Patients being cared for in East Yorkshire hospitals are set to benefit from extended visiting arrangements from today.

The number of visitors a patient can receive and the amount of time they can visit for has been extended across the majority of wards and services at Castle Hill Hospital and Hull Royal Infirmary.

In order to balance the benefits of visiting with any potential risks of infection, visitors will still be required to book in advance to enable nursing staff to safely accommodate increased numbers of people on each ward.

Jo Ledger, Acting Chief Nurse for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“We know how difficult it can be for people to have a loved one in hospital and either not be able to see them or to have very limited contact with them.

“Having reviewed our visiting policy in the context of the local Covid-19 situation and updated NHS guidance, we feel we can now cautiously extend hospital visiting to allow patients more time with their loved ones.

“Friends and family can provide a lot of support to patients when they’re ill and serve as a real boost to their wellbeing and recovery overall. While we are still mindful of the need to protect patients, staff and visitors from the spread of infection, this certainly feels like a step in the right direction.”

Among the changes taking effect today are:

• Patients can now receive up to two visitors per day, rather than one
• Patients can receive visitors for up to two hours per day, rather than one, and this can be split into multiple visits
• Visitors can change daily and do not have to be the same two people for the duration of a patient’s stay*
• A broader visiting window running from 11am – 7pm is in place on general wards and 9am – 9pm on antenatal and postnatal wards
• Visitors are welcome to visit during mealtimes to help loved ones with feeding if they wish
• Patients attending outpatient clinics may now be accompanied by one other person
• Patients attending the Emergency Department may also be accompanied by one other person

In light of continued high levels of demand on emergency care, the Trust has maintained its request for just one parent or guardian to accompany their child in Children’s A&E.

Visitors will continue to be required to wear a face covering while inside hospital premises unless clinically exempt, and the requirement for visitors to regularly wash and sanitise their hands during their time in hospital also remains in place.

Full details of the new visiting rules can be found at www.hey.nhs.uk/visiting

*With the exception of transplant patients

Cyclists are being invited to take part in a Cyclosportive to help a member of staff at Hull Royal Infirmary who has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.

Joel Wainman, who has worked at Hull University Teaching Hospitals since 1990 and is known throughout Hull Royal Infirmary as a stalwart of the Post Room, was diagnosed with the life-limiting condition earlier this year.

Since the age of 17, Joel had made his name as a top racing cyclist at local, regional and national level and was known to the Strava cycling community as the owner of many of their King of the Mountain segments.

Now, Joel’s friends at the trust are inviting our cyclists to take part in the Cyclosportive held in the heart of the Wolds on August 21 to help fund his care and help him make memories with his two sons Jake, 18, and Isaac, 11.

Steve Guymer, who works in the Therapies Centre at Hull Royal and is a close friend of Joel, said: “I’ve worked with Hull Thursday Road Club to arrange the event to do something to help Joel.”

“We thought the Cyclosportive was a good way to help raise some money to help pay for his care over the coming months and for him to do activities and make memories with his sons.”

Three events will be held on the day – The Big J 150K, which costs £35 to enter; the Big J 100k costing £30 to enter and the Mini J 30K event, costing £15 to enter.

The longest route takes in the best and hardest climbs in the Yorkshire Wolds including the infamous Hanging Grimston and Acklam which test even the most seasoned cyclist.

The 100K route still takes in some very testing climbs such as Thixendale and Nunburnholme.

The Mini J is for the less experienced cyclist who still wants a challenge on a nice route.

You can enter the event here or email s.guymer@nhs.net if you’d like further information. Alternatively, if you don’t cycle or can’t take part in the event but would still like to donate, there is a ‘Not riding, just donating’ option, also available on the event entry page.

Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership have launched the ‘DadPad’ app to support new and dads-to-be.

The DadPad app is an easy-to-use, freely downloadable resource for new dads and dads-to-be in Hull, East Riding, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. Packed with relevant information, as well as details on local support groups and service providers, it aims to provide new fathers with guidance on how to develop the mindset, confidence and practical skills needed to meet their babies’ physical and emotional needs.

Building a strong attachment will not only enable dads to better enjoy their new role but also contribute towards positive long-term social, health and educational outcomes for their babies. Crucially, the app also provides dads with guidance on how to support and seek help (when needed) for their partners and themselves as they adjust to their new roles, and cope with the physical and emotional strains that this can place on individuals and relationships.

The app covers topics such as:

• Feeding, holding, changing and cleaning your baby
• Surviving without sleep and coping with crying
• Getting to know your baby
• Home safety and first aid
• Looking after yourself and supporting your partner

The app is available to all dads and dads-to-be within the Hull, East Riding, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire region and can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.

