Trust running Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital to hold its AGM

Day surgery expansion, a decade of apprenticeships and the impact of industrial action will be among the topics for discussion when Hull’s hospitals leaders meet next week.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at 9am on Wednesday 16 October 2024.

Hosted by Group Chairman, Sean Lyons, and Group Chief Executive, Jonathan Lofthouse, the meeting will serve as the official annual review for the Trust and include a round-up of major developments, achievements, challenges and milestones over the past 12 months.

The Trust’s annual accounts for the 2023/2024 financial year will also be presented by Acting Group Chief Finance Officer, Mark Brearley, and the Trust’s annual report will be made available.

Sean Lyons says:

“The past year has been incredibly eventful for Hull Hospitals, most notably because we have moved to a group working arrangement with Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.

“While the year has not been without its challenges, we are starting to realise some of the benefits from this closer working arrangement, which will be discussed at the meeting.

“We have also seen some notable developments around Hull Royal and Castle Hill, such as the expansion of cots and facilities within our neonatal care unit and the start of work on the second phase of our £39 million day surgery unit.

“Caring for thousands of people each year, our hospitals are very much a part of the local community and we’d invite anyone who has an interest in health, or who would like to know more about hospital issues and developments over the past 12 months, to join us at our AGM next week.”

The meeting will be held online via Microsoft Teams and is open to all to attend. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers from the public after the formal presentations have been made.

To register to receive the agenda and joining link, please email sarahmeggitt@nhs.net

Our group directors will come together on Thursday 10 October for a meeting of our Trust Boards-in-Common.

The meeting will start at 9am and will be held in the Boardroom at Hull Royal Infirmary. This is a formal meeting with a set agenda.

Members of the public are welcome. Please email sarahmeggitt@nhs.net before noon on Wednesday 9 October if you wish to attend.

A sustainability project designed to upskill community groups and create new homes for nature is taking flight.

NHS Humber Health Partnership, which runs hospitals including Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, has teamed up with two community groups to turn leftover wooden pallets into bird boxes, bat boxes and homes for hedgehogs.

Members of Worklink in Cottingham and friends of east Hull’s Alderman Kneeshaw Park have both been creating new from old, with a focus on teaching practical skills such as woodwork and design, and improving the local area.

Amy Lockyer, Commissioning and Support Services Manager for NHS Humber Health Partnership explains:

“Our hospitals receive scores of deliveries every day, and many of those arrive on wooden pallets due to their size or weight.

“Most of the time, the goods are left on the pallets, then it’s left to us to dispose of them and pick up the associated costs.

“The construction of the £39m Day Surgery Centre on the Castle Hill site led to some green space and wooded areas being cleared, so we needed to ensure a proportion of that was re-provided for ecological purposes. The bird boxes, bat boxes and hedgehog houses are designed to encourage birds and animals back to the site that might previously been displaced due to construction, and later in the year we’ll be planting saplings around the site to grow additional tree cover for them.

“Sustainability has been a key consideration throughout the Day Surgery Centre* development, and so it made perfect sense to create the new animal shelters out of materials which would otherwise be treated as waste, and provide benefits and training opportunities for local people too.”

One of the groups which has taken on the challenge of creating new homes for four-legged friends is Worklink Cottingham. The group provides work-based employment support and training for adults with learning disabilities and Autism, including practical skills development, CV writing and interview skills.

Abby Gibbon, Senior Employment Officer for Worklink Cottingham, says:

“As a key part of the local community in Cottingham, we’re committed to supporting and promoting the successes of both our organisation and others within our community.

“After discussing the project with our staff, we recognised the importance of giving back and decided to contribute by supporting this NHS project. This initiative offers our service users an exciting opportunity to engage in a new project, allowing them to develop and refine their skills.

“Our service users always embrace new challenges, and with leadership from Graham, one of our dedicated Employment Support Trainers, they are really enthusiastic about learning how to create these new wooden items. This type of activity not only enriches their vocational profiles, part of our in-house course aimed at enhancing practical skills, but also allows them to excel in intricate tasks like painting and sanding.”

Also giving back to the community and honing their skills at the same time are the Friends of Alderman Kneeshaw Park, based in east Hull. Since their first delivery of hospital pallets back in June, adults and children – including three pupils from Aspire Academy – have been working together to design, craft and paint a selection of bird boxes and bat boxes which will shortly be installed around the Castle Hill site. The

Debbie Morrell, Project Lead, says:

“This project is all about empowering the community to take action to protect nature. We wanted to get people involved in the practical side of it, so this is where the woodwork came in.

