Monthly archives: July 2020

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 31 July

On the last day of the month I have been looking back on July and all that we have progressed at the Trust which has not solely been dominated by COVID! We were able to celebrate the NHS birthday, hold our annual general meeting, receive the biggest number of nominations ever for our annual Star Awards (over 700), get settled into our new children’s emergency care unit and achieve a silver TIDE award for our approach and progress on diversity and inclusion, among other achievements. All of you, by the time you read this, will (should) have completed your PDRs, be up to date with your mandatory training and have recorded your COVID risk assessment – a lot to get done in a few weeks, so thank you.

The Trust’s Clinical Leadership Executive (which comprises the Trust’s group leaders and the executive team) met this week and we had good discussions on preparing for the next Care Quality Commission inspection. This is important not just because we are due an inspection and believe we deserve a “good” rating, but because the preparation is useful in helping us understand whether we are providing care to a consistently high standard. We also talked about gaining a better understanding of how patients view our Trust through the friends and family test, not just to improve our response rate and scores but to really make a difference to people’s overall experience. As I wrote last week, often the small things make the biggest impact in terms of a positive or negative experience.

I’m excited that next month sees the launch of our “Why Weight?” healthy weight campaign which is part of our overall wellbeing strategy. The campaign provides a range of initiatives for colleagues to make use of that aim to improve eating habits, increase physical activity and help with mental wellbeing, such as our e-bike trial and the weigh2go scheme. I hope that many of you are able to make use of the fresh vegetables that are grown on site by our friends at Warm Earth nursery on the City site to kick start your own health journey. The organic cucumbers are ready now – you may even find they’ll be cut straight from the stem minutes before you buy them. In around two weeks their aromatic tomatoes will be ready for harvest – so put a date in your dairy – as they are not to be missed. Warm Earth nursery is open from 10am – 3.30pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 10am – 3pm on Sundays.

In the past fortnight the government has chosen to focus on the crisis of obesity in the UK with evidence of the increased risk of a poorer outcome for people with a high BMI who contract coronavirus. There has never been a better time to take this seriously and make a change – I am committing to use my bike more on my way in to work so why not think about what healthy changes you can make too? The launch of our campaign is on 14 August so look out for more information about how you can get involved.

August is also the time for families to think through how best to prepare their children for starting school for the first time and going back to school, many of whom have been at home for six months. Our school nursing team have been busy coming up with new ways to help families from a distance and have developed a range of information online to help parents and children. They are also holding online story time for children to enjoy that should be a help in their preparations.

Our COVID recovery plans continue to progress with more patients receiving their diagnostic tests and on-site treatment. We are still seeing some patients choosing to defer their procedures due to fear of catching coronavirus so there is more to do to assure people of the safety of the care we provide. News coverage in recent weeks has shown both positive and negative experiences at our Trust so we need to keep vigilant of our own infection prevention and control procedures at work and reassure people that they are safe in our care.

So, our month has not all been about the coronavirus pandemic, and the impact of that, but we do need to be cognisant of the increased numbers in Sandwell. We all have our part to play in reducing transmission of the virus, particularly as the Sandwell and Birmingham areas experience a few local outbreaks. As I have said every week in these Friday messages, we MUST adhere to social distancing, handwashing and correct use of PPE.

I know that for many of you the government instructions of quarantine following a holiday to Spain will be a blow. We will support those of you who were already in Spain at the time of the announcement, with your requirement to self-isolate at home and I know there are worries about the impact this will have on our services and whether any more countries will be added to that list. As we have learned throughout this pandemic, things can change very quickly and decisions made that have a big impact on our Trust, our service and our own personal lives. Thank you for the way you have responded very quickly to changing guidance. We will need to continue to keep up to date with guidance, reflecting on it and deciding on our own arrangements that keep our staff, patients and population safe.

Congratulations to this week’s Star of the Week, Assistant Service Manager Suki Kalon, who was nominated for hard work and determination in supporting over 140 extra staff who joined Critical Care during the COVID-19 surge.

Eid Mubarak to those of you celebrating Eid al-Adha this weekend and enjoy the sunshine if you are able to have time away from work. Stay safe.

David Carruthers, Acting Chief Executive

Heartbeat: Three Squares Club for wellbeing and peer support

Working long days during this pandemic has become something of the norm for many colleagues. That’s why our organisation has found lots of new and innovative ways to ensure wellbeing is at the top of our agenda. As well as this, across the Trust teams are developing ways to relax, recharge and reflect.

One such area that has embraced staff wellbeing on the frontline is among our junior doctors, reflected in an initiative called the ‘Three Squares Club.’ It encourages regular opportunities for refreshment, peer support and informal debriefing. We caught up with Dr Vikranth Venugopalan, Consultant Neonatologist, who explained the part he has played as one of the facilitators in this initiative.

