Hospital staff from all over the world celebrated diversity at a special cultural event at Hull Royal Infirmary this week.

Nurses, doctors, administrative staff and volunteers from different countries around the world including Malta, Bangladesh, India and the Philippines took part in World Food Event.

In the past few years, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has recruited staff from as far afield as Finland, Hungary, Spain and Portugal to address staff shortages alongside a recruitment drive to attract student nurses from all over the north of England. The most recent recruits are newly qualified doctors from Pakistan, who will stay at the trust for two years to enhance their training before returning to their own country, and nurses from The Philippines, who arrived last month.

Held in the hospital’s Kingston Restaurant on the second floor, staff brought dishes from their home countries including Dhalbora, a pakora-style lentil and potato dish from Bangladesh, and imqannun il-forn, a pasta bolognaise type dish with a pastry lid from Malta.

Head of Patient Experience Louise Beedle, who brought garlic rice from Goa, said: “We hold these staff engagement events to welcome our overseas staff to the trust and to Hull.

“It’s all about celebrating the diversity we now have at the trust and what better way to celebrate than through our shared love of food.”

Health and social care students from Bishop Burton College, who volunteer at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the Department for Elderly Medicine and Oncology at the Queen’s Centre also attended the event, baking cakes and biscuits to represent Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales.

Teaching assistant Saleha Begum, who is volunteering at the trust but is keen to work in the NHS with children and young adults, brought sweets and savoury snacks from Bangladesh.

She said: “I used to work in the NHS in Devon and moved to Hull almost two years ago.

“I’ve brought rice balls, gulab jaman and badana along with some Dhalbora to represent Bangladesh.”

Ward 5 nurse Marica Shepherd came to the UK from Malta 29 year ago and has worked at the trust since 2010.

She said: “I’m proud to be Maltese and I’m proud to work at the trust. I’ve brought food today to represent my country and it’s a great event to support, so everyone feels welcome.”

A woman is celebrating Mother’s Day after midwifery staff helped her to bring her newborn son into the world safely.

Kelly Goodrum, 23, came to the Antenatal Day Unit at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital when she noticed reduced movements from her unborn baby.

Tests and checks were carried out on Kelly and her baby and, reassured, Kelly went home before returning to hospital that weekend to have her baby.

Kelly with baby Leo

Now, after baby Leo’s safe arrival in time for Mother’s Day, Kelly has thanks staff at the unit and on the Labour Ward.

She said: “I was really nervous and anxious because it’s not nice to think your baby isn’t very well but you can’t do anything about it.

“But all the midwives I dealt with were just so lovely and reassuring.

“Sometimes, you feel you are a bit of a pain complaining when maybe everything is fine and it’s all in your head. But they were just really reassuring and helped me have a really good and positive experience.”

West Hull couple Kelly and husband Adam have two other children – Ethan, four, and two-year-old Zara – and were excited as the day their third child was due approached.

However, Kelly started noticing the baby wasn’t moving around as much as before on March 14, around three weeks before her due date.

She said: “I had experienced reduced movements when I had Zara a few weeks before she was born and her heart rate went up to over 220 beats per minute when I was admitted to the labour ward to have her.

“I thought the same was happening again.”

Between 17 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, women can contact their community midwife to discuss any concerns they have over reduced movements.

However, after 28 weeks, women can call 01482 382729 to get help and advice from the Antenatal Day Unit seven days a week without having to come to Hull’s Emergency Department.

Kelly rang the unit and was asked to come in so staff could check on her baby on the Thursday evening.

From left – Ethan, Zara and baby Leo

Midwife Sue Kitching carried out tests to ensure Kelly was not suffering pregnancy complications and her baby’s heart rate was showing as normal on the monitors.

Kelly said: “Sue was lovely. She was caring, empathetic and listened to my concerns. Nothing was too much trouble for her and I felt both me and my baby were in the best hands.

“She reassured me that I could come back at any time and I was doing the right thing, keeping an eye on my baby’s movements.”

Kelly went home and returned to the hospital on Friday, where she was admitted onto Maple Ward for monitoring before her waters were broken on the Saturday and she was taken to the Labour Ward.

Supported by midwife Jenny Chambers, Kelly gave birth to baby Leo at 7.24pm.

Kelly said: “Jenny was very down to earth, reassured me of the procedure and put my mind at ease. She was bubbly but clearly passionate for her job. She made me feel less anxious and nervous almost instantly.

