First dose Covid-19 vaccinations – updated booking process

Staff who have not yet had the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination should now do so through the national booking system. Please disregard any external booking links issued in previous updates.

First doses for UHD staff are now offered only from the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), in Bournemouth, operated by Dorset HealthCare. Oxford/AstraZeneca is being provided at this site.

You must book your first and second dose at the same site, therefore please book both as you go through the booking process.

Click here for the booking link and more information.

Second doses at University Hospitals Dorset

Our own internal booking platform will open again on 24 February to enable staff who have already had the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in our hospitals to book their second.

Our clinics at both Poole and the Royal Bournemouth hospitals will begin providing these second doses from mid-March, 10-12 weeks after staff received their first.

Lateral flow kits – restock

We are now starting to distribute the second round of Covid self-testing kits to all staff at UHD, starting with those who are due to run out of tests first.

Each box contains a 12-week supply and will be distributed to wards and departments from our stores on the regular PPE run, and will need to be signed for.

Supplies of kits are limited, so please ensure you only take one for personal use and remember to pick up one of the yellow stickers for your kit - these direct you straight to the results portal.

For non-clinical areas, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Poole) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (RBCH) when your team needs their second box.

A new spreadsheet is available on Teams for managers to log the second boxes for staff.

Please note: If you are symptomatic, please arrange for a PCR swab from our swabbing teams - 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.

For more information, including FAQs, videos, and how to upload your results, see our self testing intranet pages.

REFRESH on the intranet

Our REFRESH infection prevention and control has a new home on the intranet.

REFRESH aims to keep key infection control messages front and centre in all our minds, with a simple set of reminders that we can all use, every day. It includes everything from ensuring good ventilation and keeping areas clutter-free, to taking breaks safely and having the confidence to question when something doesn't look right.

Find out more about the campaign, why it matters and download resources for your area all in one place on the intranet.

Ask Aly...

Join us for a virtual drop-in session with our chief medical officer, Dr Alyson O'Donnell, and guests, on 17 February, 12.30-1.30pm. Click here to join.

All staff are welcome and we encourage you to ask questions, raise issues or share your experiences via the 'raised hand' function or chat bar in Teams.

February's joint staff briefing now available

The joint staff briefing from 10 February, presented by David Moss, chairman, and Debbie Fleming, chief executive, as well as fellow executives, is now available to view.

Topics covered included managing the Covid-19 pandemic, an operational update and development plans for the year ahead can be watched here or you can view the slides here and the development plan slides here.

Values Week launching February 22

Next week we'll be starting our new trust values during Values Week 2020 and we'd love you to get involved.

Throughout the week we'll be sharing a new values video featuring colleagues, and sharing examples of how the values are already being played out at UHD. We'll be inviting you to share your examples of how you try to live the values or where you've seen them done well too.

We'll also be sharing information about how you can use the new values design and how you can start applying them in appraisals. Our values are key to our culture at UHD. We invite you all to get involved and inspired how you and your colleagues can help bring them to life.

POOLE – employee self service

Employee self service (ESS) on the electronic staff records (ESR) system is being rolled out to all staff at Poole, current and new users of ESR, one department at a time.

Some of the things you will be able to do are to view/change some personal details, view your TRS statement for benefit and pension purposes and receive your payslips electronically.

Workforce has been adding access to smart cards and creating usernames and passwords for staff. Log in details and instructions on how to access and use the service will be emailed to your trust email address shortly.

If you have a smartcard, you will be able to access ESS using the card at work (or at home if you have a trust laptop). If you do not have a smartcard or you would like to log in from home from a non-trust PC or phone you will need a username and password.

You will continue to receive paper payslips until you have received log in details from one of the team, only at this point will you then transfer to online payslips.

Our two charities to become one

Following the trust's charity fundraising committee earlier this month, our two charities – Poole Hospital Charity and Bournemouth Hospital Charity - are set to come together to create a new charity, to be named, 'University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity'.

The newly formed charity, which will be officially launched on 1 April 2021, will have a new logo and branding but retain the same commitment – to fund care and provisions above and beyond what the NHS can offer.

The new branding has been created by Southampton based creative agency, NHS Creative, who have experience of working with many NHS organisations and charities. The new logo creates a fresh, distinctive strong 'parent brand' for the successor charity as well as refreshed logos for Bournemouth Hospital Charity, Poole Hospital Charity and Christchurch Hospital Charity as sub brands.

Speaking about the news, Debbie Anderson, head of charity, University Hospitals Dorset, said:

"Everyone from both charities is very excited about joining forces and in creating our new brands.

"The newly formed charity will enable us to support a wider range of fundraising and provide even more support across all three hospital sites.

"We urge our wonderful supporters of both Poole Hospital Charity and Bournemouth Hospital Charity to continue to support us in our new partnership so that between us all we can do even more to improve patient welfare as well as staff wellbeing and support.

"In recognition of the relationship our supporters and the community have to the individual hospitals, we will still be supporting the individual hospitals through specific fundraising events, campaigns and appeals."

The charity will support all areas of work at the University Hospitals Dorset with supporters still being able to donate to a ward, department, or hospital of their choice across Poole, Royal Bournemouth, or Christchurch Hospitals.

A communications and engagement campaign will follow to highlight how supporters can continue to support all areas of our hospital as well as addressing any concerns.

Flu vaccinations

There's still time to have your flu jab. Find your nearest peer vaccinator – trained staff able to provide the jab to colleagues in their clinical area on the intranet.

Government changes to public service pension schemes

In July 2020, HM Treasury (HMT) consulted on proposals to remove the age discrimination judged to have arisen from the transitional arrangements to the reformed pension schemes across the public sector, including the NHS Pension Scheme.

Following the feedback received during the consultation process, HMT has now announced that:

• Eligible members will be given the choice at retirement about whether they would like to receive their benefits from the 1995/2008 scheme or 2015 scheme for the remedy period, between 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022.
• Members will make this choice when they take their benefits on retirement.
• All members will join the 2015 scheme from 1 April 2022.
• Those who have already taken benefits from the scheme will be contacted by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) and offered a choice as soon as possible. Their choice will be applied retrospectively from the date on which the benefits were originally paid.

More information from NHS Employers can be found here or from NHSBSA here

Please note the pension departments have no further information at this time and are unable to answer any queries you may have.

Quarterly shower head replacements

Quarterly shower head replacements have now been completed and the current colour is red. If a different colour is found anywhere on site please contact the estates helpdesk on ext 8056.

Job of the week

Clinical practice is looking for a band 4 moving and handling associate practitioner to be based at Poole Hospital.

You will be responsible for:

• delivering face to face training sessions
• supporting the moving and handling risk advisor with reviewing and investigating reported incidents
• monitoring the stock levels of specialist moving and handling equipment
• assisting the moving and handling risk advisor in undertaking complex patient reviews
• supporting the development of the moving and handling champion role

Click here for the full job description and to apply.

Care First webinars

Care First, our employee assistance programme, is putting on webinars this week and next. The themes are:

• Tuesday 16 February, 12-12.30pm – Supporting colleagues
• Wednesday 17 February, 12-12.30pm - Kindness
• Thursday 18 February, 12-12.30pm – Avoiding eye strain
• Friday 19 February, 12-12.30pm – Mental health

Roadworks

Click here for a list of the current roadworks taking place.