The GiST, issue 46

Welcome

One of our top priorities at Guy’s and St Thomas’ is to ensure all our staff and patients feel included and supported. I am therefore delighted that we have recently launched our new Progress Pride Badges across the Trust. These badges are available for staff to show their commitment to providing a safe, open and non-judgemental space for patients to talk about issues of sexuality and gender identity. You can read more about our new badges.

Our magazine cover star is 56-year-old Lanceford Brown, one of our recent success stories from a free weight loss and exercise programme being run by the Trust. You can find out more about Lanceford’s new healthier lifestyle and the impact of our community weight loss initiatives.

Technology and innovation are also in sharp focus this edition. Discover how a new robot at Evelina London is revolutionising complex surgery for our young patients. Meanwhile, our specialist NHS drones are taking to the skies to deliver urgent blood supplies between Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals.

Did you know that Harefield Hospital had its origins during World War I, receiving injured soldiers from Australia and New Zealand? You can learn how Harefield was transformed from a quiet country estate into a bustling hospital.

I hope you enjoy this issue of the GiST

Professor Ian Abbs, Chief Executive
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Revolutionising surgery

From warship to hospital

Round-up

Spotlight

Lesley Walker looks at new technology helping patients who need life-saving procedures on their aorta.

Pioneering technology has enabled specialist teams at Guy’s and St Thomas’ to be the first in the UK to do 2 new procedures on patients’ blood vessels.

These procedures used innovative techniques and equipment for patients who had serious issues with their aorta. The aorta is the largest artery which carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

In November 2024, Bernard Thompson from Ascot in Berkshire, was diagnosed with a life-threatening tear in his aortic arch, known as an aortic dissection. A tear in this part of the aorta has previously been very difficult to treat, and Bernard was not well enough to have open surgery.

His team therefore decided to carry out a new type of keyhole surgery to repair his aortic arch. This procedure is less invasive and allowed surgeons to carry out his operation without open surgery.

During the procedure, a small catheter was inserted through the artery in Bernard’s groin, and was moved up into the aortic arch by his heart.

There was a stent graft inside the catheter, which was carefully guided into place at the site of the tear. It expanded inside the aorta to reinforce the aortic wall and allow blood to flow.

Now, several months after the surgery, Bernard is doing well. He said: “I’m on my way to a good recovery – I feel great. This is a good opportunity for me, and people like me who can’t have open surgery.“

Said Abisi, the surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ who led Bernard’s procedure, said: “This innovative approach has the potential to reduce both the scale and invasiveness of procedures for high-risk patients like Bernard.”

Just 2 months later, the vascular team used a new type of bridging stent and stent graft to treat a patient with a bulge in the aorta wall, known as a complex aortic aneurysm. This system has a simplified design that helps improve blood flow to the kidney and bowel arteries. Using this new technology helps save time during the surgical procedure and reduces risks to the patient.

Benito Cruz, a retired shipyard worker originally from Gibraltar and now living in Bermondsey, was the first person in the UK to have this procedure using the new equipment.

He said: “The operation went well and it was a success. When they told me I would be the first person in the UK to have this procedure done, I was surprised but it was so worth it. I am very happy with the outcome.

“My recovery is going to plan. I am now walking again which I enjoy but it was hard for me to do before my operation. I would like to thank the team for their care and expertise.”

Prakash Saha, a surgeon who was part of the team for both procedures, said: “These mark a significant milestone in the evolution of aortic care and highlight our commitment to pioneering, personalised treatment options for every patient.”

Caroline Watson learns how our Hospital at Home service is transforming the lives of young patients.

A children’s ‘Hospital at Home’ service run by Evelina London is changing lives by dramatically reducing the time young patients need to spend in hospital.

The service, available in Lambeth and Southwark, aims to provide a range of medical care for children and teenagers in their own homes.

In many cases, this has helped avoid a hospital admission altogether or has allowed a child to leave hospital sooner.

One young patient who has welcomed the chance to spend more time at home with his family is 14-year-old Guilherme Niero Mansi from Southwark.

Guilherme, usually known as Gui, was born with a complex range of medical conditions affecting his spine and brain. This meant that when he was a younger child, he spent long stints in hospital at Evelina London. However, since signing up to the Hospital at Home service in 2018, his mum, Debora, says they have significantly reduced the time Gui spends in hospital.

