See The Person

Hi my name is @LasLynda on Twitter and Tony has kindly let me write another blog for you. I have had mental health problems I guess looking back at my life since 8 years of age due to childhood abuse.

Recently I went through the complaints procedure with an NHS mental health Trust which went through the National Health Parliamentary Ombudsman that upheld my complaint. The outcome was poor care by the service and maladministration. You would think that would be enough but the NHS Trust was never monitored by the CQC, NHS Monitor or their local CCG. Since that report has come out I’ve been bullied by two different Mental Health Trust Staff and CEO. A local authority who tried to hide documentation and sent a wrong report myself and my advocate, I met with the complaints team at the local authority and they acknowledge it was the wrong report. The CEO had sent me the Documentation saying this is the report and these are the recommendations from the NHS Parliamentary Ombudsman and the amendments they were supposed to change.

Every day I’m bullied by professionals in the North West of England because of this by NHS Staff from the local mental health team to cover up from the other trust’s mistakes.

Because of this Nhs mental health trust I was sexually assaulted by my ex-husband. This Trust has not only called me a liar but also victim blamed me for my own sexual assault. I have told them and my local police force that I do not ever want mental health care ever in the North West but I’m still bullied every day. With resources being what they are in the the UK as we all know that mental health care is scarce and there is not enough to help people in crisis, no beds, and not enough staff in community care. As my mental health is stable I wonder why these professionals still bother when I actually told them to leave me alone but they instead bully me every day.

Actually to me they’re not behaving professionally and I wonder how much they are behaving unprofessionally to patients under them in secondary care. As I see privately a person for therapy and a coach I see that for me is enough to help me with my mental health.

As I could and never want to work with bullies and not work with mental health professionals in both NHS Trust’s where I’ve received poor care.

I lived in London for sixteen years and for 11 of those years I was under the same mental health team and same consultant. Though I received excellent care I know that they were neither perfect nor I, but they were kind, caring,  and provided me with compassionate empathic care. I will always remember them because they never judged me or try to silence me I was never bullied and my consultant gave me my voice and empowered me to speak out.

That is why I spoke out and went through the complaint procedure because I saw poor care, inequality and staff treating patients as less than them.

I always felt equal in my health care when I lived in London from my physical and mental health care. I would again if I saw poor care speak out because every person that includes NHS Staff deserves to be safe at work either in the community or the hospital as well as patients. There are many wonderful staff that work long hours in the NHS it’s a privilege to meet lots of them and work with them. Especially when we had fun singing at the Bridgewater Hall with #TwitterDisco who are not only kind, caring, supportive, and compassionate but have shown me why the NHS has wonderful caring staff working for them who want to see a different kind of care for all. I can’t wait to see the work in progress because I think it will be wonderful. 

I just want to say just because I have a mental health problem I do not deserve to be treated differently because of this for my physical health and not able to access the support I deserve. Just because I do not want mental health care does not mean that I do not want physical health care.

I wonder if people with mental health care have been treated like me by mental health care professionals with discrimination, stigma and unhelpful comments that often are not needed and are really cruel and unkind.

Being given a label is not my definition, it is not who I am and will never be first and for most we who have mental health are human beings. Telling me that I’m defective is cruel and unnecessary thinking that mental health problems cannot approve for some people over time is not true. A label should not just be given to people and told that they’re going to be like that for the rest of their lives, people evolve over time like their lives and it should never be a fixed definition.

I wonder how it would feel if you were the patient and I was the professional going to sit in A/E in a distressed state and waiting for six hours to be told to get out of their department after refusing sleeping pills. All I wanted was someone to talk to about my PTSD that I was struggling with at the time; when a person is distressed who gets treated appallingly at A/E and is made to feel worthless because of the cruel comments of staff who say their seeking attention for asking for help for their distress that is cruel and unkind. Why is that person seeking help because there in crisis and they want something to help them feel better because of how awful they feel. We don’t want to be told to grow up, get your act together,  stop feeling sorry for yourself or seeking attention.

I wonder if the boot was on the other foot, would you treat people in crisis with kindness, it costs nothing the same as compassion or being caring instead of negative judgements that are cruel and unkind to people. We as people suffering mental health deserve to be treated with dignity respect, kindness and care.

I would urge you to think what if that was my child would I want my child to be treated in this way which is so unnecessary to think it’s ok because it’s not.    

I’ve also had problems accessing care for my physical problems where I live, I have been refused a breathing machine to help me with my lung condition. Recently I received a letter for pain a management course asking to ring for an appointment. Today I was told I’ve been on the waiting list for 15 weeks and I still have to wait another 20 weeks for an appointment to be assessed and then from their wait for a pain management group.

