We receive lots of great plaudits daily so why not share some with you? Below is a copy of a letter the trust received from a Bedhampton-based trust member who praises that it took less than seven hours from making the initial enquiry at his surgery to having his problem referred to QA, investigated and resolved.

Portsmouth Hospitals has been shortlisted for two awards at the 32^nd annual HSJ Awards for work efficiency and improving patient safety.

Kenneth Paine was one of the first patients to trial a new diagnostic test being performed at Queen Alexandra Hospital called cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). This determines a patient’s fitness to undergo various surgical procedures.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has worked hard to decrease the numbers of falls incidents over the past few years. Since 2010, the hospital has seen an 18% reduction in inpatient falls and 16% reduction in falls where the patient sustained an injury.

After a decade in the making, can you believe that it has been four years since the new-build of Queen Alexandra Hospital emerged? A lot has changed….

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) happens each year on 15th June. It is about everyone working together to bring greater recognition of the mistreatment of older adults wherever they live throughout the world and to highlight the need for appropriate action.

Air Traffic Control Engineer, Shyam Boodhram from Fareham, was diagnosed with a pituitary tumour last year eight-years after first experiencing symptoms.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, accounting for quarter of all male cancer cases. In 2010 around 41,000 men across the UK were diagnosed - that's more than 112 every day! But it seems a lot of men ignore the warning signs, which is something 70-year-old David Smith knows all about.

Woman that have diabetes are five times more likely to have a still birth, three times more likely to have a neonatal death in the first month of their baby’s life and five times more likely to deliver pre-term…

‘Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 12-years-old was exciting with the leaflets, books and new gadgets I was given, but it didn’t take long for the novelty to wear off and for me to feel as though I just wanted to be normal; so I stopped taking the meds and lied to everyone around me.’

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS), Portsmouth Hospitals and AMF Bowling in Bedhampton have joined forces to host a 999 play safe, play fun event at AMF Bowling in Bedhampton, Havant, on Saturday 15 June 2013, 12pm – 2pm. 

Hospitals across England and North Wales need around 7,000 units of blood every day to treat a range of health issues including cancer, A&E incidents and in maternity care. To mark this year’s National Blood Week the theme of Know Blood, Give Blood aims to open up every aspect of blood donation to encourage new and lapsed donors to come forward.

Each year over 2,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid, and according to the National Cancer Institute it is estimated that a further 14,910 men will be diagnosed worldwide in 2013.

Dr Prasad Siddegowda is a consultant in stroke medicine at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, with two years experience treating and rehabilitating patients following a stroke, who better to shadow in light of stroke awareness month….

Queen Alexandra Hospital’s Department of Rheumatology are working in partnership with the Orthopaedic Spinal Services Team are proud to present the second living well with Back and Neck Pain conference on Wednesday 26 June 2013 - Mountbatten Centre 9.00am – 1.00pm.

Championed by The Rocky Appeal team, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust can offer the best treatment using the latest medical equipment thanks to the fundraising efforts of our volunteers.

Our volunteers benefit the Trust in numerous ways including helping ward staff at meal times, directing patients and visitors to their destinations, helping in some administrative support, and assisting with patient surveys.

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death globally and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide. At Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, we offer a stop smoking referral to all of our inpatients, and have been working to enforce the ‘no smoking onsite’ policy with Portsmouth City Council.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust’s Department of Rheumatology are hosting the seventh Love your Bones conference on Wednesday 26 June 2013.

Pictures of animals and landmarks have been displayed on the route from Paediatrics to theatres to distract children on their way to theatre.

Opened in May 2013, a new museum of Anaesthetics has opened which documents the history of the Anaesthetic departments in Portsmouth.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust shows recognition for new donations by adding 22 boats to the boats of bounty board.

Queen Alexandra Hospital’s Rheumatology Department has been nominated as a best practice Rheumatology service model and pathway - Rheumatology exemplar hub by the British Society for Rheumatology.

Mamas & Papas, one of the country’s leading names in nursery retail, maternity fashion and baby wear, launched its latest store in Whiteley. To celebrate, the store donated a cheque for £1000 to Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust Midwifery Units.

Two medical consultants from the Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust were part of a team who took away the Karen Woo Surgical team of the year award and were the overall winner of the Medical Team of the Year.

