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Autumn 2019

‘I can’t believe you did all this for me’ Ryan’s leaving party More on Page 4

02 Sepsis focus

03 Spotlight on… Freedom to Speak Up

08 Countess shows Pride

Annual Members’ Meeting

Page 12

Contents

07 Home for Lunch campaign

09 Miss Redmond’s ‘Brave the Shave’

10 Haygarth Medal

World Sepsis Day Sepsis was highlighted around the Trust throughout the summer in the build-up to this year’s World Sepsis Day on 13 September.

Welcome

From youR Chief Executive I was delighted to speak at the recent Annual Members’ Meeting for the first time as Chief Executive. We discussed some of the challenges we are facing as a hospital, what we are doing to improve our CQC rating and the launch of our new clinical strategy. I told members that I want to improve outcomes for patients and deliver a transformation programme that puts safety at the centre of everything that we do. It is also important that the first-class staff at the Trust have confidence that they are operating in an open and transparent environment, so they can continue the amazing work that they do. There are inspiring stories from across the whole Trust of our people going the extra mile for patients. From the strong response to our sepsis campaign and a consultant’s ‘Brave the Shave’ for Macmillan, to the experience of Ryan Hardwick who was with us for five months that we have seen recently. This excellent work gives me great encouragement for the future that we can continue to play our role in delivering high quality health services to the people of Flintshire and West Cheshire. Susan Gilby

This life-threatening condition, which can be difficult to identify, occurs when the body has an abnormal immune response to an infection that causes organs to start failing. Speed is of the essence when treating sepsis because if it is caught early the outcomes can be positive. If left unchecked it can lead to multi-organ failure. Encouraging doctors and nurses constantly to ask themselves ‘could this be sepsis?’ can save lives, which is why Trust Sepsis Lead Consultant Dr Santokh Singh and Head of Clinical Education Sallie Kelsey launched an ambitious training initiative over the summer. They tasked themselves with training 600 members of staff on the ‘Sepsis 6’ in 60 days. The ‘Sepsis 6’, which details several actions that must be carried out within 60 minutes of a patient screening positive for sepsis, is an important list for all healthcare professionals to be able to recall under pressure. Such is the importance of this subject that a total of 1,308 members of staff took part in the training, more than doubling the initial target.

“The first step to life-saving treatment is to spot sepsis early,” Dr Singh said. “I was delighted with the reaction to our training programme over the summer. Keeping sepsis at the forefront of our minds will make a difference. Together we can beat it and save lives.”

What is the ‘Sepsis 6’? The ‘Sepsis 6’ outlines actions that clinicians need to carry out within an hour of a patient screening positive for sepsis. It can be broken down into two sections, covering three treatments given to patients with suspected sepsis and three samples to be taken for further testing: Give 3 Oxygen Fluids Antibiotics Take 3 Blood cultures Haemoglobin and Lactate Monitor urine output

Spotlight On… Helen Ellis Helen Ellis is the Trust’s dedicated Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, acting as an advocate for staff to raise concerns and discuss any issues confidentially and independently. Although Helen is employed by the Trust she is also part of the National Guardian’s Office, which gives her an opportunity to learn and share best practice from other organisations. Welcome to the Trust as our new Freedom to Speak Up Guardian. How have you settled in so far? I’ve been here since May and the time has flown. With this being a new full-time role in the Trust I’ve had to lay the foundations for how it will work, writing new policies and understanding how it best fits into the organisation. I’m also new to the Trust so I have been raising my profile, getting out there and meeting as many people as possible. It’s important that staff know who I am and that I’m here to listen and help in any way I can. What was your background before joining The Countess? I’ve got a clinical background. I was a nurse and then trained as a midwife in Chester in the early 1980s. I stayed here for 12 years before moving to North Wales, where I worked as a health visitor before going into community project management. I was there for 24 years, latterly as the Head of Safeguarding Adults and Children, before leaving earlier this year. How would you describe your role? Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) is about

encouraging colleagues to voice concerns they have around patient safety and staff experience. Nobody understands the hospital better than our teams on the frontline and we’ve all got a duty to flag up anything we think needs to be better. We have to learn from mistakes and identify processes that need to change. The main focus of this work is rightly around improving conditions for our patients, but it is also important to look at the hospital as a working environment for staff.

the Chief Executive Susan Gilby has an open-door policy with me. How does your work tie into the National Guardian’s Office? The National Guardian’s Office was set up to provide support if FTSU Guardians like myself ever have concerns about their organisation and feel things aren’t happening as they should after being escalated. The network of guardians in similar organisations also gives us an opportunity to network and share best practice between us, which is something I’m very keen to start doing.

