Monthly archives: April 2020

Heartbeat: Milestone merger becomes reality as Your Health Partnership joins Trust

1 April marks a special date in our Trust as it’s when we officially welcome Your Health Partnership (YHP) to our organisation. Working as an additional directorate, it marks the start of a new phase for both our organisation and Your Health Partnership.

Speaking to Heartbeat, Dr Simon Mitchell, Co-Executive Partner at YHP, said: “This is an exciting time for us. We have an incredible team and culture. We’re excited about working with, and as part of, the wider organisation.

“We have created a successful business and we thrive on innovation. Working together, we will be able to help the most vulnerable in our society, the housebound, outpatients, and so many more people. Jointly we will be able to build resilience and bring greater improvements in healthcare to our local communities.”

Primary Care Liaison Manager, Dottie Tipton, will be working ever closer with YHP as of 1 April. She told us: “YHP joining our Trust is a truly special moment. It is a testament to their team, the rapidly scaling business they have created and their passion.”

So, what will the move look like in reality? YHP partners and managers will continue to oversee the running of the practices within the directorate, whilst our Trust will have responsibility for delivering the contracts that the service currently holds. The YHP run Carters Green Medical Centre will move to the new

£6 million development which is being built at our Sandwell Hospital site, Toby Lewis, Chief Executive said: “Whilst this is currently a challenging time for everyone with COVID-19 we can’t overlook YHP joining our Trust.

We have worked together to get this merger just right, and we are pleased to welcome everyone into our organisation. We share a common vision and that is a solid basis for any new relationship. I am confident we will go from strength to strength together.”

COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 16 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!

We have featured a bunch of videos here: Dr Mark Anderson, Dawn’s waste tips, Toby’s Easter sunshine message, and resilience with Richard. This one stands alone.…

1. “Off-site” but not out of mind…

Over recent days a simply incredible reconfiguration has taken place locally. Maternity services to West Bromwich Albion. Haematology to Halesowen. Gynae-cancer specialised services into the Priory. Lyndon general practice moved to Great Bridge. We are creating a new NHS map!

Thank you to colleagues who have relocated. New bases, new journies, new rules. Your flexibility is fantastic. All of this change is about @SWBHnhs trying to preserve access for our local people during the Pandemic. It may last weeks or months. Either way we have a duty to keep providing core services – none of which we could do without these changes.

Last Thursday we published here a massive list of service changes. We will keep that list live on Connect. It is dynamic. So keep checking in what’s where.

2. Shout out to our day nursery…

Schools and day nurseries closed with the lockdown. It is unclear how long that will carry on. But Emma Collier and the team have adapted. April was meant to be the opening of the allotment outside Hallam. Instead they have hugely expanded the service to take in your kids – eight and under.

There is still a little capacity. If you are struggling get in touch. The Trust is committed to making sure your children get the support they need while you get into work. As Easter holidays draw to a close, let’s work with you to get you back into our team while supporting your children.

Ring ext. 3566 if you want to discuss using the service this spring.

3. Blue brigade go first but others are coming….

This morning was the induction event (another one next week) for lots of colleagues joining our portering team. Tomorrow is Go-Live for the PPE Yellow Vests and the Green Dream Team on cleaning… over 200 colleagues are in our brigades and counting. Next week we start our red and purple teams, including our home workers.

This is a key moment in the Trust’s recent history. We have some terrific ancillary teams. And some brilliant back office and back bone services. The brigades give people a chance to join together at this massively difficult time and play your part in door handle touchpoint cleaning, supporting FIT testing, moving someone to their home, or opening a Pop Up shop. Go home next weekend and tell your family the role you are playing. Fear and anxiety are ok. But so is pride.

Click here for latest brigade guidance.

4. Ramadan guidance and support

23 April marks the start of a month of prayer and fasting. Clearly this year will be different in key respects and our guidance is attached, along with a toolkit used in some other organisations to support making good local arrangements and personal choices. A map of facilities is attached as well. Our Muslim Liaison Group and other advisors are available to support you.

• Read the Ramadan guidance
• Read the toolkit
• See the facilities map

5. QIHD – did you do it?

Thank you to everyone who took part in today’s WebEx Quality Improvement Half Day, considering subjects like Research Trial Enrolment and Brigading.

 welearn from excellence provides a platform for you to recognise colleagues for their everyday brilliance but especially to focus attention on actual care changes that make a difference.

