Sent on behalf of Sarah Herbert, Chief Nursing Officer, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

New maternity, neonatal and emergency gynaecology unit opens at Royal Bournemouth Hospital this month

Dear colleague,

On 31 March 2025 at 8am, the new maternity and neonatal unit at the BEACH Building, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, will open.

From this time, all services will be delivered from this facility.

All emergency gynaecology and early pregnancy services will move to RBH. Anyone at any stage of pregnancy from the very first positive pregnancy test self-presenting with a suspected gynaecology issue should attend RBH and not Poole.

Until 31 March, maternity care will continue to be provided at St Mary's Maternity Unit at Poole Hospital.

Operational Changes from 31 March 2025

Maternity Services

• From 8:00am on 31 March 2025, SWASFT will be required to convey maternity patients to the BEACH Building at Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH).
• To facilitate a smooth transition, maternity services will double-run at both St Mary’s and RBH for 48 hours to maximize discharges from St Mary’s. However, some patients with medical complexities may still require SWASFT transfer between 31 March and 2 April.
• Any maternity patients self-presenting at Poole ED from 31 March may also require SWASFT transfer to RBH.

Emergency Gynaecology and Early Pregnancy Services

• All emergency gynaecology and early pregnancy services will move to RBH from Monday 31 March.
• Any patients with suspected gynaecological issues should attend RBH instead of Poole ED.

Emergency Gynaecology – Important Notes

• GPs – The referral process remains unchanged. Continue to contact the Gynaecology Registrar on call, but please advise patients they will need to go to RBH from 8:00 AM on 31 March, regardless of their postcode.
• 111 Service – Any patients advised to attend ED/UTC must be directed to RBH only from 8:00 AM on 31 March.
• SWASFT – Any suspected gynaecology cases should be brought to RBH from 8:00am on 31 March.
• Other stakeholders (including SARC) – All emergency gynaecology cases will move to RBH from 8:00am on 31 March.

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Patient Transfers and Transition Plan

A small number of mothers and babies will require already arranged enhanced care transfer from St Mary's Maternity Unit to the BEACH Building as part of this transition. We are not anticipating emergency ambulance transfers will be required during the move period from St Mary's to the BEACH.

Every effort will be made to ensure a smooth and well-coordinated transfer, with no disruptions during labour. Those affected will receive full support and clear communication regarding their care plans.

This relocation represents a significant advancement in maternity services, ensuring that families benefit from a high standard of care in a purpose-built facility. The new maternity unit is part of a broader initiative to enhance emergency care at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, reducing patient transfers and improving healthcare outcomes across the region.

Additional updates and further information can be found via Born at the BEACH – Maternity Matters Dorset: The BEACH building – Maternity Matters Dorset.

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Early Pregnancy Services – Contact Information

• GPs, Sexual Health Clinics, BPAS, Ultrasound Direct, Marie Stopes – For Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) queries, please call 0300 019 5713 from 31 March.
• SWAST – Patients in early pregnancy (13 weeks and 6 days or less) with potential pregnancy complications should be taken to RBH from 8:00 AM on 31 March.

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Key Features of the New Maternity Unit

This state-of-the-art facility is designed to provide expecting parents with the highest quality of care and comfort throughout their journey from pregnancy to birth and beyond.

With cutting-edge equipment and a dedicated team, the new maternity and neonatal unit will be a welcoming environment where over 4,400 babies are expected to be born each year. Our focus remains on ensuring that parents-to-be and their families feel comfortable, safe, and well-supported during this crucial time.

• Enhanced facilities offering a modern and supportive environment for parents and newborns.
• Dedicated parking directly outside the BEACH Building for those in labour or requiring urgent care, with clear signposting for routine appointments.
• Provisions for a support person to remain throughout the duration of admission, enhancing the experience for families.

We look forward to welcoming expectant parents and families to this new chapter in maternity, neonatal and emergency gynaecology care.

If you have any questions or require further details, please do not hesitate to contact.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us provide exceptional care to families in our community.

Sarah Herbert

Chief Nursing Officer

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

EA Caroline Jeans 0300 019 4490 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Remembrance services this morning

Join us at 10.55am today for our remembrance services, taking place at the new flag pole at Poole outside the Dolphin Restaurant, by the lake at RBH, and by the war memorial boards at Christchurch Hospital.

