Isabella, aged 8 years, and her mother, Debbie Waistell, organised an afternoon of fun at Emmbrook Football Club in Wokingham on Sunday 2nd June to heighten awareness of cleft palate and to raise vital funds for the hospital. Isabella has a repaired cleft palate and recently underwent a further operation to help with her speech with […]
A successful one-day CAPS-A refresher course took place on Thursday 13th June at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. CAPS-A (Cleft Audit Protocol for Speech- Augmented) is a comprehensive training package for reporting cleft speech outcomes. This training programme consists of in-depth theoretical and practical training on the CAPS-A tool, with a final self-assessment task and […]
On the 16th and 17th May 2024, members of the Spires Cleft Centre and close colleagues from across the United Kingdom came together to celebrate two decades since the formation of our service. The Spires 20th Anniversary Conference successfully showcased the hard work and dedication of our team – past and present – to deliver first […]
Consultants in Restorative Dentistry and their dental technicians gathered at the John Radcliffe Hospital to drive forward standards of care with the aim of reaching a consensus on how to manage this complex cohort of patients. We were thrilled that virtually every cleft centre in the UK was represented at this clinical meeting – as […]
We are thrilled that Matt Fell (Cleft TIG Fellow) was awarded the prestigious Arnold Huddart Medal for the best research presentation at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland held in Manchester on the 19th April 2024. Matt’s presentation entitled “Are left sided orofacial clefts a different entity to […]
Huge thanks to Steve Longley who completed the 2023 London Marathon to raise an incredible £1,000 for The Spires Cleft Centre. Steve completed this amazing challenge on behalf of his 9 year old niece who has 22q Deletion Syndrome (formerly DiGeorge Syndrome). This resourceful little girl has been known to us since she was 3 […]
Spires Cleft Centre Oxford recently acquired a new video nasendoscopy system, funded by Oxford Hospitals Charity. Follow this link to read about our new equipment and how it will be used to help our patients: Supporting the Regional Palatal Investigation Clinic | Oxford Hospitals Charity (hospitalcharity.co.uk)
The Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England re-opened to much fanfare this month! We are hugely excited that cleft surgery features prominently in this terrific exhibition with a current Spires patient, Jamie Trussell, appearing centre stage! Jamie and his parents are pictured with Marc Swan (who operated on Jamie’s bilateral cleft […]
CLAPA are holding many exciting events throughout the summer and beyond. Below is a list of what’s on for July: Creative CLAPA MALA workshop Thursday 21st July at 7.30pm Creative CLAPA sessions are informal, accessible events designed to create conversation through creativity. Here is the link to more information https://clapa.formstack.com/forms/creativeclapa_mandalas CLAPA’s Antenatal Support Group […]
The Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA) are holding a new antenatal support group which will start on Monday 27th June at 7.30pm. About CLAPA’s Antenatal Support Group Receiving a diagnosis of a cleft during pregnancy can be a daunting and scary experience. CLAPA want to give all expectant and new parents and carers the […]