December 2020
InTouch
New hospital update Hospital marks the festive season Tottenham Hotspur team treat children’s ward to virtual festive surprise
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Welcome to In Touch magazine
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New hospital update A place that looks after you
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Our restaurant over Christmas
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It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas Seasons greetings to all of our PAHT people
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Tottenham Hotspur team treat children’s ward to virtual festive surprise Supporting our charity
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#PAHTPeople
Foreword
Hello Welcome to In Touch magazine – your insight into the latest news and updates from across PAHT. In this special edition, you can read about how we are marking the festive season at PAHT. This includes seasonal messages from me and the executive team to you – thank you to you all for your hard work and dedication during this year of unprecedented change and demand. There is also an opportunity to find out more about The Princess Alexandra Hospital’s Charity and an exciting virtual visit from a Premier League football team to bring a smile to our young patients’ faces. Additionally, this magazine features the latest update on the programme to build a new hospital that is fit for the future.
If you would like to share your news with colleagues and to see your team featured in In Touch magazine, please let the communications team know via paht.communications@ nhs.net.
On behalf of us all at PAHT, I am extremely proud of the commitment you have shown to patient care – or supporting those who deliver patient care - over the last year. A heartfelt thank you to you all and I send my best wishes to you, your families and friends for the festive season. I hope you enjoy the read. Best wishes Lance McCarthy Chief executive
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A place that looks after you Our patients are at the heart of everything we do, but to deliver outstanding care we need to nurture a healthy and motivated workforce. Our new hospital should be a place that looks after everyone, including our people. A place that is designed to support your physical and emotional wellbeing and make you feel cared for, whilst you’re busy delivering vital care to patients. Developing the design brief Earlier this year we started to gather your thoughts on how the hospital should work for you, together with your ideas on how it should support patients and visitors. Working with Wild Courage, a public engagement company, we held several small focus groups with a wide range of staff. At the focus groups, you said you wanted the new hospital to: promote calmness and relaxation be bright and airy, warm and welcoming make you feel inspired as soon as you arrive
One member of staff described the design of the new hospital as ‘a leap of the imagination towards a place of enablement, a place where unusual, fantastic and amazing things are possible.’
conversation, others space for quiet reflection.
Getting around the new hospital That’s a challenge we’re planning easily is also a high priority for you. Clear wayfinding throughout to rise to. Your ideas, alongside the building can help to reduce those of patients, carers and stress and help patients arrive at visitors, have helped determine the vision for the new hospital and their destination in a calmer state. have already fed into our Design All of this, we’re taking on board. Brief. Following the publication of the Design Brief our architects and design team have been holding further detailed workshops with staff groups to flesh out how to turn your ideas and needs into reality. Continuing the conversation Since the Wild Courage research Nicola Ainsworth, public health registrar, has spoken to over 200 of you across admin, therapies, junior doctors, clinical coding and many more. Across all staff groups you’ve raised the importance of having break and rest spaces - internally and externally. Some of you want space for social interaction and
Sharing the designs We’re really excited to be able to start sharing initial design drawings with you in early 2021, and will continue to seek your feedback as we further shape the design and function of the new hospital building. Michael Meredith, director of strategy and estates and facilities, said: Thank you all so much for taking the time to share your ideas, especially during this busy and stressful period. Your ideas have been instrumental in shaping how we design rest and wellbeing spaces in the new hospital. With your help, we’ll get this right first time. Keep feeding in, keeping having your say and together, we’ll build an amazing hospital for us all. Thank you for all your ideas and your positivity so far. Your views really matter! If you have any more thoughts or ideas at any time, we would love to hear from you. Join in, have your say: contact paht.newhospital@nhs.net.
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Our restaurant over Christmas Take a look at these fascinating facts about the Alexandra restaurant during the festive period
Our fantastic catering team work hard all year round to serve delicious meals for our patients and people, and even more so at Christmas time. Take a look at the fascinating facts below about the Alexandra restaurant during the festive period: The menu this year has been selected by the catering team – our patients can expect to receive the following meals: Breakfast: Fresh orange juice Croissants and pain au raisin
and brussel sprouts, parsley sauce Mushroom and leek pie, roast potatoes, apple and red cabbage, carrots, parsnip and brussel sprouts, vegetarian gravy Christmas pudding with brandy sauce Satsuma
Afternoon: Mince pies Dinner: Orange juice Leek and potato soup Smoked salmon, new potatoes, crème fraiche and chive salad Cheese and onion quiche, new potatoes, crème fraiche and chive salad Cherry trifle and dark chocolate Stilton, chutney, grapes and cheese biscuits
Lunch: Cloudy apple juice Melon balls and mint Roast turkey, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, apple red cabbage, carrots, parsnip and brussel sprouts, turkey Andreas Wingert, from our gravy, cranberry sauce catering team at PAHT, said: Scottish salmon steak, roast potatoes, apple red Our team start carefully cabbage, carrots, parsnip
planning the festive menus at the beginning of November. This helps to ensure that orders can be placed early to have a good supply throughout the festive season. The menus are decided by looking at current food trends and of course, meeting the favourite Christmas menu classics that everyone likes. We get the exact number of orders for patients and staff a few days prior to Christmas and then prepare the meals accordingly. To meet the festive meals demand, we have our fantastic chefs in the kitchen from 6am and they work together to ensure that the patient and restaurant dishes are ready in time. Some items will be cooked a day in advance, then portioned and reheated just in time. We hope that everybody enjoys the festive meals and has a wonderful Christmas.
