A research team from Hull is taking part in an international study that investigates whether it’s possible to reduce the chance of babies becoming seriously unwell with Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Commonly known as RSV, this common virus causes cold-like symptoms in older children and adults, but can cause inflammation in the lower airways (bronchiolitis) in babies, which makes them short of breath. They can also have difficulties feeding and develop a rattly cough and /or wheezing.

Many areas of the country saw a notable rise in RSV associated hospitalisations of babies and children last year, thought to be linked to restrictions put in place to limit the spread of Covid-19. Fewer infections in young people meant they were unable to build up as much immunity, leaving them more susceptible to viruses such as RSV, and this may still be the case to some extent this year.

In Hull, doctors normally expect to see over 130 children hospitalised with RSV each year during the winter months.

Baby Oscar is taking part in the HARMONIE study

Through the HARMONIE study, a dedicated paediatric research team from Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is now assessing the benefits of giving a drug – called Nirsevimab – to healthy babies aged under 1 year during the winter, when RSV is most common.

One person who understands the importance of this research work is mum-of-two, Sophie.

In 2019, Sophie’s daughter Harriet was born at just 24 weeks and spent her first three months in hospital under the care of the neonatal team.

Baby Harriet then enjoyed a month at home with her family before being hospitalised again for a week after contracting RSV which led to bronchiolitis.

Now Sophie is keen for Harriet’s new baby brother Oscar, aged 10 weeks (pictured, right), to take part in the HARMONIE study in order to prevent other families going through the experience that her family shared.

Sophie says:

“Harriet spent her first few months in the neonatal care unit. It was such a relief to finally get her home after all that time, so then to have her hospitalised again because of RSV a month later was just awful.

“When I heard about the HARMONIE study after having Oscar, I was keen to be involved. The requirements of the study are pretty straightforward and involve keeping an e-diary about Oscar’s health and progress, which I can do at a time to suit me, rather than having to attend clinic.

“If we can prevent just one family going through the upset and the worry that we did with Harriet, it will be well worth it.”

Dr Khan (third left) and the paediatric research team working on the HARMONIE study

Dr Khan, the Principal Investigator for the HARMONIE study at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital, said:

“Bronchiolitis is the most common cause of hospital admission in infants in developed countries and Respiratory Syncytial Viral is the most common viral cause of bronchiolitis.

“No parent wants to see their baby in hospital, to be dependent on oxygen, to require tube feeding or even intensive care. This study doesn’t just have the potential to prevent children from catching this nasty virus and becoming seriously ill, but it could also reduce the impact on families, save them unnecessary heartache, and reduce admissions to children’s wards during our busiest months of the year.

“Please, if you have a child aged under 12 months, consider taking part in the HARMONIE study. With your support and that of your little one, you could be helping many thousands of others like you in years to come.”

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking to recruit a minimum of 50 participants in total, part of an international effort to recruit some 28,860 children to the study overall.

If you or anyone you know is interested in taking part in the study, please visit the HARMONIE website: https://www.rsvHARMONIEstudy.com/en-gb

Alternatively, if your child is aged under 12 months and you visit hospital regularly, please ask for details and a member of the paediatric research team at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital will be pleased to discuss the benefits of being involved in the study with you.

A famous Hull landmark is entering the final stages of a two-year multi-million pound transformation.

Photographs by Jasmine Lee

Hull Royal Infirmary has undergone a £19.3m overhaul to create a new three-storey entrance with an assessment unit, modern pharmacy, multi-faith area and restaurant and shops for patients, visitors and staff.

A new children’s ward is being created on the second floor with direct access over the link bridge to Hull Women and Children’s Hospital. As well as the very latest and best in modern health care facilities, the ward includes facilities for parents of sick children who wish to stay overnight.

A much larger and self-contained assessment unit provides better facilities for patients with views over the front gardens and natural light. Pharmacy has moved to the back of the ground floor of the hospital, with a new robotic arm installed to pick prescriptions.

Duncan Taylor, Director of Estates, Facilities and Development at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We needed more flexible space to deliver our services and we’ve now got this fantastic facility more suited to the delivery of modern health care.

“Our patients, visitors and staff will benefit from this major transformation of Hull Royal Infirmary and we thank everyone for their patience while we were busy creating these amazing hospital facilities.”

The new front entrance on Anlaby Road transforms the front of the tower block, a landmark building in Hull City Centre which has remained largely unchanged for more than 50 years.

It’s part of a £60m major capital development project undertaken at Hull Royal Infirmary since the start of the pandemic.

