News

Virtual reality has led to new and exciting discoveries across many areas of life, including medicine. Now, The Walton Centre is leading the way in the use of VR in neurosurgery. This week, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram visited the Trust to watch a demonstration of the newly installed Neuro VR simulator – the UK’s first and only such piece of equipment.

The Neuro VR will enable experienced surgeons at The Walton Centre to develop the very latest techniques, taking their skills even further, and allow trainee surgeons to practice safely, yet in a realistic environment.

Mayor Rotheram also met with staff and patients across the hospital, in the Complex Rehabilitation Unit, Radiology and the Intensive Care Unit to hear about the leading work being carried out in the fields of neurology, neurosurgery and rehabilitation.

Jan Ross, Chief Executive, said it was great to welcome Mayor Rotheram to the Trust again, after previous visits in 2013 and 2019.

“Mayor Rotheram has always been a big supporter of The Walton Centre and the work we do as a specialist trust in his capacity as Metro Mayor, and previously, while he was MP for Walton.

“As we emerge from the stresses and strains put on healthcare from the COVID-19 pandemic, it was great to be able to show him how we are continuing to provide the very best treatment and care and share our plans for the future.

“Part of these plans is the Neuro VR machine, which was recently installed thanks to funding from The Walton Centre Charity and will be game-changing.

“It will become a national hub for simulation-based training in neurosurgery, benefitting patients across the country and changing the future of neurosurgery, so to be able to demonstrate this work to Mayor Rotheram was fantastic.”

 

Read Metro Mayor visits leading Trust for UK-first VR technology…

The Road to Recovery course for patients surviving bleeding on the brain has reached the milestone of 15 years of running, supporting for over 500 patients in its lifetime.

In 2007 a group of specialist staff here at The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust identified that people who experienced Subarachnoid Haemorrhages (SAH), a potentially life-threatening bleed on the surface of the brain, needed a higher level of support after initial treatment. At the time, whilst physical treatment of SAH was comprehensive, the social, psychological and practical needs of those patients surviving the trauma were lacking.

From this realisation, a project involving patients and the wider public was launched, resulting in the creation of the Road to Recovery course – a course aimed at informing patients and their families and bringing them together to share their knowledge and experience. Groups such as The Brain Charity and the Brain Haemorrhage Support Group (BHSG) take part in the course, which is led by Specialist Nurse Practitioners and Interventional Neuroradiologists, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Neurosurgeons. The course covers coiling an aneurysm – the main treatment for SAH, the psychological effects of SAH and gives practical help on common issues such as fatigue and exercise as well as talks from people living with the effects of an aneurysm.

Neurovascular Advanced Nurse Practitioner Cathy Stoneley was part of the team which launched the course in 2007 and is still helping to deliver the course today. She said: “It’s been an amazing journey to see the course grow from strength to strength. Patients always give really positive feedback about the content of the course and the opportunity to meet people who are in the same boat so to speak. The Walton Centre treats about 150 patients a year for SAH, so it’s vital that these patients get ongoing support for their rehabilitation. The work we do is ever-changing, and the pandemic was a particular challenge as they’re usually in-person sessions. To adapt, we made the courses available online – with huge success!”

SAH is most common in people between the ages of 40 and 60, usually affecting women more than men.

In May 2021 Darryl Hyde from Warrington blacked out after he fell in the garden. Darryl had a SAH and had an emergency endovascular coiling performed. He and his wife Louise attended the Road to Recovery course recently. Darryl said: “It was incredibly useful for us to be able to take part in these sessions. For me it was great to meet people who were at different stages of their recovery after a bleed on the brain. I’ve experienced fatigue and other side effects and to meet and talk to other people who have too helped to normalise many if the issues I faced. Louise has been a rock throughout my rehabilitation, but it is so reassuring to know that there are other people going through similar experiences after SAH. For Louise, the course was informative and gave her a great insight into what treatments I received, and also the coiling procedure which saved my life. The sessions on practical help with recovery from the Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists was very useful too. I’m so thankful for The Walton Centre, the continuity provided from first admission all the way through to the course six months later was amazing, I truly feel that the staff at The Walton Centre can relate to my case on a personal level - Cathy & Debbie the specialist nurses: I am very thankful for all their support.”

