Upstart newsletter

BestSherwood Forest Hospitals

NHS Foundation Trust

Issue 10 August 2013

News from King’s Mill, Newark, Mansfield and Ashfield hospitals

Sean Lyons

Paul O’Connor

Inside this edition:

Organ Donation Campaign – join today!

Unveiling of £750,000 state-of-the-art scanner!

The Trust officially unveiled its brand new MRI scanner in June, following the successful completion of its joint fund-raising campaign with the Chad newspaper. Turn to pages 8-9.

Raising awareness of sepsis see page 12

MRI Scanner Appeal

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Trust website: www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk, Children & Young People’s website: www.cyp.sfh-tr.nhs.uk

New Chairman

New Chief Executive

@sfhft

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2 Best | August 2013

At the outset can we say how absolutely delighted we are to have joined Sherwood Forest Hospitals. We appreciate that the past few years have been difficult for the organisation, but we now have a substantive Trust Board in place. We are here to provide the stability and leadership the Trust needs to continue to take forward the plans put in place over recent months.

There has been much in the national, regional and local news about the results of the national Keogh Review published on 16 July 2013, and we wanted to share our results with you. There are brief details below with more information available from our website and the national NHS Choices website.

We have accepted the findings of the Keogh report in full and were pleased that the national review team confirmed there was no evidence of patient harm at our hospitals. Clearly there are a number of negative findings that we are dealing with. However, what the report says about us is that all the staff they met were engaging, committed and loyal to the Trust. This is excellent news for our patients and gives us a strong basis for moving forward with the actions we need to take.

We already had some actions in progress at the time of the review visit, and we will now be taking whatever further actions are necessary to enable us to continue to improve our services.

As always we will continue to keep you updated on progress.

For the past four months our HSMR (Hospital Standardised Mortality Rate) has dropped to 106 which is excellent news and means that if our progress continues the next time the annual HSMR rates are announced nationally we’ll be within normal range. Our biggest improvement has been in the management of patients with sepsis – mainly thanks to the implementation of our sepsis action plan in December. You will read more about this on page 12.

In the spirit of openness and transparency, we will now for the first time be holding all of our Board meetings in public. Previously they were only held in public three times a year. Quality and safety is always quite rightly top of our agenda, and we also discuss matters such as finances and plans for the future.

A few members of the public and staff came to the August meeting, and we hope that more people will be able to join us in the future. The dates and times of the meetings are on our website.

One of the things we heard about at the Board meeting was the Friends and Family Test. In April of this year the national scoring system changed for this important patient experience indicator and hospitals are now marked out of a total score of 5. We have been scoring 4.6 which is excellent. Results

such as these demonstrate that in the main the many thousands of patients we treat are very satisfied with their care.

Importantly, we have been working on our strategy for Newark Hospital and the Mid Nottinghamshire Transformation work is ongoing. As part of our Newark Strategy we held a successful stakeholder workshop on 24 July. Participants included our Trust, the Newark and Sherwood Clinical Commissioning Group, EMAS and members of the public.

Five important work streams emerged from this workshop: Transport, staff training and development, 24 hour access – urgent care and GP, patient engagement, involvement and communications, development of planned and other services.

We are planning to make swift progress on this in readiness for a Board to Board meeting between ourselves and Newark and Sherwood Clinical Commissioning Group. This will enable us to consolidate the work of the Newark Strategy with the work of the Mid Notts Transformation Board in readiness for us submitting the Trust Strategy to our regulator, Monitor at the end of October 2013.

We hope you enjoy reading news about the Trust in this edition of Best and look forward to providing you with more updates in the next edition due out in December.

Sean Lyons Paul O’ConnorChairman Chief Executive

Looking forward to a brighter future

Key finding Agreed action

Complaints and support staff- Significant backlog of complaints

- Clear backlog- Redesign the complaints process, acknowledging views of patients, families and staff

Nursing and medical staffing levels and nurse skill mix- Staffing levels particularly out of hours- Consultant cover at Newark Hospital- Nurse trained to untrained ratios

- Identify acceptable nursing levels- CCG programme of unannounced visits- Review of nursing staffing and ratio of trained to untrained

Fluid management- Records not being completed- Patients not being risk assessed for fluid on arrival- Red jug system not being used effectively

- Training through induction/development days- Red tray and red jug policy to be revised and relaunched- Communications campaign on fluid management and red jug system

Strategic direction- Departments working in silos- Strategic plans and strategies either in draft or not yet in place- Limited engagement with staff and public

- Clinical strategy to be developed and submitted to Monitor- Publish nursing strategy- Supporting strategies to be reviewed and updated

Newark Hospital- Absence of clear strategy for Newark Hospital- Complex operations being carried out without backup facilities should serious

complications arise- Concerns over the effectiveness of the governance (management and reporting

structures) of the hospital

- Newark strategy to be developed, including communication and engagement strategies- Review staffing arrangements- Implement cover arrangements- Review management and reporting structures- Independent study into mortality and the impact on Newark residents- Independent review of surgery

Development of a focus on quality at Board level- Board level focus on quality and the patient still developing- Quality governance framework not embedded as a collective Board responsibility

- Comprehensive development programme for the Board.- Quality strategy to be developed including assurance framework and

implementation plan

Ward performance information and organisational learning- Absence of ward level performance measures and information- Concerns noted with the processes in place for organisational learning

- Process for discussion of results with ward staff at all levels for learning to be agreed with NHS England

Patient locations and high numbers of patient moves- Number of patient moves and patients located in beds on wards of a different

specialty (outliers)

- Bed modelling to ensure correct forecast capacity requirements are identified- Risk assessments to be completed prior to patient moves taking place- Targets to be defined and communicated for ambitions for maximum bed moves

and outliers

August 2013 | Best 3

Trust Board strengthened

Ray DawsonAfter early accounting

roles, Ray spent a period of time as a management consultant before taking on a range of finance director roles for commercial organisations in the East Midlands. He gained

exposure to the NHS from his role as Deputy Chief Executive of an ambulance service, before moving back into consultancy. Since 2005 Ray has been the Chief Operating Officer of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority. He is currently the Treasurer of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.

Peter MarksPeter graduated in

medicine from Bristol University. He has worked in general practice in Derbyshire, as director of public health in Derby and as Associate Professor in Population Health at the

University of Nottingham, with an interest in public health teaching and infectious disease epidemiology research.

He held the joint post of director of public health for NHS Leicestershire and Rutland, Leicestershire County Council and Rutland County Council from April 2009. He is a Member of the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research Programme Advisory Board, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health and a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners.

Claire WardClaire is a qualified solicitor

who served as MP for Watford between 1997 and 2010. During her time in Parliament she undertook a broad range of roles, including Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State for

Health, Vice Chamberlain to Her Majesty’s Household, and Justice Minister. In this role she established the National Victims Service, responsible for its core £10m budget. Since 2011 she has been the Chief Executive of the Independent Pharmacy Federation, the representative organisation for independent pharmacists. She also acts as an Associate Director at Interchange Solutions, advising on compliance with the Bribery Act 2010 and anti-corruption measures.

Gerry McSorleyGerry is an experienced

hospital leader, having held chief executive roles in Derby, Leicester, Nottingham and most recently at Northampton General Hospital. Dr McSorley has

spent time with the National Leadership council and the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, concentrating on senior leader development.

He has also held a senior academic appointment at the University of Lincoln specialising in health management and leadership, where he retains a Visiting Professorship. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Brunel University/Henley Management College, and was Honorary President of the institute of Healthcare management from 2005-2007.

All non-executives are entitled to £12,641 remuneration per annum, with the Chairman of the Audit Committee and Clinical Governance committees entitled to £15,000.

The Trust announced in May a further strengthening of its Board with the appointment of four substantive non-executive directors. The new non-executive directors are:

Further to the appointment of three clinical directors earlier in the year, to put our clinicians in charge of clinical services at the Trust, Richard Hind has now replaced Clive Gie as the Clinical Director of Planned Care and Surgery. Richard is a Consultant in General Surgery.

Richard Hind appointed as Clinical DirectorWe are pleased to announce two new Board members – Mark

Chivers and Tim Reddish – who have joined us as non executive director designates. Mark is Director of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone and a senior manager at Boots and Tim is currently Chairman of the British Paralympic Association. Both take up their posts substantively from 1 November, replacing Stuart Grasar and David Leah whose terms of office end on 31 October.

