Inside Story - University College London Hospitals

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Inside Story
OBE awarded to top midwife – page 3
AND
UCLH widens its web – pages 4 & 5
PLUS
New treatment for cluster headaches – page 7
Inside Story is the UCLH staff magazine
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news
Phone numbers across UCLH are changing
To improve links across UCLH, and
external access to the Trust’s services,
all telephone numbers throughout the
organisation are about to be changed.
The 5 Digit Renumbering project
provides for a transition to one telephony
system covering the whole Trust. There
will be no duplication of extension
numbers, and all will be comprised of
five digits. Extension to extension
dialling will be direct, and not require a
site code. The facility for external direct
dial in to any extension will be provided,
to make it easier for patients and groups
such as GPs to contact staff. All sites will
use a ‘9’ for an outside line. The project
will also provide a uniform voicemail and
bleep service across sites.
John McGhee, ICT programme
manager, said: "This project will affect
every single member of staff across the
Trust, the patients,
external partners and
visitors. Your
cooperation and
support is vital to
ensuring its’ success."
Departments will
receive guidance on
how they will
communicate the
From l to r: Patrick Johnson, project manager; Will Ryan, Azzuri
changes in an effective
service delivery manager; Sandra Stewart, contract manager;
Malcolm Barnicoat, Pathology; Pat Isaacs, Women’s Health; John
and timely manner.
McGhee
The changes will affect
The new five digit numbers will be
all standard correspondence templates,
allocated by the project team and
publications, systems and websites
published on Insight in early February.
which include or display telephone, or
Divisional representatives will
fax numbers. In the meantime
communicate out to all staff and third
departments are urged to consider the
party tenants within the Trust.
shelf life of any publications, such as
patient information leaflets for patients,
The final schedule will be published in
planned in the near future.
February.
Butterflies help hospital patients with dementia
Butterflies fluttering above our hospital
beds: a symbol of the flurried, flitting
thoughts of the person lying below, a
patient living with dementia.
UCH is the first hospital in the capital to
introduce the butterfly image to identify
those patients who may need special
attention. Patients also have the option
to wear a blue wristband, a simple and
practical way of identifying those who
have dementia-related memory
impairment and wish staff to be aware of
it.
The Butterfly Scheme makes this clear
to staff in a simple, practical way:
resulting in more effective and
appropriate care, reduced stress levels
and increased safety and well-being.
Additionally, hand picked staff
champions will keep a watchful eye to
ensure these patients are given the most
appropriate care, as well as challenging
poor practice.
A ‘This is me’ fact file about the patient’s
personal history including former
occupation, hobbies and interests also
aims to focus the attention on the person
behind the dementia.
These are among the initiatives to
– dementia sometimes leads us to forget
improve quality of care due to be
that. We all need to be reminded of the
launched at UCH on January 26, in line
person behind the illness.”
with the NHS national strategy ‘Living
An activities table with a red tablecloth
with Dementia’.
(a colour that best engages patients with
Vicki Leah, nurse consultant for older
dementia) will also be set up in T7,
people, will unveil new guidelines which
giving patients with dementia an
include care plans and details on
opportunity to be engaged in meaningful
assessing pain in patients who are not
occupation.
able to articulate their discomfort.
The Butterfly Scheme was developed by
Vicki said: “Staff including phlebotomists, a woman whose mother suffered from
porters and reception staff may all come
dementia. The “This is me” fact file was
into contact with someone whose
developed by The Alzheimer’s Society.
memory is impaired
but may not realise it
initially. There can be
misunderstandings
and a patient’s
behaviour can be
sometimes wrongly
misconstrued as
awkward or
aggressive.
“Patients with
dementia are
T10 team (l-r) Tomasz Jandiz, healthcare assistant/dementia advocate;
mothers, husbands,
Juanita Berridge, staff nurse/dementia advocate; charge nurses
Georgina Turnbull and Darren Barnes; and Dexter Regarde, healthcare
former models,
assistant dementia advocate
former spitfire pilots
Contact Us
If you have any information you would like included in Inside Story, or on the Trust intranet site
Insight, contact: Communications Unit, 2nd Floor Central, 250 Euston Road, London NW1 2PG.
