Issue thirty three 1.1 MB PDF (new window)

Winter 2013/14
Issue: 33
Speaking up for others
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
• Nina meets Prince
Charles
• Taking play seriously
• Annual Members’
Meeting
• Advanced dementia
care
• Our plans for Queen
Mary’s Hospital
• Speaking up for
others with learning
disabilities
Welcome
Welcome to
Exchange
Andrew Mayor – Editor
The transfer of Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup
to Oxleas is an exciting development that will
give us many new opportunities to develop our
services and provide more joined up care for
local people.
We are working in partnership with several other NHS organisations
and believe that this marks a real turning point in the fortunes of a
much loved local hospital.
Following years of uncertainty about the future of Queen Mary’s,
we have already put plans in place to spend up to £30 million in
improvements to the site over the next three years.
Of particular interest to many will be our plans for brand new state-ofthe-art kidney treatment and cancer units on the site.
Queen Mary’s Hospital
transfers to Oxleas
On 1 October, Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup,
transferred to Oxleas.
talking to volunteers in the Friends’ Shop in B Block
reception area.
Stephen Firn, our Chief Excecutive, visited the
hospital on the day. He is pictured above left
You can find out more about our plans for the future
of the site on pages 20 and 21.
Welcome | Oxleas Exchange | Winter 2013/14 Issue: 33
Outpatient services are also being reorganised so that people can
access all the services they need from one convenient, central
location.
We look forward to seeing services at Queen Mary’s flourish over
the coming years and will be be bringing you more stories about
developments at the hospital in future editions of Exchange.
If you would like to send us your stories or comments about
Exchange, please get in touch by emailing us: [email protected] or
you can tweet us: @OxleasNHS
Andrew Mayor
Editor
03
New cardiac service
is a hit with patients
From the cheerful mood, the upbeat music and the energetic activity on
all sides, it was hard to believe that this was a class for people recovering
from serious heart conditions.
P
art of the reason may
have been that the Friday
afternoon session, at
Woolwich’s Waterfront Leisure
Centre, is part of an expanded
community cardiac rehabilitation
service that we now provide in
Greenwich. It may also be down
to the expertise, enthusiasm and
commitment of the team, who
deliver an individualised recovery
programme to patients following
a recent acute coronary event or
cardiac surgery.
A successful bid was made to the
British Heart Foundation (BHF)
to fund a specialist nurse post
in addition to one exercise and
two nursing professional posts
funded by Greenwich Clinical
Commissioning Group. The BHF
post means that the class, which
has been running for around seven
years, is now supported by two
cardiac nurses. The team works
closely with the Royal Borough of
Greenwich’s Healthy Living Service
and Greenwich Leisure Limited.
When Exchange visited the class
recently we met Sue Duggan,
our BHF Cardiac Rehabilitation
Specialist Nurse, who told us:
“The class is part of an eight week
structured exercise programme
which consists of individualised
and progressive exercise training.
As well as an initial assessment we
conduct mini health checks before,
during and after the session to
ensure everyone stays safe. This
is important when you consider
that someone may spend only two
days in hospital following a heart
attack and be here in the class four
weeks later. The increased funding
has enabled us to provide an
enhanced service to patients.
“The programme includes
education about the benefits
of regular physical activity,
and support to assist clients
to maintain a physically active
lifestyle in the long-term. The
education component includes
relaxation sessions and talks
from other agencies such as
the smoking cessation team,
the Greenwich Expert Patient
FEATURE | Oxleas Exchange | Winter 2013/14 Issue: 33
Programme and Time To Talk
psychological therapy service.
An important part of my role is
helping difficult to reach groups
such as the elderly, housebound
and some ethnic minority groups
to access the service and we
offer greater support for patients
through more home visits and
telephone consultations for
example.”
Louise Barnett works for the
Royal Borough of Greenwich’s
Healthy Living Service and led
the class through the various
exercises. She said: “It’s really
great that Oxleas has enabled
us to deliver a comprehensive
cardiac rehabilitation service. The
team has expanded and we now
have resources we didn’t have
before. In addition to exercise,
we’re now able to offer people
access to psychological support
and an education programme
encompassing advice and support
on how to make lifestyle changes
to improve cardiac health.”
Barely seven months after his
heart attack and five after
bi-pass surgery, 54 year old
John McAteer is back at work.
Remarkable enough, but John
lays asphalt for a living. Originally
from Glasgow, John has lived in
Greenwich for 30 years. He said:
“This is my final session and I
can’t believe how well I am. The
staff have performed miracles on
me. Before I came to the class,
health professionals told me what
I couldn’t do, how careful I had
to be. I thought I wouldn’t work
again. But here they answered
my questions and told me all
the things I could do. Thanks to
them I was able to speak to a
dietician, a psychologist and a
senior cardiologist. Now I eat more
healthily, I’ve bought a mountain
bike, know how to exercise safely
and how to recognise signs of
tiredness in my body. My goal
was to get back to work and I’ve
achieved this.”
With six grandchildren and one
great grandchild, 62 year old
Charlton resident Bella Parish said
she has everything to live for but
was shocked by a heart attack
which came out of the blue in April:
“It was very scary – I felt isolated
and lost my confidence. Coming
to the class has brought my
confidence back and I feel fitter.
