Heartlands Hospital and Birmingham Chest Clinic NHS

21/08/2026

Two thousand babies – the highest number in the UK – have now been treated at home for their jaundice thanks to an innovative light therapy service.💙

The Home Phototherapy Service, delivered by the Neonatal Community Outreach Team (NCOT), supports families whose babies are born at Heartlands, Good Hope and Birmingham Women's hospitals. The specialist neonatal nurses who make up NCOT play a vital role in promoting and supporting safe, early discharge from the Neonatal Unit, ensuring babies with additional medical needs receive expert care in the comfort of their own homes.

Not only does this support babies' recovery, but it also gives parents precious time together as a family while receiving expert care and daily support from the Neonatal Community Outreach Team.

Mahreen, whose son Eisa received phototherapy treatment at home, said: "When we were told Eisa needed treatment for jaundice, we were worried and assumed it would mean staying in hospital for several more days. We had no idea that home phototherapy was even an option.

"Being able to take our baby home while still getting the treatment he needed made such a difference to us as a family. We could relax in our own surroundings, get some rest and spend precious time together without the stress of being on a busy ward.

"The team explained everything clearly and checked in with us every day, which gave us real peace of mind."

To find out more, read the full article on our website using the link in the comments below.👇

20/08/2026

Two years of the Generation Study at Heartlands Hospital - and an important milestone reached 🧬

Since the study launched at UHB in 2024, we’ve recruited more than 2,500 participants, with over 2,100 babies’ blood samples sent for genome sequencing.

Running across Good Hope Hospital, Heartlands Hospital and Solihull Hospital, teams at all three sites are working together to deliver the study.

A big thank you to all our colleagues, participants and families who have helped us reach this milestone and contribute to this important research.

20/08/2026

Well done to Heartlands Hospital’s Naima Shaharyar, who helped save a woman’s life after she collapsed while walking her dog in Hodge Hill.

Naima, a Wellbeing Hub Coordinator, was on her way to a late shift when she saw Elayne collapse in the street. Realising she was in cardiac arrest, Naima began CPR and supported others at the scene until emergency services arrived.

Elayne is now recovering well and looking forward to attending her granddaughter’s wedding before returning to Canada.

Her son, Richard, said: “As a family, we cannot put into words how grateful we are to Naima. She will always hold a special place in our family’s hearts.”

Naima said: “It was a very frightening situation, but if it had been a member of my family, I would have wanted someone to do the same. I’m so pleased to hear that Elayne is doing so well.”

Thank you, Naima, for your quick thinking and compassion 👏

19/08/2026

Our July Kind, Connected and Bold award winners have been announced. 🏆

Check out the full list of winners and their nominations via the link in the comments below. 👇

Thank you to everyone that nominated and congratulations to all of our winners. ♥️

18/08/2026

🔬 Thinking about a career in science or healthcare?

UHB Pathology is offering a 3-day work experience programme at Heartlands Hospital for students in Years 11-13 this October.

With places for up to 20 students, the programme is a great opportunity to explore the wide range of careers available in Pathology and Healthcare Science and gain an insight into the vital work that happens behind the scenes of patient care. Students will see our laboratories in action, learn how tests help to diagnose and treat patients and meet our biomedical scientists and clinicians.

📅 Applications close on Friday 4 September 2026 - just click the link in the comments to apply.

✨ Discover where a career in science could take you!

17/08/2026

A brilliant milestone for Heartlands Hospital colleague Andrea Thomas.

Many colleagues will know Andrea as the friendly face welcoming staff to the Education Centre. Outside work, she performs under the name MISSTEE and two of her original songs have now been played on BBC radio across the West Midlands, Coventry and Warwickshire and on BBC Introducing.🎵

Andrea said: “Hearing my music on BBC radio was the best feeling ever. To know that people in the industry believe my music deserves to be heard is an incredible feeling.”📻

Andrea says both the NHS and music are about people: bringing them together, lifting spirits and making a difference.

Congratulations, Andrea. You can find her music under MISSTEE on all major streaming platforms.

12/08/2026

Temporary change to Café 1 food service.

Please be aware that Café 1 at Heartlands Hospital will not be serving its usual hot food today and tomorrow while essential repairs are carried out to the kitchen.

A selection of food will still be available, including paninis, toasties, hot pies and sausage rolls, as well as cold salads and sandwiches.

We apologise for any inconvenience and thank our patients, visitors and colleagues for their understanding while this essential work takes place.

11/08/2026

𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭-𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐝 🥵 ☀️

We are strongly urging people to take care of themselves and others in the upcoming heat conditions.

The vulnerable and those who are at-risk are more likely to suffer in the heat and could become seriously ill with health complications. However, in these conditions anyone could be at risk. Please take care of yourself.

Whilst we want everyone to enjoy this warm weather it is important that we all take simple steps to help us stay healthy at this time. It is easy to become dehydrated in hot weather as we can soon lose more fluid than we take in, and even people at the peak of physical fitness can become ill if they are not careful.

Drink cold non-alcoholic drinks regularly, keep out of the sun during the hottest times of the day between 11am – 3pm, and avoid physical exertion in the heat where possible.

People who are elderly, the very young and those with chronic conditions are more at risk, so please check on vulnerable friends and neighbours every day during the heatwave.

01/08/2026

It’s been Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Day this week, and our Head and Neck Team at Heartlands Hospital have been helping to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms to look out for.

Head and neck cancers can affect areas including the mouth, nose, sinuses, salivary glands and throat. They are relatively rare, but spotting symptoms early can make a real difference.

🔎Please don’t ignore symptoms such as:

• A mouth sore that doesn’t heal
• Difficulty swallowing
• Persistent hoarseness or a sore throat
• A lump in the neck or mouth
• Ongoing ear pain

You can also help reduce your risk by not smoking, limiting alcohol, looking after your oral health and attending regular dental check-ups.

Some head and neck cancers are linked to HPV. The HPV vaccine, routinely offered to children aged 12–13, helps protect against some HPV-related cancers.

If you’re worried about any symptoms, please contact your GP or dentist.

25/07/2026

Have you heard of the Generation Study?

With patient information available in 17 languages, it's accessible to people across the UK. This video, from Central and South Genomics, highlights some of these available languages: please watch and share to raise awareness, and if you work in maternity services, see if the materials could help your patients!

Have you heard of the Generation Study? With patient information av...