Monthly archives: January 2019

Heartbeat: Charity helps to keep patients warm this winter

A kind hearted charity has raised £500 to help our organisation deliver a ‘winter wellness pack’ project – an initiative which aims to give extra support to our elderly and vulnerable patients.

The Aashiana charity, which is a group of friends and families, has been raising money which will help our organisation to buy essential items, such as gloves, scarves, tea and coffee, to give to patients when they are discharged.

Mr Puri, the Chairman of the charity, said: “We are delighted to make this donation to Your Trust Charity and we hope that our little gift can make a difference to someone during this winter.

“We first heard about the ‘winter wellness pack’ project through our Treasurer, Mrs Shanta Sadier, who works at the Trust in the iCares department.

“She told us all about the wonderful work that they have been doing to support and enhance patients’ experiences, so we didn’t hesitate in choosing to support Your Trust Charity.

“After this project, we plan to raise more money for the charity as we feel that the funding will make a great difference to the local community.”

Johnny Shah, Head of Your Trust Charity, said: “We are so grateful to Aashianna for making this generous donation to this initiative, especially to Shanta Sadier for recommending Your Trust Charity to her group.

“It’s heart-warming to see how communities coming together to support those are less fortunate. These ‘winter wellness packs’ will keep patients warm at home when they leave the hospital.

“The funding is now open to teams who wish to use the money to buy the items for their patients. If you would like more information on how to request the money, please contact me at johnny.shah@nhs.net.”

Abena home delivery product awareness roadshow in January

We will be hosting a mandatory drop in session for all community colleagues to have a refresher on Abena products used in the community. The roadshow will visit the Rowley Regis Hospital reception on 22 January, 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm

For more information please contact continence.team@nhs.net.

Recommend a theatre practitioner to work at SWBH and you could earn £100

We are holding a Theatres Recruitment Open Day on 26 January, at the Education Centre, Sandwell Hospital, between 9.30am-2pm – and you could earn £100 by recommending a loved one.

Successful  candidates will be given on-the-spot conditional job offers. If you know anyone who would be interested in working with us let them know about the event. If they get the job on the day and stay with us for three months, you will each receive the bonus.

For more information about the Open Day, please click here.

Find out more about the recommend a friend scheme’s terms and conditions by clicking here.

EU settlement claims – how to claim back settlement application costs

To all of our colleagues and family members of the EU, we need you and we welcome you!

The Trust has agreed to fund you and your families’ settlement and pre-settlement costs associated with applying for UK citizenship.  Stay with us as we continue to work to build a diverse care system locally which reflects the rich mix of long standing and new residents in both Sandwell and Western Birmingham.

For further information about the process please see EU Settlement claims information sheet.

Loneliness and social isolation in black and minority ethnic communities – have your say

The BME staff network is urging colleagues to take part in a survey being run by the Runnymede Trust which is seeking your views in relation to social inclusion, loneliness and belonging in society.

Loneliness is now part of the national agenda and a priority for this government. However, as a race equality think tank, Runnymede Trust are acutely aware that there is a gap of information/evidence about how factors and triggers for loneliness might differ across different ethnic groups. While certain triggers for loneliness may be universal – such as retiring, bereavement, relationship problems etc, the think tank feels other factors such as experiencing racism, religious discrimination, health inequality, hostile social environments, language barriers etc, may have an additional impact on loneliness and social isolation for (some) BME communities.

The BME staff network believes this is an important subject that needs to be addressed and encourages colleagues to share their experiences.

You can complete the survey by clicking here.

Group praised for helping addicts’ families

Featured in the Express & Star.

A NEW support group at City Hospital has been praised for its effort to help families and friends cope with their loved ones’ addictions.
The Support Group, which started two months ago, is being run by two volunteers Dave and Tina James with support from the Alcohol Team at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWBH).
Dave explained: “We are both qualified facilitators and we aim to provide a safe environment in which people can feel confident to speak about their concerns and receive the support they need.
“We’ve actually been through this journey ourselves as a family member used to have a serious drug dependency. Therefore, we absolutely understand how challenging it is for families and friends when trying to help their loved ones.
“At our sessions, we provide confidential support for friends and family members of individuals whose alcohol use has become problematic, in order for them to feel more confident in dealing with situations. They will learn helpful different tools and ways of dealing with the problems caused by their loved ones’ alcohol misuse, such as better communication, how to cope with conflict, boundaries and support change.
“There are many support groups for people with addictive behaviour, but not many for friends and families. In the UK, it is estimated that several million families are directly affected by substance use and addictions. They also need help because addictive behaviour affects families’ finances, physical health and psychological wellbeing.
“On average, we see five to six people per session and hope to see more so we can support them all.”
Peter Marple, Alcohol Practitioner at SWBH, said: “The idea of bringing this support group to our Trust started when I met Dave at an event. After learning about what they had been doing and attending a few sessions myself, I felt that this group would be greatly beneficial to families and friends who need support during a difficult time.
“When I learned that the group were looking for a new venue to run their sessions, I spoke to Arlene Copland, our Alcohol Lead Nurse, about hosting the group at one of our hospitals. Arlene was excited about the idea and gave it her full support.
“We are now able to meet at City Hospital twice a month. During the sessions, if people have medical questions, I can step in and answer them.”
Dave, who is a full-time engineer, added: “We’re so grateful for the Trust’s support in giving us a place to run the evening sessions. It makes a huge difference to the people that we are helping.”
The group meets every first and third Wednesday, between 6–7.30pm, at the Diabetes Seminar Room on the first floor. Everyone is welcome and no booking required.
If you would like more information about the group, you can contact Peter via email at peter.marple@nhs.net and Dave at dave.smartff@protonmail.com.

