PS MAGAZINE www.liverpoolcommunityhealth.nhs.uk

ISSUE 30 | WINTER 2014

LCH launch 2014's

Staff Flu Campaign IN THIS ISSUE...

POWER TO THE

PEOPLE

SHARING LEARNING

DIGGING DEEP

Deputy Chief Executive's Welcome As summer has quickly turned to autumn, staff across the Trust have continued the development of the new locality model of working. Our services and staff are beginning to realign themselves with our local GP partners to ensure that community services are more reflective of the health needs of the population that we serve. The other critical element of this transformation is that clinicians and frontline staff will be driving the change themselves and making decisions with patients which we feel will take us even further towards improving their lives. The Trust recently launched our Care & Compassion Programme, which helps us focus on all the great work that our staff do on a daily basis, reflecting on how challenging a role can be at times and celebrating our achievements. Staff also launched the ‘Immunise Your Selfie’ campaign, which aims to encourage staff to get their flu vaccine in order to protect not only themselves, but also friends, family and patients from catching the flu this winter, re-enforcing one of our top priorities at LCH; health and wellbeing. In this issue, we bid a fond farewell to Sue Ryrie MBE and Wally Brown OBE, two long-standing members of our Board who were committed to the local community and the NHS. We also say goodbye to Jill Byrne, Interim Director of Nursing, who has taken up a new challenge in Jersey. Finally, we also celebrate some of the incredible achievements of our staff, including Kim Rockliffe and Iain White, both of whom took on enormous challenges of cross-country cycling to raise money for Cancer Charities. I hope you enjoy reading about all of our successes and achievements in this issue of PS Magazine.

Gary Andrews

Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust

Annual General Meeting LCH invited members of the community from across Merseyside to attend their Annual General Meeting (AGM) this September. During the event, which took place on 25th September, the Trust presented the Annual Report and Financial Accounts for 2013/14 and highlighted key achievements from the last year.

COVER STORY: LCH launch the 2014 Staff Flu Campaign

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The AGM provided attendees with an opportunity to learn about the Trust, the work it has done to support people to stay healthy in communities across Liverpool, Sefton and Knowsley over the last 12 months, to listen to future plans, and ask questions to members of the Board.

MOVING

ON Sue Ryrie & Wally Brown In October we said goodbye to both Sue Ryrie MBE and Wally Brown OBE, two of the Trusts’ Non-Executive Directors who have left LCH after working for the Trust since it was formed. During his time with us, Wally chaired the HR committee, the Equalities Committee and the Audit Committee. His passion and commitment have been key to help shape an organisation that provides the best possible service to all, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, disability or sexual orientation. Likewise, Sue has also continuously championed high quality clinical care and improved patient experience.

Jill Byrne In October, our Interim Director of Nursing, Jill Byrne, left the Trust to take up a new challenge in Jersey. Jill has made a great impact during her five months with LCH, taking on work to improve our Offender Health Service, shadowing the Emergency Response Team, visiting frontline nursing staff and patients and setting up a new staff development programme called Care and Compassion. Following an overwhelmingly positive response to the Care and Compassion programme, over 1000 LCH staff have now attended and benefitted from hearing the heart-warming story of Matt King and experienced the high energy and motivation from the workshops delivered by Steve Head.

Both Sue and Wally will be familiar faces to many of our staff and patients, as they both visited a wide range of our services, and will be greatly missed by the organisation.

We would like to thank Jill for all her hard work and dedication to improving the morale of our workforce following a difficult start to the year.

We want to thank them both for their tremendous contributions in shaping local NHS Services and wish them both the very best in their future plans.

We wish her all the best in her new role in Jersey.

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Cycle & Walk for Health wear pink for Breast Cancer LCH’s Cycle for Health and Walk for Health initiatives showed their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October. On Monday 29th September, Cycle for Health launched a month of awareness activities, taking place around the city, by asking members of their cycling group to wear pink t-shirts on some of their regular cycle routes. The first group set off from Liverpool Cricket Club in Aigburth and cycled along the Otterspool Promenade to the Albert Dock, and back again – all dressed in pink.

A number of the Walk for Health groups, whose regular walks take them around Liverpool’s parks and open spaces, also wore the pink t-shirts sporting the message, “Big or Small, Check ‘Em All”. Maureen Sayer, a Health Promotion Specialist, also gave the cyclists and walking groups some simple information and tips on how to be breast aware before they set off on their routes. To find out more about Cycle for Health or Walk for Health session, including times and locations, call 0151 295 3238 or 0151 295 3256.