I see that the NHS is under resourced, waste of letters and also paper or a stamp. When I could wait just for the appointment for the assessment and not sent a letter thinking I would see someone soon.

It’s frustrating for me that when someone lives with chronic conditions which is more than one it’s not managed either in primary or secondary adequately in the NHS.

I constantly know that someone like me having different chronic complex conditions costs the NHS a lot of money but in the long run someone like me working in collaboration with my medical team to help myself will cost less  by working out the best way to look after myself.

My GP; when I went to them last time about the pain all they could offer me was pain killers. Pain killers can be addictive, I already take a lot of medication and don’t want to get an addiction problem along with everything I have to deal with my health on a daily basis.

It’s sad that I’ve nearly waited over six months for an appointment to manage my pain, there should be more than just giving pain killers to people.    

I urge NHS staff who come into contact with people who suffer mental health to not read the notes, do not judge, listen to the person in front of you. Yes we might think or behave differently but we are like you flesh and blood another human too trying to navigate this world just like you. As we all know that sometimes the world can be cruel and unkind to people who our different but difference is good difference is unique and difference is beautiful.       

My Journey Through Health.

Another piece written by the wonderful @LasLynda sharing her journey through health; I’m proud once again to be able to host for Lynda and I hope that on finishing the reading of this piece you’ll feel encouraged to see the person as a whole not just one illness or diagnosis to treat.

  I would like to write about having mental health and physical health chronic conditions that I live with on a daily basis. Here is a list of my conditions and my symptoms I don’t define myself as the labels these conditions have been given to me first and for most I am a human being then a women afterwards a mother.

Tracheobronchomalacia:

Symptoms I suffer with: shortness of breath, cough, sputum retention, wheezing or stridor of breathing. Have more frequent chest infections. I also my neck stiffens.

Osteoarthritis:

Pain, stiffness and grating or grinding when you move joint; o have arthritis down my neck all down my spine to from my shoulders to arms hands fingers from my knees to my feet.

Fibromyalgia:
whole body is in pain and is continuous sometimes severe at times. Extreme sensitivity all over the body might find the slightest touch as painful. Sensitive to smoke, foods bright lights. Stiffness muscles to spasm.

Poor sleep quality,

Fatigue I suffer from this (extreme tiredness) like you have flu all the time. Headaches which I get and experience pain and stiffness in neck and shoulders. Dizziness which I get sometimes and I often feel hot or cold at times to. Lucky for me I don t get brain fog. Anxiety and depression our symptoms of the condition which I do suffer from.

Thyroid Goiter (enlarged thyroid):

Coughing, Difficult swallowing, Difficult breathing, Vocal Chord Dysfunction: Feeling shortness of breath. A feeling of tightness in the throat or chest. Frequent coughing or clearing the throat. Feeling of choking or suffocation. Hoarse voice. Noisy breathing. Acid reflux.

Asthma: Wheezing. Coughing. Shortness of breath. Tightness In the chest. My asthma is not always controlled and sometimes my symptoms are also the same symptoms of other conditions that have been diagnosed by a consultant.

Interstitial cystitis:

Intense pelvic pain. Sudden strong urges to pee. Need to go the loo more than normal. Waking up in the night to go to the loo. Your immune system mistakenly attacking your bladder. Allergic reaction.

Intermitten Leukoctosis:

Fever. Bleeding or bruising. Feeling weak tired and sick. Feeling dizzy faint or sweaty. Pain or tingling in your arms or legs or stomach.

Mild sleep apnea.

Snoring. Acid reflux. Upper air ways restriction.

I may have these symptoms on a day to day basis sometimes at night time. Though I have been diagnosed with CPTSD and anxiety and recurrent depressive illness. I too have physical health problems which some of the symptoms mask the same as my mental health difficulties.

In the health service today in this country people with mental health die twenty years earlier than other people in their communities. I like other people with mental health deserve to be treated holistically with both my physical and mental health chronic conditions.

Often I feel I’m on a roundabout with health professionals they label you, diagnose you and sometimes your given a leaflet about your symptoms and nothing else. At times they really don t give you ideas how to help yourself unless you do your own research into helping yourself manage your conditions.

More and more people are living longer with complex medical needs but theses medical needs our sometimes not met. The ever expanding live longer costs NHS more the cost of austerity sometimes we fall through the net of services.

