Monthly archives: December 2018
Organ donation – why it’s important
https://youtu.be/KL-2Kb8pLzI
Organ donation is an amazingly generous act and saves thousands of lives in the UK every year. However, this relies on donors and their families agreeing to donate.
Be sure to check out this video featuring Judith Martin, our specialist nurse for organ donation talking about why it’s important for clinical colleagues to have a conversation with the family of a patient who has passed away about organ donation.
You can contact Judith directly by emailing her at Judith.martin@nhsbt.nhs.uk.
If you wish to donate or to find out more about donating, see www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-to-donate/register-your-details/.
Heartbeat: NHS Hero Sarah Ludlow – Specialist Fire Training Officer
Our organisation is full of remarkable, motivated people, who give a lot to the communities we serve. Since 2014, we have been recognising our quiet heroes who come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and do a wide variety of jobs across our organisation. Each week we shine a spotlight on one of those heroes, and following an interview by our press office the Sandwell Chronicle publishes these inspirational stories.
It’s a hot topic for Sarah Ludlow – who delivers fire safety training to colleagues across our workplace.
Sarah brings her enthusiasm into each session and with 23 years of experience, it’s no wonder she’s well known within our workplace for her innovative and engaging approach.
She explained: “I don’t like the idea of me talking all the way through the session.
“I always ask people questions that make them think about scenarios and how they would react if they were in those situations. I also take them around buildings across the Trust and encourage them to question the safety measures in those buildings.
“My top tips for everyone are to always look for emergency exit signs when you enter a new building, and always remember to use the right fire extinguishers. A lot of people have found these tips very useful.”
Sarah absolutely enjoys her job as she feels that her training sessions help colleagues minimise fire risks and gives them the knowledge to protect themselves and their patients.
She said: “Fire awareness is very important, especially in hospitals. Colleagues need to be aware of fire safety measures including the location of fire extinguishers and emergency exits and how they would manage the safety of patients, visitors and other staff members should an incident occur.”
It’s only fitting that the mum-of-two works in a hospital – as she started out her career in nursing.
She explained: “I started at Sandwell Hospital in 1995 and soon went on to become a moving and handling training officer. Eventually I saw a vacancy for a specialist fire training officer in 2013, and I thought I would give it a try.”
Sarah is keen to progress in her career and has her sights set on becoming a health and safety officer. She said: “Learning and development is very important and it makes such a difference to an organisation. I have completed a few qualifications in health and safety and I am hoping to do more. Hopefully, I will achieve my dream one day.”
Daredevil Sarah enjoys a new challenge – and has even skydived to raise funds for Lyndon 2 ward at Sandwell Hospital. She said: “It was a memorable experience. I didn’t have an instructor with me and I nearly landed on a highway. Fortunately, I was able to land safely in an empty area nearby.”
Sarah lives with her husband in Wednesbury. Outside work, she enjoys looking after her two-year-old granddaughter.
So who inspires her? “My daughter is now a maternity assistant practitioner,” beamed Sarah. “She amazes me with what she does and her determination to succeed.
“My husband is also my source of inspiration. He always believes in me and supports me to achieve my dreams.
Heartbeat: Volunteers thanked at annual celebration
Our volunteer service hosted their annual celebration event at the postgraduate centre at City Hospital to thank all the volunteers for their dedication and hard work over the last year.
Over 30 volunteers attended the event and were treated to a special festive buffet and a Christmas quiz. A guest speaker from Sandwell library services informed the group about the ‘Happy to Chat’ scheme to support lonely people and our own library assistants encouraged volunteers to take advantage of our libraries which are based at both City and Sandwell Hospitals.
Liza Gill, Volunteer Service Manager is delighted with the performance of the service in 2018. She said: “Volunteers play a pivotal role as they add value to the organisation and more importantly, complement the care provided by our colleagues.”
The celebration also saw the volunteer team talk about new roles and the launch of vthe hub at City Hospital.
Patricia Hunt, Volunteer Service Manager is thankful to all our volunteers and said: “Without the commitment of our volunteers, the service would be non-existent.
