Cervical cancer screening rates in Humber and North Yorkshire are now among the highest in the country thanks to the commitment and dedication of a Hull screening team.

More than 72pc of women aged 25 to 49 and almost 77pc of women aged 50 to 64 attended cervical screening appointments last year, much higher than the national average of 67.5pc and 74.9pc.

As well as being the highest in the region, Humber and North Yorkshire’s figures are higher than attendances in the North East and Yorkshire at 70.5pc and 76pc, South Yorkshire at 70.4pc and 75.8pc and 67.7pc and 75.9pc in West Yorkshire.

Now, the Colposcopy Team at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital have been credited with the increase in attendance rates thanks to their #smearnotfear campaign to encourage women to keep smear test appointments.

Lisa Pearce, Operations Director for Family Services, said: “This amazing achievement is due to the effort and commitment the team has given to the development of the #smearnotfear campaign over the years.

“They have shown dedication to the cause and to women’s health in our area. Not only did they have the foresight to start up the campaign, they’ve kept the momentum going.”

The #smearnotfear campaign was launched by Nurse Colposcopist Sarah Bolton and her team in 2017. Since then, the team holds events in their own time to raise awareness including lighting up the hospital in teal, the colour associated with cervical cancer awareness, and attended major events including Hull Pride, Hull Freedom Festival, rugby matches and sporting events.

They’ve set up their own social media pages, released videos on TikTok including one video which attracted 4,500 views in two hours and supported targeted messaging to encourage Polish and Romanian women now living in Hull to have smear tests.

Sarah Bolton said: “Before we started #smearnotfear, our cervical screening rates were one of the lowest in the country despite the area having some of the highest rates of cervical cancer.

“We knew we had to do something to get the message out about the importance of coming for smear tests.

“We visit schools, colleges and health centres when we’ve got days off work to spread the word and it seems to be working. We love our jobs and our women and we’re so glad it’s making a difference.”

Women in East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire are being urged to attend breast screening appointments to help reduce deaths from cancer.

 Around 1,300 lives are saved every year because those women take up the invitation to attend breast screening appointments when letters arrive on their doorsteps.

 Although breast cancer is the second highest cause of cancer deaths in women, screening reveals problems early, with 98pc of woman diagnosed with breast cancer at this stage surviving five years and beyond.

Yet, uptake by women aged 50 to 53 is as low as six per cent at some GP practices in our area. Women from Black, South Asian and Eastern European communities are also less likely to attend their appointments so the team are sharing exactly what happens during screening to remove all uncertainty.

 Lesley Peacock, Programme Manager for Humberside Breast Screening Service, said: “Now is the time for women to prioritise their own health and come for breast screening.

 “Women have nothing to fear from attending their appointments. In fact, it can save their lives.

 “The vast majority of women we see show no sign of cancer, so it’s reassurance every three years. However, our equipment detects signs far earlier than women may feel a lump and it’s that early diagnosis which is your best chance of survival if you are one of the tiny number who do have breast cancer.”

 You’ll receive your letter to attend your first breast screening sometime around your 50^th birthday. You’ll then be recalled every three years until your 71^st birthday.

 Screening takes place in mobile screening vans, similar in size to portable cabins, in community venues including Bridlington Hospital, Lakeside shopping Centre in Scunthorpe and others soon to be moving to Holme on Spalding Moore Village Hall and St Hugh’s Hospital, Grimsby.

 Once inside, your details will be checked by the screening team and you’ll be shown to a cubicle to remove clothes from your top half, including your bra. A female mammographer will then take you to the room containing the screening equipment and will assist you by placing your breast in a plate while you stand still.

 The plates will come together to provide accurate images of your breast and while you may feel slight discomfort, it is not painful. Images will then be taken of each breast, with the process normally completed in 10 minutes from start to finish.

 The Humberside team is backing NHS England’s ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign to encourage women in England to attend their breast screening appointments when invited.

 Lesley said: ”We are providing all women with clear information about what will happen when they come for screening to remove all uncertainty over what will happen during appointments.

“It’s over in a matter of minutes, any discomfort you may feel is over in seconds but it could mean the difference between you living to see your grandchildren grow up or leaving your loved ones to cope alone.

 “This is about women coming together, supporting each other and prioritising their own health so they attend their breast screening when invited.”

Patients will play a key role in a new accreditation programme rolling out across NHS Humber Health Partnership.

A commitment to excellence (ACE), which starts in March, will set high standards for patients receiving treatment at Castle Hill, Goole, Grimsby, Hull and Scunthorpe hospitals.

Patients will be asked directly about their experience as part of the scheme which will see wards and departments awarded ‘red’, ‘amber’ or ‘green’ ratings for the quality of care provided.

Areas will be reviewed against a set of key quality standards including infection prevention and control, nutrition and hydration and safeguarding.

As well as speaking to patients about their experience, the visits will see patients’ documentation reviewed, discussions with managers, observations of staff delivering care and evaluations of the environment.

Areas that excel and maintain a green ‘significant assurance’ rating over a two-year period (three consecutive visits) will be celebrated and recognised as achieving ‘full assurance’ status.

