Post on 06-Jun-2020
Inside Story
Blaze of glory: our fire-eating neurologist - page 8AANNDDTiles of the unexpected - page 7PPLLUUSSMidwifery’s new Gould-en girl - page 6
Inside Story is the UCLH staff magazine
our trustA degree of success for ward sister
Contact UsIf you have any information you would likeincluded in Inside Story, or on the Trustintranet site Insight, contact:
Communications Unit, 2nd Floor Central,250 Euston Road, London NW1 2PG
Email: communications@uclh.nhs.uk
Tel: ext 9897Fax: ext 9401
2
UCLH Nursing and Midwifery Strategy 2008 - 2011
Women’s Health gears up for move
• Improving the patient experience
Effective leadership
Research and innovation in practice
Education and continuing professional
development
Improving working lives
You can view the full strategy document
on Insight.
(Debby Gould, new UCLH Head of
Midwifery – Interview, page 6)
••
•
•
Ward sister Samantha Philpott has won
an award to help fund her masters
degree in nursing. She was selected by
the Worshipful Company of Barbers to
receive £4,000 towards her two-year
post-graduate studies, the rest funded
by the trust.
She said: ”It’s very exciting. It will mean
a lot of extra work, about 18 hours of
study a week on top of my work hours.
But I like to push myself to the limit! I’ll
just have to be disciplined, prioritise –
and shut myself away to concentrate.”
The masters will focus on leadership
and involves critical self-examination,
problem-solving, strategic thinking,
managing and developing staff and
communication, as well as practical
tasks. The course will culminate in a
15,000 word dissertation.
Samantha, who has been a ward sister
at The Heart Hospital for the past four
years, said: ”I have already had a lot of
practical experience of the issues
covered in some of the course work,
such as managing change and
delivering results. I’ve had the
experience, learnt from my mistakes
and now I’m learning the theory.”
She says she hopes it will inspire other
colleagues to continue their
professional development and enhance
her leadership skills to improve the
experience of the patients on her floor.
She added: ”I’m not a naturally
academic person and if you had seen
me at school you would not have
imagined that I would go on to study for
a masters. I’m quite proud of myself – I
just hope I can live up to everyone’s
expectations.”
As part of the award, Samantha will be
invited to several official functions at the
Worshipful Company of Barbers – one
of the oldest livery companies in the city
which celebrates its 700th anniversary
this year. It is a predominantly
charitable organisation which offers
grants and financial support to those
with a background in the medical
profession, city – or barber trade!
Staff are invited to a series of weekly question and answer sessions about the
move from the Elizabeth Garret Anderson and Obstetric Hospital to new
accommodation which includes Phase 2, the new EGA Wing of University College
Hospital. Women’s Health Services will be transferring in less than 30 weeks and
the drop in sessions will enable the Phase 2 team to answer any questions or
concerns staff may have.
The sessions start on 2nd April and will be held every subsequent Wednesday
from 8am to 9am and from 12.30pm to 2pm in the 4th floor meeting room
(opposite Lift A) of the EGA Hospital. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Please ring Jean Harris on 0207 380 9839 if you would like further information.
The revised UCLH Nursing and
Midwifery strategy 2008-2011 published
this month, recognises the central role
played by these key staff in shaping the
development of clinical services.
It emphasises the need to work
collaboratively with patients and other
healthcare professionals to provide high
quality, cost-effective and holistic care -
with the patient as the central focus.
Louise Boden, Chief Nurse said:
“Nurses and midwives are at the
forefront of redesigning services to
streamline patient pathways so they will
continue to adapt their practice and
embrace new ways of working.”
The strategy, which builds on previous
themes, also continues to emphasise
the importance of promoting a culture of
lifelong learning, more formalised career
paths and encouraging nurse and
midwife-led research.
The key objectives include:
3
our trust
Trust chief executive Robert Naylor went
to Buckingham Palace last month to
receive his knighthood from The Queen.
Among the many honours recipients,
Robert was one of two who received a
Knighthood (Knight's Bachelor), the
other was John Stuttard, the recently
retired Lord Mayor of London.
