There were 18 individual staff winners—including Dr Neil Soni, the recipient of the Chief Executive’s Special Award—and 2 team awards.

More than 170 staff and award sponsors attended the awards evening.

Almost 800 nominations were received for the Star Awards from staff and patients and 3 individual staff and/or teams were shortlisted by judging panels for:

• 17 Staff Choice awards—staff nominated by staff
• Patient Choice award—staff nominated by patients
• Council of Governors Special Award

The winners are:

Staff Choice awards

• Healthcare Assistant of the Year
  Shanaz Khanom (Healthcare Assistant, Acute Assessment Unit)
• Midwife of the Year
  Emily Beonke
• Nurse of the Year
  Marylin Joseph-Apple (Staff Nurse, Fracture Clinic)
• Doctor of the Year
  Dr Nick Fauvel (Consultant Anaesthetist)
• Diagnostic and Allied Health Professional of the Year
  Tom McBride (Senior Orthopaedic Practitioner, Fracture Clinic)
• ISS Facility Services Healthcare Star of the Year
  Manu Bahadur-Ghimire (Healthcare Cleaner, A&E Department)
• Scientist of the Year
  Dr Berge Azadian (Director of Infection Prevention & Control)
• Researcher of the Year
  Professor Mark Bower (Consultant Medical Oncologist)
• Frontline Support Services Star of the Year
  Aaron Frimley (Receptionist, Fracture Clinic)
• Behind the Scenes Support Services Star of the Year
  Graham Henry (Business Analyst, Finance)
• Manager of the Year
  Alan Kaye (Head of Diagnostics)
• Team of the Year
  Porters
• Most Improved Department of the Year
  Edgar Horne Ward
• Volunteer of the Year
  Claudia Thompson (Volunteer, Intensive Care Unit)
• Educator/Mentor of the Year
  Barry Jubraj (Lead Pharmacist for Academic Studies & Professional Development)
• Outstanding Leadership Award
  Mitch Haines (Matron, Medicine & Surgery)
• Improving the Patient Experience
  Vivien Bell (Head of Midwifery and General Manager, Maternity Services)

Patient Choice Award

• Sacha Newman (Clinical Nurse Specialist, Gynaecology)

Council of Governors Special Award

• Lesley-Anne Marke (Sister, David Erskine Ward)

Chief Executive’s Special Award

Chief Executive Heather Lawrence presented her Special Award to Dr Neil Soni (Consultant Anaesthetist) to recognise his long service and outstanding contribution to patient care and the hospital.

Congratulations to all staff and teams shortlisted for the first Chelsea and Westminster Star Awards and thank you to Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity whose support made the awards evening possible.

• Star Awards page (with photographs)

56 Dean Street is offering members of the gay community the chance to design an innovative HIV or sexual health awareness campaign.

56 Dean Street, our award-winning Soho-based HIV and sexual health clinic, launched a competition to tackle HIV and sexual health awareness amongst gay and bisexual men. Named The Community Campaign, the competition asks any member of the community to submit their ideas for an innovative advertising campaign that will make an impact to reduce rates of HIV, or increase education about sexual health.

Entries will be put on display in selected gay bars across London and be taken to a public vote via Facebook. The winning concepts will appear online, in print or on radio.

Supporting the campaign, Stephen Fry said, “With one in seven gay men on the London scene now living with HIV, it’s never been more important to develop new ways to reach and engage people with a safe sex message.”

The awards for The Community Campaign will be held twice yearly, with two categories every six months. The two categories for the first six months are:

• Testing (a print advertisement campaign)—We want to educate and encourage every sexually active gay man to get tested for HIV at least once a year. The winning sketch will be professionally designed into a fully fledged advertising campaign appearing in various media across London.
• What Would You Tell The 19-Year-Old You? (a viral video campaign)—We want to hear what you would tell others in your community about love, life, work, sex, relationships, whatever will make people take note and remember. The winning video will run extensively through online media and be shown in London’s most popular gay bars.

Dr Alan McOwan, Service Director at 56 Dean Street said, “We want to create a voice for the gay community to actively design, vote on and react to their own advertising. If we can all get involved—together, we can make a difference.”

Submission for entries is open now, and will close on 25 June. A judging panel of industry experts will shortlist the entries, and a public vote will open in August to decide the overall winners. The winning campaigns will run during September–December.

• Check out what Stephen Fry has to say about the campaign
• Find out more on Facebook

He will succeed Heather Lawrence OBE who is currently Chief Executive of the Trust. She will leave Chelsea and Westminster this summer after 12 successful years as Chief Executive. Tony Bell is Chief Executive designate until his start date is confirmed in due course.

Tony Bell has 30 years’ experience of working in the NHS and a strong clinical background, having trained originally as a nurse.

Tony has been Chief Executive of Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, a major university teaching hospital, since 2007.

He was previously Chief Executive of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and was awarded the OBE for services to healthcare in 1996.

Tony Bell’s appointment was approved at last week’s meeting of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s Council of Governors which includes elected representatives of patients, members of the public and staff.

Tony says: “I am looking forward to working with so many talented and dedicated staff who have helped make Chelsea andWestminster one of the most highly regarded NHS trusts in the country.

“I aim to lead the Trust forward to continued success, building on the strong foundations provided by the hard work of all staff under the leadership of Heather Lawrence to provide the best possible care for patients.”

Professor Sir Christopher Edwards, Chairman of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, says: “I am delighted that Tony Bell is set to join us as our new Chief Executive.

“I believe that Chelsea and Westminster will have a very bright future under Tony’s leadership, in partnership with our strong Executive team and our hardworking staff.

“I would also like to thank Heather Lawrence for everything she has done to make Chelsea and Westminster a real NHS success story.”

Tony Bell’s start date will be confirmed in due course.

This was the second in a new series of free heath events exclusively for patients and members of the public who have joined our Foundation Trust as members.

Dr Richard Morgan, Consultant Physician at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, and Dr Claudia Wald, Consultant Psychiatrist with the Kensington & Chelsea Memory Service, were the keynote speakers.

The event attracted 50 people, which is the capacity of the Postgraduate Lecture Theatre where the seminar was held, and the level of interest shown by Foundation Trust members in the topic of dementia means that we plan to repeat it in the near future.

Feedback from members who attended  the seminar was overwhelmingly positive with the vast majority saying they found the event useful and they would recommend future ‘Medicine for Members’ events to friends and family.

We plan to hold more ‘Medicine for Members’ seminars throughout the year focusing on a range of health issues—these will be publicised to Foundation Trust members in future editions of our magazine Trust News and our monthly e-newsletter Members’ Newsfor members who have provided us with their email addresses.

You can join our Foundation Trust online to find out about ‘Medicine for Members’ seminars and other events for Foundation Trust members.

What the attendees said

• “The more events like this the better, especially for carers who need support and information.”
• “This was a welcome opportunity to review progress in dementia treatments.”
• “A difficult subject well presented.”

This exciting new project—launched officially on Tuesday 1 May—will help shape the Trust’s plans to make it easier for patients and visitors to find their way around our hospital.

A team of researchers will be in the hospital throughout May talking to patients, visitors and staff to get everyone’s views on how easy or difficult it is to find your way around the hospital.

Wayfinding is not just about direction signs in the hospital, it also includes:

• Ensuring that the names we call departments are simple and easy to understand
• Providing maps at key points around the hospital
• Making sure that appointment letters are clear and consistent with the signs
• Using new technology such as electronic patient information screens
• Providing high quality information on the Trust website

How can you get involved?

• Complete our online survey or if you prefer pick up a paper survey from the M-PALS office on the Ground Floor of the hospital by Friday 18 May
  
  
  
  
• Take the time to talk to a researcher if they approach you
• Talk to a researcher at the hospital Open Day on Saturday 12 May where there will be a ‘Show us the way’ stand

Thérèse Davis, Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Experience and Flow at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, says: “I would encourage all patients, visitors and members of our Foundation Trust to get involved in this consultation exercise.

“We want to hear from you because your comments will help shape the Trust’s wayfinding strategy and some major improvements to our hospital later this year when the strategy is implemented so please get involved.”

According to a poll by Macmillan Cancer Support of 1,500 women across the UK aged 18 plus, even on a sunny day, 29% of women in London don’t wear protective lotion when they’re abroad in a hot country. This is regardless of the increased risks of skin cancer.

Macmillan Skin Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist, Eileen Andrews, will have a stand in the main hospital atrium on Friday 4 May, 10am–3pm, to promote staying safe in the sun.

Eileen says: “I follow the general advice which is don’t get burnt, stay out of the midday sun, use shade, be aware of your skin type and its response to sun and use SPF 50 sunscreen. Using sunscreen at the same time as wearing appropriate clothing, such as hats and long-sleeved tops in closely-woven cotton or linen is important. And knowing what’s right for you is crucial in being able to spot anything unusual.

“For example if you can see any of your moles growing or changing, or you have a new mole that you’re not quite sure about, you should bring it to a professional’s attention.”

Skin cancer can be as dangerous as any other types of cancer. If you have any concerns or questions visit www.macmillan.org.uk/skin or call Macmillan Cancer Support on 0808 808 00 00.

Photo: The Directors’ Den panel Sir Geoff Mulcahy (Non-Executive Director), Mark Gammage (Director of Human Resources), Heather Lawrence (Chief Executive), Thérèse Davis (Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Experience and Flow) and Alastair McLellan (Editor of Health Service Journal)

Congratulations to the winners of the first round of our new staff initiative Directors’ Den, based on the TV series Dragons’ Den.

Directors’ Den encourages staff to be innovative and suggest ways in which they can improve their own services—the ‘carrot’ for the winning entries is that they will now be given funding to turn their ideas into reality.

Shortlisted applicants went in front of the Directors’ Den panel on 19 April—panellists included Trust Chief Executive Heather Lawrence, Chief Nurse Therese Davis, Director of Human Resources Mark Gammage, Non-Executive Director Sir Geoff Mulcahy andHealth Service Journal Editor Alastair McLellan.

They have allocated funding of more than £200,000 to five projects:

• Annabel Bryant (Midwifery Development Lead) & Shereen Jones (Intrapartum Matron)
  Two linked proposals to promote natural birth:
• ‘The Nest’, an area where low risk women can establish their labour in peace with the reassuring presence of a trained peer supporter (doula)
• Training to enable midwives to incorporate complementary therapies into their midwifery practice
• Laura Hoare (Paediatric Inpatient Administrative Co-ordinator) & Noel Palmer (Jupiter Ward Manager)
  A new website for patients of the new Chelsea Children’s Hospital at Chelsea and Westminster to make it a fun, interactive resource for children, young people and their families.
• Carol Dale (Learning & Organisational Development Manager)
  A mandatory training video for all non-clinical staff working in the Trust which could be accessed at work or at home via the Trust website, incorporating a questionnaire to be completed as evidence that staff have done their training.
• Cherry Brennan (Interim Maternity Inpatients Matron, Zoe Macgrath (Interim Postnatal Ward Lead) & Lena Karam (Antenatal Ward Lead)
  A 'campaign for peace' in Maternity to make it easier for women to speak to staff who are responsible for their care by replacing the current noisy and inefficient call bell system with a new system of communication fobs which women can activate to request assistance.
• Sophie Graeme-Baker (Specialist Registrar, Radiology)
  Improving the training of staff in ultrasound-guided biopsy skills in Radiology by purchasing ultrasound simulators which allow trainees to practice on dummy patients.

The next round of Directors’ Den will be launched later this year because the first round received an excellent response from staff with a total of 48 applications.

Visitors to this year’s event will be able to enjoy live music, behind-the-scenes tours and have a mini health ‘MOT’ including body composition tests which measure BMI and body fat percentage.

There will also be some great prizes up for grabs during the day and the ever-popular Teddy Bear Hospital will be back again, so young people should bring along their teddy or doll for a check-up.

Also back by popular demand is our ‘Career Zone’ for people considering a career in healthcare. Visitors will be able to meet with experts in a range of fields including nursing, physiotherapy, medicine and radiology.

Check out our Tumblr blog for updates and send us your comments!

• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Open Day 2012 on Tumblr

For more information: Contact Renae McBride (Communications Manager) on 020 3315 6829.

Keynote speakers at the seminar which takes place at 5:30pm on Tuesday 1 May in the Postgraduate Lecture Theatre on the Lower Ground Floor of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital include

• Dr Richard Morgan, Consultant Physician at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
• Dr Claudia Wald, Consultant Psychiatrist with the Kensington & Chelsea Memory Service
• Lakhwinder Gill from Age UK in Kensington & Chelsea

The first ‘Medicine for Members’ event, a bowel cancer awareness seminar held in February, also proved popular—all Foundation Trust members who attended said that they found it useful and that they understood more about bowel cancer as a result of the seminar.

More ‘Medicine for Members’ events will be held throughout the year.

Singing provides emotional, social, educational and physical benefits for pregnant women and their babies during pregnancy, labour and after birth.

Singing to babies when they are in the womb not only builds a powerful way of communicating with their baby that parents can continue once the child is born, positively influencing the parent-child bond, but it can also facilitate language development.

Community singing teacher Maya Waldman leads the workshops which include postural, breathing and vocal exercises. Women sing songs that are easy to learn and memorise, using a repertoire including short songs and songs with repeated phrasing such as rounds.

Marjaana Vanska, Active Birth Teacher at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, said: “The benefits to mothers-to-be taking part in this project are important, both during pregnancy and after birth. The workshops fit in well with the breathing exercises and antenatal classes that we already run.”

Singing is an exercise in breathing and the singing of sustained notes can help women find a way into relaxing the unconscious reflex of the breathing mechanism. Such techniques can usefully add to any breathing techniques that are taught by midwives or at any childbirth classes. The workshops are also a fun and informal group where mutual support is encouraged.

Feedback from women who attended Womb Song workshops in the hospital last year was overwhelmingly positive—98% of women who attended the first session said they felt happier and inspired afterwards and that they would recommend Womb Song to other mothers-to-be.

Womb Song workshops, which are organised and funded by Hospital Arts, part of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, will be held every Monday (excluding Bank Holidays) from 14 May from 6:30–8pm in The Tent which can be found on the 2nd Floor of the hospital. They are drop-in classes so no need to book, just turn up.

Katherine Mellor, Arts Director for Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Maya Waldman and the Maternity team on the Womb Song project. It is a perfect example of the kind of excellent and innovative arts-in-health work that Hospital Arts strives to deliver.”

For more information, please contact Hospital Arts on 020 3315 6617 or via email at arts@chelwestcharity.org.uk.

89% of patients who completed the survey rated their care at Chelsea and Westminster as ‘Excellent’, ‘Very good’ or ‘Good’.

There were significant improvements on 7 questions when compared to the previous survey in 2010, no questions with significantly worse scores, and no significant difference in the vast majority of areas.

Areas in which our performance improved significantly since the 2010 survey include:

• Privacy of patients being treated in A&E
• Single sex accommodation to ensure the privacy and dignity of patients
• Patients given printed information about their condition or treatment before being admitted to hospital
• Posters or leaflets asking patients to wash their hands or use alcohol hand gel to clean their hands
• Noise at night being kept to a minimum

Areas in which Chelsea and Westminster scores significantly better than the national average in the 2011 survey include:

• Patients being given an opportunity to give their views on their care and posters or leaflets explaining how patients can complain about their care
• Patients being provided with somewhere to keep their personal belongings safely while in hospital
• Information provided to patients when they are discharged from hospital including printed information about medicines, copies of letters sent between hospital doctors and their GP, and letters being written in a way that can be understood
• Posters or leaflets asking patients to wash their hands or use alcohol hand gel to clean their hands

However, there are a number of areas in which Chelsea and Westminster scores significantly worse than the national average including involving patients in decisions about their care and ensuring that patients know who to contact if they are worried.

Heather Lawrence, Chief Executive, says: “It is encouraging that so many patients would recommend Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to their friends and family.

“It is particularly pleasing that our performance has improved in many areas that we focused on following feedback from patients in last year’s survey.

“For example, we have provided new patient lockers for the safe storage of patients’ belongings, enhanced information about infection control measures such as hand hygiene, and made improvements to our single sex accommodation to safeguard the privacy and dignity of patients.

“There is clearly still room for improvement in a number of areas and we are already taking action to address these, for example by providing patients with an information card when come into hospital.

“I am also confident that our work to embed the Trust’s recently agreed values – respectful, safe, kind and excellent – and ensure that the behaviours of our staff reflect these values will help to improve the experience of our patients.”

The full results of the survey can be downloaded here

The scheme costs from just £1 per day to access and then a fee for however long you wish to use the bike for.

For all commuters, this means that a 30 minute cycle will only cost £1, as the first 30 minutes are free, so cycling is now a viable, cheap option from main line stations or South Kensington tube.

• Barclays Cycle Hire on Transport for London’s website

The CQC report outlines areas where the hospital is performing well, including patients feeling they are informed and involved in their treatment, staff providing reassurance and maintaining the privacy and dignity of patients, and the cleanliness of ward areas and infection control.

The report follows an unannounced inspection in February and a second visit in March, during which CQC inspectors visited 10 wards and departments and spoke to patients and staff.

Inspectors spent time in each area observing how patients were being cared for and assessed the hospital’s performance against a number of standards including:

• Respecting and involving people who use services
• Care and welfare of people who use services
• Safeguarding people who use services from abuse
• Cleanliness and infection control
• Supporting staff
• Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision

Heather Lawrence, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust says: “I welcome the publication of the Care Quality Commission’s report because it provides an honest, independent appraisal of our performance and the care we provide.

“The report provides patients with information about Chelsea and Westminster Hospital which they can use to make important decisions about their care.

“I’m pleased that our patients said they feel safe and well cared for by our staff, who work hard to provide a level of care that they would wish for their own families and loved ones.

“There is always room for improvement in everything we do to ensure we can maintain our high standard of care and we have already begun to make changes in response to the CQC’s recommendations.”

The full report is available in our Transparency section.

With 100 days to go until the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics, we can reveal that Chelsea and Westminster has its very own Olympic Gold medallist.

Nuclear Medicine Superintendent Radiographer Adrian Ellison was part of the men’s rowing four including Sir Steve Redgrave which won a Gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Adrian says: “My fondest memory of the whole Olympic experience from Los Angeles was feeling that I hadn’t let anyone down. I was coxing a crew of four huge, immensely powerful oarsmen (average height about 6 foot 4 inches and average weight about 15 stone) and over that summer we had all become good friends with infinite trust and respect for each other. My overwhelming feeling when we won was just relief that we’d done what we knew we were capable of and hadn’t disappointed our coach, Mike Spracklen, our families and friends who’d all supported us so much.

“This was back in the days before Lottery money supported international sportsmen and we had very limited financial backing from Sports Aid and sponsorship.”

Adrian recalls how the Gold medal was won: “In the final, we’d intended to jump into the lead and stay there for the whole 2,000 metre course, but the USA crew got their bows in front and stayed there until about 500 metres to go.

“I still remember the tone of desperation in the shout from our bowman, Martin Cross, when he called ‘500 to go—ready—GO!’ and something magical seemed to turn on a turbo charge of power. I’d been calling ‘I’m level with the American stroke’ for about 1,000 metres, and then suddenly I was saying “I’m on their three-man, I’m on their bowman, I’m on their cox” and then ‘We’re a canvas ahead, last 20 strokes’.”

Adrian says that no one recognises him or asks for his autograph anymore, but he hopes that one day his son will be proud of what his dad once did.

• See p11 of the April/May edition of Trust News for the full story (PDF)

If you have sight loss or know someone who does, you can visit them to find out more about the latest aids, equipment, information and advice available.

Action for Blind People is a national charity which supports blind and partially sighted people of all ages and are part of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

For more information, contact Action for blind people through the RNIB Helpline on 030 3123 9999 or visit www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk.

• Mobile Sight Loss Information Service flyer (PDF)

Our values—‘It’s who we are’

More than 800 patients and staff voted for their top four values and a further 130 took part in a series of focus groups during our ‘Who do you think WE are?’ consultation campaign to define our values in February 2012.

The Trust’s values have now been agreed by the Trust Board:

• Respectful
• Safe
• Kind
• Excellent

Our values will define what patients should expect when they are cared for at Chelsea and Westminster and how all staff can help to meet these expectations.

• Our values—‘It’s who we are’ poster (PDF)

Almost 800 nominations were received from staff and patients and now 3 individual staff and/or teams have been shortlisted by judging panels for:

• 17 Staff Choice awards—staff nominated by staff
• Patient Choice award—staff nominated by patients
• Council of Governors Special Award

Chief Executive Heather Lawrence will also present a Special Award to recognise the long service and outstanding contribution of an individual member of staff at the awards evening which takes place at Chelsea Football Club on 14 May.

These outstanding individuals and teams make the greatest difference to our patients and hospital.

All staff shortlisted for the inaugural Star Awards will be invited to the awards evening which has been made possible by a grant from Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity.

Congratulations to all staff and teams who have been shortlisted:

Staff Choice awards

Healthcare Assistant of the Year

• Zulfikhar Choudry (HCA, Nell Gwynne Ward)
• Shanaz Khanom (HCA, Acute Assessment Unit)
• Adnan Maan (HCA, Lower Ground Floor Outpatients)

Midwife of the Year

• Emily Beonke
• Fee Hussain
• Iris Tsikimi

Nurse of the Year

• Marylyn Joseph-Apple (Staff Nurse, Fracture Clinic)
• Lucy Rodaway (Senior Staff Nurse, Annie Zunz Ward)
• Kathryn Webb (Senior Staff Nurse, Neptune Ward)

Doctor of the Year

• Dr Nick Fauvel (Consultant Anaesthetist)
• Dr Rachael Jones (Consultant and Lead Clinician, West London Centre for Sexual Health)
• Dr Duncan Wilson (Specialist Trainee, Medicine & Surgery)

Diagnostic and Allied Health Professional of the Year

• Tom McBride (Senior Orthopaedic Practitioner, Fracture Clinic)
• Philippa McDonald (Sonographer, Ultrasound)
• David Pearce (Therapy Technician, Stroke Services)

ISS Facility Services Healthcare Star of the Year

• Omar Abdulrahman (Security Guard)
• Abdul Benkhadda (Healthcare Cleaner, Intensive Care Unit)
• Manu Manbir (Healthcare Cleaner, A&E Department)

Scientist of the Year

• Dr Berge Azadian (Director of Infection Prevention & Control)
• Dr Peter Kelleher (Honorary Consultant Immunologist)

Researcher of the Year

• Professor Mark Bower (Consultant Medical Oncologist)
• Dr Peter Kelleher (Honorary Consultant Immunologist)
• Dr Jeremy Lewis (Research Lead, Therapy Department)

Frontline Support Services Star of the Year

• Janek Barcikowski (Clinic Co-ordinator, Lower Ground Floor Outpatients)
• Sharon Burton (Porter)
• Aaron Frimley (Receptionist, Fracture Clinic)

Behind the Scenes Support Services Star of the Year

• Stella Ejindu (Senior Systems Support Analyst, IT)
• Graham Henry (Business Analyst, Finance)
• Rebecca Ryan (HR Advisor)

Manager of the Year

• Cherry Brennan (Interim Maternity Inpatients Matron)
• Catherine Gillespie (Clinical Cancer Services Manager and Macmillan Lead Nurse)
• Alan Kaye (Head of Diagnostics)

Team of the Year

• Discharge team
• Medical Day Unit team
• Porters

Most Improved Department of the Year

• Acute Assessment Unit
• Dermatology Department
• Edgar Horne Ward

Volunteer of the Year

• Frank Johnson (Volunteer, Outpatients & St Stephen’s Volunteers)
• Amanda Pitt-Brown (Volunteer, Nell Gwynne Ward/Stroke Unit)
• Claudia Thompson (Volunteer, Intensive Care Unit)

Educator/Mentor of the Year

• Dawn Grant (Lead Nurse for Health Care Assistants and Volunteers)
• Barry Jubraj (Lead Pharmacist for Academic Studies & Professional Development)
• Dr Caroline Patterson (Specialist Registrar, Respiratory Medicine)

Outstanding Leadership Award

• Mitch Haines (Matron, Medicine & Surgery)
• Michelle Jenkins (Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Lead Clinician, John Hunter Clinic)
• Sophie Western (Ward Sister, Lord Wigram Ward)

Improving the Patient Experience

• Vivien Bell (Head of Midwifery and General Manager, Maternity Services)
• Intensive Care Unit team
• Serena Venticonti (Friends Patient Support Co-ordinator, Voluntary Services)

Patient Choice award

• Sacha Newman (Clinical Nurse Specialist, Gynaecology)
• Professor Mark Bower (Consultant Medical Oncologist)
• Dr Sarkhell Radha (Specialist Registrar, Trauma & Orthopaedics)

Council of Governors Special Award

• Infection Control Team
• Mary Knight (Sister, Annie Zunz Ward)
• Lesley-Anne Marke (Ward Sister, David Erskine Ward)

This is an exciting new competition, based on the hit TV show Dragons’ Den, which gives staff the opportunity to see their ideas become reality because the winning applicants will win funding to implement them with support from members of the Directors’ Den panel.

A list of 48 applications for the first round of funding has been whittled down to a shortlist of the best six applications which the staff who came up with the ideas will present to the Directors’ Den panel on Thursday 19 April.

Who’s on the shortlist and what are their ideas?

• Annabel Bryant (Midwifery Development Lead) & Shereen Jones (Intrapartum Matron): This application includes two linked proposals to promote natural birth—‘The Nest’, an area where low risk women can establish their labour in peace and tranquillity with the reassuring presence of a trained peer supporter (doula), and training to enable midwives to incorporate complementary therapies into their midwifery practice.
• Laura Hoare (Paediatric Inpatient Administrative Co-ordinator) & Noel Palmer (Jupiter Ward Manager): A new website for patients of the new Chelsea Children’s Hospital at Chelsea and Westminster to make it a fun, interactive resource for children, young people and their families.
• Carol Dale (Learning & Organisational Development Manager): A new mandatory training video for all non-clinical staff working in the Trust which could be accessed at work or at home via the Trust website, incorporating a questionnaire to be completed as evidence that staff have done their training.
• Cherry Brennan (Interim Maternity Inpatients Matron, Zoe Macgrath (Interim Postnatal Ward Lead) & Lena Karam (Antenatal Ward Lead): A 'campaign for peace' in Maternity to make it easier for women to speak to staff who are responsible for their care by replacing the current noisy and inefficient call bell system with a new system of communication fobs which women can activate to request assistance.
• Sophie Graeme-Baker (Specialist Registrar, Radiology): Improving the training of staff in ultrasound-guided biopsy skills in Radiology by purchasing ultrasound simulators which allow trainees to practice on dummy patients.
• Serena Venticonti (Friends Patient Support Co-ordinator): Development of a Patients' Oasis in the hospital, an indoor garden for patients and relatives to create a relaxing and healing environment away from the ward.

Who’s on the Directors’ Den panel?

The shortlisted applicants will present their ideas on 19 April to a judging panel including:

• Heather Lawrence, Chief Executive
• Therese Davis, Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Experience and Flow
• Mark Gammage, Director of Human Resource
• Sir Geoff Mulcahy, Non-Executive Director
• Alastair McLellan, Editor of Health Service Journal

Details of the winning applications will be published on this website and in the June edition of our hospital magazine Trust News.

Consultant Physician Dr Richard Morgan will be the keynote speaker at our Dementia seminar at 5:30pm on Tuesday 1 May in the Postgraduate Lecture Theatre on the Lower Ground Floor of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Come along to hear about new treatments for dementia and how healthy lifestyle choices can lower the risk of developing dementia.

The first ‘Medicine for Members’ event, a bowel cancer awareness seminar held in February, proved popular and successful—all Foundation Trust members who attended said that they found it useful and that they understood more about bowel cancer as a result of the seminar.

Places for the dementia seminar on 1 May are available to Foundation Trust members on a first come, first served basis.

Numbers are strictly limited so you are advised to book early—please email matthew.akid@chelwest.nhs.uk or call 020 33315 6828 to book a place.

• Addressing and managing the dementia epidemic flyer (PDF)

Alex will be a familiar face to viewers of the recent BBC documentary Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands because he was featured interviewing many of the junior doctors on the programme.

He will also be the compere at the awards evening for our inaugural Chelsea and Westminster Star Awards which will be held at Chelsea Football Club on 14 May.

NHS 111 is a new telephone service to help people access local health services. If you live in one of the three boroughs you will be able to call 111 when you need medical help fast but it isn’t a 999 emergency.

For less urgent health needs, you should still contact your GP or local pharmacist in the normal way.

NHS 111 is free to call and is a fast and easy way to get the right medical help—whatever your need, wherever you are, and whatever the time.

The new service NHS 111 is staffed by a team of fully trained advisers, supported by experienced nurses, who ask callers questions to assess symptoms, give healthcare advice and direct them to the right local service as quickly as possible.

When someone calls 111, they are assessed straight away.  If it is an emergency, an ambulance will be despatched immediately without the need for any further assessment. For any other health problems, the NHS 111 call advisers will be able to direct callers to the service that is best able to meet their needs.

The line will be staffed 24/7, 365 days a year. Calls from landlines and mobile phones are free—just like 999.

So when should you call 111?

• It's not a 999 emergency
• You think you need to go to A&E or another NHS urgent care service
• You don't think it can wait for an appointment with your GP
• You don't know who to call for medical help

NHS 111 was launched in four pilot areas nationally in 2010, it recently launched in Hillingdon and Croydon, and the plan is roll out the new service across the whole of London by April 2013.

• See www.nhs.uk/111 for more information
• See local press, websites and other media for confirmation of the exact launch date of the pilot of NHS 111 in Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster

This award—part of the CHKS Top Hospitals programme 2012—recognises outstanding performance in providing a safe hospital environment for patients and is based on a range of indicators, including rates of hospital-acquired infections and mortality.

The CHKS Patient Safety Award is made on the basis of publicly available datasets and every NHS acute trust is included in the analysis. A number of criteria are used to shortlist trusts and, unlike other awards, they are not judged by a convened panel. Four other organisations have been shortlisted for the award and the winner will be announced in a ceremony on 1st May held in London.

Jason Harries, Managing Director, CHKS said: “The government has made it clear that every hospital is accountable to its patients, their families and carers as well as the local community to provide a safe environment. Our patient safety award highlights those trusts that clearly share a commitment to driving improvement and engendering a culture of excellence throughout their organisations.”

The five shortlisted organisations are:

• Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
• Newham University Hospital NHS Trust
• South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust

Both categories are set to be hotly contested, with six companies and public and private sector organisations shortlisted for each award.

In addition, PR firm 90TEN have been shortlisted for their campaign with 56 Dean Street, the Trust’s HIV and sexual health centre in Soho, to encourage people to have an HIV test on World AIDS Day 2011.

