sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk, Author at Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust

Donation funds well-being rooms for Addenbrooke’s staff to relieve stress

Posted on 21 July 202014 November 2022 by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Staff working in COVID positive areas of the hospital often have nowhere to go to ‘decompress’ on breaks or after facing a particularly upsetting situation. Thanks to generous funding of £200,000 received from The ALBORADA Trust, Addenbrooke’s charity – Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) – has been able to create much-needed well-being rooms – peaceful spaces where staff can reflect, relax and de-stress.

An underused seminar room has now been completely transformed into a welcoming, calming area for staff with comfy seating and dimmable lighting, and is the first of three such rooms that will be available for staff to use.

Not only does this space provide a quiet, accessible area for staff to take their breaks, it will also be used to hold trauma and tension release classes, allowing staff to unwind after the intense pressure they have faced over the last few months.

Jeremy Richardson, Director of the ALBORADA Trust, said: “In April, we asked Addenbrooke’s to approach doctors and nurses in ICU to ask them for their particularly urgent needs. It was as a result of that approach that the well-being rooms came about and my trustees were pleased to provide immediate funds for this, in addition to the other help which the Trust has given for the amazing NHS staff at Addenbrooke’s.”

Wellbeing room — Well-being room after the transformation

Shelly Thake, CEO of ACT who oversaw the work, said: “We can’t thank The ALBORADA Trust enough for their generosity in providing our hospital staff with such a peaceful retreat in which to take their breaks. Doubling up the space to use for stress-release classes will also ensure that staff can tackle any stress before it becomes a problem, providing more than just a quick fix.”

Addenbrooke’s Emergency Children’s Ambulance appeal needs just £10k to put specialist ambulances on the road and save more critically ill children

Posted on 7 July 202014 November 2022 by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) is asking the public to help raise the final £10,000 of its £216,000 appeal for an emergency children’s ambulance service which will save young lives in the East of England.

Addenbrooke’s hospital is home to the East of England’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit providing state-of-the-art care to critically ill children. But getting children to Addenbrooke’s from across the region currently relies on a children’s ambulance service from London – regular ambulances are not kitted out with the specialist equipment required to keep critically ill children alive during transfers.

This often results in long delays, which for children and families is simply unbearable.

Crucially, the current service does not transport children back to their local hospital once they are on the road to recovery. This means that children spend unnecessary time further away from home, friends and family.

Thanks to generous donors, the charity has now raised nearly enough money to fund two ambulances which will benefit over 1,700 children a year in the East of England, providing faster response times, and ensuring that children swiftly get the care and expertise that their lives depend on.

Dr Rob Heuschkel, Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist and CUH Clinical Director for Cambridge Children’s Hospital, said: “The East of England is the only region that hasn’t got a children’s retrieval team of their own. Being able to extend the service to all families who have children across the East of England would really transform the care that we could offer.”

Please help us hit our target and fund this service. To donate or fundraise please visit www.helpyourhospital.co.uk/ambulanc e.

ACT launches Team Addenbrooke’s and its Virtual Challenge 2020 to support the hospital 

Posted on 30 June 202014 November 2022 by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Never have we appreciated our hospitals and NHS staff as much as we do today. They have helped us through the worst of the pandemic, but as the situation eases, the NHS will be under more pressure than ever to catch up on the scheduled procedures it usually provides.

The hospitals and staff still need your support to help them beyond the crisis, so to celebrate and mark the 72nd Anniversary of the founding of our NHS on Sunday 5th July, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) is asking people to help raise money by getting physical and joining Team Addenbrooke’s.

To launch Team Addenbrooke’s, the charity is asking people to take part in its Virtual Challenge 2020. Entrants can run, walk or cycle 7.2 km or miles in one go, or take on the challenge of 72km or miles over the course of a month. You can take part at any time and a minimum of £100 in sponsorship for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals is encouraged. Alongside supporting our hospitals, you will also receive a ‘Team Addenbrooke’s’ medal. The only requirement is that all participants must follow Government guidelines on exercise and social distancing.

There are other ways to join Team Addenbrooke’s. How about holding a virtual sports day featuring old favourites such as the three-legged race, sack race and egg and spoon race? ACT will also soon be opening applications for people to join Team Addenbrooke’s for the London Marathon 2021. Please keep an eye on our website for details.

Emily Willdigg, ACT’s Community Relationships Lead, said: “Our amazing fundraisers have proved how much they love the hospitals by coming up with a multitude of ingenious ways to show their support in such difficult times. We’ve seen everything from a fancy-dress postie to Disney birthday parties on zoom to virtual relay races. We really hope they will get behind us once again by joining Team Addenbrooke’s and taking on a Virtual Challenge!”

