Beautiful Anna Margaret ends couple`s TWENTY TWO YEAR wait for

November 2010 | Issue 04
News for the members and communities of Liverpool Women’s
Beautiful Anna Margaret
ends couple’s TWENTY
TWO YEAR wait for a baby
Inside
“Miscarriage Clinic helped fill
my empty arms” patient tells
Annual Members Meeting p04
More help for families: Official
Opening of newly extended
p06
Hewitt Centre Meet our new Trust trio in our
p07
Members section
Shaun and Susan Comiskey with their longed for baby, Anna Margaret
For 22 years, Susan Comisky, 43, and her
husband Shane, 55, have prayed for a
child. Now they believe those prayers have
finally been answered with the birth of
their daughter Anna Margaret at Liverpool
Women’s Hospital. Even more incredibly,
Anna Margaret was born only a year after
her mother had survived a year-long ordeal
of two operations for cancer, followed by
chemotherapy and nuclear medicine.
Susan’s story could have had a very different
ending if Liverpool Women’s consultant Mr
Nabil Aziz, who was treating Susan at our
Endocrine and Fertility clinic had not spotted
a suspicious lump in her neck in 2008. Mr
Nabil Aziz, referred her immediately to a
cancer specialist and she was diagnosed
and treated for a cancer of the thyroid.
But all that sadness is forgotten now as
Susan cradles her child at last and weeps
tears of joy. So does Shane when he holds
his dark-haired daughter who was born at
Liverpool Women’s on October 3, 2010.
“She really is a miracle, she is gift,” he says.
“Liverpool has been so good for us,” says
Susan, who originates from Australia while
Shane is a New Zealander. “We don’t know
whether to call her our little Scouse or our
English Rose.”
The couple arrived in Liverpool in June, 2007
to become Pastors of the Victory Family
Centre in West Derby. After 22 years of
marriage, they were still waiting for the child
they dreamed of. “When people asked why
we had no children, Shane used to tell them
that our baby was on order but hadn’t been
delivered yet!” says Susan.
Almost immediately Susan went to see
Mr Aziz about a pituitary gland problem
which had been diagnosed fifteen years
earlier and which he believed could be
causing her infertility. Brain scans showed
that she had a small benign tumour in
her pituitary gland which was causing her
to have increased levels of the hormone
Prolactin. This causes infertility because it
stops ovulation, causing infrequent or no
periods. Mr Aziz worked to enhance Susan’s
natural fertility by giving her medication
which not only regulated her reproduction
cycle, making a pregnancy more likely,
but also shrank the tumour. But during
a consultation in 2008, he noticed the
other lump in her neck and referred her for
investigations which probably saved her life.
continued overleaf
Did our photographer snap you?
Pictures from Open day p05 & 08
2
Generations | November 2010 | Issue 04
Your Trust
needs you!
In the last issue of Generations,
the General Election was upon
us. We now have a White
Paper “Liberating the NHS”,
with the prospect of a Health
Bill going before Parliament.
The Government’s plans for
public spending have also been
revealed. Before reflecting on
what this means for the Trust,
it seems important to report on
some of the good things that
have been happening.
Despite challenges around
achieving improved breast
feeding and smoking cessation
rates, we are well on the way to
achieving both our healthcare
and financial targets for 200910. Congratulations and a large
“thank you” to all involved. The
first phase of the “Big Push”
project to upgrade and refurbish
our maternity services was
completed successfully and the
magnificent extended Hewitt
Centre has been opened.
Both developments contributed
to the Trust’s celebration of the
appointment of Board Member,
Roy Morris, as High Sheriff of
Cheshire and Merseyside by
inviting a group of local business
and healthcare leaders to tour
the Trust. They have also proved
of massive benefit in showcasing
the Trust’s potential to a wider,
national audience, forming the
centrepiece of visits by Sir Keith
Pearson, Chairman of the NHS
Confederation, and Sir David
Nicholson, Chief Executive of the
NHS. They have also highlighted
the challenge facing the Trust in
updating many of its facilities.
The Board has responded by
approving the go ahead for the
next phase of the “Big Push” and
will be considering the pace of
further improvement.
The Governors capped an
active year with a fantastic
“Open Day”. Sadly, we said
goodbye to two stalwart
governors who have been on
the Council since its inception
- Janine Wooldridge and Ann
Smith - plus Trust Secretary, Erica
Saunders. All played significant
roles in making this a successful
Trust. Their contribution will be
much missed.
