You may have seen our important news this week that we have successfully appointed a successor for our current chief executive Neil Dardis, who leaves us at the end of this month to take up a senior management opportunity in the State of Qatar.

I am delighted that Lance McCarthy will be joining us in August from his current role as chief executive at Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, which he has led for the past seven years. Lance has a brilliant track record as a leader and came through a very rigorous selection process to win the role, so I am very much looking forward to working with him. You can read more about Lance and the appointment online. 

We also said a fond farewell to Neil in what has been quite an emotional week and I took the opportunity to thank him once again for his leadership of the trust through some extraordinary times – from the Covid pandemic to major transformation projects such as launching our electronic patient record and delivering the new Heatherwood Hospital. Neil leaves with our heartfelt gratitude and best wishes for every success in the future.   

You will be hearing more about Lance and the challenges he will be facing when he joins us on 20 August. In the meantime, the chief executive role will be capably filled by Caroline Hutton, our current Chief Operating Officer, who will be stepping in on an interim basis. 

Among other news this month, we are making great progress with our current major building projects. We have had the green light from planners for a new community diagnostic centre in Slough and our diagnostic and inpatient building at Frimley Park is already taking shape. 

We are also reminding everyone to keep well this Easter holiday and plan ahead to ensure they and their friends and families have sufficient repeat prescriptions and other medications and are aware of the range of the healthcare options available should they need support or advice over the long weekend ahead. Our urgent and emergency care services remain under significant pressure, with the potential for long waits for all but the most urgent cases in our emergency departments (A&Es). So we are really grateful to all of you who are helping to remind our communities about alternative options, including NHS 111 and 111 online and additional urgent care centres in Aldershot, Slough and Bracknell. 

I really hope you all have a fantastic Easter. It is a special time of year, a chance to spend time with family and the onset of spring and brighter days. Enjoy reading your newsletter and may I wish you all a Happy Easter! 

Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Slough diagnostic centre given the green light

Earlier this month we received planning approval to start work on a brand new £25 million state-of-the-art NHS diagnostic centre. Permission was granted by Slough Borough Council and the final business case (FBC) has been approved by the Trust’s Board, both subject to conditions. 
 
The community diagnostic centre (CDC) is planned to open in Slough in early 2025 and will transform health services in the area with faster and easier access to diagnostic services for local people. 
 
The centre will be open seven days a week, 12 hours a day, and will provide up to 150,000 extra tests per year for the local community. It will have access to the latest technology with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, computerised tomography (CT) scanners and ultrasounds, and will diagnose and improve outcomes for patients with conditions including cancer and heart disease. 

The centre will also:   

• Help to reduce health inequalities – by locating the CDC in central Slough there will be an opportunity for communities who have poorer health outcomes to easily access high quality diagnostic tests. 
• Help people avoid unnecessary hospital visits – increasing diagnostic capacity outside of acute hospitals means that they can focus on delivering urgent and emergency care more quickly for those who need it. 
• Be easily accessible by public transport, minimising inconvenience for patients and reducing air pollution caused by travel. 

James Clarke, Chief Strategy Officer, who is leading the project on behalf of Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This centre will greatly benefit the community by offering convenient access to diagnostic tests, reducing hospital visits and enabling early detection and treatment of serious illnesses. Its services will enhance local health and support our longer-term strategy of reducing pressure and improving services at our main hospitals.”

Health Minister takes tech tour of Heatherwood

Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins visited Frimley Health this month to hear how our digital programmes are being used to improved patient care and experience. As part of the visit, she toured Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot following the Government’s announcement that it would be investing an additional £3.4billion on NHS digital technology.

Ms Atkins was greeted by Chief Executive Neil Dardis, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr John Seymour, and Angela Lawes, Managing Director for Heatherwood.

During the tour she heard how our Epic electronic patient record is making our theatres more efficient, learned how we are using the MyFrimleyHealth Record patient app for bookings and outpatient appointments, and discovered how AI (artificial intelligence) digital assistant ‘Dora’ has been phoning and assessing cataract patients, saving around 400 follow-up appointments per month. 

Just a couple of clicks to access the latest new Frimley Park Hospital news

The new Frimley Park Hospital now has its own dedicated webpages - with all the latest news and information about the site. Keep up to date with the most recent developments and everything that is happening.

