MAKE IT COUNT Barts Charity supporter magazine
Issue 1 – Summer 2016
P8 “W hen Maija was born… we didn’t know if she was going to make it or not. We were living a bad dream.” Read Maija and Elke’s story inside.
Also in this issue... New projects to help patients P4-7
Choose your challenge P9
Fantastic fundraisers! P10-11
Hello! Hello everyone, and a warm welcome to the very first issue of Make it Count – the supporter magazine of Barts Charity. In the next few pages you’ll find out all about who we are, the latest projects we’ve funded in your hospitals, and the inspiring people who support our work and help us do more. In our Impact section you can read about a hairdressing service for patients with cancer at St Bartholomew’s, new dementia-friendly wards for patients at Whipps Cross, progress on the new children’s Rainbow Centre at Newham, an “in-bed bicycle” at The Royal London, and how we’re using iPads to help patients rediscover their voice. You can see some of the wonderful actions our supporters are taking to help patients on pages 10-11. Plus, Elke’s story (page 8) – whose daughter Maija was born nearly four months premature. I hope you enjoy reading – especially about the patients being helped and results being achieved in our hospitals with your amazing support. I’d love to hear from you! Please get in touch with any feedback, questions, what you’ve enjoyed reading – or just to say hello. Contact me at bartscharitynewsletter@bartshealth.nhs.uk. Enjoy, Ben Editor
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News in brief
What you might not know…
We’re the dedicated charity for the five hospitals of Barts Health NHS Trust (St Bartholomew’s, Mile End, Newham, The Royal London and Whipps Cross).
We support patients by funding equipment, research and other services to help staff deliver the best healthcare possible.
You can support wards or services of your choice. Patients in hundreds of different areas in the hospitals are receiving better healthcare thanks to your help.
Only got a second? Here’s some news in brief
P5
Children at Newham and Whipps Cross Hospitals will soon have a new centre (Newham) and garden (Whipps Cross) to improve their care and hospital experience.
P6 A hair salon in a hospital? That’s what patients with cancer at St Bartholomew’s have access to.
P7 Patients who’ve experienced a stroke are finding their voice again thanks to new research using iPads and Kindles.
P11
P8 Elke’s twins were born almost four months early at The Royal London. She tells her story.
More than 15 mosques in East London joined together to support bereaved families. 03
Impact
Funding extraordinary healthcare With your help we’re achieving amazing things in the hospitals we support and reaching more patients every day.
“We are proud to support projects to help the population that Barts Health serves, to improve healthcare through innovation and provide the best results for patients.” – Dr Francesca Gliubich, Director of Grants at Barts Charity
Making life more comfortable for patients with dementia Patients with dementia at Whipps Cross Hospital will soon have more comfortable environments to improve their stay in hospital.
£496,800
A person with dementia can experience memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. This can mean the simplest of tasks is difficult.* As you know, hospitals can be noisy and daunting places, and with the number of people living with dementia rising, we want to make sure that patients in the hospitals we support feel comfortable rather than more disorientated. Our new project will create social and reminiscence spaces – rooms that transport patients from an impersonal clinical space to a calming, therapeutic environment. The rooms will be filled with signs, art, sounds, soft furnishings and other décor that recreate the sensory experience of everyday life in previous decades. These areas will improve the benefits of reminiscence therapy and occupational therapy – increasing mental wellbeing and feelings of safety for patients.
04
Other projects funded include: • Supporting those who have lost a loved one in hospital – a new bereavement suite at Whipps Cross, to ensure the last experience of the hospital is as reassuring as possible • Helping survivors of traumatic injury manage their condition after hospital – developing a programme for tracking progress towards key recovery goals • Helping children with cystic fibrosis – reducing the effects of air pollution for patients now: with personal air pollution monitoring, providing tips to reduce exposure; and in the future: with key research to better understand how children are affected
DI D YO K N OW U ?
There’ll also be social areas with replica TVs preloaded with films and shows from past decades, and appropriate seating so patients can dine together – helping with engagement and stimulation.
