Summer 2016 Staff Magazine

Summer 2016
Building a
Caring Future
STAFF AWARDS 2016
Over 250 members of staff celebrated the hard work and dedication of our
shortlisted nominees at this year’s staff awards. Visit the staff awards intranet page
to see more photos and videos from the evening.

The
winners
2016
Patients First
Reivers district nursing
Safe and High Quality Care
The bliss team
Everyone’s Contribution Counts
Joanne Ackinclose
Respect and Compassion
Sarah Lindman
Responsibility and Accountability
Tracy Young

Partnership Working
Year 11 sexual health education programme
Innovation
Nursing clinical supervision pilot team
Learner of the Year
Hanna Whincup
Best Apprentice of the Year
Jamie Brown
The Rosemary Stephenson Student Nurse of the Year
Stephanie Bramwell
Volunteer of the Year
Adeline Keogh
Making a Difference
Craig Leathard
Making a Difference
Mike Carr (pathology)

Building a Caring Future Staff Awards 2016
Congratulations to all of our 2016 finalists and
winners – our chief executive David Evans has
described you as ‘a credit to our organisation
and the NHS as a whole’.
Don’t forget to nominate your teams/colleagues
for the Building a Caring Future Staff Awards
2017 – keep an eye out for details in future
internal communications.
Staff were given the special red carpet treatment
as they arrived and were snapped in front of our
media wall where all finalists’ names appeared.
A short film was also shown to acknowledge
the ‘outstanding’ year we’ve had and how each
and every member of staff in the trust has made
a difference. You can see the film on the staff
awards intranet page, listed under hot topics.
After enjoying a three course dinner staff then
partied the night away with X Factor’s Abi
Garrido and DJ Monroe.
With thanks to our sponsors, Volkswagen
The new Tiguan.
Cool. Calm. Connected.
www.volkswagen.co.uk
Model shown Tiguan R-Line with optional keyless entry and optional metallic paint. £33,265 RRP. Standard EU Test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.
Official fuel consumption figures for the new model range in mpg (litres/100km): urban 31.0 (9.1) – 48.7 (5.8); extra urban 44.1 (6.4) – 67.3 (4.2); combined 38.2 (7.4) – 58.9 (4.8). Combined CO 2 emissions 170 – 125g/km.

Summer 2016
In this magazine we look back at what we have achieved in our 10 years as
a foundation trust, summarise our sepsis story, consider the opportunities
available to develop your career, share some ideas to look after your mental
health and wellbeing and much, much more…

There are 44 across the country and ours covers
the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear footprint.
This plan will help us further improve quality of care
and will allow us to become even more efficient
which is especially important given the huge
financial deficit the NHS as a whole now faces.
to the latest staff magazine. I’d firstly like to thank
everyone who attended my recent roadshows. It
was lovely to see so many of you. I know it can be
hard for us all to take time out of our busy schedules
but it is important for us to talk to each other about
what is happening nationally and locally in the NHS
and what that means for us as a trust.
The NHS is experiencing an unprecedented period of
change however these changes will ultimately mean
we are better placed to meet the needs of our local
communities.
You may have heard the term STP - Sustainability
and Transformation Plans. These are ambitious local
plans - pulled together by NHS providers, clinical
commissioning groups, local authorities,
and other health and care services -
to implement the NHS Five Year
Forward View.
We are keen to play our part in embracing the
national challenges and, as part of our ‘vanguard’
work, we, along with three other high performing
trusts, have been given the green light by NHS
Improvement to establish a foundation group.
The Northumbria Foundation Group will help us
share our knowledge and expertise with other
NHS organisations across the country. Through
this group we will make a range of clinical and
corporate support services available to other parts
of the NHS, using proven best practice models to
improve quality and efficiency throughout the NHS
for the wider benefit of patient care.
This is all excellent news for us and comes just as
we have celebrated our 10th year as a foundation
trust which has allowed us to reflect on how much
we have achieved. It is truly remarkable and, as
always, this is down to you, our amazing staff.
Thanks for everything you do and
continue to do.
David Evans,
Chief executive
Named NHS Governing
Body of the Year 2016
at the NHS Leadership
Recognition Awards
1 of only 5 trusts
nationally rated
‘outstanding’ by the Care
Quality Commission
Recognised as one of
England’s ‘top hospitals’
for 9 consecutive years
Most comprehensive
patient experience
programme in the NHS
Named
‘best place to work in
the NHS’ in 2015
Opened England's first
purpose-built specialist
emergency care hospital
in 2015
Named the most open
and transparent
organisation in the NHS
in England in 2016
Buyout of PFI at Hexham
General Hospital in 2014 -
saving millions of pounds
of taxpayers’ money
Named the best in
England for timely
discharge of older people
from hospital in 2016
Launch of the bespoke
Northumbria nursing
degree in 2016 - the first
of its kind in England

