This October, Kingston Hospital is launching a preceptorship programme for newly qualified allied health professionals (AHPs) starting work at the Trust.
Preceptorship provides a period of structured support and guidance for newly registered healthcare practitioners as they transition from students to professionals and aims to provide colleagues with opportunities to translate their knowledge into everyday practice, supporting their confidence and enabling them to have the best possible start in their careers.
The new programme, which has been developed by Layla Al-Najjar (AHP Preceptorship Lead) aims to:
Increase recruitment and retention of Band 5 AHPs
Provide an opportunity for Band 5s across all AHP disciplines to come together and support each other to increase awareness of various AHP roles and promote team working
Position Kingston Hospital as the best place to work in London for newly qualified AHPs
Maximise the productivity, happiness and wellbeing of newly qualified AHPs at Kingston Hospital
Offer specific support and guidance in a safe, friendly environment
Emily Orme, AHP Workforce Supply Project Lead at Kingston Hospital, said: “We are delighted to be launching this new programme for allied health professionals. We have been working with a wide range of staff, running focus groups and researching other similar programmes elsewhere within the NHS, to ensure we can offer the very best opportunities for those starting their careers with us at Kingston Hospital, providing support, teaching and guidance to allow newly qualified practitioners to become confident and autonomous AHPs.”
Kingston Hospital’s Transfer of Care Hub has been boosted by the recruitment of 12 new Discharge Support Workers who have joined the existing four after a successful pilot project earlier this year.
The Discharge Support Workers make up part of a multidisciplinary team, which works closely with colleagues from Kingston and Richmond Councils, South West London ICB, Teddington Memorial Hospital and local voluntary sector organisations, to promote and support a safe and timely discharge for patients from hospital.
The number of long stay patients that were in Kingston Hospital longer than 21 days stood at 131 this time last year and has now fallen to 78, an achievement that our Integrated System Transfer of Care Hub Lead, Hazel Munroe-Browne, is proud of.
She said: “I come from a nursing background, which I think helps as I understand the clinical issues people face as well as the processes needed to get people out of hospital and into the right environment for them.
“I am proud of the work of the Transfer of Care Hub and the difference we are making to the flow of the hospital. By making sure plans are in place before a patient is ready to leave, we free up the time of Discharge Support Nurses, improve the flow of the hospital and ultimately improve the experience of patients.”
Each Discharge Support Worker covers one or two wards, which can have up to 50 beds each, and aims to identify patients and their individual needs within the first 24 hours of them being admitted to hospital. This means that there is a plan for discharge which can be put in place as soon as they are ready to leave.
Discharge Support Worker, Dan Lotek, said: “This role is great as it varies so much from day to day. Really, supporting complex discharge cases is like connecting the dots. Each patient is different, they’re from different boroughs, they have different needs and different priorities. It is our job to make sure all of this is considered on a case-to-case basis, working in partnership to get them where they need to go.”
Discharge Support Worker, Zohrah Akhtar, works with the Acute Assessment Unit. She added: “I work with patients before they are even admitted to a ward, starting their discharge process from scratch. Clinical staff work to get people well enough to go home, and it is my job to start getting the plans in place to make sure this can happen safely.”
As part of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to improving accessibility for patients and visitors, Kingston Hospital has worked with AccessAble to created detailed access guides to wards, departments and supporting facilities.
AccessAble is the UK’s leading provider of detailed disabled access information and provides support to over 90 NHS Trusts.
The guides contain information, including photographs, to help patients and visitors plan their journey around the hospital and cover everything from parking facilities, walking distances, accessible toilets and hearing loop locations.
AccessAble’s trained surveyors have undertaken a series of site inspections to create the access guides, and will continue to do so over the coming years to ensure the information stays relevant and accurate.
You can view Kingston Hospital’s Accessibility Guide on the AccessAble website:
You can also access the guide on the AccessAble app which is free to download from the App Store and Google Play, giving you accessibility information at your fingertips during your hospital visit.
Three allied health professionals (AHPs) from Kingston Hospital and Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust (HRCH) met Minister of Health and Secondary Care, William Quince, at the beginning of September to discuss raising the profile of AHPs to support the recruitment and retention of staff.
Home enteral feeding dietitian, Kinga Dojnikowska, and Tannah Stavrou, a specialist speech and language therapist (both from HRCH), and Principal Speech and Language Therapist for Kingston Hospital, Sarah Thompson, took part in two roundtables with other allied health professionals from across London.
Their discussions included the training and on-going education of the AHP workforce, validating the work of AHPs by expanding the traditional medically led model of care to a more holistic model and including London weighting in salaries for outer London.
Mr Quince agreed that to address some of these issues, allied health professionals, as the third largest healthcare profession, should be namechecked in the media and across the Department of Health and Social Care alongside doctors and nurses as a matter of course.
Chief AHP for HRCH and Kingston Hospital, Caroline Hopper, said: “Historically, allied health roles have been undervalued and out of the spotlight so being able to represent both acute and community healthcare settings meant we could make an important contribution to the discussions. I am thrilled to hear the minister was so supportive of our ideas.”
The team were joined by Suzanne Rastrick, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer at NHS England and NHS Improvement, and Beverley Harden, Deputy Chief Allied Health Professions Officer.
On Saturday 16 September and Sunday 17 September, staff in Kingston Hospital’s planned care services worked to give an extra push to our outpatient work and electives. Over the ‘super’ catch-up weekend, an additional 456 outpatients were seen.
Extra urology and general surgery clinics allowed patients to have a same-day pre-operative assessment and to receive a date for their elective surgery during their appointment, reducing the number of visits to the hospital.
Comments Off on Strike action by consultants and junior doctors – advice to the public
Services at Kingston Hospital will be significantly impacted by strike action taking place on the following dates in September and October:
Tuesday 19 September (from 7am)
Wednesday 20 September
Thursday 21 September
Friday 22 September
Saturday 23 September (until 7am)
Monday 2 October (from 7am)
Tuesday 3 October
Wednesday 4 October
Thursday 5 October (until 7am)
Anyone whose appointment needs to be cancelled due to strike action will be contacted and appointments will be rescheduled. Please continue to attend appointments as planned unless you are told otherwise. It is important that people continue to come forward for urgent care during the strike action, especially in an emergency and in life-threatening cases.
Dr William Oldfield, Chief Medical Officer for Kingston Hospital, said: “We would like to apologise to our patients for the disruption that we are expecting, and to thank them for their understanding. Our staff are continuing to work hard to minimise disruption to care and treatment during the days of industrial action, but we know that this will be challenging. We are asking people to help us manage demand by considering different services for medical help or advice, such as their GP or local pharmacist. Waiting times in the Emergency Department will be longer than usual during the days of strike action and we will be prioritising patients based on the urgency of their clinical need. If we feel you could be seen elsewhere, we may redirect you. Our staff may also be more stretched than usual and so we are asking everyone to remain kind and compassionate.”
If people need medical help or advice or are unsure about whether they should go to hospital, 111.nhs.uk should be the first port of call. Call NHS 111 for advice on where to go and what to do next – a trained adviser will provide advice and the best care pathway.
During the strike action, people may be seen more quickly at Teddington Urgent Treatment Centre, which is open from 8am until 8pm (7 days a week).
Local pharmacies may also be able to help and can provide advice on minor health concerns from skin rashes to earaches and flu. Many pharmacies stay open late, and no appointment is needed. You can also contact your GP surgery for appointments about illnesses or injuries that won’t go away.
More information on the strikes is available on the NHS website.
Comments Off on Operating Department Practitioner and Theatre Nurse recruitment day
Are you a qualified Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) or Theatre Nurse?
Then we’d love to invite you to join us Saturday 23 September at our recruitment open day.
On the day, you will have the chance to hear from our current ODPs about their career journeys, learn about our training and development initiatives that are tailored to your ambitions, tour our theatres, and learn more about our Band 5/6 opportunities.
We will also be interviewing candidates on the day and those who are successful will receive a conditional job offer within 72 hours.
We understand the important role ODPs play in keeping our patients safe and helping to provide the best possible care. That’s why if you join our team, you’ll be centre stage with excellent opportunities to progress, improve, and consolidate your skills in – scrub, recovery and anaesthetics.
Comments Off on Allied Health Professional Career Days – Monday 2 October and Friday 13 October
Allied health professionals (AHPs) are key to patient care and are the third largest workforce in the NHS. AHPs include physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiographers, speech and language therapists, paramedics, operating department practitioners, podiatrists and dietitians, and all play an important role in delivering high quality care to patients across a wide range of care pathways.
If you are interested in a career in any of these areas, join us on Monday 2 October or Friday 13 October (9.30am – 4.30pm) to meet some of our staff and learn more about allied health professional roles. There will also be an opportunity to shadow some of our AHPs.
The events will be taking place at Kingston Hospital and Teddington Memorial Hospital (Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare) and are open to anyone aged 16 years or over.
If you are interested in attending Kingston Hospital to hear about a career as a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, radiographer, speech and language therapist, paramedic, operating department practitioner or dietitianplease register here.
If you are interested in attending Teddington Memorial Hospital to hear about a career as a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, paramedic, dietitian or podiatrist please register here.
Register online by Thursday 28 September. Please note, we will also ask you to complete and return some forms before attending one of our career days.
Comments Off on Kingston Hospital Charity brings the beach to the bedside for patients
Virtual reality headsets, funded by Kingston Hospital Charity, are being used to transport patients and staff to spectacular virtual forests, beaches and riverside trails to enhance their wellbeing and relieve frustration brought about by long stays in hospital.
Consultant Geriatrician, Rob Price, who leads quality improvement and education for the Elderly Care team at Kingston Hospital, devised the project, which was funded thanks to a £5,000 Innovation Fund grant from Kingston Hospital Charity.
The wireless VR headsets have been set up to create immersive experiences in a variety of natural landscapes offering 360-degree views which can be explored using the hand controls.
Rob Price, who wants the headsets to improve the quality of life for both patients and staff, says: “We hope the immersive experiences will help to manage patient anxiety, symptoms of dementia and potentially pain for some of our patients who are uncomfortable.”
The headsets which have been in use on the wards since the beginning of July are already bringing plenty of joy.
Brenda Pocock, a patient from Derwent ward, said: “I love the sound of the sea. Better than where I am now. I like the rock formation, not just plain boring beach, I could’ve sat there all afternoon. It makes a change from looking at the same four walls.”
For 87-year-old Roger Ellis, a patient in Kennet ward who spends most of his time on his feet, using the VR headsets allowed him to sit down and take off his shoes for a rare moment and enjoy the view: “This is so realistic! I’m sure I have been there, definitely near that castle. It feels like I’m in the South.”
Last year, Kingston Hospital Charity invested £100,000 in Kingston Hospital’s Innovation Fund, an annual competition which funds staff ideas for healthcare innovations that support and enhance patient care. The deadline to submit ideas for this year’s Innovation Fund closed at the end of August. Watch this space to hear about the winning projects.
Comments Off on Introducing our Communication Framework
By completing a detailed analysis of a full year of feedback, from patients, families and carers, we found that they value seven important things when staff are communicating with them, which make them feel listened to, reassured and respected.
We’ve combined these into a Communication Framework – a simple guide to compassionate and effective communication and a clear vision of what patients can expect from their interactions with us:
Notice
Ask
Listen
Inform
Participate
Respect
Reassure
Please speak to a member of our staff if you feel there is more we could do to support you – your voice matters and is important to us.
If you have had a positive communication experience and would like to recognise any members of staff, you can let us know by emailing khft.comms@nhs.net
Comments Off on Patient Partner volunteering opportunity
Would you like to help shape patient experience at Kingston Hospital? Do you have an interest in how patient, carer and service user voices are heard and responded to?
