Trust in the Future Winter 2015

future trust in the

The newsletter for members of UHB NHS Foundation Trust

Winter 2015

14 New research facility opens

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Dave Horton talks hospital radio

A boost for cancer patients

Editorial

Welcome

CONTACT US Got a question? You can call the membership team on: 0121 371 4323 or email: members@uhb.nhs.uk.

You can also visit the membership pages on the Trust website: www.uhb.nhs.uk

CONTACT PALS If you would like to give constructive feedback, compliments or make a complaint about our hospital services, please speak to a member of the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) who will be happy to help.

Drop in to the PALS office anytime between 09:00-16:30, Monday to Friday (no appointment necessary).

The PALS Office is situated to the left of the Information Desk.

Telephone: 0121 371 3280 between 09:00-17:00, Monday-Friday Email: PALS@uhb.nhs.uk UHB NHS Foundation Trust has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does UHB NHS Foundation Trust endorse any of the products or services.

Every possible care has been taken to ensure that the information given in this publication is accurate. Whilst the publisher would be grateful to learn of any errors, it cannot accept any liability over and above the cost of the advertisement for loss there by caused. No reproduction by any method whatsoever of any part of this publication is permitted without written consent of the copyright owners.

Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd. ©2014.

Britannic Chambers, 8a Carlton Road, Worksop, Notts. S80 1PH. Tel: 01909 478822

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Dear Members, You will see as you flick through this edition that we have seen some exciting developments over the last few months here at QEHB. In July we opened the Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM); a research facility which will bring together a host of expertise from the world of academia, medicine and business enabling us to accelerate clinical trials and develop more tailored treatments for patients.

You may well have seen the project unfold over recent months as the builders transformed part of the original QE, recently renamed the Heritage Building, into this new facility which will contribute towards the creation of around 2,000 new high value jobs in life sciences and related areas, in the years to come.

Research is very important for us at QEHB - in a hospital like ours, we see some of the most seriously injured people so it’s crucial to understand how to treat and rehabilitate people and to develop the most innovative techniques and clinical skills possible.

But that’s not the only expansion to our services in recent months. In August we launched a new sexual health service called Umbrella (see page 6). This new service is the result of nearly two years’ work and it takes a completely different approach to delivering sexual health services. For the first time primary care i.e.

GPs, specialist clinics, pharmacists, community health services and the

third sector are working together in a joined-up manner to provide better access to sexual health care, which means more people than ever before will be able to get the advice and treatment they need.

Finally I would like to thank all of you who made a nomination for this year’s Best in Care Awards. Over 500 nominations were received, smashing the previous record by more than 150. I’m sure you will join me in wishing all the finalists this year, the very best of luck.

Jacqui Smith Chair

A new look for

Winter 2015 Take a look at what’s inside your Winter edition of Trust in the Future

Features 30-year wait over David Dawson gets new kidney

World’s smallest pacemaker Elsie Day makes history

Simply superb!

UHB’s Customer Care Awards winners revealed

Cancer patients get a boost Pamper day for patients on Ward 622

New research facility opens Institute of Translational Medicine

Hey Mr DJ put that record on!

Dave Horton on Hospital Radio

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plus all this...

Sexual health service launched Smethwick Dialysis Centre New name for Old QE

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David Dawson’s long wait for new A renal patient’s 30-year wait for a new kidney is over after a successful transplant at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

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he 52-year-old from Milton, Stoke-on-Trent, had given up hope of ever getting a suitable donor organ after one failed transplant in 1984.

“I had accepted that I would be dialysing for the rest of my life,” he said. “It’s absolutely brilliant, I’m on a high right now. The operation went well, I’m feeling well and the doctors are pleased with me.”

When the transplant co-ordinator called David at 4.00am on Tuesday, June 30, he nearly didn’t answer because he thought it would be a crank call. But 12 hours later he was in a theatre undergoing the operation he’d been dreaming of for three decades.

“I just wondered who the hell could be calling so early,” he said.

“But the phone went three or four times and I eventually decided to go downstairs and answer it.

“It was QE transplant coordinator Sheryl Parsons. She told me they had a possible match and that I needed to get to Birmingham as quickly as I could.

“Tissue typing and crossmatching had to be done at that stage and I had to go on dialysis for four hours when I arrived. Just before I came off that the coordinator came and said it was a match and I just broke down and cried.”

David’s kidney problems only came to light when he went for a routine medical as a 16-year-old.

