Inside the vaccine story - Plus: Your lockdown living - staff magazine | Spring 2021 - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

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Inside the vaccine story - Plus: Your lockdown living - staff magazine | Spring 2021 - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
staff magazine | Spring 2021

Inside the vaccine story
Plus: Your lockdown living
Inside the vaccine story - Plus: Your lockdown living - staff magazine | Spring 2021 - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Contents              | www.leedsth.nhs.uk
                                                                                                   4-5	Making the most of now – Your
                                                                                                            lockdown hobbies
                                                                                                   6        Excellence in Practice graduates
                                                                                                   7        The story of the vaccine roll-out
                                                                                                   8-9	Reasons to be cheerful – award-
                                                                                                            winning LTHT
                                                                                                   10	Latest from Building the Leeds
                                                                                                            Way
                                                                                                   11	New Ambulatory Surgical Centre
                                                                                                            opening
                                                                                                   12-13	Stress less – colleagues share their
                                                                                                            health and wellbeing tips
                                                                                                   14	In the spotlight: Clinical Educators
      4
      Making the most of now                        7                                                       International team
      – Your lockdown hobbies                       The story of the vaccine
                                                                                                   15	Staff celebrate AHP Day
                                                                                                   16–17	BME Allyship – Meaningful
                                                                                                            actions
                                                                                                   18       Leeds Cares corner
                                                                                                   19       My Job – Andrew Price
                                                                                                   20       Lockdown Kitchen
                                                                                                   21       Organ Donation Week
                                                    12
      8                                             Stress less – colleagues share health
      Reasons to be cheerful – Award-winning LTHT   and wellbeing tips
                                                                                                   22–23 Farewells
                                                                                                   24       StaffConnect // Staff Lottery
                                                                                                   25       60 Seconds – Victoria Cranston
                                                                                                   Bulletin is produced quarterly by
                                                                                                   the Communications Department.
                                                                                                   Photography by Medical Illustration
                                                                                                   Design by Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd
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                                                                                                   Copy deadline is 1st May 2021

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      Team spotlight: Clinical Educators            20
      International team                            Lockdown Kitchen – Your new favourite recipe

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     Cover photo by Simon Hulme. Thanks to
     The Yorkshire Post for use of the picture.

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Inside the vaccine story - Plus: Your lockdown living - staff magazine | Spring 2021 - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
www.leedsth.nhs.uk |          News

Historic moment for
Leeds as first Covid-19
vaccines delivered
It was a historic moment for LTHT, the       housekeeper, Bridget (Marie) Kelly,
city, and even the world, as St James’s      the Trust’s oldest nurse, and 89-year
became one of the first hospitals in the
country to deliver the very first Covid-19
                                             old medical secretary (still in active
                                             employment) Connie Bray.
                                                                                          Welcome
vaccines on 8 December.                                                                   Welcome to the Spring issue
                                             Sylvia joined LTHT when she was 26 years     of Bulletin!
The landmark date saw Leeds                  old and has been shielding at home
Teaching Hospitals selected as one of        during the pandemic. She said: “I miss all   A year ago, in my editorial message in
the first 50 ‘hospital hub’ sites to take    the people I work with. I’m so glad I’ve     the first Bulletin of 2020, I asked you
delivery of the Pfizer vaccine and start                                                  to consider making the year about
                                             got it done.”
providing vaccinations to the initial                                                     you – about your health and wellbeing
priority groups.                             Dr Phil Wood, Chief Medical Officer,         and putting your needs first. What
                                             said: “The work involved in bringing         I don’t think any of us realised then
Frontline health and social care staff
                                             this moment together is a tremendous         was just how important this would be
from across the city were among the
                                             achievement and another example of           throughout the rest of the year.
first to receive the vaccine, along with
care home staff and patients aged 80         partners across the city working together    This issue of the Bulletin gives us
and above who were already attending         to ensure we are ready to deliver the        a timely opportunity to reflect on
hospital as an outpatient or being           biggest immunisation programme in the        the past twelve months, and the
discharged after a hospital stay.            history of the NHS.”                         adjustments we have all had to make
                                                                                          through repeated lockdowns, social
Amongst those vaccinated on the day          Read the behind-the-scenes story of the
                                                                                          distancing, and restrictions, not to
included Sylvia Harris, 80-year-old ward     Covid vaccine roll out in Leeds on p. 7.
                                                                                          mention the enormous amount of
                                                                                          hard work from everyone.
                                                                                          All of this takes its toll. And so this
                                                                                          issue is all about the ways we’ve
                                                                                          been coping – from new hobbies
                                                                                          taken up during lockdown to ways of
                                                                                          recharging and tips for de-stressing
                                                                                          during difficult moments – we’re
                                                                                          hearing from colleagues across LTHT
                                                                                          about how they have coped and made
                                                                                          the most of things.
                                                                                          With so much disruption, isolation
                                                                                          and uncertainty in our lives, it is more
                                                                                          important than ever that we are taking
                                                                                          time to look after ourselves and look
                                                                                          out for each other. There are some
                                                                                          great contributions from colleagues in
                                                                                          this issue, so do please enjoy reading
                                                                                          them. Who knows? Maybe you’ll read
                                                                                          something that might make you think:
                                                                                          “I’d like to try that.”
                                                                                          We’re all in this together – looking out
                                                                                          for one another and staying true to our
                                                                                          Leeds Way values will help us all get
                                                                                          through this.
                                                                                          Kind regards

                                                                                          Julian Hartley
                                                                                          Chief Executive

