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.
Supporting young people in hospital
A new initiative which provides expert support for young people at emergency departments in Bournemouth and Poole hospitals has been launched as part of work to tackle youth violence.
Thanks to funding from Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner and University Hospital Dorset Charity (UHD), this pilot will support young people aged between 11 and 25 who come to emergency departments at UHD or are admitted to hospital as victims of crime, or having been involved in violence.
This project is being run by No Limits, an organisation which offers specialised emotional support, crisis intervention and access to ongoing services for young people in need of help. Similar projects are in place in other areas across the country and it is hoped the initiative will help to significantly reduce the likelihood of future re-admissions to hospital from this age group, ensuring young people are safer.
Our youth workers are based at both RBH and Poole
Emergency Department Navigator roles have been shown to reduce serious violence among young people, with attendance at emergency departments regarded as a ‘reachable teachable’ moment. When young people are offered the right support and guidance this can be highly impactive in diverting them from a path that increases the risk of serious violence.
Both youth workers will be on hand to support victims of crime or those involved in violence as well as available to talk through a range of issues including drug and alcohol education, homelessness, self-harm and emotional resilience, sexual health, and money and budgeting.
Debbie Anderson, Charity Director at UHD, said: “It’s great to be able to support such innovative work to support young people across our communities; we will be fundraising to continue this service which is a great example of the Charity going above and beyond what the NHS can fund.”
Dr Juliet Browning, Consultant in Adult and Paediatric Emergency Medicine, said: “It can be scary coming into hospital. Having the youth workers here means young people have someone to talk to and offload to, so when they leave they have a bigger network of support in place.
“We’re very grateful to our UHD Charity and the Office of the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner for supporting these roles – this could be transformative for the young people we see.”
Our UHD Charity has supported the initiative
David Sidwick, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “An initiative like this which provides expert professional support to vulnerable young people really shows the power of partnership, and I look forward to seeing how this progresses, and importantly helps young people in Dorset.”
Patients to benefit from new community clinic
A new clinic to support patients with respiratory conditions has opened in Poole, providing assessment and management of symptoms in one local hub.
Based in University Hospital Dorset’s (UHD) Outpatients Assessment Centre on the former St Mary’s Maternity Unit site, the clinic aims to bring specialist diagnostics such as spirometry and lung function tests closer to the community, treating a range of conditions including asthma and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).
The service is part of a Community Diagnostic Centres Programme, with UHD working alongside three local Primary Care Networks; Poole Central Primary Care Network, Shore Medical, and Poole North Primary Care Network, to tackle waiting lists and provide a dedicated clinic for all tests to be undertaken in one place.
Anna Szyfner, Operational and Performance Manager for the Outpatient Assessment Centre, said: “It’s fantastic to see how this service is already making a difference for our patients. By bringing respiratory testing into a more accessible location at St Mary’s, with convenient parking and drop-off access, and supporting the clinics through our Outpatients Team, we’re showing what real collaboration between primary and secondary care can achieve. I’m proud to be part of a project that is improving access and delivering high-quality, patient-centred care."
Thousands of babies protected thanks to Dorset vaccination service
A vaccination service run by teams from University Hospitals Dorset (UHD), Dorset County Hospital (DCH), and Dorset HealthCare (DHC) has celebrated a successful first year providing vaccinations to pregnant patients across Dorset.
‘Perinatal’ vaccines protect both the parent and baby from serious illnesses like whooping cough, RSV and complications from flu, by transferring antibodies. By coming together as three trusts, the team of midwives have developed a flexible year-round service, offering clinics at multiple locations throughout the county, with almost 7,000 perinatal vaccinations delivered since September 2024.
Dorset's Integrated Vaccination Service team
Suzanne Charles, Clinical Sites Matron for the Integrated Vaccination Service at DHC, said: “We pride ourselves on placing our patients at the very centre of what we do, whether that is aligning vaccinations to scan and clinic appointments, or by finding appropriate spaces for vaccination clinics within smaller towns to reduce travel for families. Consequently, we’ve seen a sharp rise in uptake of perinatal vaccinations in Dorset, providing many more newborns with protection against whooping cough, RSV, and complications from seasonal flu.”
“To date we have delivered over 6,800 perinatal vaccines and we are already one of the highest performing trusts in the country for this year’s autumn flu programme.
“The success to our service is wholly down to the staff who have worked so hard to make it happen. The vaccination service leads and lead midwives at the trusts have been crucial to the design and legalities of everything that comes with starting something new, but all staff at every level have given so much of themselves to keep pushing and improving.
“From midwifery and admin teams to the Pharmacy Department and digital midwives working in women’s health, the real celebration here is the collaboration between three trusts to create a service which offers a bespoke feel for every single patient, right across Dorset.”
For more information about the vaccination service and upcoming clinics in your local area, call 07345 436189 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Improved care for patients as Medical SDEC team moves to new home
Patients at our Royal Bournemouth Hospital site are benefiting from improved same-day emergency care following the relocation of the Medical Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) team.
On 21 July, the team successfully moved into their new temporary home. The move was completed in just one day with no disruption to patient care. The new, larger, and more flexible space allows the team to provide faster assessments, better use of resources, and more tailored care. This ensures that more patients can be seen in the right place, at the right time.
Same Day Emergency Care helps patients by avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions, reducing waiting times, and relieving pressure on the Emergency Department. This means patients can often be treated and return home the same day, supporting quicker recovery and a better overall experience.
Dr Kelham Slinger, Consultant in Acute Medicine, said:
“It’s an exciting move that brings us closer to an ‘SDEC first’ approach - combining medical take and ambulatory care to achieve the same goal of seeing the right patient, in the right place, at the right time.”
Thank you to all the colleagues who worked hard to make this move possible and their continued dedication to delivering the best possible care for our patients.
Medical SDEC team