Whatever the challenges ahead,
the Board is encouraged that,
under the leadership of Kathy
Thomson, the Executives are
some way down the road of
constructively planning for the
necessary changes but we will
need the support of all our
staff and members. You can be
assured we will want to hear
your voice in playing a part in
keeping the Liverpool Women’s
at the top of the tree.
Ken Morris
Chairman
from previous page
“It was a terrible shock to learn I had
cancer but even while I was going
through my treatment, I was thinking
yet another year was going by without a
chance to have a baby,” says Susan who
finished her treatment in 2009. But in
January this year, she started feeling sick.
She wondered if her cancer had spread,
especially as the sickness got worse.
“But after a month or two I thought
‘I wonder..’ and did a pregnancy test.
It was positive. I nearly fainted but I
still wouldn’t believe it until my GP had
confirmed it. At last we had started the
journey we had waited for for so long,”
says Susan. “ We didn’t tell anyone at
first and were still asking ourselves if it
would last, if it would really happen.”
As she cradles Anna which means
God is Gracious, Susan cannot help
weeping tears of happiness. “I feel very
overwhelmed and very privileged and I
am so grateful to Mr Aziz and my cancer
Surgeon Alison Waghorn. “We never
gave up hope that God would answer
our prayers one day and I hope our story
will be an inspiration to other people
who are still waiting for their child that
they should continue to hope and pray
that it will happen for them.
Said Mr Aziz: “The pituitary gland is
situated at the base of the brain and
produces a number of hormones,
Consultant Mr Nabil Aziz with new mum Susan and baby Anna
including prolactin. Raised levels cause
infertility because this stops ovulation. If
left untreated, it can also lead to other
serious problems, including osteoporosis
and broken bones. Susan recognises
that she is a very lucky lady, not only her
fertility was restored but also the cause
of her raised prolactin was identified and
is being treated and her thyroid cancer
was picked up very early and treated
promptly giving her an exceedingly
high chance of a cure.”
Dr Tom Bryson’s legacy lives on with
naming of new anaesthesia suite
Consultant obstetric anaesthetist
Dr Tom Bryson, who pioneered the
Epidural system of pain relief for the
women of Liverpool during childbirth,
has been honoured by having the
newly refurbished anaesthetic
department named after him at
Liverpool Women’s. Former colleagues
and hospital staff joined Dr Bryson’s
family in celebrating his many
achievements with the naming of
the upgraded unit as the Tom Bryson
Suite of Anaesthesia.
The ceremony was followed by a
conference at which a recorded
message from the Lord Lieutenant of
Merseyside, Dame Lorna Moorhead,
a former midwife colleague of Dr
Bryson, was screened. She described
him as “a giant” in his profession - one
of those rare people who had left a
lasting legacy on the profession and
the hospital. Dr Bryson, she said, was
one of that special group of people
who wanted to help others in some
way when they needed help most
- when they are ill and in pain. “He
was a great amongst those special
people yet would be proud, humbled,
surprised but happy at being
remembered in this way.”
Dr Bryson, who lived in Upton, Wirral
with his wife, June, until his death last year, joined the old Liverpool
Maternity Hospital in Oxford Street in
1967. During his thirty years there he
devoted himself to introducing safer
anaesthetic techniques and improved
pain relief for women during labour. Born in Rutherglen near Glasgow,
he trained at Glasgow University
Medical School. It was while he was
working in Uganda that he met
Canadian Professor Philip Bromage
who introduced him to epidurals
and furthered his interest in obstetric
anaesthesia. He returned to the
UK where in 1967 he became a
consultant at Liverpool’s Oxford Street
Maternity Hospital, staying until
his retirement in 1995. His 30 years
in Liverpool were spent fashioning
changes in anaesthetics with the
introduction of safer techniques
and processes. He was appointed
consultant surgeon to HM the Queen from 1976-1979 and was a founder
Members of the Anaesthetic team with Dr Tom Bryson’s family and former colleagues
member of the Obstetric Anaesthetist
Association. He was also a much loved
and respected teacher, keeping in
touch with many of his students and
following their careers with interest.
Consultant Anaesthetist Todd Wauchob said the department was
carrying on Dr Bryson’s ideals of the
importance of training, the safety of
the patient and research into safer
and more effective techniques.
Dr Bryson’s son, Jonathan Bryson, a
GP, in Lincolnshire, who attended the
ceremony with his mother and many
other family members, said the family
was deeply moved by the naming of
the suite after Dr Bryson who would
have been very proud.
