Sharing news about the Trust directly with staff and public members | Number 226 | July 2011

Winners at theTendring ShowNHS marquee wins best education prize – page 8-9

Winners at theTendring Show NHS marquee wins best education prize – page 8-9

MainstreamMainstreamwww.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/mainstream.shtml

Managers go “back to the floor”10IV therapy: everybody’s business! 6A conference last month showed that IVtherapy is the responsibility of all staff

Winners at the Tendring Show! 8

NHS marquee winsbest education prizeat this year’s show!

CQC review: mixedexperiences 12A CQC review investigated ifolder people are treated with respect

Campaignpromoteshospitals’cleanliness

16Other newsExpansion in palliative team......4Daughter inspires her father .....5“Got something to say?” .........6Richard Smith ...........................7Name badges on the way .......11Transferring “in-house” ..........12

RegularsHow long will I wait?..............13In the diary.....................13 & 15In the news...............................4Letters | Emails | Your views15National news.........................11People news .............................7Sixty seconds interview ...........14Briefly for staff .................6 & 12

page 2 | Mainstream

Cont

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The wall inside the children’s waiting areain A&E at Colchester General Hospital hasbeen transformed by a generous artist.

Ross Baines of Brushworks spent two dayshand painting a large mural (above) of a cheerycartoon seaside scene, free of charge.

A&E Sister Amy Dearsley, pictured belowwith Ross, said: “We’re really pleased with theresult – and can’t believe the difference it has

made! We’re reallygrateful to Ross. It’simportant that ouryounger patients canfeel as relaxed as pos-sible and Ross’s muraldefinitely does thetrick.”

i If you have any books or children’s DVDs tooccupy youngsters, please contact nurse SamMinett or Amy on 01206 742847

Operating Department Practitioner (ODP ) GeorgeMeighan is a reservist serving at RAF Leuchars.While deployed in Afghanistan’s Camp Bastion,

he was instrumental in saving the life of a five-year oldboy and was awarded an Air Officer Commandingaward. The citation read: “A five-year old Afghan boywas brought into theatre with severe wounds. Heclearly was about to die. Senior Aircraftman Meighan,as the duty ODP, had the dexterity and calmness ofpersona to get the drip in. The venous access achievedwas so good that both blood andfluids poured into the damagedbody and the surgical unit wasable to operate and save the boy’slife.”

George (pictured) said “I amvery pleased to receive this award.However, I was just doing myjob.”

George commended by RAF In March, to aid promotingits vision, the Trust starteda programme called At

Our Best to inspire, supportand develop all staff to consis-tently deliver the very bestpatient experience.

One of the programme’skey components is to encour-age better communication withpatients.

To achieve this, more than100 patients and carers wereinvited to share their experi-ences with over 100 staff ofall disciplines at five In YourShoes sessions held in April,May and June.

The outcome was four pri-orities – see panel 1 – which

A & Sea!

Panel 1

July 2011 | page 3

ple wrote down their views –see panel 3.

In response, Director of

Workforce Rob Bowman said:“We have been listening andacting on concerns raised bystaff. We now have a proactivecampaign to fill key vacancies– for example, we are advertis-ing for 30 nursing posts to fillexisting vacancies. We havealso invested £100,000 in new

wheelchairs, drip stands, andother equipment.”

At Our Best started withlistening to hundredsof patients and staff

who want the Trust to make acommitment to its patients,their families and to eachother: to be “at our best”.

In September, the Trustwill launch a set of organisa-tion behaviour standards andvalues developed from the AtOur Best programme.

i Read more about the We Care campaign on ourwebsite:www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/at_our_best.shtml

month we have launched a WeCare campaign – see panel 2 –for all teams, to address the

top priorities of our Trust’spatients.”

Staff are the focus ofanother aspect of the AtOur Best programme.

Through graffiti boards placedin hospital corridors, staff theywere asked what great carelooks like. A total of 500 peo-

are now being targeted by theBoard of Directors.

Director of Nursing and

Patient Experience Julie Firthsaid: “We wanted to captureall aspects of the patient expe-rience – not only the clinicalones – because we want toprovide the best possible cus-tomer care.

“As a response to the InYour Shoes sessions, this

“We care” campaign launched as part of At Our Best programme

Panel 2 Panel 3

88Daily Gazette:44featured a man having dialysis,as part of national Transplant Week44published a feature about theTrust’s Cancer Exercise Group 44photographed Matron forChildren’s Services Lynda Pearcewith children due to take part inthe Colchester Carnival 44ran a feature on the volunteerssummer tea party (as didHalstead Gazette and Heart FM radio)44quoted the Trust as saying thatno decisions had yet been madeon the reconfiguration of theregion’s pathology services.88Essex County Standard andDaily Gazette reported on thejunior doctors who climbed threemountain peaks in 24 hours.88East Anglian Daily Times,Daily Gazette and Essex CountyStandard highlighted Pat Budd,manager of our Breast Unit, forher newly-awarded MBE. 88Dream 100 interviewedsuperintendent radiographerMonica Dale about the mobilebreast screening unit in Halstead. 88Dream 100 and BBC Essexinterviewed infant feeding co-ordinator Sue Coltman about anevent to give women theconfidence to breastfeed in public.88Daily Mail featured our newlaser treatment for varicose veins.88Anglia News broadcast anitem about our new 4Dultrasound scan DVD service.

i Read the media summaryon our website, under “BoardMeetings”, “SupportingDocuments”

page 4 | Mainstream

4 IN THE NEWS

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Highlighting how the mediareported on our Trust last month

Last autumn, NHS trusts in England tookpart in an audit to establish how publichealth guidance for the workplace has

been implemented in the NHS. The audit was recommended by the 2009

Boorman Review, which called for staff healthand wellbeing to be embedded in the core busi-ness of NHS organisations.

