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Heartlands Hospital and Birmingham Chest Clinic
Page 3
Baby Boxes bounce into
Birmingham and Solihull
April 2017
Page 7
Nutrition and Hydration
Week highlights
Page 12
National Staff Survey
results are in
World TB Day takes
place
This year, World TB Day took place on
24 March, building public awareness
around tuberculosis.
The first patient to be treated on the HASU with staff
Stroke team are ‘one of the
best performers’ in the UK
Latest data published by the Sentinel
Stroke National Audit programme (SSNAP)
has shown that Heartlands is one of the
best performing hospitals in the West
Midlands for providing stroke care.
Heartlands Hyper Acute Stroke Unit
(HASU) has been rated as level A in the
audit with a score of 87.4, the highest
achieved since the Unit opened in 2014 and
a huge improvement from a C rating in
March 2016.
Both Good Hope and Solihull Hospitals
stroke units’ have achieved a rating of B
with a score of 74.4 and 75 respectively,
which is a significant improvement from a D
rating in March 2016.
The SSNAP clinical audit provides
information to inform the public about how
well their local hospital is performing at
diagnosing and treating stroke patients. It
looks at the whole hospital stroke pathway
from when the patient arrives at hospital to
when they are discharged, and generates an
overall SSNAP score from performance in 10
categories of care including:
•
•
•
•
•
How quickly a patient received a brain
scan
How quickly the patient arrived on
the stroke unit
How long patients were cared for on
the stroke unit
Whether they received clot-busting
treatment and how quickly this was
given
Whether they needed therapy, if that
therapy was provided, and for how
long
Heartlands Hospital manages all
emergency stroke admissions across the
Trust in its Hyper Acute Stroke Unit. The
team sees between five to 20 new patients
a day from across Birmingham, Solihull,
Sutton Coldfield, South Staffordshire and
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Warwickshire, making it one of the biggest
and busiest units in the UK.
Once the patient is stable, they are
discharged home or transferred to their
local hospital if they require rehabilitation.
Trust’s clinical lead for stroke services,
Dr Rajendra Yadava said: “Credit goes to
the hard work put in by our staff to make
important changes to our stroke service
and I’d like to thank them for their efforts.
They have made significant improvements,
leading to better outcomes for patients and
meaning more people recover without any
disability after a stroke.”
The HASU was opened at Heartlands by
Birmingham City FC honorary vice president
Mike Wiseman back in October 2014 after
stroke services were reconfigured at the
Trust. The HASU has been designed to
provide specialist care in the first 72 hours
after a stroke to improve patient care and
save lives.
This is a condition caused by
mycobacterium tuberculosis, a bacterial
infection spread through inhaling tiny
droplets from the coughs or sneezes of
an infected person.
It is a serious condition which mainly
affects the lungs, but can also affect
other parts of the body, including the
bones and central nervous system.
Although not as common in the UK,
Birmingham has one of the highest rates
of tuberculosis (TB) in the country.
Symptoms will vary depending on
where the infection occurs. A cough that
lasts for more than three weeks and/or
coughing up blood, night sweats, weight
loss, fatigue and loss of appetite are the
most common symptoms to look out for.
You could also end up having headaches,
abdominal pain and swollen glands.
TB can affect anyone and the Trust
TB service sees a diverse range of child
and adult patients. The service offers
inpatient and outpatient treatment at
the Birmingham Chest Clinic, Heartlands,
Good Hope Hospitals including our
neighbouring Trusts within the city,
as well as in homeless centres and
community based clinics.
Anyone suffering with symptoms
would be advised to see a GP, who will
refer to the TB Service, as most TB cases
can be cured by completing a course of
antibiotics for six months. This can also
reduce the risk of TB spreading.
Find
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news
April 2017
April health seminar
Good Hope will be hosting the next
health seminar run by the Trust and this
month it will focus on the subject of
managing chronic pain.
Dr Richard Baretto, a consultant
immunologist at the Trust, will be
hosting what is sure to be a very
enlightening and useful talk.
The talk will take place from 5pm to
7pm on Tuesday 18 April at Good Hope’s
Education Centre. To book your place
on the seminar, please contact Sandra
White, membership and community
engagement manager, on 0121 42 41218
or email sandra.white@heartofengland.
nhs.uk
The Trust runs monthly health seminars
to help raise awareness of a range of
health conditions, as well as providing
information about the treatment and
support that is available.
Nominations open
for staff awards
Do you work with, or had experience as
a patient or visitor, of someone working
at the Trust who has gone ‘above and
beyond’ this year?
Is there a team who you think deserves
special recognition for their fantastic
work? Our Trust’s Building Healthier
Lives Awards 2017 are now open for
nominations.
For more details on how you can
nominate for the 2017 awards visit www.
buildinghealthierlivesawards.co.uk or
contact Natalie Ryan, events manager on
0121 42 41811.
GET IN TOUCH
Hello and welcome to the April edition
of news@. We hope you enjoy reading
about some of the great things going
on across the Heart of England NHS
Foundation Trust.
If you have a story or an event coming
up which you think could be suitable
to feature in news@ please do get in
touch with the communications team on
0121 42 41809 or email james.brindle@
heartofengland.nhs.uk
Thanks for reading!
New non-emergency
patient transport service
What you need to know about the new
service provided by West Midlands
Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
Patient transport services across
Birmingham are run by the local clinical
commissioning groups (CCGs) – the clinicallyled statutory NHS bodies responsible for the
planning and commissioning of health care
services.
The local CCGs in Birmingham have
recently renegotiated their contact with
West Midlands Ambulance Service to
provide non-emergency patient transport
and the new contract will come into effect
on 1 May 2017.
If you currently use non-emergency patient
transport to get to your appointments,
you may find this overview of the service
provided by West Midlands Ambulance
Service helpful:
1.
How is transport arranged?
You will be responsible for booking your
own transport, or you can ask a family
member, carer or friend to do it on your
behalf.
You will need to have the following
information available when booking:
•
•
•
•
•
•
2.
Name
Date of birth
NHS number
Pick-up address (including postcode)
GP name and practice address
Date, time and location of your
appointment
Once transport is booked what
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
happens next? What can I expect to
happen?
can get your CCG’s contact details from your
GP surgery.
Once the booking has been made, you
do not need to take any further action.
We hope you will register for our text
messaging service; this way you will receive
a text confirming your booking, including
updates on the day of your journey.
7.
I am deaf/have learning difficulties/
don’t speak English well/need additional
support, is there someone who can help
me?
3.
Will my transport pick me up again?
Yes. All patients attending an appointment,
and have transport booked with us, will
have a return journey booked for them at
the same time.
4.
If I need transport in future, how will
my eligibility be assessed?
Your eligibility for transport will be checked
by booking staff every time you book; this
might be different to the service that you’ve
been used to. If you are not eligible for free
transport, you will be given details of local
services that may be available to you.
5.
What if my circumstances change?
You can discuss any change in your
circumstances when booking transport,
which staff can check against the eligibility
criteria and advise you if you are eligible for
transport.
6.
What happens if I live outside the
area?
You will need to contact your local NHS
Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) who
will advise you on what you need to do. You
Of course, please let staff know what
support you require and we’ll be very happy
to help.
8.
I already have regular transport
scheduled; do I need to do anything?
You will need to ensure you rebook every six
months, in order to maintain your regular
transport arrangements. If you have recently
been discharged from hospital, you will also
need to ensure that you call the booking
office to re-activate your regular booking.
9.
What can I expect from the new
service?
Your time spent on the vehicle will be
kept to a minimum, with 95% of patients
spending no more than 60 minutes on
board for journeys that are less than 15
miles. We aim to collect you, following your
appointment, within 30 minutes of your
scheduled collection time.
10.
If I have problems/queries about my
transport who can I get in touch with?
Please contact the booking office on 0800
035 6511 (from 1 May 2017). You can also
call West Midlands Ambulance’s patient
experience team on 01384 246370 or email
them at: [email protected]
Find your way around the hospital page 16
news
April 2017
Baby Boxes bounce into
Birmingham and Solihull
3
Communications
team wins regional
award
Mums-to-be in Birmingham and Solihull
can now access free Baby Boxes for their
newborns to sleep in, thanks to a Trust
midwife.
Lara Taylor, specialist midwife for teenage
pregnancy, has worked tirelessly with the
Birmingham and Solihull United Maternity
and Newborn Partnership (Bump) over
the last few months to bring the Baby Box
initiative to the region.
Baby Boxes launched at the Gospel End
Community Centre in Hall Green on 8 March
and over 100 new and expectant mums and
babies went along to pick up their boxes.
The Baby Box programme will encourage
early engagement with maternity services
and access to care for all pregnant women.
Lara was particularly keen to introduce Baby
Boxes to teenage parents as a way of giving
their babies the best possible start in life.
The Baby Boxes, which are made from
durable cardboard and come with a firm
foam mattress, waterproof mattress cover
and a cotton sheet, are traditionally used in
Finland as a baby’s bed for the first months
of their life.
Replacing the need for a traditional Moses
basket or cot, it is thought the small size of
the Baby Box prevents babies from rolling
onto their tummies, which experts think
can contribute to sudden infant death
syndrome.
Families receiving a Baby Box will also
have access to the Baby Box University,
a comprehensive maternal and childcare
education platform, available from
pregnancy onwards. Bump has customised
the educational content to suit the needs
of new mums in Birmingham and Solihull.
Available in a variety of languages,
the content overcomes the language
barriers that can be a problem in diverse
populations.
The Baby Box tradition, which originates
The Trust communications team were
recognised at the Institute of Internal
Communications Central and North
Awards, where they picked up the
class winner award for ‘Most Effective
Culture Change Programme’.
Samantha Parry, Clare Beesley, Natalie Rossiter and Sarah Moxon from the Trust
from Finland, has been credited with
reducing the infant mortality rate in the
country from 65 infant deaths per 1,000
births in 1938 to 2.26 per 1,000 births in
2015. The UK has some of highest rates of
infant mortality in Europe, ranking 22nd
out of the 50 European countries with 4.19
deaths per 1,000 births.
Lara said: “I am delighted to have been
involved in introducing Baby Boxes to new
mums in Birmingham and Solihull. It’s a
great way for mums to access important
pregnancy and health education, regardless
of where they live, what language they
speak and their personal circumstances.