The CIPR has released the full list of finalists for the Excellence Awards, which has more than 150 shortlisted entries in 28 categories. The companies and individuals shortlisted from 700 entries will now be put through their paces via a series of one-to-one interviews by an expert judging panel, before the winners are finally chosen and announced at the Excellence Awards black tie dinner in central London on 28 May.

The awards dinner, now in its 27th year, is the most prestigious annual celebration of the public relations profession with up to 900 guests attending from across the industry.

Jane Wilson, Chief Executive of the CIPR, said: “To make the CIPR Excellence Awards shortlist is a statement of achievement for any individual or organisation. The sheer number of high quality entries received this year, especially when things are still pretty tough out there economically, is testament to a thriving industry. There really is no greater recognition of professionalism, creativity and hard work than to reach the final stages of the Excellence Awards.”

About the CIPR

• The CIPR is the professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK. With 9,500 members involved in all aspects of PR, it is the largest body of its type in Europe. The CIPR advances the public relations profession in the UK by making its members accountable through a code of conduct, developing policies, representing its members and raising standards through education and training.

About the Excellence Awards 2012

• This is the CIPR’s 27th national Excellence Awards event, celebrating excellence and best practice in the public relations profession across 28 categories. The Excellence Awards dinner will be held at the Hilton, Park Lane, London, on the evening of Monday 28 May 2012. This event is widely seen as the most prestigious celebration of the public relations profession with typically around 900 guests attending. For further details on the shortlist see the CIPR website.

The search has been on for the outstanding individuals or teams who make the greatest difference to our patients and hospital as we run the first Chelsea and Westminster Star Awards—made possible by generous sponsorship from Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity.

Staff and patients have submitted almost 800 nominations to reward and recognise the efforts of frontline and behind the scenes staff alike.

The awards are split into 2 distinct sections—patients were invited to nominate staff for the Patient Choice Award, which could be any member of staff working at Chelsea and Westminster, while staff were invited to nominate their colleagues for any one of 17 Staff Choice awards divided into professional groups and areas of achievement.

In addition, Chief Executive Heather Lawrence will present a Special Award and the Council of Governors (including elected representatives of patients, members of the public and staff) will also present a Special Award.

The deadline for nominations was 3pm on Friday 23 March and now the hundreds of nominations will be assessed by judging panels to shortlist 3 staff or teams in each category.

The Star Awards shortlist will be published here w/c Monday 9 April.

This compares with a national average of 63% of NHS staff who recommend their organisation to family and friends for treatment.

And 70% of staff would recommend the hospital to their family and friends as a place to work compared with a national average of 51%.

Chelsea and Westminster also achieved the best score for an acute hospital trust nationally in four areas including staff reporting good communication between senior management and staff, staff believing the Trust is committed to their work-life balance, staff having good opportunities to develop their potential at work, and low levels of staff suffering physical abuse from patients and their relatives.

Mark Gammage, Director of HR said “Overall I am very pleased with the results of this year’s Staff Survey. It is particularly encouraging that we are among the best hospitals nationally in terms of staff recommendation as a place to work or receive treatment.”

In total 61% of Trust staff completed and returned their surveys compared with a national average response rate of 54%.

However, the Trust is not complacent and we know there is plenty of room for improvement—an overall action plan to address key issues across the Trust will be drawn up and individual wards and departments will be expected to create their own action plans in response to their local results.

• View the full report

The event aims to highlight how having a sexual health check should be a normal part of people’s lives, not something to be ashamed about. We will be following patients through the various stages of their visit in a sensitive way, while maintaining their confidentiality.

People are often anxious about getting checked and knowing their results can be a great relief. People who test positive can be immediately put on appropriate treatment.

Dr Alan McOwan (Lead Clinician at 56 Dean Street) commented: “We’re delighted to be involved in the Twitter event. 56 Dean Street is the UK’s largest HIV and sexual health centre and it’ll be great to allow people to find out what happens on a typical visit.”

56 Dean Street offers a full range of appointment-based and walk-in services including sexual health checks, HIV tests, contraception, advice and counselling, free condoms and young people’s services.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is a major provider of sexual health and HIV services. Our centres include:

• 56 Dean Street
• John Hunter Clinic for Sexual Health (JHC)
• West London Centre for Sexual Health (WLCSH)

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has frozen its car parking charges for the past five years and parking is available free of charge to drivers displaying a valid disabled driver’s permit.

In addition, discretionary exemptions and concessions are also available for the following groups:

• Parents and family of patients being treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Burns Unit
• Patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer
• Emergency arrivals to the A&E Department
• Parents/visitors of children who are inpatients
• Bereaved relatives

Any revenue from car parking fees goes directly to support the work of the hospital and patient care.

• Car parking and public transport options for getting to Chelsea and Westminster

The Collaborative was a finalist in the Procurement Initiative of the Year category for health and social care organisations of the National Government Opportunities (GO) Excellence in Public Procurement Award. Winners were announced yesterday (Tuesday 13 March).

This is independent recognition of the Collaborative’s innovative approach to awarding the contract for ‘Soft Facilities Management (FM)’ services which include catering, cleaning, portering, and security.

The new contract, which was awarded to ISS Mediclean in December 2011, will result in significant cost and efficiency savings because it followed a competitive tendering process which focused on maximising value for money while maintaining service quality across all three hospitals and the ICR.

Laughter is often cited as the best medicine—and a new team of Giggle Doctors starting work in the new Chelsea Children’s Hospital at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital certainly think it helps.

Two specially trained Giggle Doctors will be bringing monthly doses of laughter and smiles to sick children in Chelsea Children's Hospital on the first Tuesday of every month following their first visit today (Tuesday 6 March).

Mark Norbury, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity whose funding has made it possible for the Giggle Doctors to start regular visits to Chelsea Children’s Hospital, says: “Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity is delighted to support our hospital as it finds new ways to enhance the patient experience.

“Giggle Doctors is a great example of how we can fund services that make a positive difference. Nothing heals and brings people together like laughter.”

The Giggle Doctors are trained by Theodora Children’s Trust, which has been providing special visits for thousands of sick children in UK hospitals for 18 years. Chelsea Children’s Hospital patients are the latest to benefit from the magical moments, fun and laughter that the Giggle Doctors bring.

It’s not all jokes and juggling though—every Giggle Doctor trains for two years before graduating and starting work in a hospital. Training consists of a rigorous schedule of artistic and medical workshops which cover topics such as child development, infection control and improvisation.

Sarika Brown, Chief Executive of Theodora Children’s Trust, explains: “Going into hospital is a frightening thing for anyone, but particularly for children.

“Our Giggle Doctors are passionate about bringing fun and laughter to the children they visit and youngsters often make special requests for one of them to be present if they’re having stitches removed, chemotherapy, or any procedure they’re worried about.

“We already send Giggle Doctors to 17 hospitals and we are delighted that we can now work with Chelsea Children’s Hospital to help raise the spirits of their young patients."

Theodora Children’s Trust relies entirely on donations to keep running and hopes to double the number of hospitals it visits by 2020.

Visit www.theodora.org.uk for more information or text HAHA07 £5 to donate £5 which pays for a Giggle Doctor visit to one child.

The Fulham Road Collaborative is in the running to win a National Government Opportunities (GO) Excellence in Public Procurement Award—as finalists in the Procurement Initiative of the Year category for health and social care organisations. Winners will be announced on 13 March.

This is independent recognition of the Collaborative’s innovative approach to awarding the contract for ‘Soft Facilities Management (FM)’ services which include catering, cleaning, portering, and security.

The new contract, which was awarded to ISS Mediclean in December, will result in significant cost and efficiency savings because it followed a competitive tendering process which focused on maximising value for money while maintaining service quality across all three hospitals and the ICR.

Thérèse Davis, Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Experience and Flow, said: “We are delighted to continue to work in partnership with the ISS staff who form an important part of the Chelsea and Westminster team.

“The new contract will result in significant savings while maintaining the quality of service that patients expect when they come to our hospital.”

David Probert, Chief Operating Officer of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This project is a great example of how healthcare organisations can work together to make the best use of resources while maintaining excellent standards of care for patients.”

Steve Moore, Head of Estates and Facilities at Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Ensuring a first-class environment for our patients is absolutely vital when delivering specialist care. We feel sure that this collaboration will deliver such an environment.”

Simon Cox, Managing Director, ISS Facility Services Healthcare, Education and Defence, said: “These are four highly successful organisations with global reputations for excellence. Their approach really challenged us to deliver more for less. We will work very closely with the Collaborative to achieve its cost efficiency targets while maintaining the highest standards of patient care.”

Dean Street at Home is a collaboration with the social networking website Gaydar and the online medical service DrThom, and is funded by Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity and a joint working agreement with Bristol Myers Squib.

Gaydar sends an instant message to 800 of its 120,000 registered users in the Zone 1 Travelcard area each day. Users complete an online pre-test discussion and are then offered a free HIV home testing kit from DrThom via the dedicated website.

Patients who test negative get a text message from DrThom giving them the good news while patients whose results indicate a possible positive are contacted directly by the expert team of health advisers at 56 Dean Street for further tests and advice.

Dr Alan McOwan, Lead Clinician at 56 Dean Street, says: “When Dean Street at Home went live in November, we started slowly to make sure the system was running smoothly but we have now increased to 800 messages per day.

“Of the first 80 kits that were returned, there were four HIV positives—5% of patients who tested themselves at home—which indicates that there is a definite need for HIV home testing.

“Without Dean Street at Home, these patients would not have been diagnosed and we know that early diagnosis is vital in helping patients to live as normal a life as possible with HIV.”

56 Dean Street has already identified funding for 1,900 tests over the next 12 months with funding bids submitted to carry out 3,500 tests over the next 12 months which would represent 1% of Gaydar users in London.

Don’t miss the 7th and final episode which will be shown on BBC3 at 9pm on Tuesday 6 March—why not join us on Twitter during the programme.

We will be tweeting live during the programme and you can join in the conversation on our Twitter feed @ChelwestFT—let us know your thoughts, ask us questions about what life is really like at Chelsea and Westminster, or just follow the conversation about #JuniorDoctors.

We will also be keeping an eye out for interesting comments so you might even find yourself retweeted.

Thank you to all staff and patients who helped with the filming of Junior Doctors: Your Life In Their Hands at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital last year.

More than 800 people voted for their top four values from a shortlist of 12 options and three focus groups for Foundation Trust members were well attended.

Our values will define what patients should expect when they are cared for at Chelsea and Westminster and how all staff can help to meet these expectations.

The results of the consultation are now being analysed and will be presented to the Board of Directors at their meeting on 29 March for agreement of our four values.

Our values will be unveiled in the April/May edition of our hospital magazine Trust News, which will be sent to all Foundation Trust members, and launched publicly at the hospital Open Day on Saturday 12 May.

Our values will define what patients should expect from staff when they are cared for at Chelsea and Westminster and how staff can work together to provide the best possible patient experience.

More than 700 people have already voted for their top four values from a shortlist of 12 options drawn up after consultation with Governors—who include elected representatives of patients, members of the public and staff—and the Board of Directors.

There are just a few days left to vote for your top four values—the deadline for voting is this Friday 2 March.

Click here to vote!

Photo (above):

Photo (right): Prof Tim Allen-Mersh (Professor of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Lead Consultant Surgeon for Colorectal Cancer) speaks to members at the event

The first ‘Medicine for Members’ event held on Wednesday 22 February has been deemed a huge success by all who attended.

The event was the first of a new series of free health seminars to be hosted by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and focussed on the issue of bowel cancer, including what factors increase the risk of someone developing the disease and the signs and symptoms to keep an eye out for.

The seminar was timed to coincide with the launch of a major national Department of Health campaign to raise awareness of bowel cancer and increase regular screening amongst those who have a higher risk of developing the disease.

The event attracted 35 people, all of whom said that they found the event useful and that they understood more about bowel cancer having attended the seminar.

Presenters included Professor Tim Allen-Mersh, Dr Marcus Harbord, Jo Turner, Melanie Jerome and Mr Tushar Agarwal.

The Trust is planning more ‘Medicine for Members’ events throughout the year which will focus on a range of health issues—keep an eye out in future editions of Trust News or become a member of the Foundation Trust to receive regular email updates and be among the first to have the opportunity to reserve your place.

What the attendees said

“Excellent idea of having this kind of seminar and I am looking forward to hear and attend more on different issues.”

“Thank you for this very useful initiative.”

“I'd like to thank the presenters for a very useful seminar.”

The awards, which were presented on 1 February by the Mayor of the Royal Borough, Cllr Julie Mills, recognise the efforts of people and organisations that make a real difference to the quality of life of adults using care services in Kensington and Chelsea.

Winners of Dignity in Care Awards include:

Nutritional Steering Group
Susan Mastriforte, who is a representative of Kensington and Chelsea Local Involvement Network (LINk) on the Trust's Nutritional Steering Group, received this award on behalf of the Group which includes staff from across the hospital as well as patients.

The Mayor said the Group had been nominated for its work making "major improvements to catering and meal times for vulnerable patients".

Cancer and Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Team
These nurses were nominated by Catherine Gillespie (Clinical Cancer Services Manager and Macmillan Lead Nurse) who said: "The team recognise that the pathway for their patients crosses many organisational boundaries and that there is a need to ensure that the individual feels empowered to express their needs and retain independence, choice and control.

"The national cancer patient survey published in 2011 demonstrated that 97% of patients got understandable answers to their questions and 100% reported that their specialist nurse listened carefully and spent the right amount of time with the individual."

Full of Life parents' support group
Sue Redmond, Chair of the Full of Life parents' support group for children with learning disabilities and their families, was nominated by a number of Trust staff for her work both with Full of Life and as a member of the hospital's Learning Disability Steering Group.

Therese Davis (Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Experience and Flow) said: "Sue is a committed champion and advocate for people with learning disabilities. As a founder of the Full of Life support group, she provides an expert and visionary service for those with learning disabilities, their families and carers.

"Sue is also a committed member of our Learning Disability Steering Group at Chelsea and Westminster. Her contribution has significantly enhanced the provision of information, communication and care for patients with learning disabilities in our hospital."

Susan Mastriforte of Kensington and Chelsea Local Involvement Network (LINk) receives a Dignity in Care Award from Jean Daintith (Executive Director for Housing, Health & Adult Social Care) and Cllr Julie Mills (Mayor, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) on behalf of the Nutritional Steering Group at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital	Jo Turner (Colorectal Clinical Nurse Specialist) collects a Dignity in Care Award from Jean Daintith and Cllr Julie Mills on behalf of the Cancer and Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Team
Sue Redmond, a member of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital's Learning Disability Steering Group, is presented with a Dignity in Care Award by Jean Daintith and Cllr Julie Mills on behalf of the Full of Life parents' support group for children with disabilities and their families

93% of patients would recommend outpatient services at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to their friends and family, according to the results of the national NHS outpatients survey published by the Care Quality Commission today.

The survey questionnaire was sent to 850 patients who had outpatient appointments at the hospital in May 2011.

More than 350 patients completed and returned questionnaires which meant there was a 43% response rate.

There were significant improvements on four questions when compared to the previous survey in 2009, no questions with significantly worse scores, and no significant change in the vast majority of areas.

Key results from the survey include:

• 89% of patients rated their care as ‘Excellent’, ‘Very good’ or ‘Good’
• 91% of patients had confidence in the doctor examining and treating them
• 82% of patients said they were treated with respect all the time

Chelsea and Westminster scored in the top 20% of NHS trusts in England for:

• Asking patients what was important to them in managing their condition
• Explaining to patients how to take new medications
• Explaining to patients what would happen before starting their treatment

Areas in which the Trust’s performance has improved significantly since the previous survey in 2009 include:

• Availability of leaflets and posters about handwashing
• Patients being fully involved in decisions about medication choices
• Other patients not being able to overhear discussions with receptionists
• Patients receiving copies of letters between their hospital doctor and GP

However, there are a number of areas in which the Trust’s scores are below average and an action plan is being implemented to improve performance. Many improvements have been put in place since the survey was carried out in May 2011.

Heather Lawrence, Chief Executive, says: “Improving the patient experience is one of the Trust’s key corporate objectives and while it is clear there are some areas requiring further attention, it is encouraging that so many patients would recommend our outpatient services.

“Administrative aspects still remain a concern for patients which is why we restructured our outpatient administrative and nursing teams in April 2011, just before this survey was carried out, and over time this new structure should improve important aspects of patient experience.”

A new Outpatients Department opened on the Lower Ground Floor of the hospital in February 2011 to provide an ‘airport style’ quality of service to patients including self check-in facilities and light and airy waiting areas, designed in consultation with patients. Facilities requested by patients have been introduced including self check-in kiosks, a coffee shop and screens notifying patients of waiting times.

Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, said when he officially opened the new Outpatients Department in June 2011: “This new development encapsulates the spirit of the modern NHS—designed ‎with patients and their views at its heart.” 

Professor Derek Bell, Director of the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for Northwest London—based at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital—hosted a visit to the hospital yesterday by a group of delegates from the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre at Imperial College London. The visit was led by Professor Salman Rawaf.

Doctors from countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Cuba, Jamaica and Sudan came to Chelsea and Westminster to hear about the implementation of a new ‘care bundle’ approach to the treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)—this new approach has been piloted at Chelsea and Westminster through a project funded by CLAHRC for Northwest London and is now being rolled out to other hospitals in the capital.

The World Health Organisation group visited the Acute Assessment Unit and David Erskine Ward at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital with Consultant Physician Dr Dilys Lai and also heard patients’ perspectives on being treated using the new COPD care bundle approach.

• See the March edition of our hospital magazine Trust News for a more detailed report on the visit and the COPD care bundle

The first event is a Bowel Cancer Awareness seminar to be held at 5:30pm on Wednesday 22 February in the Postgraduate Lecture Theatre on the Lower Ground Floor of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, SW10 9NH.

Please note that this event is now fully booked because we have reached the capacity of the venue and no more places are available—we look forward to welcoming all those Foundation Trust members who have already contacted us to book their place.

Details of future ‘Medicine for Members’ events will be publicised to Foundation Trust members in the near future.

• @ipaulmadden Amazing first episode of #JuniorDoctors
• @aliineson So many memories watching C&W hospital on Junior Doctors, spent months in their care, an amazing hospital
• @MissSeaPeaches @ChelwestFT is a fancy hospital isn’t it!
• @Coreybriffa #JuniorDoctors I have to say watching Ben really makes me want to become a paediatric doctor soooo much! Has to be the most amazing career

Filming of Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands took place at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital over four months last year as an experienced BBC production and filming team followed eight junior doctors who started work in the hospital on 1 August.

The aim of the event was to show what a typical night in A&E is like and highlight the hard work of our staff. The event was a success with members of the public actively contributing to the evening with questions and comments.

George Vasilopoulos (Web Communications & Graphic Design Manager) said: “I thoroughly enjoyed the evening—the snow kept a lot of people indoors which resulted in a quieter evening than usual, but this enabled me to speak with staff members and provide more detail on our Twitter feed.

“I would like to thank our A&E staff who supported this event which proved very popular with the public.”

It includes a new ward—Ron Johnson Ward—which has 19 inpatient beds, all in single en-suite room, as well as day care and outpatient facilities.

The new unit, which is located on the 2nd Floor of the Netherton Grove Extension to the hospital, replaces the existing Thomas Macaulay Ward and Kobler Day Care for HIV patients and it incorporates oncology and haematology services currently provided for cancer patients in the Medical Day Unit on the Ground Floor of the hospital.

Core NHS funding has been enhanced by charitable contributions including a major donation by HIV patient Ron Johnson, through St Stephen’s AIDS Trust, for a glass conservatory to provide a light, airy inside space for patients and a donation from Macmillan Cancer Support for an information service to be provided with the St Stephen’s Volunteers.

Jane Bruton, HIV Nurse Consultant, says: “Chelsea and Westminster is the largest HIV treatment centre in Europe and we see patients from all over the country. Although advances in medication mean that many patients can lead a relatively normal life, there is still a need for inpatient care especially among people who are diagnosed late, those who have been diagnosed with both HIV and cancer, or who have more complications because patients with HIV are living longer and therefore suffer the diseases of old age.”

Catherine Gillespie, Clinical Cancer Services Manager and Macmillan Lead Nurse, adds: “We are a national referral centre for HIV-related cancers which is why providing HIV and cancer treatment in one location in the hospital is good for patients.

“All chemotherapy and other anti-cancer therapies for outpatients will now be provided in one place and cancer patients, both those coming to the hospital from the local area and further afield, will have improved access to specialist nursing support.”

Two new children’s operating theatres opened on Thursday 2 February—bringing the total to four new theatres—following the opening of an extended Paediatric High Dependency Unit on Wednesday 1 February and Saturn Ward (day surgery ward) on Tuesday 31 January. An expanded surgical recovery area opened earlier in January.

These new facilities for children cared for at Chelsea and Westminster are all located on the 1st Floor of the Netherton Grove Extension to the hospital—this is the second phase of the development of the new Chelsea Children’s Hospital following the opening of two children’s operating theatres and surgical admissions and pre-assessment areas in September 2011.

Simon Eccles, Clinical Director for Children’s, Neonatal and Young People’s Services, says: “The opening of these new facilities is a hugely significant landmark in our development of the new Chelsea Children’s Hospital. Over the next 18 months an integrated paediatric service will be created on the 1st Floor of the hospital including upgraded children’s inpatient wards and outpatients department.”

Other facilities such as Children’s A&E, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, therapies and child development services are also located at Chelsea andWestminster.

Mr Eccles explains: “Our aim is that by the end of 2013 the 1st Floor will be home to what amounts to a new children’s hospital. In recognition of the scale of the development we have renamed our children’s services as Chelsea Children’s Hospital. The name and logo were chosen following a consultation exercise with patients, parents and staff.”

The aim of the event is to raise awareness about what happens in A&E on a busy evening. Saturday nights are traditionally busy and many people arrive in A&E with alcohol-related injuries.

Dr Patrick Roberts (Lead Clinician for A&E) commented: “I accept that drinking is one outlet for releasing stress. However, I encourage people to understand their limits and know when they should stop.”

The latest statistics from the NHS Information Centre show that there are more than 1 million alcohol-related admissions to hospital each year.

Doctors from Chelsea and Westminster Hospital have organised the symposium at the Royal College of Physicians on Friday (3 February) which has attracted delegates from the UK, US and Europe.

Mr Gianluca Bonanomi (pictured right), Consultant Surgeon at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Co-Director of the symposium, says: “Obesity is the most important healthcare issue facing us in the UK and globally because of its consequences for people’s health and the resources required to treat it.

“We have organised this summit to review the current status of obesity treatment and to discuss how best to address the challenges of the future.”

In England 23% of adults are obese and 61% are either overweight or obese, according to official statistics, and the Government-commissioned Foresight report has predicted that, if decisive action is not taken, 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children will be obese by 2050.

The cost to the NHS of overweight and obesity is more than £5bn a year.

Globally levels of obesity have more than doubled since 1980, according to the World Health Organisation.

International speakers at this Friday’s meeting include Dr Christopher Thompson (Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of Bariatric and Developmental Endoscopy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts) and Dr Philip R. Schauer (Chief of Minimally Invasive General Surgery and Director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio).

UK speakers include Professor Sir George Alberti (former President of the Royal College of Physicians) and Professor Steve Bloom (Head of Division for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at Imperial College London).

Mr Bonanomi says: “Surgery is an effective treatment for some obese patients but it is not a magic bullet. The purpose of this week’s summit in London is to bring together surgeons, physicians and other experts in the field to discuss surgical, medical and novel therapeutic approaches to obesity treatment.

“It will culminate in a debate that will ask what will be the answer to turning back the tide of obesity—a scalpel, a tablet or an endoscope.”

The Future of Obesity Treatment is organised by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in collaboration with Imperial College London—it is endorsed by organisations including the Royal College of Surgeons, the Royal Society of Medicine, British Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society, Diabetes UK and the National Obesity Forum.

Mr Gianluca Bonanomi has extensive experience as a surgeon specialising in bariatric and metabolic surgery—he is a member of the American Society of Bariatric Surgery, the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society.

Mr Bonanomi leads the Weight Loss (Bariatric and Metabolic) Surgery service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital which is a ‘preferred provider’ of weight loss surgery for patients living in London, the South East and East of England—this means that it has been identified by an independent group of experts as one of the best hospitals to carry out this specialist surgery.

Filming took place at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital over four months last year as an experienced BBC production and filming team followed eight junior doctors who started work in the hospital on 1 August.

We spoke to Assistant Producer Sam Vandervord and Producer Director Robb Leech who were part of the BBC crew filming in the hospital.

Sam

After months of meticulous planning before filming started on 1 August, when the first Wednesday in August finally dawned we were almost as nervous as the junior doctors about starting at Chelsea and Westminster.

The first series of BBC3's Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands had been such a success that we knew we had a lot to live up to.

Thrown straight in at the deep end on nights, we soon found ourselves chasing our junior doctor around the clock, determined to get the best footage we could to show the reality of life as a junior doctor.

It became clear that neither of us had an easy job—the first year junior doctor we were following was on-call across the whole hospital, doing her first shift through the night.

It wasn't long before we found ourselves in awe of how well the juniors coped during their first weeks and months and we too became familiar with the job, enjoying the chance to chat and joke with patients, helping cheer them up a little.

But it was midway through filming when a cruel twist of fate saw one of the crew, Robb Leech, swap the role of Producer Director for patient...

Robb

I found myself in A&E, looking blearily up at the faces of doctors and nurses I had only weeks before been filming. I was suffering from a bout of pancreatitis and a dose of morphine was on the cards.

I remember trying to imagine myself from behind the lens of my camera, trying to see the scenario from my usual perspective. But I was a patient being treated by doctors—there was no escaping it!

When I woke up the following morning on Lord Wigram Ward, I opened my eyes to see a host of doctors at the foot of my bed. It was comforting to see one of our junior doctors amid the huddle.

I can't remember what was said but I closed my eyes easily with the knowledge that I was being looked after.

Having spent the previous six weeks with these junior doctors, from the moment they nervously walked through those big rotating doors, to the flash of pride at a first cannula well done, or a night out at a bar, I knew them as ordinary people but I trusted them with my life.

After 20 years as Chairman of the Children’s Hospital Trust Fund, Dr Martin Brueton has handed over to Paediatric Surgeon Mr Munther Haddad with Consultant Neonatologist Dr Gary Hartnoll replacing Munther as Vice-Chair.

The Children’s Hospital Trust Fund is a children’s and babies’ charity at Chelsea and Westminster that raises money to make a difference to the lives of sick children and babies in the hospital by buying urgently needed equipment.

It was set up in 1981 at our predecessor hospital, the Westminster Children’s Hospital, by a team of doctors including Martin Brueton who spent 28 years as a Consultant Paediatrician and Gastroenterologist first at Westminster Children’s and then at Chelsea and Westminster.

Currently the charity is running The Pluto Appeal which aims to raise £1.5 million for a children’s surgery robot as part of the Children’s Sunshine Appeal to raise £5 million for the new Chelsea Children’s Hospital.

Dr Brueton said: “The generosity of our benefactors continues to amaze me, as does the dedication of the Trustees. In the 20 years during which I have been Chairman £1.25 million has been raised for specific projects and many thousands more has been made available in small grants to support a wide variety of other initiatives.

“I am delighted that The Pluto Appeal is now well on track to raising £1.5 million to buy the first paediatric robotic surgical system in the South of England.”

• The Pluto Appeal

Photo (top—left–right):

Photo (right): Diane Abbott MP with her Senior Caseworker George Chalkias at 56 Dean Street

Shadow Public Health Minister Diane Abbott MP visited 56 Dean Street, Chelsea and Westminster’s HIV and sexual health centre in Soho, today to learn more about our services.

“I was delighted to visit 56 Dean Street and was very impressed with the innovative work carried out by their dedicated, friendly team of staff led by Dr Alan McOwan and Leigh Chislett.

“They offer a wide range of excellent sexual health services in a great environment, engage with all of London’s different communities and have rightly gained their fantastic reputation.”

The first episode of Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands, which was filmed at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, aired on BBC3 last night.

Thank you to all patients who agreed to take part in the programme.

If you didn’t manage to see it last night, you can watch it via BBC iPlayer or look on the BBC 3 website to find out when it will be replayed.

• Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands on BBC iPlayer

Set at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, it is the first of six programmes which follow the lives of eight junior doctors at work and at home as they adjust to taking the giant leap from medical school to working in some of our busiest and most challenging wards.

Filming took place over four months from the beginning of August to the end of November last year.

We spoke to Lucy Hollingworth, 25, from Cheshire, who is one of the doctors who agreed to take part in the series.

Why did you decide to take part in the documentary?

That is a tricky question. I mulled the whole thing over for a while and eventually I just got used to the idea that a camera would be watching me day-to-day. I also find it very difficult to say no when experiences such as this present themselves.

What were your first impressions of the hospital?

My first impressions were that the hospital was clean and bright, with amazing views over London, but the lifts were somewhat slow.

Where have you been working since you joined the Trust on 1 August?

I have been working in general medicine and rheumatology on David Erskine Ward.

What has been your best experience working here so far?

My best experience so far has been getting to know some wonderful people—patients and staff. Other than that, I would have to say that Tray Gourmet sandwiches have been a highlight.

And your worst?

My worst experience is being slave to my bleep. The fact that it works at home was an unpleasant surprise!

Has anything surprised you?

My lack of fitness—the necessity to use the stairs in the hospital has put it into a sharp focus!

What have you learned in the last three months?

The things I have learned so far are:

1. Prepare, for everything.
2. Think before you say it.
3. There is no such thing as a quick job.

How has it been having the cameras following you at work and at home?

I would definitely do it again, although that is not to say that it has been easy. Day-to-day it is hard work but overall it has been a fascinating experience and one where you learn so much about yourself. Being filmed just reinforces what you learn from each experience, which is great.

The event is free and will provide women with the opportunity to meet our midwives, talk to experts about their pregnancy and learn about available birth options.

There will be a chance to see a range of equipment that can be used during birth, including the increasingly popular birthing pool and our new ‘multi-track’ system which helps women to stay active and adopt a range of upright positions during labour.

Visitors will also be able to find out about the full range of alternative therapies that we use on the Maternity Unit, such as aromatherapy.

Don’t miss out on the chance to see our Birthing Unit, which is available for women who want one-to-one care by midwives and a birth in a home-like setting. The Birthing Unit—suitable for women with uncomplicated pregnancies—includes private rooms which have been designed to give women and their partners a low-tech, serene atmosphere.

