Hospital Life issue 2 - Barking Havering and Redbridge University ...

The magazine for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust October 2009
Charity
drop-in
Plucky dozen raise cash for
our hospitals
Turn to page 4 for full story

Play a part
Privacy for
Patients
Do want to be a part of this Trust
We know that our hospitals play
a big part in your lives, and we
want to make sure that our
patients play a major role in any
changes and developments.
We have an Improving Patient
Experience Group, made up of
members of the public like you, who
want to make sure that people are
getting the best possible care.
Members of the IPEG get involved
with the Trust in many ways,
including reporting on patient
experience at Queen’s and King
George, and undertaking
independent research into specific
issues and areas of concern.
They meet bimonthly before the
Trust board meetings, alternating
between the two hospital sites.
Their feedback is vital and valued.
More and more emphasis is being
put on patient involvement in the
development of the NHS, and the
IPEG is a crucial part of the Trust’s
work.
If you would like to find out more
about the group, or would consider
joining, you can contact Linda Mulley
on 01708 435380 or
linda.mulley@bhrhospitals.nhs.uk, or
Barbara New on 01708 435486 or
barbara.new@bhrhospitals.nhs.uk
Mayor visits Queen’s
The Mayor of Havering, Councillor Roger Ramsey, has visited Queen's
for a tour of the facilities.
Acting Chairman, Barbara Liggins joined Matrons and Divisional Managers to
show him around the Trust’s neurology wards - Sahara A and B - the Neuro
Intensive Treatment Unit, Harvest B ward, the cancer day unit, outpatients and
radiotherapy unit.
• Barbara Liggins and Lucy Gladman, General Manager of Oncology, with
The Mayor of Havering
Major work has taken place to
give patients at King George
Hospital more privacy and
dignity.
A building project to provide
better facilities at the hospital has
been finished, with men and
women now having completely
separate bathroom facilities.
NHS London gave the Trust almost
£100,000 towards the scheme.
And the Department of Health is
so impressed with the
improvements that it wants to use
the hospital as a case study to
show other trusts what can be
done.
Extra shower and bathroom
facilities have been provided in
wards, and patient flow has also
been changed so that men are
nursed together at one end of a
ward, with women at another.
This means that, even though the
Trust still has mixed sex wards, it
has single sex bays and men and
women will not even have to pass
each other on the ward. Staff are
also making sure that they explain
the process to patients.
Matron for Patient Experience, Jo
McGrath, said: “The changes have
had a very positive effect and been
a great success. Staff and patients
are delighted with the new
facilities.”
Queen’s and King George hospitals
take the privacy and dignity of
patients very seriously, and are
constantly looking at ways of
improving.
We are now looking at new ways
of working on other wards where
men and women have to be
nursed together, such as intensive
care and theatre recovery.
2 H O S P I TA L L I F E

Paralysed Aaron walks
back to thank surgeon
There was an emotional reunion
at Queen’s Hospital when a man
left paralysed following a car
crash walked into a room to
thank the surgeon who changed
his life.
Aaron Timms was a passenger in a
car which crashed in September last
year. His girlfriend and his best
friend were killed.
Aaron was the only survivor, but had
broken his back and suffered major
damage to his spinal chord.
Totally paralysed from the waist
down, Aaron had no feeling in
his legs, and medics could
not say if he would ever
walk again.
“It was absolutely
terrifying. I can’t even
describe it,” said
Aaron, 22.
The crash happened in
West Bergholt, and Aaron
had been taken to
Colchester General Hospital.
“. . . I have
waited for nearly a
year to shake your
hand. We can never
thank you enough for
what you did . . .
They made the decision to air-lift him
to Queen’s for specialist surgery.
Consultant Neurosurgeon Karoly
David carried out intricate surgery to
repair Aaron’s back, repositioning the
spine to free the trapped spinal
chord.
Aaron had suffered extensive
damage to his nervous system and
lost spinal fluid.
O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9
The operation was a
success, but with so
many complex injuries,
the weeks following the
operation would be critical.
“Mr David did an incredible job,”
said Aaron. “But we still didn’t
know what the outcome would be.”
Aaron spent three weeks recovering
from the surgery at Queen’s before
being transferred to Stoke
Mandeville Hospital for specialist
rehabilitation.
Six weeks after his operation, Aaron
had a breakthrough.
“I could feel a little pulse in a
muscle in my leg. People were
worried that I might me imagining
it, but I knew it was there.”
Aaron astonished his parents Steve
and Jane with his determination to
walk again.
“There was just no stopping him,”
said Jane. “Right from the beginning
he used to visualise himself walking,
and he carried out his exercises
again and again and again.”
The crash that paralysed Aaron and
killed the people he loved took place
on September 22 last year.
He stayed in Stoke Mandeville until
February 16th.
But this month he walked into
Queen’s Hospital to shake the hand
of his surgeon.
His rehabilittaion was a long process
from learning to stand again, to
walking with a frame, and then
stepping out unaided.
But with barely a limp, Aaron is back
on his feet and starting a new life.
He has just moved into his own
home. And, after months of
intensive therapy, has decided to
leave his old career as a mechanic
and retrain as a physiotherapist.
Aaron’s parents also came back to
meet Mr David.
Mum Jane told him: “I have waited
for nearly a year to shake your
hand. We can never thank you
enough for what you did.”
Aaron still has to build up his
strength in his legs, and bulk up the
wasted muscles, but the future is
looking bright.
3