The staff have been wonderful –
they help me to be more aware
of my body and explain things in
a down to earth way that’s easy
to understand. Coming to class
has been so worthwhile – it’s
like a social gathering, a shared
supportive experience which I’d
recommend to anyone.”
Photographer: Tom Latcham, 2013
Photo: Sue Duggan checks Vasif Mustapha’s pulse | 05
News
Specialist Bexley children’s services
join Oxleas
A range of specialist children’s
services joined us on 1 October
in a move that we think will
see more joined up care for
children and their families.
Nina Turner, second from right, with the Prince of Wales and other Nursing Times nominees
High praise indeed for
award winner Nina
One of our nurses met the Prince
of Wales recently and was
singled out for praise by him.
Later on she won a prestigious
Nursing Times Award at a top
London hotel. Not a bad day for
Senior Nurse, Nina Turner.
Nina was invited to a reception
at Clarence House on 30 October
where she met Prince Charles. She
represented an Oxleas team which
included Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Lead Physiotherapist, Helen
Jefford and fitness instructors at
Maidstone Prison. They picked up
the top prize in the Respiratory
Nursing section.
Nina said: “I can’t believe we’ve
won. It was awarded to me, Helen
and all the fitness instruction
team at Maidstone.
“In the evening one of the judges
at the Grosvenor House Hotel said
that our work was really inspiring.”
Nina and the team’s work believed to be unique in English
and Welsh prisons - is aimed at
improving the health of prisoners
through pulmonary rehabilitation.
It aims to bring the treatment of
prisoners in this field up to that of
patients in the wider community.
The project is being run at Her
Majesty’s Prison Maidstone in
NEWS | Oxleas Exchange | Winter 2013/14 Issue: 33
Kent. It involves patients that
suffer from chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease.
The Prince of Wales said that those
nominated for the awards, in 19
categories, are making a “tangible
difference’’ to people’s lives,
singling out Nina about whom he
said: “Nina only qualified three
years ago, but she has worked to
ensure that the prisoners in her
care have access to screening,
diagnosis and a pulmonary
rehabilitation programme, all
steps towards improving the care
of prisoners with chronic lung
disease.”
Head of Bexley Specialist
Children’s Services (SCS), Ann
Lane, told Exchange how she felt
about joining us: “I’m absolutely
delighted. Bringing all the
children’s services together under
one organisation is the most
positive thing that could have
happened. Children with complex
needs have to access lots of
services. For patients and families
it will mean greater clarity of care
pathways.
The services that joined us include:
• Children’s Community Audiology
Service
• Community Paediatrics Service
• Children’s Community Nursing
Team
• Children’s Occupational Therapy
Service
• Children’s Physiotherapy Team
“
Bringing children’s
services together is
the most positive
thing that could have
happened.
”
“We can also plan joint visits
or appointments. We will be
working closer with CAMHS (child
and adolescent mental health
services) and the local authority
too, further widening the circle of
professionals.”
Seven year old Zoe from Bexleyheath enjoying
an occupational therapy session
• Children’s Speech and Language
Therapy Service.
• Children’s Community Audiology
Service.
Ann explained how children
come to the SCS: “Typically staff
are alerted that a baby from
the borough has been born
with complex needs and the
community paediatricians and
community nurses will link up with
staff at a specialist hospital and
start planning for discharge. Other
children come to the service when
they develop complex conditions.”
Caroline Chummin, Manager
of the Children’s Community
Nursing Team, said: “We felt a bit
separated from health visitors
and school nurses before and are
very happy to be able to work
more closely with them and other
colleagues now. We are also happy
to work within a communityfocused trust.”
Ann said: “I look forward to
working with our new colleagues
to continue to provide the best
quality care to local people.
Children and families who use
our services will not experience
any change to the services they
receive; they will see the same
people they normally see where
they normally see them.”
07
“
“
Staff
are better
It’s really
working
for now
with people with
Ryan
learning disabilities.
” treat you with
They
dignity and respect.
”
The Bexley therapists who
take play seriously
It may come as a surprise to learn that play is central to the development
of language, but this was the message when Exchange visited a ‘play
modelling’ speech and language therapy session at the Upton Children’s
Centre in Bexleyheath recently.
FEATURE | Oxleas Exchange | Winter 2013/14 Issue: 33
J
o Copp is Lead Clinician, Early
Years, with Bexley Specialist
Children’s Services’ speech
and language therapy team.
She explained that her team
uses play modelling to work with
children who have communication
difficulties: “The play modelling
approach helps parents to
learn how to change their own
communication to help their child’s
language skills develop. ‘Modelling’
basically means demonstrating
ways that parents can use play to
improve how they interact with
their children. Play can be a two
way process which helps children
to learn and practise language.
Rolling a ball to each other, for
example, will develop waiting and
turn-taking. And imaginary play
with teddy, dolly and the teaset enables us to talk as we are
playing using rich language with
lots of early vocabulary.”
skills develop. As adults we can
often ask young children lots
of questions, telling them to do
things and not always giving them
time to respond. And often we use
complicated sentences rather than
making simple comments.
Referrals for communication
difficulties start from the age of
two, most coming from health
visitors, though the team may
also receive referrals direct from
parents, carers or staff in under
five’s childcare settings. There is no
time limit to the therapy which can
be delivered in blocks of sessions
according to the needs of the child.