Join in person or tune in via our social media channels. We'll be streaming the Poole service live on our UHD Twitter, the RBH service on Facebook and the Christchurch service on Instagram. Please gather at 10.55am and download your order of service here.

Timely admission and discharge

Thanks to all colleagues who have been involved with our trial this week on timely admission and discharge. To improve the flow of patients through our hospitals, we have been moving patients to wards from our emergency departments before a bed is available and caring for them in a holding space. This helps with our ambulance handovers as it frees up space. Also when patients are medically ready to leave, we have been moving them to our discharge lounges as early as possible or again keeping them in a holding space on the ward to free up their bed for a new patient to move into. We will be continuing with this trial and if you would like to hear more about the project, please speak to your care group matron.

Have you had your autumn vaccinations elsewhere?

Please let us know if you have had either the Covid-19 booster or flu vaccination away from UHD to help us understand how protected we are as an organisation.

Telling us is simple and takes two minutes via this online form. Thank you.

Further weekday vaccines available

More weekday Covid-19 booster and flu vaccination appointments are now available to book online spanning the next few weeks. Clinics are held in our occupational health departments.

Appointments can only be booked online - please do not contact our occupational health teams to do so.

The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations, which makes recommendations to the government about the availability of vaccine programmes, will soon announce when this autumn's vaccination campaign will end. If you have been delaying booking your appointment, please do so now to avoid missing out on protecting yourself and those around you.

RBH: Using ED majors entrance

There have been reports of staff using the ED entrance as a thoroughfare into work in the mornings or to leave in the evenings. This does not support patient care nor dignity and can interrupt the high footfall in the area. Please use the West Entrance, UTC, or other hospital street doors.

Staff Survey

We've reached 38% response rate in the 2022 NHS Staff Survey.

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken part. Don't forget, the 3149 staff who have responded so far will be entered into our prize draw for a chance to win £20. The team with the most improved response rate will win £200. It's not too late to be in with a chance of winning - join the conversation and complete your survey today.

To take a look at our response rates in more detail, check the latest news on the intranet.

Finance Friday – 'Talk Money Week' continued...

These resources have been designed to help you take control of your finances:

• How to cope with the cost of living squeeze: advice for dealing with the recent changes in energy, food and fuel prices.
• Savings Calculator to help you understand how long it will take to save a specific amount, or how much you need to save to have enough by a particular date.
• A five part guide to buying a home for both first-time buyers and movers.

To find all these and more, visit salaryfinance.com or scan the QR code, click 'get started', and enter University Hospitals Dorset in the 'employer' box.

Ask me...

Join us at 12.30pm on 17 November for 'Ask Me', hosted this month by Dr Isabel Smith, our medical director for strategy and transformation. It's a great opportunity to ask questions about anything, raise concerns or share your views. You can join the meeting here and if you'd like to send any questions in advance, pop them through to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we can ask on your behalf.

Important information for all eCaMIS users

eCaMIS will be upgraded on 17 November. When logging on for the first time after the upgrade everyone will be prompted to change their password.

New passwords must be a minimum of eight characters and contain at least one numeric character, one alphabetic character and one non-alphanumeric character (symbol). Once the current password, new password and confirm password fields are populated, the tab key must be pressed to activate the OK button. Even if current passwords meet the new criteria they will still need to be changed. Passwords will need to be changed every 90 days and the previous five passwords cannot be used.

Meet Team TB

This month we launched our 'TB or Not TB' campaign, encouraging us all to help spot the symptoms and stamp out the stigma.

TB is the world's all-time largest cause of death from an infectious disease – and it did not die out in the 19th century. But it is preventable and curable.

As part of the campaign, come along and meet David and Susie from our TB team, pick up some goodies, and join this really important movement.

• 15 November: from 12noon between the restaurants at RBH
• 29 November: from 12noon in the dome at Poole

The Great Purple Pro Ability Bake Off competition

Calling all bakers! Take part in the Great Purple Pro Ability Bake Off on Friday 2 December and win a brilliant prize.

Use your imagination, be creative and bring along either a single purple/disability themed cake or six smaller cupcakes. Cakes can be bought to the marquee at RBH between 7.30am and 11.30am on the day. Entrees must be left with a list of ingredients, and the cakes must be named. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions.

Catch Elayne Goulding and Toni Bailey on Hospital Radio Bedside tomorrow talking all things Deaf Awareness, Pro Ability and Purple Light Up with DJ Jo Olsen. You can listen to this on an iPhone or iPad here. The programme will be played again on Purple Light Up Day (12 November).

