2. “Staff on the ward were amazingly
efficient and worked so very hard.”
“I cannot thank staff enough for the
treatment I received. I was in so much
pain which has been treated with
utter kindness and respect.”
“Hardworking, dedicated,
compassionate, kind, professional
lovely staff from tea girl to
consultant, almost a pleasure to be in
hospital.”
“Southend Hospital
is everything the NHS
contents
A long history of excellence and achievement
High quality care for every patient, every time
Benefits available to our staff
At the forefront of innovation
Dr Caroline Howard, clinical lead, ED
Professional development and career progression
Realising your full potential
Paediatric nurse – an incredibly diverse job
Pioneering research
A day in the life of...a senior dietitian
Our location: Southend-on-Sea
5
6
7
8
10
12
13
14
15
16
18
ALSO IN THIS BOOKLET
Emma
Matthews,
ward manager
cardiac and
medical day
stay team
p12
Sister
Rebecca
Simmonds,
paediatrics
p14
Professor
Bhaskar
Dasgupta
clinical
director of
research and
and audit
p15
Published
March 2015
What our patients say about us
3. S
outhend Hospital
has a long history
of excellence and
achievement. We
pride ourselves on
our hardworking and
highly-motivated staff and the
friendly ‘family’ atmosphere which
is so often remarked on by those
who come here to work as well as
by our patients and visitors.
As a trust, we continually strive
for excellence and innovation in
everything we do. This is borne
out by the awards which staff at
all levels have won, the academic
papers which they have had
published in leading specialist
journals and the success of
various research projects – and by
the many letters of appreciation
we receive from patients and their
families.
As everyone knows, the NHS
faces challenging times with more
and more call on its resources
and expertise. Here at Southend
Hospital we are confident we
can meet these challenges and
continue to invest in new services
and buildings.
For example:
n With Macmillan, we have
recently opened a jointly-funded
information and support centre for
cancer patients and their families
which is proving to be a well-used
and highly-valued facility.
n We now boast a regional clinical
and research centre for assessing
and treating unborn babies – the
only one of its kind in Essex. This
dedicated fetal medicine unit,
which is affiliated to the world-
renowned centre at London’s
Kings College Hospital, was made
possible thanks to a £400,000
charitable donation from the
foundation set up by world expert
Professor Kypros Nicolaides.
n We were chosen to run the
National Abdominal Aortic
Aneurysm Screening Programme
(NAAASP) for the whole of Essex.
n We have introduced a fast-track
service for ophthalmic patients
requiring cataract removal at our
satellite clinic at Orsett Hospital.
n A multi-disciplinary group of
nurses, dietitians, catering staff
and volunteer ‘Feeding Buddies’
was awarded a Patient Safety
Award for the innovative and
successful ‘snack round’ scheme
designed to boost the nutrition of
patients with exceptionally poor
appetites.
n Our multi-disciplinary stroke
team has won awards both for its
rapid access mini stroke service
and also for its service redesign
to ensure the highest quality of
stroke care.
We are firm believers in career
progression in all specialities
and departments and continuing
education plays a key role in our
staff development.
We encourage everyone at every
level to work together to ensure
our patients receive the highest
standards of care, feel listened to,
comfortable and cherished.
You can read more about what
both Southend Hospital and the
surrounding area have to offer in
this brochure.
Thank you for your interest in our
hospital. You can be sure that, if
you come to join our team, you will
receive a very warm welcome.
“As a trust, we continually strive for excellence
and innovation in everything we do.”
Mr Neil Rothnie, medical director
“A long history of
excellence and
achievement”
4 5
4. Our vision is to provide high quality care
for every patient, every time. Achieving
this aim relies heavily on teamwork and
the recognition that each and every
member of the Trust workforce has
individual strengths and talents and a
vital role to play in making sure that we
consistently deliver good care to our
patients.
Every link in the chain is as
important as the next and, for
that to work effectively, trust
and respect of each other’s
input is essential.
We firmly believe in
providing care with
compassion, working
together, and being
professional and
accountable so we have
adopted these as our
values. They are at
the foundation of
everything we
do – respecting colleagues and their
role is vital to the smooth running of a
successful hospital.
