Our year in grants

SAFER AIR RESEARCH

ENHANCED RECOVERY AFTER OBSTETRIC SURGERY

SUPPORTING FLU CAMPAIGN DEVELOPING A UNIQUE MOOC

BOOSTING UCLH ONLINE

MAKING VISITING BETTER

ARTS AND HERITAGE

SUPPORTING FAMILIES PREHABILITATION (MILE) PROGRAMME

IMPROVING AND EXTENDING EPIC NEW PORTABLE VESTIBULAR EQUIPMENT

IMPROVING UCLH VIDEO CONTENT

EVALUATING NEW CLINICAL ROLES

OUR YEAR

IN GRANTS

We allocate grants via a thorough application process, which allows innovation and creativity to flourish at UCLH. Applications are initially assessed by a Trust team to ensure they deliver benefits to patient care and are aligned with the Trust’s strategic priorities. Successful applicants are then invited to trustee meetings to present their ideas. Grants for the year 2021/22 are featured here.

SAFER AIR RESEARCH

During the pandemic, clinical spaces could not be used due to the risk of disease transmission. This research study aims to futureproof such spaces by studying disease transmission using breathing and speaking androids. The resulting data will allow for ventilation solutions to make safer air spaces.

DEVELOPING A UNIQUE MOOC

Our funding will facilitate the development of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the transfer of critically unwell patients. Clinicians in ITU and anaesthesia are capturing the learning from UCLH’s experience as a surge centre during the pandemic to provide a first of its kind MOOC to share best practice.

IMPROVING AND EXTENDING EPIC

We are funding the Bugsy Infection Prevention and Control Module in EPIC which flags infectious diseases and supports effective contact tracing. This can help reduce number of bed days lost and staff absences to a wide range of infectious diseases, such as ‘flu, norovirus etc.

MAKING VISITING BETTER

The family communication transformation project aims to improve the experience of people visiting loved ones at UCLH. The grant will embed learning and innovation from the pandemic when face to face visiting was not possible, such as video calls and family liaison officers.

SUPPORTING FAMILIES

During the pandemic, volunteers joined the family liaison service, providing contact between patients and their loved ones. This led to proposals to embed and expand this involvement on an ongoing basis. Funding will be used to employ a project lead to continue and consolidate this work.

PREHABILITATION (MILE) PROGRAMME

Prehabilitation (preventative rehabilitation) aims to improve resilience to the trauma of surgery, by systematically addressing physical fitness, nutrition, and psychological state thereby improving outcomes. This funding will allow for expansion into surgery for five different types of cancer.

ENHANCED RECOVERY AFTER OBSTETRIC SURGERY

Research shows that enhanced recovery reduces complications, length of stay and improves patient experience and outcomes after major surgery. Funding is being made available to digitise enhanced recovery for women giving birth by caesarean section, via a smartphone app.

EVALUATING NEW CLINICAL ROLES

Our funding will enable teams in the respiratory medicine and clinical pharmacology departments to explore and evaluate the relatively new role of physician associates. Two posts will be recruited to support clinicians caring for respiratory and clinical pharmacology patients who typically have longer lengths of stay in hospital.

NEW PORTABLE VESTIBULAR EQUIPMENT

This funding of this stateof-the-art equipment will support patients presenting in the audiovestibular clinic with dizziness by helping to reduce the clinical risk of misdiagnosed or delayed diagnosis. This will create a one stop service, enabling UCLH to treat more patients more quickly and accurately.

IMPROVING UCLH VIDEO CONTENT

This funding will support a videographer post to produce accessible information in film format, thereby improving patient and staff experience.

BOOSTING UCLH ONLINE

This funding will support a digital communications officer to ensure that UCLH is fully utilising digital tools to communicate with patients, staff and key stakeholders as effectively as possible.

ARTS AND HERITAGE

The arts and heritage programme delivers projects that have proven benefits to both patient and staff experience. This grant will enable the small team to expand to continue their extensive portfolio of work which includes art in hospitals, bedside creative activities and creative comforts for staff.

SUPPORTING ‘FLU CAMPAIGN

The winter vaccination programme now includes ‘flu and a Covid-19 vaccination which adds to the complexity of implementation. This funding allows for support for the 2021/22 campaign to help UCLH to reach national implementation targets.