Monthly archives: April 2020

COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 23 April

This is our once a night bulletin. Please use this bulletin and daily cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide local action. Remember KINDNESS is our watchword in implementing our plans.  It is also our way of keeping in touch with shielders, home workers, part-timers and volunteers.  You are on the team.  Thank you!

Tonight the country again claps for carers at 8pm.  If you have chance, do get 2 metres away from someone, and play your part (if you wish).  We are actively discouraging organisations and partners from travelling to our sites to commemorate this event, as that is an unnecessary journey!  Let’s make a decent noise so everyone can hear us at home – #stayhomesavelives

Numbers not statistics: Today’s totals (Yesterday’s totals)

1. Wellness packs/goody bags for colleagues

Over the past three weeks we have distributed around 1500 wellness packs for colleague at Sandwell, Leasowes, community sites, City, our general practices, and Rowley Regis. These have been taken to departments by your colleagues and our volunteers. A gentle reminder that these are for the benefit of all staff who are working in patient areas. Don’t be a hoarder, this is one thing it is ok to spread!

We have gratefully received further donations of water, juice, hand cream, lip balm, energy bars and more from local businesses and other organisations that means new wellness packs can be distributed over the next week.  Please ensure these are shared with all members of the team when they are received. This includes our cleaners, porters, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists and other colleagues.  Everyone matters!

2. Continuing to test staff and public sector colleagues

Key worker access to testing at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital site office car park continues with the service currently being run by the private sector.

Our latest step is that non-NHS public sector and voluntary sector staff can now attend without an appointment.  There are now opportunities for key workers, as listed on gov.uk to turn up for a test without an appointment. ID checks will be carried out on arrival. From next week they expect to be able to introduce direct online booking for key workers.

Our own testing for NHS staff continues at Little Lane and City Hospital – if you need a test for yourself or a member of your household who has symptoms, you should call 0121 507 2664 and choose option 5.  We are also likely to be a pilot study site for asymptomatic testing – keep an eye out for comms this weekend… (test, test, test…)

3. Deferring retirements doe to COVID-19

Many colleague who had planned to retire are now choosing to defer that retirement so that they can continue to work, supporting the NHS at this time.

If you have applied to retire but are not yet in receipt of retirement benefits and would now like to defer your retirement, please email our Pensions Department: deso.kaur@nhs.net with your details. Please include ‘Deferred Retirement’ in the email subject heading.  Our team will prioritise this correspondence and cancel the application for retirement. Members will need to make new applications at a future date once they wish to retire. This guidance is useful if you are considering a deferral.

4. Making sure people get care when they need it: Partnership working with WMAS to support patients at home

Some patients remain frightened of attending hospital during this Pandemic, despite our reassurances and emphasis of the importance of getting medical help when it is needed. This includes patients who refuse being taken in an ambulance to one of our hospitals because they are anxious about COVID-19.

In order to best support these patients we have set up a pathway with the ambulance Trust who will inform our contact centre of a refusal to attend hospital. In these cases the patient will be telephoned by a clinician who will be able assess their symptoms and advise them on the next steps for their treatment. The new service, the first in the West Midlands, goes live next week.

5. Outcomes with COVID-19 for our BAME colleagues

Since the start of the Pandemic we have been collecting and analysing the information we have about every patient who has had a test taken and a positive test result. This includes the impact of the care we have provided and the outcome for each patient. Today we had the opportunity to talk through some of this information with Birmingham’s Health and Wellbeing Board at a specially arranged meeting.  We compared our data to others in the city, and discussed the fear felt by patients, relatives and BAME staff.

Our data indicates higher risk of poorer outcome with increased age and underlying health conditions, in particular hypertension and diabetes. We continue to review the information on each patient to see how we can best care for and communicate with different patient groups in relation to their risk factors.  We will include our latest data in Heartbeat when it comes out next week.  It is really important that we are open about our learning and reassure people who have ‘heard things’ or ‘seen videos’ with inaccurate information in our local community.

Free virtual groups through Slimming World for colleagues

Slimming World are offering all Trust colleagues free access to the virtual groups services they offer.

Note: You will need your NHS number to be able to access this service.

For more information and to join the virtual groups, please call 07592 508852.

Heartbeat: Long service awards show dedicated NHS workers lead by example yet again

In the last few weeks we have been reminded of how important the National Health Service is and how grateful we are to have it.

Not just as colleagues within our organisation but as a nation. We are indeed very lucky to have the service we do, and our organisation is very lucky to have the dedicated colleagues it does.

Across the country we’ve seen a very genuine outpouring of affection towards the NHS and its staff. Before the Coronavirus became a pandemic, we ourselves at Sandwell and West Birmingham took some time to acknowledge those who have dedicated themselves to helping the community as part of the NHS and as a part our Trust.