Whatever your challenge idea, join Team Addenbrooke’s today!

Email fundraising@act4addenbrookes.org.uk.

Jamie Oliver gives ‘big love’ to Addenbrooke’s in heartfelt video message

Posted on 23 June 202014 November 2022 by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Celebrity TV chef Jamie Oliver has recorded an emotional video message paying tribute to all the staff at his local hospital, Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge.

Standing in front of a background which says, “Big Love”, Jamie recalls having to use Addenbrooke’s over the years including microsurgery to a nerve in his hand. Jamie says,

“We’ve always been grateful to you guys locally, but now more than ever with COVID-19, I mean, what can be said? The true heroes, the true superheroes!”

“Me and my family are so grateful just to have you there … we know that you’ve been looking after our community like your own family, so thank you for putting them first, thank you for risking your own lives … I just want to say thank you.”

Jamie also thanks the hospital’s charity, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, for the hard work they are putting into raising money for the hospital saying, “…Good luck with everything. Good luck with all the fundraising and keep doing what you’re doing.”

Please support Addenbrooke’s and donate today

or text NHSHEROES 10 to 70085 to donate £10.

Addenbrooke’s NHS Charity encourages further donations and celebrates hospital’s unsung heroes

Posted on 15 June 202014 November 2022 by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

The impact that donations from the public to our emergency appeal have made has been incredible. Our supporters have enabled us to fund many things including research on staff infection, a brand new speedy COVID-19 test for ICU, iPads for families to communicate with sick relatives and a counselling service. It is making a huge difference to patients and staff, and particularly the countless staff working in the background without whom our hospital would struggle to provide vital care.

Sarah Rodwell, ward clerk for the Haematology Oncology Ward (C10)

One of these is Sarah Jayne Rodwell who is the ward clerk for the Haematology Oncology Ward (C10) and performs a range of admin tasks as well as collecting medication, chemotherapy and bloods, talking to patients’ family members and booking accommodation. She explains why public support is so important right now:

“The support the public shows us at Addenbrooke’s means a great deal! The donations have been amazing, I especially love to read the messages that come with the fruit donation boxes for staff. And on C10, for the patients who are unable to leave their side room, ACT funds a ‘tuck trolley’ providing lots of treats and snacks. It’s been invaluable during the Covid-19 pandemic. I know that this is a small joy for the patients at this really difficult time, as they can’t have visitors and family, so we’re really trying to keep their spirits high.”

Kerry Alexander, Senior Physiotherapist at Addenbrooke’s explains how donations have helped the specific rehabilitation of patients with Covid-19, such as the non-standard, specialist frames and wheelchairs funded by the charity:

“The equipment provided by ACT helps reduce the time patients spend in hospital. The frames help to get patients mobile and will help to rebuild the physical fitness of the muscles, heart and lungs, as well as avoiding complications such as pressure sores, and pneumonia. The wheelchairs are very supportive and will allow patients who are severely deconditioned following prolonged bed rest to get out of bed safely, which is imperative to their recovery. This will help to strengthen their muscles and ensure they are in the best position for breathing and keeping their chests clear.”

The Procurement & Supply Chain department also plays an essential role and is responsible for the sourcing and buying of goods across the hospital. The department helps ACT ensure that the items it funds are safe for use in the hospital and provide good value for money.

From receiving and storing donations of PPE from around the world to collaborating with local industry to manufacture face shields, this department contains an unsung hero or two.

Ian Hooper, Director of Procurement & Supply Chain, says: “I have been really impressed with the passion and commitment staff across the department have demonstrated, with a determination to ensure that that the front line is well supported. It has been a huge challenge given daily obstacles to overcome.”

Existing services, which staff are now starting to deliver once again, have been impacted by the crisis meaning that the pressure on the staff and hospital will continue.

ACT always has and will continue to support these services across the hospital, funding that which the NHS cannot, such as some exciting and innovative research projects to help beyond the current crisis including: remote diagnostic hearing and vision testing apps to ensure patients get the care they need when they cannot be seen in hospital, an app to help children understand what coming to hospital will feel like for them seeing staff in PPE and social distancing, and wellbeing rooms for staff to use to take a moment of calm.

Shelly Thake, ACT’s CEO, said: “ACT not only funds vital work connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, but continues to fund research, services, equipment and innovative technology throughout the hospital for the benefit of patients and staff. We simply could not achieve these things without incredible support from the public and there is still so much more that can be done to make the hospital even better.”

