Session recording
REWARD & RECOGNITION
Q: Any update on staff lotto?
A: It's due to launch in the next few weeks – we'll give more info in next Staff Brief and will share more details via other channels also.
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Q: Does E&F Awards include catering staff?
A: Yes, all E&F staff are included with four site specific and overall categories for Catering.
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Q: Will the Group hold Staff Awards going forward which would be open to more staff to attend than just nominees?
A: The awards are designed to celebrate the achievements of those who have been nominated (last year more than 300 nominations were received, and then approximately 60 teams and individuals were shortlisted). Opening it up to staff who aren't nominated would make it difficult to accommodate the number of staff unless moving to a much bigger venue, although alternative venues are currently being looked at.
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Q: Why are there no awards for administrative staff? We have LCL time to shine, estates and facilities awards, nursing awards etc but nothing for admin. Please don't ask us to nominate in the overall staff awards – we have, repeatedly, and never get recognised.
Q: Administrative & clerical staff exist across every department/ward and yet are not recognised as providing such an important role (there's a reason called 'support staff'), yet there is no A&C specific awards/rewards, which is very demoralising for all in these roles. Nurses, AHPs, doctors etc. get specific 'days'. Why is there an impression that A&C staff are not as important, and are often the focus for fast cuts, easy targets for cost cutting?
A: Thanks for your comment - we have received a number of similar comments. Within the staff awards, there is a 'corporate services' category, but understand that admin & clerical staff on wards may not identify with this category. we want everyone within the organisation to feel valued, so will look at the awards categories and criteria in order to ensure that everyone in every role feel that they can enter the awards and receive recognition.
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Q: All these award ceremonies… wouldn't it be cost effective to have them in a fantastic place push the boat out but have them all on the same day/evening?
Q: If we need to save so much money, why are we investing staff time organising various departmental staff awards when the Trust already has an annual awards? Appreciate some of the running cost is covered by sponsors, but it's still duplication of efforts and lots of departments don't have their own awards
A: Thanks for your comment – we are currently looking at this as we understand that some staff groups have awards whilst others. A proposal around how reward and recognition can be made more consistent right across the organisation is currently being developed.
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Q: Does the awards night do anything to recognise retiring staff? Just been informed that a member of staff who is retiring after 35 years of service is no longer entitled to a contribution towards a buffet for a leaving send off. What a sad way to say farewell after 35 years of dedicated service for staff.
A: Thanks for your comment – we are currently looking at all Reward and Recognition practices in place. A proposal around how reward and recognition can be made more consistent right across the organisation and localised where best is currently being developed. Pip
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Q: We have a fantastic cultural events within the trust ie black history month pride month pride history month Ramadan. But would it be viable to extend the veterans day to veterans month as we have a lot of veterans within the hospitals?
A: Thanks for your comment – we will explore this as we look to agree our calendar of events and plans for 25/26. Pip
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Q: Reward and Recognition – it seems to be taking a long time for this to be developed, it feels like we all gave feedback almost a year ago and other than some cheaper gym memberships and free tea and coffee, there's no strategy or plan in place yet. Is there a timeline for this to be released as it's key to retention and recruitment?
A: Thanks for your comment – please email me directly if you would like to be involved in one of the site engagement forums. Due to UHLG forming, there has been work required to review LWH and LUHFT current offers and proposed plans. These will be one of the first items to go through local and corp services Engagement forums for feedback and implementation. pip.
LAASP
Q: Was it value for money for the LAASP case of change to be developed by a private company such as PwC, rather than in house?
A: As LAASP is a programme that involves a number of providers – UHLG, Liverpool Heart and Chest, The Walton Centre and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, it was important that a third party was used to develop the case for change on behalf of all of those involved.
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Q: How much are PWC being paid to tell us what and how to do our jobs?
A: The Case for Change work supported by PwC has been directly funded by our Integrated Care Board in response to their request to develop a Case for Change across LAASP trusts. External support was used to allow us to meet the ICB timescales and to recognise this kind of work typically benefits from independent review and analysis.
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Q: It may help if we can explain what we mean by 'Corporate Services'. The questions on Staff Brief highlight the uncertainty from non-clinical staff who feel vulnerable and likely to be the focus of cost cutting. The focus on sites is understandable and logical, but 'Corporate' could mean site based staff or staff who cover across all sites. It may help ease staff fears if we can explain what is meant by Corporate Services.
