Articulate February 2011 - Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital ...
Articulate February 2011 - Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital ...
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articulate<br />
To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly<br />
Joining<br />
forces<br />
IN<br />
SIDE<br />
4-5 Delivering exciting<br />
research programmes<br />
at the RNOH<br />
7<br />
8<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2011</strong> - Issue 102<br />
2 Supporting our service transformation and securing our future<br />
6 Introducing our new service managers!<br />
10 Amputees benefit from state-of-the-art equipment<br />
Bidders show interest<br />
in Stanmore rebuild<br />
Jonathan Wilson,<br />
director of finance,<br />
has joined the Trust
Contents<br />
3 Fighting fraud<br />
4-5 The RNOH Musculoskeletal<br />
Research Programme<br />
6 Introducing our new service<br />
managers!<br />
7 Bidders show interest in<br />
Stanmore rebuild<br />
8 Welcoming staff to the Trust<br />
9 Recognising achievement<br />
10 Amputees benefit from<br />
state-of-the-art equipment<br />
11 Mimi’s Inca Trail trek<br />
12 Christine’s corner<br />
Editorial team<br />
2<br />
Anna Fox<br />
Communications<br />
& Foundation<br />
Trust liaison officer<br />
Extension 5349<br />
Jackie Stephen<br />
Acting director<br />
of HR & Corporate<br />
Affairs<br />
Extension 5651<br />
Dipti Pisavadia<br />
Communications<br />
& Foundation Trust<br />
administrator<br />
Extension 5750<br />
Christine Bows<br />
Clinical nurse<br />
specialist<br />
Extension 5279<br />
A message from Rob Hurd<br />
This issue of <strong>Articulate</strong> contains<br />
information about changes that are<br />
taking place at the Trust, including the<br />
introduction of our new director of<br />
finance and five service managers, all of<br />
whom will play a key operational role.<br />
Whilst our financial position<br />
continues to present challenges, I am<br />
confident that the additional resources<br />
we have secured (described below) will<br />
contribute towards ensuring that our<br />
Stanmore rebuild is underpinned by a<br />
resilient financial position.<br />
I was delighted to host our bidders’<br />
open day (on 10 <strong>February</strong>) for our phase<br />
one rebuild project where there was a<br />
great deal of interest from a wide of<br />
range of potential partners to build the<br />
new hospital.<br />
We will continue to keep you updated<br />
on Trust news via Team Brief, Directors’<br />
Open Forums and <strong>Articulate</strong>.<br />
HR changes to support<br />
new management structure<br />
The structure within HR operations has been adapted to<br />
support the recent management changes at the Trust.<br />
The new roles of the HR advisors for your area are outlined below. Please<br />
ensure you contact the correct advisor for any queries you may have.<br />
If you have any questions about this structure, please contact John Masterson,<br />
deputy director of HR.<br />
Corporate<br />
Michelle Davis: Medical Staffing<br />
Tracey Ward: Corporate areas (except Estates and Facilities)<br />
and the Private Patient Unit<br />
Natalie Shamash: Estates and Facilities<br />
Rob Hurd, Chief Executive<br />
Direct Care Division<br />
Adrienne Weston: Rehabilitation and Spinal Cord Injury, Specialist Surgery<br />
and Joint Reconstruction and Sarcoma directorates<br />
Claire Newington: Children’s Services and Adult Services directorates<br />
Clinical Support Services<br />
Karen Parker: Theatres and Anaesthetics and Support Services directorates<br />
Mandy Adams: Outpatients and Booking and Therapy Services directorates<br />
Supporting our service transformation and securing our future<br />
The Trust has accepted funding from North Central London Commissioning, to bring in<br />
extra resources so that we can review how we provide our services. This is important as we<br />
need to break even financially this year, achieve our access targets and define a case mix<br />
that ensures an appropriate level of income in the future.<br />
We have, therefore, brought in two people who are working with us for eight weeks,<br />
reviewing our processes and working closely with the new service managers to ensure that<br />
we organise our services in the most efficient and effective way. They will be focusing on<br />
outpatients, pre-operative assessment, theatres and length of stay.<br />
We have also brought in a case mix modeller who is reviewing our current case mix and<br />