“Our aim is to improve the general health
and wellbeing of all of our mums and
babies, with the Baby Box being the ideal
platform to deliver this.”
If you’re a new or expectant mum, you
can get your Baby Box by attending parent
education classes or visiting Baby Box
University http://www.babyboxuniversity.
com/ and registering.
After watching some short educational
videos, you will receive an e-certificate of
completion, which you will need to bring
with you to your antenatal appointment for
collection.
You can also take your e-certificate and
collect your box from:
•
•
•
•
Heartlands Hospital Maternity
Antenatal Clinic every Saturday 12pm
– 3pm
Solihull Hospital Netherbrook
Birthing Unit on Sunday and Monday
afternoons 1pm – 3pm
The You+ Shop in Chelmsley Wood
every Saturday 1pm – 4pm and
Tuesday afternoons 1pm – 4pm
From the Good Hope Hospital midwife
led clinic every Friday 2pm – 4pm
Bereavement team win Annual Midwifery
SANDS Bereavement Care Award
The bereavement team, who provide
compassionate and committed care for
families after the death of their baby
following a miscarriage, stillbirth or
neonatal death, have won an RCM Annual
Midwifery SANDS Bereavement Care
Award.
The team were recognised for their
excellence in bereavement care for women
and their families.
We have our own bereavement facilities
in a home-from-home environment that
creates a special place where families feel
safe and cared for. Within the unit, they
have their own baby mortuary facilities,
so families know where their baby is at all
times.
They can visit whenever they wish, in a
familiar environment where staff know
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
them and their baby. The team have an
‘open-door’ ethos so are available 24/7.
Clare Beesley, bereavement support
midwife, said: “Our approach to care is
always a family-centred one, led by parents
so they have accurate information at a
time that’s right for them. Care is always
unhurried, non-judgmental and families are
supported with their decisions, creating an
environment where they feel safe and cared
for.
“We’re a busy multi-site Trust, but our
team run a flexible 24 hour service to meet
individual, personal, religious, cultural
requirements. I am very proud of the team’s
dedication and delighted to have won this
national award.”
Nominated for their efforts in
communicating the changes about the
new leadership team, staff engagement
and Trust rebranding, the team were
delighted to be announced as the
winners at the event.
Byron Batten, head of communications,
said: “The team have worked hard to
communicate important changes about
the Trust to staff. The communications
team are continuing to work across the
Trust with workforce, education, medical
illustration and other divisions to
support the embedding of our branding,
vision and values, so this work is likely to
continue and develop. I am proud of the
team and what they have achieved.”
Individuals make
change happen
Staff network meetings provide a forum
for staff to meet on a bi-monthly basis to
discuss matters relevant to them.
They also provide advice and support
for their members and arrange occasional
social events.
The networks are open to all Trust staff
and we actively encourage allies to join us
at our network meetings. Allies are staff
who believe everyone should experience
full equality in the workplace. If you
require any further information please
contact [email protected].
uk
•
•
•
•
Rainbow Friends LGBT staff network
meeting – 21 April from 2pm until
4pm at Heartlands Education Centre
Inclusion Steering staff and patient
network meeting – Friday 5 May
from 10am until 12 noon at
Heartlands Education Centre
BAME staff network meeting –
Thursday 11 May from 10am until
12 noon at Heartlands Education
Centre
Staff with a disability and long term
health condition – Friday 19 April
from 2pm until 4pm at Heartlands
Education Centre
Find your way around the hospital page 16
4
news
April 2017
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust Charity news
CuddleCot comfort for
bereaved families
Tesco give heartfelt
donation to children’s ED
A West Midlands family have raised
£4,000 to purchase a CuddleCot for
the bereavement suite at Good Hope
Hospital, in memory of their daughter
Willow.
Sam Phillips and her partner Carl were
at a routine 28 week scan, when they
discovered that their daughter Willow
had no heartbeat.
Sam delivered Willow two days later
and thanks to a piece of equipment
called a CuddleCot, Sam and Carl were
able to spend five days with their
daughter, giving them and their wider
families valuable time with her. They
spent the five days in the Snowdrop
Suite, an area at Good Hope Hospital
for families who are experiencing early
miscarriage, still birth, or neonatal
death.
The CuddleCot cooling mat is placed
under the cot or Moses basket and
allows the family to spend time with
their child, without distressing trips to
and from the mortuary.
Sam and Carl were determined to
raise money for more CuddleCots, so
organised a sponsored walk around
Sutton Park with their families and
friends – raising £4,000 to purchase a
new one.
They found the stillbirth very
traumatic, but were grateful for the time
they had with Willow and raising this
money, they feel like her life has meant
something.
Sam said: “We were devastated to
lose Willow, but spending time on
the Snowdrop Suite, where it was so
peaceful, gave us time to grieve for our
daughter. I am proud that we’ve been
able to help other families who have lost
a child.”
Sam and Carl presented Clare Beesley
and Sarah Lane, bereavement midwifes,
with the CuddleCot.
About Us
If you would like to donate to the Heart
of England Charity or find out more
about the work it does you can visit
www.heartofenglandcharity.org.uk,
call the team on 0121 42 40973 or email
[email protected]. You
can also get in touch with the charity’s
work on Facebook at www.facebook.
com/HeartofEnglandCharity
Heartlands’ Children’s Emergency Department takes the donation from Tesco staff
The Tesco Extra in Yardley has donated £500
to the Children’s Emergency Department at
Heartlands.
The donation was made to support the
Children’s Accident and Emergency Appeal,
with the purchase of new toys and other
equipment for the children that use the
services. The toys at the unit are used to
help children with anxiety and fears before
undergoing treatments they may need.
The store on Coventry Road has made
the donation to the hospital as part of its
commitment to supporting the community.
Samantha Howell, charity officer, said:
“We are very grateful for the donation
and like all donations to the hospital,
they really benefit patients and the local
community. The money from Tesco Yardley
will go towards making the Children’s
Emergency Department a more comfortable
environment for the children who come into
the department for treatment.”
Sam Nutting, community champion at the
Tesco Extra store, added: “We are delighted
to support the Children’s Emergency
Department at the hospital with a £500
donation. It is a difficult time for parents
and children when they visit the hospital
so we hope the donation can go toward
making the department a more calming
place for them.”
Charity serves up dementia friendly crockery
A range of new brightly coloured dining
crockery is set to benefit patients with
dementia across Heartlands, Solihull and
Good Hope Hospitals thanks to the Heart of
England Foundation Trust (HEFT) Charity.
The Charity supports patients, carers and
their families across the three main hospital
sites by funding items above and beyond
what the NHS provides.
Research has shown that patients with
dementia can experience difficulties with
sight and perception and because of this
they struggle to see food on white and pale
plates.
By using coloured crockery, food contrasts
against the plate making it easier for
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
patients to eat and finish their meals.
Jennifer Chatham, charity services manager
for the HEFT Charity said: “Contrasting
colours can help patients to distinguish
between foods and rimmed plates can also
help those with dexterity problems or who
can no longer use a knife.
“After consulting with our dementia team,
we have bought more than 600 pieces of
crockery which will absolutely benefit the
nutrition of our patients suffering with this
debilitating illness. We are delighted to be
able to support our patients in this way.”
Dementia is now the UK’s leading cause of
death and at any one time 25% of hospital
beds across the Trust are occupied by
patients with this diagnosis.
The new crockery is just the latest in a
number of projects and initiatives aimed
at improving the care delivered by HEFT to
patients with dementia as well as raising
awareness of the condition itself.
To support our Appeal visit http://www.
heartofenglandcharity.org.uk/project/
elderly-and-dementia/
Find your way around the hospital page 16
news
April 2017
Compliments & complaints:
Visually impaired patients
We have looked in previous news@ editions
at some of the compliments the Trust has
received for teams and services but we
also wanted to highlight how a complaint
received has led to a positive outcome:
Following a serious complaint to the Trust
about care surrounding a visually impaired
patient, on-going work has been taking
place to create new guidelines for the
visually impaired.
What is visual impairment and why is it
important for us to improve our services?
Sight loss affects people of all ages, but is
increasingly likely as we get older. People
who are blind or partially sighted are
entitled to the same quality of provision
from the Trust as any other patient.
Reasonable adjustments to patients’ clinical
and social care needs should be addressed,
in compliance with disability and equality
legislation and the recent introduction of
NHS Accessibility guidance. This requires
effective mechanisms for the identification
of visual impairment, at outpatient clinics,
on wards and at other Trust services.
To help us to better identify the needs of
our patients and the support they require,
we appointed Richard Cox, an independent
consultant at Seeing Sense, to conduct a
research project across different areas of the
Trust where the needs of visually impaired
people on wards could be addressed.
His study has shown that issues on wards
are only part of the hospitals’ responsibility
to address the needs of visually impaired
people: appointment letters, signage,
lighting and staff training for cleaners,
caterers, receptionists, security staff, clinic
staff and other patient-facing services also
need attention. For example, ensuring
signage on all its sites complies with RNIB
guidance about size of text, colour contrast
and lighting. The Trust will ensure it
complies with accessibility legislation, NHS
protocols and good practice in providing
reasonable adjustments to its administrative
processes.
•
•
•
Do you have poor sight?
How does it affect you?
What do you want me to do to take
account of it in the way you are cared
for?
A simple acronym may assist staff to
remember what is required. For example
SIGHT AID: Announce your presence,
Inform the patient what you are doing, and
Describe any changes on the ward.
Staff can also:
1.
2.
What additional care can we provide for
our patients?
3.
Where visual impairment has been
identified, a Sensory Impairment Care Plan is
completed with specific information about
identified needs and held with the Nursing
Core Notes at the foot of the patient’s bed.
Staff should also remember that:
•
•
•
•
•
•
On approaching a bed, staff should
identify themselves and the purpose
of their arrival
If delivering e.g. drink, meal,
medication, establish that the patient
clearly knows its location
On leaving, verbally make departure
clear
At nursing staff handover, the
presence and needs of visually
impaired patients should be one of
the issues specifically mentioned
Where there are changes made on
a ward, these should be explained
to visually impaired patients. For
example, a moved bed, the arrival or
departure of another patient.
