1. No category

The
Word
Edition 202
31st October 2014
Many of you will be aware that earlier this year East
Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
launched a programme called ‘Improving Lives’
looking at improvements to services provided for
people with long term health conditions and those
who are older and frail in East Staffordshire.
Earlier this week the CCG made an announcement
regarding the two organisations shortlisted for the
next stage of selection as prime providers to transform
and develop the network of existing NHS services to
be delivered from March 2016.
As a key provider of these local health services we
will of course be speaking to the prospective prime
provider contractors at the earliest opportunity to
discuss how we will work positively together. I hope
that staff in the area feel that we have been able to
keep you as up to date as possible with development
but should you have concerns please do contact me.
This week saw our monthly Trust Board meeting take
place in Rugeley and as usual we began by hearing
directly from a local resident about their experience
of the care and services we provide. Our guest was
a service user of the Waistlines service and he was
full of praise for the support the team have given to
him which has transformed the way he has taken
responsibility for his lifestyle.
Within the constraints he faces as a wheelchair user,
the gentleman explained how he has been helped
to make practical and positive changes which he
encouraged us all to do to ensure we do the best for
ourselves to ensure good health. It was encouraging
to hear from him about how our staff have had such
an impact on his life. I was also very pleased that
he stayed for the rest of our meeting as we actively
encourage public participation.
Each month the meeting is attended by several
We Put Quality First
We Focus on People
students in
practice as part
of their induction
to the organisation
or their profession. I was
very pleased to see another
cohort of health visitors at Edric House and
look forward to welcoming more staff at our
next meeting on 26 November in Newcastle-underLyme. Details for all Trust Board meetings are on our
website.
Recently I have highlighted the need to concentrate
on the delivery of a range of short term priorities.
We are now adopting a programme management
approach to manage a series of specific work-streams
which are made up of urgent care, waiting lists, our
cost improvement programme, performance data, the
workforce toolkit and healthcheck initiatives, financial
information, relationship management, strategic
partnerships, financial recovery and the negotiation of
the social care contract.
As a result you may become aware of the pausing
or ceasing of some existing corporate activities for
a short while as the executive management team
focus on these key areas of delivery. This may mean
that staff are requested to do different things at this
time and I am especially grateful for your support and
flexibility in helping us to achieve these aims.
At the Trust Board meeting I took our Executive and
Non Executive Directors through this new approach
which they are all very supportive of and recognised
the need to focus our efforts in this way.
This week I spoke with a gentleman who is currently
pursuing a formal complaint against the Trust. I find
meetings with people who have concerns about
the service we have provided are a very helpful and
enlightening process.
Continued
We Take Responsibility
1
From the Top - Continued
In this instance, the gentleman explained how
important and what a difference he feels it would
have made, if he had been offered an opportunity to
speak to a senior manager in the early stages of his
case. This is very useful feedback which I believe we
need to take on board and as such he has generously
offered to speak to our leaders and senior managers
about his situation to help us improve the way we
handle complaints.
care demand, particularly in North Staffordshire. I am
acutely aware of the efforts that so many of you are
going to, to support the system and I am very grateful
for your commitment and hard work.
We are working hard trying to put in place new
systems that will give us more sustainable solutions.
In the meantime I am personally very grateful to staff
who are doing their utmost to support the provision
of care outside of hospital. Thank you.
Stuart
I have mentioned on several occasions in recent weeks
the difficult we and other NHS organisations face in
trying to resolve the pressures and demands faced by
the whole health economy from non-elective urgent
Stuart Poynor
Chief Executive
What’s In
2 | Launch Of The Carers Staff Support Network
9 | Working Remotely
3 | National Recognition for Rheumatology Specialists
10 | IM & T We still need your feedback!
4 | Stress Awareness Day 5 Nov 2104
11 | Don’t Let IG Give You the Creeps!
