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membership
magazine
Spring 2015
Your
High praise from
Simon Stevens
CEO of NHS England
see page 10
Membership Spring 2015
Welcome from
your editor
Jade O’Connor,
Communications Officer
Dear Member,
Welcome to the spring edition of your membership magazine,
packed full of our successes, events and collaborative projects.
As we hold more events and recruit new members our costs to contact
you increase. We will always post this magazine out to those who require
it, but sometimes we are unable to contact all our members to tell you
about health events throughout the year due to high postage costs. On
page 18 we explain how you can give us your email address so we can
keep you up-to-date with events and topics that are important to you.
email: [email protected]
facebook.com/berkshirehealthcare
twitter.com/@BHFT
A message
from Julian
Cover photo courtesy of Newbury News Ltd.
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I am pleased to share with you many great
achievements from across our organisation, all of
which support our key values.
I am exceptionally proud that we have increased
Julian Emms,
our Stonewall ranking; you can read more about
Chief Executive
this on the opposite page.
Some other highlights include awards we have won and initiatives that
demonstrate caring for our patients is our top priority. I hope you
enjoy the magazine and I always appreciate hearing your views, please
contact me at: [email protected]
Thank you for your ongoing support
of Berkshire Healthcare.
Membership Spring 2015
We did it again!
the Stonewall top 100
For a second consecutive year, we’ve been ranked one of the
top 100 employers in Britain by gay rights group Stonewall.
The Stonewall index published in February showcases the best employers
for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGBT) staff. We are ranked 79 out of 397
participating organisations and are one of only seven NHS Trusts in the
top 100 this year. We have moved up from place 86 in 2014.
Stuart Gray, Deputy Director of Governance and chair of our
LBGT group said: “Our group has gone from strength to strength
and this is due to the passion and enthusiasm of the people in our
organisation. This in turn has helped us become better at supporting
our staff, whatever their sexuality. A highlight of the year was the group
coming together to deliver a fantastic stand at Reading Pride where
we had the pleasure of speaking to more than 750 people about their
physical, sexual and mental health issues.”
Julian Emms, Chief Executive, said:
“Increasing our standing this year is a real
achievement for us, and I am personally
thrilled we have been recognised in this way.
“Being an excellent employer means doing
all we can to support a diverse workforce
which reflects the community we serve.
“We are committed to doing just that and we
know if our whole team feels supported and
satisfied, this can only benefit our patients.”
Stuart Gray at our Pride
2014 stand with Helen
Mackenzie, Director of
Nursing and Governance.
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Membership Spring 2015
Welcoming patients
of
Circuit Lane Surgery
From 1 February 2015 we started operating GP
services at Circuit Lane Surgery in Southcote, Reading.
This is a short term contract for one year while NHS England, which
is responsible for purchasing GP services, organises procurement for
longer term arrangements.
We are working closely with practice staff to ensure the continuation
of high quality local GP services and that patients are kept fully informed
of any developments.
This contract expands our role in primary care. We already provide the
GP out-of-hours service WestCall and the Walk-In Health Centre
in Slough.
The team of GPs and practice staff at Circuit Lane will be supported by
Medical Director of WestCall, Dr Jeremy Lade.
Dr Lade said: “I am very pleased that
we have been able to ensure that Circuit
Lane Surgery can continue to provide its
patients with the excellent healthcare that
they have come to expect over so many
years. Continuity of care for patients is so
important and this will be maintained.
The residents of Southcote can be
assured that caring for them is a top
priority, that the surgery is fully supported
by Berkshire Healthcare and we plan to
provide consistently good and ever
improving patient care.”
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www.circuitlanesurgery.co.uk
Membership Spring 2015
Compass Project
win special award
for innovation
A Reading park has been given a Green Flag award for
outstanding innovation thanks to work by our Reading
Community Mental Health Team.
The team, which is made up of staff from
Reading Borough Council and
Berkshire Healthcare, set up a project to
support people with mental illness through therapeutic gardening,
catering and art activities, run at Caversham Court Gardens.
