Special hospital clinics will be set up from this week to offer a new vaccine at 28 weeks of pregnancy to protect babies from a potentially deadly winter bug.

Around 30,000 children under five are rushed to hospitals across the UK every winter with RSV, a virus affecting 90 per cent of children under two which can cause severe lung infections including bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Around 30 babies die of RSV each year while others are left with lifelong complications.

Today, Public Health Midwife Joanna Melia of NHS Humber Health Partnership, said: “Getting the RSV vaccine means you’re protecting you and your baby from what can be very severe condition, particularly in infants under three months old.

“But you’re also doing the right thing for your friends, workmates and wider community by protecting hospital services this winter.

“Fewer cases of RSV means fewer hospital admissions – and that means more beds, staff and resources to save more lives.”

Clinics offering the RSV vaccine at 28 weeks of pregnancy will be held at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital in the Antenatal Department on Thursday mornings and Friday afternoons. They’ll also be offered at Castle Hill Hospital on Friday afternoons.

Appointments will be booked with your community midwife. You’ll also be able to book an appointment for the vaccine to protect you and your baby from whooping cough between 16 and 20 weeks into your pregnancy.

Andrew Gwynne, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, encouraged those eligible to take up the offer of the free vaccine after revealing his own family had been impacted by RSV.

“My own grandson contracted RSV when he was just days old, leading to weeks in intensive care and a lifelong impact on his health,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to go through what he went through.

“Not only will this vaccine save lives and protect the most vulnerable, it will help ease pressure on our broken NHS, freeing up thousands of hospital beds as we head into winter.”

People aged 75 to 79 years old by 1 September 2024 will also be invited to receive their RSV vaccination with their GP, and those turning 75 after this date will also receive an invitation from their GP once eligible.

A dazzling night of celebration saw a whole host of healthcare professionals recognised for their compassion and dedication, from porters, physiotherapists and pharmacists to administrators, nurses and midwives.

Golden Stars 2024 took place on Friday 13 September.

Lisa Wilson, Mortuary Assistant at Grimsby Hospital, scooped the Healthcare Heroes Award – a category nominated for and chosen by patients – for the comfort and reassurance she gives to grieving families.

Meanwhile Dorothy Gilchrist, Clinical Lead Physiotherapist, picked up the lifetime achievement award – in honour of her 31 years’ service to the hand therapy department at Hull.

16 awards in total were presented on Friday night at the Hilton Hotel in Hull with staff across Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG) and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH) rewarded for their efforts over the last year.

There were two surprise awards on the night. Ellie Laughton and Gillian Downs, from Hull Outpatients, were praised by Group Chief Executive Jonathan Lofthouse for the kindness and compassion they showed to a patient recently widowed, with no close friends or family, on their birthday. Meanwhile Chairman Sean Lyons, presented his personal award to Rachael Hardcastle-Pearce, Lead for Voluntary Services at Hull, for her dedication to supporting volunteers.

Golden Stars was the first awards ceremony of NHS Humber Health Partnership – the group name for NLaG and HUTH.

The winners of Golden Stars 2024 are:

• Net Zero Hero – Pharmacy Zero30 Group, Hull Royal Infirmary
• Unsung Hero – Collins Afful, Respiratory Virtual Ward, Hull Royal Infirmary
• Excellence in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – Community Inclusion Nursing Team, Scunthorpe
• Excellence in Partnership Working Award – Anlaby Suite, Hull Royal Infirmary
• Excellence in Quality Improvement Award – Colorectal USC/FDS Pathway Project Group, Castle Hill Hospital
• Excellence in Research, Development and Innovation – Respiratory Clinical Trials Unit, Castle Hill Hospital
• Excellence in Patient Safety Award – Ward 23, Scunthorpe General Hospital
• Volunteer of the Year Award – Bill, Caroline & Lisa from Ward 31, Queen’s Centre, Castle Hill Hospital
• Inspirational Leader – Joanne Goode, Chief Pharmacist, Hull
• Rising Star Award – John Epie, Staff Nurse, Scunthorpe Stroke Unit
• Outstanding Support Team – HUTH Portering Service
• Outstanding Clinical Team – Bereavement Midwives, Hull Women and Children’s Hospital
• The Healthcare Heroes Award – Lisa Wilson, Mortuary Assistant, Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby
• Chief Executive’s Award – Ellie Laughton and Gillian Downs, Outpatients, Hull
• Chairman’s Award – Rachael Hardcastle-Pearce, Lead for Voluntary Services, HUTH
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Dorothy Gilchrist, Castle Hill Hospital

