More than 8,000 people in Hull, who may be at increased risk of lung cancer, will be next to benefit from an NHS lung health check service, which is helping to improve earlier diagnosis of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.

Since its launch, the service has welcomed over 6,000 people, helped to diagnose more than 40 cases of cancer, identified other respiratory diseases at early stages, and provided opportunities for earlier treatment that has saved people’s lives.

The lung health check service has just arrived in North Hull and will be based in the west car park at North Point Shopping Centre before moving to Tesco Hull Superstore on Hall Road. Anyone living in north Hull, who is a former or current smoker aged 55 to 74, is eligible for a lung health check and will receive an invite from their GP over the next few weeks.

Map of where the mobile unit will now be sited

Detecting lung cancer in the early stages is extremely difficult as often people don’t experience any symptoms and are not diagnosed until stage 3 or 4. A lung health check can help find any problems early, often before someone notices anything is wrong, and at a stage when treatment could be simpler and more successful.

The lung health check takes place in two stages. The first is an initial phone assessment with a specially trained respiratory nurse. If the assessment finds the person to be at high risk, they will be offered a low dose CT scan of the lungs for further investigation. The CT scanner is housed on board a high-tech mobile screening unit that has previously visited Lidl and Castle Hill Hospital in West Hull.

Dr Stuart Baugh, Clinical Director at Humber, Coast and Vale Cancer Alliance, said: “The Hull lung health check programme is helping us achieve the NHS long-term plan ambition of diagnosing more cancers early by providing quick, effective and easily accessible checks in convenient community locations. We are incredibly grateful to North Point Shopping Centre and Tesco Hull Superstore for providing space in their car parks to ensure we can deliver lung health checks in North Hull.

“If you or a member of your family receive a lung health check invitation, do not delay – book your appointment as soon as you can. This free lung health check could save your life by diagnosing lung cancer or other respiratory diseases at an earlier stage, when curative treatment may be available.”

Jo Thompson, Lead Nurse for lung health checks in Hull, said: “If you are invited for a lung health check, one of our friendly specialist nurses will provide a telephone assessment that lasts around 25 minutes and, if appropriate, participants will then be invited to attend a CT scan on board the mobile unit.

“We have received fantastic feedback from people who have already attended a lung health check in West Hull and as well as helping to diagnose respiratory diseases at earlier stage, the service is also helping to reduce the risk of lung cancer by offering free support to those who wish to stop smoking. Many people who have been smoking for years and who have tried to quit multiple times have successfully stopped after being put in touch with free stop smoking services by a member of the lung health check team.

“There are lots of safety measures on board to reduce any risk of Covid-19 and the team are available to answer any questions you may have either before or after your appointment.”

Dr Masood Balouch, a local GP and NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group Board member, said: “As a general practitioner seeing many patients with advanced lung cancer each year, I know how vitally important it is to book your lung health check appointment when invited, even if you feel fine, as some conditions don’t display symptoms until later stages. The programme is designed to check those most at risk of developing lung cancer in order to spot signs earlier, at the stage when it’s much more treatable, ultimately saving more lives.

“We have had some great success with this programme in other areas of Hull and look forward to supporting more patients to come forward for a lung health check. If you receive an invitation, don’t ignore it – book your appointment without delay.”

For more information on the Targeted Lung Health Check programme please visit www.lunghealthchecks.org.uk

A hospital team treating patients with cancer has become the first in the country to be awarded special accreditation for their work.

The radiotherapy department at Hull University Teaching Hospitals (HUTH) has received national accreditation for its work using CT imaging to target cancer cells with radiation.

Based at the Queen’s Centre at Castle Hill Hospital, the team is the first radiotherapy service to be awarded BS70000:2017 (MPACE) accreditation for its CT localisation process, the beginning of radiotherapy planning which is a specialist treatment minimising damage to healthy tissue and organs in patients with cancer.

Radiotherapy Manager Clare Hutton, professional lead for this team, praised the team for their outstanding efforts to establish their service at the forefront of patient care despite the impact of the pandemic.

She said: “I would like to thank all the staff for their dedication to patients and for the positive and professional manner they’ve shown in gaining accreditation.

“I fully appreciate all the hard work and effort during a very difficult time operationally.”

Left to right is Barbara Whitaker (Dep Radiotherapy Manager), Paula McLoone (Pre-Treatment Lead Therapeutic radiographer), Amelia Kramer (3rd year Sheffield Hallam Student Therapeutic Radiographer and future HUTH employee) and Lyndsay Smith (Advanced Practitioner for Professional Education).

