Newsletter for the staff of Barnsley Primary Care Trust No 41 August/September 2008

Staff were invited to the Dining Rooms at the PCT last month to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the NHS. Cook Carol Wright (pictured, centre) made this magnificent cake in recognition of the occasion and it was sent to all three sites with kitchens for staff to enjoy alongside the special 1948 menus on offer.

Win a bike in this issue - see page 15

Celebrating 60 Years

2

Message from the Chief ExecutiveNHS Review Findings Published

I wanted to let you all know about the outcome of the NHS Review. There are lots of documents online that go into further detail but a brief outline of the review is below. It’s important that everyone understands this work as we have a statutory duty to follow the new Constitution which will shape the future direction of the NHS.

In the week that the NHS celebrated its 60th birthday (5 July), the NHS Next Stage Review (NSR) published their final report. There are three presentations which have been uploaded to Connect including Health Minister Lord Ara Darzi’s final review, a presentation for staff and the regional Healthy Ambitions slides from NHS Yorkshire and the Humber.

The review is also supported by additional documents which have been published on the Department of Health’s website: • NHS Constitution• Workforce Planning, Education & Training• Primary and Community Care Strategy• Informatics Review

As part of the national NSR, the vision and strategy for primary and community care centres around four themes:• People shaping services• Promoting healthy lives• Continuously improving quality • Leading local change

In his final presentation, Ara Darzi outlines the journey of the NHS Review, the findings of the work, proposals for future work, outlining the NHS constitution and he ends with the statement: “We know where we are heading, we’ve got the map, let’s get going - You are the people that will deliver high quality care for all.”

The presentation for NHS staff aims to answer questions and inform staff about the vast amount of work that has gone into the NSR. It states that the NSR has brought about: “A bold vision for the 21st Century secured by our first NHS Constitution”. Other key themes include: • An NHS that empowers patients and staff• Quality at the heart of the NHS• Working in partnership with staff

It’s a good time to work for the NHS! The new constitution makes four new pledges to staff on work and wellbeing, learning and development, Involvement and partnership.

If reading this has made you feel like you’d like to comment on the review outcomes, visit www.ournhs.nhs.uk for more information and the chance to submit your views.

Ailsa Claire Chief Executive

Doctor, Doctor… We’ve won an Award! A campaign in Barnsley to raise awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) was hailed a success at the annual institute of Direct Marketing Business Performances Awards.

The Healthy Breathing Campaign created by Dr Foster Intelligence for Barnsley PCT won the Data Targeting Award for achieving outstanding conversion rates and the use of tele-marketing by speaking to over 7,238 home owners living in the borough.

Barnsley has high levels of COPD partly a legacy of the area’s coal mining past and partly due to high levels of smoking. The PCT chose to work with Dr Foster Intelligence as they are specialists in proving targeted information and communication to health organisations.

The Healthy Breathing Campaign aimed to increase awareness of the disease, increase people’s self-management skills, reduce the number of emergency admissions and reach as many people as possible.

The campaign used a number of channels from early research and focus groups to a poster campaign and invitations for people to see their GP combined with a telemarketing campaign to contact people living within the identified areas.

The tele-marketing campaign had an 88% responses rate and led to over 6,000 information packs on COPD and 1,000 stop smoking packs being requested.

These figures provide a strong indication of future improvements in the occurrence of COPD which will hopefully improve the outlook of health for people living in Barnsley for years to come.

Resource for Clinicians now on ConnectA series of medication information leaflets are now available on Connect. From Amisulpride to Zuclopenthixol more than 62 leaflets containing Q & A style information on the drugs are included. They can be accessed from the Mental Health pages on connect at: http://nww.barnsleypct.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/

3

Medication Policy looks at keeping older people independentA New Health and Social Care Medication Policy for Domiciliary Care has been launched in Barnsley. The policy looks to help people in the community requiring medication support within their own homes who are unable to self medicate.

The new policy looks at the role of the home carer, service users who are discharged from hospital, medication wastage, barriers to self medication and pharmacy service interventions, amongst other areas.

A newsletter outlining the policy has been added to the policy section on Connect, but for more information on this policy, please contact Paul Higginbottom, Business Manager for Home care on 01226 775858.

Commissioning the World Class WayA follow-up day to take forward the World Class Commissioning agenda was held recently at Priory Campus. Delivered by independent representatives from KPMG, Staff across the PCT were given the opportunity to learn and input into the future expectations for commissioning in the NHS.

Steve Wainwright, Director of Commissioning said: “We’re shaping the way we commission in the future. Barnsley PCT is already in a strong position with an excellent reputation, and we can build on this.”

The new World Class Commissioning initiative is formed around an assurance process which also has many long term development opportunities for the PCT. It focuses on the key outcomes as commissioning and delivering high quality services for service users.

At a previous event in April, delegates received information on the primary care strategy, public health issues, specialised services, and every adult matters and personalisation.

Steve continued: “This session focused on the World Class Commissioning assurance process, the competencies we must be assessed on and the development required to meet the requirements of the forthcoming assessement.”

