National Quarterly Pulse Survey (NQPS): Our next NQPS will go live this Wednesday (7 January) and run until Saturday 31 January. Look out for an email from ‘picker_surveys@picker.org’ in your inbox to complete your survey. It only takes a minute or two to complete, and it’s a valuable way to let us know about your wellbeing. We all have a voice that counts, and this survey complements other tools like the NHS Staff Survey to help us listen and support you better.
If you have any questions about the survey, contact Simon Rose: simon.rose9@nhs.net.
Remembering Joanne Cauwood: It is with great sadness that we share that our colleague and friend of many years, Joanne Cauwood, has passed away. Jo worked in Ilkeston Urgent Treatment Centre for many years as an Urgent Care Practitioner and was extremely proud to be a nurse. Jo said: "Nursing to me is having a strong desire to make a difference in people’s lives." Jo was also previously awarded a DCHS Seasonal Star award for her personal qualities of treating patients with warmth and compassion and with a person-centred focus which resulted in a truly excellent, trauma-informed care approach. Jo will be sadly missed by all of her colleagues.
Please take care of yourselves and each other in the days and weeks ahead. If you need to talk, reflect, or simply have someone listen, support is always available through our wellbeing services. With thoughts to everyone feeling the loss of Jo.
Still time to get your flu jab: Flu remains very much with us this winter, and there is still time to get your flu jab if you haven’t already. We’ll be running our vaccination clinics throughout January so please do take the chance to get vaccinated and help protect yourself, the community and those who rely on our services. Find your closest vaccination clinic here.
Declaring Christmas gifts: This is a reminder that staff need to declare any Christmas gifts they may have received from patients or suppliers worth £20 or more, under the 'standards of business conduct policy'. Also, a reminder that staff cannot accept cash or gift vouchers regardless of the value and they should seek advice from their line manager about what to do if they have been given cash or a gift voucher. Staf can also contact andrea.graham6@nhs.net if they need any advice or support.
Updated Staying Safe booklet: Following a comprehensive review by the key services involved in the Staying Safe initiative, a new, condensed version of the booklet has been developed. While the original key headings have been retained, the content is now more succinct and easier to read. To request copies, please complete the attached order form and submit it to the logistics team. An electronic version of the booklet can also be accessed by searching for “Staying Safe” on the My DCHS portal.
Swadlincote Health Centre parking: From tomorrow (6 January), the bus park and car park with be closed for up to 14 weeks for refurbishment. The nearest car park is Sainsburys, and daily parking can be purchased at Sainsbury’s for reasonable prices. Weekly parking Monday to Friday costs £11 and a monthly pass costs £39. All staff are eligible to claim back for parking elsewhere by keeping receipts etc.
Apprenticeship awards: Nominations for the Joined Up Care Derbyshire apprentice awards 2026 are now open. These awards celebrate and recognise our fabulous apprentices across all disciplines. Please click here for more information on how to vote.
The deadline is 12noon on 12 January 2026.
Dying Matters Awareness Week 2026 - save the date: Every year, people around the UK use Dying Matters Awareness Week to encourage all communities to get talking in whatever way, shape or form works for them. Save the date for next year's events.
Kick off 2026 with Quality Conversations (QC)!: We’re excited to announce our January QC training sessions designed to strengthen communication skills and improve health outcomes across Derbyshire. Learn enhanced listening and questioning techniques, health coaching approaches, and practical tips to support personalised care.
Have your say - join us for EDS domains two and three grading workshops: We are delighted to invite all DCHS colleagues to take part in the Equality Delivery System (EDS) domains two and three grading workshops this January. This is a great opportunity for you to share your views on our equality information against EDS domains two and three to help shape improvements. The EDS is a framework that helps us review and improve equality for staff, patients and communities. To find out more about the EDS, visit here.
Further details will be shared nearer the time. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please get in touch with the inclusion and belonging team.
Admin Forum: Thanks to our admin colleagues who attended the forum in December. See here for a summary of the discussion themes. Click here to join the Next Meeting on Thursday 12 February, 10.30 - 11.30am where we will welcome guest speakers to tell us more about the free version of Copilot Chat to help us to start using AI in our admin roles.
Faith trails 2026: Two more dates are available for the faith trails starting at the Open Centre, Derby. The details are here for both 6 May and 1 October.
Having better mental health conversations
Gain confidence in starting conversations about mental health and responding effectively when concerns arise. These training sessions are part of the Quality Conversations series:
- Tuesday 20 January, 1.15pm-4.30pm- Book here
- Wednesday 28 January, 9.15am-12.30pm- Book here.
Oliver McGowan training – more dates added: additional level 1 webinar dates are now available to book on UHDB Training Academy (NCORE).
QPS newsletter: Welcome to the winter edition of the Quality and Professional Standards (QPS) newsletter. Read it here.
