September 2011

Inside Story
September 2011
Follow us: @uclh
Recycle and reuse – page 3
AND
Arrival of the flu season – pages 4 & 5
PLUS
Heart Hospital pioneers
new procedure – page 7
Inside Story is the UCLH staff magazine

news
Phonetastic
After five months of phased changes
all 6,500 telephone and fax numbers
across the Trust have changed.
All staff now have a five digit
extension number and a direct dial
telephone number which has their
extension as the last five digits. Staff
based at The Eastman Dental Hospital
and The Heart Hospital have an
extension beginning with ‘6’, for staff
at Queen Square it is ‘8’ and all other
Trust sites have extensions that begin
with a ‘7’.
Key facts:
New switchboard number: 020
3456 7890 (0845 155 5000 is
still in use as well)
All staff now dial ‘9’ for an
outside line
Easier calls between Trust sites,
no access codes required
Uniform voicemail system
All staff have a direct dial
external telephone number
Mike Foster,
deputy chief
executive, said:
“This project has
always been
about creating
a uniform and
logical telephone
system across the
Trust to replace
the historical
mish-mash of
inherited systems.
The smooth running of each change
across the Trust sites has only been
possible thanks to the hard work of the
project representatives from boards
and divisions, staff across the Trust
and Azzurri, our telecoms partner.”
There is a phased plan to switch off
all of the old Trust numbers. Contact
John McGhee, project manager on ext
75135 for more information.
A new project that affects all Trust
mobile telephone and Blackberry
users has also just been launched,
and is taking place between
Play your part in Agenda for Change
We need your help in the Agenda for Change (AfC) job
evaluation process.
It is important that pay structures are fair, offer the best
value for money and allow new roles to be developed to
meet the needs of patients.
Job evaluation panels check job descriptions (jds) and
assess the pay banding for all posts being
recruited to where there is no agreed generic jd
or where the jd is more than six months old. Job
evaluation panels also check pay banding of roles
as part of organisational change exercises.
The panels include Staffside representatives and
are undertaken in partnership.
Jacqueline Jackson, divisional manager at the
Eastman Dental Hospital, said: “A number of
my staff have trained to work on the Agenda for
Change panels - I am happy to support them with
this as I know that their involvement is helping us
shape a better workforce for the future.”
Beverley Wallace, Unite representative, said: “By
working in partnership we are ensuring that all
job evaluations are fair and balanced. The more
Mike Foster, deputy chief executive and the project sponsor, with Will
Ryan, project manager
September and spring 2012.
A move to a private mobile phone
network allowing cheaper and more
reliable calls when on the Trust
campus means that all staff who use
a mobile phone or Blackberry need
to update their SIM card. There will
be no changes to mobile telephone
numbers and the transfer will be
seamless with no disruption to service.
The project is being implemented in
phases and staff will be contacted and
advised when they need to change
their SIM card. More information is
available on Insight.
robust the job evaluation process is, the more comfortable
we are that staff are being fairly paid.”
If you are interested in being trained in AfC job evaluation
or if you have had the training and would like to join a panel
please contact Natalie Howard on ext 75756. You do not
have to be a member of a union to be on a panel.
Rachel Voller, midwife and Unison branch secretary for UCLH, with Jacquie Jackson,
Eastman Dental Hospital general manager.
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.
Front cover: Murray Pratt, senior
house officer, paediatric dentistry
2

news
Cancer Centre
countdown - seven
months to go….
There are only seven months until
the UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre
opens its doors and welcomes its first
patients. As these recent photographs
show, the building is well on its way
to completion. With the external
structure practically finished, the focus
is now on fitting out the interior.
Jessica Tudor-Williams, Cancer
Centre general manager said: “It’s
really beginning to look less like a
building site and more of a clinical
space.”
The finishing touches – wall colour,
seat colour, art installations – will be
added over the coming months and
patients have been involved every
step of the way.
Jessica added: “Patients told us they
wanted to bright colours in the centre
– so a group of patients and staff have
worked with designers and opted
to have hot pink accent colours on
walls in certain departments, as well
as burnt orange window seats in the
outpatient areas. Staff and patients
are now working on selecting furniture
for the main waiting areas, consult
exam rooms and patient treatment
areas, with the emphasis on comfort
and ease of use”.
Work is also ongoing on the
‘productive outpatient’ project to
improve the way we deliver outpatient
services.
Formal handover of the building will
take place at the end of January.
From February to April the focus
will be on installing IT equipment,
furniture, stocking up departments and
delivering staff training ready for the
opening on 2 April 2012.
To find out more contact Jessica via
email: Jessica.Tudor-Williams@uclh.
nhs.uk.
Out with the old...in with the old
UCLH has joined forces with an
international service company to save
money and help the environment by
recycling used office furniture across
the NHS.
Together with Serco, the Trust has
embarked on a project which means
redundant furniture and equipment is
reused, instead of being thrown away
or put into expensive storage.
The initiative has been pioneered
by Trevor Payne, director of Estates
and Facilities at UCLH. He said: “The
aim of the scheme is to challenge
the ‘buy new’ culture of the NHS by
encouraging organisations to access
surplus but serviceable equipment
that has been put into storage and
forgotten about.”
Three UCLH members of staff – Tom
Hughes, leased buildings manager;
Melanie Davies, environmental
monitoring officer and Jacqueline
Apps, office manager for paediatrics
- have been trained to deliver the
service, which has its own web portal.
It is hoped that the system will be
such a success that it is rolled out
across the NHS, saving hundredsof-thousands-of-pounds.
It has been
used by UCLH since April 2011.
Operating like an Ebay system, NHS
Reuse means thousands of desks,
chairs and items of storage equipment
could be available for members
of NHS Trusts who sign up to the
scheme. The project could expand
Jacqueline Apps, Tom Hughes, Trevor Payne and Melanie Davies.
over the next 12 months to include IT,
and hospital and medical equipment.
NHS Reuse is open to everybody
across the Trust and can be accessed
at www.nhsreuse.co.uk
3

