December 2009

issue 15

Professor Brendan
Madden gets stuck in
Dr Foster Hospital Guide names St George’s as Large Trust of the Year
?
contents
Fraud and security
roadshow
2 Fraud and security roadshow
3 Dr Foster names St George’s as
Large Trust of the Year
3 A word from David
A joint Counter-fraud and Security roadshow has
4 Patient diary award
helped raise awareness of how staff can protect
4 Cluster to improve care
5 iCLIP
themselves and the NHS from crime.
5 Shaping future leaders
The roadshow was held in the
5 Oncology team of the year main entrance, Grosvenor Wing,
6 New cord blood unit opens last month and targeted staff

?
6 Just in time
7 Pioneering kidney transplant
7 St George’s showcases living
donor transplant programme
8 Spotlight on Hilary Johnson
members and the public.
Local Counter-fraud Specialist,
Pauline Lewis, reported a good
response: “People were surprised
that fraud and other crime does

?
9 Paul Murphy’s view from the top take place within the NHS. They
felt it was good to encourage
10 Lifetime achievement award for
Chair alertness and to know that we
are actively doing something
10 Restaurant renovations
about it.”
11 New and improved
For more information about
12 Sticky solution to deadly
lung problem fraud prevention at St George’s,
visit the Counter-fraud intranet
13 Foot care is strides ahead
pages. Here you will find details
13 Stamp of approval for patient Security Manager Neil Dowden raises awareness
of how to report a fraud, advice
passport of staff safety with Special Constable and Security
on how to register any gifts and staff member Daisy Gunesh
14 Trust staff are One Team
hospitality offered to you, and a
14 Celebrating staff link to the national NHS Counter-
15 Working in partnership fraud Service.
16 Charities update

the gazette is written and published by

the Communications Unit. The opinions
expressed do not necessarily represent
those of St George’s Healthcare NHS
Trust. The next edition will be published
February 2010. If you are a staff member
with a story for the gazette, please
email: communications@stgeorges.nhs.uk

Feature photography by Mark

Evenden, Media Services, St George’s
University of London.
Front page picture shows Professor

?
Brendan Madden. For full story, see

?
page 12.

Local Counter-fraud Specialist Pauline Lewis talks to Destina Asibuo of Ocean Ward and
Charlotte Cabrera and Ann Lee from the Day Surgery Unit

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2 the gazette

Large Trust of the Year
Dr Foster Intelligence, the publisher of
the Hospital Guide, has named
St George’s as its ‘Large Trust of the Year’.
Each year, Dr Foster Intelligence aims to give patients the
information they need to exercise choice of hospital with
its guide which is based on analysis of the routine
administrative data (Secondary Uses Service data) and
information collected directly from acute trusts in a self-
assessment survey.
St George’s was awarded one of the top scores and the
top ‘band 5’ rating across thirteen safety indicators. It
received 97.26 out of 100, making it joint third in a
ranking of participating trusts. Dr Foster recognises four
outstanding acute trusts, one overall winner and one trust
in three size categories – small, medium and large – and St
George’s took the title of ‘Large Trust of the Year’.
Chief Executive, David Astley, said: “This award is
recognition of the great strides that St George’s has made
in recent years. During 2009, our infection control rates
have been among the lowest of any London Teaching
Hospital and we were successful our bids to become a
major trauma unit and a hyper-acute stroke unit.
“The progress we have made would not have
been possible without the dedication of our
staff and is through their hard work and
commitment that the Trust continues to go
from strength to strength.”
Dr Foster’s Guide this year focused on patient safety and
St George’s has been recognised as being one of the five
leading Trusts in England in this area, as well as for
providing quality services for patients. The Guide reports
that St George’s has significantly lower than expected
mortality rates in a year (2008/09) when the overall
mortality rate improved.
St George’s was also highlighted as following best practice
for heart attack patients as it offers more than 90 per cent
of its patient primary angioplasty as an emergency
treatment.

Dr Foster is the UK’s market-leading
provider of information, analysis and
targeted communications to health and social
care organisations. The Hospital Guide can be
found at www.drfosterhealth.co.uk
A word
from David
As the gazette goes to press, the build up to
the festive season has begun and by the time
you read this, it will be well underway. There is a lot to
celebrate at this time of year, with Christmas and New
Year fast approaching, other feast days for major
religions to be observed, and three public Bank
Holidays to look forward to. Not all staff will be able to
have time off at Christmas and I would like to extend
my thanks to those staff who will be working over the
public holidays.
This edition of the gazette also has a lot of staff
celebration in it. It is great to see so many colleagues
being recognised for their ingenuity and excellence
by external organisations. Congratulations to the
individuals and teams who are getting the praise
they deserve.
It is also right that the Trust rewards staff who exceed
expectations. Our dinner for long-serving staff and
special achievement award winners last month was an
opportunity to do just that. It is always a real pleasure
to attend such events and speak to those who have
given so much to this Trust and its patients.
We can all be proud that St George’s has been named
‘Large Trust of the Year’ by Dr Foster, the publishers of
the hospital guide. I am delighted that this
independent survey of acute care has shown our
services here to be among the best in England. This
recognises the excellent work that has been done to
improve and maintain our infection control rates over
recent years. It reflects our very good mortality rates,
and the fact that we are providing cutting edge
services in many areas such as heart care and stroke.
Above all, it confirms to me that you, the St George’s
team, are some of the best people in the NHS. Many,
many patients experience fantastic care here and this is
a wonderful pat on the back for those who provide it.
My very best wishes for Christmas
and for all that lies ahead in 2010.
the gazette 3
Fpatient care

Patient diary
wins Nursing
Standard
Award
Jo Johnson, Neuro-oncology
Clinical Nurse Specialist, has won a
Nursing Standard award for her
contribution to the development
of a diary for cancer patients.

