Issue 6 - East and North Herts NHS Trust

People newsSenior sister Joanna Chugg (far left),who has retired from the Trust, would liketo thank everyone who gave her such awonderful farewell party. In particular,she expresses her appreciation to all herstaff on Lister’s ward 10BS and MDUwho, as she puts it, have ‘never let herdown’.Another recent retirement notifiedto Grapevine is that of JanetAnderson, who worked in themain theatres at the Lister as ananaesthetic/recovery nurse until2003, when she transferred to theday surgery unit. Janet will bemissed by all her colleagues forher great sense of humour and reliability.Liz Davin (centre) recently retired from theQEll as a clinical support worker after 36years. Liz started at the hospital in June1974, where she worked on Knebworthand Ashwell (now Stanborough) wards.She will be missed, say her colleagues, forher overwhelming love of her job, as wellas her free spirit and cheerfulness.Two valued members of theradiology staff retired in March2011. Margaret Wolton,deputy superintendentradiographer at Hertford Countyhospital, and Angela Wheeler,lead clinical RDA, were basedat Hertford but both had alsoworked at the QEII and Lister hospitals over the last 20years. Over 40 friends and colleagues gathered at ajoint reception to celebrate their retirement and wish themthe very best for the future.Another retirement to record is that of Dr Hari Maiti, whojoined the Trust in 1989. He worked hard to establishand extend the sexual health services and will be muchmissedby his colleagues, who all wish him well for thefuture.LJMC successStaff at the Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre (LJMC)at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre are celebratingsuccessful certification to the Information Standard.To achieve the standard, organisations have to showthat they produce information that is accurate, impartial,balanced, evidence-based, accessible and well-written.LJMC can now place a quality mark on its materials,giving patients the confidence to make informeddecisions.continued from front pageWhy ARC mattersHow long will it take?We’re starting now, but will be working over the comingmonths - and even years - to engage staff in makingsure that we work together to deliver the best patientcare and service we can.What will the programme include?We’re planning work on the followingtopics, and it’s likely that more willfollow:• Embedding our values• Staff recognition schemes• Staff survey action plans• Management and leadership development• Well-being at work• Promises to staff and patients• Widening access to e-learningSimply the best!Lynda Jackson MacmillanCentre’s Teresa Young wasjudged to have made the bestpresentation at the 2010 annualconference of the BritishPsychosocial Oncology Society.The theme for the conference wasCancer and relationships withothers, highlighting the impact ofcancer on patients and theirpartners in their daily lives,relationships and key roles.Teresa’s presentation provided aninsight into the development of a Quality of lifequestionnaire which is now in its final phase of testing.The conference committee presented her with theWalker Trophy, making her the latest in a long line ofprestigious winners.Hayley’s closeshave for cancerCommitted fund-raiser HayleyDalton (right of picture)submitted herself to a reallyclose shave - all in aid of avery good cause.Hayley raised £620 to helpestablish a support group forpatients with secondary breastcancer. A further £100 wasdonated to cancer hair care.Also pictured is patient ElizabethLeroux.2 Grapevine

Focus on Clinical PhotographyWhat is the clinical photography department?We provide a photographic service for clinical and nonclinicalneeds across the Trust’s four hospital sites. Itincludes going into theatres to take photographs ofoperations for teaching purposes, and takingphotographs of patients in our studio to help monitortreatment and response to medication.Can you please tell us aboutyour department’s recentsuccessful accreditation?In January, our department wasinspected by auditors of theInstitute of Medical Illustration.Their report said we offer anextensive range of services andthat our communication andteamwork are excellent. Out of 34quality measures, we achievedpasses on all counts and withthree distinctions.Do you just take clinicalphotographs?No – we take publicity/buildingworks progress photos for theTrust, as well as producing postersand videos. We are currentlyworking on an education DVD forpatients to help them understand how theirchemotherapy treatment will affect them.What happens to the photographs once you’ve takenthem?We use a secure, Trust-wide database called WABA,which conforms to all data protection/Caldicottrequirements. Access to our database of clinicalphotographs is via a secure user password that limitsaccess to a ‘need-to-view’ basis. Non-clinical imagescan be viewed and used bythe wider