We are aware that staying hospital affected people in different ways. Young adult patients are just one of the many pools of people we support whilst in hospital.

Young adults, patients aged 16 – 24, have the added pressure of transitioning between child and adult services as well as receiving sometimes life-changing treatment.

The transition is different for every individual, but can cause an immense amount of added anxiety towards being in hospital, for both the patient and their family.

Our charity supports the individuals to help this transition to be as smooth and comfortable as possible.

In August 2019 we launched our first bespoke Young Adult rooms for patients aged 16 – 24 and their families to stay.

The room was designed and supported by patients. They helped us with all elements of the room, from the colour scheme to the entertainment available.

These rooms create a safe supportive space for patients and their families to stay. The rooms are equipped with smart TV’s, books, board games and games stations to help patients enjoy their stay with us. There is also the space and facility for family members to stay along side the patient if they would like.

We know that being distracted can help with anxiety, and we hope that the elements in the room do exactly that.

“It was lovely and big with my own bathroom – the curtain was there to pull across if needed and It was lovely and private – also liked that my mum could stay with me too”

Emmanuel was one of the first a patients who stayed in a young adult room. He felt the room was vibrant and more importantly, didn’t feel like a hospital environment.

Supporting our oncology service

Our Oncology service at the ROH sees over 2000 patients every year for either overnight or day case surgeries. Our specialist nature means patients travel from all over the UK often with their families to undergo specialist procedures. 

Children’s HDU

The Children’s High Dependency Unit (HDU) is an important part of our hospital, caring for really poorly children and young people. We wanted to improve the look and feel of the department so it felt as welcoming as possible.

With the help of passionate supporters and passionate staff, we raised enough funds to improve the Department and make it a comfortable, suitable and vibrant space for young people. This included new graphics on the wall and new entertainment equipment for patients who spend much of their time in HDU lying in bed. We also invested in new chai- beds, so that parents would find it easier and more comfortable to stay with their children during the night.

This has had a fantastic impact on patient experience and was made possible by the generous support of people just like you.

New equipment for patients

In 2017 a bid was signed off to renovate the physio rehab facilities within the hospital in order to become a centre of excellence for lower limb rehabilitation.

New gymnasium equipment  was purchased, which give a much more professional look to the gym. Before this was brought in, the gym was looking dated and the use of the equipment was limited. With the new equipment it makes the feel of the facilities much more professional, it means the gym as a whole is reliable and can be tailored to each individual patient need.

The new state of the art Gait/biomechanical analysis equipment, provides a detailed assessment of how our patients perform daily tasks, i.e. walking or running has been really successful so far.  Before this arrived, assessments were completed by our therapy staff , meaning they would simply watch and assess. This of course can be done and can be effective, however can mean there is room for error. This has been in place for around 8 months now, and we’ve had lots of positive feedback on the thorough assessment. As this has been in place for such a short period of time we have not yet seen a progression in outcomes. We are however hoping this means less re-referrals into the system as an accurate assessment took place in rehabilitation.

When looking into renovating the gym one of the main priorities was to build a private space for patients to use if need be. This enhances patient experience as we are now giving our patients the option of using a private space rather than sharing the gym with several other patients. Two of the previous wheelchair stores have now been converted and is a safe private space for patients and therapists to perform rehabilitative massages and exercises.

Since the space has been improved there has been more workshops and activities available for patients to get involved with, in both an individual way as well as in group rehabilitation. This has significantly improved the feel of the gym, and all renovations have given users a more patient centrered feel to the space.

All these renovations have significantly improved staff morale within the physio team. They are now able to conduct thorough professional assessments and are proud to work in the gym!

Reducing anxiety for small joint surgery

Earlier this year, Mr Brewster, one of our amazing hand surgeons, approached us with an idea to improve patient experience.

Many of the surgeries we perform are done under a local anaesthetic which means that patients remain awake as they are operated on, which can be uncomfortable and anxious experience.

Mr Brewster approached the fundraising team and shared his idea to give patients iPads and wireless headphones during surgery. This would allow them to listen to music or watch their favourite programmes with minimal distraction for the surgical team conducting the operation.

