Have you ever wished you could pick the time, date, or location of your hospital appointment to better suit you? Well, thanks to the latest update to our Patient Portal, you may soon be able to do just that – and all with a couple of clicks on your mobile phone or tablet. If this option is available to you, we will send you a text message (which will come from 07860 039092) with a link to the Patient Portal. If the service is available at more than one of our hospitals, you will first be able to choose which would be most convenient for you, before selecting one of the available appointments from a range of dates and times. The details will then be confirmed within the portal, and you can get on with your day. Group Chief Strategy, Partnerships and Digital Officer, Andy Haywood, said: “Our new patient led booking service will transform the way in which our patients interact with their care. “This new service will see an end to patients receiving a letter with an appointment they can’t make and then having to wait long periods on the phone to try and rebook. We’re really excited to be commencing rollout of digital, patient-led booking which will bring our services in line with what we expect in every other aspect of our daily lives.” This is just the latest benefit to have been rolled out as part of our upgrade of the Patient Portal. We are already using the service to send messages straight to your mobile phone if there’s something we need to let you know about. This could be anything from clinics being held in a different location in the hospital to an earlier appointment slot opening up which you may want to take advantage of. We can also use the service to ask simple yes or no questions – for example, checking if you can still attend an appointment, allowing us to offer it to someone else if you’re unable to make it – helping us to make the most of our resources and reduce waiting times. Initially, the new service is being piloted for appointments at our Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust hospitals but will soon be rolled out across Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust too. It’s incredibly simple to use – and there are easy to follow video guides on our website to get started. It is also running alongside our existing patient portal services from Patients Know Best and Healtcare Communications, so it’s important that you don’t ignore any communications you receive. If you would rather not manage your appointments via the portal, that’s absolutely fine – we appreciate that it’s not right for everyone. You can arrange this by calling 01482 469330 and we can take care of it.

New parents in Hull and the East Riding are now receiving visits from specialist midwifery teams soon after the birth of their babies to help with breastfeeding.

Community Midwifery Support Workers will come to your home on the third day following the birth if you choose to breastfeed your newborn baby.

Members of the team will offer tips and support and answer any questions you might have about feeding your child in those vital first few days.

Anna Harrison, Community and Midwifery-Led Unit Matron at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital, said: “This is an extension to the role of our Community Midwifery Support Workers and they’ve undergone extra training to improve our breastfeeding service.

“We know those first few days are so important once you begin breast feeding so our teams will come to you to assist with positioning your baby, suggest different techniques, help you overcome any issues you’re having and answer any questions or concerns you might have.

“We’re so proud of our team who have embraced this new challenge and are showing great professionalism and compassion towards those who need our support in the early stages of parenthood.”

Previously, national staffing issues affecting midwifery services throughout the country meant it was difficult for midwives to visit anyone wishing to breastfeed their babies, meaning some gave up without the support and advice to continue. To tackle that need, a national initiative was launched to “upskill” other maternity staff to take on roles traditionally performed by midwives.

The Community Midwifery Support Workers have been promoted to Band 3 roles and have undergone an additional 12-week intensive training course at the University of Hull to enhance their skills to offer the new service.

Working with community midwives, the Infant Feeding Lead Midwife and Hull charity Goodwin Development Trust, members of the team offer a seven-day service, every day of the year, to visit homes throughout Hull and the East Riding on Day Three of the baby’s life.

During the extended visit, the CMSWs will weigh the baby and assist breastfeeding to offer practical advice and support. They can also report any concerns such as unexpected weight loss back to midwives so parents and their babies continue to receive the best care even after the baby’s arrival.

Anna said: “It’s an unrushed and very supportive visit and we’ve had amazing feedback. Breastfeeding mums have told us how much they look forward to the visit and how much it’s helping them.

“This is a huge responsibility and a really big change for our team but they’ve really embraced the challenge and we are just so proud of them.”

Resident doctors across the Humber region will begin their latest round of industrial action next week as part of their long-running pay dispute with the Government. Members of the BMA will take industrial action for the thirteenth time in the form of a full walkout for five days – from 7am on Friday 14 November until 7am on Wednesday 19 November. Staff at Castle Hill, Hull, Grimsby, Goole and Scunthorpe hospitals have put plans in place to prepare for the strike, which does mean unfortunately some patients will have their appointments and procedures postponed. Affected patients will be contacted in advance. Anyone with an appointment or procedure scheduled to take place during the strike period should attend the hospital as planned if you don’t hear from our team.

Matt Powls, Interim Group Chief Delivery Officer for NHS Humber Health Partnership, said: “Patient safety is of course our top priority during this period of industrial action and we are putting contingency plans in place to ensure disruption to patients is as minimal as possible.

