Board to Ward June 2025
In June’s Board to Ward we share three highlights:
- Developing our services for patients with cancer and those with heart disease and strokes
- Our patients speak – we’ve listened to and collated the words of patients to create a poem about how patients see cleanliness and infection control as care in action and the great work of our Estates and Facilities team
- Looking to the future:
- The world of Research and Development
- Working together to transform Plymouth for the people of Plymouth
Developing our services for patients with cancer
Even better radiotherapy services for patients
Radiotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells and is delivered by a dedicated team of therapeutic radiographers, working in close collaboration with clinical oncologists, radiotherapy physicists, dosimetrists, engineers and admin staff to ensure the safe and effective delivery of treatment.
Members of the radiotherapy team involved in delivering high quality care
At Derriford Hospital, we’re welcoming brand-new, cutting-edge technology, which is safer for patients and precisely targets tumours, causing less damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
The new machine will support our continued commitment to acquiring Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT) systems and will complement the ongoing replacement of ageing equipment and support the earlier than anticipated adoption of advanced technologies. The new state-of-the-art system, when used in combination with SGRT, will improve the precision and efficiency of treatment delivery, reduce individual treatment times, and allow our great radiotherapy team to provide approximately 700 additional fractions of radiotherapy per year.
Members of the radiotherapy physics, dosimetry and engineering team
Chris Bowen, Radiotherapy Services Manager, said: “This investment is great news. Our radiotherapy team remains dedicated to delivering the highest standards of care, not only for patients in the Plymouth area but across the wider cancer alliance. This investment empowers us to further that commitment by embracing innovative technologies that ensure patients receive the most accurate and effective treatment available. It will also provide staff with new and exciting opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills and provide them the tools they need to continue delivering the safe, high-quality care that our patients need and deserve.
“The radiotherapy department remains at the forefront of cancer care, continually working to evolve its services in line with the latest developments in clinical practice and technology. This investment gives a massive boost to our ability to meet the challenge of fighting cancer and improve patient outcomes.”
An artist's impression of the entrance to the new LINAC
Improving care for patients needing heart and stroke care
A poem from the words of our patients
Patients and carers tell us that hygiene and infection control are really important to them so we’ve created a poem from the voices of many. We’ve used the comments patients have given us about hygiene, cleanliness and infection in the Friends and Family Test to create this poem, which was read to our Board by Chair of our Patient Council, Jim Griffiths. We’ve had 69,963 responses to our Friends and Family Test survey in the last year (June 2024 – June 2025).
Speaking on behalf of the Patient Council, Jim said: “We do know, as patients that this is a caring hospital – we do recognise that and we thank you.”
"Clean Hands, Kind Hearts: A Patient’s View on Infection Control"
It starts with a wipe.
A quiet sweep across a chair,
A machine reset for the next in line.
"The obs machine wasn’t cleaned between patients —"
"Infection control wouldn’t be happy."
Some staff wore gloves,
but then touched their hair.
A small thing perhaps –
But it made us pause
"Basic hygiene ignored."
But we also see care.
"From the cleaners to the consultants - everyone made me feel safe."
"The ward was spotless — and that made all the difference."
"The department was clean, calming, even had Christmas lights — it lifted my spirits."
"Everyone was polite, helpful and cheerful. It all just happened."
Cleanliness isn’t cosmetic.
It’s protective.
It’s how we say:
you matter.
"Toilets nearby, water ready — the small things made me feel human."
"Clean sheets, calm staff, kindness at every level."
"Everything was clean, calm and spacious."
But sometimes the basics break:
"Bloody dressings left on the floor."
"One toilet for two bays — no hand soap for five days."
"Some toilets smelt like urine, like it had soaked into the floor."
"There was rubbish under the beds, surfaces not wiped, blood still there from the last patient."
We don’t blame.
We remember
And we notice who gets it right.
Because when infection control is done well…
"You can feel it."
"You feel safe."
"You feel seen."
Let’s not forget the basics:
- Wipe down equipment
- Restock the soap
- Clean the corners and under the beds
- Respect the space as healing, not just functional
Let’s raise up those who get it right:
The person who reassured me while cleaning my wound.
