Reminder – order your free lateral flow tests

As staff are no longer able to order PCR tests via our swabbing portal we are advising all staff to continue to order free lateral flow device (LFD) tests using the national ordering system. These should continue to be undertaken twice a week, as well as when Covid-19 symptoms are displayed.

Results should now be reported via the national reporting system here.

Reporting a violent or aggressive incident at work – a short survey

If you have been a target of violence or aggression here at work – either physically or verbally – we encourage you to always report this via Datix/LERN. We would also recommend that you have reported this to your manager so that colleagues are aware and you can be supported.

As a Trust, we have a commitment to ensure the safety of all our colleagues. We believe that not all attacks are being reported through Datix/LERN so for a trial period we have set up this survey to help us to work out trends so we can work towards helping to protect everyone.

Please complete this short survey to help us plan

We believe that you should report this incident via Datix/LERN. Reporting these incidents are extremely important to us so that we can investigate, learn and action any measures required to help prevent further occurrences of this type of incident in the future. If you need support with this please contact your line manager.

Further resources are available here.

Poole: temporary departure lounge opening

To continue to ease flow from wards, our trial for a departure lounge at Poole (the former RVS café) is continuing on 3-4 May and 9-10 May. To contact the departure lounge for any queries ring ext. 5707 or ext. 4172. View the departure lounge standard operating procedure (SOP) here.

RBH: Fayrewood ward

Please note that Fayrewood is no longer a rehabilitation or complex care ward.

To be considered for transfer to Fayrewood ward, patients must:

• be triaged as OPS/OPM
• have D2A completed
• be medically ready to leave hospital (no longer meet criteria to reside)
• waiting package of care, placement or inpatient rehabilitation bed/community hospital bed

Fayrewood ward cannot accept patients with cognitive/behavioural issues or on a DOLS - however the ward will review these patients individually as required.

Have you got brain freeze? Issues with BEAT for some users

Have you have noticed some unexpected changes on your training profiles on BEAT VLE? We are aware that some staff members may have topics missing from their BEAT VLE, please be assured that our education team is working hard to rectify this issue. In the meantime, please continue to complete training which is relevant to your role, once the fixes are actioned your brain will automatically go green to reflect the training which has been undertaken.

Downloading Outlook PWA

From 1 May, the Outlook 2010 app will no longer be able to connect to Exchange Online so emails within the Outlook 2010 app will stop working. Staff can download Outlook PWA and use it in a similar fashion as the existing Outlook client. Find out how to download in the latest news on the intranet.

Still time to be part of Nurses' Week

We will be showcasing the incredible work of our nurses and the difference they make to patients' lives, driven by this year's theme #BestOfNursing.

We would like you to share your pictures and video clips with us, celebrating what makes the #bestofnursing at UHD. You can also download this sign to print and customise with a few words about what you think shows the best of nursing in our hospitals.

If you would like to celebrate the nursing colleagues in your area please email your pictures to annabel.platt@uhd.nhs.uk or send your videos on Facebook Messenger to the University Hospitals Dorset's main page, all content must be submitted by Monday 2 May. If you would prefer to send content by WhatsApp, please email annabel.platt@uhd.nhs.uk to be provided with the mobile number.

Updated map for RBH site now available

We've updated our map and guide to working on the RBH site to reflect the new access directions for the UTC/ED, and other changes you can find both of them here.

Podiatry changes to referrals

The way referrals as made to the inpatient podiatry team across our hospitals has changed.

If you require a podiatry referral for assessment and management of foot ulceration (below the ankle), and foot ulceration in patients with diabetes, you should now refer using the 'acute foot problem podiatry referral' e-form that can be found on the e-forms portal, using the managed bookmarks feature in Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome on any machine in the trust.

The intranet has been updated to reflect this change and also depicts how to make a referral.

Mindfulness for wellbeing

Join the mindfulness taster session on 6 and 13 May, 9.30-11am and discover how we can train the brain in the same way we would train a muscle, how a wandering mind is an unhappy mind, how we can enhance our awareness of all the senses to transform the present moment into something more pleasurable and/or to stay steady through the difficult times. As well as discussion, we will undertake a couple of short group practices which aim to demystify meditation and give a real taste of the benefits that mindfulness can bring.

To book a place please email mindfulness@uhd.nhs.uk.

