Hull’s BaBi research project is over a quarter of the way to its annual recruitment target within just 4 weeks

Families in Hull are committing to make the city a happier, healthier place by taking part in a new study.

Sarah Collins (left) and Eloise Taylor from the BaBi Hull and East Yorkshire study team

Over 100 families have already signed up to take part in the Born and Bred in (BaBi) Hull and East Yorkshire project, which will use data held about local people to shape health services or highlight societal changes which could improve long-term health outcomes.

The Hull-based research team originally set out to recruit 400 families in the first 12 months, but are thrilled to be more than a quarter of the way to their target already, just four weeks after the project launched on 6 February.

Sarah Collins, Research Midwife for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:

“The response to the study in the first few weeks has been amazing, really surpassing our expectations. The high level of interest also shows that people really do care about the things that happen around them and how they could be impacting on their own family’s health.

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 families 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.

“We all want the best for our families, so taking part in the BaBi study is one way in which local people can help to influence that, not just for themselves but for our wider community too, “ Sarah continues.

“Taking part isn’t over timely consuming and doesn’t require regular involvement with the study team, but what it does have is the potential to help us improve the health and wellbeing of thousands of families, both  now and for generations to come.”

Would you like to join the study? All pregnant women and birthing people booked for care with Hull Women & Children’s Hospital will be invited to take part in the study as a matter of course, but more information is also available on our website:  https://www.hull.nhs.uk/maternity/babi/ or by emailing hyp-tr.research.midwife@nhs.net

Health professionals are praising Withernsea residents for their support following disruption to breast screening services in the town.

Late last year, Humberside Breast Screening Service’s mobile unit was subject to vandalism and cable theft while stationed in Withernsea. To ensure patients were able to be screened on time and to minimise further disruption to the service, staff set about contacting hundreds of people to invite them for screening at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham instead.

The team reports that this latest round of screening is now complete, and staff are pleased to see a positive uptake from local people, as Lesley Peacock, Breast Screening Service Manager explains:

“Being able to offer screening opportunities within local communities is really important to us, but the repeated vandalism and cable theft before Christmas left us with no alternative but to invite people to Castle Hill Hospital instead.

“We did have reservations as to whether the extra travel to Cottingham may impact or deter people from attending, but we’re pleased to say that this wasn’t the case, and in fact, we’ve seen an increase in breast screening uptake among local people compared to this time three years ago, when the unit last came to Withernsea.”

Figures show a rise of almost 5%, with 78.8% of all those invited from the Withernsea area attending breast screening in the last few months, compared to 74% in 2020/21. Staff from the screening service have also noted a rise in the number of people attending first invitations, and more people attending screening who had previously declined.

Karen Hallberg, Superintendent Radiographer says:

“We’d really like to thank everyone who has been able to make the journey over to Castle Hill Hospital to take up their screening invitations over the last few months. Breast screening enables us to spot potentially serious changes at an early stage, so it’s really encouraging to see that the unfortunate circumstances in which we found ourselves last year didn’t deter people from travelling and getting themselves checked out. We’re really keen to see this positive trend continue next time we visit Withernsea.”

The mobile breast screening unit moves between different towns on a three-yearly screening cycle, with the next visit to Withernsea due to take place in 2027. A full security review will be conducted beforehand to provide people with greater assurance around ongoing local access and to minimise the risk of further disruption.

More information on breast screening can be found at www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-screening-mammogram/

It is all joy for hospital porters at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital as they’ve been awarded Portering Team of the year at the National MyPorter Awards held in London.

The hospitals are part of a Group of hospitals including Goole, Grimsby and Scunthorpe, employing 17,000 staff and caring for over 1,000,000 patients every year. Getting people and resources to their destination in an organisation of that size is no mean task, but this 120-strong team handles this responsibility effortlessly.

Graham Taylor, Interim Portering, Postal and Switchboard Manager, says:

“Being recognised nationally as ‘Portering Team of the Year’ is outstanding and I am immensely proud to represent this team. Their responsibilities and duties go far beyond simply pushing a stretcher or moving a bed.

“They are expert communicators, constantly keeping patients and their families informed and reassured during difficult and often uncertain times. Their dedication and compassionate attitude towards their work make them invaluable members of our organisation.”

One of the key achievements upon which the team’s award nomination was based this year is the ‘Ready to Go’ model, which is designed to make the process of discharging a patient from hospital or to another ward or unit more efficient. When booking a job, ward staff are asked to consider the MINTED* model and ensure all essential stages of preparation such as medication and transport have been arranged before the porter attends.

