Routine operations and outpatient appointments cancelled

Communications TeamNews

Non-urgent outpatient appointments and routine surgery at Hull’s hospitals will be postponed from today to allow staff to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is cancelling some elective procedures and outpatient appointments following a national announcement by NHS England to free up 12,000 to 15,000 hospital beds around the country.

However, emergency operations and admissions, cancer treatment and clinically urgent work will still go ahead.

Cancelling non-urgent operations and outpatient appointments from today will free up staff to undertake training, beds, theatres and recovery facilities ahead of the predicted COVID-19 peak in a few weeks.

Jacqueline Myers, the trust’s Director of Strategy and Planning, said: “As the Chief Medical Officer has stated, NHS services are likely to come under intense pressure as the coronavirus spreads. We need to ensure that we have as many beds available as possible to care for patients with severe respiratory problems when the number of infections peaks.

“Therefore, in line with well-established plans for situations like this, every hospital in England has now been asked to suspend all non-urgent elective operations for at least three months, with some other procedures likely to be rescheduled so we can train our staff and adapt certain areas.

“Urgent and emergency cases and cancer treatments will be carrying on as normal, but we know many people waiting for treatment will be disappointed or worried and we will be contacting everyone affected as soon as possible.”

The trust’s patient admin team are working as fast as possible to alert patients who have appointments over the next few days and weeks and are appealing to the public not to call the hospital about their appointments.

If your appointment is within the next seven days and is to be cancelled or changed to a telephone consultation, you will receive a telephone call from the Patient Admin team and a follow-up letter.

If your appointment is more than seven days from now, you will receive a letter if your appointment is to be cancelled or changed to a telephone consultation.

Some patients will still be required to attend to continue treatment so, if you do not receive a letter or a phone call, please turn up for your appointment as normal.

Midwife collects thousands of crisp packets to help bereaved children

Communications TeamNews

A midwife at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital has collected thousands of empty crisp packets from staff and patients to help children who have lost a parent.

Kim Preece started collecting crisp packets after a neighbour set up Bereaved Children Support in York.

Now, Kim, a midwife on Maple Ward, has collected thousands to be sent to a well-known crisp manufacturer for recycling, saving them from landfill, while raising money for the charity.

She said: “My neighbour had asked if we would help to support the children for children who have lost one of their parents. She has lost her husband and although there was plenty of support for her, she found there wasn’t very much for her two young children.

“She got in touch with other parents and they set up the charity. The manufacturer said they would do what they could to support them and we came up with the idea of collecting crisp packets for recycling.”

The money raised by the charity is used to pay for counselling or arts and crafts at monthly meetings to help the children express themselves.

In December, the charity raised £237, which funded 15 hours of counselling or an entire year of arts and crafts materials.

Kim, who has been a midwife for 17 years after originally training as a nurse, said: “I told the staff on Maple and Rowan Wards that I was collecting crisp packets and why and they all agreed to help me.

“I’ve collected thousands and I would just like to thank everyone who has supported me and the charity.”

More support for patients diagnosed with a brain tumour

Communications TeamNews, Queen's Centre

A new support group has been set up to help patients diagnosed with a brain tumour and their carers.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s Living with and Beyond Cancer Team has begun running the monthly sessions to provide practical advice and emotional support to patients and their loved ones.

Macmillan associate practitioner, Claire Walker, says the meetings have been tailored to meet the needs of these two specific groups:

Queen's Centre, Castle Hill Hospital

Meetings are held at the Queen’s Centre in Cottingham

“Receiving a diagnosis of a brain tumour can be a real shock to patients and their families. People can experience a brain tumour at any age, and it can affect a number of different physical functions including speech, memory and mobility. In some cases, people can really struggle to accept the diagnosis or adapt to their situation.

“Depending on the nature of the tumour, this can lead to a spouse or another loved one becoming a full time carer for the patient, which can feel tough, isolating, and can ultimately be life-changing.

“Late last year, we recognised a growing demand for help and advice linked to brain tumours. As result, we decided it would be worthwhile to set up a group offering the advice which patients need but also giving them and their carers the chance to meet others in the same situation.

