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News from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Issue 25 | 2018
Jumping for joyMeet the schoolboy who overcame chronic pain
THIS ISSUE
2 the GiST
WelcomePatients are at the heart of everythingwe do at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and ourstaff are dedicated to providing thehighest quality of care for all ourpatients – both in hospital and thecommunity.
In this issue of the GiST, you canread about a team of speech andlanguage therapists that helps men toimprove their communication skillsafter an illness. Find out more on page 6.
In November, we opened a new RareDiseases Centre that is dedicated topatients with complex rare geneticconditions. Meet some of the firstpatients to benefit from this specialistservice on page 8.
Our cover star, Toby Mills, overcameunbearable chronic pain with help fromteams at Evelina London Children’sHospital – read his story on page 12.
More than 6,600 babies are born atSt Thomas’ Hospital each year. Find outhow maternity support workers arehelping our midwives to care for womenand their babies before, during andafter their babies are born, on page 18.
I hope you enjoy this edition of the GiST.
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Contents04 Inpatient pharmacy
officially openedPutting patients first
06 Getting in on theconversationHelping men find their voice
07 A paw-fect caninecompanionBringing comfort and joy to older patients
08 A space of their ownEnhancing care for our unique patients
14 e Interview Patient and publicinvolvement
18 A helping hand Find out what our maternitysupport workers do
21 Choosing life Lane Fox Respiratory Unitmakes the big screen
22 Say what?Head of hospitality GavinTiffin is in the hot seat
Meet the teamTELL US WHAT YOU THINK
If you have any comments about the magazineor suggestions for future articles, please contactthe communications department, St Thomas’Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH, or email [email protected]
Visit us online at: www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk
Words and photos by Marjorie Allen, Matt Barker, Amy Bramwell, Kelly Cook, Cleo Downs, Maxine Hoeksma, Cara Lee,David McClenaghan, Adeola Ogunlaja,Hamza Omaar, Eloise Parfitt, Jessica Lawand Lindsay Wright.
Cover photo by David Tett.
Design: AYA-Creative www.aya-creative.co.uk
Print: O’Sullivan Communications
Front cover: Toby Mills, patient at Evelina LondonChildren’s Hospital
the GiST is published by Guy’s andSt Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Twitter @GSTTnhs@EvelinaLondon
facebook.com/gsttnhs
Amanda Pritchard, Chief ExecutiveGuy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
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youtube.com/gsttnhs
A consultant obstetrician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ has beenrecognised in the New Year Honours List for his work inmaternity services.
Professor Andrew Shennan has been made an OBE (Officerof the Order of the British Empire). He is recognised for hisaward-winning preterm surveillance clinic at St Thomas’Hospital, which has been emulated around the country.
The clinic focuses on screening for, treating, and preventing premature birth. As a result ofthis novel approach, 90% of high-risk women seen at the clinic have had a healthy baby at full-term, compared with a national average of 50-70% of women.
Professor Shennan says: “I am delighted to receive this recognition, but am basking in thereflected glory from the efforts of many.
“I really enjoy working with my patients. Making a difference to them is the reason why wedo this.”
Professor Shennan is also Professor of Obstetrics at King’s College London, leads clinicalresearch in the Women’s Academic Health Centre, and is Clinical Director for the SouthLondon Clinical Research Network.
ROUND-UP
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 3
IN THE NEWSA round-up of mediacoverage featuring Guy’s andSt Thomas’.
BBC Radio 4 Dr Guy Leschziner,consultant neurologist andclinical lead of the SleepDisorders Centre at Guy’sand St Thomas’, presented anew BBC Radio 4 series,Mysteries of Sleep. DrLeschziner explored varioussleep disorders includingsleep walking, night terrorsand insomnia.
Daily MirrorNational newspapersincluding the Daily Mirror andThe Sun told how a prostatecancer patient at Guy’s andSt Thomas’ had his roboticsurgery streamed live overthe internet. Robert Begent’soperation was part of theWorldwide Robotic Surgery24-Hour event to help trainmedics on five continents(pictured below).
ITV LondonThe opening of the UK’s firstshop dedicated to helpingease the side-effects ofcancer was featured by ITVLondon News and SouthwarkNews. The Live Better WithBoutique at Browns is locatedon the ground floor of theCancer Centre at Guy's. Dr Anne Rigg, consultantmedical oncologist at Guy'sand St Thomas', sayspatients travel from all overLondon to shop there.
Boy saved from life-threateninginfection
Melissa, 33, adds: “The care Jack receivedwas wonderful. The staff were angels andlooked after him like he was their own.”
Ms Aina Greig, consultant plastic surgeonat Evelina London, says: “It’s wonderful tosee how well and how quickly Jack hasrecovered. This is why we do what we do –we want to make a difference.”
The family of a five-year-old boy who nearly diedfrom an infection caused by chickenpox havethanked the medics who saved his life.
Jack Underwood, from Gravesend in Kent,developed chickenpox last April. The next day hewas in pain, had swellings on his chest and couldnot move his arm.
He was transferred from his local hospital toEvelina London Children’s Hospital where hisparents were told he had developed necrotisingfasciitis, a life-threatening bacterial skininfection that spreads quickly and kills thebody’s soft tissue.
Jack’s mother Melissa Minall says: “As soonas we arrived at Evelina London we knew wewere in good hands – the staff were amazing.They explained that they needed to operatequickly to cut out his damaged tissue and savehis life.”
In May, after he started to heal, Jack returnedto Evelina London to have skin grafts. He is nowback at school and playing football again.
OBE honour for leading obstetrician
Jack Underwood with his brother Teddy
Professor Andrew Shennan
4 the GiST
people who rely on our services. That’swhat gets me up in the morning. I want todo my bit to help.”
Guy’s and St Thomas’ has employed 12people through Step into Health since2015, when it was chosen as one of fivehost trusts to pilot the scheme.
Aidah, 14, met The Duke during his visitto Beach Ward. She says: “I’m on dialysisand working up to a kidney transplant sowe talked about that. He asked if dialysishurt and about my education so I told himall about Evelina Hospital School.”
Aidah, from Croydon, adds: “I askedabout the gender of his new baby andsuggested he name the baby after me, orif it’s a boy, Aiden.”
ROUND-UP
World-class care for patientsAs part of King’s Health Partners,we are in discussions with RoyalBrompton & Harefield NHSFoundation Trust to revolutionisecardiovascular and respiratoryservices.
The partners have a unitedvision to create a globalpowerhouse for heart and lungmedicine and research inLondon, providing the bestpossible patient care andexperience. These intentionsbring together the specialistskills and expertise from all of theorganisations involved to create acentre of excellence for currentpatients and future generations.
