Dr Dan Harman with one of the decorated zimmer frames

Hospital consultants are bringing a “Pimp My Zimmer” event to Hull this week with the aim of reducing the risk of falling among older people.

Staff from Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will set up a stand at Hull’s Health Expo at City Hall on Thursday to encourage people to decorate zimmer frames and walking aids.

Dr Katie Athorn, Dr Dan Harman and Dr Anna Folwell, consultants in the department of medical elderly at Hull Royal Infirmary, are spearheading the project after a similar scheme in Essex saw a 60 per cent reduction in falls.

An older person loses 10 per cent muscle mass for every week spent in hospital so preventing falls and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions is key to promoting a better quality of life.

On Thursday, families visiting Health Expo with older relatives can decorate walking aids with wool or fabric, feathers or coloured paper so they can be easily identified and sessions can be booked online: Pimp My Zimmer! Reducing Falls Project Mini Sessions.

Dr Athorn is a member of the East Riding care home working group with representation from the acute trust, primary care, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and care homes in East Riding and she presented the idea after learning of the successful and innovative project that started in an Essex care home.

She said: “It started off as a recreational idea to keep residents entertained but staff found that, as a direct result, people took ownership of their zimmer frames and remembered to use them.

“Using the wrong zimmer frame which hasn’t been adjusted for your height can result in someone losing their balance so this helped people use the right frames, not just any one lying around.

“They saw a reduction in falls and I shared it with our working group for discussion.

“A couple of the care homes tried it and had a wonderful response, with not only the residents thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to be creative, but also resulting in a reduction in falls of between 40 to 60 per cent and fewer ambulance attendances and hospital admissions as a result.”

Dr Harman said decorating walking aids was something older people could do with their carers or grandchildren.

He said: “While this has a practical benefit in reducing the risk of falls, there’s also a social inclusion side to this as it’s a fun activity people can do with their families and carers.”

“Pimp My Zimmer” will be among about 80 stalls at the major health event on Thursday showcasing the best in healthcare innovation.

From clinical simulation “mannekins” to the Da Vinci robot, visitors will be able to see how modern techniques and new ideas are responsible for major advances in hospital care.

Elderly patients spending time in hospital spent an afternoon with a difference recently, as former Royal Ballet dancer-turned-teacher Vanesa Hooper visited to teach a class.

Not wanting the recent ballet fever to pass this patient group by, Dr Fiona Thomson, Consultant Physician in Elderly Medicine arranged for Ms Hooper to visit patients on Ward 9 at Hull Royal Infirmary to teach a bespoke ballet class.

Dr Thomson says:

“Research among our patients has previously indicated that they can become bored easily while in hospital, so staff on Ward 9 have been doing a lot in recent months to improve the patient experience and to help keep them occupied.

“There is much evidence to show that keeping frail older people moving and active while in hospital can help to prevent deconditioning and loss of functional ability. Happier older patients are more motivated, are likely to eat more, engage better with therapy staff, and may even be ready to leave hospital sooner.

“We took our inspiration from a recent Channel 4 series where a group of pre-school children shared their day care with care home residents, and which generated really positive results in both physical and mental well-being.

“Dance can also be very popular among our patient group, and we felt that if they were not in a position to attend the Royal Ballet while it was in Hull, we’d try and bring a touch of that magic to them instead.

“Vanessa’s class certainly provided patients with a welcome break from the daily routine of hospital life, as well as providing an opportunity to socialise with other patients, listen to music, improve muscle strength, and enjoy an activity that many of them will not have done for years.”

Due to the mobility of the patient group, patients took part in largely chair based exercise and worked out to a whole range of music, from classical to modern.  Activity included upper and lower body stretches, and wrist and ankle rotations.

Vanessa Hooper says:

“The visit helped to get the elderly patients moving and inspire them to try and do a little more in their lives if they can.

“Working with older people is something I really enjoy and I found that they got something out of it, and I loved it! I found it really encouraging that even patients who didn’t think they were going to be able to do anything started to get motivated and join in by the time we’d finished.