Email: [email protected], Tel: ext 9897, Fax: ext 9401.
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Front cover: Yana Richens,
consultant midwife, with a
newborn baby
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news
A touch of Klass
A young UCH cancer patient took part in ITV’s Christmas
charity appeal with TV presenter, Myleene Klass.
Four-year-old Jack Hinde and Myleene asked viewers of
the popular This Morning programme to give generously to
UCLH supporter CLIC Sargent, the children’s cancer
charity chosen for this year’s TV appeal.
Jack received six weeks intensive radiation therapy last
year for a spinal tumour at UCH’s radiotherapy department.
An ITV film crew reconstructed his treatment and showed
the vital role of UCH’s play specialists who are partly
funded by the charity.
The specialists worked with Jack to teach him to lie
perfectly still during each of his 30 daily 20 minute radiation
sessions, avoiding the need for 30 general anaesthetics.
Jack, from Teddington, asked ITV viewers to give
generously to the charity to help other children like him.
Julia Solano, UCH radiotherapy manager, said: “It was
fantastic to have Jack back with us and to work with him
and Myleene to show the great work our play specialists
do.”
Musician Myleene, who is currently pregnant, is presenting
all 12 appeal films for CLIC Sargent. She said: “It was
great working with Jack and seeing the work of the
dedicated hospital team. They are inspirational.”
CLIC Sargent also contributes funding to Paul’s House,
family accommodation for relatives of UCH patients, as
well as toys and games for children being treated at UCH.
Supporting the wellbeing of
cancer patients
Hilary Plant,
Macmillan
project
manager, has a
goal. Funded by
Macmillan
Cancer
Support, she is
gathering the
views of staff,
patients and
Hilary talking to patient Matthew Short about
their families
supportive care needs
and carers to
find out how supportive care services can best be provided in
the new Cancer Centre.
Supportive care is an umbrella term that covers the range of
services that offer practical and emotional support to people
diagnosed with, or affected by cancer. This includes information
about benefits, lifestyle advice, counselling and complementary
therapies. The new Wellbeing Centre will bring them together
under one roof, making them more accessible to patients.
Providing supportive care is part of the Cancer Centre’s overall
vision for a service that meets the wide-ranging needs of
patients diagnosed with cancer, including harder to reach groups
such as men and the over 75’s.
Hilary said: “Cancer can affect all areas of a patient’s life.
Practical questions like ‘how do I tell the children? What if I can’t
pay my mortgage?’ are very real concerns. Supportive care
services are here to provide support and advice for issues like
these.
“Cancer affects people from all walks of life – it’s important our
Wellbeing Centre meets the needs of everyone who may need to
use its services”.
For more information about the project contact Hilary via email:
[email protected]
Hilary will be running a competition for patients and staff to
find a new name for the wellbeing centre. Further details will
be posted on Insight shortly.
What an honour! says midwife Yana
Consultant
midwife Yana
Richens who
has
championed the
cause of
women from
minority and
underprivileged
backgrounds
has been recognised in the New Year
Honours list for her services to
nursing and midwifery.
Yana, who was awarded an OBE,
said: "This award is a celebration of
midwives and midwifery and
recognises that midwives who provide
care to women everyday are the most
valuable and cherished part of the
NHS.
“I have been fortunate to spend my
career doing a job that I love and to
be recognised in this way is a real
privilege.”
She added that her biggest
achievement had been to highlight
the issue of inequalities in maternity
care at the highest level – particularly
for non-English speaking women and
those from ethnic minorities.
During her career Yana has brought
about improvements in care for
women with HIV and was the lead
midwife for recently published
national guidelines on how to care for
women with antenatal and postnatal
mental health problems and complex
social problems.
Along with consultant gynaecologist
Sarah Creighton, Yana has also set
up a charity to improve the lives of
women who have suffered as a result
of female genital mutilation (FGM).
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www.uclh.nhs.uk
UCLH unveils new look website
UCLH has launched an eye-catching website to improve the information
we provide for patients, their families and carers as well as GPs and
other health professionals.
Staff, patients and GPs were involved in the design of the new website
which gives better access to contact information for our hospitals and
services. The site also includes new features and technology, including
videos.