We are looking for ‘Patient Partners’ to join our Patient Experience Committee (PEC).
If you have the insight and empathy to consider issues from a wide variety of perspectives, including those that may be different to your own, we would love to hear from you.
Meetings take place quarterly, are online at present, and last for two hours. We are looking for people that can make time to regularly participate and read circulated documentation prior to the meetings.
You will have the opportunity to take part in induction activities and receive bespoke training and support in your role.
If you would like to find out more or have a chat about what’s involved, please get in touch with the patient experience team on 0208 934 2504, or email lee.walsh@nhs.net by Monday 18 September.
Interviews for these roles will take place in September and our next PEC meetings are scheduled to take place on 12 October and 14 December.
Cromwell Road bus station in Kingston is closed until summer 2024 while a major redevelopment is completed. This will affect certain bus stops and routes to and from Kingston Hospital.
Buses will not stop at the bus station and some buses which normally stop in the bus station or Cromwell Road will serve temporary stops, be diverted or stop short of their normal destinations. If you are travelling on one of the following buses – 111, 216, 411, 285, 481 – these will terminate at Wood Street (John Lewis) in Kingston town centre.
To get to the hospital, passengers will need to catch the 281 bus from Wood Street (John Lewis) to the temporary stops on Cromwell Road, or walk to Eden Street, to catch the K2 or K4 bus.
Comments Off on Recruiting Community Rehabilitation Volunteers
We are pleased to be expanding our successful community exercise volunteer programme, working with Holmwood Corner GP Surgery and Willow Grange Care Home to extend the service to more patients and members of the local community.
We are looking for volunteers who can offer between 2 and 3 hours per week to help an older person who lives nearby complete exercises to stay strong, confident and independent.
You will be trained to deliver strength, balance and flexibility exercises in a physiotherapy-led programme, to optimise an individual’s health and wellbeing.
Watch our short video to find out more:
For more information, please call the volunteering team on 020 8934 3053 or email brooke.holden1@nhs.net.
Comments Off on Electric vehicles arrive at Kingston Hospital
Kingston Hospital has recently changed its pool vehicles over to electric. The new vehicles replace diesel vans and better reflect the environmentally friendly approach the Trust is looking to take. The vehicles have sufficient range to be used throughout the day and are recharged using the hospital’s own facilities overnight.
The Trust’s pool vehicles are primarily used by Occupational Therapy and Virtual Ward teams, but are also available to any member of staff who may need to use them for work purposes.
Comments Off on Operating Department Practitioners recruitment webinar
Are you a qualified Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) or theatre nurse?
Then we’d love for you to join us on Wednesday 13 September (5.30pm – 6.30pm) to discover our Band 5/6 opportunities at Kingston Hospital.
At our virtual event, you’ll get a chance to meet our ODPs, network with our Chief of Surgery and many more.
There will also be an opportunity to find out about our training and development initiatives that are shaped around your ambitions.
We understand the important role that ODPs play in keeping our patients safe and helping to provide the best possible care. That’s why, if you join our team, you’ll be centre stage, with excellent opportunities to progress, improve, and consolidate your skills – in scrub, recovery and anaesthetics.
Meet our teams, find out more about our services and learn more about the opportunities we currently have available.
Please click here for full event details and to register.
Comments Off on Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) NHS patient reimbursement scheme
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is expanding across all London boroughs from 29 August 2023 to help clear London’s air and improve health. The Trust is within the expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). This means if your vehicle does not meet the ULEZ emissions standards, you will need to pay a daily charge to drive within the ULEZ. You can find out more, including whether your vehicle meets ULEZ standards, on the TfL website.
Reimbursement of ULEZ charge As an NHS patient, you may be able to claim a reimbursement for the ULEZ charge if you are clinically assessed as unable to travel to and from an appointment on public transport and:
Have a compromised immune system, or
Require regular therapy or assessments, or
Need regular surgical intervention.
If you believe that you meet the above criteria, mention this at the reception desk when you book in for your appointment. If you use an automated check in for your appointment, please mention it to the clinician at the start of your appointment. They will then carry out your assessment, using this form. Printed copies of this form will be available for you at the hospital.
In most cases you will only be assessed once, although if you have a change in circumstances, this may be reviewed. This process also applies to blue badge holders. You can read more about ULEZ expansion support for disabled people, on the TfL website.
How to claim:
Patients are responsible for paying their ULEZ charge
At this time the Trust is only able to refund payments that have been made through the TfL Auto Pay account (if you are unable to pay through TfL Auto Pay, please let us know during your assessment)
The Trust will request the refund for you and the money will then be credited to you via the Auto Pay system (it is free to set up an Auto Pay account at tfl.gov.uk/auto-pay)
You can claim back the charge for up to three months after the date of your appointment
Please note, NHS patients cannot claim for Congestion Charge or Ultra Low Emission Zone fines (Penalty Charge Notices).
Comments Off on Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract with Prime Care Solutions (Kingston) Limited
Since November 2004, Kingston Hospital has held a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract with Prime Care Solutions (Kingston) Limited, covering building maintenance services for the Kingston Surgical Centre as well as services such as portering, catering and cleaning, which are delivered by ISS.
This contract has come to an end and Kingston Hospital is now commissioning ISS directly (i.e. without an intermediary) for the continued delivery of the services that were being delivered by ISS via the PFI contract.
This change will not impact on the services and care being delivered, as catering, cleaning and portering services will continue to be delivered by ISS with whom Kingston Hospital has a long-standing and good quality working relationship.
Following the recent conviction of Lucy Letby, our thoughts are with all the families affected, who have suffered unimaginably because of these shocking crimes.
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced that there will be an independent inquiry into the events at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to ensure lessons are learned and steps can continue to be taken across the NHS to keep patients safe.
Here at Kingston Hospital we are absolutely committed to ensuring that any patient, family member, or member of our staff feels safe and confident in speaking up.
If you have any comments, concerns or questions about the care we are providing, contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0208 934 3993 or email khft.pals@nhs.net
Comments Off on Notice of Annual General Meeting & Annual Members’ Meeting: Monday 25 September
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Annual Members’ Meeting on Monday 25 September 2023 from 6pm, in Lecture Theare 1 (Level 5 Kingston Surgical Centre, Kingston Hospital).
Members of the public are welcome to attend and there will also be an option to join the meeting virtually.
The meeting will chart Kingston Hospital’s achievements and focuses of the last year and will include information about our forward plans.
Comments Off on An update from Kingston Hospital’s volunteering service
During the recent planned industrial action events, Kingston Hospital’s volunteers have been instrumental in keeping staff motivated and supported, both at the picket line and across the hospital. In March alone, volunteers gave time equating to over 50 additional working days in order to take refreshments and morale-boosting support to staff, providing safe hospital care in exceptional circumstances. These wellbeing trolleys have continued throughout periods of industrial action, encouraging staff to take breaks throughout their working day.
Thanks to support from Kingston Hospital Charity, we have recently received funding to expand our volunteering portfolio of roles and services. We have welcomed Giedre Howell back into the volunteering team and Nikki Davies who has joined us from the Staff Day Nursery as a job-share in the role of Volunteer Experience Coordinator. This role focuses on volunteer outreach, checking in on volunteers across both hospital and community to ensure they are happy in their roles and enabling us to provide continual improvement and role satisfaction. If you are a volunteer and have any feedback about your role, you can email khft.volunteering@nhs.net
With thanks to the South West London Integrated Care Board, the volunteering team has also introduced a brand new volunteering role of Community Companions, bringing all the benefits of a volunteering friendship and companionship for older people across Kingston. This role is part of the Volunteering Discharge Support Service and links Community Companions with patients who have been recently discharged from Kingston Hospital and may need some additional help and encouragement to get connected back with their hobbies, interests and local community. Community Companions serves to tackle the anxiety and social isolation that many older people face when returning home from hospital. We are currently recruiting for Community Companions – if you are interested in finding out more, please contact Sophie Vaughan for an informal chat: sophie.vaughan9@nhs.net
Finally, with thanks to the Kingston Hospital and HRCH Inspiration Fund, we have recently welcomed on board Physiotherapist, Brooke Holden. Brooke joined the hospital in August 2023 and her role will help to expand the provision of the Volunteering Falls Prevention: Community Exercise Service beyond the walls of the hospital and into the community, for patients of a local GP practice in New Malden, a care home in Surbiton, and for patients accessing Kingston Hospital’s Pre-Operative Assessment Unit. The expanded service will see approximately 40 patients per month across our local community in Kingston, in which volunteers support participants with physiotherapy-prescribed exercises targeted at improving balance, strength and flexibility and reducing risk and fear of falling. This award-wining programme has already seen overall fitness improvements in 100% of patients who have participated so far.
The Kingston Hospital volunteering community is a vibrant group of over 300 volunteers dedicated to giving almost 1,000 hours of time every week to improve patient experience and care across hospital, home and community. If you feel you could give just three hours a week to support our patients and staff, please visit our website pages, email khft.volunteering@nhs.net or call us on 0208 934 3620 to discuss which role would be the best fit for you.
Comments Off on Kingston College students complete placements at Kingston Hospital
A group of five Kingston College students have recently completed a student placement programme at Kingston Hospital, alongside their Level 3 Business Admin Studies courses.
The 18-year-old students each spent 15 weeks (on a part-time basis) in a different area of the Trust, including the South West London Recruitment Hub, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Oral, and Cardiology departments.
The aim of this initiative was to provide students with hands on, relevant experience, and to recruit into roles within the organisation, as well as raising awareness of administration roles within the NHS.
Katherine Bevan, Communications and Marketing Manager for the South West London Recruitment Hub, said: “The student placement scheme was a great chance for me to get hands-on experience in mentoring and training. It has also been inspiring to help someone who is just starting out in the corporate world to develop the skills and knowledge they need to build a successful career.”
Alisha Nadesan, Business Manager, said: “Witnessing the growth and development of my student placement within my team has been both gratifying and inspiring. Their dedication, enthusiasm and fresh perspective has been highly appreciated and I take immense pride in having played a role in this. I am also pleased to say that my student placement has now started on a full-time basis.”
Some of the students also commented on their time at Kingston Hospital:
“My experience has been really positive. whilst working as an admin assistant I have gained experience and understanding about working in the NHS.”
“This experience has been amazing for me as I have gained a lot of knowledge about how a healthcare organisation operates, in a dynamic work environment.”
Congratulations to all the students who completed their placements.
Comments Off on Live waiting times now available in the Emergency Department
Kingston Hospital has introduced live waiting time information screens in the Emergency Department, which display the average wait to be seen for all our patients. The dashboard uses data in the electronic bed board to calculate the average waiting time and updates every few minutes.
This innovation has been implemented in response to staff and patient feedback and means that staff are no longer required to announce the waiting time in waiting rooms or calculate the average time, when asked. Patients have already fed back that it improves their experience in the department as they feel more informed and aware of busy periods.
We will shortly be adding this information to the Trust website to ensure that patients can find out the waiting time even before arriving at the hospital.
Comments Off on Kingston Hospital Charity funds specialist scopes to provide life-saving care in Endoscopy Unit
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, with the support of Kingston Hospital Charity, has purchased two specialist scopes for its Endoscopy Unit.
The scopes enable specialist clinicians to carry out Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) – a highly complex procedure which is used to treat patients with jaundice – either due to pancreatic cancer or a stone obstructing the bile duct. The scope enables the endoscopist either to insert a stent in the bile duct, or to widen the bile duct to release the impacted stone. This can be a life-saving procedure for patients with impacted gallstones who can become very unwell, very fast.