She said: “Gui has low immunity and his lungs are not strong, so he gets a lot of infections. When he was younger, I’d need to take him to hospital, and then he could be there for a month. And that could happen maybe 4 times a year.

“But now with the Hospital at Home team, if Gui needs anything I can’t do myself, I’ll call them and they’ll come. If he has an infection they will come twice a day and they are really amazing.”

The service allows young patients to receive a range of treatments and observations for short-term illnesses in their own home, under the care of specially qualified children’s community nurses. This care can include giving medication, treating wounds, collecting blood and measuring a patient’s vital signs.

Staff involved in the service have also recently published a study measuring its impact on child patients from its launch in 2018 until 2022.

The study shows that during that period, the Hospital at Home service helped nearly 4,500 children to either avoid a hospital admission or go home from hospital earlier.

This in turn helped free up more than 11,000 ‘bed days’ across Evelina London Children’s Hospital and King’s College Hospital.

Dr Ronny Cheung, a consultant paediatrician at Evelina London who led the study, said the improvements in patient care offered by Hospital at Home provide the evidence needed to support a wider roll-out of the service to young patients across the country.

He said: “Our results show the children’s Hospital at Home service can be safe and effective. Just as importantly, it can greatly improve the experiences of our young patients and their families.

“They have told us they are far happier receiving care and treatment in the comfort of their own home wherever possible.”

Less time in hospital means Gui can focus on his schoolwork, as well as enjoying days out with mum Debora, his dad Claudio and older sister Luiza.

Debora added: “He’s a very smart boy and he loves technology, as well as music, maths and English. He also loves playing with a ball and going to parks and museums.

“He gets a lot more chance to do the things he loves now. It’s been a game changer for us.”

In Focus

Jacob Lipman meets a young boy benefitting from a revolutionary surgical robot.

Since a young age, Rufus Quinn has dreamed of being a scientist. He was therefore excited when his doctors told him that he would be the first child in London to have an operation using a ‘revolutionary’ type of surgical robot.

As a baby, Rufus was diagnosed with a blockage between his kidney and bladder. This type of blockage affects roughly 1 in 1,500 children. If left untreated, it can be painful and cause kidney problems.

When Rufus turned 7, his doctors at Evelina London told his parents he would need an operation to fix the blockage. They offered him the chance to be part of a ground-breaking clinical trial in which his surgery would be carried out using a new type of robotic device called Versius.

Versius is a pioneering robot that has four flexible arms that mimic human joints. Each arm holds a small surgical instrument, with one arm also controlling a camera that allows the surgeon to see inside the patient.

Rufus’ mum, Jenny, said: “Although Rufus was initially nervous about the surgery, he was mainly very excited. He wants to be a scientist when he grows up and he liked the idea of his surgeon using a futuristic robot to carry out his operation.”

Rufus received his operation at Evelina London from a surgical team led by consultant, Mr Pankaj Mishra. During the surgery, Mr Mishra sat in the same room as Rufus and controlled Versius’ robotic arms using a console with a joystick and a screen.

Any movements made by Mr Mishra on his console were translated into smaller, more precise movements in the robot’s arms. This type of robotic surgery can make operations less invasive and can help patients, like Rufus, to recover faster from their surgery.

Jenny said: “The doctors at Evelina London have been brilliant and we cannot sing their praises enough. The surgery went smoothly and Rufus has been able to recover really quickly. He was able to return to school after a few days and is now even back to playing on his ice hockey team for Streatham again.”

In addition to speeding up recovery times, Versius can also make complex operations easier for surgeons to carry out. This can reduce strain on surgical teams, helping them to perform more surgeries each day.

Mr Mishra said: “This robotic system has the potential to revolutionise the way we carry out complex surgeries in children. This type of system is much less tiring for the surgeon involved, which means that difficult surgeries can become a lot easier.

“At the moment, we typically only carry out one complex operation each day. However, Versius has the potential to allow us to do more of these types of operations in a shorter period of time.”

Although Versius has previously been used for adult surgeries, Rufus’ operation was part of a new trial to test using the robot on children. This is taking place across multiple NHS hospitals in the UK.

The trial will initially use Versius to carry out operations in 150 children suffering from bladder or kidney conditions. If successful, this could lead to Versius being used to treat a wider range of illnesses in children.

