Superstar! - Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Transcription
Superstar! - Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
For Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust staff and volunteers July/Aug 2012 Superstar! Warm congratulations to domestic assistant Jim Burns our first Hospital Hero. Nominated by two of his colleagues on Neptune ward, Jim received a glowing testimonial: “Jim takes time to learn the interests of the children, to make them laugh and to put them at ease……some of our long-term patients even fondly refer to him as ‘Grandad’! “Arriving early for work each day, Jim is an enthusiastic team member and always supportive of his colleagues. Parents too appreciate the fact he takes the time to learn their names, make them tea and sometimes to offer a shoulder to cry on.” Jim is a shining example of the values of the Trust: everybody matters, everything counts and everyone is responsible. But it was a close-run contest with an overwhelming number of nominations, said chairman Alan Tobias. So close that, for the first month, two special commendations were also awarded (see page 11). Don’t forget to nominate you hospital hero – details are on STAFFnet. And the NHS has just launched its own national quest for NHS Heroes to big up those employees who show ‘exceptional compassion, kindness and skill above and beyond the call of everyday duty, giving healthcare at its very best’. Attention! Information systems manager, David Jon, from our MEMS department, left his civvies in the wardrobe and turned up here in full combat order to mark the Ministry of Defence’s ‘Uniform at Work Day’. David is one of a number of armed forces reservists amongst our staff. In his spare time, Lieutenant Jon is a commissioned officer with the Essex Army Cadet Force – a youth organisation sponsored by the MoD where young people can get involved in all sorts of ‘character building’ activities and enhance their leadership skills. David is responsible for all training and public events for eight Essex units under his charge and was about to embark on an annual two-week training camp which he helps organise. He said: “I am proud and honoured to represent something so worthwhile. I know I have gained a huge amount from being involved in the armed forces and learned skills such as leadership, selfconfidence and the ability to perform well under pressure – all of which are enormously helpful in all walks of life.” EverybodyMatters Everything By royal appointment Patients recovering from a stroke have been in festive mode, creating a massive Jubilee crown to adorn the entrance to the unit. But the giant undertaken has seriously depleted the group’s stock of materials, so now OT Sam Pitman has appealed for donations of scraps of material, paper, scissors, tissue paper, glue, stickers, jewels and buttons to help build it up again and keep them all in business to be able to continue the craft group for the long term. The current project is on the Olympics. Call Sam on ext 6592 or bring stuff along to the neuro gym at the back of Paglesham ward. Some of the artisans are pictured here with rehab assistants Nickii Seaton and Angelique Rosario. Quality team Our occupational health unit has become the first service in Essex to receive accreditation from the Royal College of Physicians’ Safe Effective Quality Occupational Health Services (understandably SEQOHS for short). The accolade – the ‘kite mark’ of the occie health world - followed a visit from the RCP audit team earlier this year and is, says boss David Maslen- Jones, a reflection of a lot of hard work from the whole team. David adds: “Recent surveys continue to rate satisfaction levels with our service at more than 90% within the Trust.” In addition to looking after all of us, the OH team also provides services to nearly 20,000 other NHS workers as well as to local factories, care homes and other organisations. Supersnax for chemo patients Close collaboration between the chemotherapy unit, dietitians and caterers Medirest mean that patients in the unit do not go hungry. Oncology dietitian Henry Wood presented a certificate in recognition of the teamwork which has ensured twice-daily deliveries of nutritious and tempting snacks are delivered to the unit, where patients may spend up to eight hours. He added: “The staff there have done an excellent job in referring appropriate patients to help prevent weight loss which could affect their health and treatment.” 