KPMG presented an outline covering World Class Commissioning and its potential for the future ways of working, which included:• Better health and wellbeing for all o Longer lives o Less inequality • Better care for all o Evidence based o Choice and control• Better value for all o Informed investment o Working in partnership

The next step for this work is a self assessment and self certification including a 360 degree review, evidence collection and data review and interviews with key individuals.

At the end of the assessments, the outcomes and improvement rates will be published with each Commissioning organisation scoring between 1-4. It is expected that most organisations will score 2.

Steve ended: “It was good to see so much engagement from all over the PCT. One of the group sessions commented how we are all “up for the challenge” which sums up the positive attitude we have towards meeting the World Class Commissioning agenda”.

PDU Accreditation Visit at Barnsley HospiceThe school nursing team in Barnsley has recently merged with children’s services and under new management they are now working together to provide for children in Barnsley and the wider community. To celebrate this, an event has been held at Barnsley Hospice, by the Practice Development Unit, in order to highlight the job done by Barnsley School Nurses. A group of year six children - Megan, Kennedy, Rebecca and Melissa (seen below with teacher, Mrs. Stenton) from Mapplewell Primary School – attended the event and displayed a range of leaflets which they had designed on puberty. Karen Percival praised the event, and said that it “highlighted an extremely committed team who are working proactively to meet the needs of young people in schools and in particular the wider community”.

Above: Megan, Kennedy, Rebecca and Melissa and Mrs Stenton (Teacher), with Accreditors: Marie Knott (PCT) Ann Lewis (Central Lancashire PCT) and Karen Percival (University of Leeds and Doncaster PCT)

4

Counter Fraud Update There have been several recent reports that certain companies are once again cold calling staff and duping them into entering into verbal contracts for which the PCT is subsequently invoiced. Typically these approaches are for fax machine supplies or recruitment advertising and representatives telephone individuals within the PCT in order to gain agreement to provide goods or advertisements. The conversations may be worded such that staff may not realise they are entering into a verbal contract for which the Trust will subsequently be invoiced. Should you receive any unsolicited calls from representatives of the following companies, my advice is do not agree to the PCT being sent any goods and do not confirm any advertising information. Callers should be asked to direct their approach to the appropriate department such as Supplies or Human resources. Franking Supplies (UK) Ltd 52 High Street, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1JT Jaguar Mailing Systems 302 3rd Floor, Mariners House, Queens Dock Commercial Centre, 67-83 Norfolk Street, LIVERPOOL L1 0BGLink Mailing Systems Ltd 252 Europa Boulevard, Gemini Business Park, Warrington, Cheshire WA5 7TNKnown approaches include cold calling staff and leading them to believe they are regular suppliers of franking machine/mailing labels and that they will shortly be sending more supplies. Staff may not realise they are entering into a verbal contract for which the Trust/PCT wil subsequently be invoiced. Journal Publishing Company (JPC) - Nursing Outlook- Midlands Outlook- Dental & Medical Journal (DJ)- Fast Track Medical Recruitment Journal - Professional recruitment direct49 Eagle Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV31 2AQ & Po Box 4276, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV31 9DEUnsolicited Recruitment advertisingBBL (Europe) Ltd.Cranbrook House, 61 Cranbrook Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 4PG.Unsolicited Recruitment advertising1st European City Guide, International Trade Consultants, IT&T International Business Directories. Unsolicited invoicing for entries in international fax/business directoriesBerger & Co Ltd, 8b St. Vincent Street EdinburghUnsolicited invoicing for research reportsUniversal Books Unsolicited invoices for handbooks RCI Chemicals, Crown Industrial IndustriesInflated invoices

If you have any questions about this e-mail or comments on counter fraud work at the PCT then please get in touch with me by e-mail or at:Robert Purseglove, Local Counter Fraud Specialist, tel: 0114 271 1462

Meet Eamonn from Every Adult Matters Eamonn Mulligan works for the EAM project in the PCT. He left the NHS 12 years ago but works on various projects now, helping to reform and move forward important change work.

“I’ve worked as a NHS Manager in the past for Trusts, Health Authorities, Strategic Health, Connecting for Health and leadership projects,” Said Eamonn. “So I’ve a good idea for how the NHS works and its potential to grow in the next decade.”

Eamonn has experience in mentoring, programme management, delivering change and service improvement. He previously worked on the Health Reform Demonstration System for Barnsley, Doncaster and Leeds which involved lots of Health and Social Care integration work.

“Every Adult Matters really feels like it is working with the structures already in place but moving it forward to build on the good practice that exists”, said Eamonn.

Eamonn’s been with the PCT since February and is working on a set number of contracted hours and days with Martha Roberts, who was in the May issue of PCT News.

“My role is sorting out governance arrangements for EAM, looking into roles and reporting and managing risks and issues.” Said Eamonn. “We’re really interested to identify where the EAM role fits in to the organisation’s future. By building a suitable work stream model we can channel the work to its best result.”

