Governors’ update 10 11 From patient to nursing associate Innovative cancer care and population health advances celebrated at annual members’ meeting Members of the public, staff and patients gathered in the Sir William Wells Atrium at the RFH to learn more about the trust’s latest achievements and ambitious plans for the future. Staff were also thanked for their exceptional hard work. The reflections of patient Eliese Gray – one of the first people to undergo surgery using the trust’s new da Vinci Xi surgical robot, made possible by the Royal Free Charity – was a highlight of the evening. Introduced by her surgeon, Dr Abhishek Reekhaye, she shared her remarkable story of resilience and recovery. Eliese’s journey began with an unexpected diagnosis of kidney cancer, discovered during investigations into pneumonia at North Mid. She was referred to RFH for robotic surgery, which is less invasive than a traditional operation and allows patients to get home sooner. Nursing associate Nadia Dika is the ultimate ‘patient whisperer’. Calm and empathetic Nadia is possessed with the ability to see the hospital experience from the patient’s perspective. Perhaps that is hardly surprising when you understand what led Nadia, now 52, to a nursing career. She said: “I turned up at the RFH’s ED five years ago with an infection on my spine. I thought I’d be given some antibiotics and sent on my way but instead I was admitted in just the clothes I stood up in. All I had with me was my phone!” Luckily her experiences for the few days she had to spend in hospital during the second COVID lockdown were incredibly positive. “My family had to leave things for me as they couldn’t come in but the staff couldn’t have been kinder and the care I received, including surgery, was amazing.” At the time Nadia was working as an assistant in a care home. Returning home after her stay, Nadia couldn’t stop thinking about her inpatient stay and one thing led to another. “A year to the day I was discharged I began a new role as a health care assistant in day surgery at the RFH,” revealed Nadia. “As well as caring for people like I’d been cared for what also appealed was that I could see that if I wanted to progress there were prospects. After a year I began an apprenticeship to become a nursing associate and I got my pin this August. Next year I can start on the path of becoming a registered nurse, which is my ultimate goal.” Nadia added: “I work with an amazing team who are incredibly supportive. I never forget what it was like being a patient. I know how important it is to put their minds at rest.” Nadia Dika On the first day home I was walking up and down the stairs “ “ She said: “The day after the operation I was sitting up in the chair. I was just two days in hospital after my surgery and on the first day home I was walking up and down the stairs.” Eliese’s story underscores how advanced technology is transforming patient outcomes, reducing length of stay in hospital, and enabling patients to return to everyday life sooner. The meeting also spotlighted the trust’s faculty of population health, which is empowering staff to have meaningful, health-improving conversations with patients. Dr Judith Stanton, director of population health, joined by Sarah Milne, kidney nurse consultant, and Jon Spiers, chief executive of the Royal Free Charity, explained how the faculty was founded and how the charity’s support has been crucial in driving its success. They shared standout achievements from the first year, including the establishment of seven pilot sites across diverse clinical teams to embed population health principles into everyday patient care, and the successful training of more than 2,000 staff members. Looking ahead, they outlined ambitious plans to launch 10 additional pilot sites across the trust and apply insights gained from these initiatives to drive improvements in urgent and emergency, elective and cancer care. The event was chaired by Linda Bogod, lead governor, alongside Mark Lam, group chair, and Peter Landstrom, group chief executive. Linda highlighted the council of governors’ achievements over the past year, including approving the merger with North Mid and welcoming 13 new governors. Reflecting on wider societal challenges, Mark said: “The increasing sense of intolerance, division and hate which we’re witnessing in society has had a profound impact on us all here at the RFL. But I would like to reassure our staff, communities and those of you with us this evening, that we stand together against any form of discrimination, including Islamophobia, antisemitism, or racial hatred of any kind.” As we near the one-year anniversary of the merger with North Mid, Peter reflected on how far we’ve come and praised the dedication of staff across all sites. He said: “In less than a year, we’re already seeing fantastic progress – from improvements in A&E performance and cancer pathways to expanded virtual ward capacity. We’ve also increased the number of patients accessing and enrolling in clinical trials, and we’re now pooling our resources to benefit all our patients, wherever they are. Our teams have worked exceptionally hard since January, and I’m incredibly proud of everything they’ve achieved so far.” L-R: Eliese Gray and Dr Abhishek Reekhaye The next phase in the project to create our new trust values is now well underway. Over the past few months, hundreds of staff shared their ideas through workshops, feedback sessions or online forms. Thank you to everyone who has taken part so far. From heartfelt stories to practical insights, these contributions have helped shape a set of guiding principles that reflect who we are and who we aspire to be. We believe these ideas can help ground our decisions, shape our actions and help us hold each other accountable in our work. The next step is for these principles to be tested. Directors of people and culture are leading a series of ‘big conversations’ across each health unit. These will Be a part of our ‘big conversations’ be an open space for staff to reflect on what these themes mean to them, how they connect to our trust’s ambitions and how they can guide us through everyday challenges together. This is the next opportunity for staff to get involved in shaping our new RFL values. Information about how to join in the ‘big conversations’ is on Freenet.
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