Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

04/02/2026

"No matter your age, starting a conversation about mental health can be the first step to feeling understood. A small chat can change a life”

Ahead of Time to Talk Day on 5 February 2026, Derbyshire Healthcare is urging people to discuss mental health, especially when feeling low. The Trust has joined Derbyshire Mind in promoting these key conversations in a bid to get people more comfortable with the uncomfortable.

The theme for this years’ Time to Talk Day is ‘brave the big talk’ – and have conversations about mental health experiences that might still feel a bit unspoken.

Discussing mental health and wellbeing can help promote better understanding and encourages a supportive environment, says a senior Derbyshire nurse – even if it’s sometimes a challenging topic to bring up.

Read more: https://www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/about-us/latest-news/no-matter-your-age-starting-conversation-about-mental-health-can-be-first-step-feeling-understood-small-chat-can-change-life

04/02/2026

Following on from our recent Council of Governor elections, we are pleased to share our new public and staff Governors:

✨Public Governors✨
Amber Valley – Lai Mei Li
Bolsover and North East Derbyshire – Jean Johnson
Derby City East – Sarah Tupling and Tom Bladen
Derby City West – Stephen Handsley
High Peak and Derbyshire Dales – Brian Edwards

✨Staff Governor✨
Admin and Allied Support Staff – Nicole Ellis

We would like to thank members who stood in the elections and also to those who voted.

04/02/2026

As part of Race Equality Week, we are pleased to share our new anti-racism statement. The statement has a clear message that ‘Racism has no place at Derbyshire Healthcare’. All members of the Board signed the statement, which talks about the damage racism causes and our shared commitment to take a stand against racism in all of our interactions both within and outside of the workplace.

❌ Racism has no place here ❌

Racism - whether overt or subtle, individual or systemic - has no place in our organisation. It breaks trust, harms lives, and deepens health inequalities. We recognise the damage it causes, and we refuse to be bystanders.

At Derbyshire Healthcare, we believe in the power of compassion, inclusion, and dignity for all. Every person deserves to feel safe, valued, and respected - in our services, our teams, and our communities.

Our values drive this commitment. They call us to foster inclusive environments, cultivate belonging, and champion diversity within our workforce and the communities we serve. We listen with intent to lived experiences. We speak up. We reflect. And we take meaningful action.

We also recognise that racism does not exist in isolation - it intersects with other forms of discrimination. We are committed to tackling all inequalities, wherever and however they appear.

When people feel safe and empowered, they thrive. When our culture is rooted in fairness, the care we provide becomes more compassionate, more effective, and more human.

Anti-racism is not a passive belief - it is a shared responsibility. It is a standard we are proud to uphold, and it lies at the heart of who we are and the future we are building together.

02/02/2026

Derbyshire Healthcare is proud to be participating in Race Equality Week.

Race Equality Week is an annual global movement to spark and renew hope, inspire progress, and keep the momentum going in addressing race inequality.

With over 8,088 organisations engaged with Race Equality Matters, Race Equality Week 2026 is set to engage even more, reaching millions of employees in the UK and beyond.

The Race Equality Matters community has chosen as the theme for Race Equality Week 2026.

Keep an eye out on our socials this week to find out more about why Race Equality Matters at Derbyshire Healthcare.

27/01/2026

Holocaust Memorial Day in Derby is run by a group from the national Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

Holocaust Memorial Day was established in 2001 as an international day to remember the victims of Genocides, and was fixed on the 27 January to coincide with the date of the Liberation of Auschwitz.

✨Main events in Derbyshire ✨

✅ Holocaust Memorial Day event at Chesterfield Library - joined remotely by Peter Summerfield BEM and his grandson Harry Sassoon. Peter will speak about his experiences during the Holocaust in World War II.

✅ An "Event for Holocaust Memorial Day” – to commemorate the day with a key note speech, music, poetry, dance and spoken word. This will be held at the QUAD (Market Place Cathedral Quarter, Market Pl, Derby DE1 3AS). No tickets or booking are required. Refreshments available.

✅ Candle lighting followed by exhibition at Derbyshire County Council County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3AG. 12:30pm arrival for a 1pm start. RSVP not required.

