6 minute read
Country music charity night
from LUHFT Life - Issue 4
by LUHFT
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Country musician gives back after lifesaving cancer operation
Music has always been the lifeblood of 79-year-old Stan Matthews, who picked up his first instrument aged nine to play in a brass band.
So when a cancerous tumour broke his jaw and his life was saved by a 14-hour operation in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the musician decided he wanted to give back to the hospital who enabled him to get back up on stage. Stan and his band, the Chelwood County Country Music Band, are hosting a charity night including a country dance demonstration and raffle, with proceeds going directly to our hospitals. “I’d previously been treated for cancer twice before at another hospital in the region. However, after I developed the lump the size of a golf ball on my neck, I was referred to the Maxillofacial unit at Aintree University Hospital at the start of 2020. The cancer had gone into my bone so I needed surgery to remove it,” said Stan, who’s an ex-Royal Air Force Police Officer. Unfortunately, before his planned surgery could take place, Stan’s jaw broke, and he was brought in for emergency surgery to remove the tumour and repair his jaw. Stan was treated by Professor Simon Rogers, Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon, in an operation that included removing a piece of bone from his leg, shaping it, and replacing it in his jaw. “Professor Rogers did a world class job. I was then looked after at Aintree for 10 days until I was fit enough to go home. I cannot thank the doctors and nurses at Aintree enough and felt I had to give something in return to the staff who saved my life.” Proceeds of the charity night will be split between the Head and Neck Centre at Aintree Hospital, and the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital fund. Professor Simon Rogers said: “I am really pleased to see that since his surgery last year, Stan is now able to get back up on the stage doing what he loves best. The whole team at the Head and Neck Centre wish him well and really appreciate his fundraising efforts.”
Chelwood County Country Music Band will be hosting their country music charity night on 27 November 2021, at the Metal Box Sports and Social Club in Speke Boulevard at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5 and can be purchased by texting COUNTRY to 07919234289 or contact fundraising@liverpoolft.nhs.uk.
Supporting patients with smoking addiction
This Stoptober, an ex-smoker of 40 years is urging those who want to stop smoking to seek the support needed to quit, after receiving help from our dedicated hospital team, CURE.
Allan Berry, aged 66, has not smoked for six months. When the retired chef from Whiston was admitted to the Royal in May 2021 for vascular surgery, he was able to utilise smoking cessation support and begin an individualised management plan to quit smoking for good. “I was in my 20s when I took up smoking, and until this year I smoked between 10 and 12 cigarettes a day. When I was going out, the pubs were all filled with clouds of smoke. I’d play darts and snooker with my friends, who all smoked, and my parents did too – it was just the normal thing to do,” said Allan. It wasn’t until his health started to deteriorate that he tried to kick the habit. Allan has several health conditions caused as a result of smoking, including peripheral arterial disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). He has also suffered a heart attack and a stroke.
Allan puts his success of finally being on the road to recovery down to the CURE team he met whilst an inpatient at the Royal. “It was scary to hear. Being on the vascular ward at the Royal was a real wake up call. I saw some patients who were having their legs amputated because of the damage smoking had caused. I went to hell and back there – and still have nightmares about what I saw, but it was the wake-up call I needed. That’s when I met Ian.”
Ian McNally is a Smoking Cessation Assistant, said: “I am really proud of Allan; he has made some fantastic steps to quit smoking. I know that the support we have been able to give Allan has helped positively change his health and life. This makes the job that I do all the more worthwhile. By medicalising nicotine addiction, it helps to reduce stigma and effectively support people to quit for good.” Allan added: “Meeting Ian, changed my life for the better. I decided I wasn’t going to let him or anyone down, and I wasn’t going to be back in hospital because of smoking. I’m now six months smoke free. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly difficult. I’m not 100% there yet – but I’m 90% and I am so much better for it.”
287 patients have been supported by CURE to quit vs 12 quits in 2017/18
On average, 1 in 5 admissions are active smokers Around 4,982 smokers admitted to our hospitals have been identified since the Liverpool CURE programme launched in the Royal two years ago. Due to the success, the team began supporting patients at Aintree in July and Broadgreen in October 2021.
“Being sick and hospitalised is a powerful motivator for patients to evaluate their health and want to improve it. So being in a position where we can support patients to reduce the further health risks associated with smoking is why the CURE programme is working so well,” said Kate Maitland, Nurse Lead for Smoking. When patients are admitted staff simply need to record the patient’s smoking status in Dashboard and they will automatically be referred to the CURE team.
Supporting patients with smoking addiction
Stoptober supports people nationally to stop smoking, but we wanted to find out what we do in our hospitals to help patients and staff, so this month caught up with the Liverpool CURE Team. One patient is supported to
quit for every 15 smoking statuses completed on Dashboard
Monthly staff support clinics across LUHFT are coming soon
Kate continued: “It’s not about asking people to stop smoking, it’s having a meaningful conversation about their smoking and supporting them to manage their cravings whilst in hospital. We explore with them how medication such as nicotine patches or an inhalator (replacement therapy) can help.
“We offer patients an individual treatment plan for nicotine dependence, continue to support them after they’re discharged and, if they are ready, can book them directly into a specialist community service who will continue to work with the patient throughout their quit attempt. Seamless, collaborative care.
“We are now rolling out the CURE service at Aintree, starting with the respiratory departments, cardiology, AMU and Head and Neck surgery, and will expand this further to all LUFHT inpatient areas during the next few months.
“We identified 4,982 smokers in two years, and that’s all thanks to the hundreds of staff who are screening and recording the smoking status of all inpatients, so thank you! If we don’t know about these patients, we can’t support them.”