In February our Chairman, Richard Samuda hosted our most recent NHS Service Recognition Ceremony, where he acknowledged the dedication of well almost 150 colleagues who have served the NHS dutifully for 20 years or more. These included more than 80 staff hitting the two decade mark, with 50 at three decades whilst an astonishing 17 got to celebrate 40 years’ service as part of the NHS.

Among the 17 includes Helen Whiles who has spent her career here. Working her way up from a student technician working in the dispensaries, procurement and on the wards, all the way to Chief Technician for City Hospital – prior to the merging of the two hospital trusts at Sandwell and City.

Emily Horwill spoke to Heartbeat about her friend, jokingly referred to within the management team as ‘Aunty Helen’ for her kind and caring nature to both staff and patients.

“I have only known Helen for two years since joining the organisation and Helen has been really welcoming to me from my first day. She is currently embracing her new role as chief technician for medicines optimisation and can regularly be found on the wards liaising with ward staff about our Pyxis, Unity and Abloy systems to make sure we’re getting the best from them.

“She always enthusiastically takes on board and participates in change within the department and has a brilliant work ethic – and her memory of the organisation is a brilliant resource. Not to mention a source of many stories and tall tales! We’re very, very lucky to have her.”

Deprivation of liberty: Update from dementia, delirium and distress team

With the current situation due to COVID-19 and the pressure on ward colleagues we would like to let you know that a member of the dementia, delirium and distress team (DDD) will be completing deprivation of liberties for patients that require them.

If you have a patient that you feel meets the criteria please ensure that a mental capacity assessment is completed and then call Tracy Mansell on 07971753091 or ext. 5680 or email request on t.mansell@nhs.net who will complete the forms and send them to the relevant authority.

Note: This is only a temporary measure to support nurses on the wards. 

Is your skin affected by more frequent hand washing and the wearing of face masks during the coronavirus pandemic?

This survey aims to gain information on the impact on your skin and the impact of that on your wellbeing.

All data is anonymous and strictly confidential. Please do not include any identifiable information in free text spaces – if you wish to you can email us directly at  Emily.Burns@nhs.net.

Click here to access the survey.

Yoga – Breathe with Randall

• Home
• Org Dev
• Occ Health and Wellbeing
• Health and Wellbeing during COVID-19
• Wellbeing video and podcast library
• Breathe with Randall

Join Chris Randall in his 10 minute videos as he invites you to pause and take a breath.

Session 1

 

Session 2

 

Session 3

 

Session 4

Coronavirus – ergonomics tips for working at home

Not everyone has a home office or dedicated desk that they can use to set up their computer equipment correctly.

Aspects of your work environment can often have an impact on your work at a computer workstation. This includes lighting, noise and the thermal environment

Top tips to help optimise your posture and improve your comfort when working at home.

1. Work at a desk or table with adequate knee/foot clearance so that you can sit/stand close to your laptop.
2. Use a separate keyboard and mouse with your laptop.
3. Position the keyboard and mouse directly in front of you within easy reach.
4. Position your laptop so that the top of the screen is level with your eye height. If you don’t have a laptop riser, use a box file or some books to raise your laptop. Or plug in a separate monitor if you have one.
5. If sitting, use an adjustable chair. Use a rolled-up hand towel for extra lower back support, if needed. If your chair is too low, sit on a cushion to raise your seat height.
6. Maintain a good posture; if sitting, try to ensure that the small of your back is supported, your shoulders are relaxed (not slumped, not elevated), and that there is no unwelcome pressure on the back of your knees. If standing (e.g. at your kitchen worktop), keep your legs, torso, neck and head approximately in line and vertical – don’t slouch, lean or twist to the side.
7. Don’t sit or stand for too long – change your posture every few minutes and take regular micro-breaks away from your laptop. Take a 5 minute break every 20 minutes.
8. Use lighting efficiently, if the room is too bright try closing curtains\blinds, if the room is too dark, use extra lamps to give you more light.

If you are getting strained or tired eyes try: increasing the character on your PC\laptop size using the zoom function or display settings, change the background or text/image colours, or the contrast and brightness settings on the screen (in Windows this can be done through the start/control panel/display/ appearance menu).

9. Move frequently, be fidgety and change positions often.

Good posture

l use the backrest of your chair and don’t slouch forwards; keep your shoulders above your hips

l position items so you don’t twist your back or neck l don’t stick your chin forward – keep your head so that your ears are above your shoulders

l relax your shoulders

l don’t stretch when keying or using the mouse – keep your upper arms relaxed beside your body

l don’t rest your wrists or forearms on the edge of the desk – raise your seat height to avoid this

l make sure there is nothing underneath the desk that restricts your posture

Practical Tips

Create a routine to prepare for work in the morning—take a shower, change your clothes—this will put you in the right frame of mind for work

Assess your house for trip hazards and clean up items that can cause injuries

Make sure you have dedicated work spaces—if possible, have multiple spaces in which to work from (movement from space to space will prevent fatigue and encourage blood flow)

Remind your family you are working and not available to do chores or any household tasks; set the ground rules up front

If your children are at home, set up activities in advance and let them know you need to focus during the workday.

