Latest news with #UniversityHospitalsDorset
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Cancer care staff to receive compassion fatigue resilience training
Cancer care staff at University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) will receive compassion fatigue resilience training. The initiative, funded by a grant from the Blue Light Card Foundation, aims to support the mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing of NHS staff. The intense nature of cancer care, involving patient distress, high-pressure environments and difficult discussions, can lead to compassion fatigue. This state of exhaustion endangers the health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals and compromises care quality. The training aims to help UHD cancer care staff recognise early signs of compassion fatigue. They will learn effective coping strategies to protect their emotional and mental health. Jo Valentine, UHD cancer nurse specialist lead, said: "It's so important that specialist nurses and healthcare professionals working in cancer care access this type of training because they often experience constant exposure to patients going through life-changing diagnoses, treatment, the effects of treatment, and ongoing care and regularly deal with breaking bad news. "By providing this training to staff, members of our team will be able to recognise symptoms, develop effective coping strategies and help sustain emotional and mental wellbeing. "Plus, patients will benefit from having a more emotionally balanced and engaged workforce. "Investing in staff wellbeing is one of our Trust's core values and helps build stronger teams where staff feel valued and supported." The cost of this training is £7,372, which will be covered by the Blue Light Card Foundation. Karen Smith, senior charity manager at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, said: "We are so incredibly grateful for the support to fund this vital compassion fatigue training. "This is one of the most meaningful projects I've had the privilege to be part of." Emma Woods-Bolger, chief executive of the Blue Light Card Foundation, said: "We're proud to support this initiative from University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, which speaks to the heart of why the Foundation exists. "Cancer care professionals give so much of themselves, often at great personal cost. "This project provides space and skills to help them care for themselves too because protecting their wellbeing is essential to protecting the quality of care they offer others."
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Mixed ratings for surgery at Bournemouth and Poole hospitals
Surgical departments at two hospitals run by the same NHS trust have received mixed reviews from Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it revisited Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital in January due to previous said Bournemouth "required improvement" due to safety and leadership issues, but Poole achieved a "good" Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust said it had addressed a number of concerns and was proud of its "skilled" and "caring" staff. The CQC reports said operations at the two sites were frequently cancelled due to a lack of staff, beds or January, 234 patients had surgery cancelled on the day of the 57% of patients had to wait more than 18 weeks to be seen and treated, according to figures from the NHS trust. Bournemouth's surgical department was rated "good" for being effective, caring and there had been "near misses relating to equipment not always being available" and "frequent oxygen cylinder shortages on wards".Inspectors also reported "cluttered corridors" and out-of-date equipment including a throat tube introducer that expired in April CQC concluded: "The high number of issues showed a lack of senior leadership oversight."Poole Hospital was found to have improved since its last report in 2023, when inspectors found safety CQC said internationally-educated nurses had been successfully introduced at both sites to reduce staff NHS trust's chief executive Siobhan Harrington said: "I am very proud that the CQC reports highlight that colleagues across our surgical services are skilled, capable and passionate about providing the best possible care. "Patients also told the CQC that they were treated with kindness and warmth, even when our services were busy."The CQC shared with us where improvements were needed and we immediately addressed a number of concerns." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Record-breaking amount raised at Bournemouth seafront march
The March for Men event raised an impressive £29,273 for prostate cancer support. University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity hosted the event along Bournemouth seafront, with a record-breaking turnout of more than 317 participants. The walkers, joggers, and runners came together to raise funds for those affected by prostate cancer. The money will be used to improve patient care and purchase state-of-the-art equipment at University Hospitals Dorset. Kevin Turner, consultant urological surgeon for University Hospitals Dorset's department of urology, said: "It was so powerful to witness such an extraordinary display of support for our prostate cancer services at March for Men this year. "It was particularly impactful to see participants taking part because they had a personal connection to the cause – whether they were walking, or running, for themselves, beside family or in heartfelt remembrance of loved ones." READ MORE: Magna Care Centre holds spring fair for Forest Holme Hospice Funds to aid patient care and equipment at local NHS hospitals (Image: UHD) He added: "Thank you so much to everyone for your support for March for Men this year. "You illustrated how strong our community is when we come together to support prostate cancer patients and their families." This year's March for Men sponsors, Spetisbury Construction Limited and Oak Business Services Limited, also attended the event. Justin Ives, managing director of Spetisbury Construction Limited, said: "We had quite a few of our team turning up and taking part and supporting March for Men by either walking or running the 5 or 10km. SEE MORE: Bournemouth family raise more than £10,000 for charity History made with every step March for Men draws record-breaking crowd and raises over £29,200 for prostate cancer patients (Image: UHD) "We all had a great morning; it truly was a great event on our lovely beach and it was sunny. "Most importantly, everyone raised a significant amount of money for the charity, well done University Hospitals Dorset and thanks for inviting us to be a small part of this." Glenn Prowles, director of Oak Business Services Limited, said: "We're proud to be part of the fantastic March for Men event once again. "Supporting our local NHS hospitals means a great deal to us and we're honoured to play a role in helping them go above and beyond for this event." The charity expressed its gratitude to everyone who participated, including those from Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and the surrounding areas, for their commitment to the cause.
