TakingprideThe spirit of the NHS

News from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Issue 21 | 2017

THIS ISSUE

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WelcomeHousekeepers like Michael Ampadu,who is on the cover of this edition of theGiST, do a remarkable job of keeping ourhospitals and community health centresclean and free from infection.

Michael works in the dentaldepartment at Guy’s where he is a verypopular member of the team. He won aTrust Award after being nominated byhis colleagues. Find out more aboutMichael and some other inspirationalstaff on page 8.

On page 7 you can read an interviewwith one of our former patients, SteveManstone, and the nurse whoresuscitated him when his heartstopped working.

Steve has returned to St Thomas’every year since his heart attack tothank the team and he raises money forthe Coronary Care Unit. His storydemonstrates the huge contributionthat our fundraisers make. We are verygrateful to people like him for theirsupport.

I hope you enjoy this edition of theGiST.

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Contents04 New heart service

could save livesImproving access to adviceabout heart failure

08 Honouring our NHS heroesMeet some of the staff whoprovide outstanding careevery day

10 Andy’s £1 million ideaFirefighter Andy Roe raises £1 million for thehospital that saved his son

12 Tuning in Colin and Sue share what it’s liketo hear after years in a silent world

18 Safe in their hands24 hours with the site nursepractitioners

20 Keats gets a voiceAbout the statue of the poet andformer Guy’s hospital doctor

22 Say what?Housekeeper Louvaine Lodrickanswers our questions

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 press@gstt.nhs.uk

Visit us online at: www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk

Words and photos by Marjorie Allen, Matt Barker, Nicki Bickford, Amy Bramwell,Ann Brown, Cleo Downs, Maxine Hoeksma,Cara Lee, Vicky Milnes, Hamza Omaar, EloiseParfitt, Ruth Shepherd, Shanique Wahrmann,Rosamunde Wells and Claire Wills. Cover photo by David Tett.

Design: AYA-Creative www.aya-creative.co.uk

Print: O’Sullivan Communications

Front cover: Michael Ampadu, a housekeeper in the dentaldepartment, won the Take pride in what we doAward at the Trust Awards.

the GiST is published by Guy’s andSt Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

Twitter @GSTTnhs@EvelinaLondon

facebook.com/gsttnhs

youtube.com/gsttnhs

Amanda Pritchard, Chief ExecutiveGuy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

ROUND-UP

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 3

IN THE NEWSA round-up of mediacoverage featuring Guy’sand St Thomas’.

BBC London, Daily Mail, The TimesThe move to give securitystaff at Guy’s and StThomas’ body camerasafter an increase in attackson frontline workers wasthe lead story on BBCLondon News. It was alsocovered by BBC RadioLondon, the Daily Mail, i,The Times, EveningStandard and the SouthLondon Press, who made ittheir front page story.

Evening Standard Surgeons at Guy’s Hospitalhad the whole worldwatching them when theyoperated on a patient’skidney during aninternational live roboticsurgery event. The EveningStandard was invited intothe operating theatre.

The IndependentA feature on TheIndependent’s websiteabout how doctorsmeasure pain highlightedthat the Pain Managementand NeuromodulationCentre at St Thomas’ is thebiggest pain centre inEurope. Clinical lead DrAdnan Al-Kaisy explainedhow pioneering methods toreduce pain can helppatients.

New ward is a breath of fresh air

created Snow Leopard to make ahome for children on long-termventilation, where they candevelop and have fun like anyother child. We’re grateful to oursupporters – without publicdonations this wouldn’t havebeen possible.”

Lord Fink met Lucy Hellingand her son, Noah, who was

cared for on a ward in EvelinaLondon and is now on SnowLeopard.

Lucy said: “It’s so differenthere. It’s quiet so we can hearourselves think. There is morepersonal space so we can be aprivate family unit. On SnowLeopard there’s a real feelingof home.”

Children like nine-month-oldNoah are benefiting from a newward at Evelina Londondesigned specifically with theirneeds in mind.

Snow Leopard was officiallyopened by Lord Stanley Fink,President of Evelina London anda generous supporter of thehospital, on 26 January.

This new ward is designed forchildren who need specialistequipment to breathe. It has sixbeds for children who arewaiting for housing or care to beput in place before they cansafely go home. Before itopened they stayed on acutewards for very sick children.

Opening Snow Leopard hasmade beds available on generalwards, reduced infection risksfor ventilated patients, andprovided more space, privacyand peace for children and theirfamilies.

Marian Ridley, Director ofEvelina London, said: “We

Lord Stanley Fink meets Lucy Helling and her son, Noah

Faster cancer testsGPs can now fast-track patients for checks if canceris suspected but their symptoms require furtherinvestigation before referral to a specialist.

The new clinic at Guy’s Hospital provides quickaccess to a range of tests including blood tests andCT scans. Patients are seen within seven days ofreferral from the GP.

Consultant Dr Luigi DeMichele explains: “It is normally clear when a patient has certainsymptoms where their GP should refer them to, butthings are not always that simple. Our new clinicmakes things easier for GPs and faster for patients.”

Dr Raj Mitra, a GP at Lambeth Walk Group Practice,says: “For me, as a GP, you often know something’swrong but you’re not sure exactly what. We’ve alwayswanted a service like this, that can investigate for youquickly and pinpoint exactly what the problem is.”

Consultant Dr Luigi DeMichele, project managerPaula Allchorne, and advanced nurse practitionerGerraint Jones

4 the GiST

allergy. As a result, she was able to have thesurgery without complications.

Shekinah said: “The allergy staff havealways been accommodating, informativeand caring – the combination of the teamand the new Centre make it a brilliantservice.”

ROUND-UP

Holly WilloughbycelebratesmidwivesThe Maternity Unit at St Thomas’hosted a special broadcast of ITV’sThis Morning when presenter HollyWilloughby visited to celebrate theincredible work of our midwives.

During the live show, Holly metparents Su and Graeme Harperwith their youngest son, William. Su and Graeme had sadly lost twobabies – Emelia and Grace – beforeseeking the help of ProfessorAndrew Shennan at the pretermbirth clinic at St Thomas’.

An initiative to improve care for heart failurepatients could save around 80 lives a year inLambeth and Southwark.

The two-year project, led by staff at Guy’s

and St Thomas’ and King’s CollegeHospital, is expected to lead to fewerpatients having to spend time in hospital,reduce costs, and improve rates of earlydiagnosis.