Details

Wednesday 25 January
10am–4pm

‘The Tent’, 2nd Floor
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
369 Fulham Road
London
SW10 9NH

To book a tour of our Birthing Unit please call 020 3315 5371.

Set at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, it is the first of six programmes which follow the lives of eight junior doctors at work and at home as they adjust to taking the giant leap from medical school to working in some of our busiest and most challenging wards.

Filming took place over four months from the beginning of August to the end of November last year.

We spoke to Amieth Yogarajah, 27, from North West London, who is one of the doctors who agreed to take part in the series.

Why did you decide to take part in the documentary?

My mum always complains that she never sees me or hears from me, that she barely knows what I get up to, and that I’m never free to chat when she calls. I thought this way I don’t need to make any extra effort and she’d get to see me every week.

What were your first impressions of the hospital?

Very disappointed: it looked all glitzy when I walked in, with nice sculptures and artwork, but I needed to go to the top floor so I had to use those dreadful lifts. Mine stopped at every floor and that ghastly robot woman kept nagging me to gel my hands.

Where have you been working since you joined the Trust on 1 August?

A&E exclusively. I still don’t know where anything else is in the hospital because I work in such a small bubble.

What has been your best experience working here?

Meeting some friendly people in A&E.

And your worst?

Losing most of my weekends and working very changeable shift times makes it difficult to get into any sort of routine.

Has anything surprised you?

So far (touch wood) I haven’t turned up too early or too late for my shifts. Since these times change pretty much every day, that’s no mean feat!

What have you learned in the last three months?

I’ve gained more experience, really, with dealing with whatever comes in through the door, and I’m better able to decide what to do more quickly.

How has it been having the cameras following you at work and at home?

I think the A&E staff have largely welcomed the cameras and not been too unhappy having them around, and that certainly made it a more positive experience than it might have been. But it was sometimes quite tiring being filmed all day, going home and then having another camera and more interviews in the house.

• More information about Junior Doctors: Your Life In Their Hands

‘Who do you think WE are?’ aims to help define what patients should expect from staff at Chelsea and Westminster and how staff can work together to meet those expectations.

Following a period of consultation with the Council of Governors—which includes elected representatives of patients, members of the public and staff—and the Board of Directors, a ‘longlist’ of 30 values has been whittled down to a shortlist of 12.

Now we want you to vote for the final list of 4 values that exemplify what Chelsea and Westminster means to you.

Chief Executive Heather Lawrence says: “The key to improving the experience of patients at our hospital is for all staff to understand the values of our organisation and what behaviours we expect from our staff to ensure that we uphold these values—so that in turn, patients know what they should expect from us.

“I would encourage all staff, patients, and anyone else with an interest in what goes on at Chelsea and Westminster to get involved.”

• Vote online now!

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is the setting for the new BBC documentary series Junior Doctors: Your Life In Their Hands which will be shown in six one-hour episodes at 9pm on BBC3 on Tuesday nights—the series starts next Tuesday 24 January.

The programme follows the lives of eight junior doctors at work and at home as they adjust to taking the giant leap from medical school to the fast pace of some of the busiest and most challenging wards and departments in one of the country’s leading hospitals

Filming took place at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital over four months from the beginning of August to the end of November last year.

Thank you to all staff and patients who took part.

• More information about Junior Doctors: Your Life In Their Hands

Mark was previously a Partner of Leaders’ Quest, a social enterprise committed to engaging and inspiring leaders from all sectors of society who want to make a difference in their organisations, communities and the wider world.

Prior to this Mark was Director of the Executive MBA programme at INSEAD, the leading international business school, and he has also worked in various fundraising and management roles for non-profit organisations including the British Red Cross, Diabetes UK and Body Positive (an HIV/AIDS organisation).

The Charity has launched the Children's Sunshine Appeal to raise £5 million for the new Chelsea Children’s Hospital and it also runs the Hospital Arts programme which owns and maintains the extensive art collection at Chelsea and Westminster.

Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity does not replace, but supplements, core NHS funding to support patients, their families and carers.

• More information about the Charity

Focus groups have been organised to involve members in the development of our values. As part of the ‘Who do you think WE are?’ project to develop a set of values for Chelsea and Westminster, members are invited to attend Values focus groups on Tuesday 21 February, Thursday 23 February and Wednesday 29 February.

Full details of both events and how Foundation Trust members can book their place are available on the Foundation Trust membership events page.

If you would like to become a Foundation Trust member to enjoy these and other benefits of membership, you can join online today.

You can be a member if you are over 16 years of age and are:

• A patient who has been treated at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in the last 3 years or the carer of a patient who has been treated at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in the last 3 years
• A member of the public living in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, The City of Westminster, the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, or the London Borough of Wandsworth
• A member of staff (staff automatically become members when starting employment with the Trust unless they ‘opt out’)
• A volunteer at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

They are sponsored by our Foundation Trust Council of Governors—elected by patients, members of the public and staff.

Phlebotomy Department

The Phlebotomy team has reduced patient waiting times for diagnostic blood tests from more than two hours in 2009 to less than 15 minutes.

Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy team

These staff were recognised for their work in carrying out a patient survey, the results of which enabled them to positively improve patient care based on patient need by making their service more efficient and effective.

Ms Beryl de Souza and Ms Shivali Patel (Plastic Surgery)

They were recognised for their project to address the risk to patients of venous thromboembolism (VTE). They used a variety of strategies to increase the percentage of Plastic Surgery patients being given a VTE risk assessment from 14% to 97%.

The new system, which is due to go live on Wednesday 18 January, involves attaching an electronic tag to the ankle of every baby born at Chelsea and Westminster in order to protect babies and give parents peace of mind.

An alarm will go off if any unauthorised attempt is made to remove a baby from the Maternity Unit or NICU.

Essential data about both mother and baby is stored on the electronic tag for quick referencing and identification.

The new baby tagging system provides extra assurance for parents in addition to the existing security arrangements at Chelsea and Westminster which includes a door entry system for all wards on the Maternity Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Chief Executive of Dr Foster International, Tim Baker, visited Chelsea and Westminster Hospital today to present a special award following our strong performance in the latest Dr Foster Hospital Guide, an annual independent healthcare survey.

Chelsea and Westminster was the only hospital in England with low mortality rates across all four mortality indicators included in the Dr Foster Hospital Guide which was published in November. The Hospital Guide says: “This is an impressive achievement and warrants a special mention.”

The four mortality indicators included in the Dr Foster Hospital Guide are:

• HSMR (Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio)—an indicator of healthcare quality that measures whether a hospital’s death rate is higher or lower than expected
• SHMI (Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator)—a new measure of mortality developed by the NHS Information Centre with an industry-wide panel of experts that includes deaths in hospital and deaths in the 30 days after discharge from hospital
• Deaths after surgery—patients who die after developing complications following surgery
• Deaths in low risk conditions—patients who die from non-fatal conditions like asthma

Heather Lawrence, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, says: “I want to thank every member of staff at Chelsea and Westminster who has played their part in helping us to earn this independent recognition of our commitment to quality and safety.”

The tender covered not only Chelsea and Westminster but also our partners in the Fulham Road Collaborative—The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, and the Institute of Cancer Research—so that the new contract will result in significant cost and efficiency savings.

Simon Cox, Managing Director, ISS Facility Services Healthcare, Education and Defence, said: “These are four highly successful organisations with global reputations for excellence. Their approach really challenged us to deliver more for less. We will work very closely with the Collaborative to achieve its cost efficiency targets while maintaining the highest standards of patient care.”

More than 700 ISS staff will deliver a wide range of soft FM services including cleaning, catering, security, reception, waste management, pest control, laundry and linen, portering and car park management. The specific services provided by ISS will differ in each organisation within the Fulham Road Collaborative.

Therese Davis, Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Experience and Flow at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to continue to work in partnership with the ISS staff who form an important part of the Chelsea and Westminster team.

“The new contract will result in significant cost and efficiency savings while maintaining the quality of service that patients expect when they come to our hospital.”

David Probert, Chief Operating Officer, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This project is a great example of how healthcare organisations can work together to make the best use of resources while maintaining excellent standards of care for patients.”

Steve Moore, head of estates and facilities at Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Ensuring a first-class environment for our patients is absolutely vital when delivering specialist care. We feel sure that this collaboration will deliver such an environment.”

Heather said: “I feel very privileged to have been able to work with so many talented and dedicated staff who have helped make us one of the best performing and highly regarded NHS trusts in the country. This has been a real team effort thanks to staff at all levels of seniority.

“Chelsea and Westminster consistently ranks as one of the best providers of high quality clinical care nationally, as demonstrated recently by the Dr Foster Hospital Guide naming us as the best hospital in England for low mortality rates.

“Our financial stability has enabled us to become a Foundation Trust and invest in significant improvements to patient care including a new Lower Ground Floor Outpatients Department which opened last year and new Paediatrics and HIV facilities which are due to be completed later this month.

“I am proud to have led Chelsea and Westminster over the last 12 years and I am confident that the Trust will enjoy continued success under new leadership which will be able to build on the strong foundations provided by the hard work of all staff.”

In the short-term Heather will divide her time between her role as Chief Executive at Chelsea and Westminster and a new challenge, following her appointment by NHS London to head up a new unit focused on improving the productivity of NHS trusts in the capital and supporting them to achieve Foundation Trust status.

Professor Sir Christopher Edwards, Chairman of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I would like to thank Heather for everything she has done to make Chelsea and Westminster a real success story.

“She is one of the most respected and experienced chief executives in the NHS which is why I can think of no one better to help London’s NHS meet the twin challenges of improving quality and increasing efficiency.”

Heather Lawrence’s leaving date will be confirmed in due course but in the meantime the Chairman will lead a process to recruit her replacement.

Amanda Pritchard, the Trust’s Deputy Chief Executive, is also moving on to a new challenge following her appointment to the role of Chief Operating Officer at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Heather Lawrence said: “We are sorry to see Amanda go but I would like to congratulate Amanda on her appointment and to say thank you for her considerable contribution to Chelsea and Westminster as Deputy Chief Executive since September 2006.”

Biography

Heather Lawrence trained and worked as a nurse before moving into health service management. She has more than 20 years' experience at NHS Trust Board level, having served as Chief Executive of both Hounslow and Spelthorne Community and Mental Health Trust and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust before being appointed Chief Executive at Chelsea and Westminster in May 2000.

She has also held a number of national positions, for example as NHS Employers' lead negotiator for the three-year pay deal for staff on Agenda for Change and as a member of the Government's Nursing and Midwifery Commission through which she and 15 other members advised the Government on the future roles of nurses and midwives.

Heather was awarded the OBE in the New Year's Honours 2009 for services to healthcare.

The manager and his players took time out of their busy schedules to make the surprise visit and help bring a little festive cheer to children and young people being cared for at the hospital.

Everyone at Chelsea and Westminster would like to say a big thank you to the players for their support and for making a huge difference to the lives of some of their youngest fans.

Oriol Romeu, Fernando Torres, Ramires, Paulo Ferreira and Juan Mata with a patient and family on Jupiter Ward	Paulo Ferreira, Jose Bosingwa, Daniel Sturridge, Mikel, and Raul Meireles with a patient
Didier Drogba with two young Chelsea fans	Petr Cech with a young patient on Neptune Ward

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is fully committed to ensuring that all patients including children are cared for in a safe, secure and caring environment. As a result a number of safeguarding children arrangements are in place.

These include:

• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust meets statutory requirements with regard to the carrying out of Criminal Records Bureau checks – all staff employed at the Trust undergo a CRB check prior to employment and those working with children undergo an enhanced level of assessment.
• The Trust has a robust training strategy in place with regard to delivering safeguarding training to ensure that all staff are trained to the appropriate level required for their role. The Trust has reviewed its training for safeguarding and has a plan for the forthcoming year.
• The Board of Directors receives an annual report on child safeguarding and has considered safeguarding at a Board Seminar already this year.
• The Trust has an audit plan for safeguarding for 2011/12.
• The Trust’s child protection policies and systems are up-to-date and robust, including a process for following up children who miss outpatient appointments and a system for flagging children about whom there are safeguarding concerns.
• The Trust has named professionals who lead on issues in relation to safeguarding.  They are clear about their roles, and have sufficient time and receive relevant support and training to undertake their roles, which include close contact with other social care and healthcare organisations.
• The Trust has a named doctor, nurse, midwife and liaison health visitor with responsibilities for safeguarding:

• Named Doctor: Dr K Aminu
• Named Nurse: Ms S Cain
• Named Midwife: Ms W Allen
• Named Liaison Health Visitor: Ms S Hamilton and Ms Harriet-Ann Thomas

• The Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Experience and Flow is the Executive Director lead for safeguarding and chairs the Trust Childrens Board.
• The Trust is a member of the local Safeguarding Childrens Boards of Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea.

This declaration was approved by the Trust’s Board of Directors at a meeting of the Board of Directors on 26 January 2012.

Hospital Arts, part of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, provides free lunchtime performances every Thursday throughout the year for the enjoyment of staff, patients and visitors to the hospital as well as art exhibitions—this programme of artistic activity is provided without NHS funding.

Second place went to David Erskine Ward and the Sexual Health Call Centre was awarded third place.

Hospital staff adorn their wards and departments with colourful decorations and their efforts are judged. The Friends of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital generously support the competition by sponsoring cash prizes of £100, £75 and £50.

This year the competition was judged by Ada Dawnay (Friends Chairman), Dr David Hawkins (Staffside Representative), Professor Sir Christopher Edwards (Trust Chairman) and Heather Lawrence (Chief Executive).

The Friends of Chelsea and Westminster also sponsored the annual Christmas Cheer Awards which recognise staff for their contribution to the life of the hospital and patient care. A record 555 nominations were received this year—35 individual staff and two teams received an award (pictured above).

Staff from the X-ray Department	Staff from David Erskine Ward
Staff from the Sexual Health Call Centre

The Pluto Appeal is a £1.5 million fundraising appeal to buy a surgical robot named Pluto which will allow surgeons at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to perform intricate surgery on babies and children with more precision, quicker recovery times, shorter hospital stays and smaller scars.

It is part of the Children’s Sunshine Appeal which aims to raise £5 million for the new children’s hospital at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Pluto will be the first robot dedicated to paediatric surgery in the South of England and only the second for use by paediatric surgeons in the whole country.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is a pioneer in the field of keyhole surgery for children and the lead centre for specialist children’s and neonatal surgery in North West London.  Pluto will enhance this skill set and equip the surgeons with a level of precision far beyond that possible with traditional surgical methods and with the most advanced technology available in the world.

Thanks to GSK the total amount raised by The Pluto Appeal since it was launched in June this year is now £880,000 which means that is already more than halfway to meeting its £1.5 million target.

The appeal is centered around www.theplutoappeal.com, a website based on The Million Dollar Homepage, created by student Alex Tew in 2006, when he divided a homepage into a million pixels and sold them to advertisers.  Pluto has been divided in the same way: each pixel costs £1 and, as more pixels are bought, Pluto will begin to come to life in colour.

Katie Pinnock, Director of UK Corporate Contributions for GSK said: “This robot will ensure that more children have access to the very latest technology which will mean they will recover faster from operations and be less likely to develop complications due to infection. The staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital continue to pioneer advances in paediatric care and GSK is delighted to support them.”

Mr Munther Haddad, Service Director of Paediatric Surgery at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Chair of the Children’s Hospital Trust Fund which is running The Pluto Appeal said: ”We are thrilled to receive this donation from GSK.  It is a huge endorsement of the importance of The Pluto Appeal to receive such incredible support from a company as well-respected as GSK.

“Their support demonstrates their recognition of the importance of having a robotic operating facility for children and babies at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.”

Jason Bradbury, presenter of Channel 5’s The Gadget Show and patron of The Pluto Appeal said: “Helping to buy Pluto the Robot is the most important project I’ve ever been involved with and I’m thrilled that it’s been given such a huge boost by GSK.”

• Donate to The Pluto Appeal

The roadshows are being held on the following dates on the Ground Floor of the hospital:

• Wednesday 14 December, 1–2pm
• Thursday 15 December, 1–2pm

The desk calendar features 12 original photographs taken by hospital employees including doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists and many other frontline NHS staff—they were the best entries in a recent staff photography competition with a theme of ‘outdoor colour’.

Click on the pdf link below for a sneak preview of the desk calendar—only a limited number of copies have been produced and they are available on a first come, first served basis at the roadshows.

If you cannot come to one of the roadshows to make your donation and collect a desk calendar, please send a cheque (made out to Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity with reference CSA) to 2012 Desk Calendar, Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, 4 Verney House, 1B Hollywood Road, London, SW10 9HS—please ensure that you specify that your donation is for a desk calendar and include a return address so that you can be sent a copy of the calendar.

• Download the calendar (PDF)

Mr Joshi, who is a Consultant Ophthalmologist, was interviewed and photographed with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital patient Katie Piper—he was part of the team who treated her following a horrific acid attack.

Although Katie lost the sight in one eye, her sight in the other eye is good enough that she is able to drive.

Mr Williams, who is one of the best known sports surgeons in the UK, was interviewed and photographed with former England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio whose career he saved when he operated on the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Heather Lawrence, Trust Chief Executive said: “This is an important achievement because demonstrating our compliance with the NHSLA risk management standards assures patients of our commitment to managing risks.

“I would like to thank all staff who played their part in this successful assessment visit and who worked hard to submit evidence for the assessors in advance of the visit. This was a real team effort.

The roadshows are being held on the following dates on the Ground Floor of the hospital:

• Monday 12 December, 1-2pm
• Wednesday 14 December, 1-2pm
• Thursday 15 December, 1-2pm

The desk calendar features 12 original photographs taken by hospital employees including doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists and many other frontline NHS staff—they were the best entries in a recent staff photography competition with a theme of ‘outdoor colour’.

Click on the pdf link below for a sneak preview of the desk calendar—only a limited number of copies have been produced and they are available on a first come, first served basis from Monday 12 December at the roadshows.

If you cannot come to one of the roadshows to make your donation and collect a desk calendar, please send a cheque (made out to Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity with reference CSA) to 2012 Desk Calendar, Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, 4 Verney House, 1B Hollywood Road, London, SW10 9HS—please ensure that you specify that your donation is for a desk calendar and include a return address so that you can be sent a copy of the calendar.

• Download the calendar (PDF)

56 Dean Street and G-A-Y set a new record for HIV tests

Staff at 56 Dean Street marked World AIDS Day on Thursday 1 December by setting a Guinness World Record for administering HIV tests at the G-A-Y Bar in Old Compton Street.

A grand total of 476 people took the test in just 8 hours and that meant £4,760 was raised for the Elton John AIDS Foundation because the G-A-Y Bar donated £10 for every test performed.

Staff from 56 Dean Street, Chelsea and Westminster’s award-winning HIV and sexual health centre in Soho, provided discrete testing and support services at 9HIV testing stations throughout the bar, as well as providing HIV education and counselling advice.

Dr Simon Barton, Clinical Director for HIV & Sexual Health Services at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This event was both groundbreaking and inspirational.

“I never thought that people would be so comfortable with testing in such numbers in a bar and the fact that 476 people chose to test and felt confident to be visible in doing so is a major statement about destigmatising testing.”

Leigh Chislett, Clinic Manager at 56 Dean Street, said: “This world record attempt was a huge success and all staff did us proud.”

West London Centre for Sexual Health (WLCSH) was commissioned to run a one off rapid HIV testing clinic in conjunction with World AIDS Day and Connexions One Stop Shop on King Street, Hammersmith on Thursday 1 December to mark World AIDS Day.

Trust Membership and a local charity, Opportunity for All were on hand promoting the service to the local community and handing out leaflets on HIV awareness (kindly provided by the National AIDS Trust and Durex).

More than 50 leaflets were handed out to increase the communities understanding of HIV and six individuals agreed to attend the service where they were given sexual health advice, screening for sexually transmitted infections including HIV and free condoms.

WLCSH would like to thank all those providing and attending the service.

A charity golf day organised by the grateful grandparents of a little girl called Lucie Lewis whose life was saved by staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has raised more than £20,000 for The Pluto Appeal to purchase a £1.5 million surgical robot.

This hi-tech piece of equipment will benefit children and babies from all over London and the South East who need surgery.

More than 100 people came to Westerham Golf Club in Kent for a day of golf followed by a dinner and auction, all in aid of The Pluto Appeal.

Mel Lewis, Lucie’s grandfather, explains “The reason we decided to fundraise for The Pluto Appeal was because our granddaughter Lucie was born at just 26 weeks and weighed less than 2lbs.

“Lucie was born on 26 July last year at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and was immediately put into an incubator on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with so many wires and machines attached in order to give her the very best chance of survival.

“The next few months were a very stressful and traumatic time for our family, especially our son Richard and his wife Katie.

“Lucie needed to have four operations but like so many of the babies in the neonatal unit she was not strong enough to be taken to an operating theatre and so the surgeons came and operated on her in the unit.

“The incredible work they do is totally beyond our comprehension. Lucie could have fitted into the palm of our hands and the thought of her undergoing an operation was something we dreaded but we knew had to be done.”

After months of recovery, Lucie was finally able to go home just before Christmas 2010. She is now 15 months old and doing well.

Pauline Lewis, Lucie’s grandmother, says: “We were all so grateful to the surgical and nursing teams at the hospital that we felt we wanted to try to do something that would help other children in similar circumstances.

“And so we decided to help The Pluto Appeal to raise money for them to buy a groundbreaking piece of equipment dedicated for use by paediatric surgeons at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.”

Other members of the family have also helped to fundraise on behalf of the Appeal. Lucie’s dad, Richard, ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon recently and raised £2,000 and Lucie’s other grandparents raised £5,000 by holding a 1st birthday fundraising tea for her. Other friends have also taken on challenge events and so, collectively, Lucie’s family and friends have raised more than £30,000 for The Pluto Appeal.

• You can donate to The Pluto Appeal at www.theplutoappeal.com

Patients can request a sexual health clinic appointment by accessing eTriage via any page of the HIV & Sexual Health section—all patients receive an appointment within 48 hours.

The revamped service went live in October thanks to the hard work of a team including John Pickett (Sexual Health Service Manager), Rona Davis (IM&T Project Manager), Harry Johnson (Computer Consultant), Katarzyna Makarewicz (Call Centre Supervisor) and Lynn Dayking (Call Centre Manager).

They analysed the use of the previous online booking system, including its useability and the attendance rate for appointments made online. The study showed that bookings and attendance rates could be increased by redesigning the system.

Dr Ann Sullivan, Consultant Physician in the HIV & Sexual Health team, worked with the Trust’s Communications Department to redesign the web pages to make them quicker and easier to navigate and make a booking—with dedicated information for young people.

The redesign has resulted in an increased number of visits to the online booking service, more bookings made online, and an increased attendance rate for clinic appointments.

The online booking service also now enables patients to select from a range of dates and times for clinic appointments to suit their lifestyle and commitments.

An automated texting service has been introduced to confirm appointments. Patients no longer have to wait for a letter to confirm their appointment because a text on their phone confirms and acts as a reminder of their appointment.

You can view the cards and download an order form on their website at www.friendsofchelseaandwestminsterhospital.org.uk.

G-A-Y will be donating £10 for every test performed to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

56 Dean Street staff will be providing discrete testing and support services at nine HIV testing stations throughout the bar, as well as providing HIV education and counselling advice.

Dr Alan McOwan, Lead Consultant at 56 Dean Street said: “We will be using the world’s fastest HIV antibody test which provides a result in just 60 seconds. One in 20 gay men in London has undiagnosed HIV and two-thirds of undiagnosed men think that they are negative.

“56 Dean Street is now diagnosing one in five of all new HIV diagnosis in gay men in London. Testing early can add, on average, 16 years to someone’s life.”

If you would like to contribute to this world record attempt, drop by G-A-Y Bar from 2–10pm.

G-A-Y Bar
30 Old Compton Street
London
W1D 4UR

This includes unions and professional associations whose members work at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Our first priority is to our patients and we are working in partnership with trade union representatives in the Trust to minimise the impact on patients and their families of any industrial action that may take place.

If the industrial action goes ahead on Wednesday, we will continue to provide as many services to patients as we can without compromising in any way the quality and safety of that care.

The Trust is not planning to cancel outpatient appointments or planned (elective) operations that are scheduled to take place on Wednesday 30 November.

If the situation changes, information will be publicised as widely as possible in advance to patients, the public and staff—the most up-to-date information will be available on this website.

We recognise that staff who belong to trade unions and professional associations that have balloted at national level in favour of industrial action have the right to take industrial action on the day.

We are working with their representatives to avoid disruption to patients and their families, including in the area immediately outside the hospital where there is likely to be a union picket all day and a union rally at lunchtime.

The Hospital Guide says: “This is an impressive achievement and warrants a special mention.”

The four mortality indicators included in the Dr Foster Hospital Guide are:

• HSMR (Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio)—an indicator of healthcare quality that measures whether a hospital’s death rate is higher or lower than expected
• SHMI (Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator)—a new measure of mortality developed by the NHS Information Centre with an industry-wide panel of experts that includes deaths in hospital and deaths in the 30 days after discharge from hospital
• Deaths after surgery—patients who die after developing complications following surgery
• Deaths in low risk conditions—patients who die from non-fatal conditions like asthma

Heather Lawrence, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, says: “I want to thank every member of staff at Chelsea and Westminster who has played their part in helping us to earn this independent recognition of our commitment to quality and safety.

“I welcome the publication of mortality and other indicators in the Dr Foster Hospital Guide because we know that there is always room for improvement and the Guide provides us with national benchmarks to measure our performance.

“It is important that patients are provided with information to assess how their local hospital is performing. Being more open and transparent is a priority for us at Chelsea and Westminster and the Dr Foster Hospital Guide will help patients know how we are performing.”

Examples of recent initiatives to strengthen the safety of our services include:

• Opening of an Acute Assessment Unit with 24/7 consultant cover—all patients who come into the hospital as acute admissions are assessed twice a day every day by a consultant, including out of hours and at weekends
• Routine assessments of patients’ risk of blood clots—more than 90% of patients are assessed for their risk of developing a blood clot so we can plan care to minimise this risk

Today’s Dr Foster Hospital Guide confirms Chelsea and Westminster’s reputation as one of the safest hospitals in England:

• We were among the top 10 hospitals in England for lower than expected deaths when the NHS Information Centre published the first SHMI statistics in October
• We were shortlisted for the CHKS Patient Safety Award in April based on criteria including infection and mortality rates

The Transparency section—which invites patients to find out how we are really doing—has been developed in partnership with Foundation Trust Governors who are elected representatives of patients, members of the public and staff.

Heather Lawrence (Chief Executive) says: “I believe this is the right thing to do for two reasons. Firstly, patients can only exercise choice if they have access to the information they need to inform that choice and secondly, transparency will increase public trust in the NHS.”

The information published today on our website is just the start.

We intend to develop the new Transparency section over time so that it becomes a comprehensive source of information about Chelsea and Westminster for patients and the public.

If you have feedback on our new Transparency section, please contact Matt Akid (Head of Communications) at matthew.akid@chelwest.nhs.uk.

• Visit the Transparency section now

• 1 Patient Governor
• 1 Public Governor: Kensington & Chelsea Area 2
• 1 Staff Governor: Support, Administrative and Clerical constituency

Members registered in these constituencies were invited to nominate themselves to stand for election.

The following constituency was uncontested and the result was as follows:

• Staff Governor: Support, Administrative and Clerical constituency
  Maddy Than (elected unopposed)

The results in constituencies where elections were contested were as follows:

• Patient Governor
  Anna Hodson-Pressinger
• Public Governor: Kensington & Chelsea Area 2
  Sandra Smith-Gordon

The new Academic Health Science Partnership (AHSP) is intended to bring together providers of primary, secondary, tertiary, community and mental healthcare to work with Imperial College London to pursue higher quality care for patients. The partners hope to launch the AHSP formally in April 2012.

The first partnership of its kind in North West London, it will support collaborative approaches to innovating in healthcare. With Imperial College London as an academic partner, the AHSP will present opportunities to conduct clinical trials at a large and meaningful scale and to apply research findings to benefit a greater number of patients. The AHSP could also take a leading role in training and educating healthcare professionals.

The proposal to develop the AHSP has been formulated by Professor the Lord Darzi, Paul Hamlyn Chair of Surgery at Imperial College London and formerly Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health.

Lord Darzi said: “The partners involved in developing the AHSP face many common challenges but have one unifying goal: to bring the highest quality care to the people of North West London.

“By focusing on our strengths and systematically implementing what is known across the partnership about providing the best clinical care through innovation, we should achieve much more than we could apart.

“Our simple ambition is to use all of our academic and clinical expertise to improve the quality of care for our North West London population as a whole.”

Heather Lawrence, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are delighted to be part of Lord Darzi's initiative in bringing together Imperial College with 11 NHS organisations to form an Academic Health Science Partnership in North West London.

“This is good news for the 1.9 million people who live in North West London and for staff because together we can develop innovative solutions and translate research into practice to improve the quality of healthcare and health outcomes for patients.”

The healthcare providers behind plans for the AHSP already deliver a range of world-class services, including the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, mental health conditions and women’s and children’s health. The AHSP would seek to use the expertise of each member to develop a programme of innovations that benefit all healthcare across North West London.

Lord Darzi has agreed to be the Chairman of the Transitional Partnership Board that will confirm the membership of the AHSP, which may include other healthcare and education partners, and determine its organisational and legal structure. The Board will include as members the Rector of Imperial College London, the Chief Executives of the Trusts which have agreed to progress plans, and a GP representative. The AHSP is expected to be launched in April 2012 as a company limited by guarantee in which members will hold equal rights.

The institutions and healthcare providers that have agreed to progress plans for the AHSP are:

• Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust
• Central North West London NHS Foundation Trust
• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Ealing Hospital NHS Trust
• Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust
• Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Imperial College London
• North West London Hospitals NHS Trust
• Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
• West London Mental Health Trust
• West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has been shortlisted in the 'Rewards and Benefits' category of the prestigious Personnel Today Awards 2011.

This is a major achievement because other shortlisted entries in this category of the awards, which are run by the leading publication for HR professionals, came from big multi-national companies including IKEA and global IT company Cisco.

Chelsea and Westminster’s award entry focused on support offered to working parents including advice on and assistance with childcare costs, such as a subsidised holiday play scheme and helping staff sign up for childcare vouchers.

It also included support for women on maternity leave such as a regular newsletter to keep staff in touch with the hospital, access to free baby massage sessions, and a meeting with HR to discuss any concerns before their return to work.

Award judge Duncan Brown, former Assistant Director General of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said: “This is a comprehensive series of initiatives to help to maintain contact with and retain staff going on maternity leave.”

