The leaves are beginning to fall and autumn is almost here – as is September. Next week marks the start of Blue September which aims to put the fun factor into delivering a serious message about men facing up to cancer.

Around 154,000 males living in the UK are diagnosed with cancer every year and the most common cancers that occur in men are bowel, lung and prostate.

Telling your family and friends you have cancer can be difficult. But your family and friends can be a powerful support system and talking to others who are in the same situation as you can be a good way to learn about your condition. Reading about the symptoms and treatments available to treat cancer will also help you gain a better understanding.

Unexplained weight loss, persistent pain in any part of the body, loss of appetite as well as unusual growths or lumps are the more common symptoms, although they will vary between the different types of cancer.

If you do have any of the above symptoms, you should see your local GP. The sooner cancer is detected; the better the chances are of recovering from the disease.

So what can you do to minimise the risk of developing cancer? Sharon West, specialist bowel cancer screening practitioner at the Trust, explains: “Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as whole grains can help reduce your risk of getting cancer.

“Avoid having a high sugar diet. For British Asians, eating jelabis and barfis regularly can not only lead to you having bowel cancer, you could also develop other types of cancer and heart disease.

“Those who exercise for at least 150 minutes a week will have a lower risk of developing bowel and other cancers. Making changes to your diet and an increase in physical activities will help you keep your weight under control.

“Did you know smoking can damage your heart and blood circulation? Giving up smoking will help reduce your risk of developing bowel and other cancers.

“Every time your skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays, the chances of getting skin cancer are increased. Apply a good sun protection factor (spf) sunscreen and wear clothes that provide protection from the sun.”

If you are aged between 60 and 70, you will automatically be invited to take part in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme every two years. Also if you are over 70, you can request a screening kit by calling the free-phone helpline on 0800 707 6060.

Blue September, which involves using the colour blue in everything you do, takes place throughout September and is an international campaign aiming to raise awareness of male cancers. For more information on Blue September, visit www.blueseptember.org.uk.

– See more at: http://www.heartofenglandblog.co.uk/blue-september/#sthash.j1UOo5au.dpuf

1. How much spent on specialist bariatric equipment / breakdown of equipment

We are unable to answer this question at present. Bariatric Surgery is not a discrete service line from a financial reporting perspective, and as such the costs are not readily available. Bariatric patients will potentially have required care not just from General Surgery but also where admitted to other specialties for other conditions throughout the year.

2. How many Bariatric beds does the Trust own

The Trust owns 1 Bariatric bed. All others are rented.

3. Number of Bariatric patients admitted during 2013

203 patients admitted specifically for Bariatric surgery. However please note that there may have been Bariatric patients admitted for other conditions throughout the year and we are unable to provide these figures.

The response to your query is detailed below: We currently have a Deputy Caldicot Guardian : Angela Oakley

Can you please provide me with a copy of your Corporate Records Policy and any related Standard Operating Procedures or protocols?

Records Management Policy V3.0 Corporate Records Management Policy V1.0

The answer to your query is attached.FOI 3244

The response to your query is detailed below and attached:Medical Devices Management Policy V7.0 Medical Devices Procedures V7.0 Safety Committee Feb 2014 – MDC Annual Report 2013 FINAL TOR Medical Devices Committee Jul 2014

1 – Has your organisation appointed a Medical Devices Safety Officer? If so, when, and who is it?

Yes –MDSO position in place April 2014. Medical Devices & Decontamination Manager

2 – Has your organisation drawn up a Medical Devices Management Strategy? If so, when, and please supply a copy.

Medical Devices Policy & Medical Devices Committee Annual Report.

3 – Has your organisation created a Medical Devices Management Group? If so, when, and how often does it meet?

Yes – Medical Devices Committee meets bi monthly, TOR attached, First Initiated in 2000. 4 – Has your organisation developed a Device Management Policy? If so, when, and please supply a copy.

5 – Has your organisation produced a training policy regarding the safe use of medical devices? If so, when, and please supply a copy.

No this is planned for November 2014. Training information is included currently within the Medical Devices Policy & Procedures documents.

6 – How many incidents (including those defined as “near misses”) has your organisation reported to the MHRA over the past (or most recently reported) 12 months?

August 2013 – August 2014 we have reported 26 incidents to the MHRA

7 – How many of those incidents involved a) the death of a patient or b) an injury to a patient?

24 of these had no harm to  patients and the remaining 2 incidents resulted in Low Harm/injury to a patient.

In the 2013/14 financial year how much money did you spend on providing patient transport?

How much of this was spent with private companies?

Please provide me with the name of the largest private provider of patient transport to your trust in the last financial year, and how much you spent with them?

•              The Trust spent £2.7m on patient transport, excluding taxis.

•              The Trust has a contract with West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust which provided the majority (£2.6m) of our services.

•              Details of taxi costs are unavailable, as invoices are not held at a level which allows us to split staff and patient usage out.

•              Therefore we are unable to accurately confirm the largest individual private provider of patient transport. As I say, however, it is going to be relatively immaterial give our £2.6m NHS contract.

The answer to your query is attached in the spreadsheet format requested.FOI 3261 Malnutrition

How many patients with any iron deficiency anaemia have been treated over the last 12 months with parenteral iron preparations? We are not able to link condition with drug but the total number of patients in the last 12 months is 211.

How many patients with renal insufficiency (CKD) have been treated over the last 12 months with parenteral iron preparations? We are not able to link condition with drug but the total number of patients in the last 12 months is 26.

How many patients with any iron deficiency anaemia have been treated over the last 12 months with any of the following parenteral products: Ferinject, Rienso, Cosmofer, Venofer The figures below are supplied by Pharmacy but do not reflect the condition of the patient, only the treatment.

How many patients with renal insufficiency (CKD) have been treated over the last 12 months with any of the following products over the last 12 months: Ferinject, Rienso, Cosmofer, Venofer .  The figures below are supplied by the Renal unit but do not reflect the condition of the patient, only the treatment.

What is the average dose of parenteral iron for iron deficiency?

How many patients requiring parenteral iron for any iron deficiency are seen more than once per year?

 The average dose of venofer administered was 600mg

The average dose of ferinject administered was 1g

No patient was seen more than once

Does your trust use any computerised portering system to log the work completed by porters?
If so which systems do they use and could they provide the company details and contact numbers?

Our portering system is called Portertrack and is provided by a company called Innovise.

Their web page is here: http://www.innovise.com/