The new service, funded by a £1.5million grant from Guy’s and St Thomas’Charity, will improve access to specialistheart failure advice for GPs and patientsby introducing expert heart failure teamsacross the two boroughs. It is thought tobe the first initiative of its kind for heartfailure in the country.

Dr Gerry Carr-White, consultantcardiologist, says: “This exciting initiativewill mean we can enhance the servicesprovided by GPs to patients to aid theirdiagnosis and treatment.”

Allergy experts at Guy’s and St Thomas’ will soon be able tosee twice the number of adultpatients to meet increaseddemand.

The Adult Allergy Centre has moved fromSt Thomas’ to Guy’s where patients haveaccess to specialist diagnostic tests, knownas challenge tests, five days a week, ratherthan two.

Challenge tests involve giving patientssmall, increasing doses of the substance thatis suspected to cause an allergic reaction in asafe, controlled environment under closesupervision, to find out if they react.

The new Centre has been custom-made forthese tests, with new facilities and a centralnursing station so nurses can see all patientsat once while they are monitored.

Shekinah Debrah was the new clinic’s firstpatient. She had a severe allergic reaction toanaesthetic before an operation and neededchallenge tests to find out if she had a drug

New heart service could save lives

More allergypatients to get expert care

Consultant cardiologist Dr Sue Piper, local GPDr Rebecca Farrell and heart failurepharmacist Clare Thomson

Holly Willoughby with William, Su andGraeme Harper

Guy’s and St Thomas’ allergy servicehas become only the fourth in theworld to be named a Centre ofExcellence by the World AllergyOrganisation. Dr Adam Fox, clinicaldirector for specialist ambulatoryservices, says: “This is a fantasticachievement.”

Members of the adult allergy team with patient Shekinah Debrah

Su said: “We were obviouslycompletely devastated but Graemeand I are quite stubborn. We agreedthat we couldn’t go through thesame thing again so we foundProfessor Shennan on the internetand got in touch. We saw him withinthe week and, when I got pregnantfor the third time, ProfessorShennan put a stitch in my cervixand monitored our baby’s progress.We had our oldest son, Tom, at St Thomas’ at 38 weeks. We namedhim after the hospital.”

Presenter Ferne McCann alsospent a day with Clapham-basedcommunity midwives, and Dr Ranj,who used to work as a doctor atEvelina London, visited theNeonatal Unit.

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 5

ROUND-UP

Staff who have each workedat Guy’s and St Thomas’ formore than 25 years werehonoured at our annual LongService Awards.

A total of 30 staff receivedawards from Chairman SirHugh Taylor and ChiefExecutive Amanda Pritchard.

Peter Swift is a chargenurse on the PaediatricIntensive Care Unit (PICU) atEvelina London.

He said: “It’s been amazingto see the advances that havebeen made in paediatricintensive care. Shortly after Istarted my job at Guy’s and StThomas’, we launched aretrieval service on ashoestring budget. We wouldsend out small teams in taxisto district hospitals across thesouth east to stabilise sickchildren, returning to base ina local ambulance.

TOP TWEETS@JuStChrxssy Thankful for all the

doctors and nurses of Guy’s andSt Thomas’ hospital for savingmy life this summer. And myclose friends. I made it.

@ktb2007 Working in @GSTTnhs

#cancer centre lobby betweenappointments, the banter &camaraderie between#patients is heartwarming.Pure #connectedworld joy.

@AKPritchard2 Really enjoying spending

the day talking to our amazingnurses at Guy’s. Love the kidneydialysis unit memory tree!

@TG1x 10 yrs ago an amazing

heart specialist at St Thomas’@GSTTnhs operated on my mum& enabled her to see my girlsgrow up! Forever thankful.

@ReggieBanigo I really want to thank

@GSTTnhs for treating me withsuch care and comfort in mytime of discomfort on the EstherWard. Thank you.

@WendStockwell Such lovely staff in

Radiotherapy #GuysCancer

@GSTTlgbt Great GSTT LGBT Forum

meeting yesterday on#WorldAIDSDay thank you allstaff @GSTTnhs @kingshealth@EvelinaLondon @BurrellStreet

@GSTTnhs “Your body is more

important than your car. Lookafter it, get it checked regularlyand keep it in good condition.”#WorldDiabetesDay

“Today the South ThamesRetrieval Service operates 24hours a day, deployingspecialist teams to transfer illchildren. It’s been exciting tobe part of something whichhas grown so much over theyears.”

Health visitor Faith Kelleherwas recognised for 32 years’service. Faith was born atGuy’s Hospital and startedworking as a health visitor in

Lambeth in 1984. She isknown to some as ‘grannyhealth visitor’, as she hasworked with threegenerations of some families.

Faith says: “I really enjoyworking in Lambeth andSouthwark. I love the diversityof the community I support inmy role – working with somany different people is veryrewarding.”

Celebrating more than 800 yearsof service

Staff receive Long Service Awards for more than 25 years’ service atGuy’s and St Thomas’

‘Home away from home’for familiesA new Ronald McDonald House has opened nearEvelina London, to provide free accommodationfor families whose children are in hospital.

Lucy Helling and Thomas Madden were amongthe first parents to move in while their son, Noah,was treated for a chronic lung condition.

Lucy said: “It’s life changing being able to livearound the corner when your child is sick inhospital. We don’t ever want to be away fromNoah, and now having the chance to live in thenew House means we don’t have to be.”

Dr Grenville Fox, clinical director for children’smedical specialties and neonatology, explains: “AsEvelina London has grown, demand for housinghas become huge. This new House provides awelcoming and nurturing environment just a short

walk from our front door, helping familiesto best support their children.”

The new House will look after around975 families a year – three times thenumber accommodated at the old RonaldMcDonald House near Guy’s Hospital.

Lucy Helling and Thomas Madden in the newRonald McDonald House

SPOTLIGHT

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Joy, 74, started coughing up blood whenshe was on holiday in Spain in spring2016. On returning to the UK, herhusband John suggested they both hada general health check. When she toldher doctor she had coughed up bloodshe was referred to her local hospital fora chest x-ray which found scarring onher lung.

Joy, a grandmother of 11 fromWorthing, said: “Although I’d coughed upblood I thought nothing of it because Iwasn’t breathless and I’m generally veryfit and healthy. But it was a worryingtime after my x-ray because I needed tohave further tests, which foundsomething of concern on my lung. It wasin an awkward position so it wasn’tpossible to do a normal biopsy to findout what it was.”

She was referred to Guy’s Hospital

where Mr Tom Routledge, consultantthoracic surgeon, explained that robot-assisted surgery would be thebest way to access the area in Joy’s lungso the tissue could be removed andanalysed.

