Una provided outstanding 

support and leadership to her team and department 

during a challenging time involving significant 

change. She was chosen for the way she acts as an 

inspirational role model, leading by example, and 

maintaining professionalism. 

On receiving the award Una said: “I am really 

thrilled to win this award, it’s not often you get 

the chance to win things, so this is very nice. I was 

surprised when I found out my team had nominated 

me and touched that they thought that much of me. 

They are brilliant, and the reason why I work so hard 

at what I do is because of them, they are great people 

and we all pull together. It really is a pleasure to work 

here.” 

Finalists: Michelle Bacon, Neighbourhood 

Team Coordinator, Salisbury City; Dr Toby 

Onyiroha, Consultant Respiratory Medicine. 

Finalists: Jilly Palmer, Health Visitor, Harcourt 

Medical Centre; Dr Chris Beeby, Consultant 

Anaesthetist, Anaesthetics 

6 9 Summer 2012 9 Summer 2012 7

News 

Staff limber up for 

fitness classes 

On 19th June 2012 the Great Western Hospital’s Physiotherapy 

department organised a special Work out at Work Day (WOWD). 

WOWD is a national event organised by 

the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists 

and events are held across the UK inspiring 

employers and their employees to increase 

physical activity in the workplace and 

promote the role Physiotherapy staff play 

in encouraging better public health. 

This is the second time the GWH has 

taken part in WOWD and in addition to 

free fitness assessments in the Atrium 

reception on the day the team also 

held free lunchtime fitness classes of 

Zumba, Total Body Impact (aerobics and 

conditioning) and a Back Fitness Class. 

Twenty four staff members attended 

classes on the day and were best 

represented by the Finance department 

and Women’s and Children’s departments. 

Members of Corporate Services, 

Orthopaedics, the Academy, Chaplaincy 

and Cardiology were among others taking 

part. 

Over 20 people performed the 

fitness tests throughout the day and 

the Physiotherapy team also passed 

on information on general activity and 

exercise to many others who visited the 

team in the Atrium. 

Physiotherapist Kelly Turner, one of 

the organisers of the day, said: “We 

aimed to give advice on correct working 

postures, activities and habits as many 

musculoskeletal problems can be avoided 

or prevented from becoming worse 

with simple changes in activity. It is vital 

that we take regular breaks, ensure our 

position and posture is at its optimum 

and we stretch and move little and often. 

We should be participating in at least 30 

minutes of exercise per day and outside 

of work we should aim to participate in 

activities and movements that are different 

to those that we spend so long in during 

the working day. 

“The day was very successful with more 

people taking part than last year. The 

classes were particularly successful with 

brilliant feedback from the attendees who 

reported they would love it to become a 

regular activity.” 

For more information about Work Out 

at Work Day visit the Chartered Society 

of Physiotherapists website 

www.csp.org.uk 

Above, staff try out an exercise class 

during Work Out at Work Day 

Photo courtesy of the Swindon Advertiser. 

GWH displays artwork from 

the V&A Museum 

Next time you are at GWH take a visit 

to the ground floor of the hospital and 

view the new art exhibition on display 

with exclusive work from the Victoria 

and Albert Museum in London. 

On display until 13th September, the exhibition is 

entitled Transformations: Digital Prints from the 

V&A Collection and features work from a range 

of artists who have used the computer as an 

artistic tool to create a series of eye-catching and 

stimulating pieces of work. 

The exhibition is on display at GWH as part 

of a project by Paintings in Hospitals, a charity 

established in 1959 that uses art and creativity to 

reduce sickness, anxiety, and stress in hospitals. 

Jane Coleborn, Chief Pharmacist and Chair 

of the Arts Committee at GWH said: “The Trust 

is very proud to have the exhibition from the 

Victoria and Albert Museum on display at GWH. 

All of the prints featured in this exhibition have 

never been exhibited outside of the V&A and for 

some of the artwork; this will be the first time it 

has been displayed. 

“We are extremely grateful to Paintings in 

Hospitals and the V&A Museum for arranging this 

exhibition. The use of art within hospitals and 

healthcare facilities has been recognised for some 

time now as providing considerable benefits to 

patients, staff and visitors, which is why we have 

always worked to make art a prominent feature 

of GWH. Since we opened in 2002, Paintings in 

Hospitals has helped us achieve this by loaning 

impressive temporary exhibitions and individual 

artworks for display across the hospital.” 

The V&A exhibition is on display on the 

ground floor of GWH. 

A V&A curator will be leading an illustrated 

lunchtime lecture about the collection in the GWH 

Academy on Friday 7th September from 1pm-2pm. 

Lunch is provided but numbers are limited, so 

please RSVP to Hospital Chaplain Steve Henderson 

on 01793 604288 or email steve.henderson@gwh. 

nhs.uk This free event is funded by the Artalive 

Charitable Fund. 

For more information about Paintings in 

Hospitals visit their website at 

www.paintingsinhospital.org.uk 

Top Image 

Paul Brown, 4^16-2030311203312120, digital inkjet print, 

2005/2006 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ Paul Brown 

Bottom Image 

James Faure Walker, Blue Bowls, Digital inkjet print, 2002 

© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ James Faure Walker 

News 

Green Bags allow patients to keep 

their medicines with them 

The GWH Pharmacy team has launched a ‘Green Bag’ initiative to help patients 

keep their medication with them when they come into hospital. 

Send us your artwork 

The Arts Committee at GWH are setting up a new Community Art 

Gallery in the hospital and are calling on staff, patients, visitors and 

local people to contribute pieces of artwork for display. 

The artwork can be anything from paintings, poetry, photography, 

digital prints and much more, as long as it is in 2D form. 

There will be four exhibitions per year; whilst there is no set theme 

for the artwork, anything with an emphasis on the local area or 

community will be welcomed. 

The aim of the Community Art Gallery is to put a greater emphasis 

on community artwork and provide a platform for local people to get 

involved with art in hospitals. 

If you are interested in contributing to the Community Art Gallery 

at GWH please email Rose Leather at rose.leather@gwh.nhs.uk for 

details or contact 01793 605277. 

All work will be submitted to the Arts Committee for approval 

prior to display. 

The Green Bag is a simple but effective 

way to improve patient safety as it provides 

Doctors with more complete information 

about the medication patients are on 

when they are admitted, which reduces 

the risk of delays in patients receiving the 

correct medication they need. It will also 

help save money by reducing the need for 

the pharmacy team to have to re-supply 

medicines a patient already has at home. 

Denise Reeves, Lead Pharmacist said: 

“This is a very simple idea and in the future 

any patient being admitted to the Great 

Western Hospital will be given a green 

pharmacy bag to keep their medicines with 

them throughout their stay. A pharmacist 

will check the drugs on admission and 

then again on discharge to make sure the 

patient has everything they need. 

“Together with improving patient safety 

by ensuring Doctors have the information 

they need to treat the patient effectively, 

it’s also designed to reduce the chance of 

delays in patient treatment. Some patients 

have very complex medication needs so 

by us ensuring all medication is with the 

patient before they leave hospital we can 

reduce the length of their stay, meaning a 

patient will be home more quickly. 

Vicky Jones, Lead Technician in the 

Pharmacy said: “Patients often come 

into hospital already on some form of 

medication but don’t necessarily have it 

with them. As a result the Pharmacy at 

the GWH has to re-supply the medication, 

something that has already been paid for. 

By introducing this scheme we are 

asking patients and their relatives to bring 

their medication with them if they come 

into hospital and we’ve calculated this will 

save the NHS £58,000 a year – money 

which could be used for other important 

aspects of frontline care. 

“For patients who are admitted as an 

emergency, we are working with the 

ambulance service on this project so they 

will look out for the Green Bag in patients’ 

homes so they can bring the patient and 

their medication into hospital swiftly.” 

The Trust has launched a video 

explaining the initiative to patients so they 

know what to expect when they come into 

hospital. The video can be viewed here: 

www.youtube.com/greatwesternhospital 

Nurses share their memories 

World Nurses Day on 12th May 2012 is a special day for nurses all 

over the world to celebrate their profession. The 12th May marks the 

birthday of Florence Nightingale, whose hard work and dedication 

during the Crimean War helped shaped the way nursing is today. 

The Atrium of the GWH was decked out in bunting, displays, photos 

and freebies in the run-up to the day on 10th and 11th May. Nurses past 

and present were asked to share their old photographs, memories and 

memorabilia with patients, visitors and staff. Organiser Lisa Hocking, Lead 

Nurse for Infection Prevention and Control and former nurse Rosemary Butler 

featured in a special BBC Wiltshire broadcast live from the hospital. 