“They’ve been able to build planters and bat/bird boxes, and my husband pre-cuts the wood to size, so it’s really accessible for the children.

“Our ethos is ‘Preserving the past, preparing the future’, so this brings all of that together. It’s been great being involved in this, as it fits in what we’re trying to achieve as a group.”

Alex Best, Deputy Director for Capital Development at NHS Humber Health Partnership says:

“We are always keen to work with our local community and this collaboration with Worklink and friends of east Hull’s Alderman Kneeshaw Park has been a great example of this.

“Reusing what would otherwise be waste materials and saving the costs of disposal have been two additional benefits of this partnership alongside the benefits for participants and for nature.

“Moving forward we hope to continue these partnerships for forthcoming projects to further enhance our commitment to sustainability and upskilling the local workforce.”

Together, the two groups have recycled wooden pallets from the hospital to create an impressive collection of more than 20 bird boxes, bat boxes and hedgehog houses.

Did you know that if you come into our hospitals for care and you’d like to quit smoking, we have dedicated teams to help you do it? Working with both acute patients and parents-to-be accessing maternity care, our Tobacco Dependency teams across NHS Humber Health Partnership are on hand to support you on the journey to becoming smoke free. Already, the teams have helped more than 7,300 patients across northern Lincolnshire, Hull and the East Riding to stop smoking. We know that it’s easy to slip back into old habits so once you’ve taken those first – and let’s face it, hardest – steps, and we don’t want all that hard work to go to waste, so we have now launched a new initiative to help you stay on track. Pamela Parkinson, one of our Tobacco Dependency Clinical Leads, said: “When you leave our care, we want to help to give you the best possible chance of making this a sustainable change, as we know it can be difficult once you’re home and back into your old routine. “That’s why we have worked with our Pharmacy teams to come up with Discharge Cards, which will be given to you along with your medication, which has details of local support available if you feel like you’re tempted to go back to smoking. “These will be given to anyone who’s been on NRT (Nicotine Replacement Treatment) or has engaged with our teams to try and stop smoking.” As part of Stoptober, we’re also running and supporting events at our sites and across our communities, to help spread the word about the benefits of being smoke free. These include:

• The Healthy Lifestyles team will be at the Ironstone Centre today (Wednesday, 2 October) from 11.30am to 2pm, offering free carbon monoxide testing and advice. They’ll also be back at the centre again from 10am to 12pm on Thursday, 10 October.
• Hull Addiction Service will be manning stands in both the Nourish and Nightingales restaurants at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital until the second week of October, where you can discuss the support available for substance misuse, including smoking.
• The Healthy Lifestyles team will be offering free Carbon Monoxide readings and advice on all things quitting smoking at Brigg Farmers’ Market from 10am to 2pm on Thursday, 3 October and 9am to 12pm on both Thursday 17 October and Thursday 24 October.
• The Healthy Lifestyles team will also be offering free carbon monoxide readings and advice at Ashby High Street Market. They’ll be there from 9am to 12pm on Thursday 3 October, Thursday 10 October and Thursday 17 October.
• Friday, 18 October – Smoke Free Hull will be available to speak to in the lobby at Hull Royal Infirmary from 9am to 1pm.
• Wednesday, 23 October – Smoke Free Hull will be available to speak to in Nightingales Restaurant, Castle Hill, from 9am to 1pm.

There are also Stop Smoking walk-in services available across North East Lincolnshire, which take place every week.

• The Fusion Centre, Ladysmith Road, Grimsby – Tuesdays from 4pm to 8pm
• The Roxton Practice, Pilgrim Primary Care Centre, Pelham Road, Immingham – Tuesdays 3pm to 6.30pm
• Stirling Medical Centre, Stirling Street, Grimsby – Tuesdays 10am to 1pm
• Freshney Green Medical Centre, Sorrel Road, Grimsby – Wednesdays from 1.30pm to 6pm
• Freeman Street Market, Freeman Street, Grimsby – Fridays from 9am to 3pm.

Families who have lost a baby are being invited to join in one of three special, regional remembrance events next month.