The GP often does not speak to your consultants and often your left to deal with these conditions on your own. I personal think I see many consultants who don t discuss my symptoms or conditions or work in conjunction with each other so sometimes I suffer the consequence of this. My concern is I get lost in the system and my health suffers because of this and is not monitored because of this.

I think that there should be a lead consultant that works with people with complex long term chronic conditions. That each should know what the other consultants are doing what medication and examinations the patient has to make sure the side effects aren t making the person symptoms worse and that they haven t had the same test’s done.

Also the GP because sadly   

In my case reads the letters but dosen t fully understand what my conditions and symptoms ours. Personally the patient should be in the middle and the professionals around the patient to have joined up care from outpatients to GP practices. I know that this would help me greatly and give me a better outcome for my health integrated health care.

In the 90s I had this health care when I lived in London and saw mental health and physical health doctors in out patients and my GP it was joined up care. They worked together as a team for the better of my chronic conditions. Not only was the it good care but also things weren’t missed and both hospital new about my conditions and medications and the side effects I had. As well as both receiving letters from each other when I went to my out patient appointments.

I want to say though I have been diagnosed with the above conditions and symptoms over lap I don’t see that I define myself or feel sorry for myself having these conditions such is life. I m just grateful to be alive and blessed with so many blessings. I ve found that some professionals in mental health care just see mental health care and often do not know about certain medical physical health problems that mimic the same as physical health chronic conditions.  Sadly my experience is often if you label with a mental health condition professionals just see that label and treat you often differently because of that label.

I m thankful that I ve had good care in out patients and saw different consultants who diagnosed me with the above. I only had to consultants who did not treat me with respect  and dignity that I deserved and just looked at my label of mental health.

Recently I gave a session and the Queen’s nursing institute with a friend Louise talking about co-production in health care. I’m glad that over all with my medical health care at the hospital I attend I have been treated with respect dignity kindness compassionate care and have been listened to. Though I think this is great because they were there to talk about my physical health conditions not my mental health and have told me how to look after myself. The only down fall is when there is no joined up

care and sometimes I felt lost in the system and often on my own trying to deal with these symptoms. I wish that professionals in mental health care do not see a person s label or often I ve been judged and stigmatized by them instead look beyond that and see the person the human being.

We can be ill physically its not a pathology that you keep putting on us its in her pathology the way she behaves or how unwell at times I feel on a day to day basis. Actually im not a pathology im a human being your equal just like you human beings together trying to navigate a world that sometimes doesn t understand.

06/10/2017

 

Inspire The Young Man

A delightful poem that I have the pleasure of hosting for @LasLynda, proud to be able to bring you such powerful words.

INSPIRE THE YOUNG MAN SAID AS HE WALK ALONG LIFES HIGHWAY

INSPIRE ME AS I CLIMB THE MOUNTIAN TOP AND SWARM THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN GLEN

INSPIRE ME AS I WALK THE OCEANS DEEP AS I DIVE THROUGH THE OPEN WATER

INSPIRE ME AS I REACH INTO TO THE BOWELS OF DESIRE AND PICK OUT THE EVERGLADE OF FRUITS OF A YOUNG MANS HEART

INSPIRE ME AS I RUN DEEP IN SEARCH OF HUMANITIES SOUL OF LOVE PEACE AND FORGIVENESS ROLLED INTO ONE

INSPIRE ME AS I BECOME ONE WITH THE HUMAN RACE OF MANKIND TO FIGHT THE BATTLE OF THE RAGES WITHIN

INSPIRE ME TO SEE THAT LIFE IS MORE THAN JUST RICHES BUT ALL THE POSSIBILITIES ROLLED INTO ONE

INSPIRE ME TO SEE MANS SOUL FOR WHAT IT TRULY IS BEAUTY AND LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER

INSPIRE ME AS A MAN OF OLD WISDOM OF THE YEARS THAT CAN INSPIRE ANOTHER TO BE THE GREATEST THING THAT THEY CAN BE

INSPIRE ME TO SEE THAT RICHES ARE NOT JUST GREED OF THE FALLOW MAN BUT ABUNDANCE OF KINDNESS AND PROSPERITY THOUGH GIVEN OF ONE ANOTHERS INNER SOUL

INSPIRE ME TO BE ALL THAT I CAN BE THE INFINITE POSSIBILITIES OF LIFE ABUNDANCE OF LOVE AND INNER PEACE

INSPIRE ME TO JUST BE ME AND ACCEPT THAT THE INNER SOUL IS JUST AS ONE TO BE HAPPY TO BE FREE AND TO LOVE  

#TwitterDisco

A big thank you to Tony Longbone for hosting this blog for #Twitterdisco. Tony was a #Twitterdisco DJ earlier this year and an awesome one at that. Thanks Tony – you’re a star. From Louise Brady, Ruth Bromley, John Walsh

‘A time to weep…. A time to mourn… a time to laugh…. and there is a time to dance’ Twitterdisco started with three friends & colleagues who work in the NHS sharing & posting music they love to listen to.

