YOU will be aware of the fact that the North West, including the Fylde coast, is seeing a significant increase in Covid infections and a suggestion in local media that hospitals could be overwhelmed in the coming days and weeks.
We featured on the national ITV news this week in a national media campaign highlighting how hospitals such as ours are tackling the Covid issues in our community. Dr Jason Cupitt was interviewed alongside Matron, Fiona Veranakis and Sister, Jane Huzzard, and they all gave an honest account of the pressures we are currently facing. They were all excellent ambassadors for the Trust and I want to thank them all.
In fact I want to say a special thank you to all the staff in Critical Care and our wards for the work they have already done to prepare for a rise in Covid cases. But we have also given some strong messages to all staff in the fact that we all have a huge responsibility to do all we can to minimise the associated risks around Covid.
In work, appropriate PPE must be worn. By appropriate, we mean the correct levels are worn, at all times, in all situations. And it is also essential that we take every opportunity to tell our friends and families of the importance of following the guidance around prevention and observing the rules about restrictions that are in place.
We ourselves must be role models for this. A communications colleague once told me that the best way to get a message out there is to ‘say it; say you’ve said it; then say it again’. So, please, wash your hands regularly; wear a face covering whenever this is required; and maintain a 2 metre space between yourself and others. Hands, face, space. Just a quick reminder, to everybody reading this, please, follow the rules to protect yourselves, your patients and your families.
Staff survey and flu vaccinations
I was delighted to see that more than 30 per cent of staff have undertaken this years’ staff survey and more than 47 per cent of staff have had their flu vaccinations.
This is a fantastic response to both campaigns and I want to thank all members of staff who have taken part so far. I also want to thanks the organisation Development and Staff Engagement team and the Occupational Health team for all their hard work in making this possible.
These figures are up there with some of the best performing Trusts in the country and I would now ask everyone else who has not taken up the offers to do wo when they can and urge all managers to encourage their staff to take part.
Berenice Groves
TODAY we say goodbye to one of our Directors, Berenice Groves. Berenice is leaving the Trust to take up an exciting new role as Deputy Chief Executive at Chesterfield Royal and we wish her well in her new post. She has been a fantastic member of the Board and will be missed by everyone in the Trust for her hard work and expertise. I know she will be a major asset to her new employees.