The beginning of a new art trail was unveiled at the entrance to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital on Wednesday 29 October. As part of a unique collaboration between Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) and University Hospitals Dorset (UHD), a team of AUB students designed two original nine-metre-long murals for the new Royal Bournemouth Hospital building, a key part of the NHS Trust’s £500 million transformation programme.
The murals form part of our Art Space initiative which aims to create a welcoming environment for patients, visitors and staff at our hospitals. The student's vibrant, colourful artwork have transformed the space with an uplifting visual experience.
Taking six months to design, the two murals were created by BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design students at AUB — Emily Bishop, Yulia Klajnscek, Rhea Hackwell, and Olivia Greatrex — under the creative direction of recent Interior Architecture graduate, also from AUB, Lenya Hulford-Greig.
“The second design, the Dorset Diorama, gives a new twist to traditional dioramas by layering famous landmarks and features from across Dorset in a panoramic experience evoking a sense of comfort and belonging, helping people feel connected to the local area.”Laura Joy, Arts Manager at University Hospitals Dorset, commented, “This collaboration demonstrates the positive impact of creative partnerships between education and healthcare, enriching public spaces while offering emerging artists the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to their community. It is hoped that this projectwill be an annual event - funding permitting - partnering with local emerging artists and education providers.
“The mural costs were supported by the NHS Trust build budget for the new hospital building and the Arts Manager role was funded by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, which provides all 'extras' above NHS treatment in the hospital to make it more welcoming for staff, patients and visitors alike.”
Art Space is funded by our UHD Charity. Click here to find out more about our UHD art strategy, including community art projects like this one and our on-site exhibition spaces.
Are you a patient who claims for your travel expenses?
Please note, from January 2026, there will be no patient facing cash offices at Poole or the Royal Bournemouth hospitals for you to receive cash.
If you are eligible to claim for travel expenses, you should use an NHS HC5(T) form which you can find online or in the department you are visiting.
The money will then be paid straight into your account.
If you have any issues, please let the team involved in your care know.
You can check if you are eligible to receive travel expenses at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check-if-youre-eligible-help
UHD, local health organisations and key partners come together for engagement event
Residents from across Dorset are being invited to drop in to a multi-agency engagement event at the GATHER space in the Dolphin Centre in Poole on Thursday 20 November between 10am and 4pm.
Parking at RBH
Thank you for your feedback regarding parking at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH). We appreciate how frustrating it can be when you can’t find a parking space, especially when it is urgently needed.
While we are restricted by our local authority with how many spaces we can have on site, we are planning a new patient and visitor car park at RBH, with up to 150 additional parking spaces and a minimum of 20 new blue badge spaces.
We know how important this is and we are aiming to have this ready for use by Summer 2026. Please bear with us as we make this happen as quickly and safely as possible.
In the meantime, we are working hard to improve the number of spaces at RBH now. We have several areas being used by our construction teams which will be released back to us soon, including a large amount of blue badge parking spaces by our Outpatients Department.
As we move services across our sites to transform our hospitals, many outpatient appointments will be moving to Poole Hospital, freeing up parking spaces at RBH. We are also looking at ways we can see our patients differently. In October more than 9,000 had virtual appointments from the comfort of their own homes, reducing the need to come to our hospital sites. We are reviewing how many more patients could be seen this way, or in the community.
We also have several drop off areas around our hospital for emergency situations and our bus hub at the front of the hospital is available for those able to use public transport instead.
We thank you for your patience while this work is ongoing.
University Hospitals Dorset teaches footballers vital CPR skills
University Hospitals Dorset’s Resuscitation Team joined forces with football club, AFC Bournemouth, to teach lifesaving skills as part of an annual resuscitation awareness campaign ‘Restart the Heart Day’.
The football players were joined by their club ambassador Steve Fletcher, and club staff to learn how to give CPR and use a defibrillator at their new performance centre.
The initiative aims to equip individuals with the skills and confidence to respond quickly in situations of cardiac arrest, which could happen anywhere, including home or on the football pitch.
The training session was held to encourage others to learn CPR ahead of Restart a Heart Day on 16 October, as many of us will witness a cardiac arrest in our lifetime.
Resuscitation Officer, Liz Ponsford, said: “It’s important to know you don’t have to be an expert in CPR. Learning these simple skills will improve chances of survival. Early CPR intervention increases the chance of survival by 50%, and early defibrillation increases that further to 85%. In the crucial moments following a cardiac arrest, every minute really does matter.”
The club said it wanted to encourage people to learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator. Player Liaison and Club Ambassador, Steve Fletcher, said: “We want to thank the Resuscitation Team for visiting us. It has given us the confidence to practise these important skills that could save a friend, family member, or someone in our community.”
The Resuscitation Team will be hosting several free community events where you can learn how to save a life. See them from 10am-3pm at Gather in the Dolphin Centre, Poole on 13 October, Bournemouth Square on 14 October, and Saxon Square in Christchurch on 17 October.