5 | What to do if the CQC visit
12 | Thank You
6 | Digital Professionalism
12 | Farewell to Siobhan Heafield
8 | Flu Fighter
LAUNCH OF THE CARERS STAFF SUPPORT NETWORK
Are you one of the 2 million?
• Did you know it is estimated that 2.4 million carers juggle caring
responsibilities with work?
• Do you have caring responsibilities?
• Are you a carer working in our Trust?
Then come and join our Carers Staff Support Network.
We will provide information on what support is available
for you both at work and at home. The network will be
your support and care network to support your health and
wellbeing.
We can meet at times to suit and / or send information to you as
you require.
Give me a call on 07515 191603 (anytime) or email [email protected] to get details of future meetings.
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2
National Recognition for Rheumatology Specialists
The Partnership NHS Trust’s rheumatology centre is being
held up as a national example in providing specialist care
outside of hospital
A report by national think tank The King’s Fund says specialist knowledge is too concentrated in
hospitals and the increasingly complex needs of patients should be treated closer to
home and names the rheumatology centre at Haywood Hospital as an example
where consultants are acting beyond traditional boundaries.
Watch this short film where consultant rheumatologist Dr Caitlyn
Dawson talks about how the rheumatology team provides
musculoskeletal care for patients closer to home.
The report found a pressing need to develop new roles for hospital
consultants who should spend more time working outside hospitals
in multidisciplinary teams with primary, community and social care
colleagues. One of the strongest messages in the report is that
this should include supporting and training other health and care
professionals to enable them to provide more specialist services closer to
people’s homes.
The report found that this approach can lead to better patient experience,
improve management of chronic conditions and reduce waiting times, although it is
unlikely to deliver significant cost savings.
Ruth Robertson, Fellow at The King’s Fund said: “Our research uncovered great examples where hospital
consultants working with their colleagues outside hospital has improved patient care. Implementing this new
way of working is a challenge. However, doing so offers enormous benefits to patients and brings the vision of
a more integrated NHS that bit closer.”
The rheumatology centre at the Haywood Hospital - one of the Partnership Trust’s five community hospitals
- has a dedicated inpatient ward with 10 beds, a day-case unit providing treatment and rehabilitation for
rheumatology patients, physiotherapy and occupational therapy departments, and x-ray, ultrasound and DEXA
scanning facilities to diagnose osteoporosis.
The centre also uses GPs with Special Interests (GPwSIs) to provide in house musculo-skeletal expertise to
patients in their own practices but who also work as advanced musculoskeletal practitioners in the hospital
clinic.
Dr Caitlyn Dowson, Consultant Rheumatologist, said: “The key feature and real strength of our services is our
multi-disciplinary team. They have a pivotal role in our integrated service and the ability to provide care closer
to home.”
She added: “The GPwSIs work alongside nurses and physiotherapists developing advanced skills in triage and
treatment that can then be brought back and used within general practice, making it easier for patients to
access services outside of hospital.”
More information about The Kings Fund research and the Haywood rheumatology centre can be found at
http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/specialists-out-hospital-settings
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3
Stress Awareness Day 5 Nov 2104
“Trust Stress Awareness Champion, Director of Children’s Services and Acting
Director of Adult Services Kieron Murphy talks about the importance of
looking after ourselves and each other.
“I am delighted to continue in my role as stress champion and strongly believe that as a Trust
we need to remain focussed on supporting your wellbeing and the impact stress has on you. I
am excited by our current stress campaign; we have some excellent initiatives in place to support you while at
work.
“Personally, I have always been amazed at the dedication, commitment and resilience that staff have
demonstrated in the delivery of health and social care across all areas within the Partnership Trust given the
challenges we face.
“However, the challenges of change, demands and financial pressures, to name but a few, can lead to pressure
which in turn can develop into stress and possibly ill health. Stress and pressure are normal reactions and as
humans we are designed to stretch to meet demands, it is important for us to recognise the need to recognise
our own stress levels and to ensure that we are able to develop coping mechanisms to help.
