Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Our teams of healthcare scientists play a vital and valuable role in the delivery of patient care at our hospitals and in the community. The latest issue of The Biomedical Scientist, from the Institute of Biomedical Science features the ‘remarkable transformation’ of our Cellular Pathology service. 💬 “NUH Cellular Pathology stands as a shining example of how bold decisions and a commitment to improvement can lead to exceptional outcomes for patients and staff alike.” If you have been inspired to join our team of healthcare scientists, take a look at the opportunities on our website site. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/djj5bYRv

Have you had a lived experience of cancer, or been a carer to a family member or friend with cancer? If so, we value your opinion and believe these experiences, both good and bad, empower you to be meaningfully engaged in discussions around quality, service and system improvement here at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Find our more about this free event below

Thank you to all those who work at NUH for your dedication, hard work and compassion throughout the past year. You make a difference every day and we're incredibly grateful for all you do 💙 #HappyNewYear #NHS

David Austin is our joint Deputy Chief Perfusionist at City Hospital and has worked in the NHS since 1984.   A perfusionist assists the surgical team during various types of cardiac procedures. Their responsibility is to operate a heart/lung machine that artificially replaces a patient's heart and lung functions during open heart surgery, as well as other longer term mechanical cardiac assist devices. The machine plays a key role in the patient’s treatment. The heart can be put into hibernation for up to six hours whilst being operated on, during this time the heart’s temperature and metabolic rate are lowered. David’s role is to operate and monitor the machine which has six pumps that are used to pump blood and deliver medicine among other roles. David said: “Whilst training as an Operating Department Practitioner at Guys and St Thomas Hospital, London, I was fortunate to spend some time in the cardiac surgery theatres. I was in awe of the team and all the technology. I knew instantly this was the career I wanted to pursue. “The first time I saw cardiac surgery I was really impressed with the technology and how all the teams worked together and communicated with each other. It was amazing how calm everyone was.” The Cardiac Surgical Team operate on up to 600 patients per year across both the City Hospital and Queens Medical Centre (QMC). They treat patients with a variety of conditions including peripheral vascular disease valvular disease and emergency aortic conditions. David added: “I am humbled daily and very proud to work alongside, my medical, nursing, portering, technical and admin colleagues at the Trent Cardiac Centre. I really enjoy teaching the next generation of perfusionists. I am proud to say that over the years we have trained many perfusionists at NUH. “I’d say one of the best things about this job is that it is constantly evolving, and every day brings new challenges. No two days are ever the same. It is a very rewarding career, and I am a member of a unique group of only 400 perfusionists in the UK. “I remember in the early days of setting up adult cardiac surgery at NUH we only had a perfusion team of two. Now we have a team of nine qualified perfusionists, including a trainee. I do not have any regrets about my career choice, and I still love the job.” David started his career with NUH at Nottingham City Hospital in August 1995, and next year we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of cardiac surgery at NUH

To all our colleagues, we thank you so, For the care and dedication you always show. Through every challenge, you give your best, Helping others with kindness and zest.   This Christmas, we send our warmest cheer, Grateful for all you've done this year. Wishing you peace, joy, and festive light, Merry Christmas, and a New Year bright! 🎄✨

This year our award-winning catering team are preparing to serve Christmas dinner to 1,700 patients. The menu features a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings, roast pork and stuffing, turkey and cranberry casserole and a Quorn roast. This year’s Christmas dinner includes a massive: 1,400 portions of turkey, 1,400 portions of roast pork, 770 Quorn roasts, 6,000 portions of vegetables and potatoes, 1,500 portions of Christmas pudding with rum sauce and 3,800 mince pies. Our catering team, based in the Catering Production Unit (CPU) at City Hospital, started preparing for one of their biggest days of the year back in August. Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for the team, however, the hard work does not stop there. Over 1.9 million meals made on-site are served to patients throughout the year. Food Production Manager Sue Austin said: “Most people don't know our production unit exists and think we bring all of the food in from outside suppliers. "We have a local butcher and a most of our produce is from British suppliers. We are proud of that. 65 or 70 per cent of the food on our menus is produced in-house. We are really proud we can produce all of the main menu items for our patients." 19 chefs, 35 assistants, stores and helpdesk staff as well as 350 staff in Food Services work together to produce and deliver up to 7,000 meals a day to patients across City Hospital and the Queen’s Medical Centre. Patients order their meals on the wards via the Food Services Assistants using an electronic ordering system which is then picked, packed and delivered by the Food Services team to serve at ward level. A variety of hot meals are offered for lunch and supper from a range of menus to suit everyone’s needs. Sue said: “In total, we offer over 60 menus. We have our main menu and we also have a wide range of ethnic meals, vegan menus, allergen free menus, therapy menus and more. It’s so important we have something for everyone.” Despite hundreds of dishes to choose from patients have their favourites. Sue added: “Our top dishes are roast beef, steak and ale pie and beef lasagne. “Our hot puddings are very popular too. We make 1,000 portions of puddings, like sponges and apple crumbles, for our patients each day and they always go down well.” All food produced on site is cooked to a standard recipe and method. The team work with NHS England, the Hospital Caterers Association, a Chief Dietetic Technician  and dieticians across the Trust to come up with the best meals and processes for patients. Sue said: “It's all done to very strict standards. It's particularly important for vulnerable patients to have good food, and we are keen to rebut that thing of 'it's only hospital food'.” The team hope their traditional cooked dinner can spread some festive cheer to patients on Christmas day.