To mark Baby Loss Awareness Week (9-15 October), members of NHS Humber Health Partnership’s Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team have been working with SANDS, the Still Birth and Neonatal Death charity, and midwifery staff across the region’s hospitals to arrange a series of special services.

Anyone who has been touched by the loss of a baby, at any stage of life, is welcome to attend, as Rev. Harry Smart explains:

“For the majority of people, the arrival of a baby is a time of great joy and celebration, but sadly this is not always the case. The loss of a baby at any stage; before, during or after birth; can be devastating, not just for the immediate parents but for wider family and friends around them too.

“As baby loss is something our chaplains, our charity partners and our specialist midwifery teams support people with on a regular basis, we wanted to invite people to join us in a special service to remember their little ones and to find comfort and strength among those who have shared a similar experience.”

A total of three services will be held across both banks of the Humber; two in Hull and one in Scunthorpe. Each service will give families the opportunity for reflection and to give thanks.

Families will also be invited to light a candle and have their baby’s name read out during the service of remembrance.

Joanne Milns, from the Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team working across Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital says:

“No one can truly understand the grief caused by the loss of a child until they have lived that experience. It’s something that most people will carry with them for the rest of their lives, but many don’t feel able to talk about it or truly express how they feel.

“Our remembrance services will give local families and their loved ones the chance to grieve, to reflect and to remember in a safe and supportive space; everyone is welcome.

“We want families to know there is support and understanding out there; each one of those babies was precious, and they will never be forgotten in our hearts.”

Services will be held on both banks of the Humber as follows:

• HULL – Sunday 6 October

Horncastle Building, Hull College, Wilberforce Drive HU1 3DG.

Two separate services will be held at 1pm and 3pm.

Please book in advance by calling the bereavement team on 07990 800223.

Families will be a given a heart at the service upon which to write their baby’s name and it will be read out during the service.

 

• SCUNTHORPE – Sunday 13 October

St Lawrence’s Church, Church Lane, Scunthorpe DN15 7AB.

The service will begin at 4pm.

No booking necessary.

Families will be a given a heart at the service upon which to write their baby’s name and it will be read out during the service.

If you are unable to attend but would still like to have your baby’s name included in one of the service of remembrance roll-calls, please email

• Hull events: email Joanne.Milns@nhs.net
• Scunthorpe event: email Scunthorpe@sands.org.uk

 

 

Our specialist women’s health physiotherapy services are providing a vital lifeline for women previously too scared and embarrassed to leave their home.

Here at NHS Humber Health Partnership, which operates Scunthorpe General Hospital, Grimsby’s Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Goole and District Hospital, Hull Royal Infirmary, Castle Hill Hospital and community services across northern Lincolnshire, our dedicated and highly skilled team of specialist pelvic health physiotherapy team provide the very best care for women with pelvic health problems.

The team are working with hundreds of women suffering with pelvic floor dysfunction which can leave them with urinary and faecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain and more.

As part of the new national perinatal pelvic health strategy (PPHS), we have recruited extra physiotherapists to help with the workload across our hospitals with further recruitment underway to support an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist. The aim of the PPHS is to provide focus on prevention, identification, and timely treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction during pregnancy and for at least 12 months after birth.

Helena Trought, who works at Scunthorpe and Grimsby hospitals, said: “This service makes such a difference to women and their quality of life. Women tell me it has given them a newfound confidence; they are able to leave the house without worrying about having an accident. One woman told me she could now go on holiday, wear a bikini, and get in the pool with her kids without the fear of embarrassing continence issues.”

Pelvic floor dysfunction is when the muscles or surrounding tissue are not working as they should do which can lead to faecal and urinary leakages when coughing, sneezing, laughing, running, or just standing up. It can also result in pelvic organ prolapse sexual dysfunction and more.

Physiotherapy helps retrain and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and can improve or prevent the symptoms.

Helena said: “It is often perceived as an older person’s issue. However, the majority of women I see are young women and women who have suffered an injury during childbirth, which is when they are most vulnerable. I am also seeing teenagers who are experiencing problems.

“The main thing is for women to seek help and not sit in silence at home too scared to go out, too embarrassed to speak up and seek help from their care provider. I want to empower women to feel confident in their own bodies throughout their lifespan. I want women to be able to live their lives to the full and not be blighted by something which can be treated. They don’t have to live in isolation, or in pain both of which can impact on their mental health.”

