WELCOME
In April, we were honoured to have a visit from Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla, who brought joy to patients and staff at our University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre.
UCLH has long enjoyed a special relationship with the Royal Family, and this has continued with the King accepting the patronages of University College Hospital and the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine. The King’s patronages shine a light on the wonderful work our staff do every day to look after our patients and advance healthcare for people all over the world. Read more on pages 4 and 5.
Speaking of the wonderful work our staff do, I’m also proud that UCLH has been named the top acute/community trust to work at in England for the second year running, following the latest NHS Staff Survey. Staff were also extremely positive about the care we provide to patients, which is fantastic. Read more on pages 8 and 9.
For more insight into what it’s like to work at UCLH, see pages 12 and 13 for a day in the life of Brooke Robinson, a neuroradiographer at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
I mentioned above the work we do to advance healthcare, and on pages 6 and 7 you can read a perfect example of this: a dementia research collaboration between UCLH and UCL, with the support of the National Brain Appeal, is at the heart of the story of Carol Jennings and her family, who featured in a recent BBC documentary. They were the first family in the world to be diagnosed with hereditary, early-onset Alzheimer’s – a discovery that many think could be the key to unlocking a cure.
For those of you who – like me – have an interest in sport, this summer will be all about the Olympics, which is taking place in Paris.
With this in mind, we take a look at the role our Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH) plays in helping sportspeople at all levels to compete at their best, such as Eugene Amo-Dadzie. Eugene is an accountant and 100m sprinter who hopes to take gold for Team GB in Paris – see pages 10 and 11.
You can also read about the achievements of our amazing fundraisers for UCLH Charity on page 14 and the results of our latest Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) inspection page 15.
I hope you enjoy this issue!
David Probert,
Chief executive, UCLH
A Royal visit from the King and Queen
Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla met patients and families living with cancer to hear their hopes and fears as they received care at UCLH.
In April, the King and Queen visited the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre. The centre provides some of the most advanced cancer care in the country through its strong clinical trials programme, which gives patients access to the newest treatments.
The King and Queen met patients receiving chemotherapy or other drug infusions for a wide range of cancers.
The King spoke to Eileen Rapley, a lung cancer patient and a clinical trial participant at UCLH, who said: “I was really pleased to have the opportunity to meet Their Majesties and explain how taking part in research has given me a sense of purpose since my cancer diagnosis.
“I hope that my contribution will make a difference to future generations and help improve survival rates.”
UCLH chief executive David Probert said: “We were touched by Their Majesties’ visit and their concern and interest in the experience of our patients and staff.
“The development of innovative treatment, combined with compassionate care, is at the heart of what we do in our cancer centre. Huge thanks to our skilled and dedicated teams who consistently strive to provide the very best care possible for our patients.”
Their Majesties met clinical staff who treat patients at the centre, as well as clinician researchers at the very forefront of cancer research. Two of these were Professor Charles Swanton and Professor Mariam Jamal-Hanjani, who are working to transform our understanding of cancer through translational research.
Professor Swanton is also Cancer Research UK’s (CRUK) chief clinician and leads TRACERx, a major CRUK-funded collaboration between experts from a wide range of disciplines working together to develop targeted new therapies.
Incoming UCLH director of research and consultant haematologist Professor Karl Peggs spoke about the development of clinical trials incorporating cell therapies.
Their Majesties also met representatives from charities that support the centre, including UCLH Charity, CRUK and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Following the visit, UCLH was delighted to learn that the King has accepted the patronages of University College Hospital and the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was Patron of University College Hospital and the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine until her death in 2022.
Changing the course of dementia research
The story of a UCLH patient who changed the course of dementia research is the subject of a moving BBC Two documentary.
The dementia research collaboration between UCLH and UCL, with the support of the National Brain Appeal, is at the heart of the story of Carol Jennings and her family – the first family in the world to be diagnosed with hereditary, early-onset Alzheimer’s. Many think this discovery could be the key to unlocking a cure.