Together Royal Brompton &Harefield NHS Foundation Trustand King’s Health Partners (theAcademic Health SciencesCentre comprising Guy’s and StThomas’, King’s College Hospital,South London and MaudsleyNHS Foundation Trusts andKing’s College London) woulddeliver world-class clinicalfacilities. This envisages thedevelopment of a new purpose-built clinical academic facility onthe St Thomas’ Hospital andEvelina London Children’sHospital site.
Any proposals will be subjectto the approval of relevantboards and regulators,commissioner support andpublic consultation.
The opening of the state-of-the-artInpatient Pharmacy at St Thomas’Hospital was celebrated with a visit fromKate Hoey MP.
The department has undergone anextensive transformation to help
maximise efficiency and space. As part of the redesign, a new leading-
edge robot was installed – capable of storingand dispensing large quantities of medicine.
The redevelopment has led to severalbenefits including a reduced processingtime for medicines. This means patientswaiting for their medication before they canbe discharged can go home sooner,improving patient experience.
During the launch event Kate was given atour of the new facility. She says: “Iremember when the first pharmacy robotwas installed at St Thomas’ several yearsago. The new robot in the revampedInpatient Pharmacy is another example ofGuy’s and St Thomas’ using the latesttechnological innovations to help patients.”
HRH The Duke of Cambridgevisited Evelina London Children’sHospital to celebrate the national rolloutof a scheme to help ex-servicemen andwomen find employment in the NHS.
'Step into Health' provides a pathwayfrom the military into the many careeropportunities in the NHS and issupported by The Duke’s charity, TheRoyal Foundation.
The Duke met veterans who are nowworking at Guy’s and St Thomas’ as wellas patients and their families.
Neil McKie, deputy service manager atEvelina London, spent seven years in theArmed Forces before working as assistantservice manager in the dental departmentat Guy’s Hospital.
He explains: “I see it time and timeagain as I walk through the hospital, the
e Dukecelebratesscheme forarmed forcesveterans
Lorna Gibson, general manager for pharmacy, Sir Hugh Taylor, Chairman of Guy’s and St Thomas’, Kate Hoey MP and Tim Hanlon, former chief pharmacist
The partnership hopes to transformpatient care
Inpatient pharmacy officially opened
adult nursing course at London South BankUniversity and is doing practical training at Guy’sand St Thomas’.
Sophie, from Reigate in Surrey, says: “There’s noway I would have considered becoming a nurse if ithadn’t been for what happened to me. Seeing thedifference nurses make to patients made merealise that’s what I wanted to do.
“It was a lovely coincidence to find out that Iwould be doing my training at Guy’s and StThomas’ after the teams here did so much for me.”
Dr Nick Barrett, consultant in critical care, says:“It is amazing to see how well Sophie has recoveredand it’s fantastic that she is joining the nursingprofession.”
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 5
ROUND-UP
TOP TWEETS@Ocarrollarts @GSTTnhs thank you so
much for all the wonderful careyou gave to my daughter atchildren’s A&E today. It madesuch a difference to us.
@JulieEBayley @GSTTnhs I’ve just had
the best welcome/check-inexperience at St Thomas’ (andI’ve been to a fair few hospitals!).Huge kudos to your volunteers.
@RadioProducerUK @GSTTnhs Anita and David
in Cardiac MRI are just amazing.Thanks for looking after metoday; the NHS is truly incredible!
@mutonchopsHad to pop to St Thomas’
Hospital for an eye emergency -completely fantastic service.Professional, timely, courteous,and effective @GSTTnhs.
@itsgottobegf A massive thank you to
@GSTTnhs without whom Iwould not be alive today and tothose anon #blooddonors#thankyou#yourbloodsavedmylife
@EllieMayesThanks Guy’s for such a
warm and friendly service #gstt.Love the NHS. I was slightlyscared being on my own andeveryone was so lovely and kind.@GSTTnhs
@Magnetacs@GSTTnhs Thank you
for your service. Twisted footswollen, you got me looked atand x-rayed and on my wayhome last night... You guys rock.
@originalfootsI had a hospital procedure
today and they were blinkingmarvellous #nhs @GSTTnhs
Chuka Umunna MP joined patients and stafffrom Guy’s and St Thomas’ and EvelinaLondon Children’s Hospital as theycelebrated the 10th birthday of GracefieldGardens Health Centre in Streatham.
He says: “Everyone at Gracefield Gardensdoes a phenomenal job. I have seen first-hand the incredible work that takes placehere as my family and I have all used theservices at some stage.
“This centre is special and important to somany people in Streatham and beyond –here’s to the next 10 years.”
The centre, which opened its doors to thepublic in 2007, has been dubbed a one-stopshop for a range of community servicesincluding health services such as districtnurses, midwives, speech and languagetherapists and a GP surgery.
In 2016/17 staff at Gracefield Gardens carriedout almost 42,000 blood tests and provided morethan 1,300 electrocardiograms (ECG) for peoplewith heart problems, saving many trips to hospital.
Nurse trains athospital thatsaved her lifeA woman who nearly died from meningitis istraining to become a nurse at the hospitalthat saved her life.
Sophie Royce, 25, was struck withmeningococcal septicaemia five years agoand was given a 1% chance of survival afterher organs started shutting down.
Unable to stabilise Sophie, her localhospital contacted a specialised team at St Thomas’ Hospital that treats patients withECMO (Extracorporeal MembraneOxygenation) therapy. This temporarilyreplaces the work of the lungs or heart inpatients with severe lung or heart failure.
The team put Sophie on the ECMOmachine and brought her back to St Thomas’,which slowly allowed her body to heal.
The experience made Sophie decide tobecome a nurse. She is now completing an
Sophie Royce with members of the ECMO team
Margaret Ogedengbe, clinical TB nurse manager, and LinaOkunoren, asset and engagement manager for GracefieldGardens, with Chuka Umunna MP, Girda Niles, Non-Executive Director at Guy’s and St Thomas’, andCouncillor Marcia Cameron, Mayor of Lambeth
Happy 10th birthdayGracefield Gardens
SPOTLIGHT
6 the GiST
At first glance it’s just another typical dayin a Peckham coffee shop with the fainthum of the percolator and the buzz ofgeneral chit chat.
But among the chatter is a small groupof men with health conditions includingParkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and theafter-effects of a stroke, who find the artof conversation particularly difficult.
The three men have been broughttogether by speech and languagetherapists at Guy’s and St Thomas’ adultcommunity services to improve theirconfidence in social situations, and it isclearly making a difference.
Tony Croft, 67, is a retired caretakerwho has Alzheimer’s disease.
