Latest news

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton is today celebrating International Day of the Nurse, recognising the exceptional care our Nurses provide to our patients.

Today marks the 201st birthday of honorary nursing pioneer, Florence Nightingale, whose legacy continues to live on now more than ever.

A former nightclub bouncer has made the incredible journey from working on the doors to helping save people’s lives in Theatres as a key member of our robotic surgery team at Royal Derby Hospital. Pam Higginbottom first joined UHDB as a Healthcare Assistant (HCA) six years ago and has spent the last two years training to become an Assistant Theatre Practitioner (ATP) in Urology – following more than two decades in the hospitality industry.

Staff on Ward 2 UHDB’s End of Life care ward have been reflecting on how they have made their ward a ‘good place to die’ for Dying Matters Week 2021.

A UHDB consultant has become the first female non-medical President of the British Association for Cytopathology (BAC).

Dying Matters Week 2021 focuses on the importance of being in ‘a good place to die’ with members of Team UHDB reflecting on what this means to them and how they have ensured this for patients at the end of life.

UHDB colleagues have come together to help create a lasting tribute to our incredible Intensive Care Unit team at Royal Derby Hospital. A beautifully crafted blue plaque bearing the name of the ICU and images symbolising the Covid-19 pandemic has now been installed into the perimeter fence at the walking entrance to RDH. Rainbows, forget-me-not flowers and swallows are just some of the designs engraved into the artwork, which has been created thanks to funds raised by UHDB porter Avtar Samrai and members of the ICU team.

Dr Rajeev Singh, Consultant Gastro-intestinal / Interventional Radiologist based at Royal Derby Hospital, is aiming to raise £30,000 to buy oxygen compressors which will help patients who are recovering from the virus, or whose condition is worsening to avoid them needing hospital treatment. 

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton is today celebrating International Day of the Midwife, recognising the invaluable care our midwives provide to women and their babies.

Once you’ve met them you rarely forget them. Midwives play such an important part in the lives of our women and their families

Teams in Urology, Oncology and Continence Outpatients Teams at Royal Derby Hospital have combined to form the new Urology Outpatients Services which will create a more comprehensive service offering for patients.

Monday, 3 May marks the start of Sun Awareness Week, organised by the British Association of Dermatologists, and UHDB have launched the #SunAwarenessWeek campaign to help raise awareness around sun protection and skin cancer.  

The Dementia Service at The University Hospital of Derby and Burton Trust (UHDB) has recently expanded and is being relaunched to incorporate the role of  dementia specialist Admiral Nurse, Charlotte Kawalek.

This is in collaboration with national charity Dementia UK, with £50,000 funding for the post provided by the charity’s partners at Central England Co-operative over a two-year period.

During the pandemic the world celebrated medical staff and the UK championed the NHS, but as we all hailed the Doctors, Nurses and Surgeons, there were unsung heroes working just as tirelessly behind the scenes. 

When you think of everyone who works in a hospital, would you ever think of the Linen team? 

We have an incredible Linen team here at UHDB and their jobs changed dramatically when coronavirus hit, but their efforts went under the radar, until now. 

An extremely grateful cancer patient has thanked the Combined Day Unit at Royal Derby Hospital for their unwavering support throughout the pandemic.

Avtar Samrai, a porter at Royal Derby Hospital, has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to help others - walking and running every day to raise funds for Derby and Burton Hospital Charity. Avtar has had to overcome a completely different challenge since the turn of the year though, after contracting Covid-19. This is his story, in his own words:

A Royal Derby Hospital Nurse working on our Medical Assessment Unit has been praised by colleagues for the work she does to support the Filipino Overseas Nurses when starting at the Trust.

Minnie Inacay, Sister, was nominated by one of her colleagues to receive the UHDB Excellent Employee Award, after supporting them when they first arrived in the UK from the Philippines.

The nomination read: “When I arrived here in UK and joined MAU, I was so nervous as I didn't know anyone on the ward. When I met Minnie, she made me feel so welcome and looked after all of the Filipino overseas nurses. She always goes above and beyond even outside work hours.

UHDB has received nearly £100,000 in National Lottery funding to help preserve some of the Trust’s most treasured and historical artefacts for future generations to enjoy.

The ivory hammer used by Queen Victoria to open the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary (DRI) in 1891 is just one of the many important items from our Trust’s past that will benefit from the funding boost.

A mum of two has praised the “faultless” staff at Royal Derby Hospital and urged women to attend their appointments for smear tests after receiving the news that her treatment for cervical cancer had been successful.

The Healing Garden at the Royal Derby Hospital is a place for people to come and plant a bub in memory of a loved one who has sadly died at our hospital.

Have you got the urge to do even more for our Trust in this toughest of years for the NHS? If so, you should consider putting yourself forward to become a UHDB Staff Governor.

It remains vitally important that we all continue to work together to do all we can to limit the spread of Covid-19 in our hospitals and in our communities.

The Trust is currently reviewing how we book patients’ appointments and may change the way we do this.

We want to hear from you if you have visited our Emergency Department after contacting NHS 111 in the first instance.

One hundred patients, cared for by the Head & Neck Theatre Team at Royal Derby Hospital, have benefited from reduced pain and a quicker recovery, thanks to an innovative robot funded by the Trust and Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity.

Today’s 100^th operation, a trans-oral procedure for a patient with tongue based cancer, was led by Mr David Laugharne, Consultant Maxillofacial Head and Neck Surgeon and Mr Sean Mortimore Consultant ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon.

A new digital surgical pre-op assessment is helping staff at Royal Derby Hospital streamline their service and provide an improved experience for patients. All patients who are to be admitted for elective surgery will undertake a pre-op assessment to ensure it is safe for them to undergo their planned procedure.

A Porter at Queen’s Hospital Burton is running five kilometres every day in April to raise money and awareness for the National Autistic Society.

Tina Beresford, Theatre Support Worker

A beautiful mural has been unveiled in the Dove Suite in Fetal Medicine at Royal Derby Hospital.

The Vaccine Hub at Queen’s Hospital Burton has opened its door again as staff and patients begin receiving their second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Tributes to Captain Sir Tom Moore have been installed at both Royal Derby Hospital and Queen’s Hospital Burton.