Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust: A Comprehensive Overview

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, located in London, United Kingdom, stands as a prominent institution in the nation's healthcare landscape. Formed in October 2007 through the merger of Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust and St Mary's NHS Trust, alongside integration with Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, the trust provides acute and specialist healthcare services to a population of nearly two million people in north-west London. This article delves into the structure, services, achievements, and challenges faced by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Formation and Structure

The trust's formation was a strategic move to combine the strengths of established healthcare providers with the academic prowess of Imperial College Faculty of Medicine. This integration aimed to foster innovation, improve patient care, and enhance medical education.

The clinical services of Imperial College Healthcare are organized into four divisions:

Medicine Division
Surgery and Cancer Division
Investigative and Clinical Support Sciences Division
Women’s and Children’s Division

This structure allows for specialized care delivery and facilitates collaboration among different medical specialties.

Hospitals Managed

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust currently manages five hospitals:

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Charing Cross Hospital
Hammersmith Hospital
Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital
St Mary's Hospital
Western Eye Hospital

Each of these hospitals offers a range of services, contributing to the trust's overall capacity to meet the healthcare needs of the community.

Partnership with Imperial College London

A key aspect of Imperial College Healthcare's identity is its partnership with Imperial College London. This collaboration positions the trust as a major center for medical research and ensures the rapid translation of research findings into improved patient care and excellence in education. In 2009, Imperial College Healthcare Trust and Imperial College London become an academic health science centre.

The partnership extends to various areas, including joint research projects, educational programs, and the development of innovative medical technologies. This synergy between clinical practice and academic research is a driving force behind the trust's advancements in healthcare.

Achievements and Innovations

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has been at the forefront of several medical innovations and achievements. Some notable examples include:

MRI Images of Heart Attack Bleeding: In January 2009, researchers successfully captured MRI images of bleeding inside the hearts of 15 Imperial College Healthcare patients who had suffered a heart attack.
Ultrasound Removal of Rectal Cancer: In November 2009, a team led by Professor Paul Abel of Imperial College Healthcare performed the first removal of a rectal cancer using ultrasound.
Magellan Robotic System for Fibroid Treatment: In 2013, interventional radiologists at the Trust used the Magellan Robotic System to treat fibroids in a world first.
Heart Mapping System: In 2014, Hammersmith Hospital became the first in Europe to use a new heart mapping system to treat patients with complicated heart rhythm disorders.
Focused Ultrasound for Essential Tremor: In 2016, focused ultrasound was used at Charing Cross Hospital to treat essential tremor without brain surgery, marking a UK first.
HIV Remission: In 2019, a patient achieved a sustained remission from HIV-1 after ceasing antiretroviral treatment-becoming only the second in the world to do-after being treated with a stem cell transplant at Hammersmith Hospital.

These achievements highlight the trust's commitment to innovation and its role in advancing medical science.

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Research and Genomics

Imperial College Healthcare is a major center for medical research, in partnership with Imperial College London. It is also part of one of eleven National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centres. The trust has one of the 11 Genomics Medicines Centres associated with Genomics England which opened across England in 2014.

The trust's involvement in the 100,000 Genomes project underscores its commitment to genomic medicine. The data produced in this project will be made available to drugs companies and researchers to help them create precision drugs for future generations.

Recognition and Awards

Imperial College Healthcare has received recognition for its excellence in various areas. It was named by the Health Service Journal as one of the top hundred NHS trusts to work for in 2015. This recognition reflects the trust's commitment to providing a supportive and rewarding work environment for its staff.

Financial Performance

Imperial College Healthcare, like many other NHS trusts, faces financial challenges. In 2012/13, Imperial College Healthcare achieved a year end adjusted surplus of £9.0 million with a total income of £971.30 million, of which £752.725 million was from patient care activities and £218.549 million was from other operating revenue. In 2017/18, it predicted a deficit of £25.1 million and did not predict a full-year surplus until 2021/22. The trust is one of the most commercial NHS trusts, increasing private income, mostly from general and maternity care, by 19% from 2014 to 2016.

Staff and Employment

Imperial College Healthcare is a major employer in the London area. The trust had a turnover of £971.3 million and employed approximately 9770 people. The staff composition includes:

Administration and estates staff: 2243
Healthcare assistants and other support staff: 1057
Medical and dental staff: 1686
Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff: 3439
Scientific, therapeutic and technical staff: 1344

In April 2020, over 1,000 Sodexo cleaners, caterers and porters working at the Trust's five hospitals were made NHS employees after months of campaigning by UVW union. They had been severely underpaid in comparison to the NHS pay structure, and denied the sick pay, annual leave and pensions given to all NHS staff.

External Reviews and Standards

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust utilizes external reviews to maintain and improve its standards. Following a series of Never Events within ophthalmology in the preceding 18 months, the Medical Director of the Trust commissioned a review. The review sets standards for what the trust should be doing and to what standard - based on what would be considered normal practice elsewhere - and it does this from an external viewpoint. The review also highlighted limitations faced by the department, including issues with the building, IT infrastructure, nursing and admin structures.

Digital Initiatives

Imperial College Healthcare has been proactive in adopting digital technologies to enhance patient care and improve efficiency. The trust was one of the first to introduce a comprehensive public Wi-Fi service in 2015. The basic service is free for patients, visitors, and staff. In 2016 it set up a project with Deep Mind to develop new clinical mobile apps linked to electronic patient records. The Trust featured in the debut series of Hospital on BBC Two in 2017, and was selected as a global digital exemplar for acute care in partnership with Chelsea and Westminster the same year.

Non-Emergency Patient Transport

On 1 June 2019, the Trust began a new five-year contract with Falck UK Ambulance Service to provide non-emergency patient transport services.

Public Health Directorate

Imperial College Healthcare is one of the few NHS Trusts in England to have a Public Health Directorate.

Leadership

The chief executive of the Trust is Professor Tim Orchard. The chair of the Trust was Lord Tugendhat from its inception in October 2007 until December 2011 when he was succeeded by Sir Richard Sykes. The current chair of the Trust is Matthew Swindells, who took up his role at the beginning of April 2022.

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