He says: “Sometimes when I am talkingthings come back to me, things that
happened 20 years ago. Previously I’dforget things and get cross and wouldn’tfeel like talking to anyone.
“When I’m with the group I’m talking topeople like me. I’m speaking a lot betternow. I’ll go out shopping with my wife,meet the neighbours and people in thestreet and I’m talking all day.”
Eric Arthur, 44, had a stroke which ledto a stutter and difficulty holding aconversation. He also had thoraciccancer and is living with liver problemsand epilepsy.
Eric says: “I used to be alone and cryall the time but now I have other people totalk to.”
The speech and language therapistsarrange for patients to meet regularly topractise conversation skills andencourage the men to swap phonenumbers.
Some patients have gone on to meetoutside of the group and use thetechniques they have been shown, suchas making eye contact and usingbreathing strategies to make theirspeech clearer.
Maxine Hoeksma learnshow speech and languagetherapists are helping localmen with health problemsfind their voice.
Having met in the smaller groupprovided by Guy’s and St Thomas’, Tonyand Eric have become more confidentand together have attended events run byReconnect, a local charity. The charityspecialises in larger meeting groups forpeople with communication problems tohelp them socialise.
Jonathan Bose, speech and languagetherapist in the Southwark CommunityNeuro-rehabilitation Team, says: “Thegroups are aimed at men who are quiteprivate and wouldn’t ordinarily go out tomeet people. The groups are small somay be less overwhelming for the menand help them to progress to socialisingwith the wider community in the future.
“It’s not match making but when weset up the groups we’re thinking aboutsomeone’s interests and background. Thespeech and language therapists act as aspringboard, suggesting comments andquestions and different topics ofconversation to highlight sharedinterests.
Front row: Michael Casserley, Eric Arthur, Tony Croft. Back row: speech and language therapists Jonathan Bose and Cathy Allen
Getting in on the conversation
A paw-fectcaninecompanion
SPOTLIGHT
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 7
Little Dorrit is one of the most welcomedvisitors to the wards of St Thomas’Hospital.
The seven-year-old miniature pinscherhas been visiting older patients over thelast two years as part of the Pets AsTherapy programme.
Jo Hunter, 75, was admitted to hospitalwith a leg ulcer in December and spent aweek recovering on Alexandra Ward.
The retired nurse says: “Pets AsTherapy is a fantastic idea. I love animalsand always had dogs growing up but,because I’m mostly stuck inbed, I’ve been unable to havea pet for a while so it’s greatto have a visit from LittleDorrit.
“She laid down on my bedand fell asleep straight away– it was wonderful to sitthere stroking her soft fur.
“Spending time with adog can do everyone somegood – they give you warmth, it’s verycalming and it’s an opportunity to have achat with the person who has volunteeredto bring them in.”
Little Dorrit underwent an extensiveassessment before qualifying for the PetsAs Therapy programme in 2012 andinitially started her career on the Lane FoxRespiratory Unit at St Thomas’ Hospital,which she still visits.
Her owner, Diana Mukuma, decided tovolunteer after an elderly friend was caredfor by the Trust.
She explains: “I was really impressedwith the compassionate and caring staff atthe hospital and wanted to give something
back when I retired.“Little Dorrit is the
perfect pet for thisbecause she is verycalming and affectionateand is happy to snuggledown on the bed and fallasleep.”
Diana adds: “Being inhospital can be quitelonely and isolating for
elderly people so a visit from Little Dorritcan bring a bit of the outside world in andreally cheer them up.”
The duo visit the wards every fortnightand often spend time with patients whohave dementia.
Diana explains: “Touching and strokingLittle Dorrit seems to help patients tocommunicate and reminisce about pastmemories.”
Karen Jackson’s mum suffers withdementia but has always loved dogs sowhen Karen found out that Little Dorritwas on the ward, she requested a surprisevisit to her bedside.
Karen says: “I think it’s marvellous forsomeone who loves animals. It gives thema moment of happiness. It was a delight tosee my mum’s face light up when LittleDorrit sat on her lap.”
Little Dorrit is also a firm favouriteamong staff on the wards.
Matron Darlene Romero explains:“Little Dorrit’s visit is something staff andpatients always look forward to. For staff, itgives them a break from their very busydaily routine and for some patients LittleDorrit provides a therapeutic intervention.
“I remember we had a patient on theward who was very confused, agitated andrestless and when we introduced LittleDorrit to her she calmed down andsettled.”
• For more information about Pets As Therapy, visitpetsastherapy.org
A tiny therapy dog isbringing comfort and joy toolder patients who arebeing treated in hospital.Kelly Cook finds out more.
“It was a delightto see mymum’s face lightup when LittleDorrit sat onher lap.”
Little Dorrit with Jo Hunter on Alexandra Ward (photography by Eleanor Bentall)
8 the GiST
Living with a rare condition can beincredibly challenging. The opening of theRare Diseases Centre at St Thomas’Hospital hopes to make patients’ liveseasier and enhance their care.
The centre is the first of its kind in theUK to provide a space designedspecifically with the needs of adults andchildren with life-long genetic and skinconditions in mind.
These conditions include epidermolysisbullosa (EB), which causes fragile skinprone to recurrent painful blisters andsores, xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), agenetic disorder affecting patients’ abilityto repair the damage caused by ultraviolet(UV) light, significantly increasing their riskof skin cancer and eye disease, andBardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), a disorderthat can cause blindness and kidneydisease as well as affect other parts of thebody. The Trust is a national centre forthese conditions.
The new centre brings together several
IN FOCUS
Cara Lee takes a look atthe new Rare DiseasesCentre at St Thomas’Hospital, which isimproving the care of theunique patients it hasbeen designed for.
A space oftheir own
specialist services in one place, saving time,increasing efficiency and improving patientexperience. Previously, patients whoneeded to see many different specialistshad to visit separate clinics around theGuy’s and St Thomas’ sites.
Patients have been involved in the designof the centre. It is UV free, includes furniturewith curved edges so it does not catch onfragile skin and has an enchanted forest-themed feature wall.
Professor Jemima Mellerio, clinical leadfor the Rare Diseases Centre, says: “Wewanted to design a centre that, instead offeeling clinical, created a relaxing, healingenvironment for people that come here.
“It is very important for these patients tohave somewhere permanent that they cancall home because they have frequenthospital appointments.”
The Rare Diseases Centre has beenfunded by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity,the EB charity DEBRA, the Four Acre Trustand the Photodermatology Charitable Trust.
“It is veryimportant forthese patients tohave somewherepermanent thatthey can callhome.”
