A team of midwives whose work to support those expecting a baby has been recognised by the Royal College of Midwives.

‘Ask a Midwife’, the online service which responds to questions and requests for help through social media, has been shortlisted in the ‘Excellence in Midwifery for Public Health” category of the 2023 RCM Awards.

The service responds to over 500 contacts from people expecting a baby every month, including partners and family members, and is accessible via the ‘direct message’ function of the Hull Women and Children’s Hospital facebook page. There are also daily posts to social media covering health promotion advice, safety alerts, and key issues or concerns which are trending within the antenatal day unit, such as winter bugs or summertime swollen ankles.

The idea for Ask a Midwife was conceived in Hull in 2020, due the amount of questions received about the COVID-19 pandemic. The service has continued to evolve ever since; not only does the team now have an Instagram account to further extend its reach, but the midwives are starting to work with local employers with high numbers of non-English speakers to promote early access to antenatal care.

The service has been so successful, in fact, that the blueprint has been taken and used to help families in other parts of the region, including York, Harrogate, Scunthorpe and Grimsby, as part of the Humber and North Yorkshire Local Maternity System.

Sarah Collins, the Ask a Midwife project lead, has been a qualified midwife for over 27 years. She says:

“Pregnancy can be one of the most magical times in a person’s life, but can also be one of the most stressful.

Members of the Ask a Midwife team are now visiting local employers to promote antenatal care

“There’s so much to think about and plan for; everything from staying healthy during pregnancy and baby’s movements to bonding, feeding, and safety in the home.

“The Ask a Midwife service is there to help anyone who’s pregnant, or supporting someone who’s pregnant, with advice, information and crucially, reassurance where we can give it.

“Not everyone feels able to call their midwife regularly, especially if they think it’s something trivial, and not everyone has a support network around them, so sometimes we find people are more comfortable just sending a message.

“While the service doesn’t operate 24 hours, the fact that Ask a Midwife is social media based does mean that people can send us a message at any time, day or night, and we’ll pick it up and respond as soon as we’re back at work.

“There really is no question too trivial or too random; we’re happy to help answer them all and put minds at rest if we can, or otherwise refer people on to more specific sources of clinical or medical support.”

The Ask a Midwife team will make a presentation on their service to a panel of RCM judges later this month, before finding out if their project has been successful at the RCM Awards ceremony which takes place on 19 May.

Hospital workers are appealing to the public to use alternatives to A&E to ensure they can focus on the most seriously ill.

Staff in Hull Royal Infirmary’s Emergency Department have reported seeing almost 400 people yesterday. This figure, which is the equivalent of a new patient arriving every four minutes, is on par with normal Monday attendance figures despite junior doctors starting a 72 hour walk-out at 7am yesterday.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has committed to maintaining essential services throughout the period of industrial action, including emergency care, critical care and neonatal services for seriously ill babies, but the industrial action is adding to an already pressurised system.

Dr Biju Cherian

Dr Biju Cherian, consultant in emergency medicine for the Trust says:

“Mondays are always our busiest day in the Emergency Department, but unlike the recent ambulance strikes where there have been notable reductions in calls to the service on some strike days, the number of people attending for emergency care has remained very similar to a normal working day.

“Many patients told us they were unaware of the junior doctors being on strike when they arrived in the department, and others didn’t want to go to another health service even when told they’d be seen more quickly.

“While the junior doctors strike is ongoing, we will of course ensure that we maintain emergency care services, and we have senior consultants and other experienced healthcare practitioners working alongside us to ensure those service remain safe.

“However, at a time of significant pressure and as the major trauma centre for the region, it’s important that we dedicate the resources we have to caring for the most seriously ill and those with life threatening injuries.

“Roughly one in five patients attending ED yesterday presented with a problem which was not immediately urgent or could have been managed within a primary care setting such as an urgent treatment centre, GP service or a local pharmacy – services which are not affected by the junior doctor industrial action.

“We always need patients to make best use of the community health services available to them, but it’s especially important at the current time.”

