wct magazine for you – autumn / winter edition 2015

Issue 11 Autumn / Winter 2015

54 years serviceWe congratulate Lelia Newsome for her 54 years in the NHS.- page 7

AGM 2015All the stories and pictures from our AGM/Health Fair.- page 12-13

A day in the lifeWe spend a day with Special School Nurse, Julie Harris. - page 11

MonitorFind out where we are up to in our foundation trust journey. - page 10

Chief Executive, Karen Howell pictured with Mayor of Wirral, Cllr Les Rowlands at our AGM and Health Fair.

Karen HowellChief Executive

INSIDENews bites 3

Governor elections 4

Board update 5

Meet the Divisional Managers 6

Trust news 7

Members and volunteers 8

Trust news 9

Monitor assessment 10

A day in the life 11

FEATUREAGM 12 – 13

Summary Annual Report 14

Wellbeing 16

Staff awards 2016 17

Trust news 18

Equality & diversity 20

Getting to know you 21

Health and wellbeing 22

Brain training 23

Welcome to this Autumn / Winter edition of foryou, the magazine for all our staff, members and volunteers. It’s also my first magazine as chief executive here at the trust. I’ve been here three months now and it’s flown by. There’s been so much happening as you’ll see when you read through the magazine.

It’s been a pleasure to join the trust and spend some of my early days here visiting teams and meeting up with staff. Getting to know people and seeing for myself the great work we do here everyday on the front line and behind the scenes. It was a special privilege to meet Lelia Newsome on her retirement after 54 years service as a nurse in the NHS. Her passion for nursing was undiminished and you can share her story on page 7.

I met many of you at our AGM at St Catherine’s Health Centre in early September. What a great event involving our services, partners and members, and the chance to showcase our new 0 - 19 Health and Wellbeing Service. You can find out more about the event on pages 12 & 13 and even view videos of the meeting on our website.

We have another big event coming up in November to launch ‘Healthy Wirral… it starts with us’. Staff and members of the public are invited to find about more about Healthy Wirral and have their say on how we can deliver our vision of a healthier, happier community. I hope I’ll see you there.

October sees our Seasonal Flu Campaign in full swing and I was pleased to be one of the first flu fighters to get protected. Last year we were the top performing community trust for staff flu vaccinations, will you help us achieve this for another year? (See page 10).

We’re coming to the closing stages of our foundation trust journey now that Monitor have completed their assessment prior to our board to board meeting in November. If all goes according to plan we could authorised as a foundation trust in time for the next edition of the magazine.

Finally, let me welcome our 0 - 19 colleagues across Cheshire East who joined the trust on the 1 October. It’s great to have you on board.

Enjoy the magazine and if you’d like to get in touch you can contact me by email [email protected]

Welcome

Comment

PUBLICATION DETAILS

Published by: Communications and Marketing, Wirral Community NHS Trust.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

If you would like to submit an idea for an article, please contact:foryouCommunications and Marketing Wirral Community NHS Trust Ground Floor, Wing 5,St Catherine’s Health Centre, Derby Road, Birkenhead, Wirral CH42 0LQ

E: [email protected]

THIS ISSUE

PS. Look out for my column starting in the Wirral Globe in the next few weeks. I’m really looking forward to it.

2 foryou Autumn / Winter 2015

NewsbitesCongratulations To Maria Hughes, Tissue Viability Lead Specialist Nurse, who has been awarded the title of Queens Nurse, and to Muriel O’Driscoll, one of our Sexual Health Nurses from Brook, on being awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Nursing in the Queen’s birthday honours list 2015.

Leadership for allWe are delighted to be launching our ‘Leadership for all’ programme next month, to help staff across every part of the organisation to develop their leadership skills and be the ‘best we can be!’

Leadership skills are an integral part of us all delivering the trust’s vision, to be the outstanding provider of high quality, integrated care to the communities we serve. They are applicable to every person, in every job, at very pay scale, because we ALL contribute to the ‘culture’ of our organisation, or ‘the way we do things’. To find out more come along to a launch event, or visit StafffZone.

Zero avoidable pressure ulcers achieved!Well done to our dedicated nursing and therapy staff who achieved zero avoidable grade 3 and 4 pressure ulcers in July and August. A key priority for 2015/16 and a great example of the excellent quality of clinical care we are providing across the trust.

Prostate Cancer Nurse Service launch success!Congratulations to the Prostate Cancer Nurse Service who held their successful launch in September. The event made possible by Prostate Cancer UK, highlighted the importance of the service’s holistic needs assessment which can make a huge difference in the lives of those living with prostate cancer. If you missed the event and want to know more... visit www.wirralct.nhs.uk

01FACT

02

03

04

05

06

07

FACT

FACT

FACT

FACT

FACT

FACT

Walk-in Centres/Minor Injuries Unit saw 43,199 patients in the first 6 months of 2015, with 99.72% of patients seen within the national 4 hour target.

GP out of Hours continues to exceed targets in reacting to immediate life threatening conditions within 3 minutes.

Our Community Nurses make over 900 visits per day, 7 days a week with 95% of these taking place in the patient’s place of residence.

On average 290 babies are born on the Wirral each month, all of whom are o�ered a home visit from our Health Visiting service within the first two weeks.

Our School Nurses cover the majority of schools on the Wirral, caring for over 50,000 children and young people.

The Podiatry Service Biomechanics team saw over 1,000 patients from April – September with the majority being fi�ed with their insoles on the same day.

Phlebotomy has taken over 100,000 blood tests this year, which are sent to the lab’s within 24 hours for test results.

43,199

900

290

3 minutes

50,000

100,000

1,000

3

FACT of Hours continues to t GP out 3 minutes

Our trust in numbers...

News bites

3Autumn / Winter 2015 foryou

Our first ever governor elections are underway, and by Wednesday 11 November 2015 we will have 13 elected public and staff governors. Alongside six people from partner organisations (including Wirral Council and Chester University) they will form a trust council of 19 governors.

