Workforce Seminars

'Mental Health', that old chestnut.

Is it your get out of jail free card?

Is it the new stress?

Is it another pandemic?

We all know about the importance of looking after your mental (and physical) health. We all want to feel good and look good and we all know what we should be doing. Yet we choose not to do it, leaving it until it's too late and our lives literally depend on it. And even then, old habits are so hard to break aren't they?

Us humans will mostly be attracted to the easy or convenient. Improving your health is rarely easy or convenient. It's a long game of boring consistency regardless of how you feel.

Let's explore why people ignore the warning signs and allow themselves to continue down the path of unfulfillment, repeating the same thing yet blindly hoping for different results. Or hiding behind excuses.

Let's look at the most simple strategy of getting back to basics. THE BASICS can be the foundations of change for you.

Told from real experience of drug & alcohol abuse, hitting rock bottom, seeking professional help, adhering to The Basics and a new mindset and life created.

Hitting your rock bottom needn't be the only way to find a new way. We all deserve to feel good about ourselves and make progress, to act with purpose and set the example.

To best advise and help others you must be an inspiring example, this presentation will provide you with a strategy to do just that.

It's an inside job, work on your mindset and emotional intelligence first, to then be able to change your outside world. To be able to make clear decisions and take action.

Do it for yourself first, to then be there for your team.

The aim of the presentation is to enlighten the audience on the career development pathways available for a range of individuals working within healthcare E&FM sectors.

Career progression pathways should focus on depth (progressing through the levels from Technician, to CP, AP, AE through to E&FM roles) and breadth (the range of specialisms available to support individuals to multi-skill across a range of disciplines). We will explain that breadth is just as important as depth and how it can be a much more attractive progression pathway to those not wanting to take on ultimate management responsibility but wanting a more varied and fulfilling career within the Healthcare E&FM sectors.

The presentation will also cover the different delivery methods available to support both depth and breadth in terms of apprenticeship training (level 2 through to level 8), short courses (online, face to face and blended delivery) and compliance training. It will reflect on the limitations that some of these methods have for developing competence.

We will also remind the audience of the E&FM apprenticeship options that are available to all individuals and not just the younger generation or new entrants. All NHS trusts will be paying into the apprenticeship levy and may not be aware of the variety of programmes available to them to maximise the spend against their contributions. We will also touch of the skills gap growing within the sector and provide an overview of the apprenticeship statistics within the Health and Science sector and impress how much time and focus needs to be committing to tackling the skills gap issue.

Examples can be provided of some initiatives we are running at Eastwood Park to try and respond to the skills gap and age demographic issues we have within our E&FM workforce.

When my friend, Brian Greenley, was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer in 2010, I began to write letters to him, wanting to alleviate the isolation and loneliness which so often comes with a cancer diagnosis, as friends and family are paralysed by the fear of saying the wrong thing and so say nothing. Throughout Brian's treatment I wrote over 100 letters; those letters changed both our lives.
When the BBC picked up our story, such was the impact, we set up the charity From Me to You. Every year we deliver thousands of donated, anonymous letters to cancer patients in UK hospitals and cancer centres.
Our workshops (online and in-person) encourage and inspire people to stay connected to loved ones and strangers via the simple letter. Our Donate A Letter programme hosts hundreds of people writing anonymous letters for us to deliver to those living with cancer, as we work directly with hospitals and partner charities.
We work with organisations, corporates and community groups, using letter writing as a teambuilding resource with the additional benefit that individuals can continue the experience outside the workplace.
Letter writing gives the writers an altruistic sense of doing something for someone else but much more than that, it allows them a period of creativity, reflection and inner mental calm. Many of our writers, after writing for our Donate A Letter programme, find the confidence to connect with loved ones living with cancer. And many of our letter recipients become letter writers.
Presentation Format: Small Action, Big Impact
• Tell our story
• Highlight the wellbeing aspects of involvement in the charity
• Inspire with short videos of impact on recipients and letter content
• Each attendee to receive a postcard for a short, guided writing exercise
• Q&A

The role of Clinical Engineering in support of the NHS came into sharp focus during the COVID-19 Pandemic and has shone a light on this essential profession. There is a shortage of Clinical Engineers and an ageing workforce with fewer and fewer recruits. The industry is having to move quickly with an ever increasing portfolio of connected devices and interfaces to the Electronic Patient Record (EPR). These skills are moving Clinical Engineering into greater depth with Trust ICT departments and detailed knowledge of software. The MHRA requires all staff to be appropriately trained.
The investment from the NHS and private sector companies into Apprenticeships for Clinical Engineers is now paramount. The focus into ensuring succession planning; greater ICT skills; the implications to cyber security, knowledge of Net Zero Carbon and other sustainability related issues will mean a shift in the knowledge base of Clinical Engineering. Attracting more recruits and raising the status of the personnel working within it is an import shift post-pandemic. Putting the clinical back into Clinical Engineering; the training of clinical colleagues on key equipment e.g. ventilators; whilst recognising that there multiple levels of opportunity, including attracting young people who have practical skills and can see a route into the profession with support from structured courses.
Raising the profile; paying the appropriate levels for the skills and joint collaboration between the NHS and Private Sector companies that have access to the Apprenticeship Levy, give opportunities help plug the emerging gap in this profession, and provide a long-term career path.
There are a multitude of routes from entry level 2; through to degree level; all with established recognized providers. A number of organisations like RCT IHEEM and IPEM are investing in this approach. The Private Sector are also using Social Values funds to invest in these careers.

