Oxford University Hospitals
NHS Trust
Issue 20
May 2015
Blood recipient Elise Sykes, her
son Harrison and long-term
donor Maurice Earp helped staff
reopen the recently refurbished
Oxford Donor Centre at the John
Radcliffe Hospital
New look for the Oxford Blood Donor Centre, page 5
Top awards
for hospital
radio
Update on
research
@ OUH
page 9
page 10
News from around the John Radcliffe Hospital, Horton General Hospital, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and Churchill Hospital
The Perfect Week – “Breaking the cycle”
Working together with health and social
care partners across Oxfordshire, the
Trust took part in a nationally developed
initiative called ‘Breaking the cycle’ at
the end of April.
The national initiative was adopted locally as a week of action
known as ‘The Perfect Week’, across all four of the Trust’s
hospital sites.
The aim of the initiative was to identify potential new ways
of working and areas for improvement related to the patient
journey through the emergency care system and beyond.
A particular focus for OUH was to find solutions to
difficulties in managing demand and capacity across all our
hospital sites; specifically, to identify avoidable causes of long
patient stays in Emergency Departments and to remove
Pedometer Challenge
at the Nuffield
Orthopaedic Centre
The NOC Pedometer Challenge will take place from
14 May - 19 June and will be organised by the Healthy
Hospital team, led by Occupational Health.
The aim of the challenge is to help staff feel and enjoy the
benefits of ‘moving more’ and improve their physical and
mental health.
delays to support patient
flow, and consequently
improve patient experience,
safety and staff morale.
A review of all activity
throughout the week took
place immediately after the
event. Health and social care
partners worked together to
form a plan to implement the approaches that were shown
to deliver key improvements.
Organisations including Oxford University Hospitals
NHS Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust,
Oxfordshire County Council, South Central Ambulance
Service and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group
took part in the initiative.
Let’s talk about the
Care Certificate!
The Care Certificate, the new education framework which
applies to all new Clinical Support Workers, was launched
on 21 April.
The certificate will ensure workers are assessed against
a set of 15 standards to demonstrate they have the
skills, knowledge and behaviours required to provide
compassionate and high quality care and support.
Good luck to everybody taking part, and remember –
keep walking!
These standards include safeguarding adults and children
and awareness of mental health, learning disabilities and
dementia.
For more information about the Pedometer Challenge,
please contact Anna Hinton: anna.hinton@ouh.nhs.uk
For further information, please contact
Claire Wardle: claire.wardle@ouh.nhs.uk
Security awareness: telephone/courier scam
The safety and security of our patients, staff and visitors is
very important and we urge people to be security aware.
There has been a spate of incidents where people have
received phone calls from a person claiming to be from the
police stating they have intercepted someone using their
credit card. The caller tells them to hang up and call their
bank. However, they do not close the phone line, so when
the victim dials what they think is the bank, they are actually
still talking to the fraudster. They are tricked into giving
details and account information.
The offender may also offer to send a courier to collect
valuables/cash stating they are needed as evidence. This is
also part of the scam.
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Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
Don’t be fooled – if you receive such a call, hang up and
phone the police on 101, or your bank from a mobile or
different phone line.
Also never give out your card PIN to anyone – there is
NEVER a legitimate reason for anyone to ask for it.
Further security advice can be found
on the Security intranet site, via the
Estates and Facilities pages, or from
Rachel Collins, the Trust Security
Manager/Local Security Management
Specialist via OUH email or ext. 23313
New standards for baby growth
A newborn baby in Brazil has head circumference measured as part of the study
Credit: INTERGROWTH-21st Project
Hospitals assess
how babies
measure up
The John Radcliffe and Horton General hospitals have
become the first in the world to measure newborn babies
using international standards developed by the University
of Oxford to ensure that all babies across the world are
assessed in the same way.
At present, there are more than 100 different charts in use
around the world to determine whether a baby is born too
small or too large, both of which are associated with health
problems in later life.
Having so many charts available is confusing. It means that
how doctors and midwives assess a newborn baby depends
entirely on where the mother delivered and which chart
was used.
In addition, in some countries, the baby’s ethnicity is taken
into account on the grounds that some people believe that
certain ethnic groups have smaller babies because of their
ethnicity.
However, research led by the University of Oxford has
shown that babies grow in a similar way in the womb and
achieve a similar size at birth irrespective of the mother’s
ethnic background, provided that she is healthy, wellnourished, receiving good information and healthcare.
These findings, published in the Lancet at the end of last
year, were based on the INTERGROWTH-21st Project,
Professor Stephen Kennedy, Divisional
Director of Children’s and Women’s Services
which involved nearly 60,000 mothers and babies in eight
urban areas in Brazil, China, India, Italy, Kenya, Oman, UK
and USA.
From late March 2015, Trust staff have assessed the
size of all babies at birth using the INTERGROWTH21st standards, complementing existing World Health
Organization international standards to monitor the growth
of all babies from birth to the age of five.
These new international newborn standards show the
optimal pattern of healthy growth for all babies everywhere,
regardless of their ethnicity or country of birth. Their use
also means that underweight and overweight babies can be
detected early in life.
Poor growth in the womb, resulting in small size at birth, is
associated with illness and even death in infancy and childhood.
It impacts on health in adulthood with increased risk of
diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
“
The Trust is very proud to be the first
in the world to introduce the
INTERGROWTH-21st newborn standards
into practice in partnership with the
University of Oxford.
It shows our commitment to ensuring
that our patients benefit rapidly from
advances in medical care made as a result
of high quality research.
”
Professor Stephen Kennedy, Divisional Director of
Children’s and Women’s Services.
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
3
Photograph: OMI
The Chief Nurse:
one year on
“For so many of
us nursing is not
what we do,
it’s who we are –
so let’s
celebrate!”
Catherine Stoddart,
Chief Nurse of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
Just over a year ago, in March 2014,
Catherine Stoddart became Chief
Nurse of Oxford University Hospitals
NHS Trust.