At the end of sessions, the
therapists encourage parents to
set aside 10-15 minutes a day of
‘special time’ at home to work on
agreed targets using techniques
that have been modelled during
the session. They also urge them
to keep a ‘special time’ diary which
allows both therapists and parents
to see progress over time.
Jo said that the process of
building language is a series of
small steps, so it is important to
manage parents’ expectations:
“We encourage them to recognise
that progress may be gradual,
looking to them to make changes
to help their child’s communication
Three year old Ryan clearly
enjoyed his therapy session with
mum Victoria and Assistant
Speech and Language Therapist
Pat Montgomery. As he dashed
from football to puzzle to post
box, they joined in the play,
encouraging him to use his
“The aim at this stage is to simplify
our language and get children
to use key words and phrases.
We encourage parents to follow
their child’s lead, comment on
what they do, keep the language
simple and gradually extend it.
So if a child playing with teddy,
dolly and the tea-set says ‘teddy’
we encourage parents to model
this back adding one word each
time such as ‘teddy drink tea’
and ‘teddy drink hot tea’. Some
parents run with it but for others
just getting down on the floor and
playing with a child can be a big
change.”
growing vocabulary. Victoria
said she was delighted with his
progress in just three sessions so
far: “It’s really working for Ryan.
His speech is coming along and
he’s a lot calmer in himself. He
responds much better one to one
and in our special times he’s been
learning the difference between
big and small bubbles, turn taking
and role playing with teddy. If I say
less, he talks more, so I wait for
him to speak. I’d recommend this
therapy to anyone.”
Tips that can help
language develop
•T
alking about what has
happened that day will help
develop memory skills.
•W
herever possible, use
pictures, objects, puppets,
acting, gestures and facial
expressions. This will keep a
child’s interest.
•T
alk about or play games
involving opposites like ‘on and
off’ or ‘big and little’.
• J oin a child in pretend play.
Let them take the lead. This
will help their language and
creativity. Talk about what
they are saying and doing
rather than asking lots of
questions.
•R
eversing roles can be great
fun for a child. Let them be the
‘mummy’ or the ‘teacher’.
•P
lay with and talk about
sequences of coloured bricks
or shapes, numbers and days
of the week.
Photo: Ryan with Pat Montgomery, left and mum Victoria, right| 09
b
News
Tilt is a beacon of hope
for ex-offenders
reach team are present. We work
with the STAR worker to organise
daily in-house and community
activities for our residents. The
service is run 24 hours and at least
two members of staff are present
at all times.”
A service with an
enviable track record
in promoting recovery
and independent living
moved to our Goldie
Leigh site in Abbey
Wood in September.
T
he Tilt project provides high
support residential care for
men with histories of complex
and challenging mental illness
who have often spent long periods
in hospital following contact
with the criminal justice system.
This includes careful control
and monitoring of the transition
from hospital to the community
as individuals gain greater
independence.
in developing a specialist
community hostel. With the
opening of the recently refurbished
building on Lodge Hill, the project
has increased its bed numbers
from 11 to 18 for people mainly
from Greenwich, Bexley and
Bromley boroughs. This increase in
capacity has been accompanied by
greater financial efficiencies.
Formerly known as Project 106
because of its previous address in
Plumstead, the Tilt project takes its
name from Sir Richard Tilt, a former
Director General of the Prison
Service. His report in 2001 led to
the setting up of services to
support patients to leave high
secure hospitals around the
country. Most of the investment
nationally went into developing
long term medium secure beds.
However, in partnership with Bridge
Mental Health, we decided to invest
Manager of the Tilt project, Ben
Spargo, outlined the service: “In
addition to the permanent hostel
staff, there is an in-reach team
from the Bracton Centre (our
medium secure unit) consisting
of consultants, social workers,
community psychiatric nurses,
occupational therapists and
support time and recovery (STAR)
workers. We have meetings every
Friday which are similar to ward
rounds at which our residents,
project support workers and the in-
Ben Spargo
FEATURE | Oxleas Exchange | Winter 2013/14 Issue: 33
Ben emphasised that the
culture of the project is aimed at
rehabilitation and recovery: “When
residents first arrive we assess
them and draw up a support
plan with their agreement. They
must be committed to their own
recovery so every client is given a
personal key worker who supports
them during their stay and after
they move on. We encourage them
to think about where they are in
their recovery, for example in their
relationships, their confidence;
the building blocks of their lives.
Progress is reviewed at the Friday
meetings and our success rate is
very high – around 95% do not
re-offend. Residents stay with us
for an average of 16 months after
which many make the transition
to living in independent flats while
others move to less supported
accommodation.”
Ahmed, 33, is testament to the
effectiveness of the Tilt model.
Now living independently, he said
that staff helped his recovery:
“They gave me support for what
I felt I would be good at – like
talking about my recovery. I now
do volunteering work, talking to
other patients and seeing what
can be done to help them. I used
to find being around people hard,
but now I enjoy my caring role and
meeting different people.”
Members’ focus groups
help plan the way ahead
“
I would like to warmly
invite you to attend
any or all of the focus
groups.
Another Tilt success story is Steve,
who moved into his flat in early
December 2012. At 42 years old,
this was the first time he had lived
independently.
