RBH: Roadworks on site postponed

The road works on site that were planned to take place on the road between the main entrance roundabout and the outpatient entrance roundabout which runs along car park B have been delayed. This is so we can work with the contractors to minimise the disruption.

More information will follow next week with confirmed July dates. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the change of dates.

Guidance on face-to-face meetings and resuming patient groups

New guidance on face-to-face meetings and resuming patient groups is now available, and should be used in conjunction with current UHD and national IPC guidance.

The updated guidance includes:

Staff group meetings:

• Observe the room's risk assessment and do not exceed it. If no risk assessment has been carried out or there is no Covid-19 secure sign on the door, do not use the room
• External meetings should be attended by six staff or fewer, except in exceptional circumstances
• Fluid resistant surgical face masks (or a face shield if clinically indicated) must be worn in all meetings, and hand hygiene practices and the 2m social distancing guidance adhered to.

Resuming patient group meetings:

• If digital or online meetings can continue and are working well for all participants, they should continue instead of face-to-face meetings
• Revisit risk assessments for proposed meeting rooms to make sure the meeting is appropriate for that venue
• Subject to room size and an appropriate Covid-19 risk assessment, groups of up to 30 can meet where officially organised to provide mutual aid, therapy or support
• Fluid resistant surgical face masks (or a face shield if clinically indicated) must be worn in all meetings, and hand hygiene practices and the 2m social distancing guidance adhered to.

Read the full guidance for face-to-face staff meetings here, and for patient groups here.

New action card – fully vaccinated patients with positive PCR result

Action card 1b has been added, giving guidance on how to comply with Public Health England surveillance requirements.

Covid lateral flow tests – important changes

From next week, NHS England will no longer be supplying the trust with lateral flow testing kits for us all to use. This will eventually mean we have to order our own kits online to be sent to our home addresses.

We are currently assessing what stock levels we have left, how long our current stock will last, and how we can distribute the remaining kits as fairly as possible. We will update you shortly.

In the meantime, if you are about to run out of tests and need to restock your box, please see the information available on the covid pages of the intranet.

These tests are really important, especially with the increase in cases of the Delta variant. Please remember, every time you take a test you need to upload your results to our portal – mytest.uhd.nhs.uk.

Reports on FFP3 use and Covid-19

While there has been recent media coverage of the use of FFP3 masks and Covid-19, based on a limited, non-peer reviewed study, the current national evidence and associated infection control advice remains unchanged.

For the vast majority of care we provide, FFP3 masks are not advised or required, except in circumstances in which aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) are undertaken, or in very high risk areas, for example a critical care unit in which a patient has a confirmed Covid-19 test result.

PPE is just one of the tools available to minimise the spread of Covid-19 and other transmittable infections – click here for more detailed guidance on how Covid-19 is managed in hospitals, and links to the latest evidence and guidance.

Updating phone numbers and email addresses in personal communications

When we are supplying any information to patients, it's really important to ensure the contact details for UHD are accurate. Please check that your email signatures, answerphone messages, patient letters etc. contain phone numbers with the 0300 019 prefix – apart from our main switchboard numbers which have stayed the same - and that your email address is listed @uhd.nhs.uk.

Ask Aly

The next virtual 'Ask Aly' event with our chief medical officer, Dr Alyson O'Donnell, will be on Wednesday 7 July from 1pm. Aly will be joined by our chief operating officer, Mark Mould, who will give an update on the Think Big initiative.

It's a great opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns and share your views.

You can join the meeting here and if you'd like to send any questions in an 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.

Personal files and folders moving to OneDrive

All personal folders on UHD computers will be moving to OneDrive, the Microsoft cloud storage and file sharing service where you can access, share and collaborate on all your files from anywhere on any of your devices. All files that are stored in OneDrive will remain private unless you decide to share them.

You will receive an email before your OneDrive data migration begins which will include the date and time of the start of the migration, we should expect to start receiving these emails from Tuesday (6 July). For more information, guides and videos on how to use OneDrive, please click here. If you have any questions or concern about the migration please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Change in TRAC finance authorisation email addresses

Please note that the finance approvers have changed for vacancies on TRAC. Please add the relevant address from below to your vacancy as an authoriser to ensure your vacancy is approved in a timely manner:

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

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

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

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

The old 'portfolio' email address will be discontinued shortly and will no longer be monitored.

Help supporting students in your team

Do you support students in your team or clinical area? Please remember that the education and training department has a dedicated support team across UHD to help you give the best learning experience possible.

If you have any concerns or need additional input, contact us through our email accounts and we will respond within one working day. If your concern is urgent please call us directly.

PH: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or ext 8770.

RBH: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or ext 6501.

Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme

There have been many national headlines recently about organisations and their membership of the Stonewall Diversity Champions scheme. Our membership of the scheme is reviewed annually in consultation with our staff network and our equalities group.

We are very proud of our work to support diversity and all that we do for this across University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust for both our staff and patients.

RBH: Boots chemist closure while moving locations

Boots will be moving from the atrium its new location on the ground floor of the west wing. There will be some interruptions of service during this move, including full closure on 24 and 25 July.

From 16 to 26 July: There will be no chilled food or drinks available while the fridges are relocated across the site.

Friday 23: Last day of in the atrium.

24 July and 25 July: Closed while moving to the new location. ED to use TTA packs or FP10 prescriptions where necessary.

Monday 26 July: Open in the new location and resume full service.

Beyond Difference leadership programme

In partnership with Dorset ICS we are pleased to announce the launch of the Beyond Difference leadership programme. The aim of the programme is to develop new and aspiring leaders from ethnically diverse backgrounds and has been co-designed with members of various networks across the system.

Watch this short video clip from the facilitator Mitzi Wyman to tell you a bit more about the programme content. Full details of the programme can be found on the leadership intranet page.

If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Closing date for applications is the 20 July.

Withdrawal of Sure Signal booster service

The trust has been informed by Vodafone that their Sure Signal network is being deactivated, with the deactivation to be fully complete by September.

Anyone using Sure Signal to assist with mobile signal on their trust device while off site is advised that once the deactivation is complete your device will rely solely on Vodafone's network connection to make calls over the internet. You can enable WiFi calling on your device to boost your signal, and this can be activated in device settings.

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

Next week is Health Information Week at the library

A study has shown that in England as many as 43 per cent of adults do not have adequate reading skills to understand reliable health information, so East Dorset Library and Knowledge service are highlighting what we can do to help these patients.

On Thursday (8 July) at 1pm you can join a health literacy session on MS Teams to broaden your knowledge on health literacy and how to ensure patients understand information they are given.

To book a place on this please email the library at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Help co-design maternal mental health services in Dorset.

Thank you to all that have completed the maternal mental health survey. The survey will be open until Sunday (4 July) for those that have not completed it and would like to. Click here to access the survey.

The information gathered will be used to help develop services in Dorset to better meet people's needs and improve their mental health and wellbeing. The next stage is co-designing of future services and we would like to invite you to attend our first virtual stakeholder event.

The event is on Wednesday 4 August, 10am to 1pm. If you would like to take part register your interest here by 5pm on Friday 9 July.

Free tickets for staff at Lighthouse, Poole

Lighthouse in Poole is offering staff a limited number of free tickets to upcoming performances over the next few days, from al fresco grassroots music to a five star comedy performance and dance and arts events. Click here for more information and other staff offers.

Your Wellbeing Weekly

This week on our weekly wellbeing offers page book into our next childlessness at work listening event on Wednesday 1 August, sign up for next week's Care First sessions and find out more about outdoor wellness team building days throughout the summer.