Autumn 2024 newsletter

Dear Members of the Patient and Carer Group (P&CG)

Welcome to the Christmas edition of the newsletter.

At the end of 2024 the Patient and Carer Group can be proud of the extensive teaching offered throughout our healthcare programmes. The Centre for Empathic Studies propels patient involvement, while our school of healthcare continues to grow. There are more and more opportunities arising for developing patient-centred, co-led and cocreated teaching. This academic year the University welcomed students to study for the first time on the Masters in Clinical Pharmacy (MPharm). Many of you will have helped to recruit these students who started in September.

This organisation champion connectivity in learning between different student professions in preparation for team working. The CAIPE Symposium advocated for more patient involvement in interprofessional learning with many members running a workshop and others talking about the patient involvement teaching sessions here at the University of Leicester. We are supporting a wide range of different professions as they learn and prepare for practice. I look forward to an exciting 2025 and wish you all a restful Christmas season, belated Happy Diwali and all the very best for the New Year.

Best Wishes

Elizabeth (Liz) Anderson

Symposium on Interprofessional Education (IPE)

The P&CG CAIPE representative Emma Smith has shared the conference overview, taken from the conference documents.

On 12th September 2024, the University of Leicester supported a Symposium on Interprofessional Education (IPE) with collaboration from the UK Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE). The Patient & Carer Group (P&CG) representative Emma Smith, a member of the CAIPE board, helped to co-ordinate the event.

Professor Elizabeth Anderson, is Joint Chair of CAIPE with Dr Angela Lennox CBE. The conference was welcomed by professor Tom Robinson- Dean of the College of Life Sciences. Angel and Liz welcomed the delegates on behalf of the CAIPE President Professor Hugh Barr.

I share the following workshops presented at the conference:

1. The Leicester Model: Emma explains “The Leicester Model of patient-centred practice-based IPE” as designed by Angela and Liz. Dr Neena Lakhani showcased the model sharing how students learn together alongside the actual clinical team in practice. The model is patient-centred and requires ethical care and a great deal of organization, which was discussed along with recent successes. There was a workshop on how to replicate the model in clinical context.

   The Leicester Model: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/leicester-model-interprofessional-education.

2. Schwartz Rounds: Noelle Robertson and Laura Golding presented Schwartz Rounds in another workshop. The Schwartz Rounds provide a structure to facilitate healthcare staff and learners to discuss the emotional aspects of their work and support their capacity to deliver compassionate care. The

   Rounds help to normalise the strong emotions that arise from working in healthcare and enable staff and students to have greater insight, compassion for and appreciation of the roles and work of other healthcare staff.

3. Patient Involvement led by the P&CG and Jenny Ford. The workshops shared how in a recent scoping review, only 13 papers were identified that had involved patients or carers in interprofessional learning. Of these papers only 9 were for undergraduate curriculum the remainder being with patients for professional teams to learn how to improve practice. The main goal of interprofessional education (IPE), is to improve services and the quality of care for patients, their families and communities. In this workshop you will consider what patients and carers feel about IPE and how to involve them.” This workshop attracted the largest number of delegates. Academics from 12 Universities questioned the Patients and Carers with respect to good practice at University of Leicester Medical School and School of Healthcare. Many new friends and contacts were made.

The P&CG thank Emma for her valuable update. CAIPE Members

Sue Joyce - a member of the P&CG shares experience gained during her childhood, and recent experience, caring for her late husband Graham during his cancer journey

Graham Joyce was a writer of speculative fiction who published many novels and short stories. During his career he won numerous awards including the World Fantasy and British Fantasy Awards for best novel and the prestigious O'Henry award. In 2013 Graham became very ill with Mantle Cell Lymphoma and began to document his experiences as a cancer patient in his blog. His wife Sue became his carer throughout his cancer journey until his death in 2014. Sue uses her experiences from this time, and from her childhood when she was a carer for her mother, to help with the training of students as a member of the Patient Carer group.

Cancer stories Pessimism and Optimism by Graham Joyce

Sharp scratch. That phrase you hear over and over. It means a multitude of things.

You have a blood test and they say, Sharp scratch. You get cannulated and they say the same. Though there’s a world of difference in how much it hurts. If you’re going to be like that about it and make it mean different things, well, cancer is a sharp scratch.

