In the Spotlight: Community Nursing ODUJHWUXVWRIWKH\HDU Contents
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the February 2010 issue 16 In the spotlight: community nursing ODUJHWUXVWRIWKH\HDU contents 2 Dialysis unit brings care closer to home 3 A word from David 3 South London HIEC bid successful 4 Hole-hearted 4 Welcome Sanjay Sharma 4 Joined-up thinking will benefit Wandsworth patients 5 New clinical director for A&E 5 New technology delivers clearer scans in seconds 6 New Trust website 6 March deployment date for iCLIP 7 Vaccination heroes 8 In the spotlight Amor Marasigan (left), Clinical Manager for the north Wandsworth satellite dialysis unit, with Karen Jones, dialysis nurse 9 View from the top 10 Foundation Trust: Q&A 11 10:10 Dialysis treatment is 12 PM visits St George’s 12 A&E nurse visits No 10 moved closer to home 12 Stop smoking drop-in clinics A new satellite dialysis unit has opened in Battersea for St George’s renal 13 Clean sweep (kidney) patients so they can get treatment closer to home. 13 Welcome news The centre, run by Fresenius Medical Care Renal Services, operates in addition to the 13 V&A delivers new collection renal department at St George’s and serves patients from north Wandsworth and surrounding areas. St George’s renal consultants, specialist nurses and dieticians visit 14 Appraisal: Have you had yours? their patients at the unit on a regular basis. 14 Training leaders The unit has 18 individual dialysis stations which come with adjustable electronic 14 Chief Executive congratulates chairs and their own flat screen TV. A wireless network is also available which One Team Service Partners patients can access for their own computers. Consulting rooms are available for 15 Health and safety outpatients and other individual patient consultations. 16 Fundraising news Mattias Persson, Lead Nurse for Haemodialysis Unit, said, “Quality of life is of prime importance when treating patients with long term conditions. This new centre brings With thanks to Mark Evenden, Media huge benefits to patients who not only enjoy a shorter journey to receive their dialysis Services, St George’s University of London, treatment away from the hustle and bustle of the main hospital, but also the state of for photographic services. the art facilities.” Front page picture shows Sam Prigmore, The unit will be officially Respiratory Nurse Consultant, with patient opened on February Pat Osmond. 16th by Naaz Coker, Chair of St George's and Patron of the gazette is written and published by St George's Kidney the Communications Unit. The opinions Patients' Association. It expressed do not necessarily represent is one of a handful of those of St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust. units set to open to The next edition will be published April 2010. If you are a staff member with a increase the choice story for the gazette, please email: available to people who [email protected] need dialysis in south- west London and Surrey. 2 the gazette #stop press A word from David South London HIEC Welcome to the first bid successful gazette of 2010. This edition highlights several exciting South West London developments which Academic Health and Social Care will happen during Network this year. There is news of our planned integration with NHS, education and social care organisations in Community Services south London have become one of only 17 Wandsworth, which networks across England to receive government will increase our range of experience and expertise funding to improve healthcare delivery and and enable us to improve patient pathways. Our education in the region. major IT upgrade, iCLIP, will go live from the end The Department of Health announced successful HIEC of March and I know many of you will have applications in January following a rigorous selection process, received training for this. 2010 is, of course, a including a formal interview by the National Award Panel critical year for our journey towards Foundation chaired by Sir Alan Langlands. Trust (FT) status and in this issue of the gazette our Chair, Naaz Coker, answers questions from The collaboration, made up of around 30 organisations, forms Staff Side about FT and what it will mean for staff the South London Health Innovation Education Cluster (HIEC) and patients. - one of the new government funded networks aimed at delivering high quality patient care through better trained 2010 is also a year when we have pledged to clinicians and faster translation and adoption of research and reduce our carbon footprint by 10 per cent. St innovation. George’s has been committed to carbon reduction South London HIEC brings together members of south for a number of years. In joining with the national London’s two major healthcare networks – the South West 10:10 campaign, we are supporting the idea of London Academic Health and Social Care Network and King’s taking positive action against the climate change Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. This