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Stepping out in style – pages 4 & 5

Inside Story is the UCLH staff magazineInside Story - November.indd 1 08/11/2012 15:19:49

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news

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: The new UCLH Nursing and Midwifery uniforms

New secretary of state drops in

The secretary of state for health, Jeremy Hunt, visited the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre for a roundtable discussion on key health issues including cancer and dementia. He was met by chief

executive Sir Robert Naylor and chairman Richard Murley and was taken on a short tour.

The secretary of state met patients including Emma Jones (second from

left) who spoke about her experience of a cancer diagnosis and treatment at the centre, Macmillan Cancer Support Director for England Stephen Richards (left) and UCLH matron Alison Finch (right).

Beat the price hike! Take the sting out of your annual bus and rail travel bill: spread the cost over 12 months with an interest free loan from UCLH Charity.

By applying before Christmas, you’ll avoid the New Year ticket price rises. But hurry – the deadline is 14 December! Look on the Insight staff room for more details and an application form.

Make a date for your diary and spread the word among friends and colleagues at UCLH and beyond! The Trust Open Event will showcase our work on Tuesday 4 December – all are welcome.

Come and join us! www.uclh.nhs.uk/openevent

Tuesday 4 December 3pm-6pmUniversity College Hospital, 235 Euston Road,

London, NW1 2BU

Over 50 interactive displaysFree health checks, try your hand at a surgical procedure and learn life-saving tips

Meet frontline staff

Take a tour of clinical areas

See the Christmas tree lights switched onWith music, carols, mince pies and entertainment

Supported by Health Management (UCLH) Plc

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Simon Cowell: ‘UCLH has the X Factor’ As if having one of the UK’s leading comedians to judge your own X Factor competition wasn’t enough – patients and staff at UCH were given the thumbs up by the programme’s creator himself.Simon Cowell wrote to patients on T12 when he heard they were planning to host an X Factor talent competition.

Comedian and TV presenter Harry Hill (pictured) was on hand to help judge the competition which was put together with the help of the Starlight Children’s Foundation which brightens the lives of over half a million poorly children in the UK each year. It was the second time Harry had visited the unit in two months after he judged an

art competition for national Play in Hospital Week.

The X Factor event was filmed by ITV’s London Tonight and broadcast during their evening bulletin. Acts included singers, comedians and rappers.

Irene O’Donnell, play services manager, said: “We thought we were

lucky to have Harry Hill attend to judge the event for the children and young people on the ward. But to have Simon Cowell write to us and show his support was the icing on the cake. The event was so much fun and really raised the spirits of all of our patients. It helped us to celebrate the importance of having play and activity for young patients in our hospital.”

news

Support in times of changeHelp and support is available to you and your colleagues who may be going through organisational change at work.Supporting You in Partnership Through Change is an innovative programme developed by UCLH and Trade Unions. New workshops have been introduced including coaching and communications skills to support change, as well as individual wellness and resilience coaching. These complement existing Trust services including career and professional development, welfare advice, occupational health and safety, learning and development and benefits which trade union membership can offer. Team support is also available.In a new information booklet,

workforce director David Wherrett and Jon Restell, chief executive of MiP acknowledge that it can be difficult for individuals to adjust to change adding that: “We want to do our utmost to support people …. To equip them to deal constructively with the challenges ahead and empower them through the period of change.”The NHS London Partnership Forum is funding the one year programme. The Trust project group includes representatives from trade unions, staff services, HR and learning and development. David Wherrett said change takes many forms: the RNTNEH joining the Trust, the move to the new cancer centre, department re-structuring, a change in clinical skills mix or new technology.

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new uniformsFirst impressions count Nurses and midwives across UCLH are starting to receive their smart, new uniforms.There are at least 14 different coloured uniforms/piping and they include an embroidered UCLH and NHS logo, as well as stating the staff member’s role. For the first time male and female staff will wear the same-style tunic. The new uniforms will reassure patients by making it easier for them to identify who is who and what they do. As part of the Making a Difference Together campaign, it ensures the best experience for patients and staff at every interaction, every day.Photos of staff in their different uniforms will be displayed on posters in the ward and department areas – using a smart phone, patients, visitors and staff can scan a 3D barcode on the images to receive information about staff roles and responsibilities.Staff responses during the dispatch have been very positive, and many nurses said they were looking forward

to wearing them.Josie Gladney, matron for medical specialities and infection, said: “The uniforms are very smart and everybody looks very professional, they are a very positive image for the nursing workforce.”More than 300 boxes containing 13,000 uniform items were delivered to the Rosenheim building and nurses and midwives from UCH and The Heart Hospital were the first in the queue!Other sites will be receiving their new uniforms over the coming months. Updates will be posted on Insight.