Our sepsis story
We asked:
HELP US TREAT SEPSIS
Over 150 of you joined us at
an engagement event where
together we decided
how to do this
We used your thoughts to come
up with an internal communications
campaign to help us
change things
We set an ambitious
target
Two years into our project
we have started to see some
amazing
results
You said timely recognition
and treatment of sepsis
was important
We decided the sepsis
six treatment regime
was crucial
Our sepsis work
has reached
We have started to think
infection and this has
improved our
screening
Our analysis has
told us
The welcome but unintended
outcome of this has been
the money
saved
As well as saving lives we’ve
improved patient care with
fewer patients
needing ITU
and also...
We’ve come so far but there’s still
some way to go. Please remember to
always think infection, spot sepsis and
implement the sepsis six treatment
bundle within the first hour.
Call the critical care outreach
team at any time for advice and
support and please don’t delay
in escalating to critical care if a
patient deteriorates.

Staff magazine
HELP FAMILIES ‘GET ACTIVE’
Our health improvement teams in
Northumberland are running fun, free courses
from September for families to help them
become more healthy and active.
The courses, which take place after
school, are a stimulating and fun
way of helping families engage
with healthy lifestyle changes.
The courses support parents,
children and young people who
are concerned about their weight to
make positive changes to their lifestyles.
Our ‘Get Active Northumberland’ (GAN) team
will be running nine-week courses in Ashington,
Bedlington and Seghill to encourage parents and
children between the ages of five and 13
to become more active and eat more healthily.
The weekly sessions run from 4.15pm to 5.45pm
every Tuesday from September 20, at
Ashington Children’s Centre; every
Wednesday from September 21
at Seghill First School; and every
Thursday from September 22, at
Meadowdale Academy, Bedlington;
excluding half term.
Staff who work with families who
would benefit from a healthier lifestyle
can refer them to the GAN team with
parental agreement.
To attend the courses in Northumberland,
families should contact the GAN team on 01670
784 186 or gan@northumbria.nhs.uk in advance.
Could you help to support someone
with a life-limiting illness?
Our Macmillan Support Service is seeking
volunteers to help support people affected
by cancer or other life-limiting illness in North
Tyneside and Northumberland.
The service which is provided by the trust with
funding from Macmillan Cancer Support, offers
free, one-to-one support as well as a range of
support groups and sessions for patients, their
families and carers. Full training is provided,
after which volunteers can choose which role
would suit them best.
For more information about the service
or the volunteering opportunities available
please contact the North Tyneside team
on 0191 220 5908 or the Northumberland
team on 01670 855533.
4

Summer 2016
Community nursing teams using
MOBILE TECHNOLOGY AT WORK
Tablet computers are being rolled out to community
nurses in North Tyneside following a successful
pilot. The aim is to provide a more responsive,
efficient and effective service to patients.
The tablets will enable nurses to update patients’
notes during their visit and then automatically
upload the new information onto the central
system when they return to the office.
Staff nurse Clare Day, who is part of the Lane End
district nursing team based at the Oxford Centre
in Longbenton, took part in the pilot in North
Tyneside.
Clare says: “I was a bit hesitant at first but within
a few days I could see the advantages. Having
the device means I no longer have to go into
the office first to pick up my calls. Instead I can
download the patients’ notes before I leave home
using my home WiFi and then go straight out to
see patients.
“Another big advantage is that the device gives
me access to more information because I can read
up on everything I need to know before I go into
the patient’s home.
“This is particularly valuable at weekends when
I may be visiting patients I don’t know, because I
can look into the patient’s journal and see what
other people have been doing for that patient.
This can include information shared by GPs as well
as details of other nurses’ visits.”
Further roll out of mobile devices for district
nurses in Northumberland will be ongoing and
training will be provided over the coming months.
If you have any questions about the district
nursing agile working project please email
DNmobile@northumbria.nhs.uk
“While I am with my patients I can
create care plans and update
their notes on the spot, and
the device automatically
uploads all the new
information onto the
central system for me
as soon as I log onto the
system on Northumbria
WiFi or my home WiFi.
This saves an immense
amount of time
by reducing
duplication.
“I was a bit
hesitant at first
but within a few days
I could see the
advantages.”
7

