InsideStory

Inside Story is the UCLH staff magazine

Pilgrim’s Progress: Sir Robert's charity trip - page 2ANDStaff survey - your views about working life - page 3 PLUSOff to boot camp - pages 4 & 5

news

Contact UsIf you have any information you would like included in Inside Story, or on the Trustintranet site Insight, contact: Communications Unit, 2nd Floor Central, 250 Euston Road,London NW1 2PG. Email: communications@uclh.nhs.uk, Tel: ext 9897, Fax: ext 9401.

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He’s best known as one of the NHS’slongest standing chief executives. Butfor one week in June, Sir Robert willswap UCLH Trust headquarters for aslightly more rocky road as he leads aband of pilgrims on a 130km charitytrek. Surprised? Then read on...

Sir Robert will join a team of 20dedicated individuals – including hiswife Lady Jane and five IndigenousAustralians – who will attempt toconquer the infamous final section ofthe Camino pilgrimage trail acrossNorthern Spain to Santiago deCompostela.

Sir Robert has given up a week of hisannual leave to act as organising chieffor the party and will be in charge ofboosting morale, catering, map reading,transport and emergency medical care.

In addition to the walkers, two teams willbe running the 130km in one day, led byProfessor Hugh Montgomery, head ofhuman health and performance at UCL.

Known as the ‘Pilgrims’ Walk for Life’, theexpedition aims to raise £350,000 for thecharity Safehands for mothers which wasestablished to reduce maternal andinfant mortality in developing countries(particularly in Africa where the Trustalready has strong links). The moneyraised will be used to buy portable solar-powered DVDs for the delivery of trainingin remote areas.

Santiago de Compostela has become alegendary pilgrimage destination. It is aUNESCO World Heritage site and hometo a cathedral where the mortal remainsof St James, one of Jesus’ most belovedapostles, are entombed.

The walk will take place between June15 and 21 and will be covered by DailyMail journalist Caroline Phillips.

Sir Robert’s personal target is to raise£10,000, so if you would like to help himyou can make a donation by logging onto the Just Giving websitewww.justgiving.com/safehands-Robert

Sir Robert Naylor to join charity expedition

UCLH pilots mobile isolation roomsHigh-tech mobile isolation rooms whichcan be installed in any hospital ward arebeing piloted exclusively at UCLH to helpreduce hospital-acquired infections.

The kits isolate patients by creating apolythene and mesh barrier aroundbeds, with an air door which stops air-borne bugs from spreading outside.

Consultant microbiologist Dr PeterWilson, who helped design the rooms,said: “These kits have the potential totransform a large ward into single roomsquickly and simply, without majorbuilding works. Nationally there are morepatients with infections than there aresingle rooms available: if staff andpatients find them acceptable, thesetemporary single rooms could help solve

the problem at a stroke.”

The Department of Health chose UCLHto pilot the kits. If they receive a positivereaction from staff and patients,they will be introduced at a limitednumber of hospitals nationally toenable further feedback. It ishoped they might eventually berolled out across the NHS.

The ‘rooms’ also includeportable basins to improvehand hygiene andodourless toilets. Thekits will provide 10rooms, offering varyingdegrees of isolation toprevent infections, such asnorovirus and MRSA. It is

also hoped they will encourage improvedhand hygiene.

Staff are being urged to stand for election to the Trust’s governingbody in the annual elections. There are two staff seats whichneed filling – one in the admin and clerical/estates and ancillarystaff category and the other in nurses and midwives.

To request a nomination form or find out more, contact DianeLewis on ext 9923 or email foundation.trust@uclh.nhs.uk

Governing body election: key dates Request nomination forms

Nominations close

Ballot papers dispatched

Close of ballot

Results announced

15 May 2009

15 June 2009

7 July 2009

30 July 2009

5 August 2009

Key dates for your diary:

Dr Peter Wilson next to a mobile isolation room

Front cover: From l to r, Giulio Bognolo,consultant heart surgeon and AdrianCapp, NHNN therapy services manager(see story on pages 4 and 5)

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news

Nine out of 10 UCLH employees whotook part in one of the world’s largeststaff surveys said they feel their job isrewarding and the work they do makesa real difference to patients. Nearlyseven out of 10 said they wouldrecommend UCLH as a good place towork.