Last month, Eamonn attended an Health and Social Care event in Suffolk where Barnsley’s work on Individual Budgets and Self Directed Care was presented. “The national visibility and recognition that Barnsley has received for its work so far has been impressive. We’re really raising Barnsley’s profile but look forward to receiving a lot more interest in our work in the near future.”

5

Breathe Easy Barnsley’s awareness raising day surrounding lung health was held at Worsbrough Health Centre in June and attracted over 35 members of the public.

The theme of the annual event held in association with the British Lung Foundation’s big breaths campaign was Healthy Lungs help you feel younger, live longer, run faster, sing louder and kiss better!

As part of a new initiative The British Lung Foundation is calling on everyone to follow its new Airway Code, a ten-point plan for healthy lungs. Eve Cowdell from Barnsley Breathe Easy group said: “By following the airway code we can make the most of our lung capacity and prevent respiratory illness in the future.”

The event encouraged people to make the most of their lung capacity by providing them with help and advice on leading a healthy lifestyle. They were encouraged to follow a balanced diet, undertake regular exercise, not smoke, avoid dust and fumes and be asbestos aware.

The Diabetes Specialist Nurses, (DSNs) have run group education sessions since 1986 for patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes. DSNs in conjunction with Diabetes Dietitians have now totally revamped this education programme in line with the National Service Framework (NSF) for Diabetes and NICE guidelines as well as nationally recognised Diabetes Education programmes such as XPERT, all of which recommend that structured group education programmes be made available to all patients with Diabetes.

The programme is an evidence based two week structured, scripted programme based on theories of patient empowerment and patient education, including skill based approaches, with lots of different visual aids. The first week is three hours from a Diabetes Specialist Nurse, the second three hours from a Dietitian.

All the education sessions are audited and internally quality assured, to ensure they are of a consistently high standard and we are looking to get the programme accredited and externally quality assured.

This new programme has been available since June 2007 and the team is currently working with Clinical Audit with regard to patient satisfaction with the sessions. The venues have been evaluated from a patient demand perspective and the sessions for 2008 will be held monthly at:

Barnsley can Breathe Easy!

Exercise is the key part of the airway code because it trains the lungs to provide muscles with the oxygen they need. The British Lung Foundation is currently campaigning for everyone with lung disease to have Pulmonary rehabilitation and follow on exercises.

Stalls were held by Barnsley’s Primary Care Trust, Community Matrons Sue Hazeldine and Tracey Bladen, the fire and rescue service and the Stop Smoking Cessation team. As part of the event visitors had the opportunity to have their blood pressure monitored and speak with community matrons and a physiotherapist.

Eve spoke of the success of the event by saying “Everyone who came to our event learned about how important their lungs were”

For more information on the Breath Easy Barnsley Group please contact Eve on 07958029514.

Pictured: Front left, Eve with representatives from the Barnsley awareness day.

NEW! Diabetes Education programme available• Hoyland Health Centre, Wednesday afternoons once a month• Thurnscoe Health Centre, Wednesday afternoons once a month• New Street Health Centre, Friday afternoons once a month • Barnsley Hospital, Tuesday evening once a month

Patients are given choice over which clinic would be most convenient for them with regards to time and location.

GPs, Practice Nurses and other Health Care Professionals are invited to take advantage of these sessions for newly diagnosed patients or those requiring an update. Patients will be allocated sessions within 4 weeks of referral.

Referrals for patients should be submitted on a Diabetes Specialist Nurse Referral Form and send the form to our Clerical Officers at Apollo Court Medical Centre, High Street, Dodworth or telephone 01226 209884.

If you require any further information please contact Sue Jones, Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist, Service Manager, Diabetes at Apollo Court Medical Centre on: 01226 209884 or mobile: 0790 9930604

6

PCT Incident SummaryClinical Incidents occurring in April and May total 202. Just over half of these are patient falls occurring in inpatient services and residential care. A falls working party has been commissioned by the Clinical Risk Steering Group to look at the types of falls occurring and develop an action plan. Other incident trends include problems with discharge and transfer of patients both into and out of the PCT, medication errors and equipment malfunction incidents.

What have we learnt?

• Ensure that equipment is working properly prior to use and that external batteries have been charged. Staff should be trained on the correct use of all equipment they use as part of their role.• Patients who self medicate whilst an inpatient should be regularly assessed with regards to their capability to comply with medication requirements.• Clients/patients should be made aware of the list of contraband items prohibited from being brought onto NHS property including weapons and drug paraphernalia.• Where patients are at risk of falling all items that could pose a hazard should be kept away tidily to prevent further falls, particularly at night where lighting levels are lower.• Ensure that patients with mobility problems and those at risk of falls have thorough assessment from physiotherapy and other allied health professionals.

Ris

ky

Mat

ters

The title may seem a little daunting but it is exactly what it says, a policy which lays out how to develop and manage a policy/procedure.

