Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Our patients are the first in the country to receive a revolutionary treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The new injection, developed by King's College London, is called dupilumab. It can be self-administered like an insulin pen and provides additional therapy to prevent flare ups of COPD – a progressive, long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe.

The treatment, approved by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence earlier this year, works by reducing inflammation in the body.

Patrick Regan, 67, was the first person to receive the new treatment at St Thomas’ Hospital today.

He said: “I was happy to have it, anything to make me feel a bit better and breathing better. COPD affects me a lot and stops me doing things I want to do like walking and going out with my kids and grandkids. That’s one of the most important reasons to get this new medication so I can do more things with the kids.”

Dr Amy Dewar, a consultant in integrated respiratory medicine and lead for COPD at Guy's and St Thomas', said: “This is very much a new avenue of treatment for COPD and will make a truly meaningful impact on patients to reduce admissions and flare ups of their condition.”

To read the full story, visit https://ow.ly/J2UO50ZfRkv

Want to find out how research is improving melanoma care?

Join our free online session exploring the latest advances in melanoma treatment and care.

During the session, you'll learn how surgical techniques have developed and how new insights into the immune system are shaping the next generation of targeted therapies.

Our speakers will also share recent progress in medical treatments and highlight national clinical trials that are helping to shape the future of melanoma care.

When: Thursday 25 June
Where: Online, via Microsoft Teams

For full details and to find out how to join, visit: www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/events/melanoma-surgery-immunotherapy-25-06-2026

Today is 78 years since the HMT Empire Windrush arrived in Britain, bringing people who transformed British culture for the better.

To mark the day, our multicultural staff network and staff health and wellbeing team led a reflective wellbeing walk to honour the Windrush generation's role in building the NHS.

The walk began at the statue outside St Thomas' Hospital of Mary Seacole, a pioneering British-Jamaican nurse in the Crimean War. We learned about her resilience after being turned away from serving with the British military, and how she instead set up the "British Hotel" in Crimea to care for soldiers.

We finished the walk at the National Windrush Monument in Waterloo station, where we reflected on the lasting impact of the Windrush generation and their descendants, and celebrated their contribution and legacy.

A red heat-health alert has been issued across parts of England, including London.

Warm weather can be enjoyable, but when it's gets too hot there are health risks.

Look after yourself in the heat:

• Drink plenty of water and stay well hydrated
• Avoid direct sunlight between 11am and 3pm, when temperatures are highest
• When outdoors, wear a hat and sunglasses, seek shade, and apply sunscreen
• Check in on family, friends and neighbours who may be more vulnerable, and let others know if you need support

If you’re planning to travel to one of our hospitals, please prepare ahead, keep cool, and take extra care during your journey. 💙

A red heat-health alert has been issued across parts of England until 25 June. This is the highest level of alert and indicates a risk to everyone's health, not just vulnerable groups.

Learn more about how to stay safe in hot weather.

➡️ https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/heatwave-how-to-cope-in-hot-weather/

A thankful patient nominated our wonderful Radiotherapy Team at the Cancer Centre at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup for a CARE award.

The patient praised the “unwavering kindness, patience, optimism and professionalism” of the team who supported them through numerous radiotherapy treatments.

The patient said: “Their compassion and dedication never faltered, and without each and every one of them I do not believe I could have completed my treatment. This was the most stressful time of my life. By the end… I was moved to tears in front of several members of the team. That speaks volumes about the care I received.”

Congratulations to our Radiotherapy Team and thank you for your dedication.

Visit our website if you would like to nominate a staff member or team for a CARE award.

"I didn't feel I could tell friends that I had sickle cell."

Andrew is the only person in his immediate family with sickle cell disease, and in a new podcast series launched on World Sickle Cell Day (19 June), he shares how it has affected his life.

From his first crisis aged 5 to the impact on education, his career, relationships and intimacy, Andrew discusses these key issues with Majed Shabbir, consultant urological surgeon at Guy's and St Thomas'.

The bite-size episodes include aspects of sickle cell disease which are not often openly discussed, including managing priapisms - painful, unwanted, protracted erections, which need treatment.

Find out more about priapism on our website and listen to the podcast - Living with sickle cell: a patient's perspective - through your usual streaming platforms or via the Sickle Cell Society UK website. Link in comments below.

Ahead of Father's Day this weekend, a hug for...

Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental risks to our health. It can affect every organ in the body and impact people at all stages of life. It can cause and worsen long term conditions, and is linked to around 30,000 early deaths in the UK each year.

Since publishing our first Clean Air Plan with King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in 2023, we’ve been taking practical steps to improve air quality across our sites.

We’ve started monitoring air quality, helping us understand pollution levels around hospitals across London, and respond during periods of higher pollution, including in areas like our loading bays.

We’ve reduced particulate matter, harmful particles in the air that can enter your lungs, by 16% at the St Thomas Hospital main entrance between 2022 and 2025.

We’re also supporting more informed, patient centred conversations. Air quality data is now part of our electronic patient record system, so clinicians can talk to patients about how pollution may affect their health.

Our work is supported by funding from Impact on Urban Health, part of Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation, helping us improve air quality and raise awareness of its health impacts.

Read our Clean Air Plan to find out more about how we’re improving air quality: www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/about-us/sustainability/our-plans

In the UK, about 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Prostate cancer often has no symptoms at first, so it’s important to know your risk.

You may be more at risk if you're over 50, are Black, or have a family history of prostate cancer.

Symptoms can develop slowly, and may include:
• an increased need to p*e
• straining while you p*e
• feeling that your bladder has not fully emptied

These symptoms can be caused by other things, but they shouldn't be ignored.

If you're worried about your risk or notice any changes, speak to your GP. Prostate cancer can be successfully treated if it's diagnosed early.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer