HRH The Countess of Wessex receives a posy of flowers from Lucy Howarth

A&E improvementsPatients who need emergency treatment now benefit from better facilities and an improved service thanks to the completion of a major redevelopment of the Accident and Emergency Department.

A complete redesign of the department means that access is easier and clearer with a more spacious and welcoming environment to improve the patient’s experience. There are new waiting rooms, resuscitation and minor treatment areas and separate waiting and treatment facilities developed for children.

Kevin Clark, Lead Nurse for A&E said: “The changes mean that the management of treatment flows more smoothly through the department, reducing waiting times between booking in at reception and discharge or ward admission. Patients are now treated in a more welcoming and sensitive environment.”

REVIEWRoyal visitor opens Children’s UnitFive-year-old Lucy Howarth from Salisbury experienced the moment of a lifetime when she handed HRH The Countess of Wessex a posy of flowers when the Royal visitor came to Salisbury District Hospital to open the new Children’s Unit.

Good report from regulatorThe Trust has met all essential quality and safety standards in a report published by the independent Care Quality Commission (CQC), which carried out a routine unannounced inspection of Salisbury District Hospital.

As part of the inspection the CQC talked to patients, staff and visitors. They observed the care people received in hospital and looked at care and treatment records. They also looked at standards of cleanliness and the management of people’s medicines.

In the report the CQC said that patients they spoke to were happy with their care and treatment and they felt involved in decisions made about them. They also felt that their rights to privacy, dignity and respect were fully promoted. Adequate nutrition and hydration for patients, good food choices and hospital cleanliness were also positive areas covered in the report.

Peter Hill, Interim Chief Executive at Salisbury District Hospital said: “The inspection team were clearly impressed with the motivation and professionalism of our staff. This is a good report which reflects the hard work and commitment of our staff and shows that we are providing good quality, safe care, in a clean hospital environment.”

HRH The Countess of Wessex spent an hour and a half meeting staff and children. She also met staff and patients in a newly designed Accident and Emergency Department (A&E).

Thanks to the support of the local community, the Stars Appeal’s Caring 4 Kids campaign successfully raised over £1 million to fund additional facilities for this unit, which includes home from home rooms, therapy facilities for children with disabilities, a multi-sensory room as well as indoor and outdoor

play areas. As part of this, the Outpatient Unit is now called ‘The Squire Children’s Outpatient Unit’ in recognition of the support given to the Stars Appeal by the Geoff & Fiona Squire Foundation. Local people also donated £250,000 towards separate waiting and treatment facilities for children in the Accident and Emergency Unit.

Luke March, Chairman of Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust: “This really is a marvellous facility that will benefit so many children who need hospital services in this

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Online ‘Visiting rooms’ Relatives and friends now have access to a unique way of keeping in touch with their loved ones thanks to a new ‘online visiting room’ called justvisiting.com

Justvisiting is an independent and secure website that enables a relative or carer to set up a virtual visiting room and invite others to view updates on a patient’s progress. They can also share current visiting information and pick up messages of support for the patient in hospital. The website can be accessed directly at: www.justvisiting.com Alternatively people can access the site through the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust website at www.salisbury.nhs.uk

area. It was a real honour for us to have HRH The Countess of Wessex mark such an important occasion in this way. The design of the new unit which involved children themselves, will enhance children’s experiences of hospital care.

The extra facilities that we are now able to provide would not have been possible without the enormous generosity of local people towards our charity, the Stars Appeal. I want to thank them again for their tremendous support and generosity.”

Children meeting HRH The Countess of Wessex on her visit to the new Children’s Unit

Salisbury District Hospital has again been given an excellent rating for the hospital environment, food quality and privacy and dignity in a national report by the National Patient Safety Agency.

Hospitals were rated using a grading system of excellent, good, acceptable, poor or unacceptable. To receive an excellent grading, the Trust had to demonstrate that it provides high standards that almost always meet patient needs and generally exceed expectations. Salisbury District Hospital is one of only four hospital sites across England to have achieved the highest score for Environment each year since the programme started in 2001.

Top marks again

Top marks

for food and cleanliness

2010/2011

One of the new resuscitation bays in the redeveloped Accident and Emergency Department

2010/2011

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Trust invests in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) MachineOphthalmology Sister Liz Baynham takes a scan of a patient’s eye with a high performance OCT machine. This produces a layered picture of the retina which is crucial in the diagnosis and management of conditions like macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma and some medical retinal diseases.

B.U.G.S 10th birthdayVolunteers in B.U.G.S. (Burns Unit Group Support) celebrated 10 years of achievements and outstanding work in providing help for burn injured patients at Salisbury District Hospital.

B.U.G.S. is a nationally recognized independent charity that was set up in 2000 by a senior physiotherapist, a Burns Unit sister and a former patient. Since then B.U.G.S. has provided extra support and advice to patients from across the Wessex region thanks to the hard work of clinical staff and volunteers who have an understanding of what it is like to have a burn injury.

