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NUHonours 2016 Nottingham Post supplement

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nottinghamhospitals<br />

Sponsors <strong>2016</strong><br />

NEP-E01-S3 1


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

2 nottinghampost.com<br />

NEP-E01-S3 2<br />

Thank you<br />

for being<br />

there<br />

when we<br />

need you<br />

NHS staff have a very special<br />

place in the hearts of most<br />

families. And this is nowhere<br />

more so than in and around<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong>.<br />

There are more than 14,000<br />

nurses, doctors and other<br />

healthcare staff working for<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong> University Hospitals<br />

NHS Trust –and they are among<br />

the most caring and<br />

compassionate individuals you<br />

could ever hope to<br />

meet.<br />

This is why the<br />

<strong>Post</strong> is proud to<br />

support a set of<br />

annual awards<br />

that gives these<br />

true professionals<br />

a richly deserved<br />

pat on the back.<br />

As regular<br />

readers of the <strong>Post</strong><br />

will know, the last<br />

Mike Sassi<br />

12 months have been particularly<br />

challenging for our local hospitals.<br />

But this shouldn’t colour the fact<br />

that the staff who keep our<br />

hospitals running, 24 hours a day,<br />

365 days a year, have –as always<br />

–performed brilliantly.<br />

And they continue to perform<br />

brilliantly. Their skill and hard<br />

work is worthy of the highest<br />

praise. We are indeed lucky to<br />

have such a dedicated band of<br />

healthcare professionals always<br />

on-call to look after us.<br />

These awards showcase the<br />

care and compassion that they<br />

show, every day, in our hospitals<br />

and in the community.<br />

It’s difficult to read the stories<br />

of the award nominees that are<br />

laid out in the pages of this<br />

publication, without feeling an<br />

overwhelming sense of gratitude.<br />

In recent years, I’ve been<br />

privileged to help judge the<br />

annual <strong>Nottingham</strong> Nurse and<br />

Midwife of the Year contest –so I<br />

know the great respect and<br />

affection that patients have for<br />

NUH staff.<br />

Their attitude is impeccable.<br />

Their desire to make a difference<br />

is unrelenting. Patients and their<br />

families are hugely grateful.<br />

So on behalf of those patients<br />

and families –and of everyone<br />

who uses our local NHS services<br />

–the <strong>Post</strong> wants to say thank<br />

you to NUH staff.<br />

Thank you for your care. Thank<br />

you for your professionalism.<br />

Thank you for being there when<br />

we need you.<br />

MIKE SASSI,<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong> <strong>Post</strong> Editor<br />

Celebrating incredible<br />

work of ‘team NUH’<br />

IF YOU live in or around<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong>, it’s likely that<br />

your life will have been<br />

touched at some point by our<br />

city’s hospitals.<br />

Queen’s Medical Centre, City<br />

Hospital and Ropewalk House offer<br />

a wide range of health services –<br />

and <strong>Nottingham</strong> University<br />

Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), the<br />

organisation that runs them,<br />

employs more than 14,000 staff.<br />

Rarely does a day pass when<br />

NUH doesn’t feature in the news,<br />

and rightly so given its significant<br />

responsibilities and right to be held<br />

to account.<br />

Amid this media attention and<br />

scrutiny, what can sometimes be<br />

forgotten is the incredible work<br />

being done every day by the staff<br />

who make up ‘team NUH’.<br />

From the midwives who deliver<br />

thousands of babies every year, to<br />

the doctors, nurses and surgeons<br />

who save and change lives every<br />

day, to those who provide vital<br />

services, often behind the scenes, to<br />

Guests take a selfie during the awards night.<br />

keep our hospitals running 365 days<br />

a year, the annual <strong>NUHonours</strong><br />

awards are all about celebrating<br />

these heroes who go above and<br />

beyond, in the eyes of their patients<br />

and colleagues.<br />

This year marks 10 years of NUH<br />

and <strong>NUHonours</strong>, with funding for<br />

the awards again provided by the<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong> Hospitals Charity.<br />

This special <strong>Nottingham</strong> <strong>Post</strong><br />

<strong>supplement</strong> gives you an<br />

opportunity to read the stories<br />

behind each of the individuals<br />

and teams who were shortlisted<br />

across 14 categories for this year’s<br />

awards.<br />

From Team of the Year to Behind<br />

the Scenes, many of the awards<br />

categories speak for themselves.<br />

There are also categories for the five<br />

divisions that run NUH’s clinical<br />

services:<br />

■ Medicine<br />

■ Surgery<br />

■ Family Health<br />

■ Cancer and Associated Services<br />

■ Clinical Support<br />

650 NOMINATIONS RECEIVED<br />

THE <strong>NUHonours</strong> nomination<br />

process opened early in <strong>2016</strong>,<br />

with patients, their families and<br />

staff invited to put forward<br />

individuals and teams who they<br />

judge to have delivered<br />

exceptional care and gone<br />

above and beyond what could<br />

reasonably be expected in their<br />

roles at NUH.<br />

More than 650 nominations<br />

were received. Panels made up<br />

of patient and staff<br />

representatives had the tough<br />

job of judging each of the 14<br />

categories –with the<br />

shortlisted nominees invited to<br />

attend a special awards night at<br />

the East Midlands Conference<br />

Centre in <strong>Nottingham</strong> to find<br />

out the winners last Friday. You<br />

can see some pictures from the<br />

night here and in the centre<br />

pages of this <strong>supplement</strong>.<br />

Of course, the glad rags have<br />

now been put away and the<br />

staff who attended the awards<br />

are very much back focusing on<br />

what they do best –providing<br />

the best possible care to NUH’s<br />

patients.<br />

We hope you enjoy reading<br />

about the individuals and teams<br />

who have been shortlisted for<br />

this year’s awards.<br />

If you’re inspired by these<br />

stories and know a member of<br />

staff or team who deserve to be<br />

recognised, nominations will<br />

open soon for our 2017 awards.<br />

Keep your eye on the<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong> <strong>Post</strong> and NUH<br />

website and social media<br />

accounts –where information<br />

on how to make a nomination<br />

will soon be available.<br />

Anne Rooke (second left) and Alec McEwan (far right) are<br />

congratulated by the couple who nominated them, Rachel<br />

and Martin Smithurst, after winning the award for<br />

Outstanding Contribution to Patient Care.<br />

■ Read their moving story on page 4.<br />

Dean<br />

Fathers,<br />

Chair of<br />

Notts<br />

Healthcare<br />

NHS<br />

Foundation<br />

Trust, and<br />

Lilian<br />

Greenwood,<br />

MP for<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong><br />

South, at<br />

the awards<br />

night.


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

nottinghampost.com<br />

3<br />

Why it’s 10<br />

out of 10<br />

for this<br />

highlight<br />

of the year<br />

Burns Unit staff celebrate with NUH chief executive<br />

Peter Homa after winning Team of the Year at the<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> awards night, held at the East Midlands<br />

Conference Centre. PICTURES: NICK TULLY, NEAL HUGHES AND JOSEPH RAYNOR.<br />

Left: The scene as the<br />

Tram Volunteers were<br />

announced as winners<br />

of the Volunteer of<br />

the Year award.<br />

Right: Barbara<br />

Cathcart, Chief<br />

Executive of<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong> Hospitals<br />

Charity, addresses<br />

guests.<br />

NUHONOURS awards represent<br />

all that is great about NUH and<br />

celebrate our staff who make up<br />

the formidable ‘team NUH’.<br />

Yes, we have our challenges,<br />

which tend to dominate the<br />

headlines. Yet, we also have<br />

many success stories and<br />

exceptional staff to celebrate for<br />

the remarkable jobs they do, very<br />

often in the most pressured and<br />

challenging circumstances.<br />

The <strong>NUHonours</strong><br />

awards have never<br />

been so important.<br />

They are one of<br />

the highlights of<br />

the year for me<br />

personally and<br />

always a reminder<br />

of what a privilege<br />

it is to work<br />

alongside so many<br />

talented and Peter Homa<br />

dedicated<br />

colleagues who work so hard<br />

throughout the year, always<br />

striving to ‘raise the bar’ when it<br />

comes to doing the best possible<br />

job for patients, their loved ones<br />

and their families.<br />

This year is particularly<br />

special. We celebrate 10 years of<br />

NUH and, importantly, 10 years<br />

of support for <strong>NUHonours</strong> from<br />

our fabulous <strong>Nottingham</strong><br />

Hospitals Charity. Without the<br />

charity, this event would not be<br />

possible and for this, we could not<br />

be more grateful.<br />

It was a pleasure to personally<br />

choose the winner of the<br />

Outstanding Contribution to<br />

Patient Care category, a special<br />

award in recognition of <strong>2016</strong><br />

marking the 10th anniversary of<br />

NUH. There were so many<br />

contenders for this award, which<br />

made my job all the more<br />

difficult.<br />

Very many congratulations to<br />

everyone who was nominated,<br />

those who were shortlisted and,<br />

of course, the winners of this<br />

year’s awards. It is these<br />

colleagues who make NUH the<br />

great organisation it is. Thank<br />

you also to those who took the<br />

time to nominate staff to give<br />

colleagues the recognition and<br />

appreciation they truly deserve.<br />

Enjoy reading this <strong>supplement</strong><br />

and meeting just a few of our<br />

greatly valued members of ‘team<br />

NUH’ who made this year’s<br />

shortlist, and, of course, our<br />

class of <strong>2016</strong> winners.<br />

PETER HOMA,<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong> University Hospitals<br />