Dementia is a term for a range of illnesses that affect memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, in which brain cells deteriorate through the build-up of a protein.

Each year around 30,000 people in the UK will suffer from a form of blood cancer – of that, 7,600 of those will be diagnosed with leukaemia, something that 56 –year-old Gary Hayes from Hayling Island knows all about.

Emma Munro started in Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust three-years ago with a mission of pulling the 18 trust-wide silo research nurses together and forming one research team in order to improve treatments for patients.

The Department of Critical Care has teamed up with The University of Portsmouth and has been granted Academic Department status.

Talking about dying and death is something people understandably feel uncomfortable about, but it is something we all need to talk about, otherwise we, or our loved ones, may not die in the way we want.

 This week marks Brain Injury Week which is a great opportunity to highlight the fantastic work carried out at QA in order to help patients suffering from a brain injury.

On 12 May 2013 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust will be showing its appreciation to its nursing staff by showcasing the difference made by nurses to the health of individual patients.

A series of diabetes specialists including consultants, nurses, psychologists and dieticians, will be on hand to meet type 1 diabetes sufferers through a ‘speed dating’ type session.

Travellers' thrombosis was formally called ‘economy class syndrome’ and is when prolonged period of immobility, such as a long flight or train journey, can cause DVT.

Pregnancy hormones combined with the gradual increased size of your womb as your baby grows causes blood to flow from the veins into the legs and heart much more slowly. This is a way to prevent the loss of too much blood during labour; therefore your blood is more likely to clot when pregnant.

E-thrombosis is a relatively newly noted form of thrombosis which is associated with long periods sitting in front of personal computers or game consoles.

On Wednesday 8 May, world class surgeons used a new state-of-the-art robot to perform the operation not just with their skilled hands, but also using the most sophisticated robotic surgical technology available for use at this time.

Every day of every year, health staff are at work around the clock trying to keep the country as well as possible. Nominate your nurse/doctor/team for an award...

Did you know that 5.4 million people in the UK have asthma? That means that one in five households are affected. Asthma remains a serious condition which can be fatal, with 1,143 deaths across the UK in 2010. Sadly 16 of those were children aged 14 and under.

It’s national thrombosis week so here at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust we have put some facts together to keep you safe!

The family of former Queen Alexandra Hospital patient, Andrew Read, have donated a new sofa and games for patients and visitors to the rehabilitation centre with the help of H + S Aviation.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has just performed its first faecal transplant at Queen Alexandra Hospital.

The International day of the midwife is celebrated on 5 May each year to highlight the important role midwives play in the health of mothers and children.

The diabetes teams from Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust have been shortlisted for two national awards for their innovative work with diabetes.

Amputee patients from the Prosthetic Regional Rehabilitation Service at St Mary’s Hospital are to compete at the LimbPower Games.

Bowel cancer has one of the worst cancer mortality rates and kills around 16,000 people in the UK each year. Grandad to five, 68-year-old Alan Bennett from Portsmouth, decided to undergo a nationwide trial to delay his surgery to 12-weeks in an attempt to shrink his bowel tumour before removing it, rather than fight the deadly disease the conventional way.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has been shortlisted for the CHKS Top Hospitals programme patient safety award 2013. The CHKS Top Hospitals awards celebrate the success of healthcare providers across the UK and are given to acute organisations for their achievements in healthcare quality and improvement.

This month Portsmouth Hospitals celebrates caesarean awareness month and highlights a new surgical caesarean procedure to come to QA – welcome the triple P procedure….

It’s male cancer awareness week and as summer approaches men are once again being urged to protect their skin from the sun and look out for changes to moles after NHS figures last year revealed that men are more likely to die from malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, despite it being more common in women.

Come along to a constituency meeting and talk to the elected members of the Trust’s Council of Governors and a Trust representative.

Much improved results for Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust are reported in the 2012 inpatient survey published today by the Care Quality Commission.

The latest issue of Trust Matters is now available. This is our members magazine, and inside is a roundup of our achievements from 2012-13 and service developments and celebrations.

