One Message from the Chief Executive November 2009

Staff hold the key to our success

Dear colleague,
One occasion that I always look forward to being invited for vaccination. I recently
in my diary is the Trust’s long-service and received my jab and I’d like to give
special achievement awards dinner. This thanks to the nurses who have trained
year’s event took place in early November as vaccinators, to the matrons who have
with 70 guests, including staff, their released them for this important task, and
families and friends, enjoying a splendid to the Vaccination Steering Group which
dinner in the Lanesborough restaurant. has coordinated the programme.
The evening was an opportunity to
celebrate the achievements of those who
have made an outstanding commitment
to St George’s.

As an organisation we have a wide reach;

providing services not only at St George’s,
in the heart of Tooting, but also at the
Wolfson Neuro-rehabilitation Centre in
Wimbledon, St John’s Therapy Centre in
Battersea and Queen Mary’s Hospital in
Roehampton. The Trust plays a vital role
as a general hospital for the people of
Wandsworth, Merton and Lambeth, and
provides specialist services for a million
and a half people across southwest
London and Surrey. Some of our services
are so specialist that they attract patients
from around the UK. However, in order to
provide this range of healthcare services,
we rely on the support and dedication
of staff. Time and time again you deliver,
Our values + Treat all even in the most testing of times.
people with respect and
dignity + Deliver care in Vaccination success
partnership with others Dr Mark Wansborough-Jones, Infectious
+ Continually strive for St George’s success and the commitment Diseases Consultant, recieves his vacination
excellence + Ensure of staff go hand in hand. One example of from Senior Staff Nurse Jamillah Mwariko
probity and transparency this has been the response to the swine
in spending public money flu pandemic. I am personally delighted Planning for winter
+ Be an exemplary that so many staff members have taken
the opportunity to be vaccinated against The Flu Core Group, a team of senior
employer + Be committed clinical and non-clinical staff, has led the
swine flu and its more familiar cousin,
to education, training and Trust’s response to swine flu since May.
seasonal flu. At the time of writing we had
research + Be open and This group is now broadening its remit
vaccinated more than 1,800 frontline staff
honest with each other to consider issues arising from winter
against H1N1 virus and all staff are now
 pressures. Winter means not only more
patients needing emergency care, but
more who are seriously unwell, requiring
a bed and on-going treatment. Our staff
in A&E are on the front line when it comes
to winter pressures and deserve our
thanks and praise for their determination
and professionalism. But the care given to
patients admitted through A&E runs right
through the hospital to our theatres and
on to the wards and I am fully aware that
this requires a real team effort.
At times of stress it is easy to focus
attention on our own problems. This is
a normal reaction - a survival instinct
- and yet it can make it difficult to listen
and see the other person’s point of
view. We must all take care during times
of pressure to ensure that we respect
each other, communicate well and work
together to provide the best patient care
possible. Where problems do occur they
must escalated and dealt with swiftly and
not left to grow unresolved.
It is also important that all staff adhere
to basic hand hygiene and infection
control procedures. Norovirus – the
winter sickness bug – will add greatly to
winter pressures if allowed on to wards.
Always encourage visitors to wash their
hands and advise that they should stay
away if they themselves are under the
weather – most people will be more
than understanding about this with the
current concern about swine flu. It is
a simple measure but so important in
keeping the bugs out.
Our values + Treat all Leadership Forum considers FT
people with respect and
dignity + Deliver care in From a management point of view,
partnership with others winter pressures can be about juggling
+ Continually strive for apparently conflicting targets – we
excellence + Ensure do not want patients waiting longer
probity and transparency than four hours in A&E, but neither
in spending public money do we want patients having their
+ Be an exemplary elective surgery postponed, as missing
targets for cancelled operations and
employer + Be committed
inpatient admissions also affects our
to education, training and
overall performance. In planning for
research + Be open and
our Foundation Trust (FT) application
honest with each other
we must be sure that we meet all
government targets for care; they form
a baseline for admission that we cannot
afford to miss.
Staff were given the opportunity to learn
more about our FT plans at November’s
Leadership Forum. As a Trust, we must
strive to achieve a level of quality which
matches patient expectations and goes
beyond government targets. There is a
three-stage process which St George’s
must go through to reach Foundation
Trust status. The main phase will take
place during 2010 and focus on gaining
the support of staff, patients and our
community. There are also reviews and
checks which must happen to confirm
that we are a well-governed and well-
managed organisation. If we gain the
local backing we need and pass the
checks then, by winter 2010, we will
be ready to enter phase two and seek
the support of the Secretary of State
for our application. The final phase
is a full assessment by Monitor, the
regulator of FTs. As an FT we would be
accountable to a local membership and
a governing body elected from among
this membership. It was encouraging,
at the Leadership Forum, to see staff
recognising both the challenges we face
and the opportunities this presents to
us. Staff will hear much more about FT
during 2010.
Regards
David Astley
Chief Executive