This offers a more natural way to develop life skills, away from a
clinical setting.
Volunteers recruited by Berkshire Healthcare run the scheme on a daily
basis. Some have personal experience of mental health problems and
are using the project to gain confidence and learn workplace skills.
The teams are led by Sue Barton, Doug Downton, Jane Lancaster,
Clare Whatley and Jane Snell.
Some of the gardening
created through the project
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Time to talk day
As part of our pledge to support the national Time to Change
campaign we took part in the recent Time to Talk Day.
Time to Change is England’s biggest
programme to challenge mental health
stigma and discrimination, and the day
was about getting people to take five
minutes to have a conversation about
mental health.
Our senior management team went out
and about to visit staff and ask the simple
question, “How are you?”
Julian Emms added his
thoughts to our wall.
At Prospect Park Hospital our
Chairman John Hedger took
a tea trolley onto wards to
encourage staff and patients to
have a chat and a slice of cake.
At our Bracknell headquarters, cake
was again on hand while staff placed
positive comments on a sharing wall.
In Slough, staff took a mental health
quiz and booked in for a relaxing
Reiki session.
David Townsend, Chief Operating Officer chatted with staff on
Jubilee Ward at Upton Hospital in Slough.
In Windsor and Maidenhead staff held a mindfulness session.
Alison Durrands, Chair of our Time to Change team said: “We know
that creating a supportive environment for our staff benefits our patients.
It was great to see so many of our teams working together to help
reduce the stigma of mental health.”
www.time-to-change.org.uk
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Membership Spring
Summer
2015
2014
Meet our
governors
Our Governors represent the views of the people in our
communities so that we can further improve our services
to you.
Veronica Cairns
Veronica Cairns is our Public Governor
for Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead.
“As the parent and carer of a son who has
had mental health problems for more than
20 years, I have seen some good practices
but had some less positive experiences too.
I was approached to become a governor in
2007 by the chief executive who thought
it would be a good way for me to help the
professionals understand and see our perspective.
“I wanted to use my experiences to ensure the right people knew what
it was like for service users and carers, so that they could make sure
some of the less positive experiences would not be repeated.
“I am passionate about the role of carers and that Berkshire Healthcare
must consider them when delivering care.
“I have seen Berkshire Healthcare grow and have met a lot of
professional people who care and are doing a fantastic job. They listen
to people and have made so many improvements and are always
striving to make it an excellent organisation.”
We have 33 governors on our Board who value the views and
opinions of the community.
If you are interested in becoming a governor,
8 please email [email protected]
In memory of
A Credit to Berkshire
In commemoration
Healthcare
Alan Kendall
Tributes have been paid to one of our
governors who died in November 2014.
Alan Kendall died at Frimley Park
Hospital at the age of 75, after battling
pancreatic cancer.
Bracknell Mayor,
Berkshire Healthcare
Governor and
Councillor Alan Kendall.
Mr Kendall, who was diagnosed with the
disease earlier in the year, had been a
governor at Berkshire Healthcare since June
2007. He was mayor of Bracknell and had
been deputy mayor the previous year, he
was also a Conservative councillor.
Chairman of Berkshire Healthcare,
John Hedger, said: “Alan’s contribution
was as unassuming as it was conscientious as a longstanding Berkshire Healthcare
governor, as a Bracknell councillor and in his
career as a teacher and lecturer.
His dedication to improving the quality of
health and education for his constituents was
an example of quiet public service which we
valued and which I know we shall miss.”
Our Chairman,
John Hedger
Mr Kendall had a varied career that was born after he read theology at
Cambridge and was awarded a Choral Scholarship at King’s College.
On graduation he spent four years in Paris, working for Hachette
Publishers and as a freelance musician. On his return to England he was
appointed to St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where he began to
write books on music and related topics.
www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk
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Simon Stevens visit
Cover story:
NHS England CEO, impressed on
informal
hospital visit
Simon Stevens, the Chief Executive of NHS England, heaped
praise on West Berkshire Community Hospital and said that
it could be a role model for the way in which the NHS could be
expanded in the future.
