Woman tracks down King's “Guardian angel”

A woman has thanked one of our off-duty A&E nurses who “saved her life” during a visit to London.

Susan Hill, who lives in the West Midlands, tripped over during a visit to London in February, splitting her head open and partially severing an artery in her head in the process.

Fortunately, one of our off-duty nurses Matthew Quinn was passing by at the time of her accident. He immediately stopped to assist Susan, and helped to stem the bleeding in her head until the paramedics arrived.

Susan, who spent the night in St Mary’s Hospital before being discharged, remembered only that his name was Matt and that he worked at here at King’s. She subsequently contacted us and helped track Matt down via a message posted on our intranet.

They have since spoken on the phone, and Susan plans to meet Matt and thank him in person next time she is in London.

“I was so lucky that he was there – I don’t know what would have happened to me otherwise. He was my true guardian angel, and it was so nice to speak to him since. I am grateful to Matt for looking after me.”

Matt said: “I’m really pleased to hear she is doing so well. We are trained to deal with a whole range of cases, so I went into automatic pilot, and did what anyone else in my position would have done.”

PRUH to hold first community Open Day

This free event, taking place on Sunday 6 July, will be informative, educational and fun for all the family.

The Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) is holding a community Open Day on Sunday 6 July. The free-to-attend event will take place from 11am until 3.30pm in the hospital car park.

In the first event of its kind in the borough, the PRUH is inviting Bromley residents to discover the inner workings of a busy acute hospital, and find out more about common health conditions that can affect us all.

Among the many interesting things to do and see on the day, doctors and nurses will be on hand giving health advice, including how to spot the signs of a stroke. The Trust’s play specialists will be talking about the techniques they use to explain complex medical procedures and treatments to some of the hospital’s youngest patients. Visitors will be able to sample the hospital food, and there will be entertainment in the form of music, competitions, children’s face painting and a bouncy castle.

The Open Day has been running for many years at the PRUH’s sister hospital, King’s College Hospital in south London, and has regularly attracted in excess of 2,500 visitors. King’s took over the running of the PRUH in October 2013.

Cavette Castillo, a matron in the children’s ward, is now based at the PRUH having transferred from King’s College Hospital last October. Cavette said: “I have been involved in the Open Day for a number of years at King’s. It is always a really enjoyable day so I’m delighted we are able to bring it to the PRUH. This event will give us an opportunity to show the people of Bromley all the fantastic work going on at our hospitals. If you’re looking for an informative, educational and fun day for all the family, this event is not to be missed.”

Parking at the hospital is extremely limited so visitors are strongly advised to use public transport.

King’s apprenticeship scheme wins Advancing Healthcare award

We were victorious in the 'Inspiring the Workforce of the Future' category

The team behind our Assistant Clinical Technologist Apprentice Scheme (ACTAS) has been recognised at the 2014 Advancing Healthcare Awards at a celebration lunch held at the Grand Connaught Rooms in Central London.

Our program won the ‘Inspiring the Workforce of the Future’ award, sponsored by NHS Employers, and introduces people from the local community with basic numeracy and literacy qualifications to the our workforce.

Our apprentices are trained to assist with the management, maintenance and use of medical equipment in a variety of clinical and technical environments, including Medical Engineering & Physics (MEP), renal technology, theatres and A&E.

The skills that apprentices acquire on the scheme serve as a springboard to a career in a variety of healthcare science-related fields. Registered Science Technician awards are also available for successful students, meaning that the scheme has real professional worth, and the judges felt that the program as a whole was a great way of integrating people within into the hospital's community.

Jo Young, our Quality, Contracts and Training Manager of Mechanical Engineering & Physics, said: “The Assistant Clinical Technologist Apprentice Scheme has been a huge success for everyone involved in the project. Through our apprenticeships, we’re able to create opportunities for careers in healthcare science to people in the local community who would otherwise not get the chance, and they are now making a real positive impact at King’s. It’s great to be recognised for the program, and is a deserved award for all the hard work that the team have contributed over recent months".

Our scheme was pioneered in response to a trend that saw careers in healthcare science becoming increasingly restricted to graduates, meaning that a skills gap began to develop between experienced staff, who are now beginning to retire, and those in the early stages of their careers.

Michaella Wiltshire who has been an apprentice on the scheme since February 2013, said: “I’m really enjoying my apprenticeship and it is providing me with so many valuable skills that I can now go on to use in my future career, and the fact that I’m also gaining a professional qualification is a real benefit”.

