Monthly archives: October 2020
#FabChange20 – learning from COVID-19
To reflect the global pandemic, and the impact it has had on health and social care services globally, #FabChange20 shares learning from COVID-19.
The aim of #FabChange20 is to celebrate the innovations and changes within each part of the health and social care system that have arisen from the pandemic.
We have dug deep to share changes both big and small which have been implemented across the Trust.
During this week we will be sharing these stories throughout our daily bulletin.
Speech and Language Therapy:
Be sure to check out this video featuring Naomi Reed, Speech and Language Therapist from the children’s therapies team talking about how they have had to adapt and go digital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Black History Month 2020 – Sorry, I Didn’t Know
Thank you to those of who have embraced our Black History Month quiz and competition. If you have an appetite for even more quizzes and general knowledge, then ITV’s Sorry, I Didn’t Know may be the programme for you.
This is a new panel show with a twist hosted by Jimmy Akingbola (star of hit ITV sitcom, Kate & Koji) who presides over two raucous teams headed up by Chizzy Akudolu and Judi Love.
Each episode will see the two teams (of three) battle it out over four rounds, unveiling interesting Black history facts along the way.
The show is a riotous showcase of some of the hottest comedians from diverse backgrounds as they have their knowledge tested of untold stories and unsung heroes.
A must watch on ITV Hub https://www.itv.com/hub/sorry-i-didnt-know/2a4797a0002
Retail promotions throughout October
Our retail food outlets across the Trust (Sandwell Hallam Restaurant, Rowley Coffee Pot, City Arches, City Boaters and City BTC) are offering a variety of discounts throughout October.
These include:
- 20 per cent off food and beverages (between 12pm – 6pm) – 21 October – 25 October
- £1 a pizza slice – 26 October – 1 November
For further details and eligibility please see Retail promotions throughout October
For more information please email michael.best@nhs.net or call ext. 5427.
Heartbeat: Going green – Birmingham pushes ahead with new transport plans
Smoke, congestion, pollution and poverty are four things that have become synonymous with inner-city living with the steady increase in the number of private vehicles on the roads and the rush of people wanting to get around. However, things are set to change in Birmingham shortly.
With City Hospital bordering the Clean Air Zone our Trust has joined in with the efforts to improve air quality in the region. To find out more, Heartbeat caught up with Sustainability Officer, Fran Silcocks. She said: “We’re committed to ensuring that we limit our impact on the local environment.
We employ almost 7,000 people at our Trust, with a significant proportion of these people commuting to and from work by car. We must explore other options and support staff to help improve air quality.”
We will be installing circa 100 electric vehicle charging sockets across City, Sandwell and Midland Met in the near future to support staff, patients, visitors, and the public.
Providing this infrastructure will support those that want to drive low emission vehicles, making it easy for people to charge their vehicles on our sites. We also offer a car purchase scheme via Tusker with low electric and hybrid vehicles on offer.
For those that prefer two wheels instead of four, across our Trust we now have facilities to support colleagues to cycle to work. We have secure cycle parking across our main sites, cycle lanes at the main entrances, a cycle to work scheme offering discounted bikes and equipment, free electric bikes to loan, and many more.
We are also working with the local public transport bus providers to support colleagues. Through National Express, we offer discounted bus passes as well as a new flexible bus pass for those that are working remotely.
Black History Month 2020: Alison Hammond: Back To School
ITV have produced a documentary in which Birmingham’s own Alison Hammond goes on the ultimate school history trip with a twist. In her own unique and inimitable style, Alison travels the length and breadth of Britain to key historical sites – from Hadrian’s Wall to Hampton Court looking at the history we’re all taught in schools, but from a different angle. Revelatory and personal, the journey uncovers black figures throughout the ages who have been overlooked from the pages of British history and school textbooks. Alison is given an insight into the significance of black people in Britain’s history by experts who open her eyes to a new perspective on our country’s past and explores our current teaching of history in schools.
Do check it out on the ITV Hub https://www.itv.com/hub/alison-hammond-back-to-school/10a0623a0001
Wellbeing Wednesday
Take a look on wellbeing Wednesday at these top tips for looking after your mental wellbeing
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/your-mental-health/looking-after-your-mental-health
Mindfulness: This relaxation exercise is narrated by Mindfulness expert, Professor Mark Williams, and features a series of breathing and visualisation techniques.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/podcasts-and-videos/mindfulness-10-minute-practice-exercise
The sanctuary is open for appointments. To book call. 0121 507 5886.