Issue 04 | November 2010 | Generations
3
Putting a little in The Kitty
will boost hospital’s charities
The Trust has honoured the
pioneering work of one of Liverpool’s
most famous women, Kitty Wilkinson,
by naming of our newly relaunched
Liverpool Women’s Charity as
The Kitty Fund. Irish-born Kitty,
who worked as a domestic servant,
saved thousands of unnecessary
deaths in Victorian Liverpool by
launching the public washhouse
movement to fight diseases that
were rife in the city then, including
the 1832 cholera epidemic .
Fittingly, the new Kitty Fund was
launched by another woman who
has contributed much to the health
of women and children in Liverpool
- the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside,
Dame Lorna Muirhead, who worked
as a midwife for over 40 years for
Liverpool Women’s at its various
homes and is a Past President of the
Royal College of Midwives. Dame
Lorna gave The Kitty its first donation
of £500 out of Her Majesty the
Queen’s Duchy of Lancaster funds.
She said Liverpool Women’s had
followed in Kitty’s footsteps with its
own contribution to the health of
women and families in Liverpool.
“The new Kitty Fund is going to
help thousands of women and their
families,” she added.
Dame Lorna is Patron of Liverpool
Women’s Charity along with
two other famous “daughters” of
Liverpool, entertainer Claire Sweeney
and actress Alison Steadman. The
colourful event was organised by the
Trust’s Charitable Fundraiser, Lisa
Masters. It was attended by The Lord
Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Hazel
Williams, along with two of the new
fund’s first fund-raisers, Liverpool
couple Laura McGuiness and Paul
Duffy who suffered a tragic loss in
April when their first child, Faye Hope,
was stillborn. They have already
raised £1000 for family support and
fetal research with a Fun Day.
Laura, 29, explained: “We want to
raise funds to support the hospital’s
research into the causes of stillbirth
and help the hospital’s bereavement
team to support other parents like us.
We were overwhelmed by how staff
supported us and are continuing to
do so. They even cried with us. Their
A word from our
Chief Executive
There have been many headlines
recently about tough challenges
facing the NHS but for the moment
I want to concentrate on the great
things happening at our Trust which
have been making GOOD news.
Laura McGuiness and Paul Duffy who have already raised £1000 for the Kitty
Fund in memory of their baby
compassion was an inspiration and
our experience would have been a lot
worse without it.”
New mascot Kitty – a perky figure in
a pink dress - will be the focal point
for The Kitty fund , raising awareness
of the wide range of services for
which the hospital is renowned
as well as encouraging donations
and sponsored events. The aim of
the charity is to improve the vital
care and support given to patients
and their families and enhance the
patient experience through funds not
available on the NHS. It will also help
to fund research and staff training
and development.
One of the first appeals for The
Kitty will be to raise £60,000 for the
running for the next four years of
three self-contained flats available
close to the hospital for families of
premature babies on the Neonatal
Unit. The accommodation is
completely free to families but costs
about £16,000 a year to run.
Said Gail Naylor, Director of Nursing:
“Each year we look after 30,000
patients and this is about putting
them at the heart of everything
we do. The aim of the charity is
to enhance the overall patient
experience with the little bit extra
that goes beyond that provided by
the NHS but which can make a big
difference to the comfort and wellbeing of patients.
Pictured left to right are Trust Chairman Ken Morris, Non Executive Director Dave Carbery, the Lord Lieutenant of
Merseyside Dame Lorna Muirhead, the Mayor of Liverpool Councillor Hazel Williams, Junior Mayor Jonathan Rigby
and Chief Executive Kathryn Thomson
*Fundraiser Lisa Masters is looking
for helpers for the Christmas Fair
and Grotto on December 11,
especially a Father Christmas!
Pioneering surgeon to be
new medical director
A consultant surgeon and oncologist
who introduced pioneering cervical
cancer treatment to the North
West has been appointed Medical
Director of Liverpool Women’s NHS
Foundation Trust.
Mr Jonathan Herod, 47, was
previously the Trust’s Clinical
Director for Gynaecology. An
honours graduate of the University
of Birmingham Medical School,
he joined Liverpool Women’s in
1999 as consultant gynaecologist
and oncologist after speciality
training in gynaecological oncology
at St Bartholomew’s and the
Royal Marsden Hospitals in
London. He was responsible for
introducing a procedure to the
North West which can help to
preserve the child-bearing ability
of women undergoing radical
cervical cancer surgery.
During his time as Clinical
Director, Mr Herod has undertaken
Executive development programmes
with the King’s Fund and the North
West Leadership Academy. He is
an Honorary Consultant Lecturer
to the University of Liverpool and a
Mr Herod succeeds Mr
We can also be proud of our
important research into fetal
medicine which has seen the
introduction of a highly specialised
Laser Fetoscopy service for the first
time in Liverpool which means
patients no longer having to travel to
Birmingham or London. Vital research
continues in many other areas,
including neonatal nourishment.
