Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 28 August

Overnight on Wednesday we successfully transitioned to an updated version of the Cerner Millennium electronic patient record that has meant a big upgrade to Unity. Thank you to everyone who has worked hard to ensure this transition has been as seamless as possible. On the whole the upgrade has been a real success and will give us a more stable system and safer experience for patients and colleagues. The system looks almost completely the same and the processes and practices you have learned have not changed. We have identified a problem with some IV prescribing where fields may not populate as expected. The solution is being worked on with Cerner and details of a temporary fix are in today’s communications bulletin. Thank you for your co-operation and your usage of business continuity arrangements during the upgrade process.

Thank you to all our teams for supporting patients attending our emergency departments. We have seen particular pressure at Sandwell that has led in some cases to waits that are longer than we would want for our patients. I am really pleased that our performance has been improving over the last few days. When seen in the figures reported for the region, our Trust performance against the four hour target has improved by 3%. This is due to great work and commitment by the medicine and emergency care team, the capacity team and other groups who support the department. This is not about chasing a target but about how we can provide safe care for our patients. There are many challenges to achieving this but one of the key factors is to ensure that our patients who are fit to be discharged can be safely taken home early in the day, allowing space for patients who need admitting to transfer to the right ward / assessment unit, without waiting unnecessarily long in ED. This is, as always, a whole Trust effort so thank you for your hard work. As our performance shows, the hard work is paying off.

Of course, we recognise that the environment and working across two sites is not ideal and has an impact on the care we can provide for patients in ED which is why we are continuing to press ahead with determination to complete the building of the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. I’m pleased to report that our construction partners, Balfour Beatty, are progressing well and have made, with our support, a number of new working arrangements to meet the guidelines for COVID-19, providing safe environments for their employees and sub-contractors. The team have created new welfare facilities within the building site and Director of System Transformation, Rachel Barlow, accompanied local MP Mr John Spellar on a visit this week. Mr Spellar is fully supportive of the new hospital and we thank him for his advocacy. Like us, John is keen to see the hospital open so that patients can benefit from the new facilities and improved patient care that we will be able to provide.

It wouldn’t be a Friday message if I didn’t mention COVID-19! We continue to progress our restoration and recovery arrangements, scheduling appointments and procedures for patients based on clinical prioritisation. We are seeing patients turn down their surgery or miss diagnostic appointments on our sites. This continues to be a real area of concern and we are doing what we can to reassure patients of the safety of our services. This week we filmed the process of coming to hospital for surgery so that patients can clearly see the arrangements that we have in place to keep them safe. If you have friends or family who are concerned please talk to them. If they are worried they can talk to their clinical teams about those concerns. It is important that those with health issues are able to get the tests and treatment they need and feel confident in the services we provide at the Trust.

At the same time, we continue to closely monitor the numbers of COVID-19 cases in the community and support both Birmingham and Sandwell local authorities with the measures they are putting in place and the messages they are sharing with the public to avoid local lockdowns. As schools go back next week and business continue to open up, it is more important than ever, as I have said repeatedly, that we set the right example by following social distancing guidelines, regular handwashing and use of the correct PPE. This is vital even when you are at work and in frequent contact with colleagues. You are not in a work bubble. You must maintain your distance from those you work with, unless you have the right PPE and protection and need to have close contact to deliver patient care.

Congratulations to our star of the week, Paulette Duzan. Paulette is a team leader in our health visiting service and was nominated by several of her colleagues for the support she has given them during the pandemic. She has set up daily meeting with staff in the Oldbury team to enable colleagues working from home and shielding to remain connected to the team. Pauline’s example of kindness and consideration for others sets a brilliant example and makes her a deserving employee of the week. Congratulations too to Jessica Downing, an apprentice who has achieved a distinction in level 3 business administration – a great result, well done.

The vote for four categories of our annual star awards opens on Tuesday 1 September so please get involved and cast your vote. Details will be in Tuesday’s communications bulletin. Good luck to all those who are shortlisted. And, good luck to our very own Kelly Stackhouse who is shortlisted for bowel cancer nurse of the year which will be announced this evening.

