TALKING POINT November 2013 Heart unit leads the way with £250k research project Talking Injecting more Point is your into patient care magazine and it True champions OVER 100 flu champions have joined the is only trust’s flu fighter team this year to help as good increase the protection for staff, their patients and their families. as you The strive for 75% started with the flu champions vaccinating one another make it. and practicing their techniques with the occupational health nurses and flu nurse Ideas and stories or Lynn Kell. suggestions to make Senior nurse Angela Artley from acute Talking Point even EVERYONE at the trust is being urged medicine (pictured left) showed her better are always to join the fight against flu this winter. support for this year’s campaign as the welcome. first to be vaccinated in the trust. Please send your While frontline health workers will be given ideas to: priority in the staff vaccination programme, everyone at the trust – including volunteers and The editor - students –is encouraged to have the flu vaccine Lesley Connor to ensure they are protected before it’s too late. Sue’s an early bird now Public relations South Tees Hospitals Occupational health nurses and over 100 FLU champion for pathology - NHS Foundation Trust trained flu champions are working hard to transfusion practitioner, Sue Wardle The James Cook vaccinate over 5,000 frontline healthcare - trained again this year to vaccinate University Hospital workers and their support staff. staff in her department to increase their The Murray Building protection against the seasonal flu virus. Pam McCourt, occupational health manager Marton Road She is a firm believer in getting the flu said: “We hope staff will take the opportunity MIDDLESBROUGH jab early, and was one of the first to get TS4 3BW to be vaccinated early in the campaign to vaccinated this year. maximise the protection the vaccine provides Two years ago Sue felt unwell, she had a Extension: 55900 as it takes 10 to 14 days to develop your body’s high temperature and aching limbs. As Email: lesley.connor@ immunity to the flu vaccine.” stees.nhs.uk her symptoms progressively worsened, You can also contact Chief executive Professor Tricia Hart said: “As she realised she had flu. After five days, her husband had to call out her GP as the public relations an organisation we do have a duty to ensure she was so ill. Gradually her temperature team on 01642 all of our staff and volunteers, who have a went down and she began to recover. 854343, extension direct role in caring for patients, are offered 54343, James this vaccination. She was off work for two weeks and Cook or email it was a few months before she felt “By getting it, not only are you protecting completely back to normal. On her first public.relations@ yourself but also your families, your patients day back at work, she made sure she stees.nhs.uk and the NHS services you provide.” had her flu jab to protect her from the Talking Point is different strains. written and illustrated Staff are reminded the vaccine does not carry Sue, now a dedicated flu champion for by the public relations any live virus, which means it cannot give you pathology, said: “I would recommend team and designed by the flu. While some people may experience mild fever up to 48 hours after having the people get their flu jab early as Octagon Marketing unfortunately for me I got flu before the Company Ltd. jab - as their immune system responds to the vaccine - campaign started and the vaccinations weren’t available. this is not flu. “If you only think you have flu you Octagon Marketing Our target this probably haven’t got it. You will Company Ltd specialise year is 75% of really know if you have! Protect in gaining advertising healthcare yourself, your family and patients support for magazines workers and and get yours early.” so Talking Point is now their support By volunteering to be a flu produced, packaged, staff. Last year champion, Sue has improved distributed and we achieved an the protection and uptake rates delivered at a minimal increase to 64.6% for staff working in pathology cost to the trust. from 50.8% the to 58.89% in 2012/2013, from the previous year. previous year total of 53.33%. 