We are delighted to have 29 people standing for election to the ten public and three staff seats, with a vote in every constituency: Birkenhead, Wallasey, Wirral South & Neston and Wirral West, plus our Staff constituency. Public members will all receive a voting pack in the post and staff members emailed, so make sure you vote!

A Council of Governors represents local people and staff within the trust, helping with future planning and making sure the Board acts in the best interests of the trust. Our new governors will meet regularly to

understand how the trust is performing and ask trust directors to show how they are making sure the trust is providing good services and managing its money. They will have their own groups to look at areas of special interest and to manage their responsibilities.

It’s important that the members choose the governors they think will do the best job for them so, when your voting pack arrives, please don’t forget to vote!

Timeline• public consultation about

becoming a foundation trust: Spring/Summer 2012

• pause due to publication of the Francis report and changes to the FT application process: 2013

• first part of Monitor inspection into quality governance: July 2014

• CQC Chief Inspector of Hospitals inspection: September 2014

• full Monitor inspection: August – October 2015

• board to board meeting with Monitor: 13 November 2015

• foundation trust authorisation: December 2015?

10 Public GovernorsBirkenhead

Wallasey

Wirral South/Neston

Wirral West

3 Staff Governors

6 Appointed Governors

Constituency breakdown

Whichever way you do it, remember to make sure your vote arrives by 5.00pm on Tuesday 10 November. Results will be announced on 11 November. If you have any questions please call us on 0151 514 2451 or email: [email protected]

Watch this space for details of your new governors!

4

Governor elections

foryou Autumn / Winter 2015

Staff CouncilA warm welcome to our new Director of Business Development and Strategy, Philip Clow. Phil joins us from NHS North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group, where he was Director of Commissioning. He has over 17 years public sector experience, firstly with the Environment

Agency, before joining the NHS in 2008 through the NHS Gateway to Leadership programme. Phil is originally from Wirral and is delighted to be returning home to his roots!

And congratulations to Val McGee who has been appointed as new Director of Integration and Partnerships, to help Wirral’s health and social care organisations work more closely together.

Val brings a wealth of experience at director level, from both mental health and community health trusts. Her new role is jointly funded by Wirral Community Trust, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership and NHS England, to support the development of new models of care for health and social services.

We are delighted to welcome our new Chief Executive Karen Howell, who joined us in August. Karen trained and worked in Wirral as a nurse in her early career and is now a highly experienced regional and national health leader, whose previous roles include Interim Chief Executive at Hywel Dda University Health Board. She brings a wealth of experience across community, mental health and commissioning organisations.

Congratulations to Alan Wilson, who has been reappointed as Non-Executive Director for the trust until 2017. Alan has also been appointed the trust’s Non-Executive Freedom to Speak up Guardian - a key contact for staff if they have any concerns relating to clinical practice, policies or procedures which may compromise patient safety. For more information about the new Raising Concerns policy, see page 6.

The Board has appointed two deputy directors; Paula Simpson, Deputy Director of Nursing, and Julian Eyre, Deputy Director of Performance. Hear more from Julian on page 21.

Board Update

Karen Howell, Chief Executive.

Alan Wilson, Freedom to Speak up Guardian.

Val McGee, Director of Integration and Partnerships.

Philip Clow, Director of Business Development and Strategy.

Welcome...to our new colleagues from Cheshire East.We are delighted to welcome our new colleagues from Cheshire East who will be delivering the 0 - 19 Health and Wellbeing Service across the Cheshire East area. It includes: Health Visiting teams, School Nurses, Immunisers, Health Screeners and Administrators who have joined the 0-19 team and who will play a vital role in supporting children across Cheshire East and their families to achieve improved health outcomes.

Over the coming weeks and months we’ll be working hard to ensure our Cheshire East colleagues are integrated into the trust, and feel part of the success of 0 - 19. There are plans to create a professional social network to allow 0-19 colleagues across Wirral and Cheshire East to communicate and share best practice.

Our 0 - 19 Service is nationally recognised delivering on all Healthy Child Programme outcomes. It has UNICEF UK Baby Friendly accreditation, 100% track record in child immunisation and 100% success in Healthy Schools status.Wirral Community NHS Trust was selected to deliver the 0 - 19 Healthy Child Programme in Cheshire East following a competitive tender process over the summer.

Trust News

5Autumn 2014 foryou 5Autumn / Winter 2015 foryou

Meet the Divisional Managers!

Tracy Orr Divisional Manager Urgent and Primary Care

I began my NHS career as a student nurse in May 1990 and worked in Arrowe Park hospital until 2009 when I joined the Community Trust.

I was a renal dialysis nurse when I first qualified, then became a Ward Manager in 1998. I stayed in that post for ten years until I left the acute trust and joined the Community Trust as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in the Primary Care Assessment Unit (PCAU). I then went to work in the Walk-in Centres, becoming Lead Nurse in Victoria Central Health Centre in 2011 and then Business Manager within Unplanned Care in 2013.

My new post, Divisional Manager of Urgent and Primary Care services, covers the following:

• 3 Walk in Centres

• Minor Injuries Unit

• Victoria Central Health Centre Outpatients Department

• GP Out of Hours

• All Day Health Centre

• Ophthalmology

• Community Dental

• DVT Team

• Phlebotomy

• Centralised Booking Service

• Single Point of Access

My current priorities are the integration of the Primary and Unplanned Care Division and supporting the teams in working together towards a model of care that enhances the patient’s journey. The thing I am most looking forward to in my new role is the challenge that urgent care always brings.

Karen Milnes Divisional Manager Adult and Community Services

I qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1990, and began my career working in orthopaedics, rheumatology, acute elderly and neurology departments at Clatterbridge and Arrowe Park. I went on to become a Senior Occupational Therapist, then Team Leader in the Respiratory Support Team. In 2003 I joined the then Bebington and West Wirral PCT as Intermediate Care Services Team Leader, and continued to manage nursing services until I was appointed Head of the Community Trust’s Wheelchair and Equipment Service in 2010, followed by Divisional Manager of Therapies.

