Inside Story

Inside Story is the UCLH staff magazine

Royal opening for EGA Wing - page 3ANDInfection control campaign launched - pages 4 & 5PLUSElvis lives - page 7

news

Contact UsIf you have any information you would like included in Inside Story, or on the Trust intranet site Insight, contact: Communications Unit, 2ndFloor Central, 250 Euston Road, London NW1 2PG. Email: communications@uclh.nhs.uk, Tel: ext 9897, Fax: ext 9401.

2

Families and GPs have a direct hotline to

the on-call paediatric consultant at

UCLH, thanks to an innovative move

designed to improve patient care.

The parents of children treated at the

paediatric A&E department

are given a calling card with

a hotline phone number inviting them to

speak to a consultant directly if they are

concerned about their child’s health after

they have left the hospital. GPs can also

ring for information or advice at any time.

Dr Christina Petropoulos, divisional

clinical director for paediatrics, said:

“Parents really seem to appreciate it. It is

a security blanket and it is comforting for

them to know that they

will get straight

through to a senior

doctor, whatever the

time of day or night.”

“We have had a

few calls from

parents who

became

concerned

about a very

high

temperature

in their child or

other worrying symptoms after leaving

A&E – and they’ve been advised to bring

them straight back in again. Usually only

some reassurance is required but is

much appreciated. GPs have also told us

that they like being able to speak directly

to a consultant.”

The hotline is a mobile phone, passed

between the shifts of consultants. Late in

the evening, the night registrar takes

over until the morning handover. The

hotline has a voicemail message

promising a speedy response.

Christina added: “It is quite surprising

how little it is abused. Most people

recognise that consultants are busy

people and will only call if they have

genuine concerns or queries.”

The service is currently being audited.

Other schemes in progress include

individual consultant cards with direct

contact details that young people and

their parents can use.

New A&E hotline number for worried parents

Preserving a slice of history

Beautiful stained glass windows from

the former Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

and Obstetric Hospital are being

preserved as a memorial to a bygone

era.

Within the next year, the 19 windows –

currently in storage in the Trust archives

at 250 Euston Road – will be

transformed into illuminated art

installations at the new University

College Hospital EGA

Wing.

Guy Noble, UCLH arts

curator, said: “It is nice

that we can preserve and

celebrate our heritage

from the old EGA and

bring it to the new EGA

Wing. It's important for

staff and patients to

know where we come

from.”

Contractors are now

clearing the Huntley

Street site to make way

for the new £110 million

cancer centre which will

open in 2012.

A Church of England Bishop has officially

welcomed the Trust’s new Anglican

chaplain the Rt Rev Martin Freeman at a

special licensing service attended by staff

in the UCH chapel.

In his address, The Rt Rev Peter

Wheatley, bishop of Edmonton, received

Father Freeman’s assurance that he

would fulfill his duties of pastoral care at

UCLH and “let the power of God’s Holy

Spirit be at work through words of

counsel, forgiveness, restoration and

encouragement.”

Father Martin is also an honorary

assistant priest at St Bartholomew the

Great: the Trust’s chairman Sir Peter

Dixon and his wife regularly attend the

church and their son married there two

years ago.

Licensing service for new chaplain

Demolition work is due to start next month and should be completed by July when it

will then be handed over to a building company, to be selected this May.

From l to r, consultant paediatricians Dr Penny Salt, Dr Christina

Petropoulos and Dr Alastair Sutcliffe

3

news

Everywhere you looked there were

smiles: the everyday miracle of

birth and a Royal visitor proved a

joyous mix as midwives, doctors,

consultants and new mums met

HRH the Princess Royal as she

officially opened the new Elizabeth

Garrett Anderson (EGA) Wing at

UCH.

Debby Gould, head of midwifery,

was heard to remark: “She seems

to be enjoying herself – she keeps

peeking over to look into the cots.”