“It’s important that staff know who I am and that I’m here to listen and help in any way I can.”

What do you want staff to understand most about your role? I just want people to know that they can come and talk things over with me if anything is bothering them. I’m flexible in the hours I can work and I am happy to be around for evenings, weekends and nights if necessary when someone wants to speak to me. I can be there to provide support and protect people and

How do you relax outside of work? I’ve got two children that are grown up now and I recently became a grandmother. I’ve got two cocker spaniels, Florence and Hector, so I do lots of walking. My dogs are my FTSU Guardians because when I’m walking them I’m always getting everything off my chest that’s bothering me.

Ryan’s fond farewell on Ward 44 Walking around a hospital might not sound like fun to most people, but for Ryan Hardwick his strolls with Ward Manager Clare Woods were always a highlight of his week. Their chats would revolve around ITV’s Love Island – like most 20-year-olds he spent the summer hooked by the reality TV phenomenon – and it was always a welcome break from the ward. This walk felt different though. This would be a farewell tour because after five months in hospital he was finally going home. As he followed Clare down the corridor to begin his swansong – she suddenly paused: “Ryan, wait here for a second while I pass this note to the doctors,” she mumbled, opening the door to the waiting room… “SURPRISE!”

“I want everyone who cared for me to know I appreciated all they did for me. I just can’t believe they did all that work, just for me.”

Once Ryan got over the shock, he looked up to see almost every nurse, doctor, therapist, healthcare assistant, porter and domestic assistant that had ever played a role in looking after him during his long

stretch in hospital. They had thrown him a leaving party. Feeling overwhelmed, he hugged his mum and then embraced Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon Mrs Jennie Grainger.

“I’d never had a surprise party or anything like that before, so it really meant a great deal to me,” Ryan said. “It’s unreal that everybody came out to see me. They were all saying, ‘well done Ryan’, and I’m the one who’s been sat in a hospital bed for months. They are the ones saving lives.” Ryan had been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease three years earlier. Although initially his condition was managed by medication alone, over time this became less effective and his symptoms became more severe. From September 2018 to early 2019 Ryan had periods of being in and out of hospital. With his weight falling he would take steroids and be on a liquid diet, but as soon as he tried to reintroduce solid foods, he just couldn’t do it without vomiting. It soon became clear that to be fit enough to undergo surgery he needed to stay in hospital and have support with his feeding which involved feed through a drip to build up his strength. When Ryan was eventually able to have his operation, he woke up afterwards to discover that the obstruction in his bowel was so severe that the surgeons were unable to join his bowel back together and he was left with a stoma. At this point there were plans to send Ryan home and bring him back for another procedure to reverse the stoma, but that changed when everything he was digesting started passing through his system at a rapid rate. He also developed a series of infections that kept him in hospital longer. “In the end they told me there was no point in me going home because I’d only be back again in a few days with dehydration,” Ryan said. “So I stayed on the ward until I was able to go back into surgery for my stoma reversal, which was tough but made much easier by the people on the ward who were looking after me.” What surprised Mrs Grainger, Clare and the

“It’s the least I could do – they saved my life,” Ryan said. “In my card to Mrs Grainger I said this piece of paper is not enough, but I want everyone who cared for me to know I appreciated all they did for me. I just can’t believe they did all that work, just for me.” Ryan is still a regular walker through the hospital from time to time. And he always makes sure to stop by ward 44 to visit Clare and the team.