Photo caption: King's staff Keith Douglas, Medical Equipment Workshop Supervisor, Dr Cornelius Lewis, Director of MEP and Jo Young, Quality, Contracts and Training Manager MEP (centre) receiving their award from Rachel Thresh, NHS Employers and Roy Lilley, NHS commentator and compère for the evening.

King’s nurses to take part in pioneering diabetes therapy

Specially trained nurses will provide Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to diabetes patients

Some of our Diabetes Specialist Nurses are the first to participate in a new pilot project which will see them deliver text-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) online to people with diabetes.

Currently, around half of people with diabetes struggle with achieving effective blood glucose control, and this increases their risk of getting diabetes complications. Managing diabetes is complex and demanding and many people develop psychological barriers towards it.

Our research has already shown that specially trained nurses delivering face to face CBT can help patients improve their blood glucose control. This project takes this research into the modern busy world that our patients live in. It aims to improve glycaemic control and psychological wellbeing through integrating psychological and diabetes care, delivered by a nurse using internet-based health systems, without patients having to attend many face to face appointments.

The Diabetes Online Therapy (DOT) project has been selected by the Health Foundation for its prestigious and highly competitive Shine programme, and will receive £75,000 of development funding. Professor Khalida Ismail and Dr Anne Doherty, Consultant Psychiatrists at King’s, are heading the pilot.

Professor Ismail said: “Living with diabetes requires lifelong skills in calculating insulin doses and carbohydrate portions, taking into account physical activity. It is therefore totally understandable that some people may need psychological support from time to time to help them build their confidence towards looking after their health and developing a better relationship with their diabetes.

“On the other hand, people with diabetes also have busy lives so trying to find the time and money to travel and attend face-to-face therapy sessions on top of the diabetes appointments is not always possible”.

“I am very interested to find out if DOT, which is online CBT integrated into usual diabetes care, delivered by a specialist nurse can be an effective intervention for improving glycaemic control”.

Kaylee Lovie, one of our Diabetes Specialist Nurses who is delivering the text based CBT therapy sessions, said: “The technology is easy to use, and all communication, consultation and appointments are carried out via the online system. The ten sessions that are offered to patients can take place wherever they feel most comfortable and are designed for them to work through their chosen objectives with me, so that they can tackle challenges like the acceptance of diabetes or the self-monitoring of blood glucose”.

“Patients are able to complete homework that I set in between the sessions to build on the work done online, and they can also access the system at any time to remind them of their goals. They are also able to take another look at the consultations at a later date, which can be very helpful if they find themselves slipping back in to some of the negative thoughts and behaviours”.

King's bids to raise £3.5 million for helipad

New 'Time is Life' campaign launched this week

This week, we are launching a new fundraising campaign to raise £3.5 million to help build a helipad at our hospital in Denmark Hill.

Our new ‘Time is Life’ campaign will raise money for a helipad on the roof of one of our buildings at King's.

At present, helicopters transferring critically ill patients to King’s must land in nearby Ruskin Park. It can then take up to 25 minutes to transfer patients from the park to our Emergency Department for life-saving treatment. The helipad would reduce transfer times to just 5 minutes.

We need to raise £3.5 million towards the cost of the project. The County Air Ambulance Trust HELP Appeal has already kindly donated £1 million.

Tim Smart, King’s Chief Executive, said “The Time is Life appeal is about saving lives, and speeding up treatment for our patients. Our staff provide a fantastic service day in, day out, but we know we can do better. A helipad on the hospital site will reduce the time it takes to transfer patients from Ruskin Park, and a few minutes can make all the difference.”

The ‘Time is Life’ fundraising campaign officially launches this week. To help us build a helipad, please visit the website, call 020 7848 4701 or text TIME to 70800 to donate £5 to the campaign.

24 Hours in A&E is back

Tune in Wednesday 7 May at 9pm on Channel 4

The hit Channel 4 show, which provides viewers with unrivalled access to our Emergency Department, begins its sixth series tonight (Wednesday 7 May). This week’s opener looks at the instinctive way in which family members protect their own.

After falling off his bike into a sandpit, four-year-old Alfie is rushed to King's with a broken thighbone. Our medical team think that Alfie may have ruptured an artery, causing internal bleeding, and Alfie’s mum Toni explains why she is so protective of her son.