The fundraising team found suitable equipment, which complies with our stringent infection control policies and investment made was around £1,000 after donations were made from the local community.

Working together, the team trialed this with patients and the results were a resounding success!

Patients felt less anxious, had a better experience and recommended that this equipment was made available for future patients – so that’s exactly what we’re going to do!

We’re also looking at how we can offer this service to other specialities in the hospital.

This is just one example of ‘a little going a long way’ from the donations we receive.

If you have an idea that could improve patient experience, please contact us on roh.charitablefunds@nhs.net

How legacy giving leaves an impact

Robert was born with club feet and as a little boy underwent many operations. Since the 1970s Robert has visited The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital for various treatments and regularly visits our Orthotic Team to have his shoes made and repaired.

Robert contacted us know that he had decided to leave us a legacy.

“I realise that if I had been born five years earlier or before, I would not have been able to walk. It is because of the treatment by dedicated surgeons and nursing staff and their colleagues that I am now fully mobile. I would like to thank the members of the Orthotics Team for their efficient and courteous service.”

During Robert’s life he witnessed many advances in orthopaedic care. His generous legacy will help us to continue to research and improve. Robert’s life has been changed by the care he has received, his legacy will help to change more lives.

How legacies can support positive change

Mr Dubrowsky lived in West Bromwich and worked as an engineer. One day while shopping, he fell and hurt his leg. During treatment for his fall he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.

He was treated at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and upon receiving such expert and compassionate treatment, decided to leave a legacy to the Trust.

Mr Dubrowsky’s legacy has been invested in to a new state-of-the-art laboratory. The ‘Dubrowsky Regenerative Medicine Laboratory’ opened in 2019 and supports some amazing research and development projects. Mr Dubrowsky has left an incredible legacy which will have an impact in the lives of so many patients.

Investing in our people

Every year our Learning and Development team put a bid in to Charitable Funds to support and enhance learning opportunities for our staff. Whether this be a nursing degree or an advance apprenticeship opportunity any member of staff can get involved if they need to. The trustees are always keen on using funding to excel our workforce, so is always signed off on the basis that any bids for training go through the committee first.

Dan was one of the people who applied for this funding towards an Information Technology Practitioner BSc (Hons) Top Up Degree. Paul Athey, Director of Finance, commented that Dan’s application was “the one bid with a clear return on investment” and offered the funding for Dan to complete his top up degree course. This entailed going to Coventry University every Saturday for a year and incorporated modules which enhanced his day job, such as  Business Computing and Advanced Information Systems.

Dan started as a volunteer at the ROH, and quickly excelled to an apprentice. Dan is now an Infrastructure Engineer in the Infrastructure team within IM&T, a role which entails building servers and storage maintenance Trust wide. He is now the proud owner of a first-class honours degree and is using the confidence and knowledge he’s gained through furthering his career to improve the quality and range of services offered by our IM&T department.

Investing in wellness

Based on the latest evidence from around the world, the JointCare programme at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital is setting new standards for NHS hip and knee replacement surgery in England. JointCare is based on a model of ‘wellness’ focussed  on movement and recovery. Since the introduction of this programme we now regularly see patients go home just 24 – 48 hours after their surgery. Here’s how the charity has supported this amazing new pathway:

We funded therapy chairs: these specialist chairs support physio exercises to be completed safely and effectively. The chairs fully recline and are easy to manoeuvre, ensuring any unwell patients can be cared for appropriately. They are provided above and beyond what the NHS would usually provide and directly support patient recovery.

We funded enhanced physiotherapy equipment: this specialist equipment is intended for each patient to use whilst in group therapy sessions. They support independence and help meet the range of needs presented by different patients.

We funded a wellness room mural: the wellness room is designed to feel very different to a clinical environment. We want patients to recover in a bright and positive space and the mural helps to set this tone. We worked with a local artist to develop a mural and it looks fantastic and patients love it!

After evaluating the feedback of 50 patients following these changes being implemented, we achieved a 100% satisfaction rate. This is a great example of how our charity supports The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital to deliver world class care and amazing patient outcomes.