A hospital team caring for the older patients is urging everyone aged 75 to 79 to be vaccinated against a potentially life-threatening virus.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) accounts for thousands of hospital admissions and hundreds of deaths every year, with older people are more at risk of serious complications.

More than a quarter of the 44 cases of RSV admitted to Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital over three months last year were patients over 75.

Now, staff at Humber Health Partnership, the group running Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Foundation Trust, are urging those who turned 75 on or after September 1 this year, as well as people aged 75 to 79, to take up the offer of the new RSV vaccine.

Dr Yoghini Nagandran, Clinical Director for Frailty who works in the Department of Medical Elderly at Hull Royal Infirmary, said: “This vaccine can protect you for years from really serious consequences linked to RSV. It can be a very serious illness, especially if you already have other health conditions.

“However, if you’re vaccinated, you’re less likely to need to be admitted to hospital even if you do catch the virus because you’ll be protected from the most severe impact of RSV.

“As well as looking after your own health, you’ll also be helping us and playing a vital part in easing the pressure on our hospitals over the winter months.”

RSV is a common cause of coughs and colds every winter. While most infections improve by themselves, RSV can be serious in babies under six months, young children who were born prematurely and adults over 75.

This year, the Government is introducing a national programme to vaccinate pregnant woman, protecting them and their babies for the first six months of their lives, and those aged 75 and over, up until the day before their 80^th birthday.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, more than 400 deaths and around 2,000 hospital admissions could be avoided this winter if enough over 75s receive the vaccine. Vaccination will also save an estimated 15,000 GP visits and 60,000 RSV illnesses in the age group.

Data analysis discovered a hospital admission rate of 225 per 100,000 in people aged 75 and over, with almost 19 per cent dying within 30 days of being admitted to hospital.

You’ll be invited for vaccination by the NHS once you turn 75 and one dose offers protection lasting years.

Brunch club, balance class and a game of cards before lunch. You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d checked into a swanky hotel, but this is actually Hull Royal Infirmary.

In July 2024 the 13^th floor – now informally dubbed ‘the Penthouse’ – was transformed into a reablement unit to support patients waiting to leave hospital.

In the face of ongoing pressure to admit acutely unwell patients, hospital staff were also experiencing difficulty discharging those who no longer needed medical care. There were many and varied reasons for this; sometimes patients were awaiting a residential place, others for a package of community care so they could continue living independently at home; but whatever the reason, for a cohort of patients which topped over 200 at one point, hospital was no longer the best place for them to be.

Rachel Kemp, Single Coordinator for Hull and East Riding explains:

“Patients who are no longer in need of medical treatment often have to remain in hospital while they wait for packages of care or arrangements to be made for them to leave hospital.

“Demand for beds at Hull Royal is always high, but that pressure is made more acute when we have a lot of patients in hospital who actually have no further medical care needs but can’t leave, for whatever reason. For those patients, being in hospital is no longer the safest place to be, as their risk of infection is higher, and the risk of falls and deconditioning in older people particularly is much greater than if they were at home or in their own familiar surroundings.

“The 13^th floor reablement unit was set up to bring all the various health and social care partners together to look at how we can best prepare these patients to leave hospital. It’s not just about getting the patient medically well enough to leave, it’s also about reducing the effects of deconditioning while they wait for their discharge arrangements to be progressed, and allowing the team to look at and address all their needs in readiness – how is their balance, can they prepare a meal or a cup of tea, do they need any special equipment, and so on.”

Staff are cared for while they’re on the 13^th Floor wards by a team of nursing staff with doctors’ input if required, but there’s a whole team of therapists and support staff waiting in the wings to get patients fit for discharge too.

From occupational therapists to physiotherapists, social workers to intermediate care support workers, the team use all their collective expertise to help patients become as independent as possible ahead of their discharge.

Rebecca Hardcastle, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist explains:

“Our multi-disciplinary team does its utmost to promote mobility, balance, cognitive and motor skills among patients in readiness for their discharge home or to another place of care.

“Maximising patients’ independence using therapeutic interventions such as games and activities helps to reduce deconditioning while in hospital and instil confidence ahead of leaving the ward.