hospital team.Staff wishing to have aWABA account should emailchristine.peachment@nhs.netWho’s in the department?Our team includes: ChristinePeachment, clerical officer;Kevin Harbottle, seniorclinical photographer;Megan Cope, trainee clinicalphotographer and myself,Melvin Bond, manager –clinical photography andillustration.What are you proud of?I’m proud of the team and thework we do in the department– we all worked hard on therecent audit and it’s rewarding to receive such positivefeedback.Grapevine interviewed Melvin Bond.Taking the Trust a step closer to24/7 heart attack serviceWork has begun on building the Lister’ssecond permanent cardiac catheterlaboratory.When ready in October 2011, the £4.54 millioninvestment will ensure that, through a combination ofexpanding both the capacity and range of cardiacservices available through the Lister, far fewer peopleneed to travel in future to hospitals like Harefield for suchspecialist cardiology treatment.The new laboratory will also support the Trust’s plan toexpand this important life-saving service to provide full24/7 cover over time – currently our heart attack serviceis limited to 8.30am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.Outside these hours, people are taken to heart attackcentres in Harefield and Cambridge.Dr Diana Gorog, the clinical director for the Trust’scardiology team, said: “The Lister’s second cardiaclaboratory will enable us to fulfil a growing demand forinvasive cardiac procedures, including angiography,angioplasty and pacing.“It also represents a vital step as we seek to expand ourheart attack service to become a full 24/7 centre forprimary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) –which today is considered the treatment of choice foranyone having a heart attack as it gives them the bestchance of not just surviving, but making a good recoverytoo.”Nick Carver, our chief executive, added: “Since openingour first cardiac laboratory in 2004, we have alwaysrecognised that the service would need to be expanded– which is why we are delighted that this will happenbefore the end of the year. It is also an example of theimprovements in the quality of care that our staff canprovide to their patients when such specialist servicesare brought together on to a single site.”Grapevine 3

From Lord Sugar’s Apprentice toSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs37 of the Trust’s managers and supervisors have recently celebrated completing coursesaimed at helping them be as effective as possible in their roles.Effective leaders: ‘You’re hired!’To show what they’re made of, two teams put on theirown special version of Lord Sugar’s Apprentice - thistime, their challenge was to develop and promote theconcept of Amstrad Patient Pods. The winners were theteam representing a group who had taken the effectiveleaders programme (see photo on front page).Effective managers:‘Fairytale ending’Not to be outdone, this group went all showbizzy byputting on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - in fullcostume. Snow White was a newly qualified Band 6nurse reporting on her first day to the ‘wicked queen’,who simply delegated a number of management taskswithout guidance or feedback.Each dwarf was on hand to offer advice on appraisals,return to work meetings, coaching and time management- perfectly demonstrating what they had learned on theprogramme. Needless to say, the wicked queen gotquite a telling off from the charming prince, whoconcluded the session by reiterating the key principles ofeffective management for all to follow.Effective supervisors:‘Walk the talk’This group demonstrated perfectly their understanding ofcommunication styles, team working and the Trust’sattendance management procedures by delivering someinteractive presentations and a role play - revealingsome hidden acting talent in the process.How has all of this improvedpatient care?Here are some examples of the change managementprojects the delegates from the effective leaderprogramme have completed this year, clearlydemonstrating the real improvements to patient care thatthey have achieved.Alison Wells, senior theatre sister - re-organisingstorage facilities in QEll theatres to prevent delays totreatment due to damaged surgical packs.Ken Troup, moving and handling adviser - Trust-widestandardisation of patient slings, with a potential costsaving to the Trust of over £52,000.Maria Ferguson, specialty lead for anaesthetics -introduction of a new handover tool in theatres.Karen Hutchinson, biomedical scientist - introductionof cross training in blood services.Fredah Temba, ward manager - improved trainingaround pain management on ward 7B.Lin Barten, cancer manager - proposed changes ofwork patterns for admin staff in cancer managementservices.Carol Mumford, matron renal - developing coachingprimarily for Band 6 staff in renal dialysis unit.Natalie Sweet, A&E senior sister - improving waitingarea in A&E at QEII.Rachel Morgan, bed manager - supporting ‘Hospital atNight’ implementation across the organisation.Miky Whittaker, quality control pharmacist -establishing new training pathways for pharmacystudents.Alka Mistry, pharmacist - improved vaccine coldstorage facilities across the Trust.Karen Wheatland, biomedical scientist - implementingfindings of clinical pathway accreditation schemeinspection and improving workflow through the bloodtransfusion department.For more details on the Effective Series ofmanagement programmes, please refer to theTrust’s intranet (Knowledge Centre homepage/Education & Training/HR Training/Courses).4 Grapevine

