December 2011 - University College London Hospitals

Inside Story
December 2011
Follow us: @uclh
Top Dr Foster award for UCLH – page 3
AND
Seb lights up open event – pages 4 & 5
PLUS
New radiotherapy treatment – page 7
Inside Story is the UCLH staff magazine

news
UCLH wins top award
2
Dr Deborah Christie, Prof Peter Hindmarsh, a representative from the award sponsor, Rebecca Thompson and the Right Honourable Michael Portillo
The Trust was a winner at the
prestigious Health Service Journal
(HSJ) Awards in the category
Enhancing Quality and Efficiency
in Services for Children and Young
People.
Rebecca Thompson, nurse consultant
for paediatric and adolescent diabetes,
Dr Deborah Christie, consultant
clinical psychologist, and Professor
Peter Hindmarsh, paediatric diabetes
consultant, collected the award.
Rebecca said: “Our campaign has
been about making every young
person with diabetes matter.
Getting ready for the Cancer Centre – outpatients
It’s all change in the cancer division
as services prepare for the move
to the new UCH Macmillan Cancer
Centre in April 2012. It’s not just a
case of moving existing services to a
new location, the design of the new
building will determine how services
are provided. Jessica Tudor Williams,
Cancer Centre general manager
said: “Taking the old ways of working
into the new Centre is simply not an
option - we have to improve the way
we deliver services, to match the
improved environment provided by the
Cancer Centre”.
And that is where the productive
outpatients’ project comes in. Run by
the cancer division and the QEP team,
the project has achieved impressive
results, dramatically reducing average
waiting times in the lymphoma clinic
from hours to just 20 minutes.
Gulen Kaplan, outpatients project
assistant explains how a few simple
steps have made a big difference
“Getting everyone involved in a typical
patient pathway in a room together
was a real eye opener. Teams were
surprised to learn about some of the
issues their colleagues encountered
Kirit Ardeshna and Gulen Kaplan
Contact us
If you have any information you would like included in Inside Story, or on Insight,
contact: Communications Unit, 2nd Floor Central, 250 Euston Road, London NW1
2PG. Email: communications@uclh.nhs.uk, Tel: ext 79897, Fax: ext 79401.
“We are delighted that our efforts to
increase access to services have been
recognised at this level.”
The Trust was also short-listed in two
further categories - Good Corporate
Citizenship and Managing Long Term
Conditions.
and were able to offer
possible solutions.
Small things – like
4
months
to go
prioritising blood results for patients
who need to take their results into
their consultations with them, or
asking patients to weigh themselves
upon arrival at the clinic – have made
a big difference to clinic waiting times.”
Kirit Ardeshna, consultant
haematologist and lead clinician
for the Cancer Centre, added: “We
recognise that waiting for long
periods of time to see the doctor can
be exhausting and frustrating for
patients especially when there are
not feeling well. We are determined to
understand how we can improve the
way we work in order to reduce clinic
waiting times as much as possible. It
is hoped that lessons learned from our
five pilot clinics can be implemented
in other areas, with the long term
ambition of virtually eliminating waits
in the Cancer Centre”.
Front cover: Seb Coe with chairman
Richard Murley