The engaging design offers quick and up-to-date information about the
services we provide and how to access them.
The internet is one of the first ports of call when patients and the public
are looking for health advice and information. Increasingly, the public
expects to be able to find hospital details and contact information with a
quick internet search.
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Warren O’Brien, web manager said:
“
This website is the culmination of months of hard work
from people across the Trust. I would like to thank everybody
who has played their part in providing information and being
part of the focus groups which have helped the site come to
life.
”
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Jane Champion, senior nurse
for practice development, said:
James Lumgair, web and publications officer, and Warren O’Brien
Sir Robert Naylor, chief executive,
said:
“
Our website is the public
face of UCLH and the new
design offers quick, easy and
up-to-date information about
the services we provide and
how to access them. It is
important that we provide
rapid information to GPs to
assist them in managing the
patient pathway in the most
effective manner.
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”
Paul Glynne, medical director
for the medicine board, said:
“
The eye-catching
design really does give our
website a new lease of life.
But what is crucial is the
content and it is vital that
all our consultants update
their profiles so they can
be available to patients
and healthcare
professionals at the click
of a button.
”
“
The new website will
hopefully relieve some of the
anxiety patients often feel
about coming to hospital by
providing accurate information
which allows them more
control over their own care.
There is also a dedicated
section for nursing and
midwifery where patients and
professionals can find our
about our approach to quality,
standards and education.
”
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www.uclh.nhs.uk
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Our services
An easy to use A-Z guide of all
clinical services, including UCLH
consultants with full profiles and
photographs.
3
4
5
6
7
2
Patients and visitors
Information for patients, visitors
and carers. Including inpatient and
outpatient guides.
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3
GPs
Information for GPs and other
healthcare professionals,
including a rapid access guide
and full referral information for
our clinical services.
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Research
Detailed case studies and
examples of our world-class
research with links to further
information.
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Education and training
Details on the excellent
education opportunities available
at the Trust and information
about the UCH Education
Centre. These pages
demonstrate how we are
investing in education to make
UCLH a great place to work.
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Work with us
The latest
vacancies as well
as stories from our
staff detailing the
benefits of working
at UCLH.
About us
we
Information about who
,
are and what we do
les,
including: director profi
tory,
Trust archives and his
d
governing body an
membership details
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Our hospitals
Links to all six hospitals where you
can find
individual hospital details including:
maps
and travel guides, contact details
and links
to hospital services.
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9
Contact us
ect (i.e.
Contact forms for each area/subj
e
appointments, complaints) are her
tact
con
to
lic
pub
the
making it easier for
the
in
with
the correct person or team
Trust directly.
What’s new at UCLH
Keep up to date with news articles
– an effective
way of showing what we are doing
and
announcing new developments and
services.
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interview
Aiming high
By Paul Wastell
Professor Chris Bunker is a man with a
mission.
To help a big project that’s already
underway – to put UCLH back on the
map as a British and world centre of
excellence in dermatology – ‘where it
belongs and always used to be’, he
says.
Professor Bunker, a dermatology
clinician and academic with over 250
publications to his name and a
reputation that spans the globe, joined
UCLH last September.
As he puts it: “Really I’m a piece in the
jigsaw. Someone of experience and
academic stature who is also a full-time
NHS consultant, someone who can
help form the critical mass of expertise
here that will make this happen.”
His new role is a return to a former
stomping ground.
In the 80s he worked at the old
Middlesex Hospital as a junior doctor
and in 1985 did the last ever ‘take’ from
the accident and emergency
department as medical registrar. He
lived opposite in Wells Street and did
his dermatology training at the former
Middlesex Hospital and UCH followed
by a research degree at UCL in 198890.
He now lives in Hampstead and has
two teenage daughters. His wife is a
consultant at the Whittington Hospital.
And it’s also a return to a working
partnership with the clinical lead of
UCLH’s dermatology department, Dr
Emma Edmonds.
Dr Edmonds was once the professor’s
trainee registrar at the Chelsea and
Westminster Hospital where, until last
year’s move, he headed dermatology
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for 19 years. She also
trained with him as a
researcher at Imperial
College.
He said: “I always
enjoyed working with her.
