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Children and young patients who attend Royal Derby Hospital's Children's Outpatients Department will now be able to enjoy a colourful and calm environment, thanks to a stunning transformation.

The makeover was created as part of a collaboration between charity-funded arts programme, Air Arts, Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity and the hospitals League Of Friends Group, to create a sense of calm for patients moving around the hospital.

From 7am on Wednesday 14 June 2023, some junior doctors across the NHS will take part in industrial action which is planned to last for 72 hours, concluding at 7am on Saturday 17 June 2023.

We have put extensive plans in place to minimise the impact on our patients and communities. We will prioritise emergency, urgent and critical care but there will be disruption to some services.

1 - 7 June 2023 is this year's annual national Volunteers Week. Today, on the final day of this celebration, we have spoken with a number of our fantastic volunteers about 'Why I Volunteer' - giving their time and energy to volunteer with us, sharing their stories on this special week.

Colleagues came together to raise the Pride Progress flag at Royal Derby Hospital today to mark the start of Pride Month; a global celebration and commemoration of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Kind-hearted staff have made the dreams of a patient with cancer come true after arranging for him to marry his long-time partner in a special ceremony attended by their loved ones.

Ant Hadfield and his now wife, Mandi, met 14 years ago in a tattoo shop, but were desperate to become man and wife as soon as possible after Ant became ill in March this year.

A new mum whose baby was found to have a two-vesselled cord at the 20- week scan has thanked the brilliant team at Queen's Hospital Burton for their support and reassurance during her pregnancy.

Chelsee Mosson, from Rugeley, said she enjoyed a straightforward pregnancy up until the 20-week mark. During a routine scan the sonographer found that her unborn son had a two-vesselled cord, a condition in which the baby has just one artery and one vein connecting to the umbilical cord instead of two arteries and one vein.

Colleagues who provide care for stroke patients have been hailed as 'inspirational' by a patient for providing compassionate care during challenging circumstances.

Ward 4 at Queen's Hospital Burton is a hybrid ward which offers stroke rehabilitation, as well as providing support to patients with other medical conditions, meaning they see a range of different dependencies on a daily basis.

A patient who suffered a cardiac arrest while watching a cricket match has thanked the off-duty UHDB colleague whose quick thinking and actions saved his life. 76-year-old Chris Sexton was enjoying a day out watching games at his beloved Ockbrook and Borrowash Cricket Club on Saturday 20 May when he started to feel unwell.

A UHDB midwife has been recognised at a national level by the Deputy Chief Midwifery Officer for England, with a prestigious Silver Chief Midwifery Officer Award for helping pregnant women with social complexities get the support they need in the most compassionate way.

A behind the scenes member of #TeamUHDB has been celebrated for the vital role they played in ensuring clinically vulnerable patients were able to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations over the past two years. Sally Maine, Service Manager for Outpatients, played a pivotal role in implementing a specialist vaccination clinic for patients who had been identified as being at risk of having an allergic reaction to the vaccination.

The family of a UHDB colleague who passed away on Florence Nightingale Community Hospital's End of Life ward have visited the ward to see a poignant garden mural they helped fundraise for.

Ann Moran, secretary within Specialist Medicine at UHDB, sadly passed away two years ago. Her husband Phil and their son Stephen met with Ward 2 staff to thank them for the care they provided to Ann in her final weeks.

Colleagues from the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU), Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU) and Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) teams at Royal Derby Hospital recently came together to celebrate their success in relocating and reconfiguring their services to support the continuing delivery of exceptional care during winter pressures.

Working collaboratively, the three teams undertook what is thought to be one of the largest relocations that has taken place at the Trust - planning extensively to ensure this did not affect patient care while it took place.

As a result of their hard work and the success of the relocation, Chief Executive Stephen Posey chose the teams as the winners of his latest Monthly CEO Making a Difference Award, highlighting his gratitude for their commitment.

UHDB is delighted to be working with our Carers Network to mark Carers Week 2023, which will be taking place from Monday 5 June - Friday 9 June 2023.

The Network will be hosting events throughout the week to celebrate - and this includes a very special public Carers Event titled 'Caring in the Community', reflecting on this year's theme.

This event will be held on the final day of this week-long celebration, on Friday 9 June from 9.30am-4.30pm, at the Hilton Hotel at St George's Park in Burton.

We have carefully reviewed our mask wearing guidance and, from Monday 15 May, masks will be a personal choice rather than a mandatory requirement for staff, patients and visitors inside our hospitals.

UHDB, in collaboration with the UK Sepsis Trust, is hosting a series of informal group meetings to offer support to patients and their families who have previously been treated for sepsis. 

A UHDB nurse who arrived in the UK just over 12 months ago as a Palestinian refugee from Lebanon has spoken of her pride after she recently qualified as a Registered Nurse.

Ghada El Ayoub arrived at the Trust in March 2022 alongside four other refugee nurses from Palestine who had all previously been working in healthcare in Lebanon, and has since gone on to complete her training in the UK - becoming the first of her cohort to do so. 

Now working in a substantive post on the Ward 208 stepdown unit at Royal Derby Hospital, Ghada has shared her inspirational story for International Nurses Day 2023 (12 May) as the world comes together to celebrate and honour the vital contributions of nurses in delivering care to patients and communities.