Stay tuned for more information coming soon about our Purple Light Up plans.

Do you need to update your intranet page?

For all intranet updates, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and a member of the web development team will respond as soon as they can.

Meet our cancer support workers

The cancer support worker team has been working in the trust to support patients with a cancer diagnosis for the past five years. They provide personalised care and support, which is a holistic approach to patient-centred care, supporting patients to live well, with and beyond their cancer diagnosis.

As part of the cancer team, we have 15 cancer support workers, some funded by Macmillan, who work alongside our specialist nurses and consultants. They support people who have a cancer diagnosis, are currently undergoing treatment and those patients who are living with or beyond cancer.

RBH: Name our new robot cleaner

Keep an eye out for a new colleague over at RBH, bringing us into the modern age of hospital cleaning. Our new robot cleaner uses smart technology to clean our corridor and theatre floors. Following a mapping system and moving between floors, the robot supports our brilliant housekeeping staff by freeing them up to focus on harder to clean areas such as corners and wards.

Want to name our new robot? Send any suggestions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ED documents in EPR – reminder

ED documents that relate to an inpatient admission can be found in the 'outpatient from folder' located underneath or above the 'inpatient from folder' on your screen. EPR groups documents covering the period when patient is an inpatient or day case '(inpatient from folders)'.

All other activity where the patient is in touch with the hospital, but not occupying a bed and is dated the day after the discharge date e.g. if the patient had an ED attendance on 5 November and then was subsequently admitted on the 6 November, a new 'inpatient from folder' will be created on 6 November.

The 'inpatient from folder' will only contain documents created after the admission date and time so the ED documents will be in the 'outpatient from folder' located below as they were created before the patient was admitted.

We always recommend checking the folders either side of the 'Inpatient from folder' to ensure you find all the documents relevant to an admission. This information is available on our IT training portal here.

RBH: Reduced acute speech and language therapy cover over November

Please continue to make referrals via EPR and if you have any concerns, please leave a message on ext. 4367.

Evaluation of the clinical audit department

If you have been in contact with the clinical audit department over the past year, we are keen to get your feedback. Please take a few minutes to give us your anonymous feedback on the service we provide here.

MyPorter task management update

The roll out of MyPorter has been a great success, making processes more efficient and providing data that can be used to further support wards and department with their individual demands. As with any new processes, improvements can be made, read on how we can make a difference in the process below:

• Ensure all task request have 'From Location' and 'To Location' entered.
• For Poole site only – if the transfer is a bed move enter 2 for 'Porters Required'
• When requesting support for a 'timed' appointment, the time entered into the request should be 15 minute before the appointment time. Appointment time of 1100 enter time 1045, this is the time the Porter needs to be with you in order to conduct the transfer and meet the appointment time.
• Use of the correct priority, if everyone selects High then High becomes Routine priorities
  • Non time specific task (as porters become available) - usually non urgent equipment moves or waste requests.
  • Routine (30 minutes) – majority of patient transfers would fit this criteria including timed appointments
  • High (15 minutes) – For urgent requests
  • Immediate (5 minutes) – should only be used in an emergency requests
• If a task is no longer required, cancel the request to avoid wasted Portering response.

Removal of abandoned bikes at RBH and Poole

In order to ensure the maximum amount of bike spaces are available for staff, any bikes that look like they've been abandoned will have a note attached. The owner of the bike must remove the note and return to the car park offices. Any bikes with notices left after 30 November will be removed in December and donated to a local bike charity. The bike storage facilities are for staff daily commute and not for long term storage.

Quality and risk newsletter

Read the latest updates in quality and risk here.

Galvanising support for pathology

Things are moving at pace on the construction of the Dorset Pathology Hub on our RBH site. The main contractor, Amiri Construction, has shared these great images of build process and you can see the latest video update here. Insulation now covers the whole building with 90% of the glazing now in place. Look out for the zinc foil roof cladding being installed – all to be rolled and cut on site.

UHD Charity: Christmas presents for patients and decorations for wards

UHD Charity has made funds available again this year for you to purchase presents to the value of £10 for patients who will be staying with us on Christmas Day.

Departments can also apply for £20 funding for Christmas decorations in patient-facing areas. You can download the application form here.

