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February 2017 3 / High praise for midwife 4&5 / Our new CEO meets staff 6 / United against cancer
February 2017
3 / High praise for midwife4&5 / Our new CEO meets staff6 / United against cancer
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Flu and norovirus: thanks to our staff
News
Meet the teamProduced and designed by: The communications department
Front cover photo: Professor Sam Janes, who leads the UCLH lung cancer team, with Patricia Hughes, matron at the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre. The picture also shows an inflatable lung.
Inside Story magazine is published by UCLH (University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) for our staff
Contact usIf 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: [email protected] Tel: ext 79118 Fax: ext 79401 Visit us online at: uclh.nhs.uk
Thank you to all our staff for going the extra mile during the flu and norovirus outbreaks.
Annette Jeanes, director of infection prevention and control, said: “The last couple of months have been challenging and the number of flu and norovirus cases have stretched our services and bed capacity to the limit. There have been ward moves, cancelled operations and staff sickness – but overall our staff have coped
well with the pressures. The fact that we could go ahead with almost all cancer operations was a real achievement. Thank you.”
As well as our frontline nursing and clinical teams, others have also gone above and beyond to keep services running: cleaners, admin staff, procurement, security workers, laboratory and screening staff.
Sue Beatson, deputy chief nurse, said: “While the contribution of the frontline
staff is enormous, we mustn’t forget all of those who have also been working hard behind the scenes to keep everything running as smoothly as possible.”
UCLH declared an internal incident in early January following a steep rise in the number of flu patients. Then a spike in norovirus cases added to the pressure.
Please view Insight for latest updates on flu and norovirus.
Sepsis: Are you able to ‘Spot it. Stop It’?
New clinical guidelines to combat sepsis in adults and children are now in force across UCLH.
The message is: Spot it. Stop it. Identify and treat sepsis as soon as possible to reduce the risk of death or serious complications. Prompt and accurate recording of vital signs and
calculation of NEWS/ PEWS is key - consider sepsis in patients with NEWS/PEWS of 5 or above plus signs of infection.
Following identification, antibiotics must be administered within one hour for best outcomes.
UCLH is hosting a sepsis masterclass for staff and
external delegates on 28 March in the Education Centre, 250 Euston Road. For more information or to book a place email [email protected], infection control coordinator.
You can read more about the new guidelines on Insight.
Clinical leads, sepsis nurse and project manager from the sepsis team
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Word on the Tweet...
Follow us: @uclhWozza @camdenDan @CancerOnBoard same for me. I was treated at the wonderful @uclh for my #cancer
@fernie0207 proud to work at such an amazing trust @uclh - the best cancer care there is
@moustachewax I would not be alive today without the many wonderful people from @uclh and @NHS. Thank you all. #WorldCancerDay
@LeeTracyrlee I received the most amazing care yesterday by the #NHS for the umpteenth time in 6 months, you should be truly proud @uclh
@piajlarse Lovely lunch with @uclh women’s network steering group! Great planning & a fab laugh to finish the wk! @lilyand67 @jessdrummond2 & Hannah
@UCLHCharity Feb 2 Find out what @kevinmckenna is doing to ensure less falls at @uclh thanks to @UCLH #fallsprevention
@PenelopeMawson V grateful to incredible staff who cared for my mum at UCH last wkend. Saw this noticeboard laden with cards. Says it all @uclh @NHSMillion
@karengfenn All credit to UCLH Fantastic treatment there #worldclass facilities, treatments + staff!
Our wonderful midwife
We have recently launched new web pages to showcase the range of services we offer pregnant women and new mothers.
Visitors can find out how to contact their midwife (24 hours a day), watch pregnancy fit tips, and read about other parents’ personal experiences to get an idea of what their own care might look like.
Natilla Henry, head of midwifery, said: “For some women, engaging with maternity services can be a little daunting and our website will be their first interaction with us. The team has worked hard to provide content that parents will find informative and reassuring.”
The UCLH communications and maternity teams worked together using the same approach taken to build our award-winning
paediatric diabetes web pages. Women and their partners were consulted every step of the way.
You can visit the new maternity web pages at www.uclh.nhs.uk/Maternity
New arrival for the UCLH website
People from around the world are reading about our wonderful maternity services.
A blog in which one of our patients thanked her “incredible” midwife, Lydia Schorah, has spread far and wide.
“I had no idea how much you would mean to me,” wrote Sian Wylie. “You are an incredible woman who did the most incredible thing and I never got the opportunity to really thank you.”
Lydia, (pictured top left with baby Belle) who has delivered hundreds of babies since joining UCLH two and a half years ago, was overwhelmed by the very public thank you.
She said: “I still read the post now and her words are so lovely that it makes you realise why you do what you do.
“It’s all just in a day’s work for us but every baby is special to those involved.”
Sian (pictured bottom left) moved to New York after giving birth to Belle in the EGA 18 months ago and is now pregnant with her second baby.
She regularly blogs about her life and wrote the piece after struggling to find a midwife in the U.S., where babies are generally delivered by obstetricians.
Thanking Lydia, she said: “You played such a huge role in our lives, helping get our daughter safely and peacefully into my arms, but you do that all day, every day at work. Delivering babies. What a job.”