The UK Accreditation Service (UKAS), appointed by the Government to ensure organisations deliver appropriate standards of service, visited the Queen’s Centre in October 2018 when Radiotherapy Physics participated in the pilot for BS700000 accreditation.

Although HUTH’s radiotherapy services have met the 1SO9001 standard for years, the scope of the MPACE accreditation was broadened to include CT localisation.

Radiotherapy had to meet exacting challenges in technical competence to prove the treatment was “fit for purpose” when a Therapeutic Radiographer, acting as a technical assessor, and a lay assessor, considering the service from a patient’s perspective, carried out the audit in July.

Staff were praised for being welcoming, open, honest and professional during the audit as they provided evidence and explained why processes were designed in specific ways.

After addressing eight further recommendations from the assessor by the October deadline, the department has now been awarded the successful accreditation.

Clare Hutton said: “We’re going to use our forward-thinking approach to continually improve our service and patient care across the entire radiotherapy pathway. We are confident we are able to meet the highest standards in quality set by national auditors.”

Left to right: Barbara Whitaker (Dep Radiotherapy Manager), Paula McLoone (Pre-Treatment Lead Therapeutic radiographer), Amelia Kramer (3^rd year Sheffield Hallam Student Therapeutic Radiographer and future HUTH employee) and Lyndsay Smith (Advanced Practitioner for Professional Education).

* Figures updated February 24, 2022. Please note we will no longer be posting details of inpatients or the number of deaths from Covid-19 after February 25, 2022. Visit NHS England for details of the daily deaths at each trust

There are 130 patients currently in Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital with Covid-19. Of those patients, one is in Intensive Care.*

Sadly, we can confirm 1,067 patients have died at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust since 19 March 2020 after testing positive for the virus. Their families have been informed and our deepest sympathies are with them at this very difficult time.

We would appeal to everyone to book appointments for their booster vaccination as soon as possible as our best defence against the virus and its latest variation Omicron. Book online at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/  or by ringing 119.

Remember, it’s not too late to get vaccinated. We’ll be happy to see you.

Its sleek design and bold frontage are a far cry from what may traditionally be thought of as a hospital building, but then the new Allam Diabetes Centre is anything but ordinary.

The latest building to open on the Hull Royal Infirmary site has been generously supported by local businessman and philanthropist, Dr Assem Allam, with a donation of £3m. The balance has been provided by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, with the overall cost of the building development amounting to some £7.5 million.

After 12 months under construction and now boasting a light and airy feel, this new centre of excellence is serving as a hub to treat more than 9,000 people every year for diabetes and metabolic bone diseases such as osteoporosis. In addition, it is providing a significantly expanded range of accommodation for world-class diabetes and endocrinology research and other research teams.

The Allam Diabetes Centre on Anlaby Road

The vision originally set out by Dr Allam for the building’s curvaceous design has been made a reality with the support of the Zenith Development Group, and now enhances both the hospital estate and the gateway to the city centre as you travel along Anlaby Road.

Dr Allam says:

“It is a privilege for my family to be able to play a part in providing such a much-needed facility, which will not only care for the needs of patients with diabetes, but also support world-class research in the field of diabetes and endocrinology and related research activities such as vascular surgery. Bringing together both the clinical and research staff and facilities in one building will, without doubt, enhance the standard of care as related research informs the development of treatments in the coming years.

“Not only does the building do justice to the care and dedication of the existing clinical and research teams, but also it will play its part in continuing to attract high calibre staff to the area. Whilst the planning and development of this facility has taken a number of years, it has been well worth the wait.”

On the ground floor there is a large open waiting area leading to generously proportioned clinical facilities for all of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s diabetes and endocrinology outpatient services. Expanded diabetic eye screening facilities are now housed here and there is dedicated space for diabetic foot care.

The bone densitometry service, which helps to identify and manage bone conditions such as osteoporosis and which regularly performs in excess of 5,000 bone scans each year, also has a base here. This service has been on the receiving end of another generous donation from the Osprey Charity recently, having been gifted a further two bone scanners valued at £75,000 each to expand its diagnostic capacity.

Diabetes and Endocrinology research

The Allam family donation has facilitated a significant increase in research accommodation within this building. This has resulted in purpose-designed, spacious and modern accommodation in which to undertake diabetes and endocrinology research, and the new centre is now helping to reaffirm Hull’s reputation as a global leader in research too.

