Kingfisher Ward Dorset County Hospital

A massive thank you to Gemma Ryder from Portland who popped in to Kingfisher with some amazing donations! Goodies included DVD players, DVDs, toys, tea and coffee cups for toddlers, cot mobiles and nappies! All was raised from a bingo night and golf day! Thank you so much Gemma, this is incredible!

Patients, visitors and staff are often surprised to discover that this striking piece, known as 'The Bull' is in fact an original life size charcoal drawing, not a photograph!
Renowned artist Jonathan Delafield Cook trained as an architectural draughtsman in Japan, winning many awards for his large scale intricately detailed drawings. He is represented in prestigious galleries worldwide and we are extremely proud of our original commission for DCH.
Check it out in South Wing Level 3, just outside Barnes Ward. We strongly believe that our art collection with Arts in Hospital makes the hospital environment feel more welcoming and less clinical.

Thanks to everyone who supported our Eye Department's Easter coffee morning and tombola to raise funds for young swimmer Luke O'Dowd to pursue his dream to represent Team GB at the Paralympic Games. Find out more and donate at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/l ukeoparaswim

For today's #FeedbackFriday we're looking at our outpatients' experiences in a range of departments across the Trust. Some truly wonderful feedback, with a shout out to Melissa in hand therapy, well done! Brilliant work #TeamDCH! 🌟 #FridayFeeling

Have you visited the Healthier Together website? - https://www.what0-18.nhs.uk/
It can be extremely stressful when your child is unwell. We know that there is a huge amount of information available at your fingertips, but finding something that provides clear and accurate information is not always easy!
The resources on the Healthier Together website have been developed in partnership between parents and healthcare professionals from across Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of ...Wight. You'll find clear information on common childhood illnesses, including advice on what 'red-flag' signs to look out for, where to seek help if required, what you should do to keep your child comfortable and how long your child's symptoms are likely to last.
Most importantly, the resources are used not only by parents but also by healthcare professionals. This means that your child is likely to receive consistently high quality care, irrespective of which healthcare provider you take them to see. And their advice is likely to mirror that on the Healthier Together website. Reducing unnecessary variation improves the overall quality of care and reduces the parental anxiety that inconsistent advice generates.
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Congratulations to the latest well-deserved recipients of our Hospital Hero awards. Wonderful to hear more stories about how our staff go over and above to offer the best care and support possible to our patients #TeamDCH

Our catering team are looking super smart in their striking new uniforms. This amazing group of staff are a vital part of #TeamDCH and work incredibly hard to cater for our patients, visitors and staff every day of the week. Give them a like to show how much we appreciate them!

Thank you so much to all the listeners who donated to the Wessex FM Easter egg appeal. You made the young patients in hospital on Kingfisher Ward over Easter very happy indeed!

A massive thank you to Amy Ratcliffe who recently donated £1,250 to our Lower GI Fund! She held a party at The Closet in #Weymouth to celebrate being cancer free! Her raffle alone raised £1,000, with the rest coming from donations on the night, including £200 from The Closet! With it being #BowelCancerAwarenessMonth Amy was keen to use this cheque presentation to promote the symptoms.
Bowel cancer is very treatable but the earlier it is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat.... People whose cancer is diagnosed at an early stage have a much higher chance of successful treatment than those whose cancer has become more widespread. If you have any symptoms, don’t be embarrassed and don’t ignore them. Doctors are used to seeing lots of people with bowel problems. The symptoms of bowel cancer can include: • Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo • A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit • Unexplained weight loss • Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason • A pain or lump in your tummy
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The Friends of Dorset County Hospital will be hosting a book and bric-a-brac sale tomorrow in their ongoing efforts to raise £17,000 for a new ultrasound machine for the Respiratory Department. The sale will be held in South Wing Level 1, opposite the Cardiology Department.

How many likes can we get for our Diagnostic Imaging Department? Here's some of the team in their brand new uniforms - they had to take up the opportunity to show them off! Looking very smart ladies! A fantastic department in our Trust with absolutely wonderful staff! #TeamDCH

Our patients are really benefiting from our new project with The Wessex Heritage Trust. The Memory Box Project is all about igniting the memories of our elderly patients.
It was really heartwarming to watch a mother and son share the memory box experience together. 💞
Each Monday Kayte from the project brings a different themed box filled with real heritage items to share with small groups of patients, encouraging them to share memories with each other in a friendly and welcoming environment. The boxes are highly sensory, packed full of tactile items to hold, complimented with accompanying 'smell boxes' and even sounds from the past! She visits Barnes Ward in the morning and Purbeck in the afternoon, and the boxes are available for staff and volunteers to use during the week.

Infection Control Specialist Nurse, Abigail Warne, is running the #LondonMarathon in aid of our hospital charity, along with four other charities, each very personal to her. Good luck next weekend Abigail, #TeamDCH is behind you! 🏃‍♀️ To donate, visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AbigailW arne

We can't thank Sarah enough for her amazing donation of £2,000 to our Haemodialysis Unit. Her dad is currently undergoing dialysis treatment - and due to hospital advances, he is now able to receive this treatment in the comfort of his own home. Sarah works at the Premier League and decided to give her share of charitable funds to our Trust as a thank you! This donation will make an incredible difference!

Elizabeth Frink was one of Dorset's most celebrated artists and donated the iconic Bronze Dog to the Hospital in 1987 - she was a Founder Patron of Arts in Hospital and it was our first ever artwork. You'll find this spectacular work of art situated in the courtyard adjacent to Surgical Outpatients Department - North Wing, Level 1.
Since then our art collection with Arts in Hospital has grown to more than 700 works - the largest and most accessible art collection in the coun...ty! Internationally known artists represented include Richard Long, Albert Irvin, Terry Frost, Bruce Maclean, Jim Dine, Patrick Caulfield, Susan Derges, Tony Cragg, Garry Fabian Miller, James Ravilious, John Skelton and even cartoonist Glen Baxter to name just a few!
We strongly believe that our art collection makes the hospital environment feel more welcoming and less clinical, improves staff and patient morale as well as providing key markers for everyone to navigate their way around the hospital.
Pick up your FREE art map and explore our inspiring collection next time you visit DCH. We hope it distracts and alleviates just a little of the stress associated with hospital appointments.
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This week the spotlight is on our Day Surgery Unit. Our staff are doing a wonderful job, making sure our patients are feeling at ease and well looked after from the moment the walk in. Keep up the hard work everyone! You're amazing #TeamDCH! 👍 #FeedbackFriday #FridayFeeling