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“I wasn’t ill before I was diagnosed. I just went for a medical before starting a job and the urine test showed some blood. That’s when it all started,” he said.

David underwent a transplant at North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary in 1984 but that kidney failed after nine months and he had been waiting for a second chance ever since. He was believed to be among the longest waiters in the country.

“You see other people getting transplants after a matter of months and you get to a point where you think, this is not going to happen.

“But the message I would give to people in the same position now is to never give up hope, never say never. It can happen no matter how long you’ve been waiting.”

David is now looking forward to enjoying a more normal life.

“I’ll be a lot fitter and free from the dialysis, which has taken up three days of my life every week,” he said. “The problem will be finding things to do with myself now.”

The former jewellery repairer can’t wait to start enjoying some of the foods he has not been able to enjoy.

“I’ll be able to go and have a pint now,” he said. “But, believe it or not, I’m really looking forward to having a banana and one of the first things I intend to do is to have a Costa coffee because I’ve never

had one – they weren’t about 30 years ago!”

Consultant renal surgeon Clare Pattenden, who performed David’s transplant, said: “About a third of patients waiting for a donor kidney are considered significantly sensitised. This means they have high antibody levels that react to foreign tissue (or a transplanted organ). If you have high antibody levels it is harder to match that patient to a donor kidney.

“People develop antibodies as a response to exposure to foreign tissue, such as a previous transplant, a blood transfusion, significant infection or pregnancy.

Relatively few highly sensitised patients receive a transplant and they wait significantly longer than unsensitised patients for a compatible donor.

“The scoring system for sensitisation is expressed as a percentage and David was 97% sensitised. That means he had antibodies to approximately 97% of the population. Understandably that made it difficult to find a compatible kidney.

“Obviously David being offered a kidney for the first time in nearly 30 years was remarkable considering this and transplanting him gave us all great joy. For a man to wait so long and remain in such good health is a clear demonstration of his excellent ongoing renal care from the Stoke Nephrology team.

30-year kidney ends

“There are hundreds of highly sensitised patients in this country waiting in similar states, many of whom will never receive a transplant and either become too unfit or die on the waiting list.

“The message is simple: more patients will have the opportunity to receive a life-changing transplant if more people join the organ donation register.”

To join the NHS Organ

Donation Register go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk or telephone 0300 123 23 23.

Anyone can register. Age isn’t a barrier to being an organ or tissue donor and neither are most medical conditions. One donor can save or transform up to nine lives and many more can be helped through the donation of tissues.

City patients move to Smethwick

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taff at Smethwick Dialysis Centre welcomed more than 60 new patients to the new facility as part of the phased opening programme.

The move, which was completed on 3 August, saw dialysis patients from City Hospital transfer to SDC along with their dedicated nursing team.

Gabby Kelly, Lead Nurse at Smethwick Dialysis Centre said: “We are delighted to be joined by the patients and staff who previously attended the City unit – the transition has gone very smoothly and the patients have settled in well.

“This is the first expansion of the activity at Smethwick so it was a very exciting time for me and the rest of the Assure team.”

Smethwick Dialysis Centre, which opened its doors in June, boasts eight isolation rooms for patients returning from holiday dialysis, research facilities, a 30-seater seminar room and a home haemodialysis training area.

For more information about Smethwick Dialysis Centre visit www.assuredialysis.co.uk.

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Umbrella sets out to become the biggest sexual health service in the world UHB is now delivering sexual health services across Birmingham and Solihull.

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he Trust was awarded a five-year contract by Birmingham City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Council.

The new model of care went live on August 10 and is called Umbrella. It focuses on health promotion and preventative care for patients.

Umbrella is a unique partnership of local providers, including NHS clinics, almost 100 pharmacists, GPs and third sector partners.

UHB previously provided the majority of sexual health services in Birmingham via the Whittall Street Clinic and Boots in the city centre, has expanded the number of clinics to eight across Birmingham and Solihull in order to deliver Umbrella.

Umbrella will offer an expansion of clinical care from specialist clinics into primary care (83 pharmacies and general practices).

The aim is to deliver better sexual health outcomes by providing people with the knowledge to avoid unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease (STI) and HIV, and to know how to seek help if they are experiencing sexual coercion or violence.

The key targets in year one are: ■ Reduction in under 18 conceptions and abortions ■ Increased chlamydia diagnosis rates in the 15-24 age group ■ Reduction in late HIV diagnosis Every person is a potential service-user but priority audiences initially are: ■ Men who have sex with men (MSM), who suffer disproportionately from high rates of STI and HIV, and are a key group who require improved interventions.