The DadPad app is also available for dads within North Yorkshire and York. Once the app is downloaded it will ask for your location and direct you to your localised version of DadPad.

Section of woodland planted as part of carbon offsetting scheme for Hull’s £8m ICU

There’s no doubt that Hull’s new multi-million pound Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a huge leap forward in the provision of quality care to critically ill patients.

Constructed by Helix CMS in 2021, the new three-storey unit boasts 24 individual glass fronted cubicles containing electric hoists, Draeger ceiling pendants for essential services, and negative air extraction to help with infection control. Add to this a dedicated bed lift linking straight to surgical theatres and it arguably becomes one of the most enviable critical care facilities in the country.

But that’s not the end of the story.

“One of things that’s really important to us in all of our projects is the notion of giving back,” says Joe Fletcher, Senior Site Manager at Helix CMS.

“While we can see the benefit this amazing new facility brings to the local community, we also wanted to do something nearby to improve the future sustainability of the project. That’s why we have chosen to donate the trees to create an area of woodland in North Yorkshire which will be dedicated to Hull Royal Infirmary’s ICU. We can expect the trees in this woodland will sequester 55 Tonnes of CO2 over the next 40 years.”

The woodland dedicated to the ICU is part of a wider project called ‘Make it Wild’ which promotes carbon offsetting through the creation of green spaces and tree planting. Helix has arranged for a special plaque, engraved in oak, to be sited within the woodland space which officially dedicates the area to Hull’s Intensive Care Unit.

Joe, who managed the ICU project, was joined by Mark Pearson, Construction Director at Helix CMS in returning to the unit to present a special gift, marking the donation, to ICU staff.

Sister Becky Redmore says:

“Staff are thrilled with their new workplace; it’s proving to be a much more modern, suitable and better equipped environment in which to care for our critically ill patients.

“We were pleased to see that more environmentally friendly solutions were factored into the build from the start, such as energy efficient lighting, air source heat pumps and chiller units. Now it’s great to know that not only are the building and the people within in doing their bit for the environment, but that we also have an area of woodland out there in our name to help offset the emissions we do generate, both now and in the future.

“We’re thrilled that Mark and Joe have been able to return to the unit to present us with our own copy of the woodland certificate, and of course to see how well the new unit is running.”

Hull University Teaching Hospitals is hosting ‘At a Loss for Words’ – a conference to help organisations and employers support staff through bereavement.

The event, run in partnership with Cruse Bereavement Care, offers tips and tools to allow employers and employees to support colleagues suffering bereavement.

The free, half-day event with breakfast runs from 7.30am to 1pm and will take place at the MKM Stadium on Anlaby Road, Hull, on Friday, June 24.

People who have benefitted most from previous events have been managers/directors and human resources/occupational health personnel.  However, the pandemic has created an even greater need for these skills in the workplace.  The interests and desire to do even better now includes all different grades of staff across many diverse organisations.

Please pass the details of this event to anyone who you feel might benefit.

You can contact Sandra.kelly12@nhs.net or call 01482 461260 to request a booking form. Please book your place asap as this event is always over-subscribed.

Thousands of pounds and thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions saved as part of Trust drive to achieve net zero by 2030

A team working to reduce carbon emissions across Hull Hospitals has turned its attention to the anaesthetic gases given during labour – with staggering results.

Until recently, almost one fifth of all the carbon emissions generated by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, around 17% or 5,000 tonnes, have come from anaesthetic gases. Of these, around 4,000 tonnes have been generated through the use of Entonox as a pain relieving gas for women giving birth in Hull Women and Children’s Hospital.

Anaesthetic gases have significantly higher environmental impacts than other sources of emissions and are hundreds to thousands of times more harmful than carbon emissions.

With a self-set target to halve gas emissions by 2025 as part of its Zero30 ambitions, a hospital team including midwives, pharmacy and estates staff, and colleagues from PFI company Apleona, began to investigate Entonox use and found that a few small changes could make a huge difference.

Marc Beaumont, Head of Sustainability for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, explains:

“We began by looking at our data and noted that the amount of Entonox used in the Women and Children’s Hospital was much higher than the national average when you consider how many births we have each year.

“This suggested there may be an issue with leakage, so working alongside our midwives, the estates and PFI teams set about investigating possible leaks throughout the system, from the actual gas cylinders to the point of use by women in labour.”