The film, called The Jennings vs Alzheimer’s, explores the discoveries made by clinician scientists at UCL and UCLH over the past four decades that have given hope to patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Despite widespread belief that Alzheimer’s had no familial link, throughout the 1980s Carol Jennings lobbied doctors, including Professor Sir John Hardy, urging them to explore a hunch that her father and his four siblings’ diagnoses were linked.
Years later, Carol’s fears were confirmed and a mutant gene for early-onset dementia was discovered within her family, which would ultimately shape their future. Carol had a 50:50 chance of inheriting the condition and, if she did, her two children, John and Emily, would face the same risk. Carol chose not to test for the disease, but as she entered her 50s her health began to deteriorate.
Emily and John now face an agonising choice about whether they should take the test to find out if they, too, carry the gene. Over the past seven years, John has been visiting Dr Cath Mummery and Professor Nick Fox at UCL and UCLH to help support the research that his mother instigated.
Professor Fox said: “We are extremely grateful to the staff at The Leonard Wolfson Experimental Neurology Centre (part of the NIHR UCLH Clinical Research Facility) and the Queen Square Brain Bank, which made filming for this amazing documentary possible – but also deeply grateful to Carol and all the families that selflessly contribute to research.
“It is amazing to see how far research has come and I hope we are now on the path to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s once and for all.”
The documentary aired in May but is still available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Staff rate UCLH the top trust in England to work for, for the second year running!
Once again, UCLH has received the highest score of all general acute and acute/community NHS trusts in England for staff that would recommend their organisation as a place to work.
In the most recent NHS Staff Survey, some 77 per cent of our staff said they ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ with the statement: “I would recommend my organisation as a place to work.” Analysis of the survey results by the Health Service Journal (HSJ) showed that UCLH got the highest score on this question of all acute and acute/community trusts in England.
Staff were also very positive about the care we provide for our patients, with 86 per cent saying they would be happy for a friend or relative to be treated here, compared to 63 per cent (average) for other acute trusts.
Nordene Davis (pictured right), who has been a senior operating department practitioner at UCLH for more than 10 years, said: “Working at UCLH is great. There’s a real sense of teamwork and everyone supporting each other.
“I would definitely recommend UCLH as a place to work, as we live up to our values of safety, kindness, teamwork and improving!”
Chief executive David Probert said: “To be named the top trust to work for in England for the second year running is an incredible achievement. A massive thank you to everyone in this organisation, as success is only possible when we all work together.
“Once again, we’ve shown that at UCLH, we have a real ‘OneTeam’ ethos, and our values – safety, kindness, teamwork and improving – are central to the way we work.”
The NHS Staff Survey is a chance to learn more about what we’re getting right, and where we need to improve. During the coming year and beyond we’ll be continuing our efforts to improve the experience of working at UCLH for our staff.
Over the past year, we have continued our efforts to tackle violence and aggression against our staff. We have also rolled out initiatives to support staff affected by the high cost of living. We now have more than 300 Wellbeing Champions across UCLH who are signposting our staff to health and wellbeing initiatives that are helping to improve their lives both at work and at home.
Working at UCLH is great. There’s a real sense of teamwork and everyone supporting each other.
Supporting sportspeople – from Olympians to amateurs
With all eyes on Paris for this summer’s Olympic Games, we look at how UCLH’s Institute of Sport, Health and Exercise (ISEH) has supported one of Britian’s Olympic hopefuls, and the care it provides for all kinds of sportspeople, from professionals to weekend warriors.
Known as the world’s fastest accountant, sub-10 second 100-metre sprinter Eugene Amo-Dadzie is hoping to become the world’s fastest person, full stop, if his dreams of competing for Great Britian in the 100m sprint at the Olympics this summer come true.
Eugene is not your average Olympian. He came to competitive sprinting relatively late in life, at age 26, by which time he was a qualified chartered accountant, and he was 31 when he made his world championship debut.