The Trust has also set up a cycle-to-work scheme and provided staff with access to season ticket loans.

Being shortlisted for a Personnel Today Award is just the latest independent recognition of Chelsea and Westminster as an employer of choice:

• Winner, ‘Best employer for carers’ category - Top Employers for Working Families Awards 2011
• Shortlisted, ‘Best employer for working mothers’ category - Top Employers for Working Families Awards 2011
• Shortlisted, ‘Best internal communications’ category – HR Excellence Awards 2011
• Winner, ‘Most effective benefits strategy’ - HR Excellence Awards 2010

Mark Gammage, Director of HR at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am delighted that our initiatives to support staff have been recognised by shortlisting for this prestigious award.”

The North West London Integrated Care Pilot (ICP)—in which Chelsea and Westminster is a key partner—has been recognised for its exceptional work in bringing together the care received by people aged over 75 and those with diabetes at the 30^th annual Health Service Journal Awards.

At the awards evening on Tuesday 15 November, the ICP fought off competition from a strong shortlist to pick up the top award in the ‘Managing Long Term Conditions’ category.

Amanda Pritchard, Deputy Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted that the excellent work done in setting up the integrated care pilot to improve the care of patients aged 75 and patients living with diabetes has been recognised. This will provide a platform for us to work with our partner organisations in the ICP to ensure that patients are seen by the most appropriate clinician at the best time in the best place, by breaking down boundaries between hospitals, GPs, community services and social care.”

Dr Andrew Steeden, local GP and Co-Director of the ICP, said: “It is great news that our exciting new project has been rewarded in this category. The pilot is working hard to improve the quality of care delivered to these groups by joining health and social care workers into local multi-disciplinary teams. These teams are then responsible for ensuring that each patient has a care plan that sets out steps for maximising the standard of the care that they receive.

“Each group of clinicians should be congratulated on all their hard work so far, their leap of faith and for working in a new way, with new partners, putting the patient where they should always be, right at the centre of care planning.”

Launched earlier this year, the North West London ICP is clinically led by GPs, hospital doctors and community care professionals. It is a partnership between local NHS organisations, local authorities and relevant charities.

Anne Rainsberry, Chief Executive of NHS North West London said: “It is a real honour and we are delighted to have won, particularly in this category because better management of long term conditions is the overall objective of the pilot.

“We have always had every confidence in this pioneering initiative as it lays down the key elements that are needed to make integrated care work including a collaborative culture in which providers work together towards common goals, patients are involved in making decisions about their own care, and there is strong clinical leadership. It’s great to have that recognised through receiving this award.”

Staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital are celebrating after winning a number of different national awards yesterday (Tuesday 15 November):

56 Dean Street campaign wins national PR award

56 Dean Street, the Trust’s HIV and sexual health centre in Soho, last night won the ‘Public Sector, Value for Money’ category of the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) Awards for their ‘HIV—Closer Than You Think’ campaign to increase the uptake of HIV testing.

The Oscars of the PR Industry, the PRCA Awards showcase the best that the UK and international PR industry has to offer from both in-house communications teams and consultancies alike—they recognise the talent and impact of individuals, teams and campaigns.

This is further recognition of the success of 56 Dean Street's HIV testing campaign which also won the ‘Best Budget Campaign’ category in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Excellence Awards 2011 and was Highly Commended in the ‘Best Public Health Initiative’ category of the Communique Awards 2011.

Staff flu vaccination programme wins national award

A campaign to encourage staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to have their flu jab to protect themselves, their patients and their families has won a national Flu Fighter Award which was presented at the NHS Employers conference in Liverpool yesterday.

Sir David Nicholson, Chief Executive of the NHS, said: “Every year we encourage as many frontline staff as possible to have a flu jab because we know it offers the greatest protection to our patients. It's great to recognise those individuals and organisations going that extra mile to make the biggest difference.”

Dean Royles, Director of NHS Employers, added: “Every one of these Flu Fighters could be a lifesaver and we are extremely proud of them. They have gone the extra mile to protect the public and it is this spirit that we are privileged to find throughout the NHS.”

Acute Oncology Service highly commended in HSJ Awards

Staff working in Cancer Services and Research & Development were shortlisted for this year's Health Service Journal Awards which were presented last night at an awards dinner in London.

The Acute Oncology Service, led by Consultant Dr Tom Newsom-Davis and Clinical Cancer Services Manager and Macmillan Lead Nurse Catherine Gillespie, was shortlisted in the ‘Clinical Service Redesign’ category and their entry was Highly Commended by the judges.

R&D staff were shortlisted in the ‘Research Culture’ category.

The NHS North West London Integrated Care Pilot (ICP), in which the Trust is a key partner, won the ‘Managing Long Term Conditions’ category of the Health Service Journal Awards and was also shortlisted in the ‘Improving Care with Technology’ category—the ICP aims to 'join up' (or integrate) the care of patients aged 75 and over and also patients living with diabetes.

Philipa has Type 1 diabetes and can quickly develop hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). Poppy can literally ‘sniff out’ the danger signs of diabetes because she can detect when Philippa’s blood sugar levels are low and alert her to the fact that she needs to take action.

Low blood sugar levels give off a different scent compared to blood sugars within the normal range and Poppy can identify the changes even before Philipa develops any symptoms – and if that’s not clever enough, she has a 100% accuracy rate.

Philippa says: “When my blood sugar drops she sits and stares at me, tries to lick me and then eventually barks. At night she will walk on me and wake up my husband to alert him to my hypoglycaemia.

“Before I had Poppy I had hundreds of occasions of hypo and hyperglycaemia and I have been found unconscious all over the world and scared friends and family many times.

“Since having Poppy I have not had hypos like that when she’s been with me, as she warns me. My life is so much easier now and I can work and travel with much more freedom."

Dr Michael Feher, Diabetes Consultant at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital says: “The NHS in England spends more than £2 billion every year caring for inpatients with diabetes. People with diabetes are more likely to be admitted to hospital and have longer stays than people of the same age without the condition, so reducing hospital admissions is a real priority.

“Philippa’s diabetes is particularly difficult to manage and preventing her from becoming hypoglycaemic can be quite challenging, so Poppy plays an important role in keeping Philippa well and out of hospital.”

If you are finding it difficult to conceive, or if you would like to find out more about our services, you can speak with a member of our team to find out how we may be able to help you.

• Find out more about the Assisted Conception Unit
• Watch a video about our ACU services
• Visit the Fertility Show website

If you are a registered Foundation Trust member in one of the constituencies where elections are being held, you will have been sent a ballot paper in the post on Thursday 3 November.

The deadline for completed voting papers to be received by the Returning Officer is 5pm on Thursday 24 November and results will be published on this website on Friday 25 November.

Foundation Trust members are encouraged to use their vote to have their say on who they want to represent their interests on the Council of Governors.

Candidates standing in the elections are as follows:

• Patient constituency (1 seat)
  Suniti Chauhan
  Phyllis Gorlick-King
  Anna Hodson-Pressinger
  Dr Sharuna Nagwaney
  Sue Redmond

• Public: Kensington & Chelsea Area 2 constituency (1 seat)
  Dr Eike Marx
  Sandra Smith-Gordon

The following candidate is uncontested:

• Staff: Support, Administrative and Clerical constituency (1 seat)
  Maddy Than

No candidate has nominated themselves for election in the Public: Wandsworth Area 2 constituency and therefore this seat will remain vacant.

For further information please contact Vida Djelic (Foundation Trust Secretary) on x56716 or vida.djelic@chelwest.nhs.uk—see the Get Involved section for full details.

Sir John Baker, Jeremy Loyd and Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy—who have been serving as Non-Executive Director designates since December 2010—joined the Trust Board as full Non-Executive Directors.

Trust Chairman Professor Sir Christopher Edwards said: “I am delighted that we have been able to attract three outstanding individuals as Non-Executive Directors.

“They bring a wealth of talent and experience to the Board which will be invaluable as we face the major challenges which lie ahead for the NHS.

“In particular they bring a customer orientated focus which will be vital if we are to deliver the personalised medicine that patients expect and modern science allows us to deliver.”

Two of the Trust’s longest-serving Non-Executive Directors, Charles Wilson (appointed in September 2000) and Andrew Havery (appointed in November 2003) are stepping down.

Sir Christopher added: “At the same time as we welcome the new Non-Executives, we say goodbye to Charlie Wilson and Andrew Havery.

“Both individuals played a major role in enabling the hospital to become a Foundation Trust and have been key to our growing success. We will miss them and we wish them well.”

• Read their profiles here

Photo (l–r): Jeremy Loyd, Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy and Sir John Baker

The Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI)—the first official hospital-wide mortality rating—shows that Chelsea and Westminster has the seventh lowest ratio of actual deaths to expected deaths out of almost 150 non-specialist acute hospitals in England.

Chief Executive Heather Lawrence said: “While the SHMI should be looked at in conjunction with other indicators, I am delighted that we have earned this independent recognition of the safety of our services.

“We welcome the new indicators because they provide hospitals with a national benchmark against which they can measure their performance.

“It’s also important that patients are provided with a range of information which they can use to assess how their local hospital is performing.

“Being more open and transparent is a priority for Chelsea and Westminster and this new indicator will help our patients develop an informed and balanced picture about how we are performing.”

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is also ranked as one of only two NHS hospitals nationally with a significantly lower than expected mortality rate after surgery by the Dr Foster Hospital Guide.

The Centre was closed on 27 October following an incident—we apologise for any inconvenience caused to patients.

Fundraisers from two of the hospital's charities, Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity and the Children's Hospital Trust Fund, have joined forces to work together on the appeal.

They aim to raise enough money for new facilities including a kitchen for the adolescent ward, accommodation for parents and carers, as well as a £1.5 million surgical robot through the Pluto Appeal which is part of the Children's Sunshine Appeal.

We are delighted to have secured the support of our local newspaper, the Kensington & Chelsea Chronicle, and its sister papers in Hammersmith & Fulham and Westminster, to publicise the Children's Sunshine Appeal and encourage their readers to donate—articles are now being included on a regular basis in the Chronicle.

A big thank you also to Monkey Music, a local pre-school music class, whose 10th birthday celebrations helped raise more than £6,000 for the Pluto Appeal.

Jayne Harris, who has run the classes for the last decade with a team of teachers, told the Kensington & Chelsea Chronicle: "I felt our 10th birthday was a fantastic opportunity for Monkey Music to give something back to the community by supporting the Pluto Appeal."

She asked the children to decorate a special 10th birthday card and also asked parents if they would like to give a small donation to the Pluto Appeal as a birthday present.

Jayne said: "The response has been amazing. The children have been wonderfully creative and we have had fantastic cards featuring colourful pictures and collages.

"And with the generosity of our mums and dads, we have managed to reach our target of raising £6,000 towards this incredibly worthwhile cause."

• Donate to the Children's Sunshine Appeal
• Donate to the Pluto Appeal

The programme has been developed by Charlotte Mackenzie Crooks (Volunteer Services Manager) and Giuseppe Labriola (Specialist Midwife: Infant Feeding Co-ordinator) and ensures that mothers are supported with breastfeeding on the maternity wards.

More than 30 peer supporters, the majority of whom are mothers who have breastfed their children, have received additional training and are available to provide breastfeeding support on the wards, raise public awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding and increase choice by providing access to a range of services across different settings.

Giuseppe Labriola, who is project managing the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Award for the Trust says: "Breastfeeding contributes to the health of mother and child in both the short and long term and provides all the nutrients a baby needs.

"Current UK policy is to promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, but research shows that at six months only 26% of babies are breastfed. 90% of British mothers who stopped breastfeeding in the first six months would have liked to have continued for longer which suggests that much more could be done to support them.

"This breastfeeding peer-support programme has therefore been commissioned as part of the breastfeeding strategy at Chelsea and Westminster."

Charlotte Mackenzie Crooks said: "This is a fantastic initiative and I cannot thank the volunteers enough for giving up their time to help our new mothers.

"Our peer supporters are there to help provide advice about breastfeeding to mothers before birth, but primarily they have the time to spend to help mothers who need support after their babies are born.

"With their help we aim to give every new mother the best possible chance to be able to successfully breastfeed."

Photo: Members of the breastfeeding peer support programme including Giuseppe Labriola (Specialist Midwife: Infant Feeding Co-ordinator—far left) and Charlotte Mackenzie Crooks (Volunteer Services Manager—far right)

All women who gave birth in February this year either in the hospital or at home with Trust midwives were invited to complete the survey by the Picker Institute.

• 96% of women rated their care during pregnancy as 'Excellent', 'Very good' or 'Good'—compared with 91% in 2010
• 94% of women rated their care during labour and birth as 'Excellent', 'Very good' or 'Good'—the same as in 2010
• 80% of women rated their hospital care after the birth as 'Excellent', 'Very good' or 'Good'—compared with 77% in 2010

Areas of significant improvement since last year include midwives and other staff giving practical assistance and consistent advice to help women feed their babies, as well as the length of time that women spend in hospital after they give birth.

Vivien Bell, Head of Midwifery and General Manager for Maternity Services, says: "The results of this year's survey are encouraging because there has been an increase in overall patient satisfaction and significant improvements in a number of areas that we have focused on over the last 12 months.

"The areas for improvement identified by women in this year's survey are not a surprise because we are constantly reviewing the service in response to feedback from women and their families. We are already taking action to address them."

The three main areas for improvement are facilities (especially cleanliness), information/communication, and continuity of care for women during their pregnancy.

Actions taken to address these areas include:

Facilities

• Major refurbishment of the Antenatal Clinic
• Refurbishment of bathrooms on the postnatal ward to make wet rooms
• Opening of a new Birthing Unit for women with uncomplicated pregnancies who are expecting a normal delivery
• Introduction of a 24-hour housekeeping role on Labour Ward

Information/Communication

• Development of a postnatal DVD for new parents
• Filming of a video and virtual tour of the Maternity Unit for the Trust website
• Reworking of written information for new parents to make it clearer

Continuity of care

• Development of a more stable workforce by reducing the midwife vacancy rate and therefore reducing the reliance on temporary agency staff
• Launch of a Maternity Support Worker Strategy to 'upskill' support workers so that midwives can focus on providing the care that only they can provide

Vivien Bell says: "We have shared the results of the survey with all staff and also with our user group, the Maternity Services Liaison Committee, to celebrate improvement and to foster a culture of continuing improvement.

"We will continue to make further improvements and check our progress by asking the Picker Institute to carry out another survey in February 2012."

• Visit our Maternity Services

The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital mobile community health clinic (better known as the Health Bus) will be parked up outside Canberra Health Centre on South Africa Road from 12 noon-4pm.

If you would like health advice or a ‘Well-Person Check’, please pop in on your way to the game! A number of QPR fans visited the bus on their way to the recent Aston Villa home fixture, 10 of whom took part in the health screening and two were referred to their GP for high blood pressure.

Many of us have busy lives and are too busy to get a health query or our general health checked out. Here is your opportunity!

This scheme is in partnership with QPR in the Community Trust whose representative Fiona Hodgson said: “Health is one of our key aims as a charity and we wish to provide the local community and our fans with opportunities to take positive action to manage their health.”

Kick off your matchday by doing something positive about your health!

The statement of candidates who have nominated themselves to stand for election to the Council of Governors in November’s elections has now been published. Elections are being held in the following constituencies of the Council of Governors:

• 1 Patient representative
• 2 Public representatives
• Kensington and Chelsea Area 2
• Wandsworth Area 2
• 1 Staff representative
• Support, Administrative and Clerical

Members registered in these constituencies were invited to nominate themselves to stand for election. The deadline for Foundation Trust members to nominate themselves for election was Monday 17 October.

The following members have nominated themselves to stand for election:

• Statements of Candidates (PDF)

If you are a Foundation Trust member registered in these constituencies, you can have your say on the future of your hospital when ballot papers are posted out on 3 November. The deadline for voting (when completed voting papers must be posted to the Returning Officer) is 24 November. Election results will be published on this website on 25 November.

For any queries relating to election process, please contact Vida Djelic, Foundation Trust Secretary, on 020 3315 6716 or vida.djelic@chelwest.nhs.uk.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital vaccinated the 1,000th member of staff this week, just nine days into the Trust’s seasonal flu vaccination programme.

All staff are being encouraged to have the flu jab to help protect themselves, their patients and families as the flu season approaches.

Medical Director Dr Mike Anderson said: “A total of 1,103 staff have had their flu vaccination so far, which is a great response.

“Last year we vaccinated more than 1,800 staff and we’re pleased to be well on the way to exceeding that figure this year.

“Being vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself from flu and because our staff are at a greater risk of being exposed to the virus it’s important that they give themselves the best opportunity to stay well this winter.

“We also have a responsibility to protect the patients who use our services.”

The hospital’s Occupational Health team has been running daily walk-in clinics over the past two weeks, but trained vaccinators have also been going out into wards and departments to give staff their flu jab.

Dr Anderson added: “One of the most important aspects of our vaccination programme has been making it as easy as possible for staff to have their flu jab.

“Sometimes it’s difficult for staff to leave a busy ward or clinic, so we have a team of trained vaccinators who visit staff in the areas where they work.”

A total of 19 patients were seen by staff on Chelsea and Westminster’s mobile community health clinic which was parked up outside Canberra Health Centre on South Africa Road for health advice and Well Person Testing on the way to the game.

The clinic was run in partnership with QPR in the Community Trust whose representative Fiona Hodgson says: “Health is one of our key aims as a charity and we wish to provide the local community and our fans with opportunities to take positive action to manage their health.”

Stephanie McMillan, Acting Nurse Practitioner for Young People & Outreach at West London Centre for Sexual Health—which is run by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust at Charing Cross Hospital—said: “This is the first time we have run a matchday clinic at QPR and we were really pleased with the response, seeing 19 people of whom 13 were men. We know men are less likely than women to visit their GP or hospital to get themselves checked out which is why we are taking our services on the road. Any QPR fans who didn't catch us on Sunday can come and us before the forthcoming home games against Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.”

They have been shortlisted for their ‘HIV—Closer Than You Think’ campaign to increase the uptake of HIV testing.

Award winners will be announced on 15 November.

The 56 Dean Street campaign won the ‘Best Budget Campaign’ category in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Excellence Awards 2011 and was Highly Commended in the ‘Best Public Health Initiative’ of the Communique Awards 2011.

The judges praised Chelsea and Westminster’s work in recognising carers as an ‘unheard’ group of employees who were hesitant about asking for support and the development of a strategy deliberately aimed at carers working in the Trust.

They highlighted an ‘easy read’ guide and lunchtime advice sessions for carers, as well as sessions aimed at managing stress for carers, and the communication of the message that flexible working isn't just for parents but for everyone with dependents.

Chelsea and Westminster was also shortlisted in the ‘Best Employer for Working Mothers’ category and named as one of the overall Top Employers for Working Families.

Other winners of individual award categories included major private sector companies including Deutsche Bank, Centrica and American Express Services Europe.

Sarah Jackson, Chief Executive of Working Families said: “The quality of entries for this year’s Top Employers for Working Families Awards has been exceptional. We congratulate the Top 30 employers and the special award winners on their inspiring work-life policies and practices.

“These agile, forward-thinking organisations recognise the value of offering flexible workplaces and in doing so benefit from advantages in staff recruitment, engagement, motivation and performance.”

Mary Mercer, Principal Consultant at the Institute for Employment Studies added: “This year's entries show that flexible working policies remain high on the agenda during economically challenging times as they offer advantages to both employers and their staff.

“Workers are better able to balance work with life outside of employment and employers find that, as well as being the right thing to do by staff, a flexible approach also allows them to control costs and maximise productivity.”

Photo: Amber Payne (Employee Benefits Manager)—left and Mark Gammage (Director of HR)—second left receive their award.

Elections will be held in the following constituencies of the Council of Governors:

• 1 Patient representative
• 2 Public representatives
  • Kensington and Chelsea Area 2
  • Wandsworth Area 2
• 1 Staff representative
  • Support, Administrative and Clerical

Members registered in these constituencies are invited to nominate themselves to stand for election.

The deadline for Foundation Trust members to nominate themselves for election is 17 October 2011.

Ballot papers will be posted to members registered in the constituencies where elections will be held on 3 November 2011. The deadline for voting (when completed voting papers must be posted to the Returning Officer) is 24 November 2011. Election results will be published on this website on 25 November 2011.

For any queries relating to election process, please contact Vida Djelic, Foundation Trust Secretary, on 020 3315 6716 or vida.djelic@chelwest.nhs.uk.

• Further information

Photo (above):

Photo (right): Mr Elliot Benjamin (Ear, Nose & Throat Consultant) performs a procedure in one of the new theatres

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has this week opened two new state-of-the-art children’s operating theatres—one of which includes a revolutionary ventilation system being used for the first time in the UK that will reduce the risk of infection to young patients.

The state-of-the-art hoodless Ultra Clean Ventilation (UCV) system creates a funnel of clean air around the patient without the need for a hood—this means the ventilation system can sit flush with the ceiling, reducing the infection control risk for the patient.

The opening of the two new theatres, together with a new paediatric surgical admissions and pre-assessment area, marks the completion of the first phase of a brand new £45 million children’s hospital at Chelsea and Westminster.

Mr Simon Eccles, Consultant Craniofacial Plastic Surgeon and Clinical Director of Paediatrics, said the opening of the new theatres would benefit thousands of children and young people living not only in the local area but also throughout the South of England.

Mr Eccles said: “Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is a pioneer in the field of keyhole surgery for children and a lead centre for specialist children’s and neonatal surgery, so the new theatres will enable us to build on this.

“Minimally invasive surgery is proven to reduce levels of pain and improve recovery times and we are excited about how the children and young people we care for will benefit from the new facilities.

“The opening of the new theatres is just the beginning for this fantastic development. We are creating a world-leading children’s hospital, which will offer cutting edge technology and the best possible care for patients, provided by some of the UK’s best medical staff.

“The new hospital will offer enhanced neonatal and paediatric services, housed in world-class facilities, and will also be an international centre for training the next generation of specialist paediatric medical staff.”

The new children’s hospital, which is due to be completed in 2012, will include:

• Four new paediatric operating theatres (including the two opened this week) with state-of-the-art equipment and telemedicine facilities
• An extended Paediatric High Dependency Unit for the most sick or unwell children
• New admission and pre-operation areas and a day surgery unit
• A new adolescent ward
• Revamped children's wards
• The first children’s surgery robot in the south of England which will enable keyhole surgery to be provided for children—a fundraising appeal is currently underway to raise £1.5 million for the robot and donations can be made at www.theplutoappeal.com

The Children’s Sunshine Appeal aims to raise £5 million for the new children’s hospital (including £1.5 million to be raised to pay for the surgical robot through The Pluto Appeal—please visit www.justgiving.com/childrenssunshineappeal to donate.

Further information: Renae McBride (Communications Manager) 020 3315 6829

The Chelsea and Westminster mobile community health clinic (better known as the Bus) will be parked up outside Canberra Health Centre on South Africa Road from 12-4pm for health advice and Well Person Testing on the way to the game.

The clinic is being run in partnership with QPR in the Community Trust whose representative Fiona Hodgson said: “Health is one of our key aims as a charity and we wish to provide the local community and our fans with opportunities to take positive action to manage their health.”

They met young people at the Lancaster Road Youth Club in Ladbroke Grove where staff from Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s John Hunter Clinic run a community outreach service.

Their visit celebrated the success of the band’s Durex Just Love Safe condoms—band members don’t make any money out of the sale of the condoms with all proceeds going to the JLS Foundation so donations can be made to charities.

Nurse Practitioner Kate Cook, who runs the John Hunter Clinic community outreach service at the Lancaster Road Youth Club, said: “JLS are doing a great job promoting the safer sex message to young people. Their commitment to this work is making a real difference.”

Photo (top): JLS with Ben Phillips (Kensington & Chelsea Health Ambassador), and staff and service users at the Lancaster Road Youth Club

Photo (right): JLS during Q&A with Kate Cook (centre), staff and service users

This will be a great opportunity for patients, staff and members of the public to find out how the hospital has performed over the past year, even if they’re unable to attend the meeting.

Follow the meeting on Twitter by searching for #ChelwestFT or visiting www.twitter.com/chelwestft.

Of course everyone is still welcome to attend the meeting in person—it will be held in the Restaurant on the Lower Ground Floor of the hospital.

The meeting will include presentations by Public Governor Melvyn Jeremiah, Professor Sir Christopher Edwards (Chairman), Heather Lawrence (Chief Executive) and Lorraine Bewes (Director of Finance).

There will also be an opportunity to quiz the Board of Directors during a Question and Answer session and refreshments will be served afterwards.

Further information: Renae McBride (Communications Manager) 020 3315 6829

The hospital’s mobile health clinic bus will be outside legendary gay venue the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (aka the RVT) from 2–6pm on Sunday during the popular S.L.A.G.S/CHILL-OUT Sunday session.

Staff from St Stephen’s AIDS Trust Clinical Trials Unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital will be looking for HIV negative and HIV positive volunteers to take part in clinical trials while nurses from Chelsea and Westminster will be offering rapid HIV tests.

The Chelsea and Westminster mobile clinic has seen more than 500 patients in the last 12 months in locations as varied as Chelsea Football Club, Notting Hill Carnival and Gay Pride.

This innovative approach to testing for HIV aims to target people who might not go to a sexual health clinic for a test.

New figures published by the Health Protection Agency earlier this year revealed that the number of HIV cases has doubled in the last 10 years but it is thought that many more cases go undiagnosed.

Dr Marta Boffito, Consultant in HIV Medicine and Clinical Lead in Clinical Trials at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, says: “Many people won't come to sexual health clinics so we are going to them to offer a rapid HIV test with the results available in minutes.

“Our service is completely free and confidential. We hope lots of people at the RVT will take the opportunity to come and get themselves checked out this Sunday.”

The meeting will be held at 5:30pm on Thursday 15 September in the Restaurant on the Lower Ground Floor of the hospital—everyone is welcome.

The Annual Members' Meeting will include presentations by Public Governor Melvyn Jeremiah, Professor Sir Christopher Edwards (Chairman), Heather Lawrence (Chief Executive) and Lorraine Bewes (Director of Finance)—there will also be an opportunity to quiz the Board of Directors during a Question and Answer session and refreshments will be served afterwards.

• Download the programme (PDF)

The Friends Patient Support Project is an exciting new project, launched earlier this year, run by Serena Venticonti (Patient Support Co-ordinator) with a wonderful team of more than 30 volunteers who help patients in a variety of ways:

• Visiting patients: Volunteers spend time chatting to patients, reading to them and running errands such as going to the Hospital Shop on their behalf.
• Mealtime assistance: It is very important for patients, particularly elderly patients, to eat well in hospital and so our volunteers are trained by our clinical staff to be able to safely help at mealtimes, sometimes by just providing some company and encouragement and on other occasions by giving physical assistance.
• 'Here to help': From talking to members of the public we found that visitors sometimes struggle to find their way around the hospital. At peak periods, our volunteers spend time in the hospital directing patients and visitors to different departments and, if necessary, accompanying them to where they need to go.
• 'Request a volunteer': We have recently launched a new part to this project called 'Request a volunteer'. Often it is not possible for friends and family members to visit someone in hospital as much as they would like. We wanted to set up a system whereby these patients could be visited by volunteers on behalf of their loved ones.

Click here to request a volunteer now

She says: “I hope my blog will offer an interesting insight into life at Chelsea and Westminster and I look forward to using it as a way of keeping staff, patients, members of the public, GPs and others regularly informed and receiving feedback.

“I hope it will help to let everyone know more about what is going on at Chelsea and Westminster and give an insight into some of the things we have to tackle to make sure we provide the best possible care to patients.”

• View Heather's Blog

The events are free and will provide women with the opportunity to meet our midwives, talk to experts about their pregnancy and learn about the birth options that are available.

There will be a chance to see a range of equipment that can be used during birth, including the increasingly popular birthing pool and our new ‘Multi-Track’ system which helps women stay active and adopt a range of upright positions during labour.

Visitors will also have the chance to see our Birthing Unit, which is available for women who want one to one care by midwives and a birth in a home like setting.

The Birthing Unit—suitable for women with uncomplicated pregnancies—includes private rooms which have been designed to give women and their partners a low-tech, serene atmosphere.

Details

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH

• Monday 12 September, 9am–5pm
  Academic Atrium, Lower Ground Floor
• Wednesday 14 September, 11am – 4pm
  ‘The Tent’, 2nd Floor

To book a tour of our Birthing Unit please call 020 3315 5371.

This information is designed to be shared with our patients, members and the public to illustrate how we are doing against these new indicators. The data covers all attendances at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital from April to July 2011.

• Visit the A&E Clinical Quality Indicators page

Construction work started in June and was completed on time. A follow-on project to replace flooring and redecorate the Obstetrics and Ultrasound Department at the rear of the Antenatal Clinic has already started and is due to be completed by 29 August.

Vivien Bell, Head of Midwifery, says: “The refurbishment of the Antenatal Clinic will result in an enhanced patient experience for pregnant women by improving the flow of patients through the clinic and also improving privacy.”

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s maternity services are increasingly popular with women:

• 5,738 deliveries in Maternity in 2010/11—compared with 5,497 in 2009/10, 5,311 in 2008/09 and 5,177 in 2007/08
• 95% of women said their care at Chelsea and Westminster was ‘Excellent’, ‘Very good’ or ‘Good’ in the Care Quality Commission’s latest national survey of women’s experiences of maternity services

We hope that the refurbishment of the Antenatal Clinic will improve further women’s experience of maternity services at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

As a result, Fulham Road will be closed on Sunday 14 August from 4am–3pm.

While the road closures are in place, access to the hospital building will be affected and there is likely to be heavy traffic congestion in the surrounding area.

The footpaths around the hospital are also likely to be congested with spectators and Fulham Road will be heavily marshalled with designated crossing points.

Visitors are strongly advised to avoid visiting the hospital during this time.

Public transport

A number of bus diversions will be in place, including the 14, 414 and 211 buses which passes the hospital, however night buses will continue to run along Fulham Road until 7am.

If you are travelling by Tube, please note that the hospital will only be easily accessible via stations located on the south side of Fulham Road (eg Sloane Square station). Tubes are expected to be very busy and some stations may shut if they become too congested.

There are also planned engineering works which will affect the following lines:

• Circle—planned closure of the full line
• District—suspended between Edgware Road and Earls Court
• Hammersmith and City—no service between Baker Street and Hammersmith
• Northern—no service between Camden Town and Kennington via Bank and no stopping at Tottenham Court Road
• There will also be no service on London Overground between Clapham Junction and Willesden Junction—this includes Imperial Wharf and West Brompton stations, which will be closed

Access to the hospital car park

While the road closures are in place, access to the hospital car park will be restricted.

