Walk-in vaccinations available this Sunday and next as cases increase

Our staff Covid-19 booster and flu vaccination programme starts this weekend at RBH, before moving to Poole the following weekend.

The clinics, held in our outpatient departments, come as we see increasing Covid-19 hospital admissions, and the first patients this season with flu.

If you have yet to book your jabs through the online portal here, you can turn up this Sunday between 8am-3pm without making an appointment in advance, or Poole between the same times on the following Sunday (16 October). Please ensure you bring your staff ID badge with you.

The Covid vaccine booster is made by Moderna and is bivalent, which offers protection against the highly transmissible omicron variant, as well as a number of other strains. The vaccines not only protect you but those around you, and directly support our hospitals in delivering safe, effective care as we move towards winter and the anticipated further increase in activity this brings.

If you can't make our weekend clinics, NHS staff registered with a GP can book the Covid booster - or any of the preceding doses – for free via the national Covid-19 vaccination booking portal here, or search 'NHS Covid vaccinations' online. Please contact your GP practice to find out if you are also able to have your flu vaccination there, also free for NHS staff.

Find out more on the intranet, including how to tell us if you have had your jabs elsewhere.

A message from our IPC team

We are now seeing not only patients with Covid-19 but flu too. If you feel unwell please test yourself using a lateral flow device. If this is negative but you still feel unwell please make sure you are well enough to come to work before attending. While we see this rise in cases we will maintain the guidance around mask wearing within clinical areas but this remains under regular review.

Staff Survey update

The National Staff Survey was launched on 30 September. Due to an administrative error a number of staff may not have received their survey and others may have received a survey relating to an historic role or legacy department.

The issue has now been rectified and new invitations where applicable are being issued by our survey provider IQVIA.

Where possible any surveys that have already been completed will still be eligible and counted, however if you are asked to complete a new survey, this will replace your previous submission.

If you have any questions, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Thank you to colleagues

Across the NHS and at UHD we have seen some of the most extreme pressure we have ever faced recently. An unprecedented number of people are attending our hospitals and the strain has been felt across our Trust and wider system. We wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of you and our partners who are making a positive difference. We know you are going above and beyond. Without your dedication, commitment and highly-skilled interventions, alongside your work in partnership our challenges would be even greater.

From Paula Shobbrook, chief nursing officer, Ruth Williamson, chief medical officer and Mark Mould, chief operating officer

We're speaking up

Speak Up Month is an opportunity to raise awareness of how much we value speaking up at UHD. This week we've focused on how important it is to speak up about patient care and staff safety. Speaking up is about anything that gets in the way of you doing a good job, and we want everyone to feel safe to have these conversations. As part of this month we are visibly celebrating this work by flying the FTSU flag, listening to staff who have spoken up in videos, visiting clinical and non-clinical areas, and holding conversations to understand some of the barriers to speaking up. It's also great to see so many colleagues take part in Wear Green Wednesdays.

Remember, you can speak up to many people at UHD including your line manager, human resources, using our LERN forms, staff governors, occupational health and our networks. You can also speak up with our Freedom to Speak Up Team by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., leave a message on x4220, or via the UHD app.

Stay up to date: The Brief and all staff briefing

Your October edition of The Brief is out now, complete with your handy 'The Brief in brief' document to help you cascade the key information to your teams and feedback any queries or comments. Please return this cascade feedback form to Siobhan Harrington, CEO, or email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You can also catch up on Siobhan's all staff briefing from earlier in the week here and see all of the chief executive briefings on the communications pages of the intranet.

Ask Aly becomes Ask Me...

Join us at 12.30pm on Thursday 13 October for Ask Me, hosted by our acting chief medical officer, Dr Ruth Williamson. Originally established as 'Ask Aly' it's a great opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns or share your views about all things UHD with leaders from across our trust in a really informal setting.

You can join the meeting here and if you'd like to send any questions in advance, send 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.

Register now to become a Liftshare Super Commuter!

In less than 24 hours nearly 70 staff have registered ahead of the launch next week of Dorset NHS Liftshare – a car sharing portal designed to help you to save money on your commute and reduce pollution.

You can be a super commuter too: register now and either offer someone a lift or look for someone to give you a lift. By using Liftshare you can save money, have access to priority parking spaces and help reduce the number of cars on the roads, reducing congestion and air pollution.

