Articulate 119 - Spring 2016 - Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital

Transcription

a
2
articulate
To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly
3
Spring 2016 - Issue 119
Norman
is a record
breaker!
Stanmore
redevelopment
update
Radio
Brockley
take the
Gold!
RNOH
Patient Guide
goes live
Up close with
Dr Imad Sedki
& Dr Andrew
Lucas
2
A message from Rob Hurd
2016 – the year of the RNOH. There is a lot happening now
and in the near future that is shaping the destiny of the RNOH
for the better. A couple of weeks ago, there was a debate in
the House of Lords that focused on the redevelopment at
Stanmore. Peers from across the political divide joined forces
to maintain the momentum towards our rebuild. It was
heartening to hear them all support or case and apply their
own modest pressure to the ‘decision makers’. In this issue of
Articulate you’ll get an insight into the Redevelopment
Programme Team, and what the timescales are going to be.
With a fair wind, we should be demolishing the Patient
Centre by May and building by the late summer/early
Autumn. More news on the progress can be followed on the
Redevelopment sections of the Grapevine, the RNOH website
and at the next Open Forum on 26th April.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Radio
Brockley – who picked up several awards at the HBA
Awards including the top gong: a Gold Award for Station of
the year. Congratulations to them from everyone at RNOH.
2016 also marked another milestone for former patient
Norman Sharp. He was officially recognised by Guinness
World Records as having the longest lasting hip replacements
in the world, done here at the RNOH in 1948 by Philip
Newman. I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting
Norman recently and he’s a walking example of ‘getting it
right first time’, the approach we are leading on by being a
Vanguard Site delivering the NHS New Care Model.
This year also marks the launch of the RNOH Patient
Guide – www.rnohguide.com – an online information
portal that gives patients all the information they need
before coming into hospital. This is a major development in
improving the experience of our patients, ensuring they
receive not just the best clinical care but also the best
information.
2016, lots to look back on but even more to look forward to.
Rob Hurd,
Chief Executive
The latest Trust news from
executive directors
12-1pm
RNOH
Open Forum
The Open Forum
gives you a chance to ask questions
so please come along.
Contents
Editorial
team
@RNOHnhs
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12-13
Duke of Gloucester refurbishment
Meet the consultant: Dr Imad Sedki
RNOH Patient Guide
Hip hooray for Norman
Training & Career development
Inside Job: Andrew Lucas, psychologist
Delivering great care
SCIC donation
Schwartz it all about?
RNOH rebuild update
Tony Higgins
Communications
& Engagement
Manager
Extension 5349
Tuesday
26 April
2016
Charles Lack
Theatre,
Teaching Centre
Lunch will be provided
with tea/coffee/juice
14
15
16-17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Bronze for Broccles
Nurse Revalidation / SaLT team
RNOH Charity
Radio Brockley
IM&T Corner: Free WiFi
Phantom Limb Pain
Board reflections: Laurence Milstead
Transition service
Taking stock of new equipment
Nilay’s got talent
Elisa McGarry,
Communications
& Engagement
Coordinator
Extension 5569
www.facebook.com/thernohcharity
Dipti Pisavadia
Communications
& Engagement
Administrator
Extension 5750
www.linkedin.com/rnoh
articulate To connect by a joint, to speak distinctly
Before
3
Duke of
Gloucester
refurbishment
After
The Duke of Gloucester ward day rooms have recently
had a fantastic makeover - creating a home away from home!
Over the years money has been donated by patients who were
very grateful for the treatment they had received on the ward.
Specialising in the treatment of sarcomas, the ward cares for patients
undergoing general and sometimes major surgery. Ensuring patients
have a positive experience of their stay in hospital, despite sometimes
having life changing diagnoses, is an integral part of their recovery.
Mona Diamond, Ward Sister, said:
Many of the patients have stated that they
have never been in a day room like it before in any
other hospital. This has made me so happy as I
wanted it to be a place that felt like patients could
be away from the ward environment. A lot of people
have asked me to come and decorate their homes!
I can't solely take that compliment
- it was very much a team project.
Deirdre Coll, who was at the time Acting
Matron for Adult wards said:
The aim of the project was to create a
room where patients and their families
could go to whilst in hospital. We
wanted the room to reflect a nonclinical, relaxing and comfortable
environment. I believe we achieved this
and received many compliments from
both patients and their families.
Marina said:
The RNOH Charity is so pleased to have
been able to fund these fantastic
improvements to the Duke of Gloucester
Ward. The Charity exists to improve the
experience of the RNOH’s patients – to
Mona, alongside Deirdre Coll & Marina Martin from the RNOH Charity,
enhance the quality of the care they
came up with a plan to turn the tired old day rooms into a sanctuary for
receive, and to make their time at the
patients to escape from the clinical environment of the ward.
hospital more comfortable.
Stanmore
Open Day 2016
RNOH flung open its doors in February as we hosted an open day to the public. It was an
opportunity for anyone interested in our work to swing by, meet staff and hear all about the latest
research and clinical work carried out at RNOH.
The event was organised by the Research and Innovation
Centre and guest speaker was Prof Noel Fitzpatrick, AKA
‘Super Vet’. Prof Fitzpatrick is well known for his work on
animals, utilising and adapting many of the techniques
and implant technology used in humans and, in some
cases, pioneering animal treatments that are translated
into human treatment. The open day included tours of
theatres and research labs as well as practical
demonstrations of orthopaedic surgical techniques – but
not on real patients! The feedback received from the
visitors was very positive and there are already plans being
mooted for another event next year.
4
Meet
the Consultant
Dr Imad Sedki, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine at the RNOH
How did you get into rehabilitation medicine?
I trained in Orthopaedics for nine years, and although I loved
it I started struggling with the lifestyle and the many on-calls.
I found myself working too hard and the pleasure of work
gets affected when you’re not actually sleeping well or eating
well. When I moved to rehabilitation medicine I naturally
became interested in prosthetics due to my familiarity with
limbs. It’s nice to see my patients awake for a change as
opposed to anaesthetised! My special interest is amputee
rehabilitation and I’ve been a consultant at the RNOH since
2009.
What’s it like working in prosthetic rehabilitation?
We’re mostly outpatient based, so we have clinics every
morning and I see patients as part of an MD team with the
prosthetists, physios and OTs. I also have regular joint clinics
with my colleague Professor Hanspal, and other Orthopaedic
or Pain Management consultants.
One of the nicest consultations is where we assess an
upper limb amputee and the patient brings their own ideas
and designs – we often enhance them but sometimes we
accept these ideas as they are. I recall a lady who was born
without an arm who lived all her life without using a
prosthesis until she reached her 70s and began to lose her
vision. She asked us to attach a prosthetic limb to her white
cane so she could use it and keep the other hand free to
carry her bags. Patients are very creative in the things that
they ask us for.
With upper limb prostheses it’s not just about replacing a
hand; you usually aim for a targeted function that the patient
chooses. But while some users can’t even imagine a day in
their life without a prosthetic arm, others might come to get
an arm simply for a wedding or job interview.
The NHS doesn’t do well when it comes to the appearance
of prosthesis in general and it’s one of the most common
complaints, but there’s a change in attitudes now. There’s a
conceptual change; instead of trying to make it look like a
human limb people are now looking at the bionic look. Many
like to use patterns, designs or their own pictures on the
prosthetic socket. A lot of my veteran amputees like to wear
shorts and expose the metal work of the prosthesis – they
don’t cover it at all and they’re proud of it like that. Society is
changing and so people’s ideas are too.
What sort of patients do you see?
I look after amputees from all age groups after different types
of disease or accidents, in addition to people born without
limbs. You can look at leg amputees from different points of
view; those where the amputation made their life better, so,
for example, when someone has an orthopaedic problem;
there’s a fracture which is infected that they’ve been
struggling with for years – they’re having surgery after
surgery and antibiotics, they can’t have a shower because the
leg is always bandaged, they are in a wheelchair and have
pain, then they have the amputation and suddenly life is
better. This is a group where you improve their lifestyle
straight away on the day of amputation.
The other group is where people had to have the
amputation because of a sudden problem and they are
surprised by it, so yesterday they were walking and today
they can’t. They come to us with physical problems,
obviously, but sometimes also with psychological issues. It
brings either the best or worst out of a person; some are
inspired while others struggle psychologically and can
become depressed needing lots of support.
We have a psychologist and a counsellor as part of our
team, but every member of the team provides some form of
counselling for patients and their families, and that’s a big
attraction to the specialty as you have lifelong treatment and
lifelong relationships with them. I’m often closer to my
patients than their GP. Patients come to me and ask me
about things that aren’t related to my speciality; they say “Dr,
my leg is fine but I have constipation – can you help with
that?” It’s very refreshing because we’re probably one of the
few areas in the NHS who are that close to their patients.
Are there challenges in this specialty?
Rehabilitation medicine is a small specialty; there are less than
150 consultants in the UK – amputee rehabilitation is even
smaller. There’s a huge shortage of amputee rehab doctors in
the UK, specifically in London. This is the only centre in
London that has two consultants and that generates a lot of
referrals from elsewhere. Although I think it’s the best job in
the world, for some reason medical students are not
encouraged to join the speciality. Amputee rehabilitation is a
very well-kept secret but we have good trainees now and
some of them are becoming interested so maybe we can
change that.
How do you unwind after a long week helping
people?
My main hobby is photography – I like abstract and macro
shots; close-ups of insects and things like that. I really enjoy
cycling as well.
If you hadn’t trained in medicine, what profession
would you choose?
Something related to working with people long-term, being
close with families and getting to know them; a psychologist
maybe – that would be interesting. I wanted to do psychiatry
when I was in medical school but then I became attracted to
orthopaedics and the science of it!
5
RNOH
goes live
Patient Guide
After 18 months development, a new website is transforming the
way patients can learn about their visit and treatment in hospital.
The RNOH has created the Patient Guide as part of its
innovation programme to significantly improve
patients’ experience of their care.
The hospital has worked with patients, medical teams
and award-winning film director Jan Letocha to produce an
online portal that uses the latest web design, filming
techniques and technology to deliver information across a
range of orthopaedic conditions from spines, hips, and
knees to ankles and feet.
Continuing its national role as a centre of innovation, the
RNOH Patient Guide is setting a new standard in delivering
crucial patient information, such as “What is an MRI scan?”
to “What will happen in my visit to hospital?”, giving
reassurance and guidance when it is most needed.
Using cutting edge filming techniques such as 360°
gimbals and 4k resolution GoPro cameras usually used for
extreme sports, the Patient Guide encompasses the style
and feel more often associated with the world of high
quality advertising, the area that film director Jan Letocha
usually works in.
Alongside professional videos, the Patient Guide also
features animated graphics showing the key stages in the
patient pathway, patient testimonials, videos explaining the
various diagnostic services at RNOH, including X-ray,
ultrasound, MRI and fluoroscopy, as well as information on
therapies and rehabilitation and ‘how to get here’ films
covering all aspects of public transport access to the
hospital’s two sites in Stanmore and central London.
RNOH Chief Executive, Rob Hurd, said: “The RNOH
has been setting the national standard in orthopaedic
medicine for many years and now, with the RNOH Patient
Guide, we are raising the bar in how patients receive their
information. This Guide makes it easier for patients to find
out what they need to know. The RNOH believes in getting
it right first time and putting patients first. The Patient
Guide delivers that, ensuring we continue to provide quality
services to patients.”
Film director Jan Letocha said:
This was a collaborative project
between the hospital staff and patients.
That’s what made it a successful, innovative
and interesting project to work on. The
involvement of the medical teams along with
real patients means the RNOH Patient Guide
covers all the essential information you need
to know before coming into hospital. Video
and online is increasingly the way we receive
information and this Patient Guide points the
way to the future.
www.rnohguide.com
6
American Academy of
Orthopaedic Surgeons
Members of the London Implant Retrieval Centre, led by Prof Alister Hart, attended the annual meeting of the
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) in Orlando, Florida earlier this month. This is the largest
meeting of orthopaedic surgeons in the world, attended by 40,000 people every year.
Podium talks were given by Harry Hothi and Anna Di
Laura on retrieval findings of corrosion in total hip
replacements; Anna was awarded a UCL student
conference bursary to present her work (main picture).
Medical student Stef Koutsouris (pictured right)
presented his paper on joint registry validation, which he
completed and published last year as part of his iBSc
project with the LIRC.
The team presented two Scientific Exhibits to help
surgeons understand (1) why dual-taper hips fail and (2)
lessons learnt in painful knee arthroplasty; the latter was
awarded the prize for best scientific exhibit with
collaborators from Basel, Switzerland (pictured left).
We met with our key collaborators from around the
world, including the team from Coxa Hospital in Finland,
Young Min Kwon from Massachusetts General Hospital,
Prof Phil Noble from Houston and Daniel Kendoff
(pictured centre) from the Endo-Klinik in Hamburg.
Additionally, we organized another research grant with
one of our industry sponsors DePuy.
The team are now preparing their abstracts for next
years AAOS meeting in San Diego, California.
Hip hooray
for Norman!
Back in Articulate issue 116, we introduced former RNOH
patient Norman Sharp, who first came to the RNOH as a
boy in April 1930. Norman came back to us again in
November 1948 when he underwent a double hip
replacement carried out by orthopaedic surgeon Philip
Newman, under the direction of Sir Herbert Seddon. Those
hips are now officially record breakers and have been
recognised by Guinness World Records as the longest
lasting hip replacements in the world. Norman, who lives in
Trowbridge in Somerset, is typically modest about his
achievement and reserves praise for the surgical team, led
by Philip Newman and Sir Herbert Seddon, and the nursing
staff of the RNOH.
We took a trip to Norman’s home in Trowbridge,
Somerset, and presented him with an example of the
vitallium cup that was implanted in him 67 years ago. A
former engineer, Norman was
fascinated with the cup and
was thrilled to hold and feel
it. It was the first time he’d
Rob Hurd and Norman Sharp
ever seen one despite
carrying two around for all
these years.
“It’s not what I’ve achieved. It’s what Stanmore has
achieved and, in particular, what Mr Newman achieved to
give me these hips that have lasted all these years. It’s
amazing now, as some of the modern hips only last 15-20
years. I was just lucky perhaps. I never did anything to
deserve them. I rode motorbikes and went dancing – I
made good use of them! That those little pieces of metal
can relieve so much pain and give so many people a quality
of life they would never get without it, I’m overwhelmed.”
TraiNiNG
and Career
DevelOPmeNT
7
L&D team - Nilay Vibhani and Joanna Starling
Joanna Starling, Learning & Development Co-ordinator,
and Nilay Vibhani, Learning & Development Administrator,
make up the Learning & Development team.
The last six months have been a busy time for us. We
have been committed to raising compliance across the
Trust and this currently stands at 82%, but with your
help we can achieve 95%. To help reach this goal, we
need you to complete your core skills training and
ensure you attend courses once you’ve booked a place.
There are many ways to complete core skills training,
such as attending a classroom session, e-learning, and
quizzes for topics including Health & Safety, Equality &
Diversity and Load Handling.
Self-Enrolment coming soon!