“Line managers play a fundamental role in supporting the wellbeing of staff. Taking the time to stop, listen
and talk and the importance of a seemingly simple question ‘how are you feeling’ can have a positive impact.
I urge managers to do this and signpost staff to the services, resources and self-help guides available.
“All staff will be receiving with your payslip this month the ‘Supporting Your Wellbeing At Work’ leaflet
which contains the many ways we can support you and some of the fantastic new wellbeing initiatives that we
are launching in November.”
Our other helpful initiatives launching soon are:
New Online
Stress Tool
The new online
stress tool will be
available on the
Trust intranet at
the beginning of
November. The
self-assessment
tools on mood,
workplace stress
and wellbeing will
signpost you to
support services
and guides.
Mental
Wellbeing
Podcasts
There will be a series
of eight mental
wellbeing podcasts
and audio guides on
the Trust intranet. You
can listen to these in
your own time, they
may help you when
your mood is low
or you’re facing an
anxious time in your
life.
“I would like remind all staff that if you feel that
you are suffering from stress, the Staff Support and
Counselling Service provides a range of fantastic
support options for you to choose from. You can
get in touch and access the support pathway by
contacting...”
Managing
Stress
in the
Workplace
New mandatory
‘Managing Stress
in the Workplace’
training for all
managers will
be launched in
January 2015
and run every
month...book
your place
through OLM.
National Stress
Awareness Day
Marking National Stress
Awareness Day on 5
November, the Staff Support
and Counselling Service are
delighted to announce a series
of events on 5 and 6 November
which all staff are invited to.
Places are limited so to avoid
disappointment please book
your place quickly by emailing
the staffsupportandcou
nsellingservice@
northstaffs.nhs.uk
Staff Support and Counselling Service &
Workshops
T: 0300 123 0995 Ext 4429
More support is available on the dedicated health
and wellbeing page on the staff intranet here Staff
Health and Wellbeing Support
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4
What to do if
(CQC) visit?
As an organisation that provides care and services to thousands of people it is right and proper that we
are inspected regularly by the Care Quality Commission, the regulator of health and adult social care in
England, to ensure that they meet essential standards of quality and safety.
The Quality Directorate are here to support service to ensure staff have confidence to:
• improve your work environment for your patients and people who use services
• make a positive impact in improving services
• talk to the CQC if they visit your service
• know who to contact with any concerns
The Essential Standards of Quality and Safety focus on outcomes, experiences and the human rights of
those people who use our services. The CQC are rolling out a new inspection regime that will always
refer to five key questions which are supported by a number of Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOE).
These are:
• Is the service safe?
• Is the service effective?
• Is the service caring?
• Is the service responsive to peoples’ needs?
• Is the service well led?
The CQC have identified a set of services that it will always inspect for a community health provider:
• Adults with long-term conditions (including district nursing, specialist and rehabilitation services)
• Adults requiring community inpatient services (the CQC will visit all community hospitals)
• People receiving end-of-life care
CQC Inspectors will seek the direct views of staff and managers. The Trust is supportive of the CQC’s
approach and staff are asked to be open and helpful but it is not compulsory to speak to them.
Lots more information and advice is available here on the intranet http://ssotp.ns.xnsht.nhs.uk/
resources/comp/Pages/visit.aspx
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5
Social media and
Digital
Professionalism
Click
here to
download our
Social Media
Toolkit
reactive regulation. As
professionals, we must primarily
educate ourselves in how to realise the
benefits of social media as well as how to manage its
risks.
Professional lead for Podiatry
Roger Whittaker shares helpful
guidance on using social media
effectively.
The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists have not
published any guidance on social media yet, however
the Health and Care Professions Council have some
guidance available (http://www.hcpc-uk.org.uk/
mediaandevents/socialmedia/) and the Trust’s
social media toolkit also gives useful guidance.