Staff should re-introduce themselves
at an early opportunity after each
Use a prominent symbol above the
bed of those patients identified as
visually impaired once patient consent
has been obtained through use of
a yes/no permission question on the
Sensory Impairment Care Plan. The
yellow symbol to use represents
a “shaded eye”. This is easy to
understand and widely used.
A similar sticker should be attached to
the front of main patient notes and
the front sheet of the Nursing Core
Notes
A similar flag should be displayed on
the front page of electronic handover
screens
What resources are available for our staff?
•
•
•
•
•
The RNIB website www.rnib.org.uk
offers information about specific eye
conditions.
Seeing Sense website www.seeingsense.com offers a Free DVD, “Living
with failing Sight” that explores the
emotional and practical impacts of
sight loss.
Clinical advice and assistance is
available from the ophthalmology
department at each Trust hospital site.
A policy on accessibility, which will
further cover visual impairment, is
currently being developed and will
be made available to all staff on
completion.
The full document ‘Meeting the needs
of visually impaired people using HEFT
services’ can be found on the intranet
policies site under Nursing, Supporting
Documents.
More award success for Parkinson’s QI team
The Trust’s Parkinson’s Quality Improvement
team has been celebrating after picking up
an award for outstanding services at the
Parkinson’s UK Excellence Network Awards.
Their work in the specialist area has
helped people across the region suffering
with the condition to be treated more
effectively in hospitals. This prestigious
award win follows the recognition of
their powerful Parkinson’s educational
video which has been endorsed by the
Parkinson’s UK Charity and is used within
national educational programmes. The film
also received an award for the ‘my story’
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
Beware: NHS tax
rebate scam
shift handover: many patients will not
recognise them again.
What can we do for our patients to help
identify visual impairment?
For patients where the incidence of
visual impairment is known to be a high
probability, assessment to check for this will
now be automatic. This includes patients
over age 75, admissions due to falls, patients
with learning difficulties and some specific
ethnic backgrounds.
As part of the assessment to understand
the patient needs, staff can explore the
following three key questions with the
patient or their carer:
5
category at the 2016 National Haelo Film
Festival.
Dr Sally Jones, consultant geriatrician
and lead of the Parkinson’s QI team, said:
“This Quality Improvement project has
significantly improved care for people with
Parkinson’s within the Trust and has been a
fantastic example of collaborative working
between different professional groups to
make a real difference for our patients.
“Our staff are now more confident in
managing Parkinson’s. Our patients are
really benefitting, and we are now starting
to share this learning with other Parkinson’s
teams across the country.”
Across the NHS, staff are being targeted
by tax rebate companies that claim to
offer services where they can get a tax
rebate on the victim’s behalf.
The fraudsters operating these
companies often manage to gain access
to NHS sites by claiming to be raising
awareness of a charity. They advertise
their services to staff members and have
been known to set up stands in the
reception or restaurant areas.
The companies request that the victim
sign forms which give them permission
to liaise with HM Revenue & Customs
(HMRC) on their behalf, stating their
fee will be charged after the rebate is
received.
HMRC have confirmed that they
have issued refunds to the companies
in relation to requests received and
authorised by the staff member. Once the
refund is obtained, all contact with the
companies is broken and the victim does
not receive their rebate.
Protect yourself with these simple steps:
•
•
•
•
Research the company’s reputation
online by viewing feedback
Do not feel pressured to sign
documentation without doing
some basic checks including
registration details
Do not respond to unsolicited
emails, texts or calls offering rebate
services
Make sure that you are aware of
and agree to the commission that
will be paid to a rebate company
prior to signing any documents
Fraud awareness
refresher sessions
It is only by working together as a
team that we, as NHS staff, will be able
to reduce fraud within the Trust to the
lowest possible level. If you or members
of your team have not had a fraud
awareness refresher session in the last
24 months, please contact Local Counter
Fraud Specialist, Julie Lennon, at Julie.
[email protected] or call 0121 696 8572.
Presentations are carefully tailored to
your staff group but typically cover what
fraud is, who typically does it, the most
common types of NHS fraud, cyber fraud,
your role in preventing fraud and how
concerns can be raised.
If you’d like to learn more about fraud,
please visit https://www.reportnhsfraud.
nhs.uk/
Find your way around the hospital page 16
6
news
Nurses take on Wolf
Run to improve
Children’s ED
A team of five
nurses from the
Children’s Emergency
Department at
Heartlands will
be taking on the
Summer Wolf Run
to raise money
to improve the
environment for
their young patients.
Nicknamed Max’s Minions and led by
Julie Thomas, paediatric emergency
department sister, the team includes
paediatric nurses Katrine Tansley,
Demi Butler, Bernice Sproston, Emma
Goodaker, trainee paediatric advanced
clinical practitioner Helen Whitehouse,
emergency department consultant Dave
Raven and his wife and emergency
department registrar Elena Croescu.
The Summer Wolf Run at Stamford
Hall in Leicestershire on Sunday 4 June
is a gruelling 10k off-road run featuring
a series of man-made and natural
obstacles.
The team are hoping to raise £1,000,
which will be spent on specialised
lighting and ceiling tiles for the waiting
area. These are designed to distract
children while they are waiting to be
seen by a doctor or nurse, so they feel
less anxious and nervous.
Julie said: “We’ve been training hard
to prepare and one of our emergency
department consultants, Dr Katie
Wright, has promised that if we raise
£1,000 on our JustGiving page, she will
join us on the Wolf Run.”
If you’d like to donate to Max’s
Minions, please visit http://www.
justgiving.com/Children-s-A-E-DeptHeartlands.html
Radiology
refurbishment update
Work has been completed at Heartlands
and the new CT scanner is fully installed
and operational.
Plans are underway at Good Hope to
remove the old CT scanner and prepare
the area so that the new scanner can
be installed. The new interventional
radiology suite at Heartlands opened for
patients at the end of March and we will
bring you a full look inside at the new
facilities in the next edition.
The imaging team ran a successful
recruitment drive in February, attending
an event at Birmingham City University
to attract new members to the team.
The team has already interviewed 27
candidates and are looking to continue
recruiting over the coming months.
If you would be interested to see what
opportunities are available, visit http://
imaging.heartofengland.nhs.uk or follow
@heftradiology for the latest updates.
April 2017
Respected doctor and
organ donation champion
bids farewell to the Trust
A doctor who has played a major role
in shaping critical care at Good Hope
over the past two decades, as well as
championing organ donation, is hanging up
his stethoscope to enjoy a well-deserved
retirement.
Dr Julian Hull is to retire after 23 years
working at Good Hope Hospital. Julian
started working at the hospital as a
consultant anaesthetist in 1994 and was
then appointed as clinical lead for critical
care at Good Hope.
During his career he was appointed as
chair of the West Midlands Critical Care
Group, as well as clinical lead for the West
Midlands Critical Care Network at the
height of outbreaks of MRSA and when the
Trust was highlighted as one of the more
successful trusts in combating MRSA.
Another of Julian’s commitments has been
as clinical lead for organ donation for the
past six years. He provided clinical leadership
to ensure organ donation practice and
policy was implemented at the Trust and
generally promoted and championed organ
donation.
Julian was heavily involved in the design
of the new intensive care unit at Good
Hope together with the expansion of
the consultant intensivist (also known as
critical care physician) numbers to allow
Dr Julian Hull
for a separate on-call for Intensive Care in
response to increasing clinical demand.
Other highlights during his career at the
Trust have included his work as educational
and clinical supervisor for critical care
trainees.
On retirement, Julian plans to spend
time enjoying his hobbies including scuba
diving, hill walking and a recently acquired
interest in bee keeping. Julian also enjoys
cycling and has entered to do the ‘Velo
Birmingham’ festival of cycling. He will also
continue with his commitments as trustee of
the Sepsis Trust.
Julian said: “What attracted me to
working at Good Hope and what has always
kept me here is the working relationships
with colleagues from all specialities - it has
always been a friendly place to work.”
Julian’s colleague Alyson John, specialist
nurse for organ donation in the Midland
Organ Donation Services team, said he
would be ‘sorely missed’.
She said: “Julian has been a tremendous
support to the specialist nurses for organ
donation working closely with him over
the last six years as clinical lead for organ
donation. Without Julian’s dedication,
commitment and flexibility we would not
have been able to make the inroads we
have in relation to organ donation within
the Trust in Emergency Department, ITU and
theatres.
“We would like to say a huge thank
you for all the support personally and
professionally that he has provided and
this thanks is extended by NHS Blood and
Transplant too. He will be sorely missed and
we wish him all the best in his retirement
and hope to catch up over coffee, toast and
honey in the future.”
Steve says his goodbyes after 40 years
Steve Waller, head of operations for clinical
support services, is retiring in March after
more than 40 years service for the NHS.
Steve initially joined the NHS as a trainee
biomedical scientist in clinical chemistry at
Chesterfield, before stepping up to become
laboratory manager. He then moved on
to Derby as pathology manager and then
associate director for assessment and
diagnostics.
He was persuaded to join the Trust back in
2010 as directorate manager for Laboratory
Medicine and oversaw the Pathology
transformation project and the new
laboratory development. He subsequently
became group manager for Pathology and
Radiology, and in 2016 was appointed to his
current post.
Steve has brought his good humoured
and efficient management style to all of his
NHS posts, and we wish him and his wife
Maureen, who works in the laboratory in
Chesterfield, a happy retirement.
He has agreed to return to spend some
time helping the integration of laboratory
services between the Trust and University
Hospitals Birmingham.
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
Divisional director Dr Alan Jones and director of operations Jonathan Brotherton bid
farewell to Steve Waller (centre).
Find your way around the hospital page 16
news
April 2017
7
Week of special events promotes
nutrition and hydration awareness
There were cocktails and canapés and the
Trust’s own version of ‘Come Dine With
Me’ as teams across our hospitals and
community services marked the annual
Nutrition and Hydration Week in March.
Teams including therapies, nursing and
catering worked together to promote and
raise the profile of good nutritional care
and the hydration for patients as part of the
Trust’s ongoing ‘Eat, Drink, Move’ approach
to keeping well in hospital.
