Chris Long, Chief Executive at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“Firstly, I would like to take the opportunity to reassure patients, staff and visitors that the safety of everyone using
the hospital is of utmost importance to us.

“In light of the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, I requested that we review our already robust arrangements around fire
safety in our buildings and we are currently working to review our existing estate and risk assessments as soon as
possible.

“Unlike most high rise buildings and residential dwellings, we are operational around the clock which makes us well
prepared to respond in the event of a fire. There is a 24/7 staffing presence which includes porters and security
staff who are trained as first responders in the event of a fire and can begin to take immediate action should this
become necessary. Buildings are also monitored with fire and smoke detection systems with fire breaks installed
to reduce the risk and speed of fire spread between rooms and floors.

“Regular contact is also maintained with Humberside Fire and Rescue in respect of fire safety and prevention; the
two organisations have a rapid response system in place, and fire training forms part of our mandatory training
programme for staff.”

(ENDS)

A live exercise to test the response of emergency services to a major incident will be conducted in Hull this weekend, on Saturday 24^th June.

Exercise Orange Falcon has been organised by a team at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust with support from colleagues including police, fire, ambulance, and the voluntary sector. The exercise has taken over six months to come to fruition, after discussion and preparations began back in December last year.

Organisers will not reveal precise details of the exercise prior to the day, as staff are being asked to respond as if it were a real life situation. However, people will begin to notice activity on Saturday morning in the Londesborough Street area of West Hull, and mock ‘casualties’, played by students of Bishop Burton College, will be brought to hospital.

The exercise is designed to test the ability of the various organisations taking part to work together effectively. In particular, as Hull Royal Infirmary is one of just eleven adult major trauma centres in the country, it will also allow Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to test its internal systems and how the various teams and departments work together.

Care has been taken to ensure the exercise will not interfere with routine services provided in the Emergency Department or elsewhere in the hospital.

Alan Harper, Assistant Director of Planning at the Trust says:

“No one can predict when a major incident or large scale emergency will occur, so it’s important that we test our systems regularly with both table-top and ‘as live’ exercises to see how people respond.

“Exercise Orange Falcon will not only test the inter-agency agreements and processes we have in place should there be a major incident, but crucially it will also test the personal response of individuals to a situation which is unknown, urgent and constantly changing.

“Many people are giving up their own time to take part in the exercise, for which we’re incredibly grateful. It represents a fantastic learning opportunity for all involved and as such, we will be also be filming parts of the exercise to use in the subsequent staff debrief and internal training videos.”

Exercise Orange Falcon will take place across the morning and early afternoon of Saturday 24^th June. Those local to the Londesborough Street area may note some unusual activity, including use of a drone to capture footage of events, supplied by Humberside Fire and Rescue.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will be using its Twitter feed @HEYNHS to post information and updates throughout the exercise, which is due to conclude in the early afternoon.

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

“Without detailed knowledge of the Grenfell tower block, it would be wrong to suggest that the encapsulation system used on that building is the same as that used on Hull Royal Infirmary.

“However, I would like to take this opportunity to reassure patients, staff and visitors that the safety of everyone using the hospital is of utmost importance to us.

“Hull Royal Infirmary is a concrete building with an outer framing system predominately made of aluminium with double glazed windows surrounded by further glass panels. Fire protection is incorporated within the cladding horizontally, across floors, to prevent a fire moving up, and similarly vertical fire protection is in place to limit any outward spread.

“In addition, over the last two years, we have continued to make significant investment in upgrading fire protection throughout the building following review and audit.”

(Ends)

It’s one of Hull’s tallest and most recognisable buildings, and this week, Hull Royal Infirmary will be celebrating a very special milestone.

Friday 16^th June will mark 50 years to the day since Her Majesty, The Queen, performed the official opening of the 14-storey hospital on Anlaby Road.

The Trust maintains a host of photographs and artefacts from throughout the tower block’s construction period and beyond. These include the original foundation stone laid by Enoch Powell on 25^th September 1963 along with the ceremonial trowel and mallet, and the original programme and visitors’ book signed by the Queen as part of the hospital’s opening ceremony in 1967.

Mike Pearson works in Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s estates team and maintains the hospital archive. He says:

“The site and the name hold over two hundred of years of history, its establishment dating back to 1782. When the contract was awarded to build the new hospital, it was the largest investment made by the NHS in any single project; originally estimated at £4m.