W
ith her co-developer, Catherine
Oakley, Chemotherapy Nurse
Consultant at Guys and St
Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Jo
collected her award for Best Practice in
Medication Administration at a dinner at
The Dorchester Hotel in November. The
pair have also been shortlisted for the
National Patient Safety Awards 2010.
Jo and Catherine won the award for an
oral chemotherapy diary that they
developed, tested and implemented as
part of their Master’s degree.
The diary is designed to help patients stick
to a routine for taking medication,
encourage them to report any symptoms
early, and promote self-care. “Medication
diaries do exist, but they are generally
produced by the drug companies and so
usually relate to the drugs that that
particular company produces,“ says Jo.
“We really wanted to produce something
that was generic so it can be used by all
our patients, and even span over other
specialist areas of care.”
Jo Johnson with her award
Once Jo and Catherine had developed the
concept, they consulted the South West
London Cancer Network and held
stakeholder meetings to engage patients
and providers in the conceptual and
development stages of the diary.
The diary contains a written overview of
the patient’s treatment, a scheduling
system to both prompt patients to take
medication and to record it. It also
contains a symptom traffic light system
which provides guidance on when and
how to call the hospital. It is supported by
a comprehensive model of care, including
an education checklist. It is the only diary
to address all the safety issues relating to
oral chemotherapy raised by the National
Patient Safety Alert.
The diary is in use in the South West
Cancer Network and the South East
Cancer Network. There is also potential
for it to be rolled out nationally.
“It is very rewarding to see the diary
winning awards,” says Jo. “Our feedback
has shown us that patients feel this diary
is an invaluable addition to the treatment
and care that they receive.”

Cluster bid to improve care

St George’s is part of a bid by major
health organisations across south
London to form a new
government-funded network.
Health Innovation Education
Clusters (HIECs) will tackle
healthcare issues and improve
patient care throughout the region.
The South West London Academic Health
and Social Care Network (AHSN), of which
St George’s is a member, and King’s Health
Partners (KHP) in south-east London, are
part of a collaborative application to
become the cluster for south London.
The bid brings together all of south
London’s primary care and mental health
trusts, 17 NHS hospitals, the London
Ambulance Service and the Health
Protection Unit. It also includes five higher
education partners, including St George’s
University of London, a further education
provider, social care team and private sector
drugs research company.
Members of the cluster propose to work
together to improve patient care and
services. They plan to quickly bring the
benefits of research and innovation directly
to patients through new technologies and
improved processes. The proposal includes
opportunities to review current education
and training with the introduction of new
programmes and enhancements to
existing courses.
Four areas identified as an initial focus of
the proposed HIEC are: mental health;
infection prevention and control; diabetes
and stroke; establishing and
demonstrating a pattern of joint working
across south London.
The group will be jointly steered by the
AHSN and the KHP. The announcement
of successful HIEC applications by the
Department of Health is expected in late
December

4 the gazette
 deployment Oncology team
re-scheduled of the year
As part of the ongoing review of the iCLIP
programme, it has been decided to defer
The Penile Cancer Team has been named
deployment until March 2010. Oncology Team of the Year at the prestigious
2009 Excellence in Oncology Awards. The awards
The iCLIP programme is a major change project for
St George’s and this decision will ensure that all staff are recognise UK-based healthcare professionals who
even better prepared and that any impact on patients is have made significant improvement to the
minimised. management and care of cancer patients.
A March deployment will mean that the iCLIP team can The awards are judged by a multi-disciplinary panel of national
run more training, demonstrations and dress rehearsals to oncology healthcare professionals, and representatives from
ensure that all staff are confident with the new systems cancer patient groups and health media. The award panel
and fully prepared for when they are introduced. recognised the St George’s team for introducing new surgical
Chief Executive David Astley says it is important that staff techniques, redefining patient pathways, educating other cancer
remain focused and committed to the programme. teams and developing a patient information resource with the
“Staff across the Trust have made great efforts in help of national charities.
attending training sessions and getting prepared for when The team has transformed patient care in penile cancer since it was
the programme is introduced. They have been working established in 2001. The unit at St George’s provides care for men
hard with the project team to ensure a smooth from a large part of the South of England and is currently the
deployment of the new iCLIP systems,” he says. “It is largest service of its kind in Europe.
important that we maintain the momentum generated
over the last few months. Departments should continue
with rehearsals and staff encouraged to attend training
sessions. This as an opportunity to be even better prepared
– the hard work already put in will stand us in good stead
for a spring deployment.”
More information about the programme and the new
deployment timetable will be provided via the iCLIP
intranet pages. News will also continue to be posted
regularly in the eG on Thursdays.

