Monthly archives: November 2019

Optimistic about Unity optimisation

Please print this bulletin out and display in a prominent position in your ward/area and draw attention to it for all colleagues to read.

To help you get the best out of Unity we will continue to share top tips. Please take note of these helpful reminders as they may resolve an issue you have experienced.

Documenting samples when collecting bloods

We are still having issues with people not following the correct process for collecting bloods, which means that the result cannot be endorsed when it is returned to the hospital from the laboratory.

Please remember that when you are collecting bloods you must collect samples first, mark them as collected in Unity and then print out labels. For more information, please see QRG RT06.

Requesting a change to Unity

There are two types of issues that can arise when using Unity:

1. In most cases we need to help a user and their colleagues to develop expert knowledge of the product. As we all know there is a right way to use Unity. If we use the system in the right way then it works well, not just for us and our patients, but for the next user. That’s what we call optimisation.

Process flow – ‘I have a problem with Unity’

2. There is a second scenario, where we may need to change how Unity is set up or configured. There is a process to consider whether a change like that is required. Here’s how that process works.

Service change request form

A change request can be made to the weekly service change request meeting chaired by Martin Sadler and Liam Kennedy. If the request is less urgent, which most are, then your clinical group digital committee will consider the level of priority it needs.

In doing so, they will be particularly interested in whether your team is already performing optimally on Unity. Priority will be given to high performing teams’ requests. If your request is considered urgent then it will go direct to the weekly service change request meeting.

If you need help talk to your IT Business Relationship Manager (IT-BRM), whose names and details are below. BRMs are not an alternative to 4050 but they will help you to navigate the ways to improve your digital performance.

Help with CapMan

The quick reference guides (QRGs) to Unity, including how best to use CapMan, can be found on Connect or through eCoach.

All users are encouraged to use eCoach to access QRGs and support. Your activity on eCoach helps give the administration team much-needed knowledge so you can be better supported within Unity.

If you make an error in CapMan when transferring a patient from ED or any other ward, don’t panic, you don’t need to register the patient in IPM.

If you have transferred a patient to an incorrect ward or bed, please follow QRG CM40. If your patient isn’t on the transfer list, please follow QRG CM41.

Meet super user Sherry Craig

Senior sister Sherry Craig (second from right) is a super user in surgical services. She played a key role in helping her team through go-live and beyond, but was keen to share the credit.

“Every member of the team understood different areas so together we could get the answers quickly. It was quite seamless. We used each other so we didn’t have to use our floorwalker too much.

“The beauty of having two wards – Lyndon 3 and Newton 3 – is that we could work with each other. Staffing was a challenge but we managed to get through it,” said Sherry.

“During go-live we were encouraged to wear the turquoise Unity t-shirt so people knew straightaway who you were. It helped you to stand out.”

Sherry has started to notice some advantages of Unity already and thinks that more will become apparent over time.

“It’s nice to have everything in one place and it’s easier to find what you’re looking for rather than going through reams and reams of paperwork. The more we use the system the better it will become because the background of information is there.”

Remember – you can contact your super users for help and advice or call ext. 4050 if you have issues with your device or use of Unity.

Heartbeat: New era comes with new ear

It’s well known that critical care is not the quietest of clinical environments. This can be due to a number of factors such as medical equipment monitors, and all the activity associated with looking after critically unwell patients.

Catherine Beddowes, Critical Care Follow up Support Service Senior Sister explained: “We know that we work in a busy environment and that patients can suffer as a result of sensory overload, experiencing delirium as a result. People who suffer delirium can get confused and agitated with their clinical outlook and psychological wellbeing affected. Lack of sleep, oxygen and the medication they need can all work to produce delirium in a patient, but environmental factors are most important.

“So as a team we came up with the idea to introduce quiet time in critical care. This is to address some of the environmental factors that can affect patients’ equilibrium.

“We’ve also introduced aids to sleep such as eye masks and earplugs, to reduce glare and minimise noise.

“Educating our colleagues is vital in changing the environment as they can hugely affect the sound levels on the ward. Using charitable funds we purchased a sound ear. This is a visual display of noise levels in the department. There are three levels – green, amber and red which immediately show colleagues what the current noise level is. At the moment we have only bought one ear, and are trialling it in City critical care. We are planning to buy another three, with two ears for each unit, providing cover across the clinical environment.

“Already, after five weeks colleagues are very aware of it and have changed their behaviour.

“We’ve also introduced quiet time from 3pm – 4.30pm where we dim the lighting and ask visitors not to visit. This is to give our patients time for complete rest without any distractions.

“We consulted with colleagues who work with patients on the unit, and they were wholeheartedly supportive of the initiative. Even relatives have embraced it as it gives them a breathing space, and time to look after themselves.

“All routine nursing care is done outside of this time, and only clinical emergencies break the quiet. The initiative has been well received by all colleagues with our junior doctors particularly welcoming the move. The trust is introducing a quiet protocol across all ward areas in coming weeks.”

