Welcome to your latest members’ newsletter
Happy New Year and welcome to 2025! It has been a challenging start to the year for the NHS, and it has been no different for Frimley Health.
As I said in the last newsletter, we expect our services to come under additional pressure at this time of year. I am grateful to our staff who go above and beyond to see our patients and keep them safe, but that doesn’t make it any easier for patients who have to wait longer than we would like for urgent care.
A number of extra initiatives are making a difference this winter. For example, we have expanded our same day emergency care in different specialties so more people can be assessed and treated without needing to be admitted to a bed. Urgent care centres at Bracknell, Slough and Frimley now offer great care for patients who aren’t in immediate danger. And where possible hospital teams are providing urgent care in more people’s homes.
It has been an eventful few weeks in many other ways, as you will read in this newsletter. It was great to see so many of you join us for our first Health Event of the year - the insights from our experts on stroke care were fascinating and it was great to hear about the excellent work our teams are doing to support patients. We are working on our new Trust strategy outlining how we’ll meet our healthcare challenges until 2030. We have scheduled a special Health Event in February to tell you more about it. We have also published the draft strategy with a feedback form on our website, and we would love for you to read it and give us your feedback, so that we can incorporate as much of what matters to you as we can in the final version.
The New Hospital Programme was also in the news again, with Government confirming its commitment to funding a new Frimley Park as part of the first wave of hospitals. We’ll be doing all we can to complete this as soon as possible, and we expect to announce our preferred site for the hospital in the spring.
2025 is already shaping up to be another exciting and challenging year and the support of our members and communities will be more important than ever.
Best wishes
Bryan
Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
New Frimley Park Hospital update
This month the Secretary of State announced the outcome of the review which re-confirmed the prioritisation of the seven RAAC schemes due to safety risks, including Frimley Park Hospital, and they are all in wave one of the programme. For the new Frimley Park Hospital, a cost estimate of between £1.5 billion and £2 billion has been announced, which aligns with all the work we have undertaken to date.
In terms of an expected construction date, this has been listed as 2028 to 2029. However, this is an unexpected, later construction start date than we have been working towards with our national NHP colleagues. We will therefore work with our national NHP colleagues to understand why this later date has been published and will continue to drive towards the earliest possible date for construction and completion of a new Frimley Park Hospital, in conjunction with the Frimley Integrated Care Board, NHS England South-East and our NHP colleagues.
The key next step is making a decision about the preferred site for the new hospital. We are on track with our plan for this decision to be made in spring 2025. As soon as the decision has been made and can be announced we will communicate this widely.
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Health Event news
Health event puts stroke care in spotlight
The first members’ event of the year was a success with nearly 200 people attending to see consultant stroke physician Dr Tilly Speirs, and stroke nurse consultant Ailsa Hutchings give such an informative presentation on the ‘FASTer management of stroke’.
The event covered everything from the common signs and symptoms of stroke, to the latest procedures aimed at diagnosing and treating patients as quickly as possible. If you didn’t manage to attend the event, you can see a recording here.
Frimley Health 2030 – A one off health event
Join us for a special health event in February, where we will share our ambitious new strategy aimed at transforming healthcare delivery over the next five years and providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time for our communities.
The strategy, called Frimley Health 2030, has a strong focus on patient-centred care developed through extensive input from staff, patients, and partners. In response to challenges like long waiting lists and staff shortages, we are investing in new facilities, including the state-of-the-art Frimley Park Hospital, and using the latest digital technologies to improve the way we work.
Frimley Health 2030 also prioritises sustainability, community engagement, and creating a supportive work environment for our staff. If you would like to find out more about the future direction of Frimley Health, please join us for this one-off event on Tuesday 12 February 6.30pm-7.30pm. You can register here.
Change your access to healthcare with MyFrimleyHealth Record
The next scheduled health event will be on Tuesday 11 March 6.30 – 7.30 pm, with one of our familiar faces, Dr Gareth Roberts, telling us all about the benefits of signing up to MyFrimleyHealth Record. Dr Roberts is our chief of service for transformation and a respiratory doctor who has led several events in the past about COPD.
This time he’ll be presenting on the MyFrimleyHealth Record app, an online platform which provides patients with personalised and secure online access to their medical records. You can see how to view details of current appointments and book follow ups, attend online consultations, view medications and test results, and safely send messages to your doctor and care teams. Register here to attend the event.
Video appointments via MyFrimleyHealth Record
One of the many benefits of MyFrimleyHealth Record which Dr Gareth Roberts will talk about at the March event is the ability to have a video call with a hospital doctor. The app’s patient portal enables you to attend virtual appointments wherever you can get online, whether you are at home or out and about.
Video consultations can be a convenient alternative to face-to-face appointments and help you to avoid unnecessary journeys to hospital. Ask your clinician if you would like a video appointment. They will tell you if it would be appropriate for your care.
MyFrimleyHealth Record should not be confused with the NHS app. Both are valuable, but MyFrimleyHealth Record is specifically tailored to a patient’s care at our Trust and offers features and insights unique to our services. Read more here.
Thousands raised in charity Christmas appeal
The Frimley Health Charity team would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported December’s Golden Christmas Appeal. There was an incredible £75,000 raised thanks to the generous donations from people in the community and local businesses.
The funds provided gifts on Christmas morning for the 1700 patients staying in our hospitals, free meals for staff working during the festive period and hampers filled with goodies for different departments across the Trust. No one wants to be in hospital on Christmas Day, but for those who were there were some little golden touches thanks to the generosity of the public and the hard work of the Frimley Health Charity team.
The race is on for Run Frimley 2025
Frimley Health Charity’s biggest fundraising event of the year, Run Frimley, is back for 2025 and will take place on Sunday 4 May at Frimley Green. The event, which has always attracted a strong community following, includes closed road 5K and 10K races and a one-mile colour fun run for all the family to participate in.
More than 1,200 ‘runners’ of all ages and abilities took part in last year’s event, with an amazing atmosphere in the on-site event village before and after the races. Why not pop down with the family and support your local hospital. Sign up today on the Frimley Health Charity website.
Research project aims to break down barriers
Our research and innovation team has launched a project aimed at making it easier for people with neuroimmunological conditions to take part in important trials. The CONSENTOR study will enable patients with conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica and others, to participate in research.
Patients with these conditions are often keen to contribute data, such as blood tests and MRI scans, to researchers working on possible treatments. Yet collecting this information has been made difficult due to the time involved entering it into separate research projects, each requiring a new consent form.
To change this, the CONSENTOR (Combined One-off Neuroimmunological conditions Study and trial Eligibility Notification Tool and Observational Research) project is trialling a different approach. A single unified form allows different levels of consenting, depending on how much information people are comfortable sharing. The project could increase the number of people contributing.
For further information, see here.
Welcome to your latest members’ newsletter
In your final newsletter of 2024, I wanted to pay tribute to our incredible teams who have cared for record numbers of patients this year.
Not only have they had to deal with ever increasing demands, but they have done so with amazing resilience and professionalism – always looking to adapt, improve and innovate so we can face our future challenges.
This year alone our teams will have seen over a quarter of a million people in our emergency departments and provided more than a million outpatient appointments, answered 650,000 phone calls through the switchboard, carried our 95,000 planned surgeries and procedures, supported 9,250 births, served over two million meals for staff and patients, and carried out nearly 400,000 portering duties.
And while most of us celebrate at home with our family and friends, nearly 3,000 of our people will be working on Christmas Day to keep our patients and communities safe. I am sure you will join me in thanking each and every one of them.
I also want to thank you for your continued support. We are now approaching what is often one of the most challenging times for the NHS, when illness and frailty peaks over the winter months adding strain to all our services. I am grateful to all of you who are supporting us by spreading the word about the right places to access healthcare when you need it, looking after yourselves by taking advantage of vaccinations available to you and keeping yourselves and loved ones as well as you can be.
I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in the New Year – perhaps at our first health event of 2025 on 14 January, which will be held online on MS Teams and entitled “FASTer management of stroke”. The event will be held between 6.30pm and 7.30pm and a link will be circulated nearer the time. Let me finish by wishing you all a very merry and peaceful Christmas.
Best wishes
Bryan
Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
Frimley Health’s festive touches for staff and patients this Christmas
More than 2,800 dedicated NHS Frimley Health staff will be working on Christmas Day to care for patients and keep our communities safe. Most of them will be based at Frimley Park and Wexham Park Hospitals, which both include busy emergency departments, urgent care facilities, maternity units and many inpatient wards.
They will be helping patients spending Christmas in hospital have the best day possible, and they will be ready to support hundreds of people who fall ill or suffer serious injury on 25 December. Teams will also be supporting patients at Heatherwood Hospital, Farnham Hospital, and caring for people at home in our local communities.
Christmas cheer for staff, patients and families is being boosted this year by the Frimley Health Charity’s Golden Christmas Appeal, which raised more than £50,000 in generous donations from local people. This is funding 2,700 presents for patients to open on Christmas morning and hampers for various hospital departments. In addition, more than 5,000 free meals will be served to staff on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as a thank you from the community.
James Clarke, our Chief Strategy Officer, said: “Our teams have cared for a record number of patients this year, showing incredible commitment and professionalism. We’re grateful for their dedication and hope they can enjoy some quality time with loved ones this Christmas. Thanks to the generosity of the public and the hard work of Frimley Health Charity, we can bring festive cheer to those spending Christmas in our hospitals.”
Choose the right service this Christmas
No one wants to be ill during the festive period, but for those people who do need healthcare we are urging the public to choose the right service for their needs. Knowing which service to turn to when you’re not well is important. Using services wisely can help you receive the best care without unnecessary delays.
People should use NHS 111 online first and only use emergency departments or dial 999 if their condition is a life-threatening emergency. For further advice, please see the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust website, or the Frimley Health and Care website.