Around 300 people of all ages were treated on the Burns Unit last year, and because of the scarring and deformity that burns can cause, many return for several years for follow up care.

Julia Chute, Chairman of B.U.G.S. said: “It seems hard to believe that we have been providing such a wide range of additional support and help to adults and children with burn injuries for 10 years now, so it’s great to celebrate our achievements and look forward to a positive future for B.U.G.S.”

Surgeon General visits Salisbury District HospitalArmed Forces Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Philip Raffaelli, met soldiers who had undergone extensive reconstructive surgery at Salisbury District Hospital following injuries received in Afghanistan and Iraq, and saw first-hand the specialist expertise at the hospital.Consultant Plastic Surgeons Roderick Dunn and Alex Crick have performed major reconstructive operations on many soldiers with war injuries during the last three years. Mr Dunn visits the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court to do a clinic every six weeks, and surgery is performed in Salisbury.

New device to diagnose glaucomaThe eye department now has five new portable Pachymeters which will help in the diagnosis and management of Glaucoma.

Pachymeters enable staff to carry out a more thorough examination of the eye by measuring the thickness of the cornea. This directly affects the pressure reading in the eye.

Portable devices also enable staff to examine patients in all treatment areas within the eye department and can also be used in peripheral clinics in Shaftesbury, Ringwood and Warminster.

An increase in the pressure inside the eye is a main sign of Glaucoma and can cause serious damage to the optic nerve if it is not diagnosed early enough.

Salisbury nurse becomes authorStaff nurse Fiona Stanford has become a best-selling author with her book Don’t Say Goodbye.The book follows the lives and experiences of the Welsh Guards’ families when the Battalion was posted to Afghanistan in 2009 where it lost seven men and many more were injured.

Respiratory nurse Fiona, and her husband Colonel Richard Stanford, have two children aged 14 and 12. In this fly on the wall account of military life, Fiona uses interviews and

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Vice Admiral Philip Raffaelli (fourth from left) and Consultant Surgeons Alex Crick (far left) and Rod Dunn (third from right) with soldiers and staff at Salisbury District Hospital

Founder members of B.U.G.S. From Left to Right: Janet Tromans (former Burns Unit Sister), Jenny Collings (former Chairman of B.U.G.S.) and Julia Chute (Chairman of B.U.G.S.).

personal experiences to highlight the backbone of support provided by the families on the modern day home front, the sacrifices they make and the importance of their role.

Fiona said: “Don’t Say Goodbye is a bitter-sweet account of the unique camaraderie that develops among the wives, mothers and girlfriends. Through their eyes it follows the difficulties faced

in juggling school and work commitments and the impact of the dreaded ‘knock on the door’ when a loved one has been killed or wounded in action.”

The book is now on sale in all major retailers and on Amazon. Forty percent of profits are donated to the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal which is raising money for the bereaved, the wounded and their families.

Fiona Stanford with her book ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’

Patient Safety ReportingIn the latest published information from the National Patient Safety Agency, the Trust has been shown to have good incident reporting systems in place and an open and honest reporting culture.

It is essential that staff report any incident which could potentially lead to a breach of patient confidentiality or put patients or staff at risk and in general, high reporting rates indicate a positive reporting culture and leads to a significant increase in the level of ‘no harm’ incidents.

The Trust has a high rate of reporting and a level of no harm incidents that are significantly higher than other Trusts of a similar type. The Trust uses incidents to review and check its systems and processes, target awareness training and make changes if and where appropriate.

Good practice in bereavement services acknowledged nationallyThe hospital has been cited as a centre of good practice in a latest Department of Health document, which deals with looking after the deceased and their relatives.

Staff have also been involved in a revision of the UK Core Bereavement Standards which will shortly be published by the Department of Health.

Inpatient surveyThe Care Quality Commission has published the results of its national inpatient survey. This year has seen significant improvement since the previous year across many areas covered by the survey.

In particular the Trust did well on whether patients were treated with respect and dignity and whether patients felt they had confidence and trust in the staff treating them.

Cleanliness of toilet and bathroom facilities and involvement in discussions about patient’s care were also areas of strength. However, there were areas where the Trust did not do so well. This included the answering of call bells and copying patients into letters between their GP and the Trust. Action plans have been developed and will be monitored at Board level.

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Fun day for children with cleft lip and palateAround 80 parents and children enjoyed a wonderful day of entertainment and support as part of the Cleft Lip and Palate party held at Salisbury District Hospital.The event was organised by the Wessex branch of the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA) and staff from the Spires Cleft Team.

Steve Robinson, Clinical Director for the Spires Cleft Centre, said: “The fun day gave us an ideal opportunity to talk to parents about cleft lip and palate and give them that extra bit of support and information in a friendly and less formal setting. While the children enjoyed a number of activities, parents were able to forge new friendships and enjoy the mutual support of each other.”

The Spires Cleft Centre is a twin site centre, with the two Centres at Salisbury and Oxford. It is one of nine centres in England and Wales treating children with cleft lip and /or palate.

