Bulletin Autumn 2013

staff magazine | Autumn 2013

Hannah helps spread the word

Contents

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4-5 Bexley Pharmacy targets shorter waiting times 6 New palliative care ambulance for Leeds 7 Summer time brings outdoor play to Leeds Children’s Hospital 9 World’s most advanced radiotherapy comes to Leeds Cancer Centre 10-11 Prepared for an emergency 12 Children’s intensive care moves to new high-tech facility 13 4

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Bexley Pharmacy targets shorter waiting times

Summer time brings outdoor play

Small world - win £20!

15 Midwife saves parents-to-be from silent killer 16

Charity focus

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My job

20-21 Hannah’s posters raise awareness of organ donation 22 9

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World’s most advanced radiotherapy comes to Leeds Cancer Centre

Prepared for an emergency

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Children’s intensive care moves to new high-tech facility

European showcase for Leeds robotic surgery

Farewell

23 MPs mark 65th birthday of the NHS 24

Research

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60 seconds

Bulletin is produced quarterly by the Communications Department.

Editor: Suzanne Breen Photography by Medical Illustration Design by Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd Send your feedback, ideas and suggestions for the next edition to suzanne.breen@leedsth.nhs.uk or call ext. 66494/66244.

Copy deadline is 1 November 2013

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News

Welcome to our new Chief Executive Julian is currently Managing Director of NHS Improving Quality, the national improvement body for the health service, and was previously Chief Executive at University Hospital of South Manchester.

He said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. It will be a privilege to serve the patients and staff of the Trust and I relish the opportunity to return to my roots in West Yorkshire.

“I have seen first-hand the talent of the clinical teams in Leeds Teaching Hospitals and will do my utmost to work with patients, staff and the Trust Board to realise its potential as one of the finest healthcare organisations in the UK.”

Julian Hartley has joined the Trust as our new Chief Executive and will start work in October. He was chosen from a strong field of excellent candidates to take on one of the most challenging roles in the NHS.

Linda Pollard Chair of the Trust, said: “Julian impressed everyone with his passion for strengthening the services we provide and his commitment to upholding NHS values. His experience of improving a major teaching hospital trust makes him exactly the person we were looking for - we are delighted at his appointment.”

Transplants take centre stage As part of events in the Trust to mark National Transplant Week, an awareness-raising stall was held in the atrium of the Bexley Wing, to encourage people to think about the importance of organ donation.

In addition to the information available, staff were on hand with a wide selection of cakes, which proved popular with staff and visitors.

Money from the sale of the tasty treats went to help the St James’s liver transplant support group • The week also saw the launch of new posters now on display across the Trust. See page 20 for more details.

Clever Fools snatch five-a-side footie victory Congratulations to this year’s winners of the Trust’s annual 5-a-side football tournament - Only Fools and Forceps – who fully lived up to Del Boy’s motto, “He who dares, wins”.

‘Balotelli’ Ward stepped up to the mark and threw the keeper the other way, slotting it into the back of the net to send us through to the semi-finals, where Brian

The team are mainly from Histopathology plus the HMDS service. They are Allan Gray, Lee Ward, Dharmesh Mistry, Jonathon Sheriff, Paresh Mistry, and Adam Hayton Reliving the excitement, the team said: “On the night, we thought we didn’t stand a chance. We just turned up and had the mentality of win every game. Our first opponents were Where’s Wally from Jubilee Theatres and our manager Jon ‘Jose’ Sheriff came on to score the final goal of what was an easy first win.

“In the dying minutes of our last group game, a penalty was conceded and Lee

Over the moon: The winning team celebrate.

Munich were a tough nut to crack.

“We out played them with some excellent skills from Paresh Mistry and we almost lost the game, if it wasn’t for the safe hands of Allan aka ‘Bozza Tron’ – the machine in goal. The score was 3-3 with 2 minutes to go and Darmesh ‘King’ Mistry scored the final goal to send us into the final to play Bede.

“We thought they would be difficult, and in the final they played very well against us, but through the stamina and brute force of Adam Heyton winning the ball on numerous occasions, and with Jon ‘Jose’ Sheriff shouting directions from off the pitch and spurring the lads on, it became a comfortable victory and completed an unbelievable evening of 5-a-side footy ending in us raising the trophy aloft.”

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Bexley Pharmacy targets shorter waiting times

Innovative approach: Pharmacy technician, Lisa Oldridge hands the pager to patient, Joan Lythgoe.

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News

It’s not often that collecting a prescription is compared to shopping in Argos, but for Katy Matthews, Specialist Pharmacy Technician at the Bexley Wing Pharmacy, this is exactly what outpatients picking up their medicines should expect.

“Outpatients using the Pharmacy are given a number,” explains Katy.

“When their prescription is ready, their number is displayed on a screen in the Pharmacy reception area, just like in Argos.”

Patients can also be notified by pager, which means they no longer have to wait in the Pharmacy.

Instead, they can go for a coffee, read a book or simply wander around the Bexley Wing atrium while their prescription is being prepared.

The screen and pagers are just some of the innovations staff at the Bexley Wing Pharmacy have introduced to provide a better quality service to outpatients.

Over the last few months, they have worked with the Service Improvement Team (SIT) to review their practices, with the aim of preparing 80% of outpatient prescriptions within 20 minutes.

Efficient service: Pharmacy support worker, Steven Sawyer.

As part of the Trust’s quality, safety and efficiency initiative, (formerly Managing for Success), the SIT has supported Pharmacy staff to make their service faster, meet the target and improve outpatients’ experiences.

It’s a tall order. The Pharmacy processes 31,800 prescriptions a year, of which 19,500 are for outpatients. At the beginning of the project, less than half were completed within the target time.

“Before, we made up every prescription in order, mixing the simple ones with those that involve chemotherapy drugs and

are more complex and timeconsuming,” explains Katy.

“Now we separate outpatient prescriptions from the rest, saving us valuable time.”

The Pharmacy now has a realtime prescription tracker, a screen that charts the progress of each outpatient prescription against the 20-minute target.

Visible to everyone in the department, the screen allows staff to see when a prescription under preparation is about to go over time. Each job is colour-coded: green means it is within the time limit, orange that there are five minutes remaining and red that it has breached the target.

“It’s a good tool for motivating the team,” says Katy. “Now if we see time running out on a particular prescription, we can make it a priority.”

Staff are fully involved in service improvement. They’ve used lean working techniques to reorganise the Pharmacy, so key items are always stored in the same place.

They’ve also suggested a change to their working pattern, taking their lunch breaks at different times so there is always Pharmacy cover at one of the busiest periods of the day.