Awareness Roadshows his October, together with T local partners, LCH ran a series of Breast Cancer Awareness events across the city, with the aim of educating women on how to be more ‘breast aware’ and spot the early signs and symptoms of breast cancer. As part of these events, our Public Health Team ran Breast Cancer Awareness Roadshows in Neighbourhood Health Centres across the city where information and advice on breast care was available. Staff from the local cancer support charity, Liverpool Sunflowers, were also on hand to provide further support. An information event was also held to coincide with World Mental Health Day on Wednesday 15th October at the Rosie Child Centre, which aimed to highlight the greater risk of developing breast cancer for women experiencing mental health problems. Further drop-in sessions took place between 29th-30th October at the Health Information Centre, with short talks on being breast aware and UV scanning, along with advice from health professionals. In addition, there was also a Ladies Pamper Event on Thursday 30th October, hosted with Liverpool Sunflowers, Big Love Sista, the Community Health Ambassador Team (CHAT) and Boots, for those recently diagnosed with cancer and their supporters. A range of ‘feel-good’ activities gave women the chance to relax, enjoy some

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pampering and talk to survivors about their journey to recovery, as well asking advice from health specialists. There was also an art exhibition on display, featuring work created by cancer survivors as part of an art-therapy project. Maureen Sayer, Health Promotion Specialist, said: “Many of our activities for Breast Cancer Awareness Month focussed on teaching women how to spot early signs of breast cancer, giving them the best possible chance of beating the illness. “Although breast cancer occurs most commonly in women over 50, we wanted to remind women of all ages to be breast aware, to take good care of their breasts and to check them regularly so that they can spot any unusual changes early.” The main signs and symptoms to look out for include: ● Changes in the usual breast shape or size ● C  hanges in skin texture such as dimpling, puckering, lumps or thickening of breast tissue ● A  ny redness or rash on/around the nipple or breast ● Inverted nipples or unusual nipple discharge ● A  ny unusual pain or swelling in the breast, arm pit or collarbone area. If you do spot any unusual changes in or around the breast area, you should see your GP as soon as possible.

LONDON TO PARIS 24 HOUR CYCLE CHALLENGE Iain White, from LCH’s Finance Team, has completed a marathon cycling challenge from London to Paris in aid of Prostate Cancer charities. Iain, from Formby, has undertaken a 24 hour, 280 mile cycle ride in support of the fight against prostate cancer. Iain took on the challenge over 6th - 7th September alongside 150 other riders. Starting at the O2 Arena in London, the group cycled through Kent before catching an evening ferry to France. They then followed a night ride through rural France before finishing at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Iain has also taken part in a range of other charity fundraising events, including running the London Marathon in 2005. So far, Iain has raised £1,200 and donations are still coming. To support him visit: www.justgiving. com/Iain-White2

THE GREAT “CYCLE” OF CHINA Kim Rockliffe, a Phlebotomist from our Blood Testing Service, has recently completed a marathon cycling challenge across China in aid of cancer charities.

LCH joins in the fun for In September, staff from across LCH took part in the ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ for Macmillan Cancer Support. Staff got involved by organising a Coffee Morning in their own work place or community, with all proceeds being donated to support cancer sufferers. Those who participated included staff from the Specialist Palliative Care Team, CEDAS, the Health Information Centre, Life Bank and the Trust Headquarters at Liverpool Innovation Park, as well as many others across the Trust. Gary Andrews, Deputy Chief Executive at LCH said, “Each year our staff are invited to take part the ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ for Macmillan Cancer Support and we always get a fantastic response. “It’s a cause that is very close to our hearts since many of our nurses and frontline teams work in a palliative care environment, providing care to people suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses across Liverpool and Sefton.” This year was no exception, with many staff generously donating their baking skills, personal time and money to help support members of the local community who are living with cancer. Staff across the Trust successfully raised over £1000 through their coffee morning fundraisers. Well done to all who participated!

Kim, who lives in West Derby, has undertaken a 279 mile cycle ride in support of the fight against breast, ovarian and cervical cancers. Kim took on the challenge alongside her two sisters and a friend. They formed part of a 100-strong, women-only team of cyclists riding through China to support the work of three charities: Breast Cancer Care; Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust; and Ovarian Cancer Action. The cycle route involved riding both on and off the road and gave the group the opportunity to experience rural China, away from the usual tourist trails and hotspots. Kim’s fundraising target was £3,200 and so far she has raised over £5,700 with donations still coming in. If you would like to support her fundraising please visit www.justgiving.com/kim-rockliffe to donate directly to the charity.

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MISSION MACEDONIA TO

PS MAGAZINE

In October, staff from SAFE Place and Merseyside Police were invited to visit Skopje in Macedonia, to deliver training to professionals on how to improve support for the victims of sexual assault and hate crimes. Run by LCH in partnership with Merseyside Police, SAFE Place is Merseyside’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, offering free and confidential support to anyone affected by sexual violence – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service is widely recognised as an example of best practice in Europe. As a result Shelly Stoops, SAFE Place Manager, and Chief Superintendent Tim Keelan were invited to spend several days with the Macedonian Police Force and the Healthy Options Project Skopje (HOPS) Team to provide training and advice to help them improve their services for the city’s sex workers and drug users. Skopje currently has a high rate of sexual assaults, child sex exploitation and attacks against sex workers. They are keen to learn more about the successful partnership model developed here in Liverpool between the Police and healthcare professionals, known as the ‘Merseyside Model’. As well as delivering training for the Macedonian team, Shelly and Tim were also invited to shadow and observe the HOPS Outreach Team to see how they currently deliver their outreach services to sex workers and drug users in Skopje and suggest improvements. Shelly Stoops, SAFE Place Manager commented: “Travelling to Macedonia to share our knowledge and experience, on how we have improved safety and support for sex workers here in Liverpool, by closely partnering with the Police was a great privilege.” “I think the team benefitted greatly from hearing from our experiences and from hearing our advice after shadowing their outreach team too.” “It’s reassuring to know that our presence made a positive impact on the sex workers and the teams working with them in Skopje. We hope to keep in touch with our colleagues in HOPS in the future in order to support continual improvement too.” If you have been the victim of sexual assault recently or at any time in the past, you can access SAFE Place Merseyside for free and confidential help and advice, either with or without Police involvement. You can contact SAFE Place directly by calling 0151 295 3550 or visit: www.safeplacemerseyside.org.uk