Chris, who’s 19, arrives at King’s from Kent after suffering suspected neck and spinal injuries during a game of rugby. Our medical team decide to run tests due to the seriousness of his injuries, with his mum, dad and girlfriend Becky all at his side as they await the results.

42-year-old James has been experiencing chest pains and is struggling to breathe. Joined by his wife Fiona, they joke that he’s a hypochondriac, but tests run by our team prove that his condition is more serious than they first thought.

For more information about the series, visit the Channel 4 website.

24 Hours in A&E returns in the week that we launched our helipad appeal. To save time and save more lives we need to raise £3.5 million to help build a helipad, and more information about how you can get involved with the campaign can be found on the Together We Can website.

Transplant record for our liver team

Last year was 'busiest on record'

Our liver transplant team based at Denmark Hill performed 228 liver transplants last year, more than any other year on record.

From 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014, the team carried out 179 transplant for adults, with the remaining 49 benefiting children.

Professor Nigel Heaton, our Director of Transplant Surgery, said the rise in numbers reflected the recent increase in donor organs becoming available, as well as innovative techniques undertaken by the surgical team.

Tracy Rodney, 48, from South London, had a liver transplant at King’s late in 2013. This was due to an inherited condition called polycystic liver disease.

Tracy said: "The whole team were so supportive. I now feel amazing, and can’t put into words how grateful I am to the donor family. My auntie, Rita Wheeler had a fundraising party recently, and she has donated half of the money to King’s as a thank you for all they have done for me.”

Photo caption: Tracy Rodney had a liver transplant at King’s in 2013

3 Dimensions of Care For Diabetes teams win national award

Team cares for people with diabetes across Lambeth and Southwark

Our 3 Dimensions of Care For Diabetes (3DFD) team took home the Diabetes Team of the Year award at the British Medical Journal (BMJ) awards on Thursday 8 May.

At a ceremony held at the Park Plaza Hotel in Westminster, the team were presented with the prize at one of the country’s premier medical awards. The judges were impressed by our team's “innovative research” which “puts patients at the centre of the programme”.

3DFD is based at King's on our Denmark Hill site. The team brings together mental health and social services for people who need help to control their diabetes who live in Lambeth and Southwark. The service is based at King's and at Guy's and St Thomas', as well as in the local community, to ensure patients get the support they need.

The programme has successfully helped people regain control their sugar levels and also assisted them in addressing the psychological and social barriers to self-management of their condition in order to reduce diabetes-related complications in the future.

3DFD has also led to other improvements, like reducing Emergency Department attendances and hospital admissions for patients with diabetes.

Professor Khalida Ismail, our Consultant Psychiatrist in Diabetes, was part of the winning team and said: “The 3 Dimensions of Care For Diabetes service is making a real difference to people in the local area with diabetes through our innovative approach.

“It’s wonderful to be recognised at the awards, and is a testament to the hard work of all involved in the project".

The service has completed two successful pilots and received funding from from NHS London, Lambeth and Southwark CCGs as well as our own hospital charity.

The service integrates medical, psychological and social care in partnership with ThamesReach, a third sector organisation, and one of its key aims is to address health inequalities.

PRUH receives state-of-the-art twin cot

The Special Care Baby Unit at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Bromley has received a new cot that allows premature twins to snuggle up.

The new cot, which is twice the width of a standard hospital crib, was purchased by the Special Care Baby Fund, a charity that supports the hospital’s SCBU.

Only a small number of hospitals in the country have twin cots but the difference they make is exceptional. Jennie Chan’s twin boys, Joseph and Benjamin, were born at 31 weeks – nine weeks early. She was delighted when she saw her sons in the twin cot.

Jennie said: “At first they were in separate incubators but after about a week they were put into the twin cot. I walked into the unit to find them snuggled up together holding hands – it was fantastic. Having Joseph and Benjamin in the same cot meant that I was able to touch and see them at the same time, which wasn’t possible when they were in separate cots.”

Wendy Lowdon, a senior sister in the SCBU added: “Multiple birth babies have a tendency to cuddle up to one another, which is beneficial as it helps to regulate their temperature and sleep cycles, and it further encourages that special bond. We are extremely grateful to the Special Care Baby Fund for raising the money to allow us to purchase this fabulous new cot.”

After four weeks in the unit Jennie and her husband Adrian were able to take their sons home. Jennie added: “My husband and I are very grateful to staff in the SCBU who were wonderful to us.”

