Shine a Light Award Winner – August 2013

Ingrid Randall and Julie Robinson, Team Managers, Community Nursing Services Peterborough

Ingrid and Julie were nominated by Christine Cooper, Community Nursing Service Manager for setting up an innovative partnership with ambulance paramedics aimed at reducing A&E admissions. Medics responding to a 999 call can contact the district nursing team 24/7 if a patient needs further help, but doesn’t need to be taken to hospital.

People do sometimes call 999 inappropriately as this is for medical emergencies only, but this scheme enables medics to contact the district nurses once they’ve patched up the patient and checked there are no life threatening injuries. Nurses follow up with a visit to ensure people are getting the care they need. This means an unnecessary trip to hospital can be avoided and that, with the right help in the community, stays at hospital can be avoided in the future.

The scheme has been running since December 2012. The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust has also agreed to support district nurses by manoeuvring terminally ill patients onto a hospital bed or appropriate mattress if necessary when they are too ill to move themselves. This then helps prevent pressure ulcers and aids patient comfort.

Congratulations to Ingrid and Julie.

Other nominations included:

Karen Ferries, Neonatal Community Nursery Nurse, Neonatal Community Nursing, Children's Unit Hinchingbrooke.

Karen was nominated for the outstanding levels of care and commitment she gives to the care of the families and their babies following discharge from the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU). Karen has worked tirelessly to ensure the needs of the families have been met.

Feedback received:

"This is an excellent service that I have been very grateful to be in receipt of."
"It was lovely to have the support as I felt I need it sometimes."
"Team amazing, particularly Karen Ferries."

Tessa Shaw, Paediatric Physiotherapist, Oaktree Centre, Huntingdon

Tessa was commended by the relative of a patient for her outstanding contribution and making physio fun for boys!

Babs Caldwell, Diabetes Service Co-ordinator, Brookfields Hospital, Cambridge

Babs was put forward by a colleague for being the key driver of the modernisation and streamlining of Diabetes Service in Cambridge. The systems and processes that she has put in place ensure the service is smart, safe and co-ordinated. She has gained the respect and full support of the clinicians in the team, her manager and the local GPs and commissioners who have all fed back positively on her professional approach and her personal contribution to implementing change effectively. She is a credit to the organisation and a highly valued colleague. 

Gillian Ascough, Community Health Service Pharmacist, Princess of Wales Hospital, Ely

Gillian’s colleague nominated for her support and input the Minor Injuries Units.  She diligently works with the clinicians to develop Patient Group Directives within which non prescribers work. She willingly shares her expertise and her attention to detail is legendary! Gillian has recently had a central role working with the commissioners to develop the medicines aspect of a new DVT care pathway that will reduce travel and admissions for patients. She works tirelessly and is very much in the background working on our behalf to keep us and our patients safe.

Christine Luckham, Ward Manager, Holly Ward, Hinchingbrooke Hospital

Chris was praised by a colleague for fully supporting her application to move from acute services to community diabetes team.  Chris encouraged the application in order for her to develop her career.  She also arranged for her to be released from the ward to work with the diabetes specialist nurse (paediatrics) to enable a smooth transition.

Jeremy Dawson, ESP, City and South -Musculoskeletal Services, Chesterton Medical Centre

Jeremy was nominated for working closely with the operational team lead to deliver a high quality service in both musculoskeletal physiotherapy and specialist clinics. Since his inception the locality service has been put out to tender. This has caused for a step up in data collation, patient experience, staff engagement, team briefings, GP engagement and working closely to alleviate stress/anxiety within the staff cohort. This is on top of his day job which is to provide ESP clinics within this locality as well as sessions within the core service also.

He has done this with drive, vigour, a calm persona, flexibility and passion. He interacts exceptionally with all staff, managers, and leads and across boundaries of providers and helps to gel the team together as they drive forwards in their continued quest for high quality and outcome based patient experience.

Dawn Adams, Admin Support -Head of Service and Consultant Physiotherapist, Musculoskeletal Services, Hinchingbrooke Hospital

Dawn was commended for her adaptability, flexible working, and taking on the admin support of Karen Fechter, the new Consultant Physiotherapist and Sarah Saul, Head of Service with no fuss.  She works to co-ordinate two very busy diaries, organise clinics for the consultant physiotherapist, arrange meetings, teleconferences, confirm invoices for the Hunts locality, actively involved in recruitment and all paperwork which encompasses this and also leads the admin team within the Hunts locality. She is very flexible and an excellent and valued member of the MSK admin team who helps keep "everything together". She has a calm persona which filters out to the team she leads, she also helps staff with change and taking on new responsibilities and tasks as jobs evolve/adapt.

Jan Wilkins, Family Support Practitioner, Children's Community Nursing Team, Ida Darwin, Cambridge

Jan was put forward by a colleague following a thank you letter sent in from a parent whose child had emergency surgery for Molluscum Contagiusm and Jan gave Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) after this difficult time:

“You are blessed with a voice of compassion. You remembered what I had said, along with my emotional state, week in, week out, yet with minimal note taking! The genuine warmth and care that you gave, as if I was the only parent you saw!

“I had never had CBT before - it was empowering in the sense of being in an aura of being right back where I had been at the moment of distress and your voice, the words you used - so powerful in such a gentle way!

June Abernethy, Admin Leader, Community Nursing Services, Peterborough

June was nominated by a colleague for devising a simple method of contacting community cased staff in an emergency.  She set up a text message system via NHS email that enables all staff to receive a message direct to their work mobile.

Not everyone can access emails and to try and telephone everyone could potentially take several hours. This new system has made a real difference.

Well done to everyone who was nominated!