Safety in maternity care, waiting list management and how hospitals are spending their charitable funds will be among the topics discussed this week by hospital leaders.

The Boards of Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG) and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH) will come together for their bi-monthly “Boards in Common” meeting at 9am on Thursday 13 February 2025.

For almost a year now, the two Trusts have been working together under the group name of NHS Humber Health Partnership in order to share expertise, improve efficiency, and deliver more joined-up services for patients across the Humber region.

Together, the two Trusts are responsible for staff and services at Hull Royal Infirmary, Scunthorpe General Hospital, Castle Hill Hospital, Goole and District Hospital, and Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, as well as some community services.

Sean Lyons will chair the Boards in Common Meeting

Sean Lyons, Chairman of both NLaG and HUTH says:

“Healthcare is a shared interest which everyone in our community has. From having a baby to help with long term conditions, from routine surgery to an emergency admission, most of us will have had some kind of experience of hospital services and understand just how important it is for the NHS to be there when we need it.

“At our next Boards in Common meeting, our two Trusts’ senior leaders will be discussing some of the key areas which patients and the public regularly look for assurance on; tackling long waits, for example, patient safety, and plans to recruit and retain skilled clinical staff.

“We would like to invite anyone who has an interest in these areas to come and listen to that discussion, and to understand the challenges and opportunities we are facing as hospital providers right now.”

At the same meeting, the two Boards will also be asked to approve a new joint People Strategy 2025-2028, which sets out the two organisations’ commitment to supporting staff including health and wellbeing, personal and professional development, vacancy reduction, and affirming a culture of ‘putting people first’.

Executive and Non-Executive Directors will also be given an update on progress in respect of the Humber Acute Services Review, and steps taken since approval was given to consolidate some hospital services across North and North East Lincolnshire. A short slot will be given over to questions from the public at the end of the meeting, once all of the Board discussions have concluded.

The Boards in Common meeting will be held at 9am on Thursday 13 February in the Board Room, Alderson House (Trust HQ) at Hull Royal Infirmary.

The meeting papers are available to view on the NLaG website.

For more information or to confirm attendance, email sarahmeggitt@nhs.net

People with sights set on a career in health are being encouraged to ‘grow your own way’ during National Apprenticeship Week, 10 – 16 February 2025.

Staff at NHS Humber Health Partnership, which runs the region’s main hospitals in Hull, Scunthorpe, Cottingham, Grimsby and Goole, are looking to spread that word the apprenticeships aren’t just for the young, but serve as a flexible way of building a lifelong career.

Katherine Bosanquet, Training and Apprentice Manager says: “There has long been a perception that apprenticeships are just for school leavers, or that they’re a second choice to university, but nothing could be further from the truth. In actual fact, people take on apprenticeships at all stages of life; they’re not just for young people or for people at the very start of learning a trade or profession.

Speech and language therapy apprentice, Catherine Stafford

“Apprenticeships come in all forms these days, and there are plenty of opportunities for people to use apprenticeships for career progression and to move up the ladder, not just for starting out.

“In many cases, apprenticeships can prove to be the more favourable option, as they allow people to work and earn at the same time as undertaking study, and that flexibility is proving really important both for us as an employer and for those who work, or are looking to work, within our hospitals.”

One such person is Catherine Stafford, who started a Speech and Language Therapy apprenticeship at Goole and District Hospital as part of last year’s intake, in September 2024.

She says: “Studying through an apprenticeship was much more accessible to me, and much more achievable as a mum.

“I had been out of education for a few years so I was slightly nervous about starting, especially as I wouldn’t be in a traditional ‘classroom’ setting, but there was a vast amount of support available.

“Online apprenticeships offer increased flexibility and accessibility for individuals with family or other commitments, such as myself, and yet still give the opportunity to gain work experience and earn a salary while pursuing higher education.

“It has proven to be the right path for me. With the online lectures recorded and all resources online, this is flexible and fits in with family life brilliantly; I can just log back in and go through anything I was unsure of or want to look info further, it’s nice to have that time to do that.”

