Chair of Manchester children’s hospice retires after 31 years as trustee

Chris Roberts (PICTURED) steps down after more than three decades at Francis House Children’s Hospice.

Mr Roberts joined the charity as a trustee in 1992, quickly becoming part of the fabric of Francis House. He took over as Chair in 2014 following the retirement of Robin Wood.

Francis House was established in 1990 to benefit the families of children with life-limiting conditions from across the Greater Manchester area. The hospice opened in 1991 and it was only the fifth children’s hospice to be built in the entire UK.

During his nine years as Chairman, Chris has overseen a period of significant growth with the development of two residential properties providing a place of permanent residence for young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

The ground-breaking projects in Didsbury and Heaton Moor, operated by Francis House Families Ltd, offer a comfortable and supportive living environment to a dozen young people.

Chris stood down as Chair at a trustee meeting on October 5 with Jane Kempler taking over the position having been duly voted in as the new Chair.

As a chartered accountant in the early 1990s, Chris was visiting Wardley Hall, the Bishop of Salford’s residence and the finance office for the Diocese of Salford, when Father Thomas Mulheran, told him that the Bishop was looking for an accountant to join the Trustees at Francis House and was requesting volunteers. He felt unable to refuse and Chris has served on the main trustee body and the finance sub committee since its inception.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to be involved at Francis House. The devotion of the staff to the young people and their parents is inspirational to say the least.

“My first impression of Francis House was walking into the reception to see a young girl running with a long tube attached to an oxygen tank, this being carried as fast as he could by a carer.

“This was Kirsty Howard whose spirit and enjoyment in life embodied much of what Francis House is about. Whilst of course there are sad moments at the hospice, it's evident from the reactions of the young people and their families, and the testaments they give that it is a place they look forward to coming to and which provides a service not available elsewhere.

“When I joined the trustees, Sister Aloysius was running the hospice and Robin Wood was Chair, sister was a true force of nature to whom nothing was impossible and let little stand in her way.

“In more recent years the development of Francis Lodge and the residential accommodation has proved to be an outstanding project. Once more this is largely down to the vision and hard work of David Ireland and his team.

“Thank you to David, all the staff, young people and volunteers that have and continue to make Francis House a truly wonderful place. Thanks also to the other trustees who willingly give up their time and expertise in many areas to help make Francis House what it is today. An especial thank you to Martin Lochery who is retiring with me. I am positive that Jane Kempler as the new Chair will be an asset to the hospice, the trustees and the chief executive.”

Jane Kempler joined the board of trustees in 2020 having recently retired from corporate life with experience in operational management of call centres, sales and customer service.

Jane said: “I would like to thank Chris for his many years as a trustee and Chair of the trustees and guiding me into this role. Francis House plays a key part in the community on so many levels, as well as the clinical care there is the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual care that can never be underestimated.

“I am looking forward to working with the Francis House team and my fellow trustees in taking Francis House through the next phase in the history of the hospice, continuing the excellent delivery of care and working through future innovations.”

David Ireland, chief executive of Francis House said: “Francis House has been fortunate to attract so many people who have given time and expertise freely in order to benefit our many families. Chris and Martin have been part of the fabric from the very beginning and Francis House has benefited so much from their guidance and leadership.

“Whatever the situation I have personally relied on their wise advice and unerring support and will miss having them on the end of the telephone particularly in the difficult times, I’m sure that Sister Aloysius felt the same way. We wish them long and healthy retirements and look forward to the next phase of our history as we move forward with Jane as Chair.”

To find out more about the work of Francis House visit www.francishouse.org.uk.

Bodyline Medical Wellness Clinics engages DocHQ to introduce a revolutionary menopause testing solution

DocHQ, which is a leading provider of healthcare solutions, is delighted to announce an innovative collaboration with Bodyline Medical Wellness Clinics. 

DocHQ has been appointed to produce their unique women's health blood testing kit under co-branded DocHQ and Bodyline’s M Plan. 

The testing kit is designed to offer comprehensive insights into women's hormonal health with a primary emphasis on menopause-related indicators, including Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and other critical female hormones.

DocHQ will provide Bodyline Medical Wellness Clinics with access to its user-friendly patient platform for seamless patient registration, sample collection, testing and results service. The blood results provide a benchmark for initial and ongoing clinical menopause treatment and support.