“Our volunteers make a huge difference for patients whether that is through wayfinding, assisting patients at mealtimes or at events across the Trust so it’s always nice when we can give back to them by hosting a celebration.
“I want to say a massive thank you to all of our volunteers for their efforts throughout 2018 and I’m hopeful we can have continued success in 2019 and beyond.”
Amrit Varma, who has been volunteering at the day hospice at Rowley Hospital for just over a year said: “It was wonderful to be invited to a celebration event, I really enjoyed talking to the other volunteers about their experiences in the hospital and we were made to feel that our role is really appreciated by staff.”
Heartbeat: Black Country Alliance procurement partnership delivering on savings
Procurement and supplies is often an overlooked subject in many organisations but a regional alliance is changing the way procurement is managed here at SWBH, alongside Dudley Group Foundation Trust and Walsall Healthcare Trust.
The Black Country Alliance procurement partnership (BCAPP) is a nationally recognised collaboration between local trusts, which has built close links with suppliers and the Department of Health and Social Care to enable us to procure both clinical and non-clinical products in volume.
The procurement partnership which was formed in July 2015 has already seen success with savings of over £1.5million being achieved, with the accomplishment being attributed to engagement with clinicians and frontline colleagues.
To find out more about the partnership and the secrets to its success, Heartbeat caught up with Janice Nelson, Clinical Procurement Specialist Nurse.
She said: “It’s fair to say that the success of the partnership is through the engagement with clinicians to seek advice and enable frontline colleagues to lead on product evaluations, as they are central to patient care, using clinical products and equipment on a daily basis.
“Clinicians add real value to procurement processes by highlighting other crucial aspects of product suitability besides simply cost, such as usability, safety, quality and patient comfort.
“A recent example of this is through the procurement of neuraxial connectors for spinal needles (NR Fit). New safer ‘non-standardised’ small bore (non-Luer) connectors are now being introduced across the NHS to minimise the risk of wrong route errors when administrating medication via oral/enteral and neuraxial routes”.
Dr Krishnan, Consultant Anaesthetist, clinical lead for this product evaluation, explained the importance of this change: “This unique connector will promote better patient safety and helps ensure that connectors for unrelated applications are incompatible. I am confident that this will reduce the chances of the wrong route injections and infusions and the harm and death associated with these incidents to our patients.”
Louisa Adams, Theatre Matron added: “Working collaboratively with the BCAPP has enabled us to take a pragmatic, structured look at non-pay saving opportunities within the organisation.
“The support the team offers interfacing with suppliers, partnership hospitals and the wider Trust team enables us to plan effective product evaluations and is supportive in the delivery of savings.
“With the governance structure in place, we are able to get a timely and definitive clinical decision which allows for the implementation of improved products for patient use as well as realising savings for the organisation.”
Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 21 December
This is my penultimate Friday message of the year (and about the 270th I have written so far). It is an easy one to write in advance of Christmas and after the bonhomie of the decorations contest yesterday, and the various celebrations on our sites today. Next week I will look forward to 2019 and I hope to be able to make announcements about both our first GP primary care contracts as a Trust (I know Wolverhampton have done this, and we want to improve on that), and some new medical leadership appointments as we look to deepen the engagement of consultant staff in our senior leadership.
At the bottom of today’s message I announce our decorating contest top four, whose prizes will be available after Boxing Day. Thank you to everyone who entered, and to Richard Samuda and Dr. Sally Bradberry who led our panel.
We seem to be ending the year with slightly more stable IT than that with which winter began. It was clear however as the Chairman and I walked most of our Trust yesterday that real issues persist, with printers, with WiFi, with off-site connections, and with the speed of the machines we have. Remember from January IT Helpdesk tickets can only be ‘closed’ by you, the person who reported the issue! All of those issues must be tackled before Unity can give us the obvious benefits it offers. But it was also evident how much enthusiasm Dom LeGros, Annie Williams and many others have managed to generate about Unity. The all-site roadshows over the last fortnight have made the connection between safety, Sepsis, and Unity. I know the next roadshow push is on falls assessment and documentation in January, which is timely because we are seeing falls rise in our wards, and need to be open to tackling that. And electronic prescribing remains, for me, the huge safety benefit of the new product, and one which will reveal real issues we need to overcome around medication accuracy and medicines reconciliation. Unity offers us an HIE connection, which does give us insight into the prescribing history of our patients outside our walls. As we look to address the issues of polypharmacy, perhaps particularly with an ageing population, this is a key tool for our future wellbeing.