Patients arriving at Hull Royal Infirmary’s emergency department with non-urgent health needs over the coming days may be invited to seek treatment elsewhere as staff continue to juggle service demands. Anyone who chooses to stay in the department will face significantly lengthy waits.

Patients seeking medical advice can go online to NHS111 – 111.nhs.uk or call 111, 24 hours a day.

A list of local pharmacies can be found on the NHS website, and walk-in care/treatment for minor injuries is available from the following centres, all of which are open late into the evening or round-the-clock:

• Hull – Story Street walk-in centre
• Bransholme – Urgent Treatment Centre within Bransholme Health Centre, Goodhart Road (open 24hrs)
• Beverley – Urgent Treatment Centre within East Riding Community Hospital, Swinemoor Lane
• Goole – Urgent Treatment Centre within Goole & District Hospital, Woodland Avenue
• Bridlington – Urgent Treatment Centre within Bridlington Hospital (Entrance A), Bessingby Road

Groundbreaking research into one of the most aggressive forms of cancer is being spearheaded in Hull, all thanks to one of the city’s most ardent supporters.

In April 2018, Dr Assem Allam donated £402,000 to a local research team seeking to improve the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and potentially prevent some patients from undergoing unnecessary or debilitating surgery.

Dr Assem Allam provided funding to support the study into pancreatic cancer

The research team, which includes clinical, academic and research staff from Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull York Medical School and the University of Hull, devised a project, which stands unrivalled globally in both scope and ambition.

Part one of the TEM-PAC* research project has recently produced its first set of exciting results, which were presented for the first time at the prestigious ASCO-GI meeting in San Francisco last month. The findings have been so promising, in fact, that the team has received Cancer Research UK’s Early Detection and Diagnosis Primer Award, a further £98,500 research grant to support phase two and ensure vital research into this field continues in the years ahead.

Professor Anthony Maraveyas, Honorary Consultant in Oncology at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Professor in Cancer Medicine at Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, has been leading the research team as its chief investigator. He explains just how significant the work is for patients affected by pancreatic cancers, cysts and lesions across the world:

“Pancreatic cancer is one of the rarer forms of cancer, with around 15 people per 100,000 being affected, but has one of the highest mortality rates; only five to eight per cent of those with this type of cancer survive beyond five years.

“Unlike the more common types of cancer such as breast, prostate  or colorectal, pancreatic cancer has not generally been prioritised for funding or research, nationally or internationally, due to the relatively low number of people affected. We’re proud to be leading the change right here in Hull by bringing together experts from the Trust, the Medical School and the University.

Professor Anthony Maraveyas

“Dr Allam was a very generous man. He was well known for the support he showed and the financial backing he provided to both our hospitals and our academic institutions, so we were thrilled when, after speaking with our surgeons, he offered to fund some of the research which has been so desperately needed in this field.”

The team’s research project has focused on the investigation of pancreatic lesions called ‘cysts’, in particular being able to spot changes in cells which would support a more accurate diagnosis of cancer and enable surgeons to operate accordingly.

The most commonly used diagnosis methods are still somewhat crude, making it difficult for a clinician to determine the exact nature of a lesion or cyst and, crucially, whether it is cancerous or likely to turn that way. As a result, many patients undergo major surgery on larger cysts, only for a surgeon to find the lesion was not cancerous, yet the patient can then be left with long term effects such as significant pain or difficulty absorbing food for the rest of their life.

The team has already recruited 168 patients to the study, with an overall target of 180 people across the lifetime of the project.

“Our aim is to be able to identify changes in cells which will give a more accurate picture of what’s happening in a minimally invasive way,” Professor Maraveyas continues.

“The team uses conventional radiology techniques, including endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), to look at cysts and take small samples of fluid to test for biochemical changes, known as tumour ‘markers’. The presence of the markers could help to detect cancer early, and conversely, their absence could help prevent unwanted surgery.”