2 g Counts Everyone’s Responsible Cold turkey sandwich anyone? Visitors to a stop smoking event in the ed centre were offered tasty cold turkey sandwiches. But, with so much support at hand, there is no need for anyone wishing to kick the habit to go cold turkey. A campaign, being run in conjunction with the PCT’s stop smoking service and the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, is aimed at helping our staff increase referrals to the stop smoking service. Any patient expressing a desire to give up will be given a ‘ticket to quit’, half of which will remain with the patient while the other half goes into a special box. Stop smoking advisors will empty the boxes at least weekly and contact the patients to provide the help they need. Consultant in respiratory medicine, Dr Sohail Ansari, who is our ‘stop smoking champion', said: “It only takes seconds to ask patients if they are interested, issue them with a ticket and drop the other half in the box – but it could make a dramatic change to their life. Advisors are waiting to help, and it has been shown that people are four times more likely to quit if they do it with the support of an NHS stop smoking advisor than by going it alone.” Stop the clot Cupcakes decorated with bright red icing ‘blood clots’ might not be everybody’s cup of tea but they helped make staff and patients aware of the dangers in National Thrombosis Week. Led by the VTE (venous thromboembolism) link nurses, lots of wards joined in the prevention drive by putting up posters, making badges – and, of course, the tasteful cupcakes. And there were giveaway goodies for staff who answered VTE prophylaxis questions correctly. VTE lead, Debbie Cavin, said: “Most people know of the dangers of long-haul flights but you are 1,000 times more at risk of VTE coming into hospital, due to acute illness or surgery on top of reduced mobility. Risk assessment is vital for patient safety – and this should be followed up as the patient’s condition may change.” We are hoping to gain ‘exemplar status’ in the next few months – awarded by King’s Hospital to those gaining excellence in this area - so need to get doctors and nurses carrying out risk assessments on all admitted patients and giving them lots of information both on admission and when they leave hospital. Southbourne puts the flags out Staff on Southbourne ward ensured their patients and their families did not miss out on the Queen’s Jubilee festivities. The ward was festooned with bunting – and, of course, there was no shortage of cake. Kathy Maloney, MSK matron, said: “We created a street party atmosphere on the ward to make sure our patients could feel part of the celebrations.” 3 Medical professionalism in action Our doctors must show that they are meeting the standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC), which include: • Making care of the patient their first concern • Keeping their professional knowledge and skills up to date • Working with colleagues in ways that best serve the patient’s interests • Recognising the limits of their competence • Treating patients considerately and respecting their confidentiality • Giving patients the information they want in a way they can understand • Being honest and open and acting with integrity • Raising any concerns about patient safety • Ensuring they are familiar with relevant guidelines and developments • Taking part in educational activities to maintain and develop their competences and performance • Arranging adequate cover when necessary Dr Grahame Tosh as he will be the ‘responsible officer’ who reviews his colleagues’ appraisals and makes recommendations to the GMC for the individual’s licence to be renewed. He will be appraised and revalidated by someone from outside the hospital. In a fast-changing world, we naturally expect doctors treating us or our families to be up to speed with the latest developments and competent in all their practice. Now, a new national approach to medical regulation will give patients the reassurance that all our doctors are fit to practise. Blanca said: “It assures us and our patients that our doctors are fit to practise and up to date. There will be feedback from both colleagues and patients and doctors will have to produce evidence of their medical practice in all the areas they work For example, if I went to a conference and learned something new or interesting which made me change how I practise, I would use that as a point of evidence. Revalidation will give everyone a chance to reflect on how they work.” Charged with the hefty responsibility of making sure this happens is consultant anaesthetist Blanca Boira who is our associate medical director for revalidation. Blanca is working closely with newly appointed appraisal and revalidation manager, Lisa Bemister who is tasked with ensuring that the relevant systems are in place for nearly 300 doctors (all those in non-training posts) to be regularly appraised by their peers and their licence to practise revalidated. Lisa, who has been working in medical HR for the past two years, took over the reins from project manager Denise Moffat and will be managing the day-to-day running of the new system. Quality outcomes measures are being defined by the royal colleges which are setting the standards for their individual specialties. Meanwhile, here at Southend, training for the new system is now underway and an appraisal toolkit is in the pipeline. She says: “It will be a gradual implementation but over the next five years every doctor not in training (for example, consultants, specialty doctors, clinical fellows) has to be revalidated. By March 2016, everyone will have had their review.” Lisa said: “There were concerns that the new system would be more complicated, but we have tried to keep it simple and user-friendly. We have also used a standardised structure across the Trust so the same system applies to everyone, whatever their specialty.” we have tried to keep it simple and user-friendly Blanca added: “With the other neighbouring Essex hospitals, we have created the Essex Revalidation Network and have been hosting meetings to set similar processes across Essex.” The process is really an enhanced version of our current peer appraisal which has been in operation since 2004. First up will be retiring medical director You can find the appraisal and revalidation policy now on STAFFnet. 