News from The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

THe PulseIssue 155 Winter 2018

PALS - always ready to help

www.thh.nhs.uk The Pulse 2 The Pulse

THIS ISSUE

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Discover how to help with vital research

Trust appoints new Chief executive

Make a difference in your hospital

Babies are our business

Help us help you stay well this winter

Trust eye doctor is a true pioneer

Come and join us

spotlight: PAls - always ready to help

Governors’ voice

The Trust online

Contents

WELCOME

Derek SmithInterim Chief executive

The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Winter 2018Issue 155

Look after your lungs

Produced by:The Communications Departmentthh-tr.communications@nhs.netPrint: Streamline Your Print

The Pulse magazine is for our patients, local people, staff and members of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Copies can be picked up from the Trust and downloaded from our website www.thh.nhs.uk.

www.thh.nhs.uk

Cover: Sally Taylor, PALS Manager

A word from the Chief Executive

Derek Smith, Interim Chief Executive

Throughout November – lung cancer awareness month – people are encouraged to think about whether they might have any of the symptoms, and also to consider their lifestyle choices.

This year, The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer is co-ordinating the recording of lung cancer survivor stories, to help raise public awareness worldwide.

Lung cancer symptoms include:• A persistent cough • Coughing up blood • Persistent breathlessness • Unexplained tiredness and

weight loss • An ache or pain when

breathing or coughing. But of course the main cause of

lung cancer is smoking, because of the toxins contained in tobacco smoke being drawn directly into the lungs.

Lung cancer affects mainly older people, the 70 to 74 age group being most commonly diagnosed – although this does not mean younger people and non-smokers cannot develop lung cancer.

Treatment depends on the type of cancer, how far it has spread and a patient’s general

Discover how to help with vital researchAdults across west London

now have the chance to take part in vital health researchandhelpfindbetterways to treat and prevent illness and disease.

A new register – called Discover – will match over-18s with clinical research opportunities. Discover, run by Imperial College Health Partners - a collaboration of NHS bodies and academic institutions including The Hillingdon Hospitals - is for both healthy people and those with a medical condition.Afterfillinginaregistration

form, you will be sent a verificationrequesttoensuredatasecurity. Those taking part remain anonymous, so that academic researchers can search for suitable candidates based on health information alone.

Once a candidate is found, researchers can ask for them tobere-identified–althoughresearchers cannot do this themselves; only the Discover Team has your personal information and you would be contacted by them.

If you are interested in joining the Discover register, or want more information, go to registerfordiscover.org.uk, email enquiries@registerfordiscover.org.uk or call 08000 288 480.

Welcome to the winter edition of The Pulse,

the Trust’s magazine for its members, patients and local people.

As Interim Chief executive I will be guest writing this column for this edition only. The new Chief executive, Sarah Tedford, will be taking up the reins later on this month (see page 4).

Most people are well aware that the whole of the NHS is facing extreme pressure on its services. Hillingdon is not exempt from this; our staff are having to manage increasing numbers of people visiting our emergency Department and we have been struggling over the summer period to meet key performance targets such as the A&e four-hour waiting time target. The summer months have traditionally beenconsidereda‘quieter’timefor the NHS. However, it is now widely acknowledged by health leadersthatthose‘quietperiods’are a thing of the past. The NHS, and hospitals in particular, are extremely busy places all year round. This presents us with greater challenges to cope with during the even more demanding winter months.

The Trust is now well into its preparation plans for winter. At Hillingdon this includes: expanding our A&e capacity through the creation of more treatment bays, and streamlining our internal processes to speed up the way we manage patients who need to be admitted to hospital. We continue to work in partnership with all of Hillingdon’s health and care services across the borough, including local GPs, community services and Social Services, to

better support patients closer to home and prevent avoidable hospital admissions.

The Trust and its partners are doing their bit, but we need your help too. The recently launched nationwide ‘Help us help you’ campaign aims to encourage people to use the right NHS services at the right time and not default to visiting A&e if it’s not necessary (see page 10). We need everyone to use all of the NHS’s resources wisely so the Trust is able tofocusitsfiniteresourcesonthevery sickest people who need our help the most.