Leaving her role as Chief Nurse &
Midwifery Officer for the State of Western
Australia, based in Perth, Catherine
relocated to the UK to join OUH.
Catherine’s appointment involved
completing the Overseas Nursing
Programme in order to gain her
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
registration and become a registered
nurse in the UK. This proved to be a
lengthy but rewarding process, and once
a week for three months Catherine
worked in a range of nursing roles
across the Trust, including as a Clinical
Support Worker on the wards.
“I wish I could have done more of that,
spent more time on the wards with our
fantastic nursing and midwifery teams,”
she recalled. “I was able to observe a lot
then and what has stayed with me from
that time is witnessing first-hand the
dedication and professionalism of our
nurses and midwives. The commitment
they show on a daily basis to providing
the best care for our patients makes a
4
difference, not only to them, but to the
community of Oxfordshire as a whole.
“I’m incredibly proud to be Chief Nurse
at OUH. Our staff provide an extremely
high standard of care, but I want to see
us grow, so that as nurses and midwives
we challenge each other not only to
provide a high level of care but an
excellent level of care.”
Catherine is passionate about
education, and stresses that nurses
and midwives are not only about
providing patient care. She adds that,
in many respects, senior nurses who
are responsible for staffing, equipment,
consumables, education and budgets are
also running a business, and that is vital
to what we are trying to achieve here.
“Supporting our nurses and midwives,
to be the best they can be, will result
in a resilient, educated, confident
workforce that thrives. Our challenge is
to support each other to be excellent,
challenge each other to be outstanding,”
she explains.
“To move forward and to progress, not
only should we celebrate and recognise
the outstanding achievements of our
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
nursing and midwifery teams but we
should be providing them with the
education and skills to do so.”
To help achieve this, Catherine has
appointed a Head of Nursing Education,
created a Nursing Fellowship Award
to support nurses in clinical practice
research and introduced an annual
Research and Innovation Conference
for nursing and midwifery staff.
The inaugural Research and Innovation
Conference takes place this year on
International Nurses Day, 12 May.
During the conference, Catherine will
be launching the Trust’s new Nursing
and Midwifery Strategy 2015-2018 in
which she sets out her vision for the
Trust to be internationally recognised
for leading the way in outstanding
nursing and midwifery.
An event to recognise long service
contribution of nurses who have been
registered for 40 years or more will
be held after the conference, and
Catherine added: “I’ve been a nurse
now for most of my life. For so many of
us nursing is not what we do, it’s who
we are – so let’s celebrate!”
Blood donor, David Taylor, and Donor Centre
Manager, Gayle Franklin, received a special treat
from young Harrison and his mum, Elise Sykes
New look for the Oxford Blood Donor Centre
The Blood Donor Centre based at the John Radcliffe
Hospital in Oxford reopened to patients in April following a
major refurbishment.
The centre is one of 24 fixed-site donor centres across
England, and the three-month renovation included the
installation of new screening and dedicated donation areas,
as well as new toilet facilities.
Gayle Franklin, Donor Centre Manager at NHS Blood
and Transplant, said: “We have some very loyal blood and
platelet donors at the Oxford Donor Centre and we want
to ensure that every time they come here, they have a
pleasant experience.
“We would like to thank all our blood donors for helping
us to keep blood stocks at a healthy level in the past few
months. We really appreciate their dedication to blood
donation. However, as the need for blood never stops,
I urge both new and returning donors to make a date to
donate.”
The new-look donor centre also includes flat screen TVs,
free WiFi, and a new layout and colour scheme which
provides a more pleasant and relaxing environment for
blood and platelet donors.
Following an emergency caesarean section in 2011, Elise
Sykes needed 23 units of blood. She said: “The centre is a
fantastic place and it’s due to places like this that I’m still
here today. I really regret never giving blood before giving
birth to Harrison as it’s for such a brilliant cause and really
is lifesaving!”
Donating a unit of blood takes less than an hour of your time.
To book an appointment visit www.blood.co.uk or call 0300
123 23 23 to find your nearest session.
Nurses and midwives – new registration process
During the past few months the Nursing and Midwifery Directorate has been working hard to ensure that all nurses and
midwives are aware of the new Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) rules for renewing their registration.
From January 2016 the way nurses and midwives register with the NMC will change – they will now
be expected to produce the following evidence to support their registration:
•a 360 degree appraisal based around The Code (revised February 2015)
•450 hours or more of clinical practice in three years (NMC definition of practice hours: hours
of work both paid and voluntary undertaken in the capacity of a registered nurse or registered
midwife)
•40 hours or more Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of which a minimum of 20
hours being participatory learning
•a declaration of good health and good character
•evidence of at least five instances of reflection on practice related feedback
•appropriate professional indemnity arrangement in place.
For further information, please email nmcrevalidation.queries@ouh.nhs.uk or call 01865 223185
A leaflet and poster explaining the new changes are available to download from the staff intranet.
Alternatively, full details appear on the NMC website at www.nmc-uk.org
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
5
Photograph: OMI
Members of the Trust’s Council of Governors attend the Governor Induction sessions
Foundation Trust Governor inductions
Following elections in February, the majority of our new Council of Governors
gathered for the first time on 23 March at the start of two induction and
development days; a second was held on 21 April.
These events brought together governors elected by our staff
and the public, as well as those nominated by key stakeholder
organisations.
The Council of Governors will be responsible for holding
the Trust Board to account through the Non-executive
Directors, and for representing the interests of members of
the Trust and the wider public.
With an inaugural Council of Governors now in place, these
sessions provided an opportunity for governors to receive
support and training in their important new role, as well as
to get to know each other and discuss how they wish to
carry out their duties as a group. Governors were welcomed
by Dame Fiona Caldicott, Trust Chairman, who will also chair
the Council itself.
Training on both dates was provided through facilitators
from the GovernWell Programme, run by NHS Providers
(previously the Foundation Trust Network) who provide
training for Foundation Trust governors across England
under a contract with the Department of Health. The second
day also included an outline by Sir Jonathan Michael of the
opportunities and challenges that the Trust faces.