4 Here’s looking at you Have you booked your free eye test? Business at our new mobile eye clinics has got off to a brisk start with more than 700 members of staff booking in during the first month of operation. The two units are tucked round the back of the hospital, between the education centre and the eye unit, with optometrist Elizabeth Agrippa at the helm. She can offer you a range of more than 800 frames from budget (a basic pair of specs will set you back only £25) to designer names. One satisfied customer is occupational health trainer Mick Moring (inset) who popped in for a routine eye test and came away with a BOGOF deal. He said: “I had a very thorough check with more modern equipment than I have had in the past. And it was a very quick service – both pairs of glasses were ready in a week.” To book an appointment, phone 5304 or go to www.southendeyecare.co.uk/stor e/disp.cgi?page=lnkin.html&u=sou thend&p=semp2012 Towards a paper-light organisation If a three-month trial for orthopaedics is a success, we could be on our way to shedding some of the reams of paper which are such a part of the hospital environment. Just imagine – no more trolleys heaving with sheaves of folders and no more cluttered desks in clinic consultation rooms. The medical records department has been scanning all admission documentation for Castle Point and Shopland wards as well as all orthopaedic referrals onto the clinical electronic documentation (CED) system. This means about 50 pages per patient can be stored electronically and be instantly accessible to clinicians. Health records manager, Ross Harrison, said: “Our vision is to have noteless clinics and a paper-light, if not paper-free, organisation.” Andrew Currie, web applications developer, added: “It will mean staff won’t have to locate missing notes and will reduce paper administration costs. It will also provide additional space in consultation rooms, greater security as information will be stored electronically and a better environment for staff and patients.” Health records admin support worker Michelle Billham scans in another health record, helped by manager Ross Harrison All documents have first to be approved by the clinical records action group (CRAG) before they can be loaded onto the CED – these include letters from other hospitals and tests results which cannot be kept on ICE. 5 Safe delivery Mum Leah Walker’s wish to give birth naturally a second time was thwarted when little Sonny was 12 days overdue, his heartbeat was dropping and he was becoming more distressed. Following an emergency caesarean, he arrived safely and is now thriving at home with parents and big sister Eva. Many mums of two small children would be too absorbed to give much thought to the delivery team. But Leah took time out to write a long letter of thanks to the professionals, with a special mention for consultant Dr Abraham Foroughi and midwife Alex Woods. She said: “My husband Richard and I both agreed that without all the excellent care and skills that the team showed, we may not have had the same end result of a healthy perfect baby boy. We are very thankful to everyone involved in the labour and delivery of Sonny and so very grateful that we had such a great team of people to take care of us. “Alex is such a brilliant and natural midwife. I could not wish for a better person to help me through the whole experience. She was with us every step of the way and ensured our baby got here safe and sound. “We cannot put into words how thankful we are.” Sustainability slot Barbara’s journey is a tiny part of the work we are undertaking this year to try to calculate and reduce our carbon footprint. Barbara Hitchcock, from facilities, used to get a lift to and from work three times a week – that’s 360 miles a year. We calculated that her commute produced around 110kg of CO2 emissions annually. Inspired by our Bike Week events, Barbara has got herself a brand new bicycle, ‘Betty’, and is doing her bit to save the planet. If all our 4,000 or so staff reduced their weekly commute by just eight miles, around 400,000kg (400 tonnes) would be saved each year. Interesting fact – it takes two hectares of trees about 40 years to capture that amount of CO2. Calculating the CO2 output of 6 Barbara said: “Yes – I am still biking today, and still saddle sore. But the backpack I won for being a new cyclist is so handy – I can get loads in in. Betty is now my partner every day for work, whatever the weather!” To find out more about cycle training, salary sacrifice bikes, on-site training facilities, local cycle routes or calculating your own carbon footprint, contact Caroline Hanghong at [email protected] or call extension 8051. Pathology’s big beasts In our ongoing drive to provide top-notch pathology support for our local population, we have introduced two ‘big