Critical incident stood down

We are pleased to confirm that the critical incident declared on Tuesday of last week has now ended. This is due to the incredible efforts of colleagues across UHD in a wide range of roles in ensuring our patients received safe, efficient and effective care.

A huge thank you to all those who have worked so hard for patients during this time, and to all those colleagues whose contributions enabled this care to take place.

It is evident though that we continue to face significant operational pressures, and will do for some time.

See below for news on a new positive and proactive initiative which aims to support the timely and safe discharge of patients, particularly in time for Christmas, and outlining a range of ways that you can be involved.

Home for Christmas

This week sees the launch of our #HomeForChristmas campaign. We want to support as many patients home safely for Christmas. This is going to be a huge team effort involving our clinicians, therapists, ward-based discharge facilitators and partnership working with discharge team, social care and community health services. We are also calling on families to do what they can to support loved ones in the community as well.

Today we start our daily virtual question and answer sessions for colleague to gain advice and guidance to support discharge via community services. Find out what more we can be doing to support patients back into the community. The sessions run from 1-2pm tomorrow, and Teams invitations will be sent out.

Do get involved and remember to ask of every patient - why not home? Why not today? If not, when? #HomeForChristmas.

For more information contact the discharge teams RBH ext 4321 Poole ext 8093.

Mandatory Covid vaccines – your questions answered

The Government have announced that healthcare workers in frontline and patient-facing roles should have had both the first and second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from next April.

On Thursday (16 December) staff can learn more at a briefing and question and answer session hosted by Professor Alyson O'Donnell, our chief medical officer.

The session will run from 12.30-1.30pm on Teams, and all are welcome. Click here to join.

How to book Covid-19 swabbing with our swabbing teams

Please could all departments referring patients to our Covid-19 swabbing team before elective procedures use these new email addresses, which will help the team organise swabbing between sites:

Poole: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

RBCH: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The team would also like to remind all departments referring staff members and household members for Covid PCR swabs to complete this referral form and email it to:

Poole: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

RBCH:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please note children over the age of 12 can be swabbed at Poole and RBH, however if you have a child under 12 who needs swabbing, please email the Poole swabbing team.

Join our final all staff briefing of the year

Join the all staff briefing with Debbie Fleming, chief executive, and David Moss, trust chairman, next Wednesday (22 December) from 12.30 to 1.30pm.

Debbie and our executive team will be reflecting on the busy winter period so far, outlining our plans for the next few weeks, and acknowledging the incredible efforts of staff to support our patients and each other.

The briefing will also include more details for the appointment of our new chief executive.

RBH: Walk-in flu clinic today

From 4-5.30pm today (14 December) visit occupational health's walk-in flu clinic on the first floor of the Stour building to boost your winter immunity with your flu vaccination.

Please bring your staff ID badge and your NHS number with you (this can be accessed on the NHS app).

Tune in to the Virtual Charity Christmas Carol Service tomorrow!

The UHD Charity Virtual Christmas Carol Service returns for 2021 and will be available to watch online from 3pm tomorrow (15 December), featuring readings and prayers from the UHD chaplaincy team, as well as musical accompaniment for all to enjoy.

We had hoped to open the doors of Christchurch Priory to host an in-person service this year, but following careful review we felt the virtual event was more appropriate given the rates of Covid-19 are rising in our local community.

Watch the virtual service from 3pm on the UHD Charity website and across @UHDcharity social media channels tomorrow.

We hope you'll join us and help spread some Christmas cheer from the comfort of your own homes!

Kindness - Christmas Schwartz Round this Thursday

Christmas can be a difficult time of the year for many of us alongside the unrelenting uncertainty of COVID. It is often however the random acts of kindness, particularly at Christmas that connect and unite us together.

This Schwartz round allows us to remember those times of kindness and the power and impact they can have on us and on our patients.

The event is open to all UHD staff and takes place on Thursday (16 December) at 2pm via Teams. Please visit the Schwartz Round page on the intranet for the link and more information.

Electronic fit test reporting goes live today

Electronic reporting goes live today (14 December), replacing our current paper report.

This will make fit testing simpler and will collate information for reporting purposes. All designated fit testers are asked to check the fit testing pages (under infection control) on the Poole intranet to read the updated information and important changes.

Business intelligence will continue to develop the form to enable managers to extract reports and provide information directly to ESR, but until that is completed the fit testing team will provide monthly data available as they also add retrospective data from July 2021 to the online reporting.