Members of the Widening Participation Team are looking to ‘grow our own’

Across the five hospitals in the Humber region, almost 450 people are currently studying towards an apprenticeship of some level, in areas such as nursing, therapies, estates and facilities.

On Wednesday of this week, a special drop-in event will be held at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham for people interested in pursuing a career in nursing through an apprenticeship route, as well as for existing staff looking to progress and develop further.

Anne Burdis, Widening Participation Manager (pictured, far right), says: “We held an event of this type for the very first time last year and it was an enormous success. We had queues of people looking to chat with us about how apprenticeships work and how they could benefit, so we felt we just had to do it again.

“This Wednesday, we’ll have lots of people available to help, including current nursing staff, members of our own education team and those of the learning providers we work with. Crucially, we’ll also have a number of current apprentices joining us to share their own personal experiences, hints and tips with those who might be thinking of starting off on this path.  So whether it’s financial support, the qualifications available or just managing the work/study balance, we’ll have a friendly team on hand to help in a  relaxed and informal environment.”

The drop-in nurse apprenticeships event will take place between 4:30 and 6:30pm on Wednesday 12 February in the new Learning and Innovation Centre, Entrance 3, Castle Hill Hospital (underneath the Day Surgery Centre). No appointment is necessary, and visitors and welcome to bring friends or family along.

For more information on apprenticeships, visit www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/

Hundreds of people chose to show their liver some love by attending a free liver health check event last week.

The Community Liver Health Team set up shop at Scunthorpe’s Ironstone Centre on Friday to offer free, four-minute liver scans to members of the public.

The team was joined on the day by colleagues from the British Liver Trust, North Lincolnshire Council’s Healthy Lifestyle Team, and Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance, all of whom were on hand to offer support and healthy living advice.

Early liver disease rarely causes symptoms; if caught early enough, there is potential for damage to be reversed, but if it goes undetected, it can lead to an emergency admission and/or longer term health problems, including cancer.

Certain factors put some people at higher risk of liver disease, for example, if you have type 2 diabetes, you have a BMI of 30 or more, you have a fatty liver, Hepatitis B or C, or if you drink more than 14 units of alcohol each week.

Beth Featherstone, community liver specialist nurse (pictured below, centre), said:

“We were really pleased with the number of people who came along on Friday. Over the course of the day, we had somewhere between 600 and 700 people through the doors, and word had clearly spread as we had about 20 or so waiting for us when we first arrived!

Liver nurses getting ready to open the doors to their public event

“The high number of people did lead to some queuing, which wasn’t ideal, but most people took it in good spirits and we’d really like to thank people for their patience and understanding.

“Through the fibroscans we performed on the day, we did pick up a number of people likely to have significant liver disease too, so hopefully we’ll now be able to get those people into our service and improve their long term health outcomes, which was really the main purpose of the event.

“Where it didn’t prove possible to scan people on the day, we took names and details so we could offer fixed appointments at a later date, as we didn’t want their enthusiasm to be lost.

“We took lots of positives away from the event, not least the fact that people are definitely keen and want to take an interest in their liver health, which is music to our ears.”

The Humber region is one of just 18 sites in the country to pilot the NHS Liver Health Check, based on its high levels of deprivation and poor health outcomes from liver disease.

The team will be looking to set up further community drop-in liver health check events in the near future – keep an eye on social media for details.

The first patients to be fitted with a leadless pacemaker underwent their surgery this week, marking a milestone for Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham.

The most common reason for getting a pacemaker is a heart rhythm problem that makes the heart slow down a lot, which can cause the patient to faint or pass out.

Dr Jane Caldwell and Dr Renjith Antony conduct Castle Hill’s first ever leadless pacemaker procedure

A leadless pacemaker is a one-piece device that is implanted directly into the heart via a vein. Unlike traditional pacemakers, it does not require a separate battery under the skin or leads that connect to the heart. The device, which is about 3 to 4 centimetres long, weighing only approximately 2g, resembles a small metal cylinder and is smaller than an AAA battery. Signals from the leadless pacemaker help maintain a normal heart rhythm.

Three patients underwent day surgery on Wednesday in the Cardiac Catheter labs at Castle Hill Hospital.

