Staff flu campaign launched

October 2012 – Issue 12 Have you completed your mandatory training? Staff flu campaign launched Whittington Health launched its 2012 staff flu campa...
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October 2012 – Issue 12

Have you completed your mandatory training?

Staff flu campaign launched Whittington Health launched its 2012 staff flu campaign on Monday 1 October. To mark this, the Express caught up with Helen DeCoteau Grant, occupational health nurse advisor (pictured giving chief executive, Yi Mien Koh a flu injection), to find out why this is important and to talk about her role. My team is concerned with maintaining the health and wellbeing of Whittington Health staff. We assess all staff on commencement of employment to ensure they are fit for work and we monitor sickness absence. Employees can present with a range of physical and mental health conditions, which we assess and, where appropriate, make referrals to help manage or treat the condition. Some common ailments that we see fairly regularly include stress, musculoskeletal disorders and many other work related problems. My job is to help and empower others to do their jobs. The most rewarding element is when someone comes in feeling negative, worried or nervous and they leave feeling happier and more positive. To be able to address and alleviate their anxiety is a great feeling. When someone is worried about getting a jab I explain exactly what I am doing and talk them through what they should expect to feel. Having worked as a nurse on the wards and having worked in the community, I feel I have a good understanding of the health and wellbeing issues our staff members face. As well as all of the usual work, the staff flu campaign is a big project at the moment. I am the immunisation lead for occupational health, so I’ve been busy setting up all the clinics at various sites across Haringey and Islington (a list of clinics, the consent form and some frequently asked questions can be found on

the intranet). As a team we will all be working very hard to ensure that all staff are educated about the importance of having the flu jab so that as many staff members as possible get immunised this year. The flu vaccine is really important to keep yourself, your family and your patients safe. Flu can be very serious for certain groups and whilst flu may not manifest itself in you, it is possible to pass it on to vulnerable patients and family members. Getting the jab can also help reduce the burden on your colleagues - if you come down with flu and you can’t work it puts a stain on your colleagues and the service you work in. There are a lot of misconceptions about

the jab, but I’d like to emphasise that healthy people can and do get the flu. Whilst flu isn’t life threatening for most healthy people, it can be very serious for those with a suppressed immune system. The side effects of the vaccine are very mild and many people do not have any side effects at all. The jab cannot give you the flu as it doesn’t contain the live virus. The seasonal flu vaccine is one of the safest vaccines in the world and can be used on pregnant women; we wouldn’t waste money on buying it if it didn’t help protect against the flu virus. Of course I’ve had my flu jab as I always practice what I preach!

contents October 2012

upcoming events and notices

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Farewell to Celia Ingham Clark

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Whittington Health annual staff conference – Friday 19 October 2012

News: what’s going on • Whittington consultant shortlisted for top award • Whittington in Bloom

Whittington Health is delighted to announce that the annual staff conference will be held at Cecil Sharp House on Friday 19 October 2012. This is a fantastic way to celebrate our many achievements since becoming an integrated care organisation. A dedicated page for the conference has been set up on the ‘latest news’ section of the intranet, which can be found by visiting our intranet homepage. We will be updating this page with information about the event over the coming months.

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• Olympic dancers visit the Whittington Hospital • Bunjee jump for the Whittington

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International Stammering Awareness Day

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Health visiting

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Whittington oration: Doctors aren’t what they used to be

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The Enhanced Recovery Programme

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From the Chaplaincy

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An interview with Antoinette Webber and Cecil Douglas

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Puzzles

What are we up to? ‘Like’ us on or follow us on @WhitHealth for news and stories about what we’re doing and how you can get involved!

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Free school meals boost learning Recent research has found that eating a healthy school meal can boost academic achievement but hundreds of secondary school children are still missing out. Don’t let your child be one of them! Islington Council offers free school meals to all Islington primary schools and secondary school pupils whose parents claim certain benefits. If your child has just started at a new secondary school, make sure you check whether they are eligible and at the same time save up to £360 a year on lunch costs. Registering is easy, simply visit www.islington.gov.uk/ freeschoolmeals for an application form or pick one up from your child’s school. More information and eligibility criteria is also available online.

Calling all marathon runners – London Marathon 2013

interest or secure your place, please email [email protected] or call the fundraising team on 020 7288 5641.

Royal Parks half marathon To mark turning 50, Marie Nilsson, who works as a speech and language therapist for Whittington Health in Haringey, will be running in the Royal Parks half marathon on Sunday 7 October. Marie will be running on behalf of the charity MIND. Marie explained that MIND provides expert advice, training, counselling, advocacy, befriending system and publications. To sponsor Marie please visit her fundraising page: http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/ MarieNilsson

The Whittington Christmas Special Tuesday 11 December, 7pm at Cecil Sharp House 2 Regent's Park Road London NW1 7AY Performers include: The Company of Elders London Gay Men's Chorus The Angels of Kaos Tickets cost £18 which includes a mince pie or a glass of mulled wine.

