Two photographs taken at the Royal Free London have been nominated for a prestigious image award.

An image of a premature baby receiving light therapy at Barnet Hospital and a picture taken inside the Royal Free Hospital’s high level isolation unit (HLIU) were nominated in the Wellcome Image Awards 2016. An overall winner and the winner of the Julie Dorrington Award for outstanding photography in a clinical environment will be announced next week.

The first image shows Francis Hodgson who was 16 days old at the time the picture was taken, being treated with ultra violet light in the Starlight neo-natal unit at Barnet Hospital. Francis, who is now 14 months old, was born 12 weeks premature and weighed just 2lbs 2oz at birth.

Francis’s mum Angela Brightly, from Enfield Lock, said: “He has come such a long way since then and I am happy with how he is developing. He still has some problems with his lungs, but he is so much better than he was then.”

The second image is taken from inside the HLIU, showing the protective equipment used by staff treating patients with dangerous infectious diseases. Three patients with Ebola have been treated in the unit in the past 18 months.

The HLIU is run by a dedicated team of doctors, nurses and laboratory staff from the Royal Free London infectious diseases service. It was set up at the Royal Free Hospital in 2008 and has since looked after several cases of viral haemorrhagic fever.

Access to the unit is restricted to the team of specially trained medical staff. The HLIU is designed to ensure our medical staff can safely treat a patient with a dangerous infectious disease. A specially-designed tent with controlled ventilation is set up around the patient’s bed and allows the staff to provide clinical care while containing the infection.

The photos were both taken by David Bishop, a photographer with UCL Health Creatives.

ENDS

Images: Baby being given light therapy at Barnet Hospital (left); Right: The high level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital.

Notes to editors

Media contacts: mary.mcconnell2@nhs.net or call 020 7472 6665

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.

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

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