University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

08/03/2026

♀️ Happy International Women’s Day! ♀️

Today we are celebrating each and every one of the incredible women who power UHS and make a difference every single day.

Across UHS, women bring expertise, resilience and innovation to everything they do.

💙 From patient care to pioneering research
💙 From behind‑the‑scenes roles to frontline care
💙 From early‑career professionals to inspiring leaders

They shape our hospital and our community.

In this collage you’ll see just some of the amazing women at UHS — each sharing what they love most about their work. Their words perfectly reflect our Trust values of Patients First, Working Together and Always Improving.

Thank you to every woman at UHS for your dedication, your strength, and your unwavering commitment to our patients 🙏

Health Research Southampton

06/03/2026

Last week our sarcoma team were pleased to present at the annual British Sarcoma Group Conference in Oxford.

They shared their latest service development work on implementing patient-initiated-follow-up (PIFU) for people living with sarcoma.

Sarcoma is a rare cancer that can start almost anywhere inside the soft tissue of the body and our team understand the challenges that come with a sarcoma diagnosis. Our team are here to support every step of the way – from diagnosis through to treatment, surveillance, and beyond.

Our PIFU pathway is offered across our hospitals, not only for sarcoma patients. It allows you to manage your own follow-up appointments, giving you access to contact your clinical team and request an appointment only if you need it.

🔗 Find out more about PIFU: https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/for-patients/outpatients/patient-initiated-follow-up-pifu

06/03/2026

Today is Overseas NHS Workers Day, and we celebrate the incredible contributions of our international colleagues who make UHS outstanding, compassionate and diverse 👏

We are proud to be represented by 123 different nations from across the world — each bringing unique skills, cultures, and perspectives that enrich our teams and the care we provide every day🌎

To all our overseas workers: thank you for your dedication, resilience, and the heart you bring to the NHS 🙏

03/03/2026

We’re proud to shine a spotlight on the lifesaving work of clinicians leading the Southampton Oxford Retrieval Team, as they travel across the region to care for some of the sickest children in the South.

📺 Tune into BBC South Today at 6:30pm

📺 Tune into BBC South Today at 6:30pm to see the lifesaving work of our clinicians leading the Southampton Oxford Retrieval Team, as they travel across the region to support some of the sickest children in the South.

Follow the incredible work of Michael Griksaitis, consultant paediatric intensivist, and our dedicated Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) team.

🔗 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm21zg2xp6no



📷 BBC

03/03/2026

✨ We’re kicking off March for Preceptorship with a celebration✨

Please join us in congratulating our newest cohort of preceptees who have successfully completed their preceptorship year! 🎉💙

They've traded in their yellow badges for blue and are stepping into their roles with greater confidence, knowledge, and readiness to care for our patients.

Our Multidisciplinary Preceptorship Programme brings together newly qualified staff from all across the hospital, helping them build connections, share experiences, and feel supported during this important transition into professional practice.

We are extremely proud of everything they've achieved. Here's to them and to a month filled with recognition, support, and shining a light on preceptorship. 🌟

Stay tuned to our channels for more Preceptorship highlights throughout the month.

02/03/2026

Find out more about the VIOLET trial - testing whether a specialist medical tampon could help improve early diagnosis of ovarian cancer 👇

Could a tampon help improve early diagnosis of ovarian cancer?

The VIOLET trial, led by Dr Jemma Longley at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, aims to find the answer.

She’s working with colleagues at Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University of Southampton's Centre for Cancer Immunology 👇
https://research.uhs.nhs.uk/news/tampon-trial-to-help-improve-early-diagnosis-of-ovarian-cancer

28/02/2026

Today is Rare Disease Day, an opportunity to raise awareness of the more than 7,000 rare conditions affecting people every day.

With more than 3.5 million people in the UK living with a rare disease, the NHS is working to provide the most effective diagnosis, treatment and services for people with rare conditions.

Our teams are committed to delivering essential care and support by ensuring staff 'think rare' when patients present with unusual symptoms.

Here at UHS, the Wessex Clinical Genetics Service has embraced Rare Disease Day by wearing stripes to highlight the need to continue supporting people with rare diseases.

26/02/2026

The UK’s population is ageing, with the number of people aged over 65 set to rise dramatically in the coming years. We need to ensure our healthcare services are well prepared.

Dr Natalie Cox from University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Southamptonrsity of Southampton is investigating ways we can improve the provision of healthcare for older people in their own home.

Watch her explain her research in just 30 seconds ⏱️

Enjoyed this video? Meet more of our researchers who are improving patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyoAGZ9HHdFd46NFUWHoj-9FRmSPmOs5y

26/02/2026

Charlie is one of our amazing healthcare support workers in the Emergency Department.

Here she tells us what her day-to-day role looks like and why she enjoys what she does 👇

25/02/2026

This week we’re expanding Martha’s Rule and Call for Concern across UHS. Come and chat with the team to learn what’s new and why this matters.

Martha’s Rule has already been in place for over a year in our adult and paediatric areas —with Call for Concern running even longer—and it has now been extended to maternity and neonatal services.

Patients, staff and visitors have the chance to hear the story behind this patient safety initiative and learn about the three key parts of Martha’s Rule:

🔹 Daily check ins for in patients
Patients will be asked at least once a day how they’re feeling and whether they are getting better or worse, with teams proactively responding.

🔹 Staff escalation at any time
Any member of staff can request a review from another team if they’re worried a patient is deteriorating and not getting the response they need.

🔹 Patient & family escalation 24/7
Patients and their loved ones can contact Call for Concern at any time if they feel their concerns aren’t being heard. The service is available 24/7.

📍 Find the team this week:
• Today: Feast on B Level until 2pm
• Thursday: Princess Anne Hospital, E Level, 12pm to 3pm
• Friday: Princess Anne Hospital, E Level, 9:30am to 1pm

Come along, meet the team, and learn how we’re continuing to roll out Martha’s Rule to support safer care across UHS 💙

25/02/2026

UHS researchers are leading a large study to reduce children’s overuse of reliever inhalers linked to severe asthma attacks.

Children with asthma who use a high number of blue reliever inhalers are several times more likely to have severe asthma attacks, which can be life-threatening.

The Prescription Alerts for Reliever Inhalers in Children (PARC) is offering these children an enhanced check-up, led by a specialist nurse.

The research is assessing if this extra check-up reduces the number of asthma or wheeze attacks these children have. It is the first time this issue has been formally studied.

The PARC study is led by Dr Anna Selby, a Paediatric Registrar at UHS and NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer at the University of Southampton.

She said: “This study is the first of its kind to test whether a simple, proactive check-up can prevent severe asthma attacks in children and young people. Our hope is that by identifying children at higher risk sooner, and giving families extra support and education, we can reduce emergency admissions and transform how asthma care is delivered across the UK.”



🔗 Find out more: https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/whats-new/press-releases/dangerous-overuse-of-childrens-asthma-inhalers-targeted-in-uk-first-study

19/02/2026

Meet the Genetics Research Team 👋

They work with the clinical genetics service at UHS to deliver a wide range of research studies across cancer, neurology, paediatric and adult genetic conditions.

Thank you for the amazing work you do to improve healthcare!