May 2012 - Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Issue 103 • May 2012
Pennine News
T O P R O V I D E T H E V E R Y B E S T C A R E F O R E A C H PAT I E N T O N E V E R Y O C C A S ION
• New specialist
rheumatology unit
opens
• First patient praises
new trauma
orthopaedic service
• Vision screening
at bedside
• New consultant
appointments
NATIONAL
MACMILLAN
AWARD FOR OLDHAM

2 News - Trust stories
May 2012
Contents
New specialist rheumatology
centre opens at Rochdale . . Pg 4
Ann’s name in print . . . . . . . Pg 4
NHS staff survey results . . . . Pg 5
Strengthening A&E team . . Pg 6
Dr Farook’s consultant post . Pg 6
Foundation Trust update . . . Pg 7
Exam success . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 7
Diary dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 7
Core Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 8
Team focus on healthy
weight team . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 9
Years of caring . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 10
Bowel screening programme
conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 10
CAU and UCC celebrate
one year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 11
Policy update . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 11
Patient praises new service . Pg 12
Supporting ovarian cancer . Pg 13
Your skin matters study day Pg 13
Nurse pleads guilty to fraud Pg 14
Cooking on gas in competition Pg 14
Thought for the month . . . . Pg 15
Bedside vision screening . . . Pg 15
Staff noticeboard . . . . . . . . . Pg 16
Inside News
THE Trust has several communication
tools to help keep staff up to date:
n Core brief is sent round monthly,
for use in all team briefings .
n Weekly bulletins are emailed on
Mondays and contain a range of
operational and site information .
n A medical director/nursing director
bulletin is circulated monthly .
n Online copies of all the bulletins
and core brief, plus more, can be
found on the Trust intranet at
nww .pat .nhs .uk/communications
You can send your stories for
either Pennine News or for local
media to Trust communications at
trust .communications@pat .nhs .uk,
or call Nicola Berry on 44284 .
If you have any ideas, views or
suggestions regarding communications
across the Trust, please email
staff .views@pat .nhs .uk
Please recycle this magazine
Mayor of Bury praises
’caring’ staff at Fairfield
THE Mayor of Bury has praised the
‘wonderful and caring’ staff who continue
to treat unwell infants and children on
the dedicated Paediatric Observation
and Assessment Unit (POAU) at Fairfield
General Hospital .
During a recent visit, the Mayor
Councillor Yvonne Creswell and Consort,
Mr Alan Creswell, were shown around a
number of the hospital’s services including
the A&E department, day surgery unit
and coronary care wards, where they met
patients and staff .
They also visited the Paediatric
Observation and Assessment Unit (POAU)
on ward 11 which opened nearly 18
months ago in November 2010 . Sick
children are referred and admitted to the
unit either by a local GP, NHS walk-in
centre or the A&E department .
On the unit was young patient Harry
Cooper, age 3, from Tottington, who
was referred to the unit by his local GP
because of a rash .
The unit provides a child-friendly
environment where children can be cared
for by a team of dedicated children’s
nurses and doctors . It allows for the rapid
assessment and observation of children,
offering them an early discharge where
possible, and shortening the length of
time children have to stay in hospital .
Previously, children needing acute medical
care would have to be admitted to a
children’s ward . But the unit offers an
area where children can be observed
under the care of a paediatrician for a
period of up to six hours, over a longer
period of time than is possible in A&E .
After that time most children will be able
to go home, with the local children’s
community nursing team providing extra
care at home if required . Those children
who require overnight care are now
admitted to the children’s wards at either
North Manchester General Hospital or
The Royal Bolton Hospital to receive
further specialist care .
Councillor Yvonne Creswell, Mayor of
Bury, said: “It was a pleasure to visit
Fairfield General Hospital . I think this
unit for children is wonderful . Any child
admitted here probably won’t want to
go home because it is so fantastic and
child friendly . All the staff, from the top
to the bottom, doctors and nurses, are
so approachable and caring . I would like
to say thank you to the staff; they are so
committed and dedicated to the unit and
to the children they care for . They do a
wonderful job and make the environment
so pleasant for children and their parents .
They are a fantastic team of people . This
unit is really what Bury families need and
gives them reassurance that this service is
here .”
Pictured - Dr Bose Haider, consultant
paediatrician at the POAU with The
Mayor of Bury Councillor Yvonne Creswell
and Consort Mr Alan Creswell, with 3 year
old patient Harry Cooper.

In the news
National Macmillan award for Oldham’s
clinical haematology unit
A purpose-built specialist facility to treat
patients with leukemia, lymphomas and a
range of other tumours and blood disorders
has been recognised for its high standards
in building design and cancer services .
The Macmillan Quality Environment Mark
was presented to staff and patients on
ward F11, the clinical haematology unit at
The Royal Oldham Hospital .
The facility, which treats around 7,000
day cases and 500 inpatients a year was
opened in July 2010, and is one of the
largest haematology units in the region,
comprising 22 inpatient beds, 11 individual
ensuite side rooms and a dedicated day
case unit .
The award, launched in 2010 by
charity Macmillan Cancer Support,
is the first in the UK that specifically
assesses how well buildings
provide support and care to people
affected by cancer .
Developed in collaboration with
over 400 people living with cancer,
and stakeholders, including
the Department of Health, the
Macmillan Quality Environment Mark
measures excellence across a series of key
performance indicators .
The charter means that when patients
visit an accredited facility and see the
Macmillan Quality Environment Mark on
display, they will know what standards to
expect . These include: a place that is
welcoming and accessible to all, respects
your privacy and dignity; supports your
comfort and well being; gives you choice
and personal control and listens to your
choice .
Staff on F11 had to initially complete a
self assessment questionnaire to determine
whether they would meet the required
standards to obtain the award . Following
this, two assessors (one professional and
one trained volunteer user assessor who is
a person affected by cancer and recruited
by Macmillan) visited the unit . The Trust
had to provide evidence of compliance
with the Macmillan Quality Environment
Mark standards, plus the assessors talked
to Trust staff and visited areas under
inspection .
Within the quality award are five core
principles of quality which are applied to
four different domains . Contained within
the domains are a number of indicators
which facilities are assessed against .
Clinical haematology is a speciality which is able
to diagnose and treat diseases of blood and bone
marrow. It involves the management, of among
others, autoimmune blood disorders, leukaemia,
lymphoma, myeloproliferative disorders, sickle
cell disease and thalassaemia. A large part of the
work of clinical haematology is the diagnosis and
treatment of tumours, with leukaemias and
lymphomas being the most common.
Assessment levels are then marked from
five, which is excellent, to one, which is
very poor .
The clinical haematology unit achieved
level four overall and in the Macmillan
report it said the unit should be
congratulated on scoring an average of
four at assessment against the Macmillan
Quality Environment Mark . “It is very
clear that staff are committed to providing
high quality care in an environment that
contributes to the enhanced well being of
people affected by cancer .”
Teresa Karran, Macmillan Development
Manager for Cheshire and Greater
Manchester, said: “The quality of cancer
care environments is a big priority for
Macmillan Cancer Support . We know
from a large base of evidence that
intelligent, sensitive design improves
people’s well being . For instance, having
enough space to talk in confidence to a
nurse about your cancer diagnosis makes
a real difference to how you cope with
day-to-day life .
“This has been a marvellous achievement
for the unit and everyone involved in the
process . There is a good reason to
celebrate and, importantly, patients can
feel confident they are being cared for
in one of the highest quality cancer
facilities in their area .”
Elizabeth Fitton, matron on the unit,
said: “I'm absolutely delighted and
proud of the team’s achievement . I feel
it reflects the dedication, commitment
and hard work everyone has shown since
the unit opened .”
Ann Doyle, head of nursing service
diagnostic and clinical support, said: “We
approached Macmillan to go for the
Macmillan Environment Quality Award
as the staff are very proud of the unit
and we have had very positive patient
feedback . This is the first Award of its
kind in the Trust and the success is down
to all the F11 team and the estates
department, without their continued
efforts this would not have happened . I
would like to thank the staff for making
F11 a place where patients are cared for
in an environment which patients have
said meets their needs .”
The award is made for a three year period,
after which the Trust will have to be
reassessed .
3