We may be busier than ever before, but I’m pleased to say that Trust staff remain absolutely committed to providing the best possible care to our patients. In my short time here I’ve been impressed by the dedication of staff to do all they can to support patients and their carers, as well as their colleagues in a challenging environment.

I wish you all a safe and peaceful festive season and the very best for the future.

Lung cancer can creep up on you – there are often no symptoms in the early stages - so knowing the signs could

help save your life.

Lung cancer fact file• Smoking accounts for 85% of

lung cancer cases• Lung cancer surgery among

non-smokers in the UK rose from 13% to 28%, 2008-2014

• Lung cancer has the lowest five-yearsurvivalrate

• It accounts for 27% of cancer deaths, making it the deadliest of cancers

• evidence suggests that regular exercise can lower the risk of developing lung cancer and other types of cancer. Adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week.

health. Options include surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Lung cancer also carries a certain stigma because of the connection to smoking. The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation – a British charity named after the late entertainer who died of the disease but who never smoked - has been working to de-stigmatise it under the hashtag #headhigh.

For more information, visit: www.roycastle.org

Discover was founded by Imperial College Health Partners, a partnership of NHS organisations and universities across North West London, in association with the Scottish Health Research Register.Small-cell lung cancer

www.thh.nhs.uk The Pulse 4 5

PAgE TITLENEWS NEWS

A calming wait for dementia patientsPatientswithdementiacanfindabusyA&Eterrifyingandconfusing.

A clever piece of furniture recently installed at Hillingdon Hospital is helping dementia patients – our very own indoor ‘bus stop’.

Studies have shown that agitated and wandering dementia sufferers have an overwhelming wish to get back to the home they remember, despite often living in care or sheltered accommodation, andwillfixonafamiliarspotsuchas a bus stop. Provide them with a bench to sit on as well, and they will wait calmly for the bus to arrive.

That gives staff the chance to engage with the patient, reassure them and bring them back for the treatment they may need.

Acting Divisional Head of Nursing, Audrey Malik, explained: “If a patient with dementia can sit at our bus stop and feel safe and calm, it gives us the time and space

to address their other needs while making the whole experience less confusing and frightening.”

The metal bus stop sign and map

were provided and installed free of charge by Mr Finton Delaney of FD Signs Ltd. A bench will also be added in the next few months.

RAF team demolish dilapidated conservatory

Trust appoints Sarah Tedford as new Chief Executive

The Trust’s newly appointed Chief executive, Sarah Tedford, will take up her new position with Hillingdon at the end of November.

Sarah has more than 30 years’ NHS experience, with many of those spent working

Volunteers from RAF Northolt spent an Autumn morning demolishing an old conservatory next to the children’s wards at Hillingdon Hospital.

The RAF team – made up of members of 32 (The Royal) Squadron,theEstatesFlightandcivilian staff – were joined by the Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor John Morgan, and Mayoress, Fiona Morgan. The Mayor chose Peter Pan and Wendy Wards as one of his charityappealbeneficiariesforhisyearofoffice.

The conservatory was condemned and could not be used to access thegarden,makingitdifficultforchildren with mobility issues.

The RAF wrecking crew left the concrete base of the old conservatory so it could be used later. “We took the doors off, the

windows out and the roof off. Now the children can access their gardenagain.”saidSqnLdrJamesTenniswood, who led the team.

“Hillingdon is the local hospital of the service and civilian personnel of RAF Northolt so we’re delighted to have been able to make a difference

to the patients and families of Peter Pan and Wendy Wards, and support one of the Mayor of Hillingdon’s charities. All in all it was a very enjoyable and worthwhile day’s work,” he said.

A lunch of pizza was donated and delivered by Domino’s, Hillingdon.

Staff joined the Mayor and RAF volunteers to sweep up after the demolition

A&E staff gather with Mr Finton Delaney of FD Signs to admire the new bus stop

at a senior level. She began her healthcare career as a nurse at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. She joins Hillingdon from ManchesterRoyalInfirmaryUniversity Hospital, where she is currently Chief executive. Prior to joining Manchester, Sarah spent six months on secondment to both NHS england and NHS Improvement as Winter Director London, monitoring delivery of the National A&e standard across the capital.