Online learning opportunities to achieve your CPD hours required for revalidation
The tissue viability team have put together a variety of online learning opportunities provided by partners for you to achieve your CPD hours required for revalidation. The learning opportunities are based around wound care.
ADMEDSOL: Activheal Academy:
Nine simplified guide training courses which are 20-30 minutes each. Higher modules are accredited by the tissue viability society take between 60-90 minutes
Smith & Nephew + Wound Club Online:
Wound Club Online hosts a series of short free videos for individual or team training, with 5 minute and 15 minute options. On completion of the 15 minute modules, a certificate will be available for NMC/CPD revalidation.
https://www.youtube.com/user/SNMarcom/community
Convatec:
- 27 October 12.30pm – 1.30pm: Complex wounds including an overview of necrotising fasciitis
- 10 November, 12.30pm -1.30pm: Wound Care – patient self management
Please email jade.hill@convatec.com to express which sessions you will attend, and you will be added to the session. On the day simply click the link to join the meeting. For ease please download the TEAMs app and check your device has audio and camera. Attendance contributes towards revalidation. Please email Jade for a certificate.
Hartmann:
- 21 October, 1pm – 2pm: Skin tears
- 28 October, 1pm – 2pm: Pressure ulcers
- 4 November, 1pm – 2pm: Debridement
To secure your place email clare.carter@hartmann.info or call 07967 676353
All sessions will be held using Microsoft Teams and will support CPD and revalidation.
For more information please call ext. 3278.
Continence link meeting cancelled
Due to the district nurses reconfiguration the continence link meeting at Oldbury Health Centre scheduled for Wednesday 21 October is now cancelled.
Note: The continence team are aware a lot of the link nurses might be changing teams so it will be rescheduled for Wednesday 16 December.
For more information please contact email continence.team@nhs.net.
October is Speak Up Month
October is Speak Up Month and this year, the National Guardian’s Office is drawing up an Alphabet of Speak Up. There are 26 letters of the alphabet and 26 days to explore the issues, the people, the values, the challenges – everything which goes into what Freedom to Speak Up means in health. When things go wrong, we need to make sure that lessons are learnt and improvements made.
This year we will be supporting the National Guardian’s Office looking at the alphabet of speak up, with each day identifying a word and what that means to colleagues across the Trust. We are encouraging managers to use this as an opportunity for discussion with your colleagues and team. Speaking up is an important part of a culture that focuses on safety and quality, and we would like you and your teams to play a part in encouraging these conversations to be part of who we are and how we work.
Today’s letter is provided by Ruth Spencer, Associate Director for Quality Assurance
Q is for Quality
Throughout my working life I have met some wonderful people in the NHS and I have learned that ultimately our staff want to do a fantastic job when they come to work. Everybody wants to make a difference and we all want to work in an organisation that is outstanding.
As part of our journey to outstanding, we have been taking part in quality and safety improvement visits across the Trust. These visits are helping us to identify what we do really well, but also to highlight areas that we need to improve. As part of this process I have been really keen for staff to be able to share their experiences of working in our Trust, and how they see quality improvement as part of their every day working life. Sometimes we spot things that require improvement, and we can see how making small changes could improve things greatly for our patients, and also for our colleagues. Enabling our staff to feel confident in raising any concerns they may have is an important part of this journey if we are to move forward and progress with our improvement work.
It takes a very brave person to speak up, and supporting our staff to have Freedom to Speak up is vitally important. But more than that, I have learned that we also need to listen to what staff are telling us, we need to listen to their concerns, and we need to act upon them. If a member of staff has been brave enough to speak up and then we do nothing, what would be the point? By supporting our staff to share their concerns with us, and then by acting to put things right this will allow us to greatly improve patient safety, improve the quality of care and treatment that we provide, improve the experience for staff and patients across the organisation and to take those steps towards becoming outstanding.
Unity tip of the week: Document patients’ past medical history using Problem List, NOT as free text
This week’s tip of the week has been suggested by Cliona Magee, Consultant Emergency Medicine and Dina Bukhari, Endoscopy Nurse:
“Document patients’ past medical history using Problem List, NOT as free text. This will enable coding, audit, research and future encounter documentation. Using your personalised Favourites folders greatly simplifies this process.”
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.
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