He said: “We recognise the stresses and strains COVID-19 places on us as medical staff. That’s why it’s important to ensure our wellbeing is something we take care of both individually and collectively as a team. Three times a week at both City and Sandwell hospitals, we facilitated sessions for junior doctors where we talked openly about different subjects, such as the emotional impact of shifts. As the pressures of the pandemic have changed, the frequency of sessions has been reduced to once a week. We now meet on Wellbeing Wednesdays.”

He added: “In these sessions, I emphasise the importance of wellbeing both inside and outside of work. It comes in many forms and is not limited to sessions like the ones I hold. I talk about healthy eating, getting adequate rest, and I signpost colleagues to resources available via the Trust. This includes things such as the free yoga classes we can take advantage of.”

Dr Michael Blaber, Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine, is taking the lead in championing wellbeing among junior doctors. He has appreciated the response from a wide team of colleagues contributing to the wellbeing of others through initiatives such as the ‘Three Squares Club.’ He remarked: “The pandemic has been a difficult time to work through, but it has also led to an enhanced sense of togetherness.

We’ve had more experienced clinicians support junior doctors in engaging with the ordinary human needs that we all share in common, particularly at times of heightened pressure.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all who have made such a valuable contribution to the peer support sessions. It is a joy to work with so many colleagues right across the Trust committed to making SWB an excellent place to work for all staff groups.”

Home grown vegetables now available at City

For colleagues who like a little bit of organic in their life, our friends at Warm Earth nursery at City Hospital have a range of plants and ‘home grown’ vegetables on offer.

Warm Earth is situated at the first entrance to City site when accessed from Dudley Road coming from town. They are open from 10am – 3.30pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 10am – 3pm on Sundays.

The organic cucumbers are ready now – you may even find they’ll be cut straight from the stem minutes before you buy them. In around two weeks their aromatic tomatoes will be ready for harvest –so put a date in your dairy – as they are not too be missed. Also on sale now are a range of herbs including thyme, sage, mint, coriander and for those who may have trouble sleeping, the nursery is selling purslane – a super herb said to be a natural remedy for insomnia. They also have aubergine plants, lots of interesting perennials and will make hanging baskets made to order.

Reminder: Changes to PPE hub opening hours

The PPE distribution hubs are experiencing reduced activity at the weekends so going forward it is planned that they will not open at weekends unless there is a future identified need. The PPE teams will stock up areas on Fridays to ensure wherever possible weekend need is removed. The rooms will be stocked with PPE and can be accessed out of hours by security or CNPs as required.

The opening hours of the PPE hub rooms at Bryan Knight (Sandwell) and reception area outside the foot health and diabetes outpatients clinic – on the first floor above Arches Café (City) have changed to the following:

• Monday – Friday, 7am – 5pm
• Saturday – Sunday, closed

The procurement team will ensure deliveries to all areas are increased to compensate for the reduced opening hours.

Note: Scrubs should be collected from the wards where they are delivered daily. Scrubs are not available from the PPE hubs at either Sandwell or City.

Should you have any queries please contact mike.hanson@nhs.net or dinah.mclannahan@nhs.net.

COVID-19 and the African-Caribbean community in Sandwell online workshop: 6 August

It is recognised and acknowledged that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on our local communities in particular the African-Caribbean community. With this in mind Dr Ian Sykes (Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG Chair in partnership with Healthwatch Sandwell and West Bromwich African Caribbean Resource Centre) would like to invite you to an online workshop to listen to your experiences on Thursday 6 August, 1pm – 2.30pm.

Note: This will be an online meeting using Microsoft Teams software so you must have a smartphone, tablet or laptop as well access to the internet to join.

If you’re interested in joining this online session or want to find out more please email SWBCCG.engagement@nhs.net or call 0121 612 1663.

Heartbeat: Sheer sense of comradery brings Rowley together

Gearing up to deal with a once-in-alifetime pandemic, Justine Irish, Matron for Primary Care, Communities and Therapy gives us an insight into how her team at Rowley responded to the rapidly evolving need to change working practices to maintain services while keeping patients safe.

She told us: “The first task was preparing the team for what was to come. For example, it sounds simple on paper designating hot wards for positive patients and cold wards for those not suspected of having the virus. We quickly realised the reality of some patients on blue wards exhibiting no symptoms but on testing coming back positive. When you prepare colleagues for working in a low-risk area, they cannot guarantee it will remain that way so it has been difficult. The Rowley team is really special; they are a resilient group who work as a family. The overall mood at Rowley has always been one of we are in it together so let’s get on with it.”