Dr Ralph Greaves, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Endoscopy Lead at Kingston Hospital’s Endoscopy Unit, said: “Everyone is very excited, and work is going extremely well here. We’ve already carried out five ERCP procedures since early July. Being able to deliver this service is a huge benefit to the local population and I would like to express my thanks to Kingston Hospital Charity for providing the vital funding to develop this specialist service.”
Previously, inpatients requiring an ERCP procedure would need to be transferred to St George’s Hospital. Now with the new equipment in place, inpatients at Kingston Hospital can be treated on-site, without delay, ensuring a more comfortable patient experience and shorter length of stay in hospital. The specialist equipment also offers Kingston Hospital staff the opportunity to be trained in this highly complex procedure.
This equipment is a vital addition to the Endoscopy Unit at Kingston Hospital which was opened in September 2020.
Providers of NHS services in England have a statutory duty to produce an annual report to the public about the quality and standard of services they deliver. This is called a Quality Account.
The Quality Account allows us to review our own performance over the previous year and identify areas for improvement which we can share with patients, community partners and staff, as well as outlining the ways in which we will address those improvements and monitor progress.
You can read the Kingston Hospital Quality Account here and the HRCH Quality Account here.
The report outlines how we have performed against the Quality Priorities for 2022/23 and set out our priorities for 2023/24, as well as providing a review of the year and an opportunity to reflect on our achievements.
Nic Kane, Chief Nurse at Kingston Hospital and Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare, said: “Quality of care and patient experience is at the centre of everything we do. By focusing on quality and reviewing our services regularly, we can make improvements to the ways we work and ensure each patient has access to safe, high-quality care, every time. Our quality accounts are a great way for us to reflect on our activities and to help us plan for the future.”
In July, Caroline Hopper (Chief Allied Health Professional for Kingston Hospital and Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare) and Juliet Butler (Inpatient Operational Lead for physiotherapy across Kingston Hospital’s Care of the Elderly wards) were invited to speak at the fifth global End PJ Paralysis Summit.
Kingston Hospital has been involved with the End PJ Paralysis movement for a number of years – it’s aim being to help patients to live the richest, fullest lives possible by reducing immobility, muscle deconditioning, and dependency at the same time as protecting cognitive function, social interaction and dignity.
Caroline and Juliet presented the End PJ Paralysis audit work that has been carried out at Kingston Hospital over recent months, as well as the work currently taking place to support one of our joint quality priorities for this year, focusing on the risk and impact of deconditioning for patients in hospital and the community.
Comments Off on Advice to the public ahead of junior doctors and consultant doctors industrial action this month
Services at Kingston Hospital will be significantly impacted by junior doctors strike action taking place from 7am on Friday 11 August until 7am on Tuesday 15 August, followed by a 48-hour consultant doctors strike from Thursday 24 August until Saturday 26 August.
Anyone whose appointment needs to be cancelled due to strike action will be contacted and appointments will be rescheduled. Please continue to attend appointments as planned unless you are told otherwise. It is important that people continue to come forward for urgent care during the strike action, especially in an emergency and in life-threatening cases.
Dr William Oldfield, Chief Medical Officer for Kingston Hospital, said: “We would like to apologise to our patients for the disruption that we are expecting, and to thank them for their understanding. Our staff are continuing to work hard to minimise disruption to care and treatment during the days of industrial action, but we know that this will be challenging. We are asking people to help us manage demand by considering different services for medical help or advice, such as their GP or local pharmacist. Waiting times in the Emergency Department will be longer than usual during the days of strike action and we will be prioritising patients based on the urgency of their clinical need. If we feel you could be seen elsewhere, we may redirect you. Our staff may also be more stretched than usual and so we are asking everyone to remain kind and compassionate.”
If people need medical help or advice or are unsure about whether they should go to hospital, 111.nhs.uk should be the first port of call. Call NHS 111 for advice on where to go and what to do next – a trained adviser will provide advice and the best care pathway.
During the strike action, people may be seen more quickly at Teddington Urgent Treatment Centre, which is open from 8am until 8pm (7 days a week).
Local pharmacies may also be able to help and can provide advice on minor health concerns from skin rashes to earaches and flu. Many pharmacies stay open late, and no appointment is needed. You can also contact your GP surgery for appointments about illnesses or injuries that won’t go away.
More information on the strikes is available on the NHS website.
Comments Off on Chief People Officer appointed for Kingston Hospital and HRCH
After 27 years as a Director of Workforce in the NHS – with seven of those years at Kingston Hospital, and almost two years at HRCH – Kelvin Cheatle will be stepping down from his role as Chief People Officer at the end of this year, to allow him to pursue other work interests.
Following a formal recruitment and selection process, Rachel Stanfield has been appointed as Chief People Officer for Kingston Hospital and Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare (HRCH).
Rachel is a highly experienced and award-winning NHS HR and organisational development (OD) professional. She has been at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since 2019, where she has held the roles of Acting and Joint Chief People Officer and Director of Workforce and Deputy Chief People Officer. She has previously held a series of senior people leadership roles, including Deputy Director of People and OD.
Rachel has over 25 years of healthcare experience gained in a range of strategic and operational management and leadership roles, as well as strategic consultancy and project management.
Rachel is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and is a qualified Executive Coach. As well as a first class History degree from the University of Sheffield, she has a master’s degree in health services research and a diploma in Organisational Development and Change Management with Distinction.
Rachel will join Kingston Hospital and HRCH at the start of January.
The ‘NJR Quality Data Provider’ certificate scheme monitors the performance of hip, knee, ankle, elbow, and shoulder joint replacement operations to improve clinical outcomes primarily for the benefit of patients, but also to support orthopaedic clinicians and industry manufacturers. It was introduced to offer hospitals a blueprint for reaching high quality standards relating to patient safety and to reward those who have met registry targets.
The NJR Data Quality Audit investigates the accurate number of joint replacement procedures submitted to the registry compared to the number carried out and recorded in the hospital’s patient administration system. The audit ensures that the NJR is collecting and reporting upon the most complete, accurate data possible across all hospitals performing joint replacement operations.
Comments Off on Join Kingston Hospital Charity for a Night to Remember
Kingston Hospital Charity is calling on the local community to raise funds to support bereaved families at Kingston Hospital, by taking part in their Night to Remember event this Autumn.
The sponsored walk, which is taking place on Saturday 9 September, will provide an opportunity for family, friends, and colleagues to come together and celebrate the lives of loved ones, whilst walking a route of five miles or 13 miles, starting and finishing at the Market Place in Kingston.
Last year, Kingston Hospital Charity’s Night to Remember memory walk raised over £30,000 and this year, the charity is hoping to raise £50,000 to expand its support for bereaved families.
Dr Laura Nightingale, Consultant and Clinical Lead Specialist for Palliative Care at Kingston Hospital, said: “We know that end-of-life care here at Kingston Hospital is excellent. We want to be able to continue that care after a patient has died. Grief and bereavement can be a confusing, isolating and lonely place so we want to make sure our families and next-of-kin are supported. That is why we are raising money for a Bereavement Support Practitioner, someone who can offer help between the hospital and the community, so those that are bereaved feel supported and can go on to lead happy and healthy lives.”
Justine Sweet, General Manager (Specialist Surgery, Specialist Outpatients and Cancer Services) and Head of Audiology at Kingston Hospital, took part in the event last year. Justine said: “I walked with a group of my colleagues in memory of Aslam Mussa. His unexpected passing was such a shock to all who knew and loved him. As we walked through the night, we reflected on our memories with both laughter and tears, whilst raising over £1,470 in his name. What a fabulous event.”
Registration for the event costs £20 for adults and £10 for children, and each participant will receive a t-shirt and a medal. Dogs on leads are welcome to participate.
Comments Off on New direct access referral pathways launched in Emergency Department
The team at Kingston Hospital have introduced a variety of new ways for the ambulance service to hand over patients. The London Ambulance Service (LAS) and South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAMB) can now refer patients directly to the hospital’s Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) and Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) teams as well as utilising the waiting room where appropriate.
These new pathways ensure patients are not waiting in a long queue to be assessed in majors and are instead seen by the right clinicians the first time. Since implementing these pathways, we have seen an improvement in our 15-minute handover performance as well as an increase in the number of patients referred to SDEC and UTC – improving patient experience, helping to reduce admission to the wards, and ensuring safe and effective care.
Comments Off on CQC Urgent and Emergency Care National Survey findings published
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published the results of their latest national Urgent and Emergency Care National Survey. For Kingston, the survey results are based on the experiences of 347 adults who received care in the Hospital’s Emergency Department or Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), in September 2022. You can read the reports here:
While broadly, on most topics covered in the surveys of over 35 questions, patients reported experiences similar to those at other NHS trusts, we recognise that there are issues that need to be addressed related to patients’ experiences while waiting to be seen, or their experience at the point of leaving the Emergency Department.
Nic Kane, Chief Nurse at Kingston Hospital and Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust, said:
“I’d like to thank everyone that took the time to complete the survey. Your views, and the views of everyone that gives feedback, count. We have a comprehensive programme of work underway to directly address how patients flow through the department, as this underpins many aspects of poorer experience in our Emergency Department. We commit to sharing our progress on this with you.
“I would also like to thank staff for their determination to listen to patients, provide privacy on arrival, include family or carers in discussions, and their support in managing patients’ pain in the Urgent Treatment Centre. These are key aspects of care that patients value, and on which we continue to perform well.”
Kingston Hospital has welcomed support from NHS England to develop a programme of improvements that will address recognised challenges that impact on patient experience and safety. The programme commits Kingston Hospital to achieving four objectives:
Very good patient experience
No delays when people arrive in an ambulance
No one waiting in the Emergency Department longer than 12 hours
Staff working together to enable delivery of the best care possible
A number of new initiatives are already impacting on patient experience:
A welcome nurse is available at the front door of the Emergency Department between the hours of 11am and 7pm. This is a senior member of staff who can direct patients to the correct part of the department, based on clinical need, and ensures that patients who are unwell are identified early in the patient journey.
The Rapid Assessment and Focused Treatment (RAFTing) approach is in place and patients arriving by ambulance, as well as patients who are unwell and arrive via the front door, are assessed in a timely manner by a multidisciplinary team. This is already reducing the amount of time patients wait for treatment and time taken to receive specialist care.
A new clinical leadership model has been introduced in the Emergency Department, which means there is now an ‘Emergency Physician in Charge’ on duty 24 hours a day.
There are ongoing improvements to the environment and facilities across the department, including changes to lighting, signage and flooring. A phone charging ‘Joos machine’ has been installed in the department and vending machines within the waiting area are being reviewed. A hostess is also available within the department from 7am until 4pm, and the hospital is looking at the possibility of providing this service 24 hours a day.
Comments Off on Operating Department Practitioner reference board launches at Kingston Hospital
Kingston Hospital is one of five hospitals taking part in an ODP (Operating Department Practitioners) advocacy pilot project led by Health Education England, and part of a London-wide scheme to raise the profile of the ODP profession within hospital communities.
Today our ODPs launched their very own reference board in Main Theatres. ODPs are one of the Allied Health professions (AHPs) and our ODPs at Kingston work with Main Theatres, Day Surgery theatres and Labour Ward.
The new reference board celebrates our ODPs and outlines the knowledge and skills required for this important role. It also gives some historical background to the role and explains where and how our ODPs work at Kingston Hospital.
Comments Off on 2023 Staff Awards – Patient Choice Award
Nominations for the Patient Choice Award close on Monday 21 August 2023.
This is your chance to say thank you to a member of staff or a team that you feel has made a real difference to your care or the care of a loved one.
This award is open for public nominations only and recognises an individual or team who have made a real difference and impact on improving the experience for patients using our services.
The award is for those who have:
Used their skills, compassion and expertise to make a significant contribution to someone’s personal recovery journey, working in collaboration to transform their experience of care and inspiring hope for a positive future.
Complete the online nomination form, or ask for a paper form at the main entrance reception desk.
Comments Off on New clinical leadership model introduced in the Emergency Department
The team at Kingston Hospital have introduced a new clinical leadership model in the Emergency Department which means that there is now an EPiC (Emergency Physician in Charge) on duty 24/7.
The result of this change means there is always a dedicated consultant or senior registrar on duty to lead the department with the Nurse in Charge and Coordinator. They provide senior support to the medical teams with queries and ensure that appropriate resource is allocated in the department or issues are escalated. Since implementing this change, the team have found that 73% of staff believe the EPiC role has improved communication and 59% of staff believe the role has improved patient care delivered.
Comments Off on Advice to the public ahead of junior doctors and consultant doctors industrial action
Services at Kingston Hospital will be significantly impacted by junior doctors strike action taking place from7am on Thursday 13 July until 7am on Tuesday 18 July, followed by a consultant doctors strike from7am on Thursday 20 July until 7am on Saturday 22 July.
Anyone whose appointment needs to be cancelled due to strike action will be contacted and appointments will be rescheduled as soon as possible. People should continue to attend appointments as planned unless they are told otherwise.
It is important that people continue to come forward for urgent care during the strike action, especially in an emergency and in life-threatening cases.
Tracey Moore, Chief Operating Officer at Kingston Hospital, said: “Our staff are working hard to minimise the disruption that these strikes will cause to care and treatment, however we are expecting the coming days to be challenging. Some planned appointments and operations will need to be rescheduled, to allow us to ensure safe care continues to be available for those with urgent and life-threatening healthcare needs. Waiting times in our Emergency Department will be longer than usual during the days of strike action and we will be prioritising patients based on the urgency of their clinical need – if we feel you could be seen elsewhere, we may redirect you. We would like to apologise to our patients for the disruption we are expecting, and to thank them for their understanding.”
If people need medical help or advice or are unsure about whether they should go to hospital, 111.nhs.uk should be the first port of call. Call NHS 111 for advice on where to go and what to do next – a trained adviser will provide advice and the best care pathway.
During the strike action, people may be seen more quickly at Teddington Urgent Treatment Centre, which is open from 8am until 8pm (7 days a week).
Local pharmacies may also be able to help and can provide advice on minor health concerns from skin rashes to earaches and flu. Many pharmacies stay open late, and no appointment is needed. You can also contact your GP surgery for appointments about illnesses or injuries that won’t go away.
More information on the strikes is available on the NHS website.
Comments Off on New RAFTing model introduced to Emergency Department
Kingston Hospital’s Emergency Department team have introduced a new model for the Rapid Assessment and Focused Treatment (RAFTing) of high acuity patients and those arriving by ambulance. This new way of working sees every patient arriving by ambulance met by a multidisciplinary team within 15 minutes.
In the new model, the consultant or registrar, nurse, and healthcare assistant book diagnostic tests, perform observations, and prescribe medication before handing over to the emergency medicine team to continue treatment.
They have four dedicated RAFTing spaces as well as the required equipment and consumables to enable quick decision-making and treatment.
Since implementing this change, there has been a reduction in the overall time taken for patients to be referred to a specialty by around 50 minutes per patient, as well as improvements in 4-hour performance and time to senior decision maker.
Comments Off on RHS praises Kingston Hospital staff
As we marked the 75th anniversary of the NHS this week, we also welcomed back the Royal Horticultural Society for the annual competition to judge our wonderful planters.
The judges from RHS Wisley praised the creativity of the garden planters given to us last year by the Royal Horticultural Society. The planters looked after by staff from different departments are located around the hospital site. Spending time in green space or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing.
Everyone’s planter was a winner. Congratulations to all.
Awards were given as follows:
Overall winner – Emergency Department
Best involvement of the department and patients – Paediatrics
The innovation award (coping with stolen crutches and other challenges) – Physiotherapy
Best choice of plants (Right Plant in the Right Place award) – Wolverton Centre (good choice of shade-loving plants)
Sustainable award, for showing what edibles can be grown in a small space – Speech and Language Therapy
Comments Off on Staff photography exhibition celebrates 75 years of the NHS
This week, Kingston Hospital is launching a new exhibition in a gallery space between Esher Wing and Kingston Surgical Centre, for patients and staff to enjoy.
The exhibition, titled ‘What the NHS means to me’, features photos taken by members of staff to mark 75 years of the NHS.
The work on display includes a collage of 75 photos, titled ‘Scrubs’, all captured within 24 hours by consultant surgeon, Vasha Kaur.
Thank you to all our staff who submitted photographs for the exhibition.
Comments Off on New triage model introduced to Emergency Department
In response to patient feedback and in line with national best practice, the team at Kingston Hospital have been trialling a new model of triage at the entrance to the Emergency Department.
Every patient is now met by a senior nurse who ensures they are streamed to the correct part of the department, based on clinical need and acuity, helping to avoid long waits at reception or unnecessary triage processes. They are also able to redirect some patients to more suitable services such as the Royal Eye Unit or Early Pregnancy Unit.
This is helping the Trust to achieve the 15-minute triage target and ensures the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC), Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), and specialist services are utilised effectively. From mid-June onwards we have started to see an increase in the percentage of patients triaged within 15 minutes, as well as reduction in the time taken to see a senior decision maker.
Comments Off on Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting of The Friends of Kingston Hospital
Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting of The Friends of Kingston Hospital
Monday 31 July 2023 at Midday
Seminar Room 3, The Education Centre, Kingston Hospital
The Committee would like to bring to the attention of all active members of The Friends of Kingston Hospital the Extraordinary General Meeting that is scheduled to take place on Monday 31 July 2023 at midday. In accordance with Rules 7(a) and 9 of the Friends’ Objects and Rules (the “constitution“) the Committee is seeking to ensure members are provided with at least 7 days’ notice of the above meeting.
At the meeting, we are asking members to discuss and vote on a recommendation by the Committee that the Friends should merge with Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust General Charitable Fund (charity number 1056510) (“Kingston Hospital Charity”) and in particular that, in order to facilitate the merger, the Constitution should be amended.
The formal resolution that will be put to the meeting is as follows:
It is resolved that the Objects and Rules of The League of Friends of the Kingston Hospital be altered by adopting the revised Objects and Rules in substitution for, and to the exclusion of, the existing Objects and Rules.
Please note that, as described below, the effect of the changes to the Constitution will be that the current members will cease to be members of the Friends.
Please click here to read the notice of the meeting. The revised Objects and Rules is also attached to the notice of the meeting and marked ‘A’. The paper marked ‘B’ provides the Objects and Rules with track changes marked-up.
Comments Off on ITV News feature – London Marathon runners support play in hospital
ITV News recently visited Kingston Hospital’s paediatric department to meet London Marathon runners who have raised money for Starlight Children’s Charity, to help support play in hospital.
Comments Off on NHS issues warning for older people and people with asthma
Hospital services across South West London are currently very busy due to extreme heat, pollution and pollen levels. We’re seeing high numbers of people coming in with breathing difficulties and older people who are dehydrated.
If you, or your child, has asthma or other respiratory conditions – keep taking your regular preventer inhaler and stay indoors wherever possible, keeping windows and doors closed as much as possible. If you do need to go outside, shower and change your clothes to wash pollen off.
Older people are particularly at risk of becoming unwell during a heatwave. Drinking water and staying out of the sun are most important for staying well.
The NHS is still here for people who need care. If you need medical help or advice to please go to 111.nhs.uk first, unless it is a life-threatening emergency in which case, call 999.
Comments Off on Kingston Hospital issues advice to the public ahead of junior doctors industrial action
Junior doctors will take part in strike action, organised by the British Medical Association, from 7am on Wednesday 14 June until 7am on Saturday 17 June 2023, and the industrial action is expected to significantly impact services at Kingston Hospital.
Anyone whose appointment needs to be cancelled due to strike action will be contacted and appointments will be rescheduled as soon as possible. People should continue to attend appointments as planned, unless they are told otherwise.
It is important that people continue to come forward for urgent care during the strike action, especially in an emergency and in life-threatening cases.
Dr William Oldfield, Chief Medical Officer for Kingston Hospital, said: “We would like to apologise to our patients for the disruption that we are expecting next week, and to thank them for their understanding. Our staff are working hard to minimise disruption to care and treatment during the days of industrial action, but we know that next week will be very challenging.
“We are asking people to help us manage demand by considering different services for medical help or advice, such as their GP or local pharmacist. Waiting times in the Emergency Department will be longer than usual during the days of strike action and we will be prioritising patients based on the urgency of their clinical need. If we feel you could be seen elsewhere, we may redirect you. Our staff may also be more stretched than usual and so we are asking everyone to remain kind and compassionate.”
If people need medical help or advice or are unsure about whether they should go to hospital, 111.nhs.uk should be the first port of call. Call NHS 111 for advice on where to go and what to do next.
During the strike action, people may be seen more quickly at Teddington Urgent Treatment Centre, which is open from 8am until 8pm (7 days a week).
Local pharmacies may also be able to help and can provide advice on minor health concerns from skin rashes to earaches and flu. Many pharmacies stay open late, and no appointment is needed. You can also contact your GP surgery for appointments about illnesses or injuries that won’t go away.
More information on the strikes is available on the NHS website.
Comments Off on Strike action taking place Wednesday 14 June to Saturday 17 June
Junior doctors will take part in strike action, organised by the British Medical Association, from 7am on Wednesday 14 June until 7am on Saturday 17 June 2023. The industrial action will affect services at Kingston Hospital.
If we need to re-schedule your hospital appointment, we will be in touch with you over the coming days to let you know. People should continue to attend appointments as planned, unless they are told otherwise.
Kingston Hospital staff are working hard to minimise the disruption this will cause to care and treatment. Thank you for your understanding.
During strike action, our Emergency Department (A&E) will be prioritising patients that need care most urgently and unfortunately you may have to wait longer than usual to be seen.
If you need medical help or advice, or are unsure about whether you should go to hospital, 111.nhs.uk should be the first port of call. Call NHS 111 for advice on where to go and what to do next.
During the strike action, people may be seen more quickly at Teddington Urgent Treatment Centre, which is open from 8am until 8pm (7 days a week).
Local pharmacies may also be able to help and can provide advice on minor health concerns from skin rashes to earaches and flu. Many pharmacies stay open late, and no appointment is needed. You can also contact your GP surgery for appointments about illnesses or injuries that won’t go away.
More information on the strikes is available on the NHS website. You should always call 999 if it’s a life-threatening emergency – find out more on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E.
Comments Off on UNICEF UK accreditation awarded to Kingston Hospital’s Neonatal Unit
Kingston Hospital’s Neonatal Unit has been accredited as ‘Baby Friendly’ by the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) for excellent practice in the support of infant feeding and parent-infant relationships.
The Baby Friendly Initiative is a global programme which aims to transform healthcare for babies, their mothers and families as part of a wider global partnership between UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). In the UK, the Baby Friendly Initiative works with public services to better support families with feeding and developing close, loving relationships in order to ensure that all babies get the best possible start in life.
The award was given after an assessment by UNICEF UK recognised best practice within the Neonatal Unit. This involved writing guidelines, training and auditing all staff, as well as asking parents about their experiences on the Neonatal Unit to ensure UNICEF Baby Friendly standards were being met.
The prestigious award was unveiled in June, with a celebration event involving Neonatal Unit staff, and families who had received care from the team.
In September 2021, Kingston Hospital’s Maternity Unit was also accredited by UNICEF UK as ‘Baby Friendly’.
Kingston Hospital’s Director of Midwifery, Marion Louki, said: “This award reflects the ongoing commitment of our teams on the Neonatal Unit who are passionate about supporting all parents and their babies to form close relationships, whatever their chosen method of feeding. We are proud to now be accredited as Baby Friendly in both our Maternity Unit and Neonatal Unit at Kingston Hospital – congratulations to our staff for this fantastic achievement.”
Comments Off on Occupational Therapists Recruitment Open Day
Occupational therapists play an important role in delivering high quality care to patients across a wide range of care pathways.
If you are interested in a career in occupational therapy, Kingston Hospital, Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare (HRCH) and Your Healthcare are hosting a recruitment open day on Saturday 1 July (9am – 3pm) at Kingston Hospital.
Whether you’re already qualified as a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered occupational therapist, in your final year at university, returning to practice or working at a different organisation and looking for a change, join us to discover what makes Kingston Hospital, HRCH, and Your Healthcare, based in Kingston, special.
Meet our teams, find out more about our services and learn more about the opportunities we currently have available.
Comments Off on Temporary relocation of cardiology outpatient services
We are pleased to advise that our cardiology outpatient services are currently being refurbished to improve the environment for patients and our staff.
Some cardiology services have now temporarily relocated to Corridor H (Outpatients department):
Electrocardiograms (ECGs)
Cardiology tapes, blood pressure monitoring and event recorders
Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic (RACPC)
Cardiology pre-assessment
Pacing and implantable loop recorders (ILR)
The following two services will remain in Cardiac Investigations until further notice:
Exercise tolerance testing
Echocardiogram outpatients
We apologise for any inconvenience. Patients with appointments that will be affected by the temporary relocation of services, have been informed of these changes. If you have any questions, please email the Cardiology department: khft.cardiacinvestigations@nhs.net
Comments Off on Join the Kew Couch to 5K+ programme
Local residents are being invited to improve their fitness with a new Kew Couch to 5K+ running plan, based on the NHS programme and led by experienced runner, Serge Lourie, a representative of Kew Community Trust.
The project will take place weekly, 6.30pm – 7.30pm, and starts on Wednesday 31 May.
Participants will meet each week at LiveWell at Kew, Quadrant House, Levett Square, Kew, Richmond TW9 4FF.
Comments Off on New Intensive Care Unit for Kingston Hospital – have your say!
Planning is underway to build a new intensive care unit (ICU) within Kingston Hospital. Outcomes for patients cared for in Kington Hospital’s intensive care unit are nationally recognised and the Trust has received agreement in principle to build a new facility on site, which will further improve the quality of the environment for patients, their families and staff working in the unit, as well as increasing the number of ICU beds.
We are currently working on plans with our construction partner, Mace Willmott Dixon, and would like to involve staff, patients and their families, and local people in our planning, to ensure we get it right.
We will be running two face-to-face information sessions on Thursday 25 May in the Education Centre at Kingston Hospital (Level 5, Kingston Surgical Centre) at 12pm and 6.30pm. There will be an opportunity to hear about our planning, view initial designs for the new building and hear from hospital staff and designers about the benefits of the project. There will also be an opportunity to provide feedback and to have your say.
To book your place at one of our face-to-face information sessions on Thursday 25 May, please following the links below:
Comments Off on Give your views on the NHS in SW London and win a £100 shopping voucher!
The NHS in South West London has created a plan describing how it will meet the needs of local people over the next five years. The survey covers lots of topics, including:
mental health, learning disabilities and autism
primary care
cancer
maternity
long term conditions
emergency care
You can give your views using an online survey, which summarises the ideas in the plan. If you complete the survey, you can enter a free prize draw to win a £100 shopping voucher!
Your feedback will help to inform the final version of the plan, which will be published at the end of June 2023.
Comments Off on Coronation Bank Holiday Weekend – information for the public
The NHS remains open for you this bank holiday weekend, if you have an urgent care need please don’t wait. Reach out for help by contacting NHS 111 online for urgent medical help.
If you need urgent mental health care ring the 24/7 crisis line at South West London St George’s on 0800 028 8000.
By re-stocking medicine cabinets, knowing when your GP practice is open and planning ahead for repeat prescriptions, you can ensure you have everything you need ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
You can order your medication using the NHS App, or through their GP practice, which may also have an online service.
Some local pharmacies may have different opening hours during a bank holiday, search “find a pharmacy NHS” to find an open pharmacy near you.
If you need urgent dental treatment this bank holiday, contact your regular dentist, if you cannot contact your dentist use NHS 111 online for information about your local out of hours service.
GP services are available this bank holiday weekend – contact your practice online or by phone to be assessed. If your practice is not open but an appointment is necessary, you will be advised of the next steps. Your appointment may be at another nearby service.
For all other urgent health needs over the bank holiday, contact 111.nhs.uk or by phoning 111.
Comments Off on Free carers event – Thursday 4 May
Do you help someone that needs you? All local carers and their family members are invited to join a free evening event on Thursday 4 May, from 5pm – 8pm, at the United Reform Church in New Malden.
The event is designed for carers and is open to everyone interested in health and wellbeing, especially those who help to care for others. There will be a vegetarian buffet meal and goodie bags available for attendees, as well as free NHS health checks, advice from local charities, GPs and experts in carers’ rights all available. For more details about the event and to register, please visit Eventbrite here: Getting the right support – Do you help someone that needs you? Tickets, Thu 4 May 2023 at 17:00 | Eventbrite
Comments Off on Completion of new ENT and audiology building at Kingston Hospital
Work to build a new, purpose-built audiology and ear, nose and throat (ENT) building at Kingston Hospital, is now complete.
The new, fully accessible modular building, named the Aspen Building, is located at the centre of the hospital site, and contains dedicated audiology consultation rooms, laboratory and acoustic booths, examination and procedure rooms, a dedicated voice therapy room, and additional staff and administration areas, as well as a facilities for same day fine needle aspirations to be taken and analysed.
Audiology and ENT services will shortly commence a phased relocation and from 09 May 2023, all audiology and ENT outpatient appointments at Kingston Hospital will take place in Aspen Building.
Justine Sweet, General Manager for Specialist Surgery, Specialist Outpatients and Cancer Services, and Head of Audiology at Kingston Hospital, said: “We are delighted that work to build a dedicated ENT and audiology building is now complete and we look forward to welcoming patients to this new space, in the coming weeks. The new building will enable outpatient and procedure clinics to all take place under one roof and provides an improved environment and experience for our patients and our staff.”
Comments Off on New NEDs in Common appointed to Kingston Hospital and HRCH
Two new Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) in Common – Prof. Durka Dougall and Richard Guest – have been appointed at Kingston Hospital and HRCH and joined us on 1 April 2023.
Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs, Chair in Common of Kingston Hospital and HRCH, said: “We are delighted to have appointed two exceptional people to become NEDs in Common across both Boards. Prof. Durka Dougall will lead on the newly created role promoting stronger relationships with primary healthcare partners and addressing health inequalities. Richard Guest brings substantial knowledge of financial issues at a strategic level to steer us through the sustainability challenges ahead. Both will contribute to ever stronger Boards, working together to forge pathways for our local communities that will enhance quality of care and improve access and patient experience.”
Prof. Durka Dougall has been appointed as NED in Common with a focus on primary health care and Richard Guest will Chair the Finance Committee in Common.
Durka Dougall (nee: Sankararajah) is a medical consultant and a public health specialist who has worked in the NHS for over 25 years across a variety of roles. She has worked at The King’s Fund since 2017, leading efforts to help improve population health through support for individuals, organisations, and systems across the UK. She has worked with primary care networks, acute and community trust boards, integrated care systems, place-based partnerships, national organisations and international systems. Durka has led work on transformation change in health and care, the development of a framework to support Allied Health Professionals to tackle health inequalities and is regularly invited to speak or contribute to this area.
Durka holds specialist qualifications in health care leadership, public health and clinical medicine, and is a professor of public health and population health part-time across two universities, supporting workforce development and improved practice.
Richard Guest is an experienced Chief Financial Officer (CFO), management consultant and Trustee with more than 20 years of experience working at Board level including being the Chief Financial Officer of Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, being a Partner and leading the NHS practice at EY (formerly Ernst & Young) and being a Director at Monitor. Richard is also a Trustee of Pathway, a charity which works with the NHS to improve healthcare for homeless and other socially excluded people.
Richard is a qualified accountant and has a PhD in Physics from Cambridge University.
Comments Off on New Intensive Care Unit for Kingston Hospital – have your say!
Planning is underway to build a new intensive care unit (ICU) within Kingston Hospital. Outcomes for patients cared for in Kington Hospital’s intensive care unit are nationally recognised and the Trust has received agreement in principle to build a new facility on site, which will further improve the quality of the environment for patients, their families and staff working in the unit, as well as increasing the number of ICU beds.
The new building, which we hope to locate in the centre of the Kingston Hospital site, will comprise of four levels incorporating the intensive care unit, as well as car parking on the ground floor and additional space that can be adapted for future use.
The development is aligned with our long-term estates plan and clinical priorities for Kingston Hospital, as well as broader South West London strategies. Subject to the approval of a business case by NHSE, a 16-month construction programme is expected to begin on site in early 2024.
We are currently working on plans with our construction partner, Mace Willmott Dixon, and would like to involve staff, patients and their families, and local people in our planning, to ensure we get it right.
We will be holding an online engagement event on Thursday 20 April (6pm – 7pm) which is open to all. There will be an opportunity to hear about our planning, view initial designs for the new building and hear from hospital staff and designers about the benefits of the project. There will also be an opportunity to provide feedback and to have your say. Click here to join the meeting
In addition, we will be running two face-to-face consultation sessions on Thursday 25 May in Kingston Hospital’s Education Centre (Level 5, Kingston Surgical Centre) at 12pm and 6.30pm.
If you would like to attend the consultation events on Thursday 25 May, please email khft.comms@nhs.net.
Comments Off on Junior doctors industrial action Tuesday 11 April to Saturday 15 April – Maternity services
Junior doctors are taking part in strike action from 7am on Tuesday 11 April to 7am on Saturday 15 April.
Our maternity services are open. Please do not hesitate to contact us for advice if you have any concerns on 020 8934 2802.
If you have an antenatal appointment, please attend as planned. If your appointment needs to be rescheduled, you will be contacted directly.
During strike action, our Emergency Department (A&E) will be prioritising patients that need care most urgently and unfortunately you may have to wait longer than usual to be seen.
If you need medical help, continue to use NHS111 online, call NHS 111, contact your GP or visit a pharmacy. In emergencies, please call 999.
Kingston Hospital staff are working hard to minimise the disruption this will cause to care and treatment. Thank you for your understanding.
Comments Off on Kingston Hospital issues advice to the public ahead of junior doctor strikes
Junior doctors are expected to take part in strike action, organised by the British Medical Association, from 7am on Tuesday 11 April to 7am on Saturday 15 April, and the industrial action will affect services at Kingston Hospital.
Approximately 75% of outpatient appointments that were due to take place at Kingston Hospital on the days of strike action have been rescheduled and the hospital’s Emergency Department is expected to be particularly busy.
Anyone whose appointment needs to be cancelled due to strike action will be contacted and appointments will be rescheduled as soon as possible. People should continue to attend appointments as planned, unless they are told otherwise.
It is important that people continue to come forward for urgent care during the strike action, especially in an emergency and in life-threatening cases.
Dr William Oldfield, Chief Medical Officer for Kingston Hospital, said: “Our staff are working hard to minimise disruption to care and treatment during the upcoming industrial action, but we know that next week will be very challenging. We would like to apologise to our patients for the disruption and thank them for their understanding. During the days of strike action, our Emergency Department will be prioritising patients that need care most urgently. If you attend our Emergency Department, waiting times will be longer than usual, and if we feel you could be seen elsewhere, we may redirect you. Our staff may also be more stretched than usual and so we ask everyone to remain kind and compassionate.”