UCLH ranks among the top 20% ofacute hospital trusts in eight of the 36key areas highlighted in the national2008 NHS staff survey publishedrecently by the HealthcareCommission. The survey

questionnaire wascompleted by 160,000

workers from all 390NHS trusts. It aims to provide

a wealth of data about theirday-to-day working lives to

enable trusts and the governmentto develop ways of improving

working conditions. At UCLH wesurveyed 850 staff and achieved a

58% response rate.

Results also showed that there has beenan increase in the number of staffworking extra hours due to thepressures and demands of the job andmore needs to be done to reduce work-related stress and act on violence,

harassment, bullying or abuseexperienced by staff.

Sir Robert Naylor, UCLH chief executive,said: “We have consolidated on lastyear’s progress in the staff survey. In ayear when ‘quality’ will be the emphasisof the NHS, it is particularly pleasing tosee that we are in the top 20% of trustswhere staff are satisfied with the qualityof work and patient care they are able todeliver.

“You also told us that we have donebetter in dealing with violence andharassment and that you wouldrecommend UCLH as agood place to work.

“However, we mustdo more to promoteflexible working, give staff bettersupport from their immediatemanagers and promoteprofessionalism, dignity andrespectful working relations. Thiswas our biggest ever response rate tothe staff survey and the board ofdirectors and I really welcome yourvaluable contributions.”

Overall the survey provided 36 ‘keyscores’, which group together questionsto indicate performance in areas such as

job satisfaction orwork-life balance.

Staff have their say about UCLHThe UCLH staff survey results show:

• Significant improvements have been made in the past year relating to infectioncontrol: substantially more staff have been trained, there is a considerable increasein the availability of handwashing materials and increased awareness generally

• Fewer staff said they experienced work-related stress. Work-related injuries aredown

• Bullying, harassment and abuse is declining, but violence against staff remains thesame

• Reporting of errors and incidents has improved, but there needs to be morefeedback of changes made as a result

• The majority of staff felt satisfied with the quality of work and patient care

• The majority of staff said they understand their role and how it fits in to theoverall organisation

Staff who have achieved at least 25 years’ service with UCLHwere honoured at a presentation ceremony hosted by Sir PeterDixon, Trust chairman. Sir Peter presented 27 members of staff from allareas of hospital life with their crystal bowls as a token of the Trust’sappreciation for their commitment and dedication. He said: “It’s apleasure to see you all here and it’s amazing people have been hereso long and still look so well on it, so you must enjoy it! I’m very gratefulto you, the Trust board is very grateful to you and this is a small way tosay ‘thank you’.” A reception at the UCH Education Centre wasorganised and sponsored by UCLH Charity.

Long service awards for dedicated staff

Sheila Higgs, pensions officer, who started working at the Trust in1983 is presented with her bowl by Sir Peter Dixon

What former boot campdelegates had to say

“Although mentally and physically demanding, it gave methe opportunity to assess my leadership skills in acompletely different way in the most challenging ofsituations… ie: cold, wet, muddy, waterlogged and prettymuch ready to give up!” Lyndsey Anderson,procurement manager

“Challenging and worth every minute. I wouldrecommend it!” Mustafa Sheikh, deputy director ofsupply chain

“It was fantastic!” James Thomas, 18 Weeksperformance project manager

“It was great meeting people from different parts of thecountry with different jobs, and gaining a greaterunderstanding of the army and what they actually do forus and our country. This was very humbling.” KarenAston, lab manager at the Heart Hospital nominatedfor the ‘best delegate award’

“Aspects of the course really took youout of your comfort zone –like my fear of heights – butyou learn the importance ofteam work in helpingindividuals work throughtheir weaknesses.” BelindaGreen, quality lead inmaternity

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army boot campBoot camp challengeSince July, 27 staff from UCLH including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals andmanagers have been sent to army training bases across the country to hone their leadershipskills and learn more about the work of the Territorial Army (TA) – funded by the TA andorganised via the Trust’s head of learning and development Marita Brown.