will provide recommendations to revise the ratio of routine to complex surgery whilst<br />
maintaining activity levels. This will help us to bring in sufficient income so that we can<br />
continue to offer our unique range of services.<br />
Patsy Spence, currently working as spinal business manager, is fulfilling an interim role<br />
as head of operational performance to provide operational support to Lynn Hill, director of<br />
operations. She is working alongside our divisional general managers and the head of<br />
transformation (Alex Bennett).<br />
All of these roles are interim and are being paid for by NCL who continue to support us<br />
in achieving our goals.<br />
rticulate To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly
corporate<br />
Fighting<br />
Combating fraud within the Trust and NHS<br />
is a key priority and while most people are<br />
honest, there is a small minority who seek to<br />
defraud the organisation.<br />
The Trust has dealt successfully with three cases of fraud<br />
within the last 12 months. This includes staff working<br />
elsewhere while on paid absence such as sickness, on call<br />
and paternity leave. All successful cases of fraud are<br />
reported to the employee’s professional body as part of<br />
their code of conduct. They are not only dealt with by the<br />
Trust but can be pursued by the police for criminal<br />
convictions, as it can be a criminal offence to claim a<br />
salary from an employer while undertaking paid<br />
employment elsewhere.<br />
The Trust is keen to ensure that an effective anti-fraud<br />
culture exists and therefore any fraudulent activity will not<br />
be tolerated and may lead to dismissal. The definition of<br />
fraud is claiming salary by means of deception, dishonesty<br />
or pretext.<br />
rticulate To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly<br />
fraud<br />
If you suspect that a fraudulent activity may be taking<br />
place, report it through the whistle-blowing scheme, the<br />
anonymous hotline, the Local Counter Fraud Specialist<br />
(LCFS) or Human Resources.<br />
Every pound lost to fraud means a pound lost for<br />
patient care. With your help, Trust/NHS money is<br />
used effectively.<br />
Key contact numbers<br />
LCFS: RSM Tenon: 01908 577450<br />
Anonymous hotline: Extension 5930<br />
Human Resources: Extension 5633, 5329, 5301, 5265<br />
New supplier on board<br />
A new provider has been appointed to undertake all<br />
duties relating to domestic, catering, portering and<br />
security services at the Trust.<br />
ISS participated in a tender and<br />
evaluation process, and will replace<br />
Medirest, who has served the Trust for<br />
many years.<br />
Their contract will start on 1 April<br />
<strong>2011</strong> and during the weeks leading up<br />
to this date, known as the mobilisation<br />
period, ISS will be arranging meetings<br />
and presentations with relevant Trust<br />
staff to introduce the new service and<br />
their management team.<br />
Lynne Wilson, facilities manager, said<br />
it is inevitable that there will be some<br />
early teething issues (on a project of<br />
this size).<br />
“ISS has asked for your help,<br />
patience and support as they go<br />
through the early operational phase of<br />
the contract,” she said.<br />
“There will be additional staff on<br />
duty to identify issues quickly and<br />
resolve them.”<br />
Further information on progress<br />
updates, the mobilisation period and<br />
the day-to-day changes you can expect<br />
to see will be available on the RNOH<br />
Web.<br />
Lynne would like to thank Medirest<br />
for their many years of service to the<br />
Trust and the part they have played in<br />
ensuring the RNOH has received<br />
positive results in PEAT and CQC<br />
assessments and patient feedback.<br />
If you have any queries, please<br />
contact Lynne Wilson or Monique<br />
Bradford.<br />
3
corporate<br />
Professor Adrienne<br />
Flanagan is an<br />
honorary consultant<br />
histopathologist and<br />
joint medical director<br />
at the RNOH.<br />
Her aim is to ensure<br />
that the Trust’s<br />
Musculoskeletal<br />
Research Programme<br />
benefits patients.<br />
We are presenting information<br />
through <strong>Articulate</strong> on specific<br />
research projects to encourage<br />
interest, participation and<br />
education.<br />
Patient participation is<br />
needed for the success of<br />
research at the RNOH<br />
Dr Fernanda Amary and Dr Roberto<br />
Tirabosco, consultant pathologists,<br />
work behind the scenes, playing an<br />
