This is ELHT

THIS IS ELHT

THIS IS

ELHT

Contents

03 This is the Beginning. Unicef Baby Friendly ‘Gold’ Standard 05 This is Safe. Falls Reduction and Prevention 07 This is Personal. Kiddrow Lane Disrict Nurses 09 This is Effective. DedicatedWard Pharmacy 11 This is Impressive. ELHT IT Revolution 13 This is Right. Inclusion and Equality for Everyone

15 This is The Future. Robotic Surgery 17 This is Compassion. Bereavement Care 19 This is Better. Safe, Personal and Effective 21 This is Healthy. Good Food For All 23 This is ELHT&Me. Your Local Hospital Charity 25 This is Next. This is the Way Forward

02

THIS IS THE BEGINNING

Sue Henry Infant Feeding Lead

UNICEF Baby Friendly ‘Gold’ Standard

in 1998, proving that our service has long been an ambassador for Baby Friendly standards, along with our breastfeeding initiation rates which have increased by 181 per cent. Two decades ago, midwives and health visitors finished their training without knowing much about feeding and relationship building. A bottle-feeding ethos was developing due to many different reasons, both socially and culturally. Thankfully, the Baby Friendly Initiative has revolutionised healthcare for our babies, their mothers and families. Our Baby Friendly leads have a strong vision of how we can make sure standards of care are maintained and developed, and have the backing of a strong, engaged leadership team. We try to reach ALL families with an evidence- based, structured programme that is proven to deliver real change for mothers and babies. And it’s not just East Lancashire Hospitals – we’ve made great progress with a large network of organisations including children’s centres, GPs, pharmacies,

Whilst support for breastfeeding is at the heart of our work, we aim to raise standards of care for all babies, regardless of how they are fed. For example, on our Baby Friendly wards mothers and babies now routinely stay together in the immediate post-birth period, and all mothers are supported to respond to their babies’ needs for love, care and comfort in a way which promotes close parent- infant relationships and supports the mental health of both baby and mother. For me, the most important thing is the impact our Baby Friendly work has on local families. Hearing about the personal stories of better feeding experiences and meeting more and more women who choose to breastfeed, and breastfeed for longer. Personally, I’m very, very grateful to have a job I really love. A job which gives me immense pleasure and joy. I take my role very seriously and I am fully committed every day to make a difference. Only recently, I was talking with colleagues who are also new grandmothers and saying how proud we all feel that our children are second generation breastfeeders. Thanks to Baby Friendly, that progress is taking place in families throughout East Lancashire.

The first days and weeks of a child’s life can determine their future health and well-being. This is why ELHT works so hard to help new parents give their babies the love, care, protection and optimal nutrition they need in early life. For the past two decades as Baby Friendly Team Leader I have championed the way for East Lancashire Hospital’s Maternity Service to become the first in the UK to receive the coveted UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative Achieving Sustainability ‘Gold’ Standard. Being the UK’s first Baby Friendly ‘Gold’ Standard means families in East Lancashire can take comfort from a nationally recognised mark of quality care for babies and mothers. Being UNICEF Baby Friendly means our health professionals make sure new mothers and families get expert support and information to nurture and feed their babies responsively and according to the mother’s choice. The ‘Gold’ award celebrates the excellent leadership, culture, monitoring and progression the service has achieved. It’s a fantastic achievement for the service and ELHT. It is a testament to the phenomenal support that new babies and their families receive with infant feeding and in developing close, loving parent-infant relationships. Our ‘Gold’ award is the result of 20 years hard work and dedication to the care of babies and their families. I remember receiving our first accreditation

sports and leisure facilities, education and community groups across our localities.