After leaving hospital Ryan was able to go to a music festival with his friends rest of the team on Ward 44, was how Ryan just kept going. He tackled each day with determination and what soon became a trademark sense of humour – even creating a website for his father’s business from his hospital bed. Clare said: “We’re a huge family at The Countess and everybody knows each other, so we just involved Ryan in what we do every day. He became part of the team really, keeping us informed of the latest TV gossip and his personality really shone through. He was really popular with everyone.” In early August Ryan was able to have the stoma reversal and within a few days there was an extra spring in his step as he zipped around the ward, waiting for the all clear to go home after more than 150 days in hospital. Mrs Grainger and the team were delighted to be in a position to finally give him what he’d wanted for so long. Before they did, however, they chose to do something special for him. “I wanted to throw him a leaving party to say, ‘you’ve done this and this is a remarkable thing to have gone through’, especially for somebody so young,” Mrs Grainger said. “I’m really pleased that we’ve achieved a great outcome for Ryan and he’s been able to go back to doing things that he should be doing as a young man.” Although the celebration caught Ryan off guard, it conveniently gave him a chance to hand out some cards and presents that he had prepared, even though he feels he could never find the right way to say thank you.

Ryan and Mrs Grainger at the leaving party

About Crohn’s Disease Crohn’s Disease is a condition that causes inflammation of the digestive system or gut. Crohn’s can affect any part of the gut and is a chronic condition, which means it is ongoing and life-long, although people may have periods of good health (remission), as well as times when symptoms are more active (relapses or flare-ups). Symptoms for Crohn’s Disease include diarrhoea, stomach aches and cramps, blood in poo, tiredness and weight loss. At present there is no cure for Crohn’s but drugs and sometimes surgery, can give long periods of relief from symptoms. It can affect people of all ages. The symptoms can start at any age but usually appear for the first time between the age of 10 and 40, with another peak in the number of people diagnosed over the age of 60. New cases are being diagnosed more often, especially amongst teenagers and children. It appears to be more common in women than men, and more common in smokers. It can be diagnosed using blood and stool tests, with endoscopy ( camera test of the bowel) and MRI scans being the mainstay of diagnosis. For further information regarding Crohn’s or Inflammatory bowel disease, see www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk

GOVERNOR’S VIEW: HEMS DE WINTER

Turnaround team members Angela Finlay and Stephen Statham.

Bed Turnaround team Governor Hems de Winter spent time with our Bed Turnaround and Facilities teams to find out more about what they do and how much of a difference their work makes to patients.

It’s all thanks to the Trust’s Co-ordination Centre Programme. More than 4,000 sensors have been installed throughout the hospital site to create a real‐time digital map of the entire hospital.

Massive improvements in efficiency, enhanced patient experience and more effective care are among the benefits following the introduction of the Bed Turnaround team.

Tagged equipment can be swiftly located. In addition, data from badges and electronic wristbands worn by staff and patients is sent to a Co-ordination Centre, which acts like an air traffic control room, where decisions can be made in patients’ best interests.

Introduced in 2017, the team is responsible for more than halving the amount of time beds are left empty following patient discharge from 4 hours 20 minutes, to 2 hour 9 minutes. And if that wasn’t enough, the team is striving to achieve a turnaround time of 1 hour 45 minutes. With the Bed Turnaround team taking on the duties previously carried out by ward staff, it means that around 188 hours of nursing time have been restored – a significant improvement in patient care. The team is currently preparing 330 beds a week and this is expected to increase later this year.

The centre is automatically informed when a patient is discharged and immediately alerts the Bed Turnaround team which has members permanently based in AMU. One or two members attend. Everything within the patient space is thoroughly cleaned. Beds and mattresses are steam cleaned, and floors, windows and sills cleaned and disinfected following an established procedure backed by monthly audits and quality controls. The team is directly managed by Facilities. “There’s no doubt that this is shaping up

to be a fantastic initiative,” said Facilities Manager, Linda Cunningham. ”It is already significantly reducing the amount of time patients are having to wait for a bed. That means less distress and frustration for patients and their families. The fact that we are now able to free up so much more nursing time is another massive bonus.” Linda continued: “There’s another great benefit: this new approach to cleaning and the techniques we use are so thorough that whole ward closures are almost a thing of the past.” Sam Tompkins, Assistant Facilities Manager added: “We’re all proud of being part of something that adds real value to the patient experience and their well-being by improving bed management and giving staff more time to care for patients. “With some fine tuning and further recruitment, the team will prove itself a massive force for good within The Countess.”

