storyINSIDE

Radiotherapy inthe new hospital

Breast CancerFamily History

Clinic

New hospitalhandover

Having your say– staff survey

results

Launch ofnew website

May 2005

Ellie Ripley will be providingnutritional support to patientsundergoing treatment for cancerhaving joined the Trust’s oncology andhaematology department as a specialist dietician.Patients can suffer with poor appetite and severe sideeffects when receiving treatment and it is Ellie’s role towork with these patients to ensure they meet theirnutritional needs. Ellie, who arrives from AddenbrookesHospital, Cambridge, said: “Everyone has been very

welcoming here and I look forward to working with you all.”

One of only three cardiac genetic counsellors in the UK,Jasmine Hessell has started work in the CITY(Cardiology in the Young) department at the HeartHospital. Jasmine’s role is to work with patients andtheir families when they are at risk of having inherited acardiac disease. Jasmine, who previously worked as agenetic counsellor in Australia, said: “It is interesting tosee how things are run here compared to my previousexperience – from what I have seen so far, we offer areally thorough service to patients.”

Jindy Sohanta has joined the recently launched mobiletuberculosis (TB) screening unit which goes out into thecommunity testing for TB by means of a chest x-ray. Herrole as project team co-ordinator involves helpingbehind-the-scenes to ensure the smooth running of theunit and to ensure that the outreach service is asuccess. She said: “Everyone is so welcoming here atUCLH and I feel very fortunate to be part of such agreat team.”

Hannah Flaherty has joined the communications teamas media relations manager. Hannah will be doing herbest to ensure that UCLH gets positive media coveragewherever possible and that the Trust is recognised forits progressive research work. She said: “Working withthe media can often be a challenge but I am reallylooking forward to working at UCLH.” Before joiningUCLH, Hannah worked at Ealing Hospital NHS Trust andthen, most recently at North West London HospitalsNHS Trust.

Fundraising around the globeUCLH staff are reaching far ends of theworld to raise funds for hospital projects.

James Laban, a clinical fellow in surgicalneurointensive care at the NHNN, togetherwith Will Morton, an anaesthetist at theRoyal Devon and Exeter Hospital hasrecently completed the challenging PolarRace in the Arctic. James decided toparticipate in the event after his sister wasadmitted to the NHNN with a severetraumatic brain injury and the departmenthe works for saved her life. James and Will(whose team name is the ‘GentlemenAdventurers’) hope to raise over £10,000for the National Hospital DevelopmentFoundation. Donations can be made viatheir website:www.justgiving.com/polarrace.

Meanwhile, Jessie Butler, play specialiston Carousel ward at the MiddlesexHospital, will be taking part in a charity trekalong the Inca trail in Peru with the Brainand Spine Foundation. Jessie aims to raisefunds to buy information books for childrenwith brain tumours which can then be usedon the ward. She said: “Working on achildren’s oncology ward, I have found thatit’s essential to provide child friendlyinformation on cancer. The Foundationproduces a booklet called HEADSTRONGfor children with brain tumours andmany of the children on my wardhave found this extremely useful.”Anyone wishing to sponsor Jessie,can do so via the websitewww.justgiving.com/rachelandjessieperu.

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welcomenew facesat UCLH

Putting patients at the heart of the servicePatient power is proving that small changes in the way things are done at the Heart Hospitalcan make a big difference to its visitors. Staff have been thinking about patient friendly working –how involving patients can make patients’ experience better and their own working lives easier.

“Patients with lung problems were phoning up when they received appointments for the HeartHospital,” explains Judith Harvey, a freelance GP, who has been working with the hospital to helpit achieve Patient Friendly Accreditation. “They were worried they had something wrong with theirheart too. As a result, the hospital’s information now states that it treats patients with heart andlung problems.

“Signs asking visitors to the hospital to switch off their phones have also been changed, andnow direct people to the nearest area designated for using phones,” adds Judith. “Patients feelless anxious and more able to make decisions about their treatment if they understand what’sgoing on. Most UCLH consultants offer patients copies of letters about them, but now HeartHospital patients also receive copies of their ECGs which is very helpful if they are taken illelsewhere.”