4 In the news
May 2012
THE four maternity ante natal clinics
at the Trust celebrated national No
Smoking Day on 14 March by offering
patients a carbon dioxide breath test
reading.
They also gave out information regarding
smoking in pregnancy, the dangers of
passive smoking and the 7 steps out
campaign which encourages parents to
take seven steps out of their back door
into their garden if they intend to light
up a cigarette, to protect their children
from passive smoking .
For advice on quitting smoking contact
the national Smokefree service on 0800
022 4 332 .
New specialist rheumatology centre opens
at Rochdale Infirmary
A NEW multi-disciplinary, specialised
rheumatology centre has opened
at Rochdale Infirmary, allowing
patients to receive care from a range of
professionals in one place, and where
possible, on the same day.
The Pennine Rheumatology Centre
offers specialist enhanced outpatient
and day case facilities and is based in
Marland Ward. Opening hours are from
8am – 8pm Monday to Thursday and
8am - 4pm on Friday.
Patients with a number of conditions
such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic
arthritis, lupus, osteoarthritis and
osteoporosis will all benefit from the
new centre. They will be able to receive
care from a multidisciplinary team
including a consultant, specialist nurse,
physiotherapist, occupational
therapist and podiatrist, all
at one location and in the
shortest possible time.
Currently patients’
appointments can be spread
across a number of weeks.
Dr Neil Snowden
(pictured), lead consultant
rheumatologist at the
Trust, said: “Rheumatology
conditions cause long term
illness and can have both a physical
and psychological effect on both the
Ann’s name in print
patient and their family and friends.
The best results for patients come
from a multidisciplinary approach with
input from a range of professionals
such as specialist nurses, physiotherapists,
podiatrists and occupational therapists
working together under one roof.
“The new centre will allow us to focus
intensively on those patients who
are experiencing a flare up in their
condition. It will create a central hub of
rheumatology expertise and research
which will not only benefit our own
patients, but which we hope will allow
us to become leaders in rheumatology
services across Greater Manchester.”
THE Trust’s lead nurse in heart
failure has seen her name in
print, following her contribution
to a nursing text book .
Ann Dormer wrote a chapter
on long term conditions for
‘Nursing the Cardiac Patient’,
which has been published by
Wiley Blackwell .
Invited to contribute to the
book by Ian Jones, senior
lecturer in cardiac nursing at
the University of Salford, Ann’s
chapter covers the prevalence, causes and evidence-based management of patients living
with a long term cardiac condition .
As the lead nurse in heart failure, Ann’s role involves the service development, education
and training, clinical leadership and caseload management of over 200 heart failure
patients . Her and the heart failure specialist nurse team work with cardiologists and GPs
to provide both inpatient and outpatient services .
Ann said: “Education is an important part of my role and so I was delighted to be asked
to contribute to the book . I had previously collaborated with Ian Jones in 2006 when I
contributed a chapter on the ‘Management of patients with Chronic Heart Failure’ in the
textbook ‘Cardiac Care - An Introductory Text’ which was published by Whurr Publishers .”
The Pennine Rheumatology Centre
will offer complex infusion treatments
(where medication is administrated
through the bloodstream) and techniques
such as ultrasound, biologic infusions
(biologic drugs copy the effects of
substances naturally made by the
body's immune system) and joint
injections.
Kate Hudson, a rheumatology patient,
said: “From a patient's perspective I am
very pleased and encouraged by the
developments within the rheumatology
departments at The Pennine Acute
Trust, especially the opening of the
centralised rheumatology service at
Rochdale Infirmary.
“I feel it will be of great benefit to
patients to be able to access all aspects
of the rheumatology service in one
place on one visit. It will mean
that I can access the care that I
need quickly and remove the
need for me to attend
numerous different
appointments across a
number of days/weeks -
especially at the times when
I feel the worst during flare
ups. It is also good to see
services being introduced to the
Rochdale Infirmary site.”

