Our staff across Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) are working are extremely hard. Many are working in unfamiliar surroundings, longer shifts, extra days and are having to spend a lot of time away from home and their families to ensure we can care for our most vulnerable patients.

In anticipation of the increased demand for critical care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has announced a number of temporary changes to services to ensure that staff can be redeployed to areas where they are most needed and patient safety is not compromised.

Volunteers are needed for key support roles at the main hospitals sites - Amersham, Wycombe and Stoke Mandeville.

In an incredibly short amount of time local Buckinghamshire man Colin Campsie and his friends raised £1,500 and with this bought a fresh fruit and vegetables, with help from The Cape restaurant in Beaconsfield, for critical frontline NHS staff at the Trust.

Parking charges have been suspended effective immediately at all Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust hospital and community sites for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic for the public and staff.

The Trust has taken the decision to move all clinically appropriate outpatient appointments to a non-face-to-face setting. We are currently in the process of informing all patients whose appointment will be changed from a hospital based appointment to a consultation over the phone.

Sadly, we can confirm that 2 patients who were being cared for at Wycombe Hospital and 2 patients who were being cared for at Stoke Mandeville Hospital have died.

In line with national guidance BHT is suspending all non-urgent operations. Urgent and emergency cases and cancer treatments will continue as normal. We know many people waiting for treatment will be disappointed or worried and we will contact everyone affected as soon as possible.

Sadly, we can confirm that a man who was being cared for at Wycombe Hospital has died. The patient was in his late 70s, was admitted with underlying health conditions and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19.

Restrictions on visitors to all our inpatient wards have been applied at Stoke Mandeville, Wycombe, Amersham and Buckingham hospitals.

The Trust is pleased to announce that it has been selected to be one of the pilot sites for the government’s new digital aspirant programme, run by NHSX.

A small number of patients at Wycombe Hospital and Stoke Mandeville Hospital have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). The patients are being cared for appropriately at the hospitals where they continue to be monitored and treated.

Our main priority is to keep our staff and our patients safe. Due to an infection control risk, we have temporarily closed Ward 9 to new admissions and visitors at Wycombe Hospital as a precautionary measure in line with new Public Health England guidelines.

The latest information on symptoms of Coronovirus infection and areas where recent travel may have resulted in a high risk of exposure can be found on nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.

The Trust is currently imposing restrictions on visitors permitted onto Waterside Ward at Amersham Hospital. This is a preventative measure to limit the potential risk of norovirus infection (also known as winter sickness bug).

For the latest information about the risks of catching the virus in the UK and what to do to help prevent the virus spreading please visit: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) staff celebrated local healthcare heroes at the annual staff awards on Thursday 13 February.

A message from Public Health England: The NHS in Buckinghamshire and Public Health England (PHE) are extremely well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal.

Thanks to the generosity of Scannappeal supporters Wycombe Hospital's brand new MRI scanner has arrived on site. A meticulously planned operation saw the scanner, the first of its kind in the UK, arrive by a crane on Saturday 25 January.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is working in partnership with Buckinghamshire College Group to deliver on-the-job experience to future healthcare workers and create career pathways for young people. The Trust is the third in the UK to be offering this experience, following on from pioneer projects in Cumbria and Norfolk.

The Trust has recently received a generous donation from the Wycombe Wanderers Ex-Players Association after their former player and manager, Peter Suddaby was treated there.

For the latest information and health advice about Wuhan novel coronavirus please visit the public health information page.

The Trust Health Visiting Service has been awarded the prestigious Baby Friendly Award and is the latest UK health care facility to win international recognition from Unicef (United Nation’s Children’s Fund).

The Rainbow Badge initiative, seeks to make a positive difference by promoting a message of inclusion for all. Launching the initiative at BHT provides staff with an opportunity to demonstrate that the Trust offers open, non-judgemental and inclusive care for patients who identify as LGBTQ+

We are delighted to announce that Karen Bonner has been appointed as chief nurse at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT). Karen will start her new role on 30 March 2020. Karen Bonner has extensive experience working in a number of large complex organisations including the Royal Free, St George’s, Barts Healthcare, Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. She is currently at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The Trust is currently imposing restrictions on visitors permitted onto our adult wards at Stoke Mandeville and Amersham hospitals. This is a preventative measure to limit the potential spread of the highly infectious norovirus that is circulating in the community.