At the heart of everything we do is the
patient, and an integrated and engaged
workforce creates a positive atmosphere
in which to deliver care.
We actively promote an open reporting
system where any mistakes at work can
be reported.
We want to ensure that we learn from
these and also offer our staff support.
We are able to offer staff expert
counselling for any problems they may
have – whether in their professional or
home life (see Validium on page 5).
We recognise that patients are often
distressed and apprehensive when they
come into hospital and always aim to
care for them with the greatest respect
and dignity, treating them as the unique
individual they are.
High quality care for
every patient, every
“Every link in the chain
is as important as the
next and, for that to
work effectively, trust
and respect of each
other’s input is essential.”
539,269outpatient attendances
during 2014/15.
97,921hospital admissions
during 2014/15.
92,532A&E attendances
during 2014/15.
Yvonne Blücher,
chief nurse
As a Southend Hospital employee you are entitled to
many discounts and offers on a variety of products.
There are now approximately 300 staff benefits
spanning 11 categories including health and fitness,
motoring, shopping, entertainment, beauty and eating
out.
Staff can also get significant savings at Booker cash-
and-carry on food, drink, washing, cleaning and other
products. We also have a salary sacrifice car scheme.
Every year, we run an annual staff benefits events
which highlights all the fantastic benefits available to
staff. You also get all of these great in-house benefits:
NHS pension scheme - In additional to the amount
a employee contributes each month to their NHS
pension, Southend Hospital also contributes 14%.
Occupational health and wellbeing - A range
of services including: complementary therapies,
counselling service, life style, fitness classes such as
pilates and tai chi.
Cycle scheme - Enables employees to purchase
a bicycle through a salary sacrifice scheme, saving
them cost of the tax and National Insurance.
Ladybird NHS nursery - Rated Good by Ofsted in
September 2014, the nursery has been specifically
designed to support parents working for the trust and
has a flexible booking system that caters for most
NHS shift patterns.
Family support team - Offers a wealth of advice and
information to support parents and carers working
for the trust. This also caters for those who have
dependants other than childcare such as eldercare.
Childcare vouchers - Tax and NI Free Child and
out of school care. Southend Hospital operates a
childcare voucher scheme in order to reduce the cost
of child and out of school care for parents working for
the trust.
Bounty cards/packs - Free ‘mum to be’ bounty
packs cards are available to hospital employees
Validium - A confidential support service to assist
employees with personal or work-related problems
likely to affect the workplace, including: counselling,
debt counselling, financial.
Benefits available
to our staff
300staff benefits available
spanning 11 categories.
50%off weekly and monthly
Octopus bus passes.
14%Pension contribution by
Southend Hospital.
7
5. We aim to be at the forefront of
innovation and want to make
Southend University Hospital a
‘can-do’ place for new thinking and
action that brings improvements in
patient care and experience.
We work closely with the
Postgraduate Medical Institute at
Anglia Ruskin University and the
MedTech campus.
We want to help our staff take their
ideas and transform them into
leading products and services that
will bring benefits to patients in the
NHS and beyond.
New fetal unit - The unit, the
only one of its kind in Essex,
is a leading regional clinical
and research centre for the
assessment and treatment of
unborn babies.
The state-of-the art suite, which
includes seven scanning rooms,
has been made possible thanks
to a £400,000 charitable donation
from the foundation set up by
world leading fetal medicine expert
Professor Kypros Nicolaides.
IT revolution - When the trust
introduced its new Patient
Administration System (PAS)
it signalled the start of an IT
revolution. A new radiology
information system was in action
within three months and is now
being utilised by cardiology, the
breast unit and nuclear medicine.
The Soliton Radiology+ system
will enable us to streamline
processes and make further
progress towards a paper-light
work flow.
We have also introduced
ePrescribing, thanks to a
£534,000 grant we won under the
Government’s Safer Hospitals,
Safer Wards technology fund at
the end of last year.
Looking for a patient’s drug chart
on the wards will hopefully be a
thing of the past. ePrescribing
will ensure the medication chart
is available to relevant people,
working in different locations, at
the same time.