City ED Malling Health and Minors service move

Building works to deliver the new integrated children’s ED and paediatric assessment unit at City Hospital have now started. This will require a number of temporary changes. The first of these is the move of Malling Health GP and Minors services to the former fracture clinic which took place Wednesday 6 November. These services are now operational in the new location.

Patients will continue to report to the main ED reception on arrival and if streamed to the Malling Health GP or Minors service will be asked to follow the yellow floor arrows to the new areas located in the former fracture clinic location. The majority of patients will then receive their care in the new areas and be discharged from there. If patients require an X-ray they will be escorted to and from the ED X-ray rooms by a colleague.

Contact numbers for the new locations are:

• Malling Health reception – 4400
• Nursing stations in Minors – 5773, 5771 & 5772

Opening times will remain the same:

• Malling Health – 10am-11pm
• Minors – 8am-10pm

Outside of these times all ED patients will be seen in the main ED Department.

Malling Health will remain in the old fracture clinic area until the move to Midland Met and Minors is expected to move back to ED in April next year.

Thanksgiving Service for Pam Jones: 13 November

On Wednesday 13 November at 2.30pm, St Peter’s Church, Lapal there will be a Thanksgiving Service held for Pam Jones. Pam Jones is a former employee of our Trust and well known to many colleagues. She sadly passed away on Wednesday 23 October.

Pam began working for Sandwell Hospital in 1985 as occupational therapy manager. She was instrumental in developing therapy services within primary care and in the planning and opening of Rowley Regis Hospital. Following her retirement she was involved in a number of organisations in a voluntary capacity including Healthwatch and the Neurological Alliance.

All are welcome to attend her thanksgiving service.

Guidance for colleagues regarding activities during the pre-election period

With the announcement of the general election, purdah (the period of time immediately before an election when specific restrictions apply to the public sector) is now in effect, which means that care must be taken around announcements and activities by public sector bodies which could influence or be seen to influence the election.

NHS employees are free to undertake political activism and public debate in a personal capacity. Colleagues should however ensure that the Trust is not involved or that an impression of Trust involvement in a campaign or political activity is not created.  Colleagues are not permitted to use any official premises, equipment or information they would only have access to through their work and which is not publically available. This includes photography of colleagues in Trust uniforms. If staff use social media in a professional capacity as a representative of the Trust they should be mindful of preserving neutrality.

If you would like any further information please contact the communications team on ext. 5303.

Surgical services recruitment day: 9 November

We will be hosting a surgical services recruitment day event tomorrow (Saturday 9 November) at the Sandwell Education Centre, 10am and 2pm.

The event will allow interested parties to learn about the different opportunities available across surgical services, including roles within theatres and day units which offers a breadth of care cases and support for training and advancement.

You can find out more about the surgical services event, and apply for positions in the department in advance here.

For more information please contact amandagreen1@nhs.net.

Heartbeat: FGM survivor says clinic is much-needed

A female genital mutilation (FGM) survivor has welcomed a new clinic run by our Trust that will offer expert care for victims of the procedure. The “one-stop” support clinic will open in the coming weeks at Summerfield Primary Care Centre in Winson Green.

Figures show that Birmingham has the highest rate of reported new cases of FGM. In Sandwell and West Birmingham there were 310 cases reported in 2018/19. Hilary Garratt, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for England, said “These new NHS clinics will benefit hundreds of women who have suffered this most severe form of abuse and violence. These are clinics for women, run by women.

“We’ve listened closely to survivors and their advocates and designed these brand new services with them. These clinics, and the highly-trained staff who will work in them represents a real step-change in the quality and timeliness of support the NHS provides.”

Mum of four, Sarata Jabbi, was aged just seven when she underwent the horrific act in The Gambia and said the facility is “much-needed”. Her parents took her and her sisters to have the procedure after buying them new clothes and telling them that they were going to a party.

Sarata began campaigning in 2002 after working as a journalist and being made aware that the practice was child abuse and not a religious requirement. She continued raising awareness after coming to the UK in 2010.

Sarata said “This is a much needed clinic and will give many victims a safe and confidential way to seek help. There are many women from The Gambia, Somali, Eritrea and other African countries that have suffered. They desperately need treatment as a result of FGM. It is a very good initiative. It’s important that the voices of the victims are being heard”.

The clinic is one of eight to open across the UK, as announced by NHS England as part of its Long Term Plan earlier in September. It has been commissioned by Sandwell and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The NHS network of clinics will work with local community groups. They’ll be working to prevent future cases of FGM by seeking to change the culture and thinking around it. This will include education on the medical and psychological impact of FGM. As well as this, it will focus on the legal implications of carrying out or participating in it.

The network will be led by specialist doctors, midwives and nurses. It will provide access to specially-trained counsellors for emotional support, as well as FGM Health Advocates for advice on accessing other services locally.

Alison Byrne, Specialist Midwife for FGM will be running the facility. She said: “It’s in the heart of the community and will help many women who sometimes are unsure about how to access care or treatment after undergoing this procedure. We want to push out the message that this clinic is there for them to access and can be done so discreetly in the strictest of confidence.”

