Monthly archives: October 2018

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 19 October

By the time you read this message I very much hope that eleven days of using paper systems in our Emergency Departments will have ended.  It will take over a week to enter backlog data collected on paper, and probably until November 12th before some of our management information derived from this clinical data is accurate for the months of September and October.  Patient transport, outpatient check in kiosks, and the system used by GP colleagues to request some tests have also been affected.  As I have sought to explain in a couple of short films, the origin of our problems has been outdated server technology.  On Tuesday next week, we will make changes to our second largest server, and over coming weeks we will progress and conclude work to address the whole infrastructure we have.  Our wider IT infrastructure programme kicks off in coming days, and whilst our WiFi improvement work is yet again therefore behind schedule, it too will recommence in November.

I want to thank everyone for their immense hard work and forbearance. The Board’s first dedicated IT programme meeting takes place next Friday, and without distracting from the need to establish our programme for IT, and finalise and lockdown Unity go live dates for 2019, we will clearly examine the lessons learned from the last fortnight. Of course there are errors and omissions in that, though our business continuity plans held up well. I know that that Board committee will ask for comprehensive clarity on disaster recovery arrangements for the Trust’s IT, and third party expert support. For every system we run we want to have at least two employed experts, and a back up provider in place. That is a long way from where we are now, but is a realistic aim, and one we will afford.

Attached are this week’s IT statistics. IT Performance Stats 19 October 2018

Unapologetically three health messages follow!

1. We all recognise that blood stocks underpin much of the hospital care we are able to give. I know a lot of our employees give blood. If that is you, or is not yet you, please could I ask you to consider visiting the website blood.co.uk, or contacting the Birmingham Blood Centre, which is in New Street via 0300 123 23 23. Across the NHS we need around 6,000 donations a day to keep pace with need, and we can all play a part in that campaign and that work.

2. Our flu campaign continues to attract attention, comment, and most importantly vaccinated colleagues. The campaign goes mobile next week to our community settings. If you have not yet registered as a peer vaccinator, you can still do so, and the e-training is, I understand, brief to do. With QIHD coming up in November, now is the time to plan the next couple of weeks in your department, as we all look to make sure we vaccinate over 5,000 people. We have made a great start, but stamina is needed now as we aim to keep going and achieve herd immunity.

3. This week saw us jump start the number of staff who have completed Basic Life Support training, as we aim to fulfil our pledge to reach 100% coverage of those needing such update training and competence sign off by the end of this calendar year. Thank you to our Restart a Heart team for their work this week, and if you are reading this and are not yet yourself up to date, please make those arrangements in coming days. I very much hope it does not need any consequences to get us all over this particular line, but we would all recognise that mandatory training does mean that, and from April everyone in our Trust will need to be 100% up to date. Look out for more comms on the ways to be so, and what incomplete status will mean, during November.

You may have seen in the media that this week, the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, visited Midland Met. Balfour Beatty have taken site responsibility, retaining those people who have kept safe our site since January, and installing their signage and systems. The huge glass Winter Garden will start to go up over coming weeks. Next week our business case document goes to government to seek permission to start procurement in November for the final contractor, with 2022 our long-stop date to open the new site. It seems wrong to talk about momentum when we were due in 2015 to be open this very month, but the firm commitment of all political parties and statutory bodies as well as the great construction market response should give us faith and hope that we can deliver at long last. And I am delighted that final clinical conversations are taking place now about our reconfiguration plans for 2019. The Board is determined that we seek to achieve as many of the outcome and care benefits of Midland Met as we can, in advance of our move. On a seven day a week basis we want to be able to offer consultant led acute care to our patients, and I am hopeful that we can put a final proposal to our Board meeting on November 1st.

Eagle-eyed Heartbeat readers will have noticed that a couple of months ago I replied to a letter urging the Trust to get more serious about ending the use of disposable plastics across our sites. The end of this month sees a first step as we replace plastic cutlery in most of our retail and restaurant outlets. Wooden options will be used for take away with more metal cutlery for eat in. Please do your best to support this latest step in our social responsibility obligations, and do come forward with other ideas and suggestions that you feel could help our oceans. Or keep writing to Heartbeat because it really does make a difference!

Finally – all our Star Awards winners, friends and supporters are in the upcoming Heartbeat. I am not going to name names here, but you are all extraordinary and we are lucky to share the Trust with such caring and determined colleagues.

Hellomynameis…Toby.

IT incident update – Toby Lewis, Chief Executive

Dear colleague

I am pleased to be able to report that from 4pm today some of our IT systems that were previously unavailable are now restored.

Thank you for your cooperation in treating patients safely using your business continuity arrangements. We have been able to see and treat all patients, with no need for cancellations of planned appointments and procedures.

The work continues to ensure we have robust infrastructure in our network and systems and a thorough review, with external experts, continues.

I appreciate the additional effort that many of you have put in to support our services during this period of IT failure. Many thanks for your commitment to our patients and each other.