Cleethorpes mum of one Laura gave birth to her daughter at Grimsby hospital last October during which she suffered a third-degree tear. She said: “My midwife was absolutely amazing, and I am still in touch with her today. She explained everything to me before I went to theatre for the tear to be repaired.

“I was slightly concerned about any lasting damage as I am a physically active person and exercise regularly, so I didn’t want to experience any incontinence or prolapses now or in the future. At my six-week check post birth my consultant referred me to Helena.

“She gave me pelvic floor exercises which I had to do in my own time, and I met regularly with her for treatment. She always updated me on my progress and being the competitive person I am I always wanted to keep improving. She kept reiterating how the exercises needed to become part of my everyday life moving forward.”

During her treatment, Laura did a range of pelvic floor exercises with the aim of strengthening the muscles. This is because the tear had affected her muscles and the way they contracted. At the start of her treatment there was minor strength on one side, and none on the other. Today, her pelvic floor muscles are back to normal and working as they should.

Laura added: “Helena took the time to get to know me, as well as my daughter as she was often with me at my appointments. She was a significant part of my recovery and I have to thank her for re-building my pelvic floor. She was so kind and considerate. At the end of my treatment, I felt some sadness as Helena had become part of my mothering life. I’ll forever be thankful to her. If any new mums out there get offered a women’s health physio, take it!. They’re superheroes.”

Nicole Haslam, another one of our specialist pelvic health physiotherapists who works in Hull, said: “I am privileged to work in this speciality and have spent many years developing my skills to best treat these ladies. Women’s health has for so long been a poor relation part of healthcare and I am passionate about spreading the word and helping women of all ages. Seeing the anxiety and worry visibly melt away as women are given the opportunity to explain their problems and really feel heard. The relief on their faces when they realise that someone actually hears what they are saying and understands their problems is probably the most satisfying aspect of my role.”

The service, which is provided at Grimsby, Scunthorpe, and Hull currently sees on average 130 women per week. Women can be referred in a number of ways including from urogynaecology, obstetrics, midwifery, nurse practitioners, other allied health professionals and by GPs. If you think the service could help you, then speak to your healthcare provider and ask for a referral.

The team works to help women with some of the most embarrassing and not talked about topics in health. They want to be able to help women live healthier lives, for longer.

Local people urged to confirm their wishes as the Organ Donor Register celebrates its 30^th birthday this year

Organ donors, recipients and healthcare staff are among those marking a very special anniversary today as national Organ Donation Week gets underway.

Since the national Organ Donor Register (ODR) was established in 1994, thousands of lives have been saved or transformed as a result of the kindness of others.

In the past 12 months alone, 76 transplants have taken place across the country thanks to organ donors from across Hull, East Yorkshire, North and North East Lincolnshire, and six of those recipients were children. That’s 76 lives which have been saved or changed for the better, and 76 families who have been gifted more time with their loves ones and the chance to make more memories thanks to people from our region.

As the country prepares to celebrate this significant milestone, specialist nurses are still urging people to be aware of the recent change in law around organ donation, and of the importance of discussing your thoughts with loved ones, should the worst happen.

Joanna Pancarowicz, specialist nurse for organ donation working across Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital says:

“The law around organ donation changed in England in 2020 to an ‘opt out’ system. Essentially, anyone who hasn’t registered a decision relating to organ donation is now considered as having no objection to becoming a donor, should the situation arise.

“Families are always consulted and have the final say. However, what we find, working with families, is that knowing their loved one’s decision can make an extremely difficult and heartbreaking situation slightly easier.”

Seventy-eight people across the Humber region are currently waiting for a transplant, and while 158,000 people in our area have already confirmed their wishes via the organ donor register, there are still hundreds of thousands of local people yet to record their views.

Helen Russell, specialist nurse for organ donation across Hull Hospitals says:

“Whether you opt in or opt out from becoming an organ or tissue donor, the most important thing is for your family and loved ones to be clear on your wishes.

“Death and dying are not something people talk about but in circumstances like this, it’s so important.”

Lisa Cochrane, specialist nurse for organ donation working across Scunthorpe General Hospital and Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, adds:

“Organ donation is a gift like no other and while some people can wait years for a suitable donor, it is the generosity and kindness of ordinary people and their families which make it possible for us to bring light and bring hope into patients’ lives.

“Receiving a transplant can be truly life-changing, but unfortunately there are still too many people dying while they wait due to the lack of registered donors.

