Welcome to our latest edition of My Download, your go-to round-up of all the latest news and updates. Got something to share with colleagues? As a reminder, the weekly deadline for contributions is now 5pm each Friday, as we start to issue the latest edition each Tuesday. We hope the revised schedule will make a more natural cut off point for submitting your news. To send us your news or for any queries please email: dchst.communications@nhs.net.

Still time to get your flu jab: There is still time to get your flu jab if you haven’t already. We’ll be running our vaccination clinics throughout February 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.

Working from home survey: Please take a few minutes to complete this short, anonymous working from home staff survey to help us improve support for staff working from home. It has 14 questions and takes about three minutes. The results will be shared in upcoming communications. For questions or to request an information governance session, contact dchst.info.gov@nhs.net.

Understanding Ramadan – A video for all staff: Ramadan is a special time for many of our colleagues. EmbRACE, our staff network for ethnic and spiritual groups, has created a short video to help us understand what Ramadan means, what fasting looks like day-to-day, and how we can support each other. From prayer and mosque visits to celebrating together, this is a great chance to learn, ask questions, and foster understanding across our teams. Watch to discover simple ways to make our workplace inclusive and supportive during Ramadan.

March Schwartz Round: We are pleased to invite you to attend our upcoming virtual Schwartz Round. A virtual Schwartz Round aims to promote connection, compassion and reflection. They last for an hour and all you need to do is turn up and listen. It even counts as 1 hour CPD and clinical supervision. The next round is Tuesday 24 March, 10.15am - 11.15am, via MS Teams. Click here to book.

Armed Forces training: We’re proud to support our Armed Forces patients and their families by encouraging our staff to take part in the new NHS Armed Forces healthcare training and education programme. Staff can find out more and sign up here. Watch the first module (a five-minute video) here.

Redaction and how to do it safely: Redaction means removing sensitive information before sharing a document. Some methods are not secure, including covering text with shapes or highlights, using screenshots, changing text to white, or saving as a PDF without proper redaction — these can all be reversed. To ensure redaction is permanent, you must:

Use approved software like Adobe Pro (available via procurement with manager approval), or
Manually redact by printing the document, covering information with a permanent marker and scanning it back in, or
For electronic documents, replace sensitive text with XXX or [Redacted], save under a new file name and then create a PDF.

For guidance on redacting in spreadsheets or photos, see the Subject Access Request Policy (Appendix 5). Questions? Email dchst.info.gov@nhs.net.

National Autistic Society magazine: Click here for the latest magazine, which may be of interest to colleagues and their families with experience of autism.

Tier 1 and Tier 2 communications workshops: Two further dates are now available for our communication skills workshops (11 March and 16 June). Bookings can be made via Eventbrite here. Should staff complete the course, please email the certificate of completion to dchst.peopledevelopment@nhs.net for a recording of the course.

Places are available on the deaf and disability workshop (online), Tuesday 10 March, 9.30am - 12.30pm. The aim of the course is to assist staff in breaking down barriers and creating a positive, supportive and inclusive environment. Book via ESR and learn more about:

Identifying prejudice and stereotyping
Exploring issues of discrimination and barriers to services
Medical and social models of disability and inclusive services
Differences between deaf (BSL), deafened, hard of hearing and deafblind people
Basic understanding of hearing aids/cochlear implants
Understanding communication techniques
British Sign Language (BSL) and Sign Support English (SSE).

DCHS two-day Quality Improvement training – open to all: The first 2026 cohort runs on 3 and 13 March at Charnos Hall, Ilkeston Hospital. Limited spaces remain. You can book by emailing dchst.cet@nhs.net. You will gain:

How to plan and run a QI project
Practical tools you can use immediately
Hands‑on activities
Confidence to lead real change
Learning alongside colleagues from across DCHS.

Quality Conversations - core skills: Learn enhanced listening and questioning techniques, health coaching approaches and practical tips to support personalised care:

Thursday 26 February, 9.15am - 12.30pm - book here.

