Businessman and philanthropist Dr Assem Allam is to donate almost £8m to Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for the provision of world-class treatment and research facilities at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.

The multi-million pound donation will create a centre of excellence in the care and treatment of patients with diabetes and metabolic bone diseases such as osteoporosis, a new facility to treat digestive diseases and a major expansion of robotic surgery. It will also provide additional funding for the Molecular Imaging Research Centre developed by the Daisy Appeal to help patients with cancer, heart disease and dementia at Castle Hill Hospital.

Major investment on this scale has not been seen in the city since the times of industrialist and philanthropists Sir Thomas Ferens and Christopher Pickering and will be matched by the hospital trust to create the £16m transformation of healthcare benefitting tens of thousands of patients.

Work will begin on the new projects early in 2020, with the centres up and running by the end of 2021.

Trust Chief Executive Chris Long thanks Dr Allam and his family for their generous donation

Dr Allam said: “I moved to this part of the UK in 1968 and I am passionate about this region and the people of East Yorkshire.

“People have always been very good to me and my family and we are grateful to them for their support and kindness. For those reasons we want to demonstrate our gratitude by investing in healthcare facilities which will bring greater longevity to people’s lives and benefit not just patients but their families and loved ones also.

“I believe that, in particular, we must invest in research and development, which will improve recruitment to our hospitals at the same time as generate further investment in this great city and ultimately enable us to develop new and innovative treatments for patients.”

Not only will the Allam family’s donation provide modern buildings in which to care for patients, it also strengthens Hull’s growing reputation as a global player in research, enhancing research and teaching facilities in endocrinology and diabetes and a vascular surgery diabetes research facility at Hull Royal Infirmary.

Additional education facilities to support the training of medical students in the Hull York Medical School will also be created as part of the new building proposed for Hull Royal Infirmary.

A new three-storey building housing clinical endoscopy, research and teaching facilities for the treatment of digestive diseases will also be built at Castle Hill.

Dr Assem Allam

The latest donation from Dr Allam and his family underlines their significant and outstanding contribution to the improvement of health facilities in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.

• A 2014 donation enabled the development of robotic surgery at Castle Hill Hospital, significantly improving the procedures to undertake prostate surgery and its use has subsequently extended to include major gynaecological surgery, bowel cancer surgery and thoracic surgery. A second Da Vinci Surgical Robotic System and a major expansion of robotic surgery capacity can now be created, thanks to the Allam family donation.
•  The development of the Fatima Allam Birth Centre in April 2017 at Hull Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Since opening in April 2017, the midwifery-led unit has cared for more than 1,000 families while their babies are born
• Sponsorship of a pancreatic research project, undertaken jointly by clinical and scientific research staff at the trust and the University of Hull.
• A major contributor to the Molecular Imaging Research Centre being developed on the Castle Hill Hospital site by the Daisy Appeal. The prime aim of this development is to improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancer, cardiac disease and neurological conditions.
•  And, in 2018 Her Majesty the Queen opened the £28m Allam Medical Building at the University of Hull, made possible thanks to a £7m donation from Dr Allam.

Trust Chief Executive Chris Long has described Dr Allam’s generosity as unprecedented in modern times.

He said: “With this latest philanthropic gesture, Dr Allam is unrivalled in terms of the investment he has made into healthcare facilities in modern times. You would have to go back a hundred years to find anyone who donated so much of their personal wealth for the benefit of this community, in terms of their health and the care we provide for patients.

“We are extremely grateful to Dr Allam for this latest donation which will leave a legacy for patients in this region for generations to come.”

Enabling works for the diabetes scheme at Hull Royal Infirmary are already underway. Once completed in January 2021, diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic bone disease services will be re-located from their current home in the Brocklehurst building on Anlaby Road to a modern facility next to Women and Children’s Hospital. While patients would directly benefit from a much improved environment, the overall aim is to enhance and develop world-class endocrinology and diabetes research facilities at Hull Royal Infirmary and attract staff and funding streams into our region.

Development of the digestive diseases and endoscopy facility at Castle Hill Hospital will significantly increase the scale of clinical accommodation available and ensure that the trust has the capacity to effectively respond to the continued growth in demand for these services. This building will also provide dedicate research space and a new purpose-designed facility for the Hull Yorks Endoscopy School, which is centred on the hospital.

Investment proposals in robotic surgery are a less developed at this stage but with the finances secured Hull University Teaching Hospitals is confident that they can now progress with the detailed planning work required.

