September 2008

Its Been a Great Year for Yeovil District Hospital

Angela Dupont, YDH Chairman said of 2007/8:

 The tremendous achievements we have seen over 2007/8 do not come easily, having required the constant focus, commitment and hard work of all our staff. They richly deserve to be proud of their efforts of not just simply hitting targets and ticking boxes but of putting their patients first. As a trust we have become more 'customer' focussed, listening to and learning from our patients and carers.

Read about Yeovil District Hospital's successes in research and development, surgery, financial management, staff achievements and patient care in the latest Yeovil District Hospital Autumn 2008 Newsletter.

Recent donations to YDH recognise the support and care given by staff

As a thank you to staff, a local business is donating funds to Yeovil District Hospital’s oncology unit in recognition of the support the unit gave to a member of its staff.

Representatives from SEC Lighting Services visited the unit, Thursday, September 11, to present a cheque of £1,500. The Somerset branch of SEC Lighting Services was given the money by its head office as a reward for their excellent safety record over the past three years.

Richard Bishop of SEC Lighting services said: “We were able to choose where the money went and opted for the oncology unit at YDH as one of our colleagues had recently been cared for there."

SEC Lighting services is part of the Scottish and Southern Energy Group and is responsible for installing and maintaining street lighting throughout the county.
 

Grateful artist donates work to Yeovil District Hospital after orthopaedic surgery saved her career

An artist from Bruton who received serious elbow injuries in a riding accident has praised the surgeon at Yeovil District Hospital whose skills have enabled her to continue her artistic career.

As a mark of gratitude Rosemary Trestini has donated nine seascapes of the Isles of Scilly to Yeovil Hospital.

Andrew Chambler was the surgeon who carried out a complicated operation on Rosemary to repair her shattered elbow. Rosemary said: "Mr Chambler did such a wonderful job on my elbow. I wouldn't have been able to work again without him. I am just so relieved, I can't thank him, and the team at Yeovil Hospital, enough."

Mr Chambler said: "We are all delighted that Rosemary has made such a good recovery and is able to continue with her art. We are certainly impressed with her artistic skills and her paintings will be enjoyed by staff, patients and visitors to the hospital."

July/August 2008

Ham Hill - Voted South West's Best Picnic Spot

South Somerset's Countryside Team are celebrating after Ham Hill was named regional winner of the Warburton's Bread Picnic Awards.

Ham Hill beat nine local picnic spots to be crowned 'the best picnic spot' in the South West – landing Somerset with a place amongst the ten finalists across the UK.

Now Countryside Rangers who work at the park are hoping that Ham Hill wins in the national finals.

Ranger Jon Marshman says, "We're absolutely delighted to hear that Ham Hill has been selected as a regional winner, after weeks of voting. Ham Hill is loved locally by people of all ages for its unique and exciting landscape, its panoramic views and areas for walking, barbequing and picnicking.

South Somerset District Council will receive a £500 bursary for winning the regional heat. Jon added, "We will be putting the money directly into improving the existing picnic facilities to ensure that people of all abilities can enjoy picnicking at Ham Hill Country Park."

Ham Hill Country Park now faces competition from picnic spots all over the UK, from Richmond Park in London to Tintern Abbey in Wales.

Jonathan Warburton, Chairman of Warburtons, said: "The Warburtons Picnic Awards 2008 are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate one of our Great British traditions and uncover the most popular spots where families can enjoy a picnic. Warburtons wants to ensure picnics are a part of family life for many years to come, and remember - no picnic is complete without a sandwich!"

Ground Breaking Discovery On Show in Yeovil

A rare Bronze Age shield is now in the hands of South Somerset District Council’s heritage staff after arriving at the Museum of South Somerset in Yeovil.

The ancient shield - which dates back from around 1000 BC - was found at local landmark Cadbury Castle, and was the first shield in northwest Europe to have been found at its archaeological roots.

Somerset County Council has loaned it to the Museum of South Somerset to ensure this important find remains accessible to the public while it develops the £6.8 million Museum of Somerset, which is due to open in the Summer of 2010.