“Members of the Living With and Beyond Cancer Team will be on hand at the meetings to offer practical help and advice with matters such as diet and exercise, employment, activity groups and referral to other services. Neurology specialist nurses will also be available to offer more specialist clinical advice and support. But sometimes patients and their carers will draw as much strength from meeting others in the same situation and being able to talk through shared experiences, so we’re hoping our patients and their carers will really get a lot out of these new sessions. “

Meetings will be held monthly at the Queen’s Centre, Castle Hill Hospital, and the next session will take place on Monday 9 March.

For more details, contact the Living With and Beyond Cancer Team on 01482 461091.

Lead midwife helps mum in labour outside hospital during visit by Chief Midwifery Officer

Communications TeamNews

Lead Midwife Lorraine Cooper sprang into action during a visit by England’s most senior midwife when a woman gave birth outside Hull Women and Children’s Hospital.

Lorraine was sitting in her car waiting to drive Chief Midwifery Officer Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent to Paragon Interchange when she spotted the woman about to give birth in the car park.

A midwife for 25 years and now Lead Midwife at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Lorraine rushed over to help the mother as her baby was born.

Lead Midwife Lorraine Cooper

Lorraine said: “I was waiting outside the hospital and saw a car drive up really quickly behind me and a man rush inside.“I suspected someone might be needing help so I went over to the car. I didn’t have my uniform on so I introduced myself as a midwife and offered to help the woman. I could see the baby was well on the way.”

Lorraine helped the mother stay calm and her baby girl arrived minutes later. She then took Professor Dunkley-Bent to the train station to catch a train home to London.

“It’s the second time I’ve helped a woman deliver her baby in a car and I’m just glad I was there to help,” said Lorraine. “I was just in the right place at the right time.

“I went to check on them when I came back from the train station and both mother and baby were fine.”

Professor Dunkley-Bent presented awards to the team during her visit

Professor Dunkley-Bent  was appointed Chief Midwifery Officer last year and has been touring the country’s maternity hospitals.

She was visiting Hull on Friday to see staff and services at Women and Children’s Hospital and the new Allam Medical Building at the University of Hull.

During her visit to the maternity hospital, she was shown the Fatima Allam Birth Centre, met staff on the labour and post-natal wards and was introduced to staff helping women in need of additional support through the antenatal work.

Professor Dunkley-Bent  learned about the Continuity of Carer teams at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, helping to ensure women see the same midwife throughout their pregnancy and when their baby is born.

She presented the trust’s Head of Midwifery Janet Cairns with a gold Chief Midwifery Officer’s award and also the trust’s Ivy, Primrose and Willow Continuity of Carer teams with silver awards.

Polly is the 100th baby to be born at Hull’s Fatima Allam Birth Centre in 2020

Communications TeamNews

Staff at Hull’s birth centre are celebrating a record-breaking start to the year after the 100th baby was born there in just six weeks.

Hessle couple Lorna Easton, 23, and Steven Clarke, 25, opted to have baby daughter Polly at the Fatima Allam Birth Centre at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital.

Baby Polly arrived in the world under water on Monday, weighing 7lb 3oz, with midwife Eloise Taylor on hand.

Today, hairdresser Lorna said: “We’d heard great things about the birth centre from our friends so we were really keen to have our baby in such a relaxed environment.

“I thought a water birth would help me to relax and Eloise said it would be a great way to help.”

The birth centre – named after Fatima Allam, wife of Hull businessman and philanthropist Dr Assem Allam, in recognition of the support the Allam family has given to Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, opened in 2017.

In just three years, its birth rate has tripled as more women in Hull and the East Riding opt to have their babies at the midwifery-led unit.

Lorna Easton and baby Polly with midwife Eloise Taylor

Katie Headlam, who manages the unit, said: “To reach 100 babies in just six weeks is a phenomenal achievement and shows how popular the birth centre has become. We’re really grateful for the continuing support of the Allam family in being able to provide this wonderful service for families in Hull.

“Reaching 100 babies so quickly in 2020 shows that women feel more confident and understand they have choices about their birth, able to choose which option best suits their and their baby’s needs, and our highly skilled staff will support them.”

