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The facts about Fatigue. Part of the AAGBI Fight Fatigue campaign.

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This useful infographic provides evidence-based tips on how to improve sleep and quality of sleep. Created by the AAGBI, the Faculty of ICM and the RCOA.

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The Ashford Wobble Room is now open and bookable to all GSACT staff via Outlook.

How to book:

1. Go to your Calendar in your NHS Office Outlook account

2. Pick the date and time for your meeting

3. In 'Add a Title' please give the meeting a name (Eg. Team Debrief, Maternal appt)

4. In 'Invite attendees' add the email addresses of all those attending and include the email address for the Wobble Room asp-tr.ashfordtheatreswobbleroom@nhs.net

To view bookings and availability of the Wobble Room:

In your own Outlook calendar, go to Add Calendar > Add from directory > then type in asp-tr.ashfordtheatreswobbleroom@nhs.net

The room has been made bookable in order to ensure the privacy of those using it. The aim of the Wobble Room is to provide a much-needed private space for processing the emotional impact of our work. It can be used for all confidential conversations (one-to-one or small group), debrief, peer support meetings, coaching and mentoring. It is also available for staff members who are returning to work after maternity leave and need to express and store breastmilk.

The key-code for the door is 2-4-5-1.

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Some tips for improving wellbeing on night shifts. Provided by the AAGBI Fight Fatigue campaign.

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This campaign highlights how civility in the workplace and clinical setting improves diagnosis, clinical decision-making and patient outcomes.

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Our goal is to disseminate the science of the impact of incivility in healthcare. We also strive to research and collaborate on data about the impact of incivility.

We began locally in the West Midlands but now give talks across England, Wales and Scotland.

Recent engagements include

Talks to West Midlands FY1s, FY2s and registrars, grand rounds (UHCW and the Alexandra, Redditch).

BMA news interview (publication coming soon)

We spoke at the Learning from Excellence Conference in November 2017.

Talk to child and adolescent psychiatrists in Edinburgh Nov 2017.

Talks to intensivists at North Wales study day 2017, Manchester Royal Infirmary (in Jan 2018).

Talk to the all Wales retrieval service Nov 2017.

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Our goal is to disseminate the science of the impact of incivility in healthcare. We also strive to research and collaborate on data about the impact of incivility. We began locally in the West Midlands but now give talks across England, Wales and Scotland.

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Link to a series of Webinars included in an online conference on staff wellbeing in July 2020. A collaboration between the BMA and NHS Practitioner Health

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This conference was a collaboration between NHS PH (Practitioner Health) and the BMA which will address the health and wellbeing of the health care workforce in the context of COVID-19.

Chaired by Dr Clare Gerada NHSPH medical director and Dr David Wrigley BMA deputy chair, the conference will explore the impact of pandemics on the mental health and wellbeing of health care staff. By discussing the global impacts of the pandemic, and bringing together a vibrant community of professionals, we will share lessons learned and collaborate to build a vision moving forward post-COVID-19.

Please take a read of The Wounded Healer in times of COVID: looking after each other through adversity report. click here

Key note speakers:

Mark Honigsbaum, City University lecturer in journalism and author of 'The Pandemic Century'.

Professor Neil Greenberg, King's College London

Professor Michael Myers, SUNY Downstate University, New York

Anna Soubry, party leader of Change UK.

Breakout sessions covering:

Moral injury

Bereavement and loss

Post-traumatic stress symptoms

Psychological defences

Protecting our colleagues.

Plenary sessions
Mark Honigsbaum
Breakout sessions
Professor Neil Greenberg Dr Josie Cheetham

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The Wounded Healer in times of COVID: looking after each other through

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This conference was a collaboration between NHS PH (Practitioner Health) and the BMA which will address the health and wellbeing of the health care workforce in the context of COVID-19. Chaired by Dr Clare Gerada NHSPH medical director and Dr David Wrigley BMA deputy chair, the conference will explore the impact of pandemics on the mental health and wellbeing of health care staff.

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Doctors in Distress is a UK charity dedicated to providing mental wellbeing support to healthcare workers, aiming to reduce suicide rates.

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Home - Doctors in Distress - Support For Healthcare Workers

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Doctors in Distress is a UK Charity dedicated to providing mental wellbeing support to healthcare workers, aiming to reduce suicide rates.

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Schwartz Round Invite: Beginning our Post-Covid Recovery

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If you need urgent support, there are several services available night and day:
Vivup Employee Assistance Programme: 0800 023 9324 or 0330 380 0658 open 24/7
NHS Central Confidential:
Phone 0300 131 7000 (0700-2300) supported by Samaritans
Our NHS People:
Phone 0800 0696 222 (0700-2300)
Make a "Talking Space" appointment with an ASPH Clinical Psychologist:
Phone 01784 884 166

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This extensive guide to dealing with worry and anxiety has been widely circulated and is recommended by NHS Practitioner Health. Created by Psychology Tools Ltd

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Tips on looking after our nutrition on nightshifts. Part of the AAGBI Fight Fatigue campaign, the Faculty of ICM and the RCOA.

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The relationship between sleep and learning explained. Infographic created by the AAGBI for Fight Fatigue campaign.

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The charity Mind provides reliable information, support & tips on how to manage a variety of feelings: loneliness, anxiety and panic, trauma and bereavement...

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A series of podcasts hosted by Dr. Rachel Morris. Easy listening, engaging and thought-provoking. Most relevant to our Division are 10-25-27-28-30-33-36-43-51

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You are not a frog.
The podcast for busy people in high stress jobs. Are you a GP, a hospital doctor or a professional in a demanding job?
Most of us went into our profession to improve people’s lives, and have an interesting and varied career. After studying for what seemed

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Prittie Yoga runs friendly, mindful, hatha yoga classes, meditations, yoga nidra retreats and Energy Medicine Yoga. All online Zoom Yoga classes are FREE to NHS

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Prittie Yoga is my beautiful heart and soul-fuelled business. It fills me with joy and energy to teach and practice with children, teens, and adults. I continually bring my weekly learning to the practices so that we grow together.