We have made a £150,000
investment in our Aintree site and
have Board approval for the next
Phase of the “Big Push” project to
redesign our maternity Services.
We have achieved much with the
help and dedication of our staff
and will need their support even
more in the financial challenges
ahead. We need to work within
the financial resources available to
us while remaining committed to
continuing to deliver high quality, safe
and effective patient care. While we
are reviewing investment plans and
refreshing our strategic direction, we
are committed to the completion
of key developments to ensure our
patients access services in modern
healthcare facilities.
I have been meeting every employee,
either as individuals or in groups
to share with them how we can
meet the challenge, in some cases
by removing inefficiency from the
system. We need a huge team effort
to achieve our goals.
member of the Advisory
Board of Ovacome, the ovarian
cancer charity.
Mr Herod said: “I am delighted and
honoured to be appointed Medical
Director of Liverpool Women’s
where we are dedicated to providing
world class women’s health services.
We are a great team here, and it is
only with the support of my clinical
and other colleagues over the years
that I find myself with this great
opportunity ahead.”
Our newly extended Hewitt Centre
for Reproductive Medicine has been
officially opened and the first phase
of our redevelopment plans for our
Maternity Services completed. Both
will superbly enhance facilities for our
patients not only from Liverpool but
much further afield. Similarly, as our
memorable Open Day presentation
illustrated, the work of our Miscarriage
Clinic is attracting women from all
over the UK because of its expertise
and success.
David Richmond, consultant
urogynaecologist, who is taking
up a new role as Vice President
of the Royal College of Obstetricians
and Gynaecologists while
continuing as consultant to the
Trust. (See page eight)
We have stepped up internal
communications and introduced
new methods to gain a better
understanding of what our patients
want. We continue to engage
with our community and you, our
members, whose views are so
important in shaping Trust plans. I
would like to thank all our governors,
our dedicated staff and our
enthusiastic volunteers for their work
and support.
Kathryn Thomson
Chief Executive
4
Generations | November 2010 | Issue 04
Patient’s journey from sadness to joy is high
Ainka fills Janett’s empty arms thanks to ‘bionic cervix’
Our Annual Members’ meeting was given a valuable insight into the work of our Miscarriage Clinic when
Mr Roy Farquharson and his patient Janett Walker Lobb gave an example of what the clinic can achieve.
Janett’s story has been published worldwide and she and Mr Farqhuarson have appeared on TV
It took years of heartache but
thanks to treatment at Liverpool
Women’s, a North West couple have
finally become parents of a beautiful
baby girl after her mother was given
a “bionic cervix” by Consultant
Roy Farquharson.
Janett Walker Lobb and husband,
Graham, of Windermere, have
become the proud parents of Ainka,
an African name meaning “cherished”
one. “She is all we have ever wanted,”
says Janett, whose daughter was born
at Liverpool Women’s on June 17,
2010. “Just holding her is all I have
dreamed of.”
Their happiness now is in sharp
contrast to the grief they suffered
in recent years, mourning the loss
of two second trimester babies, one
premature baby and enduring two
early miscarriages. It was only after
Janett, now 41, was diagnosed with
an “incompetent cervix”, a condition
that can cause recurrent pregnancy
loss, that they were offered a lifeline
by Liverpool Women’s acclaimed
Miscarriage Clinic which is drawing
patients from all over the UK.
The couple have been together for
12 years and always wanted a family.
But after trying unsuccessfully for
six years, they had three failed IVF
treatments. Further investigations
while they were living in London in
2006 showed Janett had a severely
scarred womb which meant any
fertilised egg could not implant. After
an operation to smooth out her womb,
she was told she should conceive
naturally. She became pregnant six
months later but had a distressing
miscarriage at 16 weeks when her
baby Jeremiah literally ‘fell out’ of the
womb. After moving to Windermere
in 2007, she became pregnant again
but lost another baby boy, Jo, at 18
weeks in very traumatic circumstances,
again because her cervix opened
too early in pregnancy. She was
shocked to be diagnosed as having
an “ incompetent cervix.” This meant
she was highly unlikely to carry a
pregnancy to full term.
A delighted Janett and her baby Ainka are pictured with Mr Roy Farquharson and Feroza Dawood
“Our consultant in Lancaster said
although he couldn’t help us, he knew
a man who could,” smiles Janett, who
was referred to Mr Roy Farquharson,
consultant in Obstetrics and
Gynaecology at Liverpool Women’s
Hospital in the Miscarriage Clinic.