All proceeds go to the Whittington's 'care of older people' services. For tickets and information click on www.whittington.nhs.uk/tickets or call 020 7288 5641.

Whittington Health staff are invited to take part in the biggest challenge by running 26.2 miles. Staff can register now to join our London Marathon running team for the event which takes place on 21 April 2013. There are only five spaces available, so to register an Whittington Express

farewell to Celia Ingham Clark, medical director Whittington Health medical director Celia Ingham Clark has left the organisation to take on an exciting new role at NHS London assessing doctors working in the NHS and externally across the capital. Celia first joined the Whittington as a registrar in 1991 for a month, and was back at the hospital 1994 as a senior registrar working with Mr Lock and Mr Cochrane, before becoming a consultant in 1996. Celia continued to work through a varying degree of operational management roles before becoming medical director on 1 November 2004. The role that Celia will be taking on is associate medical director for revalidation and quality at NHS London. This position focuses on a new initiative to beef up annual appraisals for doctors practising in London. Despite this, Celia will remain at Whittington Health one day-per-week working in quality and risk management, explaining: “I am pleased I will still be here, I feel part of the ‘Whittington family’ and have had many happy times within the organisation.” Celia has experienced many developments over the past years, including many success stories and recalls: “As an organisation, we have consistently improved patient safety, and I am pleased to have played my small part in this accomplishment. Mortality rates have fallen at a steady rate, and we have had the lowest mortality ratio in the country according to the latest SHMI report. This is credit to an excellent quality of care, not least due to our high quality education and the hard work of front line staff.” A further recent development that has received praise is emergency ambulatory care, which has the facility to be rolled out into a number of areas as a result of becoming an integrated care organisation. This provides the patient with a seamless care pathway between the hospital and the community.” Celia says her message to the organisation would be “Sick patients are best treated by people who are best placed to help them. It is vital for frontline staff to help the development of strategy and best practice, and I ask anyone that has suggestions on how to improve care to feed their ideas in through their divisional medical director. We can and must develop care from the frontline.”

Kindle for CEO Chief executive Yi Mien Koh won a Kindle for winning the Integrated Care Challenge at the NHS Confederation Conference earlier in the summer. Her idea of a truly integrated patient record between hospital, community service, mental health and social care (with a patient portal) was the best of the many entries they received. Whittington Express

July and August excellence award winners: Congratulations to the winners of the Whittington Health excellence awards for July and August. The winners received their certificates and prizes at the September chief executive's briefing on Thursday 6 September 2012. • Dr Timothy Blackburn • Nurses and cleaning staff on Cloudesley Ward • Sue McLean • Victoria Ward • Sharon Pilditch • Willie Boterill • Coding Team • Geraldine Cooke • Bulent Emirali • Children's Complex and Continuing Care Team • Chen DeSouza • Haringey Children's Services Leadership Team • Hannah Leggett • Keiko Hikata • Matthew Boazman

Whittington ward celebrates excellence A ward at the Whittington Hospital has been honoured by the chief executive for outstanding care and commitment at its monthly excellence awards ceremony on Monday 17 September. Victoria Ward, which cares for surgical patients, has coped with an additional five beds that have remained in situ since last October, adding to their already busy acute base of surgical patients. Despite this, they have remained a strong, professional and committed team providing excellent care, as outlined by the lead of a Dignity in Care Project. Ward manager Sharon Pilditch received an individual award for being proactive and striving for the best standards of patient care. When nominated the award her manager noted that Sharon “has done excellent work in using patient feedback to improve the patient experience and has implemented changes on the ward to enhance this”. Noreen O’Connor from the Victoria Ward, who retired this week after a 33-year nursing career at the Whittington, was also honoured for her unfaltering commitment to her patients at the hospital. Sharon Pilditch said: “We work really hard on the Victoria Ward, sometimes under strained conditions, to provide the highest standards of care for our patients. To be recognised for all our hard work comes a close second to the satisfaction we get from seeing a patient who has recovered well after surgery.”

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news | what’s going on Whittington consultant shortlisted for top award A consultant at the Whittington Hospital in North London has reached the finals in the category Clinical Leader of the Year in the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards for her outstanding contribution to clinical excellence. Dr Caroline Allum, consultant radiologist and associate director of quality and medical appraisal, was nominated by the director of nursing and patient experience, Bronagh Scott, in recognition of her commitment to clinical leadership and her work on a number of innovative projects over the past 12 months. One of Dr Allum’s significant achievements was a project to improve the experience of