My new post, Divisional Manager of Adult and Community services, covers a wide range of services, including community nursing and therapies. My current priority is to work with the nursing service to understand the capacity and demand, and how we are going to deliver integrated care in the hub model.

I am really looking forward to having nursing services in my remit again; I enjoy the different focuses that services have, and it’s a great to be increasing my knowledge of the services we deliver.

I am also really enjoying being based back at St Catherine’s. I was last here before the old building was demolished. The new centre is a fantastic environment for patients to be treated, and it’s good to be back in the heart of service delivery.I am currently working towards my Elizabeth Garrett degree, so with work and studying, things are really busy at the moment.

Neil Perris Divisional Manager Children and Wellbeing

My career in the NHS began in 1994 when I worked in East Cheshire NHS Trust as a Sexual Health Promotion Specialist.

From there I headed to Manchester, first at Manchester Airport’s Walk-in Centre as a Health Promotion Manager, then to South Manchester PCT as a Health Improvement Manager, and finally to Manchester Joint Health Unit as a Programme Lead for Employment & Health. I then joined Wirral Primary Care Trust as a Condition Management Programme Lead.

When Primary Care Trusts were abolished and Wirral Community NHS Trust was formed in 2011, I was appointed the Public Health Manager, responsible for all of the Lifestyles contracts. I went on to become the Divisional Manager for Lifestyles, before being appointed new Divisional Manager for Children and Wellbeing services earlier this year.

In my new role I manage the Local Authority public health commissioned services, and have the overall responsibility and accountability for the division. That includes leading on the division’s business management, strategy, service development, performance, governance, financial management, and learning and development.

I love the varied challenge of being a Divisional Manager; no one day is the same as the next. I’m really looking forward to the completion of the divisional restructure and getting to grips with the nursing and therapies services that are being integrated into the division.

Meet the Divisional Managers


Come and join the conversation on Twitter by following @wirralct!If you’ve got things going on in your service that you’d like to tweet about – just email your tweet to [email protected] and we’ll send it out via our @wirralct account to all our followers.

Perhaps you’ve an event you want promoting, a course or class you would like to tell people about, or even if you just want to let people know what you and your team are doing today - get in touch! 140 characters max and photos welcome.

Lelia began her nurse training in 1961, working as a student nurse for four years before completing her training at Chester Royal Infirmary. She then applied for District Nursing training and qualified as a Queen’s District Nurse in March 1967, before moving to Chester and Northwich, where she would be based for the next three years.

During this time, Lelia had to visit patients on a bike as she hadn’t passed her driving test, and she lived in a house provided by the NHS which had a special ‘District Nurse’ sign outside the door – meaning she was on call 24 hours a day! Fortunately she passed her driving test in 1968 and was even given a loan by the NHS to purchase a car. After spending time with a local GP practice in Northwich, she then completed two more training

courses before she took up a District Nurse Liaison post at Leighton Hospital in Crewe.

In 1980, Lelia made the move to Wirral and in her role as Nurse Manager worked in every area, before spending her last six months managing the Medical Unit at Arrowe Park Hospital.

Lelia retired from full-time employment in 1997 but such was her passion for nursing (coupled with our desire to retain her services!) she continued to work part-time for the Community Night Service. But in August, after an amazing 54 year’s service, she finally decided it was time to retire properly! From Wirral Community NHS Trust and all your colleagues and patients – thank you Lelia, and... happy retirement!

54 year’s service!Lelia Newsome, 73, must be one of the NHS’s longest serving nurses! The executive team were delighted to welcome her to September’s Board meeting to officially recognise her dedication and commitment when she finally decided to hang up her uniform, after more than half a century of caring for patients across the North West.

Lelia, pictured centre, receives her long service certificate from Frances Street, Chairman (right) and flowers from Sandra Christie, Director of Nursing and Performance (left).

Like Livewell!On Facebook? Want to find out about FREE courses and activities to help you get fitter, healthier and make real, positive lifestyle changes? Then ‘Like’ the Livewell Facebook page! Get the latest updates from the team at: www.facebook.com/LivewellWirral

Nursing Times Awards shortlist The Wirral Integrated Continence Service is delighted to announce they have been shortlisted twice in the ‘promotion of continence’ category for the Nursing Times Awards 2015. One entry is for supporting patients with the removal of a catheter, the other for promoting continence for men with Prostate Cancer.

“I am proud of the passion and commitment of both teams. The results are announced next month in London and l would like to wish them all the luck in the world.”

Debra Ollerhead, Continence Service.

Facebook - Health Visting HubGet the latest guidance, tips, and fun activities to help give children the best start in life - www.facebook.com/0219HVHub

Trust news


by Maria DaleyAs a second year undergraduate student reading History, I decided to undertake some work experience in order to better equip myself for life as a graduate. I spent some time in the Communications and Marketing department at the trust, which gave me an invaluable insight into the ways in which health care is promoted and how marketing strategies are ever-evolving through different mediums of communication.

I joined the team in preparation for the 2015 Annual General Meeting and Health Fair. During my placement I went through the logistics of launching an event for 100+ people, as well as personally speaking to numerous community organisations, inviting them to attend. I assembled all of the information packs for the AGM and saw how well-managed social media forums can act as an exciting interface for patients. On the day of the AGM I helped set up for the meeting at St. Catherine’s Health Centre. The morning began with filming the Chief Executive delivering a welcome message for the trust’s on-boarding website (where new staff complete their induction). Then the AGM and health fair got underway. It was an enjoyable, if exhausting, day!

Seeing how a marketing department interacts with other services in order to fulfil the overall aims of an organisation has given me a well-rounded understanding of this sector. The team were friendly and passionate about their work which really helped me perform to my best. I would like to thank them for entrusting me with responsibility and for all of their help and guidance.

Work experience League of Friends funding now available for Wallasey servicesCalling all services in the Wallasey area! This is your annual chance to bid for funds from the League of Friends.