News - Trust stories
National NHS staff survey Phishing - don’t
THE annual national survey of
NHS staff in England is
undertaken independently by
the Picker Institute .
The survey was distributed to
850 randomly selected staff
across this Trust in October
2011 . The annual staff survey
results for 2011 were received
and published last month .
Almost 400 employees across
the Trust participated in the
2011 survey . The return rate
across the Trust was 46%,
compared with a national average for
all trusts of 53% . The return rate for the
Trust in 2010 was 39 .4% .
The Trust results are very disappointing
following the previous 2009 and 2010
results, which both showed improved
position across many areas including
overall staff engagement .
Roger Pickering, director human resources
and organisational development
(pictured), said: “I am disappointed that
we have slipped back after making real
improvements over the past two years .
Although I don’t believe there is one single
reason for this, we shouldn’t underestimate
the impact of the recent clinical service
changes that we have carried out across
our hospitals as part of the Healthy
Futures and Making it Better programmes .
Over the past two years we have
implemented one of the largest service
change programmes in the NHS . This has
involved successfully centralising clinical
services, moving and integrating staff in
and between our hospitals . We are near
completion and when finished, these
changes will have involved investing over
£100m in new facilities and improved the
way our staff provide frontline hospital
services .
Thinking of publishing a case report?
FROM 1 April 2012 the Trust took out
an annual institutional subscription to
BMJ Case Reports which allows staff
wishing to publish a case report to now
have the opportunity to do so, at no
cost to themselves . The price for an
individual would otherwise be £115 .00
for a year’s fellowship .
The institutional subscription also
allows Trust staff to access the full text
of all the case reports already published
online in the journal .
BMJ Case Reports is an award winning
journal that delivers a focused, peerreviewed,
valuable collection of cases in all
disciplines so that healthcare professionals,
researchers and others can easily find
clinically important information on
common and rare conditions . This is the
largest single collection of case reports
online, with more than 3025 articles from
over 70 countries .
“Whilst this is a huge
achievement in itself, the
impact on staff has undoubtedly
been significant and we know
this has had a disruptive effect
with changes in working
patterns and relocations across
sites . As new teams integrate
and develop and staff who
have moved settle into a
period of stability, we look
forward to that being reflected
in next year’s survey .
“We will work closely with
our staff, Trade Unions and staff side
representatives to restore the real
improvements we had made; I am
confident that the will to do this is there
and collectively we can do this .”
Findings:
n When compared to the 2010
survey results and from a total
of 38 key findings, the Trust has
experienced an improvement in 2,
no change in 29 and deterioration
in 7 .
n The 2011 overall staff engagement
score deteriorated placing the
Trust in the lowest 20% category
in all three key findings contributing
to this score .
n When the key findings are
compared to all acute trusts in
the 2011 survey, the Trust is in the
worst 20% category in 17 key
findings, worse than average in 12
key findings, average in 3, better
than average in 4 and in the
highest 20% in 2 .
Provided that a case report is produced
in accordance with the organisational
template there is guarantee of acceptance
and publication in this prestigious BMJ
online journal . The website also gives
instructions on how to write a case
report for the BMJ . Authors are strongly
advised to read this before commencing
the submission process .
Full instructions on how to submit your
case report can be found at www .
casereports .bmj .com/site/about/
guidelines
Please note that you will need to quote
our Institutional Code during step five
of the submission process . This can be
found in the Staff Publications section
of the library web pages, on the Trust
intranet . You can also ask library staff
for advice and assistance .
fall for it!
5
PEOPlE sometimes try to get information
from you that they have no right to
have . They often phone up and
pretend to be someone ‘important’
or ‘official’ in order to trick you into
revealing information .
Cybercriminals might know your
name, job role and other personal
information when they call you .
Once they've gained your trust, they
might ask for your user name and
password or ask you to go to a website
to install software that will let them
access your computer to fix it . Once
you do this, your computer and your
personal information is vulnerable .
Do not trust unsolicited calls . Do not
provide any personal information or
disclose passwords . Staff should be
on their guard and always verify a
caller's identity and their authority to
receive the information they are seeking .
This should be done by asking the
caller for their name and telephone
number and by calling them back .
They must give the main (switchboard)
number of their organisation and not
a direct line or mobile number . You
should also check with your line
manager if the person calling has the
authority to request the information
they are asking for .
Verbal messages containing person
identifiable or confidential information
should never be left on answer
phones/voicemail . It is desirable in
normal circumstances for requests for
information to be made in writing .
Will the IM&T staff ever call me?
There are times where IM&T will call
you legitimately to remotely fix a PC
problem . These calls will be made by
someone with whom you can verify a
known problem and they will be able
to quote the Helpstar reference number
logged for your reported problem . If
in doubt whether a request is from
The Trust’s IM&T department verify
this independently and check with
the IM&T helpdesk staff on 45678 or
email TrustIMTHelpdesk@pat .nhs .uk
Never give control of your computer
to a third party unless you can
confirm that they are a legitimate
member of the IM&T team .
If you think that you might have
downloaded malware from a phone
tech support scam website or
allowed a cybercriminal to access your
computer, inform the IM&T Helpdesk
immediately and report the scam as a
security incident . Change any passwords
that may have been compromised .
For more information contact
trish .noon@pat .nhs .uk or
helen .walker@pat .nhs .uk

6 People
May 2012
Strengthening
the A&E team
at Oldham
THE Trust has welcomed two new A&E
consultants to the Trust . Dr Mark Riley
and Dr Gabby May are both consultants
in emergency medicine at The Royal
Oldham Hospital .
Working with a great team, including
consultant, nursing and ancillary staff
attracted Dr Gabby May to join the staff
at Oldham . As a trainee in the department
in 2007, she said that she really enjoyed
her time there and was delighted to
A new acute medicine consultant who
spent many of her training years within
Pennine Acute Hospitals sees her consultant
post here as a natural progression and a
coincidence of life!
Dr Seleena Farook was appointed to
the post of acute physician
at North Manchester
earlier this year . She had
previously been a house
officer at Birch Hill Hospital,
senior house officer at
Fairfield and a specialist
registrar at Fairfield and
North Manchester .
Now based on wards H3
and H4 which form the
medical admissions unit,
Seleena has joined Drs
Pattrick and Al Sayyed as
part of the bigger
unscheduled care team
which works closely with
A&E colleagues in ensuring
rapid and safe patient
assessments .
return .
“It’s
busy
with a lot
of variety in
pathology and there
are a lot of interesting
patients who are very unwell and need
emergency care” she said .
Graduating from Edinburgh University in
2002, Dr May moved to the north west in
2005 and started as a consultant in April
2011 . Her new role encompasses providing
senior ‘shop floor’ reviews of patients,
educating junior doctors, putting in place
pathways to ensure evidence based care
of all patients, whilst trying to reduce
unnecessary admissions by working on
ambulatory care pathways in conjunction
with other specialties .
A keen sportswoman, Gabby enjoys running,
scuba diving and walking in the lake
District . “I also love eating out, mainly
because I am completely useless in the
kitchen!” she joked .
She said: “People feel most vulnerable
when they are unwell and needing hospital
admission . By taking on this role I feel
privileged to be the right person to
provide this most needed service to
support the members of my community .
Joining Gabby in the department is
Dr Mark Riley who graduated from
Manchester Medical School in 2001 . After
his post registration house officer year, he
became interested in emergency medicine
and gaining experience in emergency
medicine and other relevant specialities as
a junior doctor, he took up a clinical fellow
post in the emergency department at The
Royal Oldham before joining the North
West Emergency Medicine registrar
programme in August in 2007 and gaining
his Certificate of Completion of Training
in August 2011 . Dr Riley said: “I had
worked in the emergency department at
The Royal Oldham Hospital for 18 months
and enjoyed my time there and got on
well with the staff . The department and
the Trust were going through significant
changes and appeared to be forward
thinking and so this is what encouraged
me to return to PAT, as I thought it would
be a fulfiling place to work .
“It is a new challenge with a large
increase in responsibility for me .
However, the previous training that I
had has prepared me well for the job .
As with all emergency departments, the
main pressures revolve around ensuring
patients receive safe, effective care without
any undue delays . This includes both the
day to day running of the shop floor, but
also in service development . I have an
interest in the critical care side of emergency
medicine and I hope to develop this side
of the service at Oldham .”
Away from work, Mark enjoys spending
time with his wife and children, a two
and a half year son and nine month old
daughter (despite the lack of sleep!) .
Dr Farook makes PAT her first consultant post
“I see myself as one of the captains of
the ship called the admissions unit and
wish to see our unit develop as a role
model for a positive working environment
and staff engagement . I hope to guide
our multidisciplinary team to achieve
their full potential, by ensuring that
strong personal and professional
support is in place .”
As part of her role, Dr Farook
will provide medical leadership
to the day to day running of the
admissions unit; give initial
medical consultant opinion on
new admissions; review patients
and lead on proactive and safe
discharge planning, and ensure
that the unit proves to be
the hub of medical teaching
for trainees working at North
Manchester .
Seleena lives locally with her two
children and husband, who also
works for Pennine Acute .
Dr Choi seated left, staff nurse
Jenny Weston, Dr Farook (seated
centre) and Dr Kilbride.