Prize winnerThe Big Challenge was launched on 10 January,asking everyone working for the Trust for ideason how we can spend less, waste less and bemore efficient.We’ve had over 200 suggestions and The Big Challengeteam would like to say a huge thank you to everyonewho’s had a good idea and taken a minute to send it in.We’ve run road shows at the Lister and QEII, reachingaround 200 people, and sent postcards to all Trustdepartments including Mount Vernon and HertfordCounty.The winnersAlka Mistry, principal pharmacist procurement, whoworks across the QEII and the Lister sites, sentin news about a pilot scheme being run where themedicines management technicians have startedto process returned medicines on admissions wards,short stay units and Ayot ward.Because the technicians are familiar with patienthistories, they are able to guarantee the quality ofthe medicines being returned as they have remained inpharmacy control - which means that fewerneed to be discarded.The pharmacy team will let the wards know how muchthey have saved through the better management ofStaff survey highlightsmedicines process and, by doing so, raise awareness ofthe benefits of working more closely together as a team.This means we can spend less, waste less and be moreefficient.Chief executive Nick Carver said: “It’s fantastic to see adepartment taking the initiative to try to do thingsdifferently.”On receiving her £25 M&S voucher prize, Alka said:“Thank you very much for choosing pharmacy andbelieving in our efforts to reduce waste.”More Big Challenge prizes to be wonWe’d like to thank everyone who has written in to TheBig Challenge so far. We’ve seen some great ideas.But we’re sure there are more ideas out there. Pleasekeep them coming to thebigchallenge.enh-tr@nhs.netAccording to staff surveys conducted in NHShospitals between October and December 2010,our Trust is now rated as one of the best,above average or average in three out of every fourmeasures of employment performance.Results from the survey show that in around a quarter ofthe 39 measures used to assess how well we are doing,we are ranked in the top 20% of acute hospital Trusts inthe country.In relation to other local acute hospital trusts, weperformed very well, with only Addenbrookes inCambridge having achieved more ratings in the top 20%.Importantly, one of our best scores was the percentage ofstaff (93%) who believe that their role makes a differenceto patients, whilst 75% said they are satisfied with thequality of patient care they are able to deliver.Some major improvements were made between 2009and 2010. For example, as many as 84% of our staffreported having been appraised during 2010, comparedwith just 73% in the previous year.This reflects the time and effort invested in monitoringstaff appraisals and ensuring that, wherever possible,they are linked to personal development plans for theindividuals concerned.Progress was made in health and safety training, with75% of our employees having completed relevantcourses in 2010 compared with 67% in 2009, althoughwe still need to improve on this.Very few of our staff experience violence from patients,relatives or the public - just 3% compared with 8% acrossacute hospitals nationally. However, more needs to bedone to improve staff perception of the effectiveness ofour procedures for dealing with those few incidents thatdo occur.Whilst we came out slightly better than average as far asstaff perceptions of their work-life balance is concerned,73% of staff say they work longer hours than those forwhich they are contracted, compared with 66% nationallyin acute hospital trusts.Nick Carver, chief executive, said: “The survey shows weare moving in the right direction in a number of keyareas. Equally, it has highlighted action we need to taketo improve the experience staff have of their work in theTrust.”Grapevine 5