For more information about the Patient Friendly Accreditation, visit www.patientfriendly.org.uk or contact Michael Fairbairn, patient and public facilitator via email

James Labanand Will Mortonoutside the NHNN

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Official handover of new UCHChampagne glasses were raised to mark the handover of the newUniversity College Hospital from building consortium BCJV to theTrust on Tuesday 19 April.

At the formal handing over ceremony, Trust chief executive, Robert Naylor,accepted the building from BCJV project director, Stuart Fraser, and thankedeveryone involved for their hard work in making the new hospital a reality.

Robert said: “This project is distinguished by the fact that it is on time andto budget. Five years ago this was the date thatit had to be handed over by and here we aredoing just that.

“I am very proud to accept this building andwould like to thank everyone involved for thefantastic work that has been done.”

Post-completion works will now getunderway before the first patients move in atthe beginning of June following the transfer ofservices from Cecil Flemming House (the currentUCH) and the Rosenheim Wing. Patients andstaff from The Middlesex Hospital are expectedto move in during late August, achieving theamalgamation of a single purpose-builtcomplex in 235 Euston Road and Gower Street.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Peter Burroughs, director of capitalinvestment, Robert Naylor, chiefexecutive, Peter Dixon, chairman, Roger Dolan, HMU general managerand Stuart Fraser, BCJV project director.

The Atrium

news

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Top 10 corporateobjectives 2005/06The Trust has a new set of top 10 corporate objectives for 2005/06. The objectiveswere agreed by the Board of Directors and will form the key priorities for the year. They arebeing used by chief executive, Robert Naylor, to set individual objectives for the executivedirectors.

Develop the Foundation Trust model

Prepare for the opening of the new hospital

Implement the EPR project

Maintain high performing status

Achieve on-going financial stability

Develop systems to implement Payment by Results and Choice

Delivering the workforce

Progress other developments, including: implement the 250 Euston Road, Maple House andRosenheim Wing projects, develop full business case for the ambulatory cancer centre,progress Queen Square developments

Develop strategy for property disposal

Other priorities, including continue to improve arrangement to minimise infection andMRSA and develop day surgery to replace the Treatment Centre.

Front page picture shows radiographers Simon Hooper and Kate Wood.

‘My safety net’ is how patient Alison Harris simplydescribes the EGA’s Breast Cancer Family History Clinic.

Alison, a 46-year old business manager, is typical of thewomen who attend for annual breast screening, care andadvice. “I have a strong family history of breast cancer,” sheexplains. “My sister developed it at 36 and then my motherwas diagnosed shortly after.

“I was having to fight to get an annual mammogram at mylocal hospital, but in 1998 I heard about the new clinic atUCLH. Coming here made a huge difference.”

The service is provided by nurse specialist Judith Stein, underthe umbrella of breast surgeon Richard Sainsbury.

Judith says: “We see women who may be at higher risk ofdeveloping breast cancer because of their family history so thatwe can pick up any cancers early on and alleviate their fears.

“My first step is to draw up a patient’s immediate family treeso that I can assess their level of risk, and arrange appropriatecare. We offer high-risk women genetic testing via GreatOrmond Street and yearly mammograms, and those atmoderate risk annual screening from the age of 35. For low riskwomen it’s a matter of reassuring them, and seeing their familytree on paper often helps to put therisk in context.”

Alison Harris is clear about thebenefits of this tailored, specialist care:“It’s very reassuring to have a yearlymammogram and I know that if theyfound anything I’d be fast-tracked fortreatment. I’ve always been treated asa person first and a patient second.”

A drug to preventbreast cancer?The clinic has just begun recruiting toan international clinical trial which willtest the effectiveness of a new drugcalled anastrozole in preventing breastcancer.

The drug is already used as a treatment for early breastcancer, but researchers believe that it could reduce the risk ofbreast cancer in post-menopausal women by more than 50per cent.

Judith says: “We hope to recruit around 60 post-menopausal women who are at an increased risk of breastcancer due to family history.

“We’ll be offering them a bone scan, a mammogram everytwo years and regular monitoring and we know from a previoustrial of the drug tamoxifen that offering that level of care helpsto attract and retain participants.”

