Bournemouth and Poole

Both Bournemouth and Poole Hospitals have their own Postgraduate Education Centres with dedicated training rooms, lecture theatres, clinical skills rooms and Simulation Suites.

The Foundation teams (both FPDs and FPCs)  are available to answer any questions or offer any advice regarding the Foundation Programme and are supported by the post graduate medical education teams.

Bournemouth Hospital

The accommodation at Bournemouth is spread across two sites, the main being on hospital grounds at the back of the hospital opposite the Education Centre. The onsite accommodation comprises mainly of 5 and 6 shares where the facilities are shared with others, along with some studios and 1-bedroom flats for those who are living as a couple (these are limited). There is also the off-site accommodation which is at Abbotsbury House which comprises of 6 flats each with numerous en-suite rooms where only the kitchen and lounge are shared. Prices start from £425 per calendar month.

Poole Hospital

The accommodation at Poole is based on site and consists of The Penthouse and Parkstone House. The Penthouse has 14 ensuite rooms and 4 rooms that share a communal bathroom/toilet. Rooms are currently allocated on a first come first served basis. Parkstone House is a purpose tower block. A typical single occupancy en-suite bedsit room consists of:

– En-suite bathrooms

– Laundrette

– Wi-fi

– Residents TV lounge

– Fabulous views from most rooms

– Charges are inclusive of utility bills, council tax, cleaning of communal areas

– On site management team

Prices start from £503.05 per month but are currently being reviewed to be more universal over both sites.

University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) Knowledge and Library Services provide a highly visible, dynamic knowledge service for all; to improve and enhance health outcomes through the timely delivery of accessible, quality information.

We offer a variety of services including:

– Expert literature searching, information retrieval and enquiry services

– Access to resources (physical books, e-books, e-journals, databases)

– Knowledge mobilisation services and facilitation – including Journal Clubs, Randomised Coffee Trials and before/after action reviews.

For more information about our library services click here.

Bournemouth Hospital Library

The library at Bournemouth Hospital is in the Bournemouth Education Centre. The library training room and the ‘Glass Room’ can be booked for meetings, etc.

Poole Hospital Library

The library is in the Learning Resource Centre, which is opposite the Education Centre, to the left of Parkstone House Accommodation. The ‘Allen Room’ and ‘Tarrant Room’ which can be booked for meetings, etc.

There are number of IT facilities across the site for you to use. Each ward has PCs for completion of day-to-day work. The libraries on both sites have access to PC facilities as do both the Doctors Messes.

In January 2025, UHD signed a new contract with Saba Parking to deliver car park management services across its sites. Part of the new contract will see the trust phase out paper permits and move to digital e-permits and ANPR technology.

This is expected to take a number of months to implement and staff are advised not to make any changes until they are advised to do so via our normal communication channels. We will continue to update you as we progress with this exciting development.

As part of the transition, the paper permit application system has been suspended in preparation for a new e-permit system in the future. If you need to make a change to your permit or if you are new to the trust and would like information on parking, please see below the key information for staff:

New Permit Requests
Staff who would like to join the permit scheme and do not currently have a permit, must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the Parking Policy & SOP.
To submit an application for review, please complete the following two documents and send copies to uhdparking.permits@sabagroup.com:
 
Personalised Travel Plan – This is an online system and once completed a copy will be sent to you via email, which you then submit to the above email address
UHD Parking Application Form – This form will need to be submitted along with the Personalised Travel Plan to the above email address.
 
Copies of the Parking Policy & SOP, along with the link to the Personalised Travel Plan and the Application form will be sent to you before you start.

Alternative Travel Options
Have you considered an alternative to driving alone to work? UHD are committed to supporting its staff travel in the best way for them and the environment. We offer a range of incentives and discounts for both public and active travel.

Please contact our Travelteam@uhd.nhs.uk who can provide more information or take a look at our Sustainable Travel webpages. Should you have any other queries please do not hesitate to contact us on uhdparking.permits@sabagroup.com

As Bournemouth and Poole Hospitals are currently merging, so are the separate messes. The combined mess will continue to be very active with a host of activities including outdoor activities in the summer.

Previous events have included Winter and Summer Balls, trips around Poole Harbour, and water sports sessions. The Mess Committee also arrange an induction week for the new F1s joining the trust.

Both sites will continue to have mess facilities until the merger is complete, with perks such as plasma screen TV’s, 300 sky channels, computing facilities, weekly food shops, comfortable sofas, and sleep pods.

– Bournemouth and Poole city centres are easily accessible by car or bus, and both cities offer easy train links to the south coast, and towards London.

– Premier League Football Team situated between both Bournemouth and Poole Hospitals.

– Several leisure centres and gyms within proximity of all Trust sites.

– Numerous leisure activities including golf, sailing, kite surfing and horse riding.

– Numerous sites for enjoying the theatre, music and exhibitions, including the Bournemouth International Centre, the Lighthouse Centre in Poole and the Christchurch Regent Centre.

All new Foundation Year 1 doctors will undergo an induction and shadowing programme starting on Monday, 28th July 2025. This comprehensive programme will include essential training sessions, such as Acute Illness Management and departmental shadowing, along with mandatory trust training to ensure a smooth transition into their roles and readiness for clinical practice.

Foundation doctors can take up to a maximum of 5 taster days across F1 and F2 and this will be deducted from the F2 study leave entitlement. The vast majority of taster days are taken locally but placements in other Wessex Trusts can be considered if the relevant clinical speciality is not represented in the doctor’s own Trust.