“Ward 9 is a lovely environment with lovely people; I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and I’m hoping I’ll be back.”

Patients failed to attend one in every 12 hospital outpatients last year, prompting Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to launch a new campaign to alert patients to the real cost of missed appointments.

A total of 66,385 outpatient appointments across Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital went unattended in 2016, equating to 8.4% of all outpatient appointments offered.

The financial cost to the hospitals Trust of such DNA’s, or ‘Did Not Attends’, was a staggering £11m; equivalent to some 440 nurse posts. And that does not take account of the emotional cost or potential health implications for other patients anxiously waiting for appointments who could have been offered earlier slots.

Eileen Henderson, Head of Outpatient Services at the Trust says:

“Work to improve access to outpatient services has been ongoing for some time, but as well as trying to increase reliability at our end, in terms of staffing, room availability, access to equipment  and so on, we also need the public to play their part.

“Last year, we had 66,835 people who did not turn up for their appointments.  This resulted in some patients having to wait longer for their appointments, our doctors and nurses waiting with no one to see, and our clinical administration staff having to contact those people again to offer further appointments.

“The cost of DNAs is massive, but this issue is not unique to hospitals; similar issues are experienced by GPs and other parts of the health community too. As well as the financial cost, DNAs also make the whole service less effective, as those who don’t turn up have to re-scheduled, with knock-on effects for other patients who are also on the same waiting list.

“Simply advising us that an appointment date is no longer suitable means other patients can be offered earlier appointments and doctors’ and nurses’ expertise isn’t wasted.

“A number of our services use text reminders as a prompt or an aide-memoire for people, but often these still don’t have the desired effect. The new poster campaign which staff and visitors will begin to see around our sites this week will serve to remind people of the real cost of missed outpatient appointments, and hopefully help us to provide a more efficient service across all of our outpatient clinics.”

3,775 women across Hull and the East Riding have already done it this year, and a further 1,507 are waiting patiently…

Having a baby can be an exciting and daunting life event at the best of times, so now health experts from across the area are getting together to host a series of drop-ins to help new and expectant parents .

From hypnobirth and fitting a car seat correctly to using the new Fatima Allam Birth Centre, experts from various agencies, community and support groups will convene later this month for the next HEY Baby carousel event.

Melanie Lee, Childbirth Educator Midwife at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“Literally thousands of babies are born in this city every year, and we want to give those babies and their parents the best possible start.

“The event we’ll be hosting next week is designed to bring a lot of different experts in their field together so pregnant women or new parents can come along and have all those niggly little questions answered, like ‘what do I need to bring into hospital’ or ‘how do I lose my baby weight?’

“Sometimes women don’t always like to bother their midwife, or questions crop up later in conversation with friends or family, so this event gives people the opportunity to pop in and ask whatever they like; the main thing is we want families to feel ready, confident and supported, and aware of all the options open to them.”

The HEY Baby Carousel Event will take place on Wednesday 27 September from 6 to 8pm at the Hull Women and Children’s Hospital.  Representatives from/advice on the following will be available:

• Fatima Allam Birth Centre (midwife led unit)
• SureStart Children’s Centres
• UsMums fitness sessions
• Baby bath and nappy change demonstrations
• Car seat safety
• Home birth group
• Hypnobirth
• Healthy lifestyles
• ‘Let’s talk’ talking therapies
• Health Visitors
• Breast buddies – breastfeeding support
• Infant feeding
• … and much more!

Copies of the Baby Footprint postcards, as featured on the 2017 City of Culture artwork within the entrance to the Women and Children’s Hospital, will also be on sale.

There is no need to book, but for more information, call the HEY Baby team on 07769 671449.

Local hospital staff have given national conference delegates arriving in Hull this week a more unusual welcome to the city.

Hundreds of eye specialists are convening for the BIPOSA (British Isles Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Association) 11^th annual conference, held in Hull in celebration of the 2017 City of Culture Year.

