Monthly archives: January 2020

ESR drop-in sessions in January – learn how to access your payslips and much more

We are introducing ESR drop-in sessions to help colleagues get to grips with accessing their staff records, including payslips, annual leave and training:

• How to log in
• How to access ESR from home
• How to view your play slip on ESR
• How to download the App to your mobile phone
• Mandatory training
• Viewing and amending your own record
• Anything ESR related

The sessions will be hosted on the following dates:

For more information please email estelle.patil@nhs.net.

Heartbeat: First class Rev Mary receives postgraduate degree in chaplaincy studies

Reverend, mother, grandmother and graduate – there’s more than meets the eye to our Lead Chaplain, Mary Causer. She leads a multi-faith team supported by a dedicated band of volunteers. Together, they look after patients, staff and relatives across our Trust. The chaplains are on call 24/7 – listening to individuals’ when they need someone to talk to and providing emotional support, as well as spiritual and pastoral guidance.

When Mary joined us in 2016 her ambition was to help the department to become part of the fabric of the Trust. She said: “I’m seeing that starting to happen more. We’re being involved in areas like palliative care training.”

Mary doesn’t take the task of being lead chaplain lightly and is keen to meet the needs of those that use our hospitals and beyond. Fostering links with local communities is especially important.

The long term goal is to really engage the hearts and minds of those in the communities we serve. The team lead celebration services for all the main holidays such as Christmas, Eid and Diwali. We’d like to see the community become more involved.

Looking forward to the opening of Midland Met, Mary has begun planning how the team will become more ingrained in community life. She commented: “We’ll have a new faith centre and the plan is to involve community and religious groups more. We’d like to invite people into the hospital so they can get closer to what we do. We want to reach out to families and hold events that they can be a part of like crafts afternoons and a range of creative classes for patients.”

In October, Mary completed her postgraduate degree in chaplaincy. Having already completed her BA with honours in Theology, this was an opportunity to cultivate new skills. As well as having a religious and spiritual focus, it also looked at management and leadership skills. Mary commented: “The course gave me a renewed confidence in what I do and how I deal with my team. I’m thankful that the Trust enabled me to complete my postgraduate degree.”

Taking one year in total, the learnings from her degree have already been put to good use in her role. She said, “It offered me the opportunity to reflect on what I do and the knock-on effect has been to help my team do the same. We deal with lots of events, some tragic and, we must stop and reflect too. I’m introducing the practice of reflection and it’s going well.”

Patient dietary requirements and ward meal plans

On admission each patient is to have their dietary requirement added in Unity. This will then populate the new electronic Meal plan which is accessed via the MPTL tab in Unity. The patient dietary requirements have to be verified prior to each meal time for accuracy and ultimately patient safety. Once all patients have had their dietary requirements verified the meal plan can be printed out and given to the ward service colleagues. Compliance of both dietary orders and verification needs to be improved.

In order to support ward colleagues, from 16 – 24 January (weekdays only) the training team will be on the wards, guiding colleagues on duty. Please expect a call from the team to arrange a convenient date. In addition, a trainer might pop onto the ward just before lunch time to support the process.

Further information and support is available in the following QRGs:

• CD51 Recording dietary requirements
• CD93 Producing a ward meal bed plan

For more information please contact Sharon Reynolds on ext. 3548.

Expected disruptions around BTC: 16 – 20 January

A new CT scanner is being delivered to the BTC on Sunday 19 January meaning you may experience some disruptions around that area between 16-20 January.

How does this affect you?

With this mind, the following will be in place over the next few days:

• Scaffolding will be installed at the back of the BTC from Thursday 16 January until Monday 20 January. During this time the usual route from outside into the MRI in the BTC will not be available.
• From Thursday 16 January until Monday 20 January patients attending the BTC for a MRI scan will be asked to report to the reception desk in the BTC and will then be directed along a temporary internal route to the MRI scan suite. Temporary signage will also be put up to direct patients.
• The rear car park of the BTC ( by gravel section/ Oxygen VIE store) will be coned off to prevent access. There will be no parking avaialbe here from midnight on Saturday 18 January until after the new CT scanner has been lifted by crane into the BTC. During this time cones will be placed at the exit from the car park by Hilda Lloyd and the gated access to the front of the BTC underneath the link bridge will be locked to remove possible pedestrian traffic.