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start for Freshers this September LCH and Merseyside Police partnered to launch a new student safety campaign for Liverpool Universities and Colleges Fresher’s Week this September. Staff from LCH’s Sexual Health Service, SAFE Place and Merseyside Police distributed Student Survival Packs containing safety information and health advice at the Fresher’s Fairs at universities across Liverpool. They also offered free, confidential and on-the-spot sexual health screenings to new students. Activities focused on encouraging students to protect themselves against the risks of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s), highlighting the importance of sensible drinking, looking after their property, and staying safe whilst they’re out and about in the city. In addition, SAFE Place staff delivered short presentations to students at various halls of residents across all of Liverpool’s universities and colleges, giving tips and advice on keeping safe, sensible drinking, healthy eating, drug use and safer sex.

Liverpool supports

WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY LCH worked in partnership with Liverpool City Council and a range of local partners to support World Suicide Day in September. The annual awareness day aims to promote worldwide action to help improve mental health and reduce suicides. This year’s theme was all about ‘connecting with others’. Throughout the day, agencies from across the city hosted a range of awareness activities and events to help people find out more about mental health. LCH’s Public Health Team delivered three suicide awareness training sessions at a Health Event at Goodison Park, alongside CHATs and Everton in the Community. The sessions were free and open to any members of the public to attend. C.A.L.M. (Campaign Against Living Miserably) were also situated in Liverpool’s Paradise Street, raising awareness about suicide and men’s mental health issues, offering a space to chill out, chat to professionals or pick up free information and advice from their Calm Zone tent. In addition, a series of one hour training sessions were delivered to train over 200 healthcare professionals and staff from local businesses across the city on how to be more suicide aware.

Following Fresher’s week, the Chlamydia Screening Outreach Team have been visiting student halls of residence and a range of popular student bars, pubs and nightclubs including Mondays at Aura, Wednesdays at Medication and Thursdays at Garlands to offer chlamydia screening and general sexual health advice to students and young people under their 'Love is Infectious' campaign. Students were also signposted to Liverpool’s new BEAT city health centre which offers a wide range of services including an Abacus Sexual Health Clinic, an NHS Walkin Centre, Health Information Centre, and the Armistead Centre which provides specialist advice for LGBT individuals - all conveniently located under one roof. Entrances are located on Hanover Street and David Lewis Street. For all general enquiries, please call: 0151 247 6500 or visit: www.liverpoolcommunity health.nhs.uk for more information on these services and their opening hours.

Every year about 5000 people die in the UK through suicide. In Merseyside and Cheshire alone, there were 583 deaths through suicide between 2010 – 2012, 80% of which were in males. It’s estimated that a further 51,630 people in Merseyside struggle with suicidal thoughts and 8,405 people attempt suicide each year. Paul White, Mental Health Lead for LCH explains, “As men, we aren’t always good at talking about how we feel, especially if we’re feeling down or struggling to cope with stress or anxiety about things like work, relationships, unemployment or financial pressures. “But not talking about these kinds of feelings can be hugely detrimental to your long-term health, so during World Suicide Prevention Day and beyond we want to encourage every man to find someone that they can talk to, whether that’s a friend, a partner, a relative, or a health professional, and not to just struggle on alone.” For more help or information on local services which can help support positive mental health and wellbeing, please contact your GP. Alternatively, you can contact CALM on 0800 58 58 58 or www. thecalmzone.net or you can visit the Wellbeing Liverpool website at: www.wellbeingliverpool. co.uk

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Sharing Learning with North Somerset Staff from NSCP with LCH Children’s Team

Our Children’s Team were recently visited by two health managers from North Somerset Community Partnership (NSCP). Helen Barrett, Assistant Lead for Children and Young Peoples Services, and Eleanor Powell, Assistant Lead for Service Redesign and Business Management, visited LCH in September. They were keen to learn how our Health Visiting teams are using new technologies to help improve care for new parents and babies and to share good practice between the Trusts. During the day, they had the opportunity to shadow a Community Nursery Nurse on home visits to observe how our Health Visiting teams are using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires to help track a child’s development. They also heard how the teams are using Community EMIS Web to record patient data more easily and about how we are adopting mobile technology such as tablets to support a more agile and flexible workforce in delivering patient care. In addition, they also had an opportunity to see a demonstration of eRedbook; a new online version of the paper-based Redbook which is given to all parents when their baby is born. The visitors were keen to hear about this new development which is being piloted in Liverpool and the potential for using it in their own organisation in the future. For more information about eRedbook go to www.eredbook.org.uk/liverpool or ask your health visitor.