A: Corporate Services relates to any non-clinically facing staff but each corporate service will be designed individually, recognising the specialist contribution they contribute to the five organisations.
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Q: When are LHCH joining the group? I this also April this year?
A: David Flory became Chair and James Sumner became Chief Executive of LHCH yesterday, but they won't join the group until later in the year – the date is yet to be confirmed.
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Q: The described potential benefits associated with UHLG seem similar to those given at the time when Aintree/Royal & Broadgreen merged. Were those benefits realised and are we able to quantify them?
A: Yes, the benefits of the merger business case have now been delivered through the Cost Improvement Programmes that followed post-merger.
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Q: Stroke medicine in LAASP doesn't acknowledge therapies, particularly community rehab. We know the number of strokes go up yearly, and that best practice is an ICSS. Good community rehab prevents secondary complications, reduces readmissions, and reduces POC, and we should be aiming for an ICSS https://
A: Is this question relating to stroke in the Case for Change? The Case for Change only highlights a small number of services, which are designed to be used as examples of what could be achieved by working more closely together. A full Strategic Outline Case is now being developed which will look at how all pathways can be improved and delivered more effectively.
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Q: You mentioned you know there will be a big period of change for corporate services, can you elaborate on this?
A: Creating shared corporate services is a priority for the LAASP Joint Committee and NHS nationally, recognising these are services where we can improve and standardise our quality of services by operating at scale. Phase 1 LAASP services are finance, workforce, digital and estates and work is ongoing to design future operating models. The remaining Corporate service models will form Phase 2 later in the year. Each programme will through a robust process to design, engage, consult and implement any changes. More detail will be provided in future Staff Briefs as the design work progresses. TG
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Q: Will the LAASP work provide an opportunity for supporting services of larger pathways to be prioritised to support patient and staff experience. For example, the wider perioperative care pathway that sits alongside surgical pathways?
A: Yes, UHL 2030 is intended to focus on the most significant changes we can make to improve patient and staff experience. There is a LAASP Clinical Reference Group with representation for the five trusts working through how are clinical pathways can be prioritised and redesigned (where required).
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Q: The GTP appears to indicate us going back to single site model, i.e. Aintree and RLB being seen as separate. IS this not going backwards?
A: No, over the last two years we have embedded our Improvement Plan and Transformation Delivery Unit approach within the organisation but this has typically been through top-down corporately led change programmes. As the group scales, and in keeping with Quality Improvement principles it's really important that change is led from where work is delivered in the organisation. That's what the GTP is intended to achieve. It also included very strategic programmes with partners that previous versions of the Improvement Plan haven't got into. TG
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Q: Will there be consultation undertaken with staff whose day-to-day will be impacted by the implementation of the LAASP work or will it just happen?
A: Yes, engagement and consultation will take place throughout design and any associated implementation of design work.
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Q: Using external companies (PWC) will have a very negative effect on staff engagement with the plans (LAASP). People do not know who they are and there does not seem to be any accountability for any suggestions they may have made.
A: PwC have facilitated the work given the tight timescales required to be produced, however the document is a LAASP Case for Change owned and approved by the five trust Boards in LAASP.
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Q: How can we contribute to UHL 30?
A: There will be a significant engagement work and framework around UHL 2030 across the organisation. We're just working out how we can do this including how we can use digital tools to reach as many of staff as possible. Feel free to drop me a note directly and we will also say more on future staff briefs. TG
EPR
Q: Which staff have been included in the EPR procurement team? Have staff from all levels been included, including those who will be working with it daily (e.g. clinic/ward clerks) in developing the ITT key points?
A: We have a wide range of staff involved in the procurement of the EPR covering clinical, nursing, ops and technical staff, meaning we have nearly 200 involved across LUHFT and LAASP in the evaluation process. We are guided by procurement rules and need to ensure the number of evaluators is within the advice and guidance we need to follow. However for staff not yet involved (in the evaluation) we will be seeking much wider engagement when we commence design and build of the system.
ESTATES
Q: Could the bin outside Linda Mac please be emptied more regularly - more often than not it seems to be overflowing - probably because of increased footfall to WIC - with rubbish blowing around the entrance
A: I will escalate this now, it should be part of our cleaning routine, but we will check! Thanks Alison.
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Q: Trying to come out of the NCP car park is very difficult – traffic is very busy, no one lets you out and people ignore zebra crossings. There are also people trying to turn right at Prescot Street entrance, we need a traffic light there. Is this possible?