The National Institute for Health and Clini-cal Excellence (NICE) carried out the audit andof the 282 trusts in England which participated,our Trust came in the top 25%.

The audit questions reflect evidence-basedguidance from NICE covering:n organisational data n obesity

n physical activity and building design n smoking cessation n long-term sickness absence n promoting mental wellbeing.

Head of Health and Wellbeing Sheila Boylesaid: “Our Board of Directors is fully engagedwith the Trust’s health and wellbeing pro-gramme. The results have shown convincinglythe importance of senior leadership. Whereboards are actively leading staff health andwellbeing programmes, action follows withengagement, wellness and improved patientoutcomes.”

i More information under “News”:www.nice.org.uk

Trust in top 25% for staff health and wellbeing

The appointment of a sec-ond consultant and fivespecialist palliative care

nurses marks the end of ayear-long expansion of thePalliative Care Team at Colch-ester General Hospital andEssex County Hospital.

Just 12 months ago, therewas one consultant, Dr Sham-sul Shah, and one specialistnurse providing palliative careservices across both hospitals,which are run by the Trust.

In line with guidance fromthe National Institute forHealth and Clinical Excellence(NICE), the Trust last yearagreed to expand the Pallia-tive Care Team in order toprovide a palliative care serv-ice at our hospitals seven daysa week from 9am to 5pm. Weare the only acute hospitaltrust in Essex to have achieved

this. Medical cover is providedon a 24/7 basis.

Today the team consists ofDr Shah and her consultant

colleague Dr Julia Thompson(pictured) who joined in April,six specialist nurses (AnneAdams, Barbara Johnston,Julie Reynolds, Lauren Smith,Sally Thorpe and Katie Worby)and an end of life care facilita-tor (Nicky Goodwin).

The team provides pallia-

tive care services for allpatients, regardless of diagno-sis.

Both consultants, togetherwith Dr Kath Oakley (who isbased at St Helena Hospice,Colchester) now form a strongconsultant team in north eastand mid Essex who seespatients in their own homes,nursing or residential homes,hospice day centres in Colch-ester and Clacton and an inpa-tient unit at St Helena Hos-pice, Colchester. This allowsthem to provide better conti-nuity of care for patients andtheir carers.

The Palliative Care Teamsees all patients with life-limit-ing illnesses including cancer,heart failure, kidney failure,chronic obstructive pulmonarydisease (COPD), dementia andneurological diseases.

Huge expansion in palliative care team

NEW FEATURE!

July 2011 | page 5

Asenior manager at Colch-ester General Hospitalclimbed the highest free-

standing mountain in the world –Mount Kilimanjaro – in memoryof his daughter.

At 59, Philip Kitchener wasthe oldest member of the 15-strong climbing party that flew toAfrica on 27 May for the week-long trip.

All the people taking partwere self-funding so the moneyraised goes directly to the Sarah

Kitchener Perrow Fund, namedafter Philip’s daughter who diedon 3 March last year at the age of27, four years after being diag-nosed with a brain tumour.

The party of 15, ranging inage from 22 to 59, consisted ofthe family and friends of Sarah,including her husband Dave Per-row, who she married in May2008, and her brother, Peter.

In the year since Philip and hiswife, Nicky, who works atSouthend Hospital, established

the fund, they have helped toraise approximately £20,000through a series of events.

In addition, about £15,000 hasbeen donated or pledged so farfor the team that climbed MountKilimanjaro, which is 5,895m(19,341ft) tall. It is hoped the finaltotal will reach £20,000.

The Sarah Kitchener PerrowFund is an umbrella group of theSamantha Dickson Brain TumourTrust (SDBTT), the UK’s leadingcharity dedicated to brain tumour

research and patient informationand support.

As associate director of estatesand facilities at the Trust, Philipmanages non-clinical services,such as catering, cleaning andportering.

i To sponsor Philip, visit:www.justgiving.com/kilimanjaroclimb-2011

i For more about SDBTT, visit:www.braintumourtrust.co.uk

DDDDaaaauuuugggghhhhtttteeeerrrr iiiinnnnssssppppiiiirrrreeeessss hhhheeeerrrr ffffaaaatttthhhheeeerrrr

Pictured: Philip – onthe right – with sonPeter at the summit

Over 70 healthcare staff attended theinaugural intravenous (IV) therapy con-ference last month at Colchester Gener-

al Hospital, organised by members of the IVTherapy Working Group.

The underlying theme for the conference on22 June was how improvements in IV therapycan be made by all staff at all levels, from lineinsertion and management to drug administra-tion.

Practice Development Nurse Kath Burke,Chair of the IV Therapy Working Group, said:“The conference highlight was an inspiring talkby IV Therapy Nurse Consultant Andrew Jackson

from Rotherham General Hospital, who is theauthor of the international Visual InfusionPhlebitis (VIP) scoring tool.

“Some great examples of how staff at theTrust are improving patients’ experience of IVtherapy were presented, such as managementof extravastion and home IV therapy for chil-dren.”