Physically and sexually abused
as a child, from the age of 17
Steve spent seven years in an
adult prison and 11 in Broadmoor
psychiatric hospital.
Around eight years ago Steve
was deemed well enough to be
transferred to the Bracton Centre
where he was supported until
“
They gave me the
support I needed ...
I was treated as a
human being, with
respect
”
ready to move on to Project 106:
“They gave me the support I
needed. I don’t think I would have
done as well in any other hostel.
I was treated as a human being,
with respect. Their perseverance
helped me to be a stronger person
than I thought I was.”
”
Focus groups are your
opportunity to let us know what
we should focus on over the
coming year.
Our Chair, Dave Mellish, attends
each event so that he can meet
our members and hear your views.
You will also have the opportunity
to meet senior staff and our
commissioners, governors and
non-executive directors.
We hold focus groups annually in
Bexley, Greenwich and Bromley
boroughs.
Dave Mellish is in no doubt as to
the importance of the groups:
“Our members’ focus groups are
amongst the most significant
meetings of the year as they are
a wonderful opportunity for our
members, service users and carers
to have their views heard on what
should be our priorities over the
next 12 months.
“I would like to warmly invite
you to attend any or all of the
focus groups. The feedback we
gather from members helps us
to develop our Annual Plan which
sets our priorities for the year
ahead. Progress made against
these priorities is discussed at our
Board and Council of Governors’
meetings throughout the year. This
is a tangible way in which you hold
us to account.”
Members focus groups 2014:
• Bexley
Tuesday 4 February
The Marriott Bexleyheath
3pm - 5pm
• Greenwich
Wednesday 12 February
Woolwich Town Hall
6pm - 8pm
• Bromley
Thursday 20 February
Community House
3pm - 5pm.
To date, over 7,000 people have
become members - service users,
carers, local people and staff.
Photo: Dave Mellish | 11
“
Members
They helped me stay
at home which is
what I wanted
”
Norman Lamb MP, seated right, in conversation with patients Tom Ducey and Maureen Luxford, while Cllr John Fahy (standing) looks on
Pioneers push boundaries
in health and social care
Two of our patients recently met Minister of State for Care and Support,
Norman Lamb, to talk about the care they have received under an
exciting new initiative to deliver better joined up health and social care.
T
he nationwide ‘pioneers’
programme invited local
areas to demonstrate the
use of ambitious and innovative
approaches to deliver person
centred, coordinated care and
support. Our successful work
with partners was recognised in
October as Greenwich was named
one of 14 integration pioneer sites
– chosen from over 100 applicants.
The aim is to make health and
social care services work together
to provide better support at
FEATURE | Oxleas Exchange | Winter 2013/14 Issue: 33
home and earlier treatment in
the community to prevent people
needing emergency care in
hospital or care homes.
On his visit to Memorial Hospital,
Norman Lamb heard from 46
year old Plumstead builder Tom
Ducey, who described how he
was incapacitated with weight
problems for two years, unable
to work and suffering from leg
ulcers and depression: “I needed a
Zimmer frame to walk and couldn’t
manage at home, but it all started
to change following a single phone
call from my sister. The health and
social care people stepped in. They
changed my life completely, giving
me exercises to do, with physio
and occupational therapy, and a
diet plan to follow. They kept with
me to make sure I would be able
to look after myself.
Nothing is too much trouble for
them – they have given me so
much confidence.”
“Before they helped me I was
more than 40 stone and hadn’t
worked for two years. I’ve now lost
21 stone, feel completely different
and I’m determined to go back to
my job. The whole system worked
for me, after just one phone call.
It’s an incredible service.”
After the visit, Mr Lamb said:
“This week I visited the Memorial
Hospital in Greenwich, one of our
14 integrated care pioneers, where
over 2,000 patient admissions
have already been avoided thanks
to interventions by the Joint
Emergency Team. This amazing
team responds to alerts within
care homes, A&E departments and
GP surgeries. For example, working
together with carers and nurses,
they have ensured those with
severe mobility problems have
access to equipment and therapies
keeping them out of hospital.”
Maureen Luxford, 75, from Eltham,
faced the prospect of going into
residential care after heart surgery
meant she had difficulties living at
home. But the pioneering service
changed all that, with four daily
visits. Former waitress Maureen
told Mr Lamb: “As soon as I left
hospital the team came in to help
me get up in the morning and get
dressed, brought me lunch, and
came again in the evening. They
gave me exercises to do and were
always there to help at the end of
the phone. They helped me stay at
home which is what I wanted. It’s
a wonderful service which should
be spread across the country.
We are a key member of the
Greenwich Pioneer partnership
along with a number of other
agencies including Royal Borough
of Greenwich. Building on a strong
foundation of integrated work
between health and social care
- and the impact of the award
winning Joint Emergency Team
(JET) - the pioneer initiative
will build new bridges between
integrated care teams and general
practice.
The Greenwich Pioneer partners
are: the Royal Borough of
Greenwich; NHS Greenwich Clinical
Commissioning Group; Oxleas;
Greenwich Action for Voluntary
Services; Greenwich Healthwatch;
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS
Trust and primary care.