recognised by National e-Health Awards 2014 The eRedbook project, supported by LCH, has been recognised as a finalist at the national eHealth Awards 2014. The awards ceremony took place in October at the Roundhouse in London, to recognise and reward examples of excellence in healthcare IT from across the UK. The eRedbook is an electronic version of the Redbook given to all parents at the birth of their baby, which enables parents to manage their children’s personal health records online. The scheme was recognised in the category of ‘Best Healthcare IT Product Innovation’. The eRedbook was developed by Year Zero, part of the Technology Strategy Board’s DALLAS Programme, with support from technology firm Sitekit. LCH has been supporting its development by testing the system with Health Visitors and new parents in Liverpool & Sefton. Over 450 local families are already signed up and are using eRedbook. The project was also recognised for ‘Best Digital Innovation in Public Services’ at the Nominet Internet Awards 2014 earlier this year. To find out more about the eRedbook or to sign up to start using it now, you can simply log onto: www.eredbook.org.uk/liverpool or ask your family health visitor for more information.

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LCH Runs Men’s Health Month Campaign

Movember In November, staff from across LCH are being encouraged to grow a moustache to help raise awareness for men’s health messages throughout ‘Movember’.

“This is especially true when it comes to cancer, since early diagnosis and treatment massively improves your chances of beating the illness.”

Men have a

14% risk of

The Public Health Team are also hosting a series of special men’s health information events to help promote ‘Movember’ to members of the public. A series of men’s health MOTs (on- the-spot mini health checks) will be on offer at the NHS Health Information Centre on Hanover Street on Thursday 20th November. Health advisors from the Trust will also be offering free information and advice on a range of men’s health issues including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, alcohol and mental health issues on Thursday 13th November and Thursday 27th November, between 12.00 – 9.00pm at Boots in Liverpool’s Clayton Square. Paul White, Mental Health Lead for LCH explains: “The Movember moustache is fast becoming a nationally recognised symbol to help get people talking about common men’s health issues, particularly prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health. “We know that men often find it difficult to talk about their feelings or health concerns, and are also far less likely to go for a health check up than their female counterparts, all of which can be hugely detrimental to their long-term health.

higher developing cancer than women in the UK The reasons for the poor state of men’s health are numerous and complex, but typically include a lack of awareness around how to spot the early warning signs of cancer, a greater reluctance amongst men to talk openly about their health concerns and a slowness to take action when they feel unwell. If you are at all concerned about your health please speak to your GP, or for more advice on men’s health issues you can drop into the NHS Health Information Centre on Hanover Street throughout November (open Mon to Fri,10am - 4pm) To find out more about Movember, please visit: www.uk.movember.com

Prostate cancer will affect as many

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as in at some point in their lifetime www.liverpoolcommunityhealth.nhs.uk 9

PS MAGAZINE

KEEP WARM, KEEP WELL THIS WINTER LCH is urging Liverpool residents to start getting ready for winter. The LCH Community Matrons who work across the city want to make sure the recent warm autumn weather doesn't leave a sting in the tail for older people and those with long-term health conditions as temperatures start to drop. LCH is offering five top tips to keep you healthy during winter:

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KEEP WARM Wrap up warm and take care on slippery surfaces if going outside. At home, set your heating to between 18 - 21ºC and when it’s cold wear several light layers of warm clothes. If you can’t heat all the rooms you use, heat the living room during the day and the bedroom just before you go to sleep.

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EAT WELL AND HAVE PLENTY OF FLUIDS Try to make sure you and your family have regular hot drinks and at least one hot meal a day if possible. Food and water are vital sources of energy and help keep your body warm as the temperature drops.

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GET A FLU JAB You can have a free flu jab to protect against seasonal flu from your GP if you are over 65, pregnant, or have a long-term health condition.

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STAY ACTIVE Regular exercise will make you feel more energetic, which should make it a little easier to get out of your warm bed on cold, dark mornings.

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LOOK OUT FOR OTHERS If you have any older neighbours or relatives, look out for them to make sure they feel safe and well.

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LCH launch

LCH have launched a new campaign to encourage health staff to get the flu vaccination to protect their patients and colleagues this winter. The ‘Immunise Your Selfie’ campaign is based on the popular ‘selfie’ photograph and aims to highlight how everyone can take responsibility for staying healthy this winter by having the flu jab. The campaign features staff members from across the Trust posing for a selfie photo and highlighting their own, personal reasons for getting the flu jab this year – whether that’s to protect themselves, their patients, or a sick or elderly family member or relative. Over the coming weeks, all of the Trust’s workforce will be encouraged to join them in receiving the flu vaccination, and to share their own ‘flu selfies’ with colleagues online to help reinforce the message too.

'So To Speak' embrace the 'Selfie' campaign!

2014 Flu Campaign... “I'm getting the flu jab because my mum's on chemo.” Tor Shaw-Twigg Communications and Engagement Officer

Jill Byrne, former Director of Nursing for the Trust explains: “Contrary to common belief, the flu is not just a serious cold or small bug. It is a highly contagious infection that leaves people feeling very unwell for a number of days, and it can be extremely serious and even lifethreatening in some instances, especially for older members of our community or those living with existing, long-term health conditions.”