“This Organ Donation Week, please be sure to register your decision on the national Organ Donation website, but also to talk to family and friends about it. Should the worst happen, this could help to take a difficult decision out of their hands and potentially make a traumatic time just that little bit easier for your loved ones.”

In celebration of 30 years of organ donation, buildings across the country will be lit up to raise awareness of this important topic for the next seven days; locally, The Deep, Hull City Hall and the Maritime Museum in Hull’s Queen Victoria Square will be lighting up pink for the week.

Anyone who would like more information or who wishes to talk through any questions they have around organ donation is welcome to visit the specialist nurses in organ donation on Wednesday 25 September, when they will be hosting a stand within the main entrance to Hull Royal Infirmary throughout the day.

Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant says:

“It’s brilliant of NHS Humber Health Partnership to show its support for Organ Donation Week in the year of the NHS Organ Donor Register’s 30th birthday.

“We need more people to add their name and decision to the NHS Organ Donor Register. This could be the difference between life and death for someone else.”

Confirm your decision at www.organdonation.nhs.uk or if you have the NHS app on your smartphone or tablet, you can also use this to record, check or amend your details and decision.

Organ Donation Week takes place from 23 – 29 September 2024.

Special hospital clinics will be set up from this week to offer a new vaccine at 28 weeks of pregnancy to protect babies from a potentially deadly winter bug.

Around 30,000 children under five are rushed to hospitals across the UK every winter with RSV, a virus affecting 90 per cent of children under two which can cause severe lung infections including bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Around 30 babies die of RSV each year while others are left with lifelong complications.

Today, Public Health Midwife Joanna Melia of NHS Humber Health Partnership, said: “Getting the RSV vaccine means you’re protecting you and your baby from what can be very severe condition, particularly in infants under three months old.

“But you’re also doing the right thing for your friends, workmates and wider community by protecting hospital services this winter.

“Fewer cases of RSV means fewer hospital admissions – and that means more beds, staff and resources to save more lives.”

Clinics offering the RSV vaccine at 28 weeks of pregnancy will be held at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital in the Antenatal Department on Thursday mornings and Friday afternoons. They’ll also be offered at Castle Hill Hospital on Friday afternoons.

Appointments will be booked with your community midwife. You’ll also be able to book an appointment for the vaccine to protect you and your baby from whooping cough between 16 and 20 weeks into your pregnancy.

Andrew Gwynne, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, encouraged those eligible to take up the offer of the free vaccine after revealing his own family had been impacted by RSV.

“My own grandson contracted RSV when he was just days old, leading to weeks in intensive care and a lifelong impact on his health,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to go through what he went through.

“Not only will this vaccine save lives and protect the most vulnerable, it will help ease pressure on our broken NHS, freeing up thousands of hospital beds as we head into winter.”

People aged 75 to 79 years old by 1 September 2024 will also be invited to receive their RSV vaccination with their GP, and those turning 75 after this date will also receive an invitation from their GP once eligible.

A dazzling night of celebration saw a whole host of healthcare professionals recognised for their compassion and dedication, from porters, physiotherapists and pharmacists to administrators, nurses and midwives.

Golden Stars 2024 took place on Friday 13 September.

Lisa Wilson, Mortuary Assistant at Grimsby Hospital, scooped the Healthcare Heroes Award – a category nominated for and chosen by patients – for the comfort and reassurance she gives to grieving families.

Meanwhile Dorothy Gilchrist, Clinical Lead Physiotherapist, picked up the lifetime achievement award – in honour of her 31 years’ service to the hand therapy department at Hull.

16 awards in total were presented on Friday night at the Hilton Hotel in Hull with staff across Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG) and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH) rewarded for their efforts over the last year.

There were two surprise awards on the night. Ellie Laughton and Gillian Downs, from Hull Outpatients, were praised by Group Chief Executive Jonathan Lofthouse for the kindness and compassion they showed to a patient recently widowed, with no close friends or family, on their birthday. Meanwhile Chairman Sean Lyons, presented his personal award to Rachael Hardcastle-Pearce, Lead for Voluntary Services at Hull, for her dedication to supporting volunteers.

Golden Stars was the first awards ceremony of NHS Humber Health Partnership – the group name for NLaG and HUTH.

