Monthly archives: June 2020

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 5 June

There is a brief respite, for some of us perhaps, to reflect on what has been going on around and among us over recent months, and to consider too the outpouring of legitimate anger in recent days.  I wanted to try and span those bigger issues with the one-to-one reality of life in the Trust.  Congratulations therefore to  Sharon Roberts, who was the shocked but very worthy winner of this week’s Star of the Week award.  Sharon has been talking with people who have been isolated at home, and who we are now asking to come to one of our sites for treatment.  That emergence from fear, that balancing of risk, the human contact, is in microcosm what this week’s message is all about.  I saw a socially distanced Contact Centre team applaud!   All of you deserve our thanks.

Thanks too to those who have reorganised their work to offer antibody testing at scale this week.  Remember everyone who is not symptomatic can have the test with us and booking details are on daily comms.  In our Trust, and seemingly across the patch, about 1 in 6 people are testing positive.  Although washing your hands and standing apart remain essential, I know that for many colleagues, and maybe especially your households, knowing your status is really important.  Please do crack on and get your test, because, consistent with our values, from Monday week we will open our slots to local care workers and primary care staff outside the Trust.  That reflects the work we continue to do as places (Sandwell and Ladywood/Perry Barr) to manage the next phases of the pandemic.  We are setting up our outbreak resources to be able to really support schools or homes or workplaces, even as the national test and trace system cranks into gear.  If you are contacted by the national system and it relates to your out of workplace contacts you do need to abide by the instruction.

Today we launch our revised workplace risk assessment guidance.  So if you do have underlying health issues, or are among our many black and minority ethnic colleagues, or are concerned for any reason, you may wish to book with OH for a revised assessment.  As I explained here last week we are moving to more personalised PPE where we can, and are working through how to get more reusable protection in place too.  The working from home guidance was out last week, and the team are out measuring office spaces at present.  We know that some meeting rooms/MDT areas cannot match the space required and it imperative that you consider socially distanced alternatives like WebEx.  Whilst most meetings in the Trust, including decision making management meetings are back up and running, they are on a virtual basis, and it feels like in many MDTs that way of working enhances participation and inclusion – especially by letting people join across site or from outside the Trust.  Heartbeat is headlined – No Going Back – and I am sure that this is one change that will be long-term.

The racism so peacefully and decently protested in Birmingham yesterday, the systemic discrimination opposed by Black Lives Matter, is not something outside our experience or not relevant to healthcare.  I wrote here in 2014 about institutional racism in our Trust.  The report by Public Health England, led by Kevin Fenton, makes plain the impact of COVID-19 on communities across our area.  The unanswered questions are both causation and consequence (or so what?). The Board’s immediate view remains that we have to tackle inequality within the work-place, persist with our work to recruit differentially and promote proportionately (both of which are objectively succeeding), and that the focus of our Ambition for 2025 and before must be on addressing poverty. I am optimistic that that later focus has broad support across the Integrated Care System (Black Country and West Birmingham ICS) of which we are part.  Tackling poverty will lead us into making choices about how we spend public money but also reflects how we shape services to reach individuals and households in our communities sooner and more effectively.  In practical terms as a Trust it means this:  Poverty is our issue not something we will wait on other’s leadership for.  It will drive the regeneration work we do around Midland Met, as well as the service investments that we make in 2021, 2022 and beyond.  Understanding and deliberately focusing services on those least able to advocate for and access services has to be the outcome of all we see around us.

Change does come, it does happen.  Sometimes in a rush.  The Board yesterday, as you would expect, reviewed the Restoration Plan, our mortality analysis, the TRiM and stress risk assessment work, and a compelling analysis of end of life care and Do Not Resuscitate practice.  I was asked what one thing from COVID-19 we had put in place that we must not lose.  And visionable was not my answer.  What was, and is, is that experimentation has become normal now.  This new adaptability and preparedness to try things at pace is a precious skill for us to have, and will serve well the causes I have written about today.  Reasonable adjustments for individuals and less fear of failure about service improvements.  The learning spirit that filled page 31 of Heartbeat!