Betty Hunt, 91 from Nottingham, has been discharged from the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in time for Christmas with her family.      The great grandmother of 10 was admitted to QMC over a week ago with a broken wrist after falling at home.     She said: “I am very grateful for all the nurses and doctors they have all been very helpful. I can’t thank them enough!     “I am very excited to go home and spend Christmas with my family. Mash potatoes are my favourite bit of the roast.”    Betty used to be a machinist in a Littlewoods factory making children’s clothes. Now she spends her time with her five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.  She added: “For me it is Christmas when I have put my late husband's nativity set up and am surrounded by family. I am very grateful for all the care I have received and to be able to go home in time for Christmas Day.”  Joanna Armstrong, Deputy Sister on the Transfer of Care Unit (TOCU) said: “It is really important to get our patients home for Christmas, where they ultimately want to be. I know it means a lot for Betty to get home for the holidays to be with her large extended family, as she is very family oriented.      “For those patients who sadly can’t go home for Christmas we want to create the best experience possible, although we understand it will never be the same as being at home.”      Last Christmas we created 420 empty beds by Christmas Eve through discharging medically safe patients.      This year we are hoping to create 430 empty beds by getting more patients like Betty home for the festive period. Dr Mark Simmonds, Deputy Medical Director, said: “We want as many patients as possible to be home for Christmas. We are working with our system partners to ensure we can safely discharge patients over the coming days. “By working together, we can ensure that hospital beds are available for those who need them most in early January, when we see high demand. It also means our current patients will be where they want to be for Christmas: at home.” This winter we are urging the public to do all they can to help their relatives, friends and neighbours leave hospital in time for Christmas.  Dr Simmonds added: “If you have a loved one or family member in hospital, please support us so we can ensure nobody stays in hospital any longer than is necessary. “You can help us by arranging transport to pick loved ones up and ensuring homes are warm and stocked with the necessities to reduce the risk of readmission.” There are a number of ways that family members, friends and neighbours can help their loved one get home this Christmas:  - offer them a lift home  - check they have a key  - get essential supplies, such as bread and milk  - make sure their home is warm and safe  - make sure they have suitable clothing and shoes. 

Professor Wei Shen Lim, one of our Consultants in Respiratory Medicine was presented with an Honorary KBE for his services to the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme.  Professor Lim became Chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in 2020, presiding over and guiding the largest and most successful vaccination programme in the UK.   Professor Lim said: “The appointment is an incredible honour. I am very fortunate to have around me an amazing family, good friends and excellent colleagues, all of whom have supported me in large and diverse ways. Thank you to them too.”  Professor Lim brought together experts and lay members to give the Government time-sensitive advice on the deployment of vaccines. At a time of national crisis, he adopted a calm, collegiate approach, bringing the committee to consensus on some of the hardest clinical questions, often in the face of limited data and the need to act at speed.  Professor Veronica Pickering MBS HAC, Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, presented Professor Lim’s Honorary KBE and said: “It was a real honour and privilege to be able to present this Honorary Knighthood on behalf of His Majesty The King, to Professor Wei Shen Lim KBE. Congratulations and sincere thanks for everything that he has done in support of the Covid-19 Vaccination programme.”  NUH Chief Executive Anthony May OBE DL said: “It was an honour to witness Professor Wei Shen Lim receive his honorary knighthood on Tuesday 10 December. A pivotal figure in the fight against COVID-19, Professor Lim’s knighthood is a testament to his efforts and contributions to the nation’s vaccination strategy during one of the most challenging periods in recent history.  “On behalf of Nottingham University Hospitals, I would like to congratulate Professor Lim on receiving this prestigious award and thank him for his outstanding public service.” Professor Lim played a key role in ensuring the public's very high confidence in the vaccine programme and his bold decision to guide the committee to a Priority First Dose strategy proved to be correct, saving thousands of UK lives and many further afield where this strategy was copied.  Congratulations to Profesor Lim on a very well-deserved Honorary KBE. 💙

