East Riding of Yorkshire Council has introduced a two month swim session pilot, aimed solely at people who are experiencing cancer or who have been through cancer in the past.

The pilot sessions, which will take place at three leisure centres across the East Riding, will enable eligible people to swim with others who know what they have been through.

Many people going through cancer may wear wigs, prosthetics or aids to help them during or after their treatment. The cancer swim sessions enable people to feel comfortable removing these items, show their scars and swim with others who are in a similar situation to them without feeling judged or embarrassed.

The viewing windows around the pool will be covered for the swimmers’ privacy and members of staff from the leisure centres have been trained as Cancer Champions, courtesy of the Cancer Alliance.

There is also the opportunity for swimmers to chat and socialise with people in the café afterwards.

Many people who are experiencing cancer are told by their GPs to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including physical exercise where possible. People should always check with health professionals that they are able to go swimming.

John Skidmore, director of adults, health and customer services, said: “During the council’s cancer awareness project, we have heard comments from people who are unable to continue swimming due to their diagnosis of cancer.

“We want to try to break down that barrier for them and help them to continue doing the hobbies or exercises they love doing without restrictions.”

The council is trialling the sessions for two months and the demand will be reviewed at the end of July. Any feedback received from the swimmers will be greatly appreciated.

Ian Rayner, head of culture and customer services, said: “We are delighted to offer these sessions to people who may need somewhere to go to be physically, mentally and socially active.

“We want swimmers to know that they can feel comfortable attending these sessions and that everything is being done to make their visit a pleasurable and rewarding experience.

“Our trained staff are keen to exercise their knowledge about cancer and physical activity in general and we hope that this gives the swimmers an even better experience at our leisure centres.”

The pilot will start on Thursday and will run until the end of July.

Participating leisure centres include:

• East Riding Leisure Francis Scaife Tuesdays from 1-2pm
• East Riding Leisure South Holderness Thursdays from 3.15-4.15pm
• East Riding Leisure Withernsea Tuesdays and Fridays from 2-3pm

To find out more information about cancer awareness, visit www.eastridinghealthandwellbeing.co.uk

To become involved in the council’s one-year cancer awareness campaign as a case study or a supporter, email Kimberley.nichol@eastriding.gov.uk or call (01482) 391444.

Memory boxes are to be given to children to help them cope with the death of a brother, sister or parent at hospitals in Hull, North Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire..

Abbie’s Fund, set up by Katy Cowell in memory of her daughter, has donated white, pink and blue boxes for brothers and sisters of babies and children who die at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Labour & Delivery Suite, the Children’s Emergency Department or the Children’s Wards at Hull Royal Infirmary,

“Hug Me” hearts, where children struggling to ask for a hug can simply present the heart to a trusted adult to show what they need will be put inside the boxes.

Boxes will also be delivered to Adult Intensive Care Units at Hull and Grimsby to help children experiencing the death of a mother or father and to neonatal units in Doncaster and Scunthorpe.

Family finger print pictures, where every member of the family contributes their fingerprint to a family tree alongside their loved one, “heart in the hand” keyrings, teddies, clay moulds for hand and foot prints are among the items included in the box.

Anne Dalby, Sister on Ward 130 at Hull Royal Infirmary, said: “We are so grateful to Katy for all she has done to help families experiencing the death of a loved one.

“We hope they will help children to process their grief when their brother or sister dies and come to terms with their loss in a personal way.

“The boxes will allow them to feel close to their brother or sister, keeping their memories of them close and in a way that we hope will give them comfort.”

Katy and her husband Paul set up Abbie’s fund after their daughter Abbie Grace was stillborn at 38 weeks at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital in October 2010. She weighed 5lbs 4oz, was absolutely perfect but had died in the womb after the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck five times.

Katy and Paul spent two days in the hospital’s bereavement room with Abbie in a cold cot to allow them to spend precious time with their little girl.

They were given a memory box by a midwife shortly after Abbie was born, containing her hand and footprints and a lock of her hair.

Katy said: “We had planned to buy a memory box after we had left hospital but this removed the emotional trauma of searching for one at a time when we were consumed with grief.  We were extremely grateful.

