Dear Member,
I would like to start this newsletter by wishing you all a very Happy New Year. We are experiencing an incredibly challenging start to 2021, and we know that the ongoing support from our governors, members and volunteers is more important than ever.
Covid-19 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHSFT
We are not unique from any other London hospitals, with pressures impacting our services as the number of Covid-19 cases rise across the capital. We continue to support our partners across North West London and London region to ensure that patients are treated in a timely manner.
We have seen a large increase in the number of patients testing positive for Covid-19 requiring our care, in particular Critical Care. The government guidance to help reduce transmission of the virus remains vitally important to protect yourself and your family: wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering and keep a safe distance. If you think you are eligible for a vaccination, please speak to your GP who will guide you through this process.
The current lockdown measures which are in place are very necessary to help stop the spread of Covid-19 and also reduce the impact on our NHS services.
We have had a team dedicated to vaccinating our local communities, and our health and social care staff at both hospitals, whilst also supporting the vaccination hubs created across North West London.
I recently spoke at the opening of the Wembley Vaccination hub here and if you follow us on social media you would
have spotted some familiar faces from our Trust executive team, talking with London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Our vaccinators have been working hard. When eligible, you will receive an invitation, with details to book. Please do not call the hospital about
these vaccine appointments. There are more details on the North West London CCG Vaccination Programme, and as mentioned, you can speak to your GP.
Our services
We remain open and are still here for patients who need us the most.
Our emergency department is still open 24/7, 365, as is our maternity service; and any patient who needs urgent or emergency care.
Of course, our services are under immense pressure, and we would ask members of the public to use our services wisely and, where possible, to consider alternatives such as NHS 111, GP or pharmacy services.
We continue to carry out much urgent care such as cancer procedures, and important diagnostics such as MRI, ultrasound, and endoscopy. If you are called to an appointment it is safe to come in to our hospitals.
To ensure we continue to provide safe and effective care, we have repurposed some of our wards, and increased the number of staff in more pressured areas such as Critical Care.
As you can imagine, this puts a huge amount of pressure on the services we provide, but, as always, our staff have responded magnificently, many of whom have volunteered to be redeployed to services in most need to support their colleagues.
Thank you to our volunteers
Over Christmas and the New Year the hospital has continued to benefit from the support of our outstanding volunteers. Volunteers
have played a crucial role to support Covid vaccine roll-out for staff around the Trust; acting as stewards and helping people complete forms before their jabs.
Our volunteers have also been playing a crucial role in helping patients keep in touch with their loved ones. They visit wards with phones and tablets to help patients call or face time their families. They also deliver messages from loved ones to patients via the ‘Message for You service’. To date the service has delivered over 300 messages. We can’t thank them enough.
The military have also been working hard across our hospitals and we are extremely grateful for the additional support.
We have over 6500+ staff working across our services at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital, plus the additional services we provide in the community for sexual health. The past few weeks have been exceptionally difficult for our staff, but the support from our key stakeholders – and members of the public – continues to make a positive difference.
I hope you find this update helpful, and we will continue to update you. In the meantime, thank you again for your support.
Stay well and safe.
Kind regards,
Lesley Watts
Highlights
Visiting policy update
To keep patients on our wards safe we have revised our visiting policy and as such, visitors will not be able to attend any of our sites; however, compassionate visits to vulnerable individuals can still be arranged with ward teams. Regularly updated on the Trust website here
A message for you
We have created a new way for patients and their loved ones to stay in touch. This will go a long way in putting a smile on some faces through these challenging times – 'A message for you'
This service is run by our volunteers and allows friends and family to send messages to patients whilst they are in hospital.
West Middlesex site—MRI scanners
We are increasing the patient care facilities at our West Middlesex site which includes locating two new MRI scanners on site. Find out how this may affect your car parking and bike storage options.
Community News
Our West Middlesex site saw its 100th anniversary delayed, but it continues to be at the heart of the community. We have invested over £10m in Critical Care, Richmond and Marjorie Warren wards, improving safety and the patient and staff environment and experience. This year will see the development of the new Diagnostic Centre as part of our continued efforts supporting high quality care for our patients.
Likewise, our Chelsea site saw new world-class facilities in ITU/NICU come into use, in addition to improvements to Nell Gwynn and St Mary Abbott wards. Thank you to our charity and donors for their continued support.
Our HIV and sexual health services led a major role in the IMPACT study which saw PreP – HIV prophylaxis, become available for free on the NHS.
CW+ Hospital Charity
Support our hospital charity CW+
As the pandemic continues into 2021 and our hospitals face increasing levels of admissions, the CW+ dedicated COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund continues to welcome donations to help support our staff to provide the best possible care across our communities – donate here.
CW+ is the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust including its hospitals and clinics. The charity’s generous supporters and partners enable it to:
Your Experience Matters
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.
If you would like to share your experience to make a difference, please contact the Membership Team on E: [email protected] or T: 020 331 56716.
Meet a Governor Sessions
The Council of Governors play an important role in making sure your views as members and the wider public are represented by the Trust, as governors are directly elected by you.
If you would like to speak to a governor directly, please attend one of our next upcoming meet a Governor sessions for 2021. For more information please click here.
Staying in touch
Your next e-newsletter will be out in February 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.
• Instagram: Trustwide
• Twitter: Chelsea and Westminster • West Middlesex
• Facebook: Chelsea and Westminster • West Middlesex
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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