For more information on how you can help make Addenbrooke’s even better please visit www.helpyourhospital.co.uk/fundraise.

Or you can donate online at helpyourhospital.co.uk or text NHSHEROES 10 to 70085 to donate £10 (T&C’s apply)

Addenbrooke’s lights up in blue to say thank you

Posted on 14 May 202014 November 2022 by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Thanks to VenueAV and Solitech Ltd we’ve lit up the Addenbrooke’s chimney to say thank you to all our supporters who’ve helped us raised over £1million to support our fantastic NHS staff!

The money is being used to help the well being of staff and patients through this difficult time, provide vital equipment to support the Intensive Care Unit, enable research into new treatments and diagnostics, and much more. Thanks to the money raised we will be able to fund even more vital items and support in the forthcoming weeks and months.

So far donations have helped provide:

iPads to allow patients to communicate more easily with staff and to enable family members to comfort their critically ill relatives in intensive care and other wards.
Psychological support for staff and patients helping them to cope with the crisis and its long-term effects; and helping a nurses charity provide seminars and leadership support for nurses who are managing staff or working through the crisis.
Snacks, refreshments and toiletries such as hand cream and shower gel for frontline staff.
Enhancements to the patient environment for those in hospital during the crisis for non COVID-19 reasons including toys and activity packs to entertain children in hospital who usually must share; activities for teenagers; and whiteboards and colouring materials for dementia patients.
Numerous diagnostic and therapeutic COVID-19 research programmes including, research which is helping screen staff and assess which are more at risk of COVID-19; brand new, speedy screening for ICU patients; rapid diagnosis of children presenting with chest infections to see if they have COVID-19; testing the effectiveness of existing medicines; and further research into high risk patient groups.

Your continued donations will help our hospital do so much more than is currently funded by the NHS and will help to make Addenbrooke’s even better for everyone. Please visit www.helpyourhospital.co.uk

Cambridge doctor’s ground-breaking app gives ventilated COVID-19 patients a voice

Posted on 13 May 202014 November 2022 by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

A ground-breaking new iPad app for ICU patients – trialled at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge – is transforming the experiences and wellbeing of critically ill COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).

myICUvoice, developed by an ICU doctor, is giving a voice to ICU patients unable to communicate due to needing a tracheostomy, being supported by a ventilator or weakened from being critically ill – and, crucially, enabling medical teams to communicate more effectively with patients, understand and treat previously unidentified symptoms quicker and improve outcomes.

Research has shown that, for ICU patients, the inability to communicate is the most distressing and frustrating part of being critically ill in ICU – with over 20% of patients who survive ICU suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression after being discharged.

Dr Tim Baker developed myICUvoice after recognising the urgent need for his patients to communicate their symptoms and emotions when they were unable to speak. Ventilators prevent the vocal chords from working, and critically ill patients are often too weak to write down or mouth their messages, meaning there is often no communication at all.

Dr Baker explains: “If you are in intensive care and you can’t explain or communicate even your most basic symptoms, thoughts or needs, imagine how horrific, distressing and frustrating that must be. I wanted patients to be able to communicate about how they are doing and feeling, and hear their side of the story. Because if patients aren’t able to communicate openly, honestly, and deeply, we, the people treating them, are potentially missing out on symptoms. And, without having a full understanding of symptoms, we cannot provide the best care.

“By restoring communication, myICUvoice is enabling our patients to express symptoms, feelings and thoughts that the medical and nursing staff were previously oblivious to. Symptom management is crucial in critical care as it improves the long-term outcome. The earlier you can detect a problem, the better. But these symptoms would have been left unidentified without myICUvoice.”

The app – which was initially developed with the help of a £40,000 development grant from the hospital’s NHS charity, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust – features easy-to-use touch screen technology, which allows patients to tap on simple icons to respond to questions.

The interface additionally features a ‘Nurse Zone’ designed specifically for nurses, enabling them to acknowledge and address any reported symptoms as well as monitor changes in symptoms over time.

The personal communication afforded by the app has been equally beneficial.

Dr Mark Jefferys, a Specialist Registrar currently using the app with COVID-19 patients in ICU, says: “One of our patients used myICUvoice to ask about her son. It was only then that we realised she had become convinced he had died – and we were able to get him on a videocall later that day to reassure her.

“Using myICUvoice for communication has also made me realise that patients have so many symptoms I wouldn’t even have thought to ask about. So many of these are easily fixed if only we had a way of knowing about them – which we now do.”

