A father-of-two who had his arms and legs amputated and part of his face removed after contracting sepsis is coming to Hull to share his experience with healthcare staff.

Tom Ray was fit and healthy before he contracted sepsis at the age of 38 in 1999. He spent five months in a coma before waking up to discover both arms, both legs and part of his face had been amputated to save his life.

His wife Nicola gave birth to their second child Fred, a brother for two-year-old Grace, while Tom was in a coma and they lost their business and had to sell their home.

The 2016 film Starfish, starring Tom Riley and Joanne Froggatt, tells the family’s story and, now, the couple are coming to Hull as guest speakers at the Hull Sepsis Congress in June.

Clare O’Brien, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Sepsis working at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, said: “Hearing how sepsis impacted on Tom and Nicola’s lives will be a deeply moving experience and we’re grateful they are coming to share their story with us.

“Our aim is to ensure health care professionals have sepsis at the forefront of their minds when a patient first arrives or they show signs of deterioration once they’ve been admitted to hospital.

“Remembering Tom’s story will reinforce our message to staff to just ask themselves ‘Could it be sepsis?’”

Hull’s A&E department sees at least 50 patients with sepsis every month while other people already in hospital with other illnesses and injuries can also develop sepsis, which happens when an infection, usually bacterial, causes the immune system to start attacking tissues and major organs.

Since the trust introduced its sepsis team in 2015 as part of a national initiative to drive up survival rates, around 90 per cent of patients brought to A&E with signs of severe infection are now screened for sepsis.

Around 80 per cent of those diagnosed with sepsis receive life-saving antibiotics within an hour.

Doctors, nurses and staff from healthcare services are being invited to the conference at the Bonus Arena on Tuesday, June 18, the second year Hull has hosted the major event.

Taking the stage alongside Tom and Nicola Ray will be Dr Michael J. Porter, a specialist in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Central Lancashire will talk about research into the causes of  sepsis, its prevention and treatment.

FEAT, a charity set up in memory of the Dr Fiona Agnes and her daughter Isla, who both died of sepsis in 2012, will also present their work.

Hull NHS staff will address delegates about the need to check for sepsis. Infectious Diseases Consultant Dr Patrick Lilley will present the latest research into the E-coli bacterium and Clinical Outcomes Manager Chris Johnson will explain how staff can learn from previous cases of sepsis.

Midwife Melanie Lee will talk about sepsis awareness in antenatal classes and Emergency Consultant Dr Liz Herrieven will educate delegates on treating children with sepsis.

People can book tickets for the event, which are free for students and range from £26 to £100 for other healthcare professionals. Early bird prices are on offer for bookings before March 31.

The conference has been approved for six Category 1 (external) Continuous Professional Development (CPD) credits by the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK.

SIGNS OF SEPSIS

If your child is under five, call 999 or head straight for A&E if they have any of these symptoms – looks mottled or bluish, is very lethargic or difficult to wake, feels abnormally cold to the touch, is breathing very fast, has a fit or convulsion, has a rash that does not fade when pressed.

In older children or adults, early symptoms of sepsis may include a high temperature or low body temperature, chills and shivering, a fast heartbeat, fast breathing.

Symptoms of severe sepsis include feeling dizzy or faint, confusion or disorientation, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, slurred speech, severe muscle pain, severe breathlessness, less urine production than normal, cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin and loss of consciousness.

It all started with a passing conversation between a patient and a member of staff.

Therapy Radiographer, Becky Joyce (below, second left), was chatting to Wendy Tattam (centre) while she was in the radiotherapy department last year receiving treatment. The pair were talking about quizzes, and Wendy happened to mention the weekly quizzes which the charity she represents, NURSE (Needed Urgent Remedial and Surgical Equipment), holds each week in Beverley. They got on to talking about how the charity’s funds are spent, and the various departments across HRI and Castle Hill which have already benefited from NURSE’s tireless fundraising, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Zip forward a few months to December, and the radiotherapy department found itself taking receipt of an early Christmas present; two Hovermatts® (one standard, one bariatric) and the respective air supplies, valued at around £6,000 in total.

The Hovermatts®  are used to move patients to and from their hospital beds for treatment more comfortably. Unlike traditional pat slides, the Hovermatts® have an air supply which inflates the mattress, meaning patients remain more comfortable during the move. The process is also less physically demanding for staff and means only two people are required to move the patient as opposed to four.

