Monthly archives: November 2018
Diwali & Bandi Chhor Divas – today
We’re hosting a joint Hindu and Sikh Celebration to celebrate Diwali today at City Hospital Chapel (first floor) from 12pm.
Light snacks will be provided – everybody is welcome.
World Antibiotic Awareness Week
World Antibiotic Awareness Week continues this week. On Monday we covered how antibiotics save lives, but we haven’t developed new antibiotics in the last 30 years.
Today we look at antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is an everyday problem in all healthcare settings across England and Europe.
The spread of resistant bacteria in hospitals or community healthcare settings is a major issue for patient safety:
- Infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria increase levels of disease and death, as well as the length of time people stay in hospitals.
- Inappropriate use of antibiotics may increasingly cause patients to become colonised or infected with resistant bacteria.
- Few new antibiotics are being developed. As resistance in bacteria grows, it will become more difficult to treat infection, and this affects patient care.
New research, published earlier this month, shows that 33,300 patients die each year due to antibiotic resistant infections in Europe.
If we don’t change how we prescribe and use antibiotics, by 2050 there will be an extra 10 million deaths each year due to resistant infections, with an associated economic cost of £66 trillion.
Cake sale at Sandwell Hospital
There will be a bake sale taking place this week on Friday 16 November in the Reception of Sandwell Hospital (near children’s outpatients). Money raised will be donated to Children in Need and Your Trust Charity.
Come along, show your support and buy some treats.
If you would like to bake or donate some cakes for the sale, please contact Abigail Hanlon, Hospital Play Specialist on email abigail.hanlon@nhs.net. Alternatively you can drop them in to Priory Ground ward.
Did you know there are two new categories of pressure ulcers?
NHS Improvement (NHSi) have revised the definition and measurement framework of pressure ulcers. This is being rolled out across the whole of England. These changes within SWBH will become effective from 1 December 2018. To find out more and ensure your knowledge in patient care is up to date, come and visit the Tissue Viability team at the following roadshows:
- Sandwell Foyer Wednesday 14 November 11.30-14.30
- City (outside D15) Thursday 15 November 11.30-14.30
- Rowley 11.30-13.30
To support the rollout of the new guidance, the Tissue Viability team have arranged a training programme which launched on Monday 12 November with training being delivered on wards and in the community.
Note: All clinical colleagues are encouraged to attend their relevant training sessions to ensure they are aware of the changes.
Dates, times and locations of the training can be found on the following link: Pressure Ulcer training programme
Further training events will take place in the coming weeks, if your area would like an alternative date please contact the tissue viability team on tissueviability2@nhs.net
Heartbeat: Top tips to protect your eyes
Nearly 100 people visited awareness events at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre (BMEC) during National Eye Health week, which took place in September.
Patients, visitors, and colleagues were invited to visit BMEC to learn about how to look after their sight – as part of activities organised across the country to raise public awareness of eye health.
Russell Stephenson, Eye Clinic Liaison Officer, who organised the two awareness events, said: “We talked to nearly 100 people about tips to look after their vision. A lot of people were surprised to learn that by simply wearing sun glasses when it’s sunny, they can reduce the risk of getting blind.
“We also encouraged people to quit smoking as smokers are up to four times more likely to lose their sight than non-smokers.
Colleagues are also reminded that if you regularly use visual display units (display screen equipment), you are entitled to a free eye test. More details on Connect:
Join us at City and Sandwell Chapel for Wednesday and Sunday worship
The chaplaincy team host Sunday and Wednesday worship every week across both our City and Sandwell sites.
- Wednesday Communion Service 1pm-1.30pm, City Chapel (first floor)
- Sunday Communion Service 11am-11.30am, City Chapel (first floor)
- Sunday Communion Service 4.30pm-5pm, Sandwell Chapel (second floor)
The service is an open format time where colleagues and patients can come and receive prayer for healing, communion or just sit and listen to contemporary worship.
It’s a drop-in service where you can decide how you’d like to participate on the day. No formal service is run.
All colleagues, patients and their visitors are welcome.
For more information please contact call ext. 3552.
Tissue viability team exhibition for community nurses today – West Bromwich Leisure Centre
Our tissue viability team will be hosting an exhibition for community nurses to get an update on our wound care formulary until 4pm today at West Bromwich Leisure Centre.
They will also be promoting the new Pressure Ulcer Grading Tool.
To get the latest on the dressings available to provide optimal wound healing for your patients be sure to drop by.
For more information please contact rebecca.vivian@nhs.net.
Heartbeat: RBS volunteers transform maternity and children’s spaces
Head office staff from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Birmingham recently redecorated the bereavement room and D19 at City hospital all as part of their corporate and social responsibilities in supporting Your Trust Charity.
The Brindley Place and Colmore Row based staff gave up their company away day all to improve our patient facilities.
An RBS volunteer from the day said: “I think it’s a very good thing we can give back to the children and the bereavement suite as the people there are going through a difficult time.
“It’s really nice to be able to give back to them (and) hopefully we can make a difference to people’s lives.”
Ward Sister, Rebecca Talbot was delighted with the transformation in the D19 paediatric ward.
She said: “We recently had RBS come to give our ward a much needed make over.
“They painted our ward entrance, treatment room and parents’ kitchen with an underwater theme, as we thought it has a relaxing vibe for the children when having procedures done and can be a good form of distraction therapy with bubbles, fish, dolphins and ceiling decorations.
“We’re really grateful for the work they did as it has improved the working environment for colleagues and patients and it has made the ward more welcoming for children who aren’t very well.”
RBS also took time to decorate the Jasmine Suite on our maternity unit.
Bereavement Support Midwife, Ann Minto said: “The Jasmin Suite is our bereavement room on delivery suite. Thanks to the team of RBS, it is now a more inviting and friendly environment for women and their families who are going through a terrible experience.
Ann’s fellow Bereavement Support Midwife, Mary Molloy said: “We have also had a tree of remembrance painted by one of our charity volunteers Sabriya Hussain, a university student with a passion for art; our parents are now able to leave a message in memory of their child.”
Amanda Winwood, Fundraising Manager at Your Trust Charity is thankful to RBS and said: “I would like to say a massive thank you to all the colleagues at RBS and Sabriya who took time out to make our paediatric ward and bereavement room a better place for our patients.
“Without the support of our community, none of the work we do would be possible and it’s really appreciated.”
Sepsis is our number one quality priority: Day 13 of our campaign
Message from Phil Harvey, Chief Registrar and ST5 Gastroenterology
Sepsis is a big priority for clinical teams. We are proactive in diagnosing and treating sepsis in patients when they are first admitted to hospital. However it is much more challenging when patients develop sepsis at a later stage in their hospital admission, especially when this presents to medical teams out of hours. Sources can often be less obvious, for example a drain site, cannula (central or peripheral) or catheter. Often these patients are frail and have multiple co-morbidities. We all need to be vigilant and proactive when caring for these patients.
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