Patients receiving chemotherapy at CFH and Finchley Memorial Hospital have been benefitting from a new way to pass time during their treatment in the form of virtual reality (VR) headsets. Funded by the Royal Free Charity, the VR headsets provide patients with immersive calming visuals and settings which they explore while completing their course of chemotherapy. John Ryan is a patient at CFH who has used the Eden virtual reality system, made up of a main control station and handheld headset. The user selects their preferred immersive experience, with options including ‘Mission Mars’, ‘Mountain Vistas’ and ‘Escape to the Islands’, and simply holds the headset to their eyes. “I used it at my very first chemo session, and it was very well explained to me what it was going to be like,” John said. 10 11 Governors’ update MSK stars shine bright Bringing tranquillity to treatment Royal Free Charity for introducing them to the suite.” Jon Spiers, chief executive of the Royal Free Charity, said: “The VR therapy project was made possible because our local supporters responded to our Bring the Future Forward fundraising appeal; it’s thanks to their donations that we were able to fund the VR kits and it’s thanks to our wonderful volunteers that we can offer it to patients as a distraction during their treatment.” Our specialist musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy teams showcased their life-changing work at our latest Medicine for Members’ event, ‘MSK matters – supporting patient health and wellbeing’. Our first speaker, Amanda Michael, outpatient therapy service lead, provided an overview of the MSK physiotherapy service at the RFL and explained how the team’s involvement with MSK patients starts at the very beginning of their treatment journey. She said: “We have a team of first contact practitioners, working in GP surgeries in Barnet and Enfield who support patients with various MSK conditions such as back, neck and joint pain.” Amanda was joined by Emma Brooks, MSK advanced practice physiotherapy team lead and first contact practitioner service lead, and Christopher Surr, MSK advanced practitioner physiotherapist and first contact practitioner. Emma provided more detail about the first contact practitioner service and Christopher talked about his work in our community MSK clinics. Final speaker of the evening, Robert Jones, MSK clinical lead, provided some general MSK health and wellbeing advice. He discussed the physical and mental health benefits of regular exercise as well as the role nutrition can play in reducing the risk of other health conditions such as chronic MSK disorders, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The event was chaired by Gisela Botelho, an elected public governor. A recording of the event and previous ones are available on our website. Medicine for Members’ events showcase topics which are important to staff, patients, and the local community. You can find out more about upcoming events on our website. Could you be a RFL governor? Governors add huge value to our trust. They are elected to represent your interests, to hold the nonexecutive directors to account, and to support the board of directors who are ultimately responsible for how we deliver patient care. From May, vacancies will become available in the public, patient, and staff constituencies. To become a governor, you will need to be a member of the trust in the constituency you wish to stand and be aged 18 or over. If you are interested in standing, you can find out more about the role and how to put yourself forward as a candidate on our website. The deadline for submitting your nomination is 11.59pm on Thursday 28 March. If you are already a RFL member, you will have received information about to how put yourself forward as a candidate in the post or via email. If you have not received this, please contact MiVoice, our independent election provider, via email: support@mi-voice.com Staff from the BH and CFH MSK team Become a RFL member You can become a member of the RFL for free if you live in England, are 16 or over, or are a carer for a patient that is under 16 years old. Full details, including the benefits of being a RFL member, can be found on our website. Get in touch: Our governors are elected to represent the interests of members and to hear the views of staff, patients, and the public. If you would like to get in touch, please email rf.governors@nhs.net John Ryan using the VR headset in the CFH chemo suite The VR headsets and the immersive experience options “If you are anxious coming in to have chemo, it is very relaxing. I normally bring a book with me or watch something on my phone, so this is a nice addition to have during the three-hour chemo session. The 3D setting might be a little disorienting at first, but it is very user friendly so you quickly get used to them. “The volunteers have been really good here making us cups of tea along with supporting us with the headsets, so I want to give a huge thank you to them.” “We let patients know about any concerns like motion sickness and afterward we ask them to complete a questionnaire to gather their feedback, which has been really positive so far.” said Esther, one of the volunteers. Flore Dohmatob, senior sister, welcomed the initiative in the chemo suite. “The outcome for patients has been very good,” Flore said. “They are more relaxed and the headsets help with reducing stress. “I had one patient tell me he felt as if he wasn’t having treatment. We have TVs here, and some patients decide to read, so this is just another offering to improve patient experience. Thank you to the “ I had one patient tell me he felt as if he wasn’t having treatment”
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