As is normal at this time of year, flu and norovirus are circulating within the community and some of our inpatient wards are affected at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Visiting will be restricted in areas experiencing flu and norovirus. We will try to contact a patient’s next of kin to inform them of any restrictions in advance, but if you are unsure please check before visiting by calling the appropriate ward.

The Trust is excited to be launching the first of its new continuity of carer midwifery teams working within the community and attached to Wycombe and Aylesbury birth centres. This is part of the maternity transformation programme which seeks to implement the vision set out in the Better Births* review and the NHS Long term plan for improving maternity services in the UK. The Trust is also launching a new app this month to support women from the start of pregnancy to early parenthood. The mum & baby app will be available for all women across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West.

Our accident and emergency department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital is very busy at the moment. Please make use of the range of alternative options available for non-emergency situations to ensure you get the appropriate care you need and save yourself an unnecessary trip to A&E.

Have you always wanted to test yourself in the London Marathon or take part in a world-class closed-road cycling event? Now you can! And what’s more, by registering to part through our Trust Charitable Fund you'll be challenging yourself in support of a very good cause – your local NHS.

Kris Aves, the policeman who spent several months undergoing rehabilitation in the Trust’s National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) after being hit by the van used in the Westminster Bridge attack in March 2017, has been back to Stoke Mandeville Hospital to donate equipment as a way of saying ‘thank you’.

A launch event for a film produced to promote the Stoke Mandeville Spinal Needs Assessment Checklist and Goal Planning Programme was held on Tuesday 17 December in the National Spinal Injuries Centre.

A recent appeal from Stoke Mandeville hospital’s children’s ward on Mix 96 for products for its patients has led to the Amazon team from the fulfilment centre in Milton Keynes making a donation of more than £1,000.

Local pharmacies will have limited opening hours over the festive period. Most pharmacies in the area will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day so we encourage you to order any prescription medication you may need during the festive period in plenty of time.

The café in the NSIC area at Stoke Mandeville Hospital is back in business. On Monday 2 December, after a short transition period, the café switched from being managed by the Royal Voluntary Service to being run directly by the Trust.

Our accident and emergency department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital is very busy at the moment. Please make use of the range of alternative options available for non-emergency situations to ensure you get the appropriate care you need and save yourself an unnecessary trip to A&E.

The doors for the main entrance to A&E and Outpatients departments at Stoke Mandeville Hospital will be undergoing essential maintenance on Saturday morning. There will be no access into these departments via this doorway between 7am and 12 noon.

The national data opt-out is a service that allows people to opt out of their confidential patient information being used for purposes beyond their individual care and treatment – for research and planning. The Trust is committed to the National Data Opt-Out scheme and is working towards implementing the new processes by 31 March 2020.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has signed the Armed Forces Covenant committing to fair treatment for those who serve, or have served in the military, and their families.

From Monday 25 November parking charges will be introduced at all our community hospitals: Buckingham, Chalfont and Gerrards Cross, Thame and Marlow. This is to ensure that the limited spaces remain available for patients and are not used for public parking.

A team of pharmacists and a microbiologist from the Trust have helped set up a twinning relationship between two Buckinghamshire primary schools and schools in Uganda, Africa. The children will be encouraged to write to each other as pen pals to learn about life in a different country, discover cultural differences and also understand the importance of good antibiotic guardianship.

Trust burns consultant, Mr Mike Tyler, praises a dad’s quick thinking for preventing life-long scarring of his son’s legs by cooling his skin in cold water for 20 minutes immediately after the accident.

The Trust is proud to be supporting and raising the importance of healthy nutrition during Malnutrition Awareness Week 2019.

We're delighted that Liz Monaghan, matron at the Florence Nightingale Hospice at Stoke Mandeville hospital, has been named ‘Best Nurse’ in The Sun's Who Cares Wins awards!

The Trust’s anaesthetists have been recognised for providing the highest quality care to their patients. The prestigious Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) from the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) was awarded in June with an official presentation on Thursday 19 September.

We are currently seeing cases of flu at the Trust. If you’re feeling unwell with flu-like symptoms please think before visiting hospital, or your GP surgery, as you could risk passing on your cold to patients who are very sick and make them worse.

The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System (BOB ICS) has published an interim report on the development of its five year plan.

