WELCOME
In this issue, we look at an amazing research trial that’s bringing hope to people with lung cancer. Led by consultant medical oncologist Professor Siow-Ming Lee, the trial is testing a vaccine that has been developed using the same technology as some of the COVID-19 vaccines and tells the body how to fight and kill the disease. See pages 4 and 5.
Another exciting piece of research, on pages 8 and 9, focuses on the treatment of sudden hearing loss, which happens to thousands of adults each year in the UK. UCLH researchers found that patients who received steroids within seven days were five times more likely to fully recover their hearing than those who were not given steroids. The researchers then developed an online tool that helps clinicians to ensure that the right treatment is given in time to have the greatest effect.
Last issue, we celebrated the excellent results we achieved in the NHS Staff Survey. Now, we’re celebrating patients rating UCLH as the best performing acute/combined trust in England in the CQC Adult Inpatient Survey. These achievements are down to the amazing work our staff do day in and day out, and I’m hugely proud of everyone who works at UCLH. Read more on pages 6 and 7.
I’m also constantly in awe of the amazing challenges our staff take on to raise money for UCLH Charity. On pages 10 and 11, you can read about a charity abseil from the dizzying heights of the 16th floor of The White Collar Factory in London’s Old Street. Congratulations to everyone who took part to raise money, not least Faroukh Sorab, who conquered his fear of heights because he wanted to give something back to UCLH as he retired after 20 years of working as divisional facilities manager at our Queen Square site.
It’s always gratifying to see when people have chosen to make UCLH their place of work for a long time and that they have been well supported in their careers. In 1999, a group of 55 nurses left the Philippines to begin careers in the NHS at UCLH. They were our first cohort of Filipino nurses and, 25 years later, many of that original group remain here, while our Filipino and wider international nursing community has continued to grow. Read about their experiences on Page 14.
We also experience a day in the life of senior gynaecology nurse Ruth McDonald on pages 12 and 13, and, on page 15, meet our new governors who I know are excited about playing their important role in making sure UCLH is always improving, for our patients and our staff.
David Probert,
Chief executive, UCLH
Fighting cancer with immunotherapy
A lung cancer patient at UCLH was the first in the UK to receive a novel vaccine designed to instruct the immune system to recognise and fight the disease.
The treatment uses the same mRNA technology as some COVID-19 vaccines and supports the immune system to target cancer cells, while reducing the risk of harming healthy ones. This is in contrast to chemotherapy, which often affects both cancerous and healthy cells.
Janusz Racz, 67, said he was not worried about being the first person with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to have the treatment.
“I hope it will provide a defence against cancer cells. I also hope my participation in this research will help other people in future and ensure this therapy becomes more widely available,” said Janusz.
“As a scientist myself, I know that science can only advance if people agree to participate in programmes like this one. I work in artificial intelligence, and I am open to trying new things. My family did research about the trial too, and they supported me taking part.”
A keen marathon runner and mountain climber, Janusz hopes to recover well enough to continue pursuing his hobbies.
UCLH consultant medical oncologist Professor Siow-Ming Lee (pictured right) is leading the national study. He said: “We are now entering this very exciting new era of mRNA-based immunotherapy clinical trials to investigate the treatment of lung cancer, thanks to the foundation laid by the Office for Life Sciences, within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Department for Health and Social Care.
“We hope this will provide an opportunity to further improve outcomes for our NSCLC patients, whether in the early or advanced stages.”
The primary objective of this study is to determine if the vaccine – known as BNT116 – is safe and well-tolerated. The trial is enrolling patients at different stages of NSCLC, from early-stage before surgery or radiotherapy (Stage 2 and 3) to late-stage disease (Stage 4) or recurrent cancer.
Approximately 130 participants will be enrolled in the study across 34 research sites in seven countries, with six UK sites selected.
We are entering a very exciting new era of immunotherapy clinical trials to investigate the treatment of lung cancer.”
UCLH top in England in CQC inpatient survey for second year
UCLH has received excellent results in the Care Quality Commission (CQC) National Adult Inpatient Survey 2023, with patients rating their overall care 8.8 out of 10. This is an improvement on last year’s score of 8.7 and once again makes us the best performing acute/combined trust in England.
UCLH chief executive David Probert said: “The results of this annual survey show the dedication and hard work of everyone at UCLH. It’s great to see that we’ve continued to improve overall since last year’s results and that we’re top in England for the second year running.
“The survey gives us vital insight into how our patients feel about the care they receive, showing us what we’re doing well but also highlighting areas where we can improve.”
A total of 513 people aged 16 or over who spent at least one night in hospital during November 2023 completed the questionnaire, a 43.25 per cent response rate. Their answers were analysed by the CQC and the results published on 21 August 2024.