The Trust welcomed Professor Dinah Gould, deputy dean of the faculty of medicine atCity University, for the annual Janet HullMemorial Lecture last month. ProfessorGould delivered a lecture entitled “Thehygienic hospital: is it possible?”.

The current director of the Heart Hospital,Neil Griffiths, started his role as hospitaldirector for the new University CollegeHospital on April 4. Inside Story spoke tohim about what his new job will involve.

What will your role be as new hospitaldirector?

To ensure that the new UCH rapidly becomesan efficient and well-functioning hospital, andis experienced as such by staff, patients and thepublic. My prime aim is to ensure the hospital isready and equipped to treat patients post June2005.

What are the main challenges of your job?

The key challenge will be creating a workingstyle that both compliments the existingmanagement structure but also challengesthe status quo to ensure the hospital is usedappropriately and high quality services aremaintained. It is my intention to be highlyvisible and available to help as teams settleinto their new working environments.

What do you like about your new job?

It is a great opportunity to be working in anewly-opened hospital with fantastic state-of-the-art facilities. I will be one of a relativelysmall number of people fortunate to beworking in the hospital as it opens its doorsand it is not that often that a new hospitalopens in central London.

What is the best thing about the newhospital?

The most striking part of the new hospital isthe design and layout, being focused on boththe working patterns and styles of staff, butalso the patient experience. The new UCH hasalso provided the opportunity to spend£26million on new equipment, which has beenlong overdue.

Where have you worked before?

I have worked at four other NHS Trusts, thefirst of which was Lewisham in 1993. I thenmoved to St Mary’s, Paddington, where Iworked in a number of general manager roles.My first director post was at East KentHospitals, followed by a move to becomedirector of operations, and for a while actingchief executive at the Royal NationalOrthopaedic Hospital. I started work atUCLH in 2003.

30INTERVIEW

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Accolade for CharlesDent Metabolic UnitCongratulations to staff in the Charles Dent Metabolic Unit which hasrecently been given NSCAG (National Specialist Commissioning AdvisoryGroup) designation for the assessment and treatment of patients withlysosomal storage disorders.

Patients with these rare inherited conditions suffer from an enzymedeficiency which allows waste product to build up that eventually causesdamage to cells and organs. To help prolong and improve the quality of lifefor these patients, the missing enzymes are given as infusions into the blood.

The accreditation recognises the specialist expertise of the unit and means itreceives direct funding from the Department of Health for the service – one offour adult centres in England. “This means that the patients we see will haveaccess to enzyme therapies much more rapidly,” explains Philip Lee, consultantin metabolic medicine, “and provides the unit with more resources tomanage their problems more effectively.”

news

The Breast Cancer Family History Clinic

Judith would be pleasedto hear from any colleagueswho come across womenwho may be eligible tojoin the trial. Email her ortelephone on 020 7636 8333x 2585. For more on the trial,visit www.ibis-trials.org

focus on...

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ABOVE: Ellie Harrison,research assistant

LEFT: Judith Stein, nursespecialist, talks to a patientin the Breast Cancer FamilyHistory Clinic.

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Janet Hull Memorial Lecture

Chief nurse, Louise Boden,with Professor Dinah Gould,deputy dean of the faculty ofmedicine at City University

Stop press: From June 1, UCLH will besmokefree. Already banned inside our sites, smokingwill no longer be allowed outside Trust entrances orin external areas. See next month's Inside Story formore information.

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web watch members’ council

NewUCLHwebsiteis hereThis month sees the launch of the newIntranet, Insight, and the new UCLHwebsite, the Trust’s external face. Thenew website has been designed with ourusers in mind. Split into different sectionsincluding patient, visitor, GP and jobseekers, the new website makes it easierfor users to find information that isrelevant to them.

The website also features a listing ofour clinical services and consultants,providing a foundation of information to supportpatient choice and the Choose and Book initiative. Ifyour clinical service or consultant is not listed on the

With phase one of EPR scheduled to go-liveacross the Trust shortly, here are some timelyfinal reminders:

No training, no password, no access…You will need a password to log-on to the new Carecastsystem. If you are a current user of PAS system and haven’tyet attended EPR training, you will need to do so beforeCarecast goes live. Passwords are issued once you havesuccessfully completed a training assessment. Please let yourmanager know now if you haven’t yet attended training andyou think you need to.

