Monthly archives: September 2018
Flu campaign launches next week
Our annual flu campaign launches next week with drop in sessions for vaccines at the following locations:
Monday 1 October – 10am–3.30pm
Occupational health department, Sandwell Hospital
Wednesday 3 October – 10am–3.30pm
Old foot health clinical, near main reception at City Hospital
As you probably know the flu vaccination changes every year to protect against the strains of flu the UK is expecting to have. Generally the vaccine is well matched and protects against the flu viruses we experience in the UK, but last year we had a new variant strain of H3N2 flu, nicknamed the ‘aussie flu’ as it hit Australia very hard. The trivalent vaccination did not protect against this strain in 2017 but the good news is that this year’s vaccine will. It offers protection against four different strains of the virus, more than ever before.
We also have a brand new theme this year, ‘May the 4 be with you’ a play on the Star Wars quote to celebrate the four elements of protection you will get by having the vaccination. Please look out across the organisation for our eye-catching flu posters starring many of your colleagues as well as our executive team.
This year the flu campaign will run for six weeks only so make sure you have your vaccination early. This will not only protect you, your family, your colleagues and our patients, but you will also be entered into a draw to win some fantastic prizes, including:
- £300 Love2Shop vouchers
- An extra annual leave day
- Amazon firestick
- Google home
Please note that if you have already received your flu vaccine from your GP or pharmacy, you can still count towards helping us reach our target and also enter our prize draw – simply complete the form on Connect to let us know.
Trust signs up to charter allowing parents of premature babies extra time off
Featured on The Phoenix Newspaper
A West Midlands health care Trust has become the first in the region to offer extra time off to parents whose babies are born prematurely.
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust has pledged to sign up to The Smallest Things ‘Employer with Heart’ Charter – which means that mums and dads will receive full pay until the point that their maternity or paternity leave was due to start.
Current NHS terms and conditions afford new mums whose baby has been born prematurely to split their maternity leave, allowing them to take two weeks leave immediately after childbirth, and the rest following their baby’s discharge from hospital.
One in eight babies are born prematurely and subsequently parents have a reduced time to bond with their baby as maternity or paternity leave starts from the date of birth. Some newborns are kept in hospital for several weeks or more which will mean that parents find themselves having to go back to work without having spent much time at home with their new baby.
Paula Gardner, Chief Nurse, said: “We are pleased to become the first Trust in the West Midlands to offer this commitment to parents.
“Our staff are dedicated to their jobs and work hard to ensure their patients receive high quality care, so we believe that we should return that sentiment by looking after them when they need our help in their personal lives.
“By signing up to this charter, it means that we will be able to help new mums and dads who are facing a difficult and worrying time after experiencing premature labour.”
Catriona Ogilvy, founder and chair of The Smallest Things charity, says “We’re delighted that Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust has recognised the unique needs of families of premature babies and is signing up to our Employer with Heart charter.
“Giving birth prematurely and spending time on a neonatal unit for weeks, sometimes months, is terrifying and traumatic for parents. The last thing they should be worrying about is work and whether they can afford to spend time at the incubator or cot of their fragile baby. We know that the journey often doesn’t end when a premature baby is allowed to go home either. This extra time will go some way to supporting parents’ mental health, the baby’s medical needs and ultimately aid a smoother transition back to work when the time comes.”
Heartbeat: Meeting for sufferers of lung condition is welcomed by patients
The first meeting of a support group for sufferers of a serious lung condition, organised by the respiratory team has been hailed a success.
More than 20 patients and relatives came along to the pulmonary fibrosis support group session, held at West Bromwich Library on earlier this month.
Sarah Evans, Clinical Nurse Specialist has helped to set up the group, which will meet every second Thursday of the month.
It is open to sufferers of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) which affects around 6,000 people each year. The condition was recently highlighted after it was revealed legendary TV presenter Keith Chegwin died of the condition and Katie Price’s mum Amy is currently battling it.
Tracy Hacket attended the event with her sister Tina Woodhouse (both pictured above with Sarah Evans). They wanted to share their dad’s story, who was diagnosed with IPF. He has since passed away, but they were keen to help others who wanted advice on how to help and support a loved one.
Tracy said: “Having a support group in the Sandwell area is a fantastic idea. There was nothing like this for our dad at the time of his diagnosis. He had to travel further away, which was sometimes an issue because he couldn’t get there due to his illness.
“We feel like we are able to now talk about our experience with our dad, so that we can help others.”
Sarah added: “The first meeting has been very successful. There have been around 20 patients and carers here sharing their stories and many have said what a wonderful idea this is.
“IPF is a debilitating illness which can have quite an emotional effect on sufferers. It limits their quality of life in a big way and they have to overcome this and learn to manage their symptoms which include shortness of breath, a persistent dry cough, tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss and rounded and swollen fingertips.
She added: “Within the last year, we have started to deliver a nursing service for patients with pulmonary fibrosis. We were approached by the charity action for pulmonary fibrosis about setting up a support group for sufferers of pulmonary fibrosis – we agreed as we also felt that this was something that was needed in the area.
“The meeting is open to people living in the area who are affected by the condition and would like peer support, hearing how fellow sufferers deal with their symptoms and day-to-day challenges.”
The next meeting will be held on 11 October at West Bromwich Library, High Street, between 1-3pm.
September fraud spotlight – sickness absence fraud
In the fraud spotlight this month is sickness absence fraud as well as agency timesheet and invoice fraud.
You can access the September fraud spotlight document below.