04

THIS IS

SAFE

Yvonne Skellern-Foster, Cathy Bolton and Diane Lloyd STEADY On Practitioners

Falls Reduction and Prevention

And STEADY On! is much more than preventing the physical harm caused by a fall. Falls are also a major cause of social isolation – the elderly person who lives alone, has a fall and so they don’t go out, which means they are not eating properly, maybe not getting their medication and possibly living in fear. Sometimes a fall is the first sign of an infection which can be easily treated. The name - STEADY On! – really engages people. It’s a phrase we hear every day, it has that familiarity to it which people relate to. And that’s the thing – older people get it, they understand what STEADY On! is all about. Many people recall how a fall changed their lives or that of a family member, often forever. Getting older is inevitable, a fall is not and STEADY On! prevents unnecessary injury and harm in Lancashire, every day.

The result: 30 per cent fewer community falls were recorded during the pilot than in the same period the previous year. STEADY On! assessments are much more than advice – they provide both professionals and the older person the chance to work together on an action plan to address falls risks and the person’s wider health and wellbeing. With just one hip fracture costing the NHS and social care £25,000, STEADY On! is also good news for precious finances. Older people commonly call out an emergency ambulance following a fall – one in 12 of all emergency ambulance responses. Transfer of these patients to the emergency department is also high, accounting for at least 60,000 attendances every year. If we want to save money in the NHS and long term in social care, it’s vital to integrate innovations like STEADY On! into mainstream services and commissioning. In fact, we already do that with education sessions for community groups, public events in supermarkets, bus stations, markets and we go where older people themselves can be found going about their day to day business. That’s where we find ‘harder to reach’ people; those who are not being seen regularly by health and social care professionals until things go wrong and they’re in crisis.

“Falls are an inevitable part of getting older’’, is a comment we hear a lot. But that is not correct. Falls and fall-related injuries are however, a common and serious problem for older people. Around 30 per cent of adults over 65 and living at home will experience at least one fall a year. This rises to 50 per cent of adults over 80 who are either at home or in residential care. The NHS prioritises services when they’re needed. In terms of falls, that can mean hospital clinics after the damage has been done. But, with the support of Lancashire County Council and our Clinical Commissioning Groups, in the last few years the STEADY On! falls prevention programme has changed the approach and reduced falls, prevented avoidable harm and saved patients the need for expensive and avoidable NHS treatment. It’s very much a low cost, high impact service, combining a non-clinical approach with a user friendly term to promote positive action to break the falls cycle and enable the older person to take control and self-manage. STEADY On! (Slippers, Tablets, Environment, Activity, Do you fall?, eYesight) is ideally suited to self-care and as a first line of attack on falls and to prevent the first fall. STEADY On! works: a pilot took place in Hyndburn before it was rolled out across East Lancashire.

06

THIS IS PERSONAL

Victoria Woods, Katie Hargreaves and Hannah Butler Kiddrow Lane District Nurses

Kiddrow Lane District Nurses

Thankfully that experience had a different ending with the patient’s cancer recently in remission. Receiving the STAR Award at the Trust’s staff recognition ceremony has been massive for us. It’s given us great confidence and well deserved recognition for community staff – district nurses, physios and the admin staff who support us. It’s also allowed us to share and develop our knowledge: that’s Martin’s legacy as far as we’re concerned. The ageing population combined with efforts to keep patients at home, not in hospital, reinforces the vital role of community nursing teams; “pillars of the community”, according to a recent Royal College of Nursing report. Community nursing is growing every day with the focus on treating people at home. Our relationship with Martin and his family was special but we’d do the same for any of our patients. Working in the community gives us the time to build a stronger relationship with the patient, more so than in hospital. Meeting patients in their own home is where you learn more about their lives. In hospital after discharge, nursing staff don’t have the chance to follow the patient. In the community, we have greater autonomy in the way we treat

and manage patients – they feel less stressed and anxious than on a hospital ward and we enjoy an equally close working relationship with a wide range of other health and social care professionals. On a personal level, we’ve been for coffee with Martin’s parents – they’re lovely people and find great comfort in talking. And for Martin’s parents coming to the STAR Awards ceremony meant so much – his father making a speech on stage was so emotional. For the Kiddrow Lane Community Nursing Team – all 20 of us – getting recognised in that way really boosts our confidence. Yes, you do hear the occasional negative comment but there are many more positives about community nursing that our STAR Award has helped to promote.