If people need medical help or advice or are unsure about whether they should go to hospital, 111.nhs.uk should be the first port of call. Call NHS 111 for advice on where to go and what to do next.
During the strike action, people may be seen more quickly at Teddington Urgent Treatment Centre, which is open from 8am until 8pm (7 days a week).
Local pharmacies may also be able to help and can provide advice on minor health concerns from skin rashes to earaches and flu. Many pharmacies stay open late, and no appointment is needed. You can also contact your GP surgery for appointments about illnesses or injuries that won’t go away.
More information on the strikes is available on the NHS website. You should always call 999 if it’s a life-threatening emergency – find out more on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E.
Comments Off on Junior doctors industrial action: Tuesday 11 April – Saturday 15 April
Junior doctors are expected to take part in strike action, organised by the British Medical Association, from 7am on Tuesday 11 April to 7am on Saturday 15 April.
If we need to re-schedule your hospital appointment, we will be in touch with you over the coming days to let you know.
Kingston Hospital staff are working hard to minimise the disruption this will cause to care and treatment. Thank you for your understanding.
During strike action, our Emergency Department (A&E) will be prioritising patients that need care most urgently and unfortunately you may have to wait longer than usual to be seen.
If you need medical help, continue to use NHS111 online, call NHS 111, contact your GP or visit a pharmacy. In emergencies, please call 999.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, in the UK, about 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime.
It mainly affects men over 50 and the risk increases with age. The risk is even higher for black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer.
Most men with early prostate cancer don’t have any signs or symptoms.
If you notice changes in the way you urinate, this is more likely to be a sign of a very common non-cancerous problem called an enlarged prostate, or another health problem. But it’s still a good idea to get it checked out.
The PSA test is a blood test that measures the amount of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in your blood. PSA is a protein produced by normal cells in the prostate and also by prostate cancer cells. It’s normal to have a small amount of PSA in your blood, and the amount rises slightly as you get older and your prostate gets bigger. A raised PSA level may suggest you have a problem with your prostate, but not necessarily cancer.
If you are concerned about your urinary symptoms or have some of the risk factors it is best to have a discussion with your GP about this.
Comments Off on ‘The Natural World’ photography exhibition arrives at Kingston Hospital
A new gallery space in the Link Corridor between Kingston Hospital’s Esher Wing and Surgical Centre is now in place for patients and staff to enjoy. Health and Wellbeing Chaplain, Steve Summers, and the Trust’s wider Health and Wellbeing team are leading on the project, which is funded by Kingston Hospital Charity.
Chief Nurse, Nic Kane, officially opened the new gallery on Monday 20 March. The first exhibition is on ‘The Natural World’ and features photographs from the local Canbury Camera Club.
The gallery will be regularly refreshed, with exhibits by the Trust’s nursery, staff photographers and artists planned for the future.
Comments Off on Kingston resident to complete tour of London hospitals by Brompton commuter bike
This weekend, Kingston resident, Richard Carrington, will embark on a tour of 14 London hospitals on his Brompton commuter bike, in support of Kingston Hospital Charity’s Ride for 75 fundraising initiative, to mark the 75th birthday of the NHS.
Richard said: “On Friday 22 November 2019 at approximately 7pm I had one of the 124,000 heart attacks that take place in this country every year. I had joined the ranks of the roughly 1 million men and 500,000 women who, according to the British Heart Foundation, have had one – a total of more than 1.5m people to set beside the 2.7m who live with coronary heart disease.
“I had just finished an hour of training at Lee Valley Velodrome and there was a pain in my back between my shoulder blades. As a sportsman I have had over 50 years of ignoring pain. I figured I had strained my upper back in the track session. I had to stop though as the pain was now starting to feel like I had swallowed a large rock, and someone was forcing their fist in between my shoulder blades. I continued on slowly, a few paces at a time, until I got to the ticket hall at Stratford International. Things got worse and I was trying to figure out what to do – I wasn’t thinking straight. I was feeling cold and clammy and in severe pain and highly agitated. I have never done this before, but I called the emergency services as my symptoms suggested I could be having a heart attack.
“The first aid courses I have attended over the past five years of running Youth and Juniors always go through heart attack symptoms and now I thank heavens they do!
“By this time, I was sitting on the floor feeling sick and hunched over. After an hour, the ambulance staff attended; time to put on a brave face, because that’s what you do, don’t you!”
Richard was taken to St Bartholomew’s Hospital’s coronary unit and after an initial assessment, was taken into the operating theatre to have a stent fitted.
Richard said: “The reason I am doing this is because I want to give a bit back – arguably the only reason I’m here is because of the NHS. I am doing it on a Brompton because this is about all the ordinary people like me. I want to represent all the commuters who live in this area.
“Highlights for me will be visiting St Bartholomew’s Hospital where I had my triple heart bypass and being outside Brompton Hospital with my Brompton.”
Richard’s tour will start at Kingston Hospital, at 7.30am on Saturday 18 March and the tour will take him to St George’s Hospital, University Hospital Lewisham, King’s College Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’, St Bartholomew’s, Royal London Hospital, Whittington Hospital, Royal Free, University College Hospital, Royal Brompton Hospital, Central Middlesex, Charing Cross Hospital, and Queen Mary’s Hospital, before returning to Kingston.
Comments Off on Kingston Hospital’s Wolverton Centre featured in ‘Youth Out Loud!’ sexual health film
As part of their Digital Youth Projects, Youth Out Loud! – a group of people aged 13-17 working with Healthwatch Kingston – recently created a sexual health information film which features the Wolverton Centre at Kingston Hospital.
Nic Kane, Chief Nurse for Kingston Hospital and Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare, said: “We have been really pleased to work with Healthwatch and Youth Out Loud! on this fantastic film. We hope this will be useful to young people in our communities, enabling them to feel able to talk more openly about sexual health issues.”
According to the annual staff survey for NHS staff, Kingston Hospital ranks as the highest scoring district general hospital in London for staff recommending the Trust as a place to work.
The report shows that:
79% of staff agree that care of patients / service users is Kingston Hospital’s top priority (against an average of 74% among other acute / acute and community trusts)
64% of our staff would recommend Kingston Hospital as place to work (against an average of 57% among other acute / acute and community trusts)
72% would be happy with the standard of care provided if a friend or relative needed treatment (against an average of 63% among other acute / acute and community trusts)
Jo Farrar, Chief Executive of Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I’m really grateful to our staff for engaging with the annual NHS staff survey. It has been another challenging year, but I am pleased that the results of the survey reflect the fact that our staff recommend Kingston Hospital as a place to work and agree that patient care is our top priority.
“Some areas for improvement have been identified and based on insight from previous staff surveys, we have strengthened our health and wellbeing support to staff over the past year, and will continue to give this our full focus. Staff satisfaction and making sure that this is a great place to work will continue as a key priority for the Trust’s leadership team.
“I am really proud of our staff and am committed to doing all I can to create the best possible working environment, and to continue providing the best possible patient care.”
Comments Off on Planned strike by junior doctors: A message from our Chief Executive
Services at Kingston Hospital will be affected during the junior doctor strikes next week from 7am on Monday 13 March – 7am on Thursday 16 March. I would like to thank all of our local NHS, community and voluntary organisations who have reached out to support us in the run up to, and during the industrial action. This support means a lot to us.
Kingston Hospital will be open but we are postponing a large number of outpatient appointments and planned surgery so we can deploy our staff in areas including our emergency services, cancer services, the wards and maternity.
If your appointment has been postponed, we would like to apologise to you for that.
We will be working very hard to keep our emergency department running safely over the course of the industrial action, but can we ask that you think carefully before coming into our emergency department, where you may face long waits to be treated.
We fully respect our junior doctor colleagues’ right to strike and know that the decision to take action is not one that is taken without a great deal of thought, or lightly. Junior doctors are a crucial part of our workforce and they are part of the future of the NHS. My hope is that meaningful negotiations will take place, so that we can avoid future industrial action and solely focus on the job of being here to care for people when they need us.
Comments Off on Junior doctors industrial action: Monday 13 March – Wednesday 15 March
Junior doctor members of the British Medical Association (BMA) are taking part in a national 72-hour strike on Monday 13 March, Tuesday 14 March and Wednesday 15 March.
If we need to re-schedule your hospital appointment, we will be in touch with you over the coming days to let you know.
Kingston Hospital staff are working hard to minimise the disruption this will cause to care and treatment. Thank you for your understanding.
During strike action, the NHS is still here for people who need care. If you need medical help, continue to use NHS111 online, call NHS 111, contact your GP or visit a pharmacy. In emergencies, please call 999.
Comments Off on Introducing our Carers’ Clinical Liaison Service
Kingston Hospital has recently launched a new Carers’ Clinical Liaison Service.
This service benefits unpaid carers residing in any borough who are concerned about their own health, wellbeing, and confidence to provide care for the person they are caring for, during or after a hospital stay.
Our Carers’ Clinical Liaison Practitioner will meet with the carer to conduct an initial assessment of the carer’s needs, co-designing and delivering a plan of support with and for the carer. The service has been set up in collaboration with the Richmond Carers Centre and Kingston Carers Network.
Angel Thompson, Kingston Hospital’s Carers’ Clinical Liaison Practitioner, said: “I am really pleased that we have been able to introduce this new service for carers. We hope this work will have a positive impact on the wider support for carers and will provide them with reassurance that they are acknowledged while the person they care for is an inpatient with us.”
Carers who have benefitted from this service have said “it was so good to have my needs heard and understood for the first time in all my time in and out of hospital with my father.”
If the person you care for is currently an inpatient at Kingston Hospital or coming to our Emergency Department and you are interested in the finding out more about the Carers’ Clinical Liaison Service, let ward staff know and they can make a referral on your behalf.
Comments Off on Falls prevention article featured in ‘Frontline’ magazine
Physiotherapist and Operational Inpatient Manager, Juliet Butler, recently wrote a short piece about Kingston Hospital’s volunteer-led falls prevention scheme. Juliet’s article has been featured in the March edition of ‘Frontline’ – the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy’s monthly magazine.
Comments Off on Living Well Hub offers Kingston residents health and wellbeing support
A social prescriber has regularly joined the team at a weekly Living Well Hub held at The United Reformed Church hall in New Malden for the last year, offering support and advice to local people.
The hub, which has been a designated warm space for local residents during the worst of the winter also offers a subsidised hot lunch prepared freshly by the hub’s cook as well as access to volunteers, a Department of Work and Pensions benefit advisor, carers advice and a health visiting drop-in for those with children and babies under five.
Comments Off on Return to practice as an Allied Health Professional
If you are thinking of returning to your allied health profession, here at Kingston Hospital we offer periods of adaptation, support and mentoring to help you develop the skills and competencies you need to get on the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register.
Comments Off on Launch of Virtual Visiting Volunteer Service
Kingston Hospital has recently launched a new virtual visiting service, connecting patients with family members or friends who would otherwise be unable to come into the hospital.
Trained volunteers are available to facilitate video calls between patients and loved ones, by bringing an iPad to the patient’s bedside.
How to schedule a call:
Send an email to khft.virtualvisiting@nhs.net with the patient’s name, date of birth, and your contact details, or speak to a member of the virtual visiting team on 020 8934 3053.
A member of the team will then get in contact to arrange the call.
This service runs Monday to Friday. To arrange a call for the same day, please send details before midday.
Comments Off on Super Saturday surgery day reduces waiting lists
On Saturday 4 February, Mr Ioannis Gerogiannis (Consultant General and UGI Surgeon and Clinical Lead for Surgery) along with Kingston Hospital’s surgical teams, ran another successful ‘Super Saturday’ surgery catch up day.
Colleagues performed 14 hernia operations under general anaesthetic and 12 excisions under local anaesthetic.