From Tuesday 2 April 2013 Carillion, who manage the hospital’s car parks, will increase the rates for the Multi-storey Car Park, the North Car Park and for the spaces near to the East Entrance.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is actively participating in the second NHS Sustainability Day on 28 March. On the day we have ensured there is much for people to discuss.

Many people think Tuberculosis (TB) was eradicated in the UK but it never was. In 2011 there were 8,963 cases reported.

Congratulations are in order for the staff, volunteers and patients that took part in the Spinnaker Tower abseil this weekend.

Its 50 years since fathers were first allowed to step foot in the delivery room. So, 50 years on, what can we do to get Dads even more involved during labour and the birth of their first child?

Queen Alexandra Hospital among international trial centres involved in testing new drug that extends survival and stalls disease progression for longer than the gold standard of care

Swap fags for swag. That's the theme of this year's national No Smoking Day on 13 March 2013, and is fully supported by Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust.  

In the UK alone 7,000 kidney patients are waiting for a kidney transplant but due to the shortage of organ donors, around 300 a year will die while waiting.

The victim of a road traffic collision has Lieutenant Colonel Nick Tarmey, a Consultant Intensive Care specialist from the Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit Portsmouth who works at the Queen Alexandra Hospital Cosham, to thank for giving her life saving treatment and care.

NHS change day is being held on Wednesday 13 March, and aims to highlight the benefits of simple changes and new ideas.

Ever wondered what it is like to be an apprentice? Want to earn money while learning? Come along to award winning Queen Alexandra Hospital on 12 March to learn more.

If you are a current or ex-patient, a relative or carer or a member of the local community who may use our services in the future and are interested in informing the development of our quality account, then come along to the meeting.

A new relationship has been formed between the Complete Fertility Centre Southampton and the Portsmouth Fertility Centre based at Queen Alexandra Hospital. The new satellite service allows patients in Portsmouth to receive their initial NHS in vitro fertilisation (IVF) consultations and assessments locally.

Looking for something different to kick off the New Year? Want to challenge yourself but don’t feel like doing weeks of training? Thinking of showing everyone a new side to your character whilst doing something incredible to support the hospital?

How about joining the team and taking part in the Spinnaker Tower Abseil in aid of Portsmouth Hospitals on 16 March 2013?

The breast screening service at Queen Alexandra Hospital will become completely digital as from the end of February 2013. This will allow the service to be expanded to screen women between the ages of 47 – 73 (rather than the current 50-70 age range).

New Insulin pump introduced to treatment of diabetes in children

New statistics reveal a big decrease in the number of diabetic patients in Portsmouth needing major amputations in the last three years.

The hard work and dedication of its hospital volunteers was celebrated on 18 February 2013 when around 140 people came together for a celebration of the work done by the volunteers.

Portsmouth part of £11million funding boost to improve NHS prosthetic care for war veterans

As Valentine's Day approaches, thoughts may turn to buying flowers and chocolates for loved ones. But what about giving the gift of life? All of this week, ITV is running a national campaign called From the Heart to encourage people to give the greatest gift of all - donating your organs.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is proud to announce that two of its apprentices have been shortlisted for Apprentice of the Year by The News in their Business Awards. Congratulations to Emily Wainwright and Penny Roberts.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is showing its support for International Childhood Cancer Day which takes place on 15 February, targeted at children and families experiencing this disease.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust have successfully met the accreditation standards of SEQOHS - Safe Effective Quality Occupational Health Service. This demonstrates that as an organisation we meet the national quality standards for occupational health service provision both to our NHS clients and to external clients who use our services.

Cancer is not a single disease with a single type of treatment, but one with more than 200 different kinds, all needing variations in treatment. To celebrate the advances in diagnosing and treating cancer, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is supporting World Cancer Day on Monday 4 February 2013.

A midwife from Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has won one of theUK’s top midwifery prizes at the Royal College of Midwives Annual Midwifery Awards. Mandy Grosvenor from the Blake Birth Centre received the Pampers’ Mentor of the Year. The award, nominated by Amie Ducie, Student Midwife, was given to Mandy for her insight as a mentor.

If you could see flu germs, you’d see how quickly they spread...

Catch it, bin it, kill it

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has been chosen by the national Health Foundation as a Trust whose innovative ideas help to improve the quality of healthcare. Our ‘My Birthplace’ project is developing a computerised App (decision making tool) to support women, their partners and midwives to make decisions about place of birth. 