Around one in 700 babies a year are born with cleft lip and palate. Cleft lip or cleft lip and palate is due to the failure of the fusing process in the lip, palate and mouth early in foetal development. This can cause facial deformity, dental problems, speech disorders and poor hearing. As the child grows this can lead to psychological and development difficulties if these are not treated.

The Salisbury team celebrate the successful conference at the evening reception in the Chapter House at Salisbury Cathedral.

From left to right: Luke March (Chairman), Eunan Tiernan (Consultant Plastic Surgeon) Naiem Molemen (President of the British Burns Association), Heidi Lewis (Senior Sister), and Peter Hill (Interim Chief Executive)

International specialists at Salisbury burns conferencePioneering work by the Salisbury burns team and a national reputation for burn care attracted around 300 health professionals from across the world to the British Burn Association’s annual scientific conference at the Salisbury Playhouse. The conference, hosted by the burns team, gave burn specialists the opportunity to hear about the latest techniques and revolutionary treatments being used in Salisbury and other units and centres and share best practice on burn prevention and support.

Eunan Tiernan, Consultant Plastic Surgeon said: “To host an international conference of this nature is a real accolade for us, and reinforces the position of the Odstock Burns Unit as one of the leading units in this country. Major advances in burn care are taking place all the time and it’s important that specialists are able to hear about best practice worldwide and use new techniques and treatments that could benefit their patients.”

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New local service for heart patients Local people who had to travel to Bournemouth or Southampton for coronary angioplasty can now receive this treatment at Salisbury District Hospital.Coronary angioplasty involves opening up blocked or narrowed heart arteries by inserting a balloon through a thin metal tube to enable the blood to flow through more freely.

“Coronary angioplasty is the principle treatment for angina where the narrowing of the heart arteries can cause pain and can lead to a heart attack if

Cancer patients surveyPatients have rated cancer services at Salisbury District Hospital well, in a national survey carried out by Quality Health on behalf of the Department of Health.

In total 338 patients responded to 67 questions which covered referral from their GP, through diagnosis and treatment, to aftercare and support from NHS services.

The hospital was rated amongst the top 20% of best performing hospitals in 32 questions with, privacy and dignity when being examined, choice of treatment and support for patients positive areas in the survey.

Peter Hill, Interim Chief Executive, said: “National patient surveys give us a good opportunity to compare our performance with that of other hospitals and provide us with feedback from our patients. It was pleasing to see that overall 90%of patients felt they had the right amount of information about their condition and treatment and 85% of patients did not feel they were treated as a ‘set of cancer systems’.

Consultant Cardiologist Manas Sinha providing treatment in the new cardiac unit

Heart Attack treatmentThe Trust has performed above the national average in six of the seven areas in the latest national audit carried out by the Royal College of Physicians on the management of heart attacks.

The audit covers access to drugs, treatment and a specialist member of the cardiology team, as well as the number and percentage of patients that receive clot busting drugs from the time a call is made to the ambulance service and from arrival in hospital.

Enhanced recovery

Specialist orthopaedic surgeons piloted a new ‘enhanced recovery programme’ for some of their total hip replacement patients. Improved techniques and more intensive therapy in the early days following surgery can enable patients to recover quicker and return home sooner. This follows a successful similar programme used for bowel cancer patients. The aim is that this method will be used in other specialties, reducing the time patients need to spend in hospital.

One of our state-of-the-art operating theatres

Radio OdstockPatients enjoyed an opportunity to hear talented local bands, singers and entertainers as part of the Radio Odstock Has Got Talent event.

The live broadcast kicked off early in the morning with a non stop singles show featuring hits from the 60s onwards, followed by request shows and an ultimate live mix from local DJ Dean Crane.

The day was sponsored by presenters, friends and patients with additional proceeds going towards new equipment for studio 1. The Ministry of Defence has also generously donated funds and equipment that is being used at Radio Odstock.

left untreated,” said Tim Wells, Consultant Cardiologist.

“Patients who have stable angina can have this treatment in an outpatient setting and for those with unstable angina, a local service provides faster access to inpatient treatment which can also result in a shorter length of hospital stay.”

Dr Wells added: “This really is an exciting development for local people who would have previously had to travel long distances before returning to Salisbury for their ongoing care.”

This new local service follows the opening of a new cardiac unit at Salisbury District Hospital. Additional specialist equipment was also funded by the Stars Appeal.

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Spinal patients given book boostSpinal patients received a welcome surprise when technical writer Westrow Cooper from Blandford handed over 10 copies of Fingersmith by Sarah Walters as part of World Book Night.

World Book night is a celebration of the power of books and the pleasures of reading, in which 1,000,000 books have been given away to be read and enjoyed and then shared.

Mr Cooper said: “I spent a lot of time in hospital when I was younger and I know what a difference it can make to have good books to read. With our regional spinal unit so close, I wanted to give copies of my chosen book to patients who I know will have to spend some time in hospital because of their injuries.”

