Spotlight Autumn/Winter 2023

Spotlight
The magazine for the supporters of
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital Charity
Autumn/Winter 2023
Issue 16
Our Summer of Challenges
Spotlight on Patient
Focused Research
Music from the Stage & Screen
Also in this
issue
Recipes, quizes
and Christmas is
coming!!!

Welcome
In this edition we put our Spotlight on Research and speak to Keith
Wilson, our Patient Research Ambassador about the importance of
research in caring for patients with heart and lung disease as well as
highlighting some of our current trials that you might be able to get
involved in.
The Summer months have been incredibly busy and you can see what
some of our supporters have been up to while the sun has been shining.
You can also find details on some of our events, musical and scary as
well as learning more about our latest campaign. And, yes it’s that time
again – our Christmas Catalogue is enclosed here. Don’t forget to order
your cards soon – we sold out so quickly last year.
As always, we are incredibly grateful for all the ways you show your
support. You really do make a difference to thousands of lives every
year and we can’t thank you enough.
Until next time, take care and see you in the Spring.
Mary, Robyn,Gemma & Olivia
The LHCH Charity Team
Get in touch
Welcome to the
Autumn/Winter edition
of Spotlight which
brings you up to date
with everything that is
happening here at
Liverpool Heart and
Chest Hospital Charity.
Call the LHCH Charity Office on 0151 600 1409
Email: enquiries@lhchcharity.org.uk
Follow us: Facebook @TheLHCHCharity
Twitter & Instagram @lhchcharity
Or visit our website at www.lhchcharity.org.uk
Come and join the celebrations
The Magic of Music from Stage and Screen
On Sunday 17th September the Maghull Wind Orchestra will not only be
celebrating their 45th birthday but will also be marking
the 75th anniversary of the founding of the NHS.
This wonderful concert will feature the orchestra
themselves as well as choirs from Trinity Catholic
Academy, St Andrew's Church of England School
and Maghull High School as well as world
premiere performances of new arrangements
of some well-loved favourites.
Featuring music from Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast,
Over the Rainbow and many more of your favourites,
this will be a toe-tapping, singalong concert for the whole family.
See you there!
Tickets start at just £15 and
are available from the
Philharmonic Box Office by
clicking the link or by giving
the Box Office a call on 0151
709 3789.
Click here
to get your
tickets!
Charity Registration Number 1052813
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Spotlight Autumn/Winter 2023 - 3

Spotlight on...
Research
The future is Patient Focused Research
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital is a research active trust. Why?
Well, high quality research into new therapies, techniques and
models of care, can significantly improve the lives and outcomes for
our patients.
For over 20 years Keith Wilson, the LHCH Patient Research
Ambassador, has played a central role in helping to ensure
that the patient’s perspective is at the forefront in the
development and implementation of research at LHCH. We
spoke to Keith about his work and what he sees is the future
for research at the trust.
Keith is clearly a passionate advocate
for patient involvement in research
including his work as former Chair
of the SURE patient group.
He says: “The SURE Group was
established in 2006 at LHCH and
was a pioneer in allowing patients,
their families and carers to have an
input into research projects. This is a
vital component in developing any research
as they can give a unique perspective on the
relevance and clarity of the proposal, as well as looking at the
feasibility in terms of what we are asking of our patients to do
when participating.”
The group, and indeed research generally, was obviously
impacted by the Covid 19 Pandemic. Keith says: “Although we
had a short break due to Covid when, obviously the group couldn’t
physically meet to discuss projects and the focus of our research
was on COVID related studies, they are now getting back up to
speed and will be working harder than ever, championing the
patients' voice here at LHCH.”
It’s easy to see why the group is busy
with over 50 clinical trials currently
taking place. From something as
small as providing a new dressing
that goes on the wrist, for those
undergoing Angiograms, helping
them to heal more quickly and
shortening the time patients
have to stay in hospital, to the
introduction of a wearable patch
that monitors the heart.
The patch can be sent out to the
patient and returned by post to the
Trust, instead of a small ECG machine,
which had to be fitted and removed by a
radiologist, saving not only the patient’s time
and decreasing their need to visit the hospital twice but also
freeing up valuable radiography time for more diagnostic testing.
The potential for research here at LHCH is limitless, Keith wants to
make sure that those receiving care continue to be front and centre
when new projects are being developed. Looking forward he believes
that listening to patient voices is paramount and if we want to carry on
delivering relevant, quality research this will be more important than
ever. He says: “Patients, families and their carers have such a vital role
in helping to make our research impactful for them and I am so pleased
that I can play my very small part in helping to make that happen.”
If you would like to get involved in or just want
more information about research, you can ring
0151 600 1010 or email research.lhch@lhch.nhs.uk
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Spotlight Autumn/Winter 2023 - 5

