A hospital consultant, her wife and her best friend are embarking on a massive challenge to cycle more than 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society.

Dr Jacquelyn Smithson, a Consultant in Gastroenterology at Hull Royal Infirmary, is undertaking the gruelling adventure with her wife Sarah Jones and her best friend Adrian.

The LEJoG 25 team have chosen a route which takes in The Lizard, the most southerly point of mainland England, and Dunnet Head, the most northernly point of mainland Scotland, and they aim to complete the task by September 24.

Dr Smithson, who has MS and uses a wheelchair much of the time after a relapse four years ago, will use a special three-wheeled trike throughout the epic journey.

She said: “The three of us are setting out to raise money for research into Multiple Sclerosis. We’ve raised £5,000 already and we’ve been blown away by the generosity and good wishes of so many people who have supported us.

“Every penny we raise will go directly to the MS Society. No amount is too small. But please, if you can, give generously.”

Dr Smithson is a well-loved and highly respected member of staff at Humber Health Partnership, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary, Castle Hill Hospital, Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, Goole Hospital and Scunthorpe General Hospital.

During the pandemic in 2021, she experienced a relapse which left her with no feeling in her legs and unable to walk. However, she undertook months and months of physiotherapy to try to regain some movement.

Sarah said: “She wasn’t willing to sit back and accept her fate so she worked at recovery over months and months, during the added challenge of Covid-19.

“After what seemed like an endless journey of physiotherapy and incremental gains, the feeling has still not come back. But Jacquie has been lucky enough to see enough improvement to able to walk short distances with the aid of crutches and has started to rebuild some muscle, just enough, in fact, to turn the wheels of a bike!

“Although she can no longer cycle a two-wheeler, we have found that a trike is possible.”

The three cyclists will be updating their progress throughout September on social media and you can make a donation to the MS Society through their JustGiving page.

A public health midwife in East Yorkshire is encouraging vaccination from whooping cough during pregnancy following the death of a baby.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed the baby died between January and June this year after its mother did not receive the whooping cough vaccine during pregnancy.

Today, Joanna Melia, public health midwife at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital, said: “This is a personal tragedy for one family which, very sadly, shows the very real consequences of not getting vaccinated during pregnancy.

“Whooping cough is a bacterial infection of the lungs and airways which can be so serious in infants, as this case shows.

“The whooping cough vaccine has been given in pregnancy in the UK as a matter of routine since October 2012 and a study of around 20,000 vaccinated women found no evidence of risks to pregnancy or unborn babies.

“In fact, rather than putting your baby at risk, vaccination is the best way you can protect your child in those first few weeks.”

Whooping cough is a serious infection causing long bouts of coughing and choking, making it hard to breathe. The “whoop” is caused by gasping for breath after each bout of coughing, though babies do not always make this noise.

Research into the deaths of 32 babies who died from whooping cough between 2013 and 2025 showed 26 had mothers who hadn’t received the vaccine in pregnancy. Eleven babies died of whooping cough last year and this case, announced at the weekend by the UKHSA, is the first this year.

Vaccination in pregnancy passes immunity to your baby through the placenta in the same way as they receive nutrients and vitamins and protects them until they receive their own vaccination against whooping cough at eight weeks old.  As well as protecting your baby, you’re also lowering your own risk of infection and so lowering the risk of passing whopping cough to your child.

You should have the whooping cough vaccine around the time of your mid-pregnancy scan, usually at 20 weeks pregnant, but you can have it from 16 weeks and you should get vaccinated before 32 weeks to give your baby the best possible protection.

Your midwife will book your appointment at vaccination clinics at East Riding Community Hospital in Beverley, Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham and at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital.

A patient who had a milestone knee replacement surgery has praised the care she received from our staff.

Yvonne Walker is the first person to have a knee arthroplasty (total knee replacement) done as a day case procedure at the Day Surgery Centre (DSC) at Castle Hill Hospital.

She was in and out in under 12 hours, and is now recovering well at home. This follows the successful delivery of this service at the Goole site.

