Having an operation can be a scary thought at any time of year, but the Post Anaesthetic Care Unit (PACU) at Hull Royal Infirmary has a unique way of putting its patients at ease at Christmastime.

‘Elf’, also known as Support Worker, Julie Smith, dons her special outfit every Christmas to bring a bit of festive cheer to people undergoing surgery and their relatives. Armed with her special E.L.F. ID badge; Everyone’s Little Friend; she provides a friendly face and a calming voice at what can be a very worrying time.

PACU provides post-operative care for between 30 and 40 patients every day, from tiny babies right through to older people. Members of the team collect patients from their hospital ward or department just before their procedures, and make sure they know what to expect after surgery. Once they are out of the operating theatre, patients receive expert support from the PACU team for anywhere up to four hours as they recover from the effects of general or local anaesthetic.

Julie says:

“I love playing Elf every year.  Due to the clinical nature of the PACU environment, it’s not always appropriate for us to have trees or decorations like other wards and departments, so the arrival of Elf really helps everyone here to get into the Christmas spirit.

“My role is really about supporting the patients and supporting the nursing team to provide a high standard of clinical care. One of the most important parts of my job is to ensure patients feel safe and comfortable, so something as simple as a friendly face, holding someone’s hand or telling them everything is okay can go a long way.”

Ellen Liddell, Staff Nurse on PACU says:

“Elf can be a bit cheeky, but she really helps to lift the spirits of both patients and staff at this time of year. As well as bringing joy and a bit of fun to PACU, she also performs a more serious role, and that’s to help everyone coming through the department to feel safe and at ease.”

Rachael Sherburn, Staff Nurse on PACU says:

“Having surgery is a very daunting experience for most people, so having someone like Julie who offers a fun distraction at a time when fears can take over can really make a difference to someone’s experience whilst in hospital.”

This is the fifth year in which Julie has played Elf. In 2015, she was nominated for one of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s ‘Moments of Magic’ for her work as Elf and the benefits this brought to the young patients in particular in her care.

They’ve had a busy year in 2016; auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent and receiving four yeses from the celebrity judges, being chosen to work with local primary schools on a 2017 City of Culture ‘Song for Hull’, and even forming a surprise flashmob for a bride at her wedding.

Now HEY! Let’s Sing; the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust staff choir; is getting into the festive spirit with a special celebration of their own.

After a busy day performing for shoppers in Princes Quay, entertaining patients on the hospital wards, and singing carols around the Hull Royal Infirmary Christmas tree, you could forgive choir members for wanting to call it a day.

But instead they called it twelve, by re-writing and performing the lyrics to the famous ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ song. Their new NHS version is designed to pay tribute to just some of the scores of staff groups who make up the Trust’s 8,000-strong workforce.

Bonnie Gough, Web Developer and HEY! Let’s Sing Staff Choir Coordinator says:

“It was a bit of a last minute idea inspired by a suggestion from one of our choir members, but we decided it would be fantastic to have our own Twelve Days of Christmas, and to use it to highlight the different people who work in our hospitals.

“It was a team effort to hastily re-write the lyrics to cover all manner of staff groups, from pharmacists and nurses to ward clerks and porters, to show that it takes all sorts of people working in different roles to deliver great care to our patients all year round.

“It was also a bit of fun, as we’ve all worked really hard this year, not just in our NHS roles but to keep developing our choir, and it’s a lovely way to finish off what has been a fantastic year for us.”

Footage from the choir’s performance at the hospital’s annual tree lighting ceremony has been combined with cameo appearances from representatives of the various staff groups to create the ‘Twelve Days of NHS Christmas’ video. Lyrics have even been added to the bottom of the screen to enable viewers to sing along.

Andrew Murphy Pittock, Head of Undergraduate Medical Education, is one of the 65+ HEY! Let’s Sing choir members representing Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham. Membership covers many different job roles, and currently includes an ED consultant, finance workers, therapists, and a strong showing from the Trust midwives.