                                                                                                                                     3
Inside the vaccine story - Plus: Your lockdown living - staff magazine | Spring 2021 - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Feature        | www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Making the most of now
– your new lockdown hobby
The pandemic has forced us to look at life in new ways. With lockdown restrictions
curtailing socialising and making some past-times impossible to enjoy as we once did,
many people have been picking up new hobbies or learning new skills to make the most
of living through these strange times.
Carol Scholfield                              I’ve been going to to a local lake through
                                              the summer with my son and his lovely
                                              girlfriend. We stopped as the weather
                                              got colder but on Christmas Eve my
                                              son announced we were going to the
                                              lake the following morning. There was
                                              sparkling ice and bright sunshine. We
                                              broke the ice all the way down to the
                                              lake and, once in the water, lasted about
                                              five minutes. We couldn’t have been
                                              colder, but the feeling of elation lasted
                                              throughout the whole of Christmas Day,
                                              which we spent in the garden, with a full
                                              Christmas dinner in a tinsel-clad gazebo
                                              with log fires going around us and had
                                              the merriest Christmas possibly ever.
                                              “I realise I am luckier than most but
                                              my time at home has made me realise
                                              the value of having a workplace to            Kate Davies, Patient Admin
                                              go to. For many of us, our boundaries         at Wharfedale Hospital –
                                              between work and home have been               homegrown food:
                                              eroded with workspace taking over
                                              our living space so that there’s no way       “We were fortunate to have amazing
Carol Scholfield, Chief                       to ignore it. It has been so important        weather during the first lockdown, this
                                              to me to have something far removed           brought out the inner gardener in me.
Dental Technician, and Anna                                                                 It’s always been there but with the added
                                              from work and home when our world
Edgren-Davies, Senior HR                      has shrunk so much. Wild swimming and         tension from the pandemic gardening
Manager – wild swimming:                      the possibilities it opens up all over the    helped me to de-stress and take time out
                                              country, when we’re allowed to travel,        on my days off. The kids got involved
Carol: “A life-changing accident and,         gives me some hope.                           so it meant we were outside more and
further to this, a life-altering illness                                                    enjoying the simple things in life. We
has meant that for many years I have          “We’re looking at running some wild           managed to grow a variety of things:
struggled to find an activity I could do      swimming starter sessions for staff who       courgettes, carrots, potatoes, broccoli,
that wouldn’t leave me gasping for air.       are interested in testing this hobby out.     lettuce, spinach, raspberries (these
Sarcoidosis has meant I’ve been unable        If you would like to register your interest   were gobbled up in seconds), tomatoes,
to walk far or use equipment safely.          please email anna.edgren-davies@nhs.          peppers and peas.
It wasn’t until earlier last year when a      net and when local restrictions permit we
lovely friend of mine - who shares my         will arrange a session.”                      “My gardening skills and knowledge
diagnosis – encouraged me to join her in                                                    have grown, it’s been lovely speaking to
her new hobby of wild swimming.                                                             older members of the family to get hints
                                                                                            and tips. There’s nothing more satisfying
“I have always loved water, and so one                                                      then when you get a basket full of
afternoon in May I visited my friend at                                                     produce to have for a meal. I’m already
her canal boat near Manchester and we                                                       planning what to grow this year!”
dipped into the river alongside the canal.
I was absolutely hooked from there. I
could swim, I didn’t need any aids or
assistance, and I felt empowered as I                                                       Janette Gibson
hadn’t done for the past five years. It was                                                 Administration Manager,
thrilling, and the fear of the cold water
made it even more so - but all we did was
                                                                                            Organisational Learning –
laugh and squeal like kids.                                                                 crocheting:
“My family have been so supportive. We                                                      “I picked up crocheting again and found
came up with a rule not to go alone, so                                                     I love making blankets. I first learnt when

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Inside the vaccine story - Plus: Your lockdown living - staff magazine | Spring 2021 - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
www.leedsth.nhs.uk |        Feature

I was 10 (over 50 years ago!), my friend’s                                                   Tom Dickie, Head of Podiatry
mum taught me. I have been watching
YouTube videos to learn, they are one                                                        – wildflower gardening:
of the best sources of inspiration and                                                       “I started a vegetable plot in my front
learning again has been brilliant.                                                           garden some years ago, and we found
“Making these blankets gives me a                                                            that we didn’t really need it any more.
chance to put thinking about work to                                                         So I planted a wild garden. It all started
one side, I go off into my own world                                                         with the chairs, as we wanted something
where Covid doesn’t exist. I’d recommend                                                     nice to look at as we sat of a summer’s
it to anyone, it’s a skill you can take with                                                 evening. The garden has included
you through life.”                                                                           bee bombs to attract insects and wild
                                                                                             bees and striking poppies, it was a real
                                                                                             talking point during the nicer weather.
                                                                                             Neighbours would stop as they passed by,
                                                                                             or have a drink at the other side of the
                                                                                             poppy, it kept us in (socially distanced)
                                                                                             contact with people.”

                                               Bradie Page

                                               Bradie Page, Graphic
                                               Designer - mixology:
                                               “The idea to try Mixology was a bit
                                               of fun really. I love going out for a
                                               cocktail, so when we couldn’t go out
                                               because of lockdown, I ordered a
                                                                                             Andy Bennett, Estates
                                               cocktail making kit! Initially I started      Officer – ballroom dancing:
                                               looking up my favourite recipes online,       “I love to go and watch Leeds United,
                                               but as lockdown continued one of my           take foreign holidays and socialising
                                               favourite cocktail bars started doing live    with friends and family in the pub.
Sarah Rogers, Volunteer                        mixology classes via social media, so you     Basically, everything that has been
Services Manager – from                        would buy the ingredients in advance          banned recently. So our latest adventure
                                               and then make the cocktails alongside
roller skating to house                        them on the video.
                                                                                             is learning ballroom dancing via Zoom.
                                                                                             Every Monday night for 45 minutes my
plants:                                        “This has made me feel like I wasn’t          wife and I dance around our front room
“I love roller-                                missing out by being locked in, and it was    with Rise Dance from Farsley.”
skating. The                                   just something fun to do during a tough
lockdown meant                                 time. I can’t wait to host a celebratory
that I couldn’t do                             cocktail party when we are able to!”
some of my usual
skating classes or
activities but forced
me to find new
places to skate. One
spot was an unused
car park, a factory that had been closed
for business. If it was dry I’d spend a
couple of hours just rolling around or
practising new things.
                                                                                             Georgie Duncan, Deputy
“Sadly, if it was bad weather, skating was
off. So, I turned my attention to house
                                                                                             Chief Clinical Information
plants. I acquired a couple of plants in                                                     Officer – mini market:
April time, since then my collection has
                                                                                             “I have an allotment where I grow veg
grown to around 40 plants of varying
                                                                                             and flowers. During the pandemic, I’ve
sizes. I am constantly tinkering with
                                                                                             created a mini market stall at the end
them. I have watering regimes, window
                                                                                             of my drive, raising over £400 for J54
sills full of propagating plants and an
                                                                                             (Intensive Care Unit). This ‘seedling’ of
endless supply of spider pups. I think
                                                                                             an idea - pun intended - has turned into
I prefer my house plants to actual
                                                                                             a real community project, with other
gardening. It feels a bit less daunting
                                                                                             people also contributing produce and
than tackling the shrubs in the garden!”
                                                                                             plants to sell.”