NHS learns best practice from Salisbury ‘Blood Clot’ specialistsNHS staff from across the country learnt more about how they can improve the number and quality of hospital assessments for blood clots at a special event put on by specialists at Salisbury District Hospital.Immobility, combined with short or long term disease, is the main cause of blood clots, which can form in the veins (deep vein thrombosis) or in the lungs (pulmonary embolism). Together they are known as venous thromboembolism (VTE) and can affect around 1 in 2000 people each year in the community.

All hospitals should have systems in place to see whether patients are at risk of developing VTEs while in hospital. Assessments enable staff to identify low and high risk patients and ensure that each patient is given the right level of treatment to prevent clots forming.

The Trust is an ‘Exemplar’ site and is in the forefront nationally on VTE prevention. This was one of a number of events that the hospital has put on to share best practice and help other hospitals learn from the work carried out at Salisbury District Hospital.

Trust wins national catering awardThe catering team won the Hospital Caterers Association Team of the Year Award for their work in creating and providing good nutritional food for patients and giving a good all round service to staff and visitors.

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Staff brought science and engineering to life for children from Broad Chalke Primary School when they came to see what clinical scientists and medical engineers can do to help improve the quality of life for people with disabling conditions.The visit by the 12 children was part of the Imagineering initiative, which aims to give 8-16 year olds an introduction to the world of engineering. It gives the children practical hands-on activities and enables them to find out how things work and how they are made.

The children saw how electrical devices and implants are used to stimulate paralysed nerves and muscles, improving the quality of life for people who have had a stroke or other neurological disorders. They also saw how clinical engineers develop or adapt equipment that is used to help people with spinal cord injuries.

Tom Mayhew presses the button which moves muscles in Xander Dudman’s arm. Clinical Scientist Dominic Nolan was showing the children how functional electrical stimulation is used to stimulate paralyzed muscles in arms and legs.

Salisbury blood clot specialist wins national awardConsultant Haematologist Tamara Everington has won an award from national charity Lifeblood for her leadership on blood clot prevention.

Dr Everington said: “Over the past two years we have done a considerable amount of work around VTE prevention. I’m thrilled to receive this award which reflects the work of the whole team and the improvements that have been made in this important area of patient care.”

No Smoking Respiratory Nurse Fiona Stanford highlighted the dangers of smoking and the benefits of giving it up as part of No Smoking Day.

As part of the campaign Fiona gave information and advice to patients and visitors and measured carbon monoxide levels in their blood, which can be significantly high in smokers.

This year the campaign also focused on the financial benefits of stopping and the fact that hand-rolled tobacco is just as harmful as ordinary cigarettes.

Fiona said: “Smoking is a major cause of heart and lung disease and many forms of cancer. Smoking claims the life of over 80,000 a year in England and Wales, with many more people suffering from poor health. It’s essential that we do all we can to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking and provide support where we can.”

Patients are at the heart of the team“VTE is common in patients who are in hospital because they are ill or require surgery. If a patient or a member of the family is admitted to hospital, we would ask them to talk to us about their risk of a clot so that we can advise on the best prevention for them,” said Consultant Haematologist Tamara Everington.

All patients can help to reduce their own ‘clot risk’ by drinking plenty of water and doing regular simple leg exercises. Patients at high risk will need blood thinning treatment and possibly special leg stockings as well.

Sister Tamzin Barlow carries out a VTE check with a patient as part of the preoperative assessment

As part of the award the team had to demonstrate that they provide good cost effective nutritional meals, use patient feedback to improve services and that they have effective training structures in place for staff. They also had to provide evidence of achievements. This included their success in regional and national catering competitions, improvements in

patient satisfaction levels and an excellent rating in independent Patient Environment Action Team audits.

“This award is good for our patients as it shows that our catering staff can produce top quality food which meets the dietary requirements of our patients, visitors and staff,” said Ian Robinson, General Manager in Facilities.

Spinal patient Mark Morcom (pictured left) receives his copy of Fingersmith from Westrow Cooper at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre at Salisbury District Hospital

Consultant Haematologist Tamara Everington

Children see science and engineering in action

Learning Disability awareness weekNHS staff were able to talk to patients, visitors and staff about learning disability issues during Learning Disability Week.

The aim of the initiative was to promote awareness of people with learning disabilities in Wiltshire and gather information that could be used to improve services.

Catering Manager Paul Straughair with the catering team and the glass award in its presentation box

from the Hospital Caterers Association

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Staff excellence rewardedStaff were rewarded for their professionalism and commitment and for the way in which they have improved services for patients as part of the Striving for Excellence Awards. There were 13 categories in all, and award nominations were made by patients, staff and volunteers, with members of the public voting for the winners in the Service Improvement categories. Winners and the highly commended were presented with certificates and flowers by Interim Chief Executive Peter Hill and Chairman Luke March at a special ceremony at Salisbury District Hospital.