Golden Stars was sponsored by APCOA, Fisher Security, Resource Finder, ACA Architects, Knowles Fleet, Listers, Capsticks, Elior and T2.

Hull Royal Infirmary is launching a patient safety initiative to prevent people losing their independence after hospital stays.

Patients who spend longer than they need in hospital beds are at increased risk of falling, mental health problems, losing their independence or readmission through a physiological process known as “deconditioning”.

Now, the Falls Service is unveiling the project as part of Falls Awareness Week to identify patients most at risk of deconditioning to keep them safe, active and engaged throughout their time in hospital.

Consultant in Elderly Medicine Dr Ricky Saharia, Clinical Lead for the Falls Service, said: “Patients admitted to hospital are at risk of deconditioning and staying in hospital longer than is clinically necessary can have a detrimental effect on health.

“The impact can be felt within 24 hours of bed rest and, after one week, patients can lose up to 10 per cent of their muscle strength.  Older and more frail patients are at higher risk of deconditioning.

“This can increase the risk of falls, loss of independence and longer time in hospital. Deconditioning increases the likelihood of requiring social care support on discharge and there’s a higher risk of readmission to hospital.”

The project aligns with “Flow”, a major campaign under way at NHS Humber Health Partnership, the hospital group running Hull Royal Infirmary, Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Scunthorpe General Hospital, Goole and District Hospital and Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham, to ensure people can leave hospital as soon as they are well enough.

Maintaining activity levels and avoiding deconditioning protects independence and helps patients return home earlier, avoiding further deconditioning.  Better for patients, it also improves flow for the hospital by creating capacity for sick patients coming into the Emergency Department.

From next month, people over 65 attending Hull’s Emergency Care Area will fill in a questionnaire soon after they arrive at hospital to identify those at risk of deconditioning.

Anyone attending after a fall, who has fallen in the past year or who uses a walking aid will use a dedicated section of the waiting area and will be given information about community services to help prevent future falls or hospital attendances. The questionnaire also means the Falls Service will be notified of anyone at risk of deconditioning.

Ward 120 at Hull Royal, which cares for patients with orthopaedic problems such as hip fractures, will also take part in goal-setting initiatives as the project continues throughout the summer.

Patients and their families will identify what help they may need, such as support to eat their food or walk to the bathroom, when they arrive on the ward.

With the support of their relatives, patients will also set small daily goals such as walking along the corridor and back to their bed, standing every hour or sitting in their chair for part of the morning.

“Activity Volunteers” will also be introduced on Ward 90 in the Department of Medical Elderly at Hull Royal and Ward 31 at Castle Hill Hospital for oncology patients to support patients at risk of deconditioning with activities such as gentle chair yoga or daily strengthening exercises.

Families will also be encouraged to bring day clothes and suitable footwear for patients to get them out of bed and into more normal routines.

Results from the project will be reviewed in six months with a view to extending the project to other hospitals in the group.

Community cohesion officers from Humberside Police have been supporting staff from the region’s hospitals in the wake of last month’s race riots.

In the four weeks since the civil unrest which saw violence, disorder and looting on Hull’s streets, a number of overseas workers and those who identify as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff have reported increasing levels of anxiety, fear and nervousness in our community.