The induction days were well-attended, with the majority of
governors present at both. Feedback suggested that they had
been a success in allowing governors to feel better prepared
for the important part they have to play in our future success
as an organisation.
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Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
The Council of Governors will operate in shadow form
until the Trust is formally approved as a Foundation Trust
by Monitor. This period will provide an opportunity for
the Council to build on these initial development days to
consider how it wishes to organise its work.
Celebrating 20 years of
the cochlear implant
A celebration event to mark the 20th
anniversary of the Cochlear Implant
Programme at OUH was held earlier this
year at the Kassam Stadium, Oxford.
A cochlear implant turns sound into electrical signals and
provides a sensation of hearing by directly stimulating the
auditory nerve.
Patients who have received a cochlear implant, as well as those
waiting to undergo the process, were invited to the event.
Jane Humphries, Auditory Implant Programme Co-ordinator,
said: “Cochlear implants change the lives of deaf adults and
children. The party was a great opportunity to celebrate
the Oxford Cochlear Implant Programme with patients
and staff who have been involved over the last couple of
decades.”
New Ultrasound Unit at the Horton General Hospital
Horton Radiology
reception staff,
Lucy Thompson,
Nicola Finn, Melanie
Heywood and Sue
Cunningham in
the refurbished
department
Major refurbishment
work, to improve facilities
for patients visiting the
Ultrasound Unit at the
Horton General Hospital,
has been completed.
The project to upgrade the unit has
included the creation of two new
ultrasound rooms, a new patient
waiting area, patient bed-bays, and new
reception and administration facilities,
which help to enhance the overall
patient experience.
catering for patient privacy and dignity,
and has helped to improve patient
access and flow through the unit.”
Andrew Robinson, Superintendent
Radiographer at the Horton General
Hospital, said: “We are very pleased
with the refurbishment to the
department which has resulted in
greatly improved facilities for patients,
visitors and staff. It has created a more
positive welcoming environment,
Additional features such as colourcoded flooring inserts to help with
way-finding and the installation of
bespoke artwork in the waiting room,
all help to improve the environment
for patients and visitors.
Apprenticeships at Oxford University Hospitals
A series of events, to celebrate National Apprentice Week
and promote opportunities for new apprentices at OUH,
were held across the Trust in February.
An ‘Apprentice Open Evening’, held on 25 February, attracted a large number of
school pupils who were interested in finding out more about an OUH apprenticeship.
“We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated individuals, who show a willingness
to learn new skills and gain experience,” said Fiona Voss, Non-clinical Educator
within the Support Worker Academy, Practice Education and Development Team.
In addition to the open evening, the Trust organised different events throughout
the week with sessions including; example interviews for a young apprentice post
within the ambulatory service, shadowing opportunities with Luisa Goddard,
Matron of Acute General Medicine, and an information session.
The information session was followed by a celebration lunch to recognise the
continued professional development of the adult apprentices who have already
registered for, or completed, an OUH apprenticeship with certificates being
presented by Carl Jenkinson, Deputy Director of Workforce.
The Trust is committed to promoting apprenticeships across the organisation
and will be advertising full-time vacancies for clinical and non-clinical young
apprenticeships.
The Support Worker Academy would also be interested in hearing from existing
staff who would like to gain a qualification through this vocational training route.
For more information, please email: apprenticeships@ouh.nhs.uk
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
7
RAF Nurse honoured for pioneering
work in medical treatment
A military nurse at the John Radcliffe Hospital has been awarded an Associate
of the Royal Red Cross for her services to the Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force
Nursing Service.
Squadron leader Charlotte Thompson-Edgar was honoured for her medical
service in Afghanistan. She was praised for her “great skill, determination and
courage” treating casualties as part of the British military’s Medical Emergency
Response Team evacuating wounded troops from the battlefields of Helmand.
During her six tours of Afghanistan she has helped to evacuate more than 600
wounded from the battlefield. In 2007 she showed tremendous skill and courage
when she and another medic managed to save and treat Britain’s first triple amputee
of the war in Afghanistan. Building on this experience she identified the need for
stronger training to prepare medics before they are deployed into the battlefield.
After returning home she played a key role in developing the Medical Emergency
Response Team (MERT) training programme, to include specific clinical training
in pre-hospital care for those who worked on a MERT. Additionally, as a result
of recommendations from senior medical staff, blood and plasma started to be
carried aboard MERT helicopters in 2008.
Squadron leader
Charlotte Thompson-Edgar
Speaking about her award, Squadron Leader Charlotte Thompson-Edgar said: “I’m
delighted and very surprised. I’m very privileged having had such a fantastic role out
in Afghanistan, and I look at the people that we evacuated off the battlefield, and
what we did was nothing in comparison to the bravery they showed.
“For me the team effort is the one thing that made MERT as successful as it is now, a globally acknowledged platform
that is the pinnacle of pre-hospital care. Our teams gelled so well, and worked so well together, and have set the bar for
everyone else.”
Electronic tracking of vital signs
A project to replace bedside ‘track and trigger’ paper charts with tablet
computers is to be rolled out across Trust hospitals after a successful
introduction at the Churchill Hospital.
The System for Electronic Notification and Documentation (SEND) has been
piloted at the Churchill and is due to be implemented there by June.
Bedside monitors across the Trust are being fitted with tablets to allow staff to
record patients’ vital signs, such as heart rate and blood pressure, to give staff
a ‘track and trigger’ score.
The SEND application is also available on all Trust computers, eliminating the
hunt for paper charts and allowing data to be viewed from anywhere across
the Trust.
It has been funded by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, a
collaboration between the University of Oxford, NHS England and the Trust.
Once the Churchill roll-out is complete, SEND will be introduced at the
Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, followed by the Horton General Hospital and
the John Radcliffe Hospital.