Robert was joined at his investiture by
his wife Jane, daughter Victoria and son
James (pictured). He was named in the
New Year’s Honours List 2008 to receive
a Knighthood ‘for services to healthcare’.
Having spent his entire career in the
National Health Service, Robert has
been at UCLH for more than seven
years and was previously chief
executive for 15 years of the Heart of
England NHS Foundation Trust.
He joined UCLH in 2000 when the
contract for the new University College
Hospital was agreed that at the time was
the most ambitious single building
project in the NHS; it was delivered on
time and on budget and formally opened
by The Queen in October 2005.
At the investiture, The Queen asked
about the challenges of the NHS and in
reply he said: "Working at UCLH is both
a challenge and a privilege."
He reminded Her Majesty of the
landmark occasion of her formerly
opening the new hospital. She
commented on her recollection of a
wonderful new building and wished the
trust all the best for the future.
The ceremony was held in the Palace
Ballroom and lasted just over an hour.
Robert added: "It was a day to
remember and a great tribute to
everyone at UCLH and the many
thousands of people that I have had the
pleasure to work with over the past 23
years as a chief executive."
Chief executive’s day at the Palace
Chairman Peter Dixon
has presented 36
members of staff with a
glass bowl as a token of
the trust's appreciation for
their contribution to the
life of UCLH and to the
welfare of patients.
Peter Dixon said he was
pleased to note the
increasing number of
people who qualified for a
Long Service Award,
adding: “These are good
people doing serious jobs
and we treat them all
equally when it comes to
recognising their service
to the trust. These are
people whose
enthusiasm for their
work shines through
because they like what
they are doing."
A reception was held in
the Old Refectory at
University College
London (UCL) in Gower
Street last month.
Members of the board
and trustees of UCLH
Charities, who funded
and organised the event,
also attended the event.
Chairman presents long service awards
An appeal to raise £1m to upgrade the
Neurocritical Care Unit at the National
Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
has reached its target.
A charity ball held recently at the
Emirates Stadium closed the campaign
after raising the final £100,000.
Organisers at the National Hospital
Development Foundation described it as
a “thrilling finish”.
The funds will support a £2.5m
development to refurbish and refit the
medical and intensive treatment units at
Queen Square. It includes new
monitoring equipment and new facilities
for patients and relatives. Refurbishment
of the intensive treatment unit is now
complete.
The Development Foundation is now
launching two new appeals to raise funds
for Europe’s first Brain Tumour Unit and
a Centre for Neuromuscular Disease,
both at Queen Square. If you would like
any more information, please contact the
NHDF on 020 7829 8724.
Charity ball hits fundraising target for NHNN
Team of domestics
The team of award winners from obstetrics
and gynaecology with the Chairman
Julia Solano whose
connection with UCH
dates back to January 1973
L-r: Dr Nicholas Hirsch (Neurocritical CareConsultant), Herchel Maclear-Jordan (Chair ofthe Leap Ball Committee) and Dr Martin Smith(Neurocritical Care Consultant)
4
our trust - royal london homoeopathic hospitalHigh volume acupuncture clinicIn a sunny high-ceilinged room at the
trust’s Royal London Homeopathic
Hospital (RLHH) a patient with around a
dozen delicate acupuncture needles
inserted into her neck and shoulders lies
quietly, while Dr Saul Berkovitz chats to
a patient with knee pain (pictured). The
needles in her knee are stimulated by a
gentle electric current.
“It’s a completely safe treatment,” says
Saul. “We assess every patient, but even
people with fear of needles usually
tolerate it well. Acupuncture needles are
much finer than syringe needles, are
solid rather than hollow, and you can
barely feel them once they have been
inserted. It’s even suitable for patients on
the blood-thinning drug Warfarin: we just
use even thinner needles than usual.
“For each condition, we use a semi-
standardised acupuncture protocol -
each patient gets about the same
number of needles from a restricted
'menu' of points. The clinic can then be
run by a nurse with basic but adequate
training to deliver the treatment
effectively.”
The clinic has been running since
January 2006, and around 100 patients
have had eight sessions each. Of those,
about 45 per cent responded positively:
most were patients who had had no
relief from more conventional treatments.
