University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

From our carol concert to the Santa in the City run, our amazing supporters have enabled us to provide gifts for University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust patients to open on #Christmas Day and refreshments for staff to enjoy. Thank you all for supporting our #GiftOfGiving appeal and helping us make a difference💙 #charity #nhs #uclh

A UCLH patient has received an innovative treatment for radiotherapy-induced dry mouth, an irreversible serious adverse effect of head and neck #cancer radiotherapy that causes permanent impairment of talking and eating. Researchers hope that the treatment will significantly improve the lives of patients who survived oral and oropharyngeal cancer but developed persistent dry mouth from irreversible damage to the salivary glands. Trial patient Nathaniel said: “I hope that the trials are successful, not only for myself to benefit from the treatment, but also to help others in my position…I’m really hoping this new procedure can help post cancer life for many people.” Read the full story here: https://buff.ly/4gLISbX #nhs #research #healthcare #uclh

UCLH has recruited the first patient to a global study of a new drug in early development, called NI0752, which is thought to reduce the production of a protein in the brain called tau. Dr Ross Paterson who is leading the NIO-SILK study at UCLH, which is sponsored by UCL said: “We are proud to recruit the first participant in this global trial. This research is at an early stage, but we believe there is promise in targeting tau in the brain and we hope to be able to accurately measure how much tau production is impacted.” Find out more: https://buff.ly/4gFlPiY

Researchers at UCLH and UCL have completed the first and only randomised trial to explore a new approach to treating aggressive lung cancer. The trial drug was found not to benefit patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), but it provides important findings on both the potential and limitations of the drug in cancer treatment. Professor Siow-Ming Lee said: "While some progress has been made recently in treating small cell lung cancer with chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy, most patients still relapse, and the search for more effective therapies for SCLC must continue." Read the full story here: https://buff.ly/41HcxPl #lungcancer #lung #cancer #research #nhs #uclh #healthcare

UCLH is the first NHS centre in the UK to offer patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnœa (OSA) a choice of nerve stimulation devices to manage their condition. The surgeries were carried out by Consultant ENT and Sleep Surgeon Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, who said: “We are very pleased to be the first hospital in the UK to offer a choice of hypoglossal nerve stimulators for OSA patients who are unable to tolerate CPAP. This new technology will allow us to offer an effective personalised treatment option to a wide range of patients as each implant has unique characteristics which can be matched to a patient’s needs.” Find out more: https://buff.ly/3OSY9Mn Nyxoah Inspire Medical Systems

Thank you to Arsenal F.C Women players Katie McCabe, Caitlin Foord, Freya Godfrey and Laila Harbert for surprising patients on the UCLH children’s ward last week. The players delivered gifts to children and young people in hospital and met with staff. Several young Arsenal fans, and their parents, were thrilled to meet the heroes of the pitch who posed for photos and signed scarves and caps. Find out more about the visit: buff.ly/41urF2o UCLH Charity

Our NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Biomedical Research Centre at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is working in partnership with North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) on several commercial clinical trials to accelerate development of drugs to treat mental health conditions. Professor Suzanne Reeves – who leads the BRC Mental Health in Neurodegeneration sub-theme – will be principal investigator on trials of two new treatments for psychosis in #Alzheimers disease. In addition, NLFT is funding 50% of a consultant psychiatrist post to provide medical support to a number of industry trials and to act as principal investigator on a trial of a novel drug treatment for schizophrenia. Professor Robert Howard, BRC Mental Health Theme Lead, said: “This collaboration between the NIHR UCLH BRC and the North London NHS Foundation Trust unlocks the potential of our population of patients and their families who are enthusiastic about involvement in clinical trials and the opportunity to benefit from access to new treatments, our expert clinicians and partnership between the BRC, UCL’s academic psychiatrists and the Trust.” Lynis Lewis, Director of Research, North London Foundation Trust, said: “The strategic partnership between North London NHS Foundation Trust and UCLH BRC represents a unique opportunity to reshape mental health research... This isn’t just about conducting trials – it’s about transforming mental health care.” The NIHR Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at UCLH supports the delivery of such clinical trials by providing researchers with the infrastructure, such as clinical space and equipment, necessary to deliver high-quality research. Without this infrastructure these clinical trials would not take place. Dr Nick McNally, Managing Director of Research at UCLH/UCL, said: “We’re excited about this clinical trials partnership between the UCLH Clinical Research Facility and North London NHS Foundation Trust. Underpinning the partnership is the strong mental health theme of our UCLH Biomedical Research Centre and the exciting collaborative links that Rob Howard and colleagues have established with research teams in our BRC translational neurology theme. “Making available the expertise we have in the delivery of complex trials and the excellent facilities we have in our NIHR CRF means that we are now able to offer patients with challenging mental health issues access to clinical trials in a way that just hasn’t been possible previously.”

Congratulations and well done to the 80+ members of staff who have been recognised for their long service at UCLH. Last week, staff were invited to celebrate their fantastic milestones, varying between 25 and 40 years' service, at an awards ceremony at the Wellcome Collection. Between them all, their service amounts to nearly 3,000 years! David Probert, chief executive, said: “It is wonderful to see so many staff having worked with us for significant parts of their careers, reinforcing what a great place to work UCLH is. I’m delighted to recognise their achievements.” Thank you to UCLH Charity for supporting our Long Service Awards. Well done all! #OneTeam💙 #nhs #healthcare #uclh #award

UCLH cuts use of environmentally harmful anaesthetic gases further, with the decommissioning of nitrous oxide manifolds in the Grafton Way Building and the Macmillan Cancer Centre. Laura Elgie, consultant anaesthetist said, “UCLH is working hard towards its net zero targets and decommissioning our nitrous oxide manifolds will contribute towards this. Many thanks to the many colleagues and departments who have helped achieve this milestone". It is estimated that switching to portable cylinders will reduce nitrous oxide emissions by 81 per cent in the Grafton Way Building and 97 per cent in the Macmillan Cancer Centre, with the overall carbon saving equivalent to driving all the way around the planet ten times in a petrol car. Since 2019, UCLH has reduced its carbon emissions from anaesthetic gases from 0.94% to 0.44% of its total carbon footprint. Find out more: https://buff.ly/4f7ISll

Some of the #UCLH staff who will be working on Christmas Day this year were lucky enough to attend the 10 Downing Street Christmas lights switch on this week. Deputy ward sister Jhamouna and midwives Emma and Niamh joined Prime Minister Keir Starmer at this special event. Jhamouna, who is deputy ward sister in the Acute Medical Unit, said, “It was such a fantastic evening and a wonderful opportunity to be with other NHS and public sector workers in such a festive setting. The Christmas tree was beautiful and it was very exciting to see 10 Downing Street up close.” Newly qualified midwife Emma added “The Prime Minister thanked the public sector staff there for our work throughout the year and at Christmas. As midwives, we know that babies don’t stop being born when people are on holiday and it will be a privilege to help care for patients and babies this Christmas period.” Find out more: https://lnkd.in/gFqghnFH