King’s launches new Clinical Research Facility

We recently opened a new Clinical Research Facility on our Denmark Hill site, which will conduct pioneering healthcare research.

The NIHR/Wellcome King’s Clinical Research Facility (CRF) officially opened on Friday 9 May by Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies. At the CRF we will collaborate on research with South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust; Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust; King’s College London; and the pharmaceutical industry.

The facility is jointly funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Wellcome Trust. It has been designed specifically to support clinical trials in mental health and neurosciences, as well as conduct specialist research in fields such as haemato-oncology, cardiovascular medicine and diabetes.

The CRF brings together our position as a Major Trauma Centre and a world leader in treating leukaemia and liver disease, and SLaM and KCL’s Institute of Psychiatry’s (IoP) unrivalled expertise in mental health and neurosciences. This means it is uniquely positioned to undertake world-leading research in both physical and mental healthcare.

Professor Peter Goadsby, Director of the NIHR/Wellcome King’s CRF, said: “The CRF is a unique facility combining basic science and translational medicine. By bringing together our experimental medicine facility with our clinical trials unit under one roof, we can enable studies to move from bench to bedside, providing real prospects for improving patient care.”

Professor Dame Sally Davies added: “This facility brings research into the heart of the NHS. We are realising our vision, set out ten years ago, about what can we achieve if we bring clinical and academic expertise together.

If you’d like to find out more about the NIHR/Wellcome King’s CRF, please visit the website.

24 Hours in A&E

Tune into the fourth episode of the sixth series today, Wednesday 28 May, on Channel 4 at 9pm

In this week’s episode, Ellen is rushed to King’s after she was found collapsed on her floor at home by her daughters. The 86-year-old’s body temperature is dropping dangerously, and she has also lost five pints of blood, so our doctors quickly give her a blood transfusion, as her daughters discuss their mother’s resilience.

Martin, 75, arrives at King’s after suffering severe abdominal pain. Our medical team believe that appendicitis is the cause of his pain, and he is quickly prepped for surgery. As he is being treated he reflects on life spent away from his son who lives in America.

Also featuring in tonight’s episode is Lula, who is brought in after suffering a suspected stroke. Our neurologists perform a head scan on the 70 year old mum of 10, who arrived in England following the Civil War in Sierra Leone, to find out what's happened, and have to decide whether to operate.

For more information about 24 Hours in A&E, visit the Channel 4 website.

New garden for children at Orpington Nursery

We refurbished the Bright Sparks nursery garden at Orpington Hospital to give the children a better, more educational place to play outside

The garden was recently completed after seven weeks of refurbishment work to update the 15-year-old equipment.

Following Orpington Hospital joining King's in 2013, the garden is now at the same standard as the three nurseries at Denmark Hill.

Children at the nursery are now able to enjoy mud, sand and pebble pits; a brand new climbing frame; a soft play and balancing wood chip area; and areas of Astroturf and real grass. They can also develop their maths and science skills in the growing sections.

Sallyann Thorold Collett, manager of the nursery, said, “The new equipment is a fantastic addition, and the garden looks so much better after the refurbishment.

“The children are now playing and socialising differently – they’re using all the different materials in the garden to develop their play and learning, and we are observing lots of team work. It’s lovely to see.”

24 Hours in A&E

Following a change to the schedules, this week’s 24 Hours in A&E will be broadcast TONIGHT, Monday 8 June (not Wednesday), at 9pm

In tonight’s episode Jamie, a 23-year-old builder, is rushed to King’s after falling from a three story building and landing on a brick wall. Our medics carry out an ultrasound to investigate the extent of his internal injuries and quickly spot a punctured lung that requires re-inflating.

Weston arrives at our paediatric A&E with concerned parents Nina and Jason, after the four month old began suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting. As our medical team investigate Weston’s symptoms, Nina and Jason reflect on being parents to a young child.

Also visiting King’s tonight is David, 74, who is accompanied by Margaret, his wife of 48 years. David has been experiencing dizziness and numbness in his arms, and our doctors believe he may have had a stroke. While he is treated, the couple talk about their dedication to each other.

For more information about the programme please visit the Channel 4 website.

24 Hours in A&E

The last episode of the sixth series airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4

In this week’s episode Max is rushed to King’s by air ambulance with a serious head injury. The sixteen-year-old fell 14 feet onto his face after a skateboarding accident. A CT scan reveals that Max sustained a life-threatening bleed on his brain, and his parents Steve and Tracey face an anxious wait as they wait to hear further developments about their son’s condition.