With BAME staff accounting for one in every five hospital employees across East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire – a figure that has doubled in the past ten years and now sits at almost 3,300 people – it is vital for their wellbeing, and for the local health service, that they are made to feel safe, respected and welcome, as Simon Nearney, Group Chief People Officer for NHS Humber Health Partnership explains:

“Last month’s violence in Hull was absolutely shocking, and while I don’t believe it was a true reflection of the welcoming, vibrant city that we live and work in, it naturally caused a lot of fear and anxiety for our BAME staff.

Group Chief People Officer, Simon Nearney

“Twenty per cent of our workforce is internationally educated or comes from a Black, Asian or other Minority Ethnic background, so as you might expect, a number of health workers were on shift at the time of the disorder and were faced with treating casualties coming through our hospital doors that same day.

“They cared for those people with the utmost professionalism, but many were naturally concerned for their own safety, and that is absolutely not a position our staff should expect to find themselves in.

“The fact of the matter is that the majority of our hospital services simply couldn’t function effectively without members of the BAME community.  They are essential to our health, our well-being, to our ability to care for one another and to creating a rich and diverse society.

“Well over two thirds of all our medical and dental staff, which includes many of our most specialist doctors and consultants, identify as BAME, and literally hundreds of overseas nurses have sacrificed their family lives to travel thousands of miles to East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire and care for people in our hospitals.

“What this group of people bring to our hospitals and to our society cannot be underestimated and must always be respected and appreciated. Some of our communities’ most critical services including intensive care, emergency care and paediatrics would be lost without them.”

In the wake of the August unrest, NHS Humber Health Partnership, the Group which runs Hull Royal Infirmary, Castle Hill Hospital, Goole & District Hospital, Scunthorpe General Hospital and Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby – called on colleagues at Humberside Police to help reassure its staff.

Community cohesion workers have now delivered a number of face-to-face awareness sessions in Hull, Cottingham, Grimsby and Scunthorpe for hospital workers covering advice on personal safety and help to understand the implications of relevant legislation such as laws around hate crime.

The hospitals’ own BAME Staff Network continues to work closely with Humberside Police, and both the network and the practice development team, which offers pastoral care for the many overseas nursing staff who have come to live and work in our area, continue to speak with staff and offer support.

A new partnership will see local NHS staff encouraged to make the move to an electric vehicle. As part of wider plans around sustainability, NHS Humber Health Partnership has teamed up with eco-smart tech manufacturer, myenergi, to offer employees a significant discount when purchasing a zappi EV charger. The partnership will help to accelerate the NHS’s transition to electrification, while also providing a smart, reliable, future-proof solution to enable staff to charge at home. Pictured: Simon Nearney, Group Chief People Officer at NHS Humber Health Partnership and Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi

Designed and manufactured at myenergi’s state-of-the-art facilities in Stallingborough, Lincolnshire, zappi is a smart charger with a difference. As well as being fully grid-compatible as standard, it also has optional charging modes capable of utilising 100% green energy generated by consumers’ own renewable power. This means that drivers can effectively charge their EVs at home for free – zero fossil fuels, zero reliance on the grid.

The NHS is one of the largest employers in Britain and is responsible for approximately 4-5% of the UK’s total carbon footprint. In October 2020, the NHS became the world’s first health service to commit to reaching carbon net zero.

Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi, commented: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the NHS to help accelerate the organisation’s progress towards net zero. Offering our latest technology at a discounted rate will not only make the transition to electrification easier than ever before for countless members of staff, but also make their daily running costs far cheaper and their commuting footprint even greener.

“With around 80% of all EV charging said to take place on the driveway, it’s important to have a reliable charger – like zappi – that’s not just suitable for charging today, but fit for the future too. Home charging is cheap, convenient and by far the simplest way to keep your EV charged up and ready for the day ahead.”

Simon Nearney, Group Chief People Officer at NHS Humber Health Partnership, added: “We have a forward-thinking approach to sustainability, placing social and environmental responsibilities at the core of decision-making and healthcare services in order to make a real difference to the patients and communities we serve.