Visitors requiring access will need to make arrangements beforehand.

Please speak to the Nurse or Midwife in charge of the ward the day before and provide them with your car details. You will not be allowed access if you haven't provided this information.

Vehicle access to the hospital car park will only be available via Redcliffe Gardens (this is a one-way street) - please see the map overleaf. Please be aware that this route will be completely closed from 8–9:30am and 10:40–11:50am.

Pedestrian access to the hospital building

There will be barriers in place along Fulham Road, with limited pedestrian crossover points. Please be aware that you will not be able to cross Fulham Road while the cyclists are passing the crossover points.

Further information about road closures, bus diversions and maps of affected areas can be found on the Transport for London website.

It includes 10 key facts about the Trust, the personal viewpoints of our Chairman Professor Sir Christopher Edwards and Chief Executive Heather Lawrence, together with a month-by-month review of our year.

• Download our Annual Review
  
  

The Trust has also published its Annual Report & Accounts for the 2010/11 financial year.

• Download our Annual Report & Accounts
  
  

In addition, the Trust’s Quality Account is also available.

• Download our Quality Account
  
  

The Council of Governors Quality Awards are supported by our Foundation Trust Governors who are elected by patients, members of the public and staff.

Thanks to their support, team winners receive £250 and individual winners receive £100.

Team winners

SWiSH team (John Hunter Clinic)

Photo: SWiSH team with Melvyn Jeremiah (Public Governor—centre) and Cathy Mooney (Director of Governance—2nd right)

A team of senior nurses and health advisers—led by Kate Cook, Lee Watson and Lala Caveley—have developed and implemented SWiSH, a sexual health outreach service for sex workers run in partnership with the Terrence Higgins Trust.

It is a weekly nurse-led service in Earls Court that reaches out to sex workers who are at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections and HIV and who may not access mainstream sexual health or primary care services.

During its first year, the service saw 228 patients and diagnosed new cases of both HIV and sexually transmitted infections including herpes, syphilis and chlamydia.

It successfully targeted a hard-to-reach group of people and tackled the problem of undiagnosed infections which affect both those individuals and other people with whom they have sexual contact.

Communications Department

Photo: Communications Department with Dr Mike Anderson (Medical Director—centre) and Carol Dale (Staff Governor—2nd right)

The Communications Department—Matt Akid, Renae McBride and George Vasilopoulos—ran a staff flu vaccination internal communications campaign to address the challenge of increasing a low rate of staff vaccination.

This low rate of vaccination was a cause for concern in December 2010 when there was an increase in flu cases in London, some caused by the swine flu virus.

The Communications team worked closely with the Occupational Health Department which ran most vaccination clinics, senior nurses who vaccinated staff in wards and departments, the Emergency Planning Lead and other staff to communicate the benefits of flu vaccination to staff and to increase the number of staff vaccinated.

During the campaign—which included posters featuring clinical leaders such as the Medical Director and the Director of Infection Prevention and Control advocating vaccination—the number of staff vaccinated against flu increased from 270 in mid-December 2010 to 1,855 in late February 2011.

Individual winner

Sarah Masterson (Tissue Viability Nurse)

Photo: Sarah Masterson with Susan Maxwell (Patient Governor—left) and Cathy Mooney (right)

Sarah was nominated for her role in leading an initiative to reduce pressure ulcer incidence across the Trust.

Sarah's work included providing education for ward staff about wound assessment and reporting, establishing ownership of the challenge of reducing the number of patients with pressure ulcers among matrons and ward managers, and helping to establish a Pressure Ulcer Action Group to take issues forward.

Thanks to this initiative, pressure ulcer incidence in the Trust was almost halved in less than 12 months—from 9.29% in July 2010 to 5.05% in March 2011.

Sarah is now developing a 'care bundle' for pressure ulcers and working with colleagues to produce a library of photos of patient positioning techniques for use in staff education and on the wards.

The series, which will follow the lives of eight junior doctors at work and at home, is being filmed over the next three months and is due to be broadcast in six one-hour episodes on BBC3 starting in January 2012.

Staff, patients and visitors will see the BBC cameras out and about in the hospital from now until the end of October as they shine a light on the experiences of the junior doctors.

Filming is being carried out sensitively by an experienced production team, working closely with the Trust's Communications Department, and procedures for gaining consent to filming and broadcast of footage from both patients and staff were agreed before cameras started rolling earlier this month.

The first series of Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands, which was set in Newcastle, won Best Popular Factual programme in the Broadcast Digital Awards.

A team of midwives and doctors are preparing to travel to Gimbie in Western Ethiopia in December to provide emergency obstetric training to local health practitioners.

The team will work with three hospitals in the local area, training around 20 local people—many of whom have only basic medical training.

This is the second time a group of Chelsea and Westminster staff have travelled to Gimbie, where 1 in 21 women die during pregnancy and childbirth. It's part of an ongoing project, which will see a team of staff make the trip twice a year.

They will be teaching basic skills in emergency obstetric care including how to stop bleeding, resuscitation techniques and skills to manage difficult deliveries such as when a baby is in a breech position.

Mr Marwood said: "The people we will be working with in Ethiopia who have only basic or no medical training. For example, staff who are originally employed as cleaners in the hospital can end up working as healthcare assistants with very little training and having to care for women with serious obstetric complications."

The team will be taking a range of training equipment such as mannequins, to teach basic skills that will hopefully enable the local staff to help save the lives of women and their babies. By continuing to educate and train the staff in Ethiopia, the long-term quality and standard of care that the women receive in Gimbie will improve.

They will also undertake some active work in the rural areas of Ethiopia and see people with underlying medical conditions and infections such as malaria which are uncommon in the UK.

Mr Marwood continued: "In this country it is uncommon to see women with fulminating eclampsia or a ruptured uterus because, obstetric teams regularly participate in mandatory training which enable them to recognise the early signs and start treatment.

"It will be a unique experience for everyone and we're all getting very excited."

The team chosen were selected following written applications, which were assessed by a committee who made the final decision.

• Support the team travelling to Gimbie by making a donation

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has unveiled a new Birthing Unit for women who want a homebirth experience, but in a hospital setting.

The Birthing Unit—suitable for women with uncomplicated pregnancies who are expecting a normal delivery—includes private rooms which have been designed to give women and their partners a low-tech, serene atmosphere.

The rooms include double beds, subtle lighting and beanbags, plus access to a birthing pool and other equipment such as birthing balls and stools to help women find a comfortable position during labour and delivery.

Shereen Jones (Labour Ward Matron) says: “The Birthing Unit is perfect for women who like the idea of a homebirth, but want the security of having extra medical support nearby if it’s needed.

“We aim to make labour and birth as normal and special for women as possible, so the new facility allows us to provide a sanctuary within a busy hospital environment.

“Women will have the freedom to choose whatever position they find the most comfortable for the birth and this also includes a birthing pool which is located within the Unit.”

The Birthing Unit is suitable for low-risk women who have had an uncomplicated pregnancy and want to give birth naturally without the use of an epidural. In the unlikely event that more support is needed during birth, women can be transferred to the nearby Labour Ward.

Davinia, who was treated for burns at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital having been injured in the Tube train bombing at Edgware Road station on 7 July 2005, launched the fundraising appeal on 7 July last year—the fifth anniversary of the London bombings.

The image of Davinia clutching a surgical burns mask to her face in the aftermath of the Edgware Road bombing came to symbolise the bravery of Londoners on that day.

Davinia Turrell says: “I was honoured and excited that Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity asked me to launch their Burns Appeal because I know that burns can have many lasting psychosocial effects on people, no matter the size and location of their injuries and scars.

“When I was treated at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, I had help from a post-traumatic stress counsellor but there wasn’t a dedicated psychologist attached to the Burns Service.  Since then Dr Lisa Williams has been appointed as a clinical psychologist to set up the psychological service for adults and I have worked with her closely to create and fund a project to improve access to psychological care.

“Thanks to the generosity of everyone who donated money to the Burns Appeal which I launched on 7/7 last year, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has now appointed clinical psychologist Dr Sally Norwood to run a dedicated psychological screening service for the next two years. I am delighted that this will improve further the already excellent quality of care that staff in the Burns Service provide to patients.”

The Burns Service at Chelsea and Westminster treats approximately 500 new inpatients every year. It is the only Burns Service in London providing specialist care for adults and children with complex burn injuries.

Clinical Psychologist Dr Sally Norwood has been appointed to ensure that all burns inpatients receive an assessment of their psychosocial needs on admission to hospital, as well as ongoing screening and monitoring to highlight issues in the years after they suffer a burn.

Dr Sally Norwood explains: “By screening patients when they are first admitted to hospital and at other key points of their treatment journey, we can assess their psychological needs and resources and then provide timely interventions to promote the emotional wellbeing of patients and their families.”

Mr Greg Williams, Burns Service Lead at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital says:  “On behalf of the entire Burns Service, I would like to express my gratitude to all those individuals, including many former patients, who have so generously donated money to the Burns Appeal.

“We hope that Sally’s appointment will help us to demonstrate the benefits of screening patients to identify potential psychological issues, address them early and help with recovery.”

Gary Lawson, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity added: “We are delighted that the Burns Appeal has raised awareness of the excellent work that staff in the Burns Service provide for their patients and we are extremely grateful to more than 500 donors who helped us to raise more than £100,000.

“We would like to encourage people to continue donating to the Health Charity so that we can support Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in other ways.”

Donations to Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity can be made at www.chelwestcharity.org.uk.

Jason Bradbury (left), co-host of The Gadget Show, launched the Pluto Appeal at a star-studded event at top venue Altitude 360 Black in Milllbank Tower.

The Pluto Appeal is part of the Children's Sunshine Appeal at Chelsea and Westminster which aims to raise £5 million towards our brand new children's hospital, due to open to patients in early 2012.

It has been named to tie in with the planet names of our children's wards and to help children and parents identify with the concept of robotic surgery.

Jason Bradbury, who approached The Children's Hospital Trust Fund to offer his help when he heard about the appeal, launched a revolutionary fundraising website idea at the event.

The idea is based on the 'million dollar website' concept which means that pixels of the robot can be bought for £1 at www.theplutoappeal.com.

The charity was lent a surgical robot for the event which was demonstrated by Mr Munther Haddad, one of the country's leading paediatric surgeons who pioneered endoscopic surgery.

Entertainment for the evening included a live gadget auction conducted by Jason Bradbury and various robotic acts including R2D2 and Titan the Robot.

Celebrity guests attended the launch event including singer and actor Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who had both her children at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, actor John Hannah, Nancy Dell'Olio, and Phil and Paul Hartnoll of electronic band Ortibal.

• For more information, please contact The Children's Hospital Trust Fund on 020 3315 8956 or visit their website www.chtrustfund.org.uk

Photo (above left): A demonstration of the robot

Photo (above right): Munther Haddad (Paediatric Surgeon, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital) speaks as Jason Bradbury looks on

The programme will follow the lives of seven junior doctors (FY1s and FY2s) at work and at home when they start working in the hospital on 1 August.

Filming will continue until the end of October and the series is due to be broadcast on BBC3 in January 2012.

The first series, which was set in Newcastle, proved a ratings and critical success—it won Best Popular Factual programme in the recent Broadcast Digital Awards.

Filming will be carried out sensitively by an experienced production team, working closely with the Trust's Communications Department, and consent procedures will be agreed before cameras come into the hospital in August.

Zai Bennett, Controller of BBC3, says: “Junior Doctors has been one of the stand-out original programmes on BBC3 this year. I am delighted that we are bringing it back with a new cast of young doctors in a new location.”

Lucy Shepherd, BBC Series Producer for Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands, is one of the BBC team who will be filming in the hospital over the next few months.

She says: “We are delighted to be filming a second series of the programme at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital because it has a reputation for attracting some of the best young doctors and we are looking forward to filming a new set of FY1s and FY2s as they begin their rotation in August.

“The first series achieved record viewing figures for BBC3 and was widely acclaimed both within the medical profession and by the viewers at home.

“Our filming will be observational, with a Producer and Assistant Producer assigned to each junior doctor following them with a small handheld camera as they begin work on the wards.”

The enormous parcel had been travelling all over the UK over the last 10 days, visiting towns and cities including Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and London. 25 special wishes have been granted during the tour at 25 different locations, to young people who are fighting life-threatening illnesses and the hospitals that care for them. At each stop, a layer was peeled off by the child or hospital staff to reveal the gift.

The ‘Pass the Parcel’ tour made its final stop at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital where the last of the 25 parcel layers was unwrapped, revealing a special gift—the experience of being a princess for the day that made a wish come true for four year old Lois Ladkin-Brown.

Melanie Guinan (Modern Matron, Paediatric Services) said: “We are so excited to be part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for Make-A-Wish this June and to be involved in the ‘Pass the Parcel’ tour. Make-A-Wish has been a great support to so many children, families and hospitals in the UK over the past quarter of a century and we hope that this will continue for many years to come.”

As part of the exercise, the hospital's Evacuation Plan will be tested to rehearse how the hospital would work together with other organisations—for example police, fire and ambulance services—in the event of a real major incident.

The hospital will continue to provide a full service as usual and patients and visitors should experience little or no disruption.

One of the hospital’s wards will be evacuated and the exercise will involve hospital staff, actors who will play the part of casualties, and emergency services including police, fire and ambulance.

During the exercise, emergency service vehicles will be located outside the hospital on Fulham Road and they may also be parked in Hollywood Road (adjacent to the hospital).

Please do not be alarmed or concerned—it is all part of the training exercise.

For further information about the training exercise, please contact Catherine Sands (Acting Emergency Planning Lead Officer) on 020 8746 8000 and ask for bleep 6729.

Professor Gazzard, 65, is a Gastroenterologist and General Physician at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital where he was instrumental in establishing the HIV unit in 1987—it is now the largest HIV treatment centre in Europe. He is the Director of HIV Clinical Research & Education at Chelsea and Westminster which is recognised as a global centre of excellence for the treatment of and research into HIV.

Professor Gazzard was one of the founders of the HIV/AIDS research charity St Stephen's AIDS Trust in 1991 and he remains a Trustee of the charity, based at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this month.

He is also the founding Chair of the British HIV Association (BHIVA), chairing the BHIVA Executive from 1995–2004, and Chair of the Department of Health’s Expert Advisory Group on AIDS.

Dr Simon Barton, Clinical Director for HIV & Sexual Health at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, said: “Professor Gazzard has championed the combination of holistic and caring medicine with cutting edge research.

“He has inspired and taught a generation of clinicians all over the world and continues to challenge complacency in the fight against HIV and AIDS globally.”

Chris Birch, an elected patient representative on the hospital’s Council of Governors, said: "Brian's CBE is richly deserved and long overdue. He saw one of the first cases of HIV disease in this country and tells some amazing stories of the early days of the HIV pandemic.

“He is a fascinating, charming, funny man and one of the bonuses of being a Governor has been getting to know him and watching him play an active part in the governance of the hospital he loves."

Paul Decle, who chairs Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s HIV patient forum, added: It is wonderful news that Professor Gazzard has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

“Countless thousands are still alive today thanks to the dedication of Brian and the staff in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s HIV directorate and St Stephen’s AIDS Trust.”

Construction work in the clinic, which is located on the Ground Floor of the hospital, is due for completion on Monday 25 July and the revamped clinic should be fully operational on Monday 8 August.

Vivien Bell, Head of Midwifery, says: “There may be some disruption while the work is ongoing but we will be making every effort to keep this to a minimum.

“We hope that the refurbishment will result in an enhanced patient experience for pregnant women by improving the flow of patients through the clinic and also improving privacy.”

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s maternity services are increasingly popular with women:

• 5,738 deliveries in Maternity in 2010/11—compared with 5,497 in 2009/10, 5,311 in 2008/09 and 5,177 in 2007/08
• 95% of women said their care at Chelsea and Westminster was ‘Excellent’, ‘Very good’ or ‘Good’ in the Care Quality Commission’s latest national survey of women’s experiences of maternity services

We hope that the refurbishment of the Antenatal Clinic will improve further women’s experience of maternity services at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

This pilot intends to integrate the care of people who are aged over 75 or who have diabetes from an initial population of 375,000. It has been clinically led by GPs, hospital doctors and community care professionals to develop a way to provide delivery of highly co-ordinated and patient-centred care. This model is unique to previous efforts—it involves more partners than ever before sharing both risk and benefit equally from reward.

Professor Chris Ham, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, said of the pilot: “Clinically integrated care offers real benefits for patients and helps to ensure that resources are used efficiently. The North West London Integrated Care Pilot provides an opportunity to demonstrate these benefits for people with diabetes and frail older people. Its progress will be watched carefully as the NHS rises to the twin challenges of an ageing population and the increased prevalence of chronic disease.”

By working in an innovative way patients will see their GP work more closely with hospital doctors and social care teams (if necessary) to understand their needs and plan the best care. The aim is to improve patient experience, ensure consistent use of guidelines to promote best practice, strengthen support care co-ordination across care pathways, reduce unwarranted variations or gaps in care, and prevent admissions to hospitals and nursing homes through management of long-term conditions within primary care settings.

Central to achieving this will be aligned financial incentives that support providers to work collaboratively by avoiding any perverse effects of activity-based payments.

The North West London Integrated Care Pilot begins this month and runs for a year, serving patients from Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow and Ealing. It lifts the boundaries between hospitals, community care services, social care and local authority to allow faster access for patients and a stronger focus on their long-term needs.

Through integrated care, providers can work together as a team so that patients receive the right kind of treatment in the right place at the right time. Partners leading the pilot have expressed their strong support for the initiative and the benefits in moving from recognised best practice to working together in reality for the greater good of North West London residents.

Heather Lawrence OBE, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “High quality care is dependent on organisations working seamlessly to provide patient centred care. The Integrated Care Pilot seeks to join up providers in North West London to provide integrated care to people with diabetes and the frail elderly. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is proud to join the Integrated Care Pilot in the second wave.”

Dr Iñaki Bovill, Consultant Physician and Geriatrician at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital said: “The Integrated Care Pilot aims to link up primary, secondary and tertiary care for diabetic and elderly patients. The patients’ needs will be at the centre of this process and will be the focus and driver for it. Planning care across provider borders and sharing the necessary information will enable us to pro-actively care for frail elderly to prevent them slipping down the scale.”

Anne Rainsberry, Chief Executive of NHS North West London said: “We are delighted to be part of such a pioneering initiative for North West London. This pilot lays down key elements that are needed to make integrated care work, such as a collaborative culture where providers work together towards common goals, the involvement of patients making decisions about their own care and clinical leadership. We are confident that this approach will result in success and benefit all those involved.”

Mark Davies, Chief Executive of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said: “This completely new way of working will see health professionals from each part of these patients’ pathways come together to provide truly integrated care. By breaking down artificial barriers across different parts of the health service, we aim to offer higher quality care in the most appropriate setting and improve the patient experience.”

James Reilly, Chief Executive of Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust said: “The Integrated Care Pilot is unique in that it builds capability for primary, community and healthcare services to work collaboratively to safely support people at home, thus reducing unnecessary hospital stays. It is a direct response to patients and carers who seek more seamless, joined-up healthcare delivery. We at CLCH, as the host for the pilot, wholeheartedly embrace this opportunity to provide the best quality patient centred care.”

Photo (above): Andrew Lansley (Secretary of State for Health) unveils a plaque to officially open the new Lower Ground Floor Outpatients Department at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

Photo (right): Mr Lansley uses one of the self check-in kiosks with Jo Pierre (Nurse Manager) and Professor Sir Christopher Edwards (Chairman)

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s new state-of-the-art Outpatients Department was officially opened by Andrew Lansley, Secretary of State for Health, today.

The department is a world away from the traditional image of a hospital clinic.

Heather Lawrence, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, says: “Our new Outpatients Department provides an ‘airport style’ quality of service to patients including self check-in for patients, light and airy waiting areas, and ‘gates’ that patients are called to before their appointment so they are in the right place at the right time for their treatment.”

A patient survey was carried out to ensure that the new Outpatients Department was designed to meet patients’ needs.

Therese Davis, Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Flow & Patient Experience, explains: “We asked our patients what they wanted from the new department and we have been able to introduce many of the facilities they asked for including self check-in kiosks, a coffee shop and baby changing.”

Dedicated treatment rooms for more minor surgical procedures mean that patients do not have to be admitted to hospital unnecessarily.

The treatment rooms also make possible ‘one-stop clinics’ so that patients can have all the tests they need during a single hospital visit.

Chelsea and Westminster’s Foundation Trust status has made the development of the new Outpatients Department possible—as a Foundation Trust, the hospital can reinvest its financial surpluses and access the Foundation Trust Financing Facility to improve patient care.

The development cost £2.4 million which has been funded by a combination of surpluses and a loan from the Foundation Trust Financing Facility.

Mr Lansley says: “This new development encapsulates the spirit of modern NHS—designed ‎with patients and their views at its heart. ‎

‎“Chelsea and Westminster was able to unveil this fantastic new facility for ‎patients within months. Foundation trusts are free to make decisions more ‎quickly than other NHS trusts—this means patients get innovative new ‎services more quickly. ‎

‎“Through their members, foundation trusts are connected with their ‎community, and through their independence, they are able to act quickly. This ‎is what we want to see for all NHS trusts—strong organisations that are ‎sustainable and accountable to their local people.”‎

Rob Ryan

Hospital Arts, part of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibition of prints by Rob Ryan at the Rhys Williams Gallery at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

With characteristic whimsical beauty, these works harness the distinctive, evocative qualities of the hand-crafted papercut and draw the viewer into a world of romance. Ryan tells stories of love and beauty through his art, with heartfelt messages woven into every scene: some amusing, some poignant, and some laced with melancholy. Calling to mind the fairytales of our youth, Ryan's simple subjects belie the painstaking and sophisticated manner of their creation—every piece is hand cut with the smallest of scalpels, from the finest of papers.

Rob Ryan studied fine art at Nottingham Trent Polytechnic before going on to an MA in printmaking at the Royal College of Art. A highly acclaimed illustrator specialising in paper cuts and limited edition screen prints, he showed with TAG Fine Arts at the gallery's London Art Fair launch in 2007. Since then, Ryan’s intricate and beguiling paper cuts have acquired a huge public following, and have appeared in collaborations with high profile figures in the fashion world including Lulu Guinness, Tatty Devine, Liberty of London, Ernest Sewn, Paul Smith, Elle Magazine and Vogue. His designs illustrate his own book This Is For You, a romantic fairy-tale told through paper cut art, and also The Gift (a poignant children’s tale by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy). In 2010 Ryan was the subject of a highly acclaimed solo exhibition, The Stars Shine All Day Too, at the Air Gallery in Dover Street, London, organised by TAG Fine Arts, where these prints were launched.

Katherine Mellor, Arts Director for Hospital Arts added: “We are extremely grateful to Rob and TAG Fine Arts for allowing the Rhys Williams Gallery to show these beautiful prints. Hospital Arts is committed to showing imaginative work of a high calibre. We hope that patients, staff and visitors to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital will take the opportunity to visit the gallery.”

Please call 020 3315 6600 or email charity@chelwestcharity.org.uk for more information on the exhibition.

25% of all sale proceeds from this exhibition go to Hospital Arts to fund future visual and performing arts projects within Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

The ‘Faster, Closer, Earlier’ campaign with 90TEN Healthcare raised awareness of rapid HIV testing among gay men in Soho—last year 56 Dean Street identified 1 in 17 of all new HIV diagnoses in the UK.

The campaign, which has also been shortlisted in two categories of the Communique Awards 2011 to be announced in July, used initiatives such as street graffiti, a branded high-performance sports car (main photo), and partnerships with sports clubs and bars to help increase the number of new HIV diagnoses at the clinic by 24% and boosted awareness of testing through extensive, targeted media coverage.

Dr Alan McOwan, Service Director for Sexual Health at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, commented: “Beyond the excitement of the campaign—which was significant—its underlying legacy is in helping to extend the lives of those people we’ve diagnosed sooner and those we’ve helped to educate. I'm delighted that the creativity and innovation that went into this campaign has been recognised.”

56 Dean Street offers free, confidential walk-in HIV testing throughout opening hours with results available in just five minutes.

The centre is open 8am–7pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 12–4pm Wednesday, 9am–4pm Friday and 11am–4pm Saturday.

Andrew Lansley said: "I am delighted to be taking part in this live online interview and hope people will follow it and comment on Twitter. Research is vital in providing the new knowledge necessary to deliver continuously improving quality services and outcomes for patients."

Professor Derek Bell said: "This interview aims to introduce a new angle to the listening exercise: continuous quality improvement. What is the quality improvement opportunity presented by the White Paper and the draft Bill? The interview combined with live tweets will hopefully continue the transparent inclusive debate to help answer the question."

95% of children and young people aged 8–17 rate their care at Chelsea and Westminster as ‘Excellent’, ‘Very good’ or ‘Good’ in the latest national survey of children who have received treatment as hospital inpatients.

Their positive view of the care that we provide is also supported by parents of younger children who cannot complete the survey themselves—94% of parents of children aged 0–7 rated their care at Chelsea and Westminster as ‘Excellent’, ‘Very good’ or ‘Good’.

Our performance has improved markedly in comparison with 2008 when the last survey was carried out.

Areas in which performance has improved significantly since 2008 include involving children in their treatment decisions, children feeling less frightened in hospital, quality and choice of food, our pre-assessment service, privacy and nurse staffing levels.

We scored best of 27 hospitals nationwide surveyed by the Picker Institute in areas including children feeling less frightened in hospital, less noise from staff at night, surgeons answering questions fully and in a way that children understand, and a pre-assessment visit being particularly beneficial.

Areas in which performance has worsened significantly since 2008 include helping children with bathing and getting the balance right between too much and too little parental involvement.

Lyn Ronnie, Clinical Nurse Lead, says: “The overall results are very encouraging and reflect the high quality of work by clinicians and support staff during a time of significant upheaval due to building work and temporary moves of inpatient wards. Thank you to all staff for their contribution.

“As the designated centre for specialist paediatric and neonatal surgery in North West London, it is particularly pleasing to note that the paediatric surgical service—surgeons and pre-assessment teams—is rated highly by patients and their families.

“Areas identified as needing improvement will be addressed by the new children’s facilities currently under construction (Netherton Grove project) and the new pathways of care that these facilities will help us deliver when they open to patients in early 2012.”

More than 800 women have been treated by our Westminster Community Gynaecology Service since it was launched a year ago – and 94% of women taking part in patient surveys have rated their care as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’.

The service, which the Trust provides for Westminster residents on behalf of NHS Westminster, means that women can benefit from the expertise of the hospital’s specialist staff in a setting which is closer to their home and more convenient.

There are four clinics a week at venues including South Westminster Centre for Health, Marylebone Health Centre and Westbourne Green Surgery.

The service is provided by a consultant and a specialist nurse, with support from a healthcare assistant/administrator, and treats women for a range of conditions including pelvic pain, menstrual disorders, menopause concerns and infertility.

It is not suitable for all conditions (such as suspected cancer) and some patients will need to be referred directly to hospital.

Patients can expect an appointment within two weeks of referral from their GP.

This is just one example of the increasing number of services that the Trust is providing in the local community, closer to where patients live.

• Find out more about the Westminster Community Gynaecology Service for patients and GPs

The number of visitors to our website has almost doubled in the last two years—in 2010 almost 500,000 visitors logged on.

So what’s new on the website this month?

• Your Hospital Visit—new section of the website that aims to answer all the questions that patients and their friends, family and visitors have about their hospital visit
• Pharmacy Services—revamped area of the website with information about services for patients and about careers for prospective staff
• Private Patient Services—new section of the website with detailed information about all services for non-NHS patients
• Four new Sexual Health Services videos—find out everything you need to know about a visit to one of our sexual health centres with staff from the John Hunter Clinic

56 Dean Street offers free, confidential walk-in HIV testing throughout opening hours with results available in just five minutes.

The centre is open 8am–7pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 12-4pm Wednesday, 9am–4pm Friday and 11am–4pm Saturday.

The ‘Faster, Closer, Earlier’ campaign with 90TEN Healthcare to raise awareness of rapid HIV testing has been shortlisted in two categories of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ Excellence Awards 2011 and also in two categories of the Communique Awards 2011.

The campaign used initiatives such as street graffiti, a branded high-performance sports car, and partnerships with sports clubs and bars to help increase the number of new HIV diagnoses at the clinic by 24% and boosted awareness of testing through extensive, targeted media coverage.

Dr Alan McOwan, Service Director for Sexual Health at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, commented: “Beyond the excitement of the campaign—which was significant—its underlying legacy is in helping to extend the lives of those people we’ve diagnosed sooner and those we’ve helped to educate.

“I’m delighted that the creativity and innovation that went into this campaign has been recognised.”

Recent statistics show that 94% of the 5,500 women who have their baby at Chelsea and Westminster every year have skin to skin contact with their baby soon after birth—the highest rate of any NHS maternity unit in London.

Skin to skin contact is recognised to be a good start to breastfeeding and this is demonstrated by the fact that 95% of women who have their baby at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital start breastfeeding after giving birth—compared with a national average of just 76%.

Giuseppe Labriola (Specialist Midwife: Infant Feeding Co-ordinator) says “Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is actively committed to supporting breastfeeding, ensuring that the care delivered to women and their babies is of a high standard. Stage 2 Accreditation from the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative reinforces the fact that all our staff are committed to ensure that mothers receive the best possible support and experience with breastfeeding.”

Photo: Heather Lawrence (Chief Executive), Sue Ashmore (Programme Director for UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Intitiative), Ann Jarrett (Neonatal Education Lead), Vivien Bell (Head of Midwifery), Giuseppe Labriola (Specialist Midwife: Infant Feeding Co-ordinator), Natalie Allain (Infant Feeding Support Midwife) and Janice Boyd (Neonatal Sister)

He was joined by Health Minister Anne Milton, Professor Steve Field (Chair of the NHS Future Forum), Dame Christine Beasley (Chief Nursing Officer) and Karen Middleton (Chief Allied Health Professions Officer).

The event took place in the new Lower Ground Floor Outpatients Department which opened to patients in January this year.

This was Mr Cameron’s first visit to Chelsea and Westminster as Prime Minister—he last visited the hospital in January 2010 as Leader of the Opposition when he met patients and staff on the Maternity Unit.

This was the second listening event at Chelsea and Westminster in the last three weeks—Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg visited Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on 27 April for the first listening event on NHS modernisation exclusively for patients.

He also met patients and staff during a tour of the hospital including the Stroke Unit and the new Outpatients Department.