Interest
groups
Earlier this year our Chair Dave
Mellish wrote to our members
about the introduction of ‘sub
classes’ for our Service User/
Carer constituency based around
how we structure our services.
Members’ feedback told us that
some of you were unhappy with
this term so we have changed it
to ‘interest groups’.
The idea of interest groups is
that members can belong to the
group that is of most interest to
them, get involved and help us
plan for the future. The interest
groups are listed below.
• Working age adult mental
health services
(including forensic and
prison)
• Older people’s mental
health services
• Adult community health
services
• Children and young
people’s services
(community and mental
health)
• Learning disability
services
• Carers.
To become a member, please call
0300 1231541 or email
[email protected]
13
News
Using technology
to improve patient care
More awards
than anyone else
In a world where just keeping
abreast of new technology
can be a challenge, our staff
are finding innovative ways to
bring benefits to the people we
serve.
to help patients to better prepare
for appointments and improve
outcomes by making them feel
more supported. Services taking
part in the pilot include: adult
speech and language therapy;
Bexley and Greenwich recovery
teams; and Greenwich early
intervention in psychosis.
Artists at the Bracton Centre,
our medium secure mental
health unit, have built up an
impressive record of picking up
Koestler awards in recent years,
but this year they have excelled
themselves by winning more
awards than any other secure
mental health setting in the UK.
achievement at a ceremony at
the Royal Festival Hall, South
Bank Centre, on 24 September.
Louise Sheridan, Bracton Centre
Koestler Arts Coordinator, received
the certificate from artist Jeremy
Deller, pictured centre above.
Supporting patients is also a key
aim of our early intervention in
psychosis teams who recently
launched a new social networking
website called Safe Zone.
The team were presented with a
special award to recognise their
The Bracton held its very own
Koestler Arts Awards presentation
In Greenwich and Bexley, our
health visitors are using a new
tool that helps parents better
understand their children’s health
and gives great advice and tips.
The ProParent Health Visitor App
can be downloaded onto a smart
phone or tablet and has a wealth
of information about children’s
health and development including
antenatal, feeding, immunisation,
behaviour and minor ailments.
It also lists local services available
to parents in Greenwich and Bexley
including clinics and children’s
centres.
A page from ProParent with information on the benefits of
healthy eating
The app explains the role of health
visitors, the type of support that
parents can expect from them and
links to other Oxleas’ services. For
expecting parents or those with
newborns, FAQs (frequently asked
questions) give reassuring advice
around pregnancy, delivery, baby
development and speech and
language.
We developed the app because
parents told us they wanted it.
Mums usually have to take children
to appointments and the app
helps dads to be more involved.
Delivered by Infomax, a company
that provides IT solutions to
healthcare needs, the app will be
adapted for use by other health
visitor and school nurse services.
While it will be formally launched
in the New Year, you can download
it now.
Safe Zone was developed entirely
for people who have used our
early intervention services. The
first of its kind in the UK, it offers
information on psychosis and a
place where people can share their
experiences, read stories about
recovery, make friends and get
involved in social events.
Another app is being piloted in our
services which uses innovative yet
simple technology. ‘Buddy APP’
automatically texts patients with
messages like: ‘how are you feeling
today?’ and ‘how would you rate
your mood?’ An online ‘mood
diary’ is created for each patient
which allows both them and their
therapists to see how they are
doing over a period of time. It aims
Consultant Psychiatrist Kemi
Mateola was involved in helping to
set up the website. She said: “Safe
Zone promotes social inclusion so
that clients feel a better sense of
belonging and feel less isolated.
Only early intervention clients, and
clinicians involved in their care like
nurses and occupational therapists
can use the site.”
NEWS | Oxleas Exchange | Winter 2013/14 Issue: 33
on Tuesday 26 November.
The Koestler Trust is the UK’s
best-known prison arts charity.
It has been awarding, exhibiting
and selling artworks by offenders,
detainees and secure patients for
over 50 years.
Chelsea FC score highly
with MOVE kids
programme, the coaches were
on hand to help support children
as part of the Greenwich MOVE
(Mobility Opportunities Via
Education) programme. This is an
initiative for all children within the
borough who have movement
difficulties.
Chelsea coaches made some
Greenwich children very happy
when they visited the London
Soccerdome near the O2 in October.
Representing Chelsea FC Foundation,
the club’s community outreach
Vicky Lambert, our Children’s
Physiotherapy and Occupational
Therapy Manager, said there
are more events like this one
planned in the next twelve
months: “The Children’s
Physiotherapy Service in Oxleas
has successfully implemented
the MOVE programme across the
borough. Part of the initiative is to
lead on the organisation of fun,
innovative experiences to provide
opportunities for disabled children
and their families that they would
otherwise be unable to access.
These opportunities foster an
interest in sports as well as giving
the children a chance to practise
their independent movement that
the MOVE programme encourages.”
The children enjoyed more sport
in the afternoon provided by
Art2Movement, including specialist
sports such as fencing and archery.
Photo: Pet 15
Annual Members’
Meeting
had lots to offer
There was something for everyone at our
Annual Members’ Meeting (AMM) at IndigO2 at
The O2 Arena in September.
