Your colleagues across UHD have been reflecting on their experiences of outbreaks and caring during the pandemic and share their compelling stories in this short video.
Please take a few minutes to listen to them and share the film with your teams. Your wellbeing and infection control is vital to us all, so take a moment to reflect and refresh your knowledge.
Importantly, if you have any concerns or there is anything you are unsure about, it's always ok to ask.
Staff who have had the first part of the two-part Covid-19 vaccination at UHD can now book their second. Our online booking portal is open for bookings for between 10-12 weeks from your first.
If you experience issues booking your second appointment please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Staff who are yet to have their first vaccination should click here for information on how to arrange this.
Inpatients in eligible criteria may now be referred by the consultant in charge of their care for a vaccination.
The referral criteria and process have been shared with consultant colleagues. Patients will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine from a member of our Covid-19 vaccination team on the ward.
With the number of patients with Covid-19 thankfully reducing in our hospitals, we hope those working in clinical areas will find it easier to keep hydrated, take their breaks and make use of the rest areas in and around our hospitals. We will continue to deliver water and snacks to blue clinical areas from March, and there will be refreshments available in the safe spaces. Please also encourage your teams to use their complimentary food and drink vouchers, being handed out as part of our Values Week.
If you would like to discuss additional support for your area, please chat to our organisational development team – just email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
FIT testing at Poole is being arranged through Carol Flynn and her team in the education centre.
If any wards/department at Poole Hospital have been providing fit testing to their teams please send a list of names to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – wherever possible managers are asked to include staff assignment numbers. This will enable us to add the FIT testing competency to the BEAT/VLE (green brain) across UHD.
Supplies of 'Fang Tian'-branded FFP3 masks, marked 'FT-045', are being withdrawn from our hospitals as further tests are needed to ensure they comply with regulations. Whilst logistics has visited wards to remove these masks, please ensure that no further stock of these masks are kept.
We appreciate how important parking is for staff, patients and visitors. A full briefing, including more information for cyclists, will be issued shortly.
Key changes include:
We apologise for the disruption and inconvenience during these construction works. If you have any questions relating to car parking at RBH, please email the travel team: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
A full briefing, including more information for cyclists, will be issued shortly.
Our corporate ID page has been updated to include new Teams backgrounds and a new email signature strip that includes our values.
All training will be resumed from 1 March.
We still have spaces available on the following training at RBH:
Contact the training department on ext. 4947 to book on any of these courses or book via self service on ESR.
Staff working from home, shielding or out the workplace for other reasons are invited to our new 'Connecting with you' listening event on 2 March, 12-1pm, on Teams for informal chat and support. Click here for the Teams link.
Any band 2-4 HCSWs that are interested in starting a level 2 or 3 apprenticeship programme at the Bournemouth and Poole College can enrol for the below dates:
Enrolment 1:
31 March (with an overflow day if required on 1 April). This enrolment will create Group B and will start on 22 April. College days will be strictly every other Thursday from this date.
Enrolment 2:
5 May (with an overflow day if required on 6 May). This enrolment will create Group E and will start on 13 May. College days will be strictly every other Thursday from this date.
Funding for the training will come from the Apprenticeship Levy and wards/departments will be required to support their own backfill requirements, therefore each ward/department will need to consider how many staff they can support for each apprenticeship.
Study days requirements are usually one day a week for between 15-18 months.
If you are interested in this opportunity and would like more information, there are monthly career drop in sessions arranged in the education centre at Poole Hospital for 26 March, 5 May, 9 June, 25 August, 6 October, 17 November and 15 December between from 2-4pm. Alternatively you can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The funeral of Krzysztof Gogolewski, porter at St Mary's maternity unit, will take place at Poole Crematorium at 1pm on 8 March. Staff who wish to attend can do so virtually, via https://www.obitus.com/. You will need the following details - user name: Geyu1159 and password: 992525
Krzysztof's portering colleagues are also planning a socially-distanced guard of honour on Longfleet Road as the hearse makes its way past the hospital at around 12.30pm.
