It's Learning Disability Awareness Week

If your ward requires information or care plans and documents to understand how a patient with learning difficulties is going to be supported in the community, you must make contact with the patient's care home, residence or family to request this, at the earliest opportunity.

If you need support to access this information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

If there is no information from your patient's carers in the community and it is outside of office hours, please contact the adult psychiatric liaison team on ext. 3074 to look the patient up on RIO, or, the East Dorset Learning Disability Intensive Support Team who are available on 01202 636158 over the weekend.

Join us for Ask Aly on Thursday

Join us at 1pm on Thursday (23 June) for Ask Aly, this month hosted by our deputy chief medical officer, Dr Ruth Williamson.

It's a great opportunity to ask questions, 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. We hope to see you there.

Docket line and helpdesk downtime

Due to scheduled maintenance, fault reporting to estates will be unavailable via the intranet between 8am-1pm this Thursday (23 June). During this time please use ext. 4287 (RBH) and 8056 (Poole) for emergency calls only.

Coaching conversations workshops – spaces available!

Sign up to workshops designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge to effectively use a coaching style when working with individuals. They will provide an opportunity for you to develop your coaching style and confidence through practice. The workshops are suitable for any colleagues who manage staff or are involved in the development of others.

Spaces are available on 5 July, 9.30-11.30am. To book a place and find out more, please go to the education and training pages on the intranet. If you are have any issues, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

RBH: Pre-op assessment prescribing on EPMA

Are you a pre-op assessment prescriber in the surgical directorate? EPMA will be going live on 4 July. From this point onwards, all new pre-op prescribing for non-day case patients should be done on EPMA, not paper prescription charts.

Please make sure you have completed the EPMA prescribing eLearning course before then. This is available at the following link here.

Following your course completion, please get in touch with us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we know who you are, where you are based and how to get hold of you. This will enable us to assist you further from this date, if the need arises.

Sign up to the new trust preceptorship

UHD is launching a new trust preceptorship programme. This programme is tailored to all newly registered professionals joining the trust. This includes nurses and all allied health professionals.

The programme is aimed at supporting the transition from learner to registrant by delivering sessions around learning from mistakes, psychological safety, the coaching model, the supporting workforce and much more.

This new programme will begin for the September 2022 intake and will run twice a year every year. For more information on site specific dates and details of the programme please see the 'p' for preceptorship tab on the intranet. If you have any queries please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Join the conversation during Pride Month

The South West EDI team has planned two online webinars for you to join during LGBT+ Pride Month. Reserve your space for 'In Conversation', a conversation between Michail and Nora and their different experiences as members of the LGBTQ+ community here on 27 June. Or find out ‘what matters most to our LGBT+ colleagues' on 30 June here.

POOLE: Missing Oscar

Our outpatients department is missing their Oscar language translator machine. Please could it be returned to the department as soon as possible.

Online support from NHS England for children and young people

To enhance our skills in caring for children and young people with mental health needs, autism or learning disabilities, NHS England has created a new online learning platform to allow all professionals to rapidly access resources to develop their skills. Visit the platform here.

Keep learning with Visible Body

Available to all staff and students, Visible Body makes teaching and learning visually engaging and interactive. By using 3D models, animations, and illustrations, learn about anatomy, physiology, and associated pathologies of all the body systems. Gain access by signing up to an OpenAthens account with our libraries here and find out more about Visible Body here.

Join the Poole Africa Link BBQ on 30 July

Join the fun and raise money for our Poole Africa Link, funding visits to train doctors, nurses, midwives and student nurses. With live music from the Rochshandies, a silent auction and a raffle, there is something for everyone. Tickets for adults are £20, and children £8 at 2 Spencer Road, Canford Cliffs. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to purchase your tickets.

Bike training

Do you want to get out on your bike but are new to cycling? Why not sign up for a free cycling training with BCP council? Find out more here.