NHS Trust Chief Executive<br />

NEP-E01-S3 2


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

4 nottinghampost.com<br />

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PATIENT CARE<br />

‘They helped us<br />

through trauma of<br />

losing two babies’<br />

SPONSORED BY LEAGUE OF FRIENDS OF QMC<br />

NEP-E01-S3 4<br />

WHILE most of the<br />

categories in<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> are<br />

well established,<br />

this year it was decided to<br />

mark 10 years since NUH was<br />

founded by introducing a<br />

brand-new category for one<br />

year and one year only.<br />

The Outstanding<br />

Contribution to Patient Care<br />

■ Mr Alec McEwan<br />

CONSULTANT OBSTETRICIAN<br />

■ Anne Rooke<br />

SONOGRAPHER<br />

award aims to celebrate an<br />

exceptional contribution to<br />

patient care over the last<br />

decade. The winner was<br />

chosen by the NUH Chief<br />

Executive Peter Homa –and<br />

he decided the accolade<br />

should be shared by<br />

Consultant Mr Alec McEwan<br />

and Sonographer Anne Rooke,<br />

in recognition of their<br />

incredible compassion<br />

towards women experiencing<br />

problems with their<br />

pregnancies.<br />

It was one such woman,<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

Rachel Smithurst, who<br />

nominated Alec and Anne for<br />

helping her and her husband<br />

Martin through a traumatic<br />

two-year period in which they<br />

sadly lost two babies.<br />

Rachel said: “I was referred<br />

to the Fetal Care Unit at City<br />

Hospital in 2010, after our 20-<br />

week pregnancy scan<br />

highlighted a concern. We<br />

went to meet Alec and Anne,<br />

and our baby was diagnosed<br />

with a terminal condition.<br />

“It was a very stressful,<br />

traumatic and emotional time<br />

for us, but Alec and Anne<br />

discussed our options fully<br />

with us and gave us time to<br />

think them through. We were<br />

never rushed or ignored, and<br />

they always found time to<br />

answer our questions.<br />

“We chose to continue with<br />

our pregnancy and let nature<br />

take its course. Alec and Anne<br />

continually supported our<br />

choices. Despite the upset, I<br />

felt prepared when the time<br />

came for the birth, and we<br />

were able to focus on<br />

capturing as many memories<br />

as possible.”<br />

Rachel and Martin’s baby<br />

arrived at 33 weeks –but<br />

sadly didn’t survive the birth.<br />

And heartbreakingly, they<br />

went through the same agony<br />

again the following year –<br />

with Rachel falling pregnant<br />

again, but the pregnancy once<br />

again ending in tragedy.<br />

“I cannot put into words<br />

how devastating it is to lose a<br />

child,” said Rachel. “You give<br />

birth to a beautiful baby, and<br />

you feel so much love for<br />

them. So to have to take them<br />

to a chapel of rest and say<br />

goodbye is absolutely<br />

paralysing.”<br />

But throughout both<br />

pregnancies Alec and Anne<br />

were always there to offer<br />

support –not only to Rachel<br />

but also to Martin.<br />

Rachel said: “They talked to<br />

him about how he might feel,<br />

highlighting to him that he<br />

too would feel the trauma,<br />

worry and grief. Their care<br />

was second to one.”<br />

What’s more, despite the<br />

risk of further problems, Alec<br />

Amazing ... Anne Rooke and Alec McEwan.<br />

and Anne gave Rachel and<br />

Martin the hope and<br />

confidence to try for another<br />

baby –and in 2012, Rachel<br />

became pregnant again.<br />

“I could not have done this<br />

without the knowledge that<br />

we could turn to the Fetal<br />

Care Unit for help, support<br />

and care throughout the<br />

pregnancy,” said Rachel.<br />

“We were supported<br />

‘‘<br />

Alec and Anne are<br />

amazing people<br />

who deserve to be<br />

acknowledged for<br />

the outstanding<br />

support and care<br />

they provide.<br />

through various tests, before<br />

results confirmed that our<br />

unborn child was developing<br />

normally –and beautiful<br />

Charlie was born in October<br />

2012.<br />

“I would like to thank Alec<br />

and Anne for all the support,<br />

understanding, empathy and<br />

advice they gave my family<br />

and me. We will always be<br />

grateful to them –they are<br />

amazing people who deserve<br />

to be acknowledged for the<br />

outstanding support and care<br />

they provide.”<br />

Alec and Anne were both<br />

hugely honoured to be<br />

nominated for the<br />

Outstanding Contribution to<br />

Patient Care award.<br />

Alec said: “In my job I have<br />

the privilege of helping<br />

couples through some of the<br />

most difficult choices and<br />

experiences they will ever<br />

face. Pregnancy loss is a<br />

common outcome in my<br />

subspecialty, but what<br />

matters most to me is that I<br />

help to minimise the<br />

emotional pain experienced<br />

by my patients.”<br />

Anne has now moved on<br />

from Fetal Care and works in<br />

the NUH Radiography team.<br />

She said: “I immediately felt<br />

emotionally touched to think<br />

that, despite the traumatic<br />

and distressing events that<br />

this couple and their family<br />

endured, they found the time<br />

to write such kind words<br />

about the care they received<br />

from Mr McEwan and myself.<br />

“The high standard of care<br />

the <strong>Nottingham</strong> Fetal Care<br />

Units and both City Hospital<br />

and QMC provide to families<br />

is only possible because of a<br />

wider dedicated team of<br />

health care professionals.”


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

nottinghampost.com<br />

5<br />

MEDICINE DIVISION<br />

All smiles despite an increased workload ... The HCOP Secretarial Team.<br />

Making sure services<br />

run smoothly is vital job<br />

ALTHOUGH it’s the healthcare<br />

professionals who actually deliver the<br />

frontline care, there are also nonclinical<br />

staff who perform vital roles in<br />

ensuring that services run smoothly at<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong>’s hospitals.<br />

And that’s very much the case in<br />

NUH’s Healthcare of Older People<br />

(HCOP) department –with the<br />

department’s Secretarial Team having<br />

been nominated for <strong>NUHonours</strong> in<br />

recognition of the vital contribution<br />

they make.<br />

“The team looks after one of the<br />

largest and busiest departments at<br />

NUH,” said Dr Aamer Ali, NUH’s Head<br />

of Service for HCOP.<br />

“Every day the team deals with<br />

multiple phone calls, rota<br />

management, junior doctors,<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Healthcare of Elderly People<br />

Secretarial Team<br />

outpatient clinics, and –above all –<br />

keeping consultants abreast with the<br />

management plans of their patients.<br />

“The team’s workload has increased<br />

progressively over the years with a<br />

number of new responsibilities added.<br />

Staff shortages, an admin review and<br />

the changing consultant workforce<br />

have also meant extra challenges for<br />

the team –but they have coped<br />

admirably.<br />

“Every day I watch them cope with<br />

anxious patient relatives and stressed<br />

out medical staff. Together they have<br />

kept things going.”<br />

Caring Shereen<br />

‘an absolute angel’<br />

FOR Shereen Proctor,<br />

being nominated and<br />

shortlisted for<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> makes a<br />

double success for <strong>2016</strong> –as<br />

earlier in the year she also<br />

won the Adult Nurse of the<br />

Year award at the Trust’s<br />

annual Nurse and Midwife<br />

awards.<br />

This broad recognition is<br />

clearly deserved, though –<br />

indeed, she received no fewer<br />

than seven nominations for<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> this year.<br />

As part of the Respiratory<br />

Medicine service at City<br />

Hospital, Shereen is<br />

responsible for providing care<br />

to patients who are sadly at<br />

the end of their lives.<br />

And several of her<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> nominations<br />

were actually submitted by<br />

relatives of such patients.<br />

Role model ... Lisa Wells.<br />

■ Shereen Proctor<br />

SUPPORTIVE CARE SPECIALIST NURSE<br />

One of them, Paige<br />

Stainton, of Melton<br />

Mowbray, said: “Shereen<br />

looked after my grandma<br />

while she was undergoing<br />

treatment for ovarian cancer<br />

all the way up until her death<br />

this January.<br />

“She was always there to<br />

offer help and support to my<br />

family, and despite her<br />

discomfort my grandma<br />

underwent her entire<br />

treatment with a smile on her<br />

face because of Shereen.<br />

“Shereen always made sure<br />

my grandma was treated with<br />

the utmost respect and<br />

comfort possible, and my<br />

family were so grateful she<br />

was around.<br />

“She is an absolute angel, a<br />

wonderful nurse and a true<br />

friend to my family.<br />

“I believe Shereen always<br />

goes above and beyond what<br />

‘‘<br />

My grandma<br />

underwent her<br />

entire treatment<br />

with a smile on her<br />

face because of<br />

Shereen.<br />

is expected of her because she<br />

genuinely cares.<br />

“She regularly contacts my<br />

family even now to make sure<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Lisa Wells<br />

DEPUTY WARD SISTER<br />

we are receiving the right<br />

support, and the proof was in<br />

the pudding when she got<br />

voted Nurse of the Year. My<br />

grandma would have loved to<br />

have seen Shereen succeed –I<br />

believe she would have been<br />

very proud.”<br />

Shereen, who has worked at<br />

NUH for 10 years, says she<br />

was speechless when she<br />

found out she had been<br />

shortlisted for <strong>NUHonours</strong> –<br />

and that she’s driven every<br />

day by a genuine love for her<br />

job.<br />

She said: “I love coming<br />

home knowing that I have<br />

made a difference to<br />

someone’s life.<br />

“Ensuring patients at the<br />

end of their lives, as well as<br />

their loved ones, get the best<br />

possible care and support is<br />

what drives me every day.”<br />

‘A true friend’ ... Shereen Proctor.<br />

Going out of her way to make patients feel special<br />

LISA WELLS is a “wonderful” Deputy<br />

Ward Sister on F19 at QMC, which is a<br />

ward where care is provided for older<br />

people.<br />

Described as a selfless person who<br />

goes above and beyond for her<br />

patients, she actually received two<br />

nominations for this year’s<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong>.<br />

“Lisa is a wonderful nurse,” said the<br />

person who submitted one of the<br />

nominations, who asked to remain<br />

anonymous.<br />

“She will often take time to bring<br />

social items to the ward, such as<br />

requested breakfast items for those<br />

patients with particular tastes, just so<br />

they will eat or drink something they<br />

like.<br />

“On Mother’s Day, Lisa made paper<br />

carnations so our ladies could enjoy<br />

flowers, especially those who didn’t<br />

have visitors; and for Remembrance<br />

Day she spent time knitting and<br />

crafting a large display of poppies and<br />

Memorial Day material for our<br />

patients to enjoy.<br />

“Lisa makes the patients and their<br />

families feel special, and is the one<br />

person who gets mentioned most in<br />

thank-you cards, gifts and phone calls<br />

received by the ward. She deserves<br />

this nomination so we can show her<br />

how much she means to us, our team<br />

and, most importantly, our patients.<br />

“Lisa is also a wonderful role model<br />

for our team. She always leads by<br />

example and works tirelessly to<br />

maintain our ward standards.”<br />

NEP-E01-S3 4


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

6 nottinghampost.com<br />

CANCER & ASSOCIATED SPECIALTIES DIVISION<br />

Ethnic clinic’s<br />

breakthrough bid<br />

NOTTINGHAM is an<br />

increasingly<br />

diverse community<br />

–and in the<br />

medical world, it’s a wellknown<br />

fact that people from<br />

black and minority ethnic<br />

(BME) communities are at<br />

much greater risk of being<br />

diagnosed with prostate<br />

cancer.<br />

Yet in 2015, only a tiny<br />

percentage of the 506 NUH<br />

patients diagnosed with<br />

prostate cancer were from<br />

BME communities. This<br />

fuelled long-held concerns<br />

that people from these<br />

■ Urology Specialist<br />

Team leading the Black<br />

and Ethnic Minority<br />

Community Urology<br />

Clinic<br />

communities do not engage<br />

with health services as much<br />

as they could –and led to a<br />

team of NUH specialists<br />

setting up a clinic at the Afro-<br />

Caribbean National Artistic<br />

Centre in St Ann’s.<br />

The work to launch a<br />

cancer clinic in the heart of<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong>’s BME<br />

community was carried out<br />

by NUH in partnership with<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong> City Clinical<br />

Commissioning Group and<br />

the charity BME Cancer<br />

Communities. It’s still early<br />

days for the project but there<br />

are already signs that it’s<br />

proving successful in<br />

engaging a group who have<br />

traditionally been hard to<br />

reach.<br />

“To date, the nurses have<br />

seen over 90 individuals<br />

through five community<br />

clinics,” said Maria Duffin-<br />

Mills, Matron for NUH’s<br />

Cancer and Associated<br />

Specialties Division.<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

‘‘<br />

The service is still<br />

in its infancy, but<br />

uptake so far has<br />

been very<br />

encouraging.<br />

“These clinics have been<br />

held fortnightly, with one<br />

nurse and one healthcare<br />

assistant –and in a bid to<br />

ensure that no one gets<br />

discouraged from attending<br />

them, the clinic numbers have<br />

not been capped.<br />

“On one occasion, this<br />

meant that one nurse<br />

specialist worked tirelessly to<br />

see 27 patients.<br />

“The service is still in its<br />

infancy, but uptake so far<br />

Members of the Urology team (left to right) Kerry Malone,<br />

Bria McAllister, Marva Patterson and Ben Sherwood.<br />

has been very encouraging.”<br />

Maria credits three NUH<br />

staff members in particular<br />

for the success of the project –<br />

Clinical Nurse Specialist<br />

Marva Patterson, Nurse<br />

Practitioner Bria McAllister<br />

and Health Care Assistant<br />

Jodie Howarth.<br />

“It cannot be underestimated<br />

that this type of work really<br />

does require the right<br />

individuals in post,” said Maria.<br />

“The BME community is very<br />

tight-knit as a general rule, and<br />

if our clinic was not managed<br />

sensitively and conducively,<br />

that message would be relayed<br />

very quickly across the entire<br />

community.”<br />

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NEP-E01-S3 6<br />

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Understanding ... Sister Debra Sheppard (fourth right) with Chemotherapy Day Case Staff.<br />

Leading the way with e-tech<br />

NUH is very much at the forefront of<br />

innovation when it comes to using technology<br />

to enhance the experiences of patients –with<br />

the Trust’s chemotherapy service a shining<br />

example of this.<br />

The staff who run the service have recently<br />

started using a new system called an electronic<br />

Holistic Needs Assessment (eHNA) –which<br />

enables them to capture what patients are<br />

concerned about as they prepare for their first<br />

course of chemotherapy. And according to<br />

Diane Ryan, NUH’s Lead Chemotherapy<br />

Nurse, the initiative is already making a huge<br />

difference.<br />

She said: “The impact of this change has<br />

been impressive. For the first time we truly<br />

understand what chemotherapy patients are<br />

most concerned about –information that isn’t<br />

captured anywhere else.<br />

“Starting chemotherapy is a daunting<br />

prospect for most patients, but often they have<br />

additional worries and concerns that, for them,<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Chemotherapy Day Case Staff<br />

can outweigh issues they may have with the<br />

actual treatment. But through using the eHNA<br />

technology, information on the unit is now<br />

tailored to what the patients need –rather<br />

than what we assumed they wanted.”<br />

NUH is the first trust in the country to be<br />

using eHNA technology as part of a<br />

chemotherapy service –and Diane says that<br />

she and her colleagues find it a valuable tool in<br />

ensures patients’ worries and concerns are<br />

addressed promptly.<br />

She said: “As it becomes embedded in<br />

practice patients are now being signposted<br />

first time to the other services they may need.<br />

“This has included everything from financial<br />

advice to counselling and support in helping<br />

patients come to terms with their cancer and<br />

the need for chemo.”