World Nurses Day events in the community included a health information 

stand at Salisbury Library and a health fair at Salisbury Guildhall. 

Lisa Hocking, right, and Maxine Buyanga, ED 

Matron, at the World Nurses Day stand 

8 9 Summer 2012 9 Summer 2012 9

Teamwork 

Boost 

Before 

for Wiltshire’s 

Wheelchair Services 

Wiltshire’s Wheelchair Services, based at Melksham Community Hospital, provides 

support to 4,500 adults and children from across the county. 

After 

Service 

Focus on 

Neighbourhood Teams 

On any day of the week, 365 days a 

year, between 7am and 10pm, an army 

of health professionals are tending 

to the needs of housebound patients 

throughout Wiltshire. 

There are 11 teams covering more than 

1,800 square miles and managed by seven 

Neighbourhood Team Coordinators who 

cover the following towns and surrounding 

villages: 

Michelle Bacon: Salisbury 

Caroline Davies: Chippenham, Calne, 

Corsham and Box 

Di Green: Wilton and Amesbury 

Cate Judd: Devizes and Marlborough 

Heather Kahler: Warminster, Westbury 

and Mere 

Beth Palmer: Trowbridge, Melksham and 

Bradford on Avon 

Jo Williamson: Malmesbury and Royal 

Wootton Bassett 

Teams could see around 9,000 new patients 

a year and this number is likely to increase as 

we strive to keep the length of time patients 

spend in hospital to a minimum. 

The teams are made up of Community 

Matrons, Registered Nurses (some of whom 

have specialist qualifications and interests), 

Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, 

and support workers. Therapists within 

teams which are based on community 

hospital sites also support the inpatient 

wards. 

The Neighbourhood Team service often 

prevents patients being admitted to hospital, 

and enables those who have been in 

hospital to leave at the earliest opportunity 

and return to their own homes. The service 

has strong links with acute Trusts, GPs, 

social workers, and care organisations. 

What sorts of things 

do we do? 

• Catheter management 

• Wound dressing 

• Vital signs monitoring 

• Injections 

• INR testing (blood clotting) 

• Rehabilitation following stroke, 

planned surgery or acute illness 

• Assessments for continence; 

physiotherapy; equipment needs; 

falls; continuing healthcare; personal 

and domestic needs; mobility/ 

transfers 

• Review complex care packages 

• Support people with long term 

conditions 

• Case management 

• End of life care 

• Access visits 

Chris Grist, General Manager for 

Unscheduled and Community Care at Great 

Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 

said: 

“Many people may not realise that we 

support the health needs of people in their 

usual place of residence across the whole of 

Wiltshire. 

“Neighbourhood Teams consisting of 

Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational 

Therapists, Support Workers and 

Administrators promote patients’ 

independence by offering advice, teaching 

and support, and delivering care and clinical 

interventions that are tailored to their 

specific needs. 

“The care and support they provide 

helps reduce the need for them to come 

into hospital, providing the treatment they 

need at home in a familiar and comfortable 

environment. 

“Through the Neighbourhood Teams, 

patients and their families and carers 

establish a strong support network, so that 

they are empowered but not alone when 

managing their condition, with co-ordinated 

access to ongoing care and support from 

other agencies, such as social care and the 

independent sector, if required.” 

Turn to the back page for some of 

the comments we have received 

about Neighbourhood Teams. 

The service has recently undergone a series of 

improvements which has not only included a major 

refurbishment programme of its clinic rooms and 

offices but a reworking of the team which has 

helped to ensure patients receive a more seamless 

service. 

The team now boasts seven clinicians, made up 

of Wheelchair Occupational Therapists and Nurses, 

Rehabilitation Engineers who deal with posture 

management and complex clinics, Technicians who 

deal with delivery and repairs, administrators and 

decontamination staff, all of whom are now based 

in Melksham. 

Karen Grant, Business Manager of Wheelchair 

Services said: “To provide a wheelchair to our 

patients, we used to outsource the repairs and 

maintenance to an approved repairer based in 

Frome. 

“This often meant there were delays in getting 

chairs and equipment ready for patients as it 

was not possible to see what we actually had in 

stock. We have now incorporated this part of the 

service with the whole team being based here in 

Melksham. Bringing the approved repairer part 

of the service in-house has improved the speed 

in which we can get our chairs out to people. The 

service is now much more seamless and gives a 

greater continuity of care for our patients.” 

The refurbishment has involved the development 

of a number of rooms and outbuildings at 

Melksham Community Hospital, including the 

old hospital mortuary, kitchen, garage and even 

a former apple loft, dating back to the 1930s. 

This work, which began in February 2012 and 

completed on 1st April, has seen the creation of 

a new waiting room, an additional clinic room, 

clinicians’ office, decontamination area, workshop 

and staff rest room. 

Karen said: “A lot of the rooms were either 

lying dusty and empty or were full of redundant 

equipment which meant they had to be completely 

cleared. The work has given us space to store our 

chairs here, which means that the clinicians can 

find a chair that is suitable for patients quickly and 

it can be handed over to the patient immediately in 

clinic ensuring that there are not any delays for the 

patients. 

“The refurbishment has also seen our service 

quality grow massively – patients are getting a 

much better service. We now aim to see all new 

patients within a week of their referral and our 

additional clinic room helps us to do this. We also 

aim to follow the Child in a Chair in a Day initiative 

and we’ve already helped two children in this way. 

“We now provide a repair clinic where a patient 

can bring a chair into our workshop to be repaired 

or one of our mobile technicians can visit people at 

home to repair their chairs if they prefer.” 

The work has also meant improvements in 

equipment for both patients and staff. 

Karen added: “The new 

clinic room has a versatile 

H-frame ceiling hoist, plinth 

and scales, the clinicians now 

all have laptops so they can be 

more mobile and we now have 

a rest room where the team can 

take a lunch break or make a 

cup of tea!” 

Before 

Janey Hillier, a Wheelchair 

Occupational Therapist, says 

she is very pleased with the improvements. “It’s 

fantastic. We were really excited to be bringing it 

all together and to have a service that’s all in one 

place. We can see the equipment we’ve got and 

that it’s at the standard it needs to be at. It makes 

our job so much easier as we can complete cases 

much more quickly but first and foremost it means 

that patients get the service they need quickly and 

efficiently.” 

Wheelchair Services Administrator Hilary 

Matthews, a wheelchair user herself, has had her 

desk specially adapted to ensure she can work in 

comfort. A simple perspex window installed in the 

desk top (an idea of her colleague Becky Poulson) 

means that she is now able to see the buttons on 

her chair’s controls so she can move around with 

ease. She said: “Before the refurbishment my old 

desk gave me a lot of pain and discomfort but now 

I am very pleased with it. My every need has been 

acknowledged and dealt with and it makes work so 

much easier. Because we are now working as one 

team issues get resolved much more quickly and 

communication has been greatly improved.” 

Before 

After 

After 

Karen is proud of the way the team has come 

together. “We’ve all worked very hard to achieve 

this and it feels like we’ve done it as a team. It’s so 

nice to see patients getting the service they need.” 

Top: Reorganising the storage of chairs and 

equipment has created more space for clinic 

rooms 

Middle: This room is now a wheelchair repairs 

workshop 

Bottom: Wheelchair Technician Ray Allen steam 

cleans a chair in the new cleaning facility 

10 9 Summer 2012 9 Summer 2012 11

Service 

Service 

How you can reduce 

the risk of falling 

Each year, around a third of people aged 65 or over will 

have a fall. Falling is not an inevitable result of ageing, 

but the risk of falling increases as people get older. 

Falling and the fear of falling can make older people lose confidence in 

carrying out their normal activities. Although most falls don’t cause serious 

injury, a fall can cause a broken bone, from which it may be difficult to 

recover. 

Bone health is a particularly important issue when it comes to falls 

prevention. As we get older our bone strength naturally deteriorates, 

putting us at greater risk of fracture if we do fall. 

The Trust’s falls nursing team are in place to help reduce the risk of falls 

for patients and the public of Swindon and Wiltshire. 

Amy Walsh, Falls Avoidance Nurse at the GWH, said: “We ensure we 

identify as many people as possible who could benefit from our services 

and ensure patients are kept as safe as possible during their stays in 

hospital.” 

Nathan Bailey, a Staff Nurse in the Emergency Department says it’s 

important that staff are aware of patients who may be at risk of falls. He 

said: “On average seven people a day attend the Emergency Department 

with a fall, sometimes up to as many as 15. 

