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Monthly archives: April 2020

COVID-19 Bulletin: Tuesday 14 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.

Thank you to everyone redeploying into D16 and Newton 1.  You are amazing.  We are working to expand your staff rooms and space to support social distancing.  Meanwhile, please make sure you complete the forms we need to confirm your training status and competency declarations!

  1. Not just for Baby Baggies: Maternity clinic to open at the Hawthorns

Next week a temporary location for postnatal and antenatal clinics will open at the football ground in West Bromwich as an alternative location for families, instead of coming to hospital. The clinics are staffed by midwives and support workers and are for women from 24 weeks onwards.  We cannot promise to open similar facilities for other sports fans, but are grateful to the club for making this offer to us!

Get in touch with Helen Hurst, our director of midwifery if you want more information.

2. Temporary move for haematology services, safety first!

From Thursday April 16th our haematology inpatient service (based now at Sandwell) will be providing treatment from the West Midlands Hospital in Halesowen.  This follows the move of the day case chemotherapy service last week. This new site is to protect the patients who are immunocompromised but need to receive treatment for blood cancers and blood disorders. Our thanks go to The West Midlands Hospital for housing our service.  This allows continuity of access even during the Pandemic.

Contact Beth Hughes, Group Director of Operations for Medicine and Emergency Care if you need more details.

3. Donations to the NHS and to our Trust – one approach reaching all staff groups

We are grateful for the many donations that individuals and groups continue to supply, whilst recognising the people in real need in our community who are struggling without paid work or because of isolation.  We are actively working to divert some donations to those most in need.

We have a single route in for donations to ensure we manage these safely and can distribute them either across the Trust or out into the community. This is particularly important for donations of hot food as we need to ensure that food has been correctly refrigerated and heated to be safe to pass on.

All offers for donations should be sent to Amanda.winwood@nhs.net for co-ordination. The suppliers of food donations are all checked with our catering teams before we can accept them.  We have to emphasise that this is a legal requirement.

4. Our special clap for businesses: 5pm Wednesday 15 April

Many companies in our local areas are feeling the strain of the lockdown and yet have still come to our aid to help us with supplies of consumables, equipment and food.  These are companies whose jobs pay the wages of public sector workers and our friends and family.

To recognise those who stand with us we are putting up signs outside City Hospital on the corner of Dudley Road and Western Road that name the range of business suppliers who have been supporting us. We will continue to add to these signs with other companies who help us.  This includes firms building special equipment on our behalf.

You are welcome to come to City Hospital at 5pm tomorrow for a suitably socially-distant photograph with the new signs that we will share to convey our thanks.  The now usual NHS-wide Thursday Clap will still take place at 8pm!

5. Our rainbow brigades get moving this week

Thank you to those of you who have volunteered to join one of our brigades to support our COVID-19 response plan either on a full-time or part-time basis.  You should have had an initial response and will get information tomorrow.

Many of you will begin your induction and training this week into the roles with further opportunities over the next few days.  Here’s a taster:

Blue Brigade: Portering and transport – induction begins on Thursday 16 April between 9am – 1pm Clinical Skills Room 1 at Education Centre. To find out more contact Zaheer Iqbal –zaheer.iqbal@nhs.net or on his mobile via IVOR or book your place email audrey.hender@nhs.net

Green Brigade: Cleaning support, mainly non-clinical areas. To find out more about this role which will be mainly in non-clinical areas you can join a session on Friday 17th at 2pm led by Paula Gardner, Chief Nurse and Toby Lewis, our Chief Executive.  No need to book just send an email to ruby.stone2@nhs.net and we will get you joined in remotely or face to face.

Yellow Brigade: PPE wardens and runners to distribute PPE supplies to areas. Dinah Mclannahan, Director of Finance, and Julie Booth, Lead Nurse Infection Prevention and Control will be holding a virtual session with more information and training and about the role on Friday 17th at 11am. Email Dinah direct to book your place – Dinah.mclannahan@nhs.net.