Here are just a few examples of
clinical trials currently being
undertaken at LHCH, covering all
conditions and diseases at the trust.
Monitoring your heart
at home
The TICS study is a research study
looking to find out if regular
monitoring at home with a smart
device helps to improve the quality of
life for patients who are scheduled to
undergo heart surgery. The aim of
the study is to see if regular
monitoring can prevent the patient’s
condition deteriorating, stop them
from needing additional medical care.
Cystic Fibrosis – expanding
access to treatments
As one of the largest Cystic Fibrosis
treatment centres in the UK LHCH has
a number of research studies running
to benefit our CF patients. There have
been significant advances in the
treatment of CF in recent years but
some patients are unable to tolerate
these new treatments or are ineligible
to receive them because of their genes.
LHCH will be leading a study into a new
treatment for this cohort of patients
which will, hopefully, allow them to
have some of the new life-changing
treatments currently available.
Measuring Oxygen in
Intensive Care
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease and Bronchiectasis
Oxygen is a common treatment given
to patients in intensive care. The
amount of oxygen given is adjusted
depending on how much oxygen is in a
patient’s blood. Evidence about the
levels of extra oxygen patients should
receive is scarce meaning that there is
no optimum standard. Some evidence
has shown that less oxygen may be
beneficial, but more research needs
to be done to prove if this does,
indeed, provide better outcomes.
This study includes LHCH but also
other hospitals around the UK and the
rest of the world.
COPD is characterised by a progressive
decline in lung function and recurrent
infections. Bronchiectasis is a long-term
condition where the airways of the lungs
become abnormally widened, leading to a
build-up of mucus making the lungs more
vulnerable to infection.
LHCH is currently undertaking research
that focusses on reducing infections and
improving lung function which has the
potential to make a big impact on the
quality of life for this groups of patients.
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Spotlight Autumn/Winter 2023 - 7

A Halloween, and all things scary and creepy, quiz!
If you can’t take part in our Fright Night, why not test your knowledge
of all things ghostly with our quiz?
Halloween is also known as All Hallows Eve, what is another name
for Hallows?
Hometime
Winter vegetable & lentil soup
When it's cold outside, treat
yourself to a healthy homemade
vegetable soup, packed with
immunity-supporting vitamin C and
it's four of your 5-a-day
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Serves 2
Method
Tip 85g dried red lentils,
2 quartered and diced carrots,
3 sliced celery sticks and 2 sliced leeks
8 - Autumn/Winter 2023
Ingredients
85g dried red lentils
2 carrots, quartered
lengthways then diced
3 sticks celery sliced
2 small leeks, sliced
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 large garlic cloves,
chopped
1 tbsp vegetable bouillon
powder
1 heaped tsp ground
coriander
into a large pan with 2 tbsp tomato purée, 1 tbsp fresh thyme
leaves, 3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon
powder and 1 heaped tsp ground coriander.
Pour over 1½ litres boiling water from the kettle, then stir well.
Cover and leave to simmer for 30 mins until the vegetables and
lentils are tender.
Ladle into bowls and eat straightaway, or if you like a
really thick texture, blitz a third of the soup with a hand
blender or in a food processor.
Which game involving fruit is commonly played at Halloween?
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a story set around the time of
Halloween. Who is the author?
Who are Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Raymond Stantz, and Dr. Egon
Spengler better known as?
Thing was a character from The Addams Family TV series. What
was the only part of the character ever seen?
What is the name for a ghost responsible for physical disturbances,
such as loud noises and objects being moved?
Which TV series had the characters Fred, Velma, and Daphne?
Answers on page 22
We all “remember, remember the 5th of November” but what exactly
are we celebrating. Here’s are 5 fascinating facts about Bonfire Night.
1. Guy Fawkes wasn’t actually the leader of the plot to blow up the
Houses of Parliament, it was Robert Catesby. Fawkes had the job of
lighting the fuse on the 36 barrels of gunpowder in the cellars.
2. November 5th – was originally known as Gunpowder Treason Day
3. The tradition of burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes didn’t actually
start until the 18th century
4. Until 1854 it was actually illegal not to celebrate Bonfire Night
5. Fawkes was a pupil at St Peter’s School in York, and it is the one
place where a guy is never burnt out of respect for their former pupil.
Spotlight Autumn/Winter 2023 - 9