Six miles of steel in thenew Lister car parkThe Lister’s new multi-storey car park, which ison schedule to be ready by the late summer of2011, is racking up some pretty impressivestatistics already.When finished, it will have around six miles of steelmaking up the building’s frame - that’s the equivalent of25 times around an Olympic-sized running track.In terms of the concrete used, the building will haveenough to cover nearly two Wembley football pitches.By the end of January 2011, approximately a quarter ofthe building’s framework was in place.Work on the new £7.9 million car park, which is beingbuilt and will be run by the Trust’s specialist independentsector partner, Vinci Park, began in September 2010.It has been designed to end many of the persistentparking issues that have caused frustration to patientsand their visitors over the years.Our best ever performanceDespite the increasingly challenging economicenvironment, 2010/11 saw the Trust’s staffdeliver virtually every national clinical,operational and financial standard that it wasexpected to achieve during the year.This is our best ever performance since we were foundedover a decade ago. At the same time, national surveyresults from the Care Quality Commission point toimproving patient experience and staff satisfaction.Reflecting on this year’s results, chief executive NickCarver said: “Patients coming to our hospitals today nowhave a shorter wait for their treatment than in previousyears, are unlikely to have their procedure cancelled atthe last minute and will be discharged as planned. Thechances of their becoming infected with something like6 GrapevineOnce opened, the Lister will have some 1,650 parkingspaces overall - up from around 1,230 before the projectcommenced. The new car park will have 667 of thosespaces on its own, with dedicated blue badge parking onnearly every floor.In developing its plans for the hospital’s new car park,the Trust has looked to resolve many of the longerstandingissues that people raise when bringing theircars to the Lister.When it opens at the end of the summer, the car park’sdesign will all but end difficulties in finding parking at thehospital - resulting in people no longer needing to circlecar parks trying to find a space. It will also allow peopleto pay on exit, thus only paying for the time they use.Trust chief executive Nick Carver said: “Whencompleted, the Lister’s new car park will allow us toaddress the vast majority of the parking issues that ourpatients and their visitors have been telling me about.”MRSA or Clostridium difficile have plummeted, and thequality and range of clinical services provided throughour hospitals has improved considerably.”He added: “Our objective now is to join the ranks of thebest performing organisations in the NHS. This will nothappen overnight, which is why we are launching a longtermorganisational development programme this monthto help our staff make the changes needed that will allowthem to improve the range, quality and efficiency ofservices we provide to our patients. Part of this work willbe to continue to listen to our patients, especially whenthings do not go as well for them as we would want.Learning lessons through responding to people’sconcerns form an on-going component of the Trust’sdevelopment.”Nationally set standard Achieved in 2010/1118 weeks standard - admitted18 weeks standard - non-admittedA&E four-hour waitTwo-week rapid access chest pain clinic waitPPCI heart attack service - 150 min call to balloon timeThree month maximum wait for revascularisationPatients spending 90% hospital stay on specialist stroke unitPatients with high-risk TIA seen and scanned/treated within 24 hoursDelayed transfers of care (inpatients)Cancelled operationsMRSA infections - no more than 3 cases in the year*C difficile infections - no more than 63 cases in the yearFinance - end of year surplus of £3.3 million*Although the Trust missed narrowly its MRSA blood infections target for 2010/11, it still reduced thenumber of such infections by nearly a third compared to 2009/10.X

Maternity movesBig moves have been afoot in maternity, withservices moving into the brand new extension at theLister and work starting on improvements to theexisting facilities. It’s been a busy and hectic timefor all concerned. Grapevine interviewed assistantproject manager Mandy Shoben to find out how it allwent.Q. What’s been happening in maternity?Our first baby was born before 7.00pm on the day of themove into the new Lister unit. Both the neonatal unitand delivery suite are providing a safe and suitablesurrounding for the whole family. Since then, thedelivery suite has been operating well, often to fullcapacity.Q. How did the move into the new buildinggo?The move went well overall. Special thanks are due tothe staff from main theatres (Helen Brittain and herteam), who were very supportive both prior to and duringthe move. Also worthy of a special mention are the teamfrom G4S (supervised by Katie Sparrow), who workedover and above their brief to ensure that not only wasthe building clinically clean, but also gleaming!Q. What feedback have you had frommothers and staff?All indications are that the unit (even though it is not inits final configuration yet) is operating well, with mothers,families and staff enjoying their new, specificallydesigned