In December 2016, the friends decided to open up the concept of a ‘virtual music fest’ by holding virtual discotheques, whereby participants can post & share their love of music whilst raising monies for three charities.  

The charities chosen the Cavell Nurse’s Trust, the British Lung Foundation & the Sepsis Trust reflect the early diversity of people involved in supporting & giving their time to these worthy causes.

Twitterdisco has since gained a cult following! People join in to connect, share their love of music, & friendships have been formed both online & off line! People across our NHS, health & care systems, to community groups, volunteers, families & carers.

In Feb of this year, in greater Manchester, a live disco was held to meet some of the participants, people travelled from different parts of Greater Manchester, Leeds & Liverpool to join in the musical ‘life’ celebrations.  

In April, twitterdisco was chosen out of 92 community groups across Greater Manchester to participate in large scale creative music collaboration, in conjunction with Greater Manchester Metrolink & the International concert Venue, the Bridgewater Hall.  

http://www.tfgm.com/Corporate/media_centre/Pages/News.aspx?articleId=1193

‘Over 900 adults and children will take part and work alongside professional musicians and facilitators from The Bridgewater Hall, to create a ‘tram track’.

‘Tram Tracks is one of the largest and far reaching creative engagement projects we have undertaken in recent years and we hope to develop lasting relationships with the participating groups, and to inspire communities across Greater Manchester to creatively engage with their local area’

Twitterdisco are delighted to be involved with this, to learn & perform live (as non musicians) to support our local communities.

For most people, twitterdisco this is just a fun way of connecting, sharing, letting off some steam.. & indeed having fun.

For others, it has had a more profound & positive impact upon their health & wellbeing:  

 ‘The first time I have danced since age 18, I rarely venture out alone, thanks for your kindness.. connecting, sharing and for all the great music’

‘I haven’t laughed as much in years’ ‘I can’t get out the house due to my caring responsibilities.. but love joining in & listening to the twitterdisco’

We know in many fields both inside & outside NHS circles, the positive effect music singing & dance can have with families, individuals & communites. Music has been used as a creative vehicle to support people with Dementia, people suffering from Strokes, carers, people with breathing difficulties, & those wishing to exercise using various forms of dance as fun and therapy.

Twitterdisco is an ‘open’ team, which consists of ordinary citizens, sharing & connecting both online and offline. Some are Doctors, nurses, carers, managers, volunteers, educators, community groups & charities. Whilst all take their day jobs seriously, twitter disco is a light-hearted & fun way to meet with people from diverse backgrounds, is inclusive as anyone can join and spans all ages’ abilities & professions. 

We have released some very exciting news recently and hope you will all join us in the celebrations.

 

#Twitterdisco isn’t a theory, idea or event. It is an experience. It exists not as words in a book or an idea in someone’s head. #Twitterdisco happens when people connect and music flows. It happens and generates a circle of kindness and inclusivity. This is why we can never align #Twitterdisco to any particular body or organisation. It should belong to all. While it can work with individuals and organisations, the experience must be free to be what it is. Our only aim is to support its appearance and continuance so that all who wish can join in its creativity and fun. A big thank you to all who have supported #Twitterdisco and a big invite to all who would like to be involved to join us.

 
 

Ruth, John, & Louise

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Unexpected Leader

This blog began before the #BionicCaremaker rebuild and was inspired by kind words I received many years ago whilst taking part in a selection weekend for an expedition to Nepal to spend time working on a Buddhist monastery that had caught fire.The selection weekend tested my abilities to remain positive in challenging situations, building bivouacs in the rain and attempting to light fires with wood that could have just as easily been wrung out as a source of fluid to save the dehydrated. I think it was during the feedback session at the end of this weekend where the words ‘you’re a natural leader’ were uttered. These are words that resonate with me as I reflect on my recent presentation at the first #Lead2Add event for HCA’s in London, an inspirational day that brought together cross sector non-qualified staff from across the country.

It is only now that I am beginning to understand what it is to be a leader although I still struggle to accept that I meet the expectations of such a role. This project to me has been about connecting the dots to build a picture of care that exceeds the service that you expect to find on an inpatient mental health unit and this is how I approached the presentation.

