Maternity and children's services collaborate
St Mary’s Maternity Unit at University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) has partnered with the charity, Downright Perfect, to support families who have a baby with Down’s Syndrome diagnosis.
Established by a group of Dorset-based parents to children with Down’s Syndrome, and registered as a charity in 2014, Downright Perfect works to provide better access for children to early intervention therapies, and also offers support to expectant and new parents while they adjust to their baby’s diagnosis of Down’s Syndrome.
Claire Oakley, trustee and new parent contact at Downright Perfect, said: “We know from our own stories that the way in which a diagnosis is delivered and experienced during maternity care can frame how a family adjusts to the news that their baby has Down’s Syndrome. It can be an extremely vulnerable time for parents with a lot of mixed emotions which are hard to understand unless you have been in a similar position.
We are excited to be working with the maternity service to provide annual information sessions to midwifery professionals, using the real lived experiences from our families with a view to empowering staff and improving support for families.”
Kerry Taylor is head of midwifery at UHD. She added:
“One of our trust values is to be ‘always improving’, and we are keen that within our maternity department we continually grow and develop.”
“We are delighted to be working closely with Downright Perfect to ensure that our staff are well-informed regarding how we can best support families. Our colleagues will have the opportunity to attend a training session, run by Downright Perfect, to truly understand how they can have the biggest impact on local families.”
“We are fortunate to have such a wonderful local charity working with us who have already demonstrated that together, we can help to improve services.”
Downright Perfect will also continue to provide New Parent Hospital Packs containing accurate information about Down’s Syndrome and the support available which will be distributed by the maternity unit. For more information, visit their website: https://www.downrightperfect.org/
Major work begins in construction of new state-of-the-art building
As part of the New Hospitals Programme, major work has begun at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in the delivery of a £91million hospital building that will increase patient ward capacity across the region.
The 10,800 square metre state-of-the-art innovative modular construction is being built by leading offsite healthcare specialist construction firm Darwin Group. Developments at the site have been described as a 'once in a generation opportunity' for the people of Bournemouth and surrounding areas.
The building will provide four levels of new hospital wards, totalling 110 beds, plus enlarged kitchen facilities on the ground floor. Support accommodation for the new wards, such as changing, showering and rest facilities for staff will be provided on the upper levels.
The new building will be similar in height to the BEACH building, which is nearing completion and is 30 metres high at its tallest point. The new facility will be constructed to include a photovoltaic (solar) system for renewable energy, along with other design features to contribute to the Trust’s environmental, sustainability and low carbon objectives.
Extensive catering facilities will sit on ground floor level, to compliment the new offer of improved food quality and choices.
The building is due for completion in the winter of 2025. Swift progress has been made at the site already, with demolition nearing completion already.
The building forms part of the £500 million transformation programme across the University Hospital Dorset’s sites.
Richard Pierce, Darwin Group CEO, said, “We are incredibly proud to be working alongside our NHS partners to deliver this major project for the people of Dorset. The site will improve healthcare and outcomes for the local community for many years to come.
“With the demand for healthcare services higher than ever, the new unit will be able to extend and expand services for the local community while also providing employment opportunities for local people ranging from medical staff to support staff.”
Dr Robin O’Gorman, UHD medical care group’s medical director said, “We are absolutely delighted to see this project underway. Patients will benefit from new ward spaces, with the majority being single rooms. Staff will also benefit from having a great place to work within.”
Darwin Group
Darwin Group solves healthcare estate problems by designing and delivering outstanding permanent and temporary facilities that enable the delivery of exceptional care.
As healthcare construction experts, we build sustainable, flexible, and adaptable facilities that combat systemic pressures and eradicate the burden of future backlog maintenance across the health sector.
From concept to completion, we lead the way in the creation of healthcare estates that are fit for the future.
With access to the UK's largest capacity of temporary and building solutions, Darwin Group prides itself on offering flexibility and agility for every project, every time.
Artists have submitted their concept for a public artwork which will be installed on the outside of the BEACH Building at Royal Bournemouth Hospital. Along with staff members from University Hospitals Dorset, representatives of local cultural and heritage settings have identified a shortlist of three artists.
We need your help to decide which artist we commission.
Below are three examples of each artist’s previous work, and their initial thoughts for this commission.
Please use this form to rank them and share your feedback.
The BEACH Building public artwork will...
· Champion art as a key aspect of the healing environment
· Form the focus point for a hospital art trail which connects to the wider hospital environment
· Link to other art initiatives across all of our hospital sites, including staff and patient participation projects
· Create a welcoming environment and improve wellbeing for visitors to the hospital
The selected artist will work with staff, patients and local community groups to further develop ideas and outcomes responding to the theme: ‘From the Coastline to the Forest’. This overarching concept for all art interventions at our Hospital takes inspiration from the area our staff and patients travel from, which stretches all the way from the New Forest to the Purbeck Isle!
To find out more about our BEACH Building, head to our investing in our hospitals pages.
Trust receives national care award
University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) has received a prestigious accolade from NHS England for the care provided to colleagues from overseas.
The NHS Pastoral Care Quality Award is part of NHS England’s International Recruitment Programme which supports NHS organisations to increase and develop their international recruitment plans.
Achieving the award involves meeting a set of standards for best practice pastoral care, which have been co-developed with regional and trust international recruitment leads as well as international nursing and midwifery associations.
Tracy Moran, lead nurse for workforce and education at UHD, said:
“We are delighted to receive this award; a culmination of hard work and effort from so many teams across UHD. Our aim has always been to provide our internationally educated nurses and midwives with a warm UHD welcome, and ongoing pastoral support throughout their journey with us.
This recognition of our achievements will be celebrated and shared with our partners and community.”
Happy birthday, BERTIE! - Milestone anniversary for diabetes care
A programme to support patients with type 1 diabetes has celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Staff and patients involved with the Bournemouth Type 1 Diabetes Education Programme (BERTIE), gathered at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, part of University Hospitals Dorset (UHD), to commemorate the service’s special milestone.
BERTIE is a four week course for people with type 1 diabetes, involving weekly group education sessions delivered across Poole and the Royal Bournemouth hospitals.
The award-winning programme supports patients to put their newly-learned skills into practice, aiming to help individuals achieve their own goals; whether that’s learning how to adjust insulin according to their lifestyle, or providing information on how diabetes can affect health.
Jane Derbyshire is a previous patient and participant of the BERTIE programme. She said:
“It’s a pleasure and proiviliege to help celebrate BERTIE’S 25th anniversary, and I have no doubt that anyone taking part in the course will take a number of things away that will help them manage their diabetes on a practical level. I also strongly feel that there are significant emotional benefits of attending the course and talking openly with people who are living with type 1 diabetes.
When I was diagnosed 10 years ago it was such a shock. I struggled with the emotional side but the team has been excellent; so knowledgeable and in tune with the challenges and needs of people living with this condition.”
Emma Jenkins, senior diabetes dietitian at UHD, said:
“The eveny was a great opportunity for staff and patients to get together and reflect on their experiences. Consultants joined us to explain the history and development of BERTIE over the years, and what the future for diabetes care has to offer.
“BERTIE has brought us all together in such a positive way, and we remain passionate about providing quality diabetes care at UHD.”