The New Year brings resolutions. So, time now to get serious about our anti-smoking arrangements. Less than 200 days to go, and the job adverts go out soon for our enforcement team. The cameras are going up in popular smoking hangouts so that we can make sure that visitors, patients and even our colleagues know that there is nowhere to smoke on our sites unseen. The benefits of driving down smoking in our communities outweighs, in the Board’s view, and my own, the messiness of people smoking on the roadside, although we continue to work with the local authority on how littering nuisance can be best policed and prevented. Of course, the best way to approach this is to save money and health by stopping, even if that means cutting down first. The Trust will be investing like never before in classes to quit, in nicotine replacement, and in vaping too. We will have a swap-shop approach because we want to help people to quit. Thank you to everyone who has sent in ideas, and it is very clear that many colleagues who smoke want to stop. Let’s make that something all of us talk about, as we try and reduce ill-health.
If you have read this far, you may want to know about the decorations. Huge effort went into the areas we visited, and we had a gratifying number of new entrants like medical illustration, estates, our IT helpdesk, the alcohol team and our Yew Tree health visiting team. Fantastic hand-crafted material is on display in antenatal and BTC’s children’s outpatients. Patients were deeply involved in the stroke therapy and day hospice displays. We almost gave prizes to D42 and to D6, and were amazed by the symmetry of Priory 4’s 400 baubles. But after almost two days of judging, we have awarded as follows:
- Gold Award for the most beautifully decorated
The Respiratory Team decorations in the Lyng: The whole team were involved and the panel were blown away.
- Frankincense Award for the most over the top decorations
Lorraine in Lyndon 2 has got everyone to advocate for her work. Matalan have contributed. And after many honourable mentions – this time we agree that the effort and commitment deserve celebration.
- Myrrh Award for the most imaginative or unusual decorations
Sue Harris, a maternity support worker on M1, has inspired her colleagues to a beautiful display. Somehow Peaky Blinders gets a look in, and a sensory environment is created that works with the main lights off and on.
- Star Award for the best environment for patients this Christmas
Serenity (I know we have clients not patients) is a truly beautiful example of both involving clients, staff and everyone in integrating the decorations into the clinical journey and thinking about how new born babies can be celebrated through our craft. Many congratulations, and a special mention for the recycling and upcycling component!
Medical infusion team host Christmas pyjama day
Our medical infusion team hosted a Christmas pyjama day in the medical infusion suite on Friday 21 December.
Jacqueline Slater, Senior Sister said: “Instead of Christmas Jumper Day we decided to go with a Christmas pyjama day as many as our patients come to our ward area in their pyjamas so we thought what better way to relate to them than wear pyjamas!’’
Heartbeat: Focus on the homeless has helped to rehouse more than 200 patients
Christmas is a joyous time of year for many, but for some it can be quite a lonely experience, especially for those who find themselves homeless and out in the cold.
However, our homeless patient pathway team have been working all year round to support those who find themselves in a vulnerable situation, without a secure roof over their head, or living alone when they need more support in place.
Figures shared by the team show that they have successfully housed or helped 229 patients return to their original accommodation, whilst the service has also reduced potential re- admission rates by 86 per cent. The service has also saved our organisation 378 bed days – an average saving of £151,200 in the last 12 months.
Helen Taylor, Lead Nurse, said: “The main aim of the pathway is to ensure safer discharges from hospital for homeless or vulnerably housed patients into appropriate accommodation.
“The team also improve the patient journey, maximise service referrals and access to health care, as well as helping to reduce hospital re-admission rates.
“Following discharge, the team will complete a home visit to ensure that patients are engaging with the relevant services and sustaining their tenancy.
