Welcome to the latest edition of your UHSussex staff newsletter, a round-up of the news stories from across our hospitals throughout September |
|
Dear colleague
This month saw us open a fantastic state-of-the-art laundry facility, share the positive results of research for cancer patients and mark National Inclusion Week by launching the Race Equality Matters campaign.
We were extremely saddened to hear the news that Her Majesty The Queen had passed away on 8 September. The Queen dedicated her life to public service and awarded NHS staff the George Cross earlier this year, for their compassion and courage over the last 74 years but particularly during the pandemic.
It’s these qualities that make our workforce extra special, and this month we were delighted to award our Star of the Month following a nomination from a patient's relative after a visit to A&E.
This month also saw us spotlight Organ Donation Week with our winning visit to the British Transplant Games, and witness a number of teams complete their Patient First Improvement System (PFIS) training.
What's more, we held our first support group for haematology patients since the pandemic, hosted a successful plastic surgery study day, and celebrated improving our appraisal completion rates to more than 90%.
So please grab a cuppa and take some time out to catch up on our news.
Thank you,
Communications
|
|
New multi-million pound laundry service at St Richard’s to provide a faster turnaround |
|
The Laundry Team at St Richard’s can now provide a faster, greener, and more efficient service thanks to a new state-of-the-art facility.
The Trust has invested £7m in a refit of the laundry service, to provide a faster sorting process, an increase in capacity and an improvement in its environmental impact.
The site, which processes laundry and linen for Worthing, St Richard’s and Southlands, was closed for several months while the building was refitted with new equipment.
|
|
National Inclusion Week 2022 – Time to Act, The Power of Now |
|
The theme of this year’s National Inclusion Week's (26 September to 2 October) was ‘Time to Act: The Power of Now’, highlighting that a more action-focused approach to inclusion is needed to bring about impactful change.
In response, we launched the Race Equality Matters campaign to encourage phonetic spellings as standard practice. It is a simple but powerful message to make sure everyone makes the effort to pronounce people’s names correctly.
We have seen the positive impact on inclusivity with the addition of pronouns and we have an opportunity to build on this.
|
|
ICU hosts ‘Country of the Month’ to celebrate diverse team and cook up tasty treats |
|
For National Inclusion Week, we celebrated diversity and the actions colleagues have taken to create a more inclusive workplace.
Each month, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Royal Sussex County Hospital proudly hosts ‘Country of the Month,’ celebrating different countries and encouraging teams to gather and enjoy food, facts, and traditions from around the world.
|
|
Flurry of staff proudly graduate Patient First training |
|
Staff across our sites, from outpatients to gynaecology, have successfully completed their Patient First Improvement System (PFIS) training and are already seeing improvements in their work and for patients.
PFIS, which is delivered by the Kaizen team, develops our colleagues' ability to solve problems and improve performance. It recognises that people who do the work should be the ones improving the work and it empowers staff to find ways of resolving issues.
|
|
Autumn vaccination programme underway |
|
We launched our Autumn vaccination programme for Covid-19 boosters and annual flu vaccines this week.
Covid-19 has had a huge impact on health and care workers, and we are keen to offer staff a booster vaccine this winter to enhance your protection. Additional clinics will be added regularly depending on demand and supply.
To find out more including how to access vaccinations, and Frequently Asked Questions, please visit the vaccine intranet page.
|
|
Celebrating Organ Donation Week: UHSussex team scoop three medals at the British Transplant Games |
|
A team of organ transplant patients won three medals representing University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust at the British Transplant Games earlier this summer. This was the first time the Trust has competed in the games.
To show appreciation for the amazing care they received before and after their transplants, the UHSussex team, which included four organ donors and four recipients, took part in a range of sports. This included cycling, swimming, football, and track and field events, as well as a fun run with their families and supporters.
The team won two silver medals in the cycling and one bronze medal in the freestyle swimming event.
|
|
Appraisal rate success leads to Yellow Belt award |
|
Congratulations to Beth Sear, HR Business Partner, who was awarded her Yellow Belt Continuous Improvement certificate. This was for her outstanding work helping improve appraisal completion rates to more than 90%.
Continuous Improvement is a Yellow Belt (grade) qualification, taught by our Kaizen team, and given after the completion of an improvement project, a two-day course, and a short online accredited knowledge test.
|
|
Housekeeper’s attention to detail leads to Star of the Month |
|
Congratulations to Clementina, who was awarded Star of the Month for August after a patient’s relative witnessed her attention to detail during a visit to the Royal Sussex County Hospital’s A&E department.
Clementina Santofimio Gonzalez was nominated by the relative who was impressed with her work ethic, her interactions with staff and patients, and her calm approach as she cleaned the department during a busy period.
The relative’s nomination said: “The department was full of patients, staff, associated staff, and equipment. (Clementina) took every opportunity she could to get into crowded spaces to clean. She was scrupulous in her attention to detail, her work ethic and general demeanour."
|
|
Study shows new technology enabled service could improve care for thousands of cancer patients |
|
A study led by Dr Ollie Minton, Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Clinical Director for Cancer, has revealed that patients with treatable but not curable cancers who regularly track their symptoms are less likely to be admitted to hospital and have shorter stays in hospital, improving their quality of life.