Two more new Board members

Handovers- Ward staff only had 20 minutes to hand over patients on shift changes- Ward staff split into two teams for the handover period to enable there to be

sufficient time to handover all the patients on the ward

- Ward handover arrangements to be reviewed as part of the nursing staffing levels and establishment review

- Ensure appropriate handover times and that the ward leader has knowledge of all patients on the ward

Patient experience- Did not appear to have a patient engagement strategy or systems to engage

with and obtain feedback from patients and act upon it

- Patient experience and engagement strategy to be written in partnership with staff, patients, carers and governors.

- Proactive approach to engaging with patients and their families and carers

NEWS roll out- National Early Warning Score (NEWS) to determine the severity of illness in patients- No revised policy to support the introduction of the revised process

- Revised observation and early warning policy to be published in August 2013- Training to support the revised policy- Audit process implemented to ensure every ward is compliant with the policy

Whistle blowing policy- Policy contained no approval or review date- Policy appeared to imply that staff who blew the whistle would be monitored

- Revised policy to be submitted to Trust Board for approval in September

Supporting structures and services- Delays in receiving discharge letters and clinic appointments- Backlog of over 2000 xrays to be reported on

- Review the impact of the radiology backlog on patient care and safety.- Development of actions to prevent the backlog issues reoccurring

Stop press


Public ConstituencyAshfieldCraig Day

With recent problems at King’s Mill and changes to the NHS we need a local champion who will protect the needs of local people.

As Lead Governor, I will hold the Trust to account, ensuring that money is spent appropriately and that a high level of care is offered to all patients.

Beryl PerrinI became a governor as I

was a breast cancer patient and wanted to put something back for the local community. I have a strong interest in cancer and chair the Amazons Breast Cancer Support Group. It is my belief that all patients are entitled to the best care in our hospitals. To this end I have engaged and represented the Ashfield constituency. I also sit on the Membership and Engagement Committee and am actively involved in recruiting new members. It is really important that I get out and meet our members so I can listen to the views and represent them at governor meetings.

Colin BarnardI am married with a son and

have lived and worked in this area all of my life. I would like to assist the governing body to help deliver a first class health service that is accessible to all. I have had experience working on a local school governing body which became the first school in Nottinghamshire to receive outstanding by Ofsted under the new framework. This was achieved by hard work and working together and I am sure that similar principles will apply to the Trust’s governing body.

Mick ParkerMy aim is to represent the

interests of the Trust and stakeholder organisations within the local health economy. I meet with people in the community to feedback on the outcomes of the meetings and listen to ideas and opinions from members of the public. I take on board their complaints, endeavouring to highlight these to board members, to achieve the highest standard of care at King’s Mill Hospital.

Public ConstituencyMansfieldDiane Wright

I commenced my privileged role of nurse in 1969. My involvement with King’s Mill Hospital commenced in 1977 as a midwife.

I firmly believe the “what’s in it for me?” culture, can and should be replaced with “what can I give?” When we achieve this change, we will move on with pride in our NHS.

Andy MarchI am married with three children

and have lived locally all my life. Born at King’s Mill I have worked there and been treated as a patient as have my family.

As a governor I want to help King’s Mill achieve its vision of delivering quality care. I will listen to the people of Mansfield so we can have a say in the future of our hospital and I will ensure the Non-Executive Directors are held to account.

Richard HallamCompassion and care should

be foremost before financial constraints and targets. Accountability, openness, candour, independent support for

complaints - all should be a duty.

I live in Forest Town, aged 70, and this is my first public position. I decided to be a governor because of recent incidents of badly performing NHS Trusts.

John SwanwickHaving served in the public

sector, first as a nursing attendant in the RAF, then as a police officer, I have developed empathetic listening and negotiation skills.

As an experienced service user - as a patient and a carer for my late wife - I am honoured to contribute towards the good work of the hospital. Additionally, as the father of a doctor I have gained insights into the pressures placed on hospital staff to improve patient care, especially during financially challenging times. As a public governor, I will give 100% to the members, patients and public.

Public ConstituencyNewark and SherwoodPaul Baggaley

I believe that Newark Hospital can play an important role by contributing to the financial viability of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, provided the services at Newark Hospital attract patients, and give health care professionals and the emergency services the confidence to use Newark Hospital.

Jim BarrieI have lived in Newark for

some 35 years and believe strongly in the benefits of public participation in Health and Education. A governor since February 2010, I also sit on the Performance and Strategy Committee. Together with other

Following the governor elections that took place in April 2013, we are pleased to introduce our new Council of Governors.

As a foundation trust we must elect governors to represent the views of our members. Elected governors are all members who choose to stand for election.

They are volunteers and don’t get paid for being a governor.

Governors represent you and are your voice.

They can pass on your thoughts and views to the board of directors.

Your governors are not there to deal with any personal complaints or issues you may have, but you may wish to contact them about a particular service that you feel should be provided at your local hospital or you may have views about the future direction of the Trust.

To contact your governor:

• email [email protected]

• call 01623 622515 ext. 3509

• write to Governors, C/o Trust Headquarters, King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, NG17 4JL

At the time of going to press the results of the Derbyshire public governor election have just been announced. The Trust would like to welcome Valerie Bacon and Nicola Waller to the Council of Governors. We will bring you further details of the new Derbyshire public governors in the next edition of Best.

Meet your new governors

Craig Day

Beryl Perrin

Colin Barnard

Mick Parker

Diane Wright

Andy March

Richard Hallam

John Swanwick

Paul Baggaley

Jim Barrie


local governors I help to raise the issues which we believe are particularly important to the people of Newark - such as additional clinical and diagnostic services at Newark Hospital, improved access to services at King’s Mill Hospital and local health seminars. I am also a member of the Nottinghamshire Coronary Heart Disease Network.

Nigel NiceFor almost 35 years I worked

in the NHS in a range of roles in Hospitals, Health Authorities and then in NHS Direct; the vast majority of this was in Nottingham/Nottinghamshire. I retired in 2011.

I am chair of the Board of Nottingham Community Housing Association and I live in Southwell where my wife is the Methodist Minister.

I have always been totally committed to the founding principles of the NHS. I consider that, in these difficult times, it is essential for local health services to be governed locally.

Martin StottBeing retired means that, as

a governor, I have the time to find out local views. By drawing on personal experience gained whilst working in a senior capacity in hospitals, primary care and in mental health, I can get to the heart of the complex issues involved and ensure that people in Newark and Sherwood are well served by the Trust. My immediate family and I have received excellent NHS care but we are aware that improvements could be made.

Public ConstituencyRest of the East MidlandsAnnie Palmer

I was very keen to become an involved and active governor of my local hospital. As someone who already works within the NHS, I would like to use the skills and knowledge I have gained to support the development of high quality, accessible services.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals is my hospital, my parents’ hospital, it’s our family hospital. I want to ensure that with the challenges it faces, it continues to provide the best care for its patients and our community.

Staff ConstituencyKing’s Mill HospitalAlison Beal

As a trust employee, I am aware that there are many challenges facing the trust and I relish the

opportunity to act as advocate in order to represent the views of the Trust staff in the role of staff governor.

I am pro-active in representing and disseminating Trust values. I have been employed with the trust for the past 25 years as a registered nurse; my current role is that of heart failure specialist nurse.

Roz NormanI am currently Partnership

Working Staff Side Lead and represent staff on a variety of issues from grievances and disciplinaries to workforce changes. I have worked for the Trust for over 30 years. I am used to negotiating and consulting with senior managers, listening and communicating with staff at various levels in the organisation.

Wesley BurtonLocal lad born and bred, I

have been actively involved with the Trust for over 15 years. Starting out as a volunteer, my experience developed working within various clinical and non-clinical specialties.

My enjoyment of being a governor is driven by the desire to ensure that the Trust continues to deliver high quality healthcare to all within our local communities. I am proud to represent both staff and public views, shaping the future of our Trust together.

Staff ConstituencyNewark HospitalSamantha Annis

What a year! All the changes, all the issues surrounding the Trust what a time to be in the NHS, yet I feel compelled to be a staff governor - why? Newark Hospital.

I have been privileged to work here since 1997. All the staff provide gold standard care all the time in every situation.

I am proud to represent the staff of Newark Hospital and it is an honour to be allowed to do this.

Angie EmmottI became one of the Newark

Hospital staff governors, in order to ensure that staff views and concerns are heard and taken into account, when decisions affecting all areas and aspects of the Trust are made. I promote the interests of the hospital at a time when delivery of healthcare is constantly

changing and the Trust itself faces a very challenging future.