Project lead, Dr Peter Watkinson, said: “SEND has been developed for our
clinicians by our clinicians to allow us to use vital signs electronically to deliver
faster, safer, better care for our patients.”
For more information please contact the team: send.system@ouh.nhs.uk
8
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
Reserve Forces
event at the JR
A Listening into Action (LiA) event
for all staff who are members of
Reserve Forces is being held on
Friday 15 May, 10.00-12.30, in the
George Pickering Education Centre,
Level 3, John Radcliffe Hospital.
It will be chaired by Professor Niall
Moore, Consultant Radiologist, and
Lieutenant Colonel in the RAMC
202 Field Hospital (OUH Reserve
Forces Champion).
The purpose of the LiA event is to:
•discuss how the Trust could
improve this support, identify
the requirement for a Reservist
network and how this could be
supported
•discuss wider dissemination of
information to publicise and
promote the role of the Reserve
Forces.
To attend call ext. 28722 or
email: lynne.hill@ouh.nhs.uk
Joe Pilbrow
Susie Peddle and Roy Peach
Alison Sweatman
Top awards for hospital radio station
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust is
delighted that Radio Cherwell, the hospital
radio station based at the Churchill Hospital
in Oxford, picked up four awards at the
National Hospital Radio Awards held in
Newcastle on 28 March 2015.
The hospital radio station broadcasts 24 hours a day,
seven days a week to three of the Trust’s hospitals: the
Churchill, John Radcliffe and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in
Headington, Oxford.
The biggest winner from Radio Cherwell was 17-year-old Joe
Pilbrow, who won Gold in the Best Newcomer category, and
Silver in the Male Presenter of the Year category.
Radio Cherwell presenter, Alison Sweatman, also won an
award in the Best Newcomer category, picking up the Bronze
prize, whilst presenting duo Roy Peach and Susie Peddle
won a Bronze award in the Best Programme with Multiple
Presenters category.
The station’s Programme Controller, Ian Pinnell, said it was a
great night for the station: “This was the first time Joe, Roy,
Susie and Alison had entered the Hospital Radio Awards, and
the first time they had been to a ceremony like this. It’s great
that they’ve come home with some cracking awards, and is
a real testament to the talent that hospital radio volunteers
hold across the UK.”
Recognising the support given to the Trust by Radio
Cherwell, Sir Jonathan Michael, Chief Executive at Oxford
University Hospitals NHS Trust, congratulated the volunteers
who run the service on their tremendous achievements:
“This is fantastic news, not only for the volunteers who
work so hard to make Radio Cherwell a success, but for our
patients, who get to listen to award-winning presenters and
radio programmes every day.”
World-firstTB vaccination trials enter next stage
The first ever trials of an aerosol vaccination for
tuberculosis in Oxford have shown promising results, and
volunteers are now being sought for further studies.
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection spread through inhaling
tiny droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected
person. It mainly affects the lungs and can be fatal if left
untreated.
Researchers at the Churchill Hospital found superior
immune responses in the lungs from the trial of a vaccine
given via an aerosol, which creates a mist that is inhaled
through a nebuliser, a simple technology already in common
use to treat asthma.
Researchers are seeking an improved vaccine because the
existing immunisation for TB is not effective enough in
adults, particularly in the developing world.
The research is funded by the Wellcome Trust and the
NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, a partnership
between Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and the
University of Oxford.
This is the only group in the world researching aerosol
vaccination, and it is now seeking more volunteers for
further trials.
The first trial for aerosol vaccination involved 24 people
though the University’s Jenner Institute, based at the
Churchill.
Professor of Vaccinology and consultant physician,
Helen McShane, said: “This was a very successful study
as it showed that the aerosol delivery was safe, and also
generated stronger immune responses in the lungs than
the conventional delivery of the vaccine using a needle.”
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
9
Research
More than 500 visitors learned about ground-bre
taking place in Oxfordshire at a series of events h
Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) in Ma
From a vaccine for Ebola to bionic
eyes, to new ways to treat cancer,
the seven events featured just
some of the pioneering work
being undertaken by the BRC,
a partnership between Oxford
University Hospitals NHS Trust and
the University of Oxford and funded
by the National Institute for Health
Research (NIHR).
Open Weeks kicked off with a Vaccines and Infectious Diseases
public engagement day at the Oxford University Museum of
Natural History.
Visitors to the six-hour event – organised and funded by the
University’s Jenner Institute – enjoyed hands-on activities including
DNA origami and taking throat swabs from a dummy patient.
Speakers covered topics such as tuberculosis, meningococcal
infections and malaria, while Professor Peter Piot, codiscoverer of the Ebola virus, spoke about his work in Africa in
the 1970s, the first outbreak that led to its discovery.
Professor Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine, said infectious diseases still pose a major
threat to public health and that vaccination research is critical
in combating emerging infections.
At an event at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre visitors
learned about research into heart health, including diabetes
and undiagnosed heart valve disease in older people.
This included a demonstration of a portable cardiac (ECHO)
ultrasound machine – being used in Oxfordshire GP surgeries
– to show normal heart valve structure and function.
Talks and exhibitions on innovation in healthcare research
were held at a drop-in event at Oxford Martin School, Broad
Street, in the city centre.
The six-hour event featured talks and exhibitions about BRCsupported research, such as trials of a ‘bionic eye’ microchip
implanted underneath the retina to partially restore vision for
those who have lost their sight.
Patient Gwynne Reddick, from Didcot, was on hand to speak
to visitors about how a ‘3D lung’ imaging technique at the
Churchill Hospital gives him a clearer picture of how his lungs
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Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
are affected by his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) compared to standard assessment tools.
Other exhibits included how patients are using tablet
computers to provide researchers with information about
pregnancy and living with heart failure.
Research into epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease and stroke were
among topics at an event on tackling brain diseases at the
University of Oxford’s Mathematical Institute, Radcliffe
Observatory Quarter.