Previous roles have included Deputy Chief executive of Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and ChiefOperatingOfficeratBarking,Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Trust Chair, Richard Sumray said: “The Board is delighted to announce Sarah’s appointment and is pleased to have secured

someone of her calibre for the role. Her extensive knowledge of the NHS and depth of experience will be invaluable in helping to steer the Trust through the challenging times ahead.”

Sarah said: “I’m delighted to be joining Hillingdon and am excited about leading the organisation’s passionate and motivated teams in continuing to improve health services for local people. I’m also greatly looking forward to working with colleagues across the wider healthcare system to help shape future health and care services for the borough of Hillingdon.”

Former Chief executive, Shane DeGaris took up the role of Deputy Chief executive with the country’s largest health trust, Barts Health, in September. He had been Hillingdon’s CeO for six years.

elderly patients in Hillingdon havebeenbenefittingfromanew‘joined-up approach’ to their care, based on better communication between partner organisations and improved support for patients earlier on.

In October, health and care partners visited the Hillingdon Hospital Frailty Unit on Lister Ward to learn more about the process. Sister Debbie Peat explained the pathway patients take through the unit, from admission to assessment, onward treatment and safe discharge home or to another care provider. The visitors then toured the unit and spoke to patients.

Mandy O’Brien is Care Co-ordinator of the Ruislip Care Connection Team, which looks after patients aged 65 years and overwhohavebeenidentifiedby the GPs as needing case management because of their health and social care needs.

“We came today to see the new concept and admissions procedure for our elderly people,” she said. “It’s a lovely idea, really excellent and a great integrated setup.”

The app to help you nap!

Visitors see frailty care for themselves

The NHS in London has funded the ‘Sleepio’ app until March 2019 for all Londoners. The app is clinically proven to help people who have insomnia or who struggle sleeping.

Sleep impacts every area of life, from energy levels to appetite and the app is suitable for anyone who struggles with sleep. Sleepio teachestechniquestotackletheracing mind, and to help re-set your natural sleep pattern, without relying on pills or potions.Thefirststepisforpeopleto

discover their sleep score, which can be done through the online test at www.sleepio.com

The use of Sleepio is free for all Londoners until March 2019, and people who sign up before March will be able to use it for a full year.

Judy Miller talks to a visitor from the Care Connection Team

www.thh.nhs.uk The Pulse

NEWS

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NEWS

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Hillingdon’s Health and Care Partners (HHCP) – the borough’s Integrated Care Partnership – continues to join up health and care services for local people.

Keith Spencer, HHCP Director

HHCP is comprised of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHSFT, Central and Northwest London NHSFT, the Hillingdon GP Confederation and Hillingdon’s voluntary sector partners, H4All. It works in close collaboration with Social Services and others.

Opportunities to make a difference in your hospital

And her ambition is to improve health and wellbeing that stretches beyond the Trust and across the whole borough.

Passionate about working with volunteers, Marcy is setting up a new volunteer programme and recruiting volunteers from in and around Hillingdon.

Interested in volunteering?

Our volunteers make an invaluable contribution to the running of the hospital and the wellbeing of our patients.

Volunteering opportunities include:• Main reception/patient

buddies/meet and greet volunteers

• Ward-based patient companions

• Patient experience volunteers.

Work patterns and time commitments vary depending on the role, but all help and support is greatly valued by staff and patients alike.

Volunteering is a two-way process. The Trust gains an integral member of the workforce who enhances and complements the work of our staff while the volunteerbenefitsinclude:• Making a real difference to

someone’s life • Improving personal

confidenceandmotivation• Putting work-related and

people skills to good use for retired people

• Meeting new people from different backgrounds and walks of life

• enhancing your CV • Improving your health –

various studies have shown that volunteers live longer and have lower rates of depression.