DocHQ’s CEO Madhur Srivastava told us: “At DocHQ, we're excited to work with Bodyline Medical Wellness Clinics, marking a significant stride in our commitment to scalable and innovative healthcare. This cooperation symbolises our shared vision to empower and support fast-growing health businesses, providing them with the tools and insights they need to thrive. Together, we’re crafting a future where every woman can access personalised and comprehensive healthcare solutions, facilitating informed decisions for enhanced wellbeing.”

Sally-Ann Turner, Founder and MD of Bodyline Medical Wellness Clinics, says: “Our collaboration with DocHQ increases patient accessibility to Bodyline’s M Plan personalised clinical menopause treatment and support plan. We can now treat and support women UK-wide through all stages of the menopause when the M Plan option chosen incorporates blood analysis. DocHQ has worked with Bodyline Medical Wellness Clinics’ team to develop an industry-leading blood test to our required specification, which is available exclusively under the M Plan brand.”

The home blood test samples will then undergo analysis at Alderley Lighthouse Labs, a UK registered laboratory. Here, a comprehensive assessment of hormones, vitamins and minerals will be conducted to provide accurate and reliable results.

Bernie Murphy, Head of Clinical Services at Bodyline Medical Wellness Clinics, says: “The M Plan delivers life-changing results for women suffering with menopause symptoms and improves their quality of life during what can be daunting stages of ageing, from perimenopause to menopause and through to post-menopause.

“A woman’s menopause treatment and support is typically diagnosed on clinical grounds by understanding her personal symptoms, discussing her medical history, and undertaking hormonal blood tests, which are a means of checking and monitoring the presence and level of menopausal hormones in a woman’s blood. They provide the benchmark that can be beneficial to effectively treat, monitor and modify medical menopause treatments. M Plan hormone blood tests also combine screening of essential minerals and vitamins which, if a woman is deficient, contribute further to menopause symptoms.”

Following analysis, DocHQ will prepare and deliver patient test results through its secure system, allowing expert medical guidance to be offered to patients based on their individual results, ensuring a holistic approach to managing hormonal health. In the event of critical results, DocHQ is committed to promptly notifying Bodyline Medical Wellness Clinics to facilitate swift and appropriate patient care.

DocHQ and Bodyline Medical Wellness Clinics share a common commitment to empowering women with valuable insights into their hormonal health, thereby promoting proactive and informed decision-making. The M Plan test kit represents a significant stride toward enhancing women's wellbeing and overall quality of life.

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Charity makes use of disused building to raise awareness of childhood arthritis

“We’ve been welcomed by all the neighbours in the area who are pleased to see the building back in use again."

Arthritis is a condition that is most commonly associated with the elderly, yet around 20 children each week are diagnosed with arthritis in the UK.

Juvenile Arthritis Research is a charity based in Tonbridge, Kent, that supports children, young people and families impacted by Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). JIA is an autoimmune condition where the body’s natural defences attack the joints causing inflammation, pain and reduced mobility. It can affect children of any age. Once diagnosed, someone with JIA has the condition for life.

The charity was founded 5 years ago by Tonbridge resident Richard Beesley whose wife and daughter both have the condition.

“Before working at Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, I used to work as a researcher an statistician, so I wanted to go back to my roots in science to help find a cure for JIA,” Richard told us.

The charity soon realised as well as wanting a cure for the condition, families also lacked information and support.

“We worked together with parents, young people, the medical profession, and even with teachers and schools to develop information resources to support families when a child is diagnosed with JIA.”

Awareness of childhood arthritis is low and this can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment. The condition can cause permanent joint damage if left untreated, as well as complications with eyesight from JIA-related uveitis (inflammation inside the eye).

“Prompt diagnosis really is utterly vital. The delays aren't due to long waiting lists. The delays are happening because of a lack of awareness that children and young people can even get arthritis so we need to increase awareness amongst families, amongst schools, amongst healthcare professionals such as GPs and A&E staff who might be amongst the first medical professionals that a family sees. They need to know that it is ok for them to refer to specialist paediatric rheumatology services if they suspect that it could be JIA.” (EDITOR: As a child, my wife's JIA was dismissed as "growing pains" by her doctors.)

To enable communities and health professionals to learn about the signs and symptoms of JIA, Juvenile Arthritis Research have developed an awareness campaign called “ThinkJIA”, the idea being to just “Just thInk and Ask” if it could be JIA if a child is experiencing any issues with their joints lasting over six weeks.

“GPs will normally rule out other serious conditions but JIA is unfortunately often overlooked. Often blood tests and X-rays will appear completely normal in JIA so it really is important to refer to paediatric rheumatology where specialists can make a diagnosis. A referral to an eye specialist is also vital because around 1 in 5 children with JIA can develop uveitis which can cause loss of sight if not detected and treated promptly.”