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It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Seasons greetings to all of our PAHT people As the festive season approaches, we thank you for all of your hard work and dedication this year. Our executive team, colleagues from across the hospital, and some of our community, have sent special messages to all of our #PAHTPeople via our social media channels. Some of the messages are included below. You can watch them all on Twitter @NHSHarlow or Facebook at ‘The Princess Alexandra Hospital’ over the coming days.
each other over the course of the last year. If you’re celebrating Christmas and you’ve got some time off over the festive period, then have a fantastic, well-deserved break. If you’re working over the period then thank you so much for putting all of our patients first. A huge thank you to all of you, all of our patients, to the community, to everybody who has supported us over 2020 which has for sure been a very unique, different and challenging year. Have a fantastic Christmas and a Happy New Year – thank you all.
You will see a number of wonderful Christmas trees across PAHT this month. A big thank you goes to contractor, Castons, for their kind donation. Pictured is the Christmas tree at Kao Park. We hope the trees bring some joy and festive cheer to our patients and staff.
Ogechi Emeadi, director of people, organisational Lance McCarthy, chief development and executive communications I wanted to take this A big thank you for all you’ve opportunity to say a huge thank done. I’ve been in total awe about you to all of you for your hard all of the contributions everybody work and commitment to our has made, but a big particular patients over the last year. It is thank you for those people a year that has certainly been behind the scenes, staff health challenging and a year that everybody has had to adapt really and wellbeing, the recruitment significantly to respond effectively team, training and education, the communications team, you’ve all to the COVID-19 pandemic. been fantastic. Seasons greetings and a Happy New Year, and for I’ve been in absolute awe of the amount of change and speed those working over the festive of change that everyone has dealt period, a big thank you. with to keep our patients safe and the absolutely amazing support many of you have provided to 5
Stephanie Lawton, chief operating officer It’s that time of year again, and I’d just like to say a massive thank you to everybody, what a year it’s been this year. 2020 will certainly go down in history as one to remember. A big thank you from me for everybody that has worked exceptionally hard this year in extremely difficult circumstances. The care, the compassion, the kindness, the looking out for each other has been truly remarkable. I’m really humbled to work with you, everything that I see on a daily basis amazes me. A big thank you to everybody who is going to be working over the Christmas and New Year periods, thank you. Thank you for spending time with your patients, thank you for everything that you do. I’d like to say thank you to the operational teams, the site team, the discharge planning teams, the associate medical directors, the nurses, the midwives, everybody who works in the organisation. I hope next year brings happiness and peace for everybody. I wish you a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year – thank you.
Sharon McNally, director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals “Firstly, I’d like to say a true heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you, everyone working in this organisation for the amazing work that you have delivered throughout this year to our patients, our staff and to each other. You deserve a huge round of applause and I am sincerely grateful, thank you. As we head into the Christmas period, I’d just like to say, each and every one of you, I hope you get rest and joy, whatever you are doing this Christmas, Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year to you. Thank you.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone in the team, everyone that’s been involved in delivering care right across the trust. You’ve really had to pull out all the stops and I really, really appreciate it. Thank you so much for your hard work. I’d particularly like to say a big thank you to the estates team, they’ve done a huge job and they’ve really transformed the site. I’d also like to say a massive thank you to our facilities team, caterers, domestics, porters, you’ve really gone above and beyond and I really appreciate it, the trust appreciates it and I know our patients really appreciate it. Yes, 2020 has been hard, but let’s look forward to the future, we’ve got some amazing opportunities ahead of us. My team are working with you to develop the clinical strategy and PAHT 2030. That will really take us into the future as we drive towards the new hospital. We’re working really hard to ensure we have an amazing new hospital and I hope you’ll all get involved in the new year and be part of this amazing journey with me and the rest of the PAHT team – thank you. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
Michael Meredith, director of strategy and estates Wow, what a year 2020 has been. We’ve all had to work above and beyond in order to deliver outstanding patient care.
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Simon Covill, acting chief finance officer Very best Christmas wishes to all of you and thank you. It’s been a challenging, tiring, emotional year for us all that has tested all our skills and I really wanted to thank you for that. Thank you for your dedication, compassion, your care in keeping our patients safe with all that we’ve been coping with and for playing a part, however big or little. In everything you’ve done, you should be very proud of your achievements and everything you’ve achieved in the organisation and coping with this pesky virus. I also want to thank your families, the hidden army, the support networks that we have. Thank you to everyone who will be working over Christmas. It’s really important that everyone gets some down time and gets to recharge as much as they can. Finally, I want to personally thank my team for all their achievements, the finance, ICT and information teams that have supported us through this difficult time with some fantastic achievements, keeping us safe and under grip and control. I really do appreciate that.