Staff magazine
Leading the way
£1m investment for nursing graduates programme
Our first 10 recruits have started our new innovative
trust-based programme to become nurses. The training,
believed to be the first of its kind in the country, is
the result of a £1m investment to create a bespoke
undergraduate nursing programme in partnership
with Northumbria University.
We caught up with student nurse Jenni Thompson
to see how she’s getting on so far…
HOW ARE YOU FINDING THE COURSE?
Brilliant, everything I'd hoped it would be and more.
The staff are extremely knowledgeable and supportive,
the programme of study is interesting and diverse.
WHAT ARE THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE COURSE?
The team of trainees - we get on really well and support
each other, as well as the great support from trust and
university staff. The university simulation suites where
we have practised our clinical skills are amazing, we
especially love 'Reg' our Sim Man.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?
Getting my head around writing assignments again
and achieving a family/work life balance.
WHAT WILL THE COURSE HELP YOU ACHIEVE?
I will achieve a degree alongside my Nursing and
Midwifery Council registration, but more than that,
I will gain brilliant on the job training and, hopefully,
confidence in my abilities to be an excellent nurse.
Pictured:
Jenni Thompson
6

Summer 2016
WHAT ARE YOUR AIMS FOR THE FUTURE?
After qualifying, to get a good grounding in
general nursing in the general hospitals or The
Northumbria. Who knows where I go from
there - there are so many different opportunities
to use your skills.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE COURSE?
Definitely, without hesitation. It is the best thing
by far that I have done for my career.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO
SOMEONE THINKING ABOUT APPLYING?
Go for it! Even if you're not 100% sure you can
do it. If you don't meet the admission criteria,
ask the learning and development team if there
is anything you can do to get to the required
level. Get as much experience as you can in your
current role and gather evidence as you go. Talk
to the other people in your life it will affect and
ensure you have their support.
INTERESTED? SOME THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW:
à The next cohort starts in September
and is for self-funding students. Please
visit the pre-registration health education
intranet page for more information.
à All successful candidates will be supported
to apply for trust vacancies on qualification.
MEET OUR
NEW CLINICAL
EDUCATORS
Angela and Debbie with Marie McKeown who is practice placement facilitator for the 18 month programme.
Angela Moore and Debbie Gee will support our
students in practice and their mentors to ensure
all learning outcomes are achieved. Angela said:
“I’m really looking forward to working with our
students. Through sharing our own practice
experience, knowledge and skills, we will be
able to offer practical support to students and
mentors to ensure the best patient-centred
care is delivered at all times.”
7

Staff magazine
How booking onto a short course
can make a BIG difference…
We have a great team of clinical lecturer practitioners in the trust delivering some excellent
training to our nursing staff, making a difference to the quality and safety of care…
Attending the Acute Recognition & Response
Training (ARRT) for nurses course helped
Idris Wilson play his part in saving a
patient’s life.
Idris Wilson was a band 5 staff nurse on the
surgical day unit at North Tyneside when
he booked on to the ARRT course
which equips attendees with
the knowledge, skills
and competence to
recognise and respond
appropriately to an
acutely ill patient.
Little did he know that
going on the course
would influence his
career so much, he
said:
“It was my ward manager
who actually suggested that
I attend the course as I felt I
was losing some of my acute skills.
When I attended the course I thoroughly enjoyed
it, I found it really interesting and have since
recommended it to many colleagues.
“I learnt a great number of skills but most
importantly it helped to sharpen my ability to
identify a patient that is declining rapidly and
assess/report more thoroughly what interventions
are needed.”
As luck would have it, the timing of Idris attending
the course was very fortunate as he put his
refreshed skills to use just a couple of days later
when a patient returned from theatre following
abdominal surgery and Idris had some concerns.
“After the doctor left the ward I was worried about
the patient as I felt they were declining. After the
patient was declared stable in their review I was
still not happy. As a result of attending
the course I decided to ring Angela
Moore from the outreach team,
who delivered my training,
to discuss my concerns.
Angela came immediately
to review the patient
at which time they
deteriorated even further
and we rushed them back
to theatre where it was
found they had a severe
internal bleed. If it wasn’t
for the course I may not have
been able to play my part in
saving the patient’s life.
“After this experience I knew I wanted to work in a
more acute area again and with The Northumbria
opening, I knew I wanted to be there and be a part
of what the trust was building. The course gave
me the confidence I needed to apply for a band 6
role and the skills are now something I use daily in
my new role on the surgical assessment unit at The
Northumbria.”
For more information on the lecturer practitioner
courses available to book please visit the CLP
Activity intranet page.
8