As well as offering women a more natural approach to child birth, the unit also has its own Continuity of Carer team of midwives – Willow – and the team supports the women through antenatal appointments, during the birth and after their babies are born.

Anyone interested in being supported by Willow or who wishes to find out more about the Fatima Allam Birth Centre should contact the Birth Centre directly on 01482 607860.

Help for new parents to cope with crying baby

Communications TeamNews

Couples preparing for the arrival of their new baby are to be given support from midwives at the next HEY Baby Carousel to cope with their child crying.

Midwives from Hull Women and Children’s Hospital will be on hand to help parents-to-be manage stress and develop coping mechanisms if their baby cries often.

People will be given the chance to watch a special DVD dedicated to helping new parents keep their baby safe as they cope with their new arrival into their lives.

Midwife Melanie Lee, who leads the Hey Baby team, said: “Looking after a baby isn’t easy, especially if the baby isn’t sleeping or feeding well or has colic.

“It’s important that parents are calm and relaxed and that their baby is always safe and this is a great way of equipping people with knowledge before their baby arrives.”

Hey Baby Carousel events are run by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the drop-in events, running from 6pm to 8pm on the last Wednesday of every month, have proved hugely popular.

Midwives and health teams trained in pregnancy support, birth, home safety and child care will be at the next Carousel at Hull Royal Infirmary’s Clinical Skills Building in Fountain Street, on Wednesday, February 26.

Women and their partners can be guided through their birth plans, making the best choice for them and their babies. They can also sign MAT B1 forms required for maternity payments for working women and to enable them to benefit from free prescriptions and dental care.

Midwives from the Fatima Allam Birth Centre also attend the event to outline the service available to women with uncomplicated pregnancies  and couples can also find out information about home or water births.

Staff from the Labour Ward at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital will also be available to answer questions women may have about their birth options on the obstetric-led unit.

Mental health teams and voluntary group Andy’s Man Club will be on hand to speak to people who may be feeling overwhelmed by the thought of parenthood.

Thousands of families to be targeted to ease pressure on Hull A&E

Communications TeamNews

Thousands of homes are to be sent mail shots urging people to stay away from Hull Royal Infirmary’s A&E unless they have a genuine medical emergency.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will target thousands of homes as part of its Serious Stuff campaign to urge the public to use alternative services most appropriate to their needs.

“Patient streaming” was recently introduced by the trust’s Emergency Department (ED) to re-direct people to the most appropriate service if they come to Hull Royal with anything other than serious or life-threatening illnesses or injuries.

Mailshots listing NHS services such as Urgent Treatment Centre at Bransholme and the GP walk-in service at Wilberforce Health Centre will be sent to homes with HU3 to HU9 postcodes after an audit showed people living in those areas were more likely to head to ED with less serious or minor conditions.

Emergency Department Consultant Biju Cherian

Emergency Consultant Biju Cherian said: “We are appealing to the public to help us by only coming to the Emergency Department when they are seriously ill or injured.

“We know people often come here because they don’t know where else to go so these leaflets will give them the information they need before they leave home.

“This means they can save time by going to the correct place first time around instead of coming here, only to be re-directed elsewhere as part of our new steaming system.”

Every person attending Hull’s ED is now met by a senior nurse known as a “nurse navigator” within 15 minutes to determine the most appropriate place for them to be treated.

Anyone using ED for minor illnesses and injuries because they cannot get an appointment with their GP will be re-directed to an appropriate alternative service in the community. People will be given information on where to get mental health support or help with addictions while others will be asked to seek help from their own GPs if their conditions are not serious.

The new patient streaming service is part of the trust’s plan to improve urgent and emergency care as well as supporting the winter plan when hospital admissions increase because of seasonal illnesses such as flu and respiratory conditions or major trauma linked to accidents caused by bad weather.

An additional 22 bed ward opened at the end of October and 12 extra assessment beds have been introduced at Hull Royal Infirmary to help cope with the additional demand over winter.

Staff known as “progress checkers” will also be based in the Emergency Department to work with other hospital teams to gather results or book tests so patients can be discharged home or admitted onto a ward sooner.