beasts’ to the labs. The Genprobe ‘Panther’ is a polymerase chain reaction analyser which detects chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HPV via their DNA. It is faster and more accurate than the nine-yearold analyser it replaces and is capable of processing up to 500 samples a day – so patients will get their results more speedily. We have never tested for HPV before – anything untoward spotted down a microscope would simply come back as an ‘abnormal smear’ result. The equipment went live on July 2. Meanwhile, our biochemistry lab has been totally redesigned to accommodate a total automated system – The Roche ‘Cobas 8000’ which encompasses the preanalytical, analytical and post-analytical aspects of the sample pathway. It is in operation 24/7 and is capable of performing 82 different tests from thyroid function to tumour markers and kidney function to cardiac markers. As requests are received on our ICE system, they are downloaded via the lab computer to the Cobas instruments which read the barcode identifier and perform the tests requested. Biomedical scientist Sarah Edmondson with the Panther The Cobas 8000 is capable of processing around 400 samples an hour – far more than its predecessor so patients should notice a faster service here too. Go, Alex! One of our senior physiotherapists, Alex Quinn, has been selected to carry the Olympic flame on its way to the 2012 Games. Alex was nominated by colleague Gina Porteous for his enthusiasm and motivational skills, and was one of only 20 NHS employees to be selected to help carry the flame on its 70-day journey. Gina explained: “He leads by example, encouraging other team members to improve personal fitness as well as achieve greatness in their day-to-day professional lives. He has organised a team from the hospital to complete a gruelling 24-hour endurance race, mud runs and competes weekly in the department’s five-a-side football 7 team.” In addition, she says, he is ‘one of the nice guys’. “He is approachable, supportive and represents all that is good about Southend Hospital and the NHS in general.” A modest Alex, who’s running in Kent, said: “I feel extremely privileged to have been selected and am very excited about the forthcoming day. I don’t think I am in the league of some of the stories I have read regarding other torchbearers, but am very happy that the Olympics committee has selected some people who maybe don’t have the most exciting or inspiring stories. And I will absolutely love being a small part of Olympics history and legacy.” Simply the best Highlights included the hospital’s wound management team, whose efforts in pressure ulcer management have successfully halved the overall number of limb amputations. Also high on the list of successes was the introduction of the enhanced recovery programme, designed to get patients fit and ready for discharge much sooner after surgery. Our nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants showcased their work and shared best practice at an inaugural conference in Billericay. Keynote speaker was East of England’s chief nursing officer, Ruth May, pictured here with chief executive Jacqueline Totterdell and director of nursing, Sue Hardy. Sue said: “Our nurses and midwives do a truly fantastic job, and the success of the initiatives presented at the conference clearly demonstrates this. My trust board colleagues and I are incredibly proud and we were delighted to celebrate these achievements alongside the staff responsible for their success.” Our nurses and midwives do a truly fantastic job We asked for your nursing stories…. …to mark International Nurses’ Day and HCA Emir Hampton came up trumps. Emir knew she wanted a hospitalbased job after spending many spells on the other side of the sheets when she was growing up. Emir was born with neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition where tumours grown on the nerve tissue. The youngest of six, Emir was the only one to inherit the disorder: “It was a mutant gene unfortunately.” She was born with a small lump on her right eye and has developed other tumours including one near her brain and another in her ear. She has had a series of operations including one to remove a tumour which grew into her cheek and gums. Now she is ecstatic to I am so happy here. Orthopaedics is so interesting.. learn that surgery may be possible on the large growth near her eye. Despite having a hard time at school where cruel jibes and name calling were everyday challenges, Emir refuses to let the painful condition get her down. “My family brought me up not to dwell on it and just act as if I didn’t have the condition. “After spending so long in hospital I first wanted to be a doctor, but was not clever enough. So I thought I would do the next best thing and I am really happy. I don’t mind the dirty jobs at all. It is a way of giving back to the nurses who helped me so much when I was younger. And, as an HCA, I spend a lot of time with the patients which is what I want to do. I love listening to people’s stories, especially their love stories – and I hear a lot of those!” She has been based on Castle Point ward for the past two years and knows she has found her niche. “I am so happy here. Orthopaedics