Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Join us for our annual public meeting on Wednesday 18 September. Find out about the work that we do and hear a round up of the past year. You can join online or in person at St Thomas' Hospital. To find out how to join the meeting, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/eYHNuDqc #AnnualPublicMeeting #APM #NHS

We want to design our future children's cancer service with children and young people at its heart. We're looking for young people (aged 16 and over), or family members (parents, siblings, carers or relatives) who have experience of children's cancer services or specialist children's services to join our boards and advisory groups. You'll be providing insights that will help us plan for the transfer of the current services and develop the future services. Meetings will be held both online by video call and in person. We'll pay you for your time and reimburse your travel. Visit the Evelina London website and sign up by Friday 30 August: https://ow.ly/jG1y50T31xv #EvelinaLondon #ChildrensCancer #GetInvolved

Dare to abseil 160 feet down one of London's most iconic hospitals? The St Thomas’ abseil is back and it’s taking place on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 September. Take part and fundraise for our charities by abseiling 160 feet down the side of St Thomas’ Hospital. In this adrenaline-fuelled event, sponsored by Livingbridge, you’ll get unforgettable views of London’s iconic landscape and memories that you’ll cherish forever. You can take part on your own or with a team and the event is open to all, including friends and family. You can take part and support any of our three charities - Guy's & St Thomas' Charity, Guy's Cancer Charity, and Evelina London Children's Charity. Find out more on the Guy's & St Thomas' Charity website: https://lnkd.in/enHpwGJt #Fundraising #Charity

Last week we held our first Philippines Fiesta, an event to recognise and learn about Filipino culture and traditions, at Guy’s Hospital. Staff at the event listened to the Philippines national anthem, learned some common Tagalog words, saw traditional dress and tribal dances from different regions, as well as hearing from our guest speaker Louie Horne from the Filipino Senior Nurses Alliance UK. The event was part of Heritage Month, a time of celebration, acknowledgment and education relating to the many different cultures of our colleagues at the Trust. Later this month we are celebrating Onam; an annual harvest festival originating from the Kerala region of South India. #Diversity #HeritageMonth #TeamGSTT

Could you help us design the future treatment space for our children's cancer services? We have reached an exciting step in our work to safely transfer children’s cancer services to Evelina London Children's Hospital. We've recruited a team of architects and engineers to work with us to create the right space and environment for children and young people. We're looking for parents, carers, children and young people who have experienced children's specialist services at Evelina London or children's cancer services to help us design the space. Join our online sessions to meet the design team, share your experiences and give your opinion on an overview of the floor plans: • Wednesday 28 August, 6pm to 7.30pm • Wednesday 11 September, 6pm to 7.30pm • Wednesday 25 September, 6pm to 7.30pm You don't have to come to every session. Email ChildrensCancer@gstt.nhs.uk to sign up and make your voice count. #EvelinaLondon #HospitalDesign

A team of volunteers are making sure patients have the right support when approaching the end of their life, and are not facing it alone. The Marie Curie hospital companionship service, which is supported by Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, is available to patients receiving end of life care or people with a terminal illness, particularly those with few or no visitors. There are 29 hospital companion volunteers who visit people at Guy’s Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital, as well as patients at home in Lambeth and Southwark. Volunteers receive training from Marie Curie and Guy’s and St Thomas’ before being matched with a patient The specially trained volunteers offer one to one support and provide a friendly ear and someone to talk to at the patient’s bedside in hospital, or in their own home. Since launching in August 2023, the service has supported more than 80 people. Eija Buckoke, from south east London, has been volunteering for a year. She said: “I really enjoy it because every day is different. It can be challenging sometimes, but the power of a simple conversation is huge. “It really makes my day when I have a breakthrough and a patient starts talking and laughing.” Patrick Mulhern, a retired educational psychologist, has been volunteering twice a week since September 2023. He said: “The role is anything but depressing. I have spent 40 minutes laughing with a patient despite the fact she has a very serious condition.” He added: “Listening to a patient’s life story is a privilege – everything is stripped back because of the illness and you find real people. “It keeps you very grounded and focused on what really matters. It’s changed my view about what happens in hospitals. The kind of care the staff provide to patients is so impressive.” Amriya Issa, a university student, has been volunteering for a year. She said: “I’m so privileged to have lots of family members and cousins so I know there would always be someone there for me – you forget that not everyone has got that. By volunteering for just one hour you can make such a big difference to someone’s life. “I thought it would be a little bit scary at first, but it’s really rewarding and fascinating to hear how each person lives their life so differently.” The volunteers also provide practical information and offer respite to carers, allowing them to take a break for a few hours. Allegra Goldsworthy, service manager for palliative care and end of life care, said: “I am immensely grateful to the Marie Curie companionship service for their invaluable impact on our palliative care patients. “Their extraordinary efforts have profoundly benefited both our patients and staff, providing exceptional support to those facing the end of life. “The feedback has consistently expressed awe for what the volunteers provide to our patients. I hope we can continue to benefit from this remarkable project for many years to come.” #TeamGSTT #Volunteering

