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The newsletter for Trust members with an interest in heart and lung care
July 2022
New Joint Chairman appointed for Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital
A new Joint Chairman has been appointed to lead two of London’s largest NHS organisations. Charles Alexander will take on the role at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts from December 2022.
Charles is currently the Chairman of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, roles he has held since 2016, and will continue to undertake until his term of office comes to an end in November.
He succeeds Sir Hugh Taylor, who has served as Chair of Guy’s and St Thomas’ since 2011, and King’s College Hospital since 2019.
Read the full article here.
Harefield pharmacists win ‘Best Team of the Year’ award
Harefield’s pharmacy team has won a prestigious national award, recognising in particular the innovations its pharmacists introduced during the pandemic.
The Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland gave the Harefield team the ‘Best Pharmacist Team of the Year' award at its UK-wide Nurses and Allied Healthcare Professionals 2022 event.
The organisation addresses the interests of patients, cardiothoracic surgeons, and nursing and other Allied Health professionals involved with cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery or congenital heart and lung surgery.
“We feel extremely proud to have won and grateful for the encouragement and support from our colleagues,” said Nisha Bhudia, lead pharmacist, Critical Care and Anaesthesia, Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals. “This award highlights the pharmacy team’s impact in improving and enhancing patient care and the important contributions we deliver within the organisation by working together with the wider multidisciplinary teams.”
The pharmacy team are involved throughout a patient’s care, working together with surgeons, surgical teams, intensivists, and multidisciplinary teams.
Read more here.
Portuguese staff meet their country’s President
Portuguese staff at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals got the chance to meet one of their country’s most senior figures on Saturday (11 June) when the Portuguese President made an official visit.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spent nearly an hour talking to staff and taking ‘selfies’ after a guided tour of the Diagnostic Centre and a visit to York Ward, both at Royal Brompton, as part of his country’s celebration of National Portugal Day.
The President met many of the more than 100 Portuguese staff from Royal Brompton and Harefield along the tour route, and then addressed a gathering of them in the Chelsea wing café, before spending time chatting with families and friends, and enthusiastically posing with them and their smartphones.
Read more here.
Physiotherapist to undertake research on breathing pattern disorder
Lizzie Grillo, specialist adult physiotherapist at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals, has secured funding to undertake a doctoral fellowship on breathing pattern dysfunction (BPD), a condition which causes breathlessness and limits the day-to-day function of patients.
The fellowship forms part of the Integrated Clinical Academic (ICA) programme funded by Health Education England and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and supports the development of a career pathway for non-medical clinical academics. In 2017 Lizzie was involved in the development of the Breathing Pattern Assessment Tool (BPAT) which helps provide an outcome measure for the evaluation of BPD.
BPD is often undiagnosed, bringing additional distress to those patients who do not know what is wrong with them. Symptoms are sometimes mis-attributed to respiratory disease and this can lead to treatments being given which patients do not need. BDP is present in around 10% of the general public and in up to 30% of people with asthma. More recently, it has proved to be a significant problem after COVID-19, with up to 30% of patients with long COVID suffering from BPD.
Lizzie’s research aims to evaluate different methods of assessing BPD, if the BPAT is a consistent and accurate method of recognising and assessing BPD and if it can be useful in monitoring the effects of treatment for BPD.
Read more here.
New drug shows promise for patients with IPF
An international clinical trial led by Professor Toby Maher at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals has shown promising results for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
IPF is a disease caused by a build-up of scar tissue in the lungs called fibrosis, which causes the lungs to become stiffer and lose their elasticity, making it harder to breathe.
The condition is progressive and currently affects over 32,000 people across the UK, with approximately 7,800 people diagnosed with the disease every year.
Currently, no medical therapies have been found to cure IPF which is why there is an urgent need to undertake more research into the causes, treatments and cure for the disease.
As the leading UK centre for IPF research, Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals run and deliver multiple clinical trials into the condition through the recently funded Clinical Research Facility (CRF).
Dr Philip Molyneaux, respiratory consultant, was the lead UK investigator for this phase 2 trial and the early phase 1 trial of this drug, with both trials undertaken in the CRF.
Read more here.
Professor Andrew Bush honoured in Lithuania
A consultant paediatric chest physician at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Vilnius University, recognising his significant contributions to improving paediatric healthcare in Lithuania.
Professor Andrew Bush, who was first invited to deliver a lecture at the University in 1996, described the honour as “the highest achievement in my career to date” and Lithuania as a country that holds a special place in his heart.
Since his first visit to Vilnius University, Professor Bush — elected as an international member of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences in 2012 — has formed strong collaborations with the Faculty of Medicine, advising on the development of its first paediatric residency programme, the validation of paediatric sub-specialties and the preparation of quality standards for pulmonology.
Professor Bush provides free consultations to children with chronic and severe diseases in Vilnius and London. In 2019, he launched a remote e-consultation platform for sick children, connecting the Children’s Disease Clinic at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos and Royal Brompton Hospital.
Read more here.
Arts at the Trust- Award The art of creating a healing environment
Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals’ arts team, rb&hArts, transformed the new Diagnostic Centre with art commissions, pushing the boundaries of healthcare design and prioritising wellbeing for patients and the staff guiding their recovery.
Planning and construction started on the state-of-the-art Royal Brompton Diagnostic Centre in London in 2019, with the rb&hArts team working closely with the teams involved and patients to commission a series of installations to benefit the clinical environment but also improve and enhance the patient experience.
Karen Janody, rb&hArts’ manager and project lead, said: “The pieces we commissioned aimed to bring the outside in. We wanted to create a holistic centre, using the healing power of nature and biophilia, to enhance the experience for our patients and lowers stress levels for patients coming in for tests.”
The rb&hArts team recently won a Highly Commended Art & Interior Design Award at the European Healthcare Design Congress for the Diagnostic Centre. The award recognises professional excellence in the design of healthcare environments in Europe and worldwide.
The organisers, SALUS Global Knowledge Exchange with partners Architects for Health, state that the awards aim to set new standards in creating healthcare environments that promote health and wellness.
Read more here.
Member Events
Free health and wellbeing webinars
Life after Transplant
Monday, 1 August
11.00-12.00
Online via MS teams
To register, please click here
Join Vicky Gerovasili, consultant in respiratory and transplant medicine, and some of our patient members for an informative discussion for transplant patients, their carers and their families. The speakers will cover a number of topics, including medication, daily life - from diet and nutrition to dental visits and tattoos, the impact of COVID-19, and current research and innovation.
How the pandemic has shaped our response to healthcare challenges and an update on the vaccination programme
Wednesday, 21 September
5.30pm to 7pm
Online via MS Teams
To register, please email [email protected]
Join DR Richard Grocott-Mason, Chief Executive Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals for a discussion on how the Trust’s responses to current healthcare challenges have been shaped by the pandemic. Participants will also hear about the vaccination programme, including boosters, from Professor Nick Hart, Consultant Physician in Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine, Research & Development Office and Dr Ali Hashtroudi, Clinical Director and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Guy’s and St Thomas’.
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Next Generation Genetics appeal launched by Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity
In June, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity launched their Next Generation Genetics appeal. This appeal is raising funds to equip Royal Brompton Hospital’s genetics and genomics team with a brand-new sequencing machine to test more patients for inherited heart and lung conditions.
The machine is designed to significantly increase the volume of tests that can be carried out on patients, which can lead to earlier diagnosis and better outcomes.
The genetics and genomics team have recently taken on tests for the whole of South East England. They now conduct a third of all tests nationally for inherited lung conditions and a quarter of all tests for inherited heart conditions. They urgently need this new equipment to keep up with demand for their services.
You can find out more about this appeal and donate via the charity’s website.
Click here to read about how the genetics and genomics team used genetic testing to diagnose fourteen-month-old Sienna with a rare inherited condition.
Running for Royal Brompton
The Brompton Fountain Charity invites you to challenge yourself by running the prestigious Royal Parks Half Marathon as part of the charity team, #TeamBrompton. The 13.1 mile 'closed road' course will take you past some of London's most iconic landmarks. All money raised will support children's cardiac, respiratory and critical care at Royal Brompton Hospital.
The event takes place on Sunday, 9 October. We have guaranteed charity places available. To find out more about joining our team, please get in touch by emailing us at [email protected]k
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Take part in the Brompton Fountain Charity Lottery for a chance to win £25,000
By taking part in the Brompton Fountain Charity lottery, you can help us to fund vital resources and medical equipment for our patients and be in with a chance to win a £25,000.
Click here to find out more and to buy tickets.
To learn more about your Trust membership, share your feedback or update your contact details, please contact Nancy Dickinson at [email protected]
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