Changes are being made to the leadership of the two hospital Trusts providing services on the north and south banks of the River Humber.

In November last year the boards at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust agreed to progress towards implementing a group leadership model which will see a joint executive team, led by a joint Chief Executive, oversee the management of the two organisations. Recruitment to this post is well underway and we expect to make an announcement regarding that appointment shortly.

At Hull University Teaching Hospitals (HUTH) NHS Trust Chief Executive Chris Long has informed the board and the Trust that he is not applying for the post of group Chief Executive and will retire from the Trust and the NHS at some point later this year.

And at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole (NLaG) NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive Peter Reading has announced he will be leaving at the end of this month to take up an Interim Chief Executive role at another NHS organisation.

Sean Lyons, Chair at both HUTH and NLaG, said: “Chris Long has been the CEO of the Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust for almost nine years, providing clear leadership and guidance through some of the most challenging times that the NHS has seen and he has done this in a manner that has demonstrated his passion for patient care and his dedication to supporting staff.

“Chris has always demonstrated dignity and composure , and has been a great example of living the values of the Trust. It has been a pleasure to have worked alongside him in my time as chairman. He has been instrumental in helping us to progress our work towards developing a group leadership model for HUTH and NL&G and I respect and understand his decision to retire at this time. On behalf of the trust and the board I would like to thank Chris for his service, and send him the very best wishes for his retirement.

“I also want to thank Peter Reading for leading NLaG through the last five and a half years and getting the Trust to where we are today. It wasn’t an easy task. The Trust was in a tough place when he joined in 2017 and he took on the task with real commitment and energy. Since he joined we have seen huge progress in so many areas. Peter deserves huge credit for this and I want to wish him all the very best for the future.

“We are continuing with our plans to create a Group structure with Hull University Teaching Hospitals and we expect to confirm the appointment of a Group Chief Executive to lead both NLaG and HUTH in the near future.”

Chris Long said: “After much consideration I have decided I will not be standing for the Group Chief Executive position. This has not been an easy decision but I feel that at the age of almost 63 I will not be able to provide the longevity in post that leading the transition of our two Trusts into a single group will require. I will therefore retire from the Trust and the NHS at some point later this year.

“I have been working now for 44 years – 12 years in the Army followed by 32 years in the NHS. Of all the jobs I have done, Chief Executive of HUTH has undoubtedly been the greatest privilege. The complexity of our hospitals and the professionalism, both clinical and non-clinical, needed to run them and our services still amazes me. The staff at HUTH do the most remarkable work every day and demonstrate a level of skill, teamwork, care and compassion which is humbling. In particular, their response to Covid was exemplary and they should feel proud of what they did during those challenging, uncertain and frightening times. I am proud to have served on their behalf.”

Peter Reading said: “Today I have let our staff know that I will not be a candidate at the Group Chief Executive interviews tomorrow as another opportunity has come up for me, and I will be leaving the Trust at the end of this month for a new role as Interim Chief Executive at another NHS organisation.

“We believe we are very close to leaving the Recovery Support Programme (what used to be called Special Measures), although there may still be one or two process issues to go through. For me, this means that most of what I was asked by NHS Improvement to come to NLaG to do back in 2017 has been done – although of course, most of the credit for that huge step forward sits with our wonderful staff who have really turned this place around. So the time is right for me to move onto my next challenge.

“Working at NLaG has been both a personal and professional pleasure. I have seen our staff achieve many amazing things in the past six years and they should be incredibly proud of that; I know I am. Their dedication to their roles, their ability to do them with humour and, when appropriate, with challenge, is as strong as any I have seen anywhere in the NHS throughout my career. I am confident this will continue under a new Chief Executive in the Group arrangements with Hull University Teaching Hospitals and I wish them, and the Group, every success.”

Ian Reekie, Lead Governor for the Council of Governors at NLaG, said: “I would like to thank Peter, on behalf of all the Governors and our wider communities, for everything he has done for the Trust. We really appreciate his huge contribution to improving both the quality of services and the buildings they are provided in since he joined us in 2017. The Trust is a different place now to what it was then and that is down to Peter, his leadership and the drive he has shown to build a really strong foundation for the next stage of improving the Trust. I would like to wish him well, on behalf of the Council of Governors, for the future as he takes on a new challenge.”