It all kicked off at Heartlands as the Trust’s
catering team held a ‘Come Dine with Me’
event in the Crush Hall to give staff and
visitors the chance to sample some of the
meals served to patients during their stay in
our hospitals.
The feedback was again excellent as the
catering team aim to dispel some of the
myths surrounding the quality of patient
food. The event was also held later in the
week at both Good Hope and Solihull
Hospitals.
The Medical Day Hospital at Heartlands
brought its patients and staff together for
a fun afternoon of ‘cocktails and canapés’,
as well as eldersong bingo which proved a
big hit.
The event aimed to encourage patients to
get out of bed, enjoy a drink (strictly nonalcoholic cocktails of course) and a bite to
eat, all vitally important in their recovery.
The middle of the week saw World
Afternoon Tea Day marked with events
across the Trust, again to encourage
nutrition and hydration, with the elderly
and cystic fibrosis wards hosting afternoon
teas.
Ward 22 was transformed into a Mad
Hatter’s Tea Party on the final day of
the week and it coincided with their
celebrations after they won the ‘Eat,
Drink, Move’ display board competition at
Heartlands which had been run across the
Trust’s hospitals during the week. Ward 20
and 7 were also highly commended.
At Good Hope the winner of the
competition was Ward 11, with Ward 21
highly commended.
Heather Shorthouse from Ward 22
Ward 22 at Heartlands won the ‘Eat, Drink, Move’ display board competition
Julie Beadsmore, assistant catering manager, at the Heartlands ‘Come Dine With Me’
Medical Day Hospital staff host ‘Cocktails and Canapés’ at Heartlands
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
Visitor tucks in to some delicious food
Patient enjoys the eldersong bingo
Find your way around the hospital page 16
8
news
April 2017
Education is the key to boost
It is fair to say Mazim Ali’s family have been
affected more than most by kidney disease
and he is certainly well placed to offer
guidance and advice to patients.
World Kidney Day
Factfile
•
•
•
•
•
•
Black, Asian and minority ethnic
(BAME) communities are more at
risk, but less likely to donate
Kidney failure is up to five times
more common in people from
BAME communities.
Asian people with diabetes are
10 times more likely to suffer
from kidney failure compared to
Caucasians
People from BAME communities
are more likely to need a kidney
transplant.
Over a third of people in the UK
waiting for a kidney transplant
are from BAME communities.
But people from these
communities make up less than
4% of the NHS Organ Donor
Register (ODR)
On average Asian people wait
321 days longer and Black
people wait 327 days longer
for a transplant. The shortage
of donors among this group is
critical.
Raising awareness
World Kidney Day was marked again
last month and the renal team at the
Trust were out and about spreading
awareness.
The renal team were joined by
colleagues from Kidney Research UK
and Trust dieticians in the Crush Hall at
Heartlands where they spoke to staff
and visitors about kidney conditions,
offering advice, blood pressure tests
and a raffle to raise funds for Kidney
Research UK and the Trust charity.
Dr Indy Dasgupta, consultant for
renal medicine at the Trust, was with
the teams on the day and said raising
awareness with events such as World
Kidney Day was vital.
He said: “The main thrust of what
we are doing here today is raising
awareness with the public about kidney
disease and the risks associated with it.
“We want to make sure people
are aware and have got themselves
screened, particularly those at high risk,
such as those with high blood pressure
and diabetes, which is the most common
cause of kidney failure in the UK and
indeed the world.
Mazim – Maz to all who know him – was
diagnosed with bilateral polycystic kidney
disease (PKD) in 1990, during his final year
of a pharmacy degree. His wife, her older
sister and her younger brother have all had
transplants, and three of his four children
are also affected by this genetic disease.
This has led Maz to use his experience by
working with Kidney Research UK as a peer
educator, helping to raise awareness of
kidney disease and the need for more organ
donors from black, Asian and minority
ethnic (BAME) communities.
He has also been working with the renal
team at Heartlands on the peer educator
based community project ACE (Acceptance,
Choice and Empowerment) that aims to
improve choice and quality of life for predialysis patients.
Maz told news@ about his transplant story.
He said: “Over a period of time after my
diagnosis my kidney function gradually
started to deteriorate. In early 2011, 21
years after being diagnosed and having had
a number of tests to ensure I was a suitable
candidate, I was put on the transplant
waiting list and had my first dialysis session
in May 2012.
“I had to
give up fulltime work as I
was beginning
to suffer the
symptoms of
kidney failure.
My consultant
had already
informed me
that members
of my South
Asian community tended to wait longer
for a transplant as there were not enough
potential donors on the register from BAME
communities.
“We started to look at the possibility of
live donations and my younger brother
and two cousins came forward as potential
donors for me, my sister-in-law and my
wife, whose kidney function was also now
deteriorating. A date over the summer of
2013 was planned for the transplants.
“However, fortune smiled on us and in
the early hours of 23 April 2013, I received
two phone calls from the local transplant
coordinator – one to inform me that a
kidney was available for me, and the
second, that a kidney was also available for
my sister-in-law.
Maz Ali (top left) and his fellow Peer Educators
“We became the first family members to
have a kidney transplant on the same day
from the same donor.”
Maz’s sister-in-law unfortunately
developed type 2 diabetes as a side effect
of the steroid medication she has to take,
something that happens to one in three
patients post-transplant. Maz’s kidney is
We became the first
family members to
have a kidney
transplant on the
same day from the
same donor
Mazim Ali
now working well, enabling him to return
to work and get involved in the peer
educator project.
“Helping others,” Maz said when asked
why he wanted to get involved as a peer
educator, “It’s as simple as that.
“I remembered being told how long I
would have to wait for a transplant because
there weren’t enough donors from my
community. Having finally received the gift
of a dialysis-free life, it was the least I could
do to help others and to give a little back.”
The ACE project has seen Maz and
fellow peer educators use their personal
experience to talk to people about the
different aspects of dialysis as they look at
ways of tackling the misinformation and
misunderstanding around dialysis which has
seen a poor uptake of dialysis treatment
among BAME communities.
Maz said: “We have had some brilliant
feedback so far as the people we are talking
to can relate to us. There are a number of
reasons why people in these communities
may decide not to go on dialysis, whether
they think they can go back home to get
a cure for kidney disease when there is
no such thing, or they wrongly think that
by going on dialysis they can’t have a
transplant.
“This is why education is the key and
why I believe the ACE project is extremely
worthwhile.”
Patients or carers who have experiences
of dialysis and who live in the Birmingham
area can get in touch to get involved. Email
[email protected] or call
01923 510 196 or 07810 555 844 for more
information.
Staff mark World Kidney Day
Peer Educators make a difference
Hundreds of people who might be
hesitant to sign up to the donor register
have taken the decision thanks to peer
educators like Maz Ali.
These individuals have first-hand
experience of what a difference an organ
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
transplant can make to not only strangers
but often their families and friends.
Each week Maz and his fellow educators
spend time talking face-to-face with
people and the volunteers also spread the
message at festivals and mosques across
the region.
The programme to raise awareness,
co-ordinated by charity Kidney Research
UK, has had support from the Department
of Health. The Peer Educators talk to
individuals to raise awareness about the
need for people from all communities to
sign up to the donor register.
Find your way around the hospital page 16
news
April 2017
9
donor numbers and dialysis uptake
Living donations
How do I express an interest in
becoming a living kidney donor?
If you know the person you are
considering donating to, please
contact the hospital/transplant centre
where they are cared for. If you do
not have a recipient in mind please
contact the living donor coordinator in
your local transplant centre who can
advise you on the process. There is a
full list of transplant centres at www.
organdonation.nhs.uk/livingdonation.
Is there an age limit for donors?
In England, Wales and Northern
Ireland, there is no lower age limit
specified. In Scotland, only people
over 16 years of age can be legally
considered.
There is no maximum age limit for
donation. Donors are assessed on their
own health and the suitability of the
kidney for the intended recipient.
How will I know if I am suitable to
donate?
You will undergo a number of medical
and surgical tests to check that you are
fit and healthy enough to donate.
Members of the team involved in
your assessment may include doctors,
nurse co-ordinators, counsellors,
psychologists and social workers. They
will guide you through the process
every step of the way.
What are the risks?
A kidney will never be removed
from someone unless the doctors are
satisfied that the risks to them, in the
short and long-term, are acceptably
low.
All potential living donors are
encouraged to consider the risks when
they are deciding if living donation
is right for them and these will be
explained as they go through the
process.
For more information visit www.
organdonation.nhs.uk/livingdonation
Practical considerations
What if I live in a different part of the UK
from the person I am donating to?
Your transplant team can arrange for
your donor assessment to take place at a
hospital near to you. Usually the donation
will take place in the hospital where the
person you are donating to is cared for.
However, it may be possible to donate in
a transplant centre closer to home. Your
kidney can always be transported safely to
the recipient’s transplant centre.
What if I live outside of the UK?
You can still donate to a friend or family
member but there are some restrictions on
donating to people with whom you have
not had a close or previous relationship
if you are not resident in the UK. Some
preliminary tests can be arranged in your
own country to see if you could be a
suitable donor.
You should contact the living donor
coordinator in your recipient’s transplant
centre for further information and advice. .
operation around your work to minimise
disruption to your job.
The recovery period after the operation
usually lasts between four to twelve weeks
depending on the surgery, your individual
recovery and the type of work you do
How long does the donor assessment
process take?
The assessment process usually takes at
least three months. Wherever possible, the
assessment process is tailored around your
other commitments.
How will I be able to afford time off work?
There is a UK scheme which enables donors
to reclaim necessary expenses such as
loss of earnings and travel. However, you
should first discuss this with your employer
and find out what is available under
your (their) terms of employment around
Statutory Sick Pay. Please talk to your
Living Donor Coordinator about expenses
at an early stage of the process.
How much time will I need to take off
work?
Most transplant centres will try to arrange
the tests and investigations before the
Surgery and recovery
How is the kidney removed?
You will be given a general anaesthetic
during the operation. Usually the kidney
is removed using keyhole surgery. You will
have 2-4 keyhole wounds (around 1cm)
and, depending on the technique used, a
slightly longer scar where the kidney was
removed.
How long will the operation take?