Also featuring tonight is thirteen-year-old Hector, who arrives at King’s after injuring his hip himself playing football. Accompanied by his mum Kirsty, the teenager needs an x-ray to discover if he’s broken his leg, and while they wait for the results, Kirsty considers how her child is quickly developing into an adult.

Thanks to all the viewers who have tuned in each week and have helped make the series such a huge success for King's.

For more information about the programme please visit the Channel 4 website.

Open Day at the PRUH this Sunday, 6 July

Forty-five hospital services sign-up to be involved in our first open day at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH).

The Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) open day is gearing up to be the biggest event in the hospital’s history as more than 150 staff and volunteers from over 40 departments across the Trust pledge to give the local community a day to remember.

At the free-to-attend event, staff will be talking to local people about their work, providing health checks and encouraging them to get involved in the interactive activities on offer.

The open day is taking place on Sunday 6 July in the hospital car park from 11am to 3.30pm. Among the many departments taking part, the Cardiology Team will be on hand to give advice on heart health and provide blood pressure checks. The Orthopaedic Department will be explaining how they fix broken bones and will be offering prizes to those who can correctly name the bones in the human body. And staff on the Special Care Baby Unit will be showing people the specialist equipment they use to care for the hospital’s smallest patients.

Dr Mona Sriharan, a consultant radiologist at the PRUH, will be at the Open Day along with a team of staff who will be showing the variety of imaging services – such as x rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, and CTs - carried out by the radiology departments at the PRUH, King’s College Hospital and Orpington Hospital. Dr Sriharan said: “I really hope that our local community will support the Open Day by coming to see the work we do at the hospital and meeting some of the dedicated staff involved in delivering care.”

The event is the first of its kind to be held at the hospital and comes nine months after the PRUH and Orpington Hospital joined King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, along with some services at Beckenham Beacon and Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup.

As well as all the major hospital services, visitors can also discover how the emergency services work together to help keep people safe. The London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade and local police will be on hand to provide information and advice. There will also be a free bike marking at the open day to help promote healthy living and reduce the risk of bicycle theft.

Open Day at the PRUH today 11am - 3pm

Join us down in Bromley for a fun day for the whole family.

To celebrate the Princess Royal University Hospital joining King's we are holding this year's open day down in Bromley.

The open day is gearing up to be the biggest event in the hospital’s history as more than 150 staff and volunteers from over 40 departments across the Trust pledge to give the local community a day to remember.

Our staff from all the departments will be here providing free health checks, talking about the work they do and showing off the high quality care King's is known for.

There will be lots of activities for the kids as well. Our clown will be wandering around the area providing laughs and balloons. There's a bouncy castle in the food area (kid's only!) and prixes and activities provided by several of the departments.

Our catering will be providing food in the forecourt and the London All Stars Steel Band will be providing live music throughout the day.

You can see our full list of events for more details.

Parking is extremely limited but there are lots of way to get to the PRUH. For those who can't make it we'll be tweeting pictures and information throughout the day.

We hope to see you all there!

King’s Volunteers shortlisted for HSJ award

Our volunteering scheme has been shortlisted for a Health Service Journal (HSJ) Value in Healthcare award in the Workforce Efficiency category

In our award application we outlined the difference that volunteers are making supporting our staff and patients. Since 2011, our volunteering scheme has grown from 120 volunteers to 1,500 across our sites.

Volunteers undertake a variety of different roles across wards and departments, complementing the role of staff - the sum total of hours our volunteers contribute is equivalent to 53 full-time roles! Patients value the extra support provided by volunteers, and those who have had access to a volunteer report higher levels of patient satisfaction.

We also talked about the training we provide for volunteers and innovations in the service. For example, last year we launched a ‘Hospital to Home’ scheme assisting patients through the discharge process by providing short-term support in their homes, and ‘Community Health Ambassadors’ where trained volunteers engage with the local community about public health issues.

Katherine Joel, Head of Volunteering, said: “I’m delighted we have been shortlisted for the HSJ awards. This is testament to the tremendous effort and hard work of all our volunteers and the commitment of staff to make King’s Volunteers such a success.”

Jane Walters, Director of Corporate Affairs, who led the volunteers service re-design in 2011, said: “King’s Volunteers is working with staff to develop new ways that volunteers can help staff and patients across our hospitals, and the NHS as a whole. The team working between our staff and volunteers is key to the scheme’s success and ability to expand into new and innovative areas so it’s fantastic this has been recognised by the HSJ.”