Taking
the
plunge
Twelve brave souls took a
giant leap of faith to raise
money for our hospitals this
month.
The dozen plucky fundraisers abseiled 120ft from
the top of the YMCA in Romford in aid of the BHR
Hospitals Charity - collecting hundreds of pounds for
Queen’s and King George hospitals.
Keith Mahoney - one of the Trust’s Non Executive Directors
and Chair of our Trustees - led the team, which included
staff and members of the public.
Top fundraiser was Mary Feeney-Chirgwin, Matron of
Accident and Emergency at King George Hospital, who
handed over an impressive £300.
If you would like to find out more about the Trust’s charity,
and some of the brilliant events you could take part in,
have a look at the microsite on our website
www.bhrhospitals.nhs.uk
• Neil Milton, pictured on the front page, was one of
the members of the public abseiling in aid of BHR
Hospitals Charity.
Report on a busy year
The Trust held it’s Annual General Meeting at the
end of September, looking back over an extremely
busy year.
The public meeting saw
presentations from Chief Executive
John Goulston, and a run-down of
our financial situation.
For a copy of the Trust’s Annual
Report and Accounts for 2008/9
you can log on to our website at
www.bhrhospitals.nhs.uk. If you
would like a hard copy, call the
Communications Department
on 01708 435314.
Disabled parking improvements
Changes have been made to the
disabled parking at Queen’s
Hospital to improve access for our
patients and visitors.
We have moved the disabled parking
spaces from the first floor of the
multi-storey car park onto the
ground floor outside of the main
entrance.
The number of spaces remains the
same – well in excess of the
statutory requirements - but people
with difficulties walking will no
longer have to negotiate stairs and
lifts.
We still have disabled parking spaces
on the ground floor of the multistorey
car park, so there will be
some shelter if we are experiencing
the typical British weather.
The first two rows of parking outside
of the main entrance have been
dedicated as areas for patient
transport ambulances and for
dropping off patients.
Traffic flow outside of the entrance
had become unmanageable, with
one ambulance driver being hit by a
vehicle in recent weeks as he helped
a patient to disembark. There had
also been
problems
with
emergency
access to the
hospital due
to overcrowding.
The new layout will alleviate these
problems, making it a safer
environment.
There are always wheelchairs
available in the atrium of the
hospital to help people to and from
their vehicles.
4 H O S P I TA L L I F E

All change
at King
George
Patients at King George might
notice a bit of a change this
month.
A new company has taken over the
facilities management of the site –
including providing cleaning,
portering, security and catering.
Sodexo already works with the Trust
to provide these services at Queen’s,
and we have built up such a good
relationship with the company that
we are delighted they are now
involved with King George.
The main change for patients will be
a new meal service.
A new hostess service has been
introduced, with patients being given
a menu each morning so that they
can choose their meals for the rest
of the day.
Their chosen dishes are then brought
to their bedside.
The quality of the catering at
Queen’s has been extremely highly
rated, receiving the highest possible
accreditation of Excellent in recent
visits from assessors.
King George food has been rated as
Satisfactory, but this is expected to
improve with the new ways of
working.
Sodexo will also be ensuring that
meals are served at appropriate
times and in line with patient needs.
For example, meals will be taken to
wards for stroke patients first as they
often require help with feeding.
Facilities manager Jenny McDowell
said: “We have been working with
staff and patients at King George to
ensure a smooth transition, and we
will be continuing to listen to their
views so we can tweak services and
address any issues that arise.”
Patients will be given questionnaires
to feed back on the quality of the
services, and regular meal tasting
sessions will also take place to
ensure that the food provided is of
the very best quality.
Simon Scrivens, the managing
director of Sodexo Healthcare, said:
“We are delighted to have been
awarded the contract and are
especially pleased to develop our
existing relationship with the Trust.
“Their reputation for clinical
excellence in what is a very diverse
catchment area is second to none,
and we are pleased to be able to
support them whilst they
concentrate on what they do best.”
Your suggestions please
Your ideas and suggestions help us to shape the
Trust and make the improvements that you want to
see.
We have white suggestion boxes near the information
desks at both Queen’s and King George hospitals which
are emptied regularly.
In the past few months the comments left in these
boxes have led to many changes, including:
• The blood test area at Queen’s now has a three-digit
display so people can see how many patients are
waiting, and this is also reinforced with an audio
message
• Credit and debit cards are now accepted for
transaction of £5 or more at the Tempo coffee shop
and Yoo restaurant at Queen’s
• Coat hooks are available in every toilet cubicle
• The Information Desk at Queen’s now stocks hearing
aid batteries and tubing
• Extra seating has been put in corridors for patients to
rest en-route to the Haematology and Oncology
department
• New vending machines are available in the maternity
waiting area, accident and emergency, oncology,
outpatients 2 and in the atrium of Queen’s.
• Water fountains have been provided in our outpatient
departments.
So please remember to keep making your
suggestions. We read them all and act on as many
as we can to make your hospital a better place.
O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9
5

