Issue 21 December 10/January 11 North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust The magazine for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust Tessa brings page 13 Christmas cheer Stop smoking service top of national league The Stockton and Hartlepool stop smoking service is celebrating it’s pole position as top of the Barbara is new national league table for quitters. Figures for 2009/10 show that give them the best possible chance for people who want to quit face in HR the Hartlepool team helped more of quitting, because everyone is cigarettes, including the provision Barbara Bright (pictured) is the people to quit for a four-week different. We’re certainly not there of prescriptions as appropriate. trust’s new deputy director of period (per 100,000 population) to preach! Sessions are held in many different human resources. than any other stop smoking “One of the main causes of people locations including community Following an early career in service. lapsing when they quit is not centres and village halls to improve the NHS, Barbara joined the Service manager Pat Marshall having the right support in the first access to the service and make it University of Teesside where said: “We’re delighted with the place. Their best possible chance easy to call in during a work break she held a number of roles results. Quitting smoking isn’t of success is through using a NHS or on the way home. moving into human resources always easy but it’s something stop smoking service.” in 1996. most smokers really want to do. Smokers who want to kick the People can find out more by In 2002 she joined Nine out of ten people who use habit can get support at more phoning the Stockton and the newly formed National NHS help to quit say they would than twenty stop smoking drop Hartlepool NHS stop smoking Care Standards Commission recommend it. in clinics run by North Tees and service on 01642 635650 or the as head of HR planning “We offer friendly and non- Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust NHS Helpline on 0800 169 0169 and recruitment. judgemental help to smokers and or at some 16 pharmacies. The or clicking on www.smokefree. In 2004, she joined Darlington tailor support to every person to service offers one-to-one advice nhs.uk/ primary care trust under the national Gateway to Leadership programme. She undertook a number of senior roles; the most recent being Raising the (S)BAR on associate director of human resources, organisational patient safety development and workforce. At the trust Barbara is November 15 to 19 was National In addition, director of nursing sections, to ensure that staff accountable for leading and Patient Safety Week and as usual and patient safety Sue Smith are sharing concise and focused managing human resources the trust was extremely active and assistant director of nursing, information and allows staff to operations, HR research and in promoting it. quality and patient experience communicate assertively and development, recruitment There were displays in the main Barbara Carr were out and about effectively, reducing the need and the nurseries. This will concourse at both the University on the wards raising the profile for repetition. involve developing, managing Hospital of North Tees and the of patient safety and promoting It also helps staff anticipate and implementing human University Hospital of Hartlepool the SBAR track and trigger tool the information needed by resources activities and new and videos on the various Life to clinical staff. colleagues and encourages initiatives across the trust, Channel TVs in public areas and SBAR stands for situation, assessment skills. Using SBAR which will impact on all staff, waiting rooms. background, assessment and prompts staff to formulate employment policies and recommendation and is an easy information with the right level of detail. procedures. She is the lead to remember communications manager for human resource SBAR can also be used tool, originally developed communication, ensuring effectively to enhance handovers for use by the US Navy, but all staff have been informed between shifts or between now being promoted by the and where appropriate, staff in the same or different NHS Institute for Innovation trained in new and developing clinical areas. and Improvement. activities associated with Sue Smith said: “Inadequate their employment. The tool can be used by clinical communication is recognised Barbara said “I am delighted staff when communicating as a being one of the most to have joined the trust. information about patients, common root causes of serious Working in the NHS over the especially in emergency clinical errors. last six years has been an situations. It enables staff “SBAR helps to overcome this exciting time for me, which to clarify what information as it gives clinical staff a clear has brought about many should be communicated guide as to what information challenges and opportunities. between members of the team needs to be communicated I am looking forward to to ensure speedy and and how. working with staff and appropriate treatment. “Communication is essential to developing the organisation Barbara Carr and Sue Smith in front SBAR consists of standardised good team work, and team work for the future.” of the display prompt questions in four is essential to patient safety.” 002|003 Ambulance patient handover goes electronic A new system being introduced service. It will also offer a number • give crews information about by the North East Ambulance of other benefits such as the what the best treatment for the Station manager Elliot Kennedy Service is helping to streamline ability to view heart traces. patient is likely to be so they the patient information collected Director of clinical care and patient can advise the hospital about by the ambulance crews and safety at North East Ambulance ongoing treatment as quickly Silver service handed over when the patient Service Ann Fox, explained: “This as possible, arrives at hospital. is an exciting development for the • allow the ambulance service to for Elliot Ambulance crews will simply ambulance service, hospitals and analyse information to help them Station manager Elliot enter the information onto patients. It will help us improve bring in further improvements to Kennedy has had his silver a toughbook- a sturdy lap top quality, safety and the care we patient care. anniversary as a volunteer computer - using a touch screen. give to patients by allowing crews Associate director for emergency marked with a special This information is then instantly to record information more easily care for North Tees and Hartlepool presentation. available for receiving hospitals to and efficiently.” NHS Foundation Trust, Gill Carton Radio North Tees committee view online. Hospitals are given said: “We’re excited about this What are the benefits? members gathered to thank the vital data they need before the new development. I’m sure Elliot for his contribution to ambulance even arrives, to help The new system will many people think filling in any • make it easier and more accurate the long term success of them prepare for the arrival of an kind of form, whether paper or the station which has been emergency patient and organise for ambulance crews to record electronic, is just bureaucracy important patient information, the training ground for ongoing healthcare. but actually it’s a vital part of many presenters as well as • allow ambulance crews to send The new system will make caring for the patient. providing valuable training for information such as heart traces it quicker and easier to record “We delighted to be working students and young people. to the hospital while they are on important healthcare information. with the North East Ambulance Elliot received a certificate the way there, For instance, some information Service and we’re sure it will from the trust and the hospital • allow the hospital to see the on patients will already be provide a much improved broadcasting organisation as recorded, including names and information about a patient handover system for patients well a special mike to adorn addresses by the ambulance before they arrive, arriving by ambulance.” his studio. In the new year Radio North Tees will become Radio Stitch, a hospital radio station for the University Hospital of Hartlepool and the University Hospital of North Tees. Paramedic Dan Howarth shows sister Viv Priestley and staff nurse Sarah Wood accident and emergency at the University Hospital of North Tees how the new system works December 10/January 11 Board puts its support behind organ donation campaign Members of the North Tees and each year waiting for a Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust transplant as there are not board have signed up to the organ enough organs available. donation register and are now Specialist nurse for organ donation encouraging more staff to follow Clare Fletcher said: “Nearly their example. everyone would accept an Three people a day - will die organ if they needed one but only Generous staff donate gifts to underprivileged children Kind hearted staff at North sorts of treats including toys, Tees and Hartlepool NHS sweets, toiletries and arts and Foundation Trust have once crafts equipment. again generously donated Donna Goldsmith, pictured right stacks of gift-filled boxes to who organises the collection underprivileged children. across the trust said: “We’re A total of 89 shoeboxes have delighted to have been able been donated to Samaritan’s to send so many boxes to the Purse Operation Christmas children this year. Child which will be given out to “I would like to say thank you children in need across Africa, to all the staff in the trust and Eastern Europe and Central their families who have taken Asia just in time for Christmas.