important role in research.<br />
4<br />
Dr Fernanda<br />
Amary<br />
Professor Adrienne Flanagan<br />
The RNOH Musculoske<br />
Dr Roberto<br />
Tirabosco<br />
our strategy for excellence<br />
Professor Flanagan explains:<br />
“We need to develop new methods<br />
for diagnosing and treating<br />
musculoskeletal disease (disease of<br />
bone, joint, tendon and muscle). This<br />
requires close co-operation between<br />
scientists, clinicians and our patients.<br />
“We are planning to request all<br />
patients attending the RNOH to<br />
participate in the Musculoskeletal<br />
Research Programme as this will<br />
contribute to the understanding of<br />
musculoskeletal disease, which<br />
includes tumours, scoliosis, arthritis,<br />
spinal injury and problems with<br />
shoulders, hips, knees and foot and<br />
ankle. However, for staff at the RNOH<br />
to be allowed to look at patients’<br />
Linda<br />
Clark<br />
Thameera<br />
Dhusendra<br />
The London Sarcoma Service, based at<br />
the RNOH and UCLH, has joined<br />
forces with researchers at the<br />
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute<br />
(Sanger Institute) to beat cancer. The<br />
Bone Cancer Research Trust has also<br />
contributed funding to this study.<br />
Staff members at the RNOH are all<br />
on-board to deliver an exciting<br />
research programme that will<br />
hopefully allow doctors to monitor<br />
treatment of a tumour with a simple<br />
Samira<br />
Lobo<br />
clinical notes and imaging for research<br />
purposes, it is necessary to have<br />
patients’ permission. For this reason<br />
we are asking all patients who attend<br />
the hospital to become involved in our<br />
mission to cure these debilitating<br />
conditions and give their permission<br />
for their records to be used for<br />
research purposes.<br />
“We are also requesting consent<br />
from patients, who are having biopsies<br />
taken and undergoing surgery to<br />
donate for research any tissue, which<br />
is surplus to diagnostic requirements.<br />
Analysis of a small piece of tissue and<br />
blood often explains why diseases<br />
develop.”<br />
The team who request consent from patients include…<br />
Caroline<br />
Scanlon<br />
Katie<br />
Maguire<br />
Pioneering research - a new project<br />
Funded by Skeletal Cancer Action Trust (Scat)<br />
and The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute<br />
blood test.<br />
Professor Flanagan, who works<br />
closely with the researchers at the<br />
Sanger Institute, said: “At the<br />
moment, the re-growth of a tumour is<br />
monitored by an X-ray or scan, but<br />
preliminary results from research<br />
performed at the Sanger Institute has<br />
found that a simple blood test can<br />
detect return of a tumour at a much<br />
earlier stage. This is because the new<br />
technology is extremely sensitive.”<br />
rticulate To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly
etal Research Programme:<br />
Mike<br />
Stratton<br />
Andy<br />
Futreal<br />
Researchers at the Sanger Institute<br />
Dr Peter Campbell who is leading<br />
this research at the Sanger Institute<br />
said: “The research is a real<br />
breakthrough because the earlier a<br />
tumour is detected, the better the<br />
chance of cure.”<br />
However, the development of the<br />
test is at an early stage and further<br />
research is needed before it can be<br />
rolled out as a routine test across the<br />
NHS. Patient participation is crucial<br />
for the success of this project. 100<br />
patients need to be recruited as<br />
participants over the next 18 months.<br />
Participation is voluntary and does<br />
not interfere with a patient’s<br />
treatment. Participation involves<br />
giving a blood sample before surgery<br />
or receiving chemotherapy. Additional<br />
blood samples would be taken when<br />
the patient comes to Stanmore,<br />
Bolsover Street or UCLH for their<br />
routine check-ups for about two to<br />
five years.<br />
More information about this<br />
project can be found on the<br />
following websites:<br />
www.sanger.ac.uk<br />
www.scatbonecancertrust.org<br />
Trish McEntee, Scat fundraiser<br />
Peter<br />
Campbell<br />
Scat has pledged to raise £1<br />
million for bone tumour research<br />
rticulate To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly<br />
The staff at the RNOH have so much hope that<br />
this study will be a success that many people<br />
have become involved. Surgeons, oncologists,<br />
anesthetists, radiologists, nurses in outpatients<br />
