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Membership newsletter August 2020

News for our members and local community


Re-starting services at Kingston Hospital

Dear member

A very warm welcome to the latest edition of our membership bulletin.

I am pleased to say that having passed the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been working hard to get our services back up and running for patients who need them. In line with national guidance, we have re-started the majority of our outpatient services. Less than 25% of outpatient appointments are taking place face to face, as we are making excellent use of virtual appointments to help us manage social distancing within the hospital, keeping staff and patients safe.

We are delighted that patients are very positive about our virtual appointments. The vast majority (72%) said they would prefer a virtual appointment if they had the choice and patients have let us know that they like the convenience and lack of stress associated with not having to travel to hospital. We are planning to continue working in this way, but would like to reassure you that we will always see patients face to face, if that is what is clinically indicated.

We are also up and running again with our scheduled surgical appointments for patients, working hard to manage the backlog in numbers of people waiting for their procedures.

We understand that patients may be worried about coming to hospital, but would like to reassure you that to keep everyone safe and to minimise the risks of COVID-19 infection, we remain extremely vigilant with infection prevention and control measures in place for patients and visitors, and for our staff.

We have worked with other health partners in Kingston to create a short film which we hope reassures you that we are taking steps to keep people safe should they need to see a GP or come into hospital for a procedure:



Please do share this film with friends, colleagues and family members to help us spread this important message.

I am so proud of all of our staff who have shown such positivity and commitment to their patients throughout the pandemic and as we move forwards together as an organisation. I would like to thank each one of them for their dedication.

I would also like to extend my personal thanks to all our members and our volunteers for their ongoing support at this time - it really is appreciated.

I hope you enjoy reading our latest bulletin and if you have any comments or suggestions for future editions, please do let us know.

Thank you

Sian Bates
Chairman
Email:[email protected]



A special thank you from our staff

We received many donations during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic from food deliveries, scrubs and items of PPE, to accommodation for staff, as well as donations to Kingston Hospital Charity. We are so grateful to our local community for their generosity and kindness.

In the following film, our staff share their thanks:

https://youtu.be/N7DQ5xwmnHc


Praise for cancer services in national patient survey



At Kingston Hospital we continued to provide care for patients with cancer during the pandemic.

Patients receiving care and treatment for cancer with us, have very positively rated their experiences with us in the NHS National Cancer Patient Experience Survey.

Kingston Hospital’s results from the survey, which were published in June 2020, tell us that:

• 96% of patients felt the length of time they waited for a test to be done was about right
• 97% of patients felt they had all the information they needed about their operation
• 94% of patients reported they knew who to contact if worried about condition or treatment after leaving hospital

Kingston Hospital’s director of nursing and quality, Sally Brittain, said: “We are delighted with the results of this year’s National Cancer Patient Experience Survey. The results are a reflection of the dedication and expertise of our fantastic cancer teams, who are commitment to providing the best possible care for our patients.”

Patient perspective: Cancer care during the pandemic

One of our cancer patients recently shared their story with medical journal BMJ:

"One week into lockdown, I was diagnosed with stage 4 testicular cancer. I found an abnormal growth but rather than bother the GP straight away. I waited a few days. When I called they said because I didn’t have any abdominal pain it could wait. Five days later I had horrendous pains in my stomach so called 111 and they told me to go straight to the emergency department.

I went to Kingston Hospital and they moved quickly to do an x ray and I moved from one doctor to the next and the last one was an oncologist. I was back for a scan the following morning and they immediately referred me to the Royal Marsden Hospital. I went from diagnosis to starting treatment in nine days. Looking back, it was stupid of me not to push to see the GP but, because of everything going on, I didn’t want to bother them.

The consultant fully explained their plan which involved some minor tweaks to one of the chemotherapy drugs because of the pandemic. It was all very quick, including a trip to the sperm bank, and I can’t fault them on anything. They explained that in normal circumstances they would remove the testicle first and then do chemotherapy but for me the safer option was to start chemotherapy as quickly as possible and have the surgery later.

I’ll be having four cycles over 12 weeks and I go in for six days and have 18-19 hours of chemotherapy a day. After a two week break, I’m in for the next one.

I’m shielding, as is my girlfriend who I live with, and going into hospital was a bit scary in a pandemic but they have had very stringent rules. You have a COVID-19 test before you go back in for a cycle of treatment and they’ve split the wards into zones.

They’ve done their absolute best in a horrible situation. You can’t believe the care they take with each patient. I can only describe it as absolutely amazing."