But that’s not all. The team is also contributing to the Group’s carbon reduction efforts through the management of nitrous oxide. Now responsible for the management, distribution and replacement of this potentially harmful gas and in the majority of hospital locations, the team collects data and employs practices which are designed to minimise the harm causes by medical gases and reduce waste which could damage the environment.

Over 300 nominations were received for the MyPorter awards this year from hospital trusts across the country. The recognition is a testament to the team’s excellent work.

Graham continues:

“This team truly is phenomenal, and it fills me with pride to witness their unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of patients and their families every day.

“The team may not always receive the recognition that they truly deserve, but their contributions are immeasurable. They are the unsung heroes who quietly and efficiently keep the hospital running and deserve to be celebrated for their hard work and dedication.”

* Preparations staff undertake as part of ‘MINTED’.  

M = Medication ready?
 I = Patient Informed?
N = Notes packed?
T = Transport correct?
E = Escort available?
D = Dignity check completed?

Junior doctors across the Humber region will begin their tenth round of industrial action shortly as part of their long-running pay dispute with the Government.

Members of the BMA will take industrial action in the form of a full walkout from 7am on Saturday 24 February through to 11.59pm on Wednesday 28 February. This will be mirrored by members of the HCSA union, but their action will be slightly longer, ending on the Thursday at 6.59am.

Staff at Castle Hill, Hull, Grimsby, Goole and Scunthorpe hospitals have put plans in place to prepare for the strike, which does mean some patients will have their appointments/procedures postponed. Staff will be contacting affected patients. Anyone with an appointment/procedure scheduled for between 24 and 29 February should attend the hospital as planned if you haven’t heard from our team

Dr Kate Wood, Group Chief Medical Officer for Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:

“We appreciate that there will be some patients who are seeing their appointments with us postponed, perhaps not for the first time. We know just how frustrating this is and we’d like to extend our apologies to anyone affected. Stepping down some routine care is regrettable but necessary as it allows us to focus on the most seriously ill/injured of our patients, allowing us to keep urgent, emergency care and cancer care services running.

“This is the tenth junior doctors strike that we’ve seen so our staff are well rehearsed at putting plans in place to prepare, however we know that five/six days of industrial action will place further pressure on our already busy services.  As with previous strikes we’d really appreciate the support of our local communities.

“GP surgeries and pharmacies are not affected by the strike and will remain open. NHS 111 staff are on hand to offer advice if you’re unwell and unsure where to turn. If you do need to come into one of our emergency departments please be mindful that we have fewer doctors on shift so be prepared to wait to be seen and please respect our staff who are in work who are doing their best to see and treat people as quickly as possible.”

Patients can also help themselves and others by:

• Ordering repeat prescriptions in plenty of time so they don’t run out of medication or other essential items
• Avoiding hospital if suffering Norovirus-type symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting, or with cold or flu-like symptoms
• Keeping a well-stocked medicine cabinet at home including painkillers, indigestion remedies and diarrhoea tablets
• Using the NHS Emergency Prescription Service if a regular medication runs out completely
• Taking up the offer of Covid and flu vaccinations where eligible; and
• Familiarising themselves with nearby NHS services which can offer help both in and out-of-hours; these include all Walk-In and Urgent Treatment Centres and a number of local pharmacies. NHS111 remains available 24hrs/day, 365 day a year for medical advice and signposting, online or over the phone.

Full details of alternative local healthcare services can be found at www.letsgetbetter.co.uk

It was a trip down Memory Lane for a very special visitor to Hull Royal Infirmary today.

Professor Bola Owolabi, a practising GP and NHS England’s National Director for Health Inequalities, made a welcome return to the hospital where she worked as a junior house officer years ago.

But recalling her days on the gastro ward weren’t the main reason for her return to Hull; she had come to visit the Homeless Health Team which works within HRI and to learn about their work to support safe discharge for this patient group.

Bola (left) chats to Anna from the Homeless Health Service

The visit had been organised in partnership with the homeless charity, Pathway, and Modality Partnership, which is commissioned to provide the Homeless Health Service.

At the start of her visit, Bola was very clear about wanting to make a difference:

“I’m really keen that our work at NHS England reaches our communities at the margins. I’m very mindful that health inequalities don’t happen in our plush offices in London, which is why it’s vital that we put boots on the ground. I spend a lot of my time visiting different places because I’m really keen to see how the policy papers we write translate on the ground and whether they are making a difference to the organisations and the people they’re intended to help.”