Amanda Stanford, Group Chief Nurse, said: “It’s absolutely right that patients are at the heart of this new assurance programme. The aim is to bring a new set of standards across our five hospitals, giving us continuous assurance that the quality of care our patients receive is in line with best practice. It will enable us to identify any areas of concern as well as celebrate areas of excellence. We’re asking our staff and patients to embrace these visits to ultimately help us to provide the very best care to our local population.”

ACE will provide ward-to-board assurance on the quality of care, demonstrate compliance with key standards and identify themes for improvement to support shared priorities and learning.

It’s been revealed a quarter of medicines dispensed by hospital pharmacies at NHS Humber Health Partnership (NHSHHP) are for medication patients are already taking before they arrive for treatment.

NHS HHP runs the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, Scunthorpe General Hospital, Goole and District Hospital, Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.

Patients packing a bag for a planned hospital stay are being urged to include any current medications and prescriptions.

Other items patients are encouraged to bring with them include toiletries, hearing aids, glasses, nightwear, emergency contact details and books/magazines.
Jo Goode, Group Chief Pharmacist for NHS HHP, said: “By not bringing their current medication with them, patients not only risk interrupting their regular medication doses, which could have serious consequences on their long-term condition or treatment, but they’re also unnecessarily costing the NHS money.”

Patients not bringing their own medication in with them is estimated to cost NHS HHP thousands of pounds every week. A recent audit of patients at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG), which runs hospitals in Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Goole, highlighted potential savings of £6,000 a week simply by patients bringing their existing medication in with them – that means patients at NLaG alone could help save up to £24,000 a month and £312,000 over the course of a year.

At Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust a recent audit carried our during Diabetes and Insulin Safety Awareness Week found that if patients brought their insulin pens into the hospital and hospital teams managed this medication more efficiently, savings of up to £2,000 each week could be made on insulin supplies alone.

Jo continued: “If you’ve got an operation or procedure coming up, where you need to stay overnight with us, I’d urge you to pack any tablets, liquids, drops, creams or ointments that you’re currently prescribed and may need. By doing so you’ll be looking after your own long-term health and helping your local NHS to save money too.”

Nurses at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital are using clinical simulation to learn new ways of helping patients who become sicker in hospital.

 Special training events are being held in the Clinical Skills building in the grounds of Hull Royal Infirmary to help nurses who may encounter deterioration in their patients.

 The Nurse Training and Simulation sessions allow clinical staff to practice five different scenarios they may face during their shifts, such as a patient developing the potentially deadly condition sepsis, using mannequins in a mock hospital ward in the training suite.

Donna Gotts

Donna Gotts, Sepsis Specialist Nurse at NHS Humber Health Partnership, said: “Any unwell patient needs to be recognised quickly, no matter what the cause is.

 “We’re putting a massive emphasis on taking observations because they’re our first sign and red flag warning of a potential problem.

 “Observations can be seen as a mundane task given to junior staff but the reality is it’s a clinical assessment. It’s not just about doing it properly, it’s about understanding and interpreting what the readings mean, say, when there’s a change in respiratory rate.”

 As well as refresher training covering observations and how they highlight deterioration in patients, the training sessions also cover recent changes to sepsis guidance, showing staff warning signs of sepsis, how to voice concerns and the steps to take to escalate to the medical team.

  “It’s about giving people time to step back and think about patient care while giving them the confidence to know what to do, how to act and when to escalate to medical staff,” Donna said.

 “These training sessions are an open, honest and safe environment where no question is a silly question, mistakes can be made and shared and we all learn from each other.”

Kirsty Stephenson

Kirsty Stephenson, Nursing Simulation Fellow, has designed the training programme and has run sessions with registered nurses since November, with a view to extending the training to other staff groups.

 She said: “We’ve created different scenarios based on what a registered nurse may encounter, how to recognise signs of deterioration in patients and how to respond.

 “These training sessions enable staff to learn in safe environments, helping them understand why we do the basics like observations.

“It’s getting them to not just do the observations but to think deeper about what might be going on with their patient.”

Hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds attended a special event at Castle Hill Hospital last night to learn about nursing careers and apprenticeships in the NHS.

The Apprenticeship team at NHS Humber Health Partnership had planned to see around 150 people interested in joining one of three different routes for apprentices into nursing careers.

However, more than 300 people from school leavers to older people seeking a new career direction attended the two-hour drop-in at the new Learning and Innovation Centre at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham.

Anne Burdis, Widening Participation Manager, said the event, held as part of National Apprenticeship Week, surpassed all expectations and was an overwhelming success.

She said: “We’d expected around 60 people last year and 150 turned up and we were absolutely delighted. We were expecting the same again this year but we’d more than 300 people coming with their friends, parents and family members to find out about apprenticeships.

“We’d so many people, we’d to introduce a queuing system so we could help everyone who turned up.

“While we had many people asking about our nursing apprenticeships, we’d lots of people asking about other clinical roles like midwifery and operating department practitioners and paramedics as well as lots asking about non-clinical roles in the NHS.”

