HCA wins two 'Top Employers in Healthcare' awards

London's leading hospital group is judged the UK's leading non NHS healthcare employer


HCA International, which owns London's six leading private hospitals, has won two national 'Top Employers in Healthcare' awards in the prestigious Nursing Times and Health Service Journals' recognising the company as the nation's best private healthcare employer.

Against stiff competition with an entry list that was over a third larger than last year, HCA was chosen by a top level panel from the Department of Health and the NHS to win the Allocate Software Top Employer for Managers in the Independent Sector award and the Nursing and Midwifery Council Top Healthcare Employer for Nurses and Midwives in the Independent Sector award.

In addition to its hospitals, HCA International also has four pioneering joint venture specialist cancer units with the NHS and four - soon to be six - diagnostic and out patient centres located in and around London closer to where its patients live and work.


The Group has a workforce of over 3050 nurses, other healthcare professionals and administrative staff. It has long been known for its proactive  education, training and staff development policies.

Jasy Loyal, Executive Director/VP of Legal & HR Services, said she was delighted with the awards which reflected the company's commitment  to investing in staff and working to develop  employees' skills and career progression.

“We are constantly striving for employee excellence and it is terrific that this has been recognised in such a public way,” she said.

“We try to be both proactive and innovative and to nurture a culture in which people can be creative . We want to be the employer of choice.  After all, the real value in our company is the people who work for us and these awards are a compliment to them and reflect their skills and their high standards,” she said.

Marion Robinson, HCA's Director of Nursing and Risk, said the awards were a tremendous honour for HCA.

“These accolades were a terrific achievement and as a nurse, to be given an award by our own professional body was a very special moment,” she said.

“Our focus is to provide the best possible care for our patients and we are absolutely committed to seeking out  the latest training and development programmes which will help our nurses and other staff provide the highest standard of care,” she said. 

Note to Editors
HCA International Limited owns the Capital's six leading private hospitals all based in central London and each with an international reputation for the highest standards of care.  They are: The Wellington - the largest private hospital in Europe, The London Bridge Hospital, The Harley Street Clinic, The Portland Hospital for Women and Children, The Lister Hospital and The Princess Grace Hospital. 


HCA also has four outpatient and diagnostic centres - soon to be six - a blood and bone cancer treatment joint venture with the NHS at University College Hospital, The London Gamma Knife Centre, another joint venture with the NHS at St Bartholomew's Hospital - The London Gamma Knife Centre at Barts and Harley Street at Queen's, a private patient cancer centre at the NHS Queen's University Hospital in Romford.  In addition, HCA has recently signed an agreement with the internationally renowned Christie cancer hospital in Manchester to develop a new state of the art private patient unit - to be called The Christie Clinic - for cancer patients from across the North of England.


The six HCA hospitals treat around 300,000 patients per year.  They also specialise in the most complex medical procedures including cardiac care, liver transplantation, inter cranial surgery and complex cancer care. The HCA CancerCare network, for example, is the largest provider of cancer care in the UK outside the NHS.  Uniquely, HCA has its own clinical trials unit based in Harley Street in central London.  Medical teams in HCA are involved in research programmes aimed at finding new treatments in areas such as heart disease and cancer.


In recent years HCA has invested around £250 million in capital expenditure including new diagnostic and treatment technology.  As an example, HCA  installed at The Harley Street Clinic, the revolutionary CyberKnife robotic radiotherapy machine, which is able to target previously untreatable tumours.  It is the first machine of its kind in the UK.


For more Media Information, please call Neil Huband on 07808 298989 
or 020 7436 6372.

The first High Definition CT Scanner in London

This is an exciting week at The Princess Grace Hospital as we take delivery of the very latest in CT scanner technology.  In fact it is so new that it's the first machine of its type anywhere in London so it really is a first for us, our doctors and of course all of our patients.

Described as the leading edge in CT clarity, the new 64-slice Discovery CT750 HD scanner from GE Healthcare creates high definition 'x-ray' images in a level of detail that has never been seen before.  Added to this, it uses significantly less radiation than a conventional CT scanner so you can have a full body scan with 50% less radiation than before.

The most immediate benefit of this new scanner is its ability to provide more detailed internal images than ever before - up to 33% more detail throughout the body and up to 47% greater detail in the heart.   The secret lies in a new detector material developed by the GE engineers which allows images to be created 100 times faster.  It is the most significant advance in this technology in 20 years and it is at the heart of this revolutionary scanner.

The Discovery CT750 HD scanner complements our already extensive diagnostic imaging facilities at the Princess Grace Hospital and it will be used to help diagnose a wide range of conditions. And there is no doubt that we will be able to do so faster and more accurately than ever before.  To find out more about this system follow the link below or contact our imaging department.

http://www.gehealthcare.com/euen/ct/products/discovery_ct750hd/index.html

Link confirmed between breast density & cancer risk

Women with dense breast tissue are at greater risk for breast cancer. But it can be hard for mammograms to find tumors in women with dense breasts...

http://www.cpbn.org/article/link-confirmed-between-breast-density-cancer-risk

BREAST SCREENING SAVES TWICE AS MANY LIVES

Two deaths will be prevented for every woman overdiagnosed by breast screening, according to a study published today* (Wednesday 31 March 2010).

Following numerous, highly controversial debates in recent months over the risks and harms of screening for breast cancer, the researchers - including a member of The London Breast Institute research board - set out to uncover how effective the programme is at saving lives.
Some reports had estimated that for every life saved, six women were overdiagnosed. Overdiagnosis describes cancers picked up and treated as a result of screening which would not have been diagnosed in a woman's lifetime had screening not taken place.