Two areas where we’ve seen significant improvement are in cleanliness and how many patients felt there was appropriate staffing of nurses on our wards.
We also scored top in London for patients who said that, overall, they were treated with kindness and compassion, as well as with dignity and respect.
Patients who have at least one overnight stay this November will be invited to complete the 2024 inpatient survey early next year.
UCLH team identifies most effective way of treating sudden hearing loss
People with sudden hearing loss should be treated with steroids within seven days, according to the largest study of its kind led by UCLH clinician scientists.
The research team, headed by ear, nose and throat surgeons Mr Nish Mehta and Professor Anne Schilder looked at data from adults who were seen at 76 hospitals in England and Wales for sudden hearing loss.
The researchers found that patients who received steroids within seven days were five times more likely to fully recover their hearing than those who were not given steroids, even after accounting for all other patient and hearing loss factors.
The team also found that only about 60 per cent of patients were treated within this critical window.
This led them to develop an online tool that can predict the chance of full hearing recovery in adults presenting with sudden hearing loss.
The SeaSHeL (Sudden onset Sensorineural Hearing Loss) recovery calculator is freely available online to clinicians. It estimates the chance of full hearing recovery based on five key patient and disease factors: age; presence or absence of heart disease; presence or absence of dizziness; the severity of hearing loss and whether steroid treatment has already been given.
The tool can help specialists and their patients make informed decisions about treatment and follow-up plans.
Suddenly losing hearing in one ear happens to thousands of adults each year in the UK. A significant number spontaneously recover, but the majority do not, with the resulting hearing loss leading to considerable disability.
Mr Mehta said: “Time is of the essence when it comes to restoring hearing after sudden hearing loss. It is important that patients who experience a sudden drop in their hearing seek urgent medical attention.
“It is also important that the medical teams that first see these patients either arrange appropriate urgent specialist review, or consider steroid treatment if the specialist review is unlikely to occur within the appropriate timeframe.
“Consultations between specialists and patients can now benefit from precise predictions on the chance of full hearing recovery if our free online calculator is used.”
Professor Schilder, who is director of the UCLH Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Hearing Health theme, said: “This study answers questions that come up every day in conversations between doctors and patients about sudden hearing loss.”
Time is of the essence when it comes to restoring hearing after sudden hearing loss.
The sky’s the limit for UCLH Charity fundraisers
UCLH Charity has hosted its first ever abseil event at the White Collar Factory in the centre of London.
More than 100 UCLH Charity supporters – including members of UCLH staff and corporate partners – scaled 16 floors (that’s 247 feet!) to raise funds to support patients, staff and research at UCLH.
Among the intrepid abseilers was divisional facilities manager Faroukh Sorab who took on the challenge to celebrate his retirement.
Faroukh has worked at UCLH on the Queen Square site for 20 years and like many, he wanted to give something back by raising money for UCLH Charity.
Faroukh said: “I am ready to retire after 20 years’ service at UCLH, which has given me the opportunity to do my best for our patients and my fantastic team at Queen Square.
“It has always been my intention to give something back to UCLH, as a big thank you and what better way than to raise funds for UCLH Charity, which does so much to support our patients, staff and research at UCLH.
“Initially, it was frightening but they told me to take it easy and relax. They said ‘the sooner you do it, the sooner you can get down!’
“It was an enjoyable experience thanks to the UCLH Charity team who encouraged and supported me. The friendly atmosphere was the key for me.
“I never would have thought I would be able to raise this amount of money and abseil down 16 storeys of a building in central London.”
Rosannah Dawood, head of fundraising, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who did the abseil. It was lovely to see the smiles of joy – or was it the relief? – as they landed.
“Thank you to everyone who has donated to their JustGiving pages, your generosity will enable us to do more to support UCLH.”
It has always been my intention to give something back to UCLH, as a big thank you and what better way than to raise funds for UCLH Charity.
Ruth McDonald is a senior nurse in gynaecology
What does your role involve?
As a senior nurse, my role is focused on improving elective surgery care in Women’s Health, and implementing the latest evidence, guidelines, and policies. I manage the Women’s Health Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) team, which provides perioperative nursing services to gynaecology and breast patients having planned surgery. Perioperative care starts when the possibility of surgery is first discussed with a patient and ends when they have recovered after surgery at home.
What is a typical day for you?
I have a nice mix of strategic, operational, clinical, and educational work.
Strategically, I lead the development of a new pre-operative patient education group called Surgery School. I also work with surgical colleagues across UCLH on a national improvement initiative to support patients to drink, eat and mobilise out of bed within the first 24 hours after surgery.
Operationally, I work to improve inpatient flow for Women’s Health patients, reducing avoidable delays, emergency re-admissions, and improve patient experience.
