Queen Victoria Hospital
Encyclopedia
The Queen Victoria Hospital, located in East Grinstead
, West Sussex
, England
is the specialist reconstructive surgery centre for the south east of England, and also provides services at clinics across the region. It has become world famous for its pioneering burns and plastic surgery. The hospital was named after Queen Victoria
. The Princess Royal
is the current patron of the hospital.
during World War II, when it became world famous for pioneering treatment of RAF and allied aircrew who were badly burned or crushed and required reconstructive plastic surgery. Most famously, it was where the Guinea Pig Club
was formed in 1941, as a club which then became a support network for the aircrew and their family members. The club still provides assistance for Guinea Pigs, and meets regularly in East Grinstead
. The Duke of Edinburgh
is the current President of the club. Queen Victoria Hospital remains at the forefront of specialist care today, and is renowned for its burns treatment facilities and expertise throughout England.
s and for reconstructive surgery
- the use of specialist techniques such as tissue transplant and microvascular surgery in the restoration of people who have suffered disfigurement or destructive damage from disease, trauma, major surgery, or congenitally.
, six minor burn beds, an outpatients clinic and an operating theatre
, with a team including specialist burns nurses, consultant plastic surgeons, physiotherapists and anaesthetists.
The hospital was involved in controversy in August 2007 when it turned away an 8 month old burn victim arriving by air ambulance
. The row was finally resolved with both sides agreeing to disagree over the issue.
In conjunction with the Kent Police
, a young woman who was seriously burned by a firework and treated at Queen Victoria Hospital has made a video telling her story to help other young people understand the dangers that fireworks present.
Unit was established by Sir Benjamin Rycroft in the 1940s. The unit specialises in corneal transplantation surgery and oculoplastics
. The Eye Bank
, previously named the National Eye Bank at the Queen Victoria Hospital, was established formally in 1952. Sir Benjamin Rycroft was instrumental in the passage of the Tissue Procurement Act, a key piece of legislation with respect to all transplant surgery in the UK.
Today, the Corneo Plastic
and Ophthalmology
unit performs corneal transplantation, lamellar grafts, and stem cell transplantation for occular surface
rehabilitation. Raman Malhotra
, consultant ophthalmologist at the hospital, discovered a method of treating Blepharospasm
using filters.
, and is linked to surrounding cancer
networks. There is an on site team containing consultant plastic surgeons and specialist breast care nurses. Breast reduction
and surgery to correct asymmetry
are also offered.
Hand surgery
is also performed at the hospital. Videos of complex hand operations have been shared on YouTube
by Mr Harry Belcher, a consultant hand surgeon at the hospital.
A man had his arm successfully reattached in a 14-hour operation by surgeons at Queen Victoria Hospital, after he accidentally cut it off with a 'chainsaw'. After the operation he regained use of his fingers.
, orthodontics
, facial trauma
, head and neck cancer
, orthognathic surgery
, salivary gland
disease, face and jaw reconstruction, and developmental facial deformity. The unit performed major reconstructive surgery on a Crawley woman who was savaged by her own dog.
, narcolepsy
and snoring
.
wards and a minor injuries unit
(an alternative to A&E
).
departments in 30 referring hospitals in the area, allowing them to send images and clinical information in an encrypted format to specialists at the QVH.
The QVH telemedicine system has been chosen to form part of the Institute of Engineering & Technology's 2008 Faraday Lecture on the overall theme of engineering in health, and has been included in a documentary.
for two years in a row (2007 and 2008).
Nursing Times
named the hospital "Top organisation providing secondary and hospital care" for 2008.
East Grinstead railway station
and Gatwick Airport are a short taxi-ride away from the hospital.
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
is the specialist reconstructive surgery centre for the south east of England, and also provides services at clinics across the region. It has become world famous for its pioneering burns and plastic surgery. The hospital was named after Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
. The Princess Royal
Princess Royal
Princess Royal is a style customarily awarded by a British monarch to his or her eldest daughter. The style is held for life, so a princess cannot be given the style during the lifetime of another Princess Royal...
is the current patron of the hospital.
History
Founded as a cottage hospital in 1863, Queen Victoria Hospital was built on its current site in the 1930s and developed as a specialist burns unit by Sir Archibald McIndoeArchibald McIndoe
Sir Archibald McIndoe CBE FRCS was a pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon who worked for the Royal Air Force during World War II. He greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew.-Background:...
during World War II, when it became world famous for pioneering treatment of RAF and allied aircrew who were badly burned or crushed and required reconstructive plastic surgery. Most famously, it was where the Guinea Pig Club
Guinea Pig Club
The Guinea Pig Club was formed of patients of Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex who underwent reconstructive plastic surgery during World War II, generally after receiving burn injuries in aircraft....
was formed in 1941, as a club which then became a support network for the aircrew and their family members. The club still provides assistance for Guinea Pigs, and meets regularly in East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
. The Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
is the current President of the club. Queen Victoria Hospital remains at the forefront of specialist care today, and is renowned for its burns treatment facilities and expertise throughout England.
