Tag: Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

Adi and Mo take Neurosurgery to YouTube audience

Two neurosurgeons from Glasgow are swapping their scrubs for the small screen to tell you all about neuroscience.
 
Aditaya ‘Adi’ Kumar and Mohammed ‘Mo’ Draz host The Neurosurgeons on YouTube, the only place where you will find two neurosurgeons exploring everything about the brain and spine.
 
Adi and Mo, who are Trainees within the Department of Neurosurgery, at the Institute of Neurological Sciences (INS) at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, let viewers take a fascinating look into a surgical specialty that most have heard of, but few know much about.

They share insights into the workings of our bodies, tell stories of the work they do and the people they care for, and give advice on how you can take care of yourself.
 
While you may associate neurosurgeons with brain surgery, they do much more. Neurosurgeons diagnose and treat conditions that affect your nervous system, including your skull, blood vessels, and soft tissues.
 
The Neurosurgeons began when Adi and Mo discovered there was a lack of information available online for members of the public about neurosurgery. Mo, who is originally from Egypt, said: “We found that patients prefer using social media to navigating websites. We started with a video about the common causes of back pain.
 
“YouTube is competitive, and you need to create up to 100 videos to make an impression. So far, we have had excellent feedback.
 
“I recently explained a procedure to a nurse at work. They told me it sounded far simpler on The Neurosurgeons!”
 
Both men conquered any “stage fright” and enjoy being in front of a camera. Adi, originally from Yorkshire, said: “At first, it is hard to talk to a camera without being able to see yourself, let alone doing it with someone you work with, in an unfamiliar setting.
 
“As time goes by, videos which are less “scripted” convey our personalities, and quirks, best.”
 
Adi and Mo discovered content ideas came from their experiences in surgery theatres and in talking to families and patients. Families are anxious about their loved ones, whose recovery from surgery can take time.
 
So far, The Neurosurgeons have brought their camera into the surgical theatre and examined the instruments every neurosurgeon uses during brain and spine surgery. Those include the Mayfield clamp, which pins a patient’s head in place, and the Watson Cheyne Dissector, which dissects around the tissue.
 
The duo explored how an MRI works, the impact of COVID-19 on your brain, and the causes of, and best medications to treat, back pain.
 
One of the videos, a critique of hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, has been particularly popular for highlighting what would happen in real life, versus a medical drama.
 
While Adi and Mo are keeping much of their future content under wraps, they will soon show you inside more of their hospital. The Neurosurgeons celebrate the entire neurosurgery team, which includes nurses, porters, and physiotherapists.
 
The last two years have been hard for everyone working in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Adi, a husband and dad, recently beat COVID-19. He and Mo recognise the challenges currently facing the NHS.
 
Adi said: “Day to day life can be difficult and the NHS is very busy. The Neurosurgeons has helped us focus our energy, and any frustrations, into creation.
 
“Your health is the most important thing you have. The Neurosurgeon explore the most common health challenges you may face.”
 
The duo’s top tips for tip top neurological health are:  

  • Keep fit and exercise regularly.
  • Eat healthy food, provide your brain and spine with the supply it needs.
  • Sleep well, give your brain a chance to relax.
  • Connect, keep yourself surrounded with people you love.
  • Watch your back, your spine is your central support.

Craig Broadfoot, General Manager for Neurosciences and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS), said: “The Neurosurgeons is a valuable educational tool for everyone interested in neuroscience and put a human face on what can be a complicated subject.
 
“We want you subscribe to The Neurosurgeons. Adi and Mo explore common health challenges you may face in an entertaining way, exploring neuroscience with knowledge and humour.”
 
To subscribe to the Neurosurgeons, go to The Neurosurgeons on YouTube.

Caught in the act of Care

Gallery showcases Queen Elizabeth staff at the heart of delivering care during pandemic

Within the atrium of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) we have a gallery which pays tribute to the many staff working across the hospital site to look after patients during this difficult time.

Here, we’ve collated some of the images from the ‘Caught in the act of Care’ exhibition alongside some of quotes from staff on what it’s like to work during the pandemic.

Kate Hill, Acute Services Practice Development Nurse
“It is a really challenging and difficult situation for all staff in NHS, however, they have worked collaboratively to provide excellent care for patients.”

Anne Watson, Specialist Physiotherapist, Orthopaedics and Emma Brough, Physiotherapist
Anne Watson quoted: “It’s been a really tough time but our team has worked extremely well together to support not only our patients but each other.”