The study also incorporates the use of platform technologies, a form of cell research which is being championed by the University of Hull and which is very much seen as the future of cancer diagnostics worldwide. Using these platform technologies, the ambition is to obtain cyst fluid ‘signatures’ that will provide an accurate diagnosis of the type of cyst the surgeon is dealing with. In turn, this will enable treatment to be tailored specifically to each patient and is likely to reduce the number of patients undergoing avoidable surgery.

The innovative nature of the TEM-PAC study has attracted support from the National Institute for Health and Research, which has placed two academic clinical fellows (ACF) in the oncology department at Castle Hill Hospital, and a clinical lecturer post will also start in September 2023. This is the first time the oncology department has ever hosted such roles.

The second phase of the project will see the team recruit more participants and team up with other cancer research units across the UK on the next stage of research.

The Endoscopy Team at Castle Hill Hospital are playing a crucial part in the research

Phase two is being progressed thanks to a further generous donation of £250,000 made by Dr Allam just before he passed away in December 2022, supplemented by funding from the University of Hull and charitable funding from the Hospitals Trust. Total funding amounting to £550,000 will, over the next three years, support the development of upcoming laboratory researchers studying the transformation of pancreatic cancer cells from normal to malignant, and some of the other exciting biological mechanisms to emerge through the TEM-PAC project.

The appropriately named Allam Clinical Fellowship has been set up as a recurring three-year clinical post working jointly across the University of Hull and Hull Hospitals to support pancreatic cancer research, through which each clinical fellow will study for their PhD. It is envisaged that this fellowship will continue in the years ahead in order to promote Hull as a specialist centre for oncology research and to aid recruitment and retention within local hospitals. The fellowship further builds on the long-term partnership between the Trust, the Medical School and the University, all contributors to this fellowship, to lead research on cancer and other health issues pertinent to the health of the region’s population.

Speaking about his support for the project last year, Dr Allam commented:

“Having seen the impressive progress made by the dedicated team of clinical and scientific staff over the last four years, one could not fail to be impressed by their commitment and dedication to this research related to pancreatic cancer. In addition to increasing our level of understanding of the disease, it is in line with my desire for the Hull University Teaching Hospitals and University of Hull to attract and retain high calibre clinical and academic staff.”

Professor Maraveyas adds:

“We are in the process of conducting a world-leading study, the likes of which we could only have dreamt of without the support of Dr Allam. We’re incredibly grateful to him for giving us a platform through which to launch this research, to generate broader interest in and support for the work we’re doing, to retain some of our best researchers, and to attract collaborators across the country.

“The outcomes and potential benefits of this work for patients, not just in the UK but across the globe, could literally be life changing.”

TEM-PAC = Study of Tumour Regulatory Molecules as Markers of Malignancy in Pancreatic Cystic Lesions.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been working alongside staff side colleagues and other healthcare partners to prepare for junior doctors industrial action next week.

A planned period of strike action by junior doctor members of the BMA and HCSA is due to begin at 7am on Monday 13^th March 2023 and finish at 7am on Thursday 16^th March.

Our hospitals will continue to provide emergency care throughout the strike period, so anyone with a serious illness or injury, or whose life is at risk, will still be able to access care through Hull Royal Infirmary’s Emergency Department.

However, members of the public are being advised to use community health services and NHS111 wherever possible to ensure hospital staff are able to prioritise the most seriously ill.

Professor Makani Purva, Chief Medical Officer for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“Patient safety and care for our most seriously ill patients will remain our priority during the period of strike action.

“To enable us to continue providing essential services such as emergency and intensive care, we will be asking suitably skilled and experienced clinical staff such as advanced clinical practitioners and specialist nurses to support in key departments.

“Regrettably, in order to redeploy staff, this does mean we will need to reschedule some routine outpatient appointments and non-urgent procedures which were due to take place next week. We will be in touch directly with anyone affected to provide further details and we will seek to rebook those appointments as soon as possible.

“Anyone who is due to attend a clinic or hospital appointment who does not hear from us should assume their appointment is still going ahead and attend as planned.