Self-care tear aware pathway: The pathway was developed during Covid for the use in care homes, however with the shift in healthcare, financial challenges and tighter resources, the pathway has been revised and renamed the self-care tear aware pathway to promote the element of self-care. In order to promote ownership, patients and carers need to be partners in their care. The new self-care tear aware pathway provides a user-friendly resource and is intended for anyone to use. It gives patients and carers the guidance to care for their minor cuts and scrapes independently until it is healed. The pathway also provides a 'stop and think moment' to ensure that the right care is received by the right person or service. This will reduce demand on community nursing services. This is a small change to think differently to help support the sustainability of our NHS. To support the launch of this pathway, nursing clinical leads will introduce this to a targeted audience to support its success.

Clinical apprenticeships - closing date 28 February: If you wish to apply for the nursing or allied health professional apprenticeships due to start in autumn 2026, the closing date for applications is 9am on 28 February. You can only apply if your manager has confirmed support and the link to apply is here. For more information contact the Wider Workforce Team at dchst.apprenticeships@nhs.net

Clinical CPD funding 2026-27: Applications for CPD funding for 2026-27 are now open.

There are a couple of drop-in sessions for managers and staff:

Tuesday 24 February, 10am -11pm - join here
Monday 9 March, 1pm - 2pm - join here.

For any queries please contact: DCHST.cpdfunding@nhs.net

Click here to see this week’s leaders' and managers' update. Contact the leadership development team with any queries.

Click here for the latest wellbeing timetable, running up to 31 March. The password is 'frost'.

Click here to see the latest wellbeing updates.

Internal vacancies: Each week the latest vacancies will be advertised here within the new internal vacancies bulletin. Click here to see the full list of latest vacancies.

Expressions of interest welcome for role of chief clinical information officer: An opportunity has arisen for a person with the right skills and experience to take on the role of chief clinical information officer for DCHS. This is an important and influential role as we transition from analogue to digital by default. This role must be delivered within an existing role/job plan and will need line manager discussion and support before applying. The anticipated time commitment is approximately one day a week on average however there will need to be flexibility to deliver requirements. Significant experience as a practising clinician is an essential requirement of the role and applications are welcome from any registered professional background.

Salary - Afc Band 8C or existing pay scale for doctors.

Click here for the job description and person specification. To apply, please submit an expression of interest by email to Ben Pearson outlining how you meet the requirements as outlined in the job description and person specification by Sunday 8 March 2026. Interviews will be held towards the end of March or early April. For further information about this role please contact Dr Ian Lawrence.

Compliment of the month: This is a new addition to My Download, and will highlight the great work that happens at DCHS. Each month we will post the best compliment we have received from our patients or their families.

The High Peak and Dales rapid response team received the below compliment:

"The care I received whilst in hospital was second to none. I will be going back for future appointments relating to my after-surgery follow-up care."

Well done team!

Shout out of thanks for a fab HIV Testing Week: A huge thank you to our sexual health promotion team, with support from the HIV nurses at Lister House/Well for Life, for an incredible and very busy HIV Testing Week last week.

Over the week, the team visited a wide range of settings from probation services, Derby University and Ilkeston Market to refugee hotels, Sports Direct, Adult Education Centres, colleges and schools, Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Staveley Healthy Living Centre, Derby City drug and alcohol services and food banks. Through community point-of-care testing, distributing SH:24 kits, signposting to online testing kits and raising awareness about the importance of early HIV testing, this week has been a fantastic example of outreach in action.

A fab job – thank you to everyone involved!

Congratulations to Gemma Cooke, who won the Apprentice Champion Award in the Joined Up Care Derbyshire Apprenticeship Awards!

Gemma, one of our service managers, has been recognised for her outstanding support, leadership and commitment to helping apprentices flourish - a truly inspirational leader!

Well done Gemma

#TeamDCHS #NAW2026 #Apprenticeship #SkillsForLife

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