TrustTalk ▶ New ▶ Pathology ▶ Staff ▶ Our ▶ Coffee and catch Chair expansion survey Charity up with... Page 3 Page 6 Page 9 Page 10 Page 14 RWT thanks dedicated staff for long service Safe & Effective | Kind & Caring | Exceeding Expectation TrustTalk Spring 2019 Safe & Effective | Kind & Caring | Exceeding Expectation Welcome Welcome to the Spring edition of our staff and patient magazine – Trust Talk. Last month we said goodbye to my good friend and work I was honoured to attend to thank staff and congratulate colleague – Jeremy Vanes. Jeremy left the Trust at the end of them on their great achievements. March after serving as a chairman and non-executive director This magazine will provide you with the latest developments for 13 years; the maximum time allowed by statute. across the Trust including news about our NHS staff survey We would not be where we are today without Jeremy’s results and an update on the new pathology extension. leadership and his dedication to improving patient care. I The extension is being constructed adjacent to the south wish Jeremy all the best for the future and I will miss him entrance at New Cross and will house a number of greatly. centralised services, working jointly with Walsall, Dudley and Sandwell and West Birmingham trusts. I am delighted to welcome Professor Steve Field CBE as our new chairman. Steve has a wealth of experience in numerous This is a very exciting time for the Trust with lots going on high profile roles at a regional and national level. He will be so I hope you enjoy reading about all the fantastic new a tremendous asset in the development of the Black Country developments and staff achievements at RWT. Strategic Transformation Programme (STP) and the Trust. Also in this issue we are celebrating the successes of our longest serving staff. This year we have launched our first ever long-service awards ceremony to mark their dedication to the NHS. We held the first of three events in March and Appointment of two new deputy chief nurses We are pleased to announce the appointment of our two new deputy chief nurses Vanessa Whatley and Martina Morris, after the departure of our previous deputy chief nurse Debra Hickman. Vanessa started in post on January 1st and was previously our head of nursing – corporate support services and Martina started at the Trust on March 11th, joining us from NHS Improvement. We would like to wish them all the best in their new roles. Vanessa Whatley Martina Morris P 2 TrustTalk Spring 2019 New Chair News in at RWT Brief The new chair of RWT has spoken Neonatal unit goes paperless The neonatal unit has changed over to Badgernet of his ambition Electronic Prescribing Records (EPR), marking a to help support significant step towards the use of paperless electronic records systems in the Trust. integrated health The unit was the first neonatal unit nationally to begin care as he takes to use the app, which enables patient records to be processed without paper. up his new role. By changing to Badgernet EPR, the unit aims for their documentation and data capture to improve. Professor Steve Field CBE took up his role as chair of the Trust This in turn will allow the patients data to influence best at the beginning of April. practice, benchmarking and service development. Sarah Crowshaw, neonatal nurse, said: “The nursing He succeeds Jeremy Vanes, who left the Trust at the end of and medical team have done really well coping with the March after serving as a chairman and non-executive director changes and deserve to be congratulated. for 13 years; the maximum time allowed by statute. “Thank you to the team who made the changes a Professor Field holds a number of roles at various success.” organisations including Trustee at Nishkam Healthcare Trust and Non-Executive Director at University College London Willenhall donation to bereavement suite Partners Academic Health Science Partnership Board. The Willenhall Area Relief Rehabilitation and Nursing Trust (WARRANT) donated funds to refurbish a sitting Prior to his new role, he was Chief Inspector of General room for the bereaved in the new general office and Practice, Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care at the bereavement suite. Care Quality Commission (CQC). The donation has enabled the Trust to provide a quiet Following a career involved in leadership of health and social and contemplative space in New Cross Hospital for the care at all levels, Professor Field brings extensive NHS Board bereaved. level experience to the role of chair having held several Tony Haywood, Chair of WARRANT, said: “It is lovely to positions in the NHS including, Deputy National Medical be able