“ I wasn’t very hopeful,” admits
Janett. “ I felt Mr Farquharson would
just confirm that nothing was going
to work. But when we saw him in
September, 2007, he gave me a lot of
hope and made me realise that there
were other women with this condition
which was a huge surprise to me. He
was able to answer all my questions
and tell me what could be done.”
Mr Farquharson explained that when
she became pregnant again, he
could insert a Transvaginal cerclage
(TVC) which would close the cervix
Star speaker at our Annual Members’ Meeting, Janett Walker Lobb and
her family with Matron Gillian Walker
by inserting a synthetic suture (stitch)
through the vagina which would
reinforce it and hopefully prevent it
from opening prematurely. Janett
had the TVC thirteen weeks into her
next pregnancy which is considered
the optimum time. But at 16 weeks
Janett showed signs of losing yet
another baby. Although she was
admitted for total bedrest for seven
weeks, baby Imogen Grace came
prematurely at 23 weeks and four
days. “She only weighed a 1 lb but
she was doing so well. But when she
began to deteriorate, it was found she
had a tiny hole in her heart and was
too tiny for surgery. We had to make
the horrible decision to turn off her life
support machine.”
It was then that a distraught Janett
finally gave up hope. “I couldn’t
believe I was having to bury another
of my children.” But Roy Farquharson
was not ready to give up. “We
received a letter from Roy for a follow
up appointment and saw him in
August, 2008. He wanted to try
a less common treatment which
very few consultants can offer in
the UK. This was a synthetic band,
a Transabdominal Cerclage (TAC).
which involved the placement of the
band much higher up in the cervix
to prevent it opening. This had a 95
per cent success rate but is a much
more invasive procedure than the TVC
and the mother can only deliver by
C-section. Roy explained that it was
like a band of steel and would give me
a ‘bionic’ cervix. . We trusted him so
much that we decided to go ahead
in one last attempt.”
Janett’s band was placed in
September, 2008 but two early
miscarriages followed. When she
found she was pregnant again in
October, 2009, she feared more
sadness. “The hospital did everything
they could to reassure us. We were
seen and monitored every two
weeks by consultant obstetrician and
gynaecologist Feroza Dawood who
works closely with Roy.”
As her pregnancy proceeded past
16 weeks and then 18 weeks, the
stages that had previously brought
tragedy, the couple dared to hope. “
The band seemed to be holding like a
rock” says Janett. At 30 weeks, Janett
began buying baby clothes and her
dream of motherhood finally came
true on June 17 when Feroza Dawood
delivered Ainka by section at 37 weeks
and 1 day.
While pregnant, Janett, an
employment lawyer, joined a
worldwide support group called
Abbyloopers for women with similar
conditions to hers. It seeks to raise
awareness about the help available to
them. “I have told people about the
help available at Liverpool Women’s
and I have actually met some of the
UK women who became members
of the site and had their bands
placed by Roy and Feroza on my
recommendation. We call ourselves
‘Mr F’s girls.’ One woman was going to
spend thousands going to the US, not
realising she could get the treatment
here. Not many hospitals can do this
procedure and we are incredibly lucky
to have this here in the North West.
“We will never forget what Roy and
Feroza did for us. Ainka is such a
special little girl and without them
she would not be here”, said Janett.”
I want to let people know about this
procedure so that they too can fill their
empty arms.”
The Abbyloopers website is
www.abbyloopers.org
Our expertise brings patients
from far and wide
A new Laser Fetoscopy Service
which means pregnant patients
no longer have to travel to
Birmingham and London for highly
skilled treatment in the womb was
highlighted by Chief Executive
Kathryn Thomson at the Annual
Members’ Meeting. This sort of
expertise in fetal medicine, infertility,
miscarriage and other services was
attracting patients from all over the
North West and beyond, she said.
While 48% of patients are from
Liverpool, the remainder come from
as far away as Cumbria and the
West Midlands.
She pointed out that in 2009/10
the Trust had:
• Delivered 8,100 babies
• Carried out 8,800
gynaecology operations
• Provided 1,300 cycles of IVF
• Cared for 1,100 preterm infants
on our Neonatal Unit
The Trust was seeking to improve
communications with staff
with a new Staff/Engagement/
Communications Programme and
new moves were in place to support
staff working in high pressure roles.
The Trust was also stepping up its
Customer Care Culture Programme
for all staff and continuing to listen
to patients by collecting ‘Real Time’
information from patients, including
Video Diaries for a quick response.
