UCLH - University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

COVID-19 can be very dangerous for older adults.

We have walk-in availability, Monday to Friday, at our vaccine clinic for the COVID-19 spring booster. If you are eligible, or you know someone who may be vulnerable, please come forward for your vaccine before 30 June.

View clinic details and opening times: buff.ly/KL6V64h

Today, we are proud to launch our new five-year strategy, which sets out the motivation that drives us, our purpose as an organisation and our ambition for the next five years.

Our strategy outlines how we will transform lives through excellence in by placing patients, staff and partnership working at the heart of everything we do.

David Probert, chief executive, said: “I am really pleased that we are launching our new five-year strategy, which sets out a bold and exciting future for UCLH.

"We want to turn this strategy into real, lasting improvements for patients, staff and partners so that we continue to transform lives through excellence in healthcare.”

Find out more and read our strategy here: www.uclh.nhs.uk/strategy

Happy !

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who volunteers with us. Last year, 735 people gave up their time to help others, and this had a huge impact on patient experience.

Together, our volunteers gave over 36,000 hours of their time to UCLH. 287 of those volunteers were new to UCLH, reflecting the generosity and enthusiasm of our local community.

Alacoe (pictured right), who gives up her time as a Paediatric and Adolescent Support Volunteer on T11 and T12, said, “I’ve been volunteering at UCLH for nearly a year, having finished my undergraduate degree in psychology.

"The staff have really made me feel part of the team here. Volunteering has allowed me to meet and support a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds. The variety is brilliant, and no two days are the same!”

Thank you for making a difference to patients, families and visitors💙

Early results show a new immunotherapy medicine for Alzheimer’s disease is safe and researchers are hopeful it may impact on disease progression.

UCLH’s Professor Catherine Mummery is leading the study into ImmunoBrain's investigational medicine that targets an immune pathway that researchers believe may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological diseases.

Professor Mummery said: "There remains a significant unmet need for disease-modifying therapies that address the underlying biology of Alzheimer's Disease. Early evidence suggests that short, intermittent exposure to immune checkpoint modulation potentially offers a new therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's disease by activating the peripheral immune system to help restore the brain's natural repair process. I look forward to seeing additional clinical data for this program."

Read more: https://www.uclh.nhs.uk/news/new-brain-repair-drug-shows-promising-early-results-alzheimers

The first full results have been announced from research looking at whether a blood test can help the NHS to detect cancer early.

The results from the NHS-Galleri trial - whose Co-Chief Investigator is UCLH medical oncologist Professor Charles Swanton - showed that, although the trial's main goal was not met, fewer of the most advanced (stage 4) cancers were diagnosed in the later rounds of annual screening among those who had the Galleri® multi-cancer early detection test, which has been developed by GRAIL.

Professor Swanton, said: “As a lung cancer doctor, I see the clinical importance of diagnosing cancer at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be curative. The stage 4 reduction is clinically meaningful because for many cancers there is a real gulf in outlook between a stage 4 diagnosis and one caught earlier. The hope is that for more patients the conversation can be about treating cancer with curative intent rather than managing it palliatively.”

Find out more: https://www.uclh.nhs.uk/news/first-results-announced-trial-blood-test-cancer

A new approach to treating people arriving at hospital with concerning neurological symptoms has helped prevent unnecessary admissions, improved diagnosis and saved NHS resources, according to a new study.

Researchers evaluated a UCLH specialist service known as Neurology Same Day Emergency Care (NeuroSDEC), which allows patients with urgent neurological problems to be assessed by a consultant neurologist to prevent an avoidable admission and delay to neurological assessment of their condition on the same day, often within an hour.

Tim Hodgson, medical director for the specialist hospitals board praised the team’s impact for both patients and the hospital said: “Hospital admission isn’t always the safest or best option. If someone can be assessed, treated and reassured on the same day, that’s better for the patient, and it frees up beds for those who really need them. The neurologists delivering this service have demonstrated innovation which markedly improves UCLH offer to ED patients and the success results from the partnership between managers, nurses and doctors delivering the service.”

Find out more: https://buff.ly/s2bTx5u

[Image of the Acute and Emergency Care teams including Medical SDEC, NeuroSDEC, AE]

Heat exhaustion or heatstroke? Know when to get help.

Heat exhaustion can usually be treated at home if you act quickly. Cool down, drink fluids and rest. Most people improve within 30 minutes. If you’re worried or symptoms are hard to manage, call NHS 111.

Heatstroke = emergency
Call 999 immediately if someone:
• has a very high temperature
• has hot skin that’s not sweating
• is confused, collapses or has a seizure
• is still unwell after 30 minutes of cooling

Read full advice at www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/

A different kind of cancer treatment. A dedicated team behind every patient 💙

At UCLH, CAR T‑cell therapy is changing what’s possible for people living with certain blood cancers. This highly specialised treatment uses a patient’s own immune cells and is delivered with expert care, close monitoring and ongoing support from a multidisciplinary team every step of the way.

▶️ Watch our video to learn how CAR T‑cell therapy works and what you can expect: https://buff.ly/LzV7F1e