September-October 2010

September 18, 2010 – h&f news
Virus lab is first for Europe’s Health
H&f news, the council newspaper for all residents of Hammersmith and Fulham, ran a story on the opening of the new microbiology lab at Charing Cross Hospital by Professor Brian Duerden – inspector of microbiology and infection control for the Department of Health. The lab is one of the biggest in the country and includes a new piece of technology – the Infinity 48-system – for early detection of infectious agents like MRSA, influenza H1N1, C. difficile and tuberculosis. The technology, which has been installed at Charing Cross for the first time in Europe, can detect the presence of bacteria and viruses in a patient before they become a severe problem and before they are spread to other patients in the hospital.
Alan Howard, pathology programme director at Charing Cross, said: "The broad principle of centralising the laboratories at one hospital site is to avoid duplication and make sure we are more efficient and are not over capacity."

September 20, 2010 – Nursing Standard
Outreach project targets sex
Nurses from the Jefferiss Wing Centre for Sexual Health at St Mary’s Hospital were interviewed in a feature on their project visiting sex workers in their homes to screen them for sexually transmitted infections.
Nurses from the Praed Street Project carry out blood tests, hepatitis injections and throat swabs as part of the initiative.
The project’s manager, nurse Jane Ayres, said the scheme complements existing outreach work, adding: “We often meet sex workers in their homes and testing them is a way of introducing them to our service and the help and support we can provide.”

September 21, 2010 – Nursing Times
Acute Trusts rely on nurses to earn quality payments
The Nursing Times ran an article on the measures, called commissioning for quality and innovation (CQUIN) indicators, used to monitor the performance of each acute hospital trust in England in 2010-11.
According to Nursing Times analysis of the 94 acute trusts for which data is available, on average 39 per cent of the CQUIN targets for acute trusts rely heavily on nurses to achieve them.
Imperial College Healthcare Trust’s director of nursing, Janice Sigsworth, was quoted as saying she wanted CQUIN to “drive real change at the bedside”.
Click here for full story

September 21, 2010 – h&f news
Stroke centres are among the best
Two stroke units at Charing Cross Hospital have been rated third best in the UK in new national rankings.
The Hammersmith-based units, run by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, were ranked joint third along with a similar unit at St Mary’s Hospital out of more than 200 stroke centres.
The new study was released by the Royal College of Physicians in August, rating units on the quality of their stroke care, including whether patients were seen in dedicated units and given life-saving drugs.
The Charing Cross stroke facilities include a new ‘hyper acute’ stroke unit which opened in December last year, providing patients in the first hours of a stroke with 24-hour access to specialist staff equipment and drugs.
Click her to read full story To see the article, click ‘view archive’ select the edition from September 21 and see page 13. 

September 23, 2010 
Paddington and Westminster Times Stamp of Class
The Paddington and Westminster Times reported on a new Royal Mail commemorative stamp, which marks the role of St Mary’s Hospital in medical breakthroughs.
The medical breakthrough stamps have a special Paddington postmark for Royal Mail’s first day cover to mark the location of the hospital where much of Sir Alexander Fleming’s research took place – including his discovery of Penicillin in 1928.

September 24, 2010 – The West End Extra
TV presenter backs children’s CHAMPS charity – CBeebies’ Pui Fan Lee drops in on St Mary’s Hospital
A TV presenter from Queen’s Park paid a visit to St Mary’s Hospital and became a patron of the charity Centre for Haematology at St Mary’s Paediatric Services (CHAMPS).
Pui Fan Lee, a presenter on the BBC’s children’s TV channel CBeebies, said: “St Mary’s is my local hospital and I am honoured to be part of the CHAMPS team.
“I know a little bit more about blood now, and what this unit does and how the children’s conditions are treated. The hospital is doing an amazing job.”
Click here to read full story

September 24, 2010 – Nursing Standard
Help at last for women who lose babies
Clinical nurse specialist Rosemary Gebhardt was interviewed on her work at the recurrent miscarriage clinic at St Mary’s Hospital.
The article states that recurrent miscarriage is poorly understood, but a nurse-led clinic is helping women carry to full term.
“I love working with patients, but I also had the opportunity to get involved with two important studies,” she said.
“One will establish whether or not a commonly used treatment is effective. The other is investigating whether some women who repeatedly miscarry are at great risk of long-term health problems.”