If you are over 65, pregnant or have a longterm condition, you can have a free flu jab to protect against seasonal flu, just contact your GP.

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Power to the

people New technology often grabs the headlines when it comes to the great work More independent (Mi) does, but there’s so much more to it than that. Health and care technology can be a truly fantastic addition to many people’s lives but what can be even more remarkable are the people who make it work for you. Health technology (Telehealth) allows someone suffering with long-term conditions like diabetes, heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) to monitor their health at home and send information wirelessly to health professionals. But where exactly does your information go? Well, it’s likely that it will go to Cathy Gillespie and the Nursing Team at the LCH Health Technology Hub; where they have a very experienced group of highly trained nurses keeping an eye on you and your condition. The way it works is that when you enter your weight or your blood pressure it’s sent to the Hub to be checked. The nurses then look at your readings alongside your other medical data and make a decision about the best way that they can help you, whether it’s giving you a call, talking to your GP or contacting your Community Matron. This can help prevent problems before they start and significantly reduce the need for someone to go into hospital. Cathy says “Reassurance is one of the biggest benefits of health technology for patients, just knowing that there’s somebody keeping an eye on them and ready to help if they need it can be a great comfort. It’s also great at helping patients learn more about their condition and become more capable of looking after themselves. This can really help to ease the strain on families and what’s great is that you don’t need a computer, you don’t need

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to have broadband and you don’t even need a TV! Just contact your GP surgery and ask about health technology to find out how you can get it.” The Mi 24 hour helpline, provided by Mi partner, Riverside is also another service that looks to offer reassurance and support to this group of people, but it does so in a very different way. Health technology helps patients and their families to manage their condition and stop problems before they start but it’s not for emergencies. If you or a family member suffer a fall then a falls package can detect this and within seconds you’ll be speaking to an expert helper like Neil Garde. Neil is just one of the caring and highly trained people at the Mi helpline who are ready and waiting to help you 24/7. He explained to us how “Every team member completes an intensive 7-day training course, involving a lot of one to one practical training to ensure that they’re able to deal with all kinds of problems, even life and death situations in a quick, calm and reassuring manner.” Like Cathy, Neil feels that reassurance is one of the best things that they can offer patients and carers with the helpline. “Family members often tell me that they’re just so relieved that they know their relative is safe and they don’t need to worry about them all of the time anymore.” If you think that you or a family member could benefit from the reassuring presence of either health technology (Telehealth) or a falls package then please call the LCH Hub on 0151 285 4651, speak to your GP or call the Mi helpline free on 0808 100 1929.

Elderly Care Doctor takes on leadership role at LCH Community Geriatrician, Dr Asan Akpan from Aintree University Hospital currently works with health professionals in South Sefton to support older people to remain at home for longer. In a new role as Associate Medical Director for LCH, Dr Akpan will now also be providing expert advice and support to the Trust as it develops more locally based care, across Sefton and Liverpool.

Shortlisted for European Innovate Dementia Award LCH Liveability Service has been named runner up for a European Innovate Dementia Award.

His appointment is part of a new approach by LCH to help increase clinical leadership across the organisation, as it works to expand and improve care closer to where people live. Commenting on his appointment, Dr Asan Akpan said: "I am delighted to take on this new role alongside my existing work with South Sefton’s community health services for older people. “LCH is embarking on a period of change which is all about supporting and empowering frontline health professionals to deliver joined-up community health services, in collaboration with our local community hospitals and doctors, with decisions about those services being made closer to where people live and better reflecting what patients need.”

The annual awards recognise the very best of initiatives from across Europe that contribute to improving the daily life of people with dementia.

LCH and Healthwatch Liverpool worked together to encourage the public to have their say about NHS general dental practices.

Liveability is a nurse-led service which provides specialist exercise classes and gym sessions to help promote physical activity and independence amongst Liverpool’s over 50’s. The team also provides home assessments to help reduce the risk of falls and social isolation.

An event held in September provided a platform for the public to feedback to Healthwatch on their experiences of dental care and also to raise awareness of how to access NHS dental treatment across the city of Liverpool. Members of the LCH Community Dental Health Promotion Team were on hand to chat to people and offer free, professional information and advice on how to brush properly, look after their teeth and keep their mouth healthy. Free toothbrushes and a tube of family fluoride toothpaste was also given to people on the day.

The Liveability Team were nominated for the award by some of their colleagues from Mersey Care and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) for their work in supporting people in Liverpool living with dementia, and their carers.

Our LCH Dental Health Experts top 3 tips:

The team were just one of just three finalists for their award and were invited to present their work to a panel of judges at the World Health and Design Forum in Eindhoven earlier in October. For further information about this service please contact the Liveability Team on 0151 295 9700 or email: liveability. [email protected]

Let’s talk NHS Dental Healthcare

Brush your teeth morning and night using a family fluoride tooth paste, and avoid rinsing with water afterwards Keep sugary food and drinks to a minimum (meal times only) Visit your dentist at least once a year for a routine check-up, even if you don’t have any teeth For further information on accessing General Dental Services please contact Healthwatch Liverpool 0151 227 5177.