Andrew says:

“Christmas has always been my favourite time of the year, but even more so since joining the choir. We sing at incredible events throughout the year, but the pinnacle for me is singing for our patients on the wards.

“Bringing just that little bit of cheer to our patients when they are at their most vulnerable is a very special thing for me, and exactly what Christmas and the NHS are about.

“Our choir is so diverse with staff from across the Trust but we share these special moments that, as well as lifting our audiences, also lift us away from the pressures of our busy ward or environment.”

The HEY! Let’s Sing ‘Twelve Days of NHS Christmas’ can be found online at the HEYNHS YouTube Channel.

Local hospital staff will this week undergo a helicopter escape simulation in a bid to raise vital funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

From Emergency Care Nurses through to the Chief Finance Officer, the charity event will see over 30 members of staff from Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust take on the underwater simulator, affectionately known as the “Dunker”.

The simulation which will see four members of staff at a time fastened into their seat and submerged into a pool is all in an effort to raise funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity.

Serving the whole of Yorkshire and sometimes further afield, 365 days a year , the highly trained team of specialist doctors and paramedics from Yorkshire Air Ambulance regularly carry out pre‐hospital emergency medicine on board their helicopter.

Leading the event is Chris Srinivasan, Emergency Care Consultant at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and also one of the Doctors who form the Critical Care Team that fly with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Their crew have to undertake the “Dunker” test as part of their training and after completing the training himself, Chris took inspiration to turn it into a fundraiser.

He says:

“Working in the Emergency Department at Hull Royal Infirmary sees us come in to contact with the crews on board of the Air Ambulance on an almost weekly basis. Having seen some of the fantastic pre‐hospital care provided to those patients simply inspired us to go above and beyond and give something back to them. I am also privileged to fly with the crews of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance so I have seen first‐hand the vital work they do.

“The crew plays such a pivotal role in a patient’s journey and by making early interventions we give patients the best possible chance of survival ahead of them arriving at our hospital. Collectively as a team we wanted to do something different to raise money for the charity, and what better way than to participate in an underwater helicopter crash simulation.”

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance relies on the generosity of individuals and organisations to help save lives across Yorkshire. It serves five million people and has carried over 7,000 people in its 16‐year history.

£12,000 per day is required to keep both of Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s helicopters maintained and in the air. All donations received go directly into the lifesaving service provided. You can donate today by visiting http://www.justgiving.com/dunkED

Approval has been given for a new helipad to be built at the rear of Hull Royal Infirmary.

Members of Hull City Council’s Planning Committee gave the green light this afternoon for proposals to demolish three existing buildings on the hospital site and replace them with the new landing pad.

Hull Royal Infirmary serves the region as a Major Trauma Centre, regularly receiving emergency patients via helicopter and organising patient transfers via air ambulance. A number of providers currently fly in to Hull Royal Infirmary, including Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Embrace, the children’s air ambulance based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

Duncan Taylor, Director of Estates, Facilities and Development for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, says:

“We’re pleased that our planning application has been approved, as this represents the next step in improving our emergency and major trauma care facilities.

“Hull Royal Infirmary (HRI) is a major trauma centre for the region, so it’s important that we have the estate and the infrastructure to support this role. The recent, multi-million pound redevelopment of the Emergency Department has given us the most up-to-date medical facilities in which to treat patients, so the development of an on-site helipad is the next piece of the jigsaw.

“At the moment, helicopters bring patients to the hospital almost every day, but currently land on a helipad situated in a field just over the road from the hospital. An ambulance is then required to transfer each patient from the helicopter, negotiate the busy junction onto Anlaby Road, and then transport the patient to the Emergency Department. All of this takes time, and in emergency situations, every second counts.

“Having a helipad on site just outside the entrance to our Emergency Department will ensure patients arriving by air ambulance can be taken into hospital to begin treatment more quickly, and will free up traditional road ambulances for duties elsewhere.”

Demolition work is expected to begin early in the New Year. Alternative accommodation for staff currently housed in the buildings which will be demolished has been identified at both Castle Hill Hospital and elsewhere on the HRI site.

The helipad is expected to be ready and operational by the Spring.