Losing a loved one is a profoundly personal experience that can significantly impact an individual’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Returning to work can be a daunting prospect for employees coping with losing a loved one.

The workplace, however, can provide a supportive environment where employees can find a sense of normalcy following bereavement. The workplace, however, can provide a supportive environment where employees can find a sense of normalcy following a bereavement.

That is why we are excited to invite you to “At a Loss for Words,” a professional development event that focuses on equipping employers with the tips and tools they need to support employees experiencing grief in the workplace.

Organised by the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, “At a Loss for Words” will equip employers with practical tips and advice on communicating with grieving employees, navigating difficult conversations, and promoting a supportive work environment.

Alex Wray, Matron, Clinical Support Health Group said, “Unfortunately, most people will experience bereavement and loss at some time. Often when someone is bereaved, the people around them do not know what to say or how they can support them. They worry about making it worse.

“Supporting employees who are bereaved is a key part of staff wellbeing and should be a priority. Our event will provide confidence and tools to empower employers to support their bereaved employees,” she added.

One of the organisers and speakers for this year’s event is Janis Hostad, a lecturer and staff development matron at the Queen’s Centre in Cottingham. She will be joined by John Creasey, Bereavement Consultant; Lucy Vere, Head of Organisational Development, and Lizzie Jordan, an award winning social entrepreneur who has experienced bereavement, will offer a personal perspective on the challenges of working life following the loss of a loved one.

This special event will take place at the MKM Stadium on June 23, 2023, from 7:30 in the morning to 1 p.m. It will provide insights and strategies for effectively supporting employees dealing with loss and creating a culture of empathy, understanding, and support.

This is a unique opportunity for employers to demonstrate a commitment to employee well-being, foster a culture of care and compassion, and provide practical support for team members during difficult times. The event is aimed at managers but would help all staff who want to better support their bereaved colleagues.

Participants in previous sessions have praised organisers with one saying “Very informative, workshops were really useful, given me good ideas to take back to the workplace.”

Another said “I have learnt so much more than I had imagined, having experienced loss personally many years ago I felt I had lost part of my sanity and was mentally damaged. I now understand that my reactions and the way I behaved were normal.”

During “At a Loss for Words”, participants will have the chance to learn from experts through presentations, discussions, and workshops. They will also receive take-away tools and resources for navigating grief in the workplace, and find out about some of the organisations offering bereavement support in this area.

Don’t miss this opportunity to develop skills and strategies for supporting your employees in dealing with loss at the workplace.

The event is free to attend. To register, contact Sandra Kelly on 01482 461260 or email Sandra.kelly12@nhs.net.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is marking World Hand Hygiene Day today, May 5, by reminding the public of the importance of handwashing in preventing the spread of infection.

This year’s theme is ‘Together. We can accelerate action to prevent infections and antimicrobial resistance in health care and build a culture of safety and quality in which hand hygiene improvement is given high priority’, emphasises the critical role of hand hygiene in reducing the spread of infections and saving lives.

Hand hygiene helps prevent and control the contraction and spread of infections, particularly in healthcare settings. Regular hand washing or sanitising can significantly reduce the risk of viruses and infections such as Covid-19 and protects patients, visitors and healthcare workers from harmful bacteria and MRSA.

Greta Johnson, Director of Infection Prevention and Control said, “At the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we recognise the importance of promoting the highest standards of infection prevention and control. On World Hand Hygiene Day, we are reminding all our staff, patients, and visitors about the importance of hand hygiene in maintaining a healthy and safe environment.”

She added, “We are committed to providing the highest quality of care to our patients, and hand hygiene is a crucial part of that commitment. By promoting good hand practices and raising awareness about the risks of poor hand hygiene, we can help prevent the spread of infections and protect the health of our community.”