The benefits of leadless pacemakers over traditional pacemakers are substantial. Patients experience a reduced risk of complications and a minimally invasive procedure, leading to quicker recovery times and a lower chance of infection. The device’s smaller size makes it more comfortable, eliminating the lump under the skin on the chest associated with traditional pacemakers.

The leadless pacemaker weighs just 2 grams

Additionally, the leadless pacemaker is a single piece, which is 90% smaller than a traditional pacemaker, and it is safe for use in MRI machines. There is no chest incision or scar, and the device interferes less with daily activities. Moreover, the leadless pacemaker boasts a longer battery life, lasting up to 16 years compared to the 10-year battery life of traditional pacemakers.

Dr Renjith Antony, Consultant Cardiologist, said:

“These devices are much more comfortable for the patient, smaller and the operation is much less invasive. The introduction of leadless pacemakers represents a significant advancement in cardiac care for our region. Our patients can now benefit from a safer, more comfortable, and longer-lasting solution for managing heart rhythm disorders.”

The types of patients who may benefit from a leadless pacemaker over a traditional one include those who cannot have traditional pacemakers due to issues accessing the heart through chest veins. They are also suitable for patients with indwelling catheters or those on dialysis, as these conditions increase the risk of infection with traditional pacemakers.

Mike Wills is the first patient in the Humber region to receive a leadless pacemaker

Other groups that may benefit include patients without standard upper limb venous access, those with previous device infections, patients under 40 to preserve chest veins, those undergoing radiotherapy, patients planned for surgery in the standard pacemaker anatomy, severely immunocompromised individuals, those with congenital heart disease, and patients with tricuspid valve dysfunction. Leadless pacemakers significantly reduce the risk of infection and associated complications.

Michael Wills, 75, was the first patient in the East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire region to receive the leadless pacemaker. He’s been wholly dependent on a pacemaker for 25 years and has had six different devices over that period. Having suffered with an infection down the leads of a pacemaker previously, he’s optimistic about the new device. He said:

A scan showing the leadless pacemaker has been inserted

“The team at Castle Hill have been looking after me since 2000/2001. I owe my life to the team over and over again. It’s marvellous how much the technology has advanced over the years; I’ve had numerous procedures, awake and under anaesthetic. There’s a lot of things people don’t realise about pacemakers, even escalators can interfere with them, so this new model sounds much more positive compared to the old ones – but I wouldn’t be here without them!”

Not all patients will be suitable for a leadless device. Last year 600 traditional pacemakers were fitted. It’s estimated between five to ten leadless devices will be fitted at Castle Hill Hospital in the first year, with a total of three patients having received them this week.

Four-minute liver health check could save a life

Free, four-minute health checks are on offer in Scunthorpe next week to help tackle the growing problem of liver disease.

NHS Humber Health Partnership’s community liver team will be conducting drop-in liver health checks at the town’s Ironstone Centre from 9am to 6pm on Friday 31 January.

The checks are being made available as part of a two-year project, funded to the tune of £500,000*, which seeks to identify more people with liver problems through proactive screening and then begin treatment where necessary.

If caught early enough, liver damage can be reversed, but all too often, people only become aware they have liver problems when they are admitted to hospital in an emergency.

Beth Featherstone, community liver nurse specialist explains:

“People with early stage liver disease don’t always know there is a problem. Liver disease has very few signs and symptoms to tell you something may be wrong, however there are certain factors which put some people at higher risk, for example, if you have type 2 diabetes, you have a BMI of 30 or more, you have a fatty liver, Hepatitis B or C, or if you drink more than 14 units of alcohol each week.

“Patients with chronic liver disease have a higher risk of developing liver cancer too, so it’s vital we spot the disease early to give people a much broader range of treatment options and a better chance of managing the condition long-term.

“The good news is that if we catch it early, some liver damage can actually be undone, and that’s why we’re keen to see as many people as possible at this week’s event – to prevent problems worsening, and of course to reassure those whose livers are perfectly healthy!”