Professor Jemima Mellerio, Dr Hiva Fassihi and Dr Robert Sarkany hold theirclinics in the Rare Diseases Centre
IN FOCUS
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 9
Mohamed Abu-Taleb, 41 from London, has XP. Living with XP means Mohamed gets
sunburn and freckles easily,even on a cloudy day, andexperiences skin irritation.
He says: “Throughout theyear I wear SPF 50 sunscreen,gloves and a hat or hoodie,and sunglasses because myeyes are photosensitive.
“Since I was 11 I have hadmore than 10 procedures toremove skin cancers on myface. It’s scary but thankfully I
have never needed further treatment.”Mohamed adds: “The whole Rare
Diseases Centre is UV free so I can sitanywhere without worrying there may beUV light.
“The feature wall is beautiful and takesyou away from being in a hospital. Thecentre has a social atmosphere rather thanfeeling like a traditional waiting room.”
James Dunn, 24 from Liverpool, has EB. James’ condition means his skinblisters and tears at theslightest touch, leavinghim with chronic woundscovering most of hisbody. He wears bandagesfrom the neck down,which can take aroundfour hours to changeevery other day.
James has beentreated for a type of skincancer known assquamous cell carcinoma.
He says: “The Rare DiseasesCentre is very bright, modern andspacious. It’s brilliant that, for thefirst time, we have our own spaceand everything we need is donehere without moving around.”
Hannah Young, 32 from Felixstowe in Suffolk, has BBS. Hannah’s night vision deteriorated in herearly 20s which led to her diagnosis andshe is now registered blind. Her weight isalso affected by the condition.
She says: “I have good and bad days.My diagnosis has had a big impact on mylife as I cannot work or drive.” Hannahplays in the national women’s visuallyimpaired teams for cricket and tenniswhich boosts her confidence andindependence, and has helped her tomake friends.
She sees up to seven specialists whenshe visits the hospital. Hannah says:“Being visually impaired, it can bestressful finding where to go in a hospitaland I feel disorientated going from oneplace to another. Visiting the RareDiseases Centre is a more relaxedexperience because I stay in one room formy appointments.”
“For the firsttime, we haveour own spaceand everythingwe need isdone here.”
“e centre has a socialatmosphererather thanfeeling like atraditionalwaiting room.”
10 the GiST
A pioneering fertility service at Guy’sand St Thomas’ helped testicularcancer survivor Gareth Jones beatthe odds to become a father. Hespoke to Matt Barker about histreatment.
IN FOCUS
Gareth Jones, 38, beams with prideas he talks about his baby son Arthur,who was born in March last year. It feelslike a long time since he was diagnosedwith testicular cancer in August 2015 –just four months after marrying his wifeCaroline.
Gareth, from Mile End in East London,says: “When I was told I had cancer itwas a shock, it is terrible news and itchanges your world immediately.
“The doctor, Shamim Khan, wasamazing. Testicular cancer has a veryhigh survival rate and when I went tothe fertility clinic at Guy’s Hospital forsome tests, the day ended relativelypositively.
“Then I had a phone call from thedoctor who said ‘you have no sperm’and in a lot of ways that was harder totake than the cancer diagnosis. We knewwe wanted to have a family so it waspretty devastating news.”
Gareth, who works for a bank in
Canary Wharf, needed to have his lefttesticle removed. He was referred toconsultant urological surgeon, Mr MajedShabbir, to assess his options as part ofthe Male Cancer Fertility Programme. Theservice is run jointly by urology and theassisted conception unit (ACU) at Guy’sand St Thomas’ with reproductive
medicine consultant, DrJulia Kopeika.
The programme offers aprocedure calledmicrosurgical testicularsperm extraction(MicroTESE) – whensperm is extracted directlyfrom the testicle using ahigh power microscope. Itcan be used for men who
do not produce any sperm, even aftercancer treatments.
The team is one of only three in the UKto offer a more specialised onco-microsurgical testicular sperm
Showingcancer who’sthe daddy
“We knew wewanted to havea family so itwas prettydevastatingnews.”
IN FOCUS
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 11
extraction, Onco-MicroTESE. Thisharvests sperm from the testicle that hasjust been removed for cancer and limitsthe need for surgery on a patient’sremaining, unaffected testicle.
While the service has a 60% successrate using this technique, Garethbenefited from another treatment itoffered. He was put on a course of thefertility drug, Clomid, to kick start theproduction of sperm in his remainingtesticle, which succeeded after sixmonths.
Gareth says: “The best news I hadthroughout the whole two yearexperience was when Majed told me Iwas producing sperm and we could haveour own baby using IVF. That was just anincredible day.”
Gareth had IVF treatment with his wifeCaroline at Guy’s ACU and, after asuccessful first attempt, Arthur was bornat St Thomas’ Hospital last March.
Mr Shabbir says: “For most men
testicular cancer isn’t thedeath sentence they think itis, but it can still end anyhope of starting their ownfamily. Through earlyintervention andmanagement we canincrease the chance of keeping thosehopes alive.
“We are driving change in the waytesticular cancer patients are managedwith respect to fertility so that it is not anafterthought. Evidence shows that well-being scores are higher for men who takesteps to preserve their fertility beforecancer treatment starts.”
Gareth and Caroline have frozenembryos if they want to try and growtheir young family but, he says: “One isenough to handle at the moment andhe’s an absolute blessing.
“If it only ends up being Arthur that’sall it was meant to be and we’re very, verygrateful for it.”
Fact box
• Testicular cancer is the mostcommon cancer among menaged 15-40
• More than 95% of young mendiagnosed with testicularcancer now survive
• Around half will haveproblems with fertility whenfirst diagnosed. One in 10 willproduce no sperm at all andmay benefit from an Onco-MicroTESE at the timeof their cancer surgery.
12 the GiST
LIVING WELL
Struggling with excruciating painand confined to a wheelchair, TobyMills was unable to live a normal life. Hamza Omaar finds out how hemade a full recovery.
Suffering from chronic pain is tough at anystage of life, but especially so as a child orteenager.
Teams at Evelina London Children’sHospital work very hard to help youngpeople who struggle with chronic pain.
One patient who has benefited isschoolboy Toby Mills, who overcame adebilitating chronic pain condition with thehelp of a number of specialists at EvelinaLondon.
After falling down the stairs at home inJanuary 2016 and hurting his back, Toby,from Orpington in Kent, was admitted tohis local A&E for observation. He wasdischarged but his pain becameincreasingly worse, leading to two morevisits to A&E.
In April 2016, Toby, who is now 13, wasreferred to the rheumatology and chronicpain service at Evelina London anddiagnosed with a form of complex regionalpain syndrome (CRPS), a condition thatcauses excruciating and debilitating painacross the entire body.