Families in East Yorkshire who lose a baby at an early stage of pregnancy are set to receive special ‘Forget-Me-Not’ memory boxes to bring comfort and help them grieve.

Hayley Ellenton, a Staff Nurse at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital, Hull Royal Infirmary, recognised the need to create something more bespoke for parents who lose a child either due to miscarriage, ectopic or molar pregnancy.

Hayley has since set up the Forget-Me-Not Fund to raise money to purchase and fill the boxes, which will be given to women who have suffered the early loss of a baby on Cedar Ward at the Women and Children’s Hospital and via the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU).

“Early pregnancy loss can often be overlooked or not seen as important, but from the moment a couple know they’re expecting a baby, they start to make plans and look forward to their new arrival. The grief felt when this type of pregnancy is lost is real grief, and can be very hard to come to terms with.

“As nurses and doctors, we can do our very best to support women going through early pregnancy loss by making sure they are physically safe and providing short term emotional support, but as miscarriage is something very close to my heart, I wanted to go beyond that and provide something that would be of comfort longer term.

“I set up the Forget-Me-Not Fund as a means of raising money for the memory boxes and their contents. We already have memory boxes to give to parents who lose a baby in later pregnancy, which are beautiful, but can contain some things which aren’t appropriate for an earlier loss, such as items for hand and foot prints.

“Not all women will want a memory box or find comfort in their contents, but we recognise everyone grieves differently, and we feel it’s important that these early losses are seen as no less significant than later losses.”

The Forget-Me-Not memory boxes are set to contain:

• A packet of forget-me-not flower seeds to plant in remembrance
• A journal, for writing down thoughts and feelings
• A candle and a form of words to bring comfort and remembrance
• A bespoke pendant, which can be used or worn in whichever way a lady feels most comfortable
• A memorial certificate to mark the day the pregnancy was lost
• Information on local and national sources of advice and support

The pendant has been designed specifically for the Forget-Me-Not Fund by Willerby-based jewellery designer, Kate Hunter. As well as offering her services for free to support the project, Kate has also kindly agreed to donate a further pendant herself for every pendant which is sold via her website. Pendants are priced at just £3.50 including P&P, and can be ordered via www.katehunter.co.uk

Kate says:

“Working with Hayley and our local NHS has been an emotional experience and one to be remembered. Hayley asked me to design the piece loosely around the forget-me-not flower, so I have designed the keepsake remembrance piece as a silver circular flower pendant, encased with stencilled petal leaves, an angel wing, and a gold tone glass bead.

“This was a very sensitive and heartfelt project, and I was very honoured to be a part of it.”

Charlotte Fear, Senior Sister on Cedar Ward says:

“This is a fantastic idea, as we have never had anything special to give to parents following this kind of early bereavement. Boxes are donated to maternity services from charities to give to parents who have lost their babies in the later stages of pregnancy or at birth, which are lovely, but not always appropriate for an early pregnancy loss.

“Hayley is so thoughtful, and has spent a lot of time and energy getting this project off the ground. She has already raised money for the Forget-Me-Not Fund with a sponsored ‘Choc Stop’ during October, which was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and is now in the process of organising a Christmas Raffle.

“The pendants are also a really welcome and unusual fundraising addition, as not only will women who have suffered an early pregnancy loss have a bespoke pendant to keep with them in remembrance, but others can also show their support by wearing them, knowing that they are also supporting newly bereaved families at the same time.”

Forget-Me-Not pendants can be purchased via the Kate Hunter website: www.katehunter.co.uk for £3.50 each (incl P&P).

Living with dementia can be an upsetting and often lonely experience, so when someone with dementia needs to stay in hospital, unfamiliar surroundings, isolation, and new faces can all add to a person’s anxiety.

But what of that person’s carer or relatives? How often do we stop to think about the impact on them, or the role they might play in their loved one’s recovery?

In an attempt to improve the experience of patients with dementia and their carers, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is piloting new overnight facilities specifically for carers on medical elderly wards 8 and 80 at Hull Royal Infirmary.