A
n estimated 550 staff,
service users, carers,
colleagues from partner
organisations and trust members
enjoyed the day. In addition to
the formal meeting and staff
recognition awards ceremony,
this included a film and seminar
programme and stalls representing
our directorates, staff networks
and some of our partners. There
was a moving performance by
singers from the Orpheus Centre, a
performing arts charity for young
adults with disabilities. And spoken
word artist and second year
student nurse Molly Case delivered
her YouTube sensation poem
‘Nursing the Nation’.
Chair Dave Mellish addressed the
IndigO2 by describing how much
Oxleas has changed in recent
years. He said that, only three years
ago, we were a mental health
and learning disability trust with a
caseload of about 11,000 patients.
Now, he said, we have a caseload
of 110,000. He added that from 75
Service users and staff ran the Adult Learning Disability Services stall
Forensic and Prison Services staff took a well earned cuppa
sites we now work across 125 and
that we need to work more with our
partner organisations.
Medical Director Dr Ify Okocha said
that we will continue to produce
high quality care, which means
we measure clinical effectiveness,
patient safety and patient
experience. He also said that in
a new development the Board of
Directors are visiting frontline teams
on a monthly basis, to talk to them
and see how they work.
Director of Finance, Ben Travis, said
that we are well placed to respond
to the considerable uncertainties
that the future holds. He said that
our finances are in good shape and
that Monitor, the health services
regulator, has rated us with a
financial risk factor of five – the best
an NHS organisation can achieve.
Lead Governor, Raymond Sheehy,
assured the audience that Oxleas
Governors work to: “put the needs
of the patient at the heart of
everything Oxleas does.”
FEATURE | Oxleas Exchange | Winter 2013/14 Issue: 33
Staff were kept on their feet as people visited the stalls to find out more about our services
Chair Dave Mellish addressed the meeting
Molly Case gave a moving rendition of her poem ‘Nursing the Nation’
Help was on hand for the foot sore
Members of Orpheus performed to great acclaim
As usual, the photo booth proved ever popular
Norman Ward, Green Parks House, won the Recognitions Award for Excellence
17
Groundbreaking
dementia care
praised by King’s Fund
Our advanced dementia care service was highlighted recently in a report
and video produced by the prestigious health charity, The King’s Fund and won an NHS award for innovation.
T
he King’s Fund report, called
‘Oxleas Advanced Dementia
Service - Supporting carers
and building resilience’, showcases
work led by Dr Adrian Treloar and
Dr Monica Crugel. They developed
a model to help patients with
advanced dementia live at home
for as long as possible with
support from family and/or carers.
In England, 670,000 people have
a diagnosis of dementia, and
this is estimated to double in the
next 30 years. The cost to the
UK economy will double from
£17 billion currently to over £50
billion. With growing numbers of
dementia patients being admitted
to hospitals and care homes, the
Oxleas service both supports the
wishes of many families and carers
and achieves significant savings
by providing palliative (end of life)
care at home.
The Advanced Dementia Service
was formed in November 2012.
It brought together two services
- Greenwich Advanced Dementia
Service (GADS) and Bexley
Advanced Dementia Care At Home
project. The service consists of a
consultant in old-age psychiatry,
several specialist nurses and a
dementia social worker.
highlighted the importance of
care coordinators in providing
seamless care to families and of
regarding the carer as an essential
element of the team: “Without the
presence of an engaged, willing
carer, none of the patients would
be able to stay at home.”
Staff working within the service
liaise with community health
services and GPs to provide care in
patients’ homes, with a key focus
on supporting the carer or family
to provide palliative care for the
patient.
You can read the report and
watch a video about the service
at kingsfund.org.uk/publications/
oxleas-advanced-dementiaservice
An audit of the service has shown
that 70% of patients die at home,
compared to figures for England
and Wales of 6% for people
receiving standard care.
In November, GADS picked up the
Partnership Award plus £35,000
in the NHS Innovation Challenge
Prize for Dementia.
The King’s Fund report particularly
Feature | Oxleas Exchange | Winter 2013/14 Issue: 33
supporting somebody at home you
are avoiding significant costs. We
think we have saved a good £2.5m
by doing better quality care.”
Director, Older People’s Mental
Health Services, Estelle Frost,
said: “The comments are
overwhelmingly very positive,
people have really valued having
access to a service that gives them
the opportunity to keep the person
with dementia at home.”
Dawn Larkin has cared full time
for her 81 year old father Walter
Bennett for over four years. For
Dawn and husband Roy, putting
her father into a care home was
not an option: “He’d lived in the
same house in London for 50
years, never went abroad and
didn’t like change. He wouldn’t
have survived two weeks in a
home. So Roy and I sold our house
in Maidstone which we loved
and bought this house in Welling
with its ground floor extension.
I cared for dad alone for a year
and it was a real battle to get
any help. Then we contacted
the Alzheimer’s society who put
us in touch with Monica Crugel
and thank God they took Dad.
Elaine Hughes, an Alzheimer’s
nurse and Linda Wilson, a nurse
practitioner, coordinate Dad’s
care, whether it be an air pressure
mattress for bed sores or specialist
care from the hospice. They are
always at hand to give advice
and Elaine pops round regularly
to see how Dad is doing. His care
is quite complicated, so it’s most
important that we see the same
people to ensure continuity. He
can’t talk now, but with people he
knows Dad will put up his hand
and stroke their face or hair.