Staff, patients and visitors can work together to reduce the risk of infections by washing hands regularly and or using hand sanitisers provided in all facilities across the Trust. Other measures the public can take include:

• Don’t visit the if you are ill, particularly if you have diarrhoea and vomiting or flu
• As a visitor, please don’t sit on beds as this can spread infection
• Take advice from nursing staff if wards or bays are closed due to an outbreak

The Trust is proud to be part of this initiative, and is committed to promoting hand hygiene as a key part of staff and patient safety efforts and invite everyone to join in promoting hand hygiene in their communities and workplaces.

Watch a demonstration of how to correctly and hygienically wash your hands here.

The Hull NHS Choir comprising 25 healthcare workers from Hull and East Riding will be singing at the King’s Coronation Concert on Sunday evening at Windsor Castle. The Coronation Choir is made up of 300 singers from 18 different choirs and singing groups spanning the length and breadth of the United Kingdom. One of them is our very own home-grown Hull NHS Choir.

Lucy Vere, Head of Learning and Organisational Development said, “The choir was initially a bit of a health and wellbeing experiment as we know how hard our staff work, and wanted to give them something that might help. Singing relieves stress, as well as improving your lung function and even your mental health. As healthcare workers we’re all aware of how important it is to look after yourself as well as others.”

Bonnie Gray, Digital Communications Manager added, “We’ve been going for nine years now and we’ve done some great gigs, like the NHS 70^th Birthday Celebration at York Minster, but this may top them all.”

She continued, “I put in the application form back in January but didn’t think anything would come of it. The BBC must’ve liked what they saw as we are one of 18 choirs chosen and it’s a huge honour and privilege. Never in our wildest dreams did we think we’d be singing for the King. We are beyond excited!”

The choir has been put through its paces by celebrity mentors Gareth Malone, Motsi Mabuse, Amanda Holden and Rose Ayling-Ellis. They rehearsed together for the first time as a 300-strong choir just days before the Coronation weekend, and there is a huge buzz of excitement amongst the choir members.

Lynn Foulston, a staff nurse who works on Acorn Ward at Hull Royal Infirmary, said, “I am so excited that our choir has been chosen to represent the NHS for this wonderful occasion. It is a surreal experience that I will never forget and will enjoy sharing and making memories with my choir family.”

Paula Russell, Specialist Grader in Diabetic Eye Screening at Hull Royal Infirmary also said, “As a mum, I am a number one fan of both my daughters, having cheered them on when they were younger at school sports days and plays. Now celebrating their university achievements, I will always tell them to grab every opportunity.

“I listened to my own advice and grabbed this massive, once in a lifetime opportunity and it is so lovely for me knowing that they, my husband, my family and friends are all cheering us on as we take to the biggest stage as the Coronation Choir,” she concluded.

The Coronation Choir will sing “Brighter Days” by Emeli Sandé, which was written during lockdown as a song of hope, optimism, strength and friendship; the perfect choice for such a huge project bringing together choirs from across the nation, from diverse backgrounds.

Alongside our very own Hull NHS Choir, there will be LGBTQ+ choirs, a deaf signing group, singing London cabbies, and even a farming community choir from Northern Ireland. Meet the Choirs on the BBC website.

In the same year when both the NHS and King Charles III will celebrate their 75^th birthdays, it only seemed fitting for there to be an NHS presence in the concert.

Jacki Scott, School Nurse at Anlaby Clinic, said, “What a privilege it is to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to represent both the NHS and the city of Hull (and East Riding) as part of the Coronation Choir. The NHS and the monarchy are British institutions. Hull NHS Choir spreads so much joy and happiness through their singing and I hope the nation will share in the celebration of this momentous event and talk about it for years to come. The NHS is one big family of extraordinary people who strive to be the best they can be in every situation.”

The choir was set up in November 2014 by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust colleagues Bonnie Gray and Lucy Vere.

Watch the documentary Sing for the King: The Search for the Coronation Choir on BBC One at 8.00pm on Friday 5 May.

Watch the Coronation Concert live from Windsor Castle on BBC One at 8.00pm on Sunday 7 May.

Research into rehabilitation for people who have been hospitalised with Covid-19 has shown significant learnings to help those with ongoing symptoms.