David Hill, Visitor Services Manager at South Somerset District Council says, “There are only twenty Bronze Age shields in the country so we are incredibly privileged to be able to display and care for not only one of Somerset’s most precious relics but one of the nation’s. We hope that people will hurry down to see this fascinating local artefact.

“What’s most interesting is its past. A number of Bronze Age shields have suffered damage and it is believed that this particular shield was stabbed in three places as part of a ritual ‘killing of the shield’ at the time of its burial in South Cadbury. It is also the most southerly shield discovered to date, eleven years ago.”

The South Cadbury Shield will be on display at the newly accredited Museum of South Somerset in Hendford, Yeovil. Cllr Sylvia Seal, South Somerset District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Well-Being says, “We are lucky to live in a historically and culturally rich part of the country and we should all take time to appreciate this local historical artefact. It’s very exciting that we have been allowed to display this exceptional shield and is a real boost to the area.”

Cllr Justin Robinson, Somerset County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Health & Well-Being, said: “I am delighted that people will still be able to view this wonderful shield while Somerset County Council redevelops the County Museum to create the Museum of Somerset. The facilities and care offered by the Museum of South Somerset are excellent and we are pleased that they are looking after one of our key archaeological objects.”

To find out more about the Museum of South Somerset and other heritage facilities in South Somerset visit www.southsomerset.gov.uk/museum or contact Clare Robinson on 01935 462855.
 

International Music Star Gets Young People in Tune

20 Young people were given a free singing lesson from an international singing star in June thanks to a local performance company with support from South Somerset District Council.

Sheila Chandra – who has performed all over the world and has sold over a quarter of a million albums – paid a visit to Abbey Manor Community Centre in Yeovil to host a fully-booked vocal workshop to a group of excited 12 to 18 year olds.

Green Flag Awards

Yeovil Country Park and Ham Hill Country Park impressed the judges in a number of categories and were awarded the Green Flags for the fourth year running, this year amongst a record number of over 740 green spaces across the country. -

Both parks scored highly for their involvement with the community, as they host a range of - activities for people to get involved with - recently hosting ‘Willow Weaving in the Woods’ events to historical ‘Iron Age Warrior’ experiences.

Special recognition was given this year to Ham Hill Country Park for its efforts to preserve and protect its important historic features and natural surroundings - through conservation work and sessions on local heritage and history.

Yeovil Country Park - which won lottery funding in a public televised vote last year -was also praised for its work to protect endangered species, including the park’s native voles and otters.

Katy Menday, South Somerset District Council’s Countryside Manager says “We try to set an example by making our parks clean, safe, sustainable and environmentally excellent, so it’s fantastic to be given recognition for our work. Our countryside rangers have a great deal of support from our dedicated volunteers and the ‘Friends of Ham Hill’ group so we mustn’t forget to thank them for another year of hard work.

Other areas the parks were judged on included its work with Avon & Somerset Police to make the parks a safe and secure place, and the work of the Countryside Rangers for keeping them clean and well-maintained.

Cllr Sylvia Seal, South Somerset District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Well-Being, says “The parks are a great way for people learn and appreciate their natural environment in an active way. South Somerset takes great pride and care of its beautiful open spaces as we know they are an asset to the area. We focus on enhancing these spaces and have made a real difference to people’s lives in doing so.”

“It is a tremendous achievement to have been awarded the prestigious Green Flag awards for both of our Country Parks for the fourth consecutive year.”

For more information about the country parks or for the countryside team’s events please visit www.southsomerset.gov.uk/countrysideevents

The flag will be awarded to the country parks by the end of July.

Thousands Come To Play In The Parks -

Snaking queues and packed marquees were the scene at Yeovil Country Park on Wednesday as National Play Day returned to the district, hosted by South Somerset District Council.

The event’s turn out has increased ten-fold since 2006, pleasing event organisers at the South Somerset Play Association.

Over 1,500 excited children, families and local nurseries flocked to the free event, taking advantage of activities ranging from rock climbing and den-building to circus skills and the district council’s double decker arts and crafts bus.