“Just being able to pick up a phone
and get help has taken such a
weight off. If the support we have
had could be spread across the
country you wouldn’t need to put
people in homes.”
Clinical Director and Consultant
Psychiatrist Dr Adrian Treloar
was instrumental in setting up
the service. He said: “Our referral
criteria is based on a simple
hypothesis: anyone cared for at
home with advanced dementia
should have someone to support
them, someone to coordinate that
care.” Adrian went on to comment
that savings can be made while
services are being improved:
“If you avoid a care home by
Photo: Dawn Larkin | 19
News
An exciting future
for Queen Mary’s
Joining forces
to help young people
Keith Soper
When South London
Healthcare NHS
Trust was dissolved
in October, rumours
circulated that Queen
Mary’s Hospital in
Sidcup had closed, or
was about to do so.
In fact, the hospital
remains open and has
an exciting future.
Q
ueen Mary’s was
transferred to Oxleas on
1 October. We provide some
of the services and run the site
for four other NHS organisations
now working at the hospital. Over
the next three years we plan to
spend up to £30 million to bring
services and buildings up-to-date,
and ensure that people receive
good quality, efficient services in
welcoming surroundings.
Exchange spoke to Keith Soper,
Head of Transformation and
Operations at Queen Mary’s, who
is excited about our vision for the
future of the site. He told us that
plans are already well underway
and explained that we first looked
at how the 50 acre site was being
used and if efficiencies could be
found. It was soon apparent that
not all space was being well used
so part of our plan is to remove
surplus buildings and reduce the
overall footprint by some 14,000
square metres.
The plans also seek to rationalise
where services are delivered with
the aim of grouping outpatient
and associated diagnostic services
in one area in the main building (B
Block). Keith said: “At the moment
there are no clinical services on
the ground floor. Our plan is to
move admin staff away from
the main entrance and co-locate
services here that will enable
outpatients to access everything
they need in one convenient
place. We’re looking to create
flexible spaces which will be more
efficient and convenient. For
example, people requiring different
outpatient services can come to
one reception area and be called
into whichever consultation room
is available.”
Thus outpatient services (currently
located around the site) and the
Urgent Care Centre (now in A
NEWS | Oxleas Exchange | Winter 2013/14 Issue: 33
Block) will be moved close to the
main entrance in B Block. They
will be joined there by pharmacy,
imaging (x-ray, ultrasound, CT and
MRI Scanning), phlebotomy (blood
tests) and the café. Work begins
before Christmas.
A brand new kidney treatment unit
will be created in C Block where
the restaurant and café are now.
This will be a major improvement,
relocating the existing temporary
facility to a central position and
increasing dialysis chairs from
eight to 24. There will also be the
opportunity to run renal clinics
from the unit. Work is due to start
in spring 2014 and be completed
early in 2015.
A cancer centre will also be
developed to provide radiotherapy
locally to people in Bexley. At
present they have to travel to
central London or Maidstone.
Chemotherapy, currently available
just one day a week at Queen
Mary’s, will also be provided at the
new unit and there will be a cancer
information centre.
You can find more about Queen
Mary’s Hospital at
qmh.oxleas.nhs.uk
What we have done
Since 1 October our Estates
and Facilities team have been
getting to grips with a £5 million
backlog in maintenance works.
These include an overhaul of the
external drainage system, and
fixing over 60 external lights.
All rubbish bins on the site are
being replaced. A car park has
been re-opened and a new one
built providing additional spaces.
External signage has been
replaced, some clinical areas
have had their décor refreshed
and works have begun to the
grounds and gardens.
In addition, a mountain of paper
clinical records is being moved
off-site to a secure location.
According to Keith: “We have
already moved 120,000 sets
in six weeks and have another
500,000 to move; 250,000 of
them by next March. This will
free up a significant amount of
space; records can be recalled
within two hours if needed and
the medical records service will
continue to run as normal in the
meantime.”
An exciting new project which
aims to deliver a comprehensive
activity project to young people
within our early intervention
services was launched at
Charlton Athletic Football Club
on 5 October.
The project, which we are
funding, is a collaboration
between our early intervention
service and Charlton Athletic
Community Trust (CACT). The
launch coincided with Charlton
Athletic’s first ever Mental Health
Awareness Day and their match
against Blackpool.
Joining Oxleas and CACT on the
day to raise awareness of mental
health were Kent and Medway
NHS Trust, Bridge Mental Health
and Greenwich Mind. Around 250
staff and volunteers including
the Oxleas contingent were on
hand to dispense information on
mental health, local services and
support. Our staff also handed
out information on membership
and encouraged visitors to join
us.
Before the match both Addicks
and Blackpool players showed
their support by wearing antistigma t-shirts. And in the
interval, Charlton became only
the second football club to sign
the Time To Change Pledge to
end stigma and discrimination
against people with experience of
mental health problems.
Though the result of the match
was a 0-0 draw, Charlton scored
a big hit with service users who
were given free match tickets.
Consultant Psychiatrist Kemi
Mateola works in our Bexley Early
Intervention Team and is full of
enthusiasm for the project which
focuses on weekly activities to
engage young people in sport
and outdoor activities along
with art and cultural based days:
“We are very excited about
the collaboration we have with
Charlton Athletic Football Club.