This meant Toby also struggled to sleep,compounding the problem as tirednessand stress makes CRPS worse. Things gotso bad that he missed the whole of his finalyear at primary school.
Toby’s mum, Caroline Sandford-Mills,says: “Before being referred to EvelinaLondon, Toby was in atremendous amount ofpain. He was often unableto leave his bed for daysat a time, could rarelymake it out of the houseat all, and was only able tomake it downstairs onceor twice a week.
“Everything he didmade the pain worse, andthis was a big strain onthe whole family.Eventually I left my job so that I could carefor him full time, so we were cautiouslyoptimistic that things might improve whenhe was finally referred to Evelina London.”
At Evelina London Toby was cared for byDr Nick Wilkinson, consultantrheumatologist, and Dr Suzy Gray, leadclinical psychologist for chronic pain andrheumatology.
During a follow up appointment in May2016 it was suggested that Toby take partin the hospital’s Pain Management andRehabilitation programme, known as thePRIME programme, to help treat andmanage his condition. The pioneering
programme is one of only a few of its kindin the country. It involves patients
spending two weeks inhospital and weekends athome, helps children tomanage their persistentpain, and reduces theeffect on their daily life.
Toby’s participation inthe PRIME programmeincluded physiotherapy,occupational therapy,psychology and regularclasses at EvelinaHospital School.
Caroline says: “At first Toby wasn’t surethat the PRIME programme wassomething he wanted to try. After a longchat about it, he decided that he reallywanted to get back to feeling 100% andthat if this programme could help him dothat, he was willing to give it a chance.”
Dr Gray says: “Given how difficult it canbe for children to deal with chronic anddebilitating pain, the PRIME programmeaims to help them take part in normaleveryday activities, which can often lead toreduced pain.
“Our team of doctors, physiotherapists,psychologists and occupational therapists
The slide at Evelina London Children’s Hospital
“I knew we’dturned the cornerwhen, just like allthe other childrenat the hospital, hewent down theslide at EvelinaLondon.”
Schoolboyovercomesdebilitating pain
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 13
LIVING WELL
work together to create treatment plansthat help children get back to doing thingsthat are important to them. We also workwith their parents to help them betterunderstand ways to help care for childrensuffering from chronic pain as this canoften bring its own challenges.”
Toby thrived after starting theprogramme and was fully discharged inNovember 2017.
Caroline explains: “I knew we’d turnedthe corner when, just like all the other
Toby Mills with his parents John and Caroline
children at the hospital, he went down theslide at Evelina London. It really broughthome just how far he’d come, and howgreat it is that he is again able to enjoy lifelike any other happy and healthy youngman. We are all incredibly proud of him.
“The PRIME programme has been lifechanging for the whole family, and Tobyhas done brilliantly well. He has startedsecondary school, and has come top in anational UK maths challenge. I’ve alsobeen able to go back to work full time.”
Toby says: “Dr Wilkinson, Dr Gray, myphysiotherapists Aditi and Ellie, andoccupational therapist Kerry were allbrilliant and helped me overcome thepain from my fall. I’m really happy to beback at school, and can now go back toplaying rugby which is something I loveto do.”
14 the GiST
Gettinginvolved
Lindsay Wright meetsNzinga Gardner andMoh Okrekson, twoof the Trust’sPatient and PublicInvolvement (PPI)representatives.
THE INTERVIEW
Nzinga Gardner
Q Could you tell us about yourself?
Nzinga I work full time for the BBC andhave a seven-year-old daughter.
Moh I’m a retired civil servant with a long-term condition, diabetes.
Q How did you becomeinvolved with Guy’s and St omas’?
Nzinga I needed urgent medicalintervention to save my third pregnancyfrom another pre-term loss. My daughterwas saved and born at 25 weeks andunderwent prenatal care. I got to knowthe medical staff so well that when I wasapproached to participate in research Iwas ready and willing.
Moh While waiting for my appointment Iread an issue of the GiST and saw anadvert for patient membership of theTrust and decided to apply.
Q What does your role as a PPI representative involve?
Nzinga I attend the Patient and PublicInvolvement Advisory Group, where Imeet up with other representatives tolearn about the Trust, share updates andhear presentations from doctors andresearchers who require patient inputand feedback on their proposals. I attendmeetings which are condition-specific,such as in women’s health, where I give apatient’s perspective on new researchproposals. I also help to facilitateworkshops and training courses andconduct interviews.
“We makeunannouncedvisits to wardsand clinics toobserve howstaff interactwith patients.”
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 15
INTERVIEWTHE
Moh Okrekson
Moh I am a mystery shopper and takepart in PLACE (Patient-Led Assessmentof the Care Environment) visits. I alsoreview recorded customer service calls toensure call handlers are following bestpractice principles. As part of a team, Imake unannounced visits to wards andclinics to observe how staff interact withpatients, and to assess factors such aspatient privacy, cleanliness and thequality of food. We then makerecommendations to the Trust for serviceimprovement.
Q What motivated you to get involved?
Nzinga NHS care made a huge differenceto both me and my daughter. I havebenefited from the research that hasgone into pre-term birth and women’s
health and I want to give back in whateverway I can.
Moh The NHS has always looked after me.I want to ensure other people can enjoythe same benefits, and help preserve theNHS for future generations. It belongs to us all – staff and patients – and we allneed to pull together and give somethingback.
Q What are the benefits and challenges of being a PPI representative?
Nzinga I’m a full-time working mum andfreelance photographer so am oftenshort of time, but it is worth the effort. I get to meet like-minded, passionatepeople and learn so much aboutresearch, women’s health and otherconditions.
Moh It is satisfying to see ourrecommendations implemented by theTrust. During a PLACE visit to a carehome we noticed that the shiny floorswere incompatible with guidance fordementia patients, who often mistakethem for water patches.
Walls, doors and door frames werethe same colour as were toilet seats andbowls, which is also confusing fordementia patients.
We fed this back to the Trust andwhen we went back for our nextassessment, they had installeddementia-friendly flooring, changed thecolour of the toilet seats, door framesand doors and improved the signage.
Fact box
There are lots of ways for patients andthe public to get involved at Guy’s and St Thomas’.
• For further information, [email protected]
• We are recruiting patient assessors totake part in this year’s PLACEassessments. To find out more and to sign up to be an assessor, visitwww.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/place-assessors
• To access free training opportunities inpublic and patient involvement and for more information about getting involvedin research, visitwww.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk
16 the GiST
INSIDE OUT
Kelly Cook investigateshow the rapid accessdiagnostic clinic at Guy’sHospital has been helpingpatients in its first year.
to the gastrointestinal unit and wasdiagnosed with bowel cancer. She had an
operation to remove thetumour and is continuingto take medication.