and in the wards, pathologists, the research<br />
Biobank and lab staff are all on board!<br />
Histopathology laboratory team<br />
Dr Michele<br />
Calleja<br />
Professor Tim<br />
Briggs<br />
Mr John<br />
Skinner<br />
Dr Mary<br />
Fennelly<br />
Operating department practitioners<br />
Mr Steve Cannon<br />
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon<br />
and Chairman of Scat<br />
Mr Will<br />
Aston<br />
Dr Paul<br />
O'Donnell<br />
Sarcoma team<br />
Mr Rob<br />
Pollock<br />
Rossa<br />
Thomson<br />
Dr Sandra<br />
Strauss<br />
Stanmore Outpatients' Department<br />
Drs Seddon, Whelan, and Cassoni<br />
from the London Sarcoma Service<br />
corporate<br />
5
trust wide<br />
Five service managers have been appointed within the operations and transformation directorate to<br />
support a number of key projects and initiatives. this follows a major restructure in 2010, where two new<br />
divisions were created – Direct Clinical Care under the management of Claire Euesden and Mr Aresh<br />
Hashemi-Nejad and Clinical Support Services under the management of Pauline Lodwick and Dr Mike<br />
Cooper. the service managers will be based together in the Peripheral nerve Injury building, which will<br />
allow them to cross cover and provide mutual support.<br />
6<br />
IntroDuCIng<br />
our new service managers!<br />
Direct Clinical Care division<br />
Anna Taggart joins the Trust from Barts and The<br />
London <strong>Hospital</strong> and will be undertaking the role of<br />
service manager for Medicine and Rehabilitation and<br />
Spinal Cord Injuries. Anna has worked for the health<br />
service since 1986 and trained originally as a<br />
biomedical scientist, later qualifying as a science<br />
teacher for 11 to 18 year olds. Anna has vast<br />
experience in managing teams, both clinical and<br />
clerical staff, within haematology and pathology. Also,<br />
in recent years, she has contributed to numerous<br />
successful service improvement programmes.<br />
Gary Passaway joined the Joint Reconstruction and<br />
Sarcoma directorate on 7 <strong>February</strong> <strong>2011</strong> and brings<br />
with him a wealth of experience. For the past two and<br />
a half years Gary’s career has been centered in<br />
orthopaedics at the <strong>Orthopaedic</strong> Centre in Epsom<br />
where he was responsible for patient flow from<br />
outpatients to co-ordinating elective surgical cases. His<br />
role encapsulated a number of areas from ensuring<br />
the theatre slots were utilised to bed management<br />
and directing the porters and domestic teams. Gary<br />
was also responsible for managing private patient services and the<br />
hospital discharge lounges. His proactive approach and desire to deliver<br />
a first-class service for our patients will benefit the Trust and specifically<br />
the Joint Reconstruction and Foot and Ankle teams.<br />
Jane Shentall has been appointed to the role of<br />
service manager for spinal surgery. Jane’s career spans<br />
almost twenty five years in the NHS. Jane will join the<br />
Trust in April after leaving her role of deputy business<br />
manager at West Hertfordshire <strong>Hospital</strong>s. Jane started<br />
her career as a medical secretary and in 2003 she<br />
became the medical secretary manager for trauma and<br />
orthopaedics. She then expanded her role to<br />
incorporate day-to-day operational management for<br />
the Surgical Division supporting the senior business<br />
manager for theatres, anaesthetics and critical care. Jane will be<br />
covering the directorates of Degenerative and Deformity Spinal Surgery,<br />
Upper Limb, Peripheral Nerve Injury and Paediatrics.<br />
Clinical Support Services<br />
division<br />
Kim Simons took up<br />
her new role as service<br />
manager for outpatients<br />
on 7 <strong>February</strong> <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
Many of you will know<br />
Kim as the head of<br />
inpatient scheduling<br />
from the Trust’s<br />
Centralised Booking<br />
office. Kim has vast<br />
experience and knowledge of the patient<br />
pathways within the Trust and has already<br />
contributed to and led various service<br />
improvement projects for the Trust. This role<br />
will enable her to build on that success.<br />
Khaline Ali will be<br />
joining the Trust in<br />
March as the service<br />
manager for theatres.<br />
Khaline is currently<br />
working at Guy’s<br />
<strong>Hospital</strong> in London in<br />
the Trauma and<br />
<strong>Orthopaedic</strong>s division<br />