Exploration, curiosity, and self-care is very much part of my teaching style. While the Yoga is gentle and thoughtful, we take the opportunity to explore how our body and mind is each time we come onto the mat.

2020 has been an unusual year and keeping my Yoga student's mental and physical health vibrate and well has been really important to me. We are now, more than ever, one big community and family.

Energy Medicine Yoga is such an exciting way to practice Yoga, to help us heal and self-regulate. Simple movements energise us. EMYoga helps our bodies move with more ease supporting ailments from arthritis to varicose veins!

I teach from the heart and I would love to welcome you to the mat to help you release trapped energy from your body and feel amazing.

My classes are currently for adults and t/tweens. I teach KS1 & KS2 Yoga Club at local schools.

Join me on the mat today.

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Prittie Yoga runs friendly mindful hatha yoga classes, meditations, yoga nidra, retreats and Energy Medicine Yoga. Yoga classes are in Thorpe, Chertsey, Lyne, Staines and Laleham, Surrey. Teen Yoga classes, Riverbourne Gym, are equip teens to handle stress. Great for relaxation and connecting with m

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The Huddle

If you are a doctor or medical student, then we welcome you to come join us at our weekly online medics “Huddle”. Here, you can chat informally and confidentially with other doctors about life as a medic. We host these as Zoom meetings.

The “Huddle” is a SAFE SPACE for doctors to chat in a private group about things that are not often freely talked-about elsewhere:

Talk about what challenges you are facing.

Share advice and tips from other doctors.

Do you wonder if you could have handled a case or situation differently?*

Chat about the effects of being a doctor on your home life and general well-being.

When do Huddles happen?

Huddles are held via Zoom on Wednesdays at 8pm (British Time).

How do I join in?

Just click the link below for the date you would like to attend. You’ll be redirected to register for your free ticket.

Is it free?

YES.

You Okay, Doc? foots the bill through the kind help of our sponsors and generous donations to the charity.

Can I join in anonymously?

YES, that is absolutely fine; you can mute your screen, and even turn off the camera. Some people prefer this – especially initially – so that they can learn about other peoples’ experiences without feeling too exposed. The first step towards normalising mental health and well-being chats between doctors is to attend. If you want to participate later in the meeting,  just unmute!

When you click to register for a ticket, you will be asked to complete some questions regarding what gender you identify as, which ethnic group you most associate with, and a few other monitoring questions. Please rest assured that this information is fully confidential and is only held by You Okay, Doc? for purposes of running aggregated reports at the end of the programme.

Who leads the Huddle Zoom meetings?

The group is led by doctors from the You Okay, Doc? team, and our charity’s highly-experienced  psychotherapists. Each psychotherapist is great at helping participants in the Huddles summarise what they are thinking, making astute observations, and providing further support if needed.

What’s it like?

It’s a Zoom chat, so everyone can be unmuted and can speak, if they want. It’s a lot like a Balint group, but with the flexibility to discuss situations both inside and out of your work life. The group is usually full of friendly doctors, and there’s always at least one charity ambassador (a doctor linked to You Okay, Doc?).

All the doctors and students going the chats have common ground, being medics. It often feels like a supportive, non-judgemental environment. Best of all, often doctors tell a story thinking they are alone in that experience or their feelings – then realise that quite a few others present feel (or have felt) the same way! We love promoting open discussion and reflection in the Huddles.

How many doctors can join the Huddle each week?

We can have up to 10 doctors and medical students participate in the Wednesday Huddle. If you attend one week, there is NO OBLIGATION to join in again (…but you will probably want to!)

Whether or not you participate in Huddles, if you feel like you would like to donate any money to help keep these services running for the mental well-being of our hard-working doctors and medical-students, then please click here. Your kind donations are greatly appreciated.

Upcoming dates

Click on your preferred date below to be taken to the registration form. There, you can sign up to join in that Huddle COMPLETELY FREE. We’re looking forward to meeting you!

The Huddle – 1 June 2022

The Huddle – 8 June 2022

The Huddle – 15 June 2022

The Huddle – 22 June 2022

The Huddle – 29 June 2022

*The GMC guidance on maintaining patient anonymity must always be strictly maintained.

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Schwartz Rounds help staff because they reduce the feelings of stress and isolation which make it more difficult to provide compassionate care to patients. Schwartz Rounds also foster a greater sense of collaboration with colleagues because the stories that are shared during Rounds remind staff of their shared motivation to help their patients.

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Staff who regularly attend Schwartz Rounds feel less stressed and isolated at work. Listening to colleagues describe the challenges of their work helps to normalise emotions, which are part and parcel of working in healthcare but are often kept under the surface.

This shared understanding manifests in improved communication between colleagues and a greater sense of teamwork. Discussing the personal impact of working in healthcare reduces the sense of hierarchy that exists between staff. Seeing beyond the professional identity of their colleagues allows staff to feel more connected to one another.

Participation in Rounds also helps to provide staff with greater insight into how all colleagues, regardless of role, play a vital part in the patient journey.

In this video, Head of Facilities Willam Britton talks about the emotional difficulties faced by his non-clinical staff:

85% of staff who participate in Schwartz Rounds feel better able to care for patients.

Schwartz Rounds give staff confidence in their ability to attend to the emotional aspects of patient care. Therefore, patients will benefit if staff feel supported by their organisations.

To find out more about the evidence base for Schwartz Rounds visit the evidence and resources sections of the website.
In this video, Occupational Therapist Diana Sheridan talks about the impact of Schwartz Rounds on her work:
It is essential that organisations support their staff in order to create a strong, open culture where high quality and compassionate care can flourish.

Stories shared in Schwartz Rounds have the ability to empower staff and their organisations. Staff can reconnect with their values and reaffirm their motivation to work in healthcare.

Schwartz Rounds provide the only forum for staff at all levels across an organisation to come together. Over time, providing this reflective space can impact on the organisation more broadly. For example, staff often disclose experiences of fallibility and mistakes, which if carried into everyday practice can foster an open and transparent culture.