“I really feel having such a passionate and caring midwife helped me during the labour process. I felt at ease and knew me and my child where receiving the best possible care she could give us.

“She explained everything very clearly and ensured we understood. She stayed after her shift had finished as I delivered just before and came back to say goodbye.”

Kelly has now nominated both Sue and Jenny for Moments of Magic, the internal staff awards run by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to thank staff who go over and above their duties to help patients.

Wendy McKenzie, sister of the Antenatal Day Unit and the Antenatal Clinic, said: “Kelly did exactly the right thing and we’re so pleased Leo arrived in time for Mother’s Day.

“We hope Kelly and her family have a very special day.”

People across Hull and East Yorkshire are being invited to have their say on how local health services could be improved for the coming years.

The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, outlines how the NHS will improve patient care and health outcomes over the next 10 years. It also requires regional partnerships to develop their own five-year plans which outline what changes are required in the local area to make health and care services better for the people who use them.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is now working as part of the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership to develop a plan to  deliver the requirements of the NHS Long Term Plan in the Humber, Coast and Vale area – Hull and East Yorkshire, North and North East Lincolnshire, Scarborough and Ryedale and the Vale of York.

To help ensure the public, patients and those using care services are able to influence the plan, local Healthwatch organisations – led by Healthwatch East Riding of Yorkshire – are undertaking a piece of work specifically around the NHS Long Term Plan. Their #WhatWouldYouDo campaign runs until the end of April and consists of online surveys and a range of face-to-face engagement events.

People can share their views on how local NHS services in Hull and the East Riding can be improved in the future by completing the following surveys:

• For general feedback, including those who may not currently use health services: www.healthwatch.co.uk/what-would-you-do-general
• For feedback on specific conditions (cancer, heart and lung disease, mental health conditions, dementia, learning disability, autism and long term conditions such as diabetes and arthritis): www.healthwatch.co.uk/tell-us-what-would-you-do

Matthew Fawcett, manager of Healthwatch East Riding of Yorkshire said:

“We know that the NHS only works when people’s voices are heard. This is a once in a generation chance for local people to help decide where this extra money from Government should be spent in our NHS services.

“We want to hear from as many people, groups and communities as possible to ensure the local plans reflect the needs of our population. We want to hear about what works, what doesn’t and how people think local health services should be improved. No matter how big or small the issue, we want to hear about it. Sharing your experience with us is quick and easy – and could make a big difference.”

For more information on #WhatWouldYouDo, please visit www.healthwatch.co.uk/what-would-you-do

Medical Examiners are to be introduced at Castle Hill Hospital to provide enhanced scrutiny of deaths.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will introduce the new role as a pilot scheme in May before the new system is rolled out to Hull Royal Infirmary by April next year.

Independent Medical Examiners are part of the Government’s response to public inquiries into serial killer Dr Harold Shipman, the Francis Inquiry into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and deaths of patients at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Makani Purva, Interim Chief Medical Officer at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “When a patient dies in hospital, we want to be able to identify patterns, areas of concern or potential for learning to ensure people always receive the best possible care.

“Introducing Medical Examiners will mean all deaths, first in Castle Hill and then in Hull Royal, will be scrutinised, allowing improvements in the system of death certification by reducing delays and increasing accuracy.

“We will also be able to answer some of the questions relatives may have over the death of a loved one at an earlier stage. “

Harold Shipman, a GP working in Hyde, Greater Manchester, was convicted of murdering 15 patients in 2000 and was serving a life sentence when he killed himself in his cell at Wakefield Prison. A subsequent inquiry, lasting two years, estimated the final number of his victims at 250.

Shipman was able to become one of the world’s most prolific serial killers in part because he was filling in death certificates for his own victims without any additional scrutiny so no one had an overview of the high death rate among his patients.

Inquiries into patient deaths at Mid Staffordshire and Southern Health NHS Foundation Trusts also highlighted problems with the death certification process which meant concerns over some deaths were not being raised.

The Medical Examiners at Castle Hill will be part of a national network and their role will be independent, enabling them to scrutinise deaths because they will not have been involved with the patient or their care before their deaths.

They will scrutinise all deaths by reviewing patient notes and discussing the case with a doctor involved in the patient’s care and supporting junior doctors to fill out death certificates correctly.

