Latest news

The newest available treatments for people suffering with severe migraines are now being offered at UHDB and are helping to “change the lives” of these patients for the better. Nearly 100 patients with chronic or high frequency episodic migraines have been offered or received a new treatment at the Trust over the last year that has made a huge difference to the vast majority – who had all previously struggled to find a treatment that worked for them.   

The exceptional innovations made to advance clinical trials at UHDB during the pandemic have been recognised nationally – in the same breath as “industry giants” AstraZeneca. UHDB’s Derby Clinical Trials Support Unit (DCTSU) were named runners up for an award at the Association for Clinical Data Management Awards, after coming up with an inventive way of ​ reporting trial data that is simpler and more accurate than what was used before.

NHS and care services across Derbyshire are once again asking for the public’s help to make sure they can focus care on the sickest patients.

The Group Rehabilitation Team at Florence Nightingale Community Hospital has been presented with their trophy after being crowned Community Hospital Team of the Year at our Annual Making a Difference Awards.

The team has been recognised for their outstanding work in supporting patients suffering with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee with evidence-based rehabilitation programmes. This is something the team has offered for many years, but the team collaborated with the Health Innovation Network (HIN) in 2017 to offer a comprehensive ESCAPE-pain programme (Enabling Self-management and Coping with Arthritic Pain during Exercise).

The course, which is endorsed by NHS England and Public Health England, consists of 12 sessions over a six week period, with each session incorporating both educational and exercise elements. This has allowed patients to build up a network of support with their peers all while being guided by experienced practitioners.

The Diabetes Team at the Royal Derby Hospital have been presented with a Team UHDB Monthly Making a Difference Award after a patient praised the “world class” care they received.

Queen’s Hospital Burton now has a brand new transport buggy available to help ferry our patients to different corners of the hospital. The buggy started giving lifts to our very first patients this week, in a bid to help those who are less mobile get to their appointments on time and in comfort.

The Gold Command Incident Control Centre team have been presented with a certificate and trophy for the Behind the Scenes award at this year’s Annual Making a Difference Awards.

An incredibly supportive team and plentiful development opportunities are among some of the reasons members of Royal Derby Hospital’s Pharmacy Team believe it is such a great place to work.

UHDB’s Pathology team have been presented with the Exceptional Care Together, Annual Making a Difference Award for responding efficiently to the challenges of the pandemic.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton has sadly lost a treasured colleague. Tina Leek, a Healthcare Assistant on Ward 303, sadly died last week following a tragic accident.

Gavin Boyle, Chief Executive said: “Tina joined the team in 2014 and was known by all as a bubbly, kind, hardworking colleague and a real character that was never stressed. Many of the team looked up to Tina within the department and for the team she will be irreplaceable.

We are delighted to share the news that two of UHDB’s outstanding leaders, Helen Forrest, Infection Control Lead Nurse, and Gill Ogden, Director of Nursing, have today been awarded the CNO Silver Award.

LGBTQIA+ Network Chair awarded with Openness Award for his dedication over the last year

A Burton midwife has been receiving international praise for her collection of poems that she wrote after being diagnosed with Young-onset Parkinson’s and while working on the frontline during Covid-19.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton’s Executive Chief Nurse has been appointed to a prestigious role at NHS England. Cathy Winfield MBE will spend one day a week on secondment as one of three new Executive Nurse Fellows.

Respiratory teams at Royal Derby Hospital and Queen’s Hospital Burton have been presented with their trophies and certificates after winning one of our Outstanding Contribution Awards at this year’s Annual Making a Difference Awards.

The Operations Team at Queen’s Hospital Burton have been recognised for going above and beyond to support Team UHDB throughout the pandemic by being presented with our August Team UHDB Award.

The team received a lovely nomination from  a colleague, which read: “The teams are responsible for enabling flow through the hospital from the front door all the way to discharge, ensuring that patient safety is maintained, patients are where they need to be and that the site is safe whilst following ever changing pathways.

A new area in Royal Derby Hospital’s Emergency Department, which aims to streamline the discharge process for patients meeting certain criteria, has been re-launched.

The NHS is bracing itself for a challenging autumn and is asking the public to help, beginning with the August Bank Holiday weekend as health services cope with unprecedented challenges.

A radiographer at Royal Derby Hospital had been praised by her colleagues for acting quickly and professionally in a potentially life-threatening situation.

Nicole Turner, Senior Radiographer, was contacted by a patient’s wife to say they were feeling unwell and nauseous.  

The last 18 months have been extremely tough for our Theatres teams at UHDB as the emergence of Covid-19 has required them to completely alter the way that they work.

There have been vast changes to the way that we use theatres over the past 18 months, with these areas instead being used to provide vital additional capacity to treat patients with the virus – at a time when it was needed most.

Leaders of Staffordshire County Council have written to UHDB to commend colleagues for their commitment during the "extraordinarily difficult" Covid-19 pandemic.

The lengths our Intensive Care colleagues have gone to throughout the pandemic to protect our most poorly patients has been absolutely extraordinary – they have all truly made an outstanding contribution.

It was fitting then when our ICU teams at Queen’s Hospital Burton and Royal Derby Hospital won the ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ at UHDB’s annual Making a Difference Awards, which was held virtually last month.

A Queen’s Hospital Burton nurse who showed “beautiful” compassion by reuniting an elderly couple for the final time has been presented with a well-deserved award. Emma Barker and the team on Ward 8 arranged for a patient with terminal cancer to spend some priceless time together with his wife, who herself was a patient on the ward and was due to be discharged.  

South Asian Heritage month celebrates the culture and history of South Asians across Britain, and runs between 18 July to 17 August.

The awareness month was created in Ontario, Canada to commemorate South Asian roots from countries such as India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

Dr Jayshree Avasthy, Specialist Clinical Psychologist, explained what South Asian Heritage month means and its importance to her.

Derby North MP Amanda Solloway has commended the “inspirational” Paul Brooks for his invention, the ‘Derby Door’, and services to the NHS which saw him receive an MBE. 

A UHDB Paediatric Consultant has urged parents to “Think Covid” by ensuring their children have a PCR test before they come into hospital for treatment for a fever or other relevant symptoms.

Can you help Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity secure a piece of history which will help to tell the story of UHDB to future generations? Our Ram Trail entry, “Nurse Florence” represents a time during which our staff provided brightness and hope for our local communities as the world stood still and Covid-19 caused loss and hurt.

Following a 12-week art trail in Derby city centre throughout the summer, Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity, alongside Air Arts, intends to join the grand finale as Derby Museums auction off all 30 Derby Ram Trail sculptures with all proceeds from the auction to be donated to Derby Museums' Endowment.

Last week, the Friends of the Baby Unit (FOBU) celebrated their 45^th birthday as a charity, raising awareness of baby’s receiving care.

Due to current pressures affecting all areas within maternity services, we’ve made the difficult decision to suspend our home birthing service across Derbyshire and Staffordshire, until 30 August 2021.