As a result of their improvements, 60 to 70% of outpatient prescriptions are now completed within 20 minutes, a change that is making an impact on patient satisfaction. In a recent friends and family survey, the service was described as “sublime”.

Patients like Mrs Joan Lythgoe can certainly see the benefits.

“It eases the tension,” she says of the shorter waiting time. “It takes some of the stress away.”

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Patient-focused: (l-r) Fiona Hicks, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Deborah Borrill and Jane Wilde, Palliative care discharge facilitators, Tracy Norman, and Jackie Bastow, Discharge co-ordinators from St Gemma’s and Wheatfield Hospices, Stephen Marshall and Phil Fenton, Patient Transport Service.

New palliative care ambulance for Leeds A second palliative care ambulance with specialist equipment and support crews is now available to transport Leeds patients nearing the end of their life to their place of choice.

It will run on weekdays, covering the busiest times, and new crews have been recruited and trained by the education department at St Gemma’s Hospice.

Training has also been provided by Martin House Children’s Hospice, as the ambulance can now transport people of any age with palliative care needs who have a Leeds GP. It can accommodate people on continuous oxygen, take a relative or carer on board with the patient and also hold wheelchairs if the crew is notified in advance.

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The first bespoke palliative care ambulance was donated by Marie Curie back in 2007 when their “Delivering Choice” programme highlighted the need for the service. It has been such a success that Leeds commissioners have now funded this second ambulance.

“The service has received excellent feedback from patients, families and staff.”

Deborah Borrill, Palliative Care Discharge Facilitator, said: “The service has received excellent feedback from patients, families and staff. The only problem with it to date has been its popularity – it is often fully booked.”

The Leeds Palliative Care Team have been working with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Leeds Community Health, and the Leeds hospices to improve the process for booking the ambulance, which is available seven days a week, including Bank Holidays.

There is now a single contact number, 0300 330 0263, with no need to fax a booking form. In the unlikely event that it is not available or appropriate, an alternative will be offered without the need to ring another number.

Details on the operational policy and booking procedure can be found on Leeds Health Pathways and the Trust’s intranet site under Palliative Care.

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News

Summer time brings outdoor play to Leeds Children’s Hospital Garden pavilion is tonic for patients Candlelighters, Yorkshire’s children’s cancer charity, have officially opened the doors of the long awaited Outdoor Play Pavilion outside children’s oncology ward L31 at Leeds Children’s Hospital.

The modern, airy timber building is one of the most unusual constructed on the hospital estate in recent years, and provides a spectacular place for play in surroundings very different from the ward environment.

The Play Pavilion has been especially designed to support children, and their families, whilst receiving sometimes lengthy treatment on the wards. It enables families to step outside the hospital for a much needed breath of fresh air and to play and relax without the hospital environment.

The Candlelighters pavilion was opened by representatives of Leeds Fans

Remembrance plus young patient and fundraiser Alfie Connor during a special Mad Hatter themed tea party which was one of the highlights of the summer.

Candlelighters would like to sincerely thank everyone who has helped to raise the £300,000 needed for the project funders including the Leeds Fans Remembrance Group and Alfie Connor and his family. Alfie is currently undergoing treatment for cancer and is being supported by Candlelighters.

Jo Shepheard, Operations manager at Candlelighters, commented “We are thrilled with the Play Pavilion and it’s just what families need. It’s taken a huge amount of effort from all our families who have fundraised for us and we are so pleased with the results.

We are delighted that it is a unique building for our children to enjoy for many years to come.”

Generous support: Members of the Reilly family, who have donated toys for the new outdoor area

CF children’s play area opens Patients on the children’s respiratory unit based on ward L30 in the Clarendon Wing also now have access to a brand new outdoor play and treatment area, opened officially over the summer.

To celebrate this opening the unit held a tea party and invited staff and a number of families who contributed financially to enable the development of this superb new area and to fill it with toys and equipment.

With the children being in hospital for long periods and having to remain in isolation cubicles so as not to share infections, play is important to aid normal development and ensure a pleasant hospital experience.

During their stay in hospital children require different treatments. As well as medication physiotherapy is often a major part of this. Exercise is a vital part of the care for those with respiratory conditions and having access to this safe, child friendly, stimulating space will help enhance the treatment we currently provide.

Day to remember: Youngsters Alfie and Lily Connor with the Mad Hatter outside the new pavilion, together with Deborah Kaiper-Holmes, Chair of Candlelighters, Trustee Keith Hardcastle and Andy Loftus from Leeds Fans Remembrance.

Some of the fundraisers who supported the creation of the facility attended the party. These included Sam and Mick Reilly and family, whose son Colin sadly passed away with chronic lung disease. Colin loved to play and so they also always bring donations of new toys with them for the ward and this year have generously bought new toys and seating for the outdoor area.

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Maternity units get international seal of approval The maternity and neo-natal teams at the Trust have been highly accredited for their work to ensure that all pregnant mothers receive evidence-based information about feeding choices for their baby, and practical support with breastfeeding.

The accreditation achieved by the units at LGI and St James’s was based on an in-depth assessment by external auditors from the Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI), who interviewed pregnant and new mothers across both sites as well as a random sample of staff.

The BFI is a worldwide programme of the World Health Organization and UNICEF. It was established in the 1990s to encourage maternity units to implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in response to the decline in breastfeeding rates and subsequent increase in infant morbidity and mortality globally.

The assessors checked that robust policies and guidelines were in place, evidence of implementation, and of staff training.

Julie Scarfe, Head of Midwifery, said: “Successful breastfeeding is the best possible start to a baby’s life and we are committed to helping mothers with practical help and support to help enable them to breastfeed successfully and continue to do so when they leave the hospital.

External peer review confirms high quality of Cardiovascular MRI service An independent external review looking at the quality of the Cardiovascular MRI service provided by LTHT and its partners has confirmed it is fully in line with the best national standards.

It was carried out by the British Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (BSCMR), with Leeds being only the third centre in the county to be peer-reviewed.

As the service is commissioned at a national level, this external assessment of quality is particularly important for future service delivery and development.

“The outcome is a credit to the professionalism and high standards the whole team work to”

The Leeds CMR service is run by six consultants employed across three organisations – LTHT, Leeds University and the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, who between them scan approx.

2,000 patients a year. With a year on year growth in demand of approx. 25%, this makes it one of the largest and busiest services in the North of England.

Most patients have either adult

congenital heart disease or ischemic heart disease and the MRI scan helps to diagnose and assess the scale of the problem, helping the specialist decide on what is the optimal medical or surgical treatment.