Click here for more information about the scheme.

Covid-19 swabbing for patients

We are extending the 'no authorisation' process until the end of October.

Swabs can still be collected from Samba/Micro as usual without the need to bleep the swabbing team for authorisation. Please continue to only swab your patients for urgent/clinical reasons and ensure that your ward number or department is clearly marked on the SAMBA card when submitting to the suite. This makes sure that patients' results can be returned to the requesting location. We would be grateful if you could you pass this information on to your colleagues.

Portering task allocation system updates

From 9-9.30am on Wednesday 12 October, the site will be down and users will not be able to access the system, input new tasks or view existing tasks. During this time emergency requests can be made by calling ext. 2340 at Poole, or ext. 6336 at RBH.

Volunteers needed to support our coaching apprentices!

Our UHD coaching apprentices are looking for volunteers for them to practice their coaching with in order to develop their skills and confidence. Our coaches are required to have 50 hours of coaching practice in order to complete their qualification. A typical coaching programme is normally about 6 sessions over a number of weeks.

Have you identified from your appraisal next steps in your career progression or development? Are you facing a challenge at work? Are you dealing with lots of change in your role or team?

Coaching supports you to work towards a goal through supportive questioning by the coach, helping you to reflect and think of different perspectives and possibilities. The nature of coaching is self-directed learning and development, and so your coach typically will not offer you solutions or advice.

This is an exciting opportunity to get involved and support our apprentices, while also receiving valuable support towards your own professional development. Once our apprentices qualify, they will be able to offer this high-quality coaching service more widely across both UHD and the Dorset ICS.

If you are interested and would like to volunteer for some coaching, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Manager modules

Are you a new manager? Are you looking to learn more about your role and for support with managing your team?

There are spaces available on our upcoming workshops. Modules include 'being a UHD manager' and 'good people management'. For more information, go to the education and training pages on the Poole intranet. If you would like to book on, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Feedback Skills workshops

These three-hour virtual workshops are a great leadership and management development opportunity for all staff to improve their skills around giving and receiving feedback. The impact of feedback, both positive and developmental, can be far reaching and has the potential to help us increase our self-awareness, motivation and performance levels. If you would like to book please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

RBH - BEACH Building hoardings installation next week

If you're working or visiting the RBH site next week look out for the team from Think Signs who will be installing information panels on the hoardings that surround the BEACH Building construction site. These have been designed by students from Arts University Bournemouth, showcasing the exciting transformation plans across our three main sites. The panels will be on display for 2 years.

It's Freedom To Speak Up (FTSU) month

Speaking up enhances all our working lives and improves the quality and safety of care. Speak Up Month in October is an opportunity to raise awareness of how much we value speaking up at UHD. The theme for Speak Up Month 2022 is 'Freedom to Speak Up for Everyone'. At UHD we are working to make speaking up business as usual, so that everyone can speak up and feel listened to and that actions will be taken for learning and improvement. If there is something that has been worrying you which you cannot speak to your line manager about, perhaps October is your month to speak to the FTSU team. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., leave a message on 4220, or use the UHD app (anonymous route is also available). Take a look at the reinvigorated intranet page for more info too.

UHD's triple award win

Our outpatient assessment clinic (OAC) in Poole's Dolphin Shopping Centre has picked up three accolades at the 2022 Patient Experience Network National Awards ceremony. The clinic won in the following categories: 'Partnership working to improve the experience', 'Integration and improving social care', and 'Integration and continuity of care'. Find out more about the awards here.

Save the date for the next all staff briefing

Join us for the all staff briefing in the Dolphin Restaurant at Poole Hospital, or online on Teams here, at 8am on Wednesday 5 October. After the live briefing, there will be an opportunity to meet with executives and to ask questions until 9am. Refreshments will be provided.

Reminder: Book your Covid and flu vaccinations now

Covid booster and flu vaccinations for staff begin in early October and can now be booked. All staff are strongly encouraged to take up the offer of separate vaccinations to protect ourselves this winter. Find out more in the latest news on the intranet.

POOLE: Water supply issues resolved

Thank you to the estates, catering and clinical site teams, and on-call colleagues, for their prompt action to support services and resolve problems with cold and hot water supplies to some areas at Poole Hospital yesterday.

Services were fully restored yesterday.