News - Trust stories
Mums and staff sign up to
become FT members
THE Trust is stepping up its recruitment of
Foundation Trust public members in the
community to have a greater voice in how
their hospital is run .
last month 19 mums and staff at
Meanwood Sure Start Children’s Centre
in Rochdale signed up following a visit by
the Trust to their ‘stay and play’ session .
The Centre is attached to Meanwood
Primary School Nursery Class on Churchill
Street for families with children aged 0
– 5 years .
Angela Greenwood, Foundation Trust
membership manager, said: “It is important
our public membership represents the
communities we serve . This includes
members from different backgrounds,
ethnicity and age groups . The mums and
staff at Meanwood Sure Start were happy
to support the Trust and our hospitals in
becoming a Foundation Trust .”
For more information about becoming a
member of the Trust visit online at
www .pat .nhs .uk/foundationtrust or call
Angela Greenwood on 01706 517302 or
email ft .membership@pat .nhs .uk
FT update and events
SINCE we formally consulted on our
plans to become a NHS Foundation Trust
in January 2010, we have received an
enthusiastic response from our patients
and public . To date we have over 8,500
members, along with 9,500 staff members
and we are looking to recruit a further
1,500 new members by the summer of this
year . We are encouraging our members
to sign up their friends and family too .
Membership is free, with no obligation,
and is open to anyone aged 14 and over .
Members can also take advantage of
discounts at a wide range of retailers
through NHS Discounts .com .
Angela Greenwood, Foundation Trust
Membership Manager, said: “We see
real strength in local people becoming
members of a Foundation Trust . Members
can make a real difference by helping
the Trust to make the right decisions on
future plans and developments and they
can help develop services that benefit the
needs of our patients and the local
communities . listening to and working
with local people is important in making
sure our services are fit for the future .”
We have planned our second series of
‘Medicine for Members’ events detailed
below and we would welcome any
comments or ideas for future events .
Please contact the FT Membership Office
on 01706 517302 or email
angela .greenwood@pat .nhs .uk .
Date Time Subject Venue/location
17 May
10 .30
- 12 .30
12 June 2-4pm
Catering department behind
the scenes tour
Orthopaedic presentation
including the new TASU (Trauma
Assessment Stabilisation
Unit), by Dr Parikh, consultant
ortho-geriatrician
NMGH, TROH, FGH
TROH
26 June 2-4pm Children’s unit tour NMGH
3 July 1pm Endoscopy unit tour TROH
26 July
6pm for
APM
Annual Public Meeting and
health & well being conference
APM at FGH . Venue and time
to be confirmed for conference
Exam success
7
Congratulations to the following
students who have completed
information technology qualifications
with the PAT IT training team .
ECDL advanced
leanne Chew
Patricia Greenwood
Natasha Maddock
Julie Munn
Andrea Parkinson
Martina Power
Barry Waterhouse
lorraine Webb
ITQ (BCS level two certificate in IT
user skills)
Cheryl Ashurst
Gayle Braithwaite
Debra Carr
Alison Chapman
Barbara Hazell-Scott
louise Herniman
Yvonne Keating
Tina Kulikowski
Sarah-Jane Newbury
James Pollitt
Julie Tyson
Carol Winterbottom
Josephine Wrigley
Microsoft Office specialist training
Kieran Simpson
Mohammed Towhasir
Catherine Unwin
E-type
Mathew Burt
Margaret Carroll
Sharon Mottley
Julie Roberts
Congratulations to Mathew Burt
who passed 14 MOST exams!
Diary dates
7 May - May Day Bank Holiday
10, 17, 24 and 31 May - North
Manchester staff communication
meeting. 9.00am in the Directors’
Meeting Room, Limbert Home,
NMGH
14 May - Rochdale staff briefing.
12.30pm in room 2, education
centre, Rochdale Infirmary
14 May - Fairfield Site Staff
Briefing. 12.30pm in the
Boardroom Fairfield House
25 May - Oldham communication
meeting. 12.30pm in G19,
education centre, TROH

8 Core brief - team talk
May 2012
Have
you been
briefed?
Core brief takes place once
a month and is a way of
updating you about the
latest news from the Trust.
Decommissioning update
FOllOWING the announcement made by the Trust about decommissioning and the
consultation on proposed job losses, personal letters have now been sent to staff
whose post has been identified as being ‘at risk’ of redundancy . Being ‘at risk’ does
not mean that the individual post will necessarily be lost, but it does mean that the
member of staff works in an area where the Trust has identified that posts could be
made redundant . For example, we may have identified that in a certain area two
posts need to be lost, but there may be eight people performing that type of role .
The Trust has to place all eight staff ‘at risk’ of redundancy, even though only two
posts would be lost .
The Trust is continuing discussions with Trade Unions about the effect of
decommissioning on services and the measures the Trust is taking to avoid job losses .
The 90 day consultation started on 2nd March . Every effort will be made to ensure
the necessary reductions in staffing, where possible, will be achieved through voluntary
means but compulsory redundancies cannot be ruled out .
Staff ‘at risk’ of redundancy have the opportunity to contribute to this collective
consultation . Staff can do this by contacting their Union representative or they can
also raise matters with their line manager . line managers will make sure that
comments are included as part of the consultation . Once the collective consultation
has concluded, the Trust will start individual consultation with staff who are directly
affected by the proposals and remain ‘at risk’ . During the individual discussion there
will be a formal meeting with staff ‘at risk’ . Staff may be accompanied at that
meeting or any subsequent meetings by a Trade Union representative or work
colleague . Once the consultation has completed, those staff selected for redundancy
will be issued with an individual redundancy notice .
More information: is available for staff via the Decommissioning section on the Trust
intranet via the homepage .
Healthy Futures heart and stroke rehab consultation
lAST month The Healthy Futures Joint Committee for Public Consultation unanimously
decided to support the proposal for planned cardiology which will see complicated
and high risk cardiology procedures moved from Rochdale Infirmary to Fairfield
General Hospital . This will take place in early August 2012 . This service move will
complete the reconfiguration of cardiology services delivered across The Trust .
Cardiology outpatient services will remain at Rochdale Infirmary as listed below:
n Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics, including onsite exercise tolerance testing where
this is clinically appropriate .
n New and follow-up general cardiology outpatients, including those patients from
the Rochdale borough and East lancashire area that are being followed up post
admission at another PAHT hospital site .
n Simple pacemaker follow-up clinics .
n Heart Failure Nurse Specialist clinics .
n Direct GP Access cardio – respiratory diagnostics including echocardiography, ECG
(electrocardiogram), 24 hour ECG and ambulatory monitoring . It also
supported plans to maintain outpatient cardiology clinics at all Trust sites and to
develop the delivery of less complicated procedures at all four hospitals .
More information: go to www .healthyfutures .nhs .uk or call 0161 655 7422 .
Core Brief
Finance - budget 2012/13
THE Trust Board has approved the
Revenue Budget for 2012/13 . The
Trust’s Total Operating Expenditure
budget is £515 .17m . The opening
income budget is £554 .5m . This
budget is based on agreed
contractual levels of activity from
commissioners (PCTs) . Divisional
budgets have been rolled forward
and adjusted for pay and nonpay
inflation, funded pressures
and decommissioning targets .
The Department of Health in its
Operating Framework expects all
Trusts to deliver a revenue surplus .
The Trust’s Integrated Business Plan
sets out a planned surplus of £5 .7m,
equivalent to 1% of turnover in
2012/13, building on the £3 .5m
required surplus achieved last financial
year . The Trust is also required
to deliver a Cost Improvement
Programme (CIP) of £25 .6 million as
part of the wider NHS £20bn cost
efficiency programme .
Referral to treatment (18
weeks) standard
NATIONAl standards expect patients
to be admitted for scheduled (elective)
services within 18 weeks of referral
by their GP . The main challenge has
been orthopaedic patients requiring
surgery . Significant progress has
been made in reducing the backlog
over the past few months . Waiting
times have fallen . The Trust has
agreed with our PCT commissioners
that the backlog will be cleared by
the end of June . We continue to
improve waiting lists, ensuring they
are efficient and effective . The recent
centralisation of the theatre booking
and scheduling department across the
Trust now ensure patients are booked
in promptly and receive better access
and service .
More information: Hugh Mullen,
director of operations, on 45458 .