news
UCLH named London trust of the year
UCLH has been named the top NHS
hospital trust in London, according to
the Dr Foster Hospital Guide.
The Trust was among four across the
country to receive the accolade for the
quality of care it delivers to patients. It
is the second time in just three years
that UCLH has been named a Dr
Foster Trust of the Year and the third
time in a decade.
The award is based on UCLH’s low
mortality rates and feedback from
patients. Two of the Trust’s hospitals
– The Heart Hospital and the Royal
London Hospital for Integrated
Medicine – are among those most
highly recommended by patients,
according to the guide.
Sir Robert Naylor, UCLH chief
executive, said: “I would like to
congratulate every single member of
staff who has helped us achieve such
high standards. You can have new
hospital facilities and all of the modern
equipment money can buy, but our
greatest asset will always be our staff.
“Quality is our guiding principle and
when patients ask their doctor: ‘Will it
be safe? What will be the outcome?
and what will the experience be
like?’ we respond that these are our
priorities - safety, outcomes and
experience.
“We have put a lot of work into
educating staff about the importance
of treating patients with dignity
and respect and involving them in
Who said hospital can’t be fun?
decisions about their care. It is really
satisfying that this is paying off and is
reflected in the experience patients
have when they come to UCLH.”
The Trust also scored highly in the
national inpatient survey which covers
areas including dignity and respect
and involving patients in decisions
about their care.
There was plenty of festive
cheer in the air, as more than
100 young patients – past and
present – were VIP guests at
a party organised by T11 staff.
As well as entertainment, there
were presents for every child,
part-funded by the London Fire
Brigade.
Elsewhere, the cast of Aladdin
were conjuring up some Christmas
magic for patients in paediatric
outpatients, the department’s first
ever pantomime. It was organised
by senior play specialist Liz
Wilkinson and supported by
Marks & Spencer. The Starlight
Children’s Foundation helped
fund both events.
Not to be outdone, HR
administrator Rob Newman
(pictured right) took part in
a 5K fun run in Greenwich
Park to raise funds for the
Charitable Foundation
Cancer Centre appeal.
Dressed as Santa, of course!
3

festive open event
UCLH festive open event
4
Seb Coe lit up UCLH’s festive open
event and praised staff for ensuring
London will be ‘in safe hands’ during
next year’s Olympic and Paralympic
Games.
The sixth annual event - the biggest
and best yet - attracted around 1,000
visitors.
University College Hospital is a
designated ‘Olympic hospital’ for the
London 2012 Games and will provide
healthcare to visitors, spectators,
dignitaries and others referred from
polyclinics in the Olympic village.
Before switching on the Christmas
tree lights, Seb, chair of the London
Organising Committee of the Olympic
and Paralympic Games (LOCOG),
said: “This hospital is playing a huge
and important part in the delivery
of our Games. As Chairman of the
Organising Committee it is very,
very reassuring to know that our
competitors, the Olympic community
and spectators that come to London
are in safe hands.”
He presented chocolate gold medals
to the winners of the best display
stands – the Acute Medical Unit and
the infection control team (dressed as
bug-busting ninja warriors). Judges
chairman Richard Murley, deputy chief
executive Mike Foster and chief nurse
Katherine Fenton said it had been a
‘tough decision’ because they had
been impressed by all the 50 display
stands.
Addressing the crowds, chairman
Richard Murley said: “It’s very good
to see so many staff, patients and
members of the public here for what
has been an absolutely fabulous
occasion. People have put in so much
effort to demonstrate the fantastic
work we do for our patients at UCLH.”
The event is organised by the Trust’s
communications unit. Look out for the
open event photo gallery on Insight on
23 December.
Best display stand – the winners: the acute medical unit...
Some of the Cancer Centre team show off the new UCH
Macmillan Cancer Centre
Seb Coe focuses on Ophthalmology
Richard Murley gives his best shot
and our b
It’s a bug life! The eye catching display from

festive open event
Fire trainer Neil Bailey and Trust security advisor Rod Townley with
our Mr Switch It!
ug-busting infection control warriors
Chairman Richard Murley with previous chairman Peter Dixon and
chief executive Sir Robert Naylor
Seb Coe visits the sports medicine and orthopaedics stand
Health matters: Seb Coe chats about RLHIM
Our tours team: Deborah Glastonbury and Tom Hughes
the Hospital for Tropical Diseases
Winning smiles: Elke Tullet and Darielle Proctor from the
Communications Unit with Seb Coe
Consultant nurse Vicki Leah with deputy chief executive
Mike Foster and chief nurse Katherine Fenton
5

