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.

Midwives and doctors have 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.

An engineer saved by the quick actions of his wife has told how two hospitals worked together to prevent him suffering brain damage after a stroke.

Stuart Dixon, 58, became the first patient to be “blue-lighted” from Scunthorpe’s Hyper Acute Stroke Unit to Hull Royal Infirmary to undergo a mechanical thrombectomy to reduce the risk of brain damage or long-term disability.

Stuart said: “My care has been incredible.

“If I had been a member of the Royal Family, I couldn’t have had better treatment. It all happened so fast and everyone was brilliant.”

His wife Adele said: “I don’t know how we can say thank you. Everyone was in the right place at the right time when we needed them.

“I hope our story gives people hope and makes them think about acting fast if they suspect a stroke.”

Strokes are caused when a patient experiences a blocked artery, usually caused by a blood clot, and the blood supply to the brain is cut off.

Around one-third of people are suitable for clot-busting drugs, which can be administered up to four and a half hours after the onset of a stroke.

However, drug therapy may not be effective in patients with blockages in large arteries.

Instead, those patients can now benefit from the new regional mechanical thrombectomy service at Hull Royal infirmary, effective up to six hours or even up to 24 hours after the onset of symptoms.

Stuart had gone downstairs on November 12 to make himself and Adele, 51, a cuppa before returning to bed. He coughed, spilling tea from his mouth, and Adele knew instantly something was wrong.

She said: “His speech was slurred, he was unable to raise his left arm and his face had dropped on his left side. I realised he was having a stroke so I grabbed the phone and rang for an ambulance.”

Stuart was rushed to Scunthorpe District General Hospital and within 30 minutes, had been scanned and given a clot-busting drug.

Dr Asem Ali, consultant in stroke medicine and the stroke team lead at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG), realised Stuart would be a suitable candidate for the new mechanical thrombectomy service.

Known as a “Lazarus procedure”, a wire is passed into the patient’s brain to retrieve any blood clots, enabling some people to recover mobility, speech and other faculties damaged by an acute ischaemic stroke.

The team at Hull discovered a tear in Stuart’s carotid artery was leaking. A clot had formed in the artery and a further two had broken off and moved into the brain, causing the stroke. These were all removed during the procedure.

Adele said: “Immediately after his procedure, he could wriggle his fingers and move his leg. Every day there has been an improvement. The speed with which the team reacted was incredible and, without a doubt, it prevented irreparable damage.”

Stuart spent the night at Hull before returning to Scunthorpe where he spent three days undergoing intensive physiotherapy before being transferred to Grimsby Hospital to continue rehabilitation.

He said:  “I had to learn how to walk again. Using the walking frame was terrifying to begin with as I had no balance and even sitting in a chair was scary.

“Every day I am making progress. I couldn’t tie my own shoe laces or use my fork properly.

“Now I am out walking the dog, collecting wood from my log store at the bottom of the garden and I have taken up Tai Chi.”

Dr Ali said: “Strokes can cause catastrophic damage leaving patients with life-long disabilities. However, if people act FAST there is so much more we can do these days and can limit the damage caused by stroke.

“Welcoming Stuart back to the ward was wonderful as he has made such a great recovery. Working together with our colleagues in Hull has made such a difference to this family’s life.”

Hull’s consultant radiologist Dr Paul Maliakal, who carried out the procedure, said: “The treatment isn’t suitable for all patients but it can make a huge difference to the people for whom mechanical thrombectomy is appropriate.

“Hull is at the forefront of this kind of treatment and we’re attracting national recognition for our work in the field.”

The organisation which runs East Yorkshire’s two main hospitals will change its name this Friday in a bid to attract more clinical staff and trainees.

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, received its official Establishment Order from the Department of Health and Social Care earlier this week. The order, signed by the Secretary of State, confirms the name change from 1^st March 2019 to Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Trust Chairman, Terry Moran, says the move will help to put Hull on more of a level playing field with other big teaching hospitals:

“The Trust delivers so much more than the essential hospital services everybody expects. We work in partnership with the University and Hull York Medical School to provide expert teaching and to undertake first class research and development to further advance patient treatment.

“When choosing somewhere to work or study, we know that medical trainees and other health professionals look at study and career development as part of the overall offer.

“While Hull has had a strong track record for high quality clinical training for a number of years, this is not currently reflected in the Trust name, and this potentially disadvantages us when compared to other regional centres.

“When competing with other geographical areas to recruit doctors, nurses and other health staff, it’s important that we make ourselves as appealing as possible.

“Changing the Trust name to incorporate our status as a teaching hospital and to reflect our strong links with the university will undoubtedly help us to attract more interest and hopefully more people to work in the city and help us care for local people.”