Dr Lance Tooke, clinical director for children's surgery, theatres and anaesthesia at Evelina London said: “Guy’s and St Thomas’ has the largest robotic programme in the UK and we, at Evelina London, are proud to be part of it. We are delighted to participate in this initial trial and hope this will open up new possibilities for using robotic systems in surgeries for children.”

Maxine Hoeksma meets an armed forces veteran who is using his skills to help patients in need.

Alex Oliver’s decision to switch from the Armed Forces to a career in the operating theatres at St Thomas' has put a decade of military expertise to excellent use.

As a teenager, Alex decided that he wanted to join the Royal Navy once he had finished school. At 17, he began serving as an able seaman and eventually moved into a role in logistics. During his 12 years in the navy, Alex was deployed to 56 countries and territories across the globe.

Alex said: “I was reasonably academic at school and probably would have ended up going to university, but I got a bit of wanderlust. I thought the Royal Navy looked quite interesting – it goes to a lot of places around the world.”

However, after getting married, Alex decided that he wanted a more settled life at home and decided to change careers. He began looking at jobs in the NHS, where he could repurpose his navy skills to help patients in need.

He said: “I’d always had an interest in science and we trained as first aiders in the navy. I originally thought about doing nursing and did a year of nursing at King’s College Hospital.

“But one day I went to the operating theatres at Guy’s Hospital for a patient follow through and I thought, ‘wow!’. This is a completely different atmosphere. It’s more dynamic and more suited to environments I’d been to in the past.”

After completing a 3-year degree, he joined St Thomas’ Hospital as an operating department practitioner in 2019. In this role, Alex works alongside doctors and nurses to prepare patients for surgery and support their arrival into the recovery unit after their operation.

Alex said: “Without a doubt I find that the communication is very similar in the operating theatre and a place like a warship or a military establishment. There are a list of aims that need to be achieved for the day. Each person has a fundamental role, or they wouldn’t be there.

“Because of the pace, you have to be direct, and you have to have confidence in your team and in your own skills. You also need to build a rapport quickly to put people at ease. For the patient, it’s one of the biggest, most important days of their lives potentially.”

Alex found that his military background also helped him to adapt quickly to extraordinary situations, such as when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

He said: “The pace changed and suddenly we were responding to an emergency. But in terms of organisation and putting new policies and procedures in place, that was stuff I’d done before.

“I got involved in trying to implement the cleaning routines without cross-contamination. This was similar to the navy and their chemical and biological warfare routines.”

Alex is one of many veterans who are following the rallying call to join the NHS. NHS England is leading a collaboration with the Trust and a number of universities to recruit former members of the Armed Forces into healthcare roles, where their skills are vitally needed.

Fiona Sandford, a consultant physiotherapist and lead of the Armed Forces programme at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “As an Armed Forces spouse, I know the resilience, adaptability and dedication of the Armed Forces community.

“These are just the transferable skills we are looking for in the NHS and I would encourage anyone from the Armed Forces community, Armed Forces leavers, veterans, partners and spouses, families, and people from all backgrounds with different levels of qualification, to consider joining us. Your experience and knowledge will be invaluable.”

The programme is open to serving and retired Armed Forces personnel and their families who are interested in retraining in a range of healthcare roles.

To find out more, email the armed forces team.

Alana Cullen meets a young patient determined to get back on the playing field following life-saving care at Evelina London.

This time last year, hockey-loving Austin Hunter was a happy, healthy 12-year-old. He didn’t know that within a few months his life would change forever.

In June 2024, Austin started to have leg pain. Next his ears and toes turned blue. He was taken to his local hospital in Surrey, and within a few hours his condition deteriorated.

Austin had sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection. It happens when your immune system, the body’s defence system, overreacts to an infection and starts to damage your body's own tissues and organs. Symptoms are hard to spot, but may include fast breathing, feeling very cold to touch, or a rash that does not fade when you press it.

He was taken to Evelina London Children’s Hospital by the South Thames Retrieval Service. Upon his arrival, 8 clinicians were waiting for him, ready to deliver life-saving care.

Austin had a less than 5% chance of survival. Warwick Hunter, Austin’s dad, said: “That night we were told it was highly likely that Austin would lose this battle, and to prepare for the worst possible outcome.