Shaping future leaders

St George’s is helping to shape the future
leaders of the NHS by hosting four NHS
Graduate Management scheme trainees. Oncology team of
The scheme, which is full time and takes two and the Year
half years, is open to those who have a minimum
The judging panel
2.2 undergraduate degree. It has four specialism,
commented: “This
human resources managements, finance
is an impressive
management, general management, and informatics
team that provides
management.
world-class services
St George’s has one graduate from each of the and has The Oncology Nursing team - Rachael
specialisms doing a work placement but also hosts Scowcroft, Julia Paska and Barry Quinn
transformed the
orientation sessions for trainees working at Epsom care of patients
and St Helier, the South West London and St with such a potentially morbid condition. The extensive list of
George’s Mental Health Trust, and Sutton and achievements only further serves to encourage development in
Merton Primary Care Trust. other cancer teams. They are clearly leaders within their field.”
In the same awards, St George’s oncology nursing team was
 The highly competitive scheme is open to
those already working in the NHS and to
commended in the Oncology Nursing Team of the Year category.
The accolade acknowledges the team’s creation of an oral care
those outside it. If you would like to know
teaching package and the establishment of expert working
more about the NHS Graduate Management
groups in oral care, which were developed in response to audits
Training scheme, please visit
www.nhsgraduates.co.uk which revealed the need to develop better information for staff
and patients.

the gazette 5
New cord blood unit opens
A new centre for the collection
of vital cord blood donations
was opened at St George’s in
October by Public Health
Minister, Gillian Merron.
C
ord blood is the blood that
remains in the placenta and
umbilical cord after a baby is
born. It is rich in stem cells and can be
donated to help patients whose bone
marrow is not working properly, due to
disease or medical treatments such as
chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The Cord Blood Bank at St George’s is
the fifth site in London and the south-
east, all of which are chosen for the
broad ethnic mix of the community they
serve. This increases the chances of
finding a suitable tissue type match for
those seriously ill patients requiring a
cord blood transplant.
The stem cells that come from cord
blood, similar to those found in bone
marrow, are used in many different
ways. This includes treatment for
illnesses such as leukaemia, and in
research to help develop new
treatments.
Just in time
A former intensive care nurse
manager is taking on the challenge
of improving the way the Trust
buys and stocks clinical products.
Graeme Gentry joined the Trust in
October with the job title Procurement
Nurse to give a clinical perspective to
the sourcing and buying of products.
His role is within the nursing directorate
but he sits with procurement
colleagues on second floor,
Lanesborough Wing.
Graeme’s role is related to the
Productive Ward project, also known as
‘Releasing Time to Care’. He explains:
“In my view, Productive Ward is about
freeing up time and improving patient
experience and outcome. So, part of
setting up the ward has been about
organising storage areas in line with
6 the gazette
Public Health Minister Gillian Merron with baby Leah Khan and mum, Rebecca, a cord blood
donor, on the maternity unit at St George’s
Speaking at the opening, Gillian Merron,
said: “Cord blood offers enormous
potential to treat and cure. The NHS
bank offers cancer patients greater
access to potential life-saving stem cell
matches. Opening this new centre in an
ethnically diverse area will help ensure
we have enough cells of the right
nursing processes so that products and
equipment can be quickly found. My role
is to look at how we bring clinical
products into the hospital in the first
place, and about getting the right
products at the right time. I will be the
link between the clinical teams and
Procurement.
“Within the hospital we may have several
similar products all for the same job but
produced by different manufacturers. My
aim is to ensure that clinicians have
identified the best product for the Trust’s
patients, and that it is being used in all
appropriate departments. This is not
standardisation for standardisation’s sake,
but designed to improve patient safety,
allow quality improvements and improve
outcomes. I recognise that there are
exceptions to standardisation but through
matches. Harnessing scientific advances
offered by stem cells through this new
NHS centre means that mums can save
lives as they bring one into the world.”
During her visit, the Minister met
trained cord blood collection staff,
clinicians and donors in the
Maternity Unit.
evidence based product selection we
can empower our clinicians, focus
training and improve efficiency.
“My role will also be about changing
the way we order products. For
example, not stock-piling a year’s
supply of something because then,
when we want to introduce a new or
improved product, we cannot do so
quickly without waste. Ordering large
quantities may seem efficient but
actually leads to waste as products go
out of date or get lost in over-crowded
stockrooms. Regular ordering in
smaller quantities means the time it
takes to order, and put away and
organise is shorter, we have less to
store and the excess can be diverted
to patient care. The motto is ‘just in
time’, not ‘just in case’.”
 Pioneering kidney transplant
A pioneering transplant
technique that overcomes the
blood group incompatibility
barrier between donor and
recipient has been used
successfully by a surgical team
from St George’s.
T
he team, led by consultant
transplant surgeon Mr Nicos
Kessaris, performed its first ABO
blood group incompatible live kidney
transplant in September.
The technique has been adopted by
only a handful of hospitals in Europe
and the UK and means that donors
who would have previously been
turned down for a transplant are now
able to undergo surgery.
Around 20 to 30 per cent of kidney
failure patients who have someone
willing to give them a kidney as a live
donor are in a situation where that
person has an incompatible blood
group. Up to now, this has meant that
a transplant could not take place
because of kidney is usually rejected by
the recipient’s own antibodies against
the donor’s blood group. The new
Nicos Kessaris (centre) with the renal team.
Seated are transplant receipient, Steven
Purcell, and donor, Patrick Purcell
process involves giving the recipient a
special antibody called rituximab one
month before transplantation. This
reduces the number of white cells in
the blood that would otherwise evolve
to produce antibodies which could
harm the new kidney.
The week before transplantation, the
patient has three or four dialysis-like
sessions to remove antibodies against
specific blood group proteins from the
blood. The transplant operation itself
is the same as in blood group
compatible cases.
Speaking about the surgery
Mr Kessaris said:
“This is a significant milestone for
St George’s and the result of a
team effort across the South West
Thames Renal Transplant Network.
Through using this technique we
will be able to improve patient
care by performing more
transplants in the future.”
St George’s
showcases living
donor transplant
programme
The first international workshop
on removal of a kidney by a
specialised form of keyhole
surgery (retroperitoneoscopic
donor nephrectomy) was held
at St George’s Hospital in
September.
The workshop was hosted by St
George’s Consultant Transplant
Surgeon, Jiri Fronek, and
included a live demonstration of
two living donor kidney
removal operations from the
operating theatre.
It was attended by professors,
consultant transplant surgeons
and trainees from centres across
the UK and Europe. St George’s
is currently the only centre in
the UK that performs this
technique.
Since its introduction a year
ago, the number of living donor
transplants has increased to
more than 50 per year with a
100 per cent success rate.
the gazette 7
Fspotlight