Team focus - a day in the life of
Team focus
on healthy
weight team
What are the highlights
of your job/service?
The main highlight of my job to me is
that I can help people to achieve their
weight management goals in a
personalised, achievable manner . People
have certain expectations when they
come to see our team and it is rewarding
when we exceed their expectations and
they realise that we not going to judge
their weight, but support them in making
lifestyle changes . Weight management
is not just about going on ‘a diet’, it is
about the bigger picture and that is what
we strive to achieve with each patient .
What would make your
job/service better?
We struggle to find venues to hold our
groups . We don’t have funding for hiring
rooms and the majority of venues charge,
this means we have to rely on good will . If
we had access to more venues we would be
able to offer so much more to patients .
What is the one thing
you would change about
your job/service?
The one thing I would change for our
team would be to secure permanent
funding for the team’s future to ensure
job security .
What word best describes
your job/service?
life-changing
The 60 second
interview
Karen Rowcroft is a specialist weight
management dietitian within the healthy
weight team based at Birch Hill Hospital. Her
role is to see patients who want to have bariatric
surgery to help them to lose weight.
The healthy weight team consists of dietitians, a bariatric dietitian, dietetic assistants, a nutritionist
and a physical lifestyle advisor. They provide a weight management service to the adult and child
population of Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale; one to one consultations in GP and Health
Centres across the borough, plus a regular weight management group called Take Off! Take Off!
runs for eight weeks and aims to provide patients with the knowledge to make lifestyle changes
to help them lose weight. To compliment this they provide drop in sessions for ongoing support.
What don’t you like
about your job/service?
The part of my job that I don’t like is
when I have to inform my patients that
they have to be in our service for 24
months before funding will be considered
for bariatric surgery . This provokes a
range of reactions in patients from being
tearful, upset to extremely angry . This
can be difficult to deal with on a daily
basis . My patients have usually struggled
with their weight for many years and
come to us expecting immediate results .
Once I have explained why they have to
wait so long and what we can offer them
to prepare them for life after surgery
they usually accept this waiting time and
work with me to make the necessary
changes .
What aspect of your
job/service is the most
rewarding?
The majority of my patients have
struggled with their weight for many
years; they come to me stating that they
can’t possibly make any more changes to
their diet or lifestyle to lose weight . It is
so rewarding for me when after setting
realistic and achievable goals that they
do make lifestyle changes and more
often than not these result in weight
loss . The patient then feels empowered
and continues to make change and lose
more weight .
A typical day
9
A typical day may include going to
clinic . Clinic starts at 08 .30 and finishes
at 12 .00 . I may see a variety of new
and review patients in this time
and I spend time with each patient
finding out background history to
why they have become the weight
they are . Once I have gathered this
information I take their weight and
ask about their eating habits and
general lifestyle . After that I set
individual goals with each patient
that are achievable and patient
centred . The morning may be quite
draining depending on what type
of patients I have had in . My best
clinics are when patients are doing
really well, making changes and are
losing weight . Once back in the office
it is time to catch up with the team
and see what has been going on .
Other team members may have been
in clinics or out in the community
running Take Off! or sessions in
schools . We take this opportunity to
discuss various patients and to see if
anyone has any suggestions to any
difficult situations we may have
encountered . It’s then time to write
up my notes and send out any letters
from the morning clinic . We have a
database to complete that records
patients’ dietary and lifestyle changes
which proves to the commissioners
that what we are doing is working
and ensures continuation of funding
for our team .

10 Features
May 2012
Jackie was a familiar face to generations of families across Bury
after she started at Fairfield General Hospital 36 years ago . After
her training she worked on the special care baby unit caring for
the smallest and most poorly babies . She eventually became the
manager and senior midwife on the unit .
The unit opened in 1963 as the premature baby unit, changing
its name to special care baby unit in the late 1970s, before
becoming the neo natal unit in the 1970s . Just three managers
have been at the helm since then, with Jackie taking charge 24
years ago .
She said: “It has been an honour to be involved with families
at such an important time in their lives . To be able to offer the
support and care that they require when their babies are so
vulnerable has been a privilege .
“Technology has made a massive difference . The field of
neonatalogy is one of the most rapidly advancing areas and there
is a lot more sophisticated equipment now available . Babies are
surviving that we wouldn’t have expected to survive 25 years ago .
“Quite a lot of practices have changed over the years too . In the
past, babies were on the unit a lot longer, as they used to have
to stay until they weighed 5 .5lbs, regardless of their age or
A conference for health professionals and members of the
PCTs for Bury, Oldham, Manchester, Heywood, Middleton and
Rochdale was recently held at Fairfield .
Aimed at those involved in bowel cancer screening, the event,
which was hosted by Pennine Bowel Cancer Screening Centre
was hailed a success .
During the afternoon Dr Roger Prudham, clinical director for
NHS BCSP - Pennine, delivered an interesting speech about
the importance of the various streams reliant on making the
bowel cancer screening programme a success, both inside the
Trust and nationally . These include not just colonoscopic
intervention, but also high quality imaging, hub activity,
specialist screening practitioner clinics in the community,
screening centre administration, public health, advertising and
social marketing, all with the Quality Assurance agenda
driving the high standards forward .
Micro speeches were delivered by Dr Milan Sapundzieski,
consultant radiologist, who has recently taken up an additional
role as QA lead for radiology within the National Bowel
Years of caring
A sister who has helped
to care for 7,200 babies is
now embracing her new
role at North Manchester
General Hospital.
Sister Jackie Blease has
moved from Fairfield’s
neonatal unit to North
Manchester, as part of
the changes around the
Making it Better
programme. Here she
looks back on her time at
Fairfield and the history
of the unit.
well being . Now they are discharged sooner and can be supported
by the community team .
“There is also more focus on family care . In those days, parents
weren’t particularly encouraged to visit whereas now there is a
greater emphasis on their involvement .”
Around 10% of babies require support from neonatal teams and
life on the unit can be tough . Jackie continued: “Some babies
don’t survive and if it didn’t affect me, then I wouldn’t be in the
job . The skills I have developed over the years and the
experience helps me to understand and support the family, but
it’s important to remember that every family is different .”
Jackie is now the senior midwife on the neonatal unit at
North Manchester . Transferring over on 5 March, along with
21 members of her team, she found that the staff at North
Manchester were very welcoming to the Fairfield team .
“The merging of two teams is obviously going to be challenging
on both sides, but we are here to provide the same level of care
and skill which we have always delivered to the mothers and
babies of Bury . We have brought with us many years of
experience, expertise and skills which we will now provide from
our new base at North Manchester,” she added .
Interesting event hosted on bowel screening programme
Cancer Screening Programme . Also contributing were
Dr Sadhna Bhatnagar, consultant histopathologist; Caroline
Shockledge, public health and liz Heaton, North West BCSP
QA coordinator .
Members of the audience commented that it was an excellent
interesting and informative event where a lot of knowledge
was gained about the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme .

News - Trust stories
CAU and UCC one
year celebrations
MORE than 5000 patients have been treated
at Rochdale Infirmary’s clinical assessment
unit since it opened last April .
To help celebrate the successful first year
in operation, the unit, along with the
Urgent Care Centre held a first anniversary
event (pictured bottom), which gave staff
the opportunity to call into the unit and
enjoy refreshments prepared by the team
and take part in an Easter raffle .
The 12-bedded short stay unit provides
rapid patient assessment and treats
patients who are referred directly from
their GP, from the community or the
Urgent Care Centre .
Sister lou Harkness-Hudson, the nurse
in charge of the Clinical Assessment Unit
(CAU) at Rochdale, said: “The CAU is the
only one of its kind and it has proved very
successful because everyone in the team
has had a hand in making it so . We are
very proud of what we have achieved in
our first year and are constantly thinking
of ways to improve the service . The
standards we have adopted to maintain
our success are simple, we treat everyone
with dignity and respect, care and
compassion, knowledge and expediency,
good manners and a smile .
“We have had some excellent
feedback from patients,
visitors and relatives
and have to date seen
and treated over
5000 patients . We
want to maintain the
continued support
that we receive from
the public and help
them to move on from
the old Rochdale Infirmary
and welcome and embrace the new .
”We have just set up a direct referral
pathway for the heart specialist nurse
and The Royal Oldham Hospital’s A&E
department to refer patients to us via the
triage line, and have extended the service
to receive patients from the day surgery
and community matrons
departments .”
Simon Roberts from
Castleton (pictured right) was
referred to the unit by his GP .
Undergoing tests to check if he
had got a DVT, Mr Roberts was
impressed by the CAU .
He said: “I’ve been to the unit a couple
of times now . I think that it is brilliant .
The staff make you feel very welcome and
they ensure that you are as comfortable as
possible whilst you wait to get your results .
They offer a whole package of care and treat
you as an individual .
“It’s great that this service is offered
at Rochdale by a very good team . They
work well together and communicate
exactly what is going on . This really
builds your confidence as you know that
you are being dealt with by a team of
professionals .”
Ninety-three-year-old Edith Bradbury from
Delph (pictured below) was admitted to
the unit for two days following a fall at her
home . Excited at the prospect of the ward
celebrating its first birthday, Edith said:
“All the staff are hard workers . They work
together and nothing is too much trouble
for them . Everything from the clean
ward, to the staff, to the meals,
are very nice and I couldn’t
wish for anything more .”
Staff nurse Jodie Cutler
is happy that the CAU
service is still provided
at Rochdale . She said:
“Patients are able to
attend their local hospital
to get rapid assessment and
treatment . We can get patient
referrals from GPs to undertake investigations
such as blood tests, chest x-rays and CT
scans and then give the patients their
results the same day . This cuts down on a
lengthy stay in hospital and the speed at
which they are seen, assessed and treated
is a very positive thing for them .”
POLICIES
POLICIES
Payment of travel
expenses
11
THE Trust has recently agreed a new
policy for the payment of travel
expenses .
The purpose of this policy is to
ensure that staff are appropriately
recompensed for travel, when in the
course of Trust business as well as to
ensure that proper control is
exercised through the authorisation
of the claims process .
Some key points of the policy
include:
Making correct and complete claims
within two months of inccuring the
expense . The Trust has and will use
the right to refuse backdated claim
forms so managers and claimants
must ensure that they are submitted
in time .
Staff whom the Trust requires to
travel in the course of its business
will be reimbursed at standard user
mileage rates for all official journeys
made . Regular user rates will only
apply to existing employees who
have been classified by their manager
as being a regular car user previously .
Since the implementation of
Agenda for Change in October
2004, managers should not classify
any member of staff as being a
regular user .
Any questions or concerns regarding
the content of this policy should be
referred to the appropriate divisional
HR link or alternatively the payroll
department .

12 In the news
May 2012
First patient praises new specialist trauma
orthopaedic service
A PATIENT from Heywood has praised
staff for her ‘excellent’ care at the new
specialist orthopaedic unit at North
Manchester General Hospital, following
an operation on her dislocated hip .
The new specialist centre for emergency
trauma and orthopaedic services at North
Manchester opened on 17 March to treat
patients with badly broken bones, who
need urgent surgery, such as those with
proven fracture of the neck of femur,
tibia, fibula, wrist injury or complex ankle
injuries .
Irene Carroll, 52, was the first patient
to be transferred by ambulance from
Fairfield General Hospital to the new
Orthopaedic Trauma Assessment Unit
(TAU) at North Manchester, after an x-ray
was carried out, and doctors and
physiotherapists suspected she needed an
urgent operation .
Irene attended the A&E department at
Fairfield with a dislocated hip and was
then transferred and admitted to ward I5
at North Manchester for specialist treatment
on Saturday 17 March 2012 . She was
admitted to the ward at approximately
11am and was operated on by specialist
orthopaedic surgeons the same afternoon .
She said: “I was in agony when flying
back from holiday in Spain after an
accident . I did not have any concerns
about being transferred from Fairfield
Hospital to North Manchester General
Hospital and the service I have received
from the staff has been excellent at
both hospitals . My transfer was smooth
and I was made extremely comfortable
after being in so much pain and feeling
extremely vulnerable . I am amazed at
the speedy recovery I am making . The
staff are excellent .”
People who attend Fairfield General
Hospital with broken bones will continue
to be seen and treated at Fairfield’s
accident and emergency department
if brought there . If patients need an
urgent operation to repair their injury,
they will be transferred to the specialist
orthopaedic trauma team at North
Manchester General Hospital .
located within ward I5 at North
Manchester General Hospital, the specialist
orthopaedic unit has 38 beds which are
split into seven beds on the Trauma
Assessment Unit (TAU), 21 beds in the
post operative section and 10 beds in the
rehabilitation ward .
Following the changes at the Trust,
patients who have undergone an x-ray
in the A&E department and who need
an operation will now be fast tracked up
to the unit so that they can be operated
on within 24 to 36 hours, as they will be
optimised for surgery by the dedicated
team consisting of specialist nurses,
trauma coordinators, anaesthetists
and an ortho-geriatrician .
Previously patients would be
admitted onto a general
orthopaedic ward and could
wait up to two and a half
days before they had their
operation . Some Bury patients
will be discharged from
North Manchester General
Hospital but those needing a
prolonged stay will be returned
to Fairfield General Hospital
for further treatment, recovery
and rehabilitation . The Trust has
opened ten additional beds on
the rehabilitation ward at Fairfield
General Hospital, with a particular focus
on caring for elderly patients .
Pictured: Irene Carroll with Jackie
Greenhalgh, ward I5 manager, at North
Manchester.
Hat-trick on infection
prevention accreditation
J6 STAFF at NMGH have achieved their infection prevention accreditation for the
third year running .
The infection prevention team commended the staff for their continued
achievement, hard work and commitment to infection prevention and control .
Staff pictured left to right – staff nurse Sarah Bonner, staff nurse Angeline
Makheto, ward clerk Andrea Ryan, Sr Nichola Rimmington, staff nurse Lindsay
McGowan and support workers Lauren Nevin and Dominique Fay.