“Well, you can’t help it surrounded

by all these lovely babies, can

you?” replied consultant midwife

Yana Richens.

New mothers were keen to tell

Princess Anne about their

experiences. Jo Leigh, whose baby

Isabelle Ruby arrived five days

early, said: “I told her that I had had

an amazing time and that Isabelle

had come early especially to see

her.”

Following the two-hour visit,

Princess Anne unveiled a plaque

and said: “This Wing is a real

advancement and a step change

for those who do the work here...

things have changed a lot [in

healthcare] and will continue to

change and UCH is at the forefront

of those changes, understanding

them, and making proper use of

them for the benefit of future

generations.”

Four-year-old Oliver Weenen, who

weighed just 1lb 10 oz when he

was born prematurely at the former

EGA, presented a posy of flowers –

whilst his shy twin sister Isabelle

clung to their mum.

Their mum Wendy Weenen said

they were honoured to have been

invited: “I can’t say enough good

things about the EGA and the

staff… they saved my two children.”

Royal opening for EGA Wing

“I explained how we aim to make the

hospital experience as enjoyable as

possible for our young patients. I

hope she heard me – little Alfie was

making rather a lot of noise at the

time!” Senior play specialist

Elizabeth Wilkinson.

“She asked me what the midwives

were like. I said they are friendly,

helpful, very nice... particularly

Barbara.” Mum Ruksana Uddin.

“She was interested in a whole range

of things – including research. She

wanted to know about our research

into premature births and our links

with Great Ormond Street.” Professor

Neil Marlow, Institute for Women’s

Health.

"I couldn't miss this. It will be wonderful

to tell Daisy when she's older that she

met a real Princess when she was just

two hours old!" Dad Gary Dennis with

his baby daughter in his arms.

What staff and patients said:

4

our trust

Today (Tuesday 24 February)

marks the launch of a high profile

infection control campaign at

UCLH featuring eye-catching

holograms, an online YouTube

video and a specially-

commissioned song.

The multimedia campaign is aimed

at staff, visitors and patients to

spread the message: ‘don’t be the

one to pass it on’. It uses a mixture

of serious and light-hearted

messages to reach a whole range

of audiences.

The pilot campaign is funded by

the Department of Health and will

be rolled out across all sites as

part of the Trust’s ongoing effort to

reduce the incidence of hospital

acquired infections. The launch will

be in the UCH atrium at midday. All

staff are welcome.

Holographic posters and postcards

will be distributed throughout the

Trust, including hospital bedsides

carrying messages such as: “Don’t

be the one to pass it on. Every two

minutes someone gets infected.”

Another poster with the headline

‘Leader’ highlights the

responsibility of staff to be role

models and to lead on

improvements.

Staff and visitors will also be

encouraged to wear badges with

slogans such as: ‘Give bugs hell –

use the gel’; ‘Soapy not dopey’;

‘don’t bug me’ and ‘Gel baby yeah!’

UCLH has one of the lowest

Clostridium difficile rates in the

country and has met its local

targets for MRSA bacteraemia but

the infection control team says

there’s never room for

complacency.

Senior infection control nurse

Martin Bruce said: “This campaign

is proactive and designed to grab

people’s attention.

“We don’t want anyone to become

blasé and these images are

difficult to ignore. Each design

carries both a positive and

negative slogan, which change

depending on lighting or a person’s

movement. They make it difficult to

walk on by without thinking about

the all important message: ‘don’t

be the one to pass it on’.”

UCLH won an innovations grant

from the Department of Health to

work on the project.

Director of infection prevention and

control, Annette Jeanes who led

the campaign, said: “The aim is to

engage, excite and motivate

people to improve hand hygiene

and to change their attitude and

behaviour. The project has used

feedback from staff, patients and

the public to produce a vibrant and

unique campaign.

“When we listened to the feedback,

we were surprised that some

people wanted very hard-hitting

messages whilst others were

fearful of frightening people.