New clinic opens for Hepatitis C patients

Featured in the Express & Star

A new Hepatitis C clinic which aims to help patients receive treatment quicker and closer to home has officially opened in Smethwick.
The much-needed service allows patients to be seen and treated by specialists from Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWBH) at the Alberta Building, run by Cranstoun Sandwell.
Hepatitis C is a virus that can infect the liver and if left untreated, can sometimes cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage to the organ.
Dr Saket Singhal, consultant gastroenterologist at SWBH, welcomed the opening. He said: “We are delighted to work with Cranstoun Sandwell to deliver this service.
“This community-based service will give patients easier access to treatment, instead of having to travel to hospital.
“We know that a group of our patients, who are alcohol and drug dependent, have been reluctant to come to hospital for a number of reasons. By working with Cranstoun Sandwell, a charity that is already helping patients with these issues, we hope to deliver better care.
“We plan to visit the centre once a week and aim to treat 50 to 60 patients every year.”
Arron Owen, Borough Manager at Cranstoun Sandwell, added: “We offer blood-borne virus testing to all our service users and this on-site clinic will make accessing vital treatment for hepatitis C much easier.
“Our staff are excited about this development and looking forward to not only improving our knowledge of this virus but also being able to offer our service users the treatment more efficiently.
“We hope this local initiative will contribute to the World Health Organisation’s strategy to eliminate viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030.”

It is estimated around 215,000 people in the UK have Hepatitis C. Most infections occur in people who inject drugs or have injected them in the past. It’s estimated around half of those who inject drugs have the infection. As Hepatitis C often doesn’t have noticeable symptoms, the only way to know for certain if someone has the virus is for them to be tested.

For more information about the service, please contact Cranstoun Sandwell on 0121 553 1333.

ENDS. 

Heartbeat: Local businesses make a difference for our patients

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Birmingham and BT Customer Care in West Bromwich visited our hospitals earlier this month, armed with paint and rollers ready to transform two wards to make them more inviting for both patients and visitors.

The organisations volunteered their time and efforts as part of their corporate and social responsibilities to support Your Trust Charity.

The team of staff from BT transformed Lyndon 1 (a paediatric ward at Sandwell Hospital) with a jungle theme, whilst the group from RBS Birmingham decorated M2 at City Hospital, with calming pastel colours to make it more welcoming and relaxing for new mums, their babies and families.

Taranjit Singh, Technical Specialist at RBS Birmingham was part of the team

who helped to transform M2. He said to Heartbeat: “We like to help our charities where we can and it is great to be able to come to the hospital today and support Your Trust Charity.

“My colleagues and I have decorated the ward to make it more inviting for those who have just had new babies – we had a fantastic time and have been made to feel like we have made a real difference.”

Amanda Winwood, Fundraising Manager at Your Trust Charity is grateful to those businesses took time out of their busy schedules to support the charity and make a difference for our patients.

She said: “I would like to say a massive thank you to RBS Birmingham and BT for making our wards more welcoming places.

“It can be a nerve wracking and anxious experience for anyone to have to come into hospital, so anything we can do to make our environment more welcoming makes a difference.

“Numerous clinical colleagues who regularly work in the areas have mentioned how wonderful they look since the decoration and these thoughts are echoed throughout the organisation.”

Heartbeat: The Sound of Music rings through City Hospital

https://youtu.be/GG5v42Fbdog

If you wander down to the postgraduate centre at City Hospital on a Sunday afternoon, you’ll hear the calming sounds of an orchestra filtering through the air.

Every two weeks, the Birmingham Gay Symphony Orchestra (BGSO) rehearse at the site and as a thank you to our organisation for the space, they fundraise for Your Trust Charity.

This year, they organised a retiring collection at their annual Christmas concert, held at St Paul’s Church, in the Jewellery Quarter, which was attended by Johnny Shah, Head of Your Trust Charity.

He was able to share the good work our organisation’s charity does for patients, visitors and colleagues.

Kat Galbraith, Chair of the BGSO and principle violinist said: “We have received a lot of support from Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and to say thank you, we ensure that one of our concerts every year raises money for the charity, via a retiring collection.

“We invited members of the charity team to the event so that the audience would know more about how it benefits the local community and the good work that is done.”

She added: “The BGSO promotes musical talent directly from within the LGBT community, illuminating the diversity that exists within it to the wider community and beyond.

“As an LGBT orchestra it provides a safe ‘non-scene’ environment centred around a shared interest where people can come together to express who they are without any additional pressure or expectations. They welcome musicians of all abilities whether they identify as LGBT or not.

“We are actively recruiting violin and viola players to join our upper string section. It really is the more the merrier and there has never been a better time to join us.”

Now in their tenth season, they perform three concerts a year in venues around the city, including Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, as well as St Paul’s in the Jewellery Quarter where they are Orchestra in Residence.

Johnny added: “Your Trust Charity are extremely proud to serve one of the most diverse areas of the West Midlands where almost one in three children and older people live in poverty.

“Every penny the BGSO has raised from their annual concert will help us make a difference for a mother, father or child who we need to care for in our hospitals and community services this Christmas. We are so grateful to the BGSO for their ongoing support, which will help us enhance the experience of our patients, families, and carers.”

Unity – The Pain and the Gain

Book now to find out how Unity will benefit you and your patients.

As the launch of Unity, our brand new electronic patient record draws closer, the Unity project team have arranged two engagement sessions for colleagues to join to find out more about the new system.

• Guest speakers from other Trusts who are further along in their implementation journey will share their experiences and take questions
• See Unity in action as we take a patient on their Unity journey through their care pathway
• Have the opportunity to quiz senior clinical and operational leaders on how Unity will change the way we perform our daily duties.

The sessions will take place between 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm on Tuesday 22 January, in the Conference Room at Sandwell Education Centre.

Registration is now open, so book your place today using the links below.