“During the first 6 hours, it was incredible to witness the dedication, focus and determination across the team. Ultimately, he survived and as the sun rose he was still with us, still fighting. I can never thank all of the staff enough for giving us our son back.”

Thanks to the commitment and expertise of the people caring for him, Austin woke up after several days in a coma. He remained in Evelina London’s intensive care unit for 10 weeks, where his organs slowly started to recover, and his limbs regained circulation.

Austin had weekly surgeries and to date, he has had over 25 operations at the children’s hospital.

The journey wasn’t over yet for Austin. His left foot remained infected and continued to make him unwell. Following lots of discussion, Austin’s family made the difficult decision to have his lower left leg amputated.

Following Austin’s amputation, his mum Holly said: “We knew his left foot was making him ill. Following the amputation, he began to grow stronger, he started to thrive, and Austin was back to his old determined self.”

After major reconstructive surgery on his right foot, Austin managed to make it home for Christmas. Since then, he has now also opted to amputate his right foot.

The next milestone for Austin will be having his new set of prosthetic legs fitted, in time for a comeback on sports day. These new legs will help him get back to doing his favourite hobbies, such as playing hockey and cheering on his favourite football team, Brighton and Hove Albion.

Austin, now 13, said: “I will still need more surgery, but it will be the best chance for me to get back to my activities.

“It is important that people know what sepsis is and what the symptoms are.”

The sports loving teen will also be cheering on his dad who is running the London Marathon in April. So far, Warwick has raised over £50,000, most of which will go to Evelina London Children’s Charity.

The 44-year-old has never run a marathon before, but he is doing it for Austin and to give back to his life-saving team. Warwick said: “It was a raft of specialists who cared for Austin: consultants, nurses, nutritionists, physiotherapists, play team specialists, everyone was involved. Over 100 different people were involved in Austin’s wrap around care.”

Evelina London is one of only two specialist children’s services in London, and the expert teams work seamlessly together to coordinate and deliver the highest quality of care.

Jennie Lambert, paediatric intensive care consultant and Austin’s clinician, said: “Austin was critically ill with multi-organ failure when he came to us. He defied the odds in surviving that night.

“We meet a lot of extremely unwell children, but Austin is a truly remarkable young man, who has inspired us all in his unwavering determination to recover and help others.”

To support Warwick’s fundraising, visit his go fund me page.

Fast facts

Evelina London Children's Charity helps the hospital to provide life-saving care all under one roof:

They support the South Thames Retrieval Service to help transport critically ill children from local hospitals to intensive care units
They transformed Sky Ward into a state-of-the-art intensive care unit, caring for children across the south east of England and beyond
Their funding has allowed surgeons to access the latest 3D software, helping to plan delicate surgeries before entering the operating theatre
They support the play team to provide specialist care that reduces anxiety for children in hospital

Maxine Hoeksma finds out more about Guy's and St Thomas' healthy weight programme.

When Lanceford Brown was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure in his mid-30s, he began a personal mission to have a healthier lifestyle.

After years of yo-yo dieting, his GP referred him to his local Healthy Weight hub to help him lose weight in a more consistent way. Run by Guy’s and St Thomas’, the hub offers a 12-week weight loss and exercise programme for residents living in Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.

The programme delivers classes that help people to make healthy changes to their lifestyle, by giving them information on important topics, such as nutrition and diet. It also runs free exercise sessions, supporting attendees to grow their fitness and work towards their weight loss goal.

This provided Lanceford, a 56-year-old civil servant from Stockwell, with just the motivation he needed to improve his health. Since joining the programme at West Norwood Health and Leisure Centre in October 2024, he has lost 8kg.

Lanceford said: “I’m happy with the way things are going, it’s going in the right direction. I’m steadily losing weight. The main thing that the programme has given me is structure. It allows me to plan my meals at regular times. I also do my exercise at regular times and I’m now very specific with my shopping.

“I stay away from the processed food and have everything in moderation, even if I am buying the healthier option. You also learn to choose fresh produce, and brown rice rather than white rice.”

Classes can be taken online or face-to-face at healthcare settings, leisure centres or a gym. Groups of up to 20 people meet for weekly hour sessions run by the Trust’s Healthy Living team, which includes physiotherapists and health improvement practitioners.

Louise, 59, is an office manager from Clapham who has had several health conditions including breast cancer. She joined the programme at Gracefield Gardens Health Centre in October 2024.