“Often we’re their last resort,” Saul adds.
The clinic offers group treatment for
single conditions such as arthritis of the
knee, headache and lower back pain.
Acupuncture’s efficacy for these
conditions is backed up by clinical trials;
it is recommended in the NICE
guidelines as effective second line
treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee.
As yet there are no NICE guidelines on
acupuncture for lower back pain, but the
American College of Physicians
guidelines state that acupuncture is as
effective as conventional treatment.
“Acupuncture can really be considered
conventional treatment nowadays,” says
Saul. “Many doctors now have training in
it especially GPs, who use it mostly for
musculoskeletal pain: neck pain, tennis
elbow and so on. And it’s offered by
every pain clinic in the UK.” Since 1995,
5,110 registered health professionals
have studied with the British Medical
Acupuncture Society.
Saul himself trained as a general
physician, and now runs a range of
services at the RLHH, including a clinic
for people suffering from chronic fatigue
- “that’s an orthodox service which
doesn’t use any complementary
therapies” - an allergy clinic, and a
western herbal medicine clinic due to be
officially launched this spring.
The RLHH acupuncture clinic also works
closely with the pain management clinic
at the NHNN, next door at Queen
Square. “We are planning to start a pilot
clinic with the National to treat analgesia-
related headache - the withdrawal
headaches people get if they overuse
painkillers. At the moment, the patients
who suffer most severely from this have
to be brought into hospital to withdraw
from their analgesics: obviously if people
can be treated without an inpatient stay
it’s a lot less costly.”
Other projects include a pilot on the use
of acupuncture to treat menopausal hot
flushes: “There’s increasing evidence
that it’s effective, and more and more
women don’t want HRT. There is also
potential to use it for a range of other
pain conditions including fibromyalgia
and irritable bladder.”
How did the idea of treating patients with
acupuncture in groups rather than one to
one arise?
“It’s the way they do it in China,” Saul
explains. “There are well over a billion
people in China: people get treated in
big groups. In the West, acupuncture
has a reputation as a holistic treatment,
but Chinese clinics are very brisk, in-out
services, run like factories. Running the
high-volume clinic allows us to see
patients more frequently: the treatment is
more effective if you can see patients
once a week.
“The group setting has other
advantages: it’s a good place for
educational interventions, such as a visit
from a physiotherapist to teach
exercises. And patients benefit from the
social setting: they see each other
getting better, and they enjoy coming.”
“The clinic offers group treatmentfor single conditions such asarthritis of the knee, headache andlower back pain.”
“..patients benefit from the socialsetting: they see each othergetting better, and they enjoycoming.”
5
our trust
Qualified teacher wanted – no league tables, small friendly classes,
panoramic views across London. For someone teaching in the inner
city jungle of a large comprehensive school it must seem like a
dream job.
When the Hospital School advertises for a teaching post it can get
more than a 100 replies from those eager to work in this stimulating
and challenging environment. But only a select few make the grade.
The successful recruits soon realise there are both similarities and
differences from the mainstream educational experience.
Philippa Church, one of two full time teachers at University College
Hospital, worked in a wide range of schools before joining UCH –
including a large Hertfordshire comprehensive with more than a
1,000 pupils. Now, most days, she teaches many pupils but just a
handful at any one time.
Philippa said: “There’s a different kind of pressure. You may not
have to deal with exams and marking homework but you have to
deal with children who may be chronically ill. I did wonder how I
would cope – but I have. You also teach a range of subjects to
children of all ages, all at
different levels. And, of
course, the pupils might be in
hospital from one day to a
year.”
The School at UCH – which
is part of the Children’s
Hospital School at Great
Ormond Street Hospital – is
subject to regular OFSTED
inspections and offers young
people full access to the core
National Curriculum subjects
and many others too.
If the youngsters are too
unwell to come to the
classrooms on T11 and T12,
then the teachers go and see
them: at their bedsides they
can access the School’s
Network and the London Grid
for Learning which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The schoolrooms on T11 and T12 are open from 10am – 12 noon
and 1.15 – 3.00 pm Monday to Friday.