Mask wearing reminder

Masks are now no longer required in 'public' areas in our hospitals, including entrances, waiting areas, corridors and restaurants. Staff and visitors who choose to continue to wear masks (or due to a risk assessment) in these areas should do so, and we will keep providing masks at our entrances for this purpose.

Mask wearing for visitors and staff will remain in place in all inpatient (ward) areas, as well as in clinic rooms and in our urgent and emergency care settings, eg our emergency departments, urgent treatment centres, same day emergency care (SDEC) facilities.

Further reductions in mask wearing are being agreed across the Dorset Integrated Care System and will be announced as soon as possible.

Major incident standby - stand down

Due to the decreasing number of Covid-19 patients on both sites, we are officially standing down our 'stand-by major incident' status. Our hospitals are still very busy so thank you all for your continued hard work.

Put the date in your diary for the next staff briefing

The next all staff briefing by our new chief executive Siobhan Harrington will take place in Poole lecture theatre at 8.30am on 6 July. You can also join on teams here. If you missed the previous briefing, you can catch up here.

Preparing for warmer weather

High temperatures are now expected for the next few weeks and it is important to be prepared. Please take a look at our updated heatwave plan on the emergency preparedness pages of the intranet. The plan helps minimise risk and allows us all to take care of our patients and ourselves.

Take part in clinical audit awareness week

Clinical audit awareness week (CAAW) is an annual national campaign to promote and celebrate the benefits of clinical audit. Clinical audit is a quality improvement process that measures current practice against best practice and addresses any shortfalls.

Activities planned include:

• A '5-a-day' audit, with the opportunity to win a £25 M&S gift card. Do you eat the recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day? Click this link to take part – it only takes a minute 5-a-day audit
• Our clinical audit trolley will be out and about promoting CAAW – we will have various goodies available, so please say hello if you see the team.

For further information about clinical audit and if you would like to register a project, please visit our intranet pages or call 8748 (Poole) or 4127 (RBCH).

Personal safety information

To increase our support for you, we've brought together a range of personal safety information on this new document. It's also available on the @UHD app in the 'Support for you' section. You can download our app here.

We have 250 panic alarms available at Poole and RBH free of charge for anyone who would like one. They are available from the general cash offices between 9am-3.30pm Monday to Friday. You will need to bring your trust ID badge with you to collect the device.

Leadership skills development for HCSW and nursing associates

Do you want to develop your leadership skills? The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is running a free online leadership skills session on 28 June from 2-4.15pm. This is available to everyone including non-RCN members. Sign up here.

Employees moving roles within the trust

Before you terminate an employee on ESR please check they are not moving to another role in the trust, including a bank role. If they are moving internally, you do not need to end their contract as this can cause issues, including the employee being emergency taxed, loss of IT access, delay in them receiving their salary, and emergency tax being applied.

If an employee is moving to another role at UHD and their start date in the role is delayed, please retain them in their current role until they are ready to start in their new role. The end date for an employees' current role should be the day before their start date in their new role.

POOLE: using a wheelchair

Due to increased footfall in our hospitals, we would like to remind all staff that wheelchairs are a trust resource and should not be claimed and kept on wards or departments. Please contact the porters on ext. 2340 or leave them outside your department for collection so they can be used by our patients.

Emergency incidents on site

To report any emergency incident across our sites please call extension 2222 from an internal phone. You can also dial 0300 019 2222 from your mobile phone. Please do add this in as a contact number on your phone.

RBH: reduced DAIRS capacity this week

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the DAIRS team are working at reduced capacity. The team are working hard to review inpatients as quickly as possible.

Take on 13.1 miles of fun for TeamUHD

The Big Half promises to bring an unmissable festival atmosphere to the streets of London and you could take part for our charity! The Big Half takes place on Sunday 4 September and is a community running festival, starting by Tower Bridge in central London and finishing at the famous Cutty Sark in Greenwich. It's the perfect challenge for runners or walkers who want to soak up the atmosphere of a marathon in our capital city but don't want to take on the full 26.2 miles.

Sign up here.

Pick up your ice lollies today

We recognise the heat many of us are working in and would like to offer a free ice lolly to staff working today (17 June).