Volunteer — KMH Ron Tansley

I first became a volunteer at King’s Mill in July 2001 and the volunteers’ chairman in August 2004 after serving a period of time on the Executive Committee.

Having been a governor since 2010 I am now more aware of the Trust’s vision to provide the best care and to remain solvent. With the knowledge I have gained I can answer many of the questions the volunteers have and listen to their opinions. I also sit on the Patient Quality and Experience Committee as a governor.

Volunteer — Newark Hospital Nicola Juden

I have been volunteering at Newark Hospital for four years on the Help Desk, Mary Taylor Coffee Lounge and assisting with patient surveys for the PALS team.

This is now the beginning of my second term on the Council of Governors having already served a three year term along with sitting on the Patient Quality and Experience Committee.

As a regular serving member of the Armed Forces I do travel and work away. However this, along with my volunteering, is a fantastic way to be involved with my local community and also to be a representative of our many wonderful volunteers at Newark Hospital.

Cllr Paul Henshaw, Mansfield District Council

Cllr Jim Aspinall, Ashfield District Council

Cllr David Payne, Newark and Sherwood District Council

Vacant, Nottinghamshire County Council

Amanda Sullivan, NHS Nottinghamshire

Vacant, Nottingham

University

Tricia Harman, Vision West Notts

Appointed Governors

Nigel Nice

Martin Stott

Annie Palmer

Alison Beal

Roz Norman

Wesley Burton

Samantha Annis

Angie Emmott

Ron Tansley

Nicola Juden


Joan Curtis, Newark Hospital Volunteer was awarded the Stephenson Award for Senior Citizens by the Town Mayor of Newark, Councillor Irene Brown at a ceremony held at Newark Town Hall in the spring. She has been a volunteer at the hospital for 11 years, and currently spends two days a week volunteering in several different roles.

Tracey Wall, Manager of Newark Hospital said: “Joan provides a significant resource in enhancing patient care – providing practical help and support to patients, staff and visitors and complementing the work of paid staff within Newark Hospital. She is a pivotal member of the community who has devoted an immeasurable number of hours to supporting Newark Hospital, caring for patients and contributing towards the services we provide.”

Joan receives the Stephenson Award

Special thanks to the 20 people who joined the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow register at a donor session held at Newark Hospital earlier this year.

The bone marrow drive was one of a number of events organised by Anne-Marie Spence in memory of her son, Joel Picker-Spence, who was just six years old when he died of leukaemia in 2008.

Anthony Nolan is a pioneering charity which saves the lives of people with blood cancer who need a blood stem cell, or bone marrow transplant. In 1974 the world’s first bone marrow register was established, to match

donors with people who desperately need

a transplant. While the

chemotherapy and radiotherapy used to destroy blood cancer is very effective, it leaves the immune system very weak and fragile. A stem cell transplant boosts the number of healthy cells to kick start the immune system.

To join the register, you must be aged between 18 and 40, weigh over 8 stone (51kg) and be in general good health. All you have to do is spit in a cup!

Anne-Marie gave her sincere thanks to all the staff and volunteers who supported the event at Newark hospital, and explained how much the donations meant to the ‘Join for Joel’ team and to her family. Over the years ten matches have been found in the local area, saving ten lives.

For more information please call 0303 303 0303 or visit the Anthony Nolan website at http://www.anthonynolan.org/

Local folk

Anne-Marie with Harvey Andrews, aged 4, who donated bone marrow

when he was just 3 years old for his brother Archie,

aged 10, who has leukaemia

The League of Friends was pleased with the £947 they raised from their Easter raffle, thanks to the generosity of the people who donated prizes and brought tickets. The first prize was drawn by visitors to the hospital, Amanda Colston and her daughter Selina.

A further £122.37 was also raised by the Friends when they held a bric-a-brac sale in Newark Hospital’s main entrance.

Many thanks to everyone for supporting Newark Hospital.

Friends raise over £1,000!

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‘Join for Joel’


Work has begun on refurbishing the Orchard Day Centre at Newark Hospital to create the new Bramley Children’s Unit. This exciting development will complete the improved children’s facilities and services.

Medical, nursing and play staff have worked together to design an area specifically for children’s clinics which currently run in the main outpatients department. Nottinghamshire based artist, Nathan Bainbridge, has provided the artwork.

The new unit, due for completion at the end of August 2013 will have clinical rooms and a large waiting area where children can play - bringing the facility up-to-date and in line with the artistic themes of the children’s wards and clinic at King’s Mill Hospital. It will also have the added benefit of freeing up clinical rooms in Newark Hospital’s outpatients area, enabling other adult-based services to be increased in the future if required.

The unit further improves the developments to children’s services at Newark Hospital, following the expansion of a paediatric presence from three days a week to five days in 2012. Also, from July 2013, diabetes clinics will be available to local children who previously had to travel to King’s Mill Hospital.

Tracey Wall, Newark Hospital Manager, said: “I hope that by investing in the new Bramley Children’s Unit we are showing our continued commitment to improving children’s services at Newark Hospital. The staff have played a huge part in making this happen and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all their hard work and support.”

“We could not have progressed with this project without the continued support of our local communities, who donate money so generously. Many people have come into direct contact with our services but others just want to support local care for children, and for this we are very grateful.”

Dr Helena Clements, Director for Children’s Services, said: “We are delighted that work has started on the unit and that children and families will be able to benefit from the fantastic new facilities. The expansion of paediatrics and new diabetes clinics will greatly enhance the patient experience at Newark Hospital, making it easier and more convenient for local families to access services.”

New Bramley Children’s Unit coming to Newark Hospital

The League of Friends attended an official presentation in April, where the Sherwood Women’s Centre received a generous donation of £1,000 by the family of the late Mr George Mann. The equipment pictured is a Macro needle holder, used in laparoscopic surgery.

Photograph shows (from left to right): Cheryl Nicholson – Staff Nurse, June Howsam, Chairman of the Friends, Mr. Clive Gie, Consultant Gynaecologist, Mr. Paul Mann, Mrs Carol Mann, Newark Town Mayor Councillor Irene Brown, Amanda Parker - Health Care Assistant.

Sherwood Women’s Centre donation

The Trust organised events across its hospitals in order to celebrate the work of its volunteers during National Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June).

Volunteers’ Week is a national annual campaign to celebrate the fantastic contribution made by millions of volunteers across the UK. This year’s focus was on saying ‘thank you’, which the Trust did through a variety of events.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals has over 700 volunteers who offer a variety of services; including running the Daffodil Café in the King’s Treatment Centre, Mary Taylor Coffee Lounge and Outpatient’s Refreshment Bar at

Newark Hospital and tea bars at Mansfield Community Hospital and Ashfield Health Village. They also provide transport for patients and visitors across the hospitals, assist on the maternity unit and help with way-finding.

Sean Lyons, Trust Chairman said: “We greatly value the huge team of volunteers who work throughout our hospitals. They offer a vital contribution to services and go a long way in helping to improve the patient experience.”

Nadia Whitworth, Customer Services Team Lead at Newark Hospital, said: “We really appreciate all the hard work and dedication our volunteers put into supporting the Trust. They play a very important role in our services which doesn’t go unnoticed. I hope that these events will go some way in showing our gratitude.”

Members of the public who are interested in volunteering should contact:

Nadia Whitworth, Customer Services Team Leader, Newark Hospital, Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01636 685692 (direct line)

Joy Wilson, Senior Customer Services Officer, King’s Mill Hospital, Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01623 622515 ext 3267

Hospital says thank you to volunteers during National Volunteers’ Week

National Volunteer’s Week celebrations at King’s Mill Hospital

National Volunteer’s

Week celebrations

at King’s Mill Hospital


The Trust officially unveiled its brand new £750,000 state-of-the-art scanner in June, following the successful completion of the Trust’s joint fund-raising campaign with the Chad newspaper.

During the event Chris Mellor, former Interim Chairman of the Trust, and Chad Editor Tracy Powell paid tribute to the Mansfield and Ashfield community who have made the purchase possible with their generous donations.

Local Paralympic swimming star Ollie Hynd MBE was also on hand to unveil a special commemorative plaque marking the memorable occasion.

Hospital bosses teamed up with the Chad

back in June last year as part of an ambitious campaign to raise £750,000 to purchase a state-of-the-art MRI scanner, offering a faster, safer and more detailed diagnosis to patients.

The scanner also means MRI staff are now able to treat more people and prevent patients needing to travel to Nottingham for treatment.

The appeal captured the heart of the public from the very first week, with a £5,000 donation coming in from the Uhuru Peaceful Trust.