Families praise upgraded neonatal unit
The neonatal unit at Frimley Park Hospital has been revamped to further support the families of some of our tiniest patients.
The Frimley Health Charity-funded upgrades included 12 new parents’ chairs and chair beds, a transformed family room with a kitchen area, and a new sofa bed so families can feel more comfortable while staying with their babies.
The family room also houses uplifting artwork, which is especially beneficial to families who can spend a long time there. And the unit’s information posters have been improved with clear, elegant designs.
Other improvements include changes to the reception area with a dedicated coffee and water station, air conditioning, and comfortable furniture for the staff room.
The year-long transformation cost £76,000 and was driven by unit staff and Emma Carr, the charity’s arts and creative health manager. The transformation was celebrated on 18 November – the day after World Prematurity Day.
New Year members’ health event on stroke
The first Members’ health event of 2025 will be presented by consultant stroke physician Dr Ottilia Speirs, and stroke nurse consultant Dr Aisla Hutchings talking about ‘FASTer management of stroke’.
Stroke strikes every five minutes and affects more than 100,000 people every year in the UK. There are 1.3 million stroke survivors, each with their own story of rehabilitation and recovery. Our Frimley experts will talk through everything from pre-hospital video triage for stroke to the clot-busting procedure and medications available for patients.
The Teams event is on Tuesday 14 January 6.30-7.30pm, please register using this link. Any questions about the event, or membership generally, please email fhft.
Sign up to MyFrimleyHealth Record
Did you know that you can exchange secure messages with your care team via MyFrimleyHealth Record? It allows you to ask and answer questions ahead of your appointment and get advice – saving you time on the day and potentially avoiding a follow-up visit to hospital. You can send and receive messages 30 days before an appointment or for up to a year afterwards.
And if you are using the MyFrimleyHealth Record app, you can do all this while you’re on the go! More than 243,000 people have now signed up to MyFrimleyHealth Record, which is also available on a website - myfrimleyhealthrecord.fhft.nhs.uk. The platform is transforming how we interact with our patients and it’s freeing up valuable time for our teams.
The app has an overall rating of 4.5 stars out of five on the App Store and Google Play Store. MyFrimleyHealth Record is a real gamechanger for our staff and our patients, and we want as many people as possible to experience the benefits. Download the app today or find more information on our website.
Relocation of Jubilee Ward – Have your say
NHS Frimley and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have been conducting a detailed review of options regarding the relocation of Jubilee Ward, a well-regarded community in-patient ward, currently based within Upton Hospital, Slough.
Jubilee Ward offers essential short-term care and discharge support for patients with diverse needs. Patients on Jubilee Ward are people living with frailty, long term conditions, reduced mobility and those suffering with dementia or confusion. The ward provides post-acute care, helping patients transition from hospital stays to either returning home or moving into further care settings.
Jubilee Ward is currently based on the top floor of Upton Hospital in Slough. The ward's relocation is necessary to ensure that it continues to operate in a safe and accessible way while remaining financially and environmentally sustainable and providing the best care and health outcomes for patients.
To find out how you can share your views and to complete the survey, please see here.
Penguins make a welcome return
Popular penguins Widget and Pringle made a welcome return to Frimley and Wexham this month.
The Humboldt penguins from Heythrop Zoological Park in Oxfordshire visited Frimley Park’s Chapel Garden and Wexham Park’s Sunflower Garden. Children from the trust's nurseries and paediatric departments were the first to benefit from each visit, with staff and patients able to snap a pic and enjoy a cuddle with the perfect pair afterwards.
The loveable penguins were the perfect pick-me-up for everyone who had the privilege to see them.
Welcome to your latest members’ newsletter
This week included a special night for us when we celebrated our Frimley Health Staff Awards. Our amazing staff frequently go above and beyond in their efforts to support patients and each other. So Wednesday night’s event at Windsor Racecourse was a chance for us to celebrate and to thank them for what they do.
It really was a privilege to be at the event and to take part in presenting 10 different awards to clinical and non-clinical individuals and teams. You can see all the nominees and the winners of each category here.
It was my special pleasure to be able to present the Chair’s Award for 2024 to Lina Batirashvili, outpatients senior sister at King Edward VII Hospital in Windsor. Choosing one person for this award was a difficult task, but Lina’s leadership, combined with her ability to drive measurable improvements, set her apart from an impressive list of finalists.
Being able to show our appreciation to colleagues is really important and part of what makes Frimley Health a great place to work. We know that it is not easy for our teams as they strive to meet the considerable challenges facing our NHS, but they remain fully focused on better care and reducing waiting times for our patients, and improving the health of our communities.
I am really pleased that see so many of you joined our latest online Health Event earlier this month and I am very grateful to our Deputy Chair Mike Baxter for hosting, as I was not able to attend. It included an excellent presentation by respiratory consultant Dr Gareth Roberts and advanced clinical practitioner Sally Bustin on the subject of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. I am very much looking forward to next year’s programme which starts in January on the subject of stroke services, where we have seen a lot of positive developments recently.
There will be one more newsletter after this before Christmas so may I take the chance to remind everyone to take care over winter, have your vaccines if you are eligible, make sure you have any medications you need, and know where to go if you do need extra help.
Thank you again for your ongoing support.
Best wishes
Bryan
Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
BBC Presenter Jennie Gow opens new stroke rehab unit
A new million-pound stroke rehab unit in Frimley Park Hospital has been officially opened by BBC F1 presenter and Surrey resident, Jennie Gow. Funded by Frimley Health Charity and more than 1600 donors, the rehab unit is part of a new extension to the hospital, with dedicated rooms for speech therapy and psychological assessments and a specially-designed rehab garden to help patients with their physical recovery.
Jennie Gow was just 45 when she had a stroke in December 2022, caused by a blood clot which damaged the part of her brain associated with speech. She was brought to Frimley Park by ambulance and later transferred to St George’s Hospital in Tooting for emergency treatment.
Jennie has spoken openly about her long and challenging journey to recovery, and her steadfast determination to regain her speech and return to the job she loves.
Speaking at the event, Jennie said: “I’m delighted to open this new rehab unit and garden which will provide a valuable and peaceful space for patients and their families and friends. The stroke unit played a massive part for me in setting the foundations to have a good recovery".
Patients rate Heatherwood Hospital best elective care centre in the country
Heatherwood Hospital was given the best rating in England by patients in the latest National NHS Adult Inpatient Survey. Patients who took part in the annual NHS survey gave the Ascot hospital the highest average score in the country for overall patient experience.
The annual NHS survey, published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as part of a national programme to improve patients’ experiences while in hospital, looked at the experience of 63,573 patients across 131 NHS trusts who stayed at least one night in hospital during November 2023.
The results were published in the full national benchmarking report earlier this autumn, with the data shown at both NHS trust and individual hospital site level. The average score of Heatherwood patients asked to rate their overall experience was 9.7 out of 10, the best of any individual hospital included in the survey.
Angela Lawes, Managing Director Heatherwood Elective Centre said: “We are very proud tor Heatherwood to be ranked number one out of all the inpatient NHS hospital sites covered by the survey data. The survey provided a wealth of information, including some areas for improvement which we’ll be working to address, The many positive responses are testament to the commitment of the Heatherwood team and reflect the ethos of all of our dedicated Frimley Health staff, who work extremely hard to provide excellent care to our patients.”
Get faster test results with MyFrimleyHealth Record
Did you know that you can get your hospital test results sooner with MyFrimleyHealth Record? The results of blood tests and other lab investigations, as well as scans, are released via the online patient portal and can be viewed using the MyFrimleyHealth Record app or website.
It means you don’t have to wait for a letter in the post or a call with your care team or GP surgery, giving you peace of mind sooner. – or enabling you to start thinking about the next steps in your care sooner.
MyFrimleyHealth Record makes it easy for you to manage all aspects of your care at Frimley Health. You can view your medications, manage appointments, attend video consultations and message your care team while you’re at home or on the go. To register, download the app to your IOS or Android device or use the secure website.
Already using the app? Please tell us what you think about it.
You may have seen our recent survey seeking your feedback about MyFrimleyHealth Record. The response has been fantastic, with feedback painting a very clear picture of your engagement with the app.
We are still keen to hear from more people about their views about and experiences with MyFrimleyHealth Record – whether you have downloaded the app and use it all the time or have decided against using it.
Your views matter – positive and negative experiences are equally valid and will help us to improve. Please complete the survey.
A focus on COPD at final Members event of the year
There was a high turnout at last week’s Health Event with more than 120 people attending to hear more about COPD and the services we offer in our hospitals and the local community.
Respiratory consultant, Dr Gareth Roberts, and Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Sally Bustin, gave an informative talk on the importance of lung health and the Trust’s holistic approach to helping patients with COPD.
The presentation covered everything from the causes and symptoms, to diagnosis, options for treatment and living with COPD. If you missed out, you can watch a recording of the event. The next Health Event will be held on January 14 2025 with one of our leading stroke consultants talking about FASTer management of strokes. More details will follow in next month’s newsletter.
Golden Christmas Appeal
Frimley Health Charity’s annual Golden Christmas Appeal is back and better than ever this year. For 2024 the charity is making sure it spreads joy and light throughout our hospitals for both patients and hardworking staff.
Patients waking up in our wards on the big day will receive Christmas presents to open, and staff working on Christmas Day and Boxing Day will be provided with delicious hot meals as a way of saying thank you for all their continued hard work. The charity will also be supplying festive hampers full of treats for every department across the Trust to enjoy together.
If you would like to help us spread joy and light this Christmas, please support our appeal by donating.
Jingle Jog 2024
It’s time to get into the Christmas spirit and take part in our fantastically festive Jingle Jog 2024. Come and join us for the festive 5K and 1K Fun Run around Frimley Green and Frimley Lodge Park. Fancy dress is highly-encouraged and you’ll be accompanied by the jingling sounds of a thousand bells!