“From our experiences following Abbie’s death, we have put together a box of keepsakes and ideas that we hope will help parents who find themselves in this situation to make precious memories.”

Katy recently joined the Paediatric Unit Bereavement Group working with nurses and play specialists to look at ways to support bereaved parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters.

Play specialist Gina Kirk said: “This can be a child’s special box where they can keep their memories. It can be useful straight away but it can also be something they can keep to help them.

“Katy has done an amazing thing to help other families and we’re so grateful for what she has done and the support she gives us.”

Katy said: “Abbie’s Fund has supported families who have lost a baby since 2010 and had recently developed memory boxes for siblings so we were in a great position to develop memory boxes for parents of older children, older siblings and for children who lose a parent.

“It has been an honour to be part of this group and we are really proud of the support we are able to give to many more local families who find themselves in this devastating situation.”

A dad has thanked NHS emergency staff for helping his son who broke his arm in two places in a scootering accident.

Dylan Douglas, 9, fell off his scooter during a day out at Little Switzerland in Hessle with his dad Iain, mum Sam, seven-year-old brother Ewan and 10-week-old baby brother Warran during the Easter holidays.

Paramedics from Yorkshire Ambulance Service carried Dylan out of a remote area of the nature reserve in a special chair before he was rushed to the Children’s Emergency Department at Hull Royal Infirmary.

Dylan Douglas with his injured arm

Now, with Dylan recovering after surgery to repair the double break, Iain is thanking the teams who worked together to help his family.

Iain, who works in the mental health liaison team at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Working in the NHS, I see great care everywhere ever day but I am truly blessed that my family received it too.

“To them, it was routine standard care but I know it was of exceptional high quality, from the ambulance crew and the ED staff who were brilliant to the radiographers and the staff on Acorn Ward.

“We couldn’t have asked for better care.”

The family, who live in Hull, had gone to Little Switzerland at Humber Bridge Country Park on April 15 and Dylan fell off his scooter as he came down a steep hill at the back of the reserve.

Iain said: “I ran to help him when he fell off and was about to give him a telling off because he’d torn his t-shirt when I noticed his arm was bent at a really weird angle.”

With his son in agony, Iain called 999 but realised the crew would struggle to find them because of their remote location.

A woman saw the family in need and headed to the car park at the top of the reserve to direct the crew once they arrived. However, the paramedics realised they would struggle to reach Dylan so drove to the foreshore before taking the stretcher chair into the reserve.

Iain said: “It felt like time went so slowly but they were with us within half an hour to 45 minutes and were absolutely brilliant.

“They reassured my middle lad who was terrified and did everything they could to sort out Dylan’s discomfort on the way back to the ambulance. They explained and reassured him every step of the way without patronising him and they got him into the ambulance were swiftly and smoothly.”

Once at Hull Royal Infirmary, staff in the Children’s Emergency Department arranged for x-rays with orthopaedic and trauma reviews to assess the damage. Radiologists fitted Iain with a special apron so he could stay with Dylan, who was distressed.

Doctors discovered Dylan had broken the radius and ulna in his left forearm in the fall and carried out an emergency reset ahead of surgery.

Dylan then spent the night on Acorn Ward, with his father able to sleep in a cot next to his son, before he was taken to the operating theatre the next day to have a plate and a rod fitted in his arm.

Now back at school, Dylan is sporting a pot and has been told he’ll be able to get back on his scooter and return to goalkeeping duties within a few weeks.

Iain said: “He’s fine in himself and is back to being a normal nine-year-old. The rest of the Easter holidays were a bit frustrating for him because he’s got his arm in a pot and he couldn’t do all the things he likes to do.

“But we are just so grateful for the help we all received. Due to the blur or events, I can’t remember the names of the people who helped us but I would just like to say thank you for everything they did to help Dylan and the rest of the family.”

Forty-nine year old Jane Smith has always wanted to take part in the London Marathon.  She was due to take part in 2018, but after a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery she wasn’t fit enough to do so.  However, with a positive outlook and a firm belief that anything is possible if you try, she is now taking part in this year’s London Marathon on 28th April.