Elke Tullett from the communications unit kept a diary during her four days at the TAtraining camp in Crowborough, East Sussex:

ThursdayAttenSHUN! Forty delegates from half a dozen

organisations including UCLH gather at a TA

training camp in East Sussex to find out how

military methods of problem-solving can be

applied to civilian situations: from the battlefield to

the boardroom and beyond.

“It’s about empowering leadership at all levels. It’s

about having the confidence to make a timely

decision and act upon it. A decision made too late

is no decision at all,” warns Major Nick

Thasarathar.

He outlines the ‘7 questions’ approach, a formal

step-by-step process of problem-solving which

can be applied to all levels of command.

Friday6am: A fast jog up and downslopes, sprints, push ups in themud, squat thrusts and star

jumps, as our TA instructorlooks on. I spot UCLHcolleagues: consultantsurgeon Giulio Bognolo fromthe Heart Hospital and Adrian Capp, therapy servicesmanager at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery,looking hale and hearty. It’s comforting to know that their medicalexpertise is at hand if needed.

Then straight into the Mess for ‘scoff’. Eat no-nonsense fry-up withthe six other delegates who will be in my team for the next threedays. With limited opportunity for showers or change of clothes overthe next couple of days, we make a pact not to bother. “That way ifwe all start to smell, we probably won’t notice,” says Jo, who worksfor a security company that sweeps mines in Sudan.8.30am: Under the paternalistic eye of Sergeant Major DaleHolley, we are presented a series of theoretical problems to solvewithin a tight deadline. A snowstorm has wreaked havoc: transportroutes are gridlocked and three hospitals are running dangerouslylow on blood, generator fuel, medical kits, food and water. Time isrunning out, lives are at risk. We need to plot a detailed plan ofaction. Ignore the red herrings, focus on our aims, neutralise theproblems, prioritise, do our calculations, scrutinise the map and –most importantly – pull together as a team. Mission accomplished.1pm: More scoff. More bonding. Paper exercises continue.3pm: We head back to the dorm, dress in waterproof camouflagegear and pack our military-sized backpacks for overnight stay in thewoods. Two team members heave it onto my back. At 5ft 2ins, Idisappear.

4pm: On Ministry of Defence land, we each stretch a tarpaulinsheet ‘roof’ between trees and reflect on the night ahead: asleeping bag on a bed of leaves. It begins to rain but spirits arehigh.

5pm: Our army rations provide 3,500 calories a day. Ontonight’s menu are silver sachets of beefhotpot, followed by sickly rice pudding,warmed over a little stove. It’s really not asbad as it sounds. Sgt Major Holley tells usabout his duties in various war zones. Ourrespect for the TA grows by the minute.7pm: It's dark. Our torches are hopeless.

7.15pm: We burrow down like littlemoles, still wearing our clothes, and prayfor sleep.

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army boot camp

SundayEarly morning team games and, withsome regret, we leave for the outsideworld. Would we do it all again? Youbet.

If you would like to know more aboutthe military method of problem solvingplease go to the Intranet – trainingpage, presentations section.If you are interested in finding moreabout the TA, go towww.armyjobs.mod.uk

Saturday

5am: Sgt Major Holley wakes

us up. Although it feels as if we

never slept. Our bones ache, the

air outside the sleeping bag is sub

zero but we all agree it feels good

to be alive. This team bonding

stuff is going well – the lads help

me pack up.

5.30am: Lukewarm beefburger and

beans. Mug of tea has strange thing floating

on the top. I seek out Giulio and Adrian in

another part of the wood. How’s it going?

Great! Did you sleep well? Yes really well.

I guess some people are just cut out for this

kind of lifestyle.

6am: We begin a 9km hike, stopping en route to

complete seven practical tasks against the clock.