When the pandemic hit, the model of beds on Rowley wards changed, to create a mixed model of medically fit and intermediate care beds all together. Colleagues stepped up to cover other areas, away from where they were most familiar with. However, with lockdown, this inevitably changed, as most services out of Rowley were relocated or changed as opposed to stopped.

Justine continued: “For me, my working week has changed. This is also true of many members of our directorate who have changed their working patterns too. Alongside my colleague Natalie Whitton, we have been cross covering all of our community wards and providing a seven-day matron cover between the two of us. We also introduced an out-of-hours matron – Pal Grewal – who has been providing support during twilight shifts, which has also had a positive impact.

“Over the last three months, what has stood out for me has been the sheer sense of comradery across some 200 plus colleagues, seeing them assist each other with face masks, bring in food for each other, shop for each other and generally care more for each other.

“If I had to call out one team, it would be our domestic colleagues, as although we have a smaller team at Rowley they make a huge impact. They have turned wards around that have been closed for years, and have deep cleaned to within an inch of their lives. They come in early and go home late, and clean every touchpoint so meticulously and I am sure they are a huge part of the reason why we have kept Rowley a blue site.

“Of course our patients have been wonderful too, as no one has questioned or disagreed with how things have had to be. Our colleagues have all played a role in this by keeping patients up to date with ever-changing news. We initiated a daily call home to next of kin (with consent) and enabled those patients who were able and wanted to, to Facetime or call loved ones, to maintain essential family contact. This has been so well received; we are keen to maintain it into the future as our patients look forward to that contact.

“In the future, I think many changes will become the norm for us at Rowley, as technology has opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I have spoken to more people and met more people during online meetings than I would have done before the pandemic, and that in turn has developed some pretty good pathways around discharge and our length of stay.”

Annie Williams, Practice Education Nurse iBeds, said: “The team have become much closer across all departments during COVID-19. It feels as though we all know each other on a different level – kindness has been at the heart of the Trust’s pandemic response and that message is evident in how staff interact with each other – greeting each other and asking “how are you today?” and having true meaning behind it.”

Lady Ann Ordona, Senior Sister on McCarthy Ward added: “The pandemic has changed not only my way of working but also my personal life. We want to give the best nursing care to our patients and facilitate their safe discharge, but not knowing if any of my patients have COVID-19 is a stress. One thing I’m sure of and it’s not only here in Rowley Regis, we’ve seen how the NHS has come together and that makes me proud to be a part of what they call the frontline.”

COVID-19 and the health and wellbeing of BAME communities session: 31 July

Dudley Council, Cornerstone Community Church and TCT have organised a dedicated session focussing on the health and wellbeing of BAME communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The session takes place on Friday 31 July, 7pm – 8:30pm.

For more information and join this session please click here.

COVID-19 colleague risk assessments

It is essential that every member of staff has a completed risk assessment.

Unless you have already had this assessment with occupational health please complete the online risk assessment.

Note: Managers must ensure they make a computer available for their colleagues to complete a risk assessment. Managers must also ensure they have read the generic advice to managers for supporting at risk groups of staff in their teams information sheet. 

For more information please call 0121 507 3306 or email swbh.riskassessmentoh@nhs.net.

COVID-19 Bulletin: Wednesday 29 July

This is our weekly bulletin and will be issued every Wednesday. Please use this bulletin and cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide your actions. 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.

Numbers not statistics: Today’s totals (last week’s data)

1. Revised PPE hub opening hours

The PPE distribution hubs are experiencing reduced activity at the weekends so going forward it is planned that they will not open at weekends unless there is a future identified need. The PPE teams will stock up areas on Fridays to ensure wherever possible weekend need is removed. The rooms will be stocked with PPE and can be accessed out of hours by security or CNPs as required.

The opening hours of the PPE hub rooms at Bryan Knight (Sandwell) and reception area outside the foot health and diabetes outpatients clinic – on the first floor above Arches Café (City) have changed to the following:

• Monday – Friday, 7am – 5pm
• Saturday – Sunday, closed

The procurement team will ensure deliveries to all areas are increased to compensate for the reduced opening hours.

Note: Scrubs should be collected from the wards where they are delivered daily. Scrubs are not available from the PPE hubs at either Sandwell or City.

Should you have any queries please contact mike.hanson@nhs.net or dinah.mclannahan@nhs.net.

2. Guidance on returning from Spain

The government has advised that British people returning from holidays in Spain and its islands should quarantine on their return for 14 days. Spain is included as an addition to the existing list of countries where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have advised against all non-essential travel.

Line managers should make arrangements to contact team members who are in Spain on their return to arrange work that can be done at home.