If you have any concerns or require further information, please contact steve.lawley@nhs.net.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Thrombolysis in stroke study day: 3 March

We will be hosting a free full day course for colleagues involved in stroke thrombolysis from 8.30am – 4.30pm, Tuesday 3 March at Education Centre, Sandwell.

The topics covered will include an introduction to thrombolysis, NIHSS scale score, stroke mimics, pharmacy issues, nursing care, local protocol, thrombectomy and complications of thrombolysis.

The course follows the national curriculum for stroke thrombolysis and BASP (British Association of Stroke Physicians) training requirements and is fully accredited by the Royal College of Physicians.

Note: Spaces on this course are limited and will operate on a first come, first served basis.

For booking and more information, place please contact either lorena.chua@nhs.net or sambanwell@nhs.net.

Drug safety notice – product shortage: phenytoin 100mg

We will be out of stock of phenytoin sodium 100mg capsules from until early May. An alternative phenytoin sodium 100mg capsules manufactured by Flynn Pharma is available, however switching to an alternative formulation requires monitoring and may also require specialist support, advice or referral.

Please see Phenytoin information sheet for further details.

For more information please contact the pharmacy department on ext. 5259.

Heartbeat: From plaster room to Lois Barr superstar

In 2012, Stephanie Craig joined our Trust working in the plaster room at City Hospital. Since then she has taken every opportunity to develop herself professionally. She soon progressed to become an orthopaedic practitioner trainee and undertook a complex in-house training programme based on anatomy, physiology and orthopaedic conditions.

During the 2017/18 academic year, Stephanie attended the world-renowned British Casting course based at The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore. In April 2019, she was informed that she’d not only passed the course but that she’d achieved the highest pass mark in the UK. As a result, she was awarded the prestigious Lois Barr Award.

Stephanie commented, “I’d like to thank the Trust for believing in me and putting me forward to attend this amazing course. I would also like to thank my colleagues in both plaster rooms for their support and, for giving me the confidence and skills to progress in my career as an orthopaedic practitioner.

Steve Hackett-Cann, Orthopaedic Practitioner said, “It was my pleasure to train Steph leading up to her course. She excelled in her course and is a huge asset to the organisation.”

Need to go cross site? Why not use the shuttle service – shuttle bus timetable

Our free cross site shuttle bus service between Sandwell and City runs between 6.40am – 6.15pm, Monday – Friday, with 30 minute intervals between each shuttle.

Colleagues can only be picked up and dropped off from the designated points which are listed below:

• City drop off points – outside the BTC and Anne Gibson room
• City pick up point – outside the Anne Gibson room (BTC is a drop off only point and the shuttle bus cannot be caught from this stop)
• Sandwell drop off and pick up point – Sandwell bus shelter outside main reception

Please see Shuttle bus timetable for details regarding arrivals and departures.

Note: The last shuttle bus departs from City at 5.30pm and Sandwell at 5.50pm.

We must remind colleagues that the shuttle service is for Trust colleagues only. Passengers on the shuttle bus should have their NHS ID badges with them ready for inspection. Colleagues who do not have their badge may be refused travel.

For more information please contact Jay Akbar on ext. 2540.

Free yoga classes at Sandwell

We are hosting yoga sessions at Sandwell Hospital suitable for all levels of ability, experience and ages.

Sessions are free, last between 45 mins–1 hour and facilitated by a trained yoga instructor.

There are multiple benefits of yoga both mentally and physically as it may help reduce stress and improve relaxation levels.

The classes will held at Sandwell Hospital, The Berridge Room (formerly Courtyard Training Room) at 4:45pm on the following days:

• Wednesday 22 January
• Wednesday 29 January
• Wednesday 5 February
• Wednesday 12 February

For more information and to register your interest, please call Jatinder Sekhon on Ext. 3306, option 4.

Recommend a friend for a nursing role and get a cash reward – for both of you!

Did you know that you can earn a cash reward, split between you and your friends/family if you recommend them for a Band 5 staff nurse position within the Trust?

Any recommended individual who is hired will net you (and them) £100 once the new recruit has been in post for three months. With a recruitment day coming up this Saturday at the BTC now is your chance, if you’re an existing employee at SWB, to nab yourself a little bonus!

Fill out the form here, and have your friend/family member return it to the Recruitment Department.