The bespoke, multi-terrain course features a few festive surprises and our charity event village will be filled with a lovely range of activities and stalls, including delicious caterers and face painters – there really is something for everyone! Sign up.
Think Pharmacy First this winter
Your local pharmacy offers more than just prescriptions. The range of clinical services offered by community pharmacies has expanded significantly in recent years to provide faster, more accessible care for certain conditions.
Alongside traditional services like dispensing prescription medications and advice on managing long-term conditions, new services have been introduced to improve access to care. This includes treatment for seven common conditions, under the Pharmacy First scheme, without the need to see a GP, as well as blood pressure checks and access to oral contraception.
The seven conditions covered by Pharmacy First are:
- Sore throat (for ages 5 and up)
- Infected insect bites (for ages 1 and up)
- Earaches in children (ages 1 to 17)
- Sinusitis (for ages 12 and over)
- Impetigo (for ages 1 and up)
- Shingles (for adults aged 18 and over)
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women aged 16 to 64
When you visit your local pharmacy for one of these conditions, you'll receive a private consultation with clinical advice and treatment, including prescription-only medicines such as antibiotics. Pharmacists will also refer you to a doctor or another healthcare professional if your condition requires further investigation.
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.
Welcome to your latest Foundation Trust newsletter.
Firstly, I wanted to share with you the great news that we have the green light to proceed with our plans for a replacement for Frimley Park Hospital. This followed the Government’s announcement in July of a review into the new hospital programme, which includes Frimley Park. It has now been confirmed that rebuilding programmes for all hospitals affected by RAAC can continue as planned.
It was great to see many of you at our Annual Members’ Meeting (AMM) on Tuesday evening and to expand upon our new hospital plans and what the future holds for healthcare across our communities. I was delighted to see so many of you there, especially as we held the event in our fantastic Heatherwood Hospital, which has established itself as one of the best hospitals for planned care in the country since it opened in 2022.
As we outlined at the meeting, the NHS has many challenges in the years ahead but at Frimley Health we have an incredible team of people who have worked brilliantly in recent years to lay down the foundations that will help us to meet them.
The AMM was also a chance to be upfront about the considerable challenges we and the rest of the NHS face. We do not underestimate the impact on our staff and patients of relentless pressure on urgent care services and long waiting lists. We know we have a long way to go to get to where we need to be. But we have made good progress over the past year – as I hope regular readers of this newsletter will see. And with the building blocks we have in place and amazing support from our members, community and healthcare partners, we are better positioned than most to provide the quality of care that our communities need in future.
Our milestone next Tuesday (1 October), when we celebrate 10 years since Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust was formed and 50 years of Frimley Park Hospital, only serves to remind us how far we have come. You can read more about this in the next newsletter.
Thank you again for your ongoing support.
Best wishes
Bryan
Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
New Frimley Park Hospital update
We are delighted to share with you that the Government has confirmed that all RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) schemes are exempt from their review of the national new hospital programme. This means the new Frimley Park Hospital has been formally confirmed as sitting outside of the broader review and given the green light to continue to move forward as planned. We are being actively supported by the national New Hospital Programme to maintain progress to ensure the new hospital will be open as soon as possible.
While we were always confident that our new hospital would remain a priority, we know the announcement of the review into the national new hospital programme raised questions and uncertainty, and so we welcome this additional clarity and renewed commitment. Read more about our latest news by signing up to our newsletter and WhatsApp Broadcast channel for more regular updates.
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Annual Members' Meeting
A huge thank you to those of you who came along to this year’s Annual Members’ Meeting on Tuesday and all of the positive comments about the venue - our amazing Heatherwood Hospital. We hope you found the evening informative and had a chance to visit one of the many marketplace stands from different departments across the Trust.
The presentations were warmly received, with new Chief Executive Officer Lance McCarthy, giving a review of the year alongside talks about the financial challenges facing the Trust, an update on the new Frimley hospital and an overview of the achievements of Heatherwood as an elective surgical hub.
The next Members’ event will be an online health event on Tuesday 19 November 6.30-7.30pm, with Dr Gareth Roberts hosting a talk on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and our community services. The link to the event will be sent in next month’s newsletter.
Frimley staff recognised with Number 10 visit
Six Frimley Health staff paid a visit to 10 Downing Street earlier this month as part of a special reception to recognise their efforts at work.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer gave a speech during the reception and one of our staff, emergency department nurse Silvia Marko, was also selected to take part in a discussion with the PM.
Silvia was a winner of the Trust’s Values into Practice Awards in January. Her ViP nomination came from a student nurse for the support she gives to help her colleagues in the team.
During the Number 10 event, Silvia sat down to talk to the PM, along with three other staff members from hospitals around the country.
Silvia explained: “The Prime Minister asked for any suggestions we could make about the health service. I said it was important to have good leadership, like we have at Wexham. That if you have the right structure, with good matrons and senior matrons, then when problems arise, we can adapt. Good leadership and leading by example – that’s what matters.”
Crowthorne Maternity Hub opens
Our first stand-alone maternity hub has opened in Wellington Business Park, Crowthorne - the newest of six community hubs associated with Frimley Park Hospital. A few years in the making, it came off the back of community maternity services not being able to use GP surgeries throughout the Covid pandemic.
The hub is in a transformed office block which has been completely redesigned to enable smooth patient flow, with modern, fresh, and spacious surroundings for patients and staff.
Claire Bowers, community midwife and team leader for Crowthorne maternity hub, said: “We are proud to be part of the very first stand-alone hub. It’s well documented that smaller teams work more effectively, we care for women from the moment of their first booking appointment with the midwife until they have had their baby. There can be up to 13 routine appointments with midwives during their journey, so it’s important for the environment to be just right.”
Other maternity hubs are based in Aldershot Centre for Health, the Voyager Family Health centre in Farnborough, Fleet and Farnham hospitals (the team also sees patients at Yateley and Blackwater surgeries), Surrey hub in Frimley Park Hospital and Bracknell hub at Skimped Hill Surgery.
Staff finalists in NHS Parliamentary Awards
Two Frimley Health initiatives have been announced as finalists in this year’s NHS Parliamentary Awards which take place in London on 14 October.
Our AI (artificial intelligence) working group and urgent and emergency care (UEC) virtual ward team have both been shortlisted in the 2024 awards, which recognise the outstanding contribution of NHS staff, volunteers and other health and care sectors.
For the past six years, the awards have given members of parliament the chance to showcase the amazing people working in their constituency in the healthcare profession.
Going forward to the final round of the awards is a particular achievement this year, with 318 MPs across England putting forward 918 nominations – a far greater number than in any previous year.
Our UEC virtual ward team was nominated by local MPs for its work to redesign pathways to care for more patients at home, avoiding hospital admissions when safe to do so and reducing length of stay.
The AI working group, shortlisted for the Excellence in Healthcare Award, is led by our consultant radiologist Dr Amrita Kumar. During the last five years, the group has overseen eight AI deployment projects, including national AI award funding for chest radiograph AI and mammogram AI.
NHS rolls out first ever RSV vaccine to protect those at risk from severe respiratory illness
Your local NHS has started vaccinating people against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) - a leading cause of infant mortality around the world. RSV is a common cause of coughs and colds but can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia and infant bronchiolitis, which are highly dangerous to older people and young children.
In preparation for winter, the NHS has begun vaccinating pregnant women and older adults, including those who turn 75 on or after 1 September. There will also be a one-off 'catch-up' programme for individuals aged 75 to 79 to ensure the older age group are protected as the colder months approach.
Dr Imran Qureshi, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at NHS Frimley, said: "After months of preparation from our hardworking staff, for the first time ever we are now offering the RSV vaccine to those at greatest risk - helping to protect the lives of those most vulnerable and ease pressures across the NHS as winter approaches.”
In addition to RSV, the NHS is also rolling out vaccination programs for flu and Covid-19, focusing on those at greatest risk ahead of winter. Flu vaccinations will be offered to pregnant women and most children from this month, with flu and Covid-19 vaccines available to other eligible groups starting 3 October.
Sign up to Frimley Health Charity's first ever 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.
Take advantage of Free Wills Month
Frimley Health Charity has partnered with Octopus Legacy for Free Wills Month in October to offer all its supporters the chance to use their free will writing service. If writing your will is something you have been putting off, you can take advantage of this offer any time before 31 October.
When making your will, and after making provisions for your family and friends, you could consider leaving a gift to Frimley Health Charity. Choosing to leave a legacy donation is a wonderful way to make a lasting difference and support a cause you truly care about. All gifts in wills to Frimley Health Charity have a real positive impact on patients and families and make a valuable contribution to the comfort and care of patients and their loved ones. From newborn babies on the neonatal ward, to dementia sufferers and patients battling long term illnesses.
Click on the link to start your FREE will-writing service.
I am delighted to say that Lance McCarthy, our new Chief Executive, joined the Trust this week.
Lance has 30 years’ experience in operational management and Board leadership roles within the NHS, most recently as Chief Executive for The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) in Harlow.
During the interview process, and through informal visits to the Trust since he was appointed, Lance has shown that he is an inspiring, compassionate and inclusive leader who will put the needs of patients and staff at the heart of everything he does.
I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Caroline Hutton for her exceptional leadership as interim chief executive since Neil Dardis left in March. During this time, Caroline has not only covered all aspects of the chief executive role and its statutory accountabilities, and she has also increased our focus and drive on transformation and improvement through the establishment of a new transformation board.
Many of you will get the opportunity to meet Lance in person next month at this year’s Annual Members’ Meeting (AMM), being held on Tuesday 26 September at our fantastic Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot. For further details on the AMM agenda, see the article below. I look forward to seeing many of you there and, of course, welcoming any new members to the Frimley Health team.