Krzysztof was a much-loved porter at the hospital for more than 10 years, and died last week.
In her latest lockdown concert on Facebook, opera star Katherine Jenkins read a tribute sent in by Krzysztof's St Mary's colleagues and performed a song in Krzysztof's memory. You can watch the clip on Facebook here.
A book of condolence remains open in the chapel at Poole Hospital.
Departments are asked to verify contact details on letterhead templates. This includes making sure phone numbers are in the new '0300 019 + extension' format. This should not include the old '44 + extension' format.
If departments find faults in letterheads, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to make sure any incorrect templates are taken out of circulation and corrected.
If you have had your flu jab outside of the trust, eg at your GP or pharmacy, please contact occupational health to let them know at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Due to unforeseen sickness the diabetes inpatient nursing team is short staffed. Please bear with us and consider if your referral is necessary before submitting.
The end of life nurse specialists found an empty lunch box, drink bottle and a pair of glasses on one of the benches in the Butterfly Garden this week.
This is a reminder that the garden along the west wing corridor is for end of life patients and their loved ones use only. If you have patients/relatives that require access please contact the end of life nurse specialists or palliative care team for the access code.
The eCaMIS internal messaging function will be switched off on 1 March. The icon will still be available but will not function.
We are looking for a band 6 care group risk and governance co-ordinator.
You will be responsible for coordinating the overall day-to-day delivery and management of the care group governance functions (including risk management incident investigation, complaint investigation, data and trend analysis and management of CQC requirements. Click here to view the full job description and to apply.
To view and apply for all our internal and external vacancies click here.
The staff lottery fund annual bid is now open for teams to access. As in the past, teams need to write a proposal as to what they would like to purchase, with actual or approximate costs. This year a 'bid form' is available so that submissions are received in the same format. Unfortunately we are unable to accept bids from Poole colleagues until next year when the lottery will have merged and rolled out at Poole.
We have been unable to do this until both sites are under the same payroll provider, which is from April 2021. The form and the link to the bid poster can be found on the staff lottery page (under S in the RBCH intranet A-Z).
The committee will meet at the beginning of April and review all of the bid requests and teams will be notified as to whether there bid has been successful.
If you would like any further information please contact the team via the lottery email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Dorset Care Record (DCR) is introducing a new way to get primary care (GP) information in DCR on the evening of 3 March, replacing the current MIG system.
This is an exciting change which will bring the following benefits:
The presentation of this information is going to be different. Information will now be shown in the clinical document viewer under the 'summary' tab rather than under the 'GP' tab.
The different location will be clearly signposted as part of this change and we will have a video showcasing what is available, which we'll share in the next week.
Staff with line management responsibilities are invited to a leadership development session aimed at helping attendees develop techniques for managing difficult conversations.
The virtual programme, delivered by Practive, aims to support delegates to increase their confidence and skills in handling difficult conversations, tackling poor behaviour and supporting individual performance.
Sessions will take place on:
For more information and to apply email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Care First, our employee assistance programme, is putting on webinars this week and next. The themes are:
Click here for a list of the current roadworks taking place.
Let's bring the values to life!
Throughout this highly pressured pandemic, holding on to what matters to you and what you care about can be a real source of motivation to keep going.
That's why we'd like to bring our new values as #TeamUHD to life now as part of Values Week 2021, so you feel connected, supported, and able to operate at your best, despite the current challenges.
We understand you are all incredibly busy, but we ask you to take just 10 minutes to reflect individually or as a team about what the values mean to you, how you'll role model them in the future, and how you'd like to see them used throughout the organisation.
We hope that by the end of Values Week you'll feel more inspired about the values and how to bring them to life.
Take part in six easy steps:
Message from our chief executive officer Debbie Fleming:
"Over the years, I have seen that it is the values of the organisation that are so important in shaping the way in which people behave towards each other – not just in the way in which they treat their patients, but also in the way in which they treat their colleagues.