David Haire, Project Director Fundraising at the trust, said: “Once again, this is a significant donation from Dr Allam and his family to the trust, and our city and wider region.

“Sometimes, his generosity is taken for granted but that certainly isn’t the case from our perspective. Everyone at the trust, along with those patients and their families who will benefit from this continuing patronage, is very grateful to Dr Allam and we look forward to developing these new schemes into facilities of which all can be extremely proud.”

A couple have purchased special equipment to help patients with brain tumours as part of their £165,000 fundraising drive in memory of their daughter.

Ruth and Tony Knowles embarked on the mission to support the neurosurgical department at Hull Royal Infirmary following the death of their daughter Emma-Jayne in 1998.

The couple, of Sutton-on-Sea in Lincolnshire who were awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours List in 2014 for their fundraising, presented their latest cheque for £6,690.91 to staff on Ward 40 today.

Family and friends of
Emma-Jayne Knowles joined Ward 40 staff for the latest cheque presentation

Terry Moran, Chairman of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are extremely grateful to Mr and Mrs Knowles for their continuing efforts to raise money for our neurosurgical department.

“Thanks to them, we can offer our patients some of the latest technology to save their lives and assist their recovery after surgery.

“They have raised a phenomenal amount of money which makes a difference to so many lives and ensures Emma-Jayne’s memory lives on. Their continued efforts are very humbling.”

Emma-Jayne was admitted to Hull Royal Infirmary in April 1998 after an MRI scan confirmed she had a rare brain tumour affecting just one in 1.5m people.

She underwent 35 radiotherapy sessions because the tumour was too deep in her brain for surgeons to operate but died in December 1998, six days before Christmas and two weeks before her 23rd birthday.

Her parents started fundraising at her funeral, raising £1,100 after they asked mourners for donations instead of flowers. Half of the money went to Hull Royal and half went to the GP’s surgery which had originally helped Emma-Jayne when she first started experiencing double vision and cold hands.

The couple discovered the team on the neurosurgery ward were attempting to raise £12,000 for a spinal turning bed so they organised a series of charitable events including a bikeathon, which has now become an annual event.

The bikeathon, a 10k run and a four-and-a-half mile walk were held during the summer to raise money for the latest donation to the hospital.

The money raised this year will be used to purchase specialist equipment used by neurosurgeons to remove brain tumours, a reclining chair to assist patients during the initial stages of their rehabilitation and an iPad and applications for speech and language therapy.

Mrs Knowles said they would now continue their fundraising appeal to buy more equipment for the department including an ophthalmoscope and otoscope, used to look in a patient’s eyes and ears following brain injury, a wheelchair and physiotherapy for patients to assist their recovery.

She said: “When Emma-Jayne was brought here, everyone was fantastic and we wanted to say thank you.  This is our way of thanking the people working at the hospital.”

He spent seven years in a refugee camp, watching the sick and dying suffer in a camp with little access to nursing or medical help.

Justin Mwange fled to Zambia from the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo as a teenager with his family and spent seven years living in abject poverty and deprivation.

He watched men, women and children dying at the side of the road because they were not able to get medical attention and what he saw in the camp fuelled his passion to help the sick and vulnerable.

Despite his lack of formal education or access to financial support to further his studies, he was determined to become a nurse.

Justin, 40, was nominated for a national award by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust after achieving his dream of becoming a nurse and impressing staff throughout his placements at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.

“Being in a refugee camp for seven years, I lost my self-esteem and self-confidence of achieving anything in my life,” Justin said. “I always see myself at the bottom of the queue and as the weakest link in anything.

“Just being nominated for the award has raised my self-confidence and self- esteem.”

During his years in the refugee camp, Justin volunteered as a support worker with Medecins Sans Frontieres to support people with malnutrition. He would help monitor blood sugars, weigh patients and distribute extra food parcels to children and the most vulnerable adults to keep them alive.

Although fluent in French and Swahili, he spoke little English when he arrived in the country with his wife Elizabeth Nyota in 2007 as part of a refugee resettlement programme. He moved to Hull where he started English classes and took a job working in a factory to provide for his family.

He completed an English as a Foreign Language programme at the University of Hull before applying to study social work. He graduated as a social worker in 2012 with a 2:1.

He worked as a care assistant in the community and supported clients with learning difficulties and children with autism for almost four years before he enrolled at the university to study nursing in 2016.

