Temporary closure of Walton pharmacy: On Wednesday 25 March, Walton pharmacy will be closed for a half-day team training session. The dispensary's opening hours will be 9am-12pm and 4-5pm. Messages left on the dispensary phone (01246 515537) or emails sent to dchst.pharmacyorders@nhs.net or dchst.pharmacydispensary@nhs.net will be prioritised and handled promptly based on urgency. For urgent medication requests or information between 12 noon and 4pm, please call 07443 237721 and leave a brief message. A team member will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
This week is Nutrition and Hydration Week (16 - 22 March): The focus of this year’s Nutrition and Hydration Week is reinforce, focus and energise with a shared objective to highlight, promote and celebrate improvements in the provision of nutrition and hydration. Take a look at the Nutrition and Hydration Week website for more information, ideas and resources for the week.
Eating, drinking and swallowing matters: National Swallowing Awareness Day is tomorrow (Wednesday 18 March) Swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) can affect people of any age and may impact safety, health and quality of life. Signs include coughing or choking when eating or drinking, a wet voice after swallowing, long mealtimes, recurrent chest infections or unexplained weight loss. Speech and language therapists (SLTs) assess swallowing safety and provide advice on textures, positioning and strategies to support safer, more enjoyable eating and drinking. If you have concerns about someone’s eating, drinking or swallowing, please refer to Adult SLT via the website for guidance and referral forms.
Have your say on ethnic pay and progression in the NHS: We are inviting NHS staff to volunteer to take part in confidential focus groups exploring experiences of pay, progression and career opportunities across ethnic groups in the NHS. This research is funded by the NHS Race and Health Observatory and administered by researchers at the University of Surrey. The research aims to better understand how pay and progression are experienced in practice, and what might help create fairer career pathways. In this first stage, we are seeking volunteers for focus group participation. All staff members and grades are welcome. To register your interest, please use this link.
Derby safeguarding adults board course (April to June): DSAB has released a new Safeguarding Adults course for training sessions running April - June, designed to build safeguarding knowledge and confidence. Training is not mandatory, but staff are welcome to apply voluntarily to support their ongoing development. From January 2026, all DSAB courses use a new booking tool system, with step‑by‑step guidance included in the training prospectus, flyers, website training pages and booking instructions. For any queries, please email Safeguarding.Training@derby.gov.uk
Oliver McGowan Tier 1 and Tier 2: Please be reminded that staff should not book multiple places for any Oliver McGowan courses. Please could all staff who have multiple courses booked decide which session you are attending and remove your booking from all other courses. This will help staff who cannot currently get a space. Any further queries regarding this, please contact donna.wright3@nhs.net.
Save the date - Dying Matters week: Week commencing 4 May 2026, Dying Matters week will be here. This year's event 'Let’s talk about Death and Dying' will be taking place on Thursday 7 May at the University of Derby. Staff can book their place here.
Copilot Chat support group - now launching: We’re launching a new Copilot Chat support group for colleagues who are new to Copilot or want to build confidence using it in their day‑to‑day work. This is not formal training. Instead, it’s an informal, peer‑led space to ask questions, share experiences and talk openly about what’s working (and what isn’t) in a supportive, judgement‑free environment. The group will welcome basic questions, share practical, real‑world examples and help build confidence at a comfortable pace. To help us gauge interest, please complete the short Copilot Chat Support Group Interest Survey. You can also access Microsoft’s Introduction to Copilot Chat for the NHS training.
Understanding Autism and Neurodiversity - Deepening Quality Conversations: From this session, ran by neurodivergent trainers with years of lived and professional experience, you will:
- Learn what autism and neurodiversity are, and find out about the Autism Dialogue Approach.
- Be introduced to ways of talking and listening that help people feel understood and valued.
- Identify small changes you can make to make your practice more autism‑friendly.
- Feel confident using these ideas in different situations, whether you are with one person or a group.
Book a session here.