Our patient Martin Simm was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2016 and sadly passed away in October the same year, aged just 40. During the all too brief few months we knew him, we developed an extraordinary bond with Martin and his family that went beyond providing treatment. Actually, we were a distraction for the family – but in a good way. We’d been visiting Martin every few weeks but in his final couple of months we visited twice a day. At that time, Martin was living with his parents and the family looked forward to our visits. We talked about our lives and had the opportunity to learn about the family’s home situation, not just Martin’s condition. As a nurse, you’re always learning. Martin travelled to Cornwall and everyone knew it would be his final trip but we were able to make arrangements for his care. We rang him at the airport and then when he arrived in Cornwall – we wanted to make sure he was alright because of the possible problems that could have arisen. Growing close to Martin and his family has meant other patients have benefited from our knowledge and experience. Earlier this year, we treated a patient with a similar diagnosis to Martin.

08

THIS IS EFFECTIVE

Zunaira Ajmal Pharmacy Assistant Siddiqa Natha Clinical Pharmacist

DedicatedWard Pharmacy

Over the years there have been many innovations and developments in the pharmacy world. Choosing which ones to embrace and deciding which will most advance the service is complex. One particularly successful innovation we’ve introduced at East Lancashire Hospitals is the introduction of a Dedicated Ward Pharmacy (DWP) service. This has not only advanced the service but it is having a huge impact on patient safety, experience and flow. In essence, DWP means one pharmacist delivering pharmaceutical care to one ward, with support from pharmacy technicians and assistants. This ‘delivery of pharmaceutical care’ sees pharmacists routinely participate in consultant-led ward rounds. The result has been an important one; pharmacists directly influencing prescribing decisions at the time they are made. But not only that, the pharmacist also gains additional knowledge of the patient’s ongoing care, such as discharge arrangements and social issues. This additional information enables the Pharmacy Team to effectively plan for a smoother more effective discharge, with fewer delays.

stay, fewer readmissions, faster discharge times and lower drug costs. The next step is inviting the University of Manchester’s School of Pharmacy to independently evaluate the service. Key to the pharmacy team’s success has been the level of support and buy-in from the Trust Board and senior clinicians who agreed to fund the project. Our most valuable resource is our staff. It was therefore essential that they were engaged and working towards a shared goal. Don’t just take our word about the benefits DWP delivers to staff and patients. “I just wanted to let you know how amazing this pilot has been for the ward and I really don’t want it to end,” is the opinion of Michelle Turner, C18 Ward Manager at the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital.

For example, when two surgical wards adopted DWP the number of morning discharges immediately doubled and there was a 10 per cent reduction in discharges after 5pm. This change in services also benefits junior doctors by freeing their time to do other work. Whilst on ward rounds the pharmacists check prescription charts to make sure all regular medications are prescribed, that there are course lengths and indications recorded for antibiotics, they check VTE prophylaxis is prescribed, look for contraindications in new prescriptions, assess blood results for medicines that need monitoring. They’re promoting safety and reducing harm on a large scale. The work we’ve done has not only generated great interest within the Trust, but outside our organisation as well. A huge amount of data has already been collected and analysed to show reduced length of

10

THIS IS IMPRESSIVE

Mark Johnson Associate Director of Performance and Informatics

ELHT IT Revolution

So instead of having to log in to several computers when moving between wards and clinics, a mobile smartcard ensures the information follows the clinician. While some of this work is ELHT catching up, in certain areas we’re leading the NHS and introducing the very latest systems in the world. In 2018, we will be the first health organisation anywhere to introduce a new prescribing system from EMIS Healthcare, using primary care prescription records into the hospital. Our role is to make IT easy, to make it relevant We’ve had plenty of positive feedback. In the main information systems are seen to be more efficient and we have a much better dialogue with people. Sometimes the benefits and functionality of new technology can be difficult to understand. A good example is the introduction of secure electronic GP letters which are now added direct to the patient’s primary care electronic health record, replacing the need to post approximately 2,000 letters every day Imagine district nurses driving to their next house call and doctors walking across a ward, with a clear direction and information on how best to help the patients they meet along the way. They will have first class technology to do the job to the best of their ability. Their integration with other areas of the Trust in real time will be seamless, whilst still being able to give the patient the full attention they deserve. This is when we know we have arrived.