I hope you have been able to enjoy some holiday time this summer. We have lots planned for the months ahead and we are busy preparing for the challenges that winter brings.
Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
New Frimley Park Hospital update
In July, the Government announced a full and comprehensive review of the national new hospital programme and said that it is undertaking this review while continuing to deliver the most advanced and most urgent hospitals to a realistic timeframe.
We are working closely with national and regional partners to understand more about what, if anything, the review might mean for our new hospital programme. We will update you as soon as we have received additional clarity and understanding.
While this review is ongoing, our work to build a new Frimley Park Hospital will continue to progress at pace. Over the last few months, we have been developing the detailed technical, legal and planning due diligence on our preferred sites. At the same time, we have been preparing the necessary business and planning cases to purchase a new site.
While we develop and build our new Frimley Park Hospital, we will also continue with our extensive RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) maintenance programme to keep our hospital, patients, and staff safe. The need to remove all RAAC from hospitals is the driving force behind the new Frimley Park Hospital timeline.
Hearing from the public and staff around our new hospital is crucial for ultimately improving our community’s health and increasing staff morale. Sign up to receive our latest news and updates, and be amongst the first to hear about the latest engagement opportunities.
Annual Members' Meeting - just over a month to go
The countdown is on for the most important date in our yearly members’ events calendar the Annual Members’ Meeting (AMM), taking place on Tuesday 24 September from 5-8pm. This year the event is even more unique as it is being held at our very own Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot.
The event will begin at 5pm to give members the opportunity to browse the range of informative health stands on offer, before heading up to the building’s impressive first floor for the formal part of the meeting. Staff from across the Trust will be on the stands covering everything from cardiology and cancer services to Frimley Health Chairty and the New Hospital Programme.
The AMM itself will take place between 6.30-8pm with a welcome from Chair Bryan Ingleby followed by a review of the year from new chief executive Lance McCarthy. Chief financial officer, Kish Sidhu will present the financial accounts and lead governor, Sarah Peacey will share an update from our governors. You will also be given the latest news on the new Frimley Park Hospital, and an interesting closing presentation from orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Rakesh Kucheria, about the successful performance of Heatherwood as a dedicated planned care facility.
There will be free refreshments for all and lots of opportunities to meet different staff, fellow members and catch up on all you need to know about our Trust.
Update on our £49m Diagnostic and Inpatient Unit
Exciting progress is being made on our new 74-bed inpatient and diagnostic unit at Frimley Park Hospital, designed to meet growing patient demand and alleviate winter pressures. Scheduled to open in early 2025, this state-of-the-art facility is taking shape quickly.
In March, the first 179 modules arrived on site, marking a significant milestone. Since then, rapid progress has been made, including the installation of the plant room and generators, and the addition of external cladding. Work on the MRI rooms has commenced, and the new building has been connected to the existing hospital structure.
This month, we are focusing on completing the floors, installing lifts, and ensuring the building is fire safe. Additionally, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing works are set to begin, keeping us on track for the planned opening.
Welcome to our new intake of resident doctors
More than 80 newly qualified doctors started their jobs at Frimley Health this month following a week-long induction to the Trust.
After five years at university medical schools, the doctors, known as FY1s (Foundation Year Ones) began work on the wards at Frimley Park and Wexham Park Hospitals as part of their two-year foundation training. The 88 doctors had a week-long induction including attending a special event called SIMley Health where hundreds of staff, volunteers and patients came together at Heatherwood Hospital to simulate a normal working shift.
This type of induction event is unique to Frimley Health and gives the doctors the opportunity to familiarise themselves with IT systems, write prescriptions, escalate cases, and interact with their clinical colleagues in a safe environment. During the event, the doctors carried bleeps, responded to simulated calls, and performed typical duties expected of an FY1 doctor.
Dr Anson Wong, who graduated from Birmingham University, started her role in the Acute Medical Unit at Frimley Park Hospital said: “I’ve felt very supported by the people around me since I started. I did a ward round first thing and the consultant guided me through and was very understanding. SIMley Health was really useful, and it’s helped me to feel more prepared for going on call.”
Governor Elections nominations close today
The deadline for completed nomination forms for our 2024 Council of Governors election is 5pm today (Friday 23 August). If you would like to stand, you can still apply last minute online using this link.
A reminder that the elections are for public governor vacancies in the following areas: Guildford, Waverley and Woking (one seat), Hart and East Hampshire (two seats), Surrey Health and Runnymede (one seat), Rushmoor (two seats), South Buckinghamshire (one seat), Slough (one seat).
Voting will be open from 16 September – 10 October. For further information about the role of governor, see our website.
Biggest ever audience attends Members' health event
Last month’s online health event saw a record number of attendees with 215 people joining to hear the latest on Parkinson’s disease.
More than 1,200 patients with Parkinson’s are cared for at Frimley Health every year and Dr Stern sees more than 100 new cases himself each year.
Consultant neurologist Dr Jeremy Stern gave a fascinating presentation on the disease, which affects around 153.000 people in the UK – covering everything from the increase in cases, to the most common symptoms and recent advances in treatment.
The next event will be held in November on COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and community services presented by respiratory consultant, Dr Gareth Roberts. The link to register will be sent nearer to the time.
Patients give thumbs up to MyFrimleyHealth Record
MyFrimleyHealth Record, our online patient portal, has been receiving great reviews from users. The dedicated app, which helps you to manage your care while at home or on the go, currently scores 4.5 stars out of five on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
More than 208,000 people have already signed up to MyFrimleyHealth Record, which is also available on a website - myfrimleyhealthrecord.fhft.nhs.uk. It enables you to manage your appointments (and accept offers of earlier ones), attend online consultations, message your care team, view medications and test results, and much more.
One of the reviewers who gave MyFrimleyHealth Record five stars on the Apple App Store wrote: “I really like being able to access clinical letters and details of appointments before they are sent out in the post… A big thanks for this app!”
Another five-star review stated: “Hats off to the team that launched this incredible app. It is so helpful being able to view my messages, test results and appointments all in one place… It’s easy to navigate around. I can’t say enough good things about it.”
We want as many people as possible to use MyFrimleyHealth Record and see the benefits the technology brings.
Summer may be here at last, but the pace hasn’t slowed at Frimley Health, as you can read in this latest newsletter. We are still seeing high demand across all services and our teams are working hard to ensure patients continue to get care when they need it most. We also really appreciate your support in helping to spread the word about the different options available, so that more people get to the right place for care first time.
With waiting lists across the NHS still very high, planned care remains a top priority. We have made good progress in reducing wait times despite big challenges, and we were delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for Health Wes Streeting to our new Heatherwood Hospital last week to see how the team there is making a difference.
Heatherwood in Ascot is a dedicated site for planned surgery, making it easier to get the best from the modern facilities and treat more patients faster. The Health Secretary was impressed with how we use digital systems and data to drive efficiency and quality, as you can see in this short video on X. He later declared that Heatherwood Hospital was what the future of the NHS should look like.
By the time you receive your next newsletter our new Chief Executive, Lance McCarthy, will have joined the Trust. I am very grateful to Caroline Hutton who has done a fabulous job as our interim CEO since Neil Dardis left the Trust at the end of March. I am looking forward to working with Lance to build on the work that Neil and Caroline have done to improve our quality and performance, and continue to invest in projects to increase our capacity such as the community diagnostic centre in Slough, the Frimley Park diagnostic and inpatient unit, and of course the replacement for Frimley Park under the New Hospital Programme.
I hope you can join our Annual Members Meeting on 24 September to meet us and find out more. I am delighted to confirm the meeting will be held inside the new Heatherwood Hospital, so if you haven’t been before you can see for yourself what the future of the NHS looks like!
Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
Health secretary Wes Streeting sees 'NHS future' at Heatherwood
Labour’s new Health Secretary Wes Streeting visited Heatherwood Hospital on Friday and told reporters afterwards “This is what the future of the NHS should look like.”
In his first hospital visit since being appointed to the role, Mr Streeting was given a tour of the building by Chief Executive (interim) Caroline Hutton, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, John Seymour, and Managing Director of Heatherwood Angela Lawes.
During the tour the Heatherwood team showcased the hospital’s achievements and successes since opening in 2022 and highlighted our digital innovation and continuous quality improvement work. The team also discussed the Trust as a whole and the ongoing challenges facing Frimley Health the wider NHS in the region.
Mr Streeting visited the pre-assessment area, theatres and Treetops before holding an open and informal conversation with a group of around 20 clinical staff to get their views on Heatherwood and working in the NHS. The staff engagement session was the first of a series of sessions he is planning to undertake in other regions, as he is keen to work with staff to shape the changes that are needed.
The Health Secretary said he hoped Heatherwood “would inspire the rest of the healthcare system” and complimented the positive attitudes of the staff saying: “Staff are beaming with professional pride because of the quality of care they’re able to provide to patients."
Mr Streeting also spoke to a patient during his visit. Peter Flynn from Bracknell, who had had knee revision surgery earlier that day said: “I told him that it’s an amazing hospital with wonderful staff. It makes such a difference being treated in a hospital that is dedicated to planned surgery, the care is more focused on each individual patient and helping people to recover quickly.”
New Frimley Park Hospital update
We are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest new Frimley Park Hospital developments. Over the last few months we have made significant progress. We are well underway with the evaluation of our preferred sites, as well as preparing various business and planning cases in readiness to purchase the site on completion of the selection process.
Over the next few months, the Trust will begin its next phase of staff and public engagement, initially informing around Hospital 2.0, the new national standardised system for future hospitals, and our preferred way forward, including sharing details of the location of the new hospital site.
We’ve been out around the Trust to hear how staff are feeling about the new hospital, and what the changes will mean for them.
Sign up today to receive the new Frimley Park Hospital newsletter to stay up to date with the very latest updates.
