Three generations, one life-changing treatment: family shares 20-year journey with Nottingham University Hospitals | Latest news

A Nottingham family is celebrating more than two decades of life-changing care as Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) marks its 20th anniversary.

For Toby Carver and his family, NUH’s services span generations, from his own cochlear implant surgery as a young child to his baby son’s treatment nearly 30 years later.

Toby received his cochlear implant at Queen’s Medical Centre in 1997, aged just three and a half. At the time, access to the pioneering treatment was not guaranteed.

“It was a struggle in the early days for me to get a cochlear implant,” Toby said. “The criteria were different then, and it was only through last-minute research that I was able to have the operation.”

That decision proved life-changing. Without the implant, Toby would not be able to hear at all, but with it he developed spoken language and went on to build a successful career as a chartered engineer.

“Having the implant has made an enormous difference to my life,” he said. “It’s allowed me to live independently and achieve things I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to.”

Years later, Toby met his future wife Lucy at a cochlear implant conference. Lucy also received an implant as a child and later became a nurse.

“We give each other lots of encouragement and support,” Toby said. “It’s like having two full ears between us.”

The family’s connection with NUH continued when Toby’s sister also underwent cochlear implant surgery at Queen’s Medical Centre in 2000, with follow-up care at Ropewalk House.

“The staff remembered my mum, it really felt like a family,” Toby added.

Now, nearly three decades after Toby’s own surgery, the next generation is beginning their journey.

His son Jasper, aged just 10 months, received his cochlear implant at NUH in February 2026. He is already responding to sound, a milestone that Toby knows first-hand can be life-changing:

“Jasper having the implant so young means he can start hearing and catching up with his peers much earlier.

“It took me until I was five or six to start talking. This is giving him a much better start.”

Jasper is also benefiting from major advances in technology. He is among the first patients to receive a next-generation implant with internal memory, allowing personalised data to be stored and software updates to be made without further surgery. The newer devices are also compatible with MRI scans — something that was not possible in earlier models.

“The biggest difference over the last 20 years is the technology,” Toby said. “But also the digital side, online appointments have made a huge difference, especially as we live an hour away.”

Despite these advancements, some aspects of care have remained reassuringly consistent.

“The sound tests and visual tools are still there,” Toby said. “The staff told us they work as well now as they did 20 years ago, they’re investing in the right areas.”

Reflecting on their journey, the family say the support they received growing up has helped them navigate Jasper’s care with confidence.

“We’ve had such a positive experience ourselves that we know how to support Jasper and help him reach his potential,” Toby said.

As NUH celebrates 20 years since the formation of the Trust, bringing together Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham City Hospital and Ropewalk House in 2006, stories like the Carver family’s highlight the lasting impact of its care across generations.