Initiatives
to cut
missed
appointments
A big improvement programme is underway to
make radical changes to our outpatient services.
The Trust wants to cut the number of missed
appointments which will, in turn, reduce waiting times
and hold-ups for patients.
A whole host of initiatives are underway, including:
• Allowing patients to book their own follow-up
appointments. If you need another appointment after a
set time, such as six or 12 months, you can get in touch
with us a few weeks beforehand and choose your own
slot. This will give you more choice, and cut the number
of people who miss appointments because they are not
convenient.
• You can now cancel or change your appointments
on-line. If you can’t make your clinic, or need to change
a date or time, you can tell us by logging on to our
website at www.bhrhospitals.nhs.uk
• We are taking part in a pilot scheme where patients
receive a follow-up appointment reminder on their
mobile phone. They will be sent a text to jog their
memory about an up-coming clinic visit, and this is
already paying dividends in the areas it is being trialled,
with far fewer missed appointments.
• We are looking at the possibility of using two-way
texting so that you can reply to these reminders to
confirm or cancel your appointments.
• Other ways of harnessing technology are also being
looked into, with e-mail reminders also on the cards.
• We have reviewed all of the Trust services which can
be booked directly so that your GPs can refer you
straight to us for a hospital appointment via their
computer. That means you can choose where and when
your appointment is, and won’t be waiting for a letter
to arrive telling you when to come along. The Trust has
now been recognised as having the best Directory of
Services in London!
• We have implemented new ways of cancelling clinics
so that, if the Trust has to axe an outpatient clinic,
patients are given as much notice as possible of any
change to their appointment.
This is an on-going programme which should see
waiting times cut further, and also fewer clinics overrunning.
New Christian prayer area
A new Christian prayer area is
available at Queen’s Hospital.
The Bishop of Barking, the Rt Revd
David Hawkins, visited the hospital
to conduct a special service in the
chapel.
He was invited along to dedicate the
new St Luke’s Chapel, which is in
addition to the multi-faith prayer
room. Both can be used as an area
of worship or quite reflection.
The Bishop was given a tour of the
hospital and met staff and patients
before leading the service in St
Luke’s.
He said he was impressed with how
highly valued the Trust’s
own Chaplaincy team are,
and commended all of the
staff on how they dealt
with difficult and
challenging situations.
Trust Chaplain Tim
Coleman said: “The Bishop
knows how vital it is to
have somewhere like St
Luke’s – a place to retreat,
pray and seek solace – in a busy 24-
hour environment of a hospital like
Queen’s.”
The multi-faith prayer room is
located at the top of the escalator
on the first floor of the hospital.
St Luke’s is also on the first floor,
close to the maternity department.
• Pictured is the Rt Revd Bishop
David Hawkins with members of the
Trust’s Chaplaincy team, and Trust
Chairman Barbara Liggins.
6 H O S P I TA L L I F E