Robert Parr, South Somerset District Council’s Senior Play and Youth Officer was stunned after completing the head count on the day. He said, “All that could be seen, as far as the eye could see, were children having a fantastic time. We got through 350 packs of marshmallows in the barbeque area alone - and the hundreds of play packs almost ran out by the end of the day after so many people jumped on board our community bus.”

This year the national event - supported by the Children’s Play Council and designed to celebrate a child’s right to play - took the theme of ‘risky play’ to push children to their play limits. The theme was reflected in a number of activities, including a zoo area with tarantulas and a giant centipede, and a 24-foot (7.3 metre-high) climbing wall.

Mr Parr added, “Children were able to take part in a diverse range of play activities - but the circus show and demonstrations seemed to be one of the most popular sections, so that’s something we will aim to bring back to future play events.”

The South Somerset Play Association, which organised the event, is a partnership that includes Time Out Together, South Somerset District Council, the Early Years and Childcare Partnership and Somerset Children's Fund as well as volunteers from out of school clubs and holiday play schemes. Together they work to promote play opportunities for children across the district.

Jay Lewin, Deputy Chair of the Play Association, says, “National Play Day aims to highlight the importance of play in childhood, so many valuable life skills are learnt through play. It was great to see so many Mums and Dads taking an active part in the day and enjoying ”playing” with their children .The variety of environments that we set up this year was what made it such a success. If juggling, den building and climbing tired them out we provided a chill out tent to relax in and the chance to learn about the countryside. We thank everyone who helped make the day run smoothly.”

Cllr Sylvia Seal, South Somerset’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Well Being, says, “ We were happy to once again host this important event, which gave the community the chance to get together for the cause of play in childhood. We will continue to show our support for youth play activities but it’s not over yet as we have a whole summer of play days for people to enjoy.”

For more information on upcoming play day events visit www.southsomerset.gov.uk/playdays .

April 2008

Yeovil District Hospital Named as a Top Employer

Yeovil District Hospital is ‘one of the best organisations in the UK for nurses to work’ according to the Nursing Times.

The NHS Foundation Trust has been rated by its own nurses as an excellent place to work in the Nursing Times Top 100 awards. Run in association with NHS Employers, the judges analysed questionnaires returned by the Trust and its nurses and compared them with other responses from not just NHS employers but those from the independent health sector, charitable organisations, care homes and the armed forces – in fact anywhere nurses work across the UK.

The judging criteria included how valued nurses feel for the jobs they do; how well the employer manages training and development, whether it is a family-friendly employer and has flexible working arrangements to encourage staff retention and its policies to promote equality and diversity.

In a letter to Yeovil District Hospital, Rachel Downey, Editor of the Nursing Times said: “This is a tremendous achievement which reflects extremely well on your employment practices and is a reflection of how your employees feel about their place of work. We had a huge number of entries both from the NHS and the private sector and you can be justly proud to be included in the Top 100.”

Director of Nursing, Alison Moon said: “We are all delighted to have been selected as one of the UK’s top nurse employers. But we are not complacent and are continually listening to what our staff have to say to ensure we continue in the right direction.”
 

View the latest: YDH Spring Newsletter

Yeovil Town Football Club Easter Soccer Skills Course 

Yeovil Town Football has a strong tradition of supporting the community's youngsters, and has recently released details for their popular Easter Soccer Skills Course taking place on the Astroturf at Huish Park. The course will be held on the 7th and 8th of April 2008, under the supervision of the new Community Officer and former Yeovil Town player Roy O'Brien.

By attending the course the youngsters can expect to have a good time, make friends and improve their football skills in a safe environment. As well as teaching them new skills, it will also give them the opportunity to develop existing ones.

Yeovil Town Squad members will be on hand to offer additional expertise, as well as autographs and photo opportunities. Players will include: Terry Skiverton, Nathan Jones, Steve Mildenhall, Scott Guyett, Marcus Stewart, Marc Bircham, Paul Warne and Mark Lynch.The two day course is priced at £30 but early bookers can save £5 for bookings before March 20th. To book visit the YTFC website, or call the YTFC Community Office on 01935 423662.

