Heartbeat September 2018

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4 Hospital chaplain urges Asian community to join the register CORPORATE AND GENERAL NEWS Hindu Chaplain, Rakesh Bhatt, whose wife underwent a lifesaving kidney transplant after a 12 year wait, has urged the Asian community to join the register. The 53-year-old revealed his family’s journey during Organ Donation Week (September 3- 9). His wife Bhavana Bhatt, 49, was told in 2006 that both her kidneys were failing due to complications caused by Henoch- Schonlein purpura (HSP) - a disease which causes blood vessels in the skin, kidneys, intestines and joints to become inflamed and start leaking. Bhavana went on the waiting list, but a match wasn’t found until 2018. Dad-of-two Rakesh said to Heartbeat: “Bhavana had the transplant but we were told it had failed within 48 hours and she went back onto the list. She had already waited seven years for the first transplant and we were left devastated when it didn’t work. “Afterwards we were worried about how much longer we would have to wait for another match to come forward as the Asian community is very reluctant to join the register, which means there is a shortage of donors.” It wasn’t until February this year that a match was finally found – 12 years after Bhavana first joined the register. “We were still hopeful that it would work, despite our previous experience. The operation was a success, and Bhavana’s body hasn’t rejected the kidney. She is doing extremely well. “I have witnessed first-hand, through my work as a hospital chaplain that Asian patients in need of a donor are waiting longer than others. “We need to encourage more people within our Asian communities to come forward. I think there is a general lack of awareness around organ donation and so we need to carry out more community events to promote how joining the register can save lives. This would work especially well if it is done by religious leaders. “I also work within a temple, and I regularly invite clinicians from organ donation teams to come along and talk about the subject and why it is so important to join the register.” Both Sandwell and City sites held events earlier this month, during Organ Donation Week, to raise awareness around the subject. A life size version of the game Operation was at the Birmingham Treatment Centre, where patients, visitors and staff will be able to have a go at removing organs from “Cavity Sam”. Judith Martin, Specialist Nurse Organ Donation, said: “It’s a fun and interactive way to learn about organ donation and this is what we’d like people to do with their families for Organ Donation Week – just have a chat. “If you are unsure about donation, please ask yourselves as a family; what would you do if one of you needed a transplant? Would you accept a life-saving organ? If you’d take an organ, shouldn’t you be prepared to donate?” Millions of people are already on the NHS Organ Donor Register, join them today and tell your family you want to save lives. Register at organdonation. nhs.uk. Kidney transplant patient Bhavana Bhatt with her husband Rakesh Bhatt Just four months after her kidney transplant Bhavana Bhatt is fighting fit L-R: Sandra Annikey-Gordon, Senior Sister on Critical Care; Kelly Birks, Sister on Critical Care; Patrick Thompson from Kreate company; Judith Martin, Organ Donation Nurse: Reverend Ann Stevenson and Phil Barrett from Kreate company Fracture clinic given revamp by budding art students Black Country art students have patients, staff and visitors. transformed the waiting room in the fracture clinic at Sandwell Hospital by creating a colourful mural on the wall. The “enchanting” handiwork, named "Window on the World” has been painted by students from Sandwell College. The budding artists took on the challenge as part of their community arts module. It was co-ordinated by healthcare charity Kissing it Better. The clinic had no natural light, so they designed a mural featuring large windows depicting scenes of the borough’s multicultural communities. Sam Beck, Matron for the clinic, explained: “It’s a really impressive piece of work that has brightened up the area. We wanted to create an environment for our patients which was uplifting and we feel like the students have done just that. We want to thank them and Kissing it Better for all their help in creating this mural and transforming the clinic by painting the walls.” Jessica Morera is one of the students who painted the mural. She said: ”This project will make a real difference to patients. There are no windows in the reception area, so we wanted to paint some onto the walls, giving people the feeling that they can see something beyond the clinic.” The makeover was conceived and organised by Kissing it Better, a national healthcare charity that promotes simple ideas to improve patient experience. The charity works at both Sandwell and City hospitals, creating projects where students can use their talents to make a difference to Jill Fraser, CEO of Kissing it Better, said: “The hospital waiting experience can often be boring and stressful. The students have given families visiting Sandwell Hospital’s fracture clinic the gift of an enchanting and uplifting waiting experience.” L-R: John McKeon, Head of Section for Construction at Sandwell College, Jackie Roxborough, from Kissing it Better, Lisa Comfort, Ward Sister at Fracture Clinic, Helen Sweeting, Art and Design Lecturer at Sandwell College.