Services
QVH is the regional centre of excellence for burnBurn
A burn is an injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation, or friction.Burn may also refer to:*Combustion*Burn , type of watercourses so named in Scotland and north-eastern England...
s and for reconstructive surgery
Reconstructive surgery
Reconstructive surgery is, in its broadest sense, the use of surgery to restore the form and function of the body, although Maxillo-Facial Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons and Otolaryngologists do reconstructive surgery on faces after trauma and to reconstruct the head and neck after cancer.Other...
- the use of specialist techniques such as tissue transplant and microvascular surgery in the restoration of people who have suffered disfigurement or destructive damage from disease, trauma, major surgery, or congenitally.
Burns
The QVH Burns Centre provides specialist burns care treatment for people living in the South East of England. The centre incorporates a five bedded Intensive Care UnitIntensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
, six minor burn beds, an outpatients clinic and an operating theatre
Operating theatre
An operating theater was a non-sterile, tiered theater or amphitheater in which students and other spectators could watch surgeons perform surgery...
, with a team including specialist burns nurses, consultant plastic surgeons, physiotherapists and anaesthetists.
The hospital was involved in controversy in August 2007 when it turned away an 8 month old burn victim arriving by air ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
. The row was finally resolved with both sides agreeing to disagree over the issue.
In conjunction with the Kent Police
Kent Police
Kent Police is the territorial police force for Kent in England, including the unitary authority of Medway.-Area and organisation:The force covers an area of with an approximate population of 1,660,588 . The Chief Constable is currently Ian Learmonth, who was appointed in 2010 and is the former...
, a young woman who was seriously burned by a firework and treated at Queen Victoria Hospital has made a video telling her story to help other young people understand the dangers that fireworks present.
Corneo Plastics
The Corneo PlasticEye surgery
Eye surgery, also known as orogolomistician surgery or ocular surgery, is surgery performed on the eye or its adnexa, typically by an ophthalmologist.-Preparation and precautions:...
Unit was established by Sir Benjamin Rycroft in the 1940s. The unit specialises in corneal transplantation surgery and oculoplastics
Oculoplastics
Oculoplastics, or oculoplastic surgery, includes a wide variety of surgical procedures that deal with the orbit , eyelids, tear ducts, and the face...
. The Eye Bank
Eye bank
Eye banks retrieve and store eyes for cornea transplants and research. US eye banks provide tissue for about 46,000 cornea transplants a year to treat conditions such as keratoconus and cornea scarring. The cornea is not the only part of the eye that can currently undergo transplantation. The...
, previously named the National Eye Bank at the Queen Victoria Hospital, was established formally in 1952. Sir Benjamin Rycroft was instrumental in the passage of the Tissue Procurement Act, a key piece of legislation with respect to all transplant surgery in the UK.
Today, the Corneo Plastic
Eye surgery
Eye surgery, also known as orogolomistician surgery or ocular surgery, is surgery performed on the eye or its adnexa, typically by an ophthalmologist.-Preparation and precautions:...
and Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
unit performs corneal transplantation, lamellar grafts, and stem cell transplantation for occular surface
Cornea
The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light, with the cornea accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power. In humans, the refractive power of the cornea is...
rehabilitation. Raman Malhotra
Raman Malhotra
Raman Malhotra is a British ophthalmologist and oculoplastic surgeon. He is a consultant ophthalmic surgeon and head of the Oculoplastic division at the Corneoplastic Unit, Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead.-Education and early career:...
, consultant ophthalmologist at the hospital, discovered a method of treating Blepharospasm
Blepharospasm
A blepharospasm , is any abnormal contraction or twitch of the eyelid....
using filters.
Plastic Surgery
The hospital is a major centre for patients undergoing either immediate or delayed breast reconstructionBreast reconstruction
Breast reconstruction is the rebuilding of a breast, usually in women. It involves using autologous tissue or prosthetic material to construct a natural-looking breast. Often this includes the reformation of a natural-looking areola and nipple...
, and is linked to surrounding cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
networks. There is an on site team containing consultant plastic surgeons and specialist breast care nurses. Breast reduction
Breast reduction
Reduction mammoplasty is the plastic surgery procedure for correcting over-sized breasts...
and surgery to correct asymmetry
Asymmetry
Asymmetry is the absence of, or a violation of, symmetry.-In organisms:Due to how cells divide in organisms, asymmetry in organisms is fairly usual in at least one dimension, with biological symmetry also being common in at least one dimension....
are also offered.
Hand surgery
Hand surgery
The field of hand surgery deals with both surgical and non-surgical treatment of conditions and problems that may take place in the hand or upper extremity including injury and infection. Hand surgery may be practiced by graduates of general surgery, orthopedic surgery and plastic surgery...
is also performed at the hospital. Videos of complex hand operations have been shared on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
by Mr Harry Belcher, a consultant hand surgeon at the hospital.
A man had his arm successfully reattached in a 14-hour operation by surgeons at Queen Victoria Hospital, after he accidentally cut it off with a 'chainsaw'. After the operation he regained use of his fingers.
