Hello and welcome to this week’s blog.
I hope that you find my blogs interesting and informative; I certainly enjoy sharing all the great work that is carried out across the Trust. And there is so much at the moment! Starting with the refurbishment of the paediatrics high dependency unit. The Estates and Facilities Team have work really hard and created a safe, personal and effective environment for patients and staff. You can have a look at their great work here.
November is a popular month for awareness days, such as mouth cancer, Movember, COPD and many more. Normally teams and individuals wishing to raise awareness would hold events and activities to promote these, but due to COVID, the majority of this work has been carried out ‘virtually’ via social media and other online platforms.
Yesterday was Pancreatic Awareness day, and to help raise awareness our Communications Team worked with Daren Subar, Consultant Laparoscopic Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgeon and Vicki Stevenson-Hornby, Pancreas Specialist Nurse, to create a video which will help people to spot the early signs of pancreatic cancer. As with all cancers it is so important to access medical care quickly to help to save and return lives back to normal as soon as possible.
This week is also World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, 18-24 November, aims to increase awareness of antibiotic resistance. The main message is we need to preserve antibiotics for when we really need them, so it’s important to listen to your GP, pharmacist or nurse’s advice and only take antibiotics when absolutely necessary. Staff at ELHT have been invited to become Antibiotic Guardians by pledging to make better use of antibiotics. Click here to become an Antibiotic Guardian today.
Something I’m sure we are all united against is bullying, and this week marks Anti-bullying Week. I want to let everyone know that we do not tolerate bullying, abusive or inappropriate behaviour here at ELHT, be that staff or patients. While, we have made a commitment to zero tolerance we know there is still some work to do. But, I want to assure you that we take all reports of bullying seriously and investigate them thoroughly. I value every member of staff, and care about your health, wellbeing and happiness. If you feel you are experiencing issues in your role, please speak up to our Staff Guardian.
You can also share your thoughts and experiences at ELHT by completing the annual NHS Staff Survey. We are now at 49.3%, which means over 4,500 of you have taken part. This is the best response we have ever had. Thank you! The survey closes on Friday 27 November, so if you haven’t completed your survey yet, please do so over the next seven days. It will only take 5 minutes to complete but the information you share will help us to help you more.
The Nursing Times awards also took place ‘virtually’ this week and I was extremely proud to see our teams shortlisted in two categories. Our Emergency Department Team in the ‘Emergency and Critical Care’ category and our Surgical Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit in the ‘Patient Safety Improvement’ category. Unfortunately, on this occasion we were pipped at the post, nevertheless it is a great reward to be recognised at such a prestigious awards ceremony. Well done to those teams for being shortlisted, keep up the great work! And congratulations to our colleagues at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, who walked away with two awards on the night – one of them being the ‘Emergency and Critical Care’ award.
Last week I mentioned Christine Hughes, Executive Director of Communications and Engagement was leaving this week for a new post on the board at Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. While we await the appointment to the Executive Director role, I am delighted to announce that Emma-Louise Cooke, Head of Communications and Engagement, will be stepping up as Acting Director of Communications and Engagement.
I end this blog with the very sad news of the passing of one of our volunteers and Chair of the Burnley Hospital League of Voluntary Workers, Joan Carpenter. Joan had been a member of the league for 45 years and will be sorely missed by all who knew her. Our sincere condolences go to her family, friends and those who worked with her.
Take care everyone, until next week…
Kevin