"I am absolutely delighted with the 6 values that have now been formally agreed, and so pleased that staff from both predecessor organisations share these values and hold them dear.
"Going forwards, we shall be routinely using these values as part of our recruitment and appraisal processes for staff.
"In this way, people choosing to come and work for UHD will know what we stand for, and understand that they are expected to live out these values as they carry out their day to day work.
"This will mean our new values will play a critical role in the development of our organisation, and will shape the experience of staff and patients for many years to come.
"My personal values-based pledge is to maintain an open and positive mindset, to listen really well to others, and work to ensure that everyone feels valued within the organisation as we continue to build it together."
Staff who have had the first part of the two-part Covid-19 vaccination at UHD can book their second appointment from 9am tomorrow (24 February). Our online booking portal will be open for UHD staff only to make their bookings for between 10-12 weeks from their first. A text message will be sent to staff tomorrow morning to advise that the portal is open.
All second dose appointments must be made using our online portal at https://vaccination.uhd.nhs.uk. Regrettably, second dose appointments booked during the initial roll out of the vaccine here have been cancelled, in order for these appointments to now be made by staff using the electronic system. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Dr Alyson O'Donnell, chief medical officer, said it is imperative staff who have had their first dose book for their second dose to achieve the maximum possible protection.
"While early reports about the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine after a single dose are encouraging, the vaccine is a two part product," she said.
"Neither individual dose offers the same level of protection as both, administered within 12 weeks of each other.
"If you have had your first dose already, it is essential that you have your second."
Staff who are yet to have their first vaccination should click here for information on how to arrange this.
In line with infection control measures, staff are reminded not to visit wards unless necessary. Where possible staff are asked to call or email wards if they have any questions that do not require them to physically be on wards.
Our new infection control campaign, REFRESH, is rolling out across the trust with pop-up banners and new posters. We will also be sharing a new film featuring staff talking about the impact that Covid-19 and outbreaks and how simple infection control measures can support us all.
The campaign aims to remind staff of the importance of regular cleaning, the wearing of facemasks, social distancing and other key actions. Read more on the infection control section of the Poole intranet.
The first UHD mini Schwartz Round for 2021 is taking place this Thursday (25 February) at 1pm. This round's focus is maternity 'We were just doing our job'.
Any members of staff from the maternity departments at RBH and Poole are welcome to join the meeting and either just listen in or be actively involved in the discussions.
Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the link. Find out more about Schwartz Rounds by looking under S on the intranet A-Z.
From 27 February, parking in car park A will no longer be available and will be relocated to car park C. Car park H will also be closing on 4 March with staff parking available in other staff allocated spaces.
Staff with car park permits will be able to use new allocated spaces in the Littledown from 1 March and car park B will only be available for use by blue badge holders from 1 March.
The drop-off location near to the main entrance will remain available for use.
We apologise for the disruption and inconvenience during these construction works. If you have any questions relating to car parking at RBH email the travel team: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Incidents of aggression towards staff whilst travelling to or from our hospitals are rare, but do happen. Our security teams are reminding staff about the importance of knowing what to do in these situations and the precautions we can all take.
To discuss any security concerns or questions you may have, contact our security management team: Dave Bennett on 0300 019 3267 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for Poole, or Malcolm Keith on 0300 019 4731 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch hospitals.
The library and knowledge service will be using one email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
From 26 February This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. will no longer work. Please update any communications/address books accordingly.
If you have had your flu jab outside of the trust, eg at your GP or pharmacy, please contact occupational health to let them know at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
It's not too late to have your jab to be as protected as possible this winter. You should not have the flu vaccine within seven days of a Covid-19 vaccination as a precaution, and it is safe to have the flu vaccination between the two Covid-19 vaccination doses. Check the flu vaccination intranet section for more details.