Whittington in Bloom

patients at the hospital. After witnessing a crowded clinic, Dr Allum spoke to patients, sought their feedback and then implemented a new system of pagers, to improve the experience of waiting for an appointment. Once, checked-in at reception, patients are issued with a pager, which they can take with them if they need to leave the waiting area, thus avoiding the worry of missing their appointment. Among her other achievements, Dr Allum co-wrote Whittington Health’s Quality Account, consulting a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to enrich the document. She also instigated the development and delivery of a groundbreaking online health risk assessment tool to engage the local population in a dialogue about their health to help improve the wellness of the local population. On hearing of her award nomination, Dr Caroline Allum said: “It’s a total surprise and a complete honour to be shortlisted for this award, particularly as there was such strong competition and a large number of entrants this year. Although it has been hard work, I have really enjoyed the projects I’ve worked on over the past approach the hospital from Archway or Highgate Hill they notice a style, a couple of five-bar gates, an old fashioned signpost, and swathes of plants growing up the slope: in fact they find themselves looking into an English rural landscape. And it can only get better as the new hedging plants mature, as the old perennial weeds are gradually defeated and the new landscape increases in definition. Andrew Smith of the Smith Arison Partnership may be familiar to you having worked in several different clerical capacities

12 months. My core value is to deliver better and safer services for our patients and I hope they will also benefit from the recognition that being shortlisted will bring. Whittington Health is undergoing a programme of transformation and I am pleased be a part of the organisation at such an exciting time.” Bronagh Scott, director of nursing and patient experience, who nominated Dr Allum for the award, said: “Caroline is an engaging, dynamic and innovative clinical leader whose core value is to deliver better care for patients. She has the extraordinary talent of being able to work effectively across professional, departmental and organisational boundaries. She always makes time to listen to and support those in the organisation who need her help. She grasps the nettle when there are issues of patient safety or patient experience, challenging and ensuring change. Caroline is a true asset to Whittington Health.” All finalists will find out if they have won a coveted HSJ Awards on Tuesday 20 November at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.

in the hospital over the last 10 years; and he and Laura Arison have for a while been improving the look of the N19 Restaurant Courtyard. But it is the redesign of the embankment that has caught the eye. As Laura says ‘We’ve got into the habit of calling it Whittington Fields. We hope it’s going to become a cherished feature of the neighbourhood for years to come. We’d like to think it will be known as Whittington Fields for ever.’

You may have noticed the changes that have taken place on the Magdala Avenue embankment outside the hospital: members of the Islington in Bloom judging panel did and have awarded the hospital their ‘Forgotten Corners’ award. You may remember what it was like. Something had to be done about the unruly jumble of shrubs and grasses that had taken over the area. FES, the management team responsible for the PFI building, under whose remit the embankment comes, were persuaded by the landscapers, Smith Arison Partnership, that with a bit of imagination the eyesore could become an asset. And so it has proved. Now when people

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Whittington Express

what’s going on

Olympic dancers visit the Whittington Hospital On Friday 31 August, patients and staff on the two of the Whittington Hospital’s children’s wards were treated to a visit from

Bungee jump for the Whittington

Raj Popat, who used to work for the safeguarding children team at the Whittington Hospital, completed a bungee jump to raise money for the neonatal intensive care unit, along with his colleague and friend Nimisha Desai. Raj and Nimisha completed the daring feat in France, which happens to be one of Europe’s biggest bungee jumps at 182m, on Sunday 9 September dressed as fictional characters Batman and Robin. Raj said: “I had four great years at the Whittington, and I thought it would be nice to spice up the jump a bit and give something back to the organisation.” Nimisha went on: “We wanted to do the Whittington Express

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some of the NHS volunteer performers who took part in the Olympic opening ceremony. The volunteers had organised visits to children’s wards across London, dressed in their costumes, so that children could get into the Olympic spirit even if they could not leave the hospital. The volunteer performers, from NHS London, had given up weeks of their annual leave to rehearse for the opening ceremony on Friday 27 July. Two of the volunteers had

also been involved in the Paralympics opening ceremony on Wednesday evening, which, they said, was just as thrilling. Volunteer Tori Awani, said: “The Games is something that the whole world can enjoy and it was incredibly exciting to have been a part of it. Representing the NHS in the opening ceremony was a real honour as it is such an integral part of our country and something we should be very proud of”.

jump anyway, an then decided it would be great to use it as an opportunity to raise some money for a worthy and local cause. We have friends and family who have been born at the Whittington Hospital, as well as family that still work there. As North Londoners it is great that we were able to help the neonatal ward.” The pair raised awareness through friends and family, and also advertised on the Whittington Health bulletin as Raj’s mother Hasumati and Nimisha’s mother Rekha, both work at the Whittington Hospital. They raised money on their Just Giving site,

https://www.justgiving.com/Nimisha-Raj and have so far reached over £700. Nimisha said: “The jump was quite scary but also exciting, it was the walk back up the mountain that really scared me though, that was crazy!” If there is anyone who is in two minds about taking on a bungee jump, Raj has plenty of words on encouragement: “It is one of the greatest feelings and the adrenaline rush lasts for about 24 hours. While this will be my sixth and final jump, I would recommend this to anyone!”