Lollies must be picked up between 2-2.45pm today at the Dolphin restaurant at Poole and the Shelley restaurant in RBH. Christchurch staff will receive theirs directly. To reduce the number of people visiting our catering departments, please can all wards and departments allocate one member of staff to collect lollies for the whole team where possible.

Teams working offsite and at Alderney are welcome to collect their lollies from Poole or RBH, with free parking available in the Lloyd Adams car park at Poole (by the education centre) and in the spaces behind the catering block at RBH. Alternative pick up times for these teams (avoiding 12-2pm) can be arranged by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Thank you to our University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity for funding the lollies.

'Out of area' patients: book transport early to support our wards

As we enter the summer months, more patients will be admitted to our hospitals having become unwell whilst on holiday. At least 48 hours' notice is required when requesting patient transport for those registered with a GP outside of Dorset or Hampshire.

Without this, discharge can be significantly delayed and wards may even be invoiced for the costs of arranging private ambulance transport

Contacting the swabbing team

Following the closure of the Poole swabbing pod last week, we now have a single swabbing coordinator based in the Village Hotel car park at RBH. To contact them for advice or arrange swabbing please call 07919496770. Or to bleep the team, bleep 2911 and then dial the following:

RBCH: 701-2911-XXXX (the last four digits on your extension number)

POOLE: 780-701-2911- XXXX (the last four digits on your extension number)

Next week is Learning Disability Awareness Week (20-26 June)

"Around 1,200 patients in the NHS with a learning disability die every year due to not being able to access appropriate health care and treatment. We need to make every effort to make sure the number is reduced, going above and beyond to improve our provision of person centred care." Naomi Rees, learning disability liaison nurse for UHD

We must ensure that we make reasonable adjustments and fill in the e-form for every patient with learning disabilities, use the Paid Carer's Agreement form, read the hospital passport, and listen to family and carers.

Our revised policy for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism is being ratified and will soon be available on the intranet. You will be able to check the policy and see the specific pathways for different areas.

Link Nurses and support workers are also being recruited from all wards and departments and will be offered specific training this July. This will help us improve our communication and give more consistent guidance for staff on how they can best support this extremely vulnerable patient cohort.

Join us for Ask Aly on Thursday

Join us at 1pm on Thursday (23 June) for Ask Aly, this month hosted by our deputy chief medical officer, Dr Ruth Williamson.

It's a great opportunity to ask questions, 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. We hope to see you there.

Be Active @ Bournemouth Heart Club (BHC)

In your National NHS Staff Survey you told us that on-site exercise facilities would improve your wellbeing. We listened to this feedback and are working with BHC to offer an initial 60 subsidised memberships to UHD staff for the on-site gym at RBH.

The cost to staff will be £50 for 20 sessions, with UHD subsiding the additional £50 cost per member. Membership includes a pre- and post-health assessment, exercise classes, a personal exercise programme and open gym sessions.

We will be reviewing application forms from next Friday (24 June) to ensure everyone has the opportunity to apply, and in the case that we receive more than 60 applications we will select applicants at random. Following 17 June we will award memberships on a first come, first served basis. Please visit the new intranet pages (under 'B' for Be Active) for further information, class timetables and FAQs.

Complete your National Audit of Care at the End of Life (NACEL) staff survey

Many of us play a role in providing end of life care, whether we work on the wards, in the catering department, or volunteers - the welcome we offer, a smile, small acts of kindness can make a huge difference.

We want the views of all staff who come into contact with patients approaching end-of-life. Your opinion matters. Please take a minute to complete the survey so we can listen to you, celebrate the outstanding care you already provide, and learn how to improve this important part of our service.

RBCH: click here to submit your survey

Poole: click here to submit your survey

Are you unable to attend your training?

If you cannot attend your clinical skills training, please notify the teams asap so your space can be used by someone else who requires training in these skills. Over the course of five months, unfortunately there have been 60 staff who have not attended without giving any notification.