The cleaner who noticed I was distressed and stayed with me.
The one who made me a cup of tea at 3am without being asked.
The staff who explained, gently and clearly, what was going to happen next.
Let’s move from compliance to compassion.
Infection control is not a checklist.
It is care in action.
It is the sigh of relief when a room smells fresh.
It is the dignity in clean bedding.
It is the trust in a team who wipe the chair before you sit.
Because infection control is not just protocol.
It is people.
It is protection.
And it is dignity.
It is a message:
You are worth protecting.
So hear our voices,
not in complaint,
but in reminder:
Hygiene is humanity in practice.
Healing in replace of harm.
On 18 June 2025, we celebrated National Healthcare Estates & Facilities Day, when we marked the invaluable contribution our support services staff make to the organisation.
In an average year, our Estates & Facilities Teams provide over 1.1 million nutritious meals for our patients, clean over 140,000m2 on a daily basis, respond to over 1 million calls through our switchboard, and of course keep our patients safe in our buildings through managing our complex infrastructure systems. This is in addition to a significant building programme which is transforming the built environment for so many of our services Their contribution is truly enormous and reminds us how essential our Site Services colleagues are to the smooth and safe running of our hospitals and services — every single day. Find out more about what they do by watching our video below:
Looking to the Future
Research and Development
We want every department in our Trust to expect to do research. Our Research and Development (R&D) 5 year Strategy 2025 – 2030 was approved by the Board. We had 200 people attend our recent Research Conference at Plymouth Argyle and we are one of the leaders in research. It is all about growth and expansion and highlights 4 key ambitions:
- Research Excellence - Develop a nationally recognised research portfolio that drives innovation in healthcare delivery and clinical outcomes.
- Patient-Centred Approach - Provide all patients with opportunities to participate in research and clinical trials, ensuring equitable access across demographic groups.
- Organisational Integration - Expand research capabilities and evidence-based practices across all departments and staff groups within the Trust.
- Community Impact - Ensure research outcomes deliver meaningful benefits to UHP and the broader community through inclusive and accessible initiatives.
University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) currently ranks among the most research-active hospitals in the Southwest Peninsula and indeed the UK. While this achievement is commendable, we recognise the significant untapped potential that the 5 year strategy aims to address and we want to align our research with the research strengths of the University of Plymouth.
With a high-level Memorandum of Understanding signed between UHP and the University of Plymouth to co-locate research and education on Plymouth Science Park, this will provide a collaborative and professional shop window for R&D in Plymouth to bring together talent and partnership working. With ambition to double performance and consequently double income we also need to increase our clinical footprint within the hospital. UHP has outgrown its current research clinical space (the Lind) and in order to modernise and compete for future commercial contracts, in particular large scale vaccine trials, we also need to expand our clinical shop floor in order to deliver.
Putting our name to a landmark Civic Engagement Agreement
Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Brampton signed a Civic Engagement Agreement on our behalf this month as one of Plymouth’s four largest employers: Plymouth City Council, Babcock International Group (Babcock), University of Plymouth and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust all signed the agreement, in a pioneering, voluntary commitment to address the root causes of inequality and drive inclusive, city-wide transformation. Local residents and businesses will see new, joined-up approaches through the Civic
Engagement Agreement’s focus on:
- Being inclusive in employment practices
- Strengthening local supply chains
- Supporting staff, students and volunteers to work with communities to improve health, education and social infrastructure
- Reducing the environmental impact of operations internally and in supply chains
Health, Research, Education, Enterprise and Innovation Zone
We also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding, marking the commitment of University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, University of Plymouth, Plymouth Science Park and Plymouth City Council to create a Health, Research, Education, Enterprise and Innovation Zone in the north of Plymouth, based around the hospital and Science Park estate. Over the coming months, we will work together to create a shared vision for this new North Plymouth Zone, working with other local stakeholders. This will support economic development through the Science Park.
Thanks for reading. Every month our Board leaders meet in public.