Black history month This past year London has seen some wonderful events which have both inspired and brought us together as a nation. October marks Black History Month and every year Eddie Kent, on behalf of Whittington Health, hosts a celebratory event to explore black people's heritage, culture and achievements. This year the event will be supported

by some wonderful acts including poetry and health related discussion. You will also have the opportunity to sample some traditional Caribbean and African food. This event is supported and facilitated by a variety of people from all different races, cultures and religious backgrounds. We encourage everyone to join us in what promises to be a fun evening. We very much look forward to seeing you on Friday 26 October from 5pm in the hospital's N19 restaurant.

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news | what’s going on International Stammering Awareness Day 22 October 2012 To recognise International Stammering Awareness Day and to help gain an understanding of what stammering is, and how Whittington Health can help people who stammer, the Express caught up with Elaine Kelman, head of specialty at the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children. The centre to offers a specialist service to children and young people who stammer from all over the UK and currently employs 11 full and part-time specialist speech and language therapists who are supported by an administrative team. Primarily, the organisation cares for patients from Islington and Camden, but they also accept referrals

Pharmacy department transformation

from outside of these boroughs. Elaine, who has worked at the centre since its formation explains, “We are recognised as a centre of excellence across the world, this year alone the team has made presentations in Belgium, America, France and Canada.” Naturally, one of the first thing people ask is ‘how did the centre become associated with Monty Python star Michael Palin?’ Elaine recalls how “Lena Rustin established the organisation in the 1980’s, and was soon approached by Travers Reid, a prominent businessman and founding chairman of Action for Stammering Children, the charity which supports the centre, whose experiences of childhood stammering had convinced him of the need for such a centre. Soon after, Michael Palin agreed to the centre being named after him, having grown up witnessing his own father stammer throughout his life.” The average day for a therapist at the centre consists of spending a morning assessing a patient to ascertain the degree of their stammer and the best way to treat the child, such as particular methods of therapy and where the treatment can take

place. The therapist will also work with the parents and carers to see what small changes at home can be made to help treat the stammer. Elaine says, “These initial meetings can be crucial, the younger we can begin working the child, the better. Many pre-school children will leave us without a stammer and the older children can make significant progress in therapy.” Working with children and helping them control their stammer is extremely rewarding, as it can benefit them throughout their entire lives. They become more confident when it comes to interacting, and this can impact on their education and the way they form relationships. Elaine goes on, “Working as a speech and language therapist is extremely stimulating – we make a real difference to young lives. I would recommend this role to anyone who would like to help people, although it can be difficult to get your first job as an NQT. However it is a wonderful profession to be involved with.” For further information about The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children please call 020 3316 8100 or visit http://www.stammeringcentre.org/

the wrong solution. Pharmacy is often the last place that a patient will visit on their outpatient journey so it is important that we get this experience right for them. The process so far has involved several patients who use the pharmacy, and staff who work in it in a series of workshops. We have also started to test some of our

prototyping ideas in models and in a cardboard pharmacy that we built with a design company called TILT. Over the next few weeks, we will be moving into the outpatient pharmacy space to test our ideas further before working up to a final design solution.

GIVE G I VE A D DOG OG A H HOME OM ME

Rescue dogs llooking R k ffor a lloving caring home

Over the last six months, the pharmacy department has been working on a project to improve the outpatient pharmacy for the patients who use it and the staff who work there. We were accepted onto the Public Services by Design programme run by the Design Council who mentor organisations with service delivery challenges. Designers observe people using a service, then visualise how it could be made better with people who use and provide the service, and then prototype or test ideas quickly and cheaply to avoid resources being spent on

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PPlease call Emma on 07940 550554 or email [email protected]

Whittington Express

what’s going on

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Welcome to health visiting students Whittington Health is delighted to welcome 12 students who will be based in Haringey and Islington. The students attended an induction day on Friday 14 September in Hornsey Central Health Centre, Crouch End where they were welcomed by senior managers, mentors, community practice teachers and other members of the health visiting teams who will support their learning across Haringey and Islington. The students join the organisation at an exciting time for health visiting practice both nationally and locally. The current government wants to increase the number of health visitors to provide services that fit with family life and expectations of the 21st century. Whittington Health is one of the Department of Health’s Early Implementer Sites for health visiting practice, and we are leading the way in transforming, growing

Whittington resuscitation in Florida by Juan Carrasco-Alvarez It was very exciting to have an abstract accepted at the ECCU 2012 conference in Orlando (USA). This is an international conference focus in the management of cardiac arrest in and outside the hospital, gathering professionals and research from the USA and other parts of the world. I had the chance to present “Not on my shift” aimed to share our approach to the prevention and management of in-hospital cardiac arrests at the Whittington Hospital, along with two-year figures supporting our results. The main theme of this presentation was the way the staff of the Whittington Hospital works together towards the goal of patient safety. In my opinion there is something unique about this way of doing things that I think has a lot to do with our results. The recognition in the UK of Clinical Nurse Specialists by other health professionals, and the support they receive from senior physicians doesn’t seem to be a common theme in other countries, which in my Whittington Express

and developing our health visiting services. The students will have opportunities to experience health visiting practice across Haringey and Islington and the model of support that has been set up includes regular facilitated peer group meetings for the students their mentors and practice teachers. This will contribute to developing a opinion, is an advantageous position when it comes to patient care. I had great comments and lots of queries, specially related to our Do Not Attempt Resuscitation policy, and our colour coded observation chart. I had the opportunity to learn about the latest research in post-resuscitation care by Dr Lance Becker with emphasis on hypothermia and cellular death and share some comments about emergency trauma