They will identify and register the patient with a local GP and ensure that they have adequate prescribed medications.
“Registering with a GP can be a lengthy process specifically for homeless patients who often do not have any ID or paperwork. However we can assist them with this process.
“I am able to provide them with vital interim prescriptions as a bridging gap between secondary and primary care, thus reducing potential readmissions for non-compliance of medications.
“In addition to this we also provide food, toiletries and clothing as required on discharge and all of our donations come from the generosity of colleagues.
“The Birmingham Vineyard Church have supported the service for three years and once a month they will bring us over £100 worth food and toiletries for our homeless patients.”
So how do colleagues get in touch with the team?
Helen explained: “The referral process is quick and easy. You can either set the homeless flag on EBMS or simply telephone one of the team.
“It’s a very important service which is supportive to our patients. We had a total of 403 patients referred for the year and of those, 341 received an intervention from our team.
“The figures speak for themselves and show that we are providing a much-needed initiative which is essential in helping to support vulnerable patients in our care.”
Heartbeat: Patients hit the right note
Respiratory patients were full of Christmas joy when they took part in their first ‘singing for breathing’ session.
The group went along to the meeting, which was organised by our community respiratory team, to help improve their lung health.
The 45-minute session, at the Vantage Point, in West Bromwich, was led by Louise Blackburn, who is a singing for breathing practitioner and has been trained by the British Lung Foundation.
The group sang Jingle Bells and While Shepherds Watched.
Louise said: “I find that people with lung conditions benefit greatly from these sessions. The magic of singing for breathing is that it is not only good physically and socially, but also a huge benefit for those patients with lung conditions.”
Teresa Brigden is a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who attended the session. She said: “This has been brilliant. It’s the first time that I have sang in public, I normally just sing at home behind closed doors.
“But I felt very comfortable in the session today and really enjoyed it. I will definitely be coming again as I feel it’s benefited my condition too.”
The sessions start with a warm-up to prepare the patient’s body for activity. This includes physical warm-ups, breathing and vocal exercises, such as rhythm and pitch games. They then go on to sing around two to three songs.
Alice Harvey, Respiratory Clinician, added: “It was a fantastic first session. The patients really enjoyed singing Christmas songs after some fun warm-up exercises.
“You can see straight away how it benefits their health, but also how it helps socially too. An added benefit is that our staff have really enjoyed taking part, learning new techniques to support patients in managing their breathlessness, and helping our own wellbeing also.
“We have part-funded the sessions by using our Your Trust Charity funding. It means that patients are able to enjoy this great benefit to their health and wellbeing.”
A growing body of research suggests that group singing is especially good for people living with a long-term lung condition. It can improve health-related quality of life, be a fun group activity to reduce social isolation and loneliness, help improve posture and increase the strength of a person’s voice.
People with COPD who join singing groups say that singing regularly reduces their feelings of being short of breath, helps them to feel more in control of their breathing and helps them to manage their symptoms better.
The singing for breathing group will start a new term in January 2019. The group will meet at 11.30am each Monday in term time. Sessions are £2 per person, and anyone who struggles with breathlessness is welcome. Please contact the Community Respiratory Service if you would like further information on 0121 507 2664 (option 4, option 1).
Heartbeat: Patient set for Christmas with family after support from our alcohol team
L-R Alcohol Lead Nurse Arlene Copland, Lynn Peniket (Rachel’s mother), and patient Rachel Bassett[/caption]
Depressed and jobless, Rachel Bassett reached for the phone to call her GP to beg for help with her addiction to alcohol. Although she doesn’t remember making that life-changing phone call four months ago, she is now on the road to recovery – and has quit booze, thanks to our alcohol team.
Rachel’s life had spiralled out of control two years ago when she felt she could no longer function without a pint of cider in her hand.
“Cider was my world. I loved it so much I’d buy bottles of the stuff and down seven litres a day,” said Rachel, whose weight had plummeted to just six stone.
“It got to a point where I started feeling that I couldn’t function normally without a drink.”