Professor Julie Jomeen, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Hull, said:

“At the University of Hull, we welcome the renaming of the Trust which demonstrates its commitment to learning and research and also reflects the shared ambitions and strong connections between the Faculty of Health Sciences, Hull York Medical School, and the Trust.

“For many years, we have been working in close partnership to improve the health of our region: many of our health professionals and medical students gain essential experience as part of their programmes of study at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital and make a valuable contribution to the health of our community. A large proportion of our graduates then go on to work at the hospitals post qualification where they build on the close links they have already forged there to develop as outstanding practitioners across many specialities as well as undertaking high-calibre research, which positively influences the health of our region.

“The University’s life-changing research and the nurses, doctors, midwives, operating department practitioners, paramedics and allied health professionals we train in partnership with the Trust are making a real difference to patients.

“Our commitment to the Trust is underpinned by the new simulated training facilities in the Allam Medical Building at the University which ensure that all our graduates learn in the best environments and are fully-prepared for clinical practice.”

Professor Una Macleod, Dean of Hull York Medical School says:

“Since Hull York Medical School was established we have been working with Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to ensure we respond to local workforce needs and equip our students with the knowledge and skills they will need to deliver high quality patient centred care.

“From 2019 we will be training an additional 90 doctors per year, many of whom will train and work within the Trust – helping to build a sustainable workforce in the area. We welcome the renaming and believe it will ensure visibility of our joint commitment to inspiring future medical and other healthcare professionals and ensure we attract the very best medical professionals to this region.”

The Trust consulted with a range of partners including Clinical Commissioning Groups, local authorities, Hull York Medical School and the University of Hull on the proposal to change its name, and received strong support.

The formal name change will take effect this Friday, 1^st March 2019.

Parents are to be warned of the dangers facing young children from everyday items including dishwasher tablets and hair straighteners at the next Hey Baby Carousel.

Midwives and child birth educators at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital are working with Hull City Council’s Accident Prevention Team to outline the risks household objects pose to children.

More than 16,000 under-fives were taken to Hull Royal’s Emergency Department following an accident in 2017/18, an increase on 11,095 the previous year.

Childbirth educator Melanie Lee said: “Before your baby arrives, you have to look at your home with fresh eyes to see potential dangers.

“Going around your home on your hands and knees can give you a different perspective and help you see things which are in a child’s eye line.

“However, we want to show people how washing dishes or clothes, having a hot cup of coffee or straightening your hair can cause severe injuries and even death to their child.”

Hey Baby Carousel takes place on the last Wednesday of every month and is now held at the Clinical Skills Building in Fountain Street, near Hull Royal Infirmary.

Pregnant women, partners and grandparents are all welcome to attend the next event on Wednesday, February 27, between 6pm and 8pm.

You can speak to midwives about your options for giving birth, speak to staff at the Fatima Allam Birth Centre and use the award-winning Virtual Reality headsets to immerse yourself in a range of experiences from using the pool in the birth centre to using a birthing ball on the labour ward.

Along with the accident prevention stall, midwives, birth educators and childcare experts will be on hand to offer advice, tips and guidance to parents for every stage of their pregnancy and parenthood.

There will also be practical demonstrations of how to change a nappy, how to bathe your infant in those early weeks and how to fit a car seat correctly.

There’s no need to make an appointment – just turn up.

Children undergoing surgery in Hull are to be ‘driven’ to the operating theatres in a Tesla electric car.

The miniature version of the electric car has been donated to Acorn Ward at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital and will be used to transport children to theatre as well as for scans.

The Tesla Owners Club UK and the Christian Blandford Fund, a charity helping children facing long stays in NHS hospitals, are donating the car to make the experience of undergoing surgery less daunting to younger patients.

Joanne O’Conner, sister of Acorn Ward, said: “We do our best to make the experience of surgery or going for scans less intimidating and frightening for children.

“Our new car will make it far more exciting when the children discover they will be able to drive themselves to the theatre.

“It’s a fantastic gesture from the Tesla owners and the Christian Blandford Fund which will make a huge difference to the children we care for at the hospital.”

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who bought Tesla Motors in 2003 to bring electric vehicles to the mass market and is now working on space travel, has supported the donation, helped by the WISHH Charity supporting Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.

The Tesla Model S for Kids car in midnight silver has a full sound system and room for a teddy bear in the boot. Suitable for children aged three to eight, the car is powered by an electric battery with the patient able to sit behind the wheel.

Tesla car owners Julian Hakes, Josh Cunningham and Karl Smith came to the hospital to hand over the car and treat staff, visitors and patients to displays of their own cars, including one’s “dancing” features.

