This week we spoke to Julie Prior, our KPO (Kaizen Promotion Office) Lead. A big part of the work of Julie and her team is embedding The Pride Way across our hospitals and in August this year she completed her training to become a ‘Lean Certification Trainer.’ She tells us more about what that means for our Trust later.

Our drop-in blood testing clinics at Queen’s and King George hospitals will open as normal.

This week we spoke to one of our midwives, Rhiannon Young, who recently appeared on TV for the first time! Rhiannon, along with other colleagues in our Maternity team, was caught on camera for the MTV show, Young and Pregnant UK. One of the young mums, Alisha, gave birth at Queen’s Hospital, and Rhiannon was her midwife! The episode aired on MTV earlier this month.

Rhiannon, who only qualified last year, tells us all about what it was like appearing on camera, and dealing with the family drama which the crew were keen to catch on film.

If you’ve received great care, had a good experience or have seen a loved one well looked after in our hospitals; you can say thank you by nominating the team or member of staff involved for a Pride Award.

George Atkinson, a healthcare assistant on Mandarin B ward, was our recent winner of our You Made a Difference Award. George was nominated by Alexandria Taylor, a ward clerk on Ocean B ward, for the care he gave her brother while he was a patient at Queen’s Hospital.

Monday (14 October) was the national Allied Health Professions (AHPs) Day, and our celebrations are running all week! So we spoke to one of our many AHPs, Marilyn Hodges.

A series of fun activities, from syringe painting to a teddy bear’s hospital, have kept young patients busy at our hospitals this week, to mark the national Play in Hospital Week (Monday 7 to Saturday 12 October).

Ken Crowther, who hosts a weekly podcast on BBC Essex radio, paid a visit to the Lavender Garden at Queen’s Hospital this week (Tuesday 8 October).

We know there are lots of very interesting people in our Trust, whether through your work, your interests or your hobbies outside work. We want to get to know you and share your story.

As we’re relaunching Schwartz Rounds at our Trust, we spoke to our Lead Nurse for Critical Care, Ruth Dando. Ruth, who is on our Schwartz Round steering group, is passionate about the benefits of these rounds for healthcare colleagues. They’re a forum where members of staff can talk about the emotional aspects of their roles and share experiences. They are open to all our staff.

Kathryn Halford, our Chief Nurse and deputy Chief Executive, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the academic board of the University of East London (UEL).