The Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care Team based at Antrim Area Hospital and the Northern Trust Skin Cancer Team who go above and beyond for people living with cancer have been honoured with Macmillan awards.

Both teams were awarded the Whatever It Takes Award which recognises extraordinary efforts, where individuals and teams have had to adapt, innovate, collaborate, support wellbeing initiatives, shown great resilience despite distressing situations and lead with compassion.

Their colleagues in the Northern Trust, the Cancer and Palliative Wellbeing Team, were also named as finalists in the Integration Excellence category. This category recognises individuals and teams who have improved the coordination of services and enabled integration across settings or through digital services to provide a seamless experience for people living with cancer. The team’s programmes included Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) pamper sessions, Fatigue Management workshops and Health & Wellbeing events (H&WB) which were all adapted to virtual resources due to COVID-19, therefore empowering patients to access support services virtually to overcome any challenges they may face.

The annual awards recognise the incredible work of Macmillan professionals across the UK and the Northern Trust teams, who were the only trust across the UK to have three finalists in the awards, were nominated by colleagues for their dedication to supporting people living with cancer in the local area.

From the outset of the pandemic, the Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care Team in the Northern Trust have shown compassion, leadership and remarkable resilience whilst striving to improve end-of-life services for patients and their families.

The team worked hard to ensure patient care was never compromised, with staff developing creative ways to provide comfort and reassurance to patients and families who struggled with restricted visiting. Staff changing rooms were quickly transformed into meeting areas for patients with young children, and a gazebo was erected to facilitate socially distanced visits outside.

“The team were remarkable,” says Macmillan Service Lead for Palliative Care, Sally Convery. “At a time of great uncertainty, they ensured patients were at the heart of everything they did by skilfully identifying their needs and the needs of those important to them. This team has shown an outstanding level of human kindness to patients, relatives and each other.”

Prior to the Covid pandemic, the Northern Trust’s Skin Cancer Team had spent five years developing an innovative service that delivered a range of holistic support to their patients. The team ran nine face-to-face nurse-led clinics each week across a large geographical area, so when the pandemic began, they had to act quickly to adapt the service to a more virtual offering.

The Skin Cancer Team showed tremendous resilience in the face of many challenges to develop effective new ways of working.

“The vast majority of our patients were isolating, and they were lonely,” explains Michelle. “The telephone clinic calls weren’t just about skin cancer. For them, the fact that somebody was there for them and phoning them was invaluable at that time.”

Head of Partnerships for Macmillan in Northern Ireland, Janice Preston said, “The Macmillan Excellence Awards are an annual opportunity to show our appreciation for Macmillan professionals, who work tirelessly day in day out to make a real difference for people with cancer.

“This year that work has been more vital than ever, due to the challenges that the coronavirus pandemic has brought. We are incredibly proud of and all our professionals, and their continued commitment to going above and beyond in their work.

“Both the Specialist Palliative Care Team and the Skin Cancer Team demonstrated a hugely dynamic response to the pandemic. They both identified the needs of their patients and relatives as well as their own colleagues and made sure that they were supported throughout.”

Macmillan’s prestigious and independent awards highlight excellence across the UK and the impact of Macmillan professionals and teams who have done whatever it takes to support people living with cancer.

The awards allow Macmillan to celebrate the professionals’ unique spirit by showcasing not just what Macmillan professionals do, but how they do it.

For support, information or a chat, call Macmillan Cancer Support free on 0808 808 00 00 (Monday to Friday, 9am–8pm) or visit macmillan.org.uk.

Due to a significant reduction of patients in our hospitals with COVID-19, the decision has been made to stand down the following services from Monday 14 June 2021.

The Drop off / Pick Up of patient property – currently operational between 4:00pm – 8:00pm daily within Antrim Area Hospital and Causeway Hospital, Coleraine.

The Family Liaison Service – currently supporting families in wards A1, A3, C3 in Antrim Area Hospital and Medical Assessment Unit and Medical 2 in Causeway Hospital.

Should circumstances change in the coming weeks or months, this decision will be reviewed as required.

For those families who are still not permitted to visit their loved ones, please bring belongings to the ward entrance, where they can be exchanged by ward staff.

Stronger from the Start

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust highlights the mental health of the smallest and youngest in our society during Infant Mental Health Awareness Week (IMHAW) taking place from 7-13 June 2021.