Meet Hilary Johnson

The Chaplaincy team leader
The role of the Chaplaincy team is to provide
support for patients, for staff and for friends
and relatives of patients. We have a multi-faith
Chaplaincy at St George’s representing Islam and
Judaism as well as the major denominations of the
Christian faith. The team can also give guidance,
and make appropriate contacts, for those of the
other major world faiths including Hinduism,
Sikhism and Buddhism. Usually, Roman Catholic
patients would see a Roman Catholic priest and so
on, but all of the Chaplaincy team will visit people
of all faiths and no faith.

T
he Trust has recently appointed male and female Muslim
chaplains. The male chaplain is one of our local Imams,
Suliman Gani, who will be working here part-time. Both
Imam Suliman and the female chaplain Saida Mohamed-
Mourched have received training in healthcare chaplaincy from
the Muslim Council of Great Britain.
“As well as marking Christmas with a number of special
celebrations, the Chaplaincy will be providing a 24-hour service
during Christmas and New Year. It can be a busy time as the
festive season can be difficult for many people who are going
to be alone, or who are dealing with addictions to drugs or
alcohol. Often, we find we have people with troubles seeking
help on Christmas Eve and this can be patients or staff.
“One of our Christmas events (see box) will be a novena, a Rev’d Canon Hilary Johnson gets ready for Christmas with
nine-day prayer event running up to Christmas Day, which was Father Philip Pak
started at the request of Filipino staff. The
many staff are skilled at offering
carol singing on the wards is also very
popular with patients. Anyone is welcome Chaplaincy team emotional support, for example, nurses
working in palliative care. Our unique
to join us; we meet in the Chaplaincy G Muslim Chaplains: role to is to provide spiritual support, and
Department , ground floor, St James’ Imam Suliman Gani and the religious ceremonies and rites which
Wing, at 5pm on Christmas Eve. Saida Mohamed-Mourched help people.
“While religious activities like prayer, (both part-time)
“I’ve been here almost 20 years and the
communion (also called mass or eucharist) G Jewish Rabbi:
view of chaplaincy has changed over this
and baptism are the tools of our trade, David Katanka (part-time)
time. When I began, the role of chaplain
listening is often a key part of the role of
G Roman Catholic Chaplains: used to be seen as part of the career
chaplain, particularly in time of crisis.
Father Philip Pak path for someone who was going to go
“The Chaplaincy team sits within Father Habte Ukbay on to be a priest or vicar in a parish.
Therapies, which is important as it Hospital chaplains were often younger
G Free Church Chaplain:
recognises we are both a frontline, and a men doing the job for two or three
Rev’d Martin Taylor
professional, service. However, we work years. Now, more and more people see
alongside other staff who provide support G The Church of England being a chaplain as a full-time career in
for staff or patients. For example, we Chaplains: itself, and this is supported by training in
would support Staff Counselling if, during Rev’d Rob Wall healthcare chaplaincy.
a flu pandemic, there was an increased Rev’d Joanne Farman
Rev’d Canon Hilary Johnson “This move to professionalism has an
need for staff support. We recognise that
association with St George’s, through a