                                                                                                                                         5
Inside the vaccine story - Plus: Your lockdown living - staff magazine | Spring 2021 - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
News             | www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Excellence in Practice programme sees
first cohort graduate
The Excellence in Practice programme                       of the Nurse and Midwife, the year-long       Chief Nurse Lisa Grant
introduced by Chief Nurse Lisa Grant                       effort to raise awareness of their valuable
and her team in July 2020, focuses on                      work, and celebrate the positive impact
demonstrating excellence across Nurses,                    they make on the lives of so many, has
Midwives and Operating Department                          been embraced all over the world.
Practitioners (ODPs) at LTHT
                                                           In December last year, the very first
Lisa joined the Trust in 2019 and clearly                  cohort of the Leeds Excellence in Practice
set out her vision for a nationally                        programme were celebrated, as an
recognised programme that values,                          impressive number of nurses, midwives
supports and recognises the workforce,                     and ODPs completed their programme
whilst also attracting the very best                       in just 12 weeks, during one of the most
people into the organisation. Ensuring                     challenging times the NHS has faced.
that we provide the right education                        Whilst the celebrations were moved
and skills for staff in their clinical areas,              online, it was a grand event nonetheless,
built on evidence based practice and                       kindly supported by Leeds Hospitals
research, whilst also undertaking areas                    Charity with ‘live’ performances from
of development that are at the heart of                    solo singer and Associate Community           back to the late 19th century. The
the Trust’s aims, was a key priority for                   Matron, Zoe Dunphy from Leeds                 Leeds Excellence in Practice badge
the programme.                                             Community Healthcare NHS Trust                was inspired by the Leeds Owl and the
                                                           kicking off the event and Shire Oak C         Yorkshire Rose. The Leeds Owl was
The programme was developed and
                                                           of E Primary School Choir ending the          chosen because of the Greek Goddess
delivered in collaboration with Leeds
                                                           proceedings and congratulatory speeches       Athene who is often depicted as an owl
Beckett University, University of Leeds,
                                                           led by Dame Linda Pollard, Chair of LTHT      for her wisdom, courage, inspiration,
Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust,
                                                           and Julian Hartley, Chief Executive.          skill and strength. The badge symbolises
organisations in the Leeds Academic
                                                                                                         recognition of our staff, pride in our
Health Partnership.                                        Core elements of the Excellence
                                                                                                         professions and in LTHT.
                                                           in Practice programme include
It was launched as an important part of
                                                           Compassionate Leadership and the Leeds        The 201 participants of this first
the celebrations around the International
                                                           Improvement Method, and taking part           cohort are a shining example of their
Year of the Nurse and Midwife,
                                                           embodies the Leeds Way Values and             professions and it is hoped that they
which began in January 2020 for the
                                                           Respectful Behaviours. Nurses, Midwives       will share their experiences and learning
bicentenary of the birth of the founder
                                                           and ODPs receive a specially designed         with their colleagues, and encourage
of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale.
                                                           badge, created to echo the traditional        others to take part. Thanks to Leeds
Designated by the World Health                             Nurses badge worn with pride on               Hospitals Charity for charitable funding
Organisation as the first ever global Year                 completion of training and dating             that supported the initiative.

 The launch of the Excellence in Practice programme in July last year.

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Inside the vaccine story - Plus: Your lockdown living - staff magazine | Spring 2021 - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
www.leedsth.nhs.uk |          News

Innovation through collaboration:
The story of the Covid vaccine rollout
At the end of 2020 and earlier this year,                                               in January, the Elland Road vaccination
across a matter of weeks, extraordinary                                                 centre is now open as an additional
measures were undertaken to create                                                      option for the general public.
two high functioning vaccination
                                                                                        Sue Peak, Senior Sister, said: “For me
centres in Thackray Medical Museum
                                                                                        personally, being part of this programme
and Centenary Pavilion Elland Road, in
                                                                                        has been a real privilege. I am a neonatal
addition to other vaccinating locations
                                                                                        nurse by background moved to a very
across West Yorkshire.
                                                                                        different environment but the teamwork,
Opening one of the very first Covid-19                                                  positive atmosphere and endgame that
vaccination hubs in the world, the                                                      we are all working towards, has made it
Thackray Medical Museum vaccination                                                     all worthwhile.”
centre was up and running within just
                                                                                        Dr Phil Wood, Chief Medical Officer
two weeks. The centre began operating
                                                                                        and Senior Responsible Officer
out of six pods with a cross-functional
                                                                                        for the vaccination programme
team of professionals including
                                                                                        said: “There have been incredible
pharmacists, nurses, doctors, health
                                                                                        achievements in science over the
professionals, and administration staff,
                                                                                        past year and we have been witness
who were recruited and mobilised from
                                                                                        to some landmark moments in
LTHT and partner organisations across
                                                                                        medicine. As a doctor and scientist
the city.
                                                                                        myself, it has given me great pride
Tim Hiles, Director of Operations of                                                    and inspiration to see not one, but
the vaccine programme in Leeds, said:                                                   several vaccines approved for use
“Collaboration is the word repeated                                                     here in the UK, and our vaccination
most frequently when talking about                                                      rollout programme is one of the
the vaccination programme and this                                                      leading programmes in the world.
is perhaps one of the most impressive,                                                  It’s a leading programme because
cooperative and forward-thinking                                                        of the partnerships we have built,
collaborations we have seen in a long                                                   across all areas, including healthcare
time, bringing together medical and non-                                                organisations, construction, IT,
medical organisations and individuals in                                                operations and those who staff
the fight against the global pandemic.”                                                 the centres from all backgrounds
                                                                                        of healthcare What an impressive
Underlying this ambitious project
                                                                                        operation.”
from the start has been the Leeds
Improvement Method. The Kaizen                                                          On 20 January, the first health and
Promotion Office (KPO) team have been                                                   care staff from Leeds came through
involved helping observe, measure and       Road vaccination centre had a strong        the doors to Elland Road for their
shape the project as it developed using     foundation of learning on which to build    vaccine, with Dawn Boyle the
the tools of the Leeds Improvement          on, and was set up with the potential       first person to receive the Oxford
Method. Over the space of a week in         to operate at a maximum capacity            AstraZeneca vaccine. A housekeeper
December, the Thackray Medical Museum       of 10 pods through the Centenary            in neurology for the last four years,
was transformed into an operational         Pavilion. Joining forces with the           Dawn said that she was incredibly
vaccination centre, fully staffed, and      Quality Improvement team from Leeds         excited by the moment: “I like looking
ready to open for the first uptake.         Community Healthcare, the KPO team          after people. When not working, I
                                            were able to bring significant experience   have been shielding at home with my
Through changes to processes,               to the project so that the centre could     husband, who has had two strokes,
observations of patient flow, and           open rapidly with an efficient process      and so this means a great deal to me
improvements to communication refined       ready to go.                                to get this done.”
over the intervening weeks, the Elland
                                            Suzanne Slater, Quality Improvement
                                            practitioner from Leeds Community
                                            Healthcare, said: “We are building on
                                            what we have learned through process-
                                            mapping the experience of our health
                                            and care staff and looking at the
                                            operational processes and the patient
                                            journey to ensure the highest standards
                                            of care for our patients.”
                                            Initially opening as an extension of the
                                            hospital hub for health and care staff

                                                                                                                                  7
Inside the vaccine story - Plus: Your lockdown living - staff magazine | Spring 2021 - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Feature         | www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Reasons to be cheerful
2020 had plenty of awards to celebrate        Dame Linda Pollard
and be proud of – here are just a few