We are introducing Self-Enrolment during 2016 so that
staff can book themselves directly onto the course of their
choice. We want to give staff more flexibility and instant
access to booking courses. To help everyone with this
process we have written a series of system guides
(accessed from the Learning & Development page on
Grapevine), so that you can check your compliance, book
onto a course or start e-learning.
Useful resources for you
• With Nurse Revalidation looming we have also
produced a guide to help staff access and print
individual learning records – do have a look at these
and please give us your feedback. The systems that we
have for courses can be challenging to use but, like any
system, the more you use it the easier it becomes, so
please take a look.
• If you need or have forgotten your User Name and
Password there is a link in the ESR login so that you
can ask for a reminder to be sent directly to your email
address.
• If you would like a member of the team to attend one
of your departmental / section meetings to talk about
the Self-Enrolment process then please let us know.
• You can find details about all of the courses we run
under Course Dates on our Grapevine page. There is
also a copy of the Training Matrix which will show you
the training you need to complete.
• Don’t forget our usual Annual Refresher Days and
Safeguarding Days to keep your core skills training
up to date – these programmes are on the Grapevine.
Apprenticeships
Over the past year the Trust has offered 24 apprenticeships to
members of staff ranging from Level 2 in Business &
Administration to Level 4 in Business & Professional
Administration, and of course the Level 3 in Health & Social
Care. We are currently top of the league across London,
reaching 80% of our target figure for apprentices! We want
to maintain this position next year, so if you are interested in
completing an apprenticeship then please have a chat with
your manager and contact the Learning & Development team
who will be able to tell you more about the opportunities.
Management Development Sessions
One of the highlights for the coming year has been the
sessions on management development across the Trust.
We have arranged a series of day sessions covering
management issues from: Develop the Team, Leading
Change, the Emotionally Intelligent Manager, Building
Resilience, Coach and Develop, Review and Manage
Performance, plus Motivation and Engagement. Places are
limited so please book as soon as possible.
Appraisals
We have a series of appraisal sessions running from now
until June where you can review the new appraisal forms
and go through the process. Appraisals are an important
aspect of our working lives so it’s important to understand
and be prepared for this discussion.
“I see the excellent work that is carried out
within the Trust from dedicated and
committed individuals, but in order to
continue this trend; I personally feel that
appraisals are the one of the most
important interventions that we should all
participate in to ensure improved
experience, performance and patient care.”
Rob Hurd, Chief Executive
Congratulations to all of the top performing
departments – all with over 95% compliance in Core
Skills training!
• Blood Transfusion Service
• Clinical Coding Team
• PGME Courses Team
• Redevelopment Project Team
• IM&T Programme Office
• ICT Team
• Nutrition and Dietetics Service
• Clinical Governance Department
• Financial Services Team
• Neurophysiology Service
• Postgraduate Medical Education Team
• Therapies Upper Limb Department
As you can see the Learning & Development team are
keeping busy! It is extremely important that we are
providing core skills and Trust mandatory training as well as
providing developmental sessions and career opportunities.
8
Inside job:
Andrew Lucas,
Consultant Psychologist
Dr Andrew Lucas joined the RNOH in 1999 and became head of the
Psychology department in 2008, taking over after the retirement
of Dr Keren Fisher. Andrew kindly gave us some insights into the
Psychology service and how it all started for him.
I’ve had basically three careers; I was a trained chef but
then I sustained a work-related injury which indirectly led
me to becoming a psychologist. I was off work for a while
and then found another job in government finance, but
because of the same injury I was unable to sustain that
job, so I was medically retired. I started to volunteer at
Chase Farm Hospital. Because of my own back problem I
was being treated there and I took an interest in pain; this
would have been in the late 80s. A wonderful
anaesthetist called Dr Senna Helwa, who was my treating
consultant, said to me, ‘you should become a
psychologist’ – I didn’t even know what a psychologist
was! She said ‘you’re good with people; you’ve got an
interest in pain’. So I took an introduction to psychology
course at night school, one evening a week. I loved it, it
was wonderful! The great joy of psychology is that every
day you learn and every day you challenge your
knowledge.
I did my first degree as a mature student – I was lucky
to get in because I haven’t got an A-Level to my name, I
then went on to do another three degrees, including my
doctorate. They have all been around pain management –
that’s how I’ve got here.
I also lecture on a regular basis. We have close
academic and research links with City University so I teach
and do a lot of presentations to students and GPs. In the
last year, I’ve delivered talks to pharmacists, physios,
rheumatologists and I’m doing one in May for GPs. Pain
management isn’t just about surgery; it’s got to be about
lifestyle, how someone runs their life, how they think,
and health investment – so that’s what we do on our
programmes; we help patients to make changes.
Is there a typical day in the
Psychology service?
I’m a very early starter, I tend to be here for half five,
quarter to six. My role has changed over the years
because I now manage the department. As we’ve grown
as a department, we’ve taken on more patients and have
more roles within the hospital. I’m still getting to grips
with reducing my clinical caseload and being more
strategic and managerial. I still see more complex
patients, I do pre-surgical screening and assessments,
particularly for the spinal cord stimulation pathway,
neuromodulation. Typically I’ll have clinics during the
week, where I see patients for one-to-ones, I have lots of
meetings with different staff in the Trust and I also
provide supervision to my staff. And there are always
projects that are developing. For example, we are
currently looking at linking with University of
Hertfordshire to provide training in statistics and data
analysis. So I’m trying to set that up and taking a lead.
We have a very close relationship between psychology,
the medical consultants, physio, OT and nursing. Our
programmes combine group work and one-to-one
sessions; the OTs, physios and psychologists contribute to
the group. Everyone sees the patients for one-to-ones. It
is very much an integrated team which has its challenges,
but also has its strengths as well. We have lots of MDTs,
ward rounds and we review the patients as least twice a
week as a team so there is a lot of MDT working – that’s
a huge part of this department.
What is the best thing about your
job?
Making a difference to someone’s life and seeing the
change. With our patients here we get a huge range of
change, some people change dramatically and they will
say to us ‘you have changed my life’. That’s wonderful, it
feeds our ego and makes us feel good; it's a real privilege
trying to help someone improve their life. At the other
end of the scale we achieve nothing, because for some
people they just struggle to change; it could be family, it
could be cultural, it could be their attitudes. But seeing
someone improve is really rewarding. I am very proud of
our service here – we are now the second longest running
residential pain management programme in the UK. I
enjoy patient contact, making a difference to people’s
lives but also, being a part of this team – there is a high
level of expertise, not just within the hospital, within the
rehab team, the physios, OTs, the consultants, and the
nurses.
Delivering
9
Great Care
The Delivering Great Care initiative is part of the new patient Welcome Pack that was
launched across all inpatient wards in February, kindly funded by the RNOH Charity.
“I Delivered Great Care” badges are awarded by RNOH
patients to staff who they feel have really gone the extra
mile in delivering great care to them during their stay. To
receive a bronze badge staff must receive five blue badges;
five bronze badges gains silver and five silver badges gains a
gold award.
The badges are a hit with staff across the Trust and
feedback from patients has been very positive, with many
wishing they had more than one badge to give out!
Articulate caught up with just some of the people who
have already gained badges.
Dennis Hazel, Ward Manager of Short Stay Unit said:
Lynn Piag
HCA on Duke of Gloucester Ward
Maya Benny
Staff Nurse on Short Stay Unit
1 silver
2 blue
It’s nice for patients to have the
chance to give nurses something
back when they see them going the
extra mile. I was actually given a
badge by a patient three years ago
at the RNOH. She said ‘I have
nothing else to give you but this’. I
wear it always and will never forget
that patient. It is very special to me.
