Interview with Actor Martin Freeman See Page Eight
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May 2012 Spring/summer 2014 Member Matters Interview with actor Martin Freeman see page eight How a clinical trial at Great Ormond Street Hospital has helped Joe who has arthritis Contents 4 6 8 Q and A with Foundation Tracey Anthony, A chat with actor Trust news Lead Nurse, Theatres Martin Freeman 9 10 12 From birth to adulthood: I have arthritis: Understanding lives now Young People’s and for the future Joe tells his story Forum update 13 14 16 Key dates What we’ve What happens… when achieved you or your family have Key dates feedback for your diary Contents Welcome I’d like to welcome you to the spring 2014 edition of Member Matters for youth Foundation Trust members. My name is Edward Green and I’m a councillor on the I was a patient here at Members’ Council representing patients GOSH recently and feel from outside London. very privileged to be My role at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is to represent patients outside working alongside staff London on the Members’ Council. I was to ensure the patient’s a patient at GOSH recently and feel very privileged to be working alongside staff voice is heard. to ensure the patient’s voice is heard. I would like to say a big thank you to all the members and staff who have been working hard together on events and programmes of work. Last year, we held a listening event with many of you, where we heard what we were doing well, and what we could do better. I am pleased to say that we are now working on many areas of improvement as a result, including new ways to navigate around the hospital and patient Wi-Fi! Check out the update on page 13. I hope you enjoy reading this edition of Member Matters and be sure to read the interview with a very different type of doctor on page eight! Edward Green Councillor for patients from outside London 3 Foundation Trust news Suits you! Dignity Giving Suits have been developed to provide patients with a comfortable and clinically functional alternative to the old-style operating gowns. Patients at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) often need lots of Power to the young lines, feeding tubes, catheters and drains. The new suits are designed people on Children’s with discreet openings to allow Commissioner’s access so healthcare professionals can carry out procedures without Takeover Day affecting the dignity or privacy of the patient. Developed by a During the October 2013 half-term company called Fashion At Work week, the Young People’s Forum (YPF) ran a series of events to mark Children’s Commissioner’s Takeover Day. YPF Chair, George Howell, tells us more. “The day gave children and young people the chance to work with adults while giving adults a fresh perspective on what they do. “The events included a treasure hunt around the hospital, live music in The Lagoon restaurant, a memory wall, the Breakin Convention crew doing Hip Hop Hospital in the Activity Centre and the chance to shadow senior staff within Our Commitment the hospital. We will be reporting back on the results “It was a great success and enabled the YPF to increase their awareness within the hospital. of this work in the Thank you to everyone who got involved.” coming year. 4 Talking to teens: your views heard At the end of 2013, we conducted a market research project to understand how teens are currently using the teenagers section of the Suits you! GOSH website and how it meets their needs. We also wanted to understand their feelings and experience of Foundation Trust membership. in co-operation with Birmingham The research involved holding two workshops Children’s Hospital, the suits also with teenagers aged 13–15 years old (comprised provide better body temperature of current and former patients of GOSH and management during surgical a mix of Foundation Trust and non-Foundation procedures. The Velcro-style hook Trust members). We also conducted in-depth and loop fastenings mean that telephone interviews and a session with the YPF radiographers and MRI operators to share, discuss and confirm our understanding can be confident that the fastenings of the research from teens in the earlier stages. will not get in the way of any medical imaging. We will use the results from the research to improve and develop the teenagers section of GOSH has placed an order for 500 the hospital website and our Foundation Trust Dignity Giving Suits, which will be communications for teenagers. We hope this used in day cases to begin with, but will help to increase the number of younger in the long-term they hope that all members we have and their involvement in patients in the hospital will be able hospital projects. To find out more about the to wear them. findings from the research, and to share your thoughts on how the Trust can improve how it communicates with you, please visit www.gosh.nhs.uk/foundationtrustnews Update on the food in the hospital Food was an area identified for improvement at the listening event Catering team members take part in that took place in June 2013. The daily service briefings, regular training Catering department listened to the and weekly meeting forums, and a feedback and an agreed action plan working group has created new patient is being implemented. For example, menus, which were introduced this we have introduced a children’s menu spring. The Lagoon restaurant is open where the food is cooked-to-order, seven days a week with a breakfast, as well as continuing with the daily lunch and evening meal service. menu choices. In addition, we have a selection of vended main meals If you have any feedback for the and snacks available 24 hours a day. Catering team, please send an email to [email protected] 5 Behind the scenes An interview with Tracey Anthony, Lead Nurse, Theatres “Ask staff who they are. Talk to them, explain how you’re feeling and ask lots of questions.” 6 We spoke to Tracey Anthony, Lead Nurse for Theatres, who has worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) since 2006, to find out more about going into theatre for surgery. What’s it like to go into theatre your condition very closely for a few hours. for surgery? Your parent may be able to visit you here. If your surgery is not an emergency, it will If you’ve had general anaesthesia, it’s be planned in advance. We understand that common to feel confused, chilly, sick or even it is a worrying time and we do a lot of work sad when you wake up. When the surgery around management of nervous patients and has been completed, the surgeon will let you families. We will try to address any anxieties and your parents or carers know how the that you may have before your surgery. operation went and answer any questions you have. It also depends on whether it’s your first time or not. If you aren’t ready, we would send Once your anaesthesia has worn off and you back to the ward and we would have you’re fully awake, you’ll be taken to the to look at a strategy for the next time to deal ward and monitored by nurses until you’re with that. It might be that you would need able to go home. a pre-med (medicine to help you feel more relaxed and may even make you sleepy) What tips do you have for taking to go through the surgery. the worry out of going into theatre for surgery? What should I expect before surgery? • Before you come into hospital for surgery, You would be seen by the doctor and the write down any specific worries that you have. anaesthetist. You would go through an • Bring your phone and/or tablet with you into admission process, which involves having the hospital so you can keep in touch with all your observations done, including blood friends and family. pressure, pulse and temperature, just to • Bring any other distractions you might want, make sure that they are all normal. You would like games or books. have your chest listened to and, depending • Ask staff who they are. Talk to them, on your age, you would be involved in the explain how you’re feeling and ask lots consent process – at 14 years of age you can of questions. sign with your parents. • Don’t be afraid to say if you have concerns If you’re 16 or over you can sign the consent that you don’t want to share with your yourself. You would then be given an parents or carers. It is OK to ask to speak explanation of what is going to happen to you. to the surgeon without your family there. On the Same Day Admissions Unit, admissions • Bring food with you to the ward if there are staggered. Based on feedback, we have is something specific that you would like, tried to reduce the time that you need to including any snacks that you may like to go without food and drink in preparation for eat after your surgery. going into theatre and improve the process • Don’t wear jewellery, as you will be asked for patients. to take it off. • If you want to have your hair back, please What happens after surgery? have it plaited or in a low pony tail, so it’s After your surgery is over, you’ll be taken to comfortable when you lie down.