Far from playing the Housemartins or passing round the chip spice, however, healthcare staff have done what they do best, and that’s give a warm and healthy welcome to visitors in the form of a 5km run around the city centre earlier this morning.

Usman Mahmood, Consultant in Paediatric Ophthalmology at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has led on organising the conference and the active introduction to the area. He says:

“In recent years, we’re told it’s become somewhat of a tradition for BIPOSA to offer its delegates a run as part of their annual three day conference.

“We’re incredibly proud of our city and so this gave us the perfect opportunity to show off some of the sights in a relaxed and sociable way, as well as for delegates to get a bit of fresh air and get the blood pumping before their conference schedule begins.”

The 5km route designed by Specialist Optometrist, Ellen Messingham, took runners from Hull City Hall, where the conference is being held, through the old town and along the marina before heading past The Deep and onto Victoria Dock. The route then led participants over Scale Lane Bridge, along High Street to the Wilberforce Museum, before heading back to the City Hall past Hull College and through Queen’s Gardens.

Usman continues:

“We have a lot of keen runners throughout the Eye Hospital, HRI and Castle Hill, and staff were only too willing to give fellow health workers from across the UK a warm welcome in this way.

“Hull has so much to offer that we didn’t want our visitors to miss out. We hope by giving them a taste of what’s around and about, they will use what free time they have while they’re here to explore further, or maybe even encourage a return visit to Hull in the weeks and months ahead.”

For most hospital patients, visits to the ward tend to come from the doctor, a therapist, friends or loved ones. Elderly patients spending time on Ward 9 at Hull Royal infirmary, however, are now receiving visits from a new four-legged friend.

Nudel is an 14 month old Labradoodle who is training to be an assistance dog with Canine Partners. Once a month, Nudel and her Puppy Parent, Mike Cormack, come on to the ward to raise a smile among patients and give Nudel herself experience of socialising in different environments.

Once fully trained, Nudel will be matched with an appropriate owner who requires help with daily tasks; often this is someone living with a long term health condition such as Multiple Sclerosis or Muscular Dystrophy, or it could be someone who has been injured in military service.

In the meantime, Nudel is serving as a welcome talking point among patients and staff, and bringing enjoyment to those patients who may be temporarily parted from their own pets.

Mike says:

“It’s great for Nudel to be able to come into Hull Royal to get used to the sights, sounds and smells of a hospital environment. This is also a socialisation exercise for her, so it gets her used to people and how to behave when she’s working.

“She can already perform a number of tasks and understand a lot of commands. She’s used to picking things up off the floor and retrieving things, but she can also push and pull which, once she has a permanent owner, will mean she can help with everyday tasks such as dressing, closing doors, opening drawers, and turning light switches on and off.

Nudel is being trained through Canine Partners, a registered charity bringing greater independence and quality of life to people with physical disabilities. As well as visiting hospital, Nudel and Mike also visit older people in a care home, journey on buses and trains, visit shops, supermarkets and even restaurants to get Nudel used to working in busy areas.

Dr Fiona Thomson, Consultant Physician in Elderly Medicine says:

“Before we brought Canine Partners on to the ward, we carried out a survey amongst our patients which found that many of them were bored and felt they had little to occupy them during the day.

“As a team, we’ve been looking closely at what we can do to keep older people engaged and active while they’re in our care, and generally brighten up their days. Animals as therapy have been trialled elsewhere, and so we decided to give it a go and begin canine visits to the ward, with a really positive response.”

The Royal College of Nursing is currently drawing up guidelines for medical institutions on how to use animal therapy safely and effectively in order to benefit patients. In a survey carried out last year, 82% of nurses surveyed by the RCN said animals could help patients be more physically active and 60% said they believed animals improved physical recovery.

“As well as the obvious enjoyment which some people get from animals, we’ve also seen other benefits for our patients from having the dog in already,” Dr Thomson continues.