Julia Chambers, Lead Midwife says:

“Entonox is an anaesthetic gas that we use in maternity for labouring women. As a unit, we are the highest users of Entonox in the Trust and so massively contributing to overall carbon emissions, but it’s not something that I or probably my colleagues had ever really thought about before.

“Tests were carried out on labour ward and we found small leaks at both the bedhead panels and at the demand valves which ladies use to inhale gas. The bedhead seals were changed, and now we only plug the valves into the Entonox supply when they’re in use, rather than having them connected all the time.”

Julia Chambers, lead midwife

And the results have been phenomenal. Since September 2021, the replacement of seals combined with a simple change in practice by the maternity team has led to a significant reduction in the consumption of Entonox, and seen associated carbon emissions drop by 87% – from 347 tonnes per month to just 45.

Over an average year, emissions associated with Entonox use amounted to over 4,000 tonnes, equivalent to an average car driving round the earth 592 times, but this has now fallen by over 3,500 tonnes per year, or 514 round-the-world trips, to just 540 tonnes.

Reduced carbon emissions aren’t the only benefit either; saving gas has also helped the Trust save money, some £3,300 per month to be precise or £40,000 per year. Plus, with the number of gas cylinders being delivered to site falling from 250 to just 33 each month, this has freed up more time for porters and estates teams to work on other jobs and further reduced carbon emissions by cutting the number of journeys required to collect and deliver cylinders.

Julia continues:

“There has been no change to the high quality of care we are able to offer women in labour, but just by looking at our practice and checking our gas supplies, we’ve been able to reduce the emissions created in maternity by a staggering 87 per cent. This has actually been quite simple to do, and knowing we’re making a difference for those children we’re helping to bring into the world, it’s something we’re all really proud of too.”

An intensive care consultant in Hull has translated an organ donation video into 17 different languages to help people from all cultures consider the gift of life.

Dr Harish Lad, Clinical Lead in Organ Donation at Hull University Teaching Hospitals (HUTH), has produced a series of videos in 17 different languages to promote organ donation.

The NHS Organ Donation video is used by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in television and social media advertising to support their “Leave Them Certain” message, asking people to ensure their families are aware of their decision to donate organs in the event of their deaths.

Dr Lad, who works in the Intensive Care Units at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, said: “We want to reach out to all communities to make them aware of the importance of organ donation.

“These videos share key messages in people’s own languages, allowing them to reflect and relate to the issue and to help them begin to have those vital conversations with their loved ones.”

Each year, hundreds of opportunities for transplants are missed because families aren’t sure what their loved one would have wanted.

The “Leave Them Certain” video shows a son sharing memories of his father, with the man laughing and dancing at family parties and having fun on family holidays.

The son says: “I remember Dad’s dance moves, his killer ‘tache. Dad was just a really happy character. I remember his smile.”

The video cuts to the son standing in a hospital corridor. “But I also remember when they asked if he wanted to be an organ donor – and I just didn’t know.”

It ends with the message “Talk to your loved ones about organ donation.”

Dr Lad has arranged for the video to be translated into Arabic, Bengali, Urdu, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Romanian and Greek.

A spokeswoman for NHSBT said: “The translated versions of our Leave Them Certain videos will really help to engage with a wider audience about the role of the family in organ donation decisions and why it’s so important to talk to your loved ones.

“We really appreciate the time and effort that Dr Lad has committed to the project to enable this key activity and look forward to hearing the impact these videos have within communities.”

• Leave Them Certain – Arabic
• Leave Them Certain – Bengali
• Leave Them Certain – French
• Leave Them Certain – Greek
• Leave Them Certain – Gujarati
• Leave Them Certain – Hindi
• Leave Them Certain – Latvian
• Leave Them Certain – Lithuanian
• Leave Them Certain – Polish
• Leave Them Certain – Portuguese
• Leave Them Certain – Punjabi
• Leave Them Certain – Romanian
• Leave Them Certain – Russian
• Leave Them Certain – Simplified Chinese
• Leave Them Certain – Spanish
• Leave Them Certain – Traditional Chinese
• Leave Them Certain – Urdu

Well done to Lois Anderson-Leary, who works as a trainee Respiratory Physiologist in our Pulmonary Function Unit at Castle Hill Hospital.

Lois was named “Apprentice of the Year” in Sheffield Hallam University’s “Inspirational Student Awards 2022.”

Lois joined the trust on a level 2 Clinical Support Apprenticeship programme, specialising in GI Physiology, in September 2016 and went on to undertake a degree apprenticeship, studying a BSC HON Healthcare Science in Cardiovascular Respiratory and Sleep Sciences.​

Her citation from unit manager Harriet Hearn stated Lois had “shown true passion for the speciality and this is reflected in time spent with patients and staff and the quality of clinic work produced.