Just like his competitors, Eugene operates at the limit of human ability, which means injury is a risk. In 2020, a hamstring injury meant he required treatment, which he found at UCLH’s ISEH, where he had both MRI and ultrasound scans.
“Since then, I’ve had further MRIs and ultrasound scans to diagnose other injuries. The information gained from these diagnostics has been invaluable in ensuring the correct course of treatment,” said Eugene.
Eugene now visits the ISEH regularly, where he sees Dr Noel Pollock, a consultant in sport and exercise medicine.
“Dr Pollock and the ISEH have become an integral part of my set-up. I visit at least every eight to 10 weeks for routine check-ups or diagnostics,” said Eugene.
“Dr Pollock’s experience and knowledge of the interventions best suited to keeping my body in a good place have been hugely beneficial, including identifying and rectifying vitamin deficiencies and the quick diagnosis and treatment of injuries.
“Following my appointments, I have greater confidence in my body to overcome setbacks and respond positively to training. This has ultimately supported steady improvements in my performance from a personal best of 10.55 seconds in the 100m when I first saw Dr Pollock, to 9.93 seconds now.”
Dr Pollock specialises in the diagnosis and rehabilitation of sports and musculoskeletal injury and has served as the team doctor for the British track and field team.
He said: “The ISEH is proud to provide consistent, high-quality care and clinical support to both elite and recreational athletes.”
So, with the confidence that he’s performing at his peak, how does Eugene feel about the possibility of taking gold for Team GB in Paris?
“That would be a dream beyond a dream! Something to inspire the average person who is working nineto- five but has a passion they feel is too late to pursue. I’ll give it all I’ve got.”
Winning in Paris would be a dream beyond a dream.
Brooke is a neuroradiographer at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. She tells us about the job she loves.
What does a neuroradiographer do?
In simple terms, neuroradiographers operate imaging equipment, such as MRI, CT and X-ray, to scan patients with neuroscience conditions. But we don’t simply push buttons and take photos. We have to make sure we get the best scan possible, depending on the patient’s medical condition. We have to judge the radiation dose and provide clear, high-quality images to the medical team, to diagnose and help guide patients’ treatment, all while keeping them safe.
What is a typical day for you?
We have different shift patterns, with some scanners operating 24 hours a day and others only in daytime. We see both outpatients and inpatients and need to adapt quite quickly to fit in urgent and emergency patients, when needed.
We work with a large but tightly knit team that includes nurses, doctors and scientists, and we are very collaborative and supportive of one another.
What skills do you need?
I started my career as a radiographer in the emergency department and moved to neuroradiography as I wanted a new challenge.
You need to be quick-thinking to work in neuroradiography, and there is a lot to learn, as neuroscience is so specialist. But there is lots of ongoing training and mentoring within the department – we are never done learning, which is great!
It also helps to have good people skills, as some of the patients we see may be confused or worried about their scans, and we help to reassure them.
What is the best thing about your job?
Neuroradiography is incredibly rewarding as there is so much contact with patients. We see some patients regularly for their scans as we are a key part of their diagnosis and treatment journey and, hopefully, their recovery. This wasn’t something I expected when I started working in neuroradiography.
I’ve also been involved in some exciting lifesaving and life-changing innovations and research, including imaging during emergency surgery to remove brain clots in stroke patients (thrombectomy), intraoperative MRIs where some patients are awake during their brain surgeries, and scanning patients on drug trials for dementia.
There is a real sense of purpose and pride in neuroradiography, and to be part of such a great team in a world-leading neuroscience hospital is a privilege.
What are you most looking forward to over the next year?
I am really looking forward to our new outpatient MRI facility opening in 2025 at Grays Inn Road. There will be five new state-of-the-art MRI scanners, which will help people to get scanned quicker. It will also allow many more patients to take part in research studies to help tackle neuroscience conditions like dementia.
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.