Events extravaganza!
Our fantastic supporters!
Over two days in the middle of July a group of hardy people really
showed their support for LHCH Charity – in the wind and the rain they
managed some amazing feats to show just how much the hospital and
our care for people with heart and lung disease means to them.
The Anglican Cathedral Abseil
Abseiling down one of the world’s tallest
non-spired church buildings is not for the
faint hearted but that’s what a group of
15 hardy souls did. The weather was not
auspicious for leaping off a 150ft tall building
- with a fair wind and steady drizzle but still
they did it and, believe it or not, some of them
wanted to go up and do it again!
The Tough Mudder
Challenge
Covering 10K and 22 different, and frankly
terrifying, obstacles 12 determined LHCH staff
took part in the Heaton Park Tough Mudder on a
rainy Manchester Sunday. From the Block Ness
Monster where teams have to work together to
move a 500lb block to the Augustus Gloop where
runners are blasted with a fire hose while they
climb up an enclosed tube – to say it was a
challenge is something of an understatement.
Five hours later they emerged, mud covered,
exhausted and somewhat battered and bruised
but triumphant. They also managed to raise the
absolutely amazing sum of £3,000 for LHCH
Charity
If you, your workmates or family and friends
want to be a part of next years action best let
us know now as we already have a waiting list!
Altogether they raised a magnificent £5,490 for LHCH Charity and
we can’t thank them enough for conquering their fears and being
brave enough to undertake one of our most demanding challenges.
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Spotlight Autumn/Winter 2023 - 11

Dare you join us for
Fright Night
On Saturday 28th October a group of hardy LHCH Supporters
and keen ghost hunters (including two quite nervous LHCH
Charity Team Members) will be exploring the site of the former
Newsham Park Hospital, reputedly one of the most haunted
areas in the North-West!
This sprawling Victorian Grade II listed building in Liverpool
now lies derelict but has been the site of an orphanage,
hospital, asylum and nursing home during its 138-year history.
Boarded up and surrounded by perimeter fencing, we have
99,000 sq. ft of terrifying corridors and rooms to explore as we
enter this building in search of the ghostly inhabitants that still
reside here.
Your entry fee of £30 includes use of ghost hunting equipment
including EMF Meters, ghost hunting vigils and experiments
such as table tipping and seances.
So, will you take on the challenge with us?
You can find out more and sign up by clicking the link below or
you can give us a call on 0151 600 1409.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Click here to get
your tickets!
Click here to visit our
Christmas Shop!
Well, it’s coming up to that time of year again (where does the time
go!) and we are enclosing our Christmas Catalogue for 2023.
We have a beautiful selection of cards for you to choose from, all
with good quality cards and envelopes and we have even managed
to hold the price again for this year – so very good value.
Why not take a browse and get your order in now. Last year we
had sold out of our most popular ones by the end of September
and although we have ordered more stock this year, we would hate
you to be disappointed!
Spotlight Autumn 2022 - 13
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Giving the gift of time
for LHCH Charity
Do you have a few hours to spare each week and want to help
LHCH Charity raise more funds? Well, volunteering might be just
the thing for you. LHCH Charity has a number of ways you can get
involved and they can even be done on your own doorstep.
Here’s some of the ways you can get involved
Event Support
Come and join us at our events to help with registration,
marshalling or just having a collection box.
Leaflet Drops
Do you fancy letting your neighbourhood learn more about how they
could play the lottery or how they could support the charity, let us
know and we can arrange for you to do some leaflet dropping in the
streets surrounding your house.
Supermarket Collections
If you could spare a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday, you could
help us with one of our Supermarket collections which take place in
Liverpool, Cheshire and North Wales.
If you would like to learn more, please
either complete the form below or give us
a call on 0151 600 1409 and we can talk
through what you might like to get
involved in.
We’re a great team and we hope that you
will enjoy every second of working with us
and we look forward to hearing from you.
Click here to sign
up for volunteering
Or...organise your own
Hold a coffee morning, cake sale or clear your
attic, go to a car boot and donate the proceeds.
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Spotlight Autumn/Winter 2023 - 15