is 8 so interesting, I have amazing work colleagues and, better still, lovely patients. “I probably would not be doing this if I did not have NF. I have no room in my life to be sad – I have this wonderful job, a fantastic family and great partner (James Allman, a student nurse on Neptune ward). Making a name for herself Sexual health clinic manager, Alison Keefe, still gets a thrill from seeing her name in print – despite having had a whole series of articles published nationally. Over the last three years, Ali has been a regular contributor to the monthly magazine Nurse Prescribing, informing about the sexually-transmitted infections which she sees as a matter of routine in her work. She has covered the whole gamut of conditions, from chlamydia and syphilis to herpes and genital warts and, most recently, the newly discovered LGV (lymphogranuloma venereum). Ali says: “The articles are aimed at practice nurses and are written in a not-too-technical style. It is all about raising awareness in the community because there are lots of symptoms which might not readily be linked to a sexually-transmitted infection. The clinic has strong links with other specialties, as patients can present with joint, urology or eye problems.” Ali’s flourishing publishing career stems back to the dissertation on nurse-led clinics she completed for her health and social care degree back in 2004. On the back of that, she was asked to speak at a Royal College of Nursing conference and then to pen some expert articles. She says: “It is quite time consuming, but I enjoy having a project and having to meet a deadline. And the fact that you are writing for an interested audience makes it really worthwhile. “I try to show the human side, and include the communication skills that nurses use on a daily basis. We try to put everyone who comes to the clinic at their ease as that is good medicine. “Our nurse-led clinics have enabled us to meet our targets of seeing patients within 48 hours of contacting the service, and we have a walk-in nurse-led clinics four days a week. Many patients go through the service without ever seeing a doctor. “Sexual health is a specialty which is ideally suited to nurse-led clinics and the Trust has been very supportive of them.” Early detection of dementia Patients aged 75 or over who are admitted to our medical or surgical wards are now routinely being assessed for dementia if carers or nursing staff believe there is a need. Our memory team nurses are visiting at-risk patients on the ward to give them a simple cognitive assessment. We are then able to prescribe appropriate medication, refer them to the memory clinic or signpost them and their carers to Alzheimer’s cafes or other helpful organisations in the community. Consultant physician Dr Ioannis Liakas, our dementia lead, said: “A large proportion of our patients aged over 75 have dementia or confusion as well as other the medical condition for which they are admitted. We are now ensuring that everyone with a possible diagnosis of dementia receives help. “The object of this initiative is early detection so that we can channel patients appropriately and prolong the period they are well.” We have now agreed an integrated care pathway with the PCT so that 9 patients can be seen promptly at the first available appointment either here or by the SEPT mental health team. Dr Liakas added: “We recognise that some patients may be confused simply because of being in hospital. If there is nothing to indicate a longterm problem, we shall be asking our GP colleagues to assess them a couple of months after discharge.” Welcomes, congratulations and farewells Welcome to: Claire Hankey, our new head of communications and engagement, who has joined us from the Echo newspaper where she was features editor for a number of years. Claire also has previous experience of NHS communications and is looking forward to the challenge of her new role and to getting around the hospital to chat to staff in all areas. Iain McMillan, who joins us as our first commercial director. Iain has degrees in economics and finance and international marketing and an impressive track record as a board director in areas including retail and financial services as well as healthcare. He says: “My role is essentially to look for new revenue streams to ensure we continue to provide progressive and high quality care free at the point of access. The cash can then be reinvested into excellent patient care, so we can continue to attract top surgeons, consultants and nurses.” Colin Cadwallader, interim director of estates and facilities, who joins us from a global company where he was responsible for all their UK premises. He previously worked in the NHS for 28 years. Colin commutes weekly from his home in Cheshire and admits that he ‘loves a challenge’. His aim at Southend is to make us the ‘best in class’ – fully compliant with all legislation and consummately professional. Mr Peter Acher, consultant urological surgeon who joins us in his first consultant post from Guy’s and St Thomas’. After qualifying at Cambridge and Guys Hospital, he worked as a registrar while completing his PhD in prostate brachytherapy. He will be supporting and expanding our own prostate