Complete your National NHS Staff Survey by Friday (26 November)

The National NHS Staff Survey provides us all with the opportunity to share our experiences of working at UHD.

We all have until Friday (26 November) to complete the survey and give our honest views, providing us with a real opportunity to personally support our new values by being open and honest in sharing our experiences of working at UHD.

Listening to understand is another one of our values and the results from the staff survey will be looked at very closely to inform local improvements – always improving where these are needed to support our staff experience.

You should have already received your survey via a secure email from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (you may need to check your spam inbox) or a paper copy direct from Quality Health delivered to you in your ward/department.

The survey is confidential and anonymous. Final survey results in such a way that it is impossible to identify an individual's responses.

Please complete the survey as soon as you can and together we can make a positive difference to staff experience at UHD.

Further information on the staff survey is on the intranet if you have any questions please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Festive guidance out now

We're pleased to be able to relax some of the infection, prevention and control restrictions that were in place during last year's festive season. Our aim is to strike a balance between ensuring staff, patients and visitors can enter into the festive spirit whilst doing so safely.

The guidance covers topics including decorations, Christmas trees and gatherings. Click here to read it.

Thank you to all of our support workers

Today is nursing support workers day, and we would like to take the opportunity to say a huge thank you everyone that works across our hospitals in every role that supports our patients.

All of our support workers play a vital role in ensuring that our patients receive the best possible care, and that their UHD colleagues are supported.

Click here to watch a thank you video from Paula Shobbrook, chief nursing officer, and keep an eye out on our social media today for more.

Return Jupiter systems and respirator hoods to the equipment library

There are currently only nine out of our 29 respirator hoods available in our equipment libraries, which is a significant risk for staff needing to use them.

Some hoods are placed in selected departments for ease of access however the rest have been sent to wards and have not been returned.

If your department has been selected to keep a hood for ease of access, you must check whether your filters are in date and that it is calibrated for safe use. If it is your only piece of PPE it is important that you are also re-fit tested on our new suite of FFP3.

Please check all equipment stores and cupboards for both the Jupiter unit and the hood and contact ext 8242, bleep 0719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to arrange their return.

Take five to protect yourself this winter

Having the flu jab is an effective way of guarding against seasonal flu, which is present in the community and already arriving in our hospitals. Alongside the Covid-19 booster (or first and second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine if you have not already had these), it's the best way to take positive action to protect yourself this winter.

Annual flu vaccinations are available at a range of drop-in clinics on our sites – full details are in the latest news on the intranet. Details of our mobile flu trolley rounds will also be added shortly.

For details on how you can have your Covid-19 booster, or arrange your first or second vaccination dose, click here.

RBH: Wards to book transport directly with E-zec

This Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday (23, 24 and 26 November) all wards should book patient transport directly with E-zec, not through the discharge lounge.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

New appointments for the trust-wide clinical ethics committee

Over the last few months we have been working to bring our two clinical ethics committees into a single clinical ethics committee for the whole of UHD. This committee has a vital role in providing support and guidance to clinicians in times when they are faced with clinical dilemmas around care.

We are delighted to announce the Dr Helen McCarthy, consultants haematologist, has been appointed as chair of the new committee and Dr Peter Grenholm, consultant neurologist, as deputy chair.

Both bring a wealth of experience to the role and are keen to increase and broaden membership of the committee to ensure we have the right degree of challenge and opinion when addressing complex issues.

POOLE: Print your emergency trollies checklist for new weekly checks

Emergency trolley checklists are available to print from the resuscitation services intranet page. We are moving to weekly emergency trolley and grab bag checking to try and improve compliance with emergency trolley standards. Please commence weekly checking now as this should be implemented no later than the first week in December.

To ensure you have the most up to date version of your checklist do not save copies to a hard drive or print more than a couple at a time.

ED resus, critical care and paediatrics checklists are unchanged so please continue to use your current ones.

How much do you know about antimicrobials?

Our teams across UHD have been raising awareness of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.

Antimicrobials – including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics – are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants. Resistance to them has been declared by the WHO as one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity.

