Monthly archives: May 2019

Unity 28-Day Challenge – Day 15, Mentoring Monday

Do you know your business continuity plans? Mentor someone today to familiarise them, or receive mentoring yourself if you’re not sure.

Business continuity is about ensuring that the Trust can continue to deliver services during, and after, a disruption.  For more information please see Connect.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 10 May

Wednesday 15 May marks the Chairman’s Iftar when we celebrate the welcoming of Ramadan. Join in the celebrations at Arches Café, City Hospital from 8.30pm-9.30pm with the fasting being broken at 8.45pm. There will be a wide range of food and drink available and also the opportunity to ask questions and gain support for the coming weeks of Ramadan. Thank you to everyone undertaking their observance of Ramadan and those supporting them.

This Sunday we celebrate International Nurses’ Day across the Trust. This week there have been a number of activities to mark this moment, including a contest to learn about innovations being taken forward by particular wards.  Paula Gardner, our chief nurse, led the judging process, and Newton 3 won first prize for their work creating space and a facility to support patients without adequate clothing – for example those who are homeless.  Congratulations to Sherry Craig, and everyone who completed an entry.  It feels as if we are building already to November’s weLearn poster contest. QIHD in May is again asking for confirmation of accreditation bid status, as we look to make sure that every ward and every team is undertaking structured quality improvement time. The learning topic this month is ‘near misses’, on the back of our Speak up Day. We want teams to think through how near misses are acknowledged, discussed, celebrated and learnt from where you work. We have near misses in IT, as we all know, in theatres, but in truth every department will have moments where something could have gone awry. If we are to develop the quality improvement culture that we are after as an organisation, it needs to be ok to red flag things that nearly went wrong. Part of the feedback being sought from QIHD discussions is how best we do that, Trust-wide. This focus on near misses is another facet of the coming weLearn programme that I have mentioned here regularly in 2019. The Board is determined to help to support organisational learning – both great practice like our nurses’ day contestants, and from complaints, incidents and risks.

Of course every day right now we are all trying to learn about Unity. We are into our third week next week of the 28-Day Challenge. I know there is a huge amount of activity across our sites, and little by little we are getting closer to our go-live. In June and July our super users will be trained, alongside our digital champions. The digital committee is reviewing the exact go-live plan by which we move from our current systems to the new ones. Favourites Fairs have continued this week. They are the route by which you can get yourself set up on Unity and save the system to appear to you as a user; how it will be when you switch it on; on our first day. All of us, when using IT, have short cuts, and things that let us move faster, and if we can have that uploaded then when we do go live it will prove easier to switch. This week we have had a couple of fairly major IT related disruptions, both with our shared drives for documents, and with our landline telephones. Even though the stats show that things are improving, I do appreciate that confidence remains fragile.

One of the biggest mobilisation activities this month is our huge recruitment drive. As a Trust we are determined to address the 700 vacant roles we have funded in our system. In advance, I want to thank those working hard to have adverts out, panels set up and offers made. A lot of work is also going into what is called the “on-boarding” process whereby things like uniforms and IT access and such are ready when or before someone begins work here. The data is clear that turnover and retention are issues for us in the first year of someone’s employment. So we know that we have work to do to make it easy to start work here, fun to join the team, and straightforward to make your mark and achieve your goals. Our appraisal system is part of that, and so whilst the push is on to complete all end of year PDRs by the end of June, every new starter must have that form of clarificatory conversation after a few weeks with us. I know for example that recruitment in our Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre is going apace, and walking round the site with Bushra Mushtaq and her leadership team it is very clear the work we need to do to have our eye hospital ready for a larger workforce, treating many more patients in the next two years. BMEC is a valued and integral part of the Trust and we want to make sure that the team have what they need to succeed.

Next week we undertake the first of a new round of review meetings with each clinical group management team. These eight weekly sessions will ensure that there is no gap between senior clinical leaders in frontline services and the Board. The discussion focus this time includes: Making sure that no patient has missed safety plan checks, securing the growth in research and development studies that Kathryn Gill and the R&D team have begun to plan, delivering our quality plan including ending missed sepsis screening (1 in 10 still omitted sadly), being ready for our smokefree go live on 5 July, and of course meeting our plans for funding, workforce and waiting times. These are the sorts of big changes that were within our 2020 vision when we created that together in 2015, and as we count down to next year, we want to secure as many of those benefits as we can. Targets like increasing the diversity of our senior leadership, reducing avoidable bed use for people with alcohol abuse issues, and improving stroke outcomes are being delivered, but there is much left behind the 2020 vision that we still need to complete.