The Trust is very proud to have been chosen by NHS England to support their latest nurse advertising recruitment campaign. The campaign launched on 15 September with a TV commercial shown during prime time national TV ad breaks.

The vote is open for you to vote for Tracey to be the NATIONAL Operational Services Support Worker of the Year award winner.

During Organ Donation Week, September 2 to 8, NHS Blood and Transplant and Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust are urging people to talk to their families about organ donation to increase the number of people whose lives can be saved or transformed by an organ transplant.

Pharmacy Opening Times this August Bank Holiday Weekend

Thame Community hospital is thrilled to be able to provide a local ultrasound service as a result of a donation from Thame League of Friends

BHT and NHS Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are inviting the public to an open day and joint Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital on Saturday 21 September.

We are delighted to announce that Tracey Underhill, Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, and the Community Assessment Team (CATS) have been shortlisted for awards at this year’s HSJ Awards.

Recipients of CARE awards are invited to a special ceremony that’s a part of each public board meeting to collect their award from Neil Macdonald, Chief Executive. At the July 2019 Board meeting recipients from across all teams and departments within the Trust were recognised.

Denise Voon has taken the top prize in the Optician or Optometrist of the Year category at this year’s Macular Society Awards for Excellence

The Trust’s anaesthetists have been recognised for providing the highest quality care to their patients.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is delighted to welcome Nicola Gilham to its Trust Board as a non-executive director.

Our fantastic Nutrition and Dietetic Team has been announced as the Regional Champion of The Health Equalities Award in the NHS Parliamentary Awards 2019.

The Trust is extremely proud that the Cancer Care and Haematology Macmillan Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatment (SACT) Outreach team have been shortlisted for the 2019 Nursing Times Awards in the Cancer Nursing category. These awards recognise those making nursing an innovative, patient-focused and inclusive profession. They provide the opportunity to congratulate peers, leaders and the brightest talent entering the profession.

Nominations for our annual staff awards are now open! Our annual staff awards recognise and celebrate the achievements and commitment of individuals and teams working for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. Award winners are staff/volunteers/contractors who demonstrate safe, compassionate care and who embody our values and behaviours; Collaborate, Aspire, Respect, Enable.

Big Conversation Cafes are there to answer the little questions you might not want to ask or the ones that are somewhere in the background but you did not know who to ask. The next cafes will be on Monday 29 July at Thame Community Hospital from 1.30-3pm and on Tuesday 30 July at Marlow Community Hospital from 1.30-3pm .

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is looking for Cataract and Glaucoma ophthalmology patients to take part in a two hour workshop to discuss the way in which referrals and treatment are dealt with.

Our accident and emergency department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital is very busy at the moment. Please make use of the range of alternative options available for non-emergency situations to ensure you get the appropriate care you need and save yourself an unnecessary trip to A&E.

A partnership between the University of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) will see Bedfordshire healthcare students study for their degree at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, home to the world renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre.

The weather is forecast to be warm across Buckinghamshire this weekend. Please make sure you take care of yourself and keep an eye out for those whose health may suffer in hot weather.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has taken the decision to temporarily close one of its community wards at Amersham Hospital to ensure that it can continue to keep its patients safe.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) staff, patients and volunteers are celebrating today as the organisation has been rated as ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and ‘Outstanding’ for caring following an inspection in February and March this year.

Big Conversation Cafes are there to answer the little questions you might not want to ask or the ones that are somewhere in the back of your mind but you don't know who to ask.

Recipients of CARE awards are invited to a special ceremony that’s a part of each public board meeting to collect their award from Neil Macdonald, Chief Executive. At the May 2019 Board meeting yesterday a list of recipients from right across all teams and departments within the Trust were recognised – it was wonderful to hear their citations and to see them with their friends, families, colleagues and supporters.

The Trust is very proud of our chaplaincy team who picked up an award in the Clinical Support Services category at last night’s HSJ Value awards.

We hope you enjoy the bank holiday weekend and don’t require urgent medical help, however, if you do please make sure you get the right help, in the right place for your medical needs.

Monday 20 May marked International Clinical trials day. This single day has been stretched to a full week at the Trust so we can raise awareness of the work of our research and innovation team. The Trust currently has just over 200 studies open spanning 23 specialties.

Congratulations to the Chaplaincy team from the Trust who came first in the ‘Putting people first’ category at this year’s Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) Dignity in Care awards.