Choosing the messages and how

to deliver them in a balanced way

was difficult. Ultimately, we wanted

to produce something that people

would remember.”

Infection control campaign launched

5

our trust

Three senior PAs take a starring role in

the infection control campaign video

whose potentially life-saving message

will be seen by YouTube viewers across

the globe.

Ann King, PA to Annette Jeanes

director of infection prevention and

control, persuaded colleagues

Jeannette Field and Rehana Kali to be

filmed for the video which features eye

catching images set to a bluesy tune

entitled ‘Bacteria’.

“I still have the song going round and

round in my head!” said Jeannette, PA

to the UCLH chief executive and

chairman. She posed as a visitor who

holds the hand of a patient without

using hand gel and someone who

sneezes… and then sneezes again...

and again.

Jeannette added: “It was fun to do and

when I saw the finished video I thought

it was good. I think it will make people

think about the issues. I’m not sure

what my 15-year-old nephew will make

of his auntie being on YouTube

though!”

Viewers can see a brief shot of Rehana

– her hands and nails in close up.

Rehana is PA to Sarah Johnston,

director of performance and

partnerships and Tonia Ramsden,

director of corporate services.

Also featured in the video is Grace

Azarcon, clinical practice facilitator in

infection control, who can be seen

walking down a corridor scratching her

neck and picking her finger nails as an

example of poor practice.

Lights. Camera. Action.

From l to r: Grace Azarcon, Jeannette Field and Ann King

A non-encrypted laptop left on a train or

stolen from a locked office, a lost

memory stick, personal patient

information faxed to the wrong number,

computer passwords left lying on desks.

It seems every month a hospital or

government department hits the

headlines for not keeping personal data

secure.

Paul Richards, the Trust’s new

information governance manager, is

determined to ensure that UCLH doesn’t

breach the guidelines, lose the trust of

patients and put the Trust’s reputation on

the line.

Paul said: “Five years ago, if you lost a

floppy disc you ran the risk of losing a

few documents. Now the stakes are

even higher. For instance, the

government’s revenue and customs

office lost two CDs with details of seven

million households. If an organisation

makes a mistake there’s the potential for

it to be a very big one.

“Everyone has a personal responsibility.

Procedures for information governance

only work if everyone who comes into

contact with sensitive information knows

what they should or shouldn’t do.”

Protection and security of confidential

data is everyone’s responsibility and it is

even more crucial in the 21st century,

with devices such as laptops,

BlackBerrys and memory sticks

presenting a high risk. A new, more user-

friendly information governance policy at

UCLH is due to

be published next

month, one of a

number of

initiatives to help

staff to

incorporate good

data security into

their everyday

working lives.

Paul is in the

process of

helping to update

the existing policy

document –

currently a mind-

boggling 175 pages long. It’s a task he

genuinely relishes.

It is hoped online computer training,

information posters and departmental

meetings will also get the message

across to all staff.

Data protection and confidentiality is a

legal requirement – and subject to

scrutiny via the national IT watchdog,

Connecting for Health. The Information

Commissioner now has the power to fine

organisations up to half a million pounds

if they have not taken appropriate steps

to reduce known information risks.

Paul said: “There is a negative

perception of information governance –

one of audit and policing. Obviously

risks to the Trust must be minimised but

I am also trying to balance that against

supporting staff to do the business they

need to and delivering services without

putting information at risk. If we have

good and robust practices and

procedures in place then we can use the

latest technology safely.”

And when he needs some light relief?

“When I get home, I pick up my

saxophone – or go out and do some

salsa dancing!”

Paul can be contacted on ext 5798 for

advice or guidance.

interviewUCLH Confidential

6

Thoracic consultant Dr Helen Booth has just returned from a

1,000km race through southern India – driving a motorised

rickshaw.