Clients have the chance to do all
sorts of exciting activities, such
as white water rafting.”
Addicks players Chris Solly, Simon Church, Lawrie Wilson
and Yann Kermorgant wearing their anti-stigma t-shirts
21
“One of the things we are doing
is to try to get crisis cards that
people can show to the police or
ambulance crew so they can get
help when they need it. We’ve
also gone out onto the streets
in Bexleyheath and Bromley and
asked people to sign a pledge not
to use insulting words like ‘spaz’,
‘mong’ and ‘retard’. Last year I got
Advocacy for All’s Self-Advocate of
the Year Award for speaking up for
myself and others with learning
disabilities.”
Sunny tries on some shades at a Woolwich market stall
Changing attitudes
about learning disabilities
29 year old Sunny Sokhal has a
simple conviction - that people
with learning disabilities should
not be discriminated against.
To that end he has joined a
number of local groups and is not
afraid to take his message onto
the streets.
Sunny, who lives independently
in Bexleyheath, was referred to
Stuart House around five years
ago for help with mental health
problems. He made such progress
that after two years he joined the
Bexley branch of Advocacy for
All, a local charity that supports
people with a learning disability to
have a voice. Sunny told Exchange:
“We work with the police and the
ambulance service and explain to
them about ‘hate and mate’ crime.
Hate crime could be where you are
called names. This has happened
to me on a bus and in Bexleyheath
when I was called ‘retard’. Mate
crime is when someone pretends
to be your friend and then takes
advantage of you like stealing
your money. These are common
things for people with learning
disabilities.
News | Oxleas Exchange | Winter 2013/14 Issue: 33
Sunny also belongs to Mencap’s
Speaking Up and Respect groups
and earlier this year joined our
‘Can you understand it?’ group
that works to make information
produced by Oxleas more
accessible. He said: “I want to help
others to understand things better.
I also want to encourage more
people to join the group.” With
five current members supported
by staff, the aim is for Sunny
and others to lead the group
themselves in future and produce
a bi-annual newsletter.
Another string to Sunny’s bow is
his role sitting on interview panels
that recruit psychiatric staff: “I’ve
got lots of experience of being
interviewed for jobs. I worked for
Asda for 10 years and then at
Bluewater. In September I started
working at McDonalds. I work
there 20 hours a week.”
For more information on Can you
understand it? please email the
group at canyouunderstandit@
oxleas.nhs.uk
Transforming Betts Ward
by listening to patients
In the last two years the
experience of patients on a
mental health ward has been
transformed and complaints
reduced by 80% due to a
challenging project.
people’s experiences? The videos
changed my career. I’ve never
been the same since I watched
them. I’m very pleased that I took
the challenge and Betts Ward is
a much better place as a result of
experience based co-design.”
The Experience Based Co-Design
(EBCD) project took place on Betts
Ward at Green Parks House, our
mental health inpatient unit in
Bromley. It was led by members of
ResearchNet, a network of service
users who work with us to help us
improve our services.
EBCD involves gathering
experiences from patients
and staff through interviews,
observations and group
discussions, identifying key ‘touch
points’ (emotionally significant
points) and learning from these.
It has been successfully used
in other parts of the NHS but
had never before been used in a
mental health ward.
Neil Springham, Head of Art
Therapy, recruited members to
take part in the project. He said:
“Acute mental health wards can be
stressful for staff and frightening
for service users. Asking people
about the most difficult time in
their life, filming it and showing
it to staff was a big ask.” Short,
edited films were created from the
patient interviews and viewed by
staff and patients who discussed
the findings and identified areas
for improvements. Neil again:
“The films were a way of bringing
together two groups of people
that was mutually beneficial. We
realised that staff often only see
patients when they are acutely
unwell and it is great for them to
see people again when they are
well.”
Exchange asked Edward Kanu,
Ward Manager, why they had used
EBCD: “I thought to myself why
am I in this job? I want to make
a difference and I thought why
wouldn’t I want to hear about
The Betts Ward team have
changed how they triage new
patients and now get feedback
from patients in daily patient
experience meetings chaired by
Edward. These give patients an
opportunity to talk about the past
24 hours on the ward, and staff
can hear about issues and respond
before they escalate.
An unexpected benefit was the
huge therapeutic impact on the
people who took part. Ami Woods
(pictured), is an art therapist who
spent some time as an inpatient
on Betts Ward. She said: “Turning a
difficult experience into something
productive has been a really
important part of my recovery.”
She continued: “It’s been a really
hard project, but it’s been very
empowering for people. Usually
you keep this stuff quiet – you
don’t tell anybody. This turned all
that on its head and said ‘You can
make a difference.’”
Photo: Ami Woods| 23
For information on our
services, health issues and
ways to keep healthy, go to
oxleas.nhs.uk
Useful contact numbers:
Patient Advice and
Liaison Service
If you require information,
support or advice, please
contact us free on:
Tel: 0800 917 7159
Email: [email protected]
Trust membership
To become a member of
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
contact us on:
Tel: 0800 389 6642
Email: [email protected]
or join online at
oxleas.nhs.uk
Careers
For the latest information
on vacancies at Oxleas,
please visit our website at
oxleas.nhs.uk
oxleas.nhs.uk
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@OxleasNHS
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