environment. Positive feedback has beenreceived from mothers.Q. What’s happening next?The commissioning process for the main move hasbegun and is being informed by the lessons learned inthe first phase.Staff ‘champions’ are taking responsibility for differentareas - for example, IT, stock control and infectioncontrol.A&E staff practise decontamination processin training exercise involving chemical spillOn 30 March 2011, around 40 people from the Listerhospital took part in a training exercise to deal withthe aftermath of a scenario where a vehiclecontaining chemicals had collided with a coach onthe A1(M).The exercise was organised by the strategic healthauthority, and similar scenarios were acted out at 17NHS trusts across the East of England to train staff andexpose them - as far as possible - to the pressures theywould be working under in a real emergency scenario.Kevin Boyle, acting matron for A&E who organised theevent for the Trust, said: “The teams worked really welltogether and can be proud of what they achieved. Welearned some valuable lessons, which we will takeforward.”Grapevine 7

Ambulatory careat the QEll - thestory a year onThe ambulatory care unit at the QEII has nowbeen open a little more than a year. Situatedon level 4 in the old Datchworth ward, it hasbeen hugely successful in improving patients’experience.In a nutshell, ambulatory care is all about preventingadmission and facilitating early discharge. It happens invarious ways - for example, by enabling patients to gohome whilst still on intravenous medication. After all,there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed, is there?Almost 1,400 bed days have been saved through thisalone.Ambulatory care patients are mainly medical, althoughthe unit is increasingly seeing more patients from otherspecialties. Since May 2010, some 2,700 patients haveused the service.Most importantly, patients are reporting their positiveexperience of ambulatory care. Feedback has beentremendously encouraging.Patients taking part in a rolling satisfaction survey havemade comments such as: 5-star treatment; trulyA message in bottle couldmake all the difference...The Trust is now leading a new multi-agencyMessage in a Bottle campaign aimed at helpingpeople nearing the end of their lives to die athome if that is their wish.When facing a life-limiting illness, it can be hard for theperson involved, or their families, to talk openly aboutthe realities of death. This is where the Trust’s campaigncan make a real difference.Carolyn Fowler, the Mount Vernon Cancer Networkeducation lead based at the QEII, said: “It’s often whenonly out-of-hours and emergency services are availablethat things can go wrong where a patient’s wishes areconcerned.“Our job is to help our patients and their familiesunderstand the issues involved and what they can do.If they wish to die at home, we can help ensure that thenecessary documentation is completed and storedsafely, ready for any eventuality.“The patient keeps a summary sheet in a special plasticcontainer, explaining about the documentation andwhere it is kept. These containers, which are normally8 Grapevineprofessional; spotlessly clean; very friendly staff; a truebonus for the NHS; I was greeted with my name everytime; I was told what to expect and how long I will wait;curtains were drawn and I had quick service; polite,helpful and willing to provide information; I am 60 andhave been in hospital several times, but never beentreated so well; well done QEII - this unit is a brilliantinnovation.Ambulatory care physicians, Dr Oonagh McGuinnessand Dr Raelene Groom, actively foster an environmentwhere patient choice and involvement is encouraged.Senior sister Dagmar Louw said: “What makesambulatory care work is the fact that every patient whocomes through the door matters to us. We have learnedthat a smile is the best value for money resource wehave. Managing a positive nursing team is easy andvery rewarding.”To find out more about what the unit does, pleasecontact Dagmar on email dagmar.louw@nhs.net orring 01707 224245.found in a person’s fridge,are already very familiar tohealthcare professionals asthey have been in use forsome years to supportpeople with a wide range ofmedical conditions.“Our campaign should helpsupport patients who chooseto be cared for and die athome to spend precious time with loved ones at the endof their lives, rather than end up in hospital.”At any one time, the number of people facing a lifelimitingillness can be significant. The Trust’s palliativecare team, which covers east and north Hertfordshire, aswell as parts of Bedfordshire, will see an average of 210new patients every month - that’s some 2,500 peopleevery year. This does not include those who are in thecare of their GPs and/or district nurses, as well aspeople with non-malignant illnesses such as multiplesclerosis, Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease anddementia.