Faye Coite (left) and Beth Featherstone with a fibroscan machine

Visitors to the Ironstone Centre will be offered a free Liver Health Check which takes just three to four minutes to complete. Nurses conduct a ‘Fibroscan’ which uses ultrasound to detect scarring to the liver and is similar in nature to a pregnancy ultrasound scan. The Liver Health Check is quick, easy, and painless, and visitors will receive their results straight away, along with any further advice or lifestyle recommendations.

Cllr Richard Hannigan, cabinet member for adults and health at North Lincolnshire Council said:

“It is essential that we create an environment where our residents can lead healthy lives and access opportunities that could help spot the signs of health conditions early.

“An on-the-spot liver scan is not something that is currently readily available, so I would urge anyone who wants to make sure their liver is in good health to drop by the Ironstone Centre, anytime between 9am and 6pm on Friday 31 January.

“The results are instant, with professionals on hand to talk you through their findings and offer advice, guidance and tips to keep your liver in top condition.”

The Humber region is one of just 18 sites in the country to pilot the NHS Liver Health Check, based on its high levels of deprivation and poor health outcomes from liver disease.

Between 10am and 3pm, the Community Liver Team will be joined at the event by a range of local partners who can also support with maintaining a healthy liver and offer general health and wellbeing advice, including:

• The British Liver Trust, raising awareness of their ‘Love your Liver Campaign,’ with resources and information about Liver Health and details of the support they offer individuals affected by liver diseases within the UK.

• North Lincolnshire Healthy Lifestyles – offering information and advice around health and wellbeing such as healthy weight, stopping smoking and also offering free blood pressure checks.
• Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance – providing information around Liver Cancer and other common cancers and sharing details of cancer champion training opportunities.

Beth continues:

“People will be very familiar with proactive screening for things like breast and cervical cancer and the NHS Lung Health Check, but until now, most people won’t even have thought about the health of their liver unless they’ve already had a problem.

“We’re encouraging everyone to prioritise their health this New Year and join us for a quick Liver Health Check; just a few minutes now could turn out to be a real life-saver.”

Free NHS Liver Health Checks are being offered on Friday 31 January at the Ironstone Centre, Teale Street, Scunthorpe between 9am and 6pm – no appointment is necessary, just call in on the day.

Visit the NHS Humber Health Partnership website to find out more about the Community Liver Health Check project.

* Funding has been made available courtesy of NHS England and the Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance.

World leaders in the treatment of headache and migraine will set their sights on Hull this week.

Experts from as far afield as the United States and Brazil will discuss the latest headache and migraine treatments and research at the 10^th biennial National Meeting on Headache.

Organised by Hull Royal Infirmary’s specialist neurology team since 2005, the event is celebrating its tenth meeting of this kind and has grown from 75 delegates in year one to almost 300 world-leading experts in attendance today.

Across the course of the event, delegates will hear from no fewer than 60 experts in headache and migraine from various UK centres of excellence, including our own, right here in Hull.

The second ‘Vicky Quarshie Memorial Lecture’, a tribute to a former headache specialist nurse from Hull who passed away aged just 48, will be delivered by Professor Rami Burstein from Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA.

Professor Fayyaz Ahmed

From 22 to 24 January, experts will discuss a range of topics including preventative treatments, headache in children, medication overuse, and why women are three times more likely to experience migraine than men.

On Saturday 25 January, there will also be a free half-day session for the public where experts will talk about lifestyle factors which can influence a person’s experience of migraine and offer advice on when to seek help for headaches.

Professor Fayyaz Ahmed, who has worked as a consultant neurologist in Hull for the past 28 years and is internationally recognised for his expertise in headache and migraine, will chair the event as well as delivering a number of the programme’s sessions. He says:

“Hull is a recognised centre for headache and migraine treatment and research, and it’s a pleasure to be able to host and chair such an important, now international, meeting again in Hull for the tenth consecutive time.

“Headache and migraine are surprisingly common. There are thought to be around 190,000 migraine attacks in the UK every day, and estimates by the Migraine Trust suggest that one in every seven adults, and one in ten children, now suffer from this condition.

