Changes to the Trust's Executive Team
The Trust has recently announced the retirement of Brendan Hayes, Chief Executive.
Sarah Connery, Director of Finance and Information has been appointed as acting Chief Executive. Mark Platts has taken on the role of acting Director of Finance and Information whilst this arrangement is in place. The recruitment for the substantive chief executive role will commence over the next few weeks.
Chair, Paul Devlin, thanked Brendan for his lifelong service to the NHS and, on behalf of the Trust and his colleagues, wished him well for the future.
Nurses joining our inpatient wards offered attractive welcome payment
As efforts to boost recruitment across the Trust continue, we recently took the decision to offer a new payment incentive aimed at supporting the recruitment and retention of our registered nurses in inpatient areas.
In addition to a host of unique benefits and continued professional development, all registered nurses who join one of our inpatient wards can benefit from a welcome payment of £2,500 (paid in two instalments during year one) and £4,000 payment in lieu of relocation (to assist with commuting) or full relocation package.**
Find out more about the benefits on offer when you choose to work for us by using this link.
View the fantastic vacancies we have to offer at LPFT by using this link.
**Eligibility criteria applies. For more information contact the recruiting manager.
Your fundraising is making a difference
The public support for the Trust during 2020 has been outstanding. More than ever before, members of staff, the public and local businesses and organisations are embracing all kinds of ideas to raise much needed funds to enhance the experience of patients and staff.
By listening to our staff and patients' ideas on how to best spend this money, we have improved outdoor areas with benches and garden furniture, which patients can enjoy with their relatives and our staff can relax on during a well-earned break. We have revamped several staff rooms to create a comfortable place to rest, and hot and cold drinks are now more easily available. We have also invested in new iPads to allow staff to keep in touch with patients whilst in our care, as well as for patients to keep in touch with loved ones.
Thank you for every single donation, every kind word and every gesture of support given to us during the COVID-10 pandemic. It really has made a huge difference to us all personally and professionally as we continue to face the challenges ahead.
Celebrating our fantastic volunteers
To celebrate the vital contribution of our volunteers the Trust hosted a Volunteer Celebration Event to coincide with International Volunteers Day 2020. The virtual event showcased their incredible work and stories, and heard directly from our volunteers and Lead Governor Pauline Mountain about the important role they play in local services. Thank you to our amazing volunteers for everything you do for the Trust, our patients and carers.
60 seconds with… Rhiannon Dolby, Social Work Apprentice
“I’m currently in post as a Social Work Apprentice with LPFT, which consists of attending university each week and working within my hub. I am undertaking a degree in Social Work at the University of Lincoln, which takes three years to complete, and will be fully qualified to work in the role once I have finished.
“Alongside my studies, I work in the Trust's social work team undertaking learning to support my career progression. Before joining LPFT, I had no experience with social workers in health services; since then I have enjoyed observing assessments and appointments, and I have learnt about many different parts of social work. I have found that LPFT offers a supportive environment with a variety of training and opportunities.
“I find it extremely helpful to split my week between university, learning and work with LPFT, as it allows me to ensure good amounts of time are allocated to each part of my learning. Following my apprenticeship I hope to obtain a social work degree, allowing me to continue supporting vulnerable people, protecting them from harm and promoting their wellbeing.”
New mental health ward due to open in New Year
We previously shared the exciting news that we will be opening a new female acute treatment ward shortly, which will help to prevent patients travelling inappropriately for their hospital care.
We are pleased to say that changes to the existing building are going well and we expect to be able to open our doors at Ash Villa, in Greylees, Sleaford from March 2021.
The new ward will provide 15 additional acute treatment beds for women who are experiencing a severe, short term episode of mental ill health and who can’t be safely supported by community based services. You can read more about the new ward here.
The Lincolnshire health and care system continues to be committed to eliminating the inappropriate use of out of area hospital care for mental health patients by the end of March 2021, and this new ward will help contribute to this ambition.
We continue to recruit for this new team so if you are a qualified health professional interested in working in acute mental health services you can find out more at: www.lpft.nhs.uk/work-for-us
Have you had your flu vaccination?
With coronavirus still circulating, it’s more important than ever to get the flu jab to reduce your risk of getting both illnesses at once, which could make you even more unwell.
By getting vaccinated people can do their bit to help the NHS as it continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Remember, the flu vaccination is free (from your GP practice or pharmacist) for eligible people because you need it.
For more information on who can have the flu vaccine and where you can get it use this link.
NEON trial aims to understand the benefits of mental health recovery stories
NEON (Narrative Experiences Online) has collected many different mental health recovery stories from around the world. The study aims to understand whether receiving online recorded recovery stories benefits people with experience of mental health problems. NEON is currently recruiting participants with experience of mental health problems who are over the age of 18. Carers who support someone with mental health problems may also be eligible. To find out if you are eligible for this study, visit recoverystories.uk.
Participants are invited to complete questionnaires about their wellbeing throughout the trial, and asked to provide feedback about the stories they have access to. Everything is done online so you can take part in this research at home, as long as you have access to a mobile device or computer with access to the internet.
For more information, or if you are a professional with a patient in mind, email our Lead Researcher Tracey via tracey.collishaw@nhs.net.
