June 2015

2 / Spreading a smile at UCLH4&5 / A focus on harm free care7 / UCLH paves the way with rainbow crossing

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2 News

Meet the teamProduced and designed by: The communications department.

Front cover photo: Sophia, age 4, meets a fairy who was spreading some sparkle for patients on T11.

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: communications@uclh.nhs.uk, Tel: ext 79118, Fax: ext 79401. Visit us online at: uclh.nhs.uk. Hello Cassie!

When you’re feeling dog-tired and need an excuse to paws and relax, Cassie the cavapoo is just what the doctor ordered.

The floppy-eared pooch – trained by Pets for Therapy – helped spread a smile among patients and staff as she padded along the hospital corridors, greeted with cuddles and air kisses en-route.

A pink fairy also helped sprinkle some magic dust on the day.

The visit was organised by the Spread a Smile Charity who have a mission to entertain children in hospital and brighten up their day. It certainly succeeded at UCLH!

Help for Nepal quake victims

Trainee dentist Asif Hamid (pictured) was among a medical team that flew out to Nepal following the devastating earthquake, which killed more than 8,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

Asif, is a volunteer with the international aid charity Humanity First (www.humanityfirstmedical.org) which mobilized a medical team of 12 surgeons, physicians, paramedics and logistics staff.

They treated more than a 1,000 patients in the villages of Batase and Tinmane in Nepal’s rural interior.

Even though his volunteering role drew on his organisational, communications and

logistical skills, Asif – being a dentist to his core – still taught the local children how to brush their teeth properly!

“I had toothpaste and toothbrushes. Children are amazing and resilient, despite everything they were going through it made them smile. Some even came the next day to show me their lovely clean teeth.”

Since the earthquake Asif, who is a postgraduate trainee at the Eastman, has raised more than £4,000 to help survivors via his Justgiving page. UCLH staff have also set up a donation page, www.justgiving.com/UCLHStaffNEPAL.

Khushil Pandya, age 12, enjoying a cuddle with Cassie and Lauren Berkowitz from Spread a Smile.

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3News

How can you: extract DNA from fruit… lick a strip of paper and discover whether you have a double gene… donate a teaspoon of blood and join a major genetic research project? These questions were the topics of conversation at UCLH to celebrate International Clinical Trials Day.

A series of events at University College Hospital, the Leonard Wolfson Experimental Neurology Centre and the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital were held to encourage patients and public to take an active part in planning, conducting and participating in clinical research.

Teams from UCL BioResource, the Clinical Research Facility and UCLH Joint Research Office organised games, experiments and departmental tours. The public could also check out the on-line UCLH Research Gateway where at any one time there are around 1,000 research projects taking place.

Research under the microscope

New web pages to support our patients with MSOn World MS Day, we launched our new multiple sclerosis (MS) web pages to meet the needs of people at different stages of their MS journey. The new pages, which were developed with help from our patients, offer expert advice on our services for the recently diagnosed, information on living with MS and guidance on how our patients can access research trials. You can visit the new pages at www.uclh.nhs.uk/multiplesclerosis

Word on the Tweet...

Follow us: @uclh@JamesDMorris Incredibly professional and attentive care for birth of our second child at UCH. Midwives, doctors, nurses and everyone else were fantastic

@PamChohan_UK 3 years ago today my sister would have died if it wasn’t for the NHS staff of #listerhospital and @uclh.You guys are AMAZING! X #somuchlove

@ctownsenduk Sincere thanks to amazing staff @uclh A&E looking after me following seizures last week. Professional/kind. You saved me x @epilepsyaction

@UCHCancerFund Thank you to Marianne & Allen Smith for holding an art auction & bake sale that managed to raise £910 for cancer patients @uclh

@HeartMummy Extremely impressed with @uclh response to a #hospitalbreastfeeding concern I have raised. Top marks. @lilyand67 @FloPanelCoates @KathEvans2

Introducing University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street From 29 June 2015, the Heart Hospital becomes University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street. The new name starts a new chapter and, now part of the Surgery and Cancer Board, the hospital will be home for urology services and thoracic surgery. Doors open for thoracic patients from 29 June 2015. Urology services are moving from their current location (University College Hospital) in three phases, starting on 29 June 2015 and completing in September 2015. The full detail of what moves, and when, is available on the Urology page on Insight. These service moves are all supporting preparations to enable UCLH to provide capacity for specialist cancer services from November 2015. We have updated our corporate templates to reflect these changes. Please ensure you are using the most up-to-date versions which can be downloaded from the letterheads, templates and logos section of the intranet.

