Healthwatch Rochdale are currently recruiting for the role of Treasurer for the Board

 

The role of the Treasurer is to lead the Board in ensuring that the organisation is financially viable and that proper financial records and procedures are adhered to and maintained. 

Delegated responsibilities of the Treasurer

• To provide an overview and scrutiny role in all financial matters of the organisation
• To ensure that the organisations accounts are kept in accordance with the law
• To ensure that all designated funds are spent for the purpose that they were obtained
• To ensure that the organisations financial policies and procedures are reviewed annually to ensure compliance with any changes in law
• To ensure appropriate financial systems are in place, e.g. banking and cash processes
• To liaise with the Chief Executive Officer and Office and Communications Manager on behalf of the Board of directors to ensure that the accounts are audited or independently examined annually and Annual Returns and accounts are logged with Company’s House within the time scales stated.
• To work with the Chief Executive Officer to ensure that the Board of Directors receive monthly financial reports at Board meetings
• To work with the Chief Executive Officer to ensure that any financial risks or concerns are reported to the Board of Directors. To ensure that financial risk management plan is in place to address any issues
• To work the Chief Executive Officer on the review on Annual Budget setting

 
If you are interested in applying for this voluntary position or would like to discuss the role further, please contact Kate Jones CEO of Healthwatch Rochdale on 01706 249 575.
 
To apply for the role please send your CV to Kate.Jones@healthwatchrochdale.org.uk
 
The closing date for this post is Friday 13th January 5pm

 

Rochdale Eye consultant named Doctor of the Year at Pennine Acute Trust Staff Awards 2016
 

 

A CONSULTANT ophthalmologist and clinical director based at Rochdale Infirmary, who has been described as being “a consultant like no other”, has been named Doctor of the Year Award at The Pennine Acute Hospital NHS Trust’s 7th annual staff awards event.

 

The Staff Awards 2016 consisted of 14 award categories which recognised the very best of patient care, skill, dedication and innovation across the Trust’s 9,000 staff who work at its four hospitals and across community services.

 

At the final awards dinner at the Sheridan Suite in Manchester, Trust Chief Executive Sir David Dalton and Chairman Jim Potter, announced that Mr Tanveer Hashmi had won the Doctor of the Year Award.

 

Mr Hashmi  was awarded the gong for providing excellent leadership and inspiring others; he cares significantly for patients and wants to work in an exemplary service.  He has single handedly validated a follow-up waiting list of 2000 patients and ensured that patients are added to lists to be seen by the department. 

 

Described as always wanting to offer patients the best possible care, he regularly works his annual leave around operating days so that his patients undergoing cataract surgery are not kept waiting any longer than is necessary. He provides a quality service, working with the booking and scheduling department to reduce patient waiting times and is constantly suggesting ways in which the service can be improved.

 

Mr Hashmi said: “I was thrilled to receive the accolade of being named the Trust’s Doctor of the Year.  It’s important to stress though that the award reflects a team effort from all the ophthalmology staff at Rochdale Infirmary.  Without everyone’s hard work we would not be able to achieve the best outcomes for all our patients.”

 

Trust Chief Executive, Sir David Dalton, said: “The Trust’s staff awards is a wonderful celebration of the great things our staff do and achieve, and an important formal recognition of our staff and volunteers who have not only lived and delivered the Trust values, but who have gone the extra mile and shown exceptional skills, care and compassion. This is a highlight in the Trust’s calendar to recognise the efforts, contribution and achievements of staff at all levels across our hospitals and community services. This event is a fitting way to say well done and thank you.”

 

Trust Chairman Mr Jim Potter added: “All of our staff who are award winners represent the very best of what this Trust and the NHS stands for and the values we hold, putting the patient at the centre of everything we do. The award categories reinforce not only the Trust’s core values of being quality driven, responsible and compassionate, but also reflect on what we hold dear, namely teamwork, innovation, quality of care, leadership, safety and work with our local healthcare partners.”

 

The  specialist Eye Unit and Ophthalmology Service opened at Rochdale Infirmary in January 2014 after a £1.8 million investment. The unit provides a comprehensive ophthalmology service for both planned and emergency eye care for Rochdale borough patients and patients across Bury, Rossendale and parts of East Lancashire, Tameside and Glossop.

 

The Eye Unit is a ‘state of the art’ environment providing a full out-patient service, Pre-op assessment clinic, a Day Case unit which has two co-located theatres, three wards, two for adults plus a dedicated children’s ward, where a variety of surgical procedures take place.

 

The Staff Awards event was fully paid for and supported by a number of sponsors including: Vinci Construction UK Ltd; Mitie; Arnold Clark Vehicle Management; Atlas Diagnostics; Capsticks; Hill Dickinson; WiFi SPARK; NH Case; Corporate Design Company; ANS; APS and G4S Facilities Management. Trophies sourced by Lennard Trophies.

