Black History Month workshop this week: Our EmbRACE staff network has organised a workshop titled ‘shared past, resilient future: a story of black British history’ this Wednesday, 30 October at 12midday. Click here to find out more, or contact our EmbRACE network if you have any questions.
Open event spotlights Walton Hospital’s upcoming diagnostic service: An information event, open to all, is being hosted at Chesterfield’s Walton Hospital on Thursday 28 November to share plans and details of the new £5.2m community diagnostic centre, due to open in mid-2025. The information event is open to all, between 11am and 2pm on Thursday 28 November, in the lobby of the hospital dining room. Visitors arriving on site should follow signs to the Peter McCarthy Suite and main entrance and park in the lower hospital car park. Find more details here.
Flu vaccinations – how to get yours: There are three ways to get your flu vaccination this year. You can pre-book or just drop-in to a DCHS or DHCFT site, all the booking details can be found here. Locations of flu clinics next week include Whitworth Hospital, Ripley Hospital, Coleman Street Health Centre, Walton Hospital, Clay Cross Hospital, Florence Nightingale Community Hospital, Swadlincote Health Centre and Cavendish Hospital – you can see all the times and dates for each clinic here. If you can’t make it to one of our sites, you can also get your flu vaccination through your GP or at a pharmacy (and if you’re charged, you can claim it back). Any questions, please email the team at dchst.flu@nhs.net and they will be in touch to assist you.
Speak Up Month: It’s the final week of Speak Up Month and there’s still chance to wear green this Wednesday in support of speaking up. You can also meet our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, Jackie Rawlings, who will be at Ripley Hospital this Thursday, 31 October in the visitors' room from 1.30pm – 4pm. Please feel free to call in and have a chat with Jackie if you are in the area – find out more about the guardian role or talk through any concerns you may have.
2024 NHS Staff Survey: Our organisational rate is now 37.3%. Well done to our continence team who are only the second team to reach 100% completion. The survey is an important opportunity for all of us working within DCHS to share our experiences, insights and thoughts on how we can continue to improve as an organisation and employer. Don't forget, you can use your protected time to share your thoughts - we all have a voice that counts! If you experience any issues completing your survey, please let Simon Rose know.
Inclusion, belonging and the NHS Staff Survey: Our inclusion and belonging colleagues have provided this reassurance about filling in the protected characteristics details on the NHS Staff Survey: Please remember to use your opportunity to tell us anonymously about your experience at DCHS by filling out the NHS Staff Survey. This survey includes information about your protected characteristics. Please rest assured that the data from this section of the survey can only be gathered and reported, all anonymously, at Trust level, and not at service or team level. This is to ensure confidentiality and safety for our staff, as it is vital that we all share honest feedback. If you have any questions about this please contact inclusion and belonging advisors Simon Rose: simon.rose9@nhs.net, or Sarah El Rayyes: sarah.rayyes@nhs.net.
Free drug and alcohol support training for Derbyshire organisations: Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire is offering free training for local organisations around drug and alcohol support. This webinar, delivered by Derbyshire Addictions Advice Service in partnership with Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire, will provide information around drug and alcohol use and how it can affect staff and workplaces. It is appropriate for any employers or employees in Derbyshire wanting to increase their substance use knowledge to support their colleagues and create a healthier workforce. The first session runs on Tuesday 5 November. Find out more, and book your place here.
DCHS organisational strategy – one year on: Our organisational strategy was developed after listening to our colleagues, patients, and communities. It helps us to work together, towards the same goals, using our strengths and resources effectively. Our vision is to see the health of local communities improve, through putting people at the centre, working in partnership, promoting healthier communities, and focusing on the future. In this short video we share with you some of the positive steps we've made as a Trust towards our strategic vision.
Warp-It reuse management system: Warp-It makes it easy for services in DCHS to get surplus items from, or give them to, other services. There are currently many items available for staff to claim and new items are added frequently. A list of currently active items that are available to be claimed can be viewed here. As well as viewing active items, this page also has a link for new members to register.
Mental health, learning disabilities and autism delivery board update: The collective aim of this board is to make improvements to outcomes for people with mental illness, learning disabilities and/or autism, and to implement the requirements of the NHS Long Term Plan. Read the notes from its October meeting here.
Quality Conversations - how to have better conversations about mental health: In this session you will:
- Know how to recognise the need to open up conversations around mental health
- Explore ways to open up conversations around mental health
- Practice these skills
- Feel more confident to listen and respond
- Know how to signpost accordingly.
Sessions are filling up quickly, book our next session on Tuesday 12 November here.