“The tower block always generates a difference of opinion. I personally find it an iconic structure which inspired Philip Larkin in his 1972 poem, “The Building”, but many describe it as an eyesore or a blot on the land scape due to its basic external appearance.

“Upon its opening, people were amazed with the panoramic view over the Humber and towards Beverley to the north. Patients compared the hospital to a five star hotel with plush spacious facilities, a personal locker in which to keep a change of clothes (clothes previously had to be taken home and returned on discharge), and the new menus with a choice of meals were also a hit. From a staff point of view, it was a wonderful experience with all facilities being new instead of using adapted Victorian equipment. Staff were also appreciative of the staggered visiting times, so all treatment did not have to cease for an hour while visitors were present.”

Coinciding with the tower block opening 50 years ago was the creation of the Western General Hospital League, a group of former staff who did not want the name of the previous hospital to be forgotten. Most of its members have, at some time, had an association with the new Hull Royal Infirmary. The consideration of age and dwindling numbers have now brought about the decision to disband the group. Mike Pearson and the Trust’s Chief Nurse, Mike Wright, will attend the League’s final meeting at the hospital on Saturday 17^th June to pay tribute to members’ contribution to local healthcare.

Photographs of the tower block construction and mementos of The Queen’s visit will be on display within the hospital this Friday 16^th June to mark the 50^th anniversary. Patients, visitors and staff are welcome to call in to the Hub, on the ground floor of the tower block, to view the images and artefacts. Those calling in will also be able to pose for a picture or snap a selfie with the Trust’s special ‘Queen for a Day’ photo-set up, complete with crown, robe and throne, and are encouraged to tweet these to @HEYNHS using the hashtag #HRI50

On their way in, visitors are encouraged to look out for the celebratory flower bed which Trust gardeners have created, planted at the front of the building with the number ‘50’ within.

Anyone with memories of Hull Royal Infirmary over the years, or of the former Western General Hospital, are also invited to share these with the Trust in order that they may be published collectively later in the year. Email your stories, memories and experiences to hyp-tr.events@nhs.net or post to: Communications Department, Alderson House, Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road, Hull HU3 2JZ.

East Yorkshire’s reputation for healthcare innovation and research has been further enhanced this week with the opening of an international centre of orthopaedic excellence at Castle Hill Hospital.

Multi-award winning healthcare company JRI Orthopaedics has worked alongside Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to establish its first UK Centre of Excellence for joint replacement.

The Hull and East Yorkshire Regional Arthroplasty Centre (HEYRAC) will have a key role in clinical research, sharing of best practice and the development of new hip replacement products and surgical techniques.

Mr Chris Shaw, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Medical Director for the Surgery Health Group at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:

“The Trust already has a strong reputation for arthroplasty, providing a local and regional service for patients with complex hip and knee conditions, including revision surgery. We have led the way by performing the UK’s first day case hip and knee replacements last year.

“Around 1,000 hip and knee replacements are carried out by our orthopaedic surgeons in Hull each year, and this kind of surgery really can transform patients’ lives.

“By partnering with JRI Orthopaedics through the new Regional Arthroplasty Centre, we hope to engage our patients in some really pioneering clinical research, attract more trainee surgeons to the region, and showcase some of the fantastic work which already goes on here to both national and international audiences.”

HEYRAC is affiliated to the academic department of orthopaedics, with a professorial chair appointed by the University of Hull’s Biomechanics Department. It is set to become a research hub with JRI Orthopaedics funding a new Fellowship post.

It is already proving a magnet for visiting orthopaedic surgeons from across the UK and around the world to observe procedures, learn about complex and revision case planning and the latest JRI implants and surgical techniques.

Jerry Agass, Operating Director at Sheffield-based JRI Orthopaedics said: “The team of world class orthopaedic surgeons in Hull already has a strong reputation for clinical excellence, for innovation and excellence in patient care.

“We are delighted to be partnering with them. We wanted to create a recognised Centre of Excellence in the UK which will focus on clinical evaluation, research and knowledge sharing for the further development and improvement of JRI’s hip portfolio.

“It will also give Hull a global platform on which they can demonstrate their excellent clinical results and advanced surgical techniques.”

JRI Orthopaedics, which employs 105 people, has world-class expertise in the design, development and manufacture of orthopaedic implants and surgical instruments.

Uniquely, JRI is wholly owned by the charity Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK) and has donated £12m over the last 10 years to fund world-class research into bone and joint disease.