Consultant cardiologist, Dr John Greenwood, is the Clinical Lead for the service and is delighted at the outcome of the review: “This was a very thorough assessment of our service whereby we can be benchmarked against others services in the country. The review looked at our equipment, staffing levels and individual case studies,” he said. “They also checked a sample of scans for image quality and reporting accuracy to ensure we were getting the best possible results.

“The outcome is a credit to the professionalism and high standards the whole team work to, and I hope that our patients will be reassured to know they are getting a local service which is performing to the highest standards nationally.”

In addition to its role in diagnosis, the service is an internationally renowned centre for cardiac MR research and training. The department recently published a landmark clinical trial in the Lancet, comparing the diagnostic accuracy of cardiovascular MR to nuclear perfusion imaging.

“Our staff have worked really hard to implement and maintain these standards and we are really delighted to get recognition from an international organisation for the work we do.

“The feedback we have had from mothers has been extremely positive about the support and care they have received.”

Quality service: Consultant cardiologist, Dr John Greenwood

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News

Advanced treatment: Mr Ron Earnshaw with Radiotherapists Kelly Picken, Amanda Mullarkey and James Briston, and Consultant physicist John Lilley

World’s most advanced radiotherapy comes to Leeds Cancer Centre The Trust is the first centre in the UK and only the second in the world to begin using a new highly-advanced type of radiotherapy treatment machine, the Versa HD. This notable milestone comes out of the partnership between the Trust and international medical equipment manufacturer Elekta. The Leeds Cancer Centre is a research reference site for Elekta’s cutting-edge radiotherapy equipment which uses the latest technology to provide faster and more accurate radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients.

of new products,” Dr Cosgrove added.

“We are able to work on prototype versions of equipment and software in a controlled, clinical environment; to test the technology; and to provide feedback. This allows us to prepare the clinical service for the new technology and new techniques, so that we are ready to use them as soon as they are officially released.

Two of Elekta’s newly launched Versa HD Radiotherapy Systems have been installed in the Bexley Wing. The first patient to undergo treatment on the new equipment in Leeds is Mr Ron Earnshaw, who is being treated for prostate cancer

Julie Owens, Radiotherapy Manager, said: “This latest equipment is a tremendously exciting step forward in terms of improving cancer treatment and potential outcomes. Patients from the Yorkshire region being treated here in Leeds are some of the very first to have access to the next generation of radiotherapy equipment.

The Versa HD, which had its global launch in March, features a revolutionary combination of speed and accuracy, is designed to improve patient care and treat a broader spectrum of cancers.

Dr Vivian Cosgrove, Head of Radiotherapy Physics at the Trust, said: “As one of the leading cancer centres in the UK we have taken opportunities to work with the suppliers of our equipment, to help them develop and test new and faster ways to deliver patient care and improve treatment.

“Our relationship with Elekta allows us to be involved in the development

more patients can benefit from each daily session.”

• The Radiotherapy Department in Bexley Wing is throwing open its doors to the public on Saturday 5 October to showcase the life-saving work it does. The free event, from 10am to 2pm, will give the public the chance for a behind-the-scenes glance into this high-tech world.

“With the new equipment, patients with conditions such as lung cancer can be given high doses of radiation in the most targeted and accurate way possible. Treatment which once took 15 minutes will come down to as little as two minutes.

“This means treatment is less stressful for patients and the shorter time means that it can be targeted more accurately, as there is less likelihood of the patient Comfortable experience: Mr Earnshaw is prepared moving during Ed the radiotherapy.

Birthday celebrations: Balls MP on a visit to the Leeds Cancer forCentre. his short burst of radiotherapy treatment on the Shorter treatment times will also ensure new machine

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Prepared for an emergency

The dual pressures of a challenging Department of Health (DH) target and a potentially difficult W James’s to adopt new measures to offer patients the highest standard of care.

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t’s 11.30am on Wednesday 7 August and Margaret Helley walks slowly and with difficulty into the Rapid Assessment and Treatment (RAT) area in the A&E department at St James’s.

She’s obviously in distress. Questioning about her symptoms by Sister Kate Smith reveals she’s been suffering severe abdominal pain for the past two days, and it’s getting worse.

Kate notes Margaret’s medical history, checks her blood pressure, takes blood

and other samples and discusses pain relief. By 11.50am, Margaret is seen by the RAT consultant for the day, Dr Graham Johnson.

Margaret doesn’t know it, but she is one of the first patients attending St James’s A&E department to be part of its new RAT process. Launched this Summer, RAT aims to reduce the length of time patients spend in A&E by making sure they see a doctor soon after they arrive.

This means decisions on the most appropriate course of action for each patient can be made early.

Dr Andrew Davies, Lead Clinician for the St James’s Emergency Department, explains: “Ultimately, it is a better, safer experience for patients if we can get them to the right care as quickly as possible.”

Improving care RAT has been adopted by A&E at St James’s to manage the flow of patients through the department and improve the quality of their care. There are pressing reasons for its introduction.

Fast turnaround: Danny Rayner, Clinical support worker, using the pod system.

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The first is the Department of Health’s target that 95 percent of patients

visiting A&E should be assessed, treated, admitted or discharged within four hours.

The second is the onset of Winter, and the anticipated rise in demand for A&E services.

“Last Winter a combination of unwell groups of patients and a long season put our service under huge pressure,” recalls Dr Davies. “We need to take action to make sure we can cope this time.”

This month, the A&E department at St James’s finished a project with the Service Improvement Team to examine how it works and look for ways to provide a more streamlined service to patients. It was supported by the Trust’s initiative to improve efficiency, safety and quality (formerly Managing for Success).

The project involved staff at all levels.

The changes they made to their working practices use their skills and resources not only to meet the DoH target sustainably, but also patients’ expectations for the best possible A&E care.

Making an impact Some of these changes have been small but effective. For example, the

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News

Improving the patient experience: Claire Wilby, Sister, and Dr Graham Johnson with patient, Margaret Helley

Trust wins praise as top UK centre for muscular dystrophy LTHT has been recognised as a Centre of Clinical Excellence for Paediatric Neuromuscular Disease for the care and support given to children affected by rare, musclewasting conditions – one of only five centres across the UK.

Winter ahead have led A&E at St decision to send blood samples for testing in small batches, instead of waiting to fill an entire container, or ‘pod’, means they reach the laboratory earlier and the results are returned more quickly.