Tesla car owners Karl Smith (left)Josh Cunningham (second from left) and Julian Hakes (right) with Acorn Ward Sister Joanne O’Connor

Deryn Harvey, Mini Tesla Coordinator  at the Tesla Owners Group UK, said:“ The car is sure to bring joy and alleviate anxiety in young children in hospital.

“This mini-Tesla is one of 500 we have placed across the country thanks to our members’ donations.

“Hull Women and Children’s Hospital is especially deserving as it was nominated by one of our local members in gratitude for the great service provided to his children.”

David Haire, Project Director Fundraising at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Both the trust and the WISHH Charity welcome this thoughtful donation which will, I am sure, help children to relax in the period before they have to receive their treatment.”

Virtual reality headsets giving Hull parents-to-be an immersive experience of labour and birth have helped hospital staff win a national award in midwifery.

Hull Women and Children’s Hospital became the first in the world to offer VR headsets to around 400 prospective parents so they can see what it’s like to use a birthing pool in the midwifery-led unit or a birthing ball in the labour ward.

As well as using the headsets to tour the Fatima Allam Birth Centre, women who know they’re having a caesarean section are offered the opportunity to see inside an operating theatre before coming into hospital.

Now, midwives and Hull Institute of Learning and Simulation (HILS) have won “Use of Technology” at a British Journal of Midwifery ceremony in Leeds.

Head of Midwifery Janet Cairns said: “Our use of technology is allowing women to become familiar with their surroundings, know who could be there with them when they go into labour and what they might expect during labour and birth.

“Our midwifery team worked with HILS on the project and this award is fantastic recognition of what can be achieved through innovative thinking, dedication and teamwork.”

The midwifery team worked with HILS, based in the Clinical Skills building at Hull Royal Infirmary, to record 360-degree footage for the VR headsets.

Prospective parents have been road-testing the headsets at the HEY Baby Carousel events, with the next one taking place on Wednesday, February 27, between 6pm and 8pm.

Janet Cairns said: “Wearing the headsets is like being in the room. People are able to see all around them and watch midwives interacting with mothers and partners during labour.

“We’ve got a video tour of the hospital so people can familiarise themselves with their surroundings before they come in but the headsets take it to a different level.

“We’re giving prospective parents as much information in as many different formats as we can so they can make choices that are right for them and their babies.”

HILS Senior Technician Chris Gay said: “The feedback we’ve had from parents so far has been really positive, with more than 90 per cent reporting the experience helped them feel better prepared for their birth of their babies.

“We’re now looking at how we can expand the project to shape the services we provide in the future.”

A woman who suffered four miscarriages in a single year has created special bracelets to help Hull’s Early Pregnancy Unit.

Hull dance school owner Samantha Catanach, 32, was found to have “killer cells” in her womb which caused her to have recurrent miscarriages.

Now, after treatment to suppress her immune system, Samantha and husband Martin, 34, are proud parents of baby son Ted, born on November 1.

And Samantha has raised £1,500 for the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit’s Forget-Me-Not Fund which gives special memory boxes for women suffering miscarriage, ectopic or molar pregnancies.

Baby Ted

She said: “I became a familiar face because I was there so often and I can’t speak highly enough about the staff and the care I received.

“But I wanted to do something to help other women who have early losses because, no matter how caring the staff were, I felt like I was leaving empty-handed and that I had nothing.”

Samantha, who runs Flex Dance Inc with her best friend Stephanie Keeting and holds classes in Hull and Leeds, lost her first baby in early March 2017 and went on to suffer three further miscarriages, all around the seventh  week of pregnancy.

She started writing a blog Crazy Fertility Queen, reaching out to other women who had been or were going through similar experiences.

“Once felt like bad luck,” she said. “When you’ve had three,  it’s classed as recurrent miscarriage. It was so difficult for us that it kept happening. We never got passed the first scan.

“But the staff in the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit were just so supportive and were really amazing.”

After their fourth miscarriage, Samantha and Martin paid for private tests and discovered Samantha had killer cells in her womb, similar to those produced to fight cancer. Instead of fighting illness, the cells attacked the “foreign body”, ending the pregnancies.

She said: “We all have these cells and they’re what we use to fight cancer and illness. But mine were very aggressive and they were killing my babies.”

Pregnant for the fifth time, Samantha underwent treatment to suppress her immune system and she gave birth to Ted five weeks early.

She said: “Ted is our absolute rainbow baby and we’re so lucky to have him.

“But once I had him, I felt that I wanted to give something back.”

Thanks to the support of women following her blog, Samantha raised £1,500 and purchased 700 special rope bracelets with the poem “Too beautiful for earth”.

The bracelets will be placed in the Forget Me Not boxes, provided through fundraising coordinated by staff nurse Hayley Ellenton who works on the gynaecology ward, and contains a notes journal, a packet of forget-me-not flower seeds, a candle, a pendant, a memorial certificate and information on local and national support groups.