The Homeless Health Service started in October 2019. The team holds an honorary contract with the Trust and is based within the Craven Building alongside partners from Re:New drug and alcohol service.

Bola spent the first part of her visit getting to know the team, asking about their challenges and the benefits of having a service like this embedded within an acute setting. She heard how it’s not without its difficulties, and how the pressure to discharge patients and free up beds don’t always work in the interests of patients whose ongoing needs are more complex. However, the team also explained that it provided some great opportunities to offer truly holistic care and to share knowledge with clinical colleagues on matters such as substance or alcohol misuse, and associated behaviours, which aren’t always their area of expertise. The team also explained how their role saw them acting as hospital gatekeepers at times, promoting the use of community detox where appropriate and encouraging homeless people to engage with primary care services to try and help avoid hospital admissions.

Bola said she learned a lot from colleagues today

Bola urged the team to consider how they show they are adding value, not just morally because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes sense from a service and commissioning perspective. She was keen that the Homeless Health Team’s partners and commissioners hear about the team’s successes not just on an individual patient level, but to show how their interventions, and doing the right thing first time, can help to save time, resources and many repeat attendances further down the line.

Accompanied by Anna and Michelle from the Homeless Health Team, Bola then moved over to the tower block, where she was introduced to two patients with no fixed address who are currently being cared for on wards. She spent time chatting with them about their barriers to good health and wellbeing, but she was also keen to look for the positives, seeking to understand what is working for those patients now and what they want to happen when they finally leave hospital.

Concluding her visit at Hull Royal Infirmary, Bola said:

“This has really been a career fulfilling visit, and visits like today’s are so important in helping us to understand how our national policy translates into practice,  the rhetoric into reality; what does it really mean for the people we care for?

“Having started out in Hull as a junior house officer on the wards many years ago, to now returning in a different capacity, I have really learned so much from the team and the patients and I hope to be able to make a difference with this knowledge going forward. It was really wonderful to be back.”

After a lunch with members of the wider team and primary care colleagues, Bola thanked the team for making her visit ‘real’. She then spent the afternoon in Hull City Centre at ‘The Hub’ where she was able to speak with more agencies supporting the city’s homeless and rough sleepers.

Queues out of the door and over 200 online applications in the space of four days; nursing apprenticeships in Hull really are the hottest ticket in town right now!

Across the course of a two-hour event last week, more than 150 people attended the nurse apprenticeship open evening held at Castle Hill Hospital.

From school leaver enquiries through to existing staff looking at further study, the team – which included representatives from the University of Hull, Hull College, North Lindsey College and Hull Training and Adult Education as well as Hull Hospitals – was ‘overwhelmed’ by the volume of interest they received.

Anne Burdis, Widening Participation Manager for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:

“We have seen a growing appetite for health service apprenticeships in recent months and years, so we thought last week’s event would be a good one but we didn’t expect anything like the level of response we received on the day! At one point, people were queuing out of the doors and into the hospital grounds to be able to speak with us about apprenticeship opportunities.

“In total, we had more than 150 people visit us in the space of just two hours, and that was to talk about everything from entry level qualifications to progression in current roles and the types of nursing which people can choose to specialise in.

“We’d really like to thank people for their interest, their patience and their support; we were really blown away by just how popular the session was.”

Since opening for applications last Monday 5 February, more than 500 applications have been received for the Trust’s nursing apprenticeship vacancies overall, which include apprentice healthcare support worker, apprentice healthcare assistant, trainee nursing associate, and degree-level nurse apprentice.

People interested in nursing apprenticeships with Hull Hospitals can continue to apply via the Join Hull Hospitals website until the closing date of 22 February 2024.

Lucy Vere, Group Director of Learning and Organisational Development, says:

“Nursing apprenticeships offer a great alternative way into the profession, especially for people who have the right personal qualities and the caring approach needed to become a nurse, but who maybe just aren’t suited to traditional, university-type study.

“To shore up our services for years to come, we know we need to recruit more nurses, so apprenticeships are also a great way for us to offer employment opportunities to local people and to grow our own workforce for the future. The level of interest we saw in nursing apprenticeships last week just goes to show that there is a real appetite for this type of study and indeed, in nursing careers more generally, which is really encouraging not just for our hospitals but for our community as a whole.”

People who have recently used maternity services in our region have praised staff for the way they were treated and communicated with, a national survey has shown.