Four days to go until our next Health Event
The next Health Event on Microsoft Teams is on Tuesday 30 July at 6.30pm-7.30pm, with Consultant Neurologist Dr Jeremy Stern talking about “Advances in treating Parkinson's disease”. More than 300 people have already registered for the event.
Your care record at your fingertips
Have you signed up to MyFrimleyHealth Record, the online platform that puts your health record at your fingertips? The easy-to-use mobile app revolutionises the way you interact with our teams. It helps you to manage your care at Frimley Health and access services whether you are at home or on the go.
By using MyFrimleyHealth Record, which can also be accessed via a website, you can:
• Attend virtual consultations.
• See test results as soon as they are finalised.
• Message your care team to ask or answer questions.
• Access documents, letters and care summaries.
• Book or cancel appointments – and accept offers of earlier appointments.
• Provide information ahead of an appointment to reduce stress and save time.
• Receive notifications and updates.
• Potentially reduce follow-up appointments and avoid unnecessary visits to hospital.
You can also allow a friend or family member to manage your care on your behalf, if necessary.
If you have not done so already, sign up today. Simply scan the QR code above to download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store. If you’re using a PC or laptop, go to myfrimleyhealthrecord.fhft.nhs.uk. Or if you’ve recently been a patient at one of our sites, use the activation code we may have sent you by text message or email to register your account.
MyFrimleyHealth Record details and guides can be found on our website.
Governor Elections 2024 - will you stand as a Trust governor?
Our governors play an integral role in the running of our Trust and we are seeking eight more of them to represent you, our members!
The Council of Governors hold our non-executive directors to account for the performance of the Trust Board. It represents the interests of patients, the local community, Trust members who include our staff and the wider public.
Frimley Health Foundation Trust will be holding elections to appoint eight new governors in six constituencies:
• South Buckinghamshire - 1 seat
• Guildford, Waverley & Woking - 1 seat
• Hart & East Hampshire - 2 seats
• Rushmoor - 2 seats
• Slough - 1 seat
• Surrey Heath & Runnymede - 1 seat
As a governor you can play a key role in shaping the future of our services so if you are interested in being involved, find out more about what it means to be a governor and apply to stand in this year’s elections. Please visit Council of governors | NHS Frimley Health Foundation Trust (fhft.nhs.uk).
To be eligible to be a governor you must be a member Frimley Health Foundation Trust member living in the constituency you wish to stand for and be 16 or over.
Nominations open on Friday 26 July 2024. The deadline for submitting the nominations is Friday 23 August 2024. We’ll be holding a virtual Q&A session for potential governors on Wednesday 31 July, 5pm-6pm, if you would like to attend please contact fhft.
Long servers gather for celebration tea
Almost 2,800 years of service to the NHS were celebrated last week when 120 of our staff members attended a long service awards tea. They had each reached service milestones ranging between 20 and 40 years.
Together the invited staff spanned an incredible 2,779 years of working for Frimley Health, which formed in 2014 when the organisation running Frimley Park Hospital joined with Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals.
Chief Executive (interim) Caroline Hutton and Trust Chair Bryan Ingleby were among those attending the awards to thank them for their dedication.
Walk 4 Wards is back for 2024
Frimley Health Charity’s Walk 4 Wards is back by popular demand for its second year on Sunday 1 September. Come and enjoy a scenic and custom-designed five mile walk through stunning countryside, with beautiful fields and abundant wildlife, all while raising money for your local NHS hospital.
Choose to walk in honour of a ward that has supported you or a loved one, or walk in memory of someone special, celebrating their life and legacy. Graham, one of our walkers last year said: “What a well organised event, we loved taking part and fundraising for a ward very close to our hearts. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my family.”
Join us with friends, family, colleagues, and even your furry four-legged companions – dogs are welcome! For our younger walkers, we have a scavenger hunt to keep them entertained along the way. Please note, you must be able to complete the walk within 3.5 hours – on average it takes 2-2.5 hours.
Sign up today with your exclusive 15% discount MEMBERS15: Walk 4 Wards - Frimley Health Charity.
Share your views on local NHS Talking Therapy services
NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board (ICB), the organisation responsible for planning and delivering local health and care services, is seeking the views of those aged 16-plus on NHS Talking Therapies. You do not have to have used these services to take part in this survey.
The ICB wants to establish your understanding around the support that is available to you for feelings of low mood, anxiety and stress. The answers you provide will help them understand how services in our area can support you in the most effective way possible.
You can access the survey at https://mysay.is/NHSTalkTherapies
Targeted lung health checks now in Farnborough
Eligible residents throughout Frimley Health and Care have been taking up their offers of a free NHS targeted lung health check (TLHC) as the national programme moves throughout the area.
Lung health checks look at how well a patient’s lungs are working and can help diagnose lung cancer earlier providing more treatment options and better outcomes.
TLHCs went live in Slough at the end of 2022 before moving to Aldershot and now eligible patients registered with a GP surgery in Farnborough (those between the age of 55 and 74 years, who are smokers or former smokers) are being invited to take part, usually via a letter in a bright yellow envelope.
The CT scanner is located in a convenient position and alongside other local health services, such the stop smoking team, to maximise patient support. More details on TLHCs can be found at frimleylunghealthcheck.nhs.uk. You can view one local resident’s story on our YouTube channel Pete's lung cancer screening story.
Help us to design a brand new Trust website
We are in the exciting initial stages of creating an entirely new Trust website and we’d love to hear your views. This is the perfect opportunity for you to share your opinions and help shape the content, menu structure and design of this important channels.
Fundamentally, we want to create a clear and simple way to communicate with our patients and visitors.
Please take a few minutes to complete our survey with your view on the Trust website.
Welcome to your latest newsletter. I hope you’re all looking forward to the spring bank holiday weekend.
Firstly, thank you to everyone who attended our latest online health event earlier this month. It really was a brilliant presentation from our urology consultant Simon Bott, covering all the latest news on prostate cancer. It was informative, candid and very interesting. Once again, we had great attendance, and I don’t think we have ever had a meeting with so many questions from our online audience.
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement this week, we have had to postpone our next online health event, which had been scheduled for 2 July. This will now be held after the General Election on 4 July. We will send your next membership newsletter at the end of July.
In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy reading this edition – we have a great article about another first for Frimley Health with eye consultant Tom Poole and his team performing the first operation using an artificial cornea in the NHS. And I was very touched to read about Sarah Stevens, one of our booking team staff who has retired from the trust after 37 years working at Heatherwood. Hers is a role that doesn’t get as much public attention as others, but we could not operate or care for patients without her and her colleagues. We hope you enjoy many happy years of a well-deserved retirement, Sarah. It is people like Sarah who are the heart and soul of Frimley Health.
Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
First artificial cornea transplant performed at Frimley
The country’s first commercial transplant using an artificial cornea has been performed by our ophthalmology team at Frimley Park Hospital. The ground-breaking eye operation could give hope to patients currently on the national waiting list for human corneal transplants.
The procedure is a type of corneal transplant called endothelial keratoplasty which involves removing the abnormal inner lining of the cornea (endothelium), and replacing it with an artificial cornea, rather than a donated human one.
Consultant ophthalmologist, Mr Thomas Poole, together with his consultant colleague Miss Hanbin Lee, have successfully performed the procedure on four patients in the last two months and initial results have shown an improvement in vision.
Patient Cecil Farley, 91, from Chobham in Woking said: “I’m really glad I had the procedure as I had no vision in my right eye at all. I’d previously had a human graft which failed so I was very happy to be the first patient to receive an artificial cornea.”
Tom Poole, consultant ophthalmologist, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said: “There is a delay in patients getting treatment because of the national shortage of available corneas. In selected cases, artificial corneas could be used giving patients quicker access to treatment and therefore improved sight.This is a very exciting step forwards in improving the vision of some of our patients with corneal disease who might otherwise face a long wait for a human cornea.”
High praise for informative prostate health event
More than 130 people attended this month’s online health event with many praising consultant urologist Mr Simon Botts’ engaging presentation on prostate cancer. Mr Bott gave an interesting and educational talk packed with helpful information on everything from the type of diet that could help to reduce the risk of prostate cancer, to the latest advances in scanning, diagnosing and treatment. If you missed the event, you can view the recording here.
The next online health event will be with Dr Jeremy Stern talking about advances in treating Parkinson’s disease. It was due to be held on 2 July, however as this now falls within the pre-election period we are in process of arranging a new date, which we will share with you as soon as possible.
Bookings team bid farewell to colleague retiring after 37 years
“It’s simple, I like what I do!” said Sarah Stevens, who retired recently after doing the same job in the same team for the last 37 years. The Frimley Health veteran joined Heatherwood’s Trauma and Orthopaedics and Plastics bookings team in 1987 liaising with patients to book appointments for foot and ankle procedures.
“It was very different when I started. There were no computers and each consultant had their own book which was much more time consuming. We used to sit down during Royal Ascot week as there were no appointments when the races were on and manually go through the pages of the book for a whole year!” explained Sarah.
More than 30 of Sarah’s colleagues gathered in Heatherwood to mark her last and nearly four decades of services to the Trust.
Sarah said: “The people I have worked with over the years have been fantastic, a lot of them are friends rather than colleagues. The bookings team have an important role to play, we are often the first people patients speak to so we can shape their perception of the NHS and make their experience at the Trust as good as it can be.”
Stroke research transforms rehab sessions for patients
May was Stroke Awareness Month. It saw the Trust as the top recruiter in the UK to a research trial called Avert Dose. The trial is looking into the effects of early mobility training to lower post-stroke disability.
A variety of mobility sessions provided by physiotherapists and nurses are monitored as part of the trial, taking into account the abilities of individual patients and providing pages of daily data. It is the first Trust study to have a physio, Bryony Skelton, as the principal investigator.