The facilities The move follows local research carried out amongst carers of people with dementia which showed overwhelming support for extended or overnight facilities. It also supports John’s Campaign, a growing national movement based on the experience of Dr John Gerrard who died in hospital with Alzheimer’s in 2014 and whose family believes his decline was due in part to limited contact with loved ones.

John’s campaign calls for the families and carers of people with dementia to have the same rights as the parents of sick children, and be allowed to remain with them in hospital for as many hours as they are needed, and as they are able to give.

Suzy Bunton, Lead Dementia Nurse for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust explains:

“Our elderly care wards have been operating extended visiting hours up to 10pm for some time, as we know having a loved one around can be really beneficial for people with dementia when they’re somewhere unfamiliar. Having a carer or family member there to keep them occupied, encourage them to eat or have a drink or just generally spend time with them is such a boost mentally, and helps patients to retain more of a sense of normality.

“More recently, we spoke to a number of carers to ask whether, given the opportunity, they would like to be able to stay overnight with their loved one, and almost three quarters said yes.

“Clearly, with Hull Royal Infirmary being a tower block, we are somewhat restricted in terms of space so, in the initial stages of rolling out John’s Campaign, we have created an overnight room which can accommodate up to two people and which has separate bathroom facilities to enable family to stay close to a loved one whilst they’re in hospital.

“Going forward, we’ll evaluate how well this carers room is working as we expect it to be in high demand. We’ll also look at whether we can start to address other things which carers told us were important, such as somewhere to get a drink, or recliner chairs to be able to stay alongside relatives overnight, with the aim of making the experience of more patients and carers a positive one.”

The creation of overnight facilities in support of John’s Campaign is just one example of the work being carried out at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to improve the experience of people with dementia when accessing hospital services. Other pieces of work, including improved signage, recreational activities, and a special ‘memory café’ recently earned the dementia team a place in the finals of the Hull Daily Mail Health & Care Awards ‘Mental Health & Well-being’ category.

About John’s campaign:

Dr John Gerrard was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in his mid-seventies. It was a slow decline with accelerations when he was ill or upset. At the beginning of February 2014, aged 86, he went into hospital because he had infected leg ulcers which weren’t responding to antibiotics. He was there for five weeks.

John Gerrard went into hospital strong, mobile, smiling, able to tell stories about his past, to work in his garden and help with things round the house. He was able to feed himself, to go the lavatory, to keep clean, to have a good kind of daily life. He came out skeletal, incontinent, immobile, incoherent. He required 24-hour care and barely knew those around him. He wore a nappy, could not stand up or walk, could not lift a mug to his mouth or put words into a sentence.

His family feel certain that if he had not lain for five weeks without people he knew to tend and comfort him, he would not have descended into such a state of incapacity. The individual nurses and doctors were kind, conscientious, respectful, but they couldn’t sit and talk to him, read to him, make sure he ate, keep him attached to the world.

John Gerrard died in November 2014.

Hospitals in East Yorkshire are showing their green credentials by adding three new electric vans to the fleet of Trust vehicles.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has taken receipt of the three vans as a means of reducing its environmental impact and transport costs at the same time.

Dave Wilkinson, Transport Manager at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“Many of the journeys our hospital fleet makes are short journeys, often of just a few miles between Castle Hill and Hull Royal, and sometimes shorter still.

“As a means of reducing our CO₂ emissions, demonstrating our commitment to sustainability, and as a way of bringing our costs down, we have decided to trial the replacement of three of our normal delivery vehicles with electric vans.

“The vans will help in the day to day running of our hospitals by transporting samples between pathology departments, delivering medical records between sites, and other general portering service duties.

“Each of the vehicles will cover up to 70 miles in a typical day, but can last for up to 106 miles on a single charge. As well as reducing our CO₂ emissions; something which we and every other hospital Trust are monitored on; we also expect the vans to deliver a combined saving of around £6,000 per year on fuel and other associated costs.”

Charging stations have now been installed specifically for the electric vans at both hospital sites. The vehicles have also been branded in Trust livery, and are on the move now!