Jane is recovering from a total hip replacement, caused by incurable metastatic breast cancer “having a chomp at my bones” as Jane says, but sees the London Marathon as a major challenge for her.  Jane is on a mission to walk as much as possible of the 26.2 miles supported by friends Duncan and Michelle.

Through the WISHH charity, Jane wants to raise funds for the Macmillan Survivorship Programme (living with and beyond cancer) and the Macmillan Community Physiotherapy service too.  Jane would love to exceed her fundraising expectations to support other Macmillan teams, to benefit as many patients as possible.

Jane said, “Taking part in the London Marathon is something I have always wanted to do since I was 11 years old.  My little girl dream became a bucket list wish, and all the memories we make on the day will be amazing for my family and friends to recall in years to come.  I feel very lucky to be a part of the history of The London Marathon and to help raise funds for Macmillan teams that directly benefit patients.”

To read more about Jane’s inspirational story and to support her visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jane-duncan-michelle?utm_source=sms

Kind-hearted couple, Kim and Paul Mankel wanted to make a difference to the Oncology Unit at Castle Hill Hospital’s Queen’s Centre, after the bride underwent treatment for thyroid cancer.  The groom’s mum was also looked after by a team of dedicated doctors and nurses at the centre, and varying friends and family have needed the unit’s assistance.

When planning their wedding, the bride and groom said there was no need for wedding gifts, instead, invited guests to make a donation, which raised a staggering £2,725.

Bride and Groom, Kim and Paul Mankel pictured with Queen’s Centre nursing staff David Emmitt, Amy Price and Lynsey Wood

Kim and Paul’s wedding took place at Beverley Register office with immediate family.  The following day, family and friends were invited to a garden party at The Ship Inn, Dunswell to celebrate, which also marked Kim’s mum’s 90th birthday, who cut the cake with the newly-weds.  Paul’s son Lee and family organised an auction, with various items including restaurant vouchers, beauty care, Hull FC passes, gym memberships and a ride on a Harley Davidson to the Goodmanham Arms. As part of the two-day celebration, entertainment included a Jazz band, magician and raffle.

Sister Deborah Simpson said: “On behalf of the Queen’s Centre Day Unit, I would like to thank Kim and Paul for their fantastic support.  The generosity of their wedding guests has enabled us to buy three sets of specialist weighing scales, which produce a printout for patients’ medical records, enabling nurses to prepare medication.  The scales have also helped reduce a patient’s waiting time.”

Kim said: “We had such a magical weekend with the help of all our family and friends. We were absolutely overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity to support the Oncology unit. Thank you so much.”

A hospital team has raised £1,000 in just one month to honour fallen soldiers from Hull and East Yorkshire who died fighting for their country.

The Maxillofacial team at Castle Hill Hospital came up with the idea of honouring veterans during commemorations to mark 100 years after the end of World War One.

Staff decided to raise funds for a bench with metalwork cut in the shape of soldiers and poppies after being inspired by the poppy display at Hull Minster.

Charge Nurse Michael Hookem said: “One of our dental nurses was talking about veterans and the poppy display in Hull and staff came up with the idea of having a bench outside the unit.

“The response was phenomenal. Every member of staff was involved from holding bake sales to tombolas and raffles.

“Patients and visitors to the unit were so generous and we’d raised the money for the bench by the first week in December.”

The bench has now been put in place outside the unit at Castle Hill and the estates team have planted flowerbeds around it to create a quiet haven of reflection. Olive trees have also been planted outside the front entrance to the unit with the small amount of money left over.

Michael said: “We thought it would be a really nice thing to do for outside the unit and we’d like to thank everyone who helped our appeal.”

People with complex health conditions are being urged to chat to hospital consultants, GPs or specialist nurses to ensure their wishes are followed in a medical emergency.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust became the eighth NHS trust in the country to introduce ReSPECT, used by staff to help people with complex needs, those nearing the end of their lives or people at risk of sudden deterioration or cardiac arrest.