A research trial has been completed by the University of Hull, Hull York Medical School and Hull University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust to determine rehabilitation practices for those who have shown ongoing effects of Covid-19, including fatigue, dyspnoea, joint pain, chest pain and cough, amongst others.

Researchers at the University of Hull and Hull University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust conducted the first randomised, wait-list controlled trial of group-based pulmonary telerehabilitation during recovery from Covid-19. Pulmonary telerehabilitation is an exercise and education programme, which is delivered remotely, primarily used by people with lung disease who experience symptoms of breathlessness.

Forty people, who were recently discharged from the hospital, were asked to complete six weeks of online pulmonary rehabilitation, consisting of twice weekly online exercises in a group of three to five people.

The exercise sessions were curated by a strength and conditioning lecturer and delivered by a physiotherapist. They included a structured warm-up, cardio, flexibility, strength-based movements, balance work and a cool down.

Once a week, participants were invited to an education session on relevant topics including rehabilitation of Covid-19, principles of exercise, managing breathlessness, managing fatigue, return to work/social issues and nutrition.

The results of the six-week trial showed clear improvements in exercise capacity, respiratory symptoms, quality of life, fatigue and depression. These improvements were accelerated by early telerehabilitation, highlighting the need to offer this in a timely manner.

This has shown, for the first time, that group-based telerehabilitation is feasible, safe, beneficial and well-received with people recovering from Covid-19.

Dr Andrew Simpson, a Lecturer in Exercise and Respiratory Physiology at the University of Hull, said: “The novelty of this research is that we were able to deliver the pulmonary rehabilitation entirely remotely, while still maintaining the group dynamics. It was the group aspect of the programme which was important in supporting the broader perceived wellbeing gains participants spoke about such as the sense of enjoyment and reduced social isolation.

Dr Michael Crooks, consultant in respiratory medicine

“By offering this trial remotely, it means there can be a much wider net of people who can be reached and it’s more accessible. And it’s more cost-effective for everyone involved.

“It is likely these aspects contributed to the favourable outcomes noted in the measures of mental health.”

Dr Simpson and Dr Michael Crooks, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at Hull York Medical School and Honorary Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and, have been invited to the expert panel of the American Thoracic Society’s Assembly to Pulmonary Rehabilitation to discuss the research.

Dr Crooks said: “This trial is an excellent example of how, during the pandemic, we embedded robust research methodologies within the clinical pathway to help us to understand how to most effectively treat people with Covid-19. This study provides evidence of the benefits of early rehabilitation following acute Covid-19 which warrants further investigation in a larger trial. The close alignment of clinical care and research in this study is something that is transferable across other diseases and disciplines, supporting evidence-based practice going forward.”

Dr Simpson, Dr Crooks and Dr Clare Killingback, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, are also supporting the research and evaluation of the East Riding of Yorkshire’s Long-Covid Rehabilitation Programme to help provide the best possible evidence-based programme for people recovering from Covid-19.

This research has led to the publication of two manuscripts, which are available to read here:

Results from the clinical trial have been published in the European Respiratory Journal Open Research: https://openres.ersjournals.com/content/erjor/9/2/00373-2022.full.pdf

Results from the accompanying qualitative evaluation of the patient’s perspective of the rehabilitation programme have been published in Disability and Rehabilitation: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/09638288.2022.2159075?needAccess=true&role=button&

Hospital workers in Hull are on the look-out for a local business to help with an unusual experiment.

Health improvement managers are searching for a fruit and veg vendor to sell produce at the entrance to Hull Royal Infirmary.

As well as making it easier for patients, staff and visitors to buy produce and enjoy their ‘5-a-day’, it is hoped the move will reduce the number of people who smoke at the hospital entrance, and in turn, who smoke on site at all.

Amy Brocklesby, NHS Project Lead for Tobacco Dependency

Amy Brocklesby, NHS Project Lead for Tobacco Dependency at Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust explains:

“The Hull Royal Infirmary site has been officially Smokefree for several years but we have struggled to discourage smoking on the grounds. People don’t always feel comfortable or empowered to ask people not to smoke on site.