“The effects of severe headache and migraine are not just painful but can be debilitating, often impacting on a person’s ability to work or lead a normal family life. Research carried out by the Migraine Trust also suggests around one in four people have left a job due to their migraines, and when you consider just how many people the condition is thought to affect, this is a really serious issue.

Migraine and headache can be debilitating

“At the same time, people don’t always know when or how to seek help, or even what types of help might be out there, but we’re keen that people don’t suffer in silence.

“Our ‘Managing your Migraine’ event on 25 January is open to anyone with an interest in this area, helping people to work out when to seek professional help for headache and migraine, and offering tips and practical support with self-management and lifestyle changes which could help people better manage their condition.

“It’s not often that the public are able to put their questions to, and learn from, a range of headache professionals in this way, so we’d encourage anyone who’s struggling with headache or migraine or who wants to learn more about them to come along and join us.”

The ‘Managing your Migraine’ event is open to the public and free to attend on Saturday morning – a full agenda, venue information and details of how to reserve your place can be found on the Migraine Trust website.

All three Emergency Departments in Hull, Scunthorpe and Grimsby remain under significant pressure, in line with other departments in hospitals all over the country.

While we are not seeing higher attendances than we would expect to see in January, we are seeing sicker patients, including those with flu, who need to stay in hospital for longer than usual.

We also have high numbers of patients who are well enough to go home but have to stay in hospital until care packages can be arranged to support their return to their own homes or places can be found for them in community facilities such as care or nursing homes.

These factors mean we cannot move patients requiring hospital care out of our Emergency Departments and onto wards, placing all areas of our hospitals and our staff under pressure.

Humber Health Partnership is working closely with community health partners and local authorities to free up space on wards as quickly as possible.

The group, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary, Castle Hill Hospital, Diana, Princes of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, Scunthorpe General Hospital and Goole Hospital, is urging people to consider alternatives to A&E such as pharmacies, local GPs and Urgent Treatment Centres if they do not require urgent or emergency treatment. If you are not sure where to go, please contact NHS111.

Members of the public are also urged to get their flu vaccine to protect themselves over the winter months to help ease the pressure on hospital services.

An infectious disease specialist is reminding people it’s not too late to get the flu jab as winter pressures continue to bite.

Around two in every three people with confirmed flu in hospitals across the Humber region are aged over 65, one of the groups identified as most ‘at risk’ from the winter virus.

With concerns that flu cases will rise again following Christmas and New Year get-togethers, as children return to school, and with Professor Stephen Powis, National Medical Director for NHS England, warning the NHS could be on course for one of its worst ever winters, local people are being urged to take up the vaccine wherever it’s offered.

Dr Nick Easom

Dr Nick Easom, Consultant in Infectious Diseases at NHS Humber Health Partnership, says:

“The management of patients with flu has been posing challenges for our hospital wards and departments for almost two months now.

“While most healthy people can see off the worst of the virus in a week or so, it can potentially be much more serious in older people and those who are already ill or vulnerable to infection.

“At such a busy time of year, when beds are already in high demand, creating additional space and the process of deep cleaning to reopen beds makes things even more difficult for our teams. Currently we have the equivalent of almost two full wards dedicated to managing patients with flu across Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill, and more than a full ward at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby too.

“Staff are wearing face masks once again to protect colleagues and visitors, but there is plenty that other people can to do reduce their own risk of infection.”

Dr Easom says the flu jab can still be highly effective, even if taken at this time of year:

“It’s not too late to get the flu jab, and it can still offer important protection for those most at risk from the virus. GP surgeries are offering the vaccine to eligible patients right through until March, so if you’ve been invited but not yet taken up the offer of a flu jab, please do so as soon as possible.

“If you have flu-like symptoms and need medical advice, please contact NHS111 in the first instance rather than coming to hospital as this risks spreading infection to others, and if you do need to visit us for any reason, please be sure to wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, and consider wearing a facemask if you’re able to do so.”

More information on managing the symptoms of flu at home can be found on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/conditions/flu/

82-year-old Jean, who spent a 56-year career in nursing, is among those recognised at a special celebration

They say time is precious, and nowhere do we feel that more than within our region’s hospitals.