✅ Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration – Chesterfield Borough Council.
Featuring testimony via Zoom from Peter Summerfield BEM. Chesterfield Library, New Beetwell Street, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 1QN. RSVP essential: https://bit.ly/4k3YWZI

✅ A service of reflection followed by the stone setting by the trees on Cathedral Green. All who wish to do so may take part and stones will be provided at the trees. Derby Cathedral Irongate, DE1 3GP at 2:30pm.

✅ Presentations at the Bosnian Centre, Curzon Street, DE1 1LN - 4:00 pm

✅ Derby Cathedral – a service of Commemoration, Remembrance and Hope - 6:00pm

20/01/2026

“I always wanted to be a nurse… After 40 years, that passion has never left me.” – nurse marks four decades of NHS care with long service award

A specialist nurse from the Mental Health Liaison Team in North Derbyshire has been recognised for 40 years of dedicated NHS service.

Angela Richardson, who works within Derbyshire Healthcare, was presented with her 40 Years’ Service Award by Chief Executive, Mark Powell, acknowledging her longstanding commitment to patient care and to the Trust.

Read more: https://www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/about-us/latest-news/i-always-wanted-be-nurse-after-40-years-passion-has-never-left-me-local-nurse-marks-four-decades-nhs-care-long-service-award

16/01/2026

Today we welcomed local MPs, Catherine Atkinson (Derby North) and Baggy Shanker (Derby South) to the Carsington Unit, our new adult mental health inpatient unit at Kingsway, Derby.

The Carsington Unit opened last year and provides 54 individual en-suite rooms and a range of therapeutic spaces designed to enhance patient experience and support recovery.

You can out more about the unit by visiting our website: https://bit.ly/3LDPijE

15/01/2026

What a fundraising drive! The captain of Kedleston Park Golf Club, Martin Allen, began 2026 by hitting the first tee shot of the year at the club’s 18-hole course 🏌⛳

Martin also announced that his chosen charity for the coming months will be the Trust’s charitable fund, with money raised going towards the Radbourne Unit. This is one of our mental health units supporting people who have acute mental health needs, and the money raised will pay for extra activities and equipment not covered by our NHS funding 💙

Many thanks to Martin and everyone at Kedleston Park Golf Club, and we look forward to working with you during 2026!

To learn more about the Trust’s charitable fund, visit the Trust website: www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/donate

12/01/2026

** UPDATE - The Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline is back up and running as expected. If you need immediate support with your mental health, please ring 111 and select option 2. **

We are currently experiencing some technical issues for members of the public contacting the Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline and Support Service.

Please see our website for alternative support for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis, including The Samaritans and the Silver Link Helpline which are both available overnight. https://www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/getting-help/help-mental-health-crisis

Alternatively please contact 111 and press 1.

Please note, the line to support healthcare professionals remains operational.

You may feel that it will never feel better and nothing will help – these can go along with feeling in crisis, but these feelings will pass, and you can feel better. Whatever the cause, if you feel unsafe or that you cannot cope, you need to seek help and assistance immediately. Please see the ‘...

09/01/2026

If you tried to contact the mental health helpline on 8 January, you may have experienced delays in getting through. This was due to technical issues caused by Storm Goretti.

The problem has now been resolved, and the helpline is operating as normal. Thank you for your patience.

If you need immediate mental health support that is not for a life-threatening emergency, please call NHS 111 and press option 2 for the mental health helpline for advice.

08/01/2026

Had a slip on the ice? Visit a local Urgent Treatment Centre, or call NHS 111 if you're unsure where to go.

UTCs are located at:
- Buxton Hospital
- Whitworth Hospital
- Ilkeston Hospital
- Ripley Hospital
- Derby UTC

08/01/2026

Very cold weather is forecast over the next few days. Please look out for anyone close to you who might struggle with the drop in temperature. Cold weather can have serious consequences for health.

Older people, young children and those with long term conditions may be particularly at risk.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keep-warm-keep-well-leaflet-gives-advice-on-staying-healthy-in-cold-weather/top-tips-for-keeping-warm-and-well-this-winter