Annual hand symposium takes place at Stoke Mandeville Hospital 15 May 2019. The event brings together hand surgeons, therapists, trainees and nurses from across the region and special guests from further afield to share best practice and learn about innovative approaches.

The Working Out programme is part of the Trust’s Community Head Injury Service (CHIS) and is a vocational rehabilitation service supporting people with acquired brain injuries to find and retain employment.

The Muslim period of Ramadan begins over the Bank Holiday weekend and lasts for 29 to 30 days. If you are fasting during this time please take extra care during hot weather and follow all available advice. Please read our 10 top tips for healthy fasting during Ramadan.

We hope you enjoy the bank holiday weekend and stay well and healthy. However, if you do need medical help please consider all of the healthcare options available to you before coming to A&E, including NHS 111, GP out of hours service or your local pharmacist.

Our accident and emergency service can become busy over the bank holiday weekend. Please make use of the range of alternative options available for non-emergency situations to ensure you get the appropriate care you need and save yourself an unnecessary trip to A&E.

Bucks Sexual Health and Wellbeing clinics in High Wycombe and Brookeside will be closed on Monday 6 and 27 May, for the bank holiday.

A specialist mental health service has been launched to offer tailored mental health treatment to women and their families during pregnancy and following childbirth.

If you have any symptoms of flu please avoid visiting your relatives and/or friends on our wards until you are symptom free.

Please see pharmacy opening times across Thames Valley

Last month the Trust celebrated a milestone - it has now received over 1,000 excellence reports since the Excellence Reporting system was established in 2016.

A new audiology clinic, based at Chalfonts and Gerrards Cross Community Hospital, is set to expand the Trust’s community services making it easier for local patients to access key services.

The British Red Cross ‘assisted discharge’ service at Wycombe Hospital removed practical barriers to someone getting home. Specially trained support workers address patients’ fears and concerns, listening and providing reassurance and advice, so people feel safer and more confident when they get back home after a hospital stay.

On Wednesday 13 March the Trust was pleased to welcome Roy Lilley, to Marlow and Wycombe hospitals. Following his visit, Roy wrote very positively about the innovative work of the Trust.

Chiltern Music Therapy have partnered with the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust to provide iPods on the Stroke Ward at the Wycombe Hospital.

Eligible cancer patients undergoing treatment in Buckinghamshire are to attend clinics at their local community hub as a successful pilot scheme is rolled out this year. The announcement comes as the first of the clinics opened for the first time today (Wednesday) at Thame Community Hub, which on its own may benefit at least 200 Buckinghamshire patients a year.

On Sunday 10 March the Trust’s chief executive, Neil Macdonald, and director of strategy and business development, David Williams, will be taking part in the Big Vitality Half Marathon. The speedy execs will be running 13 miles around London to in support the Bucks MRI appeal, launched today by Scannappeal.

A group of 46 staff members celebrated an incredible combined 1,300 years of service to the NHS at a special event on Thursday 14 February 2019 held at Wycombe Hospital.

This year’s NHS staff survey results (NHS Survey Results) show that staff at the Trust are amongst the most satisfied in the country with their place of work. More than 3,000 staff took part in the annual survey, which asks for their views on key areas including staff health and well-being, quality of care, staff safety and engagement. In six out of the ten areas surveyed, employees rated the Trust above average compared to other Trusts in the country.

The Trust’s Tissue Viability team have been shortlisted in two categories at this year’s Journal of Wound Care annual awards for their work in integrating with GP practices and nursing homes working across the Integrated Care System (ICS). The categories are: Cost-effective Wound Management Award category Innovation in Chronic Wound Healing Award category

The Trust is moving from paper to electronic observation charts. This technology is being adopted across the UK and will help clinicians to provide more individualised patient care.

The purple rose model of care enables staff to work closely with patients and their families to embrace and accommodate individual wishes.

To celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week, Trust staff were encouraged to get involved in a range of activities to show their appreciation of colleagues and the wider community. The week launched with a video in which staff and patients thanked colleagues, teams or departments for their support. The film also included a message of thanks from Chief executive, Neil Macdonald: “I’ve just spent the last two weeks visiting all our sites across the county and I just want to say a big thank you to all our staff. I’ve seen some amazing things, some outstanding practice and some humblingly good patient care, so I just want to say a big thank you from me on behalf of the board.” The response has been overwhelming and creative with staff making handmade gems for colleagues, managers taking their teams for lunch and the library team waiving overdue library fines for a day. In addition to this, staff gifted things to each other and donated items to local charities.