We were also successful in
securing £90,000 from the
Government’s £30m Nursing
Technology Fund.
The money will allow us to refine
the way we conduct pre-op
assessments as patients can link
with us online and submit the vital
information which is not usually
taken until they are admitted for
surgery.
Alan Tuckwood, head of
information technology, said:
“These really are exciting times
– not just for the IT department
but for the entire trust. These
new technologies will allow us to
develop new, more modern ways
of working that will benefit both
staff and patients.”
Professor Tony Young, consultant urologist, director of medical innovation, Anglia
Ruskin University and national clinical director for innovation at NHS England
“We aim to be
at the forefront
of innovation”
Southend University Hospital NHS
Foundation Trust has a multi award
winning stroke unit.
We already have a team of
dedicated and highly skilled staff,
which includes Professor Iris
Grunwald, who has an international
reputation in implementing acute
stroke interventions.
Now we are looking to recruit more
staff to enable the team to meet
the standards of care currently only
found in HASUs in London and
Manchester to offer a full 24-hours-
a-day-seven-days-a-week seamless
service for acute stroke patients,
right here in south Essex.
We see each patient as an
individual and aim to work in
partnership with them and their
families to ensure the best medical
care and fullest possible recovery.
We have won several national
HSJ awards for our stroke and TIA
services, and the E-health insider
award for best use of IT to support
clinical treatment, thanks to our
innovative TIA service model, which
has now been adopted by the
Stroke Association nationally as an
example of excellence.
Award winning stroke
n Professor Iris Grunwald (above) has an international reputation in implementing acute stroke interventions
Combining cutting
edge technology
with the best quality
care, our stroke unit
is a fantastic place
to develop your
career. “
4,000births every year
at fetal unit.
742beds are available including
cots and trolleys.
4Leadership programmes.
n World leading fetal medicine expert Professor Kypros Nicolaides.
8 9
6. n Dr Caroline Howard (above) is helping to transform our ED and wants you to be a part of it.
We commit to provide all
emergency care required to
stabilise and treat the patient,
including adult and paediatric
sedation, for example.
We will not be a glorified triage
service. We also have trust-
wide commitment in place to
ensure that other nonemergency
diagnostics and procedures do
not stop timely referral and patient
movement.
We realise that work life balance
is of major importance and can
develop flexibility in job plans to
accommodate your needs. It’s
also important that any specialist
interest can be developed and
continued.
We are committed to ensure
our emergency department
consultants are able to develop
special interests in their related
field, which not only benefits
you but our patients. We are
supportive of development
which can be seen across the
department.
We are currently undergoing a
transformation of our ED services
focusing not only on enhancing
the physical environment, but
the clinical and nonclinical
infrastructure and this is where
you fit in. We want you to be part
of that transformation.
Currently our staffing consists of
22.6 WTE middle grade doctors of
varying training and non-training
posts, plus 11 WTE more junior
doctors (FY2, GPVTS etc) often
working in emergency medicine
for the first time.
All of our doctors have
formal clinical and educational
supervision, whether training post
or not, and all teaching sessions
that run in the department are
appraised and fed back.
The nursing staff complement
includes matrons, ENPs and
more recently physiotherapy
practitioners as we diversify to
ensure we have the right people
to see the right patients at the
right time.
The department also has full
management support with strong
clinical backgrounds.
I
came to Southend as
a registrar in training
in 2006 and found it to
be the best emergency
department I have ever
worked in - I had to come
back!
I also came to Southend
because it offered me both
a breadth of experience and
excellent opportunities to make
my mark as a clinical lead.
I also found that Essex
was not what I had been led
to believe, but is actually
a beautiful county with
everything I need in it.
Our diverse patient mix
of approximately 100,000
attendances per year provides
varied clinical challenges
and an excellent breadth
of experience. We see lots
of medical pathology with a
busy resuscitation room for
adults and paediatrics alike. In
common with most emergency
departments major trauma is
not common, but being close
to London we are linked with
The Royal London Hospital as
our trauma centre.
Our department is staffed
by consultants that have
chosen emergency medicine
as their speciality - not a
second choice - and are highly
motivated to provide good
quality emergency department
care.
