NCIC News
All the latest from the Trust | September 2023
Intro from the Chair
Hello and welcome to our newsletter for foundation trust members and the wider community. 
I was delighted to read that our maternity teams received a good rating after a Care Quality Commission inspection. Congratulations to all the teams involved.
Last week I was privileged to be invited to the unveiling of a sculpture at the West Cumberland Hospital as part of Organ Donation Week. It was humbling to hear the stories of people who had donated their organs to help others and I was delighted to meet some of those who have been given a new lease of life thanks to the generosity of others.
In this month’s members bulletin, we are exclusively revealing the names of those elected to the Governor’s Council following our recent elections. We are also including details of our annual members meeting on November 7th where we will be sharing our plans for the future. Please do book on, I’m looking forward to working with everyone and getting more people in the community involved in our wonderful organisation.
Steven Morgan
Chair
Maternity services at NCIC rated good by CQC
Our maternity teams have been rated good after a recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. 
The inspection was part of a wider programme of work the CQC is carrying out across the country looking at standards in maternity care, particularly in relation to how ‘safe’ and ‘well-led’ services are. The inspection team visited our Maternity units at CIC, WCH and Penrith Birthing Unit.
Jill Foster, Chief Nurse, said: “The safety of women and birthing people and their children is of the highest importance to us all and we welcome the fact that the CQC has highlighted some areas where we can make further improvements to make sure we deliver safe high quality care every time.“ We are already acting on those recommendations because we want learn and continually improve our services for women and birthing people in north Cumbria.”
The full reports are published on the CQC’s website.
Industrial action update
Industrial action has taken place again this month and we would like to thank the community for their understanding and patience during this time. It cannot be underestimated how much effort goes into preparing and implementing plans to maintain services during both junior doctor and consultant strike action. Careful planning has meant that we have been able to maintain safe emergency and urgent services, but we have had to stand down some services to accommodate this and this does unfortunately have an impact on our waiting lists. Further industrial action for consultants and junior doctors is planned again for next week from 7am on Monday 2nd October – 7am on Thursday 5th October. We are advising patients that they should attend their appointments as normal unless they hear from us. We expect our A&E departments to be very busy and patients can expect to experience longer waits that we would like. Alternative services such as 111 online, pharmacies and GP surgeries will be available throughout.
Organ donation week round-up
Last week, during Organ Donation Week, we shared a series of emotional stories including one of our former colleagues - nurse Pauline Brown - who donated her organs when she died unexpectedly. We also celebrated living donors at an event and formally opened a sculpture at the West Cumberland Hospital to honour those who have donated and those whose lives they have saved. We encouraged people to sign the organ donation register and to have a conversation with their relatives about your wishes when you die. Nearly 1,000 people clicked through to the page to register their decision and through our social media posts and local media coverage we reached more than 150,000 people with these messages. Please have the conversation and register your wishes today.
Vaccine campaign underway
Those at highest risk from the viruses, including people aged 65 and over, those in clinical at-risk groups and their household contacts, pregnant women, people with learning disabilities, health and social care workers and carers are being advised to book their seasonal vaccines to get the protection they need to stay safe this winter. Vaccine hubs are now open for our staff to receive their vaccines – with over 1000 vaccines delivered in the first week! Vaccination is the best way to prevent serious illness. Contact your GP to book your appointment this winter and protect yourself and those around you.
Trust represented at Pride awards
We have been at two Pride events – in Whitehaven and Carlisle – this month. Colour, music and fun was the order of the day. NCIC staff and colleagues from sexual health services manned stalls at both events giving out sexual health advice and chatting to people about careers in the NHS. We took part in colourful marches and in Carlisle, nurse Tabbetha Oakes carried the NHS flag for NCIC. Thank you to everyone who attended.
Brampton Hospital celebrates 100th birthday
Celebrations to mark Brampton Hospital’s 100th birthday took place earlier this month.
Led by the Royal British Legion, hospital staff past and present including our Chief Nurse Jill Foster joined the public and a number of local dignitaries to reflect and remember.
Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Marcia Fotheringham, cut a ribbon at 3.30pm - exactly 100 years after the official opening.
World Sepsis Day and Know Your Numbers Wek
Staff at NCIC shared awareness of sepsis on World Sepsis Day earlier this month. Sepsis is a medical emergency. It kills five people every hour in the UK. Sepsis arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. Sepsis leads to shock, multiple organ failure and death, especially if not recognised early and treated promptly. Our Practice Development Facilitators for the Deteriorating Patient and Sepsis, Donna Lewthwaite and Kaleigh Faust, supported staff at NCIC to know how to spot the signs of sepsis through some education sessions. During Know Your Numbers Week, more than 150 NCIC staff had their blood pressure checked and communications manager Marti Irving shared her own personal story. It's recommended that all adults over 40 have their blood pressure tested at least every five years. Checking your blood pressure is quick, simple and painless.
New meeting schedule for NCIC board and committees
A new meeting schedule for the NCIC board and committees is now fully operational. You can find all the information you need, including all the new dates on our website.
Awareness events
This month our experts have covered advice on Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Month, World Suicide Prevention Day, Urology Awareness Month, Sexual health for students heading off to university.
Dates for the diary
Annual Members Meeting
Tuesday 7th November, People First, Carlisle 2pm – 4pm
Members of the public are invited to join North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust’s (NCIC) Annual Members’ Meeting (AMM).