In the know4
Theatres at UCH
Westmoreland Street
Spotlight 5
“I liked Marcel’s enthusiasm and candid approach”
“I liked Marcel’s sense of humour and humility”
“Have some structure or theme in future CEO sessions – circulate topics in advance to give people a chance to reflect.”
“Have different session times – so they do not clash with clinics”
“Marcel was very honest with his answers to some quite direct questions”
“Fresh face, fresh ideas”
Our new chief executive Marcel Levi has thanked staff for the “very warm welcome” he has received since joining UCLH last month.
From board to ward: our new CEO meets staff
Marcel met more than 600 staff at open forum sessions held on all sites where staff had the opportunity to ask questions and share their ideas with our new leader.
Feedback from the sessions was hugely positive with staff praising Marcel’s open, informal and engaging style.
Marcel has also done walkarounds in a number of areas where he has met staff on the ground to learn about the opportunities and challenges they face.
“I would like to thank staff for the very warm welcome I have received,” said Marcel. “I am very grateful for the time they have taken to introduce me to UCLH and share their ideas with me. I have been very impressed by the talent and dedication of our teams and I look forward to working together more closely as I become more embedded in the organisation.”
Staff feedback
Theatres at UCH
Maternity services
Westmoreland Street
Induction week
6 In the know
Director Richard Alwyn said: “I want to make a film about how a storm in the brain can leave you marooned in a world without words, unable to rely on that which you may have barely ever acknowledged but which has been the mainstay of your life – the ability to communicate with those who populate your world.”
Richard and his colleague Laura Sunnucks have been shadowing staff and patients in the emergency department and at the hyper-acute stroke unit (HASU) at University College Hospital and during rehabilitation at the National Hospital for Neuology and Neurosurgery. They are now getting ready to film their first patient this month.
UCLH treats around 1,500 stroke patients every year. Around a quarter of them will lose the ability to speak or understand language (aphasia), or both. In the UK, stroke is the fourth leading cause of death.
HASU stroke research lead Richard Perry said: “We hope the film will shine a light on the research needed to learn more about the condition and find new ways to treat it.”
Clinical lead Rob Simister added: “I am particularly pleased that this film will emphasise the importance of the whole multidisciplinary team in managing acute stroke.”
Filming of stroke documentary beginsDocumentary filmmakers commissioned by the BBC are capturing the expertise of our staff as they care for stroke patients on their journey through UCLH.
Physiotherapist Jonathan Bose being filmed at the NHNN Neurorehabilition Unit
United in the fight against cancerWorld Cancer Day unites us all in the fight against cancer and UCLH marked the day by educating staff, patients and visitors about the early signs and symptoms of the disease.
Visitors were invited to look inside a giant inflatable lung at University College Hospital (see front page) to learn more about the disease. Staff from the UCLH Cancer Collaborative were also on hand to offer advice to people with concerns. Information on how we are improving earlier diagnosis was available.
Nearly half of cancers in England are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when they are much harder to treat successfully. Diagnosing cancer at its earliest stages is crucial to give patients the best chance of survival.
Patricia Hughes, matron in the Cancer Centre, said: “The giant inflatable lung is really eye-catching and lots of
people have stopped to ask questions and chat. Talking about cancer is a step in the right direction. By raising awareness people know what to look out for and how to seek help, and that can save lives.”
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What kind of leader do you want to be?
Where do you draw the line?
When does firm management tip over into bullying or harassment?
Everyone has a different idea of where to draw the line. That’s why we need to hear from you. We want to make sure all the behaviour we describe as upholding our values is absolutely right – but the Staff Experience team can’t speak for everyone…
So visit Insight today to have your say, or to find out more about how UCLH tackles bullying and harassment.
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In 1926 University College Hospital opened its new obstetric hospital. With Professor F J Browne as its director, it went on to be the model for obstetric units elsewhere. For the first time both ante and post-natal clinics took place in the hospital. Browne went on to become known as a pioneer of antenatal care to prevent the high number of maternal deaths nationally. He published his book Antenatal Care in 1935, which was still available in 1970.
Love the archive? Follow UCLH on Instagram for more images at www.instagram.com/uclh
Inside out
It’s Friday morning and after tea and doughnuts, Lynn Berry takes two greyhounds for a walk. Then she takes two more. And another two.
Ten dogs later and it is time to leave the re-homing centre and return home to walk her own two dogs. They are, of course, greyhounds.
Lynn, medical workforce manager, had always been a dog lover but something just clicked when she visited Dunrunnin kennels in Kent and met Annie.
A retired racing dog, Annie had already been re-homed once, only for it not to work out, and was on the look-out for a new owner.
A week later, Lynn and her family adopted Annie. Lynn then began to volunteer at the kennels, which house and home dogs that can no longer race.
She said: “I love it there. I love all the dogs – I want to take them all home.”
A year ago, she did take another one home.
Luna was only meant to stay for a week but, like Annie, she is now firmly part of the family.
Despite their fast past, greyhounds make docile pets, who like nothing more than dozing in front
of the fire or lounging on the sofa.Lynn said: “I always said that I’d
never have a big dog but greyhounds are less work than a little terrier that barks and yaps all day.
“They only need about half an hour’s walk once a day – the
opposite of what you’d expect.“They are complete couch
potatoes.”For more information
visit the Retired Greyhound Trust and the Dunrunnin Rehoming Kennels websites.
Archive
Secret lives