Read more about how Schwartz Rounds can benefit your organisation

Hear about the impact of Rounds from some of our Schwartz facilitators

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Benefits of Schwartz Rounds - Point of Care Foundation

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Schwartz Rounds help staff because they reduce the feelings of stress and isolation which make it more difficult to provide compassionate care to patients. Schwartz Rounds also foster a greater sense of collaboration with colleagues because the stories that are shared during Rounds remind staff of their shared motivation to help their patients.

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This is Public Health England's online course providing Psychological First Aid Training -learn to help people cope with the emotional toll of Covid -19

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Learn how to give practical and emotional support to individuals using PFA

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is the globally recommended training for supporting people during emergencies and offers guidance on delivering psychosocial care in the immediate aftermath of the emergency event.

On this 3-week course, you'll explore the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and what you can do to help people cope.

This course has been produced by Public Health England and is based on international guidance from the World Health Organisation, United Nations and partners.

Learn everything about Psychological First Aid

We'll start off by discussing how emergencies impact mental health, and other ways people respond to emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are many common responses to the pandemic, and you'll be taught how to distinguish between signs of distress and signs of mental health conditions.

Preparing for mental health training

Preparation is key, and this will be your focus in week 2. You'll learn about the role, discover the services and support you can offer, and gain an understanding about how to respect a patient's dignity and rights alongside their culture and religion.

In the next stage, you'll learn how to identify those most in need of PFA, assess support needs and look out for high-risk groups.

Offering emotional support and coping strategies

In the final week, you'll learn about effective listening practices such as establishing communication and the do's and don't of providing emotional support.

Learn how to promote wellbeing, offer bereavement support, tackle practical problems and decide whether someone needs mental or physical support.

Finally, you'll discover the best ways to support yourself and your colleagues while delivering PFA to others. We'll teach you how to manage stress and explain the best places to get help.

What topics will you cover?

What is psychological first aid?

How do emergencies impact mental health?

The psychological first aid stages: Prepare, Look, Listen, Link

Supporting yourself and your colleagues

Example scenarios

Anyone can use this approach. The following is what you will need to use PFA:

Be a good listener. An important part of PFA is identifying what help and support each person requires.

Be well informed about the COVID-19 pandemic, so you can give people accurate information. It is important that people can trust you.

Have the ability to encourage active coping by, for instance, helping people make decisions about the next steps they will take.

Encourage and help people to connect with their loved ones, or community and spiritual supports. Be aware of people's cultural preferences and needs, and adopt a non-judgemental approach.

Know how to look after their own wellbeing and access support through friends, family, supervision or managers.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

Demonstrate an understanding of what Psychological First Aid is

Identify for whom it is suited and how to help them

Identify how to better support yourself and peers in such crises

Engage with further reading into psychosocial support during emergencies.

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

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COVID-19: Psychological First Aid Training Course - FutureLearn

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Psychological First Aid (PFA) is the globally recommended training for supporting people during emergencies and offers guidance on delivering psychosocial care in the immediate aftermath of the emergency event. On this 3-week course, you'll explore the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and what you can do to help people cope.

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Podcasts

The Shapes Toolkit

About

Contact

Podcasts

The Shapes Toolkit

About

Contact

Podcasts

The Shapes Toolkit

About

Contact

Episode 48 – Looking after your team throughout COVID

Episode 48: Looking after your people through COVID and beyond

We may be returning to something of a more normal working life, but there is still a lot of change ahead of us and we face continuing challenges both in our day to day work and leading our teams.

Some of our greatest challenges exist around communication – with teams that may be split between being able to meet in person and those working remotely, communicating with your team where there may be uncertainty and the lack of creative thinking that often can occur in team meetings where you can quickly get ‘group think’.

Joining Rachel this week are not one, but three guests – her ‘go-to’ gang, or as she describes them – her ‘wise guys’!

Throughout the COVID crisis all of this week’s guests have experienced huge changes to their working lives in healthcare; Judith Bird manages a team of 70 clinical and non-clinical staff in her role in audiology, Dr Catherine Hayhurst is an Emergency Physician, working in a team of  26 Consultants and many, many other health professionals, and Ceinwen Mannall is currently working remotely for a Sustainability and Transformation Partnership.

We talk about how we and our teams have responded during the different stages of the crisis and reflect on what this has taught us.

In the early stages, adrenaline was high – particularly for Catherine whose entire Emergency Department faced massive change to adapt to the demands of the crisis. Even for those who weren’t working on the frontline, the adrenaline was felt in the changed ways we had to adapt to, to enable working from home successfully and we significantly focussed on the people we work with handling these changes.

However, as the return to ‘normal’ working life looms, it is easy to get swept up in the task-driven nature of all the new initiatives. Split working teams and unreliable technology have had a massive impact on communication and the myriad of new processes and demands in place may shift our focus away from the people we work with – who may still be experiencing significant disruption and challenges in their lives due to the pandemic.

It’s crucial that we remember to keep AS big a focus on the team as we do on the processes and that means looking hard at how we communicate and run our meetings. The gang share some tried and tested tips on how to overcome technology and communication difficulties that can occur in these hybrid meetings, including pre-planning, booking the right space and using the comments boards in video conferencing platforms to ensure everyone can share and take part.

Creating and nurturing a culture of support is hugely important and can feel overwhelming if you lead a big team. Rachel and co. discuss how through empowering your team to be part of leading this culture, you can develop support networks through your entire team or department.

With hindsight, we can see that there is an avalanche of communication in our lives resulting from managing the crisis. Giving some thought to communications planning and getting creative with how you deliver messages can have a huge impact on the key messages you need to share.

The gang have experienced some wide ranging initiatives; from departmental psychologists to support through Facebook groups with varying degrees of success. We look at  how the use of different media from newsletters, to posters and podcasts have meant that messages can be shared, reiterated and questions fielded in places outside of meetings. These sharing forums can also be a great place to discover what really needs to be on the agenda in your team meetings.

Finally we talk about the importance of check-in chats, how to adapt them to these group and individual settings both in person and remotely. What you can get from them, and how much they can mean to someone just to be asked ‘how are you – really?’. As a manager, it can be easy to feel like you need to solve your team’s problems (which prevents some managers from adopting these check in moments), but sometimes just giving an opportunity to vent is all that person needs. The opportunity to offload and be heard, or just to be asked can offer a moment of pause and care in uncertain, stressful and busy times.