Lots of members came to our Nursing showcase event at St Cath’s in the summer to hear about the past and present of Community Nursing and the work of some of our specialist teams, such as Nurse Practitioners for Older People (NPOPs) and Community Matrons. Thanks to the whole team and especially to the presenters: Deborah Kelly, Julie Norman, Emma Taylor and Eileen Hardy.

Since June we have been focused on sharing information about the new governor

Member eventsrole. Dozens of members came to the eight sessions we have held about being a governor and standing for election. We’re very pleased that 29 people are standing in our first elections.

Our new governors will be very keen to develop links with the wider membership. One way will be through our member events. We’ll be working closely with the Council of Governors to develop an events programme for 2016 to share early in the New Year.

The Friends fund applications for equipment and other items that go beyond what the trust must provide. If you want to buy something that will directly or indirectly improve patient care, this is your opportunity.

Last year the League donated over £18,000 to trust services, including

• Dopplex machines for Community Nursing to speed up assessments for patients with circulatory problems

• Facial Stimulators for Physiotherapy to help treat patients with facial nerve damage

• Cameras for clinical photography of wounds

The Friends have been in operation for over 40 years, serving refreshments to patients to raise charitable funds. Their full title is the League of Friends of Wallasey Hospitals as they were first set up to support patients in the Wallasey area. Based in our Mill Lane Walk-in Centre since 1972, and serving patients seven days a week, their focus is still on Wallasey patients. This is why

funding applications need to come from services working in the CH44 and CH45 postcodes.

Applications for funding are open until Friday 11 December 2015. Trust staff can find out more through StaffZone or by contacting the Membership & Engagement Team (0151 514 6342 or [email protected]).

Thank you League of Friends!

Just some of the physio kit that was provided last year by the League of Friends funding.

Members and volunteers


Putting patientsafety firstWe have updated our Raising Concerns Policy to ensure staff are very clear about what to do should they have any concerns about clinical practice, policies or procedures which may compromise patient safety.

There are now three stages of escalation:

1: inform your line manager

2: alternatively you can raise concerns directly with the Deputy Director of Nursing

3: If you don’t feel comfortable doing either of the above, you can take the matter directly to the Director of Nursing and Performance

Alan Wilson is the trust’s Non-Executive Freedom to Speak up Guardian for staff who choose not to escalate concerns via the first three options. Email: [email protected]

Staff SurveyBetween October and the end of November staff have the opportunity to take part in the NHS Staff Survey and have their say about what it is like to work for the trust. Our results are published nationally to show what it is like working here and how we compare to the rest of the NHS. For the first time some staff will be able to do the survey online, which saves money and is also easier to use.

2014 results showed we:• scored better or average compared with

other community trusts for 26 of the 29 key findings

• were the best in the country for staff receiving an appraisal in the last 12 months (for the second year running)

• made significant improvements in the quality of appraisals and staff receiving E&D/Health & Safety training

• scored significantly higher than other trusts for the support provided to staff by immediate line managers

In relation to patient care, we scored above average for all of the following key questions:• “care of patients is my organisation’s

top priority”

• “my organisation acts on concerns raised by patients”

• “I would recommend my organisation as a place to work”

• “if a friend or relative needed treatment I would be happy with the standard of care provided by this organisation”

So why fill it in?To have your say on working at the trust, improve conditions and make a difference to where you work!

Last year we did really well in comparison with other local and national trusts and we want to continue to do so this year, and hopefully retain the title of being a top 100 NHS Employer (Health Service Journal).

You said... We...

You wanted access to job relevant training, learning or development.

You wanted to contribute towards improvements at work.

You wanted feedback from patients/service users is used to make informed decisions.

You wanted continued focus on incident reporting.

Developed service specific training matrices to identify job related training for all roles across the trust.

Linked into lessons learned culture, promoted through our governance structure and meetings. We now involve trade unions and staff in tender bids and service changes at planning stages.

Involved patient and carers at all stages of care and their views and wishes are acted on.

We raised awareness of incident reporting which has now increased by 7%.

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A day in the life

Autumn / Winter 2015 foryou

Our MonitorassessmentBefore an NHS trust can become an NHS Foundation Trust (FT), it must show regulators such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Monitor the high quality of its clinical services and management. Last year we had a full CQC inspection, which resulted in us being awarded a rating of ‘Good’. We are now nearing the end of our assessment by Monitor.Whereas CQC concentrate on the clinical quality of our services, Monitor has been looking at the quality of management and finance within the trust to decide whether we may become an FT. Since August, Monitor staff have been visiting the trust to talk to directors, senior managers and staff from across the organisation. They have asked for lots of information to understand how we manage our services, run the organisation and look after our money and have been on site visits to meet some of our services.

On Friday 13 November our directors will visit Monitor in London for a board meeting. They will describe our plans for the future and explain the opportunities available to us as an FT.

If everything goes according to plan we hope to be authorised as an NHS Foundation Trust by the end of the year!

6Monitorstaffin theteam 43

Meetingsheld

2Focusgroups

3Boardandcommitteemeetingsattended

7Servicesvisited 1000

Documents submittedas evidence

Our assessment in numbers

10

Trust news


A day in the life:

I am a Special Senior School Nurse based in Wallasey. I work for the 0 – 19 Health and Wellbeing Service.

What role would you like to learn more about? Email your suggestion for ‘A day in the life’ to:[email protected]

My working day begins when I arrive at school at about 8.30am in order to prepare for the day ahead. I currently work in a local primary special school for pupils age 2-11 years old. Pupils have a range of severe learning and behavioural difficulties, many with complex health needs. With over a 100 pupils, the day is often very busy and I work closely with education staff to ensure that pupils have the best opportunities to access the curriculum.

My role includes administering multiple medications, via gastrostomies, muscular injections, buccally (injections into gums) and orally. This often takes a considerable amount of time, as firstly the medications have to be prepared and then delivering them can be difficult due to the challenging behaviours of many pupils. But with parental consent, I can use different ways to get children to have their medicines, such as crushing tablets in juice or disguising them in yogurt!

