South Thames Foundation School

On 1st April 2009 a brand new health organisation came into existence in South London. South London Healthcare NHS Trust is the product of the merger of three smaller hospital trusts - Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust (QMS), Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust (QEH) and Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust (BHT) - to create a single hospital on several sites.

The merger has taken place after much deliberation within the local health community about how we might create the best organisation for delivering top quality health services to local residents in the early part of the 21st century.

We will provide a full range of high quality NHS health care to the people of South East London and more specifically to the communities living in the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.

We serve over a million people, employ over 6,000 staff and have an annual budget of over £400million making us one of the largest NHS hospital trusts in the country.

Inevitably, where there are mergers there is considerable change and upheaval, however we recognise that this presents us with a unique opportunity to greatly enhance the learning opportunities that we can offer to trainees across the 3 sites.

The wealth of clinical experience within the Trusts of its senior medical personnel, the expertise of its Consultant body will enable the Trust to provide the intensity of clinical experience supported by an enthusiastic and educationally competent senior faculty to ensure high quality educational and educational supervision.

Postgraduate Centre

All the Education Centres on each of the sites provide a wide range of excellent high quality learning facilities for both medical and non-medical staff.

All have well equipped lecture theatres with the latest technology , which is replicated in other rooms on each of their sites that are used for the purposes of education and learning.
As a result of a London Deanery Initiative (STeLHi) Simulation and Clinical Skills Learning Environments have been developed on all 3 sites with the expectation that by August 2010 they will be able to offer Simulation training for all its Foundation Year Trainees.

Library Facilities

Library facilities over the three sites offer access to an extensive range of books, journals and e-journals. There are developed links on all sites with the regional library consortium which provides opportunities to get access to a further 20,000 books.

E –learning is actively encouraged on all 3 sites and there is access to computers and the internet in the libraries and in dedicated areas e.g. cyber café’s, computer labs etc where junior doctors can access the internet, Microsoft office packages etc.

Qualified staff are always available in the libraries and at QEH and the PRUH there is additional support for staff requiring training and support from an Information Skills Trainer who can do classroom as well as 1-1 training if required.

Out of Hours access is available – at QEH this is done of 3 evenings a week and a Saturday.
PRUH- after 5pm a key is available from security Monday to Friday and at week-ends.

IT Facilities

All sites have access to dedicated PC’s during and out of working hours.
QMS has computers within the doctors mess for their use.

Other Facilities
(Recreational or otherwise)

QEH and QM have a nursery within close walking distance.

QM has on site accommodation run by Hyde Housing with dedicated parking for those in residence.

Doctors’ Mess

All sites have very active Doctors Messes that arrange numerous social functions from skiing trips, Balls in central London etc

Local Amenities/ Attractions

Bluewater for the shopaholics is just off the A2 which can be accessed via the M25 near the Dartford Tunnel.

Dover is just over an hour away via the A2 or M20, getting to Calais will be quicker than driving to Devon!!

Access to London’s O2 Arena

The surrounding areas on all sites have good restaurants at bars etc.

Transport Links

All sites are well served by local buses that can come and pick up on site or just outside.
All have close links to the M25,A20,A21,M20, A2
Eurotunnel and the Ebbsfleet International Station are just off the M25 before the Dartford Tunnel.

Access to London could not be easier not only using the buses but by train with easy access to London Victoria, Charing Cross etc

London Airports are all within good road and rail links.

Parking Arrangements

There is limited staff car parking on all 3 sites- staff can apply for car parking permits through their accommodation lead in each Trust. To contact them telephone the main hospital and ask for:
PRUH – Mr Robert Gale
QEH- contact through the Facilities Dept.
QMS-Val Hergest

Accolades/
Achievements of the Trust

QEH,QMS and the PRUH all successfully bid for money from the  SteLHi intiative at the London Deanery to develop Simulation and Clinical Skills Labs.

 In July 2009 QEH was successful in a further bid to the SteLHi initiative at the Deanery to provide in house simulation training for Foundation Trainees at the QEH, and from August 2010 Foundation Trainees based at QMS and PRUH..( this will be undertaken in collaboration with the Simulation Consultant Leads at QMS and PRUH) using their Simulation facilities as well which include Sim,Man, Sim Baby, Sim NewB, Endocsopy Simulator, CVP using ultrasound, Interactive birthing simulator, Laproscopy simulator etc

PRUH – In July 2009 it was announced by the Dept.Of Health that the Princess Royal University Hospital has been designated as a “ hyper acute stroke units” one of only 8 announced.