Use breaks to provide your family with attention—still stick to a routine or a schedule

Walk outside in the front or backyard to get fresh air periodically

Stretch periodically, this will actually make you more productive, encourage blood flow and wake up your body and keep muscles loose

Make sure the room is not too hot or too cold, if you are feeling uncomfortable with the room temperature, ‘layer up’ with a good jumper if cold, open the window for some air if too warm.

Remember to drink frequently, take that 5 minute break to get hydrated.

Interact with colleagues by video and voice conferencing to stay connected— feelings of isolation and loneliness may emerge, have a 5 minute break and ‘virtually’ chat to a friend.

Check out our new wellbeing video and podcast library

A new wellbeing video and podcast library page is now available on Connect. The latest addition to the library is a video on the topic of ‘Being kind’ by Dr Jennifer Hancox and Dr Michael Blaber, and is the first of the video series – Keeping well during COVID-19: A guide for healthcare workers. More videos will be coming soon in this series on the topics of exercise, sleep and shift patterns.

The library also includes the collection of one minute resilience videos by Richard Barnell and some breathing relaxation videos by yoga teacher Christopher Randall.

Fruit and vegetable available at City for colleagues from tomorrow

From tomorrow (Friday 24 April), Your Trust Charity will be offering a selection of fruit and vegetable to Trust colleagues from 11am. They will be located outside the charity/volunteer hub by arches café.

Note: All products are are on a first come, first serve basis. 

COVID-19 Bulletin: Wednesday 22 April

This is our once a night bulletin. Please use this bulletin and daily cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide local action. Remember KINDNESS is our watchword in implementing our plans.  It is also our way of keeping in touch with shielders, home workers, part-timers and volunteers.  You are on the team.  Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who has put forward an interest in being a Mental Health First Aider.  Applications are now paused, given high levels of interest.  We should be able to revert to people on Monday and confirm who goes forward for which department and when training will take place.  Wellbeing is crucial – take a look at the movie at the foot of the page!

1. Research is central to our next few weeks

Covid-19 demands that we think carefully about clinical practice, experiment, and learn.  Our research work is central to that and we are enrolled in trails in critical care, Trust-wide, in respiratory medicine, and primary care.

To ensure all staff are kept informed of the current portfolio of studies which are open and in set up, our R&D team have created a dedicated page on Connect which is regularly updated with the study information. If you would like to get involved or need more information please contact Dr Derek Connolly, Director of R&D or Gina Dutton, Head of R&D.

2. Oxygen – it’s on prescription

Crucial to our focus on experimentation, innovation and consistency of practice, we are showcasing here our Oxygen weaning and how to prescribe oxygen in Unity.  This is a really critical part of improving outcomes for Covid-19 patients and may not be your current or understood practice.  Please read it carefully and make sure it is what happens now where you work…we can save lives!

• Oxygen weaning protocol
• Prescribing and administering oxygen

3. Restoration and recovery – not yet

We have increasingly focused here on our plans to build a plan for after the first Surge.  Toby Lewis will talk more about this in next week’s Covid-19 WebEx events on Wednesday 29^th April.

But the crucial message to all staff is that existing arrangements stay in place.  Working From Home guidance, redeployment, suspension of certain arrangements like SPA time etc.  Neither employees nor managers should be reinstituting arrangements in expectation of the recovery plan, as its content and timing is some way off.

4. Working From Home?  Thank you

On April 7^th we issued guidance liberating more employees to start working from home.  This included staff like medical secretaries and others involved in clinical administration.  Do let us know if you are finding it difficult to get local agreement to WFH as that is the Trust’s standard for some key groups of staff.  Of course you may be needed on site in future, or may need to do some brigade time on site.  However, we are committed to supporting those essential workers who can WFH to do so, in line with our published four tests.

If you are WFH you should hear from your line manager routinely.  If you are shielding or self-isolating you will hear from our HR team regularly.  If you have fallen through the net get in touch via extension 3116.

5. Getting it right on PPE

We know that knowing the PPE rules, getting hold of it, wearing it right, managing the hot weather, and skin damage is tough.  National narratives and rules can further confuse the position locally.  Remember we work to our guidance, which considers national instruction.  The Trust has no expectation of re-use or re-wear.  We have strong stock positions and will continue to work with national and local suppliers to get what we need in place.  We need you to do your bit by only wearing PPE in line with our guidance, so we can conserve stock (and that includes not wearing scrubs home – see yesterday’s bulletin).

Thank you to everyone who has come forward to work as a PPE Warden.  These roles are essential to make sure that what we hope happens works well everywhere.

Numbers not statistics:
Today’s totals (Yesterday’s totals)

Take a look at our latest #kindness video