Hello everyone
Happy Friday! These weeks really are rushing along with a pace now. Before we know it, it will be Christmas! And if you were wondering, there’s only 96 days to go…
As many of you will have seen from my tweet at the end of last week, our Ambulatory and Emergency Care Unit was officially 1 year old last Friday. In that first year they have treated over 12000 patients - a staggering achievement! I want to thank every member of the AECU team for the fantastic work you have done. Together you have reduced waiting times in ED, reduced unnecessary admissions, and worked with the Ambulance service to develop the new patient pathway for chest pain. Thank you!
It was a great birthday party with loads of lovely treats, including the best home-made tiramisu I’ve ever tasted in my whole life…
Another survey coming? Yes, but an important one. The National NHS Staff survey will be launched on 23 September, running through to November. This annual survey is an important measure of staff experience and satisfaction. The feedback from the survey helps identify all that’s positive about working here, all that we want to “keep as it is”, as well as areas that need improving. It gives the ability to compare our staff experience and satisfaction against other Trusts both locally and on a national level.
Following last year’s survey, based on staff feedback you will have noticed we implemented a number of initiatives and improvements. Some examples – which you may have accessed yourself - are the improved Management and Leadership Development Programmes, the newly established Well Service to support staff wellbeing, the set up of a Staff Portal with many staff benefits, the staff Massage Therapy Service, on-site Fitness Classes, additional staff car park spaces, and so on!
I really urge as many staff as possible complete the survey. The more staff who take part in the survey, the stronger the staff voice and the more reliable and robust the data will be. And don’t forget to say what you feel we do well, and what you want us to keep doing.
More fantastic news – from our surgical team. On Thursday this week, Mr Sheik and Mr Harris successfully carried out the 45th case of bowel cancer resection using our robot. This pioneering surgical approach is leading to better outcomes for patients, and a shorter stay in hospital. Thank you to the whole surgical team involved, it’s great news!
Time to roll your sleeves up…the Flu vaccination programme is about to start!
Our flu campaign starts on 30 September. Each winter one of the most important things we can do to protect our patients, colleagues, and of course ourselves, is to get our flu vaccination. Last year a fantastic 93.6% of frontline staff got their vaccine. Planning is now underway to try and beat last year’s target. Occupational Health and Wellbeing will be coming out to departments and performing mobile vaccination clinics across the organisation starting in October. Please can I encourage you all to support each other in getting vaccinated this year. Phil Denney, Occupational Health lead and in charge of the flu campaign tells me he has a joke about the flu, but you vaccinated folks won’t get it! Thank you Phil!
This week saw the launch of our Waste Reduction Programme. We know it’s hard to identify cost cutting measures whilst still trying to keep quality as high as possible. But we all recognise that where there is waste, or duplication, or an unnecessary step in a process, we can save money which will allow us to invest in new equipment, and more staff. I’m very grateful to Michelle Brown our Acting Director of Finance and her team, and everyone else who came to the launch event on Wednesday to make the programme get off to a really successful start. Everyone will be able to spot were duplication or inefficiency is going on, and make suggestions. Please do get involved.
And finally, today was the official opening of the new Fairhurst Building (formally known as Phase 8). What a stunning facility it is too. The £15M state-of-the-art complex provides a magnificent environment for patients and staff, containing a ground floor Outpatient Department and Maxillofacial Unit and a first floor Ophthalmology centre. The £60M investment in Burnley General Teaching Hospital really will make a huge difference for our patients and our staff.
Time for a doctor-patient joke.
Patient: Doctor I feel like a supermarket.
Doctor: How long have you felt like this?
Patient: Ever since I was Lidl.
Thank you all as ever for your hard work. Have a good weekend.