As well as the new front entrance, a special block has been created behind the Emergency Department with an additional 52 beds, including isolation facilities for patients with confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19, other infectious diseases and seasonal illnesses more common during winter, including flu.

A new 24-bedded Intensive Care Unit costing £8m for critically ill and injured patients from all over Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire was opened at the end of last year.

Visitors may still experience some disruption over the next few weeks as the retail units are fitted out and the lift lobby, complete with two new lifts directly to the second floor to ease congestion at busy visiting times, is refurbished.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s maternity department is working in alliance with the University of Hull’s research department to support midwives in their efforts to assess alcohol habits before, during and after pregnancy. The research study is called the CHAMPION study.

What does this mean for me? –

When you attend you community antenatal appointments, some individuals will be asked to complete a short questionnaire asking about your alcohol habits while you wait for your appointment. Take this questionnaire into your appointment with you and give it to your midwife to complete. You have the choice to complete these forms and information is completely confidential and will help us to support your midwives to give you the best information during your pregnancy.

What if I don’t want to take part? –

The questionnaire is completely optional, and you have every right to decline taking part.

What happens with this information? –

The questionnaire will go to our research midwife who will anonymously input the data onto a confidential database for analysis by the University’s research team. This information will help the team identify any need for staff training, clinical needs (more appointment time, more staff, more resources) and any issues from the participating clinical team. Therefore, your participation will help mould the future of the maternity services in the area and influence clinical practice, enhancing safe care for you and your family.

What would happen after the questionnaire? –

After the questionnaire, you will have the option to leave your phone number if you would be happy for a member of the research team to contact you to explain the process of a short, simple interview process – please note, leaving your phone number doesn’t mean you have agreed to be interviewed, it is simply a small chat to explain the interview process further. If you agree to be interviewed, the researcher will ask you a series of questions about your experience of completing the questionnaires and any issues you came across. No answer is right or wrong and your answers will be kept confidential.

We thank you in advance for your participation in our CHAMPION study.

Hull Women and Children’s Hospital will be lit up pink and blue from tonight to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is marking Baby Loss Awareness Week, now in its 20^th year, so families, staff and all those affected by the loss of a baby can come together to remember and commemorate these much-loved and missed babies.

The week provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact of pregnancy and baby loss, the importance bereavement support plays in the ongoing bereavement journey and the vital work needed to improve pregnancy outcomes and save babies’ lives.

Specialist Bereavement Midwife Sue Cooper said: “We want Hull Women and Children’s Hospital to become a beacon of light in the darkness and to show bereaved parents and families we will never forget their precious babies.”

HUTH is about to launch a programme of training with a cohort of recently qualified midwives to ensure families experiencing the death of their babies are supported and counselled by expert staff.

While restrictions had to be put in place throughout the early months of the pandemic, extended family members can now join bereaved parts in our special bereavement suite, away from the rest of the hospital’s labour facilities, to spend precious time with their babies.

This year, Baby Loss Awareness Week will be exploring the theme of Stepping Stones and how someone whose baby has died finds themselves on a new path they never expected to be on.

Clea Harmer, Chief Executive of Sands and Chair of the Baby Loss Awareness Alliance, said: “Following their loss, families find themselves on a new path they never expected to be on. This year, Baby Loss Awareness Week focuses on the steps along that journey, and how they are different for everyone. Some steps along the journey can feel harder than others, but there is always a hand to support anyone when they feel unsteady.

“I hope that Hull Women and Children’s Hospital being lit up pink and blue during October will help will help reassure anyone who finds themselves on this journey, whether recently bereaved or longer ago, that there is a community that exists to help with whatever is needed, whether that is advice, support or simply someone to listen and walk by their side.”

Hull Women and Children’s Hospital will be featured alongside other buildings and landmarks turning pink and blue around the country during Baby Loss Awareness Week 2022 on the interactive map and on the official Baby Loss Awareness Facebook page.

Anyone in East Yorkshire can share their photos of Hull Women and Children’s Hospital on social media and include the hashtag #BLAW to reach as many people as possible.

Baby Loss Awareness Week culminates with the “Wave of Light” on 15 October when people around the world light a candle at 7pm to remember all babies that have died too soon.

Rev Tony Brookes, Head of Chaplaincy at HUTH, said: “Please join us and light a candle at 7pm on 16 October to remember all babies that died too soon and leave it burning for at least one hour to create a wave of light across the world.”

Staff at Hull Royal Infirmary are urgently appealing for the community’s help to ease hospital pressures.

Hull Royal Infirmary in particular has grown increasingly busy in recent days and today finds itself under significant strain.

