500 at the open day Ward inspections Choose Halton! Take a look back at our September Your Governors report back on Over 90% of people say our hospital event for members their findings is first choice for surgery Centre pages Page 4 Page 10 yourhospitals News and information from Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Winter 2011 Issue 9 Making Christmas a special time at the hospitals Merry Christmas to all of our members! 12 foot trees coming from Delamere Forest Whilst you are reading this article, you for outside Warrington and Halton hospitals, will no doubt be preparing for Christmas in the main reception and in the children’s and planning for the holidays. It is no ward courtyard. Visitors donate for a special different at the hospitals – just on a remembrance bauble and leave a message slightly bigger scale. on the trees, which was very popular last year. Where possible we try and let as many In the chapel, the Rev John Duffield and his patients as possible go home, but for team celebrate with a range of services and many, this isn’t possible. Each year we try to carol singing for staff and patients. The team make Christmas as special as it can be for provide bedside communions and visits to the the patients who need our care over the wards on Christmas morning as well. In the festive period. build up to Christmas week, choirs from local On the children’s ward, every child gets a schools and groups tour the wards as well to special visit at midnight from Santa with lots provide festive cheer. of games and activities taking place in the Over in the hospital kitchens, staff are build-up to the big day. This year we struggled preparing stuffing, sprouts and sausages to get many presents from local companies and have enough turkey crowns for almost but Warrington born reality TV celebrity 2,000 people over Christmas on order! Kerry Katona stepped in and rounded up the Cooking so many meals takes careful support of some national toy companies with planning by the catering team and takes the help of Love It! Magazine to make sure place over a number of days. that there are plenty to go round. Parents The hospitals obviously still provide all their and family members can spend the day core services at Christmas as well and for on the ward to make Christmas as some, Christmas will be a sad time. Spare a special as it can be. thought on Christmas Day for the staff Putting up the Christmas Kerry Katona drops in on the and patients who try and make it as children’s ward at the tree is always fun. At the special as it can be and have a great, safe hospitals to spread some hospitals there are four and healthy Christmas. Christmas cheer! 2 yourhospitals Winter 2011 Issue 9 Winter 2011 Issue 9 yourhospitals 3 Chief Executive’s welcome Volunteering Welcome to the winter edition of Your Hospitals. Trust’s vascular bid There is lots to WE WANT YOU read about in this issue which turned down Volunteer at your hospitals in the New Year reflects the fact that so much is The Foundation Trust is excited to for a clinic appointment may feel isolated old or too young, we are interested in working happening at the hospitals at The trust’s bid to be a vascular centre problems such as poor blood supply to the announce the introduction of a new or nervous and we would like to have a with people of all ages and backgrounds. in the future has been turned down feet and legs. the moment. Volunteer Service. We already have a friendly person to sit with them and help after a review of services across Cheshire When you attend the open day, we will I hope you will take time to read about In October the Cheshire and Merseyside number of volunteers doing excellent work them through the experience. explain more about what being a volunteer and Merseyside. vascular review panel met to agree their our quality monitoring and see where we in the hospital, for example the WRVS, • Patient experience. There are several ways involves and the application process. If you final recommendations. They previously League of Friends, Bosom Buddies and are up to in terms of reducing infection, A regional review of Vascular Services has that patients and members of the public decide to proceed we will provide all the designated one of the centres as being members of various support groups. Now pressure sores and falls this year. We are been looking at which hospitals will perform can tell us what they think of our services. information and an application pack. You will the Royal Liverpool. They also reviewed we are taking an opportunity to expand on track in all of these areas and that is a vascular emergency surgery in the future with We want volunteers to help us do this, which be interviewed, but informally and there are proposals from ourselves (in partnership with the contribution of volunteers to support good sign that our vision of high quality, the aim of focusing this work on a smaller may need some computer skills, as well as no exams or tests to pass, though we do ask St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals) and a our staff in delivering safe and respectful safe healthcare is working. number of centres. Many of you supported the talking to patients and members of the for references and do a CRB check. partnership between the Countess of Chester care to patients. Quality and safety is key in everything process, putting your views across in the initial public. You could also be involved with public In the first instance, we need you to let and Wirral Hospitals. We were informed we do here and that is why we were public consultation. A lot of members have said they would like displays, campaigns and other events. us know you are interested by Friday 6th that our proposal was not supported. The to volunteer some of their time to help others so disappointed that our bid to remain Vascular services are part of the emergency January 2012. Countess of Chester has been designated as and we want to hear from you if you want to • Nutritional support. Sometimes ensuring an emergency arterial vascular centre services provided at the hospitals and one the second centre. get involved. good nutrition for people in hospital can was turned down recently as part of where the trust has a good record and How to express your interest in If you are interested you are invited to be challenging and we want volunteers the review of future centres in Cheshire excellent clinical outcomes. They include “This is a disappointing outcome,” said to support the clinical nursing teams in the open day. and Merseyside. Our view is that there Mel Pickup, chief executive of Warrington attend an open day event where you can To register your interest please contact the surgical and radiological treatment for find out more and decide if you would like providing a peaceful, pleasant environment could and should be three such centres people with major bleeds like abdominal and Halton Hospitals, “We believe that in which to dine and respectful assistance Membership Office on 01925 664 222 or in the future. Having a centre located at there is strong evidence for three designated to apply to be a volunteer. This is a great email [email protected] aortic aneurysms which require major, opportunity to pick up some new skills and to eat and drink well. Warrington would ensure good access centres within the area but the members often lifesaving, surgery, as well as strokes experience, to meet people and enjoy working In each of these roles you would not We need to know your name, address for local patients to emergency vascular of the review panel disagreed. Colleagues and those needing stroke preventing within a team serving your community. be expected to carry out any clinical and phone number and email address (if you services. The public consultation will give in the hospitals have worked hard in surgery and treatment for other vascular interventions or sit in on consultations or have one) and if you are interested in any a chance for members to have their say constructing our arguments and providing As this is early days for the service we are examinations and you will receive training particular volunteer role or just interested to on the proposals. evidence to the panel as part of the decision starting slowly, developing volunteer roles in find out more. the following areas: and supervision for all tasks. There are several articles on governor making process and I would like to thank them “Colleagues in the hospitals • Becoming a “buddy”. People coming into If you are interested, don’t worry that you and member engagement. We are for their work.” have worked hard in the Accident & Emergency Department or don’t have qualifications, or that you are too Your Health events pleased to be launching our volunteer constructing our arguments What happens next? – Winter 2012 strategy that will give those of you itching The recommendations have gone to the to donate some of your time to the and providing evidence to two Cheshire PCT Cluster Boards (Cheshire and Stop press! The next sessions in our popular member hospitals the chance to do so. We saw Merseyside) in November. A 12-week public events programme have been organised.