“So when we talked about
whether I might have a
part to play in the bright
new tomorrow, I thought
‘why not’? This is the kind
of challenge I want and
need at this time in life
when it’s easy to go
stale.”
His ambition to become a
doctor began as a 10year-old boy when his
father, who was a medical
officer in the RAF, died of
bladder cancer.
He said: “I knew from that
time that it was what I
wanted to do.”
By 18 he was at
Cambridge University,
studying medical
sciences – the first stage of his degree
– affording him valuable research
experience in the university’s
laboratories that had a lasting influence
on his work.
He said: “Good medicine is
underpinned by good science. I have
had the privilege of the most rigorous
scientific education and of working with
people who were dynamic
investigators.”
It was during his time at the former
Middlesex Hospital that he first decided
to specialise in dermatology. “Until then
I had wanted to be a neurologist. But
it’s hard to see and study disease
inside the brain whereas with the skin
it’s right there in front of you. I very
quickly got hooked.”
Over the following two decades, not
only did he work full-time as a
consultant clinician, but led original
research into a range of skin diseases
such as melanoma, skin diseases in
HIV/AIDS, such as non-melanoma skin
cancer, and male genital skin diseases
including penis cancer.
The professor’s left forearm bears the
scars of his endeavours (see left) – two
rows of neat, circular marks, each the
size of a paper punch hole – where
original research on the skin has been
advanced by a personal donation.
“This might be harder these days”, he
said, surveying the 20 or so marks,
“given the current research ethics.”
It’s his determination to further the
cause of medicine through research,
teaching, training and clinical practice
that has brought him to UCLH, where
he now sees dozens of patients a
week.
He said: “You have here a group of
doctors with major skills in
dermatology, cancer, urology and HIV
cancer. You have a new breed of
surgeon with skills in micrographic skin
surgery, treating diseases like basal
cell carcinoma – one of the fastest
growing problems in the country.
“You have one of the country’s major
HIV and cancer treatment centres and
excellent research and clinical links
with UCL and through UCL Partners.
“I want to help take this group to the
next level and make UCLH among the
very best in the world. That’s the kind
of challenge I want to be part of.”
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our trust
New hope for cluster headache sufferers
Patients who suffer from severe cluster
headaches are being offered new hope
thanks to a revolutionary treatment at
the National Hospital for Neurology
and Neurosurgery (NHNN).
The pain of cluster headaches (CH) is
notoriously excruciating and usually
described as one of the most
distressing conditions known to
mankind.
For a small group of CH patients there
has been no solution. Until now.
Ludvic Zrinzo (right) during a DBS procedure
The treatment, known as deep brain
stimulation, is already used to treat
other neurological conditions such as
Parkinson’s disease and dystonia. In
CH patients, it is used to target a part
of the brain (the posterior
hypothalamus) which is overactive
during the headaches. An electrode is
inserted into the brain and linked to a
stimulator under the chest. When the
stimulator is switched on, an electric
current passes into the brain, blocking
the damaging signals that cause
cluster headaches.
Barrie Wilson, 67, of Newton
Abbott, Devon, is only the fifth
patient to have the procedure at
the NHNN.
The device was implanted last
August and switched on in
October and he has had only one
headache since. He had been
suffering from cluster headaches
for 14 years without ever discovering
the trigger.
This new method of treating cluster
headaches follows on from pioneering
research at Queen Square, which
pinpointed a particular region of the
brain (the posterior hypothalamus).
Early pilot results of DBS were very
encouraging and this led two
consultants, neurologist Manjit
Matharu and neurosurgeon Ludvic
Zrinzo to introduce the procedure at
the NHNN.
Manjit and Ludvic said: “We are really
excited about the early indications from
using DBS in this way. Patients who
suffer from this excruciating condition
come to us at their wits’ end and for
many of them we are a last resort. If
we can help them in any way it’s
immensely rewarding,” they said.
Their work was last month featured on
the BBC news at Six and Ten.
Protecting our staff from violence
Initiatives are underway to provide staff
with extra support, skills and
knowledge to deal with violent or
aggressive patients and visitors.
The Trust is aiming to increase tailormade training programmes for front-line
staff in key areas, following a recent
audit which identified those in need of
additional support.