The entire first floor has been given over to diabetes and endocrinology research and the staff supporting this work, which seems fitting given this team is the most successful recruiter into endocrine studies in the whole country.

Their cutting-edge research facilities now include dedicated laboratories, a sports science laboratory, ultrasound, ECG and consulting rooms plus day case facilities for complex clinical trials. The team currently has over 200 people involved in 12 active clinical trials right now, the findings of which will go on to benefit people with long-term conditions by significantly advancing treatment options and medical knowledge.

Patient education sessions are already being delivered on the second floor, and further research teams, including those specialising in vascular surgery and neurology, are due to move in there over the next few weeks.

The Allam Diabetes Centre, on the Hull Royal Infirmary site

Dr Belinda Allan, consultant diabetologist, says the accommodation for the Hull diabetes service now reflects the high quality of care the team already prides itself upon:

“The ambition of the clinical teams at the Allam Diabetes Centre is to deliver world-leading care for individuals with diabetes, endocrine and metabolic bone conditions.

“The purpose-built outpatient facilities provide a bright, welcoming and modern environment, modelled around the needs of the patient. Integration of services means that patients can access specialist nurses, specialist dietitians, retinal screening, vascular surgery, podiatry, bone density scans and phlebotomy all on the same floor. The larger multi-purpose clinic rooms make it easier to bring the skills of specialist staff together to deliver the best possible care for our patients. The building also creates a great atmosphere for teaching and training the next generation of healthcare professionals serving the local communities of the Humber, Coast and Vale regions.”

Professor Thozhukat Sathyapalan

Professor Thozhukat Sathyapalan is an honorary consultant endocrinologist. In addition to providing clinical care to patients, he will also be leading on research projects and henceforth teaching students of Hull York Medical School in some of the most advanced, purpose-built educational facilities around. He says:

“The new Allam Diabetes Centre is a crucial next step in our journey to enhance and expand upon our established, world-renowned diabetes and endocrinology research. This facility houses the core infrastructure required to enable us to deliver an ambitious and innovative programme of diabetes and endocrinology research in an environment designed to stimulate collaboration, passion and growth.

“Bringing both clinical and research teams together under one roof allows us to promote research opportunities for all, and further enables us to deliver real and lasting improvements to patient experience and the quality of clinical care we provide within diabetes and endocrinology.”

Chris Long, chief executive of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“It has been fantastic to watch this building take shape and we are incredibly grateful to Dr Allam and his family for their continued generosity in supporting our hospitals, our patients and our wider city.

The entrance to the Allam Diabetes Centre

“The new Allam Diabetes Centre is a striking building and we trust that our patients will appreciate their new surroundings. When combined with the innovation, experience and significant expertise of our clinical and research teams, I’m confident that Hull can now cement its reputation as a global leader in the fields of diabetes and endocrinology service provision and research.”

This most recent donation towards the Allam Diabetes Centre is just one a number of contributions made by the Allam family to enable Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to enhance the provision of clinical care and clinical research facilities for people across Hull, the East Riding and wider region.

Previous donations amounting to multi millions of pounds have supported the development of robotic surgery at Castle Hill Hospital, for example, delivered the Fatima Allam Birth Centre within Hull Women and Children’s Hospital, and contributed to research into cancer, cardiac and neurological conditions through the Daisy Appeal’s Molecular Imaging Research Centre, also based at Castle Hill.

Work is currently underway on a new digestive diseases and endoscopy facility at Castle Hill Hospital which has also been supported by Dr Allam and his family with a donation of £3 million. This facility is due to open in late summer 2022.

Some national ‘Plan B’ Covid restrictions are being lifted from today, but patients, staff and visitors are being reminded that there are no rule changes on the Hull Hospitals sites.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is still caring for more than 100 inpatients with Covid-19 right now, and as local community infection rates remain high, people are being asked to continue with Covid-19 precautions to protect patients and safeguard hospital services.

Masks and hand sanitising are among the rules which remain in place at Hull Hospitals

Patients and visitors to all hospital sites, including Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, should continue to:

• Wear a face covering inside all hospital buildings
• Attend appointments alone (a limited number of exemptions apply, e.g. a parent with a child, or someone caring for a loved one with learning disabilities or advanced dementia)
• Wash or sanitise hands regularly while on hospital premises, and
• Practice social distancing wherever possible

Up to 1 in 3 people may have the Covid-19 virus without any symptoms and still be able to infect others, so it is recommended that a lateral flow test be taken and a negative result produced before attending any of the hospitals.