Yvonne, who has beena foster carer for 17 years,continues, “It wasn’t theoutcome I expected butI’m glad it was discoveredand treated so quickly.
“This type of cancer islike a silent killer – therewere no obvious
symptoms so it wasn’t easy to detect. Ibelieve in knowing your body and, ifsomething doesn’t feel right and is out ofthe ordinary for you, get it checked by adoctor.”
Since its launch in December 2016, therapid access diagnostic clinic has received
more than 400 referrals, with 31 resultingin a cancer diagnosis.
The team has also helped to diagnosearound 300 patients with a wide range ofother serious conditions including livercirrhosis, Crohn’s disease, multiplesclerosis, tuberculosis, heart failure andemphysema.
Dr Luigi DeMichele, consultant ininternal medicine at Guy’s and StThomas’, says: “This clinic makes thingseasier for GPs and quicker for patients.
“It is normally clear when a patient hascertain symptoms where their GP shouldrefer them to but things are not alwaysthat simple.
“This service avoids delays indiagnosing patients when their symptomsare less specific so that a treatment plancan be put in place for them.”
Dr DeMichele runs the clinic with
Rapid responsehelps with earlydetectionWhen Yvonne Allen suddenly startedexperiencing pain in her lower back andside, she booked anappointment with her GP.
The 61-year-old had vaguesymptoms and painkillerswere not helping so thedoctor referred her to therapid access diagnostic clinicat Guy’s Hospital.
Yvonne, from Southwark,says: “The clinic wasfantastic and, over the nextfew weeks, I had a range oftests including an MRI scan, endoscopyand blood tests.
“The staff were very nice and evenhelped me conquer my fear of the MRImachine.”
Scans revealed that Yvonne had a lumpin her lower intestine so she was referred
“e staff werevery nice andeven helpedme conquer my fear of theMRI machine.”
Geraint Jones, Paula Allchorne, Daniel Murphyand Dr Luigi DeMichele
Yvonne Allen with her daughter Luanda
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 17
THE LEADING EDGE
Geraint Jones, advanced nursepractitioner, with support from projectmanager, Paula Allchorne, andadministration lead, Daniel Murphy.
Geraint says: “We see patients withinseven days of referral from the GP and the45-minute consultation involves myselfand Dr DeMichele. Together we are able toprovide medical and nursing expertise.
“Many of the cancers discovered in theclinic have been diagnosed at an earlystage which means patients have agreater chance of recovery.
“Once our investigations are completewe can refer the patient to the relevantservice for treatment and, if no conditionis discovered, refer them back to their GP.”
Thanks to the clinic’s success, in April itwill expand to offer services to patientsunder the care of GPs in Greenwich,Lewisham, Bexley and Bromley.
An innovative procedure which repairs leaking heartvalves without invasive surgery has been carried out atSt Thomas’ Hospital in a UK first.
The pioneering technique uses equipment known asan Arto device to pull a stitch across a leaking mitralvalve and then tightens it to stop the leak.
A leaking mitral valve compromises the heart’sfunction and causes symptoms such as breathlessnessand tiredness.
Professor Simon Redwood, consultant cardiologist atGuy’s and St Thomas’, performed the new technique forthe first time in the UK as part of the internationalMAVERIC (MitrAl ValvE RepaIr Clinical) trial.
Using a catheter (a thin, flexible tube), a tiny metal T-bar is positioned through a small hole created at oneend of the valve and a stitch is released across the widthof it. Two discs on a spring are released from the othercatheter, which sit at the other end of the valve. Thestitch is pulled across the valve through the discs and is tightened until the leaking stops. The stitch is locked and cut, andthe device remains inside theheart.
Olasumbo Yates, a pharmacistfrom south-east London, becamethe first patient in the UK tohave the procedure inSeptember 2016.
The 55-year-old says:“The procedure hasgiven me a whole newlease of life and I’m sograteful I had it.”
Professor Redwoodsays: “It is important tounderstand more aboutthe long-term benefits ofthe device. Guy’s and St Thomas’ is one of onlytwo centres in the UKcarrying out thetreatment.”
Heart patientenjoys new lease of life
The GP voiceDr Anthony Cunliffe, a GP atStockwell Group Practice, says:“We are often faced with patientswho have vague and concerningsymptoms, but who don't havean obvious diagnosis, or it’sunclear where they need to bereferred to.
“In these situations it can bedifficult to ensure that the patientis investigated in the quickestand most appropriate way. Therapid access diagnostic clinicprovides an opportunity for thesepatients to be seen andinvestigated quickly, ensuringany sinister diagnosis is reachedas quickly as possible, or to gainreassurance that nothing seriousis going on.” Olasumbo Yates
TRUST LIFE
18 the GiST
10:00am – We’re qualified to takeblood samples so if a woman
requires a blood test after herappointment we can take their bloodstraight away. Some women – and theirpartners – can be nervous so I put myselfin their shoes and try to reassure them.
12noon – The clinic can be verybusy so we regularly update a
communication board that informswomen how long it will be until they areseen. Communication is key, especially ifthere are delays, so this is just a simpleway of reducing the stress levels ofeveryone in the room. I am always onhand to answer questions that they mayhave relating to their appointment.
A helpinghandNo two days are the same as a maternitysupport worker and that’s what I loveabout this job.
More than 6,600 babies are born at StThomas’ Hospital each year and our roleis to be the right hand of the midwives.
Maternity support workers assistcolleagues across all inpatient andoutpatient areas of the maternity unit,including the community.
I’m based in the antenatal clinic butoccasionally work in the other areas,particularly if a new mum needs support with breastfeeding on thepostnatal ward.
8:30am – Our first job of the day is tomake sure the consulting rooms are
re-stocked and the equipment is preparedso that the midwives and doctors runningthe antenatal clinic have everything theyneed. We ensure that the emergencytrolley is stocked and that all items arewithin date.
9:00am – When women arrive for theirappointment we ask them to provide a
urine sample and give them 10 minutesbefore taking their blood pressure. Thisshort break allows them to relax and getused to their surroundings before we takethe reading and update their records.
Veronica Williams,maternity support worker,tells Kelly Cook how shehelps midwives to care forwomen and their babiesbefore, during and afterchildbirth.
Veronica Williams, maternity support worker
“No two days are the same as a maternitysupport workerand that’s what I love about this job.”