How can we cross a contaminated river and

avoid minefields, whilst transporting combustible

chemicals using three planks of wood, three oil

drums, a piece of rope and, of course, our

imagination and ingenuity? Or erect a tent whilst

blindfolded? Team work and clear leadership prove

a winning combination. Sgt Major Holley hints

other teams are doing less well. “There’s a real

bolshy one in that group,” he adds.

2pm: Lunch is chicken and mushroom paste

squeezed onto brown biscuits. A passing Sgt

Major takes pity on us and doles out hardboiled

eggs and cold sausages.

3pm: Back at camp and – horror! – the

army assault course. Exhausted, we are told it will test

our “reactions under stress”. Wobbly ropes, high walls, tight

tunnels. The details remain a surreal, scarey, painful blur. How

was it for you? Heart surgeon Giulio looks a little less breezy. “It

was hard, hard.”

5pm: Tepid shower. Then an inspirational talk by TA

Brigadier and distinguished war historian Professor Richard

Holmes on ‘10 diseases of leadership’: Lack of moral courage;

people who disagree with you aren't necessarily your

enemies; don't assume the best

advice comes from high

status people; don’t confuse

activity with achievement etc.

The battle of the Somme

springs to mind.

6pm: Beer, more beer,

bliss. We talk about our

respect for the professionalism

of the TA. A couple of delegates

toy with the idea of joining up.

“Surgeons and soldiers share some commonground: we make sharp decisions on the spotand those decisions can help save alife. The problem-solvingmechanisms the army hasdeveloped are also applicable tosurgery and whoever is in commandhas to keep control of their team –whether in an operating theatre or abattlefield. Neither must lose controlor panic even when it may feel theobvious thing to do.“I enjoyed every minute, every secondof the course. I might even considertrying to join the TA as a medic at some point.I have a real respect for what they do.”Giulio Bognolo, consultant heart surgeon

Elke Tullett meets the Trustfire officer Neil Bailey.

There’s nothing that gets NeilBailey more hot under the collarthan colleagues who, whenhearing a fire alarm, casuallyponder whether it might be atest. And then do nothing.

His experience as a long-servingfirefighter is the stuff ofnightmares and he knows onlytoo well the searing, awesome,unpredictable nature of flameand smoke.

“These are not airy fairy stories.I tell people ‘This can happen.This does happen. This is thereality. You have to be asprepared as you can be'. Peoplecan’t always anticipate where afire will start or how it willdevelop.”

When training staff, he firesquestions at them in fastsuccession, relentlessly jabbingfor answers, like a metaphoricalfist-in-your-face. If you hear thealarm would you, trance-like,exit the building the way youcame in – ignoring fire escapeson your way? Could you openthe fire door without having to stop andread the instructions first? At what pointwould you start evacuating patients? Areyou sure? What happens if you don’tclose a fire door?

He remembers watching live TVcameras lingering on a few small flamesflickering in a corner of a footballstadium as a crowd of 11,000 watchedBradford City play Lincoln City on 11May 1985 - and hisgrowing horror asthe spectatorsfailed to take itseriously.

Within four minutes, the small fire hadengulfed the stands. “At first, no one wastaking much notice. Others tried to getout the way they had come in, throughturnstiles that were blocked. It took thempast the fire - with terribleconsequences.”

Fifty six people died. If only they hadreacted more quickly, acted moredecisively. If only.

He was just 21 years old when hejoined the Essex

brigade as arookie recruit.The army-style trainingwas harsh andrelentless.“Our instructorsaid: 'Thisisn’t pressure.Pressure is

hearing awoman

screaming for herchildren as her houseburns at 3am. That’spressure and if you don’t

like it – walk away now’.”

In the following 27 years, fiveyears with the Essex and 22years with the London firebrigades, his life was a round of999 incidents: car crashes,railway accidents, chemicalspillages, many fatal infernos,trapped people, facing mobs ofrioters armed with missiles. Hisjocular East End voice dips intoa whisper as he recalls thesounds and smells at the worstmoments, including the deathsof two of his colleagues inaction.