“Our staff provide the first and lasting impression of the organisation. It is therefore paramount for patients that staff are well presented and recognisable for what they do. Consistent uniforms will make it easier for patients to identify who is who throughout their pathway of care.” Katherine Fenton, chief nurse.

Staff nurse/midwife

Nurse/midwife educator

Matron

Clinical nurse/midwife specialist

Nursing/midwifery assistant

Research nurse/midwife

Sister/charge nurse/lead midwife

Chief nurse

Deputy sister/charge nurse

Senior nursing assistant

Deputy chief nurse/head of midwifery

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new uniformsUCLH staff provide the first impression of the organisation and the type of care patients can expect. It is therefore important that all nurses and midwives are well presented, recognisable for what they do and professional in image.

Uniforms should be clean, tidy and in good repair

No wrist watches or rings (except one wedding band)

No bracelets (those of religious significance and medical alerts are worn at your manager’s discretion.)

Stud-type earrings only Necklaces and chains should not be visible

No nail polish or nail extensions Name badges and Trust identity badges must both be worn, attached or pinned to uniform – no lanyards

Hair should be tidy and off the collar – long hair should be tied back with suitable,discreet fastenings

A badge of professional organisation, trade union, college or training school may be worn

Shoes should be flat (or low-heeled), black and with covered toes and heels – trainers may be worn,but must be plain and black leather effect (not suede)

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Life after intensive care

by Elke TullettThey are sedated in the intensive care unit, unable to communicate, against a backdrop of bleeping monitors and unknown voices, the boundary blurring between reality, dreams and delusions.For some patients the treatment that saves their lives casts long shadows into the future, leaving a legacy of depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).In a high-tech specialism that traditionally focuses on the life and death, short-term survival of the most critically ill patients, the long-term emotional consequences have not been a priority. But that is beginning to change.What triggers poor mental health in some ICU patients once they are back home and supposedly ‘well’? Is it the traumatic effects of critical illness, treatments or drugs, the stress of the intensive care environment?A research study undertaken by resident health psychologist Dr Dorothy Wade, Dr David Howell, clinical director of Critical Care, Prof Monty Mythen, and UCL colleagues has led to some surprising conclusions – and potential solutions.Dorothy says: “The research showed associations between sedative

drugs, the length of time a patient was sedated and the likelihood of them feeling depressed, anxious and traumatised in future. However we found that acute stress reactions felt by a patient in the ICU was an even stronger risk factor. “As well as looking at modifying our drug treatments, we may need to invest more time in the psychological care of a patient.”The study suggested that patients who experienced psychological stress such as hallucinations, disorientation, low mood or severe anxiety whilst in hospital were prime candidates. Dorothy has a softly spoken bedside manner well suited to encouraging patients to express their worries and fears. Along with the nursing team, she uses a variety of methods including relaxation and breathing exercises, and therapeutic approaches to help delusional patients feel safer and more secure.Picture prompts, ear plugs, eye masks to cut out noise at night-times, softly playing the patient’s favourite music in the day might also soften the impact. Dorothy says: “These are all relatively simple interventions which staff can undertake at the bedside as part of holistic care.”

A short psychological questionnaire, the I-PAT (Intensive Care Psychological Assessment Tool), used by nurses to gauge a patient’s evolving mental well-being is now being validated by Dorothy and her colleagues in the critical care unit. The study showed that three months after discharge 27% of critical care patients have symptoms of PTSD, 44% anxiety and 46% depression.At UCH, patients suffering from these symptoms as well as physical problems are helped by the ICU follow-up clinic, which is run by Dr David Howell, nurse specialist Wendy Harris and Dr Anthony Hazzard, a counselling psychologist who has worked in critical care.David said: “Research into psychological recovery from critical care is vitally important and more needs to be done. We’re really proud of this study and our work developing the I-Pat, and excited about the next step, which is to examine the effects of psychological interventions while patients are in critical care.”* The study was funded by the Medical Research Council. Dr Dorothy Wade is currently funded by the NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre.

