Covid-19 vaccinations available

If you have not yet had your Covid-19 vaccination please book it without delay to support the smooth running of our clinics.

The vaccine is available from either Poole or the Royal Bournemouth hospital, and booking your appointment online takes just a few minutes. You will need your assignment number to hand when doing so.

Read more on the vaccinations page on the intranet.

Update on national Covid-19 IPC recommendations

The national Covid-19 infection prevention and control (IPC) recommendations were reviewed on 21 January 2021.

This guidance is issued jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Public Health Wales (PHW), Public Health Agency (PHA) Northern Ireland, Health Protection Scotland (HPS)/National Services Scotland, Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England as official guidance, which our Trust has been following to ensure a consistent and evidence based approach.

Following a clinical and scientific review, no changes to the recommendations, including PPE, have been made in response to the new variant strains at this stage. However this position will remain under constant review.

Face masks and coverings for patients

The use of face masks or face coverings across the UK is recommended in addition to social distancing and hand hygiene for staff, patients/individuals and visitors in both clinical and non-clinical areas to further reduce the risk of transmission.

Patients in all care areas must be encouraged and supported to wear a face mask, providing it is tolerated and is not detrimental to their medical or care needs.

Returning travellers: South Africa and South America action card

A new action card giving advice for returning travellers from South Africa and South America has been added on the intranet.

Patient notes during transfer to Nightingale Hospital Exeter

When a patient is transferred to the Nightingale Hospital Exeter please try to photocopy the notes and do not send the main case note folder. Where circumstances do not allow for this, ensure the notes are CRT tracked out – using the code HO (hospitals) and NIGEX (Nightingale Exeter). Any queries contact Sharon Murawski, health records manager on ext. 4304/8656.

Flu vaccinations

There's still time to have your flu jab, ensuring you leave seven days between it and the Covid-19 vaccination. Likewise, if you have had the Covid-19 vaccination recently, you will need to wait at least seven days before your flu jab. Find your nearest peer vaccinator – trained staff able to provide the jab to colleagues in their clinical area on the intranet.

All-staff briefing with our chair and chief executive

The first all-staff briefing of the new year will be held on Wednesday 10 February, 12.30-1.30pm. David Moss, our chairman, and Debbie Fleming, our chief executive, as well as fellow executives will provide the latest on managing the Covid-19 pandemic, an operational update and development plans for the year ahead.

Please join us if you can, or a recording of the briefing will be available afterwards on our intranet. The Teams link is available here.

Ask Aly...

Join us for a virtual drop-in session with our chief medical officer, Dr Alyson O'Donnell, and guests, on 29 January, 1-2pm. 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.

POOLE - Fit testing

Due to the redeployment of staff to support other clinical areas there is an increased need for fit testing.

Any staff who have not been fit tested for the Segre GVS, or the Fang Tian FT-045, or need to be tested on the Porta Count, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

RBH – further update on construction works starting next week

Following the information issued last week about the beginning of construction works at the Eye Unit and Jigsaw entrance on Monday (1 February) , we have been notified by the contractor that for the safety of public and staff we will now need to close the road immediately outside the entrance. A new route will be sign posted around the ancillary buildings opposite which will be two-way, but there will be changes to the car parking in the area - please follow the signposted routes. For more information and a plan of the changes click here.

The orthopaedic entrance from the car park into both the department and onto the main corridor will also be closed from that date. This is to enable works to start on the building of the new retail pharmacy, general office and lily suite in preparation for the works within the main entrance and start of the Maternity, Children's, Emergency and Critical Care Centre (MCEC) build. Staff and patients will be directed to either the main entrance or the Eye Unit entrance.

Oxygen saturated environment fire safety concerns

The Covid-19 crisis in hospitals has brought nationwide fire safety concerns as fire in an oxygen saturated environment (2% above normal levels) will burn quicker and more severely than normal.

All wards are asked to complete the oxygen checklist at handover and ensure correct procedures are followed:

• Avoid bringing electrical ignition sources close to patients on oxygen
• regularly shake out bedding and ensure good housekeeping to reduce fireloading
• do not use oil/alcohol based emollients on patients on oxygen, or on yourself if close to them.
• ensure good levels of ventilation to ensure oxygen levels do not build up
• know your fire procedures
• ensure each ward has a designated fire warden at all times

Any questions please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., fire safety advisor or call ext. 2750.

Using e-mail through a web browser (Outlook web access)

When accessing your e-mail through a web browser, especially on a shared PC, you must log out of your e-mail account when you finish. Closing the browser window will not log you out automatically, so the next person using the PC will automatically have access to your e-mails.

To do this, click the circle with your photo or initials in the top right corner of the screen, and then click 'sign out'.

Food allergies reminder

If a patient has a food allergy and you need to check the suitability of a meal for them, please check the patient menu on the catering intranet to ensure the correct choice is made.