our trust
Nursing and midwifery strategy – shaping the future
Chief nurse Katherine Fenton
In a radical new move, the Trust’s
three year strategy for nursing and
midwifery is being developed by staff
at grass roots level following a series
of creative, brainstorming sessions.
For the first time nurses, midwives,
allied health professionals, non-clinical
staff and patient governors are playing
a direct role in shaping the direction of
nursing and midwifery at the Trust until
2015.
The strategy will link to the Trust’s
mission statement to provide top
quality patient care, excellent
education and world class research.
Chief nurse Katherine Fenton,
said: “We want to get a range of
perspectives from a range of staff. We
are conscious we do not want to make
a plan in isolation.”
Sir Robert Naylor, UCLH chief
executive, said the Trust was starting
from a position of ‘great strength’ and
he recognised the contribution made
by our nurses and midwives.
He added: “Our organisation is not
just about buildings and facilities and
equipment. It is about people. We
(the board) can set strategies and
priorities but our aspirations need to
be reflected at every level.”
As part of the process to draw up
strategic priorities, staff reflected on
the wider context and the challenges
the Trust is likely to face in the
next few years: the national and
international economic crisis; an
ageing population; shifting patterns
of health care commissioning and
provision; a move towards more
integrated care and tackling a growing
– and most would argue false public
perception of how nursing has become
less ‘caring’ over the decades.
The draft strategy will shortly be
distributed for comment.
6
‘Holographic nurse’ to help reduce the risk of infection
UCH is the first hospital in the country to introduce
a ‘virtual nurse’ to greet staff and patients on their
arrival and remind them about the importance of
following good infection control practice.
As well as advising staff, patients and visitors about
the importance of hand hygiene and cleanliness,
the virtual nurse also keeps patients and visitors
informed about other Trust projects.
The virtual nurse is just one tactic being used by
UCH to improve awareness of the importance of
infection control.
The virtual nurse is reflected via high definition
video projectors onto a specially developed material
which produces a crystal clear image. It is funded
by Interserve and provided by The Healthcare
Messaging Group.
Visitors will be regularly prompted by the virtual
nurse to clean their hands at the many hand gel
dispenser points around the hospital. The unit has
two working dispenser units built into the design, so
visitors can take immediate action.
Should the trial prove successful, patients can look
forward to seeing additional virtual units throughout
the Trust, welcoming patients, visitors and staff at
its other key locations – providing a wide range of
information.
Trevor Payne (pictured right with the virtual nurse),
director of estates & facilities at UCLH, said: “We are
proud to be the first hospital in the UK to introduce
a virtual nurse as part of our campaign to tackle
infection.”

