intouch - wirral university teaching hospital nhs ... · intouch february 20 7 s a teaching...

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FEBRUARY 2019

Praise following CQC maternity survey

AND: Award for digital care

PLUS: Meet our Nursing Associates

2 InTouch February 2019

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Praise following CQC maternity survey

UTH has been praised for achieving one of the best results in the country in a survey by the

health regulator about the experiences of women who give birth here.

We were one of nine NHS trusts identified as being “better than expected” in a national survey by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). We also achieved the best results in Merseyside and Cheshire.

In the 2018 Survey of Women’s Experiences of Maternity Care which involved 129 trusts, over 17,000 women were questioned about the care they received during their pregnancy, while they were having their baby and after the baby was born.

We achieved our best ever results and performed better than most other trusts in 11 core areas with a higher proportion of women responding positively about the care they received. These included questions around being involved in decisions about their care; appropriate length of stay in hospital; receiving help from the midwife when needed;

rom 11th to 17th March, WUTH will be marking global Nutrition and Hydration Week,

which is an annual event to raise awareness of the of the value of food and drink in maintaining health and wellbeing.

Arrowe Park Hospital will be hosting a range of activities, including an information stand in the foyer where colleagues from several departments will be on hand to answer questions and share recent improvements initiated by our Nutrition and

Hydration Working Group. Our knowledgeable Dietitians are offering training on the ‘MUST’ tool for colleagues who need it and one of the wards will be hosting a special afternoon tea. There will also be a staff quiz for all WUTH employees to test their knowledge on nutrition and hydration with a fabulous prize soon to be announced.

A full round up of the week will be featured in next month’s magazine so watch this space!

Pictured is Jayne Murphy, Midwife, with patient Rachel Roberts, whose son Declan McPoland was born at our hospital in January

being treated with kindness after the birth of their baby and being given enough information about their own physical recovery after the birth.

This is a reflection of the dedication of our maternity teams who are always looking to enhance the service we provide to our mums, babies and their families. It’s a fantastic achievement and a big congratulations to the teams who have worked so hard over the past year.

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Nutrition and Hydration Week

3InTouch February 2019

WUTH Orthoptist leads the way nationally

s we approach International Women’s Day on 8th March, we’re celebrating a WUTH colleague

who has been recognised as the first Consultant Neuro Orthoptist in the UK by the British and Irish Orthoptic Society.

To our knowledge, Victoria Smerdon from Arrowe Park Hospital’s Eye Clinic is the only consultant of her type nationally to specialise in neuro-ophthalmology. Orthoptists, who are allied health professionals (AHPs), are often the first people involved in the diagnosis of conditions such as double vision, wobbly eyes (nystagmus) and droopy lids (ptosis). They play an important role in the care of patients with conditions including stroke, Parkinson’s, diabetes and thyroid and also care for babies and children with visual disorders and eye coordination problems.

After qualifying from the University of Sheffield in 2000, Victoria worked at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey before moving to Bolton NHS Foundation Trust where she gained extensive experience caring for stroke and acquired brain injury patients. She joined WUTH in 2014 as the Head of Orthoptics and her role has since expanded with her specialism in neuro-ophthalmology focusing on how the brain uses vision to interact with the rest of the body. There are seven people in the Orthoptics team working within the hospital and out in the community. The service works closely with physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, endocrinologists and many other clinical colleagues within and outside of the Trust. It provides a holistic approach which considers the individual patient and their personal circumstances.

Victoria explained: “We don’t just look at our patients as a pair of eyes and they really value the fact that we know where to refer them for the right support. Our patients are lovely to work with and it’s rewarding because we can do very positive things for most them. Demand for our service is fairly steady but we are noticing an increase in stroke patients who require our expertise.

“I’m very proud to be recognised for my achievements and pleased that allied health professionals generally are getting a higher profile.

Pictured is Victoria Smerdon

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It would be great to see more AHPs getting into senior positions and sometimes all it requires is a little bit of extra training.”