RBCH - portable appliance testing of trust electrical equipment

Due to Covid-19 and the current restrictions, the trust's electrical safety group has granted a three month initial extension to all of its existing non-medical electrical assets for RBCH. The portable appliance testing of the areas listed below that were due to begin at the end of January 2021 will now not take place as planned. The situation will be reviewed in March.

ITU/CCU, wards 10/11, wards 15/16, wards 2/3, wards 29/30 and wards 4/5.

Please continue to report any faulty non-medical electrical appliances via docket line and ensure that any new items of electrical equipment are also reported to docket line for testing. As users of trust equipment we all have a responsibility to ensure that the equipment that we are using is fit for purpose.

Examples of user visual inspection of portable appliances prior to and at intervals during use may include but are not limited to, checks for:

• Damage to the lead including fraying, cuts or heavy scuffing, e.g. from floor or covers
• inadequate joints, including taped joints in the cable.
• damage to the plug or connector, e.g. cracks to the casing or bent pins
• security of outer sheath of cable into plug or equipment (the coloured insulation of the inner cores should not be visible)
• damage to the outer casing of the equipment itself, including loose parts or screws
• signs of overheating, such as burn marks or staining on the plug, lead or equipment
• equipment that has been used or stored in unsuitable conditions, such as wet or dusty environment or where water spills are possible.

Please contact either of the following should you have any questions relating to this matter:

Richard Owen - LVCAP – ext. 4297

Andrew Wilson – LVAP – ext. 4296

Please take your breaks

It is incredibly busy throughout the hospital in this stage of the pandemic. It is effecting every part of our lives and making things that were once so much more simple, all the harder.

Now more than ever it is so important to take your planned breaks, to step away and to take some time to yourself. So many of you are going above and beyond to care for our patients and wearing PPE adds to levels of fatigue.

In addition to your planned breaks, we've identified areas in every ward where you can take five minutes to recharge. To support this, we will be regularly supplying bottles of water and cereal bars so please do make use of these.

In support of infection control practices, these will be individually wrapped items as it's so important for us all to limit the spread of Covid-19 within our hospitals.

Strict infection control measures are essential, but understandably limit where we can go, so please do use these spaces for your own wellbeing and take your breaks.

You can also use the marquees and dedicated safe spaces and please remember, if you need more emotional wellbeing support, you can find resources and links to services on our dedicated wellbeing pages.

LGBTQ History Month lunch and learn discussion: pronouns

Have you heard of the use of pronouns? Perhaps you have seen them highlighted after a person's email signature. This may have left you wondering what are pronouns and why are they important?

To find out more join our Teams dissussion on 12 February, 12-1pm, with Lucy Hart, LGBTQ+ network lead. Click here to join.

Do you have questions about gender and terminology?

Evidence shows health outcomes can be worse for LGBTQ+ people than the general population; with many LGBTQ+ people feeling uncared for. At UHD we want to ensure a truly inclusive workplace and place for all patients to receive the right care. We can now offer staff training to help staff members understand LGBTQ+ needs better with two interactive virtual workshops with Dr Jamie Willo, LGBTQ lead at Sussex Partnership NHS Trust. LGBTQ+ gender identity basic awareness training:

• Thursday 4 February 9.30am-12.30pm. Please register in advance for this training here.
• Or Tuesday 9 February 9.30am-12.30pm. Register in advance here.

Workshops: leading teams through change and Covid

Change can be difficult, and we all deal with it differently. The past year has been one led by change as we have transitioned through a merger as well dealt with the uncertainty of Covid. However, change is happening all of the time and we want to ensure our leaders at all levels across UHD are supported to manage on these challenges.

We now have a series of virtual MS Teams workshops to help. The workshops are designed to introduce leaders to tools and strategies to lead teams through change and will enable delegates to learn from one another and build networks across the organisation. The following sessions are available to book:

• Wednesday 3 February, 9-11am
• Friday 12 February, 10-12pm
• Tuesday 23 February, 1.30-3.30pm
• Thursday 4 March, 9-11am

To book onto a session, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Spaces are limited so they will be offered on a first come first served basis.

Care First webinars

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

• Tuesday 26 January, 12-12.30pm – Winter blues
• Wednesday 27 January, 12-12.30pm – Children
• Thursday 28 January, 12-12.30pm – Working from home
• Friday 29 January, 12-12.30pm – Burnout and tiredness
• Monday 1 February, 12-12.30pm – Care First
• Tuesday 2 February, 12-12.30pm - Resilience
• Wednesday 3 February, 12-12.30pm - Children
• Thursday 4 February, 12-12.30pm - Counselling
• Friday 5 February, 12-12.30pm – Covid-19

Staff discounts

Various staff discounts are available to staff including discount with Slimming World.

Roadworks

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