Her fundraising adventure, from Chennai on the east coast

down to Kanniyakumari at the southernmost tip, proved a

bumpy ride but raised nearly £2,000 towards buying

equipment for local schools. She and her husband Chris,

who is an operations manager for the London Ambulance

Service, were competing against 12 other teams.

The Rickshaw Rally was organised in conjunction with

Round Table India, a local charity.

Helen said: “The auto rickshaw was slow, noisy and unreliable

but it enabled us to interact with the people around us. We often

had conversations and shook hands with people in passing cars

and motorcycles or pulled over for a chat. There were frequent

breakdowns, but the locals were so friendly and would often offer us food

or somewhere to stay for the night.”

Paul Richards, information governance manager

Dr Helen Booth (right) and husband Chris

Thrill-seeking doctor joins rickshaw race

All staff are required to complete the

online information governance

computer-based training, this takes

just 45 minutes to complete. Go to

the Information Governance page on

Insight or contact the ICT Training

Department on ext 2172 for further

details.

our trust

7

Front-line staff at the Eastman Dental

Hospital are the focus of new moves to

improve patient care.

Receptionists/clinic co-ordinators are

suggesting practical changes which

could make a real impact on the way

patients perceive their treatment at the

hospital. The reception staff have

already opted for a smart new look,

including lilac blouses and shirts, to

make them easily identifiable.

Division Manager Jacqueline Jackson

said: “Our receptionists play a vital role

in welcoming our patients and making

them feel genuinely cared for. They often

bear the brunt of patient grumbles so

they are the ones who know what is

important to them.”

All 25 reception staff are now involved in

monthly feedback meetings that monitor

service improvements and changes.

For example, as a result of their

suggestions, phones in the restorative

department were removed from

reception desks to a new office behind

closed doors. This means staff can now

greet patients without constant

interruptions from ringing phones. It also

allows them to have confidential

telephone discussions with patients.

Many of the reception team are also

undertaking NVQ courses in customer

care.

The Eastman deals with 87,000 patient

appointments each year and there are

very few complaints about clinical work.

Comments tend to focus on non-clinical

aspects such as switchboard delays in

answering phones, lack of comfortable

chairs, inconvenient appointment times

and helpfulness of staff, all things that an

empowered reception team could assist

in resolving.

Jacqueline added: “We are asking: What

suits our patients better? How can we

improve things for them?"

In response to patient demand, by the

end of March, up to 80% of clinics will

start at 9am instead of 9.30am. Staff will

work the new shifts on a voluntary basis.

Eastman staff on the front line to improve patient care

Patients and staff were left all shook up

when the latest celebrity visitors dropped

into UCH.

Jaws dropped and smiles broadened

when the famous faces were spotted

doing the rounds on T14 and T16 north.

Even by UCH standards, it was an

impressive line up: Diana Ross, former

England football manager Sven-Göran

Eriksson, Joe Pasquale, Billy Connolly

and a trio of hip-rolling, guitar-carrying

Elvises who serenaded patients at their

bedsides.

“It’s brilliant,”

said 22-year-old

Rebecca

McGuinness who

is undergoing

chemotherapy and

radiotherapy. After

hearing ‘Love me

Tender’ and ‘Viva

Las Vegas’ she

declared: “Well,

it’s certainly

brought a smile

to my face!”

Organiser Sid

Shaw said:

“Laughter is the

best medicine.

Patients are thrilled by the spontaneous

fun and attention and can, just for a

while, try to forget their illnesses.”

Meanwhile, cancer patient Debby Calder

(pictured) cheekily asked an Elvis to sit

on her knee and wondered if she could

‘keep him for the night!’

Head and neck centre charge nurse

Grant Mann added: “It made a refreshing

change to the usual ward routine. The

patients who wanted to be involved

obviously enjoyed themselves”.

Elvis has entered the building

From l to r: Clinic co-ordinators Monika

Zelenakova-Ridley, Krista Lowe, Sarika Khatun,

Margaret Van Der Zee and Sarah-Jayne

Probert (sitting).