ReSPECT allows people to draw up a plan with health professionals, such as whether or not they wish to be resuscitated or “brought back” if their heart stops in a future medical emergency or if they agree to a particular treatment to save their lives.

Neil Jennison, Resuscitation Manager at the trust, said: “No one wants to think about a time when they might not be able to express their wishes but it can happen.

“ReSPECT gives people the chance to make decisions now so that if a time comes in the future when they can’t speak for themselves, their wishes are known.

“It’s not just about saying what you don’t want, it’s about empowering people to say what they do want in an emergency.”

ReSPECT forms were introduced at the trust last year to replace “Do Not Attempt CPR” forms after concerns were raised over the limitations of restricting people’s options to either resuscitation or not.

The ReSPECT form was developed by health organisations in conjunction with the public and its launch was managed by the Resuscitation Council (UK).

Anyone can have a ReSPECT form in place but it is of particular importance to those with health conditions involving sudden deterioration, those with life-limiting conditions or those at risk of cardiac arrest.

People of all ages, including children and young people, can have a ReSPECT form to outline their preferences for care and treatment in the event of an emergency.

Hospital consultants and specialist nurses help people by discussing their options, outlining what specific treatments do or can achieve in relation to their illnesses.

Clinical teams at Hull Royal and Castle Hill Hospital and other health services working in the community can then consult the two-page form in the future, tailoring treatment to the patient’s wishes.

Neil Jennison said: “Having the form in place means our staff can be confident they are following the wishes of the patient, even if they can’t speak for themselves.”

To fill out a ReSPECT form, speak to your GP, your hospital consultant or specialist nurse.

Midwives are to offer hypnobirthing sessions to help pregnant women and their partners achieve a calm and positive birth experience.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will offer a 12-hour course for women and their partners from the autumn as part of an initiative to increase choice around giving birth.

Through visualisation and deep breathing, practised for weeks before the baby’s due date, women use hypnobirthing to work in harmony with their bodies and tune into their natural ability to give birth.

Janet Cairns, Head of Midwifery, said: “We know hypnobirthing has many benefits and can reduce the need for surgical intervention during labour.

“More and more women are using hypnobirthing during labour to help them feel calm and in control and we want to offer mothers and partners the widest possible range of maternity services, delivered by highly skilled and dedicated staff.”

Hypnobirthing is based on the work of English obstetrician Dr Grantly Dick-Read, a leading advocate of natural childbirth who wrote a book called Childbirth without Fear. He suggested excessive pain in labour resulted from women tensing their muscles through fear of giving birth.

Based on positive thinking, affirmations and suggestions, hypnobirthing allows women to use special calming techniques to achieve a more peaceful, comfortable and relaxed birth.

Benefits of hypnobirthing can include shorter labours, fewer surgical interventions, lower levels of stress and fear and a reduction in the need of pain relief.

Women can achieve a sense of euphoria after their babies are born with hypnobirthing, allowing them to bask in a rush of hormones to bond with their babies in the first minutes and hours after birth.

Partners are also able to play a more active part in the birth, supporting the women by sharing the visualisation and breathing techniques practised in the months leading up to their babies being born.

The trust has funded training for 23 midwives and midwifery assistants working in the community, the Labour and Delivery Suite at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital and the Fatima Allam Birth Centre in KG Hypnobirthing, a course accredited by the Royal College of Midwives.

From September, the trust will offer a 12-hour course costing £150, a competitive price compared to services offered by private firms, with the fully trained midwives teaching breathing and visualisation techniques to help women prepare for labour and birth. All money raised by the trust from the service will be reinvested in strengthening maternity services at the hospital.

Midwife Alex McCann, leading the hypnobirthing project, said: “The courses will teach women skills that can help them in labour and birth. It allows them to release their fears and adopt a positive attitude to birth.

“It builds on a positive view of birth, showing that their bodies were meant to do this so they can remain calm and in control.

“Our midwives have been trained as practitioners in hypnobirthing and will teach women and their partners techniques during the course.

“The women will then be given literature and material such as peaceful music so they can practice every day in their homes.