 

The Doctor of the Year Award was sponsored by Arnold Clark Vehicle Management.

 

A heart failure lead specialist nurse Anne Sharrocks based at The Royal Oldham Hospital was named Nurse of the Year, with Rebecca Chadwick, a clinical specialist physiotherapist, winning the Allied Health Professional of the Year Award for leading the development of a rehabilitation strategy within the critical care units within the Trust. 

 

Hear young people's views on bullying

 

A series of 4 short You Tube videos on: 

Bullying - Why me?

Bullying - I felt so stupid

Bullying - Bullied for who I am

Bullying - with Alyson Harvey from Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Board.

Alyson talks about the impact that bullying can have on primary school / high school pupils.  The types of bullying that occurs from physical, verbal, emotional, face to face and cyber bullying.  She talks about the work that Rochdale Council and local partnerships are doing to help bullying, as it has been reported that 25% of pupils in primary school have reported as being bullied, up to 65% in high school that have had some type of bullying and the way forward from here.

Watch the 4 bullying videos here (You Tube Videos)

New Oldham team helps to get people home from hospital

 

Oldham residents will be supported to return home from hospital quickly and safely, thanks to a new team of health, social care and third sector professionals.

The Oldham Rapid Community Assessment Team works closely with colleagues at The Royal Oldham Hospital, including those in the A&E department, to react quickly and prevent people from being admitted to hospital if they can be supported at home with the right professional help.

Once at home, the team takes a partnership approach to assessment and care planning to understand what level of support the individual may need to live as safely and independently as possible.

The team works with the patient to identify the tasks they may need help with - such as getting in and out of bed or a chair, mobilising around the home, getting washed and dressed, making meals and managing medication - working with community, mental health and social care professionals to ensure appropriate support is provided if needed on an ongoing basis.

Practical services such as warm home assessments, home adaptations and social activities such as luncheon clubs can also be arranged by the team.

The service was established by the Oldham Urgent Care Alliance, a partnership of 10 health, care and voluntary sector organisations developed to improve outcomes for local people by enhancing current service provision.

It consists of therapists, nurses, health care assistants and mental health practitioners from Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, social workers from Oldham Council, and a Promoting Independence in People (PIP) support worker from Age UK Oldham, who have been brought together to work as one multi-agency team.

As well as preventing people from being admitted to hospital by identifying them early, the team works closely with hospital-based nurses, doctors, discharge coordinators and the RAID mental health liaison team to also support patients who have been admitted to the wards who could be discharged early with the support of the service.

Caroline Drysdale, Oldham Community Services Director at Pennine Care and Chair of the Oldham Urgent Care Alliance, said: “It’s essential that community-based services work closely together, alongside the teams in our local hospitals, to ensure people can receive care closer to home. As long as the right support is in place, being at home has better outcomes for the patient who is able to regain their independence.

“It is also beneficial for the whole local health and care system, because ensuring people can be discharged quickly and safely helps to reduce some of the pressures faced by hospitals. This is even more important over the winter months, when our health and care services will be busier than usual.”

The Oldham Rapid Community Assessment Team has been commissioned by NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group.

Cllr Eddie Moores, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said “This new service will help those who need a lower level of support and will complement  a range of other services,  designed to ensure people can return from hospital in a hospital in a timely and safe manner.  All the stakeholders have worked hard to integrate their teams so that residents receive joined up services which are more efficient and which ensure continuity to their care.”  

Have your say on the HMR (Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale) 7 Day Access to a GP or Nurse service
 

The HMR (Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale) seven day access service went live in early December 2015 allowing patients to have access to evening, weekend and bank holiday appointments.
 
Healthwatch Rochdale would like to invite you, as a Rochdale Borough resident, to participate in the ‘HMR 7 Day Access to a GP or Nurse’ survey. Healthwatch Rochdale will use your feedback to highlight positive aspects in this service and also areas where improvement are required.
 
The survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete and Healthwatch Rochdale would greatly appreciate it if you could fill in the survey now by clicking the following link, https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HWR_7DAYACCESS. The deadline to complete the survey is Friday 6th January 2017.
 
Thank you in advance for completing this survey.

Doctors and nurses prepare for surge in cases of winter vomiting bug
 

A NATIONAL surge in reported cases of the winter vomiting bug, known as Norovirus, has prompted hospitals run by The Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust to support the advice by Public Health England and prepare its own doctors and nurses for a potential local surge in the run up to Christmas.

To prevent the spread of Norovirus, the general public are also being asked not to come and visit friends and relatives in hospital if they have had diarrhoea or vomiting in the past 48 hours, or are suffering from a flu-like illness.

Patients who are due to come in to hospital, but have had either diarrhoea and/or vomiting in the previous 48 hours are also being asked to contact us first for advice, so we can make appropriate arrangements.