Trust volunteering opportunities are advertised on our website at: www.thh.nhs.uk The Voluntary Services page will be regularly updated with new voluntary posts. Please contact Voluntary Services on 01895 238282 ext 2151 or at thh-tr.voluntaryservices@nhs.net You must be at least 17 years old to apply to become a volunteer however there is no upper age limit as long as you are in good health.

Runners - your hospital needs you!Next year’s Hillingdon Half

Marathon and 10k event will be held on Sunday 24 February 2019.

If you are planning to improve yourfitnessintheNewYear,then why not run in aid of the Hillingdon Hospitals Charity? The charity supports both Hillingdon and Mount Vernon Hospitals, providingequipmentandfurniture, developing our staff and much more.

In return for your support, Hillingdon Hospitals Charity will help and encourage you with

training tips as well as provide you with a running shirt, water bottle and free post-race massage. If you commit to supporting us and raising a minimum of £200 in sponsorshipyouwillalsoqualifyfor one of our free places in the race.

Start training now and begin the New Year not only feeling great but also supporting a really worthwhilecausethatwillbenefithundreds of local people.

Get in touch with us at: thh.hillingdoncharityadmin@nhs.net

HHCP concentrates effort to have bigger impact

The partnership, established three years ago, has recently appointed Keith Spencer as its new Director. He joined HHCP from Greater Manchester where he was Managing Director of Stockport Neighbourhood Care, a partnership between four organisations delivering integrated health and social care. Keith has more than 25 years’ experience working in the healthcare sector and has been involved in delivery of a broad range of integration and improvement initiatives includingNHSEngland’sflagshipVanguard programmes.

Building on its good work, the HHCP will spend the next 12 months concentrating on a

handful of large-scale projects thatwillbringaboutsignificantimprovements to services. These include developing Locality Neighbourhood Teams to provide the more-easy-to-deliver services closer to home and improving the borough’s Musculoskeletal (MSK) services (see below) and its end of Life Care services.

Keith said: “I’m keen to build on the solid foundations that have been established by the partnership to date. We have some great initiatives already well advanced and we need to capitalise on them to realise the fullbenefitsforourpatients,our staff and the wider health economy.”

New website helps back and joint pain HHCP has recently launched

a new website to support local people who suffer with back and joint pain.

The site features video links to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and other endorsed sources as well as a range of helpful information and links to apps to support recovery and self-care.

Alongside the patient website, the partnership is now providing a more integrated MSK (Musculoskeletal) Service for Hillingdon patients. This includes

a one-stop shop for all GP referrals for MSK issues, ensuring that patients are treated by the most appropriate specialist service and resources are targeted at those that need them most. This will minimise delays and variation in treatment as well as reduce any unnecessary hospital visits. This approach will also help relieve some pressure on our local GPs who see a very high proportion of patients for back and joint pain.

The new website can be found at: www.hillingdonmsk.com

The Trust’s new Volunteer Services Manager, Marcy Madzikanda, is aiming to introduce volunteer support into every department of the Trust.

Do you have back or joint pain?simple exercise and activity could make all the difference.

To help yourself, visit www.hillingdonmsk.com for professional advice and easy-to-follow videos.

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YEAR REVIEW FEATURE

Babies are our businessThe Maternity Department at Hillingdon Hospital has never been busier. And the department is going from strength to strength with a mix of regulatory praise, awards and a raft of initiatives making the experience for new mothers the best it can be.

Up to 4,800 women choose to have their baby at Hillingdon every year and the service prides itself on giving women a range of choice for delivery options, with 18% of women giving birth in the four-bedded Birth Centre and 2% at home. There is also an obstetric unit for more complex needs and a Community Midwifery Service which has clinics based within the borough’s Children’s Centres.

The hospital’s breastfeeding rates are on the up, with a 4% increaseoverthepastfiveyears,now averaging at 87% of women choosing to breastfeed – higher than the national average.