as assistant service<br />
manager. The scope of her role<br />
covers line management of 14 medical<br />
secretaries as well as focusing directly on<br />
theatre scheduling and working closely<br />
with the twenty clinicians in her division.<br />
Previously Khaline held a similar role in<br />
urology at Guy’s <strong>Hospital</strong>. Khaline will be<br />
one of the change managers in helping<br />
the Trust to deliver the Productive<br />
Operating Theatre (TPOT) programme,<br />
which will make an impact on our overall<br />
theatre efficiency.<br />
rticulate To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly
Bidders show interest in<br />
Stanmore rebuild<br />
More than 100 interested<br />
representatives from the<br />
construction industry have<br />
attended a bidders open day<br />
at the rnoH's Stanmore site.<br />
The event received a flurry of interest<br />
following an advertisement for a<br />
Professor Briggs presents at the consortium that can design, build,<br />
bidders open day<br />
service and fund the Stanmore Private<br />
Finance Initiative (PFI) project.<br />
Steve Turner, PFI project director, said the turnout at the open<br />
day, which provided presentations about the PFI project, the<br />
services provided, the RNOH's aspirations for redevelopment<br />
along with Foundation Trust is very encouraging.<br />
"We are now looking forward to the next stage which involves<br />
the bidders participating in a rigorous tendering process," he<br />
said.<br />
The deadline for expressions of interest was 21 <strong>February</strong><br />
<strong>2011</strong>.The Trust plans to select a preferred bidder in January 2013<br />
with construction starting on site in mid 2013.<br />
Familiarising yourself<br />
with the RNOH Web<br />
Making your day<br />
more productive<br />
the Institute of Innovation and<br />
Improvement is offering a range of<br />
initiatives, which encourage staff to<br />
identify and omit time-wasting<br />
activity from their working day.<br />
The scheme takes a bottom-up approach to use<br />
the expertise of staff to implement change.<br />
The Productive Ward, which has been piloted on<br />
Ward 4, is the first in the series and it is being rolled<br />
out across all wards in the Trust.<br />
Karen Satchell, clinical nurse educator (adults), said<br />
each ward has at least one facilitator who will guide<br />
their team through the Productive Ward process.<br />
“They are currently working on the ‘Well<br />
Organised Ward’ module and will soon be asking<br />
you to get involved,” she said.<br />
“This is a great opportunity for all staff of<br />
whatever grade to have their say and make a<br />
difference. It is a lot of hard work to start with but<br />
the benefits in making life easier for the team and<br />
enabling them to have more time to give direct<br />
patient care are well worth it.”<br />
If you want to know more, please contact your<br />
ward facilitator, Karen Satchell (bleep 759) or Fiona<br />
Fitzgerald (extension 5628).<br />
A DVD giving a brief overview of what Productive<br />
Ward is all about will soon be available in the<br />
nursing section of the intranet.<br />
Information is also available on the K drive:<br />
K:\Nursing\Productive Ward or at:<br />
www.institute.nhs.uk.<br />
An online tool aimed at freeing up your mailboxes is being used to communicate with<br />
colleagues across the trust.<br />
Staff are encouraged to log onto the RNOH Web to provide information to colleagues by way of an easy-to-use<br />
message board, instead of clogging up mailboxes with All Users emails.<br />
Jackie Stephen, acting director of HR and Corporate Affairs, said if staff need to communicate with colleagues to<br />
alert them to certain issues or to offer spare equipment, furniture, printer cartridges etc, then the RNOH Web message<br />
board is the place to do it.<br />
All Users emails are restricted to urgent operational issues and corporate communications. If there is a need to<br />
communicate to staff urgently, you can arrange this through the Communications Department by emailing<br />
‘Communications Dept’ or calling extension 5349/5750/5651.During out-of-office hours, security-related emails will be<br />
issued by colleagues at Main Gate.<br />
Click on the RNOH Web icon on your desktop to access a library of useful information.<br />
rticulate To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly<br />
trust wide<br />
The RNOH Web icon can be found<br />
on all RNOH desktops<br />
7
trust wide<br />
Welcoming<br />
staff to the Trust<br />