Others, like setting up regular meetings with acute physicians in areas like respiratory and elderly care, are building stronger relationships between A&E and other disciplines, benefitting patients who are eventually admitted.

All are already making an impact on the DH’s target and A&E’s readiness for Winter, but equally, they are driving forward the standard of service and care for emergency patients.

Back in RAT, it’s midday, and Margaret needs further investigations. At 1.30pm she has a slot for a CT scan before being transferred to a Clinical Decision Unit for assessment on what should happen next.

“I’m happy with the process so far,” she says. It’s been less than four hours since she arrived in A&E and she’s comfortable, calm and on track for the treatment she needs.

A rigorous assessment of the neuromuscular service in Leeds was performed by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign charity together with TREAT-NMD, as part of an investigation of muscle centres and clinics across the UK, to ensure that high quality care is provided to families with devastating, lifelimiting conditions.

The muscular dystrophies and related neuromuscular conditions cause muscles to waste and weaken over time, leading to increasing disability, and in some cases, significantly affecting life expectancy. 60,000 people of all ages in England have a neuromuscular disease, leaving them vulnerable to severe chest infections, breathing difficulties, heart problems, restricted mobility and dangerous falls.

As these are rare conditions, families can feel alone when having to cope with the shock of diagnosis, not knowing how their condition might progress or where they can seek help and guidance.

Access to specialist services, such as those available at Leeds, enables families to receive expert guidance on diagnosis and management, including specialist therapies and support. This can make a lifechanging – or life-saving – difference to patients, helping to keep them off emergency hospital wards.

Tracey Franklin’s son Jack (17) has the severe muscle-wasting condition, Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Jack has been visiting the team in Leeds since he was diagnosed nearly 14 years ago.

Making a difference: Tracey Franklin with her son Jack

She said: “The care that the neuromuscular team in Leeds provide is second to none.

Having a team of professionals virtually on our doorstep, who we can turn to, not only for practical medical care but also for emotional support is invaluable.

Having someone there who genuinely understands what Jack is going through and is able to help with all the problems, health-related and otherwise makes an enormous difference.

I don’t know what we would do without them!”

Dr Anne-Marie Childs, Consultant paediatric neurologist, said: “We are delighted that the children’s neuromuscular service at Leeds has been recognised as 1 of 5 paediatric centres of clinical excellence in the UK. The multidisciplinary team have worked hard to ensure that high quality care is provided to children and families across the region with neuromuscular conditions.”

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Paediatric intensive care moves to new high-tech facility Over the summer the Paediatric Intensive Care facilities in Leeds Children’ Hospital moved to a new state-of-the-art unit located on D-floor of the Clarendon Wing.

This has created one of the largest and best equipped facilities anywhere in the country, with 20 beds and room to expand. It is the latest piece of the jigsaw to co-locate children’s services in the wing.

The Trust has invested £1.75 million in the facility, which brings together two smaller units and a total of around 140 staff who work there, providing a much improved environment for patients, families and staff.

It includes dedicated isolation facilities and is a bright and light facility with colourful artwork provided thanks to the Leeds Children’s Hospital Appeal, plus equipment donated by the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund.

Plenty of space: Dr Tim Haywood surveys the new unit just before services were moved over

Each year the unit will care for around 900 patients from all around the region, 40% of whom will have undergone open heart surgery.

Clinical Lead for paediatric intensive care, Dr Tim Heywood, said: “We are one of the few hospitals that has all children’s services on one site and this new facility

puts us on par with the best in the country. The move has gone very well and staff have been very excited to see the new unit.”

Equipment handed over to PICU in loving memory of Isabella Grace The new Paediatric Intensive Care Unit will be able to provide even better care for sick children thanks to a £50,000 donation in memory of a baby girl who staff tried their very best to save.

Isabella Grace Senior died in early 2012 at the age of two-and-a-half months due to complications arising from a severe strain of bronchiolitis.

Her parents, Ryan and Lyndsey Senior, from Bradford, decided to raise money in memory of their daughter and help give other sick children on the unit the best possible chance of life. With the help of family, friends and well-wishers, their total reached a fantastic £50,000.

In consultation with PICU staff they decided to buy two highly specialised pieces of equipment. One is an oscillator - a very sophisticated ventilator - which helps the youngsters both inhale and (more unusually) exhale, as the latter can be difficult in some illnesses. As the unit is seeing more and more children with

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chronic lung disease it will be extremely useful to have this additional machine, which has already been used to help young patients on the unit.

The second item is a thermal baby warmer especially for babies under 5kg, with its key unique feature being an overhead heater. It allows staff and the parents to observe the baby more clearly and makes it possible to take chest X-rays without disturbing the baby, which can be very important for very sick infants.

all their energy and plough it into something positive and fundraise for this equipment to help give other children the best possible chance of life. We will never be able to thank them enough for what they and their family and friends have done.”

Dr Catherine Penrose, Paediatric intensive care consultant, who led the team caring for Isabella Grace, said: “During the time they were here Ryan and Lyndsey became like family to us and they could see the type of equipment we use in the unit gives very sick children the best chances of survival.

“Sadly it wasn’t possible to save Isabella Grace but Ryan and Lyndsey are such wonderful, unselfish parents that they decided despite their grief to take

Emotional gift: Lyndsey and Ryan Senior with Dr Catherine Penrose and the oscillator and baby warmer they have donated

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Win

£20

Small World Time for giving: Getting ready to hand out presents galore

Children’s wards overwhelmed by generous Ramadhan gifts The tradition of giving associated with the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan has meant a huge boost for wards at Leeds Children’s Hospital this year.

The ‘Give a Gift’ scheme, led by the Hamara Centre and supported by local mosques, businesses and education centres, saw members of the Muslim community donate literally hundreds of toy and gifts aimed at poorly children in hospital from babies to teenagers.

The initiative was set up with the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, which supports ward L12 and associated services, but proved so successful that other children’s wards and departments have also felt the benefit.

To mark Eid, the festival at the end of the Ramadhan fast, members of the community came in to hand out the presents and meet a cross-section of young patients at their families along with representatives of the charity.

going for a long time.”

Hanif Malik, Chief executive officer at the Hamara Centre, said: “Ramadhan is not just about fasting, it is also a month of giving.

The essence of the project is to encourage the Muslim community to support local causes and it’s important we’re involved in contributing to wider causes that we all benefit from.”

Other events, including a 5k family fun run, are already planned to support the charity.

Then simply email it to communications@leedsth.nhs.uk.

We’ll select the best of the bunch and feature it in the next edition as well as sending you the winning prize.

Please make sure it is a high resolution, in focus snap.