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctor issues major warning over 'healthy' drink that's as fattening as Coca-Cola
A diabetes expert has issued a major warning over a supposedly healthy drink that can be as bad for you as Coca-Cola. Dr David Cavan, consultant endocrinologist at University Hospitals Dorset, says many are in the dark about the shocking amount of sugar contained in a popular breakfast go-to. In fact, he says, some variants could have as much sugar as a can of soda - a whopping nine teaspoons, which can contibute to weight gain. Fruit smoothies - though widely believed to be a 'healthy' beverage - are packed with sugar, Dr Cavan explained. 'Any fruit, when turned into a smoothie, becomes a very sweet drink, albeit with some fibre in it,' he said. 'In terms of sugar content, smoothies are on a par with Coke. 'It does not matter that the sugar is 'natural' (that is, it originally came from fruit) - it is still sugar, and will have a big impact on the level of glucose, and therefore insulin, in your bloodstream.' Dr Cavan, author of new book Managing Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide to Reducing Symptoms and Improving Your Health, says a simple step to reducing your risk of diabetes is to cut out fruit smoothies. Juicing removes fibre and some of the nutrients that would be found in a fruit or vegetable. When drunk in smoothie form, therefore, you get more of the sugar and less of the healthy fibre that helps you feel full. The natural fruit sugars in smoothies can also add hundreds of extra calories to your daily intake. A 2013 study found that people who ate whole fruit were less likely to get obesity-related type 2 diabetes, while those who drank fruit juice were at increased risk. Swapping fruit juice for fruit three times a week appeared to cut the risk of type 2 diabetes by 7 per cent. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where the body fails to produce enough insulin - the hormone responsible for managing blood sugar levels. Previously known as adult-onset diabetes, it can lead to a range of potentially deadly health conditions if not managed effectively. These include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and blindness. While there is no cure for the condition, it can be put into remission through lifestyle changes like losing weight, eating a balanced diet and regular exercise. Sugary drinks like fruit smoothies, however, could jeopardise the health of diabetics in remission, says Dr Cavan. 'I would even say that I don't think it's possible to manage Type 2 diabetes if you continue to drink sugar in this way,' he writes. For those who can't do without fizzy drinks like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Pepsi or Sprite, at least switch to the diet option, which contain artificial sweeteners in lieu of sugar. 'Sweeteners can also cause problems, but they are a much better option than sugar,' he added. Around two in three adults in the UK are obese or overweight, according to figures from the NHS. Rates of type 2 diabetes, meanwhile, have ballooned by a staggering 40 per cent among people under 40, a recent report from Diabetes UK revealed. More than 4.6 million people in the UK live with diabetes diagnoses. And experts believe a further 1.3 million could be living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Bournemouth Hospital £91m maternity unit welcomes first families
Bournemouth's new £91m maternity unit has begun welcoming its first expectant BEACH building at Royal Bournemouth Hospital opens on Monday, replacing the ageing facilities at St Mary's in House, who had her first child at St Mary's, is due to have her second at the new unit in described the BEACH building as "amazing, huge, light and airy", with private space and room for partners to stay. Ms House, who works in the hospital trust's admin team, said the birth of her first child during the Covid pandemic was a "completely different" experience. Speaking to Radio Solent's Dorset Breakfast show, she said: "My partner was able to stay for the duration of labour but, as soon I was transferred to the post-natal ward, he was gone."That was Covid anyway, but St Mary's didn't have any capability for partners to stay. There wasn't room to have spare beds."She described the new facilities as "absolutely amazing", adding: "It's huge, light, airy - there are some amazing views. "It's a big building and every room is private so everyone has their own space."As well as the maternity unit, all emergency gynaecology and early pregnancy services are now based at the move is part of a major reorganisation of services by University Hospitals Dorset across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