Community Midwife, Mandy Grosvenor, of Blake Birth Centre, one of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust's midwifery units in Gosport has been shortlisted for a Royal College of Midwives award for the ‘Mentor of the Year’.

Professor Peter Brennan, Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon from Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has been recently elected as the youngest ever President of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS).

Make sure you check out BBC 1 Inside Out tonight (Monday 21 January) at 7.30pm. Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has been working closely with the BBC focusing on inequalities in health. This has centred on liver disease, bariatrics (obesity) and type 2 diabetes.

We would like to urge anyone who needs medical treatment over the next few days to Choose Well and consider where is the most appropriate place to receive treatment, and to access it promptly.

Help us to keep you well informed of the latest changes and news within the trust by following us on Twitter: @QAHospitalNews

In June 2012 NHS South of England coordinated a survey of mothers’ experience of their care across all 37 NHS Trusts. Each Trust has now received a personalised report of its results..

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is hard. Talking about it can be even harder. This year between 21 - 27 January Cancer Talk Week is focused on families, how they can be there to support you or sometimes be the hardest people to talk to.

Ever wondered how much damage that extra pint or bag of crisps is doing to your liver?  Come along and get your liver scanned for free on Tuesday 15 January at Morrisons, Victory Retail Park, Flathouse Road, Portsmouth, PO1 4QP

The ‘Our Health’ website is the first of its kind in England. It aims to transform the way that patients, their carers and health professionals access and share the latest information on a range of key local health and care services across the South.

Staff, patients and families visiting Queen Alexandra Hospital were given something extra to smile about when staff from Asda Fareham delivered £400 worth toys and gifts for children in Queen Alexandra Hospital.

Children on the Starfish Ward and Child Assessment Unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital had a special treat on Wednesday 19 December when some of the cast and crew of Cinderella visited.

Queen Alexandra Hospital was visited by the cast of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves from the Kings Theatre, Southsea. Several cast members including Snow White, the evil Queen, and the Prince visited to say Merry Christmas to patients, families and staff on the Starfish ward.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust would like to say a huge thank you to all of its volunteers who have given their time to help out in Queen Alexandra Hospital in 2012.

Do you know which NHS services you should be using? The Choose Well campaign asks the public to think about how serious their health problem is and then choose the right service. By choosing the right service from the start, will mean reduced waiting times.

Designed to recognise staff that have gone above and beyond the call of duty, the Best People Awards is the Trust’s own unique awards ceremony which recognises staff members that have worked tirelessly over the year, setting high standards of practice.

The Christmas season at Queen Alexandra Hospital has officially started following a visit from Portsmouth Football Club to the Paediatric department and Medicine for Older People, Stroke and Rehabilitation units.

Young patients at Queen Alexandra Hospital were asked to put their creative skills to the test when they took part in a competition to design the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust Christmas card.

A consortium called Salisbury, Wight and South Hampshire Domain NHS Trust (SWASH) was formed in June 2011 to improve radiology patient information flow around the region. Today it has been announced that the consortium has appointed its preferred suppliers.

Queen Alexandra Hospital provides a range of vascular services to treat acute pain, diabetes, stroke prevention and much more. Vascular disease is very important to treat as soon as possible as it relates to blood vessels and so affect the circulatory system.

Katherine Pink, staff nurse for Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Royal Navy Reserve was highly commended in the Best Reservist category of the fifth annual Sun Military Awards (The Millies), organised by The Sun newspaper in close collaboration with the Military of Defence.

The awards are designed to recognise the excellent work of the Armed Forces and the people who support them.

The ‘Christmas to remember’ campaign was launched by actress Carey Mulligan and the Prime Minister at Downing Streeton 5 December.

It aims to raise awareness of dementia and encourage people to take appropriate action if they spot signs of the condition in family or friends over the festive season.

Festive cheer will be brought to Queen Alexandra Hospital as local groups will be coming to sing carols over the festive period. A variety of local groups will be coming in to sing in the main reception area of the hospital during December.

Stagecoach are extending Service 20 to improve access to Queen Alexandra Hospital from Southsea. The revised route will commence on 7 January 2013 and will now serve Southsea and Stamshaw.