In the news
Supporting ovarian cancer
awareness month
THE symptoms of ovarian cancer were highlighted by a team of gynaecology
Macmillan nurse specialists at the Trust as part of an awareness raising drive
during ovarian cancer month in March .
More than 6,500 women in the UK are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every
year . It is most common in women over 50, but can affect all ages . Symptoms
can include persistent pelvic and abdominal pain, swelling of the abdomen and
bloating, difficulty eating and feeling full quickly .
Women should alert their doctor if they are suffering from these symptoms or
if there are two or more cases of ovarian or breast cancer in their family, as
ovarian cancer can sometimes run in families .
Nurse specialists Julie Dale, Jean Sellars and Amanda Storey held information
events and poster displays at the Trust’s hospitals promoting the signs and
symptoms of ovarian cancer and gave advice on where people can seek more
information and help .
Amanda Storey, gynaecology Macmillan clinical nurse specialist based at The
Royal Oldham Hospital, said: “It is important that if you develop any of these
symptoms and they occur on a regular basis, you need to get them checked
by your doctor . We are encouraging women, if they are not happy and things
continue after seeing their GP, they should go back again for more advice . Do remember many of these symptoms are common
to other conditions so experiencing them does not mean you have cancer . However, if they persist then it is important that they are
checked appropriately . The earlier any cancer is diagnosed, the greater chance there is of survival .”
Women who are worried that they may have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer, because of cancer in their family,
can be referred to a genetic counselling clinic . Women are advised to speak to their GP, or they can self refer to Oldham Cancer
Family history clinic by calling 0161 909 8537 . More information about ovarian cancer can be found online at
www .macmillan .org .uk or call 0808 808 0000, or www .targetovarian .org .uk or www .ovacome .org .uk
Your skin matters - successful study day
OVER 90 health care professionals
attended the ‘Your Skin Matters’ study
day at Fairfield’s education centre last
month .
Bringing together staff from nursing
homes, hospital wards, community
nursing teams, podiatry and tissue
viability services, it concentrated on the
theme of achieving harm-free care in
relation to pressure ulcers .
Chaired in the morning by director of
nursing, Marian Carroll and in the
afternoon by associate director of nursing,
Vic Crumbleholme, the day provided a
packed and varied agenda .
Nigel Meadows, Manchester
Coroner, opened the meeting
with some thought-provoking
cases where patient care
had fallen below an
acceptable standard .
Claire James, director
of the Your Turn
campaign, described
how raising public
awareness of pressure
ulcers is fundamental to
the quality agenda .
Rachel Charlesworth and
Jackie Heatley, medical
matrons, shared first hand
experiences of promoting enhanced
skin care and taking forward quality
improvement initiatives . Joanne
Conway, lead nurse tissue viability,
Stockport Foundation NHS Trust, gave a
frank insight into the highs and lows of
tackling pressure ulcers in her organisation .
The afternoon included a talk by
Sue Smith, head of safeguarding,
where pressure ulcers were examined
in the context of potential neglect .
Vic Crumbleholme, spoke about
pressure ulcers as part of the quality
agenda focusing on QUIPP, Safety
Thermometer, CQUINs and Nursing
Quality Indicators .
An insight into the challenges clinicians
face when recording pressure damage
was provided by Judy Harker, nurse
consultant tissue viability . The final
presentation from Michelle Proudman,
lead nurse tissue viability, community
services, covered the process of root
cause analysis and the role of the Care
Quality Commission .
13
The study day was supported by
sponsors where a variety of nutritional,
wound and skin care products /
innovations were exhibited .
Staff provided positive feedback,
including comments such as “a
very informative day”, “a
good variety of speakers title with good information to
relay
“If you
back
suand
to staff
The
on
Christie
the
ward”,
saved my
and
life
“overall
and I can’t
I
thought
thank them
study
enough
day was
.”
good and touched on
important Photo courtesy issues of that MEN we .
might not find out on
the wards, like the safety
express information .”
Due to the success of the
day, it is going to be made an
annual event .

14 People
May 2012
Nurse pleads
guilty to fraud
A FORMER nurse and
employee of the Trust
and NHS Manchester has
pleaded guilty of fraud
following an internal
investigation .
Ann-Marie McCoy
was charged with
fraudulently acquiring
payment of sick pay from
both NHS Manchester
between September and
November 2010 and the Trust
between July and August 2011 .
Employed as a registered nurse, Ms
McCoy was based at Charlestown
Road Health Centre in Blackley,
and had transferred employment as
part of a service transfer from NHS
Manchester to Pennine Acute in April
2011 .
An enquiry by PAT’s counter fraud
officer revealed that Ms McCoy had
worked at Prestige Nursing Agency
during both periods of sick leave .
She had been paid a total net amount
of £5,698 .44 in respect of sick pay by
the NHS .
Pleading guilty to both counts at
Bury Magistrates Court, Ms McCoy
was sentenced to a Community
Service Order for 12 months with 40
hours unpaid work, attendance at a
Probation Service course and £1,000
costs to be paid at £50 per month .
She would also be reported to her
professional body, the Nursing and
Midwifery Council (NMC) as a result of
her actions .
Ms McCoy no longer works for the
Trust . Although Ms McCoy resigned
from the Trust on 15th August 2011
prior to any disciplinary action, she
had signed an agreement to repay
the money paid to her in sick pay and
continues with these payments .
Sue Smith, counter fraud officer at
PAT said: “This Trust is absolutely
committed to maintaining an honest,
open and well intentioned atmosphere
within the Trust . It is therefore also
committed to the elimination of any
fraud and to the rigorous investigation
and punishment of any such cases .
The vast majority of staff who work
in the NHS are honest . But NHS staff
who carry out fraud should be aware
of the consequences of their actions .
“If anyone suspects fraud within the
NHS, they should ring the NHS Fraud
and Corruption Reporting line on
0800 028 40 60 where they can report
suspicions in complete confidence .”
Cooking on gas in national
cookery competition
TWO chefs from Pennine Acute turned up
the heat when they entered the Hospital
Catering Association (HCA) hot cookery
competition.
Jon Hampson, who took part in BBC1’s
Masterchef programme last year, teamed
up with fellow culinary whizz, Chris Bull,
to create a healthy, cost effective and
delicious menu for patients .
Open to teams of two chefs working
within the healthcare sector, the food
fanatics were challenged to produce two
plates of food, either a starter and main
course, or main course and dessert,
showing flair, technical ability and
thought processes, but with an emphasis
on reduced sugar and salt . To top all this,
the main course had to include locally
sourced pork and vegetables and both
courses had to come within a combined
budget of £2 .05!
Thrilled at the challenge, Jon from North
Manchester General Hospital and Chris
from The Royal Oldham Hospital,
travelled to Norwich University last year
to compete in the regional heats, and
then swiftly scorched their way through
the rest of the competitors, to take
second place and silver medal, just one
point behind the
winners!
Jon said:
“I had to
develop
a menu,
cost
it and
have it
nutritionally
analysed
before we
prepared and
presented
it to two
judges on
the day . As
Chris and I
were both
busy with work
commitments, we
didn’t actually practice
our dishes until four days before the
competition!
“I think the adrenaline must have kicked
in with us as we then whipped up a
ballontine of pork loin with a blueberry,
black pudding and plum farcee, served
with a blueberry and plum compote, sage
infused potato rosti and glazed baby
carrots with a light pan jus, along with a
dessert within one hour .
“We tried to bring some Pennine patriotism
into our dessert by calling it Manchester
profiteroles! These were choux pastry
profiteroles piped with crème patisserie
and injected with a sharp raspberry coulis .
Coconut fondant and a spun sugar nest
topped the dish off .”
Gaining great feedback from the judges,
the chefs were praised for their creativity
and finesse in the dishes as the other
teams had been practising their dishes for
months .
Jon and Chris took part in the national
final in london in February at Hotel
Olympia, but sadly it wasn’t the Pennine
boy’s turn to win!