Passwords are personal! Please do not share your Carecast password - all members ofstaff who need to use Carecast have been issued with theirown personal password. You can be held accountable foranything done on the EPR system in your name.

A little help….To support you during the early days of Carecast a team of

Over the next few months, Inside Story will be profiling the fivestaff representatives who sit on the Members’ Council. Thismonth, we spoke to Charlotte Cole, deputy clinical manager ofthe Trust-wide Nutrition and Dietetic Service.

Why did you stand as a Council Member?At the time of the Council elections last summer, I had beenemployed at UCLH for a year. I had developed a very positiveview of my job and the Trust - it seemed to be such a dynamicand exciting place. I wanted to motivate staff to be optimisticabout the many changes taking place at UCLH and in the NHS ingeneral.

How much time does it take up?I spend around two hours a month on Council work, but youcan really get involved as much or as little as you want. Councilmeetings take place three times a year and there are also lots ofother occasions to get involved, for example by attendingCouncil working groups covering areas such as membershiprecruitment.

Do you need any special skills or training?No – but I do feel that it is beneficial to enjoy and feel confidentworking with new people and individuals from a variety ofbackgrounds. I have also found that my experience of managingpeople and budgets has helped me to understand some of thedilemmas faced by and decisions made by senior managers forthe benefit of the Trust.

‘floorwalkers’ from IDX and the UCLH EPR team will be onhand to help, in addition to departmental super-users andsupport from the IT helpdesk. Posters will also be availablefor use in patient reception areas asking patients to bearwith us as we get used to the new computer system(contact Graham McLaurin ext 5740 for copies).

Training walk-in centre The EPR training walk-in centre at 250 Euston Road is openand staffed from Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 8.00pm,right up until the go-live date. If you have already attended atraining course, you are welcome to drop into the centre to: • complete your course assessment • practise your basic mouse or Windows skills • run through parts of the EPR training again.

No appointment necessary – just drop in during openinghours at a time to suit you.

The EPR pages on the staff intranet include answers to yourfrequently asked questions. Please email further queries toepr@uclh.nhs.uk and we will get back to you.

Electronic Patient Record

Why would you encourage othermembers of staff to stand for election?It is a great way to represent staff and ensure that importantissues are being addressed by senior management. In addition,it is a good way to develop your networking skills andconfidence when speaking or presenting to others.

What kinds of things have you donesince becoming a Council Member?I have sat on a panel that appointed two non executive directorsto the Trust’s board of directors. I am also currently working onthe process, interviews and appointment to the Trust chairmanposition which is being recruited to during June this year.

Introducing your Members’ Council representatives

ElectionsWould you like to join the Members’ Council? Charlotte Cole will be stepping down from the Council thissummer as she leaves the Trust temporarily on maternityleave. Her Council seat will therefore be up for election.

In June, we will be sending out further information to allstaff about the elections, which will take place in August.Only people in the Health Care Assistant & Support Staff,Scientist, Therapist and Technician constituency will beeligible to nominate, stand and vote for this seat.

Staff membershipAll staff are currently opted in as members of theFoundation Trust.

If you have any questions or queries about yourmembership, or are interested in joining the Members’Council, please contact Catherine on 9923.

Recruitment driveThe Trust has commenced an activerecruitment drive to encourage 3,500local residents and Trust patients tobecome members of the Foundation.You may have seen leaflets and postersin wards and departments, askingpeople to ‘get involved’.

Can you help us to recruit more members?If you have any family or friends whoare patients at UCLH or who live inCamden, Islington, the City of Londonor North Westminster, who may like to join us and help toshape health care provision at the Trust, please contactCatherine on 9923/email foundation.trust@uclh.nhs.uk.

Charlotte Cole

website you should contact your local contentcoordinator or the UCLH Web Manager,Damian Cavenagh on 020 7380 9897 email –damian.cavenagh@uclh.nhs.uk

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Countdown to the new UCH:May

Old, shabby theatres dotted around The Middlesex Hospital aresoon to be confined to the past.