Throughout his Bachelor of Science nursing degree at the University of Hull, Justin has come to Hull Royal and Castle Hill Hospital on placements and has proven to be a valuable member of the nursing team.

As well as his work at the hospital, Justin is an active member of the Jubilee Church in the city and has helped to form a support group for Congolese refugees, helping children to celebrate their culture, heritage and language.

He also contributes to a shared savings pot which supports families in times of bereavement or financial worries to prevent them relying on Hull City Council for support.

Justin was nominated for the Chief Nursing Officer’s award in the category of BME Student Diversity by Vicky Needler, Practice Learning Facilitator at the trust.

He said: “It was a long journey to get to where I am now and I am feeling very proud to fulfil my ambition of becoming a nurse.

“My contribution, however little, if it makes a difference in people’s lives, will be a big achievement in my life. I just hope this new career works for me so that can put a smile of people’s faces.”

Vicky Needler said Justin was training on the trust’s Infectious Diseases ward and was able to help a patient from Africa, using their common language and his understanding of the person’s cultural background to help them understand their treatment. Although Justin didn’t go on to win the award in October, Vicky said he was already making a difference to patient care.

She said: “Justin is an outstanding individual who has overcome more than most people could ever imagine to achieve his aims of becoming a nurse.

“Justin will be joining the team on Ward 10 at Castle Hill after qualifying as a registered nurse and he will be such as asset to patient care.

“He shows such compassion to patients and we are certain he will become an excellent nurse. We are very lucky to have had him with us throughout his studies and he is destined for a fantastic nursing career.”

Outpatient services at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital are to be transformed as part of a major plan to save patients time, money and stress.

Hospital consultants and GPs will work more closely after Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull Clinical Commissioning Group and East Riding of Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group were selected to take part in the transformation programme.

The Elective Care Transformation Programme, part of the NHS Long Term Plan to improve the efficiency of the health service, aims to save patients the time, stress and hassle of travelling to hospital appointments lasting just a few minutes when they could be seen closer to home.

GPs and hospital consultants are sharing their ideas

Eileen Henderson, Head of Outpatients at the trust, said: “Our consultants will work closely with GPs in Hull and the East Riding to ensure patients get the best possible care in the best place for them.

“Introducing change will reduce the time people have to wait for follow-up appointments and we will be able to use more modern methods to speed up the entire outpatient process to benefit our patients.”

Around one million outpatient appointments are handled by the hospital each year and many of those could be treated sooner if they were seen closer to home or through another format rather than attending for face-to-face hospital consultations.

The trust and the CCGs submitted a joint bid to NHS Improvement to join the programme, which was launched in March 2017, and the area was chosen as one of eight to take part.

GPs and consultants attended an event this month to discuss how  they could work together better to benefit patient care, reduce the time patients are waiting for follow-up appointments and alternative ways of treating patients without the need for face-to-face appointments.

They shared their ideas to ensure every contact with patient, either with a GP or a hospital consultant, is in the best interests of the patient and makes best use of NHS time and resources.

Senior clinicians will now work with NHS Improvement to review their feedback to formalise a plan to drive forward real and lasting change which will benefit patients.

Around 200 school students will learn how major open wounds are healed by bacteria when a world expert comes to Hull Royal Infirmary during National Pathology Week.

Professor Mat Hardman of the University of Hull, regarded as the world’s leading expert on using bacteria to heal wounds, will outline his work to students aged 14 and over during the 90-minute interactive demonstration.

The event for schools will be held at the Lecture Theatre in the Medical Education Centre at Hull Royal Infirmary on Wednesday, November 6, to give young people an insight into the importance of pathology in health care.

Professor Hardman has more than 20 years’ experience in the field of skin biology and works with Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to benefit patients through his research and wound healing group.

He will help student see how bacteria can co-exist alongside humankind and what happens to the skin, the largest organ in the body, when an imbalance occurs.

Chris Chase, the trust’s Pathology Training Manager, said: “This is not for the overly squeamish, which is why we’ve restricted the event to the over 14s, but we think students will be fascinated by Professor Hardman’s work.

“They will see how bacteria is used to create a film across the wound to stop more infection getting in. It’s actually infecting the wound in a controlled way to create a crust over it to allow it to heal.

“Professor Hardman’s work is at the forefront of technology and it’s fantastic that young people will get to see a world expert carrying out this amazing work in their own city.”