During his visit, Simon Stevens took a full tour of the
hospital, meeting with staff and patients.
As part of his visit, Mr Stevens who grew up in Newbury, spent time at
the bedside of 93-year-old Agnes Hewitt – also a Berkshire local.
He chatted with staff on the wards about how they came to work at the
Thatcham hospital and what day-to-day life was like there.
During the morning, he hinted that the hospital could be expanded in
the future to provide additional services. He spoke of the pressures facing
the NHS, how he found his first nine months in the job and revealed that
Newbury and District Clinical Commissioning Group would receive extra
funds in 2015/16.
Mr Stevens also said that he wanted
to see more developments like West
Berkshire Community Hospital where
a range of services come together
under one roof.
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The NHS England CEO on hospital tour
Simon met with
staff from all areas
of the hospital.
Photo courtesy of Newbury News Ltd.
Photo courtesy of Newbury News Ltd.
Photo courtesy of Newbury News Ltd.
Simon talking to one of our
patients, Agnes Hewitt about
her stay in the hospital.
This visit took place with relatively short notice. Simon’s family are
based locally and he felt that on his way home over the festive
season he would take a casual tour of the hospital.
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Membership Spring 2015
“Just a brief message to
thank the lovely nursing staff
on Rose Ward for helping
me recover from an episode
of depression. For such a busy
ward I was always made to
feel safe and supported.
My key nurses I could tell
were very experienced and I
felt the care they provided
me with was excellent, I truly
felt involved in my care.”
Anonymous comment
posted on NHS Choices.
Complimentary
therapy
“I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone
at West Berkshire Community Hospital for the service
you have provided for us as a family despite our cases
being minor, you still treated us will respect, care and
we were very quickly dealt with. I had anticipated
having a delay for being treated as to what I had
heard from people. I actually thought the service at
this hospital is next to none, the best I have ever seen
and totally not what I had been expecting.
From what I have seen at all of the visits I have had in
the short time at being back in the UK it wasn’t as bad
as I was led to believe. I might have just found a really
good hospital which is managed beautifully and is a
credit to the NHS.
Thank you again for being such an awesome hospital.”
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Email to PALs.
Complimentary therapy
“The WestCall Centre was
extremely busy however I
believe that we were treated
with a very high level of care,
compassion and clinical
expertise. We really appreciate
the care that we received by
your service today and I would
have no hesitation in
contacting the service again
for out of hours medical help.”
Extract taken from an email
to PALS from a parent
referred to WestCall from 111.
“I need to tell someone how impressed I am with two of
your doctors recently. On Saturday 14th I came in quite
early with my daughter. She was seen by a lovely lady
doctor. Very quick and efficient but friendly and caring.
This Saturday I had to come in and saw Dr Dodson.
He was great too, as was the nurse who assisted him.
I’m sure you get mostly complaints from impatient
people so I think they deserve compliments.”
Compliment received about Circuit Lane Surgery.
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Membership Spring 2015
Connecting with our
communities
There is a good chance that every person in Berkshire will
come into contact with us at some point in their lives...
From our health visitors, school nurses or district nursing team,
to our community hospitals or our range of therapists working
with children and adults, we are there to care for you.
It’s not just your physical health we look after; one in four people will
experience problems with their mental health at some point in their lives
and we provide support, ranging from our Talking Therapies service
right though to inpatient care.
We held a series of public listening events across Berkshire
to understand what you want from your local NHS.
You said:
“Can you use technology as a way of communicating with us?”
We... started using text appointment reminders in some services,
Facebook to provide health related information to 11-18 year olds and
Skype for some outpatient appointments.
You said:
“We want to feel listened to and made to feel welcome.”
You suggested the best solution to this was for staff to smile more.
We... launched a campaign across our organisation called going the
extra smile. We are reminding staff that the person in front of them is
the most important person – you!
You said:
“We would like it to be easier to say thank you to staff.”