John Sosna, assistant head teacher and head of ICT at both UCH
and GOSH, said: “We encourage the young people to keep in touch
with their home schools and continue their education so they don’t
fall behind with their studies. Continuity, normality and enjoyment
are an essential part of what we offer.”
The Hospital School liaises closely with the young person’s home
school before, during and after their stay in hospital.
Karen Gwynne, the school’s learning mentor, worked with
youngsters at an inner city school in Manchester before joining
UCH. She liaises with local education authorities about home
tuition and reintegration once the young patient is discharged and
talks to schools and pupils about how they can best support a sick
schoolmate when he or she returns to school in the outside world.
Karen added: “When I saw the advert on the internet I said: Wow -
that sounds an amazing job! And it is – particularly when a kid
comes back to say ‘thank you’. But it’s not always easy”.
Hospital school team
An artist renowned for painting the pampered pooches of
the rich and famous is sharing her talents with our young
patients. The colourful doggie portraits by Cindy Lass
have been snapped up by A-List celebrities such as
Elizabeth Taylor, George Michael, Brad Pitt, Sir Elton
John – and even The Queen, to name just a few – but it’s
the children on T12 who really inspire her.
“Most of the celebrities are great but the children have a
lot more substance than some of those I’ve met, who sell
out – and become like a business corporation unit.”
Every week, Cindy enthusiastically encourages the
youngsters to “draw on their energy” and create “art from
the heart” at sessions in the hospital’s classroom.
“I believe everyone can paint…I tell them to think of the
sea, it comes in and out and ends up on the shore. I tell
them to paint what you feel. The results are often
amazing and they become so absorbed,” added Cindy
who says art makes her feel “totally at peace.”
When she was nine years old she spent time in hospital
with suspected cancer and remembers it as a grim
experience. “Painting can provide an emotional hug,”
added Cindy whose bold and energetic colours are her
signature.
Of course, many of the young patients are keen to get the
inside gossip on some of the celebrities. Cindy usually
paints their pets from photographs – and she’s keen to
stress that proceeds go to charity. “My husband says I’m
from the Planet Zog and would give all my money away if
I could,” she says.
So what DID Sir Elton think of the portrait of his dog? “I
took it round to his house and he was just popping out to
do some shopping. He flipped out when he saw it – and
said I had picked up on the dog’s spirituality.”
So the old showbiz adage of never work with children and
animals doesn’t apply then? “Oh no – they’re the two
nicest things on the planet,” she added with a laugh.
Art from the heart
L-r: John Sosna,
Philippa Church and
Karen Gwynne in the
T12 schoolroom
Cindy Lass with 13
year old patient
Bobby Markham
Our new Head of Midwifery is everything
you might expect from a clinical leader.
Career-orientated, enthusiastic, focused,
dynamic, assertive – it’s true that her CV
is testimony to her many skills and
attributes.
But there’s more to Debby Gould than
that… and a smooth, white, fecund
sculpture of a heavily pregnant woman
on the shelf above her desk gives a
clue.
“It’s my fertility goddess from the
Glastonbury Tor,” says Debby. “I’m very
interested in cycles of life and getting in
touch with nature. Giving birth is just
such a wonderful experience and I can’t
believe I’m getting paid to do a job that I
love so much.”
And it’s that passion for bringing life into
the world that shapes her vision of how
maternity services should be developed
here at UCLH.
“With the help of a midwife, my sister
gave birth to her second baby in our
front room when I was just five years
old. I remember being so excited. My
mum had six children, five of them born
at home. It was a great big happy event
– not at all fearful. That’s what I want to
achieve here.”
Debby – who’s in charge of strategically
planning maternity services at UCLH –
has reams of experience of childbirth in
all settings both hands-on and
managerial; from home births, to
establishing midwife-led units, to
managing a high-risk labour ward. And,
although you can imagine she’d find it
difficult to pass a baby by without
wanting to hug it, she says strategic
planning is equally fulfilling.
“As a midwife, I could make things better
for one woman. As a clinical leader, I
can try to influence policy to make it
better for all women.”
Having said that, Debby admits she can
often be found wandering the wards,
chatting to mothers and cooing over
their new-born. “Last week there were
beautiful twins born – and I changed the
nappies so their mum could eat her
lunch in peace. It was a really enjoyable
15 minutes!”
