Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

17/10/2025

“Our decision to join the Generation Study has changed Freddie’s life phenomenally. We were told that the first six months is vital in diagnosing and treating the condition. There’s no telling at what point it would have been discovered if we hadn’t taken part and what might have happened."

Back in December Jessop Wing Maternity launched as a recruiting site for the Generation study, led by Genomics England in partnership with NHS England.

Vicky and Joe Underhay, whose baby Freddie was found to have a rare eye cancer and whose sight is now expected to be saved, are one of the first families to benefit.

Freddie, who had passed all his eye tests in hospital, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer known as retinoblastoma just four weeks after he was born in April.

Thanks to the Generation study - which uses whole genome (DNA) sequencing to screen 100,000 newborns and look for more than 200 rare genetic conditions - Freddie's diagnosis of hereditary retinoblastoma, caused by a change in his RB1 gene, was picked up much earlier.

Within four days of finding the genetic abnormality Freddie was seen by experts at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where a tumour was found.

Freddie was given a combination of laser treatment and chemotherapy.

Now doctors are optimistic that this early detection could be key to preserving his eyesight.

Around 44 children are diagnosed with retinoblastoma in the UK every year. However, when there is no known family history, diagnosis often comes later, once symptoms have progressed.

Mum Vicky said: “There were no signs that anything was wrong. He was a normal little baby, so the results came totally out of the blue."

“When you sign up to research like this, you think it will never be you. But if we had thought ‘ignorance is bliss’ then the cancer would have spread down his optic nerve and into his body. We’re hopeful that this kind of testing will be readily available to any parent who wants it for their child in the future," Vicky said.

The Generation study is running at 51 hospitals across England, including Jessop Wing.

Well done to our midwives and ! 💙

17/10/2025

📢 Participants wanted for Long Covid clinical trial!

Have you had COVID-19 at least 3 months ago? Do you have Long Covid? Are you aged between 18 and 80 years old?

The University of Leicester are running a clinical trial for adults with Long Covid at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The research team want to see if an anti-inflammatory drug (Tocilizumab) helps people with Long Covid to feel better. Tocilizumab may be helpful to treat the inflammation involved in causing Long Covid. The trial compares Tocilizumab with a 'dummy drug' (placebo)

The study team will check if you are eligible to take part:

✔️They will check if you have high levels of inflammation in the blood
✔️They will check if it is safe for you to take part

If you are interested in taking part, email: sth.phosp-i@nhs.net

16/10/2025

Let’s quit together this Stoptober‼️❌

Did you know that if a smoker makes it to 28 days smoke-free, they are five times more likely to quit for good?

When you quit smoking the changes are almost immediate:
• After 8 hours, carbon monoxide levels in blood will reduce by half.
• After 48 hours, senses of taste and smell improve.
• After 2-12 weeks, circulation improves.
• After 3-9 months, lung function has increased by up to 10%.

What are you waiting for? Claim back your health and make this Stoptober the perfect time to start your journey to quit smoking.

You won’t be in it alone, there are many resources available to support you through this change:

Get your free Personal Quit Plan here 👇
https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ready-to-quit-smoking/

Use the below links for both Apple and Android users to access the free NHS app to help track your progress:

Apple users 👉 https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/nhs-quit-smoking/id687298065
Android users👉 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.doh.smokefree&hl=en_GB&gl=US&pli=1

16/10/2025

Congratulations to Pete Metherall, clinical scientist and founder of our 3D Lab, on winning a prestigious The Churchill Fellowship to improve surgical training and patient care through cutting-edge technology. 👏🏻

Pete is one of 118 newly funded Churchill Fellows and will explore how world-leading centres in the USA and Australia are using full-colour, mechanically realistic 3D printed models for surgical education.

These models can replicate rare or high-risk anatomies for detailed, hands-on practice. Advanced PolyJet printing now enables the creation of graspable, patient-specific, anatomical models generated from medical images, allowing for detailed hands-on practice with rare or complex anatomies.