That donation was followed by hundreds of others, with cash donations flooding in to King’s Mill and the Chad office on a daily basis.

Groups across the district were also quick to organise a number of fundraising activities as kind-hearted locals rallied to the cause.

Many Trust staff organised events and Chad staff also dug deep with cake bakes and a sponsored spin-a-thon.

The life-changing campaign was finally brought to a successful conclusion earlier this year following a staggering £250,000 donation from an anonymous businessman.

A huge thank you from the Trust and the Chad to everyone involved in fundraising activities and administering the campaign. Reaching our target is a tremendous achievement and fantastic news for local people.

MRI Scanner Appeal

Senior Radiographers Karen

Hanbury (left) and Paula

Beech with the brand new

£750,000 MRI scanner

Ollie Hynd MBE unveils a

commemorative plaque

CHAD Editor, Tracey Powell,

thanks the local community

for their support

Radiology Manager, Jayne

Burkitt, explains the importance

of the new scanner


MRI Scanner Appeal Official opening ceremony

The National Outreach Forum (NOrF) chose King’s Mill Conference Centre to host its recent study day, aimed at ward-based nurses caring for acutely ill patients. Healthcare professionals from across the Midlands region celebrated the work of general wards and their staff before and after critical care.

NOrF promotes national patient centred care to support staff on general wards who are caring for acutely unwell patients, and highlights and promotes best practice evidence to those caring for these patients in any clinical setting. Sessions on the study day included the recognition and management of the septic patient, fluid balance to prevent acute kidney injury, assessing an altered level of consciousness, problems experienced post critical care with psychological and physical recovery and available help such as rehabilitation and follow up clinics. A session discussing the importance of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) also highlighted the work recently undertaken by Sherwood Forest Hospitals to identify patients at risk of deteriorating on the ward.

In July 2012 the Royal College of Physicians highlighted that NHS Trusts use different early warning systems with different charts. As doctors and nurses move around various hospitals during their training and careers, a lack of familiarity with each trust’s system can result in a lack of consistency in detecting and responding to acutely ill patients. A national system was recommended for recognising very sick patients whose condition is deteriorating and who need more intensive medical or nursing care. The working party also developed and piloted a National Early Warning Score for this purpose, which if implemented across the NHS, would result in improved patient safety.

The Trust implemented this in February to all wards following a review of our ‘early warning score’ (EWS) or ‘track-and-trigger system’ and how it responded to patients who present with or develop acute illness. Sherwood Forest Hospitals is one of the early adopters of the NEWS system.

NEWS uses a simple scoring system based on respiratory rate, oxygen saturations, temperature, systolic blood pressure, pulse rate and level of consciousness. It provides a standardised and systematic approach to the first assessment of acutely ill patients and the monitoring of clinical progress for all hospital patients.

National Outreach Conference comes to King’s Mill

Fundraisers, Trust staff and CHAD employees

Former Interim Chairman, Chris

Mellor, pays tribute to the fundraisers

and chats with Ollie Hynd

New Trust Chairman, Sean

Lyons, adds his thanks for the

generosity of the local people


There are currently 10,000 people in the UK waiting for an organ transplant and three of these people die each day due to the lack of available organs – this is why the Trust has launched a campaign highlighting the importance of organ donation.

The campaign aims to educate people about the importance of organ donation and the effect it can have on others.

Working with media students from Vision West Nottinghamshire College the Trust has produced four films to support the campaign. Organ recipients, Robert and Bronwyn both tell their stories from diagnosis, to being placed on the transplant list and waiting for an organ, through to the operation and their life now. These incredibly moving stories of local people really demonstrate their journey, from being

told they had days or weeks to live, to receiving that life changing operation and the future it has allowed both them and their families to have. It really is the gift of life.

A member of staff, Jill Hall, has also been filmed telling the story of her son, Alex, a 22 year old who died tragically on a night out with friends. Alex donated his organs and helped five people. She describes how his gift has changed lives and how it has bought her comfort and helped the grieving process. Jill describes how organ donation has prevented Alex’s life as being a ‘full stop’.

These films and more information about organ donation and how join the register are all available on our website www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk. Information is also available on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The campaign was launched on 6 July at Ashfield Festival and to coincide with National Transplant week. Four days later the campaign visited Newark where the Trust had a stand and a huge 12 foot

high pair of inflatable lungs which caught everyone’s eye!

Further events are being planned; please check our website for further details and all the latest news from the campaign.

If you would like to get involved in the campaign please contact the Communications team on 01623 672294 or email [email protected]

Make a difference, make a life worth living

To register your wishes on the Organ Donation Register:

• Register online at www.organdonation.nhs.uk

• Call the NHS Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23

(Lines are open 24 hours a day all year round. Calls are charged at your contracted rate for local calls)

• Text SAVE to 84118

What organs can be donated?Your kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, pancreas and

the small bowel can all be donated.Tissue donation – a life changer and saver

Every year hundreds of lives are saved with the help of donated organs such as kidneys. However you may not realise that donated tissue such as skin, bone, tendon, eyes and heart valves can all dramatically improve the quality of life for others and even save lives.

As many as 50 other people can be helped from the donation from one person. Tissues are donated after death by people who have expressed a wish to help others in this way.

What tissues can be donated?Heart valves are used to help children born

with heart defects or adults with diseased or damaged heart valves.

Eyes can help restore sight to people with cornea problems (the clear part of the eye). This may be a result of damage caused by disease, injury or defects from birth. The white part of the eye (the sclera) can be used in operations to rebuild the eye.

Bone is important for people receiving reconstruction after an injury or during joint replacement surgery. A bone transplant

can prevent limb amputation in people suffering from bone cancer.

Skin can be used as a natural dressing, helping treat people with serious burns. This can save lives by stopping infections, can help reduce scarring and reduces pain.

Tendons the elastic-like cords that attach bones and muscles to each other help by rebuilding damaged joints often in younger people with sports injuries.

The NHS Organ Donation website answers some of the most frequently asked questions on their website www.organdonation.nhs.uk

Organ donation – the facts

Bronwyn before her heart transplant Bronwyn following her heart transplant

Giant inflatable lungs at the Trust’s organ donation event in Newark Market Place. Watch out for the lungs appearing at King’s Mill Hospital on 12 November to promote Lung Cancer Awareness month.


Did you know that Sherwood Forest Hospitals has an active Research and Innovation (R&I) Department?

The department is based at Kings Mill Hospital and currently has a team of staff supporting 80 studies which are supported by the National Institute of Health Research. The department also supports more than 100 other studies taking place at across the Trust.

Who are we?The Research and Innovation Department

is led by Dr Samuel Kemp, Research and Innovation Director supported by a core team of experienced and dedicated research nurses covering many areas and specialties. Over the last three years the department has grown considerably and currently supports a wide variety of research studies across the Trust.

What do we do?During 2012/13 the Trust successfully

recruited over 1,000 patients to research trials and aims to increase this figure during 2013/14.

The Trust’s current portfolio of studies covers oncology, stroke, cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology, haematology, mental health, paediatrics, respiratory medicine and surgery. The department also provides expert advice to people wishing to undertake research activities, provides and implements research governance on behalf of the Trust and provides resource to researchers to enable them to conduct clinical trials within their specialist areas. We are also looking to expand on our success and take research into new areas.

Clinical trial successThe R&I Department has reason to boast!

Transcript trial

The Transcript trial assessed the incidence of epidermal growth factor receptor (eGFR) mutations in patients who had been diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer in

the UK. It went on to investigate the quality of life of patients undergoing treatment with a drug called erlotinib.

Kings Mill Hospital was very proud to be the highest recruiting centre for this trial in the whole of the United Kingdom - even beating the original trial hospital in London!

A big thank you to the respiratory team for their hard work in helping to achieve this success.

Further information can be found at:

http://www.roche-trials.com/studyResultGet.action?studyResultNumber=BO18279

Uniti trial - a world first for King’s Mill

This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new drug called Ustekinumab in patients with active Crohn’s disease who are intolerant of, or have failed to improve with, anti-TNF therapy.

King’s Mill Hospital was the first centre internationally to treat a patient within this trial.

Further information can be found at:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01369342

International Clinical Trials Day event

International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world, and this year took place on the 20 May. The Trust celebrated the occasion by holding a research awareness event in the King’s Treatment Centre. R&I staff talked to patients, visitors and staff and provided information and fun activities for people to get involved in and learn more about research.

