In this editionSteps tosafer care

A song and dance about rehab

CT scannerNo2 atWorthing

In TouchA newsletter for our members Winter 2014

The way the Trust is improving care for people with a dementia has made the news… in Germany.A film crew from the channel ZDF visited Worthing Hospital to interview staff, talk to patients, and to see how a new initiative - Reminiscence Pods, or “Rempods” for short – is helping to improve care.

Full story on page 3ZDF film crew on Beacon Ward

Hospital care in the (German)

news

For many of us in the Trust it was a landmark year. In July we became a Foundation Trust – that was a recognition of just how good our staff are. Recently, the bar has been set so high that it has become practically impossible to achieve

FT status – only one other Trust managed it in the 14 months before our success, and none have followed suit since. Becoming an FT shows everyone that staff here work incredibly hard to deliver the best, safest services they can.

We were also visited by the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, this year, when he spent time at Worthing. The minister not only formally opened the new clinical block there, but also spent time working as a housekeeper and seeing how a ward works from the inside. His verdict? He wrote to us afterwards to say: “It was a privilege to be able to spend time learning what it takes to deliver high quality, safe but compassionate care.”

But perhaps more importantly to the people who rely on our services, 2013 was a landmark year in other, more tangible ways.

Our staff were extremely busy from January to December, and amidst all of the negative publicity nationally it is essential that we do not lose sight of the fact that our hospitals are doing more brilliant things, for more people, more quickly, than ever before.

Historically, waiting times are unrecognisably lower than a few years ago, and our Trust is often among the very best at keeping those waiting

times down. Crucially, our mortality rates continue to fall, and the length of time people stay in hospital has reduced – not only are staff seeing their patients more quickly, those patients are more likely to be made better, and to feel better more quickly.

At the end of the day, that is what you, your relatives and friends want from their local hospital.

Although I am hugely proud of the people working in our hospitals, I would never claim that everything we do at this Trust is perfect – staff are both human and busy, and so sadly make mistakes, like all of us.

There is still more that can be done to improve the quality of our services, from the types of treatments available, to the ‘customer care’ given to people coming into hospital, and so there will inevitably be changes to come in 2014. We are already looking at how we move towards becoming a truly 24/7 service, for example, as well improving the experience of outpatients, and speeding up the process for discharging patients, to name just a few.

In short, I think 2013 was a year of genuinely impressive achievement by Trust staff, and in the rest of this newsletter you will read about just some of the things they have been up to in recent months. No doubt they will be just as active in coming up with new ideas in 2014 as well.

Regards

Moving into the new year, it is impossible not to be tempted to look back at 2013 and reflect on what those 12 months brought us.

Our hospitals are doing more brilliant things, for more people, more quickly, than ever before.‘ ’

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Mike Viggers, Chairman

Advances in dementia care in West Sussex have attracted the attention of news teams in Germany.

The Trust’s new ‘Rempods’ give patients with a dementia the chance to experience an environment from decades ago, giving them comfort, prompting

thoughts and conversations, and sparking memories from happier times.

Three of the pods have been installed at Worthing, and one will be installed at St Richard’s.A film crew from German channel ZDF filmed the pods in use, and the item was

screened on one of their flagship news programmes. A longer version of that bulletin will also be shown in early 2014.The film crew interviewed Trust staff, and filmed patients enjoying some time in the pod.One patient was enjoying his time in

the pod so much that asked if he could stay in hospital a bit longer!

Specialist dementia nurse Caroline Betsworth said: “This was a really positive chance for us to show just some of the things we are doing across the Trust to improve dementia care. When you see our patients in the pods, you can clearly see how it helps them to become engaged with their surroundings, and so I think that they will be a real asset for us.”

Nationally an estimated one in four people in acute hospital beds are now also believed to have a dementia.

The Trust has made many improvements to dementia care, including the introduction of specialist nurses, a specialist occupational therapist, and teams of ‘Knowing Me’ volunteers specifically trained to help in the care of patients with a dementia.

To find out more about becoming a Knowing Me volunteer, contact Claire Goldsmith (St Richard’s) on 01243 788122 ext 2456, or Linda Taylor (Worthing) on 01903 205111 ext 85615.

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Spreading the news

For more up to date news and information you can find Western Sussex Hospitals on....

Specialist Occupational Therapist Emma Carter relaxing in the 1940s.

Two new schemes are being introduced in an effort to stop patient falling over and hurting themselves while in hospital. New socks with ‘grippy’ soles, and a ‘slipper store’ which allows people at risk of falling to access the right-sized footwear, are now available to help keep people safe. The slipper store, initially a trial project in some wards, is supported by the Worthing Lions.

Trust staff already have a strong record in reducing the number of times that patients suffer an injury because of a fall.

The national ‘benchmark’ for falls resulting harm to a patient (taken from the 2011 Royal College of Physicians Inpatient Falls Pilot Audit) is 2.5 per 1,000 bed days. At WSHFT the figure tends to be around 1.5 per 1,000 bed days.