More than 250 visitors were able to listen to three 10-minute
talks on the benefits of physical activity on the ageing brain,
research into epilepsy, how strokes and acute illness affect
thinking and memory and the latest breakthroughs in
Parkinson’s Disease. They were also invited to browse stands
and speak to researchers.
h @ OUH
eaking medical research
held by the NIHR
arch.
Open Weeks included tours of two diagnostic facilities
that are helping researchers understand heart attack, stroke
and brain function, at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
Visitors were given a guided tour of the University of
Oxford’s Acute Vascular Imaging Centre (AVIC).
Senior Research Radiographer, Juliet Semple, explained that
emergency heart attack and stroke cases that are eligible
for study are taken to a 3 Tesla MRI scanner during or after
treatment.
The scan allows researchers to study the impact of
treatments in real time on the body.
More than 100 people, including pupils from three Oxford
primary schools, enjoyed a tour of the Oxford University
Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB).
They visited the control room of its Ultra High Field MRI
scanner to see a live brain scan which allows researchers
to see the brain in finer detail than is possible on standard
hospital scanners.
Visitors to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre learned about cancer, blood and genomic medicine at three talks.
Consultant Haematologist, Professor Paresh Vyas, explained how the first trials of new drugs to eliminate leukaemic stem cells in
adult acute myeloid leukaemia, led by Oxford, will start this summer.
He told OUH News: “For the more common type of childhood acute leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, great strides have
been made in treating children using chemotherapy, with 85 percent of children free of their disease.
“In adults, progress has been slower. The most common aggressive adult leukaemia is acute myeloid leukaemia. There are 2,300
new cases each year in the UK. For patients under 60 years of age (20 percent of all cases) the outlook has improved with better
use of existing chemotherapy drugs and stem cell transplantation and about 45 percent of patients are cured.
“However, most patients are over 60 years of age and sadly most are terminally ill.
“The Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre has supported work on finding new ways to tackle this disease using state-ofthe-art methods to characterise the disease and find methods of eliminating leukaemia-propagating cells.”
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
11
(L-R) Jo Radcliffe,
Equipment Libraries
and Training Manager,
Lisa Minns, Medical
Device Trainer
and Caron Lewis,
Medical Device
Educator
Meet the Team
Medical Device Educators (Clinical Engineering)
The Medical Device Education Team, based at the John Radcliffe Hospital, provides
medical device training to all clinical and some non-clinical ward staff across all four
of the Trust’s hospital sites and satellite units.
Medical Device Educators (MDE) ensure all clinical staff meet the national
standards of training for a wide range of medical devices, including ECG machines,
syringe drivers, vital signs monitors, oxygen delivery systems, feed pumps and
pressure mattresses.
Training in the use of medical devices is a mandatory requirement and must be
updated every three years.
The MDE are experienced nurses and are passionate about patient safety.They provide
a service where ward staff can request on-the-spot training on the wards, classroom
sessions, support and advice for additional training and guidance when required.
To arrange training for yourself or your teams please contact the Medical Device
Educators on ext. 21130 / 21380 / 28392
Standardisation training of medical devices such as the Alaris
signature volumetric pump and the Asena syringe pump is currently
taking place across the Trust. Contact the team for more information.
Medical Equipment
Skills Day
23 June 9.15am - 4.30pm,
Tingewick Hall JR
To book please contact
Caron Lewis on ext. 21130
and register by 6 June.
The event will give staff the
opportunity to ask questions
about medical devices, and get
additional information on the
different types of equipment
available, laws and safety issues,
accountability and more.
Join us under the stars for Sobell House
Sobell House Hospice Charity will be hosting its annual Moonlight Stroll through the streets of Oxford on 11 July
in support of the work of the hospice at the Churchill Hospital.
Walkers are invited to don their superhero outfits and walk the nine mile circuit round Oxford starting at St Edwards
School and following a route which is ‘top secret’, but will offer a different perspective on the city in the moonlight.
The walk has collected over £80,000 for Sobell House Hospice which provides palliative care for terminally ill patients.
Sobell House is supported by OUH and charitable donations.
This year’s event has a ‘superhero’ theme, and is suitable for all abilities. The walk starts at 10.30pm, with the last finishing
the circuit at 2.00am. There is a lower age limit of 12 years and 12-16 year olds must be accompanied by an adult.
It costs £20 to enter the walk, which includes a T-shirt, medal and refreshments at the end of the walk.
12
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
Raising awareness of sight loss in Oxfordshire
Images taken from the series of short films
to help raise awareness of sight loss
A series of short films which
will be used across Oxfordshire
to help raise awareness of sight
loss have been produced by
members of the Oxfordshire
Vision Strategy Group.
We hope that these films will provide
healthcare and support staff in the
Trust with key skills to better support
our patients with sight loss who attend
either outpatient appointments or as
inpatient stays on any of our wards.”
The aim of the project, funded by
Charitable Funds and created by
Oxford Medical Illustration, was to
develop a series of films that could be
used throughout the county to help
educate members of the public and
healthcare professionals about the
types of services available for patients
affected by sight loss.
Guy Lawful lives in Kidlington and
is a volunteer IT Technician for the
Oxfordshire Association for the
Blind (OAB). Diagnosed with diabetic
retinopathy in 2000, Guy has been
registered as having a visual impairment
since 2006.
Rasmeet Chadha, Deputy Head of
Optometry at OUH and project lead,
said: “We are really pleased with how
the final films have turned out. The
films have already been shared with
key organisations across the county.
Guy was a member of the expert
patient panel working on the project
and features in some of the films.
He said: “When I was asked to take
part in the project I knew I wanted
to get involved because I felt it was
important to raise awareness of sight
loss and visual impairment. It’s not only
important for people to have general
awareness of visual impairment, but for
those affected by this to know about
the services available to them and how
they can access them.”
There are three short films overall.
The first film is a series of powerful
patient interviews that explore patient
experiences of managing sight loss. The
second film teaches the skill of ‘sighted
guide’ a valuable technique used to
guide a patient with sight loss around
the hospital or ward environment.