Focus on fundraisingWe need volunteers!Yes, we do, we really do. The East and NorthHertfordshire NHS Charitable Trust is looking forvolunteers to help organise and run new fundraisingevents.From what our existing volunteers tell us, it’s great funand very rewarding. So if you’ve got some spare time -however little - and would like to get involved with yourlocal hospital’s very own charity, please contact Rebeccaat the Lister hospital on 01438 781682 or, if phoninginternally, on extension 5541.New charity pinbadge and trolleycoins launchedFancy a blue, heart-shaped pin badge or a trolleycoin key ring for just £1 each?Well, we’ve got just the thing for you. The East andNorth Hertfordshire NHS Charitable Trust has justlaunched its own products, with the badge based on theshape of its own logo.If you’d like to see a sample or need some to displayand sell on your ward, please contact Giselle Smith onLister ext. 5541 or email her at gisele.smith@nhs.netA £2,500 thank youNola Hills, an inspirational fundraiser fromBaldock, visited Lister’s Forster suite with herdaughter Christine Lewis in March to hand over acheque for £2,500 to help cancer patients cared forby the hospital, where her late husband Richardhad been treated.Nola rallied friends, neighbours and family members bybringing them all together to organise garden fetes,clothes swapping parties and other events to raisemoney to purchase special ‘treatment chairs’ forchemotherapy patients.Pictured above are senior nurse JJ Hills-Johnson,Christine Lewis, Nola Hills and senior charge nurseMark Jones.Tough guys’ gift to Lister’s little onesThree of our charity’s local supporters - DrewMcLean, Ross Braine and Mark Gibson -endured an extreme physical challenge to raise£1,365 for the Trust’s special care baby unit.They came along to the unit on 15 March to hand overthe cheque. Their efforts will help to buy a specialventilator for sick babies. Drew, Ross and Mark raisedthe money by taking part in the gruelling Tough GuyChallenge on 30 January 2011 in Wolverhampton.In Drew’s own words the men had to zig zag up anddown steep hills, jump in and climb out of icy cold dirtymuddy water (after breaking the ice first) about twentytimes, throw themselves into water tunnels, ascend anddescend 20ft ropewalks, dodge jumping fire and electricshocks, walk the plank, crawl under barbed wire,climb over walls, and wade through chest deepwater. And it all took about 3 hours. Back homein time for tea, then!The cause is especially close to home for Drew,who comments: “In June 2008 my nephew wasborn premature at 28 weeks gestation, weighingjust 2lb 14oz. He spent 8 weeks in the specialcare baby unit at Lister hospital. We truly believeit was the care and attention he received fromthe skilled doctors and nurses at the hospital thathave helped make him the healthy 2-year old heis today; and for this we are eternally grateful.”Grapevine 9

Foundation Trust update...Find out more about the role of Trust governorThe Trust is applying to become an NHSfoundation trust. This will give us more controlover our finances and greater accountabilityto our community. When we become an NHSfoundation trust, we will be holding elections toour first Council of Governors.How many governors will be on the Councilof Governors?• 20 public governors elected by our public members• 6 staff governors elected by our staff members• 12 appointed governors from a variety of ourpartnership organisationsWhat does being a governor involve?• You will be the voice of the people you represent• You will attend quarterly Council of Governor meetings• You will have the chance to sit on a number ofcommittees which have different ways of influencingthe future direction and continuous improvement ofthe TrustFind out more about theTrust by taking part in ourpopular guided tourOur public and staff members can find out more aboutthe exciting new developments happening at the Listerhospital by taking part in one of our guided tours. Thisis a great opportunity to see and hear more about ourservices from our well-informed guides. To book yourplace, please ring the membership team on 01438781846 or send an email to ftmembership.enh-tr@nhs.netFriday17th June:Public: 12pmStaff: 11amWednesday17th August:Public: 10amStaff: 11amThursday21st