The Road to Recovery course was the first of its kind in 2007, now many centres nationally are adopting the same kinds of support sessions for their SAH patients.

The Walton Centre’s Medical Director Dr Andrew Nicolson said: “I’m delighted that a course of this nature has lasted so long and has helped so many patients. SAH is often a life-changing event in someone’s life, even if they make a full recovery. I’m proud that our clinicians have used this course to put patients together, to foster a sense of community and enable them to be reassured by each other’s experiences. I very much look forward to seeing what the next 15 years holds.”

 

-ends-

 

Notes to editors

Further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Communications Team at The Walton Centre on 0151 556 3397 or communications@thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. Although the majority of patients come from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire and the Isle of Man, for some specialist treatments of complex disorders we see patients from all parts of the country, referred by their GPs or other neurologists, neurosurgeons and pain clinicians.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. The independent regulator of all health and social care services in England published its rating on Friday 21 October 2016, following announced and unannounced inspection visits to the Trust in April 2016.

For more information please visit: www.thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk or follow the Trust on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool L9 7LJ
0151 525 3611

 

Read Recovery enhancing course celebrates 15 years of helping patients and relatives…

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust has received Centre of Excellence status after delivering outstanding fully endoscopic spinal surgery to patients in Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales.

The award, given by RIWOspine, the manufacturers of the innovative fully endoscopic equipment, comes after the Trust’s charity funded the project in 2020. Gaining Centre of Excellence is a gold standard, making the hospital one of only a handful to achieve the status.

Consultant Spinal Surgeon Mr Narendra Rath, one of few surgeons in the country who can perform this type of surgery, said: “I am delighted and so proud of the team here at The Walton Centre. It’s been an extraordinary two years, but the team has worked hard to bring this service to patients who need it.

“Fully endoscopic spinal surgery has provided us with skills to tackle spinal problems in various ways and it is not only about discectomy procedures. Being keyhole, the procedure causes minimal tissue damage and can improve patient rehabilitation. It’s a pioneering branch of spinal surgery, practiced in only few centres across the world, and has a potential to transform future spinal surgery.”

“Everyone has come together, staff, the charity, our patients and their families to make this service a reality and I can’t thank them enough.”

The procedure is used to treat spinal conditions such as sciatica due to disc bulges and spinal stenosis, along with other ever evolving newer surgical indications. As part of the recovery process for some of the procedures, patients can be up and walking around merely hours after the surgery. In many cases, patients can go home the same day if they have recovered enough.

Patients like 26-year-old Ciaran Rooney from Wirral. He started to have trouble with his back a couple of years ago. Mr Rath operated on Ciaran towards the end of last year [2021] and was able to go home the same day. He said: “Mr Rath assessed and got me in for the operation quickly. Before that I was in an incredible amount of pain, I was limping it was that severe. Hours after the procedure the team got me up and about walking to see the progress I was making. I couldn’t believe it and I feel so lucky to have had the surgery, it’s got me back on my feet – literally!”

The Walton Centre’s Chief Executive Jan Ross said: “It’s testament to Mr Rath and his hardworking team that the Trust has been awarded Centre of Excellence status. This minimally invasive procedure can mean shorter hospital stays and better recoveries for many patients. I’m proud of the dedication they have displayed and it shows in the fantastic outcomes we’ve seen so far for Walton Centre patients.”

The innovative endoscopic equipment, made by RIWOspine, involves keyhole technology, which allows the Trust to deliver precision spinal procedures. The tools are paired wirelessly with high definition 4K monitors to enable safe procedures with minimal invasion, which may reduce the length of time patients need to recover in hospital. The funding of this technology was made possible thanks to a significant legacy left to The Walton Centre Charity in 2019.