Despite her success, Victoria is still ambitious and is on track to complete a Masters degree in September as well as exemptions training which will allow her to administer and supply medications relevant to her role. She is working with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists to develop a core competencies framework for non-medical clinicians working in Neuro-Ophthalmology and has also recently been selected to co-chair a British and Irish Clinical Advisory Group. Outside of work, Victoria still finds time to enjoy crafts and be a member of Wallasey Soroptimists helping other women and girls access opportunities that improve their lives.


ur first cohort of nursing associates have now qualified and officially registered with the NMC

(Nursing and Midwifery Council). Congratulations to Susan Quirk, Kate Johnston,

Kirsty Irving, Kayleigh Speight, Stefanie Loftus (pictured left to right) and Paul Stewart. They have worked extremely hard over the past two years to obtain their Foundation Degree from the University of Chester and are making an important contribution to patient care on wards 38, 23 and 22 at Arrowe Park Hospital and M2 at Clatterbridge Hospital.

In partnership with other local organisations, WUTH was one of the first trusts to introduce the nursing associate role as part of a pilot to bridge the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses. As members of the nursing team, they provide hands-on care to patients alongside registered nurses, clinical support workers and other ward colleagues.

We’ve been sharing stories about our Nursing Associates on social media which have had an amazing response and have resulted in enquiries from various people asking about the role, which you can see in the Facebook comments on this page.

To find out more about nursing associate secondment opportunities in the future, please contact Jane Williams on extension 7167 or [email protected].

Meet our Nursing Associates

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“Real life super hero’s”

“Huge congratulations to

you all. Exciting times ahead”

“Congratulations to

you all! Well done on

your achievement”

“How do I apply for this? I am looking for something new.”


ayleigh started working at WUTH in 2008 as a Band 1 Domestic in the Pathology Lab. After

three years she took maternity leave to have her second child.

Upon returning to work Kayleigh wanted a career in nursing and obtained a job as a Clinical Support Worker in the Emergency Department, securing her Band 3 within ten months. After remaining in the Emergency Department for three and a half years, Kayleigh then moved into Maternity as she considered training to be a Midwife. However, this proved not to be the path for her.

In 2017 Kayleigh was successful in obtaining a full time secondment as a “Trainee Nursing Associate” and has spent the last two years gaining experience and skills through placements in mental health, district nursing and a number of wards within WUTH. This has led to her qualifying as a Band 4 Nursing Associate on Ward 38, where she is really happy to be in charge of her own area, with Registered Nurse support.

Kayleigh wishes to continue her training to become a Band 5 Staff Nurse as soon as she can.

Kayleigh said: “WUTH’s a great place to work and progress and it’s been a massive opportunity for me. The support of the Practice Education Facilitators has been fantastic and they’ve guided me through the process every step of the way.

“I‘d encourage anyone to take opportunity they’re given for any training so that they can progress.”

My NHS Journey – Kayleigh SpeightK


esearch is actively encouraged in our organisation. A number of departments

do research at WUTH, including Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Maternity, Neonatology, Paediatrics, Respiratory medicine and Rheumatology. Breast cancer research is a relatively new area of research at WUTH.

Since 2016 Mr Raman Vinayagam (Ram), Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon and Clinical Lead, along with our Senior Research Nurse, Liz Bailey, has been involved in eight new breast cancer studies.

They have identified and recruited over 100 patients to these studies. However, the ground work was put in place many months before this, with the whole breast unit team being prepared and trained.

Ram said: “Research is a team effort and this research wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the staff here at the breast centre. Staff also now have a much better understanding of how research can be seamlessly incorporated along standard patient care.”

Most of the breast cancer research done is complex. Some of the studies test new drugs and compares them to a placebo, whilst other studies look at comparing the different surgical interventions in breast cancer treatment.

Due to the nature of some of these studies, results may not be apparent for up to ten years.

For example, patients who have low-risk cancer may be offered either immediate operation or active monitoring by yearly breast x-rays (mammogram). Other studies will offer results more quickly. Some of these will be a drug and others will receive either a placebo or no drug (control arm). At the time of the operation a further biopsy will be taken from the cancer to look for changes in the cancer cells.