TRUST LIFE
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 19
2:00pm – If I’m working on thepostnatal ward my day can involve
helping new mums to get out of bed toshower, supporting them withbreastfeeding or providing advice toparents one-to-one or in groups. I reallyenjoy building up a rapport with thefamilies and there’s nothing better thanhelping a nervous new mum and thenseeing her walk out of the hospital like alittle warrior.
5:00pm – I finish my shift by asking mycolleagues if they’ve had a good day.
The best thing about this role is getting tomeet all the awesome new mums andworking within a fantastic team. We aregiven appropriate training and support,and learn lots of skills along the way whichcan help take our careers in manydirections.
Why IfundraiseMr James Gossage, a cancer surgeonat Guy’s and St Thomas’, was one ofour fearless fundraisers who bravedthe St Thomas’ abseil last year with ateam of 16 – Kevin’s Heroes.
Last year Kevin Ward, a recoveringcancer patient, wanted to give back toGuy’s and St Thomas’ for saving hislife. He contacted a few of the staffthat treated him to ask if they’d helpout and abseil on his behalf. One ofthe people that Kevin contacted washis surgeon Mr Gossage, and he saidyes right away.
Mr Gossage says: “I had never doneanything like that before and I thoughtit would be great to help Kevin. Also, itwould be something quite fun andexciting to do at work.”
Kevin aptly named the teamKevin’s Heroes and the fearless bunchraised more than £10,000 for thehospital.
Have Kevin’s Heroes inspired youto take on the challenge in 2018? If soor if you’d like to support the hospitalsin another way contact thefundraising team on:
• www.supportgstt.org.uk
• 020 7848 4701
Kevin Ward and Mr James Gossage
7:00pm – Sometimes I help outwith an evening antenatal class so
my working day is longer. To be amaternity support worker you need tobe an all-rounder, a good team player,have a good sense of humour and bewilling to go the extra mile.
“ere’s nothingbetter than helpinga nervous new mumand then seeing herwalk out of thehospital like a littlewarrior.”
TRUST LIFE
20 the GiST
Visiting an emergency department canbe a frightening and intimidatingexperience for patients, especiallychildren.
This is why Guy’s and St Thomas’Charity has contributed funding andartworks from its collection to EvelinaLondon’s children's emergencydepartment.
The ‘Taking the ouch out of A&E’programme was set up to engage
Meet the governors:Why become a governor? Jenny Stiles, who has been a governor at Guy’s and St Thomas’ for five years explains why she’s stood for election twice.
Ph
otos: Art in
Site
As a Foundation Trust, Guy’s and StThomas’ has a Council of Governorswhich ensures that local people, staff andall those who use its services have agreater say in how the Trust is run.
The Council of Governors is made upof eight patient, eight public, six staff andnine stakeholder governors.
Jenny Stiles has lived in Waterloo since1981 and helped set up the WaterlooAction Centre. She was re-elected as apublic governor in 2016 having first beenelected in 2013.
Jenny says: “I could see it was anexcellent system because not manyorganisations give the public, staff andservice users a voice at the top.
“I have strong links in the communityand a background in social work and thevoluntary sector, so I understand theissues going on outside the hospital andcan help reflect this in the hospital’spolicies.
“Anyone who wants to contribute froma grass root level and give a voice to theircommunity should consider becoming amember and standing for election tobecome a governor.”
The governors are your electedrepresentatives and are keen to hear your views.
If you have a question or comment,please email [email protected] or call 020 7188 7346.
Taking the ‘ouch’ out of children’s A&E
The Trust is holding elections for seatson the Council of Governors from April2018. Make a difference, become amember of the Trust and take part inthe upcoming elections.
Call: 020 7188 7346
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk
children in their surroundings and helpthem feel oriented and calm.
Teams at Evelina London worked withart co-ordinators, Art in Site, to develop a‘gang’ of illustrated patients, staff, andfamilies, which was generated inpartnership with children, their familiesand clinicians.
Japanese manga artist, Kiriko Kubo,helped to develop the characters whoalso act as friendly guides around the
main children’s hospital building.The gang also come to life in an
interactive app, playable on site, whichhelps to explain what happens in theemergency department. Interactiveanimations tell patients and their familiesabout clinical procedures, including bloodtests, injections, and pulse measurements.
Liz O’Sullivan, arts manager at Guy’sand St Thomas’, describes the artworks as“family-friendly, gentle and playful”.
TRUST LIFEHISTORY CORNER
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 21
Robin Cavendish defied all odds bybecoming one of the longest survivingpolio survivors in Britain.
He was just 28 when, in 1958, hecollapsed during a game of tennis havingcontracted the viral infection.
Paralysed from the neck down, he wasgiven three months, and then a year tolive, spending most of his time on theLane Fox Respiratory Unit at St Thomas’Hospital.
Facing what remained of his life as a‘responaut’, wholly reliant on a machinethat breathed for him and confined tohospital, Robin at first expressed a wishto die. Instead, and against all medicaladvice, he left hospital after a year, withthe support of his wife lived to be 64, andreceived an MBE in 1975 for services todisabled people.
His life has been celebrated in the newHollywood film, Breathe, which wasproduced by his son Jonathan Cavendish.
Staff from Lane Fox Respiratory Unit,including clinical and academic directorProfessor Nick Hart, worked closely withthe film’s director, Andy Serkis, and actorAndrew Garfield, who plays Robin.
The unit, which was named in the film’scredits, advised on the technical aspectsof Robin’s clinical management and care,ensuring the respiratory equipment usedwas historically accurate.
Patients and staff were treated to aspecial screening of ‘Breathe’ at theMediCinema in St Thomas’ Hospital.Afterwards, Robin’s son, Jonathan,answered questions from the audienceand commented on the incredible role hismother, Diana, played in his
father’s care. Jonathan says: “If my father was
alive today he would want todedicate this film to carers, many ofwhom are unheralded. Being a careris a job, a very hard job. This filmshows that with love you can have agreat life.”
Robin did not let his profounddisability hold him back and led a life ofmischief and adventure. An eccentricOxford professor, Teddy Hall, built him aHeath Robinson-style, battery operatedwheelchair-cum-respirator, and aDormobile van complete with a hydrauliclift to accommodate it.
Robin’s family took the van to Europe,once memorably breaking down outsideBarcelona and having to hand pump therespirator for 36 hours until help finallyarrived from England.
In the 1960s, Robin tracked down andlisted the circumstances of everyresponaut in Britain, compiling the firstever record of the number of peopleconfined to ‘iron lungs’. He alsopersuaded the Department of Health tofund a new type of wheelchair based onthe initial prototype, and wasinstrumental in setting up NetleyWaterside House, a holiday complex for severely disabled responauts andtheir families.