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joins Eurochild Conference in Brussels This September a Liverpool schoolgirl showcased the city’s award-winning D-MYST smokefree youth initiative to an audience of leading academics, children’s rights lawyers and policy makers in Brussels. Maia Gaynor, 15 from Toxteth and part of the D-MYST group was invited to present as a guest speaker at a Eurochild Conference on Protecting Children’s Rights as Consumers on Monday 15th September. The conference aimed to explore how advertising and marketing can effect children and young people, with a particular focus on the promotion of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods. D-MYST (Direct Movement by the Youth Smokefree Team) is an action group, run by and for young people in Liverpool, which aims to voice their opinions about the way big tobacco companies target young people. Maia was joined on the trip by Jeff Dunn, Director for Liverpool Schools Parliament, and three of their student representatives who also took part in a panel discussion alongside Maia, as well as Anna Beaumont, Communications & Marketing Manager for LCH. D-MYST has been campaigning against the tobacco industry and spreading smokefree messages in Liverpool since 2005. D-MYST has won a World Health Organisation ‘No Tobacco Day Award’ in 2009 for its work making “a powerful impact on tobacco issues”. For more information on the D-MYST project, please visit: www.d-myst.info

SUPPORT & Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation host health event at Bootle Strand Sefton’s NHS stop smoking team SUPPORT and The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation hosted a health information event at the Strand Shopping Centre during October. An interactive health bus was parked at the front of the Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle and SUPPORT’s Stop Smoking Specialists were on hand to encourage people to take the Stoptober challenge and quit for 28 days and advise people on looking after the health of their lungs. Over 90 people visited the bus for help and advice on stopping smoking and 13 people took the decision to quit smoking on the day. They came away with a stop smoking plan and treatments tailored to help them stop. A number of people also had their carbon monoxide levels measured by the team, so that they can measure the improvements to their health and lungs as they stop smoking. Staff from The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation were also situated at The Strand with their MEGA Lungs exhibition, demonstrating the world’s only portable, inflatable set of walk-through lungs. The MEGA Lungs are approximately 12 feet high, 15 feet wide and 10 feet long, allowing people to step inside the human lung, learn about normal lung functions, and observe examples of lung trauma and disease. You can contact the SUPPORT Team any time for help and advice, by calling Healthy Sefton on: 0300 100 1000 or visit: www.healthysefton. nhs.uk You can also find them on Facebook at facebook.com/SeftonSupport or follow them on twitter @seftonSUPPORT for tips and advice.

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LCH’s Health Promotion team have been encouraging residents to think about what they drink during Alcohol Awareness Week this November.

“We also want to reinforce the message that the guidelines around alcohol units are a recommended maximum daily allowance, so they can’t be saved up for a big night out like food calories can.”

The government advises that people should not drink more than the daily guidelines of 3 - 4 units of alcohol for men (equivalent to a pint and a half of average strength beer), or 2 - 3 units of alcohol for women (equivalent to a medium glass of wine).

It is recommended that pregnant women and women who are trying to conceive should not drink any alcohol at all.

Current statistics show just under a third of men (31%) and one in five women (20%) in the UK, regularly drink more than this recommended safe amount. As part of Alcohol Awareness Week the Trust partnered with Liverpool City Council’s Public Health Team to deliver a series of briefing sessions to prepare staff and other partner agencies across the city for the launch of Dry January, a major national campaign which will encourage people to drink less in the new year. Health advisors also offered free information and advice in a range of community locations, encouraging people to start considering cutting back on how much and how often they are drinking. Andy Ireland, Health Promotion Specialist on Alcohol at Liverpool Community Health explains: “Whilst there is nothing wrong with enjoying the occasional drink, we really want to encourage everyone to think a bit more about how much, and how often, they are drinking alcohol. “Often people think that sensible drinking advice is just for heavy drinkers or those who binge drink in bars and clubs at the weekends, but we also want to remind those who are regularly drinking just a little bit over the recommended daily amount during an evening at home, that this can also seriously affect your health over time.”

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simple tips for making sure you’re drinking sensibly during Alcohol Awareness Week include:

1. Try not to drink more than the recommended daily amount of units which is 3-4 for men, and 2-3 for women 2. Aim to have at least two completely alcohol-free days each week 3. If you are out drinking with friends, drink at your own pace 4. Try to stick to drinks that are lower in strength 5. Drink a soft drink or glass of water between each alcoholic drink as this helps to reduce dehydration.

For further advice on alcohol, including how many calories or units of alcohol are in different types of drinks, alcohol quizzes, safer drinking tips and much more, visit: www.fewerunits.co.uk

Digging Deep

for our team and community

Colleagues at LCH have been taking part in some Team Building days designed to help develop their team skills and benefit the local community at the same time. Teams from across LCH have been invited to spend a day painting, digging, gardening or clearing up on a local community allotment with the aims of strengthening team work and developing their communication skills, which are also vitally important in their everyday clinical roles caring for patients. The most recent group to take part was some of the Child Health Team from South Liverpool, who enjoyed a day of team

building at Seeds Lane Allotments. LCH’s Food & Health Project Manager, Brian Jones has been coordinating the team day activities for staff. There has been an overwhelming response with requests to attend the Digging Deep days. LCH Team Building days are free for staff to attend, fun to participate in, and can be flexibly tailored to suit the needs of different staff groups and teams. To express your interest in taking part, please email: [email protected] Alternatively, staff can contact Brian Jones, LCH’s Food & Health Project Manager.