The National Maternity Survey was completed by those who were cared for at Hull, Scunthorpe and Grimsby hospitals, as well as in the local community.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG) scored highly in the following areas during labour and birth:

• 96% said they were treated with kindness and compassion
• 95% said they had confidence and trust in staff
• 92% felt midwifes or the doctor were aware of their medical history.

There were also improvements around labour, compared to the 2022 survey:

• 72% said they were given information/advice on the risks of induced labour
• 83% said they were involved enough in the decision to be induced
• 88% said their partner/companion was involved during labour and birth.

The NLaG team was also praised for their communication, with respondents to the survey saying they were:

• Asked about mental health by midwives (antenatal)
• Provided with relevant information about feeding their baby
• Able to ask questions afterwards about labour and birth
• Told who to contact for advice about mental health after having baby
• Received support or advice about feeding their baby during evenings, nights or weekends.

Nicky Foster, Associate Chief Nurse for Midwifery at NLaG, said: “I was really pleased that again we’re scoring high in our communication elements. How you are listened to and how we deliver information in an understandable way is really important. I want to say a big thank you to everyone for all the hard work they’ve put in and the improvements we’ve made.

“We have co-produced this survey with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) and will be looking at actions to take going forward.”

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH) showed improvements during antenatal check-ups, with respondents saying they were:

• Given enough time to ask questions/discuss about their pregnancy
• Midwives listened to them
• They were given support for mental health during pregnancy
• Had confidence in and trust in staff
• Treated with respect and dignity.

Responders also felt there were improvements during labour and birth, highlighting:

• They felt their partner or someone close to them was involved as much as they wanted, and could stay as long as you wanted
• That they were spoken to in a way they understood
• That decisions about how you want to feed your baby were respected by midwives.

HUTH was also praised in the following areas, with people saying:

• They were given support and advice during evening, nights and at weekends about feeding
• The hospital room or ward they stayed in was clean
• Healthcare professionals did everything they could to help manage pain in hospital after birth
• They were given enough support for mental health during their pregnancy.

Rukeya Miah, Head of Midwifery at HUTH, said: “It’s great to see we’re making improvements in our maternity services, and some of this is reflected in the 2023 survey. I am pleased we’ve been praised for our communication and the way people are treated. We want to continue on this improvement journey and this will help us do so.”

Today (Friday 9 February), the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published the results of the 2023 survey of women’s experiences of maternity care in England. The survey received responses from more than 25,000 people in England. NLaG and HUTH were two of the 121 NHS trusts that took part.

They’re a vital cog that keep our local hospital wheels turning.

At the most fundamental level, the army of hospital porters working across Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital get people and things where they need to be.

That’s no mean feat on its own in an organisation that welcomes almost 3,000 patients every day. But the 120-strong portering crew do so much more, and it’s because of this that the East Yorkshire team finds itself shortlisted again for a national award for the second consecutive year.

From tackling fires and responding to cardiac arrests to playing key roles in patient discharge and cutting use of harmful gases, this team has seen and done almost everything; a fact which has earned them a place on the list of finalists for the national MyPorter ‘Team of the Year’ award 2024.

Porters at Hull Royal Infirmary

Not only this, but Mark Goodfellow, a porter for just 12 months based at Castle Hill Hospital has also been shortlisted in the category, ‘Newcomer of the Year’.

Over 300 nominations were received into the MyPorter awards this year from hospital trusts across the country.

Graham Taylor, Interim Portering, Postal and Switchboard Manager for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“I’m so proud to manage a team whose skills are so diverse and who play such an important role in the running of the hospitals for everyone; staff, patients and visitors alike.

“It’s not often people stop to think about what the role of a porter actually entails, and even when they do, they often just think of someone pushing a patient in a bed or a wheelchair from place to place. But it’s the portering team who make sure fresh bed linen’s available for patients, they get food into our restaurants and cafes, they get samples to the labs for testing and they make sure staff have their medical supplies.

“They’re often first on scene when there’s a fire call or cardiac arrest, and they were called on 113 times last year to help transfer patients arriving by helicopter into hospital for trauma or emergency care. And of course, they play an absolutely vital role in reassuring our patients, putting them at ease or taking their minds off things, which can be priceless at a time when people are at their most anxious or vulnerable.”

One of the key achievements upon which the team’s award nomination was based this year is the ‘Ready to Go’ model, which is designed to make the process of discharging a patient from hospital or to another ward or unit more efficient. When booking a job, ward staff are asked to consider the MINTED* model and ensure all essential stages of preparation such as medication and transport have been arranged before the porter attends.