Schools including St Mary’s Academy, Newland School for Girls, Hymers and Aspire Academy, which serves vulnerable students within Hull and the East Riding, and Sixth Form Colleges Wyke and Wilberforce will be invited to send students to the afternoon session.

More than one quarter of a million patients in Hull and the East Riding will be invited to sign up for a new digital online system to allow them to keep track of hospital visits and play an active role in their own health care.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is introducing the Patients Know Best online system initially for outpatient appointments so patients can receive electronic notification of their appointments as soon as they are booked using a computer, tablet device or smartphone.

Around 271,000 people who have been referred to Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for treatment or investigations by their GPs and patients who are already undergoing treatment will be invited to join, with more patients set to benefit in the coming months.

Jenifer Barker, who is leading the project for the trust, said: “It will be so convenient for people because they will be able to access their hospital letters all in one place through their mobile phone or whichever device they feel most comfortable with.

“They will also be notified of their appointments as soon as they are booked by our hospital teams instead of waiting for the letter to arrive through their letterbox.”

Patients will be invited to sign up to PKB by letter or SMS text , which will provide a link and individual code to register for an account.

People who wish to join the scheme but do not have digital access will be able to give permission for their relatives or carers to sign up for the online system on their behalf to help them manage and keep track of their hospital appointments.

Patients can decide who has access to their records, such as family members, carers or health professionals involved in their care, and what information they can see. They will have the option of restricting access to information, such as certain health matters.

All records held in PKB conform to strict NHS security standards, meaning only patients and those they permit to view their records will have access.

In the future, the PKB system will enable people with long-term conditions to play an active role in their own healthcare, such as sending their own glucose, weight or heart readings to their health teams, preventing unnecessary visits to hospital. It may also see patients being given access to their test results and inpatient attendance records.

A website supporting women and their partners through pregnancy has undergone a major revamp to outline the full range of maternity services in Hull and the East Riding.

Midwives at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have worked with web officer Matthew Graby to revamp the new maternity website.

It now includes a virtual tour of Hull Women and Children’s Hospital, floor plans so people know where to go for appointments and a guide to who’s who in the hospital by explaining the different uniforms worn by staff.

The website enables women registered with either a Hull or East Riding GP to book parenting classes after they have had their 20-week scan.

Janet Cairns, Head of Midwifery, said the new-look website offered women an extensive amount of information taking them through their pregnancy, giving birth and those early weeks after their babies are born.

She said: “Discovering you’re pregnant can be an exciting time in a woman’s life and you can be bombarded with information which is difficult to take in.

“Our new website provides all the information they need in an easy-to-read format which they can dip in and out of throughout the different stages of their pregnancies.

“You can read about the different options for giving birth in your own time, allowing you to make considered judgments which are best for you and your baby.

“The virtual tour and floor plans are an excellent addition which can take the stress out of coming to hospital for antenatal appointments and booking your parenting classes online after 20 weeks is now an option for all women, whether they’re living in Hull or the East Riding.”

As well as sections on early pregnancy and antenatal appointments, the website explains the role of the community midwives and the new continuity of carer teams, supporting mums-to-be in Beverley, parts of East Hull and those who choose to give birth at the Fatima Allam Birth Centre.

It also offers advice and guidance on staying healthy during pregnancy, emotional wellbeing and twins and multiple births.

The “Giving Birth” section explains what women should pack in their hospital bags and what to do when they go into labour, with special sections on hypnobirthing, home births and induction of labour.

“You and Your Baby” also provides information on care on Rowan Ward after giving birth, newborn screening, neonatal and transitional care and how to feed your baby. There is also a special section to support families who experience bereavement shortly before their babies are born, in childbirth or in the first few days.

The website also explains the role of the Maternity Voices Partnership, a group providing parents and health professionals with a say in the development of maternity services and supported by the Humber Coast and Vale Local Maternity System.

The information can be changed into different languages for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people or audio for those with hearing difficulties.

Patients are being urged to make better use of community health care services as works to improve Hull Royal Infirmary‘s emergency department get underway next week.

From Monday, construction work will begin in the ‘Minors’ area of the Emergency Department, where patients with less serious injuries and illnesses are attended to.

Due for completion by the end of the year, the work will deliver a bigger and much improved waiting environment to help hospital staff manage the growing demands on urgent care services.

This will complement other planned work on the hospital’s ground floor to help Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust respond to an increasing volume of patients. Work will continue in 2020 and include creating space for 12 extra assessment beds in the acute medical unit, a new MRI scanner and an extra CT scanner.