focus on flu
Let’s focus on flu
It is that time of year again: the flu season is nearly upon us and preparations are underway to ensu
The main message for staff is: get vaccinated!
As well as regular drop-in clinics organised by the occupational health team, designated nurses acr
of podcasts, available to view on Insight soon, a range of staff will be telling you why they believe ea
UCLH Flu Fighters!
UCLH staff are the face of a national
drive to promote awareness of the
importance of getting a flu jab.
Our staff were invited to record
messages about why NHS workers
should be vaccinated, as part of
The NHS Employers Flu Fighters
campaign to be launched this month.
The UCLH communications team
coordinated the Trust’s involvement.
Full length versions of the podcasts
will be broadcast on Insight to
support the Trust’s drive to get as
many front line staff vaccinated as
possible.
Elke Tullett, from the UCLH
communications team interviewed
staff. She said: “It was fascinating to
hear the personal stories that came
out from this filming project. Our
staff talked about the importance of
protecting themselves, their families
and their patients and held strong
views about why their colleagues
should be vaccinated.”
Those staff interviewed were Dr Geoff
Bellingan, medical director for cancer
and surgery; Pat O’Brien, clinical
director for women’s health; Dr Mike
Vanya Gant being interviewed for his podcast
Kidd consultant clinical scientist for
virology; Dr Vanya Gant, divisional
clinical director for infection; Amanda
Webb, senior nurse emergency
department; Professor Mervyn Singer
intensive care medicine; Dr Christina
Petropoulos, divisional clinical director
paediatrics; Dr Maria Michelagnoli,
oncologist for children and young
people; Makeba Simmons and Suzette
Arrindel, clinical practice facilitators.
**** Don’t forget you will need
headphones to hear the podcasts
(you can use ones from your mobile
phone). Otherwise please ensure you
listen to them in the ward sisters office
– to avoid disturbing patients.
“I felt like I was dying”
When flu struck, Catherine Narciso
was bed-ridden for days with high
fever, chills, leaden limbs, and a
severe cough. It was an experience
which changed her career.
“I felt like I was dying. It was so
horrible,” said the clinical practice
facilitator. “I was weak and really
shaking. I lay in bed feeling guilty
about having to isolate myself from my
children and my husband and for not
being able to care for my patients who
were seriously ill.”
Catherine, who was working on the
intensive care unit at the time, had put
off having the jab because she says
she always seemed ‘too busy’. It was,
she agrees, a big mistake.
“I was off work for about a week
and after I’d recovered, I knew what
I had to do, “get immunised”. When
I applied for a post with the infection
control team, I felt I was on a mission
to go out and spread the word about
good infection control practice and
advise colleagues on how to protect
themselves – and others.
“Feeling so sick with the flu made
me realise how important it is to be
vaccinated.”
4