Ram said: “Unit participation in research provides high quality care for every patient, irrespective of whether they participate in the research or not. It also provides access to newer treatments which are not otherwise available for the Wirral population. Our health care professionals get extra satisfaction that they are contributing to breakthrough in breast cancer treatment. The women participating in research feel that they are helping others who may benefit from the newer treatments in the future.”

Ram’s overall aim is to continuously improve patient care and outcomes, with reduced side effects and complications.

Due to Ram’s success in research he has recently been appointed as Sub-Speciality Research Group Lead for Breast Surgery for the North West Coast Clinical Research Network. His role is to promote and increase breast surgery research across the North West.

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Research at WUTH

Some of our Breast Centre team. Left to right - Raman Vinayagam, Mahmood Mustafa, Maria Callaghan, Chris Dutton, Liz Bailey, Shabbir Poonawala, Raj Burrah and Sam Hodkinson

Follow the Twitter feed @WUTHresearch


s a teaching hospital, nurturing new talent is an important part of what we do so in partnership

with Wirral Met College, we have recently provided training opportunities for five young Wirral residents considering careers in the health sector.

The 12-week structured programme supported learners to gain qualifications in Customer Service, English and Maths and provided 32 days of non-clinical work experience in a variety of roles based within Newborn Hearing and Screening, Learning and Development, Bereavement Services, Transformation team, Gastroenterology and Nephrology.

Upon completing the programme, each participant signed up to NHS professionals and they are now well equipped to apply for paid work here at the Trust.

We would like to say a big thank you to all of the teams who supported these placements. The young people involved made a meaningful contribution to their departments and we hope to welcome them back to WUTH in the future as colleagues.

Jade Roberts, age 19, worked with the Transformation team for her placement. She is pictured receiving her certificate from Chris Lawlan, Employer Advisor at Wirral Met College and Matthew Chamberlain, WUTH’s Apprenticeship Business Partner.

Nurturing young talentA

IChanges to core mandatory training

t’s important that all staff are compliant with core mandatory training so we can ensure we

have a safe, effective workforce, reducing the harm to ourselves, our patients, visitors and colleagues.

All staff must be compliant with core mandatory training. To help you identify the requirements for your role, a matrix has been developed which details course name, relevant staff groups and how the training is delivered.

Having listened to your feedback you’ll be pleased to hear that we are moving more of our mandatory training to e-learning via ESR and a number of ‘how to’ guides are available. In addition there are a number of drop-in sessions to support you with ESR.

For information on the above or if you have any questions, please visit the ‘Core Mandatory Training’ page of the staff website.


e’ve been named one of the ‘Most Wired’ hospitals in the world in a ranking by the

College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).

The programme recognises organisations at the forefront of digital care who use technology to deliver a high quality patient service.

As a Global Digital Exemplar (GDE), we’re one of the most digitally enabled NHS organisations in the country. Through the Digital Wirral programme, we are harnessing innovative technology to transform the way health and social care services are delivered.

Our digital achievements in recent years have included the Electronic Patient Record (EPR). This helps to minimise medical errors, achieve shorter inpatient stays and make better use of clinical time.

Technological improvements have supported developments around infection control, safeguarding, document retrieval and electronic referrals.

Our Patient Portal is also being used by patients treated for colorectal, urological or breast cancer and has reduced the number of follow-up outpatient appointments required after completing their cancer treatment.

Our ranking amongst the ‘Most Wired’ hospitals in the world for 2018 has come just a few months after we celebrated our first anniversary as a GDE site. One of our greatest digital achievements is the Wirral Care Record (WCR), which is a single record covering nearly 330,000 people living across the Wirral. It allows the sharing of information between health and social care providers involved in the patient journey. The WCR is helping care providers as well as commissioners in Wirral to know their population, identify risks and help prevent illness.

Paul Charnley, Director of IT and Information, said: “For over 10 years we have been working hard to build on existing technology by adopting new clinical IT systems to enhance patient care here in Wirral.

“Our technology is already saving thousands of hours for our clinical staff. Time which is now spent on direct patient care. It’s a great achievement to receive this global recognition and we will continue to support our clinical staff with cutting edge technology that enables us to provide better, safer and smarter patient care.”