In this edition, Helen Christodoulides, Head of Nursing for Acute Medicine, took a wellearned break to Tunisia, and got so engrossed in the summer issue of Bulletin that she was oblivious to the boating activity behind her.

Sharon Cheng, Director of the Children’s Surgery Fund, added: “We’re incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support the Muslim community has shown in getting the campaign off the ground and we’re really excited about the fundraising programme they will be implementing throughout the year.”

Emma Marshall, Play Specialist Team Leader, said: “When we saw the sheer number of presents and gifts and the thoughtfulness that went into choosing them we were absolutely overwhelmed and cannot thank everyone enough for their generosity.

“The children were thrilled to get such wonderful presents to open, and we have some fantastic new toys and games in the playrooms which will keep us

In our latest Bulletin feature Small World - we’re offering you the chance to win a £20 M&S voucher, kindly provided by the LTHT Charitable Foundation. All you have to do is take a photo of yourself on holiday in the UK or abroad with the latest edition of Bulletin.

staff magazine | Autum

n 2013

Hannah helps spread the word

Bringing a smile: A young patient on Ward L12 receives his gift

If you have an interesting news story for Bulletin, please contact the Communications team on ext 66494 / 66244 or send an email to communications@leedsth.nhs.uk.

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Medicines Management & Pharmacy hosted a visit by Prof Ian Cumming, Chief Executive of Health Education England and some of his key staff, including Helen Gordon, Chief Executive of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

As one of the leading Pharmacy departments in the country, they were asked to demonstrate to Health Education England the important roles that pharmacy performs as part of the multidisciplinary team across primary and secondary care.

Yvette Oade, our new Chief Medical Officer, also joined the visit to see firsthand the roles that they do here in Leeds.

Pharmacy welcomes national health education leader Fact finding: Prof Ian Cumming and Helen Gordon with the Trust team.

The visitors were very impressed with the service and the close links with other sectors in healthcare including education and training, primary care and community pharmacy Liz Kay, Clinical Director for Medicines Management and Pharmacy Services, said: “We felt privileged to welcome Prof Cumming and his colleagues to Leeds and hope we gave them an interesting insight into the complex work of Pharmacy in a major hospital.”

History corner…

Architecture and morality Of all the hospital buildings in the Trust, Lincoln Wing at St James’s is probably the one which offers the greatest contrast between old and new.

Most patients and staff use the modern 1990s part of the building and pay little attention to the long façade of brickand-stone looking towards Beckett Street, now just dubbed A-block. In fact it is the oldest part of the St James’s site and its original use was worthy of the setting of a Dickensian novel.

identifying this original use and the date of its opening, 1848.

The word “moral” speaks volumes for the values of society at the time.

Life in Victorian Leeds was often brutal and short, and the children of the poorest classes risked not only hunger and disease but growing up in a world outside the reach of religion and acceptable forms of respectable behaviour.

Travel back in time to Leeds in 1840s and the site was an area of open fields served by a country lane meandering into the town centre. The town itself had not yet attained city status but was mushrooming fast, and a public cemetery was established in what is now Burmantofts in 1845.

Impoverished street urchins, aged from seven to nine – often in very poor physical condition – became inmates and the school was their whole life. As well as looking after their morals and building up their health the staff helped them learn trades which would set them up as productive members of society – tailoring, shoemaking, the skills of domestic service and so on.

A year later the Poor Law Guardians for the township bought six acres of land nearby from the Beckett family to construct the ominously-titled Moral and Industrial Training School. If you gaze high above the impressive stone towers of A-block towards the Dutchstyle gables and there is a stone plaque

The school was in fact the start of a huge project which would in the next few years see the construction of the Leeds workhouse further along Beckett Street (now the Thackray Medical Museum) as well as the chapel, now also used by the hospital. Together this complex used architecture to impress, overawe and

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control, but it also offered a “safety net” and the opportunity to progress for those who conformed.

It’s worth a look inside the grand entrance of A-block with its yellow-andgreen stained glass windows which catch the sun and illuminate the staircase. The place where the children lived and toiled would have been in humbler buildings adjoining this area, and these are long gone, but it is interesting to think back to their lives and the role this place played in building the city we know today.

Midwife saves parents-to-be from silent killer

www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

News

He’s in the Navy!

Colleagues of Tim Levene, a referrals and bookings officer based at St James’s, were suitably impressed last month when he traded in his shirt and tie in favour of his Royal Navy attire to celebrate annual Uniform to Work Day. He was just one of thousands across the country to celebrate this national event to help highlight the huge contribution that citizens can make to the Armed Forces.

Tim is a Royal Navy Reservist and member of the warfare sea reserves branch which sees him commit 25 days a year to train and work with full-time Royal Navy colleagues. His time is combined with training at the Leeds-based barracks and working operationally as part of the Reserves.

Having joined the Royal Navy Reserves in 2000 to experience a new challenge, he has spent recent years combining his day job with the voluntary role which has also involved a six month deployment to operational zones in the Arabian Gulf area.

Well spotted: Community midwife, Trish Hines, with Kate Newton and her partner Shaun.

C

ommunity midwife, Trish Hines, has helped save the life of a pregnant woman and her partner thanks to a carbon monoxide test which led to the discovery of a potentially deadly blocked flue at the family’s home Trish spotted the unusually high levels of carbon monoxide in Kate Newton’s lungs during a regular antenatal test using a breath analyser. As a non-smoker Kate’s reading should have been very low but the monitor indicated a high reading, and when partner Shaun’s breath was tested too he also had similar results, indicating both had exposure to carbon monoxide.

Trish explained “I was immediately concerned and advised Kate and Shaun to get their household appliances tested as a matter of urgency. Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and tasteless, so they would have had no idea that they were being exposed to the dangerous gas.”

As a result of Trish’s warning, Shaun immediately bought a carbon monoxide detector and the couple were horrified when the device was switched on at home and it flashed up a warning to

evacuate the building immediately. A gas engineer found a blocked flue from the gas fire, which meant deadly carbon monoxide was seeping into both the living room and the couple’s bedroom.

Kate is expecting her first child and attends a weekly antenatal appointment with Trish at Calverley Medical Centre.

She said: “Looking back now it all fits together. I had been getting some headaches but had put that down to my pregnancy. Fortunately because of the time of year we hadn’t been using the fire very often, but it is frightening to think what could have happened to us or to our baby. Trish quite literally saved our family and we are so grateful to her.”

The Trust recently introduced carbon monoxide monitoring of all pregnant women to indicate where some may be at risk. It is just one of the many tests and services that are provided throughout pregnancy to help ensure any potential problems are picked up early and dealt with.