Throughout the day I will be assessing pupil’s general health, taking temperatures, assessing oxygen levels or using a saturations monitor. I also deal with plenty of physical issues; head injuries, falls, bites, nose bleeds and pain.

Patience is an essential skill for a special school nurse. I monitor the children’s heights, weights, blood pressures and urine testing, all of which can take a lot of time (and often a

considerable amount of persuasion!) I also train teaching staff how to feed children who are tube-fed, teach them how to care for a child who has epilepsy, and show them how to inject a child with an Epi-pen if they are having a severe allergic reaction.

I keep records throughout the day in the pupil’s case sheets. These are soon to be transferred to electronic records as SystmOne goes live across local Special Schools. I ensure care plans are compiled for those pupils with additional health needs, such as asthma, epilepsy, constipation, gastrostomies (tube feeding) and those who require oxygen apparatus or have porta-caths for drug administration. The children’s care plans are all regularly reviewed to ensure their needs are met and appropriate care is received. I work closely with parents and carers to monitor all health aspects of a child’s condition.

Unfortunately, sometimes I have to send pupils to hospital; reasons for this vary from pupils suffering respiratory arrests, severe epileptic seizures or even serious head injuries. We are lucky to have the fantastic Arrow Park Hospital within close range.

Phone calls, emails, referrals and faxes are a part of everyday work life. This can be a challenge when there

are constant distractions coming through the door, but to see the gorgeous smiles and listen to the giggles of happy pupils makes every day a pleasure. I consider myself so privileged to be able to care for these pupils with additional needs and feel incredibly fulfilled in my job role.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my role is the unpredictability of what might happen in any given day - I love facing challenges.

Did you know...

• there are currently 38 school nurses in Wirral, and 26 have joined us in the new 0 - 19 service in Cheshire East

• there are 6 special schools in the area; Foxfield (Woodchurch), Lyndale (Eastham) Stanley (Thingwall), Meadowside (Woodchurch) Elleray Park (Wallasey) and Hayfield (Upton)

• it is estimated that 50% of children have allergies in the UK

Special School Nurse

Julie Harris

11

Trust news


The formal meeting began with an introduction from trust Chairman, Frances Street who welcomed and thanked everyone for the excellent turn out of over 120 members, stakeholders and staff and the 25 stalls that came to exhibit in the health fair.

Karen Howell, Chief Executive, kicked off the presentations with the annual review, covering our services, our strategy and our expectations for the future. Karen was followed by Mark Greatrex, Director of Finance, who showcased the trust’s financial performance from the past year.

Annual General Meeting and Health Fair 2015This year’s Annual

General Meeting and

Health Fair was an

enormous success and

for the first time was held

at the trust’s flagship

site, St. Catherine’s

Health Centre.

“Very informative

and well executed

AGM meeting.”

The AGM concluded with a Q&A session, giving members of the audience the opportunity to directly question the board.

Immediately after the AGM finished St. Catherine’s was a bustling hive of activity. Mayor of Wirral, Cllr Les Rowlands declared the Health Fair open as people began to visit the stalls exhibiting their services, events and advice. There were free health checks available, lots of equipment to see, touch and use including giant teeth and alcohol goggles, and replica lumps of fat and muscle to show the difference in weight. There was also plenty of opportunity to ask questions and find out what some of

Pictured at the Health Fair are left to right: Karen Howell, Chief Executive, WCT, Claire Lyon, Specialist Health Visitor, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health, WCT, Mayor of Wirral, Cllr Les Rowland and Frances Street, Chairman, WCT.

12

AGM


“The AGM is

always a

positive event.

It gives me

confidence that

community

services in

Wirral are in

good hands.”

our services do, with staff from Sexual Health Wirral, Prostate Cancer Nursing Service, School Nurses, Physiotherapy, Speech & Language Therapy, Nutrition & Dietetics and Livewell all taking part. We also launched our brand new 0 - 19 service for children and young people.

We were so pleased to welcome our affiliates and partners with their own stalls, including Barnardo’s, Brook, Home-Start Wirral and Healthwatch Wirral. The health fair was not only a fantastic opportunity to increase awareness of the trust and our vital role in the community, but also to showcase our fantastic services.

We received great coverage in Wirral Globe, and had Wirral Radio broadcasting live from inside St. Catherine’s Health Centre. The station’s afternoon presenter Chris Jones interviewed staff from Sexual Health Wirral, 0 - 19 service, Nutrition & Dietetics, Livewell, and the Prostate Cancer Nursing Service live on-air through the afternoon.

A huge thank you to everyone who played a part in making this year’s AGM and Health Fair such a success.

All the material from the day, including the power point presentations and a film of the speeches and the Q&A session, is available on the trust’s website www.wirralct.nhs.uk

Pictured at the Health Fair are left to right: Karen Howell, Chief Executive, WCT, Claire Lyon, Specialist Health Visitor, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health, WCT, Mayor of Wirral, Cllr Les Rowland and Frances Street, Chairman, WCT.

13

AGM


bb Review of the yearWe are proud of the high quality of our

services and are delighted when this is

recognised by others, whether through

review and inspection or awards. Notable

achievements in the last year include:

• In November 2014 we received a rating

of ‘Good’ following a CQC Chief

Inspector of Hospitals inspection

• In 2014 we were one of only 11

community healthcare organisations to

be named in the ‘Top 100 places to

work in healthcare’ by the Health

Service Journal

• The trust’s SystmOne Team were

recognised as Team of the Year 2014

at the prestigious ISDNetwork Awards

for their work on SystmOne IT

implementation

• Compassion in Practice Awards 2014

- the trust’s Community Dental Service

were finalists for their approach to

helping children feel at ease when

going to the dentist

• The Queen’s Nurse Title was awarded

to Health Visitor Jo Chwalko, who was

also made a fellow of the Institute of

Health Visiting

• We achieved 72% flu vaccine uptake in

the eligible workforce 2014/15 -

the top performing community

trust in the country

b Our performanceOur services have continued to deliver high

quality responsive care to Wirral residents

and we have achieved a high level of

performance against the community

indicators that we are measured against.