The operation usually takes approximately
two to three hours. When you wake up
you may have a tube draining your urine
(a urinary catheter) and a drip (a tube
inserted into your arm through which the
medical team can keep you well hydrated
and give you pain killers as needed). You
may also have a tube draining fluid from
the main surgery area. All of these will be
removed over the following days as you
recover.
How long will I be in hospital?
This varies depending on your individual
recovery and type of surgery but the
average stay is three to five days.
How painful will it be?
When you wake up, you will already have
been given strong painkillers to help
reduce any discomfort after the operation
and you will continue to receive pain relief
for as long as you need it in hospital. You
will also be given painkillers to take with
you when you go home.
Will I need to take medication after
donating?
Apart from the painkillers you may also
need to take antibiotics for a short period
of time. However, you will not need any
long-term medication as a result of kidney
donation.
What about follow-up?
We will ask you back to the hospital
between two and six weeks after donation
so we can check that you are recovering
and healing well. We also encourage
you to attend a follow-up appointment
every year after your donation so we can
make sure your remaining kidney is still
functioning well and that you are still fit
and healthy after your donation.
What if I decide against being a donor?
Sometimes people decide that donating
is not for them part-way through the
assessment process. You are free to change
your mind at any point along the way.
The transplant team wants you to be
comfortable with the choice you make
and will be supportive and respectful of
any decision you make along the journey –
even if this means you not donating.
Will the transplant be successful?
Living kidney transplantation is usually
very successful with 97% of donated
kidneys working well a year after the
operation. However, there is no guarantee
that the transplant will be successful. It is
important, before going ahead, to consider
how you might feel if the transplant is not
successful.
Will you be told the outcome of the
donation and subsequent transplant?
For non-directed altruistic donors and
donors in the paired/ pooled donation
scheme, it is likely that you will never know
the outcome of your donated kidney or
the identity of the recipient unless the
recipient chooses to make contact with
you.
Legal and cultural considerations
How is living donation governed in the
UK?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland
the Human Tissue Act 2004, and in
Scotland the Human Tissue (Scotland) Act
2006, provide the legal framework for
organ and tissue donation in the UK. The
Human Tissue Authority (HTA) regulates
the donation by living people of solid
organs and part organs. The HTA give
approval before any living donation can
proceed. All donors will be assessed by
an Independent Assessor, who is trained
and accredited by the HTA, as a routine
part of the evaluation process to ensure
that all the legal requirements have been
met. The law requires that the donor
must fully understand the nature and
risks of the procedure and that there is no
coercion, pressure or payment involved in
the donation of the organ or part organ,
which is illegal in the UK.
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
Can I promote someone’s search for a
donor on social media?
What are the religious views on living
donation?
NHS Blood and Transplant does not
actively promote organ donation appeals
for individuals. We strongly advise the
person who is seeking a transplant in
this way to discuss their situation with
their own medical or transplant teams for
further advice and support.
Most religions support living donation as
they view it as a gift to a loved one.
However, if you have any doubt, you
should contact your religious leader or
place of worship for support and advice.
Find your way around the hospital page 16
10
news
April 2017
Be aware of Sharps
Everyone has a role to play in the
prevention of sharps injuries according to
the Trust’s Health and Safety team.
The Trust has a legal responsibility for
the health and safety of its staff ensuring
that hazards and risks associated with
sharps are assessed and actions are
in place to mitigate risk. Individuals
also have a responsibility to protect
themselves and those around them
including colleagues, patients and visitors.
Sharps are needles, blades and other
medical instruments that could cause an
injury by cutting or piercing the skin.
Sharp injuries occur when a needle or
sharp instrument accidentally penetrates
the skin; or when blood or bodily fluid
splashes into the eyes, nose, mouth or
onto broken skin; or when a scratch or a
bite occurs which breaks the skin.
Anyone working in healthcare can be
at risk. This includes those who directly
handle sharps but also includes workers
who may be put at risk when sharps are
not stored or disposed of correctly.
It is important that any accidents/injuries
are reported by staff via the Datix system.
The process to follow in case of injury is:•
•
•
•
Wash and encourage wound to
bleed
Cover wound and report incident
All injuries must be reported via the
Datix system.
Report to Occupational Health for
further support/guidance
Here are some general tips for Sharps
safety:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Avoid using sharps if possible
Use intravenous devices with a
safety feature wherever possible
A safer needle device should be
used wherever possible
Clinical sharps are single use only
Sharps must not be passed directly
from hand to hand
Handling of sharps should be kept
to a minimum
Needles must not be bent or broken
prior to use or disposal
Do not re-sheath needles
When transporting sharp items
always use a tray
Never leave sharps lying around
Wear gloves when undertaking
venepuncture
Obtain assistance when dealing
with a confused or uncooperative
patient
For further information see the Sharps
Incident Splash Policy available via the
Policy section on the staff intranet.
For further information email
the health and safety team on
healthandsafetyteam@heartofengland.
nhs.uk or phone Sara Sharratt on ext.
42639, Jane Smith on 41478 or Kevin Bell
on 42040.
Nathan Kinch
Prince’s Trust programme is
a ‘life changer’ for Nathan
A young apprentice has spoken about the
Prince’s Trust ‘Get into the NHS’ programme
supported by the Trust which has helped
put him on the path to a rewarding career
in the health service.
Before getting involved with the Prince’s
Trust, Nathan Kinch was living in Derby and
made the conscious decision to move back
to Birmingham to be around his family.
However, after Nathan came back to
live in Birmingham, slowly his life became
isolated. He would stay up all night playing
on computer games which lead to him
feeling depressed. It was then his job coach
suggested he attended a job fair where he
was signposted to the Prince’s Trust ‘Get
Into’ programme.
Nathan attended the open day, impressing
the Education Team at the Trust with his
determined attitude and was selected
to attend the NHS ‘get into’ four week
programme.
During the four weeks, the young people
were given the chance to learn first aid,
interview skills, how to apply for NHS jobs,
team working and confidence building, all
skills and knowledge needed to apply for a
job within the NHS.
Nathan said: “I am dyslexic and all the staff
helped me in a multitude of ways to get
around issues that I have faced.”
Nathan was allocated a placement within
the Medical Illustration department, who
provide services to the Trust such as ID
badges, filming, clinical photography,
graphics and media.
Nathan originally had reservations, but
trusted the Education Team and arrived on
his first day with an open mind and a can-do
attitude.
“For the two weeks I was there I fully
enjoyed and embraced my experience”,
Nathan said. After his placement had
finished, he was lucky enough to be
eligible to apply for the Medical Illustration
apprentice post which was advertised on the
NHS Jobs website.
Nathan was successful in obtaining the
apprenticeship position and now works
full-time for the Trust within the Medical
Illustration team. Nathan feels getting back
to work has boosted his confidence and has
helped to improve his social skills. He has
made many friends and works well with
all of his colleagues, who have been very
helpful, supportive and understanding.
Whilst working Nathan is also studying
for a Customer Service Level 2 qualification.
This will enable him to progress within his
chosen career.
Nathan said: “I had tried many times
to gain a job within the NHS, but had
failed. The Prince’s Trust ‘Get into the NHS’
programme has changed my life and I
highly recommended it to anyone who is
interested in a job in the NHS.
“Working for the Trust I feel part of a
community and I am slowly getting back to
my old self. I would not be in employment
now if it wasn’t for the Prince’s Trust and
the NHS for giving me this opportunity.”
If you would like to be part of this exciting
initiative, helping the future workforce
of the NHS and have the capacity to offer
placement opportunities for Prince’s
Trust students please contact Stephanie
Parkes on ext. 43147 or email stephanie.
[email protected] to discuss.
Alternatively if you would like to offer an
apprenticeship within your area please
contact Wendy Ilsley at wendy.ilsley@
heartofengland.nhs.uk. Or visit www.
princes-trust.org.uk for more information.
Dying Matters Awareness Week
Every year in May, Dying Matters and our
coalition members host an Awareness
Week, which gives us an unparalleled
opportunity to place the importance
of talking about dying, death and
bereavement firmly on the national agenda.
This year Dying Matters Awareness Week
will run from 8-14 May, focusing on the
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
topic ‘What Can You Do?’ This aims to
expand on conversation about dying, death
and bereavement and get people actively
planning and helping those who may
need extra support in times of grief and
bereavement, be they friends, family or in
your wider community.
Last year at the Trust we ran a number of
events to support Dying Matters Awareness
Week. Staff have been asked to think about
what they can do in your areas this year to
support the week. It may be something as
simple as an information display in their
area of work.
Further information and resources can be
found at: http://www.dyingmatters.org/
AwarenessWeek
Find your way around the hospital page 16
news
April 2017
Spotlight on….
Clean hands help our
patients
Solihull Community Rapid Response Service
The service provides rapid assessment and
treatment of acutely unwell patients in
community settings across the borough of
Solihull.
It offers a commitment to providing an
initial assessment by the most appropriate
clinician within a two-hour response time.
The aim of the service is to try and avoid
hospital admission for patients in the
community under the care of their GP.
Patients referred to the service must
have an acute medical/clinical need or
exacerbation of their chronic condition that
can be supported at home safely and does
not require admission to hospital. Only
appropriate referrals are accepted to ensure
the most acutely unwell are prioritised.
Once a referral has been made, the nurse
or therapist will triage the patient within a
two hour period over the phone. If a visit
is required, this will be arranged to assess
their medical condition and then discuss
what treatment can be provided to support
them at home. This includes assessment,
diagnosis and treatments available.
Reasons for referral include, but are
not restricted to: Urinary tract infections,
respiratory tract infections, skin and
subcutaneous skin infections, falls,
nausea and vomiting, mild dehydration,
joint disorders (fractures MUST have
been assessed and stabilised in hospital),
exacerbations of long-term conditions,
patient’s experiencing a health or other
crisis that may lead to secondary care
admission. Referrals can be made by any
health professional.
Laura Maisey
Laura Maisey, rapid response sister
explains: “This is a great service for acutely
unwell patients who often prefer to be
treated in the comfort of their own homes.
11
All the care we provide is in the community,
within your own or residential home.
“Once we have made an assessment, a care
plan will be documented with the agreed
outcome to the patients’ care requirements
and left in their home for other health care
providers to review to ensure everyone will
know what care is needed. When being
reviewed by either the nurse or therapist,
changes will be documented in the care
plan as treatment progresses until the
patient is discharged.
