In this section, you can read the news articles published during the year.
January
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Clinical training for staff at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals is moving to the next dimension with the recent opening of a new Clinical Simulation Suite at Ashford Hospital. The state of the art training centre features a life-like mannequin which, via a high tech computer and other pieces of medical equipment, gives staff the most realistic training scenarios possible without using a ‘real’ patient.
Published: 03 January 2012 |
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With over four thousand babies born a year, the maternity department at St Peter’s Hospital is always busy. However, between the 9th and 10th January the team was particularly hectic with the unusual arrival of four sets of twins!
Published: 13 January 2012 |
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Last week David Cameron emphasised the importance of hospitals going back to basics, highlighting hourly ward rounds by nursing staff as a particular example. Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust launched hourly rounding last year on all their wards, which has made a real difference to patient care. Matron Justine Hillier explains more.
Published: 13 January 2012 |
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The St Peter’s Hospital League of Friends has donated £30,000 to buy 30 new syringe drivers, which are small portable devices that give medication continuously to relieve pain and other symptoms in patients.
Published: 26 January 2012 |
February
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Dr Mike Baxter, Consultant and Medical Director at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has retired from the NHS and from over 20 years service with the Trust. Mike first joined Ashford and St Peter’s in 1992 as a consultant diabetologist and endocrinologist, becoming Clinical Director of medicine in 1995, a post he held for seven years, before becoming the Trust’s Medical Director ten years ago in 2002. Around a hundred members of staff – past and present – came to wish him well on Wednesday 25th January at his leaving party.
Published: 03 February 2012 |
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Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has eliminated the need to queue for parking spaces for patients and visitors as part of a drive to significantly improve patient experience, particularly for patients using outpatient clinics.
Published: 16 February 2012 |
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The Care Quality Commission visited St Peter’s hospital on 1st December as part of their routine schedule of planned reviews of providers of healthcare. Their report, [now published on their website] highlights many positive areas, but also notes several areas of concern.
Published: 26 January 2012 |
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On Monday 6th February, the Mayor of Runnymede, Councillor David Parr, joined Ashford and St Peter’s hospitals Chairman Aileen McLeish, patients and staff from the Trust’s bariatric team, to officially open Wren, a new dedicated bariatric unit at St Peter’s Hospital.
Published: 17 February 2012 |
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At the beginning of February, Radio Wey, based at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, was shortlisted in no less than five categories in the national Hospital Broadcasting Association’s Radio Awards. There are ten entries in each shortlist and only one more station in the whole of the UK succeeding in getting more entries than Radio Wey onto the shortlists.
Published: 17 February 2012 |
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Volunteers from Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals have been nominated for the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The awards are an annual event which recognise and reward excellence in activities carried out by groups in the community - the MBE for voluntary organisations.
Published: 21 February 2012 |
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Funds raised for the neonatal intensive care unit at St Peter’s Hospital have been used to buy a Kanmed Twin Babywarmer cot, which enables two babies to sleep side-by-side and keeps them warm via a special temperature controlled water mattress. Identical twins Rocco and Reo have been in the unit for over seven weeks and spent two of those in the shared cot.
Published: 24 February 2012 |
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Over the last six months almost 20 new midwives have joined the team at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals. The new recruits will work in different areas of maternity care – in the community looking after women during their pregnancy and supporting those who choose a homebirth, in the antenatal clinics and on the labour ward at St Peter’s, and on the postnatal ward ‘Joan Booker’ for women and their babies after the birth.
Published: 28 February 2012 |
March
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Tuesday 29th February saw a bumper batch of 12 leap year babies born at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey over the ‘extra’ 24 hour period.
Published: 02 March 2012 |
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Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has recently launched a new service for emergency patients with cancer related problems to ensure they have swift access to specialist cancer teams.
Published: 05 March 2012 |
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Innovative Partnership Working with South East Coast Ambulance Service |
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St Peter’s Hospital has started an innovative new programme in partnership with South East Coast Ambulance Trust (SECAMB), to improve the experience of patients arriving at hospital by ambulance and provide education and training opportunities for paramedics.
Published: 11 March 2012 |
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Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is working proactively with local patient and disabled people’s groups to agree a positive way forward on a number of disabled parking issues. At a meeting held on Monday (12th March) at the Hythe Centre in Egham, representatives from a number of local groups including the Surrey Local Involvement Network (LINk), the Surrey Disabled People’s Partnership, the Runnymede Access Group and others, joined the Trust in a proactive debate around some of the problems disabled people can face when parking at both St Peter’s and Ashford Hospital.
Published: 15 March 2012 |
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St. Peter’s Hospital League of Friends has donated two state of the art laser units to the hospital’s breast care team, for the treatment of lymphoedema, or swelling that can occur after treatment for breast cancer.