Joy recalls: “He was absolutelybrilliant and told me all about theprocedure so I felt comfortable andconfident to have it.”

She had her procedure at the end ofOctober, making her one of the firstpatients at Guy’s to have robotic lungsurgery.

Surgeons recently started to performthe new procedure using the hospital’stwo da Vinci surgical robots.

Experts believe that, when comparedto conventional keyhole surgery,procedures using a robot lead to lesspain and a faster recovery for patients,

Joy Cooper-Barclay wastold that robot-assistedsurgery could help whentests found a growth on herright lung. Cara Lee foundout how this pioneeringtechnology is benefitingpatients like Joy.

while allowing more precision during theoperation.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ carries out themost robotic operations in the UK –around 450 cases a year. Roboticsurgery is already commonly used forpartial and complete prostate, bladderand kidney removal at the Trust.

During a robotic procedure, surgeonscontrol the robot’s four arms from aconsole in the same room as they lookdown a small camera on the end of onearm to see inside the patient.

The machine gives them a highdefinition 3D view while they operate,eliminates tremor and provides anincreased range of movement, whichleads to greater accuracy and fasterstitching.

Joy Cooper-Barclay and husband John

Roboticlifeline for Joy

SPOTLIGHT

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 7

Steve Manstone had enjoyed a night outat a West End show and an overnight stayin London in November 2011, but the nextmorning he started to feel unwell. Hiswife, Sue, called an ambulance. Theparamedics had to navigate through roadclosures around the Cenotaph for theRemembrance Day Parade but treatedhim as soon as they arrived and thentook him to St Thomas’.

Steve had suffered a heart attack and,as cardiologists prepared him for anoperation to open the narrowed arteriesand place a stent to keep them open, hehad a cardiac arrest.

He was resuscitated after four minuteshad passed and was so grateful for hiscare that he has been fundraising for theCoronary Care Unit ever since he left thehospital.

Steve has hosted annual golfingtournaments with members of ThamesValley Construction Training Associationand has encouraged friends and family tofundraise as well. So far they have raisedmore than £8,000 which has allowed theunit to buy several continuous positive

Heartof gold

Steve Manstone’sheart stoppedbeating in 2011. He spoke to Claire Wills tothank the team thatsaved him, allowinghim to meet hisgrandchildren.

airway pressure (CPAP) machines. Thesemachines help to keep patients’ airwaysopen after a heart attack so they cancontinue to breathe.

When Steve first starting raisingmoney for the unit, he asked staff howthey would like to spend it.

Steve says: “I wanted it to besomething the staff knew was needed.They told me the CPAP machines werebeing shared between three wards – nowthere are two for each ward.”

Claire Pearson, deputy sister on theCoronary Care Unit, explains: “Steve hada cardiac arrest right in the middle of theward. I remember it really clearly – I wasthe one who resuscitated him.

“Steve has kept in touch, which is solovely. We really appreciate seeing howwell he’s doing and it’s been great tomeet his grandchildren. To continue tofundraise year after year is phenomenaland has made a real difference to thecare we have been able to provide to thepatients who have come after him.

“The latest donation to the unit hasgone to train more nurses in emergency

Deputy sister Claire Pearson with Steve Manstone and his grandson, Matthew

care skills like resuscitation.”Steve has been given a clean bill of

health and plans to carry on fundraising.He says: “I’m so grateful. Without theefforts of the staff at St Thomas’ Iwouldn’t have seen my daughter getmarried, celebrated my 30th weddinganniversary, or met my grandchildren.I’ve done it simply to say thank you andto give back, and I’ll continue to fundraisein the future.”For more information about raisingmoney for a ward or departmentimportant to you, visitwww.supportgstt.org.uk

What’s the difference betweena heart attack and a cardiacarrest?A heart attack happens when the blood flow to the heart is blocked. A cardiac arrest happens when theheart’s rhythm is disrupted and it stopspumping blood around the body. Aheart attack can cause a cardiac arrest,which is what happened to Steve.

8 the GiST

Michael Ampadu, who received theTake pride in what we do Award, is ashining example of the Trust’s values.

Michael, a housekeeper for eightyears, says: “People never forget howyou treat them. Whenpatients and visitorscome into the hospitaland see the yellow badgeon our chest they knowwe are representing theTrust. It’s important theyknow we care aboutthem. If we can show thisattitude in the work wedo, in our body languageand in the time we give topatients and colleagues,we can leave here knowing we havedone all we can.”

One of 11 individual members of staffand teams to be honoured at theawards evening in November, Michaelwas nominated by colleagues in the

dental department. He consistentlyachieves the highest standards ofcleanliness on the five floors of Guy’sTower that he maintains, while havinga cheery smile for everyone who

crosses his path. Michael continues:

“When you work inan environmentwhere people arecaring for others, themost precious assetyou can give is yourtime. Time issomething you cannever get back.That’s why I alwaystake the time to be

helpful. It might be by showingpatients and visitors where they needto get to, or by asking my lovelynurses and doctors how they are.”

Honouringour NHSheroes

IN FOCUS

Dr Sarah Janikoun has notched up 30 years’ service at the Trust as anophthalmologist when she received thePut patients first Award. Sarah's hugewarmth and consideration for ourpatients comes across when she says: “I help people manage being visuallyimpaired in a modern world. We set upthe Low Vision Clinic in 2000 because itwas frustrating seeing people beingdeclared blind and then having to sortthemselves out without any support.Suddenly they had to rely on friends and

Maxine Hoeksma talks to threestaff who won Trust Awards forgoing above and beyond to provideexceptional care for our patients.

“When you work inan environmentwhere people arecaring for others,the most preciousasset you can giveis your time.”

Dr Sarah Janikoun and Chief Medical Officer Dr Ian Abbs

IN FOCUS

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 9

family for everything. “So we brought together hospital staff,

volunteers, charities, social services andan eye clinic liaison officer. Now whenpeople lose their sight, we can supportthem by demonstrating low visionequipment like magnifying glasses, putthem in touch with social services sothey get financial help, and also contactvoluntary groups like Blindaid and GuideDogs for the Blind so they can get othersupport and a guide dog if needs be.”

The clinic runs workshops threetimes a year to prepare people whohave become blind by providing themwith information about eye disease andthe support available.

Sarah has also formed a singinggroup for patients known as the VIPSingers. She says: “When you sing itcheers you up and dispels depression.For some patients, meeting to singtogether on a Saturday morning is ahelpful part of coming to terms withtheir new situation.”