Lindiwe Sibanda
1 bronze
2 blue
It makes us feel appreciated and
shows that I am happy in my job. I
have a good manager, good support
and good training. It makes me very
happy and because of that I have
happy patients.
Marcelle Gowers
1 silver
It’s a good idea and it’s nice to
have badges. It shows I am doing a
good job. I wanted to be a nurse
since I was a child and to make a
difference, and I do. I’ve been at the
RNOH for 16 years and will retire in
April so I wanted to get silver before
I left. I’m really pleased I got it!
I’m very proud of everyone as they
always practice fantastic care. These
badges are a great means of patients
providing immediate feedback for
who they feel has given that little bit
extra during their stay and it is
wonderful to see them spread out
around the hospital on everyone
from students to porters.
1 silver
1 bronze
I think it’s very motivating. I have
been a nurse for 21 years and this is
the first real appreciation for nurses
from a director and patients. It
proves that we are continuing to
deliver great care.
Kelly Wilson
Student Nurse on Short Stay Unit
1 bronze
1 blue
The badges are a great idea,
especially for student nurses. I was
so nervous when I started so it’s nice
to know you’re doing the right
thing!
Diana Dufie
HCA on Short Stay Unit
1 bronze
4 blue
We work hard and so it's good to
be recognised for what we do.
10
Paul catches up with familiar faces on the ward: Kathy Coultry, Beena Joseph, Mary Reddington,
Perry Dowsett, Paul Rose, Martin Chainani, Rosa Castro, Olivia Ianau and Rebekah Ahmed
Coming Up Roses!
In February, former LSCIC patient Paul Rose returned to the Unit along
with his colleague Perry Dowcett to present the RNOH with a donation of
£500. Here Paul shares an insight in to his journey over the past year.
On 24th February 2015, I was commuting by motorcycle to work for a night shift; this 23mile trip was always a very busy one. I was less than one mile from work when the accident happened.
It would change my life forever. My motorcycle hit the front driver’s side of a Range Rover which was
pulling out of a side entrance.
I was taken to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. This is where I had my surgery, a T4 (the
fourth uppermost of the 12 thoracic vertebrae) front and rear fixing of my spine. I was at the Royal
London for about three weeks. Although I owe them so much for the great work they did, it was only
the very start of me living and coming to terms with being a paraplegic. After the surgery I felt lost and
unsure of my future.
I was lying in my bed at the Royal London when a lady called Sophie from the RNOH visited me. She
was very interested in offering me a place at the Spinal Cord Injury Centre; the rehabilitation and
reintegration would be what I needed to get my life back on track. Not long after that visit I was on my
way to Stanmore to start the next part of my journey.
From the moment I arrived at Stanmore I felt at ease, many people
came to my bedside and introduced themselves. Once settled in I was put on a
weekly timetable which gave me structure and goals to reach. I went from strength to strength, not
only in my health but also emotionally in just 12 weeks of rehabilitation.
The support I received was immense, from the nurses on the unit to the physiotherapists in the
gym, and not forgetting the rehabilitation assistants who helped me learn how to cope with the
outside world from a seated position. I didn't fully appreciate what these people had given me until I
left the unit and had to face the world by myself. They were always there to help and I hadn't realised
how much support they really had given me.
Vopak, the company that I work for, like to donate to local areas or causes that employees have a
personal involvement with, and so they chose the RNOH. We would like to see this donation used for
medical equipment and improvements to patient activities within the Spinal Injury Unit or
Physiotherapy departments.
On behalf of the RNOH, a huge thank you
to Paul and Vopak for their kind donation.
?
Schwartz
11
it all about
A Schwartz Round is a multidisciplinary team forum where staff discuss a real patient case
which has posed challenges in terms of the emotional or social issues around it. Articulate
caught up with Helen Spencer, Physiotherapist, and Jacqui Mckeown, Reintegration
Practitioner in Community Liaison, about their experiences of being on the panel for
RNOH’s inaugural Schwartz Round in January.
I was invited to take part in the Schwartz Round
for a patient I’d had a lot of involvement with. I
didn’t know what to expect until I talked to Sara
McNally and she guided me as to what kind of
thing I’d be talking about. I thought, ‘I’m not sure
if I want to do this!’
It was a daunting prospect. Talking about the way
you felt and reflecting on what you did or what maybe
Helen Spencer
you could have done differently can be difficult any
way, but to do so in public makes you quite vulnerable.
The case really resonated with me. It was the youngest patient that I have
worked with who was terminally ill. He was in his last year at university and
talking about going on to do a Masters after rehab. He came in with
prospects and ambitions and then those were slowly taken away from him
and my role changed from a rehab role to a palliative one. It’s just extremely
sad.
I wanted to do the Round because I felt that the patient needed
representation from different professional groups, because we each have a
different type of input with this person and to have a rounded picture of how
different parts of the MDT see things is really important.
We had various MDT discussions which were more clinically led rather than
emotionally. I had discussions within the physio and OT team; I’d come back
from my sessions with the patient and discuss it with my supervisor and
colleagues. We also had the opportunity to discuss with the psychologist and
psychiatrist team but I didn’t feel like I needed to because I had enough open
communication within the therapy team. Having the Rounds as a forum for
discussion was really valuable from the point of view of sharing how looking
after one patient affects the whole team; therapists, consultants, allied health
professionals, assistants, cleaners. Anyone working with the patient can relate
to them on some level and can have an emotional involvement with them.
It was the response from the audience that surprised me most; the way
they were listening to what was being said and the way in which they
engaged with the panel after we’d all spoken. With other presentations there
are always people at the back chatting, their mind is elsewhere or they’re
writing something down but everybody was looking at the speakers – full
focus, some with concern on their face! The immediate response from the
audience was extremely supportive.
I found one response from an audience member particularly powerful. She
opened up about her experience as a family member of someone being cared
for in hospital. It completely changed the way that she worked as a
healthcare professional – she understood how people need the human
element; someone to talk to, someone to understand them, they want
normality.
I will remember those conversations that were had within the Round. I
understand even more how important it is to build a relationship with not
only the patient but the patient’s family, especially in those situations when
the patient is not progressing. It was a really valuable experience.
Even though it’s challenging in lots of ways it’s a really worthwhile
experience and I’d recommend that you do it. Everyone will come at it from a
different point of view whether it’s more professionally or personally. I would
do it again.
I was a rehab assistant
when I was involved in
the patient’s care for the
inaugural Schwartz
Round in January. I hadn’t
heard of Schwartz Rounds
before I was asked if I
wanted to take part so I
Jacqui Mckeown
didn’t have the foggiest
what to expect! We had a
couple of practice runs – we were prepared
and supported through it, thankfully.
The Round began with the consultant surgeon
who gave an overview of what happened and then
we heard from physiotherapist Helen, rehab
consultant Mr Desai and then me. Mine was not
quite such a clinically professional part – a bit more
emotional.
I was pleasantly surprised that there were so many
people there as it was the first one. It was quite an
emotional experience – I was surprised I kept it
together as long as I did! I’m quite an emotional
person at the best of times and because it was
something I’d connected with quite strongly I’ve
always found it quite difficult to have conversations
about this particular patient. I was more worried
about being emotional in front of that many people
than I was about just doing it generally.
I did benefit from the Round. Not so much from
actually expressing my feelings, because I’ve been
really well supported by Sara, Helen and Lewis on
the ward, but the feedback from people in the
audience as well; almost confirming that actually it
was okay to feel how I felt. One of my main
concerns throughout was crossing over that
emotional-professional boundary – where is that
line? It seems that there isn’t a line particularly – or
it’s very movable.