Cycle challenge to help others keep well - today

Bournemouth Heart Club will be holding its rescheduled 'Heart to Heart' sponsored exercise cycle ride in the atrium of RBH today (30 September). Club members will be cycling non-stop for 10 hours with the aim of raising money to fund up to 20 places at the Bournemouth Heart Club's Keep Well Hub, for people on low income who need to exercise regularly but cannot afford a regular gym membership. Pop down and meet the BHC exercise instructors during the day.

New discharge team email

From 3 October, please contact the discharge team on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. This mailbox is for all wards to use, as well as external partners.

Good luck team!

The first full Poole Africa Link (PAL) team will be leaving for Uganda tomorrow after a three year break due to Covid.

The team will be teaching at various places in Lira over two weeks. The trip will be led by Dr Frankie Dormon (intensivist) who will be joined by Dr Luke Turley (GP), Dr Pasco Hearn (consultant microbiologist), Dr Ben Cambers (anaesthetist) and midwives Emily Seddon and Rosie Farnworth. They will join surgeon Judy Mella who has been involved with PAL for several years and who is currently undertaking a breast care project in Lira.

To keep up to date with the team's activities head to the Poole Africa Link Facebook page, or follow them on Twitter here.

National Libraries Week

Celebrating the theme of 'lifelong learning', visit the Dome at Poole on 3 October or between the restaurants at RBH on 4 October between 12-2pm for National Libraries Week. Alternatively pop in and see the team in the library, chat with them on social media, or take a look at their online noticeboard Padlet for more information.

The libraries will also be hosting their first 'Lunch and Learn' sessions on 6 October at 1pm. Bring your lunch and hear all about our library resources – no need to book just come along. For more information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Tissue viability team

The tissue viability team is working at a reduced service, patients will be prioritised. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Communication Workers Union industrial action

Due to the Communication Workers Union strike, we have been advised not to use special/recorded delivery due to the extra costs involved and possible non-collection.

The strike is taking place today (Friday 30 September), tomorrow and Thursday 13 October, Thursday 20 October and Tuesday 25 October. For more info head here.

UHD Charity: Chicago in her sites

Good luck to Penny Jarvis who is taking on the Chicago Marathon on 9 October!

Penny, 71, worked for Poole for 40 years before retiring last year, and has raised an incredible £40,000 for our hospitals through various London marathons, the Boston marathon, the Costa Rica coast to coast, trekking the Great Wall of China, Vietnam cycle and the Miramar cycle challenges. It is safe to say she loves a challenge and we can't thank her enough. Show your support for Penny here.

Join us tomorrow for the next all staff briefing

Join us for the all staff briefing in the Dolphin Restaurant at Poole Hospital, or online on Teams here, at 8am on Wednesday 5 October. After the live briefing, there will be an opportunity to catch up with Siobhan and our execs and to ask questions until 9am. Refreshments will be provided.

NHS Staff Survey 2022 - Are you concerned about confidentiality?

The NHS Staff Survey is your chance to be completely open and honest about your UHD experience, whether that's highlighting areas for change or celebrating what's being done well.

No one at UHD will see your completed survey or be able to identify individual responses. Only our survey provider, IQVIA, will have access to your data. They will then report their findings to us, excluding all identifying information.

After the survey is complete, all staff details will be deleted and paper questionnaires destroyed securely.

Find out more about the confidentiality of the survey here. Look out for your personal invitation via email or post and join the conversation!

#SpeakUpSparkChange

Patient First

Our trust is planning to implement the "Patient First" programme. We were delighted to welcome Dame Marianne Griffiths, former CEO of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust last week to give more details about the programme and the difference we hope it can make to all of us. A video of her presentation is available here. More details about the programme will be shared at our all staff briefing tomorrow morning.

Reducing patient waits - clinically driven, operationally delivered

We continue to support the national Super September initiative, with a special focus on organising outpatient bookings so that routine patient's 'Wait in Line'. Four in every five patients on our waiting lists are waiting to be seen in an outpatient setting, but for a range of reasons, including cancellations and re-bookings due to Covid-19, and our move to a single PAS earlier this year, some of our waiting lists have routine patients waiting out of line.

The 'Wait in Line' project sees teams validate those waiting and then effectively rebook patients in turn into more appropriate slots where necessary.

Ear, nose and throat (ENT) services is one area taking part, and their improvements have been marked.

