Stow-ries

Whipps Cross chief executive Alan Gurney shares his Christmas message for 2020.

On 7 December 2020, we opened a new Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU) just 100 meters away from our general emergency department. The PAU will provide same-day emergency care for paediatric patients via bookable appointments made by the patient’s GP.

The winner of the Whipps Cross Hospital Star of the Month award for November 2020 is the Plane Tree Surgical Centre nursing team, who was nominated by a patient who received outstanding treatment and support.

Nigel Howchin sadly died on Monday 7th December 2020 following a short illness, after suffering a stroke in November. He was 68. Nigel was a much loved member of the Whipps Cross Hospital Estates team. We are all greatly shocked and saddened by this sudden loss.

Five years since a battle in the UK Christmas single charts brought them together, Justin Bieber and the NHS Choir reunite for their first ever collaboration, a special new version of Bieber’s UK hit ‘Holy’.

Susan Rayner, a Clerical Officer within the Barts Heart Centre cardiology team based at Whipps Cross, died on 24 November 2020.

On Friday 4 December, Peter Murray completed a 1000 mile walk around Walthamstow, raising more than £7,000 for the Whipps Cross University Hospital League of Friends.

This year has brought considerable challenges for staff, but many good news stories have emerged. One example is from March, where the Whipps Cross Eye Treatment Centre performed groundbreaking surgery to implant a Carlevale lens in a patient after he suffered an eye injury.

The RAFT (Rapid Access Frailty Team) were set up in March 2020 to respond to a drop in hospital admissions from patients suffering severe frailty symptoms.

A brand new, state of the art, hospital could be built within a garden setting under plans for the redevelopment of Whipps Cross.