It’s a short-hand for her philosophy and
she hopes to lead by example - “You
should never feel you’re too important to
do anything …. I want people at all
levels to feel I am approachable.”
Debby embraces the EGA’s Service
Commitment Plus: the maternity quality
initiative is now well placed to address
the recommendations arising from the
recent Healthcare Commission review of
maternity services which awarded the
trust a ‘fair’ rating.
She says: “It’s about how we deliver
care; by taking the time to explain to
women what is happening, to find out
what is important to them at a particular
time – to really try to communicate with
them.”
She believes the move from the
cramped and ageing EGA to the modern
and purpose-built maternity unit in the
EGA wing of the new UCH will have an
uplifting effect for patients – and staff.
“Environment makes a big difference on
how patients perceive their care to be. It
will be emotionally better for staff too –
the open plan building will help pull us
together as a team.”
Debby qualified as a midwife in 1984
and worked part-time weekend shifts
whilst her adored two sons Will and Josh
were young (both trouble-free births in a
midwife-led unit).
As the years passed – Debby’s career
soared. As well as her high-ranking
hospital posts, she is also Chair of the
Council at the Royal College of
Midwives and writes regularly for the
British Journal of Midwifery.
Not only that, she’s studying for a
hypnotherapy qualification in her spare
time, is interested in the spiritual ,as well
as the physical side of life, loves yoga
and meditation – all this, on top of her
workload and a daily commute from her
home in Southampton.
“Are you a workaholic?” I ask. She
lowers her voice in mock secrecy: “I
think I just might be!”
But, as I said at the beginning, there’s a
lot more to Debby than that.
You can read the full interview withDebby on Inside Story Extra.
interviewDebby Gould
6
“As a midwife, I could make things better for one woman. As a clinicalleader, I can try to influence policy to make it better for all women.”
Elke Tullett talks to Debby Gould, UCLH’s new Head of Midwifery
our trust
7
An array of beautiful tiled murals which graced the
walls of the former Middlesex Hospital are now
lying in storage crates in Shropshire. The nursery
tale scenes from the 1920s may look innocent
enough but they have a surprise lurking in the red
and orange paint – radioactivity. It was this that
saved them from destruction.
Peter Marsden, head of radiation physics, and his
team made the amazing discovery last year as
they checked out every single square foot of the
building for radiation sources before it could be
demolished.
Specialist contractors were called in to carefully
prise each individual tile from the walls using
diamond drills. They were then carefully packed in
crates, ensuring they remained in tact to contain
any radioactive traces. Fifteen murals are now in
storage.
Peter said:” With more than a 1,000 rooms –
where do you start? We thought we would start in
the place where there couldn’t possibly be any
radioactive substances – the former children’s
wards.”
But their Geiger counters told another story.
“Basically anything red or orange was radioactive
– but it is very low level energy and, once restored,
there would be no risk to people standing next to
them. I think the radiation saved them. Otherwise
they could well have been demolished.”
The mosaic pictures – created by Hayden Carter in
the 1920’s - would cost between £1,600 to
£14,000 each to restore and mount behind
Perspex.
UCLH Arts plans to make a bid to UCLH Charities
to save some or all of the murals with the aim of
eventually displaying them at UCH or in the new
EGA wing.
Arts curator Guy Noble is now applying for funding
to restore them to their former glory – and bring
them back to UCH. He said: ”Many of them were
hidden behind panels and couldn’t be seen. My
first concern was that they weren’t destroyed with
the rest of the building. When I first saw them I
thought how lovely they were.”
NNuurrsseerryy ttaallee sscceenneess ffrroomm tthhee 11992200ss aarree nnoott ssoo iinnnnoocceenntt
Wanted: staff with links to the MiddlesexA community arts organisation is hoping to
tempt people with a strong link to the former
Middlesex Hospital to pose for portraits on
site before the hospital is demolished. The
organisation, Photoworks Westminster, is
looking for staff and patients who may have
worked or stayed at the Middlesex as well as
people who may have lived in the area
during its time as a working hospital.