                                                                                        Year in November. The Dezeen Awards
                                                                                        celebrates the world’s best architecture,
                                                                                        interiors and design, as well as the
                                                                                        studios and the individual architects
                                                                                        and designers producing the most
NHS Parliamentary Awards                                                                outstanding work.
shortlist announced                                                                     The centre also won the 2021 Civic
                                                                                        Trust Awards Orange heart award
In November, LTHT was represented                                                       in January. These awards recognise
in three categories for the NHS                                                         architectural projects that offer a
Parliamentary Awards after making the         to the community. It also recognises      positive cultural, social, economic
regional shortlist thanks to nominations      her tireless commitment to address the    and environmental benefit to their
put forward by Rt Hon. Hilary Benn MP.        under-representation of women in senior   local communities.
The Health Equalities Award: The Viral        roles across corporate Britain and in
                                                                                        Maggie’s Centre Leeds is the cancer
Hepatitis team, for their work with the       public services.
                                                                                        charity’s twenty-sixth care centre in the
Street Outreach Initiative for Hepatitis                                                UK and was designed by Heatherwick
C, a collaborative project during the first                                             Studio. The centre is built a short walk
Covid-19 national lockdown between            HTN Awards Highly                         from Leeds Cancer Centre. Drawing upon
the Bevan outreach team, the Hepatitis C
Trust, and the LTHT team.                     Commended                                 the philosophy of Maggie’s and the
                                                                                        belief that great design can help people
The NHS Rising Star Award: Emily              LTHT was Highly Commended in              feel better, the building’s design draws
Lane, Apprentice Nurse on Ward J20,           the ‘Excellence in engagement and         heavily upon a natural aesthetic and a
who was nominated for her courage             communications’ category at the           sustainable outlook.
and compassion during the testing of          Health Tech News Awards 2020 in
drive-through patients for Covid-19           November.
earlier in 2020.                              The commendation recognises the           Jonny Gamble named
                                              work of the Trust’s Critical Care and
Wellbeing at Work Award: The Future
                                              Digital IT teams in converting paper
                                                                                        HFMA’s Deputy Finance
You programme team, for their
work in developing a programme of             to digital e-forms, supporting a safe     Director of the Year
apprenticeships enabling people from          and effective delivery of the service     Jonny Gamble, Deputy Finance Director,
all walks of life to get into healthcare at   during Covid-19. The team worked          was awarded the Deputy Finance
their own pace.                               collaboratively to develop a suite of
                                              critical care documents that could be
The nominees have made a shortlist            used within the Trust’s own electronic
selected from more than 700 entries           health record, PPM+, focusing
submitted by almost half of all MPs           on patient safety, assurance and
in England. The winners of each               supporting remote working.
category will be announced and
presented with a national award at            The Trust was also shortlisted for
a special ceremony in the Palace of           its Paper Lite approach, which has
Westminster in July 2021.                     delivered significant efficiencies and
                                              has also played an important role in
                                              supporting the Covid-19 infection
                                              prevention programme.
Trust Chair Linda Pollard
awarded a damehood
Trust Chair Linda Pollard was awarded         Maggie’s Centre Leeds
a damehood in the Queen’s Birthday            scoops architectural awards
Honours announced in October. The
award was for her services to healthcare,     Maggie’s Centre Leeds based at St
which span almost 30 years, and in            James’s won the Dezeen Awards 2020
recognition of her unbroken contribution      Public vote for Civic Building of the                                   Jonny Gamble

8
Inside the vaccine story - Plus: Your lockdown living - staff magazine | Spring 2021 - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
www.leedsth.nhs.uk |         Feature

Director of the Year Award at the            in anaesthesia. In one year, the Trust
Healthcare Financial Management              reduced carbon emissions from
Association (HFMA) National Healthcare       anaesthetic gases by 52% through
Finance Awards in October.                   the use of Sevoflurane in favour of
                                             Desflurane. A saving of 4,044 tonnes
The award reflects Jonny’s work as
                                             of CO2e has been made through this
Director of Finance at NHS Nightingale
                                             scheme, with the scope to reduce
Yorkshire and the Humber in
                                             these emissions even further.
Harrogate through the pandemic,
along with his work supporting the           The Dermatology team was also
achievements of the finance team at          shortlisted for the Teledermatology
LTHT over the last year.                     Initiative as part of the Leeds Cancer
                                             Programme. This initiative has improved
                                             the waiting time for skin cancer diagnosis    Strictly come LTHT
                                             and patients with benign moles have           Five LTHT colleagues were announced
                                             received speedier reassurance after           as part of the final twelve of dance
                                             the introduction of new cameras at GP         competition Strictly NHS in November.
                                             surgeries.                                    The LTHT finalists include Karen Sykes,
                                                                                           Nilam Jadav-Patel, Andrew Viggars,
                                                                                           Adam Wilson, and Lauren Pickup.
                                             Prestigious accreditation for                 The competition will see each contestant
                                             Anaesthetists                                 training with a professional dancer for six
                                                                                           weeks before performing together in front
                                             The Anaesthetists department, headed
                                                                                           of an audience at the Empress Ballroom at
                                             by Dr Moira O’Meara, achieved the
                                                                                           the Winter Gardens, Blackpool in February.
                                             prestigious Anaesthesia Clinical Services
                                                                                           The competition aims to raise £10,000 for
                                             Accreditation (ACSA) from the Royal
                                                                                           NHS Charities Together.
                                             College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) in
                                             November. This recognised their work
                                             in providing the highest quality care to
                                             their patients.
Starlight Children’s
                                             To receive this accreditation, departments
Foundation Play Team of                      are expected to demonstrate high
the Year/Play Specialist of                  standards in areas such as patient
the Year                                     experience, patient safety and clinical
                                             leadership.
Starlight Children’s Foundation,
working with the National
Association of Health Play Specialists
named Leeds Children’s Hospital Play         Partnership working
Team as Health Play Specialist Team          commended at Health
of the Year 2020. It’s the first time this
national accolade has been awarded
                                             Business Awards
and, in addition, Lisa Beaumont,             The Trust’s partnership working alongside
Therapeutic and Specialised Play             Yorkshire Ambulance Service was
                                                                                           Procurement Team win
Manager, was named as Health Play            commended in two categories at the            HCSA Award
Specialist of the Year 2020.                 Health Business Awards 2020, announced        The Leeds eProcurement Team, won
                                             in December.                                  the Health Care Supply Association
Lisa has dedicated 32 years of her life to
helping children in hospital, by providing   LTHT and Yorkshire Ambulance Service          (HCSA) Technology Award, at what
play and distraction to support young        were commended in two categories -            was the Diamond Jubilee anniversary
patients in the medical setting. The Play    the Patient Data Award, recognising           of the HCSA in November. This award
Team’s win for recognises how they           innovative ways to store, retrieve            celebrates a team or project for creating
have gone above and beyond to provide        and distribute data, and the NHS              an innovative, new or improved solution
play for their patients under difficult      Collaboration Award, recognising              that supports procurement value delivery
circumstances.                               effective partnership working                 and the digital transformation agenda.
                                             with other public/private sector              The Leeds eProcurement Team together
                                             organisations.                                with Connexica Ltd. developed a
Teams shortlisted for                        The commendations recognise work              platform which allows for near real-
                                                                                           time visibility on procurement metrics
BMJ Awards                                   to automate the electronic transfer
                                                                                           through its synchronisation with other
                                             of ambulance care records directly
Two LTHT teams shortlisted in the            into LTHT IT systems. This ensures            procurement systems.
BMJ awards held virtually in October.        clinical and care teams are provided          The project team included Mark
The Sustainability and Anaesthetics          with up to date information at                Songhurst - Scan4Safety, Ketan Chauhan
teams were shortlisted for the               the right time, and speeds up the             - Product Support, Charlie Marsh - Project
Environmental Sustainability and             patient transfer process, reducing            Manager, Jordan Hope - Product Owner,
Climate Action Team award, for their         manual effort and saving valuable             David Berridge – Sponsor, and Chris Slater
work to reduce the use of desflurane         clinical time.                                – Sponsor.