• Improving treatment for patients with breast cancer who have become resistant to the drug tamoxifen – a common treatment for the condition
This project, part-funded by a generous legacy, was part of £3.3m which we awarded to 13 projects this spring to help patients in the hospitals of Barts Health.
• Providing better services for patients with swallowing, breathing and voice disorders – aiming to create a “one-stop shop” – the first of its kind in the country
*For more information, see www.nhs.uk
Breast the mo cancer is s cancer t common in w in the U omen K.
Impact
All-new centre for children and young people takes shape!
£6.8m An exciting new facility for children and young people at Newham Hospital is being built. Due to be finished later this year, the new Rainbow Centre will transform facilities and patient care for young inpatients and outpatients in Newham: More high-dependency beds A schoolroom Separate reception areas for older children as well as young children Outside play area Extra space for parents
Vibrant artwork will also be an important aspect – notably a brightly-coloured curved wall developed with input from Vital Arts, the arts organisation for Barts Health, drawing inspiration from the colours of the rainbow. The important aim of this project is to revitalise children’s hospital experience, while also rethinking how clinical services are offered to them. There’ll be more services, meaning children won’t have to travel outside Newham for treatment as often. Look out for updates and pictures later in the year and follow us on Twitter @Barts_Charity to be the first to hear about all our news!
New garden for children at Whipps Cross Patients staying on Acorn Ward, the children’s ward at Whipps Cross, will soon have an exciting new garden and outdoor play space. A music-making area, a bug hotel, and special light and sound arches will all feature in the project to significantly improve the current area.
gentle for children, especially those who are unsteady on their feet.
£25,000
Support from you – our local community – helps us do more for patients and to fund projects like these that are above and beyond the ordinary. Thank you.
Having an outdoor area provides a change of scenery from the wards and fresh air for both children and their families. It can be a welcome distraction from any pain or worries, and allows children to be children. Sensory equipment and carefully selected planting will also make the area more user-friendly for children with special educational needs. All the features are being designed to be explored by inquisitive hands, as well as being safe and 05
Impact
Funding success! Could you turn £10,000 into £1m? Dr Trevor Graham did just that! The young researcher’s recently completed project has provided results that have now led to a funding commitment from Cancer Research UK. The original study, led by Dr Graham and funded by Barts Charity, examined the potential success and usefulness of a test for bowel cancer tissue. Bowel cancer screening typically detects around five adenomas (benign tumours) for each cancer identified. The risk of cancer in patients with these adenomas is uncertain, so further screening tends to be offered. This extra screening can be unnecessary as the patient may never develop cancer.
£15,302 Paint power A cancer diagnosis and treatment can be hugely stressful. Patients at St Bartholomew’s are now benefiting from art therapy sessions to reduce anxiety during treatment. Being offered the opportunity of one-hour sessions during chemotherapy treatment or before radiotherapy gives patients a chance to chat with a therapist and to express feelings through art.
Dr Graham’s research is based on finding a simple test to predict which patients with these adenomas have an increased risk of developing cancer.
This project could have international importance, with many centres considering how to introduce art therapy into clinical services.
Promising early results have now led to an investment of more than £1m over six years from Cancer Research UK for Dr Graham to develop his findings.
Making a difficult time a lot easier
“Funding from Barts Charity gave us the flexibility to explore new genome sequencing technologies, and being able to show that we could use this technology was an important step to secure our major funding.”
You may not expect to find a hairdressing salon in a hospital, but that’s exactly what’s available to patients with cancer treated at St Bartholomew’s. We’ve helped to make the service even better, with the wonderful help of a group of dedicated supporters and breast cancer survivors. Now, patients who have hair loss during chemotherapy can have hair and wig consultations in a relaxed environment. The service offers a hair loss consultation prior to chemotherapy – including advice on style, colour and length.
06
“It took my mind off the chemo and having someone to listen to me other than a family member was cathartic.”
£9,770
A wig supply, fitting and styling service is then available for anyone experiencing hair loss.
£681 “You made this difficult time a lot easier… You should be proud of the service you provide. You were such a tonic in the midst of what seemed such a chaotic time.”
Impact
Helping patients rediscover their voice iPads and Kindles are among new technology being used to help patients recover their speech after suffering a stroke.