Norovirus is currently circulating. To help prevent the spread of infection please do not visit our hospitals if you've experienced norovirus symptoms. Only 1 visitor per patient per day and no children allowed on adult wards at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

The Trust is currently imposing restrictions on the number of visitors to our adult wards at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. This is a preventative measure to limit the potential risk of norovirus infection.

If you have experienced norovirus symptoms in the last 48 hours, or have been in contact with someone who has, please do NOT visit our hospitals. Help us reduce the risk of norovirus infections.

We are delighted to announce that Neil Macdonald has been appointed as chief executive of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust following an extensive search and recruitment process.

The forecast for Buckinghamshire today is for sleet and snow showers with warnings for icy conditions. Please take care of yourself and those around you by taking precautions when out and about in freezing weather and by keeping warm and well at home.

Our accident and emergency service is extremely busy this week. Please make use of the range of alternative options available for non-emergency situations to ensure you get the appropriate care you need and save yourself an unnecessary trip to A&E.

Our accident and emergency service is extremely busy this week. Please make use of the range of alternative options available for non-emergency situations to ensure you get the appropriate care you need and save yourself an unnecessary trip to A&E.

The Trust has installed temporary operating theatres on its site at Stoke Mandeville to help its ophthalmology team tackle a backlog of patients requiring cataract surgery.

The work of teams from the National Spinal Injuries Centre has been well-represented over the last month with teams showcasing their expertise and sharing knowledge with peers in Australia and in Europe.

Research and innovation team won 4 awards and 1 highly commended at the Thames Valley and South Midlands Clinical Research Network Awards

A landmark new report published today by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) - National Mortality Case Record Review (NMCRR): Annual report 2018 - reveals how hospitals and trusts, including Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust, are using a standardised review approach to learn from adult acute deaths and improve patient care.

Five alpacas from Buckinghamshire animal therapy charity Animal Antiks paid a visit to Florence Nightingale Hospice last week, delighting patients attending day hospice and staying in the inpatient unit.

Bucks HSC Ventures is a virtual health and social care innovation programme hosted by Buckinghamshire New University. The programme is accepting applications up until 5th October for its first round of support for people or organisations with proposals.

Great to hear the news announced today by the team at Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio (SMHR) that Ken Bruce, broadcaster on BBC Radio 2, is to become patron of the hospital radio station.

On Sunday 9 September Horatio's Garden Charity invited a group of special guests to joined with patients and staff to officially celebrate the completion of the Horatio’s Garden project at the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Are you pregnant or have you given birth in Buckinghamshire in the last year? If so we want to hear from you. Every woman, every pregnancy, every baby and every family is different. Please take a few minutes to complete our short survey. Your answers will help shape the future of maternity services in Buckinghamshire!

A list of local pharmacy opening times over the August 2018 bank holiday weekend plus advice on the different services available if in need of urgent care.

The deadline for nominations for this year’s staff awards is fast approaching - 24 August 2018. So, if you haven’t already done so, please make sure you celebrate the people you think are BHT superstars by nominating them for one of our annual staff awards.

Showing appreciation to our 450 volunteers for all the work they do by hosting thank you parties at Amhersham, Wycombe and Stoke Mandeville hospitals.

1-7 August is World Breastfeeding Week with the theme ‘Breastfeeding is the foundation of lifelong good health for babies and mothers’. Find out more about the support we provide for all new mums on their breastfeeding journey.

On Saturday 28 July 2018 the Trust held its first ever open day. The event took place in and around the education centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Members of the public were invited to come along to learn more about healthcare in Buckinghamshire. Staff from the Trust, along with key healthcare partners from across the county, including colleagues from the police, fire and ambulance services, showcased their services and were on hand to discuss their work.

Congratulations to our CARE award winners from May and June 2018. The Trust monthly CARE awards recognise individuals and teams who go to extraordinary lengths to deliver the Trust’s values. Members of staff can be nominated by the community they care for or by colleagues and peers and awards are made in four categories that align with Trust values.

The Trust and the Buckinghamshire CCG are celebrating the NHS’s 70th birthday by inviting the public, staff, friends and family to an open day festival and joint annual general meeting (AGM) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital on Saturday 28 July 11am-3pm. The open day will enable people to go behind the scenes at the hospital and enjoy live entertainment, food and free fun activities for the whole family.