As a final layer of scrutiny, each case will be discussed with a relative or friend of the deceased to see if there are other issues they wish to raise about the patient’s care.  In hospitals already trialling a Medical Examiner system, the Medical Examiner often fed back compliments on good care from the relative or friend rather than anything negative.

Dr Kate Adams, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Mortality and Morbidity at the trust, outlined the plan at the trust board meeting this month.

She said the certification of deaths has not changed for 50 years and the current system is not really fit for purpose given the complexity of many of our patients.

“The problem of lack of scrutiny of death certificates was brought out in many reports into medically related deaths including the Shipman and Francis inquiries.

“A lot of death certificates are inaccurate or, frankly, wrong and, unfortunately, don’t reflect how the patient died.

“The Medical Examiner system will be a change in culture for the doctors and a change in the way of thinking.

“We have a massive opportunity to get ahead of the game before the role of Medical Examiner becomes statutory. We should use this time to design and adapt a system that works here in Hull but above all we should make sure that we do it properly.”

Everyone likes surprises, and that’s exactly what young patients, staff and visitors received today as a former boxing world champion paid a visit to Hull Royal Infirmary.

No sooner had Chris Eubank stepped out of the car at the front of the hospital than boxing fans began to stop the former WBO middleweight and super middleweight title holder, asking for photos and saying how well his son, Chris Eubank Jr, is doing.

Chris was in Hull having spent last night at a gala dinner in Willerby as an after dinner speaker. Before leaving the city, he was keen to visit the hospital to meet and inspire some of the staff who work so hard and parents going through a tough time.

Chris visited Ward 130, where he met children in their first weeks through to their teens, along with parents and carers, many of whom were also keen to chat about his boxing career and what he’s doing now.

One young lady received a personal pep talk about the power of self belief, while another young man literally put his lunch to one side to have his picture taken with Chris, and a five-year-old boy told Chris ‘I love you’ in sign language.

Junior Sister, Helen Lyon (below, right), was excited to greet her celebrity guest on the ward. She said:

“Chris was incredibly charming and a real pleasure to have visit the ward. We really appreciate him taking time out of his busy schedule to come and see us; it was a great boost for the parents at what can be a very difficult time, and I think some of the staff were pretty star-struck too!”

Chris said:

“I expected to meet older people today, but I met babies mostly with respiratory issues.

“I enjoyed meeting them because it always reminds me to be grateful to the Lord for how lucky we are.

“Meeting the parents was inspiring because they were happy to see a familiar face. It’s always gratifying visiting hospitals because it reminds me of the quote: ‘Yesterday you were lucky, but it took today for you to realise it. People always want what they had.’

At the end of his visit, an older gentleman joined Chris and his colleagues in the lift, did a double take, and after confirming it really was Chris Eubank, shook his hand and proclaimed “well, that’s made my day!”

After a few more snaps with staff, and lots more ‘days being made’, Chris was on his way back to London.

Stillbirth has been reduced by more than one third in two years at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital after maternity services adopted national guidelines to save babies’ lives.

Medical and Midwifery teams at Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust have reduced stillbirths by 36 per cent from 25 in 2016/17 to 14 so far in 2018/19.

Helping women to stop smoking when they become pregnant, monitoring women at risk of stillbirth more closely and checking babies’ heart rates more effectively during labour have all played a part in achieving the dramatic reduction.

Head of Midwifery Janet Cairns said: “Any stillbirth is a tragedy and we have been working closely with parents, local and national charities to improve the way we look after families who experience such sad events.

“Sadly, we will never know what causes some stillbirths.

“However, we know factors such as smoking in pregnancy or reduced moments can lead to stillbirth and we are pleased to see such a dramatic reduction in such a short space of time.”

The NHS has launched its Saving Babies Lives initiative to reduce stillbirths and neonatal deaths in England by 20 per cent in 2020, halving the rate by 2025.

Stillbirths account for 4.7 in every 1,000 births in the UK, one of the highest rates among richer countries. However, the rate can vary by as much as 25 per cent between different regions in England.

Hull has more stillbirths than other areas, partly because more women smoke during pregnancy or have a higher body mass index (BMI).

Healthy lifestyle midwives work with stop smoking services at Hull City Council and City Health Care Partnership to encourage more women to give up during pregnancy.

All women undergo carbon monoxide tests at their first appointment and again at 36 weeks .