The winners of Golden Stars 2024 are:

 

• Net Zero Hero – Pharmacy Zero30 Group, Hull Royal Infirmary
• Unsung Hero – Collins Afful, Respiratory Virtual Ward, Hull Royal Infirmary
• Excellence in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – Community Inclusion Nursing Team, Scunthorpe
• Excellence in Partnership Working Award – Anlaby Suite, Hull Royal Infirmary
• Excellence in Quality Improvement Award – Colorectal USC/FDS Pathway Project Group, Castle Hill Hospital
• Excellence in Research, Development and Innovation – Respiratory Clinical Trials Unit, Castle Hill Hospital
• Excellence in Patient Safety Award – Ward 23, Scunthorpe General Hospital
• Volunteer of the Year Award – Bill, Caroline & Lisa from Ward 31, Queen’s Centre, Castle Hill Hospital
• Inspirational Leader – Joanne Goode, Chief Pharmacist, Hull
• Rising Star Award – John Epie, Staff Nurse, Scunthorpe Stroke Unit
• Outstanding Support Team – HUTH Portering Service
• Outstanding Clinical Team – Bereavement Midwives, Hull Women and Children’s Hospital
• The Healthcare Heroes Award – Lisa Wilson, Mortuary Assistant, Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby
• Chief Executive’s Award – Ellie Laughton and Gillian Downs, Outpatients, Hull
• Chairman’s Award – Rachael Hardcastle-Pearce, Lead for Voluntary Services, HUTH
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Dorothy Gilchrist, Castle Hill Hospital

Golden Stars was sponsored by APCOA, Fisher Security, Resource Finder, ACA Architects, Knowles Fleet, Listers, Capsticks, Elior and T2.

Hull Royal Infirmary is launching a patient safety initiative to prevent people losing their independence after hospital stays.

Patients who spend longer than they need in hospital beds are at increased risk of falling, mental health problems, losing their independence or readmission through a physiological process known as “deconditioning”.

Now, the Falls Service is unveiling the project as part of Falls Awareness Week to identify patients most at risk of deconditioning to keep them safe, active and engaged throughout their time in hospital.

Consultant in Elderly Medicine Dr Ricky Saharia, Clinical Lead for the Falls Service, said: “Patients admitted to hospital are at risk of deconditioning and staying in hospital longer than is clinically necessary can have a detrimental effect on health.

“The impact can be felt within 24 hours of bed rest and, after one week, patients can lose up to 10 per cent of their muscle strength.  Older and more frail patients are at higher risk of deconditioning.

“This can increase the risk of falls, loss of independence and longer time in hospital. Deconditioning increases the likelihood of requiring social care support on discharge and there’s a higher risk of readmission to hospital.”

The project aligns with “Flow”, a major campaign under way at NHS Humber Health Partnership, the hospital group running Hull Royal Infirmary, Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Scunthorpe General Hospital, Goole and District Hospital and Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, to ensure people can leave hospital as soon as they are well enough.

Maintaining activity levels and avoiding deconditioning protects independence and helps patients return home earlier, avoiding further deconditioning.  Better for patients, it also improves flow for the hospital by creating capacity for sick patients coming into the Emergency Department.

From next month, people over 65 attending Hull’s Emergency Care Area will fill in a questionnaire soon after they arrive at hospital to identify those at risk of deconditioning.

Anyone attending after a fall, who has fallen in the past year or who uses a walking aid will use a dedicated section of the waiting area and will be given information about community services to help prevent future falls or hospital attendances. The questionnaire also means the Falls Service will be notified of anyone at risk of deconditioning.

Ward 120 at Hull Royal, which cares for patients with orthopaedic problems such as hip fractures, will also take part in goal-setting initiatives as the project continues throughout the summer.

Patients and their families will identify what help they may need, such as support to eat their food or walk to the bathroom, when they arrive on the ward.

With the support of their relatives, patients will also set small daily goals such as walking along the corridor and back to their bed, standing every hour or sitting in their chair for part of the morning.

“Activity Volunteers” will also be introduced on Ward 90 in the Department of Medical Elderly at Hull Royal and Ward 31 at Castle Hill Hospital for oncology patients to support patients at risk of deconditioning with activities such as gentle chair yoga or daily strengthening exercises.

Families will also be encouraged to bring day clothes and suitable footwear for patients to get them out of bed and into more normal routines.

Results from the project will be reviewed in six months with a view to extending the project to other hospitals in the group.