■ Young people: another group at high risk of poor sexual health outcomes including the highest rates of chlamydia infection. This 15-24 year old demographic includes vulnerable young people, looked after children (LACs), young offenders, and those not in employment, education or training (NEETs).

■ Service users who may have been victims of sexual exploitation, coercion and violence.

It is hoped that improved access to services generally will result in: ■ Increased provision of effective contraception (especially longacting reversible methods) will result in reduced under 18 conceptions and abortions (including repeat abortions).

■ Increased testing, will lead to increased chlamydia diagnosis rates in the 15-24 age group and reduced late HIV diagnoses.

■ Prompt access to diagnosis and treatment, supplemented by partner notification, health promotion and individual behavioural interventions within clinics to address high risk sexual behaviour and alcohol or substance misuse problems, will result in less repeat STIs and less transmission of HIV, STIs and blood borne viruses (BBV) within the population.

■ An increased number of providers who are more aware of the issue will increase identification of, and support for, victims of sexual exploitation.

To find out more about the new service visit umbrellahealth.co.uk 6

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96-year-old Elsie Day fitted with world’s smallest pacemaker The 96-year-old QEHB patient has become one of the first patients in the UK to be fitted with the cutting-edge device.

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lsie was implanted with the Medtronic Micra by consultant cardiologists Professor Francisco Leyva and Dr Howard Marshall on June 30 here at QEHB as the hospital continues Birmingham’s pioneering history in heart surgery and pacemaker technology.

After a successful procedure she was looking forward to getting back to her Bournville home, where she looks after husband Ernest, who was 103 in July and has already had a traditional pacemaker fitted at QEHB. The tiny Medtronic Micra was inserted via Mrs Day’s inner thigh and threaded through veins until it reached her heart, where it will help to regulate her heartbeat.

The £6,000 torpedo-shaped device has been under development for a number of years. Successful trials have been carried out in the United States, Germany and at Southampton General Hospital, but it has only recently become generally available to patients in the UK. Traditional pacemakers are inserted under the skin in the chest and connected to the heart via a lead but this new device can be implanted directly to the heart, removing the need for any wires or leads.

Professor Leyva said: “This new pacemaker has a number of benefits for the patient.

“The implantation procedure is a lot less intrusive and, once in place, the lack of any wires drastically reduces the risk of complications or infections developing.

“This is really the first generation of a whole new type of pacemaker that will be used in the future. It represents the transformation of heart pace-making.”

The Lucas-Abrams Pacemaker and the Medtronic Micra

Mrs Day was delighted with her new pacemaker, although admitted to being a little puzzled by the cutting-edge technology.

“I feel very happy about it,” she said. “It’s in now, and I think it will make such a difference for me when it settles down.

“When the doctor first told me about the operation I wondered how it would get from my leg up to my heart but he explained everything to me. Everyone has been so lovely, very kind and caring.”

Before the implant Mrs Day’s failing heart had led to difficulties getting around, dizziness and falls – one resulting in a fractured skull which was also treated at QEHB. Birmingham has a reputation for leading the way in heart surgery stretching back 65 years.

In 1950, the first hole-in-theheart surgery was carried out at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and in 1960 Queen Elizabeth Hospital surgeon Leon Abrams - who established open heart surgery - fitted the first variable-pace pacemaker, which took the form of a small box outside the body.

Daughter Gillian said the pacemaker would allow her mother to retain her independence.

“Mum and Dad live alone and she is effectively Dad’s sole carer,” she said. “Being independent is important to her and everyone at the hospital understood that and how much this pacemaker would mean to her.”

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Customer Care Aw After much consideration the votes are in. The latest winners of UHB’s quarterly Customer Care Awards are revealed.

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he awards enable patients, relatives, colleagues and others to nominate individual staff or teams who have gone that extra mile to have a positive impact on the experience of patients and their families.

Lauren Inett, a bank nurse on the Clinical Decision Unit, and Head and Neck clinical nurse specialist Simone Kelly both won Individual Clinical awards.

Clare Palmer, cardiac surgery medical secretaries team leader, and housekeeper Emile Sullivan were recognised in the Individual Non-Clinical category, while team awards went to Clinical Haematology and Chemotherapy services.