A couple of people from the audience shared their
own version and how they felt – both from the same
side as me as the professional and from the side of
being the patient or the parent. It was interesting.
I get the feeling that as times goes on we will
begin to see more cases which are similar to this.
Albeit we didn’t have the absolute expert input into
this particular case and how to deal with it, I think all
of us really learnt a lot about ourselves and about
that whole situation and how well we actually did
manage it. We did what we could do and hopefully
the family were happy with the way we dealt with
things and how we looked after the patient.
12
rNOH rebuild
The RNOH is gaining momentum towards the
long-awaited redevelopment of the Stanmore site.
On 17 March there was a House of Lords debate, led by
Labour peer, Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, which
highlighted our case and the innumerable delays over the
years. She spoke with passion and insight and the RNOH
welcomes her support in the run up to the submission of
the Full Business Case (FBC) to the Trust Development
Authority (TDA) in April. It is expected that the TDA will
confirm the FBC in June, followed by the start of
construction during the Summer. Completion of the project
is planned for the first quarter of 2018.
The HoL debate comes after a period of intense activity
that has included the setting up of the Redevelopment
Programme Management (RPM) Team, headed by Frank
Hennessy, Director of Redevelopment, to lead the planning
and delivery of the Redevelopment Programme. The
Programme will comprise a number of projects over the
next ten years or so that will see the complete rebuild of the
RNOH Stanmore site.
The RPM Team is made up of Trudy Johnson, Programme
Manager; Richard Scott, Programme Project Manager; Brian
Hunt, Programme Accountant and Kaz Abedi, PM Office
Manager.
Vital to the successful planning and delivery of the
Programme is the close working relationships between the
RPM team and other key colleagues who are responsible for
the planning and delivery of supporting, enabling and
complementary projects. This includes Mark Masters and
Diane Alcock who are leading on the sale of the Western
Development Zone to part fund the new inpatient ward
block project, plus the enabling works to clear the site for
the new inpatient building. They are also responsible for
working with University College London for the
construction of the Bio Engineering Hub building, expected
to start construction in Autumn 2016.
The new inpatient ward block will be a £40 million
building, accommodating:
• Children and Young People’s Ward: 27 beds
with embedded therapy and education
facilities and an external play area to replace
the current Coxen/Adolescent Ward.
• Adult Acute Wards: 32 beds each on
two floors, with embedded therapies and
other facilities to replace the current
Ward 4, Duke of Gloucester and
Margaret Harte wards.
• A welcoming main entrance that
will provide reception and waiting
spaces plus a retail outlet and a
coffee shop. There will also be a
children’s activity centre within
the foyer which will be funded
from a charitable donation of
£500,000 specifically for this
purpose.
For further information please contact the Redevelopment Team on 0208 909 5478 / 5574
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14
Bronze for Broccles!
The RNOH Catering team at Broccles Restaurant have
received the Soil Association Food for Life Catering
Mark Bronze award! This award recognises the team’s
commitment to improving the food they serve; using
fresh ingredients which are free from undesirable
additives and trans fats, are better for animal welfare,
and use more local ingredients.
Providing nearly 1,000 hot meals a week to hospital
visitors and staff, Broccles Restaurant is part of an exciting
nationwide initiative by catering providers ISS Facilities
Services Healthcare to improve food at hospital restaurants
and cafes.
The initiative involves changing menus, working with
suppliers, sourcing fresh produce, preparing meals on site
and training staff. For the team at the RNOH, the initiative
grew out of a longstanding commitment to improve food in
retail outlets and promote the benefits of healthy eating to
all customers.
Rich Watts from Soil Association Certification said: “The
Catering Mark is the result of lots of dedicated effort by the
team at ISS Healthcare and Royal National Orthopaedic
Hospital. Achieving this endorsement is an exceptional
achievement in the healthcare sector and a demonstration
of the hospital’s dedication to serving fresh, ethical,
sustainable food that meets nutritional guidelines. Healthy
places must be serving food that is good for the
environment and good for us.”
Anyone visiting the hospital restaurant will now be
assured of being served sustainable food, produced on-site
with fresh ingredients. Local people now know that all the
meat achieves UK animal welfare standards, dishes contain
only free-range eggs, no undesirable additives or trans-fats;
and visitors can easily be told where their food comes from,
with much of it being sourced locally from the region using
NHS accredited suppliers.
In addition, the hospital has greatly increased the number
of meals being cooked from scratch, introducing new
recipes as part of the award, with daily healthy options
provided through their restaurant menus, mainly around the
seasonal specials that are served on a daily basis.
The changes at the hospital have been led by ISS Catering
Manager Jonathan Evetts, who said: “I am thrilled with the
award. It is a fantastic step forward and is just the tip of the
iceberg of greater things to come this year. This has been
achieved through tireless hard work by the entire Catering
team in ensuring that we procure the right products as part
of our seasonal menu offerings and I cannot thank anyone
enough for the support they have provided. Not only does
this benefit the customers that use our restaurant on a daily
basis, but is supports Animal Welfare and Local British
Farmers. This a great achievement for ISS, as well as for the
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Trust.”
John Hawken: end of an era
Security guard and all-round font of RNOH
knowledge, John Hawken, retired after 44 years. In
that time John has served many roles, starting with
being a porter in the time the RNOH had an A&E
department and a helicopter landing pad that used to
receive patients. On occasion, John had to help
unload patients from the helicopter and take them to
the wards.
Over the years, John has helped patients, visitors and staff
and his inside information on the RNOH is worthy of a
book – possibly an entire library! However, all good things
must pass and John took his well-earned retirement, an
event marked by a farewell party in the RNOH Social Club
attended by many friends and colleagues to wish him well.
Mark Masters, Director of Estates said: “John worked
here for 44 years and was presented with a further long
service awards at the 2015 staff awards. He predominately
worked within Main Gate ensuring people got where they
were supposed to go,
supported switchboard
by taking calls,
supported the out of
hours calls, processes
and escalation
procedures. He also
used to (many moons
ago) cut people’s hair
in the Main Gate as well!
John’s plans are to spend some quality time on the south
coast visiting friends and family. He will also catch up and
support his favourite sports (far too many to list!). John had
a leaving do on the 19th February attended by members of
the Trust and ISS. He was presented with Chelsea tickets, an
M&S voucher and a bottle of Haig Club.”
From everyone at RNOH, we wish John all the best
and thank him for his tireless service for the RNOH.
Nurse
revalidation
is changing
The Francis Report (2013)
identified the need for the
Nursing and Midwifery
Council to introduce a
system of revalidation
Mannion
en
Kar
,
similar to that of the
nald
cdo
Ma
e
Jan
and Mary Licup
General Medical Council,
as a means of reinforcing
the status and
competence of
registered nurses, as
well as providing
additional protection
y Licup
ar
to the public.
M
d
an
tricia Clare
eegan, Pa
D
Revalidation will help
el
h
ac
R
to encourage a culture of
sharing, reflection and improvement amongst
nurses and will be a continuous process that nurses and
midwives will have to engage with throughout their
career. It will allow nurses to demonstrate that they
practice safely and effectively, strengthening public
confidence in nursing. (NMC, 2015)
Karen Mannion, Project Nurse/Lead for Implementation of
Safe Staffing, organised two Nurse Revalidation drop-in fairs
at the RNOH in January and March with support from nurse
educators Amy Bishop, Jane MacDonald, Judith Durward,
Julie Nichols and Mary Licup.
Karen said, “Over 140 staff attended the fairs with ideas
and support being shared among nurses from across the
Trust; many identifying that it is ‘not as scary as they thought’.
The feedback was very positive and we even got a Twitter
mention from the Head of NMC Jackie Smith! Thanks to the
nurse educators for their support with both fairs and RNOH
volunteer Jaya Parmar, who supported the second fair.”