Ultimately, the key to looking out for and after your teams is to communicate, communicate, communicate.

Our top tips are:

Find new and creative ways to communicate.

Remember to look forwards, not just review the past.

Informal chats for mentoring can be transformative, whether you lead that person or not.

Run a Stop Start Continue on your remote working strategy.

It’s really important to look after yourself too, don’t discount the value in finding your own mentor. Your team is likely to have some great problem solvers, reach out to them when you need inspiration. And finally, remember that it won’t be like this forever – even if at times we feel stuck and can’t see an end to this.

And if you’d like to join our BRAND NEW membership for busy leaders who want to get productive and thriving teams in the new ways of working then check out the Resilient Team Academy.

We’ll give you all the tools and resources you need to have transformative conversations, run better meetings, and use a simple coaching approach to empower your people. You’ll receive the Shapes Toolkit Core training and all the material will be delivered direct to your inbox in short, bitesize chunks. We’re only open to new members until 22nd Sept so you need to be quick!

Podcast links

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Episode 125: How to Say No and Deal with Pushback with Annie Hanekom

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Episode 122: How to be Happy at Work with Sarah Metcalfe

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Episode 121: How To Be A Happy Working Parent with Corrina Gordon-Barnes

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Episode 120: Making Online Meetings Work with John Monks

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Dr Abdullah Albeyatti talks about improving your life and career by making changes and taking risks. He explains why settling for the familiar could be slowly ruining your life and how you can avoid this situation. Finally, he shares his top three tips to become a changemaker in your field. If you want to start doing things differently, creating change, and take more risks, then this episode is for you!

Episode 102: Why FAIL is Not a 4-Letter Word

Drs Claire Edwin, Sally Ross, and Taj Hassan join us to discuss how we can manage and deal with our failures more effectively. We explore the idea that rather than doing something wrong, failure is an opportunity to really grow and learn both as individuals, as leaders and as organisations. In any situation, it’s important to remember that we’re all human. It’s okay to be honest with ourselves and each other about our mistakes - after all, vulnerability is not a sign of weakness. If you want to know how to change your mindset around failure, stay tuned to this episode.

Episode 101: Making Helpful Habits Stick with Sheela Hobden

Sheela Hobden joins us to discuss how we can harness the power of checklists to create a routine. She shares how you can approach your goals in a more realistic way and learn to encourage yourself using specific goal setting techniques. Sheela also recommends creating identity-based goals to ensure that you keep building your new identity even after completing certain milestones. Start small, and eventually, you’ll see these good habits stick!

Episode 100: Dealing With the Guilt of Not Being Okay With Dr Nik Kendrew

Dr Nik Kendrew unravels why we experience overwhelming guilt when bad things happen to us. He also shares some tips, techniques, and resources on how to deal with guilt, especially in these difficult times and circumstances. Apart from this, Nik talks about the significance of scheduling our entire day to do important things. Finally, he discusses why setting boundaries is necessary to maintain our sense of self.

Episode 99: How to Deal with Criticism When You’ve Reached Your Limit with Dr Sarah Coope and Dr Rachel Morris

Dr Sarah Coope joins me to talk about the workload of medical professionals and the benefits of setting boundaries while dealing with criticisms amidst the global pandemic. We discuss the three elements of the Drama Triangle and ways to navigate or avoid them reliably. As we dive deeper into the conversation, we explore the art of saying 'No' through acknowledging our limits. Awareness and recognition can go a long way in maintaining our boundaries. If you want to take the first step in recognising your limits, handling criticism better and setting proper boundaries, tune in to this episode.

Episode 96 – How to Deal with Difficult Meetings with Jane Gunn

We hear from the expert in conflict management and mediation, Jane Gunn. She discusses important tips to keep in mind to host great meetings. She shares some practical conflict management tips and how to make decisions that you and your team agree on. Jane also emphasises the importance of putting the fun back in functional meetings and the need to give a voice to participants.

Episode 93 – How to Delegate, Do It, or Drop It with Anna Dearmon Kornick

Anna Dearmon Kornick joins us to share the time management strategies crucial for busy professionals. She lays down tips on how medical practitioners can have more control over their days. Anna talks about how to manage admin time and imparts ways to combat distractions. We also discuss the importance of delegation both inside and outside work. For this, Anna introduces the passion-proficiency lens and knowing your zone of genius.

Episode 92 – How to Avoid Becoming the Second Victim with Dr Caraline Wright & Dr Lizzie Sweeting

Dr Caraline Wright and Dr Lizzie Sweeting join us to discuss the second victim phenomenon. They explain why patient safety incidents are occupational hazards and how they can affect healthcare providers. Caraline then shares her personal experience of being in the “second victim” role. Finally, they share tips on how to avoid second victimhood and how to provide support to someone going through it.

Episode 91 – How to Break Up With Your Toxic Relationship With Your Career with Dr Pauline Morris

Dr Pauline Morris joins us to share her career counselling advice for physicians and other professionals in high stress jobs. We discuss the common pitfalls that lead doctors to unsustainable work habits. Pauline also sheds light on why staying in your comfort zone can be detrimental to your performance. To avert this, she shares tips on how to better recognise and advocate for your own needs. We also learn about the importance of self-care and taking time for yourself.

Episode 90 – What to do About Bitching and Backbiting with Dr Edward Pooley

Dr Edward Pooley joins us again to discuss what to do when colleagues make inappropriate comments about others. We talk about why it’s crucial to consider the question behind the question in workplace backbiting. Ed also teaches us how to challenge in a supportive way. Most importantly, we learn some strategies to prepare ourselves to speak up when the situation requires it.

Episode 89 – Should I stay or should I go? with Corrina Gordon-Barnes

Corrina Gordon-Barnes joins us to share how to better relationships and take control and stay in your zone of power. She shares how to make a good decision by questioning thoughts and assumptions. We also discuss how you can change your perspective to become more compassionate, accepting, and empowered. If you want to know how to better relationships, stay in your zone of power, improve your decision-making skills, and be true to yourself, then tune in to this episode!