Several members of staff at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust have taken on the national Movember challenge.

Why not come along to a Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust constituency meeting and talk to the elected members of the Trust’s Council of Governors and a Trust representative.

Many people are unaware that drinking alcohol when pregnant can cause permanent brain damage in their baby.

Less people know what the symptoms of alcohol related birth defects are known as Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and even less know how to help those affected.

NHS Portsmouth has won a national award for its activities encouraging smokers to quit on No Smoking Day. It beat more than 80 entries to be named the British Heart Foundation’s Organiser of the Year in the Best Community/Local Partnership Activity category. It was a collaborative effort, involving NHS Portsmouth, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, and other health organisations.

Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust is supporting Self Care Week 2012, from 12 to 18 November. Self Care Week aims to support the local community to learn more about how they can look after their own health better. 

Self care is not just about how you take medicines, treat minor ailments, where you can seek help when needed, but it is also about understanding any long term conditions you may have and how to live with it on a day to day basis.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust warmly welcomed a delegation of clinicians visiting from Russia on Wednesday 14 November.

The News, Portsmouth’s daily newspaper, has apologised to Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust for their reporting error in an article referring to the Trust’s maternity services.

The paper has confirmed that a report in The News on Friday 9 November wrongly stated a number of claims made over birth injuries in Portsmouth.  We can confirm the headline to their report is NOT true.

The News has printed an apology today for the confusion caused and confirmed that they were happy to set the record straight.  

A team of cyclists set-off from QA Hospital at 9am on World Diabetes Day, 14 November to cycle a total of 155 miles to the NEC in Birmingham to raise funds and awareness for charity, Diabetes Power.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is re-launching its Type 1 diabetes service to meet the changing needs of patients with the condition.

Diabetes consultant, Partha Kar comments: “Type 1 diabetes is very distinct and different from Type 2, with an altogether different disease pathology.

“The new service has been re-designed with patient input, as well as considering how other organisations operate.

“Moving forward there will be more interaction between professionals and patients, creating a service which is flexible at the need of the patient.”

Ahead of World Diabetes Day on 14 November, Portsmouth Hospitals Trust announces its Southern Diabetes Winter Conference, which will consider the challenges and developments in diabetes care.

With contributions from key health professionals the day includes talks and workshops on range of diabetic topics, offering the latest thinking and practical advice.

The day will be of interest to local health professionals including colleagues in primary care & public health, as well as hospital consultants, trainees and specialist nurses.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is encouraging diabetics to give up smoking as it raises awareness of the risk of foot amputations during World Diabetes Day, 14 November.

Diabetes can cause poor circulation, which often means people do not realise there is an ulcer or cut on their foot.

By smoking, diabetics are increasing their chance of poor circulation and foot complications, which if left untreated over time can become infected and leave no option but to amputate a toe or foot.

Military members of staff within Queen Alexandra Hospital will be selling poppies this week to mark Armistice Day and all those who have given their lives. The Trust has a long standing relationship with the armed forces as Queen Alexandra Hospital first opened as a military hospital and is proud to host the largest Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit (MDHU) in the country.

A Portsmouth doctor has pioneered a new national innovations hub dedicated to diabetes which will encourage NHS professionals to share information and improve care.

Dr Partha Kar, from Queen Alexandra (QA) Hospital, led the project, which was successfully launched earlier this year ahead of World Diabetes Day on 14 November.

With around 30,000 people diagnosed with diabetes in the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire area, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is turning the Spinnaker Tower blue to raise awareness of the condition on World Diabetes Day (14 November).

The organisers of World Diabetes Day are aiming to get as many landmarks and big organisations across the world to light up blue as possible. So far 372 monuments from across the world have confirmed that they will be taking part, with many more organisations joining as we move closer to the day.

Staff at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust are continuing to go above and beyond the call of duty to help improve the treatment of stroke patients in Ghana.

The winners of the Nurse of the Year awards were announced last night at the Nursing Times award show. Sue Atkins from the Alcohol Nurse Specialist Team at Queen Alexandra Hospital was awarded the highly commended second place position for her work in setting up an alcohol specific department in Portsmouth.