focus on flu
re UCLH staff are ready and primed for action if – and when – the flu virus strikes.
oss the Trust are being trained to vaccinate colleagues to boost uptake of the vaccine. In a series
rly vaccination is vital.
Ready for action
Designated theatre and ITU nurses were among the first
to undergo training to vaccinate colleagues in high priority
clinical areas.
The focus will also be on A&E, paediatrics, cancer services,
women’s health (EGA) and infection: divisional senior
nurses will be nominating nurses to assist with local flu
vaccinations.
Helen Odongo, senior occupational health advisor, said:
“It will help to reach staff who work on nights and weekend
shifts and who might not normally be able to attend a
daytime vaccination session. This model of vaccine delivery
was very successful last year and the Trust is keen to
increase vaccine uptake amongst staff this year.
“Approximately 40 of these nurses around the Trust will
be trained by occupational health to administer the flu
vaccination in their departments. The training will fully
inform the nurses on current influenza information, the flu
vaccine and its administration.”
Flu vaccination dates will also be arranged for all Trust staff
across all sites. This will start in October 2011.
Deborah Matthews, occupational health
and safety manager, and Emily Ellis,
clinical practice facilitator, demonstrate the
vaccination procedure.
FACT FILE
Vaccination takes between ten and fourteen days to develop immunity. The vaccine will not be effective if you wait
until you’ve been exposed
If you had the jab last year, you will still need one this year
The vaccine does not contain live viruses and is safe for pregnant women
Frontline staff are a priority but non-clinical colleagues would benefit too.
Read the October edition of Inside Story for a full Q&A with Mike Kidd, the Trust’s clinical virologist.
The vaccine is due to be delivered in October. Please read Insight for updates on vaccination clinic sessions.
5

interview
In safe hands
“I’m happy and relaxed when I’m
talking to doctors,” orthopaedic surgeon
Emma Taylor tells Elke Tullett during an
interview for Inside Story.
6
The following day as she warmly
welcomed more than 200 junior
medics to UCLH, she certainly looked
very much at ease.
In her new role as director of
postgraduate medical education,
Emma will help ensure junior doctors
receive the best training possible, as
required by the London Deanery and
NHS London.
She said: “We want to make sure we
train our doctors well – they are the
consultants and GPs of the future.
We would like them to feel their time
with us has been worthwhile and that
they feel supported. If they have had
a good time, learnt a lot, they will want
to come back here in the future.”
Junior doctors are a transitory bunch,
moving from ward to ward, shift to
shift, staying for anything from three
to 12 months. Communication and
engagement remains a challenge.
“They often go off and become very
involved in a particular department
or specialty. It’s a big challenge but
we want to ensure they feel part
of the whole organisation and all it
represents.”
In her new role, Emma is eager to
ensure they all receive comprehensive
induction, excellent on-the-job training
and even greater opportunities to
participate in leadership and After
Action Review programmes.
Speaking to the new intake at the
UCH Education Centre, she told them:
“The quality of your training rests with
me. If you have any problems my door
is always open.
“If you have any concern you can
expect to be listened too. You guys are
among our best assets… you come
with fresh eyes, sometimes from other
hospitals and you can see the issues.
We are not perfect – but we are trying
to be perfect. We are ready to listen.
“What can you expect from us? To be
trained by dynamic and enthusiastic
consultants. We have a rigorous
approach to making sure they are
the best. What do we expect from
you? We have high expectations
and, quite rightly, our patients have
high expectations too. I am sure you
will work hard, be professional and
feedback if you have any concerns.”
It helps that Emma, who joined UCLH
four year ago, clearly remembers her
own experiences as a young trainee
doctor at Lewisham Hospital.
“The first day I felt a great sense of
responsibility and it was terrifying,”
she said candidly. “But I got used to
it!”
Dr Lesley Bromley will continue
overseeing foundation year
doctors, as FY1 director.
Chewing over medical issues: The
Medical Morning Report
Weekly lunchtime sessions such as these are an ideal forum for trainee
doctors to debate issues surrounding real-life medical cases with more
experienced colleagues.
Led by UCLH consultant physician and Honorary UCL lecturer Dr Christian
Hasford, the informal meetings (known as the medicine morning report)
encourage them to solve clinical problems – over a cup of tea and a
sandwich!
Dr Hasford who specialises in acute and thoracic medicine, said: “We
discuss in a step by step fashion how to come to a diagnosis in the quickest
and safest way; this essential aspect of medical practice can not be found in
the rather sanitised medical text books. This should lead to better outcomes,
saving patients from unnecessary tests and interventions.”
The discussions are open to all medical trainees and are an integral part of
the Trust’s education programme for junior doctors.
Tuesdays 12:30-1pm, podium 2, GI/Radiology seminar room