The department is made up of more than 150 midwives, obstetricians, neonatologists, anaesthetists and maternity support workers. These cover

services provided by both specialist obstetricians and midwives who care for women with complex pregnancies. Our specialities include: • Diabetic Specialist Midwife

and Obstetrician• Infectious diseases and

sexual health• Complex medical needs• Complex social needs

including teenage pregnancy/screening concerns

• Clinical Risk Midwife and Obstetrician

• Clinical Governance Midwife and Obstetrician

• Infant Feeding Co-ordinator.

external recognitionThe department is currently

being assessed for stage two accreditation for the UNICeF Baby Friendly Initiative - a

Parents, Mr and Mrs Gupta, with their new baby

Maternity in numbers 2017/18

national evidence-based, staged accreditation programme. The department also became one of only 12 trusts in the UK to achieve 10 out of 10 in the compliance criteria for the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST). The challenging criteria included: Demonstrating transitional care facilities are in place, having a patient feedback mechanism for maternity services, evidencing that 90% of maternity staff have attended a multi-disciplinary maternity emergencies training session and demonstrating an effective system of workforce planning.

The Maternity Team also scooped the Chief executive’s Award at the Trust’s Staff Awards this year for their fantastic teamwork in coping with the increased workload resulting from the closure of ealing Hospital’s Maternity Unit. This saw an extra 800 women transferred to Hillingdon midway through their pregnancy.

Praise from the CQCMost impressively, in the Trust’s

recent CQC inspection, the Maternity Department was rated as ‘outstanding’ in

the well-led category and ‘good’ across the other four areas making it one of the best in London. During their visit, the inspection team highlighted the following:• Risks to women were

well-identifiedandwell-managed in antenatal care, intrapartum and postnatal care

• There were systems and processes in place to keep people safe and safeguard them from abuse

• Safeguarding was well managed and the new midwife service to women with social or mental health concerns had been strengthened to provide 24- hour telephone support for vulnerable women

• There was an open culture of incident reporting and a willingness to learn from incidents

• 4,676 babies were born at Hillingdon

• 5,357 women seen in our Maternity Unit

• 398 babies were cared for in our Neonatal Unit

• 1,147 returning mothers

• 1,570 mothers from outside the borough delivered babies at Hillingdon

• 794 mothers gave birth via one of the low-risk options such as homebirth, midwifery-led care and in the delivery suite

• Staff engagement was strong and midwives and doctors worked closely

• All staff shared the same aims and vision for the service

• Women were happy with their care and praised staff for being welcoming and supportive

• Trainee doctors were very positive about the support and teaching they received from senior clinicians, and obstetric training posts at the Trust were sought-after.

The Maternity Service is proud of the care they provide and the strong multi-agency links that have been developed over recent years. We look forward to continuing on our journey to become the best providers of maternity care in the country.

Tell us what you thinkWe have an established Maternity Voice Partnership, chaired

and led by users of the service. We are looking to strengthen this partnership by increasing the numbers of user representatives to help us shape the service in the future.

Anyoneinterestedinbecomingamembercanfindoutmoreonour website: www.thh.nhs.uk/services/women_babies/mvp.php

Vist our facilities... virtually

We now have a virtual tour online to help you make the right choice about where to receive your maternity care.To see the options available at Hillingdon, the facilities and support we offer, and to take

the virtual tour, visit:thh.nhs.uk/services/women_babies

some of the Maternity-led unit staff

www.thh.nhs.uk The Pulse 10

FEATURE

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NEWS

The most effective away to avoidtheflu,especiallyifyouareover 65, have a long-term health condition or are pregnant, is to haveaflujab.Youshouldalsoconsider vaccinating your children iftheyarebetweentwoandfive-years-old.

There are three different types of fluvaccineavailablethisyear,onethat is given to children via a nasal spray, an injected vaccine suitable for adults between 18 and 65, and a vaccine that is especially effective for those aged over 65. Itisn’tpossibletogetflufromthe vaccines as they contain either inactive or very weak strains of the fluvirus.

Can you get a free flu jab?Thefluvaccinationisavailable

free on the NHS for everyone over 65 years of age or those with long-

Don’t waitTakeactionatthefirstsignof

feeling unwell. Flu symptoms can come on suddenly. They usually include headaches, aching muscles and a fever and often a sore throat and a cough.