“How does the application of digital technology benefit our frontline teams in the delivery of care?” This is a very important question that is being answered by Performance and Informatics at ELHT. In the past the priority seemed to be about ‘doing IT’, prioritising the technology rather than how it’s applied. I saw this frequently during my time as an intensive care, psychiatric and community nurse, before training to be an IT professional. My medical experience gave me insight to realise the importance of IT in a clinical setting. Today, I’m far from a lone clinical voice in our IT Department; we’re fortunate to have a full time Chief Nursing Information Officer, half-time Clinical Chief Information Officer and four Divisional Clinical Information Leads. The seven of us work together to provide frontline staff with the right technology to do their jobs. Today, it’s about focusing on clinical care and putting clinicians and clinical outcomes at the centre of the Trust’s information technology systems. One good example is how, as we focus on moving to a single electronic patient record system, we invited 50 Trust clinicians and 50 operational staff to review the shortlisted provider for the £20 million- plus contract. After all, it’s their choice; they are the people who will work on the frontline with the system day in, day out, not the IT department.

New technologies are driving smarter, quicker and more efficient clinical systems. Put modern, everyday equipment, such as tablets and smartphones, in the hands of frontline staff and see the difference it makes. I’m especially keen to work with our ‘millennials’; younger staff who have lived their whole lives in a connected world surrounded by intuitive, easy-to-use applications and mobile devices. They are the NHS workforce of the future. The Trust has more than 130 informatics staff all pulling in the same direction, dedicated to making sure we work in unison to deliver the systems our clinicians need. This was demonstrated by the Trust’s response to this year’s NHS cyber-attack. Our actions were swift and decisive. We had services back up-and-running the same afternoon and replaced 2,500 computers within a matter of days. And despite the challenge and some disruption, we didn’t cancel a single theatre list or outpatient clinic. In short, we made sure care delivery continued. Our information systems continue to evolve. Today, we have 24/7 IT support, we’re rolling out a major programme to provide community staff with access to electronic patient records using secure mobile devices and we’re working to introduce virtual desktops which follow the clinician.

12

THIS IS

RIGHT

Nazir Makda Equality and Diversity Lead

Inclusion and Equality for Everyone

What we don’t want is ‘equality’ and ‘diversity’ to become buzzwords; to give the impression we are saying and doing the right thing but those words don’t translate into the core of our daily behaviour. We should ensure ELHT is an inclusive place to work, for every member of staff. It is vital that inclusion is a part of the fabric at ELHT and that equality is something we are proud of. We’re all individuals. We all have our own set of personal characteristics. We all want to feel valued. If you’re reading these words and asking yourself “what can I do - I’m just one person”, then I have a suggestion. Yes, you are one person and there are more than 8,000 of us who together, can make a real difference to race equality.

Often, attitudes which amount to discrimination exist through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping. Whatever the cause though, we must act. As the Trust’s Equality and Diversity Lead and a ‘Fair Treatment Champion’, I am at the heart of the efforts to ensure race equality for all our staff is a reality. It is unacceptable that the relative likelihood of white staff being appointed from shortlisting compared to BME staff is 3.05 times greater; that BME staff are 1.4 times more likely to enter the formal disciplinary process, compared to their white colleagues; and that white staff are 1.19 times more likely to receive funding for training compared to BME staff. It is unacceptable that in the last 12 months, 14 per cent of BME staff personally experienced discrimination at work – more than twice the figure for white staff. As our staff are recognised as our most valuable resource it is essential they are engaged with the organisation and are working together towards a shared goal. This applies equally to both our BME and non-BME staff, it is hugely important to ensure the huge array of skills and experience of all staff are brought to bear. We seek inclusion and equality for everyone at ELHT.