“This has been hugely successful, not only in terms of patient experience and getting patients where they need to be more quickly, but it’s also shaved an average of three minutes off every patient transfer job the porters complete,” Graham continues. “That means we as a team then have time back to help more people and complete more tasks, without the need for additional staff.”

Mark Goodfellow, nominated for ‘Newcomer of the Year’

The team is also contributing to the Trust’s carbon reduction efforts through the management of nitrous oxide. Now responsible for the management, distribution and replacement of this potentially harmful gas and in the majority of Trust locations, the team collects data and employs practices which are designed to minimise the harm causes by medical gases and reduce waste which could damage the environment.

Alongside the team nomination sits Mark Goodfellow, formerly a self-employed timber tradesman who worked on both the Olympic and Commonwealth games stadiums. Mark joined the team at Castle Hill Hospital as a porter in January 2023, and is now vying to be named ‘Newcomer of the Year’.

Graham says:

“Mark epitomises everything you’d look for in a great porter. Ever since he joined our Trust, he’s displayed a refreshing appetite to achieve and a keen desire to learn, putting himself forward for new roles and quickly stepping up to cover areas with staffing shortfalls.

“He’s such a positive person, he’s already earned our directorate ‘Employee of the Month’ award, which is almost unheard of for a new team member, and he regularly receives compliments and thank yous from the staff, patients and families he comes into contact with.

“I wish him and the team the very best of luck at the awards this month; they really deserve the wins.”

Winners will be announced at the national MyPorter awards ceremony which takes place in central London on Wednesday 21^st February.

* Preparations staff undertake as part of ‘MINTED’.

M = Medication ready?
 I = Patient Informed?
N = Notes packed?
T = Transport correct?
E = Escort available?
D = Dignity check completed?

Missing nativity scene is found and returned to hospital staff

A 49-year-old nativity scene taken from the Haven at Hull Royal Infirmary before Christmas has been returned.

The 16-piece nativity scene, a one-off set made entirely from clay, was purchased by Senior Site Chaplain, Allison Cline-Dean more than 49 years ago when she lived in Canada.

Senior Site Chaplain, Allison Cline-Dean, is delighted to have had her nativity scene returned

The nativity scene was put on display in the Haven at Hull Royal Infirmary for visitors to enjoy, but disappeared on the final weekend before Christmas. Chaplaincy staff believed it to have been mistaken for a donation and taken in error.

But despite a social media appeal before Christmas for its safe return, shared over 700 times on the hospital’s facebook page alone, there was no news, until earlier today when a gentleman walked into the hospital reception with a very special delivery.

Caryl Allen works in the patient administration team at Hull Royal Infirmary’s main reception. She says:

“I was covering reception and a gentleman came to the window with a bag in his hand, and told me he had something that he thought belonged to us. I wondered what it could be, it could have been anything, so I asked him to step to the side of reception and discreetly tell me what it was.

“When he told me it was the nativity, I was shocked, and I said, I know someone who’s going to be ever so pleased!”

The gentleman told how he was helping his daughter who had recently moved house, and while clearing up at the back of the west Hull property, came across the box in a pile of rubbish. She opened the box, and showed her dad and her friend the contents, and her friend immediately recognised it from the Trust’s social media appeal.

“I think it’s disgusting that anyone could have taken it”, said the gentleman, “so I offered to return it to the hospital. I’m just pleased that they’ve got it back.”

Caryl accompanied the gentleman, who has asked to remain unnamed, up to the Haven so he could return the nativity scene to the Chaplains in person. Sadly, Allison wasn’t there, so he simply left the bag, containing all 16 pieces, undamaged and still in the original box, with Caryl to pass on.

“I called Allison and asked if she was on site, and she said yes. As soon as I said I had something for her, I could tell in her voice that she knew what I meant, we were both overwhelmed.”

Within minutes, Allison had hot-footed it over to the hospital reception to collect her nativity scene.

“I’d been praying every day since it went missing for its safe return,” she says. “I’d just gotten to the point where I thought I wasn’t getting it back, so I’d said a prayer for whoever did have it now, that it brought them as much joy as it brought me over the years. And then I got the call from Caryl and I was elated.

“Every single piece is here, in the original box, with no damage at all, just as I’d last seen them. I’m so grateful to the gentleman and his family who found and returned it. My prayers have been answered, it’s truly wonderful.”