“The best emergency
department I have
ever worked in”
In her own words, Dr Caroline Howard, clinical director,
emergency department, admits that she came to Southend to
make her mark as a clinical lead.
Southend Hospital
offers me both
a breadth of
experience
and excellent
opportunities to
make my mark as
a clinical lead.“
10 11
7. The cardiac and medical day stay (CMDS)
team has seen huge changes over the
years, from becoming nurse-led to a
massive reduction in patients waiting
to be seen and a virtually non-existent
cancellation rate.
These changes have had a positive impact
on not just patients but also on those
dedicated nurses on the ward, ensuring
that both time and resources are used to
their full potential.
Ward manager, Emma Matthews, said:
“Five years ago we were very much a
doctor-led area, where what the doctor said
goes, whereas now, as nurses, we are a lot
more proactive and we are working much
more alongside the doctors.
“By doing that, although we have only got
nine trolleys, it means that we are able
to use them very efficiently to maximize
their use, discharging patients earlier and
they are having a faster recovery time
because they are so well prepared for
the procedure. We are very much about
admission avoidance here on CMDS.”
Turnover of staff is very low in this self-
motivated and confident team, those who
have moved onto bigger and better things.
Highly educated, CMDS staff go on
courses and share their knowledge
base with the rest of the team and newly
qualified staff are nurtured. Nurses are able
to use their skills to their highest level
and are autonomous in their role.
Emma added: “Our staff are
proud of the service patients
receive; the minute they
come through our doors until
the minute they leave, they
get an excellent standard of
care. Because of this, patient
anxiety levels are reduced
dramatically and they leave
with having had a positive
experience at Southend
Hospital.”
Realising your
full potential
12
n We are firm believers in career
progression in all specialities and
departments, and continuing education
plays a key role in our staff development.
n We encourage everyone at every level to
work together to ensure our patients receive
the highest standards of care, feel listened
to, comfortable and cherished.
CASE STUDY: Helen Sanderson
lead clinical nurse specialist (CNS),
wound management team
“I came here as a student nurse back in 1992
when the hospital had its own school of nursing,
so career-wise, I am born and bred at Southend
Hospital which has engendered a loyalty which is
so important in the NHS. The hospital and I have
invested in each other.
“After qualifying, I was a staff nurse for seven years
and then a senior staff nurse before going on to
be an associated clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in
tissue viability.
“That opened all sorts of doors for me. I progressed
to become a vascular nurse specialist and then
joined forces with consultant surgeon Mr Mike
Salter.
“Together, we developed the wound management
team which brings together vascular and tissue
viability.
“We now provide a service for both the trust and
the local community teams which has brought great
benefits to patients.
“It has been hard work but it shows what can be
done. Southend Hospital has lots of great services
and there are many more being developed.
It is a very friendly organisation with a family feel
to it and lots of career opportunities. I know many
doctors who have done their training here and come
back as consultants.”
Career
progression
n Helen Sanderson and the vascular team,
consultants Mr Mike Salter and Mr James Brown.
Professional development
We have a learning and organisational development
team who apply their vast range of sector
experience, managerial expertise and educational
know-how to create a wide range of learning
resources and solutions, that develop and up-skill
our staff, helping them reach their full potential
whilst carrying out their role with greater impact.
Our staff have access to a range of learning
interventions (clinical and non-clinical) to develop
and enhance skills and competence in the areas
of leadership; management; personal; patient/
customer focus; technical; clinical and hospital IT
systems.
The team use practiced skills and cutting edge
methodology to design and deliver learning,
development and assessment solutions such
as bespoke in-house eLearning packages; live
online learning (webinars); development centres;
programmes made up of monthly face-to-face
sessions; live operational simulations; coaching and
mentoring; team specific interventions to ensure
that staff have the most up-to-date and appropriate
skills.
The learning and organisational development team
help individuals discover new and dynamic learning
approaches by sharing their knowledge and insight
to help staff select the best interventions whether
that be an academically accredited programme, in-
house programme or a one-off learning intervention.
They also provide learning and development
consultancy, surveys, organisational development
advice, change and transformation support, on-
boarding, 360 feedback tools, psychometrics and
mediation services.