As soon as you start feeling under the weather, visit your pharmacist who will be able to give you some advice – even if it seems to be just a cough or a cold. Don’t wait until you feel worse to seek help. By getting help early, in the right place, you can help the NHS to work effectively for you – as soon as you feel unwell.

Flu is caused by a virus, not bacteria, so antibiotics won’t relieve your symptoms or speed up your recovery.

self careIt’s a good idea to stock up on

some medicines and note down the opening hours of your local pharmacyservices,andfindoutwhere your nearest late-opening or 24-hour pharmacy is.

If you become ill, make sure you continue to take any prescribed medication and get as much rest as possible. Drink plenty of clear fluidsandcatchanycoughsandsneezes in a paper tissue that can be thrown away. Don’t forget to wash your hands regularly to avoid passing the virus on.

NorovirusFlu is not the only nasty

virus around at this time of year. Norovirus is a particularly unpleasant bug that includes sickness and diarrhoea and sometimes a headache, fever and aching limbs.

If you become unwell, stay at home and drink plenty of fluids,suchaswaterandsquash– take small sips if you feel sick. Paracetamol will help with aches and pains.

Frosty pavements and a chill in the air means winter is now well on its way and starting to make its

presence felt. Along with the changes in the season comealltheusualcoughsandsniffles,coldsandflu.Flu is unpredictable and although in most cases it is a mild illness, in some it can be life-threatening.

Help us help you to stay well this winter

term health conditions including: • Respiratory diseases, such as

asthma chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis

• Heart disease, liver disease, such as hepatitis or kidney disease

• Neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease or multiple sclerosis (MS)

• Diabetes sufferers• Problems with the spleen

– for example, sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed

• A weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medication such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy

• Anyone who is seriously overweight (BMI of 40 or above).

Restart a HeartIn the UK, if you suffer an out-of-

hospital cardiac arrest your chances of survival are less than 10%, compared to up to 40% in some european countries.

The difference is that children are trained in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) at school in europe.

Restart a Heart Day is a national initiative to teach vital life-saving CPR skills to as many people, including children, as possible. This year it went global with the goal of training over 200,000 children.

A key aim is to encourage the government to add this lifesaving skill to the school curriculum, increasing the survival rate of patients.

In October The Trust held its very first‘RestartaHeartDay’withastand at Mount Vernon Hospital’s restaurant. The Resuscitation Team trained over 30 volunteers and members of the public, receiving great feedback.

The team also visited local schools to train children in CPR, and managed to train 174 pupils at Oak WoodSchooland263atRyefieldPrimary School.

A total of 435 people were trained over the two days.

As 80% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in the home, it is hoped that by training people, and especially young people, to know what to do and be able to start early CPR, survival rates will be much higher.

Help the NHs help you• Call NHS111 if you are

concerned, need advice in choosing the right care, or need urgent medical attention that is not an emergency.

• The telephone line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year round, and is completely free of charge.

• During winter there is more pressure on the NHS. By following these simple guidelines, together we can help to reduce unnecessary A&e visits and hospital admissions.

For more information, visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/flu-influenza-vaccine

For more information, including how to treat children, visit: www.nhs.uk/conditions/diarrhoea-and-vomiting

FEATURE

www.thh.nhs.uk The Pulse

FEATURE FEATURE

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Our people say they have more time, are less stressed, feel more valued and have the best training and development in the NHS. Hillingdon is a great place to live, with affordable housing inside the M25, good schools and Heathrow around the corner. We offer flexiblehours,awonderfulnurseryand interest-free travel loans.

Come and join usThere has never been a more exciting time to join the team at Hillingdon. With a variety of

careers and roles on offer, more and more people are choosing to make the move here.

1. Work/life balanceIn the staff survey our staff say

we are in the lowest 20% of trusts for working extra hours, and have among the lowest levels for feeling unwell due to stress.

2. Convenient and desirable locationWebenefitfromawiderange

of good schools and colleges, affordable housing, a subsidised nursery, over 200 green spaces covering 1,800 acres, great shopping and easy access to London, the M25 and Heathrow.