“It has been a really positive experience having physio-led research happening,” she said. “It has already led to practical changes on the ward, following the guidance of a previous trial. We now see patients in the first two weeks after their stroke for two shorter sessions rather than one longer one each day, and we don’t mobilise patients with haemorrhagic strokes or severe ischaemic strokes in the first 24 hours. The original trial showed that patients had improved functional recovery and fewer complications if this guidance was followed.”
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, killing brain cells. A haemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding into the brain tissue. Ischaemic strokes, the more common type of stroke, happen when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.
The Avert Dose study aims for a “rehab ethos” on the ward, encouraging the nursing staff to help patients be more active. Bryony said the aim was to make that ethos the general practise on the ward for all patients, whether they were part of the trial or not.
“We have introduced laminated sheets over each patient’s bed with visual illustrations of what the patient can do functionally, such as having a wash standing up rather than sitting, having meals sitting in the chair rather than in bed, and promoting patients getting dressed into their own clothes,” she said. “All of these things are really important for recovery and optimising function after a stroke.”
Valerie from Esher was about to head home after spending almost two weeks on the ward. To begin with, she only felt comfortable walking while holding on to other people, but said the team at Frimley Park had given her huge support. “The help I’ve had here has really made a difference,” she said. “All the exercises with the staff, plus the balancing work I’ve done with the physios in the gym. I can walk on my own without using the stick, if I choose. I feel much more confident.”
The Avert Dose study will finish this year. The results will help shape the future treatment of stroke patients.
Free NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme
It was Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week last week, a great opportunity for our local health and care system to raise awareness of Type 2 diabetes and to help people identify their risk and take action to reduce it.
Diabetes UK reports that there are estimated to be more than 4 million people living with type 2 diabetes in the UK, and millions more are at risk of developing the condition. An increasing number of these people are under 40.
The NHS is now offering a free Diabetes Prevention Programme which provides tailored, personalised support to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. You’ll have the chance to learn about making small changes to encompass healthy eating, achieving/maintaining a healthy weight and becoming more active. This combination of lifestyle changes is proven to help prevent the disease.
To find out if you could be at risk of type 2 diabetes, you can complete this survey. For more information about the prevention programme, see the Frimley Health and Care website.
As you may know, one of our core values at Frimley Health is ‘Facing the Future’. That means we are always looking at what we can do differently to meet the needs of our communities for years to come. We aim for a culture in the Trust where we are always improving, and where we embrace new ideas and technologies that can give the population we serve a healthier future.
In this month’s newsletter you can read about just one of the initiatives in which we are using artificial intelligence to improve the experience for patients. Our ophthalmology team has launched the ‘Dora’ digital assistant to free up nursing time and help reduce our waiting lists. It is proving very popular with patients and has been shortlisted for an award.
Other articles this month show how we are thinking ahead in preparing teams to be ready for emergencies and using medical innovations to screen patients for lung and bowel cancer, knowing how important early detection is in successfully tackling the disease.
While we always want to look forwards, there are times when we have the chance to look back too – to remember where we have come from and what we can learn. Frimley Park Hospital is 50 years old this year and we’ll be celebrating the milestone on the NHS’s 76th birthday on 5 July. Although the original building will be replaced with a new Frimley Park in the next few years under the Government’s New Hospital Programme, we want to celebrate its people and the significant role the hospital has had over half a century at the heart of the community. So, if you have any special memories of the hospital we want to hear from you – the details are in the article below.
I also want to say a big thank you to all the runners, spectators and volunteers who came along to Frimley Lodge Park last Sunday for this year’s Run Frimley event. It is the biggest annual event of the Frimley Health Charity’s calendar and there was an amazing atmosphere with more than 1,200 runners across the three races. Thank you for helping the charity to raise vital funds to support our hospitals, patients and staff.
Hopefully, many of you are coming along to next week’s online health event. We’ve already had more than 150 people register for the event which will be hosted by consultant urologist, Mr Simon Bott, looking at ‘What’s new in prostate cancer? I look forward to seeing you all on screen then.
Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
Help us celebrate 50 years of Frimley Park Hospital
This year marks 50 years since Frimley Park Hospital first opened to patients and we’ve chosen to celebrate it on the annual NHS birthday on July 5. We want to hear your stories about Frimley Park – do you have a good story to tell related to our history? Maybe you were born here and are celebrating your 50th birthday on that day? Or perhaps you worked at the hospital when it opened and have not long been retired? We would love to hear from you and feature your story as part of our FPH50 celebrations.
Code Red! Knife trauma in spotlight
Our clinicians joined forces with 999 service colleagues for a special training day focused on knife trauma. More than 100 people took part in the second Code Red Trauma Day at Wexham Park Hospital’s postgraduate centre, following the inaugural event in February 2023.
The day shone a spotlight on care for patients with knife injuries, and how teams can work together to achieve the best outcomes. Among the Frimley Health staff taking part were consultants, doctors and nursing staff from the emergency departments at Wexham Park and Frimley Park, joined by paramedics from South Central Ambulance Service, medical students, and police and fire service representatives.
Events like these are organised to ensure that as well as having the practical skills to care for trauma injuries, staff from different specialties and services understood each other’s roles and could work well together to best support patients. Clinical psychologists and human factor experts were also critical to the day.
Digital assistant 'Dora' on awards shortlist
One of our innovative artificial intelligence (AI) technology projects is in the running for a prestigious HSJ Digital Award. With more than 300 entries received for this year’s Digital Awards, the Frimley Health project stood out as a real success story worthy of a place on the panel’s shortlist.
Digital assistant ‘Dora’ has been making surgical follow-up calls to cataract patients, successfully tackling a growing backlog. Usually a nurse-led call, having the AI system handle the routine clinical conversation to phone and assess patients after their operation has freed up hundreds of hours of nursing time within the Trust’s eye department.
As well as improving efficiency, patient feedback regarding Dora has been very positive.
“Patients love it. We’ve had one who wanted to take Dora to dinner, while another wrote a poem for her,” said Dr Lorraine North, head of ophthalmology strategy. She added: “Dora makes recommendations, not decisions, and her work is checked by human clinicians - there will always be a human element, as we have to maintain oversight.”
Cancer patient highlights dangers of alternative therapies in the media
There was widespread media coverage about one of our cancer patients, 36-year-old Irena Stoynova, from Crondall in Hampshire, who wanted to warn others about the dangers of “using alternative therapies to cure cancer”.
Irena was diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in May 2021 and had decided against traditional treatments after “reading about and watching many doctors and professors talk about the success rate of alternative therapies online”. She tried every potential ‘cure’ under the sun, from the raw diet, juicing diet, soup diet, boiled herbs, tinctures, special teas, lymph drainage massage, yoga and meditation.
In August last year, Irena was brought by ambulance to Frimley Park ED in a very serious condition, she was emaciated with fluid on her lungs and her cancer had deteriorated to Stage 4B. She was cared for by consultant haematologist, Dr Claire Rees, and was told she would die without proper treatment. After refusing several times, Irena finally agreed to chemo. In January this year, just five months later, she was given the incredible news that she was in full remission and has since praised the care she received by the G1 team “I was treated by the most devoted, loving, caring, professional and unique people – I felt loved and supported by everyone and that had the biggest impact on me.”
Irena was very keen to tell her story and try to help other cancer sufferers who may be in a similar mindset. The story was covered on several media channels including Mailonline, Sky News online, The Times and Independent.
ITV films at Frimley for Covid anniversary
Frimley Park Hospital recently hosted ITV Meridian to film the emotional reunion of a recovered Covid patient, who spent weeks on a ventilator during the early days of the pandemic, and the team that cared for him. Anwar Chaudhri came to visit Dr Subodh Tote and the intensive care team who looked after him during his 30-day stay on the unit.
The broadcaster was recording a piece to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the first UK lockdown, taking a look back at the intense pressures facing the NHS. Dr Gareth Roberts, chief of service for medicine, who treated our first ever Covid patient, and Dr Tote, about being the fourth busiest trust in the country were interviewed about our response to the pandemic. Both spoke about the “unity and fortitude” shown by staff and how it was a “massive collective effort” that got us through the busiest times.
Patient Anwar Chaudhri spoke to the TV broadcaster about his experience: “After I woke up in ICU, it was just unbelievably positive how Subodh and all his team looked after me. All the nurses and the doctors - it was such good care, I couldn't have asked for more, and this is the reason why I'm standing here today."
The report was lead story on ITV Meridian’s evening news last month.
BBC highlights more women needed for heart research
One of our consultant cardiologists, Lydia Sturridge, took to the airwaves recently, highlighting the need to have more women involved with medical research. In an interview on BBC Radio Surrey’s breakfast show, she pointed out that women’s health issues, especially in cardiology, have historically been overshadowed.
A study by the British Heart Foundation found two-thirds of all clinical research had been carried out on men, with women under-represented in cardiovascular trials. Understanding how women respond differently to medications and treatments is vital to evolving and improving medical guidelines. Research has shown the necessity for distinct treatment approaches for women, especially those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning a pregnancy.
“Many women are keen on contributing to research but often feel they lack the time due to their caregiving roles,” said Lydia. “We need to go the extra mile to make participation easier for them.” Read the article on the BBC website and find out more about our research here.
Make-up workshop for cancer patients
Frimley Park Hospital recently hosted a Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) make-up workshop for people living with cancer in the local community. Beauty experts and volunteers from LGFB charity led a workshop for 10 women with varying types and stages of cancer, guiding them all through skincare, makeup products and application.
The team was particularly focussed on navigating treatment side effects such as dryness, redness, hair loss (eyebrows and eyelashes) and skin sensitivity. Sarah, a part-time make-up artist explained the importance of skin preparation before makeup application, colour correction for dark under eyes and uneven skin, and shared industry secrets to achieve a natural look with seamless application.