“Turnover of staff is very
low in this self-motivated
and confident team, those
who have moved onto
bigger and better things.”
Emma Matthews,
ward manager, cardiac and
medical day stay team
8. We consider research to be an intrinsic
component of good patient care and are
involving ourselves more and more in this key
area.
Our clinicians frequently have their work
published in prestigious international medical
journals and have won awards for their
trailblazing efforts.
Research allows the professional staff
more job satisfaction, brings a higher
profile to the hospital and brings new
treatments and diagnostics to our
patients.
Among the areas heavily involved
in research are oncology, stroke,
rheumatology, cardiology, renal,
paediatrics, ophthalmology,
neurology, surgery,
rehabilitation, primary care and
sexual health.
We have a team of dedicated
research nurses and research
fellows working in different areas;
their role is to recruit patients on
to a trial, act as their advocate
and support them throughout their
treatment and follow-up.
l Our fetal unit is participating
in international clinical research,
including a study into pre-eclampsia
l Our urology department gained international
recognition for their cutting-edge prostate
research and were featured in the influential
British Journal of Urology.
l Rehabilitation staff have launched a
pioneering research trial aimed at helping
those paralysed by stroke.
l Thanks to a £10,000 grant from the
Department of Health, the rehab
team will study the effects of “mirror
imaging” on patients where one arm
is completely paralysed as a result of
the stroke.
Pioneering research
Professor Bhaskar Dasgupta,
clinical director of
research and and audit
“Our commitment to
research gives the hospital
access to cutting edge
technology not available
nationwide and presents
significant educational
opportunities to staff.”
n Subspecialist
maternal fetal
medicine consultant
Mr Mandeep Singh
heads up our fetal
service.
We are planning a number of developments in our paediatric
department and can assure any children's nurses thinking of
coming to work with us of a very warm welcome from our
friendly team.
They will be able to work on the ward, in the paediatric
assessment unit, outpatients or in the newly-built paediatric
A&E area.
Sister Rebecca Simmonds said: “It is an incredibly
diverse job. We are working with children from birth to
up to 18 years of age which means we are always being
challenged and learning new things and that is great for
professional development.
“Children have a great capacity for bouncing back and
nearly always have a smile on the face, although of course
there are tears too. But those smiles are incredibly
rewarding and one of the real positives about the
job.
“We also build up very good and close
relationships with the families. Some have been
coming to us for years and we have watched
the children grow and change.
“The children’s unit has a great team of
nurses and health care assistants. It is a very
supportive environment and new nurses will
be warmly welcomed.
“Every day is different and I cannot think of
anywhere else I would rather work.”
We are recruiting additional nurses to the
paediatric team and offer a loyalty bonus
twice a year as well as a relocation package
for nurses coming into the area.
Paediatric nurse – an
incredibly diverse job
“Every day is different and
I cannot think of anywhere
else I would rather work.”
Sister Rebecca Simmonds,
paediatrics
14 15
9. A day in the life of…
“We see between eight and 15 patients, each of whom
will be at a different point in their treatment.”
Whatever their
contribution to
the smooth and
successful running
of the hospital,
volunteers are
highly regarded and
valued members of
the hospital family.
Southend University Hospital is held in great
affection by its local community and we are
fortunate in having such a loyal band of volunteers
and fundraisers.
Our 450 volunteers provide invaluable help
by giving up their time to benefit both staff
and patients. Aged from 18 to over 80, their
commitment can be anything from a few hours a
day to a few days each week.
They perform a wide variety of tasks from keeping
our garden areas looking blooming lovely to
reassuring patients attending the busy blood
testing clinics. Other areas where they make such
a difference include:
l Assisting patients at mealtimes through our
Feeding Buddies scheme
l Our Carecars drivers bring patients to and from
their hospital appointments
l Providing support to bereaved relatives
l Bringing in their dogs to visit wards under the
Pets As Therapy (PAT dogs) scheme
l Acting as hospital guides to meet and greet
patients and visitors
l Running our popular hospital radio
l Running the WRVS trolley service to the wards
l Keeping patients stocked up on reading matter
via the ward-based library service
l Helping patients and visitors at our info centres
l Providing general support to wards and
department
Making a differ-
ence through vol-
1716
Henry Wood
senior dietitian
Henry, who works with head and
neck cancer patients, starts his day
with a yoga session before a brisk
walk to arrive at his desk sometime
before 9am.