Harriet wrote that Lois brought “an excellent working attitude every day” and was “a massive influence on the workplace in only a positive way.”

Anne Burdis, Assistant Learning and Development Manager (Widening Participation), said: “This is an outstanding achievement for Lois, and we simply couldn’t be more proud of her and her achievements.”

It took just five months to install, but now a local hospital trust’s investment in solar technology is paying dividends.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust began installing solar panels on land adjacent to the Castle Hill Hospital site in Cottingham in September 2021

Alex Best, Head of Capital

The project, which quickly became known as the ‘Field of Dreams’, saw 11,000 panels installed at a cost of £4.2m in order that the Trust could begin to lower its carbon footprint and generate its own electricity.

Work was completed in February 2022, and now that the clocks have sprung forward, the arrival of longer days means the panels are now generating enough electricity to meet the complete daytime power needs of the entire Castle Hill site.

Alex Best, Head of Capital for the Trust says:

“Back in November 2020 we were lucky enough to receive a grant from the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy as part of its Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to enable us to embark on this ambitious solar panel installation project.

“Our aim has always been to generate enough electricity to make the hospital site self-sufficient in the summer months when the days are longer, and now that the clocks have gone forward, the panels are generating around 26MWh per day so far in May, and are anticipated to rise to a peak summer load of 50 MWh per day*.

“Not only does this represent a significant contribution towards our plan to become carbon neutral by 2030, but the project is also saving us a significant amount of money on hospital energy bills; approximately £250,000 to 300,000 every month.

Marc Beaumont, Head of Sustainability for the Trust says:

“Castle Hill Hospital is a specialist regional centre for cardiology, oncology and haematology for example, and it boasts one of just a handful of specialist infectious diseases units around the country. When you consider the size of the Castle Hill Hospital site and the amount of activity that goes on here, that’s a huge amount of power that’s required to keep it running.

“Now if you stop to consider what the solar panel project is actually contributing, it’s incredible to think that the power used to deliver patients’ radiotherapy treatment sessions, to support many life-saving surgical procedures, and to keep our intensive care unit running right now is all completely self-generated, green electricity.”

Alex adds:

“The team which has worked on the solar field has done a fantastic job and we’re really pleased to be leading the way in this respect. We hope our patients and visitors will also see the value in what we’re doing for them, and for generations to come.”

Notes

* 26MWh is equivalent to the average daily energy needs of 3,250 UK households, or roughly the same amount of energy as would be needed to run 10,400 1-hour washing machine cycles.

**50MWh is equivalent to the average daily energy needs of 6,250 UK households, or roughly the same amount of energy as would be needed to run 20,000 1-hour washing machine cycles.

A hospital researcher was joined by comedy actor and writer Lucy Beaumont as he attempts to run 5k every day to raise money for Hull’s hospitals.

Clinical Trial assistant Paul Harper, who works in cardiology research to help patients with heart conditions, aims to raise at least £1,000 for independent hospital charity WISHH by running at least 5k a day, covering 1,825km (1131.5 miles) throughout 2022.

Lucy, creator of the Channel 4 comedy Hull Raisers, got in touch with Paul after hearing about his challenge through social media and offered to run the distance with him last week. They set off from Castle Hill Hospital to run through the streets of Cottingham to cover the distance, which is 3.1 miles.

Paul said: “I was blown away when Lucy got in touch. It was so nice of her to offer to run with me because it’s helping me raise awareness of my challenge.

“Every pound I raise will make a real difference to the lives of our patients, visitors and staff.

“It can be tough finding the motivation to run 5k every day so it was fantastic having Lucy with me on my run.”

Lucy said: “We’re so lucky to have the NHS and I was really happy to help Paul. We’d a great run and I wish him all the best for his challenge.

“He’s doing a wonderful thing to benefit people coming to the hospital and the people who work there so I was really glad to help.”

WISHH undertakes projects to make life better for patients, visitors and staff at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.

Paul has linked his JustGiving page to his Strava account so people can follow his progress and would appreciate any support from staff.

“No matter how big or small your donation, it all helps,” said Paul, who aims to donate 10p for every mile he runs so aims to contribute £120 by the end of his challenge.

WISHH manager Lisa Whitton said “We are really grateful to Lucy for helping us to promote the amazing challenge Paul is undertaking.

“Every penny he raises will make life better for patients and their families.”

To find out more about the WISHH Charity and how they help our hospitals, visit www.wishhcharity.org.uk or follow them on social media @WISHHcharity