Women who continue to smoke during their pregnancy have carbon monoxide tests at every appointment and are monitored closely to ensure their babies are growing normally. They are also put in contact with smoke-free teams.

Although the work continues, Hull now has its lowest rate of pregnant women smokers in more than a decade, with the rate falling almost five per cent to 18 per cent in under two years.

Fetal growth restriction is the biggest risk factor for stillbirth, with one in three full-term deaths linked to babies not growing properly in the womb, and staff in the obstetric ultrasound department are playing a key role in the reduction of stillbirths.

Midwives and doctors have also received additional training to measure growth and women identified with babies who are “small for gestational age” are monitored closely in later pregnancy.

Staff also teach women about the importance of monitoring their babies’ movements after 24 weeks, ensuring they know what to do if they detect reduced movements, a proven link to stillbirth. Women are also given leaflets with their handheld notes explaining the importance of healthy lifestyles and monitoring reduced fetal movements.

Midwifery and medical staff undertake annual training in in cardiotocography (CTG) – the monitoring of babies’ heart rates during labour – to prevent stillbirths and severe brain injuries. Last year, staff attended bespoke master classes in CTG interpretation.

Spot checks are carried out every week to ensure staff are meeting standards expected for CTG monitoring and the trust also operates a “fresh eyes” system where CTG readings are double-checked by another member of staff with the correct procedure followed if concerns are raised.

Hull’s leading expert in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been appointed to promote clinical research at a globally recognised medical association.

Consultant Gastroenterologist Professor Shaji Sebastian, based IBD Unit in the Department of Gastroenterology, has been appointed to the Clinicom board of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO).

Professor Sebastian was elected to the three-year post responsible for overseeing and promoting clinical research throughout the national study groups of the organisation, partners and members around the world.

His appointment was made at the ECCO annual congress in Copenhagen last week, attended by more than 8,000 delegates from around the world.

Prof Sebastian said: “Our unit – IBD Hull- is already well-known throughout the world because of its innovative care model integrating clinical work and research and for our involvement in international research but this appointment further underlines the unit’s reputation in the field.

“It will further cement Hull’s reputation globally as an IBD centre of excellence and allow us to continue to deliver cutting edge, high-quality care to our patients.”

ECCO is a highly respected and influential non-profit association made up of 36 member states of the Council of Europe and facilitating collaborations beyond Europe’s borders.

Founded in 2001 to improve the care of patients with IBD in Europe, it is now the largest forum for more than 4,000 specialists in IBD across the world.

ECCO’s mission is to improve the care of patients with IBD in all its aspects through international guidelines for practice, education, research and collaboration in the area of IBD.

Professor Sebastian  leads the Hull IBD Unit, is gastroenterology LCRN speciality co-lead at the National Institute for Health Research and holds a honorary chair in gastroenterology at Hull York Medical School at the University of Hull.

A teaching hospital trust is launching an international partnership with Pakistan to bring 10 qualified doctors to work at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is joining forces with the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPSP), Pakistan’s national institution which regulates medical education and professional development among its postgraduate doctors.

CPSP will benefit from their doctors receiving the best training at a major teaching hospital in the UK while the trust will be able to fill medical vacancies at a time of national recruitment pressures in the NHS.

Simon Nearney, the trust’s Director of Workforce, said: “We are extremely thrilled to have developed this partnership and programme with CPSP. The College is an outstanding organisation and have talented doctors that have chosen Hull to work and further their training.

“Although the partnership will help us fill vacancies in some of our specialties, it also means we can share our expertise, training and experience with doctors in a developing country who may not get exposure to the range of patients we see here in Hull.

“Doctors will come to Hull for two years and then return to Pakistan.  The plan is to bring further cohorts to Hull every year.”

The first of the Pakistani doctors are set to arrive in Hull next month and the trust is now progressing a similar partnership with universities in India.

A specialist kidney team is marking 50 years since the service was launched in Hull as part of this year’s World Kidney Day.

Hull has a dedicated kidney unit at Hull Royal Infirmary, satellite units led by nurses at in Bridlington, Grimsby and Scunthorpe and patient outreach clinics at Bridlington, Goole, Grimsby and Scunthorpe.

People who have undergone treatment for kidney treatment including dialysis and transplants will join staff to mark the global awareness day on Thursday.

Dr Helen Collinson, Consultant Nephrologist at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Many lives have been saved and improved since we introduced the service in 1969 and we’ve made incredible advances over the decades.