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

nottinghampost.com<br />

7<br />

Can-do team help ease the pain<br />

BASED at City Hospital, the<br />

Specialist Receiving Unit (SRU) is<br />

an emergency admissions unit that<br />

accepts patients from a range of<br />

specialties –and it was a patient<br />

who spent some time on the SRU<br />

while undergoing treatment for<br />

cancer who felt the unit deserved<br />

an <strong>NUHonours</strong> nomination.<br />

Kathryn Houghton, of Newark,<br />

was admitted to the SRU in May<br />

while undergoing chemotherapy.<br />

She said: “I was admitted<br />

overnight and received excellent<br />

care from start to finish. I was<br />

particularly impressed by the<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Specialist Receiving Unit<br />

professionalism and the<br />

compassion shown by all staff –not<br />

just to myself but to other patients<br />

and their relatives.<br />

“There are too many staff to<br />

compliment individually, but both<br />

my nurse Rachel Dalton and Dr<br />

Amanda Shantikatara deserve<br />

particular praise.<br />

“When I was admitted I was<br />

distressed and in pain, but all the<br />

staff provided reassurance that they<br />

would be able to address all my<br />

concerns and issues –and at every<br />

stage, all the options and plans<br />

were clearly explained to me.<br />

“I felt I could trust them to know<br />

how to solve the medical problems<br />

and that they also understood how<br />

I felt emotionally.”<br />

All high praise –but thoroughly<br />

deserved for a team who take an<br />

enormous amount of pride in what<br />

they do. Robin Binks, NUH Matron<br />

for Clinical Haemotology said: “The<br />

SRU team have a can-do approach<br />

and strive to deliver excellence in<br />

everything they do.”<br />

Professionalism and compassion ... SRU team members.<br />

SPONSORED BY INHEALTH<br />

CLINICAL SUPPORT DIVISION<br />

Mr Efficiency!<br />

WHILE everyone<br />

knows that NUH<br />

employs lots of<br />

doctors and nurses,<br />

there are other staff who work in<br />

roles that may come as a surprise<br />

to people.<br />

And one of those is Simon<br />

Cruickshank –whose role as a<br />

Business Analyst and Systems<br />

Manager is all about using data to<br />

try to find ways to improve the<br />

Trust’s services.<br />

Simon’s work is so valued by<br />

colleagues in clinical disciplines<br />

that he received three<br />

nominations for this year’s<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> –with each one<br />

praising his efforts in developing<br />

a system that’s increased<br />

efficiency of operating theatres at<br />

both City Hospital and QMC.<br />

■ Simon Cruickshank<br />

BUSINESS ANALYST AND SYSTEMS MANAGER<br />

“One of Simon’s big projects in<br />

the last 12 months was building<br />

an in-house theatre scheduling<br />

tool,” says one of the three<br />

people who nominated him, who<br />

asked to remain anonymous.<br />

“This came about after Simon<br />

observed a from a private<br />

company and thought that he<br />

could save money and offer<br />

improved functionality for the<br />

Trust by building a system<br />

himself in-house.<br />

“This system has now been<br />

rolled out across all the surgical<br />

specialties and has been showing<br />

an improvement in metrics,<br />

including in session utilisation<br />

Wendy meets the challenge<br />

SINCE joining NUH four years ago,<br />

Wendy Monaghan-Smith has become<br />

regarded as a key member of the team<br />

who run the Colorectal theatres at the<br />

Queen’s Medical Centre.<br />

She was nominated for <strong>NUHonours</strong> by<br />

her colleague Kerry Walker, Deputy Team<br />

Leader on the theatres. “Wendy has<br />

worked extremely hard to study to gain<br />

the band 4 position she now holds. She<br />

was inspired to do this so she can deliver<br />

higher quality and more in-depth care to<br />

her patients, and this is something she<br />

demonstrates on a daily basis by working<br />

above and beyond her expected duties.<br />

“The nature of working in theatres<br />

means a lot of unpredicted late finishes,<br />

which Wendy will work through without<br />

complaining. She always puts herself<br />

forward to scrub for the long, complex<br />

and difficult cases which are very<br />

challenging for even higher-graded staff;<br />

and she is very vocal and forward if she is<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Wendy Monaghan-Smith<br />

ASSISTANT THEATRE PRACTITIONER<br />

not happy about patient care and will do<br />

everything she can to rectify whatever the<br />

situation is.”<br />

Wendy has also developed a reputation<br />

for taking new starters under her wing.<br />

Kerry said: “She is a real people person<br />

who can deliver this guidance at an<br />

appropriate level for staff and students.”<br />

Wendy herself was slightly bashful<br />

when she found out that she’d been put<br />

forward for <strong>NUHonours</strong>. “I was a bit<br />

embarrassed, as I’m not one for<br />

attention,” she said.<br />

“I really enjoy helping people in my job.<br />

We deal with a lot of cancer patients, so I<br />

gain a lot of satisfaction from knowing that<br />

I’ve helped them get rid of their cancer or<br />

get more time with their families.”<br />

percentages –meaning that the<br />

Trust has a higher throughput of<br />

patients in theatre without<br />

needing to increase the number<br />

of sessions. Simon has worked<br />

‘‘<br />

Thanks to Simon, the<br />

Trust has a higher<br />

throughput of patients<br />

in theatre.<br />

really hard to make the system as<br />

useful as possible for the<br />

specialties, tailoring the way<br />

calculations are performed or<br />

Wendy<br />

Monaghan-<br />

Smith (above)<br />

and Michelle<br />

Emsley.<br />

predictions are made to how each<br />

specialty works.<br />

“The tool has improved staff<br />

experience, particularly for the<br />

theatre teams –as they can be<br />

more aware of the likelihood of<br />

list overrun and plan accordingly.<br />

Previously, some teams were<br />

frequently having to stay much<br />

later than their planned shifts<br />

when the list ran over.”<br />

Simon, who has worked at<br />

NUH for 13 years, says he was<br />

incredibly flattered to be<br />

nominated for <strong>NUHonours</strong>. He<br />

said: “It was a big surprise and an<br />

even bigger surprise to be<br />

shortlisted. It means a lot to me.<br />

“Data jobs can be unrewarding,<br />

but I find it very rewarding here at<br />

NUH knowing that the things I do<br />

have an impact on patient care.”<br />

In-house project ... Simon Cruickshank.<br />

On the move with Michelle<br />

WORKING on D8 ward with patients with<br />

spinal injuries, Michelle Emsley describes<br />

her job as “the best job in the world” –<br />

and has developed a reputation for being<br />

someone who is always looking for new<br />

ways to improve patient care.<br />

Michelle has worked at NUH for 15<br />

years –and during her time on D8, she<br />

has successfully implemented a number<br />

of her own ideas through the Trust’s staff<br />

‘Just Do It’ scheme.<br />

“A lot of Michelle’s patients are coming<br />

to terms with altered mobility following<br />

life-changing injuries,” said the person<br />

who nominated Michelle for <strong>NUHonours</strong>,<br />

who asked to remain anonymous. “The<br />

physical and emotional stress of this is<br />

phenomenal, and for patients to have<br />

someone like Michelle by their side is<br />

invaluable.<br />

“Michelle puts the patient first and puts<br />

in a lot of time researching equipment<br />

and ideas, applying for funding and<br />

■ SHORTLISTED: Michelle Emsley<br />

SPINAL INPATIENT PHYSIOTHERAPIST AND CLINICAL<br />

TEAM LEADER<br />

securing equipment to help her patients.<br />

“For example, she has been successful<br />

in acquiring new self-propelling<br />

wheelchairs, which mean patients can<br />

move themselves around on and off the<br />

ward, rather than having to wait for staff<br />

to take them. For patients who are<br />

spending months in hospital to<br />

rehabilitate and get used to loss of<br />

mobility it means the world.”<br />

For Michelle, her proactive approach in<br />

making life better for her patients is<br />

driven by one thing –her genuine love for<br />

her job.<br />

She said: “I’m passionate about being a<br />

physio, and you always want the best for<br />

your patients. It’s all about trying to give<br />

them independence.”<br />

NEP-E01-S3 6


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

8 nottinghampost.com<br />

TEAM OF THE YEAR<br />

Nothing too<br />

much trouble<br />

for caring unit<br />

THE Burns Unit at City<br />

Hospital provides care<br />

for patients admitted<br />

with a wide range of<br />

injuries, from small burns to<br />

life-threatening trauma –and<br />

the team who run the unit have<br />

developed a reputation for<br />

always going above and beyond.<br />

“The team show an<br />

exemplary level of care towards<br />

their patients,” said the person<br />

who nominated them for<br />

■ Burns Unit Team<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong>, who has asked to<br />

remain anonymous.<br />

“They recently had an elderly<br />

lady on the unit –and her<br />

husband was visiting daily. The<br />

ward staff were worried that the<br />

elderly gentleman was not<br />

eating enough so they made<br />

sure they fed him every day.<br />

“Not only that, but on the last<br />

evening that he came to visit<br />

before his wife was discharged<br />

home, the staff set up a<br />

candlelight supper with LED<br />

candles and a meal for both of<br />

them.<br />

“This is just one of many<br />

examples of how nothing is too<br />

much trouble for the staff on<br />

the Burns Unit. As they have a<br />

large number of homeless<br />

patients on the ward, they<br />

bought a washing machine and<br />

tumble dryer so all patients<br />

have clean clothes when they<br />

are discharged.<br />

“They always make patients,<br />

carers and visitors feel<br />

welcome.”<br />

The level to which the Burns<br />

Unit team are appreciated can<br />

be measured by the sheer<br />

number of ‘thank you’ cards<br />

from patients on display on the<br />

unit.<br />

“Our team always shows<br />

compassion, empathy and<br />

commitment towards the<br />

patients,” said Sarah Hales,<br />

Discharge Co-ordinator on the<br />

unit. “We are a very close team<br />

who strive to achieve the best<br />

care and service that we can<br />

provide.<br />

“We also have fund-raising<br />

events, such as cake sales and<br />

tombolas. The Burns Unit team<br />

are one of the best teams I have<br />

ever worked with.”<br />

Making a<br />

meal of it<br />

... Burns<br />

Unit staff<br />

even laid<br />

on a<br />

farewell<br />

supper for<br />

one elderly<br />

patient and<br />

her<br />

husband.<br />

‘‘<br />

They always<br />

make<br />

patients,<br />

carers and<br />

visitors feel<br />

welcome.<br />

NEP-E01-S3 8<br />

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<br />

The Paediatric<br />

Critical Care<br />

team and<br />

(inset) the<br />

McQueens.<br />

Thanks for saving our son<br />

THE summer of <strong>2016</strong> saw a<br />

time of great happiness for<br />

Martin and Lindsey McQueen,<br />

with the birth of their baby<br />

boy Alex.<br />

However, the McQueens’<br />

joy at their new arrival was<br />

short-lived –as just two weeks<br />

after he was born, Alex was<br />

rushed into hospital after<br />

falling seriously ill with<br />

suspected meningitis.<br />

Fortunately, though, for<br />

Alex, he was placed in the<br />

very capable hands of NUH’s<br />

Paediatric Critical Care Team,<br />

based at QMC, led by Dr<br />

Charlotte Goedvolk.<br />

Mr McQueen said: “Dr<br />

Goedvolk was clear that she<br />

was terribly worried for Alex,<br />

and we were told to prepare<br />

ourselves for the worst.<br />

“Notwithstanding this, Dr<br />

Goedvolk and her team swung<br />

into action and, despite the<br />

fact that she was nearing the<br />

end of a punishingly long<br />

shift, she and the other staff<br />

on the unit battled relentlessly<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Paediatric Critical Care<br />

Team<br />

to save our son’s life.<br />

“At 1am, we were advised to<br />

get some sleep and let the<br />

cocktail of medication take its<br />

effect.<br />

“Unfortunately, at 3am, we<br />

were asked to come back to<br />

the unit, as the ‘last throw of<br />

the dice’ medication had just<br />

been administered.<br />

“Remarkably, Alex made it<br />

through the night –all thanks<br />

to Dr Goedvolk and her<br />

amazing team.<br />

“Charlotte took immediate<br />

control of the situation, and<br />

constantly vocalised her<br />

thoughts and<br />

recommendations. The team<br />

responded magnificently,<br />

each member taking on<br />

individual responsibility for<br />

each area of Alex’s treatment.<br />

“We have no doubt that,<br />

were it not for the relentless<br />

and dogged determination of<br />

the team, Alex would not have<br />

survived the night. Alex is far<br />

from out of the woods, but he<br />

now has a fighting chance of a<br />

fulfilling life, which he would<br />

not have had but for Dr<br />

Goedvolk and her magnificent<br />

team.”<br />

It was the McQueens who<br />

nominated the Paediatric<br />

Critical Care team for the<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> Team of the Year<br />

award –and Dr Goedvolk is<br />

pleased with the recognition<br />

for her and her colleagues.<br />

She said: “Paediatric Critical<br />

Care is a very high pressure<br />

and stressful environment<br />

and we rely on teamwork to<br />

get good outcomes for our<br />

patients and their families.<br />

I’m touched by the comments<br />

from the McQueen family and<br />

feel honoured that they<br />

nominated our team.<br />

“I am extremely pleased to<br />

hear that Alex is doing well, at<br />

home with his family, as that is<br />

what we as a team strive for.”