The policy includes:• A definition of a policy and procedure• The roles and responsibilities in relation to policy development and management.• The development, approval and implementation of policies and procedureso Style and formato Consultation phaseso Equality impact assessmentso Approval processo Policy implementationo Accessibility of policies and procedures to staffo Review of Policyo Document control and archivingo Monitoring the compliance and effectiveness of the policy

The policy has been produced to meet the requirements of the NHS LA Risk Management Standards for PCTs which state

“The organisation has approved documentation which describes the process for developing organisation-wide procedural documents (Ref 1.1.1)”

The PCT will be assessed against the NHS LA Risk Management Standards in February 2009. It is important therefore that any new policies and procedures are produced in accordance with the Policy on the Development and Management of Policies and Procedures. Existing policies and procedures will also require updating into the new format as they become due for revision.

A copy of the new policy can be found on Connect and also in the red Operational Manual for corporate policies.

Introducing a new PCT PolicyPolicy on the Development and Management of Policies and Procedures

Diagnosis 6Impact/Collisions 6

Medication Issues 18

Operational Issues 29

Security 12

Slips/Trips/Falls 108

Other 23

7

Smoking figures drop SMOKEFREE law in England has helped more smokers to quit than ever before and will help prevent an estimated 40,000 deaths over the next 10 years – according to new research being presented in Birmingham. The decline in smoking prevalence for the nine months pre-July was 1.6 per cent compared to an impressive 5.5 per cent in the nine months post July. Based on the findings researchers estimate that at least 400,000 people quit smoking as a result of the legislation. There was no difference by age, gender or social grade.

Lynsey Japp, Barnsley Smoke Free Coordinator said: “A year ago England took one of the biggest steps towards improving the nation’s health. The smoking restrictions are making a real difference where it matters the most, by preventing deaths and so keeping families together for longer.“The smoke free legislation was considered controversial at the time but this was about making sure that everyone is protected from the harms of secondhand smoke when working, socialising and relaxing. Barnsley has really supported this over the past year.”

Rachel Foster, Barnsley NHS Stop Smoking Service said: “Going smoke free has encouraged lots of people to quit smoking. We definitely saw lots more people come through our doors in the run up to July last year. Over the past year over 2000 Barnsley people have successfully stopped smoking using our service by getting a bit of encouragement to stay motivated and practical tips on dealing with cravings.”The NHS Stop Smoking Service in Barnsley town centre tel: 01226 737077 offers free, local support and encouragement in the form of group or individual sessions, sharing tactics and practical advice on how to handle cravings. Vouchers for nicotine replacement products such as patches, gum, and other stop smoking medication are also available.

Ward 5 Kendray: Going for GoldThe benefits and protection of smokefree legislation has now been extended to mental health settings.

Since 1 July 2008, smoking has been against the law in any enclosed or substantially enclosed part of any mental health hospital. This include smoking by patients, visitors or members of staff, and will include all residential mental health units, regardless of whether they provide acute or long-term services.

Smokefree legislation represents a landmark in public health, and will afford protection in a wide range of settings from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. Second-hand smoke is known to cause a range of serious medical conditions including lung cancer and heart disease, and can trigger asthma attacks. The Department of Health wants to ensure that the benefits and protection of smokefree legislation will also extend to mental health settings.

Yorkshire and Humberside Tobacco Control Unit asked for volunteers to become pilot sites to initiate smoking cessation in practice (SCIP) in their areas of work. The aim of SCIP is to help healthcare providers develop sustainable systems to provide help for quitting smoking and maintaining a smoke free environment. The pilot site for Barnsley PCT is Ward 5 at Kendray. Ward 5 is a long stay recovery unit and has identified that amongst their service users they have heavy smokers and would need to make provision to encourage this group of clients to quit smoking and provide a smoke free environment for both service users and staff. An action plan was sent to Yorkshire and Humberside who funded the pilot project with £5,000.

A steering group was formed in Autumn 07, with collaborative working between the clinical staff from Ward 5 and 6 and DPM, together with representation from Public Health and Barnsley Stop Smoking Service.

Service users designed their own stop smoking posters and have been involved in the count down to the first of July. The staff from Ward 5 gave a presentation of their work so far at the Yorkshire and Humberside Tobacco Control meeting in Leeds and shared their best practice with other services from across the region. Information regarding the pilot project has been circulated to many colleagues including the Acute Care Forum and Operational Managers meeting.

Barnsley Stop Smoking Service has provided staff with brief intervention training on how to raise the issue of stopping smoking. Two members of the staff, Alph Galvin and Paul Dodds have attended the Stop Smoking Service two day intermediate training so they can help clients through a stop smoking attempt on site.

Jacques Ambroise the Manager of Ward 5 said: “Being an ex smoker and knowing the benefits of quitting, I fully support helping patients in giving up smoking”.The lessons learned from the pilot project on Ward 5 have been incorporated in the move to the new DPM buildings at Kendray

Ward 5 will be now be nominated for the Gold Award for Smoking Cessation in Practice from the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Tobacco Unit.

Pictured: (L-R) Alph Galvin, Staff Nurse; Paul Dodds, Nursing Assistant, Jacques Ambroise, Ward Manager and Zoe Styrene, Stop Smoking Service Coordinator.