8 the gazette
?
Christmas events at
the hospital include:
? Carol singing by the charity
th
on 15 December in main
?
entrance
? Chapel
th
Carol Service on
17 December at 5pm
? Roman Catholic and Church
of England services over
Christmas including a nine-
day prayer event running
up to Christmas Day
? Carol singing from 5pm on
Christmas Eve around wards
? Nativity scene outside
chapel from mid-December
man named Norman Autton who was
chaplain at St George’s from 1961 at the
time it was based at Hyde Park Corner.
He believed the role of hospital chaplain
was a special one for which people
should be prepared and trained. He
wrote books and created training courses
for clergy wishing to work in hospitals.
He moved from St George’s in 1967 to
become a full-time Director of Training
for the Hospital Chaplaincy Council.
“I trained as a nurse and I was working
as a health visitor when I decided to
become a hospital chaplain. I already had
a qualification in church ministry, as a
deacon, as this was before women could
become priests. I was trying to juggle a
church role, a health professional role
and a family and I saw it as a way of
combining some of my interests.
“I saw an advertisement for a hospital
chaplain at St George’s. It was a second
time advert and said that previously
applicants need not apply, which was
slightly daunting. I rang Ian Ainsworth-
Smith who was chaplain here at the
time and asked him what he was
looking for that the previous applicants
had not had. I spent a day
shadowing Ian and felt this
was what I was called to.
 view from the top
Paul Murphy
Non-executive director and deputy chair
St George’s has seven
non-executive directors
who play a valuable role in
Trust governance.
Here, Paul Murphy, gives his
personal perspective
on the role.
What do non-executive
directors do?
  We have two key roles. The first of
these is to challenge the executive
directors. We do that on behalf of the
local and wider community and our
key focus is excellent patient care and
the good use of tax payer’s money.
The second is to support and advise
the executive directors and where
possible provide them with a useful
external perspective. Sometimes the
skills we have from other walks of life
can be helpful in dealing with issues in
the NHS.
Outside of my role on the board I sit
on the Audit Committee, the
Foundation Trust Steering Group and
The Commercial Board.
Why did you become a
non-executive director?
  I became a Non Executive Director
because I passionately believe that
although the NHS has improved it
could still do better by providing much
more consistent high quality patient
care. I think it is worth devoting the
time to, because few things are more
important to most people than how
they and their families are treated at
moments of ill health. I hope I can
contribute to this.
What skills and expertise do
you bring to the trust?
  I am the CEO of The Jordans &
Ryvita Company. Before that I was the
General Manager of Twinings in the
UK, North America and Australia. I
have over twenty years experience in
business and have worked and lived in
France and the United States as well as
the UK. I bring general commercial
experience to the Trust.
Although the trust is not a business I
do believe that there are some
business practices particularly in
finance, procurement and project
management that are highly applicable
to the challenges that the trust faces.
I do have a little NHS experience. I
worked as an operating theatre orderly
during my summers while I was at
university. Not deep clinical experience
I know, but I do know how hard
operating staff work and I have
cleaned up my share of blood!
What do you think are the key
challenges for the Trust?
  I think that the key challenge for the
trust is achieving Foundation Trust
status. I think this would give the
hospital more autonomy and in the
long term make it more accountable to
its local community. To do this we will
have to continue improving our
financial situation and carry on
improving our patient care.
In the longer term, I think that the key
challenge will be building a Trust in
which patient care is truly at the heart
of everything we do and where the
staff really feel that they can make the
changes needed to achieve that. Not
an easy thing to do in an organisation
as large and complicated as the NHS,
but definitely worth striving for.
What do you do to relax?
  I have four small children and so I
spend most of my time picking up toys
and putting them in cupboards.
Outside of spending time with my
family, I like to do outside sports like
rock climbing or hiking.
the gazette 9

Naaz Coker with her Jewel award, flanked by executive
directors from Lloyds, sponsors of the awards.
Lifetime
Restaurant
renovations
The Lanesborough Wing restaurant closed for
renovations in mid-October and work is well underway
to create a new dining experience for staff and visitors.
The existing kitchen and service areas are being transformed into a
new seating area, including separate dining areas for staff and
visitors, a kids’ zone and internet access points. Six different
counters will provide hot and cold food and drinks. The art gallery
is also being retained. The project will free up the current dining
area to be used as clinical space.
The plans were put in place earlier this year when MITIE was
appointed as the Trust’s catering and domestic services provider.

achievement The scheme to upgrade catering across the Trust has also included
the St James’ Wing coffee shop undergoing a transformation. The

award for Chair
Naaz Coker, the Chair of St George’s,
has won a Lifetime Achievement Award
from a scheme recognising the contribution
of Asian people to UK society and business.
Atkinson Morley Wing restaurant has been refurbished. There are
also plans to provide a trolley service to the perimeter areas and a
branded coffee cart to the Lanesborough Wing Outpatients area.
The works in the Lanesborough Wing restaurant will be completed
in early 2010.