As we look to move beyond 2020 we will of course build our future plans alongside primary care and with other partners. Tuesday next sees the latest coming together of primary care leaders with Trust colleagues, this time with GPs from across Ladywood and Perry Barr. I know there is great energy behind individual projects in respiratory medicine, diabetes, paediatrics and iCares, as well as emerging ideas in acute medicine and orthopaedics. I am hopeful that as Unity connects up data from across our system, it will give us the information to build on strong relationships and intentions and deliver better results for our patients – every NHS plan, and every chief executive, doubtless claims that is the aim. Our challenge, through the learning models, and through doing as well, is to actually go beyond talking and into doing. I was delighted this week to get a surfeit of feedback from GPs that that is precisely how the Trust is increasingly being viewed beyond our walls. So there are signs of progress, and much still to do. Our funding model for the year ahead is very clear. Traditional payment for ‘review’ outpatient contacts is suspended, and we have scope to innovate, providing care remotely and virtually if that is best for our patients, and frees up time for other work, including the improvement work that sits behind our quality plan. Evidence again that we do have some joined up thinking here – and need to seize our chance.

Attached are this week’s IT stats: IT Performance Stats 10 May 2019

#hellomynameisToby

Think Alcohol deactivation: 20 May

Think Alcohol, currently found on ICM will be deactivated on 20 May

After this date, all patients with alcohol misuse issues who need to be seen whilst in hospital must be referred directly to the alcohol team.

For routine referrals please call ext. 5074. For urgent referrals please bleep 5134.

Note: Patients who are drinking at a lower level and require only community based support upon discharge can be referred into community alcohol services by completing a Making Every Contact Count (MECC) referral via clinical systems on connect.

Star Awards 2019: Patient Safety Award

Do you know an individual or team who has exhibited best practice in providing safe care, who has openly raised awareness of safety issues, championed transparency or introduced new ways of working to a service or treatment that has improved patient safety?

Nominate them for the Patient Safety Award in this year’s upcoming Star Awards!

Ways to nominate:

• You can complete a paper nomination form which you can download by clicking here.
• You can send in a video nomination for free to  swbh.comms@nhs.net via www.wetransfer.com Choose go to free. When doing the recording remember to state clearly who you are and the name of the person/team you are nominating.
• You can complete the online form by clicking here.

Be sure to check out this video featuring last year’s winners the safety plan project team.

If you have any questions regarding the Star Awards, please contact the communications team on 0121 507 5303 or email swbh.comms@nhs.net.

For more information, please visit our dedicated Star Awards page on Connect.

Heartbeat: Advanced practitioners to bring enhanced skills to critical care

Five experienced critical care nurses have begun a new two year training programme to become advanced critical care practitioners (ACCP).

At present there are 100 fully trained ACCPs in the UK, with an expanding workforce. This is a brand new role for SWB, affiliated to the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM). ACCPs are part of the medical associate professionals (MAP). From a background of nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy or paramedicine with established critical care experience, an ACCP can:

• Undertake an extensive assessment of the critically ill patient, including taking a history and completing a clinical examination
• Perform or order diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
• Prescribe medications as a non-medical prescriber
• Develop and manage an acute management plan and pathway for the patient
• Perform invasive interventions and other practical skills
• Teach and educate patients, relatives and other members of the multi-professional team.

All trainees have completed or are undertaking Master’s level training with both academic and clinical learning outcomes. The new role resides within the critical care service. However, colleagues will meet the trainees as they work across different areas of the Trust, including A&E, surgery, medicine theatres, cardiology, radiology, microbiology and haematology to name a few. They will acquire valuable skills and broaden their knowledge to enhance the skills they bring back to their critical care roles.

The team is led by Dr Rupali Saluja, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthetics, FICM College Tutor and Rebecca O’Dwyer Lead for Critical Care and Deputy Group Director of Nursing for Surgery. Dr. Saluja says, “The purpose of ACCPs is to offer care that is centred on patients and their needs, as they work through their critical illness. Each ACCP will combine their transferable, existing skills with new clinical training to provide better quality care to critically ill patients, as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

“The trainees are excited about this opportunity, as it will enable them to meet colleagues from all disciplines who contribute to the pathway of critically ill patients.”

There are many justifications for the role. Nationally, the Centre for Workforce Intelligence has predicted a significant growth in demand for critical care services over the next 20 years with a 4-5 per cent increase in year on year activity. It’s also predicted that by 2023, double the amount of beds than what our organisation has now will be required for patients in intensive care.

Dr Saluja continues, “Other benefits of the role include improving and supporting the quality of training for junior doctors, as the role is centred on co-learning and adding a new perspective to the work of multi-disciplinary teams. Also, as medical teams tend to rotate, the ACCPs will facilitate continuity of care as a constant presence on the critical care unit.

“The training programme helps experienced nurses, pharmacists and paramedics to pursue an alternative route to career progression, helping them realise their aspirations and in turn, attracting motivated new professionals to the NHS.”

Sonia Cole, formally a senior sister in critical care shared, “We’re all really excited and looking forward to the challenges involved in our training. Our background as nurses means we consider patient cases from a medical and nursing perspective, ensuring holistic, person-centred care. We believe the co-learning opportunities between both ourselves and medical colleagues are immense.

“The whole team are excited about this journey and are looking forward to working with the wider Trust workforce, patients and visitors. We welcome the support of all colleagues and look forward to meeting them soon.”

Unity 28-Day Challenge – Day 12, Film Friday

Watch a Unity video. They are only a few minutes long at most. Pick one that you’re unfamiliar with and see what you can learn from it.