Pressures are being seen at both exit and entry points, with:

• Very high numbers of people attending the Emergency Department (ED)
• Lengthy waits for patients in ED requiring anything other than the most urgent attention
• A high number of patients who are ready to leave hospital but are unable to be discharged, often because they are awaiting community care packages or placements

Local people are now being asked to avoid using the Emergency Department for anything other than very urgent or serious conditions, and to use other services across Hull and the East Riding to meet their needs. This is to allow medical staff at the ‘front door’ to focus on the most critically ill and seriously injured.

Professor Makani Purva

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

“Demands on hospital care are as high as they have ever been right now, with large numbers of people attending for walk-in care, high numbers of people requiring admission, and a high number of people who are ready for discharge but unable to leave until the right community support is in place.

“We are working with NHS and local authority partners to try and create capacity within the system but this takes time, so we’re also reviewing what non-urgent activity we have taking place and whether moves such as staff redeployment may help to ease the pressure.

“Staff are doing a great job under the circumstances, but there is something everyone can do to help our medical and nursing staff prioritise the most seriously ill in our community.

“It’s something we say often, but we really do need people to use services other than A&E where at all possible; not only will this be quicker and usually more convenient for them, it will also be a huge support to our emergency care staff, ward staff and partners in the ambulance service right now.”

Where it is felt clinically safe/suitable, patients arriving at the Emergency Department may be asked to use alternative services such as Urgent Treatment Centres where waiting times will be significantly less.

Patients should continue to seek help for routine medical complaints and non-urgent health issues through their GP surgery, local pharmacy or use the NHS111 phone or online service.

How you can help:

If you feel you need to be seen today and you are unable to get a same day GP appointment, visit an Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) in Bransholme (within the Health Centre), Goole (within the main hospital), Bridlington (within the hospital) or Beverley (within East Riding Community Hospital, Swinemoor Lane). You will almost certainly be seen more quickly here than in the Emergency Department, so please save yourself some time and use these facilities wherever you can.

UTCs are open until late into the evening, and can provide assistance, advice and treatment for a wide variety of health problems including wound infections, rashes and allergic reactions, simple broken bones, muscle strains and sprains, cuts, bites, urine infections and minor head injuries. Some also have x-ray facilities operating between certain hours.

If you wish to attend a UTC, you can check its location, opening hours and the specific services it provides at https://www.chcpcic.org.uk/chcp-services/urgent-care

If you’re unsure where to seek treatment, call NHS111 or go online to www.111.nhs.uk  The 111 service can provide advice over the phone, make UTC appointments if necessary or advise what to do if a clinician decides you need more immediate help.

Local pharmacies are also open throughout the day, and some late at night, to advise on medications, routine health complaints and provide over the counter treatments. You can find your nearest pharmacy via https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy

It’s World Cerebral Palsy Day today and we’d like to say a massive thank you to our paediatric team for the fantastic work they’ve done to support children and young people.

The paediatric team have worked so hard to improve services and develop a care pathway for children and young people and their families affected by the life-long condition in East Yorkshire.

Damian Haire, Operations Director of Family and Women’s Health Group, said: “Our team took on the task of improving community services for children and young people three years ago.

“Thanks to their incredible hard work, commitment and dedication, especially in the past 12 months, we now have a fantastic pathway which aims to meet the needs of children and young people living with cerebral palsy and provide vital support for their families.

“The service goes from strength to strength, with lots of exciting developments planned for the months ahead, and we couldn’t be prouder or more grateful to every member of the team for everything they’ve achieved so far.”

Cerebral palsy is the umbrella term for a group of lifelong conditions affecting movement and co-ordination. Severity of symptoms can also vary significantly with some having minor problems while others can be severely disabled.

Around 1 in 400 babies are thought to be born in the UK with a form of cerebral palsy, with the Office of National Statistics estimating that around 1,700 new cases are diagnosed in England and Wales every year.

Symptoms might not become noticeable until a child is two or three and can include delays in reaching developmental milestones like walking or sitting, movements that are too stiff or too floppy, weakness in arms and legs, uncontrolled movements or walking on tiptoes.

Young people can also have difficulties swallowing or speaking, problems with vision and learning difficulties.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust took over the running of the Community Paediatric Service, which includes supporting young people with cerebral palsy and complex disabilities, in 2019.

A multi-disciplinary team with paediatric physiotherapists, paediatric consultants and specialist nurses, occupational therapists, orthopaedic specialists and experts in neuro-disabilities, speech and language therapists, dietitians and community nurses was set up to deliver the cerebral palsy service.

More than 200 cases were reviewed by senior clinicians to ensure each child was receiving the best possible care and support from the team.