Peter Hill, Interim Chief Executive said: “These awards recognise the outstanding contribution staff have made to improve services, give our patients excellent customer care and provide the leadership and teamwork that influence standards of care at Salisbury District Hospital. We’ve seen so many positive examples of the tremendous work carried out by our staff and these awards cover just a small sample of the wide range of work that takes place across the hospital throughout the year.”

Salisbury nurses win national awardSpecialist stoma nurses Sandra Bryan and Suzie Dukes have won a British Journal of Nursing award for their role in improving services for people who need major bowel surgery.

Stoma nurses play a key role in the ‘enhanced recovery programme’ for bowel cancer patients, where new surgical techniques and more intensive pre and postoperative care and rehabilitation ensures that patients are able to return to their full normal fitness quicker after surgery.

In awarding Sandra and Suzie 1st prize in the Stoma Care category, the British Journal of Nursing (BJN) looked at the way in which they involved patients and carers in their own care. They also considered their work with colleagues which enabled patients to return home sooner and become independent with their stoma care.

Sandra Bryan said: “ We are delighted to have won the award which not only recognises the work that we have been doing to improve the care we give to our patients, but also highlights the important role stoma care has in the overall care of bowel cancer patients.”

Baby friendly award for Salisbury midwivesMaternity staff were awarded the international Baby Friendly Award by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recognising the way staff have increased breastfeeding rates among new mothers and promoted awareness of the benefits.

The Baby Friendly Initiative is a global programme set up by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation to provide a practical and effective way for health services to improve the care given to mothers and babies.

“This really is a prestigious award and one which rewards the hard work and commitment that we have here to provide

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Tracey Johns with Chairman Luke March

new mums with support and help and give babies the best possible start in life,“ said Midwife Angela Siderfin.

“Breastfeeding protects babies against a wide range of serious illnesses including gastroenteritis and respiratory infections in infancy as well as allergies and diabetes in childhood. For new

Mereseini Leka with her new baby daughter who was delivered in the Salisbury District Hospital Maternity Unit

Staff long service awards

Baby Friendly Initiative Programme Director, Sue Ashmore and Salisbury MP John Glen present the award to Angela Siderfin and Caroline Brunt, Head of Midwifery and Neonatal Services.

mums breastfeeding can reduce the mother’s risk of developing some cancers and is easier, cheaper and less hassle than bottle feeding.”

The award is given to hospitals only after an assessment by a UNICEF team has shown that recognised best practice standards are in place.

Women rate maternity servicesNew mums have given a big thumbs up to the maternity service with quality of care, support and involvement in decisions rated highly in an independent Care Quality Commission survey of NHS maternity units.

The survey looked at women’s experiences of care provided by hospital and community staff from early pregnancy to four weeks after the birth.

When compared with all 142 hospitals and two primary care trusts across the country, Salisbury District Hospital scored well and was in the best performing category in 13 of the 20 areas covered, with the rest in the intermediate range.

Caroline Brunt, Head of Midwifery and Neonatal Services said: “Women’s views are really important to us and we are

delighted to hear that they think we are offering a high quality, caring service.”

“Our results showed that women were pleased with all aspects of our care. In one area, providing active support and encouragement for feeding, the maternity department equalled the highest score across the country in this particular part of the survey,” Mrs Brunt said.

The award categories and winners:

Chief Executive’s Leadership Award: Tamara Everington, Consultant Haematologist.

Chairman’s Multi- disciplinary Team Award: Colorectal Team

Unsung Hero Award: Tracey Johns, Orthopaedic Coordinator

Outstanding Contribution Award: Tori Appleford, Surgical Secretariat Manager

Partnership Award: Salisbury Coalition Against Racism (SCAR)

Equality and Diversity Award: Award given jointly to ArtCare, the Facilities Learning Advisors and Francis Fernando

Volunteer Award: Badg Champion

Creativity and Innovation Award: Peter Amy, Theatres Staff Nurse

Customer Care Team and Individual Award: The Fertility Centre, Eunan Tiernan, Consultant Plastic Surgeon

Service Improvement Individual and Team Award: The speech and language therapy team

Service Improvement Sponsored Project Award: Staff in the Acute Medical Unit

Service Improvement Learning Award: Junior doctors

Thirty nine members of staff were rewarded for their loyalty and commitment to patients when they received long service awards for

Acute Medical Unit Team with Peter Hill

completing 25 years continuous service. This included staff from a broad range of roles across a range of hospital services.

Sandra Bryan and Suzie Dukes receive their awards at a special ceremony in London. From left to right: Alison Crawshaw (BJN Judge), Suzie Dukes, Sandra Bryan, Sir George Castledine (Professor and Consultant of Nursing) , Pat Black (2nd prize in Stoma Care category from Hillingdon Hospital), Dr Christian Jesson (presenter of Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies series).

The Fertility Centre Team

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Hospital ‘Friends’ rewarded for their commitment Salisbury Hospitals League of Friends volunteers Elizabeth Batten, Freddy Forder, Peter Turner and the late John Rigiani received recognition by the national volunteering organisation, Attend, who awarded them Diamond Awards for their work in supporting local health services.

