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The Walton Centre is pleased to announce the appointment of Max Steinberg CBE as the Chairman of The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust.

Max has extensive experience across business, innovation and industry, most recently eight years as Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision where he oversaw award-winning participation in the World EXPO Shanghai and was instrumental in securing the first UK International Festival for Business, in Liverpool in 2014. He was also Chair of the Festival in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Born and bred in Liverpool, Max was awarded the OBE in 1997 for services to Housing and Regeneration on Merseyside and the CBE for services to Business and the Community in 2013. He was awarded a Doctorate at Liverpool University in 2019 and commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant in 2020.

He has served on a number of other boards, including Liverpool John Moores University European Institute of Urban Affairs. In August 2015, Max was appointed Chairman of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, and in December 2018 Chair of the Board of The ACC Liverpool Group.

Jan Ross, Chief Executive, The Walton Centre, said: “Max’s breadth of business experience, his personal commitment to public service, and his extensive experience at board level will be of immense value to The Walton Centre. I look forward to welcoming him as Chairman of the Trust.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Seth Crofts, who has been Acting Chairman and has provided the Walton Centre with stability and has personally supported me through a very difficult six months. Seth has been an exceptional and committed Non-Executive Director, Deputy Chair and Acting Chair in his time at The Walton Centre, and we cannot thank him enough for stepping up when required.”

Max, who will take up his position in April, said he was delighted to be taking up the role at The Walton Centre.

“The Walton Centre is one of the jewels in the crown of healthcare providers, not just in Liverpool but in the UK. As the son of a Liverpool GP, and the father of two NHS professionals, the opportunity to work for this fantastic institution was something I was very interested in.

“I have enormous pride in the city of Liverpool, and making the institutions of the city the very best. I am looking forward to working with all the staff at The Walton Centre to ensure it continues to provide the very best treatment and care to its patients and their family and friends.”

 

Read New Chairman announced at The Walton Centre…

When Matthew Brooks woke up one morning with a headache, he knew that what he was experiencing was unusual. He went to Whiston Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department, and later investigations revealed that Matthew had an Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM).

An AVM is an incredibly delicate tangle of arteries and veins which can form in the brain, causing a range of problems including seizures, bleeding and headaches.

“It was like a switch in my head had been flipped and I was in immense pain,” Matthew said, “My wife took me to Hospital and they found a bleed on my brain. My memory of that time gets hazy after that, all I remember is waking up in intensive care.”

Matthew was quickly transferred to The Walton Centre, where an AVM was found to be the cause of the bleed. Matthew had problems with his eyesight afterwards, but recovered enough to begin more treatments such as embolisation (a procedure used to stop the blood flow to a certain part of the body, in this case the AVM in the brain) to combat the condition.

Matthew said: “It made me quite anxious at first. It felt like it could get worse at any time! I was just so glad that The Walton Centre was able to help despite the risks of it bleeding again, which of course it did in 2014.”

During an emoblisation procedure a year into his treatment, Matthew had another more serious bleed on the brain, which caused paralysis to his right-hand side, to the point where he needed help breathing.

The 38 year old from St Helens continued: “I knew another bleed was a risk as the likelihood increases after each new instance. The hospital was fantastic in supporting me through my rehabilitation. In about a month they had me walking and breathing on my own again. All the staff involved were friendly and professional.”

After further treatment, including radiotherapy in 2015, and follow up embolisation procedures, the final one being in 2020, Matthew was told the good news that the AVM had disappeared completely – which can happen following successful treatment.

Matthew said: “I couldn’t believe it. I had an angiogram just before Christmas 2021 and they were fairly confident that it had disappeared! I was amazed. I’ve been living with AVM for the best part of a decade and I can’t describe the relief that I feel knowing it’s gone. Because of the support from the hospital, I’ve been able to continue working and now we’re planning a family - I can’t wait for what the future holds.”

Clinical Lead in Interventional Neuroradiology Mani Puthuran said: “I am really proud to be part of the team leading these minimally invasive endovascular treatments for brain AVMs at The Walton Centre. We have a very high success rate in the UK and in particular with the very few handful of institutions in the world offering this treatment. I also want to extend my wishes to Matthew and the leaders at The Walton centre for the continued support in help us develop these cutting edge treatments that benefit patients.”

Deputy Medical Director and Consultant Neuroradiolologist Sacha Niven said: “AVM’s are all different in position, size etc and therefore treatment has to be planned for each one individually, indeed in some cases they are considered incurable. The modern thinking is that treatment should aim to completely obliterate the AVM, though on occasion a particular high risk feature might be targeted when the AVM cannot be completely cured. There are three main treatment options and these can be combined: surgery, targeted radiotherapy and embolisation. Our interventional radiologists here at The Walton Centre have developed the skills to treat highly complex AVM’s in adults and it is pleasing to hear that in some cases treatment can be so successful!”