Jane Tattam (far right), a former hospital theatres worker herself and Chairperson of the NURSE charity says:

“The NURSE charity has been working for over 35 years to raise money to purchase hospital equipment and make patients’ time in hospital more comfortable.

“We are often approached by teams within the hospitals for help with equipment which falls outside mainstream budgets, but this idea came completely out of the blue, all thanks to a chance conversation between Wendy and Becky.

“Of course, we were happy to help, and the Hovermatts® marked the charity’s final donation of 2018, taking the total cost of items and equipment we have donated this year to over £17,000.”

Barbara Whitaker, Deputy Radiotherapy Manager (left) says:

“This will make a huge difference to the comfort of those who are coming for radiotherapy treatment  and need assistance transferring from bed to treatment couch. The Hovermatts® will also make the process of moving the patient easier and less strenuous for staff, which might not seem like much to start with, but when you consider a fair proportion of the 170 patients we see each day will need assistance, it can begin to take its toll.

“We’re incredibly fortunate and grateful to the ladies from the NURSE charity and their supporters for their generosity.”

The NURSE charity holds weekly quizzes at the Forester’s Arms in Beverley to raise funds for wards and departments across HRI and Castle Hill, as well as hosting the annual raft race on Beverley Beck. For more information on their work, visit their facebook page:  www.facebook.com/NURSECharityUK

Mums who have had their babies in the last two years are being invited to help shape maternity services for other women in the future.

Midwives at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital are hosting a special interactive event in the city next month to encourage women to share their birth experiences and maternity stories.

Women who have had a baby in the last two years, are pregnant or are planning a baby are invited to the “Whose Shoes” event at the Peloton Café at Warner’s Gym in Pickering Road, west Hull.

Partners, family members, community groups and NHS staff are also welcome to come along on Monday, February 25.

Lead Midwife Lorraine Cooper said: “We want women to come along and share their stories to help us identify areas of good service and practice which work well.

“However, we’re hoping women who tell us their experiences will help us identify areas where we could do things differently to make them even better.

“We want to listen and work in partnership with the mothers we look after to make sure we make the experience the best it can be for them and for other women in the future.”

People at the event will take part in an interactive board game aiming to capture the women’s stories, with the results fed back to maternity teams to look at potential changes to services.

“Whose Shoes” will run from 10am to 1pm, with lunch and coffee provided. People need to call 07769 671449 or email hyp-tr.hey.baby@nhs.net to book a place.

With some 5,000 people under the care of hospital consultants in Hull for migraine and headache disorders, it’s no wonder the city has become a nationally recognised centre for treating such debilitating neurological problems.

Five thousand people are just the tip of the iceberg, however. According to the Migraine Trust, migraine affects one in every seven people, and is more prevalent than diabetes, asthma and epilepsy combined.

“Hull Royal Infirmary’s department of neurology has been growing its reputation as a centre of excellence for headache and migraine since 2005,”says Dr Fayyaz Ahmed, Consultant Neurologist at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. “We now attract specialist referrals from across the country and we host the biggest national meeting of headache experts every two years.”

Later this week, global experts in headache and migraine will convene in Hull once again for the latest British Association for the Study of Headache (BASH) biennial national meeting on headache. Leading national and international experts will come together on 17 and 18 January to discuss the latest advances in headache research across the globe, as well as emerging treatments for migraine and other primary headache disorders including cluster headache.

But the learning isn’t just for professionals. To supplement this prestigious conference, members of the public will find out more about managing their own condition at a special weekend event being organised in partnership with the Migraine Trust.

“Headache disorders can often be dismissed because they’re not something that people can physically see, but migraine and cluster headache can be extremely disruptive to a person’s life,” Dr Ahmed continues. “They can affect people’s relationships with family and friends, and impact their ability to hold down a job or even carry out the most basic of everyday tasks such as driving or preparing a meal.”

“Some 5,000 people in the East Riding are under the care of neurologists for headache disorders, and locally we’re proud to be leading the way in the field of migraine and headache treatment. Not everyone will need specialist hospital care, however; some can manage their condition with the right support and advice, and that’s largely what our public awareness session is designed to do.

“Members of the public will to talk to others in the same situation, seek advice on managing headaches, find out what treatments might be available, understand when to seek help, and understand the implications of lifestyle choices and medication overuse.”