“Patients are accepted for a maximum
of 10 days. Once the assessment has taken
place a plan of treatment will be initiated.
This will include clinical review and care
provision if an acute episode of illness is
identified.
“Across Solihull, there are four areas
that staff are based; North, Central, Rural
and Shirley. Each team is made up of rapid
response sisters, mental health nurses,
therapists, geriatricians and pharmacists.
There are designated social workers within
the team. This means the teams can work
together within a variety of disciplines to
ensure that responses to all referrals are
timely.”
To find out more about the team, contact
0121 42 45666.
All visitors to the hospital are reminded
of the importance of good hand hygiene
to prevent the spread of germs and
infections.
You should always wash your hands
when entering and leaving a ward area
and also before and after any contact
with the friend or relative you are
visiting. Hand gels are provided for your
use at the entrance of each ward along
with at the end of each patient bed.
We encourage you to use it freely.
Handwashing sinks are also provided on
all ward areas should you choose to use
soap and water. Remember that wetting
your hands before applying soap will
prevent your hands from getting dry.
The soap on our dispensers has special
antibacterial ingredients that help us
keep hospital related infections to a
minimum. Our staff have a strict hand
hygiene regime along with remaining
bare below the elbow to ensure they
wash away any germs thoroughly before
and after caring for each patient.
Peripheral venous
cannula (PVC) chart
changes
From Monday 24 April, revised charts
will be in use across the Trust for
PVC management. This change will
apply to all clinicians, trained nurses,
ward clerks and junior doctors. This
means that from midnight on 23 April,
the current documentation will be
removed from the ward and the new
documentation introduced. For any new
cannula insertion or on commencing
documentation for a newly inserted
cannula, the revised PVC chart will be
used.
What are the key changes?
•
•
Food hygiene – reminders to all staff
In the interest of food safety, the Trust
catering services would like to remind
all ward staff that only food supplied by
the Trust’s catering department should be
stored in the patient ward fridges.
This food should be clearly labelled with
a use by date and covered to prevent
cross contamination. Food for patient
consumption supplied by the catering
department held in these fridges, must be
used within the attached use by date, and
must be disposed of when the expiry date
has been reached.
Under no circumstances must the patient’s
fridge be used for the storage of personal
food or beverage items, this includes all
produce purchased from retail units on
Trust premises. The ward catering staff have
been instructed to remove and dispose of
any food or beverage items that are not
intended for patient consumption or not
supplied by the catering department.
Please also note that organised cake sales
for charity events etc. should be limited to
cakes that are purchased from a reputable
supplier that are pre-packaged and labelled.
The cakes should not be presented for sale
where there may be a potential risk of
contamination. Fresh cream cakes should be
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
•
•
avoided as these will need to be kept under
temperature controlled conditions.
Takeaway meals should not be used for
patient feeding. Staff members bringing
takeaway meals or home prepared food
onto Trust premises do so at their own risk
as the Trust accepts no responsibility for any
health issues related to consuming this type
of food.
Staff must not consume food in patient
areas or ward kitchens unless authorised to
do so. For further information regarding
food hygiene and food safety issues please
refer to the Trust’s Food Hygiene Policy
under Policies on the staff intranet.
•
•
•
There will be one chart per cannula
Clinicians inserting a cannula
must place a sticker on the chart
and indicate on the diagram, the
position of the cannula
All staff monitoring the chart
should review it every 8 hours
The new charts last 5 days instead
of 72 hours if on VIP assessment the
cannula scores 0
PVC management plan incorporated
on the back of the chart
There is a prompt for IV flush
VIP score 0-3 (scores 4 and 5 are
removed)
For further details on the above
changes, please see What’s New on the
intranet where it shows the revised chart
and how each team will be affected. The
changes benefit our patients and will
reduce risks associated with infection.
Staff will also benefit as it will reduce
the level of paperwork required for
documentation.
Find your way around the hospital page 16
12
news
April 2017
National Staff Survey 2016 - the
results are in…we are improving
Thank you to everyone who completed the
2016 National Staff Survey back in October
and November. 3,619 staff took part and
had their say, which is 36% of our staff.
88
QUESTIONS
78
IMPROVED
7
NO CHANGE
2016 was a year of change and great
improvement for our Trust. With the new
leadership team in place and the continued
dedication and hard work of staff, we have
seen improvements in A&E performance,
18 week referral pathway, cancer targets,
and key HR metrics including staff appraisal
rates and mandatory training.
The results from the Staff Survey reflect
this, and we saw improvements on 78 of
the 88 questions. We made significant
improvements on 45 questions and only
three questions significantly worsened.
We have also seen an improvement in our
overall staff engagement score, which is
very positive news.
You may remember that we have been
ranked in the bottom 20% of Trusts for the
last few years, and while we remain below
average, we are committed to continuing to
We want to make sure staff can access
the wellbeing support we have available,
and are promoting our independent staff
counselling advice line. The Confidential
Care service advice line is available to
discuss any concerns staff may have, 24
hours a day on, 0800 0851 376. You can
also login to the Confidential Care website
to access a whole range of resources, from
managing money to preventing burnout.
Just use the login details below.
The Occupational Health team also run
monthly sessions on Managing Stress &
Building Resilience sessions, to book a
place email: wellbeing@heartofengland.
nhs.uk
build on the improvements we have already
seen.
We have started work on two key areas:
•
Resources - we want to make sure
our staff have the essential equipment
they need to keep our patients safe.
We’ve already started speaking to
staff about what they need, and one
example is extra beds were hired for
Good Hope Emergency Department
until internal stock became available.
Please continue to escalate via
your divisions and departments any
concerns you have about lack of
equipment
•
Staff Wellbeing - we know that
high work pressures can greatly
impact on our workforce and we
want our staff to have the tools they
need to cope within our pressured
environment
Venue
Date
Room
Time
Birmingham Heartlands Hospital
27/04/2017
11
09:00 - 11:00
Good Hope Hospital
23/05/2017
3
09:00 - 11:00
Solihull Hospital
28/06/2017
2
09:00 - 11:00
Birmingham Heartlands Hospital
27/07/2017
11
09:00 - 11:00
Good Hope Hospital
30/08/2017
4
09:00 - 11:00
Birmingham Heartlands Hospital
27/09/2017
3
09:00 - 11:00
We are encouraging all teams to take the time to talk about your survey results and choose one thing you want to start doing
differently to improve your working lives. For a copy of your departmental results, please contact the workforce engagement team on
ext.40845 or email [email protected]
We will continue to provide opportunities for your feedback throughout the year via the quarterly Staff Friends & Family test, and look
forward to continuing to make improvements in the year ahead.
3
WORSENED
52% of
staff would
recommend as
a place to work
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
62% of staff
would recommend
us for care and
treatment
Find your way around the hospital page 16
news
April 2017
Gill on beating cancer twice
Gill Freeman, 71, is celebrating four years
of being clear of advanced ovarian cancer
after lifesaving treatment and surgery by
the teams at Good Hope Hospital and PanBirmingham Gynaecological Cancer Centre
at City Hospital.
Gill was first diagnosed with breast
cancer when she was 55 and had a double
mastectomy. She made a good recovery and
returned to work as a medical secretary
and, after 25 years at 67, she retired. A
few weeks later, when she was on holiday
visiting her daughter and grandchildren in
Dubai, Gill noticed that her stomach was
swelling. When she returned home, she
was also in pain, so she visited her GP who
suspected it might be a hernia and referred
Gill to a hernia specialist. An ultrasound
scan revealed nothing suspicious and
although she didn’t feel right in herself, Gill
put the pain down to over exertion at the
gym.
Over the next few days the pain got
worse and she was struggling to breathe
so she went back to her GP who referred
her to Good Hope Hospital. There she
had a CT scan of her chest as the medics
suspected a pulmonary embolism. The
results showed litres of fluid pushing up
into her chest, affecting her breathing. Gill
thought the breast cancer had returned.
However, a blood test revealed high levels
of CA125, which can indicate ovarian cancer.
Consultant gynaecological oncologist Mr
Janos Balega, who works for the Cancer
Centre, told Gill that she had stage three
ovarian cancer, which meant that the cancer
had spread outside the pelvis up into her
stomach.
She quickly started a three-month course
of chemotherapy at Good Hope Hospital.
At the end of the chemotherapy Mr Balega
carried out a ‘debulking’ surgery – the aim
BHBN’s LATEST
RADIO SCHEDULE
BHBN Hospital Radio broadcasts patient
requests, music, news, live sport and a range
of speciality programmes to NHS hospitals
across Birmingham. The station, founded in
1952, is based in new studios in the Heritage
Building (original Queen Elizabeth Hospital),
they are on air 24 hours a day. They can also
be heard via their website www.bhbn.net
and the TuneInRadio app.
MONDAY
4pm
5pm
7pm
8pm
of which is to remove all the tumours. He
successfully removed all cancer including her
womb, cervix, ovaries, tubes, appendix, the
omentum and other parts of the tummy, in
a complex five-and-a-half hour surgery.
The operation left Gill with no visible
cancer and four years on, the grandmother
of eight, is living a full and active life again.
She enjoys gardening, going to the gym and
spending time with her partner Brian. She
also frequently visits Denmark and Dubai,
where her son and daughter and their
families live.
Gill says: “I am only here thanks to the
efforts of Mr Balega and the teams who
cared for me through both of my cancer
diagnoses. I am so grateful for the amazing
care they have given me – saving my life
twice. I have a lot to thank the medical
world for.”
Ovarian cancer affects one in 50 women
in the UK – primarily postmenopausal
women but in 20% of the cases, it
develops in women aged younger than
50. Unfortunately, in early stages, ovarian
cancer does not give specific symptoms and
to date, there is no effective screening test
available. However, certain symptoms can
give a clue to the doctors and patients:
Visit your GP if you are 50 or over and
experience the following symptoms:
•
•
•
•
•
•
persistent abdominal distension,
bloating
feeling full
loss of appetite
unexplained weight loss, fatigue or
changes in bowel habit
pelvic or abdominal pain
increased urinary urgency and/or
frequency
You should also visit your GP if you are
over 50 and have symptoms of irritable
bowel syndrome.