Say hello to Nathalie Roche, specialist mental health midwife. 👋 "I started working in the hospital birth centre, also known as the labour ward, at St Thomas’ Hospital in 2016. After this, I joined one of the high-risk maternity teams called the Tower team. This gave me valuable experience of caring for people with various physical and mental health conditions during their pregnancy. Since 2022, I have been employed as the Trust’s sole specialist midwife in perinatal mental health. My role is to support people using our maternity services who have severe mental health conditions, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Every week, I hold an online mental health and wellbeing session for people during their pregnancy. To support their wellbeing, I also work closely with the safeguarding staff, local perinatal mental health teams and other services. I believe that the mind and body are strongly linked. It is especially important to offer mental health support throughout pregnancy when people can feel more vulnerable and isolated. I give people lots of information and advice to help them make informed choices about their own care. Pregnancy can sometimes trigger mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety. Individuals may get symptoms for the first time, or their existing conditions may become worse. My work is intended to reduce safety risks and encourage positive outcomes. I support people to stay well in pregnancy and prepare for their lives as new parents." #TeamGSTT #Midwifery #NHScareers #MentalHealthMidwife

If you are a member of staff at Guy's and St Thomas' and did not complete the last NHS staff survey, please take part in our poll 👇 #TeamGSTT #NHSstaffSurvey Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals

Newly elected governor Sheila Reddy reveals how she plans to champion the needs of people in the community. The Council of Governors are the voice of the community, ensuring that patients, local people and staff members have a say in the running of Guy’s and St Thomas’. Sheila Reddy stood for election in May and is one of nine public governors who will be in the role for three years. Her journey with the NHS began as a hospital pharmacist in Manchester, and she now works in marketing for pharmaceutical companies launching new drugs. Sheila, who has lived in Wandsworth for more than 10 years, said: “I have directly benefited from the exceptional care provided by Guy’s and St Thomas’ so I have a deep appreciation for the commitment and compassion of the staff. “My background provides a unique perspective into patient needs and healthcare delivery, and my experiences have also focused my desire to help the Trust in areas where improvements are needed.” Sheila’s aim as a governor is to ensure everyone receives the best possible care. She said: “I am committed to representing everyone in our community, especially those who may find it hard to speak up.” Sheila is encouraging more people to become members of the Trust, and to consider standing for election when the opportunity arises. She said: “If you're passionate about healthcare and itching to make a real difference, think about joining us — it's a chance to help shape the future of our local health services." The governors are your elected representatives and are keen to hear your views. If you have a question, comment or idea please email governors@gstt.nhs.uk or call 020 7188 7346. #CouncilOfGovernors #GetInvolved

Say hello to Dawn Clarke, senior accounts payable manager. 👋 Q: What does your job involve? A: I am the head of the accounts payable team. There are 22 members of staff in this team across the Trust, and we are responsible for paying all of the Trust’s bills. Every year we process about 368,000 invoices. We follow the Better Payment Practice Code and aim to pay at least 95 per cent of invoices within the agreed terms. My role involves managing projects and helping to make accounting processes more efficient. I need to make sure that the Trust's financial position remains secure and that our money is being spent appropriately. Q: Who do you work with? A: The accounts payable team deals with almost 1,000 queries a day. This includes questions from staff about how to receipt orders and when invoices will be paid. Staff often ask us how to request goods or services. We also get questions from the suppliers of these goods or services. My team has important relationships with the rest of the finance department, the wider organisation and external suppliers. Q: How does your team help the Trust to run smoothly? A: Our Trust needs to purchase a variety of goods and services, for example medical equipment, medicines, food, water, transport, printers and stationery. The accounts payable team arranges to pay for all of these essential goods and services. Otherwise, the hospitals and our community services would not be able to function. Q: What do you enjoy about your job? I enjoy solving people’s problems and using my analytical and organisational skills. We are always busy, but I try to stay calm under pressure and appreciate working in a supportive team. I know that the work we do makes a real difference to our staff and patients. I feel proud working for such a large Trust that has strong values and always strives to improve its processes. #TeamGSTT #NHScareers #AccountsPayableManager