The group, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary, Castle Hill Hospital, Goole Hospital, Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby and Scunthorpe General, currently employs around 450 people studying towards an apprenticeship of some level in areas such as nursing, therapies, estates and facilities.

Four apprenticeship routes are offered for those interested in nursing careers in conjunction with Hull College, North Lindsay College and the University of Hull – Trainee Nursing Associates, a Registered Nurse degree programme and Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships for Health Care Support Workers.

The event was held to encourage people to apply for the new intake of apprenticeships starting in September, with around 15 places for each nursing apprenticeship cohort.

Claire Pick and Pearl Armstrong, both Education and Development Advisors in the team, linked up with 40 schools and colleges in the area and worked with Cornerstone, a Hull-based organisation supporting young people, to publicise the apprenticeship programme ahead of the event and produced a special guide for the first time to help parents and guardians support a young person through an apprenticeship.

Practice Development Matron Natalie Hall said apprentices currently enrolled in the nursing programme also attended the event to help speak to people keen to follow in their footsteps.

Natalie said: “We’d our younger apprentices speaking to school leavers and college students about their experience while some of our older apprentices were able to speak to people looking for a change in career or to move into nursing from an existing NHS role.

“We’re really happy with how the event went and we’d like to thank everyone who dedicated their time to making the night such a success.”

The next stage in the process is for people to apply for the places ahead of the new intake in the autumn.

Visit Apprentices – join.humberhealthpartnership.nhs.uk to find out more.

Help is at hand for parents of young people looking to embark on NHS apprenticeships.

In a first for the region’s hospitals, NHS Humber Health Partnership has launched a new Parents Guide to Apprenticeships during National Apprenticeship Week, 10-16 February 2025.

The guide is designed to help parents, carers and guardians better understand what’s involved in an apprenticeship and provide key information to help with decision-making, such as educational entry requirements, financial support and how family benefits may be affected.

Anne Burdis, Widening Participation Manager, says:

“We have been providing hospital-based apprenticeship opportunities in Hull for over ten years now, and in that time, we’ve come to realise just how important it is for parents and guardians to be a part of a young person’s apprenticeship journey.

“Aspiring apprentices usually have a number of key questions around qualifications, time commitment and so on, but the questions which parents and guardians have are often very different.

“With support from our own apprentices, training providers and through discussion with parents at careers events, we have devised our own parents guide to provide quick and easy access to advice and further sources of information.  We want this to be helpful for the whole family in understanding what’s involved in a hospital-based apprenticeship and where more help can be found if required.”

The 12-page guide, which also contains tips, background information and answers to some of parents’ most frequently asked questions, is available online at https://hey-nhs.pagetiger.com/HHPParentsGuide/1

It will also be presented to parents and carers this week as part of a special webinar hosted by the Hull and East Riding Business Growth and Skills Hub. On Thursday 13^th February, parents and carers will hear from Hull Hospitals staff as well as some of the region’s other large employers and apprenticeship champions, such as BAE Systems, Siemens, Sewells, and Cranswick Foods.

Katherine Bosanquet, Training and Development Manager, says:

“The guide contains some of the core information about apprenticeships which both apprentices and their parents or guardians will want to refer back to, as well as some of the handy stuff to know, like how to get a NUS card and how having an apprentice in the household can affect council tax or child benefits.

“As an employer of some 17,000 people across the region, we recognise the importance of ‘growing our own’ and we’re proud to have a really strong track record of supporting both new recruits and existing staff through apprenticeship training.

“Our parents guide is being published this week alongside a further guide for managers to ensure we can support our new and aspiring apprentices as far as possible.”

Hospital infection expects are advising people to stay away from hospital if they have symptoms of a highly contagious virus. 

Hospitals around the country are seeing patients with norovirus, which causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain.

 Also known as the ‘winter vomiting bug’ because of its prevalence during the colder months, Norovirus can affect people of all ages and thrives in closed environments such as hospitals, care homes and schools. Older or frail people and those with underlying health conditions are at particular risk from Norovirus.

 Now, the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) team at NHS Humber Health Partnership, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary, Castle Hill Hospital, Goole Hospital, Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital and Scunthorpe General, is advising people to stay away from any hospital or care facility if they have any symptoms or are feeling unwell.

 Assistant Chief Nurse Wendy Millard, Deputy Director of IPC, said: “By taking simple precautions like washing your hands after using the bathroom and before eating or preparing food can prevent you catching the virus in the first place.

“And if you do have any symptoms or feel unwell for any other reason, please help us by staying away from our hospitals and not visiting relatives or loved ones until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped.

“If you have a hospital appointment but develop symptoms, please contact the number on your appointment letter to reschedule.”

The virus is transmitted by consuming contaminated food or water, touching contaminated surfaces or coming into close contact with someone already infected with Norovirus. It is resilient and can survive on surfaces for days or even weeks, which makes it easy to spread from person to person.

Symptoms including the sudden onset of nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps, low-grade fever and muscle pain usually start within 12 to 48 hours of coming into contact with the virus and can last for one to three days.

Although most normally healthy people recover without medical treatment, the illness can be severe for young children, older adults and individuals with weakened immune systems due to the risk of dehydration.

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/