Since January this year, a team of 502 volunteers has been donating their time and skills to support patients, staff, relatives and visitors across Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, clocking up a phenomenal 23,400 hours between them.

From meet and greet to running the mobile shop and bringing therapy dogs in to help reduce anxiety, volunteers take on all manner of roles.

Denis and his cockerpoo, Barney, volunteer in the intensive care units at both HRI and Castle Hill Hospital

Earlier this week, those volunteers were celebrated with a special Christmas meal and entertainment, courtesy of local ukulele band, the Sunshine Strummers.

For the first time, Hull Hospitals also handed out a number of “Volunteers Oscars”. The awards were given to those who, based on staff and patient feedback, had made the biggest impact in their wards or clinical areas, and to those whose stories served as the most inspirational and heartwarming for others.

Among those receiving an ‘oscar’ were Denis Lockwood and his cockerpoo, Barney (left), who took home the “Pawesome Pooch” award for the most therapy dog hours spent around the hospitals. Lydia Howard was recognised for having clocked up the most time as a volunteer this year with an amazing 849 hours worked, and Julie Marshall received the “Most Hours on a Trolley” award, for time spent running the mobile shop service for patients at Castle Hill Hospital and having raised over £4,000 this year alone in the process.

But two volunteers who work in Hull Royal Infirmary’s busiest department were also in line for awards.

Jean Walker, 82, worked as a nurse for 56 years before she officially retired at the age of 73. Told as a child she would never make it as a nurse due to her asthma, Jean silenced all doubters to begin training as a nurse cadet aged 17, then go on to complete her registered nurse training. Once qualified, she worked at Princess Royal Hospital and in Hull Royal’s Outpatients Department before spending the last 40 years of her career as a nurse in Hull’s Emergency Department (ED).

Old habits die hard, of course, and it wasn’t long before Jean was back volunteering, firstly in the hospital’s Acute Assessment Unit, then making her way back to ED, where she feels she belongs and where she has been volunteering for the past nine years.

A familiar face amongst staff, volunteers and patients alike, Jean was recognised with the hospital’s “Back from Retirement award” at the celebration.

Jean says:

“Nursing has been my life. I’ve been with the Trust in one form or another for over 60 years and I just love helping people, I do this for the love of it.

“Having been a nurse myself for so long, it really helps as I understand the pressures the teams are under. I help wherever I can, stocking up technically for them, making drinks for visitors and doing the jobs staff don’t have time to, to allow them to spend more time caring for patients.

Graham Gedney volunteers in Hull’s Emergency Department

“Even if you have aches and pains, you still come in because you know people need you. I just can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Another gentleman bringing smiles and support to both staff and public is Graham Gedney (right). Graham worked at some of Hull’s big name firms including British Cocoa Mills and Reckitts before retiring. He began volunteering in 2002, supporting GP and pharmacy inspections and working with the local Primary Care Trust to improve access to healthcare for communities in east Hull. A member of Hull Hospitals’ volunteers team since 2013, Graham now supports the Emergency Department by conducting patient surveys and spending time with patients and families.

Graham was one of two people, alongside Marie Stern, to receive the 2024 “Above and Beyond” award. Graham’s wife, Linda, also works at the hospital to meet and greet the public.

Graham says:

“You feel part of a family here, you feel part of a team with the doctors and nurses.

“As volunteers, a large part of our role is speaking with people, and that’s not just the patients; we spend a lot of time with relatives and families and that’s important because in helping them, in reassuring them and putting their minds at ease, you’re helping the patients in another way.

“It makes it all worthwhile when people say thank you, and tell you you’ve made a difference for them, but it helps us too as volunteering, especially somewhere busy like A&E, helps to keep the brain and body ticking over too.”

Rachael Hardcastle-Pearce (second left) with members of the Hull voluntary services team at their Volunteers Christmas Celebration

Rachael Hardcastle-Pearce, Group Voluntary Services Manager says:

“Our volunteers provide hospital staff with invaluable support, front-of-house, on the wards, and behind-the scenes; we really would be lost without them.