“To encourage a more natural shift in behaviours, we’re now taking the lead from a number of other hospitals across the country who have introduced fresh fruit and vegetable stalls in their hospital grounds.

“Evidence from those hospitals shows that people tend to refrain from smoking tobacco around fresh produce, so we’d love to share the opportunity to promote healthier behaviours with a local grower or retailer and help support local trade too.

“The staff who we’ve spoken to so far have been overwhelmingly positive about the idea, so we’d now like to see if it works in practice”.

Amy and her team are initially looking to run a short trial of between four and six weeks in the first instance.

The venture would supplement measures already in place across both Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital to help people to quit, such as:

• An in-house NHS tobacco dependency support team, available to help any patient admitted to hospital
• Behavioural advice and support
• Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

If you would be interested in the opportunity to sell fresh produce at HRI or know someone who would, please contact Amy Brocklesby on 07976 854904 or email a.brocklesby@nhs.net

Hospitals in East Yorkshire are updating their visiting rules to reflect a changing approach to Covid-19.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, has removed the need for ward visitors to pre-book slots in advance, and now openly encourages loved ones to attend at mealtimes.

The move reflects a changing, more relaxed approach to Covid-19 as the impact from the virus reduces and a higher number of people carry the protection of vaccination.

Wendy Page, Interim Deputy Chief Nurse

Wendy Page, Interim Deputy Chief Nurse for the Trust says: “When the Covid-19 outbreak began, visiting was stopped altogether which was clearly upsetting for patients and their loved ones, but ultimately had to be done while there was so much unknown about the virus and the threat it posed.

“Over time, we’ve gradually been able to relax visiting rules in certain areas, and now we’re returning to essentially what is business as usual. We believe the current rules now offer patients plenty of opportunity to spend time with loved ones and afford visitors more flexibility over when and how they visit.”

Key changes include:

• General ward visiting no longer needs to be pre-booked and can take place any time between 11am and 7pm
• Patients can receive multiple visits during the day from different people, as long as there are no more than two people at a patient’s bedside at any one time
• Visitors are actively encouraged to attend at mealtimes to help/encourage patients with eating and drinking

The ward sister or charge nurse still reserves the right to limit visiting where this is felt to be in a patient’s best interests or where, for example, there is an infection outbreak on a particular ward. In these instances, visiting will still be facilitated in exceptional circumstances.

Certain wards and departments still operate slightly different rules such as outpatients, neonatal, antenatal and emergency care; see www.hey.nhs.uk/visiting for full details.

Wendy adds:

“Visiting by essential care givers, such as those caring for people with dementia or learning disabilities, has been unrestricted since last year on the basis that they know their loved ones best, and are the best people to advocate for and support those patients.

“This latest rule change now feels like a very welcome and timely continuation of this, so that every patient can benefit from company as and when they need it, or help at mealtimes and encouragement to eat or drink.

“Visits from friends and family can serve as a real boost to people when they’re poorly and help them on their way to recovery, so this is a really positive step forward for them and for our hospitals in the journey towards living with Covid.”

Full details of hospital visiting rules, including any specific arrangements or exceptions which apply to individual departments, can be found at www.hey.nhs.uk/visiting

Hull’s hospitals have become among the first in the country to offer three innovative healthcare science apprenticeships in its Medical Physics team.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has secured £250,000 funding from Health Education England to be able to offer apprenticeships with degree-level training in the highly specialised fields of Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Protection and Diagnostic Imaging Services and Radiotherapy Engineering.

Three apprentices recruited to the project will join the Medical Physics teams on competitive salaries in September and will study for their three-year BSc (Hons) courses at the University of West of England (Bristol).

Now, the Medical Physics department will open their doors on Saturday, April 22, to offer a “behind the scenes” glimpse of its work to showcase how it benefits patient care at both Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital as they seek recruit local apprentices for the posts.

It gives the chance for potential future Medical Physics technicians and their families to see the Queen’s Centre facilities at Castle Hill Hospital and meet some of the trust’s Medical Physics experts to find out more about career opportunities.