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Notes to editors

For photos of the garden further information, or to arrange a visit contact the Communications Team on 0151 556 3397 or email wcf-tr.waltoncentre.communications@nhs.net.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. It has twice been rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. 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.

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 Potentially life-threatening brain condition gone thanks to treatment at The Walton Centre…

Seven years ago, in 2015, the Home from Home accommodation at The Walton Centre opened, following a successful fundraising appeal spearheaded by David Fairclough and family in memory of his wife Jan. The appeal was generously supported by individuals and organisations from the local community and beyond and donations to The Walton Centre Charity continue to fund the facility to ensure it can be provided to families free of charge.

The centre provides a place for relatives to stay while their loved ones are undergoing urgent or emergency treatment, rather than having to travel back and forth to their homes, sometimes at a moment’s notice and distressing and emotional times in their lives. 

One of the first families to stay was Lee and Noah Hawksworth – while Noah was just a few weeks old.

Maria Hawksworth was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015 while 33 weeks pregnant and delivered Noah three weeks later as the tumour was dangerously close to her carotid artery. Two months after that, the tumour was removed in a 15-hour operation at The Walton Centre.

Her husband Lee and baby son Noah stayed on site in the brand-new Home from Home accommodation while Maria recovered from surgery.

Maria said: “Sometimes in the morning when I was a bit down I’d say to the nurse ‘can I ring my husband to come over a bit sooner’ and she’d say ‘yes, no problem’ and he could just run over with Noah and I could have a few minutes with them.

“Without Home from Home it would have meant that Lee was travelling three hours each day to see me.

“The Home from Home gave Noah and Lee somewhere to rest and just knowing they were on site made me feel tonnes better.

Lee added: “We had Noah with us and Maria’s mum and we had the opportunity to sit in the Home from Home lounge and have a cup of tea, watch the television, just take our minds off things, being near was really important - but we didn’t have to wander the corridors for 15 hours.

The accommodation was opened the same year by HRH Princess Anne, pictured right, meeting Noah and mum Maria. Noah is now seven years old, and the family still remembers those days at The Walton Centre.

Lee continued: “It brings back a real mixture of feelings. On the one hand it only feels like yesterday and then the other it feels like a lifetime ago! The genuinely kind nature of the staff in Home from Home and ITU is the one thing that really stands out – their humanity made everything easier.

“I can’t imagine how we’d have coped without Home from Home. For me and Noah to be literally 200 yards away from Maria was fantastic. It should be standard practice across the NHS!”

“We thank the Walton Centre from the bottom of our hearts.”

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Notes to editors

Further information, or to arrange a visit contact the Communications Team on 0151 556 3397 or email wcf-tr.waltoncentre.communications@nhs.net.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. It has twice been rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. 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.

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 Home from Home celebrates seven years of supporting relatives of patients…

At the beginning of October, 62-year-old Frances Hughes from Chester found her left-hand-side paralysed, she had limited speech and was struggling to concentrate. Later, it was discovered that she had had a stroke and was subsequently treated by The Walton Centre through its’ enhanced 24-hour thrombectomy service, which covers Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales.

Frances said: “I woke up feeling fine but, when I tried to brush my teeth; I found I was doing it wrong and couldn’t think how to correct it. I then began to lose feeling in my left arm and leg and that’s when I knew I was in trouble.

Frances’ husband Bryan called for an ambulance which delivered her to the Countess of Chester Hospital’s Emergency Department. There, clinicians found a clot in the artery leading to her brain and they decided Frances needed urgent neurosurgical intervention. This resulted in being transferred quickly to The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust.

Frances continued: “When I arrived at The Walton Centre, there was a team of experts waiting to take me straight in for the thrombectomy. The Neuroradiologist was excellent at explaining the procedure to my son, who had arrived at the Countess and travelled with me in the ambulance to the Walton centre. He then felt confident in signing the consent forms.

“After I’d woken up from the procedure, it was like someone had clicked their fingers and I was back to normal again, I couldn’t believe it!”

Frances was transferred back to the Countess of Chester after the thrombectomy and discharged home after four days.

In relation to the care she received at The Walton Centre, she said: “I feel so lucky. The stroke could have happened at any point – when I was asleep, in the car, when I was on my own. I asked my son afterwards why he came with me in the ambulance. He said it was because he thought he might not see me again, it was that serious!                                                                                           

“The Walton Centre literally saved my life. I was in a bad way before getting the emergency thrombectomy. To go back to normal afterwards without any residual effects felt like a miracle. The staff were incredible. It is so important that we have a service like this literally on the doorstep in Liverpool.”

In October this year, The Walton Centre enhanced the Thrombectomy service to run 24 hours a day seven days a week, enabling hospitals in the region to refer to the service at any time. Thrombectomy is an innovative procedure which involves using guide wires and specialist equipment to remove blood clots from arteries and veins in the brain.