He’s been a policeman, a footballer, and a switchboard operator. He’s performed in Les Misérables and chaperoned Desmond Tutu, and now, aged 79, Tom Mathers is one of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s oldest volunteers.

Tom began volunteering on Ward 200, the Elderly Assessment Unit at Hull Royal Infirmary in the summer, joining some 450 other local people who give their time to help others. He comes into the unit several times each week for a few hours, to offer a smile, a chat and a listening ear to patients who are there at the time.

As well as keeping older people occupied whilst in hospital, he also helps the ward staff by collecting comments from patients and relatives which can be used to improve the service. But Tom would argue he gets more out of his volunteering role than anyone.

“I always start by saying ‘Hello, my name’s Tom and I’m a volunteer. You’ve no TV or radio, so I just wondered if you’d like a chat?’ and 95% respond positively.

“I’ve met some very interesting and some very clever people in the short time I’ve been here, including a concert pianist and a former professional cyclist. I get a lot of pleasure from talking to people as they tell me about the things that interest them, and I learn a lot.

“Often I’m older than the patients I’m talking to, so we’ll talk about things from the olden days; I’ll ask ‘do you remember dolly sticks? Washboards? Or only going in the front room on a Sunday?’ And the patients and their relatives are really appreciative as it brings back memories and helps them to pass the time.

“I look forward to volunteering, and it’s a real privilege to be here.”

Tom began volunteering after losing his wife, but says he wishes he’d known about the opportunity much earlier.

He has also survived cancer, and that’s part of the reason he considers our local NHS to be ‘world class’.

“I have such a great depth of feeling for the NHS, it’s a world class service and the staff don’t get the recognition they deserve.

“Ward 200 really typifies our caring NHS, the staff are wonderful and the atmosphere here says ‘don’t worry, we’re going to take care of you’; I tell that to all of the patients and their relatives who come in here.

“This isn’t like a hospital ward, it’s like being with friends, and I never thought I would get so much pleasure out of being here; I wish I’d known about volunteering here years ago.”

In the few short months he has been giving his time to the ward, he has become a firm favourite with staff and patients alike.

Ward Sister, Bobbie Chapman, says:

“Tom is a real asset to our ward, as he connects with our many of our patients in a way which only people from the same generation can. He’s a real character who helps to brighten up the day of many of those spending time on the ward, some of whom don’t have relatives or visitors and so the days can seem very long.

“We’re really grateful to Tom for his help, and it’s always a pleasure to see him when he stops by.”

Tom is one of a growing army of volunteers supporting patients, staff and visitors across both Castle Hill Hospital and Hull Royal Infirmary. Volunteering opportunities are available for people as young as 16 years of age through the Young Volunteers programme, with no upper age limit, and those giving their time can express a preference for the department they work in.

For more information on volunteering opportunities with Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, contact the Patient Experience Team on (01482) 674326 or 675189.

Hospitals’ healthy record showcased during World Antibiotic Awareness Week, 14-20 November 2016

Health workers in Hull are leading the way when it comes to reducing reliance on antibiotics and tackling antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

According to recent data from Public Health England, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the better performing Trusts in the country when it comes to antibiotic prescribing rates.

Inappropriate use of antibiotics in recent years has led to the drugs becoming less effective, and a subsequent rise in cases of so-called superbugs such as C Difficile and MRSA.

Locally, however, the Trust has not seen a case of MRSA since June 2015, and rates of C Difficile also compare favourably, with 12.9 cases per 100,000 bed days compared to a national average of 14.9 cases per 100,000 bed days.

The success is attributed in no small part to antibiotic stewardship; a coordinated programme of efforts to optimise the use of antibiotics prescribed in hospital.

Dr Gavin Barlow, Consultant Physician at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust explains:

“In recent years, people have become over-reliant on antibiotics, frequently taking them for minor and self-limiting health problems such as coughs and colds. What people don’t realise when they do this is that the antibiotics aren’t necessarily going to help with the immediate problem, and in fact, they could end up doing more damage in the long term by killing the body’s good bacteria.