Out of date and damaging to morale, these environments willbe abandoned in favour of a brand new system which will see12 operating theatres managed from one floor – namely levelthree of the new hospital’s podium.

Children in particular will be given a taster of what thismodern and efficient service will have to offer, with a theatrededicated to paediatric inpatients and day cases and a morechild-friendly approach to surgery. Instead of having to travelalong the same corridors as adults for their operations, they willbe transported down their own route to try and lessen their fearof what is to come.

Elizabeth Hewson, move and migration lead for operatingtheatres, said: “By changing the way in which adults andchildren are brought to the operating theatres we can make thepatient’s journey and experience less upsetting than it already is.For children, removing them from where adults are makes themfeel much more reassured about their operation.”

Other child-friendly changes include the introduction of a playarea and a dedicated recovery section just for children.

This need to become patient-focused in the way care isdelivered is the ethos behind how the operating theatres willrun.

Elizabeth said: “It is all about focusing on patients rather thanthe systems through better pre and post-operative planning.”

An admission unit and a holding bay havebeen included in plans to reduce delays inpatients going into theatre. Patients cantherefore be sent for slightly earlier thanneeded to make the ward handover moreefficient.

There will also be a post anaesthetic unitfor high-risk surgical patients who need tobe monitored closely, and the already-usedpractice of patients walking themselves totheatre where it is clinically appropriate, willcontinue.

Additionally, lengths of stay will beshortened through the help of twominimally invasive theatres with voice-activated equipment and robotics – one ofonly a few in the country – and the use oftwo theatres for emergencies instead of one.

Elizabeth said: “Patients will be seen anddealt with quicker because of the twotheatres thus reducing their stay in hospital. It is also about changing the way surgeons

work. We aim to minimise their out-of-hours work, unless it is alife or limb situation, which will mean that a patient is operatedon when there is maximum support available, thus improving thepatient’s journey.”

Outside of floor three of the podium, theatres will have fourday case rooms – two in the Rosenheim building and two onthe second floor.

Elizabeth said: “The new hospital will be much better for us asthe staff and the theatres will be together. Services will now bestate of the art and pleasant for staff to work in.”

Radiotherapy: Where the equipment really matters State-of-the-art equipment and up-to-date software are central to the work the radiotherapyteam carries out.

From their base, spread out across several floors of The Middlesex Hospital, staff have beenclosely planning their move to the new hospital.

Central to that move, and the set up of their new home at 235 Euston Road, will be thepurchase of four new linear accelerators – an external radiation treatment for patients withcancer.Move and migration lead for radiotherapy, Derek D’Souza, said: “These are the mosttechnically-advanced pieces of equipment which will allow us to image people more closelyso their treatment is going to be more accurate.”

On top of this, the department will be updating its Varis software. This is a specialistsystem used by the team for patient scheduling, information, treatment and design.

Sarah Hynd, head of radiotherapy services, said: “All of this equipment is going to havelarge training implications for the radiotherapy team, but in the future it will make us moreefficient and allow us to treat more people.”

Dates for the radiotherapy move have not yet been announced but it will be carried outin the early autumn along with the other Middlesex services.

From now until then, staff will take part in training and continue to be involved in one ofthe biggest changes to their working lives they have seen at the Trust.

Operating in a more patient-friendly way

Opening times at the new hospitalThe main entrance to the new hospital is onEuston Road and all pedestrians will bedirected here. Its opening times are as follows:• Atrium doors will open at 7am and close at

9pm from Monday to Friday.

• On Saturday and Sunday, the atrium willopen at 8am and shut at 9pm.

• The reception desk will be manned from8am-9pm, Monday to Friday, and from9am-9pm at the weekend.

Outside these times, access will be via security.

8 9

Planning superintendent,Caroline Thould, operates thesimulator a piece of equipmentused to establish the area atumour covers which will beset up in the new hospital

Radiographer HariNair Venugopalan andradiography student AudreyWadzanai observe a patienton the linear accelerator

staff survey results 2004

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Telling it how it is– what you saidabout workingat UCLH

Last autumn, 850 independently selected membersof staff were asked for their views on all aspects ofworking at UCLH as part of the NHS National StaffSurvey 2004. The results, recently published,provide a revealing snapshot of what you thinkabout working life at the Trust and help identifyareas for improvement.

