Issue 23 – the Gist – August 2017
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News from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Issue 23 | 2017 Making a difference Dianne and Graham’s incredible gift THIS ISSUE 7 Welcome Our Annual Public Meeting on 14 September is an opportunity for us to reflect on the previous year in the life of Guy’s and St Thomas’ and look to the future. This year’s meeting will include 14 22 presentations which demonstrate the diversity of the care that we provide to patients. We will be hearing from teams Contents involved in the development of Evelina London – which is growing rapidly in 04 Transplants save 14 e Interview Welcome to Devon Allison, response to ever-increasing demand hundreds of lives The life-changing impact of our new Lead Governor from parents who want their children to organ transplants be treated by our expert staff. 18 Read all about it There will also be a chance to watch 06 More than tea Get an insight into the work of a film about our children’s nurses and and sympathy our busy media team to hear from a multi-disciplinary team Find out who cares who care for people in the community. for the carers 20 A great wall of China The mosaics of Streatham Please do join us for our Annual Public Meeting if you can – 07 e doctor 22 Say what? refreshments will be served from will see you now FGM midwife and Our community geriatricians 5.30pm before the meeting starts at campaigner Comfort Momoh caring for older people at 6pm on Thursday 14 September in the in the spotlight home Marquee in the gardens at St Thomas’ Hospital. I hope you enjoy this edition of the GiST . Meet the team TELL US WHAT YOU THINK Words and photos by Matt Akid, Marjorie Allen, Matt Barker, Nicki Bickford, If you have any comments about the magazine Sarah Clark, Cleo Downs, Maxine Hoeksma, or suggestions for future articles, please contact Jessica Law, Cara Lee, Hamza Omaar, the communications department, St Thomas’ Eloise Parfitt, Ruth Shepherd, Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, Gwyneth Weller and Rosamunde Wells. Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive London SE1 7EH, or email press @gstt.nhs.uk Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Cover photo by Michael Donald. Visit us online at: www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk Design: AYA-Creative www.aya-creative.co.uk the GiST is published by Guy’s and Print: St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust O’Sullivan Communications Twitter @GSTTnhs youtube.com/gsttnhs Front cover: @EvelinaLondon Dianne Roberts facebook.com/gsttnhs 2 the GiST ROUND-UP IN THE NEWS A round-up of media coverage featuring Guy’s and St Thomas’. Evening Standard The Evening Standard told how father-of-two Paul Alexander thanked two doctors for saving his life after he had a cardiac Remembering Kirsty arrest during a 10K run. Fellow runners Claire Barker and Rachael Tragically a nurse from Guy’s we have lost one of our own. March, this was the second Mitchell, who work in Hospital died in the London “Kirsty was clearly an time in less than three months the intensive care unit at Bridge terrorist attack on outstanding nurse and a when our hospitals, patients, Evelina London Children’s 3 June. hugely valued member of the visitors and staff found Hospital, stopped to Kirsty Boden, 28, originally staff team in Theatres themselves in the middle of help him. from Australia, was a Senior Recovery. She was described hugely traumatic events. Staff Nurse in Theatres by her colleagues as ‘one in a Amanda Pritchard, Chief Recovery at Guy’s. She was million’ who always went the Executive of Guy’s and St killed as she went to help extra mile for the patients in Thomas’, said: “As with the other victims of the attack in a her care. Westminster Bridge incident, selfless act of kindness, “Our thoughts are with her our staff responded with bravery and compassion. family, her loved ones and our courage and tremendous Dame Eileen Sills, Chief staff who have lost a dear professionalism following Nurse at Guy’s and St friend and colleague.” these horrific events. We are Thomas’, said: “I cannot put Following the Westminster extremely proud of them.” into words how sad I am that Bridge terrorist attack on 22 BBC Breakfast The issue of cluster headaches featured on BBC Breakfast during an interview with Consultant Patient gets Neurologist Dr Giorgio Lambru. He highlighted hitched at new technology which is being used to treat hospital patients. Daily Mail A man who was on the brink of The Sleep Disorders Centre death has celebrated his recovery at Guy’s and St Thomas’ by getting married at