Research shows people enjoy working for organisations with good employment practices. They can attract and retain better talent, as well as improving workforce productivity. And it’s true that those of us old enough to have worked in a number of jobs during our careers talk a lot about the places we liked working at…and those we didn’t! This is important because a motivated, inclusive and valued workforce will deliver high quality patient care, increased patient satisfaction and better patient safety. With over one million employees the NHS as a whole needs to demonstrate equality across its entire workforce. And though this is a national problem, it is the experience of our staff and the reputation of East Lancashire Hospitals that is important to me. It’s hard to accept that some of our colleagues are not provided with an appropriate and professional workplace because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin. And if a percentage of staff suffer inequality in this way, then we have to ask ourselves: does the same behaviour extend to our patients?

14

THIS IS THE FUTURE

Ms Naseem Ghazali Consultant Surgeon

Robotic Surgery

Since the HPV epidemic the number of younger patients with throat cancer has risen. Many of these patients are in their early 40s. The epidemic changed the landscape of throat cancer. Drastic surgery would often mean that patients would not return to the same lives they had before. As a result there was a paradigm shift in the standard of care. Surgery moved on to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, from clinical trials we are now able to see the long term effects of radiation on the body; dry mouth, scarring and issues with swallowing. In the long term, this kind of treatment had only preserved the organ but not its function. What is exceptional about the robot is that it means we can avoid exposure to chemoradiotherapy whilst massively reducing the effects of conventional surgery. A faster recovery time allows younger patients to return to their lives, jobs and families within a few months. The end goal is to see these patients return to their lives where they can continue to contribute to the community.

The thing that struck me the most was being able to see the smallest detail; you can see even the slightest of tremors. The robot allows clinicians to see high resolution, three dimensional images that are so defined that you feel as though you have been transported right to the back of the patient’s mouth. I realised that this was going to revolutionise the way we remove head and neck cancers. The robot instruments have incredible precision and accuracy, and allow surgeons access to the back of the throat which are usually difficult to access. The robot allows us to transcend the fundamental challenges of conventional surgery. It can perform abnormal movements that a human wrist would not allow. This increases the range of options when planning surgery. The impact the robot’s capabilities has on recovery time is astonishing. With conventional head and neck cancer surgery, the functional and aesthetic impact is drastic with longer recovery times, where patients struggle to speak, drink or swallow. However, patients who have received robotic surgery are sometimes being discharged within a week and quickly regain functionality. As a clinician your main objectives are firstly to remove the cancer but more importantly you want your patient to have the best quality of life after the procedure.

The rapid evolution of technology has had a significant impact on our daily lives affecting communication, education, business and even surgery. Whilst studying for the Head and Neck Oncology Fellowship at The University of Maryland Centre in Baltimore, I was introduced to the DaVinci robots that would transform the status quo of head and neck surgery. At ELHT we now have our own nine foot high, three armed robot, affectionately known as Leo to theatre staff. I joined the Trust as an integral part of the team, bringing with me valuable experiences from America. I chose to work at ELHT because I was enthusiastic about the plans they had for the service. I was excited about working on a project amongst research, development and technology It was only when I first sat at the console of the robot that I was able to fully appreciate its potential. The clarity of the live video feed from the 3D camera is truly staggering.

16

THIS IS COMPASSION

Erin Bolton Lead Nurse - End of Life Care

Bereavement Care

winner of the first national Kate Granger Award for Compassionate Care and he spoke passionately when we launched our Bereavement Care Strategy. Outside the Trust, our improved end of life care was a key factor when I had the honour to be named “Nurse of the Year “ by the British Journal of Nursing. Feedback from families in our annual bereavement care survey shows that things have changed and we now deliver what they need, to a high standard. If we had asked that question three years ago I’m sure we would have got a different response. Real change happens when people share the same purpose. When a patient dies, I encourage all ward staff to take the time to talk with the family. This approach has been embraced by staff who are thankful to have the time to give dignified end of life care. education and training in place, so that staff know what to do. I firmly believe most staff can provide most of the care; it simply requires care with compassion, not specialist staff. My specialist role is to provide co-ordination and encouragement. It also doesn’t cost anything to deliver compassionate care, it’s the right thing to do and it is a much more accurate reflection of a truly caring organisation. It is everybody’s responsibility to deliver compassionate care which is why we have