Dr Ahmed continues:

“To have global experts in the headache field here in Hull is very exciting, but the patients we see locally are only really a fraction of those affected by headache disorder in some way. This week is designed to get both public and professionals talking about what we can do to improve the care of people with headache and migraine, but also how those suffering can help themselves”.

Around 300 professionals, including some of the world’s best headache physicians, will be attending the eight biennial British Association for the Study of Headache (BASH) meeting on 17/18 January at Lazaat Hotel, Cottingham. Registration details are available via the BASH website.

The half-day ‘Managing your Migraine’ event which is designed to help members of the public better understand their condition and offer the chance to speak to experts in this field will take place on Saturday 19 January and is now sold out.

Pregnant women can find out where to get urgent medical help for themselves or their new babies at a special event for prospective parents this month.

Hull’s team of midwives will be handing out leaflets at the Hey Baby Carousel to show how people can access medical attention during and after pregnancy.

Parents will be given contact details for Urgent Treatment Centres in Bransholme, Bridlington, Beverley and Goole, advice on self-care, using community pharmacies and details for the GP walk-in service at Wilberforce Health Centre in Story Street, Hull city centre.

Wendy McKenzie, sister of the Antenatal Day Unit and the Antenatal Clinic at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said women between 17 and 28 weeks of pregnancy can contact their community midwife if they are concerned about their baby’s movement or have other concerns.

After 28 weeks, women can also call the Antenatal Day Unit at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital on 01482 382729. The unit is open every day although calls are diverted to Maple Ward after 8pm during the week and after 5pm at the weekend.

Wendy McKenzie said: “It’s important that couples know there are plenty of options open to them if they have any concerns during every stage of their pregnancy.

“People don’t need to turn up at A&E as there are other places where they can go where they could be seen much more quickly by fully-trained health professionals.

“If they call the Antenatal Day Unit, our staff will be able to help them or direct them to the right place.”

The Hey Baby Carousel will be held at the Clinical Skills Building next to Hull Eye Hospital on Fountain Street, close to Hull Royal Infirmary, on Wednesday, January 30.

Couples can chat to midwives, the trust’s team of birth educators and child care experts for advice about pregnancy, to discuss birth plans or ask questions about looking after a new baby.

Around 200 people attend the events held on the last Wednesday of every month to watch practical demonstrations on safer sleeping, bathing your new baby and nappy changing.

Carousel runs from 6pm and 8pm and there’s no need to book an appointment. Dads, partners, grandparents, friends and other children are all welcome to join mums-to-be.

A young girl has donated hundreds of pounds of toys to help sick children after having 10 inches of hair cut off for young people with cancer.

Evie Webster, nine, raised more than £500 after she was sponsored by family and friends to have her waist-length hair cut short for the Princess Trust.

She and brother Riley, seven, then used the sponsorship money to buy toys, toiletries and arts and crafts materials for the children’s wards at Hull Royal Infirmary.

Evie and brother Riley with Ann Lilley, Kerry Floater and Ellie Middleton

Anne Dalby, sister on Ward 130, the Paediatric High Dependency Unit and Paediatric Assessment Unit, said: “We are so grateful to Evie for all she has done for us.

“Getting her hair cut to help children with cancer was such a selfless act itself but to go on and raise money for the children we help takes her kindness to another level.

“We think she is a very special girl and all the staff would like to say a massive thank you to her.”

Evie was deeply affected when family friend Megan Pratt lost her hair before dying of cancer at the age of just 13. Megan touched the hearts of people in the city and was supported by Hull City fans and players before her death in October 2016.

As the second anniversary of Megan’s death approached, Evie told mum Amy and dad James she wanted to donate her hair to help children with cancer and they contacted the Princess Trust.

Evie, who attends Priory Primary, then had around 10 inches cut from her hair at Pure salon in Cottingham, enough to make around three wigs for children.

Amy asked family and friends on Facebook to support Evie and ended up raising more than £500, including a donation of more than £140 from Evie’s grandfather’s darts team.

Amy said: “I thought we’d raise about £30 and I couldn’t believe it when people started sponsoring Evie. I was nearly in tears every night.

“It was already very emotional for us because Evie was doing this for Megan and she’s not here anymore.

“I’m just so proud of Evie and all she’s done.”

Evie’s brother Riley was diagnosed with hemiplegic migraine, a rare type of migraine which causes temporary paralysis, after collapsing at school last year and comes to Hull Royal for treatment when he experiences an episode.