During her lowest ebb, married Rachel, from West Bromwich, would wake up and reach for a pint of cider, and always fall asleep with a drink in her hand. Eventually, she was left housebound and could barely lift herself up. She would crawl up the stairs ‘like a toddler’ as she struggled to move her legs.
Rachel was also diagnosed with malnutrition and would survive on one can of soup – every four days. Holding back her tears, Rachel explained: “It was a dark time. My husband, Martin, desperately tried to help me. He would encourage me give up the booze and eat healthy food, but I didn’t listen to him.
“I would pour some soup into a bowl and leave it in the sink to make it look like that I had eaten. In fact I didn’t touch a drop.”
As a teenager, she began drinking with her friends and for many years it remained a harmless social habit.
“It was fun at first,” she recalled. “I always liked drinking when I went out with my friends. I was the one that kept asking people to have one more drink. I was the last one to leave the party.”
But as her drinking habit became worse, Rachel also developed mental health problems.
“I became anxious and depressed. I worried about everything. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the house. Even going for a meal with my family and friends would terrify me.
“When I did my shopping, I just hoped that no one would start talking to me. Sometimes I felt like dropping all my bags and running out of the shop.
“I was afraid of everything and I just wanted to stay in my bedroom. I closed the curtains, curled myself up in bed, and drank cider.”
Rachel was sacked as a result of her addiction. Now looking back, she is thankful to her former employers for her dismissal.
“It was a real wake up call,” explained Rachel.
“A few weeks later, I was in my room and I called my GP to ask for help. To this day, I still don’t remember making that call, but it changed my life completely.
“I was then referred to the alcohol team at City Hospital. My mum took me to the appointment the next day, and a new chapter in my life began.”
After her initial assessment with the team, it was decided that Rachel needed to be admitted to City Hospital for detox treatment.
Arlene Copland, Lead Nurse, said: “The treatment involved Rachel having to stop drinking alcohol immediately. She also had to take medication to help her cope with the withdrawal symptoms and was admitted into hospital for a week.”
Rachel added: “It was a very difficult time. I remember I was desperate to go home. But my family, friends, and the hospital staff were so supportive. They helped me to remember what I wanted to achieve.
“Since undergoing treatment, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol and I am determined that it stays this way.
“I feel that I have got myself back. I’m much happier now than I was six months ago. I don’t feel worried or anxious. I now go out for meals with my family and friends. I have gained two stone and have so much more energy. I spend most of my days cooking and baking.
Heartbeat: Nursery children delight patients on elderly care wards
Children from Sandwell Day Nursery brought smiles to the faces of patients on our older people’s assessment unit (OPAU) and Lyndon 5 earlier this month. The group, a mix of ages two, three and four, visited the wards to perform a number of Christmas songs and had the patients singing along with them.
The idea was the brainchild of Activity Coordinator, Donna Hawkins, who used to work in the day nursery at City Hospital before taking on her new role.
“We are always looking for different methods of therapy for the patients,” said Donna.
“We often do things such as listen to music or watch films, but I thought we could try something different in the lead up to Christmas.
“Many of the patients on the wards often talk to me about their grandchildren or great grandchildren and how much joy they bring them, so I contacted Emma Collier (nursery manager) in the day nursery to see if she could bring some of the nursery children to sing some Christmas songs to the patients.”
The children sang a number of songs including Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas and many of the patients joined in, either singing or clapping along.
Allan Heard, a patient on OPAU said: “That was brilliant – they children were so good and so well behaved. I have four great grandchildren around the same age and they always bring a smile to my face – I have missed them whilst I have been in hospital so the nursery children really cheered me up – they made my day.”
Emma said: “When I spoke to Donna I thought it was fantastic idea and we got practicing right away. The children were so excited to come into the hospital to sing for the patients. I think they did a fantastic job and they really enjoyed themselves.”
Thee year old Scarlett, who sang at the top of her voice and waved to all of the patients said: “I liked making people happy.”
The therapy team have a number of festive activities planned throughout December, including a Christmas quiz, cracker making and a Christmas themed exercise class.
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