Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Congratulations to the Royal Free London Private Patients Unit for being award the Certificate of Excellence from Doctify. 👏

There is still time to book your place at our annual members’ meeting, which will be held on Tuesday 10 September from 6pm in the Atrium at the Royal Free Hospital. This event is open to the public and those who are not members of our trust are welcome to attend. We will reflect on the incredible achievements of our staff over the last 12 months and share our ambitions including our new five-year clinical strategy. You will learn about our groundbreaking research and the incredible work of our teams will be on display. This will be a chance to speak with our staff, share your feedback and learn more about our services. Visit our website to find our more and register 👇 https://lnkd.in/e4u-5ZAT

A suite of state-of-the art imaging equipment has been installed at the Royal Free Hospital which will deliver more accurate diagnoses and detect disease earlier for our patients. The upgrades include three X-ray machines, three CT scanners, and one MRI scanner, which feature the latest advancements in imaging technology. The new equipment provides higher resolution images and faster scan times enabling the radiology team to diagnose 11,000 more patients every year. Ash Saini, interim medical director of Chase Farm Hospital and group clinical services, said: “This is fantastic news for patients and our staff. We know that by diagnosing conditions as early as possible we’re able to ensure people receive the treatment they need sooner, improving their health outcomes and saving lives. “I would like to thank everyone involved, our clinical teams, RFL Property Services, and estates and facilities colleagues who have delivered this important project while minimising disruption to our services. Our staff and patients can now reap the rewards.” The project, which began in September 2023, not only involved upgrading seven imaging scanners but also refurbishing each of the rooms which house the machines. This included colour-coordinated panelling, LED skylight panels and new pictures on the walls to create a more welcoming and calming environment for patients. Earlier equitable diagnosis is a key priority of the trust’s new clinical strategy. By focussing on detecting and preventing diseases at an early stage, we can improve outcomes for patients and reduce pressure on our emergency departments.

Patients at Barnet Hospital (BH) are benefitting from a new minimally-invasive treatment option for recurrent superficial bladder tumours. Trans urethral laser ablation (TULA) allows for small bladder cancers to be removed under local anaesthetic using a flexible cystoscope and a laser. The procedure is carried out in an outpatient clinic and takes just 15 minutes, freeing up theatre space, and allowing the patient to go home within minutes of completion. If necessary, a biopsy can also be taken and sent for further analysis. Dimitrios Volanis, consultant urologist, said the treatment offers many benefits to both patients and the trust, and feedback from patients has been positive. “At Barnet we have an ageing population, often with complex healthcare needs so being able to treat them safely in a short period of time is a huge benefit,” he said. "Patients avoid general anaesthesia and don’t need to stop any of their regular medications, including blood thinners. Following the procedure patients can return to their normal daily activities within a few hours. "Outpatient day cases free up bed space and release theatre capacity, so TULA also offers a significant cost and efficiency benefit." Malcolm Ozin, from Hendon, received the treatment after a small recurrent bladder cancer was identified. “I didn’t know it was going to be a laser treatment, and it really didn’t hurt at all, it just felt like a pin prick,” said Malcolm. “I came into the hospital and within 45 minutes I was finished and ready to leave. “I enjoy going to the gym, yoga and swimming and I’ve been told I can do all of that again from tomorrow!” Ageing well and transforming same day and integrated care services are BH's two priorities as set out in our new five-year clinical strategy.

Clinical research is extremely important to us and forms a fundamental pillar of our clinical priorities. To provide excellent health outcomes, we will give staff and our patients the best opportunities to participate in research which could translate into the very latest, and most effective, treatments. Our work with the Royal Free Charity will help our research go further and faster by helping to provide new opportunities for research to improve treatments. The more research we do, the better the care we can deliver to our patients. Read more about the groundbreaking research going on at our trust here https://lnkd.in/ecDvYCXq