Professor Andrew Beavis, Consultant Medical Physicist and Head of Medical Physics at the trust, said: “We want to encourage local people to apply for these posts so we can offer them high-quality training in an internationally recognised Medical Physics department.

“These apprenticeships give us the chance to integrate young people into our department, give them the best possible training and basically grow our own staff for the future.

“In return, the three apprentices chosen for the programme will be rewarded with exciting careers in a high-tech environment in the NHS with the opportunity to achieve fully-funded degrees and high quality training.”

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the relaunch of the trust’s apprenticeship programme and, since then, more than 900 apprentices have been recruited.

Apprenticeships are offered in more than 30 career pathways in the NHS from finance to customer service and horticulture to health care sciences. It also offers nursing apprenticeships, with the first registered nurse degree apprentices graduating last year.

The new apprenticeships with the Medical Physics team follows the success of a pilot project last year when the trust recruited two Nuclear Medicine degree apprentices and one apprentice in Radiation Physics Treatment Planning.

The trust has also recruited four degree apprentices in Radiotherapy Services, offering courses in conjunction with Sheffield Hallam University

Anne Burdis, Assistant Learning and Development Manager at the trust, said: “The Open Day on April 22 is a first for the trust and is a fantastic opportunity for people interested in following a healthcare science career to see what really happens behind the scenes.

“They’ll understand how the Medical Physics team plays a central part in patient care and treatment and how this work plays as much of a pivotal role in saving lives as frontline services.

“Prospective candidates can also bring parents, guardians or partners with them to see what the apprenticeships will entail so we demystify the roles and answer questions.”

You can read more about the work of the team here and use the online booking form if they’d like to attend the Medical Physics Open Day.

Email  hyp-tr.apprentices@nhs.net for further information.

Junior doctors are due to begin 96 hours of industrial action next week.

Members of the BMA and HCSA unions will go on strike immediately following the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, starting at 7am on Tuesday 11 April and ending at 7am on Saturday 15 April 2023.

Junior doctors are qualified doctors who have anywhere up to eight years’ experience working in hospitals. Junior doctors account for half of all doctors in the NHS, and they play a key role in the day-to-day running of hospital services and specialties.

Professor Makani Purva, chief medical officer for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“Extended holiday periods such as Easter, when there is a four day weekend, are always busy for our hospitals as many routine services are closed. This can make it more difficult for the public to access non-urgent healthcare, but it can also make it more difficult for us to discharge patients from hospital who are medically ready to leave.

“The impact of the extended Bank Holiday, followed by a four day period without input from many of our junior doctor colleagues, will make the situation even more pressured.

“During the junior doctor strike from 13^th to 15^th March, we saw more than three quarters of our junior doctors who were due to work – that’s several hundred staff – take part in industrial action each day.

“Allied health professionals, specialist nursing staff, advanced practitioners and consultants all stepped in to ensure essential services were maintained, but this undoubtedly put a strain on services and led to some outpatient appointments and surgical procedures being cancelled; a situation that’s set to be repeated next week.

Bransholme Urgent Treatment Centre is open round-the-clock

“At a time of such high demand, we would really urge the public to look for the healthcare service which is most suited to their needs if they do need help over the Bank Holiday weekend and, of course, throughout the ensuing strike period.”

Patients who are due to attend hospital appointments or procedures between 11^th and 15^th April will be contacted if there is any need to change or reschedule their appointment. Those with appointments who do not hear from us should assume it is still going ahead and attend as planned.

Patients arriving at Hull Royal Infirmary’s Emergency Department with non-urgent health needs are likely to be asked to seek treatment elsewhere as staff seek to juggle service demands and keep patients safe.  Anyone who chooses to stay in the department is expected to face significantly lengthy waits.

Medical advice is always available, 24hrs per day, through NHS111 online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111, free of charge.

A list of local pharmacies can be found on the NHS website, while walk-in care and treatment for minor injuries is available from the following centres across Hull and East Yorkshire, 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

A Royal Navy veteran from East Yorkshire has described his invite for cancer screening as his ‘winning lottery ticket.’

April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, and Gary Terry, from Market Weighton, was only 55 when he received an invitation through the post to take part in bowel scope screening.