HPV research project launched with Kingston University



Kingston Hospital and Kingston University have teamed up to launch a PhD studentship, studying HPV and its effect on upper gastrointestinal cancers. The project will investigate the role of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in the development of upper gastrointestinal cancers (oesophageal and gastric), which are major health problems worldwide.

Muhamad O Shafiq has been appointed to the three year studentship, funded by Kingston Hospital Charity and the Laurie Todd Foundation, established by local resident Maundy Todd in memory of her late husband, who was diagnosed with Advanced Oesophageal cancer in 2019.

Dr Hossein Ashrafi, Associate Professor in Pathology and Cancer Biology at Kingston University, said: “Establishing a relationship between upper gastrointestinal cancer development and high risk HPV subtypes would provide invaluable insight into the role this virus plays in the formation of oesophageal and gastric tumours. This could, in turn, lead to the broadening of early HPV screening and the development of vaccines that could help prevent and treat some forms of gastrointestinal cancer.

This project demonstrates the importance of the relationship Kingston University has developed with its local hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It will bring mutual benefit to both institutions and allow us to further strengthen our research links, ultimately benefitting patient care.”

Dr Helen Matthews, Research Director and Consultant Gastroenterologist at Kingston Hospital, said: “As Research Director at Kingston Hospital and a Consultant Gastroenterologist, I am very excited to start our joint project with Professor Ashrafi at Kingston University investigating the role of Human Papilloma Virus in the development of oesophageal cancer. As a team, we hope that this will lead to future insights into the causes and treatment of this increasingly common and difficult to treat cancer. In addition, we can build on this project to create more collaborations between our local academic centre, Kingston University, and our clinical team at the hospital to answer questions that are of real importance to our local population and community.

We are very proud that we are getting increasing national recognition as a research centre – Kingston Hospital has recently been used as an outstanding example of how to improve equality of access to research in a Lancet editorial (December 2019). One of the key strategic steps noted in this article was the closer partnership with Kingston University and the Royal Marsden Hospital to allow access for our local patients to cutting edge innovation and research. We are hugely grateful to the Laurie Todd Foundation, without whose support we would be unable to pursue this really important work.”

Maundy Todd, founder of the Laurie Todd Foundation, said: “I am so pleased that, despite the current incredibly difficult conditions, Kingston Hospital and Kingston University have started work on this research. I hope it will contribute to earlier diagnosis for oesophageal cancer. My husband, Laurie, died six weeks after diagnosis, despite Kingston’s and The Royal Marsden’s heroic efforts.”



My redeployment experience with the ENT and Audiology Patient Pathway Coordinator team

Audiology student, Asma Warsame, has shared her experience of redeployment during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been published on the British Academy of Audiology website.

Read more: https://www.baaudiology.org/careers/students-aloud/asma-warsame/


Fundraising News: Teddington-based Rockschool donate £3,000 to Kingston Hospital Charity



Teddington-based global awarding body and music education providers, RSL Awards, organised a fundraising campaign during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, with £5 from every Rockschool Graded Music Exam entry donated to Kingston Hospital Charity.

Norton York, Founder of RSL, and John Simpson, CEO of RSL, recently presented a cheque for £3,000 to Chairman, Sian Bates.

Chairman of Kingston Hospital, Sian Bates, said: “I would like to extend my warmest thanks to RSL for their donation to Kingston Hospital Charity. Your generosity will make a significant difference to our patients and staff – thank you for thinking of Kingston Hospital.”

CEO of RSL Awards, John Simpson, said: “As a team, we are continually humbled by the courageous acts of the NHS, and also our loyal customers for having the confidence in us to continue to provide the very best academically rigorous qualifications and graded music exam solutions. We’re delighted to be able to present this cheque for £3000, that we hope will go some way to support the needs of our NHS heroes.”


Meet the governor: Frances Kitson



Frances Kitson has been a governor at Kingston Hospital for over seven years and recently stepped in to the role of Lead Governor. We spoke to Frances about the role.

Q. When were you first elected as a governor?
I was first elected in October 2012, to represent Richmond, and when I moved to Kingston, I was re-elected as a Kingston governor. This will be my last term as governor. I was Lead Governor from 2013-2016, and again from June this year.

Q. Why did you decide to be a governor at Kingston Hospital?
I saw a leaflet in my local GP surgery, and thought it would be an interesting opportunity to use my skills (I’m a government lawyer, and trustee of another charity) to contribute to the formation and establishment of a new form of governance in our local hospital, to contribute to the community and to learn more about the local and national healthcare system.