New Paediatric Advice Services The Whittington paediatric department is pleased to announce the launch of two new services to provide advice and support to local GPs.

Internet advice pages Information and advice on a number of common paediatric conditions is now available on our website: www.whittington.nhs.uk/askpaediatrics The advice pages provide a summary of conditions which are frequently referred to the paediatric outpatient service. They contain advice on when and how to refer to the service.

shared community of health visiting practice across Whittington Health. For further information or if you would like to consider health visiting as a career please contact Jane Grant, Professional Lead for Health Visiting Practice, Whittington Health [email protected] with Dr Anne Weaver HEMS consultant. The most memorable moment of the conference was when survivors of hospital cardiac arrest had a chance to tell their stories, and meet with the people that saved their lives. It was inspiring and emotional and gives a lot of meaning to what we do. Overall a great opportunity to share the great job that all the staff at the Whittington Hospital is doing.

Email advice service An email advice service is available for conditions which do not yet have an advice page and for patient specific queries. Emails should be sent to [email protected] Emails will be answered within three working days by a consultant paediatrician. Full details on using the email service are available via the link www.whittington.nhs.uk/askpaediatrics Please note this service is for GPs only and is not available to parents or carers of children or young people. We welcome feedback from GPs about both these new services. Feedback can be made via the advice email.

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news | what’s going on Whittington oration: Doctors aren’t what they used to be

The ninth Whittington oration was presented by Professor Sir Peter Ruben, chair of the General Medical Council in the Whittington Education Centre on Wednesday 12 September. As Whittington Health chair, Joe Liddane, introduced Professor Ruben he described the oration arranged by Professor Albert Singer and Dr Simon Wiseman as one of the highlights of the year. Professor Ruben’s oration was a retrospective look at the image of physicians over the past 150 years. Looking back now we think of the past as the golden age of medicine when doctors were highly revered. However, in the 1960s a survey showed dissatisfaction among final year medical students. In the 1970s there was great concern over the teaching of anatomy, and the idea that students had more experience back then was refuted by a 1984 survey that found a third of graduates felt unprepared by their final year of training. Diversity was also an issue in the past, with the majority of doctors being white, middle class and male. The idea for a regulatory body for doctors first came about in 1832 as a result of the Poor Law, which said that everyone should have access to a duly qualified doctor. Thomas Wakley was a key player in the creation of the General Medical Council (GMC). He became an MP in order to drive up standards in the medical profession and pushed for statutory regulation, although it took many years to push this through Parliament. The GMC was eventually established by the Medical Act 1858, which set out the functions of the new regulator. These included the regulation of medical education, a comprehensive register of all practitioners, and setting minimum standards for the protection of the public.

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During the Second World War, the banker William Goodenough recognised that the country would need good doctors in the future. He suggested that all medical schools should be co-educational; that there should be financial help for medical students, and that the curriculum should be overhauled. The Royal College of Surgeons did not agree with suggested changes, as they felt they were the authority on the medical profession and that including the Harold Shipman case and the women should not replace men in medical Bristol scandal, can weigh heavily on the school. However, Goodenough’s proposals public’s mind. were implemented and have been very Doctors aren’t what they used to be, that positive for the medical profession. Sixty per is not necessarily a bad thing and while cent of the UK’s new graduates are female many things have changed over time, some and the UK is the world leader in medical things remain the same. Doctors still have to education. synthesize conflicting and incomplete Over the years the GMC has called to information; they still have to deal with attention many issues, such as the poor uncertainty and manage risk; and they still standards of English among many medical have ultimate responsibility for their actions. students. It has also issued guidance on Looking forward doctors will be key standards and professionalism. Early players in empowering patients, by being guidance included a list of things that were open with them, rather than being secretive ‘simply not done’, which included amongst and closed as they were in the past. other things, relationships with patients. Over time this was developed and other new ideas were Delivering High Quality Compassionate Care introduced. The annual The nursing, midwifery and allied health professional strategy retention fee, which 2012-2016 was £2 when first introduced, invoked outrage among To create a culture of care practitioners. and compassion - nurses, I pledge to work Many refused to pay I would like to closely with other midwives and AHPs in encourage pride in health professionals and were threatened to delivering a high to provide a high Whittington Health will quality professional quality of care. enhance the patient and service be struck off the service that users would recommend. user experience by pledging to: medical register. One • Strengthen accountabilities to very important GMC provide assurances that nurses, I pledge to ensure midwives and AHPs consistently publication was that social services and health care deliver high quality productive care Tomorrow’s Doctors, providers will work I will work closer to patients with kindness, dignity, in collaboration to with the patient, respect and compassion which discussed deliver a seamless involving the family service. as much as possible. • Build a culture of openness, professionalism as well innovation and continuous improvement as the differences For myself and my • Be accountable for their actions and team, this is a between education and It is important to powerful message. accept the consequences for involve the service It is key for us to be training. users in their care delivering care which falls below the accountable for our pathway. No decision standard expected actions. As a result about me without me. Over time we have of this I aim to ensure • Be solution focused, flexible and I continue to deliver seen that other vibrant; always striving to work high quality care and efficiently to provide high quality to assist others to professions have had understand how they kind and compassionate care can be part of this their share of bad • Respond flexibly and creatively to strategy. I pledge to help build a culture of openness the challenges of developing high press. A decade ago and continuous quality productive approaches to improvement. vets had the foot and care through integrated care pathways and enhanced recovery mouth epidemic and programmes By respecting people’s I pledge to work dentists have had • Act in partnership and collaboration dignity and right to closer with the district quality care. I will with patients, service users, carers, nurses to ensure we problems with NHS continue to support provide a fluid service families and colleagues to deliver and provide good for patients. the outcomes that matter to waiting lists. But stories nursing care. patients and service users. about doctors,