I knew what their role was when a patient passes away. But I needed to know what ancillary staff, porters, car park attendants and other staff did when they met grieving families. Things are massively different today compared to four years ago and our reputation for compassionate care is much better, and well deserved. For example, families used to queue at the General Office following a bereavement waiting for death certificates, alongside people claiming taxi expenses and collecting ID badges. It was undignified and unnecessary. Today, we offer private, peaceful bereavement suites at both Blackburn and Burnley Teaching hospitals. In 2014, I completed my Masters in Death, Religion and Culture from the University of Winchester. It reinforced my understanding of different religions and proved especially useful in creating the Trust’s Care After Death Policy so that today, we respect all cultures. But Bereavement Care isn’t just me – I simply find and highlight areas where work is going on, celebrating and sharing. One of the big success stories has been the establishment of our Bereavement Care Champions. People like Night Porter John Jackson, who was doing a fantastic job and making a real difference to bereaved families, but he wasn’t recognised for this. John’s now a proud Bereavement Care Champion,

Losing someone close to you is always distressing, sometimes traumatic, and can be devastating. When that person passes away in hospital, compassionate care is what we should all expect. Back in 2013 the Trust was in ‘special measures’, we had high mortality rates, we were labelled uncaring and we lacked dedicated bereavement support. I was End of Life Care Lead at the time, this was troubling and hurtful. The perception was that we were failing to provide compassionate care. However, I knew there was really good bereavement care going on across the Trust. But I also knew it wasn’t coordinated, communicated well and no one knew it as ‘bereavement care’. The Trust’s response was to create a nursing post to deliver a Bereavement Care Strategy. I got the job! I was keen to change things for the better, and I also wanted to champion the excellent work staff were already doing, and continue to do today. I’ve been a nurse for a number of years;

18

THIS IS BETTER

Dr Ian Stanley Consultant Anaesthetist and Deputy Medical Director

Safe, Personal and Effective

The large majority were providing a high standard of patient care but the perception from outside the Trust was that everyone and everything was underperforming. But many staff felt that going into ‘Special Measures’ was the awakening that the organisation needed and they were determined to make things better. Our goal is to be a high performing Trust, with our hospital and community services renowned for excellence and innovation; providing the very best treatment and care to our patients in east Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and beyond. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us but our Care Quality Commission ratings recognise the huge improvements we’ve made. And we’re determined to become the first NHS Trust to evolve from ‘Special Measures’ to ‘Outstanding’. Our Chief Executive, Kevin McGee, has gone on record many times to say “improvement starts and ends with staff engagement”. With the commitment of our talented staff and support of our health and social care partners we continue to make significant progress on our journey, but we still have more to do.

East Lancashire Hospitals’ improvement drive began in 2013 when the Trust set about developing a Quality Improvement Strategy with the ambitious aim of being the safest organisation in the NHS. I worked with staff on a shared vision ‘to be widely recognised for the provision of safe, personal and effective care’ that would put safety at the very heart of everything we do. By ensuring that staff understood this vision, and their own role in achieving it, meant that there was a strong focus on and understanding of all the elements that contribute to safe care. Staff embrace and promote our culture which is people centred (be that patient, client, carer, visitor or colleague) and reflect the values that are so central to our success. These values – putting patients first; respecting the individual; acting with integrity; serving the community; and promoting positive change – drive our recruitment and retention strategy so that every day, our dedicated staff put these values into practise. To meet our ambition of becoming an ‘Outstanding’ Trust, it’s crucial that we recognise where we’ve come from and where we’re headed. At the time the Trust entered ‘Special Measures’, many members of staff were shocked and disappointed.