£500,000 Portable CT scanner saving lives A young girl’s life was saved when she was brought to The Royal London with critical injuries, thanks to a new portable CT scanner. After a serious road traffic accident, she’d suffered severe traumatic brain injury. In these situations, every second counts. She was too unwell to be moved to a fixed scanner, so staff performed a portable scan at her bedside. The scan revealed the need for emergency surgery.
A staff member on the ward said: “We are really lucky to have this facility for our patients, thanks to generous funding.”
Generous support from London’s Freemasons allowed us to fund the scanner for the critical care unit at The Royal London – making it one of the UK’s first centres to have access to such equipment. Now it’s saving lives – and demonstrating the power of your donations to make a vital difference.
Cycle therapy Exercise is an important part of rehabilitation after traumatic injury – but it’s not always easy for patients who can’t move from their beds! New “MotoMed” equipment – like an inbed bicycle – is helping patients get valuable exercise even when confined to bed rest.
£9,000
Language skills, including reading, writing and speaking, are commonly lost or affected after a stroke. These are symptoms collectively known as “aphasia”. As part of this research project – being carried out by researchers at City University – we’re helping to explore whether widely used devices like iPads and Kindles, and easy-to-access software, can help patients recover communication skills after a stroke. Apps being trialled include features that enable text to be read out loud – to help those with reading difficulties; that can dictate text – to help those with writing difficulties; and the use of Skype – to practise conversation development with researchers. The project is ongoing but is already seeing positive results for individual patients – one person is now using software to write and share short stories.
£416,000
So, if patients can’t always go to exercise, we can take the exercise to them!
Want to be the first to hear about all our latest funding news? Head to bartscharity.org.uk/news, or follow us on Twitter @Barts_Charity. 07
Supporter story
Why I support Barts Charity: Elke When Maija was born, she weighed just 470g (1lb) – the equivalent of a small bag of rice. She was born critically early – at 23 weeks and five days – almost four months premature. Delivered at The Royal London, she was transported straight to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where she was put on a ventilator to support her underdeveloped lungs. She was one of the smallest babies the medical staff had ever seen. Her mum, Elke (pictured right), tells more:
“When Maija was born so extremely early, we were just scared as we really didn’t know if she was going to make it or not. She also had a twin brother, Mats, who managed to survive another week before being delivered but unfortunately passed away a month later. “We were living a bad dream. “The first time I saw her on NICU was frightening. Our little one in an incubator, unable to hold her or in fact see her properly as she was covered in wires, bandages and eye protectors, appeared just so small and fragile. Her eyes were unable to open and her whole hand fitted on my thumb. “Maija’s chances of survival were just so little and there was nothing we could do besides being by her bedside and talking to her.” 08
“The whole staff – “blue angels” – were amazing. It’s hard to put into words how eternally grateful we are. They will always have a special place in our hearts.”
It was a long road and a lot of time spent in hospital for Maija and Elke. Maija needed a lot of medical care and attention, including heart surgery. Due to brain damage as a result of prematurity, she has some developmental challenges and has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. She is a smiley and chatty girl – and she’s a fighter, continuing to amaze her family. “She’s come such a long way and still fights through it all with a big smile!”, Elke added. As a way of saying thank you, Elke decided to run the Hackney Half Marathon to raise funds for Barts Charity, with all donations supporting the neonatal unit at The Royal London. Through her amazing fundraising efforts, she raised a fantastic £2,500 to support more children like Maija who have been born too soon. Our thanks go to Elke too, for choosing to support us and the ward in this meaningful way. If you’ve been affected by this story – or if you would like to share a story of your own, please get in touch: bartscharitynewsletter@bartshealth.nhs.uk.
Choose your
Challenges
challenge! Run, pedal, jump or trek for us. With every step you’re helping us do more for patients. Sign up for one of our events today to support your hospital and help fund extraordinary healthcare.
London to Paris The cycle challenge of a lifetime? Possibly. Cycle between two of the world’s most iconic cities as you join us for London to Paris. Various dates available throughout the year – get in touch to find out more! Or pedal over to bit.ly/ldn2paris for more details.