Our pledge

Whittington Express

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Enhanced Recovery getting better sooner The Enhanced Recovery programme Enabling patients to get better, sooner Dr Martin Kuper started as medical director on 1 October 2012. He immediately launched a major quality initiative to implement Enhanced Recovery principles across Whittington Health, to enable patients to get better sooner after illness. The Whittington have already pioneered Enhanced Recovery pathways in surgery, and will now apply the same principles to pathways across the Trust. The programme will meet the hospital’s five key objectives 1. Integrated care. Components of each enhanced recovery pathway involve primary and community care, before and after the acute illness. All patients are on an enhanced recovery pathway, to enable them to recover from illness sooner by minimising the physical and psychological stress response. Every patient is managed to a plan, so care patients receive does not depend on the day of the week, or which staff are on that day. 2. No decision about me without me. Patients and GPs are involved in design Whittington Express

of the pathways. Patients and their families play an active role, and share responsibility for their recovery from illness. 3. Effective and efficient care. Whenever possible, patients are enabled to receive 'ambulatory' care so they don't need to stay in hospital. Patients who do need to stay receive intensive early input to maximise their recovery. They are supported to return home as soon as they feel safe to. Patients only stay in hospital for good reason, and are helped to return home as soon as they are safe to do so. Patients are not kept in hospital waiting for something to happen or be arranged. This is about respecting patient's time, and the time of our staff. 4. Improving population health. Health behaviour interventions are a key component of enhanced recovery. For example supporting stopping smoking is core to avoiding and recovering from breathing and heart problems. 5. Culture of innovation and improvement. The Whittington pioneered enhanced recovery in surgery, for example by improving care for a broken hip, patients only need stay on average just over one week compared to three weeks before. Working with our patients, GPs and community we will apply the key principles to all our pathways, supporting every patient to recover as soon as they can from acute episodes, and manage any chronic illness as well as they can.

Enhanced Recovery will deliver additional benefits. By respecting peoples time, we will speed flow through the hospital and help meet the four hour target for treating emergency department patients. which we currently sometimes struggle with. Rapid and effective treatment is key to getting patients better sooner, and the whole hospital is judged by this measure, so it is critical in our journey to Foundation Trust status. Optimising flow through the hospital will relieve pressure on our services, particularly in winter when high high bed occupancy and long length of stay make the smooth running of the hospital very difficult. Finally, enhanced recovery delivers efficiency through quality. This will allow us to save resources, while delivering care that our patients and local GPs value. The Whittington Health Enhanced Recovery programme builds on our pioneering work, together with best practice from the NHS and further afield, to deliver excellent patient care. The project board will be chaired by Martin Kuper the new executive medical eirector of Whittington Health, and a number of project teams will focus on specific areas. We have also appointed a dedicated programme manager Mark Ellis, an expert from the intensive support team, to initiate the programme and bring knowledge of best practice in other places, before handing over to our internal teams. Please contact Mark if you have any suggestions that may help us in delivering this exciting programme, or any other questions. [email protected]

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news | what’s going on From the Chaplaincy St Luke’s Day St Luke, author of the third Gospel and of Acts of the Apostles, was a talented man. Not only was he a doctor but, so tradition has it, he was an artist as well. His feastday falls on Thursday 18 October and, as he is the patron Saint of all Doctors, we are planning to hold a joint Anglican/Roman Catholic service in the chapel on that day, to which we will be inviting the doctors of the hospital.