“Some patients with dementia who may otherwise appear quite withdrawn engage very well with the dog, and we’ve also seen a calming effect for some patients if they’re anxious. Nudel also serves as a talking point for people, whether it’s patient to patient, patients and relatives, or patients and staff, and this not only helps to pass the time but these social interactions also benefit our patients’ sense of well-being too.”

Canine visits are just one of a series of events and activities organised for older people by the staff on Ward 9 to promote regular physical activity and social interaction; other schemes include exercise to music and reminiscence therapy.

Nudel will begin advanced training on the 20^th November, where she will be assessed over a period of eight weeks. Mike describes this as, “a very sad day for us all”, but if accepted, her training will then be tailor made to benefit one suitable person on the Canine Partners waiting list.

Staff at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital have been overwhelmed by kindness following an appeal for help on facebook.

Ward Housekeeper, Sarah Hames, issued the call-out via the hospital’s facebook page after the Labour and Delivery Ward began to run short of knitted hats for newborns.

Within hours, the appeal had been shared far and wide, reaching in excess of 215,000 people in the first 24 hours. And the buzz created by the post has now translated into hundreds of new baby hats, bundles of which are continuing to arrive daily at the Women and Children’s Hospital.

Sarah says:

“We like to be able to give every baby born in the hospital a knitted hat which they can take away, as it then makes a lovely keepsake for both parents and the child in the years to come.

“We have a number of groups who knit for us on a regular basis to ensure both newborns and premature babies can each receive a hat.

“Due to recent holidays and other reasons, we began to get low on hats, and knowing that knitting is becoming more popular as a hobby again, we thought we’d ask to see if anyone could help us and the babies in our care in the short term.”

Over 500 knitted hats have already been received since the original request was made two weeks ago.

“Local knitters have done us proud, but hats have also been received from as far afield as Scarborough and Scotland,” Sarah continues.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of people; we had no idea when we asked for knitters to help plug the gap that we would receive so many beautiful hats, and we appreciate every single one.”

Staff on the Labour and Delivery Ward are sending thank you cards to those who supply their contact details with their parcels.

The hospital continues to welcome donations of knitted hats only. Hats must be close knit and washable to 60 degrees. Donations should be addressed to the Ward Coordinator, Labour and Delivery Ward, Hull Women and Children’s Hospital, Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road, Hull HU3 2JZ.

One person could save or transform the lives of up to nine others – make sure you sign the register this Organ Donation Week, 4 – 10 September 2017

Specialist Nurses will be encouraging people to talk loud and proud about their wishes after they die, during National Organ Donation Week next week (4 – 10 September).

Alex Wray, Raz Igasan and Sarah Plant, all Specialist Nurses in Organ Donation, work across the Emergency Department and two Intensive Care Units at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.

The team coordinates transplants between patients from this area and suitable matches across the country, and their work has contributed to some 381 people across the Yorkshire and Humber region receiving organ transplants in 2016/17.

Research carried out by NHS Blood and Transplant shows that more than 80% of people support organ donation but fewer than half (49%) have ever talked about it.

In a bid to raise awareness and get those conversations started between friends and loved ones this week, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s team of Specialist Nurses for Organ Donation will be involved in:

• The unveiling of a fire engine in partnership with Humberside Fire and Rescue, fully wrapped in the ‘Yes I donate’ branding (Wednesday 6 September)
• Speaking to shoppers and passers-by in St Stephen’s Shopping Centre to share information and encourage people to join the Donor Register (Thursday 7 September)
• Taking part in the UK Rescue Organisations Challenge, hosted by Humberside Fire & Rescue, at the KCOM Stadium. The team will be encouraging people to talk to loved ones about their wishes around organ donation, and encouraging people to take part in a game of Operation Donation! (Friday 8 and Saturday 9 September)

Alex Wray, Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation says:

“One donor can save or transform the lives of up to nine people, and yet three people die in the UK every day waiting for a transplant.

“In our field of work, we often find that people have not even discussed organ donation with their families, or they may have signed the Organ Donor Register but never mentioned this to loved ones. If a family doesn’t want to proceed with donation, even if that was the wish of their loved one while they were alive, we can’t go ahead, so it’s really important for anyone who wants to be an organ donor to have a conversation with their nearest and dearest to let them know.