I was born in 1964 with an extremely rare congenital abnormality of my left hand and arm which meant that when I was 18 months I was admitted to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire to have two fingers amputated and the start of what was to be a journey of surgery and hospital stays that would last until I was 16 years old.

Forecasters tell us that temperatures in Buckinghamshire will become very warm this weekend and will rise even further next week. Please make sure you take care of yourself and keep an eye out for those whose health may suffer in hot weather.

Forecasters tell us that temperatures in Buckinghamshire will become very warm this weekend and will rise even further next week. Please make sure you take care of yourself and keep an eye out for those whose health may suffer in hot weather.

Forecasters tell us that temperatures in Buckinghamshire will become very warm this weekend and will rise even further next week. Please make sure you take care of yourself and keep an eye out for those whose health may suffer in hot weather.

Forecasters tell us that temperatures in Buckinghamshire will become very warm this weekend and will rise even further next week. Please make sure you take care of yourself and keep an eye out for those whose health may suffer in hot weather.

Congratulations to Ghazala Yasin who will be flying the flag for BHT at the NHS70 Windrush Awards ceremony on Tuesday 12 June.

Congratulations to Ghazala Yasin who will be flying the flag for BHT at the NHS70 Windrush Awards ceremony on Tuesday 12 June.

This year Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is celebrating the NHS’s 70th birthday and the many advances in healthcare since 1948. This includes significant strides in the treatment of spinal cord injury, and as part of the celebrations the Trust is holding an open day on Thursday 14 June from 4-7pm at Stoke Mandeville Hospital’s world-renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC). This landmark year also coincides with the 70th anniversary of the first Stoke Mandeville Games, recognised as the moment the Paralympic movement was born.

The Cardiology team at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust successfully performed the trust’s very first His Lead implant. This was carried out in the newly built catheter laboratory at Wycombe Hospital on Wednesday 30 May.

An innovative community hubs pilot project launched by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has recently reached its one year milestone, with evidence showing some initial successes in bringing more care closer to people’s homes and making better use of local sites to cater to local people’s healthcare needs.

Following a competitive application and interview process, Dr Raha West, specialty doctor in anaesthetic and intensive care at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, has been successfully appointed as a research fellow for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN): Thames Valley and South Midlands (TV&SM).

Congratulations to Debbie Lawson, one of our senior nurses working in A&E at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, on reaching the final of a national poetry competition.

Encouraging patients to wear their own clothes while in hospital, rather than staying in their pyjamas or nighties all day, makes them feel better, enhances their dignity and often reduces the amount of time they stay in hospital. That’s why the Trust is launching our “Get up, Get dressed, Get moving campaign” across all our inpatient hospitals.

Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio (SMHR) will be celebrating local radio day on Friday 25 May by broadcasting live from the Spinal Café at the National Spinal Injuries Centre from 8am to 6pm.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust communications team are celebrating after being shortlisted for three categories in the Public Sector Communications Awards for the work carried out on the community hubs.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is the first in the country to appoint a humanist in the role of lead chaplain, providing emotional and spiritual support to patients, families and staff.

The Muslim period of Ramadan officially begins tonight at sunset and lasts for 29 to 30 days. If you are fasting during this time please take extra care during hot weather and follow all available advice. Please read our 10 top tips for healthy fasting during Ramadan

A team from Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and the Florence Nightingale Hospice is going to try the impossible and get people of all ages and circumstances across the region talking about death. They have issued an open invitation to a series of death cafés to be hosted across the county and just over the border this month, as part of the nationwide annual Dying Matters Awareness Week.

Today, Monday 14 May, is the UK’s first National operating department practitioner day. To celebrate the day, our operating department practitioners (ODPs) working in Wycombe theatres would like to share with you some of their stories about how and why they joined the profession and the exciting opportunities that they are involved in.

The Trust is proud to announce its first ever Hand Symposium on Wednesday 16 May. The day will bring together hand surgeons, therapists, trainees and nurses from the Trust and from across the region, including special guests from further afield. It will provide a great opportunity to share best practice, learn about innovative approaches and network with peers.

We are delighted to announce that our colleague Adedayo Olowosale, a server and systems engineer in the Trust’s IT team, won the Community Engagement category in this year’s Buckinghamshire County Council's Dignity and Respect Awards. The ceremony took place on Wednesday 2 May.