Published: 16 March 2012 |
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Patients and visitors attending Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals can look forward to improved food and catering from April, as the NHS Foundation Trust brings all catering and retail services under one contract.
Published: 26 March 2012 |
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The Phlebotomy Department at Ashford Hospital has been given a specially designed reclining chair to provide extra safety and comfort for patients who faint on giving blood.
Published: 28 March 2012 |
April
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A new ‘community hub’ has opened at St Peter’s Hospital to help make sure patients are discharged from hospital as soon as they need to be, to the most appropriate place and with the right care plans in place. A joint venture between Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Surrey County Council, Surrey Community Health and the British Red Cross, the unit will focus on helping patients who are staying in the hospital’s short stay Medical Admissions Unit and on those who can be safely and quickly discharged from A&E.
Published: 02 April 2012 |
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Consultant colorectal surgeon at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Mr Humphrey Scott, has received the prestigious Silver Scalpel award for excellence in surgical training. Given annually by The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), the award is presented to inspirational surgical consultants who go the extra mile for their trainees.
Published: 12 April 2012 |
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Congratulations to Ms Shelagh Gregson, who recently became the 6000th public member of Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Published: 12 April 2012 |
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The Trust Board at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals has approved plans to build a new Midwifery Led Unit, which will be located in Abbey Wing at St Peter’s Hospital alongside the existing maternity facilities.
Published: 20 April 2012 |
May
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A local hospital Trust has reduced missed outpatient appointments by 50% in just six months, meaning more patients are getting timely access to the specialist care they need and less valuable staff time is wasted.
Published: 08 May 2012 |
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A presenter and volunteer at Radio Wey, based at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, has been named “Off Air Volunteer of the Year” by the Hospital Broadcasting Association. Noel Antliff was nominated for the award by his colleagues at the radio station, in appreciation of the time and dedication he has given for over 15 years.
Published: 09 May 2012 |
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Volunteers’ 570 years of service to hospital radio recognised |
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President of the Hospital Broadcasting Association, June Snowden, recently paid a special visit to Radio Wey at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, where she looked around the facilities and chatted to volunteers about the station’s activities. She later attended their 44th Annual General Meeting and presented service awards to 26 members who had an impressive 570 years of service between them.
Published: 09 May 2012 |
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Nurses and pharmacists at Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who have had specialist training in prescribing are now able to prescribe a much wider range of pain relief and other drugs. This is as a result of changes in the law relating to national guidance on non-medical prescribing (prescribing not undertaken by a doctor).
Published: 16 May 2012 |
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An exhibition “From Manor House to Medicine” chronicling the history of St. Peter’s Hospital and its surrounding grounds will be on show at Chertsey Museum for the next 12 months.
Published: 21 May 2012 |
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A special and unusual service for young adults with a congenital heart condition is being offered at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey. Every three months, a group of three consultants run a joint clinic for cardiac patients who are transitioning from adolescence into adulthood.
Published: 28 May 2012 |
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Trust Chief Executive, Andrew Liles, took time to celebrate with staff in the hospital’s maternity unit earlier this week as the Trust has recently agreed a further ten new midwifery posts for the department.
Published: 28 May 2012 |
June
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Do NOT come to A&E unless you really need to! That’s the message from St Peter’s Hospital accident and emergency department, who are expecting an increase in patients over the Jubilee bank holiday weekend.
Published: 01 June 2012 |
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Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been announced as the preferred bidder to partner Epsom Hospital to become a larger, three hospital Foundation Trust.
Published: 01 June 2012 |
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On 2nd June, on the anniversary of the Diamond Jubilee, it was announced that volunteers from Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups.
Published: 02 June 2012 |
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You may not be a champion sprinter or distance runner but can you even take a brisk walk without getting out of breath?
Published: 18 June 2012 |
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Staff and volunteers from the maternity unit at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals organised a cake sale on Wednesday 27th June to support National Breastfeeding Awareness Week.
Published: 28 June 2012 |
July
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The High Sheriff of Surrey 2012-13, Mrs Karin Sehmer, recently presented special wooden memory boxes made by young offenders, to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey.
Published: 09 July 2012 |
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International pioneer in heart and lung transplantation and one of the world’s pre-eminent cardiac surgeons, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, came to Surrey recently to open the Atrial Fibrillation Conference for Surrey clinicians, which was hosted by Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Published: 13 July 2012 |
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Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is placing increased emphasis on good nutrition for patients staying in hospital, with the launch of new ‘Essential Goodness’ menus and food, in partnership with catering contractor OCS.
Published: 13 July 2012 |
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The Leagues of Friends of Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals have both recently held special events to mark significant anniversaries.