JRI Orthopaedics recently secured regulatory approval to sell its high quality cemented, uncemented and revision hip product portfolio in China and signed an exclusive distribution deal with Bejiing-based AK Medical – China’s largest domestic orthopaedic producer. It is hoped one of the first group of visiting surgeons to the new HEYRAC Centre of Excellence will be from China.

Mr Agass added: “The new Fellowship we are funding will enable an expanding national and international surgeon visitor and training programme. It will also facilitate greater clinical data evaluation and should provide a magnet for some of the biggest names in orthopaedics.”

From Thursday 1^st June, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will reinforce the ‘smoke free sites’ message to patients, staff and visitors.

Those smoking on site at either Castle Hill Hospital or Hull Royal Infirmary will be asked to extinguish cigarettes or move off site, as part of a renewed attempt to improve health and well-being, reduce the burden of smoking related disease on the NHS, and create a more welcoming hospital environment.

Hospitals across the country are being encouraged to prevent ill-health and risky behaviours such as smoking through NHS England’s Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) framework, and this is factored into the Trust’s Staff Health and Wellbeing Programme. The smoke free drive is also in line with guidance issued recently by Public Health England, who are championing a truly tobacco-free NHS.

Simon Nearney, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development at the Trust says:

“The subject of smoking and hospitals together often provoke a lot of debate and strong feeling. Whilst we understand that some people can’t necessarily predict a trip to hospital, we also believe that as a provider of healthcare services, we have a responsibility to protect the health of people using our sites and to support people in making healthy lifestyle choices.

“We want everyone to have pride in our hospitals, and this starts from the moment people arrive. We often hear from people who say they do not want to have to walk through a ‘cloud of smoke’ when they come into hospital, and having people smoking on site creates a bad impression, and this is something we agree with.

“We also know that some of our patients’ health problems are caused by, or can be made worse by, smoking or exposure to smoke, and the cost to the NHS of treating people for smoking-related illnesses is huge.”

According to Public Health England, smoking places a significant burden on the NHS: in 2014-15, around 475,000 hospital admissions in England were attributable to smoking and the total annual cost is estimated at £2bn, with a further £1.1bn in social care costs.

The shelter at the entrance to Hull Royal Infirmary has now been removed to discourage smokers from gathering there, and free nicotine replacement will be offered to patients who smoke throughout their hospital stay.

The Trust has also launched an updated Smoke Free Policy, setting out expectations in respect of staff behaviour and outlining the various sources of support on offer to staff and patients to help them quit smoking. External contractors and volunteers working on behalf of the Trust will also be expected to abide by this policy.

Security staff will begin enforcing the policy from 1^st June by kindly asking smokers to extinguish cigarettes or move off the hospital site completely.

Mhairi Rees, Stop Smoking Specialist with the Smokefree Hull stop smoking service, says:

“For hospital patients, giving up smoking reduces your risk of complications and speeds up your recovery time, meaning you’ll be home sooner than if you continue smoking.

“We offer a free advice and support service from Hull Royal Infirmary, with free nicotine patches and gum and other medication available for eligible people, and we won’t preach to you or judge you.

“Two out of every three people who register with Smokefree Hull manage to quit smoking so come and see us, whether you’re a patient or a visitor.”

For help to stop smoking, call Smokefree Hull on 01482 977617 or visit the Smokefree Hub opposite the main reception in Hull Royal Infirmary. Smokefree Hull is a service provided by City Health Care Partnership CIC.

A new training scheme which will help to develop nurses of the future has been launched.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is working with the University of Hull to introduce the role of the Nursing Associate, to address current skills gaps and help individuals go on to build successful nursing careers.

Nursing Associates will work with a higher skill-set than traditional Nursing Auxiliaries to assist, support and complement the care given by registered nurses.

The Trust is a second wave pilot site for the Nursing Associate role, with study being carried out at the University and hands-on experience gained at either Castle Hill Hospital or Hull Royal Infirmary.

The University is playing a pivotal role in the region’s health, by providing skilled graduates for the NHS as it leads a transformation of its health and care workforce. Seventy per cent of nursing graduates from the University go on to work in the region.

The position of Nursing Associate has been commissioned for development by Health Education England. Twenty Nursing Associates have now begun to provide high quality compassionate care to patients at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in departments such as paediatrics and emergency care.

Nicola Buckle, Practice Development Matron for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:

‘The role of the Nursing Associate provides a new and exciting pathway for those looking to enter the world of nursing and begin building a career for themselves.