She said: “I’ve had a weight problem most of my life. I thought, ‘I’m going to be 60 in 2025. It’s time to do something about it!’

"My weight went up to about 105kg, around 16 stone, which terrified the life out of me. The programme makes you look at labels and start eating better. It takes away the complication, explaining food portions and hidden calories. For example, you can have a healthy meal, but if you put tomato ketchup on it, that’s very high in sugars.”

Since joining the programme, Louise has particularly enjoyed how supportive and kind other group members have been to her. She said: “Everybody is in the same boat. There is no you judgement, feel comfortable to talk. The lessons are amazing!”

In addition to its regular programmes, the Healthy Weight hub also runs a group specifically for people of Black African or Black Caribbean heritage. In Lambeth, half of people who used the hub between January 2023 and October 2024 were Black or Black British.

These specialist classes provide advice on ways people can maintain a balanced diet, while still being able to enjoy their favourite traditional cultural dishes.

Lanceford, whose parents are Jamaican, said: “I found the programme very educational. You can talk about putting different food groups on your plate, but if you go to most Caribbean dinners, you also have to consider the height of the food too!”

Céline Causeret, a community health improvement coordinator who supports the programme, said: “We accompany people for 12 weeks, but we want them to continue that journey and sustain the weight loss.

“It’s never too late to do something, and something is better than nothing. If you do a little bit more physical activity you will start to see the difference. A little bit of weight loss will help you in your daily life, and will make you feel better.”

For more information visit the healthy weight programme page, or contact 020 3049 5242.

Matt Barker learns how NHS delivery drones are offering faster and greener patient care.

High above London’s rooftops, too small to see from the ground, flies a precious cargo. Urgent blood samples are being transported by electric drones in a medical delivery service which aims to improve patient care by speeding up testing turnaround times.

The service involves delivering blood samples for patients undergoing surgery who are at high risk of complications from bleeding disorders.

Usually, blood samples are delivered by van and motorbike couriers. Moving these between the Synnovis lab at Guy’s Hospital and the lab at St Thomas’ Hospital can take more than half an hour by road.

However, these new electric drones can reduce this journey time to only 2 minutes. This enables samples to be tested faster, helping to quickly determine whether patients are safe to undergo surgery or be discharged from hospital.

Switching to drone deliveries can also reduce traffic congestion and has significant environmental benefits.

Using commercial drones instead of petrol cars can reduce the carbon emissions of each journey by up to 99%. Drones also require less transportation electricity than electrically-powered delivery vans.

However, before this exciting project could get off the ground, it required almost 2 years of planning.

This was organised through a partnership between Guy’s and St Thomas’; Apian, a healthcare logistics company founded by NHS doctors; and Wing, a global drone delivery company. The operation is also regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Sailesh Patel, a senior project manager in the data, technology and information team, explained how many different teams had to come together to bring this initiative to life. He said: “We had to develop a workflow to get the Trust’s systems to talk to Apian’s systems so that everything worked. Lab staff have access to Apian’s platform and Apian have access to the part of our IT systems that link to the porters. Everyone across the digital teams have been fantastic. To get to this point is incredible.”

One of those porters supporting the project is Michael McPherson. He takes the samples from the lab at Guy’s Hospital to floor 12 of Guy’s Cancer Centre. From there, the samples are packaged and attached to the drone.

Michael said: “It’s exciting. Anything that is going to be helping people is a plus. I’m happy to be part of what is going on and helping get things from one place to the other more quickly.”

Using commercial drones to transport blood samples is a landmark first for the NHS in London. This new system is initially being tested as part of a trial. If successful, this could serve as the foundation of a larger drone distribution network for NHS hospitals across the capital.

Professor Ian Abbs, Chief Executive Officer of Guy’s and St Thomas’ said: “This drone trial to deliver blood samples will speed up test results for some of our most vulnerable patients, ensuring they have the very best care. It combines innovations in healthcare with sustainability to give us an NHS fit for the future.”

Alana Cullen finds out how to improve our wellbeing.

Mental health is how we think, feel, and act. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, and looking after it is vital for a happy, healthy life.

