Monthly archives: June 2020
Heartbeat: Medicine administration – supporting safe and effective care
Medicine administration – the art of giving the right dosage of the right medication to the right patient at the right time. While this sounds like its fraught with danger, it’s actually quite a safe process – if you follow the approved workflow.
One of the key features of Unity is clinical safety, and in no other role is this most evident than it is in medicine administration. With the operational pressures of busy wards, the constant demands on nursing staff, a safe process to administer medication was one of the first elements established in Unity.
A simple scan of a barcode on a patient’s wristband is all that is needed to pull up a list of medication to administer, followed by scanning the barcode on the medication before it is administered. This means there are two automated system checks to make sure that mistakes don’t happen.
To find out more about the duty of care when dispensing drugs, Heartbeat caught up with Chief Pharmacist, Puneet Sharma. He said, “Barcode scanning of patients’ wristbands and medication is mandatory for all staff when administering medication. Bypassing the scan to save time puts lives at risk and could prove fatal.
“Occasionally it is necessary to bypass a scan, whether it’s a faulty scanner or an unreadable wristband, however these should be few and far between. And in these few cases, the bypass must be documented.”
Following feedback from our nursing colleagues, changes have been made to the medication administration wizard in Unity about how not being able to barcode scan a patient’s wristband, or not barcode scanning the medication is now recorded. With the new drop-down recording, we can track which particular medication has not scanned (and if there is a barcode issue resolve this quickly), or if the medication has not scanned for a valid reason. This is then recorded against individual Unity logins, so ward managers can see if there are particular members of the team that need further support through reports.
Should you have any queries or difficulties using barcode scanning, please speak to the Unity Super User in the first instance. If further information is needed, please email the EPMA team via swbh.PharmEPMABuild@nhs.net.
Drug safety notice: Ranitidine
Ranitidine 50mg/2ml injection is anticipated to be unavailable until further notice.
We advise that you continue to follow guidance on switching as per UKMi advice. Please see Ranitidine guidance and information sheet for details.
For more information please contact the pharmacy department (City ext. 5263, Sandwell ext. 3783).
Star Awards 2020 – Employee of the Year
Do you know an employee who has an excellent attitude to work, colleagues and patients, someone who has repeatedly gone beyond the call of duty, made improvements to the delivery of services or the patient experience, or who consistently demonstrates the Trust’s promises to provide excellent care?
Nominate them as the Employee 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 winner Richard Burnell.
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.
New Children’s Emergency Care Unit to open on Monday
Our Children’s Emergency Care Unit (CECU) will open for its first patient on Monday morning – leading to more efficient and streamlined care for our young patients. The £1.2 million development has taken eight months to build and is based at City Hospital. All children will be seen in one area which will mean patients will have access to paediatric and ED colleagues in a more timely manner. The area is separate from the emergency department where adults are treated – so it will be safer and more child friendly in décor and ethos. The Trust invested in the new facility to ensure best care delivered in line with National guidelines. It replaces a separate paediatrics assessment unit (PAU) based on D19 at the end of the main hospital spine and children’s ED which was co-located within the main accident and emergency department at the front of the hospital.
Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 12 June
Have you submitted anyone for our Star Awards yet?
Please do. At this of all times, it is really important that we recognise the successes in our midst and the incredible achievements of recent times. Heartbeat and Connect have details of the categories, but do not worry about getting that precisely right. Ruth and the team will sift to fit, whether it is our Green award, the prize for research, or one of our teams of the year. If time allows we are hoping for our biggest ever entry.
Today’s QIHD focused on incivility and kindness. And it launched our poster contest too. How we treat one another has always mattered, and we know that when more is being done clinically and managerially remotely via WebEx, small signals and nuances need even more attention. I know very personally that too much time plugged in front of computers can dim the sensitivity one has to people’s feelings and thoughts. None of us can leap out of that yet, with infection rates still high locally, so best that we learn best how to use the systems that we have in place.
I was delighted earlier this week to see more progress being made with our environmental and sustainability agenda. Issues like air quality impact on all us, but actually affect the poorest and most disadvantaged people in our communities the most. Our work continues to tackle that and find the right energy and transport solutions. Our Travel Plan has just won a city bronze award, and we have the great news that the route from the Jewellery Quarter to City is to be one of the priority routes for cycling and walking support. Of course cars remain part of the picture, and we are investing to make sure our fleet is greened and ready for that.
Now the COVID-19 bit! Whether it is bubbles, or the word nosocomial, we are all learning new concepts and ideas as the pandemic evolves. But handwashing and social distancing are still our fundamentals. In schools, businesses, parks and work, we all have a part to play to keep our behaviours right and help others to understand that there is much more to do to manage cross infection. All of us are spreaders. This is not a disease that affects only one, older, part of our society. It was rewarding to be part of yesterday’s Sandwell Health and Wellbeing Board and see the comparative data for care homes in the borough as against others. Of course, there have been tragic deaths and harms, but it is your work that has made those less than elsewhere. We have acted together as one system and protected one another. We need to keep that going – and antibody testing at the Trust is being opened up to partners this week and next to work within that spirit.
