Official Opening For New Adult Cystic Fibrosis Unit, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, England

Main Category: Cystic Fibrosis
Article Date: 15 Dec 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The doctor who pioneered the treatment for cystic fibrosis patients in Yorkshire will be returning to St James's University Hospital in Leeds on Tuesday (16 December) to officially open the new Regional Adult Cystic Fibrosis Unit in the hospital's Gledhow Wing.

Dr James Littlewood OBE will be guest of honour at the ceremony, which commemorates the unit's move from Seacroft Hospital to larger and better equipped new premises at St James's, where an existing ward has been converted to hosue the facility.

Cystic Fibrosis is a condition affecting many organs, particularly the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract. It is one of the most common life threatening genetically inherited conditions affecting Caucasian people in the UK and 1 in 25 people within the general population will carry the defective gene.

The Leeds service currently cares for just over 360 patients with a catchment area which covers Yorkshire and the North East of England. Dr Littlewood's successors, Dr. Steven Conway and Dr. Daniel Peckham, have built on the solid foundation he put in place, and the Unit's success is going from strength to strength.

Rachel Metcalfe, Ward Sister on the Unit, said: "Dr Littlewood has a very special place in the hearts of all Cystic Fibrosis patients for the work he did to campaign for better facilities and improved care stretching back over many years. We are extremely honoured to welcome Dr Littlewood back and show him the new unit, which we are very proud of.

"This long awaited event has taken years of careful planning, and feedback from patients who have used the new facility so far has been extremely positive. We are all very excited and look forward to continuing to provide the best care to our patients in our lovely new environment."

In order to minimise the risk of cross infection, all patients staying on the unit are cared for in an individual room. They are equipped with en suite shower/toilet facility, a computer with internet access, a television/DVD combination unit and fridge helping to promote a comfortable environment.

The Unit also has six spacious rooms which enable Clinical Nurse Specialists to see day cases and out-patients, most of whom are nursed in the community.

Notes

Dr James Littlewood was appointed as Consultant Paediatrician at St James's and Seacroft Hospitals in 1968, and worked in that post for 30 years until his retirement from the NHS in 1997. In 1975 he started a small monthly Cystic Fibrosis clinic and by 1983 the CF clinic was attracting referrals from all of the Yorkshire region and beyond, this CF service was the first in the country to be recognised by a Regional Health Authority. The service was part funded by the RHA in 1985 and fully funded from 1989.

Since then Dr Littlewood has devoted a huge amount of time campaigning tirelessly for improved patient diagnosis, care and treatment. As aresult of his dedication to CF services, adult units have developed not just in Leeds, but throughout the country.

In 1995 Dr Littlewood was awarded the OBE for services to medicine; in 2004 he was awarded the Joseph Levy Lectureship of CF Worldwide and the Rossi medal of the European Cystic Fibrosis Society for his work with Cystic Fibrosis. In 2005 he was awarded the John Panchaud medal of the UK CF Trust.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust