Providing safe, high quality treatment and care to children and young people is, and always will be, our priority and so I wanted to start by updating you on our paediatric services.

Children's Emergency Department at King George Hospital

As I have spoken to you about many times, our two hospitals have been badly hit by Covid-19.

At the height of the pandemic we had to close our children’s inpatient ward at King George Hospital to look after very sick Covid-19 patients and all children who need to stay in hospital will continue to be admitted to our children’s ward at Queen’s Hospital.

In November 2020 we announced the temporary overnight closure of the children’s Emergency Department (ED) at King George Hospital (KGH) because we didn’t have enough staff to provide specialist children’s doctors there at night. Our hope then was to reopen in April 2021, subject to the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

Over the past four months, I’m pleased to inform you that we have been successfully recruiting new doctors and have decided, on the grounds of safety, that we can now reopen the children’s ED at KGH on Monday 7 June 2021.

Until then, the children’s ED at King George Hospital will remain closed between 9pm and 9am.

During the day it will remain open seven days a week, from 9am to 9pm.

As a parent myself, I know firsthand that it can sometimes be confusing to know where to get the right care for your child, so do read our latest news story, which also provides some helpful information on accessing the right services.

Booking children’s blood tests online

As well as supporting our local communities to understand what services they should access for their condition, it’s important that we continually look to improve how people can access those services. We have seen great success, for example, in offering patients virtual appointments wherever possible during the pandemic and we’ll continue to do so as we know it makes it much easier for many.

Yesterday our children’s blood testing booking service moved online, offering an additional option for anyone needing to arrange a test for a child under the age of 12.

For anyone who is unable to access the system, or would prefer to speak to one of the team, they can continue to call Paediatric Outpatients on 01708 435 289 to arrange a test.

Covid-19: one year on

Thursday 11 March 2021 is a date we will never forget – it marked the first anniversary since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic.

It has without a doubt been a year like no other in recent history; we will have all been impacted in some way; and sadly for so many, the past 12 months have been filled with sorrow.

As a Trust, we have mourned the loss of 1,600 lives due to Covid-19 and on the anniversary we held a memorial service to pay tribute to those who have sadly passed away, not just in our hospitals but across the globe.

Yet it’s also important that we celebrate the glimpses of joy we have experienced - those who won their battle with Covid; and more than 4,700 people have recovered from and been discharged from our hospitals.

Those moments of hope over the past year have kept us going – such as 76-year-old Frederick Stratford, who told us how he couldn’t wait to get home and hug his wife of 60 years. Or when grandfather-of-four, Rohit Patel, returned home in July after a gruelling three months while being treated at King George Hospital.

Of course it would be remiss of me not to pay testament, as I so often do, to our amazing staff.  Despite their pain and the loss, either directly or indirectly, they have continued to care for our patients every single day.

Speaking recently to the Metro, Dr Remi Odejinmi, one of our consultant anaesthetists, bravely explained how she experienced loss during the second wave, with three loved ones dying within the space of two months.

Our Chief Medical Officer Magda Smith also shares some poignant thoughts as she reflected on the year, and believes now is the time to feel hope.

Magda and Remi went national with Radio 4

Magda and Remi spoke to Jonny Dymond on The World This Weekend on Sunday.

Magda discussed how our staff managed the second wave of Covid-19, which saw us treating more Covid-19 patients than in the first, and how looking after the wellbeing of our teams will continue to be a priority long after the pandemic is over.

Remi took the opportunity to discuss vaccine hesitancy, encouraging people to read the science and seek out answers from reputable sources before making an informed decision on whether to have the vaccine. She also called the vaccine; ‘the light at the end of the tunnel to allow us to live as we want to live’.

Do take the opportunity to listen to the interview online.

Welcome to our international nurses 

Covid-19 has positioned our incredible NHS in higher regard than ever before in the eyes of the public. This is reflected in the increased interest in nursing in this great institution since the pandemic began and I’m delighted to welcome the first of our 163 nurses joining us from across the globe.

In recent years, we’ve put a huge amount of work into the recruitment and on boarding of our international nurses and have a dedicated nurse who is focused on looking after them and making sure they have their practical and pastoral needs taken care of. Our work in this area was recognised with a ‘Best International Recruitment Experience Award’ at the Nursing Times Workforce Awards last year.

Three years ago, we had more than 350 Band 5 (a junior post) nursing vacancies. By this summer, once all the international and student nurses are in post, we will have none.

We secured funding for these nurses from the NHS England and Improvement team and they join us from the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, Jamaica, Kenya, Ghana, Singapore, Pakistan, Barbados, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Our first 29 nurses joined us recently and we look forward to welcoming the others between now and the end of May.

Cancer patient given the all clear after an incredible 19 hour surgery

Dean Watson, 39, underwent a remarkable, life-saving procedure at Queen’s Hospital last month when his cancer recurred and very quickly became quite advanced. 

Niroo Rajendran, our Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, led the complex operation which started at around 8am on Friday 5 February and finished at 3am the following day, with many of the staff involved staying the length of the procedure.

Two weeks later I’m delighted to tell you that Dean was given the all clear.

It really is a phenomenal achievement. And is also a key lesson in why it is so important to make sure that you don’t ignore symptoms of what could be a potentially life threatening condition.

In Dean’s own words: “I went to my GP and they referred me to the hospital. They did some scans and within a week or two I got a phone call saying it was cancer. When I first heard the news, I was really, really upset because I’d had so much time to deal with it.

“If I’d gone to my GP when I first noticed the symptoms, it wouldn’t have got as bad as it did.”

Cancer cannot wait for Covid and nor can many other conditions – I urge you to ensure you and your loved ones seek medical advice when you need it. Within our hospitals, as in other healthcare providers, we have a number of measures in place to keep you safe in our hospitals.

And lastly, it’s goodbye from Shelagh and Tim…

It’s always sad to see any of our incredible staff heading off to pastures new and none more so than Shelagh Smith, our Chief Operating Officer and Reverend Tim Coleman, one of our chaplains.

Shelagh retired after an astonishing 47 year career! And Tim has helped countless patients and staff in his 17 years at our Trust.

I cannot thank them enough for everything they have done for our organisation over the years and wish them well for the future.

Best wishes. 

Tony Chambers
Chief Executive