“In turn, those patients who are more independent; able to cook for themselves, move around and carry out basic daily living tasks; are less likely to require readmission due to a fall or malnutrition, for example.”

And there’s plenty on the daily activity menu to choose from. Therapists run regular breakfast and brunch clubs where patients are encouraged, with help if required, to walk to the therapy room and then make their own meal.

Therapists also run regular activity groups, including games such as cards and dominoes, designed to promote problem solving, planning and fine motor skills.

They offer exercise and balance groups where patients can improve their range of movement, balance and activity tolerance through games like skittles, darts, and basketball, or use of the parallel bars.

And for those less mobile, it’s cognitive games such as bingo, word-searches or the use of RITA, or bedside crafts such as jigsaws and colouring to promote brain function and stimulation.

“We try to make our activities as enjoyable and as sociable as possible, with everything from brunch clubs to baking sessions, basketball to games of bridge,” Rebecca continues.

“We even produce our own ‘Penthouse’ newspaper, and regularly encourage people to come together to watch and discuss key sporting events such as Wimbledon and the Olympics.

“Our patients regularly tell us they enjoy it so much here now that they don’t want to leave, which is a real compliment and testament to the hard work which all of our staff have put in to caring for our patients and improving flow through our hospitals.”

As well as the positive patient feedback, the numbers certainly stack up too. A one-week audit conducted by the Therapies team found that their interventions supported an improvement in patients’ functional dependence and mobility score of 253 points, with more than half of all patients (40 people) showing improvement across the whole of the 13^th floor. The discharge plan score also improved by 65 points, with the team supporting 43 patients to return home and a further 8 to rehabilitation beds, representing almost six in every 10 patients (57%) that week.

A wellbeing study which launched just eight months ago has averaged almost five sign-ups every day since it launched.

Born and Bred in (BaBi) Hull and East Yorkshire, which seeks to use data held about local people to shape health services and highlight societal changes which could improve long-term health outcomes, has attracted 1,204 adult and child participants since February 6^th.

The initial uptake was impressive, with more than 100 people signing up in the first four weeks, but it’s the sustained interest in the research project has been truly impressive, as Sarah Collins, Research Lead Midwife, explains:

“When we launched back in February, we set a target for ourselves to recruit 400 people in the first year. We were thrilled when we achieved 100 sign-ups in the first four weeks, but didn’t imagine we’d continue to see such a high volume of interest and willingness to take part in the study.

“We’re now just eight months into the project and we have three times as many people helping out as we were aiming for in the first 12 months; we’re so incredibly grateful to them all, and of course, the more people who sign up, the richer and more meaningful our research, its outcomes and our opportunities to shape local families’ futures, will be.”

The BaBi project looks at both maternal health and children’s health in their early years. It is seeking to connect up all the information that health, education, social care and other organisations hold about young children and women/birthing people to try and identify patterns that could drive improvements in the lives of the next generation and beyond.

In Bradford, where the BaBi study first began, the findings have contributed to bus route diversions in areas where pollution and childhood asthma were noted to be high and the creation of more green spaces to promote better mental health.

Sarah continues:

“BaBi Hull and East Yorkshire will look at the factors which may impact children’s health and then use this data to make service improvements or to highlight changes within our community which could give future generations the chance to grow up healthier and happier.

“We know life becomes a bit of a whirlwind for new parents, so the great thing about this study is that it’s not time consuming for people to help out, and that may be part of its appeal.

“There’s no need for us to ask questions, to weigh or measure the baby, or for parents to keep a diary; it’s as straight forward as giving us consent to access data for the purpose of our research. And if people later decide they don’t want to take part, that’s no problem either.”

The study will be ongoing, with women and birthing people being asked to take part for each new pregnancy.

If you are interested in participating or wish to know more, please speak to your midwife, visit https://www.hull.nhs.uk/maternity/babi/ or email the research midwives on hyp-tr.research.midwife@nhs.net

Patients living in West Hull and West Hull villages can now book a new minibus service to take them to appointments at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.