We are continuing to review national guidance and will assess over the next few days whether we can bring people back to work sooner following a negative test result.

Before making arrangements to travel please ensure you check the FCO website for the latest guidance. Travelling to a country that is not on the exemption list is likely to affect your travel insurance and is not advised. If you are intending to travel to a country that is not exempt from quarantine you must talk to your manager before you go to make arrangements for you to safely return to your role.

3. Visiting restrictions are staying in place – for now

With the easing of lockdown and social distancing measures we are expecting to receive more enquiries about an easing of visiting restrictions, as well as members of the public thinking that the restrictions within our Trust space are likewise reduced.

To be clear for everyone, at this time our present visiting restrictions – those that have been in place for the past several weeks – remain in place and under review whilst we monitor cases in the community.

It is especially important we take stock of what is happening in Smethwick and Sandwell before any decision is made.

Please continue to encourage the use of mobile devices/tablets for families to keep in touch with their loved ones. We recognise the challenges that are faced by colleagues whilst implementing these restrictions and we want to thank everyone for their support in enforcing the current visiting arrangements.

4. Have you had your antibody test yet?

Antibody testing is still available for ALL colleagues so make sure you book your appointment now.

It’s a simple test which is to find out whether you have the presence of antibodies and have had the virus. Remember that this does not confirm immunity and the usual infection prevention and control precautions should be taken. The SIREN study is looking at the relevance of antibodies longer term and is specifically for staff members so please sign up by clicking here.

To book an appointment call 0121 507 6104 option 2. We have developed a questions and answers document, for more information please click here.

5. Your COVID Recovery – new website to support people with ongoing symptoms on their road to recovery

Evidence shows that a significant proportion of post COVID-19 patients are likely to have significant ongoing health problems, notably breathing difficulties, tiredness and cough, reduced muscle function, reduced ability to undertake physical activity and psychological symptoms such as PTSD and reduced mood status. Your Covid Recovery is a new NHS website designed to help people recover from the long-term effects of COVID-19 and support them to manage their recovery. It includes information from rehabilitation experts about how to manage ongoing symptoms and health needs at home, and signposts to sources of support.

6. Are you at risk of diabetes? Sign up to life-changing programme

People in the West Midlands who are at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes will now be able to sign themselves up online to join their free local Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.

This new service has been launched as part of a series of measures in response to COVID-19. Recent findings show that people with diabetes face a significantly higher risk of dying with COVID-19 but better management of the condition can help improve control and lead to better outcomes.

You can find out if you are eligible to join your local programme by completing the Diabetes UK risk tool at https://riskscore.diabetes.org.uk/start

Note: Anyone who is identified as at moderate to high risk of Type 2 diabetes using the Diabetes UK risk tool can sign up to the programme online. Anybody who is unable to use the Diabetes UK risk tool to sign up can still be referred by their GP practice.  

7. Are you looking after your mental health and wellbeing?

The Recharge Booth continues tomorrow

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

For more information please contact Richard Burnell on 07747 144874, Angharad MacGregor on 07976 322893 or Claire Hubbard on 07866004575. 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.

Thrive by using our new mental wellbeing app

The mental health and wellbeing of colleagues is important and we want to ensure that everyone is able to get help when they need it.

As a result colleagues have exclusive access to the Thrive: Mental Wellbeing app, which is there for the prevention, screening and management of anxiety, depression 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.

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.

8. Handwashing is still essential, gloves are not an alternative

Wearing gloves does not prevent the spread of Coronavirus. Regular and effective hand washing is the best way to prevent the virus from spreading.

Colleagues are reminded that gloves are single use and  should only be worn  when they are needed as part of PPE for a particular procedure or task and should immediately be disposed of following this and hand hygiene performed.

Gloves are not required for procedures where there is a minimal risk of cross infection between patients and staff and include the following:

• Basic care procedures without contact with blood and body fluids (including bathing/washing).
• Making uncontaminated beds/changing or removing patients uncontaminated clothing.
• Taking recordings of blood pressure, temperature, pulse.

Moving patients around the hospital unless a specific infection control risk has been identified.

Social Distancing

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 2metres (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.

Disposal of medical equipment

We must remind colleagues that medical equipment must only be disposed of by the medical engineering department.  This is to ensure that the items are disposed of correctly and the inventory is maintained accurately. No medical equipment should be disposed of locally.

Reporting of faulty medical equipment:

Faulty medical equipment needs to be reported to medical engineering online via ext. 4070. It must be separated from working equipment with a decontamination certificate completed. Equipment with expired ‘do not use after’ labels must be reported.

For more information please contact sharanjeet.malhi@nhs.net.