Monthly archives: September 2020

Ensuring a safe environment – we all play a part

As the threat of a second wave continues, it is vital that all colleagues adhere to 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 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. See below for some important points to protect patients and colleagues:

Handwashing and gloves: 

• Regular and effective hand washing is the best way to reduce the spread of the virus
• 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.

Social Distancing

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

Whether you work in an office, 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 into 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 okay to ask them to give you some space.

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.

Balfour Beatty virtual raffle to raise funds for Midland Met Fundraising Campaign Appeal

Our Midland Met partner Balfour Beatty is holding a virtual raffle to raise money for Your Trust Charity’s ‘We Are Metropolitan’ appeal.

There’s some rather awesome prizes to be won too! Including vouchers, gadgets, golfing experiences and Formula One merchandise.

Find out more over at their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/BigBalfourBeattyRaffle

Note: Please be sure to add your full name, workplace and last four digits of your mobile number to your donation to be allocated your ticket number/s.

Cycle to work scheme for colleagues

The Trust runs a cycle to work scheme which gives huge savings on brand new bicycles and easy deductions through payroll (salary sacrifice). The scheme is part of the government’s Green Travel Plan, to encourage employees to ride a bicycle to work and help reduce congestion and environmental pollution. The scheme works by the use of a brand new bicycle in return for a reduction in your salary over a twelve month period (or time remaining on your contract if fixed term).

A range of bicycles are available through the Halfords cycle to work – you can take out your bike from any Halfords store in the UK or any one of the 1,000 independent bike shops that Halfords work with.

Please click here to download the flyer with further details.

Please find below the window dates of when you can make an application this year:

• 1 October – 30 November

For further information please contact amir.ali1@nhs.net or call ext. 6148.

Debbie Talbot retirement

This month we’ll be saying goodbye to Associate Chief Nurse, Debbie Talbot. After 35 years’ service, she will be leaving to enjoy her retirement.

Before we let her go, we’ll be hosting a farewell gathering on Thursday 10 September in Trust HQ. For more information or to sign her card, please contact shila.patel@nhs.net.

COVID-19 Bulletin: Wednesday 2 September

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. Updated Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) guidance

Following new national IPC guidance for the remobilisation of services within health and care settings, informed by local and national prevalence and incidence data, we have made changes within our Trust. The individual treatment, care and support of patients will be managed in three COVID-19 pathways: high, medium and low risk.

• High risk: There is no change in recommendations for IPC or for the use of PPE by staff when managing patients/individuals who have, or are likely to have, COVID-19.
• Medium risk: This includes patients/individuals who have no symptoms of COVID-19 but do not have a COVID-19 SARS- CoV-2 PCR test result.
• Low risk: Patients/individuals with no symptoms and a negative COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 PCR test who have self-isolated prior to admission.

Physical distancing of two metres is considered standard practice in all health and care settings. Colleagues may choose to wear higher levels of PPE following their individual risk assessment.  For full details of changes to the guidance please click here.

2. Saying your prayers safely

New social distancing and infection control measures have been put into place which will ensure the safety of those colleagues who wish to use the chapel and prayer rooms. Jummah (Friday) Prayers will resume this week in the chapels at Sandwell and the Birmingham Treatment Centre, with three time slots 1.15pm, 1.30pm and 1.45pm. Prayer times are staggered so that there are only a maximum number of people using the room at any one time.

At Sandwell 11 people will be allowed in at each time slot, whilst at City, 10 worshippers will be able to use the prayer room during each time slot.  Volunteers will hand out face masks, and distribute hand sanitiser and a paper prayer mat to each individual using the facilities. Once the slot has ended, worshippers will be able to dispose of their paper prayer mat. Please note, there may be a wait due to the number of people wishing to use the space.

Christian services will resume shortly and more details about this will follow later this month. The Chapels at both sites remain open for individual worship and both rooms are set out to reflect social distancing measures.

The chaplaincy has continued to provide a service throughout the pandemic and every Sunday they light candles for colleagues and patients. If you would like a candle lit for a loved one who has passed away or is sick, please contact Mary Causer, Lead Chaplain, via email at mary.causer@nhs.net or call her on ext 3552.

3. Updated guidance: Taking annual leave

It is hoped the most of us have had an opportunity to enjoy a summer break particularly following service delivery changes necessary to handle our pandemic response earlier in the year.

As our children return to school and we head into autumn all managers and teams are now requested to review remaining individual/team annual leave entitlement and make plans to ensure all team members can take their annual leave to support their health and wellbeing by the end of the leave year. Effective annual leave management is an important part of effective service planning and individual health and wellbeing.

Prioritisation should be given to those who have:

• previously had their annual leave cancelled
• been working long hours over a long period
• been unable to take a break for an extended period

It is acknowledged that due to travel and social restrictions, staff may not have had the summer holiday that they had planned. However staff will need to continue to be flexible as to when they take leave to ensure that they and their colleagues have an equal opportunity to take a break from work to rest and recuperate. Consideration should be given to the circumstances and needs of staff who have been shielding, staff who may have family overseas and those with caring responsibilities. If you haven’t already, we would encourage you to review and start to plan your annual leave accordingly. To see information, including requirements concerning a request to carry over any annual leave, please click here.

4. Swabbing: A ‘how to’ guide

It is vital that inpatients are not only placed in the right care environment (Red, Lilac, Blue ward) but also that swabbing is carried out appropriately and effectively in each environment.

Remember:

• Every patient MUST be swabbed on admission.
• Patients on Lilac wards MUST be swabbed every 3 days.
• Patients on Blue wards MUST be swabbed every 5 days.

Follow the Trust’s pathway here.

How a swab is collected is also extremely important. The team has produced a quick ‘how to’ video that shows you how to collect and package a PCR swab for Coronavirus.
Click below to watch the short film:

5. Ensuring a safe environment – we all play a part

As the threat of a second wave continues, it is vital that all colleagues adhere to 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 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. See below for some important points to protect patients and colleagues:

Handwashing and gloves: 

• Regular and effective hand washing is the best way to reduce the spread of the virus
• 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.

Social Distancing

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

Whether you work in an office, 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 into 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.

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.

 6. Opening more ways to communicate

During the pandemic we have been looking at ways in which we can communicate with colleagues who are working remotely by using Webex Meetings. Another way in which we can become better connected is by using Webex Teams. It is the perfect way to carry out secure one-to-one video calls, share documents and take part in instant chat to ask quick questions or have short team discussions.

Once set up by the IT service desk you can create your own groups, share files and documents, share your screen with others to help work things out together and you enable video calling direct without having to arrange a meeting. Webex Teams has been really valuable for those who have been remote working, and can be equally useful for those who are working on site. Contact the IT service desk to help set up an account by calling ext 4050 or by clicking here.

IT update to NHS Smartcards: 2 September, 8pm – 9pm

The national smartcard system is being updated today (Tuesday 2 September) from 8pm – 9pm, and during the update we will not be able to reset passwords on smartcards or issue new ones, however smartcards will still be usable.

The work is scheduled to begin at 8pm and should be completed by 9pm.

Should you have any queries on this please contact the IT helpdesk on ext. 4050 or 0121 507 4050 for home workers.

Unity tip of the week: Always use the SNAP Protocol Power Plan when prescribing N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) for adult paracetamol overdoses

This week’s tip of the week comes from Nandesh Patel FY2 and Catherine Browne ACCS CT1.

“Always use the SNAP Protocol Power Plan when prescribing N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) for adult paracetamol overdoses”

We are encouraging colleagues at all levels across the Trust to suggest any quick wins or top tips they have for using Unity in their ward, area or department.

All suggestions are welcome so please get in touch! The best suggestions will be featured in our Unity Tip of the Week every Wednesday on Connect.

If you have a tip of the week please send it to swbh.unitytips@nhs.net.

Star Awards 2020: Employee of the Year – vote now!

This years’ Star Awards will once again look to recognise those colleagues who go above and beyond the call of duty to help us provide great care and support to our patients.

Employee of the Year is somebody who has shown 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.

The nominees this year are:

• Ed Fogden – Consultant Gastroenterologist
• Eoin Dore – Anaesthetics Trainee
• Lynn Cartmell – Domestic Supervisor
• Soraya Roberts – Ward Sister

Voting will stay open through to Friday 18 September. Please take the time to think about who has gone the extra mile and submit your votes.

Remember, you can only vote once for each category so make your vote count.

Click here to cast your vote now!

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

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We want to hear your views on a unique cultural heritage project

Your Trust Charity wants to create a unique cultural heritage project at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. Cultural heritage is just another word for our history. Our local history rivals that of many major UK cities, and that includes our close neighbour Birmingham. So this project aims to fully explore the fascinating histories and stories of local people and the local area; whether that is through film, photography, exhibitions or guest speakers. The possibilities are endless.

Put simply, history is the story of us all. So we really want to hear the views of SWBH staff on a range of topics via this online survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/cultural-heritage-project

It is important that you take part because you are part of the history this project wants to explore, and your input will help us make the Midland Metropolitan more than a hospital.

The survey will take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. Once you’ve completed it you will be entered into a prize draw. With a first prize of £100, a second prize of £60 and a third prize of £40. Good luck and thanks for taking time to complete this important survey.

Hallam restaurant salad bar

The salad bar in Hallam restaurant is now open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11.30am – 2pm.

The salad Bar will located in the Crumbles bar in the Hallam Restaurant and will be an assisted service.