July:Public: 1pmStaff: 2pmThursday22ndSeptember:Public: 1pmStaff: 2pmDo I need any qualifications to becomea governor?You don’t need any special skills or qualifications tobecome a governor. The most important requirement isenthusiasm and the willingness to represent not just yourown views, but also the views of the people you willserve.How many members have expressed theirinterest in becoming a governor?So far, 300 public and staff members have expressedtheir interest.I would like to become a governor. Whatshould I do?Come along to find out more at our Governor AwarenessEvent, Monday 4 July, 6pm to 8pm in the Terrace Suite,Campus West, Welwyn Garden City. All members whohave expressed an interest in becoming a governor willreceive a letter giving more information about this event.Please contact the membership team on 01438 781846,or by emailing ftmembership.enh-tr@nhs.netSupport to kick thehabit offered onNo Smoking DayWe joined forces with stop smoking advisorsfrom Stevenage Borough Council (SBC) andHertfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance topromote ways to kick the habit via stands at theQEII and Lister this year.Staff and visitors to ourhospitals were informedof ways to accesssmoking cessation adviceand support through theTrust’s occupationalhealth team and SBC’sSmokebusters schemeon the day.If you did not get thechance to visit the stallsand would likeinformation on the Smokebusters scheme andwhere to get help locally for you or your loved ones,please visit Hertfordshire Stop Smoking Service’swebsite: www.smokefreehertfordshire.nhs.uk or callthem free on 0800 389 3 998.10 Grapevine

Patients’ Panel contributionacknowledgedAt its last meeting, Trust chairman RichardBeazley formally thanked the 20-strongcommittee of dedicated residents who haveformed the Trust’s Patients’ Panel over the last eightyears.During this time the panel, made up of patients, carers andrelatives, have shared their views and those of the groupsthey represent in the local community to help us tocontinuously improve our services with input from thosewho use it.The panel has contributed its experience to shape ourplans through feedback on our key consultations, as wellas service improvements in relation to hospital cleanliness,infection control and catering.As we move towards becoming a foundation trust andinvolve all our members in opportunities to contribute tohow our services are run, we are sure that panel memberswill continue to support us as public members. They mayeven stand to represent the residents of their constituencyas publicly elected governors.Highlighting the windsof change in ClimateWeekTo highlight thesteps the Trust istaking towardsbecoming a greener organisation, staff and visitorshad the chance to find out more and enter oursustainability quiz during Climate Week.Information stations at the QEII and Lister raisedawareness of more environmentally-friendly traveloptions for staff to get to and from work, promotingthe Trust’s car sharing and Cycle2work schemes.New undercover storage facilities for motorcyclesand bikes together and changing facilities, windturbines, photovoltaic solar panels and electric carrecharging points as part of the multi-storey carpark were all highlighted as key benefits of greendevelopments for the Trust.Midwives and nurses deliver asuccessful event for the publicOver 30 public members, communityrepresentatives from women’s andchildren’s related organisations andcharities came to hear about the futureof maternity and neonatal services inMarch.Chief executive Nick Carver opened theevent, which gave expectant mothers andtheir loved ones the chance to talk directlyto our midwives and nurses about thechoices available to them at the Listerhospital, as well as services availablecloser at home.Alcohol awareness month in HertsJune is alcohol awareness month in Hertfordshire. Thecampaign is being jointly mounted by the county council,district councils, police, fire and rescue service andNHS. Together, they aim to ensure that people knowthe facts about alcohol and that they take steps tokeep their consumption within sensible limits.Here, in Grapevine, we are giving a few basic tipson how to drink ‘sensibly’. For more information,please visit:www.hertsdirect.org/caresupportwww.nhs.uk/livewell/alcoholwww.drinkaware.co.uk• Men should not exceed 3 to 4 units of alcohol a day,• Women should not exceed 2 to 3 units a day.• One pint of beer contains over twounits.• A large glass of wine contains overthree units.• Get out of the habit of drinkingbecause you are stressed or havenothing else to do. Look for otherways to relax.• Alternate alcoholic and soft drinks toprevent you becoming dehydrated anddrinking even more alcohol.Grapevine 11