and encouraging others to do the same. includes all south London’s primary care and mental health Colleagues will not have failed to notice that this trusts, 17 NHS hospitals including St George’s, the London Ambulance Service and the local Health Protection Unit, as is an election year. Whatever the outcome, there well as six universities, further education providers and social will inevitably still be pressure on public sector care teams. finances. The NHS will be challenged with delivering high quality services for less money. I Members of the HIEC will work together to improve patient am confident that St George’s is well placed to care and local health services by more rapidly delivering the meet this tough challenge but it certainly won’t be benefits of research and innovation directly to patients. Early easy. Whatever the future may hold, we will work will include a review of current education and training continue to develop improved services for our aimed at health professionals across south London. This is patients. The new dialysis unit in north expected to lead to the introduction of new programmes, as Wandsworth is an example of the changes that well as enhancements to existing training courses. are being made. The South London HIEC has identified four areas to focus on initially: mental health; infection prevention and control; Finally, I would like to thank those who made diabetes, and stroke. outstanding efforts to get to work despite January’s snow and ice. While Tooting only saw a The new HIEC will be jointly led by the South West London few inches of snow, heavier falls occurred outside Academic Health and Social Care Network and King’s Health London and affected the travel of many staff and Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. patients. The winter overall has been extremely Commenting on the successful bid, St George’s Chief challenging with high numbers of emergency Executive, David Astley, said: “This is an exciting development admissions. I am grateful for the support of for South London, as the diversity of this region brings unique colleagues across the Trust in helping to ensure challenges to local services. The collaborative solutions of our patients still continue to receive researchers, doctors and nurses will be put into practice by the high standards of care. HIEC to deliver real benefits to local people.” the gazette 3 Hole-hearted Welcome to Sanjay Sharma Professor Sanjay Sharma has been appointed Academic Consultant Cardiologist for St George’s. Previously consultant cardiologist for the charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), Sanjay has an international reputation for A live procedure to close holes in a patient’s teaching and tutoring junior staff heart was the highlight of a December to enable them to pass their MRCP conference hosted by St George’s. (Membership of the Royal College of Physicians) UK examination. Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) is a heart defect, evaluate the effectiveness of which is present at birth, where the wall that Sanjay is no stranger to St George’s; screening young people for separates the upper heart chambers (atria) does he studied at St George’s, conditions which make them not close completely. University of London and also vulnerable to sudden cardiac The aim of the live demonstration was to teach established initial links with CRY at death. He will continue his cardiologists about advanced techniques to close the Trust. St George’s was the first teaching role and will support these holes in the heart using catheters and hospital in the UK to develop a student and post graduate closure devices. Doctors from Europe, the Middle family screening clinic which teaching, with particular emphasis East and Asia attended the conference, including screens whole families after a on the MRCP examination. two world-renowned cardiology experts. St tragic young sudden cardiac death. George’s was selected as the host site due to its Sanjay says: “St George’s is Sanjay will build on this service and reputation of clinical excellence in this field and historically recognised as a major is keen to establish St George’s as a superb catheter laboratory facilities provided in force in inherited nationally recognised the Atkinson Morley Wing. cardiomyopathies. I am hopeful cardiomyopathy service. Dr Stephen Brecker, Consultant Cardiologist and that my appointment will be Cardiomyopathy is a serious Clinical Lead for the catheter labs, said: “We pivotal in establishing St George’s condition in which the heart were delighted to have been selected to host this as a nationally recognised centre in muscle becomes enlarged and course. Our reputation and facilities are second inherited cardiac diseases. This will inflamed. to none, but what makes this type of live include the assessment of demonstration course possible are the people Sanjay also hopes to develop the individuals with cardiomyopathies, who work with us in the catheter labs.