Paul Charnley, Director of IT and Information; Jacqui Cooper, Chief Nursing Information Officer; Sheila Stewart, Associate Director of Informatics and Gerry O’Sullivan, Chief Medical Information Officer

Award for digital careW

he following comments were received by NHS.uk:

“The Dermatology Department at Clatterbridge is excellent. Both my appointments for treatment of basal cell carcinoma were conducted in an exemplary manner. The consultants were clear in describing the condition and its treatment. They were gentle, skilful and successful. The nurses were efficient and reassuring. The follow up letter detailing the procedure and its clinical / laboratory result was received promptly in three to four weeks.

Thanks are due to all concerned.”

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Patient thanks


Check your ESR

New Pay Date L istening to staff requests and suggestions

means we can often work together to make changes.

From April 2019 the date that staff are paid each month will now stay the same where possible rather than it fluctuating at the end of each month.

The new pay date will be the 27th of each month (except when this date falls on a weekend or Bank Holiday when it will be the preceding Friday).

As in previous years, the December pay date will also be earlier than the 27th so it helps you in planning the festive period. We’ll let you know this date as soon as we have it to hand.

This important change brings the WUTH monthly pay date in line with other NHS organisations who already have set monthly pay dates.

olleagues are advised that it is your own responsibility to ensure that personal

information on your Electronic Staff Record (ESR) is up to date.

Please check and ensure all of your information such as home address, next of kin etc is current. Managers are also asked to please ensure their teams know how to access ESR and how to update their information.

It is important that all of your details are correct, even areas such as ethnicity, religious beliefs and sexual orientation. For us to have this information

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utpatients clinics at Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge are to get a new look with high

quality, more lino-style flooring installed to improve the environment in all areas.

As well as a better appearance, the new flooring will improve infection control standards and be much easier and quicker to clean.

The location of patients’ appointments will be moved over a two week-period for a set groups of clinics each time, with the rolling programme hopefully finishing in April.

It’s one of the first improvements to the physical environment introduced through the Outpatients Transformation Programme, which aims to give patients a better overall experience.

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New flooring across Outpatients

as an organisation means we are able to further develop our important inclusivity agenda.

ESR enables you to book general training for personal development. You can also view payslips prior to payday and your Total Rewards Statement.

Staff can access ESR via the icon on your PC desktop or the homepage of the staff website.

You can also access ESR on your mobile devices by downloading the My ESR App:

1. Log into the ESR Portal on a WUTH computer

2. Click ‘Manage Internet Access’ found at the top of your ESR Portal Home Page

3. Create a password4. Downlolad the App and you’re offFor further information visit the ESR pages of the

staff website or pop along to one of the ESR drop in sessions in the IT Suite, McArdle Libaray at Arrowe Park Hospital on the following date

• 28th February: 9.30am-12.30pm and 1pm-4pm

• 5th March: 9.30am-12 Noon• 13th March: 9.30am-12.30pm and

1pm-4pm• 20th March: 9.30am-12.30pm and

1pm-4pm


s we approach Apprenticeship Week, we’re celebrating two big milestones. Not only did

we reach our 200th new starter since regulation change in March 2017, but we are also one of the participants of the first master’s level clinical degree programme in the region.

We now have exciting plans for Apprenticeship Week which runs from 4th March to 8th March:

Monday 4th March - Two Careers clinics will be held in Room 6a/b in the Education Centre, Arrowe Park (10am-11.30am and 2pm-3.30pm) for advice about career opportunities and what we can potentially offer through the apprenticeship route. At the same time, quality buses (one at Arrowe and one at Clatterbridge) will be touring wards and offices promoting opportunities and providing information.

ur Matron Helpline is there to offer support, help and advice to staff, patients and visitors. This is to ensure we are able to respond effectively to patient needs. Chat to one of our WUTH Matrons on

07826858846 who are available 24 hours per day, every day. Look out for our new pull-ups and posters which will be displayed around the organisation shortly.