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

nottinghampost.com<br />

9<br />

Top teamwork benefits patients<br />

THE Adult Intensive Care Unit at<br />

QMC is a place where treatment is<br />

provided for patients with serious<br />

illnesses, as well as those recovering<br />

from major surgery.<br />

For many patients, the complex<br />

nature of their conditions means<br />

that they might stay on the unit for<br />

several weeks or more –which is<br />

when they get to know the Long-<br />

Term Ward Round Team.<br />

The team consists of a consultant,<br />

a senior nurse, a speech and<br />

language therapist, an occupational<br />

therapist, a physio, a pharmacist<br />

and a dietitian –and on their<br />

weekly ward round, they aim to<br />

identify any issues that patients<br />

have that require more than<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Adult Intensive Care Unit<br />

Long-Term Ward Round Team<br />

standard Critical Care interventions.<br />

“The team have received<br />

excellent feedback,,” said<br />

Samantha Littlefair, the team’s<br />

Speech and Language Therapist.<br />

“In 2015 the team worked with a<br />

young lady with Guillain-Barre<br />

syndrome, who was paralysed. She<br />

had a lot of pain issues, and the<br />

team found innovative ways to<br />

relieve her pain. They also arranged<br />

visits from pets –and even tried to<br />

arrange a birthing pool, as she was<br />

desperate to have a soak in the bath.<br />

“The team regularly arrange trips<br />

out for patients, and this really<br />

benefits their mood during a long<br />

stay. They also make changes to<br />

patients’ everyday care –such as<br />

moving a patient’s bed so they have<br />

a better view, or modifying the time<br />

of their tube feeding, so they can<br />

mobilise more during the day.<br />

“The team capture the essence of<br />

the Trust vision of working together<br />

to be the best for patients.”<br />

The team received two<br />

nominations for <strong>NUHonours</strong>. One<br />

of the nominators asked to remain<br />

anonymous but said: “The team<br />

should be proud of the work they<br />

are doing –it is multi-disciplinary<br />

team-working at its best.”<br />

SPONSORED BY MEDSTROM HEALTHCARE<br />

Best practice ... The AICU team and (inset) Dr Dan Harvey.<br />

SURGERY DIVISION<br />

Truly inspiring<br />

DR Naseer Haboubi has<br />

worked at NUH for 13<br />

years –and he plays a<br />

hugely important role<br />

in helping rehabilitate patients<br />

who have been admitted with<br />

very serious and often lifethreatening<br />

injuries.<br />

“The more I work with Dr<br />

Haboubi the more inspired by<br />

him I am, as are the rest of the<br />

team,” said colleague Rohan<br />

Revell, Major Trauma Case<br />

Manager, who nominated Dr<br />

Haboubi for <strong>NUHonours</strong>.<br />

“Dr Haboubi sees patients who<br />

have been involved in major<br />

trauma. Often their relatives<br />

spend time in Critical Care<br />

wondering if they will be told the<br />

worst has happened. But when<br />

Health and<br />

happiness!<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Barclay Thoracic Ward<br />

THE team who run the Barclay<br />

Thoracic Ward were nominated<br />

for <strong>NUHonours</strong> by someone who<br />

credits them with saving his life.<br />

Based at City Hospital, the ward<br />

provides care for patients with<br />

chest conditions. And one person<br />

who has experienced that first<br />

hand is the Reverend Arthur<br />

Shivas, who submitted one of two<br />

nominations that were received.<br />

Arthur, who actually works at<br />

NUH himself as one of the Trust’s<br />

chaplains, said: “The team on<br />

Barclay Ward are amazing<br />

■ Dr Naseer Haboubi<br />

NEURO REHABILITATION CONSULTANT<br />

Dr Haboubi meets them, he<br />

somehow anticipates the<br />

questions they want to ask but<br />

are too afraid of asking.<br />

“Dr Haboubi invites relatives<br />

to be part of the team looking<br />

after their loved one. He makes<br />

them become involved he helps<br />

them any way he can.<br />

“Recently, a relative rang up to<br />

tell us that her father had been<br />

readmitted to a local hospital,<br />

and so couldn’t attend Dr<br />

Haboubi’s outpatient clinic. Dr<br />

Haboubi just asked for the<br />

relative’s phone number. He<br />

rang her, explained some<br />

–although I am slightly biased as<br />

they saved my life.<br />

“Because of their care and<br />

attention to detail I am now back<br />

at work. They also looked after my<br />

wife and ensured she was<br />

surrounded by the same love that<br />

they showed to me and the other<br />

patients.<br />

“They are probably the happiest<br />

team in the hospital because they<br />

truly are a team. From consultant<br />

to cleaner, every member of staff<br />

is dedicated to providing<br />

exceptional patient care.”<br />

questions she had, gave<br />

information and advice, and<br />

then gave her his contact details<br />

and encouraged her to ring at<br />

any time. This is something he<br />

commonly does.<br />

‘‘<br />

The more I work with<br />

Dr Haboubi the more<br />

inspired by him I am.<br />

“Dr Haboubi always has a<br />

cheery smile for the Major<br />

Trauma Unit and will go and see<br />

The Barclay Thoracic Team were<br />

also nominated for <strong>NUHonours</strong> by<br />

their own Matron, Jo Manogue.<br />

She said: “Team work is<br />

outstanding on this ward –nurses,<br />

doctors and admin and clerical<br />

staff work together to ensure the<br />

care and experience for all the<br />

patients is of the highest standard<br />

possible.<br />

“Strong leadership is very clear,<br />

as is a very positive outlook.<br />

Visitors are greeted with a smile<br />

and a friendly face –nothing is too<br />

much trouble.”<br />

patients anywhere in the hospital<br />

as soon as you let him know<br />

about them. I have never told Dr<br />

Haboubi about a patient I have<br />

concerns about without him<br />

saying ‘Let’s go and see them<br />

now.’<br />

“Our main wish in Major<br />

Trauma is that we can clone him<br />

before he retires.”<br />

Dr Haboubi said he felt<br />

“humble and privileged” to be<br />

nominated for the award.<br />

“Appreciation from patients,<br />

their families and colleagues is<br />

the best reward for me and all<br />

people who work in the public<br />

sector.<br />

“The smiles in their face and<br />

their compliments and thanks is<br />

what keep me enjoying my job.”<br />

“If only we could clone him” ... Dr Haboubi.<br />

Online for success<br />

HELPING set up a new website for<br />

cancer patients earned Rebecca<br />

McNaught a nomination for<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong>.<br />

The website launched this month<br />

after two years of hard work led by<br />

Rebecca, mostly in her own time.<br />

The Deputy Sister on the Head and<br />

Neck unit at QMC, was inspired to get<br />

the project off the ground after seeing<br />

in her day-to-day work some of the<br />

challenges that cancer patients face in<br />

accessing information.<br />

“Having cancer can be so isolating for<br />

head and neck patients,” says Rebecca.<br />

“They often lose their voicebox or have to<br />

talk through prosthetic gadgets, which<br />

can make communicating by phone<br />

difficult –so having access to information<br />

online will make a real difference.”<br />

The website –available at<br />

www.nottshncs.nhs.uk –contains a<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Rebecca<br />

McNaught<br />

DEPUTY SISTER<br />

wealth of information, including patient<br />

stories, surgical information and advice<br />

on how to look after tubes and stomas.<br />

“We had a lot of involvement from<br />

patients in getting the site set up,” said<br />

Rebecca. “The site also has recipe ideas<br />

–as commonly, head and neck cancer<br />

patients go home with an altered diet.”<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong> Hospitals Charity has<br />

met the cost of setting up the website.<br />

One of Rebecca’s co-workers who<br />

nominated her said: “Her passion and<br />

drive to improve the patient experience<br />

is evident in the hard work she’s done<br />

to launch a website virtually singlehandedly.”<br />

NEP-E01-S3 8


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

10 nottinghampost.com<br />

The best<br />

Members of<br />

the Young<br />

People 4<br />

Change<br />

group who<br />

won the<br />

Patient<br />

Champion<br />

of the Year<br />

award.<br />

Anne Rooke (second left) and Alec McEwan (far right), who won the Outstanding<br />

Contribution to Patient Care award, pictured with the couple who nominated them,<br />

Martin and Rachel Smithurst.<br />

Winners all ... <strong>NUHonours</strong> category winners get together for a group photograph at the awards night,<br />

Winners of<br />

the<br />

Research<br />

Impact<br />

award –the<br />

NIHR<br />

Hearing<br />

BRU and<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong><br />

Audiology<br />

Services<br />

Team.<br />

Christine King (left), Richard Phillips and Janet Simpson, joint winners<br />

NEP-E01-S3 10<br />

Specialist<br />

Nurse<br />

Stephanie<br />

Grayling<br />

who won<br />

the Better<br />

Futures<br />

award for<br />

helping to<br />

train the<br />

clinical<br />

staff of<br />

tomorrow.<br />

Medical PA<br />

Sarah<br />

Aldred who<br />

won the<br />

Family<br />

Health<br />

category<br />

as someone<br />

always<br />

prepared to<br />

go the<br />

extra mile.<br />

Neuro<br />

Rehabilitation<br />

Consultant<br />

Dr Naseer<br />

Haboubi,<br />

whose<br />

inspirational<br />

work won<br />

him the<br />

Surgery<br />

Division<br />

award.<br />

Behind the Scenes category winn<br />

NUH Chair Louise Scull and Chief


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

nottinghampost.com 11<br />

of NUH<br />

The Urology<br />

Specialist<br />

Team who<br />

won the<br />

Cancer and<br />

Associated<br />

Specialties<br />

category<br />

for their<br />

work in<br />

setting up a<br />

prostate<br />

cancer<br />

clinic for<br />

the black<br />

and ethnic<br />

minority<br />

community.<br />

ight, held at the East Midlands Conference Centre. PICTURES: NEAL HUGHES AND NICK TULLY. Team of the Year winners the Burns Unit.<br />

nners of the Estates and Facilities Division award.<br />

The Tram<br />

Volunteers<br />

who won<br />

the<br />

Volunteer<br />

of the Year<br />

category.<br />

winner Terrence Green with<br />

hief Executive Peter Homa.<br />

Charity Champion Mandy Dann with <strong>Nottingham</strong><br />

Hospitals Charity chairman William Colacicchi.<br />

Business<br />

Analyst and<br />

Systems<br />

Manager<br />

Simon<br />

Cruickshank<br />

won the<br />

Clinical<br />

Support<br />

award for<br />

his use of<br />

data to find<br />

ways to<br />

improve<br />

NUH’s<br />

services, .<br />

Supportive<br />

Care<br />

Specialist<br />

Nurse<br />

Shereen<br />

Proctor<br />

–described<br />

as “an<br />

absolute<br />

angel”<br />

–won the<br />

Medicine<br />

Division<br />

category.<br />

NEP-E01-S3 10


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

12 nottinghampost.com<br />

RESEARCH IMPACT OF THE YEAR<br />

Hear, hear!<br />

WHILE most of you will<br />

be well aware that NUH<br />

runs QMC and City<br />

Hospital, you might not<br />

know that the Trust also offers a<br />

range of services at Ropewalk House<br />

in <strong>Nottingham</strong> city centre.<br />

These services include a range of<br />

support and treatment for people of<br />

all ages with hearing problems. And<br />

over the last few years, a number of<br />

NUH staff involved in delivering this<br />

care have been involved in an<br />

innovative research project called<br />

HEAR IT –which is all about trying<br />

to make life easier for those who use<br />

hearing aids.<br />

Vicenta Rose, Unit Operations<br />

Director for <strong>Nottingham</strong>’s Hearing<br />

Biomedical Research Unit, said:<br />

“Hearing aids have the potential to<br />

transform the lives of those with<br />

permanent hearing loss. Yet out of<br />

the two million people who have<br />

■ NIHR Hearing BRU and<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong> Audiology<br />