Joy Dodson, Director of Integrated Commissioning at NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Winter is an extremely busy time for our emergency services. The new leaflet is a great way to ensure people know where to go for minor injuries or illnesses, keeping A&E free for those with serious life or limb threatening emergencies.

“However, if someone is still not sure what to do, or where to go, I would advise they ring NHS 111 where trained advisors will assess their symptoms and direct them to the right local service.”

 

Hospital assist police after staff vehicles were targeted by thief

Communications TeamNews

Hospital security staff are assisting Humberside Police after staff’s vehicles were targeted by a thief while parked at the side of Hull Royal Infirmary.

Six cars had their catalytic converters either damaged or stolen while they were parked in the staff car park on Argyle Street, across the road from Hull Royal Infirmary.

Ron Gregory, Head of Security at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Our team is working with Humberside Police to find whoever is responsible for this.

“We know the cars were targeted on Tuesday between 8am and 4pm so we are checking relevant CCTV footage to see if we can assist police in any way.”

Security patrols have been stepped up around the hospital until the thief has been caught.

Hospital boss runs up tower block for children with sight problems

Communications TeamNews

An NHS boss is undertaking a tower block challenge to raise funds for a sensory room for children with sight problems and additional needs.

Chief Finance Officer Lee Bond will run up 13 floors of the tower block at Hull Royal Infirmary on Friday, February 14, to raise money for WISHH, the independent charity supporting Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Lee is currently training for the London Marathon in April with the aim of raising £10,000 for WISHH to create a sensory room at Hull and East Yorkshire Eye Hospital.

Lee said: “Our tower block is a major landmark in the city so it seems the right thing to do to run up to the top of it as part of training for one of the biggest challenges in the sporting calendar.

“It’ll take a huge amount of effort but I’m certainly up for the challenge.”

The Eye Hospital in Fountain Street looks after 15,000 children each year, providing emergency medical and surgical treatment, monitoring of eye conditions and long-term treatment.

The new sensory room will include light displays and projections, bubble tubes, wall decorations, sensory toys and music to help calm children feeling upset or anxious about their treatment.

It will also help children with conditions such as autism, ADHD or ADD.

Lee has already raised £5,500 towards his target and hopes the tower block challenge will help add to his donations. Staff and visitors will be lining the stairwell to cheer him on and throw spare change in his buckets.

Sue Lockwood, Chair of the WISHH’s Board of Trustees, said: “We are incredibly proud of Lee taking part in this challenge.

“The WISHH Charity supports staff working in our hospitals by providing the ‘added extras’ above and beyond NHS to make a difference to the patients and loved ones our hospitals care for.

“The introduction of a new sensory room will have positive effect on the children and their patients who attend the eye clinic, creating a new magical and calming environment.”

You can make a donation to Lee’s marathon challenge to help fund the sensory room.

Hospital patients and visitors face £100 fines for dropping cigarette butts

Communications TeamNews

Hospital patients and visitors are being warned they face fines of £100 if they drop cigarette butts outside Hull Royal Infirmary.

Hull City Council is enforcing anti-littering legislation at the bus stop in Anlaby Road, close to the entrance of the hospital tower block.

Fines are now being issued to people caught throwing their cigarettes on the ground in the pavement outside the hospital.

Security investigator Chris Watson, part of the trust’s security team, said: “The bus stop outside the hospital is known as a problem area where people have been dropping their cigarettes.

“This is an antisocial act and we are in full support of the council stepping up their action to send a clear message to anyone coming to our hospital that this is not acceptable behaviour.”

Both Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital are non-smoking sites with signs displayed all over the hospitals reminding people not to smoke. Staff regularly ask people to put out their cigarettes when they are spotted smoking near the entrances to wards and departments.

The trust is now using the council’s action to step up its bid to prevent people sparking up on hospital grounds.

Mr Watson said: “We would like to remind smokers our hospitals are non-smoking sites and people coming here, whether they are sick or to visit a sick friend or relative, should not have to walk through clouds of their smoke to get into our buildings.

“Anyone caught smoking on our grounds will be asked to put out their cigarettes and dispose of them in the appropriate ashtrays.”