The Haltemprice and West Hull Medibus can help people living in any Hull address to the west of Ferensway and Beverley Road (A1079) as well as Anlaby, Cottingham, Hessle, Kirk Ella and Willerby attend hospital appointments if they are unable to use normal bus services.

Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council are funding the new Medibus service as a trial until March 2025 and it will only be able to continue if enough passengers use the service during the trial.

Operated by North Holderness Community Transport (HART), journeys on the Medibus must be booked in advance, with bookings taken on a first come, first served basis.

Fares for using the medibus service are as follows:

• Child under the age of 16 and passenger assistant or carer – no charge.
• Disabled and concessionary pass holder – single ticket: £2.50, return ticket: £5.
• Adult without any type of bus pass – single ticket: £5, return ticket: £10.

To book a journey call 03456 445959 between 9am and 4pm, Monday to Thursday, and between 9am and 3.30pm, on Friday (excluding bank holidays). You can also email passengerbookings@eastriding.gov.uk with details of the journey required.

You can also read more about the service here.

Trust running Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital to hold its AGM

Day surgery expansion, a decade of apprenticeships and the impact of industrial action will be among the topics for discussion when Hull’s hospitals leaders meet next week.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at 9am on Wednesday 16 October 2024.

Hosted by Group Chairman, Sean Lyons, and Group Chief Executive, Jonathan Lofthouse, the meeting will serve as the official annual review for the Trust and include a round-up of major developments, achievements, challenges and milestones over the past 12 months.

The Trust’s annual accounts for the 2023/2024 financial year will also be presented by Acting Group Chief Finance Officer, Mark Brearley, and the Trust’s annual report will be made available.

Sean Lyons says:

“The past year has been incredibly eventful for Hull Hospitals, most notably because we have moved to a group working arrangement with Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.

“While the year has not been without its challenges, we are starting to realise some of the benefits from this closer working arrangement, which will be discussed at the meeting.

“We have also seen some notable developments around Hull Royal and Castle Hill, such as the expansion of cots and facilities within our neonatal care unit and the start of work on the second phase of our £39 million day surgery unit.

“Caring for thousands of people each year, our hospitals are very much a part of the local community and we’d invite anyone who has an interest in health, or who would like to know more about hospital issues and developments over the past 12 months, to join us at our AGM next week.”

The meeting will be held online via Microsoft Teams and is open to all to attend. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers from the public after the formal presentations have been made.

To register to receive the agenda and joining link, please email sarahmeggitt@nhs.net

Our group directors will come together on Thursday 10 October for a meeting of our Trust Boards-in-Common.

The meeting will start at 9am and will be held in the Boardroom at Hull Royal Infirmary. This is a formal meeting with a set agenda.

Members of the public are welcome. Please email sarahmeggitt@nhs.net before noon on Wednesday 9 October if you wish to attend.

A sustainability project designed to upskill community groups and create new homes for nature is taking flight.

NHS Humber Health Partnership, which runs hospitals including Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, has teamed up with two community groups to turn leftover wooden pallets into bird boxes, bat boxes and homes for hedgehogs.

Members of Worklink in Cottingham and friends of east Hull’s Alderman Kneeshaw Park have both been creating new from old, with a focus on teaching practical skills such as woodwork and design, and improving the local area.

Amy Lockyer, Commissioning and Support Services Manager for NHS Humber Health Partnership explains:

“Our hospitals receive scores of deliveries every day, and many of those arrive on wooden pallets due to their size or weight.

“Most of the time, the goods are left on the pallets, then it’s left to us to dispose of them and pick up the associated costs.

“The construction of the £39m Day Surgery Centre on the Castle Hill site led to some green space and wooded areas being cleared, so we needed to ensure a proportion of that was re-provided for ecological purposes. The bird boxes, bat boxes and hedgehog houses are designed to encourage birds and animals back to the site that might previously been displaced due to construction, and later in the year we’ll be planting saplings around the site to grow additional tree cover for them.

“Sustainability has been a key consideration throughout the Day Surgery Centre* development, and so it made perfect sense to create the new animal shelters out of materials which would otherwise be treated as waste, and provide benefits and training opportunities for local people too.”