L loyds TSB Jewel Awards, celebrate achievement

and success of Asian people in professional
services, public service, food retail, business and
commerce, healthcare and education, and as
entrepreneurs.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is for outstanding
individuals who have made a sustained
contribution to success in their region. Ms Coker
was singled out for maintaining her 38-year
career in the public and voluntary sector alongside
running a management consultancy. She has been
Chair of St George’s since 2003 and is also a Non-
Executive Director of the Ethical Property
Company, trustee of the RSA and Council member
of St George’s University of London. Until
November 2008, Ms Coker was Chair of Shelter,
the housing and homelessness charity and from
1998 to 2006, she was Chair of British Refugee
Council.
Congratulating Ms Coker on her award, David
Astley, Chief Executive, said:
“This award recognises a lifetime of
commitment to improving healthcare
in the UK. During her time as Chair
of St George’s, the Trust has made great
strides and has seen major improvements in
its services that are delivering the highest
standards of care to patients.” Images of the new Lanesborough Wing restaurant

10 the gazette
Fimprovements

New and
improved
Work this autumn has seen the area
around the bus stop near the
Lanesborough Wing entrance made
easier for wheelchair-users and safer
for everyone.
The zebra crossing has been moved
so pedestrians are crossing behind
the G1 and 493 buses which stop
there and not in front of them, while
a built out pavement gives
wheelchair-users better access.
The road surface was renewed and
Before a section of new paving, backed by
raised flower beds, was added.

The old bus shelter and zebra crossing

After
The improved area with all new
paving, planting road surface, and
bus shelter and a safer crossing.

the gazette 11
New treatment
makes national news
A revolutionary procedure
that uses surgical BioGlue
to prevent potentially
life-threatening infection
in lung surgery patients
has been successfully
carried out by St George’s
cardiothoracic team.
P
atients who undergo surgery on a
lung can be susceptible to
infection via a bronchopleural
fistula, a hole that can occur between
the bronchial pathways. These holes
can leak air, leading to infection
forming in the space where the lung
was removed. This infection can then
travel backwards through the
bronchopleural fistula and cause
infection in the remaining healthy lung.
In most cases these holes are sealed
surgically. However, for patients who
have medical complications, surgery
can be a risk.
The cardiothoracic team used BioGlue,
a surgical adhesive, to close
12 the gazette
bronchopleural fistulas in
three post-surgery
patients. In all three cases
BioGlue was applied using
a pre-filled syringe and all
were successfully sealed
with the patients
recovering fully.
“BioGlue seals bronchial
fistulas quickly and firmly
without any known local reaction and,
when applied in overlapping layers, it
doesn’t clot or move,” says Brendan
Madden, Professor of Cardiothoracic
Medicine, who led the team.
Previous endoscopic use of BioGlue in
sealing bronchial fistulas has been
limited. However, following the
research at the Trust, Professor Madden
suggests that using BioGlue in this way
should be considered as an early
treatment option. “This procedure
should be considered for patients who
have other medical complications, such
as infection, which can significantly
increase the risks of further surgery,”
he says.
Professor Madden points out that more
research is still needed to determine
how widely this treatment can be
applied. “Each patient in our research
had bronchopleural fistulas less than
8mm.” he explains, “However, we
appreciate that fistulas over 8mm may
not be suitable for endoscopic closure.”
The research was published in The
Annals of Thoracic Surgery in
November. The Trust’s communications
team worked to promote the story,
which was picked up by ITN News. The
news feature included interviews with
Professor Madden and patient,
Jacqueline McHenry, on the success and
application of the new technique.
Fawards

Foot care is strides ahead

St George’s has won the best
European interdisciplinary team
award for its lower limb
revascularisation and diabetic
foot service. The award - which
included an educational grant -
was awarded by the ilegx
initiative; a European wide
initiative to reduce the number
of lower limb amputations.
The award recognises outstanding
contributions by a team of
multidisciplinary specialists dedicated
to improving the way in which
leg/foot tissue loss is diagnosed and
treated.
The winning team comprises of
Keith Jones, Vascular Consultant, Dr
Marcus Simmgen, Endocrinology
Consultant and the Diabetic Foot
Clinic team - Mark Greenhill, Kathy
Davies, and Vaishali Desai. This team
has been extended and now includes
Laura Whitney, Principal Pharmacist,
Antibiotics and Infection
Management and Dominic Nielson,
The diabetic foot care team Mark Greenhill, Kim Mitchell,
Marcus Simmgen, Kathy Davies, Vaishali Desai, Keith Jones
and Farnaz Dashati
Orthopaedic Consultant. All the
Vascular trainees are linked into the
team with lecturers Peter Holt and Rob
Hinchliffe initiating supportive research
along with Peter Gogalniceau, one of
the academic trainees.
The team has put processes in place to
ensure that every patient with diabetes
and critical limb ischaemia are involved
in discussions with specialists in every
aspect of their care. This includes
microbiologists, diabetologists,
orthopaedic foot
specialists, podiatrists,
tissue viability nurses,
vascular technologists,
interventional
radiologists, plastic
surgeons and vascular
surgeons. Every diabetic
foot referred to the
vascular team is now
examined within four
hours of referral during
working hours, and at the
start of the working day
for out-of-hours referrals.
“I am delighted that we have won
this award, by utilising this team
approach we have increased the
numbers of limb salvage
procedures and reduced the
numbers of amputations. This is
an on-going process but the prize
is a great recognition of our
progress and it now shows us as a
standard to be matched.”
said Keith Jones.