3. Training and development opportunities

Staff have said we are in the top 20% of trusts for appraisals and training; and we offer a great preceptorship programme for new staff to build a positive foundation for your healthcare career.

Some of the Hillingdon Phlebotomy Team

Trust eye doctor is a true pioneer

An early adopter of innovative technologyandtechniquesatthecutting edge of Ophthalmology, his achievements include being ahead of the game in conducting Saturday eye clinics and surgical procedures. He was also an early advocate for the use of both Toric contact lenses (that also correct astigmatism) and newequipmentforcataractsurgery. In addition Mr Lee has adopted modern treatments for macular degeneration and keeps patient records and prescriptions electronically.

Not content with providing top-qualitycareforoureyes,healsohelped evacuate victims from the British Virgin Islands following the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.

However one of his most impressive achievements has been his involvement in the development of Optical Coherence Tomography of the eye. This involves using the latest angiography - a

Mr Nick lee is a Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Trust, whose pioneering work has recently earned him the position of President of the Ophthalmic arm of the Royal society

of Medicine (RsM).

type of laser technology - which is abletodetecttheflowofbloodin the small blood vessels of the eye, avoiding the need for invasive imaging.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a way of looking into the layers of the retina at the back of the eye, rather like a MRI scan of the brain. It gives incredible detail of this delicate and highly important layer that changes light into electricity to send back to the brain for us to see. Many eye diseases like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy affect thislayerandforthefirsttimewecan image this in incredible detail.

The machines that create this imaging are highly costly and also in great demand. Undeterred, Mr Leedesignedandbuiltthefirstmobile OCT machine which is named ‘K9.’ It has travelled with him to all his clinics over the past nine years. K9 ensures he has the very latest machine with the very latestsoftware.Itisthefirsttohavewide-fieldOCTimages

that bring another

dimension to imaging of the eye. At his recent presidential

address, Mr Lee presented stunningnewwide-fieldOCTimages together with the emergingwide-fieldfundalphotography – which is like a panoramic shot on a camera. It shows a much greater area of theretinainveryfinedetailthatwas not possible before. These developments are taking us into awholeneweraofhigh-qualityimaging of the eye that will lead to better diagnosis, better decisions and better care for patients.

Continuing with innovation, Mr Lee’spresentationwasthefirstaddress of the Ophthalmic Section of the RSM to be webcast, making it available to a much wider audience. You can view the talk

here: https://vimeo.com/294558137/

c13f96df57.

Consultant Ophthalmologist , Mr Nick Lee and ‘K9’

Benefits of working at Hillingdon

“

4. Quality patient careOur CAReS values are at the

heart of everything we do. You can feel it in the way we support our people, the way everyone works together,andit’sreflectedinourpatient care. Our staff survey results show we are in the top 20% of trusts for staff satisfaction withthequalityofcareofferedtopatients.

”

5. Friendly, supportive staffA key reason staff and patients

recommend us is because we are the friendliest place to work. The positive and helpful attitude of staff means less stress and pressure. Our staff say they feel more valued, motivated and involved than 80% of other NHS trusts.

6. Future developmentsOur forward-thinking Integrated

Care Partnership, together with our mental health, community, GP and voluntary sector colleagues is creating the future of care for our communities, right now. And this is enhanced by our Academic Centre for Health Sciences, created in partnership with Brunel University London, which is right on our doorstep.

For more information about working for us visit: www.thh.nhs.uk/jobs/index.php

The teamwork and friendliness

on the wards makes it

possible to give the best patient care

Staff are so welcoming

here, I feel at home

www.thh.nhs.uk The Pulse 14 15

SPOTLIgHTgOVERNORS’

VOICE

14 The Pulse

Governor Mary O’Connor talks about her passion for supporting patients

I have a long association with

the Trust and with Hillingdon Hospital in

particular. I did my nurse training at Hillingdon back in the early 1960s and both of my children were born here so I have a very great fondness for the place.

I’ve also lived locally for more than 57 years, so regard Hillingdon as very much “my hospital,” and I spend a great deal of time at one or other of the Trust’s two sites, carrying out my duties as a governor.