There are many reasons why prioritising diversity in NHS apprenticeship schemes can greatly benefit the organisation. The NHS people plan focuses on the importance of diversity and all will be familiar with the proposition that a trust should mirror the community it serves. The more a workforce mirrors the community it serves the better the patient experience of care. Where better to start with this diversity than your apprenticeship schemes.

However although the Equality Act 2010 allows employers to introduce positive action measures to increase representation for disadvantaged and protected groups a lack of understanding about what positive measures actually means in practice is often thwarts their best use.

In this presentation we will look at three forms of positive action with a specific focus on widening the diversity of NHS apprenticeship schemes and how they are actually applied in practice. Reserving places on relevant training courses to assist with applications, interviews or ability to do the job in question, providing mentoring schemes to increase representation of disadvantaged groups at a senior level in the organisation (and yes apprenticeships can apply to senior level posts as well as junior), and the "tie-break" provision as it applies in recruitment.

Feeling confident about what you can do is simply a case of knowing where the legal boundaries lie and how best to use positive action to benefit your apprentices, your organisation and subscribe to the ethos of the NHS people plan. Our presentation will provide the enhanced knowledge that you need in this area.

Recognised by the Top Employers Institute as a Top Employer since 2019 for excellence in employee conditions, we are confident in our dedication to providing the very best working environment for our employees through our progressive 'people-first' HR practices.

In addition, we are gold accredited Investors in People, driving positive outcomes in the workplace. We are engaged and motivated to retain, train, and develop all our staff, from Apprentices to Senior Managers.

To ensure the personal and professional growth of our staff, we launched the TEAM scheme on our Healthcare sites; Training Employees as Managers. The scheme supports employees, to not only access quality training opportunities but also provides that their learning and development within their role is set out in a well-structured format. The scheme can be adapted to any trade, profession or discipline, with topics relevant to each - e.g for site engineers, it is split across six themes; Health & Safety, Meetings, Compliance, Operations & Management, Project Management and Email Etiquette.

Engineers are given the chance to take on more responsibility, gain an understanding of the wider contract and management experience, supported by, and working closely with the management team in real time. This would typically include auditing jobs, conducting site safety tours, compliance tracking, managing minor works and being coached on how to answer difficult emails from the client.

The aim is to give valuable real-life experience to employees, but also to encourage a collaborative team spirit between management and the workforce. The experience and understanding of the wider contract gained, is then discussed and digested within the wider team, creating a clearer understanding of the operation and the requirement of the workforce.

We must give our employees the space and opportunity to reach their full potential and are thrilled to see so many of them flourishing.

Aerosols and droplets generated from expiratory events play a critical role in the transmission of infectious respiratory viruses. Fine aerosols play a crucial role in airborne transmission of respiratory diseases including COVID- 19. Out-patient hospital activity moved to virtual clinics during the pandemic, making effective communication difficult and leading to increased isolation and staff dissatisfaction. Mitigations for aerosol-borne disease spread are needed to make healthcare spaces safer for doctors and patients to safely meet face to face again.
Methods
We used computational flow dynamic (CFD) modelling to investigate the efficiency of portable air purifiers containing HEPA filters as a retrofit mitigation strategy to reduce airborne aerosols in hospital consulting rooms. We modelled a single doctor patient interaction in a room with a chilled beam air conditioning system at 3 air changes per hour, 220C and 50% humidity. We generated a detailed computational mesh including 800,000 elements. We performed 3D transient simulations, with steps of 0.01 s, for 180 s. Both continuous phase (air flow) and discrete phase (aerosols) were taken into account. The discrete phase of aerosols was tracked in a Lagrangian manner, with representative populations of around 200,000 particles being tracked.
Results
Aerosol particle number plateaued around 180 seconds. Clearance efficiency ranged from 25% to 62% depending on where the inlet/suction of the air purifier unit was placed. The best location for a single HEPA filter was on the desk between doctor and patient but highest efficiency was achieved using two devices, one on the desk and a second to the side of the room at the height where aerosols were generated.
Discussion
This work provides practical guidance on a mitigation that can be rapidly implemented in an expedient, cost-effective manner, and may lead to more science informed strategies to mitigate airborne transmission of respiratory infections in hospitals.

Surgical plume is a gaseous byproduct of burning organic material created from heat-producing surgical tools. The operating theatre workforce and patients may experience adverse effects from being exposed to surgical plume when plume evacuation devices and standards of practices are lacking.
Opportunities exist to increase awareness about the health consequences of surgical plume exposure to surgical teams and their patients. Engineers, hospital leadership, policy makers, and multidisciplinary surgical team members can influence practice through advocacy, education, and spreading awareness. To better understand the context of the problem, we will analyze the scientific evidence of the hazards and the health and safety risks of exposure to surgical plume and discuss the standards and best practices that guide protection against exposure to surgical plume.
Key to helping resolve issues over exposure will be covered by examining how the use of innovative ways of using technology to exploit data via remote sensors for measuring particulate which is one of the main component of surgical plume and using this to determine if the plume is not being adequately controlled in order to help the employer (Trust, manger) in protecting people's health.