Stamp of approval for hospital passport

A multi-partnership group comprising
Wandsworth Community Learning Disability
Team, St George’s Hospital and Merton
Community Learning Disability Team calling
themselves Access 2 Acute have won an
award from the Foundation of Nursing.
The award was for the development of a Hospital
Passport to provide staff with detailed information
about individual patients with learning disabilities.
The Passport not only provides essential medical
information but other important information about
the person and their likes and dislikes.
The winning team, Peter Warburton, Sue Cooper,
Jayne Quigley, Jim Blair, Ursula Battle, Chris Waller,
Kirsty Glaysher and Wilfred Carneiro were
presented with the certificate and a cheque by
Theresa Shaw, the Chief Executive of the
Foundation of Nursing, at the Nursing Board
Meeting in November.

the gazette 13
Fstaff
Trust staff are One Team
In July, the Trust announced it had
successfully won funding from the
NHS London Partnership to embark
on a programme to help create a
“world class service culture” at
St George’s.
The result of this announcement is an
innovative initiative designed to empower
and develop colleagues working at grades
1 to 4 – the One Team project.
The funding has so far been used to
develop the initiative among a pilot of 400
staff from Theatres, Outpatients, and
Estates and Facilities.
Alan Thorne, Director of Transformation,
explained: “St George’s has the foundations
in place to become a world class service
provider. We do, though, acknowledge that
there are some key barriers within the trust
to delivering excellent service, especially
between colleagues. The One Team is
helping to identify and address these
barriers by giving staff the platform to learn
and practise new skills.”
Since the summer, the One Team, a group
jointly led by Trust employees, Staff Side
representatives and Impact Innovations, an
innovation consultancy, has been busy
running activities which aim to develop a
culture of both excellent colleague-to-
colleague service and excellent colleague-
to-patient service. The programme
Paulina Asiedu receives her long-service award
from Chair, Naaz Coker
14 the gazette
introduces workshops that build esteem
and capability within staff, and encourage
joint working and better understanding
between departments.
“It’s been both an interesting and
rewarding process,” said Nick Fawcett,
project lead for Impact Innovations.
“We’ve held drop-in sessions and
workshops over the last few months,
asking staff of all levels to come and give
their views on the positive and negative
features of service delivery at the Trust. It’s
given us a fascinating insight into the
barriers to good service and has helped us
to develop models that staff can apply in
the workplace to improve things.”
“The whole project is about teamwork,”
Nick continued, “the project itself is a joint
project between the trust and staff side,
and a key objective for us is helping to
develop stronger links between
departments and empower them to work
together more closely. This should help
break down some of those barriers and
also help staff feel more comfortable and
confident in the workplace.”
Of the 400 staff that have experienced the
programme so far, around 40 have been
identified as “service partners” (SPs),
passionate about good service between
colleagues and patients and motivated to
lead others to improve things where
needed.
Celebrating staff
The annual dinner for long serving members of staff and Special
Achievement Award winners was held on 12th November.
The dinner was held in the
Lanesborough Wing restaurant and
was attended by award winners, their
guests and senior members of staff.
Sally Storey, Director for HR, read a
small citation on each Special
Achievement Award winner and long
serving members of staff received a gift
from the Trust presented by Naaz
Coker, St George’s Chair.
David Astley, Chief Executive, ended
the evening by thanking staff for all
their hard and dedication to the Trust.
As part of the project, these SPs have been
experiencing “service safaris” where they
have visited commercial workplaces, such
as John Lewis and the O2 arena, to
discover how those organisations work
together to deliver top level customer
service.
“These activities are designed to enrich the
experiences of staff at grades 1 to 4 and
help them to explore the possibilities of their
roles,” explains Jane Pilgrim, Staff Side
secretary. “The staff on the programme
are the hospital’s most important customer
service providers and we hope that they’ll
start seeing themselves as valued partners
of the Trust, empowered to get the best
out of their roles.”
Although One Team is a pilot scheme, the
Trust aims to roll it out across the
organisation and the hope is that the
practises will go on to form part of the
fabric of St George’s. “This isn’t a short-
term project – it’s designed to help us
change the culture at St George’s, which
will then be carried through by our staff
for years to come,” says Alan Thorne,
Director of Transformation, “We’re very
excited about the difference this will make
and look forward to rolling the
programme out to staff across the Trust
from spring 2010.”
Long service award winners:
Elizabeth Jane Adam (known as Jane)
Meirion Adjetey Brian Hayes
Paulina Asiedu Linda Kiernan
John Boyd Annie O’Dell
Cathy Corbishley Gillian Porter
Manel Dias Elizabeth Sanders
Cliff Douglas Catharine Stirling
Afezoon Gibson Feroza Ramnath
Sheila Gordon Loraine Swaby
Deborah Green
 working in partnership
Looking back at 2009:
a view from
Staff Side
The Staff Side secretary, Jane
Pilgrim, and the Chair, Dr Justin
Nowell give their view of
partnership activities with the
Trust during the last year and
what to expect in 2010.
The Staff Side committee is made up of members from
each union who work collectively in partnership with
Human Resources (HR) and management to discuss
and negotiate Trust issues.
During 2009, the Staff Side committee has been busy building
links and bridges between staff and management; we are after
all one team, a mighty workforce delivering care to local and
wider population, and every member of that team is equally
important. We have formed some strong working relationships
with the Trust and HR and are now involved in many of the Trust
work streams, committees and boards in order that we can have
that direct link in negotiations.
Next year the Trust will be applying for Foundation Trust status.
Staff Side is now involved in the communication aspect to this
and will be working with the Trust to ensure that staff are well
informed of the changes. Although we acknowledge that the
Trust is obligated to apply, it is likely that some unions are against
FT status, as they believe it does not reflect the founding
principles upon which the NHS is based. Dave Prentis, UNISON
General Secretary states that: “There is no evidence that the
‘market or competition’ benefits patients”. Staff Side has a duty
to our members to point out the possible negative effects of
becoming an FT. Through our negotiations, the next issue of
the gazette will be featuring answers from the Trust to staff
questions over staff welfare and status if the Trust is successful in
achieving FT status.
The Trust is planning to introduce electronic rostering in 2010.
There have been concerns over this and we remain dubious.
However Staff Side is now involved in the work streams to
ensure fair process. A questionnaire to staff using the
e-rostering systems devised by UNISON and the RCN is in process
to seek members’ views. We have now also been assured that
doctors will be included in the scheme. Whilst some staff may
view this as fair, not all are in favour. Through discussions, we
have been informed that the system will help with fair
rostering, annual leave and accuracy of pay. The jury is still
out on this issue.
Jane Pilgrim and Dr Justin Nowell
HR and Staff Side have worked hard to negotiate a new
Disciplinary Policy, There will be a longer notice period for the
majority of meetings of seven calendar days. Some warnings will
have a shorter spent period and representation will be
encouraged at all levels of disciplinary meetings.
During the last annual staff survey, you indicated that bullying
was increasing. We then asked the Trust for a group to be
formed that would tackle bullying, and would be made up of
unions, HR and Managers. One thing that was recognised was
that in the long-term we needed to improve the culture in the
Trust, building on respect and dignity for each other as well as
our patients. This work continues and we are very proud of the
One Team project that resulted from a successful Partnership bid
(see facing page). We are still developing ideas to counter
bullying including possibly developing the staff support service
and providing additional phone line advice. Another idea
emerging is that we could involve the One Team culture within
the induction program and within recruitment.
Next year when the first phase of the One Team project is
completed, Staff Side will be taking a key part in managing
the continuation of the program. The first service partners will
begin to change the culture and each group that qualify as
service partners will continue with this. Within a year we will
have areas that will be creating the new positive culture
throughout the Trust. Our vision is that One Team
theory will be populating the hospital within two to
three years and that all staff will feel empowered,
respected and important.
The Staff Side committee wish all staff a merry Christmas
and a very happy New Year.
 Toplease
find out more about the Staff Side committee,
contact Jane Pilgrim ext 1318.
the gazette 15
 ?
? ?
-fundraising
?