Tell us a bit about yourself. I’ve worked in the NHS for over 20 years in various roles including Adult Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting and have been involved in Immunisation for 15 years. Before joining LCH, I also worked in Public Health England’s Screening and Immunisation Team and as the Immunisation Lead Nurse at NHS Salford. How would you summarise your new role in LCH? I will be responsible for developing a new Immunisation Policy and for ensuring commissioned immunisation programmes and training are delivered effectively to staff and patients. I’ll also be supporting staff in dealing with complex immunisation cases or issues.

An interview with

Tracey Hart our new Vaccination & Immunisation Lead Nurse 16

What will be your main focus initially? This Autumn sees the launch of our seasonal staff flu period and it’s vital we encourage as many staff as possible to receive the flu jab and protect their patients. I’ll also be supporting the transition of immunisations to Primary Care and making sure that additional programmes are implemented properly. What do you anticipate will be the biggest challenges ahead? Immunisation schedules change constantly, which always presents challenges for Trusts. Recently, significant changes have occurred which will increase workloads for all staff involved in immunising, and we will all need to work together to maintain high coverage of immunisations for children and young people across Liverpool and Sefton. Any other thoughts you’d like to get across to staff? There continue to be changes with immunisations and all of our staff have worked hard to ensure LCH maintains high immunisation coverage. I hope to meet many teams over the next few months and that staff feel able to contact me if they have any queries or issues around immunisations. To contact Tracey, call: 0151 295 3144 or email [email protected]

Making

Every Contact Count

June 2014 Alex Black

LCH has preventing ill health at its core, and the best way for staff to support this within their one million yearly patient visits or contacts is by making ‘Every Contact Count’ (ECC). Every Contact Counts training gives staff the knowledge and confidence to have conversations with their patients about staying healthy. It is for all LCH staff and teams, from receptionists and radiographers to care assistants and community matrons, because everyone can pass on simple health messages to patients, colleagues, family or friends - no matter what their role. Our recent Care Quality Commission report highlighted that staff were good at supporting patients to selfcare, with our ECC training courses highlighted as an effective part of promoting better health amongst local communities. Since ECC training first launched last year, over 800 staff from the Trust have already been through the course. Everyone who completes the training receives a free handy sized ECC guide to help them put what they have learned into practice. This gives staff on the front line relevant and up to date information to support their patients to make healthier choices.

Alex Black

July 2014 Margaret Coudis Margaret has won Employee of the Month for exceeding the expectations of her job on a daily basis. Always showing empathy towards patients, relatives and staff, Margaret ensures that all tasks, no matter how complex, are dealt with in a timely manner. This helps prevent a delay in treatment and ensures patients receive the best possible care. She is an asset to the Trust by not only promoting LCH, but also in building external relationships with other organisations with the best interests of the patient at heart.

June 2014

Katerina Neophytou, a nurse at Princess Park Health Centre, who recently completed ECC training said: “As health professionals, we’re not just here to treat patients when they are sick, but also to help prevent patients becoming ill in the first place.

Adam Lamen

“Every Contact Counts is a really practical course which gives you the tools to do exactly that. I would definitely encourage other staff to sign up to do it if they haven’t already.” LCH’s Public Health Team has also recently developed a short film for staff to help promote ECC training to staff and partner organisations. To watch the film and be inspired, please visit http://youtu.be/5v4zOfRrvms To find out more about how Every Contact Counts training could support your team or organisation, please contact: Julie Curren on: 0151 295 3554 or email: Julie.Curren@ LiverpoolCH.nhs.uk

Alex won Employee of the Month in recognition of her commitment to her team, patients and families on Ward 35. Alex has been instrumental working alongside others in the organisation to set up and deliver a focus group for carers’ of those with dementia. Her intention is to share this with other patients and colleagues to help improve patient experience and care.

Adam Lamen

Adam achieved Employee of the Month by working tirelessly to ensure his team had a quick turnover on key workforce information for Senior Management Meetings and the Trust Development Authority, alongside his everyday tasks. His commitment and organisational skills ensured that additional work was completed efficiently, with excellent results.

www.liverpoolcommunityhealth.nhs.uk 17

󰃯

PS MAGAZINE

A day in the life of the

Knowsley Options Team Tell us about Options? We are a mixture of nurses and GPs providing an outreach service to vulnerable people in the community, aiming to provide equitable access to healthcare and reduce the pressures on A&E services. Our patients come from a variety of backgrounds and groups that are difficult to reach. For example, people in deprived areas with demanding social circumstances like young mums, victims of domestic violence, those on probation or recently released from prison and the homeless. These are people who lead very chaotic lives who don’t prioritise their health. We also see patients in Nursing Homes. What kind of support do you offer? We try to help patients as much as possible in the first visit as it could be the last time we see them for some time. We can also signpost them to an extensive Primary Care service, like drug and sexual health teams. It could be the only opportunity these people have to access these kinds of services. Are there any other services you provide? We also provide social care as part of our Health and Wellbeing Action Plan and extensive primary care service. This involves helping patients to complete applications for passports or social benefits, contacting specialist health services and counselling services and helping them to get involved in social groups. We also do our best to offer advice on financial problems, as many of our patients find themselves deeply in debt, particularly those in and out of hospital regularly. They may also have limited English, so we could be the only voice a patient has.