Mrs Walker was chosen as the ideal candidate to have this particular surgery done as a day case, as part of a new way of treating patients in the DSC. We hope to be able to deliver more operations in this way in the future.

The 68-year-old, from Withernsea, said: “I went in at 7am that morning and I came out about 6.45pm. My experience was brilliant, they couldn’t do enough for me. The staff gave me a standing ovation before I left!

“I was waiting to have this done for a few years, they always told me I was too young to have a knee replacement. I kept having injections on my knee and I had keyhole surgery on it to start with. That did work for a while but the last two years, it just got worse and worse. The injections were not working. My physiotherapist referred to me to hospital. They put me on the waiting list and eventually, they gave me a call and said I could have the procedure done as a day case.

“I have gone from crutches to sticks – I got the sticks just to steady myself a bit. The pain I had before has gone completely. I no longer have to sleep with my leg on a pillow. I could not bend my knee before and it’s straight now. Eventually, I should be able to get rid of the sticks.”

Talking about the benefits of her day case, Mrs Walker said: “It was lovely to be home in my own bed. To be able to go into hospital, have surgery and be out the same day is amazing. I would definitely recommend this to anyone else.”

The DSC operates like a mini hospital. Patients can have X-rays, surgery in theatres and be seen by physiotherapists and pharmacists – all in the same place.

Tom Symes, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, performed the operation on Mrs Walker.

He said: “Doing this as a day case procedure required a lot of planning and preparation from the team. Everything needs to run smoothly on the day in order for it work. For the patient, it’s great for them to be able to go home the same day. Patient expectation is the absolute key to getting them home. You need the right painkillers and the right anaesthetic, but also a willingness from the patient to trust the process and have the right things in place at home.

“The risk of hospital-acquired infection is much lower and patients generally recover quicker at home. It can also be incredibly cost-saving too. We are planning to do more operations like this in the future. The team were fantastic on the day and the patient is really pleased with the outcome.”

The view from the mast climber at the top of the HRI tower block in 2013

How would you fancy scaling the outside of one of Hull’s tallest and most recognisable buildings?

It’s the job that awaits estates and construction staff as the latest round of hospital maintenance work gets underway at Hull Royal Infirmary.

Rewind back to 2013, and external mast climbers on the outside of the 160ft tower block were a regular feature as work to provide the hospital with a much-needed, multi-million-pound facelift took place.

Originally built in the 1960s, new windows and a now instantly recognisable blue frontage were installed to refresh the overall look of the hospital and improve its energy efficiency.

Now, local teams are preparing to scale the building once again to carry out maintenance work which includes safety checks and a fire safety upgrade following recent changes in legislation.

The work is expected to take around 20 months to complete and will be accompanied by a further programme of work to improve the building’s public and service lift infrastructure. Costs have yet to be finalised pending the outcome of a successful tendering process.

Tom Myers, Group Director of Estates, Facilities and Development for NHS Humber Health Partnership says:

“Monitoring a hospital estate the size of Hull Royal Infirmary is no mean feat. It’s a constant cycle of installations, improvements, repairs and maintenance to ensure our buildings and facilities are in the best possible shape to allow staff to deliver great care.

“Aside from very minor repairs, it’s been more than decade since any significant maintenance works were carried out on the outside of the tower block, so over the next few months, passers-by should expect to see this latest round of maintenance kicking off.

The iconic blue Hull Royal Infirmary frontage

“As part of this work, we’ll be upgrading the building’s external fire protection, so we’ll see parts of the frontage being removed and replaced. We’ll also begin some much-needed improvements to our ageing lift system to improve its reliability, as we know how much frustration having lifts out of order, especially during busy periods, can cause in a building of this size.

“Given the nature and size of the tower block, we’ve been working closely with Humberside Fire and Rescue Service to formulate and agree a plan which ensures we meet all of the new requirements and they are assured of our safety measures in the meantime. In fact, we’re really grateful for their advice on this as Hull Royal really isn’t your standard workplace or health centre, and with thousands of people walking through the doors on any given day, safety has to be our top priority.”