We have a comprehensive performance

management framework which provides a

consistent process to measure and monitor

performance across all levels within the

organisation.

For a fourth year we have: • delivered a range of urgent care services, such as Walk-in Centres and GP

out of hours. In all cases we achieve the national indicators which are key to supporting the delivery of system wide urgent care

• treated all patients within the 18 week target

Operational performance

Following the publication of our Annual Report & Accounts for 2014/15 earlier this year, a summary version has been produced which presents highlights from the main report. Here you’ll find our operational and financial performance summary, which gives an ‘at a glance’ picture of how the trust has done over the last 12 months and how we have established ourself as a strong and credible community trust to the communities we serve.

14

Summary Annual Report


Financial performance

bThe trust has met all of its statutory

financial duties for 2014/15, our fourth

successful year of operations as an

NHS trust.

In 2014/15 we:

• received total income of £70,020k from

commissioners and other sources for

delivering healthcare services.

• ended the year with a normalised surplus

of £875k, only £25k below plan

• invested in expenditure on the capital

programme relating to our IT

infrastructure and the continued roll out

of mobile working across services

• performed well against the financial risk

ratings applied to NHS providers by the

independent regulator Monitor. Had the

trust been subject to this regime in

2014/15, we would have received an

overall risk rating of 4 out of 4, the

highest level of financial performance

b Our financial futureThe trust’s plans show that it will remain

financially stable with good levels of

performance against Monitor’s financial risk

ratings throughout the planning period.

The required level of cost improvements will

remain between 4% and 5% annually,

equating to the planned release of some

24.4% of total costs by 2019/2020.

b Cost improvement plansAs with the vast majority of public sector

service providers, the trust faces financial

challenges as part of the difficult economic

circumstances. The trust’s financial planning

process for 2014/15 identified a CIP

requirement of £3,375k. These savings have

been delivered above target at £3,381k,

strengthening our financial position.

Sources of income:

£48,972kNHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)

£9,457kNHS England represented

£7,658kWirral Council

...and limited income from other sources.

The full report and summary document are available on our website: www.wirralct.nhs.uk

15

Summary Annual Report


Fast track physiotherapy Do you suffer from a back problem? We have ‘one to one’ advice sessions for staff. Ask your manager to complete the physiotherapy referral form from the ‘your wellbeing/fast track’ pages on StaffZone, then simply ring the department to book a slot at one of the advice clinics:

• St Catherine’s Health Centre Wednesday, 1.00pm - 2.00pm Tel: 0151 604 7260

• Victoria Central Health Centre Friday, 3.00pm - 4.00pm Tel: 0151 604 7287

Referrals will be triaged within 48 hours and an appointment issued within 5 working days. Up to 6 sessions will be available.

PAM Assist (Employee Assistance Programme)Free counselling sessions or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) sessions are available through PAM Assist. You can contact PAM Assist direct on 0800 8824102. It’s available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If you want support to lead a healthier lifestyle, our Livewell team can help you to:

• eat healthily• get more active• lose weight• quit smoking• relax and unwind

The service is free, and available across Wirral. For more information contact the service directly on 0151 630 8383.

Remember, as a member of staff you are responsible for:

• maintaining and taking care of your own health and wellbeing• maintaining high levels of attendance• maintaining health and safety standards• contacting your line manager (by phone) if you are absent from

work• maintaining contact with your line manager throughout a period

of sickness• not using sickness absence to deal with family emergencies etc

As members of staff we all have a responsibility to attend work unless

we are not fit to do so. We have a duty to ourselves, our teams

and the wider organisation to do everything possible to ensure the

delivery of high quality services to our patients, and that includes

maintaining our own health and wellbeing, and supporting others to

do so. There are lots of services you can exclusively access if you

work for the trust, to help you keep well.

Wellbeing Strategy - ResilienceOver the coming months we will be re-launching the Wellbeing Strategy with a particular focus on resilience and signposting to the resources available for individuals and managers to help support resilience.

In the meantime if you would like to find out how resilient you are and get some personalised hints and tips on how to improve your resilience, then why not take the i-resilience self assessment! It’s free to all staff and is available at www.robertsoncooper.com/iresilience. You even get an in an individual report about your personal resilience and ideas on how to raise it.

Health and Wellbeing ToolsFor more ideas and inspiration on how to improve your health and wellbeing, visit the Wellbeing section on StaffZone.

Your Wellbeing/Our Future

16

Wellbeing


They’re back...The For You, Thank You Staff awards are a fantastic way to celebrate and recognise the achievements, innovations and hard work of our staff across the trust.From those who treat patients everyday through to the individuals and teams behind the scenes supporting them to be able to do their jobs we want nominations across all the categories, from all services, in all areas (including our new colleagues in Cheshire East!)

Staff can visit StaffZone for details on all the award categories and criteria and simply complete the online form.

Patient ChoiceOur Patient Choice award is an opportunity for patients and members of the public to thank our staff for their exceptional care and great patient experience. Whether you’re a patient, family member or carer, you can nominate a team or individual who works for Wirral Community NHS Trust that deserves to win this year’s Patient choice award.

Nomination forms will be available across all of our clinics and can also be downloaded from our website www.wirralct.nhs.uk

It’s the perfect way to say ‘thank you’, so let’s see those nominations flood in.

Nominations for all categories including the Patient Choice Award will close Monday 21 December!


Having the flu vaccination is the most effective way to prevent flu. The campaign is a vital part of reducing the impact of flu in Wirral, protecting our patients, families and staff.

We know that patients in the community think it’s great that our workforce gets vaccinated, as it helps to protect patients themselves from a potentially life threatening illness. That’s why this year we want to vaccinate at least 75% of our eligible workforce.

