A new animation will be launched this week to urge people to use Urgent Treatment Centres as preparations get under way for “Frantic Friday”.

More than 400 people have been attending Hull’s A&E department every day this winter, often causing long delays to treatment for people who are more seriously ill and injured.

With Friday traditionally the busiest night of the year for pubs and clubs, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is urging people to use alternatives to A&E if they need treatment for alcohol-induced accidents and injuries.

The new animation will be launched by the trust on Facebook and Twitter to encourage patients to seek treatment alternatives, signposting them to the four local urgent care centres in Bransholme, Bridlington, Beverley and Goole.

Narrated by local children, the video highlights some of “conditions” people have turned up at A&E with, including hangovers and stuck false nails.

The animation is part of a wider campaign of engaging schools in the trust campaign “A&E – It’s Serious Stuff” to change habits and behaviours of people who continue to come to A&E with minor conditions and illnesses.

Emergency Department consultant, Biju Cherian said:

“Winter is an incredibly busy period for all of us working in A&E. This Friday will be a particularly frantic evening as so many people take to the streets to celebrate the last weekend before Christmas.

“Our new campaign seeks to get the message out that, although we are always open, A&E is for the seriously ill, injured and dying. Bumps and bruises, twisted ankles or even the hangovers people will inevitably have the next day can be treated elsewhere.

“We need to get this message out over the long-term so that we change the existing culture where people come to A&E with any condition or illness. That’s why we’re seeking to partner with schools and colleges to educate people at an early age and help them to understand the issues, so that they can help us.

“The animation asks people to consider using one of the Urgent Treatment Centres we have on our doorstep and having children narrating the poem gives the message a little more impact. Hopefully people will share it on social media so that we can reach as many of the local population as possible. Have a safe and lovely Christmas.”

Sixty-five health workers will perform at Hull Minster this week to celebrate the festive season and give thanks for 70 years of the NHS.

Staff from local health organisations including Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Humber NHS Foundation Trust and City Health Care Partnership will lead a special Christmas Concert on the evening of Wednesday 19^th December.

Midwives, doctors, nurses, mental health workers and administrative staff will be among those singing songs linked to the nature of their work, including ‘People, Help the People’ to mark the 70^th anniversary of the National Health Service.

There will also be a number of readings from health staff and traditional carols for the congregation to join in with.

Lucy Vere, Head of Organisational Development at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was one of the original founders of the NHS choir and will be among those performing at the Minster. She says:

“This will be the Hull NHS Choir’s biggest performance so far, and that seems only fitting at the end of what has been a very special year for the NHS.

“Working in health can be very demanding and stressful at times, so singing is a great way of bringing staff and colleagues together and it can be incredibly therapeutic.

“At this time of year, it’s important to reflect and give thanks for what we have. The NHS does amazing things, and we all consider ourselves very lucky to be able to play a part in improving the lives of others.

“We hope people will join us in our special festive celebration and show their appreciation for hard-working healthcare staff, many of whom will be sacrificing some of their own time with family this Christmas to care for patients and their families.”

The Christmas Concert at Hull Minster is open to all and is free to attend, no tickets required. Doors open at 6:30pm for a 7:15pm start on Wednesday 19 December.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/hullnhschoir or email hyp-tr.choir@nhs.net

Photo: Victor de Jesus, York Minster, 5 July 2018.

Nurses and health workers caring for Hull’s youngest hospital patients are launching a Christmas t-shirt campaign this week to help raise funds to brighten up their hospital paediatric department.

Staff on Ward 130 West and the Paediatric High Dependency Unit at Hull Royal Infirmary and on Acorn Ward at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital will pay to wear Christmas t-shirts from Christmas Eve until night shift on Boxing Day to raise funds to refurbish the wards.

The Christmas T-shirt campaign is the latest fundraising effort by the team to brighten up the wards where some of the city’s sickest children are cared for all year round.

Junior sister Helen Lyon with some of the staff from Ward 130

Junior sister Helen Lyon said: “We know lots of workplaces allow staff to wear Christmas jumpers to raise funds for charity at this time of year but we can’t wear anything with long sleeves as we need to remain bare below the elbow for infection control.