8

Employability team awarded APS statusThe Employability Team are pleased to announce that the PCT has been awarded the Approved Provider Standard (APS), a national benchmark for organisations providing one-to-one, volunteer mentoring or befriending. The national award is supported by the Cabinet Office and Department for Children, Schools and Families and aims to provide programmes with a badge of competence and safe practice in mentoring or befriending. There are a number of Mentors at the PCT who give their time to support and befriend other staff who appreciate the benefits mentoring can give to an individual.

A mentor at the PCT said: “I have worked for the PCT for 10 years and have been fortunate to have been part of a growing mentoring team within the Trust. I am so proud to have been part of the team that has achieved Approved Provider Status by the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation.

“In my role as mentor I have been privileged to meet and support seven individuals during their various paid placements, such as clerical, catering, caring, and have offered support that ranges from having a friendly chat, to providing help and advice with personal development and job searches.

“As a mentor I have witnessed mentees who grow and gain confidence in a working environment, being actively involved in real work settings. As a mentor, my aim is to offer support in making the transition into the world of employment a positive experience plus providing a wider understanding of what a mentor/mentee relationship has to offer.“

A mentee from the PCT said: “My mentor was of great support and quickly became my safety net. She was open and approachable, a friendly face when needed and made me feel part of the organisation. We could talk in confidence about my placement and how things were going and if I had any problems. She didn’t solve my problems, but gave me advice, reassurance and was non - judgmental. We could meet up or speak via the telephone or email. My mentor was always on hand to offer help with job applications and interview techniques. I think I benefited greatly from having this person as my mentor and like to think she also became a friend.”

Rebecca Andrews, Training Facilitator in the Employability Team said: “APS status gives the PCT due recognition for its leading work in the field of mentoring. We are pleased to receive the award and continue to look out for more mentors to join our network. The feedback received to date is a genuine tribute to the work of our mentors and mentees who have helped to develop the concept of mentoring in the PCT to this excellent standard.”

For more information on mentoring and the work of the Employability team, please contact Andrea Richards, Rebecca Andrews or Denise Kelly on ext 4253.

Pictured: L-R: Janet Blackburn, Tina Greenwood, David Mason, Denise Kelly, Dawn Hood, Diane Williams and Carmen Kilner celebrate the PCT’s recent APS achievement.

9

Celebration for CarersCarers’ Week 2008 was celebrated by Barnsley’s Partnership in Action team with an event to give Carers in Barnsley the opportunity to find out about services available to them and join in the shape and direct services in the future.

The Launch event of the week was held at Brooklands and featured an interactive workshop called ‘Don’t like Jamaica’. In the afternoon, the Mayor officially launched the week, followed by Edna Sutton, BMBC’s executive director for children, young people and families who presented a thought-provoking piece on the importance of supporting young carers.

In the afternoon, a selection of information stands, alternative therapies, card making workshops and circle dancing completed the day which was well attended by carers and partner agencies from Barnsley.

The evening followed with a party for young carers, tea dance and then a black and minority ethnic carers event.

Pictured: The ‘Don’t like Jamaica’ interactive workshop session.

A UK-wide 10% uplift to Agenda for Change car mileage allowances on all standard and regular user rates has been agreed. The mileage reimbursement will date back to 1 July 2008 and only applies to travel on or after this date. This raise is still to be confirmed by the Department of Health.

The agreement includes:

Standard user Was To Up to 1000cc 34.0p 37.4p 1001 to 1500cc 43.0p 47.3p 1501 cc or over 53.0p 58.3p Regular user Up to 1000cc 27.0p 29.7p 1001 to 1500cc 33.5p 36.9p 1501 cc or over 40.0p 44.0p Public transport rate 23.0p 24.0p Passenger mileage 2.0p 5.0p Cycle allowance 6.2p 10.0p

Raise in NHS car mileage allowances

10

Last year, the PCT took part in a Department of Health research programme which was conducted by Ipsos MORI. The research was titled “What Matters to Staff in the NHS”. A feedback report was received recently which enabled the PCT to plot itself against the 28,939 staff questioned across 48 Trusts, 2 SHAs and also GP and ISTC staff.

112 Barnsley PCT staff took part in the study which focused on a number of outcomes including:

• Staff motivation to provide high quality patient care• Staff advocacy in the NHS• Patient and public satisfaction

The results were then broken into themes which included: resource to deliver quality care for patients, the support to do a good job, chances to develop and opportunities to improve the way we work. In addition to this, four outcomes were also explored: motivation, advocacy, patient and public satisfaction.

Although the research was completely confidential, the report received by the PCT included a comparison of the national results with Barnsley PCT’s results (pictured). Out of the ten factors, the PCT were higher than average in seven areas and lower than average in three areas. The areas for improvement include:

• Having a worthwhile job that makes a difference to patients (4% lower)• Feeling trusted, listened to and valued at work (1 % lower)• Senior managers are involved with our work (7% lower)

“We’d really like to thank all our staff who took part,” said Gillian Malkin, the Director of Human Resources at the PCT. “The research findings not only show that we are the same or above average in seven of the ten factors, but they also help us to identify the areas we need to develop for further improvement. I’m proud that in Barnsley, we were able to add valuable insight to the research that was externally conducted and feeds into a national report.”