The final film highlights local support
services for patients with sight loss and
how to refer to these services.
The Vision Impairment films are
available on the e-learning Management
System (ELMS) and via YouTube
by searching for ‘What is Vision
Impairment’.
For further information about this project please email: rasmeet.chadha@ouh.nhs.uk
Single switchboard service for all hospitals
A new single switchboard service is
operating across the Trust following
a major reconfiguration to bring
individual switchboard services at
each hospital site together.
Members of the team recently welcomed
Chief Executive, Sir Jonathan Michael, on
a visit to the new switchboard office.
Previously, each site had an
independent switchboard service –
with the exception of the Nuffield
Orthopaedic Centre whose calls were
taken by the Churchill switchboard.
The services were operating as
separate departments and using
outdated technology.
The single switchboard has updated
technology and new consoles, and
there are plans to introduce integrated
voice technology. The project also
included reconfiguration of the office
space, and a dedicated GP line to help
with swifter response times.
All calls, from both internal and
external callers, are placed into a
queue, and the switchboard operators
will answer these as soon as possible
with all emergency (2222 and 4444)
calls prioritised and moved to the top
of the queue.
Staff are encouraged to use the
internal telephone directory when
possible to contact internal colleagues,
rather than using the switchboard to
transfer their call, in order to help
improve call waiting times.
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
13
Egg-cellent
Easter
Young patients
and their families at
the Oxford Children’s
Hospital (CHOX)
received ‘egg-stra’
special Easter surprises
this year as many local
organisations visited
the hospital
to donate lots of
Easter treats!
Egg-cited young
patient Poppy Bullock
with the giant egg
at CHOX
The Easter Bunny wishes young
patients and their families a
Happy Easter!
Swift visit
Newbury based courier company Swift and the Easter Bunny stopped by to
deliver special eggs to patients of the Children’s Hospital as well as their family
members. The eggs, which were donated to the hospital by local businesses and
families, were hand delivered by Adrian Smith, Managing Director, and Phil Tynan,
Customer Relationship Manager of Swift Couriers.
Taylor’s Gourmet
Sandwich and Deli
Taylor’s, Oxford’s Gourmet Sandwich
and Deli Co, donated a 2.5kg Easter
egg to Kamran’s Ward this Easter.
The giant egg, which was hand-made
by James Chocolates, was delivered
by Beverley Copson, owner of
Taylor’s. Egg-cited patient Poppy
Bullock was there when the egg
arrived and couldn’t believe how big
it was!
Along with the egg, Taylor’s also
delivered a donation of £130 for
the Children’s Hospital which was
gratefully received by all working on
the wards.
14
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
Young patients and staff on Bellhouse-Drayson
Ward thank members of RAF Benson for their
wonderful donation of Easter eggs
RAF Benson
Patients and staff from Bellhouse-Drayson Ward were on hand to say a HUGE
thank you to members of RAF Benson who delivered a giant box of donated
Easter eggs for young patients and their families to enjoy over the Easter
holidays.
Mike Ryan, Senior Air Craftsman at RAF Benson, said: “It’s great to be able to
donate eggs at Easter. I have two daughters and I know if I was in hospital with
them I would like nothing more than to be able to cheer them up with a treat
like this.”
Blood bikers on the frontline
A Blood Bikes volunteer arrives on site at the John
Radcliffe Hospital as part of the filming
The John Radcliffe Hospital has been featured in a short film
developed to help raise awareness of the volunteer service
provided by Blood Bikes.
Blood bikers are the 1500 men and women all over Britain
who dedicate a few evenings a week to providing an outof-hours rapid response courier service and transporting
hospital deliveries across the country.
The blood bikers are all volunteers, and in 2013 they
responded to around 35,000 urgent requests from hospitals.
They carry urgently needed medical items such as blood,
biological samples, medical notes, X-rays and scans.
They also carry out what’s known as the ‘milk round’,
collecting and delivering donated breast milk from donor
mothers to specialist neonatal intensive care units to help
sick and premature babies.
Amanda Wood, Milk Bank Manager at OUH, said: “The
service provided by the Blood Bike volunteers is amazing.
Without their generosity in collecting the milk we wouldn’t
be able to offer this valuable service to the sick and
premature babies both in our care and at neighbouring
hospitals.”
To watch the video, please visit www.youtube.com and search ‘Blood Bikers on the frontline’
EU nurse recruitment programme
The Trust is not alone in finding difficulty in
recruiting and retaining sufficient numbers
of nursing staff.This is a national issue,
which reflects the growing demand for
trained nurses across all acute hospitals.
In the past, OUH has successfully recruited from both
within the UK and further afield and most recently, in
November 2014, an international recruitment programme
aimed at attracting nursing professionals from the
European Union (EU) was launched.
The initial aim of the programme was to recruit a minimum
of 250 additional adult and children’s nurses, theatre
practitioners and radiographers to the Trust.
Together with specialist agencies, Kate Cowhig
Recruitment and NEU Professionals, OUH has been
running successful recruitment events every four to six
weeks across the EU, to recruit staff from Portugal, Spain,
Italy and Poland.
The success of the campaign has been very encouraging.
So far, the Trust has had approximately 120 offers of
employment accepted, with the first group of new theatre
and ward nurses already starting work across our four
hospital sites.
Andrew Carter, Divisional Nurse for Neurosciences,
Orthopaedics, Trauma and Specialist Surgery at OUH,
said: “We’d like to welcome all our new registered nurses
to the Trust. It has been my pleasure to be leading this
recruitment initiative, which has allowed the opportunity to
recruit high calibre nurses to join our nursing teams.”
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
15
News From Your Hospital Charity
1,001 cross line at Children’s
Hospital fun run
The weather threw everything it could at us at Blenheim
Palace this March, but the Oxford Mail OX5RUN in
support of the Oxford Children’s Hospital will be
remembered for so much more than the wind and rain.
