My visit to Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (QVH) underlined the power that effective teamwork and collaboration can have in delivering high quality care. The positive culture fostered by staff at QVH was evident throughout my visit and it was clear, when walking around the site with Chief Executive Officer James Lowell and members of the trust's medical and communications teams, that the trust is loved by both the staff and the local community.
QVH is a leading specialist centre for reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation. The trust has a fascinating history, with the surgeon Archibald McIndoe's ground-breaking plastic surgery work during World War II firmly establishing the trust's reputation for being at the forefront of innovation. The board, chaired by Jackie Smith, has identified 'delivering excellence' as its core approach, and they have focused on working closely with boards of all the acute providers across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, the three counties the trust predominantly serves, to deliver quality care to patients.
Much of the focus for the trust over the last year has been around developing its draft strategy for the future. Following an appraisal of options, the board supported the trust being a provider of regional and specialist services while developing an innovative health and care offering to its local community. This will strengthen its collaborative partnerships and build on its role as an anchor institution for its local area.
Whilst the board noted the continued challenges related to infrastructure and funding, I was struck by the pioneering techniques and treatment offered. The Maxillofacial Prosthetics team showed me a host of custom-made prosthetics created in Europe's largest onsite maxillofacial laboratory, and I also received an insight into orthognathic surgery and facial reconstruction. Consultant Maxillofacial/Head and Neck Surgeon Professor Jag Dhanda allowed me to sample the technology he has developed, which gives live streaming and restreaming of cadaveric and live surgical techniques in virtual reality for medical education. Brian Bisase, a Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon, also shared his cutting-edge work on head and neck cancer ablation and reconstruction.
The innovative treatment offered by QVH also extends to non-surgical interventions. I met Extended Scope Practitioner in Facial Palsy Catriona Neville who explained how she co-founded the UK's first and largest expert facial palsy service at QVH to treat patients from across the country. QVH also hosts one of the largest centres in the UK for adult sleep medicine and I was given an insight into the full range of treatments QVH can offer. The trust works with a broad range of patient groups and has recently implemented a triage system in collaboration with the surgical team, helping to manage patient flow pressures. It is an organisation with a lot going on.
I admired the collaborative approach to working that was embedded in every team. When I was led around the operating theatres, there were several surgical staff shadowing QVH staff, who would reciprocate in their trust in the future. Above all, I was impressed with the scale of ambition present in every service across the trust. While it was clear that the trust is tackling challenges in managing ageing infrastructure and funding, the trust's dedication to delivering high quality patient care was obvious.
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