Red and purple details will follow later this week.  Take a look at the bulletin from Friday 10th to find out more.

Richard Burnell’s one minute videos are the heartbeat of our resilience effort.  Here’s his latest.

Message from pharmacy: Syringe driver compatibility

 

Trust syringe drivers are usually configured to take Braun syringes. However due to a high (COVID-19 related) demand and shortages in our usual syringe driver medication, multiple different preparations are being sourced.

Please see further details in by accessing the Syringe driver compatibility sheet.

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

In loving memory of colleague Veena Terpot, Catering Assistant

 

Veena was a valued member of the catering team and had been with the Trust for over 20 years. She sadly died at the Trust at the end of March.

Her colleagues have paid tribute to Veena who had a smile and a hello for everyone.

“Such a kind-hearted lady – nothing was ever too much trouble for her. If she could help anyone out she would, always asking us if we were all okay. She will be lovingly remembered by some of us as ‘Veena the Cleaner’ and will be sadly missed by us all in the catering team.”

No farewell words were spoken, 

No time to say goodbye,

You were gone before we knew it,

And only God can tell us why.

Are you concerned about your skin from wearing PPE masks?

 

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.

You can contact the team as follows:

  • Email: tissueviability2@nhs.net (you can send a message and/or photo of skin damage)
  • Telephone: 0121 507 3278
  • Mobile: Lesley McDonagh, Clinical Lead Nurse Tissue Viability – 07976 133 426 or Pat Flaherty, Specialist Tissue Viability Nurse – 07976 133 427

The team will be visiting red wards to see if there are any colleagues are concerned about their skin due to the PPE masks. They will also be checking the ward have enough stock on their ‘PPE skin protection stations’ to care for their skin: barrier film, adhesive remover and duoderm.

Note: Emergency stock will be available on D18 at City and the PPE collection point in Sandwell main reception reception (Bryan Knight suite).

Guidance on ‘preventing facial skin damage beneath PPE’ has been issued to all wards and can be accessed by clicking here.

Drug safety notice: Atracurium 250mg in 25ml injection

 

There is currently a manufacturer’s delay with atracurium 250mg in 25ml injection, with further supplies expected by the end of April. Atracurium is also available as a 25mg in 2.5ml injection and a 50mg in 5ml injection, which will be available in the interim period whilst supply of the 250mg in 25ml injection is delayed.

Note: Please continue to store all strengths of atracurium in the fridge. Segregate different vial sizes where possible.

For further details please see Atracurium drug safety notice sheet.

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

Are you caring for your hands?

 

As colleagues will be washing their hands on a more regular basis due to COVID-19 it is vital they are caring for them. Information and advice about caring for your hands is now available.. Be sure to read this guide from our occupational health service for more information.

 

Reporting a faulty bed which requires an engineer

 

If you have an issue with a faulty bed on your ward which requires an engineer to attend the ward because the bed cannot be moved, call the Drive Devilbiss Service Line 0845 855 0889.

Note: You will need the serial number from the bed and the make and model. The serial number can be found on the service sticker at the foot of the bed.

The service line number is answered 24/7 and engineers are local and can usually attend very quickly.

If you have a faulty bed which can be removed from the ward, contact portering services and ask for the bed to be replaced with a working bed (City bleep 5817 or ext. 4291, Sandwell bleep 6241).

Abloy Keys – troubleshooting

 

The Abloy key software has been updated to support increased flexibility required for ward changes.

Action: Abloy keys will need to be taken to a wall PD (wall key charger) for updating before each shift. Keys that have not been used for over two weeks may take up to 15 minutes to update.

Put the Key in and wait for the update to happen. There may be a yellow ‘flash’, wait until light turns green. Even if there is a red cross instead of green light try the key in the drug cabinet again before calling pharmacy. If the key still doesn’t work after doing all of this please contact pharmacy on ext. 3579 weekdays or at weekends  ext 3783 at Sandwell and ext. 5263 at City.