Following the tour, Mr Clegg and Care Services Minister Paul Burstow met more than 30 patients from the local area including Foundation Trust Governors to hear their views and discuss modernisation plans.

Photo (top): Prime Minister David Cameron with Therese Davis (Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Flow & Patient Experience), Heather Lawrence (Chief Executive) and Prof Sir Christopher Edwards (Chairman)

Prime Minister David Cameron walks through the new Lower Ground Floor Outpatients Department with Charmaine Robinson (Senior Staff Nurse) and Heather Lawrence (Chief Executive)

Prime Minister David Cameron makes a point with Natasha Thomas (Ultrasonographer) and Kathryn Mangold (Clinical Nurse Lead) watching on

This new service, which is completely free and confidential, includes:

• Screening for sexual infections
• Same day HIV result (results available in less than 1 hour)
• Hepatitis B testing and vaccination
• Hepatitis C testing
• Cervical cytology
• Safer sex advice, free condoms and lubricant
• Results by telephone or text

Appointments take place both at the Gender Identity Clinic—located at 179–183 Fulham Palace Road, W6 8QZ (above the Sainsbury’s Local supermarket)—on the third Wednesday of every month from 1:30–4pm (the next clinic is on 15 June) and at the West London Centre for Sexual Health, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, W6 8RF.

To book an appointment, phone the health advisers at the West London Centre for Sexual Health on 020 8846 1579 and ask for the Gold Service.

• Further information about specialist and outreach services at West London Centre for Sexual Health

This year's event was the most exciting ever with fantastic prize draws where visitors won an Apple iPad, and iPod Shuffle, a bicycle and a Nintendo DSi. Our younger vistors also had the chance to enjoy some of the regular attractions including the ever-popular Teddy Bear Hospital.

The theme of this year's Open Day was 'Your hospital, your health, your say' which reflects our view that that Chelsea and Westminster belongs to all who use its services, work here or live locally. For the first time ever visitors could have a mini Health MOT in our brand new Lower Ground Floor Outpatients Department and test the innovative self-check-in facility.

The event was made possible by the generous support of our Foundation Trust Council of Governors which includes representatives of patients, members of the public and our staff. We would like to thank our Governors for their support.

• Visit the Open Day page which includes a gallery of highlights from the day

This year’s event promises to be the most exciting ever with fantastic prizes to be won including an Apple iPad and a Nintendo DS. Vistors can also expect to see some of the regular attractions for families and children including the ever-popular Teddy Bear Hospital.

The theme of this year’s Open Day is ‘Your hospital, your health, your say’ which reflects our view that that Chelsea and Westminster belongs to all who use its services, work here or live locally.

The event is made possible by the generous support of our Foundation Trust Council of Governors which includes representatives of patients, members of the public and our staff. We would like to thank our Governors for their support, which enables us to open our doors so that you can find out more about your local hospital.

• Download a PDF of the 2011 Open Day programme

There will be special sessions held throughout the day highlighting the different career options available and there will be plenty of opportunities to chat to experts in many different specialties including nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, pharmacy and medicine. Visitors to the event will also have the chance to meet current medical students to talk about what it takes to be able to become a doctor.

Representatives from educational providers including the Imperial College School of Medicine will be available to provide information about the range of different courses and degrees available and how to go about applying.

• Full details of the programme are available here (PDF)

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg visited Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on Wednesday 27 April for the first listening event on NHS modernisation exclusively for patients.

He also met patients and staff during a tour of the hospital including the Stroke Unit and the new Outpatients Department.

Following the tour, Mr Clegg and Care Services Minister Paul Burstow met more than 30 patients from the local area including Foundation Trust Governors to hear their views and discuss modernisation plans.

They were joined by Professor Steve Field who is Chair of the NHS Future Forum which will drive engagement in the ongoing listening exercise.

The Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Secretary recently announced that the Government would use the natural break in the parliamentary timetable to pause, reflect and improve upon their proposals to modernise the NHS and safeguard it for the future.

Speaking after the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “I’ve learnt a lot today about how the public feels about our changes to the NHS and I’m confident that by taking this chance to pause and really engage with staff and patients, we can ensure that we modernise the NHS to improve the health service for everyone.”

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow added: “This is the first listening exercise I’ve been able to take part in and I’d like to thank the patients who took the time today to share their views with us.”

Patients at the listening event with Nick Clegg and Paul Burstow

Dr Michael Pelly talks to Care Services Minister Paul Burstow and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on the Stroke Unit

Dr Simon Barton, Clinical Director for Sexual Health and HIV, says: “It’s business as usual on 29 April which means we are offering a full range of sexual health tests and other services at our three centres which are conveniently located in different areas of London.

“It might be a public holiday but that doesn’t mean there is less need for these vital services to diagnose sexually transmitted infections and reduce their spread.”

Appointments can be booked by calling 020 3315 6699 or requested online. Walk-in services (no appointment necessary) are also available.

Services available on 29 April include the following:

• 56 Dean Street, W1D 6AQ
  9am–2pm
  Booked appointments and walk-in services for HIV testing, emergency contraception, Hepatitis B vaccination and HIV post exposure prophylaxis
• John Hunter Clinic, St Stephen’s Centre, 369 Fulham Road, SW10 9NH
  9am–2pm
  Booked appointments and walk-in services for emergencies only
• West London Centre for Sexual Health, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, W6 8RF
  8–11:30am
  Booked appointments and walk-in services for emergencies only—West London Centre for Sexual Health is also open from 9–11:30am on Saturday 30 April for sexual health services only

• London is expected to be very busy, with an estimated 500,000–750,000 people expected to gather around Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey
• Up to 20,000 people are expected to gather in Hyde Park at live sites and up to 10,000 people are expected to camp on Clapham Common
• Extra trains and buses are in place to bring people in to London but public transport is expected to be very busy—please allow extra time to complete journeys
• More information about travel arrangements on the day can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk/royalwedding
• Road closures will come in to place at 6am on Friday—more information on road closures can be found at www.met.police.uk/royal_wedding/

Patients will be able to watch the television coverage via their bedside entertainment system and there will also be a television screen located in the Restaurant on the Lower Ground Floor of the hospital.

Patients were particularly impressed by standards of hand hygiene and cleanliness with 9 out of 10 patients noticing that doctors washed or cleaned their hands between touching patients and that hand gel was available for patients and visitors to use.

Areas where patients rated us highly included having confidence and trust in the doctors treating them, being given enough privacy when being examined or treated, and being given an explanation about the risks and benefits of an operation or procedure in advance.

Other areas in which the Trust’s performance was significantly better then the national average included:

• Patients offered a choice of admission dates and hospitals
• Written information about medicines provided to patients when they leave hospital
• Patients asked to give views on their care

However, a number of areas of concern were identified by patients including:

• Patients saying that staff either did not know enough about their condition or treatment or contradicted each other
• Mixed sex wards
• Noise at night

Therese Davis, Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Flow & Patient Experience said: “We are delighted that the vast majority of our patients have a good experience when they come to Chelsea and Westminster and we are committed to listening to the feedback from the survey so that we can improve our services further.”

The CHKS patient safety award is made on the basis of publicly available datasets and every NHS acute trust is included in the analysis. Five other organisations have been shortlisted for the award and the winner will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held in London on 10 May.

The CHKS patient safety award is based on a number of criteria and,unlike other awards, is not judged by a panel.

Jim Coles, Director of Research at CHKS said: “The Government has made it clear that every hospital is accountable to its patients, their families and carers as well as the local community to provide a safe environment.

“Our patient safety award highlights those trusts that clearly share a commitment to driving improvement and engendering a culture of excellence throughout their organisations.”

The six shortlisted organisations are:

• Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust
• Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Western Health and Social Care Trust

The CHKS patient safety award is a national award for outstanding performance in providing a safe hospital environment for patients. It is based on over 20 criteria including rates of hospital-acquired infections and mortality. The indicators for 2011 include:

• Rates of deaths in hospital within 30 days of a heart bypass
• Rates of deaths in hospital within 30 days of non-elective surgery
• Rates of deaths in hospital within 30 days of elective surgery
• Deaths in hospital within 30 days of emergency admission for hip fractures
• Rate of death in hospital within 30 days of emergency admission with a heart attack
• Deaths in hospital within 30 days of emergency admission for a stroke
• Deaths in low mortality HRG 3.5
• Risk adjusted mortality index
• Readmission rate within 7 days of delivery
• Emergency readmission within 28 days of discharge following hip fracture
• Infection rate following caesarean section
• Obstetric complications for delivery spells
• Rate of elective caesarean section deliveries
• Birth trauma injury to neonatal
• Decubitus ulcer
• Post operative wound infection
• Complicationsof anaesthesia
• Foreign body left in during procedure
• Post operative pulmonary or deep vein thrombosis
• Post operative sepis
• Accidental puncture or laceration

Visitors to this year’s event will be able to enjoy live music, behind-the-scenes tours and have a mini health ‘MOT’ including body composition tests which measure BMI, body fat percentage, and metabolic age.

There will also be some great prizes up for grabs during the day—including an iPad and Nintendo DS—and the ever-popular Teddy Bear Hospital will be back again, so young people should bring along their teddy or doll for a check-up.

For the first time ever, there will also be a special ‘Career Zone’ for people considering a career in healthcare. Visitors will be able to meet with experts in a range of fields including nursing, physiotherapy, medicine and radiology.

Visit the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital website www.chelwest.nhs.uk to find out more about the Open Day and keep an eye out for updates.

For more information: Contact Renae McBride (Communications Manager) on 020 3315 6829.

The transfer of a number of outpatient services to the Lower Ground Floor is due to be completed this weekend when a number of specialties will join the Beta Cell Diabetes Centre which moved into the new space in January.

From Monday 4 April all appointments for the following specialties will be in the new area:

• General Surgery
• Urology
• Pain Management

Work started in August 2010 to redevelop a large area of the lower ground floor of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to accommodate outpatient services previously based in Outpatients 1 on the 1st Floor and in the Beta Cell Diabetes Centre on the 2nd Floor.

The first Diabetes patients were treated in the new department on Monday 31 January.

The new outpatient department on the Lower Ground Floor is part of the first major redevelopment of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital since it opened in 1993.

The UCC is a ‘walk-in’ service for patients who come to A&E with minor illnesses and injuries that require attention but that are not critical or life-threatening while A&E continues to treat acutely unwell patients.

Streaming means that patients are booked in at reception and then allocated to the appropriate care pathway—either A&E or UCC—so that A&E staff can concentrate on providing care and treatment for those patients who really need their help.

This innovative approach to tackling the rising tide of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) will target young people who may not even realise they have an STI.

Just last week new figures published by the Health Protection Agency revealed that the number of HIV cases has doubled in the last 10 years—a disturbing trend also seen with other, more common STIs—but it is thought that many more infections go undiagnosed.

Stephanie McMillan, Acting Nurse Practitioner for Young People & Outreach at Chelsea and Westminster’s West London Centre for Sexual Health, says: "Many young people won't come to sexual health clinics in hospitals so we are going to them.

“We are offering tests for common STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, as well as HIV, and also general health checks including blood pressure tests, diabetes screening and healthy lifestyle advice.

“Our service is completely free and confidential. We hope lots of shoppers at Westfield this weekend will take the opportunity to come and get themselves checked out.”

The Committee, which is chaired by Lord Fowler, met with clinicians, staff and patients and toured the hospital's services for people living with HIV.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital's Clinical Director for HIV, Dr Simon Barton, said: “We were delighted to host the visit and provide the Committee with a unique perspective of HIV care and how we support our patients.

“HIV will be one of the biggest and most complex healthcare challenges the UK will face in the years to come, so it’s vital that we start planning for the future.

“The Committee is looking at a range of issues such as how we can continue to make treatment affordable and how we will care for an ageing HIV population.”

Following the visit, Lord Fowler said: “The only way we will be able to defeat HIV and AIDS is if we understand what the people who have it, and those who care for them, go through. So we were very glad to visit the pioneering facilities at Chelsea and Westminster.”

We are pleased to confirm that we have complied with the Government’s requirement to provide single sex accommodation by 1 April which means that no patient has to share the room in which they sleep or the toilet and bathroom they use with members of the opposite sex.

The only exceptions are if it is clinically necessary, for example when patients need specialist treatment such as in our Intensive Care Unit which takes priority.

For younger patients, there is evidence that many children and young people find great comfort from sharing an area with others of a similar age and so they are likely to be more concerned about sharing with other children and young people of their own age rather than sharing with members of the opposite sex. If this is the case, we will support their choice to be cared for in a mixed sex area.

Any patients or relatives who have questions or concerns about single sex accommodation can ask any member of staff or ask to speak to the nurse in charge or ward manager.

• View the declaration

The number of visitors to our website has almost doubled in the last two years—in 2010 almost 500,000 visitors logged on.

A major new development is the introduction of four new videos to give visitors to the website an insight into life at Chelsea and Westminster:

• Welcome to Chelsea and Westminster—a five-minute film, introduced by Chief Executive Heather Lawrence, which gives an overview of the services that we provide
• Maternity Services—a two-minute film featuring a number of women who have had their baby at Chelsea and Westminster as well as some of our midwives
• Sexual Health Services—a two-minute film with information about the wide range of sexual health testing and other services that are available at our three main centres, the John Hunter Clinic for Sexual Health in the St Stephen’s Centre next to the main Chelsea and Westminster Hospital building, 56 Dean Street in Soho, and the West London Centre for Sexual Health at Charing Cross Hospital
• Foundation Trust Membership—interviews with members and Governors advocating the benefits of becoming a member of Chelsea and Westminster

We would like to thank the Council of Governors for providing funding to make the production of the videos possible.

During the closure of the road, patients and visitors travelling to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital have been advised to allow extra time for their journey and local bus routes serving the hospital have been diverted.

A giant plasma screen will be showing a series of new videos including a ‘Welcome to Chelsea and Westminster’ film that provides an overview of our services as well as more specific films promoting Maternity Services, Sexual Health Services and Foundation Trust membership.

These films will also be made available via our website www.chelwest.nhs.uk which is now used by more than 50,000 people a month—keep an eye on the website for more details.

The roadshow aims to recruit hundreds of local people as Foundation Trust members, so they can get involved with their local hospital, and information will be available about the Children’s Sunshine Appeal.

Staff from the West London Centre for Sexual Health will be taking the mobile community health clinic to Westfield next Friday (1 April) and Saturday (2 April) to provide general health checks and sexual health tests among other services.

So why not come and see us at Westfield to find out more about Chelsea and Westminster.

Chelsea and Westminster has become the first hospital in the UK to make a new information service called StartHere available to patients and their carers following its launch today.

StartHere, which can be accessed by using the two touch screen information kiosks on the ground floor of the hospital next to the Membership and Patient Advice and Liaison (M-PALS) office and in the Information Zone next to Costa Coffee, signposts people to organisations that can help them.

Staff based in the M-PALS office already help more than 1,300 people with requests for information every year.

StartHere brings together a vast amount of up-to-date information in a way that is simply presented and easy to understand, in categories including coping and caring, housing, rights and services, and work and education.

Thérèse Davis, Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Flow & Patient Experience at Chelsea and Westminster, says: “We are committed to improving the quality of information that we provide to patients and carers in new and innovative ways.

“I am delighted that Chelsea and Westminster is the first hospital in the country to make StartHere available to those who use our services and their carers.”

Sarah Hamilton-Fairley, Chief Executive of StartHere, adds: “We aim to make information easy to use and accessible to all by tackling the issue of digital exclusion which means that, while 30 million people in the UK use the internet every day, 9 million people never use it.

“We believe that StartHere is a practical example of the new approach to providing information to patients and carers that Health Secretary Andrew Lansley described in the Government consultation paper ‘An Information Revolution’.”

In his introduction to this paper published last year, Mr Lansley said: “Different people and groups in society access information differently and need it presented in different ways.

“We must ensure the right information is available and presented in a relevant way to those who could be excluded.”

Launched by Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, the Appeal aims to raise £5million over three years to supplement the £40m capital funding from the NHS to complete a groundbreaking new £45million paediatric centre at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

The specialist unit will save more children’s lives by delivering world-class treatment and facilities for babies, children and young people, and providing a positive healing environment through the Charity’s vibrant and unique art-in-health programme.

Greg Hands MP commented: “For years now, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has offered exceptional paediatric care to young people in Chelsea and Fulham, as well as across the whole of London. The new specialist unit will house world-class facilities and cutting edge technology for babies, children and young people. The hospital will become the in-patient paediatric centre in North West London, with enhanced wards and accommodation for families, ensuring that young people across London and the South East have access to the best possible care.

“I urge everyone who lives locally to support this excellent cause. By involving our local communities, the work of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity is a clear example of how the voluntary sector can enhance the delivery of public services.”

Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity Gary Lawson hopes that the local community will continue to offer support and donations to the Appeal which has already raised more than £800,000.

He added: “As a parent, I take comfort in knowing that the very best paediatric care in the country will be available at Chelsea and Westminster when the new unit is complete. All donations, big or small, will have a tangible impact and will help us build something truly amazing that those living in our local communities can be very proud of.”

• To make a donation please visit www.childrenssunshineappeal.org

The response rate at Chelsea and Westminster was 64% compared to a national response rate of 54%—ours was the second highest response rate of all acute hospital trusts in London.

Coverage in the Evening Standard singled out Chelsea and Westminster as one of the most ‘popular’ NHS trusts in London because the vast majority of staff would be willing to recommend the hospital to their friends and family as a place to work and/or be treated.

For the second year in a row we are also rated in the top 20% of acute hospital trusts nationally for Staff Engagement including good communication between senior management and staff.

However, the Trust is not complacent and we know there is plenty of room for improvement—an overall action plan to address key issues across the organisation will be drawn up and individual wards and departments will be expected to create their own action plans in response to their local results.

The full Trust level Staff Survey report is available on the Care Quality Commission website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Skin to skin contact is recognised to be a good start to breastfeeding and this is demonstrated by the fact that 95% of women who have their baby at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital start breastfeeding after giving birth—compared with a national average of just 76%.

• Breastfeeding rates on the up—28 January 2011

Jane-Marie Hamill, Clinical Nurse Lead on the unit where staff look after the most seriously ill patients in the hospital, says: “This award recognises the compassion, dedication and hard work that all staff show every day to ensure that patients and their relatives are getting the best care.

“I am personally extremely proud to be part of a unit where the patient comes first. We believe that going through the process of applying for a Customer Service Excellence standard was invaluable as it not only enables us to celebrate what we do well but also identifies what we need to improve on.”

Since 1998 the Intensive Care Unit applied for, achieved and retained the Charter Mark which was a Government recognised award for customer service.

Last year the Charter Mark was reviewed and changed to the Customer Service Excellence standard which assesses the performance of public services in making changes and improvements driven by customers, patients or service users in areas that are important to them.

The five criteria against which the Intensive Care Unit was tested during a two-day visit by an assessor in March included customer insight, culture of the organisation, information and access, delivery and timeliness, and quality of service.

The unit produced a portfolio of evidence measured against each of the five criteria and then during his visit in March the assessor interviewed patients, relatives and staff to check that what was written on paper in the portfolio was reflected in practice.

The assessor identified strengths of the Intensive Care Unit including:

• A holistic approach to patient care by considering all the factors which could improve care
• A multi-disciplinary approach to making suggestions and taking decisions rather than a ‘top down fait accompli’ approach
• The determination, professionalism and loyalty to the unit of staff who are are proud of their work and clearly put patients and their relatives first
• Focus groups that enable ex-patients and relatives to talk about their experiences on the unit - these groups help identify many improvements

Areas for development identified by the assessor included:

• Developing a more user-friendly philosophy of care by agreeing five or six key statements and displaying these at the entrance to the unit
• While adhering to the Trustwide approach to handling complaints, staff should try where possible to take greater ownership so that aspects of timeliness, promises and protocols are adhered to
• Celebrating and promoting success and performance through the unit’s newly revamped section of the Trust website

Chelsea Community Hospital School, which provides education for children and young people being cared for at Chelsea and Westminster, has launched a brand new website www.wellatschool.org to support students with medical or mental health conditions.

Head Teacher Janette Steel says: “The new website came about as a result of responding to many phone calls every week from families and schools about how to support children with medical or mental health problems.

“We have developed this website to help teachers and staff in mainstream and special schools support their students who have medical or mental health issues.

“It is easy to become overwhelmed by the abundance of often contradictory information available on the internet so we have collected the knowledge and experience of medical consultants, specialist teachers and students from our four hospitals here to give the information that teachers and families need.

“It has been made possible by a grant from Google and we would like to thank them for their support.”

Chelsea Community Hospital School provides education for children and young people at not only Chelsea and Westminster but also St Mary’s and the Royal Brompton, as well as the Collingham Child & Family Centre.

Students and teachers of the Chelsea Community Hospital School celebrated the official opening of their brand new school facility at Chelsea and Westminster in September 2010, part of the ongoing redevelopment of the hospital to improve care for children and their families. It is one of the first purpose-built hospital schools in the country.

• Celebrations to mark opening of new Hospital School—17 September 2010
• Visit the school website

Feedback from women who have attended Womb Song since its launch in February has been overwhelmingly positive—100% of women who attended the first session said they felt happier and inspired afterwards and that they would recommend Womb Song to other mothers-to-be.

The workshops have also gained positive media coverage—most recently in the Evening Standard on Monday 21 March.

The workshops, which are co-funded by the Charity in partnership with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Arts Grants Scheme, run every Monday evening (excluding Bank Holidays) until Monday 4 July from 6-8pm at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

The workshops, led by community singing teacher Maya Waldman, include postural, breathing and vocal exercises. Women sing songs that are easily to learn and memorise, using a repertoire including short songs and songs with repeated phrasing such as rounds.

Singing provides emotional, social, educational and physical benefits for pregnant women and their babies during pregnancy, labour and after birth. Singing to babies when they are in the womb builds a powerful way of communicating with their baby that parents can continue once the child is born, positively influencing the parent-child bond. Singing to babies can also facilitate language development.

Singing is an exercise in breathing and the singing of sustained notes can help people find a way into relaxing the unconscious reflex of the breathing mechanism. Such techniques can usefully add to any breathing techniques that are taught by midwives or at any childbirth classes. The workshops are also a fun and informal group where mutual support is encouraged.

Marjaana Vanska, Active Birth Teacher at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, said: “The benefits to mothers-to-be taking part in this project are important, both during pregnancy and after birth. The workshops fit in well with the breathing exercises and antenatal classes that we already run.”

Katherine Mellor, Arts Director for Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Maya Waldman and the Maternity team on the Womb Song project. It is a perfect example of the kind of excellent and innovative arts-in-health work that Hospital Arts strives to deliver.”

• Please call 020 3315 6600 or email charity@chelwestcharity.org.uk for more information on the project or Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity.

Katie Piper, a model and aspiring TV presenter, has always been quick to pay tribute to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital staff who continue to provide ongoing care in a number of different specialties.

Katie, who suffered severe burns in the attack in March 2008, told her story in a Channel 4 documentary Katie: My Beautiful Face broadcast in October 2009 which was nominated for a BAFTA.

Her new book Beautiful is a harrowing but ultimately inspiring story of Katie’s courage in fighting to rebuild her life.

In the new four-part Channel 4 documentary Katie: My Beautiful Friends, Katie meets other people who have experienced different forms of disfigurement.

• The first episode of Katie: My Beautiful Friends will be broadcast at 9pm on Tuesday 22 March on Channel 4

The centre, based at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, provides specialist treatment for people with drug and alcohol problems and helps patients to stabilise their lives and reduce and stop harmful substance use. Recovery from addiction is achieved by focusing on a range of areas including physical and psychological health, family relationships, social networks and employment.

Lead Clinician Dr Owen Bowden-Jones (Consultant Psychiatrist) said: “People suffering with harmful substance use are often some of the most disadvantaged in society.

“Despite drug use contributing to many complex problems, people can and do recovery from the illness. Our clinic is one of many across the country working to help people on this journey back to health.

“We are delighted that the Minister spent time visiting the unit and listening to patients and staff. I hope the visit has underlined the need for specialist services to help people suffering with harmful drug use recover and achieve their full potential.”

Photo (l to r): Annette Dale Perera (Strategic Director, Addictions Directorate, CNWL), Anne Milton, Darren Kingaby (Team Co-ordinator, Drug Treatment Centre, CNWL) and Owen Bowden-Jones (Consultant Psychiatrist, Drug Treatment Centre, CNWL)

The races will start and finish on The Mall and the riders will race around a course that passes through six London boroughs as well as areas of Surrey.

Seb Coe, Chair of LOCOG says: “This extends the Games into South West London and Surrey. Following our medal success in Beijing, the Road Cycling events really will bring the magic of the Games to life for many thousands of spectators.”

Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics adds: “The road race is one of the first major events of London 2012 and will be followed closely by supporters looking for a home medal. I am, therefore, delighted that it will showcase many of our great landmarks and countryside and that big crowds will be able to watch it live.”

There will be a road race test event following the same route on Saturday 14 August this year—further details will be communicated to patients, the public and staff as soon as we know how this test event will affect access to the hospital and the surrounding area.

Its days of operation have recently been increased from two to four days per week – it is now open between 12 noon and 3:30pm from Tuesday to Friday—and when you buy your flowers from the stall, you are helping to support a local charity.

Amelia Mustapha, Director of the charity, explains: “SMART is a mental health charity with a difference. We’ve been running for just over 25 years, promoting mental health through purposeful activity. We offer a range of supported work and training opportunities in a friendly and enabling environment to anyone affected by mental ill health.

“People build both practical and personal skills, gaining experience, confidence and friends. Working 1:1 with individuals we help them to find work and training outside SMART and reconnect people with their community through our programme of social events.

“If you need any kind of flower or plant arrangement do pop along to our stall, call 020 7376 4668 or email info@smartlondon.org.uk to place an order. We can deliver to local addresses too.”

• To find out more about SMART’s work visit www.smartlondon.org.uk—the charity offers gardening and catering services as well as flowers

Photo: Floristry Assistant Jeremy with his flower trolley

Katie Piper, a model and aspiring TV presenter, has always been quick to pay tribute to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital staff who saved her life, rebuilt her face and continue to provide ongoing care in a number of different specialties.

Katie, who suffered severe burns in the attack on 31 March 2008, discarded her anonymity to tell her amazing story of personal courage in a Channel 4 documentary Katie: My Beautiful Face which was first broadcast in October 2009 and has now been screened in 15 different countries and nominated for a BAFTA.

Her new book Beautiful is a harrowing but ultimately inspiring story of Katie’s courage in fighting to rebuild her life.

She is currently filming a four-part Channel 4 documentary Katie: My Beautiful Friends and runs her own charity, The Katie Piper Foundation, to raise awareness of the plight of burns victims and others.

The survey was carried out between 1 January and 31 March 2010 at all 158 acute hospital trusts in England that provide cancer services, including Chelsea and Westminster, in order to monitor national progress on cancer care.

Our results show that, while the survey demonstrates that there are areas of the patient pathway that we need to continue to focus on improving, overall patients have a high level of satisfaction with their care.

For example, patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the way in which the reasons for carrying out diagnostic tests were explained to them, with the opportunity for family members to talk to their doctor, and the level of confidence they had in the doctors treating them.

The experience of attending outpatient appointments was also reported positively with 83% of patients reporting they waited no longer than 30 minutes to be seen and 100% of patients reporting that the doctor they were seeing had all of their notes and correct documentation for the consultation.

One area that was scored particularly positively and that patients commented on time and again was the access, availability and support they received from their clinical nurse specialist.  Patients reported feeling listened to and that they got understandable answers to questions they felt were important all or most of the time.

Macmillan Lead Nurse and Cancer Manager Catherine Gillespie says: “This survey is a positive reflection of our cancer multi-disciplinary teams and how well they work together in the interests of the patients.

“However, we recognise that there are areas that we need to focus on in order to improve the experience of those patients with a cancer diagnosis in the Trust.”

The Council of Governors Quality Awards are backed by our Foundation Trust Governors who are elected by patients, members of the public and staff.

Thanks to their support, the three winning teams of staff receive £250 and the individual winner receives £100.

Team winners

Macmillan Centre counselling service

Photos: Macmillan Counselling Service staff member Diana Willis with Russ Hargreaves and Catherine Gillespie, Cruse Volunteer Dominique Taylor, and Cruse Volunteer Bev Frydman

This service was launched in 2009 in partnership with Kensington and Chelsea Cruse to provide emotional support for cancer patients and their carers. It has offered 300 hours of counselling and helped 21 bereaved relatives with long-term support.

One recipient of the service said, “I am not sure how I have would coped without this support and knowledge.”

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment development team

Photo: VTE Risk Assessment Development Team with Martin Lewis (Public Governor—left) and Cathy Mooney (Director of Governance—5th right)

An electronic VTE risk assessment was launched in June 2010 to identify patients at risk of VTE when they are admitted to hospital so that they can be offered appropriate care to reduce their risk of developing VTE in hospital or when they go home.

Thanks to hard work of not only clinicians but also IT and Information staff in implementing the new electronic risk assessment, the percentage of patients assessed for VTE on admission to hospital increased from 50% in June 2010 to 89% in October 2010.

West London Centre for Sexual Health

Photo: WLCSH staff with Cathy Mooney

When patients were asked how services at the Trust’s West London Centre for Sexual Health could be improved, the overwhelming answer was better opening hours.

Staff shifts were rearranged, without increasing staffing costs, to facilitate more evening and weekend services and as a result there has been a 10% increase in patient numbers, a reduction in DNA rates, and positive patient feedback.

Individual winner

Sarah Hamilton (Liaison Health Visitor, Paediatric Emergency Department)

Photo: Sarah Hamilton (2nd left) with Susan Maxwell (Patient Governor), Therese Davis (Chief Nurse) and Martin Lewis

According to her colleagues, Sarah made an enormous contribution in many different ways including improving the safeguarding system, particularly around domestic violence and mental health issues, developing processes after child deaths, and improving information for parents and children.

Paediatric Emergency Department Consultants, Dr Jo Hacking and Dr Ed Abrahamson, said, “Sarah is an absolute pleasure to work with.”

The majority of visiting arrangements throughout the hospital have now returned to normal, however restrictions remain in place for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Children aged under 11 are one of the most vulnerable groups of patients at higher risk of contracting respiratory illnesses and in order to protect children and babies, the hospital has restricted visiting arrangements to NICU as follows:

• Visiting times remain the same
• NO children visitors are allowed
• Any person who is feeling unwell (eg flu symptoms, heavy cold, diarrhoea/vomiting) should not visit NICU

Thank you for your co-operation and understanding during this time.