While preparatory works are underway now, it is likely to be the New Year before patients and visitors start to see noticeable work taking place on the outside of the Hull Royal Infirmary tower block. This work should cause no disruption to patient care as maintenance teams will not require access to wards or clinical facilities; all of the planned activity will take place on the tower block exterior, though some access restrictions for pedestrians and vehicles may be put in place temporarily around the base of the building.

People with cancer in Hull will soon be able to benefit from research-backed exercise treatment designed to increase survival and reduce the risk of cancer coming back.

In partnership with NHS Humber Health Partnership, Yorkshire Cancer Research is bringing its pioneering Active Together service to people living in the city through a dedicated new centre due to open in early 2026.

More than 2,000 people across Yorkshire have now benefitted from Active Together, which was designed by researchers at Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre to help people prepare for and recover from cancer treatment.

Active Together is based on growing scientific evidence that exercise before, during and after cancer treatment can save lives by increasing treatment options, building fitness before surgery, reducing side effects from treatment, reducing complications from surgery and speeding up recovery.

The service is already provided in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham, Wakefield, North Kirklees, Skipton, Keighley, and Harrogate.

Bringing Active Together to Hull will help address inequalities that mean people living in the city are disproportionately impacted by cancer. Every week, 78 people are diagnosed with cancer in Hull and East Riding and 36 people die from it.

Nicky Hill, Head of Active Together at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “Active Together is helping to shape the future of cancer care in Yorkshire and beyond, offering evidence-based support that empowers people to take an active role in their recovery.

“Evidence shows exercise is an effective way to improve survival for people with cancer. This new centre in Hull will provide vital support at a time when people need it most, helping them feel stronger and recover faster. It will also help create a community for people with cancer by bringing the opportunity to meet other people going through a similar experience.

“Our goal is to make exercise treatment available to everyone with cancer, wherever they live.”

Katherine Durrans, Head of Dietetics and Deputy Head of Therapies at NHS Humber Health Partnership said: “We’re really pleased to be working with Yorkshire Cancer Research to bring this exciting programme to Hull and the surrounding area. By working together, we’re looking to transform and improve the health outcomes of local people recently diagnosed with cancer.

“Based in a dedicated new facility in central Hull, our specialist teams are looking forward to being able to support suitable patients under the care of the Queen’s Centre for Oncology and Haematology, and make a positive difference to their lives.

“The rehabilitation programme will be delivered by a range of healthcare and exercise professionals focussing on nutrition, physical activity and psychological wellbeing. This new opportunity will help people with cancer prepare for and recover from treatment quickly and maintain a healthy lifestyle after their cancer diagnosis.”

Keen golfer Anne Barker, from Beverley, has welcomed the opening of Active Together in Hull. Anne was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2021 and went on to have a lumpectomy and radiotherapy at Castle Hill Hospital. She chose to continue being active during her treatment to help reduce side effects.

As well as playing golf, Anne also regularly joined a group for people affected by cancer called 5k Your Way, which aims to ‘inspire, support and empower people to move against cancer’. The group meets at Beverley Westwood parkrun once a month.

Anne, who will now take a hormone treatment for five years, said: “Being active during and after treatment for breast cancer helped me cope both physically and emotionally. I continued to play golf, despite days when I was struggling with fatigue, because I knew being active would help me overcome this side effect of treatment.

“When I joined the monthly Beverley 5K Your Way, I met others diagnosed with cancer also wanting to be active. This provided a purpose and connection just when I needed it. Being active can provide a lifeline and can be seen as more than just exercise when combatting the effects of cancer and the treatment.

“Having opportunities for more people in Yorkshire to exercise when faced with a cancer diagnosis will be worthwhile.”

Evidence shows exercise can reduce the risk of dying of cancer by up to 44% and reduce the risk of some cancers coming back by up to 66%. However, just one in 20 people living with cancer in Yorkshire have taken part in a specialised cancer exercise programme, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by Yorkshire Cancer Research in 2023.

Exercise is not yet widely available to people with cancer through the NHS, so Yorkshire Cancer Research is rolling out Active Together throughout the region.