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What is the best thing about Options? The biggest benefit of our service is that we provide healthcare to the groups that are not registered with a GP. This could be a result of traumatic experiences or embarrassing health conditions which prevent them from seeking advice. Being in their own environment can make them feel more comfortable and open to talking about issues, particularly those related to sexual health, blood born viruses and contraception. In Nursing Homes, we build relationships with patients and their relatives, which facilitates Advanced Care Planning. What is the biggest concern for the team? The most important thing is education, teaching patients how to be independent, to look after themselves, about personal healthcare and hygiene, to keep their home environment in order and even how to keep the kitchen clean is so important. So far, we have seen dramatic changes in patients that we’ve looked after. We look to make a real difference to patients’ lives and it goes without saying, we’re strictly non-judgemental. For information about the Options Team visit: www. liverpoolcommunityhealth.nhs.uk/health-services/ knowsley-options-gp-service.htm

󰃯ecipes

Our Community Food Workers have provided the following healthy cut-out and keep recipes, which are ideal for the winter evenings.

Chicken and mushroom hotpot

Ingredients

2 tablespoons polyunsaturated oil 4 or 5 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces 1 onion, chopped 6ozs/175g mushrooms, sliced 4 sticks celery, sliced 3 carrots, sliced 1lb/450g potatoes, thinly sliced 1 teaspoons mixed herbs ¾ pt/450ml of chicken stock (made with a stock cube) 2 heaped teaspoons corn flour Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Method

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF (Gas mark 6). Fry the chicken in the oil for 3-4 minutes until brown all over. Remove from the pan and set aside. Fry the onion, celery and carrots in the pan for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms along with the herbs and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to the boil stirring all the time, then return the chicken to the pan. Mix the corn flour to a smooth paste with a little cold water and remove some of the hot liquid from the pan and mix well with the paste. Pour into the pan and stir well until the mixture begins to thicken. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Pour the chicken into a casserole dish and cover the mixture with the sliced potatoes. Place into the oven and cook for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Homemade chicken soup

Ingredients

1kg/2lb chicken pieces 1 large onion, peeled and chopped small 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 3 celery stalks, sliced 2-3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed 1ltr/2 pints chicken stock made with 2 stock cubes and the liquid from boiling the chicken (if not enough make up with boiling water) vegetable oil 1 cup of milk Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes

Serves 4-5

Serves 4

Method

Skin the chicken pieces then put in a large pan and cover with cold water Bring to the boil, simmer for 30 mins, remove chicken from the pan then cool, pull the meat from the bones and chop small. Reserve the liquid. Fry the onion for 5 mins in a little oil over a low heat then add the rest of the vegetables. Continue to cook for another 10 mins to soften. Add the chicken stock to the pan and simmer for another 20 mins till soft enough to liquidise. Liquidise till smooth then add the chopped chicken to the pan with a cupful of milk and warm through. If you have any parsley you can garnish the soup or celery tops! All though this soup is not chunky it is still full of vegetables. If you like it chunkier only liquidise half and add a can of sweetcorn.

www.liverpoolcommunityhealth.nhs.uk 19

Thank

YOU

Thank you to all the staff on Ward 35 (Bed-based Intermediate Care, Aintree Hospital) Members of your staff who looked after my mother showed not only great empathy towards her but also their day to day duties were carried out with when required, with a great sense of humour. It was that level of humour that contributed to my mother’s quick recovery. Each time I visited my mother, I found that the level of care showed by your staff was also uplifted but the way they engaged in friendly banter with her and her visitors. This degree of humour, which in my opinion is to be praised, as time spent in hospital can be made that much happier if not only their medical needs are being dealt with but a comedic and friendly atmosphere can also be a great healer.

Old Swan Walk-in Centre Recently my Dad who is 83 had a nasty fall. The treatment he received at Old Swan Walk In Centre was excellent. All the staff where fantastic from the reception to the nurses. I would like to say "Thank you" to you all.

Smithdown Children’s Walk-in Centre The staff are amazing, they take the time to see to your child properly and to listen to the parent’s concerns. I have visited this centre a few times over the past 4 years with both of my young children with various problems and have never been made to feel like an "over-protective" or "over-reacting" parent. The staff have always put my mind at ease and been fantastic with my children. This walk in centre is wonderful and we are lucky to have it!

Litherland Walk-in Centre I received treatment at this centre was astounded by the level of care I received - it was fantastic. I had infected insect bites on my arm and was called through to triage within ten minutes of waiting. Once in triage the Nurse Prescriber was able to prescribe a course of antibiotics, whilst also being one of the most friendly medical professionals I have encountered in a long time. Thank you very much for the wonderful care.

PS

FEEDBACK

Tel: 0151 295 3200 • E: [email protected]

www.splinter.co.uk 0151 709 9066