Stephen Duffy, based at Queen Mary, University of London, said: “This shows that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.“
Unfortunately, we haven't yet got a flawless screening test, and some cases that are picked up wouldn't have needed treatment. But for every case like this, screening saves two women who would have otherwise died from breast cancer.

“If a tumour is detected through screening it is important to consider a range of options before treatment begins. Women should be given the opportunity to understand the implication of their screening results and discuss their treatment options with a specialist.”

The researchers carried out two studies. One study predicted the number of women who would have died from breast cancer in the UK if the screening programme had not been introduced.
The other study looked at the number of deaths from breast cancer in over 133,000 women in Sweden, comparing those who were screened with those who were not.

Nick Perry, Director of The London Breast Institute at The Princess Grace Hospital says: “The London Breast Institute is extremely proud that the author of this paper, Professor Stephen Duffy, is a member of our research board and a contributor to our numerous research presentations. Diagnosis of breast cancer through screening results in treatment of some breast cancers that would not have proceeded to kill the patient if undiagnosed, however, early diagnosis of even these cancers allows the possibility of less surgery with a better cosmetic result. It is now extremely reassuring to know that for every 'over-diagnosed' breast cancer through screening, at least two other women will have their lives saved”.


* Absolute Numbers of Lives Saved and Overdiagnosis in Breast Cancer Screening, from a Randomised Trial and from the Breast Screening Programme in England. Duffy et al. Journal of Medical Screening.

Risk Assessment Key to Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis

International panel of experts agree appropriate lifestyle and family analysis needed to tackle breast cancer

Better risk assessment, screening, diagnosis and treatment opportunities were the focal points for an international panel of breast cancer experts gathered for the London Breast Institute’s 2nd International Symposium. A proper assessment of genetic and lifestyle factors affecting a person’s likelihood of developing breast cancer was agreed as the key to future medical approaches.

Speaking at the London Breast Institute’s 2nd annual International Symposium at the Royal Society of Medicine on 2 October 2008, renowned clinical voices discussed the latest developments in breast cancer research, detection, diagnosis and treatment.

Breast cancer risk management has become a serious concern for researchers and medical practitioners alike, with some studies suggesting the proportion of sufferers with a family history of the disease is approaching 14%. Crucial to diagnosing and receiving early treatment, assessing the risk of cancer is now a key step forward in stopping the disease in its tracks.

Professor Roland Holland, St Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, the Netherlands, a leader in breast cancer risk and genetics, identified the six categories of risk and related management recommendations pinpointed by some of the world’s leaders in breast cancer care, genetics and risk assessment. “Risk assessment can lead to an earlier diagnosis, help other family members at risk and might even prevent the cancer from developing.”

“Ensuring that all women have regular and competent assessment of the family history of cancer is a high public health and clinical priority,” said Dr Robert Smith, Director of Cancer Screening, the American Cancer Society. “Many women do not have family structures where inherent risk is evident; family histories on the paternal and even maternal side are often not known by the patient.”

Revolutionary 3D imaging technology due for introduction into the UK in the coming months, was discussed as an indication of the technological developments ahead to help detect the early signs of breast cancer. Research has shown that this technology produces a more sensitive image analysis and provides significantly better tumour visibility than even standard digital mammography.

Professor Ingvar Andersson of Malmo University, Sweden said, “We believe Tomosynthesis will play an important role in the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer in the future.”

Professor Michael Baum of University College London and Chairman of the Research Board of the London Breast Institute, shared information on a multinational clinical trial of a novel system for intra-operative radiotherapy using a mobile unit that could mean an end to daily trips to a radiotherapy centre for up to six weeks – a significant reduction in treatment timeframes and an essential treatment solution for breast cancer sufferers around the world without easy access to a radiotherapy centre.

“We serve a population of women in London who have denser breast tissue and appear to be at increased risk. Forty percent of patients we diagnose with breast cancer are under 50 years old,” concluded Dr Nicholas Perry, Clinical Director of the London Breast Institute at the Princess Grace Hospital.

“By hosting this International Symposium, the London Breast Institute underlines its commitment to the importance of research and up-to-date knowledge and equipment, in constantly pursuing improved diagnostic and disease management techniques.”

29th Annual GP Forum

HCA International are proud to have given their support to the 29th Annual GP Forum which was held on Monday 14 to Friday 18 September 2009 at The Royal Society of Medicine in London.

The forum took place over five days and had a varied programme of lectures and workshops on a wide-ranging selection of clinical topics. These topics included ophthalmology, obstetric, medicine, urogenital health, travel medicines and sports medicine.

The Forum provided delegates with an opportunity to gain knowledge and network with colleagues as they enjoy the comfortable surroundings of The Royal Society of Medicine.

There was an excellent line-up of speakers, all of whom are well-known in their respective fields. For more information about this event or the speakers, please visithttp://www.rsm.ac.uk/academ/gpg100.php

Stem Cells and Breast Tissue Research

“Our continuous research programmes into breast health and treatment have particular focus on improving the clinical and aesthetic outcomes for women who have suffered from breast cancer,” says Professor Kefah Mokbel of the London Breast Institute at the Princess Grace Hospital in central London.

"We are at the early stages of developing our own contribution to robust clinical trials using stem cells to help replace tissue removed during essential surgery that may, in time, also have applications for breast enhancement.  This work will build on established techniques in use in Japan and will add to the current European trial."

Visit the London Breast Institute website