Through the service, Yorkshire Cancer Research aims to demonstrate the life-saving impact of personalised exercise to the worldwide research community and to those who deliver cancer treatment, including the NHS, so that exercise can be prescribed to everyone with cancer, no matter who they are or where they live.

Located at Cherry Tree Court on Ferensway, the new centre will offer personalised treatment based on individual needs, delivered by a team of cancer exercise specialists and physiotherapists.

In its first phase, the centre will support people diagnosed with bowel and upper gastrointestinal cancers. It will later expand to include other cancer types. Newly diagnosed people will be referred to the service directly through NHS Humber Health Partnership.

A recent evaluation by Sheffield Hallam University found that people who took part in Active Together in Sheffield were more likely to survive at least one year after diagnosis, with a 10% higher one-year survival rate compared to those who did not take part.

Participants in Active Together also experienced reduced fatigue, lower levels of anxiety, and fewer symptoms of low mood and depression. Many were able to walk further and recover more quickly following surgery, and treatment costs were lower for those who received the service.

It’s important to us that we continue to invest in high quality, professional security staff and technology to keep you, our staff and our sites safe.

Our Security teams deal with an average of 852 incidents every month, ranging from violence and assaults to antisocial behaviour and theft. They also help us to support vulnerable patients and work closely with Humberside Police to help prevent and detect crime.

We’re able to provide this service thanks to the funding generated from our onsite car parks. However, the cost of this service, along with our maintenance and lighting costs, are rising. To continue to meet these costs, we need to increase our charges too – and the new rates will come into force from Monday, 1 September.

This will be the first time we have reviewed car parking fees at our Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust sites in nine years and will bring them into line with the charges on our Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust sites, where there will also be a slight increase in charges.

We also continue to offer a wide range of discounted rates, along with free parking for patients receiving treatment for cancer, Blue Badge holders, the parents and guardians of children staying in hospital overnight and the parents, guardians, and next of kin of those receiving palliative care. Patients who need to attend regular outpatient appointments may also be eligible to claim back the cost of their parking.

To apply, talk to one of our Parking and Security team or check out our parking information.

Specialist children’s nurses from Hull have had their work to support families and young people with epilepsy adopted by a national charity.

Epilepsy Action has published a new suite of materials to support teenagers with epilepsy, parents of children with additional needs, and young people who require easy read documents.

A series of Transition guides have been produced

The suite of ‘Transition’ leaflets is intended to support young people with epilepsy as they make the move from child-focused, paediatric care to adult neurology or epilepsy services. The content is based on booklets created with and for local families and young people living with epilepsy by a team of four children’s epilepsy nurses based at Hull Royal Infirmary; Fiona Lead, Nicola Heenan, Carys Amies and Chris Bennett.

Fiona says:

“Epilepsy is a common neurological condition in childhood and is often seen in children with a learning disability.

“Studies show that the move from children’s services to adult services can be very challenging for young people with a long-term health condition.

“It’s common to see a big dip in their overall health and for young people and their families to feel like they’ve been abandoned, but providing a structured transition programme is widely acknowledged to help avoid some of these issues.

“While there are some good resources out there already, we wanted to develop our own epilepsy-specific transition booklets to cover the questions we are most often asked in clinic and the issues and concerns which are known to be common areas of anxiety; things like ordering prescriptions, drink and drugs, school, work, and generally helping the young person to understand their epilepsy”.

Preparation for transitioning between services normally begins at around age 13, with the goal of transferring care over to the adult service between16 and 18 years of age, depending on need. It should be a planned, gradual process which prepares both parent/carer and child, handing over responsibility for care from the parent/carer to the young person and maintaining continuity of epilepsy care and support throughout.

A sample page from a Transition booklet

The leaflets cover a broad range of topics, from links between stress and epilepsy, young people learning to drive and the link between healthy living and improved seizure control. Some of the resources are also aimed at parents and carers, covering topics such as Education and Health Care (EHC) plans, getting on your GP’s learning disability register, and transition social workers.

The suite of nine brightly coloured leaflets has been digitally re-styled for national use and made possible with funding from Young Epilepsy and Epilepsy Action.