                                                                                                                                     9
Inside the vaccine story - Plus: Your lockdown living - staff magazine | Spring 2021 - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
News        | www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Hospitals of the Future
Moving ahead in 2021
This year promises to be another
exciting year for our Hospitals of the
Future programme. Readers may already
know that this is the project to build a
new adults’ hospital, and a new Leeds
Children’s Hospital on the Leeds General
Infirmary site.
If you’ve walked up Calverley Street in
Leeds recently, you won’t have failed to
notice that work has definitely begun
on the new hospitals’ development. In
December, young patient Violet Grace and
former nurse Pat Taylor joined our Chief
Executive Julian Hartley and Chair Dame
Linda Pollard to mark this huge milestone
by waving the green flag to start the
demolition of the Old Nurses’ Home.
This was the first visible sign that the
project has begun and attracted a great
                                                the hospitals’ design further and ensure it     known as Building the Leeds Way, will also
deal of media interest, including in the
                                                reflects their needs.                           see some significant progress this year. In
Yorkshire Evening Post and BBC Look North.
                                                                                                January, demolition starts at St James’s
Demolition on the Leeds General Infirmary       The views of patients and staff are a vitally
                                                                                                to make way for the building of a new
site in preparation for the development         important aspect of the development, to
                                                                                                Pathology laboratory that will serve the
continues this year.                            ensure the hospitals work in the best way
                                                                                                Trust and hospitals across West Yorkshire
                                                possible for them.
                                                                                                and Harrogate. This is a really exciting
In Spring, our focus will be on appointing
                                                                                                development that will benefit patients
the architects and specialist contractors who
                                                                                                across the region.
will work on the new hospitals. Over the
summer, the architects and design teams
                                                Building the Leeds Way                          Building work on the new laboratory is
will work closely with us as we continue to     The Trusts’s wider programme to transform       expected to begin later this year and be
engage with patients and staff to develop       healthcare facilities for patients and staff,   completed in 2023.

10
www.leedsth.nhs.uk |       News

A new service set on easing pressure
in Leeds Teaching hospitals
One of the positives from 2020 was            clinically and academically.”             positive effect on the surgical
the opening of a pioneering new                                                         assessment unit, with reduced numbers
                                              In the first two months since opening,
consultant-led outpatient surgical                                                      attending this care stream each day.
                                              the team took 465 triage calls from
facility at St James’s in Leeds in October,
                                              various primary care operators, of        Similar work in other centre models
the Ambulatory Surgical Centre (ASC).
                                              which 51% were seen in ASC and 17%        has demonstrated a reduction in
Two years in development, the unit            were either given advice or re-directed   waiting time to see a senior decision
was created to reduce high pressure           based on the triage process. Pathways     maker from just over four hours to
impact on other key units of LTHT,            continue to be developed but of           22 minutes, and similarly for access
providing innovative and streamlined          those patients referred from primary      to acute theatres the project has
new pathways for same day emergency           care, 73% have been managed on an         demonstrated an improvement from
surgical care, GP advice and guidance,        ambulatory pathway with only 128          an average waiting time of 29 hours
and straight to test diagnostics,             patients requiring inpatient treatment.   to same day surgery and discharge for
primarily for general surgery patients.       The new service has had a significantly   day cases.
The Acute General Surgical unit at LTHT
is the busiest in the UK (NELA Data) and
the unit is one of only a few centres
in the country, with its own dedicated
team of Emergency General Surgeons.
The centre has been designed to
improve patient experience for those
well enough to walk into the unit,
with a triage facility providing rapid
senior assessment of cases, leading
to a higher percentage of same-
day discharges and fewer overnight
stays. When fully up and running, the
ambitious unit will have a dedicated
12-person team of Emergency General
Surgeons, efficiently working to
deliver ambulatory assessment and
surgery preventing patients needing
hospital admission.
Says Dr Phil Wood, “We fully believe
that this service places Leeds at the
forefront of acute general surgery both

                                                                                                                                11
Feature          | www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Stress less – your best ways of
unwinding, recharging and coping
during uncertain times
Never before has the word ‘wellbeing’        the blinding sun shining on it, children        immediate success was several staff
been so widely used as it has this past      playing and laughing, or a beautiful            accessing their phone health app at
year, as the global pandemic has spread      smelling flower garden. I absorb my             the end of the day and seeing they had
adding to pressures on jobs, family,         surroundings.                                   covered several km just from being at
friends and our general mental health.                                                       work, one Consultant managing 10Km
                                             “My four-year-old cat, Gordy, plays an
Many have taken inspiration to focus on                                                      in a day! Another success was teams
                                             important role in keeping me calm, he is
making time for their own wellbeing,                                                         across the CSU bringing colleagues on
                                             so fluffy and cuddly like a teddy bear. I sit
so we asked colleagues what they do                                                          board with up to 40 staff members
                                             with him and really look at him and take
to decompress and recharge. Got a top                                                        submitting from across the city for each
                                             note of his features and yes, I talk to him
tip you want to share? Let us know at                                                        challenge. As Christmas approached
                                             – I’m sure he has no idea what I’m saying
communications.lth@nhs.net                                                                   and we had some torrential rain, we
                                             and he does seem to look disapprovingly
                                                                                             did slow up a little, and fear grew
                                             at me most of the time!
                                                                                             we would be stuck in Humberside.
                                             “I think what has helped, is to stop or         However, ACC pulled together and with
                                             slow down and breathe. I have also              the final submissions on Boxing Day we
                                             found that if you wait a while, sometimes       happily rolled into Robins Hood’s Bay.”
                                             the worrisome things don’t need as
                                             much of your precious time as you might
                                             previously have given them.”                    Ester Jamera, Senior Project
                                                                                             Nurse for Diversity and
                                             Mike Adlam, Consultant in                       Inclusion – Spectator sports
                                             Intensive Care Medicine and                     for the whole family:
                                             Anaesthesia, and health and                     “I have been                    Ester Jamera
                                                                                             watching a
                                             wellbeing consultant lead –                     lot of sports,
Sarah Dodsworth, Assistant                   Team exercise challenges:                       in particular
                                                                                             football, darts,
Patient Services Co-                         “After wave one
                                                                                             golf and snooker.
                                             we organised a
Ordinator in Pre-assessment                  summer health
                                                                                             Football is a
                                                                                             family favourite,
at Wharfedale Hospital –                     and wellbeing
                                                                                             however, we all
                                             fortnight across
Slow down, pay attention:                    the Adult Critical
                                                                                             support different
“To help me cope, I have continued to                                                        teams. You can
                                             Care CSU. There
have lots of walks outdoors and I take                                                       imagine how
                                             were sessions
the time – real time – to slow down and                                                      heated things
                                             across the city
really look at, listen and smell things                                                      get when these teams are playing. I am a
                                             on mindfulness,
around me, whether it’s a frosty leaf with                                                   big fan of Leeds United. I am very happy
                                             dignity at work,
                                                                                             they are in the Premier League after 16
                                             chair yoga, and                    Mike Adlam
                                                                                             years of hard work!
                                             more besides. Over
                                             the fortnight we asked staff to submit          “We like watching sports because
                                             their stairs climbed from health apps           anything can happen and it engages your
                                             to see if we could collectively climb the       emotions especially when the score-line is
                                             equivalent height of Mount Everest.             tight and everything is at stake. The Darts
                                             It proved extremely popular and we              World Championships were particularly
                                             managed to summit Everest three times.          inspiring.
                                             “In the run-up to Christmas we wanted           “We are also really impressed by Marcus
                                             to set a challenge that would give a            Rashford’s courageous End Child Food
                                             good guide of our progress each time            Poverty Campaign where he called on
                                             we updated. I also thought a calming            the government to support vulnerable
                                             picture would help. So, we settled on           children with meals and activities during
                                             walking the coast of Great Britain – all        holidays. I respect that a lot because
                                             10,600km – in just over four weeks. We          sometimes, as we live in a developed
                                             set off on 25th November from Robin             country like ours, it is difficult to imagine
                                             Hood’s bay and headed North. One                families going to bed hungry.”
                                    Gordy