Rachel's
thank you
At 32 weeks pregnant, to hear the words, ‘heart attack, heart failure,
rare heart condition and surgery’, was a frightening prospect. But that
was the situation that 32-year-old Rachel Munn, from Warringinton
was facing.
After experiencing some discomfort in her chest, Rachel went to her
local A&E and was stunned to be told that she’d had a heart attack
and was showing signs of heart failure. Rachel was immediately
referred to LHCH for specialist care and her clinical team discovered
she had a rare heart condition, called Anomalous Right Coronary
Artery.
Rachel says: “To say I was petrified was an understatement and it
almost felt as if my world had stopped.The LHCH team were clear
that I couldn’t go home and wanted to monitor my heart very closely
until a plan could be put together for the rest of my pregnancy".
Rachel says that the challenges only got harder, as immediately after
giving birth, she was moved to the intensive care unit for 5 days, while
her daughter was taken to the post-natal ward.
“It was a really difficult time and the mix
of emotions was unreal. I was so happy we
were both alive, but the upset of her going
off without me was heart-breaking.
Eventually, following a series of further
heart tests, I got the news I wanted more
than anything else - I could go home but
remain under the care of the team at LHCH.”
However, a further challenge arrived within days of Rachel coming
home as the first covid lockdown arrived. “After being in intensive
care, surrounded by specialists and hooked up to machines for weeks,
to then be isolated at home and told to shield because of my heart,
was actually pretty scary. It was almost like a battle with my mind.”
“But thanks to the care, support and reassurance that I received from
all the clinical team at LHCH, especially the Psychology Team, I was
able to slowly build my confidence and realised that a life lived in
fear is not a life lived. Throughout covid, the team at LHCH were my
lifeline and I’ll always be indebted to them for the emotional support
that they gave me, and for making me realise that I could get back to
full fitness and return to running.
“That’s why I want to show my gratitude
for all they did for me, by raising as much
money as I can for the hospital charity, so
that they can support other patients and
families like me.”
And what a fantastic effort it was!
On 21st May, Rachel ran the 13 miles from her
home to LHCH, her very own half marathon in
just a few short hours. At the end she was
warmly welcomed by her little girls as well as
some very enthusiastic members of staff!
To date Rachel has raised the amazing sum
of £2,257 for LHCH Charity and we can’t
thank this brave and amazing woman enough
for her support.
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The difference your
donations have made
We are so grateful for the support you give us which truly does make
an enormous difference to the hospital, our patients and their families.
Take a look at just some of things we have been able to do thanks to
you!
Support for the Cardiac
Catheterisation Centre
We were able to purchase of
a new Echo Navigation
System which provides
speedier and better results
for those undergoing
interventional cardiac
procedures.
The software enables the
fusing of Live 3D
Transoesophageal Echo and
live Xray imaging for
guidance in dealing with
crossing difficult lesions and
provides a more accurate
placement of devices.
Tomorrow’s medicine
today
During the past year, the
charity was able to provide a
grant for the purchase of a
Pulse Wave Analysis
System.This will be used in a
study to measure blood
pressure centrally via a
specialist system called Pulse
Wave Analysis.
This measurement is more
accurate in recognising “true”
blood pressure in the aorta
and assists clinicians to
recognise when patients may
have unrecognised and
untreated high blood pressure
(hypertension).
A dedicated
Echocardiography Suite
Every year around 4,000
patients receive an
Echocardiogram. These are
vital for the diagnosis and
management of heart
conditions. Many patients
cannot be discharged without
having undergone an Echo
procedure, but the existing
facilities were hot,
uncomfortable and
ill-equipped to deal with
the patient numbers.
By supporting the
establishment of a new suite
for Echocardiography LHCH
Charity was able to provide a
facility that addressed all of
these issues, optimising staff
time, reducing patient stress
and accelerating patient
discharge reducing pressure on
bed spaces.
Helping to reduce delirium
in critically ill patients
Building on the success of our
earlier campaign to help
reduce delirium amongst our
most poorly patients LHCH
Charity supported the
purchase of an additional six
Sky Ceiling Tiles for our
Intensive Care Unit.
One of the major contributors
to the onset of delirium is
disassociation (the loss of
understanding of time and
surroundings).
The ceiling tiles provide an
understanding of the passage
of time, helping to maintain
regular sleep patterns which
is a key element in the fight
against disassociation.
So again, thank you for all
you do and if you would like
to get involved in another
important campaign just
turn the page to learn more.
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Spotlight Autumn/Winter 2023 - 19