brachytherapy service as well as carrying out laser surgery for prostate and stone disease. Miss Tulika Singh, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist with a special interest in maternal and foetal medicine. Tulika was inspired to embark on a medical career by her maternal aunt, also an obstetrician and gynaecologist. She says: “We want to expand our services to make Southend the leading centre for foetal medicine in Essex.” Mr Thomas Giesen, who has joined our hand surgery team after previously working here as a fellow. Born in Berlin, Thomas grew up and studied medicine in Italy. He soon realised that he wanted to specialise in hand surgery and spent some time in the prestigious Ganga Hospital microsurgery and plastic surgery unit in Coimbatore, India. He has also worked in Louisville, Kentucky, Verona and Zurich, where he was dealing exclusively with major hand trauma cases. A speaker of Italian, Spanish, German and French as well as English, Thomas has had to give up his love of playing rugby as he cannot run the risk of injury. Now he is busy learning card tricks and dreaming of piloting a plane – his colleagues in Zurich gave him a gift of a flying lesson which he is now planning to take at Southend airport. Farewell to: David Park, consultant neurologist, who has retired to ‘live happily ever after’ with his new wife Pamela (congratulations to them both!). David first came to work here back in 1977, when he also had patient lists at both the London Hospital and the old Oldchurch 10 Hospital, Romford. But gradually he and colleagues built up the service here to pave the way for our renowned stroke unit. David counts that as one of the highlights of his time with us. The service was originally housed in Edmund Stone ward before being transferred to Rochford Hospital when it was the first stroke unit in a district general hospital in the country. David says: “We had the successful appeal for the CT scanner and then the installation of our first MRI scanner after another appeal. It was opened by Princess Anne and the envy of the other Essex hospitals. “We also had the first botulinum clinic in a DGH and invented botulinum treatment for sweating and spasm relief in stroke patients.” Following by-pass surgery here last year, David promises he will ‘keep on taking the tablets’.” Lesley Hough, right, who became our first hospital transfusion practitioner seven years ago and has just retired. Lesley came to the hospital 15 years ago as a biomedical scientist in haematology (after doing her initial lab technician’s training here back in the sixties). She says she has no immediate plans for her retirement – just to spend a couple of months relaxing and enjoying life. But then she mentions volunteering for Fairhavens hospice, devoting more time to the gym, yoga, walking and painting……! She says: “I will miss all the lovely people I have met around the hospital.” Lesley’s place is being taken by Natalie Outten, left, (so congratulations, Natalie) who has been with us since 1995 – mainly as a biomedical scientist in the anticoagulation department. For the past month or so she has been shadowing Lesley and is taking on the role on a four month’s secondment. Natalie, who started her working life with the National Blood Service, is looking forward to the challenge ahead but reckons she has ‘big shoes to fill’. Congratulations to: Clerical assistant Janet Gowers and Bedwell ward clerk Marguerite Dorey who both received special commendations in our Hospital Heroes employee of the month award (see page 1). Janet, from cardiology, led the way in introducing a new reporting system and is committed to continually improving her knowledge and skills as well as looking for ways to assist her colleagues, says her manager Anne Davey. Marguerite is an inspiration to staff and patients, going out of her way to try to solve any problem with a smile. Ward manager, Andrea Turner, says: “If we all had a Marguerite, the world would be a much nicer and happier place.” Liz Leigh, Kym Popplewell and Kay Bell who were all successful in the recent board of governors’ elections. Liz and Kym represent the hospital and treatment centres while Kay is the Brit House rep. Dr Sarah Mapplebeck, on becoming a consultant clinical biochemist and being promoted to head of our clinical biochemistry department. Sarah joined us six years ago as a pre-registration clinical biochemist ,since when she has attained her Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists. She says: “There are many challenges facing us within pathology right now so it is an exciting time to be promoted. We have an excellent team who are all very excited and looking forward to what lies ahead.” Senior staff nurse Emily Gaff from SCBU and midwife Deborah-Ann Edwards excelled themselves on the latest NLS provider course and were awarded ‘instructor potential’ status. Trust staff achieved a 100% pass rate on the course. Our doughty IT ‘Three-Peakers’, Alan Tuckwood, David Robinson and Paul Tracy, who survived their challenge to climb the UK’s three highest peaks in 24 hours. They climbed in temperatures ranging between 14 and 27 degrees, navigated through snow fields, negotiated a night descent from Ben Nevis, avoided