Dear colleague,

Last week, colleagues welcomed Helen Whately, the Minister of State for Social Care, to King George Hospital.

The Minister visited A&E and Beech Ward to hear how we’re caring for our elderly and frail members in the community and our work in treating patients quicker in A&E.

She heard how our Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) department has played a significant role in doing that by moving patients out of A&E to be assessed and have treatment (including diagnostics) start on that same day.

Colleagues also shared our plans for an expanded SDEC – due to open in March 2024 – which will provide us with greater capacity.

A ‘suite’ solution to home care for children

Our new ‘Better at Home’ training suite is now open at Queen’s to help parents and carers learn the skills they need to look after children with complex health needs at home.

We have one of only ten of these suites in the UK which offers a controlled, safe space to learn and increase their confidence for dealing with medical emergencies at home.

What makes the suite special is that it looks and feels just like a child’s bedroom, taking away the stress, noise and bad memories associated with being on a ward for the families.

Four-year-old Alma’s father, Razvan Moroz, said: "This suite could really help my family and me. With Alma needing round-the-clock care, it's stressful. But if my family could get hands-on training from professionals in a safe space like this, it would make a huge difference.”

Razvan’s words really highlight the impact and the value this will have for many local families in our communities.

Prevention work takes team to Parliament

Congratulations to our venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention team, who were invited to the Thrombosis UK VTE Awards at Parliament recently.

VTE occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein, usually in the leg, and can be dangerous. Symptoms include swelling, throbbing pain, and red or darkened skin.

The team were recognised for making significant improvement in patient safety across the Trust through raising awareness of VTE and working with colleagues to better identify signs and symptoms.

Well done to the team for getting the recognition they deserve.

Best wishes,

Matthew Trainer

Chief Executive