Welcome to your latest members’ newsletter
This is the time of year when we are preparing for what we expect to be another difficult winter. Demand for our services has remained high through the year and we usually see respiratory and common infectious diseases increase over the colder months.
We are always really grateful for the support we have from our community over this time, and I know that many of our members also help to take some of the pressure off our emergency departments by spreading the word about the available alternatives to hospital care.
Another thing we can all do to help is to make sure we look after ourselves – and that includes taking advantage of any seasonal vaccines such as flu, Covid or RSV, that you and your family are eligible for. Having your vaccinations and encouraging others to do the same will lessen the pressure on health services and ensure they are available when we really need them. At Frimley Health our staff vaccination programme is in full swing with colleagues across our sites having flu and Covid vaccines to protect themselves, their families and our patients.
You can read more about vaccinations below. You can also read about our double anniversary, celebrating 10 years of Frimley Health and half a century of Frimley Park Hospital. It was a pleasure and a privilege for me to meet with some of the people who were involved in running the hospital when it opened 50 years ago. Next year will be the 60 year anniversary for Wexham Park.
Finally, I wanted to encourage you to sign up for our next online Health Event on 19 November. It will be our last one this year and will include a presentation from our trust respiratory leads about common conditions and the latest treatments. I hope you can make it!
Thank you again for your ongoing support.
Best wishes
Bryan
Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
Double anniversary celebration for our Trust
This month we marked a double milestone – 10 years since Frimley Health was formed and 50 years of Frimley Park Hospital.
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust was founded on 1 October 2014 when Frimley Park Hospital and Heatherwood & Wexham Park Hospitals joined together in the first ever acquisition of one NHS foundation trust by another.
We now have 12,000 staff, an annual turnover of more than £1bn, and have undergone many transformations to deliver better, more joined up care for our patients. Our state-of-the-art services include pioneering robot-assisted surgery, AI-assisted diagnostics, a leading heart attack centre, and we are part of one of the biggest and most advanced NHS pathology networks – there is a lot to be proud of.
Staff at Frimley Park Hospital were also able to celebrate – a bit later than planned due to the election – 50 years since its opening in 1974.
To mark the occasions, the Frimley Health Charity put on a Great Frimley Cake Off for staff across the Trust, and gave out, with the help of other teams, over 4,500 portions of cake in a four-hour period.
Local radio stations BBC Radio Surrey and Greatest Hits also came to Frimley Park and interviewed some of the original staff and patients who were invited back to the hospital as ‘honoured guests’ for the day. Teresa Myall was one of the first student nurses to work at Frimley Park and went on to have a long career working in intensive care and cardiology.
New Frimley Park Hospital update
As we celebrate Frimley Park’s fifty-year legacy, we are also looking forward with excitement to the future. The plans for a brand-new Frimley Park Hospital for 2030 are well underway, set to meet the challenges of tomorrow with cutting-edge technology and innovation. Just as the original hospital was built to serve the community's needs at the time, this new hospital will continue to provide world-class care for generations to come.
By engaging with the public and our dedicated staff, we ensure that the vision for the future of Frimley Park Hospital is shaped by the people it serves. Together, we can build on our rich history and move confidently into the next chapter of healthcare.
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Join us for our last members’ health event of the year
Our ever-popular members’ health event returns on Tuesday 19 November, focusing on everything you need to know about ‘COPD and Community Services’.
Dr Gareth Roberts Consultant Respiratory Physician and Chief of Service for Transformation and Continuous Improvement will explore the latest community services on offer for patients with COPD and other lung diseases – including the post discharge rehabilitation programme and the support provided to patients. Dr Roberts will also talk about common chronic respiratory conditions and the services the Trust provides to help patients stay as healthy as possible.
Respiratory disease affects one in five people in the UK and is the third biggest cause of death in England after cancer and cardiovascular disease. Cases are climbing and during the past seven years, hospital admissions for lung disease have risen at three times the rate of all admissions generally.
The event will provide advice and guidance on how people can keep their lungs in the best condition when living with a chronic respiratory problem.
Get vaccinated and get winter strong
Have you had your winter jabs yet? If not, and you are eligible, you can book your Covid and flu vaccinations either on the NHS website, by downloading the NHS App, or call 119 for free if you can’t get online.
These important vaccinations provide vital protection to keep people from developing serious illnesses and ending up in hospital during the winter months.
This year, based on the latest scientific evidence, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended adults aged 65 and over, residents in older adult care homes and those with underlying health conditions aged 6 months to 64 years will be eligible for flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.
As in previous years, Covid and flu vaccines are also being offered to frontline health and social care staff. At Frimley Health, we are currently running a campaign called ‘V for Vaccines’ to encourage as many staff as possible to get protected in time for the busy winter months.
Flu season usually peaks in December and January, so starting adult vaccinations from October will ensure those most at risk are protected during the colder months when people gather indoors and viruses spread. For more information see the Frimley Health and Care website.
Council of Governors’ Elections 2024
Our 2024 Governor Elections have now closed. Thank you to all of those who took part and voted in this year's elections. The nominated candidates and results from each constituency are on the Governors’ page on our website.
The heat is on for charity firewalk
If you have a burning desire to support your local hospital and you think you can handle the heat, why not sign up to Frimley Health Charity’s first ever firewalk? All participants will receive a full safety briefing and training before attempting to walk barefoot across 20 metres of burning embers.
This unique event will take place at 6.30pm (participants should arrive at 5pm for the safety briefing) on 2 November at Heatherwood Hospital. The adrenaline-pumping challenge is not only an extraordinary way to raise funds, but it’s also an unforgettable experience that will leave you feeling empowered and inspired. For further details and to sign up, see here.
Win £10,000 with our charity Superdraw raffle
Frimley Health Charity has launched its first-ever Superdraw raffle – and one lucky raffle player will win £10,000 just in time for Christmas. Playing couldn’t be easier – go to the Frimley Health Charity page and choose the number of entries you would like to purchase.
The winner will be picked on the 13th of December, and we will let all winners know within two weeks. So why not enter today? With fingers crossed, we could contact you with some fantastic news to see out 2024.