Jonathan remembers his father as “aninspiring and exciting person to be with”.
He says: “Through his pioneeringexample, he changed the way thatseverely disabled, respirator-dependentpeople could live their lives, whilespreading around him a lot of joy and fun.”
Staff from the Lane FoxRespiratory Unit were involved in the making of the film ‘Breathe’,which tells the inspirational story of Robin Cavendish.Lindsay Wright reports.
Choosing life
TRUST LIFE
22 the GiST
From the frontline Jan Ganashadevan, orthopaedicphysiotherapist at Guy’s Hospital.
Say what?
Q What does your job involve?
A My role combines organising hospitality for meetings, events and
medical conferences with bringing moneyinto the Trust. My team also managesrequests from production companies tofilm at the hospitals because we havesome great locations. Scenes from thefilm ‘Spectre’ were shot here and popstarSam Smith also recorded a music videoon St Thomas’ roof.
Q What have you learnedworking here?
A Arts and music are incredibly healing for people coping with
illness. Through my work at Guy’s and StThomas’, I’ve got to know Breathe ArtsHealth Research, a charity that organisesfree concerts in our hospitals. TheMediCinema shows the latest filmreleases to our patients in state-of-the-art,specially adapted charity-run cinemas.
Q What is your proudestachievement?
A I’m proudest of the Trust’s Cancer Survivors’ Day event, the
annual abseil down North Wing at St Thomas’, and the Guy’s UrbanChallenge, all of which I’ve helped set upand which have raised a lot of money forthe Trust.
Q What charities do you support?
A I cycled from London to St Petersburg to support Evelina
London, Breathe Arts and theMediCinema. I also set up a TiffinScholarship in Jamaica which funds eightchildren each year to attend high school.
Q What inspired you to do the cycle ride?
A My wife is Russian, my grandfather served in the Arctic
convoys during World War Two, and my
great-great-grandfather was a steelworker who travelled from Glasgow,where the water pipes for St Petersburgwere made, to lay them. So Russia is in my blood!
Q Where have you workedbefore?
A I’m from Scotland and while I was working there I managed
hospitality for the G20 Summit and theMTV Music Awards, met the Dalai Lama,the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Gavin Tiffin is head of hospitality and events at Guy’s and St Thomas’, and has raised over £30,000 for charity.
Jan enjoyed hertime at Guy’sand St Thomas’as a student so
much that she returned to theorthopaedic department for her juniortraining, and is now the specialistphysiotherapist in orthopaedics.
Jan says: “I’ve worked for the Trust fornearly 10 years so Guy’s Hospital hasbecome like a second home to me.
“Our team members are not justcolleagues, we’re good friends whocommunicate really well.”
Jan works with patients in Queen andSarah wards as well as the day surgeryunit, supporting patients who have had arange of procedures including knee andhip replacements and spinal surgery.
She says: “The patient journey is at theheart of everything we do.
“Patients undergoing hip and kneereplacements are seen for a ‘pre-hab’session before surgery so that they knowwhat to expect, and we see them againwithin four hours after their surgery tohelp them become as mobile andindependent as possible.”
During their stay, each patient is seenby a physiotherapist twice a day forassessment and treatment to help themachieve their functional goals. This allowspatients to recover faster and returnhome sooner.
Jan says: “We’ve done a lot to improvethe service over the past few years.
“We set up a seven-day service andextended our working hours to ensure allour patients get the same quality of careat weekends as they do during the week.
“By working closely with Guy’sorthopaedic outreach team, some of ourpatients are able to go home sooner andcontinue to receive the same treatmentthat they would have previously had onthe ward in hospital.”
Raise money for your hospitalsand community services
For all the latest news about our amazing fundraisers and how you can support
Guy’s, St Thomas’ and Evelina London,
follow @SupportGSTT and like facebook.com/SupportGSTT
and facebook.com/SupportEvelina
TRUST LIFE
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 23
We have two pairs of tickets to the London Eye up forgrabs. To be in with a chance of winning, simply completethe wordsearch below.
Name
Address
Send your entry by 30 March to the GiST competition,Communications Department, 4th floor, Staircase C, SouthWing, St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7EH;or you can email [email protected].
The winners will be selected at random and notified withinseven days of the draw. The result will be final and we will notenter into any correspondence regarding the competitionwinners. The prize is non-transferable.
27 MarchSeminar for Foundation TrustMembers – hearing loss6-7.30pm, Nevin LectureTheatre, St Thomas’ HospitalCall 0800 731 0319 or [email protected] to bookyour place
7 AprilWorld Health Day
22 AprilLondon Marathon
25 AprilBoard of Directors andCouncil of Governors meeting3.45-7.30pmRobens Suite, Guy’s Hospital
15 MaySeminar for Foundation TrustMembers – sleep disorders6-7.30pm, Robens Suite, 29thFloor, Tower Wing, Guy’sHospitalCall 0800 731 0319 or [email protected] to bookyour place
What’s OnFree Public Tours (weekly event)Florence NightingaleMuseumTuesdays at 3.30pm (exceptduring school holidays)Call 020 7188 4400 or visitflorence-nightingale.co.uk
1 – 31 MarchOvarian Cancer Awareness Monthwww.ovarian.org.ukProstate Cancer Awareness Monthwww.prostatecanceruk.org
7 MarchFriends of Guy’s and StThomas’ Hospitals book sale10am-3pm, Birdsong Corridor, St Thomas’ Hospital
No Smoking Day
21 MarchFriends of Guy’s and StThomas’ Hospitals book sale10am-3pm, Birdsong Corridor,St Thomas’ Hospital
R I V E R B U S C X K H
G N I K L A W R R C V G
L I A R L A N O I T A N
I G J B K K T U B E B E
T H T Y M A R T R N U R
K T N H L L G E D A S N
Z B Y A D I T M L H I D
O U C F S G T A X I V L
X S J E K I B S I R O B
E Q W A T E R T A X I N
V D A Y R A C E L B A C
W A H S K C I R J S D A
BorisbikeBusCablecarDLR
EscalatorNationalrailNightbusRail
RickshawRiverbusRoutemasterTaxi
TramTubeWalkingWatertaxi
Free film screenings:
MediCinema ([email protected]) showsthe latest releases for patients and staffGuy’s Tuesdays, 1.30pm and Thursdays, 7pm St Thomas’ Saturdays, 7pm and Tuesdays, 7.30pmEvelina London screenings on Wednesdays, 6.30pm
Free lunchtime concerts:
Mondays 1 – 2pm, Central Hall, St Thomas’Wednesdays 1 – 2pm, Atrium 1, Guy’s
Competition
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