We all have the ability to create change and that’s something that I wanted to emphasise the most, I have not achieved this on my own it has been a team effort. I was very lucky in 2013 to be given the opportunity to begin seeing the dots that needed connecting, this is the point at which the first seeds of change were planted that have grown and blossomed into something that has benefitted those we suppprt and enabled us to show that we take a whole person approach @BCPFT.

As we entered 2017 I had begun a period of reflection which was triggered by the very kind Stacey McCann (@McCannStacey) from @NHSEngland following two #Lead2Add workshops I had attended and spoke about one of the projects I have undertaken recently, Stacey helped me put the brakes on a little and consider what has been occurring over the past four years since becoming a Care Maker back in 2013, a simple comment

‘You’ve been living #Lead2Add without realising it’ or something of that ilk anyway.

It gave me chance to reflect on the work I completed with the Dementia Pathway Team and how elements of that are still living today with the Football Memories Project going from strength to strength or the Dentistry (still struggle) Project that is still providing support to the patients on our Wards locally. I have been blessed with the opportunity to create a video working with NHS England to share the story of the Dentistry Project which you can view here and it was this piece of work that had brought me in front of so many people.

We all have the ability, begin with your narrative, build a story of where the journey will take us and invite everyone along to be the change.

We Have The Power…

Please be warned some images featured have a face that may break your camera and also feature pictures of an fracture working toward recovery so may offend.

It’s not very often that I am given the opportunity to experience what it feels like to be cared for, I am very lucky in that I am generally in good health and only suffer with one sniffle a year that normally lasts around two days. Those of you that are connected with with me beyond these ramblings will know that I have recently been involved in a rather scary disagreement with a Doberman that was attacking my dog, and for those who have been following the journey will know this has led to me having to take time away from the vocation I love dearly which has not been an easy thing to do but I have decided to practice what I preach and make sure I look after myself.

So that’s what I did (after much persuasion that is), setting off for the Pheonix Drop In Centre and beyond on a Sunday morning, I was swiftly redirected by the nurse due to the nature of my injury so off I trotted to the Urgent Care Dept at our local hospital. I was seen quicker than I had expected having had an X-Ray carried out in no time at all and the offending fracture was discovered and it was a good one at that. I was promptly sent through to have a cast fitted to see me through until I could see the Fracture Clinic and decide what the right plan of action would be. We hear on a regular basis that people are having to wait for hours on end to be triaged let alone treated, these stories are horrific and very real in a system that is overstretched but this whole journey from arrival to emergency treatment and return appointment booked took a mere three hours. I know that I was very lucky that the department was quiet (don’t use the Q word) and in the grand scale of things my injury was minor when we take time to consider the work that is undertaken in our Accident and Emergency or Urgent Care Departments on a daily basis.

Once again on returning to the Fracture Clinic I was once again grateful for a relatively short wait which meant I was seen and a plan was in place in no time at all, it was good to see that two of our local hospitals were working in partnership to reduce waiting times and provide other options for those they are treating. It was decided that a referral would be made for me to attend the other hospital for surgery to be completed, a plate to be fitted and possibly a screw or two. The surgeon explained what would be happening next with a reminder to be nil by mouth until 10am on a daily basis until I received a call from the treating hospital, all that ran through my mind during this conversation was the Six Million Dollar Man and Steve Austin ‘We Have The Power To Rebuild Him’  so I didn’t really take on board the gravity of no coffee before 10am until on my journey home. Thankfully I received the call for the following morning and my surgery was booked for the coming Friday with with a pre-op meeting the afternoon before so it was only the one distraught morning spent with no caffeine to kick start me until the build would begin that is.

Pre-op went without a hitch with the usual assessments being completed, it was good to see the parity we have in our trust when it comes to physical health monitoring and speak with the assessing nurse about the implementation of our Physical Health Booklets which bring together all of the assessments that she was completing in one place. My conversation with the surgeon was as I expected with an explanation of the surgery that was going to be completed and the best news he gave me was that the cast would be gone once surgery was done. This was the best news I’d had all week as I could not have imagined the frustration and pain experienced by having your hand immobilised for a week when that cast was first fitted.