Home for Lunch campaign launches for winter Countess of Chester Hospital staff are urging people to support a ‘Home for Lunch’ campaign this winter that aims to reduce the time patients spend waiting on wards to go home.

going home during winter if they are leaving us at around 3-4pm when it starts to get darker. Ideally, I would want them to be going home earlier in clear daylight and when pharmacies and shops are still open.

“Our teams will be doing all they can to speed up our processes as part of Home for Lunch.”

Healthcare teams at The Countess and in the community will be doing all they can to get patients ready for discharge more quickly, knowing that doing so is beneficial for both patients that are going home and for those waiting in A&E.

Families and carers can also have a huge part to play in getting their loved ones ready to return to their own home environments. Consultant Endocrinologist Dr Frank Joseph said: “Every hour people spend in hospital when they don’t need to be here is time they could instead be comfortable at home, which is the best thing for a patient’s ongoing recovery. “When there are delays it also means there are patients left waiting in A&E as the system slows down and this is a particular problem during the busy winter months. It is also less ideal for patients

“Our teams will be doing all they can to speed up our processes as part of ‘Home for Lunch’ but we need patients, their families and carers to help.” Ways to help when someone is ready to leave hospital: •D o everything you can to be available at the planned time of discharge from hospital •M ake arrangements for transport and bring extra clothes for travelling home in • I f you have access to the patient’s home put things in place to get ready for their return: stock up on food, clean, put the heating on etc • P rovide additional support if required for a short time, helping with any medications they might need

Nailfold capillaroscopy service launches A new nailfold capillaroscopy imaging service has launched at The Countess to enable the earlier identification of patients with a rare life-long condition. Rheumatology Consultant Dr Theresa Barnes, who is also the Trust’s lead for research and innovation, identified the need for a reliable and sustainable way to better diagnose and rule out systemic sclerosis, which can cause skin thickening, problems with blood supply to the fingers and toes, gastrointestinal problems as well as affecting internal organs. For some patients this variable condition can remain benign but for others it can lead to severe disability and even premature death. There is currently no curative treatment for systemic sclerosis, which is caused by the immune system attacking tissue under the skin and around internal organs, with the main focus for specialists like Dr Barnes being symptom relief for their patients. Studies are underway to try to find effective treatments for the disease, this necessitates identifying patients at an early stage before damage is done. This is why Dr Barnes was keen to work with Head of Medical Illustration Richard Cooke to introduce capillaroscopy imaging and give her patients a head start. This non-invasive imaging technique magnifies the fine blood vessels under the nail bed on a patient’s finger, highlighting any anomalies to Dr Barnes and her colleagues for further investigation. “This has taken a long time to develop this service but we are already seeing the benefits for our patients,” Dr Barnes said. “I was delighted that the Medical Photography team were so keen to get involved and help drive capillaroscopy forward as a sustainable diagnostic tool. Spotting systemic sclerosis earlier, and equally ruling it out, can make a huge difference to the treatment options and quality of life for our patients.” Dr Barnes and her team are currently taking part in the long-term STRIKE research study, led by The University of Leeds, which is looking to improve the understanding, screening and treatments for scleroderma. At the time of writing The Countess is the third highest recruiter of patients to this study in the UK.