our trust
New hope for Helen
A groundbreaking form of radiotherapy
which uses pinpoint precision to
target tumours is offering new hope to
patients at UCLH.
Cancer patients at UCLH are the
first in the country to benefit from the
TrueBeam linear accelerator which
delivers precise radiotherapy and
radiosurgery alongside real-time
imaging. It is particularly effective for
lung, liver, pancreas and other mobile
tumours.
One of the first patients to use
TrueBeam is Helen Lau (pictured
below with her son Mylo).
In 2009, within five weeks of
complaining of blurred vision, Helen
found herself undergoing brain surgery
Patient Helen Lau being helped on Truebeam by superintendent radiographer Loretta Allen
at the NHNN to remove a tumour the
size of a pea. During this time she
also learnt she was pregnant and went
completely blind.
“Those five weeks were so scary, not
knowing what was happening, why
it was happening. Diagnosis was a
relief. The medical team did not give
me false hope, they did not promise I
would get my sight back after surgery
but I did. It was instant.”
Helen’s tumour was removed and
she went on to give birth to her son,
Mylo, in May 2010. But a few months
later, her tumour was back. “This time
around, I knew the signs and I went to
the doctor straight away. The tumour
had grown back really quickly and was
the size of a Brussels sprout.”
A second round of surgery for Helen,
40, was followed by a course of
radiotherapy treatment last month
using TrueBeam, which has been
provided by HCA International, with
financial support from the children’s
cancer charity Fight for Life.
First teenage cancer patients to get treatment on the move
Teenage cancer patients are
benefiting from a new type of
treatment which gives them the
freedom to stay on the move.
Instead of having days of drug
treatment at UCH, they can stay
overnight or for a number of days in
a nearby ‘home from home’, if they
are well enough, take a walk or invite
friends to come and visit them away
from hospital.
Ambulatory cancer care, uses portable
medical pumps and new ways of
managing treatment – to give patients
greater freedom.
Safety and quality of care remains
paramount. They receive daily checks
from their clinical team and, if they feel
unwell, they can telephone the unit’s
urgent advice line at any time and
return to UCH, if necessary.
Aaron Maddox, 14, is one of the first
young patients to benefit.
Aaron was diagnosed with
Osteosarcoma (a rare bone cancer)
in March and has been having
chemotherapy ever since, with limited
days off. The treatment protocol has
been exhausting.
In the summer of 2011, his mother
Susanne was informed about Paul’s
House, a 16-bed house provided
by children and young people’s
cancer charity CLIC Sargent which
supports families of children travelling
to London to UCH.
Instead of being confined to the ward,
his chemotherapy drugs were packed
into a small rucksack and infused
directly into his bloodstream using a
special pump.
“It’s so peaceful here,” said Susanne.
“Aaron gets very tired after his
chemotherapy so he can sleep and
it means he isn’t stuck on a hospital
ward. The medical staff are only two
minutes up the road and available on
a 24-hour hotline. All the rooms here
have a phone which goes directly
to the hospital. We stay here at
every opportunity – it makes a huge
difference to Aaron’s wellbeing and
sense of normality.”
Alison Finch, senior nurse and matron
on UCH’s children’s and young
people’s cancer units said: “Cancer
treatment can be extremely hard
going and very disruptive to family life.
Children and young people are often
in hospital for long periods away from
their family and friends. We owe it to
them to help make their life as normal
as possible.”
Aaron and his mother Susanne
7

the back page
Secret lives
For paediatric consultant Caro
Minasian it must rank as one of
the most intimidating experiences
of his career. Imagine – the
burden of knowing that one false
move could mean childhood
dreams melting away like snow
in springtime.
“I’m fundamentally quite a
shy person and it was quite
intimidating walking into a room
and booming HO! HO! HO! at
the top of my voice. Hundreds of
pairs of eyes were looking at me.
I found it a very big responsibility
– almost as much as the clinical
work I do.”
Of course, as all good boys
and girls know, there IS only
one real Santa. And Caro isn’t
he. Nevertheless, when Father
Christmas was waylaid at the last
minute, Caro stepped into his
very large black, shiny boots.
“I sat in this grotto in paediatric
outpatients and the children
were queuing up. No one pulled
my beard – a few of them tried
to peer into my hood – but, on
the whole, they were very well
behaved and it was lovely to
Hands full: with baby Michael, the son of colleague Michaela
Musial, paediatric staff nurse
see them as children enjoying
themselves rather than young
patients. It was a lot of fun,
I thoroughly enjoyed it. That
beard was very itchy though.”
The festive spirit is alive and
well for Caro. “I have two
young children and we do the
whole ‘glass of port, tangerine,
stocking at the end of the bed
stuff’. It’s a time for family.”
Did Santa fulfil his own
childhood requests? “My best
Christmas present ever was
when I was 11 years old. I had
spent two months in hospital
after being hit by a car and my
greatest wish was to be back
at home for Christmas. I still
feel moved when I think about
it.”
Caro would love to hand
out presents at UCH again
this year but is expecting an
early delivery to the Minasian
household. “We’re expecting a
baby girl!,” he said with delight.
Surely one of the greatest gifts
of all – what more could one
wish for?
Archives
In 1921, staff and patients from ward four were encouraged to be
part of the festive fun!
Marathon
man
Dr Steve Pereira,
consultant for
gastrointestinal
services
and hepato
pancreato
biliary cancer,
recently ran the
Luton Marathon
to help raise funds
for Pancreatic
Cancer UK’s goal
to double survival
rates within the
next five years.
Steve said: “I made
it – a bit slower than
I hoped, but I made it!”.
8