The delegation, which included Minister of Health, His Excellency Dr Hanif Hasan Ali (above 5th left), met with members of the Executive Team and viewed many of the hospital’s departments and services including Stroke and the Acute Assessment Unit.

The sessions are your chance to meet your elected representative on the Council of Governors—why not come along for an informal chat or give your views on the hospital to them?

• Click here for ‘Meet a Governor’ session dates

All ‘Meet a Governor’ sessions are held in the Information Zone on the Ground Floor of the hospital (near Costa Coffee).

This is a support group to help Chelsea and Westminster Hospital patients with learning disabilities and their families and/or carers.

Next meeting

• 24 February, 3pm
  Mansfield Seminar Room, 5th Floor, St Stephen's Centre

To join please contact:

• Sian Nelson
  T: 020 3315 8548
  E: sian.nelson@chelwest.nhs.uk

Work started in August 2010 to redevelop a large area of the lower ground floor of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to accommodate outpatient services previously based in Outpatients 1 on the first floor and in the Beta Cell Diabetes Centre on the second floor.

The Diabetes service moved into the new space over the weekend of 29/30 January and the first Diabetes patients were treated in the new department on Monday 31 January - other outpatient services are due to follow in March or early April.

The new outpatient department on the lower ground floor is part of the first major redevelopment of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital since it opened in 1993.

The latest figures also demonstrate that the number of women who breastfeed their baby on the Maternity Unit has increased steadily in recent years:

• 2010—95%
• 2009—90%
• 2008—83%
• 2007—78%

This success follows the creation of a dedicated infant feeding team and the Trust’s commitment to achieving accreditation under the Baby Friendly Initiative which is a worldwide programme developed by UNICEF to ensure a high standard of care for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

The Baby Friendly Initiative offers an assessment and accreditation process that recognises healthcare facilities that have achieved required standards—Chelsea and Westminster has already passed Stage One of the assessment procedure.

Giuseppe Labriola, Specialist Midwife: Infant Feeding Co-ordinator says: “Receiving our Stage One assessment reinforces that the Maternity Unit at Chelsea and Westminster is committed to providing an evidence-based, woman-centred approach to care.”

The Trust has also launched the Yummier Mummy publicity campaign to promote the benefits of breastfeeding for not only babies but also women in a fun, innovative way.

According to the Care Quality Commission’s survey of women’s experiences of all maternity services in England, only four hospitals in London were rated better than the national average—and we were one of them.

All women who gave birth in England in February 2010 were invited to take part in the survey which asked them about all aspects of their maternity care.

The results of the survey, which were published in December, revealed that 61% of women who gave birth at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital last February rated their care as ‘Excellent’—the third best rating in London.

The Trust’s performance has improved markedly since the last survey in 2007 with our results on 16 of the 53 questions ‘significantly better’.

However, the results do demonstrate that further work is needed to improve women’s satisfaction with our maternity services, particularly in relation to postnatal care.

Maternity staff have already implemented a number of changes since the survey was carried out in February including providing a 24-hour cleaning/housekeeping presence on Labour Ward and reducing midwifery vacancy rates from 40% to 12%.

The Maternity section of the Trust website has also been revamped to include an innovative new service for women and their families—an e-midwife called ‘Lola’ provides advice for non-urgent queries on all aspects of midwifery care and answers to questions that women may have about their care at Chelsea and Westminster.

Click here to find out more—24-hour emergency advice continues to be available from Labour Ward on 020 3315 7841 or from NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

Now that the results of the Care Quality Commission’s national survey have been published, an action plan will be agreed in partnership with the Maternity Services Liaison Committee and other stakeholders to drive further improvements.

This road closure is due to an unsafe structure at the junction of Fulham Road and Edith Grove near Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Buses 14, 414 and 211 are diverted and experiencing severe delays. Heavy traffic congestion has built up in the area.
Bus routes 14, 414 and 211 are diverted westbound via Fulham Road, Finborough Road, Old Brompton Road, Redcliffe Gardens and Fulham Road and eastbound via Edith Gardens, Kings Road, Gunter Grove and Fulham Road.

Transport for London has not indicated when the road is due to be reopened.

The Children’s Sunshine Appeal is a new fundraising campaign to raise £5 million towards a brand new £45 million unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for children and young people across London and the South of England.

When complete, the unit will cement Chelsea and Westminster’s pioneering reputation in paediatric surgical care, while continuing to offer exemplary 24/7 services to residents of all ages.

Singer, model and actor, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who gave birth to both of her children at the Hospital, is backing the Appeal.

She said: “Both of my sons were born prematurely and needed to spend their first few weeks in an incubator, so I have experienced first-hand the expertise and support offered at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. My boys are now both thriving which is a testament to the expert care and attention they received as babies.

“The new paediatric unit will help make sure every child continues to receive the best possible start in life from some of the most talented doctors in the world.  I urge people across London and the South East to get behind the Children’s Sunshine Appeal and help Chelsea and Westminster Hospital become a world leader in paediatric care and save more children's lives.”

We currently treat more than 85,000 children every year and this figure is increasing annually. The money raised by the Appeal will help save children’s lives and enhance the healing environment by providing new equipment and services for children and young people, including:

• Four new paediatric operating theatres which will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and telemedicine facilities
• An extended Paediatric High Dependency Unit for the most sick or unwell children
• New high quality waiting and pre-operation areas, a day-surgery unit, together with expanded day-case and recovery facilities for in and out-patient services for local children and young people
• Additional family accommodation so parents can remain at their child’s bedside
• Sensory rooms which help provide stimulation to assist the healing process
• A new adolescent ward which will enable young people to be cared for in an appropriate setting that meets their needs, alleviates stress and assists recovery
• Museum-standard visual arts to enhance the healing environment
• The upgrading and relocation of all paediatric wards
• The first children’s surgery robot in the south of England which will enable keyhole surgery to be provided for young patients and will help minimise the pain of surgery and reduce recovery times

The new unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital will provide the highest quality treatment for patients through pregnancy, infancy, childhood and adolescence, ensuring that London’s young people benefit from the latest clinical innovations and the best possible care.

Gary Lawson, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, said: “The NHS has already committed £40 million to the project, but to reach our target we need the help and generosity of Londoners to raise the additional £5 million for the unit to be what these children and their families deserve.”

The new unit will offer enhanced neonatal and paediatric services to patients and their families, house world-class facilities and cutting edge technology and will be an international centre for training of the next generation of specialist paediatric medical staff.

Mr Simon Eccles, Consultant Craniofacial Plastic Surgeon and Clinical Director of Paediatrics (pictured above left with Sophie and Charity Chairman Chris Brodie) added: “The benefits this new unit will bring to children and their families across the South East cannot be underestimated.  These new facilities will be able to offer minimally invasive surgery for children, reduce levels of pain and vastly improve recovery times. In addition, the Charity’s arts-in-health programme at the Hospital and the enhanced healing environment—including access to sensory rooms for even the sickest of children—will reduce stress and speed-up recovery.”

Visit www.childrenssunshineappeal.org.uk to find out how you can donate.

The Beta Cell Diabetes Centre will move into the new space on Monday 31 January with the remainder of those outpatient services to follow in March or early April.

The new outpatient area on the lower ground floor is part of the first major redevelopment of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital since it opened in 1993.

Alternative access to the hospital this Tuesday and Wednesday evening

A major development of the lower ground floor of the hospital is set to create a new, modern environment for many outpatient services and a new set of escalators from the ground floor to the lower ground floor—which will improve access for patients—will be installed this Tuesday 18 January and Wednesday 19 January overnight.

During these two evenings, the main reception entrance doors will be closed from 6pm–6am and so visitors will be asked to enter the hospital via the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Entrance which is located at the side of the hospital and is accessible via Nightingale Place.

A hoarding has also been erected around one of the two sets of revolving doors at the main reception entrance because this set of doors needs to be temporarily removed so that the escalator can be moved into the hospital ready for construction.

We apologise for any congestion caused as a result of this temporarily reduced access to the hospital—normal access should be restored during the week beginning Monday 24 January.

Diabetes patients first to experience new outpatient area

Work started in August 2010 to redevelop a large area of the lower ground floor to accommodate outpatient services currently based in Outpatients 1 on the first floor and in the Beta Cell Diabetes Centre on the second floor.

The Beta Cell Diabetes Centre will move into the new space on Monday 31 January with the remainder of those outpatient services to follow on Monday 14 March.

If you have flu-like symptoms, please DO NOT come into the hospital. If you need medical advice, contact your GP or NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk.

In addition, the Trust has restricted visiting arrangements for inpatient areas as follows in order to protect patients:

Maternity Unit

Pregnant women and children aged under 5 are among the most vulnerable groups of patients at higher risk of contracting flu. In order to protect women and babies, the Trust has restricted visiting arrangements for the Maternity Unit as follows:

• Visiting times remain the same
• However, visiting is restricted to two nominated visitors only who should be the same throughout the patient's stay
• NO children will be allowed
• Any person who has flu symptoms should not visit the Maternity Unit

Following consultation with women and their families, and our infection control team, we have reviewed the arrangements for doulas. We recognise that doulas are an important way of supporting women in labour and are relaxing the restriction on doulas, however restrictions on other visitors and birth attendants will remain in place until the end of January when we will be reviewing the arrangements in the light of the flu status at that time.

Children’s wards & Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

In order to protect children and babies, the Trust has restricted visiting arrangements for children’s inpatient wards and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as follows:

• Visiting times remain the same
• However, visiting is restricted to two primary carers only who should be the same throughout the child’s stay
• NO children visitors will be allowed
• Any person who has flu symptoms should not visit the children’s wards or NICU

All other inpatient areas

The Trust has restricted visiting arrangements for all other inpatient areas as follows:

• Visiting times remain the same
• However, visiting is restricted to two visitors only who should be the same throughout the patient’s stay
• NO children will be allowed
• Any person who has flu symptoms should not visit an inpatient area

Thank you for your co-operation at this time.

The symptoms of flu include a fever of 38°C or higher, and two or more of the following symptoms:

• unusual tiredness
• headache
• runny nose
• sore throat
• shortness of breath or cough
• loss of appetite
• aching muscles and joints
• diarrhoea and/or vomiting

If you are concerned that you may have flu, we would advise you to stay at home to limit your contact with others.

If you need medical advice, please contact your GP or contact NHS Direct by calling 0845 4647 or visiting their website.

Please follow this advice rather than coming to the A&E Department at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

• Seasonal flu information leaflet

The Trust has taken swift and effective action to manage this unprecedented demand:

• Elective surgery for patients who may require postoperative critical care is being reviewed on a case-by-case basis
• A limited number of routine, planned operations will continue to be carried out within the constraints of the current demands on the hospital
• Day surgery will continue to be carried out
• St Mary Abbots Ward has been reopened and is being used for patients who are medically fit to be discharged from hospital but who are going through a period of assessment or rehabilitation
• The hospital has restricted visiting arrangments for inpatient areas—full details are available here

We apologise to any patients whose operations have been cancelled or who have been waiting for longer than usual in A&E—we are doing everything possible to maintain the quality of those services that we are able to provide at this time.

Advice on flu for patients and visitors If you are concerned that you may have flu, please stay at home and limit your contact with others.

If you need medical advice, contact your GP or NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk rather than coming to our A&E Department.

• Click here for further information

The symptoms of flu include a fever of 38°C or higher, and two or more of the following symptoms:

• unusual tiredness
• headache
• runny nose
• sore throat
• shortness of breath or cough
• loss of appetite
• aching muscles and joints
• diarrhoea and/or vomiting

If you are concerned that you may have flu, we would advise you to stay at home to limit your contact with others.

If you need medical advice, please contact your GP or contact NHS Direct by calling 0845 4647 or visiting their website.

Please follow this advice rather than coming to the A&E Department at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

If you have flu-like symptoms, or if you are concerned you have been in contact with someone who has flu, please do not visit your family and friends at the hospital. Please stay at home and limit your contact with others.

• Seasonal flu information leaflet

The symptoms of flu include a fever of 38°C or higher, and two or more of the following symptoms:

• unusual tiredness
• headache
• runny nose
• sore throat
• shortness of breath or cough
• loss of appetite
• aching muscles and joints
• diarrhoea and/or vomiting

If you are concerned that you may have flu, we would advise you to stay at home to limit your contact with others.

If you need medical advice, please contact your GP or contact NHS Direct by calling 0845 4647 or visiting their website at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk.

Please follow this advice rather than coming to the A&E Department at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

If you have flu-like symptoms, or if you are concerned you have been in contact with someone who has flu, please do not visit your family and friends at the hospital. Please stay at home and limit your contact with others.

Landina was seen in Haiti by David Nott, a vascular surgeon at Chelsea and Westminster, and eventually brought to London with the help of the charity Facing the World which has strong links with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

• More information about the documentary is available on the Channel 4 website
• More information about Facing the World

The Trust also has an MRSA Screening Policy.

• Click here to view both documents

Davinia said: “I was honoured and excited that Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity asked me to help publicise their Burns Appeal because I know that burns can have many lasting psychosocial effects on people, no matter the size and location of their injuries and scars.

“When I was treated at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, I had help from a post-traumatic stress counsellor but there wasn’t a dedicated psychologist attached to the Burns Service. I think it is wonderful that the Burns staff are striving to increase the already excellent quality of care that they provide to their patients.”

The success of this appeal is an early Christmas present for the 500 new patients who are treated by the Burns Service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital every year. It is the only Burns Service in London providing specialist burn care for adults and children with complex burn injuries.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, an additional Clinical Psychologist will now be recruited specifically to ensure that all burns inpatients receive psychological assessment so that any potential psychological issues can be addressed early on, which will help with the recovery process.

Mr Greg Williams, Burns Service Lead at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital said:  “On behalf of the entire Burns Service, I would like to express my gratitude to all those individuals, including many former patients, who have so generously donated to the Burns Appeal.

“We will now be able to appoint an additional psychologist for a two-year pilot project to demonstrate the benefits of screening patients to identify potential psychological issues, address them early and help with recovery.”

Gary Lawson, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity added: “We are delighted that the appeal has raised awareness of the excellent work the Burns Service provides for the patients it cares for, and we are extremely grateful to more than 500 donors, both former patients such as Davinia and the general public, who have supported the appeal.

“We have now reached our initial fundraising target of £100,000 which will enable the Burns Service to pay the salary of a psychologist for the next 2 years but we would like to encourage people to continue donating to Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity so that we can support the hospital in other ways.”

Donations can be made by visiting www.chelwestcharity.org.uk.

Our Matrons hold open sessions for hospital staff, patients, relatives and visitors every Thursday, 3–4pm in the Main Atrium opposite the M-PALS office.

Mitch Haines, Matron for Surgery, and Louise Magee, Matron for Medicine, are happy to discuss any issue with patients and their families.

The Meet the Matrons sessions are being piloted on a weekly basis with a view to rolling them out on a daily basis in the new year if they prove popular.

Patients and their families who have an immediate issue should speak with the Nurse In Charge on their ward who may be able to resolve their query directly.

Hospital staff adorn their wards and departments with colourful decorations and their efforts are judged. The Friends of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital generously support the competition by sponsoring cash prizes of £100, £75 and £50.

This year the competition was judged by Anne Halsey (Friends Chairman), Sandra Busby (Staffside Representative) and Amanda Pritchard (Deputy Chief Executive) and prizes were handed out on Thursday 16 December. The judges also awarded special mentions to Nell Gwynne Ward and Saturn Ward for their efforts.

Photo: Staff from the Decontamination Services Department—winners of this year’s Best Decorated Ward competition—with Amanda Pritchard (Deputy Chief Executive, left) and the other competition judges

The star players took time out of their busy schedules to make the surprise visit and help bring a little festive cheer to children and young people being cared for at the hospital.

The hospital would like to say a big thank you to the players for their support and for making a huge difference to the lives of some of their youngest fans.

Mr Lansley spent time chatting to staff as he was shown through each of the areas.

The visit was carried out in preparation for the Government's recent announcement of the changes to A&E and ambulance performance indicators.

Photo: Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley (centre) with Heather Lawrence (Chief Executive) and Dr Mike Anderson (Medical Director)

Photo above:

Photo right: 56 Dean Street staff with Richard Barnes (Deputy Mayor of London) and Boyz magazine staff promote HIV testing on World AIDS Day

Deputy Mayor of London Richard Barnes visited 56 Dean Street—our HIV and sexual health centre in Soho—to promote HIV testing on World AIDS Day.

Our community mobile health clinic was used to provide rapid HIV tests, in partnership with Boyz magazine, and more than 100 people were tested.

Our staff also ran World AIDS Day fundraising events both in the main hospital and at West London Centre for Sexual Health.

Sarah won the award in recognition of her achievements including becoming the first hand therapist consultant and for the teaching she does in the UK and abroad.

The Executive Committee of BAHT said Sarah was an inspiration to all their members of what can be achieved by hand therapists and for her dedication to providing treatment of the highest standard.

Also congratulations to Dr Jeremy Lewis, Consultant Physiotherapist, who was nominated for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Award for Excellence in learning, teaching and development.

Through his leadership the Therapy Department at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has developed an internationally recognised research programme, currently with 25 research projects.

Jeremy said: “This nomination demonstrates the value of developing a strong research and evidence-based culture to continually improve the care we offer patients. We are delighted to have been nominated.”

Ann Green, chair of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: “This award recognises physiotherapists who have shown excellence through innovation to achieve better outcomes for patients. Jeremy’s work clearly meets that criteria and his nomination is well-deserved.”

Staff at 56 Dean Street, our HIV and sexual health centre in Soho, have won the ‘Success in Partnership Working’ category of the London NHS Health and Social Care Awards 2010 for their Hepatitis B screening, vaccination and treatment service run jointly with the Chinese National Healthy Living Centre.

This award recognises staff who have developed integrated services which are patient-centred and which cross professional and organisational boundaries.

The unique and innovative service provided at 56 Dean Street encourages the Chinese community, some of whom may have recently arrived in the UK and who may not speak English, to take up Hepatitis B screening, vaccination and treatment. It aims to reduce undiagnosed Hepatitis B infection and transmission.

Since the service opened, it has been fully booked with an average of 21 patients attending per clinic. Approximately 95% of patients do not speak English and so staff work alongside interpreters. Advice is also provided on immigration, social services and other general health issues such as how to register with a GP.

We were named as one of only two NHS trusts with lower than expected mortality rates after surgery among patients who had a secondary diagnosis such as internal bleeding, pneumonia or a blood clot. We were also praised for low rates of obstetric tears.

We are delighted by this independent assessment of our care for patients.

• The Dr Foster Hospital Guide is available in full

NHS funding of £40 million has already been committed to redevelop Chelsea and Westminster Hospital by building a two-storey extension including new paediatric operating theatres and inpatient facilities.

The Children’s Sunshine Appeal aims to raise an additional £5 million to help our staff to provide the very best services to children and also enable the purchase of innovative art to create a healing environment.

It is being launched this month by Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity whose purpose is to help improve the health of the people of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Wandsworth.

Gary Lawson, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, says: “More than 85,000 children are treated at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital every year and the Children’s Sunshine Appeal aims to ensure that they have the best possible experience of the new paediatric unit currently being developed.”

Dr Martin Brueton, Chairman of the Children’s Hospital Trust Fund, has added his support by saying: “I welcome the launch of the Children’s Sunshine Appeal which provides an exciting context for our STAR Appeal to raise £1.5 million for a paediatric surgical robot.”

The Children’s Sunshine Appeal target of £5 million includes the £1.5 milion for the surgical robot.

Heather Lawrence, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, adds: “I am excited that the Charity is launching this fundraising appeal to support our redevelopment which will improve services for patients. I would urge all staff, patients and our local community to support the Children's Sunshine Appeal because money donated to the appeal will enable us to go the extra mile for children and their families.”

To find out how you can get involved in the Children’s Sunshine Appeal, please contact Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity on 020 3315 6600 or see www.childrenssunshineappeal.org.uk for more information.

• 2 Patient Governors
• 3 Public Governors
  Wandsworth Area 1
  Westminster Area 1
  Westminster Area 2
• 1 Staff Governor
  Nursing & Midwifery

Members registered in these constituencies were invited to nominate themselves to stand for election.

The following constituencies were uncontested and the results were as follows:

• Public Governors
  Wandsworth Area 1: Henry Morgan elected unopposed
  Westminster Area 2: Melvyn Jeremiah elected unopposed
• Staff Governor
  Nursing and Midwifery: Kathryn Mangold elected unopposed

The results in constituencies where elections were contested were as follows:

• Patient Governors
  Dr Anthony Cadman elected
  William Marrash elected
• Public Governor
  Westminster Area 1: Martin Lewis elected

Ground Floor—Main Reception
T: 020 7963 2444
F: 020 7963 2440

1st Floor Reception
T: 020 7963 2500/1
F: 020 7963 2503

2nd Floor Reception
T: 020 7963 2400

The new numbers are now live and old numbers will be disconnected on Friday 17 December. If you are unsure how to contact the relevant clinic please ring the main switchboard on 020 8746 8000.

The Trust runs several clinics at the South Westminster Centre including:

• Audiology
• Dermatology
• Gynaecology
• Midwifery
• Outpatient services including Cardiology, Diabetes, Neurology, Paediatrics and Rheumatology
• Ultrasound
• X-Ray

Thank you to all staff, patients and visitors who supported the Trust by having their say during the recent public consultation on this issue.

We supported the removal of the Western Extension because it included the hospital and therefore unfairly disadvantaged staff, patients and visitors to the hospital.

For example, staff living in areas poorly served by public transport or working unsocial hours, patients unable to use public transport, and visitors living a long way from the hospital, all had no choice but to drive to the hospital and pay the Congestion Charge.

Lesley-Anne Marke, Sister on David Erskine Ward, said: “We were delighted to have raised £550 for the charity thanks to the generosity of everyone who visited the ward to join in the fun.

“Nursing staff gave up their traditional blue uniforms for the day to wear special pink scrub suits and patients on the ward wore pink gowns.

“Lots of people showed their support by donating cakes for our morning tea, which of course included plenty of pink cupcakes for sale.

“I’m sure most of us can think of someone whose life has been affected by breast cancer and this was our way of supporting the charity and their amazing work.”

‘Meet the Governors’ is your chance to meet your elected representative on the Council of Governor—why not come along for an informal chat or give your views on the hospital to them?

For more information, please contact Sian Nelson (Membership and Engagement Manager) on 020 3315 7867.

Confirmed ‘Meet the Governors’ sessions in November December are as follows:

November

Tuesday 16 November, 11am – 12 noon
Chris Birch, Patient Representative

Thursday 18 November, 12–2pm
Susan Maxwell, Patient Representative

Tuesday 30 November, 11am – 12 noon
Chris Birch, Patient Representative

December

Friday 3 December, 1–3pm
Susan Maxwell, Patient Representative

Tuesday 14 December, 11am – 12 noon
Chris Birch, Patient Representative

This year you can view them online and download an order form from the Friends website by clicking here.

Alternatively, you can buy cards from the Friends Office on the ground floor of the hospital or at the Friends’ Christmas Fair on Wednesday 8 December.

• 2 Patient Governors
• 3 Public Governors
  Wandsworth Area 1
  Westminster Area 1
  Westminster Area 2
• 1 Staff Governor
  Nursing & Midwifery

Ballot papers will be posted to members registered to vote in these constituencies, where elections are being contested, on 5 November—the deadline for posting completed voting papers to the Returning Officer is 26 November.

The deadline for completed voting papers to be received by the Returning Officer is 26 November and election results will be published on this website on 29 November.

List of candidates

• Patient representatives
  Dr Reza Afzalnia
  Walter Balmford
  Dr Anthony Cadman
  Tristan Elbrick
  William Marrash
  Jan Middleton
  Gwendolyn Parkin
• Public representatives
  Wandsworth Area 1: Uncontested constituency—Henry Morgan elected unopposed
  Westminster Area 1: Martin Lewis & Dr Ann Mills-Duggan
  Westminster Area 2: Uncontested constituency—Melvyn Jeremiah elected unopposed
• Staff representatives
  Nursing and Midwifery: Uncontested constituency—Kathryn Mangold elected unopposed

For any queries relating to election process, please contact Vida Djelic, Interim Foundation Trust Secretary, on 20 3315 6716 or vida.djelic@chelwest.nhs.uk.

To achieve this ranking, we had to demonstrate how family-friendly working practices are embedded into the culture of the Trust.

The awards, organised by the work-life balance charity Working Families, were judged by a panel of experts and validated by the independent human resource centre the Institute for Employment Studies who created a rigorous assessment process.

Sarah Jackson, Chief Executive of Working Families said: “Winning an award requires a huge amount of dedication, forward thinking and creativity to find solutions that really make a difference to the working lives of parents, carers and their families. Huge congratulations to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for being recognised as a ‘top employer for working families’.

“Our research shows that organisations that recognise their employees’ outside of work commitments, see improved performance as staff feel better valued and engaged and therefore make a greater contribution. Therefore this award is beneficial to staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital as well as the organisation as a whole.”

This is the second major national award to recognise the Trust as an employer of choice for staff in the last few months – we also won the ‘Most effective benefits strategy’ category of the HR Excellence Awards this summer.

Mark Gammage, Director of Human Resources, said: “Congratulations to the whole HR team and in particular Amber Payne, our Employee Benefits Manager, for her hard work and commitment.”

Photo: Amber Payne (Employee Benefits Manager—3rd left), Alison Heeralall (Deputy Director of HR—4th left) and Mark Gammage (HR Director—5th left) pictured with other winners at the Top Employers for Working Families awards

The UCC, which treated its first patients on Tuesday 19 October, has been developed by the hospital in partnership with our local GPs to provide faster assessment in A&E and ensure that patients receive the right care in the right place.

It is a new ‘walk-in’ service for patients who come to the A&E Department with minor illnesses and injuries that require urgent attention but that are not critical or life-threatening. The A&E Department will continue to treat acutely unwell patients.

The Urgent Care Centre will initially care for adult patients only while children who are brought to the hospital for treatment will continue to be seen in the existing Paediatric A&E Department.

Patients treated in the UCC will benefit from a faster assessment process and the addition of GP-led care to ensure that they receive the right care in the right place.

The new faster assessment process is known as ‘streaming’ and it means that patients will be booked in at reception and then allocated to the appropriate care pathway—either in A&E or in the new Urgent Care Centre—depending on the severity of their injury or illness.

This should mean that staff in the A&E Department can concentrate on providing care and treatment for those patients who really need their help.

• Click here to download the patient information leaflet for the Urgent Care Centre

‘Meet the Governors’ is your chance to meet your elected representative on the Council of Governor—why not come along for an informal chat or give your views on the hospital to them?

For more information, please contact Sian Nelson (Membership and Engagement Manager) on 020 3315 7867.

Confirmed ‘Meet the Governors’ sessions in October and November are as follows:

October

• Tuesday 19 October, 11am–1pm
  Susan Maxwell, Patient Representative
• Wednesday 20 October, 3–5pm
  Wendie McWatters, Patient Representative
• Wednesday 27 October, 11am–1pm
  Sandra Smith-Gordon, Public Representative (Kensington and Chelsea Area 2)
• Wednesday 27 October, 3–5pm
  Wendie McWatters, Patient Representative

November

• Thursday 18 November, 12–2pm
  Susan Maxwell, Patient Representative

Just two months after the launch on 7 July, donations to the Burns Appeal have reached more than £75,000.

Major donations were received from The Sun and Daily Star newspapers, as well as the Katie Piper Foundation which was set up by former Chelsea and Westminster Hospital burns patient Katie Piper who was the victim of a acid attack.

There was also a significant response from many other former patients of the Burns Unit as well as the general public.

Gary Lawson, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, says: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the public. We are pleased that we have also raised awareness of the excellent care that the Burns Service at Chelsea and Westminster provides for patients.”

The £100,000 Appeal aims to fund a two-year pilot programme for a Clinical Psychologist post within the Burns Service.

You can make a donation to the Burns Appeal by contacting the Charity on 020 3315 6600, emailing appeal@chelwestcharity.org.uk or donating online at www.chelwestcharity.org.uk/burns.

The website is currently being revamped by ‘web editors’ in different areas of the Trust to improve the quality of information that we provide about Chelsea and Westminster online.

Now two of the most popular areas of the website—Maternity and Children’s Services—have been completely overhauled.

They both include comprehensive information about our services for patients and parents.

• Click here to visit the Maternity section of the website
• Click here to visit the Children’s Services section of the website

• 2 Patient Governors
  
  
• 3 Public Governors
  Wandsworth Area 1
  Westminster Area 1
  Westminster Area 2
  
  
• 1 Staff Governor
  Nursing & Midwifery

Members registered in these constituencies are invited to nominate themselves to stand for election. The deadline for Foundation Trust members to nominate themselves for election is 19 October.

Ballot papers will be posted to members registered in these constituencies on 5 November. The deadline for completed voting papers to be received by the Returning Officer is 26 November. Election results will be published on this website on 29 November.

For any queries relating to election process, please contact Vida Djelic, Interim Foundation Trust Secretary, on 20 3315 6716 or vida.djelic@chelwest.nhs.uk.

He met children who have been cared for on the Unit, as well as staff who provide specialist treatment for these children, and saw how £90,000 donated to the Unit by the Mark Master Masons through the Children’s Burns Trust has been used to improve services for young patients.

Prince Michael is Patron of the Children’s Burns Trust and Grand Master of the Mark Master Masons.

The generous donation has been used to buy specialist equipment such as a new bath to improve bathing facilities for children and audio-visual equipment used for general distraction and during physiotherapy.

The Burns Service at Chelsea and Westminster is the only Burns Service in London, providing specialist care for adults and children with complex burn injuries.

It admits approximately 500 new patients a year, one third of whom are children, with a further 2,700 new patients a year, half of whom are children, seen in the dressing clinics run at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Queen Mary’s University Hospital, Roehampton.

Mr Greg Williams, Burns Service Lead Clinician at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, said: “A burn is extremely traumatic to patients, especially children, and providing an environment that is as stimulating as possible helps to distract them from the discomfort of the injury, the anxiety around treatment and the boredom of being in hospital.

“We are very grateful for this generous donation which will make a real difference to our patients.”

The Children’s Burns Trust is a national charity dedicated to providing rehabilitation support for children and their families. It provides direct financial support to families, as well as hospitals and works closely with NHS staff, and is committed to promoting prevention and awareness campaigns.

Photo: HRH Prince Michael of Kent with Burns Unit patient Robin Chabouk (13) and his father.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is hosting a special Teddy Bear Picnic for children and their teddy bears on Thursday 30 September at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, SW3.

Children are being invited to come along with their teddies for an afternoon of free fun, games and magic. Pudsey Bear will be attending too!