Fiona continues:

“The content for the booklets took us about a year to develop, another year to tweak, and we’ve been using them for the past three years to provide structure and consistency to our nurse-led epilepsy clinics.

“When we were invited to work alongside the two national charities, Epilepsy Action and Young Epilepsy, and to have our content form the basis of nationwide resources for families and young people, we jumped at the chance. It was a real compliment, and it’s great to know that the work we have done here in Hull, influenced by the many children, families and young people that we care for, is now helping to inform and support thousands of other families across the country who are living with epilepsy.”

Nine leaflets have been published in total; three for young people, three easy-read versions and three for parents of young people with additional needs; and are now free to download from the Epilepsy Action website.

A Hull-based hospital team is reaching out to community groups such as sports clubs and ‘knit and natters’ to promote involvement in clinical research.

The Friends of Academic Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (ADEM) group comprises clinical and research staff, community leaders and members of the public who are keen to further research in this area.

Global majority groups such as black, Asian and indigenous people make up 80% of the world’s population, but are massively under-represented when it comes to research both locally and nationally, with just 12%, or 1 in every 8 patients, registered with Hull’s ADEM research team known to be from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

At the same time, people of BAME origin have a higher chance of developing some of the conditions treated by the ADEM Unit, such as type 2 diabetes, at a younger age.

Lisa Baldwin, Academic Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism Unit Manager explains:

“Research is vitally important in the field of healthcare. Research helps to develop cures, measure the effectiveness of drugs and treatments and promote better understanding of the human body.

“At the same time, effective research must also reflect the diversity of our communities. Historically, the number of people taking part in clinical trials has been low among global majority populations, marginalised groups, those from poor socioeconomic backgrounds and people with disabilities or access barriers.

(L-R) Zoe Sugden, Clinical Trials Coordinator, Lisa Baldwin, Academic Unit Manager, and Lee Rollins, Senior Research Practitioner

“This is something we also see reflected in our work locally in our Academic Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism clinical trials unit. We’ve always experienced lower levels of participation in clinical research among global majority groups; the significance of this really struck home during the Covid pandemic when people from BAME backgrounds were significantly under-represented in the vaccine trials; but we’re committed to changing this.

“Getting a good mix of patients involved in clinical trials means we can more accurately reflect the make-up of our patient population and it gives us a better understanding of those patients’ needs. It can also expand access to new and existing treatments, help us to provide valuable health education and improve health outcomes across all populations.

“Over the past two years, we’ve worked hard to raise awareness of our work in underrepresented communities and how it can benefit local people, but we still need to do more.

“One of the ways we find particularly successful in getting the word out is through community leaders. Those who run sports clubs, community groups, social clubs and activities, and those who represent groups of people such as church leaders, charity representatives and youth leaders, have been really helpful in spreading the word for us to date due to their positions of influence and some great contacts.

“We’re now looking for more people like this to join us at our new quarterly meetings, where we’ll update on what we’ve been doing and talk about current or upcoming research opportunities.  Then it’s over to our community leaders to spread the word, ensuring as many people as possible from different backgrounds right across the Humber hear about, and have the opportunity to take part in, our research trials.”

Friends of ADEM meet once every three months on a Tuesday evening at the Allam Diabetes Centre, Hull Royal Infirmary. No specific knowledge or experience is necessary, although an interest in clinical research and a willingness to give feedback on the team’s research ideas would be very helpful.

Lisa continues:

“Diabetes is probably the condition we study that most people have heard of; more than 40,000 people across our region received a diagnosis of Diabetes in 2023/24 alone; but we’re also looking to engage people who are experiencing other hormone-related issues such as thyroid problems, pituitary gland and adrenal gland issues.

“The term ‘research’ covers a whole spectrum of activity, from completing a simple online questionnaire right through to drug trials, so people don’t necessarily have to attend regular appointments or make a long-term commitment to take part in clinical research with us.

“We’d love for more people within our community to get involved, tell us what’s important to them, and help spread the word.”

For more information or if you would like to join the Friends of ADEM on behalf of your group or society, email hyp-tr.clinical.research@nhs.net

Every year, it is estimated that there are 13 million cases of typhoid and paratyphoid A fever combined, resulting in 133,000 deaths, mainly affecting school-aged children in Asia and Africa.