If our mental health goes down, it can start to affect our lives. Every year in England, 1 in 4 people will have some kind of mental health problem. Some of the most common conditions are depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Our mental health can vary from week to week, and is affected by the things happening in our lives. For example, stress, sleep, and relationships can affect our mental wellbeing. Any time is a good time to reflect on how we are feeling, and create good habits to help us look after ourselves.

We spoke to Jackie Waghorn, mental health lead at Guy’s and St Thomas’, for some advice about how to get support with your mental health.

She said: “The most important thing is to ask for help if you need it. There’s no shame in saying you’re finding it difficult at the moment.

“Share how you are feeling with someone. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. Things can and will get better.”

You can also check in on your friends, family and people around you. Jackie said: “Ask people how they’re feeling, and listen. You don’t need to have the answers, but you can support them in the moment and point them in the direction of help and support.”

If you need help for a mental health crisis or emergency, you should get immediate advice and assessment. Call 111 and select the mental health option. They will tell you the right place to get help, or you may be able to speak to a mental health professional on the phone. You can also search ‘urgent help for mental health NHS’ online for more information.

If you work at Guy’s and St Thomas’, you can access free counselling via our ‘Showing we care about you’ wellbeing programme, which is supported by Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity.

There are resources and other support services available for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including:

Some tips to look after your mental health include:

Connect with people. Spend time with your family and friends, or get away from your desk and have lunch with a colleague.
Live healthily. Being active and eating a balanced diet can affect how we feel. Stopping bad habits, like smoking or drinking lots of alcohol, can also help.
Sleep well. Good-quality sleep makes a big difference to how we feel physically and mentally.
Learn a new skill. Joining a club, or learning something new, can help build confidence.
Be kind. Acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing and create a sense of reward. It could be as small as thanking someone for something you are grateful for.
Practice mindfulness. Pay attention to the present moment, including your thoughts and how your body feels.

Jacob Lipman learns more about a play sharing the experiences of intensive care patients.

In 2019, Seb Harcombe was working at a drama school in central London when his world was suddenly turned upside down. While teaching an acting class, he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was rushed to St Thomas’ Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU), where he was in a coma for a week.

After waking up from his coma and being discharged from hospital, Seb was invited by his doctors to join a peer support group for ICU survivors. This support group was created in 2016 by consultants, Dr Joel Meyer and Dr Andrew Slack.

During these group meetings, ICU survivors and their families come together to share common experiences and help each other through the emotional challenges of their recovery. Each session is hosted by a specialist nurse and psychologist who facilitate a free-flowing discussion amongst group members.

Reflecting on the support group, Seb said: “After waking up from a coma, it can be really hard to fully come to terms with what has happened to you. Attending this group provided me with the opportunity to connect with other people, share my recovery story, and begin to process my time in intensive care”.

While attending this group, Seb was inspired by the moving stories shared by other members. As a professional theatre director, he wanted to write a play that would capture the inspiring stories of patients whose lives have been saved by ICU staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’.

Seb said: “During the group sessions, I was struck by all the strange and interesting memories of what people had seen and heard while in a coma. I wanted to create something that captured these unique experiences, and celebrated people’s inspirational stories of resilience and recovery.

“I also wanted to do something that could express how grateful I am to all the amazing staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ who looked after me. If it hadn’t been for their care, I could very easily not be here, and I am so thankful for everything they have done.”

Seb began developing the play in 2019 and, following a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, finished this towards the end of last year. The play was performed at Guy’s Chapel earlier this year.

Although it has been 5 years since Seb attended these meetings, the Guy’s and St Thomas’ peer support group is still helping patients to recover from their time in intensive care. Group meetings are now held each month, and are attended by approximately 30 people.

Dr Joel Meyer said: “Although patients have different illnesses that bring them into ICU, we have always said that these differences are just skin deep. Many people who come out of ICU have the shared experience of feeling like their world has been turned upside down.

“These group meetings provide a safe and supportive environment for people like Seb, where they can really be themselves and feel understood by people who have gone through the same experience as them.”

Katie Susser, the critical care recovery nurse lead who facilitates the current support group, said: “It is such a privilege to witness the visible positive impact that these groups have on patients. There is something incredible about seeing these people come together to help each other through what can be one of the most emotionally difficult and challenging periods of their life.”

Katie also recently organised an in-person tea party to celebrate past and present group members. This event brought together over 100 ICU survivors who have benefitted from the group over the years to meet and share personal experiences. This event was supported by funding from Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity.

