The Friends at Broomfield Hospital have kindly funded state-of-the-art technology to enable the Speech and Language Therapy team to provide advanced assessment for patients with swallowing and voice disorders.

Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) will benefit a wide patient group who present with oropharyngeal dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). People with dysphagia frequently include those with neurological disorders, patients who have had an acute stroke, and those who have undergone treatment for head and neck cancer.

The use of this equipment is designed to reduce the risk of malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration pneumonia, prolonged tube feeding, readmission and to allow for a safer and faster discharge from hospital.

It is also of benefit in the use of Videostroboscopy; allowing for detailed assessment and management of voice disorders.

The equipment is operated by speech and language therapists, whose training has been supported by ENT in the use of the nasendoscope. The scope is connected to a screen which then provides instrumental guided imaging to assess swallowing and/or voice function. It is portable and easy to use, directly at a patient’s bedside.

On Tuesday, August 7, the Friends at Broomfield Hospital officially presented the equipment, which totalled £39,700, to the Speech and Language Therapy team.

David Curtin, Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (Head and Neck Oncology) said: “The purchase of this equipment enables us to complete specialist assessment of voice and swallowing disorders. It sets us apart as we are currently the only speech and language therapy service within Essex offering such specialist assessment.

“It is indicated for use in a select group of patients. It allows for speedier assessment, helping us to formulate and expedite patient management decisions on the wards and in clinics, with an evident improvement in patient care. The Speech and Language Therapy Department are most grateful for this substantial investment from the Friends; and look forward to using it to improve patient care over the coming years.”

Alison Douglas, chairman of the Friends at Broomfield Hospital, said: “The Friends were very pleased to be able to fund this important piece of equipment and support the staff in carrying out their vital work helping patients with complex swallowing and speech difficulties.

“We were very happy to give this donation, which was raised solely from the profits generated from our two shops and our daily trollies that go round the wards. It makes all of our volunteers’ hard work worthwhile.”

Broomfield Hospital has a large variety of outdoor green space that is managed to provide therapeutic benefits.  The Friends’ generously donated £1,352 during 2018 towards wildlife shelters to enhance biodiversity in line with our woodland management plan. 

This donation also funded ten bat detectors used on the Twilight Bat Walk experiences.  The detectors were used successfully and the shelters are currently being made with help from City of Chelmsford Mencap students.

Monitoring and reacting correctly to extreme temperatures is important for us all.  The Friends’ donated £1,890 towards the design and production of energy eco-thermometer cards, helping to monitor temperatures throughout the Trust.

We would like to extend our thanks to the Friends’ for their dedication and support in these positive changes, and look forward in continuing this working relationship.

To deliver excellent healthcare services, both now and long into the future, we need to be sustainable in our use of resources. This includes our environment, our people, patients and communities and our budget.

Sustainability therefore requires a large amount of teamwork, making this headline accurate, more so from recent collaborations between the Friends’ of Broomfield and the trust’s Sustainability Team.

The charity shops recently launched a 30p discount for anyone using a reusable cup for hot drinks with the ambition of reducing the single-use disposable alternative. A small stock of recycled bamboo reusable cups is likewise available for purchase.

Sustainability’s David Jackson added:

“The traction behind the recent beverage cup changes is a fantastic example of how a variety of groups can be brought together by a central aim of reducing our environmental impacts.”

Some photos from the annual Christmas Ward Decoration Competition. 

On Wednesday, October 18, the perometer was installed at the St Andrews Centre gym and will benefit patients suffering from the chronic condition. The remainder of the almost £23,000 cost was met by the department.

It assists clinicians to measure the swelling of the limb, caused by a collection of fluid in the body’s tissues. The condition develops when the lymphatic system, which helps to fight infection and remove excess fluid, does not work properly. It is often the result of cancer or cancer treatment.

The perometer functions using photosensors and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with which the limb is illuminated and scanned. The actual measuring unit is installed in the frame, which is pushed over the limb.

Following staff training, the perometer will now be brought into use.

Mr Mat Griffiths, consultant plastic surgeon, said:
“We are very grateful to the Friends at Broomfield Hospital, who have greatly assisted our fundraising efforts which will benefit patients by allowing our therapist, Annette Palmer, to measure limb volumes far more accurately and efficiently than by using a standard tape measure technique.”