Janine Wooldridge, retiring chair
of Membership and Strategy
Committee said the Trust had
successfully increased overall
membership from 10,000 to
12,500. In doing so, members
had focussed on engaging
targets of younger people (under
21) and people in black and
minority ethnic communities.
Tributes were paid to her and Ann
Smith on the end of their terms of
office and to Trust Secretary Erica
Saunders who has successfully
secured a new post.
Issue 04 | November 2010 | Generations
5
hlight of members’ meeting and Open Day
Georgia Taylor, Rachel Getty, whose mother works in Cytogenetics, have their hands checked for
cleanliness by Infection control nurse Roisin Stoddem
New Medical Director Jonathan Herod gets a soaking!
See back page
for more Open
Day photos
Zoe Martin-Marsden (left) meets the clown with Consultant Leanne Bricker and her children, Madeleine and Ava Robinson
Volunteering team, Mary Currie, Liz Crawley, Emma Bowes-Crook, Gail Holding, PALS Manager,
Kevin McDowell and Helen Furnival
Annie Heritage, aged ten, winner of the schools competition with her new design for our
baby lambana
6
Generations | November 2010 | Issue 04
Hewitt Centre opening marks exciting
new milestone in fertility treatment
The new Hewitt Centre for
Reproductive Medicine, which
has become a beacon of hope for
infertile couples, has been officially
opening by the British Fertility
Society President Peter Brinsden.
He was joined by other leading
members of the society, health
professionals and executives from
around the North West - and about
twenty families who have had
babies following IVF treatment
in the last year.
Consultant gynaecologist Charles
Kingsland who was a co-founder
with the late Jon Hewitt of the first
IVF unit in Liverpool 21 years ago,
said: “I am incredibly proud of our
new centre which offers the latest
technologies and techniques in a
beautifully designed building. We
have come a long way since we
started in converted offices in the
Royal Liverpool University Hospital
in 1989.Then we had four staff and
now we have 75, providing a top
class service to families from all over
the North West.”
During the celebration, Mr Kingsland
and many others present were
thinking of his late colleague,
consultant gynaecologist Jon Hewitt,
who worked alongside him in those
early days and co-founded the first
IVF unit. He died in 2002, aged
45, after suffering lung cancer. His
colleagues immediately named
the unit after him in tribute to the
huge impact he had in helping to
introduce and develop the service.
His family attended the opening
of the new centre which Liverpool
The Hewitt family with a portrait of co-founder Jon Hewitt
Women’s Chief Executive Kathryn
Thomson described as a “trailblazer.”
She said: “Most of our team who set
up the first IVF unit in Liverpool are
still with us, championing the cause
of families who are often desperate
in their desire for a family. It is thanks
to them and their dedicated team
that we have achieved a fabulous
new centre which is as trailblazing
today as it was 21 years ago.”
Celebrating the opening cake-style - Chief Executive Kathryn Thomson, Consultant Charles Kingsland, Quality
and Risk Manager, Chris Malone, Chairman Ken Morris and guest Peter Brindsden
The new £6million centre was
built to accommodate a rapidly
increasing number of patients
requiring fertility treatment. It
replaces facilities in Liverpool
Women’s which were originally
designed to treat just 600
patients each year 15 years
ago. Now more than three times
that number are helped.
The Liverpool IVF unit was only the
second in the country to offer NHS
funded treatment. Now the Hewitt
Centre is the biggest NHS provider
of IVF treatment in the country and
three quarters of patients are NHS
funded. Success rates continue to
rise with over 40 per cent of patients
achieving a pregnancy per cycle.
Services provided include IVF and
ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm
injection); a donor sperm bank;
egg freezing for women about
to start treatments which might
render them infertile; and a new
method of freezing and storing eggs
and embryos, vitrification which
is expected to lead to significant
improvements in pregnancy rates.
The Centre for Better Births – with your
help we can make births safer and
better for families worldwide
The Centre for Better Births will be
Europe’s first dedicated research
facility into making birth as safe as
it can possibly be for both mother
and baby. This world class centre,
a partnership between Liverpool
Women’s hospital and the University
of Liverpool, will bring together
leading researchers and clinicians.
The aim is to improve understanding
in areas such as high-risk pregnancies,
premature birth and prolonged labour.
To solve these issues there needs to
be a deeper understanding of how
the uterus works – discovering more
about how it functions will result in
new developments and therapies for
pregnancy and childbirth.
This will make a real difference to the
lives of children and families across
the world.