Juvenile Arthritis Research have just moved into new premises in Tonbridge on the site of the old SCI gym on the industrial estate.

“We’ve been welcomed by all the neighbours in the area who are pleased to see the building back in use again. They are particularly excited to know it's a charity which is making a difference and having a real impact that has moved in here. We’re very happy to be there too as it means we can support even more families in the local area as well as the work we do across the entire UK.”

New window signage has been installed with thought-provoking, yet positive, imagery. It features local children, young people and families from the local area who came along to the building for a recent photoshoot. Local photographer Janet Penny from Hushabye Photography donated her time and skills to enable the window signage awareness-raising project to happen.

The images are bright and colourful and feature some of the core messages families affected by JIA wanted others to know.

Richard went on to tell That's Health: “We try to get a balance in all we do between the serious side of raising awareness and showing that living with JIA can bring it’s challenges whilst also giving hope to those diagnosed so that they know that with the right treatment and support, they can still lead full lives.”

As a very small volunteer-run charity, Juvenile Arthritis Research would love to hear from any businesses or funders who are able to offer their skills, services or funding towards their work.

“We’re thrilled to have such a visual presence in Tonbridge with the new building as we hope that it will enable us to continue to strengthen our links with the local community.”

To learn more please visit them at https://www.jarproject.org

Immedicare celebrates 10-year anniversary with its enhanced virtual support services for care homes

This has resulted in 85.5% of residents being able to remain in their home after a fall, instead of a potentially unnecessary trip to A&E.

An innovative healthcare partnership is celebrating its tenth anniversary and has increased the services it provides to mark the milestone.

Immedicare, a partnership between Airedale NHS Foundation Trust and Involve Visual Collaboration, provides digital services delivered by an NHS clinical team, enabling care home residents to receive clinical consultations at home, rather than travelling to hospital.

Recently, Immedicare enhanced its services to care homes, to include seven care elements which align with the Enhanced Health in Care Homes (EHCH) framework. In addition to the core online consultation service, which has received over 150,000 calls from care homes over a 4-year period, Immedicare can now offer support in the following areas:

Falls

Medicines Optimisation

Tissue Viability

Core Skills Training

Enhanced end-of-life care

Nutrition and Hydration

Care Connect

As one example, falls are the leading cause of attendance at hospital A&E departments for older people. In response to this, Immedicare has developed its falls service to provide remote assessments of residents who have fallen, and the development of a falls risk assessment and prevention plan can also be carried out remotely. 

This has resulted in 85.5% of residents being able to remain in their home after a fall, instead of a potentially unnecessary trip to A&E. Immedicare has a Consultant Pharmacist as part of our multi-disciplinary team to support medicines optimisation and offer advice in complex cases.

To provide further value to care homes as part of its service development, Immedicare now offers a series of core skills training programmes that can be accessed by care home staff at all levels with over 1,200 care staff having completed our courses over the past year. The training consists of 15 core skills courses which have been specifically designed to upskill care home staff so they can provide the best possible outcomes for their residents.

As part of the new service package, Immedicare has launched a new brand identity, to highlight its enhanced services that care homes now have access to. The new branding will be seen across all of Immedicare’s digital marketing channels as well as having a presence within the Digital care Hub, based at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.

Marie Buchan, Head of Digital Care Hub at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust commented; “We’re proud of our new branding and how it will be used to raise awareness of the enhanced clinical service offerings, knowing how the new care elements will improve the support Immedicare provides to staff and residents in care homes.”

Mick Roach, who is the Director of Digital Healthcare Alliances, Immedicare said: “We’re so proud to have reached this 10-year milestone and to launch our new brand identity, which reflects the significant development Immedicare has undergone over the past two years to further enhance the services it delivers to its users.

For more information on Immedicare’s services please email: enquiries@immedicare.co.uk or visit our website at www.immedicare.co.uk

Here's why you might have diabetes and not even know it

As someone who was diagnosed with diabetes rather late in life (countless Doctors had apparently ignored the warning signs over the years. One Doctor is convinced I am not a Type 2 Diabetic, but rather an undiagnosed Type 1!) I am very pleased to be able to share this information with my readers. And, as a favour to other people who might be in the same situation I was in, please do share this article with other people you know. After all, you could help save their life if they have untreated diabetes.

Potentially thousands of people are mistaking the warning signs of diabetes for harmless skin conditions. Itchy or tingling skin, or cuts that take a while to heal, could well be down to common, everyday skin problems. 