Published: 16 July 2012 |
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Following a recent return visit to St Peter’s Hospital, the CQC has now given the Trust a clean bill of health for five of the six quality standards they reviewed, with one concern still noted for record keeping.
Published: 25 July 2012 |
August
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A young person from the Surrey Youth Support Service Reparation Scheme visited Ashford Hospital recently to present activity and therapy equipment that young offenders had designed and made to help older people at both Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals.
Published: 02 August 2012 |
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Midwives and doctors at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey are working hard to support women who want to give birth naturally after previously having one or more caesarean sections. Mr James Thomas, Consultant Obstetrician, said: “Whilst they have come to be seen as routine, a caesarean section is still major abdominal surgery and that comes with risks. Particularly when a woman has two or more caesarean sections, the risks of bladder injury, adhesions and problems with the placenta in future pregnancies increase.”
Published: 02 August 2012 |
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The new charity shop of the League of Friends of Ashford Hospital was officially opened on the 6th August at 10am by the Mayor of Spelthorne, Cllr Robin Sider and Chairman of Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals, Aileen McLeish.
Published: 09 August 2012 |
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Without research and development (R&D) the creation of new medicines, treatments and cures would not be possible. The NHS carries out a large amount of R&D work in healthcare establishments and research facilities across the country, including Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals.
Published: 10 August 2012 |
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The inclusion of the Trust on the list published by Diabetes UK, of hospitals that do not have a multi-disciplinary foot care team for patients with diabetes, is incorrect. A multi-disciplinary team does exist and has been in place for over two years, covering both Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals. The team consists of a consultant diabetologist, specialist nurse and specialist podiatrist who work together to help patients with diabetes related foot problems.
Published: 17 August 2012 |
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Giving birth to your first baby is always a special experience, but for Sacha Harden, 21, from Egham it was particularly memorable as her daughter arrived in the birthing pool at St Peter’s Hospital.
Published: 20 August 2012 |
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The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Peter’s Hospital has received a cheque for £13,050 on 22nd August 2012, which will be used to buy new equipment to help premature and sick babies. The money was raised by Rich and Lauren Compton, who spent time in the unit with their daughter Maggie last year. Lauren said: “Maggie was born on the 22nd August 2011 and we spent 19 precious days with her before she passed away. It seemed fitting to come back on her birthday and present our donation.”
Published: 28 August 2012 |
September
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Latest figures from the National Hip Fracture Database Report for 2012 show that Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the best in the country for providing top quality care for patients with hip fractures.
Published: 07 September 2012 |
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Special celebrations took place this week on a ward at St. Peter’s Hospital for a patient’s 100th birthday. Trust Chairman Aileen McLeish presented a cake to Mabel Reeves, a patient on Swan orthopaedic ward, to celebrate her landmark birthday.
Published: 07 September 2012 |
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Elizma Cowle, from Knaphill, welcomed her three daughters into the world at St Peter’s Hospital on Wednesday 28th August. Elizabeth, Charlotte and Alexia were born by caesarean section and weighed 4lb 11oz, 5lb and 5lb 2oz respectively.
Published: 07 September 2012 |
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The Queen’s Award presented to Ashford and St Peter’s Volunteers |
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The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was presented to the volunteers of Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust by The Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Dame Sarah Goad, in a ceremony at Painshill Park, Cobham, on Thursday (September 6).
Published: 07 September 2012 |
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The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Peter’s Hospital is delighted with a donation of £531 from Hospital Radio Wey. The donation came from half of the proceeds raised during a charity blues concert organised by Martin Clarke - who hosts the radio’s blues show every Friday night - and Heather Harrison, his producer.
Published: 18 September 2012 |
October
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Manchester to Chertsey walk to raise money for premature babies |
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Sarah Marshall, a thirty four year old mental health charity worker, has arrived at the St Peter’s Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after being sponsored to walk a whopping 200 miles from her home in Manchester.
Published: 01 October 2012 |
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Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals have both obtained excellent results in the recent ‘Patient Environment and Action Team’ inspection, known as PEAT. The inspection takes place every year and looks at the quality of non-clinical services provided by all NHS hospitals – in the categories of environment (including cleanliness), food, privacy and dignity.
Published: 04 October 2012 |
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Patient records at St Peter’s Hospital are kept accurately and are fit for purpose according to a report published today [9th October] by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This report follows a recent visit to St Peter’s by the healthcare inspectors on 11th September, specifically targeted at record keeping. This latest inspection means that the hospital is fully compliant in all 16 quality standards set by the Commission.
Published: 12 October 2012 |
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Volunteer force gives St. Peter’s Hospital gardens a makeover |
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A large group of volunteers in bright red T shirts have given the Abbey Wing Courtyard and other gardens at St. Peter’s Hospital a fantastic makeover, today Friday 12th October.