Episode 88 – How to Ditch the Saviour Complex and Feel More Alive with Rob Bell

Rob Bell joins us in this episode to discuss the perils of the saviour complex and the desire to keep hustling even when we’re miserable. We learn that taking time for rest and reflection only helps us get stronger. You can’t heal and help rebuild a broken system if you don’t look out for yourself first. Tune in to this episode to find out how to ditch the saviour complex, feel happier and live a more fulfilling life.

Episode 86 – Gaslighting and Other Ways We’re Abused at Work: What’s Really Going On? with Dr James Costello

Dr James Costello joins us to talk about his new book and the insidious ways that organisations and individuals can undermine us. They compel us to do extra emotional labour for us to cope with the workplace dynamics. We also chat about what happens when authority and power are misused. Finally, James shares some of the disastrous consequences bullying in the workplace can have and what we can do about it. Tune in if you want to know what to do if you suspect that you or a colleague are experiencing relational abuse in the workplace!

Episode 85 – How to have crucial conversations with Dr Edward Pooley

Good communication between colleagues is crucial for the success of any organisation. Dr Edward Pooley joins us again to teach us how to communicate well. He discusses the three strands present in any conversation and helps us understand how we can be more aware of each. We also share some frameworks that can help you navigate difficult conversations. Understanding the importance of emotion is crucial in being an effective communicator and connecting with your team.

Episode 84 – Complaints and How to Survive Them Episode 4: Creating a Workplace Where It’s OK to Fail

Professor Susan Fairley and Dr Jane Sturgess join us to discuss how to create a workplace that doesn’t shy away from failure. We talk about how civility can save lives and also touch on the issues around incident reporting in healthcare. Most importantly, we talk about creating a culture where people can have difficult conversations without defensiveness. If you want to know how to approach failing and speaking up in the workplace, tune in to this episode.

Episode 83 – The Ups and Downs of Being a Man-Frog with Dr Chris Hewitt

Joining us in this episode is Dr Chris Hewitt who also uses the metaphor of a man-frog in coaching professionals to have a better work-life balance. Chris talks about why we find it so hard to recognise burnout. He also shares his top tips and practical strategies to address work dissatisfaction. If you want to stop feeling like a man (or woman) - frog in a pan of slowly boiling water, listen to the full episode.

Episode 82 – Complaints and How to Survive Them Series Episode 3: Surviving the Process

Drs Jessica Harland, Caroline Walker and Heidi Mousney join us in this episode to discuss healthcare professionals’ experiences when dealing with complaints. We talk about the different emotions you may experience and practical tips on getting through. If you want to know how to survive the process after making a mistake at work and receiving a complaint, stay tuned to this episode.

Episode 81 – When Soft and Fluffy Met Coronavirus with Steve Andrews

Steve Andrews, Associate Director of Leadership for East and North Herts NHS Trust shares how, through using just five crucial questions, you can check in on people, rather than check up on them. The 5 questions will help you to find out how people really are, help them look out for their colleagues, empower them to solve their own problems AND communicate empathy and support. Want to know how you can apply compassionate leadership in your organisation? Then, this episode is for you.

Episode 79 – How to Give Yourself Permission to Thrive with Dr Katya Miles

Dr Katya Miles joins us once again to talk about burnout and giving ourselves permission to thrive. Having experienced work burnout, Katya shares her story and discusses the red flags of burnout. We also talk about why we find it difficult to give ourselves permission to thrive and how we can overcome our own internal barriers. If you want to learn about how you can listen to your needs so that you can thrive in work and in life, then this episode is for you.

Episode 77 – Denial, displacement and other ways we neglect ourselves with Dr Andrew Tresidder

Dr Andrew Tresidder joins us to talk about how many medical practitioners and other professionals in healthcare and high stress jobs neglect their health and well-being. We're so focused on taking care of others that we forget to take care of ourselves but our well-being is vital if we want to keep doing the work we do. Find out why healthcare professionals need to learn more about health, as opposed to only learning about disease and if you want to know how to focus on taking care of your health and well-being, stay tuned to this episode.

Episode 76 – Tech Tips for Happy Hybrid Working with Dr Hussain Gandhi

Dr Hussain Gandhi, or Dr Gandalf of eGPlearning, joins us in this episode. He is a GP, PCN director and host of the eGP Learning Podblast that shares deep dives into health tech for primary care. He shares his tech and time hacks for hybrid working to survive and thrive in the new virtual environment. If you want to find out how to improve your hybrid working experience, then tune in to this episode!

Episode 75 – How to Escape the Drama Triangle and Stop Rescuing People with Annie Hanekom

Annie Hanekom joins us to shed light on the different roles which interact in the drama triangle. She shares the pitfalls of taking on each role and how we can actively shift from these roles into something better, fostering healthier relationships at work. If you want to know more about how you can step out of the drama triangle, have better conversations and build healthier relationships with your colleagues, make sure you tune in to this episode.

Episode 74 – Managing your Time in a System Which Sucks with Dr Ed Pooley

Dr Ed Pooley joins us in this episode to share his take on time management techniques for busy individuals. He discusses the three types of competing demands and how to manage them. We also talk about being more comfortable holding difficult conversations about workplace issues - vital to help change the environment we work in. Tune into this episode to discover how time management techniques and communication can help you get a calmer and more time-efficient workplace.

Episode 73 – How to Find Your Tribe: The PMGUK story with Dr Nazia Haider and Dr Katherine Hickman

Dr Nazia Haider and Dr Katherine Hickman join us on this episode to discuss the importance of a work community. We talk about the inspiring stories from the online community they created, the Physicians Mums Group UK (PMGUK). Nazia and Katherine also share their tips on how to increase connections and find your own tribe at work. If you want to know how to create a network of supportive colleagues and feel more connected, then tune into this episode.

Episode 72 – Working well – from anywhere! with Dr Katya Miles

Dr Katya Miles joins us to discuss how to work well from home by creating healthy boundaries. She shares how to be more productive by using the third space hack and taking breaks. Katya also talks about how to be more active and better connect with people in the workplace. If you want to learn about working well from home and achieving a better work-life balance, then tune in to this episode.