“Elderly people rarely volunteer the information that they are falling, and 

a simple question for staff to ask is ‘How many falls have you had in the 

last year?’ This is a good way to identify patients who have been having 

Key facts about 

Osteoporosis 

• Osteoporosis literally means ‘fragile bones’ 

• The hip, wrist and spine are the most 

commonly affected areas. 

• Bone is alive and during childhood it takes just 

two years for our skeleton to completely renew 

itself. 

• Bone that has broken as a result of a fall from 

a standing height or less is known as a fragility 

fracture and could be the first sign that 

someone has Osteoporosis. 

Vitamin D 

A balanced diet including food rich in calcium 

is essential for maintaining healthy bones but 

without the right amount of Vitamin D our bodies 

are unable to absorb it. 

This is vital for older people who are unable 

to get out regularly, as about 90% of our Vitamin 

D comes from sunlight. We should all aim to get 

10 minutes’ exposure to our face and arms every 

day between May to September, taking care not 

to burn. 

While some older people welcome the 

opportunity to talk about their falls, there are 

many others who do not want to associate 

themselves with what is often seen as a sign of 

old age and frailty. 

For more information, please contact Falls 

Avoidance Nurse Amy Walsh on 01793 605875. 

Balance classes can help reduce the risk of falling 

recurrent falls at home and need support from the Falls Avoidance team. 

“The main complication which patients might experience when they fall 

are hip fractures. Hip fractures are a serious and costly complication of falls. 

“Early recognition to indicate the importance of patients falling can 

reduce the number of patients that we see in the hospital being admitted 

with hip fractures.” 

How you can reduce 

the risk of falling 

• Keep floors and walkways free from clutter 

and trailing leads 

• Use the brightest bulb that’s safe for the light 

fitting 

• Don’t leave things on the stairs that could trip 

you up 

• Install a handrail on both sides of the stairs 

• Don’t carry anything so big or heavy that you 

can’t hold on to a handrail 

• Make sure that you have the appropriate 

clothing and good fitting shoes or slippers 

• Having a fitted carpet is less slippery than vinyl 

flooring or loose mats 

• Having a grab rail fitted by the bath and toilet 

• Having a rubber mat in the bath will help 

prevent slips 

• Make sure any walking aids are regularly 

checked for wear and tear. 

Roger Hubble is Community 

Falls Co-ordinator for Wiltshire. 

Based at Wilton Heath Centre, Salisbury, Roger covers the 

community hospital wards at Chippenham, Warminster and 

Savernake and works with Neighbourhood Teams across the 

county. He is also based at Great Western Hospital once a 

week and works closely with GWH Falls Avoidance Nurse 

Amy Walsh. 

He says: “There are around 85,000 people in Wiltshire over the 

age of 65 and generally speaking, one in three of these will fall at 

least once a year. In 2009/10 there were on average seven emergency 

admissions every day related to falls. 

“Unfortunately, people can still continue to fall when they are in 

hospital and part of my role is to reduce try to this risk to patients.” 

Your typical day? 

“I check for any phone messages or emails first thing, this might be 

in the office or on my BlackBerry, without which I would be seriously 

lost, as I spend so much of my time out of the office. I look for any 

new falls alerts, with the new Safeguard electronic system; I can get 

a confirmation email containing some brief details about a fall on any 

of the community wards within an hour of it being entered on the 

computer by the ward staff. I then set off on the drive from my home in 

Southampton to Swindon. 

“I arrive at the GWH at around 9.30am, where I will meet up with 

my acute hospital counterpart Amy Walsh. This is our weekly chance 

to review what progress we are making on any projects. We also talk 

about any recent falls; especially the serious incidents where a patient 

has suffered a fracture or head injury. 

“While I’m here it’s also an opportunity to meet face to face with 

staff that I normally only communicate with via email, such as my 

manager, Stephanie Carpenter. In the near future I will also be sharing 

the Trust staff induction training role with Amy, where we aim to 

provide all new staff with a brief introduction to the issue of falls. 

“On other days of the week I visit one of the community wards at 

Savernake, Chippenham or Warminster Community Hospitals, where 

I might assess patients that have had regular falls, talk to relatives or 

staff, provide training or conduct audits. 

“I have been leading the introduction of the new falls risk 

assessment tool (SAFE) on the community wards. This aims to help 

staff identify patients who are most at risk of falls and helps to put 

measures in place that will help reduce their risk of falling. 

“If there has been a serious incident on any of these wards, I will 

be part of the investigation team, which looks into the reasons for the 

fall, to see if there is anything we can learn from the experience, in the 

hope of reducing the risk again in the future. 

“Our annual falls study day will be held on 22nd January 2013 in the 

Great Western Hospital’s Academy.” 

‘It’s vital that people 

keep moving’ 

Sherry Waldon, 91, was referred to the Falls 

team at GWH when she had a fall at home. 

“I had been walking unsteadily for a while and 

had already been to see a Physiotherapist before I 

had my accident. 

“I then had a fall during the night which I think 

was more down to not seeing very well rather 

than anything else. 

“I was referred to the Falls team at the 

Betjeman Centre at GWH and they were 

wonderful. 

“They gave me some extremely good exercises 

to do over a 12-week course and then you aim to 

keep them up after that. I try to do them at least 

twice a week and I am still very active and do 

gardening and so on. 

“I found the exercises to be interesting as 

well as helpful, they are not just for my arm but 

include a whole series of balancing exercises and 

when I do them I have to tick them off on a sheet 

– it’s a good reminder to see when I have done 

them and this spurs me on to do more. 

“The Physiotherapists also rang me up to find 

out how I was getting on, and an Occupational 

Therapist came to my house to make sure there 

weren’t any hazards. What more could you want? 

“I have arthritis, bad eyesight and I still need a 

stick so I wouldn’t say I have got better as such 

but thanks to the exercises my balance hasn’t got 

any worse. 

“The nurses were wonderful people, very 

helpful indeed. I would say to anyone that feels 

shaky on their feet to take advantage of this 

service. There are exercises which can improve or 

even arrest problems with balance and they are 

straightforward to do. 

“This service definitely needs more publicity – 

it’s vital that people keep moving as it keeps them 

in their own homes and out of hospital beds and 

care homes.” 

12 9 Summer 2012 9 Summer 2012 13

Service 

News in Brief 

News 

What is… 

Cancer of Unknown Primary? 

Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) is 

a term used when cancer has been 

diagnosed but the original site of the 

cancer cannot be found. 

There can be many reasons why the primary 

cause of the cancer cannot be identified. The 

primary cancer may be too small to be seen or 

scanned, or it may have disappeared but has 

spread to form secondary cancers elsewhere in 

the body (metastatic cancer). 

Each year 10,000 people in the UK are 

diagnosed with CUP, although many people 

have never heard of it, and often those who are 

diagnosed find it difficult to deal with because of 

the uncertainty which surrounds it. 

At Great Western Hospital the CUP Team 

is led by Dr Sarah Lowndes and supported by 

Jan Dodge, Research Nurse, and Tina Churchill, 

Acute Oncology Nurse. 

One of the most important tests patients 

have is a biopsy because it may provide medical 

staff with information about the original cell 

type of the cancer. The patient may undergo 

several investigations to try to identify the 

primary cancer, or if the patient is too unwell for 

cancer treatment, the focus of their care is to 

support their symptoms (palliative care). 

Part of Tina’s role is to support patients who 

have been diagnosed with CUP. Tina has been 

in the role for the past 20 months and in the last 

year the service has been referred around 30 

" 

patients with suspected CUP. 

She said: “Our aim is to get patients 

diagnosed promptly. Patients will usually be 

seen within 24 hours of referral to the CUP Team 

as an inpatient or, if referred as an outpatient, 

within two weeks. We will also refer patients to 

other agencies as needed, such as palliative care 

and the Neighbourhood Teams who are based at 

community hospitals. 

“The role is very fulfilling. CUP is becoming 

more widely recognised now and it’s great to 

be able to make a difference to these patients’ 

experiences. It’s good to be able to direct the 

patient to the most appropriate team more 

quickly. We ensure the tests they need are done 

or, if they are very ill, ensure that they do not 

have to have tests that they don’t need or won’t 

benefit from.” 

Some patients will be eligible to take part 

in the clinical trial (CUP ONE) where a sample 

of their biopsy is analysed with the aim of 

identifying the primary cancer and guiding their 

treatment. Some patients will also go on to have 

a chemotherapy trial. 