The resultsThis year our response rate was 49% - nearly double that of2003 – so a big thank you to all staff who took the time tocomplete their questionnaire. The survey showed that staff havea positive attitude to their work and have good levels of jobsatisfaction. But it also highlighted areas where we need toimprove, for example all staff must insist that they have personaldevelopment plans and regular appraisals, and focus groups areplanned to gain further views and ideas on these issues at front-line level.

Work-life balanceEncouragingly, staff said they were working fewer extra hourscompared to this time last year. 76% of respondents had eitherread or were aware of our family friendly working policies andmore than half said they could approach their managers to talkopenly about flexible working. But there is further room forimprovement, especially in work pressure felt by staff andopportunities for flexible working. “We hope the focus groupswill identify any obstacles to flexible working at the Trust, sothat we can work with the different staff groups to see howthese could be overcome,” says David Amos, director ofworkforce.

Training, learning and developmentMore staff have received training over the past year with only12% of respondents saying they had received no training ordevelopment. On the other hand, fewer staff have received aformal appraisal and this is an area we will be looking toimprove. “We want to increase the frequency of training to helpmanagers carry out appraisals and to ensure that where they aretaking place, appraisals are well structured,” says David.

Team players?On the whole, respondents said they worked in a well-structured team environment which has clear objectives.

Health and safety, harassment, bullying and violenceCompared to last year’s survey, fewer staff said they hadwitnessed potentially harmful errors or near misses in theprevious 12 months. More staff, however, said they had sufferedwork related injury or stress and the number of staff experi-encing harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives orcolleagues had also increased. “Tackling incidents of violenceand harassment in the workplace is a top priority for the Trust,”says David. “The new hospital (and future capital investments)with its improved security, reduced access points and clearsignage, should help to reduce such incidents.”

Management and supervisionThere was a big improvement in how staff view the quality ofsenior manager leadership at UCLH with the Trust being placedin the top 20% of acute trusts nationally. But staff felt moresupport was needed from their supervisors and this is a toppriority for managers.

Local questionsFor the first time this year, our staff survey included localquestions covering the new hospital, diversity and equality ofopportunity and awareness of policies. 87% of staff felt theimpact of the new build on patient care would be positive orvery positive, and 72% felt its impact on their working life wouldalso be positive or very positive. More than half of staff felt theTrust’s commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity wasclear to staff, their representatives and applicants, but more workis needed with regards to patients and the public. Staff were alsopositive about setting up a diversity network which we will do.

What happens next?“We will be developing a joint action plan with staffrepresentatives to address the issues raised in thesurvey,” says David. “We recognise that there is asignificant amount to do and will use the action plan,together with the support of the Improving WorkingLives (IWL) group, to continue to make improvementsto realise our goal of becoming an employer of firstchoice in healthcare and this has the full endorsementof the Board of Directors.”

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AssimilationLast month, the first 221 ward-based nurses were assimilated(transferred) onto the new AfC pay, terms and conditions. Eachnurse received an assimilation pack containing an assimilationstatement showing details of their pay on 1st October 2004. Itis important that staff are aware that any changes since 1stOctober, for example incremental pay rise or promotion, are notshown on the statement but will be reflected in the pay slip. Ifyou are entitled to back pay, it is hoped that staff will receivethis money within three months of their assimilation date. Thepack also contains a copy of the job evaluation results and a

booklet detailing the mainchanges to the terms andconditions of service (the fullTerms & Conditions Handbookcan be found on the Trustintranet).

Two drop in pay clinics wereheld on 26th and 28th April.The clinics give assimilatedstaff the opportunity to askqueries about their assimi-lation or job evaluationresults, and are staffed bymembers of the AfC team,

Agenda for change

payroll team & Staff Side representatives. These will become aregular feature over the next few months as staff move throughthe assimilation process.

Knowledge & Skills Framework (KSF)Once assimilated staff will need to attend a half-day trainingsession on the KSF & its application. This will explain how theKSF is applied, what an outline is, and how to write a portfolioof evidence and introduce the new development review process.