“We’ll be prioritising urgent and emergency care and cancer services, so those patients who need us the most, and patients staying with us as inpatients will continue to receive care. However, to be able to do all that with fewer doctors on shift, we do need to postpone some routine and planned care appointments. This is regrettable, but necessary to allow us to focus on the most seriously ill/injured of our patients.

“We fully appreciate that for some patients, they will be seeing their appointments with us postponed and not for the first time. We know just how frustrating this is and we’d like to extend our apologies to anyone affected, we’ll be working to get you rebooked as soon as possible.”

“Our staff are well rehearsed at putting plans in place to prepare for industrial action, however we know that five days of industrial action will place further burden on our services which are already under considerable pressure.

“As with previous strikes we’d really appreciate the support of our local communities. GP surgeries and pharmacies will remain open during the strike. NHS 111 staff are on hand to offer advice if you’re unwell and unsure where to turn. If you do need to come into one of our emergency departments please be mindful that we have fewer doctors on shift so be prepared to wait to be seen and please respect our staff who are in work who are doing their best to see and treat people as quickly as possible.”

Patients can also help themselves and others by:

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

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

Fraud against the NHS will not be tolerated – this is the message coming from our group’s Local Counter Fraud Specialists.

Fraud Awareness Month takes place this November and it coincides with International Fraud Awareness Week, running from 16 to 22 November.

We’re committed to making sure vital NHS funds are not lost to fraud and we’re reinforcing this message throughout November.

Daryl Cheetham, one of our Local Counter Fraud Specialists, will be hosting visiting our hospital sites during the month, and speaking to staff about the dangers of fraud.

Fraud against the NHS takes many guises including patients attempting to avoid paying prescription charges by falsely claiming exemptions or claiming for travelling expenses that they’re either not entitled to or haven’t incurred; staff may attempt to gain employment with false documentation or claim pay for shifts they did not work or work elsewhere while off sick from the Trust; and contractors may exaggerate or falsify records of NHS work or goods provided.

Daryl said: “I am responsible, along with my colleague Mark Bishop, for investigating allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption committed against our NHS trusts, as well as advising on counter-fraud measures staff can take in reducing the risk of fraud.

“This month is vital in continuing to raise awareness of fraud and steps you can take to prevent our NHS becoming a victim of crime. As fraud is a hidden crime and fraudsters will take steps to ensure they are not detected, it’s vital we all play our part in stopping much-needed funds from going into the hands of criminals, even if some of those criminals are sadly part of our own organisation.

“Fortunately, it’s only a small minority of staff who attempt to target taxpayer money in this way. With that said, whilst they may be small in number, their impact is large. The NHS Counter Fraud Authority estimates approximately £1.36 billion is vulnerable to these criminals. For context, that’s enough to pay for around 45,000 nurses.”

Staff and members of the public are encouraged to play their part in protecting NHS resources and report any suspicions of fraud. To report suspected fraud or corruption in our Trusts, you can email daryl.cheetham@nhs.net, mbishop@nhs.net or call the national NHS fraud and corruption reporting line on 0800 028 40 60.

People are being warned of long waits at Hull’s Emergency Department (ED) unless they are a genuine medical emergency as Hull Royal Infirmary comes under pressure.

A surge of “walking wounded” and people with seasonal illnesses and viruses have been turning up at the hospital’s Emergency Care Area in recent days, putting emergency services and frontline teams under strain.

Now, NHS Humber Health Partnership, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary, is appealing to the public to use alternative services such as their GPs, local pharmacists or one of the Urgent Treatment Centres in Goole, Bridlington, Bransholme, Hull or Beverley unless they are in genuine need of emergency care.

Dr Kate Wood, Group Chief Medical Officer, said: “We are seeing lots of people coming into our ED who may need medical attention but can be seen by their GP or pharmacist.

“We’ve even had people calling 999 for an ambulance even though they know it’s not a medical emergency because they think it might get them seen more quickly. But it won’t. Instead, all they’re doing is diverting services away from the sickest people who really need urgent medical attention.

“We are asking people to consider if they really need to call an ambulance or come to A&E before they make that call or set off for Hull Royal Infirmary. If you are not in need of emergency care, you will face a very long wait to be seen or even be sent elsewhere after a very long wait.”

Urgent treatment centres can help with sprains and strains, suspected broken bones, injuries, cuts and bruises, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, skin infections and rashes, high temperature in children and adults and mental health concerns.

Hull’s ED is there to provide emergency medical attention for serious or life-threatening illnesses or injuries including heavy bleeding, unconsciousness, cardiac arrest, strokes, seizures or choking.