to contribute to the room, it provides patients Director at NHS England, Regional Postgraduate Dean for with somewhere to sit, read and sign the book of NHS West Midlands and chairman of the NHS Inclusion remembrance. Health Board at the Department of Health. “My headmaster who was a role model of mine actually He also held the position of chairman of The Royal College left all his money to the Trust when he passed away, so of GPs, and has been a faculty member at the Harvard Macy for me this is a continuation of his legacy.” Institute of Harvard University in the USA. Café re-opens He has been awarded a number of honorary degrees and Westside Café, previously the eye infirmary café, has re- also holds academic appointments at the University of opened after having a refurbishment. Hot and cold food Birmingham and the University of Warwick. is available from 8.30am to 4pm. Professor Steve Field CBE said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as chair of the Trust. I was born in the Black International Nurses Day and Day of the Country and many of my family live locally. I am looking Midwife celebrations forward to supporting the Trust to continue the journey and A Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate International I will work closely with partner organisations across the area Nurses Day and Day of the Midwife 2019 will be held on to ensure the population of Wolverhampton and the Black Wednesday, May 8th at 6.30pm at St Patrick’s Church in Country receive the best possible integrated healthcare.” Wolverhampton. P 3 Safe & Effective | Kind & Caring | Exceeding Expectation Long Service Awards More than 2,000 years of NHS service were celebrated at the first of three special events. The Long Service Awards were About 100 members of dedicated Members of staff who work for the launched at the Trust this year staff were honoured at the first Trust received awards for either 25, to recognise, acknowledge of three long service award 30, 40 or 50 years of service, hard and congratulate some of our ceremonies held in March. work and commitment to the NHS. exemplary staff. Anne Hazel, Ann Hulme, Amarjit Robert Meakin Maureen Williams Purewal and Ann Holden Yvonne Wilson Tracey Farringdon and Kuldip Feist Tracy Hampton, Collette Beet and Kerry Truman Supported by Registered Charity No. 1059467 P 4 TrustTalk Spring 2019 Long Service Awards John Harris was given the highest accolade for more We have gone from 3,500 staff to 9,500 and our than 50 years of NHS service. turnover has increased from £200 million £0.5 billion. Mr Harris, who began his career at the Royal Hospital “Throughout these changes our organisation has always in 1968 before moving to New Cross, said: “I can been about the people. This is a huge, very successful honestly say I’ve looked forward to coming to work institution which is all down to its staff – including our here every day. Not every day has been easy but that’s longest serving members. We need you.” the challenge. “I 100 per cent subscribe to Mr David Loughton’s view that if you look after the staff then you look after the hospital. “I started out fifty years ago as deputy hospital secretary at the Royal, of all my jobs - that was the most satisfying. In those days you could make a difference as a manager. It was a very hard working hospital and I spent four years as a deputy before moving up to become hospital secretary. I was lucky as it was a big step up. “I have many, many stories to tell – the first fifty years are the best. I would do it all again – it has been a John Harris receives his award from David Loughton ball!” David Loughton, chief executive of RWT, said: “This is a big organisation where we try to do everything we can to make staff feel valued. Our longest serving members of staff are a huge asset to this Trust. Without them we would not be able to continue delivering the brilliant patient care that we do. We are one of the top performing Trusts in the region and all that is down to our staff. “I was honoured to attend the event this week and look forward to congratulating more of our longest serving staff at the next two events. “On behalf of myself, the wider NHS and the community I just want to say a huge thank you to all Alana Turner and Sandra Turton our staff for the amazing work you do every day.” Jeremy Vanes, former chairman of the board, said: “I have been here 13 years and the scale of change within the organisation has been incredible. P 5 Safe & Effective | Kind & Caring | Exceeding Expectation Work begins on pathology expansion Work has begun on a multi-million pound expansion of New Cross Hospital’s state-of-the-art pathology centre.