2 Heart unit leads the way with £250k research project HEART surgeons at James Cook have been awarded £250,000 to undertake a leading-edge research project. The exciting project will see the cardiothoracic team comparing keyhole surgery to conventional surgery for patients requiring aortic valve replacements – the second most common type of heart operation. Funded by the National Institute of Healthcare Research, the MAVRIC trial will start in January and run for three years. MAVRIC stands for Manubrium- limited ministernotomy versus conventional sternotomy for aortic valve replacement, a randomised controlled trial. Cardiothoracic surgeon and chief investigator for the project Enoch (left to right) Cardiothoracic surgeons Enoch Akowuah, Andrew Owens Akowuah said: “This award is very and Andrew Goodwin prestigious for the heart unit and the trust. We are very excited to be the blood transfusion services.” new keyhole procedure or the more only hospital carrying out this research conventional treatment and we will project in the UK. The aortic valve enables blood study the clinical benefits. to flow out of the heart “Up to 4,000 patients and into the aorta (the who require aortic “One of the key things we will main blood vessel in valve replacement “This research need to monitor is the difference the body). With each year also in blood loss and blood transfusion will benefit future every heart beat require a post- but we will also look at how quickly the valve opens operative blood patients recover.” heart patients across up so blood can transfusion. If flow out and In the UK nearly 10,000 patients a we can show the country and then closes to year have to undergo aortic valve the keyhole enable us to show stop any blood surgery and with an increasingly approach from flowing ageing population more and more reduces the which procedure is backwards into patients are expected to need this need for blood the heart. type of operation.* transfusions and most cost-effective decreases the for the NHS.” Patients with narrow Cardiothoracic surgeon Andrew amount of time or leaking valves are Goodwin said: “This is the first time patients have to spend often referred to the our heart unit has been awarded in hospital then this could hospital after experiencing this amount of money to do this sort potentially save the NHS up to chest pain or shortness of breath of project. £1.4million a year. and may require surgery to replace the “This research will benefit future heart faulty valve. “This new approach also has the patients across the country and enable potential to reduce the risk of Cardiothoracic surgeon Andrew us to show which procedure is most cost- post-operative lung injury, organ Owens said: “Patients who agree to effective for the NHS.” dysfunction, and immunosuppression take part in the trial will randomly *Data from the National Adult Cardiac as well as reducing the pressure on be selected to receive either the Surgical Database Front page picture: (left to right) Cardiothoracic surgeons Enoch Akowuah, Andrew Owens and Andrew Goodwin 3 Paralympian opens family suite PARALYMPIC champion gold medallist, Marc Woods, opened acute oncology ward 14’s family suite at James Cook. Marc -a motivational speaker - developed bone cancer at the age of 17. His dream was to simply be the best he could be and only 18 months after he finished chemotherapy was selected to represent Great Britain in the paralympic games. During his career he won a staggering 12 paralympic medals from five games, four being gold. Marc also won a further 21 medals from European and world championships. He told staff and patients all about his achievements with the GB team at an inspirational and moving presentation following the opening ceremony. Marc with staff and patients at the opening The newly refurbished family suite will provide care overnight with their loved for patients requiring ones, and ensure privacy palliative care in the ”The team and dignity - a very final stages of their important aspect of illness. It provides a and I are really the care provided by quiet environment proud to be the ward. for relatives to spend able to offer The trust’s planning time with their loved team worked with ones in the final days patients and Tony Bellamy, site of their life. Facilities their relatives manager, Interserve include a hospice Construction and style side ward with this facility.” the ward staff Marc Woods an adjoining flat which to complete the with trust provides a comfortable and ambitious project to chairman private area for relatives. help future cancer patients Deborah Jenkins The ward’s dedicated staff wanted to and their relatives. and Beverley improve and enhance both the patient Thank you to the A big thank you to Interserve and relatives experience, providing world-renowned artist, who generously provided £8,000 facilities for family wishing to stay Mackenzie Thorpe, who worth of work, and to their local chain generously donated three pictures suppliers who contributed their services for the suite. He said: “It is with and materials free of charge, for their heartfelt pride my pictures will fantastic support. give pleasure and comfort to the Part of their Employee Foundation, patients, visitors and staff in the which provides a central focus for family suite at James Cook.” their charitable activities and plays a Sister Beverley Rodgers, ward 14 key role in co-ordinating charitable manager, said: ”The team and I works, the ward 14 project is the area’s are really proud to be able to offer most high profile scheme as it is such patients and their relatives this facility.