The Diamond Awards mark Attend’s 60th anniversary and honour the contribution volunteers have made across the UK in health and social care.

Over the years the League of Friends has provided support and additional funding for a number of projects across the hospital.

George Todd, Chairman of Salisbury Hospitals League of Friends said: “Attend is the leading membership-based organisation that supports volunteers in the UK, and to receive a Diamond Award is a tremendous accolade. It also recognises the commitment that Elizabeth, Freddy, Peter and John have shown in supporting local health services over many years.”

The eight strong team was pitted against 13 other teams from spinal units across Great Britain and Ireland. Team members have damage to the spinal cord and are either paralysed from the neck (tetraplegic) or the waist (paraplegic) down, depending on how high up the damage has occurred. The competitors and their achievements were:

George Dowell came second in the tetraplegic males table tennis and took part in the swimming, bowls and shooting competitions.

Ben Clark won all of his swimming events. He also came second in the tetraplegic archery competition and reached the quarter finals of the table tennis.

Brad Hedges competed in shooting, bowls and swimming.

Jason Green competed in the bowls, shooting and swimming.

Katherine Hoare-Exley came third in the paraplegic ladies table tennis and competed in both the swimming and shooting events.

Leslie Dobbie won the ladies archery and was second in the ladies table tennis. She

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The winning team from Salisbury’s Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre at the Inter Spinal Unit GamesStaff and visitors enjoy

cultural experience Staff and visitors had an opportunity to experience the cultural diversity that exists within the hospital and enjoy a range of new culinary experiences as part of a cultural awareness event held at Salisbury District Hospital.Over 150 people dropped in during the day to find out more about the different nationalities that work at the hospital and their cultures and food. As part of the event staff brought in their own national dishes and wore national dress or costumes from different parts of the world.

The day was set up by the hospital’s REACH (Reaching Equality Aspiring Confident Hope) group. This provides a forum where black, minority ethnic (BME) staff can discuss issues that relate to their work and the services provided by the hospital.

“Salisbury is a diverse community with people from all parts of the world living and working together to enrich our society, and this diversity is reflected in the people that work at Salisbury District Hospital,” said Sandy Woodbridge, Chair of the REACH group.

“This event gave us an opportunity to highlight the positive benefits of living and working in a multi-cultural society and raise awareness of the diversity we have within our own organisation.”

also competed in swimming, winning a number of her races.

Chris Darney won the male archery competition. He also competed in swimming, the shooting competition and reached the quarter finals of the bowls.

Jamie Yates came second in the paraplegic males table tennis and competed in the bowls competitions.

Amy Byatt, Salisbury District Hospital Physiotherapist who supported patients at the games, said: “The Inter

Spinal Unit Games give patients an opportunity to try new sports, socialise with others of similar abilities and take part in competitive sports.”

“The team did incredibly well and to win overall was fantastic. Everyone participated with so much enthusiasm and cheered their team and other teams on. It was great to see them support each other and they all took part in the have-a-go sessions. This is where individuals can try out different sports such as hand cycling, badminton, tennis and wheelchair rugby.”

Salisbury District Hospital patients win Inter Spinal Unit Games

Freddy Forder, Peter Turner, Liz Batten and League of Friends Chairman George Todd with the representative from Attend and Trust Chairman and Chief Executive Luke March and Peter Hill

Best Young VolunteerFormer sixth form student Denis Twomey was rewarded for his dedication and commitment to patients when he was presented with the Trust’s Young Volunteer Award.Denis started volunteering because he wanted to give something back to the hospital and hospice which had looked after his mother during her illness 10 years ago. He gave up his spare time to help patients and staff on the Burns Unit.

“When you look at his reasons for taking up volunteering, and the satisfaction he obviously gets from helping others, it is clear that Denis is truly a remarkable young man,” said Trust Chairman, Luke March, “It gives me great pleasure to recognise Denis for his efforts on behalf of our patients and staff and I wish him well for the future.”

Trust Chairman Luke March presents the Best Young Volunteer Award to Denis Twomey

Good risk standards assessment The Trust has retained Level 2 in the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) Risk Management Standards following a rigorous assessment of the hospital by the external assessors.This is in addition to the successful assessment of the Maternity Unit, which is carried out separately from the general Trust assessment. It is acknowledged that Level 2 represents a very high standard within the NHS and in its assessment the Trust passed 44 of the 49 standards indicating a high pass rate. The aim of the NHSLA Risk Management Standards is to drive up standards of care and ensure that Trusts have systems in place to ensure the safety of patients. It is similar to an insurance scheme, in that the higher the level, the lower the premium Trusts have to pay.

Patients from across Southern England have won the 2011 Inter Spinal Unit Games for Salisbury District Hospital at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury.

“The team did incredibly

well”

Pathology week

Local schools and hospital visitors had an opportunity to find out more about the healthcare sciences as part of a range of events set up by staff to celebrate National Pathology Week. The theme was ‘Pathology: The Building Blocks of Life’ with workshops, presentations and demonstrations taking place in hospital and local schools.