Services for C2Hear<br />

multimedia online information<br />

one, around 20 per cent –400,000<br />

people –do not wear their device.<br />

“Hearing aid non-usage can result<br />

in continued difficulties in<br />

communication in everyday<br />

situations, which can lead to social<br />

isolation and withdrawal, and<br />

reduced overall quality of life.”<br />

As part of the HEAR IT project, a<br />

series of 10 videos has been created<br />

called C2Hear –aimed at first-time<br />

users –and the impact of these has<br />

been significant.<br />

The videos have been viewed<br />

online more than 10,000 times –and<br />

the HEAR IT team have been<br />

contacted by other services all over<br />

the world requesting translations<br />

The team get in the party mood to celebrate their success.<br />

into various other languages.<br />

“Hearing aid users who got the<br />

videos at the same time as their<br />

hearing aids had significant benefits<br />

compared to those who only got<br />

hearing aids,” said Vicenta.<br />

“These benefits included better<br />

knowledge of hearing aid-related<br />

issues, better hearing aid handling<br />

skills, and improved confidence and<br />

reassurance in using hearing aids<br />

and communicating.”<br />

‘‘<br />

Out of the two million<br />

people who have a<br />

hearing aid, around<br />

400,000 do not wear<br />

their device.<br />

<br />

<br />

Putting research to the test ...The<br />

DREEAM Team nurses and doctors.<br />

Going like<br />

a DREEAM<br />

■ SHORTLISTED: DREEAM Team<br />

NEP-E01-S3 12<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

AS names go, it’s fair to say<br />

that Department of Research<br />

and Education in Emergency<br />

and Acute Medicine is a bit of<br />

a mouthful –so it’s no surprise<br />

that it is generally referred to<br />

by the rather snappier<br />

acronym of DREEAM.<br />

The work of DREEAM is all<br />

about finding ways to<br />

improve the way services are<br />

delivered in the NUH’s<br />

Emergency Department. And<br />

the team who run the<br />

department are developing a<br />

growing reputation across the<br />

Trust –indeed, they received<br />

no fewer than four<br />

nominations for <strong>NUHonours</strong><br />

this year.<br />

“The DREEAM Team work<br />

really hard in recruiting<br />

patients to research trials in<br />

the Emergency Department<br />

and Critical Care,” said one of<br />

the nominators, who asked to<br />

remain anonymous.<br />

“Often, the trials they run<br />

involve complex logistics and<br />

liaison with other teams and<br />

departments. However, their<br />

trials are successful and often<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong> is one of the top<br />

recruiting sites in multi-site<br />

studies.<br />

“The team look after a<br />

varied portfolio that includes<br />

both observational and<br />

interventional studies,<br />

commercial drug trials and<br />

smaller questionnaire studies.<br />

They work successfully with a<br />

variety of colleagues,<br />

including consultants, ward<br />

nurses and students. The<br />

team are very friendly and<br />

knowledgeable.”<br />

Another nomination for the<br />

DREEAM Team came from Dr<br />

James Thomas, a Teaching<br />

Fellow with the NUH<br />

Emergency Department.<br />

“The team are all<br />

approachable and friendly,”<br />

he said: “They have worked<br />

individually and as a team to<br />

make our patients aware the<br />

role research has in clinical<br />

medicine; a role which is only<br />

going to grow.”


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

nottinghampost.com 13<br />

Research that improves patients’ lives<br />

FOR the uninitiated, haematology is<br />

the study of the blood –and the<br />

work done by the NUH Clinical<br />

Haematology Research Team is<br />

ultimately all about improving<br />

prognosis for patients with disorders<br />

of the blood and bone marrow.<br />

The team were nominated for<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> by someone who has<br />

worked closely with them –Dr<br />

Christopher Fox, a Consultant<br />

Haematologist at NUH.<br />

Dr Fox said: “Through dedicated<br />

and high-quality team-working and<br />

‘going the extra mile’, this team<br />

consistently and significantly<br />

contribute to improved patient<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Clinical Haematology<br />

Research Team<br />

outcomes. There have been a<br />

number of notable examples of this<br />

over the past few years.<br />

“These have been instances where<br />

the team have worked with<br />

leukaemia and myeloma patients for<br />

whom no further treatment options<br />

were available –and have enabled<br />

them to access novel drugs and<br />

novel combinations of drugs through<br />

early-phase clinical trials, ultimately<br />

resulting in prolongation of survival<br />

and improved quality of life.<br />

“Many such trials involve the<br />

research team working out of hours<br />

to enable safe and effective delivery<br />

of treatment.”<br />

Research teams operating in<br />

hospitals have to meet performance<br />

targets just like any other department<br />

–and the Clinical Haematology<br />

Research team is regularly among the<br />

highest scorers in both NUH and the<br />

entire East Midlands region.<br />

“The performance of this team is<br />

now recognised nationally across a<br />

range of different blood cancers,<br />

with NUH consistently being among<br />

the highest recruiters to both<br />

academic and commercial studies in<br />

leukaemia, lymphoma and<br />

myeloma,” said Dr Fox.<br />

“Notably, the team’s performance<br />

was recently commended by an<br />

SPONSORED BY NOTTINGHAM TRENT UNIVERSITY<br />

Going the<br />

extra mile ...<br />

The Clinical<br />

Haematology<br />

Research<br />

Team.<br />

independent review conducted by<br />

the blood cancer research charity<br />

Bloodwise, which led to the award of<br />

a further three-year grant to support<br />

personnel within the team.”<br />

FAMILY HEALTH DIVISION<br />

Meet the go-to girl<br />

‘‘<br />

Sarah is<br />

always<br />

ready to<br />

help and<br />

will always<br />

go that<br />

extra mile<br />

to make<br />

sure we’re<br />

organised.<br />

A turn for<br />

the better<br />

WHEN details were<br />

released of who<br />

had been<br />

shortlisted for<br />

each of the categories in<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong>, Sarah Aldred<br />

thought she was seeing things.<br />

“On the morning when the<br />

email was sent out to staff, I<br />

remember saying to one of my<br />

colleagues ‘I wonder who’s<br />

been shortlisted for Family<br />

Health?’ And then I saw my<br />

name.<br />

“I was overwhelmed –Ifelt<br />

like I was having an out-ofbody<br />

experience!”<br />

Modest though Sarah may<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Debbie Raffle and Loxley Ward<br />

IN ANY large workplace, it’s<br />

inevitable that you’ll sometimes get<br />

areas that are not performing as well<br />

as they could be –and not so long<br />

ago, that was unfortunately the case<br />

with Loxley Ward at City Hospital.<br />

The gynaecology ward was<br />

running over budget and suffering<br />

from a range of challenges around<br />

staffing –not least a lack of stability<br />

due to numerous changes in<br />

leadership.<br />

However, Debbie Raffle took on<br />

the role of Ward Sister in May 2015<br />

and under her leadership the ward<br />

team have made huge strides.<br />

“She is an excellent role model<br />

and has made a big impact on the<br />

ward,” said Benita Brear, NUH<br />

Matron for Gynaecology Services.<br />

“Debbie has worked hard to build<br />

relationships with the team, and has<br />

■ Sarah Aldred<br />

MEDICAL PA<br />

be, there are a lot of colleagues<br />

in NUH’s Family Health<br />

Division who would vouch for<br />

how deserving she is of<br />

recognition for the brilliant job<br />

that she does in her role as a<br />

Medical PA.<br />

In fact, she received not one<br />

but two nominations for<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> this year –one of<br />

them from Dr Stephanie Smith,<br />

the NUH Emergency Paediatric<br />

Consultant.<br />

“Sarah is always ready to<br />

Debbie Raffle (second left) and the Loxley Ward Team.<br />

created an open culture on the ward.<br />

She believes in leading by example<br />

and will work on the ward to support<br />

patients and staff.<br />

“Debbie has also supported<br />

several staff members with their own<br />

personal development, looking at<br />

ways of adapting job roles to ensure<br />

that staff feel valued and supported.”<br />

Another of Debbie’s successes<br />

during her first year in post was<br />

turning Loxley Ward’s budget<br />

around. Benita said: “She worked<br />

help,” said Stephanie. “She will<br />

always go that extra mile to<br />

make sure that we are<br />

organised but, more<br />

importantly, that our patients<br />

are managed efficiently and<br />

effectively.<br />

“She is also the person that<br />

peers, consultants, junior<br />

doctors, managers and nursing<br />

colleagues go to for help with<br />

everything from how to contact<br />

someone, IT challenges, how to<br />

organise clinics, GP advice, or<br />

supervising new staff.”<br />

Sarah has also been known<br />

on more than one occasion to<br />

give up time outside of work to<br />

with colleagues in procurement to<br />

look at where we could make<br />

savings. Each month we reviewed<br />

progress and by the end of the<br />

financial year we had made the<br />

necessary savings.”<br />

For Debbie herself, the greatest<br />

reward is receiving positive feedback<br />

from patients.<br />

She said: “Patients and their carers<br />

have often said they couldn’t have<br />

wished for better care and that the<br />

nurses have made a real difference.”<br />

help organise charity events –<br />

including a successful car wash<br />

and a sailing day for some of<br />

NUH’s younger patients with<br />

disabilities.<br />

“I have every faith in the<br />

medical profession, but if I can<br />

do my bit to make the<br />

experience of coming into<br />

hospital better, then that’s what<br />

motivates me,” said Sarah.<br />

“I like to try and do<br />

everything I can to ensure<br />

systems are running as<br />

smoothly as possible and costs<br />

are kept low, and to enhance<br />

the patient experience in any<br />

way that I can.”<br />

NUH has neonatal intensive care<br />

units at both the City Hospital and<br />

QMC, providing specialised<br />

treatment for premature and sick<br />

newborn babies.<br />

Sarah Bray is Acting Ward<br />

Manager at the City Hospital unit,<br />

having worked at NUH since 2009.<br />

She was put forward for <strong>NUHonours</strong><br />

by an anonymous nominator who<br />

described her as being someone who<br />

“puts her life and soul into her job”.<br />

“Sarah is a remarkable nurse who<br />

deserves some recognition for all<br />

that she has achieved,” read part of<br />

the nomination.<br />

“She has made significant<br />

improvements to staff morale with<br />

her cheery disposition and her staff<br />

and service user initiatives. These<br />

include her development of an ‘X<br />

Factor’ scheme, which is designed to<br />

give staff positive feedback on what<br />

others have witnessed and valued.<br />

“Sarah has also developed an<br />

Making sure things keep running<br />

smoothly ... Sarah Aldred.<br />

Sarah’s got bags of<br />

ideas for her ward<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Sarah Bray<br />

ACTING WARD MANAGER<br />

initiative to provide ‘sibling bags’ for<br />

the brothers and sisters of the infants<br />

in our care, to help to keep them<br />

entertained and involved while the<br />

family are spending time on the unit.”<br />

Sarah herself says she is extremely<br />

proud to have been nominated for<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong>. “Since joining the team<br />