“Although there is a charge for the service, spending time and money on hypnobirthing is an investment that can benefit the woman, her partner and baby emotionally and physically.”

Women can find out more about hypnobirthing at the next HEY Baby Carousel, which will be held at the Clinical Skills Building in Fountain Street near Hull Royal Infirmary on Wednesday, April 24.

They can also contact the birth centre on 01482 607860 or email hyp-tr.KGH@nhs.net  if they’d like more information.

An eye surgery team credited with some of the best safety rates in the country has been praised for bringing waiting times down to just seven weeks for patients needing cataract removals.

The dedicated team at Hull Eye Hospital sees around 5,000 patients a year for cataract surgery, caused as people grow older and the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy, affecting vision.

Cataract surgery, which replaces the cloudy lens with a clear, artificial lens, is the most common operation performed in the UK and Hull has one of the lowest rates of complication in the country.

Now, despite treating around 100 patients in need of cataract surgery every week, the ophthalmology team has almost halved waiting times from around 12 weeks to just seven.

Consultant ophthalmologist Colin Vize said: “Everyone from our reception staff to the people in our appointments team and the clinical staff carrying out the procedure has worked so hard to get people seen as quickly as possible.

“The national standard is 18 weeks but we’re seeing patients far sooner for their first appointment.

“The vast majority of our patients see the consultant for their first appointment within seven weeks of being referred to the hospital by their optician.

“Most operations are then done within five weeks, meaning the whole process from initial referral to surgery is completed within 12 weeks.

“It’s a fantastic achievement and one we’re very proud to share with people.”

People are able to choose which hospital they wish to carry out surgery.

However, Mr Vize said Hull’s highly skilled team and short waiting lists mean people in the city and surrounding towns and villages in the East Riding can benefit from high-quality health care on their doorsteps without the inconvenience of travelling further afield.

Cataract surgery, like all forms of surgical intervention, carries risk and the most common complication is “posterior capsule rupture”. The complication is used by the Royal College of Ophthalmology as a way of measuring the quality of cataract surgery at different hospitals.

Although PCR happens to one in every 150 patients nationally, just one in 400 patients will experience the complication in Hull, making Hull Eye Hospital one of the safest places in the UK to undergo the operation.

Mr Vize said: “We’ve got a fantastic service to offer local people so there’s no need for anyone to travel anywhere else in Yorkshire.

“Our short waiting time means you’ll be seen very quickly and the whole process will be over in a matter of weeks, allowing you to be on the road to recovery and able to get on with the rest of your life with the clearest vision possible.”

A mum will take part in a sky dive this weekend to raise money for two breathing machines which saved her baby son’s life.

Lindsay Cockitt will be taking to the sky on Saturday to raise more than £3,000 to buy Airvo machines for the Children’s Emergency Department at Hull Royal Infirmary

Her son Ollie, now 19 months, was rushed to hospital in November after he contracted bronchiolitis and was struggling to breathe.

He started to go blue and went limp in Lindsay’s arms before an Airvo machine, then on loan to Hull Royal Infirmary, was brought into the department to help him to breathe.

Once Ollie recovered, Lindsay and her partner Lee Farndale decided to embark on a fundraising campaign to buy two Airvo machines for the department.

She said: “Experiencing first-hand the benefits the equipment made to Ollie, we wanted to raise enough money to buy at least one machine which we know will make a big difference to other children.”

Paediatric Consultant Elizabeth Herrieven said the machines provided high flow, warmed and humidified oxygen to help babies and children with breathing difficulties caused by conditions such as bronchiolitis.

She said: “The team in the Children’s Emergency Department are incredibly grateful to Lindsay for all her hard work raising money for the Airvo machines.

“These machines can help prevent the need for babies and children to be put into induced comas and onto other breathing machines such as ventilators.

“More families will now be able to stay in Hull rather than see their children transferred to intensive care units in other cities thanks to Lindsay’s desire to make a difference to the lives of other children.”

You can support Lindsay’s skydive through her Go Fund Me Page https://www.gofundme.com/to-raise-money-for-an-airvo-machine