Ideas for future improvements such as PICCline (peripherally inserted central catheter)insertion for patients with long term IV therapythat allows a patient to receive medicines andfluids will be taken up and actioned by the IVTherapy Group.

A&E access not via X-rayStaff are asked not to use theX-ray department as a short-cut to A&E, especially after10pm when the doors auto-matically lock (to keep loneworkers safe).

Serving the people ofnorth east EssexSince the Trust extended itscatchment area in 2010 toinclude all of Essex and Suf-folk, staff should no longeruse the phrase “Serving thepeople of north east Essex”on any documentation, suchas letterheads or policies.

Old Hermes phone bookWith a new department list-ing on the intranet's phonebook and with the majority ofstaff having updated theirown profiles, the old Hermesphone book has been closed.Any issues should be reportedto the ICT Service Desk.

Clacton Air Show NHS marqueeIf your team wants to takepart in the Clacton Air ShowNHS marquee, our Trust andthe PCT are attending onThursday 25th and Friday26th August. It’s a greatchance to engage with thepublic. Contact Paul Searle,Head of Communications,01206 742348 or emailinfo@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

page 6 | Mainstream

4 BRIEFLY FOR STAFF

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More news for staff, page 12

For more news, staff can go tothe intranet: http://apollo andclick on ‘News’ or ‘Forums’

Anew poster campaignhighlights to patients waysthey can raise a concern

with the Trust. Called Gotsomething to say? itfeatures the Trust’s ChiefExecutive Dr GordonCoutts who asks patients,relatives and carers tomake sure they tellsomeone at the Trust ifthey have a comment,compliment or complaint.

He said: “We are committedto improving the experience of ourpatients. You can help by telling us

what you think – good or bad.“Firstly, if something is not

right, ask to see the person incharge. They should be ableto sort out the problemstraight away. Or ask to speakto the Patient Advice & LiaisonService (PALS) or the DutyMatron. If you are still notsatisfied, please write to me.”

i Download the poster:www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

“Got something to say?” – please tell someone

IIIInnnnttttrrrraaaavvvveeeennnnoooouuuussss tttthhhheeeerrrraaaappppyyyy::::eeeevvvveeeerrrryyyybbbbooooddddyyyy’’’’ssss bbbbuuuussssiiiinnnneeeessssssss!!!!

Dr Gillian Urwin withAndrew Jackson

pictured at the startof the conference

Richard SmithIt is very sad news to announcethe sudden and unexpecteddeath of the Revd RICHARDSMITH, senior chaplain with theTrust’s chaplaincy service.Richard, who was 63, died on 14July at home in Colchester.

He had worked energeticallyfor this organisation for morethan 26 years and in that timeestablished an extensive chapl-aincy service with a team of over40 lay chaplains in ColchesterGeneral and Essex Countyhospitals and the communityhospitals in Clacton andHarwich. In that time he gaveconsiderable pastoral andspiritual support to countlesspatients and members of staff.His work in the Health Servicewas acknowledged by theChurch of England when he wasmade a canon of ChelmsfordCathedral. For funeral arrange-ments, see In the Diary, page 13.

New consultants Dr SHERMILA RAO, breast radi-ologist (starts in September), DrDARREN BOONE, radiologist witha special interest in GI imaging(October), Dr SOUMADRI SEN,histopathologist (November), Dr DAKSHINAMOORTHYMUTHUKUMAR, oncologist (startdate to be confirmed).

Seeking to appoint a NEDApplications close on 25 July forthe appointment of a non-executive director (NED) who is aqualified accountant.Meanwhile, Mr ANDREW MAY’scontract as Medical Director endsin November and the Trust isadvertising the post.

Jumping midwives The “jumping midwives” areskydiving with the Red Devils on1 September to raise funds forthe Maternity Unit. FAYE FROST,CLAIRE SINCLAIR and LORRAINEBRISTOL (pictured above) aretrying to raise £7,500 via theColchester Hospitals Charity.Make a donation by texting:CHOC15 £3 to 70070 orsponsor them atwww.justgiving.com/madmidwivesjump

Caribbean nurse returnsThis month, one of the firstCaribbean nurses to work inColchester visited Essex CountyHospital for the first time in 49years. SHIRLA PHILOGENE (right)came to the hospital in 1958when she arrived in Englandfrom Saint Vincent to begin hernurse training.

Shirla was awarded an OBEin 2000 for services to nursingleadership and development.

Her autobiography, BetweenTwo Worlds – A Narrative, waspublished in 2008.

Pat BuddCongratulations to Pat Budd onher magnificent achievement ofbeing made an MBE in theQueen’s Birthday Honours forservices to healthcare.

In a letter to Pat, ChiefExecutive Dr Gordon Couttswrote: “Whilst [Chair] Sally Irvineand I are both relative new-comers, we do appreciate thehuge contribution that you havemade during your 22 years herewhich has included helping toraise tens of thousands ofpounds to buy equipment thatbenefits patients.”

4 PEOPLE II| NEWS ABOUT STAFF FROM THE INTRANET’S FORUM

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We’re Baby Friendly!North east Essex maternity servic-es have been honoured by aworldwide programme whichaims to promote and supportbreastfeeding and its benefits.

Following an assessment, theyhave been accredited with Stage2 of the Baby Friendly Initiative,run by the World Health Organi-zation and UNICEF (UnitedNations Children’s Fund).