Extra surgery days dedicated to the same types of surgery allow the team to see more patients. As well as reducing surgery waiting lists, this provides a great opportunity for learning for our trainees at the hospital.
Comments Off on Digital design and manufacturing facility to transform patient care
With the support of Kingston Hospital Charity, construction is now underway to create a new digital clinical design and manufacturing facility within Princess Alexandra Wing.
Completion of this new facility in March will ensure Kingston Hospital is one of only a small number in the country to provide onsite digital customised anatomical models and medical devices, using 3D biomedical design and printing in a bespoke facility.
Once operational, patients will receive more efficient care, with better outcomes, underpinned by a custom-built technology system. For example, a child who requires a replacement hearing aid may currently wait months for a new one, which has a significant impact on psychological wellbeing, educational progress, and social interactions. The new service will be able to manufacture a replacement hearing aid ear-mould using an impression that has been virtually stored in less than 24 hours and can be sent by post.
A patient requiring orthodontic retainers to hold the final positions of teeth after ‘train track’ braces are removed, currently waits one to two weeks. Using this new technology, patients will receive their retainer the same day ensuring they experience no discomfort when first using it. They will also need to attend only one appointment, instead of returning for a second.
This facility will also introduce three-dimensional virtual surgical planning for patients with complex facial deformities. For patients with complex broken bones or fractures that require surgery, the new facility will enable three-dimensional printed custom models to be made to enable the surgeon to plan the best approach and orientation of any surgical fixation screws.
Dr Chris Donaldson who is leading this project said:
“This new facility brings 3D technology to a healthcare setting, as these techniques will become essential tools in the NHS of the future. In time we hope to be able to print in medical grade titanium and ultimately to print bio-scaffolds for the construction of replacement body-parts. It is fantastic that Kingston Hospital Charity has recognised its potential and has agreed to fund the development of this digital clinical design and manufacturing facility.”
Comments Off on My experience of the community exercise volunteer programme
Kingston Hospital’s community exercise volunteer programme was established by our volunteering and physiotherapy teams in partnership with Helpforce charity, to reduce the risk of falls, deconditioning and loneliness in elderly patients.
Volunteers visit patients in their homes for a period of eight weeks following discharge from hospital, working through specific exercises tailored to each patient and prescribed by physiotherapists.
In the following short film, local resident Jaqui, shares her experience of the programme:
The programme is currently open to Kingston residents aged 65 years or older, who have had a fall in the last 12 months, are at risk of falling, or are worried about falling. For more information, speak to your Kingston Hospital physiotherapist.
If you are interested in becoming a community exercise volunteer, working with individuals to support them with exercises to help restore their health, wellbeing and independence, contact Bianca Larch (Community and Outreach Manager, Volunteering Services): b.larch@nhs.net
Comments Off on London Ambulance industrial action – Maternity services
There is strike action planned by staff working for London Ambulance Service on Friday 10 February. Ambulances will not be available to take you to hospital, unless it is a life-threatening emergency.
Our maternity services will be running as usual.
Please plan how you would come to hospital on that day if you needed to.
If you have any worries, or think you’re in labour, please contact us for advice as early as possible on 020 8934 2802.
If you are planning a homebirth around this time, your midwife will speak to you about what this means for your care.
Comments Off on Time to Test: Supporting colleagues to attend smear test appointments
Kingston Hospital and Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare (HRCH) have joined forces with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, the UK’s leading cervical cancer charity, and signed up to the Time to Test campaign to raise awareness of cervical screening and to support our colleagues to attend their appointments.
Worrying new research has found that only 1 in 5 women working full-time were able to get a convenient cervical screening appointment last time they tried to book. An inability to get appointments around work is causing many to delay potentially lifesaving screening.
Getting a test around working hours can be difficult for many people. COVID may have exacerbated this, as 1 in 3 say they feel less able to take time off to attend medical appointments because of the pandemic.
To help address this, we have made a commitment to our staff that they can attend a screening during work hours if unable to get an appointment at a different time.
The Time to Test campaign encourages raising awareness of cervical screening at work, after 62% said that an increase in discussion about women’s health in the workplace would make them feel more comfortable taking time off for appointments.
Nic Kane, Chief Nurse at Kingston Hospital and HRCH, and SW London Cancer lead, said:
“I am very proud we are actively participating in the Time to Test campaign and supporting Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust. By raising the profile of screening and cervical cancer in the workplace I hope this will empower our staff to look after their health.”
Cat King, Colposcopy Clinical Nurse Specialist at Kingston Hospital said:
“Don’t fear the smear – it’s important to attend cervical screening and here at Kingston Hospital we can support you to do this. 99.8% of cervical cancers can be prevented. A smear test should not be painful and takes only a minute to do.
“If you have any worries regarding the test, we have a team of specialist nurses who are very happy to talk through any concerns and help support you being able to have the test.”
Samantha Dixon, Chief Executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said:
“There are many barriers to cervical screening, but work is a very practical one which we can and should try to tackle. Whilst every workplace is different, we’re calling on employers to find a way to offer their staff Time to Test, especially as we start returning to offices, we must try to avoid putting more barriers in place.
“It’s worrying to see so many having to take annual or sick leave to attend a routine medical appointment, which will lead to some delaying. Employers can help stop this and make cervical screening and cervical health visible and important in the workplace, so more women and people with a cervix feel confident and informed to attend.”
Comments Off on Associate NEDs in Common appointed to Kingston Hospital and HRCH
In line with our Better Together programme, two new Associate Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) in Common have been appointed at Kingston Hospital and HRCH, and have joined us this week.
Dr Masood Ahmed has been appointed as Associate NED with a focus on the Trusts’ digital agenda and Zaheer Ahmad MBE has been appointed as associate NED with a focus on equality, diversity and inclusion.
Associate NEDs are non-voting members of the Board. Masood and Zaheer will attend board meetings for both Trusts and the Committees in Common, as well as other relevant committees related to the work that they will be doing at Kingston Hospital and HRCH.
Dr Masood Ahmed is a respected and accomplished NHS leader with a strong focus on innovation, digital transformation, and leadership development. With over two decades of experience in the healthcare industry, he currently serves as the Chief Clinical Information Officer and Deputy Chief Medical Officer for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System, where he leads the digital clinical strategy.
Masood is deeply passionate about advancing the use of technology and innovation in healthcare and has a keen interest in systems leadership, EDI, digital health, and AI.
Masood has held several high-level positions throughout his career, including Global Medical Director at Dell Healthcare & Life Sciences, Chief Medical Officer at the Black Country and West Birmingham CCG, and Chief Digital Officer at the Health Innovation Network and West Midlands Academic Health Science Network (WMAHSN). He has also been a leader in advocating for healthcare professionals, having served as the Chair of Negotiators for the British Medical Association Junior Doctors’ Committee.
On his appointment, Masood said: “I’m delighted to join the hospital where I did my first surgical house job many moons ago. I’ve seen and sensed the ambition of both organisations as we look to evolve in a digital world that will be the future of health and care and I hope that my broad experience from the NHS and commercial sector will add value to both Boards.”
Zaheer Ahmad MBE is Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at multinational consumer healthcare company, Haleon. Prior to this, he held positions as Head of Strategic Delivery of Diversity and Inclusion at EY, where he chaired the business’s Race Working Group, and Head of the Diversity Staff Support Association at the Home Office.
Zaheer is a highly decorated former police officer, serving in various departments including Uniform Policing, Force Intelligence Bureau, and CID. He is a former member of five National Police boards including the Ministerial Progression Board and National Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Board.
On his appointment as an Associate NED in Common, Zaheer said: “I am delighted to join Kingston Hospital and HRCH as an Associate Non-Executive Director in Common, bringing public and private sector experience, to tackle key equality, diversity and inclusion challenges which are critical for the delivery of the NHS long term workforce priorities.”
Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs, Chair in Common of Kingston Hospital and HRCH, said: “We are extremely fortunate to have appointed two people with such expertise to our organisations.
“This is the first time we have appointed Associate Non-Executive Directors in Common, and I really look forward to working with Masood and Zaheer on our digital agenda and equality, diversity and inclusion strategy.”
Comments Off on Changes to low vision aid and contact lens services
Kingston Hospital previously used an external company to provide a low vision aids and specialist hospital contact lens service. Unfortunately, this company informed us that they are no longer able to provide the service and we are now working to bring this in house.
An Orthoptist has been recruited to undertake the low vision aid (LVA) clinics at Kingston Hospital and we are hopeful to be able to recommence appointments for this service from May/June 2023. Until then, the Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) who is based in the Royal Eye Unit (REU) will provide support, where possible, to our LVA patients.
The contact lens service requires more specialised training and experience and unfortunately, we have not yet been able to recruit to this role. We are hopeful that we can appoint someone in the coming months, however this will mean a further delay in resuming the specialist contact lens service at Kingston Hospital.
As part of this ongoing work, we are also reviewing patient records to identify eligibility to access the service and any medical needs. It may be necessary to arrange a routine appointment for patients to be reviewed in the REU and we will be in touch if this is the case. Any patients who do not meet the eligibility criteria for hospital supplied medical contact lenses and/or low vision aids will be contacted to advise them they are being discharged from the service. This may be due to the patient’s location or if normal vision can be obtained using glasses.
For contact lens patients who have contacted us and are eligible to access the service, we have begun referring to the Moorfields Eye Centre at St Georges Hospital in Tooting so that patients can continue to access these services while they are unavailable at Kingston Hospital.
For any queries relating to these services, please contact the Ophthalmology Administration team on 020 8934 6404 or email khft.reuhelpdesk1@nhs.net.
We would like to apologise for any inconvenience. We are working hard to re-establish these services as soon as possible and will continue to keep patents informed by letter, as the services become available again.
Comments Off on Kingston residents invited to show their livers some love
Kingston residents are invited to have a liver scan and a chat with local NHS experts at Liver Week events running throughout the borough on 25, 26 and 27 January 2023.
Appointments on the liver health bus take less than 10 minutes and let participants know how healthy their liver is and what they can do to improve and keep it healthy in the future. The check-up involves a scan and a finger-prick blood test and those showing signs of possible liver damage will be offered further support.
Events will be held:
Wednesday 25 January 2023, 9am – 1pm
Merritt Medical Centre, 60 Merritt Gardens, Chessington, KT9 2GY (St George’s bus)
Thursday 26 January 2023, 9am – 4pm
United Reformed Church, Malden Road, New Malden, KT3 6DR
Friday 27 January 2023, 10am – 2pm
Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness, St Peter’s Church Hall, London Road, Kingston, KT2 6QL
Comments Off on London Ambulance industrial action – Maternity services
There is strike action planned by staff working for London Ambulance Service on Monday 23 January. Ambulances will not be available to take you to hospital, unless it is a life-threatening emergency.
Our maternity services will be running as usual.
Please plan how you would come to hospital on that day if you needed to.
If you have any worries, or think you’re in labour, please contact us for advice as early as possible on 020 8934 2802.
If you are planning a homebirth around this time, your midwife will speak to you about what this means for your care.
A total of 200 service users who received care in Kingston Hospital’s maternity services took part in the survey in February last year, which invited them to rate their antenatal care, experience of labour and birth, and postnatal care.
The results put Kingston Maternity in the top five London Trusts for all eight parameters which are assessed and categorised as follows:
The start of your care during pregnancy
Antenatal check-ups
During your pregnancy
Your labour and birth
Staff caring for you
Care in hospital after birth
Feeding your baby
Care at home after birth
Nic Kane, Chief Nurse for Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are really proud of our results in the National Maternity Survey 2022, which are testament to the hard work and dedication of our maternity teams. I would like to thank my colleagues for all the work they do which places us within the best performing trusts for maternity services in London. Thanks also to everyone who responded to the survey and shared their valuable feedback.”