One of the groups which has taken on the challenge of creating new homes for four-legged friends is Worklink Cottingham. The group provides work-based employment support and training for adults with learning disabilities and Autism, including practical skills development, CV writing and interview skills.

Abby Gibbon, Senior Employment Officer for Worklink Cottingham, says:

“As a key part of the local community in Cottingham, we’re committed to supporting and promoting the successes of both our organisation and others within our community.

“After discussing the project with our staff, we recognised the importance of giving back and decided to contribute by supporting this NHS project. This initiative offers our service users an exciting opportunity to engage in a new project, allowing them to develop and refine their skills.

“Our service users always embrace new challenges, and with leadership from Graham, one of our dedicated Employment Support Trainers, they are really enthusiastic about learning how to create these new wooden items. This type of activity not only enriches their vocational profiles, part of our in-house course aimed at enhancing practical skills, but also allows them to excel in intricate tasks like painting and sanding.”

Also giving back to the community and honing their skills at the same time are the Friends of Alderman Kneeshaw Park, based in east Hull. Since their first delivery of hospital pallets back in June, adults and children – including three pupils from Aspire Academy – have been working together to design, craft and paint a selection of bird boxes and bat boxes which will shortly be installed around the Castle Hill site. The

Debbie Morrell, Project Lead, says:

“This project is all about empowering the community to take action to protect nature. We wanted to get people involved in the practical side of it, so this is where the woodwork came in.

“They’ve been able to build planters and bat/bird boxes, and my husband pre-cuts the wood to size, so it’s really accessible for the children.

“Our ethos is ‘Preserving the past, preparing the future’, so this brings all of that together. It’s been great being involved in this, as it fits in what we’re trying to achieve as a group.”

Alex Best, Deputy Director for Capital Development at NHS Humber Health Partnership says:

“We are always keen to work with our local community and this collaboration with Worklink and friends of east Hull’s Alderman Kneeshaw Park has been a great example of this.

“Reusing what would otherwise be waste materials and saving the costs of disposal have been two additional benefits of this partnership alongside the benefits for participants and for nature.

“Moving forward we hope to continue these partnerships for forthcoming projects to further enhance our commitment to sustainability and upskilling the local workforce.”

Together, the two groups have recycled wooden pallets from the hospital to create an impressive collection of more than 20 bird boxes, bat boxes and hedgehog houses.

Did you know that if you come into our hospitals for care and you’d like to quit smoking, we have dedicated teams to help you do it? Working with both acute patients and parents-to-be accessing maternity care, our Tobacco Dependency teams across NHS Humber Health Partnership are on hand to support you on the journey to becoming smoke free. Already, the teams have helped more than 7,300 patients across northern Lincolnshire, Hull and the East Riding to stop smoking. We know that it’s easy to slip back into old habits so once you’ve taken those first – and let’s face it, hardest – steps, and we don’t want all that hard work to go to waste, so we have now launched a new initiative to help you stay on track. Pamela Parkinson, one of our Tobacco Dependency Clinical Leads, said: “When you leave our care, we want to help to give you the best possible chance of making this a sustainable change, as we know it can be difficult once you’re home and back into your old routine. “That’s why we have worked with our Pharmacy teams to come up with Discharge Cards, which will be given to you along with your medication, which has details of local support available if you feel like you’re tempted to go back to smoking. “These will be given to anyone who’s been on NRT (Nicotine Replacement Treatment) or has engaged with our teams to try and stop smoking.” As part of Stoptober, we’re also running and supporting events at our sites and across our communities, to help spread the word about the benefits of being smoke free. These include:

• The Healthy Lifestyles team will be at the Ironstone Centre today (Wednesday, 2 October) from 11.30am to 2pm, offering free carbon monoxide testing and advice. They’ll also be back at the centre again from 10am to 12pm on Thursday, 10 October.
• Hull Addiction Service will be manning stands in both the Nourish and Nightingales restaurants at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital until the second week of October, where you can discuss the support available for substance misuse, including smoking.
• The Healthy Lifestyles team will be offering free Carbon Monoxide readings and advice on all things quitting smoking at Brigg Farmers’ Market from 10am to 2pm on Thursday, 3 October and 9am to 12pm on both Thursday 17 October and Thursday 24 October.
• The Healthy Lifestyles team will also be offering free carbon monoxide readings and advice at Ashby High Street Market. They’ll be there from 9am to 12pm on Thursday 3 October, Thursday 10 October and Thursday 17 October.
• Friday, 18 October – Smoke Free Hull will be available to speak to in the lobby at Hull Royal Infirmary from 9am to 1pm.
• Wednesday, 23 October – Smoke Free Hull will be available to speak to in Nightingales Restaurant, Castle Hill, from 9am to 1pm.

There are also Stop Smoking walk-in services available across North East Lincolnshire, which take place every week.

• The Fusion Centre, Ladysmith Road, Grimsby – Tuesdays from 4pm to 8pm
• The Roxton Practice, Pilgrim Primary Care Centre, Pelham Road, Immingham – Tuesdays 3pm to 6.30pm
• Stirling Medical Centre, Stirling Street, Grimsby – Tuesdays 10am to 1pm
• Freshney Green Medical Centre, Sorrel Road, Grimsby – Wednesdays from 1.30pm to 6pm
• Freeman Street Market, Freeman Street, Grimsby – Fridays from 9am to 3pm.

Families who have lost a baby are being invited to join in one of three special, regional remembrance events next month.

To mark Baby Loss Awareness Week (9-15 October), members of NHS Humber Health Partnership’s Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team have been working with SANDS, the Still Birth and Neonatal Death charity, and midwifery staff across the region’s hospitals to arrange a series of special services.

Anyone who has been touched by the loss of a baby, at any stage of life, is welcome to attend, as Rev. Harry Smart explains:

“For the majority of people, the arrival of a baby is a time of great joy and celebration, but sadly this is not always the case. The loss of a baby at any stage; before, during or after birth; can be devastating, not just for the immediate parents but for wider family and friends around them too.

“As baby loss is something our chaplains, our charity partners and our specialist midwifery teams support people with on a regular basis, we wanted to invite people to join us in a special service to remember their little ones and to find comfort and strength among those who have shared a similar experience.”

A total of three services will be held across both banks of the Humber; two in Hull and one in Scunthorpe. Each service will give families the opportunity for reflection and to give thanks.

Families will also be invited to light a candle and have their baby’s name read out during the service of remembrance.

Joanne Milns, from the Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team working across Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital says:

“No one can truly understand the grief caused by the loss of a child until they have lived that experience. It’s something that most people will carry with them for the rest of their lives, but many don’t feel able to talk about it or truly express how they feel.

“Our remembrance services will give local families and their loved ones the chance to grieve, to reflect and to remember in a safe and supportive space; everyone is welcome.

“We want families to know there is support and understanding out there; each one of those babies was precious, and they will never be forgotten in our hearts.”

Services will be held on both banks of the Humber as follows:

• HULL – Sunday 6 October

Horncastle Building, Hull College, Wilberforce Drive HU1 3DG.

Two separate services will be held at 1pm and 3pm.

Please book in advance by calling the bereavement team on 07990 800223.

Families will be a given a heart at the service upon which to write their baby’s name and it will be read out during the service.

 

• SCUNTHORPE – Sunday 13 October

St Lawrence’s Church, Church Lane, Scunthorpe DN15 7AB.

The service will begin at 4pm.

No booking necessary.

Families will be a given a heart at the service upon which to write their baby’s name and it will be read out during the service.

If you are unable to attend but would still like to have your baby’s name included in one of the service of remembrance roll-calls, please email

• Hull events: email Joanne.Milns@nhs.net
• Scunthorpe event: email Scunthorpe@sands.org.uk

 

 

Our specialist women’s health physiotherapy services are providing a vital lifeline for women previously too scared and embarrassed to leave their home.