January 2008

Yeovil District Hospital Best Hospital in South West

Staff at Yeovil District Hospital are celebrating an unbeatable performance in this year’s Annual Health England and Wales.

The Healthcare Commission’s Annual Health Check has awarded Yeovil District Hospital the top score possible, with ratings of ‘Excellent’ for both ‘use of resources’ and ‘quality of services’. Yeovil District Hospital has been assessed as having fully met all core standards and achieved ratings of fully met and excellent for existing and new national targets. The Annual Health Check is a system of assessment, which looks at a broad range of markers to help decide whether trusts are getting the basics right in areas such as safety of patients, cleanliness and waiting times. Trusts receive two ratings – one or quality of services and the other for use of resources (finances). These range from ‘Excellent’ and ‘Good’ to ‘Fair’ or ‘Weak’.

Well-known Yeovil District Hospital Matron, Jo Ryan, is delighted with the result: “There is a very special ‘Yeovil way’ of working. Staff here have a ‘can-do’ and a ‘want-to-do’ attitude. It has felt like this ever since I started here in 1978, but in recent years our self belief has developed; whilst we have maintained the personal, friendly care of a district hospital, we are also proud to compare our developing services with acute trusts throughout the region. I love working at Yeovil District Hospital and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

In 2005-06, the first year of the Annual Health Check, Yeovil District Hospital received a score of ‘Fair’ for quality of services and ‘Good’ for use of resources. Says Director of Strategy, James Rimmer: “We developed plans to improve our rating in each of the two areas for October 2007 from ‘Fair’ to ‘Good’ for the quality of services and from ‘Good’ to ‘Excellent’ for use of resources. We are absolutely delighted to have met – and exceeded – this goal.”

Angela Dupont, Chairman, says that: “Our score this year should be a source of pride and celebration to every single member of staff in this organisation. Throughout the Trust we have seen outstanding efforts from our teams, individuals and volunteers, who together have helped us move from a position of instability and uncertainty to the bright future which we have today.”

Gavin Boyle, Chief Executive, is keen to keep looking forwards: “Whilst we are absolutely delighted, there is still work to be done and progress to be made and I know from our patients that we don’t always get it right; our aim for 2007-08 is to deliver a broader range of services which are safe, sustainable, arranged for the convenience of our patients and delivered to an exceptionally high standard – both within a constantly improving hospital environment and out in the community. In short, we will build on our success and strive to become even better."

2007

Victory For Yeovil Country Park

South Somerset District Council's Countryside Team is over the moon after winning its bid to The People's Millions for £79,000 for a wildlife and park project.

The "Wildlife on the Edge" project was put up for the public vote on Wednesday 28 November and was declared the winner of the grant in a nail-biting live ITV broadcast on Thursday evening, when the presenter handed across the large cheque to the team.

Katy Menday, Countryside Manager for South Somerset District Council says, "We are absolutely thrilled at winning the money as it will make such a huge difference to what we can do at the park and what we can provide for people of all abilities.

"I cannot thank the voters enough for their support and for picking up the phone, as well as our volunteers who put a great deal of effort in."

Rachael Lappage, Countryside Ranger for South Somerset District Council put the idea for the project together and was also excited at the success: "We knew there was a need to protect the precious wildfowl around the lake area and we wanted to do something about it.

"With this extra money we can now put in some natural fencing in a section around the lake, and build a fantastic all-access path so that people with prams and wheelchairs can see more of the park."
South Somerset District Council also plans to create an exciting woodland trail with wildlife interpretation panels that educate visitors on the inhabitants of the lake and woods, and a pond-dipping platform to allow better access to the water's edge.

Further plans for the money include the production of an education pack for schools, special water plants to improve the environment for existing and new wildlife species and wide range of free community activities that will kick off in the springtime.

Cllr Sylvia Seal, South Somerset's Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Wellbeing says, "This money is a huge boost to what is already an award-winning asset to our entire district. It will benefit the people who use it, the wildlife that settles there, and it will also provide more free community events that will bring us all together."