Mark Flannery, CEO of the LGFB described the makeup workshops as “accessible and socially concentrated”, as individuals gain a community of people who share the same lived experience of navigating cancer as well as cosmetic products and guidance.
The right FIT for bowel cancer detection
GPs across East Berkshire, Surrey Heath, North-East Hampshire and Farnham are leading the way on referrals for patients with possible bowel cancer using Faecal Immunochemical Tests also known as FIT kits.
FIT kits are helping detect cancer sooner, enabling treatment to begin earlier and increasing the chances of successful recovery. They are also helping to ensure fewer patients need to undergo invasive tests.
Your GP may ask you to undertake this at-home test. You’ll be asked to collect a small amount of poo in the privacy of your own home. This is sent to a lab where it will be tested for blood. The result of this test will tell your GP whether you need further tests.
If you are concerned that you may have missed your invitation to take part in screening or have lost or thrown away your kit, call the free bowel cancer screening helpline for advice on 0800 707 60 60. For more information see Frimley Health and Care website.
Targeted lung health check roll-out
The Targeted Lung Health Check programme run by Frimley Health and Care has been expanded to more locations across the cancer alliance footprint in the past 12 months. Following the initial launch in local areas including Slough, Aldershot has become the latest area to go live this year.
The programme has identified 105 people with lung cancer – three-quarters of those were diagnosed at stage one and stage two (June 2022-January 2024). This compares to less than a third of lung cancers being identified at an early stage outside of the programme.
People who are aged between 55 and 74 who smoke or who have ever smoked in the past are automatically invited for a lung health check when the programme reaches their area. They are invited to have an initial conversation with a health professional and, if needed, are offered a CT scan. For more information, see Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance website.
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.
This has seemed like a very long winter for the NHS, and our teams at Frimley Health are continuing to work very hard to keep our patients safe under difficult circumstances.
The latest round of strikes by junior doctors ended this week and we are once again extremely grateful to all those colleagues who stepped in to cover extra shifts, or who worked in different areas, to make sure we could keep emergency and critical services running well.
While demands on the NHS in recent months have undoubtedly been some of the toughest our teams and our patients have experienced, I hope that the articles in this newsletter also show you that we remain committed to continually improving services for patients in the future.
Completion of the refurbishment of our cath labs at Frimley Park (see below) is excellent news for people across the region. When the labs opened well over a decade ago as part of the Frimley heart attack centre, they were at the cutting edge of life-saving technology. This upgrade means our team can continue offering the latest medical interventions and provide even more complex heart treatments locally. You can also read about an amazing new endoscopy technique, how our emergency teams are supporting research, and some of the other ways we are supporting patients and teams.
I really hope that you can also join us online next week at our next Health Event, outlined below. I am really looking forward to hearing from our amazing cancer support services – caring for patients with cancer is such an important aspect of our work and I know all of us have been impacted to some degree by the disease. We will also be giving you the latest updates from the trust, including progress on or new hospital to replace Frimley Park.
So, here’s to longer days and warmer weather around the corner – I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter and please join us if you can for next week’s Health Event.
Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
Latest update on our proposals to develop a new Frimley Park
The work we have underway to build a new Frimley Park Hospital moved a step closer in early 2024, with the completion of a comprehensive and wide-ranging public engagement exercise.
The new state-of-the-art replacement for Frimley Park Hospital needs to be developed on a new site because attempting to build a new hospital on our current site is not a viable option
Between 24 November 2023 and 7 January 2024, almost 3,400 patients, local people, our partners, stakeholders, and NHS staff completed an online questionnaire to have their say on what is important to them in our site for the new hospital.
We have now published an independent report on the views, opinions, and feedback we received during the engagement exercise. This is being carefully considered as we move forward with our process to identify potential viable sites for the new Frimley Park Hospital. The full results of the engagement exercise are available to download from our website.
Next steps...
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took the opportunity and the time to provide feedback on our draft criteria for evaluating potential viable sites for the new Frimley Park Hospital.
We are carefully considering the feedback as we move forward with our plans to identify a preferred site, or sites. For more information, please visit this page.
Frimley's diagnostic unit build begins
It has been a really exciting week at Frimley Park Hospital as the modules that will make up our fantastic new £49m inpatient and diagnostic unit started to arrive.
The first five modules were delivered on Tuesday 27 February, and it will take 179 deliveries over a period of three and a half weeks (that’s eight or nine modules delivered every day) for all the modules to be in place.
The team will do all they can to minimise the disruption, but please be aware that there may be some traffic disruption while the modules are brought on site.
This is a major milestone in the build, which will deliver 74 much needed new inpatient beds and a brilliant new state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging unit. The inpatient wards will be ready at the end of the year, with the remainder of the build opened in spring 2025.
Another milestone was the installation of 127 ‘steels’ (that’s 26.5 tonnes of steel) that make up the frame of the corridor that will link the new building to our existing hospital.
State-of-of-the-heart cardiology lab re-opens to patients this month
Heart care at Frimley Park Hospital has been transformed with the completion of an extensive £2.6m modernisation programme to upgrade its two catheter laboratories (cath labs).
The state-of-the-heart cath labs will allow more patients to be treated at the hospital, as they reduce the time taken to perform some common heart procedures. The latest technology will also allow more complex cardiac work to be carried out locally rather than patients having to travel to specialist centres in London.
The newly installed equipment includes a specialist x-ray machine that emits 40% less radiation, modern surgical lighting, and a new digital viewing system with a large LCD screen to help reduce patient anxiety before procedures. The upgrade also includes the latest conference facilities that will allow thour Frimley Health team to stream live training sessions and run educational courses for other organisations around the world.
Dr Peter Clarkson, cardiology consultant said: “The entire cath lab has been designed around efficiency and will allow us to increase the number of patients we treat each day. This is an important investment that will advance our digital capability, speed up the time taken to carry out some procedures and ultimately improve the patient experience by providing a calming and comforting environment.” Read more.
New chief of strategy officer joins the Trust
At the start of this month we welcomed James Clarke, our new chief strategy officer who will provide executive leadership for the Trust in the key areas of strategy, partnerships and estates.
James, who joined us on February 1, was previously director of business and people planning for the UK Border Force. He is an accomplished board member with a strong foundation in leadership and strategy and extensive experience in the private, public, and voluntary sectors, leading transformation initiatives and enhancing the customer and patient experience.
Commenting on his new role, James said: "I am thrilled to embark on this journey with a top-performing trust. I will bring my experience from the public and private sectors to support in the continued delivery of the Trust’s goals.”
First Trust in the region to introduce 'sponge on a string' endoscopy
We have become the first NHS trust in Surrey and Sussex to use an innovative new diagnostic test to detect diseases in the upper digestive system.
The ‘sponge on a string’ is a less invasive method of endoscopy which collects cells in the oesophagus (gullet or food pipe) and can help diagnose specific cancers earlier.
The capsule sponge test is a vitamin-sized capsule containing a small spherical sponge attached to a string. When swallowed, the capsule dissolves and the sponge expands within the stomach to collect cells from the oesophagus lining. The sponge is then retrieved using the string.
The whole procedure takes just seven and a half minutes with no additional recovery time needed. A traditional endoscopy, which involves passing a long, flexible tube equipped with a video camera down the throat, takes around 30 minutes and, as many patients choose to be sedated, the average recovery time is about six hours.
Join our online Health Event on 6 March
Join us online on Wednesday 6 March between 6.30pm and 7.30pm to hear all about how we’re supporting people living with cancer. At our ‘Knowledge is power: elevating cancer awareness and support in our community’ event you will hear from our cancer information and support services team as they talk about how they can empower, inform and uplift our patients, their families and those living in the community with cancer.
The event is an opportunity to hear real patient stories and to listen to experts including: Mary Hayes, Macmillan head of nursing for cancer, and Jessica Tutton, Macmillan cancer information and support manager. Frimley Health Chief Executive Neil Dardis will also give the latest update on performance at the Trust. Register here.
Frimley Health a "gold standard" for Veteran care
We have recently been reaccredited as a Veteran Aware trust in recognition of our commitment to providing high-quality care for veterans, armed forces, reservists and their families.
Earlier this month we received the reward letter and certificate on behalf of former General Lord Dannatt, the Army’s former chief of general staff; Professor Tim Briggs, national lead for the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA); and the VCHA National Steering Group.
The report on Frimley Health praised the work of our Armed Forces Covenant lead, Kerry Gospel, and hailed the culture of openness and desire to learn as “the gold standard” for care in the armed forces community. The report recommended that other trusts look to Frimley Health to replicate our model.
Celebrating our amazing apprentices
This month we celebrated National Apprenticeship Week by highlighting the incredible opportunities that apprenticeships provide and showcasing some of our brilliant staff who are already seeing the benefits.
With around 250 apprentices in Frimley Health at any one time - from healthcare assistants, diagnostic radiographers and occupational therapists to registered nurses and HR support - this upskilling has numerous benefits to the individual, our Trust and our patients.
During the celebratory week our learning and development team organised webinars, a breakfast with our Trust executives and they set up stands at our hospitals and community sites to raise awareness about apprenticeships and create interest for the future. They also celebrated around 80 staff who completed their training this year, plus those who completed functional skills programmes and attended our English Conversation Club sessions. Read more.
Emergency teams lead heart study
Forget heart-fluttering moments of romance, we're diving into the real deal – new research on acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
Both emergency departments (EDs) have been at the forefront of a study aiming to improve how we diagnose and treat patients with chest pain.
ACS covers a spectrum of conditions related to sudden, decreased blood flow to the heart, including heart attacks and angina. With chest pain affecting 20-40% of us during our lives, and emergency departments seeing a surge in visits for this reason, our research is on the pulse of ensuring life-threatening conditions are identified and treated with lightning speed.