NHNN patients Aris Giourgas and Jackie Mullane have been involved with the redevelopment of the UCLH website’s multiple sclerosis section.

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Spotlight on4

Patient Queenie Tully on T7 with nursing assistant Anthony French-Lowe whose kindness was recognised in the recent UCLH Celebrating Excellence Awards.

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Spotlight 5

“Falls cost the NHS billions of pounds a year and can cause fractured hips, head injuries or loss of confidence. Patients face extra surgery, a longer stay in hospital or increased nervousness that can prevent them leading an independent life. We’ve improved so much in the past year – let’s continue!” Eamonn Sullivan, deputy chief nurse and corporate lead.

Pressure ulcers:The number of patients with hospital-acquired pressure ulcers has more than halved in the past year to 72 cases. The reduction is linked to a number of initiatives: the appointment of a second tissue viability nurse last summer, updated SSKIN (Skin assessment, Surface, Keep moving, Incontinence, Nutrition) bundle documentation, a targeted SSKIN buddy* training programme with more frequent sessions, growing awareness and an enthusiastic team of buddies across UCLH. The work will be consolidated in the coming year. *If you would like to become a SSKIN Buddy please contact sarah.lewis@uclh.nhs.uk.

The number of patients suffering falls at UCLH has dropped by 14 per cent in the last half of the year. Better staff training, more thorough risk assessment of patients and a closer analysis of accidents have contributed to the marked improvement.

It’s an encouraging statistic but much more needs to be done. In the same period, there were still 1208 patients who tripped, slipped or fell in our wards, bathrooms and corridors some of whom experienced injury or loss of confidence as a result. Many of these could have been avoided.

An internal audit of falls recorded on Datix revealed the times and places when patients are most at risk – and hinted at possible solutions.

Don’t slip upThere are more falls after breakfast, lunch and supper when patients want to go to the toilet. During these periods fewer staff are visible on the wards as they are giving out medication, are with other patients or on a shift handover. Peak times are during staff breaks, shift handovers or times when patients are transferring to other wards.

What next?Allocating a nursing assistant as a dedicated ‘falls monitor’ to be on alert for patients that need help during ‘risky’ times of day.

Trialling new alarms that alert nurses (via a vibrating pager) if an at-risk patient tries to stand up unaided in the ward or bathroom.

Switching bathroom lights on each morning.

Where appropriate, pulling back cubicle curtains so patients are visible.

Introducing folding bathroom doors at University College Hospital to make it easier for patients to manoeuvre.

De-cluttering wards and corridors to reduce hazards.

Replacing heavily sprung doors to make them easier to open.

Slipper exchange – new designs which offer good grip and support.

Clinical and nursing staff on the harm-free care group have one focus: to continue to reduce the number of patients suffering from hospital-related pressure ulcers, falls and dose omissions. These harms – which in some cases could be avoided – trigger emotional and financial costs in terms of delayed recovery and longer hospital stays.

A focus on harm-free care

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6 In the know

60-seconds with... Sophie Turner

19-year-old Sophie Turner is known to millions of fans as Game of Thrones’ Sansa Stark, a young noblewoman whose romantic fortunes have taken a turn for the worse. A Teenage Cancer Trust ambassador, she came to visit patients at the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre.

Games of Thrones seems to have a profound impact on fans’ lives. How has it changed yours?It’s allowed me to have many incredible opportunities and meet some amazing people. It has given me a platform to stand on via social media to speak out for important causes such as Teenage Cancer Trust.What do you think of the teenage care units here?They’re really amazing as they allow young people with cancer to feel like teenagers first and cancer patients second. It encourages them to continue with their normal social lives despite the circumstances.Some quick either/or choices – fish and chips or roast boar and mead? Fish and chips.Corrie or Eastenders?Eastenders.Night in or night out? Night out.Shoes or handbags? Shoes.

We’ve recently launched our staff Good Deed Feed on Insight following a great suggestion from Frances McKeown, medical records manager. The Good Deed Feed gives you the opportunity to recognise some of the fantastic work your colleagues are doing whether they’ve brought you can of coke in a time of need or went out of their way to help patients and/or colleagues. Since its launch, it’s been a tremendous success, here’s what some of you have been saying:

Rosie Speed, thank you for your vigilence and professionalism in raising a concern and ensuring the safety of patients and team members..Posted by: Nicola Whitfield

John Boyd, For all his hard work within the portering department at NHNN. Always there to help! Thanks John, Amy & Janet Posted by: Janet Joseph

Manil Dinesh Chouhan, Thank you for going out to get me lunch on our bank holiday on call Saturday. Meant the day was a little bit brighter even if lunch was at 1430!Posted by: Fiona Pathiraja

Dean Morris, For being one of the most approachable managers I have ever met and hardworking as well, thank you.Posted by: Marie Geonaga

Thank youCongratulations to all of our loyal staff who were honoured at our annual long service awards. Colleagues that have worked at UCLH for more than 25 years were presented with an engraved crystal bowl by chairman Richard Murley at a ceremony at the Education Centre. The long service awards are generously sponsored by UCLH Charity.