But with attendance figures for the city’s Emergency Department now averaging around 400 per day, health bosses want more people to seek help closer to home and enable their emergency care clinicians to focus on the most seriously injured and critically ill.

Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs) such as those in Bransholme, Beverley, Goole and Bridlington are often closer to home for many people living in Hull and East Yorkshire, and offer the opportunity to be seen more quickly. Operating until 11pm at night (open  round-the-clock at Bransholme) and with some housing x-ray facilities, UTCs can often be the best port of call for sprains, strains, suspected breaks, bites, stings, cuts, burns and minor head injuries out of hours.

Other services which can offer treatment, advice and signposting include your local pharmacy and GP practice. Hull residents can access evening and weekend GP appointments through the Access Plus service, and if you don’t know where to start, call NHS 111 to discuss the problem and receive advice on which service will best suit your needs.

On Monday of this week, hospital bosses called for patients to use these very alternatives as the number of attendances rose, and with disruption expected from next week and waiting space set to be halved in the ED ‘Minors’ area, this message is now being repeated.

Teresa Cope, Chief Operating Officer at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“It’s no secret that the number of people attending for emergency care is gradually increasing and we’re seeing high levels of demand all year round now. This is a situation that is replicated all over the country, not just in Hull.

“When the department is so busy, there is no good time to carry out works of this nature. However, the works are necessary to give us additional space to more comfortably accommodate staff and patients, and to house the facilities we need to respond to rising demand.

“We all have a responsibility to use our local health services considerately, and with disruption expected in ED from next week, now  really is the time for people to start thinking a bit more carefully and taking advantage of the services closer to home which could, in many cases, serve their needs just as well.”

Duncan Taylor, Director of Estates, Facilities & Development for the trust says:

“The improvement work which begins next week will cause disruption in the ‘Minors’ area of our Emergency Department and in the immediate vicinity. There will be noise associated with the construction work, and physical space will be reduced as hoardings go up, so the waiting area within Minors will be temporarily reduced to around half its current size.

“Patients attending ED Minors will still be cared for, but the experience may be less than ideal and waits of several hours may be compounded by lack of physical space to sit and wait.”

Teresa adds:

“We have also been working with City Health Care Partnership to temporarily extend the x-ray service at Bransholme Urgent Treatment Centre. From the beginning of November, x-ray services will be available until 8pm on Monday and Tuesday evenings which are routinely the busiest days for our Emergency Department, and we hope that that this will relieve some pressure on x-ray facilities at HRI.

“We would again urge people to use alternative community-based health services wherever possible, and if anyone feels they have to visit the Emergency Department, we would ask them to be patient and understanding over the coming weeks while improvement works are ongoing.”

A full list of alternative treatment options, including out of hours and x-ray services across Hull and the East Riding can be found at:

Hull – https://www.hullccg.nhs.uk/other-services-2/local-services-and-your-health/find-local-services/

East Riding of Yorkshire – https://www.eastridingofyorkshireccg.nhs.uk/choose-well/

A Hull midwife helping families through the agony of the death of their child has won a prestigious national award.

Specialist Bereavement Midwife Sue Cooper won the award from the Charlies-Angels-Centre Foundation after she was nominated by some of the families she has cared for when their babies have died.

Sue was appointed by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in 2017 following support from SANDS charity and funding from Abbie’s Fund.

As well as her hard work and dedication in helping families whose children have died, Sue has also developed the bereavement service to ensure families in Hull and the East Riding get the best possible support.

At a regional and national level, she has developed links with the Yorkshire Clinical Network and has played a major role after the trust was chosen as a pilot site for the development of a National Bereavement Care pathway.

Lead Midwife Lorraine Cooper said: “The impact of bereavement of a woman’s emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing cannot be underestimated so having a bereavement midwife as a single point of access to women is crucial.

“Sue and the team ensure families who have lost a child have their needs met in a caring and compassionate and supports them right through to a follow-up appointment where they can discuss any concerns or questions they may have before they see the consultant.

“Sue has also worked closely with SANDS to train our staff to ensure they have the skills they need and her work in developing the bereavement service ensures a holistic and collaborative approach between various departments including gynaecology, neonatal intensive care, early pregnancy and pathology.

“On a more personal note Sue has provided individual care to women in labour and the postnatal period which has taken her long over her shifts on a regular basis. She has embraced the role and has such passion to ensure bereaved families receive the highest standard in care. “