“The more we use antibiotics, the greater the chance bacteria will become resistant to them and they can no longer be used to treat infections. This is a major threat to patients’ treatment and safety, as procedures ranging from routine surgery through to cancer chemotherapy or setting broken bones all rely on the use of antibiotics.

“At Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we have been working hard to safely reduce the amount  of antibiotics prescribed to our patients. Of the two main broad-spectrum antibiotics used in the UK, we prescribe considerably less than many other hospitals; 76 daily doses per 1,000 admissions of Piperacillin/Tazobactam versus the national average of 146, and 68.5 daily doses of Carbapenems per 1,000 admissions compared with the England average of 104. The Trust’s overall antibiotic prescribing rate is also below the national average.

“This success has been achieved with a concerted effort from doctors, pharmacists and nurses all working together to look at the situations where and when antibiotics are prescribed. Infection doctors have increased their presence in the hospitals’ admission areas this year, for example, to review patients who have been admitted with infections and prescribed antibiotics to check that this is the most appropriate course of treatment.

“Patients’ drug charts have also been redesigned to prompt prescribers to review and, if appropriate, stop the supply of antibiotics, and further training and support around antibiotic stewardship has also been made available to relevant doctors and nurses.”

Dr Barlow adds:

“If a patient acquires antibiotic resistant bacteria like MRSA or C Difficile when they are already seriously ill or their immune system is low, it could be potentially fatal. The reduction in the use of antibiotics in hospital is not just good news from a prescribing cost point of view, therefore, it really could save lives.

“Antibiotics can sound like the easy answer when someone’s unwell, but they should only be used when absolutely necessary. Taking antibiotics when they are not needed could end up doing more harm than good, and will only help to keep superbugs such as C Difficile and MRSA in circulation.”

Patients requiring potentially life-changing investigations are set to benefit from a new, state-of-the-art scanner which has been installed at Hull Royal Infirmary.

Radiographers took delivery of the new 1.5T Siemens Aera MRI scanner, valued at around £1 million, last month when it was hoisted into place in the hospital’s MRI Centre.

The machine performs body scans to help identify and diagnose conditions such as cancer and epilepsy, for example, but can also be used to examine brain development in children, to investigate cartilage and ligament damage, and even look between the ears for the causes of hearing loss.

The first scans involving patients will be carried out later this week.

The investment is part of an ongoing programme within Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to update and replace ageing radiography equipment. This latest scanner replaced a previous model which has been is use for the last 24 years, and the surrounding areas of the MRI Centre have also been transformed to provide a new recovery area for patients and additional patient changing facilities.

Nicola Webster, Cross Sectional Speciality Manager in the Trust’s Radiology Department, says the changes will lead to a better experience for both patients and staff:

“The new MRI scanner will provide a much better experience for people requiring diagnostic scans, to investigate back or knee pain, for example, or to monitor how a tumour is progressing.

“The new scanner is wider and shorter than the previous model, meaning it will be better for those who don’t like tight spaces or the feeling of being confined, and it also features special mood lighting to further relax our patients.

“Having a MRI scan normally creates a certain level of anxiety anyway, as people are nervous about coming for tests or receiving a diagnosis, so the more at ease we can make our patients feel, both physically and mentally, the better it is for everyone.

“Patients can spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour having their scans, but as we now have access to the very latest diagnostic software, it means that, in some cases, patients will spend less time in the scanner, and we will also be able to perform more specialised examinations if required.

“As well as the machine itself contributing to a better patient experience, we’ve also carried out some works around the scanner. The main scanning room has been shielded with a copper cage to keep the magnetic field in, but outside of that, we’ve also converted former offices into extra space for patients to change, be prepped, and recover after they have undergone their scans.

“There’s a much brighter, airier and more relaxed feel to the place, and this is something which benefits both patients and the staff who work here, all of whom have been played a huge part in getting the scanner up and running and really embraced the changes whole-heartedly.

A small number of staff have been trained to use the new software initially, and this training will be cascaded to other members of the team over the coming weeks.