Alison Keens and the Health Inclusionand Prevention Team were thrilled toreceive the Act with integrity Award. They work with some of London’s mostvulnerable groups including people withlearning disabilities, homeless people,refugees and asylum seekers, people withtuberculosis (TB), and those who needextra support to maintain a healthylifestyle.

Alison, head of service, says: “Peoplewho use these services often havegreater health needs than the rest of thepopulation, so it’s fantastic to get thiskind of recognition. To work in this areayou have to have a real passion for it.

“Our staff need to be creative, helpingpeople have an injection or a blood testfor example. These are things otherpeople will just say yes to, but, for thisgroup of people, more preparation andplanning is involved. I recall it taking sixmonths for one patient with learningdisabilities to agree to surgery. Our team

gave him information about theprocedure in a format he couldunderstand and arranged hospital visitsbefore his operation so he was familiarwith the staff and environment.

“For some people, having a namedstaff member attend every hospitalappointment can help. For others it maybe showing them the equipment orengaging them in a conversation about atopic they like so they are relaxed. It isn’tone size fits all.

Our staff build trust with people overtime and get to know the whole person.Doing this extra work can be thedifference between people acceptingcare and getting treatment or walkingaway and being at risk of a serious healthproblem.”

The Health Inclusion and Prevention Team with Foundation Trust Governor Kate Griffiths-Lambeth (far right)

Michael Ampadu (4th left) with his wifeMavis Agyeiwaah (centre) who is ahousekeeper at St Thomas’ Hospital,and colleagues from the dental team

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On 2 December, Evelina LondonChildren’s Hospital hosted the first everzip wire across the Thames, with morethan £1 million raised by the high-octanefundraising event.

The stunt was the brainchild ofLondon Fire Brigade Deputy AssistantCommissioner Andy Roe, whose sonZaki, now aged nine, was treated atEvelina London.

Zaki began feeling unwell at the startof the summer holidays in 2013, sufferingfrom headaches, problems with hiseyesight, and tiredness. His worried dadtook him to A&E where doctors initiallythought he had a brain tumour.

Scans revealed that Zaki didn’t have atumour but instead was suffering fromviral encephalitis, a very rare anddangerous infection that causesinflammation of the brain. Zaki becamevery ill and was placed in intensive carewhere doctors discovered that apreviously undiagnosed condition hadcaused pressure to build in his brain.Untreated, it could have led to blindnessand other serious long-term health issues.

Zaki was transferred to the specialistbrain and spine inflammation service atEvelina London and placed under thecare of consultant neurologist Dr MingLim. Thanks to the care of the team,Zaki’s condition gradually improved.

Dr Lim says: “I met Zaki within about

Andy’s £1 million idea

After his son Zaki’s life was saved at EvelinaLondon Children’s Hospital, Andy Roe pledged touse his skills as a firefighter to help the hospital. Hamza Omaar found out more about Andy’sone-of-a-kind fundraising idea.

IN FOCUS

six months of him falling ill, and we wereable to safely manage the high pressurein his brain. We also helped his familyunderstand the condition better, whichwas really important in reassuring Zakiand his parents.

“Zaki’s recovery reflects how thewhole team and hospital have workedtogether, from investigating the cause ofhis condition to managing his symptoms,with several follow-up appointments.”

Salma, Raya, Andy and Zaki Roe at the Evelina Zip

IN FOCUS

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 11

Why I took onthe Evelina ZipProfessor Gideon Lack leads EvelinaLondon’s allergy service. He was oneof 20 people to take on the EvelinaZip, despite his fear of heights.

He took part to help raise moneyfor the Clinical Research Facility atEvelina London, in the hope thatresearch will help prevent foodallergies in children, and eventuallyprevent other allergic diseases suchas asthma and hay fever.

After braving the zip wire, he said:“Ahead of the event I was feeling abit apprehensive but nonethelessvery excited.

“I was just delighted to play mypart in helping to raise much neededfunds. It’s only by having a state-of-the-art Clinical Research Facility,with sufficient beds and in anenvironment that is friendly tochildren, that we can help find bettertreatments and cures.”

Professor Lack’s research focuseson food allergies in children and therelationship between food allergies,eczema and asthma. He ledgroundbreaking research to showthat introducing peanuts into achild’s diet from a young age mayoffer some protection from thedevelopment of peanut allergies.

Andy knew that he wanted to givesomething back for all the care thathad been given to Zaki. As part of theLondon Fire Brigade’s 150thanniversary, firefighters had beenthinking up many different ways tocelebrate, but Andy had thought of aspectacular way to end the year.

Andy explains: “I wanted to find away to thank the remarkable staff atthis fantastic hospital. During themany hours I spent by my son’sbedside, I realised that I could use myspecialist skills to rig up a zip wirefrom the roof of the hospital acrossthe Thames, and that perhaps peoplewould pay for the chance to speedacross it like a firefighter.”

The unique fundraising event,organised by the London Fire Brigadewith help from staff at the Trust, saw

20 fearless fundraisers flying‘superman style’ in a harness acrossthe Thames, reaching speeds of 40 miles per hour. One luckycompetition winner, Nikhita Sethi, rodethe Evelina Zip after being selectedfrom more than 5,000 entrants in afree prize draw.

The money raised will contributetowards the £2.7 million needed tobuild a dedicated Clinical ResearchFacility at the hospital. Evelina Londonis one of the best performingchildren’s research hospitals in thecountry, recruiting a large number ofyoung patients into clinical trials. Thenew facility will support vital researchto improve treatments for manyconditions including autism, epilepsy,congenital heart problems, kidneydisease and allergies.

20 brave fundraisers took to the sky on the Evelina zip wire

12 the GiST

LIVING WELL

Shanique Wahrmannspeaks to patients Colin Hill and Sue Gribbleabout what it’s like to hearafter living in a silent world.

Sue’s storyI was born partially deaf. I have threesisters with deafness – it’s genetic. It affects the girls in my family but notthe boys.

It wasn’t until I was in my 30s that I started losing my hearing. I woke upone morning, put my hearing aids in,and heard hardly anything. I changedthe batteries but it made no difference.

Gradually my hearing got worse. I avoided going out socially – everyonewould be talking and I just didn’t have aclue what they were talking about.Sometimes I ended up saying the wrongthing and embarrassing myself.