Jan Dodge, Oncology Research Sister, who 

manages the CUP trial at GWH, said: “Patients 

are keen to take part as they see it as helping to 

improve things for the future.” 

For more information on CUP, visit www. 

cupfoundjo.org or the Macmillan Cancer 

Support website, www.macmillan.org.uk 

Living with CUP 

Marcus Griffiths, 73, was diagnosed with CUP just before 

Christmas after coming into hospital with a pain in his 

stomach, but the primary site of the cancer could not be 

identified. He has since had chemotherapy. 

He said: “Being told I have cancer felt like my legs 

had been taken from under me. Everything just stopped 

still. I’ve never heard of CUP before and I’ve never met 

anyone else that has it, so it’s the uncertainty that’s 

difficult to deal with. 

“The care I have received has been brilliant, better 

than I ever expected. 

“I was asked at the beginning if I’d like to take part 

in a clinical trial and it was something I wanted to do 

because it will help others.” 

His wife Georgina, 70, said: “Marcus had one of the 

strongest forms of chemotherapy so he had to be strong 

to be able to take it and we have had to be strong for 

him, but it is difficult as no one has ever heard of CUP. 

We did a lot of research after he was diagnosed which 

really helped to understand it better. 

“The support from my family and the nurses here has 

been wonderful. Without them we couldn’t have got 

through it. Just to have someone on the end of the phone 

to talk to has made all the difference. We have tried to 

keep our sense of humour and stay positive and have 

booked our holiday to Spain later this year.” 

• Celebrating STAR staff – see page 22 

Photo courtesy of Swindon Advertiser. 

Prevention is the key 

for specialist Nurses 

A large group of Tissue Viability Specialist Nurses 

from the Wiltshire, Swindon and Bath and North 

East Somerset communities, the GWH and the 

Royal United Hospital in Bath, came together to 

hold a Pressure Ulcer Awareness Week from 18th- 

24th June 2012. 

A pressure ulcer, sometimes called a bed sore 

or pressure sore, is damage which has occurred 

to the skin as a result of prolonged pressure. 

They can affect up to 10% per cent of patients 

admitted to acute hospitals in the UK and also 

affect patients who are cared for in the community. 

As part of the week, the group developed 

the MOVE campaign which seeks to outline 

the important issues relating to pressure ulcer 

prevention: Movement, Observation, Voicing 

concerns, Eating well, and seeking Education. 

Gill Wicks, Tissue Viability Consultant Nurse, 

works in the Community Tissue Viability Service 

at Trowbridge Hospital. She said: “In 2011/12 

we successfully reduced the number of pressure 

ulcers by 10% in the community, and at GWH 

pressure ulcers were reduced by 20% for 2011/12. 

Education and training about pressure ulcers is the 

key to prevention and this is why we decided to 

organise the awareness week.” 

Posters and patient information leaflets 

have been created to highlight the importance 

of checking for pressure ulcers, who is more 

likely to be at risk, correct skin care and who 

patients should contact if they have concerns. The 

information is being distributed to GP surgeries, 

hospital wards, care homes, and to patients cared 

for by community nurses in their own homes. 

More information about Tissue Viability is 

available at www.gwh.nhs.uk 

Stepping out 

To highlight Walk to Work week in May, some of 

the Calne, Corsham and Box Neighbourhood Team 

took part in a lunchtime walk on 22nd May 2012. 

Lucie Cook, Senior Support Worker for the team 

said: “We wanted to encourage the public to get 

healthy and to see staff walking instead of driving 

to work. It was a gloriously sunny day and we 

walked for about two miles to a café for lunch and 

back to the office at Broken Cross Health Centre 

in Calne.” 

Lucie was joined on the walk by nursing 

colleagues Ruth West, Selina Noakes, Jane 

Titchener and Laurie Chapman, Occupational 

Therapist Helen Shakespeare, Administrator Sue 

Speary and student nurse Faye. 

Pedal power raises 

charity cash 

On 16th March 2012, the Cherwell Unit at Great 

Western Hospital hosted a fitness challenge event 

for staff using cardiopulmonary exercise testing 

(CPET) equipment. The Cherwell Unit is a preoperative 

assessment unit for patients coming in for 

surgery and uses an exercise bike to assess patients’ 

fitness before an operation. 

Staff were tested to find the fittest athlete and 

despite some stiff opposition was won by Ashley 

Barry, a Nursing Auxiliary on Dove Ward. 

Ashley has recently been spurred on to improve 

his health and fitness by his colleagues who have 

all lost weight together – he cycles to and from 

work each day to stay fit. 

Dr Zoe Ridgway, Consultant Anaesthetist, who 

helped to organise the day said: “Ashley had the 

highest measures of cardiovascular fitness that we 

tested on the day. His anaerobic threshold (AT), 

and the amount of oxygen taken up by the body, 

his VO 2 are both way above those predicted for his 

age and weight. His measures of 30.9mls/kg/min 

for AT and 49.2mls/kg/min for VO 2 peak are very 

good for an amateur athlete, but Lance Armstrong at 

the peak of his cycling had a score of 84mls/kg/min. 

“We are very lucky to have this service available to 

patients at the GWH. It enables us to provide more 

information to them prior to major surgery about 

their fitness and therefore the risks of suffering a 

major complication from the operation. We can 

then streamline their care according to the patients’ 

needs.” 

Charity donations of 

£275 went to Sport Relief 

and Lifebox, a charity 

which aims to put oxygen 

saturation monitors into 

hospitals in developing 

countries. 

Ashley Barry with the results chart and, top, 

Dr Ridgway’s husband Tom tries out the 

bike challenge. 

Let them eat cake… 

To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, staff from the 

Cherwell Unit at Great Western Hospital decked 

the waiting area out in bunting on 1st June 

2012 and held a cake sale to mark the occasion. 

The staff were even joined by two special guests for 

the day, Prince Harry (Nursing Auxiliary Adam King) 

and Kate (Staff Nurse Claire Picken). A Jubilee quiz 

for staff was won by hospital porter Bob Tilley 

and Lynda Whittingham from Dietetics. The £170 

raised from the cake sale was donated to charity. 

Trust joins Pride event 

Swindon and Wiltshire Pride celebrates its 5th 

birthday this year on Saturday 4th August 2012 in 

Swindon’s Town Gardens. 

This colourful event features music, 

performances, speakers and a Pride Parade 

through Swindon’s Old Town. The Town Gardens 

will be full of shopping and food stalls to explore 

and stands from service providers including 

Great Western 

Hospitals NHS 

Foundation Trust, 

the Samaritans, 

Swindon Lions 

Club, Wiltshire 

Police and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. 

For more information about the event and how 

to get involved, visit www.swindonpride.com 

Debbie Rowland 

Neptune Ward Sister Debbie Rowland died in June 

after a long illness. Debbie worked on numerous 

wards and departments within the old Princess 

Margaret Hospital and at the GWH. 

Mal Stewart, Neptune Ward Manager, said: 

“Those of you who had the pleasure of coming into 

contact with Debbie will not only remember her 

wonderful bubbly personality but also her caring 

and compassionate side that made Debbie an 

excellent role model and exceptional member of the 

nursing profession. It is at this time our thoughts 

go to the family.” 

14 9 Summer 2012 9 Summer 2012 15

A Year in Review 

2011/12 

Dear members and stakeholders, 

Over the next few pages you will find highlights of what we have achieved in 2011/12. 

This year has been a time of great change for the trust, a time during which we have 

achieved many positive things for our patients and users. 

The NHS as 

a whole is going 

through one of the 

biggest changes 

for decades 

The most significant change has been 

the merger with Wiltshire Community 

Health Services (WCHS) in June 2011, 

which has given us the chance to think 

about how we can combine acute 

hospital and community services that 

will see the greatest benefit to our 

patients and service users. The merger 

has allowed has to build stronger 

partnerships with neighbouring trusts 

in Salisbury and at Royal United 

Hospital in Bath and we are now one 

of the largest providers of maternity 

services in the country, delivering over 

9,000 babies every year. 

We have also seen the 

appointment of a new Chief Executive 

following the departure of Lyn Hill- 

Tout in May 2011. Nerissa Vaughan 

joined the Trust in October from 

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation 

Trust in King’s Lynn and work has 

already begun on a new Trust strategy 

to reflect the reality of operating in 

what is a tough financial environment 

for us all. 