He said: “While my career in the NHS is very different to the work I do as a Royal Navy Reservists, the skills and expertise I’ve developed in both my civilian and military roles complement each other perfectly and equip me with invaluable skills which I’m able to bring to both jobs.

“I’m incredibly proud of the work I’m able to do for the Royal Navy and the support I’ve received from the trust is tremendous. Wearing my military uniform today is just one way to help raise awareness of the role that all Reservists play across the Armed Forces and perhaps help encourage others to follow suit.”

Showing support: Tim Levene, Referrals and bookings officer.

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Charity focus

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk

A round-up of fundraising activities for the Trust

Sainsbury’s support Children’s Hospital Appeal The Sainsbury’s Local store in Middleton has chosen the Leeds Children’s Hospital Appeal as its ‘Charity of the year’.

They will be organising three fundraising events over the next year as well as collecting in store and joining some Children’s Hospital Appeal events.

The store has recently re-opened after a refurbishment and they chose this occasion to kick start their fundraising support by donating £500 in collaboration with CTS Shopfitting.

Tom Moore, Fundraising Coordinator, for the Leeds Children’s Hospital Appeal, said: “We are delighted that the store has chosen to support our Appeal. Hopefully it will be the start of a very successful year for us both.”

Triathlon trial pays off Our very own Jim Coupland and Stephen Browitt, Cardiac physiologists at the LGI, completed a 384-mile triathlon this summer to raise money for two Trust charities - the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund and Take Heart.

They trained for eight months prior to their challenge with the aim of covering 384 miles in 7 days - three times the distance of the Leeds to Liverpool canal - by running, cycling and canoeing.

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Children’s donation to Unit Fundraising youngsters from Bramhope Primary School in Leeds generously donated an iPad to the Children’s Day Care Unit at the LGI recently.

It will be used as a distraction tool by young patients on the unit some of whom undergo long and often painful treatment.

Sarah Fletcher, Matron for Children’s Surgery and Outpatients, said: “This is such a kind and generous donation. I know the children put lots of effort into raising money for the iPad and we can’t thank them enough. It will be put to great use on the Unit.”

They intended to cycle 128 miles in one day, canoe 128 miles in three days and run 128 miles in three days.

However, after the second day of canoeing, they had to ‘abandon ship’ for ‘logistical purposes’, and run the rest of the way.

All together they raised a staggering £2900 for their two charities and money is still coming in.

Good cause: Cardiac physiologists, Jim Coupland and Stephen Browitt.

www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

News

Leeds Cancer Centre shares expertise with the Middle East

Forging links: The Jordanian visitors are welcomed to Bexley Wing.

The Trust has forged a partnership with the King Hussein Cancer Centre in Jordan which will see some of Leeds’ pioneering expertise and innovations shared and developed in the Middle East.

Oncology experts, healthcare specialists and delegates from Leeds Cancer Centre delivered a two day training and development programme at which they held workshops on the latest technical innovations, assessed new treatment and drugs as well as reviewed patient cases with specialists from the King Hussein Cancer Centre.

“While we’ve been launching new innovations to continue to develop our world-class services, it’s now a good time to share this with other medical organisations globally, and this visit will hopefully be the start of a productive international relationship between the two specialist centres.”

Dr David Berridge, Medical Director (Operations), added: “This should prove to be a mutually beneficial collaboration

across the spectrum of cancer including training, teaching, research as well as the delivery of healthcare.”

The partnership has been developed under the guidance of Healthcare UK, a joint venture between the Department of Health and UK Trade & Investment. It is part of a strategic initiative to give healthcare system providers across the world access to the UK’s healthcare expertise.

Based in the capital city of Amman, it is the only specialised cancer centre in the Middle East to treat both adult and paediatric patients.

Linda Pollard, Trust Chair, led the 25strong team of healthcare professionals in the two day training seminars. She said: “Here in Leeds we’ve been developing our expertise in cancer treatment and services for many decades, and we were delighted to welcome the team from King Hussein Cancer Centre to share information on our research and pioneering treatments.

Impressive pedigree: The King Hussein Cancer Center was founded in 1997. It is currently undergoing major expansion to create this impressive facility.

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My Job

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Specialist Peri-Operative Practitioner and Team Leader, Ali Briggs Ali has worked for the Trust for 15 years.

Summarise the main aspects of your role?

I’m a line manager for around 28 staff in the Acute and Obstetric team in Jubilee theatres, making sure the right staff are in the right place with the right skills and troubleshooting issues. I’m responsible for the service over a 24-hour period.

I also work clinically, assisting the anaesthetist in theatre and supporting any staffing shortfall within the team.

Worker within theatres and from that I applied to take the ODP qualification as a mature student.

Earlier this year, I completed a secondment to the Service Improvement Team, working on a project to support improvements in theatres and offer a better quality service to patients.

What’s the best thing about your job?

I learned a lot about change management and the processes that must be in place so that it is done properly. I’ve taken these skills back to the operational side of my work and now feel I can effect change in the correct way.

And there must be something about your work that really frustrates you…

Helping to influence the care of patients coming to the LGI and supporting staff to be effective in their roles.

Sometimes I’m frustrated by the communication with the wards. Some of the work we’ve been doing in theatres has been trying to improve this.

How did you get to be a PeriOperative Practitioner?

What’s your best advice to a new starter at the Trust?

I began as a Domestic Supervisor at St James’s. I was sent on a management course and heard an Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) explain his role. I thought: “That’s what I want to be.”

Make yourself as open as possible to any experience that theatres can give you. We do some amazing work within LGI theatres so take every opportunity to talk to people with skills and learn everything you can.

So I took a role as a Support

Smart new look for Dietetic Service Dietitians and Dietetic assistants supporting adult and children’s services are now sporting a new look in distinctive uniforms.

These help patients to easily identify them and provides a

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professional image for the service.

tunics or dresses.

Dietitians are wearing white tunics with purple trim or purple polo shirts with blue trousers or white dresses with purple, and Dietetic assistants are in white

To make a referral to the Dietetic Service, please use the referral forms which can be found on the Nutrition and Dietetic intranet website.

www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

News

European showcase for Leeds robotic surgery

Sharing expertise: Tony Loftus teaching the principles of the robot to delegates.

Paediatric surgeons from across Europe travelled to Leeds for the inaugural European Robotic surgery workshop directed by Mr Azad Najmaldin, who was the first to use these facilities in Leeds in the early years of robotics.

