Her Majesty the Queen's state funeral and period of mourning

Plans for Monday 19 September 2022

Following the announcement that Monday 19 September will be a bank holiday to coincide with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral, we are continuing to work on the arrangements for our hospitals and services. Some, but not all operations and clinics will be happening and we are contacting patients affected directly to update them. If any patients contact you, please do tell them that they will hear directly if their appointment is being rescheduled. If you are unsure about your service, please speak to your care group. Thank you again for your patience at this time.

Recording the bank holiday on ESR

We are still waiting for a national update from ESR on this additional bank holiday. Health Roster will be updated to ensure that this day is paid as a bank holiday. Further guidance on the recording of this bank holiday will be communicated in Friday's Staff Bulletin and through email to line managers.

Paying our respects on the day of the funeral

Monday is a bank holiday but there will still be many staff onsite caring for our patients. Thank you for all who are working. We appreciate that this an historic occasion, so we will have screens broadcasting the Royal funeral during the day for you to watch on your breaks. They will be in:

• The lecture theatres at RBH and Poole as well as the conference rooms in our education centres.
• In the Dolphin Restaurant at Poole and both the Shelley and Oasis restaurants at RBH.

The Dolphin and Shelley will be open as normal and will have a memorial coffee and cake special offer for all. The Oasis will not be trading, but will be available for watching the service.

Further details to follow.

Patients: For patients, it has been confirmed that their bedside TVs will be provided free for both Sunday and the Monday. We are also setting up screens in the chapels at Poole and RBH for patients who want to view the funeral there and are mobile, as well as any staff who want a moment of quiet reflection. Support will be offered on both sites during the day from both our chaplains and our chaplaincy volunteers.

Paying our respects on site: Our outdoor ribbon areas at RBH, Poole and Christchurch will become 'gardens of reflection' on the day of Her Majesty the Queen's funeral. If you would like to lay a small posy of flowers in tribute, or tie a ribbon, please do use these areas on the day, or during the week of the funeral. Please ensure any flowers are unwrapped.

You can also sign the book of condolence available in our chapels at RBH, Poole and Christchurch. An online book of condolence will also be available on the Buckingham Palace website.

Training and staff induction

The staff induction due to take place on Monday 19 September will no longer be held in person, instead participants can complete the induction modules virtually at any point during the day. The manual handling and basic life support training sessions on Tuesday 20 September will go ahead and are mandatory for patient safety.

During the mourning period and in line with protocol, we will continue to run training and any events that have an impact on patient safety or care, or staff wellbeing. If you would rather not attend during this period, please let your organiser and line manager know directly. If you do attend, please note the sessions will be in line with NHS protocol and therefore we ask that nothing is shared on social media.

Support for staff

As we come together to mourn the passing of Her Majesty the Queen, it is important to recognise that, for some, the loss of such a much-loved public figure can impact us emotionally, including triggering feelings of grief. If you feel affected by Her Majesty's death, you are very welcome to reach out for support by looking at our health and wellbeing pages or by contacting a Mental Health First Aider.

Delay to emergency call and pager launch

Our new emergency response system will now launch on Tuesday 27 September, instead of today (13 September). This is so we can fully communicate the important plans after the period of mourning for Her Majesty the Queen. More information to follow but if you have any questions at this time, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Face to face Schwartz Round this Thursday

To support staff wellbeing, our first face to face Schwartz Round will continue to go ahead this week, taking place on 15 September at 1pm in the lecture theatre at RBH. The theme of this round will be 'Small acts of kindness'.

Schwartz Rounds can help us feel more supported in our jobs, and give us time and space to reflect on our roles. This event is open to all staff and a light lunch will be available from 12noon in seminar room five. Future Schwartz Rounds will be held across all sites. These rounds will not be available online.

UHD Charity: Update on Walk for Wards

As an NHS trust, we are following protocol and postponing non-essential events during this time, this includes our Walk for Wards due to take place on Saturday 17 September.

We are now calling on you to take part in Walk for Wards 2022 'virtually'. You can complete your chosen walk at a time and place to suit you. You may even wish to follow our planned routes around Upton Country Park, taking in the stunning scenery through woodlands and along Poole bay.

All registrants will be sent a copy of the routes, event bib and finishers medal, by post. We'd love to see your photos of your virtual Walk for Wards, so please do send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or tag us on social media @UHD Charity.

Clinical and medical essential core skills update

On 21 September, 24 October, 15 November and 14 December, the clinical and medical essential core skills training will start at 1.30pm, not 1pm. The programme will take place in the lecture theatre at RBH and will include an infection control session at 1.30-1.45pm and bloods session from 1.45-2.25pm.

The Mental Capacity Act module within the session has been removed. If you still wish to complete this module, you can do so online on the BEAT VLE.

Reminder: 2022/23 Pay Award and NHS Pension Scheme contributions

The government announced in July that it had accepted the NHS Pay Review Body's recommendations for staff employed under the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (Agenda for Change). Those who are paid monthly will be paid on 28 September with back dated arrears to April 2022. Those paid weekly will be paid on 15 September with back dated arrears to April 2022.

For some colleagues the pay award will mean that their salary takes them above a pension threshold and their contribution rate will increase. As a trust we are currently in the process of identifying any staff this may cause an issue for. Click here to find out more information.

Stay up to date: The Brief and all staff briefing

Your September edition of The Brief is out now, complete with your handy 'The Brief in brief' document to help you cascade the key information to your teams and feedback any queries or comments. Please return this cascade feedback form to Siobhan Harrington, CEO, or email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

RBH: No acute kidney injury service

The service is currently unavailable and will resume on 24 September. Wards can contact the Prince of Wales ward at Dorset County Hospital on 01305 255139 for advice and support.

Reminder: Longfleet Road closure 16-19 September

Longfleet Road will be closed outside the hospital this weekend as the 50m tower crane is removed. The closure is scheduled to begin at midday on Friday (16 September) and will run to 6am Monday (19 September). There are areas below the lift zone that will need to be vacated for short periods during the day. The areas affected will be the mortuary, help desk, porters lodge, Mitie store room and pathology labs.

The closure has been coordinated with BCP Council's highways department with access for ambulances and pedestrians maintained. We apologise for any disruption caused by this project and are doing everything we can to make sure that any inconvenience is kept to a minimum.

The BCP Council traffic notice for Longfleet Road can be found here.

Contacting the library service

Due to technical issues, we are currently unable to contact the library service via email. To contact the service, call ext.4270 for RBH or ext. 2101 for Poole. This will be resolved as quickly as possible.

Rail strike action suspended, 15 and 17 September

Strike action due to affect the rail network this week has now been suspended by the trade unions involved.