After the months of hardship, loss and sadness we have all endured, it is truly exciting to think that from tomorrow, Covid vaccines will start to be administered in parts of the UK. 

We are working on the necessary logistics so we can play our part in offering the vaccine to our communities; communities you don’t need me to remind you, that are displaying stubbornly high levels of the virus. In the coming days and weeks, the initial priority for the hospital vaccination programme will be the over 80s, care home staff, and vulnerable NHS colleagues. I will update you, once concrete plans are in place at our Trust. It is both a challenging and a hugely rewarding endeavour to be involved in.

Our hospitals

They have been under pressure and last week was particularly tough. We continue to treat more than 200 people who have tested positive for Covid-19; now it’s winter, we are seeing patients arriving with other, serious conditions; and we are determined to continue with planned (elective) work at King George Hospital (KGH). The introduction of lockdown, last month, didn’t result in any significant decrease in the number of seriously ill people attending our Emergency Departments (ED).

We are maintaining our cancer work and we are offering diagnostic procedures that were paused in the NHS during the first wave. Our Chief Medical Officer, Magda Smith explained how we are juggling these competing demands when she was interviewed recently by the Romford Recorder. Our experience isn’t a unique one, as is clear from a briefing NHS Providers produced for MPs this month. 

Keeping our patients safe

Our overarching priority is to maintain high standards of patient care and patient safety, while dealing with a considerable workload, not least in our EDs. We are continuing with our extensive plans to first stabilise and then improve our four-hour emergency access standard performance.

One of our remedies has been to open an Emergency Decision Unit (EDU) at Queen’s Hospital. It is there for those who need additional tests, treatment or observation. The EDU is designed to deliver quick clinical decision making and to provide a comfortable space for patients while they wait for their diagnostic results. 

Another of our remedies is to work with the relevant organisations to ensure that those who are eligible are taken direct to our care of the elderly unit at KGH. It is a calm environment, away from ED, where patients are treated, kept mobile, and enabled to go home as quickly as possible.

As we continue to respond to the pressures we’re facing, I have been heartened by the support we have received from our partners in north east London (NEL). The difficulties thrown up by this winter, not least the issue of capacity and the current shortage of beds, will only be resolved by us working closely with our NEL colleagues.

Our workforce

The resilience of our staff is being tested at a time when the weekly applause is a distant memory, and NHS rainbows have been replaced in people’s windows by Christmas decorations. My colleagues were left tired after the first wave and are being stretched by the second. We are doing all we can to care for their wellbeing and to sustain them. 

Our workforce is an international one and I was therefore delighted we received recognition from the Nursing Times for the work we have done to recruit from overseas. This project has run for more than a year; involved colleagues from many different departments; and has paid dividends in terms of providing us with additional nurses to care for our patients. 

Digestive Diseases Centre

I am also proud of our Digestive Diseases Centre (DDC). They organised a virtual global symposium at the weekend that brought together experts here with colleagues in Australia, Italy, India and the United States. Our DDC is a collaborative unit of endoscopy, gastroenterology and GI surgery, with additional input from GI pathology and radiology. 

It is focused on becoming a centre of excellence in NEL. Saturday’s event was an opportunity to celebrate what has been achieved and reflect on what more can be done to deliver outstanding patient care. 

I hope you have a fulfilling and enjoyable week.

Best wishes.

Tony Chambers
Chief Executive