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Medical doctor becomes new Chief Executive of CPFT
Dr Attila Vegh, a medical doctor becomes new Chief Executive of CPFT (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust).
Dr Attila Vegh, a qualified medical doctor, has a PhD in cancer research and a master’s degree in healthcare management. He comes to CPFT from North East London NHS Foundation Trust where he helped create the largest provider of community services in London. Attila brings a unique combination of experiences as a clinician and transformational manager from both the private and public sectors.
He is looking forward to continuing the great work of Karen Bell and Jenny Raine. He said, “I see it as our duty to provide care in which local people can have confidence, and that our staff would recommend to their family and friends. Change is happening in the NHS at an unprecedented pace and scale. This will put significant challenges on the organisation and will require us to continually develop the way we provide services.”
“In particular, the financial challenges facing the NHS as a whole will put considerable pressure on us and means that we will have to continually innovate and find more efficient ways of delivering great care to local people”, said Dr Vegh.
Attila has ambition and praise for CPFT in equal measure, he recognises the progress and many successes achieved in the past few years and intends to build on that by leading further improvements in quality and financial stability.
Dementia team triumph at awards
The Dementia Carers' Support Service (DCSS) has won a top award at the East and Midlands NHS Star Awards.
The DCSS won the “putting patients at the helm” category in the regional awards ceremony. The DCSS is an innovative project that aims to link former carers with current carers of people with dementia. The volunteers are able to use their expert knowledge and experience to offer regular and consistent support as a befriender or buddy. Volunteers undertake a training programme before befriending between one and five carers. Their support is flexible and includes face to face, email and telephone contact. The project was originally piloted in East Cambs and due to its success expanded to City and South Cambridgeshire.
The star awards are aimed at showcasing a range of excellent health and social care initiatives that have been developed to benefit the regions patients, carer’s and general public.
Fe Franklin, DCSS project co-ordinator, said: "We are delighted to have won this award. It would not have been possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of our team and volunteers. We are looking forward to working with them to continue developing and expanding the service to help more carers in Cambridgeshire."
A DCSS volunteer said: “I had no idea what a carer goes through until I cared for my mother who had dementia. Being a volunteer to support a carer is just as important as a carer supporting someone. Carers need equal support to that of the person cared for, not less. This project is fantastic!” One of the carers benefiting from the DCSS added: “I understand now why my mother acts as she does. She cannot help herself. I am now aware help is at hand, which takes some of the burden off me.”
A ‘blooming’ good allotment project
An allotment in Peterborough has been set up for people with mental health challenges. The aim of the project is to give people the opportunity to grow and eat their own produce, whilst developing friendships and horticulture skills.
The project is led by Nora O’Shea, from the rehabilitation and recovery team at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT). The allotment runs alongside “Greenfingers,” a 20-week horticultural employment scheme run by CPFT that helps people gain valuable work experience whilst earning a minimum wage. At the end of the 20 weeks, service users are encouraged to enrol on a one-year nationally accredited ‘horticultural skills for life’ course at Moulton College, Northampton.
Nora said: “The idea behind this project was to promote social inclusion in the community and give people the opportunity to grow and eat their own fruit and vegetables. This would never have been possible without the support we received from Dobbies Garden Centre. They generously gave us plants, gloves and garden tools. I have also had huge support with the allotment from Paul Mitchell, who has worked on the Greenfingers Garden project for the past two years and now works as a volunteer.”
Nora is keen to develop the allotment further to include a raised vegetable bed for people with mobility difficulties. For more information on the project or if you would like to donate some plants or wooden planks for the raised beds, the please contact Nora on 01733 318165.
Local campaign alerts young people to the dangers of sex and alcohol
A local campaign for young people called ‘Alcohol and Sex, what d’ya know…?’ is raising awareness of alcohol and sexual health and the potential risks when the two are combined.
CASUS are joining forces with the Cambridgeshire Chlamydia screening programme during National Alcohol Awareness Week (14-18 November 2011) to remind young people of the link between alcohol misuse and unsafe sex.
The teams from CPFT and Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (CCS NHST) will be out in force visiting local schools, hostels and youth groups with a variety of activities, information, resources and drop-in sessions to educate young people.
Liz Cracknell, senior substance misuse practitioner nurse, CPFT, said; “We think it is really important that young people have the opportunity to find out about the risks they may face when alcohol and sex are combined. We want to encourage young people to come along and talk to us and grab some info and freebies, when we’re out and about during this Alcohol Awareness Week.”
Kathryn Faulkner, Cambridgeshire Chlamydia screening programme co-ordinator, CCS NHST, said: “Alcohol can reduce young people’s inhibitions which may lead to them taking risks and practicing unsafe sex. This can in turn put them at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI), which is why we’ve teamed up with CASUS to promote National Alcohol Awareness Week.
Alcohol Awareness Week is run by Alcohol Concern, the national agency on alcohol misuse, which campaigns for effective alcohol policy and improved services for people whose lives are affected by alcohol-related problems. Go to www.alcoholconcern.org.uk for more information.
If you would like a visit from CASUS and the Chlamydia screening programme telephone 01223 214614 or email casus@cpft.nhs.uk
Dementia exhibition helps to raise awareness
An exhibition was held in the main foyer at Hinchingbrooke hospital to help raise awareness on dementia. The stand was visited by over 100 staff and members of the public, many of whom were surprised to learn that 1 in 3 people of the age of 65 will die with a form of dementia.
The exhibition was run by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT), together with members of the local Alzheimer’s Society staff and volunteer team.
Donna Pooley, dementia specialist from CPFT, who led the exhibition said; “the exhibition was a real success, it was great to see so many people interested in finding out about dementia. There are currently over 750,000 people living with dementia in the UK, a figure that is expected to double over the next 30 years. It is really important that people know the facts so that they can support people they know who live with the condition.”
The term 'dementia' describes a set of symptoms which include loss of memory, mood changes, and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when the brain is damaged by certain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and damage caused by a series of small strokes. Research amongst carers nationally shows that 54% of people with dementia experience deterioration in their condition, such as increased confusion or reduced independence, whilst in hospitals in the UK. This is felt partly to be due to lack of awareness amongst staff about the additional considerations that such patients require.
Anyone concerned that they are or someone they know might be experiencing memory problems should contact their GP. Alzheimer's Society provides a National Dementia Helpline. The number is 0845 300 0336, or visit alzheimers.org.uk. The local office providing support for people living with Alzheimer’s and their carers can be contacted on 01733 893853.