Dear colleague
Welcome to the December edition of your UHSussex staff newsletter, a festive round-up special edition.
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It has been yet another challenging year, battling waves of Covid admissions, high demand for our services and now an extremely transmissible Omicron variant circulating at pace.
Throughout this, colleagues have shown unwavering dedication, commitment and compassion in caring for patients and each other.
Now, as we approach Christmas, our wonderful staff have been embracing the festivities, including making stockings for their colleagues, collecting donations for local food banks and spreading Christmas cheer through wards and offices.
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So please grab a mince pie and a cuppa as we get into the festive spirit and revisit some of our highlights from the year.
Please also check out our #BehindTheMask Christmas campaign on social media.
Wishing you all a safe and healthy festive period.
Thank you,
Communications
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On the first day of Christmas, my new Trust sent to me... |
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Twelve months of jabbing... |
Trust volunteer, Bidge Garton, was one of the first people in Sussex to be vaccinated when the Covid vaccination programme launched at the Royal Sussex County Hospital on 8 December 2020.
Since then, our vaccination hubs at Royal Sussex County, Princess Royal, Worthing and St Richard's hospitals have provided more than 110,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Recently, our research teams received deserved recognition of their work in the world leading Covid booster trial, a study with healthy volunteers looking at seven different Covid vaccines, which informed the booster programme taking place right now.
The news about the success of the study and our role in it were highlighted when Professor Martin Llewelyn, a consultant in Microbiology and Infection at UHSussex, was interviewed by BBC Radio Sussex, last week.
And it’s not just the Covid booster study. This past year, our teams at the Royal Sussex County, Princess Royal, Worthing and St Richard's hospitals have been involved in 20 Covid studies, with nearly 6,000 patients, volunteers and staff taking part.
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Since then, 11 patients have received SABR treatment at the Sussex Cancer Centre. The technology uses multiple slender beams of radiation, which are carefully directed from different angles to meet at the tumour site with great accuracy. This allows higher doses of radiation to be safely delivered at each treatment session, cutting the number of hospital visits that potentially vulnerable cancer patients need to make.
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Ten keep heart a-beating
Ten medics were in the operating room when Grandfather Ron Thompson became the first person in the UK to undergo a new form of heart valve surgery at UHsussex.
The 81-year-old had the pioneering operation in August and was back home walking his dog less than two days later.
Ron had a leaking mitral valve in his heart and to correct this with a new replacement would normally have required open-heart surgery.
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Nine workshops pampering
Creative wellbeing workshops were run across all our hospital and satellite sites, offering staff a pamper break.
More than 500 staff took part, trying their hand at cyanotype printing, enjoying refreshments with colleagues, and relaxing with a short massage.
Everyone who joined was asked on check-in how they were feeling with many expressing they were 'tired', 'stressed', 'busy', and 'anxious'.
However, at check out, staff comments included 'relaxed', 'happy', 'brighter', 'excellent', and 'chilled'.
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Eight stars a-shining
Eight colleagues have been commended for their efforts for going above and beyond throughout 2021.
In September, we relaunched Star of the Month as one organisation, celebrating the extraordinary work that goes on everyday across our hospitals.
More than 100 nominations were received in the first month of the refreshed scheme. Out of all those nominations, Bronwyn Powell received the highest score naming her the first UHSussex winner. If you know someone who has done something extraordinary, why not nominate them for Star of the Month?
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Seven soldiers portering
Military personnel from the 12th and 16th Regiment Royal Artillery, Emsworth, arrived at our hospitals in January to help the portering teams during the second peak of the pandemic.
Seven soldiers supported at Worthing Hospital and seven helped out at Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Julie Thomas, Head of Nursing, said: “It’s wonderful to have the army supporting us with various aspects of essential patient care duties. They are extremely welcome and will really lift morale amongst our staff, who are working under such pressure at this time.”
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Six values added
In April, Inclusion was added as one of our core values, which also include compassion, communication, teamwork, respect and professionalism. They guide who we are and what we do. During our first National Inclusion Week as a new Trust, we celebrated our staff networks, including those representing colleagues and allies with a disability; who identify as LGBTQi; or who are Black, Asian or from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Now retired, Babs Harris, Head of Inclusion, said: “I am really pleased that we are participating in Inclusion Week and shining a light on some of the fantastic work that is taking place throughout our hospitals."
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Five days o'green
In July we held our very first Environment week for UHSussex, setting out our goals for our environmental sustainability strategic initiative. See below a message by Chief Financial Officer Karen Geoghegan, the executive lead for this initiative.
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In November, we reported about the green inhaler project, a study by clinicians at UHSussex, who found that if patients on one respiratory ward changed the inhaler they were using their collective carbon footprint could reduce by about 90% in one year – the equivalent of driving around the world three times.
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Four Wingman lounges
Project Wingman launched at the height of the pandemic to enable furloughed UK airline personnel a chance to support NHS staff.
The lounges initially opened at Worthing and St Richard's, before launching at Royal Sussex County and Princess Royal hospitals in February.
Dr Maggie Davies, Chief Nurse, said: “The lounges have proved extremely popular and it’s great to see colleagues from our hospitals and the airline industry talk to each other and share experiences. Project Wingman is a brilliant initiative I wish to extend a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone involved.”
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3Ts build
During the year, when Covid restrictions allowed, there were over 500 people a day working on the site. Almost all the work on Stage 1 was focused on the internal fit out.
This has transformed the building from being an enclosed framework to all the room structures being in place and the vast majority of services being in situ. The team are now getting ready to install equipment in key zones across the building.
Work on the enabling elements of the helideck has also continued and brought us to a point where we are ready to start the commissioning it. Read more on our intranet.
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Two merged Trusts
On 1 April, we celebrated becoming University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, following the landmark merger of Western Sussex Hospitals and Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals.
Chief Executive, Marianne Griffiths, said: "We have brought together a workforce of almost 20,000 people across seven hospitals in Chichester, Worthing, Shoreham, Haywards Heath and Brighton and Hove, as well as numerous community and satellite services.
"The people working for UHSussex are truly outstanding. Never has the compassion, dedication and teamwork of our colleagues been tested more than as we faced the Covid pandemic together."
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And some gardens without a pear tree!
New garden spaces were created throughout 2021, including the Serenity Garden at Worthing and The Wellbeing Garden at St Richard's.
These have been part of the £350,000 invested from Trust charities to improve staff rest areas across all hospital sites, since 2020.
Donations from Love Your Hospital and BSUH Charity have helped refurbish and upgrade more than 150 staff areas with new furniture and kitchen facilities, as well as planting and seating for outside staff areas.
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Patient feedback highlights |
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And finally, check out this lovely video of children from Year 4 St Mary’s Primary School Horsham reading their letter of thanks, and a message from Chief Nurse, Dr Maggie Davies. |
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