In last month’s PCT News, a breakdown of the annual Staff Survey results was published with a further action group set up to address the results and make recommendations via an action plan. This group will also be using the ‘What Matters to Staff’ research findings to further support its action plan.

Got something to add?

If you would like to comment on this research, or the staff survey, original copies of the results are all published on Connect. Get in touch through the details on the back page to feed back your comments on this work.

Research Results Reported: What matters to staff?

I’ve got a worthwhile job that makes a difference to patients

I feel trusted, listened to and valued at work

I’ve got the knowledge, skills and equipment to do a good job

My manager (or supervisor) supports me when I need it

I am able to improve the way we work in my team

I help provide high quality patient care

I have the opportunity to develop my potential

I understand my role and where it fits in

Senior managers are involved with our work

I feel fairly treated with pay benefits and staff facilities

9187

8786

8486

8286

7474

6470

5556

4949

3831

3742

The ten factors and how well they are being met in West Barnsley PCT

% Strongly agree/agree the ten factors are being met

n NHS Overall (9,080)n Barnsley PCT (112)

Nick Phillips is the newly-appointed Deputy Director of Estates and Facilities, responsible for the line management of Estates team and telecommunications function. He will also be working on a number of key capital projects around the PCT. PCT News met Nick recently to find out about his background and ambitions for Barnsley.

His thirst for building and estates began at a young age. He was just 17 when he helped the family to build a house. Nick said: “During that time I also started on a youth training scheme for building control. After a few years’ experience I moved on to property management for South Yorkshire Police eventually becoming a property service manager where I had the responsibility for managing the police estates and new build projects.”

After 19 years with the police, Nick felt he was ready for a new challenge. “I was ready for something different but wanted to stay in public services, so when this job came up I felt it was ideal. I’m keen to work on the excellent reputation and services the estates department provides here at the PCT and my journey to work is much improved – I live in Rotherham but it’s a much more pleasant journey to Barnsley than Sheffield City centre!”

One of Nick’s first projects is overseeing the refurbishment of the old training block at Kendray which is being transformed into a modern conference facility. We’re starting to take a longer term view and more strategic perspective on the capital programme.

Nice to meet you Nick!

11

Walking Festival is Five More than 1500 Barnsley people took part in the walks as part of the fifth annual Fit for the Future Barnsley Walking Festival.

Over 20 guided walks were included in the 2008 festival with many being run by local groups and volunteers. Walks throughout the festival ranged from ‘Mams and Prams’ around Locke Park to the ‘Think Pink’ midnight walk run by Barnsley Hospice. The festival included ‘Love Parks’ week encouraging us all to get out and about in the many beautiful parks we have across Barnsley. Pete Hodgson from SportActiv in Barnsley co-ordinated the festival and guided some of the walks. He said: “We had loads of new people on our walks this year. The mams and prams walk to Locke Park was great. We had lots of mums along. Some of them said it was a nice opportunity to get together with other mums, have a chat and get some exercise at the same time without even noticing it!”

“The people here are so friendly, the induction process has been excellent, I have to say Barnsley PCT have been a really welcoming organisation. Another attractive prospect working at the PCT is its flexible working policies, with a young family I have a number of commitments and the PCT have been happy to help me work around them.” Said Nick.

Outside of work, Nick’s time is spent mainly catering for his children’s interests which include horse riding, scouts and junior football.

12

LD enjoy active health

Active Health Day was organised by the Barnsley Integrated Learning Disability Service to raise awareness of health inequalities of people with learning disabilities. People with learning disabilities, their families and carers were all invited to the day which promoted health awareness holistically and also included well being.

Joanne Brown, Professional Support & Practice Development Nurse (LD) said: “The day was opened by Ailsa Claire, Barnsley PCT’s Chief Executive and was extremely well attended by people with learning disabilities”. Professionals from other areas also attended the day. Attractions included:

• Community Matrons on hand to take people’s blood pressure, weight and blood glucose, they also provided information about their service for people with continuing care health needs.

• The learning disability therapy team had fit balls, a mini trampoline and other equipment to inform people of their services. They were also testing pulse rates and oxygen levels and provided information of their service.

• Service users and staff from Day Opportunities were providing fruit tasting and smoothie making which were very popular with everyone who attended. They wore ‘Get Fruity’ T-shirts and certainly looked the part. The Coop membership donated £200 for the fruit, Asda and Morrisons also gave a small donation.

• A dietitian was on hand to give dietary advice and also provided lots of different warm breads for people to taste. She also brought plastic fruit to show the ‘eat well plate’.

• Summerwell respite service showed the activities that they undertake to promote healthy lifestyles and provided fruit tasting and healthy flapjack.

• Barnsley College beauty section brought some student beauticians who provided a nail bar, where people could have a nail manicure and hand massage.

• The Community Learning Disability Service had social workers and nurses on hand to provide advice about their service; they also had loads of information of how people can access health services. They also were promoting the ‘Health Needs Assessment’ which is used prior to developing a Health Action Plan. The table also had a breast and testicles to raise awareness and the importance of self checking for lumps and changes.