“Each time we got a call I feltanticipation rather than fear. Wefelt like the cavalry – at thatpoint there is no otheremergency service to call. It wasa privilege for me to work withexceptional men who achievedwhat they did through greatteam work.”

There were, of course, plenty ofoffbeat incidents too. Like thetime they were called to free aman from a public telephonebox. “He was naked with hishands handcuffed behind his

back. He had tried to wriggle free but…”

Since joining UCLH six years ago, Neilhas trained more than 30,000 staff andoffers follow-up refreshers at all of theTrust buildings. There’s no room forcomplacency. In the past year a numberof major fires have occurred in Londonhospitals including the Royal Marsden,Great Ormond Street, Chase Farm,Northwick Park and, of course, our ownRosenheim building.

“Whether you work at the Rosenheim orthe Eastman, UCH or the NHNN, thegeneral principles apply. It is better tothink about how you would react now,not at the time of the fire.”

“I’ve been told I’m known as the scaryfire trainer,” he said with some pride. No,Neil’s not scary. He’s fired up aboutsafety. And one day that could save yourlife.

interviewIn the line of fire

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Bottom right: Neil Bailey with his London fire brigade colleagues

If your department is due for thestatutory refresher training, Neil willarrange a date to talk to you and yourcolleagues on site, in the day or duringevening shifts. Call him on ext 4537.

our trust

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Our working lives have beenrevolutionised by email communicationbut when the steady flow of inboxmessages begin to feel like a deluge,then it’s time to take action.

The Trust hopes to help staff improvethe way they cope with emails, as partof its Better Office Working campaign.

Speaking at a pilot training session,David Amos, UCLH director ofworkforce, said: “Everyone here hashigh expectations that they will becured, saved, able to benefit from theopportunities that email provides, butreleased from much of the burden! Wewon’t do it overnight but it’s a problem

we need to grasp.”

Generally citedas among thetop 10 causes ofwork stress, thesheer volume ofemails can spark afeeling of panic andanxiety.

“People canbecome addictedto email, compelledto deal with it theinstant it arrives intheir in box. Do you feel that email iscontrolling your day? You need to get

backin control. If you take a few simplesteps, you could save half-an-hour aday. That’s 17 days a year. If youchange your own behaviour, you canstart to make a difference,” externalconsultant Marc Powell told the 25 stafftaking part in the pilot session.

Those attending, admitted feelingoverwhelmed at times and welcomedmoves to reduce the burden. They willbe asked for their suggestions on howto spread the message among all staff:possibly via online training, IT coaching,workshop sessions or by introducingTrust-wide guidelines on emailetiquette.

If other staff would like to make asuggestion, please contact GillMcAllister and Gina Varden, ICTTraining ext 2306.

When consultant endovascularradiologist Dr Joe Brookes headed offfor a year’s sabbatical in Barbados, hepacked his laser kit along with his suncream and bathing shorts.

As well as chilling out with his wife andthree young children on sun-sizzledbeaches, he found some time torevolutionise care for stroke patientsby launching the island’s firstangioplasty and vascular service atthe University of West Indies. Joealso established a laser servicefor treating varicose veins.

Now he’s back at UCLH with aninfectious joie de vivre – and apromotion, as head of imaging.

“Sometimes, you have to go awayin order to come back refreshed,renewed and to see life with openeyes. It is liberating to realise that

you are not as indispensable as youmay think you are and that many thingsare possible if you conquer your fears.We have more choices than we thinkwe do. We don’t have to be miserable.”

Since his sabbatical ended, he hasreturned to Barbados several times andhopes to develop longer-term linksbetween UCLH and the Caribbeanislands.

“Stroke is a big problem in Barbadosand there is no specialist service –UCLH could be the place where

patients are referred to.”

Joe is grateful to the Trust forenabling him to take a year’sunpaid leave – and credits thedecision with renewing hisenthusiasm for life.

He added: “I had felt in a rut. Iwas aware of time passing butwas so busy I no longer felt I wasin the driving seat. It was bliss tospend time with my wife andchildren – to do nothing but relaxmost of the time”.