The new socks have been brought in to replace the old foam footwear which was given to patients. They fit more tightly, and offer much greater grip. They can also be worn in bed so are very useful for patients who may forget to put on the slippers when they wake in the night.

The slipper store is being introduced because it is known that many falls are the result of ill-fitting footwear, and so getting the right-sized slippers will significantly

help to reduce the risk of a patient coming to harm. The service is particularly designed for those patients who come to hospital without footwear, and who are not able to purchase their own slippers, or to rely on relatives for help.

Lisa Ekinsmyth, head of patient experience at the Trust, said: “When patients are frail, or confused, they are at a high risk of falling over and hurting themselves. Our staff are already extremely good at reducing this risk for patients but we thought we could do more, so we have

introduced these two new schemes. The non-slip socks and the slipper store are both very simple and ‘low-tech’ ideas, but we think that they can really help to make patients safer.”

The two new initiatives are just the latest steps to help protect patients from the risk of falls. Existing safety procedures include:

• Asking all patients, on admission, about their falls history.

• Medication reviews to ensure that treatments are not raising their risk of falling.

• ‘Falls champions’ on each ward to keep the issue high on the agenda for staff.

• Physiotherapy assessments.

• Regular nurse rounds to ensure timely and consistent care.

Taking steps to safer careHospital staff are taking steps to keep patients safe – using sticky socks and snug slippers.

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When patients are frail, or confused, they are at a high risk of falling over and hurting themselves.

‘’

Patient Audrey Sampson wearing the new ‘sticky socks’

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“Little Steps” at a timeA new support group has been set up to help parents whose children are being cared for at the St Richard’s neonatal unit.

The ‘Little Steps’ initiative has been set up by staff, and works alongside the ‘Little Wonders’ group, another idea of team which is designed for parents whose children have previously been cared for by the neonatal team but who are now well enough to have gone home.

Staff wanted to give parents attending the unit on a daily basis the chance to link up with people who have recently been through exactly the same

experience, and who know what they are going through.

The first parents to attend Little Steps were Sarah Pawley, and Neil and Lindsey McGovern, and they were quickly chatting to members of the Little Wonders group, and sharing stories.

Lindsey said: “It’s lovely to see these happy and healthy babies, and talk to their parents.”

Rachel Jarvis-Brand, whose child Ella was born at just 24 weeks, was happy to come along to meet the trio and pass on a little bit of her experience, and some reassurance. “To be honest, the only thing that got us through this was the other parents,” she said. “It is really hard for other people to

understand your situation.”

Nursery nurse Andrea Field added: “People spending so much time on the unit can often feel as if there is no end to it, so helping them to meet up with parents who have lived through the same thing shows them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Ward Sister Zita Warren added: “We want parents to feel optimistic. This way they can share experiences and talk to people who have been in the same situation as them – it can be very tough.”

The Little Steps group will meet every other Thursday, for 90 minutes. The Little Wonders group has now been running for 18 months, and is going strong.

News round-upA collection of some of the stories making the headlines at Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Making a song and dance about rehab

Patients are being given the chance to use music and dance to help them along the long road to recovery.

Patients at Donald Wilson House, the neurological rehab centre at St Richard’s Hospital, are visited every Thursday by members of the ‘Inclusive Music and Movement’ group. The group, with NHS

hospital staff, lead the patients in an hour of song and music – from Bob Dylan, to modern pop.

The sessions give people a chance to improve their co-ordination, and strength, while demonstrating the progress they have made in the last week.

Patient Jo Hamilton said: “It has kept me cheerful, given me something to look forward to, and it has been a benchmark for me

to see what improvements I have made - everybody is smiling for an hour.”

To see a short film of the sessions in action please visit the WSHT YouTube or Facebook page.

Promoting a healthy sex life

Too many people in West Sussex assume that HIV and AIDS can never happen to them – with devastating consequences.

In West Sussex, barely 30% of people with HIV are diagnosed early enough for the treatment to be really effective. Nationally, the figure is 50%. Trust staff have been busy in the local

media pressing home the importance of getting tested, and doing it early.

Dr Emma Rutland, consultant in GUM

and HIV medicine, said: “People do

not think that we see many cases of HIV in West Sussex. That

gives us a

significant problem with late diagnosis, which is a terrible shame because these days HIV is actually a very manageable condition – if we catch it soon enough. There is still the tendency for people to think ‘it can’t happen to me’, but that is a very dangerous assumption to make.”

To find out more about getting tested visit sexualhealthwestsussex.nhs.ukor see your GP.

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App-solutely great!

A mobile phone ‘app’ has been developed to ensure that medical staff are only ever a tap of the finger away from knowing the best, safest antibiotic drug to prescribe.

Pharmacy staff at Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have worked with software developers to produce a programme which allows colleagues instant access to the

right guidelines, dosages, and advice.

