Board to Ward - July 2026
In July’s Board to Ward we share three highlights:
Going digital - an Epic time
Office shelves full of paper notes, appointments needing to be postponed because we can’t find a patient’s notes, these are now a thing of the past. From 23 July 2026, we have gone digital with our patient record.
Overnight, we implemented the Epic electronic patient record system, joining Torbay and South Devon and Royal Devon in creating a shared digital record across Devon. This marks a significant step towards more integrated care, improving information sharing between hospitals and reducing the need for patients to repeat their story.
Chief Executive Neil Macdonald described the “superhuman effort” that it has taken to prepare for and implement what is the biggest change 90% of our people will ever go through. More than 700 of our people signed up to be ‘superusers’ - trained to help their colleagues and we have also had lots of help from other NHS colleagues from across Devon, London, Northern Ireland and many other places.
A big thank you to everyone involved. We are asking patients and families to bear with us as we make this change. You might see members of your clinical team doing more work on computers, phones or other electronic devices than before. This will be part of their work checking your record so they can look after you to the highest possible standards.
Patients can access MY CARE using an app on your mobile phone or via your computer. Full details are on our MY CARE page
Some of the benefits patients will find from using MY CARE*:
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Manage your appointments: MY CARE holds your recent and upcoming appointments, so it’s easy to check where you need to be and when.
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Get your test results: Once your test results have arrived you can view them on MY CARE. They are clearly laid out and easy to view.
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Share your health information: Allow a family member or carer to access your health and appointment information by enabling Proxy Access
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Reduce the number of letters you get through the post: when you sign up to MY CARE we will send you most of your information digitally through MY CARE, text and email. Quicker, saving paper and keeping all your information in one place.
Ryan’s Story - Communication Before Control
We always start the Board meeting with stories from patients or colleagues that can be learned from. This month Ryan Hopkins, Security Supervisor shared his story, an example of how he and his team take a compassionate approach to patients who are demonstrating violence and aggression, intervening in a therapeutic way to de-escalate situations, wherever possible. Ryan has more than 14 years’ experience and he and his team of 5 are highly skilled in dynamic decision-making to protect our staff and help care for our patients. Board members showed real appreciation for the work of Ryan and his team, who put themselves at risk daily to protect others, and thanked him for all that they do.
Ryan’s story:
When people think about healthcare security, they often picture physical intervention or simply see us as "bouncers" in an Emergency Department. The reality is very different. We are often supporting people during the most difficult moments of their lives, making dynamic decisions in rapidly changing situations while balancing patient dignity, clinical care and public safety.
One incident that has stayed with me began with a call to attend the Ambulatory Department, where a patient had barricaded themselves inside a cleaning cupboard while holding a pair of scissors.
As I arrived, it was immediately clear that this was a high-risk situation. The patient was distressed, making threats towards anyone who approached and refusing to surrender the scissors. Staff were understandably anxious, and my first priority was to ensure their safety. I asked colleagues to clear the immediate area, creating space to reduce the immediate risk while allowing us to focus entirely on the patient.
As I approached, the patient made it clear they would only speak to me. Rather than challenge that request, I accepted it. At that moment, I knew that building trust would be far more valuable than trying to assert control. For the next several minutes, we simply talked.
I asked about why they were in hospital and what had happened that day. I tried to understand what had brought them to this point while repeatedly encouraging them to put the scissors down. There were moments when the conversation was calm, followed by moments of intense anger where the patient threatened to stab anyone who came near them. A family member attempted to help but was met with abuse and eventually left the area, leaving me to continue the conversation alone.
Throughout the incident, I remained conscious that every decision had the potential to either de-escalate the situation or make it significantly worse. My objective was never simply to recover the weapon; it was to achieve the safest possible outcome for the patient, staff and everyone else nearby.
As the incident developed, I worked closely with the clinical team to discuss our options. Together, we agreed that negotiation remained the safest approach while preparing a contingency plan should intervention become necessary. It was reassuring to work alongside colleagues who recognised the importance of allowing communication to continue rather than rushing the situation.
Eventually, the patient placed the scissors on the floor inside the cupboard. Although this was a significant step forward, the risk had not disappeared. The scissors remained within reach, and if the patient stepped backwards they could easily regain possession of them. I continued talking, gradually encouraging the patient away from the doorway. As they edged further from the cupboard, I recognised a brief opportunity where they could no longer immediately access the weapon. Following a dynamic risk assessment, I made the decision to intervene.
With support from the rest of the Security Team, we safely restrained the patient, preventing them from returning to the scissors while ensuring they were not injured during the intervention. Throughout the restraint, I continued speaking to the patient, reassuring them and explaining what was happening. Communication did not stop simply because restraint had begun.
The clinical team were then able to administer emergency medication and move the patient safely into a treatment area. As the medication began to take effect, we progressively reduced the restraint before stepping away completely once it was safe to do so.
Reflecting on the incident, what stands out to me is not the physical intervention. That lasted only a matter of moments. What I remember most is the conversation beforehand, the trust that had to be built, the constant assessment of risk and the close collaboration between Security and our clinical colleagues.
This incident reinforced something I have learnt throughout my career. Whether I was working on the doors of busy venues, supervising security operations, working within the custodial environment or supporting patients in hospital, the principles have remained the same. Stay calm. Listen first. Build trust wherever possible. Use the least restrictive option available and only intervene physically when it is absolutely necessary to keep people safe.
Healthcare security is far more than responding to violence. We are part of the wider multidisciplinary team, helping to create an environment where patients can receive treatment safely, staff can carry out their roles confidently and difficult situations can be managed with professionalism, compassion and respect. That is what healthcare security means to me.
Making an impact
One of our priorities this year is giving patients faster access to outpatient appointments and we are doing well on this.
As the above graph shows, fewer patients are waiting more than 18 weeks (the NHS standard) for their first outpatient appointment. To put this into context, last year nearly 680,000 outpatient appointments were attended. There’s still more room for improvement and we’re working on this.
Careers Showcase
We are an anchor organisation and will hold our AGM alongside a Careers Showcase on Saturday 26 September at Derriford Centre for Health and Wellbeing. This will be a fabulous event to celebrate all the varied and exciting careers available to people in the NHS especially targeted at young people. We know youth unemployment in the city is high and entrenched so at UHP, we want to do our bit to help raise aspirations and showcase all the amazing things we do. We have worked with our Young Persons Patient Council to design this partnership event and want attendees to be able to see and speak to as many professionals as possible about future careers. Find further details about our careers showcase including how to book
Careers Showcase at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Saturday 26 September 2026
9:30am to 11am and 11:30am to 1pm
Derriford Centre for Health and Wellbeing (DCHW)
Derriford Road, Plymouth, PL6 8DH
Sponsored by Tamar Fresh
Thanks for reading.
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