Pete will spend time learning from experts and centres leading the way in point of care 3D printing. The opportunity will enable him to see first-hand how different teams are taking forward the production of realistic anatomical models for surgical training and bring back this knowledge for use here in Sheffield.

Completely in awe, well done Pete 💙

14/10/2025

For our final post we spoke to Jane Galletly, Speech & Language Therapist in Neurotology. 👇🗣🦻

Jane supports d/Deaf individuals, people with hearing loss, and those with auditory processing difficulties by offering practical strategies and access to helpful technology. Take a look at the photos in this post to hear more about Jane’s role!

The ability to communicate is central to who we are, how we learn and how we relate to each other at home and at work. Our Speech and Language Therapists work across our hospitals & community to help people with a wide range of communication and/or swallowing difficulties.

14/10/2025

🎉As part of Allied Health Professionals day we would like to highlight our Community appointment days (CAD) which have been newly established by the Community Musculoskeletal PhysioWorks team at the Trust.

The days involve the whole service operating from community sports halls in Sheffield. The admin team, Physiotherapists, MSK Podiatrists and Advanced Physiotherapy/Podiatry Practitioners are all available to ensure we can meet the initial needs of the patients in one appointment. The Community appointment days continue to reduce the average wait for patients accessing the service by 1 week for each event.

The community appointment days are in addition to on-to-one appointments and patients are given a choice as to which they would prefer. A video has been developed to help support patients to make an informed choice.

The days currently run every 2 months; feedback and outcome data are reviewed after each day to ensure the days are developed to become a sustainable part of the service. Please watch the video linked below to see more information on what a community appointment day is 👇

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

14/10/2025

As part of , we would like to also highlight our Dietetics team! Dietitians use science of nutrition to improve health and treat diseases/conditions by educating and giving practical, personalised advice to patients, carers and colleagues. 🍏🍓

Here in Sheffield, dietitians and dietetic assistants work in ward, clinic and community settings and they help prevent and treat a variety of clinical conditions.

They use the most up-to-date public health and scientific research on food, health and disease which they translate into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.

Please take a look at the below photos and video to see a typical day for our dietitians and how they help our patients.

🎥 Meet Louise Lamerton, Specialist Renal Dietitian here at the Trust 👉 https://youtu.be/ER5WNPwMz9M

14/10/2025

Next up for we are highlighting our Orthoptics department! 👁

Orthoptists are a small but vital part of the Allied Health Professional (AHP) workforce, with just under 1,600 practitioners across the UK. They specialise in assessing and managing problems with eye movements, visual development, and binocular vision.

We spoke to a few members of the Orthoptic team and they talked us through their roles in our hospitals & community 👇

14/10/2025

📣 Today is !

Here at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, we have 9 AHP roles! Thank you to all our AHPs for the crucial role you play in treating, rehabilitating and improving the lives of patients 💙

Keep an eye out on our social media today and throughout the rest of the week to see the different roles our AHPs do in the hospital and the incredible impact they have in our communities.

🎥 Check out this message from our Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nick Lyons thanking our AHPs for the incredible work they do.

11/10/2025

10/10/2025

We all carry bacteria on our skin, but for some people these bacteria can cause infection in the skin and soft tissue.

We're looking for healthy volunteers to help us understand what factors in the immune system and in the skin make it easier for some people to develop skin infections but not others.

If you are:

✅Aged ≥18 years
✅In good health
✅Available to take part in the study for 35 days
✅Able to attend 2 study visits at the Hallamshire hospital
✅Have internet access to complete a daily e-Diary.

Then you may be able to join DEFEND, a new skin health clinical trial which we are running in partnership with the University of Sheffield.

🖊 If you are interested, please call us on 0114 271 3339 or email our research team on sth.defend@nhs.net.

We look forward to hearing from you.

09/10/2025

We’re incredibly proud of our community nurses, Elaine Green and Gabrielle Coe, who have been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Nurse title by the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) 👏🥳

This recognition celebrates their dedication, leadership, and excellence in community care.

Elaine and Gabrielle’s passion for supporting patients in their homes and communities truly embodies what compassionate nursing is all about. 🌟

Please join us in congratulating them on this well-deserved achievement.