Within five years the Better Births
team hopes to:
• Reduce the number of emergency
caesarean sections from 1:4 to 1:5, a
20% reduction
• Gain vital new insights into how the
womb works and why labours can
go wrong
• Develop safe therapies to treat
the womb which can be quickly
translated to the bedside
Work is due to be completed by
November 2011 and the facility will
be ready for occupation in early 2012.
The Better Births Appeal has been
established with a fundraising target
of £3m for the construction of
the centre which will be located at
Liverpool Women’s.
How you can help
We are asking others to join together
with us and make this vision a reality.
The appeal has reached a third of
its goal thanks to donations from
individuals and charitable trusts but
continued investment is vital. We are
now appealing to you to help us reach
our goal.
Every new supporter makes a vital
and much appreciated contribution
to the appeal and we recognise that
a gift is more than a donation, it is an
investment.
If you can help please go to the Better
Births website www.betterbirths.org or
log onto http://www.justgiving.com/
betterbirths
Other ways to help
In order to attract donations we need
people to be aware of the important
research that is taking place and why
funds are needed. The best way to do
this is to secure as much coverage as
possible in the national press in order
to encourage people to fundraise.
Case studies about people’s real life
experiences help bring the appeal to
life. Please get in touch if you think
your personal birth experience would
help highlight the importance of this
charity. This will be treated with the
utmost confidentiality and sensitivity.
Contact Nicky Hunter hunter@
paversmith.co.uk
Members’ Page
Women’s health and well-being is top
of agenda for our new governor Lisa
For the past 10 years, the
Governor for Central Liverpool,
Lisa Rodney, has been working
at as an Administration Officer
for Broadgreen Primary School.
She is currently serving her second
term as a governor at Broadgreen
International School, a role Lisa is
truly passionate about. “This is an
extremely rewarding role and one
that I love. I believe passionately
that children should have access to
a good education and one that is
provided in a caring environment”.
A married mum of two teenagers,
Lisa has lived in the Old Swan area
for the past 15 years. “My day is
a busy one and my job can vary
greatly, but it really is a privilege to
work within one of our local schools. It makes me feel connected to my
community, the children at our
school and their families who live in
the area. I’m so fortunate as it is
such a pleasure to go to work every
day” said Lisa.
Although Lisa enjoys her role as
school Governor, she has been for
some time looking for new ways
she can contribute to the health
and well being of the women of
Merseyside and beyond. “The
health and wellbeing of women
is vitally important as we live such
busy lives, juggling our families and
jobs alongside other commitments. We don’t always put ourselves or
our health requirements at the
top of our ‘to do list’” said Lisa. Working as a Liverpool Women’s
Governor, Lisa is looking forward
to supporting the work of the Trust
in delivering services. “It has been
many years since I was a patient
at the Women’s and I have been
amazed at the various services it
now provides. I am looking forward
to learning more about the work of
the Trust and being able to support
its goals for the future”.
Lisa has many hobbies. However,
her favourite way to spend a spare
day is “walking around one of our
local art galleries. Peaceful!.
New Trust Secretary Julie
McMorran wants to
engage members
Having worked in the NHS for
many years now, Julie still enjoys
the variety it brings and the
opportunities she gets to work in a
service that touches people’s lives
in such a significant way. “I grew
up in Liverpool where my mother is
from and studied Criminal Justice
and Politics at Liverpool John
Moores University, moving across
to Cheshire a few years ago. I have
worked with Boards, committees
and service users and carers
throughout my career and am
really looking forward to doing so
at Liverpool Women’s” said Julie.
organisation that is committed to
providing the best care possible to
local women and babies. Liverpool
Women’s has a great reputation
and is at the leading edge of a
number of clinical developments.
I’m especially looking forward to
joining a team that’s passionate
about doing things even better”.
Julie will be joining the Women’s
from Cheshire and Wirral
Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
(CWP) where she held the position
of Company Secretary - “my job
role is quite similar to the one I
will be starting at the Women’s
although with a smaller portfolio”. Prior to joining CWP, Julie was
Trust Secretary at Salford Royal
NHS Foundation Trust, again doing
a broadly similar role.
Given that we now have over
12, 500 members, Julie feels a
variety of approaches work best in
terms of engaging our members
.”Different people are likely to want
to engage in different ways,” said
Julie. “I feel meeting our members
‘out and about’ is important,
going to where they are such as
at community-based groups and
also holding themed events on site
where members can come and
learn more about the Trust’s work”. Julie also feels the role of governors
is critical in deciding how best to
engage with our members and
is looking to learning from them
about how best to do it.