After visiting mylocal audiologydepartment I was referred to St Thomas’ for acochlear implant. I must admit, I wasterrified and didn’tknow what to expect.I had heard of them,but didn’t knowanything about them.I then saw the doctor at St Thomas’,whose first words to me were: “We are going to get you hearing again”,

which to me at the time was totallyunimaginable.

I had my operation in 2002. Sixweeks later mycochlear implant wasswitched on. That day,my life changed.

Everyone’s switch-on is different. At thetime, all I could hearwas sounds, but nospeech. After returningfor more tuning, andwith the meticuloussupport from the team

at St Thomas’, my hearing graduallyimproved.

I remember a phone arrangement

Tuning in

that I had with a friend. I always used totell her to just reply yes or no. On thisparticular day, she forgot and said,“Sue, I’ve got to go to the post office,”and I replied, “While you’re there couldyou get me some stamps?” We literallystopped in our tracks, both shockedthat I had heard her. It was brilliant!

Since then, my confidence hasgrown. I make my own appointments. I don’t hesitate to call anyone. Beingable to use the phone after 15 yearswas one of the highlights of myimplant. It’s truly wonderful. And eventoday I still have to pinch myself.

After living in a more or less silentworld, my life is now richer than it hasever been.

Sheena McLaren, senior specialist audiological scientist, with Sue Gribble

“After living in a more or less silentworld, my life is nowricher than it has ever been.”

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 13

LIVING WELL

Colin’s storyMy hearing loss started in one ear,then the other. Over time itdeteriorated to virtually nothing. My family constantly had to repeatthemselves as I couldn’t hear whatthey were saying.

To start with, it wasn’t too bad. But when you lose out on the quickremarks, jokes, one-liners andcrosstalk over the dinner table, youbegin to feel isolated. And so I oftengave up. It was just too much troubleto try and listen.

After seeing the audiologist at mylocal hospital, he said I might benefitfrom a cochlear implant and referredme to St Thomas’.

In 2013, our lives were knocked forsix when the surgeon told us that anMRI scan had found acousticneuromas in both auditory nervecanals. It’s a rare kind of tumour, butthe surgeon was concerned about thedanger of them growing. My wife Janeand I were in shock.

After a number of scans, thetumours were found to be the samesize and were not causing a problem.However, the surgeon couldn’tguarantee to what extent, if at all,

What is a cochlear implant?A cochlear implant is an electronicmedical device that is surgicallyimplanted into the inner ear. Smallelectrodes stimulate the hearing nerveand provide sound information to the brain.

Who can have a cochlear implant?Cochlear implants are offered topatients with severe to profoundhearing loss following assessment by aspecialised audiology team. They areprovided to children who are born with,or acquire, their hearing loss early on inlife, and to adults who have had normalhearing or a mild hearing loss and whohave then lost their hearing.

Sheena McLaren, Senior Specialist AudiologicalScientist

What is switch-on?Switch-on happens when you are giventhe external part of your cochlearimplant called the processor and it isfirst activated by the audiologist.

Caroline Bartrop, Speech and Language Therapist

an implant would succeed. I had no fear about the operation

itself. My implantation was on 8January 2016 and I was ‘switched on’six weeks later. I was absolutelyamazed at the attention to detail ofthe team. I felt very comfortable –their support was outstanding.

2016 introduced itself ratherloudly! From the very first day I beganto hear. I was even finding that I couldhear Jane the first time, rather thanafter four or five tries. I kept tellingJane, “I heard you the first time!”

Apparently the tumours are stillthere, I have them monitored everyyear. But the fact that I now havehearing after my cochlear implant isproof that I made the right decision. I give tremendous thanks to my wifeand the team at St Thomas’ becauseit’s given us a new hope – a whole newlease of life that wasn’t there before.

Listen to patients talk about theirexperiences in a series of videos:www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/audiology

Colin Hill

14 the GiST

Better teamwork around the clock

A new project will help nurses work togetherto provide high quality care for patients. Nick Jowett, a senior staff nurse on RichardBright Ward at Guy’s Hospital, explains toRuth Shepherd how the Nightingale Projectwill benefit patients.

THE INTERVIEW

Q Why was the NightingaleProject needed?

A Different wards work slightly differently, and skills and staff are

not always spread evenly across the 24hours of the day. The Nightingale Projectwas developed to help nursing teamsprovide the same high level of care topatients – whichever ward they are on,and whatever time of the day or night itis. It means our patients will always knowwhat to expect, even when they movebetween wards.

Q What did the traininginvolve?

A We went into a lifelike scenario of a stressful ward environment, with

manikins and actors playing patients, andhad to respond to lots of unexpectedevents and interruptions. The point was toshow that we need to deal with thoseinterruptions while making sure the shiftis still managed properly.

We did the training day as a wholeteam, which is very rare. It meant thatthere was real camaraderie between us. Itwas nice to come back and discuss whathappened and how we can support eachother better.

Q Was it strange to be in a simulated environment?

A There was a bit of joking initially because there were these strange

manikins and we weren’t sure how

involved to get if an actor was saying hewas in pain. However, the simulation team,who ran the training, made it clear thatonce we walked onto the ward, we shouldact like it was real.

Q How has the training helpedimprove care?

A It focused on how to properly manage a shift, which needs to

include protected time to discuss the careof each patient (handovers), safetybriefings, and mid-afternoon huddles.This makes sure that the whole teamknows how the day is progressing,particularly when it’s busy. It helps us tosupport our colleagues if they’re having adifficult day.

It also means that whichever ward apatient is on, they can expect the samedaily routine and level of care.

Q What did you find mostuseful?

A I was the nurse in charge in the scenario and had to lead the

handover. For me it highlighted how abusy ward can interfere with my ability tolisten to information, interpret it, andpass it on to other staff.

It was also useful to reflect on difficultsituations I’ve encountered in the realworld. Some days are non-stop, withthings happening for 12 hours straight –patients can become unwell suddenly ornew patients may be admitted onto the

ward unexpectedly. We need to take timeto stop and reflect, either personally oras part of a team.

Q Hundreds of nurses have now done the training. How will it help on the wards?

A The training helps us to keep care safe and of a high quality. It changes

attitudes and encourages teamwork sothat things don’t get too stressful. It’sparticularly helpful for nurses who movebetween wards, because it helps to makesure there’s a consistent routine on everyward.

Since doing the training, our team hasmade sure that all the nursing staff gohome on time.

Colleagues will go round specifically toask if anyone needs any help so that theycan leave at the end of their shift. It helpsus to be less stressed which in turn willhelp our patients get better care.

Q Will it have a positive impacton patients?