I wish you all a pleasant bank holiday weekend and thank you to those who are at work. I head off on annual leave for a fortnight and have arrangements in place for very capable deputising from Dinah Mclannahan, Chief Finance Officer. I expect to be continuing in the acting Chief Executive role on my return with some additional support for the Medical Director responsibilities.

David Carruthers, Acting Chief Executive

Update from the deteriorating patient and resuscitation team: Lifepak 20 defibrillator self-test process

There have been some changes to the Lifepak 20 defibrillator self-test process recommended by Stryker.

To allow the self-test to take place at 3am every morning the test plug must be attached to the therapy cable. When this has occurred the results of the test will be printed out. Medical Engineering have provided all areas who have a Lifepak 20 with a test plug With immediate effect please attach the test plug to the therapy cable. Defib pads must remain on top of the resuscitation trolley next to the device. Daily checks must now to include a visual inspection of the print out.

For further details please see Lifepak 20 defibrillator information sheet.

For more information please call 0121 507 5908 or email rachel.andrews1@nhs.net.

Black Lives Matter walks through the Black Country

Black Lives Matter campaigners from Stourbridge will be walking across the Black Country this weekend to commemorate important civil rights milestones in black history.

The socially-distanced ‘Walk the Black Country’ event, supported by Black Country Stand Up to Racism, has been organised to start today (Friday, 28 August) – the date on which slavery was abolished in Britain and its colonies in 1833 and the date of Martin Luther King’s famous 1963 ‘I have a dream’ speech.  The two day event begins tomorrow in Stourbridge and ends on Saturday, 29 August in Wolverhampton.

Our BME Network invites all interested colleagues to join this inclusive event. If you don’t wish to complete the full walk you can join the walkers at any of the points along the way. Donna Mighty, Chair of the BME Staff Network remarked: “Set over a weekend of historical significance this is going to be a thought-provoking weekend walk. It’s an ideal opportunity to get chatting to different people and hear different perspectives along the way.”

To find out more visit https://www.facebook.com/events/608078709706079/

Unity upgrade completed successfully

Last night our clinical and operational colleagues successfully completed the upgrade to Unity, bringing the EPR system up to date with the most current version available.
Thank you to everyone involved in the upgrade, all areas were able to swiftly deploy their business continuity plans and continue providing safe and effective care through the disruption.

All systems are now back online, fully operational and business continuity measures have been stood down.

Colleagues are reminded to ensure they notify the IT Service Desk on ext 4050 (0121 507 4050) if they experience any issues with the new system. The helpdesk is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

COVID-19 Bulletin: Wednesday 26 August

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. The ending of lending

At the beginning of the pandemic, much of the Trust’s medical equipment was moved to support our response, particularly patient and vital signs monitors as well as ECG recorders. Some equipment remains in different areas and significantly hinders our recovery plans if it is not returned.

Please check your ward or department for any equipment that has been borrowed from elsewhere and, if it is no longer required, ensure it is suitably cleaned and returned to medical engineering with a completed decontamination certificate. The team will then check the items and ensure they are returned to their original locations.

The Trust has received a small quantity of centrally provided loan equipment. It would be very useful to ensure that areas still dependent upon borrowed equipment swap across to this as soon as it is realistic to do so. This will release the original equipment for return to its normal location. If for any reason, loaned equipment cannot be returned, please contact Lawrence Barker at lawrence.barker@nhs.net for a further discussion.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

2. The changing face of masks

We currently have about 2-3 weeks supply of Alpha mask stock, and continue to chase the supplier for further deliveries. 1863 stocks are reducing and the centre has confirmed there will be no further deliveries of those, so wherever possible the 1863+ mask should be used as an alternative.

It is not an immediate concern but all staff still regularly wearing FFP3 masks should book a fit test on 5050 for a silicone reusable mask. You can then keep this mask as your own, and clean it regularly.

Fit testing will continue through September, Monday to Friday 8am-4pm. If you have any specific issues please contact Dinah McLannahan – dinah.mclannahan@nhs.net.