Consultant Haematologist Effie Grand said: “This was a successful event which gave us an opportunity to talk broadly about how pathology is used in healthcare at many stages in our lives and get children involved in what is an interesting and exciting area of science that helps them with their own studies.”

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Exploring the multi-sensory

room

Brightly decorated bedrooms have comfortable parent beds too

The new inpatients

waiting area with its star

attraction – the boat

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Our Charity: Making a Difference for Patients at Salisbury District Hospital

President: The Earl of Pembroke

Stars Appeal’s £1million of Extras Make New Children’s Unit Truly Child-FriendlyThe new Children’s Unit environment has been acclaimed for its child-friendly feeling, which will speed the recovery of the thousands of children who will visit the Unit, and for ensuring that accompanying parents can stay in comfort. (See more on Front Page). Staff, patients, families and visitors united in praise for the new Unit.

Find out about each ward’s charitable fundThe Stars Appeal raises funds for every ward and department in the hospital, and our new website, at www.starsappeal.org, shows how each area has its own charitable fund, with its own particular goals.

You can also see what we’ve already achieved, with pictures and information about where the money we raise has been spent, as well as news of forthcoming events and other ways to get involved.

Thanks to the guys at Unstuck Design who’ve created the much easier-to-navigate new design for us – free of charge!

THANK YOU to Everyone Who Supports The Stars AppealWe are very grateful to all our supporters for your contributions, donations, event organisation, volunteering, participation, promotion and help. Your support helps to make life better for the thousands of local people who use our hospital.

The Stars Appeal

www.starsappeal.org

01722 429005

info@starsappeal.org

Registered Charity number: 1052284

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Supported by:

I’d like to help the Stars Appeal make a difference for patients at Salisbury District Hospital Please send me more information on how to get involved.

Name ..............................................................................................................................................

Address ..........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................

Email .............................................................................................................................................

Please complete and return this form to: The Stars Appeal, Salisbury District Hospital, SP2 8BJ

“Congratulations to everybody who has worked very hard; the people who come here will be eternally grateful for everything you have done.” Sophie, Countess of Wessex

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, with Jonathan and Jenny Howarth in the multi-sensory room

“The new children's unit will make Lauren's time attending appointments more like fun and less like hospital. It makes a real difference knowing that she will be cared for in the best possible environment, with all the extra things that will make her treatment as enjoyable and as effective as possible,” Ann Morgan,

mum to Lauren.

Stars Appeal President, Lord Pembroke, meets William Edkins and Karen Robinson

“It will make a tremendous difference to our work and we are so proud and excited about it.”

Karen Robinson, Head of Children's Physiotherapy

“It's difficult to get kids out of the waiting room now because it's so superb.”Jonathan Howarth, dad to Jenny

New Video Helps Raise Funds for NICU Family Accommodation Unit Parents with babies born too small, too sick or too soon have contributed to a new video. It highlights how a place for parents and siblings to stay will support them while their babies are in NICU (the special care baby unit). We need £85,000 more to secure the new family accommodation unit, which will be attached to a new, larger, NICU.

Watch the video at starsappeal.org or search for Stars Appeal NICU on YouTube.

Spire FM presenters at the Pembroke Unit

Heart Patients Get Better Local Service in New Cardiac SuiteThanks in part to a generous legacy, the Stars Appeal has funded over £500,000 of additional specialist equipment in a second lab in the new Cardiac Suite. This enables specialists at Salisbury District Hospital to carry out treatment (angioplasties and stents) for people with heart disease rather than patients having to travel to other hospitals as was previously the case.

“The new Cardiac Suite represents a significant step forward for Salisbury District Hospital and benefits local people with heart disease in both the Outpatient and Inpatient setting,” said Tim Wells, Consultant Cardiologist. “Already over one hundred people have benefited from this new service. We are hugely grateful to all those who support the Stars Appeal.”

Consultant Tim Wells in the new Cardiac Suite

Mum Emily and baby Edith in the new video about our NICU Family Accommodation Project

New outdoor play areas

make waiting more fun

Children settle into the new waiting area

Enjoying the play areaSpire FM Helps Patients with Cancer and Blood DisordersThis year local radio station Spire FM is supporting the Pembroke Unit Fund. The Spire FM team are publicising the marvellous work the Pembroke Unit does for local people with cancer and blood disorders and bringing staff and patients’ experiences to their audience.

The fundraising focus is the All Day Auction, on-air and on-line on Thursday 6 October.

We’re looking for around 120 auction items (goods, services or experiences) – please contact the Stars Appeal Office on info@starsappeal.org if you can donate – or just tune in and bid!

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Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust - encourage your friends and neighbours to join us as Members

8

Top presentations make AGM a successAround 150 members and governors came to the Annual General Meeting at the Salisbury Arts Centre to hear more about how the hospital had performed over the last financial year and to enjoy specialist presentations from staff. This year there was a real emphasis on clinical excellence in the two staff presentations. Consultant Haematologist, Tamara Everington, talked about the breadth of work taking place across the hospital on the management of blood clots (VTEs). This was followed by Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Rod Dunn, who covered the work he has been doing to help soldiers injured in Afghanistan.