Trust shows Pride There was an excellent turnout for the Chester Pride parade march this year as NHS staff members and their families turned out to show their support for our local LGBTQ+ community. The Trust was proud to be marching for the sixth year running in partnership with our Countess Macmillan team and other trusts including CWP, and Wirral University Teaching Hospital. As always it was a fantastic event, full of colour, singing and dancing. The streets were also lined with many Countess staff dressed up to welcome the parade as it went past. For the first time The Countess held a stall in the Health and Wellbeing Tent, kitted out with a fantastic tablecloth designed by year 10 work experience students earlier this year, on the theme ‘what does equality really mean to me?’. Chatting to people from the local community presented the opportunity to talk to the public about hospital membership and promote a wide range of information about careers here at the Countess. Equality and Diversity Manager, Sophie Hunter said “Chester Pride is a time to come together in celebration, acknowledge how far LGBTQ+ rights have come and remind ourselves that all over the world there are people still facing persecution and discrimination, and that there remains lots of work to do. “It was great to be part of the day. It’s so important that the NHS makes a public stand against discrimination, promotes equality, and lets our LGBTQ+ community know that we support them both as a health provider, and future employer. We want to let the LGBTQ+ community know that the Countess of Chester is a safe place where they will be treated as individuals and always with respect and consideration.”

Children’s unit becomes first LGBTQ+ ward Our Children’s Unit recently became our first LGBTQ+ ward to support children and young people with their feelings by being open and celebrating diversity. Paediatric Nursing Assistant, Mike said: “We really wanted to create a bright, welcoming environment in which children can feel comfortable within themselves and get the support they need to allow them to open if they want to.”

Retiring surgeon’s close shave for cancer charity Breast and Paediatric Consultant Surgeon Miss Elizabeth Redmond has shaved her head in support of the many patients she has treated over her 35year NHS career.

being the current Ursula Keyes Breast Care Centre, located near Outpatients 4, opening in 2003 after a huge Countess Charity fundraising campaign. She has also played a key role in developing and growing the team around her and says that is something she is most proud of as she steps away to enjoy her retirement.

Miss Redmond, who started at The Countess as a General Surgeon in 1998, decided to mark her final day as a consultant by taking part in Macmillan Cancer Support’s ‘Brave the Shave’ campaign.

“We have a high-quality breast care service with a really good team ethos,” she said. “When I look back over my time here that is what I’m most proud of because I know I’m leaving our patients and the service in very good hands.”

Reflecting on the many patients she has treated over the years, she wanted to do something to show support for them and raise money for a good cause at the same time.

At the time of writing Miss Redmond has raised more than £1,000 as part of her ‘Brave the Shave’ pledge, but she is not surprised by the levels of generosity shown by her colleagues.

“Simply shaving your head doesn’t come close to understanding what our cancer patients go through, but when I saw this campaign I wanted to do it as a statement of solidarity,” Miss Redmond said. “Macmillan do a lot for cancer services, providing funding, support and advice that helps us offer more seamless care to our patients. This is my opportunity to give a little something back to them.”

Miss Redmond, who first spent time as a junior doctor at The Countess before later returning as a consultant, has seen huge changes to the breast care team during her career at the Trust. The most significant

“I’m really grateful for the support I’ve had from people in the hospital both for this challenge and throughout my career. I’d like to thank everyone I’ve worked with who has helped to make it such a nice environment to come into every day.”

‘Crisp Lady’ recycles for Chester Zoo Theatres Practitioner Christine Hunter has been nicknamed ‘Chrissy the Crisp Lady’ after launching a crisp packet recycling campaign for Chester Zoo.

crisp packets for recycling. During the process they are cleaned, broken down and recycled into new items. In return the zoo gets additional funding for research and conservation projects.

Christine was challenged by daughter Deborah to get involved in the zoo’s initiative in March and she has since delivered over 15,000 empty packets – courtesy of Countess colleagues and friends of friends as word has spread.

Christine and Deborah, who are both members at the zoo, found out about the campaign and wanted to give something back.

“It started off small but it just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Christine said. “At first it was a box in our staff room, then it was the Staff Restaurant and now a friend’s sister’s office in Shropshire is collecting all their empty packets and delivering them to me.” Chester Zoo teamed up with specialist recycling company Terracycle earlier this year to encourage members of the public to hand in their empty

“We are so lucky to have something as fantastic as Chester Zoo on our doorstep and I just wanted to get involved,” said Christine, who has worked for the NHS in Chester for 38 years. “What I don’t want to do is encourage anyone to eat more crisps, but if you’re going to have them anyway then we should do everything we can to recycle the empty packets – there are also healthier options available that are just as recyclable in this campaign.”

