Health News - May 2008
Double award scoop for trust
Two innovative mental health projects developed in Hackney have scooped prestigious awards.
The creator of the Mental Attitude Football League, which has taken off nationwide, was highly praised in the London Regional Health and Social Care Awards.
Janette Hynes, an occupational therapist with the City and Hackney Centre for Mental Health won the Leadership for Improvement award.
The judges recognised Janette’s outstanding leadership and commitment and the difference the league has made to hundreds of mental health service users across the UK.
A second East London NHS Foundation Trust run project – The Butabika Link – received a special commendation for developing an educational exchange programme between mental health services in East London and Butabika Hospital in Uganda.
Dr George Greener, Chairman of NHS London, said the initiative represented ‘the absolute power of partnership, not just between countries, but between continents’.
The regional awards, now in their seventh year, attracted 2,500 entries in 13 categories, and the East London NHS Foundation Trust was the only one to scoop two of the top accolades.
The winners now go on to national awards in July.
Speak out about cancer
Have you been affected by cancer? Do you want to use your experience to improve cancer care?
Macmillan Cancer Support has set up a UK-wide network to enable people to use their experiences to improve and shape cancer services.
Hackney residents can get involved by signing up as a Macmillan Cancer Voice and taking part in activities and events, ranging from joining an advisory group, and commenting on new marketing materials, to going to schools or fundraising events to talk about living with cancer.
The charity is currently looking for 1,100 new Cancer Voices. The disease affects people from every community and to reflect this, Macmillan is encouraging people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds and lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender people to sign up to the programme.
To make it as easy as possible to get involved, a range of resources including training sessions are available. Margaret Johnson, Cancer Voices regional contact, said: “Cancer Voices come from all of walks of life and many have no experience of the settings we’re inviting them into. They need support to make the most of it. That’s why Cancer Voices training is so good. It helps inform patients and carers about the issues they’ll come across and give them confidence.”
More information
To get involved or find out more, visit: www.macmillan.org.uk/cancervoices.
Joining talks for healthcare evolution
Hackney has taken part in a groundbreaking review of proposals that could change the face of healthcare.
Plans for ‘polyclinics’ were among the issues discussed in detail by a committee of councillors from 35 local authorities across London and the South East.
It is the first time that a Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JOSC) has operated on such a large scale. Cllr Jonathan McShane, Chair of the Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission, represented the borough.
The committee was set up to respond to proposals for healthcare outlined by Health Minister Lord Darzi, which could include the transfer of some hospital services into local communities.
The proposals could also lead to more patients having to travel to a select number of specialist hospitals for more complex treatments.
Cllr McShane said: “Lord Darzi’s vision has much to commend it, but there are many areas that still need much further work before they can become a reality.
“Professionals working in the NHS and people using our health services must be involved in the planning of necessary changes.”
More information
The JOSC report will soon be available online at: www.hackney.gov.uk/scrutiny.
For more details of the proposals visit: www.healthcareforlondon.nhs.uk.
Best care for babies
The country’s top medical advisor visited Homerton University Hospital to learn about its pioneering work looking after sick and premature babies.
Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, toured the neonatal unit to see its services for babies born too soon, too small or too sick to cope on their own.
Homerton is a designated centre of excellence in neonatal medicine and part of the London Perinatal Network.
Sir Liam, who also met parents and babies, said: “This visit provided an opportunity to learn more about Homerton’s high-quality service and specialised care.”
The visit, organised by premature baby charity BLISS, aimed to raise awareness of the levels of care available for premature and sick newborns nationally and the issues their parents face.
Professor Kate Costeloe, Consultant Neonatologist at Homerton, added: “The visit was an exciting opportunity to discuss with Sir Liam the work we have done to better understand historically high rates of prematurity and infant mortality in this inner city area; to tell him about projects aimed at improving care for women at highest risk; and to share the latest information that we have about outcomes for the most preterm of our patients.”
Homerton Hospital is often called on to care for babies from across London and further afield.
More premature and sick babies are surviving due to medical advances, as well as developments in nursing care.
Pregnancy partrnership prize
Work to reduce teenage pregnancies in Hackney has won a prestigious capital wide award.
The recognition acknowledges a 28 per cent fall in teenage conception rates since 1998, more than double the national average.
The award was the result of the hard work of members of Hackney and the City’s Teenage Pregnancy Partnership.
Speaking after the win for ‘improving health and reducing inequalities’ at the London Health and Social Care Awards 2008, Alan Wood, the Council’s Director of Children’s Services and Chief Executive of The Learning Trust: “This is well deserved recognition of the accomplishments of the partnership.
“The difference their work makes to the future prospects of the borough teenagers is outstanding.”
The programme provides grants to help young mothers with childcare while they are studying, mentoring for young people, one-to-one advice on contraception, counselling and other forms of support and advice.
It brings together Homerton hospital, the Council, City and Hackney Primary Care Trust (CHPCT) and The Learning Trust, together with community and voluntary sector organisations and young people.
The partnership is the biggest project of its kind in the country, with the majority of funding coming from Team Hackney.
Jacqui Harvey, CHPCT Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted to see the efforts of all those involved being recognised with such a prestigious award.”
The programme is part of the Government’s Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, launched in 1999, which aims to halve the under 18 conception rate by 2010. Hackney’s target is to reduce this rate by 60 per cent.
It’s time for a change
Hospital bosses have listened to patients and changed the visiting times at Homerton.
From 1 May, relatives and friends can see their loved ones in the main hospital wards between 11am and 12.30pm, and again from 3pm to 8pm. Patients can have up to two visitors at any time.
The move is in response to comments from patients, visitors and staff that longer visiting hours disrupted treatment and were tiring for patients.
Director of Nursing, Guy Young, said: “It is really important that we get the balance right between patients being able to see their family and friends while in hospital, staff having enough treatment time, and patients themselves being able to rest and recuperate so that they can leave hospital as quickly as possible. Our change in visiting times will allow for all of these things to happen.”
Specialist areas, such as maternity and intensive care, have different arrangements in place, so visitors are advised to check these in advance. Call: 020 8510 7315; talk to the nurse in charge of the ward, or visit: www.homerton.nhs.uk/patients.
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
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