Women can also support the Early Pregnancy Unit by attending Samantha’s hour-long Zumba classes on Thursday nights at Bricknell Primary, starting at 6.45pm. It costs £3 for adults and £1 for under 18s and all proceeds will go to the unit.

A young woman from Bransholme has raised more than £1,100 to support neurosurgical patients in our care.

Jodie Baitson –Horrocks, 25, underwent surgery for Chiari Malformation One at Hull Royal Infirmary (HRI) last year and was cared for by staff on Ward 4.

Chiari Malformation One is a rare condition where the brain presses down into the lower part of the spinal canal. In many cases, the condition is identified in childhood but for Jodie, it was only in her twenties when she started showing symptoms.

Jodie and her family were so impressed with the care she was given by staff at HRI that when she left hospital, she was determined to raise money for the ward as well as raising more awareness of her condition.

Jodie and her family set up a GoFundMe page in October and since then, she has smashed her original £1,000 fundraising target.

Jodie, her mum and grandmother all returned to the ward this week to present staff with a ‘thank you’ cheque for an amazing £1,142.41. More than half of the amount, an amazing £625, was generated by staff from Lincoln-based jewellery retailer, John Greed, who heard Jodie’s story and not only organised a raffle to raise money but also gave Jodie a Pandora charm bracelet of her own for Christmas.

Jodie says:

“The staff have really looked after me and the ward deserves it. It’s important to me that I can give something back to help the staff and other patients on the ward.”

The money Jodie has raised through her GoFundMe page will be used to buy equipment for the ward which is likely to include floor standing fans to help patients stay comfortable in warm weather.

The family of a baby who spent the first 64 days of her life on oxygen are offering a free week’s holiday in Spain to raise funds for a unit looking after Hull’s sickest babies.

Frankie Rolfe weighed just 2lbs when she was born early at 26 weeks and was cared for by staff at Hull’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Now, her parents Linzi and Andy, who live in Sutton Park with Frankie and their three-year-old daughter Eva, are raffling a free week at a villa in Spain to help raise funds for the unit based at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital.

Linzi, 32, said: “We wouldn’t have been able to bring Frankie home if it hadn’t been for the amazing human beings that work on NICU.

“I am so very grateful to them for being so good with Frankie, for providing such amazing care and giving us a healthy baby to bring home.”

Frankie Rolfe

Linzi, a nursery nurse at Busy Bees Day Nursery in Beverley, started experiencing contractions when she was just over 25 weeks pregnant and was given medication to try to halt the contractions. She was also given steroid injections to strengthen her baby’s lungs.

She was kept in hospital for a few days before being allowed home but just days later, the contractions started again. This time, her labour couldn’t be stopped and she gave birth to Frankie, who was immediately whisked away to NICU to save her life, placed in a special bag to keep her skin moist.

“It was just an awful experience,” Linzi  said. “I was blaming myself because, even ‘though I hadn’t done anything wrong and didn’t smoke or drink during the pregnancy, I felt like I had let her down.

“But then a midwife explained that, sometimes, the cervix just can’t cope with more than one pregnancy.”

With Linzi and Andy by her side, Frankie was put on a life-saving ventilation in the Red Room and had jaundice and then suspected sepsis twice. She was diagnosed with chronic lung disease when she was 28 days old and was kept on oxygen until she was 64 days old.

Ten days later, when their daughter was 74 days old, Linzi and Andy were finally allowed to bring Frankie home to start life as a family of four.

Linzi said: “I did wonder if Eva would be jealous because me and her dad obviously spent a lot of time at the hospital but she’s been absolutely brilliant. She loves Frankie.

“Although Frankie’s got chronic lung disease, we’ve been told she is likely to grow out of it by the time she’s two.

“She now weighs seven and a half pounds so she’s catching up, slowly but surely.”

The couple decided to fundraise for NICU after hearing how the unit used public donations to create comfortable facilities for parents so they could stay with their babies and for extra pieces of equipment like a special incubator described as “the next best thing to the womb”.

A family fun day will be held at Busy Bees Day Nursery in Beverley on Saturday, March 23, with children’s rides, stalls and a bouncy castle

They are also selling raffle tickets for a week’s holiday at a villa in Spain, with tickets costing £5. They will be on sale at the fun day or people can sent Linzi a message on Facebook with their name and address and pay through the Just Giving page.

Although the couple set a target of £500, they have already raised £850 and now plan to keep going to raise as much as possible for the unit.

Linzi said: “We didn’t expect to raise as much as this so quickly so we’re delighted.

“Staff at the unit were just so good with Frankie and we want to do what we can to say thank you.”