The Director of Nursing and 

Midwifery, Sue Rowley decided to 

take early retirement in April. Sue has 

worked with the Trust for many years 

in a number of different roles and I am 

grateful for her contribution during her 

time working here. The process has 

begun to find a suitable candidate and 

the role has been changed to Chief 

Nurse so that we can focus on nursing 

standards and improving the patient 

experience. In the meantime, we have 

secured the support of Hilary Walker, 

an experienced Director of Nursing 

from the West Midlands to work 

with us. 

The NHS as a whole is going 

through one of the biggest changes 

for decades with the introduction 

of the Health Act. This will see 

the establishment of Clinical 

Commissioning Groups (CCGs) 

and GPs placed at the heart of 

commissioning health services, while 

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and 

Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) will 

be abolished. Our strategy will ensure 

we are proactive in how we adapt to 

this changing environment so we can 

continue to deliver high quality care. 

I am very grateful for the efforts 

of our 5,500 staff and volunteers 

who work with us every day to save 

lives and change lives and I would 

like to thank them all. Despite the 

challenges and difficult times ahead, 

I know we are better placed to meet 

them because of the hard work, 

professionalism and dedication of staff 

and volunteers. I would also like to 

thank the Trust Board and Governors 

for the crucial part they play in 

ensuring local people receive the best 

service. 

We work hard to deliver the best 

care possible for our patients and we 

should take pride in our continuing 

success over the past 12 months. 

The staff satisfaction results from 

an annual staff survey commissioned 

by the Care Quality Commission has 

put us in the best 20% of all acute 

trusts for staff motivation and in the 

top five across the South West. 

We have also been cited as one of 

the best Trusts in the country on our 

performance in tackling Clostridium 

Difficile and continue in our success in 

reducing the number of MRSA cases. 

We also continue to achieve and 

surpass over 200 quality indicators 

we are measured against, including 

waiting times and cancer performance. 

These numbers reflect our commitment 

to making a difference to the lives of 

our patients and service users with 

quality and safety our main priorities. 

It has been another difficult year 

financially, which ended with a surplus 

of £0.5m. Financial pressures will grow 

but we need to remain as flexible as 

possible and we will strive to ensure 

that this does not have an impact on 

patient services now or in the future. 

For more information on our 

performance, our Annual Report and 

Accounts and our Quality Account is 

available to view at www.gwh.nhs.uk 

You can find out more about the 

work of the Trust by coming along to 

one of our Annual Members’ Meetings 

in September. See page 20 for more 

details. 

With best wishes 

Bruce Laurie 

Chairman 

541,148 

patients were seen, treated, or admitted to the GWH in 2011/12. 

That’s enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall more than 100 times! 

❱70,731 people were treated in the GWH 

Emergency Department. 

❱803,545 appointments, including outpatients, 

where people were seen or treated in a community 

setting, either at a hospital or in their own home. That’s 

enough people to fill the Olympic Stadium more than 

10 times! 

46,507 

people were treated at minor injury 

units in the community at Trowbridge and Chippenham. 

❱7,745 were admitted to our community hospitals at 

Savernake, Warminster and Chippenham. 

❱444 the number of formal complaints made to the 

Trust in 2011/12. This represents 0.08% of the total 

number of patients seen, treated or admitted during 

2011/12. 

The year in numbers: 

How we spend the money 

£290m 

£0.5m 

£172.1m 

£17.8m 

£11.5m 

The GWH Trust income for 2011/12. That’s 

approximately £794,000 every day. 

The Trust surplus for 2011/12 which will be 

reinvested straight back into services. 

Staff costs – there are now 5,168 staff, 

compared to 3,223 in 2010/11. 

Drug costs. 

Other services, including cleaning, catering, 

portering, housekeeping, estates services 

and other facilities management. 

❱2 cases of patients with an MRSA bacteraemia at GWH, 

one less than last year. No cases have been reported in 

the Wiltshire community since the merger in June 2011. 

❱17 cases of Clostridium Difficile at GWH, 23 less than 

last year and well below the threshold of 39. In Wiltshire, 

there were two cases, again well below the threshold of 

30 set for the community. 

9,000 

The number of babies we deliver each year. 

❱538 volunteers who work for or on behalf of the Trust. 

During 2011/12, our Trust based volunteers helped us for 

20,550 hours, the equivalent of around 61 full time staff. 

5% of our volunteers are over the age of 80. 

❱1 case of a GWH patient with a Grade 4 pressure ulcer, 

ten fewer than 2010/11. In our community hospitals, 

there were 23 cases of Grade 3 and 4 pressure ulcers, 

way below the threshold of 40. 

71,000 

The number of operations we perform each year. 

£25m 

£20.3m 

£16.3m 

£11.5m 

£14.7m 

Supplies and services for clinical and 

general requirements. 

Costs relating to depreciation and 

maintenance of property, plant and 

equipment. 

Services from other Trusts and bodies. 

All other operating expenditure including 

research and development, training and 

legal fees. 

Non-operating expenses relating to interest 

payments and payments to the Department 

of Health. 

16 9 Summer 2012 9 Summer 2012 17

April 

May 

June 

A Year in Review 

2011/12 

Work completed on 

Cath lab 

Work was completed at Great 

Western Hospital to improve the 

care for patients requiring cardiac 

procedures including angiography, angioplasty and stenting, and 

pacemakers. As part of a £2.5m investment, the Trust updated the 

existing Cardiac Catheter Laboratory and built a second one to improve 

the patient experience and further reduce waiting times for these 

procedures. 

Annual Inpatient Survey tells us how we’re doing 

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) published the Annual Inpatient Survey 

carried out for 2010, which covers a range of topics from privacy and dignity, 

care and treatment to the admission process. The results show that as a 

trust we scored 8 out of 10 or more in 30 of the 63 questions and over three 

quarters of those surveyed rated their care as good or excellent. 

Our five highest scoring areas as highlighted by the CQC are: 

• Availability of hand gels – 9.75 out of 10 

• Not feeling threatened by visitors or patients – 9.74 out of 10 

• Posters about hand washing gels – 9.66 out of 10 

• Information from Anaesthetists – 9.48 out of 10 

• Delivering same sex accommodation (bathrooms) – 9.46 out of 10 

The top three areas identified in the survey for improvement are patient 

information, discharge and reducing cancellations and delays. 

Trust merges with WCHS 

On 1st June 2011, Wiltshire Community Health services formally 

become part of Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 

following a merger of the two organisations. The merger saw GWH 

become responsible for the management of community health and 

maternity services across Wiltshire and parts of Bath and North 

East Somerset including all the community hospitals, community 

nursing teams, Occupational Therapists, Podiatrists, Physiotherapists, 

Nutritionists, Children’s Nurses, Wheelchair Services, Community 

Dentistry and a range of other specialist services. 

July 

Staff honoured 

More than 330 GWH staff celebrated 

their achievements and commitment 

to improving patient care at the second annual Staff Excellence Awards, 

held at STEAM in Swindon. Seventeen finalists were up for the chance 

to win one of six awards including Team of the Year and Star of the Year. 

Wiltshire Community Health Services (WCHS) held its Star Awards night 

in May 2011 where around 20 staff received recognition for their hard 

work. Now both GWH and WCHS have come together for 2012 in the 

biggest awards event yet – see pages 4-8 for more. 

New website launched 

The new refreshed and redesigned Trust website was launched on 4th 

July 2011. Take a look now at www.gwh.nhs.uk 

August 

GWH rated excellent for third year running 

Great Western Hospital was rated excellent by the National Patient 

Safety Agency for the cleanliness of the hospital environment, quality 

of food and levels of privacy and dignity, for the third year running. 

The assessments carried out across England by the Patient 

Environment Action Teams (PEAT) programme assess all hospitals and 

inpatient units with more than 10 beds. Each healthcare facility then 

receives a rating of excellent, good, acceptable, poor or unacceptable. 

Only 52 sites out of 1,222 in England were awarded a score of excellent 

across all three categories. 

Warminster Community Hospital also received an excellent rating 

across all three areas. Chippenham Community Hospital and Savernake 

Hospital, Marlborough both received excellent ratings for the quality of 

their food and were rated good for cleanliness and privacy and dignity. 

September 

Crowds flock to GWH 

Open Day 

The public got a chance to look 

behind the scenes at the Great 

Western Hospital at the Trust’s Open Day 

on 17th September 2011. The free event drew in around 300 people to 

a host of displays and demonstrations, while 50 fundraisers took part 

in a 90ft abseil off the hospital roof. £1,076 was raised for the White 

Horse Birth Centre and a further £6,000 from the abseil which goes to 

the Trust’s Charitable Funds. 

