Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 18 May 2024 at 14:21
Easter weekend
As we approach the Easter weekend, to those who are working, thank you for providing that much needed care and support to our patients and staff. The long Bank Holiday weekends can often be busy and at the time of writing, we are expecting the junior doctor strikes to go ahead on 11th-15th April. It’s likely that our NHS partner acute trusts will have increased challenges in maintaining flow at times over this period. We are in a good place operationally to be able to cope with any increased demand but please do escalate real-time issues through the usual routes. When you do have some days off, I hope you will all find some time to spend with family or friends after what has been an incredibly busy period for us.
Changes to Crisis Line
From 13th April, the Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC) crisis line will replace the Kays Medical Crisis Line. The direct number for the TASC line is 0300 373 0898. Calls to the Kays Crisis Line will divert to the TASC line for a further 3 months.
This means that managers will no longer be able to request immediate welfare support from the Kays Crisis Team, although they will support some welfare checks, subject to staff availability and only in office hours. In addition, manager’s will not be informed if a member of their team has called.
If you need to use a crisis line for an employee in distress, please encourage them to use the TASC crisis line, or the Trust EAP on 0808 196 2374, which are both 24/7 services.
You can find more detail about the change on NTK.
New look for our Charity
This week our EEAST Charity has begun a new chapter, with a great new look which we hope will help to promote awareness of the work they do, the impact of this and encourage public support.
Over the past couple of years the charity has gone from strength to strength, with a new strategy which sets out plans for growing the number of supporters over the next three years as well as publishing more of the work they do and the fundraising or volunteer opportunities available.
For those of you who may not be aware, the charity funds vital support both to colleagues across the trust and the wider community. They have successfully supported our wellbeing projects including wellbeing gardens, rooms and the food and drink for our wellbeing wagons.
They also provide uniform, training and equipment, including much needed defibrillators, for our CFRs. In addition they have enabled the launch of our Unmet Needs Navigator project, which has helped over 400 patients and families reach community support services. They also fund the EEAST Heart education programme which provides training in Basic Life Support (BLS) skills to community groups and schools. I’m sure you’ll agree they play a really important role here at EEAST. I look forward to seeing how they continue to grow over the coming months.
Sowing the seeds of success
The Charity wants to share the celebration across the Trust, and this week we have begun to distribute packets of British Native Wildflower seeds, Forget-me-not seeds and sunflower seeds to offices, depots and stations across the region. The packets also feature the new logo of the charity, you can read more here.
As the charity funds many wellbeing initiatives around the trust, the idea is that wherever you’re based you can plant the seeds in an outdoor space at your base, or in pots or planters if you’re limited on space, which can funded through an application to the charity. Our wellbeing gardens are making a real difference around the organisation, and there are several more currently being established. The idea behind the seeds is to remind you that there are charitable funds available for you to apply for if you have an idea of a similar project which could enhance a workspace for your team. Find out more here.
Pulse Survey
We recently shared the results of the January Pulse survey with you. If you haven’t seen them yet you can take a look at them here. It’s incredibly helpful for us to have this detailed view of how you are feeling, not only to tell us where there may be issues, but also to show us what’s working well, and we can build on or replicate in other areas.
The next Pulse National Quarterly Pulse survey went live this week and will be open to staff and volunteers until 1st May.
As a reminder, the survey takes five minutes to complete and is completely anonymous and managed by an external company, so the Trust does not receive any identifiable data. Although it’s not compulsory, as you can see from the January results, the more responses we receive the more useful the survey is in terms of shaping the way we work.
The survey takes just five minutes to complete and allows you to tell us more about your experiences at work, including how motivated you feel and what other support would make the biggest difference to your experience at work. You can complete it here.
MARS (HR)
This week, we have opened a Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme (MARS), for colleagues Band 8a and above. The scheme, which is approved by NHS England, has been used previously both here and at other trusts, and enables colleagues to leave with an agreed package, whilst also creating vacancies within the trust for other staff to progress.
The voluntary scheme will be open until 19th April 2023 and direct communication will be sent to all staff within the eligible group. We have decided to do this as for some colleagues a lot has changed over the past few years, and as we look to move forward as an organisation and develop our culture, we must also offer people the opportunity to move on. Any applications will be considered against specific eligibility criteria, the significance of the role and whether we can re-recruit to the position.
You can read more about the scheme here. Alternatively, for more information, please contact: EEASTMARS@eastamb.nhs.uk.
Fit for the Future podcast
The latest edition of the Fit for the Future podcast is now available to listen to. The episode focuses on one of our partnership projects, this one is in conjunction with St Helena Hospice, where we have four paramedics on rotation providing end of life care to patients in the hospice setting. Gita Prasad, Director of Business and Partnerships, chats to Peter Bumphrey, Rachel Hunt and Daniel Richardson about why the project matters and what it means for the Trust. You can listen to the podcast here.
Thank You Thursday
This week’s Thank You comes from a patient in West Hertfordshire.
I would like to thank the team of three who arrived and immediately put me at ease, friendly, kind and very professional. I felt so lucky to have a wonderful, professional, caring team around me. You were a fantastic team.
Thank you for the great work you are doing.
Simon
Published 6th April 2023