12
www.leedsth.nhs.uk |       Feature

Nicola Nicholson, General                       Sam Bacha                                     “Doing something creative is a really
                                                                                              effective coping mechanism, but it’s
Manager, Medicines                                                                            important to realise that you don’t
Management and Pharmacy                                                                       have to be good at what you do to get
                                                                                              something out of it – just let yourself
Services – Real crime                                                                         go and see what comes out. You never
podcasts and soft toy                                                                         know, you might even surprise yourself!”
sewing:
                                                                                                                              Nick Clark
“I enjoy spending my free time listening
to podcasts and audiobooks whilst
sewing. During lockdown, I have started
to learn how to make soft toys whilst
listening to real crime podcasts. It’s quite
a contrast of interests I realise, but it
makes me calm and gives me satisfaction
- I am quite proud of my monkey.”

Fiona Dickie, Operating
Department Practitioner -
Dogwalking:
                                               enjoyed getting into various different TV
“I love my dog Brodie, not only does he        shows on Netflix and relaxing with my
give us unconditional love, he provides        family instead of rushing around trying
us with a need to get out in the fresh air     to fit outdoor activities in on an evening.
and move. He’s a 3 ½ year old German                                                          Anna Winfield, Associate
Shepherd dog and when I’m not working          I have done more yoga practice during          Specialist in Elderly Medicine
my shifts, we walk around ten miles a          the pandemic than ever before, and
                                               have re-joined Duo-Lingo language app          – Running and hiking:
day, once in the morning and once in the
evening. Standing for ten hours doing          to progress my French. And I have also         “In the summer months I found running
my job can be hard and stressful, I find       now perfected my maltester cheesecake          really helped me relax and blow off
getting outside and walking in nature a        without needing the instructions”              steam – I was running daily off road in
great stress relief.”                                                                         my local area. Over the colder months
                                                                                              I re-discovered a love of hiking; I found
                                                                                              you can more-or-less forget about
                                                                                              everything when you are in the middle
                                                                                              of nowhere in beautiful surroundings!
                                                                                              Pictured is one of my favourite places
                                                                                              that I can run or walk to from my house –
                                                                                              Almscliffe Crag.”

                                               Nick Clark, Senior
                                               Communications Officer –
                                               Creative writing:
                                               “I’ve always found creative writing
                                               cathartic but the pandemic was the
                                               first time I really relied on my writing
                                               to get to grips with the disruptions and
Brodie
                                               anxieties of everyday life.
                                               “I poured a lot of what had built up into
Sam Bacha, Senior Oncology                     a short story I wrote over about four
                                               months. The first draft had a lot going
Occupational Therapist -                       on, but in the second draft I was able
Family, food, and French:                      to take a step back and craft what was
                                               there into something more effective on
“I relax and switch off by choosing to
                                               the page. It’s now out for initial feedback
park my car a lot further than I need to
                                               from my writing group, so it will be
so that work is further behind me by the
                                               interesting to see whether it resonates
time I get to driving home. I have also                                                        Anna Winfield
                                               with others.

                                                                                                                                     13
Feature           | www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Team Spotlight:
International Clinical Educators
We’re getting to know teams across the
Trust in a new feature, ‘Team Spotlight’
where we find out about teams and the
many different ways that LTHT people
work together to make sure hospitals
in Leeds are working. Want to put your
team in the spotlight? Get in touch via
communications.lth@nhs.net
In this issue we are meeting a small team
of three, who work within the wider
Education Practitioner team supporting
international nurses at the Trust.
In October last year, LTHT welcomed
Adam Tucker, Hannah Chapman and
Iris Bituin who started in a new clinical
education role supporting International
Nurses with their transition to UK
practice. All three are keen advocates
of education and are delighted to work
with the Education Practitioner team        from a care assistant to ward manager;       for their clinical exams by teaching either
supporting over 100 international nurse     from critical care to rehabilitation         in the work setting or at University. We
trainees who have travelled to work in      settings and most recently worked in         may be greeting trainees at the airports
Leeds from countries around the world.      infectious diseases and travel medicine.     as they land or ensuring that they are
                                                                                         attending their exams in another city. We
                                            Hannah has worked in healthcare since
                                                                                         act as a point of advice for ward staff and
                                            2012 and has a passion for helping
                                                                                         have to keep abreast of a wide range of
Meet the team                               others. As a registered nurse, Hannah has
                                                                                         world news. We work in a pastoral and
                                            worked across different trusts in surgery,
Iris qualified 26 years ago in the                                                       supportive role too.
                                            theatres, and emergency medicine.
Philippines working in ophthalmology                                                     How do the team make a difference
and urology departments before                                                           at LTHT?
moving to the UK and basing herself
in Birmingham, where she continued          Q&A                                          We make a difference by helping the
her career as a surgical nurse. Iris then                                                international nurses settle into Leeds.
                                            What happens on an average day?
relocated to Leeds where she has recently                                                All of the nurses are an asset to the
                                            There is no average day for an               Leeds hospitals family. We make a
become a surgical sister.
                                            international clinical educator! We spend    difference by supporting the nurses to
Adam has provided healthcare for 27         time supporting International nurses in      pass their clinical exams and progress
years, in a variety of roles and settings   clinical practice, helping prepare them      into independent practice within the
                                                                                         workplace team by achieving their goals
                                                                                         and we provide additional support for
                                                                                         the clinical areas and ward staff.
                                                                                         What do you enjoy about working in
                                                                                         the team?
                                                                                         Over a very short time we have evolved
                                                                                         as a close-knit team that shares skills
                                                                                         and supports each other. We share
                                                                                         common experiences with a varied and
                                                                                         diverse group of learners. Each individual
                                                                                         has their own unique personality and
                                                                                         strengths that enhances the team.
                                                                                         Any recent achievements?
                                                                                         We are overjoyed to share the news that
                                                                                         all Cohort 3 international nurses have
                                                                                         just passed their clinical examinations.
                                                                                         We have also welcomed another cohort
                                                                                         of 60 international nurses to Leeds over
                                                                                         December and January.