It was the year a woman, Sophie Carter from Woodstock,
crossed the line first in a time of just 31 minutes and nine
seconds. Sophie’s children have received help from the
Oxford Children’s Hospital, adding even more meaning to
her triumph.
It was also the year over 1,000 runners showed their
support for the Oxford Children’s Hospital and children’s
wards across the Trust. Many were hospital staff or the
parents of children treated here – running alongside friends,
family and colleagues.
The five mile fundraiser was started in style by Children’s
Hospital patient Magnus Cameron and Arsenal and England
footballer, Martin Keown.
Keen runners set off at a cracking pace, but the heart of
the event lay with those further back, running to thank the
hospital for caring for their children.
Children’s Hospital fundraiser, Penny Hambridge, said: ‘The
atmosphere was so special again this year and we want
to thank everyone who braved the elements. We now ask
just one more thing from them – to keep working on their
sponsorship so we can make a real difference for our young
patients when they need it most.’
Special thanks go to the Oxford Mail which organise this
run every year, event sponsors Allen Associates, Blenheim
Palace, Martin Keown, Magnus Cameron, Heart fm, SH
Communications, Bicester Guides
and all the volunteers on the day.
It’s Abseil time!
Our abseils raise thousands for hospital causes and are guaranteed to be a day you won’t forget.
We’ve had people aged 18 to 88 tackle the 100ft wall at the John Radcliffe Hospital. This
fun event – open to anyone aged over 18 and medically fit – costs just £20 to join.
You can enter individually or get a team of family, friends or colleagues together to take
part to support the hospital cause closest to you. Or why not abseil for our General
Fund to support the areas of greatest need across the Trust.
To take part, pick up a leaflet, visit our website www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/abseils
or call 01865 743444.The areas you can abseil in support of this year are listed below.
Sunday 14 June
•Cancer Care Fund
•Wantage Maternity Unit
•I.M.P.S. (Injury Minimization Programme for Schools)
•Oxford Heart Centre
•Oxford University Hospitals General Funds
Sunday 20 September
•Heads Up (head and neck cancer research)
•Cancer and Haematology Day Treatment Unit and
Outpatients Fund
•Silver Star Society
•Oxford Children’s Hospital
Also coming up:
Monday 11 May – Stoke Park Golf Day and dinner, and also
a Spa Day, in support of lymphoma research at the Churchill.
Friday 12 June – Oxford Children’s Hospital Golf Day
at Studley Wood.
Your support and generosity will make a difference – helping to provide pioneering medical research, even more
comfortable facilities and advanced medical equipment for patients young and old.
Find out how you can help at www.hospitalcharity.co.uk, email charity@ouh.nhs.uk or call 01865 743444.
16
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
Children’s Ward Manager Zoe Butler
with Caelan Clark,Tire Ayodeji, Ella
Maylor,Tise Ayodeji, Jonah Hornez,
Elwood Grundon and Heath Butler
Children’s Ward redecoration at the Horton General Hospital
Young patients at the Horton General Hospital, Banbury, are
benefitting from a newly refurbished Children’s Ward that
now provides a more positive environment for patients and
their families.
The Children’s Ward has been redecorated to provide a
woodland themed environment, and offers a welcoming and
warming area for patients, enhancing their overall experience
whilst staying on the ward.
Zoe Butler, Horton Children’s Ward Manager, said: “We now
have a much better environment, focused on children and their
comfort.The area is also much more family-friendly and we have
already had some great feedback. The difference it has made
to the patients, their families and the staff so far is brilliant!”
To celebrate the redecoration, the Children’s Ward held
an Easter Party for local and long-term patients and their
families. The party, which was funded by the Starlight
Children’s Foundation, saw all the children engage in Easter
themed activities.
Tony McDonald, General Manager of the Children’s and
Women’s Division, said: “We are delighted! The redecoration
enables children, their parents and family members to feel
more comfortable and settled whilst on the ward. We all
know what an unsettling time being in a hospital can be, and
with this warm and welcoming environment the team is
able to provide a more positive experience for our younger
patients.”
Chief Allied Health Professions Officer
visits Oxford University Hospitals
The Chief Allied Health Professions Officer for NHS
England, Suzanne Rastrick, visited the John Radcliffe Hospital
earlier this year after hearing about examples of good
practice at the Trust.
It is important for the Chief Professions Officer to be aware
of the transformation of services at a clinical level and the
value added to patient care achieved by each Allied Health
Professional (AHP) group. The visits prove very useful and
informative when advising commissioning strategy and policy
and it is important to understand key issues and developments
in clinical, research and educational practice in England.
During her visit, Suzanne met staff and listened to examples
of different innovative practices and of how we are
transforming allied health services at the Trust to improve
the quality of patient care and how such work can affect
and improve outcomes for patients.
Liz Mowbray, Head of Therapies at OUH, said: “Not only
was such a visit a fantastic tribute to the hard work of the
AHP teams, but a brilliant opportunity for all AHPs in adult
and children’s services to meet and showcase their significant
contributions to the quality of patient care at OUH.
“The presentations throughout the day were varied and
very pertinent to the current healthcare agenda. A number
of staff from AHP teams including therapies, podiatry,
orthotics, radiology and imaging presented on, and gave
examples of, their work to date using evidence-based
medicine, data, patient outcomes and patient feedback as
well as examples of service transformation.”
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
17
Pledging our commitment to the Trust’s values
The Divisional Nurses and staff of
the Jane Ashley and Colorectal Ward
became two of the latest teams to
pledge their commitment to the Trust’s
Values and Behaviours by signing
statements of intent to live out and
promote these values to staff in their
teams.
In June 2014 the Trust launched
the ‘Personal Guide to Values and
Behaviours’ for all staff working at
Oxford University Hospitals.
Over a thousand patients and
colleagues helped to develop the guide
which sets out the values and types of
behaviours that we believe will help us
to achieve our ambition of Delivering
Compassionate Excellence.
It helps all of us to understand how
what we do at work and the way in
which we do things can achieve that
ambition demonstrating these values
every day.