crags on Scafell Pike and finished with a last surge to complete Snowdon. Injuries were suffered along the way which resulted in the team finishing just an hour outside of their target time. And well done to their trusty driver, hospital service improvement 11 Obituaries John Pengelly 17 February 1948 to 15 May 2012 Affectionately known as ‘Little John’, he was a very popular and valued member of the building and carpentry tem from 1980 until his retirement in 2009. A memorial service was held in the hospital chapel. Joan Storrie 13 March 1948 to 26 May 2012 Joan was a receptionist and host in our main outpatients department for 10 years until she fell and broke her shoulder earlier this year. Her health sadly deteriorated and she was taken to ITU where she died. Colleagues described Joan as ‘generous in spirit’ with a smashing sense of humour, a kind, loyal and thoughtful friend who was always ready to help out. Joan will be remembered fondly for her big smile and love of holidays and passion for clothes – always matching her handbag to her shoes. She leaves a husband, Henry, who has asked that any donations in Joan’s memory should be made to Rochford ward where she was cared for before she died. manager Cath Abrahams. Thanks to those who have already donated and – for those who haven’t – it is never too late. Just visit the following link – all proceeds go to our Bosom Pals On The Road Appeal. www.justgiving.com/SouthendHospital-3-peaks We are dying to know… …what five things do you want to do before you die? It is not a macabre question; it is eminently practical and sensible. We might all live to receive our telegram from the Palace – or we may not even make our biblical threescore years and ten. But it is important to break the taboo we have built up around death – as national Dying Matters week sought to highlight. There was an excellent turnout of staff and public at an exhibition day we held to encourage people to start talking about death. Wendy Warner, palliative care lead nurse, said: “Unlike other cultures, we are notoriously reluctant in this country to face the inevitable so that, when a loved one does die, we are left totally unprepared.“ Visitors to the exhibition were able to take away cards where they could list the five dreams still to fulfil as well as five things they would want to be remembered for. Open for business Aspirations included learning to play the guitar, enjoying a hot-air balloon trip, working for the homeless, driving across America, seeing elephants in their natural habitat, mastering a foreign language, getting a tattoo, buying a house, doing a stand-up routine and just ‘being happy’. Being a good parent or friend, having a great sense of humour and trying to make things fairer featured high on the lists of things to be remembered for. Among those on hand to give advice and chat at the exhibition day were funeral directors, solicitors and willwriting experts as well as our own palliative care, counselling and bereavement specialists. Visitors also had the chance to look around our highly-acclaimed bereavement suite and the chapel and multi-faith room. Wendy went on: “Death, dying and bereavement are traditionally not things we talk much about. But it is important to have a discussion, not just for ourselves but for our loved ones. It is an added stress if they do not know their loved one’s wishes. “We have been doing a great deal of work to meet the needs of patients nearing the end of their lives and at Southend Hospital we can be proud that we want to do our best and improve on our care for patients who are dying and their families. “ Pace yourselves! There are going to be some pretty inspirational feats of athleticism going on this summer – and we want to be part of the action. We have just opened our first-ever charity shop – and it’s already doing a roaring trade for our Bosom Pals Appeal On The Road. Opened by champion fundraiser, Joyce Long (pictured centre|), the shop at 346 London Road, Westcliff is being leased to us rent-free. Check out the bargains next time you’re that way, bring along your stuff to replenish the shelves – or you may even want to volunteer your retail skills. Call the fundraising team on ext 6401. You may not be in line for a gold medal, but you could win three months’ free membership of Fitness First in Victoria Avenue, Southend by entering out Olympic Pedometer Challenge. As everyone knows, you have to be in it to win it, so email the name of your team and its six members to Karen Harman in occupational health and she’ll get you each fitted up with a pedometer. As a special offer to all hospital staff, Fitness First is also generously offering free use of their gym during the Olympics (July 30 to August 12) – contact Karen on 01702 222900. 12 Diary Dates MSK study day Saturday, September 29 Shoulder and ankle ‘hands-on’ course in the ed centre. Aimed at specialty trainees and anyone with a special interest in MSK imaging. £50 including lunch – for full details contact Denise Southgate (ext 5627) or Katie Palmer on 5082. [email protected] Children’s Acute Transport Service (CATS) study day Thursday October 4 – in the education centre Contact Julie Dibbens on ext 6372 for further details.