3. Getting scrubs laundered – we are here to help

We have previously published guidance on laundering, however there has been an unusually low number of scrubs being laundered across our sites recently. Please do not take scrubs home, instead put them in the correct bags for laundering.

4. New guidance regarding joint injections

Joint steroid injections done in consultation/procedure rooms as a day procedure no longer require COVID swabbing 72 hrs prior to the procedure. This is a change to our Trust policy and follows national guidelines.

A COVID screening questionnaire must be completed 48 to 72 hrs in advance via telephone interview and also on the day of the procedure.

Patients should be advised to follow comprehensive social-distancing and hand-hygiene measures for 14 days and self-isolate for 3 days prior to the procedure.

Patients should wear the surgical mask (FRSM) on the day of procedure and the clinician must  wear appropriate PPE for the procedure.

There should also be enhanced cleaning of the procedure room including touch points in between patients.

5. Your health and wellbeing

Your health and wellbeing is paramount to us. The COVID-19 pandemic will take a toll on colleagues both mentally and physically. With this in mind we are encouraging all colleagues to download our mental wellbeing app, ‘Thrive.’ The Trust 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. To access the service:

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.

Recharge Booth continues this Thursday:

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, 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 or Angharad MacGregor on 07976 322893. 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.

Teamtalk taking place today

TeamTalk is our monthly Trust-wide team briefing. The next session will take place today (Wednesday 26 August) at 1pm.

TeamTalk Briefing – August 2020

Please ensure you are able to access a computer with speakers or headphones to enable you to participate.

Details on how to login are as follows:

• To join the session from your computer click on the following link: https://swbhnhs.webex.com/swbhnhs/onstage/g.php?MTID=eb3c158a6732e47dc81ea53f533ff4e76
• Event password is TEAMTALK

If you have any questions about how you join the briefing, contact Subtan Mahmood by email: subtan.mahmood@nhs.net.

Unity upgrade taking place today from 10pm and into the morning of Thursday 27 August: Please ensure business continuity is in place where this may be required

Unity getting a code refresh tonight (Wednesday 26 August) from 10pm, with updates running through until tomorrow (Thursday 27 August) 7am. This will be one of its biggest updates since we implemented our electronic patient record however the changes which will be taking place are all ‘under the hood.’ Ward staff are still be able to give medications, document patient details and record observations as usual during this time. The services affected have been notified of the impact of this downtime and staff working overnight in these specific areas should already be aware of this.

Note: None of the processes or practices you have learnt will be changing, the system itself at first glance will look almost completely the same. Much of the underlying code that manages Unity will be updated to take advantage of improved processes delivering a much slicker, stable and most importantly safer experience for patients and colleagues.

The upgrade will take place overnight and will be one of the few updates that require elements of Unity to be taken offline for a short period. This will mean a short period of business continuity for certain processes.

The schedule of work is listed below including the time each system will expected to be taken offline.

Desktop notifications will be released across the Trust just before work begins on Wednesday 26 August from 10pm and subsequently as systems begin to return to normal operation. During this period it is expected that departments will revert to business continuity plans whilst the system is unavailable and return to normal operation as soon as works are complete.

Colleagues are reminded that Unity itself will still be available just that some functions may be limited during the down times listed in the table below.

Schedule of work:

The upgrade activity will be closely monitored but as always please call the 24 hour IT service desk if you experience any other issues on ext. 4050.

Note: Desktop Alerts to be released at 9pm and 9:45pm on Wednesday 26 August reminding colleagues of the planned upgrade and need to revert to BCP.

General signage review

A review of general signage across our Sandwell, City and Rowley Regis sites is taking place to ensure that departments and services are correctly represented.

If you are aware of areas where signage is incorrect, please email victoria.williams20@nhs.net by Friday 4 September, stating where it is and a photograph if possible.

Desktop and laptop patching from Monday 24 August at 10am

The Trust are increasing the patching levels on all computers to help reduce the likelihood of successful cyber-attacks.