This year, we started planning for winter earlier than ever before to ensure elective procedures can continue throughout the winter months. Our winter plan includes initiatives such as the short-stay hip and knee replacement pathway, High Intensity Theatre (HIT) lists and dual operating theatres to maximise capacity and benefit patients. Last month elective orthopaedic activity at NUH was at 124% of pre-Covid activity compared with November 2019. Jennifer Beaumont, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at NUH said: “One of our top priorities this winter is to continue planned care and procedures as much as possible. “Winter is an extremely busy time for the NHS however it is a priority for us to maximise our theatre and outpatient capacity to continue to reduce waiting lists and improve patient experience. “In previous years we have had to reduce elective operating capacity over winter due to bed pressures from emergency admissions. This year we have planned additional bed capacity so we can protect planned care to ensure procedures can continue. “Our teams have worked incredibly hard to significantly reduce 65-week waits Trust wide and we are still on track to eliminate almost all orthopaedics 52-week waits by the end of March. “We know how important it is to our patients to continue with planned care and reduce waiting lists as quickly and safely as possible.” Last year, NUH introduced a short-stay hip and knee replacement pathway aimed at discharging patients on the same day as their surgery. In the first 6 months of the pathway 58% of patients were discharged from hospital within 24 hours of surgery, compared to only 10% before it was introduced. The average length of stay following a hip or knee replacement has now reduced by over two days allowing us to increase operating capacity, reduce waiting lists and free up beds for other patients. Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr Benjamin Bloch, was instrumental in developing the pathway which has already benefitted over 1,000 patients. He said: “The pathway continues to be a real success and is helping us maximise theatre capacity and continue with elective procedures as we head into winter. “We first introduced the pathway to try to get patients out of hospital much more quickly because the best place to recover is at home. “It’s great that we have also improved operating capacity helping us to reduce waiting lists and free up hospital beds for other patients who need them. “If we can use our resources more efficiently and get more patients seen, then that can only be a good thing." The development of the pathway was a multidisciplinary process and included surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and management personnel. Other initiatives introduced at NUH to maximise theatre capacity include HIT lists and dual operating techniques.

We have opened a new medical ward at City Hospital to help ease pressures and improve patient experience this winter. Newell Ward offers a maximum of 27-beds and is purpose-designed to provide treatment for patients with a variety of medical conditions. The ward opened to its first patients this month and received 12 referrals within the first week with the capacity to go up to a maximum of 27 patients. Victoria Fensome, Medicine Divisional Nurse at NUH said: “We know that the demand for our medical bed occupancy increases during the winter months and Newell Ward will make a significant difference to our patients. “I am extremely grateful to the team for all their hard work in getting Newell Ward up and running in such a short amount of time. It’s a great example of working together to make changes that improve the experience of and care for our patients. “The opening of Newell Ward will give us extra capacity to care for those who need to be in hospital over the coming months, while minimising the impact on other services including elective admissions.” The ward team is comprised of NUH colleagues who have come together from a wide range of professional groups and specialties to provide a multi-disciplinary approach. Newell has its own dedicated in-house receptionists, discharge co-ordinator and food services and cleaning teams. Nursing staff and healthcare assistants provide 24-hour care, and the ward is supervised by a clinically qualified ward manager, further supported by educators from across the Trust. Lisa Kelly, Chief Operating Officer at NUH, said: “Winter is an extremely busy time for the NHS and Newell ward will help us to ease pressures, maintain flow throughout the hospital and improve patient experience. “We have a well-established approach to our winter planning at NUH. We anticipate that this is going to be a difficult winter but we hope to mitigate the impact and ensure a more positive experience and better outcome for our patients. “The safety of our patients and the quality of the care we provide will always be our priority. “Above all, we want the public to stay well this winter. If you are eligible, please take up the offer of COVID-19 and flu vaccinations. "Please only attend our Emergency Department in an emergency and use alternative services where possible, including 111 online, pharmacies or urgent treatment centres. By choosing the right service, you will be freeing up staff and vital hospital beds for those that need them the most.” Newell Ward forms part of a wider winter capacity plan to support and maintain the flow of patients through NUH. Further to the additional capacity, NUH has also introduced a number of further measures this winter including: changing the use of current clinical space, improved patient pathways and improved Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) pathways.