Comments Off on How to access care during ambulance service strike action
On 11 January, there will be fewer ambulances on the road and fewer staff in ambulance control rooms triaging 999 calls, due to strike action.
The London Ambulance Service is advising patients only to call 999 if it is a medical or mental health emergency. This includes unconsciousness, chest pain, difficulty breathing, a server loss of blood or when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.
Patients whose conditions are not life-threatening are unlikely to get an ambulance during the strike. If you need medical help fast, please use 111 online to get assessed and directed to the care you need. If required, you may need to arrange alternative transport to hospital.
Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.
For those driving to our emergency department in a medical emergency, please follow instructions from staff marshalling the hospital site and do not park on or obstruct our roads.
If you need care, but it isn’t an emergency, there are a number of options available:
If you have an urgent healthcare need but it isn’t an emergency, contact NHS 111 online as your first port of call, as this service can quickly advise you where to go and what to do next.
Your local pharmacy can also provide advice on minor health concerns from skin rashes to earaches and flu. Many pharmacies open late and no appointment is needed. Find your nearest pharmacy here.
Contact your GP surgery for appointments about illnesses or injuries that won’t go away. Many GPs offer an out of hours service.
Find out more about where to go if you need medical advice, but it’s not an emergency.
Comments Off on Help improve sexual and reproductive health services
The London Boroughs of Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth with the NHS are working to improve the sexual and reproductive health of people in the area. To help us with this, we would like to find out more about your awareness and experience in accessing local sexual and reproductive health services and your views on how you may want to access services in the future to ensure they work for you.
Comments Off on Unpaid carers survey – South West London
Have you cared for or are you caring for a person living with a terminal illness or at the end of their life?
Do you receive support as an unpaid carer of a person or loved one? Please share your experience of caring for someone and any support needs you have. Is anything missing? What can be done to improve your current situation?
If you or the person you’ve cared for / caring for live in South West London (Kingston, Richmond, Croydon, Wandsworth, Sutton or Merton), we would like to hear from you.
Either via a focus group, one-to-one meeting (f2f or virtual), phone call or online survey.
Comments Off on London Ambulance industrial action – Maternity services
There is strike action planned by staff working for London Ambulance Service on Wednesday 11 January, between noon and midnight. Ambulances will not be available to take you to hospital, unless it is a life-threatening emergency.
Our maternity services will be running as usual.
Please plan how you would come to hospital on that day if you needed to.
If you have any worries, or think you’re in labour, please contact us for advice as early as possible on 020 8934 2802.
If you are planning a homebirth around this time, your midwife will speak to you about what this means for your care.
Comments Off on Allied Health Professional Career Days – Wednesday 18 January and Thursday 19 January
Allied health professionals (AHPs) are key to patient care and are the third largest workforce in the NHS. AHPs include physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiographers, speech and language therapists and dietitians, and all play an important role in delivering high quality care to patients across a wide range of care pathways.
If you are interested in a career in any of these areas, join us on Wednesday 18 January or Thursday 19 January (9.30am – 4.30pm) to meet some of our staff and learn more about allied health professional roles at Kingston Hospital. There will also be an opportunity to shadow some of our AHPs.
Our Allied Health Professional Career Days are open to anyone aged 16 years or over.
Register online by Monday 16 January. We hope you can join us.
Comments Off on Help and support from local charities
Kingston Hospital works with local charities to make sure patients and carers get the help they need whilst in hospital as well as back at home.
This winter, we are pleased to partner with local charities including Staywell, Nightingale, Kingston Carers’ Network and Richmond Carers Centre to enable them to reach out to patients and carers much earlier in their healthcare journey.
Laura Greene, Head of Volunteering and Community Partnerships, said “We feel strongly that local charities have expertise and services that are key to improving our patients’ and carers’ wellbeing both in hospital and back home in the community. By connecting people with local charities to support them whilst they are in hospital, patients and carers are receiving the help and support they need from their local voluntary sector during a crisis. By working in partnership with the hospital, charities can also provide greater continuity of care between hospital and home, joining up the help and support patients and carers receive regardless of where that care is needed.”
Read more about some of our active partnerships with local charities.
Comments Off on Strike action – how to access care and how we are continuing care
It has been announced that the London Ambulance Service will be striking on Wednesday 21 December from midday to midnight. The following days may also be affected as a result.
While our staff and services will be working as normal, we are expecting our services to be busier than usual and ask you to use services responsibly and think NHS 111 first so we can prioritise our sickest patients.
Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.
We are always here for those who need care.
Please read the information on this page for further information and advice.
Comments Off on Nominations now open for Kingston Hospital’s governor by-elections
Nominations are now open for Kingston Hospital’s governor by-elections for the constituency of Elmbridge. Two positions are available – one term to expire in November 2023 and one to expire in November 2024. The person polling the most votes will take the longer term.
Nominations are open from Tuesday 20 December 2022 to Tuesday 17 January 2023, and the election will take place from Friday 3 February to Friday 24 February 2023.
Find out more about Kingston Hospital’s Council of Governors and the governor by-elections.
Comments Off on Operation ‘Sleigh Bells’ – getting patients home this Christmas
This festive season, we want to help as many of our inpatients as possible to get home, so they don’t have to spend Christmas in hospital. That’s why we’ve launched Operation ‘Sleigh Bells’.
Over the coming days, our inpatient teams will be assessing patients’ health and doing everything they can to get them home in time for Christmas.
We will be working with families and carers to ensure that people who can go home are able to do so safely and with the right support in place, such as transport or additional equipment.
Flyers are available for patients and relatives with more details about the campaign. Please speak to a member of staff to find out what you can do to help get your loved one home this Christmas, if safe to do so.
If you have any concerns about yourself or a loved one returning home for Christmas, please let the staff on the ward know.
Comments Off on London Ambulance industrial action – Maternity services
There is strike action planned by staff working for London Ambulance Service on Wednesday 21 December, between noon and midnight. Ambulances will not be available to take you to hospital, unless it is a life-threatening emergency.
Our maternity services will be running as usual.
Please plan how you would come to hospital on that day if you needed to.
If you have any worries, or think you’re in labour, please contact us for advice as early as possible on 020 8934 2802.
If you are planning a homebirth around this time, your midwife will speak to you about what this means for your care.
Comments Off on Know where to go if you need medical advice, but it’s not an emergency
Pharmacy Your local pharmacy is a first port-of-call for minor health concerns. Pharmacists are experts in medicines and can help with lots of illnesses, from skin rashes to earaches and flu. Many pharmacies open late and offer private consultations, no appointment needed.
Your GP Call your GP practice or visit their website to make an appointment for an illness or injury that won’t go away, or access your GP’s out of hours service.
NHS 111 (24/7) Call NHS 111 FREE for urgent medical advice, or access the service online at 111.nhs.uk. If NHS 111 advise that you attend the Emergency Department, ask them if they can book you an appointment.
Richmond Urgent Treatment Centre (8am-8pm, every day) The Richmond Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at Teddington Memorial Hospital is for when you need urgent medical attention, but it’s not a life-threatening situation.
The service is run by nurses and other healthcare professionals, supported by a GP.
Contact your current healthcare team If you are already receiving care or treatment from a particular healthcare team, contact them first to see if they can help.
Healthier Together children’s health website Created by experts, Healthier Together is a new website in south west London which provides pregnant people, parents and carers with trusted information on common childhood illnesses.
Mental health support (24/7) If you live in Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth and you need mental health support in a crisis you can call our 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Line on 0800 028 8000.
The Mental Health Crisis Line offers emotional support and advice to people who are affected by urgent mental health issues, at any time of the day or night. It is open to children and adults of all ages, and to people who haven’t previously accessed mental health services.
If you are in a mental health crisis or need urgent support you can also go to:
Connected Kingston is run by the Royal Borough of Kingston Council and Kingston Voluntary Action, and is dedicated to helping Kingston residents navigate local services.
Warm Spaces Kingston Council and Richmond Council have opened a network of warm spaces this winter, in partnership with the voluntary and community sector. To find your nearest warm space, search online for ‘Kingston warm spaces’ or ‘Richmond warm spaces’.
Comments Off on Kingston Hospital’s maternity service rated good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
Kingston Hospital’s maternity service has been rated as ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as part of their national maternity inspection programme. The programme aims to provide an up-to-date view of the quality of hospital maternity care across the country, and a better understanding of what is working well to support learning and improvement at a local and national level.
Nic Kane, Chief Nurse for Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are proud to have retained our ‘good’ rating for Kingston’s maternity services. I am grateful to our staff who are totally committed to delivering a high standard of care to local women and their families, every day of the year.”
The CQC praised Kingston maternity services for an open culture and the fact that staff enjoy working at the Trust. Staff are also clear about their roles and accountabilities and the service engages well with women and the community to plan and manage services. The inspectors described staff who are focused on the needs of women receiving care and committed to continual improvement of services.
However, the report highlighted that during the visit the service did not always have enough staff to keep women safe. Midwifery staffing is a national issue and at Kingston the workforce in maternity is flexible and staff will move around to fill any gaps. Furthermore, the team has recently undertaken a recruitment drive and although our staffing position has improved since the inspection, we continue to focus our attention in this area.
At the time of their visit, the inspectors also observed that the security of the unit could be enhanced in order to reduce the risk of women and babies being unsafe. The Trust has since completed a thorough review of the security of the unit, which included undertaking an abduction exercise, and taking action to address all of the issues raised.
The team at Kingston has a rolling programme of audit and improvement in place to ensure that we continually improve and sustain the high standards of care that women are accustomed to at Kingston Hospital.
On the back of this inspection, in addition to being rated ‘good’ overall following the inspection, the CQC has confirmed that: “Kingston Hospital’s maternity service was rated ‘good’ for being well-led and ‘requires improvement’ for being safe. Ratings for Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, are unchanged by this inspection. It remains outstanding overall.”
Nic Kane, Chief Nurse adds: “All of our services have been under pressure for a prolonged period of time, and so this rating is a positive endorsement of the care we’re providing, and I am confident that team will continue to lead further improvements in the good service that we provide.”
Cathy Warwick, Board Maternity Safety Champion for Kingston Hospital said: “It is always very helpful to have an external review of our service and we welcome the CQC report.
“The fact that the service at Kingston was noted to be well led with a positive culture is excellent and I know that the maternity leadership team with the support of the Trust Board is taking immediate action to address all of the areas identified for improvement. I feel confident that women coming to Kingston can expect safe and compassionate care.”
Comments Off on Listen to episode 4 of Kingston Hospital’s Health Talks podcast
Episode 4 of Kingston Hospital’s Health Talks podcast focuses on the topic of lung cancer and is hosted by Dr Bill Oldfield, Chief Medical Officer at Kingston Hospital and Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare (HRCH).
Hear from Emily Holton (Faster Diagnosis Lung Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist), Helena Oliveira (Clinical Nurse Specialist for medical oncology) and Sam Haviland (Kick-It stop smoking service) as they discuss lung cancer patient pathways, signs and symptoms, and ways to reduce the risk of lung cancer.
Comments Off on Healthier Together – a new website for families in South West London
Worried about your child’s health?
Created by local experts in child health, Healthier Together is a new website which provides information on common childhood health concerns such as fever and breathing problems.
On the website you will find information about a range of health concerns, all of which have been created by child health specialists, GPs and clinicians in South West London.
Healthier Together is designed to support pregnant women and parents and carers of children in South West London. Young people can also use the website to find information on topics such as mental and sexual health.
Comments Off on Safety alert for baby self-feeding pillows
The Office for Product Safety and Standards has issued an Urgent Safety Alert for baby self-feeding pillows and is urging the public to stop using them and to dispose of them safely.
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