If there are other IT issues, or the IT system you are using is not performing as it should please contact the IT helpdesk as usual on 4050 or via the Connect portal. We need to continue reporting all issues so that we have a true picture of functionality across the Trust and so that the team can take action to resolve the problems.

Best wishes

Toby Lewis, Chief Executive

Air Tube ( pod ) system offline at Sandwell Hospital

The air tube system on the Sandwell site has been taken offline today due to a burst water pipe in the basement duct room.
The air tube will not become available until after the weekend.

Until the air tube is repaired wards must instigate their contingency plans for the failure of the air tube e.g. alternatives methods used to send samples to the Pathology Department.

IT Incident Update

Dear colleagues

The repair and restoration work for our IT systems that began overnight is progressing well. This means that we expect to have available the following systems by 4pm today:

• Patient First
• Cleric (for patient transport)
• In-touch check-in kiosks
• ICE

We will let you know when these systems are functioning and can be used.

In the meantime please continue with your business continuity arrangements until you are informed otherwise.

Best wishes

Toby Lewis, Chief Executive

Awards ceremony recognises achievements of NHS workforce

Featured in The Phoenix Newspaper:

A glittering ceremony to celebrate the achievements of healthcare staff at a West Midlands NHS Trust, has been hailed a success.

The Star Awards saw 58 nominees from Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust recognised for their hard work over the past year.

The Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Joy Edis was a special guest at the event, which was held at Aston Villa Football Club on Friday (12 October).

Those honoured included Donna Mighty picked up the award for Equality and Diversity Champion. She has been Co-Chair of the Trust’s BME Network which has seen her take a lead role organising the national Here To Stay exhibition, which celebrates the Windrush generation of healthcare workers who helped to shape the NHS.

Donna beamed: “I am overwhelmed to have won the award and want to thank everyone who nominated me. I couldn’t have done this without the support of my colleagues.”

Also recognised wasVolunteer of the Year Janet Dearne, who has devoted 40 years to her role with the League of Friends organisation. She has helped to raise an impressive £500,000 for equipment used at Sandwell, City and Rowley Regis Hospitals, which are run by the Trust.

The coveted Distinguished Service Award went to the recently retired Rev Ann Stevenson, who joined the organisation over 26 years ago and has successfully led the Trusts vital chaplaincy services.

She said: “I am absolutely delighted to win this award and it’s a huge privilege to have worked here for three decades. I am proud to be part of the SWBH family and it’s been a joy to have conducted colleagues’ weddings and bless their children. The obvious sad side is conducting funerals for staff and their families. I love the family feel of this organisation where people and their lives matter.”

The Employee of the Year gong went to Matron Debi Fretwell, who joined the organisation in 1993 as a staff nurse. She has worked her way up the ladder and was recognised for her work in introducing the way patients are seen through the healthcare system and ensuring they receive the right care in the right place.

During the evening, Louise Thompson, Infant Feeding Coordinator was commended twice for her achievements. She scooped the Prize for Innovation, for her work around developing the Infant Feeding Service.  And, also was part of the team which won Clinical Team of the Year (children).

Richard Samuda, Chairman of SWBH, said: “It was a very successful event which celebrated the achievements of our wonderful workforce. Our Trust has so many dedicated and caring employees who deserve this recognition. They have devoted their time to looking after patients and improving their experience when visiting our hospitals.
“We were also delighted to welcome the Mayor of Sandwell to the ceremony, who presented the Clinical Team of the Year (children) award to the Infant Feeding Team. Councillor Joy Edis has been a consistent champion of the Trust’s services and role in our community.”

Richard added: “We want to thank our sponsors, without whom this event would not have been possible. They represent key partners in our services and have been exceptional in their support for celebrating our staff contributions.”

Also featured in the Halesowen News and the Worcester News.

Harpal’s encouraging others to Speak Up

Featured in the Sandwell Chronicle.

