May 2012 - West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust

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Hemel NewsWhat’s happening on your site – Hemel Hempstead HospitalContact us...New Decontamination Unit opensIf you work at Hemel Hempstead andhave any news you would like includedin the next edition of this magazine,please email info@whht.nhs.uk or ringthe Communications Department onWGH x8280.Events diary: Hemel Hempstead29 JuneChildcare Information Drop-In Session,Medical Education Centre . Drop in any timebetween 11.30am and 1.30pm forinformation on childcare vouchers, financialbenefits and general childcare.13th SeptemberKnow Your Numbers Week. Blood pressuretesting between 12 and 2pm10 OctoberCholesterol and Glucose TestingA new Decontamination Unit opened at Hemel Hempstead in February2012. All NHS Trusts are required to achieve specific decontaminationstandards and Endoscopy decontamination represents a significantelement of this standard. In order to identify a clear pathway to achievingfully compliant facilities in the Trust, a Decontamination ComplianceProgramme Board was established. Following a detailed review of options,it was agreed that the current units at Hemel Hempstead and Watfordwould be redeveloped.Building work started at Hemel Hempstead in June 2011 and the newDecontamination Unit opened in February 2012, under the managementof Antonio Cecco, the Head of Integrated Decontamination Team.Building work to develop the new Decontamination Unit at Watford willget underway shortly with a large proportion of the work beingconducted offsite. The new unit will be developed in the lightwell in theMain Block, adjacent to the Endoscopy Unit on Level 3 and is expected beoperational in early 2013.What our patientssay about us?The Trust regularly receives thank you letters fromhappy patients and relatives. Below is an extract of aletter received from a patient who visited theFracture Clinic in Hemel Hempstead.“I have had three appointments at the FractureClinic and was very well looked after on all threeoccasions. The staff were kind and helpful, theset-up in the room where they do the plaster isgreat and a porter moved me around in awheelchair when necessary. I really like the e-check-in system, and the screen displaying whatis going on. I didn't have to wait very long onany visit, even when waiting at X-ray andOccupational Therapy.”8May 2012
Staffalance 4 Lifeyour health, your fitness, your wellbeingCooking up a storm!On 24 February, as part of Healthy Heart Month, a team from the PamperedChef cooked up some delicious British Heart Foundation recipes in the Spiceof Life Restaurant in Watford to demonstrate that healthy eating can bequick and easy! Staff were shown how to make Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry, andHealthy Vegetarian Pizza. The delightful aromas in the restaurant drew anumber of people along to taste a sample of these dishes.For both recipes pluslots more tips on healthyeating, please see theHealthy Eating page ofthe Balance4Life webpages.Retirement NewsMaria Jose SantarsieroAfter 30 years of dedicated service onRidge Ward at Watford, Maria JoseSantarsiero (or Jose as her colleagueslike to call her) is retiring from her roleas a Healthcare Assistant.Originally from Portugal, Jose started work at Watford General in 1981. Shehas been caring for its patients ever since, and finished on 26 April this year,having most recently worked several night shifts every week.During the three decades Jose has worked for the Trust, she has seen anawful lot change to her working environment and the way public healthcareis delivered. “It’s changed massively”, she said. “But one thing that has neverchanged has been the unwavering support from my ward manager.Did you take up the challenge?Staff really got involved in the recent Activity Challenge which ran fromJanuary to March. The Activity Challenge, organised as part of Healthy HeartMonth in February, included a pedometer challenge, one-off fitness sessions,cholesterol and glucose tests and a healthy eating cookery demonstration.Points were earned for participation in any of the Trust events during theperiod of the challenge.Due to popular demand, the East ofEngland Strategic Health Authorityonce again generously provided theTrust with a Water Wellpoint Kioskduring Healthy Heart Month. TheKiosk was available to staff in Watfordfor two weeks, followed by HemelHempstead and then St Albans for aweek each. (Using the Kiosk alsoearned staff an Action Challengepoint). Over 600 people used theWellpoint Kiosk to check their bloodpressure, weight, body fat, body mass index, heart rate and hydration quota.Some of the staff that used it were pleased with the results they received;while some used it as a wake-up call to embark on a new fitness regime. Onemember of staff from St Albans has already lost a stone in weight since sheundertook the health check.At the same time as the Action Challenge was running, a pledge form wasavailable on the intranet inviting staff to make their own personalcommitment to improving their health and wellbeing. The pledges will bereturned to those that wrote them approximately three months after theywere submitted, so that the individual concerned can see whether or not theyhave achieved their target. Although the challenge is now over, the pledgeform is still available on the intranet for staff to use if they wish.Congratulations to Sarah Lafbery, Matron on the Intensive Care Unit atWatford who is the winner of the Activity Challenge. Sarah won a day for twoat Champneys in Tring. Sarah regularly takes part in two zumba classes eachweek and entered her steps every week for the Pedometer Challenge.“Parames Ramasamy has always been good to me, especially when I wasinitially still learning to work and communicate with patients in my secondlanguage on a day-to-day basis. She has been a massive support”.When asked if there was one thing she would like to think she has left as alasting influence upon her colleagues and the department, she answered:“That a positive, caring attitude doesn’t cost a thing, and getting a realenjoyment of working with people”.So after such a lengthy day-to-day routine, what will Jose do now? “Spendtime with my husband who I will have been married to for 40 years in 2013;and working on my garden which is my pride and joy. I will be able to seemy friends more now too, so I’ve got a lot to look forward to”.The Trust would like to say thank you to Jose for her dedicated service andwishes her a very happy and fulfilling retirement. She was presented with aLong Service Award and retirement gift by Colin Johnston, Medical Directorat the start of her last shift.Well done also to ‘The Walkaholics’ led by Surgical Matron, Karen Bowler,who were the winning team in the Pedometer Challenge, and to the winningindividual, Cheryl Atkins who works for the Infection Control Team. Eachwinner will receive a Champneys gift set.Coming to a site near you soonThe Water Wellpoint Kiosk will return to the Trust for three weeks inSeptember – a year from when it was first available, and staff across all threesites will be able to check their health again. Cholesterol tests will also beoffered in Watford on 25 September, in St Albans on 16 October and afurther date is yet to be confirmed in Hemel Hempstead.Welcome to the following new Consultants:• Nida Suri – Emergency Medicine• Ruth Davies – A&E Consultant• Ben Rudge - Consultant in OrthopaedicsMay 2012 9
Page 1 and 2: Newsletter Issue 35May 2012News and
Page 3 and 4: General Trust News“If we get it r
Page 5 and 6: NursingThe 15 Steps ChallengeUnifor
Page 7: St Albans NewsWhat’s happening on
Page 11 and 12: Events NewsIT host a national showc

May 2012 - West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust

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