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7In the know

Sky fall“It was the most amazing, fantastic five minutes of my life,” said Emilia Piera-Adamczyk after coming back down to earth following a charity sky dive above Reading. Emilia, a service improvement manager at the UCH Education Centre, raised £570 for the University College Hospital Charity Fund in memory of her aunt who died of breast cancer. “She was a bit of a daredevil – she would have approved!”.

UCLH paves the way with rainbow crossing

The 2015 UCLH Pedometer Challenge is back! To take part, gather a team of four, register for the fifth UCLH Pedometer Challenge and get set to Walk the World from 21 July to 31 August 2015! Search ‘Pedometer’ on Insight for registration and guidelines.

Walk the World

London’s first ever rainbow zebra crossing made a guest appearance at University College Hospital to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT).The crossing, kindly loaned to us by Transport for London (TfL), went

on display in the main atrium where patients, staff and passers-by were able to make the most of a great photo opportunity. UCLH’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) network will be marching for the fourth time in

this year’s London Pride festival on Saturday 27 June. The group will be meeting in the atrium at UCLH headquarters in 250 Euston Road at 11am, and welcome all staff to join them.

The Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH) is gearing up for its third annual 5k and 10k run in Regents Park at 9.30am on Sunday 28 June.

Race registration opens at 7.30am on the day. You can sign up by downloading an entry form from the ISEH website www.iseh.co.uk/events/iseh-park-run.

Make fun run your new active start

2014 team winners; the CIP-D Striders, (L-R) Marcia Morgan (captain), David Miller, Chris Kavanagh and Itoro Umeron walked 5,283,005 steps in six weeks.

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8 Inside out

There are up to 25,000 parts in the engine of a jet plane. Stripping one down and rebuilding it again certainly concentrates the mind, as UCLH head of facilities management Adam Cook knows only too well.

As a former engineer at Gatwick Airport, he’s worked on engines, dismantled galleys and toilets, fixed air conditioning and hydraulic systems and worked on pretty much every type of passenger aircraft. Being on auto-pilot was clearly never an option.

“Occasionally we had to carry out test flights after major maintenance checks, or if an aircraft was being sold. If a long-haul aircraft had technical problems and couldn’t be flown back, teams of engineers used to fly out to fix it or on short-haul aircraft you’d sometimes send an engineer with the flight to stations where there wasn’t engineering

support. The ‘flying spanner’ call was always an interesting one.”

Being head of facilities at UCLH, with responsibility for keeping our hospitals’ building infrastructure and services running safely may seem a world apart from his former job – but Adam sees similarities.

“Once it’s in your blood this is the kind of environment you thrive on. High pressure, tight security, 24/7 public-facing operation, and sometimes life-and-death decisions – both are very special environments where safety, compliance and consistency is paramount. There’s a lot at stake and if

things go wrong, it’s front page news. Yes, hospitals and airports are very similar in many ways.”

Adam started his aviation career as an engineering apprentice with British Airways in 1988 and went on to manage worldwide airport facilities and construction for Bmi.

“There have been a couple of hairy moments on planes – but of course nothing to do with my engineering work!” he said. “Things go wrong sometimes, but it’s very rare – and aircraft now are safer than ever. I don’t sit there listening to every rattle or squeak – but if the crew start looking worried then I’ll always pay more attention. I’ve been lucky enough to travel round the world, both with work and leisure – and I’ve had far more problems with baggage than I’ve ever had with technical issues!”

Secret lives

Teck the donkey at The Middlesex Convalescent Home, Clacton in 1910. Teck was given to the home by Prince Francis of Teck, the elder brother of Queen Mary and Chairman of The Middlesex Hospital. A patient, yet obstinate donkey, during peace-time his duties included giving rides to the children who were convalescing. During WWI his duties included pulling a governess cart, in which he collected bread and parcels and took wounded soldiers for drives. In the photograph Teck can be seen with Prince Francis of Teck and Miss Morgan, the matron.

ArchiveAll in a days work: Adam’s view from the control tower.

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