“While essential services will be maintained, we would strongly encourage members of the public whose medical needs are not urgent to use the full range of community healthcare services available. Local pharmacies, urgent treatment centres, walk-in centres and NHS111 will all be open and able to help with a range of different illnesses and injuries. Anyone attending the Emergency Department for non-urgent medical needs during the period of industrial action should expect a significant and lengthy wait.”

Advice for the public during the upcoming period of strike action

Please take extra care at this time and look out for vulnerable family members, friends or neighbours.

Anyone with non-urgent care needs should first seek help from NHS 111 online or call 111.

If you are unwell and need assistance, you should also consider alternatives such as:

• Local pharmacies
• Your GP practice
• Story Street walk-in centre, Hull
• Local Urgent Treatment Centres (Bransholme, Beverley, Goole and Bridlington), all of which are open into the evening with the exception of Bransholme which remains open 24hrs/day.

Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.

For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website.

Today, there are 33 patients in our hospitals who have tested positive for Covid-19 for the first time within the past 10 days.

We also have 45 patients in hospital whose first positive Covid-19 test result was more than 10 days ago.

*Updated, Monday, 13 March, at 7.15am

A new support group has been set up to help parents and carers after their babies have been discharged from Hull’s neonatal intensive care and special care baby units.

“NeoFriends” has been set up by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to support families once their babies are well enough to leave the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and Transitional Care Unit.

Four groups have been set up in west Hull, Beverley, Longhill and at Hull Royal Infirmary so parents can spend time with other families who shared similar experiences following the birth of their babies at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital.

Sarah Sharp set up the groups with Hannah Hoff from the Special Care Baby Unit after speaking to parents and carers as part of her work with the NICU outreach team.

“A similar theme kept cropping up when we were visiting people in their home,” said Sarah. “They got support from the unit and the outreach team but, after that, they felt a bit on their own.

“They said they weren’t comfortable with attending traditional baby groups because they’d had such a different experience to those families.

“We thought creating these special groups would help them make friends and get support from others who understood what they had gone through in those early weeks and months of their babies’ lives.”

The support groups are held on Thursdays, all from 10 to 11.30am. The session at Longhill is on the first Thursday in the month and it’s held at Home from Hospital in Anlaby Road on the second Thursday in the month.

Beverley Children’s Centre hosts its NeoFriends session on the third Thursday in the month and there’s a session at the Haven, the new spiritual and pastoral centre on the first floor of the new entrance of Hull Royal Infirmary, on the fourth Thursday in the month.

Jo Milns, chaplain for Hull Women and Children’s Hospital and a familiar face to parents on the units, attends the sessions along with Sarah, who can help families with any questions they might have as their babies grow older.

Sarah said: “It’s a really informal get-together where people can meet others who understand what they’ve been through. They can also get signposted to other services and I’m there to help if they have any medical issues or questions.”

Families are welcome to bring their other children to the sessions as well as their babies.

Email sarah.sharp20@nhs.net if you’d like to find out more.

Ambulance service workers will be taking part in industrial action on Monday 20^th February 2023.

Ambulance workers will continue to prioritise and respond to the most urgent, life threatening calls throughout the forthcoming period of strike action.

Our hospitals will be preparing by providing extra support to the Emergency Department to ensure prompt ambulance handovers, and discharging as many patients as possible who are medically fit to leave in advance of the action.

Routine hospital services will continue as normal on 20^th February, so anyone who has a hospital appointment or who is booked for a procedure that day should still attend as planned. Should there be a need to change your appointment or any arrangements linked to it, such as any hospital transport you may have booked, we will be in touch with you directly.

Patients should only call 999 if it is a medical or mental health emergency, i.e. when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. As there will be fewer ambulances on the roads during the industrial action, patients calling 999 for conditions which are not life-threatening are unlikely to receive an ambulance on strike days.

