uhsm news summer 2012.pub

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LATEST NEWS Over 1,000 messages appear on Britain’s Biggest Thank You Card In response to the sackfuls of letters and cards staff at Wythenshawe and Withington hospitals receive every week thanking the Trust for the care that they or their relatives have received, UHSM decided to create Britain's Biggest Thank You Card. Members of the public, visitors, patients, colleagues and partners were invited to come along and sign a card that was 15m long and 1.5m high! Over a thousand messages were left on the card which also had emails, letters, cards and memos pinned on to it that the wards and departments asked to be displayed. Julian Hartley, UHSM’s Chief Executive says: “Over half a million people use our services every year and while we know we make people better and positively impact on our patients lives, we also know that we don’t always get it right. However, many of our patients and their friends and families contact us in person, by phone, emails and letters to say thank you for making them better and making a positive difference to their lives. “We don’t want to forget any of these comments and felt we should have some sort of regular reminder that we are in fact making an incredible difference to the people and community we serve. Our Thank You card, which was Britain's Biggest, really gave people the perfect opportunity to show their appreciation for UHSM and our plan is to put the card and the messages on permanent display later this year.” UHSM leads the UK in trial recruitment UHSM is proud to be leading the UK when it comes to recruiting patients for clinical research trials. Highlighted in a league table published by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network, the Trust recruited 20,612 patients in 2011/12 - the highest total for an NHS Trust. One of the main reasons for our success is our groundbreaking PROCAS trial, taking place at the Nightingale Centre & Genesis Prevention Centre, which aims to predict breast cancer risk for women who attend routine NHS breast screening in Greater Manchester. It has recently reached the 40,000 participant mark, from its ultimate target of 60,000. Clinical trials are an important step in discovering new treatments for breast cancer and other diseases as well as new ways to detect, diagnose, and reduce the risk of disease. Clinical trials show researchers what does and doesn’t work in people. Clinical trials also help researchers and doctors decide if the side effects of a new treatment are acceptable when weighed against the benefits offered by the new treatment. UHSM Chief Executive Julian Hartley said: “This is a remarkable achievement by UHSM’s staff. As a Trust, we have worked hard to increase the opportunities for patients to take part in research, and this effort has clearly been extraordinarily effective. I am enormously proud of the contribution our hospital is now making to the future of treatments in the UK.” If you are interested in taking park in a trial, please contact UHSM’s Research & Development team on 0161 291 5774. IBD Nurse wins grant Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD)is a chronic disease of the gut which affects chiefly young people, producing often severe pain, bowel disturbance, bleeding, often weight loss and sometimes joint problems. Since commencing his post IBD Lead Specialist NurseMark Sephton has revolutionized our IBD service. He has established a helpline, and has set up a Patient Panel where patients meet regularly to provide ideas and suggestions regarding the service the hospital provides. Mark has won a grant from the latest round of the Shire Innovation Fund for IBD Nurses. The Fund makes available up to 10 grants per year, each up to a maximum £1,500, for nurse-led projects which improve medical care for patients with IBD. “I’m really delighted we won this grant”, says Mark. “It will fund the production of a series of eight 5-minute films which aim to improve our patients’ knowledge about their disease and its treatment, as well as providing information on the local IBD service.” “We’ll be making the films available on the Trust website and via other channels too. It’s going to be great.” 66 Your Hospital www.<strong>uhsm</strong>.nhs.uk
LATEST NEWS Tragedy leads to friendship and new home for UHSM patients Severe Asthma Sufferers Find Extra Support Award In February, Keith Howarth from Macclesfield had frostbite on both of his legs. Doctors at UHSM worked tirelessly to save his limbs, but unfortunately both feet had to be removed. “It was a terrible blow, says Keith. “It all happened so quickly but my Consultant did everything he could and was honest about the severity of my condition from the start which I cannot fault at all. I’ve had new limbs made for me by the Disablement Services Centre over in Withington and already I am able to walk again or use a wheelchair when I want to. The situation I found myself in was very serious but the staff here have become my family and I constantly feel reassured and positive. I have nothing but admiration for the team here.” Just a few weeks later, Mike Dawson, from Baguley, who had suffered from Sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease, for some time, woke up to find his heel bruised and sore. As the pain worsened he went to hospital where a medical team carried out scans and blood tests. It was soon discovered that Mike had gangrene and losing his foot and possibly the whole leg would be a possibility. Mike explains: “It’s quite strange remembering what happened. I came to Wythenshawe Hospital with a sore foot and within two days I had half of my leg removed! People expect me to be bitter about this as it was so out of the blue, but I’m not. The treatment I’ve had at UHSM has been second to none. My doctors told me how bad the situation was from the very start and the medical and nursing staff who have looked after me have been simply amazing.” Keith and Mike were placed in beds next to each other and did not know each other before their admission to hospital. They spent over two months together, and have just moved in together in a bungalow in Holmes Chapel. Mike continues: “We have one foot between the two of us, so we know we’re going to have to make changes in our lives and this means leaving our old homes and moving in to a bungalow that is fitted out for disabled people. As we get on so well, it seemed natural for us to find a place together - we can support each other and save the council having to find two homes.” UHSM’s North West Lung Centre has run its first Severe Asthma Patient Support Group for people to meet others and potentially help share the burden of dealing with the chronic disease. Craig Wilkie, who is 38 and from Wythenshawe, says: “I’ve suffered from severe asthma for over six years now and my life has been turned upside down. I used to be a welder but getting up and down ladders, being outdoors and being physically active affected me really badly to the point where I could hardly breathe so I had to give up work. Going from a well paid job to weekly benefits was hard to get used to but I’ve met other people in the same boat and it’s actually quite nice to know that I am not the only person having to cope with such big changes.” The session ran in two parts, starting with a presentation from a Consultant Macmillan nurse who focused on coping with breathlessness and chronic disease followed by tea and biscuits where people could chat less formally and interact with each other. The group are all patients of Dr Robert Niven, Consultant Chest Physician, who explains: "Despite maximised therapy and conventional treatment, severe asthma patients continue to suffer with frequent symptoms often leading to exacerbations and emergency hospitalisations. These equate to approximately 25,000 people or 5% of the total population of asthmatics in the United Kingdom. Here at UHSM we take referrals from across the North West assessing and treating patients with severe asthma. “By setting up a patient support group our aim is to provide a comfortable environment for patients to have informal education sessions regarding severe asthma and management of problems and more importantly to meet other patients to share experiences and support each other." The session was attended by people from the local area and also from Wales, the Midlands and Yorkshire. If you would like more information please contact Leanne Holmes on 0161 291 5026.
Page 1 and 2: Summer 2012 Your Hospital Needs You
Page 3 and 4: EVENTS The Trust’s Open Day takes
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uhsm news summer 2012.pub

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