Ashford & St Peters Hospital Trust Press Office

LATEST NEWS . . .

01.03.10 - Specialist neonatal unit receives largest ever donation

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey has received a donation of £36,000 from Wentworth Golf Club, the largest amount ever contributed to its Early Birth’s Fund. The money was raised through the Lady Captain’s Charity last year and will be used to buy specialist cooling and brain function monitoring equipment to help babies born in distress across the South East.

Joy Garvey, 2009 Lady Captain, said: “We chose the St Peter’s Early Birth’s Fund as our charity after hearing about the fantastic work they do from my friend, Tania Gallagher, whose husband Joe is a fellow member of the golf club. This is the most money we have ever raised and reflects the depth of support members have for this specialist unit and the amazing work they do with premature and sick babies.”

Tania and Joe first became aware of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in 2001 when their triplets, Ryan, Luke and Olivia, were born prematurely. Sadly, only Olivia survived and the couple has worked tirelessly since to raise money for the unit and support other babies. They have already donated £30,000 in 2003 to pay for “The Gallagher Suite” - a separate area for parents which includes overnight accommodation for local mothers and those travelling from further afield to be with their babies.

Said Tania: “Olivia is nine now but I still clearly remember what it was like to spend so much time in the unit and how wonderful the staff were. Since then, the number of cots has increased and there have been many developments in neonatal care, but there is always a need for new facilities and equipment and it’s nice to be able to help other babies for years to come.”

Wentworth Golf Club held a variety of fundraising activities to reach the grand total of £36,000 and split the proceeds of the sale of 400 square metres of turf from the West Course across the Early Birth’s Fund and other charities.

Joy and Tania also organised “The Angel Ball”, where guests bought angels off a tree to win prizes donated by local companies and watched a film produced by another member’s company “Jellybean”. Said Joy: “The film showed the work of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and featured babies recently admitted to the unit and interviews with parents and staff. There was not a dry eye in the house and it certainly encouraged everyone to dig deep and support this fantastic cause.”

Staff in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit are delighted with this generous donation and Matron Audrey Elmore said: “Tania, Joe, their family and friends have done so much to support the unit and we’d like to sincerely thank them and Wentworth Golf Club for everything they’ve contributed. Their donation will enable us to buy more specialist equipment and give the best possible care to some of the smallest and sickest babies born.”

19.01.10 - Volunteer manager retires.

“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve in this job for 21 years” – that was the message from Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust Volunteers Manager Karen Marsden at her retirement tea party in a packed Aspects Restaurant at Ashford Hospital earlier this month. (05-01-10)

There were many tributes paid to Karen including former Chairman of the Ashford Hospital League of Friends, Eric Molinari who spoke on behalf of the Friends and the volunteers.

He said: “We have received great support from Karen, beyond the call of duty. If need be early in the mornings and on Sundays, Karen was always there. She inspired us with her boundless energy and enthusiasm. On behalf of the League of Friends, and the guests here today, I would like to say that you are leaving with our best wishes, our thanks, our respect and affection.”

Karen’s influence in the world of Voluntary Services was not just confined to Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust said Trust Chairman Aileen McLeish. Karen had been involved at regional and national level in the development of the role of Voluntary Services Managers. She was appointed Voluntary Services manager to Ashford Hospital at the end of the 1980s.

Said Aileen: “In the last 21 years Karen has seen many changes; not least the merger of Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals and the extension of her role to include managing the growing army of volunteers at both hospitals.

“Karen has been pro-active in encouraging the involvement of younger people in volunteering. It has brought great joy to Karen that some of those who have begun working in one of our hospitals as a volunteer have gone on to take up employment in the NHS, some of them in careers in medicine. It is typical of Karen that she has responded with equal interest and care to the young and the not so young – and to everyone in between!”

Among the 500 or so Trust volunteers are about 80 volunteers who work with the Chaplaincy. When Karen became Voluntary Services Manager for the Trust she took on with the Chaplains the shared responsibility for the Chaplaincy Volunteers.”

Head of Pastoral Care at the Trust, the Rev Judith Allford, had compiled an A-Z list of Karen’s attributes which included H standing for her sense of HUMOUR; K is for the KINDNESS she has shown to all along the way; M for MAKING THE DIFFERENCE; V is for all the VOLUNTEERS she has nurtured through the years and Y for all the YOUNGSTERS she has encouraged on life’s journey.

Karen told the gathering that she was overwhelmed by the many kind words that had been said about her. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve in her job for 21 years. She had seen many changes and had many happy memories, particularly of the fantastic fete days at Ashford Hospital. There had been a huge period of change following the merger and at all times the volunteers had been consistent in their trust that all would be well. Her role had changed three years ago, when she also became the manager of the volunteers at St. Peter’s Hospital, and this had been a very happy experience.

Said Karen: “It has been a pleasure to be involved in the two Leagues of Friends; Radio Wey; the Patient Panel; the WRVS and all the outside organisations supporting the Trust.”

It is always difficult to single out individuals to thank said Karen, but she appreciated Jill Down’s support and encouragement as her line manager, the support and friendship of Judith Allford and Maureen Body and of her PA Janet Stansfield, who had organised her magnificent farewell.

She added: “Thanks for making this a great occasion. I will treasure the cards and messages. There have been so many happy, and so many sad occasions, but it has always been a privilege to share so much with you.”

13.01.10 - Special twins return to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

 

Twins, who have just celebrated their second birthday, have paid a visit to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where their lives were saved, and brought with them a very special gift. Their nine-year-old cousin visited the unit with them and presented £440 to the unit’s Early Births Fund, which she raised through selling her craftwork.