Denise Richards, deputy director of nursing, retired last week after putting the needs of our patients and the safety of her colleagues first over her incredible 37-year career. She was an inspirational nurse and role model in every sense. Click here to see a special video created to celebrate her time at Poole Hospital.
On Monday 8 March, Prerana Issar, NHS chief people officer and Samantha Allen, chair of the NHS confederation's health and care women leaders network, will co-host a virtual celebration to mark International Women's Day 2021.
The event is free to attend and is open to women and their allies in health and care whatever their role, grade, ethnicity, gender identity, disability or sexual orientation. The programme for the day is designed to fit around busy working lives, so delegates are welcome to take part in as much or little of the event as they want to.
The theme for the day is #EverydayCourage in tribute to the courage being demonstrated by women in health and care during these extraordinary times.
The event will be run as an unconference which means that people taking part will design the content and have the conversations they want about the challenges they face, with others who face the same challenges.
Find out more and register for your free place now.
Care First, our employee assistance programme, is putting on webinars this week and next. The themes are:
Click here for a list of the current roadworks taking place.
Staff who have not yet had the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination should now do so through the national booking system. Please disregard any external booking links issued in previous updates.
First doses for UHD staff are now offered only from the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), in Bournemouth, operated by Dorset HealthCare. Oxford/AstraZeneca is being provided at this site.
You must book your first and second dose at the same site, therefore please book both as you go through the booking process.
Click here for the booking link and more information.
Our own internal booking platform will open again on 24 February to enable staff who have already had the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in our hospitals to book their second.
Our clinics at both Poole and the Royal Bournemouth hospitals will begin providing these second doses from mid-March, 10-12 weeks after staff received their first.
We are now starting to distribute the second round of Covid self-testing kits to all staff at UHD, starting with those who are due to run out of tests first.
Each box contains a 12-week supply and will be distributed to wards and departments from our stores on the regular PPE run, and will need to be signed for.
Supplies of kits are limited, so please ensure you only take one for personal use and remember to pick up one of the yellow stickers for your kit - these direct you straight to the results portal.
For non-clinical areas, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Poole) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (RBCH) when your team needs their second box.
A new spreadsheet is available on Teams for managers to log the second boxes for staff.
Please note: If you are symptomatic, please arrange for a PCR swab from our swabbing teams - 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.
For more information, including FAQs, videos, and how to upload your results, see our self testing intranet pages.
Our REFRESH infection prevention and control has a new home on the intranet.
REFRESH aims to keep key infection control messages front and centre in all our minds, with a simple set of reminders that we can all use, every day. It includes everything from ensuring good ventilation and keeping areas clutter-free, to taking breaks safely and having the confidence to question when something doesn't look right.
Find out more about the campaign, why it matters and download resources for your area all in one place on the intranet.
Join us for a virtual drop-in session with our chief medical officer, Dr Alyson O'Donnell, and guests, on 17 February, 12.30-1.30pm. Click here to join.
All staff are welcome and we encourage you to ask questions, raise issues or share your experiences via the 'raised hand' function or chat bar in Teams.
The joint staff briefing from 10 February, presented by David Moss, chairman, and Debbie Fleming, chief executive, as well as fellow executives, is now available to view.
Topics covered included managing the Covid-19 pandemic, an operational update and development plans for the year ahead can be watched here or you can view the slides here and the development plan slides here.
Next week we'll be starting our new trust values during Values Week 2020 and we'd love you to get involved.
Throughout the week we'll be sharing a new values video featuring colleagues, and sharing examples of how the values are already being played out at UHD. We'll be inviting you to share your examples of how you try to live the values or where you've seen them done well too.
We'll also be sharing information about how you can use the new values design and how you can start applying them in appraisals. Our values are key to our culture at UHD. We invite you all to get involved and inspired how you and your colleagues can help bring them to life.
Employee self service (ESS) on the electronic staff records (ESR) system is being rolled out to all staff at Poole, current and new users of ESR, one department at a time.