News - Trust stories
Vision screening at bedside
PATIENTS who have had a stroke can
now have their vision assessed on
their rehabilitation ward, without
having to wait for an outpatient
appointment .
The service offers early identification
of the nature of visual loss that may
be experienced following a stroke,
and provides vital information which
can contribute towards the coordination
of multi-disciplinary care
for the individual patient .
Set up to provide an ocular
assessment to be performed at the
bedside, with the minimum
disruption for both the patient and
the ward, the specialist vision screening
service is provided to patients of Dr
Ahmed at North Manchester General
Hospital, Dr Namushi at Fairfield
General Hospital, and Drs Vasallo
and Ahmed at The Royal Oldham
Hospital .
Angela Costello, Kay Jackson and
Kayley Curtis specialise in ocular stroke
work and their role includes assessment,
treatment, advice, counselling, liaison
with other members of the multidisciplinary
team, and the provision
of information which helps in the
management of the implications of visual
loss within the hospital, plus when the
patients are discharged .
Orthoptist Angela, said: “Many patients
will experience visual difficulties following
a stroke . The symptoms can vary from
visual loss (total or partial), double vision,
blurred vision, focussing difficulties,
misjudging distances and direction, a
constantly moving image, unsteadiness,
hallucinations, changed eye position,
altered position of the head for viewing,
and eye movement difficulties to name
but a few .
“These problems may interfere with
the patient’s ability to read, limit
mobility, affect the ability to
perform tasks for other
therapeutic hospital
assessments, and also
cause distress, confusion
and a loss of confidence .
Some patients may
have to have a change
of lifestyle, and often
will be very anxious
about how visual loss
will affect them in the
long-term, or whether
the visual loss will
progress further .
“One patient said that
initially the loss of
vision did not seem too
important when she was
very ill . However, as she
started to recover medically,
the visual loss became a major cause of
distress, and the permanency of this was
very difficult to come to terms with .”
Although not all patients who have a
stroke will suffer vision loss, for those that
do, it is important that their visual status
is established so that their rehabilitation
goals can be planned accordingly . Patients
may also have existing ocular problems
when they come onto the ward, and so
the orthoptists need to plan for their goals
and potential regarding rehabilitation .
As communication can be hindered in
stroke patients, the orthoptists have to
use widely variable and modified testing
techniques to maximise the amount of
information which they can obtain from
the patients .
These can include matching letters rather
than naming them, use of a picture chart
if letter recognition has been affected,
taking time and presenting small
amounts of visual information
to avoid confusion, giving
cues to help patients
achieve ocular motility,
and more animated
explanations/
demonstration of how
to perform the tests .
An audit of the first
six months of the
service revealed
a very varied
caseload with many
interesting clinical
presentations . 330
assessments were
undertaken, 212 of
these demonstrated
visual problems,
and 85 patients were
younger than 65 years
of age .
Thought for
the month
by Rev Jane Vost
Why worry?
15
There is such a lot of uncertainty
around these days . Whether it is
about our jobs, our health or even
what the weather is going to be like
today, we will always know or speak
to someone who is worrying about
something .
But why do we worry? Why do we
allow these things to constantly go
over and over in our mind, feeding
on them until they become huge
inside us?
Well even those who work in the
spiritual care team are not immune to
it and an answer I have given to that
question and I guess many of you
would give is “I just can’t help it .”
As humans we are conditioned to
be self-sufficient, to be in control of
our situations and we are not happy
unless we know what is going to
happen, how, when and to whom!
A wise friend gave me a good tip .
Every time you start to worry think of
something to be thankful for . It is
surprising how thinking of something
good in our lives can help us to
forget to worry about the things that
are not so good . In fact it can help
us to see that sometimes the things
we are worrying about are not worth
worrying about at all .
Just think of all the time we waste
worrying, the hours of sleep that are
lost, the opportunities missed . There
are so many more good things to
think about . The flowers in your
garden, that smile on your son’s
face as he sees you come home from
work . The joy of times shared with a
loved one . Knowing your team have
just won the match!
We will always face troubles, people
always have . It is how we handle
them that counts .
Jesus said: “Who of you by worrying
can add a single hour to your life?”
life is precious; let’s make the most
of it . Don’t miss out on the joys of
today by worrying about tomorrow .

16 Staff room - noticeboard
May 2012
Staff noticeboard
Long serving
Ahsan in
retiring!
BIRCH Hill and Rochdale Infirmary
theatres and anaesthetic departments
wish Ahsan Ul-Haq a long and happy
retirement .
He celebrated his retirement with
all his friends and colleagues at
Castlemere Community Centre at the
end of
April,
following
a break
to Saudi
Arabia .
Good luck
to you
and your
family xx
Performing duo
missed!
Ann Holt and Norma McCheyne
retired from the gynaecology ward
at Fairfield at the end of March.
Good luck for the future from all
your friends. Ann, aka Charlotte
Church, you will be missed for your
rendition of ‘Aunty Mary had a
canary’ and Norma, for her Saturday
night at the Palladium stand up
routines!
In memory
Roy Johnson aged 63
years and former
manager of the EBME
department at North
Manchester lost his
battle against cancer
on 28 February 2012 .
He joined the Trust in
1993 and left in 2006 .
Our thoughts and
wishes from all in EBME
at NMGH are with Yvonne his partner,
and his family at this sad time .
Looking fabulous
at 50!
50 is the new 30 and there is no doubt about that!
These two lovely ladies, Janice Hyman, staff nurse on
ward B5 at North Manchester and Janet Buckland, healthcare support
worker on ward F6 at North Manchester, are evidence of this fact.
They have recently arrived at the big 50 and hardly look a day over 25.
All their friends wish them many happy returns of the day.
“As you slide down the remainder of the bannister of life, may the splinters be
always turned in the other direction!”
Welcome to the team
Diane, Sandy and all the staff on ward F6 at North Manchester,
wish to welcome Mandy Davies to the team .
Mandy has worked at NMGH for many years, but has elected to
join the staff on F6, and brings with her a vast amount of experience,
skill and talent . We hope you enjoy being with us, Mandy .
All change on CAU
The clinical assessment unit at Rochdale would like to send the following
goodbye and good luck messages to members of their staff:
n Goodbye to the PIU ladies who are moving to their new premises upstairs . We
will miss working with you . Good luck and take care xxx
n Goodbye and good luck to Jenny who is leaving to go and work in the x-ray
department xx
n Goodbye to Paula lees who is leaving to work at Fairfield . We wish you all the
luck, you will be missed xx
n Goodbye to lorraine Roberts who is leaving to work at The Royal Oldham
Hospital . Good luck and best wishes xx
n Good luck to staff nurse Judy Taylor who has left to go on maternity leave .
lots of love and we hope to see you soon with your new baby xx
n Welcome back to staff nurse Rachel Whyte . Rachel returns after her maternity
leave and it’s like she has never been away!
n Good luck and lots of love to Claire Sidaway who is starting her first course of
treatment . We will all be thinking of you and are here if you need anything .