Information for patients during industrial action

During times of industrial action, our priority is to provide safe care. Please help us by choosing the right services for your needs.

Key information for hospital appointments and patients

• At times, we may have to postpone some appointments during industrial action. We will let you know directly if your appointment is cancelled. Please assume it is going ahead unless you are contacted directly.
• No-one should put off seeking urgent or emergency care during the strikes and people with serious, life-threatening conditions will continue to be seen in our emergency departments.
• Use NHS 111 online or by phone for other urgent care needs. If you are contacting 111, please give as much information as you can, as that will help you get the right support and advice.
• For non-urgent care services please contact your GP practice to make an appointment. 

Mental health support

If you need mental health support call Connection on 0800 652 0190. The Connection service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Visit your local pharmacy

Pharmacies can help with allergies, constipation, headaches, earaches and many other ailments.
Find a pharmacy near you.

Patient discharge

Staying in hospital for longer than necessary can have a negative impact on how well patients recover. Most patients will continue to recover at home once they leave hospital. In fact, many patients need to leave hospital to be able to complete their recovery fully.

Help us get patients who are ready for discharge home so our hospital beds are available for people who need them most urgently. Please speak to the ward team if you need more information and respond quickly to any calls from us about your relative leaving hospital.

New surgical robot arrives at Poole Hospital

UHD has received a state-of-the-art surgical robot at Poole Hospital - the Da Vinci 5 (DV5), becoming the first Trust in the South West to have access to this cutting-edge technology.

The DV5 is one of the most advanced surgical robots available in the world, introducing new Force Feedback technology – the first of its kind. It also features more than 150 design innovations and 10,000x the computing power of the previous model.

UHD now has three surgical robots in total, with two at Poole Hospital and one at RBH.

This is a significant milestone in the advancement of the robotics programme at UHD, which was made possible by securing national funding, as well as generous support from our UHD Charity team.

Benefits of robotic surgery

An additional 300 patients per year will now be able to benefit from robotic surgery. Approximately 70% of our robotic activity will be cancer patients.

Some of the benefits of robotic surgery include:

• Reduced surgery times, therefore reduced waiting times

• Improved recovery times, therefore reduced length of stay

• Improved clinical outcomes for patients, reducing re-admissions

• Improved theatre utilisation through our dedicated robotic hub, with specialist robotic teams

• Improved ergonomics for surgeons, improving working conditions

• Alignment with the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan and national guidance for best practice

Dr James Manners, Consultant Urological Surgeon at University Hospitals Dorset, said: “I am delighted that we have managed to bring the very latest innovations in robotic surgery to University Hospitals Dorset in the form of the DV5 robot.

“The technology in this system is quite staggering. For the first time it will allow us to feel the tension that is being placed in body tissues as we operate on them. This is likely to reduce strain on body tissues and allow patients to recover faster, with less discomfort. In addition, it will allow some of the most complex surgeries, that previously had to be performed using an open surgical approach, to be performed using minimally invasive surgery. This will allow patients to return to normal function faster.

Finally, the new system will allow us to keep and attract the very best surgeons to our hospitals and will allow us to provide well for the surgeons of tomorrow.”

David Kenward, Deputy General Manager – Theatres, UHD, said: “The arrival of the da Vinci 5 marks more than a technological milestone for UHD - it represents our commitment to safer surgery, greater precision, and better outcomes for every patient we serve.

The DV5 will transform the standard of care that we are able to provide at UHD. With faster recovery times and reduced length of stay post-op, we will be able to decrease waiting times and improve patient outcomes.”

Next steps:

Following installation and staff training, the team hopes to start using the new robot by the end of June 2026.

You can find out more about the robot here: Meet the da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system | Intuitive

New MRI and CT scanner site - demolition of old buildings completed

The second edition of the Shaftesbury House renovation project newsletter is available now. The demolition process of the old site is now complete and the project is running to schedule.

The newsletter is can be downloaded and is also being printed out and delivered to households that are near the Shaftesbury House site.

Work starts on new MRI and CT scanning facility at Shaftesbury House

The planning application for the new MRI and CT scanning facility, which will replace the Shaftesbury House building on Shaftesbury Road, close to Poole Hospital, was approved by BCP local planning authority on 30 April 2026.

The modern, fit-for-purpose, scanning facility will enable more patients to be seen sooner, helping reduce waiting times for scans. Demolition of the old site started on 7 May, and local residents are being kept up to date via monthly newsletters.