“We thought we could get t-shirts so we could still join in the fun and raise money ourselves by paying for the privilege of wearing a t-shirt to work over the next week.

“The public have been so generous to us and we want to show everyone we’re doing our bit too, not just asking everyone else to dig deep to help us.”

The paediatric department has received some funding as part of the trust’s newly developed Arts Strategy.

Woodwork has been painted in calming blue and pastel colours and cubicles decorated with artwork including dolphins and penguin transfers to reflect the city’s fishing history and the success of The Deep. Those cubicles used by older children will also have sunflowers and trees incorporated into the design.

Cubicles used to look after children with cancer and long-term conditions will also be fitted with entertainment systems featuring TVs, DVDs and games consoles after the ward received funding from children’s charity Candle-lighters.

The playroom is also being decorated and the clinical room where children undergo procedures is also going to be refurbished over the coming months.

A carol concert by Church Lads and Girls Band at St Mary’s Church in Beverley played Christmas carols outside Hull Royal Infirmary last week and raised more than £200. Staff are asking the public to support their fundraising instead of bringing toys and selection boxes onto the wards this year. A £5 donation could help buy a wall sticker to decorating cubicles, corridors, bays and the Ward 130 playroom in sea themes.

Anyone who would like to help us can send cheques, made out to the WISHH Charity and send them to Helen Lyon, Junior Sister, Ward 130, Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road, Hull, HU3 1JZ. They can also make a donation to the WISHH Charity through www.justgiving.com/wishh, marking your donation WALLSTICKERS.

Looking to start 2019 with a career change?

A three-minute video has been produced by the organisation running Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital showcasing the opportunities available to people who decide the new year is the time to land their dream job.

Part of its “Remarkable People, Extraordinary Place” recruitment campaign, the video will also be shown at university job fairs all over the north of England.

The video features renowned Paediatric Surgeon Sanya Besarovic along with nurses, physiotherapists and consultants explaining how teamwork helps our teams produce the best possible care for patients.

They also speak of their love for the city they call home.

Simon Nearney, Director of Workforce and OD at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Our trust has outstanding opportunities to offer people, whether they’re looking for their first job, considering a career change for 2019 or looking to progress their careers.

“We want to show people what a fantastic city Hull is and why they should come and work for us.

“We can offer people their dream jobs, whether that’s in clinical roles with our doctors, nursing staff and allied health professionals like physios and operating department practitioners right through to support services with finance, IT, HR and estates jobs.”

Anyone interested in working for the trust should visit www.joinhey.co.uk or visit the HEY NHS Jobs page on Facebook.

Parents are being encouraged to recognise the symptoms of a viral infection after an increase of cases affecting babies and children under two in Hull.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has seen an increase in the number of children admitted to Hull Royal Infirmary this month with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The virus can be breathed in when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Younger children can also pick up RSV from a toy infected with the virus, which can survive on a surface for 24 hours, and then rubbing their eyes, mouth or nose.

Senior Matron Vanessa Brown said: “We start seeing more and more cases of RSV at this time of the year and we are already seeing an increase in admissions of very young children.

“While the vast majority of children will only experience unpleasant symptoms for a few days, RSV can be more serious for those with existing health conditions, the very young or those who were born prematurely.

“Parents can help prevent their child catching RSV in the first place by taking a few simple steps and recognising the symptoms can help you cope with what can be an anxious time.

“While antibiotics won’t help your child, there are steps you can take to make them more comfortable and help them recover well within days.”

What is RSV?

It’s a common virus which almost all children will have caught by the time they reach the age of two. It can lead to bronchiolitis in babies and younger children although it normally only causes a cough or cold in older children and adults. Outbreaks are seasonal, usually occurring between November and January and peaking just before Christmas, although sporadic cases are seen year-round.

How can my baby catch RSV?

When an infected person coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets of the virus are released into the air, affecting those who breathe in the droplets. Those droplets can also land on surfaces such as toys and survive for 24 hours, meaning they can be passed onto a child’s hand. If they rub their eyes, nose or touch their mouth, they can be infected.

A child with RSV can remain infectious and so infect other children for three weeks, even if symptoms have disappeared.

How does it make you ill?