“As part of our commitment to reducing or carbon footprint we’re encouraging staff to make the move to electric. We know from feedback that one of the main barriers to this is the high cost of the chargers. This new partnership with myenergi will provide a cost effective solution and help more of our team make the switch to electrification.”

“With myenergi headquartered just down the road in Stallingborough, we’re pleased to be working in close collaboration to offer our staff the benefit of discounted purchase and installation rates on zappi EV chargers.”

From recycling and waste management, to travel and transport and even donating beds and uniforms to developing countries, NHS Humber Health Partnership is committed to sustainability.

Work already undertaken by NHS HHP includes:

• An 11,000 panel solar farm saves Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust about £250,000 a month in energy bills – generating enough electricity to meet Castle Hill Hospital’s entire daytime running needs during the summer months.
• Improved insulation, windows, and LED lighting will reduce the carbon emissions at Goole alone by 60%.
• Gas boilers and coal fired boilers are being replaced with air source heat pumps across our hospitals and we’re reducing the consumption of anaesthetic gases in a bid to reduce our carbon footprint.
• Sustainability has also been at the forefront of our new Emergency Departments with modern construction methods and materials utilised to minimise the environmental impact of the builds and ensure their future energy efficiency performance is as high as possible.
• We’ve increased our number of electric vehicles and self-charging hybrids and we encourage staff to cycle, walk, take public transport or consider getting an electric vehicle

For more information about myenergi, or the company’s range of eco-smart solutions, visit http://www.myenergi.com.

Early findings from a collaborative project between Hull’s respiratory team and international biopharmaceutical group, Chiesi, were presented at an international conference this weekend.

Respiratory nurse specialists Kayleigh Brindle and Karen Watkins joined Professor Michael Crooks in travelling to Vienna to present at the 2024 European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2024.

Here, they addressed thousands of delegates with exciting early findings from the FRONTIER project, in which patients who previously attended an NHS Lung Health Check and who reported symptoms of lung disease and/or had emphysema on their CT scan were invited back for further COPD* testing.

During the first phase of the project, 201 people took part and over two thirds of those, 136 people, went on to receive a COPD diagnosis. The NHS Lung Health Check primarily screens for cancer, and these findings demonstrate that the checks also present a notable opportunity to identify and enable timely treatment for other respiratory illnesses.

L-R Karen Watkins, Prof Michael Crooks, and Kayleigh Brindle

Professor Michael Crooks, hospital consultant in respiratory medicine and Professor of Respiratory Medicine with Hull York Medical School and the University of Hull, says:

“Our early findings clearly highlight the burden of undiagnosed COPD among those attending the Lung Health Check programme in Hull.

“Many of those diagnosed with COPD during FRONTIER were living with daily symptoms but had not been able to access treatment due to a lack of diagnosis. Identifying people attending Lung Health Checks that are at high risk of having undiagnosed COPD and offering diagnostic testing enables access to evidence-based COPD care that has potential to significantly improve health outcomes.”

Around 1.4 million people in England aged 40 years or over are living with COPD, and a further 500,000 are thought to be living with the condition but without a formal diagnosis. The main cause of COPD is smoking, but it can also be caused by past exposure to fumes, chemicals and dust at work.

COPD is severely under-diagnosed, with many patients being diagnosed upon acute hospital admission. COPD causes 115,000 emergency admissions in England per year and as many as 24,000 deaths.

FRONTIER, which launched in September 2023 and will run for a further 12 months, seeks to support early COPD diagnosis and enable treatment to begin more quickly in order to improve outcomes for patients. Over the course of the study, around 1,000 people who have taken up the offer of a NHS Lung Health Check in the past will be invited back for COPD testing through spirometry.

Shish Patel, Medical Director, Chiesi UK & Ireland says:

“While chronic, COPD can be effectively managed, and the earlier it is diagnosed, the greater the opportunity for intervention, whether that be lifestyle changes, rehabilitation or treatment. The FRONTIER project represents Chiesi’s commitment to improving the lives of people living with COPD, and we look forward to sharing the full outcomes of the collaboration with the community to inform planning for a nation-wide screening programme.”

* COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, the name used for a group of lung conditions which cause breathing difficulties including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Around 21,000 people impacted each year by musculoskeletal problems such as back, knee and elbow pain are to benefit from a new service delivered by specialist physiotherapy and pain management teams in Northern Lincolnshire.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, part of NHS Humber Health Partnership, has just been awarded a £10.2m contract in partnership with Connect Health to deliver pain management and musculoskeletal (MSK) services for the next four years.

Hospital-based and community therapy teams will work with Connect Health, the UK’s largest independent community healthcare provider of MSK, pain management and mental health services, to care for people with MSK problems.

Ant Rosevear, Operations Director for Community, Frailty and Therapy Care Group at NHS Humber Heath Partnership, said: “This new service will offer patients timely access to assessment, diagnosis and treatment.

“Our clinical teams will work with patients, putting them at the centre of decision-making about their care so they feel empowered to manage their own conditions with expert support at the right time.

“By responding to individual needs, we’re aiming to remove the need for inconvenient and time-consuming outpatient appointments in hospital by delivering tailored care in community settings, closer to home.”

Currently, NLaG provides an MSK community service in partnership with other organisations in North Lincolnshire but the contract ends in December.

Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, which commissions health services for the local population, was keen to introduce a single service covering both North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire.

NLaG and Connect Health launched a joint bid, which has now been accepted and will begin in January. Although the initial contract, worth around £2.5m a year, is for four years, there is an option to extend it to 2029.

Paul Allan, Chief Operating Officer at Connect Health, said: “We are excited to work with colleagues at NLAG to deliver this unified service across Northern Lincolnshire.

“Blending our national expertise and infrastructure with the local knowledge, skills and capabilities of the trust and its people will deliver the commissioners’ aims and improve services for local people.”

On Sunday 8th September, fourteen individuals forming #TeamWISHH will be heading to Newcastle upon Tyne for the fantastic Great North Run, known as the “World’s biggest and best half marathon”.  With 60,000 runners taking part, the race will see participants running the 13.1-mile route from Newcastle and finishing in South Shields.

The fourteen-strong team includes Hull Hospital staff from the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, Plastic Surgery, Medical Oncology, Cardiology, Theatres and nurses across a number of specialist areas. They’re joined by friends and family, and supporters of the WISHH Charity.

Physician Associate, Lily Woodford

Our team will be part of 600 runners who are raising funds for their local hospital charities across the United Kingdom who are members, including WISHH of NHS Charities Together.

#TeamWISHH are raising funds to enhance our hospitals for the benefit of patients, from Children’s Emergency Department, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Other team members are going to be helping kick-start our new fundraising appeals, which will be announced shortly.

Lily Woodford, a Physician Associate student at Hull York Medical School said, “When I decided to take on the Great North Run, I knew I wanted to give something back to the patients who we care for across our hospitals and make such a difference to students like myself and countless others. A significant part of my course and clinical training involves speaking with patients to understand what brought them to the hospital. I am continually struck by their generosity in sharing personal experiences and stories allowing me to practise my examination skills, for the benefit of my learning, which is why I chose to run for WISHH charity.

Anaesthesia Associate, Luke Chatizwa

Luke Chatizwa, Anaesthesia Associate, said, “I am a seasoned runner and have been part of the NHS since 2009.  This is a great opportunity for me to a give a little back, and raise money for WISHH to help with their new appeals. I’m looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere and aim to complete the race in 1 hour and 25.”

Lisa Whitton, WISHH Charity Manger said, “A heartfelt thank you to everybody who is taking part in the Great North Run to support WISHH.  We can’t wait to hear how our fantastic team get on and hope they all enjoy the day.  Every pound raised will help make a difference to patients cared for across Hull Hospitals and will also kelp kick start our new appeals, which we will be launching soon!”

