The next Board of Directors meeting of Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be held on Wednesday 26 June 2013, in Rooms B2/B3 in the Education Centre, Basildon University Hospital, starting at 2.30pm.

Local people are welcome to attend our Board meetings, which are meetings held in public rather than public meetings (this means that members of the public have the opportunity to ask questions but are not able to participate in the decision making process).

If you wish to raise a question, contact Ruth Taylor, Corporate Secretary, two days in advance, on 01268 524900 ext 3874 or email: Board.CommitteePapers@btuh.nhs.uk

The meeting offers the opportunity to see how Orsett and Basildon Hospitals are run and the chance to meet some of the Governors.

Copies of the agenda and papers will be supplied at the meeting. Copies can also be obtained from the Corporate Secretary at Basildon University Hospital.

Each day Basildon and Orsett Hospitals generate five tonnes of waste. This is split between recycling and domestic waste, confidential paper waste and different types of clinical waste including sharps.

Staff at Basildon Hospital were able to find out more about what happens to their workplace waste, at a recent waste awareness day.

Hospital staff are required to segregate their waste and dispose of it in the correct containers. This is vitally important in the hospital environment, where different types of waste cannot be mixed for safety reasons.

Fraser Cutting, waste manager explains: “It is really important that our staff know how to safely handle and segregate the different types of waste generated in the hospital, and every member of staff has a role to play.

“Holding waste awareness days are just one way in which we inform staff about why correct waste management is important. They give us a chance to share information with staff, and to find out more about their understanding of the different types of waste and their proper disposal. Representatives from our waste management providers Veolia, SRCL and Thames Security Shredding were on hand to answer any detailed questions.

“We are also keen to encourage staff recycle their office waste where appropriate, as this prevents waste going to landfill and helps to save the Trust money.”

This month is Breastfeeding Awareness Month and to mark it Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is officially launching its new infant feeding website.

The website www.feedingtogether.com offers a wealth of information about feeding and local parent support groups, and has a section especially for dads.

Feeding your newborn child is the most basic of parenting instincts, yet for some it can also be a frustrating and confusing process. This is why the specialist infant feeding midwife team at Basildon Hospital wanted to create a website giving soon-to-be and new parents a one-stop shop for all the information they need to know about feeding their baby.

Lisette Harris, specialist feeding midwife, says: “We know that breastfeeding is best for baby, but this is not always the first choice for mums. Our job is to make sure mum is supported whatever her choice. No-one should be made to feel guilty about bottle feeding. I would say to mums don’t make any decisions about feeding until you meet your baby.

“When women have a better understanding of breastfeeding, they are more inclined to give it a try. Mums give up because they perceive that breastfeeding can be exhausting but, with the right support and understanding she is able to continue for as long as she wants to.”

The hospital recently became the first in the East of England to achieve full UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Accreditation for the support they give to parents thanks to the hard work of Lisette and Geraldine Purver, who make up the specialist infant feeding midwife team.

Since 2009, Lisette and Geraldine have trained maternity and neonatal staff to educate parents about feeding newborns, with an emphasis on developing the bond between the baby and parents.

The team are also piloting a three-month trial of feeding workshops so women can learn everything they need to know about feeding and the benefits of skin-to-skin contact.

Geraldine adds: “It’s all about education and information with a freedom of choice, it’s not the old adage ‘one size fits all’. The gold standard is to exclusively breastfeed until six months however, it does not mean that combination feeding or bottle feeding are substandard.”

Visit the website at www.feedingtogether.com. Or follow the link from the Trust website, www.basildonandthurrock.nhs.uk. Also find ‘Feeding Together’ on Facebook and Twitter.

A team focused on helping get patients home as soon as they are well is already seeing positive results just a few weeks after the pilot project was launched at Basildon Hospital.

Alongside normal discharge processes, the team is concentrating on working with social workers and therapists to make sure that each patient is sent home as soon as they are medically fit, with the right support in place to prevent them returning to hospital.

The project is being piloted on four older people wards at Basildon Hospital and the rehabilitation ward at Brentwood Community Hospital and so far the response from patients, relatives and staff has been positive.

Karen Fashanu, Lead Nurse for General Medicine, explains: “No one wants to spend longer than necessary in hospital, so we are working with our partners to make sure each patient is assessed and supported properly, to get them home quicker and stop them from being readmitted.”

Some of the patients on the older people’s wards have end stage dementia, so the team work with the patients and their families to look at whether it is safe for them to return to their home or if their needs would be better met somewhere else, such as a residential home.

Karen Scott, Nurse Specialist for Older People, said: “Often because the right support is not in place for older people when they are discharged from hospital they end up being readmitted. They tend to stay in for longer, are at more risk of developing complications and in some cases, they become dependent on the care the hospital provides.

“Sadly sometimes older people are simply unable to care for themselves anymore and it isn’t appropriate for them to return home. The team works closely with social care around discharge and our common goal is to support patients to the most appropriate place, making sure thorough care plans are in place and where necessary, end of life care instructions are communicated.”

There are eight members of staff in the discharge team, which is made up of nurses and clinical support workers. They work closely with the hospital social workers, residential homes, therapists and community staff to make sure care plans are in place before a patient is sent home.

Karen Scott added: “The team has been a great support to our staff and we plan to do more education and training around the importance of discharge planning and begin thinking about getting each patient home from the moment they are admitted. Having a social worker on the wards has been effective as it has given medical staff a better understanding of their job and the role they play in working together to ensure our patients are discharged with appropriate support.

“The next step for us is to meet with the residential and nursing care home managers across Basildon and Thurrock so we can better understand each other’s needs. At the end of the day it’s all about the patients and making sure they are getting the care they need, whilst being treated with dignity and respect.”

Hannah Coffey, Chief Operating Officer, said: “Understandably most patients want to get home as soon as they are able to. By planning a patient’s discharge thoroughly and working with our partners to put the appropriate support measures in place, it means the patient has the best possible experience. In addition, prompt discharge leads to improved capacity within the hospital, which in turn decreases the number of patients who have to be moved between wards, and it reduces readmissions. It’s very encouraging to see the early results of this team’s work and the feedback from patients, partners and staff has been very positive.”