Jim Mcleish, director of quality improvement We’re at this time of year where we take an opportunity to reflect back on the year that’s coming to an end. What a year it’s been – we can definitely use the ‘U’ word – unprecedented. Never before has the NHS or indeed our hospital seen such levels of demand and acuity of patients coming to hospital requiring our care and attention. I have been absolutely amazed by how all of you have responded, your ability to deal with this pandemic in the most amazing way, ensuring all of our patients receive the absolute best possible care in what are unprecedented times. You all approached the delivery of this care in the most compassionate and kind way and went above and beyond your everyday roles to make sure that PAHT did an absolutely amazing job at looking after our local population.
team in the quality first and improvement world but also my teams across the community. Our community colleagues, including those in the CCG and transformation team, worked tirelessly to support patients in the community and also patients we needed to discharge from the hospital into the community. It has been an amazing team effort across the NHS and our local economy. I’d also like to say a particular thank you to all of you who are working across the Christmas and New Year period. I hope you’re able to get some welldeserved downtime to spend with your family and friends over the festive period. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I want to say a particular thank you to each and every one of you, regardless of where you work in the organisation, you all committed to making sure we put our best foot forward and Wishing the very best and a delivered the absolute best, so Merry Christmas to you all. Please well done and thank you. get some rest and thank you for everything that you are doing. I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank my own 7
Tottenham Hotspur team treat children’s ward to virtual festive surprise Players from Tottenham Hotspur Football Club treated the children’s ward at The Princess Alexandra Hospital to a virtual festive surprise on Tuesday, 8 December. Dele Alli, Sergio Reguilon and Japhet Tanganga held a video call with Dolphin Ward to bring a smile to their faces this festive season. bringing some festive spirit to our This is in addition to kindly children’s ward. donating gifts to the children’s ward. Supporting our charity The Princess Alexandra Hospital’s Children, their families and staff Charity supports patients, our had the chance to meet the people and visitors at The players virtually and enjoy some Princess Alexandra Hospital, St Christmas cheer. Margaret’s Hospital and Herts and Essex Hospital, helping to fund Japhet Tanganga, a defender items over and above what the for the club, said: NHS can provide. Here are five I think as role models it’s easy ways you can support the very nice for children in hospitals charity: to see us in their time of need, especially when they’re not in the 1. comfort of their home, they might Keep the charity’s contact be scared or worried. details to hand, should a patient or their family ask how to make a donation to The We’ve surprised them with some gifts and hopefully they can Princess Alexandra Hospital’s Charity. Donations can be made be happier in the situation that by cash, cheque and online at they’re in and they can go home JustGiving. Our website address and spend Christmas together is www.pah.nhs.uk/charity with their families. and our email address is paht. fundraising@nhs.net for any other Janelle Gardner, head of children’s services and nursing, queries. said: 2. It was wonderful for children Keep the charity in mind and our team to have the when talking to your friends opportunity to virtually meet the and family. Is your best friend’s Tottenham Hotspur players. company looking for their new charity of the year? Is your child’s We are so grateful to the school looking for a charity to club for thinking of us and
support? Are you a member of a rotary club? Our new head of fundraising, Mari-Louise White, is always keen to hear of any opportunities to work with the local community. 3. When shopping online, click through the cashback site The Giving Machine, and a percentage of your spend at various retailers is donated to the charity at no extra cost to you. 4. Do you shop in Waitrose? Nominate the charity for the Community Matters scheme, where Waitrose give a share of £1000 each month to good causes. The nomination form is available near the green token box and is very short, taking only a minute or two to complete. 5. If you’re on social media, please follow our pages on Facebook (The Princess Alexandra Hospital’s Charity) and Twitter (@PAHCharity) and share our posts. This will help us to spread the word about what the charity is funding and the ways that people can support the hospital. 8
#PAHTPeople Managers’ induction programme – book now Our managers’ induction programme offers a supportive on boarding experience for colleagues who have supervisory or managerial responsibilities within their role. The programme is also open to existing staff, who may have recently joined PAHT, or may have been here for some time but would still find attending the programme beneficial. The programme is for staff in clinical and non-clinical roles, and importantly for anyone who has supervisory/managerial responsibilities, not simply those who have ‘manager’ in their job title. The programme aims to provide an overview of our key people management and operational management processes and policies, including signposting to the support available. You can read more about the programme, how to book and upcoming dates on Alex under the training zone.
Surgeon receives prestigious award in recognition of his teaching work A surgeon at PAHT has received a prestigious award in recognition of his teaching work. Mr Jehangir Mahaluxmivala, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, has been named the Trainer of the Year 2020 by the Royal London Rotation for Trauma and Orthopaedics.
We recently hosted a great range of virtual events and webinars to support you ahead of the festive period during winter webinars and festive fun. You can catch up with all of the events on our YouTube playlist now. Produced by the communications team
This is in recognition of his dedication to maintaining education and training standards during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Mahaluxmivala is now in the running for the British Orthopaedic Training Association’s National Trainer of the Year 2020. He has a distinguished reputation as an excellent trainer across the region, having won this award twice over the history of the Royal London Rotation for Trauma and Orthopaedics.
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