October 

New chief executive joins 

the Trust 

The new Chief Executive of Great 

Western Hospitals NHS Foundation 

Trust, Nerissa Vaughan, took up her role at the Trust. Formerly Chief 

Executive of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation 

Trust, Nerissa has held a number of senior management roles in the 

NHS. She said: “I feel privileged to have secured such an amazing job.” 

November 

Improving the way we care for walk-in patients 

The GWH launched a six-month pilot scheme to change the way we care 

for ambulatory (walk in) patients so they are seen, treated and discharged 

without the need for hospital admission. At a time of rising attendances 

to the Emergency Department, this change has been helping us reduce 

the number of admissions, which is particularly crucial during the busy 

winter months. Due to the success of this initial pilot, the new model for 

Ambulatory Care, which also saw an increase in the number of beds on the 

Linnet Acute Medical Unit, has since become a permanent feature and the 

Trust will be looking at ways to expand the service across the whole week. 

Scheme helps dads play a greater role 

A pilot scheme being run on the Princess Anne Wing (PAW) at the Royal 

United Hospital in Bath which aims to help dads get more involved in their 

partner’s postnatal care, was recognised in a new guide called Reaching 

Out: Involving Fathers in Maternity Care, launched by the Royal College of 

Midwives. 

PAW, which is managed by the Trust, has successfully piloted a Partners 

Staying Overnight scheme – one of only five across the country that has 

been recognised by the guide as an example of good practice. The scheme 

encourages new fathers to be a visible parent from the start, so they can 

bond with their baby and help and support the mother 

in the first few hours 

after the birth. The Trust 

also provides reclining 

chairs for the fathers to 

rest in during their stay in 

the unit. 

Parking now pay on exit at GWH 

From 28th November, the Great Western Hospital introduced a pay on 

exit parking system, which means that you only pay for the time you 

need. Parking spaces for patients and visitors were increased by 10% 

and there are more Blue Badge and disabled spaces on site. Parking 

charges have not been 

increased. 

December 

GWH carol service 

The restaurant at GWH took on a 

festive feel on 14th December when 

local choir the Wrag Barn Singers entertained patients, visitors 

and staff with carols and other Christmas classics. The 20-strong mixed 

choir performed a medley of songs, and song sheets were available for 

everyone to take part in the festive singalong, whilst enjoying a mince pie! 

January 

Releasing more time to care 

The Trust began supporting community hospitals in Wiltshire in 

implementing the Productive Community Hospital Project, an 

improvement programme with practical tools to help clinical teams 

maximise the potential of the services in a community hospital setting. 

The aim of the project is to help community teams identify where 

time can be saved and to reinvest that time into direct patient care. 

The programme has nine modules looking at all aspects of the ward 

environment, including admission and discharge, managing drug 

administration and multidisciplinary team working. 

February 

Governor’s blog goes live 

Trust Governor Harry Dale launched a new blog to keep people 

updated on what’s happening at GWH and in the community. Harry 

is encouraging people to get in touch via his blog, comment, ask 

questions, and share their views. The blog will help share information 

and feedback, and also provide a chance for people to find out some 

interesting facts about GWH and community services. 

Visit Harry’s blog at www.gwh.nhs.uk/members/who-are-thegovernors/governors-blog/ 

March 

Birth Centre is one year old 

The White Horse Birth Centre celebrated 

its first anniversary on 29th March with 

a special live Tweetathon to keep followers 

updated on all the goings on during a typical day at the centre. During 

the afternoon, mums who gave birth during the first month the Birth 

Centre was open came to celebrate the anniversary and share their 

experiences. The Birth Centre has since celebrated its 1,000th birth in 

May 2012. 

Beech Ward renamed as Mulberry Ward 

From 26th March, Beech Ward at Chippenham Community Hospital 

was renamed as Mulberry Ward. The name change has been agreed 

by staff to reduce potential confusion between Beech Ward at 

Chippenham and Beech Ward at the GWH. The name was chosen by 

ward staff. 

18 9 Summer 2012 9 Summer 2012 19

MEMBERSHIP 

MATTERS 

News from GWH’s 

lead Governor 

Tell us what you think 

We are going to take the temperature of our members by asking them to complete 

a brief online survey. As Governors, we are constantly trying to get the views of our 

members, so that we can take them to the Trust Board. We want to develop the way 

that we interact with you, and by filling in our survey, you can give us your thoughts on 

how best we can do this. Look out for the survey link over the summer on our website, 

www.gwh.nhs.uk 

Working groups 

We have been busy in our 

working groups over the last 

three months. Our Patient 

Experience Working Group has 

been looking at outpatients 

booking systems, the Podiatry 

service in the community and 

raising questions with the 

Trust management on behalf 

of members regarding these 

services. Our Nominations 

Working Group has been 

involved in the appraisals of 

the Non Executive Directors, 

and the Finance Working 

Group has been looking at the 

Budget and Annual Planning. 

How to contact your Governors 

You can contact your Governors via the Membership Office: 

01793 604185 foundation.trust@gwh.nhs.uk 

Dates for your diary 

Members’ Briefings 

Our recent constituency meetings gave members the opportunity to learn about the 

work that is going on in the Pharmacy and the work we are doing on hydration of 

patients (see page 3 for more on this). It would be fantastic to see more of you at 

our next meetings which will be held: 

Thursday 9th August 

Swindon Members’ Briefing, The Academy, Great Western Hospital, 6pm 

Wednesday 14th November 

Wiltshire Members’ Briefing, Savernake Hospital, Marlborough, 6pm 

Annual Members’ Meetings 

Harry Dale 

Lead Governor 

Monday 3rd September 

The Academy, Great Western Hospital, from 6pm-7.30pm, doors open at 5.45pm 

Monday 10th September 

Town Hall, Calne, from 6pm-7.30pm, doors open at 5.45pm 

Please attend the meeting most convenient for you. 

Foundation Trust Membership Office, Trust Management, 2nd Floor, 

The Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Marlborough Road, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3 6BB 

Support us! 

Your fundraising stories 

WI’s parting gift 

Members of the former Upper Stratton WI 

donated an amazing £12,000 to GWH after a 

fall in numbers forced them to disband. The 

group sold their meeting hall and wanted the 

money raised from it to be divided between 

local charities and good causes. 

President Gwen Morgan said it was lovely 

to be able to help the hospital: “The remaining 

members through family or friends have had 

first hand experience of the commitment and 

care given to those in need locally by staff at 

the Great Western Hospital.” 

The members requested that the money be 

put towards women’s health and neo-natal 

care at the hospital. In May the remaining 

members of the group visited GWH to present 

the money to Beech Ward, who deal with early 

pregnancy and gynaecology, where some of 

the money will be going. 

Save the date 

Chippenham Birthing Centre is holding a free 

Mother and Baby Roadshow on Saturday 22nd 

September 2012 to raise money for the centre. 

Taking place in the Neeld Hall, Chippenham, 

from 10am-3pm, there will be a variety of 

different stalls from local businesses, including 

refreshments. 

Thanks to the James Dyson 

Foundation 

Jackie Dunphy, Outpatients Administrator in 

Children’s Outpatients at GWH contacted 

The James Dyson Foundation to apply for a 

charitable donation. 

Jackie asked the foundation if they would 

consider donating one of their Air Multiplier 

Fans to Children’s Outpatients for use in the 

clinic rooms which can sometimes become 

very hot. 

GWH already has some of these Dyson 

fans in use throughout the hospital, some of 

which were donated by the company. They 

were first trialled back in 2010 by the Infection 

Prevention and Control Team with great 

success and a positive response from staff and 

patients. The fans are bladeless and very easy 

to keep clean; they provide a cooling breeze 

and are safe for patients to use. 

The James Dyson Foundation kindly 

donated two fans which were delivered to 

Children’s Outpatients in June, much to the 

delight of the team. 

Jackie said: “We are very grateful to The 

James Dyson Foundation for donating two of 

their fans to our unit. They will make such a 

difference in the clinic rooms and help improve 

the environment for outpatients and staff.” 

Calling all fundraisers in Wiltshire 

Do you work in the community hospitals in Wiltshire? 

Are you a patient who receives care in the community? 

Do you want to support your local community hospital? 

If so, then why not get a group or friends or work colleagues together and fundraise for a good 

cause. The good work that takes place out in the community every day requires significant 

funding. Sometimes there are things, such as new, more advanced pieces of equipment which 

are not ordinarily funded through the NHS. 

This is where the Trust welcomes the support of staff, patients and the public who raise money 

to donate to our charity. The Trust’s Charitable Fund is a registered charity which holds and 

manages charitable money given to the Trust. 

