Internal capacity incident continues

We remain in an internal capacity incident – please check for updates and information on how you can support colleagues here in the bulletin and in separate operational updates, issued as required.

Our haematology and transfusion laboratories across UHD are currently under significant pressure due to staff shortages. This is likely to impact result turnarounds later on in the day, as the laboratories become increasingly busy. Please send only urgent samples and limit telephone calls to critical results. Thank you for your support and patience.

Mandatory vaccination requirement update

The Government has announced this week that staff now no longer need to have the Covid-19 vaccine as a condition of deployment (employment).

This means that the requirement for unvaccinated staff to have their first dose of the two-part vaccine by 3 February and the second before 1 April no longer applies.

Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and our patients from the virus, and we continue to offer vaccinations for staff. Full details on how to book yours can be found on the occupational health pages of the intranet. Vaccinations for inpatients also continue to be offered – see the story below.

The Government's decision is subject to Parliamentary process and will require further consultation and a vote to be passed into legislation – in the meantime NHS England is advising NHS trusts not to apply the mandatory vaccination requirement, which was made law earlier this year.

PCR? LFT? Not sure...?

We've prepared this simple guide on when to take a lateral flow test and when to use a PCR one. We appreciate that with frequently updating guidance it can be hard to keep on top of the latest requirements, so we hope this simple graphic will help make it clearer.

Don't forget to report your lateral flow tests

It's really important to continue to regularly do your lateral flow tests and report your results online at mytest.uhd.nhs.uk.

You can order lateral flow tests through the government website here.

You can now report your results via a handy link on our staff app. If you don't have the app yet, search under 'a' on the intranet or click here.

Reminder: inpatient Covid-19 vaccinations – referral details

We continue to offer inpatient Covid-19 vaccinations to eligible patients. This will ensure that access to the vaccine is as equitable as possible, and particularly for vulnerable groups. Please note:

• The vaccine available is Pfizer, and doses offered may be the first, second, booster or fourth dose
• Vaccinations will be delivered by a nurse vaccinator once a week in cohorts to ensure every dose in each vial is used
• The programme is targeted predominantly at longer-term inpatients in older people's services, but is available to patients in all specialties.

Referrals may be made by any doctor, advanced nurse practitioner or prescribing pharmacist – please use this form.

Completed forms, or any questions you may have, should be directed to sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (RBH) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Poole).

Please encourage your patients to take advantage of this service. We will review future provision of the vaccine to inpatients following this, ensuring any extension works in harmony with the national vaccine roll out programme.

POOLE: No medical photographer next week

There will be no medical photographer on site next week (7-11 February).

A standby camera will be available for appropriate use, provided by the equipment library.

RBH: Fire drill on the BEACH Building site tomorrow

IHP, our main contractor for the BEACH Building construction, has planned a fire drill on site tomorrow (2 February) at 12pm.

The alarms are being tested across site and the noise will be loud. Please make sure your colleagues, patients and visitors are aware to avoid any misunderstandings when the alarm sounds.

A message from our LGBTQ+ network

This month is LGBT+ history month, and we want to remind everyone about our fantastic LGBTQ+ network. Our network are a friendly, helpful bunch of people lead by deputy chief nursing officer, Matt Hodson. We're striving to make change happen and promote diversity and equality throughout the hospitals, and we're always open to new members.

We want to create a safe space for our LGBTQ+ colleagues to feel supported and heard – a space to connect with colleagues, share stories, have fun, and influence the culture of our hospitals.

Sometimes it can be difficult to help a colleague, friend or family member who may be experiencing difficulties or lifestyle changes based on their gender or sexuality – it can be hard to know the right things to say, or how to help. Our network is open as a listening ear for you too, to give you advice and tools to help you support your loved ones in their lived experience.

If you would like to find out more about the network or you are in need of support please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Make a staff lottery bid to brighten your team's working life

Is there something that you think could benefit the wellbeing of your team or department? Our staff lottery committee is inviting us to bid for lottery funds for items and equipment that will benefit as many of us as possible.

Previously funded items include: items for the pharmacy garden, pictures to improve staff rooms, medical reference books, part support of staff by a physiotherapist and much more.

Lottery bids are solely for the benefit of our colleagues and staff and the bids should be made for resources that are not available for funding through any other route. This is a great opportunity to promote your team or departments wellbeing, and to think of what extra support could really benefit you and your colleagues.

