Royal Papworth Hospital

20/02/2026

A cardiac arrest at 70mph 🫀😮

You may have seen this incredible story recently about Stevie, who suffered a cardiac arrest while driving along a dual carriageway in Cambridgeshire at 70mph.

A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart abruptly stops pumping blood around the body. It's the most severe life-threatening emergency and time is absolutely crucial if a person is to survive.

What followed was an incredible chain of events:

🚗 Fortunately his wife Elly grabbed the steering wheel and got control of the vehicle, before bringing it to a stop on a roundabout.
🚛 Passing drivers pulled over and started to perform CPR.
🧑‍⚕️ Another driver had a defibrillator on-board his vehicle, while a passing doctor and surgeon also rushed to help.
🚑 An ambulance soon arrived, swiftly followed by an East Anglian Air Ambulance Charity helicopter.
⚡ Stevie received five shocks from a defibrillator. Remarkably he came round but remained critically unwell.
🚁 The air ambulance flew Stevie here to Royal Papworth Hospital for specialist treatment from our teams. The flight time was just 12 minutes.
🫀 Stevie was diagnosed with a hardening of the left ventricle of his heart. He had a dual-chamber internal defibrillator fitted and remained in hospital for 10 days.

We’re pleased to see Stevie and Elly now smiling as they both recollected their experience and expressed thanks to everyone involved. After all, without the swift intervention of multiple individuals and organisations, this story could have been very different. 💙

⚠️ If you’re witnessing a cardiac arrest, call 999 immediately and start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). You’ll be given instructions whilst you wait for help. Further information on how to perform CPR can be found at www.nhs.uk/conditions/first-aid/cpr.

Stevie Chalmers went into cardiac arrest while driving at 70mph, leaving wife Elly in the passenger seat with only seconds to act

16/02/2026

Our friends and family open day is back (but tickets are going fast!)

On Sunday 22 March (10:00-15:00) we're opening our doors for another special family event, giving guests of all ages a taste of life at our hospital.

Visitors to our friends and family open day, which is part of the Cambridge Festival 2026, can meet teams from across the hospital, explore the equipment involved in providing world-class heart and lung medicine, immerse themselves in our pop-up operating theatre and enjoy a number of interactive stands, all located in and around our ground-floor atrium.

Tickets are free but must be pre-booked and are limited in number. We know from experience that we will sell-out for this event, so please book your place now to avoid disappointment.

Book now https://www.tickettailor.com/events/royalpapworthhospitalnhsfoundationtrust/2067075

15/02/2026

Transforming what’s possible for patients with heart and lung conditions 🫀🫁

Following one of the most extensive engagement periods in our history, we have launched our new plan for 2031.

This is built on hundreds of conversations with our patients and their families, people who work and volunteer here, healthcare partners and the communities we treat.

And we'd love to continue the conversation and the engagement.

🔗 Join our Royal Papworth 2031 launch webinar at 12:30 on Monday 23 February to find out more about our plans for the future and what it means for you, whatever your relationship with us:

Royal Papworth Hospital: Our vision for 2031 – MS Teams, Mon 23 Feb 2026 - Our vision for 2031 Our organisation was set up more than 100 years ago to give the best care for some of the most unwell people in the country. Much has changed since 1918 and our beginnings as a colony for people with tub...

14/02/2026

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
If it's lungs or hearts 🫁🫀
We're here for you.



📸 Photo from 2022 when Geoff, a patient who received heart attack treatment at Royal Papworth, arranged for his pilot friend Mark to draw a heart in the sky above our hospital to say thank you for his care. 💙

13/02/2026

Look closely – this isn’t a photograph...✏️

Our NHS staff display excellence every day in their work, but we know many carry remarkable talents beyond our walls. For example, look at this incredible drawing by theatre practitioner Alex of our cardiothoracic surgeon Frank Wells.

Alex used pencils, graphite and charcoal to create this drawing in extraordinary detail after being inspired in the operating theatre by Mr Wells, who has worked at Royal Papworth for more than 40 years and is recognised as one of the leading cardiac surgeons in the UK for valvular heart disease.

Alex, who is originally from Botswana, joined Royal Papworth in June 2023 and has been inspired by the colleagues he works with.

He commented, “Mr Wells stood out for his patience and kindness. He took the time to teach me at the operating table and his warmth and encouragement were a revelation.

“Mr Wells helped me build confidence and assertiveness, and I eventually found my footing as a scrub nurse.

“His kindness, warmth, and patience are legendary. I can’t speak for all the lives he’s touched, but from a boy from southern Africa, fellow artist, and nurse he helped shape in a demanding environment, thank you.”

Congratulations Alex on this incredible artwork and good luck with your continued journey here at Royal Papworth. 💙

11/02/2026

“Her knowledge is limitless and her standard of work is high”

Say hello to Catarina, a deputy sister in cardiology. 👋🫀

Described by another nurse as ‘the very definition of what a Royal Papworth nurse should be’, Catarina consistently shares her extensive knowledge, teaching and guiding colleagues while expertly managing acutely unwell patients under pressure.