Pop down to the dome at Poole today and tomorrow from 10-11am to find out more from our pre-registration pharmacists. At RBH look out for Trish Turton, clinical microbiology nurse, who is touring wards with an antimicrobial message.

Schwartz Round panellists

We are looking for panellists to be part of the next Schwartz Round focusing on 'Kindness at Christmas' on Thursday 16 December between 2-3pm.

Schwartz rounds are a way for all hospital staff in all roles and from all backgrounds to come together to talk about the emotional and social challenges of working within the NHS and caring for patients. The aim is to offer staff a safe environment in which to share our stories.

Christmas can be a difficult time of the year for many of us alongside the relenting 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 that this can have on us all and our patients.

If you are interested in speaking at the event email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

RBH: Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) is live

Following a successful pilot on Ward 4, EMPA has been rolled out onto the older persons assessment unit (wards 25 and 26) and will continue to be deployed across older persons medicine for the remainder of the year. There will be a 2 week pause during the Christmas break and the team will recommence deployment in the New Year.

Staff need to complete training to gain access to the system and this can be accessed via the EPMA intranet page.

Clinical pressures mean staff are moving around the wards to provide additional cover and nurses and prescribers may have early exposure to the system. With that in mind, the EPMA team urge all staff to complete their training as soon as possible, regardless of the deployment dates.

Also, be assured that we are constantly reviewing plans with our executives and it can be slowed down if necessary, all of which would be communicated in advance of any change.

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

Modular theatre tours

Our modular theatre at RBH arrived safely and is being made ready for use. Please refrain from visiting the unit as the area is still under construction.

We will be arranging official tours of the unit as soon as it is safe to do so.

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

Grow in your role with our drop-in sessions for bands 2-4

There are drop-in sessions for staff in bands 2-4 every Wednesday in the education centre at Poole Hospital on Mondays 1-3pm and in the education centre at RBH on Wednesdays 1-3pm. These sessions will help you with your career development, offer advice on signing up for training courses and provide pastoral support.

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

RBH: Showers in male changing room 12.049 out of use

We are replacing the flooring in the shower areas of the male changing rooms 12.049 (near the restaurant in the east wing).

The work is planned for the 29 November – 11 December and during this time the showers will be out of use.

You will still be able to use the lockers in these changing rooms. Alternative showers are available on the first-floor eye unit and in the west wing.

We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

RBH: Corridor between Derwent and renal closed this week

From Wednesday to Friday (24-26 November) the corridor between Derwent and renal will be closed. There will be signage in place to guide renal patients through the west entrance and out through the Jigsaw fire doors.

The UHD Revue needs you!

Our first UHD revue show is coming in May 2022, taking a lighter look at life in the NHS in a show created by our teams for our teams.

If you're an actor, singer, dancer or musician, or if you are interested in behind the scenes roles such as writing, prop making or lighting and sound the team would like to hear from you. No experience is necessary, everyone is welcome.

Find out more on Teams or in person from 6-7pm on the 6 December in the Poole Hospital lecture theatre and on 8 December in the RBH lecture theatre.

If you can't make the meeting or would like to know more email 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. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Learn, discuss and share your thoughts at the OPM Journal Club

The older people's medicine (OPM) journal club meets again in the library at RBH and on Teams on 7 December from 1-2pm.

The group will be discussing the paper 'decision making capacity assessment for confused patients in a regional hospital: A before and after study'.

If you would like to come along or find out more please email 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..

POOLE: Roman Catholic Mass in December

This service will be held at the new time of 12pm each Thursday from 2 December, the first week of Advent.

The service is open to all staff and will be broadcast live on Hospedia TV Chapel Channel 15 to patients' beds.

A reminder that Covid restrictions apply to numbers allowed in the prayer space.

Updates to NHS England Covid-19 waste management standard operating procedure (SOP)

The updated SOP on waste management sets out the waste management approach for all healthcare facilities and testing facilities in England. Read the updated SOP on the Covid-19 pages under infection control.

Your Weekly Wellbeing

This week don't forget to make the most of your wellbeing offers from across UHD. Our weekly offers page includes all the latest health and wellbeing training and events dates for our teams. This week you can sign up for Able Futures winter webinar, bringing you all the best advice for feeling better during the festive season.