Great Wall of China Trek with us in 2017! It’s a challenging but rewarding nine-day round-trip conquering China’s masterpiece. Find out more at bit.do/chinawall.
Skydive Experience the thrill with the ultimate adrenaline rush! Head to bit.do/bartsskydive to take the plunge.
The Santa Run It’s never too early to start thinking about dressing up like Santa and running 5k or 10k in Victoria Park this December! Register your interest by contacting Ellie: eleanor.francis@bartshealth.nhs.uk.
Don’t forget
if it’s not You can sign up for any event, even us – ort supp to se choo listed here, and still . know us just let way. We’re there for you every step of the Be a #TeamBarts hero today!
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Thank you
MEET SOME OF OUR...
FANTASTIC FUNDRAISERS!
Some of the inspiring people doing extraordinary things to make a difference to the lives of those we support
1,000k walk
£1,800
Brad
Stuart
Gigs
£500
In memory of his father, Brad (pictured above right) got all his old bands together for a night of live music, raising funds for Rahere Ward at St Bartholomew’s, where his dad passed away last year. It was Brad’s 60th birthday bash – “The Pension Gig”, and over 120 friends and family came along for a fun and memorable night. “Dad was always supportive and bought my first bass guitar and amp when I was 14. Until he became too ill he would come to our gigs. He was incredibly well looked after at Barts Hospital.”
#TeamBarts Seven inspiring runners hit the streets for the London Marathon on 24th April. They were fundraising for a range of causes – including traumatic injury research and cancer care – which meant something personal to each of them. A huge well done to every runner. 10
Stuart, a Radiography Assistant Practitioner at The Royal London, trekked a whopping 1,000k across Spain in April – the Via de la Plata Camino trek, an ancient pilgrimage route. He fundraised for our Barts Kids Bones appeal, helping patients at the children’s orthopaedic clinic. It took 31 days, travelling solo and sleeping in hostels along the way. “Hard going with lots of rain, but it was an amazing experience for a great appeal,” Stuart added.
Sykes family
The London Marathon
£15,000
25-mile trek
£4,200
The Sykes family – along with their friends and dog – tackled the three peaks of Yorkshire in a 12-hour, 25-mile trek. They fundraised for our mesothelioma research, in memory of Jonathan – husband, father, uncle and friend. Their relentless efforts (they also took on a challenge in 2014) are inspiring. The Sykes’ said: “We want to ensure that, through Barts Charity’s mesothelioma research fund, any future sufferers might stand a better chance of a longer period of survival and ultimately a cure.”
Thank you Thank you to these people, and to us everyone doing something to help s. reach more patient You can get involved too at bartscharity.org.uk/getinvolved. Charity of the
year
£2,270
East London Mosques
Marks & encer £2,500 Sp
Collections
More than 15 mosques across East London joined together to support bereaved families at Barts Health NHS Trust. The money was raised from collections as part of their Local Charities Appeal. The support is helping to care for women who suffer a miscarriage or still birth at Newham and Whipps Cross Hospitals. “Many Muslims regularly use our hospitals, and we truly appreciate the generosity of all the mosques,” said Imam Yunus Dudhwala, Barts Health NHS Trust Chaplain.
Staff at the Paternoster Square branch of M&S supported us as their local charity of the year during 2015/16, and have chosen us again this year. They’re fundraising for Barts Heart Centre, making a difference to the cardiac health of those in their local community. “Our customers have been so generous,” said Charity Champion Evelyn. “They’ve been keen to show their support of Barts Heart Centre and fill our collection tins very quickly.”
Music night
£230 Hackney Half Marathon
£510
Angelina Angelina is – by day – a Clinical Trials Assistant at St Bartholomew’s. She also performs in a band as “Suga Lu”, and took to the stage at local pub St Barts Brewery for a night of live music. Her inspiration was her mum, who survived breast cancer after developing it aged 34. “I decided to raise funds for my hospital by combining both life interests – music and medicine.”