• Other representatives included: Shared Lives (formerly Adult Placement), Family Planning, Barnsley Assessment & Intensive Support Service (BAISS), Memory Services, Epilepsy Service, Patient Advice and Liaison service (PALS), Barnsley Alcohol and Drug Advice Service (BADAS), Podiatry, BPL, Boots, Age Concern, BHNFT’s Audiology Dept, Health Optical Services, Slimming World, Person Centred Planning, Barnsley College, BMBC’s Complaints department, Crime Prevention Team, Northern College and Dearne Valley College and Fit for the Future all attended and provided information on their respective services.

Telling the Tooth Service users at the Day Hospital, Kendray were treated to a session on Oral Hygiene recently. Assistant Nurses Dawn Westwood and Val Ayrton led the open discussion, covering topics about looking after dentures, cleaning teeth, eating a good diet and included reminiscent anecdotes about tooth care over the years. “Some of our service users can remember using soot to clean their teeth” said Val. “By asking questions and encouraging involvement we can really get the message across about the importance of oral hygiene.”

Free packs of dental care products were handed out at the end of the session, courtesy of the Public Health Team who obtained sponsorship to fund the packs. “We are also doing an audit on oral health, targeting older people’s services for Essence of Care and we plan to give information to all new service users at the point of entry,” Added Chris Rawson, Patient Environment Manager.

Pictured: L-R Chris Rawson with Dawn Westwood and Val Ayrton holding the demo set of gnashers.

Discounted health cover for staffIn partnership with Westfield Health, Barnsley PCT is offering all staff the chance to join a market leading health cash plan at a special rate.

From just £4.33* per month you can claim money back towards your everyday healthcare expenses (that’s 10% cheaper than buying a plan directly from Westfield Health), and now you can manage your account online too!

Westfield’s straightforward online service makes managing and using your account even easier. Whether you want to make a claim, check your current balance, upgrade existing cover or apply for cover…you can now do it all online.

Visit www.westfieldhealth.com/advantageportal for details. To apply online, simply quote R5FG when prompted.

*£4.33 refers to Level 1 cover

Barnsley people say they want a real choice when it comes to seeing a doctor and selecting a GP practice within their local area.

Three-quarters (75%) of people who have taken part in the PCT’s Healthy Expectations consultation highlighted that choice of GP practice is either very or quite important for them and their families.

Barnsley’s first new style GP-led health centre and three new GP practices are already on the cards and are set to be up and running next year. At the same time as local people are directly shaping the services that will go into these new practices through the PCT’s ongoing consultation, the PCT is marking these new practices out as the gold standard for local healthcare.

“The range and quality of services offered by the GP-led health centre and the new practices will set the bar for world-class care in Barnsley,” said assistant director of commissioning for the PCT, Ed Reilly.

“We want people across Barnsley to receive a consistently high standard of care at a time and a place convenient for them and we will continue to work with all practices across the borough to come up to that standard.”

More than 1,600 local people have already taken part in the consultation offering their views on access to GPs, the services they provide and what their vision for the future of GP practices is

For more information visit www.barnsleypct.nhs.uk/equitable-access.html.

13

Equitable access engages local people

14

DID YOU KNOW? Light bulbs can be a source of ignitionA recent fire has once again highlighted the danger of fire being caused by combustible items being place on or near light bulbs.

Heat from the elements of a light bulb radiates outwards and any combustible material near to the bulb will absorb the heat. Where there is little or no air circulation around the bulb the heat will build up and spontaneous ignition can occur.

In many cases this happens after people have fallen asleep or left the room.

Some examples of how light bulb fires have started: n Placing items over the light bulb when switched on to darken the room.n Placing towels or other material items too close to the bulb in storerooms or airing cupboards etc.

Please leave a good distance between the light bulb and combustible materials.

The Recovery & Wellbeing Group Goes From Strength to StrengthThe RWG has completed its third run, including one at the new venue, central library in Barnsley. The sessions were well attended, with everyone saying how much they had learned from the group, and how much they had enjoyed it!

The RWG has been a great success and special acknowledgement goes to Lisa O’Neil (Support, Time & Recovery Worker, ward 5 at Kendray) who has made major contributions to the running of the group.

Stephen Jones and Dawn Jenkinson said: “We welcome Lynn Marples to the team and offer our grateful thanks to her for giving up her precious free time to be our official volunteer with the group. We would also like to welcome John Mcintyre to the team as Recovery & Wellbeing Advisor and offer our thanks too for his significant input into the group. We congratulate all participants of the group for sticking with it and finally we thank all our speakers for taking time out of their busy schedules to contribute to the group.”

