Finalist for national maternity award 

A maternity support worker at University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) has been shortlisted for a prestigious award, one of the highest in the country for the maternity profession.

Kerry Horley, who works at St Mary’s Maternity Unit in Poole, is one of four finalists in the ‘maternity support worker of the year’ category in the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Awards 2024.

The RCM Awards celebrates the very best of maternity care across the UK, commending outstanding teams and individuals who have made a positive impact on women, families, and their newborns by showcasing world-class midwifery standards.

Kerry has worked at UHD since 2019, and is now an assistant practitioner, supporting staff with their training and development, as well as leading on innovation projects and learning opportunities.

She said: “It was lovely to be recognised for the work I am doing across the unit, and I feel quite overwhelmed to have been shortlisted for a national award like this.”

“I’m fortunate to be able to bring various skills to the team throughout my time here so far, and am looking forward to an exciting new chapter for maternity care in Dorset, when we move to the Royal Bournemouth’s BEACH (Births, Emergency And Criticial care, children’s Health) Building next year. As much as St Mary’s is well-loved and holds lots of happy memories for people, this is a wonderful opportunity to continue to develop UHD maternity care in a new setting.”

“Working in maternity care and helping people along with their parenthood jounrey is such a rewarding experience, and I feel very lucky that we will be able to provide excellent care for families and babies in our new space, with some really incredible facilities.”

Kerry Taylor, head of midwifery at UHD, said: “We are extremely proud that Kerry has been shortlisted. She is one of our most inspirational maternity support workers, always ensuring that colleagues are trained and supported in the early days of their career, and with ongoing development.

Kerry is innovative and has produced a number of resources to support colleagues’ individual needs. She is a shining example for the profession, and we all wish her the very best of luck!”

Winners will be announced at the RCM Awards ceremony which will take place in London later this year.

One UHD family - a message of support from our Board of Directors 

The diversity of Team UHD is one of our greatest strengths.

Everyone who works here is a welcomed and valued part of the UHD family, no matter their background. We would not be able to provide the care we give our patients without our colleagues and the talent that they bring.

As the trust's Board of Directors, we know how upsetting and unsettling the race-related riots that are dominating the headlines have been. We also know that many of our colleagues face racist behaviour in their lives on a sadly regular basis.

We want to offer our full support to all colleagues, and to emphasise that we will not tolerate racism, discrimination or abuse at any time from anyone, be this from service users, their families, visitors, or colleagues.

Please report any incidents that have directly affected you, or that you have witnessed, to your line manager, HR, Occupational Health, or our Freedom To Speak Up guardians.

For colleagues, make use of ourThrivewellbeing pages and Anti Racism Guidance on our intranet. And please do talk to one another, and take the time to find out what you can do for each other.

If you need assistance or advice during this time, please reach out.

We are here to support our colleagues, and we thank them all for everything they do.

Join University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity for a fun-filled day on Saturday 28 September 2024 to raise funds for your local hospitals at our flagship Walk for Wards event.

You can walk a light 3km, fun 5km or even run a full 10km around the stunning historic grounds of Upton County Park and House. Every step will go towards raising funds for a ward or department that is close to your heart. Every route is accessible to participants of all ages and abilities. Sign up here. 

You can sign up individually, with friends, as a family, a community group or company. You can even bring your dogs along!

We have bought this event forward this year in the hope for some glorious weather to enjoy the live music, entertainment, stalls and refreshments. Hot Radio, our gold sponsor, will be there with us on the day, bringing extra fun and excitement to the event with live coverage and music.

We hope as many people as possible will join us for this popular event that is for all the family to make memories in support of our local hospitals.

After the walk, participants will be treated to two (large) complimentary slices of pizza, served by the lovely Liguoris Woodfire Pizzas. Participants and their loved ones are also welcome to bring their own food for a lovely picnic while enjoying live music and entertainment.

You can also support local crafters at a local makers’ market filled with unique gifts and tasty treats.

Kids will be able to enjoy colourful balloon art and face painting. Plus, our iconic, fuzzy Gully Bear will make a special appearance.

Tickets cost £5 for adults and £3 for children and in the spirit of fundraising and enhancing our hospitals together, we are encouraging all participants to raise what they can through sponsorship for a ward or department of their choice.

Every person has a special reason to participate – it could be a personal experience of receiving care at our hospitals, honoring a loved one undergoing treatment, or simply wanting to say thank you to our NHS heroes who go above and beyond to deliver exceptional care. Last year, 330 people raised a phenomenal £24,000 for our Walk for Wards event.

Don’t miss out. We would love to see you there.

Our Annual Report and Accounts for 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 is now available.

The report provides information about our achievements over the last financial year and our ambitions for the future.

Rob Whiteman CBE, chair, and Siobhan Harrington, chief executive, said:

“Thank you to everyone across University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust for helping us deliver significant improvements to patient care through the year.

“Although we still have much to do it is great to see the progress in the last year to improve our urgent and emergency pathways, our waiting times for patients and our patient and staff surveys.

“We also met our financial plan despite the challenges posed by recovery efforts and industrial action, which is a significant achievement.”

Looking ahead, they added:

“The year ahead will continue to be challenging.

“As we transition to the emergency and planned care changes over the next 18 months, maintaining the focus on patient safety and looking after each other will remain our golden thread, alongside our commitment to continuous improvement.

“Thank you to all our staff, volunteers, governors, and the public for being part of #TeamUHD.”

The publication also includes a spotlight on the trust’s transformation plans as well as updates on finance and performance over the period.

You can read the report here