Ours is the only acute hospitaltrust in the NHS East of Englandregion to achieve Stage 2.

i Full story on our website:www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

Clowns in the SkyOne in four children diagnosedwith cancer has brain cancer, thesecond most common childhoodcancer. The Clowns in the Skycharity, dedicated to the researchand treatment of childhood braintumours and to the welfare ofaffected children and their fami-lies, has donated an art trolleyand a sensory trolley to the Chil-dren’s Ward at Colchester GeneralHospital.

Pictured below, from left:Trust play specialist Carolyn Hors-field with the charity’s fundraisingofficer Donna Byrne and volun-teer Samantha Simpson.

i More details on their website www.clownsinthesky.org

July 2011 | page 7

72 year old James Brown(pictured right) did a tandemparachute jump, raising £950for the Essex Air Ambulance

The NHS marquee won atop prize at the Ten-dring Hundred Show

this month for its innovativestands and its interactivity withthe public.

Attracting crowds in theregion of 20,000 this year, theTendring Show is billed asEssex county’s premier agricul-tural event.

Our Trust, along with NHSNorth East Essex (the PCT)and Anglian Community Enter-prise (ACE) had more than 100staff and 22 stands in a 100ft-long marquee on Saturday 9 July where visitors could findout about a variety of healthissues ranging from skin cancerto falls prevention.

Thousands of visitors ven-tured into the NHS marqueeand many positive and compli-mentary comments were madeto staff.

A sandy beach, completewith buckets, spades and a

deckchair, was one of the fea-tures, promoting sun safetymessages, whilst other standsshowed people that “the futureof health is in your hands”.

Theatre staff from Colch-ester General Hospital demon-strated operating theatre equip-

ment at the front of themarquee while in health checkcorner people could do a lungfunction test and get theirblood pressure checked out.

As part of the promotingnormal birth campaign, mid-wives declared on their T-shirtsthey were doing it normally –see picture above right, whilenext door their colleaguesdemonstrated birth art.

Winners at theTendring Show!

page 8 | Mainstream

A bowling alley for childrenwas in use all day, set up by theTrust’s Family/Carer SupportOfficer, while a team fromHealth in Mind offered stresstests to the public.

At chat corner, visitors metgovernors and directors anddiscussed issues facing not onlyour Trust but the NHS as awhole. Chief Executive DrGordon Coutts, Sally Irvine(Chair) and Mike Baker (Direc-tor of Finance) were at theshow, along with several gover-nors.

Hospital Radio Colchesterbroadcast messages of supportand interviewed the publicwhile the League of Friendsgave away hundreds of cups oftea and coffee and flew the flagfor the services they offer.

Megan Slade, from thePCT’s communications teamsaid: “Winning the award – forbest education tent – really wasthe icing on the cake and some

well-deserved recognition to allthe hard work of the staff onthe stands.”

The Trust’s Head of Com-munications Paul Searle said:“This shows the commitmentand passion of all the peopleon the stands in engaging withthe public. Their hard work,help and dedication throughoutthe event made it a fantasticday and so many visitorspraised us on how successfuland fun our marquee was.”

If your team wants to takepart next month in the ClactonAir Show NHS marquee, ourTrust and the PCT are attend-ing – another great chance toengage with the public – seepage 12.

i More than xxx photos ofthe NHS marquee have beenput onto the Flickr website.Visit it here: www.flickr.com/photos/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

July 2010 | page 9

The Board of Directors are committedto inspiring and engaging staff aspart of its vision.

The vision – “to be widely recognised as theTrust that our patients and staff would want torecommend to their friends and relatives” –has five underlying priorities:

nn inspiring our employees – developing aculture that engages our employees in thebusiness, promotes clear values and behav-iours, underpinned by leadership styles ofopenness and involvement; which recognisesand rewards the contribution of individuals

nn doing the core services well – maintainingand enhancing our reputation as a safe,capable and efficient Trust, delivering highquality standards

nn strengthening our centres of excellence –supporting existing high-performing services and developing others to serve thelocal population and beyond

nn shaping the future; ready to respond –identifying a small number of policy areas ofimportance to the Trust and to seek to influence these as appropriate; strengthenhorizon-scanning capability and have a flexible and dynamic ability to respond toopportunities

nn building a sustainable future – supportingour long-term future and ability to improvefacilities and services by optimising our surplus/contribution from clinical income;and building and growing our non-clinicalincome.

Staff sometimes say that they see managersonly when there is something wrong orthat managers do not always know what

their teams do. One of the ways the Trust is try-ing to address this is through senior staff takingpart in “back to the floor” sessions. The first ofthese took place last month.

Associate Director, Clinical Support Servicesand Cancer, Mark Jarman-Howe spent an after-noon with the equipment and wheelchair serv-ices at their base on the Colchester BusinessPark. He said: “I hadn’t realised the complexityinvolved in these services and the degree ofclose working between different disciplines andorganisations. My main learning point was thedegree of time and effort that goes into tailor-ing solutions for individuals. I was proud to beassociated with the service as part of my divi-sion.”

Director of Finance Mike Baker visited Tip-tree Ward at Colchester General Hospital andsaid: “I was concerned that I would be a burdento an incredibly busy area of patient care but I was welcomed with enthusiasm and completeinclusion in the life of the ward. It was a memo-rable time and it was good to experience ourhospital at the point where our purpose is ulti-mately fulfilled – the relationship between ourstaff and our patients.”