Jonathan Wilson, director of finance, has<br />
joined the Trust from Moorfields Eye <strong>Hospital</strong>,<br />
where he was deputy director of finance for<br />
five years. Jonathan joined the NHS on the<br />
graduate financial management scheme in<br />
1998, working for Watford General <strong>Hospital</strong>.<br />
Jonathan believes that his role at the RNOH is<br />
to provide financial support and guidance to the<br />
organisation at a time of great change in the<br />
NHS.<br />
“I am joining the Trust at an exciting time in particular working<br />
towards achieving Foundation Trust status and the Stanmore<br />
redevelopment,” he said.<br />
On a personal front, he is married with a four-month-old daughter<br />
Vanessa.<br />
Saroj Patel, director of IM&T would like to welcome Ben<br />
Dearden and Wayne Buttigieg to her team. They join Saroj’s<br />
two other heads of department, Colin Waller, programme<br />
manager and deputy director of IM&T and Andy Wheeler,<br />
head of clinical coding and data quality.<br />
Ben Dearden has joined the Trust as head of<br />
information, following his role at NHS Northeast<br />
Essex as associate director of information. Ben’s<br />
NHS career began as an information analyst at a<br />
large acute provider in Manchester and following<br />
this he undertook roles such as choice and<br />
booking lead and 18-week referral to treatment<br />
lead. A subsequent return to information<br />
management led to him specialising in<br />
informatics turnaround and consultancy.<br />
Ben said that he is very excited to be working<br />
on the provider side once again, after spending a few years in<br />
commissioning organisations.<br />
“As the lead for information management, information governance<br />
and PAS functions, I hope to encourage further involvement of<br />
information management in business planning processes, help the<br />
organisation focus on information governance priorities and ensure that<br />
the iCS system continues to support the operational requirements of its<br />
users,” he said.<br />
Ben is a lifelong supporter of Bolton Wanderers FC, and during the<br />
summer plays cricket for Tonge CC in the Bolton Cricket League.<br />
8<br />
The Trust has<br />
appointed Wayne<br />
Buttigieg as<br />
the head of ICT<br />
operations and<br />
applications.<br />
Wayne’s previous<br />
role was IT director<br />
at DMG world<br />
media, a global<br />
events and<br />
publishing company. He has also worked for<br />
Merck Pharmaceuticals and Business Link<br />
Surrey.<br />
Wayne said that he is looking forward to<br />
working closely with staff across the RNOH<br />
to ensure that the IM&T Department are<br />
providing a seamless, high quality service for<br />
the Trust.<br />
Married with one child and a dog, Wayne<br />
also practises mixed martial arts.<br />
A very fond farewell to<br />
Lily McGloin, senior sister<br />
and department manager of<br />
the Plaster Theatre, who is<br />
retiring after 26 years of<br />
service at the Trust.<br />
Last but by no<br />
means least…<br />
A big<br />
welcome to<br />
Margaret<br />
Guyan who<br />
joined the<br />
orthotics clinical<br />
team at the end<br />
of 2010.<br />
rticulate To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly
Recognising<br />
achievement<br />
Staff from across the Trust are watching<br />
their weight disappear as a result of<br />
attending weekly WeightWatchers<br />
meetings at the Stanmore site.<br />
With a weight loss record of 15½ stone between them in just<br />
over three months, the results are really showing.<br />
Emma Cockshoot, personal assistant, is encouraging anyone<br />
who would like to lose weight, even if it is just a few<br />
pounds, to join.<br />
”The group is friendly and has a great<br />
WeightWatchers leader, who is always encouraging<br />
and supportive even when we slip up,” she said.<br />
The group meets every Wednesday at 17.15 in<br />
Seminar Room 3, Teaching Centre. If you have any<br />
queries, please contact Emma Cockshoot either via<br />
email or on extension 5851.<br />
Changes to the way you can nominate your colleagues for a<br />
staff achievement award are in place.<br />
An online form is available on the RNOH Web, which will provide staff with<br />
an opportunity to nominate their colleagues throughout the year.<br />
Jackie Stephen, acting director of HR and Corporate Affairs, said the old<br />
system of opening the nominations to staff a few weeks before the awards<br />
ceremony meant it was unlikely that activity which occurred earlier in the year<br />