She also took the initiative to design a new process within our electronic patient record system to ensure that only necessary blood tests are requested. This work has reduced waste, avoided unnecessary procedures and saved valuable time and resources.

Catarina’s contribution is an excellent example of staff-led continuous improvement, embodying our new Royal Papworth 2031 strategy’s commitment to focusing on clinical excellence in our services. This includes celebrating the quality improvement achievements of our teams, strengthening learning across clinical areas.

Thank you, Catarina, for your innovation, leadership and dedication to improving patient care. 💙

10/02/2026

Our masterplan for 2031 – launching our new strategy ⭐🏥🫀🫁

Our hospital was set up more than 100 years ago to give the very best care for some of the most unwell people in the country.

Much has changed since 1918 and our beginnings as a tuberculosis colony for soldiers returning from the First World War.

From TB to open heart surgery in the 1960s, transplant innovations of the 1970s and 1980s, expanding our services in cystic fibrosis, sleep medicine and pulmonary hypertension in the 1990s, through to the new cardiology treatments and technologies of today to treat conditions like valve disease and atrial fibrillation.

Throughout it all, we've kept our focus on finding new ways to provide excellent care for hundreds of thousands of patients.

The last decade has been one of the most momentous in our history: we have a new hospital; we continued through the Covid-19 pandemic; and we are now treating more people than ever before.

As we look ahead to our next five years, we will change again to ensure we can provide and support even better care in the East of England and across the UK, while at the same time looking after our people who work here.

By 2031, we want to go beyond being a hospital. Our vision is to be a centre for heart and lung care which is renowned for clinical excellence, innovative partnerships, and where every member of staff is valued, empowered and proud to work here.

And we want to act as a hub of expertise, partnerships, and learning that reaches far beyond the walls of our physical buildings. 💙

🎥 With thanks to:
Spyros, Fatima, Sunanda, Amy (staff)
Nida and Malcolm (volunteers)
Trevor (governor and patient)
Michael and Martin (patients)

09/02/2026

One of our team has just spotted these heart cushions and heart vases whilst on holiday in France. 🫀

We love them! Who wants one?

We've just sent her off to try and find some matching lungs... 🫁

07/02/2026

The Royal Papworth is regarded today as one of the world’s leading heart and lung hospitals.

But it’s origins spawned from the devastation and human suffering of World War One.

Listen here ➡️ 🎧 https://bbc.in/4koQxQH

(📷 The Royal Papworth Hospital)

06/02/2026

Early detection of lung cancer saves lives 🫁

If you are a current or former smoker, aged 55-74, living in Cambridge, Peterborough or Huntingdon and have been invited to the NHS England lung cancer screening programme, please do come forward.

The free programme offers easy-to-access screening for people considered most at risk of developing lung cancer.

Thousands of local people have already benefited from the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme since it launched in in Peterborough and Huntingdon last year, before being extended to Cambridge.

This includes people like Peter, from Peterborough, who had no symptoms but came forward for screening after receiving a letter from his GP.

It was a decision that ultimately could have saved his life, as the scan found a nodule, a small firm lump, towards the bottom of his left lung.

He was referred from Peterborough Hospital to our lung cancer specialists at Royal Papworth and had a biopsy in our radiology department, which confirmed it was a small cancer.

The following week, Peter had an operation to remove the tumour. He was subsequently given the all-clear.

Peter's journey shows that lung cancer screening really is working. 🙌

Early detection significantly increases survival rates, with those diagnosed at the earliest stages being nearly 20 times more likely to survive for five years compared to those diagnosed later.

Therefore if you have received an invitation for screening, please do not ignore it as it could save your life. 💙

Discover more about lung cancer screening across the East of England: https://eoelungcancerscreening.nhs.uk/

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust | NHS | Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care System

05/02/2026

Keeping safe in our hospital 🏥

Patient safety is our priority, but there are things patients and visitors can do to help before an inpatient stay.

View our guidance on what to bring, personal hygiene and preventing infections.

🔗 https://www.royalpapworth.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/staying-hospital/keeping-safe

02/02/2026

A simple act of kindness that made a real difference 💙

When a nursing colleague needed help on a busy ward, Attila stepped forward to offer his support.

An Advanced Nurse Practitioner, which is an experienced and highly educated registered nurse, Attila’s actions helped to ensure a patient could complete their pre-operative assessment on time, meaning their surgical operation could go ahead.

His kind gesture earned not just appreciation from his colleague but also recognition through our positive incident reporting platform, Laudit.

Attila, who has worked at Royal Papworth for eight years, describes his Laudit as “a bit like a quiet hand on the shoulder - simple, unexpected and somehow more meaningful the longer you think about it.”

Referencing his colleagues, he continued: “The people here carry knowledge in ways you can’t always teach. Sometimes you learn just by being near them. I also admire their honesty and the quiet reassurance that if you lose your footing, someone will notice and walk beside you.”

Congratulations on your Laudit, Attila, and thank you for showing such kindness and compassion towards a colleague, which ultimately ensured this patient’s operation could proceed as planned. 💙

📸 Attila pictured with our Chief Executive, Eilish Midlane