Whether you work at Warminster Hospital or in the local community, or have been a patient 

at the Princess Anne Wing in Bath, or received care in your own home – we want to hear from 

you, so please get in touch with your fundraising ideas today. 

Email comms@gwh.nhs.uk or contact 01793 604431. 

More information about fundraising and the Trust’s Charitable Fund can be found on our 

website at www.gwh.nhs.uk under ‘Support us’. Staff can find out more information about 

fundraising via the intranet. 

Fundraising 

Neil’s bike challenge 

In May, Neil Pennington took to the hills riding all 

the way from Land’s End to GWH over five days 

all to raise money for the hospital’s Special Care 

Baby Unit (SCBU). Neil’s son Theo was taken 

care of on SCBU for a period of time in November 

2011 after being born five weeks’ premature 

and Neil wanted to give something back for the 

professional care and dedication shown by staff 

on the unit. Neil works for Nationwide in Swindon 

who agreed to help him with raising the money 

and organised a dress down day at work. Neil 

also set up a fundraising page on JustGiving to 

help encourage even more donations www. 

justgiving.com/NeilPennington 

After a gruelling five days Neil completed the 

challenge and has so far raised over £1,700 with 

more sponsorship money yet to come in. 

Neil Pennington cycled from Land’s End to 

GWH to raise money for the Special Care 

Baby Unit 

20 9 Summer 2012 

9 Summer 2012 

21

Respect 

Celebrating 

our STAR staff 

The Great Western Hospitals NHS 

Foundation Trust has a set of values 

designed to develop a 

customer service culture in our staff. 

These values are represented by the word 

STAR and four simple but powerful words: 

Service – We will put our customers first 

Teamwork – We will work together 

Ambition – We will aspire to provide the 

best service 

Respect – We will act with integrity. 

To recognise staff who 

demonstrate these values, 

the Trust set up a Star of the 

Month Award. Staff are able 

to nominate themselves or 

their colleagues. Each winner 

receives a £50 Marks and 

Spencer voucher, two tickets 

to the annual Staff Excellence 

Awards and is entered into 

the finals for the STAR of the 

Year category in the annual awards. 

The winner of the March 2012 Star of the 

Month award was Alison Davis, who is the 

Secretary/Administrator at Chippenham Birthing 

Centre. Alison was nominated by Hong Saint, 

Clinical/Midwifery Manager, who has recently 

retired. Hong nominated Alison for being a vital 

member of the team who works with neverending 

enthusiasm, dedication and passion. 

Hong said: “Alison is the first point of contact 

for pregnant women at the birthing centre, and 

always makes a positive first impression with her 

excellent customer service. 

“Some women are frightened and sensitive 

when making their first contact and Alison is 

able to help them feel relaxed and informed 

about what their choices are and how best to 

access them. She is very knowledgeable about 

the birthing centre; you can ask her anything and 

if she doesn’t know, she will know someone who 

does.” 

Maxine Sleath, a Medical Device Clinical 

Nurse Specialist based in the Academy at GWH, 

Alison Davis, winner of the 

March 2012 STAR of the Month. 

won the April 2012 Star of the Month. She was 

nominated by two of her colleagues, Victoria 

Jarrett, Resuscitation Technical Support and 

Administrator, and Sue Thompson, Training and 

Development Coordinator. 

Victoria said: “Due to a national shortage of 

Graseby pumps [a syringe driver which delivers 

drugs to patients intravenously over a period 

of 24 hours] wards had to revert to loaning 

and using Alaris GP pumps. The task fell upon 

Maxine to train and bring all staff using such 

pumps up to date and ensure competencies 

were met. With no other trainer to assist Maxine 

had to go it alone, often coming in 

late at night to catch any staff not 

on the day shift. In order to get the 

job done Maxine went above and 

beyond her call of duty to ensure that 

all staff were adequately supported 

and confident using the loan pumps, 

ensuring patient safety was not 

compromised by this incident.” 

Sue said: “Maxine has done all 

this very calmly and professionally 

demonstrating superb leadership 

skills and is a wonderful ambassador for the 

Clinical Nurse Specialist role.” 

The winner of the May 2012 STAR award 

was Sarah King, Trauma Administrator in the 

Trauma and Orthopaedics department. Caitlin 

Marnell, Deputy General Manager of Trauma 

and Orthopaedics, nominated her. She 

said: “Sarah displays all of the behaviours 

required to be a GWH STAR employee. 

She is an essential member of the trauma 

team, liaising between doctors, patients, 

theatre staff and site managers 

(amongst others) to ensure 

that trauma patients have 

a seamless experience 

with us. She always puts 

patients first, explaining 

what will happen in 

a clear and effective 

way. She is always 

reassuring, polite and 

friendly, making sure 

patients feel as comfortable 

Sarah King receives her award for May 2012 STAR 

of the Month. 

as possible in what can be a worrying situation. 

Sarah is also a great colleague to have as she 

is always friendly and polite, but also extremely 

conscientious and organised.” 

Tina Churchill, Acute Oncology Specialist 

Nurse, won the June 2012 STAR of the Month 

award. One of her nominations came from Dr 

Rachael Wain, Consultant Medical Oncologist. 

Rachael said: “Tina is an incredibly good 

communicator. She is naturally empathetic and 

sympathetic but also injects good humour when 

appropriate. Dedicated especially to the Cancer 

of Unknown Primary patients, Tina spends 

so much time giving these patients and their 

families her time and professional experience. No 

query or concern 

that they have is 

too much for her 

to deal with.” 

Read more 

about Tina’s work 

with Cancer of 

Unknown Primary 

on page 14. 

Tina Churchill is presented with her award for 

June STAR of the Month. 

Nerissa Vaughan, 

Chief Executive 

of Great Western 

Hospitals NHS 

Foundation Trust, 

left, presents the 

April 2012 STAR 

award to Maxine 

Sleath. 

Staff awards and achievements 

By royal 

appointment 

Wendy Johnson, Senior Sister of the Coronary 

Care Unit at Great Western Hospital, was 

given the special privilege of representing 

the Trust during the Queen’s visit to Salisbury 

Cathedral on 1st May 2012, as part of the 

Diamond Jubilee celebrations. 

She was chosen to attend on the Trust’s 

behalf by Oonagh Fitzgerald, Director of 

Workforce and Education. Oonagh said: “I 

picked Wendy to represent the Trust because 

she won Leader of the Year Award at our 

Staff Excellence Awards ceremony in 2011. 

Wendy role models the Trust STAR value of 

Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect 

every day and continues to be nominated by 

her peers for STAR of the month awards. I 

was delighted that Wendy agreed to attend.” 

Wendy said: “I arrived in Salisbury on a 

wet and windy day and found myself directed 

to the VIP car park which turned out to be in 

front of the home of the Bishop of Salisbury 

Cathedral. I was escorted by a very handsome 

Army officer to a VIP tent (so handsome in 

fact that I nearly went back to the entrance 

to be escorted again). 

“Almost everyone inside the marquee 

wore a chain of office and I half wished I had 

my stethoscope with me. Alongside a number 

of public service colleagues, I was fortunate 

enough to be introduced to both the Queen 

and Prince Phillip and spoke briefly to both. 

“I wasn’t supposed to speak to the 

Queen unless I was spoken to, but with the 

adrenaline flowing found myself telling her 

that we had met before – but that ‘I would 

‘I have loved 

my job’ 

GWH Senior Biomedical Scientist Pam Penney 

retired from the Trust in June 2012 after a 

career spanning 45 years. 

Her main duties at the hospital were 

processing samples for bacteria and finding 

appropriate antibiotics, with a speciality in 

parasiteology. She was also the main training 

officer for the lab, often working with junior 

doctors. 

She began her career in 1967, working at 

a health centre in Swindon, and worked at the 

Princess Margaret Hospital before moving to 

the new Great Western Hospital in 2002. 

She is particularly proud of being one of 

forgive her if she didn’t remember’ – as I 

was only six at the time. I told her that the 

previous meeting was memorable for me 

as it was the first time I had worn a dress 

that wasn’t homemade or second hand. She 

graciously said she was glad she was able to 

get me a new dress! 

“Phillip was equally charming. When 

he saw my nursing ID badge he said ‘Stick 

around, I may need you later’ to which I 

told him I made a point of never using my 

skills when off duty but was sure that the 

paramedic stood next to me would help. 

Prince Phillip appeared to appreciate the 

joke! 

“It was a truly memorable day and I’ll never 

forget it.” 

Below, Wendy, 

centre, meets the 

Queen aged six 

during the Queen’s 

Flight celebration at 

RAF Benson, south 

Oxfordshire. Right, 

Wendy dressed for 

her day job on CCU. 

the few female Fellows of the Institute of 

Biomedical Scientists. 

She said: “I have loved my job and it’s 

going to take a long time to sink in that I am 

retiring. I am hoping to see much more of 

England, I love walking, camping, cycling and 

going on long distance walks.” 

. 

A chance to shine 

Respect 

Elizabeth Pickworth, a Staff 

Nurse in the Emergency 

Department at GWH, was an 

Olympic torchbearer through 

Southwick, near Trowbridge, 

on 22nd May 2012. 

“What an experience. The 

torchbearers had a collection 

point where we all met 

up – all 15 of us. We were 

eventually taken onto the bus which housed our torches 

and we got to handle the torches to familiarise ourselves 

with them. Then we had a quiz! It was to get to know 

about the torch (did you know that there are 8,000 circles, 

representing each torchbearer) and the relay, which had 

been three years in the planning. 

“We were also told that we were selected because our 

stories have the potential to inspire many other people. I 

was nominated by my daughter who wrote: 

‘Over the past few years, not only has she supported her 

eldest daughter through radiotherapy for a brain tumour 

but also her husband through chemotherapy. Her other 

daughter has been ill with severe depression and she has 

(as always) taken great care of her too. In the face of all 

her personal turmoil she still has time for friends and other 

family with a ready smile. On the surface she seems like 

any other working mother but take a closer look (and it will 

have to be close because she never complains) and you will 

see a beautifully strong woman who always puts the needs 

of others before herself.’ 

“It was incredible stepping off the bus. There were 

hundreds of wellwishers lining the streets, waving flags 

and cheering - it was wonderful to see so many people. 

Running 300m with the flame was so special it’s difficult to 

put into words. It was a real privilege and very humbling. I 

was in a state of shock for a while afterwards and I spent 

the afternoon celebrating in the sunshine with my family. 

“It was a really awe-inspiring day which ended with 

the whole family watching the cauldron being lit at the 

Harbourside in Bristol.” 

UK Radiological 

Congress (UKRC) 

The GWH Radiology department was well represented 

at the UKRC meeting in Manchester on 25th-27th June 

2012. Presentations were given by Debbie Taylor, Office 

Manager; Alice Rowntree, Nurse; Consultant Cardiologist 

Dr Andy Beale and GWH Medical Director and Deputy Chief 

Executive and consultant in Radiology, Dr Alf Troughton. 

Six posters and an e-poster in Cardiac and Uroradiology 

were accepted by the UKRC, with one, entitled Too Much 

Imaging; think Munchausen’s won the Beth Whittaker 

award for best poster and has been invited for publication. 

22 9 Summer 2012 9 Summer 2012 23

Respect 

We value 

your feedback 

We are always pleased to hear feedback from 

patients and relatives about the care and support 

they received around the Trust. We have feedback 

forms available for patients and visitors to let us 

know about their experience, whether it be good, 

or not so good. 

You can also tell us your thoughts and experiences, 

join in our discussions and find GWH news and 

information on our Facebook 

page, or follow us on Twitter 

for up-to-the-minute updates 

and more. 

Here is just some of 

the positive feedback 

received recently: 

Day surgery, GWH 

Thank for your kindness from day 

surgery and post-surgery ward after my 

foot operation. Amazing, caring, happy, 

helpful staff throughout. 

White Horse Birth Centre, GWH 

Just to say congrats on a year open for 

the birth centre. My son was the 9th 

baby born there and the water birth 

was fab! 

Delivery Suite, Birth Centre, 

Hazel Ward, GWH 

The midwives who I encountered 

in induction, the White Horse Birth 

Centre, the delivery suite and in the 

post natal ward were all fantastic. They 

worked tirelessly to try and provide 

the best possible service while under 

considerable pressure-at the time that 

I needed to be moved to delivery there 

were no rooms, they reassured us and 

did their best to sort it out as quickly 

as possible. The team who cared for 

me post birth when I required surgery 

were also brilliant and were reasuring 

during what was quite a stressful time. 

Thank you for the safe delivery of my 

beautiful daughter! 

Ampney Ward, GWH 

Thanks to all on Ampney and to Mr Beck 

Emergency Department and 

Kingfisher Ward, GWH 

I was treated for multiple fractures 

in my right leg firstly by ED where 

the care and understanding offered 

were exceptional. I was transferred to 

Kingfisher Ward and operated upon 

on the day after my initial arrival in A 

and E. I could not fault the care or the 

treatment. Every team I came across 

seemed extremely professional and at 

all times I felt absolutely confident in 

my treatment. 

All staff I met were friendly, 

understanding, not patronising and 

seemed to take a pride in their work. 

Those factors all made my short stay of 

just four days as pleasant as it could be 

in the circumstances. 

Dentistry, Chippenham 

Community Hospital 

While eating pork belly sometime last 

year, part of my first maxillary molar 

broke off. I had not seen a dentist 

for probably ten years as I had been 

unable to find an NHS practitioner 

taking on patients after moving house. 

I went to the emergency dentistry 

unit at this hospital and I was very 

impressed. The car parking is accessible 

and free, and the dentist who repaired 

my teeth was very professional 

and polite. All the staff there were 

respectful and friendly. 

Emergency Department and 

Meldon Ward, GWH 

I was in ED and then admitted to 

Meldon Ward with a mouth infection, 

referred by my GP. 

I’d like to say thank you to all 

the staff involved with me for their 

friendliness and caring and in particular 

to the receptionists in ED, the Doctor 

and two nurses who attended me 

in ED - unfortunately I was in some 

discomfort and not mentally alert to 

remember their names. 

In particular I would like to give 

special thanks to the Registrar who 

attended me on the ward who gave 

me considerable confidence about my 

forthcoming operation to have my 

saliva gland removed, I’m on lifelong 

Warfarin and aspirin and I have 

allergic reactions to many antibiotics 

as well as having chronic asthma and 

a pacemaker amongst other health 

conditions. 

The porters who took me to various 

departments were very friendly and 

helpful and the staff in CT Scanning. 

A very special thank you to Nurse 

Maria (I think that was her name). I 

was required to have intravenous 

antibiotics (as mentioned I have severe 

allergic reactions to a wide range of 

oral antibiotics) and she sat with me as 

she injected the antibiotics very slowly 

and carefully via a cannula. Maria 

also ensured their was a doctor in the 

vicinity just in case I had one of my 

extreme reactions to the antibiotics. 

Luckily I didn’t have a reaction on this 

occasion. With so many patients the 

nurses have to look after, especially 

at night with fewer staff yet Maria 

nevertheless ensured my safety and 

110% of her professionalism and 

care. I am so very grateful to her and 

I sincerely hope she is still on Meldon 

Ward when I have my saliva gland 

removed. 

Please pass on my appreciation to 

appropriate managers and department 

heads for the very high standard of 

care I received from all those involved 

as detailed above. And if possible give 

Maria a bonus! 

Tell us what you think 

Visit www.nhs.co.uk go to Find 

and Choose Services and search 

for Great Western Hospital. 

‘So assured, confident and knowledgeable’ 

Here are just a few of the comments 

the Neighbourhood Teams based 

across Wiltshire have received from 

patients and families: 

‘I would like to thank all the nurses that gave us 

so much help, support and friendship through 

our journey in the past 15 months. Many 

heartfelt thanks.’ 

www.twitter.com/GWH_NHS 

‘I wanted to write to you to say what marvellous 

help and support we received from your NHS 

Trust and in particular the district nurses 

[Neighbourhood Team] that came to visit 

ourselves and my father during the last few days 

of his terminal cancer. The district nurses were 

kindness itself and perhaps more importantly 

so assured, confident and knowledgeable about 

what should be done. The fact that your system 

was so faultless really gave myself and my 

wife the courage to do our ‘jobs’ and assist my 

father with the comfort, dignity and grace that 

should be accorded to old age.’ 

‘I wanted to express to you and your team my 

special thanks and admiration for the wonderful 

work you all did for my parents. Your care, 

compassion, kindness and meticulous attention 

made a vast difference to these last months 

of their lives. Cheerfulness throughout was 

another factor that helped bolster an often 

faltering morale. We hear in the news a lot of 

stuff about how NHS standards are falling, and 

how care for the elderly is badly neglected in 

some parts. In Corsham, however, it is first rate 

and a shining example to all.’

Issue 9 - The Great Western Hospital

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