Like many thousands of women
from Liverpool and beyond Julie
has been a patient at the hospital
and has been impressed - and
reassured - by the evidence of high
clinical standards. “I am extremely
happy to be joining Liverpool
Women’s and being part of an
A keen runner, Julie also enjoys,
cooking and reading crime novels.
“I also like to potter in my garden
during the warmer months but
wouldn’t dare to say I had any
real talent in that area! I have a
passion for Italy and love to visit at
every possible opportunity”.
❛
‘Liverpool Women’s has a great reputation
and is at the leading edge of a number
of clinical developments. I’m especially
looking forward to joining a team that’s
passionate about doing things even better’
A welcome for our New Membership
Strategy Chair Person - Mary McDonald
Having retired from the NHS and
Liverpool Women’s just under
12 months ago, Mary decided to
continue her relationship with the
Trust and become a Governor for
South Liverpool. “I wanted to look
at the Women’s from the other
side” said Mary. “Although we have
fantastic services here there is always
room for improvement and I want
to assist wherever I can”. Having
worked in the NHS for 47 years as a
nurse and midwife before retiring,
in her new role as Chairperson of
the Strategy Committee Mary is
looking forward to building upon
her knowledge of hospital practices
by engaging with our members.
“ I want to address issues such as
equality, diversity and justice. Given
the current economic climate, we
need to reassure our members that
safety is paramount and top of the
Trust’s agenda”.
Working alongside the Patient
Quality Team, Mary and the
committee have plans to get out
into the community by visiting
Women’s groups, churches and
community groups to engage
with our members. “We will
also be looking to recruit more
male members and ensure our
membership continues to reflect the
diversity of the community we live in.
Amongst other things Mary is
most looking forward to “reviewing
our aims and objectives, addressing
the needs of the community,
therefore enabling us to improve the
patients’ experience”.
If you would like the strategy
committee to come and talk your
group about the services the Trust
provides or if you would like more
information on how to get involved
please contact Helen Gavin on
0151 702 4372.
❛
8
Generations | November 2010 | Issue 04
Director has new role at Royal College
Mr David Richmond has been
elected Vice President for Standards
for the Royal College of
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Following his appointment, he has
stepped down as the Trust’s Medical
Director after 17 years but will
continue to work for the Trust as a
consultant in urogynaecology.
His prestigious new role will involve
giving advice to organisations
such as the Department of Health,
NICE, NHSLA and the National
Commissioning Quality Board on
clinical standards.
Mr Richmond said: “I love my work
here at the Women’s but it was
definitely the right time to hand over
the reins to someone else. I have
worked with 25 different executives
during my 17 years as Medical
Director, all of whom have had their
own particular way of working which
has proved challenging at times.”
Joining Liverpool Women’s in
1990, Mr Richmond became
Medical Director in 1993. During
that time, he has helped the Trust
through innumerable changes
and developments, including the
successful amalgamation of previous
hospitals into the Crown Street site in
1995 and subsequent merger with
Aintree Centre for Women’s Health.
One of his main interests is
manpower planning (he currently
contributes to local and national
manpower working parties) along
with education and training. He is
proud of championing the need
for consultant presence on the
delivery suite for longer periods of
the day. “My aim has always been
the provision of safe, high quality
care which requires an appropriately
sized, skilled, competent and welltrained workforce.
“I have seen considerable changes
for the better with the move towards
the reporting of outcomes for clinical
intervention and the development of
the Clinical Governance Committee
which scrutinises aspects of care
to ensure that we are delivering
safe, effective services which are
acceptable to patients.”
He is proud that the Trust is at the
forefront in its field “although we
must continue to improve” and that
it has such a very vibrant research
portfolio. He is also pleased to
be continuing his work here as a
consultant but looking forward to his
new role as something that will give
him a totally different perspective.
Megan and Kieran Dever on Teddy’s Theatre Tour with Tracy McNulty, First ODA and
Jan Budgen, Theatre Scrub Nurse
Mr Richmond at his surprise celebratory lunch
Evie Leyland, daughter of Gail Holding, Family Support Manager, with Debbie Mercer,
Neonatal Sister and Abbie and Jessica Holding
More from the Open Day
Lorraine Campbell, left, and Jane Rooney of the Enhanced Midwifery team with Niamh
Rooney (centre)
Betty Reed, In Patient Ward Manager checks out Isabella Hayes’ teddy bear with her
grandmother, Chris Vaughan, support worker
Editor – Eileen Taylor. Designed & Published by Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd, Britannic Chambers, 8a Carlton Road, Worksop, Notts. S80 1PH Tel: 01909 478822