“There is such a community feel to this group of people and the numbers continue to grow, now topping 500 across Hull Royal and Castle Hill.

“Volunteering provides opportunities for everyone; we have young people giving their time to help further their studies and career aspirations, we have older people who want to stay active, and we have a lot of people who previously enjoyed a career in the care sector and want to continue using those skills now they have retired. We also have a good number of people who are motivated by the care our hospitals have given to relatives and loved ones in the past, and who feel like they want to give something back.

“It’s the sheer variety of people and the endless skills they bring which make my job such a pleasure and which provide our staff with the extra support they need to focus on patients.

“Our volunteers have had a cracking year and I’d like to say a huge thank you for everything they do for us, our patients and the public.”

If you would be interested in becoming a volunteer, call 01482 623089 or visit https://www.hey.nhs.uk/volunteering/

Thousands sign up in-year to support potentially ground-breaking research projects

Hospital staff across the Humber region have spent the year at the forefront of clinical research.

As 2024 draws to a close, research and development teams working for NHS Humber Health Partnership, which covers hospitals across Hull, Cottingham, Grimsby, Goole and Scunthorpe, plus some community services, have worked on more than 650* individual health research studies in-year.

Over 4,700 patients and users of the group’s health services across East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire agreed to take part in research across 27 specialties this year, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, respiratory diseases, cancer, kidney disease, digestive diseases, diabetes, infectious diseases, and vascular disease.

Professor Thozhukat Sathyapalan

And while people often picture clinical research as simple drug trials, this type of study forms only a small proportion of the research teams’ work, as Professor Thozhukat Sathyapalan, Group Director for Research, Development and Innovation explains:

“With the support of local academic partners and Hull York Medical School, hospitals across Hull and the Humber region are continuing to place themselves at the forefront of clinical research.

“While some studies do look at the efficacy of drug treatments, many others investigate the effectiveness of therapeutic work with patients, or use questionnaires and patient data to look for trends or to influence treatment options going forward.

“Being able to offer local people opportunities to get involved in research is really important, not only in terms of improving the health of the local population, but also in discovering and developing cures, providing access to new and emerging treatments, understanding how certain conditions can affect people, and even being able to attract the best healthcare staff and academics to our region.

“We value every single person who helps us on our research journey, looking into many different conditions such as IBD, vascular disease and cancer, and would like to thank everyone who’s taken part or signed up to be involved this year for their willingness to help us and others like them.

“Signing up to a trial doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming, but could make all the difference to thousands of other patients in the future, not just in our region but across the world.”

(L-R) The FRONTIER team: Kayleigh Brindle, Professor Michael Crooks, and Karen Watkins

One of the most popular studies over the past 12 months has been the Born and Bred in (BaBi) study. This study uses data which is already held about local people to shape family health services and highlight societal changes which could improve long-term health outcomes for children and families. Having started in Hull in February, more than 1,200 people signed up in the first eight months, that’s over three times the original target for the year, and in the last month, the same study has launched in Northern Lincolnshire too.

Clinical teams from the region have been no strangers to the global stage either, with members of Hull’s respiratory clinical trials team being among those invited to present their projects and potentially ground-breaking findings to international research colleagues. Such projects include the FRONTIER Programme, a two-year project in partnership with Chiesi looking at undiagnosed COPD which was recently cited as best practice in Westminster.

During the first phase of the project, 201 patients who previously attended an NHS Lung Health Check and who reported symptoms of lung disease and/or had emphysema on their CT scan were invited back for further COPD testing. Over two thirds of those, 136 people, went on to receive a COPD diagnosis, suggesting that the NHS Lung Health Check also presents a notable opportunity to identify and enable timely treatment for other respiratory illnesses.

A collective celebration of healthcare research event, involving doctors, nurse and therapists working across the region’s hospitals, will take place in the New Year.

If you’d like to get involved with healthcare research or lean more about what’s involved, speak to your healthcare professional or visit https://www.hull.nhs.uk/research/

* The figure of 650 studies is a cumulative total across the research portfolio, with some projects actively recruiting and some providing follow-up activities.