Dates for the next Recovery & Wellbeing Groups:• Tuesday 2 September 2008 to Tuesday 18 November 2008• Tuesday 13 January 2009 to Tuesday 31 March 2009• Start time: 10:30 am• Venue: Central Library, Barnsley Town Centre

NEW! The Recovery & Wellbeing group now has its own page for staff on Barnsley PCT’s intranet site: Connect. Find us at: Care Services > Specialist Services > Recovery and Wellbeing Group from the menu on the left hand side of Connect. Or follow the link below:

http://nww.barnsleypct.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/specialistservices/rwg/

Here you will be able to complete an on-line referral form and send it to us instantly or download a printable copy to send to us at:

Recovery & Wellbeing Groupc/o Littleworth Court, Littleworth Lane, Lundwood, Barnsley S71 5RGTel: 01226 433518 / 248610Fax: 01226 246457

Visit our website: www.barnsley.nhs.uk/recovery-and-wellbeing-group.html

email: stephen.jones@barnsleypct.nhs.uk

15

This year’s staff survey results highlighted several areas for improvement, some of which touched on communications and team working in the PCT.

We want to review and improve how we communicate with staff to ensure messages are being sent and received in a timely and appropriate way. This survey is also on Connect for staff to fill in electronically.

If you have an opinion, we want to hear it. Fill in the form below or get in touch via the details on the back page. Anyone can enter their feedback – we want to hear from everyone and we’re giving away a bike to someone drawn from all the responses received.

1 Do you receive a regular Team Brief? YES ❏ NO ❏

1(b) If so, what format is it in? Eg. Team meeting, email, noticeboard

2 What do you think of PCT News in general? Please comment on format, content, frequency, distribution and style

3 Do you use the intranet site Connect? YES ❏ NO ❏

3(b) If so, what do you like or dislike about it?

4 What do you think about the number of emails sent out to “all”?

Too many ❏ Too few ❏ I don’t mind ❏

5 Other methods of communication include noticeboards, displays, presentations, roadshows, the website and events. Can you recommend any other ways you feel the PCT should communicate with its staff?

6 Do you feel that you are a good communicator? YES ❏ NO ❏

6(b) If so why?

7 Does your manager cascade information regularly? YES ❏ NO ❏

7(b) How could they do this better?

Finally, On behalf of all communications in the PCT: how would you change things / what would you do differently?

About you

Your details will be kept anonymous in the findings of this survey, however, please fill in your details to be eligible to win the bike:

Name:

Department:

Tel or email:

Thank you for filling out the survey.

Please return to Katy Jarvis, Internal Communications Manager, HR Department, Kendray.

Win a bike!

Communications in the Spotlight

www.rabbitdesign.co.uk

16

Elaine says thanks!Elaine Makin would like to thank her colleagues past and present at the Stairfoot Clinic where she worked as a Health Visitor for their kind gifts and the party at her retirement do in March. She would also like to let everyone know that she very much enjoyed her Antipodean adventure!

Football key to mental health recoveryThe PCT have been awarded a football foundation grant to match fund monies earmarked by the medical directorate to enable a three year pilot football project.

This work follows on from the work of the physiotherapy team who organise the Barnsley Challenge mental health football team now based at the Oakwell Centre at Kendray.

“We’ve had approximately £6,000 from the Football Foundation to get this initiative up and running in Yorkshire and the Humber and it will go towards the Football Association (FA) Training and coaching qualification for staff and service users.” Said Hannah Geal, Exercise Specialist in Mental Health.

“We will also be using the money to help set up a new Yorkshire and Humber- wide mental health football league which we anticipate will be fun by the FA.”

The work all started when the Barnsley Challenge team received funding from the medical directorate. “We are very grateful to Dr Chari and Dr Cobb who have supported the initiative from the start.” The money has helped to pay for pitch hire, laundry charges for the kit and training costs.

Training started in July with five service users already signed up to take part. “What we’ve found is that training and the course helps to build confidence and really enhance social skills, therefore once qualified, it could lead to potential future employment opportunities.” Ended Hannah.

Thanks…

Rebecca AndrewsTracey Bladen

Glenis BrailsfordJoanne Brown

Helen ClaughtonEve CowdelSara Galer

Lynsey JappRuth Jefferson

Dawn JenkinsonStephen Jones

Sue JonesLillian Lettin Kay Morgan

Eamonn MulliganRobert Purseglove

Steve WainwrightKirsty Waknell

Why not contribute your pictures and

stories to PCT News?

Contact Katy Jarvis

on 01226 43 ext 4298 or email

katy.jarvis@barnsleypct.nhs.uk

to tell everyone your news!

NHS Celebration at Westminster AbbeyApproximately 2000 NHS employees gathered in Westminster Abbey on the 2nd July, in order to celebrate the 60th birthday of the NHS. The service followed a very traditional pattern, and was filled with reflections on the NHS, sermons and hymns. It was a day for NHS workers, past and present, to reflect and celebrate their roles as part of the National Health Service. The service was led by Reverend Dr. John Hall and the Dean of Westminster, and was held in the presence of HRH the Prince of Wales. It was also attended by, amongst others, our very own Rev. Nick Percival, from Mount Vernon Hospital. Mostly, the event ran smoothly, apart from when a member of the congregation passed out during the service and had to be escorted outside to a waiting ambulance! However, the day was a great success, and goes to show that we have much to be proud of within the NHS.

Top: Westminster AbbeyLeft: Reverend Nick Percival

Here’s to the next 60!