The morning of surgery arrived and only six days from when the injury was first sustained, my usual anxieties around general anaesthetic began to build and increase as time drew closer for me to become the #BionicCaremaker I had been joking about the whole week with my #twitterbuddies across the globe. On arrival at the Day Surgery Suite I was immediately set at ease as my wife noticed a display created around the #6Cs at the entrance to the suite which shared compliments from people treated by the team which related to each of the 6Cs. Once again the obligatory observations were completed and then in to see the surgeons who would be completing the operation before seeing the anaesthetist and eventually shown down to the patient area. By this time my mind had been distracted by an in depth conversation about creating change with the lead surgeon, all this sparked by mentioning their #6Cs display.

The operation was completed without a hitch and I recovered from the anaesthetic without concern although apparently a little lively before I woke, this point made me laugh as observations were completed by the same nurse in readiness for discharge and the words ‘slow down, you’ve just woken from the anaesthetic’ were uttered on a number of occasions. I did have explain that slow is not something I find comes to me naturally coupled of course with a little zombie trot to slow myself down a little.

So the cast was gone, it was off to the discharge lounge to wait for my wife’s arrival and once again my surgeon checked that I had recovered well and provided me with after care instructions. He then checked if it was ok to continue our earlier conversation about creating change but this time he wanted one of his colleagues to join us, of course I jumped at the chance to share my passion for change with others and I needed something to keep me busy whilst waiting.

It was nice to share my passion for the @CaremakersUK program and @Sch4Change along with the benefits I have found from them both, we spoke about the difficulties that are faced by those creating change with the opportunity for me to offer support and possible direction. As this was going on, my wife had arrived smiling to herself as she observed the scene, email addresses were exchanged with a promise of me sending on details of everything I had spoken about. The nurse arrived with discharge information and everything I could possibly need for aftercare including pain relief and dressings if needed.

As I’ve been waiting for the #BionicCaremaker to become fully operational I have spent time reflecting on the experience of being cared for and these reflections have really shown me it really is the small things that make a difference to that experience. The nurses who started with a #hellomynameis or fully explained what they were about to do and allowed me to do things at my pace without panicking. How sight of the #6Cs can offer reassurance, six single words that embody all that the NHS value and deliver which have become a prominent part of my life. The one thing that has also struck me is my confidence when engaging senior members of staff in conversations about the healthcare system and how we can go about improving things.

So all of my friends out there working healthcare and those I don’t yet know, I encourage you all to remember the small things you can do whilst carrying the bigger tasks that make up the work that each of us undertake on a daily basis. A simple introduction can reassure someones mind or showing appreciation for the knowledge and skills of those you are treating. we all have something to bring to the party whether patient, healthcare support worker, surgeon, consultant or member of the domestic team so let us embrace them all and create a healthcare system that values us all.

The Resolution

As we enter into each New Year there are countless of us who make promises to ourselves and others that we are going to make a change for the better in our lives, some of us decide to make small promises whilst there are others who make the grander gestures as part of that resolution process that so many of enter into. 
It is not the process of making New Year’s Resolutions that I would like to explore today but more over what those resolutions represent, when considering what our resolutions look like we tend to think of the things in our lives that have a negative impact on us from smoking or drinking to not taking enough exercise and from these considerations the resolutions are decided. For me when I think of resolutions and what they mean to me the word that springs to mind is ‘change’, after all it is only through change that we are able to stop smoking or cut down on the amount of alcohol we consume and slip into those running shoes to set off on our two mile jog; but change is a word that strikes fear into the hearts and possibly minds of so many.
Over the years I have become used to change and no longer feel the fear coursing through my veins that many do, whilst I understand that in this ever changing world it is important to maintain a sense of normality and routine to some part of what goes on around us but I now also see that change is something to be relished and a challenge to be embraced. I have been very fortunate over the past couple of years to improve my understanding of why change is important and how we can ensure that a change is successful and I think it is through this learning that I have begun to understand why it is that so many people fear change and choose to hide underneath the duvet when the dreaded ‘C’ word is mentioned in open conversations or as part of the larger discussions into service development.
Anyway, once again I digress and wander away from the the topic of the blog. So back to that resolution again, myself I’m not very good with making New Year’s Resolution never mind keeping them. I keep battling on with the things in my life that I feel I need to change and slowly but surely I am addressing the things that can have a detrimental impact on my health but I have stopped looking at these areas as we approach another year. My success rate when trying to commit to resolutions has not been anything to celebrate which is why I made the decision to stop setting myself up to feel like a failure a couple of years ago and this year is the first time that I have decided to make a resolution of a different kind. I will continue with my struggle to break the habits which used to form part of that resolution every year but I have found that it is best for me take on this battle when I feel ready as opposed to working on a fixed date because it’s ‘what you do’.
That resolution now has a form that reflects the power within us all to make a difference, this year thanks to @KateSlater2 I have been inspired to choose a word to focus on throughout 2017 and the word I have chosen is #Collaboration, this word sprung to mind immediately when I saw the question pop up on my Twitter feed and is a word that speaks to me about the work I have achieved since began my journey within mental health services. It is the power of collaboration that has allowed me to make positive changes to the service offered locally by our trust and it is through collaboration that ideas are born on how we can continue to develop services that are in tune with the needs of those we support.
This year I have pledged to start building a collaborative force within our trust which will drive forward our vision to work with local communities on improving their health and well-being, the passion I see within our teams for delivering care that is compassionate and filled with kindness is a pleasure to celebrate with those with whom my path crosses. 