Tuesday 5th March - WUTH will be interviewing for a new traineeship cohort to start at the end of March.

The programme provides 18-24 year olds with long term work experience and qualifications that will assist them onto the first steps of the career ladder. If you have a family member within this age range that might be interested in taking up this opportunity, please let them know about the interview day.

Wednesday 6th March - The apprenticeship team, clinical skills and therapies will be attending The Wirral Hive Skills Show to showcase career opportunities to over 1000 young residents of Wirral.

For information contact Matthew Chamberlain on Ext 5102.

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Matron Helpline

Apprenticeship Week


hat would YOU like to see in your monthly magazine? Please give your thoughts on what

you would like to see in future editions. Contact the Communications and Engagement Team on Ext 7267 or email [email protected]

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Your Feedback and Ideas

A re you following us on Twitter and Facebook? Keep updated on the latest news and events at

WUTH as it happens.

Keep connected

WUTHstaff and WUTHnhs

@WUTHstaff and @WUTHnhs

Clubs and Activities

WUTH has a number of clubs and societies for staff including Zumba, Kung Fu, the Choir and Crochet and Knitting, all of which are either free or charge a small fee per session. We’re looking to expand this range of activities. If you have any ideas, or would be interested in leading a class or group yourself, please email Joe Roberts at [email protected].

Your Health and Wellbeing matters

The NHS North West Games will be bigger and better than ever this year, with events including running, 7-a-side football, golf, swimming and a family fun day, taking place between April and November this year. All events take place at venues in Merseyside and are open to all abilities and levels of fitness. Dates for the different events will be published over the next few weeks. The games have taken place annually for the last seven years and WUTH has always fielded teams. Let’s enter our biggest ever team in 2019!

Staff Rest Area - 2nd floor APH

It’s important that staff can take breaks but the design of our buildings mean that not all of our wards and departments have facilities where staff can take some time out from their work area. The Dining Room on the 2nd floor at Arrowe Park has now been fully refurbished, with comfortable sofas, vending machines and basic kitchen facilities – with a TV coming soon! ALL staff are invited to make use of this new facility. Please contact switchboard for the door code.

Coming Soon – NHS North West Games


pring is on the way and you may be thinking about your next challenge or cause to

support. A number of colleagues have chosen to do something great for WUTH Charity over the next few months...

S Sonia Ingram, Maternity Appointments

Coordinator, has taken up the challenge to run the

2019 Virgin Money London Marathon for WUTH

Charity. New to running in recent years, Sonia has

run a number of races increasing in distance and is

now training hard for her first marathon.

If you would like to sponsor Sonia pop into the

Charity Office at Arrowe Park main entrance.

In preparation for the Marathon, Sonia has

signed up to the Liverpool Half.

Sonia said: “I am so excited to be taking part in

the London Marathon and to be running for WUTH

Charity is just the icing on the cake. I have been

employed at WUTH for nine years and I am really

proud to be able to raise money for our charity. I

know that I am lucky enough to have the support

of my colleagues, friends and family and I just hope

that I can raise a good amount of money for a

worthwhile cause.”

We wish Sonia the best of luck with her training

and look forward to sharing more news about her

fundraising leading up to the marathon on

Sunday 28 April.

#teamwuthcharity

‘Motorvate for the 8’n September 2019 a team of four WUTH Radiographers known as ‘The Dosebusters’

will be completing the Motoscape Rally. What does this involve? Leaving Arrowe Park

Hospital on Friday 6th September, Cara, Jenny, Grace and Emma will drive across 8 countries in five days: UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria and Italy, in support of WUTH Charity’s eight funds.

They’ll cross the finish line in Venice on 11th September and have an ambitious target to raise £15,000 in 2019, leading up to the final event in September.

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The team said: “We have already had some great support from our colleagues in our department before Christmas, but we need your help! So let’s #motorvateforthe8!”

If you wish to donate or need further information please visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/motorvateforthe8

For all enquiries about how to support our fundraisers, or how you can get involved, please contact the Charity Office - [email protected]

intouch - wirral university teaching hospital nhs ... · intouch february 20 7 s a teaching...

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