Andy Singh, Head of RIWOspine UK said “We are very pleased to announce this Centre of Excellence award for The Walton Centre. The staff at the hospital have worked closely with us, and their hard work and professionalism has resulted in this award. This latest generation of full endoscopic spine surgery, allowing the interlaminar surgical approach has meant many more patient pathologies have been treatable, where once, these patients required open surgery. The stories of happy patients, such as Daniel, make this all worthwhile”.

-Ends-

 

Notes to editors

Further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Communications Team at The Walton Centre on 0151 556 3397 or wcft.communications@nhs.net

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. Although the majority of patients come from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire and the Isle of Man, for some specialist treatments of complex disorders we see patients from all parts of the country, referred by their GPs or other neurologists, neurosurgeons and pain clinicians.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. The independent regulator of all health and social care services in England published its rating on Friday 21 October 2016, following announced and unannounced inspection visits to the Trust in April 2016.

For more information please visit: www.thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk or follow the Trust on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

 

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool L9 7LJ
0151 525 3611

Read Specialist spinal service receives Centre of Excellence award…

Congratulations to Dr Andreas Goebel, Consultant in Pain Medicine at The Walton Centre, who was one of the lead authors of new guidelines for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The new guidelines were recently launched at the Royal College of Physicians in Liverpool. These are the first UK guidelines for the condition and will have a significant impact on patients.

Fibromyalgia syndrome is common yet as symptoms vary, are commonly multiple and can fluctuate, a diagnosis can be difficult.

Patients may be diagnosed inaccurately with alternative conditions, only receive an FMS diagnosis after years of delay, or sometimes be inaccurately diagnosed with FMS.

The new guidelines aim to support clinicians in the diagnosis of FMS, without the need for rheumatology referral, preventing unnecessary surgery, enable patients to be placed on the appropriate treatment pathway earlier and empower patients to be more knowledgeable about their condition. 

The Walton Centre offers a variety of pain management programmes tailored to individual needs. In fact, the first Pain Management Programme (PMP) in the UK was developed at The Walton Centre in 1983. Since then, we have continued to develop our service and remain at the forefront of pain management treatment. We offer programs specifically for young patients, or those with particular chronic pains. PMP treatment is the backbone of management for patients with severe FMS, and these patients form a large part of our patient group.

Dr Goebel said: “The team of multidisciplinary professionals who worked on these guidelines included representatives from general practice, surgery, nursing, occupational health, rheumatology, orthopaedics, rehabilitation and physiotherapy as well as patients diagnosed with FMS.

“We hope the guidelines will lead to more effective and efficient diagnosis of FMS and therefore enabling more patients to access the right treatment and management of their condition, at an earlier stage.”

For more information on the new guidelines, visit: https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/guidelines-policy/diagnosis-fibromyalgia-syndrome 

Read New guidelines launched for fibromyalgia syndrome…

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust has rolled out a new service using cutting-edge treatment for people living with Essential Tremor – a neurological disorder that causes an uncontrollable shake or trembling in a part of the body.

The UK’s first specialist neurosciences hospital won the contract to deliver the new service at the end of 2021, which will make it the first centre in the north of England, second in the country overall, to offer an incisionless treatment for the condition. Called Trans-cranial MR-guided Focused Ultrasound, or Focused Ultrasound for short, it involves thermal tissue ablation, targeted at the key areas of the brain causing the tremors.

With over one million people living with Essential Tremor in the UK, around 25% are severely disabled by their tremors (https://tremor.org.uk/).

Maureen Greenough had been living with Essential Tremor for several years before being the first to be offered this innovative treatment at The Walton Centre. The procedure was a complete success and she no longer has tremors in her right hand-side.