“Should it come to it, it can be a very helpful thing for a family to see something positive come from a bereavement. Of course any loss if difficult, but knowing you have helped to save the life of someone else can often be a factor in helping people cope and work through their grief.”

Research shows that women are 30% more likely to start a conversation about organ donation than men, but whoever you are and whatever your views, make them known. Don’t leave your family to make a difficult decision without knowing what you wanted.

For more information, call and see the Specialist Nurses in Organ Donation at the events listed above, or contact NHS Blood and Transplant on 0300 123 23 23 / www.organdonation.nhs.uk

Hospital staff in Hull will be taking part in a national project designed to improve the quality of care for bereaved parents.

The National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP), which has the support of the Department of Health, has been developed to improve the quality of bereavement care experienced by parents and families at all stages of pregnancy and baby loss up to 12 months.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of just 11 organisations across the country to be chosen to trial the NBCP; designed to cover the whole parental journey and their contact with hospital professionals. It is set to include new materials, guidelines, and training for staff to improve the care they offer, such as training in how to talk to bereaved parents and the kind of facilities which should be available for them.

From October, staff including midwives, gynaecology nurses, paediatric nurses, obstetricians and paediatricians will begin working with the NBCP project team to understand the impact and the effectiveness of the new pathway for parents who have lost a young child.

The Trust was selected by a Core Group* of charities and professional bodies who are leading the NBCP, including SANDS (the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity), the Royal College of Midwives, and The Miscarriage Association.

Sue Cooper (pictured) is the Bereavement Midwife based within Hull Women and Children’s Hospital. She says:

“Losing a child is an incredibly difficult experience and something that no parent should ever have to go through. If they do, however, it’s important that we as health professionals are able to provide the right advice, information and support for bereaved parents.

“The quality of care and the empathy shown to parents at a time when they are struggling with a whole range of different emotions is crucial, and our role in guiding bereaved parents through this difficult time is not to be underestimated.  How we care for bereaved families when their baby dies can have long-lasting effects; good care cannot remove parents’ pain and grief, but it can help them through a devastating experience.

“For those reasons, we’re really pleased to have been chosen to pilot the new care pathway. We’re not only hoping to improve the care we personally provide for bereaved parents, but it will mean a lot to know that what we do here in Hull and East Yorkshire will go on to shape and improve services provided for others right across the country.”

Clea Harmer, Chief Executive of Sands and Chair of the Core Group, says:

“I am delighted that we have so many enthusiastic partners across the country who want to work with us in improving bereavement care for those parents when a baby dies.

“We were inundated with offers of support and I am excited by the potential impact that the pathway will have in the 11 sites, in the first instance. We look forward to learning from their experiences before wave 2 begins and the wider roll out later next year.”

The 11 sites were chosen as they are representative of geography, capacity and specialism. Hospital staff are about to embark on training in the NBCP before the pilot begins locally in October.  A second wave of pilot sites is planned for April of 2018, ahead of a wider national roll out in October 2018.

For further information visit: www.sands.org.uk/professionals/projects-improve-bereavement-care/national-bereavement-care-pathway

The 11 pilot sites are:

• Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
• Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust
• Wirral University Teaching Hospital
• Liverpool Women’s Hospital Trust
• Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
• Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust (Barnstaple Hospital)
• Medway (Maritime) NHS Foundation Trust
• West Middlesex, Chelsea & Westminster
• Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Trust –Queens Hospital, Romford
• Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust
• York Teaching Hospital NHS Trust

The Core Group comprises:

• Sands (Stillbirth and neonatal death charity)
• Bliss
• The Lullaby Trust
• The Miscarriage Association
• ARC (Antenatal Results & Choices)
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
• Royal College of Midwives
• Royal College of Nursing
• Neonatal Nurses Association
• Institute of Health Visiting
• NHS England
• Representative of the UK health research
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