There are also no changes to ward visiting restrictions, which will continue in their current form for the time being.

Full details on the current visiting guidance and exemptions can be found at www.hey.nhs.uk/visiting

Patients and the public are asked to be polite and cooperative if asked by staff to comply with any of the above rules. Abusive language or aggressive behaviour towards NHS workers will not be tolerated.

A team of health scientists at Castle Hill Hospital is showing that better care for cancer patients doesn’t have to cost the earth.

The routine replacement of a linear accelerator (linac) last year, used in radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients, with a new Varian Halcyon generated more than just improvements in throughput.

The Varian Halcyon

The Radiotherapy Physics Team, based at the Queen’s Centre, found that not only were the therapeutic radiographers able to treat around 20% more patients each month, but that power consumption in Bunker 4, where the Halcyon is now sited, dropped by an amazing 70 per cent.

Peter Colley, Consultant Physicist and the Trust’s Lead for Radiotherapy Physics says:

“Linear accelerators and the Trust’s Halcyon are both used at the hospital to deliver courses of radiotherapy treatment. Each machine uses precise high energy x-rays to target cancerous cells and treat hundreds of people battling cancer every month.

“Two of the main reasons for us getting the Halcyon were its technical treatment capabilities and the promise of a better overall patient experience.

“We knew that the Halcyon system would use less energy, but it’s not something we were able to quantify at the time and so not something which had been key to our decision making.  It turned out to be a value-adding bonus.

“Once the Halycon was installed, we began to see energy consumption drop dramatically, which is astounding given the number of treatments we deliver with the Halcyon averages around 610 treatments a month; with the old linac this stood at around 500.”

Energy consumption in Bunker 4, in fact, dropped by over two thirds, from 4,500kWh per month to just 1,200kWh, which equates to quarterly cost savings of over £2,000. But Peter and the team say the financial savings aren’t the only benefit.

A patient is treated with the more energy efficient Halcyon

He continues:

“Our patients have told us the Halcyon delivers a better experience for them, plus it’s quicker, it’s quieter and it generates much higher quality images for the therapeutic radiographers to use. In turn, this enables our radiotherapy team to target patients’ cancer cells with much more accuracy and avoid damaging healthy tissue.

“Not only that, but the reduction in energy we’re able to record doesn’t include the air handling and the chiller plant on the building roof which offsets the heat generated by the radiotherapy treatment machines. These aren’t metered independently, but it stands to reason that if we are putting that much less power in, we’re going to be taking proportionately less heat out and blowing it into the sky; we are also going to be cooling less.”

“The Halcyon is helping us to care for our patients and care for the planet at the same time, and this is definitely an approach we’ll be looking to continue as we move the service forward.”

Chaplains will continue delivering messages and get well wishes to patients in hospital

A messaging service which has brought joy to patients in hospital at Christmastime is to be extended into 2022.

Hospital chaplains working across Castle Hill Hospital and Hull Royal Infirmary began a service last month, offering to hand deliver messages to patients unable to see or communicate with loved ones due to Covid visiting restrictions.

Season’s greetings, heartfelt messages and get well wishes came from as far afield as Canada.

Now Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team says the service has been so worthwhile that they intend to continue visiting patients on behalf of loved ones for as long as Covid-related visiting restrictions remain in place.

Allison Dean, Senior Site Chaplain, says:

“Not all patients have mobile phones to be able to use in hospital or are up to speed with video calling, so for those who have no other means of keeping in touch, it can be a very difficult and worrying time.

“The messaging service we ran over Christmas was a success, with messages being well received and families grateful for the opportunity to reach out to their loved ones in this way.

“Many of those patients we went to see were pleasantly surprised as they were feeling lonely without any visitors, and for those we were able to visit on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, the contact proved to be the highlight of their day, an unexpected Christmas present.”

Messages of thanks received by the Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team included:

“What a lovely thing this is to do, it is much appreciated for us to get messages to loved ones we are unable to see under the terrible restrictions we currently face. So a BIG thank you!”

“I live in Canada and the pandemic has kept me from seeing my Grandma. I miss her so much and want her to know that I’m always thinking of her.  My sister contacted you earlier and informed me of this wonderful service you provide.”