The Autumn issue of Trust Matters is now available. This magazine is created for our members, and inside is a range of information about the Trust, our achievements, and our journey to becoming a Foundation Trust.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Carillion Plc have been revamping one of the elderly care wards to make it more user-friendly for patients. There are currently 800,000 people with dementia in the UK, and one in three people over the age of 65 will develop dementia. Simple changes can make a real difference.

The Trust is pleased to announce that it performed better than national and SHA averages in the 2011 National Hip Fracture Database which audits hip fracture care around a number of quality indicators and has seen year on year improvements.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust win prestigious national award for their innovative work with diabetes.

The teams were awarded first prize in the Quality in Care Awards for the best network care initiative. The award recognises the work behind the super six model, which has helped to redefine integrated diabetes care across South East Hampshire and its success has meant it has been adopted across Portsmouth as well.

Dr Richard Jones, Chief of Service for Medicine CSC is well known by patients in the Cardiology department, however only a few know about his outside interest. His attention to detail with patients at Queen Alexandra Hospital is firmly complimented in his photography where his patience and skills shine through.

In 2011, around 1,300 people had a stroke in Hampshire alone, and worryingly around one in six people worldwide will suffer from a stroke in their lifetime. Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is leading on a local campaign to raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of having a stroke.

The HTP Training showcase events and awards ceremony took place late last week and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust were delighted to have been recognised for the training the Trust provides for apprenticeships.

Hundreds of people took a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of Queen Alexandra Hospital during a special Open Day on Saturday 6 October 2012.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust (PHT) is inviting the public to become members of the Trust in the run up to its application for Foundation Trust status.

Keen to secure a wide range of members which fully represent the local communities in which it operates, the Trust welcomes membership from all, but particularly from those who are currently under represented including younger people and those from different ethnic backgrounds.

With back pain affecting more than 80% of the population at any one time, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is encouraging people during Back Care Awareness Week (8-12 October) to stay active and prevent the onset of long-term back issues.

In 2010/2011 the Health and Safety Executive reported that 7.5 million working days were lost due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders, emphasising the importance of back care.

On Saturday 6 October, Queen Alexandra Hospital will be giving the public an insight into the services and departments run by Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust. The Open Day will be held between 11.00am - 3.00pm.

During October, smokers of Portsmouthand Hampshire are being encouraged to take part in the first ever mass quit attempt launched by the Department of Health – Stoptober.

Highlighting excellence in nursing, the Nurse Awards 2013 are now open for entries and provides an opportunity for nursing staff and innovations in nursing care to be celebrated.

A new campaign aiming to increase early diagnosis rates for dementia across England by tackling the public’s fears of talking about the condition, has been launched by the Department of Health with support from the Alzheimer’s Society.

Members of the Executive Team at Portsmouth Hospitals Trust visited Theatres to support staff taking part in Safer Surgery Week.

Simon Holmes, Medical Director and Julie Dawes, Director of Nursing changed into scrubs and took part in activity to help increase awareness of safer surgical care for patients across the hospital.

With over 200 attendees at Portsmouth Hospitals Trust’s Dermatology Open Day – the day proved to be a huge success with excellent feedback from those who came along.

Consultant Dermatologist, Sam Hunt comments: “Yet again this was an extremely well attended and received event. The feedback from those who came along was outstanding and next year we may have to change to a larger venue as demand for this service continues to increase.”

The NHS unnecessarily spends more than £3 billion per year on treating pressure ulcers. What some people don’t realise is that the skin is an organ which needs to be looked after on a regular basis.

Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust has launched a new initiative in the form of a high tea which is being trialled on wards G2 and G3 at Queen Alexandra Hospital.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Southern Health Foundation Trust have been shortlisted for their excellent work in diabetes in the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards 2012, the ‘industry bible’ for health developments.

Finalists in the Managing Long Term Care category, the teams have been recognised for the super six model, which has helped to redefine integrated diabetes care across South East Hampshire.

With an estimated 250,000 Hepatitis C positive people in the UK and mounting concerns over the increase in alcohol use, liver disease continues to be high on the health agenda.

Offering specialist liver services Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is holding its free annual liver symposium which will look at the effect of alcohol and Hepatitis C on the liver, bringing together leading experts from across the UK to share knowledge and information.