168 questionnaires were completed during the event, with:

• 94% of people believing that research improves patient care

• 92% of people stating that patients should be asked to take part in medical research

• 70% of people saying that they would be prepared to take part in research trials.

After such a positive response to this research awareness event, the R&I department intends to build on its success and hold a further event in the autumn. A further research workshop will also be held towards the end of 2013 for staff wishing to learn more about the subject and get involved.

How can you get involved?

We would like to hear from anyone wishing to learn more about what we do, and how to get involved in research activity at Sherwood Forest Hospitals.

You can contact the Research and Innovation Department via email: [email protected] or telephone: 01623 622515 ext 3990Research and

Innovation at the TrustDr Elizabeth Carlin, Consultant in

Genitourinary Medicine and Service Director of Sexual Health and Lesley White, former Patient Safety Manager, attended Royal Garden Parties recently at Buckingham Palace and Holyroodhouse Edinburgh, respectively. They were nominated to attend in recognition of their hard work, commitment and dedication to services at Sherwood Forest Hospitals.

Dr Carlin told BEST magazine: “It was an honour to attend the Royal Garden Party to represent the Trust and the excellent services it

provides. I had a fantastic afternoon and saw some of the Royal family, including the Queen and Prince Philip. I was introduced to Princess Beatrice and spoke with her for a short while. There was a great atmosphere and the garden was amazing. It was a unique experience and it was a privilege to be there.”

Lesley White said: “It was fantastic to be able to represent the Trust at such a prestigious event. I had a fabulous day and being a loyal supporter of the royal family made it all the more special. I managed to see the Queen, Prince Philip, the Duke & Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge. It was a surprise to be even nominated, so to actually go was a dream come true.”

Royal Garden Parties

Dr Carlin and her Aunt

Lesley White and Alan Higginson


The Trust held a successful sepsis awareness week, 29 April to 3 May, which received praise from the UK Sepsis Trust

The awareness week centred on sepsis and ways in which the Trust is tackling it locally with the aim of raising awareness of the condition amongst staff, GPs, commissioners and the general public.

Sepsis claims over 37,000 lives in the United Kingdom annually - more than breast cancer and bowel cancer combined. It is a life-threatening illness caused by the body overreacting to an infection and injuring its own tissue and organs. Sepsis can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and death especially if it is not recognised early and treated promptly.

Anyone can develop sepsis from a minor infection, although some people are more vulnerable, such as those:

• With a medical condition or receiving medical treatment that weakens their immune system

• Who are already in hospital with a serious illness

• Who are very young or very old

• Who have just had surgery or who have wounds or injuries as a result of an accident.

The Trust has introduced a range of actions

to reduce the number of cases of severe sepsis. These include establishing a dedicated team monitoring the number of sepsis patients within our hospitals, providing training to many of our clinical staff to aid early recognition of the disease and introducing ‘sepsis boxes’ that contain everything needed to treat a patient displaying symptoms of sepsis.

The sepsis boxes were introduced in January and so far over 200 have been used.

During the sepsis awareness week information was sent to staff and GPs and an educational event was held for members of the public.

The awareness week attracted positive media coverage including interviews for BBC TV East Midlands Today and BBC Radio Nottingham.

Information was also added to the Trust’s Twitter and Facebook pages throughout the week offering followers a glimpse of some of the work that happens ‘behind the scenes’ when treating patients.

The UK Sepsis Trust commented on many of our Facebook posts and also added the following message.

“The UK Sepsis Trust would like to thank Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for their support and advances in tackling sepsis. Thank you, we are grateful.”

Raising awareness of sepsis

BBC East Midlands Today filming an interview with former interim Chief Executive, Eric Morton about how the Trust is tackling sepsis

Some of team who have helped turn the sepsis boxes into reality

Sepsis symptomsThe symptoms of sepsis may develop

after a localised infection (infection limited to one part of the body) or an injury.

The symptoms usually develop quickly and include:

• A fever or high temperature over 38C (100.4F)

• Chills

• A fast heartbeat

• Fast breathing

• Confusion or delirium.

For further information please visit the UK Sepsis Trust website www.sepsistrust.org

King’s Mill Hospital was one of 22 hospitals nationally whose critical care unit patients were questioned by Imperial College London and Oxford University, about the level of care received after leaving the unit.

The study found that only a small number of patients had seen a health professional to talk about emotional issues they may have experienced following their stay in critical care; however the critical care team at King’s Mill Hospital offers a unique follow up service for patients who are rehabilitating after an episode in intensive care.

Transferring back to a ward after a stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) can sometimes be stressful, so patients are visited regularly by one of the critical care outreach nurses to help them make the transition. Information booklets guide the patient through the completion of a rehabilitation programme with multi-professional support. A diary of their intensive care stay, written by the patient’s friends and family and the intensive care team, helps the patient to make sense of what happened to them while they were critically ill.

Two to three months after the patient has left intensive care, the patient is invited back to a critical care follow-up clinic as part of their ongoing rehabilitation. Run by the nurse consultant in critical care and a senior physiotherapist, this is bespoke to each patient’s needs. Patients are able to discuss their experiences, ask questions and get further assistance with physical and psychological issues. Some patients like to visit the bed they stayed in and speak to some of the professionals who cared for them. If required, patients are invited back to the clinic again at six months and 12 months.

On average 50 patients a year benefit from the service. The attendance rate is good and the feedback over the past five years has been positive.

Richard Martinez, former ICU patient, said: “Attending the follow up clinics has been very beneficial for me. Talking through the things I experienced whilst in intensive care has had a massive positive impact on my mental wellbeing. The clinics have allowed me and my wife to talk through our experiences, ask questions and make sense of what happened, in an open and honest environment. They have given me the support and reassurance I needed.”

King’s Mill offers unique clinics for patients after critical care


System System Overview Availability (%) Minutes Unavailable

Orion Improves patient care and clinical decision making by providing integrated health data in a single, unified view

99.85% 102 minutes

ICE Supports the electronic requesting of Pathology and Radiology requests and the viewing of results

99.9% 60 minutes

SystmOne Emergency Department (ED)

This system supports the patient journey within ED

99.99% 10 minutes

PACS Enables images such as x-rays and scans to be stored electronically and viewed on screen

100% 0 minutes

Vocera A communication tool which supports improved communication between individuals and teams

99.37% 20 minutes

ORMIS ORMIS is used within the theatre environment to capture data such as operation timings, etc.

99.91% 61 minutes

Email A business application which supports communication between individuals and teams

99.89% 80 minutes

PAS The principal patient administration application which holds patient demographic information such as address

100% 0 minutes

Jonah Improves access to treatment for patients by identifying delays in the discharge management process

100% 0 minutes

My name is Gary Flint and I have worked for Nottinghamshire Health Informatics Service (NHIS) for 16 years. NHIS is committed to transforming care through technology and provides Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) support to over twenty organisations across

the local health community - including Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Nottingham CityCare Partnership and seven Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). Much of our work is focused on the provision of integrated patient record systems - which provide healthcare professionals

with immediate access to a patient’s medical history, diagnosis and treatment to ensure they are provided with the best and most appropriate care at the earliest opportunity.

Having worked as the NHIS Service Desk Manager, I have a strong interest in the delivery of first class customer service.

A day in the life of

7am My initial task of the day is carried out

prior to arrival at one of the three NHIS bases. This involves briefly checking my mobile device to ensure that there have been no indications of potential system faults during the night.

8am On arrival at site I carry out further checks

to ensure that all networks and key systems are functioning to the required level - using remote monitoring software which

provides an early warning of potential issues. This helps us to reduce the number of high impact incidents and maintain the availability levels of key systems, which is vital in supporting our 12,000 end users across the local health community.

8:30amI am extremely pleased when I compile

statistics outlining the availability of business critical systems within a six week period. My findings confirm that the availability levels were as follows:

9amI head to a meeting focused around capacity

management - ensuring that our ICT systems are used in the most efficient way possible.

11amNext I meet my management team

to talk through our current and future workloads, which allows us to allocate the required levels of resources to meet our customer requirements.

12:30pmAt this point I really need a sandwich to

prepare me for the rest of the day!

1pmMy next appointment is at the

headquarters of one of our customers where we discuss proposals to upgrade their existing systems. We talk about how our latest technology, such as desktop on demand (providing remote access to a user’s desktop), could be used to increase efficiency.

3pmBack on-site at King’s Mill Hospital, I have

a catch-up with the teams and ensure that any decisions on escalations which require my attention are resolved.