Summer 2016
By now many of you will have heard of the sad
passing of Dr Kate Granger. As a trust we were very
fortunate to have been visited by Kate when she
spoke at our nursing and midwifery conference to
help us launch her #hellomynameis campaign
across our trust.
Kate launched this campaign when, during her
treatment for cancer, she observed that many staff
looking after her did not introduce themselves before
delivering care. Her campaign reminds healthcare
staff of the importance of doing this as the first step
towards delivering compassionate care.
Many of you were extremely moved by Kate’s story
and this encouraged you to not only live and breathe
#hellomynameis yourselves but also support Kate
by sharing and spreading her message.
Kate inspired more than 400,000 healthcare staff
across 90 NHS organisations to back her campaign
and, despite it being almost two years since Kate’s
visit to our trust, we see and hear #hellomynameis
influencing care every day.
Kate was a truly inspirational woman who, with four
simple words, has improved the care of millions of
patients. Her legacy will live on in our trust in the
way we interact with patients every single day.
You can visit the #hellomynameis intranet page to
see Kate’s inspirational speech from her visit to the
trust and to view pictures of the day.
9 November 2016
Nursing and Midwifery Conference 2016
We have now confirmed the date of our third
annual conference for nurses and midwives as
Wednesday 9 November.
It would be good to have attendance from nurses
and midwives from across the trust so whether you
work in the community, in hospitals or in another
setting, please hold this date in your diary and
make your line manager aware that you would
like to attend.
The event will again be held at the Marriott Hotel
in Gosforth and we have provisionally secured
Jim Mackey, currently on secondment to NHS
Improvement as its chief executive, Professor Jane
Cummings, chief nursing officer for NHS England,
and Ruth May, executive nurse director at NHS
Improvement, as conference speakers.
We will keep you updated and circulate further
details as they are confirmed.
9

Staff magazine
BRIGHT CHARITY ROUND-UP
Volunteering
Congratulations to Edna Rutherford who
collected her Long Service Award from nonexecutive
director Ian McMinn for 30 years
of service to the trust in June. We’d like to
thank Edna for all of her hard work and
dedication over the years.
We now have over 800 volunteers in the
trust after welcoming over 70 volunteers
last year to our HVS shop and meet and
greet service in The Northumbria hospital.
All profits from our HVS shops are used
to support our patients. In 2015 the HVS
gifted £332,504 to support a range of
charitable initiatives.
International
Kawheri Northumbria! The trust recently said
farewell to four medical students from Tanzania,
Africa. The students from Kilimanjaro Christian
Medical Centre were here for a medical elective
placement organised by Professor Richard Walker.
The programme, which has been running since
2003, has enabled over 50 medical students from
Tanzania to learn about UK healthcare services
and practices. The placements are an exceptional
opportunity for the students, enabling them to
return to Tanzania with new ideas to help improve
healthcare in their own country.
10

Summer 2016
Arts
We are delighted to have Sean Murray designing
a new special garden for The Northumbria hospital
which is expected to open in the autumn.
The garden will be located near the chapel and is
intended to provide a welcoming tranquil space for
staff, patients and families to enjoy and find respite.
Sean, a former employee of Northumbria
Healthcare, won The Great Chelsea Garden
Challenge last year which saw his garden feature
at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Two embroideries showing the ‘tree of life’ have
gone on display at The Northumbria hospital.
The embroideries, which can be seen in the main
entrance area and restaurant, were created by a
group of women following a series of community
workshops.
Nearly 30 people contributed to the artworks,
including staff, volunteers and children.
Thank you to everyone involved.
Gifted
Last year just over £300,000 was gifted to
75 projects across the trust through our
Charity Development Groups.
The patient is at the centre of the charity’s work
and projects that improve comfort, enhance the
environment, or introduce new and innovative
methods of treatment are well supported. In
2015, the Hexham oncology unit was able to
transform patient care with the introduction of
new infusion pumps and comfortable chairs for
patients undergoing chemotherapy (pictured).
11