Mr Najmaldin pioneered the use of the daVinci Robot back in 2006 and he has now been joined by two more surgeons at LGI undertaking paediatric robotic surgery.

At the workshop, delegates with an interest in adopting this technologically advanced system in their own centres, attended keynote lectures from experts here in Leeds and abroad and saw the robotics being demonstrated first hand.

Robotic trainer, Tony Loftus, said: “The attendees had four robotic stations to get their hands on and practice in basic use of the system to suturing in a mock

surgery set up.

“There were also keynote lectures on future innovative aspects of imaging from engineers discussing their projects currently being undertaken in Imperial College and Boston, Massachusetts.”

Mr Najmaldin said: “We were delighted with the success of the workshop. It truly was an international affair with delegates from all over the world including South Carolina, Denmark, and Italy, all sharing their expertise.

“The second great outcome of the day was a valuable collaboration between Leeds Teaching Hospitals and Imperial Hospital in London.

Imperial Hospital has recently opened a state of the art training facility called the Hamlyn Centre for Robotic surgery and is mainly geared towards adult surgery.”

Pioneering work: Mr Azad Najmaldin

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News

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk

New clinical lead for organ donation Dr Simon Flood took on the role of clinical lead for organ donation at St James’s earlier this year, having joined the Trust as a consultant in anaesthesia and critical care in July 2012.

Hannah’s posters raise awareness of organ donation

Working alongside Dr Justin McKinley, clinical lead for organ donation at LGI, and the organ donation specialist nurses, his role is to facilitate the gift of donation within the Trust. The team are supported in this by a wider Organ Donation Committee chaired by Dr Ed Moss.

Simon commented: “Although the general public strongly support donation and nearly a third have registered their desire to donate an organ after death, because few people die in circumstances compatible with donation there is a long waiting list for organ transplants and on average three people die every day whilst waiting for an organ such as a kidney, heart or liver.

“My role as clinical lead for organ donation is to try and ensure that when a patient who wishes to be an organ donor dies in circumstances potentially compatible with donation that they are given the opportunity to fulfil that wish. All good end-of-life care should take account of the patient’s wishes and in addition up to nine others may benefit from that individual becoming a donor.

“The role has a large educational component and as a team we provide a lecture on diagnosing death and organ donation to medical students in their fourth year, have produced an electronic learning package for trainee doctors and support nursing staff in critical care and emergency medicine.”

If anyone would like to know more about organ donation please get in touch through the intensive care unit on 69154.

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On message: Specialist organ donation nurses (l to r) Rachel Wiseman, Geraldine Homes and Cathy Jordan with Hannah Lead for Organ Donation, and Hannah’s mum, Claire Whitaker.

Young kidney transplant patient Hannah Whitaker is helping to spread the word about the importance of organ donation thanks to a duo of colourful posters which are now being displayed around our hospitals.

Hannah, aged 13, received a liverelated kidney from her father, a fact which highlights the scarcity of available organs in the UK. Live-related donation is now a regular occurrence for renal and liver patients waiting for a transplant at the Trust.

While she was recovering on the children’s ward her play specialist helped her to design and create the colourful posters, which were displayed on the

ward art wall.

They are based on the popular “Keep Calm” posters but with an organ donation twist, so the messages are

“…increase awareness, encourage conversations and maintain momentum of organ donation within LTHT.” “Keep calm and donate an organ” and “Keep calm and give a gift of life”.

Rachel Wiseman, one of the Specialist

www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

News

Planning for the end of life An independent review of the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) is proposing that a new, national endof-life care plan is introduced in the coming months. In the meantime, the Specialist Palliative Care Team is keen to support ward staff who may be feeling uncertain about how to plan end-of-life care for patients.

staff and offering additional wardbased and intranet resources.

The work is part of a wider ‘Improving End-of-Life Care’ project, which is supported by the Trust’s quality, safety and efficiency initiative (formerly Managing for Success).

The team is encouraging ward staff to continue with the LCP until the new national end-of-life care plan becomes available and is backing this with other ways to help them deliver the highest quality care.

As always, our priority is the needs of dying patients and their families and any work with them must be supported by good communication and the written information on the LCP and end-of-life care that can be found on the wards.

These include training sessions on the principles of good end-of-life care; producing an interim nursing plan for patients who are dying; continuing with training for medical and nursing

If you would like more information about palliative care at the Trust, or have any suggestions on how the team can support you, contact the End-of-Life Care Facilitators on extension: 66161.

Whitaker, Neoma Jacobs, Play specialist, Simon Flood, Clinical

Nurses for Organ Donation in the Trust, spotted this artwork and thought it would be great to use for a local publicity campaign within LTHT. With permission from Hannah and her family, the LTHT Organ Donation Team secured some funding from NHS Blood and Transplant and had the original posters made into larger posters suitable to be displayed around both hospital sites.

They will now be distribute in as many public areas as possible within the Trust as part of the team’s local publicity campaign, the aim of which is to increase awareness, encourage conversations and maintain momentum of organ donation within LTHT.

High quality care: (l-r) Elizabeth Rees, Specialist palliative care team leader, Claire Iwaniszak, Chris Stothard and Kathryn Gibson, End-of-Life Care facilitators, and Dr Suzanne Kite, Consultant in Palliative Medicine.

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Farewell

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Jan Tucker

The Trust bids a fond farewell to those who retired from the Trust recently, including: Staff nurse, Ann Norman, who is hanging up her nurse’s uniform after over 30 years working at the Trust.

Ann spent most of her career working within Gynaecology Colleagues said: “Ann is passionate about nursing and this has always been apparent when providing care for her patients. She will probably be most remembered for her work with the menopause patients whom she had a great interest in, and gave a great deal of her time to. She has also gone over and above her duty as a nurse attending meetings in her own time with patients that have Gynaecological cancers.”

“We would all like to wish Ann all the very best for her future and hope she enjoys her well deserved retirement!”

Senior Midwife, Jan Tucker retired after a 26 year association with the Trust.

She started her nursing training back in 1977 at the LGI, and her midwifery training five years later and hasn’t looked back since.

Jan, who joined the team at St James’s as Sister in 1987, said: “I have been lucky to work with such forward thinking progressive midwives. I’m sad to leave but am looking forward to spending time in the garden and with family and friends.

Colleagues said: “Jan will be really really missed at St James’s and was a valued member of the team. It just won’t be the same without her!!!”

Jane Hewitt, Matron for Jubilee and Clarendon Wing Theatres, has also retired from the Trust after 19 years.

Jane joined LTHT from Pinderfields as a Sister in the then Gilbert Scott Theatres Recovery.