The number of patients at risk of waiting longer than 18 months for their appointment has been cut by three quarters, while those waiting a year or more have reduced by nearly two thirds.

Patients waiting more than 40 weeks for a first appointment have more than halved, and those waiting for a second appointment are down by 15 per cent.

The key has been whole team working towards improving the experience for patients, great clinical engagement and excellent data.

The aim is to now roll out Wait in Line to other specialties, with gynaecology, rheumatology in progress.

The main outpatient bookings team is also putting in place the main principles of Wait in Line to help ensure as many patients benefit as possible.

For more information contact Judith May, Director for Operational Performance and Oversight, via

Day of health talks – have you booked your place?

We will be holding our first face to face Understanding Health talks since the pandemic on Wednesday 12 October at St Mary's Longfleet Church Centre, opposite Poole Hospital.

The three free talks will also be live streamed via Teams and will take place throughout the day covering the below topics:

• Understanding Neurodevelopmental Conditions in Children – Dr Mark Tighe, consultant paediatrician at 10am
• Understanding how to take care of yourself while pregnant - Kerry Taylor, head of midwifery at UHD at 1.30pm
• Understanding patient flow in our hospitals - Alex Lister, group director of operations at 3.30pm

Places at the talks are limited so booking is essential. To book your place, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the names of the people attending the talk, which talk you'd like to attend and an email address. The talks will also be live streamed and recorded to ensure that those unable to attend can still benefit. Links to the Teams events will be available on the events page of the UHD website and recordings will be added to the health talk library.

Celebrate Black History Month with us

Our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff network invites you to celebrate Black History Month with us. Our intranet page is the place to go to for information and inspiration. Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing events, stories and resources so keep an eye out for updates on our UHD social media pages.

If you'd like to join the BAME network as a member or ally, we'd love to hear from you! Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sign up for a chartered manager apprenticeship

Could you undertake a chartered manager degree alongside the Mary Seacole award as an apprenticeship? The three-year course is fully funded and attended by colleagues from across Dorset. It is suitable for anyone in a senior departmental manager role across clinical and non-clinical departments. Line manager support is essential. More information can be found on the apprenticeships pages on the intranet. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested by Monday 10 October.

Reflecting on Falls Awareness Week

Our falls team took part in the national Falls Awareness Week recently with the focus being falls prevention. The team attended wards where staff were asked to complete pledges or highlight something small they could do in their area to reduce a fall from occurring. They also designed falls prevention information boards and had stands across all three sites promoting falls prevention for staff, patients and the public.

Thank you to the therapy teams, frailty service and Christchurch Day Hospital who helped to organise and support the falls team during the week and to all ward staff who continue to support and promote falls prevention.

UHD Charity: Join us for Elf Dash 2022

Join 'Crackers' the elf for a day of festive family fun on 3 December, all in aid of raising money for some very important projects in our hospitals this Christmas.

We return to the stunning seaside venue of Branksome Dene Chine, ideally located for our community to come together in support of UHD.

The family friendly 2km 'dash' is along the prom. You can run, walk, skip or dance your way along the promenade route. Suitable for the whole family this event is buggy, wheelchair and dog friendly with plenty of parking available. Hot drinks and refreshments will be provided courtesy of the Rapid Relief Team. All children's tickets include a visit to Father Christmas in his grotto and a very special festive gift. Register now here or call our charity office on 0300 019 4060/8449.

Full capacity for social media workshop

We've now reached the limit for attendees to our social media workshop in November, so booking on to this session is no longer available. Thank you to colleagues who have expressed an interest - there is clearly a growing appetite for staff wishing to level up their social media skills, and we'll bring you another training session very soon. Look out for details in the Staff Bulletin.

Job of the week: Heart failure data manager

Our heart failure service team is looking for an individual who is passionate about data and someone who is keen to ensure our nationally mandated heart failure audit data is accurate, timely and robust. There are opportunities to work from home in this role or on site at RBH or Poole. Find out more here.

Further industrial action

SWR announces further strikes on 8 October

Please check the South West Rail website for updates and to find out how your commute may be affected.

BT Group and Openreach strike action

Strike action will be taking place on 6 October, 10 October, 20 October and 24 October. Anyone working from home who gets their Wi-Fi directly from BT, or from a provider that uses the Openreach network, should be aware that they are unlikely to receive any immediate technical support, in the event of an issue on a strike days.