You can call the education and training department at Poole on ext. 2556 or RBH on ext. 4267.

Internet explorer is retiring

From 28 June, after an update on our computers, we will be automatically directed to use Microsoft Edge. The IT service desk will be available to answer any questions during this process and a specific form has been created on the IT self service portal here.

POOLE: Become the next junior doctor chair

Applications are now open for the role of junior and senior junior doctor forum chair for 2022-2023.

These roles are open to all grades below consultant level. The junior chair position is suited to a foundation doctor; the senior chair to any grade above foundation and below consultant. Find out more about the incredibly rewarding role; working alongside a great team of people to help make a difference to the junior doctor body. Please outline your reasons for application in no more than 300 words and email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The deadline for applications is end of the day on 1 July.

Carers Week – a great success!

The carer support team were involved in a number of events during Carers Week which proved to be a great success. The team ran a competition and found the top five referring wards to the service are A5, RACE, and Brownsea at Poole, and ward 22 and ward 9 at RBH. These wards received gift bags from the Leonardo Trust, together with other goodies. Thanks to the Leonardo Trust, UHD Charity, Poundland and organisational development for their support.

Catch up on the Carers Week webinar here, with a presentation from Val Horn, discharge manager. Also look out for the team on the wards in their new purple carer support uniform and continue to refer unpaid carers to the service via EPR, by phone on ext. 8714 or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Cellular pathology reports

Due to the manner in which supplementary cellular pathology reports are completed in the new pathology LIMS (Winpath Enterprise) and transmitted to EPR, older versions of the report will not display when looking at the patient summary. In order to view the initial cellular pathology report as well as updates to the report it is necessary to use the patient record option in EPR, reports in this section will be filled based on date requested with updates on top and older versions of the report underneath. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions.

POOLE: Bereavement service moving

The bereavement service has been relocated to the cash office in the main entrance. Staff and relatives will now have a one stop service for bereavement contacts, booking viewing of those who have died, patient property, lost property, cash services and travel claims.

The office is open Monday to Friday. Contact the office on 0300 019 2673.

OPM Journal Club

The next OPM Journal Club will be on 24 June between 1-2pm. We will be discussing the paper “Decision making capacity assessment for confused patients in a regional hospital: A before and after study”. If you would like to come along or find out more, 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.. The meeting will take part in the glass room at RBH library or you can join us via Teams.

Armed Forces Day

Armed Forces Day is next Saturday (25 June), and our Armed Forces Community Advocate, Rob Hornby, would like to remind us of the confidential support available to staff who have been in the armed forces, family members, friends and the wider armed forces community.

"Our Armed Forces Support Group meetings are an opportunity to connect with others who understand the challenges of being a part of this important community. While we are a visible network, we are also here for those who may not wish to discuss their connection or history with the Armed Forces publicly – and those individuals are always welcome to contact me directly for a chat."

The 243 (Wessex) Field Hospital will be in the dome on 21 June and in the atrium on 22 June for Reserve forces recruitment events, and Rob will be in the Atrium on 24 June - pop down to have a chat, find out more about the network and how you can get involved.

Be a considerate smoker

There have been a considerable number of reports of staff, contractors, patients and visitors smoking in non-designated smoking areas across trust, as well as leaving cigarette butts on the paths and roads.

We would like to remind all staff smoking is only allowed in designated smoking shelters on sites. Vaping is allowed in the grounds but must not be close to staff rest areas and openings into the building such as windows, doors and ventilation intakes/extracts.

Parking in the Littledown

If anyone notices any problems with the Littledown car park, for example issues with accessing spaces or broken glass, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we can escalate it with the Littledown team as soon as possible.

South Western Railway rail strikes next week

It has been announced that rail strikes will take place on 21, 23 and 25 June. Strikes will also be taking place on most other train operating companies and at Network Rail on these dates. South Western Railway services will be significantly affected as a result.

Check here for latest updates.