Revalidation builds on the old PREP system and includes
mandatory elements that require the nurse to reflect on their
practice and link it to the NMC code. These changes will take
effect in April 2016.
Prof Paul Fish, Director of Nursing, Quality and Patient
Experience said, “Nurse Revalidation is a positive step forward
for the profession which allows nurses to reflect on their
professional development and practice over a three year
period. As a trust we are committed to supporting Registered
Nurses through the revalidation process and welcome any
feedback about further support that nurses would find useful
as they prepare.”
If you have any feedback or suggestions, please email
[email protected]
For further information or advice, visit:
www.revalidation.nmc.org.uk or the Nursing Revalidation
page on Grapevine.
15
Jackie and Sarah at the Intensive
Care Society State of the Art
Meeting
SalT
team
The Adult Speech and Language Therapy team at
RNOH is made up of clinical staff, Sarah
Morgan and Hannah Chalke, as well as research
fellow Jackie McRae (currently on
secondment for her NIHR research fellowship).
The team specialise in swallowing,
communication and / or airway problems of
patients with spinal cord injury or after surgery.
Sarah and Jackie attended the Intensive Care Society,
State of Art Meeting at Excel, London in December last
year. This three-day meeting is the UK’s largest
gathering for intensive care professionals, and it was
attended by over 1,000 delegates this year, largely
medical staff and some allied health professionals. As
only two of four speech and language therapists
attending it was a great opportunity to promote the
work at the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre in the
form of a clinical practice poster presentation entitled:
“Restoration of speech and swallowing in dysphagic
spinal cord injured patients receiving mechanical
ventilation via tracheostomy – a case series”. Jackie
also had a poster about her research project entitled:
“The DAISY project: identifying dysphagia in acute
cervical spinal cord injury”. We were thrilled to win
best clinical practice poster out of almost 100
submissions and have the opportunity to share our
work with this complex client group. Jackie and Sarah also
had three posters at the
UK Swallow Research
Group (UKSRG)
Conference in London
in February 2016. The
UKSRG comprises
clinicians and
researchers from a
wide range of
professional disciplines
including ENT,
gastroenterology, oral
Sarah at UKSRG 2016
health and speech
and language
therapy. The
conference was attended by national and international
delegates and was a great opportunity to network and
share our practice in spinal cord injury. The clinical
poster: “Successful ventilator weaning in dysphagic
spinal cord injured patients – a 12 year retrospective
study” also won a poster prize. Further details of the team’s work can be found
here: www.researchgate.net/profile/Jackie_McRae/publ
ications
HO
SPITAL
THE ROY
AL
AL ORTHO
PÆ
ION
D
AT
IC
N
16
RNOH Charity
We are delighted to announce that the Buttercup Walk will take place
at the RNOH Stanmore on Sunday 26th June from 10:30 – 14:00.
We’re looking for staff to run a stall on the day. This
could be anything from cakes, sweets, tombola,
bottles, jewellery, accessories and toy stalls, or if
you’ve got a great idea for a stall you’d like to run,
we’d love to hear it!
Remember that all the money raised on your stall can go
straight back into your own ward or department, so there’s
every reason to get involved!
With the money raised from last year’s Buttercup Walk,
the RNOH was able to purchase a brand new ultrasound
machine specifically for the use of babies and infants, which
has meant that we can now offer a dedicated baby hips
clinic. This year we hope to push our total even higher and
we need your help to do it!
Please contact Rebekah Ahmed on 0208 909 5362 for
more details.
Crowdfunding
– A first for the NHS!
The RNOH Charity is excited
to announce that we will
soon be launching the first
ever NHS Crowdfunding
platform!
If you’ve got a great idea or plan for a project that
could help enhance patient experience at the
RNOH we’d love to hear from you. The platform
will be an innovative new way of raising money
for projects that are needed across the hospital
and will be open to staff and patients – we want
to hear from everyone.
Look out for more information soon…
17
Ben’s epic
Coast to Coast Challenge
In June 2016, 19-year-old Ben Andrews and his dad will take on an immense coast to
coast challenge. Spanning 192 miles, the walk will take 14 days to complete – all in aid
of the RNOH. In his own words, here is Ben’s story:
As well as being a personal challenge, my 14-day trek
is a way of raising money for the RNOH, a place
where, throughout my childhood, I have had much
treatment and several operations to treat my
scoliosis.
I was born in 1997, 13 weeks premature with congenital
scoliosis: a severe s-shaped curvature of the spine. The
curves caused by the condition inevitably progressed as I
grew, and at the age of three I was admitted to the RNOH
Stanmore for a spinal fusion. When I started primary school
that September I wore a plastic jacket to support my spine
and had to have annual x-rays and check-ups for the next
eight years.
Although significantly curved, the scoliosis did not cause
much discomfort and I was able to do almost everything I
wanted. In December 2009, however, it was noticed that
the curve in my upper spine was progressing and this
meant more surgery was needed, and quick!
To keep the spine straight whilst growing, internal
‘growth rods’ are used in older children and teenagers
which are extended regularly as the patient grows. Mine
was a new titanium rod design, still under collaborative
development between my surgeon in the UK, Mr
Noordeen, and biomedical engineers in the USA. It
removed the need for invasive surgery every six months
and instead used a magnet-driven motor so that the rod
could be lengthened externally in seconds. After much
consideration, my parents and I decided that I should be
one of the first people in the world to undergo this
ground-breaking procedure, and so, in February 2010, I
underwent four hours of surgery.
I had the first lengthening of the rod a few months later.
A hand-held magnetic control was used to increase the
length a millimetre at a time. Each lengthening took around
20 seconds and didn’t feel painful or uncomfortable,
allowing me to go straight home again without a stay in
hospital. Soon after it was discovered that the early rods
had a design fault: a certain type of movement could
unwind the rod, causing it to decrease in length. Because of
this, I was forced to wear a very strong magnet against my
back during the day to hold the rod in place.
Wearing a magnet turns out to be quite inconvenient. I
often found that the magnet would fly off and stick to
nearby objects; car doors, chairs, buses, etc, or that metal
objects could stick to me if they got within a few
centimetres. This was not only awkward for me, but quite
difficult to explain to the person whose keys had just stuck
to my back!
In September 2011, I felt a painful thump in my back as
if someone had hit me from behind. I wasn’t sure what
had happened but went to school as normal and the next
day I was still in some discomfort. During a lesson, I felt a
grinding in my back whenever I moved and I knew
something had gone very wrong. After an X-ray, it was
discovered that the rod had snapped, leaving the two
halves still attached but incorrectly placed. Five days later I
had the rod replaced with a newer, fault-free version,
finally removing the need to wear the magnet.
During the course of the next 3 ½ years, I had regular
lengthening’s until I was 17; a bit disappointing for me as I
am and always will be 5ft 4in due to my scoliosis! Reaching
my full height meant the rod could come out. So, in July
2015, after completing my A-Level exams, it was removed.
After a couple of months I was back to normal again and
today I can do almost everything I want to. There is still
some scoliosis left but it’s thought this will not progress any
further and won’t cause many issues in day-to-day life.
I am enormously grateful to my Mum, Dad, older brother
Jack and twin Ollie, for always being right there for me,
including by my bed day and night in hospital. I couldn’t
ask for better people to go through it with. I would also
like to thank the rest of my family and friends for being so
supportive and helping so much when I really needed it.
Also, to anyone else who has been involved and to Mr
Noordeen and the rest of the team at the RNOH for their
expertise and care. I wouldn’t be standing as straight as I
am today without any of these people.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for
donating. It means that more young people can continue
to receive world-class orthopaedic treatment just like I did
for many years to come. I hope that my 14-day trek will
raise money towards the redevelopment of the RNOH
Stanmore site, specifically the new Children and Young
People’s Ward.