Why we need your help...
As you know at LHCH we are a specialist centre for the treatment
of heart disease. Treatments can range from cardiac imaging and
diagnostics to emergency care following a heart attack.
For those who require surgery we have 15 surgeons who provide a
24-hour, 7 day a week service for both planned and emergency
procedures. Over 2,000 of the patients who have heart operations
with us will require post-operative intensive care because they are
designated as high-risk. This could be because of the nature of
their procedure, their age or the fact that they have other existing
health issues.
The monitoring of these patients is absolutely essential to ensure
they make a good recovery. Often this means that they are
connected to a wide range of monitoring machines including heart
monitors, artificial ventilators, and instruments to measure fluids
and blood gases. However, even with all this monitoring equipment
it can be difficult to identify what the cause is when patients are
not recovering as they should.
At the present time if a patient
is in this position, they will
require a further invasive
procedure known as
pulmonary artery
catheterisation.
LHCH has recently trialled a new, state of the art system of
minimally invasive monitoring which attaches to the existing radial
artery line inserted during the initial surgery. Thanks to this system
medical teams are able to have early warnings of potential problems
such as detection of sepsis and shock, low blood pressure or unstable
blood pressure which can lead to stroke.
The benefits don’t just stop at early detection however it ensures
that the patient is receiving the correct amount of fluids and drugs,
providing an individual regime of care for each patient. It significantly
reduces the risk of post-operative complications such as stroke or
kidney injury. It leads to a shorter recovery time meaning that
patients spend less time in Intensive Care reducing the risk of
delirium and it's more cost-effective as it reduces the need for
further major treatment.
LHCH Charity wants to ensure that every
patient that needs it will have access to this
monitoring system so we are launching a
campaign to raise the funds to purchase
six of these machines, one of each of the
intensive care beds set aside for high-risk
cardiac patients.
The cost of each machine is £25,000 so we
are asking you to give whatever you can to
help us make those most at risk following
heart surgery have a faster and safer recovery.
This is not without risk to
a patient who is already
very poorly but there is a
way that this problem can
be addressed without the
need for further surgery.
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Spotlight Autumn/Winter 2023- 21

How a gift in your will can make a
difference for future generations
THE
You can help make heart and lung diseases a
thing of the past by supporting one of our
legacy programmes
I NEVER THOUGHT
I WOULD SEE
We all know that Christmas is a very special time of year, a time
to be with family and friends and enjoy the time we have together.
Imagine what it must be like being in hospital over that period,
fearing that this might be the last festive season you will see.
For those who
want our
dedicated staff
to have the
latest and best
equipment
For those who
want us to be
able to provide
additional
amenities for our
patients and their
families
For those who
want to support
our researchers
find new ways of
treating and
curing heart and
lung diseases
This year our Christmas Campaign features 3 people who have
lived with that fear but thanks to the skill and dedication of our
medical staff are now well and looking forward to lots of
Christmases to come.
All of them support our appeal to help raise
the funds for the new Cardiac Output Monitors
that we discuss on Pages 20 and 21.
If you would like to support us then
just click here.
I was so grateful for all the
time and effort they gave
to saving my life, it felt like
it was the least I could do
to ensure that they can
continue to help when I
have gone.
Mr B of Merseyside
If you would like to find out
more - including how you
can access our free will
writing service
contact the Charity Office on
0151 600 1409
or email us at
Support us today
Quiz Answers from page 9
Saints, Bobbing for apples, Washington Irving, Ghostbusters,
The hand, Poltergeist, Scooby-Doo
Thank you for helping
us make sure that
many more people
have Christmas’s to
remember!
enquiries@lhchcharity.org.uk
and we can send you all the
information you need.
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Spotlight Autumn/Winter 2023 - 23

If you would like to
make a donation to
support the work
of LHCH Charity
Just click here