Air mattress and pumps from all ward areas

 

There will be no further collection of airflow mattresses and pumps from wards for the foreseeable future. They need to be cleaned (please see local guidelines for PPE use) and stored on your wards for reuse.

Please carry out the following for all airflow mattresses and pumps that have been used by any patient:

  • Leave mattress inflated to facilitate easier cleaning
  • Thoroughly wipe down each mattress and pump and cable with Chlor clean
  • Ensure all surface areas are cleaned on the mattress (top, underneath, sides)
  • Leave to dry
  • When dry – Place in separate clear bags and secure with cable tie
  • Store in suitable place on your ward for re-use

Faulty mattresses and pumps:

  • Follow the above cleaning (please see local guidelines for PPE use)
  • Place in separate clear bags and secure with cable tie
  • Complete ‘The Declaration of Contamination Status’ forms fully for each item
  • Place the form and item in a second clear bag
  • Secure with a cable tie
  • Label item for collection
  • Contact TVS who will collect and leave a replacement in the ward store.

If you require any further mattresses or have any queries, please contact the tissue viability team on ext. 3278.

COVID-19 Bulletin: Monday 13 April

 

This is our once a day COVID-19 bulletin. This will take all national and professional guidance and information and tell you which changes we are implementing when and how. The plan to manage through April is our Operation Mary Seacole mobilisation. Remember KINDNESS is our watchword in implementing our plans.

Thank you to everyone who has worked as normal over the bank holiday weekend. We have ensured that services have been maintained for patients, relatives and colleagues. Well done.
1.  Midland Metropolitan University Hospital testing site to open tomorrow
As you know we have been leading the staff swabbing campaign at our Trust with our testing sites at Sandwell’s Little Lane car park and at City Hospital. From tomorrow a third site opens at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital visitor car park. The site will be open to community staff, primary care, social care and other public sector workers across the Midlands. Appointment slots will be allocated to organisations and we expect to swab up to 300 people by Thursday this week. Our swabbing sites are still open at Sandwell and City.
If you have symptoms and need testing please call 0121 507 2664 and choose option 5. If you are self-isolating because of a family member they too can be tested by contacting the same number- this includes children. 
2.  Personal Protective Equipment and looking after your skin

Last weekend we updated the PPE guidelines with one change: In red areas you only need to wear FFP3 masks when in close and active contact with patients (within 1 metre) where the patient is a risk of deterioration, and when carrying out an aerosol generating procedure. In all other red circumstances we now recommend wearing a visor and surgical face mask as well as disposable gloves and apron. PPE requirements are displayed outside every ward. We will continue to provide any updates via this bulletin.

It’s also important that you look after your skin to minimise any pressure damage beneath the PPE, particularly on your face. Our tissue viability team have produced this useful guide to what to do to prevent or treat any facial skin damage.

3.  Recovering from COVID-19 – over 300 patients have been discharged home from our hospitals

We continue to treat patients in our acute hospitals and community beds who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are unwell. But a large number are also recovering and discharged back home. To date 302 patients have left our wards who no longer need acute care. Thank you to everyone who is looking after our patients and helping them to recover and get back home.

4.  Caring for children who are unwell

There is some evidence that families are delaying bringing children into hospital for treatment due to concerns about coronavirus, which can mean that they are not getting the care they need at the right time. Our paediatric team continue to safely treat and care for children through our emergency department and on our wards. The Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health have produced this useful guide for when and where to access healthcare if you have an unwell child. Please use this guide for your own family or share with friends. You can also view this film about care of children during this pandemic:

https://youtu.be/8qJYBQx0if4

 
The Connect coronavirus page is continually being updated with the latest news and guidance regarding the virus, please take the time to read and familiarise yourself with the available guidance.
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