After making tea and clearing his
emails, he checks his diary for the
day.
He is part of a multi-disciplinary
team, which also includes a clinical
nurse specialist, and a speech and
language therapist.
Henry says: “We see between
eight and 15 patients, each of
whom will be at a different point
in their treatment with a variety of
side effects.”
These may include mouth and
neck pain, pain on swallowing,
reduced sense of taste, very dry
mouth, increased thick secretions
and associated nausea and
vomiting.
“Weight, pain, constipation and
potential loss of swallow are what
we are most concerned with. It is a
balancing act to get the medication
and nutrition right.
“Patients may also have memory
problems, social needs or
depression which all need to be
addressed. It’s a full-on clinic.”
Lunch is on the hoof – usually a
prawn sandwich and a pint of milk
so that Henry practises the good
hydration he preaches to patients.
An afternoon often has another
clinic for 15 to 20 ear, nose and
throat patients.
“I conduct quick diet histories,
looking at a patient’s typical day’s
nutrition, liaise with consultants
and advise on feeding tubes, spot
patients who are struggling and
losing weight, and chat with those
who are doing well.”
The clinic finishes at 5.30pm – but
not Henry’s working day. He still
needs to write up his reports and
start action plans which can take
another hour before he heads
home.
10. Ourlocation:
Southend-on-Sea
Super commuter
Eric commutes to
the hospital from
Amsterdam thanks to
our superb airport!
Find out more »
P23
n This photo was taken
just outside the Southend
Marine activities centre
by Southend University
Hospital staff member,
Kevin Brown, a
healthcare science
assistant practitioner in
radiotherapy physics.
IN THIS SECTION:
n Arts & culture
n Dining out
n Local education
n Sports & leisure
18 19
11. Recreation
The town is renowned for its wealth of parks, gardens
and open spaces. What’s more, with three Blue Flags
and seven Quality Coast Awards, Southend’s seven
miles of beaches is one of the cleanest stretches of
seaside in the UK.
Both Essex Wildlife Trust and the Royal Society for
the Protection of Birds have a large number of nearby
reserves including those at Wallasea Island and
Canvey Marsh.
Sports and leisure
Southend offers a wide, comprehensive range of
sporting and recreational facilities for all ages and
abilities.
These include a bright and airy leisure and tennis
centre with a 150-station fitness suite, world-class
diving pool, 10m board and swimming pool, multi-
purpose sports hall and athletics track.
There are a number of other gyms as well as a wide
range of golf courses, bowling greens, sailing and
water sports clubs.
Mountain bikers can challenge themselves on the
Olympic course at nearby Hadleigh Park country park.
Education
Southend enjoys a justifiably high reputation for the
quality of its education, with no less than four sought-
after grammar schools which are consistently ranked
among the top performing in the country, with a high
percentage of students going to the Russell Group
universities.
There is also a wide range of excellent non-selective
schools with strong reputations for dance, drama,
media, business and enterprise.
The University of Essex, ranked sixth for overall
satisfaction in the last National Student Survey, also
has a campus in the town.
Arts
Housed in the renovated Georgian Grade
II listed building, Chalkwell Hall, Metal has
established itself as a trailblazer in arts
promotion. As well as a number of artists in
residence, the hall boasts exhibitions, talent
development and educational activities.
The regular programme of events includes
Village Green, a music and arts festival which
attracts around 40,000 visitors every year.
Leigh-on-Sea is famously bursting with artistic
talent, which is proudly showcased every year
during the increasingly popular week-long Leigh
Arts Trail. The latest in contemporary work is
featured, including paintings and photographis,
sculpture, textiles and printmaking, ceramics
and jewellery.
The highly-regarded Beecroft Gallery features a
wide range of exhibitions throughout the year.