14
www.leedsth.nhs.uk |        News

Celebrating Allied Health Professional Day
Allied Health Professionals (AHP) make
up the third largest workforce in the
NHS, and there are more than 1100
AHPs working across many professional
groups at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
During AHP Day, on 14 October, Chief
Nurse Lisa Grant met virtually with a
representative from each professional
group to discuss their reasons why it’s
great to be an AHP. Lisa was delighted to
be part of the celebration and recognised
the contribution AHPs make to patient
pathways and experience. She was very
keen that AHP voices were heard and
offered her support to ensure AHPs’
contributions and value are represented
in the organisation.
Although the group couldn’t meet in
person as they have done in previous
years, AHPs across the Trust connected
with each other and with colleagues
across the country using social media to
share and celebrate their profession.
This year a competition was also held,
where AHPs were asked to design a
poster or take a creative photo that
best represents their profession. There     Leeds Way values.                             2nd Place - Paed Radiographers
were some great entries which showed                                                      (“Funnybones”)
not only the pride AHPs have for            The top three entries in the
                                                                                          3rd Place - Orthoptics (“Rainbow vision”)
their profession, but also the care and     competition were:
respect colleagues have for their team                                                    Thank you to Leeds Hospitals Charity
members - truly representative of the       1st Place - ODPs (“Who you gonna call”)       who funded prizes for the winners.

  Paper Lite delivers Trust-wide benefits
  Along with many other teams across        involves digitising paper Medical            Covid Infection Prevention regime by
  the Trust, the Covid pandemic has         Records, which are scanned and               significantly reducing the volumes of
  seen the Corporate & Health Records       uploaded into ppm+. Paper Lite is a key      documents and people moving around
  team completely change the way            step in our digital journey, providing       the Trust.
  they work. With restrictions around       many efficiency and sustainability           The team run a comprehensive Pick-up
  document handling in place, they have     benefits, and also building upon the         & Scan Service for all in-patient and
  quickly adapted to a different way of     investment made in ppm+, contributing        outpatient areas, and the Clarendon
  delivering their service, using digital   to an increasingly rich electronic patient   Wing Library, which was previously full
  solutions to help.
                                            record. Paper Lite has also played           of paper records, has now been closed
  This approach, known as Paper Lite,       an important role in supporting our          down.

                                                                                                                                   15
Feature           | www.leedsth.nhs.uk

George Floyd and me: What can I do to
eliminate racism in the workplace?
                                 Ester Jamera                                     Nick Clark    racism in the workplace, and see how
                                                                                                you can join in.
                                                                                               • Take a look at the I-APPLAUD initiative
                                                                                                  in full by searching for BME Staff
                                                                                                  Network on the Trust Intranet
                                                                                               • Join the BME Staff Network (it is open
                                                                                                  to all LTHT staff and volunteers) and
                                                                                                  attend their regular meetings where
                                                                                                  possible to connect and hear the latest
                                                                                                  news and issues.

                                                                                               Initiate a conversation with a
                                                                                               BME colleague
                                                                                               Why not step outside your comfort zone
Ester Jamera, Senior Project Nurse for          In October last year, the Trust launched       and talk to a BME colleague and ask them
diversity and inclusion and Co-chair of the     the I-APPLAUD BME allyship initiative.         about their experiences in and out of the
BME Staff Network, and Nick Clark, Senior       The initiative aims to encourage and           workplace? Here are some ideas for the
Communications Officer, explore how             support White colleagues to actively           best way to do this.
White colleagues can use allyship to make       participate in the equality, diversity and     No one likes being put on the spot. And
a meaningful difference to the everyday         inclusion of BME staff across all levels       this is even more likely to be the case
experience of their BME colleagues and          of the organisation. Allyship is a role        when it comes to talking about race. So
help make LTHT the best place to work           and a choice we step into. We can be an        on your initial conversation with BME
for all.                                        ally behind the scenes or choose to be         colleagues avoid the ‘Where do you come
                                                very visible in our support. Being a BME       from? No, where are you really from?’
When the video of George Floyd’s brutal         ally doesn’t necessarily mean you fully
arrest and killing was shared online in                                                        questions. Asking ‘Where do you really
                                                understand what it feels like to be on the     come from?’ implies that you do not think
May 2020, it sent shockwaves around the         receiving end of race inequality. It means
world. The incident cast a harsh spotlight                                                     they come from the UK and are not British
                                                you’re taking on the struggle for equality,    simply because they are not White. For all
on the discriminatory treatment faced by        diversity and inclusion as your own to help
Black people in America and gave a new                                                         we know they could have been born here
                                                create just systems and workplaces.            including their parents and grandparents.
urgency to the messages championed by
the Black Lives Matter movement.                                                               Why not offer up some insight on your
                                                                                               own cultural heritage first? You could
For many BME staff at LTHT, racism              Simple Actions - Big                           follow this up with where your own
and discrimination often impacts their                                                         family originate from. This sets a pattern
everyday experience at work. Many
                                                Difference
                                                                                               for the depth of response you’re looking
people from a White background have             • Be observant and aware of                   for, rather than the awkward situation of
now started asking questions about their           discrimination and harassment in the        hearing about where someone lives right
own beliefs and views on race and racism,          workplace. If you observe discrimination    now when what you are really interested
privilege and discrimination, and what             or harassment:                              in is their cultural heritage.
they can do to make a difference.
                                                 - Check in with the victim                    For BME staff - If you are keen to share
                                                 -C
                                                   hallenge and call out the offence if       your story and no one has asked you, be
                                                  safe to do so                                courageous and create opportunities for
What is allyship and why is it                                                                 yourself to share.
important?                                       - Report the incident and seek support

Allyship is a process of building               • Attend personal development
relationships with marginalised groups             opportunities that aid your                 Listen carefully and
                                                   understanding and equip and empower
or people based on trust, consistency and
                                                   you to contribute to the Equality,
                                                                                               acknowledge what your BME
accountability. Allyship encourages one
to understand the experience of others,
                                                   Diversity and inclusion agenda. You can     colleagues are saying
                                                   access a number of these opportunities
especially those who don’t look or sound                                                       When BME colleagues are sharing their
                                                   via ESR. The Equality and Diversity Team
like us. In order to create a workplace with                                                   experience, seek to understand and
                                                   can also deliver bespoke sessions for
equity we must be intentional in bettering                                                     not dismiss or attempt to explain away
                                                   your team if needed.
ourselves and each other for the common                                                        their lived experience. At this point
good. Allyship is a one of the concepts         • Look out for trustwide, citywide,           resist the temptation to share your own
that supports us in this endeavour.                regional and national campaigns to end      story as it risks undermining the story

16
www.leedsth.nhs.uk |          News

your BME colleague is sharing and will
negatively affect the level of trust you
can build. Check for clarity about what
you have heard or play it back to confirm
                                                  Leeds goes live - scaling
                                                  up digital pathology
understanding and ask the impact of their
experience on their life.
It is also important to be mindful that

                                                  across the country
whatever we are hearing, the individual
will be speaking from their own
experience and not on behalf of everyone
from a similar ethnic origin. Appreciate
and acknowledge what you hear, even
if you don’t relate to the experience
that has been shared or don’t feel that
you really ‘get it’. It’s the individual’s
experience - they have lived it, so it is vital
to accept what you hear on that basis.
Always thank the person for sharing their
story – it is likely it has taken them a lot of
effort to open up to you.