4pmMy last meeting of the day is to consider

introducing scheduled maintenance plans across the Trust to ensure that all ICT components are assessed and maintained at regular intervals, supporting high quality patient care.

5:30pmI now leave for home, happy that the required

ICT support is being provided by the NHIS on-call team.

10pmTime for bed, but being a conscientious

IT Manager I do one final check of my mobile device to ensure that all key systems are on-line!

Head of Technical Delivery and Support Services, Nottinghamshire Health Informatics Service (NHIS)


A touch screen computer has been installed in the patient information room of Mansfield Community Hospital for use by the general public.

It has been set up with links to relevant websites, including Diabetes UK, The Stroke Association and British Heart Forum, to support patients who attend the many clinics at the hospital. The computer is

available Monday–Friday, 8.30am-5pm.

Alison Sherratt, Librarian at SFH, said: “It is important that our patients are given as much information as possible which could help them whilst receiving hospital care. We hope that through the new touch screen computer we are giving patients an opportunity to view material which they may not ordinarily have access to.”

New patient support computer installed at Mansfield Community Hospital

Mr Shawn Sunderland from the charity Teddies for Loving Care donated 300 teddies to Ward 25 and the children’s A&E department. Pictured are Carol Moult, Customer Services Officer, Shawn Sunderland and Julia Smith, Play Specialist on Ward 25.

Teddies for loving care

Have you heard of the service that is available for everyone living in the county of Nottinghamshire?

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE ALERT is a free system that allows Nottinghamshire Police, Neighbourhood Watch in Nottinghamshire and other organisations that work for the public to send community safety messages to you quickly and efficiently. If you are interested in getting

updates about major crimes, advice on crime prevention and community safety, and alerts about criminals operating in your area, register with the system.

IT’S A TOTALLY FREE SERVICE – no incoming text or phone charges.

Total control of your message settings-choose to receive alerts via email, text message or voice message. You can unsubscribe at any time, there

are no contracts or obligations.

Information about crime trends, incidents and appeals from authorised police officers and staff.

Find out how to start a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in your area.

To sign up visit www.nottinghamshirealert.co.uk

Until next time, goodbye and stay safe

Cop spot

Need anything printing or designing?

We offer:

• Design • Printing • Scanning

• VHS Tapes to DVD

• Photograph restoration

• Photography

All of our services are available both internally and privately

(with all income retained by the Trust)

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01623 622515 ext 3649

Clinical Illustration

The Trust has recently launched a new poster campaign aimed at raising awareness amongst children and young people about the confidential service offered by its paediatric team.

The poster campaign was created by Dr Rebecca Sands, consultant paediatrician at the Trust, and centres around ‘Twitter’ in order to connect with children and young people. The posters, which already feature at King’s Mill Hospital, will be rolled out nationally throughout acute hospitals and GP surgeries.

The campaign followed consultation with the Young People’s Health Special Interest Group, who highlighted that more child-friendly literature was needed to promote services across paediatrics services.

The posters are also intended to communicate the limits of confidentiality within the service. Young people can have confidence that they can talk to the staff about issues that are important to them whilst knowing that the sharing of their information with other professionals may be necessary at times to support their care and keep them safe. The ‘you may tweet, we won’t twitter’ was chosen to give the message that any information shared won’t be discussed or passed on inappropriately.

Dr Rebecca Sands, said: “I really wanted to create something that would capture

the attention of young people. We’ve had nothing but positive feedback about the poster campaign, not only from children and young people but also from parents and staff.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the campaign rolled out nationally and am keen to start working on other campaigns with the support of Royal College of Paediatrics and the Young People’s Special Interest Group.”

Trust fronts national children and young people’s campaign

Little Millers Day Nursery at King’s Mill Hospital, will be having their annual Fun Day on Saturday 14 September, 2-4pm.

NURSERY FUN DAY – diary date

PCSO Linda Foreman


The Trust has celebrated the incredible service and dedication of the Friends of Ashfield Community Hospital by presenting them with Long Service Awards.

Three five year awards, two ten year awards and three fifteen year awards were presented by Stuart Grasar, Non-Executive Director at the Trust, who also said a big ‘thank you’ for the Friends’ support and commitment over the years.

Awards for our Friends

(L-R) Pam Strutt (5 years’ service - tea bar), Tony Strutt (5 years’ service - tea bar), Eileen Caunt (10 years’ service - Chatsworth Ward), Shirley Hallam (15 years’ service - tea bar), Jack Ives (15 years’ service - wards/fundraising & previous chairman of the volunteers), Barbara Scrimshaw (tea bar)

Pam White (15 years’ service - tea bar) and Carol Rowbottom (5 years’ service - wards and tea bar)

King’s Mill Hospital’s neonatal unit is further improving its services by offering extra beds and improved bathroom facilities for parents who wish to stay overnight with their babies.

The hospital already houses three parent flats which allow mums and dads to spend more time with their babies, but the accommodation tends to get booked very quickly. The extra facilities will enable more mums to spend time establishing breastfeeding and give parents the opportunity to take care of their babies as they would in a home environment.

Dr Helena Clements, Director for Children’s Services, said: “The new facilities will make a huge difference to the bond between parents and their babies, allowing them to spend more time together when it is really needed. We want to use every opportunity to increase the time that parents can spend in close contact with their babies.

“We could not have progressed with this project without the continued support of local communities who donate money so generously. Many people have come into direct contact with our services and others just want to support local care for children. We are extremely grateful to them all.”

Neonatal facilities improved at King’s Mill

Love begins with ‘skin to skin’The staff at King’s Mill’s birthing unit have embraced the latest evidence that skin to skin contact after birth helps mums and babies bond, by promoting the message to keep mum and baby together until after the first feed.

Evidence shows that the skin to skin contact from this first special cuddle calms and relaxes mum and baby, warms baby, causes hormones to be released that help with bonding and gets baby ready for their first feed.

Babies have a strong instinct to breastfeed. Following birth they follow a similar pattern, after the initial cry they rest and recover – their breathing and heart rate settle. The baby then becomes more alert, looking at mum and starting to make crawling movements to reach the breast.

If this process is interrupted, by showering for example, it makes it harder for the baby to use their sense of smell to reach the breast for their first feed.

A poster has been produced to give parents information so they can choose to have this longer cuddle if they wish. The photograph on the poster is of a mum and her baby who is only minutes old on Sherwood Birthing Unit.

Jo Lincoln, Infant Feeding Coordinator, said: “Skin to skin contact is important for all parents and babies, whether breast or bottle feeding. There are no costs and it feels really nice. Mums should take care not to fall asleep with their baby however, as the safest place for a baby to sleep is next to their parents in their own cot.” Stroke services in the locality are now

under one roof, following the move of Ashfield Stroke Rehabilitation Unit to King’s Mill Hospital on 27 June.

The state of the art facilities in the new unit offer 15 stroke rehabilitation beds, 11 of which are single occupancy ensuite rooms. The remaining four beds are provided in a spacious four bed bay.

The service is provided by a dedicated team of staff who are highly skilled in all aspects of stroke care and the patient no longer has to be moved to a different healthcare facility for their rehabilitation.”

There is growing national evidence that joined-up hospital stroke services provide better patient outcomes than services provided separately in different locations. Previously when someone was treated at King’s Mill Hospital for a stroke, they were then transferred after a few days to Ashfield Health Village if they required longer term inpatient rehabilitation.

Stroke unit move improves care for patients


Staff on King’s Mill’s neonatal ward are initiating a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) for babies born at 30 weeks or less, in recognition that all families experience pressure and need support regardless of their circumstances.

The framework aids the early identification of a child’s additional needs and promotes a coordinated service provision to meet those needs. Every premature baby born below 30 weeks is offered a CAF.

The assessment gives a wide picture of a child’s needs within the family and this

in turn allows for a range of services and support for early intervention. This may be in the form of financial support, emotional support, developing links within the family’s local community or support with housing or transport problems. This process develops a team around the child, designed with the family, in order to support additional needs and improve outcomes.

When the baby is discharged from hospital the CAF will be taken over by the most appropriate professional, possibly the health visitor or a family support worker.

Dr Helena Clements, Director for Children’s Services, said: “Having a premature baby turns families upside down. Babies born at 30 weeks or less will spend at least a month in hospital and this can put a great strain on families who often have other small children, parents juggling work and mums who may be unable to get around after a caesarean section. Staff in the neonatal unit recognise this and, by working through the assessment, can put in place the most appropriate support needed for each child and their family.”

