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Get involved in your local Trust |
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Written by Head of Corporate Affairs
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In this section, you will find details of special events for our FT members.
Members’ Events Programme for 2012
Please see below a list of Members’ Events for 2012 so far.
If you are interested in attending any of these events, please RSVP to the Membership Office by email or telephone at either
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or Tel No: 01932 722063.
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Osteoporosis |
Wednesday 4 July at 2.00 pm
St Peter’s Hospital, Postgraduate Centre |
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Annual General Meeting / Annual Members’ Meeting |
Thursday 19 July 2012 at 6.00 pm
Ashford Hospital |
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Infection Control |
Tuesday 6 November at 6.00 pm
St Peter’s Hospital, Postgraduate Centre |
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Members’ Health Event: Diabetes Services
One of the many advantages to being a member of Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the opportunity to attend member only lectures given by hospital staff on areas of their expertise. Guests can be accommodated but after hearing what is on offer they need little inducement to become members in their own right. The subjects are largely chosen by Trust members, reflecting their interests or concerns.
Such an opportunity occurred on Wednesday 4 April when over 60 Trust members heard about the Diabetes Services at Ashford and St Peter’s hospitals. Those presenting had taken time from their busy schedules and the meeting was held in the new facility of Chertsey House which provides the Trust with purpose built meeting rooms.
Dr Naqvi, Consultant Diabetes Physician, spoke to the audience about the history of diabetes and put the disease in a global context. The incidence of diabetes is growing, not only in this country but worldwide. Members learnt about developments in diagnosing and treating diabetes and the impact of the discovery of insulin.
The audience heard that diabetes is a common condition with two million people diagnosed in the UK plus approximately one million as yet undiagnosed. The differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes were explained; 10% of those diagnosed have Type 1 as opposed to 90% having Type 2. The latter is age-related, mainly affecting persons over 65 years, however with the emergence of childhood obesity patients with Type 2 diabetes are being identified at an earlier age. Diagnosis and symptoms were explained including the consequences of high and low blood glucose levels.
What is central to managing Type 2 diabetes is the importance of lifestyle; diet, weight control and exercise. This was a recurring theme throughout all the lectures.
St Peter’s is fortunate to have the Stephanie Marks Diabetes Resource Centre which was opened in May 2010 staffed by experts offering specialist clinics and information for patients. Patients can also take part in structured education programmes. Referral is via GPs and consultants. The aim is for the Centre to become a ‘hub’ for information about diabetes via its developing website and its service provision. There is a great deal of misinformation about diabetes but the website will direct people to reputable sites.
Julie Fleming, Specialist Diabetes Dietician, highlighted the importance of a healthy balanced diet. She explained that she offers advice about portion sizes, fat content and the need for exercise. She works by negotiating realistic goals whilst recognising that lifestyle changes can be hard. Lyndsey Ritchie, Diabetes Specialist Podiatrist, emphasised the importance of annual foot checks for people with diabetes as one of the complications is loss of sensation. Pictures of foot ulceration drew gasps from the audience but served to drive home the message. Advice about footwear, however, caused some consternation to members of the audience as wearing high heels is not recommended! Jo McBride and Tracey Bushell, assisted by Rosie Marks, detailed the education programmes available to people with diabetes including STEPH (St Peter’s Type 1 Education Programme for Health). These courses offer advice, allowing patients to share experiences and to make informed decisions about their condition.
In conclusion Dr Helen Ward took questions from the audience, clarifying information given and talking about new international standards of measuring patients’ long term blood glucose control. She also reassured the audience about Virgin Care which will enhance current provision by investing in technology and supporting remote access.
The session was deemed really worthwhile by the audience, who had learnt a great deal. They were able to see what is available in the Trust and also met experts in the field whose commitment, teamwork and enthusiasm for their roles shone through.
Margaret Lenton
Governor for Windsor & Maidenhead
April 2012
'Rowley Bristow Unit - Simply the Best'
A review of the Health Event on 15th September 2011
- Did you know that the Rowley Bristow unit has been judged to be not just one of the best, but the best orthopaedic unit in the country when it comes to treating Hip fractures in the elderly.?
- Did you know that it has significant international renown?
- Did you also know that part of its origins resulted from the bombing of St Thomas’s hospital in 1940 forcing orthopaedic staff there to relocate outside London?
These and other facts were presented to a captivated audience on 15th September, 2011 by Consultant and Divisional Director David Elliott, assisted not only by a Powerpoint presentation, but also by a full skeleton and some extremely frightening pieces of heavy duty metal. Mr Elliott said that his children described him as a “neek”; in other words a cross between a nerd and a geek. From this presentation it was easy to see why they thought of him in these terms; he has a highly infectious enthusiasm for his subject which soon had the audience paying the sharpest of attention, despite the warmth of the weather outside. Mr Elliott introduced his talk by giving a brief history of the origins of the unit.
He then went on to explain how treatments had changed over the years, with invasive surgery now being the preferred method of dealing with complex fractures rather than traction. This meant that long stays in hospital following a fracture were now the exception rather than the rule. He passed round various tools of the trade, including titanium rods for insertion into bone and various artificial hip and knee joints whose weight was quite surprising to those unfamiliar with them. He also explained why the unit is called “Trauma and Orthopaedic”. “Trauma” fixes things that are broken e.g. the analogy of a damaged bike, while “Orthopaedic” deals with things that are wearing out as a consequence of high mileage e.g. the analogy of a worn out trainer (there were many motoring metaphors used during the afternoon as well as some nonchalant references to “carpentry” when talking about surgeons‘ techniques).
Apparently, although the carpentry was easy (Mr Elliott gave the impression that he could make a patient’s foot point any way he liked), the medical side of the treatment was complex. Thus, although a hip replacement from the carpentry side would only take about an hour, the overall treatment required still meant that the patient would need to be in hospital for two days, although work was being undertaken with a view to shortening this stay.
Essentially the message was that orthopaedic surgeons were there to improve quality of life. By the age of 65, it was almost inevitable that one or more of a persons’ joints would be causing pain (very active sportsmen might start to experience trouble around the age of 40). It was here that the orthopaedic surgeon could help, although it had to be recognised that nothing was as good as human tissue in withstanding the daily pressure that the body imposes upon itself. Even the frightening metal referred to in the opening paragraph had a limited life. Currently the unit offers a comprehensive range of services for patients with bone and soft tissues conditions, providing joint replacements, including revisions, hip, knee, shoulder, foot, ankle and spinal surgery.
There were a good number of questions throughout from the highly engaged audience. One member questioned the point of exercise if it hastened the deterioration process, but Mr Elliott was quick to point out that little or no exercise might lead to cardiovascular problems which were major issues in comparison to orthopaedic complaints and that walking was more beneficial than running. It was all a question of balance. There were also discussions on arthritis, cruciate ligament repair, disc problems (and the change in treatment for them), curvature of the spine and, surprisingly for me, lengthening of limbs. (Did you know that the Rowley Bristow unit pioneered this treatment in the UK? And is the only Unit that performs other very advanced techniques)
So all in all a highly informative and entertaining session. Let’s hope that the membership is treated to more like this. If you weren’t there, it was a pity you missed it.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 16 May 2012 12:06 )
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