Director of Workforce Rob Bowman said: “I had a really good afternoon with the portersand it was fascinating to get their view of thehospital. I saw a number of parts of the hospitalthat I would not normally go to in my day-to-day role and I gained a better understanding ofthe fantastic work we do as a Trust and how

varied that is. It was great to see how theporters work, how varied their work can be andhow important their role is to all of the success-ful running of the hospital – from movingpatients, bloods and other specimens, ice,urgent notes, drugs, moves of important equip-ment and so on. I was particularly struck byhow important the porters are in movingpatients around and how they can calm andreassure patients. I saw this myself and heardabout examples where this has really helpedpatients.

“There is a great deal of walking and diffi-culties in manoeuvring equipment and patientson sometimes quite long journeys in busy areas.Doors are a challenge when a porter has tomove a bed alone.

“The porters had great team spirit andseemed intrigued and genuinely pleased I wasthere and taking an interest in their work.Overall though, my main impression was ofhow important their work is to all of the otherwork we do, whoever we are.”

Another senior manager said: “My visithighlighted the undiminished importance ofsaying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ – the team real-ly didn’t mind working longer than their con-tracted hours, I was told, but it would be appre-ciated if someone senior showed theirappreciation.

“Simply saying ‘thanks’ would do!”

i If you are a manager who wants to takepart in a back to the floor session, pleasecontact Jo Hall, Associate Director ofOrganisational Development, on 01206 742542

Managers go “back to thefloor” – with great results Staff have been saying that they want managers that listen and appreciate good care.So service managers and directors are taking part in “back to the floor” sessions

page 10 | Mainstream

July 2011 | page 11

Focusing on children’s healthThe third edition of “Public Health and Wellbeing in the East”has been published by NHS East of England, focusing on chil-dren’s health.

It looks at some interesting ways in which the NHS canwork together to improve health and wellbeing for childrenand families. Ensuring a good start in life is important not justfor children but for the health of the whole population, as rec-ommended by the recent Marmot review on health inequalities.

i The publication can be downloaded from:www.eoe.nhs.uk/page.php?page_id=2170

“I trust you to care…” – new campaign launchedSafe Care, a joint campaign by NHS East Midlands, NHS East ofEngland and NHS West Midlands, brings together all patientsafety programmes with the ultimate aim of achieving harm-free care for patients.

NHS staff in PCTs and trusts across the three NHS regionsare working together to break down traditional boundaries,share best practice and learn together in order to reduce harmfrom such issues as healthcare associated infections, pressureulcers, falls, catheter-acquired urinary tract infections andblood clots.

As part of this programme, nurses, ward staff, cliniciansand other healthcare professionals have shaped an entirelynew communications campaign called: “I trust you to care…”

Led by patient safety and communications specialists, thecampaign has been shaped by focus groups of frontline NHSstaff across the three regions, and features patients andreminders of must-dos to prevent harm.

i For a range of resources, such as posters, visit:www.eoe.nhs.uk/itrustyoutocare

4 NATIONAL NEWS II| IIPrimary care, Dept of Health and beyond

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Young Children’sFestival

Staff from the Children’sWard at Colchester Gen-eral Hospital had a stand

at the Young Children’s Festi-val at Castle Park on Saturday18 June, doing face and nailpainting.

Play Specialist CarolynHorsfield said: “It was a very

well-attended day and wewere busy from start to finish.

“The festival aims to show-case projects and organisa-tions that support young chil-dren and their families in theColchester area and it wasnice to be involved in a com-munity project. Our donationsbucket raised just over £70and we’re grateful to every-one who chipped in.”

Name badges on the wayName badges to complement ID badges are being distributedthis summer to all staff as part of the Trust’s ongoing plans tofurther improve the patient experience. They should be worn inaddition to the ID badge, which is used for security and access.

One of the issues often raised by patients and relatives is thatthey cannot always tell who staff are. The new domed finishbadge has an easy-to-read name and job title, and is beingissued to all staff to wear on their lapel, tie, blouse, shirt or toppocket. The badge has a rotatable crocodile clip and safety pin,giving a variety of ways for it to be attached to clothing (see the

picture). Tests on staff

showed this clipdesign to be themost popular.

i See Marchedition ofMainstream formore details ofthe project

Carolyn Horsfieldpainting a tiger

Ward sister Kim Ness

Outpatient views soughtAdults who had a hospitaloutpatient appointment inClacton, Colchester, Halsteador Harwich in May are beingasked for their views. Everyhospital trust in England iscarrying out this survey aspart of a national programmeled by the CQC. Question-naires were posted to theirhome addresses on 6 July. In2010/11, there were 399,291attendances at our outpatientclinics.

Bariatric managementBariatric link occupationaltherapist Sarah Marsden issetting up a working party toaddress bariatric managementof patients on the wards. Shewants to recruit a multidisci-plinary team to do sometraining and awareness ses-sions on the wards about themanagement of bariatricpatients. Anyone interested injoining a working partyshould email Sarah:sarah.marsden@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

Clinical performance It is very good to report thatthe year-to-date figure forour VTE (venous thrombolism)stands at above 90% (the tar-get is 90% for every monthnow).

The year-to-date equiv-alent figurefor electronicsummary dis-charges standsat 86%.

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This month, the CareQuality Commission(CQC) published a report

into our Trust, looking atwhether older people aretreated with respect and howthey are helped with food anddrink.