Some of the things you will be able to do are to view/change some personal details, view your TRS statement for benefit and pension purposes and receive your payslips electronically.
Workforce has been adding access to smart cards and creating usernames and passwords for staff. Log in details and instructions on how to access and use the service will be emailed to your trust email address shortly.
If you have a smartcard, you will be able to access ESS using the card at work (or at home if you have a trust laptop). If you do not have a smartcard or you would like to log in from home from a non-trust PC or phone you will need a username and password.
You will continue to receive paper payslips until you have received log in details from one of the team, only at this point will you then transfer to online payslips.
Following the trust's charity fundraising committee earlier this month, our two charities – Poole Hospital Charity and Bournemouth Hospital Charity - are set to come together to create a new charity, to be named, 'University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity'.
The newly formed charity, which will be officially launched on 1 April 2021, will have a new logo and branding but retain the same commitment – to fund care and provisions above and beyond what the NHS can offer.
The new branding has been created by Southampton based creative agency, NHS Creative, who have experience of working with many NHS organisations and charities. The new logo creates a fresh, distinctive strong 'parent brand' for the successor charity as well as refreshed logos for Bournemouth Hospital Charity, Poole Hospital Charity and Christchurch Hospital Charity as sub brands.
Speaking about the news, Debbie Anderson, head of charity, University Hospitals Dorset, said:
"Everyone from both charities is very excited about joining forces and in creating our new brands.
"The newly formed charity will enable us to support a wider range of fundraising and provide even more support across all three hospital sites.
"We urge our wonderful supporters of both Poole Hospital Charity and Bournemouth Hospital Charity to continue to support us in our new partnership so that between us all we can do even more to improve patient welfare as well as staff wellbeing and support.
"In recognition of the relationship our supporters and the community have to the individual hospitals, we will still be supporting the individual hospitals through specific fundraising events, campaigns and appeals."
The charity will support all areas of work at the University Hospitals Dorset with supporters still being able to donate to a ward, department, or hospital of their choice across Poole, Royal Bournemouth, or Christchurch Hospitals.
A communications and engagement campaign will follow to highlight how supporters can continue to support all areas of our hospital as well as addressing any concerns.
There's still time to have your flu jab. Find your nearest peer vaccinator – trained staff able to provide the jab to colleagues in their clinical area on the intranet.
In July 2020, HM Treasury (HMT) consulted on proposals to remove the age discrimination judged to have arisen from the transitional arrangements to the reformed pension schemes across the public sector, including the NHS Pension Scheme.
Following the feedback received during the consultation process, HMT has now announced that:
More information from NHS Employers can be found here or from NHSBSA here
Please note the pension departments have no further information at this time and are unable to answer any queries you may have.
Quarterly shower head replacements have now been completed and the current colour is red. If a different colour is found anywhere on site please contact the estates helpdesk on ext 8056.
Clinical practice is looking for a band 4 moving and handling associate practitioner to be based at Poole Hospital.
You will be responsible for:
Click here for the full job description and to apply.
Care First, our employee assistance programme, is putting on webinars this week and next. The themes are:
Click here for a list of the current roadworks taking place.
All second dose appointments for staff who have had their first dose through our hospitals must be made via our online self-service system, which opens again on Wednesday (24 February). Regrettably, second dose appointments booked during the initial roll out of the vaccine here have been cancelled, in order for these appointments to be made by staff using our electronic system. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Our electronic system works with the national vaccination service database to ensure a robust record of who has received which vaccination, and when, is stored. It also ensures that as far as possible, every member of staff can book their second dose in line with the Government's current recommendations of between 10-12 weeks.
Staff who are yet to have their first vaccination should click here for information on how to arrange this.
Click here to see a PDF with national posters which can be used in ward areas. Staff are encouraged to print and laminate copies and place them near PPE stations in your wards and departments.
Next week we'll be starting our new trust values during Values Week 2021 and we'd love you to get involved.