Why it’s so important:• flu kills - for the majority of people who

catch it flu is unpleasant, but for some it can lead to chest infections, severe complications and death

• healthy diets won’t prevent flu - it can help boost your immune system but it will not protect you against flu

• anyone can get the flu - there is no such thing as natural immunity to flu. With new strains circulating, it’s best to get vaccinated

• the flu jab can’t give you flu - it is impossible to get flu from having the flu vaccine because the vaccine doesn’t contain live viruses

• it takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop - this is why we encourage staff to get the vaccine early

• health professionals need to protect patients - you can carry and pass the virus onto others without having any symptoms yourself

• you need the vaccine every year - new strains of flu circulate every year and the vaccine is developed to target the key strains so it’s important that you get vaccinated every year

Are you a flu fighter?There’s not long left to make sure you’re protected from the flu!

Help keep us at number one! Last year we were rated the top performing community trust in the country for the percentage of staff who had their flu vaccination.

Help us keep our record!

Karen Howell, Chief Executive receiving her flu jab.

• did you know there are over three million people in the UK with diabetes with a further 5 million at risk of type 2 diabetes?

• did you know the NHS spends over £25,000 every minute managing the condition?

• did you know up to 80 per cent of cases of type 2 diabetes can be delayed or prevented by making simple changes to our lives?

Our Nutrition and Dietetics Service are here to help and offer two FREE courses for people who have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes (Impaired glucose regulation - IGR)

1. Pre diabetes This half day course is for anyone

worried about type 2 diabetes or at risk of developing the condition. This is a critical stage in the development of diabetes and individuals learn how lifestyle choices can be made to turn it around. Decisive action now can slow down or even halt the development of type 2 diabetes.

2. Wirral XPERT* Programme (for individuals with type 2 diabetes)

During this six week course, you’ll explore how your body works and how lifestyle modifications may help to improve your diabetes control. We won’t tell you what you should and shouldn’t do, but help you in setting realistic goals to address concerns you may have with your lifestyle such as what you eat and how active you are.

Individuals attend for 2.5 hours per week and the course is held at a range of venues across Wirral with daytime and evening sessions available.

Sign up to the pre-diabetes or XPERT Programme by completing the referral form on our website www.wirralct.nhs.uk or contact the Nutrition and Dietetic Service on 0151 604 7271.The service also offer a one off introductory session if you’re not sure diabetes group education is for you.

Worried about diabetes?...get XPERT support from our Nutrition and Dietetics service

18

Trust news


Tissue Viability study day success!

“Brilliant day, very useful and interesting speakers, hope there is a 13th.”

Congratulations to our Tissue Viability team who held their 12th successful annual Tissue Viability study day this summer.There was a fantastic turn out with 162 delegates attending and 38 companies exhibiting a wide range of products - all designed to reduce or heal pressure ulcers.

Delegates heard from inspiring speakers covering topics such as inflammation and infection, Vitamin D in wound healing, radiation burns management and a court room scenario to highlight law and litigation in the NHS.

Feedback from the delegates was fantastic, and many are already looking forward to next year’s event!

On 13 June 2015 at Midnight Maria Hughes, Tissue Viability Lead, began her 4th full 26.2 mile Moonwalk Edinburgh in aid of breast cancer. She completed it in the wind and rain in 6hrs 10 mins knocking 1hr 38 off her previous time, rather good for walking. Well done Maria.

SAVE THE DATE: Next year’s event will take place on Friday 10 June 2016!

NMC makes final decision on nursing revalidationIn early October the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) made their final decision to introduce revalidation for all nurses and midwives in the UK with the first cohort of registrants revalidating in April 2016. This move is the most significant change to regulation in a generation.

Revalidation means that everyone on the register will have to demonstrate on a regular basis that they are able to deliver care in a safe, effective and professional way. All nurses and midwives will have to show they are staying up to date in their practice and living the values of the Code, by reflecting on their practice and engaging in discussions with colleagues.

For the first time, they will also have to obtain confirmation that they have met all the requirements before they apply to renew their place on the register every three years.

Revalidation has been tested in 19 sites across the UK, and the NMC are confident that it is achievable, effective and realistic. Nurses and midwives who piloted the model believe that it will deliver real benefits in raising standards and protecting the public.

For further information about how to revalidate please visit StaffZone.

Patient stories on-line!Don’t forget to visit our website so you can hear the experiences of others who have used our services. Our ‘patient stories’ capture the value of what our staff do every day and have enabled us to make improvements which really matter.

www.wirralct.nhs.uk/about-us/how-are-we-doing/patient-stories

Want to be part of the launch of Healthy Wirral and help shape the future of more joined up and integrated care?

Staff are invited to the staff launch event on Wednesday 25th November, to find about more and have their say on what it really means in practice. Sessions are 9.00am -12.30pm or 1.00pm - 4.30pm.

The public launch is on Thursday 26th November, with drop-in sessions from 9.30am - 7.30pm. Come along and find out what’s on in your community, and help to shape a happier, healthier Wirral. For more information email: [email protected] or contact Anita Fletcher: 0151 643 5453.

Trust news


by Tony Griffin,E&D Manager

...what’s it got to do with me?Equality and Diversity

This issue we focus on Equality Champions - who they are, what they do, and why they are so important! We now have a dynamic group of equality champions who have put themselves forward to find out more about equality and diversity and all that it means.

The Equality Champions support and represent staff on E&D issues, and highlight E&D needs. Over the last few months the champions meetings have included various aspects of equalities training, which has always prompted lots of valuable

discussion and often led to broader conversations across wider teams.

The Equality Champions have raised and shared their own personal experiences; one colleague felt able to share how OCD had impacted on her working life and later went on to share her story in the trust magazine. This in turn raised awareness amongst other colleagues and feedback on that particular article was deeply moving as so many colleagues expressed their gratitude for raising their awareness.

Anyone can become an Equality Champion; you don’t need any experience, in fact becoming an equality champion will increase your understanding of the equalities agenda and why it is important.

What do they do?