Helping patients receive the right care and looking after the hospital workforce – nothing is too much trouble for Harpal Tiwana.
Twenty four years ago she started in the NHS at the tender age of 16, and is now the Assistant Service Manager at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, making sure thousands of patients receive the right care at the right time in the right place. Her role sees her support a range of services within the Trust, such as Rheumatology, Dermatology, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Medical Infusion, and the Sexual Health Service.
She explained: “I ensure everything is run like clockwork. All clinics need to be fully utilised, patients need to be seen and treated within national targets, and if clinicians suddenly become unavailable, I have to make quick decisions so that patients can still be seen.
“I work in a fast-paced environment, but I love all of it. Being able to enhance the patient experience is a privilege.”
Harpal is a familiar face within the Trust, not only for her long years dedicated to working for the organisation, but also for her important role as a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.
“At our Trust, we encourage staff to speak up about any concern that they have, so actions can be taken to resolve them. Sometimes, all staff need is to be able to talk to someone who they can trust, and that’s how my role comes into place,” she added.
“There are nine of us who are Freedom to Speak Up Guardians within the organisation. We give staff the confidence to speak up and make sure their issues are looked into.
“I think it’s very important that employees feel they are able to raise concerns as when they do, change happens.”
Mum-of-one Harpal, from Smethwick, started working at the Trust after finishing her GCSEs. She recalled: “When I left school, I accidentally fell into working in the NHS and I have never looked back since.
“I started as a medical secretary, working at City Hospital. I then had the privilege to work alongside Professor Caroline Gordon, who is one of the top Lupus experts in the country. After ten years, I was promoted to the role of senior medical secretary. I think one of my career highlights was when the Lupus clinic at City Hospital was recognised as a centre of excellence – it really made me proud.
“In August, I was appointed Assistant Service Manager and I feel like with my new role, I’m making a difference to patients on a larger scale as I’m more involved in running the services efficiently and making improvements.”
Despite her busy work schedule, Harpal has still managed to complete her bachelor’s degree in Strategic Marketing Management. She said: “I just love learning and exploring new things.” So who inspires her? She said: “My colleagues are my unsung heroes. Not many people know about the work of the administration teams as they don’t really see it, but they are the backbone of the organisation. Their dedication and commitment to patients really inspires me.”
In her spare time, Harpal enjoys reading crime novels, listening to music, and spending time with her husband and eight-year-old son.

Learning CPR and help save lives through trust

Featured in the Express & Star.

A trust was supporting Restart a Heart Day by encouraging visitors to have a go at CPR.
Experts were on hand to show people how to carry out the life-saving act on a manikin, during events at Sandwell and Birmingham City Hospitals.
Dr Derek Connolly, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, said: “This is an important campaign as we know that if CPR is started early it can double the person’s chances of survival. The more people educated in crucial life-saving techniques, the more people will survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the future.”
Bethan Downing, Deputy Director of Organisation Development and Learning has organised the events with our Trusts’ Deteriorating Patient and Resus Team.
She said: “Our Deteriorating Patient and Resus Team will be based in the reception areas of our two acute hospitals, where they will be encouraging visitors to try out CPR.
“We want people have a go so they are able to understand how to carry out the procedure should they find themselves in a situation where it is needed.”
The campaign, which has been organised by the Resuscitation Council and is in its fifth year, aims to train a record-breaking 200,000 with the skills and confidence to help save a life.

Volunteer Janet rewarded at Trust’s awards night

Featured in the Halesowen News.

A VOLUNTEER who played a huge part in the fundraising drive for Rowley Regis Hospital’s Garden of Remembrance has received a regional award for her work.
Janet Dearne, chairwoman of the League of Friends group attached to Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, received the Volunteer of the Year honour at the Trust’s Star Awards night.
In addition to the Garden of Remembrance, Janet has also led fundraising drives to buy much-needed equipment for the Rowley Regis site on Moor Lane.
Janet has devoted 40 years to her role with the League of Friends organisation, in which time she has helped the group raise more than £500,000 for equipment used at Rowley Regis, Sandwell and City Hospitals.
The awards night was held at Aston Villa Football Club on Friday, October 12, with the Mayor of Sandwell, Councillor Joy Edis, a special guest at the event.
The coveted Distinguished Service Award went to the recently retired Rev Ann Stevenson, who has led the Trust’s chaplaincy services for more than 20 years.
Donna Mighty, co-chair of the Trust’s BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) Network, picked up the award for Equality and Diversity Champion.
The Employee of the Year gong went to Matron Debi Fretwell, while infant feeding coordinator Louise Thompson won the Prize for Innovation and was part of the Clinical Team of the Year.
Richard Samuda, chairman of Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals, said: “It was a very successful event which celebrated the achievements of our wonderful workforce.
“Our Trust has so many dedicated and caring employees who deserve this recognition.
“They have devoted their time to looking after patients and improving their experience when visiting our hospitals.”

IT incident update – Start of recovery work scheduled for Thursday 18th October

Dear colleagues

Our plans for the recovery of our IT systems are now underway and early tomorrow we expect to begin replacing the parts of the server that have failed. In order to protect some of our other systems that are currently working normally we have put backup arrangements in place.

As we make the required repairs we may see other systems disrupted, however, this should only be for a short time, as we would then switch to our backup arrangements.

We will be able to closely monitor the impact of the repairs so that we can advise you when our systems are back up and running well, or if we need to continue with our business continuity arrangements.

A core group of people will be alerted if there are any further outages as a result of the repair work we are doing. They will then update each service area that is affected.

Thank you for your co-operation over the past week. We hope to end this week in a much more favourable position.

Best wishes

Rachel Barlow, Chief Operating Officer.

Meet the team – domestic abuse awareness month

We’re raising awareness of domestic abuse and the impact it can have on victims across the Trust throughout domestic abuse awareness month. The child safeguarding team are here to support you, victims and their children.

Come and meet the team at City and Sandwell main reception from 10am-2pm on the below days and help us raise money and awareness for Your Trust Charity and Black Country Women’s Aid.

For more information please contact claire.holmes1@nhs.net