I have been passionate about<br />

providing the best care for the<br />

babies and families, and<br />

encouraging staff to reach their<br />

potential,” she said.<br />

“It is my passion to help develop<br />

family-centred care, and to support<br />

the whole family while they are on<br />

the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. As<br />

a practice development nurse, I also<br />

really enjoy inspiring and teaching<br />

staff on the unit.”<br />

NEP-E01-S3 12


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

14 nottinghampost.com<br />

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR<br />

THE summer of 2015 saw<br />

QMC get its own tram stop<br />

as part of <strong>Nottingham</strong><br />

Express Transit’s phase 2<br />

development –becoming the first<br />

hospital in the UK to have its own<br />

direct tram link.<br />

Of course, having another<br />

transport option to get to and from<br />

QMC has been incredibly useful for<br />

thousands of staff, patients and<br />

visitors.<br />

However, the lack of a dedicated<br />

‘tram entrance’ at the hospital has<br />

brought its challenges –with many<br />

of those arriving by tram then<br />

struggling to find their way from the<br />

platform to the hospital.<br />

Plans are now very much under<br />

way to create a bridge from the tram<br />

stop direct to the hospital, with work<br />

set to start on that in January.<br />

In the meantime, though, a team<br />

of volunteers have been on hand<br />

throughout the year to help tram<br />

passengers get to the right place.<br />

And the value of the service they<br />

offer has not gone unnoticed.<br />

“This team have been invaluable<br />

to NUH over the last 12 months,”<br />

said the person who nominated the<br />

tram volunteers.<br />

“Just 13 volunteers –but some<br />

On the<br />

right lines<br />

■ The tram volunteers<br />

2,288 hours worked between them to<br />

help our patients, visitors and staff<br />

find their way from the tram<br />

platform into QMC over the last<br />

year.<br />

“The absence of a dedicated tram<br />

entrance has been difficult –not<br />

least for the tram volunteers who<br />

have had to answer questions from<br />

frustrated passengers.<br />

“The tram volunteers have been<br />

dedicated and loyal and have given<br />

100 per cent in all weathers. They<br />

deserve this recognition for the<br />

tremendous work they do.”<br />

Someone who has been part of the<br />

team of tram volunteers from day<br />

one is Colin Turner, who decided to<br />

get involved as something to keep<br />

him busy after retiring 18 months<br />

ago, and now gives seven hours per<br />

week of his time.<br />

“I really enjoy it,” said Colin, who<br />

used to drive the Medilink buses<br />

that run between QMC and City<br />

Hospital sites. “We all walk some<br />

miles in the role –sometimes people<br />

who arrive on the tram want to get<br />

to the other end of the hospital.<br />

“But it’s very rewarding. The<br />

members of the public who we help<br />

seem to really appreciate everything<br />

that we do for them.”<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Macmillan Cancer<br />

Information and Support<br />

Centre<br />

Dedicated and loyal ... Some of the tram volunteers.<br />

‘‘ Just 13 volunteers<br />

–but some 2,288<br />

hours worked<br />

between them.<br />

Compassionate volunteers<br />

who share happiness and tears<br />

NEP-E01-S3 14<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

THE Macmillan Cancer<br />

Information and Support<br />

Centre at City Hospital is a<br />

valuable resource for anyone<br />

affected by cancer in<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong>.<br />

Open from Monday to<br />

Friday, the centre offers a<br />

confidential drop-in service to<br />

patients, relatives, friends and<br />

healthcare professionals –<br />

with a range of support<br />

offered, including advice<br />

about benefits and about<br />

specific cancers and their<br />

treatments, or simply a<br />

listening ear.<br />

Much of this would not be<br />

possible, though, without the<br />

centre’s three dedicated<br />

volunteers, Phil, Jordan and<br />

Diana.<br />

Alison Hall, Macmillan<br />

Cancer Information Specialist,<br />

said: “Between them they<br />

provide cover four days a<br />

week. Without them the<br />

centre would be unable to<br />

have the opening hours it<br />

does.<br />

“Phil, Jordan and Diana<br />

provide warmth and comfort<br />

to everyone who walks<br />

through our doors. They share<br />

happiness and tears and their<br />

never-wavering compassion<br />

humbles me every day.<br />

“No two days –in fact, no<br />

Never fazed ... Philip Brealey and Diana Berry<br />

two hours –are ever the same<br />

in the centre and we never<br />

know who may walk through<br />

our door and what question<br />

or problems they may have.<br />

But Phil, Jordan and Diana<br />

are never fazed by any<br />

situation. They approach<br />

everyone in the same kind,<br />

gentle, non-judgmental way<br />

and they give so much of<br />

themselves to others.<br />

“They regularly go above<br />

and beyond their role, they<br />

will never turn anyone away<br />

or say they don’t know the<br />

answer to the many varied<br />

(and sometimes very strange!)<br />

questions they are asked.<br />

“I hope they know how<br />

much I truly value their<br />

contribution to Macmillan<br />

and NUH’s Oncology service.<br />

I have never before worked<br />

with such a motivated, warm<br />

and compassionate group of<br />

people ... and they do it all for<br />

free. How amazing is that?”


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

nottinghampost.com 15<br />

Helping new mums at crucial time<br />

EVERY year around 10,000 women<br />

access NUH’s maternity services,<br />

with the care and support provided<br />

by no means just limited to<br />

ensuring babies are delivered<br />

safely.<br />

A range of other support is also<br />

offered, including popular infant<br />

feeding cafes at both the City<br />

Hospital and Queen’s Medical<br />

Centre. And their success is down<br />

in no small part to the dedication<br />

of a team of volunteers who help<br />

run the sessions.<br />

Helen Giddins, NUH’s Infant<br />

Feeding Lead, said: “We run two<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

The infant feeding cafe<br />

volunteers<br />

infant feeding cafes a week, and we<br />

rely on a faithful, enthusiastic team<br />

of volunteers who aid us in this<br />

work.<br />

“They help support women with<br />

a whole variety of feeding problems<br />

and are experts in helping women<br />

and their partners at this crucial<br />

and vulnerable time. The cafes can<br />

be incredibly busy but this doesn’t<br />

deter them from volunteering and<br />

helping out with the rotas.”<br />

All of the volunteers have shown<br />

tremendous commitment –atrait<br />

typified by Val Leyland.<br />

“I am aware of only one occasion<br />

when she wasn’t able to attend the<br />

cafe,” said Helen. “This was due to<br />

ill health, and she actually texted us<br />

from her hospital bed at the QMC<br />

to tell us!”<br />

Helen added: “All of the<br />

volunteers are dedicated and<br />

compassionate women who make<br />

such a difference to the mums and<br />

babies who attend the cafe each<br />

week.”<br />

SPONSORED BY BROWNE JACOBSON<br />

Dedicated and compassionate ... The infant feeding cafe volunteers.<br />

BEHIND THE SCENES<br />

The write idea<br />

MORE than a decade<br />

ago, Terrence Green<br />

was doing a degree<br />

in youth and<br />

community work –and came to<br />

the NUH Youth Service on his<br />

final placement.<br />

He loved his time there so<br />

much that he always hoped he<br />

might get the chance to come<br />

back and work at NUH.<br />

That opportunity finally arrived<br />

in the summer of 2015 –and his<br />

first year working with the service<br />

has seen him make such a big<br />

impact that NUH colleague<br />

Anisah Hussain felt moved to<br />

nominate him for <strong>NUHonours</strong>.<br />

“What I say about Terrence will<br />

never be enough,” said Anisah,<br />

who works at NUH as a<br />

Children’s Renal Unit Assistant.<br />

“Although he has helped a lot<br />

of our patients on the dialysis<br />

unit, there is one little girl for<br />

whom he has always gone far<br />

above what is expected of him.<br />

“The girl in question has<br />

struggled with many issues. But<br />

recently Terrence gave her a<br />

channel to explore a different form<br />

of expression, one she is brilliant<br />

at, and currently working hard on.<br />

Yes, Terrance asked her to write!<br />

“He found articles that she<br />

would be interested in, he gave<br />

her biographies of inspiring<br />

people who struggled and fought<br />

successfully to be identified as<br />

who they were regardless of their<br />

constraints –people such as<br />

Nelson Mandela, Gandhi,<br />

Lisa’skey role in success story<br />

LISA Edwards is Personal Assistant to<br />

NUH’s Chief Nurse Mandie Sunderland,<br />

although it was actually work she did on<br />

secondment that led to her receiving two<br />

nominations for <strong>NUHonours</strong>.<br />

For 14 months, Lisa was tasked with<br />

being Education and Training lead, with<br />

responsibility for supporting an entire<br />

cohort of recruits training for the newly<br />

developed role of Ward Administrator.<br />

“This initiative was a first of its scale<br />

both nationally and locally and was<br />

launched due to the need to provide<br />

administrative support to our ward sister<br />

charge nurses to free them up to be more<br />

clinically visible leaders in their wards and<br />

departments,” said Sue Haines, NUH’s<br />

Assistant Director of Nursing who<br />

nominated Lisa for <strong>NUHonours</strong>.<br />

“Lisa provided real leadership, vision<br />

and direction for the role. She helped us<br />

recruit over 60 Ward Administrators and<br />

provided a great deal of support and<br />

■ Terrence Green<br />

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT WORKER<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Lisa Edwards<br />

PA TO CHIEF NURSE<br />

guidance to the diverse candidates who<br />

took up these new roles. She deserves<br />

recognition for her hard work and<br />

professionalism, and for working above<br />

and beyond that expected to ensure the<br />

success of this new essential role.”<br />

Lisa completed her secondment earlier<br />

this year and has now gone back to her<br />

‘day job’ –although she has carried on<br />

doing some work to provide ongoing<br />

support to the Ward Administrators and is<br />

proud of the part she’s played in getting<br />

them established as a key part of<br />

<strong>Nottingham</strong>’s hospitals.<br />

She said: “We recruited en masse, so it<br />

was a challenge getting them all settled.<br />

They are thriving now, though, and I’m<br />

pleased to have been a part of that.”<br />

Malcolm X and many more.<br />

“Because of this, the patient has<br />

been distracted from her<br />

problems and she has started to<br />

get excited about writing, excited<br />

about showing Terrence her work<br />

‘‘<br />

Terrence is an unsung<br />

hero –Idon't even<br />

think he knows how<br />

much he has helped.<br />

and, more importantly, she feels<br />

so proud to show off a talent she<br />

is only just beginning to discover.”<br />

“To encourage her even more,<br />

Lisa Edwards<br />

(above) and<br />

Karen Johns.<br />

Terrence has even started to talk<br />

to publishers about reading some<br />

of her material, and has started to<br />

look into classes she can join to<br />

improve her English literature.<br />

“Terrence is an unsung hero, he<br />

doesn't do any of what he does<br />

because of the recognition he<br />

thinks he can get. He does it all<br />

behind the scenes, and I don’t<br />

even think he knows how much he<br />

has helped and encouraged her.”<br />

Terrence himself says he was<br />

“absolutely stunned” to be<br />

nominated, but is proud of the<br />

recognition and that his passion<br />

for what he does drives him to go<br />

above and beyond.<br />

“The Youth Service team are<br />

the best team I’ve ever worked<br />

with,” he said. “People travel<br />

from all over the country to see<br />

what we do.”<br />

‘Stunned’ at nomination ... Terrence Green.<br />

Karen stays one step ahead<br />

KAREN Johns has spent 13 years working<br />

on the maternity wards at QMC –and<br />

during that time she’s become regarded<br />

by colleagues as an indispensable part of<br />

the team.<br />

“Karen is the ‘go to’ lady on wards B26<br />

and C29,” said B26 Deputy Ward Sister<br />

Laura Bratby, who nominated her for<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong>.<br />

