Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

#ICYMI, ITV News visited the barn theatres at Chase Farm Hospital to find out more about how being a surgical hub is helping to cut waiting lists. Health correspondent Rebecca Barry spoke to patient Blair Sessions, who was having carpal tunnel surgery, and his surgeon Onur Berber, as well as chief medical officer Gillian Smith. Catch up on the full segment here 👇 🎥 ITV News

We are pleased to announce that David Crampsey has been appointed as the Royal Free Hospital's new chief executive. David, a trained ear nose and throat surgeon and consultant otolaryngologist, joins us from Airedale NHS Foundation Trust where he has been deputy chief executive and medical director since 2020, having previously held the positions of deputy medical director and divisional director for surgery and diagnostics at Airedale from February 2018. Welcome to the team, David 👏

Patients praised the revolutionary work of the National Amyloidosis Centre (NAC) at the Royal Free Hospital ahead of World Amyloidosis Day. The NAC hosted three patients who shared their stories of amyloidosis and their work for Amyloidosis UK, a patient-led charity aiming to support those who receive an amyloidosis diagnosis. The rare condition is characterised by the body’s inability to break down the amyloid protein. This protein then accumulates around the organs and stops them functioning normally. Whilst amyloidosis cannot be cured, recent treatments can help slow the disease progression. The specialist service at the NAC receives referrals from all over the world and is at the forefront of research into amyloidosis diagnosis and treatment. The centre has also become the second largest recruiter for research at the Royal Free London (RFL). David Gregory, 64, is one of 6,000 patients seen by the NAC each year and is raising awareness of amyloidosis as secretary of Amyloidosis UK. He said: “I’ve been diagnosed for seven years now, after my sister received a diagnosis of hereditary amyloidosis. Vince Nicholas, treasurer of Amyloidosis UK, has been visiting the NAC for a hereditary amyloidosis, ATTR amyloidosis, for over fifteen years. He said: “My mum was one of the first people to be seen in the NAC in 1991. I received my diagnosis in 2009 after first showing symptoms. I’ve since lost several of my cousins and my twin brother to the disease – I feel very lucky to still be here. Receiving a diagnosis can take you to a very dark place. It's difficult, but having new treatments has given us a lot of hope.” Before new drug treatments were developed, the most common treatment for ATTR amyloidosis was liver transplantation. Vince shared: “I had a liver transplant in 2010 and have since seen the changes that having drug treatments available has made to those with amyloidosis. I've been a patient advisor for all the currently approved drugs for amyloidosis treatment, which is amazing. The support from the NAC has been fantastic. Without that, I don’t know what we would do – we wouldn’t be here.” Paul Pozzo, 74, chair of Amyloidosis UK, shared his story: “I was on an open-top bus in America in 2015 when I first had symptoms – I felt breathless but it passed. Then, when I returned home to the UK, I couldn't breathe when I lay down to go to sleep. My wife phoned 111 and I went to hospital, where they found a litre and a half of fluid around my heart and lungs. Three months later, I visited the NAC and they diagnosed me with wild-type amyloidosis." Professor Julian Gillmore, research lead at the NAC, said: “The range of drug treatments which have been developed in the last few years has revolutionised outcomes for patients. I am proud to say that we have made important contributions to the advances in amyloidosis treatment over the last 20 years. I feel very privileged to be a part of it all."

Best wishes to Royal Free London Private Patients Unit as they attend the Global Health Exhibition in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 👏

The Royal Free London has been awarded almost £700,000 from the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) to upgrade and expand research facilities across the trust. The money will be used to fund a clinical trials pharmacy at Chase Farm Hospital for oral and IV drug studies, for a new radiotherapy machine that will be used for research, the location of which is to be confirmed, and for a new type of imaging system known as electrical impedance tomography which will be located at the Royal Free Hospital. The total amount from the NIHR is £686,546 and it will be spent between now and March 2027.Lucy Parker, interim director of research and development, said: “I’m delighted we have been awarded this money from the NIHR. It will be used to fund some incredibly exciting new projects which will allow us to expand our research capabilities. Derralyn Hughes, clinical director for research and innovation, added: “I’m so pleased to have received this NIHR funding. This will make a crucial difference to our research portfolio allowing us to expand clinical trials in a number of areas.” The NIHR has awarded £30m to a total of 36 NHS organisations in England to pay for new medical equipment and technology. Research is a key part of the Royal Free London’s new clinical strategy, which you can learn more about here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eVvyiBRy

Our governors and non-executive directors learnt more about the amazing research taking place at the Royal Free Hospital. They visited our Clinical Research Facility and Ian Charleson Day Centre to hear about the difference research is making to our patients. Clinical research is a key part of our trust’s mission, and you can find out more on our website 👇 https://lnkd.in/ecDvYCXq

To celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth some amazing colleagues from Barnet Hospital's Rainbow Ward performed a traditional Ghanaian dance. ❤️ The dance of the Ga Adangbe people is a celebratory dance, often used to celebrate the Homowo Festival, and was greeted with cheers by all the colleagues who attended. 👏 Huge shout out to our brilliant colleagues at Rainbow Ward for sharing this fantastic tradition! We are incredibly proud of our diverse workforce who deliver world class care to all of our patients. How are you celebrating #BHM24?

We are pleased to announce that Palmer Winstanley has been appointed as chief executive of Chase Farm Hospital and group clinical services. He has been the acting chief executive at Northampton General Hospital for the past year. Previous to this, Palmer worked at King’s College Hospital before moving to Northampton General Hospital as the chief operating office and deputy chief executive. Before joining the NHS, he served in the military. Peter Landstrom, group chief executive of the Royal Free London, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Palmer to the Royal Free London."

On the 3rd anniversary of the Pears Building, a new film has been launched celebrating the word of the scientists who work there. Watch the film on our website below and read more about incredible research happening at the Institute of Immunity and Transplantation 👇 https://lnkd.in/eJWZWivr

We are pleased to announce that two new non-executive directors have been appointed to the Royal Free London board. Professor Wendy Reid, chair of Manx Care, the Isle of Man’s integrated care system, and non-executive director on the board of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, joined the trust this month. A respected national leader, Wendy was the medical director and interim chief executive of Health Education England, and also served as vice president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Previously she was a dean of postgraduate medicine in London and an advisor to the Department of Health. Vivek Ahuja is a senior business leader, with over 30 years of global finance experience, and joins the RFL on Tuesday 1 October. He is a non-executive director at the FTSE 250 company PZ Cussons plc and a non-executive director at NatWest Markets plc, in addition to his role as a council member of King’s College London. He was most recently the chief executive officer of Terra Firma Capital Partners, a private equity firm. For many years, Vivek was a senior executive at Standard Chartered plc, serving latterly as their deputy group chief financial officer, and various senior global and international finance roles. Vivek is a Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Wendy said: “I’m delighted to join the Royal Free London board and am looking forward to bringing my experience of medical leadership to this role - supporting the trust in its ambitious five-year clinical strategy.” Vivek added: “I’m very pleased to be joining the Royal Free London board and excited to be supporting the trust in the next chapter of its extraordinary journey - helping to ensure patients across the trust can continue to receive the very best care.” Mark Lam, trust chair, said: “I’m so pleased to welcome Wendy and Vivek to the board. They both have a huge amount of experience in, respectively, healthcare and finance, and I’m sure they will prove very valuable additions to our team of non-executive directors. I look forward to working with them both.”