There are plenty of videos on Connect and the Trust’s YouTube channel covering all different aspects of Unity. Take the time to have a look.

We’re aware that some people are having trouble logging in to the Play System at the moment but this won’t prevent you from taking part in the 28-Day Challenge.

If your own username and password does not yet work, please refer to this guide, which will allow you to access the Play System with a generic login appropriate to your role.

Supporting our Muslim colleagues and patients during Ramadan

Ramadan began on Monday 6 May and signals the start of a period of fasting for Muslims across the world. Lasting from 29–30 days, Ramadan sees Muslims refrain from eating food, drinking or smoking from sunrise to sunset.

Muslim’s will commonly have one meal known as the suhoor just before sunrise and an evening meal known as Iftar after sunset. Ramadan is considered as a time of prayer and self-reflection, where Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur’an.

At our Trust, many colleagues have asked for information on Ramadan and advice on how they could better support both colleagues and patients during this period and listed below is some helpful advice from the BME Network and Muslim Liaison Group.

Some of the ways in which you can support colleagues during Ramadan:

• Adjusting the rota to support those colleagues finding it difficult working day shifts whilst fasting.
• Allowing colleagues to be able to go for their breaks/lunch at Iftar (breaking the fast time at sunset) and at Suhoor (starting the fast time at dawn) as well as time to pray. This could be done as a reasonable adjustment to support the staff member to practice their faith.

If it is clinically safe for a patient to fast here are some of the ways in which  you can support Muslim patients during Ramadan:

• A patient who is fasting may prefer to have food brought in by their relatives ready for when it is time for them to break their fast at sunset.
• A patient may ask to leave the ward to go to the prayer room or chapel to observe their worship during the holy month.
• Patients who are fasting may require more water than usual out of thirst from fasting or to fully hydrate before they begin fasting again the following morning.
• The Holy Quran and religious books can be supplied by the hospital chapel or by a Muslim chaplain or brought in by friends or relatives.

The Muslim Liaison Group and BME network are planning an Iftar meal on 15 May this year and all colleagues are invited. Managers are encouraged to allow all team members to rotate and come along to celebrate the welcoming of Ramadan at Arches café at City Hospital from 8.30pm-9.30pm with the fasting being broken at 8.45pm.

If you have any questions regarding Ramadan or how you can support patients, visitors or colleagues, please get in touch with the Muslim Chaplain on ext. 4055\5015 or contact the BME Staff Network on swbh.bme@nhs.net.

Non sterile nitrile examination gloves code changes

We have been advised that the ordering codes for non sterile nitrile examination gloves will be changing from 13 May.

The new ordering codes are:

Note: All materially managed wards and departments will automatically start receiving the new brand of gloves.

For more information please call ext. 4938.

Dying Matters Week: 13 – 17 May

It’s Dying Matters Week next week from the 13-17 May 2019. The palliative care team are hosting a series of drop in events throughout the week to raise awareness and support you with any issues.

Please come and join us, no need to book a place:

• Monday 13 May: 10-3pm – Heart of Sandwell Day Hospice Open Event, Rowley Regis Hospital
• Tuesday 14 May: 9am – 12:30, Will Writing and Funeral Planning, 1st Floor BTC, City Hospital
• Thursday 16 May 9am – 12:30, Palliative Care Showcase followed by Death Cafe, Education Centre, Sandwell Hospital

For further information, contact Connected Palliative Care on 0121 507 3611

Heartbeat: Ahead of the game on health awareness

A wide range of games are available for colleagues from library services in the Education Centre, Sandwell to boost knowledge and awareness of health issues ranging from stress, renal, healthy eating, food hygiene and more. These games are perfect for study days and team away days.

Library and Knowledge Services Manager, Preeti Puligari says: “The stress game is a great example of a fun and interactive way to raise awareness of stress and stimulate a conversation within the team on how to manage it.”

The occupational health clinical team highly recommend the game. Jenny Wright, Health & Wellbeing Manager states: “The team thought the game was easy to use and understand and it was quick to set up and play. The stress game can be used within any team setting and is a good tool for team building exercises and for those teams that report feeling stressed. It created conversation and generated considered responses within our team around stress and general health and wellbeing.

“We recommend its use throughout our organisation, for team building and to share information and understanding of the issues around stress and stress factors.”

Other games include the ‘communications game’, a jargon buster game that helps medical professionals explain medical conditions and treatments to children without use of jargon and a ‘teams that care’ game to improve team performance.

The games can generate many benefits for the community too. Preeti explains, “In

April, library services are training 16 secondary school children in Sandwell to use and review games on topics ranging from sleep, healthy eating and body image. They will learn how to search for health information and use the games to share health messages with their peers.

“For SWB colleagues, games can be loaned for QIHDs, study days, away days and training sessions and we welcome recommendations to purchase new games that colleagues think would be useful for their team.

“Any colleague can loan games from the library and if the game you want is not available, please ask the library to purchase it.”

A catalogue of games is available from the library. Get in touch with library services by email: swbh.library@nhs.net or ext. 3112 with suggestions for purchase.