Allison continues:

“As chaplains, all of us have felt that it has been a real privilege to be able to read and deliver these messages to patients. Many have been grateful for the time we have taken to sit and chat with them, and have asked for return visits; this was not something we expected to happen and so this has been a real gift to the team too.”

If you would like a message delivered to a relative or friend in hospital, simply email
hyp-tr.greetingstolovedone@nhs.net, providing the name of the patient, the ward, unit or department they are on, which hospital they are in, and any other detail/information which may help the team to identify the patient. The service will operate Monday to Friday, across both HRI and Castle Hill, with any messages sent over the weekend being picked up on the following Monday.

As we approach Christmas, we understand that relatives and friends will want to stay in touch with loved ones spending time in hospital. We appreciate the current visiting restrictions make this difficult but would like to present a few options for how you can keep in contact over the festive season.

Our hospitals are very busy right now and so for this reason, where possible to do so, we would encourage you to keep in contact directly using personal mobile phones, bedside communication systems, tablets or other devices. This will enable you to message or speak to your relative or friend at a time to suit you both, and enable our doctors and nurses to continue focusing on the clinical care of their patients.

Patients are permitted to charge personal mobile devices on the wards and if their admission to hospital was urgent or unexpected, a relative is able to drop off essentials for them at the ward which could include a phone or tablet charger. Please ask a member of staff if your loved one needs help to charge their device.

If your relative does not have a mobile phone or device, perhaps doesn’t know how to use one or is too unwell to do so, the Trust’s Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team is offering a free messaging service while visiting restrictions remain in place. Simply email your message and a few details about the patient, and the team will aim to deliver it in person to your loved one within one working day, Monday to Friday. Full details can be found on our website.

If there is a Hospedia bedside entertainment unit where your relative is being cared for, you can either call through directly to them (charges apply) or your relative can use this to telephone you – all outgoing calls to mobiles and 01482 numbers are free of charge. Full details can be found on our website.

Some wards may be able to access iPads to enable patients to communicate with loved ones via video calling. However, the number of iPads available is somewhat limited. To enquire whether this is possible, please contact the Senior Nurse or Ward Clerk on the ward/unit/department where your relative is being cared for in the first instance. All requests to use the iPads must be made to the Trust’s Digital Nursing Team by a member of staff on the ward. Please note that it will not always be possible to accommodate every request, and we apologise in advance should this be the case.

Again, to reduce the risk of infection and to free up staff time for clinical care, we encourage family and friends to communicate directly with patients in hospital using either the Hospedia bedside units or their own mobile phones, tablets or other devices.

If you need to telephone the ward for status updates on your loved one, we kindly ask that this is limited to just one call from one nominated family member per day, and that family member then shares the update with other relatives and friends as appropriate.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding at this difficult time.

Hospital chaplains will be taking Christmas messages out to patients over the next few weeks as visiting restrictions continue.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team is inviting relatives and friends to email them with messages for patients which they will then deliver in person.

The team of chaplains works across both Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, and will be offering the service from Monday 20 December with intention to continue into the New Year or for as long as visiting restrictions remain in place at the Trust.

In the first instance, it is designed to bring comfort to those patients with little or no means of outside communication, but is open to all to use.

Tony Brookes (third left) and members of the Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team

Tony Brookes, Head of Chaplaincy for the Trust says:

“There’s never a good time to be in hospital, but to be hospitalised in the run up to the festive season and with visiting very much restricted for Covid safety reasons at the moment, we felt the need to do something for our patients.

“We appreciate many patients will have mobiles these days and will be able to keep in touch with loved ones by phone or social media, but there will be some who don’t own a phone, perhaps they don’t know how to use a mobile, or they may simply not be well enough to do so.

“We’d like to make sure those patients in particular, who cannot communicate with family or receive visitors in the coming weeks, still have the opportunity to connect with loved ones and know that they are still thinking of them.

“Quite simply, we’re inviting people to send us the details of their friend or relative, and we’ll pass on any messages, poems, stories or good wishes which they choose to share with us. It’s such a small gesture but one we think will make a huge difference to many patients in our care this Christmastime.”

The team is offering the service Monday to Friday, across both HRI and Castle Hill, with any messages sent over the weekend being picked up on the following Monday.

Messages should be emailed to hyp-tr.greetingstolovedone@nhs.net along with the name of the patient, the ward, unit or department they are on, which hospital they are in, and any other detail/information which may help the team to identify the patient.