Living our values

Comforting our patients

Our volunteers Rose McShaneGriffiths and Rita Mathews have been hard at work creating crochet blankets to provide comfort to our patients in their final weeks.

They donated the blankets, along with small lavender scented hearts, stars and birds, to our Palliative Care Team. The team, including Kate and Sam (pictured) are always grateful for donations like this and are looking for more blankets, small organza bags or lock of hair pouches. If you can help or you know a knitting group, contact the Palliative Care Team.

Helping young people build skills

We recently held an open day for our third cohort of the Project Search programme, which will begin in September. This programme is to support young people with learning difficulties, to build their skills and confidence ready for employment.

If you can support a work placement in your team from September onwards or want more details, contact Annette.Pollitt@liverpoolft.nhs.uk.

Research leader’s desire to enhance patient care

Shirley Pringle, Research Matron for the Liverpool Head & Neck Centre (LHNC), has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Cancer Nurse Award at the North West Cancer Research Gala Dinner and Awards this May.

As part of her role for the LHNC, Shirley manages a team of six research staff facilitating the set-up, opening and recruitment of the LHNC cancer clinical trials portfolio which includes phase 1, 2 and 3 international studies led from Liverpool.

Currently comprising approximately 30 studies, 650 patients are screened and 400 patients recruited per annum – three/four times more than any other UK centre. As well as this, Shirley is a key member LUHFT’s Research Nurses Senior Leadership Group and also finds time to undertake an MBA in Healthcare Management at Liverpool John Moores University.

Director of LHNC, Professor Terry Jones said: “Shirley’s enthusiastic and capable leadership is critical to the successful recruitment to head and neck cancer clinical trials, ensuring that the CRN NWC has been the highest UK recruiter to NIHR portfolio H&N cancer clinical trials since 2017.

“She is highly innovative and proactive, driven by a deep desire to enhance patient care and has taken maximum advantage of the leadership and educational opportunities she has been exposed to over recent years, which has resulted in her becoming an outstanding research leader in her field. I’m delighted she has been shortlisted for the North West Cancer Research Outstanding Cancer Nurse Award to recognise all of her hard-work, commitment and leadership.”

The Queen awards Liverpool doctor CBE

Professor Cheng Hock Toh, Consultant Haematologist at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has been appointed as an honorary CBE by Her Majesty The Queen in recognition of his services to haematology and medicine.

Professor Toh has a distinguished career as a clinician, researcher, health technology innovator, educator and professional leader. He has worked at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital since 1995 and in 2001 helped to establish the hospital’s renowned Roald Dahl Haemostasis and Thrombosis Centre. He is also a professor of haematology at the University of Liverpool.

He said: “I am incredibly humbled to receive this honour. Throughout my career I have been driven by a passion to always improve the care for my patients and work to address the inequalities many can face in accessing great care.

“I am proud of what we have achieved at the Roald Dahl Centre and the University. This honour is dedicated to the teams that I have worked with and to the patients that I have learnt from while trying to be the best doctor that I can be.”