Amy said: “We asked Riley what he liked doing when he comes into hospital and he said he enjoyed drawing so we decided to get some arts and crafts. Evie also liked reading to her little brother so we bought lots of the new Disney and Harry Potter books.”

The children also bought handheld computer games for the teenagers admitted to the wards to help them pass the time in hospital, even if they were not well enough to get out of bed.

Friends and family also donated toiletries to help families of children brought into hospital unexpectedly.

Amy said: “Throughout all this, we heard some amazing stories from people about how Hull Royal had helped them and their children and people just wanted to give something back to the hospital.

“We’re really pleased we could help.”

A woman who has survived cancer four times is thanking hospital staff who helped her recover from her ninth operation.

Carol Thor, 70, underwent life-saving surgery after she developed an abscess in her internal organs.

Now, Mrs Thor is thanking staff on Ward 60 at Hull Royal Infirmary as she hopes to continues her recovery into 2019.

She said: “I hear people grumbling and complaining all the time about this and that but I’m really grateful and appreciate everything that people do for me.

“Staff working in the ward were just so nice and caring and I want to thank them for everything they’ve done for me. The hospital saved my life and allowed me to keep going.”

Mrs Thor’s health problems began more than 30 years ago when she developed breast cancer at the age of 39.

Living in Bilton Grange with husband Richard, she has since developed cancer a further three times and has undergone a hysterectomy, treatment for skin cancer and problems with her bowel and bladder.

She suffered a perforated bowel six years ago and went to her GP surgery a few months ago after experiencing similar pain.

Given antibiotics, she was rushed to Hull’s A&E department days later when her pain intensified.

She was admitted to Hull Royal infirmary in September for further tests and doctors discovered she required emergency surgery and a colostomy to save her life because an abscess had developed in her bowel and bladder.

Mrs Thor, who has two sons Christopher and Robert, said: “I’ve been poorly for all these years but I’m just so grateful to everyone because I wouldn’t be here without them.

“This last time was horrendous and there were tears dripping down my face when they told me I’d need a colostomy. My husband and sons were upset and that was hard to take.

“Up till now, everything has been on the inside but this was on the outside and that was a bit hard for me but Mr Hunter, the surgeon, was absolutely wonderful.

“This operation saved my life and everyone treated me so nicely.”

Mrs Thor spent three weeks in hospital and returned recently to thank staff on Ward 60 for caring for her as she recovered from surgery.

She said: “It doesn’t matter what I have to go through because I’m just so grateful that I’ve got all this love and support.

“You’ve got to be positive about these things and I don’t let it hold me back.

“I love to go out with my husband, I see my fabulous friends twice a week and my sons are just wonderful so I just think aren’t I lucky to be here?”

Ward 60 on the sixth floor of Hull Royal Infirmary looks after emergency admissions when people have been rushed to Hull A&E or have been referred to hospital by their GP.

Patients include those with life-threatening conditions who require major bowel or abdominal surgery, those with abscesses and people who require plastic surgery after suffering traumatic injuries.

Jacqueline King, Senior Sister on Ward 60, said: “Lots of our patients come back to see us and we do get lots of praise but it makes such a difference to our staff every time people go to the trouble of saying thank you.

“To see Mrs Thor looking so well and absolutely buzzing after her first appointment at the clinic because everything is working out great  is just so rewarding.”

Becoming parents in 2019? Come along to our Hey Baby Carousel this month to see you through the first months of pregnancy.

Parents can tap into the expertise of Hull’s team of midwives for help with queries or concerns they have about their pregnancies, forms they need to fill in to secure maternity pay or to discuss their options for giving birth.

Now held at the Clinical Skills building on the Hull Royal Infirmary site on the last Wednesday of every month, around 200 people attend the Carousels to pick up tips, advice and support with pregnancy and childbirth.

Birth educators working for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will give practical demonstrations on how people can look after their babies in the first few weeks from safer sleeping and how to bathe your baby to healthy eating and accident prevention.

Hey Baby coordinator Melanie Lee

Hey Baby co-ordinator Melanie Lee said: “Our Carousel events are beneficial to couples regardless of the stage of pregnancy.

“Ideally, people can come at the start of their pregnancies, around the 20-week mark as they reach the halfway point and towards the end.

“We also have couples who want to come every month as we always have something new to share with prospective families.”

Carousel will be held at the Clinical Skills Building next to Hull Eye Hospital on Wednesday, January 30, between 6pm and 8pm. You can just turn up as there is no need to book an appointment and you don’t need to stay for the full two hours.