Register your Point of Care Testing (POCT) devices for our audit

Point of Care is conducting an audit of which POCT devices are currently in use across UHD.

If you use any kind of device on your ward or clinic to test blood or urine from a patient instead of sending a sample to the main laboratory, please can one person be nominated to register every POCT device used using this form.

Examples of what you may be testing for with these devices includes: glucose, ketones, urine dipsticks, urine pregnancy test, INR, HbA1c, blood gas, haemoglobin, pH and lipids – though this is not an exhaustive list.

If you have any questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

POOLE: Medical photographer unavailable next week

The medical photography service will not be available from the 22-29 December.

During this time a standby camera will be available for appropriate use provided by the equipment library.

Order your meals for Christmas Day by this Friday

Any staff member on duty Christmas day morning will be entitled to a voucher up to the value of £3 to purchase breakfast and any staff member on duty Christmas Day evening/night will be entitled to a snack bag. These are to be picked up from the restaurant between 1-2pm Christmas Day.

To receive your vouchers/snack bags please ensure you get your numbers into the catering department no later than 17 December. This can only be done by using the eforms portal (under managed bookmarks/clinical systems in Google Chrome on a Trust computer). You will be asked for a cost centre – please note you will not be charged for these against it, you will then be notified when the vouchers are ready for collection.

Please see the posters for breakfast and dinner for more information.

Take care of your trust IT devices

Please ensure you take good care of your trust IT devices.

There are currently global shortages of components and IT hardware, particularly laptops. Therefore, we are experiencing long delays in receiving new equipment.

We are currently lending out our limited amount of temporary equipment to departments where possible, however these stocks are finite.

Sometimes it's inevitable hardware will be accidentally broken, but please take all reasonable steps to care of your equipment.

Find out more about LERN forms at tomorrow's Teams event

We are focusing on our Learning Event Report Notification (LERN) forms this December, so we all know what these forms are and when to fill one out.

Help us build on our open learning culture by completing a LERN form whenever something goes right or wrong and if you have a concern or a suggestion to improve the way we do things.

Find out more about the new LERN forms by joining our Teams event tomorrow (15 December) at 1pm.

Find out more on the LERN pages of the intranet.

Join the campaign, get involved and share, LERN because we all can!

RBH: Help our therapy teams by returning unwanted therapy equipment

Our therapy teams need the correct equipment to help our patients get home safely and is appealing for the return of therapy equipment so it can be reused and recycled for other patients. Items include walking aids, crutches, toilet aids and kitchen trolleys.

Please ensure that you do not have any unwanted equipment, and advise patients that any unwanted equipment can be returned to the addresses on this page.

Don't forget to enter our Christmas decoration competition

Our Christmas window stickers are being delivered to departments to enable IPC-compliant festive window displays. Decorate a window in your department or ward with your stickers and send a photo of the display and your team (wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 5pm on 21 December. Staff and the public will then vote for their favourite and there'll be a prize for the department with the best one.

RBH, Alderney SSD and XCH dermatology departments can also decorate one of the new Christmas trees that have been put up outside. The trees are to be shared by the departments closest to them. Spruce up one of the trees, take a photo and then send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 5pm on 21 December. All we ask is they are decorated in a traditional style (no medical equipment) with fire retardant decorations.

Winners will be announced in the Christmas Eve Staff Bulletin and we can't wait to see what you do!

Please note: All these trees are located outside and therefore meet infection control guidelines.

'Blue Christmas' tomorrow in our chaplaincy spaces

Blue Christmas has been put together especially for those of us whose days don't feel particularly merry or bright right now, it's a space for you to visit and gently acknowledge some of the tough realities that you may be facing this year.

Blue Christmas takes place 9am-4pm tomorrow (15 December) in our chapel/prayer room at RBH and our prayer space at Poole. Our chaplains will be available.

Dorset Police share their #SafeChristmas guidance

Dorset Police have put together guidance and advice for celebrating Christmas safely this year, including key messages that will help keep you, your family and friends and your belongings safe.

Read the guidance here.

Household Support Fund available to help residents in financial hardship across BCP

Vulnerable residents who are struggling to afford food and keep warm this winter are encouraged to access help through the council's Household Support Fund scheme.

BCP Council has been awarded £2.6 million from government and is working with partner organisations to provide assistance to local people who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic and who are in financial hardship.

For more information visit: www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/householdsupport.

Weekly Wellbeing

This week take a look at our wellbeing pages for all the latest offers including meditation sessions, posture courses, Motivational Mondays sessions and much more...