The phenomenon of innovative technology being
considered ‘risky’ is not new. For example, the 1865
‘Red Flag Act’ required all road cars in the UK to
travel at a maximum of 2 mph in towns and carry
a minimum crew of three people – one to walk 60
yards ahead of the vehicle with a red fag to warn
pedestrians and horse riders!
This exceedingly cautious approach was felt necessary
because motor cars were an unfamiliar technology
for the majority of road users – when they were
introduced, there was no shared understanding of the
rules of the road, or Highway Code, to help people
understand how they should interact and avoidable
accidents happened frequently. But as experience
of car use grew, and the principles of safe driving
became codifed, shared and widely understood,
safety was greatly improved and the enormous
benefits of the motor car could then be realised. In
many ways, the new experience of social media use
has much in common with these early days of the
motor car.
Risks and Benefits
RISKS
• Loss of personal privacy
• Potential breaches of professional confidentiality
• Online behaviour that might be perceived as
unprofessional, offensive or inappropriate by
others
• Risks of posts being reported by the media or
sent to employers
BENEFITS
• Establishing wider and more diverse social and
professional networks
• Engaging with the public and colleagues in
debates, locally and globally
• Facilitating public access to accurate health
information
• Improving patient access to services
• Establishing wider and more diverse social and
professional networks
• Engaging with the public and colleagues in
debates, locally and globally
All Partnership Trust employees will need to learn
how to adapt our behaviour to ensure we use new
technology safely, appropriately and responsibly, if
we are to enable it to flourish and not be stifled by
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6
Social media and
conditions or any of their personal information in
public, except with explicit and informed consent
of those concerned – otherwise you are at risk of
breaching their privacy
Digital
Professionalism
Key things to remember
• Be aware that even if you change one or two
details in a case, such as the age or sex of the
patient, the patient or their family may still be
identifiable from other details – this is particularly
likely for cases involving rarer conditions or
unusual presentations
1. Be aware of the image you present online and
manage this proactively
5. Show your human side, but maintain professional
boundaries
2. Recognise that the personal and professional can’t
always be separated
• Where this is possible, try to maintain a separation
between your personal and professional online
profiles – direct your friends and family to the
former and your patients and colleagues to the
latter
• Consider how the total body of information
and images you post online contribute to the
impression that others might form of you, both
professionally and personally, and how this in turn
can influence how your future online and off-line
behaviour will be interpreted
• Learn how to use the privacy and profile settings
of the social media tools you use, while also
understanding their limitations – remember that,
as a professional person, you might need to set
the privacy settings at a higher level than the
default settings
• Be aware that most social media sites do not
guarantee confidentiality regardless of the level of
privacy settings in place
• Maintaining an appropriate balance between your
life as a private individual and your responsibilities
as a professional will require the application of
judgement and experience
3. Engage with the public but be cautious of giving
personal advice
• Be aware that other people’s views of what
constitutes appropriate health- seeking behaviour
may differ from your own. However, avoid giving
personalised advice to members of the public
through social media tools – general comments
and signposting to authoritative and appropriate
sources of information are generally fine, but do
not be tempted into giving online consultations
• If a member of the public contacts you for advice
in a public forum, politely direct them to an
appropriate channel for such advice – such as NHS
Direct or their local GP practice.
4. Respect the privacy of all patients, especially the
vulnerable
• Do not discuss real patients, their illnesses,
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6. Contribute your expertise, insights and experience
• Discuss the use of social media in your wider
healthcare teams and organisations as a means
for communicating more effectively with specific
sections of your local community, such as younger
people, who may be hard to reach through more
traditional means
7. Treat others with consideration, politeness and
respect
• You have a right to express your views openly –
but not to do so in a way that causes offence to
others or infringes on their own rights
• Resist the temptation to post comments online
when you are feeling angry or frustrated. Find
alternative (and appropriate!) ways to vent your
feelings
• HEALTH WARNING: making derogatory,
threatening or defamatory comments about
others could have a harmful effect on your career!