The CQC made an unan-nounced visit to ColchesterGeneral Hospital on 21 Aprilas part of an inspection pro-gramme of 100 NHS hospitals.The CQC website states: “Thereports give a snapshot of ourfindings at the time of ourvisit, rather than a completepicture of behaviour across anentire hospital.”

Their review team spoketo six patients on the StrokeUnit and Birch Ward. The

report, published on 14 July,stated that the review teamfound “mixed experiences”,which included many exam-ples of good practice, and that“care is generally provided ina respectful way and patientsare genuinely happy withtreatment they receive.”

But the team found “mod-erate concerns” with twoessential standards – meaningthat people who use servicesare safe, but are not alwaysexperiencing the outcomesrequired relating to theseessential standards.

In a statement Chief Exec-utive Dr Gordon Coutts said:“We welcome and accept infull the report of the CQC andwe apologise to patients and

carers for failing to provideoptimal levels of care consis-tently and at all times. Weacknowledge that there wereoccasions when patients hadto wait a long time when theycalled for assistance and thatthey felt they had not beengiven enough informationabout their care and treat-ment options or the facilitiesavailable to them.”

See Gordon’s article onpage 14.

i You can read more aboutthe CQC inspectionprogramme on our website,including our Trust’s report,and our statement in fullunder “Latest News”:www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

CQC review finds“mixed experiences”

Staffnews!

The Trust’s Board of Directors decided lastmonth to bring in-house the facilitiesmanagement (FM) services provided by

Carillion (see page 9, June Mainstream). With about 450 staff directly involved, it’s

important that everyone is communicated withproperly. Head of Communications Paul Searlesaid: “As well as a helpline and ‘rumour buster’,we have created some extra communicationchannels aimed at Carillion staff transferring tothe Trust.

“These include a newsletter called ‘in-house’ which is published fortnightly tohighlight issues, track progress during the tran-sition phase and give core information.

“We are also using key noticeboards atColchester General and Essex County hospitalsto display newsletters and information.

“Lastly, we have created a new page on ourwebsite with news relating to the transitionperiod and for people to download thenewsletters from home if required.”

Trust staff are encouraged to download thenewsletters for their Carillion colleagues.

Carillion staff transferring “in-house” to Trust

page 12 | Mainstream

The graph shows the Trust’s success in getting MRSAand C. difficile infection rates lower year on year.Source: Annual Reportshttp://www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/annual_reports.shtml

4 IN THE DIARY

4 July to August

Health TalksAll talks start at 6.30pm and finish by 7.45pm.nn Wednesday 27 July, Suffolk, “Arthritis and JointReplacement Surgery” Mr David Moore, consultant orthopaedic surgeonnn Tuesday 9 August, Halstead“Having problems losing weight?”, Dr David Gannon, consultant physician nn Wednesday 31 August, Colchester, “Hearing loss and how we can help” Lesley Chapman, Head of Hearing and Balance Services More details on our website. For the exact location anddetails, call Membership Helpline (see back page).

4 August to December

Chief Exec’s Staff BriefingPostgraduate Centre. Dr Gordon Coutts briefs seniormanagers who report to an associate director or similar.Key messages are then cascaded to all staff. If you do not receive the cascade, email info@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk nn Monday 15 August | 10.15-11.15am nnWednesday 14 September | 11am-12pmnn Wed 12 Oct | 12.30-1.30pm (REVISED DATE!)nn Wednesday 16 November | 2-3pm nn Tuesday 13 December | 2-3pmQuarterly meetings in bold text for wider audience. Goto intranet http://apollo (Info About > ‘B’ for Briefing).

4 August to December

Members’ Council & Board of Directors meetingsThe Members’ Council works closely with the Board ofDirectors to influence decision-making and strategicplanning. Local people and our staff are represented bytheir governors. In May it was agreed there will be jointmeetings between the Board and Members’ Council. nn Joint meetings: 11 August, 10 November.nn Board of Directors only: 8 Sep, 13 Oct, 7 DecStaff and the public are welcome at these meetings. Download agenda and papers (with venue and time)from our website or contact the FT Membership Officeon 01206 742586. www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

4 Monday 25 July

Richard Smith’s Requiem Mass10am at St James the Great, East Hill, Colchester. Dona-tions to Richard’s favourite charity (cheques payable toHunnaballs Funeral Directors, York House, 41 MerseaRoad, Colchester, CO2 7QT).

Theatres moved at CGH this month

4 THIS MONTH’S GRAPH

How longwill I wait?

For April to May 2011 (April toMay 2010’s figures in red): ☺Outpatients attending hospital

for first time 15,751 (16,889) LFollow-up outpatients 36,439

(33,372)LDay case spells 3,650 (3,533)☺Elective inpatient spells 1,236

(1,363) LNon-elective inpatient spells

6,445 (6,276)LRegular day attendances 1,867

(1,574) In May 2011: ☺A&E department attendance

12,360 (12,610) LAverage performance of

patients seen, treated ordischarged against the four-hourstandard 97.86% (98.50%) L18-week referral to treatment

was 90.30% (93.01%) foradmitted patientsLFor non-admitted patients, it

was 96.22% (96.31%)☺0.02% (0.03%) breaches in

outpatients 13-week target. LUrgent suspected cancer

referrals (those meeting two-week maximum wait from GPurgent referral to first outpatientappointment) 96.1% (99.60%)☺MRSA cases 0 (1)

(ceiling is 1 for 2011/12)☺C diff cases 0 (4)

(ceiling is 25 for 2011/12) LHand hygiene compliance

96.62% (98.27%).

i Visit the page “How longwill I wait” on Trust website: www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

i You can also see monthlyreports on our website under“Board Meetings” Continues on page 15

July 2011 | page 13

All events at Colchester General Hospital unlessotherwise stated. Members are invited toattend public events with their friends orfamily. Details from Membership Helpline on backpage. (Staff members should look on the Trustintranet’s Forums under ‘Events’ at: http://apollo)

Last autumn, more than300 members of our surgical division staff

were consulted regarding pro-posed changes to the emer-gency and elective patientpathways.