A History of London Prisons to Sister Keane

Renowned historian, crime writer and actor Geoffrey Howse came to the Whittington Hospital on Wednesday 26 September to present a copy of his latest book A History of London's Prisons to Sister Julia Keane on Nightingale Ward to whom the book is dedicated to for her care and compassion. Geoffrey has written 29 books and his recent titles include North London Murders, six books in the foul deeds and suspicious

Chapel refurbishment As you will know the chapel was repainted earlier this year. Further work has taken place, with the chapel and the office area being re-carpeted. Further planned works are continuing with the piano restoration. All of this has been made possible thanks to the generous bequest of one of our most loved and longstanding volunteers, John Walker. For further information please contact Antoinette Webber, patient services and information manager by calling 020 7288 3182. death series including London's East End and London's West End, then the A to Z of London Murders and Murder and Mayhem in North London. All of these are available at your local bookshop or online retailers. The book covers a thousand years of prisons from Norman times to the present day including such high profile prisoners as Sir Thomas More, Sir Walter Raleigh, the Duke of Monmouth and of course the Krays. Geoffrey says he dedicated the book to Sister Keane for her care and dedication to the many patients who have passed through Nightingale ward over many years. And after hearing first hand reports from health professionals and patients as to her high degree of professionalism and dedication to duty.

Volunteers corner TV rental scheme available for all inpatients Did you know that if you are an inpatient you can rent a television for the duration of your stay. The hi-tech mobile flat screen televisions with 25 Freeview channels and 11 radio channels are available through the volunteers office. Booking requests can be made by patients, staff, families or carers via the voluntary services. You can make your request either by telephoning the office on 020 7288 3282 between 10.00 am and 4.00 pm, or via email at [email protected]

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Staff nurse Noreen Connor retires Staff nurse Noreen Connor retires this month following 33 years service at the Whittington. She is well known throughout the hospital by both staff and patients. Throughout her time she has shown enormous dedication to caring for patients and their families, always ready to offer support and advice when needed. Noreen has been a positive role model for many students and newly qualified staff that she has mentored over the years. She has been a true inspiration to many with her professionalism and patient centred approach. Noreen will be greatly missed by all her friends and colleagues and we wish her the very best in her retirement.

Television rental scheme for inpatients TV Radio

25 channels to choose from 11 channels to choose from

Bookings can be made by contacting the voluntary services. You can do this either by telephone, between 10.00am and 4.00pm on 020 7288 3282 or via e-mail at [email protected] Hospital staff, relatives, carers and volunteers can call on behalf of patients

All rentals require a cash deposit of £10.00 which is returned directly to the patient . Costs are as follows and can be made by cash or card. Daily

Weekly (7 days)

Fortnightly (14 days)

£3.50

£21.00

£40.00

Whittington Express

who’s doing what

| news

An interview with .... Antoinette Webber, patient services and information manager and Cecil Douglas, assistant director of facilities

Whittington Health mentors As Whittington Health continues through a period of change for the NHS, the Express catches up with two members of staff who have struck up a beneficial and useful mentoring relationship. Antoinette Webber, patient services and information manager has been mentored by Cecil Douglas, assistant director of facilities for some time now, and both have agreed to explain the benefits of the arrangement. Antoinette Webber What made you decide to have a mentor and what were the reasons behind this? I wanted to understand and work alongside someone senior, but who had a similar career path as myself within a different area with an aim to better myself and benefit the services I manage. I always want to develop and learn new skills. How does having a mentor work? To me, a mentor very much complements formal training, self development and career progression. It allows us as individuals to work in a cohesive manner, sharing knowledge across departmental/directorate boundaries. It is about working in your own way and being innovative in your approach to the services you represent. How/why did Cecil in particular become your mentor and how long has he been your mentor? My experience whenever I had dealt with Cecil was that he always gave 100 per cent irrespective of the query I presented Whittington Express

him with. I have always found Cecil to be very meticulous, sincere and professional, one of those managers that is very dedicated to his services, teams and patients without fuss or self-praise. I approached Cecil about two years ago and asked if he would be my mentor and he has been my mentor ever since. I have a great deal of admiration for the unlimited support and unconditional discretion I get. Would you recommend your Whittington Health colleagues to consider having a mentor? Most definitely - it does not have to be formal and I appreciate that with my mentor it is not a formaI process. I deliberately chose someone I had never worked with and someone I did not know very well, as not to cloud or obstruct the relationship. I hope that Cecil sees the value in being a mentor and I hope that he too is gaining something from the experience. I have no immediate plans to issue him with his “mentorship P45”. What positives about having a mentor? It is someone to talk to about work related issues outside of your team, I receive encouragement, support, confidence from my manager, Jennie Williams Assistant Director of Nursing Patient Experience, however, a mentor offers a different dimension. We, as NHS staff are all facing a difficult time and our staff’s experience is just as important as our patient’s experience. A mentor will support you through those changes and difficulties and may offer you insight and a different perspective.