A Yes, definitely. The change might not be obvious because it’s all

‘behind the scenes’ – but it means thatnurses understand more about what’sgoing on elsewhere in the ward, workbetter as a team, feel less stressed, andultimately provide better care.

Staff nurse July Joseph with a simulation manikin

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 15

INTERVIEWTHE

16 the GiST

INSIDE OUT

When Tracy Ralph’s organsstarting shutting down,doctors at her local hospitalthought nothing more couldbe done. Cara Lee finds outhow the team at St Thomas’saved her life.

Tracy Ralph thought she had a coldbefore falling seriously ill on ChristmasEve 2014. The 36-year-old was diagnosedwith pneumonia and taken to SouthendHospital where doctors discovered shehad sepsis (blood poisoning). She hadgone into septic shock and her organswere shutting down.

Tracy, a mother-of-two, explains: “I have no recollection of anything thathappened but it was terrible for myfamily. On Christmas Day my husbandBradley was told I’d taken a turn for theworse, was in an induced coma andnothing more could be done.”

On Boxing Day her doctor called theECMO team at St Thomas’. An ECMO(extracorporeal membrane oxygenation)machine can temporarily replace thework of the lungs or heart in patients withsevere lung or heart failure, similar to howdialysis works for patients with kidneyfailure. The machine continuously takesblood from the body, adds oxygen andremoves carbon dioxide, and then returnsit to the body.

The ECMO service was set up in 2009at St Thomas’ which is one of only fivehospitals in England commissioned bythe NHS to provide the treatment. It is

the largest ECMO centre in the UK,treating more than 100 patients a year.

The service is responsible forproviding ECMO to patients in south eastEngland. Doctors from localhospitals contact the highlyspecialised team and aquick decision is madeabout whether or not thepatient is suitable forECMO. If they are, the teamconsisting of an intensivecare consultant, specialistnurse and perfusionist (a specialist whooperates the equipment) travel by road,air or water to the local hospital, wherethey usually put the patient on ECMO andbring them back to St Thomas’.

Dr Nick Barrett, consultant in criticalcare, says: “Patients suitable for ECMOare desperately sick and have reachedthe limits of conventional medical

therapy. They havepotentially reversible lungproblems and werephysically strong enoughbefore they got ill to spendweeks or months incritical care recovering.”

The ECMO teamdecided Tracy fitted the

criteria and she stayed in St Thomas’ fortwo months. She says: “My family andfriends called the ECMO team the ATeam after they arrived at Southend andtook me to St Thomas’.”

New lease of life

Tracy Ralph and her son, Miller

“My family andfriends calledthe ECMO teamthe A Team.”

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 17

THE LEADING EDGE

Higher precision cancer treatmentPatients will experience faster radiotherapy treatment thanks to state-of-the-art machines in the new Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital.

The machines, costing £4.5 million each, can deliver treatment toan accuracy of less than a millimetre so the tumour is targetedwithout damaging healthy surrounding tissue. For some tumoursthat can move around, CT images are taken daily to maintain thesame accuracy every time.

Radiotherapy is the use of high energy x-rays to treat cancer. Thex-rays damage the body’s cells within the treatment area, killing thecancer cells over time, while allowing normal cells to recover.

Radiotherapy treatment is painless, with the experience similar tohaving an x-ray or CT scan, but can have some side effects within thetreatment area.

Angela Francis, Head of Radiotherapy, explains: “High precisiontreatment reduces unpleasant side effects for patients becausefewer healthy cells are damaged. Another benefit is that images aretaken and reviewed before treatment is delivered, making the wholeprocess faster and more efficient, meaning less waiting around.

“Because we’re the first place in Europe to provide radiotherapyabove ground level it’s a much nicer environment for our patients.Things are also better for staff as we didn’t even see the daylight in thewinter!”

The new machines will allow the radiotherapy team to delivermore treatments to patients, up from 47,500 to 80,000 a year.

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/GuysCancer

Tracy stayed on ECMO for 10 dayswhile her lungs recovered. Unfortunately,she had blood clots caused by the severeinfection which caused her fingertips andfeet to die. She woke in January to findher hands and feet were black, hard andshrivelled and she later needed the topsof her fingers and her legs below theknees amputated.

Looking back, Tracy says: “It took along time for everything to sink in. At firstI questioned why this happened to meand I found it hard to adjust after myamputations. But I learned that I can still do pretty much everything, in adifferent way.”

“What’s happenedhas made me abetter, strongerperson.”

Dr Barrett adds: “It’s an immenseprivilege to look after desperately sickpatients, knowing we can improve theirchances of survival. Without ECMO, thevast majority of patients will die. WithECMO, 70 to 80% of patients are back athome within six months. Providingcomplex, high quality care would not bepossible without the intensive care andECMO teams – nurses, perfusionists,physiotherapists, dietitians andconsultants. It’s an honour to worktogether.”

Tracy says she owes the team at St Thomas’, and ECMO, her life.

She says: “I’m so grateful that I’ll beable to see my children grow up. What’shappened has made me a better,stronger person. My goal now is toinspire and help others.”

Radiotherapist Neil Burley with the new machines in the Cancer Centre at Guy's

TRUST LIFE

18 the GiST

Safe intheir handsCalum’s day shift

7:45am – When I arrive I get ahandover from Andy who, after a

busy night, is ready to go home. He tellsme what has happened in the hospitalovernight so I’m up to speed. I will beon duty for the next 12 hours and mymain job is to make sure there areenough beds for our patients, and dealwith anything else that arisesthroughout the day.

9:00am – I meet staff from theatresand day surgery to review the

patients due to come into theatre today.Each patient is discussed to decide ifthey will need a bed or might be wellenough to go home later today. By doingthis, we can make sure we have bedsavailable where they are needed and wecan also manage to accommodatepatients who have come in through theEmergency Department (A&E).

10:00am – All the SNPs meet in thecommand centre at St omas’ to

review how our patients are and howmany beds are available, with aconference call linking to the SNPs basedat Guy’s. Today all is well and plenty ofbeds are available.

After the meeting, I walk around each of the wards I am responsible for to checkall is okay with the nurse in charge.

10:30am – A problem has arisenand staff on our wards are

unable to print labels for bottles ofblood samples. is means thatnurses and doctors have to handwritelabels. is will seriously slow downgetting results back quickly. I call theIT team to ask them to fix theproblem.

2:00pm – A fire alarm has gone off in North Wing. I’m first on the

scene. We always go to fire alarmsbefore anyone else so we can decideif the fire brigade needs to be called.False alarm this time – thankfully!