Gary served in the Royal Navy for eight years

Following a whirlwind cancer journey, Gary is now keen to tell his story to prevent other families succumbing to the UK’s fourth most common form of cancer.

“I served in the Royal Navy for eight years, I’ve worked as a prison officer for 30 years, and I’ve kept myself physically fit all my life with football, cycling and other sports,” he says.

“I had no symptoms at all when the invitation came through the post, but things like this have never bothered me, I’m not particularly shy or squeamish, so I thought, “what have I got to lose?”

Gary accepted the invitation in February 2018 and attended an appointment for bowel scope screening within a month. This involved insertion of a thin flexible tube with a camera on the end to look inside the lower part of the bowel and back passage.

This form of screening has more recently been replaced by the FIT (faecal immunochemical test), which can be carried out at home using a small test kit and then posted off to the laboratory for analysis.

But the scope screening really was a life-saver for Gary:

“The team found a small polyp when they did my test, something which – at that stage – wasn’t causing me problems and I certainly wouldn’t have known about had I not had the test.

“I returned for a further appointment with my wife, Liz, and that’s when they told us I had bowel cancer.”

Gary needed surgery to remove the cancer and was scheduled in for his operation shortly afterwards.

Yet, still keen to maintain his fitness, Gary completed the half marathon distance of 13.1 miles on the rowing machine on the morning of his surgery, just hours before he was admitted to Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham.

“It was major surgery, I was in there for five hours and had 54 stitches,” he continues.

Gary says he was determined to beat his cancer for his family

“I then had to go for 12 weeks of chemotherapy, and I was pretty much smashing it for the first half, I was continuing to exercise, maybe walking six or seven miles a day.

“But by the half way point, it was starting to get to me, I was tired and felt ill and couldn’t keep the activity up. But as a former serviceman, I wasn’t going to let it beat me; I was determined to stick it out and focus on getting myself well for my family and to take part in upcoming Remembrance Day events.”

Gary served as a Sonar Operator in the Operations Branch of the Royal Navy between 1979 and 1987, which included service in the Falklands War of 1982.

“I never used to go to reunions, but now I’ve started to go, and when I’m there I tell my colleagues just how lucky I’ve been.

“Getting that letter through the post inviting me for the scope was like winning the lottery; I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life.  What were the chances of getting the letter when I did, catching the cancer at the stage it was, and still being here to enjoy semi-retirement with my wife and family?

“My surgeon, Mr Armitage, and all the staff at Castle Hill Hospital were fantastic. I really have been blessed.”

In the Humber area, FIT test kits are now sent out automatically to people aged between 56 and 74, and this is set to reduce further to age 50 in the next few years. Gary’s message to anyone who receives a kit is clear:

“If you’re asked to take part in screening, get over the embarrassment and just do it. I thought I was fit and healthy, I had no symptoms at all when I had my test, but bowel screening saved my life. If I can help to save just one other person by telling my story, it will be worth it.”

Mark Hughes (third left) and members of the Humber Bowel Screening Team

Mark Hughes, Clinical Director for the Humber and Yorkshire Coast Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, says:

“Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK, accounting for more than one in every 10 new diagnoses.

“The good news is that if it’s caught early, it’s highly treatable and has good long-term survival rates. That’s why it’s important for people to take up screening opportunities when they’re invited.

“Some 12,100 people across East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire are invited to complete the FIT test every month. We have a great uptake rate compared to many other regions across the country at 70 per cent, but we’d still like this to be higher as more than 3,600 people every month are missing out on potentially life-changing or even life-saving screening.

“While bowel cancer is more common in the over 60s, Gary’s story shows that younger people can still be affected, so if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms which could indicate a problem for more than three weeks, don’t’ ignore them; seek help from your GP straight away.”

Signs and symptoms most commonly associated with bowel cancer include:

• changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
• needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
• blood in your poo, which may look red or black
• bleeding from your bottom
• often feeling like you need to poo, even if you’ve just been to the toilet
• tummy pain
• bloating
• losing weight without trying
• feeling very tired for no reason

For more information on bowel cancer, visit http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-cancer/