#hellomynameisToby

Star Awards 2020: New Leader of the Year

Do you know a rising star who has held some leadership or management responsibility for at least a year and who has demonstrated outstanding ability, talent and leadership, showing great promise for the future?

Nominate them for the New Leader Award in this year’s upcoming Star Awards!

Ways to nominate:

• You can complete a paper nomination form which you can download by clicking here.
• You can send in a video nomination for free to swbh.comms@nhs.net via www.wetransfer.com Choose go to free. When doing the recording remember to state clearly who you are and the name of the person/team you are nominating.
• You can complete the online form by clicking here.

Be sure to check out this video featuring last year’s winners the Janice Barrett.

If you have any questions regarding the Star Awards, please contact the communications team on 0121 507 5303 or email swbh.comms@nhs.net.

For more information, please visit our dedicated Star Awards page on Connect.

Important changes to blood transfusion

The cross match report form (blue form) will no longer be issued with blood components for transfusion.

Please see below a reminder of the correct checking procedure for the administration of blood components.

Blood transfusion information sheet

Note: Remember to always document the unit number of each component in the patient’s record on Unity.

Please contact jayne.evans1@nhs.net or michelle.reeves1@nhs.net for more information.

COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 4 June

This is our last but two daily bulletin. Please use this bulletin and cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide your actions. Throughout June we are determined to reduce avoidable harm and death in the people we are taking care of. Kindness remains the guiding principle of all the actions in our work to tackle the virus – kindness in how we look after patients, visitors, and one another.

This is no time to relax our approach to COVID-19. The Trust, you, all of us, have worked so hard to offer our patients the best we can under trying circumstances. Now is the time to try again to keep up our social distancing, handwashing, good use of PPE, immediate action on positive diagnoses, and the good practice this bulletin has highlighted. In the end policies and encouragement are no substitute for behaviours. Thank you for considering how you sustain your best days in the weeks ahead!

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

1. Security keeping our sites safe and secure

As you will have no doubt seen our security teams have been on the ground at each of our hospital sites supporting the Trust to manage access in light of the current restrictions, supported by some of our fantastic volunteers.

In order to enter Trust buildings, everyone must demonstrate they have a reason to be there, including checking staff ID.

When you are entering site buildings please ensure your ID badge is clearly visible. The security team are working hard to keep you safe. Whether you are wearing a uniform, scrubs or a suit, the security team will still check your ID so please treat them with respect and courtesy.

2. Two additional trials have been added to the COVID-19 research portfolio

ATOMIC2 is now open to recruitment in our emergency departments. The study is a randomised clinical trial of azithromycin versus usual care in ambulatory patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Prof Dan Lasserson is the principal investigator. Recruitment to ATOMIC2 has started at City Hospital and is planned to open shortly at Sandwell.

Also poised to open is the ILIAD7 study. This study is recruiting patients in critical care with severe COVID-19 infection and in particular lymphopaenia. The study is looking at whether Recombinant Human Interleukin-7 can improve clinical outcomes. Dr Jon Hulme and Dr Farooq Wandroo are leading on this study. Critical care are also recruiting to REMAP-CAP, a complex platform study which is looking at a range of treatment options for the most ill patients.

As new studies open their details are being added to the R&D COVID research Connect page.

3. Unity: Flagging suspected and screened COVID-19 patients

Did you know that COVID-19 results are flagged in Unity? When patients are screened and a test is carried out, you’ll see a ‘COVID-19 Screened’ flag in Unity and when a result returns from the lab, you’ll see clearly in Unity whether the patient is ‘COVID-19 Confirmed’. Below is the screenshot demonstrating a positive test result.