Sharp scratch. I ‘m having a sharp scratch on the Day Ward at the infirmary. I’m having a blood transfusion and they have to get the stuff in somehow so it’s Sharp Scratch time. Some of the nurses have such a gentle manner with getting the needle in that I want to kiss them. Others have the touch of a Rugby prop-forward.

If you ever took cancer rather personally you just have to take stock of the hundreds of people receiving treatment to realise it’s all just part of the human condition. On the Day Ward we are all pretty crammed in. We occupy chairs and it reminds of those old-fashioned ladies’ hairdressing salons where they all read magazines while having their hair fried, boiled or permed under the sinister domes of drying machines. On one side of me is a sweet, talkative lady and on the other side is a grumpy man in his seventies. Were these two carefully placed either side of me – by the nurses, or by some supernatural power – to listen and learn. One is what you might call a gloomy pessimist; the other is his living breathing passionate opposite.

‘Oh, I hate this,’ he says. ‘All this.’

‘Do you,’ she says sweetly and with a gentle smile. ‘You know it’s not so bad and think of it this way: it’s better than what would happen if you didn’t have the treatment.’

‘But you’re so tied down, I hate it.’

‘Well, you can read a book, listen to the radio, have a conversation with those around you, take a nice little nap, think of all your nice memories. There’s lots you can do.’

‘I hate the place.’

‘It’s become home-from-home for me. And the nurses and doctors are so nice.’ ‘You think so?’

‘Oh yes. And they’re so busy but they stay kind.’ ‘The food is awful.’

‘It could be better but look at it like this: someone cooked it for you and you don’t

have to do any washing up!’

On and on it goes. For every complaint Pessimism comes up with, Optimism has a reply. She’s suffering from aggressive cancer, just like he is, and she’s not giving an inch. She’s not letting him get away with it. After a while of this, Pessimism concedes defeat by closing his eyes. He’s either pretending to sleep having been talked into silence or he’s now having “nice little nap”.

The lady turns to me with a sparkle in her eye. ‘What type of cancer do you have?’

she asks.

The P&CG send thanks to Sue for her heartfelt contribution to the newsletter from her beloved late husband Graham.

Congratulations to Volunteers from the Amputee Foundation

Cathy Harrell, Sue Bradley and Paul Colliss have used their personal experience of limb amputation or congenital limb absence to make a remarkable impact as volunteers to support other people on Vascular Ward 2 people. Through their volunteer roles, they have assisted patients undergoing procedures with amputation or who are recovering from limb amputation by providing empathy and crucial emotional support through the lens of their lived experience. This has helped patients envision a hopeful future, and their contributions are deeply valued by patients, families, and colleagues at the hospitals.

Congratulations to Andy Ward on his recent promotion to Associate Professor in Medical Education

Andy is an Associate Professor of Medical Education and an Honorary Senior Academic General Practitioner at the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare, located within Leicester Medical School.

The Centre is dedicated to revolutionising medical education by embedding empathy at the core of healthcare practice.

School of Healthcare News:

Message from the Head of the School of Healthcare

Thank you to Professor David Wright for the valuable insight into progress being made within the School of Healthcare

Professor David Wright: “The School received confirmation from FODO, a charity setup to support the creation of new Masters in Optometry programs, of its intention to fund a foundation Professor for three years and the equipment required for teaching within the School of Healthcare. The Foundation Professor will start on December 1st, with a plan to start the new program by September 2026.Whist this is the last of the new undergraduate programs planned for the School over the next five years, it will mean that the School will become of a similar size to the others within the College and we will no longer be given prizes for best ‘small school’.”

Congratulations to the School of Healthcare from P&CG Apollo Progress

“Plans for an International Masters in Mental Health Nursing are progressing with a planned start date of September 2025.This would be delivered from the Leicester campus with six months on-site and six months located in a mental health trust. Regular updates on progress to be provided.”

MPharm program license by Anglia Ruskin University

“The School has been approached by Anglia Ruskin to purchase its new MPharm program. This is due to the unique course design (for pharmacy) which has significant placements in all years, is not reliant on teaching in science laboratories and uses team-based learning as its main method in years one and two. Sue Ambler, the program lead, is currently negotiating with the University that some of the profit from the sale, if it goes ahead, should come back to the School for purchasing teaching equipment for all of our programs. Good luck Sue with the negotiations.”