Throughout the week we'll be sharing a new values video featuring colleagues, and sharing examples of how the values are already being played out at UHD. We'll be inviting you to share your examples of how you try to live the values or where you've seen them done well too.
We'll also be sharing information about how you can use the new values design and how you can start applying them in appraisals. Our values are key to our culture at UHD. We invite you all to get involved and inspired how you and your colleagues can help bring them to life. Keep an eye out for more information next week via the intranet latest news, Tuesday's (23 February) Staff Bulletin, screensavers and social media on the @UHD_NHS Twitter page.
Parking remains free for UHD staff parking in line with their permit allocation. Currently, if you hold a permit for offsite parking and work a shift that finishes after 9pm or anytime at weekends, you can park for free in the multi-storey car park at Poole Hospital. You will need to validate your entry ticket at the car park office before leaving. This ensures that parking facilities are used fairly and distributed equally.
From Monday 22 February, we will be extending the multi-storey facility to offsite permit holding staff whose shifts end at or after 7pm, on a trial basis. You must remember to validate your ticket at the car parking office to qualify for free parking in this way. This will make the multi-storey car park available to more staff. We will assess the impact this may have on availability and will be amended if demand exceeds capacity.
Parking charges remain in place if you have a permit and are parking outside of your allocated zone or the above criteria.
Thank you to all of those who attended our 'Ask Aly' Teams forum on Wednesday. For those of you who could not attend click here to watch via Teams.
The next 'Ask Aly' forum will be on 24 March, 12-1pm. A link to the Teams event will be provided nearer the time.
If you do not hold a permit, free weekly multi-storey car park passes can be arranged through the car park office. These tickets can be obtained a week in advance, ie collect this week for next week, and are on a first come basis with limited numbers available.
We have also arranged additional parking at Barclay's and Bournemouth and Poole College – please contact the car park office if you would like to find out more about these options.
Tributes have been paid to a "wonderful man" and much-loved colleague, Krzysztof Gogolewski, who died earlier this week.
Krzysztof joined Poole Hospital in 2009 as a maternity porter at St Mary's maternity unit, where he quickly became a popular and integral part of the team.
Claire White, matron for outpatients and community maternity services, described Krzysztof as a kind and much loved colleague.
"We are all so very sad to hear that our lovely porter, Krzysztof, has passed away," she said. "He was a wonderful man who was much loved by us all. His midwifery colleagues describe him as kind, fun, hard-working, genuine and overall a true gentleman - we will miss him hugely.
"Our love and condolences go out to his lovely wife, Margaret, and all his family and friends."
Steven Lee, Krzysztof's manager in the portering service, said he was an asset to the team.
"Krzysztof would always go the extra mile – nothing was too much trouble," he said. "He was very funny, and always friendly and approachable - everyone he met couldn't help but like him.
"He was a hugely popular and valued member of the wider portering team, and our thoughts are with his friends and family."
A book of condolence has been opened in the chapel for anyone wishing to pay their respects to Krzysztof.
IT has been informed of occurrences of passwords or parts of passwords being input into Teams channels. This is easily done as by default Teams is set up to automatically open when a PC is first logged on. Please ensure you take care when first logging onto PCs and make sure you are inputting password information into the correct fields.
To help prevent the accident inputting of passwords you can set Teams to open in the background at first log on by following the below:
On your next log on, Teams will start and you will be logged in. Your colleagues will still be able to see your status and will still be able to contact you via chat and audio or video call but the Teams window won't open.
To open the Teams application if it is running in the background you can open it as usual through the 'start button' and then Microsoft Teams or from the system tray using the up arrow next to the time in bottom right corner of your desktop and then click in the Teams icon as shown below.
There's still time to have your flu jab. Find your nearest peer vaccinator – trained staff able to provide the jab to colleagues in their clinical area on the intranet.