We have updated our notice of fair processing to take account of the changes in data protection law. the document is available to read on our website.

National breast screening programme: Some women aged between 70 and 79 who did not receive an invitation for a final screen are being offered one now

St Francis ward at Stoke Mandeville Hospital was presented with two new wheelchairs last week (11 April), thanks to the generosity of Cyclone Mobility.

The winners of January and February’s monthly CARE awards were invited to the public board meeting on Wednesday 28 March to receive their awards. The award winners were presented with a certificate from chief executive Neil Macdonald who thanked them for their hard work and for demonstrating the Trust’s CARE values.

A list of the opening times for local pharmacies across Buckinghamshire over the Easter 2018 holiday period.

Trust chair Hattie Llewelyn-Davies has won at the 2018 Non-executive Director Awards in the Not-for-Profit/Public Service Organisation category.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s outgoing CEO Neil Dardis has this week been named in the Health Service Journal’s annual ranking of NHS provider chief executives.

Our accident and emergency service is extremely busy today. Please make use of the range of alternative options available for non-emergency situations to ensure you get the appropriate care you need and save yourself an unnecessary trip to A&E.

Trust chair Hattie Llewelyn-Davies has been shortlisted in the 2018 Non-executive Director Awards in the Not-for-Profit/Public Service Organisation category.

We, along with other healthcare providers in the country, are experiencing challenges due to the severe winter conditions. As a result of further snowfall forecast in Buckinghamshire for tomorrow we may have to postpone some planned operations or outpatient appointments.

The forecast for the rest of this week in Buckinghamshire is for cold, freezing weather with a chance of snow. Please take care of yourself and those around you by taking precautions when out and about in freezing weather and by keeping warm and well at home.

The Trust has been made aware that Whielden Street in Amersham, the road that leads to the hospital site, will be closed overnight between Market Square and the A404 from 7pm until 6am from Monday to Thursday 19-22 February 2018 and again on Monday 26 February. The road closure will be in operation between 7pm and 6am on each working night. Outside of these times the road closure will be lifted and the site open to traffic as normal.

We are delighted to announce that Neil Macdonald has been appointed as interim chief executive at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. He will start his new role on 19 March 2018.

The National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital was founded on 1 February 1944. To mark the occasion this year, a display of information boards was arranged in the NSIC foyer celebrating the early service, current provision and developments for the future – such as the innovative upper limb research studio and the completion of Horatio’s garden.

The forecast for the rest of this week in the Chilterns is for cold weather with a possible chance of snow. Please take care of yourself and those around you by taking care when out and about in icy conditions and by keeping warm at home.

Our local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) together with Macmillan is running a survey on cancer services across Buckinghamshire: ‘Living with and beyond cancer’. If you have been affected by cancer and have experience of cancer related services please take a few moments to provide your feedback.

If you know someone at the Trust who deserves recognition for the care they provide and for promoting dignity, respect and wellbeing, why not nominate them for one of this year’s Dignity in Care Awards?

Stoke Mandeville Hospital has been selected by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson as one of the top ten places in England of significance from a sporting perspective. It was selected as it is the birthplace of what has become the Paralympics.

Historic England this week announced Stoke Mandeville Hospital, part of the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, as one of its top 100 places which bring England's extraordinary history to life.

We are inviting people in our local communities to attend a new series of engagement sessions in January and February to help us understand what you want from healthcare closer to home. If you would like to find out more and help to shape the future of care closer to home in Buckinghamshire then register to attend one of our forthcoming events.

Come and join us for our Open Day on Saturday 13 January. Thinking about a career in nursing? Due to qualify in 2018 or newly qualified? Returning to practice? Looking to develop your nursing knowledge? All are welcome at our open day. Please come along and see us between 10am-3pm in Mandeville Wing foyer at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Please don’t come into A&E at Stoke Mandeville if you’ve got flu or are suffering with common winter illnesses, such as chest infections, coughs and colds, diarrhoea or vomiting. Find out advice about the best treatment.

Following national guidance issued by NHS England, we have taken the decision to redeploy some staff to care for those with the most urgent medical conditions which unfortunately means having to cancel some planned operations and outpatient clinics.

A link to view the opening times of local pharmacies over the Christmas 2017-2018 holiday period.