RSV is a respiratory infection which enters the system through the windpipe. It then works its way into the lungs and causes the smallest airways in the lungs, known as the bronchioles, to become swollen. More mucus is produced which can lead to the airways becoming blocked, making breathing difficult for children who already have smaller airways.

Does anything increase my child’s chances of bronchiolitis?

Yes. Children who are bottlefed or have been breastfed for less than two months are more likely to develop bronchiolitis if they catch RSV. They’re also more likely to develop it if their parents smoke or they have been exposed to smoke, if they attend nursery or have older brothers or sisters who attend nursery and so have more chance of coming into contact with the virus.

Children who are under eight weeks old, have congenital heart disease, were premature or have chronic lung disease of prematurity are at increased risk of developing more severe bronchiolitis.

Looking after your child at home

As it’s a virus, antibiotics won’t help your child. However, you can help ease milder symptoms and avoid spreading the virus to other children by keeping them at home and away from nursery or day care

Check on them regularly throughout the night and keep them upright to make their breathing easier. Give them smaller feeds more regularly.

Don’t make your home too hot as it can dry out the air and use a dehumidifier if you have one to keep the air moist.

Ensure your child is kept away from cigarette smoke and, if they are old enough, give them paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce high temperatures.

How do I know if it’s serious?

Most children only have mild symptoms and recover within two to three weeks. However, some signs such as breathing difficulties can indicate more serious problems.

Early signs of bronchiolitis are similar to a cold, such as a blocked or runny nose, a cough and a slight fever. However, they can develop over the next few days to include a rasping or persistent dry cough, rapid breathing or wheezing, brief pauses in breathing, reduced feeding and fewer wet nappies, vomiting after feeds and irritability.

Symptoms peak between day three and five before improving although the cough can last for three weeks.

When should I seek help?

See your GP if your child has taken less than half of their normal feed during the last two to three feeds, hasn’t had a wet nappy for 12 hours or more and is breathing very fast. If they seem very tired or irritable and have a persistent high temperature of 38 degrees or above, contact your GP.

You need to call 999 if your child has difficulty breathing or suffers exhaustion from the efforts of trying to breathe. You’ll recognise this if the muscles under their rubs are sucking in with each breath, they grunt from the effort or they become pale and sweaty. You also need an ambulance if you can’t wake your child or they can’t stay awake, their breathing stops for a long time or their skin turns very pale or blue or the inside of their lips and tongue are blue.

A youth band is set to bring festive cheer to Hull Royal Infirmary this week to help staff raising funds for sick children.

The Church Lads and Church Girls Brigade(CLB) band from St Mary’s Church in Beverley will play Christmas carols outside the tower block as relatives and friends arrive to visit loved ones in hospital on Thursday, December 13, between 6.30pm and 7.30pm.

Paediatric nurses and health care professionals caring for our youngest patients will be alongside the band with collection tins to help with their fundraising efforts to refurbish the children’s wards.

Junior sister Helen Lyon said: “We are very grateful to the young people from CLB for helping us and bringing joy to staff and patients.

“It’s a difficult time for anyone to be in hospital and we’re so pleased they will be getting us, our patients and visitors in the festive mood.

“We hope the public will support our efforts with the refurbishment of the children’s wards so we can put a smile on our younger patients all year round.”

The paediatric department, which includes Acorn Ward in Hull Women and Children’s Hospital, the Paediatric High Dependency Unit and Ward 130 West, has received some funding as part of the trust’s newly developed Arts Strategy.

Woodwork has been painted in calming blue and pastel colours and cubicles decorated with artwork including dolphins and penguin transfers to reflect the city’s fishing history and the success of The Deep. Those cubicles used by older children will also have sunflowers and trees incorporated into the design.

Cubicles used to look after children with cancer and long-term conditions will also be fitted with entertainment systems featuring TVs, DVDs and games consoles after the ward received funding from children’s charity Candle-lighters.

The playroom is also being decorated and the clinical room where children undergo procedures is also going to be refurbished over the coming months.

Staff are also asking the public to support their fundraising instead of bringing toys and selection boxes onto the wards this year. A£5 donation could help buy a wall sticker to decorating cubicles, corridors, bays and the Ward 130 playroom in sea themes.