Clinically, I work to keep patients as informed as possible. Preparing for surgery and recovery is a partnership between a patient and their healthcare team. When our patients know what they can do to improve their recovery after surgery, it helps to reduce anxiety, complications and the time spent in hospital.
We recently launched a post-discharge telephone advice line so patients can speak to a surgical nurse specialist for recovery advice up to two weeks after discharge. Our patients have found this reassuring, and many have said this service has saved them from attending their GP surgery or the Emergency Department.
What skills do you need for your role?
You need to have a questioning approach and work as part of a team to find answers. It’s important to network with other teams, locally and nationally, and be willing to share your ideas and be comfortable using data to back them up.
It’s important to remember that not every change will work as expected, but not to be scared to fail and to always share your results, even if they aren’t what you were hoping for.
What has been your proudest moment?
My proudest moment recently was chairing my first co-production group. It felt like a groundbreaking event for me because, traditionally, we make changes to services and then seek patient feedback. This time, we involved patients in the design process from the beginning, making them integral members of the team.
Since 2018, I’ve been dedicated to providing women’s health education through our Surgery School group, and I’m also proud to have contributed to developing international consensus guidelines based on our learning at UCLH.
What are you most looking forward to over the next year?
I look forward to continuing to develop an interactive and accessible perioperative nursing service for UCLH patients.
Work with us!
We’re looking for people who will live our values and help us make a difference to the thousands of patients who come to us for treatment every year. We believe that every member of staff plays an important role in our vision, whatever their role.
Filipino nurses celebrate 25 years at UCLH
In 1999, a group of 55 nurses left the Philippines to begin careers in the NHS at UCLH. They were our first cohort of Filipino nurses and, 25 years later, many of that original group remain here, while our Filipino and wider international nursing community has continued to grow.
Susie Lagrata, advanced nurse practitioner/headache and neuromodulation lead nurse, was among the first group recruited to UCLH back in 1999.
“I came to the UK by serendipity,” said Susie. “A colleague back home saw an advertisement that the UK was recruiting nurses. We had to save enough money to rent a vehicle to get us to Manila to apply.”
For many among the group, this was their first experience of travelling abroad.
“We came in September, and it was really cold for us already!” laughs Myrna Vicente, rheumatology clinical nurse specialist. “We were also a little scared when shown the wards, there were so many beds per floor!”
Support from both their peers and UCLH helped them through the adjustment period.
“When you bring a group of people abroad for the first time, an instant support network is created. We were experiencing the same things. We became like a family,” Susie said. “I was also given a lot of support from UCLH, I never felt I was different.”
Deputy ward sister Trinidad Gulapa said: “When I became a deputy sister here, that was a most special day for me. UCLH is a family for me, and everyone treated and respected us so well.
“I am so proud to be a Filipino who works in the UK. Nursing is my calling. I am so thankful and blessed for this opportunity.”
Gladys Martir, perioperative research nurse, said: “UCLH has become my second home. My husband joined me from the Philippines in 2006 and also works at UCLH. I gave birth to my first son here in the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson wing – a lot of history.”
Meet the new UCLH governors
Following our Council of Governors’ elections held earlier this year, eight successful candidates took up their seats on 1 September.
Our governors come from a wide range of backgrounds and bring different interests and experiences to the role. Our new governors this year include a patient from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) and one who gave birth to both of her children at UCLH.
Originally from Portugal, new patient governor Rebeca Fiadeiro has a background in medical research. Rebeca praises the care she received at UCLH during the pregnancies and births of her two children, the youngest of whom was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.
Rebeca said: “While my son received excellent care, I was also treated with respect and compassion.
“During those challenging 13 days, I spent nearly every hour at the hospital, connecting deeply with the staff and understanding the processes. This experience gave me profound respect for the complex management behind UCLH’s impressive care.
“My passion for healthcare, combined with my professional skills and personal experiences, motivated me to stand as a patient governor.”
Helen Forgacs Patient governor (re-elected)
Jan Stockdale Patient governor (re-elected)
Rebeca Fiadeiro Patient governor
David Raine Patient governor
Sanjay Pooran Public governor (re-elected)
Lizzy Cubitt Staff governor: non-clinical
Emily Westbrook Staff governor: nursing and midwifery
John Duncan Staff governor: medical and dental (re-elected unopposed)
Public meetings
Members of the public are welcome to attend UCLH’s Board of Directors and Council of Governors meetings and are able to submit questions for the meetings in advance. Details of upcoming meetings are on our website or you can email uclh.directors@nhs.net or uclh.governors@nhs.net
UCLH Membership
Are you interested in becoming a member of UCLH? Would you like to receive information about upcoming events, news, and opportunities for involvement?