Mark Power, the Trust’s Director of
Organisational Development and
Workforce, said: “We have over 11,000
staff at our Trust working across many
specialities in a wide range of vocations.
Each one of us contributes to the
care of patients. Whether our role is
to provide direct patient care or to
support our colleagues who provide
that care, we are all here for the same
purpose. When we all behave in a way
that is consistent with our values we
are truly Delivering Compassionate
Excellence, putting the patient at the
heart of what we do.”
If your team would also like to pledge
your commitment to the Trust’s values
please contact Jo Durkin for further
information: joanne.durkin@ouh.nhs.uk
The Trust’s Divisional Nursing Team, led by Chief Nurse Catherine Stoddart,
pledged their commitment to values and behaviours in November 2014
“We pledge to support our
nurses, midwives and healthcare
professionals to deliver excellent
care in our community. We pledge to
use the Personal Guide to Values and
Behaviours for reflection and guidance.
We are committed to ensuring that
our colleagues within the Division all
have a greater understanding of the
impact that our behaviour has on our
patients and our colleagues. We will
continue to celebrate the behaviours
we love to see and challenge those we
don’t. We the undersigned recognise
that through understanding our
values and behaviours we appreciate
how our everyday actions support
Delivering Compassionate Excellence.”
Staff from Jane Ashley and Colorectal Ward pledged their commitment to
values and behaviours in February 2015
Lucy Barrett, Acting Ward Sister Jane
Ashley and Colorectal Ward:
“As a ward we believe the Trust’s
values are of great importance to the
way we work. Each month we try to
promote these values by holding a staff
recognition event where members of
the team are nominated under each
one of the values categories. Staff,
patients and relatives can vote and
whichever nurse receives the most
nominations wins a prize, a star pin and
a certificate. It has been a great way to
show how we are living out the Trust’s
values on our ward and making all of
our staff feel valued and motivated.”
18
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
Staff
Voice
Staff Friends and Family Survey
All members of staff at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust have the opportunity to feedback their views on a quarterly
basis. The Staff Friends and Family Survey introduced in June 2014, invites all staff to participate.
In March, there were 2,300 participants in the Staff Friends and Family Test
86% of staff would recommend OUH
to friends and family in need of care/
treatment
We’re doing this well
•Care is rated highly by staff, with staff often mentioning
personal experiences of excellent care. The facilities and
wide range of expertise is often cited, with 86% of staff
saying that they would recommend OUH if their friends
or family needed treatment
61% of staff would recommend OUH to
friends and family as a place to work
We’re working on this
•Getting to work is a frequent concern amongst staff, so the
on site parking and travel situation is high on the Trust’s
agenda
The next survey opens in June
Find out more about the results of the Staff Friends and Family Test by visiting
ouh.oxnet.nhs.uk/SFFT/Pages/Default.aspx
or find out more from NHS England at:
www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/pe/fft/staff-fft/
Oxford University Hospitals
NHS Trust
Are you thinking about saying thank you to an
individual or team who have gone the extra mile?
Nominations for the 2015 Staff Recognition Awards will be opening soon.
Look out for details of how you can nominate and information about the awards.
Visit the Staff Recognition Awards page on our website to see details of the 2014 nominees and winners.
www.ouh.nhs.uk/about/staff-recognition
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
19
Farewell to OCE stalwart Martin
Staff have paid tribute to a colleague
who became ‘part of the furniture’ at the
Oxford Centre for Enablement (OCE).
Martin Moore has stepped down due to
ill-health after 20 years at the Churchill
Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic
Centre. He is most closely associated
with the OCE where he was a familiar
face on the reception desk and ran the
League of Friends shop selling gifts and
refreshments. In 2009 it was renamed
‘Martin’s Shop’ in recognition of his
contribution.
A group of staff visited Martin at
his home to hand over farewell gifts
including long service vouchers and a
specially compiled keepsake book.
He said: “A real big thank you to all
members of staff of OCE. Thank you so
very much for my lovely gift and also
the book of memories. It has been a
great privilege working with all of you
guys. I will miss all of you a great deal.”
Martin’s association with the Trust
began at Ritchie Russell House at
the Churchill in 1994. He went on to
contribute in many ways as both a
member of staff and volunteer.
Martin Moore
outside the shop
named after him
at the NOC
David Henderson Slater, Consultant
in Neurological Disability and
Rehabilitation at the NOC, said: “Martin
has been a great inspiration to many
staff and patients over many years.
Despite suffering a high spinal cord
injury at a very young age, he was
determined to make his contribution to
society.
“He recorded a video interview which
has been seen by many hundreds of
medical students, in which he talked
about life with a high spinal cord injury,
and how to communicate effectively
with people in wheelchairs.
“We hope he will be able to recover
fully and be able to come back to
OCE in good health, and with his usual
cheery approach to life.”
Maternity staff say farewell to Viv
Colleagues and friends say
goodbye to Viv (front right)
Ward Clerk Viv Chilton retired earlier this year after
35 years’ service working at the Trust.
Viv started working at the John Radcliffe Hospital on
30 October 1979 and never looked back.
She had worked in various roles across Maternity, including
15 years working nights on Delivery Suite as well as time in
the IVF Department, Colposcopy and the Admissions Office
at the Women’s Centre.
She had a vast wealth of knowledge of the various
departments and experienced many changes of staff and
new technology over the years!
To help Viv celebrate her retirement, colleagues and friends
– both new and old! – threw a beautiful retirement party
for her. At the event she was presented with gifts and a
wonderful cake, which Viv assured everybody she was going
to keep under glass forever to preserve it!
OUH News – your bi-monthly newsletter with news from around the John Radcliffe Hospital,
Horton General Hospital, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and Churchill Hospital.
Look out for the next edition of OUH News, which will be out in July 2015. If you have any news from your team or
department that you would like to be featured, please contact the Media and Communications Unit on 01865 231471
or email media.office@ouh.nhs.uk Deadline for copy is 29 May 2015.
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