CHA Q Special Interest Group Discussion 

CHA Q SIG  Strengthening the rural workforce - international nurses in Powys Community Hospitals

Wednesday 6th August at 7pm on Zoom 

We were very pleased to welcome CHA National Lead for Wales to our August Special Interest Group event. David from shared how Powys Teaching Health Board is strengthening its nursing teams through international recruitment, particularly in rural areas. With staffing gaps and an aging population, Powys has welcomed nurses from Kerala, supported by Welsh Government funding and local operational teams. Practical support, like housing, welfare roles, and group-based training has helped nurses settle and succeed, with all passing their OSCE exams.

Key learning points - 

• Strong pastoral support and housing plans are vital for rural recruitment.

• Centralised recruitment and local ownership improve integration.

• Investing in overseas nurses reduces reliance on costly agency staff and builds long-term workforce stability.

This approach offers valuable lessons for other community hospital settings.

David's presentation can be downloaded here 

CHA Q Special Interest Group Discussion

Innovation in Healthcare Support Worker Preceptorship & Development

4th June 2025 with Lucy Somerville, Professional Development Nurse, SCFT

in June, we were very pleased to welcome Lucy Somerville, Professional Development Nurse from Sussex Community Foundation Trust, who shared the story of a new development programme for healthcare support workers.

Lucy spoke about how the programme was shaped by staff and created in response to a clear gap in ongoing training and development. It runs over six months and includes study days, reflective learning, wellbeing support, and a final presentation of a quality improvement project. Staff who complete the programme report feeling more confident, more skilled and more valued in their roles. Many go on to further training, while others choose to stay in their role, now with stronger skills and a better sense of their own professional identity. The session showed the difference this kind of investment can make, not just to individuals but also to patient care and staff retention.

Thank you to Lucy and her colleagues for such an inspiring session. A recording of Lucy’s presentation is available here and a Lucy’s presentation is here 

CHA Networking and Leadership Webinar 

Supporting patient nutrition - The role of snacking

Wednesday 21st May with Brett Fowler from Queensland Bakery, NHS Senior Dietitian Noor Al-Refae & Phil Shelley, NHS England. 

We are pleased to introduce a new series of online sessions designed to bring together senior healthcare colleagues from community hospitals with respected organisations and industry partners. Each webinar is shaped around a shared interest or challenge and includes a short talk followed by an open discussion and time to ask questions. These sessions are a chance to hear directly from organisations who want to work with community hospitals in meaningful ways. Whether it’s exploring new tools, ways of working or fresh ideas, the focus will always be on what’s helpful, practical and relevant to our hospitals and the people we care for. If you're in a leadership role, involved in developing services, or simply interested in how we can work better together, you’re warmly invited to join us. These events are free to attend. 

In the first of this new event series, chaired by Dr Kirsten Protherough, we were delighted to have 44 colleagues from a wide range of settings on the call including dietitians, nurses, catering leads and operational managers, highlighting our shared commitment to improving nutrition in hospital and beyond.

The event featured contributions from Brett Fowler, Queensland Bakery Co., Noor Al-Refae Senior NHS Dietitian and Phil Shelley, NHS England and Chair of the NHS Food Review. Together, they explored the challenges of malnutrition, the importance of protein-rich snacks and how hospitals can better support patients through a food-first approach.

Feedback from the session has been very positive. We are now exploring a follow-up session focusing on savoury snacks,  following helpful suggestions raised during the discussion. Watch the recording here Thanks to everyone who joined us.  

CHA Q Special Interest Group Discussion

Delirium in Community Hospitals with Johanna Barnes, Tewkesbury Community Hospital, Wednesday 2nd April 2025

Thanks to the Q community for supporting our special interest group discussions.

In our April special interest group discussion, Jo Barnes shared her ongoing quality improvement project focused on identifying and managing delirium in patients.  Using the 4AT screening tool, her team now screens nearly 70 percent of eligible patients. For those flagged as at risk, PINCH-ME care plans are initiated. Staff have observed that many patients have multiple risk factors such as age, vision loss and long-term conditions, making this work especially important.

The project has raised staff awareness and improved their ability to recognise early signs of delirium. It has also strengthened communication with families and supported clearer planning for discharge. The team is developing action cards and working to embed screening tools in digital systems. Johanna recommends a practical approach to service change - start small, use simple tools, and build engagement gradually to bring lasting benefits for patients.

Many thanks to Jo for presenting her work. Jo's presentation is available here Jo won a CHA Innovation and Best Practice award in 2024 for her poster on Delirium screening in community hospitals here. 

CHA Q Special Interest Group Discussion

Cubii Seated Exercise Project with Ami Cook and Debbie Poulston, physiotherapists at BANES Community Hospitals, Wednesday 5th March, 2025

Thanks to the Q community for supporting our special interest group discussions. 

We were very pleased to welcome physiotherapists Ami Cook and Debbie Poulston at BANES Community Hospitals, who discussed their Cubii seated exercise machines project, which is helping hospital patients stay active and avoid physical decline. The below is a summary of their talk. Their presentation is available here, and a recording of the session is available here on the CHA YouTube channel. 

The Cubii machines support strength-building and rehabilitation, especially for older patients who often experience long periods of inactivity during their stay.

Portable and low-cost, the machines were rolled out across wards, with strong uptake and positive feedback. Patients appreciated being able to adjust the machines to suit their own pace, which improved motivation and recovery. Staff reported that the machines allowed several patients to exercise at once, making the initiative efficient and easy to manage.

Usage levels steadily grew, peaking in August 2024, and the project demonstrated clear benefits without needing extra staff. Alongside physical gains, patients found the exercises enjoyable and valued the social interaction they brought. The machines were well-received, and short surveys showed high satisfaction levels.

The initiative is now being considered for wider adoption in hospitals across the country. With prices starting at £100, the equipment offers an affordable way to promote everyday movement and support rehabilitation in resource-limited settings. Competitions among nursing teams helped boost engagement and reinforced the benefits of active care.

Many thanks to Ami and Debbie for sharing their wonderful project with the CHA. 

CHA Special Interest Group  - Same Day Emergency Care with Sue Greenwood, Modern Matron

We were pleased to kick off our 2025 Special Interest Group discussions with Sue Greenwood from Camborne Redruth Community Hospital, who presented on Wednesday 5th February at 7:00 PM.

Sue shared insights into Cornwall's innovative Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) initiative, which successfully diverted 80 critically ill patients from A&E this winter, significantly easing the pressure on acute services within the Trust.

Our Special Interest Group sessions continue to provide a valuable opportunity for community hospital staff and leaders from across the UK to connect and collaborate.