• develop their work to encourage positive steps to eliminate prejudice and discrimination

• let the trust know when they see things that don’t feel right

Clare Mullin Exercise Physiologist Wirral Heart Support Centre

Ellie Watts Quality and Governance

Ewen Sim Medical Director

Helen Young Heart Failure Service

Helen Lundy ICCT Manager

James Armitage Community Night Nursing Service

Julie Ellison Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Julie Griffin Livewell Team

Martin Hackett Named Nurse Safeguarding - Children

Murray Freeman Non-Executive Director

Natasha Bale Health Visitor, Leasowe/Moreton team

Paula Jones District Nursing, Liscard

Phillipa Compson Business Manager, Livewell

Trudie Philpott Health Visitor, Birkenhead

• share and spread good practice

• support the trust to deliver more inclusive services and workplace environments

Could you be a champion?

The role doesn’t take a lot of time, energy or experience - there are no specific requirements to be met. Meetings are kept to a minimum (every six weeks, one hour duration) and it’s not about attendance; it is about becoming part of raising awareness and understanding issues which helps actions to be identified so that changes can take place.

If you would like to consider becoming an Equality Champion or to find out more about the E&D staff networks, please contact Tony Griffin, Equality Diversity & Human Rights Manager email: [email protected] or phone 0151 514 2888 ext1543

Equality and Diversity Champions

Recognising and responding to domestic violenceWednesday 4 November 12.30pm - 1.30pm SCHC

Men as victims of domestic abuseTuesday 10 November 12.30pm- 1.30pm SCHC

Broken Rainbow- unspoken issue of same sex domestic abuseThursday 19 November 12.30pm - 1.30pm SCHC

‘Don’t Stand By’ The role of health care providers in responding to learning disability hate crimeTuesday 24 November 12.30pm - 1.30pm SCHC

‘How to respond to Domestic Abuse’ - policy & guidance and available support servicesWednesday 2 December 1.00pm - 2.00pm Albert Lodge VCHC

International Human Rights Day - launch of WCT’s Accessible Information Standard (AIS)Thursday 10 December 11.30am - 12.30pm SCHC

Diary Dates

Trust news


Who would you like us to put questions to next time?

Email your suggestions to [email protected]


Recipe provided courtesy of the Livewell programme, healthy cookery course.

Red pepper soup

Ingredients2 -3 red peppers

800g tomatoes – fresh, tinned or a mix

1 large onion, cut into chunky slices

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp smoked paprika

Chilli to taste

Black pepper

Vegetable stock

Basil leaves – optional

Method (Serves 4)1. Preheat the oven to 200C

2. Place the peppers in the hot oven and allow to roast until the skins go black

3. Gently fry the onions in a large pan

4. Add the paprika, chilli, garlic, and balsamic vinegar, mix and allow to cook for a few minutes

5. Cover with just enough vegetable stock to stop the vegetables sticking and leave to simmer on a medium heat

6. When the peppers are ready, remove the skins and seeds, and add to the soup mix

7. Continue to cook until the tomatoes have started to break down

8. Using and electric blender pulp the vegetables to a smooth paste adding more liquid to suit

Garnish with basil and serve with bread.

Our Livewell programme supports local people and their families to lead healthier lifestyles. Whether people are looking to eat healthier, get more active, quit smoking, lose weight or de-stress, the team offers a range of support including healthy cookery courses, Tai Chi, drop-in stop smoking clinics, weight management courses, chair based exercise classes and circuit training.

Try this tasty recipe and send your photographs to [email protected] or tweet us @wirralct

Health and wellbeing tips...Missed Stoptober but still want to quit? The Livewell team are here to help all year round! Our Livewell team offer one to one or group support in a number of local venues, daytime, evening and weekend support sessions (drop-in and bookable appointments), nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) via voucher scheme, and support at workplaces. You can quit anytime and the friendly Livewell Stop Smoking Advisors can help you just by giving them a quick call on 0151 630 8383.

Here are some simple ways you can increase your chance of quitting success…• tell everyone in your house, and any visitors that your home is now smoke free

• drink ice-water when you feel the urge to smoke

• go for a walk outside to get some fresh air

• try nicotine replacement methods like patches or gum and see which one works for you

• keep yourself busy, clean the house or maybe learn a new skill

• count the money you’ve already saved by quitting smoking

• call a helpline, or talk to a non-smoker about your progress so far

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Health and wellbeing


Fun stuff for while you have your tea break.

F O D L O C Y R R W H O X L M N

W A K L O M A T E C A R A P S C

S J S N E F O R P U B I D O G D

Q V E D B A F L X S N A V J E Y

S U R I V H G M O O N E Y W R F

I V U A K D G Z M G R O R G R N

Q S T Y B D B U A C T F W A Z C

S P A G H X E G O M A T C Z I Z

V X R Y T N S A V O R S H N A L

H I E C P M T V W J P I Q E F K

A U P K S B R V Q W K D K U U Z

H J M Q Q Q V A Y I X V C L K F

G Y E T J N I W W N V V Z F J I

U Q T Y T B Y S X T G Q P N Q O

O M Q Q V G V G M E D I C I N E

C H X M Q A X B Z R Q U C J Q M

BrainTraining

PARACETAMOLWARMINFLUENZAIBUPROFENTEMPERATURECOUGHMEDICINE

WordsearchKeep well this winter

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SudokuHealth & WellbeingRecommended websitesStoptoberJoin the campaign which offers free support and content to help you quit this October and beyond.

https://stoptober.smokefree.nhs.uk/

NHS CHOICES- STOP SMOKINGFind NHS approved advice and methods to help you quit. You can also find the official NHS Stop Smoking app.

https://stoptober.smokefree.nhs.uk/

SmokefreeThe Smokefree website can offer you expert support and success stories to get you motivated.

https://quitnow.smokefree.nhs.uk

SCARFWINTERSNOWVIRUSOVERCOATPNEUMONIACOLD

It may be cold outside, but winter needn’t be the unhealthiest time of year for you and your family.

Can you find the words hidden in our winter wordsearch?


nhs.uk/staywell Lorna Cousins, Nurse

Are you prepared for winter?Keep warm, eat well, keep your medicine cabinet stocked and get your flu jab*.Don’t forget to look out for people who may need a bit of extra help over winter.

* if you are eligible