A: When the new hospital was built, a request was made to install traffic management at the MVSt / PSt however LCC traffic department did not agree due to the knock on impact on lights from low hill and Edge Lane. Works will commence in the next few weeks on the new route to and from the podium to Daulby Street and next year following the completion of the demolition of the old hospital a further route to and from Prescott street. There is also about to be consultation on repurposing of Prescott street that will change traffic flow and assist in access and egress to the hospital site.
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Q: Any update on accessible EV charge points at Royal Liverpool?
A: We have infrastructure in place for further EV points in NCP however our current supplier, Pod Point, are no longer supporting commercial installations and therefore we have had to establish a new supply chain partner. We hope to resolve this in the near future.
RECRUITMENT AND VACANCIES/HR
Q: Can staff nurses have the chance to join the bank for all trusts to work in?
A: At the moment, the other Trusts in Liverpool use NHS Professionals as their locum nurse/midwifery staffing provider. There isn't an automatic ability to join NHSP and so if you wished to do that, you'd have to make an application to NHSP directly.
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Q: Should we be expecting redundancies in corporate services?
A: Thanks for your comment – there are no current plans for redundancies at the Trust. The Trust does have the mutually agreed resignation scheme (MARS) in place that enables staff who wish to exit the organisation in a supported manner enabling opportunities for redeployment and supporting financial challenges faced by the Trust. The scheme is open from April to June and applies to staff across both Liverpool University Hospitals and Liverpool Women's Hospital.
GENERAL
Q: Dear Team, Could the smoking be addresses in at side entrance on Mount Vernon Street. It makes me sad every day when I come in to work and the floor is littered with rubbish and cigarette buts. We are a nonsmoking organisation, and we need to do everything we can to stop it. It would really benefit staff and patients if this could be stopped. It looks appalling and people need to remember it is a hospital there is no respect from patients, members of the public and staff. Could security maybe help with this at all.
A: Unfortunately smoking is a difficult subject to manage and security staff cannot be permanently deployed outside entrances due to wide and varied nature of their role. All staff have a part to play in challenging behaviours including smoking and dropping litter especially where colleagues are involved in breaches of Trust policies. Estates and Facilities have formed a dedicated team across all the sites dedicated to better grounds and external environment and this includes trying to better keep on top of litter including at hospital entrances.
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Q: Why are the uniforms changing again like what Broadgreen Heart and Chest have just changed over to. Total waste of money for the current uniforms and not much talk on the new uniforms.
A: LHCH have adopted the National Uniform and had this planned for some time. They are currently not part of the UHL Group. At this time, the LUHFT part of the Group have not made any decision as to when we will be adopting the National Uniform.
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Q: What site is LNP on please?
A: The Liverpool Neonatal Partnership is based across Liverpool Women's and Alder Hey.
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Q: When will we get a new organisation structure as there have been many changes?
A: Hello – we are currently working on a new version to incorporate all of the changes and will circulate once this is finalised. Comms
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Q: Zero tolerance posters around the trust don't really mean anything as staff have to put up with it and DATIX’s fall on deaf ears across the Royal and Aintree has been an increase of incidents. Also female HCA’s staff tagging violent or aggressive male patients when male HCA’s refuse to tag these patients.
A: This is a really serious issue for the organisation (as it is across the whole of the NHS). We are looking at lots of different initiatives to reduce violent and aggressive behaviours (from training staff, modifying the environment, having stronger policies and better involvement of colleagues from other organisations). However, your latter point is very important and this should be focused to your local leadership team (Matron in the first instance). It may be helpful to share specific examples of how risk is managed (or not) directly to your site Director of Nursing. If you don't feel able to do this individually, please consider contacting your DoN as a group or via the Freedom to Speak up Guardian.
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Q: It would be good if corporate services could have a specific 'staff brief' style update meeting including a face to face Q&A
A: This is a really helpful suggestion and something we can do in the future. Tim
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Q: What is the acronym NSS short for?
A: National Staff Survey
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Q: There seems so be a special rate for radiology staff to do additional clinics, including radiology aids, however the clinic nurses get paid bank. Are nurses not seen as valuable as radiology staff. Has this been agreed and ran past the unions? What is the rationale for this agreement? Thank you
A. We recognise that there are some legacy arrangements (often made locally) in place regarding enhanced payments to different staff groups. To ensure fairness, good governance and sound financial management, the organisation is reviewing all such arrangements to ensure fairness and good management. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.