Flu-only vaccination clinics available from next week

Drop-in clinics for staff who wish to have their flu vaccine separately to the Covid-19 booster, or who don't wish to have the Covid booster vaccination, start on Monday (18 October).

You must bring your NHS number, which can be found on the NHS smartphone app, and your staff ID badge to ensure the clinics run smoothly. They run at Gala Lodge at Poole Hospital and the Stour building at Royal Bournemouth at the following times and days each week until further notice:

• Mondays: 8.30-10.30am, Poole Hospital
• Tuesdays: 4-6pm, Royal Bournemouth
• Wednesdays: 8.30-10.30am, Royal Bournemouth
• Thursdays: 4-6pm, Poole Hospital
• Fridays: 8.30-10.30am, Royal Bournemouth; 4-6pm, Poole Hospital

There is no need to book, and no need to wait between having the Covid booster or flu jab, and vice versa.

The Staff Survey 2021 is here and we need you...

You may well be thinking 'not another survey' but rest assured this survey is one with a difference.

We have been through a lot over this past year; the pandemic that hasn't yet come to an end, the two hospitals merging as one, never mind what we have experienced in our personal lives... this is why the Staff Survey of 2021 is so important.

It's the first for UHD as a merged trust, it has relevant questions to the current climate and the here and now of what our staff are experiencing including home and work life balance and it will help us shape the future of UHD as one team and how together we can move forward.

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

Next week is Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) week

Our IPC team will be holding a display in the dome and atrium next Friday (22 October) from 11am-2:30pm.

The team will be showcasing a QI project commencing on two wards across both sites in November and providing information about becoming an IPC Champion. The fit test team will be on hand to answer questions relating to changes in guidance for FFP3 respirators.

Come and chat to the team or leave us a question in the box on our stand.

RBH: Derwent department closure this Sunday (17 October)

From 7am on Sunday (17 October) there will be an outage of heating and hot water in the Derwent department, and the department will be closed.

All patients will be relocated to ward 12 before the closure. There will be future outages of heating, but not hot water, in the Derwent department at the end of October and we will provide updates on these.

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

POOLE: Telemetry outage next week

Due to a planned upgrade of the telemetry system next week there will be no ability to monitor telemetry centrally on Tuesday 19 October. This means the telemetry boxes will not be working.

It is planned that the outage will only last 24 hours and the system will be back up on Wednesday 20 October.

If a patient requires telemetry monitoring during this time, please discuss with the cardiology team. Patients who require monitoring will need to be transferred to AMU or ACU for monitoring whilst the telemetry system is down.

Celebrating our AHPs

The diverse roles that make up allied health professionals (AHPs) took centre stage in our hospitals on Thursday as we helped mark Allied Health Professionals Day.

AHP is the broad term use to describe professions as diverse as therapists, operating department practitioners and radiographers, and who make up around a third of the NHS' workforce.

Displays in the dome at Poole and atrium at Royal Bournemouth showcased some of the work undertaken by AHPs, including a quiz which tested just how much staff in general knew about AHPs and the skills and services they provide.

"AHPs are such a far-reaching group of staff that it is great for us all to come together to celebrate the contribution that they make to patient care and the value they bring to colleagues on this day," said Dr Debbie Lane, associate director for allied health professionals and healthcare scientists at UHD.

Find out more about AHPs in their newsletter, available here.

RBH: Limited dementia and delirium service

We currently have a very limited dementia and delirium specialist nursing service.

This will be for the next few weeks, and we will be triaging patients to prioritise.

Phone advice can be given if required on ext 5335.

Ask Aly – with Dr Matt Thomas

Join us at 1pm on Thursday (21 October) for the latest Ask Aly event, hosted this month by our deputy chief medical officer, Dr Matt Thomas. It's a great opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns or share your views.

You can join the meeting here and if you'd like to send any questions in advance, pop them through to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we can ask on your behalf.

POOLE: Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) upgrade is coming

EPMA is being upgraded on Sunday (17 October).

The upgrade will introduce new features to improve user experience, such as 'quick charting' for nurses and a 'right-click' menu for prescribers.

EPMA will now be known as WellSky so desktop icons will also be updated. Look out for the new symbol when accessing from a desktop.

Search 'EPMA' on the intranet for further information on the new features. The EPMA team will be visiting the wards next week to highlight the benefits that have been implemented.

In the meantime, if you have any further questions then please call the EPMA team on 2984 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Text messages to patients to help our waiting lists

We are currently contacting patients via text message as part of our work to tackle the large waiting lists caused by the pandemic.

They will be sent texts or letters asking them to confirm details about their care. If asked, please reassure patients that this is not a scam and they can respond to the message or letter.

You can find out more about what the messages will say here and download a patient awareness poster for your clinical area here.

RBH: No medical photographer available

There will be no medical photographer available on site until 21 October.

Your new safeguarding newsletter

The adult, children and maternity safeguarding team has created its first newsletter, raising awareness of the topic around the trust.

This month's edition introduces the team as well as a seven-minute focus tool to answer the question – what is safeguarding?

You can read the newsletter here.

RBH: No alcohol care and treatment service cover on Tuesday 19 October

Clinical information can be found on the alcohol intranet page.

If you wish to refer a patient please leave a message on ext 5329 and they will be seen the next day

Return your ID badge if you're leaving us

If you are leaving your job at the trust you must return your ID card to the card office or your line manager.

These cards are the property of UHD and must be returned in line with our security protocol and leavers policy.

Line managers are responsible for collecting ID cards when a member of staff is leaving.

Patient information stickers

Our patient experience team is working hard to update and rebrand to UHD the thousands of patient information leaflets currently in use across the trust.

While this work is ongoing, we have some stickers available that can be placed on leaflets that have yet to be rebranded, advising patients of the phone number and email address changes.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you'd like any of these stickers for your department.

Jenni Douglas-Todd confirmed as Dorset's Integrated Care Board (ICB) chair designate

This appointment is an important step towards the creation of statutory Integrated Care Boards which will also replace existing NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups from 1 April 2022.

Jenni says she is looking forward to being a part of a new and exciting team for the NHS and wider Integrated Care System.

Read more on the Dorset CCG website.

POOLE: Are you feeling lucky – enter the staff lottery!

Poole is joining RBH for the UHD staff lottery.

Lottery players can choose to have between one and five numbers at the cost of £1 per number. The numbers are allocated at random and the money is deducted directly from your wages. Currently, only staff who are paid monthly can enter.

There are 17 prizes each month and a range of prizes across the year ranging from £25 to £500 each month, and then quarterly additional bonus prizes of £750 all the way to £1,000.

As well as monthly prizes we have a yearly lottery fund where teams can bid for money to buy goods to benefit staff such as materials for wellbeing spaces, pictures to enhance staff rooms and staff physio sessions. This will be launched in January each year with awards being made in the April.

To join complete this form and for more information visit the staff lottery page on the intranet (look under S on the A-Z).

RBH: Catching out the bike thieves

Police cadets will be offering us a free bike security marking service.

You can register your bike with the police-approved database Bike Register and apply a unique code to your bike frame. Should your bike be stolen, a report can be submitted and the unique code can help police return your bike to you.

If you'd like to have your bike security marked for free bring it to the marquee from 25-29 October 10am-2pm.

Your Wellbeing Weekly

Head over to our weekly wellbeing pages to find out all the latest offers across UHD. This week, book into Tranquil Tuesdays for some lunchtime Pilates and yoga, find out about living well in retirement with Active Dorset and sign up for menopause discussion workshops.