You’ve got (more) mail

Hey, I’m going to Barbados!

Practical suggestions include:

• Send emails that clearly say what you want to achieve. State if you want the reader todo anything.

• Always include a useful subject line. This helps the recipient know to open yourmessage.

• Don’t needlessly copy (cc) colleagues. Never ‘reply to all’ unless it's really necessary.

• Stop the computer alerting you when messages come in. Email isn't the best tool forurgent messages, unless it’s agreed that you’ll reply instantly.

• Don’t let email overwhelm you. Learn how to manage your mailbox. Look on the InsightServices page for tips.

• Don’t send an email when it would be better to go over to a colleague’s desk. Pick upthe phone rather than sending long email threads back and forth.

• Think about to whom you are sending the email. Readers can easily misinterpret anemail, much more so than a face-to-face discussion. Spell check and read your messagebefore sending to check presentation, clarity, spelling and accuracy.

For practical ways of managing an overflowing email box, go to the ITServices Intranet page.

Dr Joe Brookes with family

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Archives

Secret lives

This month's prize is £30 worth of vouchers. To enter,just answer the question: In which county is theTerritorial Army featured in this month’s Inside Storybased? Email competition@uclh.nhs.uk or send youranswers to the Communications Unit, 2nd Floor Central,250 Euston Road via internal post. Closing date is May5, 2009.

“I don't listen to this!” was Kristy's response to the first twosongs selected by the shuffle, explaining thather rap-loving fiancé had downloaded someof the songs on to her iPod.

The song from the musical Dreamgirlsprompted a sigh of contentment, “That’smore like me”.

“I like Gospel and R & B”, said Kristy,whose favourite singer is R Kelly (“he's soversatile and talented”). Kristy’s tastes inmusic may be quite varied – thelast act she sawlive was Il Divo,whose style isclassical-opera-pop– but she really isn'ttoo keen on rap,whatever her shufflemight think.

Do the shuffle Competition

Methodical, sedate, quietly intense:traits that ensure UCLH financemanager Steve McColl is the right manfor the job. But come the weekend,he’s gripped by a devil-may-care, wind-in-the-hair feeling as he whizzes round

Herne Hill velodrome onhis racing bike.

Pedalling at speeds ofup to 35mph – andwith no traffic lights,pedestrians, or bike

brakes to

stop him – he has his sights firmly fixedon the finishing line. Shoulder-to-shoulder with dozens of other cyclistson a steeply banked concrete track, themerest hint of a wobble could end indisaster. But Steve remains cool.

“Each race consists of about 12 laps,around 5km, and even if you are aregular cyclist the non-stop speed itrequires leaves you completely blitzed.There’s no room to make suddenmovements, no coasting, your feethave got to keep pedalling.”

His enthusiasm for cycling startedgently enough: two years ago

he was

determined to get fit and began cyclingto work each morning from his home inLewisham.

“That first journey was horrific. It hurtand I was out of breath. I felt like thejourney would never end.”

But gradually, as his weight droppedand his fitness levels rose, he was welland truly bitten by the bike bug. LastJune he started training in earnest atthe Herne Hill velodrome, one of theoriginal 1948 Olympic sites, and beganbuilding his racing bike from bits andpieces bought on eBay.

“I love the speed. In the final laps, youreyeballs are out on stalks – all focus ison finishing the race. It’s a good

feeling…”

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Roses - Kanye West

Death around the Corner - 2Pac

And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going - Dreamgirls cast

This Love - Mary Mary

Stand Up For Love - Destiny's Child

Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia 1930-1974, visitingThe Middlesex Hospital in 1954. The visit was part of aworld tour, the first since the Emperor's return to Ethiopiaafter his exile between 1936-1941, which he spent inBath. He is seen here visiting the Bernhard BaronChildren's Ward.

Each month, we ask a member of staff to reveal the firstfive songs randomly selected by the shuffle on theirMP3 player. We spoke to Kristy Wagbara, antenatalclinic coordinator at the UCH EGA Wing.