National Eye Health 28 September
As part of National Eye Health Week, we will be promoting the importance of eye health and the need for regular sight tests. Come and find out more on Friday 28 September, from 9am-12pm at the entrance to BMEC at City Hospital.
Information and light refreshments will also be available.
For more information please contact russell.stephenson@nhs.net or call 07814 968200.
Have you got a cost improvement idea?
Come and meet the clinical procurement team who will be hosting an engagement stand regarding cost improvement on the ground floor at City Hospital on Thursday 27 September between 10am-1.30pm.
Elena Slater, Katie Evans and Janice Nelson, who work across the Black Country Alliance, want to raise awareness of the support they can offer to clinicians as part of this process.
We want to encourage your ideas on how to reduce wastage, increase efficiencies and obtain value for money through effective product choice.
The team will also be sharing ideas about a ‘Swap Shop’ event to be hosted later in in November.
For more information please contact janicenelson@nhs.net.
Update – Aspiring to Excellence PDR moderation timescales
It’s important to ensure that scoring is fair and against our scoring criteria in regards to PDR moderation.
With this in mind, the timescale for moderation has been extended to the end of September for this year only.
Any appeals will need to be submitted by 12 October and the appeal hearing date will be 25 October. Find out more about the appeals process here Aspiring to Excellence Performance Development Review (PDR) moderation
Be sure to check out this video featuring Raffaela Goodby, Director of People and Organisation Development talking about the scoring definitions for our aspiring to excellence PDR and PDR moderation.
For more information please contact bethan.downing1@nhs.net.
Heartbeat: Hospital chaplain urges Asian community to join the organ donation register
Kidney transplant patient Bhavana Bhatt with her husband Rakesh Bhatt.[/caption]
Hindu Chaplain, Rakesh Bhatt, whose wife underwent a life-saving kidney transplant after a 12 year wait, has urged the Asian community to join the organ donation register.
The 53-year-old revealed his family’s journey during Organ Donation Week (September 3-9). His wife Bhavana Bhatt, 49, was told in 2006 that both her kidneys were failing due to complications caused by Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) – a disease which causes blood vessels in the skin, kidneys, intestines and joints to become inflamed and start leaking. Bhavana went on the waiting list, but a match wasn’t found until 2018.
Dad-of-two Rakesh said to Heartbeat: “Bhavana had the transplant but we were told it had failed within 48 hours and she went back onto the list. She had already waited seven years for the first transplant and we were left devastated when it didn’t work.
“Afterwards we were worried about how much longer we would have to wait for another match to come forward as the Asian community is very reluctant to join the register, which means there is a shortage of donors.”
It wasn’t until February this year that a match was finally found – 12 years after Bhavana first joined the register.
“We were still hopeful that it would work, despite our previous experience. The operation was a success, and Bhavana’s body hasn’t rejected the kidney. She is doing extremely well.
“I have witnessed first-hand, through my work as a hospital chaplain that Asian patients in need of a donor are waiting longer than others.
“We need to encourage more people within our Asian communities to come forward. I think there is a general lack of awareness around organ donation and so we need to carry out more community events to promote how joining the register can save lives. This would work especially well if it is done by religious leaders.
“I also work within a temple, and I regularly invite clinicians from organ donation teams to come along and talk about the subject and why it is so important to join the register.”
Both Sandwell and City sites held events earlier this month, during Organ Donation Week, to raise awareness around the subject. A life size version of the game Operation was at the Birmingham Treatment Centre, where patients, visitors and staff will be able to have a go at removing organs from “Cavity Sam”.
Judith Martin, Specialist Nurse Organ Donation, said: “It’s a fun and interactive way to learn about organ donation and this is what we’d like people to do with their families for Organ Donation Week – just have a chat.
“If you are unsure about donation, please ask yourselves as a family; what would you do if one of you needed a transplant? Would you accept a life-saving organ? If you’d take an organ, shouldn’t you be prepared to donate?”
Millions of people are already on the NHS Organ Donor Register, join them today and tell your family you want to save lives. Register at organdonation.nhs.uk.
Motivational speaker Steve Head comes to City – 3 October
There is a fantastic opportunity for colleagues to attend a session with renowned Motivational Speaker, Steve Head.
Steve will be holding sessions at Wolfson lecture theatre, City Hospital on Wednesday 3 October. Go along to hear about practical and powerful tools you can use to create your best and most consistent performance.
There are two sessions available:
- 9am–12pm (anyone eligible to attend)
- 1pm-4pm (GDONs, matrons and senior sisters only)
The theme of the sessions will include performing under pressure and building resilience. The sessions promise to be interactive and practical and will give attendees the tools and techniques which can be applied in both personal and professional situations.
Over the past 16 years Steve Head has delivered over 2,000 sessions in the UK and Europe to help organisations, teams and individuals deliver sustained personal, team and business success, and is now one of the most sought after speakers in the UK.
Steve also coaches a number of executive team members to enhance personal impact. He is coach to the England Wheelchair Rugby League Squad and Strictly Come Dancing.
Note: Places will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.
Find out more about what to expect from the sessions on Connect.
To book your place please contact shila.patel@nhs.net.
This winter we have a new hope
Our annual flu campaign launches next week with drop in sessions for vaccines at the following locations:
Monday 1 October – 10am – 3.30pm
Occupational health department, Sandwell Hospital
Wednesday 3 October – 10am – 3.30pm
Old foot health clinical, near main reception at City Hospital
Watch the video above for a sneak peek out our theme this year.
#Maythe4bewithyou
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