December 2011

The Times Magazine – 1 December 2011
Britain’s Top Surgeons
Eight surgeons from across our Trust feature in this yearly list of the country’s top surgeons compiled by the newspaper for a special issue.
Click here to request a copy of this article.

Westminster Chronicle – 2 December 2011
Panto a big treat for sick children
This story featured St Mary’s Hospital paediatric department and the charity Starlight Children’s Foundation, which organised a Christmas pantomime to entertain the children.
Westminster Chronicle

Rebel Libyan soldier’s NHS amputation – 2 December 2011
BBC Online
The BBC reported on patient Mahran Agil, who was treated at Charing Cross Hospital for lower limb injuries he sustained in the Libyan conflict.
Mahran, who required an amputation, was operated on by Trust surgeon Professor Jagdeep Nanchahal.
BBC Online
This feature also appeared on BBC News channel and BBC World News.

Clear a path for the trailblazers – 7 December 2011
Nursing Standard
Two of our Trust nurse consultants, Katie Scales and Mary Dawood, featured in an article in the Nursing Standard where they called for greater recognition of the value of the nurse consultant role.
Click here to request a copy of this article.

New Imperial chair is former NHS London chair – 8 December 2011
Health Service Journal (HSJ)
Sir Richard Sykes has taken up the post of Chairman of Imperial College Healthcare from January 2012, according to reports in the HSJ. Formerly rector of Imperial College and chair of NHS London, Sir Richard said he was ‘delighted to be back working at Imperial.’  
Click here to request a copy of this article.
This news also appeared in the Fulham Chronicle

New ‘league table’ for research activity throughout England – 9 December 2011
Institute of Clinical Research
Our Trust came top of the patient recruitment category in the Institute of Clinical Research’s new league table for research activity in England. Growing evidence suggests that NHS organisations which are research-active appear to do better in overall performance and that research activity is linked to improved patient outcomes.
International Clinical Research News

My dying friend found kindness to be the rule, not the exception – 11 December 2011
The Observer
Praise for the care given to a stroke patient at St Mary’s resulted in this article written by a visiting friend who witnessed the kindness and compassion displayed by the hospital staff over the last year of the patient’s life.  
The Observer

Horse whisperer author donated kidney by his daughter – 13 December 2011
BBC Breakfast
Nicholas Evans, author of novel The Horse Whisperer, and his daughter Lauren were interviewed on BBC Breakfast after Lauren donated a kidney to her father. Nicholas Evans suffered kidney failure having eaten poisonous mushrooms and was operated on at Hammersmith Hospital.
Lauren and Nicholas described how successful their surgery was and spoke positively about their care at Hammersmith Hospital.
Click here to request a copy of this article.

NHS reform plans for London could put lives at risk, warns think-tank – 13 December 2011
The Guardian
This Guardian article covers the publication of the King’s Fund report, which warns NHS reforms could put lives at risk. In the piece it highlights that Imperial College Healthcare may be one London Trust not able to achieve Foundation Trust status due to financial difficulties.
The Guardian
The King’s Fund report was also covered by The Times.

The annual list of the most influential people in health – 13 December 2011
Health Service Journal
The HSJ has published its annual list of individuals who have had the most impact on the healthcare sector nationally. Among leading opinion formers, Imperial College London’s Professor the Lord Ara Darzi ranked number three in the top five.   
Click here to request a copy of this article.

I held my daughter and said everything would be fine…not knowing if that was true – 13 December 2011
The Sun
The Sun newspaper ran a detailed personal account of TV actress Sara Stewart’s experience of breast cancer, in which she refers to the Maggie’s support group at Charing Cross Hospital.
The Sun

Family to celebrate first Christmas together thanks to hardworking hospital staff – 21 December 2011
Fulham Chronicle
This front page story celebrates the first Christmas of a baby boy who was rushed to Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital for cooling treatment after suffering two seizures and failing to breathe for nine minutes after his birth at the Royal Berkshire in April. The cooling treatment aims to lessen the risk of brain damage in babies deprived of oxygen at birth, the newspaper reports.
Fulham Chronicle

Don’t worry, Mum, I know what I’m doing! Transplant surgeon becomes first ever to donate his own kidney after mother falls ill – 21 December 2011
Mail Online
Dr Asim Syed, transplant surgeon at the Hammersmith Hospital, offered to donate one of his kidneys to his mother who was in need of a transplant. This article describes the success of the procedure.
Mail Online
This story was also covered by The Independent and the Evening Standard

She gave me her heart and now she has given me her kidney – 23 December 2011
Watford Observer
This story describes how a medical lecturer donated one of her kidneys to her partner during an operation at the Hammersmith Hospital where some of her own student nurses were involved in their care.
Watford Observer

The best Christmas present Paddington Bear could wish for: Wife of creator Michael Bond is given the all-clear from lung cancer – 24 December 2011
Mail Online
This story reports on how Sue Bond, wife of author and Paddington Bear creator Michael Bond, underwent successful surgery for lung cancer at Hammersmith Hospital. The account also details her care at St Mary’s where she was diagnosed.
Mail Online
This story also appeared in the Westminster Chronicle

Knighthood honour for ‘outstanding’ obesity expert – 31 December 2011
BBC Online
Professor Stephen Bloom, lead clinician for biochemistry at the Trust and head of diabetes and endocrinology at Imperial College London, appeared on BBC online having received a knighthood in the New Year Honours’ list for his work to increase understanding of obesity. The discovery by his research group that a hormone reduces appetite is expected to improve treatment for obesity.  
“This is a testament to the efforts of a great many colleagues with whom I have worked over the years,” he said.
BBC News
This article also appeared in the Fulham Chronicle

Top of the tweets
Here is a selection of tweets sent about our organisation on twitter, the social networking site. Our twitter name is @ImperialNHS

Clackers - 4 December 2011
@ImperialNHS Many tx to yr Charing X A&E team Weds night & Marjorie Warren ward too - v good, kind care and the humour helped! Appreciated!

Lizzie12 - 11 December 2011
"@gerrybolger: Beautiful story #nurses & doctors at St. Mary's @ImperialNHS is both recognised and valued guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/…"

SancyLow - 21 December
Thank you to the ENT and ophthalmology teams @ImperialNHS - not easy being the doctor or the patient but it helps to have good colleagues.

Imperial web chat

Keeping it renal – 13 December 2011
In this live discussion hosted on our website, one of the UK’s leading transplant experts, consultant Mr Vassilios Papalois, answered a range of questions on kidney disease, transplantation and research. During his hour online, 64 people tuned in and took part with over 75 comments or questions submitted. Since the web chat took place it has been replayed over 200 times on our website.