“Her helpfulness and selfless attitude<br />

make her a pleasure to work alongside.<br />

She routinely goes above and beyond her<br />

job role to ensure staff have everything<br />

they need to care for their patients<br />

effectively and safely, and she is always<br />

one step ahead to make sure the ward<br />

runs smoothly.<br />

“If it’s broken, Karen knows who can fix<br />

it. If it’s lost, Karen will find it. If it’s<br />

empty, Karen has probably already<br />

ordered more!”<br />

Karen has also been hugely involved in<br />

the starting and running of the B26<br />

■ SHORTLISTED: Karen Johns<br />

HOUSEKEEPER<br />

Council –an initiative that gives staff the<br />

opportunity to put improvements in place<br />

on the ward.<br />

“One of the many ideas put forward by<br />

Karen and the B26 Council was the ‘Book<br />

Nook’,” said Laura. “This saw an unused<br />

space on the ward turned into a colourful,<br />

inviting, quiet area for patients, to enable<br />

them to sit away from their bed space and<br />

also encourage mobilisation –which is<br />

vital during pregnancy, labour and the<br />

immediate period after birth.”<br />

Karen was delighted to be nominated.<br />

She said: “My favourite thing about my<br />

job is just being there and supporting<br />

people, whether patients or staff.<br />

“I always just like to do what I can to<br />

make people’s days go smoothly by<br />

helping them.”<br />

NEP-E01-S3 14


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

16 nottinghampost.com<br />

NOTTINGHAM HOSPITALS’ CHARITY CHAMPION<br />

Going to great<br />

lengths to help out<br />

NEP-E01-S3 16<br />

THERE are few<br />

distances that Mandy<br />

Dann wouldn’t be<br />

prepared to go to<br />

raise money for charity –<br />

literally!<br />

In recent years, Mandy has<br />

not only completed the Three<br />

Peaks Challenge –climbing<br />

the highest mountains in<br />

England, Scotland and Wales<br />

–but she has also taken part<br />

in an event called Race to the<br />

King, which involved her<br />

walking 53.5 miles in the<br />

space of one weekend.<br />

And next year, she is<br />

planning on spending eight<br />

■ Mandy Dann<br />

BEREAVEMENT MIDWIFE<br />

days trekking along the Great<br />

Wall of China.<br />

Mandy’s efforts are all<br />

about raising money for the<br />

charity Forever Stars, which<br />

this year funded a new<br />

bereavement suite at QMC –a<br />

facility that offers a separate<br />

space, away from the<br />

hospital’s main labour suite,<br />

for families who have lost a<br />

child.<br />

Mandy has provided<br />

support to many such families<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

over the last three years since<br />

she took on the role of<br />

Bereavement Midwife –and<br />

she is now working with<br />

Forever Stars to create a<br />

second bereavement suite on<br />

the City Hospital’s labour<br />

suite.<br />

She says she’s motivated to<br />

raise money for charities like<br />

Forever Stars because they do<br />

so much to help her in her<br />

day-to-day work.<br />

But it wasn’t just her own<br />

fundraising that led to Mandy<br />

being put forward for<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> –it was also in<br />

recognition of the support she<br />

gives to others who raise<br />

money for the charities that<br />

NUH works with.<br />

“Mandy tirelessly turns up<br />

to events outside of work to<br />

receive cheques or thank<br />

groups for their fundraising<br />

endeavours,” said Jules<br />

Gudgeon, NUH Maternity<br />

Matron, who nominated<br />

Mandy.<br />

“She then always writes to<br />

the groups or families<br />

personally thanking them for<br />

their support and to inform<br />

them of how the funds were<br />

used and its impact on<br />

patient care.<br />

“Mandy is a truly dedicated<br />

and determined individual, an<br />

unsung star who truly<br />

deserves recognition.”<br />

Mandy has had a long<br />

career with NUH, going back<br />

to 1981 when she began her<br />

career as a student nurse. And<br />

this year isn’t the first time<br />

her efforts have been noticed,<br />

as she’s been nominated for<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> several times<br />

before.<br />

“It’s lovely that someone’s<br />

Set for Great of Wall of China trek ... Mandy Dann.<br />

taken the time to<br />

acknowledge the work that I<br />

do,” she said. “I’m really<br />

flattered.<br />

“My role is all about<br />

helping people find the time<br />

and space to deal with their<br />

loss –and that’s only possible<br />

because of all the charity<br />

support that we get.”<br />

‘‘<br />

Mandy is an unsung<br />

star who truly<br />

deserves<br />

recognition.<br />

Setting a brilliant example<br />

LINDEN Lodge is a<br />

neurological rehabilitation<br />

facility at City Hospital –and<br />

as well as providing care for<br />

patients with conditions<br />

ranging from major trauma to<br />

cerebral palsy, the staff on the<br />

unit are building a formidable<br />

reputation across NUH for<br />

their fundraising prowess.<br />

The last year has seen the<br />

Linden Lodge Team take part<br />

in numerous activities to raise<br />

money for <strong>Nottingham</strong><br />

Hospitals Charity –and this<br />

has not gone unnoticed by<br />

the charity’s staff.<br />

Naomi Walters, Senior<br />

Community Fundraiser for<br />

the charity, said: “Linden<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Linden Lodge Team<br />

Lodge have held a huge<br />

number of fundraising events<br />

over the past year and show<br />

no sign of stopping.<br />

“Firstly, to raise money for<br />

a new patient area they wish<br />

to create, they held a pamper<br />

day for their patients.<br />

“The event featured various<br />

pampering activities which<br />

the staff all arranged<br />

themselves for free. The day<br />

raised over £400.<br />

“Linden Lodge also took<br />

part in our first ever ‘Get Your<br />

Socks On’ day last Christmas,<br />

raising £160. Not only this,<br />

they put forward a 17-strong<br />

team to take part in our April<br />

<strong>2016</strong> Dragon Boat Race. They<br />

came top in our fundraising<br />

competition, raising a superb<br />

£1,955.69.<br />

“Linden Lodge are truly<br />

brilliant.<br />

“It’s clear that they have a<br />

huge passion for patient care<br />

and are doing all they possibly<br />

can to raise money to<br />

improve care for their<br />

patients.<br />

“They’ve set a brilliant<br />

example to other staff<br />

fundraisers and represent the<br />

Trust’s values by going<br />

beyond the call of duty.”


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

nottinghampost.com 17<br />

Repaying charity for ward support<br />

B3 at the Queen’s Medical Centre is<br />

a short-stay admissions ward –and<br />

the staff there have raised more than<br />

£6,000 in the last few years to help<br />

improve the ward for patients.<br />

Their main driving force is Patient<br />

Support Worker Karen Draper –who<br />

over the last few years has inspired<br />

her colleagues to take part in all<br />

sorts of activities ranging from car<br />

boot sales to abseiling.<br />

Karen said: “Everyone on the ward<br />

does something to help –everything<br />

from buying tickets or donating<br />

prizes when we have a raffle, to<br />

firewalking or skydiving.<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Karen Draper and the staff<br />

on B3 Ward<br />

“The <strong>Nottingham</strong> Hospitals Charity<br />

has done such a lot for our ward –<br />

donating everything from radios to<br />

seating to dementia distraction boxes<br />

–so we decided that we’d like to do<br />

something for them.”<br />

Naomi Walters, Senior<br />

Community Fundraiser for the<br />

charity, certainly appreciates their<br />

efforts. “Ward B3 are continually<br />

going the extra mile to fundraise for<br />

ESTATES AND FACILITIES DIVISION<br />

It’s aclean<br />

sweep for trio<br />

their patients,” she said. “In the last<br />

financial year they raised more than<br />

ever before –abrilliant £2,400.<br />

“Not afraid of hard work, last year<br />

B3 braved the freezing cold at a car<br />

boot sale to fundraise for their<br />

department. Karen herself also<br />

abseiled 100 feet down Lincoln<br />

Cathedral, raising £812.<br />

“They’ve also made the most of<br />

awareness days. One example of this<br />

is their cake sale on Acute Medicine<br />

Awareness Day, which raised over<br />

£400.<br />

“Karen and her team are a great<br />

example of ideal staff fundraisers.”<br />

SPONSORED BY NOTTINGHAM HOSPITALS CHARITY<br />

Going the extra mile ... Karen Draper and B3 Ward staff.<br />

SPONSORED BY CARILLION<br />

BASED at the City<br />

Hospital site, Richard<br />

Phillips’ role as a<br />

Housekeeper at NUH<br />

has been something of a<br />

happy accident.<br />

He said: “I used to be a<br />

manager at a textiles company,<br />

but I was made redundant. I<br />

took a job as a domestic just<br />

as a stopgap –but five years<br />

later I’m still here and I see<br />

myself doing this for the rest<br />

of my working life.”<br />

Richard works at Hayward<br />

House, where NUH provides<br />

palliative care to patients with<br />

terminal conditions. And<br />

although his job is to keep the<br />

■ Richard Phillips,<br />

Janet Simpson and<br />

Christine King<br />

DOMESTIC STAFF<br />

Commitment second to none<br />

CLIVE Grimshaw’s relationship with NUH<br />

goes back a long way, having begun work<br />

at QMC as an electrician in 1982.<br />

He is now a Compliance Engineer, with<br />

a big part of his job being to monitor and<br />

audit the performance of numerous<br />

external contractors who carry out work<br />

across NUH.<br />

“Clive’s commitment to ensure the<br />

companies deliver the services required is<br />

second to none,” said Andrew Camina,<br />

NUH’s Compliance and Quality<br />

Assurance Manager, who nominated Clive<br />

for the award.<br />

“Wherever there are issues, Clive can<br />

always be found to be in the thick of it,<br />

trying to ensure a solution is delivered in<br />

a timely manner and with the minimal<br />

impact on the patients.”<br />

Over the last 12 months, Clive has been<br />

instrumental in getting solutions to a<br />

unit clean, he also makes a<br />

real effort to provide support<br />

to patients and their families.<br />

“Richard is a dedicated<br />

member of the Hayward<br />

House team who is much<br />

loved by staff and patients<br />

alike,” said the person who<br />

nominated him, who has<br />

asked to remain anonymous.<br />

“He goes out of his way not<br />

only to make Hayward House<br />

an environment to be proud<br />

■ SHORTLISTED: Clive Grimshaw<br />

COMPLIANCE ENGINEER<br />

of, but also talks to patients<br />

and their families when they<br />

are at the most vulnerable<br />

times in their lives. To Richard,<br />

his role is not about getting a<br />

task done but having a huge<br />

amount of pride in his work –<br />

he truly is one of a kind.”<br />

Richard shares the award<br />

with Cleaning Services<br />

Assistants Janet Simpson and<br />

Christine King.<br />

Janet works on <strong>Nottingham</strong><br />

Children’s Hospital’s E17<br />

ward, where children with<br />

kidney problems are treated.<br />

Ward Manager Michelle<br />

Kirkland said: “Janet has<br />

become a grandmother figure<br />

number of problems –including issues<br />

with ventilation in some NUH theatres.<br />

He also has a reputation in the Estates<br />

Department for always going the extra<br />

mile.<br />

Andrew said: “He gives advice to<br />

members of the team with less experience<br />

than himself and often arrives early and<br />

leaves late to guarantee that any activity is<br />

completed without any undue delays.”<br />

Clive said: “In my job I just like to make<br />

sure that we deliver a safe service for<br />

patients. If we have a problem with an<br />

area of one of the hospitals –be it a side<br />

room or a theatre –it’s satisfying knowing<br />

that I’ve done my bit to help get it back<br />

up and running.”<br />

Clive<br />

Grimshaw<br />

(above) and<br />

Chris Neale.<br />

‘‘<br />

I’d love to clone<br />

Richard as he’s such<br />

an amazing man.<br />

to many of the children, and a<br />

great support to many parents.<br />

Through her down-to-earth<br />

personality parents naturally<br />

build up a relationship with<br />

her, where they can divulge<br />

their worries and stresses.”<br />

Christine works on QMC’s<br />

C52 ward, where care is<br />

‘‘<br />

The ward would not<br />

be the same if we<br />

lost our Janet.<br />

provided for older patients.<br />

She was nominated by<br />

Edwardson Cantos, a Rehab<br />

Support Worker who also<br />

works on the ward.<br />

He said: “Christine has<br />

been one of the most valued<br />

staff at C52 and always goes<br />

beyond her job role and finds<br />

time to talk to patients. She<br />

really knows how to<br />

communicate with patients<br />

who have dementia, helping<br />

them to stay calm when they<br />

are confused and agitated.<br />

She is a lovely lady with a<br />

smile on her face and always<br />

ready to help.”<br />

Praise on the menu for Chris<br />

CHRIS NEALE has given more than 20<br />

years of loyal service to NUH –and plays<br />

an important role in ensuring the best<br />

possible food is provided in our hospitals.<br />

Chris started his career as a chef<br />

working in hotels and restaurants –but<br />

after a few years he decided he wanted to<br />

use his skills to give something back to<br />

the community. “I wanted to be part of a<br />

caring organisation and I felt that working<br />

in a hospital would be a good way to use<br />

my skills to make a difference.”<br />

A huge project in which Chris has<br />

played a major part in recent years was<br />

the design and construction of the Central<br />

Food Production Unit at City Hospital –<br />

which opened in 2012 and produces<br />

thousands of meals every week.<br />

He also played a major part in helping<br />

NUH become one of the first NHS Trusts<br />

to achieve the Food for Life Gold status –<br />

■ SHORTLISTED: Chris Neale<br />

CENTRAL FOOD PRODUCTION UNIT AND CATERING<br />

COMPLIANCE MANAGER<br />

‘‘<br />

Christine always<br />

finds time to talk to<br />

patients.<br />

an accolade given to organisations that<br />

show commitment to sustainability in the<br />

way that they produce food.<br />

The person who nominated Chris for<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> asked to remain anonymous<br />