The King’s Volunteers team will present to a panel of judges from the HSJ awards next month and then the winners will be announced in September 2014.

If you're interested in volunteering at any of our hospitals you contact our volunteering office email kch-tr.volunteers@nhs.net or call us on +44 (0)20 3299 4686

Run the Royal Park Half Marathon for King’s

Take part on Sunday 12 October

If you have been inspired by our runners in this year’s London Marathon and Bupa 10,000, and want to undertake a running challenge of your own, then the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon is for you!

Join 16,000 runners on Sunday 12 October to run through the breathtaking surroundings of Hyde Park, Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens, and pass by some of the capital's most famous landmarks.

Over 50 people have joined our team so far and we still have places available, so register online now. All runners will receive fundraising support, invitations to training days where you can meet the rest of the team, and a personalised running vest.

Contact

If you have any questions please contact Jacqui Beer at jacqueline.beer@kcl.ac.uk or call on 020 7848 7451. For more information about the race itself, please visit the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon website.

Hospital abseil flying high for King’s helipad appeal

Over 160 King's staff and members of the wider community braved new heights to raise money for our much-needed helipad.

On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 June, over 160 people braved dizzying heights – as well as the unpredictable summer weather – in a 100ft abseil down our Golden Jubilee Wing to raise funds for our much-needed helipad.

A large number of our staff took part. These included three members of our Business Information Unit (all dressed as superheroes!); a large team from the Emergency Department; and a group of 10 physiotherapists.

Many people also joined in from across the wider community, including 80-year-old Eleanor Grant, who did the abseil for the second time. All our abseilers were supported by a team of experts, and were cheered on from the ground by friends, family and staff, as well as passing patients.

Dr Malcolm Tunnicliff, Clinical Director for Emergency Medicine, said, “I really enjoyed the abseil. The adrenaline rush was amazing, and the cheering crowds at the bottom definitely helped spur everyone on. I’m very proud of the other members of the Emergency Department who also took part. Together we’ve raised over £4,000 for the helipad.”

Caroline Gormley, Head of Events and Community Fundraising, said, “The number of people who took part in the abseil is a testament to the dedication of King’s staff. From the first-timers to the seasoned adrenaline junkies, everyone had a brilliant time and we raised over £26,000 to date, with more money still flooding in. We hope the other fundraising events we’ve got planned are just as successful!”

The event was part of our larger ‘Time is Life’ fundraising campaign. Through this, we hope to raise the £3.5 million we need to build a helipad on top of the Ruskin Wing at Denmark Hill. Air ambulances currently have to land in nearby Ruskin Park. An on-site helipad would reduce the transfer time from helicopter to hospital from 25 minutes to less than 5, buying valuable time for our critical trauma patients.

Building a helipad at King's - one of London's four Major Traume Centres - will also provide our patients with faster access to x-rays and scans, and mean we can deliver blood transfusions earlier.

If you'd like to help us build a helipad, visit togetherwecan.org.uk/time, or text TIME to 70800 to donate £5 to the campaign.

1,500 people enjoy first Open Day at the PRUH

Our Open Day at the PRUH has been a resounding success with 1,500 people coming to find out about the hospital and enjoy the fun.

More than 40 departments including cardiology, stroke, rheumatology, child health, cancer care, operating theatres, radiology and pharmacy demonstrated elements of their work and entertained the public with interactive activities and competitions.

The Emergency Department explained how they treat the hundreds of patients who arrive in A&E every day. They also demonstrated resuscitation techniques and bandaged children’s arms with removable plaster casts much to the delight of the younger visitors. The Nutrition and Dietetics Team used a pedal-powered fruit smoothie bike to show visitors the importance of healthy eating and exercise. The surgical team gave tours of the operating theatres and gave visitors the opportunity to practice surgical techniques on mannequins.

The hospital’s support organisations such as the Friends of the PRUH, which raises money for the hospital, were represented. The Open Day also recognised the contribution made by Orpington Hospital during the First World War.

Kathryn Dean, Associate Director of Operations, said: “Our staff worked really hard to give the community a day to remember. Visitors were given a unique opportunity to find out more about the many different services involved in delivering care at the hospital and staff from across the organisation worked together to make it a really enjoyable day.”

The event also saw the emergency services – police, fire and ambulance – come together to explain how they work in partnership to keep the community safe.