• Informatics will be doing this in four phases over eight weeks, each phase lasts two weeks.
• When your computer is in its patching phase it will download patches every day and will need rebooting every day for those two weeks.
• You will be given a message about rebooting allowing you time to finish what you are doing and save your work.
• You will be allowed to postpone the activity twice a day before it automatically reboots.

Should you experience any issues with your computer/laptop during or after the updates then please contact the 24 hour IT Service Desk on Ext. 4050 or 0121 507 4050 for home workers.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 21 August

I start off this message by urging those of you who are registered health professionals to put yourselves forward to become a peer vaccinator as we get ready for our annual flu campaign. This year, we’ll be taking a different approach to how we administer the flu vaccine and will have our very own Flu-per Troopers representing areas right across our Trust. I am told the training only takes 30 mins all on ESR. COVID-19 caught us all off guard but we know the flu is coming, it’s preventable and we already have a well-tested quadrivalent vaccination on offer. Over the next few weeks you will begin to see our ABBA inspired campaign across the Trust. Get involved and play your part, after all, that’s the name of the game! Contact Bethan Downing to express your interest bethan.downing1@nhs.net

It’s been a week since we issued our first weConnect quarterly survey of the financial year. The survey has gone to colleagues in system transformation, nursing services, community medicine, paediatrics, ophthalmology, admitted care and imaging. If you are part of this sample, I do urge you to respond. We have been through some challenging months, it would be good to hear your views about your experiences and how we can make improvements across our workplace. You have until Friday 4 September to have your say.

Next month will mark a year since we installed Unity, our electronic patient record, which significantly changed the way we work for the better. It’s great to see many of you embrace it and indeed continue to support optimisation by contributing to the Unity Tip of the Week. Next Wednesday evening (26 August) from 10pm through to the next day Thursday 27 August we will see Unity go through one of its biggest updates since launch. All the changes are in the background and ward staff are still be able to give medications, document patient details and record observations as usual during this time. The processes you have learned will not change and when you log on the system will look almost completely the same. However, much of the underlying code that manages Unity will be updated to take advantage of improved processes delivering a much more stable and safer experience for all. Details have been shared in today’s communications bulletin and watch out for further communications next week.

The implementation of Unity involved learning for many of us. Learning is an important part of how we grow and develop as an organisation. In recent weeks, colleagues have completed apprenticeships under challenging circumstances dealing with COVID-19 as well as juggling their studies to get ready for their End Point Assessments. Well done to all our learners, it’s a fantastic achievement. Remember apprenticeships are not just for the young, contact Libby Marshall or Maxine Griffiths to find out what opportunities are available to you.

Cheryl Shepherd, Senior Sister on AMU was yesterday named this year’s recipient of the Shiela Lorimer Award (presented to a nurse on the acute medical unit in memory of Acute Medicine Nurse Practitioner, Shiela Lorimer who sadly passed away in 2013). This award is given yearly in recognition of nursing excellence and Cheryl clearly shone through with her passion and patient centred work within ambulatory care as well as her phenomenal resilience throughout the pandemic. Well done Cheryl.

Your health and wellbeing remains paramount. The past few months will have taken a toll on many of us mentally and physically. Do remember to take advantage of the services we have on offer – you can see all the services available on Connect. This week’s Star of the Week has made a contribution to our wellbeing offer. Carl Bellamy, e-Learning Manager is recognised for filming and editing a series of wellbeing videos which became a regular and important feature in our COVID-19 bulletins at the peak of the pandemic.

I end this message with the plea for all of us to ensure we do all we can to keep each other safe. As the threat of a second wave continues and cases rising in the community, it is vital that all of us follow the rules of wearing a face mask at all times whilst in clinical areas of our main hospital buildings.

Where social distancing is not possible then this remains important during handovers, breaks and with ward based teaching. Hand hygiene is equally important. The reason for this is clear, we need to remain vigilant against the transmission of COVID-19 and do everything we can to keep our patients and colleagues safe from infection. Complacency is our enemy, so we must all work together to continue to fight the spread.

David Carruthers, Acting Chief Executive