and worthy of a nomination would be remembered.<br />
“Hopefully an easy online form to complete and more flexibility in the<br />
nomination process will encourage staff to take a few minutes to submit a<br />
form at any stage throughout the year,” she said.<br />
Nomination forms are also available from the Communications Department.<br />
This year’s staff achievement awards will be held in December and will be<br />
followed by the Consultants’ Cocktail Party.<br />
If you would like further information, please contact the Communications<br />
Department on extension 5349/5750 or visit the RNOH Web.<br />
Remarkable results<br />
for weight loss group<br />
rticulate To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly<br />
<br />
trust wide<br />
9
trust wide<br />
The Millstream Maniacs training for the Tough Guy Challenge<br />
The Millstream Maniacs<br />
return to the killing fields<br />
for Scat!<br />
A group of friends, known as the Millstream<br />
Maniacs, are embarking on a challenge in aid<br />
of Scat.<br />
The Tough Guy Challenge, which takes<br />
place on a farm in Staffordshire, includes a<br />
10-mile outdoor race with obstacles, from<br />
barbed wire and freezing water to burning<br />
hay bales.<br />
Some of the group participated in this<br />
challenge last year in memory of Ellis Clark.<br />
They are determined to outdo their previous<br />
success and are aiming to raise £25,000.<br />
10<br />
Amputees<br />
benefit from<br />
state-of-the-art<br />
equipment<br />
A patient being fitted with a<br />
prosthesis using the new LASAR<br />
Posture device<br />
A new apparatus has<br />
been purchased by the<br />
Prosthetic and Amputee Rehabilitation<br />
Centre, which will help amputees to<br />
correct the alignment of their lower limbs.<br />
The LASAR Posture equipment, which was funded by Scat, will<br />
ensure that amputees achieve good posture, function and mobility.<br />
Christophe Cointet, prosthetic clinical lead, said the LASAR Posture<br />
device quickly and precisely localises the patient’s centre of gravity<br />
line when standing.<br />
“The alignment of a prosthesis with LASAR Posture will help<br />
reduce the stresses on the body by optimising prosthetic joint<br />
function, minimise leg length discrepancy, pelvis obliquity and spinal<br />
muscle imbalance, minimise the increased load on the sound leg and<br />
subsequent premature wear and tear of the remaining joints,” he<br />
said.<br />
“The acquisition of the LASAR Posture equipment is an asset to<br />
our service; those referred to the department following amputation<br />
as a result of sarcoma will be fitted with an optimally aligned<br />
prosthesis to facilitate their rehabilitation.”<br />
In the last year, the Prosthetic and Amputee Rehabilitation Centre<br />
has treated 43 patients who have undergone a lower limb<br />
amputation due to cancer.<br />
Taking horticultural therapy to Sweden<br />
The therapy garden at Gunnebo Slott manor house,<br />
where the conference was held<br />
A conference in Sweden has benefited from the expert<br />
knowledge of the RNOH’s horticultural therapist.<br />
Viv Williamson was invited to give a presentation at a two-day<br />
conference in Gothenburg, where the focus was on Green Care, a<br />
term used to describe rehabilitation involving nature and the outdoor<br />
environment.<br />
Viv said her presentation gave a grounded view of conventional<br />
horticultural therapy in a modern hospital.<br />
“Many of the delegates were dealing with patients with burn-out<br />
syndrome, which has become an epidemic in Sweden amongst middleaged<br />
women to the extent that it is affecting the economy,” she said.<br />
“The government is keen to rehabilitate sufferers and get them<br />
back to work as soon as possible.”<br />
The conference was held specifically to highlight research projects<br />
as a way of providing evidence to commissioners.<br />
rticulate To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly
Mimi’s<br />
inca trail trek<br />
Mimi Lombardi is<br />
heading off to South<br />
America in May to take part in<br />
the Inca Trail, in order to raise £3,000 for<br />
the Marie Curie Hospice.<br />
Mimi said this particular hospice is very close to her heart<br />
as this was where her mum spent the last week of her life<br />
after battling terminal pancreatic cancer for eight months.<br />
Mimi Lombardi<br />
pictured with her mum<br />
“I was there to witness first hand the amazing work the<br />
nurses, doctors and volunteers put in whether it was<br />