One ICU patient who used myICUvoice whilst in the ICU described the first time he used it as “the most amazing, uplifting and motivating moment in those six and a half days of intubation.”

The patient added: “It gave me and my family an opportunity to share emotions as well as medical knowledge, and this undoubtedly had an immeasurably positive impact on my recovery out of the critical life-threatening situation I was in.”

The app is currently being translated into multiple languages so it can benefit people around the world.

Dr Baker says: “myICUvoice is actually much more than an app, it’s a data-driven platform – and, in Addenbrookes we are working to combine and analyse the data from each iPad to understand the patient experience continuously at a population level which means we can recognise previously undetected symptoms. myICUvoice has the potential to analyse the patient-reported data from multiple wards and hospitals, thus allowing nurses to pre-emptively treat symptoms. It is also starting to be developed for other indications, including for stroke and post-operative patients.”

myICUvoice iPad app is available free from the UK App Store or free to download from http://www.myicuvoice.com/ or https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myicuvoice/id1465081161

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust highlights the tireless work of nursing staff at Addenbrooke’s hospital on International Nurses Day, 12 May

Posted on 12 May 202014 November 2022 by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, the NHS charity for Addenbrooke’s hospital, is marking International Nurses’ Day by highlighting the contribution of over 3,300 nurses and the vital and varied work they do every day, which is now being undertaken in the shadow of the coronavirus.

The hospital has quadrupled its intensive care capacity and nurses have been caring around-the-clock for the many patients in desperate need of extra care and ventilation. Many have been asked to redeploy to different areas of the hospital and have had to adjust to a ‘new normal’.

Jo Franklin, Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Palliative Care Team, said: “I usually work to support people with incurable illnesses to live well. The pandemic has meant that as an ex-ICU and Neuro Critical Care Unit (NCCU) nurse I was asked to redeploy there.”

“I now look after patients with COVID-19 and patients with neurological problems such as brain injuries and brain haemorrhages. Some of the care has naturally been supporting patients to have good end of life care and facilitating difficult conversations in the current situation with no visitors allowed to the hospital.”

Everybody wants to do their bit to help. Mark Harvey, Lead Nurse for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, said: “The most dramatic effect has been the use of our staff to help out the adult critical care areas. This has proven very stressful for some, but of course the necessity is understood.”

Additionally, services and items provided by Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust through donations from the public before the current crisis, are making a real difference. The ACT funded Psychological and Wellbeing Service has proved vital during this time. Jane Olds, Matron for Adult Critical Care, says: “Intensive Care Units (ICU) are frightening environments for patients and their loved ones… this can result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) type damage. The psychological welfare service for our patients and families helps their ‘PTSD’ and improves their quality of life after critical care. It is also helping to address stress suffered by ICU staff.”

Other areas of the hospital are having to make big changes to the way they treat their patients. Hannah Brown, Matron for the Cancer and Haematology Day Units, said: “Many patients are sadly not receiving anti-cancer treatments at this time, as it is too risky for them during the pandemic. So, the oncology teams are supporting patients and their families in different ways, often via telephone calls and clinics, rather than face-to-face. We have merged the Oncology and Haematology Day Units, the latter which was largely funded by ACT, and set up a new location as an ‘outreach’ centre at a GP surgery, so that we can keep patients and staff away from the main hospital units and keep them safe.”

ACT also funds research within the hospital from personalised breast cancer research to current research into diagnostics and treatment for COVID-19. The way that research is being carried out has also been affected and research nurses have had to adapt too. “Even greater flexibility and collaboration than usual is required to adapt to new studies, while supporting the current crisis”, says Petra Polgarova, Research Nurse in Critical Care. “We have had to adapt our study procedures and their delivery to ensure the safety of both participants and staff looking after them.”

Susana Borja is a Specialist Nurse and Senior Research Nurse. She looks after patients with rare genetic kidney disease and works on a research project studying specific cardiac conditions. She agrees, saying: “This pandemic has impacted our roles significantly. We continue to provide a service to our patients in the renal clinic but have had to adapt and be very flexible. That has meant working from home, telephone appointments and providing more counselling to support our patients as levels of anxiety are high. We’ve also had to seek alternative locations to perform assessments and blood tests to minimise risk of COVID-19 exposure.”

Christi Deaton is the Florence Nightingale Foundation Clinical Professor of Nursing. She tells how changing to remote working has been challenging at times, “We are amending our study to be able to conduct it remotely, analysing the data we have, and considering how we can assess the impact of the pandemic on our patients with heart failure.” She added: “This pandemic is also stimulating research ideas from nurses and midwives.”