Join us this month in celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month. Next week we will be holding the following virtual event:
The event will be hosted by Lucy Hart, business improvement manager, and everyone is welcome to join
During February look out for the rainbow flag at our hospitals and check out of social media on Twitter and Facebook.
To join the LGBTQ+ staff network or become an ally email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Pro Ability staff network is holding an informal drop-in session via Teams on Wednesday 24 February, 1–2pm.
Network members and allies are welcome to join us for an informal catch up especially if you are working from home. The network are here for you to listen and aim to brighten your day.
Click here to join.
Care First, our employee assistance programme, is putting on webinars this week and next. The themes are:
Click here for a list of the current roadworks taking place.
Our online booking platform will open again on 24 February to enable staff who have already had the first dose of the vaccine in our hospitals to book their second.
Our clinics will begin providing these second doses 10-12 weeks after staff received their first at both Poole and the Royal Bournemouth hospitals from mid-March.
Making sure we all get the basics right when it comes to infection control sounds easy - but we know it can be hard to do consistently.
Busy wards, staffing issues, operational pressures, changing guidance… all of these can compete with our focus on getting it right, every time.
REFRESH aims to keep those key infection control messages front and centre in all our minds, with a simple set of reminders that we can all use, every day.
REFRESH includes everything from ensuring good ventilation and keeping areas clutter-free, to taking breaks safely and having the confidence to question when something doesn't look right. By working together, and following the guidance, we can all make a difference in protecting ourselves, our patients and our colleagues.
You'll see lots more about REFRESH around our hospitals and in our regular communications in the coming weeks.
Included in this edition:
Click here to read it and please share the key messages with your colleagues.
Join us for a virtual drop-in session with our chief medical officer, Dr Alyson O'Donnell, and guests, on 17 February, 12.30-1.30pm. Click here to join.
All staff are welcome and we encourage you to ask questions, raise issues or share your experiences via the 'raised hand' function or chat bar in Teams.
We are currently working on bringing together our two intranets into one site for UHD. While a number of departments have already brought their pages together, there are still many that have two separate pages, so please speak to each other and see how the content can be joined up. Your joined up content can then be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
With the new intranet expected to launch in April, any requests for new pages and sections will be created for the new UHD intranet only, so please be patient.
Once the new intranet is established, we will start the process of training superusers to update content.
The last year has been extremely challenging and the pressure and demand on NHS staff physically, mentally and emotionally has been relentless. The Schwartz Round team are running a series of mini Schwartz Rounds (MSR) throughout 2021 to give departments and teams the opportunity to talk about the emotions of what we do and discuss the social and emotional issues we face in caring for patients and their families.
MSR focus on specific themes from a particular department which are then discussed in a supportive environment and are only open to staff directly involved with the department where the MSR is taking place.
The first UHD MSR for 2021 is maternity 'We were just doing our job' on 25 February at1pm. Any member of staff from the maternity departments at RBH and Poole are welcome to join the meeting and either just listen in or be actively involved in the discussions.
Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the link or to request a mini round for your own team or department. Find out more about Schwartz Rounds on the intranet.
There's still time to have your flu jab, ensuring you leave seven days between it and the Covid-19 vaccination. Likewise, if you have had the Covid-19 vaccination recently, you will need to wait at least seven days before your flu jab. Find your nearest peer vaccinator – trained staff able to provide the jab to colleagues in their clinical area on the intranet.
Following recent recruitment, we have a number of new volunteers joining UHD on our Poole and Bournemouth sites. They are new to the trust and will be, alongside our long standing volunteers, undertaking tasks to help staff and patients outside of the ward environment.
We understand many of you would like to welcome volunteers back onto the wards, but at present the decision remains that for their safety and safety of others that they can only volunteer in non-clinical roles.
New volunteers will be identified by a pink lanyard. This is so the volunteer staff can easily identify who may need additional support. The volunteers will have undertaken normal recruitment checks and training for a non-clinical role.