Episode 71 – Create a Career You’ll Love with Dr Claire Kaye

Dr Claire Kaye joins us to discuss how to find a career you love. As an executive coach specialising in career development, Claire is an expert in guiding people how to find a career they love. We talk about the value of job networking and diversifying in our career journeys. We also share our tips and experiences on how to find a career you love. We do this by helping you identify the roles that best suit you and how to go about getting these roles.

Episode 70 – How Safe Do You Feel at Work with Scott Chambers

Scott Chambers joins us to talk about why we need to make people feel comfortable and safe enough to speak up in their workplace. When we create psychological safety in our team, we improve overall happiness and boost performance! If you want to learn how to create psychological safety for a better and happier team - whether you’re the boss or not, stay tuned to this episode.

Episode 69 – Make Time for What Matters with Liz O’Riordan

Liz O'Riordan joins us to share productivity life hacks. These have helped her transform how she approaches work. Now, Liz can spend quality time with her family and enjoy life. In this episode, she teaches us how we too can achieve this. If you want to learn some new life hacks, beat burnout and work happier, then tune in to this episode!

Episode 68 – The Revolutionary Art of Breathing with Richard Jamieson

Richard Jamieson discusses how we can utilise breathing techniques to feel calmer, make better decisions and be more productive. He explains the different steps we can take to change our breathing patterns. When you’re in a high-stress situation, remember this: just breathe. If you want to know how to use breathing techniques to beat stress in everyday situations, stay tuned to this episode.

Episode 67 – Bringing Your Best Self to Work with Dr Sarah Goulding

Dr Sarah Goulding discusses how to bring your whole self to work without leaving bits of you behind. Sarah shares her own story of experiencing burnout at her old job and rediscovering her true passion. We also discuss how applying our core strengths to our jobs can mean the difference between burnout and having a sense of fulfilment. Don’t miss out on this episode if you want to learn more about how to be yourself and how to bring joy back into your work!

Episode 65 – Passing the Naughty Monkey Back with Dr Amit Sharma

Dr Amit Sharma joins us to discuss the effects of taking on too many of other people’s ‘naughty monkeys’. We talk about why professionals in high-stress jobs so often take on the rescuer role and how to shift that mindset. Amit and I also discuss the importance of empowering patients to take control of their own health. If you want to know how to avoid being weighed down by too many naughty monkeys, stay tuned to this episode.

Episode 64 – What to Do When You’re Out of Fuel with Dr Jess Harvey

Dr Jess Harvey, a GP partner and GB triathlete, talks about what happened to her after running out of fuel and feeling burnt out. She discusses how we often ignore the symptoms and signs for too long and why resting and refuelling is as important as what we're doing in the first place. If you’re feeling burnt out, tune in to this episode to find out how you can plug the holes in your energy bucket!

Episode 63 – How to Survive Even When Times are Tough with Dr Caroline Walker

This episode is part of the COVID-19 Supporting Doctors series, and joining us again is Dr Caroline Walker. She's here to discuss why rest is crucial, especially for people in high-stress jobs. Caroline also shares key strategies that can keep us going through the crisis. The previous year has been tough, so don’t miss this episode to start 2021 better prepared.

Episode 62 – Self-Coaching for Success with Dr Karen Castille, OBE

Dr Karen Castille joins me in this episode to discuss her book on self-coaching. She shares powerful questions to ask yourself which will jumpstart your self-coaching journey. She also talks about the importance of developing this vital skill and crafting powerful life questions. Before we close the show, Karen gives her top tips for self-coaching. Don’t miss this episode if you want to learn how you can find clarity and achieve success through self-coaching!

Episode 61 – The Self Help Book Group on Happiness with Dr Nik Kendrew

In this episode, You Are Not A Frog regular Dr Nik Kendrew joins me to discuss the concept of happiness. We tackle the everlasting question of ‘What is happiness’? We also talk about perfectionism and fear and how these can hinder us from doing the things we want to do. At the end of the show, Nik and I give our top tips to being happier. If you want to know more about living a happy life, then this episode is for you.

Episode 60 – Creating a Workplace that Works with Dr Sonali Kinra

Dr Sonali Kinra joins us to discuss why people leave their jobs and how to prevent it. We talk about the importance of workplace culture and its role in creating an environment that makes people want to stay. We also discuss why you need to seek opportunities that broaden and develop your career. Don’t miss this episode if you want to find out how to keep yourself in a job you love.

Episode 59 – A Social Dilemma? With Dr James Thambyrajah

In this episode, Dr James Thambyrajah joins us to talk about social media’s subtle yet profound effect on our daily lives. We discuss the perils of being unaware of how our online decisions are influenced. James also shares his insights on how we can improve how we stay informed and inform others. Tune in to this episode if you want to learn more about how to go beyond your digital echo chamber.

Episode 55 – The One About Alcohol

Dr Giles P Croft is back to chat with Rachel about his experiences following a revolutionary read he was recommended. You might remember Giles from episode 46, where he talked about how as humans, we naturally default to happiness.

Episode 54 – How to work flexibly, without the stress

In this week’s episode, Rachel and Dr Surina Chibber share what they have learnt from years of flexible working to help you ditch the guilt, discover your true north in your decision making and give yourself a break.

Episode 52 – A year of the frog

The week’s episode is a special one as the Frog celebrates a year of podcasting! It’s been quite a year - including charting in Apple’s Top 100 Business Podcasts in the UK!

Episode 50 – Freeing yourself from the money trap

Joining Rachel in this week’s episode is Dr Tommy Perkins, as well as being a GP Partner, and father, Tommy is one half of Medics Money. Medics Money is an organisation specifically aimed at helping doctors make better decisions with their finances. It’s run by Tommy and Dr Ed Cantelo who is not only a doctor but a qualified accountant.

Episode 49 – The Self Help Book Group No 2 with Nik Kendrew

This week Rachel is joined by You Are Not A Frog regular, Nik Kendrew. Last time Nik joined us, we discussed a book that has helped him in his professional life as a GP, trainer and partner as well as his personal life. Nik’s back this week to talk about another brilliant book and to share what insights and learnings he’s gained from it.