If you’d like to help Ben reach his £2,000 fundraising target for the RNOH,
please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/coast-to-coast-rnoh
Radio Gold
Team RB celebrate at the HBA Awards 2016
Radio Brockley has won the most prestigious award in
hospital radio by winning Gold for “Station Of The Year” at
the annual Hospital Broadcasting Association (HBA) awards.
It was one of several top awards for London’s
longest-running hospital radio station, which later
this year celebrates 50 years on the air. The station
also won bronze award for Best Station Promotion
and silver for Best Speech Package.
Radio Brockley beat competition from over 200 HBA
member hospital radio stations to win the top prize.
Programmer Alan Joyce said:
Keith said:
I’m absolutely stunned to win the John
Whitney Award. Hospital Radio has taught
me so much, I’ve met many wonderful people
and it’s a wonderful hobby.
This is an incredible
achievement by all the volunteers at
Radio Brockley who have worked so
hard alongside staff at the RNOH to
bring a range of entertaining and
informative programmes, including
the traditional request shows. We’re
very grateful to the hospital for all
their support, and to have this
recognition in our special 50th year
is the icing on the cake.
The station will be inviting back former
members and special guests later in the year
as they celebrate their golden milestone.
One of the station’s longest-serving members,
Keith Reeve, also won the prestigious John
Whitney award for outstanding contribution
to hospital radio.
Radio Brockley's Keith Reeve and Paul Sylvester of Absolute Radio
19
IM&T
Corner
RNOH Free WiFi
The IM&T Directorate are pleased to announce the
launch of free WiFi. This service is available across
the Stanmore site for patients, visitors and staff
and will soon be available at Bolsover Street.
This new service will replace the current StaffWi-Fi and WiFi-Spark services.
The Wi-Fi is provided with the same technology used
in shopping centres and restaurants to provide free
Wi-Fi access: you self-register and it should work on all
user devices with minimal issues.
2
1
3
This Wi-Fi service is provided free of charge and
therefore comes with limited support. The IM&T
service desk will provide support on a best endeavours
basis to both patients and staff. If any issues are
encountered please contact the IM&T Service Desk on
ext. 5719.
To use the service:
1
2
3
4
On your device connect to the
RNOH-FREE-WIFI network
4
A logon page will appear.
Click “Sign up for a Free Account”
Enter your first name, surname and
email address and click Register
Click Sign On to gain access.
20 A PILOT STUDY
Phantom
Limb Pain
Rehabilitation Medicine is a relatively new speciality worldwide and started to be recognised in the
UK in the 1980s. Because it’s a new science you can still make a huge diﬀerence even doing simple
research – it’s an exciting time of fast developments in prosthetics and amputee rehabilitation.
Middlesex University, in partnership with UCL
and the RNOH, are undertaking a pilot research
study of patients with upper limb amputation
who experience phantom limb pain.
Phantom limb pain occurs because the motor and
sensory area in the brain that was connected to the hand
is still there. The brain is sending signals down to the limb
but there is no feedback going back up to the brain to
show that it is still ‘normal’. Like when you catch your
funny bone on the table; that nerve actually shuts down
and you lose the signal going through it but the loss of
signal is translated by the brain as pain. Amputees
describe phantom limb pain similar to this; like electric
shocks or pins and needles felt in the hand.
The study is a new idea using robots and computer
graphics. The theory is that if we can give amputees the
impression that their arm is not amputated then the pain
will get better. So, we show them that they have an arm
by linking them to the robot through the amputation
stump and when they move they see the movement in
the virtual reality as if they have an arm. We hope that
this project will help us to design the next generation of
medical and rehabilitation devices.
We’re currently seeking volunteers to take part who are
aged 18+ years and who have undergone an upper limb
amputation. Volunteers will be asked to perform simple
tasks over a three-week period.
For more information about the study, please contact:
Dr Imad Sedki
Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine
Tel: 0208 909 5134
Email: [email protected]
OR
Fiona Fitzgerald
Research Nurse
Tel: 0208 909 5288
Email: [email protected]
17
Reflections
from the
Board
Laurence Milsted, a non-executive director at the RNOH for
the past eight years, left the Trust at the end of 2015. Here
he looks back and shares his parting thoughts.
In my eight years at RNOH, we have moved
from being a loss-making business, struggling to meet
NHS targets on access, with limited investment in
academic research and a reputation for being inwardlooking, to an organisation which has delivered an
annual surplus in recent years, met NHS targets on
quality and access, achieved success with academic
research and delivered leadership in the field of
national orthopaedics. This has been marked by the
Getting it Right First Time report by Professor Tim
Briggs. We haven’t yet built a new hospital but we are
getting there.
Looking back at my time here, I hope I have
helped bring commercial and financial insight,
contributed to the decisions that have helped shaped
the Trust’s progress; both challenged the Directors
about our ambition and how to achieve it and also
given support to them in the tough job they do.
I will miss being involved in a business that
touches the lives of ordinary people and changes their
experience for the better. I will miss the
professionalism and good humour of the people and
the comradeship of other NEDs.
I want RNOH to continue to be a name that is
recognised throughout the health industry for the
quality of its care and its innovations; to create
breakthroughs in new treatments and how to deliver
them. Oh, and have nice new buildings!
My role at Stanmore has been pro bono and I
have had to fit it around my day job as a financial
director. This has sometimes proved to be more
exciting than I would like and has no doubt
contributed to me having less hair, more wrinkles and
poorer digestion than might otherwise have been the
case! It has been a lot of hours working through
papers and a lot more hours being in meetings, but
the things I will remember most are the conversations
with the wonderful dedicated staff who work here
and hearing direct from patients how good their care
has been at the RNOH and how much it has
meant to them.
What is a non-executive director (NED)?
Non-executive directors sit on the boards of public
sector organisations and contribute their broad
experience, specific knowledge and functional
expertise. They work as members of the board team
with the executive members such as the chief
executive and finance director.
Non-executive directors are usually expected to commit
between one to four days per month depending on the
sector and type of organisation. This time can comprise a
range of different activities from board meetings, committee
meetings, and discussions with the chief executive and other
directors. It may also include, ambassadorial duties (e.g.
fundraising events) and meetings with regulatory or
performance bodies.
The key responsibilities of a non-executive director are:
• Contributing to the delivery of robust organisational
governance
• Ensuring the organisation is operating in the public
interest in a transparent and ethical way to fulfil its
objectives
• Ensuring that the management team meets its key
performance targets and holding it to account
• Ensuring that the finances of the organisation are
managed properly with accurate information
• Helping the board to keep its stakeholders and
customers properly informed
• Serving on important board committees.
22
Transition:
Child to Adult
Treatment
My name is Frances O’Sullivan. My
journey started at RNOH on Angus Mackinnon
Ward as a health care assistant in 1997. My
mother Mary O’Sullivan worked in OAP for 22
years, working closely with the bone tumour
team Steve Cannon and Prof Tim Briggs. She
suggested I looked for a job at RNOH and that’s
what got me in to becoming a children’s nurse.
After qualifying as a paediatric nurse in
2001, I worked at the Royal Brompton and then
went on to qualify as a health visitor in 2004. In
2006 I started at Northwick Park Hospital as a
continuing care nurse in the community with 12
staff involved in various care packages. I left
this to go back into health visiting in 2013 and
became team lead in 2014.
When I saw the advert for a transition nurse
at RNOH I felt my background would
encompass all my knowledge and skills
and I started in July 2015.
What is transition?