1.4 million older people are estimated to drink too much and in England last year, there were more admissions to hospitals of pensioners for alcohol-related injuries and illnesses than of sixteen to twenty-four year olds.  In the last five years, there has been a 62% increase in alcohol-related admissions for the over 65s.

We are pleased to report that our Annual Report 2011-12 has been released

As the second largest employer in Portsmouth, and with youth unemployment locally on the increase, PHT took the decision in 2011 to actively promote Modern Apprenticeship opportunities within the organisation.

Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust is supporting the Be Clear on Bowel Cancer campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and encourage those with these symptoms to see their doctor.

Members of the public will be given a rare opportunity to go behind-the-scenes of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust’s Dermatology Department at a special open day.

THREE nurses from Queen Alexandra (QA) Hospital are actively training to tackle the mammoth Hadrian’s Challenge this September, whilst also raising funds for Arthritis Care, the National Osteoporosis Society and Cancer Research UK.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust are now fully implementing the NCSCT Stop Smoking Referral System following the huge success of the recent pilot resulting in a 600% increase in patient referrals on to stop smoking support services.

Back in 2008/09, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust was seeing an average of 3,300 ‘did not attend’ appointments. This equates to a staggering £27,500 a month in lost income and longer waits. Now in 2012 we have managed to reduce our DNAs to just over 8% across the Trust with an overall reduction of over 60%.

RAF nurses are taking part in a 24hour run, row and cycle in aid of charity in the main atrium of Queen Alexandra Hospital. This task is due to finish at 2.00pm on Friday 24 August to a huge cheer from a military and civilian crowd. Come along and show your support!

The Summer issue of Trust Matters is now available. This magazine is created for our members, and inside is a range of information about the Trust and our journey to becoming a Foundation Trust

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has been hailed as one of Britain’s two most improved hospitals for cancer treatment in a prestigious national patient experience survey run by the Department of Health. Cancer inpatients from every major hospital were surveyed and according to the findings published this week, patients from Portsmouth expressed overwhelming satisfaction at the treatment they had received.

Princess Marys Royal Air Force Nurses at Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit Portsmouth, (MDHU PM), based at Queen Alexandra Hospital will cycle, run and row over 24 hours to raise money for the hospital’s Rocky Appeal and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

We are proud that our staff wanted to get involved in the Olympic spirit. Over the first two weeks in August, F1 Phoenix Rehabilitation Centre staff held their own version of the Olympic games for patients on F1, F3 and D1 wards.

With over 48,000 women being diagnosed with breast cancer in theUK, Portsmouth Hospitals Trust is urging women in the Cosham and Paulsgrove area to attend regular screening.

All members of the public are invited to come and hear more about our work and future plans at the Trust's Annual General Meeting on Thursday 30 August in the Lecture Theatre, Education Centre, Level E, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham.

There are loads of events taking place for the Olympic Torch Relay, so make sure you don’t miss out.  One of our members of staff will be carrying the torch through Chichester on Monday 16 July.

To celebrate National Transplant week, PHT has joined forced with the University of Portsmouth and NHS Blood and Transplant service to produce a lasting memorial for organ donors.

The NHS Heroes campaign has launched this July to coincide with the 64^th anniversary of the NHS and aims to celebrate the extraordinary work done by NHS staff across the UK.

Tony joined the QA eye appeal fund following the successful operation to improve his sight, and has been leading the appeal for the last 21 years raising an amazing £95,000. Now turning 86 this month, Tony has hung up his boots and is preparing to enjoy his retirement.

A team from Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has won a national award for its innovative work with diabetes.

Queen Alexandra hospital (QA) has developed a specialist liver disease service to tackle the alarming problem of liver disease and to encourage healthy lifestyle choices.

An important part of any emergency care department is the ability to provide high quality radiographic (X-ray) images to meet and to respond to the changing demands of the health professionals as they care for their patients.  

The special day gives the nation an opportunity to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to service families, veterans to cadets.

More than 5,800 people are diagnosed with cancer in Hampshire every year and they need treatment and support. Macmillan recently hosted the annual volunteers award ceremony to recognise the contributions that our volunteers make to our hospital. Key to the success are the amazing and dedicated volunteers.