Developing ideas into new services and products

Find out the latest on innovation across Dorset, and the help available to our innovators, through the Dorset Innovation Hub's first newsletter here. The team are one of four hubs funded by the Health Foundation (HF) and is made up of partner organisations from across the Dorset Integrated Care System (ICS).

241 tickets from the Lighthouse Poole

Ahead of International Reggae Day, our friends from the Lighthouse have given us 241 tickets to 'Absolute Reggae', a high energy show including a three piece horn section to take us on a trip down memory lane. Book your tickets here and enter code AR2FOR1 at checkout after 1 July.

Emergency incidents on site

To report any emergency incident across our sites please call extension 2222 from an internal phone. You can also dial 0300 019 2222 from your mobile phone. Please do add this in as a contact number on your phone.

Updated monkeypox guidance available

The latest monkeypox action card is now available on the intranet on the infection control pages. It details symptoms, sampling and actions if monkeypox is suspected. While there are currently no cases of monkeypox at UHD it is vital that we are aware of what to look for and how to act if it is suspected.

Catch up on Siobhan's first briefing

Our new chief executive, Siobhan Harrington, has been out and about across our sites this week meeting Team UHD. She also held her first all staff briefing on Wednesday. The briefings will be held on the first Wednesday of the month both in person and on Teams. The next staff briefing will be in Poole lecture theatre on 6 July.

You can catch up on Wednesday's briefing here.

Requesting Office 365 desktop software

If you regularly use Microsoft Office, including emails, as part of your daily role, you can request an Office 365 licence via the IT self-service portal. Just click on the icon and detail why the desktop version would be beneficial to your role.

Can you support our phlebotomy teams?

Our phlebotomy teams are urgently looking for staff competent in venepuncture to assist them with clinics at RBH and Poole.

If you can help, contact Claudette Brady, phlebotomy service manager, on ext. 2851.

Thanks to our wonderful swabbing teams

"We would like to thank all our staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic in the Covid-19 swabbing pods in RBH and Poole. For the past two years our dedicated teams have not only been at the heart of swabbing, but at the same time had to contend with the harsh reality of nature's elements - they have experienced snow, rain, floods, gales, fluctuating temperatures and the latest challenge from Storm Eunice...

"Thank you for being so flexible, dedicated and calm throughout all adversities. You have provided a fantastic efficient service to our patients and staff.

"We will be closing the doors of the swabbing pod in Poole for the last time today (Friday) - the swabbing pod in RBH will remain open for the foreseeable future."

With very best wishes, Sarah Macklin group director of operations, specialties care group.

POOLE: No medical photographer next week

There will be no medical photographer on site next week (13-17 June).

A standby camera will be available for appropriate use, provided by the equipment library.

Reminder for eCaMIS

Please be aware only a patient's home phone number from Poole eCaMIS has been transferred to the joint UHD eCaMIS. Additional contact numbers such as mobile numbers will not have been transferred. At each contact with patients, please check and update the additional contact numbers, especially the mobile number, so we can ensure these details are always correct and useful.

Free bike maintenance next week

Bike Fixed will be returning to RBH on Wednesday and Poole on Thursday to offer you a free bike tune up from 9am-4pm.

Replacement parts may be available but will incur a charge. Advice will also be given about future repairs.

A limited number of appointments are available on each date. Book via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Cold service maintenance visit

Engineers from cold service will be attending RBH and Christchurch from Monday (13 June) for approximately four weeks to carry out the routine maintenance inspections and cleaning on refrigerators, freezers, cold rooms and ceiling/wall mounted air conditioning units.

The engineers will contact department heads before commencing work in their areas - please ensure they have access to all units and if you are experiencing any problems please let them know.

If you have any problems during this visit then please contact Andy Wilson on ext. 4296 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Get ready to give up!

In July our treating tobacco dependency service will be supporting 15 members of #TeamUHD to give up smoking over a 12-week tobacco harm reduction programme. The pilot programme will include motivational support from David Cartridge, tobacco addiction specialist, as well as a free direct supply of disposable e-cigarettes to staff taking part.