“This year’s theme of Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere calls for universal health coverage for the prevention and early treatment of kidney disease.

“We’re pleased to have such a great service right here in Hull as well as satellite units throughout East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire to give people access to the best possible care.”

The city’s Renal Dialysis Unit was originally opened by Sir Ronald Tunbridge, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Leeds University and president of the British Medical Association (BMA), at Princess Royal Hospital on October 6, 1969.

During the ceremony, Mrs Henrietta Brocklehurst, chair of the Hull (A) Group Hospitals Management Committee from 1958 to 1974, said Hull had been placed on the map for its medical services thanks to Sir Ronald and his interest in developing Hull Hospitals.

Around three million people in the UK have chronic kidney disease (CKD) although about a third of them do not realise they are living with a condition which can lead to kidney failure, fatal without treatment by dialysis or a kidney transplant because they have no symptoms.

Once diagnosed, Hull’s renal team may be able to help to slow down progression of the disease, reducing or delaying the need for kidney replacement treatment such as dialysis or transplant which can make a huge difference to a person’s quality of life.

The trust plans to mark World Kidney Day with staff and patients manning a stand in Hull Royal Infirmary’s restaurant between 11.30am and 2pm to raise awareness among NHS workers, other patients and visitors to the hospital.

Symptoms of CKD can include weight loss and poor appetite, swollen ankles, feet or hands caused by water retention (oedema), shortness of breath, tiredness, blood in urine and an increased need to urinate, particularly at night.

Some people will have insomnia, itchy skin, muscle cramps, nausea and headaches. Men with kidney disease can also experience erectile dysfunction.

People can reduce their risk of developing chronic kidney disease by changing their lifestyles right now.

Stopping smoking, reducing the amount of salt and saturated fats we eat, taking regular exercise, always drinking plenty of water and maintaining a healthy weight can all reduce the risk of developing CKD.

However, lifestyle changes can also help a person who already has kidney disease.

If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, family members with kidney disease, have had pre-eclampsia or are from a BME background, ask your GP for a kidney function test.

Smokers will be asked to leave Hull Royal Infirmary if they persist on lighting up outside the tower block, a hospital Chief Executive is warning.

Visitors, patients and staff complain regularly about walking through clouds of smoke at the front entrance to the tower block to attend appointments, see loved ones or start work.

Smokers persist in gathering around the front door despite warning signs declaring the hospital grounds smoke-free, although vaping by visitors is permitted.

Now, Chris Long, Chief Executive of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “There is a very high level of lung disease caused by smoking in our area.

“Every winter, the hospital is filled by emergency patients with breathing problems caused by their smoking, some of whom die.

“It is completely unacceptable that our patients, along with children and mums-to-be, should be forced to endure the smoke of those selfish people who think it is OK to smoke anywhere in a hospital’s grounds.”

Recently, Humberside Police escorted a man off HRI’s grounds after he refused repeated requests by security staff to stop smoking outside the front door.

Trust security manager Ron Gregory said: “The man had discharged himself from hospital but was intent on smoking outside the front entrance. He was asked several times to move onto the public road if he wished to smoke but refused to do so.

“Our security teams then approached police officers who assisted in escorting the man from our premises.

“It’s unfortunate that it requires this level of involvement when we have invested time and public money in not just warning signs and equipment but help for patients to stop smoking.

“People need to be aware that we will continue to enforce the smoking ban until the message is received loud and clear that smoking in a hospital is not acceptable.”

Mr Gregory is appealing to all staff and the public to help enforce the ban by asking people to stub out cigarettes on hospital premises.

He said: “People can be in no doubt that smoking is not permitted here yet too many ignore warning signs and the speaker system we have installed appealing to people to move off the site if they want to smoke.

“We need the help of all staff, visitors and patients to spread the message that it is no longer socially acceptable to smoke in or around a hospital, regardless of whether you’re here to work, as a patient or as a visitor.

“The NHS offers many ways to help people give up and we are happy to direct people to services to help them quit. But they must stop smoking in our grounds.”

The trust is also contacting Yorkshire MP Tracy Brabin to support her attempts to introduce a blanket ban on smoking at all NHS properties with support for people to stop or abstain while they’re in hospital.

She is taking action after discovering staff  on a neonatal ward were unable to open the windows because of the harm posed to seriously ill newborn babies by smokers outside.