Scott Boardman, Domestic services  
“I feel the patients are like a second family as I am the only visitor some get on daily basis due to no visitors in current climate. I have a lot of long term patients who I enjoy having a bit of banter to pass the time of day and to put a smile on their faces.”

Rachael Matthews,  Speech and Language Therapist
“It’s been a challenging time but hopefully there’s light at the end of the tunnel now.  Keep following the rules as we want you to be able to visit your loved ones as soon as possible.”

Graeme Condie,  Travel Plan officer, Travel plan office
“Despite the additional pressures and workload during the pandemic, a real positive for our department has been the increase in appetite from a wide range of staff to move towards a more sustainable form of regular travel to their work.”

Amy Wood, Staff Nurse, Orthopaedics (now moved to community)
“The uncertainty was difficult, especially at the start when everything changed so quickly. Everyone pulled together and supported each other though, which was great to be a part of.”

Helping hands – Hundreds of them

Powerful tribute to hospital staff

At first glance it looks like any other tribute to our NHS staff – a rainbow taking pride of place on the wall of a busy corridor.
 
But on closer inspection, it’s clear this rainbow means more than most. It is made of up more than 300 coloured hand-prints, alongside more than 300 names and a simple message – ‘These hands helped, held, healed and honoured … together we were stronger’.
 
This rainbow is a very powerful, personal tribute to every single member of the Emergency Department at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
 
Consultants, porters, nurses, domestics, even the volunteers who gave their time at the height of the crisis – they’re all there, side by side. No hierarchy, no pecking order, just one team. A family, in fact.
 
Ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Emergency Department at the QEUH, along with every other area of the NHS, have been working under a level of pressure very few have ever experienced.
 
The effort they put in and the resilience they showed – keeping smiling and keeping supporting each other every day – was something that Leanne Kennedy and Karen Hughes, both Senior Charge Nurses and Emergency Nurse Practitioners in the department, wanted to make sure would never be forgotten.
 
“Myself and Karen wanted to do something to recognise the efforts that people were putting in when they came to work,” said Leanne.
 
“COVID has been the first big crisis that the department has had to deal with since the opening of the hospital and, once we’re long gone, we wanted to leave something as a permanent reminder of who they were and the amazing work they did.”
 
They knew they wanted to do something special, but the idea for the hands came from Karen’s sister.
 
“We were batting around some ideas of what we could do and I happened to mention it to my sister. She works in M&S, and she mentioned the rainbow of handprints that used to welcome people into the store. The idea came from there really.
 
“We tried to think of ways to do it, but eventually approached a sign company and asked them for help. They were happy to be involved and the company donated the sign for free, which we’ll always be grateful for.”
 
In July last year, the finished sign was put up in the corridor used by ambulance crews to bring patients into the department. Staff were thrilled, and Karen and Leanne were delighted to see their dream become reality – a special thank you to every member of the team.
 
“It’s wonderful to see everyone’s efforts recognised in this way,” Karen said. “When this crisis started we had no idea it would still be going nearly a year on. The way the team has dealt with it – the way they’re still delivering the very best care after all this time – is something I’ll always be proud of.
 
“At the beginning we all clapped every Thursday for our NHS. But even if we clapped every second, every day, I still don’t think we could do enough to say thank you to the amazing people who work here.”
 
Alan Whitelaw, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Clinical Director for Emergency Medicine at the QEUH, said: “All our staff are working extremely hard and face unprecedented pressure just now. Gestures like these, large and small, go a long way in helping raise morale and reminding us we’re all in this together.”


 Denise Wilkinson, Lead Nurse at the Emergency Department, said: “This has been a really difficult time for our staff. They have endured long days, wearing hot and sweaty PPE, yet they have kept going and even now, after all this time, they are delivering a fantastic level of care.
 
“We have a lot of fairly newly qualified staff – how they have dealt with it has been phenomenal. In fact, I don’t know how everyone in the team managed to keep going and support each other through this. I’m so proud of them all.”
 
The banner in the Emergency Department may carry the names of the hundreds of staff who work there, but Leanne wanted to pay tribute to all staff across the NHS in Greater Glasgow and Clyde and beyond, who have played such an important part throughout the pandemic.

However, she had special mention for the emergency services who work day in, day out with the Emergency Department, and whose badges also appear on the banner.
 
Helping hands – hundreds of them – a fitting tribute to just one part of the NHS that is doing so much to keep us all safe.