Figures from Public Health England show 45 per cent more cases at this point when compared with the same time last year, with 1,495 laboratory reports so far nationally this winter; and it is predicted that as more cases are counted this figure will increase.

Services are already overstretched at the Trust, which manages The Royal Oldham Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, and Rochdale Infirmary as well as community services, so preparing ahead of a local surge in Norovirus is key.

Norovirus is highly contagious and spreads rapidly in closed environments such as hospital wards and departments, and other community environments such as schools, colleges and care homes. As such, the Trust has issued guidance to all its Senior Charge Nurses and Consultants today asking them to be vigilant for diarrhoea and vomiting (D&V) episodes or outbreaks.

Staff are being reminded that it is recommended that all patients admitted should be clinically assessed for Norovirus symptoms regardless of the reason for admission.

They are also being told that patients with a suspected Norovirus infection should be isolated in a single room with dedicated equipment, and to inform a member of the Trust’s highly trained Infection Control Team for further advice.

Staff washing their hands with soap and water is also a key way to stop the spread of Norovirus as well as ensuring that no patient food is left out on bedside lockers as this could become infected.

Claire Chadwick, Head Nurse for Infection Control at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said:

“We are asking all staff to be vigilant to assess all patients on admission for a recent history or current symptoms of Norovirus. The illness is starting to spread widely in our community population. In recent days a national increase of 45 percent in cases was highlighted and many hospitals are reporting ward closures.

“We always expect to see more cases of Norovirus as we approach winter however, we have seen a sudden increase in the last few days in our community care homes. It is therefore vital that all our staff follow the key rules to protect themselves, their families, and especially our patients, and that we are prepared to manage any cases safely and prevent further spread to other wards or departments.”

Public Health England’s advice for patients who think they may have norovirus or winter vomiting is:

• Norovirus infection is a self-limiting illness and you will usually recover naturally without treatment. It is, however, important to take plenty of drinks to replace lost fluids.
• Visit the NHS Choices website at www.nhs.uk for advice on how to manage your symptoms at home or help to access the most appropriate health service.
• If symptoms persist, ask for a telephone consultation with your family doctor. Avoid visiting your GP surgery or local A&E Unit as you may pass the infection on to others.
• Wash hands thoroughly and regularly at all times, but particularly after using the toilet and before eating.
• Do not visit friends or relatives in hospitals or residential care homes until you have fully recovered and have been free of symptoms for at least 48 hours as there is a real risk that you would introduce the infection into these communities putting vulnerable people at risk.
• Stay away from work or school until you have fully recovered and been free of symptoms for 48 hours.
• Do not handle or prepare food for other people until you have been free of symptoms for at least 48 hours.

A leaflet on how to stop the spread of Norovirus can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322947/Stop_norovirus_spreading_this_winter_leaflet.pdf

 

 

Rochdale Borough Council is to abolish cremation and burial fees for children under 18 years of age.
 

Council leader Richard Farnell has asked for the charges to be scrapped in an act of ‘care and compassion’ towards grieving families.

Currently, the council only waives charges for infants under the age of one. Now, Councillor Farnell has asked that all charges for burials (currently £202) and cremation fees (£89.70) for children up to the age of 18 be waived in the future.

Councillor Farnell said: “I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like for a parent to lose a child. The impact on families is devastating. They need as much support as possible at this shattering time and shouldn’t have to worry about the costs of burial or cremation. That is why we are doing the right thing for parents and showing some care and compassion by scrapping these fees.”

Councillor Farnell has also demanded the government to end the misery of heartbroken relatives having to fill out a lengthy 35-page social fund application form to get even the basic help with other funeral costs.

The council’s decision to scrap the fees follows a failed bid to get the government to pay the costs of funerals for children.

Councillor Farnell added: “To have to be worrying about money at a time like this is painful. The government has refused to help, so Rochdale Borough Council is stepping in to find the resources from our own funds.”

Pennine Care response to CQC Requires Improvement notice

 

• CQC inspection outcome: ‘Requires Improvement’ overall for Pennine Care
• One service rated as ‘outstanding’, nine rated as ‘good’, six rated as ‘requires improvement’ overall
• 90% of services rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ for caring
• No services rated as ‘inadequate’

Michael McCourt, Chief Executive of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “Clearly the Trust would always aspire to achieve outstanding or good for the care it provides and this was achieved by the vast majority of services inspected across all five domains. 

“It should be commended that 90% of services were rated as good or outstanding for caring and the report highlighted that staff were on the whole responsive, respectful and caring and professional in their attitudes and worked to support the patients. 

“However, there are a number of services that were rated as requires improvement and we will take the issues raised seriously and act swiftly to make changes.  This is a reflection of the immense challenges we continue to face in providing complex care to the most vulnerable of people and we need to work together with our patients, partners and commissioners to make demonstrable improvements.”

The Trust will now be working with services and the CQC to develop an action plan to address the areas for improvement.

You can view the CQC report in full by clicking here.