NHS Hero Kathryn Gill – Consultant surgeon CORPORATE AND GENERAL NEWS Consultant Surgeon and Deputy Director of Research and Development, Kathryn Gill Our organisation is full of remarkable, motivated people, who give a lot to the communities we serve. Since 2014, we have been recognising our quiet heroes who come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and do a wide variety of jobs across our organisation. Each week we shine a spotlight on one of those heroes, and following an interview by our press office the Sandwell Chronicle publishes these inspirational stories. She is a leading medic who is dedicated to finding the best treatment for faecal incontinence, a condition that affects one in 10 people across the country. Consultant Surgeon, Kathryn Gill, who is also the Deputy Director for Research and Development, has been working for SWBH for 10 years and for her, no two days are the same. She said: “When I first came to the Trust, I was asked to set up the FINCH team (Faecal Incontinence and Constipation Healthcare) and now, it is one of the largest pelvic floor services in the country. “I’m very proud of the team. We are a group of doctors and nurses who work together to provide specialist care to patients. The team has received a number of awards for its innovative approach in managing the condition safely within the hospital and community.” She continued: “We work in a fast-paced environment where we make sure we give patients the best care possible. We regularly hold meetings to ensure we are up-to- date with patients’ progress and that they receive the right care at the right time in the right place.” Beside her clinical work, Kathryn also focuses on carrying out research as she believes it is the key to improving patient care. She said: “I am certain that R&D helps us provide better care to our patients. “Currently, I am leading the FINCH team to take part in an international study, called SUBSoNIC, which aims to determine the effectiveness of a new surgical treatment for faecal incontinence. “Faecal incontinence is an inability to control bowel movements, resulting in involuntary soiling. This condition can lead to a social or hygienic problem. “The new treatment, called sacral neuromodulation, uses a stimulator that sends electrical impulses to the nerves and muscles that control the lower bowel, which may improve continence. “The results of the SUBSoNIC study will hopefully give us a clear understanding of how well the device works for patients. At the moment, we are recruiting patients to this important study.” As the Deputy Director for R&D, Kathryn has a clear vision of how she would like to fulfil her role. She said: “One of our organisation’s priorities for R&D is to focus on improving the engagement with patients. “We believe that patients play an important role in research and we want to engage with them more closely. “We held our first research patient involvement group in July. The aim of this group is to provide a channel of communication through which patients and members of the public can help shape research at the Trust. Through their input, we, as healthcare professionals will have greater understanding of what the public want and how to deliver this. “In addition, I’m very excited that we are going to open two research facilities at Sandwell and City hospitals later this year, where patients and researchers can work together. “The places will also become central research hubs where researchers, from different professional backgrounds, can come together and collaborate.” Outside work, Kathryn enjoys painting, a hobby that she picked up only two years ago. She said: “I have always appreciated art. So when my husband bought me some brushes and painting material, I started painting right away. And now, I’m a member of the Worcester Society of Artists.” Kathryn’s new talent for art has earned the well-deserved fame, as she scooped the title Artist of the Year 2018 for Best Beginner animal and wildlife artist. She said: “I was shocked when I was told that I won the award. There were more than 2,000 submissions, so it was a pleasant surprise to receive the news.” She added: “My hero would be Mohandas Gandhi. His peaceful approach in negotiation has a large influence on me. “I find his work inspirational and I apply his philosophy in the work that I do every day, using communications to resolve differences and to achieve positive outcomes.” If patients, who are suffering from faecal incontinence, would like to take part in the SUBSoNIC study, please contact consultant surgeon Kathryn Gill via email at kathryn. gill@nhs.net. 5
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Heartbeat September 2018

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