FRIENDS AND FAMILY FEEDBACK

WARD 53 “I was looked after so well. Your staff are totally amazing.”

CARDIOVASCULAR “The consultant was professional and very caring, explaining everything to me simply and thoroughly.”

WARD 41 “Both the healthcare assistants and nurses were very caring and made my stay less stressful.”

Haygarth Medal Trauma Nurse Specialist Christine Jones won our prestigious Haygarth Medal for Nurse of the Year, which is sponsored by the RCN Cheshire West branch. Christine, who retired at the end of July, said: “This has knocked the wind out of my sails. People are so kind and it’s been a pleasure working here, I can’t thank everybody enough, it really means so much.”

Tour of Britain rides past hospital The 2019 OVO Energy Tour of Britain whizzed past The Countess on 11 September as members of staff, patients and other members of the public lined up on Liverpool Road and Countess Way to witness the spectacle.

Diamond Anniversary party Recently one of our patients on Ward 41, who was also under the care of the Palliative Care team, was set to celebrate her Diamond Wedding Anniversary. Although she wasn’t able to go home staff decided to host a small party for the family. The joined the teams for cake and celebrations in Memory Lane, where everyone saw the card the couple had received from the Queen marking the occasion. Jo Dodd, Ward manager, said: “It was so lovely to put on this little event to support both our patient and her family to celebrate their 60 years of marriage. Without the hard work of everyone across both the ward and palliative care teams this wouldn’t have happened.”

Foundation Docs Awards Ward 49 trek Snowdon Congratulations to our team on ward 49 for trekking up Snowdon to raise funds for new equipment. The team is planning to walk/trek 49 miles in total to raise funds to buy a new ECG machine. This started with September’s trek and further walks are already being planned. Search the JustGiving website for “Fortyniners49miles” if you would like to support them.

Our annual Foundation Doctor Awards which took place in July are an opportunity to reflect and celebrate the contributions our foundation doctors make in the care of our patients every day. Award winners were: F1 of the year... Dr Hannah Sainsbury Senior iTeach... Dr Ravi Jayaram Junior iTeach... Dr Ashley Holt Player’s Player... Dr Verity Brooker Lifetime Achievement… Dr Eileen Fantom

Ellesmere Port arts and crafts Throughout the summer months our team at Ellesmere Port Hospital worked with Age UK to offer our patients a mixture of activities and workshops in order to support their treatment and recovery at the hospital. The sessions include painting, chalking or making postcards all designed to help improve fine motor skills, social skills and general health and wellbeing. Zara Cole, Therapy Assistant, said: “We put on these sessions to encourage our patients to engage in some physical and social therapy, that are fun and thereby enhance their stay on Bluebell Ward. It’s great to see the positive impact these sessions have on our patients as they reminisce with each other.”

Vital Signs Machine Appeal update The Mayor of Chester with the owners of the fastest duck from Power Solutions

The Mayor of Chester with Archer’s Brook Primary School who had the fastest community duck

2019 Chester Duck Race

The hospital is updating its electronic patient record system, which is used by clinical staff to manage patient care. The Countess Charity is supporting this by fundraising for new digital vital signs machines. These take vital blood pressure and temperature readings alerting clinicians to key changes to patients such as early signs of sepsis. Observations, notes and records input and stored digitally in one place will give clinical staff immediate access to up to date information when treating patients across the hospital. This key clinical information will transform the way care is delivered and increased responsiveness and effective decision – making releases more time for patient care. Each machine costs £2500. We have a target of buying 85 machines – to date we have raised enough money to purchase 30. Please contact the office on 01244 364505 for more information or to get involved.

The most beautiful day down by the river brought the biggest crowds ever down to the banks to cheer on our ducks. A fantastic £24,000 was raised to purchase Vital Signs Machines for The Countess and Ellesmere Port Hospital.