Since then, planning anddiscussion have taken placewith staff and specialty teams,to implement a new theatretemplate at Colchester Gener-al Hospital. The key driver forchange is patient safety byensuring patients have theirsurgery safely in the rightenvironment for their clinicalneeds.

So from 18 July a tempo-rary day case facility was

opened on Copford Ward fororthopaedic and oral surgerypatients; urology lists movedfrom Constable to Main The-atres; elective day case ortho-paedic lists moved from Elm-stead to Constable; ENT listsmoved from Main to ElmsteadTheatres; oral surgery listsmoved from Elmstead to Con-stable Theatres and a day casefacility was created on thetrauma orthopaedic ward inConstable Wing.

i Call Anne Morris on 07714091 969 or Rosemary Raeburn-Smith on 07833 057 253 formore information or for anyissues that arise

Publicevent!

Publicevent!

This month, when the Care Quali-ty Commission (CQC) publishedits report into our Trust (page

12), I issued a statement apologisingfor failing to provide optimal levelsof care consistently and at all times.

This Trust remains fully committedto doing everything within its meansto improve the quality of care andstandards of service we provide, andthe CQC review will help us to focuson the work that remains to be done.We have excellent staff in our hospi-tals who are already working on anumber of initiatives to improve ourservices to patients.

The Board of Directors has pub-licly stated that one of its leading pri-orities is to improve the experiencethat patients have when they are inour care.

We have recently implemented aseries of improvements. For example,last December we introduced an ini-tiative called “patient rounding”which increases the amount of con-tact between healthcare professionalsand patients.

This has already produced positiveresults, such as a reduction in thenumber of falls and harm from falls,and is now being rolled out acrossthe Trust.

In April, we launched the At OurBest project (pages 2-3) whichinvolved front line healthcare staffmeeting patients face-to-face to lis-ten to, and learn from, their experi-ences. One of its key components is

to communicate better with patients.We regularly ask patients for

feedback. For example, at least 20patients a week in each clinical areaare asked to complete a simple surveywhich covers areas of their care suchas privacy and dignity, and manypatients are phoned when theyreturn home after being an inpatient.

As the CQC review makes clear,the results are reviewed and action istaken to improve care based on thisfeedback.

However, I accept that in someareas further improvements are need-ed and we have already given anundertaking to send the CQC a reportwithin 28 days which will set out indetail the actions we will take toaddress their concerns. This actionplan will be made publicly available.

The CQC report makes clear thatthe review team found “mixed expe-riences”, which included many exam-ples of good practice, and that ‘careis generally provided in a respectfulway and patients are genuinelyhappy with treatment they receive.’

It is my personal ambition andthat of the Board of Directors forColchester Hospital Trust to be at itsbest consistently, for every patient,every day.

I am confident that this review bythe CQC will inspire us and all of ourstaff to work towards achieving thatgoal.

Dr Gordon Coutts | Chief Executive

Communicatebetter withpatients

Describe your job I’m in charge of the libraryservice for the Trust. We helpprovide clinical and medicalinformation and evidence forTrust staff co-ordinating, buyingand training national, regionaland locally bought journals,books and e-books. I’m alsoresponsible for delivering e-learning to the Trust and we’vejust started the process by havingour new staff do some of theirinduction via e-learning beforethey join the Trust.

How does your roleimprove patient care? By providing all our staff withgood clinical and medicalinformation from trustedevidence-based resources.

What would you changeat the Trust? Stop people using Google forsearching for their clinicalinformation – get an Athensaccount from the library and usethe NHS resources we havebought for you!

Best part of your job? Finding that obscure paper youreally need – librarianship is likebeing a detective sometimes –I’m probably more the bumblingJack Frost...

i Find out more about theNorth Essex Hospitals’Library & Information Servicewww.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/library.shtml

4ANDY RICHARDSON

4 BASED AT LIBRARY, VILLA 8, CGH

4 BEEN IN NHS 2 YEARS, 2 MONTHS

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4 PEOPLE II| IISIXTY SECONDS INTERVIEW

4HEALTH SPECIALIST LIBRARIAN

Letters | EmailsYour views“Able to see past his dementia“To all those who cared for my belovedbrother Geoffrey on Brightlingsea Ward.

Due to his deteriorating health, bothphysically and mentally, I knew it calledfor a great deal of care and patience tomeet all of his needs. His wife told methat you all showed both of these in anabundant way. Above all, you allowedhim to retain his dignity. You were able tosee past his dementia and treated him sovery kindly.

It pleases me that you saw glimpses ofthe real person. He could always crack ajoke and he could also be flirtatious, evenat his advanced age of 88! I was not ableto visit him but I could go to bed at nightknowing he was in your caring, capablehands.