There are also likely to be fewer 999 and NHS111 call handlers available on the day, so anyone contacting these services should expect longer call response times. Where it is given, patients should take advice from 111 or 999 call handlers on circumstances where it is suitable for them to make their own way to hospital.

Please take extra care at this time and look out for vulnerable family members, friends or neighbours.

Anyone with non-urgent care needs should first seek help from NHS 111 online.

If you are unwell and need assistance, you should also consider alternatives such as:

• Local pharmacies
• Your GP practice
• Story Street walk-in centre, Hull
• Local Urgent Treatment Centres (Bransholme, Beverley, Goole and Bridlington), all of which are open into the evening with the exception of Bransholme which remains open 24hrs/day.

Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.

For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website.

Hospital staff are celebrating their achievements in helping hundreds of people into training and employment as National Apprenticeship Week* kicks off again this week.

2023 marks 10 years since Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, began offering apprenticeships as a route into healthcare careers.

In that time, over 850 people have embarked on apprenticeship programmes, which comprise both on-the-job training and study toward formal qualifications.

Anne Burdis, Assistant Learning and Development Manager for the Trust says:

“Over the last 10 years, we’re proud to say we’ve supported more than 850 people onto apprenticeship training and development in our hospitals; that’s 850 people who have been given genuine opportunities to learn, earn and progress.

“We often find people still stereotype apprenticeships, thinking that they’re just for school leavers, that they’re mainly admin jobs or manual trades, but apprenticeships have come a long way in recent years.

“Our hospital managers and senior clinicians see the value that apprenticeships bring, so we’ve gradually seen the number of teams and departments wanting to take on apprentices grow. We now offer apprenticeships across the majority of our teams and services, from pharmacy to finance, communications to cardiac physiology, occupational therapy to estates.

Former apprentice turned finance manager, Robert Dyer

“Many of those starting out as apprentices are still with us, having gained qualifications, secured permanent roles or promotions, and in many cases, they are now carving out careers for themselves within their chosen department or clinical speciality.”

One of those people is Robert Dyer, who has progressed from apprentice to finance manager and gained his formal accountancy qualifications all within the space of seven years. He says:

“The experience gained during my apprenticeship continues to pay dividends. For anyone with a quiver of interest, I would wholeheartedly recommend the apprenticeship route and the Trust’s finance team; it not only grows you professionally but personally too, and the value in that is immeasurable.”

Apprentice health care support worker, Rachael Simpson

Rachael Simpson initially volunteered with the Trust as a Young Health Champion while she was still in high school, and is now working as an apprentice Health Care Support Worker on the elective orthopaedics ward at Castle Hill Hospital. She says:

“I got into nursing because I saw how happy the career made my mum. I love people and want to make a difference to people’s lives.

“I love being able to help patients, to listen to their stories and make them feel comfortable on our ward.  My aim is to become a registered nurse by 2026, which I’ll achieve by doing the three-year nurse degree apprenticeship after completing my current course.”

Paula Thompson worked as an Occupational Therapist Assistant in Neurosurgery before starting her degree apprenticeship in 2019. Since completing her studies and becoming a fully qualified Occupational Therapist, Paula has been promoted again within her department and now has role with more leadership responsibilities. She says:

Paula Thompson completed a degree-level apprenticeship

“Having prior experience as a member of support staff meant I was able to bring practical knowledge and skills into the academic environment. Most of those I studied alongside either went straight into senior therapist roles after graduating or, like myself, they’ve attained senior roles within a shorter timescale than most traditional degree graduates might be expected to.”

Anne continues: “Recruitment challenges for the health service are no secret, so this is one really valuable and successful way in which we’re working to grow our own remarkable people.

“As we celebrate 10 years of apprenticeships at Hull Hospitals this National Apprenticeship Week, we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s supported our healthcare professionals of the future. Supporting apprenticeships doesn’t just represent an investment in the people, it’s an investment in our community and the future of our health services too.”

If you or someone you know would be interested in a healthcare apprenticeship with Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, visit www.hull.nhs.uk/medshed/apprenticeships to find out more about a career in the NHS.