4. Improvements to remote working technology: Pulse time-out resolved

Colleagues working from home and in the community will be pleased to hear that the timeout on the Pulse Secure remote access system has now been resolved. This will now allow colleagues to login to the system and remain logged in for as long as they wish without the risk of being disconnected by the system, which is particularly beneficial when running remote clinics.

If you are having technology problems please contact our IT Helpdesk on extension 4050. The Helpdesk is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

5. Let your mental health Thrive using our new wellbeing app

Sometimes we can all feel like things are getting on top of us. That’s why we have partnered with Thrive to give you exclusive access to an award winning mental health and wellbeing app that can help with managing depression, anxiety and stress.

The app tackles common stressors such as sleep, bereavements, work issues and more. It also signposts to external support services – with users able to seek immediate help directly from the app.

1. Go to https://swb.thrive.uk.com/ to create an account and claim your free access to Thrive.
2. visit the Google Play or App Store and search and download the Thrive: Mental Wellbeing app.
3. Log in using the email and password you created your account with and enjoy using the app

To find out more about how Thrive can help you, and how to access it, click here.

You can also access the full range of health and wellbeing support on Connect

Network upgrade at City Hospital: Thursday 4 June – 8pm

As part of our ongoing work to improve the network links across all sites, there is a planned upgrade taking place on Thursday 4 June affecting the network at City Hospital. The work is scheduled to begin at 8pm and should be completed by 8.15pm.

We do not anticipate any service interruptions during this work.

Should you have any issues around this time please contact the IT helpdesk on ext 4050.

COVID-19 Bulletin: Wednesday 3 June

This is our last but three daily bulletin. Please use this bulletin and cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide your actions. Throughout June we are determined to reduce avoidable harm and death in the people we are taking care of. Kindness remains the guiding principle of all the actions in our work to tackle the virus – kindness in how we look after patients, visitors, and one another.

Antibody testing is not a magic bullet. But it is part of helping make sense of community prevalence and overall resilience. So please do book to get your antibody test. From June 15th we will open up our services to partners from care homes, schools and social care – because we are one system. So grab your test chance now and make that call. Over 1500 colleagues have been tested so far!

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

1. Social distancing – Keeping a safe distance from those around you

To stop the spread of COVID-19 you should be taking steps to practice social distancing. Social distancing significantly reduces the risk of you and those around you contracting COVID-19 simply by leaving 2 metres (6ft) between you and those around you.

Whether you work in an office or clinical area, or someone’s home, you should be taking steps to limit close contact with colleagues.

• In communal areas such as coffee shops and restaurants you will see markings on the floor showing the ideal spacing between people.
• Observe the space around you and be mindful of not stepping in to the personal space of others.
• Make good use of the technologies we now have available such as WebEx Teams and Meetings to limit your face to face contact.
• If someone is too close, it’s ok to ask them to give you some space.
• Review your offices to make sure you have adequate space between desks as well as walkways to avoid close contact with your colleagues.
• The Health and Safety Team are available to you if you need some support or guidance on your working practices.
• Manage the risk around you, if you feel that the behaviours of those around you are putting you at risk, speak up and notify your manager.

2. Keeping well during COVID-19 – Food and shopping

It remains particularly important to continue to look after your health and wellbeing during the pandemic. A range of resources and support are on offer for all colleagues including 24/7 access to confidential counsellors, the Wellbeing Sanctuary, helpful tips to relieve stress and our wellbeing film and podcast library. Go to the dedicated pages on Connect for full details.

The latest film produced by some of our clinical colleagues shares some tips on how you can continue to shop safely for groceries and key worker access to supermarkets.  The Trust is phasing out on site donations over coming weeks as changes in the lockdown make this less necessary.

3. Reflect and decompress this Thursday at the Recharge Booth

The Recharge booth is a ‘virtual’ space that allows you to come together with others, reflect, recharge, decompress, and join a safe and confidential discussion. Hosted by Richard Burnell every Thursday at 2pm, the booth will be sharing stories from different colleagues over a 20-30 minute session.