The popular Teddy Bear Hospital will be there to give teddy ‘check-ups’ and children can even have a go at putting on a plaster cast. There will be face painting, a children’s disco and bouncy castle, as well as plenty of free healthy food to try out.

Nurses from Chelsea and Westminster Hospital will also be on hand to give advice and answer questions about staying healthy, dentistry and how to manage emergency situations with your child.

Come along to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4SR (St Leonard’s Terrace entrance)

Free parking will be available.

To RSVP or for more information please contact Sian Nelson at sian.nelson@chelwest.nhs.uk or call 020 3315 6727.

• Charles Wilson was re-appointed for a term of one year ending on 31 October 2011. He is the Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Assurance Committee. Charles spent 50 years in the newspaper industry, serving as editor of a number of papers including The Times and he retired as Managing Director of the Mirror Group plc.
  
  
• Andrew Havery was re-appointed for a term of one year ending on 31 October 2011. He has been a councillor in Westminster since 2002 and is a chartered accountant, working for KPMG for eight years before becoming a compliance officer to investment banks.
  
  
• Professor Richard Kitney OBE was re-appointed for a term of two years ending on 31 October 2012. Professor Kitney is Professor of Biomedical Systems Engineering and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College. He is a leading authority on the use of IT in healthcare and is Chairman and Director of Visbion Ltd.

All Non-Executive Directors are required to have an appraisal of their performance and a rigorous evaluation by Trust Chairman Professor Sir Christopher Edwards before they are considered for re-appointment.

The assessment process also considers the balance of skills and experience of each Non-Executive to ensure they are in line with the requirements of the Trust Board and the needs of the hospital.

The Trust’s Council of Governors includes elected representatives of patients, members of the public and hospital staff, as well as nominated representatives of key local stakeholder organisations.

They heard presentations from speakers including Trust Chairman Professor Sir Christopher Edwards, Chief Executive Heather Lawrence OBE, Finance Director Lorraine Bewes and Foundation Trust Governor Sandra Smith-Gordon.

Members attending the meeting were also able to watch an excerpt from a Channel 5 documentary about the work of the charity Facing the World which reconstructs the faces of children from developing countries and transforms their live. It was introduced by craniofacial surgeons Simon Eccles and Niall Kirkpatrick who featured in the documentary.

There was also a lively question and answer session which gave members an opportunity to quiz the Board of Directors about a wide range of issues.

Members gave their instant feedback on the meeting with the Patient Experience Tracker (PET) devices which are now used throughout the hospital to enable patients to give their views on their care – the results were very positive:

• 92% rated the meeting as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’
• 83% said the meeting had improved their view of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

The Trust would like to thank all staff involved in the organising of the annual meeting which is a real team effort involving everyone from the St Stephen’s Volunteers on the Welcome Desk to the ISS Mediclean catering staff who provided refreshments afterwards.

• The Annual Members' Meeting 2011 will take place at 5:30pm on Thursday 15 September 2011—more details to follow nearer the time

The service, which was commissioned by NHS Kensington and Chelsea following a competitive bidding process, means that patients will benefit from the expertise of the hospital’s specialist staff in a setting which is closer to their home and more convenient.

It is being provided initially on a single site—St Charles’ Centre for Health and Wellbeing in North Kensington—but it will also be provided at the Om Sai Medical Centre near Earl’s Court station from early 2011.

This is the latest of a growing number of services being provided by Chelsea and Westminster in the community.

It is one of the first purpose-built hospital schools in the country and provides education for children and young people staying in one of the hospital's inpatient wards at Chelsea and Westminster, as well as the day-case ward and Burns Unit.

The occasion marked a double celebration for the school, which was recently awarded the prestigious International School Award by the British Council in recognition of the work they do with schools located around the world, including one in Gaza with which the students communicate via videoconference.

All Foundation Trust members and hospital staff are welcome.

This is your chance to have your say on your local hospital and your healthcare:

• The Board of Directors including the Chairman and Chief Executive will be available to answer your questions during a Question and Answer session

• An elected representative from the Council of Governors will give a presentation about the role of the Governors in the life of the hospital

• You can meet the Board of Directors and other hospital staff at an informal reception event with refreshments after the meeting

During the meeting, a number of speakers will look back at the key achievements of 2009/10 and look forward to what the future holds for Chelsea and Westminster:

• Professor Sir Christopher Edwards—Chairman, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Heather Lawrence OBE—Chief Executive, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Lorraine Bewes—Director of Finance, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Sandra Smith-Gordon—Public Representative (Kensington and Chelsea Area 2), Council of Governors

Please note that there is limited seating in the Restaurant which will be available on a first come, first served basis.

• Click here to download the programme of events

The Incubator, which was filmed on location on the Unit earlier this year, follows the journeys of four families.

The film, screened as part of the First Cut documentary series, provides a fascinating and moving insight into the life of the Unit.

Further information about the documentary is available on the Channel 4 website.

Further information about the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is available by clicking here.

They have been shortlisted for their unique and highly successful Hepatitis B screening, vaccination and treatment service which is run jointly with the Chinese National Healthy Living Centre.

As part of the UK-China Collaboration in Community Health, five representatives from the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau visited 56 Dean Street recently to see the innovative service in action.

They observed the collaborative approach which has been developed to encourage the Chinese community, some of whom who may have recently arrived in the UK and who may not speak English, to take up Hepatitis B screening, vaccination and treatment.

The Chinese visitors were particularly impressed by the model of care used and the achievement of the service in providing excellent care to Chinese immigrants who are often regarded as a ‘difficult to reach’ group.

This award recognises excellence in the field of cancer information and support and takes into account the experience of people using the Centre as well as the policies and procedures used in its day-to-day running and its overall environment.

The review team, including cancer health professionals and cancer patients, were particularly impressed with the level of volunteer support within the Macmillan Centre.

Dr Russ Hargreaves, Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Manager, says: "We are fortunate to have a team of about 20 dedicated volunteers, many of whom have been with us since the Centre opened its doors in 2003.

“Without their support and commitment, we could not have developed into a centre which is now recognised for placing the cancer patient at the very heart of what we do."

The Centre has received almost 13,000 visits in the last seven years, not only from Chelsea and Westminster patients but from patients and their carers living throughout London and further afield.

Sheila Murphy, Macmillan Service Development Manager, says: “This is great news as the cancer information and support service at Chelsea and Westminster is consistently held up as an exemplar service.”

Catherine Gillespie, Macmillan Lead Nurse for Cancer & Palliative Care, agrees: "The Centre does a valuable job in working closely with the rest of the cancer and palliative care team.

“By offering counselling, written information and complementary therapies, we are able to offer a much more holistic service to our patients and their families.”

• Visit Cancer Services

Outpatient services development set to get underway

A major development of the lower ground floor of the hospital is set to create a new, modern environment for many outpatient services.

The Preoperative Assessment Centre, where staff see patients before they are admitted to hospital for surgery to ensure that they are fit for their operation, moved to the lower ground floor in May.

Work is due to start on 16 August to redevelop a large area of the lower ground floor to accommodate outpatient services currently based in Outpatients 1 on the first floor and in the Beta Cell Diabetes Centre on the second floor.

These outpatient services will open to patients in their new location in February 2011.

Construction of extension to start

A two-storey extension to the first and second floors of the hospital will help to achieve the Trust’s vision:

• To provide world class children’s services following Chelsea and Westminster’s designation as the lead centre for specialist neonatal and paediatric surgery in North West London—to help save the lives of babies and children
• To develop our HIV services which have an international reputation for excellence—Chelsea and Westminster is the largest HIV centre in Europe

BAM Construction, the Trust’s building contractor on the extension project, started work on site in April.

Enabling works, including clearing obstructions in the ground and laying a new drainage system, are due to be completed in August.

That means piling work can start to lay the foundations for the extension to the main hospital building.

The Trust is committed to keeping its neighbours living in Netherton Grove and the surrounding area informed about progress on the construction project—a residents’ meeting was held before work started on site in April and regular residents’ newsletters are distributed.

The Trust, in partnership with our local GPs, has submitted detailed plans to NHS Kensington and Chelsea in June and building work is due to start soon.

This new facility is expected to open its doors to patients in October. It will initially care for adult patients only while children who are brought to the hospital for treatment will continue to be seen in the existing Paediatric Emergency Department. It is expected that services for children in the new UCC will commence 6 months after it opens.

Patients treated in the UCC will benefit from a faster assessment process and the addition of GP-led care to ensure that they receive the right care in the right place.

The new faster assessment process is known as ‘streaming’ and it means that patients will be booked in at reception and then allocated to the appropriate care pathway—either in the A&E Department or in the new Urgent Care Centre – depending on the severity of their injury or illness.

It is our intention for GPs to be based in the department from 10am to 10pm, attending to those patients presenting with primary care problems who currently receive treatment unnecessarily in the A&E Department.

This should mean that staff in the A&E Department can concentrate on providing care and treatment for those patients that really need their help.

VTE, a collective term which covers deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a major cause of avoidable deaths—it is estimated that in England each year more than 25,000 die from preventable VTE contracted in hospital.

All adult patients admitted to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital now have an electronic VTE risk assessment on admission which is then repeated within 24 hours of admission.

A poster competition attracted 22 entries from staff keen to see their design used to promote awareness of the ‘No more clots’ campaign—the winners were the Medical Day Unit team, Lenka Medlik (Clinical Psychologist), Snehal Shah (Pharmacist) and Jennifer Nelson (Electronic Patient Record team).

Consultant Haematologist, Dr Helen Yarranton says: “The ‘No more clots’ campaign aims to raise awareness among staff and patients of the importance of preventing VTE.

“Identifying patients at risk of thrombosis, providing appropriate treatment and giving patients information on the risks and symptoms of DVT and PE will help prevent unnecessary deaths and disability in our patients.”

‘Meet the Governors’ is your chance to meet your elected representative on the Council of Governors. Why not come along for an informal chat, or give your views on the hospital to them?

For more information phone Sian Nelson, Membership and Engagement Manager on 020 3315 7867.

The next sessions are as follows:

August

• Friday 6 August, 1–3pm
  Susan Maxwell, Patient Representative
  
  
• Wednesday 11 August, 3–5pm
  Wendie McWatters, Patient Representative
  
  
• Thursday 12 August, 6–8pm
  Martin Lewis, Public Representative (Westminster Area 2)
  
  
• Monday 16 August, 11am–1pm
  Chris Birch, Patient Representative
  
  
• Thursday 19 August, 1–3pm
  Susan Maxwell, Patient Representative
  
  
• Wednesday 25 August, 11am–1pm
  Sandra Smith-Gordon, Public Representative (Kensington & Chelsea Area 2)
  
  
• Thursday 26 August, 6–8pm
  Martin Lewis, Public Representative (Westminster Area 2)

September

• Wednesday 1 September, 3–5pm
  Wendie McWatters, Patient Representative
  
  
• Thursday 9 September, 6–8pm
  Martin Lewis, Public Representative (Westminster Area 2)
  
  
• Monday 13 September, 11am–1pm
  Chris Birch, Patient Representative
  
  
• Thursday 23 September, 6–8pm
  Martin Lewis, Public Representative (Westminster Area 2)
  
  
• Wednesday 29 September, 11am–1pm
  Sandra Smith-Gordon, Public Representative (Kensington & Chelsea Area 2)

The assessment was carried out earlier this year by a team of inspectors including patient representatives.

This year’s results are an improvement on the 2009 assessment when the Trust was rated ‘Excellent’ for Environment and Food but only ‘Good’ for Privacy & Dignity—2009 was the first year when the category of Privacy & Dignity was included.

PEAT Patient representative Susan Maxwell, who is also a patient representative on our Foundation Trust Council of Governors, says: “As a regular patient here at the hospital, I have a vested interest in all aspects of the patient environment and so I volunteered to join PEAT as a patient representative on their cleaning audits. I have experienced at first hand the sheer effort that goes into infection control, cleaning, maintenance, patient dignity and catering to make our hospital experience as safe and as comfortable as possible.

“I believe we are extremely lucky to have a team of highly responsible staff who volunteer as part of our team to carry out highly critical and unannounced ward visits on behalf of patients. The healthy competition between wards to get the highest scores has ensured that the standards are excellent which is why Chelsea and Westminster is one of the safest hospitals in the UK.”

Despite the Trust’s triple ‘Excellent’ PEAT score, there is no room for complacency because both noise/privacy and cleanliness/hygiene were highlighted as areas for improvement in the national inpatient survey 2009, published in May 2010.

The Trust is already addressing both areas:

• Eye masks and ear plugs are now available for patients to use free of charge on all wards while a contractor has been chosen to install glass panelling on 12 wards to reduce noise and improve privacy and dignity
  
  
• No patient admitted to the hospital for routine, planned surgery in the last 12 months has been infected with MRSA bacteraemia and the Trust is targeting continued reductions in both MRSA and C. difficile infections

PEAT assessment results at a glance 2006–2010

The former Adele Dixon Ward has been refurbished to provide the new Jupiter/Mercury location (4th Floor, Lift Bank C) and the former Clinical Site Managers office has been refurbished to provide PACC on Saturn Ward (4th Floor, Lift Bank B).

The wards will open in their new locations on Saturday 24 July.

The Fracture Clinic is moving from the Second Floor to the Ground Floor and will open in its new location on Monday 26 July.

These moves are made necessary by a major redevelopment of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital site to improve services for patients.

This redevelopment will improve services for patients and secure Chelsea and Westminster’s future as a specialist hospital with a wide range of local services.

A 2-storey extension to the 1st and 2nd floor levels of the hospital will help us to achieve the Trust’s vision of providing world class children’s services following our designation as the lead centre for specialist paediatric and neonatal surgery in North West London, while also developing HIV services.

• The Hospital School also moved to a new location earlier this week—the former Preoperative Assessment Centre on the First Floor

This is the first programme in a new 3-part series called ‘The Hospital’ which examines the relationship between teenagers and the NHS.

Further information about the documentary is available on the Channel 4 website.

Photo: Nurse Stephanie McMillan is one of the staff at the West London Centre for Sexual Health featured in a Channel 4 documentary on Monday 26 July

Staff on the Maternity Unit are dedicated to providing the best possible care for parents when their baby dies.

• Make a donation online

In addition, the Trust’s Quality Account is also availabe—download it here.

The Trust was recognised for its alternative strategy that aims to benefit and retain staff and improve their work-life balance, while saving the Trust money.

Initiatives in the award-winning package include a cycle-to-work scheme, childcare vouchers, pensions advice and a well-being programme that provides on-site physiotherapy, stress management training, lifestyle coaching and well-being days.

The scheme has so far saved the Trust £44,000.

NHS employers interested in finding out more about the Trust’s award-winning benefits strategy can contact Alison Heeralall in the HR Department via email at alison.heeralall@chelwest.nhs.uk.

The North West London Health Innovation and Education Cluster (HIEC) aims to ensure that patients receive better treatment by promoting innovation, quality and efficiency through training and education of healthcare staff – it is hosted by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

For the NHS to thrive it must learn from and apply best practice across all its organisations and the HIEC will work across North West London to achieve this aim. It will work to bring the benefits of the latest research to the widest possible patient groups, focusing initially on helping to transform care for patients with cancer and heart disease.

The North West London HIEC was launched at an event at the Foundling Museum on Tuesday 29 June with a keynote speech by Sir Muir Gray, NHS Chief Knowledge Officer.

Also announced at the launch was the appointment of an independent chair, Marcia Saunders.

She said: “I am looking forward to ensuring that the HIEC is focused on tackling the very real health inequalities there are in North West London and ensuring that we are looking to create new roles in all parts of the health and social care workforce.”

The North West London HIEC  is hosted by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and includes national and international centres of clinical service and research excellence, including the world class university Imperial College London.

Heather Lawrence, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “A key test for our HIEC will be the success with which we introduce innovative new approaches to treatment across North West London including drugs, devices and technologies as well as service innovation and innovation in the delivery of education.”

Professor Charles Pusey, Director of Education at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Professor of Medicine at Imperial College London, said: “The North West London HIEC will play a critical role in fostering greater collaboration across the sector, and driving the widest possible diffusion and adoption of service innovation, linking with the other HIECs in London, and more widely as appropriate.

“Together we will deliver improved patient services through the development of the healthcare workforce, using innovative programmes of education and training.”

• For further information on the North West London HIEC, please contact Anita Randon via email at anita.randon@chelwest.nhs.uk

The 16 member organisations of the North West London HIEC are:

• Buckinghamshire New University
• Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
• Central London Community Healthcare
• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Ealing Hospital NHS Trust
• GE Healthcare Ltd
• Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Imperial College London
• Macmillan Cancer Support
• NIHR CLAHRC for Northwest London
• North West London Hospitals NHS Trust
• Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
• The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust
• The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
• University of Hertfordshire
• West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust

Two new projects to improve access to HIV testing show that Chelsea and Westminster remains at the cutting-edge of this specialist area of medicine.

Research demonstrates success of HIV testing in A&E

A new research study by clinicians at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has demonstrated that offering HIV tests to patients in the Emergency Department is accepted by both patients and staff and can help detect new cases of HIV.

The study, by Dr Michael Rayment and colleagues, was presented at the Joint Conference of the British HIV Association (BHIVA) and the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) – and reported by the British Medical Journal.

The aim of this study, which was funded by the Department of Health and the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for Northwest London, was to assess the feasibility and acceptability to both patients and staff of routinely offering HIV tests in A&E.

Dr Keith Radcliffe, President of BASHH, told the British Medical Journal that more than a third of people with HIV get a late diagnosis which causes avoidable morbidity, mortality and transmission of the virus to other people – routinely testing patients coming to A&E is one way of diagnosing HIV at an earlier stage.

The Chelsea and Westminster research study, carried out over a three-month period, showed that of 3,049 eligible patients offered an HIV test, 2,123 accepted.

Of these 2,123 patients, four new HIV diagnoses were made and all four patients were transferred to care.

Before the study started, staff working in A&E had anxieties about both the feasibility of carrying out testing and the reaction of patients.

Focus groups of staff held after the three-month research study demonstrated a high level of satisfaction among staff that carrying out testing was both feasible and acceptable to most people.

Further work has been undertaken in A&E, with the support of the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for Northwest London, to establish the most sustainable ways of continuing to offer HIV tests in the department.

New rapid HIV testing advertising campaign launched

A new campaign to encourage more regular HIV testing in the gay community has been launched by 56 Dean Street, the Trust’s modern and hi-tech sexual health centre in Soho.

56 Dean Street offers free on-the-spot HIV testing and Hepatitis B vaccinations as well a full range of more comprehensive sexual health services and advice.

Last year the centre was responsible for diagnosing 20% of all new HIV diagnoses among gay men in London and staff at 56 Dean Street are keen to continue and improve on this trend.

Dr Alan McOwan, Service Director for Sexual Health at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, says: “We want to remind people that 56 Dean Street offers the world’s fastest HIV antibody test.

“Working with healthcare communications agency 90TEN Healthcare, our campaign visually communicates to everybody that anyone can receive a result in just five minutes.

“One in nine gay men have HIV and two-thirds of undiagnosed men think they are HIV negative, so it is essential to emphasise how easy and accessible it is to get tested. Data shows that testing early can add 16 years to someone’s life.”

The advertising campaign has been featured in gay media, at Leicester Square tube station and on the iPhone application Grindr. An animation has been displayed on video screens outside DV8, the gay lifestyle store on Old Compton Street, to advertise 56 Dean Street’s proximity to most gay bars and venues in Soho.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has been carrying out the work to improve the public areas in front of the hospital, funded by the Council with a contribution from Transport for London.

The good news is that the works are nearly finished—when they are completed, it should be much easier for the large number of people who come to the hospital each day to move about more freely.

In particular, the area has been re-paved in natural York stone to provide a smooth and level surface for people in wheelchairs, with buggies or with restricted mobility.

If you have any questions or concerns about the streetscape improvement works, please contact Andy Pang at the Council in 020 7341 5783.

The large plasma screens—located in Children’s Outpatients, the Antenatal Clinic and next to the M-PALS office—aim to improve the quality of information available to patients, visitors and staff.

They also benefit the Trust financially because we receive a percentage of the sponsorship revenue.

There is no cost to the Trust because we are working with a commercial partner, the Healthcare Messaging Group, who pay for the screens, secure sponsorship and design the messages that appear on the screens—with input from Trust staff.

The installation of the first three screens is a pilot scheme and the Trust is now actively exploring the possibility of placing more screens in other areas.

A range of health messages are included on the screens and some targeted information for parents of children and pregnant women is featured on the screens in Children’s Outpatients and the Antenatal Clinic respectively.

According to the results of a recent survey of parents in Children’s Outpatients and pregnant women in the Antenatal Clinic, the screens are proving popular:

• 80% of parents and 77% of pregnant women said they found the screens a useful source of information
• 77% of parents and 83% of pregnant women said the screens improved their experience of the hospital
• The messages that most parents and pregnant women remembered seeing on the screens related to the reputation of the Trust—for example, Chelsea and Westminster is rated by the Care Quality Commission among the top 10% of NHS hospitals in the country

Matt Akid, Head of Communications, said: “Our partnership with the Healthcare Messaging Group is a positive initiative because it has enabled us to improve our communication with patients and visitors to the hospital.

“We have involved frontline clinical staff in developing messages tailored to the areas in which we have installed the screens to ensure they are relevant to our patients.”

The new ward areas will improve how different specialties work together and enhance our services for the increasing number of patients requiring higher levels of care.

Patients coming to hospital for planned surgery will also benefit from a smoother admission and discharge process—meaning they will need to spend less time in hospital.

To facilitate the development of the new ward areas, St Mary Abbots Ward will close from 5 July. Some building work is also required and this is expected to take place from mid-July to early October.

Where the new ward and unit are located—important information for patients and visitors

• The new surgical ward will be located in the area currently occupied by Rainsford Mowlem Ward (3rd Floor, Lift Bank C).
• The combined medical and surgical assessment unit will temporarily function in two areas of the hospital—the area currently occupied by the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) and Marie Celeste Ward (4th Floor, Lift Bank B)—until the required building work is completed.

• 2 Patient Governors
  
  
• 4 Public Governors
  Hammersmith & Fulham Area 1
  Kensington & Chelsea Area 1
  Wandsworth Area 2
  Westminster Area 1
  
  
• 1 Staff Governor
  Support, Administrative & Clerical

Members registered in these constituencies were invited to nominate themselves to stand for election.

The following constituency was uncontested and the result is as follows:

• Public: Hammersmith and Fulham 1
  Samantha Culhane

The following constituency received no nominations:

• Public: Westminster Area 1

The results in constituencies where elections were contested were as follows:

• Patient Governors
  Paul Baverstock
  Chris Birch
  
  
• Public Governor: Kensington & Chelsea Area 1
  Eddie Adams
  
  
• Public Governor: Wandsworth Area 2
  Del Hosain
  
  
• Staff Governors: Support, Administrative & Clerical
  Charlotte Mackenzie Crooks

Elections are being held in the following constituencies of the Council of Governors:

• 2 Patient representatives
  
  
• 4 Public representatives
  • Hammersmith & Fulham Area 1
  • Kensington & Chelsea Area 1
  • Wandsworth Area 2
  • Westminster Area 1
    
    
• 1 Staff representative
  • Support, Administrative & Clerical

The candidates are as follows:

Patient representatives

• Paul Baverstock
• Chris Birch
• Anthony Cadman
• Kim Crosby
• Lora Maria de Felice
• Alexandra Fyfe
• William Marrash
• Alison Stow

Public representatives

• Hammersmith & Fulham Area 1
  • Uncontested constituency—Samantha Culhane elected unopposed
• Kensington & Chelsea Area 1
  • Eddie Adams
  • Tim Facer
• Wandsworth Area 2
  • Jean-Marc Debricon
  • Del Hosain
• Westminster Area 1
  • No nominations received

Staff representatives

• Support, Administrative & Clerical
  • Chris Hamblen
  • Charlotte Mackenzie Crooks

Ballot papers will be posted to members registered to vote in the constituencies where elections are being held on Tuesday 8 June.

The deadline for voting (when completed voting papers must be posted to the Returning Officer) is 28 June and election results will be published on this website on 29 June.

For any queries relating to the election process, please contact Vida Djelic, Interim Foundation Trust Secretary, on 020 3315 6716 or vida.djelic@chelwest.nhs.uk.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, recently published his new Transport Strategy which states that, subject to consultation, he will abolish the Western Extension with effect from 24 December 2010.

Trust Chief Executive, Heather Lawrence is writing personally to staff, elected representatives of patients and local residents on our Council of Governors, Foundation Trust members, and other key stakeholders to ask for their support.

She said: “The Western Extension is a financial burden for not only staff but also our patients and their visitors. The Trust lobbied the previous Mayor of London on behalf of staff and patients during the consultation process on the introduction of the Western Extension but to no avail.

“As a Trust we will be writing formally to the Mayor to support the proposed removal of the Western Extension because we believe that it unfairly disadvantages staff, patients and visitors to the hospital.

“For example, staff who live in an area poorly served by public transport or who work unsocial hours when public transport is not running, patients who are not well enough to use public transport, and visitors who live a long way from the hospital, all have no choice but to drive to the hospital and pay the Congestion Charge.

“Please support your hospital by taking part in the public consultation and registering your views—you can have your say online at www.cclondon.com.”

A statement has been prepared for use by anyone who wants to take part in the public consultation in support of the Trust’s position that the removal of the Western Extension will benefit staff, patients and visitors to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

The statement in full—or any part of it—can be used when responding to the public consultation online. If you would like an electronic copy of the statement, to copy and paste into the online form, please contact matthew.akid@chelwest.nhs.uk.

The deadline for responses to the public consultation is Monday 2 August.

The 2009 survey findings, which were published by the Care Quality Commission in May, show that the Trust has improved its performance year-on-year—we performed significantly better on 16 of the 79 questions compared with the 2008 survey while our performance was significantly worse on no questions.

Areas in which the Trust’s performance has improved significantly include:

• Patients’ privacy in the Emergency Department
• The provision of printed information when patients have a planned admission
• Communication by doctors and nurses
• Patients being offered a choice of food
• Patients not having to share sleeping areas or bath or shower areas with members of the opposite sex

However, there are also a number of areas for improvement that the Trust will be working to improve over the last 12 months.

• Click here for more information about the national annual inpatients survey

Caroline Rhys Williams supported the NHS through her voluntary and community work for more than 35 years. During the 1970s she worked on an early project to introduce Information Technology for medical records in the Department of Community Medicine at Westminster Hospital Medical School.

In 1974 she became a member and later Chairman of the Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Community Health Council where she led a significant campaign to improve children’s health services. In 1982 she was appointed to the Board of Governors of Great Ormond Street Hospital and was appointed a Trustee of The Wishing Well Appeal. Caroline later became Chairman of the Family Health Services Authority for Barking and Havering, in addition to serving as Chairman of the Great Ormond Street Hospital School between 1984 and 1995.

Caroline appointed hundreds of specialist consultants and registrars to senior positions within the NHS as Chairman of the Medical Appointments Panel for Great Ormond Street Hospital (1990–2005) and Chairman of the Pan Thames Specialist Appointments Panel (1998–2005). Many consultants will recall her testing questions, aimed to ensure that they could communicate in “plain English” and did not exhibit symptoms of the disease she knew as “consultantitis”.

Caroline joined the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s Charitable Funds Committee in 1999 and became its Chairman in 2002 (never a Chair, which she knew was an inanimate object). She led the transformation of the Committee to an independent charity and was elected Chairman of the new Board of Trustees of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity in May 2005. She was extensively involved in all aspects of the Charity’s arts, fundraising and grant making activities.

As a local resident, Caroline had a strong affinity with the Trust, not least as three of her grandchildren were born at Chelsea and Westminster. She was regularly seen in and around the hospital supporting a wide variety of activities and events, particularly the annual Open Day and the Charity’s Hospital Arts performances and displays.

Caroline died peacefully at the Royal Marsden Hospital on 27 December 2009 surrounded by her family. During the course of her illness, which she bore with her characteristic fortitude, Caroline also received treatment at the Chelsea and Westminster. She is greatly missed by all her many colleagues and friends.

Episodes featuring patients and staff at Chelsea and Westminster will be shown at 10.45pm on Tuesday 8 June and Wednesday 23 June.

• Click here for more information about the series

Katie Piper, a model and aspiring TV presenter, has always been quick to pay tribute to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital staff who saved her life, rebuilt her face and continue to provide ongoing care.

Katie, who suffered horrific burns in the attack on 31 March 2008, discarded her anonymity to tell her amazing story of personal courage in the Channel 4 documentary which was screened on Channel 4 in October 2009.

The depth of the burns from the sulphuric acid penetrated all layers of the skin on Katie’s face and elsewhere on her body. The extent of her burns was so severe that they destroyed all four layers of the skin down to the fat. Surgeon Mr Mohammad Jawad used an artificial skin substitute to rebuild the epidermis and dermis layers on Katie’s face before grafting skin from her back and bottom onto her face.

Katie said: “I owe my life to the doctors, nurses and all the other staff in the Burns Service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. I would have died without their amazing efforts immediately after I was attacked and they have supported me every step of the way during my treatment.

“Coming to terms with the fact that my life as I knew it before the acid attack was over, and that my facial appearance had changed forever, has been incredibly difficult. I wouldn’t have been able to rebuild my life without the support of all the staff at Chelsea and Westminster.

Mr Greg Williams, Service Lead of the Burns Service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, said: “As the only specialist Burns Service in London, we treat many patients like Katie who have suffered horrific injuries. Surgery and ongoing treatment is a long and painful journey for these patients and our role is to provide not only medical and nursing expertise to heal their injuries but also empathy, compassion and emotional support.

“Burns medicine is a little-known specialty which isn’t often in the public eye and so I hope the Channel 4 documentary has helped raise public awareness of this vital NHS service.”

Photo: Katie Piper with her surgeon Mr Mohammad Jawad

The Trust’s sexual health and HIV centre in the heart of Soho, which opened in March 2009, also now diagnoses 1 in 5 of all new HIV cases among gay men in London.

• Click here for more information including how to request a clinic appointment online

Carers Week takes place in June, beginning with a Carers’ Thames Walk on Sunday 13 June.

For further information about Carers Network Westminster, contact 020 8960 3033 or info@carers-network.co.uk.

Did you know?

• There are approximately six million carers in the UK today
• It is estimated that carers save the Government £87 billion each year
  
  
• The impact on carers can be significant—poverty, isolation and ill health are all issues and working carers juggle employment with providing care
  
  
• The majority of carers carry on alone and are unaware that help is available, for example breaks in caring are vital to a carer’s wellbeing

Click here to find out more about the Carers Thames Walk.