UHD Charity: Give the gift of play

We have launched an appeal to raise £75,000 for new playground equipment at Poole Hospital's child development centre (CDC), accessed by over 2,000 children each year with neurodevelopmental conditions. Find out how you can support here.

UHD Charity: Christmas carol service

It's almost that time of the year again - come along and join us for our UHD Christmas carol service with the Quayside Choir, followed by refreshments.

Our guest preacher will be the Right Reverend Bishop Karen Gorham, Bishop of Sherborne. The service will take place at St Mary's RC Church in Poole on Wednesday 14 December.

UHD Charity: Staff disco

Get on your dancing shoes at the North Road Social Club in Lower Parkstone on 17 December. Doors open at 7.30pm and you are automatically included into a bottle prize draw. Tickets are £5, please collect from Poole porters help desk. Everyone welcome.

NHS Leadership Academy South West training

Take a look at some exciting upcoming offers and opportunities to support your development. To book on to any of the sessions, take a look here. To check out existing offers, take a look here.

View the dates and times available for our drop-in clinics with occupational health - no need to book!

Please scroll to view all clinics available across our trust and find the closest one to you. 

Been vaccinated elsewhere? Let us know here. 

Please bring your NHS number. Please note that clinics may change due to staff availability.  If the line is busy, please try another available clinic or contact your peer vaccinators. 

Wednesday 29 January	2-3pm	Poole, OMF clinic space
Tuesday 4 February	9am-3pm	Poole wards

A time to remember

On Friday 11 November, we will be holding remembrance events at the new flag pole at Poole outside the Dolphin Restaurant, by the lake at RBH, and by the war memorial boards at Christchurch Hospital.

Join in person or tune in via our social media channels. We'll be streaming the Poole service live on our UHD Twitter, the RBH service on Facebook and the Christchurch service on Instagram. Please gather at 10.55am and download your order of service here.

Poppies are available to buy in the atrium at RBH today (Tuesday) or the dome at Poole tomorrow.

Making a difference with the NHS Staff Survey

"I believe that UHD can be the best place to work. We all have a part to play in making this a reality. Your role is to speak up and use the staff survey to tell me what works and what we need to improve. My role is to act on your open and honest feedback.

"I promise that your answers are anonymous and you cannot be identified by them. Please do not be afraid to speak up. We all have a voice that matters. I hope that together we can build on the unwavering spirit of team UHD and create a workplace in which we all thrive."

-Siobhan Harrington, chief executive officer

Look out for your personal invitation from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by post and join the conversation! Do you have any questions about the staff survey? We want to hear from you. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your questions and we will answer them in a special Q+A video.

Calling all medical staff: If you have not received your NHS Staff Survey invitation please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as a number of surveys have been returned to us due to not having a specific location to deliver to.

More vaccination appointments

Click here to book your weekday Covid-19 and flu vaccinations. If you can't find a slot to suit you, please keep checking as more sessions are being added on a rolling basis over the coming weeks. The clinics will be offering the Pfizer bivalent Covid-19 booster.

Weekday appointments run throughout November and can only be booked online - please do not contact our occupational health teams. For information on how to have your jabs elsewhere, and what to do if you have had your jabs elsewhere, visit the occupational health pages of the intranet.

Paging across Poole and RBH

We are having to make some slight changes to the way '701' is used across the trust. This is to allow us to identify and route the call to the correct system, following the introductions of a new paging system.

Please click here for instructions for each site.

BEAT prospectus

Are you looking to further your career, develop your existing skills or learn new ones? Designed as a one-stop shop guide to the training and education opportunities available through the BEAT team and beyond, the BEAT prospectus shows you what training we have available, who it's suitable for and how to book on.

You can find the prospectus for 22/23 on the BEAT intranet pages as well as on the BEAT VLE.

National Radiographer Day – today!

Pop down to the atrium at RBH and the dome at Poole to meet our radiographer teams and learn more about their role within our trust.

Let's talk money

This week (7-11 November) is Talk Money Week, an opportunity to have more open conversations about money. We're using this week to highlight some key resources to help get conversations started, check our socials for more throughout the week. Watch this short video for tips on making and sticking to a budget.

Are you concerned that yourself or someone you know may be subject to financial abuse? Everyone has the right to make independent financial decisions. If your partner, family member, carer or anybody else is controlling your finances, then this is financial abuse. Always remember you are not alone and there are places to go for help and support. Click here to find out more.

