On 1 July, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust will be celebrating the first anniversary of the acquisition of Barnet Hospital (BH) and Chase Farm Hospital (CFH).

The acquisition created one of the biggest trusts in the country, employing more than 10,000 staff and serving 1.6 million patients across 30 sites in north London and Hertfordshire.

Since day one, staff have worked tirelessly to integrate and improve services, and the new trust has already made significant progress in its mission to provide patients with the best possible care in a local setting.

These achievements include:

  • Receiving outline planning approval for the redevelopment of CFH, which will allow us to transform the current outdated buildings into modern healthcare facilities
  • Completing the first stages of the £25 million redevelopment of the Royal Free Hospital’s emergency department
  • Improving BH, including the creation of a ward for elderly care and a new fast-track service for elderly patients suffering hip fractures
  • Gaining planning permission for the Pears Building at the RFH, which will be home to the UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation and host research and clinical trials for diseases such as cancer, HIV and hepatitis
  • Recruiting 3,348 new trust members from our expanded catchment area and voting in 22 newly elected representatives to our council of governors
  • Launching Barnet Hospital Charity and Chase Farm Charity, new arms of the Royal Free Charity fundraising specifically for those hospitals

David Sloman, chief executive of the Royal Free London, said: “Bringing our two trusts together into one organisation has allowed us to provide better care nearer to patients’ homes, use NHS resources more efficiently and given more patients the opportunity to benefit from clinical research.

“We have already achieved a great deal and I would like to pay tribute to each and every staff member for their hard work, dedication and support in delivering excellent patient care during this first year.

“I would also like to thank our patients and other local people for their support and feedback, which has helped us to improve and shape our services around the needs of the community.

“This has been a hugely exciting time for the trust and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve in future.”

Images: Top - Dominic Dodd, RFL chairman, with staff at Edgware Community Hospital. Bottom - Dominic Dodd and David Sloman, RFL chief executive, with staff at Barnet Hospital. Further photos.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Media contacts: daniel.obrien1@nhs.net or call 020 7317 7740

About the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Free began as a pioneering organisation and continues to play a leading role in the care of patients. Our mission is to provide world class expertise and local care. In the 21st century, the Royal Free London continues to lead improvements in healthcare.

In July 2014 Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital became part of the Royal Free London, building a bigger trust and a better future.

The Royal Free London attracts patients from across the country and beyond to its specialist services in liver, kidney and bone marrow transplantation, haemophilia, renal, HIV, infectious diseases, plastic surgery, immunology, vascular surgery, cardiology, amyloidosis and scleroderma and we are a member of the academic health science partnership UCLPartners.