Before applying for taster days, we advise for you to have a discussion with your educational supervisor to see if it is deemed appropriate. Then you will need to contact the relevant Foundation Programme Director(s) to gain confirmation that they are happy for you to attend.

Bournemouth and Poole have their own dedicated Simulation Suites (1 on each site) based in both Education Centres, which are staffed by our Simulation Team made up of our Simulation Lead and Technicians. The Simulation facilities are used by a wide range of departments from Maternity to ED. You will also get the opportunity to use the Simulation facilities as part of your training.

During F1 we facilitate AKI/SEPIS and STEPS training, where in small groups you will be taught using the Simulation equipment on these subjects. During F2 you will use the simulation equipment to have further STEPS training and Simulation forms part of one of the subjects of the F2 Professional Skills in Medicine Study Days.

Wessex Foundation School encourages foundation doctors to contribute to and participate in local forums. Additionally, there are national forums conducted by the UKFPO, time to attend such forums is supported by the Trust where possible.

Previously, both Bournemouth and Poole ran their own Junior Doctors Forums with support of the Guardian of safe working on each site, however, from 2023 a new Joint Forum was introduced with Chairs for both sites.

We actively encourage all Junior Doctors to come along as this is their chance to have their say about matters that are important to them. We also encourage Junior Doctors to get involved in the organisation and leadership of these forums as it gives them the relevant skills that they can take further in their career.

An educational supervisor is allocated to each foundation doctor for the full two years of their Foundation training to maintain an overview of development and progress of the doctor within the training programme.

A clinical supervisor will be allocated to the trainee for each of their rotations, usually this will be a Consultant within that Speciality.

During your F1 year we run a specific teaching programme to assist you with your learning and educational needs in line with the Foundation Programme Curriculum. The sessions will be held in the Education Centres on both sites and we will be linked via Microsoft Teams, so the presenter can present to both sites and the same time. These teaching sessions are protected time and unless you are holding a crash or on-call bleep, then you will be required to leave your bleep with the Education Centre reception staff.

During your F1 year we offer other mandatory training such as ALS (which is provided Free of charge), Simulation training (STEPS) and AKI/SEPIS training.

The F2 Teaching programme consists of 5 days and covers professional skills as well as aspects required in the Foundation Curriculum. This is a Dorset wide programme and will give you the opportunity to meet your F2 Colleagues from Dorset County Hospital.

We also have a wide range of teaching on offer across the trust including departmental lead training, MDTs, XRay Meetings and Grand Rounds. There will be other education opportunities throughout the 2 years, which the Foundation Team will inform you about.

During your 2 year Foundation Programme you will complete 6 different 4 month rotations in a variety of specialties aimed at giving you the opportunities to achieve the requirements of the Foundation Curriculum. These rotations have been balanced to give a rounded experience and we are very lucky to have Foundation opportunities within the majority of specialties at UHD.

Alongside educational opportunities we offer mentoring and support to ensure you can maintain your own wellbeing throughout your time with us.

Our aim at University Hospitals Dorset is for you to have an enjoyable experience and to maximise your learning opportunities and experience to prepare you well for your future careers.

Our trust is comprised of three hospitals; the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Poole Hospital and Christchurch Hospital, which merged on 1 October 2020, creating a new organisation. This will provide huge opportunities and benefits to the way we deliver patient care in the future and will lead to better outcomes, improved quality and more efficient service delivery.

As well as delivering excellent general hospital services, our trust is home to a range of specialist services and facilities including:

– Our flagship Dorset Cancer Centre, offering medical and clinical oncology services for the whole of Dorset, serving a total population of over 750,000

– A major trauma unit for east Dorset, serving a population of more than 500,000 people.

– A state-of-the-art Cardiology Unit (the Dorset Heart Centre)

– Our award-winning orthopaedic service providing hip and knee replacements (the Derwent Unit)

Within UHD we pride ourselves on the delivery of safe and high quality care. Every single person working within this organisation makes a difference to the quality of care provided.

Our values underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients and visitors, but also how we treat each other – our valued team mates and colleagues.

Our values will be embedded into every part of our organisation such as recruitment, appraisal and development.

They will help us create a welcoming, inclusive and innovative work environment for all at UHD so that we can deliver the best outcomes for people who need our care on the South Coast.

– We are caring

– We are one team

– We are listening to understand

– We are open and honest

– We are always improving

– We are inclusive

Whilst your Education and Training is important to us, your health and wellbeing is equally as important as well.

The Trust has a ‘Thrive Wellbeing’ service that offers a wide range of pastoral services and support to clinical and non-clinical staff. This includes mental, physical and financial health support.

We also have health and wellbeing check ins, which are coaching one to one discussions focused on empowering individuals whilst also building individual and team resilience through embedded conversations across the system.

Both Bournemouth and Poole sites have chapel and prayer space which are open 24hours a day to patients, visitors and staff who are members of all faiths or none for quiet prayer and reflection.

We also have a number of staff networks. The purpose of these employee-led groups is to provide support and guidance to other employees and also provide insight and guidance to the organisation to assist in improving culture and experience. These networks are supported by the Senior Leadership Team and have explicitly given permission for employees to take reasonable time off to attend. These networks include:

– The Diverse Ethnicity Network

– The UHD Pride Network

– The Women’s Network