The Trust, and the whole NHS, is currently responding on a scale and at a pace never before known due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. welearn from excellence will capture the learning and appreciate the amazing work that our colleagues are delivering today and every day.

Now we have Shout Outs, GEMS, and welearn from excellence and this simple guide explains the difference. Click here to check out the guide.

Numbers not statistics: An everyday feature of our bulletin (yesterday’s data..)

welearn from excellence launches today

Today sees the launch of welearn from excellence across the Trust through our QIHDs.

welearn from excellence provides a platform for you to recognise colleagues for their everyday brilliance.  The Trust, and the whole NHS, is currently responding on a scale and at a pace never before known due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. welearn from excellence will capture the learning and appreciate the amazing work that our colleagues are delivering today and every day.

Positive reporting is quick and easy…

Simply click here or on the welearn from excellence logo on the Connect homepage. You will just need to answer three quick questions:

• Tell us about colleague or team whose excellence you would like to positively report
• What can we learn?
• Optional: How did it feel to be involved?

All excellence will be positively acknowledged so that colleagues receive recognition and we can share the appreciation and learning across the Trust.

welearn from excellence: where everyone matters, more now than ever.

For more information on welearn from excellence please contact Claire or Angharad at the following email address swbh.welearnlfe@nhs.net

Drug safety notice: Sodium bicarbonate polyfusors

Sodium bicarbonate 1.26 per cent, 1.40 per cent, 2.74 per cent and 8.4 per cent polyfusors are due to be out of stock until late October 2020. The 4.2 per cent polyfusor is currently available but quantities in the supply chain are not sufficient to bridge this gap.

In preparation for this shortage, please see Sodium Bicarbonate Polyfusors sheet.

For more information please contact the pharmacy department (City ext. 5263, Sandwell ext. 3783).

Free online yoga every Wednesday

Free online yoga classes are available for colleagues courtesy of Sandstaone Yoga and Pilates. The classes run every Wednesday from 4.45pm-5.45pm.

Note: classes will be limited to 20 people per session and are available on a first come, first serve basis.

To reserve your place please email bearwood@sandstoneyoga.co.uk.

We can offer support and adjustments to help you stay at work

Our occupational health service currently offer a free and confidential counselling service. The contact number is ext. 3306. You can ask for a counselling appointment and leave your phone number and a counsellor will be in touch.

A drop in counselling telephone counselling service can also be accessed via one of the Trust’s accredited counsellors.

• Linda, every Monday, 7am-9pm – 07973664125
• Tony, every Thursday, 7am-9pm – 07970225929

Heartbeat: City Hospital welcomes new cohort of students

The University College Birmingham (UCB) students have joined us for their five month placement which is part of their extended diploma in health and social care to help them attain their full qualification.

“On passing the course, it will mean that the students will be able to gain entry into either university or higher education. Once they have finished the placement it will enable them to decide whether they want to specialise in areas such as adult, children’s nursing or midwifery,” said Janet Stokes, UCB Employability Tutor.

The placements at City Hospital will give the students a fantastic opportunity to experience the care setting first hand which will be instrumental in their development as the majority of students have career aspirations of working in the clinical sector of the NHS in the future.

Rachel Andrews, Senior Sister from the deteriorating patient and resuscitation team will be one of many colleagues supporting the UCB students whilst they’re at the Trust and believes it will be a fantastic learning experience for them.

She said: “The students will gain first-hand experience on their five month placements, which will give them a real insight in to the day to day challenges within the hospital.

The placements will be a real learning curve for the students but having already met them, I’m certain they will be a huge success and a real asset to the wards and departments they are attending, and organisation as a whole.”

COVID-19 Bulletin: Wednesday 15 April

This is our once a day bulletin. This will take all national and professional guidance and information and tell you which changes we are implementing when and how. Please use this bulletin and daily cascade arrangements within clinical groups to guide local action. Remember KINDNESS is our watchword in implementing our plans.

Numbers not statistics: A new every day feature of our bulletin.

1. Thank you to those who joined us at 5pm today ‘virtually’ or online by the BTC to clap for businesses

The support we have received from local businesses and organisation further afield has been phenomenal, helping us with deliveries of supplies including consumables, equipment and donations of food.  At the time that many in our community are struggling with the effects of the lockdown we wanted to take a moment today to publicly thank key regional and local businesses who have supported us.  The roll of honour will continue to be added to after today.