Lauren was nominated by Greg Duddy after his mother-in-law was admitted to the CDU. “Lauren showed us tremendous care and compassion at a critical time for my mother-in-law,” he

Lauren Inett

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said. “It was 5.00am and we were potentially confronting her death.

“Lauren gave us her attention and thoughtful care, which made all the difference. The treatment we received is exemplary of how everyone would wish the NHS to be.”

Simone’s name was put forward by the wife and daughter of patient John Burns.

Wife Denise said: “Simone has been a great help to my husband, myself and our children since John’s cancer diagnosis.

“She has lifted us when we were at our lowest. She is a fantastic member of your team.”

Clare Palmer was nominated by patient Bridget Hathaway.

“It was a real surprise to have won this award,” she said. “It was lovely of the patient who nominated me.

“For her to take the time to do that is quite humbling, particularly as I’m a non-clinical member of staff. I was just doing my job!”

Simone Kelly

Forty-one colleagues on Ambulatory Care signed the nomination form for housekeeper Emile Sullivan in recognition of his diligent work and positive attitude.

Emile said: “I would like to thank all the staff in Ambulatory Care and Theatres for the nomination and for making my role a rewarding one.”

The Clinical Haematology Outpatients department were nominated by patient of three years Alice Bloor, who was particularly impressed by the telephone support the team offered.

“The clinic provides a leaflet giving names of staff and telephone numbers to contact if a patient has problems at home,” she said.

“I have used the telephone on a couple of occasions and been given prompt and appropriate responses.

This is a very reassuring service.”

Patient Irene Jarrett praised the hard work and dedication of the Chemotherapy team.

ward winners

Cust mer

Care Awards

“It was a real surprise to have won this award.

It was lovely of the patient who nominated me. For her to take the time to do that is quite humbling, particularly as I’m a non-clinical member of staff. I was just doing my job!”

Award winner Clare Palmer “Staff are warm and friendly and make you feel at ease,” she said.

“They are always ready to answer questions. Nothing is too much trouble.”

Ward manager Andrea Fernyhough said: “I am very proud of the whole team. They all work very hard to deliver the best care to all our patients.”

The awards were presented by Executive Chief Nurse Philip Norman.

The Chemotherapy Team

Above: Clinical Haematology.

Left: Clare Palmer

Emile Sullivan who received 40 nominations

www.uhb.nhs.uk n Winter 2015

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Local students give patients a boost on a QEHB cancer ward Cancer patients enjoyed some serious pampering when 12 hairdressing and beauty therapy students from Bournville College visited their ward.

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he beauty session for patients on Ward 622 was organised by ward manager Delphine Beddall and administrator Tracy Hands with help from course team leader at Bournville College Becci Nicholls, The students spent four hours on the ward with all 36 patients being offered the chance to receive free haircuts; head, hand and neck massages; manicures and pedicures - a welcome distraction from their cancer treatment.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity

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Delphine said: “The patients really enjoyed the visit. Spirits were raised and the students gave everyone a real boost with the treatments they were able to offer.

“We would like to pass on our thanks to Becci Nicholls and all of the students for so generously giving their time to brighten up the day for our patients.”

But it was not just the patients who felt the benefit of this pamper day.

Student Gemma Welford said: “It was a real pleasure to be able to

cheer up the patients. I get enjoyment out of making people happy.

“Visits like this are also a nice opportunity for us to gain more experience, and help to build our confidence.”

The pamper day was just the first of two treats for patients on Ward 622.

After getting ‘all glammed up’ the patients enjoyed some live fifties and sixties music the next day, performed by talented local musicians Emma and Sophie Skip.

Funding research. Providing equipment.

Find out how you can help at www.qehb.org

New research centre opens at QE A landmark research facility which aims to speed up clinical trials is launched.

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he Institute of Translational Medicine – a £24 million new research facility - opened in the Heritage Building (Queen Elizabeth Hospital) in July.

It offers world-class facilities that connect patients with clinicians and trials teams embedded in personalised medicine.

The institute will speed up the rate at which research can improve patient treatments and outcomes by using a multi-disciplinary, highlycollaborative approach.

Recent insights into the basic biology of human disease have generated a wave of new diagnostics, drugs and devices. The work of the ITM will ensure the rapid and cost-effective assessment of these new drugs, medical devices and diagnostics to quickly bring them to market and frontline clinical use.

Personalised medicine (also known as stratified medicine) is recognised as a key global priority for healthcare providers, pharmaceutical and diagnostic industries and patients.