But! They are also little-known symptoms of type 2 diabetes and need much greater awareness, warns a blood testing expert.

Everyday skin problems could have a more sinister cause. Itchy skin, tingling hands or a cut that takes a while to heal are usually given a quick scratch or covered with a sticking plaster. However, they are also little-known symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

London Medical Laboratory’s latest analysis reveals one million people in the UK are likely to have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. 

As a result, it's launched a campaign to fight this invisible killer, which can shorten lives by up to ten years. ‘Give the finger to diabetes’ aims to identify undiagnosed cases with a simple fingerprick blood test. In 2019, there were almost 14,000 diabetes-related deaths in the UK. The earlier people are diagnosed, the better the outcome for them and their families.

Leading blood testing expert, Dr Avinash Hari Narayanan (MBChB), Clinical Lead at London Medical Laboratory, says: "The chances are your itchy skin is down to dryness, the tingling feeling is because you sat in an odd position and that cut that refuses to heal is because it has been covered by a plaster for too long. However, that may not always be the case.

‘We know Britain currently has 4.3 million registered diabetics, but it’s likely a million more Brits may have the disease without even knowing it. And what seems like a stubborn skin irritation may be your body warning you. Medical professionals are increasingly aware seemingly harmless skin conditions could be a symptom of type 2 diabetes.

Dry, itchy skin: 

‘Poor circulation can cause skin dryness and itchy skin and diabetes could well be the cause. Chronic high blood sugar (glucose) levels affect blood circulation by damaging the lining of your small blood vessels, which impedes circulation.

‘Similarly, this can also be seen in the development of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in diabetic patients. It’s believed 1 in 3 people over age 50 with diabetes may have PAD. Fatty deposits adhere to unhealthy blood vessels in the lower limbs, leading to blood vessel narrowing and circulation issues. This is often a cause of poor-healing wounds, nerve damage and even “limb ischaemia” (a severe blockage of the arteries), leading to a risk of amputation.

"Also, abnormal sensations that can be perceived as itches, or an itch that's hard to locate and doesn’t go away, may be related to nerve damage from chronic diabetes.

Tingling or numbness in hands, legs or feet:

"Nerve damage can cause pain, tingling or numbness. America’s Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that half of all people with diabetes have nerve damage, known as neuropathy.

"Over time, abnormal blood circulation and changes to how cells get their oxygen and nutrient supply, due to poor blood flow, will lead to nerve fibres becoming damaged, and they may eventually die or stop working altogether. 

"As a result, this blocks the brain from sending and receiving signals to and from different parts of the body, causing numbness or a tingling sensation. Such nerve damage may also lead to burning, discomfort or shooting pains. Vascular disease starts in the hands and feet before progressing centrally to the body, so nerve damage and symptoms are most notable in these areas first.

‘Diabetic neuropathy can't be reversed. Once the nerves are damaged, they cannot repair themselves. Treating neuropathy is difficult and management only addresses symptoms, so early diagnosis is vital.

Cuts that won’t heal:

‘Damaged blood vessels also result in slow wound healing and greater risk of infection. If coupled with nerve damage, wound complications may often go unnoticed until they've progressed. According to Diabetes.org, diabetics may experience more bacterial and fungal infections than people without diabetes as a result of their immune system not working as well.

"Most concerning are foot ulcers. Unhealed ulcers are the leading cause of diabetes-related amputations. Diabetes is the most common cause of lower limb amputations in the UK; someone living with the disease is 20 times more likely to have an amputation.

"Diabetic foot ulcers precede more than 80% of amputations. Again, they develop because high glucose levels damage blood vessels, affecting how blood flows to the feet and legs.

"We’ve only looked at three, lesser-known, symptoms of diabetes. There are many more hidden signs. However, one simple, diagnostic blood test, either with your GP or as a fingerprick test taken in your own home, will tell you if you have the condition before any symptoms develop. Moreover, a fingerprick blood test can also identify if you are pre-diabetic, which is an entirely reversible condition.

‘London Medical Laboratory’s fingerprick diabetes test measures “glycated haemoglobin” – commonly known as HbA1c. The “Diabetes - Diagnosis and Monitoring test” can be taken at home through the post, or at one of the many drop-in clinics that offer these tests across London and nationwide in over 95 selected pharmacies and health stores. For full details, see: https://www.londonmedicallaboratory.com/product/diabetes-check

Imager used courtesy of Gary VandenBergh from Pixabay)