She was one of the main organisers of moving Gilbert Scott recovery into Jubilee Wing along with the rest of theatres. A few years later she was involved in commissioning Moynihan Theatre Suite. Jane went on to become the Theatre Co-ordinator and eventually Theatre Matron.

“We wish her well in her new adventures and know she is looking forward to spending time with her grandchildren and family. Good Luck Jane from all in Theatres”, said colleagues.

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www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

News

MPs mark 65th birthday of the NHS Local MPs marked the 65th anniversary of the foundation of the National Health Service, including the handover of a ceremonial birthday card here at LTHT to celebrate the milestone.

In the run up to the anniversary date, Ed Balls MP visited Leeds Cancer Centre staff and patients in the Bexley Wing.

Mr Balls cut a birthday cake and invited staff and visitors to sign a giant 65th birthday card to the NHS. A birthday gala organised by UNISON in Millennium Square saw hundreds of people learning more about NHS services and signing to show their support for the NHS as it commemorated the creation of a universal, publicly funded healthcare service.

On the anniversary day itself Hilary Benn MP attended a ceremony in the historic Gilbert Scott building to hand over the best wishes of thousands of local people who signed to show their support for the NHS. Trust Chair Linda Pollard received the card on behalf of the Board and staff at our Trust, along with the Chairs of other NHS organisations in the city.

Training team strikes gold The Informatics Education, Training and Development Team has been highly praised for the quality of its training by a national body.

The team have been awarded the status of ‘Gold Accredited Learning Provider’ by the Learning and Performance Institute following an assessment of their work over the summer.

The award acknowledges their ‘commitment to high quality and process improvement in the provision of learning, development and training services to clients’.

As a Provider, the team are able to train in other organisations in Leeds and further afield to complement the Trust’s regional and partnership working.

The assessor from the Institute said: ”You really have done some amazing work and should be very proud of all your achievements” Team members are Janet Geater, Dawn Gillon, Geoff Woodhead, Su Howker-

Proud moment: The team with their certificate.

Whyte, Deep Bhamra and Stuart Robinson. They are managed by Jane Gaskell and Clare Green.

Visit the IT training pages of the

intranet to find out about courses on offer and how to book. For all other queries, call x26371 or email ITTraining@leedsth.nhs.uk.

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Research

| www.leedsth.nhs.uk

Research successes Decade of success for research project One of the largest research studies into the risk factors surrounding the development and progression of abdominal aortic aneurysms celebrated its tenth anniversary recently.

The Leeds Aneurysm Development Study (LEADS), run by Prof Julian Scott and based at the LGI and University of Leeds, aims to identify new underlying mechanisms of disease to aid the development of new therapeutics.

It was started in 2003 as part of the MD project of Mr Hamad Al-Barjas and has progressed over the last decade under the leadership of Prof Scott to become one of the largest repositories of data and tissue samples pertaining to AAA in the world, with over 1300 participants.

Today the LEADS team consists of Prof Julian Scott (Primary Investigator), Anne Johnson (Lead Research Nurse), Soroush Sohrabi (NIHR Clinical Lecturer), Kathryn Griffin (BHF Research Fellow), Marc Bailey (BHF Research Fellow), Katherine Bridge (BHF Research Fellow), Fraser Macrae (Laboratory Technician), Tom Flemming (Data Manager) Prof Scott said: “With any research project the results are only as good as the team involved. I am proud of the team we have here and what we have achieved together.”

The LEADS study has gone from

LGI researches childhood cancer Leeds General Infirmary is one of two centres nationally taking part in a trial looking into chemotherapy for young adults with recurring or resistant neuroblastoma.

The BEACON-neuroblastoma trial, run by Cancer Research UK, will also investigate whether blocking the growth of new blood vessels

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Major achievement: Prof Julian Scott with Lead research nurse, Anne Johnson.

strength to strength over the last ten years and now represents one of the biggest repositories of AAA related data, not only in the UK but worldwide. In addition to the volume of data we have generated, the quality has remained extremely high, due predominantly to the tireless efforts of Anne, who is the cornerstone of the project.”

Not only has the LEADS study yielded some fantastic academic papers and presentations over the years, it has fostered a new generation of supplying the tumours can enhance this treatment.

Neuroblastoma is the most common childhood tumour occurring outside the brain. It develops from nerve cells left over from a baby’s development in the womb and there are around 100 children diagnosed with the cancer each year in the UK. Despite the number of children surviving neuroblastoma rising

academic vascular surgery trainees, from undertaking SSC projects at the medical school through to taking up academic foundation posts and clinical fellowships and lectureships, based on LEADS data.”

The study is continuing to recruit patients to allow us to learn more about the abnormalities identified in clot structure/function and vascular smooth muscle cell behaviour and moving towards identifying novel treatment targets within these areas. from 17% in 1971 to 64% today, the aggressive form of the disease is still very hard to treat successfully.

The study is being run by the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit in Birmingham and as well as LGI also involved is the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.

www.leedsth.nhs.uk |

60 seconds

60 seconds What do you do to wind down and relax after a hard week at work?

It usually involves eating and drinking wine. I live near Harrogate and so this gives me plenty of choices for nice bars and restaurants.

What is your ideal holiday destination and why?

Somewhere hot and sunny - Southern Italy...

Sardinia, Puglia and Sicily are favourites. I’ve also just completed my 3rd year of an Italian language course and so it gives me a chance to practise my “pidgin Italian”

What is your favourite food?

Diane Spalding, Facilities Dietitian (Patient Catering) Diane has worked as a Dietitian within the Patient Catering team in the Facilities department for 2 ½ years.

I would always choose fish with some nice fresh vegetables.... and of course real Italian gelato.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I only ever remember wanting to be either a dietitian or a pilot. My father used to be a pilot and he also taught me chemistry which was a big

influence on me. At school I preferred science subjects and had an interest in learning about the science of food which led me into choosing to be a dietitian.

What is your favourite film?

It’s difficult to choose a single film. I don’t like films with any violence. However I have always enjoyed Tintin stories and I thought the ‘The Adventures of Tintin – the Secret of the Unicorn’ film made recently was fantastic with amazing effects, particularly Snowy the dog!

I was completely enthralled and can’t wait for the next one to come out.

Tell us something we don’t know about you …

I’ve been flying gliders and have held a private pilot’s licence for the last 30 years. I fly most weekends and do a lot of glider towing, mainly for gliding competitions around the country. As my father told me lots of exciting stories about flying when I was young it was something I always wanted to do.

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