Staff magazine
Getting some
Headspace
We all understand the importance of leading
a healthy lifestyle, right? After all, you can’t
go online, read a magazine or even walk
down the street without seeing something
that reminds us to eat a healthy diet or
take regular exercise.
For many of us this means drawing on our willpower
to choose an apple over a bag of crisps and the gym
over the sofa.
reported improved peace of mind, better sleep
and greater focus.
Our head of information Alastair Beattie has been
using Headspace daily now for around three years.
“I find it helps to set me up for the day,” he
says. “It’s helped me to change my thinking and
behaviours and this benefits me and those around
me. It helps with my relationships at work as well
as those at home.”
These choices help us to lead a healthier lifestyle
however health is a state of mind and body so, as
well as looking after your physical health, it is also
important to look after your emotional wellbeing.
Mindfulness is a practice that encourages you to
focus on the present, rather than on the past
or future and it’s growing in popularity across
the UK. NICE (National Institute for Clinical
Excellence) back it as a treatment for
depression and there are growing
reports that as a cognitive therapy,
it works.
With this in mind, we wanted a way
to help staff become more mindful
and thought Headspace - an online
resource - might help us with this.
It describes itself as your very own
personal trainer to help you train
your mind.
Headspace works on the theory that
regular mindfulness practice is an effective
treatment for stress, worry, lack
of focus, relationship problems,
addictions and more. Indeed,
members using the system have
12

Summer 2016
You might say Alastair was ahead of the curve, using
the technique before it became a widely accepted
practice. “I was attracted to Headspace because it
was promoted by several well-known organisations
for their staff - The Financial Times and British Airways
to name a few. Apparently five million people had
signed up so I thought it was worth trying.
“When I first started I was using it on an evening,
but not every day. It’s only since I started to use
it every day and in the morning that I have really
benefitted. I’ve now set aside some time first thing,
usually between 7.15am and 7.30am, because
that’s what works for me. I choose the
15 minute sessions, but sessions
lasting 10 or 30 minutes
are also available, and I sit
and listen on my smartphone in
the living room, before anyone
else in the house has come downstairs.”
Headspace, founded in 2010, has brought
meditation to the masses having been downloaded
by people in 150 different countries. Commercial
agreements have made bespoke content available to
travellers on all Virgin Atlantic flights, those staying
in Westin hotels and shoppers in department store
Selfridges.
Health is a state
of mind and body so
as well as looking after your
physical health it is also
important to look after your
emotional wellbeing
Creativity, Happiness, Focus, Anxiety, Relationships,
Change, Generosity, Kindness and Acceptance. I've
done them all, at least once, except for the one on
Pregnancy!”
Alastair is in good company, an army of celebrity
fans including Emma Watson and Gwyneth Paltrow
all swear by the soothing 10-minute bites of daily
timeout. “I can't imagine not using it every day,”
Alastair continues. “And when I've been abroad I've
made sure that I have downloaded the sessions onto
my phone in advance so that I could continue while
away. I’m not saying it’s for everyone but I’d
encourage everyone to give it a try.”
Pauline Stewart, staff nurse on
ward 19 at North Tyneside
started using Headspace
after a recommendation
from a colleague. She
explains: “Headspace has
helped me and my family
through a very difficult
time. It has encouraged
me to take time out for
myself to reflect and has
made me appreciate the
importance of relaxation.”
With such rave reviews it’s no
surprise that the likes of Google and
LinkedIn have given their employees free
access to a companywide subscription
and we have followed suit. Headspace
is normally accessed using an annual
subscription fee which costs £59 however
we have some licences for our employees.
Alastair explains more. “It's like having a personal
trainer, but for the mind, and I wish I had known
about it years ago. I knew we should treat the body
with respect if we want to keep it in good shape -
well, the same applies to the mind. The recorded
sessions are grouped into packs - for example
If you think you could benefit email
healthandwellbeing@northumbria.nhs.uk
and they will provide you with a code to
allow you to download the app free of charge.
More information on www.headspace.com
13