Episode 47 – How to Have a Courageous Conversation

Rachel talks with Beccie D'Cunha about the conversations that we avoid and the conversations we really need to have with our colleagues, teams and managers. They can be described as difficult conversations, but we can redefine them as courageous conversations - because ultimately it takes courage for both parties to listen and be heard.

Episode 46 – Default to happy

Rachel talks with Dr Giles P Croft about his take on how to beat stress and burnout. Giles  is a psychology graduate and former NHS surgeon who stepped aside from clinical practice for a decade to explore a number of career paths, including health informatics, cycling journalism, public speaking and high street retail with his wife.

Episode 45 – Rest. The final frontier

Rachel is joined by Sheela Hobden, Professional Certified Coach, wellbeing expert and fellow Shapes Toolkit facilitator. We talk about why rest isn’t just important for wellbeing, but important for productivity and creativity too.

Episode 40 – Leading with tough love with Gary Hughes

In this episode, Rachel is joined by Gary Hughes, author of the book Leadership in Practice, blogger, educator and facilitator who is a Practice Manager by day. We chat about how leadership in the COVID-19 crisis has had to adapt, and the different roles that a leader has had to take.

Episode 38 – How to be an adult with Ebonie Allard

In this episode, Rachel is joined by Ebonie Allard, an award-winning life and business coach, author of Misfit to Maven: The Story of AARCH to AAHH and host of the popular podcast ‘Adulting with Ebonie’

Episode 37 – How to manage conflict during COVID with Jane Gunn

Rachel is thrilled to welcome back Jane Gunn – lawyer, mediator and expert in conflict resolution who has been known as the Corporate Peacemaker. This episode is for you if the thought of addressing a difficult issue with one of your colleagues send you running for the hills…

Episode 24 – At what cost? With Laurence McCahill

In this episode, Rachel is joined by Laurence McCahill, co-founder of the Happy Startup School, an alternative business school and thriving community of entrepreneurs that put happiness before profits.

Episode 20 – A creative solution to stress with Ruth Cocksedge

In this episode, Rachel is joined by Ruth Cocksedge a Practitioner Psychologist who started her career as a mental health nurse. She practices in Cambridge and has a particular interest in EMDR for PTSD and creative writing as a way to improve mental health and wellbeing.

Episode 11 – The magical art of reading sweary books

In this episode, Rachel is joined once again by Dr Liz O’Riordan, the ‘Breast Surgeon with Breast Cancer’, TEDx speaker, author, blogger, triathlete and all round superstar who has been nominated for ‘Woman of the Year’.

Previous Podcasts

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Rachel King 2020-10-14T20:49:50+01:00

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Episode 48 - Looking after your team throughout COVID - You are not a frog

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Joining Rachel this week are not one, but three guests - her ‘go-to’ gang, or as she describes them - her ‘wise guys’!

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The NHS Our People website offers "bitesize learning" with short courses aimed towards improving the experience of working in healthcare. Free to register.

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Develop new skills and discover new ways to improve your experience of work with short guides developed by experts. Open to anyone in health and care.

Register and sign in to:

Save your progress when working through these short courses and easily find your place next time

Contribute to conversations and share your experiences of the topics

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Develop new skills and discover new ways to improve your experience of work with short guides developed by experts. Open to anyone in health and care.

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Tools and resources to help health care workers make positive improvements to mental wellbeing in the workplace.

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Tools and resources to help you make positive improvements to mental wellbeing in the workplace.

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The full range of Trust's Wellbeing services and resources, available to all staff, can be found here.

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Welcome to ASPH's Staff Wellbeing pages

A well workforce is one which is made up of happy and healthy individuals.

The Health and Wellbeing team provide support, advice and information for all staff based upon the six stands of our wellbeing wheel: physical, emotional, financial, environmental, social and cultural. For more information, please click on the different areas of the wellbeing wheel, or access the website navigation bar.

Health and Wellbeing Team

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Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was formed following the merger of the separate Ashford Hospital and St. Peter's Hospital NHS Trusts. The Trust manages two sites in Surrey - Ashford Hospital, Ashford and St. Peter's in Chertsey.

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During 2021 we held weekly Pressure Release Meetings on Teams along with in-person meetings for redeployed staff returning to work in Theatres.

Dates of future meetings will be posted here.

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Staff tell us over and over again that the THREE THINGS that have the greatest impact on their sense of wellbeing at work are:

1. Not getting a break

2. List overrunning

3. Difficult interpersonal dynamics

These are the things that make the difference between us having a good day at work or a bad day.

The Wellbeing Check-ins have been designed and piloted to address these issues. The idea is that we will nurture and improve morale in Theatres by gathering the data on breaks, overruns and unacceptable behaviour - learning from areas of good practice and targeting solutions and support to areas that fall short.

Beginnings and endings are really important and by integrating Wellbeing check-ins into our Team Brief and List Debrief we empower and value the input of all members of the team.

The Wellbeing Check-in questions are short and take just a couple of minutes.

Completing the Check-ins is easy via these Microsoft Office Forms:

Team Brief Check-in

Team Debrief Check-in

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This short Powerpoint presentation with audio provides an introduction to the thinking behind the Wellbeing Check-in initiative.

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Includes all the latest Divisional Wellbeing News!

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Wherever you work within our Division, your input is valued and we'd like to hear from you! The Wellbeing Steering Group meets termly to collaborate on projects and address areas of concern.

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Minutes of Steering Group Meeting 19.10.2023 (Autosaved)

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The Wobble Room was opened today Thursday 6th October 2022 by our Chairman Andy Field. Special thanks were conveyed to the many members of the community who supported the development of this facility for Theatre Staff:
Cllr Robert Evans of Surrey County Council funded the initiative through the Members' Community Allocation Fund.
Roy Keldie of KFC Woking donated many pieces of furniture.
Daryl Duffy and his team at DMD Couriers assisted with all transportation and delivery.
Thanks were also conveyed to Andy Hyatt and Dexter Caeiro of ASPH Estates for their continuous help in identifying a space for the room and getting it fit for purpose!