Many of his recollections during hisdementia were of the war years when, asthe youngest Royal Marine, he was onHMS Dorsetshire. He was a supervisorwhen it sank. He served his country thenand now. You all serve it now. Sincere gratitudeHis sister, Gwen

“A very great debt of thanks”I would like you to convey my thanks andadmiration to all of your nursing staff,carers, civilian workers, tea ladies andgentlemen who gave my husband Geof-frey, not just routine, but the most impor-tant things of all – respect.

At 88, and with a medical conditionwhich could not be cured, plus dementiawhich changed his character from ahappy, polite gentleman to one who wasstubborn, cantankerous and at time quitehostile, it would have been so easy towrite him off, but every day he was

washed, shaved and dressed, encouragedto eat and given time. I owe BrightlingseaWard a very great debt of thanks.His wife, Linda

“After care I received was amazing”I arrived on 13 July on Stanway Ward fora hysterectomy. The greeting, informationand warm welcome I had put me at easeready for my operation.

I was informed consistently through-out my care and my operation and after-care. How I would feel was explained tome in detail. No-one seemed to mind thequestions I asked, and all gave me thetime I needed to make me feel better.

After my operation, the after care Ireceived was amazing. Again, kind caringstaff who couldn’t do more for me. Theytook time to check I was OK, offeredwords of advice and had a fantastic senseof humour, all of which helped me to feelcomfortable and take away any stressthat I may have felt. My consultant ProfM Khaled was amazing, professional, andhad a great sense of humour too.

I cannot fault your staff, the ward, thecleanliness of the hospital or the care thatI received. I have had two children withinyour hospital – and other operations too– and your hospital’s care has been exem-plary. I wish that all are commended fortheir continuing hard work in making aNHS that we should be proud of. Youhave a fantastic team who go that extramile whilst delivering over 100% in care.You should be proud of all you do.

I thank you all so much for my careand I am sure that others will be cared forin the same way.Yours gratefullyMrs Tracy Deighton

July 2011 | page 15

4 IN THE DIARY | FROM PAGE 13

4 Saturday 30 July

Five-a-side football tournament Leisure World, Colchester, 2-8pm. Details on intranetForum “Trust Events”. Or call Ian Bell on 07976 299278.

4 Sunday 11 September

London to Brighton cycle ridePlaces are going fast for this iconic bike rideNo previous experience is required and with a bit oftraining the 54 mile route should easily be within yourcapabilities. The spirit of the event is 'taking part' not'winning' so you can pedal at your own pace!Colchester Hospitals Charity are looking for volunteersto take part. For a free information pack, contact 01206745282 or fundraising@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

4 Tuesday 13 September

Annual Members’ Meeting This year, as well as the formal business meeting of theTrust, we are planning a range of interactive activitiesand presentations, including an In Your Shoes event (seepage 2) and an exhibition of posters on topics such astherapies, fundraising, volunteering, infection controland the Tendring Show (see pages 8-9). There will bepresentations by clinicians on how the Trust makes apatient’s hospital stay short and safe. And BBC Essexpresenter Sadie Nine will host a question and answersession. The member’s meeting will take place late after-noon onwards. More information will be available frommid-August, contact the Membership Helpline (see backpage). Or keep an eye on our website’s Home Page:www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

4 Saturday 1 October

Facilities managementservices transfer “in-house”Carillion staff transfer “in-house” – see page 12.

4 Thursday 13 October

Good Clinical Practice training9.45am-3.45pm Postgraduate Medical Centre. A practi-cal guide to ethical and scientific quality standards inclinical research. Facilitator: Christine Mitchell-Inwang.More information from Jeannie McLaughlin on 01206745249. Or on the Forum > Events > Trust Events.

4 Thursday 10 November

Infection Control Conference 20119am-3.30pm, Postgraduate Medical Centre. Lunch andrefreshments provided. Places are limited. Please bookearly. You will need a form signed by your manager toguarantee your place. Infection Control Team, 01206744268, janine.sawyer@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

# WRITE TO: Mainstream Editor

Trust HQ, Colchester General Hospital

; EMAIL: info@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

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Publicevent!

Publicevent!

Anew infection control campaign hasbeen launched this month to make staffand patients aware of their role in pre-

venting infection.Although there has not been an MRSA

infection at Colchester General or Essex Countyhospitals since May last year, vigilance is defi-nitely required as the Trust had six cases of C. difficile last month alone.

The campaign has three parts to it. The firsthighlights that our hospitals are safe, clean andspotless. The second part is aimed at patients,stating that at our hospital, it’s OK to ask ourstaff “are your hands clean”. The third part tellsstaff to “be seen being clean” because althoughour hand hygiene compliance is very high (seepage 13), patients report that they do not seestaff cleaning their hands. Often this is becauseit takes place in a separate room adjacent tothe consulting room where the patient is seen.

i Downloaded the posters from here:www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/clean_safe_spotless.shtml

4 EDITOR: Paul Searle, Head of Communications, 01206 742348. Send your photos, news or articles to: info@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk4 DISTRIBUTION: 2,000 copies delivered monthly to Trust sites (7,000+ to Public members in September, December, March & June). 4 ONLINE: Monthly at: www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/mainstream.shtml 4 NEXT EDITION’S DEADLINE: 10 August by midday.

Membership Helpline: 0800 0 51 51 43, weekdays 9.30am to 5pm. Email: ft.membership@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk Freepost ANG 2707, Chief Executive, Colchester General Hospital, Colchester, CO4 5BR

Campaignpromoteshospitals’cleanliness