but was vocal in his praise. “Chris and his<br />

team produce good-quality, nutritionally<br />

sound food and they are looked upon<br />

within the NHS catering industry as<br />

people to approach for advice.<br />

“Chris is very modest and just gets on<br />

with the day job. But for me, his desire to<br />

do as much as he can and the way he<br />

always thinks of the end users –the<br />

patients –is what makes me think he<br />

deserves to be nominated.”<br />

NEP-E01-S3 16


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

18 nottinghampost.com<br />

BETTER FUTURES<br />

Steph sets students<br />

off on the right track<br />

SPONSORED BY JIGSAW24<br />

NEP-E01-S3 18<br />

AS WELL as providing<br />

care for thousands of<br />

patients, NUH has an<br />

important role in<br />

helping to train the clinical staff of<br />

tomorrow –and Stephanie<br />

Grayling is someone who plays a<br />

valuable role in ensuring that<br />

trainees have the best possible<br />

experience.<br />

Steph is a Specialist Nurse on<br />

Ward A23 at QMC, where<br />

emergency gynaecology treatment<br />

is provided –and as part of her<br />

job, she does a lot of work to<br />

support student nurses who<br />

spend placements on the ward.<br />

Benita Brear, NUH’s Matron for<br />

■ Stephanie Grayling<br />

SPECIALIST NURSE<br />

Gynaecology Services, who<br />

nominated Steph for <strong>NUHonours</strong>,<br />

said: “She works with the<br />

university and the students to<br />

ensure that they have a placement<br />

that is rich in variety.<br />

“Whenever I visit the ward and<br />

speak to students they cannot<br />

speak highly enough of their<br />

placement on A23, which is a<br />

testament to the hard work and<br />

support that Steph puts into this<br />

role.<br />

“The feedback that is given via<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

the university when students<br />

evaluate their placement on A23<br />

has also been exceptional, and<br />

Steph has been highly praised and<br />

recognised for her hard work.<br />

“Steph would say that it is a<br />

team effort but she is the one who<br />

co-ordinates placements and<br />

ensures that students get the best<br />

out of their learning<br />

opportunities.”<br />

Steph, who has worked at NUH<br />

for nine-and-a-half years, started<br />

her current role on A23 two-anda-half<br />

years ago. Previously, she<br />

worked in the Trust’s Emergency<br />

Department (ED), where she was<br />

responsible for supporting<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

Amelia’s<br />

amum to<br />

trainees<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Dr Amelia Banks<br />

CONSULTANT ANAESTHETIST<br />

students, so she agreed to take on<br />

a similar role when she moved to<br />

A23.<br />

She said: “I love working with<br />

the students. I like to know that<br />

they’re getting the best out of<br />

their placements, and like to make<br />

them feel welcome.<br />

“One of our<br />

recent students on<br />

A23 is actually now<br />

a staff nurse with us<br />

–Ithink it’s<br />

definitely a<br />

compliment that she<br />

wanted to come<br />

back and work with<br />

us!”<br />

AMELIA Banks has a busy role as a Consultant<br />

Anaesthetist with NUH’s Obstetrics service –<br />

and she was nominated for <strong>NUHonours</strong><br />

because of her commitment to supporting<br />

trainee anaesthetists across the East Midlands.<br />

Dr Banks began working at NUH eight-anda-half<br />

years ago. A year after joining the Trust,<br />

she was asked if she would like to take on an<br />

additional role providing support to trainees<br />

completing their training on a less than fulltime<br />

(LTFT) basis –an option that many<br />

choose to take in an effort to strike a balance<br />

between their career and family life.<br />

In the seven years since, Amelia has assisted<br />

40 LTFT trainees. And although the person<br />

who put her forward for <strong>NUHonours</strong> has<br />

chosen to remain anonymous, they were full of<br />

praise for her work.<br />

The nomination read: “Dr Banks’<br />

commitment to the LTFT trainees is truly<br />

amazing. Not only does she offer advice on<br />

finances, training opportunities and rotas, she<br />

also represents their best interests when<br />

attending trust meetings.<br />

“The level of care that she delivers is well<br />

and truly above and beyond. She often fits in<br />

meetings with trainees (with their children in<br />

tow) at her own home, so that it is more<br />

convenient for the trainee.”<br />

After learning that she had been nominated,<br />

Dr Banks said: “Because of my role with the<br />

trainees, the obstetricians call me the<br />

‘department mum’. It’s very rewarding seeing<br />

the trainees thrive in their career and<br />

becoming fabulous doctors, and also seeing<br />

their families thrive at the same time.”<br />

‘‘<br />

Stephanie ensures<br />

students get the best<br />

out of their learning<br />

opportunities.<br />

Positive<br />

influence<br />

on teens<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Donna Hilton<br />

YOUTH SERVICE MANAGER<br />

THIS year has seen NUH’s Youth Service hit<br />

the milestone age of 18 –and Donna Hilton<br />

has been a key part of it from day one.<br />

The service began in 1998, initially as a pilot<br />

just with young patients being treated by the<br />

Renal service at City Hospital.<br />

“We had a lot of teenage patients on our<br />

books, but no youth service,” Donna<br />

explained. “So we decided to launch a pilot to<br />

see if there was a need for one.”<br />

The two-year pilot, funded by the British<br />

Kidney Patient Association, was so successful<br />

that it was made permanent and rolled out<br />

across all services. It has won national awards<br />

and makes a massive difference to the lives of<br />

hundreds of young people every year.<br />

Donna was put forward for <strong>NUHonours</strong> by<br />

the mother of a young man who has regularly<br />

taken part in activities run by the Youth<br />

Service over the last few years.<br />

“Donna and her team are always positive and<br />

inclusive,” the nomination read. “They are such<br />

good role models. I have witnessed them dealing<br />

with difficult and challenging circumstances,<br />

which they always do with good humour, and<br />

manage to set clear boundaries for the young<br />

people without diminishing their self-esteem.<br />

“Things have not always been easy for our<br />

son, but he has developed into a charming and<br />

confident young man. I am convinced that<br />

would not have happened without the positive<br />

influence of Donna and the Youth Service.”<br />

Donna runs the Youth Service alongside two<br />

other full-time staff, plus a team of dedicated<br />

volunteers. She said: “I love what I do –I<br />

wouldn’t have been here for 18 years if I didn’t!”


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, <strong>2016</strong><br />

nottinghampost.com 19<br />

PATIENT CHAMPION OF THE YEAR<br />

Out to change<br />

4 the better<br />

PROVIDING patients<br />

with ways to engage<br />

with NHS services is<br />

hugely important –<br />

and NUH has a very active<br />

youth forum for patients aged<br />

from 11 to 19.<br />

Called Young People 4<br />

Change (YP4C) and facilitated<br />

by the NUH Youth Service,<br />

the group consists of young<br />

people accessing hospital<br />

services and/or living with<br />

varying health conditions and<br />

disabilities.<br />

Donna Hilton, NUH Youth<br />

Service Manager, said: “This<br />

group of young people are an<br />

HAVING been born at City<br />

Hospital, Stuart Belshaw and<br />

NUH go back a long way –<br />

and over the last 13 years he<br />

has given many hours of his<br />

own time to play an active<br />

role in many of the Trust’s<br />

Patient and Public<br />

Involvement forums.<br />

Stuart was inspired to get<br />

involved because he’s had a<br />

lot of care from NUH himself.<br />

He said: “I have a complex<br />

medical history, including<br />

three kidney transplants, and<br />

I decided that I wanted to put<br />

something back.<br />

“I always say that this place<br />

keeps me going. I’m so<br />

passionate about it –I’m<br />

■ Young People 4<br />

Change<br />

excellent example of what<br />

patient and public<br />

involvement is all about. They<br />

live with chronic conditions<br />

themselves, but still strive to<br />

make services even better for<br />

others.<br />

“The group meet regularly<br />

to talk about anything<br />

relevant to young people in<br />

hospital.<br />

“This could be giving<br />

feedback on policies and<br />

leaflets, making suggestions<br />

Atrue friend indeed<br />

PATIENT and Public<br />

Involvement (PPI) groups<br />

make an important<br />

contribution to NUH’s<br />

services –and John Spencer is<br />

a valued member of a group<br />

that provides a voice to<br />

patients being treated for<br />

kidney conditions.<br />

John first became involved<br />

after being a patient himself<br />

at NUH, receiving a kidney<br />

transplant from his wife in<br />

2004.<br />

John was nominated for<br />

<strong>NUHonours</strong> by Sarah Brand,<br />

Senior Research Nurse with<br />

the Renal and Transplant Unit<br />

at City Hospital.<br />

Sarah said: “John has<br />

supported the unit for many<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

John Spencer<br />

years and has been unerring<br />

in his desire to support and<br />

improve the service that the<br />

department gives to patients..<br />

“Most recently John<br />

assisted with the<br />

administration of a<br />

pioneering Renal Registry<br />

patient survey.<br />

“John is a true critical friend<br />

of the Renal and Transplant<br />

Unit, committed to<br />

improvement but supportive<br />

and a champion of the service<br />

which we provide.”<br />

John says the nomination<br />

should have gone to every<br />

Born and bred to it<br />

■ SHORTLISTED:<br />

Stuart Belshaw<br />

involved in 10 steering<br />

groups, and I really enjoy it. I<br />

like meeting and talking to<br />

people and educating patients<br />

and ensuring that they’re<br />

represented properly.”<br />

Stuart received three<br />

nominations for <strong>NUHonours</strong><br />

this year, including one from<br />

Julie McCarthy, Training and<br />

Development Manager in the<br />

Trust’s Learning and<br />

Organisational Development<br />

Department. She said: “Stuart’s<br />

contribution shines out.<br />

“He is constantly energised<br />

for service improvement or<br />

spending time with other<br />

young people in hospital to<br />

make their stay more<br />

enjoyable.”<br />

The group has also<br />

achieved a number of specific<br />

successes over the last year.<br />

“They have redesigned<br />

patient information leaflets,<br />

making them more<br />

understandable for young<br />

people,” said Donna.<br />

“They have also taken part<br />

in recruitment training, with<br />

members sitting on interview<br />

panels for posts at <strong>Nottingham</strong><br />

Children’s Hospital, including<br />

member of the Renal PPI<br />

group. “I was totally surprised<br />

to be nominated,” he said.<br />

He added “My favourite<br />

thing about PPI is being in a<br />

team of like-minded patients<br />

who are working towards the<br />

continuous improvement of<br />

renal medicine.”<br />

in contributing to projects<br />

and activities, and spends an<br />

enormous amount of time at<br />

the Trust attending<br />

committees and meetings.<br />

“The Trust is a better place<br />

for having him as a<br />

volunteer.”<br />

nurse and matron posts.<br />

“In addition, they have<br />

been involved in national<br />

projects with NHS England<br />

such as making a DVD on the<br />

rights of young people in<br />

hospital, and presenting at<br />

conferences about<br />

participation in the NHS.<br />

“They are continuous with<br />

their great ideas and want to<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

expand into reaching and<br />

supporting young people in<br />

adult services over the next<br />

year.<br />

“These young people are<br />

committed, enthusiastic and a<br />

credit to NUH. This award<br />

would be an excellent way of<br />

recognising and<br />

acknowledging their efforts<br />

and achievements.”<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

SPONSORED BY SANDICLIFFE<br />

Members of<br />

Young People<br />

4 Change.<br />

“They live<br />

with chronic<br />

conditions<br />

themselves,<br />

but still<br />

strive to<br />

make<br />

services<br />

even better<br />

for others,”<br />

says Youth<br />

Service<br />

Manager<br />

Donna Hilton.<br />

‘‘<br />

These young<br />

people are<br />

committed,<br />

enthusiastic and a<br />

credit to NUH.<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

NEP-E01-S3 18


NEP-E01-S3 20

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