ACT is asking you to continue to support the amazing staff at Addenbrookes. Donations have massively helped the hospital before the current crisis and your continued donations will support our hospital do so much more than is currently funded by the NHS, helping to make Addenbrooke’s even better for everyone. Please visit www.helpyourhospital.co.uk.

How your donations are funding vital coronavirus research at Addenbrooke’s

Posted on 12 May 202014 November 2022 by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

A study by researchers at Addenbrooke’s and the University of Cambridge published today in the journal eLife, helped by £25,000 in funding from donations to Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, has shown that a small proportion of hospital staff can carry COVID-19 without realising they’re infected.

The Cambridge team pro-actively swabbed and tested over 1,200 NHS staff at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in April. Of the more than 1,000 staff members reporting fit for duty during the study period, 3% nevertheless tested positive for the Covid-19 virus despite full PPE always being available.

The results of the study suggest that across UK hospitals as many as 15,000 workers may have been on duty and infected, with the potential to transmit the virus to co-workers, family members and patients during the month of April.

Senior authors Mike Weekes and Steve Baker say that constant testing of staff is needed regardless of whether they have any symptoms, which will be vital to stop infection spreading within the hospital setting.

You can hear Chris Smith’s interview on Radio 4 yesterday from 1:09:35 here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000j1yr

Please help us and donate towards further important research at helpyourhospital.co.uk.

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust raises over £1 million to help our NHS Heroes

Posted on 8 May 202014 November 2022 by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, the NHS charity raising money to support Addenbrooke’s, the Rosie and the amazing NHS heroes who work there, is pleased to announce that thanks to generous donors it has now raised £1,048,000 for its Coronavirus Appeal.

The money is being used to help the wellbeing of staff and patients through this difficult time, provide vital equipment to support the Intensive Care Unit, enable research into new treatments and diagnostics, and much more. Thanks to the money raised we will be able to fund even more vital items and support in the forthcoming weeks and months.

So far donations have helped provide:

iPads to allow patients to communicate more easily with staff and to enable family members to comfort their critically ill relatives in intensive care and other wards.
Psychological support for staff and patients including a counselling service for A&E staff helping them to cope with the crisis and its long-term effects; and helping a nurses charity provide seminars and leadership support for nurses who are managing staff or working through the crisis.
Snacks, refreshments and toiletries such as hand cream and shower gel for frontline staff.
Enhancements to the patient environment for those in hospital during the crisis for non COVID-19 reasons including toys and activity packs to entertain children in hospital who usually must share; activities for teenagers; and whiteboards and colouring materials for dementia patients.
Numerous diagnostic and therapeutic COVID-19 research programmes including, research which is helping screen staff and assess which are more at risk of COVID-19; brand new, speedy screening for ICU patients; rapid diagnosis of children presenting with chest infections to see if they have COVID-19; testing the effectiveness of existing medicines; and further research into high risk patient groups.

Or else you can help raise money by taking part in one of our fundraising events:

Tea at Three – take part in a virtual tea break each day via video conference with colleagues, friends or relatives and donate the price of your usual brew (act4addenbrookes.org.uk/teaatthree)
Young people aged 0-18 years, can enter the Cambridge Commodities art competition at act4addenbrookes.org.uk/artcomp and have their artwork displayed in Addenbrooke’s Hospital for all to see.

We’re also encouraging people to feel free to invent their own fundraising ideas. We’ve seen our local postie in fancy dress, Disney birthday parties on zoom, virtual relay races, weird and wonderful haircuts, a live DJ streamathon and more!

Shelly Thake, ACT’s CEO, said: “Our local community has been incredible, and we would not have been able to achieve so much without them. We are so pleased that people are showing such warmth and generosity to our local hospital. Every £1 donated makes a huge difference.”

Dr Rosalind Smith, ACT’s Chair of Trustees, said: “It has been a genuine privilege to witness the leadership, organisation and selfless dedication to saving lives shown by everyone at Addenbrooke’s.

At ACT we feel very lucky to have the massive support from our donors and the Cambridgeshire community that is allowing us to support the hospital, and the country, in its fight against COVID-19. It enables us to fund research, testing, innovations in diagnosis, care and treatment, and well-being support for patients, families and staff.”

For more information on fundraising for Addenbrooke’s please visit www.helpyourhospital.co.uk/fundraise

Or you can donate online at helpyourhospital.co.uk or text NHSHEROES 10 to 70085 to donate £10 (T&C’s apply)