Belfast People - Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

No. 2 August 10
PEOPLE
BELFAST
PEOPLE
No. 2 June 10
B ELFAST
Belfast People is published quarterly to report on the people
behind the issues that affect Belfast Health and Social Care
Trust - staff, service users, their friends and families.
Shrinking
our
carbon footprint
Over the past two years Belfast Trust Estates team
has been hard at work to reduce our carbon footprint as well as save the Trust some revenue.
Last year we saw the first of a series of boreholes
across Trust sites which has reduced the amount of
mains water we need to use, and this year we have
started to tackle the amount of energy being wasted
in our current boiler systems. The new system
makes the boilers more efficient as well as delivering
savings in both CO2 emissions and cost.
Damian Horisk explains, “A boiler is the basic
technology that produces heating and hot water for
our Trust’s facilities. Traditional steam boilers
produce air and gases at temperatures up to 230
degrees, and these are then lost through the
chimney up into the atmosphere. We have installed
a heat recovery system (a stack economiser) to
recover the wasted energy of our existing boilers.
This is the first of its kind in Europe, and the way it
works is to capture the hot flue gases before they
escape to the atmosphere. These are recycled and
used to re-heat the boilers, so for example the
system assists with the heating for the swimming
pool at Muckamore Abbey. It also allows us to
pre-heat the boiler for Musgrave Park Hospital.”
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The projected annual reduction in energy
consumption is 1,500,000 kWh and a reduction of
280 tonnes of CO2. “This is the equivalent of the
average gas used and CO2 emitted by 94 houses in
a year,” says Damian. “Compared to the same
period last year, gas consumption and cost has been
reduced so far by approximately 10%, which is the
equivalent of approximately £75,000.”
The system has been so successful that plans to
extend it are at an advanced stage. “As well as the
stack economiser in Musgrave Park Hospital and the
Mater, we have just added a stack economiser into
the main boiler house in Belfast City Hospital,” says
Damian. “This will deliver a saving of £120,000 a year
– the equivalent to the average gas used and CO2
emitted by 294 houses. We have also hosted visits
from Estates teams from other Trusts and the Health
Estates Investment Group, all of whom are keen to
see how we are improving our service.”
‘Cool’
goings-on at Children’s ‘Radiothon’
Over one hundred thousand pounds
was raised during a recent three day
Cool FM 'Radiothon' at the Royal
Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
Under the auspices of the 'Helping Hand' charity
which supports the RBHSC, popular radio station
Cool FM broadcasted live from the mall in the
Children’s Hospital with a selection of DJs
interviewing patients, parents and staff.
Golfing sensation, Rory McIlroy, was one of a
number of local celebrities who took time out of
their busy schedules to support the initiative. Among
those he spent time with was little Ben Bingham –
and ‘Sidney the Kidney’.
Five-year-old Ben from Jordanstown had a kidney
transplant earlier this year. ‘Sydney the Kidney’, the
youngster’s nickname for his life-saving organ, was
donated by his mum Andrea. Andrea was 15 weeks
pregnant when Ben was diagnosed with a condition
which affects about one in 8,000
people.
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Before Andrea donated her kidney Ben was very
close to having to go on dialysis and was being fed
through a drip. “Now he is beginning to eat normally
and he tasted chocolate for the first time the other
day. The staff here do an amazing job and we are all
so grateful to them, ” said Andrea.
Another visitor was BBC sports presenter Stephen
Watson, who received a kidney from his father in
1990 after discovering that both his kidneys were
failing.
Other celebrity supporters included local actor
Adrian Dunbar and Irish rugby international Paddy
Wallace.
Helping Hand Charity was established by the medical staff at the
Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children in 1997 with the single
aim of helping the children in their care.
Helping Hand is an independent charity which operates through
a board of trustees and fundraises exclusively for RBHSC.
To make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/helpinghand or if
you would like to support the charity through fundraising ring
(028) 9027 8872.
Photograph courtesy of Pacemaker Press International
Five-year-old Ben from
Jordanstown had a kidney
transplant earlier this year
Giving a Child
a family for life
For Patrick and Michelle the day they
received the call to say they had been
matched with a child was one they will
never forget. It was the day that years of
interviews and courses about being
adoptive parents had finally come to an
end.
The couple, in their early forties, have been married for seven
years and adopted their daughter Lucy when she was two-and-ahalf years old.
“We were approved around December 2006. We were just over
the moon with excitement knowing that we were now waiting to
be matched with our child. At this stage you believe it might only
be a matter of months or even weeks,” said Patrick.
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“The first few weeks
were an amazing time for
us, bonding with Lucy”
Giving a Child
a family for life
“We had been approved for a year and a half and
getting more anxious with every day when we got
the call. I was at work the day our social worker
phoned to tell us we had been matched with a child.
I couldn't believe it at first, after waiting for what
seemed like such a long time.”
Patrick took the rest of the day off and went home
to tell his wife the news. “We were so excited talking about everything from room decoration to
planning an adventure centre for our garden. We
found it hard to take in that we would soon have a
new addition to our family.”
Michelle continues the story, “The first few weeks
were an amazing time for us, bonding with Lucy,
finding out all her likes and dislikes, playing, singing
and telling nursery rhymes. We went on park visits,
beach visits and had many trips to adventure lands
all over the country, as well as introducing her to our
family and friends. Lucy seemed to settle
immediately and was part of the family and
extended family within days.”