There is still time to book your place at our annual members’ meeting, which will be held on Tuesday 10 September from 6pm in the Atrium at the Royal Free Hospital. This event is open to the public and those who are not members of our trust are welcome to attend. We will reflect on the incredible achievements of our staff over the last 12 months and share our ambitions including our new five-year clinical strategy. You will learn about our groundbreaking research and the incredible work of our teams will be on display. This will be a chance to speak with our staff, share your feedback and learn more about our services. Visit our website to find our more and register 👇 https://lnkd.in/ehmdJ53T

Welcome to our newest cohort of junior doctors at the Royal Free London! We are proud of our strong tradition in educating and training both the future NHS workforce and our current staff. As one of the largest postgraduate medical education providers, we have more than 600 Health Education England-commissioned postgraduate training posts across 70 specialties covering foundation, core and higher specialty training. Thank you, our brilliant teams who work so hard behind the scenes. We couldn't do it without you! Thank you to the Royal Free Charity for supporting all of our staff. #ProudToBeRFL #RFLFamily

We are delighted to announce that new chief executives for the Royal Free Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital and group clinical services have been appointed and are due to start their roles in October. David Crampsey, a trained ear nose and throat surgeon and consultant otolaryngologist, takes up his role as chief executive of the Royal Free Hospital 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. 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. Prior 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 David and Palmer to the Royal Free London. “They both have a huge wealth of NHS experience and expertise and I look forward to working with them to meet our ambition of delivering world-leading care to all our patients and creating a healthier future for the communities we serve.”

A Royal Free London (RFL) doctor has been awarded a prestigious global health professorship by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). Professor John Hurst, an honorary consultant in respiratory medicine at the RFL, is among seven academics to have been awarded a professorship, which will enable him to carry out research into chronic lung disease in Brazil. As part of the scheme, he was awarded £1.8m to research more effective ways of diagnosing a condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), particularly among people living in low- and middle-income countries. Professor Hurst and his research team will be based in Sao Carlos, in the state of Sao Paolo during their five-year research project. COPD is a progressive lung disease which in the UK mainly affects long-term smokers. However, in lower-income countries it is associated with exposure to indoor pollution caused by burning agricultural and animal waste for cooking and heating homes. In some countries COPD affects around 10% of the adult population and although there isn’t a cure, there are effective treatments that can improve symptoms and future health – as a result early diagnosis is key. Professor Hurst said: “COPD is usually diagnosed with a piece of equipment called a spirometer, which is operated by a trained clinician. However, all too often spirometry is not readily available in low- and middle-income countries like Brazil and so our research will look at alternative ways to diagnose the condition. “This can be through a questionnaire and a simple breathing test called ‘peak flow’ which is much easier to conduct in lower-income countries. All the learning we gain through this research can also be applied to patients here in the UK as well.” Professor Hurst said that all around the world, COPD diagnosis rates dropped due to the COVID pandemic, because patients were less likely to come forward for testing and testing was stopped, so there is significant under-diagnosis of this disease. He added: “This professorship funds exciting work and if we can find a simpler way of diagnosing COPD it could have enormous benefits for patients living in many settings.” NIHR Academy Dean, Professor Waljit Dhillo said: “I’m delighted to warmly welcome Professor Hurst and the six other exemplary researchers as the latest cohort of NIHR Global Research Professors. “As leaders in their fields, these outstanding individuals will play a key role in improving the health and care of people around the world as well as developing early career researchers in their teams.”

Our community diagnostic centre has carried out more than 200,000 tests since it opened in 2021. Our local clinical priorities include working in our communities to improve early diagnosis for patients by using the latest technology to deliver faster and more accurate results. There are significant health inequalities across the communities we serve which we can help address by providing early and accurate diagnosis for all our patients. This will help our sites, like Finchley Memorial Hospital Community Diagnostic Centre, to provide local care to more patients than ever before. We are digitising our diagnostic services so we can better track patient health trends, identify at risk populations and prevent ill health at an early stage. We will continue to work with our partners to create integrated care pathways which will help diagnose diseases earlier, prevent hospital admissions, and reduce healthcare inequalities. You can learn more about Finchley Memorial Hospital Community Diagnostic Centre on our website here 👇 https://lnkd.in/e6ntrNwy