Any Additional Information

 The experiences of medical students(GKT,St Georges etc) in all 3 sites is very positive and they value the learning opportunities that they had and this is reflected in the Undergraduate Visits undertaken by the medical schools and the numbers of medical students who return as Foundation Doctors.
For further information on each individual Trust go to their respective websites:

• South London Healthcare NHS Trust-http://www.slh.nhs.uk/ourhospitals.php
• QMH - http://www.qms.nhs.uk/Homepage.aspx
• PRUH- http://www.bromleyhospitals.nhs.uk/patients/about-bromley-hospitals-trust/our-hospitals/the-princess-royal-university-hospital/
• QEH - http://www.queenelizabeth.nhs.uk/
• Bromley site
• Queen Elizabeth, Woolwich
• Queen Mary's, Sidcup

The Bromley site provides acute healthcare for the people of Bromley and surrounding areas from three sites: the Princess Royal University site (formerly Farnborough Hospital), Orpington site and Beckenham site. The Chartwell Cancer Unit, West Kent Eye Centre, and Alan Cummings Day Treatment Centre on the Princess Royal University site, the Orpington Treatment Centre and the Minor Injuries Unit at Beckenham are all held in high regard in the community.

Queen Elizabeth, Woolwich was opened as a new premises on the site of the former Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital in March 2001. The new hospital was constructed and is now maintained by Meridian Hospital Co Plc under the Government's Private Finance Initiative.
Facilities include over 520 beds, seven main theatres and two day surgery theatres, together with state of the art imaging and laboratory facilities, from which we offer a wide range of clinical services.
Queen Elizabeth, Woolwich is one of the biggest employers in the London Borough of Greenwich serving a population of over 230,000 residents and this population is set to grow significantly in the coming years as a result of the Government's planned Thames Gateway developments.

Queen Mary's, Sidcup provides excellent care to the people of Bexley and neighbouring boroughs. Sixty per cent of of Bexley's residents come to Queen Mary's for acute medical services, which include an urgent care centre run by Bexley Care Trust, A&E, maternity services, elective (planned) surgery and ambulatory paediatric services.
Queen Mary's has an active service improvement programme looking at improving patient experience by canvassing patient opinion and changing processes; rolling out national programmes to ensure dignity in patient care; and improving management of hospital acquired infections which has over the last two years have seen Queen Mary's become the sixth most improved in England.

Accommodation

Accommodation is available on site in all 3 sites. At the PRUH there is further accommodation off site at Bertha James Court about 10 minutes by car of bus. This site is close to Bromley Town Centre and Bromley South Station (walking distance).
QEH- accommodation in a 9 storey building which offers great views of London on a good day of the London Eye, O2 Arena etc

Shadowing

Opportunities for shadowing are offered at  QEH QM and the PRUH, and where possible new doctors to the Trust are encouraged to take up these opportunities and we are more than happy to make the arrangements.

Tasters

Opportunities for Tasters are provided at QEH QM and the PRUH sites. At QEH F2’s use their annual leave should they wish to undertake a taster programme. At the PRUH study leave is used when taster sessions are arranged for FY2 by a dedicated member of the Administration Team based in the Education Centre on the PRUH site.

QMS – FY1=18,FY2=24
QEH-FY1 =27,FY2=24
PRUH – FY1=24,FY2=24.

Rotation- QMS and the PRUH on 4 monthly rotations
QEH – FY1 spend 6 months in medical and surgical specialties
FY2- 6 months in either Emergency or Acute medicine with 2 further placements of 3 months each. (NB this is likely to change to 4 monthly rotations by August 2010).

Comprehensive weekly teaching programmes are established on all sites for both FY1 and FY2, this is bleep free protected time. Timetables for these sessions are sent by e-mail and/or are posted on the Education Centres internet/intranet pages.

All trainees are allocated an Educational Supervisor for the year. All Educational and Clinical Supervisors have accessed Faculty Development training to support them in their respective roles.

As well as classroom based training, there are opportunities to present cases at Grand Round, Ward Rounds, Divisional training meetings, as well as having bedside teaching, journal clubs etc. Other opportunities for learning include Academic Half Days, Grand Rounds, Divisional Training Sessions as well as a pro-active in house teaching programme for all levels of staff.

All sites have on-going training programmes in BLS,ILS,ALS, on some sites (EPALS) course is available. Attendance is Mandatory.

Induction – This is undertaken on all 3 sites both at the beginning of their commencement in the Trust and in-between their placements. Various IT mediums are used which include CD Roms, DVD’s, on line etc – which can be given out to the individual trainee and/or be accessed via the Trust’s intranet/internet sites.

Careers advice and information is being developed on all sites for trainees in collaboration with the London Deanery Careers Unit.

Simulation

QEH and QMS have formally launched their Simulation and Clinical Skills Learning Environments with the PRUH to follow in September/October 2009.

The courses that will be available will match the technical skills as laid down in the Foundation Curiculum others will include:
endoscopy and laproscopy using the latest technology, Trauma, Team Building, Communication, Life Support, Basic Surgical Skills, NG Tube Insertion, CVP Insertion using Ultrasound, Interactive Birthing Simulator, full programme of life support courses, insertion of chest drains, nerve blocks etc

Social Activities

Any Additional Information

The redesign of services at South London Healthcare will provide a unique and exciting opportunity to reconfigure our rotations across the two acute and one elective site so that they are both innovative and enjoyable as well as meeting curricula objectives.  We have an education and learning ethos that will fully complement the objectives for excellence in education and provision of world class healthcare.  We hope that you will choose to join us and drive this vision forward.