Mr Balega said: “The aim of surgery is
to remove all cancer – providing the best
outcomes possible for the women affected
by ovarian cancer. The Pan-Birmingham
Gynaecological Cancer Centre at City
Hospital offers world-class care and is
renowned for its expertise in ovarian
cancer. It’s one of the few centres in the UK
offering the whole range of operations for
ovarian cancer.
“I am so pleased that we were able to help
Gill recover from her cancer and that she
continues to live a full and active life.”
Education centre offers great facilities
Most staff and visitors to Heartlands
Hospital will have come across the site’s
Education Centre offering a fantastic
learning and conference facility right on our
doorstep.
in Education Centre facilities and supports
educational initiatives.
This is where HECLs manager Margaret
Meixner believes there is scope for the
Education Centre to really broaden its offer
in the coming months.
She said: “We have a really great facility
here at Heartlands and we are constantly
improving our offers and the services we
provide. We have recently invested in new
technology to ensure we provide up-to-date
IT provision for those using the centre, with
wireless microphones, video-conferencing
facilities, voting handsets and operating
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
Music from Stage and Screen –
Miranda Burns
Good Vibrations – Donna Joseph
Hospital Request – Miranda Burns
The Evening Show – Dale Hobson
TUESDAY
4pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
7pm
8pm
The Rock Years
Words & Music – Brian Henderson
Good Hope Hospital Requests –
James Chew
The Evening Show – David Elliot
THURSDAY
5pm
7pm
8pm
Thursday Tea Time Show– Bill & Jo
Solihull Hospital Requests – Geoff
O’Brien
The Evening Show – Chris Friday
FRIDAY
4pm
6pm
8pm
Let’s Get Quizzical – Emma Boydell
Pick & Mix – Brendan Delaney
The Evening Show – Rhi Sprague
CBSO Concerts when broadcast
are on Fridays from 7pm
SATURDAY
7am
9am
11am
2pm
theatre to lecture theatre video links.
“I believe there are opportunities to
attract more events and conferences to
the Education Centre, possibly utilising
the facility more at weekends and in the
evenings.
“As well as the terrific lecture theatre and
training rooms, the centre also has its own
on-site restaurant, Freshers, which is run by
Prince of Wales catering, which provides
an excellent service to our users and they
have recently expanded as a result of their
success.”
HECL also established a Bursary for Junior
Doctors to supplement their limited study
leave budget and have awarded over
£20,000 since the bursary was established
in 2008. This has enabled doctors to attend
and present their research at conferences,
which would not otherwise have been
possible.
If you would like to find out more about
HECL and how your organisation could
utilise the Education Centre email margaret.
[email protected] or call
0121 41 42584.
You can also visit the Education Centre
website https://www.heftfaculty.co.uk/
Playing it Cool – Pete Bayliss
Easy Listening – Kelly Howell
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Requests –
Nick Whitehouse
The Evening Show – Paul Millington
WEDNESDAY
4pm
6pm
1pm
However, you may not realise that it
is owned and operated by Heartlands
Education Centre Ltd (HECL) which was
formed in 1994 to raise funds for, build,
operate, maintain and develop the original
Education Centre.
The company pay all operating costs of the
Education Centre and re-invest all surpluses
in the maintenance and development of
facilities and infrastructure to support
education and training and have re-invested
over £1.5 million to support education to
date.
The primary function of the Education
Centre is to support the education and
training of staff at the Trust by providing
training rooms and catering services for
those events.
However, the facilities are also hired to
local healthcare partners and external
conference organisers, with all profits
generated from such activity re-invested
13
5pm
8pm
9pm
Weekend Breakfast – Dave Horton
BHBN Gold – Colin Monnaf
The Frock Show – Sarah Morris
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Requests – Anita
Shah, Michelle Woodhouse (Military
Ward) (Alternate Weeks)
Birmingham Sport – Live Commentaries
from Villa Park, St Andrews or The
Hawthornes
Saturday Disco – Marky B
Saturday Alternative – Olya Jeneson
The Reggae Selection
SUNDAY
Laid Back Sunday – Bill Waldron
Kitch & Kool – Brendan Delaney
Mystery DJ / Music Selection
The Sunday Bash – Graham Allen
Hospital Requests and Duets From
4pm
The Decades – Shaz Hill
6pm Asian Mix – Raveeta Banger
8pm The Evening Show – Doug Jackson
10pm BHBN Country – Dave Horton
11pm BHBN Classical Collection
8am
10am
Noon
1pm
ALL OTHER TIMES – THE BHBN MUSIC
SELECTION – including the light lunch
weekdays at 1pm and three hours of late night
love songs from 11pm.
Available on channel 9 on the premier bedside
units and in all parts of the hospital by logging
onto the qe charity-guest wifi and following
the listen live links on bhbn.net
bhbn.net
to donate:
Find your way around the hospital page 16
14
news
On-call Emergency
Incident Training
If you are a senior on-call (Strategic
Gold Commander), on-call manager
(Tactical Silver Controller), estates officer
or manager or you undertake 1st On
Call role you are invited to attend a
three-hour ‘On-call Emergency Incident
Training’ session.
The session will provide an overview
of the skills and knowledge required by
the Tactical (Silver) and Strategic (Gold)
Commanders during an Emergency
Incident and will test the Trust’s
Emergency Incident Plans.
There are dates available April –
October and the sessions will be site
specific. Good Hope on-call managers
will need to attend a session at Good
Hope, while Heartlands and Solihull
on-call managers can attend either a
Heartlands or a Solihull session.
If you would like awareness training
for your department then bespoke
training packages can be developed to
suit your needs.
To book your place, or to discuss
bespoke training, please email Kellie
Jervis, emergency planning manager
[email protected]
Two special days
to celebrate our
midwives and nurses
We will be celebrating the hard work of
our midwives, nurses and support staff
on two dates in May.
International Day of the Midwife
takes place on Friday 5 May, while
International Nurses Day is on Friday 12
May.
We will be recognising staff for their
compassion and consideration so please
save the dates 5 and 12 May, 2pm – 5pm
and we’ll share more details nearer the
time.
Save the date - free
family fun day for all
We are holding a free family fun day at
the Ramada Hotel in Sutton Coldfield
on Saturday 13 May between 10am and
3pm.
Admission is free and attractions on the
day include food and refreshment stalls,
information stands and entertainment.
There will also be plenty of free
activities for the children to enjoy,
including a bouncy castle, donkey rides,
puppet show and face painting.
Please join us at the Ramada Hotel,
Penns Lane, Sutton Coldfield, B76 1LH.
April 2017
Importance of educating
health professionals about
female genital mutilation
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a
procedure that involves partial or total
removal of female external genitalia,
without medical purposes.
It is a global concern that affects over
200 million women and girls. In England
and Wales, prevalence data estimates that
137,000 women are living with FGM, with a
further, over 60,000 girls at risk.
It is important to acknowledge that FGM
can happen anywhere and as migration
is expected to increase, so does the
geographical distribution. Prevention
of FGM is therefore crucial. Legal and
educational interventions have shown the
most traction in preventing the practice;
however their success has not been
widespread.
FGM is a violation of human rights and
is prohibited in many countries including
the United Kingdom (UK). Joint efforts
to provide good care to women and girls
affected by FGM and protecting those at
risk have made tremendous changes in
awareness and prevention.
Third sector organisations, for instance,
alongside NHS professionals have been
working to raise awareness in local
communities. The UK Government
has provided multi-agency guidelines
that support various professionals in
safeguarding and healthcare.
The law also supports prevention by
prohibiting anyone from subjecting girls
to FGM in the country or abroad. Health
professionals have benefited from various
multi-agency conferences and forums that
raise awareness about FGM.
However, the complexity of the issue has
made it difficult to draw conclusions on
the most effective way to prevent FGM.
There is therefore a high demand for more
education that delivers accurate information
needed by health professionals to effectively
deal with FGM.
Educating health professionals about
FGM can improve their confidence to deal
with different cases, improve relationships
with affected communities, enhances case
identification, case reporting and data
recording. It can also facilitate better access
to healthcare.
However, it should not be assumed
that education is the ultimate answer to
prevention, at least not easily. It largely acts
as a platform for communicating various
factors that determines the effectiveness of
interventions aimed to prevent the practice.
Factors including cultural, religious, social
structures, gender, marital status and
residential status are essential and should be
considered in every educational programme
about FGM. A holistic education pack for
health professionals has the potential to
lead to prevention of FGM.
To contribute to research in the field,
an important study is taking place at the
University of Birmingham. The research
team comprises of Susan Waigwa
(doctoral student) and is supervised by
Professor Julie Taylor, Dr Lucy Doos, and
Dr Caroline Bradbury-Jones. It falls under
the remit of the Risk, Abuse and Violence
research programme at the University of
Birmingham: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/
schools/nursing/research/rav.aspx
For information about the research
project, please contact Susan Waigwa:
[email protected]
Heartlands has a specialist FGM clinic
based in the Princess of Wales Women’s Unit
which sees hundreds of cases every year. If
you would like to contact the service call
0121 42 43909.
Since 2002 the Trust’s specialist FGM
midwife, Alison Byrne has ran The African
Well Women’s Service for women who have
undergone FGM at Heartlands.
The service is designed to support
pregnant and non-pregnant women whom
have had FGM.
Stroke unit thanked for ‘marvellous care’
Patient Thomas Witts was so pleased with
the care he received in Heartlands Hyper
Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) that his daughter
Angela made a cake to say thank you to the
staff.
Thomas, aged 75 from Shard End, came
into the unit after suffering a stroke on
Friday 17 February. While out on a walk
he felt unsteady on his feet and knowing
something wasn’t right, went into his local
GP practice. Here he was assessed and an
ambulance was called.
Thomas said: “I was treated so well on the
unit, they were marvellous.
“I originally wanted Angela to put all the
names of the staff on the cake as I couldn’t
pick one person out, they were all so nice.
The uniforms in different colours stuck in
my mind while I was in hospital, which led
to the decision to decorate the cake with
tops to represent the roles of the staff that
cared for me. The cake took almost a day to
make and is my way of thanking them all.”
Thomas was discharged after three days
on the Unit and as a cycling enthusiast is
looking forward to getting back on his bike.