The Winners The Most Popular on Facebook - Costco Fastest Corporate Duck- Sponsored by Bar Lounge and Upstairs at the Grill – Power Solutions winning a team building day The Success Factory Fastest Community Duck – Sponsored by Allington Hughes Law – Archer’s Brook Primary School

Trees of Life

Celebrity Lookalike – Puddleducks for Buzz Lightyear Best Dressed- Living Floors Lesley Woodhead, Head of Fundraising, said: “We start out with a shed full of ducks waiting to be adopted and end up with a great family event enjoyed by so many and raising such a great amount. The creativity of the duck decorators is fantastic – thank you to all the companies that got involved.

“A huge thank you to our sponsors -Hickory’s, Bar Lounge, Upstairs at the Grill, Allington Hughes Law ,The Success Factory, and Puddle Ducks. “We would also like to thank Dee Radio, CWAC and Big Storage for all their support.”

Countess Charity is 25 next year 2020 is the 25th Anniversary of the charity being formed at The Countess and we look forward to making this race even bigger!

We would love to hear from anyone who would like to choose us as their Charity of the Year in our special year. Call Nikki Stubbs on 01244 364341 for more information.

Each year we light up trees at The Countess and Ellesmere Port Hospitals in celebration of loved ones. You can light a light for someone even if you do not wish to attend the service. The short services feature readings and poems to give comfort and will be held at The Countess is on Friday 6th December and at Ellesmere Port on Monday 9th December. A special card saying who the light is shining for is sent to each donor and we produce a programme featuring the names of all those lights are lit for. Last year’s donations funded improvements to the Spiritual Care Centre which is a quiet space used by all faiths and also people of no faith. In our ever busy hospital this space provides peace and calm.

GOVERNORS’ NEWS

Annual Members’ Meeting Chief Executive Dr Susan Gilby addressed the Trust’s Annual Members’ Meeting for the first time, telling those in attendance that staff at The Countess are “first class”.

Governor Russell Jackson meets Matron Stephen Worrall

A marketplace event showcased some of the work being undertaken across the hospital, giving visitors a chance to see this first hand, before Dr Gilby spoke at the start of the meeting. In her first presentation since being appointed, Dr Gilby set out her plans to improve outcomes for patients and deliver a transformation programme that puts patient safety at the centre of everything the Trust does, while also acknowledging some of the difficulties faced by the Trust in the past year, such as new financial constraints and the CQC’s findings. “We had a challenging visit from the CQC, which I welcome,” she said. “It was an opportunity for an independent review of where we are as a Trust.” With transformation work ongoing at the hospital, including the introduction of a new Electronic Patient Record next year, Dr Gilby pointed to exciting improvements on the horizon and said the Annual Members’ Meeting in 2020 will see the Trust’s Board presenting a new corporate strategy. Dr Gilby ended her talk by discussing why she still fully embraces the opportunity to lead The Countess. “What I see when I walk around is outstanding care in very challenging circumstances,” she said. “The people in this organisation are first class. Everybody from ward to board is doing everything they can to deliver high quality care for our patients.”

Attendees were able to learn more about the Countess Charity’s Vital Signs Machines appeal

Governors’ election update Two new representatives have been elected to the Council of Governors following the most recent ballot. Anita Eccleston joins as the Staff Governor for the Allied Health Professionals and Technical class and Mike Morris is a new Public Governor for the Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency. Having worked at the Trust for over 15 years, Anita has a keen focus on not only improving the services provided at The Countess for the local community, but for staff as well.

Mike is a passionate believer in the NHS who was keen to get involved at his local hospital and help to maintain and hopefully improve it by becoming an effective spokesperson for those who rely on it. Other results in the election saw Russell Jackson and Ruth Overington both re-appointed as Public Governors for the Flintshire constituency, while Karen Newbury has been re-appointed as Public Governor for Chester City and Rural Cheshire. Also returning is Peter Folwell who continues as Public Governor for

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust endorse any of the products or services.

Ellesmere Port and Neston. There was also confirmation of new Paternership Governor representatives, with Cllr Steve Collings for Cheshire West and Chester Council and Alan Whittle for West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group. Chairman Sir Duncan Nichol, who announced these results at the Annual Members’ Meeting, said: “My thanks are extended to the Governors for their ongoing work and commitment during the year and to the Governors who are leaving us this year.”

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