She said: “I couldn’t believe how immediate the change was. As soon as I left the treatment room I noticed that my right hand had stopped shaking, it was like the team at The Walton centre had flipped a switch! Before this my writing was terrible, I couldn’t hold a cup without using both hands. I felt a lot of embarrassment and I didn’t feel comfortable eating in front of people. Now that’s all changed. We’re planning a holiday this year and we have a wedding in the summer to go to – I now cannot wait! The treatment The Walton Centre provides is excellent, and I will be forever grateful to the team for helping me.”

Eligible patients get one Focused Ultrasound treatment to reduce the tremors on one side of their body. Current regulatory approvals demonstrate good clinical durability, with tremor relief maintained at three years.

Medical Director Dr Andrew Nicolson said: “We consider this treatment a game-changer for our patients with Essential Tremor. Those eligible will be able to have the treatment and see their symptoms on one side of their body essentially disappear. Usually to achieve this effect in Movement Disorders, it would require much more invasive surgical intervention. It’s been an incredible team effort and the first treatment today marks the start of an invaluable service we can offer our patients.”     

Mr Jibril Osman Farah, Consultant Neurosurgeon and one of the lead clinicians for this project, hopes that the waiting list can be reduced significantly now The Walton Centre can offer the treatment. He said: “Those patients in the north of England waiting for this treatment can now come here to Liverpool, rather than have to wait to be treated in London, which can be difficult to get to. Focused Ultrasound is a groundbreaking treatment for patients with Essential Tremor. To test how effective the treatment is we ask patients to draw spirals before, during and after, and the results are so striking. Before it was a scribble, and after it is a clear spiral, the tremors are drastically reduced. I’m so proud of the team and how we’ve pulled together to bring this treatment to patients here at The Walton Centre.”

The innovative technology was developed and implemented by Insightec, who have worked closely with The Walton Centre to deliver this new treatment to patients in the North of England.

Maurice R. Ferré MD, Insightec CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors said: “We are deeply committed to continuing to transform patient care with minimally invasive, innovative surgical procedures. The Exablate system will help support a better quality of life for people diagnosed and living with Essential Tremor.”

-Ends-

 

Notes to editors

Further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Communications Team at The Walton Centre on 0151 556 3397 or wcft.communications@nhs.net

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. Although the majority of patients come from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire and the Isle of Man, for some specialist treatments of complex disorders we see patients from all parts of the country, referred by their GPs or other neurologists, neurosurgeons and pain clinicians.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. The independent regulator of all health and social care services in England published its rating on Friday 21 October 2016, following announced and unannounced inspection visits to the Trust in April 2016.

Read First Walton Centre patient receives groundbreaking treatment for Essential Tremor…

In 2015, third year medical student Dan Pearson began to notice tremors in his hands when doing working with his hands. After a GP referral to The Walton Centre, Dan’s diagnosis of Essential Tremor was confirmed. 

Essential Tremor is a neurological disorder that causes an uncontrollable shake or trembling in a part of the body, which can be disruptive to everyday life for up to a million people in the UK each year (https://tremor.org.uk/).

Dan said: “I was doing a lab project as part of my studies and noticed when I was pipetting samples that my hands were shaking. They started to get worse as the year progressed and that’s when I wanted to see experts at The Walton Centre. They knew immediately it was Essential Tremor and gave me a range of treatment options, mainly medication to start with.”

But after a few years of medication, the 28 year old from Rainhill noticed that the symptoms were coming back. It was at this point that Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) was suggested. DBS involves implanting electrodes in certain areas of the brain, which are causing the tremors, through which electrical impulses are then delivered to regulate brain activity. Dan was referred to Mr Jibril Farah, a Consultant Neurosurgeon specialising in DBS here at The Walton Centre.

Dan continued: “Mr Farah was brilliant at giving me options and the space to decide what is best for me as an Essential Tremor patient and a medical student. I went away and read some literature he suggested, but ultimately decided to go ahead with DBS procedure.

“During testing the electrodes in my head they turned them on and my symptoms disappeared. I couldn’t believe it. I was so emotional. I knew I’d made the right decision.”   