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“Family life over the last one-and-a-half years has
been wonderful. Lucy has started preschool and has
met lots of new friends and interacts very well with
them all. She is a very lively, intelligent and
imaginative child. We feel that we must be the
luckiest parents in the world to be able to share our
lives with her.”
The Trust welcomes enquiries about adoption
services on Freephone 0800 7834376.
“Family life
over the past
year-and-a-half
has been
wonderful”
OUR
VOLUNTEERS
If you have a few hours to spare or want to give something back to
society then why not consider volunteering with Belfast Trust. Our
volunteers give practical help and support to patients and visitors. For
people who are retired or unemployed and have free time, volunteering
provides an opportunity to meet people, share and learn new skills and
help others.Volunteering can provide useful experience to young people
considering a career in the NHS and a number of our volunteers go on
to study medicine, nursing, or gain other employment within the health
and social care sector.
John Tinman is a volunteer with Belfast Trust who gives up six hours of his
spare time each week to volunteer in the Royal Victoria Hospital. John had
a very busy life as a chief executive of a large housing association in
Northern Ireland. “I really wanted to put something back into society
following retirement and volunteering in Belfast Trust has met this need,’ ’
John said. “I have volunteered in a number of different roles and am now
volunteering as a Meet and Greeter in the Royal Victoria Hospital.”
John describes his role as the person who provides the friendly face when
you first come to hospital. “Coming into hospital can be a very daunting
experience. Before you get to your clinic for example you have to find a
parking space, find the entrance and then find where you have to go to.
By providing a friendly face I can provide a warm and reassuring welcome
and help the person to find the place they need to visit. If this helps
reduce their concerns then this gives added satisfaction. Many times
patients or visitors leaving the Royal will thank you for the help you
provided.”
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John Tinman is
a volunteer with
Belfast Trust who
gives up six
hours of his
spare time each
week to
volunteer in the
Royal Victoria
Hospital
John describes his role
as the person who
provides the friendly
face when you first
come to hospital
OUR
VOLUNTEERS
John’s experience of
volunteering has been very
positive. “I provide a few
hours a week of volunteering
and get great satisfaction
from everything I have done
in the Trust. You meet new
people all the time and get to
know the staff very well,” John
said.
Contact Details
If you think you would like to
be a volunteer like John we
have many volunteer roles
including: befriending; group
activities; gardening; ward
helpers; story tellers; music
evenings; church escort and
reception helpers. We think
that we have opportunities
for anyone who is thinking of
doing some voluntary work.
Johanna Bell
Locality Volunteer Co-ordinator
(Musgrave Park Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital)
T: (028) 9090 2292
E: [email protected]
If you would like more
information please contact
any of the people listed.
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Bernie Mitchelll
Volunteer Manager, Belfast Trust
T: (028) 9090 3028
E: [email protected]
Fiona Bell
Locality Volunteer Co-ordinator (Belfast City Hospital and Mater Hospital)
T: (028) 9090 2353
E: [email protected]
Jacqui Ireland
Locality Volunteer Co-ordinator
(Belfast Community, Knockbracken HCP and Muckamore Hospital)
T: (028) 9090 3299
E: [email protected]
Maire Gribbon
Locality Volunteer Co-ordinator
(Oncology and Haematology)
T: (028) 9090 2880
E: [email protected]
Belfast Trust Contact Numbers
Facility
Address
Telephone Number
Belfast City Hospital
Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT9 7AB
028 9032 9241
Stockmans Lane
Belfast
BT9 7GB
028 9090 2000
1 Abbey Road
Muckamore
Antrim
BT41 4SH
028 9446 3333
HOSPITALS
Mater Hospital
Musgrave Park Hospital
Royal Victoria Hospital
HEADQUARTERS
Muckamore Abbey Hospital
Crumlin Road
Belfast
BT14 6AB
028 9074 1211
Grosvenor Road
Belfast
BT12 6BA
028 9024 0503
Belfast Health and Social Care Roe Centre
Trust Headquarters
Knockbracken Healthcare Park
Saintfield Road
Belfast BT8 8BH
028 9096 0000
WELLBEING AND TREATMENT CENTRES
Belfast Trust Contact Numbers
Facility
Address
Telephone Number
Arches Wellbeing and
Treatment Centre
1 Westminster Avenue North
Belfast
BT4 1NS
028 9056 3303
40 Antrim Road
Belfast
BT15 2AX
0845 3006650
Bradbury Wellbeing and
Treatment Centre
Carlisle Wellbeing and
Treatment Centre
Grove Wellbeing and
Treatment Centre
Knockbreda Wellbeing and
Treatment Centre
1-17 Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT9 7AA
028 9091 2100
120 York Road
Belfast
028 9063 6800
110 Saintfield Road
Belfast
BT8 6GR
028 9063 1200
Belfast Trust Contact Numbers
OUT-OF-HOURS TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Facility
Address
Emergency Duty Team
(all through the night, at
weekends and over
Bank Holidays)
GP Out-of-Hours
Telephone Number
(028) 9056 5444
Belfast (North & West)
64 Crumlin Road
Belfast
BT14 6AG
(028) 9074 4447
Belfast (South & East)
Knockbreda Centre
110 Saintfield Road
Belfast BT8 6GR
(028) 9079 6220
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