Reminder: book your Covid and flu jabs now

Covid booster and flu vaccinations for staff begin in early October for a limited time in weekend clinics at our hospitals. Click here to book your vaccinations and to protect yourself, your colleagues and our patients this winter.

For more information see the latest news on the intranet.

Save the date for the next all staff briefing

Join us for the all staff briefing in the Dolphin Restaurant at Poole Hospital, or online on Teams here, at 8am on Wednesday 5 October. After the live briefing, there will be an opportunity to meet with executives and to ask questions until 9am. Refreshments will be provided.

NHS Staff Survey 2022 - Speak up and spark change at UHD

We want to hear your thoughts on how we can make UHD the best place to work, grow and develop and a better place to receive care. Have your say from this Friday 30 September.

Look out for your personal invitation and join the conversation! #SpeakUpSparkChange

'First Responder' Surgeon Support Programme

The Surgeon Support Programme is a new peer-to-peer support programme designed to help surgeons deal with the impact of complications and investigations. It's confidential and distinct from any formal processes – it's administered through the MSC office.

A cohort of surgeons, from both sites and across a range of specialties, has been trained to fulfil the role of a surgical 'First Responder' and can provide prompt peer-to-peer support. If there is ever a circumstance where you would like to talk to a colleague about an adverse event, then please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in the MSC office.

#YouMatter – The countdown is on to have your say with the People Pulse survey

We know our experiences at work change over time, which is why we regularly ask how you are feeling. This month you have the chance to share your views and experiences on speaking out.

This month's national NHS People Pulse survey is your opportunity to share your views and help us make changes at UHD, and in the wider NHS. Click here for your chance to have your say.

If you have any questions please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

'Loved and never forgotten'

To mark Baby Loss Awareness Week (9-15 October), a special service for those who have experienced the loss of a baby will take place at the Chapel of St Luke at RBH on Thursday 13 October at 7pm. Led by Revered Duncan Ridgeon, with support from the hospital's specialist nurses and local charity 'Our Angel Bears', the service will be an opportunity for bereaved parents, as well as their friends and families, to commemorate the lives of lost little ones. Those of all faiths or none are welcome to attend. For more information, call the RBH chaplaincy team on ext 4221.

uhd.nhs.uk email securely accredited

Our email service has achieved secure email accreditation from NHS Digital. This is the same accreditation given to NHSmail (@nhs.net) accounts. Emails containing patient and other confidential information can be sent between @uhd.nhs.uk and NHSmail accounts without the need for additional encryption and no longer needs to be unencrypted using Egress to read the email.

The same no additional encryption rule for PID emails applies to any other organisation that has achieved secure email accreditation and the list of those organisations can be found here. Emails containing patient or other confidential information being sent to organisations that do not have secure email accreditation will still need to be manually encrypted.

Free staff bike maintenance at UHD

Bike Fixed will be returning to our sites in October to offer a free bike tune up. The team will be available from 9am-4pm at RBH on 12 October and Poole on 13 October.

A limited number of appointments are available on each date. If you'd like to book your bike in, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and include a mobile/office contact number in case the mechanic needs to contact you.

If you have a specific issue please email in advance This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

RBCH: Roadworks into Christchurch (26-30 September)

This week Barrack Road heading into Christchurch town centre will be closed for five days. The closure will start at the traffic lights at Stour Road up to the Fountain Roundabout. As a trust we are aware of the impact this may have for teams at Christchurch and RBH, especially traffic leaving the site. Please consider using alternative transport and plan you journey.

September staff lottery draw

The lucky winners of the latest draw have been notified by email and the winning numbers are viewable on the intranet (look under S for staff lottery). This month the top prize was £1,000. If you are not yet a member and would like to be in with a chance of winning, please visit the staff lottery website and complete the form.

The lottery committee is also looking for new members from across all the sites. The main role is to take part in the draw once a month, promote the lottery and to assist with the yearly lottery bids. If you would like to join us but would like to know more please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or any member of the committee listed on the intranet page.

RBH: Bike and smoking shelters move

Two large cycle shelters and smoking shelters are being moved to accommodate building works opposite the Jigsaw Building from 3 October and are being moved closer to the West Entrance. For this to be done, the shelters need to be empty. Signs will be placed in the shelters. Please don't store bicycles from this date. If a bike is left in the store after this time, we will not be held responsible if any get damaged.