Q. What does the role of Lead Governor involve?
The Lead Governor is no more important, and has no different duties, from all the governors. The Lead Governor acts as a channel between the rest of the governors and the Chairman, although Sian, our current Chair, has had an open door to all governors at all times. I see my role as a sounding-board for any governor who might have a concern, or a question s/he can’t answer; as perhaps a mentor to less experienced governors; as someone who encourages other governors to use their skills to get involved; and as someone who has the very best interests of the Trust at heart, and takes the hospital values out into the community.

Q. Do you live locally?
Yes, 10 minutes’ walk from the hospital. I moved to Kingston from Mortlake, the other side of the Park, six years ago.

Q. How does your role as a governor support the hospital, patients and members?
Public governors (we also have staff and appointed governors) have two legal duties, the first to represent their constituency members, and the second to hold the Non-Executive Directors to account. However, the role can be a great deal more than that – we work together with directors and other staff on committees which focus on quality of care, strategy, senior non-executive appointments and membership engagement; we are usually in the hospital a great deal, talking to patients and staff and seeing how specialist functions operate. We are also invited to attend local health bodies’ meetings and we are there to represent the hospital in the wider community.

Q. Would you recommend the role of governor to members of Kingston Hospital?
Definitely. Like any voluntary work, it is very rewarding to know that the time and skill you devote to the role (and that need not be too onerous – many governors also work full time) is so highly valued. You would learn a great deal and definitely feel part of a team. You would have the opportunity to meet people who work in all roles in the hospital, and also to see the hospital in action by interacting with its users – patients and their families and friends.

The role of governor
With the support of our members, Kingston Hospital’s governors ensure our work is in keeping with our values, meeting the needs of our local residents and supporting all who use our services to make us successful.

As a trust member, you can elect public representatives to the Council of Governors so that the local voice is heard. Members can also stand for election as public governors themselves, to represent the views of their local community on the Council of Governors.

Governor elections 2020

Nominations for this year’s governor elections will open next month.

Timeline for elections:

• Nominations open: Tuesday 8 September 2020
• Nominations close: Tuesday 6 October 2020
• Governor election results declared: Monday 23 November 2020

We will be sharing further information about the nomination process, soon. Please check the Trust website and social media channels over the coming weeks.


Meet the volunteer: Suzie



Suzie is a peer support volunteer. We spoke to Suzie about why she is so motivated to support Kingston Hospital as a volunteer.

Q. What made you decide to volunteer at Kingston Hospital?
Both my sons were born at Kingston Hospital and subsequently the paediatric team have been absolutely fantastic. In the Autumn my eldest ended up spending quite a bit of time in the hospital and the care he received from all the staff was superb. I had a bit of a ‘eureka moment’ during that time; I wanted to give something back to the hospital that have helped my family, so I picked up the phone and called the volunteering team. The rest is history!

Q. What is the best thing about volunteering at Kingston Hospital?
The best thing about volunteering at Kingston Hospital has to be the people. The community is so friendly. Every week when I come in I am greeted by big smiles from the volunteering team, the other volunteers and all the people that I meet around the hospital. It is a privilege to be able to support the hospital that does so much for our community.

Q. What volunteer role do you do?
I am a peer support volunteer, with a focus on the welcoming team. The role provides a link between the welcomers and the volunteering team. The welcomers are there day to day providing support to patients and visitors when they come into the hospital showing them where to book in and go for their appointments. I make sure they have everything they need and a quick response to any questions.

Q. Have you continued to volunteer during lockdown?
During lockdown I’ve continued to volunteer at the hospital although my role has changed. I’ve been part of a small team that have helped in a number of different areas. Primarily I have been helping to deliver donations to the staff across the hospital. At the beginning we had donations of Easter eggs, baked goods, meals, fruit, drinks, hand creams and all sorts of items kindly donated by our local community. In addition, I have been helping provide tea and coffee to the wards where the staff were unable to get drinks easily during their shifts. Hopefully this has given them a bit of relief, and a sign of support and appreciation.

If you are interested in volunteering at Kingston Hospital, please email [email protected] or call the volunteering team on 0208 934 2549.


Join us at our next Annual General Meeting & Annual Members Meeting



We would love to hear from you

Are there are any particular areas you would like to hear more about in future bulletins? Please do let us know.

We would also love to hear about why you became a member of Kingston Hospital, so that we can share on our website to help encourage others to join our membership. What does being a member mean to you? Send your comments to us at [email protected]



Keep in touch


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From time to time, the Trust may send you some information about the work of the Kingston Hospital Charity, which helps to raise vital funds for the Trust. This may include its ‘Our News’ newsletter. If you would prefer not to receive information about our charity please contact the Communications Team on [email protected]

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