C
Staff magazine
Healthier choices, healthier you
We know many of you enjoy healthy eating and we
have been actively supporting and encouraging you
to lead a healthy lifestyle by providing wholesome,
healthy and nutritious food in the trust restaurants
and vending machines. We are now developing
our food and drink strategy for the next two years
which will improve on the healthy options we have
already introduced. We will be…
Improving the nutritious and healthier meal
deals in the trust restaurants
Removing sweets/crisps from the tills and
replacing with fresh fruit and healthy options
Introducing even healthier buffet options
for internal meetings
Paying particular attention to the choices
available to those who work out of hours to
ensure they have healthier options
Are you suffering from
joint pain, back pain or
a soft tissue injury?
Everyone can access the staff
physiotherapy service which provides
appointments within three days even
if the condition is not work related.
IF YOU ARE AT WORK:
Self refer by calling 01670 564010 / ext. 36010 or complete
the form on the health and wellbeing intranet page.
Managers - if you have a member of staff off sick
with a musculoskeletal problem please refer using the
occupational health management referral form - tick
musculoskeletal triage.
Considering the dietary, cultural and religious
needs of you and our visitors to ensure there
are suitable choices for everyone
Working towards clear comprehensive food
labelling to include nutritional information
and allergen content.
We continue to ensure the nutritional content
of the meals provided for patients comply with
national guidelines, taking into account various
dietary, cultural and religious needs. We aim to
work with different groups of staff, patients and
carers in the future to gather further ideas and
suggestions.
Look out for the launch of our new food and drink
strategy, coming soon.
Vitamin D -
are you getting enough?
Vitamin D is needed to regulate the amount of
calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients
are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
You can obtain vitamin D in the following ways:
Sunlight - however you need to be careful as too
much exposure can increase the risk of skin damage.
Diet - Oily fish, red meat, liver, egg yolk, some
breakfast cereals and fat spreads.
Dietary supplements - 8.5 to 10mcg is
recommended for infants up to one year old.
10mcg is recommended for everyone over one.
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Appointments available at Wansbeck, North Tyneside, Hexham, Alnwick
and The Northumbria hospitals or by phone. If you have any queries
please contact the team on the number above.
To read more about the recommendations from
the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition
(SACN) please visit www.gov.uk
14

Summer 2016
STOP before your op
The sooner a patient stops smoking
the sooner you stop smoking
before an operation, the better. It reduces…
before your operation, the better.
post-operative complications
Reduce risk of complications and infections
wound healing time
Help your wound heal quicker
Get home earlier
their length of stay in hospital
Talk to us today for help to quit, or contact:
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU…
record every patient's smoking status
northumberland
north TYNESIDE
make smokers aware of the benefits to stopping
before their operation
01670 813 135 0345 2000 101
encourage them to take part in smoking cessation by ringing
0191 643 7171 (North Tyneside) or
01670 813135 (Northumberland).
www.northumbria.nhs.uk/stop
For more information on the stop before your op project please email Angela.Bandeira@northumbria.nhs.uk
15

Staff magazine
Comments from the report for sites and services included:
WANSBECK HOSPITAL
Staff delivered compassionate care,
which was polite and respectful and went
out of their way to overcome obstacles
to ensure this.
Without exception, patients felt involved
in their care and valued.
THE NORTHUMBRIA
NORTH TYNESIDE HOSPITAL
Staff understood the different needs of
individual patients and were able to take a
tailored approach to meet their needs.
Staff displayed a good understanding
of their roles and responsibilities in relation
to safeguarding older patient with mental
health problems.
Staff considered patients individual
preferences and evidently went out of
their way to exceed expectations.
Staff felt fully informed about all
the changes which had taken place
and were proud of the trust and the
care provided.
HEXHAM HOSPITAL
Patients and families were seen as
partners in decisions about their care
and emotional support was given
during difficult situations.
Staff, from volunteers to senior
managers regularly went out of their
way to provide help and assist patients
in all aspects of care.
16

Summer 2016
Overall trust ratings
Safe
Effective
Caring
Responsive
Well-led
Responsive
Overall
Good
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
COMMUNITY DENTAL
Extremely responsive to patients’ needs.
Hard working, caring and
committed staff.
END OF LIFE CARE
Staff were approachable, responsive,
caring and compassionate.
Patients told us they couldn’t have
asked for better care and relatives said
they felt supported.
COMMUNITY
SERVICES FOR CHILDREN
AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Staff went beyond the call of
duty to provide compassionate care
and emotional support.
COMMUNITY HEALTH
FOR ADULTS
Patients and carers we spoke with were
overwhelmingly positive about the care and
treatment they received.
Words and phrases such as ’tremendous’,
‘cheerful and considerate’, ‘happy
with the care’, were used extensively
in their feedback.
COMMUNITY
HOSPITALS HGH – INPATIENTS
AND MINOR INJURIES
Communication was very good with
full involvement of patients and families
in decision-making. Staff were open
and honest.
Patients felt staff took the time
to reassure them when they were
upset and distressed.
Parents were unanimously
positive about the care they and
their children received.
17