The approach subdivides patients into groups based on their risk of developing specific diseases or their response to particular therapies, offering the ‘right treatment, for the right person, at the right time’.

As part of the ITM, a dedicated clinical facility the Centre for Rare Diseases (CfRD), will open in Autumn 2015.

Its dedicated patient care coordinators will arrange highlyorganised, one-stop clinics where patients can undergo pre-planned diagnostic tests and see all specialists relevant to their care in one visit, cutting the burden of travel for multiple consultations on different dates.

Within the CfRD there is a Resource Room which has been funded by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity and provides a relaxing space for patients and their carers to spend time between appointments.

In addition to the benefits for patients, the ITM will offer opportunities to develop a postgraduate training programme in translational medicine alongside joint NHS/private sector scientific and professional development courses and create in excess of 2,000 high-value jobs long-term in clinical trials, diagnostics and Life Science industries.

The ITM is delivered by Birmingham Health Partners, a collaboration which brings together the clinical, scientific and academic excellence of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), the University of Birmingham (UoB) and Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (BCH).

A new name for an iconic building

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he original Queen Elizabeth Hospital has been officially renamed the Heritage Building (Queen Elizabeth Hospital).

The change was made to coincide with the opening of the Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM), a new research facility which has been developed within the same building.

The ‘Heritage’ name was chosen through popular demand following consultation with staff at a series of forums. It reflects the history, pride and affection in which the QE is held while acknowledging that the hospital is still very much open for business and delivering the best in care.

Dame Julie Moore, Trust Chief Executive said: “When the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham opened in 2010, the original QE hospital was referred to as the ‘old’ hospital.

“The intention then was that all our patients would be treated within the new hospital. However, as numbers have increased we have coped by refurbishing areas of the original hospital to make sure we don’t have to turn anyone away or cancel so many operations because of capacity.

“We want to ensure that all patients, their families and potential patients feel that they are being treated on a par with those in QEHB. “By changing the name of the QEH and moving away from the ‘old’ association, we aim to send a message that everyone will receive the best in care, whatever building they come to.”

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UHB NHS Foundation Trust has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does UHB NHS Foundation Trust endorse any of the products or services.

Every possible care has been taken to ensure that the information given in this publication is accurate. Whilst the publisher would be grateful to learn of any errors, it cannot accept any liability over and above the cost of the advertisement for loss there by caused. No reproduction by any method whatsoever of any part of this publication is permitted without written consent of the copyright owners. Octagon Marketing Company Ltd. Š2015. Hawks Nest Cottage, Great North Road, Bawtry, Doncaster DN10 6AB

Hospital radio veteran, Dave Horton has dream job at BHBN

Dave, a 60-year-old father of three, joined the city-wide hospital radio station in 1983 and is still going strong 32 years later.

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rowing up in Northfield in the sixties and seventies Dave Horton, like most youngsters, was a lover of popular music and avidly listened to all the big radio shows of the day.

But while for most their interest would stretch to making the odd mix-tape and buying their favourite singles, Dave’s passion ran deeper.

He wanted to be spinning the discs himself and was soon travelling across Birmingham providing the soundtrack to countless nights out with his mobile disco.

Dave, though, dreamed of sharing his passion for pop over the airwaves – just like his hero Tony Blackburn.

And that wish came true when, at the second time of asking, he successfully applied to be one of the disc jockeys with Birmingham Hospital Broadcast Network.

“I have always loved music and

being a DJ was, obviously, the big attraction to join,” says Dave. “But it’s gone past that for me now. BHBN is, as my wife would say, the third person in our relationship.

“It just gets into your blood. It has been going for more than 60 years and, as a director, you feel you’ve got to keep it going.”

Having started in 1952 in the back room of a pub in Moseley the station has moved its headquarters several times and seen many changes to the structure of the NHS and the major hospitals in Birmingham.

Now based in studios in the Heritage Building, it is on air 24 hours a day, with seven hours of dedicated live programmes each weekday and more at the weekends, broadcasting to QEHB, Women’s, City, Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals.

As well as bedside services in most of the hospitals it serves the station

can also be heard via its website www.bhbn.net and the TuneIn Radio app on smartphones and tablets.

BHBN has also been a significant stepping stone on the road to success for some notable broadcasting names, including the National Lottery’s ‘Voice of the Balls’ Alan Dedicoat and former BRMB, Heart FM and BBC WM presenter Phil Upton.