Patients provide positive feedback during inspection
UCLH has received good results in its most recent Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) inspection, which involved patients, governors, members and volunteers assessing whether the environments of our hospitals support the provision of clinical care.
The inspection team assessed privacy and dignity, food, cleanliness and general building maintenance, as well as the extent to which the environment supports the care of those with dementia or a disability.
PLACE inspections happen every year, and results are publicly available to help drive improvements. The results show how hospitals are performing both nationally and in relation to other hospitals providing similar services.
Across all assessment criteria and sites, our score was 93.96 per cent, and all but one of our scores was greater than 90 per cent.
We achieved 99.46 per cent for cleanliness and 98.23 per cent for the ‘condition, appearance and maintenance’ of our sites, both of which were above national average scores for these categories.
UCLH head of facilities Colin Simpson said:“PLACE inspections are a really good way of assessing the environment of our hospitals. They drive motivation for improvement by providing a clear message, directly from patients, about how the environment and services could be enhanced.
“We got excellent results in this survey and the inspection will allow us to improve our services and environment further for patients.”
Following the inspection, the assessment team noted how supportive UCLH staff were in going out of their way to help and answer questions during a very busy time.
UCLH public governor Alexander DeMont, who was one of the assessors on the inspection, said: “This is a fantastic involvement opportunity for UCLH members and governors, allowing us to visit services we may not have visited before and assess patients’ experience of our hospital environments.”
Results of the most recent PLACE inspections are available on the NHS Digital website.
Become a member of UCLH
It is important to us that we have a membership that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, to help us meet the needs of our local community, patients and staff.
Joining UCLH as a member gives you the opportunity to support and get involved at one of the busiest trusts in the country. You can have a say in how UCLH develops and help shape its future.
Dates for your diary:
- Monday 22 July, 4-6pm – Annual Members’ Meeting featuring Dr Heather Shaw on immunotherapy to prevent skin cancer
- Thursday 19 September, 1-3pm – Dr Cath Mummery on dementia
- Tuesday 26 November, 1-3pm – Professor Stephanie Baldeweg on diabetes and endocrinology
All sessions are held in the Education Centre, 250 Euston Road. To register to attend please email uclh.members@nhs.net
Take on a challenge to support UCLH
We’re incredibly fortunate to have a vibrant community of fundraisers who take part in challenges to support UCLH Charity.
Last year, our intrepid challenge event fundraisers raised more than £100,000 to support patients, staff and research at UCLH.
This year, we’re delighted that we have more challenge event participants than ever. As Rosannah Dawood, head of fundraising, explains, there are lots of reasons why people choose to support UCLH Charity.
“Our supporters are often staff, who can see the difference that charitable funds make to the services they work in, and the colleagues they work with, or current and former patients who want to give back to UCLH after their treatment.
“Friends and family of loved ones treated at UCLH also support us, as a way of saying thank you for the care UCLH has given. It is such a privilege to hear their stories.”
Feeling inspired?
We would love to hear from you. Places for our challenge events are filling fast, but we have several new events this year, including sky dives and an abseil this autumn. Alternatively, we have lots of other ways you can support us, if challenge events aren’t your thing.
Visit our website www.uclhcharity.org.uk or contact us at events@uclhcharity.org.uk
Thank you for your support – together we can do more!
Meet our supporters
Nick's story
Nick McNally, managing director of the UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, took part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon and the London Marathon, just weeks apart in April this year.
Nick said: “I loved the experience of running the London Marathon and London Landmarks Half Marathon for UCLH Charity. It’s such a motivation to know that, as you take on a big sporting challenge, you are raising funds for important projects that UCLH Charity supports for patients and staff.”
Lynsey and Jack’s story
Lynsey and her nephew Jack have taken part in two half marathons (the Royal Parks in 2023 and London Landmarks Half Marathon in 2024) to say thank you for the care of their beloved late dad/grandad.
Lynsey said: “As a family, we couldn’t be more thankful for the specialist care Dad received from the incredible NHS team at UCLH.”