If you would like to support our #TeamWISHH #GreatNorthRun team or our individual runners taking part visit WISHH Charity (THE HULL AND EAST YORKSHIRE HOSPITALS HEALTH CHARITY) (enthuse.com)

We have guaranteed places for the Great North Run 2025! If you would like to be part of #TeamWISHH and beat the ballot, register your interest with us by emailing: hyp-tr.hellowishh@nhs.net

Families in Hull are missing out on thousands of pounds of financial support to help them buy healthy food.

The “Healthy Start” voucher scheme was introduced to help people buy fruit and vegetables, milk and claim free vitamins from 10 weeks into pregnancy or until their child was four.

However, between £250,000 and £350,000 is going unclaimed every year in Hull alone because people don’t realise they’re entitled to the support.

Joanna Melia, Public Health Specialist Midwife at Humber Health Partnership, said: “Eating and drinking healthily during pregnancy means you’re giving your baby a great start to life while looking after your own health.

“These vouchers are a great way of paying for healthy fruit, vegetables, pulses and milk and I’d encourage everyone entitled to the benefit to claim it.”

People on Universal Credit can apply for the “Healthy Start” voucher scheme when they are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4.

Those entitled to the benefit will be sent a Healthy Start card preloaded with money that can be used in shops, with the entitlement renewed every four weeks.

You can use your card to buy:

• plain cow’s milk
• fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
• fresh, dried, and tinned pulses`
• infant formula milk based on cow’s milk

You can also use your card to collect:

• Healthy Start vitamins – these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
• vitamin drops for babies and young children – these are suitable from birth to 4 years old

You’ll get money added onto your Healthy Start card every 4 weeks. You’ll receive:

• £4.25 each week of your pregnancy (from the 10th week of your pregnancy)
• £8.50 each week for children from birth to 1 year old
• £4.25 each week for children between 1 and 4 years old

Your money will stop after your child’s fourth birthday, or if you no longer receive benefits

If you’re pregnant and under 18 you can claim even if you do not receive any benefits.

Visit the NHS Healthy Start website for more information or to apply.

People with cancer are to benefit from a £1.4m investment in radiotherapy technology at Castle Hill Hospital to remove permanent reminders of their illness.

Advanced technology called Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT) is being introduced at the Queen’s Centre to enable therapeutic radiographers and the radiotherapy physics team to deliver treatment more efficiently.

Tattoos, marked on patients’ skin during the radiotherapy CT planning scan as a guide to deliver radiation to the correct part of the body, will no longer be required for some patients.

Higher Principal Physicist Nikki Mullins, Specialist Healthcare Scientist in Radiotherapy Physics, said: “This innovative system will continuously monitor patients with high-tech infra-red cameras during treatment, ensuring sub-millimetre accuracy.

“It will enable us to deliver treatment more efficiently and remove the need for most patients to be tattooed on their skin, taking away that permanent reminder of their cancer treatment.”

Radiotherapy treatment is high dose radiation delivered to the affected area of a patient’s body with precision and accuracy under one millimetre, protecting surrounding tissue and organs.

Radiotherapy teams using SGRT receive a 3D image of the patient lying on the Linear Accelerator (Linac) couch and then compare it to the radiotherapy CT planning scan to manoeuvre patients into the identical position to receive treatment.

Victoria Sykes, Macmillan Advanced Practitioner, said: “The new technology enables patients to be positioned more quickly, with less manual positioning and movement required, so it’s more comfortable for the patient.”

The new SGRT system is being introduced to treat patients with breast cancer first, with plans to offer it to those with different forms of cancer by the end of the year. Patients with certain types of cancer including breast, chest wall or abdominal have a technique known as Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) and another benefit of SGRT is for patients to view a screen in front of them to assist them holding their breath for 20 seconds.

Appointment times are likely to be reduced because of enhanced patient positioning and the efficiency of the new SGRT system.

The SGRT has been fitted on four of the six Linacs at the Queen’s Centre. The new system will then be rolled out to the remaining two machines in the coming months, allowing more patients to benefit.