Maxillofacial Surgery
The Maxillofacial unit has an international reputation as a training and teaching unit, with staff specialising in oral surgeryOral Surgery
Oral Surgery is a recognized international specialty in dentistry. It includes the diagnosis, surgical and related treatment of diseases, injuries and defects involving both the functional and esthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the head, mouth, teeth, gums, jaws and neck.It involves,...
, orthodontics
Orthodontics
Orthodontics, orthodontia, or orthodonture is the first specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions , which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both...
, facial trauma
Facial trauma
Facial trauma, also called maxillofacial trauma, is any physical trauma to the face. Facial trauma can involve soft tissue injuries such as burns, lacerations and bruises, or fractures of the facial bones such as nasal fractures and fractures of the jaw, as well as trauma such as eye injuries...
, head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer refers to a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the upper aerodigestive tract, including the lip, oral cavity , nasal cavity , paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas , originating from the mucosal lining...
, orthognathic surgery
Orthognathic surgery
Orthognathic surgery is surgery to correct conditions of the jaw and face related to structure, growth, sleep apnea, TMJ disorders, malocclusion problems owing to skeletal disharmonies, or other orthodontic problems that cannot be easily treated with braces. Originally coined by Dr. Harold...
, salivary gland
Salivary gland
The salivary glands in mammals are exocrine glands, glands with ducts, that produce saliva. They also secrete amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into maltose...
disease, face and jaw reconstruction, and developmental facial deformity. The unit performed major reconstructive surgery on a Crawley woman who was savaged by her own dog.
Sleep Clinic
The East Grinstead Sleep Disorder Centre treats a wide range of problems concerned with sleep, including obstructive sleep apnoea, insomniaInsomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
, narcolepsy
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder, or dyssomnia, characterized by excessive sleepiness and sleep attacks at inappropriate times, such as while at work. People with narcolepsy often experience disturbed nocturnal sleep and an abnormal daytime sleep pattern, which often is confused with insomnia...
and snoring
Snoring
Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound, due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. In some cases the sound may be soft, but in other cases, it can be loud and unpleasant...
.
Paediatrics
Peanut Ward is a 16-bed paediatric unit providing specialist plastic surgical, burns, maxillofacial and corneo plastic care for 0-16 year olds. The ward provides separate areas for teenagers, children and babies; facilities for one parent to stay with every child and a separate parents' area. All trained staff on the ward have a paediatric nursing qualification and many have additional qualifications such as child protection, advanced life support, burns and plastics. The ward also contains a play specialist, a teacher, separate baby and child play areas and an outdoor play area.Community Care
In addition to its specialist reconstructive services, QVH provides clinically excellent community healthcare to local people in and around East Grinstead, with two rehabilitationPhysical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
wards and a minor injuries unit
Minor Injuries Unit
A minor injuries unit is a hospital department in the United Kingdom largely staffed by emergency nurse practitioners working autonomously who look after minor injuries such as lacerations and fractures, and have access to X-ray facilities. There is some consultant input in training and supervision...
(an alternative to A&E
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
).
Telemedicine
Queen Victoria Hospital has a unique system of telemedicine, enabling badly injured patients in England’s south east to receive immediate care from top specialist burns & plastic, maxillofacial and corneoplastic surgeons. The system involves A&EEmergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
departments in 30 referring hospitals in the area, allowing them to send images and clinical information in an encrypted format to specialists at the QVH.
The QVH telemedicine system has been chosen to form part of the Institute of Engineering & Technology's 2008 Faraday Lecture on the overall theme of engineering in health, and has been included in a documentary.
Ratings
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was rated "Double Excellent" by the Healthcare CommissionHealthcare Commission
The Healthcare Commission was a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department of Health of the United Kingdom. It was set up to promote and drive improvement in the quality of health care and public health in England and Wales...
for two years in a row (2007 and 2008).
Nursing Times
Nursing Times
Nursing Times is a magazine for nurses in the United Kingdom. The magazine and its website nursingtimes.net publish original nursing research and a variety of clinical articles for nurses at all stages in their career....
named the hospital "Top organisation providing secondary and hospital care" for 2008.
Transport links
The hospital is served by several Metrobus services.- Route 280 - operates an hourly service which links QVH to the town centre and station, plus Herontye Estate.
- Route 281 - operates an hourly service which links QVH to the town centre and station, Worsted Farm, Imberhorne, Felbridge, Crawley Down, Copthorne, Three Bridges and Crawley.
- Route 409 - provides an hourly direct link to QVH from the town centre and station, Worsted Farm, Dormansland, Lingfield, Godstone, Caterham, Warlingham and Croydon.
East Grinstead railway station
East Grinstead railway station
East Grinstead railway station serves the town of East Grinstead in West Sussex. The station was formerly divided into two levels: the higher level platforms serving the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line, whilst the lower level platforms received services from the Oxted Line 49 km ...
and Gatwick Airport are a short taxi-ride away from the hospital.