8. Remember that other people may be watching
you
• Remember that any comments you post in social
media sites may be regarded as public property
and may be quoted in other media, including the
national press – and that professional bodies can
sanction you if they deem your behaviour to be
a risk to their reputation or to the reputation of
the profession as a whole; even if your original
posting was made in a private network or in a
non-professional context
• Be aware that journalists may routinely monitor
activity in social media sites for potential stories.
We Take Responsibility
7
It’s only just Hallowe’en but this
season’s winter flu campaign is in
full swing. The Infection Control
team have been busy across
the county immunising health
and care staff against the virus,
along with school nurses who
are piloting the Fluenze project
vaccinating Staffordshire school
children.
So far over a thousand
Trust staff have had the
jab:
Qualified Nurses
328
All other
244
professionally
qualified clinical staff
Doctors
13
Support to Clinical
Staff and Admin
426
Total
1011
Percentage of Trust
staff
24.98%
For details of free vaccination
clinics throughout October and
November please click here
Being vaccinated against flu not
only protects you and your family
but can prevent the virus being
passed to more vulnerable people
who may experience much more
severe symptoms.
Look after
my nan flu might
kill her
Be a great
carer
Get the flu jab
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We Take Responsibility
8
Information
Management &
Technology Update
Working remotely and securely got a whole lot easier thanks to
Birdstep Safemove!
New software is being made available to give staff, particularly people working remotely or from home, easy
and secure access to the Partnership Trust’s network regardless of where they are.
Called Birdstep SafeMove, this new product seamlessly roams between fixed and wireless networks without
the need to manually connect to the Partnership Trust’s network.
In a partnership between the Trust’s IM&T department and Staffordshire & Shropshire Health Informatics Service
(SSHIS), over the next few weeks Birdstep SafeMove will be available for installation on mobile laptops and
devices which have been issued as part of Phase 1 of the Service User Device Project.
Birdstep Safemove:
• removes the need for staff to manually connect to the network using the ‘NS COIN VPN’ option
• logging on to Birdstep SafeMove is as simple as logging onto your laptop
• once you’ve entered your username and password and are connected to the internet, Birdstep SafeMove
intelligently recognises the best network connection and automatically connects to your work network
without you doing anything
• Simon Mellor, Podiatry Team Leader said “I would just like to let you know how great my new laptop is
now I’ve been migrated to the North server and had Birdstep installed. I can connect to any WiFi and have
full functionality of all services that I’ve tried. This accessibility has really improved my productivity. I feel
truly agile now!”
If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the project team by emailing: [email protected] or call 0845 602 6772 – Ext. 2377.
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9
Information
Management &
Technology Update
We still need your feedback! Update on the User Device
Services Project
Over recent months the IM&T department have been gathering feedback from staff via a short survey detailing
what IT equipment they currently use in readiness for refreshing existing the Trust’s IT equipment.
So far 2,800 staff have completed the online survey but around 2,000 members of staff still need to complete
it.
Programme Manager Steph Morgan, said “The response we have received from staff to date
is fantastic and I would like to thank everyone of you for taking the time out to respond.
However, as we have to demonstrate that vital resources are being spent appropriately whilst
ensuring value for money, we need to understand your requirements so that we can purchase
the right equipment.
“Therefore it’s vital that staff who haven’t
already completed the survey do so by
the end of November.”
The online survey takes approximately 15 minutes and must be completed by the 30th November
2014. Please click here to complete our online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SI-
Phase2Survey
If you cannot access the online survey or require support to complete it, please contact the Infrastructure
Projects team:
Email [email protected]
Call 0845 602 6772 ext. 2377
For more information on the User Device Services Project visit our intranet SharePoint site http://ssotp.
ns.xnsht.nhs.uk/cp/si/Pages/Device-Implementation.aspx
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10
Don’t Let
IG Give
You the
Creeps!