presentations . . presentations . . presentations . . presentations . . present
Much-loved volunteer thanked
by staff and patients
An emotional award ceremony
took place at Queen’s Hospital
this month, with a volunteer
being thanked for 19 years of
dedicated service.
Edith Lay, 79, began volunteering in
the radiotherapy department at
Oldchurch Hospital, and now does
the same at Queen’s.
She supports the staff in the busy
unit, and also works alongside
patients during their treatment. A
real Jack of all Trades, Edith does
everything from making tea and
escorting patients to their clinics, to
fetching notes and photocopying.
A tearful Edith, from Hunters Square
in Dagenham, was given a Volunteer
Appreciation Award in a surprise
ceremony led by Medical Director
Yasmin Drabu.
Presenting her with a certificate,
flowers and vouchers, Dr Drabu said:
“This is just a small token of thanks
from the Trust for all the years you
have helped us and our patients.”
Around 25 members of staff
gathered for the presentation in the
chemotherapy day unit, and joined
patients in giving the much-loved
volunteer a spontaneous round of
applause.
Tireless charity worker thanked
A tireless charity worker has been recognised for her
dedication with a special award.
Karen Smith has been presented the Trust’s Employee of
the Month Award.
The Multi-Disciplinary Team Co-ordinator for head and
neck cancer was nominated by former patient Allen
Potter from Haresfield Road in Dagenham.
Karen fundraises for the Mark McCarthy’s Magic
Moments charity, which provides treats for patients
undergoing treatment for cancer.
Allen got to know her when he was suffering from
cancer and was a patient at Queen’s Hospital.
He said: “I would like Karen to receive this award for all
the hard work she undertakes on behalf of the patients
and the charity.
“She has worked tirelessly collecting food and gifts for
hampers for the most needy patients at Christmas and
personally delivers them to patients’ houses in her own
time. Her work has been outstanding.”
In a surprise ceremony the Trust’s Medical Director Yasmin
Drabu presented Karen with flowers, a certificate and
vouchers.
• Pictured are Dr Yasmin Drabu, former patient Allen
Potter, Karen Smith, her manager Antya Markin and
General Manager Lucy Gladman
O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9
Consultant praised by patient
A grateful patient has nominated his consultant
for an award.
Glenn Roberts put Consultant Physician Aklak
Choudhury forward for the Trust’s Employee of the
Month award.
Mr Roberts is from Tyne and Wear, but was taken ill
while working away from home and brought into the
Accident and Emergency department at Queen’s
Hospital.
He was treated by Mr Choudhury, who is the Trust’s
Clinical Lead for the Medical Assessment Unit, and he
has been named Employee of the Month for
September.
Mr Roberts said: "Mr Choudhury is an exceptional
person who treats you with caring and kindness. This is
backed up by a high degree of knowledge.
"He goes that extra mile and that makes all the
difference to his patients. He is a wonderful, wonderful
gentleman."
Mr Choudhury was presented with his award by Acting
Chairman Barbara Liggins.
He said: "This is wonderful, and the fact that it has
come from a patient makes it all the more special."
• Aklak Choudhury is pictured receiving his award from
Acting Chairman Barbara Liggins
7

Thunder and Lightning
hits Queen’s Hospital
Thunder and Lightning, the
Rainham-based drama group,
have been to hospital to hand
over £400 raised following their
latest show.
Pat Sanderson is their vocal coach,
and her brother Arthur Cooper is
receiving treatment for cancer at
Queen’s.
Pat took part in the Race for Life to
raise money for cancer research, and
then threw her energy into putting
together the Thunder and Lightning
show at the Thameside Theatre in
Grays.
After the curtains closed, the
audience were told of Pat’s
achievement, and that she had done
it for her brother. The audience were
then invited to make donations, and
handed over £400.
Pat said: “When I told my brother,
he asked us if we could give the
money to cancer services at Queen’s
to thank them for the wonderful
treatment he is receiving here.”
Pat brought in a group of her young
performers to present the cheque to
cancer services manager Lucy
Gladman and Matron Alix Holmes.
• Pictured are Pat Sanderson and
members of Thunder and Lightning
handing over a cheque to Lucy
Gladman and Alix Holmes.
Wheelie generous League
Dedicated fundraisers from
Harold Wood League of Friends
have handed over almost £13,000
to buy 30 wheelchairs for Queen’s
Hospital.
Half of the wheelchairs are being
used by the outpatient discharge
clinic so that patients being taken to
and from their appointments by
ambulance can be easily transferred.
The extra chairs have proved so
successful that they have made a
major difference to the turnaround
time, and have been a great benefit
to patients and ambulance crews.
The remaining 15 wheelchairs are
being used in the main atrium for
patients and visitors.
This extremely generous donation is
one of a string of payments from
Harold Wood League of Friends over
the years.
The Trust is constantly looking to
provide more wheelchairs for
Queen’s and King George hospitals
to allow our patients to move
around as quickly and easily as
possible.
If you would like to raise money to
provide a chair, have a look at our
charity website at
www.bhrhospitals.nhs.uk/charity for
ideas and tips.
Contact us: If you would like to see a particular service featured in Hospital Life, contact Niki Eves on
01708 435314, or email nicola.eves@bhrhospitals.nhs.uk