Staff magazine
Green turns to gold
for sustainability team
The trust has been making great strides to ensure
that we can be more sustainable, leading to
national recognition for our use of electric vehicles
and locally for our carbon reduction.
But what exactly is sustainability? In simple
terms it's about meeting the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.
For us as a trust it's about a number of things.
It's about the energy we use, the waste we
produce and how we dispose of it, it's about the
IT we use and how we deal with procurement, it’s
about how we meet the needs of the travel and
transport of our patients, employees and supplies.
In a trust our size this is a huge task, but one
we are committed to.
It is everyone's responsibility to help us work
towards our goals and think about what impact
you can have. Over the coming months we will
be launching a campaign to encourage us all to
be more sustainable. For now though we
wanted to share some successes that
we have achieved recently...
Key achievements:
Reduction of carbon emissions by 15 per cent,
meaning less local pollution, an improved
environment and contribution to the reduction
in global greenhouse gases. We have achieved
this two years ahead of the NHS target.
Significant investment in energy reduction
schemes including new lighting, more
efficient heating, use of green fuels, and
increased electric charging points for cars.
Reduction in waste across the trust.
Increase in recycling, keeping us significantly
ahead of target.
Recognition from Go Smarter to Work, a
government funded organisation, for our
sustainable travel at Wansbeck and North
Tyneside hospitals.
Our move to electric fleet vehicles has been
recognised with a national sustainable
achievement award.
Pictured:
Michael Taylor

Summer 2016
Patients at the heart of
new care model in Blyth
As part of our ‘vanguard’ work, we have
been working closely with health and care
teams in Blyth to support people who
have very complex care needs.
Since May 2016, our team of newly appointed
pharmacists have been working with GPs and other
primary care colleagues to help ensure elderly
people living in care homes are taking the most
effective combinations of medication.
We have also been working with Station Medical
Group - a multi-disciplinary team consisting of
community nurses, pharmacists and social care
workers, is now actively supporting the practice in
managing daily telephone requests for GP home visits.
Since the pilot began, around 30 per cent
of all home visits are now being carried out by our
pharmacists. This work will soon be rolled out to
cover all GP practices in Blyth and eventually scaled
up across the whole of Northumberland.
The ‘ v ’ word – what does it all mean?!
Put simply, the 'vanguard' work taking place in Northumberland is all about continuous improvement.
It’s about thinking of ways to make our services even more joined up from hospital to home and
how we can proactively work with GPs and colleagues in primary care to look after people in a more
proactive and joined up way.
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening by following @NorthumberlandNHS
One system, one team, one you
Did you know that we now have access to
patients’ primary care records using The Medical
Interoperability Gateway (the MiG)? With
appropriate patient consent, you can view their:
» Current and past diagnosed conditions
» Current and past medications
» Test results
» Allergies and adverse reactions
» Recent encounters and visits to primary care
» Up-to-date contact details
Please visit the MiG intranet page (found in the
A-Z) for more information on how to access.

Nicola Karolewski
Berwick Infirmary
Lucy Thompson
Hexham hospital
Michael Porter
North Tyneside hospital/Cobalt
Alison Bywater
North Tyneside hospital/Cobalt
Jenny Graham
The Northumbria
KNOW
YOUR STAFF
Governor
2016/17
Angela Moore
North Tyneside hospital/Cobalt
Peter Smith
The Northumbria
Staff governors represent your
views and feed back on issues affecting
your experiences at work.
Jo Mackintosh
North Tyneside hospital/Cobalt
Tom Millen
Northumberland community
Each staff governor covers a
specific area of the trust and is elected
for a period of three years. They attend
a number of key meetings, including
regular meetings with our chief
executive where they can raise issues
on behalf of staff.
Kim Broadfield
North Tyneside hospital/Cobalt
Jason Wilkes
Northumberland community
We held elections in the summer where
new governors Cassandra Ackermann,
Michael Porter, Jenny Graham and Lucy
Thompson were elected.
If you have any issues you would like
to discuss with your staff governor
please email them.
Cassandra Ackermann
North Tyneside community
Doreen Davidson
Northumberland community
Kevin Smith
North Tyneside community