It might be a bit spooky this weekend as it’s Halloween but Information
Governance is nothing to be scared of. Staff do have a responsibility to
keep confidential information secure; however, staff should never be afraid
to act in the best interest of a patient through fear of repercussions from
Information Governance. If in doubt, please just ask!
Case study from Caldicott 2 Report
"A daughter was very concerned about her father’s symptoms and the impact on her
mother who was caring for him unsupported. She suspected that her father had dementia,
but this was undiagnosed because her father had not seen the GP in a long time. The
daughter wrote to the GP and received a curt reply that she must never approach him
again, by letter or phone, because of patient confidentiality.
“This could have gone on for years, but an unrelated event finally revealed the family’s
situation to Social Services and he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Because of too rigid
an application of ‘patient confidentiality’ the family lost all that time when they could have
helped the patient to live well with his dementia and been planning for the future."
The IG Team are committed to supporting staff in delivering the best patient care, this
includes providing advice on how and when to share information.
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 0300 124 0093
Follow this link to the IG Policy
If you have a
confidentiality concern….
in your neighbourhood…
who ya gonna call...
the IG Team!
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11
Thank You
Cannock’s Pain Management Team have received
a kind thank you card saying “Thank you so much for
the support and understanding shown throughout
the course, for not judging and making the pain
management course.......well painless!
“I’ve found it really helpful and feel I am more ‘me’ than I
have for a very long time!”
The Pain Management Team based in Stafford have
also received a warm thank you card for the team saying
“Thank you. The ability to teach others is a special gift
and I want to thank you for sharing that gift with me.
You have made a big difference in my life.”
The Moorlands Community Intervention Service
have recently received a thank you letter from a recent
patient who has been supported at home, “I am very
grateful for the kindness and care I received from you
in my home. This wonderful service has helped me
to get back to a normal routine and re-establish my
independence. I will never forget all the kindness shown
to me and I wish you all the very best for the future, in
your most valuable work within the community.”
Kerry White from the Haywood Walk in Centre
team has been thanked in a lovely card sent in by a
very appreciative lady who was recently treated there.
“I just wanted to express my thanks for your care and
kindness shown to me. I was offered a hot drink and a
sandwich and I was allowed to rest on a bed in order
to put my tired feet up - all of which shows a great
degree of personal care. I want to thank you and would
recommend you for a staff award! “
Nursing staff Diane Tooze and Fiona Micheli who
work in the Minor Injuries Unit at Cannock Chase
Hospital have both received a bouquet of lillies and
thanks from a gentleman for the excellent care he
received from them. He said “Well done to you both for
the excellent care given. My fingers are healing well!”
A lovely thank you has been sent to the Scotia Ward
team at the Haywood Hospital.
“Thank you for your warmth and kindness, I am sorry
for bleating and moaning on like a schoolboy! I dare
not tell anyone how much I enjoyed being in the Scotia
Ward. Thank you for making me better, one of your ever
grateful patients.”
Angela Disbury, Community Paediatric
Physiotherapist based in Stafford, has received an
email from the mother of a young patient. “Thank
you for this morning, you are always so positive with
lovely ideas and you get things organised quickly it is
appreciated. You work very hard.
“It is so refreshing to be working with someone who is
just as eager to support our daughter as we are so thank
you.”
Please send all compliments to
[email protected] who are
now recording all compliments for the
Trust. A range of selected compliments
will be forwarded for inclusion in The
Word.
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We Take Responsibility
Staff gathered at
Morston House
last week to bid
farewell to Director
of Nursing and Quality
Siobhan Heafield who has
moved to a new post at the Trust
Development Authority. Chief
Exec Stuart Poynor led the thanks
for Siobhan’s hard work and
commitment over the past three
years and presented her with a
bouquet.
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