There are those of us who have attempted to make a difference or create a change within services and it is not an easy task to complete which is only further complicated if you are trying to achieve this on your own. There is much learning to be had around creating change in a wide variety of sectors and it is one such learning opportunity that forms part of that resolution for me this year. For the past two years I have taken part in the School for Change Agents (formerly the School for Health Care Radicals), the School is what is known as a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) and the training has helped me understand the processes in creating successful change whilst increasing my confidence in my own ability. Within a system such as ours we all have a part to play and there is no one member of staff who holds any more importance than the next, the NHS is made up of many component parts and all of these parts must come together and work as one if we are provide a service that is valued by those we support. It is through taking part in the School that I have seen my willingness to step out of my comfort zone and reduce my fear of speaking to those higher up the structure to explore ideas and talk openly about things that can be done differently for both staff and patients.

Change will come and it starts with me!!

The Spirit of Kindness

In this blog I would like to share with you my thoughts on kindness and the benefits to the person you are caring for, the process for writing this blog was inspired by my good friend @johnwalsh88 and a piece he wrote about Kindness following a meeting with author and midwifery expert @SheenaByron.

Kindness – The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate

Kindness when used in the care environment can have benefits for everyone, the person you are supporting is provided with a level of care that is reassuring and also complimentary to the recovery process whether that is from physical or mental ill health. This is achieved as the person feels supported in all aspects of their care and also encourages care that is person centred and holistic. When kindness is adopted as an approach to care there is much that can be achieved, a patient is more willing to engage in things that they may ordinarily find challenging and unobtainable and the whole experience of care is more nurturing and positive.

Kindness in a MH setting can have many different guises some of which may appear to be at polar opposites to the definition of kindness shown above. Kindness is pivotal and the starting block on which trust is built, if you consider the stigma that still surrounds a person living with a MH condition you have to take time to consider how difficult it must be to build trust in a person that you hardly know, especially when you consider this is in an environment where you may have been detained against your will which can be scary, noisy and feel like a complete other world.

We are all aware of the benefits we feel when a person is kind to us, kindness is one of the best ways that we can show a person compassion. whilst preparing for this blog I have read many articles and the one that really struck a chord by Penny Campling that looks at culture and kindness by and what this would look like in a care setting. If we all adopt the kindness approach you will see great improvements in staff morale and see the strength in your team begin to shine through in the most difficult of situations, kindness does not have to be something grand, in fact more often than not kindness is found in the smallest of acts that have the largest impact on a person. In an environment where time is of the essence and pressures on care staff are ever increasing does it not make sense to look for the small things that can support you in meeting the needs of each person whilst ensuring that daily tasks are completed in a timely fashion releasing staff to spend more time with the people they are supporting.

The most important thing we have to remember as a nursing team is to be kind to each other, the pressured times that we are working means that this more often than not gets forgotten but I always do my best to show thanks and gratitude to the staff I work alongside on each shift. It’s important to all of us that we feel valued in life, it creates confidence and self worth. When a person feels valued they begin to feel part of something bigger, it helps that person develop and gives them the courage to take on the next challenge that faces them each day.

A kind word or gesture, a smile, a how are you, a thank you or holding the door are simple acts of kindness and take but a moment, so why not take but a moment.

Take that moment.

Christmas Twitter

Christmas is coming! All the signs are here. Choirs in our high streets, the frantic buying of presents, the magic in children’s eyes and the arrangement of Christmas parties and get togethers. Christmas is a time for people to meet and celebrate and give to one another. Yet for many people Christmas is a difficult time too. Perhaps Christmas in some ways resembles our world – full of goodness and yet fraught with problems, overflowing with wonder yet so broken in places.

We live in challenging times. The American nursing theorist Jean Watson writes that the culture within healthcare has “lost its way: a culture void of humanity and authentic human caring relationships, and void of meaningful communication and connections.” Other services, organisations and perhaps significant parts of our society suffer the same condition. Common ground for humane and kind connections and commitment is, we believe, both a real and vital need.