Getting antibiotic prescribing right is a growing priority for health services around the world, with the growing threat that infections are becoming resistant to treatment. The app also means that the guidelines available to staff are always right up to date.

Sue Taylor, antimicrobial pharmacist, said: “This app gives our prescribers the very latest,

evidence-based information, right at their fingertips – that helps them to get their decisions right, and strengthens patient safety.”

Sam Coombes and Sue Taylor showing

off their app

Care Quality Commission

Worthing, St Richard’s and Southlands hospitals have been placed in the top category under the new rating system used to assess NHS Trusts.

Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been placed in ‘Band 6’ under the new ‘Intelligent Monitoring’ classification operated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

That is the highest-performing

band, comprised of the Trusts judged to be at lowest risk of producing poor care.

The new rating system brings together 150 factors –from mortality rates to infection control, junior doctor satisfaction, and staff training – to provide a baseline rating for the CQC to assess whether a Trust is safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. The Trust was positively rated on 147 of the measures.

Cathy Stone, Director of Nursing and Patient Safety, said: “This is perhaps the most comprehensive single assessment of hospital standards yet published, and so our top rating represents a welcome vote of confidence in our fantastic staff.”

The CQC’s Intelligent Monitoring results, in full, can be found at www.cqc.org.uk

A busy year for penguins

F-F-F-F-freezing was how the year started and then it p-p-p-picked up. By July we were all basking in the summer heatwave, including the penguins at Worthing.

Created by the artist Ian Nutting the family of metal flightless birds have been having seasonal makeovers thanks to a local group of ‘yarn bombers’.

The group called ‘STORM’ are a Worthing-based charity which runs activities and clubs for children and young people, including training in the performing arts...and in between make outfits for our penguins.

The latest creation is the nativity scene which includes Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, three kings and even the angel Gabriel.

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Our Trust...At A Glance

Cathy Stone and bed

manager Gill Batterbee

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Second CT scanner at WorthingPatients visiting Worthing hospital will now benefit from a new CT scanner worth £1.6 million thanks to a donation from the League of Friends.

The charity gave £800,000 which was matched by the Trust.

Radiology manager Phil Hassman said: “First and foremost the new scanner enables patients to be seen quickly and safe in the knowledge that the very latest technology is being used to help ensure they get the most appropriate care.

“On behalf of the team here and the thousands of patients who will benefit from the service in future, I would like to thank the Friends and the local community for their support and generosity.”

Chairman of the League of Friends of Worthing Hospitals Ron Noakes said: “We are delighted to provide this vital equipment to Worthing Hospital and would like to thank everyone who has given their time, effort and money to support the appeal, including those who have given in memory of loved ones and the many businesses and

community organisations.

“Each day the Friends volunteers get to see the wonderful job the staff at the hospital do for the people in their care, and we are pleased to be able to support them.”

Hearty good newsThe second cardiac catheterisation lab at Worthing Hospital is proving its worth, and delivering life-saving services to local people.

The cath lab, which was first open to patients in autumn 2012, is now making a real difference to the care available to heart patients in West Sussex.

Waiting lists are down, the number of procedures is up, and people are now able to access highly specialised services – such as the fitting of complex pacemakers – at Worthing rather than having to travel out of the county, as they did before. For patients in the Chichester area, in particular, it has improved access significantly.

With the flexibility that comes from having two labs, and not just one, the team working at

the lab are able to perform a far wider range of procedures – as well as more pacemakers being fitted they perform angiograms and angioplasty, and ‘rotablation’ (where surgeons literally drill through hardened deposits inside arteries).

The cath lab was funded by £800,000 of donations to the Trust’s official ‘Love Your Hospital’ charity, and equipped thanks to the generosity of the Friends of Worthing Hospitals.

There was a series of ‘Medicine for Members’ events in 2013, giving people the chance to listen to frontline specialists talking about their field of expertise and answering any questions you had.

During the last year the topics covered have included diabetes, ophthalmology, hip and knee replacement surgery, prostate cancer, glaucoma, and tours of our clinical skills training labs.

In 2014 the successful events will continue – next on the agenda will be stroke care.

If you have other ideas for events, or if you would like to be notified when and where the Medicine for Members events are being held, please email events@wsht.nhs.uk

The next Stakeholder Forum meeting will take place on Tuesday 11 February at St Richard’s Hospital. If you would like to attend please email events@wsht.nhs.uk or call 01903 285140 or 01903 205111 Ext 84038.

Topics will include a dementia care update, and a round-up of Trust news.

The Trust will be advertising for the recruitment of Non-Executive Directors in the coming weeks. If you feel you would be interested in applying please visit our website westernsussexhospital.nhs.uk for further information.

Members dates

The Friends of Worthing presenting a cheque to the Trust

Joy Williams, Senior Diabetes Nurse and Sara DaCosta, Nurse Consultant at the M4M event in November.

Sister Rebecca Joyce and Superintendant Radiographer Isabel McGregor