St Thomas’ was described as ‘the Hospital where his life was saved. country’s premier sleep Allen Branley, 51, and Irina Allen Branley (3rd right) and his wife Irina (4th right) with hospital staff clinic’ in a Daily Mail Kashirina, 35, had their big day at St feature. Consultant Thomas’ in June, surrounded by the team Allen was able to go home after four weeks on Neurologist Dr Guy of doctors and nurses who cared for him. the ward. Because the ceremony had been Leschziner explained how When Allen was admitted to hospital in approved to take place at St Thomas’, staff from everything from an May suffering from liver failure and the the ward and the Hospitality team facilitated the individual’s psychological medical team said he might not survive, he wedding on site, so it would not be delayed. state to their environment asked the team on Alan Apley Ward to Allen said: “I received exemplary care at St can offer vital clues about arrange for a registrar to visit him so he Thomas’. If it hadn’t been for the team, I would the root of their problem. and Irina could get married in hospital. have given up. Now they’ve also gone out of their Fortunately, his condition improved and way to make sure our wedding went ahead.” www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 3 ROUND-UP P h o t o Transplants : SEPTEMBER N H S B l save hundreds o o d a n d of lives T r 14 a n s p l a n Annual Public Meeting More patients receive a life-saving t kidney transplant from a living donor at Everyone is welcome to attend Guy’s and St Thomas’ than in any other Guy’s and St Thomas’ Annual transplant unit in England – according Public Meeting at 6pm on to NHS Blood and Transplant’s 2016/17 Thursday 14 September in the activity report. the worst of times for them, and for the Marquee in the gardens of Out of the 244 transplants carried out at excellent care I continue to receive at Guy’s.” St Thomas’ Hospital. Guy’s Hospital in the last year, 79 had living Professor Nizam Mamode, Consultant There will be refreshments donors. Transplant Surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’, and information stands about The report, published ahead of Organ says: “We are proud to have one of the largest improvements to the care of Donation Week from 4-10 September, kidney transplant programmes in the UK. older people both in our highlighted that more than 50,000 people in “Medical advances mean patients are hospitals and in the local the UK are alive today thanks to a donated surviving with donated organs for longer than community in the same venue organ. ever, but people are still dying while they are from 5.30pm. Sue Lyon, 65, from Rotherhithe, who had a waiting for a suitable donor organ so we This is your chance to learn life-saving kidney transplant 31 years ago at encourage people to join the Organ Donor more about the life of Guy’s Guy’s, explains: “The transplant changed my Register.” and St Thomas’ over the last life. I’ll always be grateful for the generosity of You can sign up as an organ donor at year and hear about our my donor's family at what must have been www.organdonation.nhs.uk . exciting plans for the future. You can also have your say in an open question and answer session with the Trust Board. There will be a range of Centenary celebrations presentations by frontline staff: • Dr Sara Hanna, Medical Director of Evelina London, will explain why we are developing our children’s hospital to meet ever increasing demand • Staff from the Lambeth Integrated Reablement Team Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, in the 1930s will talk about how they are working together to support Queen Mary’s Hospital (QMH) in Sidcup is Other highlights will include an patients to live independently marking its centenary with a special family educational time tunnel, showing the history at home fun day and open day on Saturday 9 of the hospital through the decades, and • Senior nurses will shine a September. entertainment for children. spotlight on our new Entry, attractions and parking are all free – The Queen’s Hospital opened in 1917, Nightingale Academy. the fun starts at 10.30am with events taking initially providing pioneering plastic surgery place throughout the day until 3.30pm. for soldiers who returned from the First All welcome, there is no need This is a chance to see behind the scenes World War with facial injuries. to book a place in advance. with tours of Guy’s Cancer at QMH – Guy’s It was renamed Queen Mary’s Hospital in and St Thomas’ new cancer centre which 1930 and continued to develop as a district opened its doors in May – and our new general hospital serving the local population.