“We’re evaluating strategies used in emergency departments nationwide to investigate cardiac chest pain,” said Sarah Wilson, emergency medical consultant and associate professor. “Different hospitals use different approaches, so our involvement in this national research is the heartbeat of finding the quickest and most efficient strategy for our patients.” Read more.
Run Frimley returns in May
Frimley Health Charity is delighted to welcome the return of the hugely popular Run Frimley taking place at Frimley Green on Sunday 5th May 2024. The event has always attracted a strong community following with over 1,000 runners taking part year on year. Following the success of 2023, the event is comprised of a closed Road 5K and 10K race (featuring chip timing for all participants) to improve your overall running experience and safety, as well as our 1 mile ‘colourful’ family fun run.
A brand-new addition for the 2024 event is The Lenovo Village, with an amazing range of stalls, there really is something for everyone. To keep the little one’s entertained, there will be face painters, games, activities, performers and more. The whole event will also be complimented with music, plenty of stalls to browse around and many delicious caterers to enjoy.
For further information and to sign up see here: Run Frimley - Frimley Health Charity.
Dear Members,
Welcome to my first newsletter of 2024. I hope you all managed to find some restful time over the holiday period.
As you might expect this has been an extremely busy time for the Trust as we manage the increase in demand for our services caused by winter viruses, and our need to manage the ongoing industrial action. Our staff have responded fantastically well to these challenges, and I am grateful to them every day.
However, I am aware that for some of you this has meant the delay or cancellation of an appointment or a procedure. I am very sorry for all these delays. I can assure you that all our teams are working as hard as they possibly can in very difficult circumstances to keep patients safe, and they are very grateful for the support we continue to receive from our members and communities.
It is important that we find ways to reduce the pressure on our services and improve access to care for everyone. We are working with health and local authority partners to develop new ways of working – such as more capacity in primary care expanding our virtual wards where certain patients can be monitored and treated effectively at home, and new urgent care centres in Slough and Aldershot. These will increase the access to treatment for patients and help to focus patient care where it is needed. We will continue sharing news about these initiatives with you through this newsletter.
Like the rest of the NHS, reducing the number of people on our waiting list for planned treatment is a priority, with an emphasis on cancer care and the longest waiters. Thanks to some great work by our teams, we remain on schedule to eliminate all waits over 65 weeks by the end of March and we have halved the number of people on our diagnostic waiting list. Whilst these are important milestones, our ambition is to make further significant improvements in these areas and to sustain those improvements.
You can also help us by continuing to raise awareness of all services that are available across the NHS Frimley area and sharing information about NHS 111 and choosing the right services with your friends and family.
I hope that you enjoy reading this newsletter and I wish you and your friends and family good health and happiness
Bryan Ingleby
Chair
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
New Frimley Park Hospital: Listening to our local communities
The initial public engagement phase on our new Frimley Park Hospital is now complete.
Over a period of six weeks, we held four public events, one drop-in session and eight pop-up stands throughout our communities. This was alongside our online survey and numerous staff events and meetings. A huge thank you to everyone for engaging with us and sharing your views.
The aims for the engagement period were to:
- Ensure the public are aware and understand why staying on our current site is not a viable option
- Allow the public to contribute to the development and refining of evaluation criteria that will be applied when assessing possible sites for a new hospital
- For the public to tell us which evaluation criteria are most important to them and why
We are committed to engaging and involving our local communities, stakeholders and staff throughout our journey to a new hospital in 2030. More detail on our response to this public engagement phase will be added in the next few weeks. If you have any questions or require further information you can email the team at: fhft.
Heathlands discharge unit opens to help patients spend less time in hospital
A new temporary community discharge unit (CDU) opened at Heathlands in Bracknell this month to help patient discharges from our acute and community sites during the busy winter months. The CDU takes patients from Frimley Park, Wexham Park or any of the community wards who have had a discharge plan and package of care in place but their ongoing care outside of the Trust has been delayed.
The 23-bedded unit will be open until 31 March and is based on the middle floor of the building. Within just two days of the CDU opening, all 23 beds were occupied which helped to free up some capacity at Frimley and Wexham Park and ensure patients get the care they need while waiting for their ongoing placements to be finalised.
Fran Campbell, head of service, community and older people’s medicine, said: “There is huge demand for capacity during the busy winter months. While the CDU is a short-term measure, it will help to create additional bed space and improve flow with a unit dedicated to help patients who are ready to be discharged from hospital.”
Slough CDC: Demolition works on Upton site almost complete
Work continues on our brand new £25 million state-of-the-art NHS diagnostic centre, planned for Slough in 2025. Demolition works on an unused area of the Upton Hospital site are now almost complete, with the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) then set to be developed on this area as a new standalone facility.
Construction is expected to begin in April 2024, once we receive the outcome of our planning submission, with the CDC scheduled to open early 2025. It is fantastic news for our local communities, as it will mean that people who need more than one diagnostic procedure may have them on the same day. This will help to diagnose conditions and illnesses, including cancer, more quickly.
While the Slough CDC is being developed, the Trust is introducing a mobile MRI scanner at St Mark’s Hospital to help support the availability of diagnostics. This will help reduce long waiting times for an appointment within the community. The MRI scanner will operate five days a week, between January to March 2024 (Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm). After that, it will operate seven days per week (Mon-Sat, 8am-8pm; Sun 10am-4pm) until the CDC opens in January 2025.
Chief of nursing and midwifery
A huge welcome to our new chief of nursing and midwifery, Melanie van Limborgh, who has started in post following the retirement of Lorna Wilkinson at the end of last year.
Melanie is leading Frimley Health’s improvements in safety, patient experience, infection control and facilities services, while providing professional leadership for nursing, midwifery, allied health professional (AHP) practice and healthcare scientists.
She was previously Director of Nursing at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust where she started her extensive nursing career in perioperative care in anaesthetics and theatres.
Speaking after her appointment was announced in September, Melanie, who lives locally, said: “I’m proud to be joining Frimley Health. The Trust is clearly ambitious, and I am looking forward to being part of it – building on the positive experiences my friends and family have received to make a difference to my local community.”
Chief Executive update
Last month we shared the news that our chief executive Neil Dardis will be leaving Frimley Health to take on a role overseas. His last working day has been confirmed as Thursday 29 March. Read more about the original announcement here.
The process for a successor is well underway and experienced NHS executive recruitment experts have been tasked with finding a strong list of candidates. The closing date for applicants is 5 February and final assessment interviews will be on 13 March.
The recruitment process is led by the Trust’s Nominations Committee, chaired by Bryan Ingleby and made up of the senior independent director, the deputy chair and one other non-executive director. As with other executive director appointments, there will be opportunities for a range of staff, governors and partners to be involved in the selection process.
The Nominations Committee is also making arrangements to cover the role on an interim basis between 30 March and the new chief executive starting. Interim arrangements are expected to be announced very soon.
100 learn more about Trust research
A huge thank everyone joined us online on 23 January for our latest Health Event. More than 100 people were at the meeting which focused on the importance of research and innovation at Frimley Health and included presentations from associate director of research Matt Gardiner and head of research Swapna Thomas.
The free online event also looked at the vital role played by patients and members of the public across Frimley Health to shape the future of healthcare. Some 2,000 patients are recruited into studies each year, improving treatments and helping to save lives.
Recent work at the Trust includes the Avert Dose trial, researching ways to provide a better recovery for stroke patients which has changed physio sessions in the first 24 hours after a stroke. The latest global innovations include a new table for hand surgery which provides a better, more comfortable experience for patients, who can now sit up and have their procedure under a local anaesthetic.
Watch a recording of the meeting
Frimley Leads the way in liver disease trial
Our Trust is at the forefront of a new clinical trial aiming to tackle liver disease. Clinical research practitioner Jess Camp recently screened the first UK patient for the ELMWOOD study being run at Frimley Park by Dr Kuldeep Cheent.
The study will monitor the effects of new drug elafibranor on primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a chronic liver disease in which the bile ducts inside and outside the organ become inflamed and scarred. Over time, this can cause progressive liver damage, organ failure, and need for liver transplantation.
My FrimleyHealth Record - have you signed up?
My FrimleyHealth Record (MFHR) is an online platform that provides you with personalised and secure access to your Frimley Health medical records. It enables you to manage your care and access Frimley Health services either at home or on the go providing you are a patient at the trust.
MFHR can be accessed on a computer or via an app on a mobile phone and allows you to:
- View details of current appointments and book follow ups.
- Attend online consultations.
- View medications, test results, allergies and letters.
- Safely send messages to your doctor and care teams.
- Allow, with permission, for parents, family members or carers to act on your behalf.
If you have not done so already, sign up today. All the details and guides can be found on our trust website here
Frimley Health Charity's Golden Christmas Appeal raised more than £60,000
Staff and patients were treated to some Christmas cheer thanks to yours and the local community’s generous donations to the Golden Christmas Appeal. The appeal raised an incredible £62,000 and meant we were able to provide every patient waking up on Christmas Day in one of our wards with a special present bundle. With an activity book, hug in a mug, a cracker and message on a star from a local school child, we know how much the patients appreciated and enjoyed their gifts.
For our hardworking staff we were able to provide festive hampers for colleagues to share together and free hot meals on Christmas Day and Boxing Day for anyone working. We truly can’t thank you enough for your support this year – thank you for truly making this Christmas golden.
Magical garden provides respite for parents and children at Wexham
A Frimley Health Charity funded children’s garden and parent room were unveiled at Wexham Park Hospital just in time for Christmas. The new clinic garden and parent’s room were funded by the charity’s Race Wexham event which took part in August last year. With a new accessible garden area for children and a new, welcoming parents’ room the areas have been totally transformed to provide a calming space away from the ward.
Donations raised by Race Wexham are being used to fund several other exciting projects including a revamped staff courtyard, an overhaul of the artwork and signage in ward 24 and a range of refurbished education-themed clinic rooms.