Nurse Director Wendy Page, part of the senior team running Hull’s ED, said people should call NHS111 or visit www.111.nhs.uk online if they are not sure of the best place to go.

She said: “Checking where to go with NHS111 first means you’ll avoid unnecessary waits in our ED and it’s likely that you’ll be seen far more quickly if you go somewhere else.

“At the moment, people are waiting for at least five hours but it can be much, much longer if you’re not an emergency case.

“Even people who do need hospital care are having to wait longer than we’d like for a bed at the moment so we’d encourage those who are able to use other services go there so we can help those who need us most.”

 

NHS Humber Health Partnership will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the Council of Governors’ (CoG) Annual Members’ Meeting (AMM) on Wednesday 22 October.

This will be the first time the two Trusts – Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH) and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG) – have combined their AGM and CoG AMM.

You will be given an overview of the year and a look at current plans, an update from our Interim Group Chair, Murray Macdonald and our Interim Group Chief Executive, Lyn Simpson.

The annual accounts for both Trusts will be presented. You’ll be able to hear from our guest speaker, Dr Faisal Baig, GP and Medical Director for Primary Care, NHS England – North East and Yorkshire.

There will also be a case study of a project on Ward 5 at Scunthorpe hospital.

The meeting will take place from 2.30pm to 5pm via Microsoft Teams. You can join by clicking this link. You’ll be able to ask questions in the chat box (anonymously if you wish). Anyone can attend and will get the chance to ask (in writing) the leaders of the group questions.

Meeting papers are available to view on our website.

Almost two and a half thousand potentially life-saving tests have been carried out at Hull’s new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in the space of just a month.

Since the £18m facility opened on Albion Street in September, a total of 2,415* tests have been conducted including MRI and ultrasound scans, blood tests, and CT scans, the latter of which are used to generate detailed images of internal organs, bones and tissue.

At the top of the performance list is the x-ray service which, at 990 procedures carried out to date, accounts for more than two in every five diagnostic tests undertaken there.

Leah Stabler, CDC General Manager with NHS Humber Health Partnership says:

“It’s fantastic to see the CDC is already delivering what it was intended to, and that’s faster access to diagnostic tests. In some cases, patients seen here could otherwise have been waiting days or even weeks for these types of tests at their GP surgery or within a main hospital setting. Instead, we’ve been able to offer earlier appointments to thousands of patients in a central location, allowing hospital diagnostic services to focus on the more seriously unwell and hopefully helping to reduce some of the anxiety people can experience as they wait for tests too.”

Senior sister, Catherine Hellewell, and members of the CDC phlebotomy team

Catherine Hellewell, senior sister with the phlebotomy service says:

“We’re finding quite a few people who come to us are having other tests here at the same time, making this a bit of a one-stop-shop and really improving their experience as a patient overall.

“Lots of people comment on the lovely building we have, how easy their journey was or how quickly they were booked in, and all this feedback helps to reassure us that we’re getting things right.”

Patients in need of blood tests are currently referred to the CDC by hospital-based clinicians only, with the exception of GP practices taking part in an exciting new pilot, as Catherine goes on to explain:

“We recently began a pilot project with four Hull GP practices enabling them to direct patients straight to the CDC for blood tests instead of patients having to wait to have them done at the surgery. This has proved so successful that we’ll be rolling this out to more GP practices next week.

“The earlier the tests are carried out, the nearer people are to getting answers and either starting a treatment plan or being given peace of mind. Where surgeries are experiencing pressures or high demand for tests, it makes sense to offer patients an alternative where we have capacity and where they are able to be seen more quickly. We are confident that the results of the pilot project will demonstrate the real value of central, community-based diagnostic facilities for both our patients and colleagues within primary care.”

And if you’re about to be referred for a diagnostic test?

Leah continues:

“A total of eight different types of diagnostic test are now available here, from imaging tests like CT, MRI, and ultrasound scans to x-rays, ECGs, spirometry and other lung function tests, so it’s worth a chat with your doctor, or with the hospital booking team responsible for the test you need, to see if the CDC is an option for you.

“No patient wants to experience unnecessary delays and we know just how worrying waits can be, so do chat to your consultant or other health professional to see if tests at the CDC could help to speed up your diagnosis and any resulting treatment.”

As referrals to the CDC rise and diagnostic teams seek to extend their opening hours further, the number of diagnostic tests carried out at Hull CDC is expected to increase, peaking at 140,000 patients per year at full capacity.

The opening of the facility has also created approximately 100 new clinical and non-clinical jobs.

Hull Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) can be contacted on 01482 624800.