Katie said: “Since the start of the support group in 2016, we’ve had hundreds of people attend these sessions. Some patients only come for short periods, while others have been attending the group for years. We had feedback from patients that it would be nice to do something in-person so we wanted to hold an event to celebrate all the patients that have joined the group over the years.”

What is post-intensive care syndrome?

Post-intensive care syndrome is a range of symptoms that can appear in people who have survived a life-threatening illness.
These symptoms can affect an individual’s quality of life for many months, or sometimes years.
Typical symptoms can include anxiety, physical pain, memory loss and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Trust life

History corner

Luke Blair learns about Harefield Hospital's World War I origins.

In May 1915, a quiet country estate near London was preparing to receive casualties from the First World War.

Huts had been built on lawns, and a small group of nurses were scrubbing floors. In less than a week, 80 beds were ready. The first group of wounded soldiers arrived on 2 June 1915 – and Harefield Hospital was born.

The origins of the hospital started with a young woman, Letitia Billyard-Leake, whose family were among Australia’s early European arrivals. The family was wealthy and Letitia decided to move from Australia to London, buying the Harefield Park estate.

When World War I broke out, various members of the Billyard-Leake family joined the army to fight. So when the Australian government asked for help looking after casualties, Letitia responded, offering Harefield Park estate and its grounds for their use.

Within months, hundreds of troops from the Australia and New Zealand forces were being treated there. The soldiers who arrived at Harefield were often severely injured. Some had lost arms or legs, many were blind, and many had seen friends die beside them.

The medical challenges were daunting.

At the time, the Australian government reported: “The surgical requirements… will tax the capacity and resources of the most experienced surgeon.”

By 1916, Harefield had 1,600 patients, an eye ward and an X-ray unit. One of the first ever workshops making artificial limbs was also created there. Physical exercise and recovery were important too. This is a tradition which remains today, particularly among organ transplant patients.

Overall, it is estimated that around 50,000 people were treated at Harefield during the First World War. This affected the village profoundly. Many villagers volunteered for hospital work and every death was honoured with a local procession.

A cockatoo and a wallaby were also brought over from Australia, to make the patients feel more at home. Deep bonds were formed, including marriages which took place in the local community.

When Letitia passed away in 1923, Harefield Hospital was bought by Middlesex County Council as a sanatorium for tuberculosis. The current hospital’s unusual, curved shape was constructed in the 1930s, to ensure patients got as much sunlight and fresh air as possible.

Today, the hospital and graveyard at the village church of St Mary’s are still a focus for Australia and New Zealand commemorations. Letitia and her husband, daughter, and daughter-in-law are all buried there, alongside many of the soldiers who spent their last days in Harefield all those years ago.

Foundation Trust life

Professor Koku Adomdza talks about his passion for achieving excellence as a governor.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ governors represent the views of our patients, public and staff members, ensuring the Trust’s services meet the needs of the communities we serve.

Professor Koku Adomdza became a governor at Guy’s and St Thomas’ in July 2022, and is one of 10 public governors.

Koku first decided to become a governor following the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, he was inspired by the resilience and dedication of NHS staff. He said: “I did not think that clapping for them was enough and thought that this could be a way to use my competencies to scale-up my support.”

Koku is a consultant specialising in corporate ethics, and has a lot of experience in working with large organisations to help them run efficiently.

As a governor, he aims to work with the Trust to make sure it continues to deliver a high-quality service for patients and provides the best possible working environment for its staff.

Another focus of Koku’s role is member engagement. He is keen for more people to sign up to become a member of the Trust, and would encourage anyone who is eligible to vote in the upcoming governor elections to do so.

He said: “Nothing can be more rewarding than to know that one’s involvement, no matter how little, is not wasted, and contributes to the lessening or lightening of the burden of poor health on patients, when they are most vulnerable.”

The governors are your elected representatives and are keen to hear your views. If you have a question, comment or idea please email governors@gstt.nhs.uk or call 020 7188 7346.

Council of Governors election

Elections to the Trust's Council of Governors will be held in Spring 2025, from 27 February to 21 May.

All eligible members will receive the election information and are entitled to vote within their constituency. Voting will close on Monday 19 May 2025.

For more information about the Council of Governors elections and how to vote, please visit the 2025 election webpage.

Last updated: April 2025

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Round-up

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