Congratulations

“The School of Healthcare welcomes two new additions. Congratulations to Lecturer in Pharmacy, Rasiqh Wadud, on the arrival of a new baby boy Ramin, born at 1.30am on 22 October and Christopher McDonald, Lecturer in ODP, on the arrival of his new baby boy Noah, born on 27 October, 6lb 15oz.”

School of Healthcare Investigating Committee Chair Appointment

“With the impending retirement of Kevin Harrup, Professor Jayne Marshall has kindly stepped forward to take on the role of the SHIC Lead. Congratulations to Kevin on his impending retirement and congratulations to Jane on her new role.

“The Pharmacist Independent Prescribing team have been approached by the Chief Pharmacist in the Cayman Islands to deliver the University of Leicester Independent Pharmacist Prescribing program to their pharmacists over the coming years.

Negotiations are currently underway, with teaching planned to be delivered in the Cayman Islands for two days per year by our team members. It is envisaged that the program would then spread to the other islands in the Caribbean which were formerly British Overseas Territories including Bermuda, Montserrat, Anguilla, Turks, British Virgin Islands and Caicos islands (P&CG check your passports!).

New Peer Observation of Teaching Scheme for 2024/25

“The Peer Observation of Teaching (POT) Scheme will be running throughout this academic year, and is designed to enhance the quality of teaching by providing opportunities for professional development for all staff involved in teaching.”

Educate, Evaluate and Eat: Drop-in lunches with the Education Academy

“If you have a teaching project or innovation, and want to know if it works, you are invited to attend the monthly evaluation lunches in the Library Cafe from 12-13:00 every second Tuesday of the month, run by members of the Education Academy.”

Research News

“October has been a busy month with all our new post graduate researchers (PhD students) joining the team. During the next newsletter we will showcase what they are up to. If something is of interest to you or your student’s please do ask them to get in touch. Congratulations to Joseph Manningand Takawira Marufu who has recently started his exciting NIHR funded research examining pressure injuries in children with dark skin tones. https://le.ac.uk/news/2024/october/pressure-injuries The start of November also saw the launch of the impact accelerometer “Let’s get moving”, a collaboration between the school and LLHRG, which aims to determine the current physical activity offers and commissioned services in LNR and address priority areas to deliver activities and interventions embedded in the community that improve wellbeing and health through physical activity.”

International Confederation of Midwives

“Jayne Marshall is Chair of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Regional Professional Committee (RCP) for Europe and took part in the ICM’s inaugural regional Conference in Berlin from 8-10 November 2024. This involved presenting the work of the RCP as well as facilitating a workshop with representatives of the 40 Midwives Associations across Europe. Fourth year student midwives, Bea Gardner and Lizzie Kusimo attended as part of their leadership experience.”

On-going work for the P&CG in 2025

Vice chair and Associates are progressing the growth and representation of the P&CG database. Analysis is underway to identify the number of members in each postcode. We will then look more closely at members experiences, conditions to foster Equality and Diversity.

Events

Winter Wonderland

Friday 6 December 2024, from 11.00am

The University of Leicester wishes all our students, staff, alumni, friends and neighbours a very happy 2025. Join us on campus for our Winter Wonderland celebrations from 11.00am on Friday 6 December 2024 to create magical moments this festive season.

Find out more: https://le.ac.uk/winter-wonderland

Tim Fowler: The Ground

18th October 2024 - 26th January 2025 Gallery 1 & 2

“Tim Fowler is a Leicester artist best known for his immediately recognisable paintings that feature a palette of extremely bright and intense colours. He works intuitively, combining oil and acrylic with spray paint, enamel, graffiti inks, creating layered compositions that fizz with energy.”

https://attenborougharts.com/whats-on/tim-fowler-the-ground/

Ice Skate Leicester

5 December 2024 - 5 January 2025

“Ice skate into Christmas in Leicester's Jubilee Square as the Skate Leicester Real Ice Rink returns for the 2024 festive season! Families, grandparents, couples alike can join us on the ice as we celebrate Christmas in Leicester.

Find out more here: https://www.visitleicester.info/whats-on/ice-skate-leicester-p857551  

Christmas at Belvoir Castle

23 November 2024 to7 January 2025

Celebrate a magical Christmas at Belvoir, adorned with festive charm, joyful activities, and heartwarming moments that capture the holiday spirit. 2024 theme is yet to be announced! 

Find out more here: https://www.visitleicester.info/whats-on/christmas-at-belvoir-castle-p933511