NCIC provides hospital and community health services and the event provides an opportunity for members of the public to learn more about our achievements and challenges over the last 12 months, the current financial position, and plans for the future.
A Time For Change
At the annual members meeting, we will also be sharing A Time For Change – which is an outline of our long term strategy. We are keen to hear the views of as many members as possible about our proposed approach so we can finalise our plans.
The meeting will be held at People First, Carlisle on Tuesday 7th November from 2pm to 4pm. For those unable to attend in person, there will be an option to attend virtually.
Members of the public can submit questions in advance to be responded to in the meeting through corporate.governance@ncic.nhs.uk no later than Tuesday, October 31.
If you have any additional requirements to access the meeting, such as sign language or interpreters you will need to let us know by Tuesday 24th October to allow us sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements.
To book or for any enquiries please email corporate.governance@ncic.nhs.uk – Corporate Governance Team, Parkhouse NHS, Baron Way, Kingmoor Park, Carlisle, CA6 4SJ Telephone: 07824 498358.
Member and Governor update
New governors announced
Following the Trust’s governor elections, seven new public governors have been appointed and five current governors (who had come to end of their term) were re-elected.
They join their colleagues on the Governors Council to bring the total number of governors (public, staff and partner) to 26.
The successful candidates were:
New Public Governors:
- Brian Eaton, Public Allerdale
- Sharon Stamper, Public Allerdale
- Eric Martlew, Public Carlisle
- Janine Ward, Public Copeland
- David Hughes, Public Copeland
- Mark Wilson, Public Furness and South Lakeland
- William Jackson, Public Lancashire
New Staff Governors:
- Chris Findley, Staff Governor, Allerdale and Copeland
- Ajay Bangaragiri, Staff Governor, Carlisle and Eden
Governors who were re-elected:
- John Coughlan, Public, Allerdale,
- Rebecca Mullins, Public, Carlisle,
- Jacqueline Nicol, Public, Eden
- Mike Taylor, Public, Eden
- Georgina Craig, Staff Governor, Carlisle and Eden.
Steven Morgan, the Trust’s Chair, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who showed an interest in becoming a governor of our Trust, and everyone who voted. Our Governors Council has a crucial role in connecting with our communities, as they represent the views of local people and give them a voice, providing us with a vital link to the people we serve.
“I’d like to congratulate the successful candidates who will be joining the Trust and those who have been re-elected. They all possess valuable experience and knowledge that will be useful to the Trust, the Board and our communities. The senior leadership team look forward to working closely with them.
“Governors are a crucial link between the public we serve and our NHS team, providing us feedback from patients and their families and helping us to keep our public informed and involved in our plans and progress.”
The new governors will take up their posts on 1st October 2023 when they will join the existing public, staff and appointed governors currently in post. Their role will be to represent the views of local people about the Trust’s services and contribute to plans at Governors Council meetings.
Governors have a number of statutory duties, including the appointment of external auditors, appointment of non-executive directors, including the chair, and agreeing their levels of remuneration, the new governors’ terms of office will be for three years.
For more details about becoming a member call 01228 603761 or email the membership office on AskYourGovernor@ncic.nhs.uk
Governor column
This month’s column is written by public governor for Carlisle, Elizabeth Freeman:
“I’ve been a member of the Governors Council for a few years. During my years
of membership, things have changed and evolved for staff and the patients. Covid has also had an effect on society and the Trust. We now have most of our meetings on the internet, through WebEx or Microsoft Teams. This can be rather difficult at times, especially when you've been in the waiting room for some time and the computer decides it's had enough and closes down.
"As a Governor of Carlisle I am available for the public of Carlisle. During my time as a Governor, I have become less mobile and now have to use two sticks to get out and about. In a way, this has helped me to help others in similar situations. For example, helping to stop falls by making some adjustments to the mat at the CIC main entrance.
"Governors support the Trust by questioning and suggesting various ways of going forward to help the public and Trust staff. At one time, we would all meet in person, at various places around the Trust, from Barrow to Carlisle and various places in between. Since Covid, all this has changed, most meetings are now on the Internet either all members or in teams, you can belong to more than one team etc. Also, we can be on a team where we go round wards and various sections of the Trust reporting what we have seen or felt to management.
"Governors do their best to help and are always ready to listen and help if we feel we could be of assistance.
Best wishes to you all,
Elizabeth Freeman
Governor questions
Linda Bell asked why the Penrith Hospital canteen was closed to staff for two days in September, and if alternative arrangements could be made if this happened in the future. Steven Prince, Associate Director of Facilities and Estates, replied saying the closure was for one day due to staff shortages. He said hot and cold vending machines are on site for staff and the closure did not affect the patients.
Become a member
Anyone living in Cumbria over the age of 14 can become a member, you can choose how much or how little you want to be involved – join today.
Concerns or comments
If you have any concerns or comments please contact your governors on the email below. We are here to raise any concerns on your behalf. More information on the members of the Governors’ Council and their role can be found on our website. If you have any comments or suggestions please contact us via the email below: AskYourGovernor@ncic.nhs.uk
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You can keep right up to date with our news on our public website www.ncic.nhs.uk/news or follow us on Facebook, linked in or 'X' @ncicnhs. On our website you can also see a full version of NCIC news with images included.
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