So what’s volunteering all about?Grapevine takes a close look at the work of volunteers across our four hospitals. Here arethe answers to the questions we put to the Trust’s voluntary services team...Who are you and what do you do?The two voluntary services teams include Janis Hall,Jill Rix, Linda Mylrea and Louise Gourlay. Our role is torecruit and support volunteers and volunteer activitythroughout the Trust.Janice HallWhat are volunteers?Volunteers are members of ourlocal communities who want to What oursupport our work by doing volunteers say:something practical. They come“All the staff arein all shapes and sizes and fromfriendly. It’s likeall walks of life, bringing withbeing part of athem a variety of skills which wefamily.”put to good use. The mostimportant qualifications for volunteeringare enthusiasm and reliability.How many are there across theTrust?At present we have approximately 700 Trust volunteersworking across our four sites. Together, they representan additional 13% of our total staffing. On average theywork about four hours each a week, which gives us anamazing 2,800 hours per week - the equivalent to 74full-time staff.What ourvolunteers say:“I love to feel thatI am helping.”Jill RixLinda MylreaLouise GourlayA small percentage of our volunteers arestudents who are looking for a career inthe NHS. In addition to our ownvolunteers, we have many people whovolunteer with other organisations thatsupport the Trust.What do they do?We have drivers who take patients to their healthcareappointments; welcomers who greet people when theyarrive and help them find their ward or clinic; wardassistants who spend time helping nurseswith some of the more routine tasksand talking to patients; surveyvolunteers who find out what patientsthink of the Trust; volunteers wholook after the gardens and the fishtanks; volunteers with admin skillswho support the secretarial staff;fundraising volunteers; andcomplementary therapists who treat bothpatients and carers ...the list is endless.We are open togood ideas – if we can use it to benefit our patients, wewill.If a hospital department needs avolunteer, what activities are suitableand how do they ask for help?It’s easy. Simply fill in a request form or talk to us. Wewill always be pleased to tell people where they canhelp.Of course, staff need to remember twoimportant things: the role of thevolunteer is to support them, notreplace them or plug a gap; secondly,the way to keep a good volunteer isto get to know them, recognise theirworth and say thank you. Make thevolunteer part of your team.What ourstaff say:“The volunteersare appreciatedenormously.”What ourstaff say:“Techno geniusTom helped usto record arelaxationCD.”There are lots opportunities to supportthe Trust - almost any activity that is not takingthe job of a paid employee or a trained member of staffcan be considered.If a member of the public wants tobecome one, what should they do?In the first instance, contact the hospital where you wantto volunteer and speak to any of the voluntary servicesteam. We will talk to you about your interests and tellyou what opportunities we have for you.Celebrating excellenceOur Trust is full of people doing extraordinarythings, every single day. Whether you work withpatients on a daily basis, or are part of the teamthat keeps our hospitals running smoothly, we allplay a part in making sure our patients receive theIdeascare they need. Work is under way to launch a newset of awards at a ceremony in the autumn torecognise and celebrate the outstanding work thatmembers of our team deliver. So watch this space!Do you have an article for Grapevine? The closing date for information to go into the next issue is 11th July.Editors: Staff members: sue.thaw@nhs.net Public members: ftmembership.enh-tr@nhs.netPrinted onrecycled paper