A series of fun activities, from syringe painting to a teddy bear’s hospital, have kept young patients busy at our hospitals this week, to mark the national Play in Hospital Week (Monday 7 to Saturday 12 October).

Ken Crowther, who hosts a weekly podcast on BBC Essex radio, paid a visit to the Lavender Garden at Queen’s Hospital this week (Tuesday 8 October).

We know there are lots of very interesting people in our Trust, whether through your work, your interests or your hobbies outside work. We want to get to know you and share your story.

As we’re relaunching Schwartz Rounds at our Trust, we spoke to our Lead Nurse for Critical Care, Ruth Dando. Ruth, who is on our Schwartz Round steering group, is passionate about the benefits of these rounds for healthcare colleagues. They’re a forum where members of staff can talk about the emotional aspects of their roles and share experiences. They are open to all our staff.

Kathryn Halford, our Chief Nurse and deputy Chief Executive, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the academic board of the University of East London (UEL).

Over 60 nurses and midwives have celebrated their achievements with a special graduation ceremony held at Queen’s Hospital.

Our fabulous Maternity team get their starring moment on tonight’s episode of the MTV Teen Mom spin off show, Young and Pregnant UK!

We’re excited to be taking part in the national Play in Hospital Week (Monday 7 to Saturday 12 October) – and our play specialists have lots of fun activities planned for our youngest patients.

It’s a very special In Conversation With this week, we spoke to one of our more musical volunteers, Patricia Ashford. You may have heard her play the piano beautifully in our atrium at Queen’s Hospital every Friday, but did you know Patricia was also once a nurse at King George Hospital?

Staff and volunteers at our Trust got involved in the World’s Biggest Coffee morning, hosting their own event to raise money for Macmillan on Friday (27 September).

We know there are lots of very interesting people in our Trust, whether through your work, your interests or your hobbies outside work. We want to get to know you and share your story.

During #AskAboutAsthma week, we spoke to Laura King, who joined our Trust three months ago as a children’s asthma clinical nurse specialist. She’s working with teams across our Trust to improve asthma care for our young patients.