providing the never ending cups of tea to just having a<br />
chat to see how you were coping,” she said.<br />
Please donate any change you have into the<br />
yellow collection tins on the reception desk in the<br />
Scanning Centre or you can visit Mimi’s just giving<br />
page at www.justgiving.com/mimilombardi<br />
Pop art & graffiti theme<br />
for ADU<br />
Students visit the ADU to donate<br />
their artwork<br />
Year 11 students (15 and 16-year-olds) from Francis<br />
Combe Academy in Watford, undertook a project, as part<br />
of their school work, to produce 15 pop art and graffitistyle<br />
artwork, which will be used as ceiling tiles on the<br />
ward.<br />
Bernie Hyland, ward manager, said they are extremely<br />
grateful for the donation and all the hard work the<br />
children have put into producing such high quality pieces<br />
of art.<br />
rticulate To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly<br />
A staff member from the Scanning Centre is raising<br />
money for a special hospice in Hampstead, London.<br />
Young people on the ADU will be visually<br />
stimulated while lying in bed thanks to a<br />
donation from a local school.<br />
“The school surveyed the adolescents on the ward to<br />
capture their interests and ideas and it’s just amazing to<br />
look at the end products,” she said.<br />
“I would like to say a big thank you to the students as I<br />
am sure the artwork will enhance our patients’ stay on the<br />
ward.<br />
“I would also like to thank our staff nurse Bethan<br />
Harries who co-ordinated the project and linked directly<br />
with the students and teachers.”<br />
trust wide<br />
11
trust wide<br />
News in brief<br />
Ward clerks complete NVQ in<br />
Business and Administration<br />
Maggie Evans<br />
Nita Gami<br />
L-r: Linda Beary and<br />
Sabeen Patel<br />
Congratulations to<br />
the following ward<br />
clerks: Maggie<br />
Evans (Ward 4),<br />
Nita Gami<br />
(Margaret Harte<br />
Ward), Sabeen<br />
Patel and Linda<br />
Beary (both<br />
Coxen Ward and<br />
ADU) for<br />
completing their<br />
NVQ Level 2 in<br />
Business and<br />
Administration<br />
through Stanmore<br />
College.<br />
Leanne Chaney,<br />
training officer,<br />
said the college’s<br />
assessor really<br />
enjoyed working<br />
with them.<br />
“The assessor<br />
thought the group<br />
were very<br />
motivated and was<br />
impressed by their<br />
work, which<br />
demonstrated<br />
excellent attention<br />
to detail,” she<br />
said.<br />
RNOH<br />
in the<br />
snow!<br />
Did you see<br />
this mystery<br />
man lurking<br />
in the<br />
snow?!<br />
Christine’s<br />
corner<br />
Q. What has been your best day since you joined the Trust?<br />
”I successfully undertook a two-year course to get the <strong>National</strong><br />
Certificate in Construction. I was so happy and bought the drinks in the<br />
social club that evening (well that wouldn’t have broken the bank)!”<br />
Q. What would be your ideal vehicle?<br />
”I’ve always wanted an Aston Martin – it’s always been one of my<br />
favourites.”<br />
Q. Tell us something about you that nobody else at the<br />
hospital would know?<br />
”I was a match fisherman when I was a young lad and came second in<br />
a national competition.”<br />
Q. If you could save something and rid the world of something<br />
what would they be?<br />
”I would save and rebuild a state-of-the-art social club for the hospital,<br />
and I would like to rid the world of the bloke who won the fishing<br />
competition as I would love to have won it!”<br />
Q. What is your favourite food and drink?<br />
”A roast lamb dinner washed down with a pint of Abbot Ale.”<br />
Q. What was you favourite subject at school?<br />
”Woodwork – I made a fold up stool and a chess board once.”<br />
Q. Name your first girlfriend<br />
”Jean – I was 16 years old.”<br />
Geoff Bloye has been working for<br />
the Trust for 19 years. He was<br />
initially employed as a carpenter<br />
and has now risen to charge hand.<br />
He is also the bar manager and<br />
treasurer of the hospital sports<br />
and social club.<br />
Q. If you were stuck on a desert island what three items would<br />
you choose?<br />
”A wind up record player with the album ‘Dark side of the moon’ by<br />
Pink Floyd and my fishing rod.”<br />
Q. If you were the Prime Minister what would be your first law<br />
change?<br />
”I would get rid of fishing rod licences - £24 per year.”<br />
Q. What has been your greatest ever purchase?<br />
”A flight ticket to go to Canada to see my daughter get married in<br />
2004.”