‘We have recently welcomed 20 Nursing Associates to Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill, who will work across all four health groups in areas such as paediatrics, emergency care, surgery, and neuro rehabilitation. Here they will build their knowledge and skills, for example, in medication management, nutrition and other fundamentals of care by delivering hands-on care to patients and supporting our wider clinical teams.

‘We’re excited to be among the first hospitals in the country to welcome Nursing Associates, and we’re confident that they will each become a valuable asset to our local hospitals.’

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

‘The Shape of Caring Review commissioned by Health Education England Nursing and Midwifery Council recognised a workforce development priority was to develop nursing associates and associate practitioners.  The aim is to maximise workforce capacity to deliver safe and high quality care ensuring they meet the needs of future skill shortages.

‘It is a great opportunity for those who feel they have those natural care skills that are essential to an effective NHS.  It is a shortened two-year programme that will enable them to support registered nurses, providing the nursing skills that are in demand.

‘We are delighted to welcome our new nursing associate trainees on to campus.’

Kerry Pank, one of the trainees on the programme, said:

‘This is the perfect opportunity for me. I have worked for 10 years on the stroke ward at Hull Royal Infirmary as a healthcare assistant and now I am ready to take the next step in my career.

‘Working towards becoming a Nursing Associate means that I can stay in the workplace on the ward I love and study at the same time. I am a wife and a mother so it is really important to me that I can develop a career while still working.’

Trainee Sophie Tesseyman, who works at Castle Hill Hospital, said:

‘I love my ward so much but wanted to progress so when this opportunity came I jumped at it. I can still work on the ward but can progress my career at the same time. The Nursing Associate will be a registered role, which is very exciting and just what I always wanted.’

Hull-based manufacturer Willerby has got hospital staff and patients buzzing about its new WillerBee campaign, thanks to a donation of 500 packets of special bee-friendly seeds and four handcrafted bee houses.

Hull Royal Infirmary has taken the holiday home manufacturer’s campaign under its wing, with gardeners from the hospital planning to create a small patio area outside the hospital’s therapies centre and plant more seeds in new flower beds across the site.

In the coming weeks the bee houses, which have been crafted specially for Willerby’s campaign by prisoners at HM Prison Hull, will be situated around the therapies centre, where there are already plants and shrubs which are known to attract bees.

It’s hoped that as well as supporting the conservation of the bumblebee, the flowers and boxes around the Hull Royal Hospital site will brighten up the grounds for staff, patients and visitors alike.

Hedley Wilson, Building Estates Officer at Hull Royal Infirmary, says:

“We really appreciate Willerby’s kind donation of wildflower seeds and bee houses. By planting flowers and creating areas which will attract wildlife, we’re hoping to make the hospital environment that bit more pleasant and relaxing for patients, visitors and staff.”

Willerby recently became a corporate member of the Bumblebee Conservation trust and this latest partnership with Hull Royal Infirmary is just one of a string of collaborations, as part of its year-long campaign. Armed with more than 20,000 packets of special bee-friendly wild flower seeds to rebuild the native bumblebee’s disappearing habitat, Willerby is enlisting the help of schoolchildren as well as its staff, suppliers, customers and members of the Willerby Owners’ Club to ensure they reach every corner of the UK this year.

Kirsten Bolton, Willerby’s Marketing Director added:

“The response to the Willerbee campaign has been phenomenal so far – we’ve distributed thousands of packets of seeds and it’s fantastic to see how Hull Royal Infirmary in particular has got behind the campaign. We’re looking forward to seeing the wildflowers once they start to bloom and see the difference they make to our environment.”

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s Remarkable People campaign, developed in conjunction with Strawberry Design, has caught the attention of social media users, print and broadcast media over the past few days. The coverage focuses on two campaign visuals featuring newly qualified nursing staff that we are proud to have working in our hospitals.

Jonathan Leafe, Chairman of Strawberry, says:

“On behalf of Strawberry, I would like to apologise to the individual nurses concerned, to Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and to anyone who has been offended by the campaign visuals in circulation that were not meant for publication.

“The Trust rejected these options at the development stage of the campaign, however we made a mistake when we supplied these to the Health Service Journal, and this is very regrettable on our part. At no stage did we intend to cause offence or distress to anyone involved with the campaign or the wider public.”