This Christmas on Twitter a group of people have united to celebrate the 12 Twitter days of Christmas. This will be based on the traditional 12 days but will run up to Christmas rather than from Christmas Day. Each day will be based on the traditional festive song about the 12 Days of Christmas. It is a song that is cumulative in nature, with each verse adding an additional element to the one before; in this instance, a series of increasingly grand gifts. However, we have chosen not to focus on material goods but celebrate the values and the virtues which make the world a better place. We see it as an occasion to reflect and celebrate the good about ourselves and others. Each day a different person will take a value and share it amongst the Twitter community and encourage you to join in by sharing stories, poems, songs, quotes and images.

The Christmas 12 Days of Twitter will have the hashtag #12DaysXmas. We invite you to join us to spread a wave of kindness and caring across Twitter this December 2016. Please RT and join in. The people involved in this are: 4AdsthePoet, Louise Brady, Trevor Clower, Tom Dyer, Kath Evans, Vanessa Garrity, JennyTheM, Sian Spencer Little, Tony Longbone, Yvonne Newbold, Sharon North,  Sian Taylor and the authors of this blog.

It starts on Monday December 12th  – the host for this day will be Jenny the M.

Please join us as we endeavour to share meaningful communication and connections using the platform of Twitter.

Written by:

Tina South

John Walsh

The 12 Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the second day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the third day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fourth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fifth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eighth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the ninth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
10 Lords a Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords a Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the twelfth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
12 Drummers Drumming
11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords a Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

 

A Carrot At That…

As the dark nights draw in and the frost spreads across the morning paths the dreaded bugs begin to fall upon us, as #Jabathon approaches (December 5th – 11th 2016) I would like to share a few thoughts before the winter really takes hold and the chance of snow gets higher.

Self-care is something we hear much talk about when it comes to healthcare for both those that use services and staff alike. There is much work going on around creating behaviour change in systems which supports people in looking after their own health as opposed to managing illness.

The question is as health professionals how often do we neglect our own health? I still remember the stern look from @joycefletcher18 when talking about my new glasses and first eye test in ten years (still astounded by the difference they make).

I’ve been asked to share a few thoughts on the #FluFighter campaign as our trust continues to offer staff the opportunity to take a moment to look after their own health. There have been many ways that we as a staff team can look after this one little factor, with our #FluMobile travelling around the different sites of our trust led by @swayoung reaching the end of his journey for this year recently, we have staff nurses trained across all of our trust sites who are talking to staff about the importance of protection and offering others the opportunity to vaccinate, the one piece of PPE that is probably most neglected.

Whilst sat contemplating this I saw this question pop up on my twitter feed:

‘Would you care for patients without washing your hands?’

Closely followed by this simple statement.

‘Your #Influenza2016 vaccine is the same duty-of-care – we must protect each other.’

Both from @kennygibsonnhs who is doing everything he can to make sure staff are looking after themselves as well as others.

If we are to be able to offer the optimum level of care we have to ensure that we protect each other and our patients at every opportunity, for many years I have declined my flu jab ‘I get one autumn sniffle every year’ was my annual response when the offer came around but the more I think about it the more I have to ensure those whom I work alongside or support are protected; after all who is to say I won’t be in contact with the virus and be the unlucky recipient of a bout of serious illness that will take me away from the job I love, one day autumn sniffle the next incapacitated and feeling worse for wear is not a thought I relish.

In the same way that we wash our hands with every contact why wouldn’t you accept annual protection from a virus that can develop into serious illness that is seeing an increase in hospital admissions for serious respiratory difficulties Influenza Report 2015-2016. If we are to protect our patients we need to protect ourselves first, it feels strange making a comment like that when, working as a health care professional we often forget about us, about that self care and looking after your own health.

I’m proud to say that I still have that ‘one autumn sniffle’ but prouder to say I have also taken a moment over the past three years to ensure that I am protected so that I can continue to share the joys I have for my role, I have become a #FluFighter and would encourage all care professionals and volunteers to do the same, after all ‘Would you care for patients without washing your hands?‘

The #Jabathon campaign is a chance for us all to make sure that we are taking care of ourselves, so that we can take care of others through this coming winter and into what I hope will be a bright new year,  by simply taking a moment to be vaccinated we are one step closer to continued good health for those we work alongside and the wider communities which will allow us all an opportunity to be out in the snow building a man with a hat and A Carrot At That.