Luke March, Chairman, said: “This really was a successful and positive AGM, made more so by this year’s presentations. From the comments we received afterwards, people were very interested in the work we’ve been doing around VTE. They were also truly moved by the extraordinary work carried out by Rod Dunn and his team to improve the lives of badly injured soldiers.”

This Annual Review summarises the main achievements of Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust during the 2010/2011 year, with the aim of keeping local people informed about what is happening in their local health service.

To comment on this review or if you would like further copies or you require a version in larger print, tape or another language please contact the Annual Review Editor by writing to Patrick Butler, Public Relations Manager, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Salisbury District Hospital, SP2 8BJ.

John Carvell, (left) Lead Governor at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust with Consultant Rheumatologist Dr Richard Smith at the first of a series of Medicines for Members talks

Over 100 people had a unique opportunity to find out more about bone disease and the steps that they can take to improve their own health, as part of a Medicines for Members talk given by Consultant Rheumatologist Dr Richard Smith.Bone Health for Life was the first in a series of talks planned for Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust members which aim to give people an informal view of some of the clinical conditions that hospital doctors treat and some practical ways to keep fit and healthy.

One of the biggest challenges facing the community and the health service is the effect of ageing on bone chemistry and strength. One in three women and one in five men over the age of 50 in the UK will fracture a bone, mainly as a result of osteoporosis.

In his lecture, Dr Smith talked about the causes of osteoporosis, the processes that lead to bone collapse, pain and disability and how this can be delayed through a balanced diet, lifestyle changes and careful use of supplements.

“It’s clear from our member constituency meetings that so many people have an interest in their own health and the services that we provide for them, said John Carvell, Lead Governor at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.”

“These talks will give us a real opportunity to focus on a number of clinical subjects and provide our members with a unique view from our specialists.“

Local people enjoy unique opportunity to hear clinical talks

New SDH Round the Clock DVDSalisbury City Governor Chris Wain has used his BBC experience again to update SDH Round the Clock. This DVD provides members who attend constituency meetings with a broad view of the hospital and its services and now includes information on a range of new developments since it was first produced in 2008.

Governors help support food quality and nutrition

Governors are now taking part in a number of activities to sample the patient’s experience, which helps support the Trust in implementing improvements in this area.

Amongst other measures the Trust is now using new Care Quality Commission tools and guidelines to ensure that food meets nutritional requirements and that patients who need help with eating have sufficient support to do so.

West Wiltshire Governor Carole Noonan said: “It’s important that patients get good quality food and the necessary support that they need to eat. We join staff on wards to observe mealtimes, check nursing notes and ensure that any patients who need particular attention are given the help that they need.”

As part of its commitment to food quality the Trust is also working with Governors on additional ways of monitoring standards at ward level.

Staff Governor Lynda Weeks said: “In addition to the routine nutrition and food assessments that take place, Governors now carry out unannounced visits to clinical areas. Our findings are then shared with the Food Forum so that any improvements can be made quickly at ward level.”

Quality Account published The Trust has published its Quality Account which sets out our priority areas for the coming year and our performance against a range of quality indicators. This is now a legal requirement and Quality Accounts are audited to ensure that hospitals have effective systems in place to assure the quality of care, and that patients have access to a greater range of information that can help them judge the standard of their local hospital. If you would like to view the Trust’s Quality Account this can be found on the website at www.salisbury.nhs.uk under Reports and Reviews.

Election of GovernorsDuring the year the Trust held public elections and Robert Coate (South Wiltshire Rural), Celeste Collins, (Salisbury City), Paul Goldman (North Dorset) and Alastair Lack (South Wiltshire Rural) were elected to the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust Council of Governors.

Christine White was also elected to the Council of Governors in the Scientific, Therapeutical and Technical staff constituency.

Governors provide an essential link between the Trust and its members, feeding back information from the membership that can be used to help shape and plan services for the benefit of local people, as well as a number of statutory duties.

West Wiltshire Governor Carole Noonan (centre)and South Wiltshire Rural Governor Kate Beaumont (right) join patients on Amesbury ward during a lunch time

Members and governors enjoy the presentations at the Trust’s AGM

The next Council of Governors’ Meeting will be on 28 November 2011

To find out more about Foundation Trust membership and details of meetings please contact: Isabel Cardoso, Membership Manager, Salisbury District Hospital, Salisbury SP2 8BR. Email: NHSfoundationtrust@salisbury.nhs.ukTelephone: 01722 336262 Ext: 4390

Annual General MeetingThis year’s AGM will be held at 5pm on Monday, 26 September 2011 at Salisbury Arts Centre, Bedwin Street, Salisbury SP1 3UT. Members of the public are warmly invited to attend.

Go to the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust website

at www.salisbury.nhs.uk

for more information on our Medicine for Members

lecture diary.

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