We are looking for healthy volunteers to take part in a study to test a new vaccine against typhoid and paratyphoid A fever.

In order to test if the vaccine works to protect against paratyphoid A fever, after vaccination with the new vaccine or a control vaccine, we will be challenging all participants with the bacteria that could cause paratyphoid fever. Participants will be treated with antibiotics as soon as they show symptoms of infection, or 14 days after drinking the bacteria even if they don’t have symptoms.

The study is being run by the Infection Research Group at Castle Hill Hospital, in collaboration with the Oxford Vaccine Group, and is funded by the Serum Institute of India.

If you are aged 18 to 55 years old, and in good health, you may be eligible to take part in the study. We will provide reimbursement for your time, inconvenience, and travel. Participants will receive up to £4585 if they remain in the study for the entire period and attend all the scheduled visits required for them. The total study participation time is 7 months, during this time you will be required to attend the Castle Hill Hospital Site for all study visits and the Oxford Vaccine Group or Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine on challenge administration day (travel will be arranged if applicable).

If you are interested in finding out more, please visit the website where you can access the Participant Information Sheet.

If you would like any further information regarding the study, email hyp-tr.infectionresearch.group@nhs.net or call 01482 461825 / 07823715171.

Paul Johnson retired from leading Hull’s neurosurgical ward in January, but just couldn’t keep away…

A Hull man who has dedicated his life to the care of others has been recognised at a national level.

Paul Johnson, who works on neurosurgical ward, Ward 4, at Hull Royal Infirmary has received an NHS Chief Nursing Officer ‘Gold Award’ today.

Paul is presented with his award by David Purdue of NHS England

The Gold Award is designed to acknowledge outstanding achievements as well as to recognise those individuals who make an exceptional contribution through a distinguished career in nursing or midwifery.

Paul will be a familiar face to many, having spent 36 years working in local healthcare and the last 13 of those working as the charge nurse on Ward 4. He retired from his role in charge of the ward at the start of this year, but returned the very next day to continue working there part-time as a staff nurse; same great care, just a bit less responsibility.

Earlier today, Paul received a surprise visit from a group of senior nurses to present him with his award and the news that he’d been officially recognised for his contribution to the NHS, in particular the care he has provided for an often complex group of patients and the support and mentorship he’s shown to his staff.

Paul is congratulated by a colleague

Leading the presentation party on Ward 4 was David Purdue, Regional Chief Nurse for NHS England (North East and Yorkshire), along with site nurse director Tracy Campbell, care group nurse directors Mel Carr and Natalie Griffiths, and NHS Humber Health Partnership’s Interim Group Chief Nurse, Heather McNair.

“Initially, I thought they’d come to see my new charge nurse, Stacy, but then when I saw the camera, I thought oh no…! Definitely ‘thank goodness’, a bit of relief I wasn’t in bother, but I thought I was going to hit the floor!

Paul and his co-workers on Ward 4, Hull Royal Infirmary

“To be told I’d been given the Chief Nursing Officer Gold Award, I was just totally taken aback. I don’t feel I deserve it because it’s not just about me, it’s about everybody; consultants, physios, resident doctors, caterers, cleaners, porters, auxiliary nurses. I wouldn’t have got this award if it weren’t for the team behind closed doors, who people don’t see, that help me out and make my job so much easier.”

Paul’s NHS career in Hull started as a registered nurse in 1989, and while he has worked across a number of different specialties, it was in 2012, when he became the nurse in charge of Ward 4, the specialist neurosurgical ward, that he really found his calling.

Described by his staff and peers as “inspirational”, “compassionate” and “a real patient champion”, Paul is universally respected for his high standards of clinical care and for his role in teaching and developing the next generation of nursing staff.

Asked what he loves about nursing and what brought him straight back from retirement, Paul said:

“I just love looking after people, I love talking to people, getting to know people and their backgrounds, and seeing them get better.

“I’ve learned so, so much over the course of my career working in neurosurgery and there’s a brilliant team on ward 4; I could not have done all of this without them.”