Here at NHS Humber Health Partnership, which operates Scunthorpe General Hospital, Grimsby’s Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Goole and District Hospital, Hull Royal Infirmary, Castle Hill Hospital and community services across northern Lincolnshire, our dedicated and highly skilled team of specialist pelvic health physiotherapy team provide the very best care for women with pelvic health problems.

The team are working with hundreds of women suffering with pelvic floor dysfunction which can leave them with urinary and faecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain and more.

As part of the new national perinatal pelvic health strategy (PPHS), we have recruited extra physiotherapists to help with the workload across our hospitals with further recruitment underway to support an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist. The aim of the PPHS is to provide focus on prevention, identification, and timely treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction during pregnancy and for at least 12 months after birth.

Helena Trought, who works at Scunthorpe and Grimsby hospitals, said: “This service makes such a difference to women and their quality of life. Women tell me it has given them a newfound confidence; they are able to leave the house without worrying about having an accident. One woman told me she could now go on holiday, wear a bikini, and get in the pool with her kids without the fear of embarrassing continence issues.”

Pelvic floor dysfunction is when the muscles or surrounding tissue are not working as they should do which can lead to faecal and urinary leakages when coughing, sneezing, laughing, running, or just standing up. It can also result in pelvic organ prolapse sexual dysfunction and more.

Physiotherapy helps retrain and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and can improve or prevent the symptoms.

Helena said: “It is often perceived as an older person’s issue. However, the majority of women I see are young women and women who have suffered an injury during childbirth, which is when they are most vulnerable. I am also seeing teenagers who are experiencing problems.

“The main thing is for women to seek help and not sit in silence at home too scared to go out, too embarrassed to speak up and seek help from their care provider. I want to empower women to feel confident in their own bodies throughout their lifespan. I want women to be able to live their lives to the full and not be blighted by something which can be treated. They don’t have to live in isolation, or in pain both of which can impact on their mental health.”

Cleethorpes mum of one Laura gave birth to her daughter at Grimsby hospital last October during which she suffered a third-degree tear. She said: “My midwife was absolutely amazing, and I am still in touch with her today. She explained everything to me before I went to theatre for the tear to be repaired.

“I was slightly concerned about any lasting damage as I am a physically active person and exercise regularly, so I didn’t want to experience any incontinence or prolapses now or in the future. At my six-week check post birth my consultant referred me to Helena.

“She gave me pelvic floor exercises which I had to do in my own time, and I met regularly with her for treatment. She always updated me on my progress and being the competitive person I am I always wanted to keep improving. She kept reiterating how the exercises needed to become part of my everyday life moving forward.”

During her treatment, Laura did a range of pelvic floor exercises with the aim of strengthening the muscles. This is because the tear had affected her muscles and the way they contracted. At the start of her treatment there was minor strength on one side, and none on the other. Today, her pelvic floor muscles are back to normal and working as they should.

Laura added: “Helena took the time to get to know me, as well as my daughter as she was often with me at my appointments. She was a significant part of my recovery and I have to thank her for re-building my pelvic floor. She was so kind and considerate. At the end of my treatment, I felt some sadness as Helena had become part of my mothering life. I’ll forever be thankful to her. If any new mums out there get offered a women’s health physio, take it!. They’re superheroes.”

Nicole Haslam, another one of our specialist pelvic health physiotherapists who works in Hull, said: “I am privileged to work in this speciality and have spent many years developing my skills to best treat these ladies. Women’s health has for so long been a poor relation part of healthcare and I am passionate about spreading the word and helping women of all ages. Seeing the anxiety and worry visibly melt away as women are given the opportunity to explain their problems and really feel heard. The relief on their faces when they realise that someone actually hears what they are saying and understands their problems is probably the most satisfying aspect of my role.”

The service, which is provided at Grimsby, Scunthorpe, and Hull currently sees on average 130 women per week. Women can be referred in a number of ways including from urogynaecology, obstetrics, midwifery, nurse practitioners, other allied health professionals and by GPs. If you think the service could help you, then speak to your healthcare provider and ask for a referral.

The team works to help women with some of the most embarrassing and not talked about topics in health. They want to be able to help women live healthier lives, for longer.