At 5pm today on the corner of Western Road and Dudley Road many colleagues showed support by clapping. Thank you for joining us to demonstrate our thanks.

2. Quality Improvement Half Day tomorrow: welearn from excellence

Tomorrow is our second with-Covid QIHD.  The Chief Executive’s Update 12 today urged us to unleash your ideas and to be honest with ourselves about what is working and where we could do better.  Please find a moment to get involved in this work.

For the last five weeks, we have been studying hard, with the University of Birmingham, patterns of demand, need, and care in the people we are looking after.  That shows nationally and locally differences in presentation across age bands, gender, and ethnic background.  Of course it shows that poverty and inequality, and the co-morbidities associated with exclusion, like diabetes, are absolutely central to understanding where we need to focus our efforts.

3. Looking after your skin beneath PPE

We recognise that that is a crucial issue for you.  There is more we need to do and we welcome your ideas and innovations.

Monday’s bulletin included a useful guide from the tissue viability to help you protect and treat your skin from damage beneath PPE. The tissue viability team are available to offer advice to any colleague who is concerned about the condition of their skin from wearing the PPE masks.  Get hold of them via tissueviability2@nhs.net or urgently through Lesley McDonagh on 07976 133 426 or Pat Flaherty on 07976 133 427.  The team are already visiting red departments to see if there are any colleagues who are concerned about their skin due to the PPE masks.

A key focus for our PPE Yellow Brigade will be making sure that you have enough stock of ‘PPE skin protection stations’ to care for your skin: Barrier film, adhesive remover and duoderm.  Emergency stock will be available on D18 at City and the PPE collection point in Sandwell main reception (Bryan Knight suite).

4. We are still testing for COVID-19!

If you have symptoms of coronavirus (fever, persistent cough) then you can get a test tomorrow or the next day by calling 0121 507 2664 option 5 to book an appointment.  The test is also available to members of your family (including children) if you are self-isolating at home because of their symptoms.

Our new regional drive- thru test centre opened this week at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital visitor car park which is currently for colleagues from transport companies, social care, the police and fire service, primary care, Care Homes and other key worker organisations.

Staff swabbing still takes place at City Hospital and the Little Lane Car Park in Sandwell.

5. Maintaining good oxygen levels

With the need for oxygen therapy for more patients than would normally need it, we have plans in place to ensure we have sufficient oxygen supplies, that take into account the surge needs. Our usual usage of oxygen at both City Hospital and Sandwell sites is approximately 500 litres per minute (l/m) and now we are using around double that (1000 l/m). We have capacity to increase usage up to 3000 l/m at each site that is well within what would be required at a peak. We have tested different scenarios and have put in arrangements to check our oxygen supply 24/7 on all sites.

Clap for businesses today at 5pm at City Hospital

Please come and clap for businesses today at 5pm at the corner of Dudley Road/Western Road City Hospital, to show appreciation for their support.

Heartbeat: GEMS – our valuable pieces of learning

March saw the launch of our long awaited learning GEMS initiative to support colleagues to learn from our knowledge and experience for positive results.

GEMS are part of the welearn programme and are valuable pieces of learning that have taken place.

Heartbeat caught up with Claire Hubbard, Deputy Director of Governance, Knowledge and Learning who told us more.

“We are really excited to launch the GEMS initiative as anyone within the organisation can take part regardless of their profession. Any colleague can identify a GEM from a variety of sources for example, audits, incidents, learning from excellence, complaints and observation.”

Claire continued: “We know that an awful lot of learning happens across our workplace every day. GEMS will let us share this knowledge, across the whole Trust. We want to be an organisation that is curious.

“And there are many benefits too. Colleagues from different services and groups will be able to see what others are doing as a result of their learning. Many similar issues in different areas, and accessing the GEMS store will let other colleagues see what has been introduced with success elsewhere.

“By creating a culture where we share learning, we open ourselves up to being open to change. Doing this will bring benefits to patients, particularly around improving their experience of services.”

Anyone can identify GEMS. Discuss these with you line manager, or at team or directorate meetings. Your Group will need to agree that learning has happened before a GEMS submission can be made.