What’s next?
                                                  LTHT’s digital pathology journey has      pathology and artificial intelligence.
There’s plenty more you can do to be a
                                                  reached new heights of achievement        NPIC will also provide a platform to
meaningful ally to BME colleagues at the
                                                  as the National Pathology Imaging         run clinical trials and build diagnostics
Trust, with many resources available at
                                                  Cooperative (NPIC) launched on 1          capability in collaboration with the
the LTHT library and online. For a starter,
                                                  January. Its mission is to create the     life sciences industry.
search online for Sandra Kerr’s ‘Let’s Talk
                                                  infrastructure and knowledge for
About Race’ handbook, which helped                                                          Director of the programme, Dr Darren
                                                  the NHS to be a global leader in
inform this article, and has some good                                                      Treanor, Consultant Pathologist
                                                  digital pathology and artificial
pointers for getting past the starting                                                      at LTHT, said: “This significant
                                                  intelligence (AI).
blocks in talking about race and racism in                                                  investment allows us to use digital
the workplace.                                    A new £20m investment will enable         pathology to help diagnose cancer
                                                  NPIC to deploy scanners across 15         across the NHS and provides a large
                                                  hospitals in the North and a further      platform on which we can develop
                                                  25 hospitals throughout England.          artificial intelligence tools to be used
Contact details:                                                                            around the world.”
                                                  The high-tech, data-driven artificial
BME Staff network:
                                                  intelligence initiative is led by the     Since the latest funding
leedsth-tr.BME@nhs.net
                                                  Trust and includes the West Yorkshire     announcement was made a £1m
E& D: Leedsth-tr.editeam@nhs.net
                                                  NHS Trusts, the Northeast pathology       refurbishment of the National
LTHT Libraries: www.leedslibraries.nhs.uk
                                                  network, York, and Hull Hospitals.        Training Centre for Digital Pathology
                                                  It also funds two national networks       at St James’s was carried out, which
                                                  in childhood tumours and in bone          will accommodate training and
                                                  and soft tissue tumours, led by           workshops, dedicated resources and
                                                  Great Ormond St Hospital and Royal        expertise in digital pathology and AI.
                                                  National Orthopaedic Hospitals.
                                                                                            Dr Phil Wood, Chief Medical Officer
                                                                                            at LTHT said: “Digital pathology is
                                                   “This significant investment             becoming a key enabling technology
                                                      allows us to use digital              for both clinical delivery of cancer
                                                                                            and wider disease diagnostics. In
                                                   pathology to help diagnose
                                                                                            addition to improving patient care
                                                    cancer across the NHS and               in our hospitals, this programme
                                                     provides a large platform              will also teach others how to use
                                                    on which we can develop                 this technology and report cases
                                                   artificial intelligence tools to         remotely, an area that has increased
                                                                                            in importance during the COVID-19
                                                   be used around the world.”               pandemic.”
                                                                                            NPIC is one of the centres to receive
                                                  NPIC will have the capacity to scan
                                                                                            funding as part of a £50 million
                                                  over 2.3m images per year, creating 3
                                                                                            investment in innovative technology
                                                  Petabytes of data, and spans across all
                                                                                            for Data to Early Diagnosis and
                                                  29 pathology networks in the country,
                                                                                            Precision Medicine announced on by
                                                  propelling the NHS to the leading
                                                                                            Health and Social Care Secretary Matt
                                                  position internationally in digital
                                                                                            Hancock in August 2020.

                                                                                                                                        17
News       | www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Leeds Hospitals Charity - news and donations
                                            In 2020 our supporters                        Clinical Psychology
                                            helped fund…                                  Programme
                                            Thanks to our amazing supporters,             We’ve invested £900,000 for a clinical
                                            we helped provide an additional £6            psychology programme for frontline
                                            million worth of projects to support          health workers during the second wave
                                            staff, patients and families across Leeds     to support staff, including those who are
                                            Teaching Hospitals. From a specialist         treating patients with Covid-19.
                                            incubator on the Neonatal Unit to help
                                            premature babies like Archie, to a clinical
                                            psychology programme for frontline NHS
                                            staff and a brand-new surgical laser to
                                            treat lung cancer patients like John.

Leeds Hospitals Charity
shop…opening soon!                          Archie’s Story
This year, we’re opening our first          Thanks to
community based charity shop in             the amazing
Crossgates, Leeds!                          generosity and
Please watch this space for updates on      kind donations
when our charity shop will be open and      of the local
                                                                                          Jenny Lewis, Director of HR and
accepting donations.                        people of Leeds,
                                                                                          Organisational Development, said “Over
                                            we’ve been able
If you’re interested in volunteering in                                                   the last nine months we’ve had the most
                                            to buy a new
the charity shop, you can find out more                                                   amazing support from people across
                                            state-of-the-art ‘baby Leo’ incubator
and apply on our website:                                                                 Leeds who have put on public displays of
                                            for the Neonatal Unit at Leeds
https://volunteers.leedshospitalscharity.                                                 appreciation for our NHS staff, donated
                                            Children’s Hospital.
org.uk/opportunities                                                                      to our causes, and raised money.”
                                            New parents, Chris and Emma were in
                                                                                          You can read our latest news and
                                            hospital with their one-month old baby
                                                                                          funding projects here https://www.
                                            Archie when we launched our Urgent
                                                                                          leedshospitalscharity.org.uk/Pages/News/
                                            Equipment Appeal. Archie spent two
                                            weeks in an incubator on the Neonatal
                                            Intensive Care Unit and grew from
                                            strength to strength until the family         John’s Story
                                            were able to return home together in
                                                                                          Thanks to donations to our Limax Laser
                                            time for Christmas.
                                                                                          appeal, a brand-new £138,000 surgical
                                            Chris said: “We’re absolutely over the        laser is now in use at Leeds Cancer
                                            moon that the appeal has raised enough        Centre. The laser is a small but extremely
                                            to buy a new incubator for the ward!          precise hand-held device that is used by
                                            We see the nurses, doctors and surgeons       surgeons on patients with primary and
Leeds Parks Challenge                       as Archie’s first family, Emma and I will     metastatic cancer in the lung.
                                            forever be in their debt. Only really now
In partnership with Great North, Leeds      that Archie has grown to a ‘normal birth
Hospitals Charity are excited to share      weight’, we realise just how vulnerable
our first event of 2021 – the Leeds         he was when he was born at 2lb 12oz,
Parks Challenge!                            10 weeks prematurely back in August.
The challenge, starting on 1                We are so lucky to have the unbelievably
February, is to complete ten 5k (runs,      skilful and knowledgeable NHS staff
walks or hops!) around your local           looking after our little boy.”
park or even up and down your
stairs and help raise funds for your
local NHS hospitals.
You have 12 weeks to complete the                                                         John, a lung-cancer patient from
challenge, whether you do one run a                                                       Grimsby, had surgery using the laser in
week or decide to run a marathon                                                          2016. He said, “I really don’t think I’d
a week!                                                                                   be here now if it wasn’t for the team at
                                                                                          Leeds using the laser. It gave my family
Register for just £10 on our website:                                                     hope for the future and meant I was
https://www.leedshospitalscharity.org.uk/                                                 able to have more surgeries and further
Event/ten-parks-challenge                                                                 treatment if needed.”

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