Follow this link or scan the QR code to find all of the above and more in a useful guide to help you kickstart conversations about money. Visit the Green UHD resources page to keep up-to-date with the latest on how you can save energy.

Anti-bullying week (14-18 November)

With the theme this year as 'reach out'; we all have a part to play with reaching out to stop poor behaviours. It is a theme to empower people to do something positive and to reach out to someone you know is having a difficult time.

One kind phrase, such as "are you ok"? or "I'm sorry" or just saying "hi" can make a difference to someone having a tough day. One kind word often leads to another and fuels others to also be kind. Have a look at our civility and respect intranet pages which reminds us on why developing a respectful workplace is important to us and our patients.

Fraud Awareness Week - (13-19 November)

Fraud is estimated to cost the NHS more than £1bn each year – enough to pay for over 40,000 nurses. This year we are supporting the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) campaign highlighting the role of professional fraud fighters in the NHS, such as our local counter fraud specialists and counter fraud champions.

Our counter fraud team will be on site at the following times/ locations so do stop by and see them.

• Poole Hospital (by the dome) – 15 November 2-3pm.
• Christchurch Hospital – 24 November 9.30-10.30am.
• Yeomans House – 24 November 11-12noon.
• RBH – 24 November 12.15-3pm.

In the meantime, if you have any suspicions or concerns about fraud in the NHS, report them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Writing correctly in clinical health records

Scanning of health records can be difficult if the writing is not accurate. Please help the health records teams by following these tips:

• All entries should be made in black ink only this enables accurate scanning.
• Clinical entries should be made within the margin boundaries this ensures that all clinical data is captured by the scanner.
• The legal requirement for the standards for record keeping require all entries to be signed, followed by block capitals name, date and status of the author.
• There should be no loose paper in the file, every document should be filed within the tabbed section of the folder.
• Notice for Poole users of medical records:- The Poole scanning bureau is receiving medical records with all the admission documentation simply attached to the front clip with nothing filed in the correct section within the folder. Any folder sent to the scanning bureau in this manner will be returned to the ward or department for correction.
• Notice to all ward/departments: The green plastic medical record folders are recycled. Please do not attach a patient ID label to the outside of the folder as this is breach of confidentiality and they are difficult to remove resulting in wasted folders which may have to be discarded.

Change to the recording of IV fluid inputs

To improve the accuracy of our patients' fluid balance monitoring, and to support the implementation of our new eObs Digital Fluid Balance solution, the Nursing and Midwifery Forum have agreed to introduce the following changes to recording IV fluid input:

1. Record the volume (not rate) on the IV pumps
2. Reset the pump to zero after doing so. This should be at least every four hours and when an IV bag is replaced

This change took effect from last Tuesday (1 November). All ward leads have been emailed with further details and a poster that can be printed off explaining how to undertake this new process. For any questions please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Discharge referrals forms

Our UHD discharge referrals form is replacing the previous discharge to access form on EPR. Please use this new form to refer for intermediate care, reablement, community hospital and social work assessment. This new form will continue to be rolled out through November with information sheets being circulated to ward areas.

Do your patients say 'thank you'?

If they do – our patient experience team wants to know! Compliments and praise can often go unnoticed and our patient experience team would like to document them here.

RBH: Booking rooms in the Education Centre

Please note, the rooms in the Education Centre are essential spaces for our training and should not be booked for general meetings. If you need to book a generic meeting room, the large committee room and consultants lounge are still available to use in the old trust management corridor in the main hospital building, and there are great facilities available at Yeomans House. For longer meetings and away days, a number of external venues could be a viable option.

You can book the committee room and consultants lounge here, and Yeomans House via UBook.

RBH: Café West opening hours

From Thursday (10 November) until 2 December, Café West will be open from 7.30am until 2.30pm.

Changes to catering services timeline

The timeline for the delivery of our new catering services has changed. Find out more about the plans here.

Remembering Dr Sue Walkden

Dr Sue Walkden, who worked at Poole for many years as a consultant radiologist specialising in head and neck imaging and neuroradiology, passed away at the end of October. A service of thanksgiving will be held at 2pm on 17 November at St Luke's Church in Parkstone. You can find out more here.

UHD Charity: On the Nash

Sing, dance and raise money for our UHD Charity event this Friday (11 November) at Canvas in Bournemouth. Doors open at 7.30pm.

On the NASH is a rock band made up of staff members from the Royal Bournemouth Hospital will be playing lively covers for a fun night out. Tickets are available here.