Following further appointments with the DBS team to get the calibration right, Dan has progressed his medical career and is now considering which area to specialise in. He said: “Having the DBS procedure was definitely the right choice. I went from barely able to hold a pen to paper, to now writing coherently. More importantly it’s given me my options back career-wise. Where surgical options would’ve been out of the question, I can now consider these without my condition being a big contributing factor. I can’t thank The Walton Centre enough for that.

“I think everyone needs a greater understanding of Essential Tremor. Too many see people’s symptoms and jump to conclusions.” 

-Ends-

 

Notes to editors

Further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Communications Team at The Walton Centre on 0151 556 3397 or wcft.communications@nhs.net

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. Although the majority of patients come from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire and the Isle of Man, for some specialist treatments of complex disorders we see patients from all parts of the country, referred by their GPs or other neurologists, neurosurgeons and pain clinicians.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. The independent regulator of all health and social care services in England published its rating on Friday 21 October 2016, following announced and unannounced inspection visits to the Trust in April 2016.

For more information please visit: www.thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk or follow the Trust on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool L9 7LJ
0151 525 3611

 

Read Essential Tremor patient can pursue dream career thanks to an implant fitted by The Walton Centre…

Leading clinicians in rehabilitation have come together to write a new book on the interdisciplinary team (IDT) approach to complex physical rehabilitation.

‘A Practical Approach to Interdisciplinary Complex Rehabilitation’ is a comprehensive, practical, evidence-based guide to complex rehabilitation from an IDT perspective, exploring the dynamic and diverse roles and challenges of the team. The fifteen chapters are written by clinicians who are highly experienced across a range of disciplines and settings, from early acute rehabilitation to community rehabilitation.

The book has been developed by Drs Cara Pelser, Helen Banks and Ganesh Bavikatte from The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust and Cheshire and Merseyside Rehabilitation Network (CMRN). Together with a wide range of medical, nursing, AHP and psychology colleagues from the CMRN they have captured each discipline in a user friendly, easy-read format covering topics which are underrepresented in current literature such as vocational rehabilitation and socioeconomic factors.

The CMRN is hosted by The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust. It is the UK’s only specialist rehabilitation clinical network commissioned from hyper acute to community services and NHS Foundation Trusts.

Dr Ganesh Bavikatte, consultant at The Walton Centre in Liverpool and clinical lead for the CMRN, and one of the editors of the book, said the text will be an invaluable resource for all healthcare staff working in rehabilitation.

“Whether you work in medicine, nursing, dietetics, neuropsychiatry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, rehabilitation coordination, speech and language therapy, or vocational rehabilitation therapy, there is something to learn and take from this book.

“Most importantly, the book looks at the team approach, which is critical for the benefit of the rehabilitation patient and their personalised goals.

“I am delighted to see it in print and be able to share the work of the staff from the Cheshire and Merseyside Rehabilitation Network with our colleagues across the country and the world.”

Dr Cara Pelser, Clinical Psychologist, said: “'The book demonstrates the hard work and sheer dedication of NHS staff who, during a pandemic, have continued to successfully collaborate to develop and produce a piece of work everyone should be proud of.”

The Cheshire and Merseyside Rehabilitation Network is a clinically-led network responsible for 103 inpatient beds and community services across the region. It provides high quality specialist rehabilitation across a coordinated pathway from hyper-acute to community services based on a patient’s needs not diagnosis.

It operates on a hub and spoke model, with the hub at The Walton Centre, where there are 10 inpatient beds in the Hyper Acute Specialist Rehabilitation Unit, providing early specialist assessment and supportive rehabilitation for patients who have typically stepped down from Critical Care, High Dependency Units or Major Trauma Centres and 20 inpatient beds in the Complex Rehabilitation Unit to provide supportive rehabilitation for patients with complex medical, nursing and therapy needs. Active rehabilitation is provided in the spoke units at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust, and Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and extended rehabilitation at Oak Vale Gardens, Priory Care.

 

Read New book released on team approach to complex rehabilitation…