Outstanding Job DescriptionsIf you have not agreed and submitted your job description forevaluation please ensure you do this as a matter of urgency. Ifyou have any concerns about signing off your job descriptionplease contact your local staff side representative or a memberof the AfC team on ext. 5676.

Job EvaluationLast month, the job evaluators were concentrating on therapiesand pharmacy jobs. In May, therapy jobs will be completed andwe will begin evaluating professional and technical jobs.

Wake upand smellthe coffee!This month,Inside Story hasteamed up with

Starbucks to offer one lucky reader thechance to win a range of goodies tohelp get the morning off to a goodstart. The prize includes a cafetiere, agrinder, a bag of coffee and two mugs.

To enter, all you have to do isanswer this simple question:

Who is the new hospital director forthe new University College Hospital?

Entries should be emailed tocompetition@uclh.nhs.uk (in theTrust’s address book) or via internalmail to May competition,Communications Unit, Ground Floor,John Astor House, Foley Street.

Entries close on Tuesday 7th June 2005.

Designed and produced by Andrew Younger & Associates

020 8995 8787

Photography by UCLH clinical photography department

Inside Story is produced by theCommunications Unit at UCLH. If you have any news, views, orstories, send them (with photos if you have them) to: Marisa Deanat Trust HQ, John Astor House,Foley Street, London W1W 6DN orcontact her on x4386 or by emailmarisa.dean@uclh.nhs.uk

Charity WatchJoin up for the London Bridgathon 2005

The Leukaemia and Lymphoma Unithas joined forces with UCL HospitalsCharitable Foundation for the fourthsuccessful London Bridgathon onSunday 18 September 2005, the dayof the Thames Festival.

The six-mile walk takes in thepicturesque Thames River scenerybetween Tower Bridge and WestminsterBridge, passing Tate Modern,Shakespeare’s Globe, the London Eyeand Big Ben. You can start the walkwith a picnic and there is the chance towatch the Thames Festival fireworks atthe end.

“The event has been an overwhelmingsuccess – I think because it appeals to allages and abilities,” said Sara Goldman,fundraiser for the unit. “It’s a great day

out for groups of family members and friends or you can come along and make newfriends. Last year 200 people took part and we raised £34,000 for the unit. This year we arehappy to welcome on board UCLH Charitable Foundation which will be raising funds forcancer projects.”

Helen Sandwell, fundraising manager for the Charitable Foundation, added: “We run verysuccessful overseas treks, but they are not everyone’s cup of tea. This sponsored event is inLondon and we haven’t even set a fundraising target. It’s a great opportunity for UCLHstaff, patients and the local community to take part in a fun event and help the hospital atthe same time.”

For a registration pack contact:Leukaemia and Lymphoma UnitSara Goldman sara.goldman@uclh.nhs.uk Tel. 020 7380 9526

UCL Hospitals Charitable Foundation (supporting cancer projects)Helen Sandwell helen.sandwell@uclh.nhs.uk Tel. 020 7829 8724

A Helping HandSupporting charities does not just mean handing over money. Other types of supportinclude volunteering and donating ‘gifts in kind’. UCL Hospitals Charitable Foundationhas put out a request for anyone who could give up some time to help at one of theirforthcoming events (such as the Bridgathon). They would also like to hear from anyonewho could donate suitable raffle prizes, for example stays in holiday homes, hotels orhealth spas as well as tickets for sporting events and theatre.

If you can help please contact Michele or Helen on 020 7829 8724 or emailmichele.acton@uclh.nhs.uk.

PLUSStarbucks is offering a permanent15% discount to all NHS staff at itsstore at 51-53 Goodge Street. Justtake along your ID badge to claimthis offer.

52 Club newsThe 52 Club is happy to announce the appointment of Ruth Preece as its newgeneral manager. Ruth, who takes over from Jason Hall, will be starting at theclub on 1 June. Keep an eye out for an interview with Ruth in a future issue ofInside Story.

It’s time to get on your dancing shoes! The 52 Club is hosting a disco nighton Friday 27th May. Doors open at 5.30pm when food will be available andthe disco starts at 7.30pm. Entry is free.