To find out the requirements and policies, and a request form for making a bid please see the staff lottery page on the intranet. We have until 31 March to make our bids.

Leadership apprenticeships available

Are you keen to improve your leadership skills? Leadership apprenticeships are available for staff with a range of experience and in a variety of roles.

See the education and training intranet pages for more information and to apply now for level 3 team leader and level 5 operations manager apprenticeships.

For further information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You don't have to be outdoors to be active

Outdoor activity isn't suitable for everyone, but there are plenty of activities that we can take part in without having to leave our homes.

The option of exercising indoors is particularly useful if we don't have garden space, time to go to the gym or when our unpredictable British weather limits us. Being active from the comfort of our own homes can allow us to feel all the motivational benefits of exercise even on gloomy days.

There are a range of apps and ideas for activities that you can take part in at home on over on our intranet wellbeing pages, such as the Join The Movement campaign from Sport England with resources available for people of all ages and abilities, and free pre-recorded yoga sessions from Park Yoga. A range of local gyms also offer NHS discount – the full list can be found on our wellbeing pages.

Have you checked in with our wellbeing offers this week?

Our weekly wellbeing offers page brings us a range of activities, meetings and group sessions every week to help us boost our wellbeing, connect with colleagues and increase our activity.

This week join the menopause check-in session with senior clinical practitioner and menopause champion at Dorset CCG, Belinda Stokes, take part in rewilding tours in Bere Regis, get involved with mindfulness in life and work courses and much more.

Tune into the Dorset ICS webinar on patient-initiated follow-up

Patient initiated follow up (PIFU) is being used across Dorset to support the delivery of outpatient services. PIFU supports patients with self-management and shared decision making, eases pressures and supports clinicians to deliver the right care, in the right place at the right time.

The Dorset ICS webinar which will provide:

• an overview of PIFU
• national and local context with Dorset's key principles
• spotlights on local progress
• next steps for implementation
• an opportunity to ask questions

Alastair Hutchinson, chief medical director of Dorset County Hospital, is hosting the meeting on Teams on 14 February 9.30-11.30.

For access to the calendar invite please book using this form or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.

Learn, discuss and share your thoughts at the OPM Journal Club

This month the older people's medicine (OPM) Journal Club will be discussing the paper, Decision making capacity assessment for confused patients in a regional hospital: a before and after study.

The group meets in the glass room in the library at Bournemouth, or you can join via Teams. If you would like to come along on 15 February between 1-2pm, or to find out more, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Last call to all trained TRiM (trauma risk management) practitioners

If you're a TRiM practitioner and would like to continue to provide TRiM let us know by 28 February so we can add you to the new practitioner directory. If we don't hear from you, we will assume you do not wish to remain a practitioner and you will not be included in future training.

We'll be providing all our practitioners with continuing professional development and supervision and the opportunity for some of our practitioners to extend their skills as TRiM managers in training this Spring. Keep an eye on the bulletin for notification of when new intranet pages are live - complete with forms, risk assessments and other useful resources to help you and your teams understand the value of TRiM.

To confirm your details and if you have any questions contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Removing age discrimination - busting common myths for staff moving to the NHS 2015 pension scheme on 1 April 2022

The McCloud judgement ruled that to stop age discrimination staff under protection to stay in their previous pension scheme will be moved to the 2015 scheme in April 2022.

All pension scheme members with the protection will end on 31 March 2022 and all members will move to the 2015 NHS Pension scheme on the 1 April 2022 regardless of age and scheme membership.

We are keen to help staff understand some common myths around this change:

• It is a myth that if you don't retire before 1 April 2022, you will have to wait until state pension age to claim your pension.
• Your Pension benefits already built up in the 1995/2008 schemes will not be lost – you do not need to retire in March 2022 to ensure your current 1995/2008 pension benefits are secure.
• All scheme members will be in the 2015 scheme from 1 April 2022.
• You do not need to make any decisions about retiring before March 2022 to secure your current benefits.

There are more helpful documents around how NHS employers is supporting this change here, and please see these FAQs about the change for further clarification.

The latest edition of Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines is now available electronically for all staff

Health Education England have purchased the fourteenth edition of The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry for NHS staff, and it is available for us all to read electronically.

The text is available via the managed bookmarks on Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer, found in the "informational" folder. You can also access the guidelines using your NHS OpenAthens account. If you don't have an OpenAthens account register for one here.