Mike Wright, Executive Chief Nurse for the Trust, says:

“It is deeply saddening to us that two professional people that have been supportive enough to front a campaign to try and attract more people to work here are now the focus of national media attention for the wrong reasons. This is not a position they should find themselves in.  The nurses involved are consummate professionals with exemplary employment records and we are very proud of them and the work that they do.

“We would like to reiterate that the campaign wording which sparked the debate related to prototypes that were never used.  When they were presented to us, we rejected them immediately. They have never been used alongside images of the nurses concerned in any advertising campaign run by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

“The visuals that were used in the media and social media were released to the Health Service Journal in error by our design agency, Strawberry, without our knowledge or approval. Strawberry has apologised unreservedly for this mistake, which is deeply regrettable.  However, not only is this now calling into question the aims and intentions of the campaign, but also the judgement of the nurses involved, the latter of which we find wholly unacceptable as all of it is untrue.  The nurses have been subjected to significantly inappropriate comments about themselves in the media and social media.

“Our focus is on the welfare of the individual staff members first and foremost. As such, we will provide no further comment on this subject, aside from kindly requesting that reporters, commentators and members of the public show respect for the nurses concerned by ceasing any further discussion on the matter.”

(Ends)

Plans to install Wi-Fi at the Queen’s Centre for Oncology and Haematology in Cottingham have been brought forward thanks to the campaigning efforts of one local man.

Terry Garnett tragically lost his wife, Beverley, to pancreatic cancer in February after she was diagnosed with the disease last August. Whilst receiving treatment in the centre, which forms part of the Castle Hill Hospital site, Beverley found it difficult to stay in touch with loved ones due to a lack of mobile phone reception and data signals.

Beverley’s dying wish was to enable more people in receipt of cancer treatment to keep in touch with family and friends whilst in hospital; a mantle which Terry took up with Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust shortly after her death.

Terry explains:

“Beverley was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in August and, shortly afterwards, she was admitted to Ward 32 for treatment. Beverley spent two weeks in the Queen’s Centre, and largely had to rely on visitors to the ward to be able to speak with family and friends; there was no other way for her to be able to talk to or stay in touch with loved ones.

“At such a difficult, stressful and upsetting time, it’s so important to be able to keep in touch. My wife felt frightened, upset and isolated, and we, her family, were missing out on precious time with her.

“On numerous occasions when I was visiting the ward, I noticed other patients having to move to communal areas to try and get a mobile signal in order to have very personal and moving telephone conversations with their loved ones. This is something that patients undergoing going cancer treatment simply shouldn’t have to worry about.”

Terry took it upon himself to begin to raise money in Beverley’s name, and through the efforts of his friends and family, and with the generous support of the local community touched by his campaign, Terry has now raised well over £10,000.

“I wish to thank the local people for their generosity which highlighted the support for this campaign and equally the media support given to my campaign by David Burns of BBC Radio Humberside. I am pleased that Chris Long was so understanding and receptive to implementing the Wi-Fi installation. It is of some comfort knowing that I have now fulfilled the promise to my dying wife to have Wi-Fi installed at the Queen’s Centre within Castle Hill.

Terry recently met with Chris Long, Chief Executive of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to discuss Beverley’s experience, and Chris has since moved to bring forward plans for free public Wi-Fi in the Queen’s Centre. Originally scheduled for 2018, work to install free Wi-Fi within public and clinical areas of the building is now expected to be complete by October.

Chris says:

“It was incredibly moving to hear Terry’s story and I’d like to thank him for bringing this matter to my attention.

“Patients receiving treatment for cancer have enough to worry about without having to think about when they’ll next speak to their partner or children, and I fully appreciate just how difficult and upsetting this can be for both patients and their families.

“There is already a secure Wi-Fi system in the Queen’s Centre which is used exclusively for internal clinical systems, and we do have to prioritise this to ensure patient information, such as scans and test results, can be shared quickly and securely between clinical teams.

“Plans to install public Wi-Fi at the hospital were already in the pipeline, as part of a two-year IM&T strategy, however following discussions with Terry and our IT team, we will be looking to bring this work forward with a view to patients and visitors being able to log on from the autumn.

“I can see just how much potential there is for Wi-Fi installation to benefit patients and improve the overall experience of people in our care, so it seems only right to expedite this work.”

The start of the works will be subject to a successful procurement process by the Trust. As the Wi-Fi installation was scheduled to be carried out by the organisation, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will pay for this work, while funds raised by Terry will be used to purchase portable devices and equipment, such as iPads and tablets, for use by patients while in hospital.