?
Christmas carols
and raffles Tree-mendous
The former chair of St George’s Hospital
St George’s Hospital Charity is hosting a Yuletide Charity, Gill Noble, returned to the hospital at
carol concert on Tuesday 15th December at 5pm in the end of October to plant a tree in the Walk
the Main Entrance, Grosvenor Wing. The charity is on the Wildside garden.

?
delighted to welcome The Great Gustos choir,
which will be leading the festive sing-song, and
all staff are invited to come and join in.
To make the event doubly festive, the charity will also be
drawing its Grand Christmas Raffle during the carol concert –
tickets on sale now from the Fundraising Office. Why not
come down to take a look at the fabulous prizes on offer?
Another chance to win
And if you are feeling lucky, you could also buy raffle tickets
at the Neonatal Unit (NNU) reception to raise money for First
Touch, formerly the Friends of St George’s NNU.
Gill, who completed her term as Chair in September, was
given the tree by the charity for the garden, which the
charity helped to revitalize with a grant of £130,000.
Gill was keen on improving the hospital environment and
particularly outdoor spaces, and the renovation of the
garden was a project close to her heart. A plaque by the
tree says its planting celebrates her time as chair from
2002 to 2009.

?
Tickets for the NNU raffle are a £1 each and pledged prizes
include racing at Daytona in Sandown Park, beauty bag from

?
Marie Claire magazine stuffed with beauty products, hair
from Hair Magazine with hair products and style irons, a
Wendy house from Ideal Home magazine, signed goodies
from CBeebies, luxury products from Falke, signed Jack
Mcmanus CDs and various toys.
For details about the raffle, please contact
sarah.f.collins@btinternet.com

Music for a cause

Wandsworth Symphony Orchestra has performed
a Charity Concert on behalf of the Friends of
St George’s. The programme included a selection

?
of rhapsody and blues.
The concert took place in the Monckton Theatre
on Saturday 21st November, and at the request of
one of the members of the WSO, the proceeds
from the concert will go to purchase equipment
for the Cardiothoracic Department here at
St George’s.
The evening raised more than £2,000.
Another concert took place the following Friday
in the Monckton Lecture Theatre, when St
George’s Symphony Orchestra, comprised of Trust
staff and St George’s University of London
students and staff took to the stage. The evening
featured pieces by Mendelssohn, Vaughan-
Williams and Beethoven and the conductor was
Jemima Jackson.
Proceeds went towards the South West London
and St George’s Mental Health Trust.

16 the gazette