This week the Recharge Booth will be focusing on the following story:

“I always dreamed of being a health care professional, I came in to it perhaps a bit naively five years ago thinking it was going to be non-stop emergency procedures and saving lives every minute of the day! However, I matured and came to an understanding across the course of my training that this wasn’t going to be the case and that the ‘ordinary’ things are the majority of the role. I understand that ordinary for me isn’t ‘ordinary’ for the patient. Until Covid came along I felt that the health service could slowly and steadily cope with demand and make a difference but now having seen how susceptible society is to mass illness and how easily we could be overwhelmed I worry that we can’t do enough and that if we get a second wave we won’t have the resilience to cope. I am sure that I am perhaps seeing things a bit negatively but it is in the back of mind all the time.”

For more information please contact Richard Burnell on 07747 144874 or Claire Hubbard on 07866 004575.  Alternatively if you would like to be part of the Recharge Booth, drop an email to  swbh.rechargebooth@nhs.net.  A WebEx invite will be sent to your outlook diary, and you will simply need to click on the ‘join’ button to enter.

4. Patient Pathway – When to test, transfer and treat in red, blue and lilac

It is vital that our inpatients are placed in the right care environments (Red, Blue or Lilac wards/bays) and swabbed appropriately, with the results of the swabs informing the next stages in their care. Please ensure you read the linked Patient Swabbing Pathway which illustrates the points at which patients must be swabbed and how they will be supported through our services.

Patient Swabbing Pathway

Remember:

• Any negative patient from a Red area MUST be moved to Lilac unless there is strong clinical presentation of COVID-19
• Patients on Lilac wards MUST be swabbed every 3 days
• Patients on Blue wards MUST be swabbed every 5 days

It is important the policy is applied as outlined in the pathway. That may vary from historic practice but it must be our standard approach.

5. Yellow card – Reporting adverse drug and treatment reactions

The Medicines and Healthcare products regulatory Agency (MHRA) have launched a new portal for reporting problems with anything to do with treating COVID-19: trial drugs, ventilators, CPAP machines and other devices  such as syringes and pumps, PPE, diagnostic tests, and eventually vaccines. Anyone can report to this scheme.

Please report suspected side effects to medicines or medical device and diagnostic adverse incidents used in coronavirus treatment to ensure safe and effective use: https://coronavirus-yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

Tomorrow’s bulletin includes next steps on Brigading and Guidance on the freedom to take on secondary employment…

Reflect and decompress this Thursday at the Recharge Booth

The Recharge booth is a ‘virtual’ space that allows you to come together with others, reflect, recharge, decompress, and join a safe and confidential discussion. Hosted by Richard Burnell every Thursday at 2pm, the booth will be sharing stories from different colleagues over a 20-30 minute session.

This week the Recharge Booth will be focusing on the following story:

“I always dreamed of being a health care professional, I came in to it perhaps a bit naively five years ago thinking it was going to be non-stop emergency procedures and saving lives every minute of the day! However, I matured and came to an understanding across the course of my training that this wasn’t going to be the case and that the ‘ordinary’ things are the majority of the role. I understand that ordinary for me isn’t ‘ordinary’ for the patient. Until Covid came along I felt that the health service could slowly and steadily cope with demand and make a difference but now having seen how susceptible society is to mass illness and how easily we could be overwhelmed I worry that we can’t do enough and that if we get a second wave we won’t have the resilience to cope. I am sure that I am perhaps seeing things a bit negatively but it is in the back of mind all the time.”

For more information please contact Richard Burnell on 07747 144874 or Claire Hubbard on 07866 004575.  Alternatively if you would like to be part of the Recharge Booth, drop an email to  swbh.rechargebooth@nhs.net. A WebEx invite will be sent to your outlook diary, and you will simply need to click on the ‘join’ button to enter.

