A new set of values will be set out detailing what is expected from each and every team member in the way they treat and talk to patients, visitors and colleagues.

Joint chief executive, Debbie Fleming, said, “As we move towards the merger of our two trusts, we want to ensure we retain the best of both, culturally and operationally.

“Both organisations have worked hard to embed and live by our current values and we have so much to be proud of.

“We are now in a unique position to be able to set the path for the way we want to be in the future – our way.

“With collective input from our staff, patients and visitors, our new values will show what we expect of ourselves and colleagues, and importantly, what our patients and partners can expect from the future University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.

“We have already started asking staff from across our two organisations to share their thoughts, but we would like everyone to take part in this initiative – patients, visitors, carers and members of the public. Everyone’s views matter.”

The current values at Poole are compassion, openness, respect, accountability and safety. At RBCH, they are communicate, improve, pride and teamwork.

A diverse team of staff from both trusts called the Culture Champions will take the responses and use them to help create the shared values, which will be revealed in October.

The public survey, which closes at the end of July, can be accessed at https://www.rbch.nhs.uk/assets/templates/rbch/documents/our_services/support/communications/future-values.php or through the Future of Our Hospitals section of each Trust website under latest news.