We are determined to create a world-class health

organisation; one which builds strong relations with its local communities and partners, and one which ensures that the needs of patients always come first. How are we doing? Over 90 per cent of patients rate their care as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’, and over 97 per cent receive harm-free care. The Trust has benefited from continuity of leadership for several years and consistent pursuit of our vision to be a safe and high-quality provider of care. In the words of Kevin McGee, “I’d like the work we have put in to improve clinical quality and staff engagement to be recognised with a rating of ‘Outstanding’. We’ve got here, but we have to keep moving. We must continue to evolve.”

20

THIS IS HEALTHY

Jackie Meadowcroft Sharon Allison Catering Assistants

Good Food for All

We love to work for a Trust who has this level of care and passion for catering and food. Nutritious, wholesome hospital food is an essential part of patient care and at ELHT we care about the health and wellbeing of staff, patients and visitors who enjoy our food. Our catering teams across five hospitals work hard to provide appetising and nutritious meals in a clean and welcoming environment. Together, they provide approximately 3,000 inpatient meals per day plus around 1,500 staff and visitor meals per day in our restaurants. Of course, everyone can take responsibility for the food they eat and at ELHT we choose to support our community on its journey toward a healthier lifestyle. Inpatients, outpatients and visitors; nurses, doctors and porters: we want people to enjoy the food they eat, both on the wards and in our restaurants at Blackburn, Accrington, Clitheroe and Burnley hospitals. Trust meals are produced on site by a team of qualified chefs. Menus are prepared in consultation with the Trust’s dietetic department so we can make sure they are nutritionally balanced, provide a choice and cover the dietary needs of our patients, staff and visitors. Vegetarian options, as well as many specific dietary menus are available for each meal time.

Our menus comply with the Better Hospital Food initiative and the Patient-led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) guidance from the NHS Constitution. We visit patients daily to collect the menus and discuss dietary requirements or special requests. We also carry out regular patient reviews to obtain up-to-date information of patient opinions of the catering service whilst in hospital. Food is the simplest form of medicine and it’s up to us to make this clear. Protected mealtimes are now in force on most wards. Research shows that patients who are not interrupted and receive appropriate support during mealtimes are happier, more relaxed and eat more. The better nutrition a patient receives, the higher his or her chances are of recovering. Malnutrition costs the NHS over £7 billion a year, according to the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. While a patient is in hospital they are susceptible to losing muscle mass. By helping patients make food choices, we can improve not only their physical heath but their mental health too. For example, food such as apple pie with custard has the same nutritional value in terms of calories and protein as a supplement, and would be much better received and enjoyed by the patient. Some of the major health concerns we face today can be prevented by making better lifestyle choices. One of the contributing factors affecting health is food consumption and we’re proud to offer high

quality food choices across the board, and in our restaurants that includes standard portion sizes which represent excellent value for money. Eating to encourage good health is important when you are ill, and we’re proud to say East Lancashire Hospitals are embracing this fully. In our efforts to continuously improve the standard of food at the Trust, we’re one of the few NHS organisations to have attained the Soil Association Bronze Award for sourcing local, sustainable produce. The award celebrates our commitment to making healthy eating easier while providing ethical and environmentally friendly products. The drive and determination of the Catering Team is a credit to the Trust and good food encourages patients to eat well, giving them the nutrients they need to recover from surgery or illness. However, this could not be done without the strong leadership and vision shown by the Trusts’ Chief Nurse Christine Pearson and the Trust Board. They have embraced the whole ethos of food being the best form of medicine and fully support what we’re doing.