Anyone who would like to help us can send cheques, made out to the WISHH Charity and send them to Helen Lyon, Junior Sister, Ward 130, Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road, Hull, HU3 1JZ. They can also make a donation to the WISHH Charity through www.justgiving.com/wishh, marking your donation WALLSTICKERS.

Watching him kick his legs in the swimming pool, Sarah Ferguson knows her baby son is a real-life water baby.

Elliot was one of the babies to be born under water at the Fatima Allam Birth Centre in Hull.

Preparing to celebrate their first Christmas as a family, Sarah and husband Karl say they had a fantastic birth experience with top-class care from midwife Sam Haw and the team at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital.

Sarah said: “It was amazing and I couldn’t fault any of it. The staff were brilliant.

“People ask me if I’d have another baby and I say I definitely would – and I’d go for another water birth if possible.”

When she became pregnant, teaching assistant Sarah researched her options and found out about the Fatima Allam Birth Centre, opened last year and led by midwives to help women with low-risk pregnancies.

She was keen to have a water birth, understanding her plans may have to change if she developed complications during her pregnancy or if the midwives involved in her care had any concerns.

“Personally, I thought it was more of a natural way of doing it rather than sitting on a bed,” she said.

Although she started having contractions at 26 weeks, they stopped again and she was able to continue with her pregnancy, going into labour on the afternoon of April 25.

She went into hospital at 1.30am the next morning but wasn’t in labour so was able to go home again. By 7.30am, she was back at the hospital and met Sam, who had just started her shift at the birth centre.

Sarah, Karl and baby Elliot

Sarah and Karl was shown to the Jasmine Suite, tastefully decorated in the style of a high-end hotel room, and Sarah was able to get into the pool.

Elliot was born at 12.25pm under water, weighing 7lbs 13 oz.

“It was just so special,” said Sarah. “The labour could not have gone more to plan.

“Sam was monitoring his heart rate all the time to make sure he was ok and his heart rate remained steady throughout.

“It was just unbelievable how your body takes over and you instinctively know what to do.

“We didn’t know we were having a boy so it was a double whammy.”

Sarah was keen to try breastfeeding but was a bit uncertain. However, within minutes of her son being born, Sam helped him to latch on and he had fed twice by the time the couple moved onto the postnatal ward with their new son to spend a night in hospital.

“If it wasn’t for Sam, I think I would have struggled to breastfeed so I’m just so grateful. I’m still breastfeeding Elliot now and I’m aiming to complete a full year.”

Sarah says, after his spectacular entrance into the world, Elliot loves being in water.

“His happiest times are when he’s in the bath – he absolutely loves the bath. When we go swimming, he’s always kicking his legs and gets really excited.”

Midwife Sam with baby Elliot

Sam said she was delighted to help Sarah and Karl bring their son into the world.

She said: “It is such a privilege to be with a couple at such a special time in their lives and I was so pleased for Sarah and Karl.

“On behalf of all of us here at the Fatima Allam Birth Centre, I’d like to wish them and Elliot a very happy Christmas.”

A team looking after hundreds of people with bleeding disorders has received a positive peer review for the quality of care given to patients.

Haemophilia services for 400 patients from Hull, the East Riding and North Lincolnshire underwent the full-day inspection against rigorous national standards as part of the peer review in November.

Now, the service based in the Queen’s Centre has become the first moderate-sized treatment centre in the UK to receive a positive peer review as part of a national programme.

Dr David Allsup, Hull Haemophilia Director in charge of the service, said: “We have received very strong and positive feedback following the peer review.

“Patients were uniformly complimentary about the service, which we were really pleased about, and the peer review team made a point of stressing that.”

Haemophilia is a rare condition affecting the body’s ability to clot. Its main symptom is bleeding that doesn’t stop, known as prolonged bleeding, but other symptoms can include nosebleeds which take a long time to stop, bleeding gums and skin that bruises easily.

Although there is no cure, people with haemophilia can receive clotting factor injections to prevent and treat prolonged bleeding.

Patients with inherited bleeding disorders come to the service for regular injections of clotting factors which the team then supports them to do at home.

The team, managed by Dr Allsup and Dr Simone Green, also looks after the patients when they come into hospital with a bleed or for surgery, supporting not just them but their families as well.