Keep an eye on our Staff Bulletin in the coming weeks to sign up.

Understanding blood results

Do you need to refresh or develop your knowledge of adult blood results? Spaces have become available on a two day face-to-face training course on 20 and 21 June at the Village Hotel, opposite RBH. This is open to any NMC or HCPC registered professional with the course fees funded by HEE. Sign up here.

Virtual consulting pods? Patient portal? Digital transformation? We've got it covered

Did you know you can stay up-to-date with all the latest developments in our outpatient digital transformation programme and what it means for you and our patients on the intranet? A comprehensive new section offers details on each of the projects currently underway, as well as an at a glance summary of the vision for outpatient care and the wider benefits the programme offers, from improvements for staff and patients, to giving patients more control over their care.

Use it to find out how Dragon Medical One digital dictation – available to all clinicians providing outpatient appointments – can ensure patient letters are prepared and sent sooner with less admin, or the latest on our new virtual consulting facilities, as well as initiatives coming soon, like a new clinic room booking system, self-check in for RBH outpatients and an all new patient portal giving patients greater access and control of their care.

Find it under O > Outpatients > Outpatient digital transformation in the intranet A-Z.

Travel with Morebus

The M1 service now runs from Poole bus station to RBH. The first bus leaves at 4.30am and runs every 20 minutes, increasing to every 10 minutes throughout the day.

If you use the Morebus app you can now get 10% discount on their services. A discount has also been added for the seven, 30 and 90 day travel on the M1 and M2. Annual cards for zone A, AB, ABC are also available with 10% discount. When the tickets are purchased, please confirm your staff email address and enter the code UHD22YR.

Job of the week: communications assistant

Would you like to join our busy hospital communications team, working across UHD to share news and updates with colleagues, visitors, and our local community? You now have until 15 June to apply for this exciting role.

As a communications assistant you will provide administration support, help to produce internal and external communications messages, be an integral part of our events, and assist with PR, media and marketing for a range of services and activities.

Find out more and apply here by 15 June.

Panic alarms

We have 250 panic alarms available at Poole and RBH free of charge for anyone who would like one. They are available from the general cash offices between 9am-3.30pm Monday to Friday. You will need to bring your trust ID badge with you to collect the device.

Help choose a new look for Our Dorset our Integrated Care System

In Dorset, we've been working as an Integrated Care System (ICS) for a few years - our ICS is called 'Our Dorset'. On 1 July our Integrated Care Partnership will become legally established.

We'd like your help in choosing a new visual identity for our Integrated Care System and Partnership. Let us know which ones you prefer by using this feedback form. Voting will close on 24 June.

Time is running out to sign up for the Camino Way Charity Trek 2022...

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to trek 125km through rural northern Spain while raising funds for our hospitals.

Our charity's new challenge is taking place on 10-17 September 2022. You'll start on the Portuguese Coastal Camino in the elegant seaside town of Baiona and from there follow the pilgrims way, finishing in Santiago de Compostela.

We have seven spaces left so why not get a group of colleagues, friends or family together for this unique, spiritual experience which promises to be an unforgettable summer adventure. If you're signing up as an individual this self-guided trek is a great way to meet like-minded people and make memories that will last a life-time.

Sign up here.

Save the date... Walk for Wards returns on 17 September!

This year, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity's flagship event will take place at the beautiful Upton House and Country Park.

Keep an eye out for more details on tickets, entertainment and stalls coming soon!

To stay up to date follow @UHDcharity on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

South Western Railway rail strikes

It has been announced that rail strikes will take place on 21, 23 and 25 June. Strikes will also be taking place on most other train operating companies and at Network Rail on these dates. South Western Railway services will be significantly affected as a result.

Check here for latest updates.

Lighthouse Poole tickets for UHD staff

Our friends at the Lighthouse have offered us 241 tickets for 'What's love got to do with it', a thrilling celebration of the incredible music of Tina Turner, one of the most iconic and best-loved artists of the 20th century. Buy the tickets here and enter NHSLOVE at the checkout.