Cecil Douglas What was your initial reaction when Antoinette approached you to become her mentor? I must admit I wasn't quite sure at the beginning what I could offer a mentee working in an area outside my service

area. However once we met to discuss and agree roles it became clear what was to be expected. What is important to note is that most staff members do possess the skills required of a mentor: asking effective questions, listening and understanding when the mentee needs support in solving a problem or developing a plan, providing motivation and facilitating the process of reflection on how to make improvements. What benefits do you feel there are to be gained through mentorship? I think for the mentee the benefits are having someone whom they can speak to in an open and confidential environment someone who they can share and problem solve with. It is likely that a particular meeting will not end in having totally solved a problem; the key is to support the mentee in reflecting on how their activities support their goals and the goals of the organisation. As a mentor what have you learnt? I have learnt that the skill is to offer my experience and learning as a possible option and to remember that Antoinette's experience is different, and that it is important for me to remain neutral, to explore obstacles offering strategies not solutions and to support confidence and independence. I have also learnt that Antoinette often brings new or different ideas and approaches to her job and problem solving, which is important in avoiding the conversations being onesided. It has also helped me to understand better, areas outside my particular service area. Would you recommend colleagues to agree to be someone’s mentor if they were approached? Whilst having a mentor may not be for everyone I think for most the experience will be a positive one. Mentoring helps both the mentee and the mentor recognise their abilities and limitations, highlighting areas for future development.

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Across:

Puzzles

1. 5. 8. 9. 10. 11. 13.

compiled by Ellen Beckett 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

9

8

10

11

12

15. 20. 21. 23. 25. 26. 27. 28.

13 14 15

16 17

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18

21

Down: 1. US city, the location for Frasier. (7) 2. Old pear-shaped stringed instrument. (4) 3. Existing-in and inseparable from something else. (8) 4. An art establishment in Trafalgar Square. (8, 7) 5. The rugged rascal ran round this rock! (8) 6. Theatre where 1 across and Gilbert’s operas were produced. (5) 7. Type of modern music. (6) 12. Element, atomic No. 10. (4) 14. Egyptian goddess, wife and sister of Osiris. (4) 16. A resort and port in Kent. (8) 17. A set of documents. (7) 18. A small hill. (7) 19. Hard-boiled sweet, a favourite saying of Scrooge. (6) 22. A word used in radiocommunication for the letter R. (5) 24. A border of wood along the lower part of a wall. (4)

22 24

23 25

26

27

28

Solution to last month’s crossword 2

1

3

B I G A M O U O U 8 G E L I D G F B U E 12 11 A V A T A R R R S 16 15 D R T H I 19 20 A T H A 22 L D P 23 P L U S S 25 A B F O C A D 27 A P I A R Y

4

U S H 9 B O P P 13 I N A G C N E N T U R E 28 S

5

6

Q U E B O U Y G E Y 10 F L S E T B I Z A 14 C O R O N 17 A M 21 C O W B D 24 W I 26 C H A S T U C I M I T

Congratulations to the winner of the September crossword Dr Peter Mills

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E C A N E A D A

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M O Y A N R M A A R

To purchase a crossword book from the Whittington Hospital Charitable Fund, please call 020 7288 5641.

Sudoku 1 5

Solution to last month’s Sudoku

3 6 6 7 8 2 1 7

4 2 3 6

British composer best known for his collaboration with W.S. Gilbert. (8) A reddish-brown colour and type of apple. (6) Eighth letter of the English alphabet. (5) An elevated platform. (5) Slang word for food. (4) Stone or timber over a doorway. (6) The point of the heavens diametrically opposite to the zenith. (5) A soft felt hat; A George du Maurier novel. (6) Third letter of the Greek alphabet. (5) A dwarf tree and the art of growing such trees. (6) A wide expanse of uncultivated ground. (4) To become gradually smaller towards one end. (5) The last stage of an insect’s development. (5) A form of house music. (6) A volume published annually. (8)

4 9 6 3 5 7 8 4

8 1 5 4 6 7

3 5 6 8 1 7 9 2 4

9 2 7 6 3 4 8 1 5

1 8 4 5 2 9 6 3 7

5 9 3 2 7 8 4 6 1

4 1 2 9 6 5 7 8 3

6 7 8 3 4 1 2 5 9

7 6 5 1 9 2 3 4 8

2 4 1 7 8 3 5 9 6

8 3 9 4 5 6 1 7 2

How to Play Sudoku: Fill the grid with the numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 contain the numbers 1 to 9. Please send your answers to: Deborah Goodhart, JENNER BUILDING

Exhibition of prints of paintings by members of the Highgate Watercolour Group Level 3 main building Whittington Hospital Wednesday 24 October to Wednesday 7 November

All welcome

Send your answers to: Deborah Goodhart, Communications, Jenner Building, Whittington Health, London N19 5NF