Volunteers’ Week: Thank you volunteers

To celebrate Volunteers’ Week, the volunteer service have put together a special video to thank and show appreciation to all our volunteers for their continued hard work and dedication to the Trust. The short features many colleagues both clinical and non-clinical from across SWB.

Do you want to become a volunteer? You can contact our volunteer service on 0121 507 4855 or email  swbh.volunteer@nhs.net

Star Awards 2020: Learner of the Year

Do you know an individual who can demonstrate the impact training has had on themselves, their team and their service?

This award is open to all colleagues and could include, for example, completing an apprenticeship, a computer course or a post grad/leadership programme or university module.

Nominate them for Learner of the Year in this year’s upcoming Star Awards!

Ways to nominate:

• You can complete a paper nomination form which you can download by clicking here.
• You can send in a video nomination for free to swbh.comms@nhs.net via www.wetransfer.com Choose go to free. When doing the recording remember to state clearly who you are and the name of the person/team you are nominating.
• You can complete the online form by clicking here.

Be sure to check out this video featuring last year’s winners the security team.

If you have any questions regarding the Star Awards, please contact the communications team on 0121 507 5303 or email swbh.comms@nhs.net.

For more information, please visit our dedicated Star Awards page on Connect.

Heartbeat: Virtual is now a reality across our workplace

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way we all work with teams constantly looking at different approaches to meet the daily challenges presented by the pandemic.

One thing we have all embraced during this pandemic is the use of technology with WebEx meetings and events becoming the norm. Part of this digital ‘revolution’ has also seen clinics being done digitally using an online tool called Visionable.

Mark Whitehouse, Head of Patient Access & Planned Care, told Heartbeat that our clinicians have been using Visionable to see their patients virtually for a number of weeks now with some great feedback.

“Patients have really embraced the technology and have welcomed not having to travel to hospital for routine follow up appointments whilst also saving on taxi fares, parking fees and having to book time off from work,” said Mark.

“Clinicians have also been pleased with the way Visionable works, it is secure and allows them to assess patients and call them in for a face to face if they feel that is necessary for their treatment.”

Mark added: “We are only scratching the surface in terms of what the technology can do. It is possible for instance for clinicians to share x-ray results with the patient, inviting other clinicians into the consultation for second opinions and other members of the team like physios or even interpreters all through virtual technology. We are liaising with colleagues to see what else they would like to do within Visionable and we will work with the supplier to ensure we are using the technology to its maximum potential.”

Visionable/WebEx is also about to change the way we do ward rounds. Earlier this month Respiratory Consultant, Arvind Rajasekaran conducted a trial of a virtual ward round using Webex on Newton 3 and was positive about the outcome.

He told us: “Initial feedback was very encouraging. The audio and video was very clear and patients (aged up to 70) involved in the trial were very positive too.

“Although older patients (80 and above) did appear to struggle with interface, often searching for the consultant and speaking out of sync. Our recommendation is that we avoid using the technology when the ward is very busy (with bleep monitors in the back ground) as it degrades the consultation experience for both the patient and the clinician.”

Arvind did not get the opportunity to test scenarios that require a sensitive conversation such as DNACPR but suggested the virtual ward would be ideal for routine ward rounds and checks on patients following a normal face to face contact.

He said: “It would be great for the afternoon huddle with a quick check on a patient or two especially if the clinician is on a different site and to facilitate decisions on patient transfer. Visionable/Webex may also be suitable for weekend ward rounds where discharges can be facilitated following previously agreed plans.

“Having the option of virtual ward rounds is great for colleagues although I do not anticipate that this will replace of face to face ward rounds. For the virtual ward round to work well, the junior doctor and the consultant need to ensure they study each case independently to avoid the risk of overlooking information and thus making the process safer.

“The human to human non-verbal interaction that happens on a team ward round is removed and the effect of this is unclear. The environmental impact and sustainability agenda will have to be captured so involving our sustainability team would be a good idea. However, overall the virtual ward round is a positive experience.”