Friday 20 May 2022 - Interim Deputy CEO's Blog
It’s me on blog duty again this week - and I want to start with an exciting piece of news. We’ve appointed Garry Marsh as Interim Executive Chief Nurse and Garry will join us on Monday next week. Garry has a wealth of nursing and operational experience having been in the NHS for over 20 years. He joins us from The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham and has also worked at United Lincolnshire Hospitals as Deputy Chief Nurse. Welcome Garry.
This obviously means we are saying a fond farewell to Phil Bolton as he leaves to join Sherwood Forest Hospitals as their Chief Nurse. Phil has been an inspirational nursing leader while covering this role and a close colleague to me personally, so I will be sorry to see him go, but we wish him well. The process to recruit a substantive Chief Nurse is ongoing but Garry will bring strong leadership and fresh ideas to support us over the coming months.
We’ve seen a brighter picture with our Covid inpatient numbers over the last week and we’re currently caring for 64 patients who have tested positive for the virus. That’s just over two full wards out of the 70 we have in total. While Covid is still impacting the way we work, I feel optimistic that as the numbers continue to reduce, we will be able to build on the work we’re doing to improve waiting times for patients in lots of areas.
At the same time as this has been happening, this week NHS England announced that the Covid-19 incident level has been stepped down level 3, meaning it is now being managed at a regional level. None of this would have been possible without the work you have done over two years and the hugely successful NHS vaccination programme, which has delivered over 123 million doses, including tens of thousands here. It goes without saying, but if anyone is reading this who hasn’t yet had the vaccine, please consider it, it’s given us back the freedom we’re now able to enjoy.
I want to close my blog with something which I’m sure will make you smile. Team UHDB make excellent things happen every day. Whether you’re in a patient facing role or providing essential support behind the scenes, each person makes a difference and plays a part in making sure we deliver exceptional care to our patients. The dedication you’ve all shown to simply get through the last few years is admirable, so when I then see examples of colleagues going above and beyond and doing even more to support our patients - I am truly inspired.
Rachel Kirby, Senior Sister on Ward 311 at Royal Derby Hospital, posted a video on Twitter of a choir singing with Alan, a patient being cared for on her ward. While receiving care, Alan told Sharon Dunworth, Dementia Key Worker, that he’d like a final opportunity to sing with his choir. Sharon and the team pulled together to make it happen and within two hours they were serenading the ward and I’ve been told there wasn’t a dry eye. You can watch it here, but grab something to dry your eyes with in advance >.
The emotive video captures everything that makes UHDB special, our amazing people putting our patients first to deliver exceptional care.
Have a great weekend.
Simon