Other attractions in and around Southend
include historic Prittlewell Priory; Central
Museum with its collection of local and natural
history and archaeology and a changing
programme of exhibitions and events
throughout the year; Southchurch Hall, a
medieval, moated, timber-framed manor house
and Southend Planetarium.
Theatre
The Palace Theatre, built more than 100
years ago, is a fine example of an Edwardian
auditorium, which hosts in-house productions,
visiting companies, local amateur societies,
one-nighters and Sunday concerts. Local bands
give free Sunday night concerts in the foyer –
often to capacity audiences.
The Dixon Studio complements the main
house, offering a wider range of performances
by visiting small-scale touring theatres, bands
and puppet groups. Workshops, classes and
educational events are also put on there.
Food
If you love dining out, Southend-on-Sea is
the perfect place for you. With more than
300 places to eat, it’s home to some truly
exceptional eateries.
Although it is perhaps most famous for
traditional seaside fayre, Southend-on-Sea now
has so much more to offer. In fact, the town’s
cosmopolitan nature means it boasts flavours
from all corners of the world – from French to
Thai, Japanese to Italian.
1.33mis the length of Southend’s
famous pleasure pier.
2Film festivals run annually
including Horror-on-Sea.
15Parks, gardens and nature
reserves in the borough.
The town is renowned for its
wealth of parks and gardens
n The picturesque landscaped-gardens of Priory Park which also includes Prittlewell Priory Museum
At Leigh on Sea, enjoy good food at stylish
contemporary restaurants or traditional pubs and
don't miss the Cockle Sheds for a taste of top
quality seafood.
Family feasts taste even better in the open air.
Bag a table with a sea view at the Archway Cafés
on the seafront, relax in a pub garden or try our
delicious fish and chips or simply sit in the sun and
enjoy the seaside delights.
A full list of eateries is available here:
www.visitsouthend.co.uk/food-drink/
20 21
12. Europe is only just a hop away, thanks to the
thriving Southend Airport, which was voted best by
passengers in the 2014 ‘Which? Airport Passenger
Survey’ for the second year running.
Flights operate to the Channel Islands,
Republic of Ireland, Canary Islands,
Germany, Spain and the Balearics,
Portugal, Switzerland.
With the terminal just 100 paces from the
railway station link to London’s Liverpool
Street, the airport takes all the usual
hassle out of flying.
It promises passengers will wait
a maximum of four minutes to
go through security and those
arriving with hand luggage
only can expect to travel
from plane to train in just
15 minutes of the aircraft
doors opening. From
there, London is just 53
minutes away.
Road links in and out of Southend provide easy
access to London and the M25 as well as the A12
and the beautiful Essex countryside that inspired the
likes of artist John Constable.
Eric Foggitt, team lead speech and language
therapist, commutes from Amsterdam to
Southend every fortnight.
Eric said: “People are completely taken
aback when they hear that I commute to
Southend University Hospital from my home in
Amsterdam.
“I go back there every fortnight and
my wife comes here on the other
weekends. But I thoroughly enjoy
my work here. My close-knit and
dedicated team are second to none in
the way they really care for patients
and support each other.
“It makes work a pleasure and the
cross-Channel commute totally
worthwhile.”
London Southend Airport – gateway to Europe
n We have a busy multi-professional education centre (above) which caters for all grades of staff.
“People are
completely taken
aback when they hear
that I commute to
Southend University
Hospital from my
home in Amsterdam.”
20destinations available with
more being added.
53minutes to travel from
airport to London
100paces between the terminal
and railway station.
“From the moment I entered the
hospital I received nothing but
kindness and attention.”
“I knew I was in the hands of real
experts with the level of
care I was receiving.”
“I felt very well looked after.
Everyone at the hospital was great,
like being pampered on holiday.”
“The care is
exceptional. I am
amazed at the energy
and enthusiasm shown
22
What our patients say about us
13. All of Southend Hospital's vacancies are advertised through
the central NHS Jobs site:
www.jobs.nhs.uk/
@SouthendNHS
SouthendHospitalNHS
www.facebook.com/SouthendNHS
Telephone 01702 435555
www.southend.nhs.uk
To see all Southend-based NHS jobs visit:
jobs.southend.nhs.uk