Dads, partners, grandparents, friends and other children are all welcome to join mums-to-be at the event.

Hull Royal Infirmary has opened a £7,000 cinema showing footage of Yorkshire throughout the decades to help patients with memory problems.

The film booth – complete with cinema seats and a giant screen – has been set up in the middle of Ward 80 to help people reminisce about their past and share memories of growing up in the city.

Dr Yoghini Nagandran, Clinical Lead in the Department of Elderly Medicine, said: “Coming into hospital can be quite a frightening experience for anyone, especially for people with memory problems including dementia.

“We can now show old films which can bring back memories for people and be a starting point of a conversation.

“We had two patients the other day who were complete strangers but watched the films together, enjoyed a chat over a coffee and some biscuits and became friends.

“It is breaking the monotony for people and it has achieved positive results for our patients.”

Ward 80 is the Progression to Discharge Unit where patients recovering from recent illness spend time recuperating before they are discharged home with support or to a care home.

The cinema helps to keep people mobile, encouraging them to move around the ward to prevent muscle wastage and get back into a more normal routine following a hospital stay.

The booth has been designed in the style of an old cinema with film posters advertising classics like Gone With The Wind and Casablanca on the outside.

Footage from the Yorkshire Film Archive shows street scenes and images from rugby matches and sporting events from the 1950s and 60s.

WISHH, the independent charity supporting Hull’s hospitals, was able to fund the £7,000 cost of the cinema thanks to the generosity of its supporters and members of the public.

Susan Lockwood, chair of the board of trustees at WISHH, said: “The cinema is a fantastic addition to the ward and will enhance the care patients already receive from staff.

“We are grateful to the public and our donors who have made this possible.”

Families visiting elderly relatives on the ward can use the booth to make easy conversation.

Dr Dan Harman, Consultant in Elderly Medicine, said: “Our primary concern is to make sure people are safe and we deliver the high-quality care they need.

“However, if we can do that in an environment that’s more homely for elderly patients or those who are frail, that can make a huge difference.

“It’s about remembering they are a person rather than just a patient.”

Younger people with existing health problems are being warned they risk serious illness in 2019 if they fail to have the flu jab now.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is appealing to people aged over 16 with conditions known to put them at greater risk of flu, such as asthma or diabetes, to ensure they take up the offer of the free flu vaccine.

NHS staff are anticipating an increase in people admitted to Hull Royal Infirmary suffering serious complications caused by flu over the coming weeks as the country returns to normal after the festive break. Already, the trust is seeing a higher number of cases of flu.

Greta Johnson, Lead Infection Prevention and Control Nurse, said: “We tend to see a surge in admissions over the first few weeks in January because people have come together in large gatherings to celebrate Christmas and New Year.

“Family events and parties are ideal places for viruses to spread and all it can take is a single cough or sneeze to infect an entire room.

“It’s not too late for people to get the flu vaccine and that’s particularly important for the over 16s, who maybe see the vaccine as something for older people.

“Younger people with asthma, diabetes or another health condition should understand they’re at a much greater risk of becoming seriously ill compared to an older person with no existing health conditions and getting the vaccine is the best chance they’ve got of reducing that risk.”

The flu vaccine is free to people aged 16 to 65 with existing health conditions and is available from pharmacists and GP surgeries.

It is not a live virus so, contrary to popular belief, it will not give you flu. If a person becomes ill, it is likely they had already caught the flu or cold virus before receiving the vaccine.

Some people can experience tenderness in their arm following the jab but most people experience no after-effects. The vaccine takes around 48 hours to work and this year’s vaccine is highly effective against the most common strain H1N1 Influenza A.

Health professionals in England look to Australia and its experience of flu during what is their winter and our summer to gauge how it is likely to affect the country.

Australia experienced far fewer numbers of flu this year compared to last year, with figures showing one of the lowest flu rates in five years.

Although flu affected more Australian children under 10 this year, children in England are vaccinated so it is not expected to have as big an impact here.

Greta Johnson said: “We are expecting fewer cases this year but that will make no difference to the people who do catch flu. It can absolutely floor someone and be life-threatening to vulnerable groups so it’s important that people do all they can to protect themselves.

“Catching flu is not like having a bad cold. It can make people very, very poorly. In some cases, it can lead to pneumonia so it is crucial that people get the flu vaccine now if they haven’t already.”