Project coordinator Lucy Williams said: “We
are currently undertaking documentation of
the demolition and setting up portraits of
local people and former employees. The
result will be a unique record of the history of
the area associated with the Middlesex, and
will form a permanent display at the new
public health and leisure buildings to be built
there.”
If you have links to the hospital and would
like to be involved in a photo portrait, contact
Lucy Williams on 07866105776 or email
info@photoworks.org.uk More information is
available at www.photoworks.org.uk
8
the back page
Archives: our sporting heroes
Competition
A photograph capturing the members of
the hospital cricket team nearly 100 years
ago has been returned to UCLH after
being discovered in an attic of an
Edwardian home. The image shows club
president Bilton Pollard, a Fellow of the
Royal College of Surgeons, surrounded by
some dapper-looking medics outside the
Cruciform building. The photo identifies
W.J Pearson as team captain and Dr
Poynton, vice president.
Mrs Gillie Towers found the large photo -
clearly marked UCH Cricket Club 1913
season - in her Kew attic whilst moving
home.
Trust archivist Annie Lindsay said: “It is a
great addition to the archives as we have
very few photographs of that era of such
good quality.”
Secret livesJuggling is a fact of life for busy
doctors faced with multiple demands
on their time. But Dr Christian Lambert
(pictured on the front page of this
month’s Inside Story) is never happier
when he’s got lots of balls in the air –
and flaming swords, razor sharp knives
and fiery clubs. “I juggle with anything I
can lay my hands on – but not
chainsaws,” he adds.
Dr Lambert, a neurology senior house
officer at the NHNN, has also perfected
the art of fire-eating – a skill he
performs at festivals and parties
around the country and which he learnt
whilst studying at Nottingham
University.
“I like the unpredictability of it. It’s very
peaceful when you’re fire eating or
juggling flaming objects. When you
hear the roar of the flame it can be
very relaxing. I know it must sound
completely mad.”
His aim is to take part in a Samoan fire
sword competition – juggling three
flaming swords for eight minutes - and
he remains unfazed by the question of
whether it’s a teensy weensy bit
dangerous.
“You have to learn about fuels and, of
course, it requires concentration but
I’ve never been injured….apart from
when I lost one of my eyebrows.”
The young doctor always performs his
skills for free and says there’s “a whole
fire-eating community out there.”
And it certainly is an ice-breaker at
parties….
Read more about Dr Lambert’sdaredevil antics, as he prepares to setoff on a treck to one of the harshest,hottest places on the planet. SeeInside Story Extra.
This month you can win a £50 Marks
& Spencer voucher. To enter, just
answer this question (clue: the
answer can be found somewhere in
this issue of Inside Story!):
How many members of staff were
presented with a long service
award at a reception last month?
Email: communications@uclh.nhs.uk
or send your answer to
communications unit, 2nd floor
central, 250 Euston Road via internal
post. Closing date is Monday 7 April
2008.
The winner of last month’s
competition is Elly Keating who
receives a £100 Habitat voucher.
Spring is in the air and it’s the perfect
time to take a good hard look at your
fridge with the help of UCLH student
dietician Fiona Veira-McTiernan.
What’s in, what’s out over the Easter
period? It will be a challenge to steer
clear of chocolate eggs but try stocking
up with spring seasonal foods like
rhubarb, radishes, spring greens,
spinach, purple sprouting broccoli,
asparagus and beetroot. Mint and
parsley are also in season. How about a
tabouleh salad which is made from
bulgur wheat, chopped onions,
tomatoes, parsley and mint? Dress with
olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Another option is warm beetroot soup
for those chilly evenings. All you need is
beetroot, carrots, shallots, celery, garlic,
stock. Boil them briefly, simmer till
tender, blend and serve with a small
dollop of sour cream.
Seasonal produce tends to be fresher,
tastier and cheaper at this time of year.
Dark green leafy vegetables, such as
cabbage, kale, spinach, parsley and
chard are rich in many nutrients, and
are a good source of vitamin K.
Research on bone health suggests
vitamin K is one of the nutrients involved
in staving off osteoporosis.
What’s in your fridge?