We... have provided thank you/comment cards with post boxes in some
14 of our waiting areas so you can easily give instant feedback on our services.
Membership Spring 2015
Helping us develop
stronger relationships with
the communities we serve
These are just a few of the innovative actions we have put in
place. To find out more and to provide us with your comments
you can visit www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/connecting
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Membership Spring 2015
Rainbow rooms
refurbished
Two of the Rainbow Rooms at West Berkshire Community Hospital
have been given a facelift thanks to a generous grant of £30,000
from the Newbury and District Cancer Care Trust (NDCCT).
Excellent new
family rooms.
The Rainbow Rooms are designed
to provide home-from-home
comfort to families, allowing them
to stay in hospital with their loved
ones. They have undergone a
complete redesign and combine
the comfort of a private room, with
connecting doors through to an
adjoining family room, each
equipped with kitchenettes and a
sofa bed.
“The rooms look less clinical and
much more homely now,” said
Amanda Hart, Matron on
Highclere Ward. “We are very
proud to show them to visitors.”
David Ball, Chairman of NDCCT commented:
“This refurbishment is a part of our ongoing commitment to
support local people suffering from cancer or other life limiting
illnesses but it would not be possible without the generosity of
our donors in West Berkshire.”
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We would like to say a huge thank you to NDCCT for raising
the funds and making our Rainbow Room upgrade possible.
News
in brief
Community Covenant
We have pledged our commitment to support local people
and armed forces personnel, by signing up to Bracknell Forest
Community Covenant.
The covenant was originally created and signed in December 2011, acting
as a statement of mutual support between local people and armed forces
personnel based in the area. The covenant already included support
commitment from: Bracknell Forest Council, Bracknell Forest
Partnership and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, it has been
extended to Berkshire Healthcare and was signed by John Hedger.
Understanding the NHS
NHS England has put together a guide to the structure
of the NHS in England since the reformations in 2012.
Understanding the new NHS is for people working and
training within the NHS, but we think our members will find
it useful too. It covers how the NHS is run and the different
types of organisations and groups that are involved in
providing and making decisions about healthcare.
You can find a copy of the guide at www.england.nhs.uk
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Membership Spring 2015
Join us at
events
Throughout the year we hold many events to meet members,
promote healthy living and raise awareness of our services.
Here are some key dates for your diary. All members are welcome:
11 to 17 May Mental Health Awareness Week - we are supporting
events across Berkshire
8 to 14 June Carers Week - find out what support is available in your area
5 September Reading Pride, Kings Meadow, Reading
23 September AGM, Easthampstead Baptist Church, Bracknell
9 October
World Mental Health Day - we are holding events
across Berkshire.
More events are being finalised. Please check the news page on our website
and follow our social media sites to be kept up-to-date.
facebook.com/berkshirehealthcare
twitter.com/@BHFT
Want to
keep in touch
We would love to tell you more about our events that might be of interest
to you, but due to budget constraints we can’t always post invites out.
If you would like to be included on our email invite lists, please send an
email to [email protected], with your full name and
postcode along with your particular areas of healthcare interests.
Thank you for being a member of Berkshire Healthcare.
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www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk
Membership Spring 2015
Our very successful
flu campaign
of 2014/15
We were one of the top performing NHS trusts at helping
to prevent you from getting the flu this past winter.
More than 71 per cent of our patient facing staff had the flu jab, putting
us in top place among mental health trusts and second place among
community health trusts, according to figures collated by Public
Health England.
“Caring for you is our top priority so it is really important we protect
patients, colleagues and family members by getting our flu jab”,
explained Debbie Fulton, Clinical Director for Slough and Bracknell
and Deputy Director of Nursing who led the campaign.
This year more staff had the jab than ever before and we are delighted
that we have been shortlisted in the most improved staff flu
campaign in the 2014/15 Public Health Flu Fighter Awards.
Our Medical Director,
Justin Wilson and
Julian Emms our CEO
(right) leading the way.
Thank you to everyone who had their jab. 19