our trust
Eyes and mouth wide open
The Eastman is among the first NHS dental services to offer
hi-tech video glasses to sooth away the anxieties and fears
of young patients.
The adapted glasses, with integrated audio, plug into an
IPOD or DVD player and enable users to watch a
film on what appears to be a single screen in front
of their eyes. By blocking out noise and vision,
they are proving a welcome distraction for anxious
patients.
Amanda O’Donnell, consultant in paediatric
dentistry, said: “During a trial, a wide range of
patients of all ages tried them out with very
positive feedback from patients, their families and
clinicians.
“By limiting what the patients can see and hear
and giving an alternative focus away from dental
treatment, the glasses help reduce anxiety, relieve
boredom and provide distraction during dental
procedures. The glasses only partially block vision
so that the child can still see peripherally, thus
reducing the feeling of claustrophobia.”
The funding for the glasses was provided by UCLH
charitable foundation who help support key patient-based
projects within UCLH.
Kathy Hall, from Inition Ltd, Isabelle Holroyd, consultant, Amanda O’Donnell, lead
consultant, Caroline Fawcett (modelling glasses), dental play specialist.
Laser balloon used in breakthrough heart operation
A new ‘laser balloon’ which is allowing
surgeons to see inside the beating
heart for the very first time is giving
hope to patients who suffer from the
most common heart rhythm disorder in
the world.
The procedure which inflates a
balloon inside the heart is the latest
development of a technique known
as ‘atrial fibrillation ablation’ and is
being pioneered in the UK at The
Heart Hospital. The first patient in
the country, Scott Rosser, 34 from
Croydon, was treated with procedure
this week. His surgery was featured
on Sky News.
The balloon has a camera within it
which films inside the heart allowing
greater accuracy during surgery and
improved success rates compared to
previous techniques.
Atrial fibrillation affects more than
200,000 people a year in the UK.
It occurs when the normal pattern
of electrical conduction in the top
chambers of the heart (or atria)
becomes totally chaotic resulting in
a rapid, irregular heart beat causing
palpitations, breathlessness and
tiredness.
The new laser balloon procedure
involves inserting catheters via the
top of the leg. The end of the catheter
Picture caption: senior staff nurse Dennis Lalusis and staff nurse Ellen Quinney with patient Scott
has a balloon which is inflated and
put into the pulmonary vein (PV).
A laser is then used to perform PV
isolation guided by a camera which is
incorporated inside the centre of the
balloon.
The balloon creates a ‘blood free zone’
and the camera allows doctors to see
inside the heart making it possible for
specific areas to be targeted.
Dr Oliver Segal, consultant
cardiologist, said: “The laser balloon
means patients will be much less likely
to need two ablation procedures and
therefore much less likely to develop a
complication from ablation, which can
include stroke, cardiac perforation,
emergency surgery and on very rare
occasions, death.”
7

the back page
Secret lives
When Will Ryan first spotted the VW
camper van in a scrap yard ten years
ago, it was in a sorry state: an empty
shell of a rust bucket with a dodgy
engine and gears to match.
He originally bought it for £300 as a
“cool” 18th birthday present for his
son, rolled up his sleeves and got to
work. Welding, rebuilding, replacing
– all car maintenance skills picked up
from his own dad who loved tinkering
around with old motors.
18 months, £4,000 and torrents of
blood, sweat and tears later – his
pride and joy was ready to face
the world. Its’ classy peppermint
green and cream body veneer and
matching retro interior captures the
1960s style perfectly. It is now worth
£10,000.
Will, who is an Azzurri service
delivery manager for the 5 digit
telephone change programme,
said: “It goes 0-60 in 37 seconds.
That feels like a lifetime. The gears
are so slow that you have to make
a decision to change them well in
advance… bit tricky when you are
trying to exit a slip road onto the
Archives
Will with camper van ‘Splittie’
motorway. It only does 50 mph tops.
“It harks back to a slower way of life.
Like people who dabble in steam
engines it’s like being in a different
era. People can’t help but smile when
they see it. I’ve also spent years
restoring a rarer 1957 camper van –
but I’ve got at least another two years
of work to do on that one.”
Of its time – and before the advent of
package holidays to the Costas – it
was a motor for the adventurous.
Have camper van – will travel.
Skydive!
And that spirit of adventure remains
for Will, who has taken the camper
for family holidays to the New Forest,
Dorset, the Peak District and even
across the Channel, The bunk seats
slide down to form a comfy (and
rather cosy) bed and there’s even a
cooker and sink.
“Splittie – that’s our nickname for her
- is great for picnics. The family can
sit inside if it starts drizzling, make
a cup of tea and even boil some
potatoes.”
Aah the simple joys of life.
The aviary,
installed at the
Eastman Dental
Institute when it
opened in 1930,
was to entertain
children whilst
they waited
for their dental
treatment. The
image forms
part of a new
exhibition in
the pavement
galleries (in
the walkways
between the
tower and the
podium) to
illustrate paediatric treatment in the past. In conjunction,
a second exhibition in the Street Gallery features similar
archive pictures - but with a twist. Young patients were
invited to alter the archive photos to depict their view of
hospital life, with surprising results!
Earlier this month, eight brave staff members from
T12 South participated in a sponsored skydive in
Cambridge. Two more staff members are due to make
this dangerous leap in the near future. All funds raised
will go towards improving facilities and the experience
of young patients. The weather did eventually
cooperate and the team were allowed to fly as the sun
came out. To help the team meet their £10,000 goal
visit www.justgiving.com/t12south where you can also
take a peek at the photos from the jump, or contact
UCLH Charitable Foundation on ext 79558.
The T12 South skydiving team
8