4:30pm – My pager alerts me that A&E is getting busy so I go

to check if help is needed. A&E isalways busy between 8pm and 3amso this is surprisingly early.

5:00pm – Back from A&E and I grab awell earned cup of tea and a sandwich.

6:00pm – No peace for long as anotheralarm goes off. Someone has

collapsed and it could be a member ofstaff, a patient or a visitor. A rapidresponse team is despatched. It turnsout that a visitor has fallen and bumpedtheir head. ey are taken to A&E to bethoroughly checked.

7:45pm – Andy is back for a handoverfrom me so that he can start the night

shift. For me, being an SNP means everyday is different. Problems can becomecomplicated very quickly and I enjoysorting them out. We need to be tactical,good at keeping our nerve and jugglinglots of things in our heads – it’s like agame of chess.

Site nurse practitioners(SNPs ) look after Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals 24/7.Nicki Bickford tried to keepup with the team.

Site nurse practitioners Calum Hamilton, Rob Nichols, Nikki Hutchins, Joe Hague and Andy Munday

“Being an SNP meansevery day is different.Problems can becomecomplicated veryquickly and I enjoyworking them out.”

TRUST LIFE

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 19

To find out how you can support Evelina London go towww.supportevelina.org.uk

Andy’s night shift

11:30pm – I’m told about avisitor who is creating a

disturbance. e security teamarrives and quietly and efficientlyhelps bring the situation undercontrol.

1:00am – I visit all the wardsI’m looking after to check all is

well with the nurse in charge.

3:00am – It has been raining alot recently and a flood has

been reported in the basement ofSouth Wing. I visit the area and,thanks to the housekeeping team,the basement is drained andcleaned within an hour.

Why I fundraiseSarah Poll has abseiled down St Thomas’Hospital, taken part in Guy’s UrbanChallenge, raced in the LondonDuathlon, and plans to participate inEnduro24, a running festival, later thisyear. To date she has raised more than£1,350 for Evelina London.

Sarah is fundraising because shewants to say thanks for the care that herseven-year-old daughter Honey receivesfor bowel and bladder problems, andautism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Some parents find that getting thenecessary support for a child with ASDcan be incredibly difficult, so Sarah isparticularly grateful for the support shereceives.

She says: “Evelina London gives youthe belief that each autistic child hasdifferent traits and it's not disabling.

“The team ensures stigma isn'tattached and that the people in mydaughter’s life are educated about thecondition. I thank them for theirongoing support.

“On our visits, we've been greetedwith a smiley face from Cathy, thelovely play specialist. At theneuroscience department, we arealways given sound, positive advice anda much-needed boost to keep us goingon our ASD journey.

“The money I raise will go to playspecialists who help children adapt tohospital life, provide a familiar face onvisits, and are someone that the childrencan chat to about any worries.”

Ed, Sarah andHoney Poll

7:45am – I hand over toCalum again. It’s mentally

and physically exhaustingbeing an SNP. We workindependently but call on thewide expertise and differentskills from our close-knit team.

We also have an excellentrelationship with the security,maintenance, IT andhousekeeping teams. So whenI’m finished for the morning, I leave my shift with a sense ofachievement and know thateverything will be expertlymanaged while I’m enjoying awell earned rest.

TRUST LIFE

20 the GiST

A statue of renowned poet John Keatson the Guy’s Hospital campus has

welcomed students from King’sCollege London for almost adecade. Now, thanks to aninnovative cultural project, youcan also hear the story of the

doctor turned poet, straightfrom the statue.

Using drama, humour andtechnology, the Talking Statues project isbreathing new life into art by allowingpublic works to share their stories. Simplyswipe your Smartphone on the plaque ortype a web address into your browser toreceive ‘a call from the statue’.

The statue’s audio tells how Keats

trained as a surgeon-apothecary at Guy’sHospital before deciding to devote hiscareer to poetry. Despite his short life,Keats’s poems are some of the mostpopular in English literature.

Other local statues animated throughthe project are Asclepius, the son of Greekgod Apollo which is also at Guy’s, andBoat, a new artwork which welcomesvisitors to the Cancer Centre at Guy’s.

The statue of Keats is part of the artsand heritage collection of Guy’s and StThomas’ Charity, and the voices werecreated to mark the creation of the newScience Gallery London which will open in 2018.www.talkingstatueslondon.co.uk

Ask us:How can I quit smoking?Chief Nurse Dame EileenSills explains why giving upsmoking can improve yourchances of successfultreatment.

Should I quit smoking before my operation? Yes, stopping smoking can lead tosignificant health benefits, reduce therisk of complications, and improve yourrecovery time after surgery. Researchshows that on average smokers spendtwo days longer in hospital recoveringfrom an operation than non-smokers.Ideally you should aim to stop smokingabout eight weeks before surgery, buteven giving up smoking just a few daysbefore your operation can also make abig difference to your recovery.

Is there somewhere for me tosmoke before my appointment? Smoking is not permitted anywhere onTrust property, including outside areas. To add to existing signage, red lineshave been painted on the pavement atkey entrance points to remind peoplethat they are entering a smoke-freearea.

I have been smoking for a whilenow. What can I do to quit?Many smokers want to give up butaren’t sure about the best way to goabout it. By choosing the method that’sright for you you’ll boost your chancesof quitting. Thousands of people havequit for good and studies show thatyou’re four times more likely to quitsuccessfully if you use a combinationof stop smoking medicine andspecialist support from your local stopsmoking service.

Can I get support to stop smokingnear where I live?Yes, there’s lots of free support on offer,including local face-to-face services,advice over the phone, a smoke-freeapp and online chat.

Keats gets a voice

To find the support that’s right for you visitwww.nhs.uk/smokefree.

Chief Nurse Dame Eileen Sills gives smoking the push

TRUST LIFEHISTORY CORNER

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk 21

If you’ve watched The Crown – a Netflixdrama about Queen Elizabeth II’s reign –you will have seen surgeons and nursesfrom Guy’s and St Thomas’ recreating anoperation to remove a lung tumour fromKing George VI. It is the first time that areal-life surgical team has performed apretend operation for TV.

Pioneering surgeon Sir Clement PriceThomas performed the operation atBuckingham Palace in 1951. A heavysmoker, King George had developed lungcancer and his entire left lung wasremoved during the three-hour operation.As was usual for the time, the King was nottold he had cancer – he believed hisoperation was for a blocked bronchial tube.