“We have changed with the times and are certainly growing, the internet is helping that,” says Dave. “But I would like to see us continue to expand.

■ BHBN is a registered charity and donations can be made using the MyDonate button on the station’s website.

■ For requests and dedications call 0121 471 4774, text 07519 694698 or email request@bhbn. net.

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Cancer treatment room re-opens after a £1.5 million refit Cancer patients at the Trust are benefiting from the £1.5 million refurbishment project to dramatically improve their treatment environment.

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reatment room seven in the radiotherapy department reopened in March after a ninemonth refit including the installation of one of the first Elekta Versa HD linear accelerator machines in the region.

The Elekta Versa HD Linac can deliver a dose of radiation in a much shorter time than a conventional radiotherapy machine, increasing the number of patients that can be treated each day.

It also has the most advanced imaging system available which allows tracking of a tumour’s motion during treatment by performing a daily CT scan.

Any movement can then be taken into account as this image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) helps to reduce

the amount of radiation given to normal tissues, which in turn reduces some of the long-term side effects for patients.

“This equipment offers the most advanced technology available, designed to improve patient care and treat a broader spectrum of cancers with high-precision beam shaping

and tumour targeting abilities,” said radiotherapy deputy manager Caroline Williams.

“Around 40 per cent of cancer patients have radiotherapy and here at UHB we are committed to having state-of-the-art technology for our patients.”

Wall art is also a prominent feature of the new treatment room as the radiotherapy team seek to make the environment as comfortable as possible for patients.

“As well as offering the highest quality and most advanced treatment available, we also place a strong emphasis on the patients’ experience and the striking art helps soften the impact of the large Linear accelerators,” added Caroline.

Health talk dates

Our free health talks are open to everyone, and there’s no need to book.

If you think you’d be interested in one of the talks listed below, please come along to Lecture Theatre 3 in the Education Centre, Level 1 at the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, on the date shown below.

Daytime talks 10:00 – Registration and coffee 10:30-12:00 – Health Talk Venue: Lecture Theatre 3, Level 1, Education Centre, QEHB

Evening Talks* 18:00 – Registration and coffee 18:30-20:00 – Health Talk Venue: Lecture Theatre 3, Level 1, Education Centre, QEHB

TOPIC DATE Eyes: Common conditions affecting sight - 23 September 2015 Stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) - 23 October 2015 How the brain works - 16 November 2015 Alcohol: the effects of drinking and support available - 16 December 2015 If there’s a topic you would like to hear about at our monthly health talks please email us at members@uhb.nhs.uk

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Annual General Meeting 21 Monday September, 18.00 - 20.00 Lecture Theatre 3, Education Centre, Level 1, QEHB

ADVERTORIAL

Setting the Standard Once again, West House School is celebrating the success of its most senior boys who have smashed previous records in their bid to enter Birmingham’s leading secondary schools. Eighteen of twenty four candidates have received offers from King Edward’s School, Birmingham, while twenty three boys have attained places at Birmingham’s Consortium of Grammar Schools.

Kareem Mehanna, Ram Rajesh and Ali Elsherbiny lead the roll of honour with scholarship awards to King Edward’s School, while Ram also achieved the highest score for boys admitted to King Edward VI, Camp Hill.

Headmaster and Old Boy of the school, Alistair Lyttle, commented “There is no doubt about it, the system of selection in which we operate is tough. A huge amount is expected of the boys and, to their credit, they have worked extremely hard this year. The results have mirrored this effort and I am delighted for the boys and the staff alike.”

Further academic success has come in the Mathematical Association Primary Maths Challenge, entered by over 77,000 children nationally. While the three King Edward’s scholars finished in the top 200 and received silver medals, Subhan Ahmed and Talha Ghauri were awarded bronze medals after finishing in the top 500.

“We are obviously delighted with the results of the challenge,” continued Mr Lyttle. “It is essential that we continue to set the highest academic standards alongside everything else that the school has to offer.”

West House School provides education for boys aged between four and eleven, and welcomes both boys and girls into its Early Years Department.

Inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate last summer, the school received ‘top marks’ with its Early Years Department being rated as outstanding and the overall quality of education judged to be excellent.

The school, founded in 1895 and occupying its original site in the leafy oasis of Edgbaston’s Calthorpe estate, has a long established reputation for educating some of Birmingham’s finest boys.

For further information, please contact Miss Kim Stevenson on 0121 440 4097.

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