New way of working for premature babies

Sherwood Forest Hospitals has recently begun working in partnership with Age UK Nottingham & Nottinghamshire (Age UK Notts) to support a patients’ representative/advocacy service based at King’s Mill, and also providing to Newark Hospital.

Jo Pritchard, Age UK Notts Patients Representative/Advocate, has been working at the Trust since April 2013, offering advice, guidance and support to patients who are over the

age of 60 across geriatric wards. She also signposts patients, carers and relatives to extra benefit entitlements, befriending schemes, specialist day services and respite for carers.

Work was undertaken to identify what improvements could be made to older person’s services, and one key finding was to provide patients with an independent ‘voice’, as it can be harder for older patients to speak out and be heard.

Sharon Fitton, Service Improvement Manager at the Trust, said: “Our new

Age UK Notts patients’ advocate is a first for the Trust and one that has been welcomed by patients, carers and staff. The ultimate aim of this new service is to improve the patient experience by empowering people whilst in hospital, and offering support services for their return home, which in turn, should hopefully lead to fewer readmissions and better outcomes for all.”

Anyone wishing to refer into this service should call Jo Pritchard on 01623 622515 ext 4675.

First Age UK Patients’ Representative/Advocate

Jo Pritchard, Age UK Notts Patients Representative/Advocate

Title: Author:

Contended Dementia: 24 hour wraparound care for lifelong well-being Oliver James

I’m still here: a breakthrough approach to understanding someone living with Alzheimer’s John Zeisel

The Simplicity of Dementia: a guide for family and carers Huub Buijssen

Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Nori Graham and James Warner

Personal Guide to Living with Progressive Memory Loss Sandy Burgener

Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias at your Fingertips Harry Cayton, Nori Graham & James Warner

Knickers in the Fridge: Alzheimer’s is no laughing matter….. or is it? Jane Grierson

My Bonnie: how dementia stole the love of life John Suchet

And still the music plays: stories of people with dementia Graham Stokes

Dancing with Dementia: my story of living positively with dementia Christine Bryden

Before I Forget Fiona Phillips

Relatives and carers of people with dementia can now borrow informative and thought-provoking books from a new collection held at the Trust’s hospitals.

The ‘Reading about Dementia’ collection has been launched across Nottinghamshire by the public library service, working with the NHS and Nottinghamshire County Council and is also available in 12 public

libraries across the county.

Heather Gardner, Library Manager at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “It is very important for carers and relatives of people with dementia to have access to a variety of information about the condition which can offer helpful information and advice. The collection is diverse and includes personal accounts of living with dementia, understanding Alzheimer’s and the sort of care needed for

lifelong wellbeing.

“These books can be loaned from any public library across the county and clinicians can recommend a loan to patients and carers from the hospital library service”.

Copies of these books are also available for staff to loan from the Library & Information Service King’s Mill Hospital, the Resource Room at Mansfield Community Hospital and in the Library at Newark Hospital.

‘Reading about Dementia’ launch


The Trust has recently invested in new endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) technology at King’s Mill to upgrade its current endoscopy services.

ERCP is a procedure which gives an internal x-ray of the stomach, allowing a more thorough examination of gastric problems than a usual endoscopy.

Improving the patient experience, local patients now no longer need to travel to Nottingham University Hospitals and will benefit from shorter waiting times. The procedure is being provided at King’s Mill by two doctors fully trained in ERCP, who have previously provided the service at Nottingham and Derby hospitals.

New endoscopy technology

The Trust took part in Dementia Awareness Week by supporting ‘Dementia Friends’ sessions at King’s Mill and Newark hospitals.

Dementia Friends is a national initiative run by the Alzheimer’s Society. It is funded by the government, and aims to improve people’s understanding of dementia and its effects. The Alzheimer’s Society is working with volunteers called Dementia Friends Champions and other organisations, with the goal of creating one million Dementia Friends by 2015.

The Trust’s sessions were run by Practice Development Dementia Nurse, Adam Hayward, who offered information about dementia and how to help someone living with dementia.

Each session was open to staff and members of the public with the aim of improving people’s understanding of dementia to promote and create ‘dementia

friendly communities’. It is hoped these communities will work together to provide effective provisions for people living with dementia, such as local shops introducing different signage appropriate to their needs.

Adam Hayward said: “Dementia affects more than 800,000 people in the UK which is why it is so important that we, as individuals and as a society, are correctly equipped to support them.

“It is also vitally important that staff are able to work with families, carers and other organisations to provide the best and most suitable care for each patient with dementia. I hope these sessions have helped people living with dementia to continue with their day to day lives with the assistance of Dementia Friends in our local communities.”

To sign up as a Dementia Friends Champion, or to find your nearest session, visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk

‘Dementia Friends’

Pictured from left to right are Tracey Blasdale, Dorothy Bramley, Adam Hayward, Ron Tansley, who is the chairman of Kings Mill’s volunteers, Valerie Caunt and Megan Tansley

The Trust has been working alongside its voluntary services members to pilot memory boxes and activity equipment for patients showing signs of confusion or dementia.

Coinciding with Dementia Awareness Week, the new boxes were launched on 22 May following a presentation from the Voluntary Services Chairman.

The memory boxes contain reminiscence items such as rationing books and darning mushrooms, whilst other equipment includes pat mats, finger fidgets and balls - all of which have been proven to help reduce stressed behaviours and in turn lessen the risk of harm to patients.

Adam Hayward, Practice Development Dementia Nurse at the Trust, said: “Nursing staff on the wards have highlighted that patients experiencing confusion are more likely to become distressed and agitated.

“The activity equipment, memory boxes and support cards are intended to help staff understand and engage with patients at the bedside. This type of therapeutic intervention can lead to people feeling calmer, reassured and involved. The pilot equipment provided by our volunteer services supports our work in developing this essential area of nursing practice.

“The ultimate aim of this pilot is to ensure that any of our patients experiencing confusion are kept as safe as possible in an environment within which they feel comfortable and secure.”

Memory boxes launched

Adam Haywood – Dementia Nurse Specialist, Ron Tansley – Chairman of King’s Mill hospital Volunteers, Meg Tansley – Volunteer on Care of the Elderly Wards, Joy Wilson – Senior Customer Services Officer


Congratulations to our latest ‘Star of the Month’ winners.

Star of the Month recognises and rewards those staff who regularly go that extra mile to provide the best service possible. Staff may nominate themselves

or a colleague and all nominations are judged by the Chief Executive and the Executive Director of Human Resources. Each month’s winner receives a framed

certificate and a High Street gift voucher, and is automatically entered into the “Unsung Hero” category of the annual Staff Excellence Awards.

March 2013

Jane Macey, Admin Clerk, Newark Endoscopy

Nominated by Karen Shacklock, Deputy Department Leader

“Jane has adapted to many recent changes in endoscopy bookings. She has embraced the changes with enthusiasm and interest, allowing the patient more choice and streamlining the patient pathway.”

Nominated by Laura Baggaley, Newark Endoscopy

“Jane goes over and above her role as a receptionist in endoscopy. She has been so supportive of me when I came back from maternity leave last year and

has changed her shifts with me if I’ve had childcare issues. She is always happy to help patients with any problems regarding their appointments and always goes that extra mile to sort their problems out. We have had lots of changes over the past few months in Endoscopy and Jane has adapted to these really quickly.”

February 2013

Sharon McBrearty, Receptionist/PPC Support, Urology

Nominated by Bev Marshall and David Johnson, Urology, CNS

“Sharon is a real asset to King’s Mill Hospital, a true unsung hero. Her customer focus and customer service is exemplary, she goes above and beyond her role on a regular basis to ensure patients, staff and visitors are treated efficiently, with kindness and dignity. We often have patients comment on how friendly and helpful she is. Nothing appears to be too much trouble.

“We recently had a patient who was unable to attend clinic as his transport failed to arrive. Sharon (aware that we were with a patient and unable to speak to the gentleman at that time) and recognising

that the patient was extremely anxious about missing his appointment, reassured him, arranged for another appointment at a time convenient to the patient and spoke to transport on his behalf. This action quickly diffused this anxious time for the patient. In fact his family were so impressed that they sent a thank you card to us in which they described Sharon as an angel.”

April 2013

Fay Asher, Secretary to Dr Foley

Nominated by Jane Cook and Jackie Hatton, Stoma Care Nurses

“Fay has been our saviour, helping us out when we have had problems on a clerical issue. She has her own workload but is always there to give a helping hand, nothing ever seems to be too much of a problem for her, and she does this wearing a smile. It makes a difference knowing she cares and we feel she deserves this recognition.”