Emily Maya and Carys Hannah Barnard were born unexpectedly at 25 weeks gestation on 31st December 2007. Emily weighed 762 grams (1lb 11oz) and Carys just 692 grams (1lb 8oz). The girls were rushed into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit NICU at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey.

Said their mother Sallyan (Sallyan): “Both girls were ventilated straight away. Emily came off within 24 hours however Carys remained on it for over 2 weeks. I was able to hold Emily for the first time two days after she was born but Carys wasn’t stable enough for 10 days. During their time in NICU both girls had frequent Apnoeas and Bradycardias where they would forget to breathe and require resuscitation. One was so severe Carys required heart massage to revive her. Both girls had gastro-oesophageal reflux which required medication and thickened feeds.”

In addition, they also underwent several blood transfusions and recovered from numerous serious infections, some affecting their ability to breathe forcing them to be re-ventilated. Consequently Carys was diagnosed as having chronic lung disease. Her immature lungs produced secretions that clogged-up her throat and nose preventing her from breathing normally. Her oxygen requirement soared until the decision was made by her parents and the doctors to give steroids to help reduce the inflammation. This meant she could finally come off the ventilator, although she still required additional oxygen via a nasal cannula.

After two-and-a-half months both girls were out of Intensive Care and in the hospital’s Special Care facility. Emily finally went home to Windlesham with Sallyan and Dad Julian on the 10th April 2008, two days before her actual due date weighing 2.26 kilos (4lbs 15oz).

Said Sallyan: “It was extremely hard, going home with one baby and leaving one behind, but we soon got used to it.”

Carys finally made it home on oxygen on the 5th May 2008. She weighed 3.062 kilos (6lbs 11oz). Unfortunately, Carys’s oxygen requirements increased once she got her home and she remained on home oxygen until the end of April 2009.

Said Sallyan: “It has been a hard couple of years, and a real rollercoaster of emotions but the girls are now like any other child their age. We are very fortunate considering their start in life, however the outcome could have been very different if it wasn’t for Emily and Carys’s determination to survive and the excellent skill and professional care of all the NICU staff at St. Peter’s. It is for this reason that we have raised money for the Early Births Fund, a charity set-up to raise money for specialist equipment and care for the neo-natal unit at St Peter’s Hospital.”

One fund raising venture has been by the twin’s nine-year-old cousin, Gabriella McErlain who has for the past six months been making bookmarks and cards for her friends and family to buy to raise money. Gabriella, who lives about 50 minutes away from her cousins in Worminghall, near Oxford has always loved making craft things and decided on bookmarks as something saleable and useful. She set her sights on raising £100 for the twins’s charity. During the summer, she told their Dad (her Uncle) the plan, and he promised to double the final sum if she reached her goal. Her father also offered to double whatever she raised, so she unexpectedly had Gabriella had her target raised to £400!

In the first week of December 2009 she passed the £100 mark and reached £110, which with her father’s and Uncle’s amounts brings the total to her charitable contribution to £440.

Gabriella said: “I wanted to help other babies like my cousins who now are like every normal little girl. Without the unit, and help of the doctors and nurses they may not have been here today.”

08.01.10 - It’s business as usual at Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust

The majority of services at Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals are running as normal today, Friday 8th January.

Chief Operating Officer Valerie Howell says:

“In the event that we do have to cancel an individual clinic or operation we will contact patients directly. If you haven’t heard from us, then we are expecting to see you.

However, if patients feel that it’s not safe to make the journey into hospital, we will of course reschedule their appointment at another time. Please don’t put yourself at risk.

Over the last few days staff at the two hospitals have made a supreme effort to come into work and keep our services going. We would like to say a big thank you, both to our staff and to the general public for their co-operation.”

05.01.10 - Stop and think – that’s the message from A & E!

Do NOT come to A&E unless you really need to! That’s the message from Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust to the public following a fortnight of intense activity in the Accident Centre.

The Trust’s Deputy Chief Nurse, Vanessa Avlonitis said on Tuesday (05-01-10): “Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust is experiencing unprecedented high levels of activity in Accident & Emergency and this is putting increasing pressure on our services.

“I would like to ask the public to think twice about whether a visit to A&E is really necessary, or if they could use the services of their GP or local Walk-In Centre instead. The A&E department should only be used when people have suffered trauma, had an accident or have developed a serious illness and are unable to receive advice from their local pharmacist, GP or Walk-in Centre.

It is really important that people understand the right place to go for advice and treatment, so our accident and emergency department can concentrate on dealing with those who need urgent and often life saving treatment.”

The public are urged to seek advice from their pharmacist; GP; Ashford, Woking or Weybridge Walk-In Centres; NHS Direct on: 0845 4647. For further information on how to choose the right service see the NHS Choose Well campaign at: www.meht.nhs.uk/news/choose-well.

Radio Wey

Coming Up!

Schedules!

Celebrate Artist's Birthdays and send in your Requests every Tuesday evening with Colin Spencer . . .

This week the great Tony Bennett features!

TODAY from 5pm - Ray Darrell be interviewing Dave Thomas, founder and MD for the Senior Citizen Rock Chorus and Band calling themselves "The Wonderyears". The group are already booked at appear at Guilfest, also the Magna Carta Theater on 1st/2nd Oct.

LISTEN AGAIN to the Low Barnets playing 'live' in the studio - Sat 8pm