Published: 12 October 2012 |
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Olympic weightlifter opens Infusion Suite at Ashford Hospital |
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Team GB Olympic weightlifter Zoe Smith visited Ashford Hospital on Thursday 18th October to officially open the new Infusion Suite. The unit is now open to patients and will provide a service to anyone requiring an infusion, where drugs are given over several hours via a drip.
Published: 23 October 2012 |
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Following an NHS London Board meeting today (Thursday 25 October) it has been agreed that the proposed acquisition of Epsom Hospital by Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust should be halted.
Published: 26 October 2012 |
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A new programme, known as Information Prescriptions (IP), has been established at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals to support and guide patients with cancer through their diagnosis, treatment and care.
Published: 30 October 2012 |
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Archbishop Tutu gives inspirational address at St. Peter’s Hospital |
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Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was honoured and privileged to be visited by Archbishop Desmond Tutu earlier this week, as part of an initiative to ensure that equalities are at the heart of the organisation.
Published: 26 October 2012 |
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Chief Executive of Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Andrew Liles says: “We have been proud to be the preferred partner for Epsom Hospital and have worked hard on developing our plans. We have always believed there would be significant benefits – for patients and staff – in creating a larger foundation trust in this part of Surrey and have invested time and effort into developing these plans. Unfortunately despite our collective hard work, we were unable to develop a financially viable plan for Epsom Hospital as part of our Foundation Trust and this is disappointing.
Published: 29 October 2012 |
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A new programme, known as Information Prescriptions (IP), has been established at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals to support and guide patients with cancer through their diagnosis, treatment and care.
Published: 30 October 2012 |
November
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Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is asking local people to think first before they come to St. Peter’s Accident and Emergency Department.
Published: 13 November 2012 |
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Staff working in the A&E department at St Peter’s Hospital, have been praised for their calm and efficient action following the outbreak of a suspected small fire earlier this morning.
Published: 16 November 2012 |
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Ashford and St. Peter’s celebrates excellence with Olympic gold inspiration! |
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Team GB Olympic gold medallist Anna Watkins joined staff and guests of Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust earlier this week to celebrate their Achievement Awards 2012 in the elegant setting of Mercedes Benz World.
Published: 21 November 2012 |
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Ashford and St. Peter’s scoops national award for Managing Long Term Conditions |
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A Surrey hospital Trust has won a prestigious HSJ (Health Services Journal) Award for a special project aiming to improve care for elderly nursing home residents.
Published: 21 November 2012 |
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Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has achieved a significant milestone on the way to becoming a Baby Friendly Trust.
Published: 29 November 2012 |
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Every year as the temperature drops, more adults and children will catch colds, coughs and develop respiratory problems and all local health services will be under greater pressure.
Published: 30 November 2012 |
December
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This week sees three new Governors taking up their roles at Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, following recent elections. The three new Governors are Susan Lockwood and Tracy Ward for Runnymede and Consultant Ophthalmologist Arun Gupta, Medical and Dental Staff Governor.
Published: 05 December 2012 |
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Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is asking local people to think first before they come to St. Peter’s Accident and Emergency Department.
Published: 30 December 2012 |
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At Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals, putting patient care first means making the right investment decisions so the Trust can continue to develop high quality local health services. For some time, the Trust’s Peterbus service – a local community bus service set up to help patients travel to and from St Peter’s Hospital – has been losing money which, as passenger numbers continue to drop, is now posing a risk to funds that should be spent on direct patient care.
Published: 18 December 2012 |
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Over the past year, members of staff from Labour Ward and other departments at St Peter’s Hospital have been raising money for a special ‘hot cot’. The fundraising drive has been led by Nursery Nurse Sarah Dunstall, who said: “Overall we have raised about £1600 to purchase the cot; this includes generous support from local businesses such as Waitrose who chose us as one of their ‘green token’ charities and Pyrford Social Club, who have held two dart competitions and a raffle.”
Published: 20 December 2012 |
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Over the Christmas period Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals will be caring for patients around the clock as usual. Nurses, doctors and other ‘front line’ staff will be busy looking after patients on the wards and keeping emergency services running. Whilst an essential team of support staff such as housekeepers, porters and receptionists will help everything operate smoothly.
Published: 20 December 2012 |
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Seven babies were born at St Peter’s Hospital on Christmas Day. 3 boys and 4 girls. The first baby (a girl) to be born was at 01:04 to a family from Chertsey and the last baby, a boy, born at 23:43 from Virginia Water.
Published: 27 December 2012 |
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Today sees the official opening of a new Admissions and Discharge Lounge on Dickens Ward at Ashford Hospital in Middlesex.
Published: 28 December 2012 |