May 2013

Dr Patrick Lillie

Nominated by Dr Anne-Louise Schokker

“Patrick is one of our newest consultants in Acute Medicine. Since starting he has established an outpatient ambulatory antibiotic service. This service provides an outstanding service for patients who require intravenous antibiotics but do not need to be cared for in hospital. Since mid-December the service has treated over 50 patients, saving the organisation over 500 bed days. The service is cross organisation, benefiting surgical and orthopaedic patients as well as medical ones. The patient feedback has been universally excellent. Patrick has worked hard developing the service and proactively ‘trawls’ wards seeking out suitable patients with a constant enthusiasm and passion for his work which is to be commended.”


In the early summer of 2012 we were asked this very question by Dr Rebecca Parker, a previous student and F1 doctor (Foundation Year 1) at King’s Mill Hospital. During a previous educational trip to Sri Lanka, she had noticed that the medical students did not use a recognised framework for managing acutely ill patients. This prompted her idea of devising a training programme for a group of pre-intern students and medical registrars at the Ruhuna University Teaching Hospital in Galle, Sri Lanka.

King’s Mill has well-established educational links in Sri Lanka. Dr Arosha Dissanayake, who was a registrar at the hospital, co-ordinated things for us at the Sri Lankan end. Thankfully he was also there to assist us on the day. Even so, special consideration had to be given to the differences in culture, language, health systems and education style when designing the course. In particular, Dr Parker wanted the nurse educators to be involved, as this is not a usual role for nurses in Sri Lanka and was one she felt should be promoted.

By June 2012 the team was formed and consisted of Dr Rebecca Parker, Dr Daniel Lake, Alison Draycott and Dee Kelsey. Their aim was to design, write and deliver the programme

by May 2013 - titled “Unstable Patients - Systematic Targeted Assessment Recognition & Treatment (UPSTART)”

The final programme covered the basics of the ABCDE approach to ensure nothing is missed with an acutely ill patient – airway, breathing, circulation, disability (of the brain, eg; unconscious) and exposure (rashes, bleeding, etc). It also covered other elements relevant to the target group such as shock, sepsis, acute kidney injury and transfers. A supporting book was also devised and written containing the entire contents of the course along with more detailed information.

The initial feedback from the course has been very positive, with candidates enjoying the group work and interactive approach. We hope to deliver the course in other areas and to see the registrars who took part bring their skills with them when they come to King’s Mill Hospital on an exchange programme in the future. It is important to note that no part of this project was funded by the hospital or the NHS.

The UPSTART team would like to thank Professor Devaka Fernando for his encouragement and support throughout the whole project.

Dee Kelsey & Alison Draycott, Nurse Educators for Medicine & Surgery KMH

“Will you help us teach in Sri Lanka for a week?”

From Left: Dee Kelsey, Alison Draycott, Dr Rebecca Parker, Dr Dan Lake

The Trust has developed a new way of training managers specifically designed to equip them with the skills and leadership needed to operate effectively as a leader and manager.

Established in 2012, the Leadership Programme enhances the leadership and management skills of middle managers. The programme also supports the application of these skills to improve services for patients and to help guide clinical and support teams through major change.

The main areas covered by the programme are:

• Expectations and behaviours of leaders and managers at the Trust, managing themselves and self-awareness

• Change management, innovative thinking, new ways of working and managing people through change

• Managing people and performance management, developing and supporting staff, building effective teams and managing poor performance

• Managing service delivery and improvement, managing and reducing risk, business continuity, good governance, effective communications and creating a well organised department

• Project management training.

So far 60 managers have completed the training, with a further 24 booked in for the 2013/14 programme.

Leadership training success

A King’s Mill endoscopist is leading the way in endoscopy training - working with Dowe University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, teaching doctors how to administer the procedure.

Paul Hagan, Clinical Endoscopist, has been to the university twice in the past year to implement the working endoscopy procedure model used at King’s Mill. There are currently no training or assessments available for endoscopists in Pakistan so his work is vitally important for the future of the service. The model will also be implemented at a further two

training centres.

In return, the links made with Dowe University Hospital have made it possible for an endoscopist from King’s Mill to visit annually, for one week, to gain experience working with patients who have gastro problems which are less common in the UK. This experience is invaluable to the service offered at King’s Mill.

Dr Saad Niaz, Consultant Gastroenterologist from Dowe University Hospitals, also visits King’s Mill to support the endoscopy department and will be

offering training in the new endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. ERCP is a technique that combines the use of endoscopy and fluoroscopy to diagnose and treat certain problems of the biliary or pancreatic ductal systems.

Paul Hagan said: “The work we are sharing between the two hospitals will have a massive positive impact on how we deliver services and are able to help patients in the future. I hope that we can continue to develop our relationships with our medical colleagues in Pakistan and spread the good work that is happening within King’s Mill Hospital.”

Delivering endoscopy training in Pakistan


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Hi, my name is Rachel Cooke and I joined the communications team on 1 July in the role of Communications and Membership Officer.

I joined the Trust back in 2001 and my previous roles have included Central Support Coordinator at Newark Hospital and more recently Senior Patient Coordinator in Diabetes and Endocrinology.

My role within the communications team includes recruiting new Trust members and promoting the services we deliver to the local community. I will also be organising a programme of member events for the rest of the year and supporting the communications function.

I look forward to meeting members and governors over the coming months.

Rachel joins Communications team

Rachel joins Communications team

Entries for this year’s Staff Excellence Awards will be judged during August, to recognise those outstanding members of staff who deserve special recognition for consistently demonstrating excellence in patient care.

Staff have been able to nominate themselves or colleagues for the following awards:

• Quality Care Award

• Improvement Award

• Team of the Year Award

• Chris McFarlane Award (for training and development)

• Unsung Hero Award

• Volunteer of the Year Award

The awards presentation will take place on Thursday 17 October 2013. Trust staff wishing to book a place can contact the Communications Department on extension 3826 or email [email protected].

2013 Staff Excellence AwardsCelebrating quality patient care

The People’s AwardA big thank you to all our members,

patients and relatives who have made nominations for this year’s People’s Award to personally recognise the outstanding care they have received from our staff. The winner will be announced at the awards presentation on 17 October.

A programme of member events is currently being finalised for October onwards. Watch out for details of forthcoming events in the local press, and on the Trust’s website (www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk), Twitter and Facebook pages.

Stop Press - Member events coming soon…

Date: Thursday 19 September 2013

Time: 4.00-7.00pm Interactive displays plus two events – Thyroid Conditions/Healthy heart

6-7pm Annual General Meeting

Venue: King’s Mill Conference Centre, King’s Mill Hospital (car park 9)

This year’s Annual Members’ Event will offer two popular health talks plus interactive displays all under one roof and all on one night! With free refreshments and free car parking (car park 9 only) available for the duration of the event.

All members are invited to join us for this exciting and informative event. There will be the opportunity for you to visit our marketplace of stands and interactive displays including free blood pressure checks, learn more about our organ donation campaign, a chance to learn more about Newark Hospital’s new Fernwood Community Unit and Bramley Children’s Unit, see the ‘sepsis boxes’ that are making a huge impact in combatting sepsis and much more on the night.

Due to the popularity of our member events we will be running two at the event from 6-7pm:

- Healthy heart (led by Dr Sennimalai Sankar, Consultant Cardiologist)

- Thyroid conditions (led by Professor Devaka Fernando and Mr Irfan Akhtar).

Places for the events will book up quickly so please book a place at the event of your choice soon.

You are also invited to the Annual General Meeting which will take place from 4:45-5:45pm in the lecture theatre where members will be given the opportunity to ask questions of the Board of Directors. You can either submit your question in advance or ask a question on the night. Questions and answers will be posted on the website following the meeting.

The event begins at 4pm but you can arrive when it suits you – so why not come along to the AGM after work? All events and activities will take place in the King’s Mill Conference Centre (level 0). Refreshments will be provided on arrival at 4.00pm and between 5.15pm-5.45pm.

If you would like to come to the Annual Members’ Event please email [email protected] or call 01623 622515 ext. 3575 to confirm your attendance.

Annual Members’ Event & Annual General Meeting 2013

Member events confirmed at the time of going to press are:“Organ Donation” - Saturday 26 October 10am-2pm

A variety of interactive and informative stalls including a kids’ zone

“Lung Cancer Awareness” - Tuesday 19 November 6-8pm

Evening lecture followed by a question and answer session

Upstart newsletter

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