Young people and their families were asked for their views about their care and to feed back their thoughts on what could be changed or improved to meet their needs.

The multi-disciplinary team then developed the Cerebral Palsy Clinical Pathway, working with different health care providers including Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust and City Health Care Partnership (CHCP), groups commissioning health care services and groups for people living with the condition.

Every child referred to the service goes through an established process, covering all aspects of care from the point of diagnosis to information and support for young people and their families, management of their care and their eventual transition to adult services, which occurs flexibly up to aged 18.

Comprehensive assessments are undertaken to ensure people get help and support with tone and postural management and other health conditions which they may have alongside Cerebral Palsy. Their social care needs are also considered and appropriate onward referrals made, along with links and information for educational settings.

Young people and their families are given a comprehensive information folder when they join the pathway to improve their awareness of cerebral palsy, including knowing what care and support is in place to help them.

Over the coming months, a dedicated clinical database is being created for the 243 children and young people with cerebral palsy in East Yorkshire, enabling continuous monitoring to ensure the service is meeting everyone’s needs.

Every family under the care of the cerebral palsy team will have a dedicated core team including a paediatrician trained in neuro-disabilities, a cerebral palsy specialist nurse and a physiotherapist.

Other specialist support such as speech and language therapists or community nurses can be obtained dependent on the individual’s needs.

Next stage for the team is to use feedback from the young people and their families to focus on “Function, Family, Fitness, Friends, Fun and Future.”

Family and Women’s Health Group would like to thank all team members including

• Paediatric Physiotherapy team HUTH
• Paediatric Physiotherapy team Humber Teaching Foundation Trust
• Consultants Dr Lorna Highet, Dr Sandhya Jose, Dr Vishal Mehta
• Specialist Nurses Kim Drewery, Louise Burnett, Fiona Lead, Christine Bennett and Nicola Heenan
• Paediatric Occupational therapy team(Humber Teaching Foundation Trust)
• Orthopaedics Ms Sally Hobson, Ms Breanna Winger
• Paediatric Speech and language therapy team (Humber Teaching Foundation Trust)
• Paediatric Dietetics  (HUTH, CHCP and Humber Teaching Foundation trust)
• Children’s Community nursing team CHCP
• Management colleagues Lisa Pearce, Jane Collinson and Julia Mizon
• Adult neuro-rehab team HUTH
• Dr Patrick Naughton-Doe, Specialist Doctor in Learning Disability with Humber Teaching Foundation Trust
• Ms Liz Moulder, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
• Paediatric neurology service:  Leeds General Infirmary
• Paediatric clinic admin team

Hospitals in East Yorkshire are offering patients the chance to agree their own appointment times in order to speed up care and reduce waiting lists.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s partial booking system enables patients to choose a time and day for outpatient appointments that is most convenient for them*.

The process is simple; when it’s a patient’s turn to be booked in, they will receive a letter from the Trust, but instead of being allocated an appointment, they will be asked to contact the hospital to discuss setting a mutually convenient date and time.

The idea is just one way in which the Trust is looking to improve patient experience and reduce waiting times.

Melanie Leedham, Head of Clinical Administration Services for the Trust says:

“Hospitals across the country are extremely pressured right now. Our services are no different, and that’s why it’s important for us to maximise use of the appointment slots and clinics we do have, and to do all we can to ensure patients attend their appointments.

“Partial booking is such a simple concept, and while it does rely on the patient contacting us to confirm a date, it means that date can be set to suit them. Being able to work around a person’s holidays, childcare responsibilities, work or other family commitments is not only more convenient for the patient, but it makes it much more likely that patient will attend.

“We know in the past that some people simply haven’t attended appointments because the time or date given to them didn’t suit, so we’re trying this the other way round, with encouraging results.”

The Trust is also using other initiatives to try and maximise patient attendance including the use of text message reminders and Patients Know Best, an online system which enables patients to receive correspondence relating to their care straight to their phone or computer. Virtual appointments have also proved more convenient and reduced the need for patients to travel, with over 67,000 patients having received telephone appointments or taken part in video consultations in the last six months.

Despite these efforts, non-attendances or DNAs (Did Not Attends) as they’re known, still remain high. In the month of August, there were 6,747 DNAs across the Trust’s outpatient services, and in any given month, almost a quarter of all outpatient appointments made within diabetes and endocrinology services (24%) go unattended.

Eileen Henderson, Head of Outpatient Services for the Trust says:

“We know there are times when things crop up which mean missing an appointment is unavoidable, but this doesn’t account for the consistently high levels of DNAs across all services.

