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Staff and volunteers shine at Star Awards
 At the end of May, we celebrated our fantastic staff and volunteers at this year’s Exceptional People, Outstanding Care Star Awards.
Many of you nominated a member of staff, team or volunteer whose work has had a profound impact on you, your family and friends. Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination.
We heard some truly heart-warming stories during the awards of how our colleagues have delivered outstanding care, including our Employee of the Year award winner, Glen Place. Glen was nominated by a patient’s relative, who said his kindness and compassion shone through when she visited her family member on the Stroke Unit to say goodbye. The visitor was left feeling reassured that her relative had been treated with the best care possible, and wanted Glen to be recognised for everything he does for his patients and their families.
Huge congratulations to all our Star Awards nominees and winners – you are all heroes! Visit our website for the lowdown on our winners, and you can also watch a highlights reel from the night to immerse yourself in the magic of the evening.
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More patients benefit from 'high intensity' surgery days
 Our outstanding Orthopaedic teams are carrying out record numbers of surgeries in a single day. Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr James Nicholl has pioneered the high intensity theatre (HIT) list approach for hand and upper limb surgery, and the same approach is being taken by Consultant Hip Surgeon, Mr Syed Ahmed, who recently carried out seven hip surgeries in just one day.
HIT lists are inspired by Formula One pit stops, aiming for peak efficiency by removing any delays and giving the surgeon as much time as possible to operate. This innovative approach allows the team to treat more patients efficiently and safely, helping improve waiting times for non-emergency orthopaedic surgery.
Mr Ahmed said: “The most satisfying aspect of it all is to see all the patients walking comfortably and back home the next day!”
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Maternity experts share skills in Uganda |
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A volunteer team of MTW midwives, an obstetric nurse and a nursery nurse have recently returned from Uganda, after spending 18 days volunteering their time and skills at two different health centres. The team used their annual leave to visit the country and share their knowledge and expertise with local clinicians.
In an environment where electronic equipment isn’t always readily available, the group used pinard stethoscopes, a hollow horn made of wood or metal, to listen to babies’ heartbeats and palpations to find their positions. They also spent time sharing ideas for ongoing learning around resuscitation and more regular observations throughout a patient’s stay.
Only 57% of pregnant women in Uganda access antenatal care more than four times, and just half access any kind of postnatal care. Challenges faced by Ugandan women include difficulties in reaching health facilities and lack of financial support, with around one in four births taking place without a skilled practitioner present.
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DisAbility Network Chair features in national magazine
Pippa Meakins, Pharmacy Technician at MTW, was recently featured in Able magazine to speak about her role as Chair of the Trust’s staff DisAbility Network. The network aims to support staff working at MTW who are living with a disability or long-term health condition.
Pippa, who was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 38, spoke to the publication about the importance of fostering a working environment where people see ‘ability’ over disability.
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Celebrating our volunteers |
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 As part of Volunteers Week last week, we recognised the invaluable support that our volunteers give to our patients and staff. We currently have 248 active volunteers and together, they give an incredible 744 hours of their time each week in over 25 different areas of the Trust, including Macmillan, end of life care and the League of Friends.
To mark the week, we caught up with some of our volunteers, who shared their experiences of being a volunteer at the Trust, what it involves and the difference it has made to their lives.
Sue Simpson (pictured top left) is a SWAN Volunteer, and supports patients who have reached the end of their life, and their families. "Volunteering isn't a one-way street" says Sue. "Life seems a little better if you can help someone."
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Viewers flock to watch A&E teams on popular television series
 The final episode of ‘A&E After Dark’ recently aired on 5STAR, bringing to a close the fifth season of the documentary series featuring our Emergency Department (ED) teams at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. Drawing in an average of 250,000+ viewers each week, the show was consistently one of the top performing programmes on the channel.
From horse-riding accidents and spoons being swallowed to limb dislocations and broken bones, the 12 episodes gave viewers an insight into what it’s like for our teams working on the front line of emergency care after hours.
If you missed any of the episodes, they're all available to watch on My5 and may also be repeated on any Channel 5 or partner channel at a later date.
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Have you signed up to our patient portal?
Our patient portal is now being used by over 100,000 patients since it went live six months ago, with over 14,000 people accessing it every week to manage appointments and view outpatient letters.
Retired teacher and RSPCA volunteer, Jane Stoneham, began using the portal earlier this year after breaking her leg. Jane went to stay with her daughter to help with her recovery and was initially worried she might miss correspondence about her ongoing treatment through the post. However, thanks to already being signed up to the portal, she was able to access all her letters instantly.
“I could view my scheduled outpatient appointments on the app which was incredibly helpful as I was not at my home address, so I would have missed these appointment letters in the post” said Jane. “Knowing that I could also request to cancel or rebook my appointment via the portal without having to call into the hospital is very helpful, as I know the hospital phone lines can get very busy.”
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