Public Health Nursing Teams are supporting this year’s campaign theme ‘Including Infants’ to help raise awareness by encouraging everyone to think about infant, children and young people’s mental health and consider how babies mental health needs can be met.

Infant mental health refers to the social and emotional wellbeing and development of children in the earliest years of life. From pregnancy until the age of three, children’s brains are growing at the fastest possible rate and the way we interact with them every day shapes their brain development.

As a parent or caregiver, giving babies a sense of security and belonging is an early sign of positive infant mental health.   Loving, nurturing, responsive relationships provide young children with a sense of comfort, safety and confidence and lays a foundation for lifelong mental and physical health.

Babies’ emotional wellbeing influences how they experience, manage and express emotions. Parents’ responses shape their learning and as adults we can offer physical touch and comfort, calm tone of voice, eye contact, smiles, repeated words, and praise. When we respond positively and meet their needs, babies develop trust, attachment, and confidence in us as caregivers.

We recognise how the global pandemic has affected parents, babies and services that support them in diverse ways. A recent report ‘Babies in Lockdown’ found that one quarter (25%) of parents reported concerns about their relationship with their baby and one third of these (35%) would like to get help with this. Nearly 7 in 10 parents felt the changes brought about by COVID-19 were affecting their unborn baby, baby or young child with an increase in crying, tantrums and becoming more clingy.

Susan Gault, Head of Public Health Nursing, Northern Trust said, ‘During the pandemic, more than 5,000 babies were born in the Northern Health Trust since the spring lockdown in March last year.

“Throughout COVID-19 our health visitors have continued to support babies and their families by playing a vital role in ensuring that every child gets the best possible start in life. They can understand first-hand the impact COVID-19 restrictions has had on new babies, parents and caregivers – from giving birth alone, to being isolated from support networks of family and friends.

“Within the Northern Trust area families have access to specialised tailored support from pregnancy until their children attend school, to help support child development and encourage a close special bond between baby and parent such as Breastfeeding support groups, Star Babies for first time parents, Baby and Me groups, Family Nurse Partnership, Virtual infant massage and adult mental health support.”

More advice and information on local services to meet your needs at: http://www.northerntrust.hscni.net/services/health-visiting-service/

More Resources:

• NHSCT Infant Mental Health Strategy: http://policies.northerntrust.hscni.net/download/74/trust-wide/1316/infant_mental_health_strategy_nhsct181177.pdf
• COVID-19 advice for pregnant women and parents: www.ni-maternity.com
• What is infant mental health? https://cutt.ly/ubEccnF
• Read the Full Babies in Lockdown Report: https://babiesinlockdown.info/
• Infant Mental Health Framework for Northern Ireland: www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/infant-mental-health-framework-northern-ireland

Health Minister Robin Swann has thanked vaccine teams after surpassing the one million vaccines milestone.

Speaking on a visit to the vaccination centre at the Seven Towers Leisure Centre in Ballymena, the Health Minister said: “The success of our vaccination programme is down to the hard work and dedication of the health care teams and volunteers working in GP practices, pharmacies and vaccination centres right across Northern Ireland. It is testament to them that we surpassed the one million vaccines milestone at the weekend and over 820,000 people in Northern Ireland have now received a vaccine.”

“Every jab takes us further down the pathway towards a better and safer future and I would call on people to get the vaccine when their turn comes, or if you fall into one of the eligible cohorts then book your appointment today. Do not delay. Having received my first COVID-19 vaccine I can assure people that it was a quick and straightforward process and I’m grateful that I’ll soon have some protection from this awful virus while I await my second dose in due course.”

Since opening its doors in December 2020, the vaccination centre has administered 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Jennifer Welsh, Chief Executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust said: “I would like to pay tribute to the team at the Seven Towers Leisure Centre and our mobile vaccination team which is operating across the Trust. It’s a huge team effort to run a programme like this and everyone has played their part. They have shown extraordinary commitment and dedication over the course of the past four months and have played a crucial role in the fight against this virus. I know that it’s a great sense of relief for people to receive their vaccine and I’m very proud of our staff and what they have achieved to date.”

“This has been an exceptionally tough year for our health service but the vaccine provides hope for the days ahead.”