It’s a gradual process of empowerment that equips young
people with the skills and knowledge necessary to manage
their own healthcare in paediatrics and adult services.
Why is it necessary?
Research by the World Health Organisation shows there is
an increase in morbidity and mortality in young people who
have not had any transition or who had an abrupt transition.
Which programme is used?
I chose the Ready Steady Go programme as it develops
understanding of healthy lifestyles, sexual health,
education, vocational and psychosocial issues, and is
therefore holistic.
What is the age of referrals?
Young people aged 16 – 18 years with a long term medical
condition who will continue to receive treatment and care
at the RNOH in to adult services.
How do I refer?
Email your referral to [email protected] Please
provide the hospital number and any up to date relevant
information. You can also call: ext. 5333 or 07747 473 281.
Sport relief Bake Oﬀ 2016!
Marina, Marni, Monifan, Anastasia and Amy from the RNOH school baked cookies for
Sport Relief 2016 in March. The recipes they made were: Strawberry Jam Cookies, Oat and
Raisin Biscuits, Chocolate Fruit Cases with Red Noses and White Chocolate Butterscotch
Blondies. These recipes were taken from ‘The Great Sport Relief Bake Off’ book.
On Wednesday morning, the children did the baking around the table on Coxen Ward
and on Thursday they baked in the school room. The children arranged the cakes and
cookies on large silver trays on the table in Coxen ward for patients, parents and
staff to buy. They also took some cookies up to the Spinal Gym and sold them all.
They said the cookies were
very tasty! At the end of the
day we sold all the biscuits
and cakes and
made £86.00.
Written by Marina (aged 12)
TAKING STOCK:
Mike Giles and Muneeb Shamim
with the new MRI Faraday cage
New medical equipment
will improve patient services
RNOH’s Clinical Support Services are delighted to announce a significant delivery of new infusion
pumps that will enable all Volumetric, Epidural, Syringe and the majority of Patient-Controlled
Analgesia (PCAs) pumps to be replaced over the coming months as training permits.
These new pumps will enable clinical staff to provide better
and more consistent patient care. This much needed upgrade
has been made possible by the RNOH Charity – who are
funding a large proportion of these devices as part of
populating the new Medical Equipment Library, the Trust’s
own budget and a private donor.
Mike Giles, Operations Manager for Clinical Support
Services explained, “We’re replacing, increasing the
quantities of, and updating the vast majority of our aging
infusion devices at the RNOH with the latest technology. The
pumps we currently have are now old and have become
unreliable and expensive to maintain as a result. It’s an
exciting stage in the replacement programme on the back of
a long journey working with an Evaluation Group to assess
and evaluate what we needed to replace.”
With support of Clinical Educators, Procurement,
Anaesthetists and Clinical Engineering (TBS), the Evaluation
Group reached the decision as to which suppliers and models
would replace the existing infusion devices at the end of
February. Mike said, “When we went out to tender, the
prices came in surprisingly competitive compared to what we
had expected and that enabled us to replace far more devices
than we originally anticipated, in fact, the vast majority.”
The new devices, which were delivered to the hospital in
March, are currently being prepared by the Clinical
Engineering team ready for distribution to all wards and units
in conjunction with training plan implementation timelines.
The training will begin during April and be rolled out over the
summer – further information will be shared shortly. This
project has also enabled the procurement of an MRI Faraday
cage that will enable the safe use of infusion devices in the
vicinity of the 3T MRI, which in turn will enable safer and
consistent administration of any necessary fluids or drugs and
the use of general anaesthetic for adults and paediatrics
alike. More information on this and additional new devices to
follow next month.
Child’s PlaY
As part of CQC requirements a new children’s waiting
area was built in preadmissions in December 2015,
Roz Veitch, Pre Assessment Sister said,
Having a dedicated area for children to play in
while they wait to be seen has made a real
difference to patient experience. We wanted to
create a space where children can play safely and
take their minds off being in hospital while parents
relax in the nearby adult waiting area.
Michelle Smith,
Preadmission HCA
Nilay’s Got Talent!
How did the band get started?
My brother got bought his first guitar when he was 15
years old. It was his pride and joy but he never touched it,
so one day I picked it up and began playing – that’s when
he started to be interested and it became quite competitive!
Years later we wanted to do something together and
perform so we created our two-piece band, LISIN. The
name comes from a play on words with our nicknames, Nil
and Nis.
The band’s been going just over a year now. We try and
practise for at least an hour and a half every day. My
brother is also an artist, so he’s painting a lot and
sometimes he’ll be doing that for four hours so I can’t
interrupt that flow. But if I’m playing guitar upstairs, he’ll
run up and be like, “let’s jam!”
What kind of genre is LISIN?
If I had to give it a label I’d say LISIN is experimental ambient
rock music. We don’t really have a structure; there are no
choruses or verses, we just flow with it. I grew up in the 90s
rock era listening to Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine,
and Foo Fighters, which has got that weird, alternative
metal new rock sound – I use that influence a lot. My
brother listens to movie scores and piano pieces, so he
brings that to the table; together we create what comes out
of LISIN music. Our music is somewhat inspired by the
Japanese band, Mono.
What do you play?
I play electric guitar and my brother plays electro-acoustic,
which creates a deep bass sound. We have tonnes of effect
pedals that we use to get nice echo-y delayed sounds. We
add in artificial sounds that we’ve taken from movies or
recordings – anything from a weird hum, or cars in the
street; we look for something that sounds on beat.
My most successful sound was from a mistake I made on
guitar, almost like feedback. When I put it through a delay
pedal the whole sound was echoing and starting to decay,
it sounded beautiful. You’re always looking for that sound
Do you h
ave a
hidden ta
len
interestin t or an
g hobby?
Email Com
municatio
ns
for your c
hance to
feature in
Articulate
!
but it’s so nice when you create it spontaneously! A lot of
the time we play in the living room where my younger sister
has the TV on in the background. The other day there was a
little piece of an advert that got picked up in the recording;
it cut in with the guitar and sounded so good we
incorporated it into the music.
What are your aspirations for LISIN?
If we could get our music on a movie, that would be it – I
don’t even care if it’s not sold out! Hans Zimmer is the
composer for the film Inception, and some of the sounds
are so nice they just take you away. That’s what we would
love to do. We want people to feel like they can be
transported, and get swept away into their own world.
At the moment we’re trying to figure out how to perform
live with so many pedals and make it entertaining. For every
sound effect we have a separate pedal and if you miss a
second your audience is going to hear that it’s off-beat. It’s
really hard to get those effects to work in a live setting
because I can put it in a computer and edit the volume but
if I go into a small room it sounds so different, then if I go
on to a stage again you’re going to get so many different
sounds.
What is LISIN’s proudest moment so far?
A musician from Austria named Tante Meli downloaded
one of my favourite LISIN songs ‘Storm’, put vocals over it
and sent it to us. She said “I heard your song and it made
me think of some lyrics, so I wrote this.” It sounded
amazing; she added a really nice touch to it. You don’t
expect that sort of thing to happen.
I’d love to collaborate with other artists and musicians.
Even at the RNOH I’ve been asking people, “Do you play
violin or cello?” A string instrument would be beautiful with
what we’re making – it would give the sound real depth.
We’re looking for a drummer too – they’re one of the
hardest people to catch in the entire world! A DJ would be
great; you could get some really nice sounds on vinyl… If
anyone plays, let me know!
You can check out LISIN music on:
www.soundcloud.com/lisinmusic or Instagram @lisinmusic
The RNOH cannot accept responsibility for any loss, injury or
inconvenience caused by reliance on material provided by third parties.

Articulate 119 - Spring 2016 - Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital

Transcription

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