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Posted on 7 Oct 2024

Dale  Buckland, Health Care Assistant at the Trust, recently won a BBC Making a Difference Award, for the support Dale and his therapy dogs, Ruby and Bertie, provide.

 

The Animal Award was awarded to his dogs for their work supporting patients at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (who nominated them), officers and staff at Nottinghamshire Police, students at Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham and the charity, Railway Children

 

Alongside this, he also takes the dogs on to the ward at Nottinghamshire Healthcare’s Margaret Oates Mother and Baby Unit at Hopewood, where he also works as a Health Care Assistant. 

The Margaret Oates Mother and Baby Unit is an eight-bed specialist inpatient perinatal unit for mothers from 32 weeks of pregnancy with a serious mental illness, and their babies up to one year after birth. 

Dale works with his dogs as part of POOCHES (Pets Offering Ongoing Care Help & Extra Support). Both therapy dogs are Briards, a French herding dog.  Ruby (fawn) is 10 years old, Bertie (black), is just five years old.

Dale said:

“It is an excellent talking point when I first meet a mother on our unit. Many of our patients have pets at home and are, understandably, missing them.

“Mothers also get to see a different side to me, and it often helps develop the therapeutic relationship. 

“We try to ensure we prepare our mothers for their return home.  Pets are a great distraction and it often helps mothers start conversations with our other patients. Many of our patients will ask, “When are you bringing the dogs in again?” They will also take pictures of themselves and their baby with the therapy dogs to share with their families.”

The Margaret Oates Mother and Baby Unit aims to provide rapid and effective care for the mother’s mental illness whilst promoting the mother and baby relationship. We use the best approach to meet each woman’s needs and wishes to help them with a speedy recovery.