Latest data published by the Stroke
National Audit programme shows that
Heartlands is one of the best performing
hospitals for providing stroke care.
Puzzle Page, brainteasers, mind benders and more page 15
Heartlands HASU were delighted to receive the cake from a grateful patient
Find your way around the hospital page 16
news
April 2017
15
No. 3614
Your monthly puzzle challenge
Quiz Challenge
CROSS CODE
9
11
22
25
12
19
12
12
1
12
19
21
9
2
11
4
17
8
13
10
11
11
15
9
9
11
12
21
12
11
19
9
20
13
17
3
9
9
21
5
23
19
13
16
9
17
7
12
15
21
21
12
19
21
4
23
12
23
23
12
15
24
6
23
12
6
11
19
12
4
12
16
17
2
4
4
19
4
12
9
12
17
12
7. On which continent is the
Beardmore Glacier?
NONAGRAM
7
4
2. In which environment does a
creature described as pelagic
live?
J
23
E C U
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
A
R
D
R
EACH number in our Cross Code grid represents a different letter
of the alphabet. You have three letters in the control grid to start
you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid,
then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters
should go in the missing squares.
As you get the letters, fill in other squares with the same number
in the main grid and control grid. Check off the alphabetical list of
letters as you identify them.
MAGIC SQUARE
UNSAFE, SO UNLOADED
E D
I
P
HOW many words of four
letters or more can you
make from this
Nonagram? Each word
must use the central letter,
and each letter may be
used only once. At least
one word using all nine
letters can be found.
Guidelines:
20 Good; 24 Very Good;
28 Excellent.
9. British actress Emily Blunt
credits acting with helping her
overcome which condition that
affected her as a child?
Any word found in the Concise
Oxford Dictionary (Tenth Edition) is
eligible with the following
exceptions: proper nouns; plural
nouns, pronouns and possessives;
third person singular verbs;
hyphenated words; contractions
and abbreviations; vulgar slang
words; variant spellings of the
same word (where another variant
is also eligible).
USING all 16 letters of the phrase above, form
four words each of four letters which will fit in the
grid to form a magic square in which the words
can be read both horizontally and vertically.
SPELL out a 15-letter word
or phrase by moving from
one chamber to another
within the pyramid. You
may only enter each of
the chambers once
and
may
only
E
proceed
through
openings in the
E
walls. The first
letter
may
appear in any
T
A
chamber.
KD
AU
TB
ID
DO
AS
SR
Hard
EACH row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9, and so must each 3 x 3 box.
1
4 6
5 9
3 8
4 7
6 1 4 5
9 2 4
7 3 8
1 3 8
7
3 5
4
9
8
1 7
9
1
4
5
1
3
8
8
5
6 2 4
5 3
1
2 1
7
6 4
5
3
6
7
8
O
B
1
8
9
GL
GA
YE
O
K
L
O
E
B
HERE are two
miniature fivesquare
crosswords
using the same
grid – but the
letters have
been mixed up.
You have to
work out which
letters belong
to which
crossword.
EQUALISER
4
6
4
4
6
4
4
8
4
1
4
1
PLACE the four signs (add,
subtract, multiply, divide)
one in each circle so that
the total of each across
and down line is the same.
3
Perform the first calculation in each
line first and ignore the mathematical
law which says you should always
perform division and multiplication
before addition and subtraction.
5 7
2
6
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PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS
QUIZ CHALLENGE: 1 Caledonia; 2 The Duke of Wellington; 3 Volleyball; 4 W.B. Yeats; 5 Mach; 6 Greece; 7 A castle; 8 The Amazing SpiderMan; 9 A quarrel; 10 Dubrovnik.
CROSS CODE
1
W
14
M
2
15
J
P
3
V
16
Q
4
S
17
L
5
7
6
2
9
5
3
4
8
1
1
9
5
4
7
8
3
2
6
2
5
8
1
4
9
7
6
3
9
1
6
5
3
7
2
4
8
U
19
T
EASY SUDOKU
8
4
3
2
1
6
5
7
9
6
H
18
Z
7
20
8
I
Y
D
21
F
9
B
22
X
HARD SUDOKU
4
3
7
8
6
2
1
9
5
3
8
1
7
9
4
6
5
2
6
7
9
3
2
5
8
1
4
5
2
4
6
8
1
9
3
7
6
7
8
4
2
1
3
9
5
1
3
5
9
6
7
2
8
4
9
4
2
8
3
5
7
6
1
2
9
3
5
1
8
6
4
7
7
1
4
6
9
3
5
2
8
www.heartofengland.nhs.uk
8
5
6
2
7
4
9
1
3
3
6
1
7
4
2
8
5
9
5
2
7
1
8
9
4
3
6
4
8
9
3
5
6
1
7
2
10
11
12
13
23
24
25
26
R
K
O
C
G
N
A
E
MAGIC SQUARE:
pact; aloe; coda;
team.
WORD PYRAMID:
Man-sized portion.
EQUALISER:
Clockwise from top
left – multiply;
subtract; add;
divide. Total: 7.
FIVE ALIVE:
(1) Across – Tacit; Slice; State.
Down – Tests; China; Theme.
CRYPTIC CROSSWORD:
Across – 1 Smallholding; 9 Reduction; 10 All; 11 Instead; 12 Thief; 13 (2) Across – Fever; Canal; Dimly.
Down – Faced; Venom; Rally.
Tresco; 15 Asides; 18 Movie; 20 Lion-cub; 22 Dan; 23 Rotten Row; 24
Losing no time.
Down – 2 Modiste; 3 Lucre; 4 Hairdo; 5 Linctus; 6 Iraqi; 7 Goldfish
bowl; 8 Artist’s model; 14 Cheer on; 16 Decorum; 17 Platen; 19 Venus;
21 Overt.
QUICK CROSSWORD:
Across – 1 Cockpit; 5 Gowns; 8 Owl; 9 Connect; 10 Apron; 11 Aware;
13 Eremite; 15 Peru; 17 Peseta; 19 Sphere; 22 Reel; 24 Nothing; 26
Upset; 29 Acute; 30 Endorse; 31 Pit; 32 Toast; 33 Scruple.
Down – 1 Cocoa; 2 Conga; 3 Precept; 4 Totter; 5 Glade; 6 Warlike; 7
Sincere; 12 Woe; 14 Ruse; 16 Earn; 17 Pennant; 18 Satsuma; 20
Plunder; 21 Roe; 23 Egrets; 25 Inept; 27 Syrup; 28 Theme.
5
6
7
9
11
10
11
12
13
13
13
14
15
16
15
18
16
17
19
23
24
C
DR
ME
SUDOKU
Easy
UE
5
20
22
23
21
F
AO
4
8
21
F
LE
NT
DL
LE
GL
3
17
FIVE ALIVE
OA
2
10. Who wrote The Song of
Hiawatha?
WORD PYRAMID
AS
CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
1
10
8. What is the popular name for
the thyroid cartilage?
5. How many squares are there
on a chess board?
2
17
6. Which World War II operation
was code-named Dynamo?
4. Which British writer’s life was
featured in the film
Shadowlands?
9
12
1. In science, what is expressed
in angstroms?
3. Which British monarch owned
the famous Derby winner
Minoru?
21
14
15
20
21
26
26
4
12
12
2
12
18
8
4
24
14
12
13
12
26
9
13
19
5
19
17
4
8
17
4
19
11
18
26
NONAGRAM:
deform; deft; drift; fetid; fetor; fiord;
fire; fired; firm; firmed; ford; fore; form;
forme; formed; fort; forte; fret; fried;
frit; froe; from; modifier; MORTIFIED;
motif; orfe; refit; reft; rife; rift; rifted;
trifid.
25
ACROSS
1. Negligently depend on the
inclusion of a young lady (8)
5. Frenchman to help out in
the middle (4)
8. Prepared for the heat, now
ready for it? (6,2)
9. Some sudden idea comes
to the lady (4)
11. Contradicted the man who
is shortly to hold the
entrance money (7)
13. Long periods with Ecstasy
will destroy (5)
14. One out on his feet at
night? (11)
18. Got an order for a light
vehicle (5)
19. An oil prepared in Lincoln
outskirts from fat (7)
21. Deposit article on board (4)
22. Go next day, say, to Biblical
city (8)
24. Rebel leader Henry left
Welsh resort (4)
25. Its days are numbered (8)
DOWN
1. We mistook Nora outside
for her (6)
2. Female cat gets round artist (5)
3. The Maltese produced
tinplate (5,5)
4. Lady in a blouse (3)
6. Unnatural fellow taking
Dutch cheese up (3-4)
7. Black Country man (6)
10. What men or women of
affairs did regularly? (4,2,4)
12. Peg will not quite succeed (5)
15. Have a strong desire to take
road for quite a distance (4,3)
16. Prepared US port while in a
state of lethargy (6)
17. An ecclesiastical building or
a heavy metal object (6)
20. Ghastly cover round an
ancient city (5)
23. Removal of some of the
eggs (3)
QUICK CROSSWORD
1
2
3
4
5
5
6
7
25
28
8
9
10
10
11
11
12
14
17
15
18
13
13
16
19
20
21
20
22
23
24
26
28
27
29
30
31
ACROSS
1. Unrivalled (8)
5. Accept (4)
9. Recount (7)
10.----- Shearer,
Canadian actress (5)
11.Sorrow (5)
13.Volcanic rock (6)
15.Foolish (5)
17.Mislay (4)
19.Garland (3)
20.Harness (4)
21.Shut (5)
23.Coarse (6)
24.Adhered (5)
28.Expel from
property (5)
29.Picture to oneself (7)
30.Pip (4)
31.Apartment house (8)
DOWN
1. Flat-bottomed
boat (4)
2. Mistake (5)
3. Portions of baked
bread (6)
4. Cook in liquid (4)
6. Land area (7)
7. Demanding (8)
8. Embed (5)
12.Young female
horse (5)
13.Ecstasy (5)
14.Having no idea (8)
16.Zodiac sign (3)
18.Religious worship (7)
21.Sloping trough (5)
22.Colourless gas (6)
25.Law-breaking (5)
26.Assistant (4)
27.Financial
obligation (4)
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