Stephen Bryan and Laxley Taylor (l-r)

New UCLH

chairman's awards

launchedThe Trust has launched two new

awards for inspirational staff who

make a real difference in helping to

pass on their skills to future

generations of healthcare workers.

The search is on to find those

employees who have shown an

outstanding commitment to

education and training throughout the

Trust – whichever department they

work in. Trust chairman Sir Peter

Dixon will name the winners later in

the year.

The deadline for the first round of

applications is February 28 and

forms can be uploaded from Insight.

There are two awards: the

Chairman’s Medal for Excellence in

teaching and Training and the

Chairman’s Award for Ideas and

Innovations in Education. Enquiries

or entries should be addressed to

Stephanie Eborall, undergraduate

administrator

(stephanie.eborall@uclh.nhs.uk).

8

the back page

Archives

Secret lives

This month's prize is a £50 voucher. To enter, just answer the

question: Who was the special guest who came to formally

open the new EGA Wing this month? Email

competition@uclh.nhs.uk or send your answers to the

Communications Unit, 2nd Floor Central, 250 Euston Road via

internal post. Closing date is 6 March 2009.

Each month we ask a

member of staff to

reveal the first five

songs randomly

selected by the shuffle

on their MP3 player.

We spoke to Shelaine

Carney, clinical manager at the Eastman Dental Hospital.

Shelaine was surprised that it didn’t uncover more songs from her

favourite band. She added: “I’m mad about Madness. I just love

them. I’ve seen them about seven

times and am going again in July

with my eight-year-old daughter.

Everyone has a really good time at

their concerts. Their music just

makes you want to dance!”

Shelaine, who is also a big

fan of George Michael

and old favourites like

Elvis and The Beatles,

says she likes most

types of music but isn’t

keen on classical.

Do the shuffle

Competition

The security supervisor based in

the ground floor control room at

UCH is known as Aaron

Serebour.

By night, he answers to a

different name. Passive 6 5IVE –

his alter ego in the world of hip

hop left-field rap – sums up his

music style. Avante garde, edgy

and experimental may give you

a clue.

“Passive stands for ‘Pushing

Abstract Sounds Subject to

Imaginative Variations of

Experimentation’,” he explains

with a broad and engaging grin.

The 6 5 relates to his height –

Aaron cuts a striking figure as

his 6 foot 5 inch frame strides

across the atrium.

Aaron, who has worked as a

volunteer mentor with teenagers,

said: “I sing in poetry style and

make statements about life. The

everyday routine of life inspires

my music. I’m the opposite of

the usual gangsta rap stuff of

guns and girls, that’s not my

style, although I do write about

inner city life. I see a lot of young

people who like that kind of

music but I’m in my 30s and I tell

them there will come a time

when they will mature and

change and leave all that

behind.”

On stage, Aaron wears an

eclectic mix of outfits. “I might

wear traditional Ghanaian or

Nigerian clothes, a basketball

outfit or jeans and a t-shirt,

whatever takes my fancy at

the time!”

His lyrics are set to a

backdrop of bongos or

guitar or even scratched

records. You can listen to

his two CDs (Mr Serebour

and Hinder Surprise) online

at www.passive65ive.co.uk

“It’s fun and a brilliant

form of self

expression. It makes

me happy.”

Aaron works for

Interserve

Security, on

behalf of the

Trust.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison

Tainted Love – Impedance

Grey Day – Madness

Wonderful World – James Morrison

Promiscuous – Nelly Furtado

This archive poster listing the uniform requirements

for nurses in the 1940s is among the memorabilia

included in a special exhibition to mark the

centenary of the UCH Nurses’ League. To

commemorate this landmark, a photographic and

poster display will be held in the Street Gallery on

the ground floor of UCH from 5 March to 5 May.

The images celebrate UCH nurses.