As we head into May, we are focused on the important work we have to do in the months ahead. The Trust did relatively well in maintaining non-Covid-19 services during the pandemic surge. We are conscious though that our waiting lists are higher than anyone wants and we are all focused on getting our patients the help they need.

In the last few weeks we have delivered significant growth in numbers of elective procedures, outpatient appointments (on site or on-line), and our diagnostics and imaging.

All this needs to happen within our means and allowing for the additional safety precautions - testing, social distancing - around Covid-19. Our staff have many good ideas how to improve our care and we will support them in doing it.

We are still supporting the vaccination of our own staff and partner organisations, and the North West London public vaccine programme. We will continue to invest in our staff health and wellbeing.

We know how difficult it has been for everyone restricting visiting in the Trust. We have carefully balanced risk and made a positive decision to revise our visiting guidance. There is very strong evidence for the positive impact of visiting on patient experience and outcomes. While more visiting will mean an increase in the people we see on our sites, if staff and visitors stick to the relevant guidance, we will actively control that risk.

The British Islamic Medical Association has advised that taking the COVID-19 vaccines does not invalidate the fast, and individuals should not delay their COVID vaccinations.

The state-of-the-art redevelopment of our adult and neonatal intensive care facilities at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital are due to fully open at the end of May. The care of the acutely unwell patient characterises the modern hospital and this development puts us in an excellent position.

With support from our charity CW+ it will enable the treatment of more than 2,000 patients every year and will deliver a very different type of environment that significantly reduces time spent in intensive care. This patient-centred approach will be the first of its kind in the UK.

Our aim is always to improve clinical outcomes, improve efficiency and reduce risks for our patients. As we count down to the opening, we will release information and videos regularly to demonstrate the fantastic environment it is, and to celebrate the achievements of the teams. This is a really exciting development and we look forward to seeing more

With obvious pressures on our existing team, our Volunteer leadership created a magnificent recruitment campaign which brought in new enthusiastic people throughout the pandemic. Over 400 volunteers contributed over 30,000 hours.

Volunteers help in so many ways. They support everything from pharmacy runs to over 500,000 staff meals delivered to wards. They provide care and kindness to patients, whether helping with meals, passing on messages from outside, or helping them speak to family through various forms of technology. Volunteers provide crucial support to our vaccination programmes.

The team created a dynamic youth programme, for those aged 16+, which has brought nearly ninety lively young people into the Trust. These young people bring a particular joy to many of our patients. The team is planning a summer programme so contact them if you know someone who would be suitable.

As a Trust we make every effort to deliver worthwhile and rewarding learning experiences for those who do it.

The campaign runs from Friday 30 April – Monday 3 May, in honour of Captain Tom’s 101th birthday. If you need a hand getting started, please email: [email protected]

This month also saw the final of RADICAL, the CW+ Rapid Adoption Innovation Call, with the winning pitch awarded funding to test and scale their innovation initiative at the Trust. The winner was announced as FibriCheck, a smartphone atrial fibrillation testing app, which will be used to help monitor heart rhythms in members of the local community who have recently suffered a stroke, and those at high risk of atrial fibrillation.

In April, the CW+ participatory arts programme, Arts for All, was able to resume as COVID-19 restrictions relax. The CW+ Studio, a bespoke multi-functional art and cultural space at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, is now welcoming patients for art activities and performances. An innovative, interactive digital art installation was also officially unveiled, situated in the Level 5 Sky Garden at Chelsea and Westminster, for patients and staff to experience interactive audio-visual art that induces positive moods and emotions.

The charity’s arts in health webinar series, CW+ Conversations, brings together people from different disciplines and settings in a conversational space to explore topics relating to arts and design in the hospital environment – email [email protected] to receive invitations to these events.

We want your time at Chelsea and Westminster and West Middlesex Hospitals to be the best possible.

Learning of your first-hand experience of the hospitals' services would provide valuable insights and help us improve our performance.

At our recent health seminar Lucie Wellington, Improvement and Innovation Fellow and Physiotherapist and Emma Goodman, Senior Physiotherapist, Medical Rehabilitation and Frailty spoke about how older adults, including those with frailty, can stay healthy.

The discussion was hosted by public governor Nowell Anderson. To view the presentation visit our website.

Meet a Governor Sessions

Our Council of Governors, elected by you, play an important role in making sure your views as members and those of the wider public arerepresented by the Trust.

If you would like to speak to a governor directly, pleasejoin one of our next upcoming Meet a Governor sessions.For more information please click here.

Your next e-newsletter will be out in May with more news and events. In the meantime, keep safe and well and thank you for your continued support, we will be in touch again to tell you more about events and opportunities.

There are several ways for you to keep in touch. We love to share information about our work, and you will find lots of stories about us on social media.

For any queries, or to update on any changes in contact information, please contact the Membership Officer by emailing [email protected] or call 020 3315 6725 for more information.

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