Friday 12 May 2023 marks International Nurses Day - a day of celebration observed worldwide to honour the vital contribution of nurses in delivering care to patients and communities.

UHDB is delighted to say thank you to all of our fantastic nurses at UHDB on this special day - as well as nurses working across our NHS, and all over the world - for their invaluable role in providing care and treatment to those who need it.

To celebrate, we've spoken to three UHDB nurses about their roles here, focusing on 'Why I Became a Nurse' - and UHDB's Chaplain, Alison Thorp, has offered a prayer to her nursing colleagues.

As well as this, teams across all of our hospital sites are marking the occasion with staff displays, events, decorations, and information for colleagues, patients and visitors alike. We are delighted to see so many teams take part. 

Val Haylett is one of UHDB's public Governors for the Derby City constituency and has been in post since 2018, following a career which spanned three decades serving the NHS in Derbyshire.

A landmark study that aims to deliver a step change in the care of chronic wounds and reduce healthcare costs for wound management has begun patient trials in people with diabetes-related foot ulcers.

Today is International Day of the Midwife 2023, a day for us at UHDB and across the world to honour, recognise and pay tribute to the remarkable work done by midwives all over the world. Midwives play an invaluable role in supporting women and babies throughout pregnancy and during childbirth.

Many people choose to become a midwife for a number of different reasons, and as part of our celebrations today, we've spoken with three UHDB midwives at different stages in their careers for them to explain 'Why I Became a Midwife' and what motivates them put on their uniform every single day to care for women and babies across Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

A junior doctor based at Royal Derby Hospital has been hailed for her pioneering eco-conscious work that has helped UHDB along its journey to becoming a more sustainable organisation.

During her GP rotation, Meeral Mashood approached the Sustainability and Clinical Audit teams to express an interest in undertaking a Quality Improvement (QI) project to make some sustainability changes at the practice she was working in.

For this hard work and commitment to improving sustainable practices in her area of work and across UHDB, Meeral has been awarded an Excellent Employee Making a Difference Award - presented to her by our Executive Chief People Officer, Amanda Rawlings.

The benefits of having a furry companion around are undeniable, and Ozzy, one of our Pets as Therapy (PAT) dogs, proves it every day.

This lovable, calm pooch has been visiting our hospital sites with his owner, Veronica 'Ronnie' Crawshaw, since October 2022 - spreading happiness and positivity among staff, patients, and visitors.

A six-year-old cockapoo, Ozzy brings smiles to many faces, visiting many different wards and departments to provide companionship, relaxation, and emotional support for patients and staff alike.

The team at Queen's Hospital Burton's (QHB) A&E department has become the first in the country and one of two centres in the world to gain accreditation for their use of an innovative emergency department triage system.

A physiotherapist who started out with a career in the Royal Marines has broken the mould by using his previous military experience to make a difference in healthcare.

David Williams grew up wanting to be in the Armed Forces but his journey took an unexpected turn and he forged a new career as a physiotherapist. Determined not to let his previous experience go to waste, David has worked hard to improve support for ex-military patients and colleagues in his role as Chair of the Armed Forces Network here at UHDB and has seen the network go from strength to strength.

An "exceptional and dedicated" teenager, who volunteered his time to help patients receiving end of life care at UHDB, has been given an award in recognition of his efforts.

Aymen Boud, who is 17-years-old, was handed the award after taking part in the NHS Cadets scheme, which saw him spend 36-weeks helping colleagues care for patients and their families on Ward 2 at Florence Nightingale Community Hospital in Derby.

Today, Wednesday 26 April, is National Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Day.

Cancer CNS workers are highly specialised, experienced nurses who play a vital role in the cancer workforce, using their training to build a sense of trust, honesty and openness with their patients in order to support them in the best possible way.

Here at UHDB, we have 60 CNS colleagues who are taking care of patients and their families who are living with cancer and undergoing treatment. We spoke to Kerry Pape, Lead Cancer Nurse Manager, about what their role involves and why it is important to shine a spotlight on these valued colleagues on National Cancer CNS Day:

On Tuesday 4 April, UHDB and the EMBRACE staff network proudly hoisted the new 'One World, One #TeamUHDB' flag at Royal Derby Hospital to celebrate and recognise the diversity of #TeamUHDB colleagues.

Colleagues from across departments came to watch the flag hoist as EMBRACE Network Lead Mwansa Mulenga, Chief Executive and executive sponsor for the EMBRACE network Stephen Posey and Chair Kathy McLean shared short speeches about the flag, the importance of diversity in our workforce, and our ongoing commitment to be an inclusive, welcoming organisation for all.

Univeristy Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) has partnered with the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) to provide patients with useful information regarding their care and ongoing treatment from the comfort of their homes.

From 7am on Tuesday 11 April 2023, some junior doctors across the NHS will take part in industrial action which is planned to last for 96 hours, concluding at 6.59am on Saturday 15 April 2023. We have put extensive plans in place to minimise the impact on our patients and communities. We will prioritise emergency, urgent and critical care but there will be disruption to some services.

Colleagues from across the Trust came together to celebrate the grand opening of the Queen's Hospital Education Centre (QHEC) after an extensive refurbishment programme today (28 March).