Eight members of the peer review, including two consultants, a physiotherapist and a lay person, visited the service at Castle Hill Hospital on November 20.

Dr Allsup said: “While we are already an accredited service, the point of the peer review is to identify and disseminate areas of good practice and pick up on any weaknesses.

“The team were very complimentary and the plan now is to carry on providing that high-quality service for our patients and delivering the best care we can.”

Elderly patients got some early festive cheer today when primary school pupils visited Hull Royal Infirmary.

Year 4 pupils from Biggin Hill Primary Academy in Bransholme visited Ward 80 which cares for people with dementia who are ready to be discharged from hospital.

The children, aged eight and nine, went into four bays handing out Christmas cards, telling jokes and singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas to patients.

Chiburoma Ajoku, nine, said: “I’ve really liked it because we’ve got to make people smile.”

Charlie McLeod, eight, said: “I feel happy now. I’ve learned that old people are not that scary.”

The children, accompanied by teacher Catherine Simpson and teaching assistant Sonya Wright, were brought to the hospital after Beerhouse Self Drive provided a minibus, free of charge.

Dr Fiona Thomson, Consultant in Elderly Medicine, met the children when they arrived on the ward to explain most of the patients were 85, some struggled with their hearing or memories, but all were looking forward to seeing them.

The children then went on a tour of the wards, handing out their Christmas cards to patients and entertaining them with jokes, poems and songs.

Some of the children with Mrs Muncie

Retired teacher Mary Muncie, who taught at Wansbeck Primary, put in a special request for Away In A Manger and was treated to an impromptu and unrehearsed rendition.

Clasping her hands together, Mrs Muncie said: “I taught what we called infants and juniors, so children aged five to nine, and it’s just been so nice to see the children today.”

Patient care is set to be transformed with waiting times for scans significantly reduced following an announcement today that £18m will be invested in emergency care facilities at our Trust.

As well as paying for new MRI and CT scanners for the Emergency Department, the funds will enable the children’s wards at Hull Royal Infirmary to move into the Women and Children’s hospital.

It is the biggest capital investment in facilities at the Trust for a decade and comes just two years after the Emergency Department itself was completely rebuilt. With a dedicated helipad almost complete at the rear of the Hull Royal Site, Hull’s status as a major trauma centre will be further enhanced as dedicated scanning facilities are provided on site. This will considerably reduce turnaround times for patients ensuring their journey through our hospitals is more efficient and help us to get patients in the right bed, first time.

Where the paediatric facilities are concerned patients and their families will benefit from having inpatient and outpatient facilities in the same dedicated building. Specialist nursing and medical care will be provided in one place for the first time since the construction of the Women and Children’s Hospital in 2002.

The Trust is benefitting from a share of £88.5m capital secured by the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership (STP) which will also see a major upgrade of the Emergency Departments in Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Scarborough.

Duncan Taylor, Director of Estates, Facilities and Development at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said:

“This capital investment will help us create first-class facilities, enabling us to deliver fantastic healthcare for our patients and an unrivalled working environment for our dedicated staff.

“Our current scanners are old, prone to breakdown and we don’t have enough of them. This has a knock-on effect on patients who have appointments cancelled or have to wait longer than we would like. The public understand we could only work with what we had but it was not the service our staff wanted to provide for patients.

“Purchasing additional CT and MRI scanners will not only allow staff to see and treat more patients, people will not have to wait as long.

“We’ll also be able to reshape paediatric services, bringing together our children’s wards and services under one roof at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital. This will make a massive difference to patients and families.

“This capital investment will allow us to enhance the wonderful facilities we already have in our Emergency Departments, which are among the best in the country following a £12m refurbishment in 2016.

“We will also be able to create additional capacity in our Acute Medical Unit to improve patient flow should people coming to the Emergency Department require admission.”

Mike Proctor, Chair of the Humber, Coast and Vale Strategic Estates Board and Chief Executive of York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “This is great news for local people across our region and will enable us to make the changes we need to make to improve the way our emergency departments function.

“We will be able to see more patients more quickly, and ensure people receive an accurate diagnosis for their condition as quickly as possible.”