22

THIS IS ELHT&me

Denise Gee ELHT&Me Fundraising Manager

Your local hospital charity

fund projects which touch the lives of the thousands of people cared for by the hospitals and local community services each year. Helping patients have the best experience possible while receiving their medical care is really important to us. While we are not directly involved with patient treatment, recent donations to ELHT&Me have enabled a new play area for the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital and better facilities in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Burnley General. ELHT&Me is your local hospital charity. With the help of generous donations, we aim to create a significant impact and improve the patient experience for everyone who uses our services. The charity provides state-of-the-art equipment, funds research and teaching, all of which takes the Trust way beyond the NHS standard. Every patient has different needs and wishes, so we work hand-in-hand with wards and departments to provide those little extras that make inpatient and outpatient visits more pleasant.

Philanthropy and the generosity of the local population played vital roles in the creation of hospital care here in East Lancashire. Blackburn Union Workhouse (later Queens Park Hospital) was established by representatives from 24 local townships in 1864. Burnley Municipal Hospital was built thanks to a group of philanthropists in 1877 and charitable giving was the lifeblood that made healthcare for those in need possible in both towns. When local Hospitals were founded in the nineteenth century, they relied almost entirely on charitable donations to cover day to day running costs. Down the years, our hospitals have continued to accept charitable donations and legacies and today ELHT&Me, the official charity of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, manages donations that support all areas of our work. The work of ELHT&Me enhances the physical environment of the hospitals for patients, staff and visitors. Through fundraising the Charity is able to

We aim to create a legacy for East Lancashire, one in which we work in partnership with local communities, businesses and individuals to ensure we all benefit from the very best hospitals – and high quality care – we all deserve.

24

THIS IS

NEXT

Kevin McGee Chief Executive Professor Eileen Fairhurst Chairman

This is the Way Forward

By identifying and developing these attributes we will better cope with the increasingly pressurised environment we now work in. We will successfully address some of our organisational development issues like management of sickness absence, equality and diversity in our workforce and the health and wellbeing of our staff. Compassion and leadership positively influence culture and facilitate high quality care. Consequently there is a clear relationship between compassionate leadership and a good patient experience and improved health outcomes for our patients.

This feeds into the wider Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria Sustainability and Transformation Plan, and very much reflects the vision for the NHS in its platinum year. We now need to focus all our efforts on implementing our strategy – doing what we said we’d do; doing what we need to do to transform our services, ensuring they are sustainable and successful. To do this, we’ll deliver a consistent, reliable and desirable level of performance. We’ll maximise our outputs, minimise waste and eliminate duplication. We’ll manage our money well, achieve our statutory duties and deliver significant financial savings. Compassionate Leadership We now need a consistent, system-wide approach to leadership so that we can achieve the transformation that is needed. Here at ELHT, people are everything. Our staff don’t just do ‘jobs’ – they treat, they care, they support, they manage and they lead. All of them. Compassionate leadership throughout this organisation – and beyond, is a natural development and has our wholehearted support. Compassionate leadership requires insight, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, empathy, courage and honesty.

We hope you have enjoyed reading “This is ELHT”, and have learnt a little more about our wonderful organisation and its staff. As one of our stakeholders, we thank you for your ongoing support and interest in the Trust. So what does the future hold as we go into the 70th year of the NHS? This 70th year is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the NHS and ELHT. We know we are ‘Good’, we have an ‘Outstanding’ rating in our sights, and we are determined to get there. With around 10,000 of the most skilful, compassionate and professional people working with us, we couldn’t be more ready to make the progression. This transition will be made as a ‘system’ – with our partners in the commissioning and provision of health and social care across Pennine Lancashire – rather than as a stand alone organisation. The staff of our organisations are key to our success. Here at ELHT they have been influential in shaping our strategy, vision and values. Everyone in the Trust knows the part they play in the provision of safe, personal and effective care; and respect, integrity and public service are the very essence of the Trust. In the Pennine Lancashire system, and in the development of the ‘Together a Healthier Future’ strategy, all stakeholders, including staff and the local community, have been offered, and have taken, the opportunity to contribute to the ‘solution design’ of the Local Delivery Plan.

The future is bright!

Kevin McGee

Prof Eileen Firhurst

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This publication is available in other formats and languages on request.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust Trust Headquarters Haslingden Road

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