Things have changed considerably since I arrived at Hillingdon Hospital as a young trainee nurse in the 1960s. When I joined there was no tower block (which now houses the majority of the patient wards) and the hospital dealt with far fewer patients than it sees now.

Back then the Trust didn’t exist as it does today. There was only Hillingdon Hospital and that straddled both sides of Pield Heath

Road. Mount Vernon Hospital became part of the wider Trust in 2011.

While the Trust has grown significantlysincemyearlyyears,along with the increase in patients, one thing that has remained the same is the commitment of staff to give the best possible care to the patients. This is something that all of us trainee nurses cared passionately about - and it’s the most important focus for governors.

It’s also the thing that I personally findmostrewardinginmygovernor role - being an advocate for the patient. We governors want to hear from patients and their friends and families about all of their experiences in our hospitals. Of course we like to hear when things have gone well, but it’s even more important that we get to hear about the things that haven’t gone so well, so that we can do something about it.

We are always trying to improve our services and to do that we need to hear about things from a patient’s perspective … warts and

all. It is immensely rewarding to provide support for those that need it and that could be as simple as talking and listening to someone for a few minutes.

There are many opportunities to support your local hospital. I know not everyone has the time, or inclination to be a governor, but I would encourage anyone who has a little time to spare to offer their services as a volunteer – you won’t regret it.

Mary O’CommorAppointed Governor

London Borough of HillingdonHave your say!

People in Partnership meeting

Tuesday 4 December 6.30pm for 7pm

education Centre,

Hillingdon Hospital

”

““Our attitude is: We like a challenge” says sally Taylor, Patient Advice and liaison service (PAls) Manager. “We are always learning and if we can’t answer a query or solve a problem immediately we will exhaust all avenues to find the solution.”

The PALS service offers advice, information and support to try to resolve problems that patients and their carers or families have encountered. The PALS team works closely with matrons and heads of departments across the Trust, as well as signposting service users to external agencies.NickyMahal,PALSOfficersays:

“every day is different. You never know what to expect. Often we start the day by answering emails and returning voice mail messages, but sometimes there is already aqueueatthedoorwhentheserviceopensat9am.Somequerieswe are able to deal with very quickly,whereasotherswillseeuscontacting departments all around the hospital for answers.”

Patient expectations are very high,andsometimesdifficultto meet. One of the main challenges of the department is helping patients to understand how decisions are made, and explainingtheinfluenceofclinicalpriorities and procedures on why appointments or procedures have been rescheduled or cancelled. The team are experts at diffusing difficult,oftenconfrontationalsituations, as some people can understandably be feeling angry

when they arrive at the PALS office.

The team was established in 2002 to provide a service discreet from the Complaints Department to resolve issues before they escalate into a formal complaint.

It’s not all about complaints though, and as well as getting out and about, interacting with, and helping patients all around the hospital site, the team also receive a generous supply of positive feedback.

“We always do what we can to assist and to enhance the patient

experience. We have a few people who are regular visitors to the hospital, and they have said ‘we don’t know what we would do without you’ which is lovely and so rewarding,” Sally says.

The team agree it is sometimes hard to leave work behind, as it is easy to become emotionally involved, but they also agree that being able to resolve people’s concerns is the best part of the job. “You really feel like you’ve helped someone.”

PALS can be contacted at: thh-tr.pals@nhs.net

PAls, always ready to help

Sally Taylor, PALS Manager and Nicky Mahal, PALS Officer

Mary has been involved with improving people’s health for more than 50 years. First working as a nurse, but later chairing the Mayor of London’s Health Committee, among others.

She is a former local councillor and Chair of Hillingdon MIND.

She was made an Honorary Fellow by Brunel University London for her services to the community in 2013 and awarded an MBE for her services to A&E nursing in 2000.

Why not volunteer here?

If you would like to volunteer at Hillingdon or Mount Vernon Hospital,

contact Voluntary Services on 01895 238282 ext 2151

or at: thh-tr.voluntaryservices@

nhs.net

Opportunities will be advertised on our website:

www.thh.nhs.uk

16

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