Funeral and book of remembrance for Jacky Taylor - our voluntary services coordinator

The chapels at RBH and Poole have both opened books of remembrance for Jacky, who passed away in the Macmillan Unit on Saturday. You can also send any messages through to proudto.volunteer@uhd.nhs.uk and the team will ensure they are included.

Jacky's funeral will be conducted by our chaplain, Rev. Duncan Ridgeon, on Tuesday 10 May at 1pm. Her family know how important she was to staff and volunteers and understand many would like to attend. Due to capacity, attendance is by invitation only but all are welcome to join virtually to celebrate Jacky's life using the details below. Alternatively you can attend the chapel at RBH where her funeral will be live streamed. As the chapel is based in our hospital, please only attend if you are free of symptoms of Covid-19 and have a negative lateral flow test, wear a mask and use the hand gel provided.

Jacky and her family were overwhelmed by the kindness and support from the team in the Macmillan Unit and request donations to them, rather than flowers. You can donate here: https://www.macmillanlocal.org/make-a-donation/.

To join Jacky's funeral virtually:

Link: https://watch.obitus.com

Username: quce9760

Password: 384311

Update to annual leave carry overs and sell backs

The workforce is currently working through the annual leave carry and sell back forms that have been submitted

All sell back forms that were submitted by the deadline of the 31 March will be paid in the May payroll, if your form missed the 31 March deadline please expect payment in June payroll.

The carry over adjustments should hopefully be processed by the end of June please appreciate how many the workforce team have to process

Any problems please contact workforcehelp@uhd.nhs.uk.

Become an end of life champion

Keep up-to-date with our end of life team with a quarterly newsletter and become a dementia champion. A dementia champion will cascade information to colleagues and be a source of advice in their departments. To become a champion please email megan.lawford@uhd.nhs.uk.

Transgender health support - a conversation with Dr Sophie Cook

Dr Sophie Cook is a writer, speaker, actor, broadcaster and as well as a LGBT and mental health campaigner. Sophie will be giving a talk to NHS colleagues from across the region discussing healthcare for transgender patients, and offering advice and guidance on how we can support these patients when they are in our hospitals.

UHD staff can book free tickets to an online talk with Sophie, on 10 May from 11am-12pm. Click here for more information and to book your tickets.

Enjoy free use of a beach hut for a week

As a thank you to staff, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity funds three beach huts on local beaches which are available for permanent staff to use through a ballot.

Huts across Bournemouth, Boscombe and Southbourne are allocated for one week at a time with rentals starting on a Saturday and completing on the following Friday. There are three huts available and each member of staff can apply for one week per year - please complete the form here to submit your application and return to the patient affairs office at RBH; post point CO3 by 20 May; you can put two different choices of weeks in order of priority.

This is a ballot and chosen weeks will be allocated as per people's choices as much as possible.

Covid pneumonitis trial

If you have a patient who has Covid pneumonitis and you think they may be suitable for the recovery trial then please bleep 2831 at RBH and 0116 at Poole. The research team will come and assess them for suitability. Please document in the notes that you are happy for them to be recruited into the trial. Recovery at our site currently has the high-dose corticosteroids and Sotrovimab arms open'.

Dorset Care Record passes 4,000 trained users

Interest in the Dorset Care Record continues to grow with a milestone of 4,000 trained users reached this week, with 1,290 users from our hospitals overall representing a doubling of numbers over the past 17 months. There are on-going facilitated training sessions led by our training lead Laura Bonner. Please access the module via the following links:

DCR mandatory training e-learning module

11 May at 1pm

20 May at 10am

23 May at 11.30am

RBH: post room notice

Due to the forthcoming Royal Mail new collection times from RBH, our post room working hour's will change to 8am-4pm Monday to Friday from 23 May.

If you require further information, please email stuart.fleming@uhd.nhs.uk or steve.curtis@uhd.nhs.uk

Have a boogie and raise money this weekend

Start your bank holiday weekend the right way tonight with fabulous live music from UHD staff band Volatile Agents. The best medical rock-punk-funk-rap-soul band in East Dorset will be performing their eclectic repertoire at the O2 Academy Bournemouth today at 7pm in support of your hospitals.

You can find tickets online or pop in to our charity offices at either RBH or Poole to claim yours for the bargain price of £10.

Tickets for UHD staff from TicketsforGood

Tickets for Good have has received an allocation of 200 free tickets for NHS staff for Keith Urban 'the Speed of Now' World Tour on Wednesday (4 May). Hurry to make the most of this fantastic offer here.