I have described a number of times in this blog the intense and sustained pressure currently felt by everyone in the NHS nationally, regionally and within East Lancashire Hospitals.
The strain of this is felt acutely by everyone working at the Trust, not just in our urgent or emergency pathways where it so visibly manifests itself, but in teams and departments right across all hospital settings and our community services too.
I am not someone to take another’s word for this and I make it a priority to regularly get out and see how things are for myself, checking in with as many colleagues in as many teams as possible as often as I can.
On a normal week I’m proud to say I do get out there more than you might think. On those weeks where the pressure is greater, the demand larger and the strain on staff more – I really try to step it up too. It’s important to me that I am able to see, hear and physically experience the issues and challenges we are facing as much as I can.
This week I spent the morning in the emergency department (ED) at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, which is one of the busiest A&E facilities in the country seeing thousands of people each week who need emergency care.
It is probably the part of the hospital that most people are familiar with. If you haven’t been recently it’s busy and we are seeing some of the highest demand on record.
So – the perfect time to get the scrubs on and shadow some of the amazing team there for a few hours and see how they manage to handle this pressure, look after themselves and each other whilst also providing safe, personal and effective care to those from our communities who need it.
I want to share that I’m not from a clinical background and as such you can feel like the proverbial ‘spare part’ when you’re shadowing colleagues in a clinical team.
You can feel like you’re in the way when they’re busy too, but it is critically important that leaders and colleagues across the organisation are supported to step into other areas and see the world from a different perspective. This is how we help, identify issues and help make improvements that really matter.
Nevertheless, I want to thank the team on duty for looking after me and letting me be part of the shift in addition to everything else they were dealing with that day.
What I observed was what you might expect from the incredible ELHT team. The pressure was on but the hard work and dedication to caring for people was clear to see. I was very proud and it is inspiring and humbling to see. The patients and their families clearly appreciate what colleagues are doing for them and, on the whole, their love for the NHS is palpable.
I also saw new systems and processes which have recently been identified and implemented making a real difference. The tech and the way we embrace it is getting better – although of course there is still some way to go.
But what I saw was things like new software designed to make booking patients into the department easier, saving time and making the experience better too. One focus nationally for the NHS is to reduce ambulance handover and waiting times when a patient is brought into ED and this software was pre-populating information and reducing the time needed.
We’re also using a streaming tool to help identify issues and ensure patients are put onto the right pathway or through to the right area to help them as quickly as possible. One example would be if someone was identified with sepsis – they are now immediately identified, placed on the appropriate pathway and antibiotics can be started.
I will no doubt be oversimplifying these processes and procedures – and certainly the effort it takes to identify and implement better solutions – but my point here is that our care and approach are constantly improving.
We’re not standing still – in any sense of the word. For me, this is all hugely assuring as we face a long and difficult winter period alongside a continued pandemic.
It was also great to say hello to colleagues, ask them how they are and really be able to listen to the answer. Of course, when I go to any team I always try and take some ‘goodies’ with me or arrange for pizza or coffee to be provided. These little things are appreciated and I want to be clear that, clinical or corporate, we are all in this together.
I do always ask for feedback and, usually, people say they have found me to be a normal guy that’s just like everyone else. I’m not sure what they are expecting but I am proud to be a member of a team and I am focused on my role in the same way everyone else is focused on theirs.
I’d like to get out more over the coming weeks and months, to check in with people and understand what is going on across all settings. If any teams feel this would be useful, please do drop me a line and let me know. I’ll do my best to get to you as soon as I can.
I have to say though the next place on my list is the pioneering and ground breaking robotic surgery team led by Mike Gill and Adnan Shiekh.
Whilst most Trusts haven’t started their robotic surgery journey – ELHT has now completed their 100th major procedure and the programme continues to take on more and more complex cases, supporting patients with multiple cancers and pathologies to achieve successful outcomes.
It’s absolutely brilliant and all possible thanks to a fantastic team including theatre staff, ITU, anaesthetics colleagues, specialist nurses, managers and ward staff. And not forgetting, of course, funding from our equally brilliant hospital charity ELHT&Me.
It is a source of tremendous pride to know that many colleagues across the NHS now turn to us for advice and guidance in robotic surgery and so many people are being treated effectively in this way. This is the future for colorectal cancer and we are already a reference centre and accredited proctoring unit. We will be training other surgeons at their centres across the UK, as well as two of our own colorectal surgeons inhouse.
I will report back on my visit in due course but for now, thank you, to each and every member of the Trust for everything that is being achieved every day – very inspiring hard work that can and should not be underestimated.
Martin.