interview

Dr David Howell and Dr Dorothy Wade on the UCH intensive care unit

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our trustPreventing baby brain damage: research into rare gasA rare and expensive gas extracted from the atmosphere could hold the key to preventing brain damage in babies deprived of oxygen at birth.UCLH is among the first in the world to offer Xenon neuroprotection as part of an 18 month trial.The gas will be used alongside existing ‘cooling treatments’ which prevent death or disability in around one out of seven babies with severe oxygen starvation. Most of these babies are transferred to UCLH from other hospitals in the Perinatal Network or further afield. It is hoped the combined treatment will save many more babies from permanent brain damage.Honorary neonatology consultant Professor Nikki Robertson, who is leading the Toby Xe trial at UCLH, said: “Cooling is effective but only partially so – it is hoped that xenon will augment the protection. “The gas is inhaled through the lungs and enters the blood stream and the brain cells within seconds, penetrating sick and dying cells, blocking toxicity and stopping cell death.”

Xenon gas, along with Argon and krypton was first discovered in the 19th century at UCL by Nobel Prize winner Professor Sir William Ramsey.Today, Xenon gas is separated from the atmosphere at large factories

mainly in China and shipped to UCLH in £25,000 cannisters. The randomised trials at UCLH, St Thomas’ Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, are funded by the Medical Research Council.

Giving a child a smileThe Eastman Dental Hospital has given the smiles back to hundreds of children. The young patients suffer from

genetic conditions which stop them growing teeth and causes distressing self esteem and cosmetic issues. Specialist treatments are required

for the children who range in age from newborn to teenagers – and the results can help turn their lives around.Many of them suffer torment and bullying from other children.Paediatric dentist Amanda O’Donnell said: “Treating children with these conditions is very rewarding and to transform their smiles changes their personalities and builds their confidence.”The two genetic disfiguring conditions, Hydontia and Ectodermal Dysplasia, can cause children to have more than six teeth missing or in some cases no teeth at all. The conditions require specialist treatment that cannot be resolved at the dentist’s surgery,The team of specialist dentists formulate a plan of action for each individual patient. This usually involves orthodontics, build up of teeth and providing dentures or other prosthetic replacements – providing them with a perfect set of teeth.

The Neonatal Neuro team from l-r: Mary Dinan, advanced neonatal nurse practitioner, Professor Nikki Robertson and Dr Giles Kendall, consultant neonatologist with a special interest in MRI/MRS of the baby brain

From left to right: Dr Steve Bassi, Raquel Lopez, Dr Steve Jones, Dr Prabhleen Anand, Helen Wymbs and Dr Ken Hemmings

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Consultant anaesthetist and prize baker Ian Appleby, with Nicola Hewitt, the Pyjama Party manager, at one of many fundraising events at Queen Square last month. The party was organised by the National Brain Appeal and if you are still keen to wear your jimjams (and raise money) it’s not too late. Contact the appeal team on 020 3448 4724.

the back page

ArchivesYou wear it well: A drawing of what nurses would have looked like in 1894 at The Middlesex Hospital.

Pyjama party

Tash-tastic!

We love Secret Lives (and are sure you do to) but there was no way we were going to pass up the opportunity to share these glorious pieces of face foliage with you. Medical director, medicine board, Dr Jonathan Fielden (right) and Richard Alexander, finance director, are of course growing moustaches for Movember. Here are their efforts at only day seven. If you can beat them then please share your images with us (communications@uclh.nhs.uk). Movember aims to raise funds and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer. For more information visit http://uk.movember.com Secret Lives will return next month

British band Lawson visited Teenage Cancer Trust’s unit at UCH ahead of a seven-night UK tour.As keen supporters of TCT, the band popped into as many of the charity’s specialist units as they could along the way and were given a tour around the 19-bed unit for 13 to 20-year-olds at University College Hospital. The charity is close to the band’s heart as lead singer and guitarist Andy Brown, said: “I was diagnosed with a brain tumour when I was 19. It was a tough time in my life but surviving has changed my whole perspective. We actually named the band after my doctor, Dr Lawson, who saved my life.”

Pop sensations Lawson visit young patients

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