Michelle Carolan, Chief Officer for Quality at Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG added: “As the majority of women who have had FGM come into contact with NHS services once they are pregnant – usually between the ages of 25 and 35 – the Birmingham clinic will prioritise swift support and treatment for women between 18 and 25, before they become pregnant. The service will also be available to women outside of childbearing years.”

Annual Remembrance Service: 11 November

Our annual Remembrance Service this year will be held at both the Education Centre – room 9, Sandwell Hospital and City Hospital Chapel on Monday 11 November from 10.45am.

Poppies are also being sold in the BTC reception with small poppies costing £1 and big diamante poppies costing £2.

For more information please call ext. 3552 or 4055.

Fraud awareness month: Invoice fraud

This month is fraud awareness month which promotes openness and honesty about fraud. It also aims to raise awareness and share good practice in tackling fraud and financial crime.

What is Invoice fraud?

Invoice fraud is when fake invoices are sent to targeted organisations to extract money by exploiting vulnerabilities in their accounts payable processes.

As a lot of public sector information is openly available online and elsewhere, fraudsters are usually aware of the relationship details between the organisation and supplier. They are aware of payment dates/payment amounts and pose as suppliers when contacting finance teams to change genuine supplier account details.

Types of Invoice fraud:

Insider fraud – this is when there is someone on the inside who has access to NHS organisations payments or where the individual can influence the outcomes of an organisation’s processes. Examples include: false payment requests; overbilling of debtors or creating overpayments and pocketing the difference/ subsequent refunds; and creating bogus suppliers for fraudulent payments.

Mandate fraud – this is also variously described as ‘change of bank account scams’, ‘payment diversion fraud’ or ‘supplier account takeover fraud’. This type of fraud occurs when someone gets an organisation to change a direct debit, standing order or bank transfer mandate, by purporting to be from a supplier they make regular payments to in order to benefit from unauthorised payments. The details of suppliers are obtained from a range of sources including corrupt staff, publicly announced contracts and on-line logs of supplier contracts.

Supplier fraud – this is when steps have been deliberately taken by a supplier to mislead a health body with a view of obtaining payments that were not properly due. Duplicate invoices; hidden or incorrect fees, such as ‘handling fees’, ‘on-costs’ and ‘administration fees’; and charging or VAT, without holding a VAT registration number, are just a few examples. Health bodies can also be targeted by bogus publishers, who provide invoices for adverts in publications that do not exist.

What action should you take to reduce the risk of falling victim to this fraud?

• Checking information on invoices against the supplier details held on the system. Verify that goods have been ordered and received before making any payments. Purchase orders, booking confirmations and good received notes should be reconciled to invoices.
• Where any changes to supplier data is requested, contact should be made with the (real) supplier using original contact details to confirm the changes being requested.
• Setting the right anti-fraud culture within the health body is vital in preventing fraud and corruption. Ensure those involved with the process of payments comply with the organisation’s Standing Financial Instructions, Standards of Business Conduct and counter fraud and anti-bribery policies.
• Colleagues should also watch this short video produced by NHS Counter Fraud Authority.

If you require any further information regarding fraud or bribery within the NHS, please contact the organisation’s Local Counter Fraud Specialist (LCFS).

Thank you for supporting this important initiative. NHS Fraud: Spot it, Report it, Together we stop it.

Heartbeat: Staying alive – restart a heart goes back to school

Cardiac arrests might seem like something you only see on Holby City, but you’d be surprised to hear that there are over 30,000 every single year with a staggeringly low average survival rate of 1 in 10 if they occur out in the community.

Worryingly, statistics highlighted in research carried out by the Resuscitation Council found that less than half of bystanders in the UK would intervene if they witnessed someone collapse. Most stated their lack of ability, confidence or knowledge as being the biggest barrier standing in the way of them providing life-saving interventions.

This month the national restart a heart day campaign launched and focused on out of hospital cardiac arrests. As you would guess, cardiac arrests are indiscriminate and will strike without warning.

The resuscitation team packed their army of resus manikins and set their sights on training pupils at Broadway Academy in Perry Barr in the lifesaving art of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

The team presented their eye opening facts to a sea of 11-19 year old pupils. They followed up with hands on demonstrations with pupils who eagerly took to learning the lifesaving CPR techniques.

Resuscitation Officer, Dawn Martin said, “The key to our work today is to show pupils that they could save someone’s life with a very simple technique. All they have to do is if they find someone unconscious and not breathing is to call for help and begin CPR until help arrives. People have been put off in the past when CPR has been referred to as the ‘kiss of life’. In reality, providing chest compressions in the right way can keep someone alive long enough for help to arrive.

“In the UK we’ve got a long way to go. Our survival rates for cardiac arrest are approximately 10 per cent. In some of our neighbouring Scandinavian countries, the rates are closer to 25 per cent. The biggest difference is that children are taught first aid and CPR from a very young age.”

Hopefully, with their newly acquired lifesaving skills, pupils at Broadway Academy will be able to step in and save a life should they ever need to.