* The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2023 is ‘Skills for Life’, reflecting how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for rewarding careers and business development. For more information on National Apprenticeship Week, visit https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/influencers/national-apprenticeship-week#

They’re more used to taking care of others, but now it’s local hospital porters’ turn to be the centre of attention after being shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s 116-strong team of porters, working across both Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, have reached the finals of the MyPorter Awards in the ‘Portering Team of the Year’ category.

Brendon Bielby has been shortlisted for ‘Porter of the Year’

Great news on its own, but one team member who’s shown outstanding dedication to his role throughout a sustained period of ill-health, Brendon Bielby, has also been shortlisted for ‘Porter of the Year’.

In recent times, Brendon, who works at Castle Hill, has experienced not one but two life-changing health problems which have forced him to take time off work. Yet throughout his periods of illness, Brendon has remained passionate about his role and he maintained his commitment to returning to work to make a difference as soon as he could.

“Being able to put a smile on someone’s face makes me happy and proud to be a porter,” he says.

The judging panel said Brendon’s nomination really stood out, and was ‘a true testament to his great character and dedication to portering’.

Brendon’s manager, Interim Portering, Postal & Switchboard Service Manager David Houghton, says:

“Despite all the personal health issues and concerns he has gone through, and considering the extreme pressures frontline NHS workers like our porters are currently facing, Brendon remains passionate, dedicated, and his love for his work is clear to see.

Members of the portering team at Hull Royal Infirmary

“His caring attitude and the willingness to do anything to help our patients is second-to-none, so I didn’t hesitate to nominate him for the award; he would make a really deserving winner.”

David May, Deputy Head of Facilities (Logistics) for the Trust says:

“The portering team is key to the smooth running of our hospitals and services; not only do they make sure patients get where they need to be, when they need to be there, but they make sure our wards, departments and restaurants are well stocked with the equipment and supplies they need on a daily basis. Crucially, for many of our patients who may be feeling anxious or vulnerable, they also offer a friendly smile, words of support and some welcome reassurance in their time of need.

“The portering team work so hard, round the clock, 365 days a year, and I’m so pleased to see that their work and their dedication to supporting our hospitals to deliver great care has been recognised at a such a high level.”

The My Porter awards ceremony will take place in London on Friday 21 February. Follow @myporter_ on twitter for the results.

Ambulance service workers will be taking part in industrial action on Monday 6 February and Friday 10 February 2023.

As has been the case during previous periods of strike action, ambulance workers will continue to prioritise and respond to the most urgent, life threatening calls.

Our hospitals will be preparing by putting extra support into the Emergency Department to ensure prompt ambulance handovers on strike days, and discharging as many patients as possible who are medically fit to leave in advance of the action.

Routine hospital services on strike days will continue, and so anyone who has a hospital appointment or who is booked for a procedure on one of the strike dates mentioned above should still attend as planned. Should there be a need to change your appointment or any arrangements linked to it, such as any hospital transport you may have booked, we will be in touch with you directly.

On both Monday 6^th and Friday 10^th February, patients should only call 999 if it is a medical or mental health emergency, i.e. when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. As there will be fewer ambulances on the roads during the industrial action, patients calling 999 for conditions which are not life-threatening are unlikely to receive an ambulance on strike days.

There are also likely to be fewer 999 and NHS111 call handlers available on the day, so anyone contacting these services should expect longer call response times. Where it is given, patients should take advice from 111 or 999 call handlers on circumstances where it is suitable for them to make their own way to hospital.

Please take extra care at this time and look out for vulnerable family members, friends or neighbours.

Anyone with non-urgent care needs should first seek help from NHS 111 online.

If you are unwell and need assistance, you should also consider alternatives such as:

• Local pharmacies
• Your GP practice
• Story Street walk-in centre, Hull
• Local Urgent Treatment Centres (Bransholme, Beverley, Goole and Bridlington), all of which are open into the evening with the exception of Bransholme which remains open 24hrs/day.

Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.

For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website.