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A Wellbeing initiative from Association of Anaesthetists Trainees

Trainee Meetings in 2023 will be held on:

Tuesday 26 th September 10:00-11:00

Tuesday 24 th October 10:00-11:00

Thursday 23 rd November 10:00-11:00

Tuesday 19th December 10:00-11:00

The Anaesthetic Seminar Rooms @SPH and AH Main Theatres will be reserved for exclusive use by Trainees.

Staff biscuits available or BYO cake!

Conversations are important to help us share our experiences and reduce stress levels. These meetings are opportunities to catch up with colleagues over a coffee.

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Dr. Christina Hoskins, Wellbeing Lead for GS-ACT explained the motivation behind the project and the purpose of the room.

"I’ve lost count of the number of times people have asked me “So what actually is a Wobble Room Dr. Christina? What’s it for? Where even is it?!

Totally valid questions and it hasn’t been my intention to shroud the project in secrecy! But it IS a new thing for Ashford, a new initiative and so I’m really thrilled to have a moment to tell you a little bit about the Wobble Room project, about why it matters and about why it’s become a bit of personal crusade since I was appointed Wellbeing Lead for our Division.

Following the first wave of the pandemic, as we welcomed staff back to Ashford after their redeployment to St. Peter’s, we focussed a lot on debrief. Tom and Thanga and Richard were acutely aware of the need for debrief and Laurence, Alenka, Louise Dye from the Clinical Psychology department and myself were involved in delivering as much debrief as we could.

We did a lot on Teams (of course) and we also ran group sessions over at the PGEC, AND we also offered staff small group meetings and one-to-ones.

Finding an appropriate place to have these private, confidential and often very emotional conversations, was a nightmare – I found myself commandeering the surgeon’s coffee room or Richard’s office with makeshift DO NOT DISTURB notes on the door. The worry over being interrupted was really tricky but we had to manage because Until Now we’ve only had office spaces and our coffee rooms.

So the need we discovered back then was for a room that staff could meet in to talk through the tough stuff. To share stories To support one another To debrief To process their experiences and to make sense of the emotional component of the work we do.

I think that one of the most valuable legacies of Covid - for us in healthcare –is that it shone a spotlight on the psychological impact of our work and the toll that our work can take on us. We never used to acknowledge it! Wellbeing conversations were a bit fringe a bit fluffy a bit frivolous and I know I was actually quite fearful of them! So the nature of our work hasn’t actually changed post-pandemic (!) but we’ve begun to speak about what was previously unspoken.

Now I recall the really interesting conversation I had with you Andy when we met a few months back when you explained to me how decompression within the military emerged and how it is now seen to be a both vital and completely standard part of military deployment.

I think that this Wobble Room represents and recognises that same culture shift emerging within the NHS. And actually more than that even, with this room we are claiming a space to do a crucial and vital part of our work.

We continue to face really tough times. The pressures on our Division are immense at times and I often find myself talking to people about how crazy the whole world feels right now! My instinct is that we get through the tough times BEST when we focus on strengthening the container from within – by leaning on our colleagues, by investing in our teams and by nuturing and encouraging peer support.

So our Wobble Room is not an extra coffee room or a place to hide in or doss about in! It’s a workspace, a bookable room that we will use for activities that focus on building support within our teams. So it’s for debriefing, for team gatherings, coaching, mentoring, for UMYS work, for supporting Mum’s returning to work who need to express and store milk, for linking up with Schwartz Rounds and for tapping into the extensive online Wellbeing provision that the Trust has.

So I hope I’ve answered those questions about What even is a Wobble Room Dr. Christina? Basically, it’s the room we didn’t even know we needed! And my hunch and my hope is that it will become a sanctuary where we can try to keep our heads when all about us are losing theirs."

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Art for the Wobble Room courtesy of Healing Arts

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Art for the Wobble Room courtesy of Healing Arts

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Enjoy the beautiful artwork by local artist Gail Mason which is displayed in the Wobble Room.
Thanks to Emily Malins from Healing Arts for understanding the brief and selecting these wonderful abstract pieces that capture the reflective nature of the room.

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Schwartz Rounds have been taking place at ASPH Trust for 8 years

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To learn more about the Schwartz Rounds and to see a list of dates for upcoming meetings at ASPH, go to the Padlet:

https://padlet.com/christinahoskins/schwartz-rounds-at-asph-11x78gkhm2n37bqn

Please contact the Schwartz Team if you'd like to be added to the mailing list: asp-tr.SchwartzRoundTeam@nhs.net

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Bringing a Wellbeing component to our Educational half days!

Next Bake Off will be on Friday 26th January 2024

Bake-Off competitions take place simultaneously at Main Theatres St. Peter's and Theatres Ashford

Competitors:

Competition is open to all GS-ACT staff

Please bring your bakes on the day

Savoury or sweet, all varieties of cake and bread welcome!

Labels will be provided for you to give your bake a name and provide details of any allergens

Slice your bake into small pieces for everyone to taste

Each entry will be displayed with a voting box

Judging:

Every member of GS-ACT staff will be able to cast their vote for the best bake they've tasted

Winners:

The GS-ACT Star Baker Ashford and the GS-ACT Star Baker St. Peter's will be announced at the close of QuASH

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Every month you can nominate the colleague who you feel always goes above and beyond...

Vote for your Star of the Month SPH Theatres here

Vote for your Star of the Month Ashford Theatres here

Vote for your Star of the Month Ashford DSU here

Photos of our winners are displayed on the Theatre noticeboards and will be featured in the Divisional Newsletter

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Treavon's magnificent Christmas Lemon Cake

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UMYS Newsletter December 2023

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Shalini Roopchand, Theatre Nurse at Ashford, and her partner Liviu, are planning to take on the Tough Mudder Challenge to raise funds for Staff Wellbeing projects!

The Tough Mudder is a gruelling event: A 10-mile course including 20 obstacles! It is taking place on 18th May 2024. Please spread the word and support Shalini and Liviu as they embark on this most demanding of physical and psychological challenges!

Let's help them reach their £400 target in support of Staff Wellbeing. You can donate and read more via the Event Charity page here

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"Behind every success story in healthcare is a team of dedicated individuals working in harmony!" We are raising money for Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals' Charity supporting a heartfelt cause-Staff Wellbeing. All funds raised will go to Staff Wellbeing.