Having something that alerts staff may just make a big difference to their exposure and their health.

• Your LEV isn't working
• Your surgeon isn't using the on tip extraction
• You are at risk

IOM have been working with clients to replace traditional methods of monitoring exposure which can be challenging in clinical environments and employing sensors where monitoring can be carried out remotely and over more meaningful time periods than can be captured in a site visit.
The interpretation being undertaken by AI allows fast accurate feedback on individual exposure.

Lastly, we will provide you with references and resources for further information on developing policy and surveying for compliance.

Derbyshire is an outlier for the use of dormitory style accommodation with one of the highest levels in England. This has a negative impact on privacy and dignity and patient safety plus it also impacts on A&E and Acute Trust flow in Derbyshire.
Derbyshire Healthcare were issued a Formal CQC requirement under regulation 15(1)c to eradicate the use of dormitories by 2024.
Derbyshire also has no Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit capacity for male of female patients leading to all Derbyshire patients being placed out of area for this level of care. This leads to poor patient journeys and a lack of social, familial and environmental connections which are all known to aid recovery. The NHS 5 Year Forward View and Long Term Plan has a stated aim to end inappropriate out of area placements by March 2021.

The Programme being delivered by the DHcFT Programme Delivery Team includes 6 projects, 4 of which are related to dormitory eradication and 2 related to ending the inappropriate use of out of areas PICUs. The Programme include 3 new builds and 3 major refurbishments.

The Programme Delivery Team includes a Clinical Project Manager (a ward manager from an adult acute background) and a Project Officer who is also a service user with a physical disability. These key individuals attend all design meetings and are the key links to the Clinical and Service User reference groups respectively. The design meetings include a wide range of key individuals from across the Trust including E&F leads, Health and Safety, Fire, Security, Clinical, Medical and Infection Prevention specialists.
The co-design approach is being applied to all 6 projects with key decisions on form, function, look and feel being informed by the Clinical and Service Users Reference Groups.

The presentation introduces the research conducted on how to enable more effective and timely knowledge sharing among NHS Hospital Estates and Facilities Management (HEFM) departments. These departments are critical in ensuring the safe delivery of care while facing not only the impacts of disasters such as COVID-19, climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives but also organisational changes (e.g., new models of care) and structural issues (e.g., maintenance backlog). Effective flows of different types of knowledge (e.g., know-how or technological knowledge) among HEFM departments could significantly improve their ability to manage change and challenges effectively and efficiently.
As part of this research, multiple case studies in 6 hospitals across England are being conducted to investigate the flow of knowledge on medical oxygen infrastructure systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case studies track the flow of specific pieces of information through the various NHS system levels. In this way, the research identifies different types of knowledge, mechanisms, or channels for sharing these knowledge types and enablers/barriers that affect the knowledge sharing processes among HEFM departments.
The presentation will illustrate the key findings from the case studies to raise the understanding of knowledge sharing processes and simultaneously raise awareness for existing barriers to effective knowledge flows. Firstly, exemplary knowledge flows will be illustrated to highlight enablers and barriers to inter-organisational knowledge sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, using the persona method, knowledge needs and sharing behaviours of NHS HEFM staff on different levels are explained, elaborating on regional, organisational and structural variations. Lastly, the presentation will outline knowledge sharing structures and practices that were developed during the pandemic and ways to conserve these for non-pandemic operations in the future, enabling the efficiently manage the upcoming challenges related to the net-zero carbon targets.

In October 2020, the NHS became the world's first health service to commit to reaching carbon net zero, in response to the growing threat to health posed by climate change. The "Delivering a Net Zero Health Service" report sets out a clear ambition and two evidence-based targets to achieve this.
The NHS Greener agenda sets out its ambitions for medicines and the respective supply chain - "By working with our suppliers to ensure that all of them meet or exceed our commitment on net zero emissions before the end of the decade.". This however requires detailed input and then follow up analysis.
MTS is working closely with the NHS NHP Team on equipment advisory for the re- use of equipment in the forthcoming build of over 40 hospitals. Key will be the evaluation of the multiple Medical and Non-Medical Equipment Suppliers and their attitude to Net Zero Carbon.

We working with Parent Company Sodexo and other leading companies to put a set of parameters in place which will constitute the evaluation of the Net Zero Carbon grading. This might include:

- Distance travelled from origin of manufacturing
- % of the item that can be re-cycled
- Specific energy outputs (other carbon rating)
- Commitment that no parts made with slave labour

The health sector is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, accounting for between 4-5% of total emissions. A large part of this is the supply chain with around 70% of the sector's emissions coming from the production and transportation of medical equipment. UK health service emissions correspond to that global average, accounting for between 4-5% of the UK's total carbon emissions. A clear strategy to work with the leading UK and global suppliers to reduce these emissions will contribute significantly to the NHS Targets.