That inclusion, vitally, must include our bank employees. As we bear down on agency use and costs, it is even more important that colleagues join the bank and feel valued within it. Bank staff exhibit the highest antibody rates of any SWB staff group so far – which is positive, but could indicate higher rates of prior exposure. So for all sorts of reasons we will focus on making sure that training and wellbeing support for bank employees is as good as for everyone else. Working patterns for many people remain unusual and indeed under review. Our current working from home guidance stays in place, and longer term guidance will follow. At the same time teams are out reviewing office safety across the organisation. That will lead to change by July 17th in some configurations.
There are changes too coming in local general practice. The hot sites for COVID-19 will relocate, and like hospital services, primary care is gradually seeing rising volumes of attendance. There is, as they say, no going back, and so more work in practices will be done remotely. Primary Care is absolutely at the heart of supporting shielders and those with higher underlying risk in the summer months from the virus. Our success with that work will go some way to determining how spiked demand is this coming winter. The winter plan for 2020 is absolutely the focus for the executive and Liam Kennedy will present outline plans when the Board meets in a few weeks’ time. Do come forward with your ideas and suggestions in respect of that, and within that our flu vaccination campaign. There is much now that is uncertain, but we can mitigate risk with smartly executed plans for the months ahead.
#hellomynameisToby
Drug safety notice: Solu-Medrone
Solu-Medrone (methylprednisolone sodium succinate) 1g vial will be out of stock until week commencing 13 July.
Areas that stock Solu-Medrone 1g will be supplied with 500mg injection until the supply issue has resolved. Colleagues are to be aware of the change in strength supplied and take extra care when preparing Solu-Medrone for administration as multiple vials may be needed to make up the required dose.
For further details please see Solu-Medrone information sheet.
For more information please contact the pharmacy department (City ext. 5263, Sandwell ext. 3783).
welearn from excellence
welearn from excellence is a way to recognise colleagues for their everyday brilliance and show appreciation for their hard work, achievements and improvements to quality or safety.
Positive reporting is quick and easy. Simply click here or on the welearn from excellence logo on the Connect homepage.
welearn from excellence story:
Keeping colleagues in the right kit – the PPE distribution point team (City Hospital)
Annabel Bottrill, Emergency Department Matron, nominated Janice Nelson, Sohail Lal and Nesba Ali for the hard work and processes they have put in place to support the clinical teams at City Hospital during COVID-19.
Annabel said: “Janice, Sohail and Nesba have worked tirelessly to ensure that clinical areas have the correct PPE for their needs. They are always polite, respectful, kind and helpful despite some of the challenges. The team have ensured that colleagues have the equipment they need and thus making us all feel safe – which is really important.”
For more information on welearn from excellence please contact swbh.welearnlfe@nhs.net.
Heartbeat: Multi-storey car parks granted approval
Our organisation has been given the green light to build multi-storey car parks at City and Sandwell Hospitals which will improve access for colleagues, patients and visitors. Permission was granted by Sandwell Council for a 400-space facility, whilst Birmingham City Council gave the goahead for a 550-space car park at our City site.
The move will improve parking by creating the new facilities. Sandwell Hospital is undergoing some significant changes over the coming years with work underway for a £6 million health development which will house Carters Green Medical Centre and Lyndon Health Centre. The existing provision of car parking space will be constructed to meet the parking demands of the site.
City Hospital is due to be redeveloped over the coming years to incorporate new housing and commercial space. It will also continue to provide health services at the Birmingham Treatment Centre, the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre and the Sheldon Block.
The Trust is working with car park operator, Q-Park using its estates development partner Prime to develop the plans for the new car parks. Residents, councillors and hospital staff were invited to hear about the proposals during engagement events held in October 2019. The views, ideas and concerns fed into the planning application.
James Pollitt, Associate Director of Strategic Development from the Trust, said: “We’re delighted to have received planning permission, which will address a longstanding concern for our dedicated workforce. Our schemes will include electric charge vehicle provision and will help us to tackle parking on neighbouring streets. The Trust continues to invest in supporting other modes of travel as part of our net zero commitment.”
Ewan Forsyth, Prime’s Development Director, said: “These consents allow us to take the first steps towards delivering much-needed infrastructure for the Trust to help achieve its strategic vision and deliver affordable, high quality facilities that improve the patient, visitor and staff experience.”
Star Awards 2020 – Clinical Team of the Year (children)
Do you know a team that has provided consistent, high quality care for children whilst meeting financial and operational targets, a team that has demonstrated best practice or has driven forward improvements in patient care or has pulled together through particularly difficult circumstances? This could include teams who care for children across our Trust settings and services, not just our specialist paediatric teams.
Nominate them as the Clinical Team of the Year (children) at 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 domestic abuse 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.
Rainbow of Kindness
Many Trusts are creating memories of COVID-19 due to the far reaching impact that it has had on so many of our families, colleagues, teams and communities. People have made amazing contributions in extraordinary times. We would like to create a Rainbow of Kindness to reflect so many stories that have appeared throughout the past few months. It is really important to us that we get as many colleagues as possible to contribute to this. Your stories of kindness will be used to create a rainbow that will be displayed across our sites.
You can share your stories of kindness either by email or in writing. Postcards to capture these will be circulated shortly or in the meantime a sheet has been included in today’s QIHD pack that can be printed and written on.
Please send your stories to Claire Hubbard either by internal post to Trust HQ or email Claire.hubbard2@nhs.net.
← Older items Newer items →