In the year-long trial, patients from the Royal Sussex County Hospital were prompted every two weeks by email to complete a short online questionnaire using a webapp My Clinical Outcomes. This asked them about their condition and how they were feeling, from the comfort of their own home.
|
|
Plastic surgery study day proves a hit |
|
The UHSussex plastics department hosted a successful plastic surgery study day – boosting attendees’ knowledge of the speciality for treating trauma patients.
Organised by the plastics team, the study day focused on trauma and complex lower limb injury and brought 75 staff and community colleagues together to improve their understanding of the plastics department and get more people interested in the specialism.
|
|
Bowel Screening team get together over a cuppa for charity |
|
The Sussex Bowel Cancer Screening Programme team came together to celebrate ‘Brew Together’ over a cuppa and sweet treats.
Brew Together is an opportunity to bring people together over a cup of tea to help raise funds towards preventing people dying of bowel cancer.
The admin team invited the wider Bowel Screening team for tea and created delicious hampers which made their way across Sussex, from Hove to Haywards Heath, Uckfield, Brighton and Hastings, where members of our team were working.
The team raised an impressive £213 and thank everyone for their help and support.
|
|
Haematology host patient support group event |
|
The haematology CNS team invited all haematology patients to get together for a support group held at The Horizon Centre at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
The event, chaired by Professor Chevassut, featured Haematologist Dr Roz Johnston, who gave a talk on Covid and haematology, followed by a Q&A session with some of the haematology team. Matt Jarvis, from the Horizon Centre, provided information on what the centre can offer our patients.
This is the first event the team have held since Covid and they are looking forward to hosting further events to provide support and information for all haematology patients.
|
|
Artist of the Month: Historic Sussex coastline inspires new hospital waiting room artwork |
|
Our Artist of the Month feature focuses on local artists whose work will be showcased in the Stage 1 building of the 3Ts Redevelopment with pieces that represent our heritage, people, and the individuality of the very city the hospital inhabits – Brighton.
When photographer and visual artist Zoe Childerley was commissioned to create artwork for the Stage 1 building, she used the opportunity to explore the county that had just become her home.
Inspired by the selected coastal theme, Zoe developed a portfolio of seascape imagery to appear in various waiting rooms of the new building at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, which opens early next year.
|
|
Happy retirements to Miriam and Angela |
|
This month, colleagues bid a fond farewell and happy retirement to Miriam Franklin and Angela Nightingale. Miriam (below left) was a valued member in the procurement team for nearly a decade at St Richard's.
And Angela (below right, green top) has been the lead for the social care team at Worthing for more than 17 years and a key team player in supporting our patient flow, helping us with complex patients and safeguarding issues.
|
|
Health and Wellbeing - October Menopause Café |
|
Our next on-line Menopause Café will be held on Wednesday 19 October at 12pm to coincide with World Menopause Day on the 18 October.
Guest speaker Dr Emma Woodcock will talk about the work she is involved with in the wider community and will present on menopause in the workplace.
Our Menopause Cafés, available for all staff, have been increasingly popular and are a safe place to share experiences, ask questions and feel supported by a growing network of colleagues.
|
|
Patient First Planet First news |
|
Throughout September, we joined a cross Sussex and Surrey campaign ‘Travel Smarter September’ to get us all thinking about greener travel choices and try and reduce non-essential travel (where possible). The aim was to minimise carbon emissions from car travel and improve air pollution which can have a lasting and detrimental impact on our health.
Together our small choices to live more sustainably and in a more environmentally friendly way, can have a big impact and will support our UHSussex Patient First, Planet First, Green Plan including the ambition to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2040.
|
|
Love Your Hospital and BSUH Charity are pleased to present a special night on the ice this October exclusively for UHSussex staff and volunteers.
The Royal Pavilion Ice Rink in Brighton has released two one-hour ice skating sessions on Friday 28 October ahead of its official public opening, which is kindly being sponsored by leading British Construction & Regeneration group, Morgan Sindall.
As spaces are limited for both sessions, staff and volunteers can enter a prize draw to win one ticket which is valid for themselves and a guest of their choice. Entries are limited to one per person and must be linked to an NHS email account.
As an added bonus, each ticket will include a hot beverage or either hot chocolate or mulled wine in the Rinkside Bar and Café. Other food and drinks will be available to purchase.
The UHSussex Ice Skate Prize draw is open until 11.59pm on Wednesday 12 October. Winners will be announced on UHSussex Intranet on Monday 17 October.
|
|
Charity Fundraisers Take the Plunge |
|
A brave group of UHSussex staff, volunteers and supporters took to the skies in August to undertake an exhilarating skydive challenge to raise funds to support patient care across our hospitals.
|
|
On your marks, get set…GO! |
|
Calling all runners! UHSussex Staff and Volunteers can enter the following 10K races with a special 20% discount code. Just enter ‘runteam20’ in the shopping basket during checkout.
|
|
In case you missed it....
Here's our round-up of all the stories and updates across the Trust in September:
|
|
Patient feedback highlights |
|
|
|
|
|
|