“Text reminders are helping to jog some patients’ memories, as sometimes the issue has resolved, but we know that factors such as taking time off work or the cost of getting to appointments can also influence whether people attend or not, and if this is the case, we’d welcome a conversation as there may be ways we can help.

“Otherwise, our message to patients is to help us help you. NHS resources are finite, and we all want to be seen as quickly as possible, so keeping your appointment once it’s made, or letting us know in advance if you can’t make it, is really important. Given enough notice, we can offer a short-notice appointment to someone else on the waiting list, which makes best use of our staff and clinic resources, but which also reduces the wait for others.”

The NHS offers help with healthcare travel costs to certain patient groups, subject to meeting set criteria. More information can be found at www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/

Patients who have received a letter inviting them to make an appointment (partial booking) as described above should contact the Appointments and Referrals Centre using the details provided on their letter. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm and Saturdays 8am to 12 noon.

Note

* Partial booking is offered to patients waiting to receive their first outpatient appointment across the majority of hospital specialties, and will be available within all specialties by the end of October 2022.

Organ donation is the gift of an organ to help someone who needs a transplant. Thousands of lives in the UK are saved or transformed each year by organ transplants.

Organs that can be donated by people who have died include heart, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, liver and small bowel.

Tissue such as skin, bone and heart valves can also be used to save and improve people’s lives, and corneas can help to restore people’s sight.

If you want to become a donor after you die you could save and improve the lives of up to nine people through organ donation and even more if you also donate tissue.

Organ donation remains your choice.

Every day in the UK, someone dies waiting for an organ transplant, because there just aren’t enough organ donors.

There are currently more than 7000 people waiting for an organ transplant in the UK, and while more people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are receiving transplants than ever before, Black and Asian patients still wait longer than White patients for a transplant.

People can receive a transplant from someone of any ethnicity, however the most suitable match is likely to come from a donor of the same ethnicity.

You can choose to donate some or all of your organs and tissue, or you can choose not to donate. You can amend or withdraw a registration at any time. If there is no recorded decision for you, in England, Wales and Scotland this means your consent may be deemed, due to the organ donation laws in those countries.

Families will always be involved before organ donation goes ahead so it’s important that you talk with them about organ donation and whether you’d want to be a donor. Your family will be expected to support your decision.

If you don’t have family, or your relationship is difficult, you can also nominate a representative. This might be a friend, GP, faith leader or someone else of your choice.

The best way to make your decision known is to record it on the NHS Organ Donor Register and tell your loved ones. You can do that via our website, or via the NHS app in England, or by calling 0300 123 23 23. There are tips on the organ donation website which could help start the conversation with your family.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been reviewing arrangements for patient services following the announcement of Monday 19 September as a Bank Holiday.

The Trust and the clinical teams have worked together to enable as much planned activity as possible to proceed on the Bank Holiday and can confirm that around two thirds of all planned surgical procedures which have been scheduled for this date, including the most urgent operations and cancer cases, will go ahead as planned.

Unfortunately, some routine procedures have been postponed, albeit a relatively small number. We apologise to those patients affected and will seek to reschedule as soon as possible.

Our outpatient services have been more heavily impacted; with around 6 in every 10 appointments postponed, however thanks to the support of our clinical teams we will still provide over 1,000 outpatient appointments on Monday as planned.

As the picture varies across different departments and services, the Trust is now in the process of contacting all patients with an appointment or procedure scheduled for Monday to either confirm it is going ahead or to cancel and reschedule.

Ellen Ryabov, Chief Operating Officer for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“We understand some patients will be disappointed to hear their appointments have been postponed. In making our decisions, we’ve had to consider a number of different factors including safe staffing levels, the potential for patients not to attend because they wish to observe the funeral themselves, and the desire among many of our own staff to observe the occasion and pay their respects to our late Queen on the day of the funeral.

“Other factors outside of our control, such as reduced public transport services and closure of community venues where we would ordinarily deliver clinics have also been considered.

“We are therefore making every effort to ensure priority surgeries and urgent appointments continue as planned, including cancer cases, diagnostics and radiotherapy treatments, but many other clinics and some non-urgent procedures are being rescheduled.

“We are now in the process of contacting everyone who is scheduled for an appointment or procedure on Monday to advise whether it needs to be rescheduled or whether it will go ahead. We would ask patients for their patience and understanding as we work through a high volume of appointments and calls, but please be assured we will be in contact.”

Urgent Treatment Centres and NHS111 will be open throughout the Bank Holiday period for those with medical problems of a routine, non-life threatening nature – call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk for advice or details of your nearest centre.