Revised training would include safe
restraint techniques, conflict resolution
and de-escalation.
The Trust security advisor Rod
Townley, is working with Betsey Lau-
Robinson, trust lead
for safeguarding
adults and Samantha
Philpott, divisional
senior nurse.
As well as addressing
legal requirements,
the moves are a
response to staff
feedback calling for
flexible, bespoke
The Trust security teams monitor activity across the hospitals to help
training.
keep everybody safe
Betsey said: “The type
to manage this problem and give staff
of restraint techniques required by A&E the tools to deal with these issues.”
staff dealing with a physically violent
Amanda Webb, senior nurse A&E,
adult male is different
welcomed the moves.
Fact file
from ward staff onT7
She said: “In A&E the majority of
who may have to
6.6% of UCLH staff experienced physical violence
threatening behaviour is one-off and
calm a confused and
from patients or relatives in the previous 12 months
spontaneous and staff face different
elderly patient before
(2010 staff survey interim results).
levels of abusive behaviour to their
a clinical procedure.
colleagues elsewhere in the Trust. It is
We need to balance
The Trust has developed a new and more
encouraging that we are moving in the
the protection of staff
comprehensive violence and aggression policy to
right direction in terms of helping staff
with the safety of our
provide extra guidance and to clarify roles and
protect themselves.”
patients.”
responsibilities.
For more information contact Karin
Rod added: “The aim
The Trust’s Health and Safety Committee is
Roberts, head of staff services, on ext
is to ensure that the
reviewing every single incident on a monthly basis.
9510
Trust is better placed
Nationally, there were reports of 57,000 physical
Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete this
assaults on NHS staff last year (up by 3.6%), the
year’s staff survey. More than 1,050 members of staff filled
majority in the mental health and learning disability
in the form – a response rate of 58%.
sector.
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the back page
Secret lives
Meeting Lorret Hough can be a nailbiting experience if you’re
less-than-perfectly-groomed in the
digit department. The friendly
executive PA may not normally point
the finger but your nails will be one
of the first things she notices.
“Fake or real? Classy or tacky?”
said Lorret whose nails are an
immaculate moonlight bronze
dusted with discreet gems. Acrylic
nails that are too long and have
grown away from the cuticles?
“Horrendous!” she shudders.
Yesterday her nails were pillar box
red. Next week they will be painted
one of the other colours of the
rainbow: she has 300 bottles of
varnish at home to choose from.
“Some people read a book, others
watch a movie but I like to sit and do
nails. It’s an enjoyable way to relax.”
Lorret has worked in the NHS for
many years but trained as a nail
technician in her spare time. Family,
friends and old colleagues who pop
into the living room of her Aldershot
home for a manicure are lavished
with care. After applying
moisturisers and conditioners, hot
mitts, protein base coat, two coats
of your chosen colour, high gloss
protective top coat, a drop of fastdry and finally topped with some
replenishing oil therapy, they can put
their feet up and relax.
“I don’t think feet are generally the
prettiest things and I wouldn’t relish
touching a stranger's feet but I do
pedicures for people I know. Feet
are often forgotten, tucked up in
shoes and socks. Most people
spend the first hour of a pedicure
apologising profusely about the
state of them!”
*Lorret is executive PA to Tonia
Ramsden, director of corporate
services and Simon Knight, head of
performance at Trust HQ
Ward of the week
Staff from T10 at UCH were
celebrating winning ‘ward of the
week’, a QEP initiative that
celebrates hard working and
successful teams. Ward sister,
Georgina Turnbull, said: “We are
delighted, we all worked hard to
achieve this and hope to continue
to do so, our staff are extremely
dedicated to ensuring patients are
well informed and ready for
discharge.”
Archives
A physicist checking x-ray tubes for the Radiotherapy
Department, circa 1939. The Cancer Wing originally
opened in 1898 on Nassau Street, and then in 1910 the
new Barnato-Joel Wing was opened, housing wards and
laboratories. It was funded through a generous donation of
£250,000 from Harry Barnato. After The Middlesex Hospital
was rebuilt in the 1920s and 1930s, the department
occupied four floors in the Cancer Wing. The wards and
laboratories were eventually demolished in 1968.
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