The Walton Centre’s Medical Director Dr Andrew Nicolson said: “I’m thrilled that the outcome for Frances was positive and that her experience here was exceptional. Being able to offer this specialist procedure 24/7 means a significant improvement in treatment for stroke patients in the region. This procedure is most effective for those who have an ischaemic stroke when the treatment is started as soon as possible after the initial symptoms. Working with our hospital partners across Cheshire and Merseyside has been essential to the successful implementation of this new service, and we hope it will continue to significantly change the outlook for stroke patients in our communities.”  

 

Read Enhanced Thrombectomy service ‘completely reversed’ effects of stroke for Fran…

The Rapid Access to Neurology Assessment (RANA) service, developed by clinicians at The Walton Centre, provides patients with direct access to expert neurologists when they visit Emergency Departments with neurological signs and symptoms.

RANA was introduced in February 2021 to support the system further as part of The Walton Centre’s mutual aid offer during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first two months saw 27 patients from Trusts across Cheshire and Merseyside, saving approximately 32 bed days.

The new assessment pathway was created by Dr Anita Krishnan, the Trust’s Clinical Director for Neurology. She said: “The vast majority of acute inpatient referral requests from our partner hospitals can be a range of common neurological disorders, from migraines and seizures to functional disorders and sensory disturbance. Before RANA, these patients would often be admitted and have to wait for a visiting neurologist, who would assess them and in most cases discharge them and agree next steps. I saw that we could improve this process and free up much needed beds in emergency departments across the region.

“Under RANA, patients who fit the criteria will now be referred immediately to The Walton Centre and receive the most appropriate care, from the most appropriate person, at the most appropriate time, without getting stuck in the wider healthcare system unnecessarily.”

 

Read New neurology assessment eases bed pressures in Cheshire and Merseyside hospitals…

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, alongside the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust and the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre, has been awarded Centre of Excellence status after rigorous assessments led by experts from the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM).

The Walton Centre’s Consultant Neurosurgeon Professor Michael Jenkinson led application, he said: “We are delighted to have been recognised as a TJBCM centre of excellence. The entire team works extremely hard to deliver the best possible wrap-around care for all the 500 brain tumour patients and their families treated at The Walton Centre each year. We are dedicated to providing high quality, compassionate and holistic care as well as offering clinical trials and research opportunities to patients - without whom, new and better treatments would not be possible." 

With more than 12,000 people diagnosed every year with a primary brain tumour in the UK, the award has been introduced to recognise hospitals for their excellence in patient care. Led by a committee of experts in the field and virtual site visits, the assessments were backed up by patient feedback about the care they received. This award is one of two to be awarded today, 11 centres have been given the status to date. Barts Health NHS Trust was also awarded the status.

The TJBCM assessors were impressed by how closely the three members of the Liverpool Network work together to make sure people with brain cancer receive seamless care throughout what can be a very complex treatment journey involving diagnosis surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

Dr Shaveta Mehta, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said: “We are very proud that our patient-centred approach and the high standard of care with close collaboration between different teams in Liverpool and North Wales has been recognised. Being a designated Centre of Excellence and part of the new Tessa Jowell Academy will be a fantastic opportunity to share expertise and learn from other centres, further improving the standard of care and experience of people with brain cancer right across the UK.”

The “Excellence” status provides reassurance about the availability of excellent care within the NHS, and positive recognition for our staff who continue to go the extra mile for patients, despite the challenges of the pandemic.

Dr Win Soe, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre, said: “The North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre is extremely proud to be part of the team awarded the prestigious Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence status. It reflects the hard work and commitment of staff at all levels in providing a comprehensive yet individualised plan of care for patients with brain tumours. In particular, the award comments on the ‘demonstrated excellence and leadership along the treatment pathway’. The fact this award has been received despite the challenges faced throughout the Covid Pandemic is a huge testament to the whole team.”

The report by the TJBCM describes that the team “demonstrated excellence and leadership along the treatment pathway” and is “proud to have you as an ambassador to the Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence network”. 

Prof Kate Bushby, who led the assessment said: “I am thrilled to announce two new Centres of Excellence who each demonstrated unique areas of excellence from which patients benefit. Throughout 2021, we have witnessed first-hand how centres have been increasingly sharing information and are innovating how they provide patient care. I look forward to seeing this upward trajectory continue over the next few years and see how patients and their family will have access to ever improving care.”

Three years ago, Baroness Tessa Jowell gave her powerful speech in the House of Lords recognising the need to improve brain tumour treatment, care and survival for all patients. Since then the TJBCM, with Professor Katie Bushby as programme lead, has been leading on the Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence designation initiative – an exercise designed to recognise and award neuro-oncology centres for their excellence in patient care.

For more information on the Mission, go to: https://www.tessajowellbraincancermission.org/  

 

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Further information, or to arrange a visit contact the Communications Team on 0151 556 3397 or email wcf-tr.waltoncentre.communications@nhs.net.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. It has twice been rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. 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.

 

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 The Walton Centre awarded Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence Status…