The roles that the volunteers will undertake include:
Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information
Several staff who don't normally work on the wards have volunteered their time on weekends. They have been helping in busy areas, answering phones, helping with meal service and helping patients communicate with their loved ones.
If you don't normally work on the wards and feel you can help clinical staff email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and you will receive additional training and need to complete a risk assessment.
In order to start important enabling work for the build of the MCEC and main entrance works, car park H (the consultants car park) is closing and car park A is closing and relocating to the rear of car park C. Staff with existing permits will have access to additional car parking at the Littledown Centre, details of how to gain access will be published shortly. The car parks will cease to be in operation from close of play on 24 February.
The lockable staff bike shelter will also not be accessible. Additional bike shelters will be available once the building work is completed at the west entrance (Eye Unit and Jigsaw Building Entrance).
The Staff Lottery Fund annual bid is now open. Teams need to write a proposal as to what they would like to purchase, with actual or approximate costs; this year a 'bid form' is available for use so that submissions are received in the same format.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accept bids from Poole colleagues until next year when the lottery will have merged. We have been unable to do this until both sites are under the same payroll provider, which is from April 2021. Check the staff lottery pages on the RBCH intranet for more information.
The committee will meet at the beginning of April and review all of the bid requests and teams will be notified as to whether there bid has been successful.
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
Any RBCH staff wishing to activate their RBCH card for use at Poole must complete an ID application to bring with them to the ID office.
The same is required for Poole staff wishing to get RBCH access.
#LookOut4TheLight, supported by our end of life teams, has been set up to support those who have lost loved ones.
The idea is for each Wednesday at 8pm, a candle is lit or an LED light shone at a window.
Click here to hear from Dr Saskie Dorman, consultant in palliative medicine, about what the initiative means, and why it matters to her.
Saskie is encouraging individuals across the trust to join in, so that you know that you are not grieving alone. She also invites anyone who has lost a loved one during the Covid pandemic, whatever the cause of death, to record their stories and share it using the #LookOut4TheLight hashtag.
Join us this month in celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month. This month we will be holding the following virtual events:
During the month look out for the rainbow flag at our hospitals and check out of social media on Twitter and Facebook.
To join the LGBTQ+ staff network or become an ally email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Ward 14 has had their hoist scale go missing. The ward urgently requires the scales.
They may still say 'ward 24' on them due to a ward move. There is a serial number for them which can be checked.
About the car benefit scheme:
Your car benefit scheme from Tusker is the smarter way to run a car. A fixed monthly amount is taken directly from your gross salary and in return, you get the use of a brand-new car – Tusker sort everything else out at no extra cost.
Not only is a brand-new car included, there is:
All of this and no deposits.
Access the scheme today:
To get a quote and see the range of cars available simply reset your password via tuskercars.com and log into your account to access the Car Benefit Scheme.
If you need a hand with the site, or you want to chat to Tusker about ordering a car, you can get in contact through 'live chat', an online instant messaging service that will put you in touch with one of the team, who will guide you through the process. You can also get in touch by phone: 0333 400 7431 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
A great opportunity to allow leaders to focus on leadership practice. Our Dorset is offering an opportunity for all leaders to attend a series of 90-minute virtual webinars provided by guest speakers:
These events are free to access. There are no limits on the number of places from across the Dorset health and care system.
For more information and to sign up to one or more of these events click here.
The NHS South West Health and wellbeing team have been developed 'time for you' sessions to support colleagues' wellbeing.
The sessions are light hearted and fun that let staff to take time away from the day job to rejuvenate themselves.
Future sessions include:
The programme invites will come from our generic inbox This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. asking you to place a hold in your calendar. An updated invitation will follow once the session is finalised.
Care First, our employee assistance programme, is putting on webinars this week and next. The themes are:
We have a range of offers available for staff from take away to a newly added virtual 'self-care' session from Ambas Yoga taking place this weekend. Check the intranet to see all offers.
Click here for a list of the current roadworks taking place.