September 2010 – NHS Westminster
CEO report to board members on stroke care in Westminster
The care provided by the stroke unit at St Mary’s, and the two stroke units at Charing Cross, has been ranked third in the nation according to the National Sentinel Stroke
Audit. The audit, released by the Royal College of Physicians in August, rated more than 200 stroke units on the quality of their stroke care including whether patients were seen in dedicated units and given life-saving clot-busting drugs.
The three units include the newly designated hyper-acute stroke unit (HASU) at Charing Cross.
Since the creation of the HASU, the stroke team at the Trust has cared for more than 1,200 patients - double the number of patients seen in 2009. The HASU has also given life-saving clot-busting drugs to 70 patients.

October 1, 2010 – The Guardian
Surgery for multiple sclerosis available at private clinic in the UK
Dr Ian Franklin, a vascular surgeon at Charing Cross Hospital, was quoted in a Guardian newspaper report on a 45-minute procedure, similar to angioplasty, being offered as a treatment for MS at a clinic in Edinburgh.
The procedure, which costs £6,000 and includes screening, consultation and day surgery under anaesthetic, is meant to improve the blood flow from the brain and central nervous system.
Dr Ian Franklin said: “Internationally, there are only a handful of units that have published results so far and there has to be a properly randomised trial which can be the benchmark for treatment. No one outside the handful of units has reliably confirmed the diagnosis. When you cannot even agree on diagnosis, it is very difficult to agree treatment."
Click here to read full story

October 1, 2010 – Westminster Chronicle
Youngsters play their way back to health
Children at St Mary’s Hospital paediatrics department celebrated Play in Hospital Week with a party provided by the Starlight Foundation charity.
Irene Cullen, lead play specialist at the Trust, said: “Play is absolutely essential in caring for sick children and young people in hospital, who can be anxious and frightened.
“Research has shown that by using play to keep sick children engaged, they require less pain relief and it can significantly reduce their recovery time.”

October 8, 2010 – Westminster Chronicle
Your letters: Senior View
On the letters page, columnist David Hogarth argues in favour allowing inpatients visitors at night, and extending visiting hours.
He states that visitors can urge patients to eat during the day, and help supervise wards at night.

October 5, 2010 – Nursing Times
Half of hospital Trusts cannot report patient transfer data
Following a Freedom of Information Act request, the Nursing Times reported that fewer than half of hospital Trusts collect and report information on the number of times patients are transferred around the hospital.
The article reported that Imperial College Healthcare had first audited whether patients were moved for non-clinical reasons two years ago and has since redesigned some pathways to reduce this. The Trust is now developing a bed management system to provide the information, it was reported.
Emergency planning manager at the Trust Sarah Rodenhurst said Imperial’s new system would help put patients in the most appropriate place and, over a series of months, information would highlight where more capacity could avoid the need for transfers.
Click here to read full story

October 12, 2010 – Nursing Times
Hospitals to record E coli and MSSA next year
Professor Alison Holmes commented on the Health Secretary’s announcement that trusts must start reporting infections of MSSA and E. coli from January 2011.
“I welcome looking at more bloodstream infections than just MRSA,” said Professor Holmes.
“I think it may give us a better opportunity to look at things across the whole healthcare economy, to really look at the epidemiology rather than just developing benchmarks, targets and weekly reports around it.”
Professor Holmes added that E coli was one of the most common bloodstream infections and a better understanding of where they were acquired would tie in with the Trust’s work on reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, which increase bacterial resistance.
Click here to read full story

October 12, 2010 – Basingstoke Gazette
Fire-fighter is given bone marrow lift
The Basingstoke Gazette reported on Trust patient John Taylor who had a successful bone transplant at Hammersmith Hospital. Mr Taylor, father of two and fire fighter, discovered he was suffering from the deadly illness following his return from Haiti where he was helping earthquake victims. He had months of aggressive chemotherapy while he waited for a donor match – which was provided by the Anthony Nolan Trust Bone Marrow Register. 
Click here to read the full story

October 14, 2010 – Medical News Today (online)
The King’s Fund launches debate on the future of leadership in the NHS
The King’s Fund has launched a new commission to assess the leadership and management needs of the NHS.
It will evaluate national and international evidence about the current state of leadership and management in the NHS and outline the capabilities needed to meet the challenges of the future.
The commission will report in spring 2010 and has five members including the Chairman of Imperial College Healthcare, Lord Christopher Tugendhat.
Click here to read the full story