Lynda Lynda is a dementia nurse at Mile End Hospital. She ran the 2016 Hackney Half Marathon to raise funds for the new Dementia and Delirium Teams. “We aim to reduce patients’ distress and make their stay in hospital a more positive experience. I feel very passionate about making the lives of people with dementia filled with happiness, purpose and laughter.” Well done to Lynda and all our Hackney Half #TeamBarts runners, who collectively raised over £5,000. 11
Upcoming events
Pencil it in
November 20th
Service of Remembrance St Paul’s Cathedral ails: Contact us for more det nhs.uk th. eal tsh bar s@ eal app
December 4th
The Santa Run, Victoria Park Register your interest: eleanor.francis@bartsh ealth.nh
s.uk
Get involved with your own event to support extraordinary patient care:
BB
S Q FO R BART
This summer get friends and family together for a picnic or barbecue in your garden!
B KE OFF!
GO
There’s no bad time to try your hand at baking and get some friends over for coffee and cake!
Have a dress down day at work with colleagues, wear some purple and raise some funds!
PURPLE
To get started with any of these events, please contact us:
appeals@bartshealth.nhs.uk 12
Your say
WHAT YOU’RE SAYING “My father owes his extension of life to the surgeons and nursing staff at St Bartholomew’s… It was humbling to witness the staff at work, with such devoted attention. Indeed, this is the very best of the National Health Service and certainly deserves higher recognition in the wider community.” – Lynda, whose father Jack survived serious heart surgery aged 88. For his 90th birthday, she arranged a trip to St Bartholomew’s to present a cheque for £1,000. Anna Field@AnnaField10 Who knew it was #WorldHypertensionDay ?! Barts have done a superb job in helping me control my BP.
Lucy Cosgrove @DementiaCNS Thank you to the amazing staff at WX outpatients for the cake sale in aid of Dementia Awareness Week Alwen Williams @A_WilliamsNHS With thx to Barts charity for View Day, marking our history and service to patients since 1551. – this year saw the 465th View Day take place, celebrating both the history and amazing work taking place in the hospitals we support.
After Trauma @AfterTrauma Over 70 clinicians & friends riding for trauma today Royal London Hospital! Helen byrne @hbbyrne14 the environmental changes for WX are very exciting – the project for new dementiafriendly social areas at Whipps Cross (see page 4) is underway.
Join the conversation! @Barts_Charity
/BartsCharity
bartscharitynewsletter@bartshealth.nhs.uk Or write to us: Barts Charity, 12 Cock Lane, London EC1A 9BU
Vital Arts @VitalArts It’s all starting to come together thank you @tattydevine! #TDkaleidoscope – the new artwork installation at the children’s imaging department, The Royal London @MissDemeanor07 Gone and done it. All signed up for @TheBritish10k raising money for @Barts_Charity. Now need to progress from couch to 10k.
Sign up online to receive monthly e-news about how your support is making the difference, every day: bartscharity.org.uk (e-news sign-up can be found at the bottom of the homepage). 13
CEO’s message
Why we’re here – and how you can make a difference
Our mission is simple: to fund projects – research, equipment and services – that have the greatest potential to change lives. From new research meaning more people are surviving traumatic injury, to equipment helping critically ill children breathe more easily, to improving treatment for breast cancer – we’re here to help as many people as we can. But it’s with your support that we can reach more patients in our hospitals every day. It’s easy to get involved to make a difference to the lives of those in our hospitals and wider community: donating, signing up for an event, or simply supporting us on social media. To all of you: thank you for reading, and for supporting our work. Together we can help make extraordinary healthcare a reality for all.
Fiona Miller Smith Chief Executive
Please do get in touch if you have any questions about our work, or how you can get involved: bartscharitynewsletter@bartshealth.nhs.uk @Barts_Charity 14
/BartsCharity
020 7618 1720
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The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. Together we’re achieving extraordinary things for the patients in your hospitals, every day. Your support is invaluable in helping us do more.
Thank you.
bartscharity.org.uk bartscharitynewsletter@bartshealth.nhs.uk 020 7618 1720
@Barts_Charity
/BartsCharity
Barts Charity is a charity registered in England and Wales, no. 212563, and a company registered in England and Wales, no. 7168381, whose registered office is 12 Cock Lane, London EC1A 9BU.