An operating theatre was set up in thePalace’s Buhl Room, overlooking TheMall. Sir Clement realised just in time thatthe Changing of the Guard was plannedfor that day. He asked for this to takeplace at St James’ Palace instead so thenoise would not distract him. Afterwards,crowds of well-wishers gathered when abulletin was posted on the gates of

Staff from Guy’s and St Thomas’ appeared in a Netflix dramaabout the Queen’s life, as Vicky Milnes finds out.

Surgeons recreate royaloperation for TV

Buckingham Palace to say the King wasrecovering well.

To recreate the operation for TheCrown, the team of surgeons and nursesfilmed the scene in their free time andwore surgical gowns from the period tomake it as authentic as possible.Professor Nizam Mamode, consultanttransplant surgeon, played the part of Sir Clement Price Thomas. Mr FrancisCalder, consultant transplant surgeon, Mr Pankaj Chandak, specialist registrar intransplant surgery, Sister Kim Wall andSister Abigail Keen completed the team‘operating’ on King George.

Mr Chandak said: “Being part of TheCrown was an experience we will neverforget. Despite having the film crewaround us, once we settled in it felt like anormal day in the operating theatre. Theprosthetic body was incredibly lifelike,complete with a beating heart, and therewas meticulous attention to detail on set

Staff from Guy’s and St Thomas’ take on the role of King George VI’s surgical teamKing George VI and Queen Elizabeth inspectbomb damage at St Thomas’ in September 1940

Mr Chandak and Professor Mamode in The Crown

to recreate the surgical world from 1951.”Taking part in The Crown means

Mr Chandak, also an honorary lecturerand research fellow at King’s CollegeLondon, can help people learn moreabout how much surgery has changedsince the 1950s.

“I asked the production company todonate the ‘body’ we operated on to theGordon Museum of Pathology at King’sCollege London as an educational prop. I would like to use it for futuredemonstrations to show how far we’vecome with surgery.”

TRUST LIFE

22 the GiST

People often ask us, ‘Are you a nit nurse?’ or ‘Do you justput a plaster on everything?’ but as school nurses wesupport the physical and emotional health and well-beingof children. To achieve this we work with a number ofprofessionals, in nearly every possible setting. There is nosuch thing as a typical day for a school nurse.

We regularly meet with children and young people, plantheir care and train school staff in common healthconditions like asthma, epilepsy and allergies. We areinvolved in making sure children are kept safe, deliveringhealth education, running drop-in clinics, and a wholerange of other things.

It’s important that children and young people know howto stay healthy and make healthy choices in the future.One of the ways we do this is through the newly launchedChatHealth which means children and young people canaccess confidential health advice from a school nurse bytext message.

We’re always looking for better ways to help improveour service and this project has received really positivefeedback from young people who have used it.

From the frontline

To use ChatHealth young people aged 11-19 can text07507 332150

Say what?

Q What is the role of a housekeeper?

A I make sure the hospital is in a good, clean condition. If it has

to be cleaned I do it. I clean the stairs,the pathways, the toilets - everywhere.

Q What’s the best thingabout your job?

A I love the children. They make me laugh. I love making the shy

ones smile.

Q What do you like to do in your spare time?

A I like gardening in the fresh air but it’s a little too cold at the

moment so I’ve just bought atelescope to do stargazing instead. I love looking up at the night sky.It relaxes the brain.

Q What was your life likegrowing up?

A I was very clever. Growing up in the West Indies we would go

on picnics and trips and then write anessay about them for school. I alwaysused to win first prize.

I was strong too. Naughty girlsused to have fights but I’d getbetween them and pull them apart.Looking back I could have got hurtbut I was lucky.

Q What kind of music do you like?

A Classical. I love Beethoven and I find him very relaxing to

listen to. He’s very noisy so his musicchases everything out of your head.

Q If you could travelanywhere, where wouldyou go?

A I’d stay here! People here always try to help each other

to the best of their ability.

Nicola Wales and Anna Leggett,School nurses

Louvaine Lodrick, Housekeeper at Evelina London Children’s Hospital

School nurses Nicola Wales, Anna Leggett and Cecilia Olunuga

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 View from the Shardup for grabs. To be in with a chance of winning one pair,simply complete the wordsearch below.

Name

Address

Email

Send your entry by 31 March to the GiST competition,Communications Department, 4th floor, Staircase C, SouthWing, St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7EH;or you can email communications@gstt.nhs.uk.

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.

Competition23 March ‘Precious Relics’: HairJewellery and the Victorians Florence Nightingale Museum,St Thomas’ 6.30pm (£8 admission) Call 020 7188 4400 or visitwww.florence-nightingale.co.uk

1-30 April Bowel Cancer Awareness Month www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk

5 April Friends of Guy’s and StThomas’ Hospitals Book Sale 10am-3pm Birdsong Corridor, St Thomas’

7 April World Health Day

23 April London Marathon

26 April Joint Board of Directors and Council of GovernorsMeeting 3.45-7.30pm Governors’ Hall, St Thomas’

What’s On1-31 March Dysphagia Month Look out for events across the Trust

8 March Friends of Guy’s and StThomas’ Hospitals Book Sale 10am-3pm Birdsong Corridor, St Thomas’

8 March No Smoking Day

14 March Seminar for Foundation TrustMembers – Kidney Disease 6-7.30pm, Robens Suite, Guy’s Hospital Call 0800 731 0319 or emailmembers@gstt.nhs.uk to book your place

22 March Friends of Guy’s and StThomas’ Hospitals Book Sale 10am-3pm Birdsong Corridor, St Thomas’

B L U N D E L L W C E E

E O A R D N A X E L A S

C Y E K N O T S A E S T

K D L S W S A G C C O H

E N C D E V N N L S M E

T D U R A I E C A A E R

R F O N T R T X N C R B

H F N H O H N D E R S B

M A G L L S A O F O E R

H I F N O T L U O D T Y

N I A T N U O M X B F U

T P V A S C U L A R Y V

AlexandraAntenatalAstonKeyBecket

BlundellDorcasDoultonEsther

FlorenceForestLaneFoxMountain

NightingaleSavannahSomersetVascular

Free film screenings:

MediCinema (gsttmedicinema@medicinema.org.uk) 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

*Fancy dress optional, but encouraged!BE A

HERO! Get your cape ready* and give back to one of our heroic hospitals!

Evelina London Children’s Hospital is part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity. Registered Charity No. 1160316.

Register now supportgstt.org.uk/abseil

Friday 12 May 2017 St Thomas’ Hospital

St THOMAS’ ABSEIL