Frimley recognised for its specialist endometriosis care

Frimley Park Hospital has been reaccredited as an endometriosis centre by the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE). The accreditation, which Frimley Park has held since 2016, means the hospital continues to be recognised as a specialist centre for treating and managing the condition, which affects about 1.5m women in the UK.  

Endometriosis is the name given to the condition where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb are found elsewhere in the body. Accredited endometriosis centres must have a dedicated consultant-led endometriosis service and handle at least 12 serious cases that require surgery each year. The consultant gynaecologist should be supported by a colorectal surgeon and clinicians from a range of specialities. 

Nick Elkington, consultant gynaecologist at Frimley Park Hospital, said: “Accreditation is a real team effort involving colorectal, pain management, urology and radiology colleagues, so thanks to everyone involved. And thanks in particular to Janel Wisa, endometriosis and fertility specialist nurse, who supports endometriosis patients and enters all the patient data.” 

Journey through the jungle at Wexham Park children's ward

Much has been happening in the world of art and creativity across our sites and we know that an artistic environment goes a long way towards improving mental and physical health and patients’ experiences. One amazing project at Wexham Park Hospital’s children’s ward shows how we are striving to make that happen.

The children’s ward project started last year using funds raised from the successful ‘Race Wexham’ event. The first phase was a fantastic refurbishment of the playground and parents’ kitchen followed by a complete renovation of the ward itself. The jungle-themed project is almost complete, all the bed and communal spaces have been decorated with bold and fun designs aimed at helping younger patients take their minds off their hospitalisation.

Doctor calls for more women to participate in vital medical research

More women are needed to get involved with medical research and help improve future female healthcare. On International Women’s Day, which was Friday 8 March, consultant cardiologist, Dr Lydia Sturridge, called for more female involvement into vital research studies.

Dr Sturridge said: “It’s critical that our research studies mirror the diverse tapestry of the UK population. Unfortunately, women are significantly underrepresented, which is a gap we must fill. Women’s health issues, especially in cardiology, have historically been overshadowed, despite women being equally at risk. For example, conditions like pre-eclampsia cause high blood pressure during pregnancy, and breast cancer treatments may increase cardiac risks.

Dr Sturridge is the principal investigator for the BRITISH trial at Frimley Health, which focuses on identifying patients who could benefit from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to prevent abnormal heart rhythms and potential cardiac arrest. Despite the trial’s inclusive efforts, no women have participated yet. Dr Sturridge said: “As a woman in cardiology, I am determined to change this narrative. We need more women in cardiology and more women in cardiac trials.”

For more information about the research going on at Frimley Health and how to get involved see here.

Get prepared ahead of Easter 

Local healthcare services are urging people to think of their health needs in the run up to the long Easter weekend (Friday, 29 March – Monday, 1 April) and to plan ahead – especially if you need medication.

Remember some pharmacies may be closed over the bank holiday weekend, so make sure repeat prescriptions for essential medicines are arranged in plenty of time to avoid running out. Details of local pharmacy opening times over the Bank Holiday can be found here.

If you do become unwell, it’s important to make the right choice from the range of options available, including treating the illness or injury yourself at home with a well-stocked medicine cabinet, seeing a pharmacist, contacting 111 by phone or online, or visiting a minor injury unit or urgent care centre. For information on all options, see here.  

Raising awareness of social prescribing 

On Social Prescribing Day on 14 March, our colleagues at Frimley Health and Care shared how social prescribing works and gave examples of how it is helping people and communities. 

Social prescribing link workers provide social, emotional or physical wellbeing support and advice to patients. They might help people with issues such as loneliness, isolation, stress due to problems with debt or housing or with goals around physical fitness. Many GP practice teams now include social prescribing link workers, able to connect people to non-medical support such as activities, groups and services to improve their health and wellbeing. 

If you feel you could benefit from speaking with a social prescribing link worker, contact your GP practice and request an appointment - you don’t need a GP referral to access this service. Learn more about the different roles there may be within your GP practice team here.

• Friday 3 May (8.30am-11.30am): The next public Board of Directors meeting will be held in the Board Room at Frimley Park Hospital.
• Tuesday 14 May & Tuesday 2 July (6:30pm - 7:30pm): We also have two incredibly interesting health events lined up. Firstly, one on  on the topic of prostate cancer, led by consultant urologist, Mr Simon Bott (May date). Then we have Dr Jeremy Stern presenting on ‘Advances in treating Parkinson’s disease' (July date). Further information will be sent in next month’s newsletter.