Monthly archives: October 2020

COVID-19 Bulletin: Monday 19 October

Welcome to our twice weekly COVID-19 bulletin now being issued on Mondays and Thursdays. The ‘numbers not statistics’ section you usually see below this introduction will be featured on Thursdays to maintain a weekly update.

 Things are tough – and may well get tougher – but we remain determined to do what we can to reduce avoidable harm and death among those we are taking care of. Kindness must remain our watchword in all that we do.

1. Stay connected – by logging onto our intranet site

Did you know you can access all the latest information on clinical guidance around COVID-19 by going to Connect, our Intranet site?

Colleagues are able to access clinical guidance, the latest guidance on when and where to wear PPE, information on our health and wellbeing initiatives, research and development currently taking place and news around the latest restrictions.

We are continually adding to this section, which you can access by clicking the link here. If there is information that you would like to see please email suggestions to swbh.comms@nhs.net.

2. Increased availability of urgent samples and new delivery process  

Colleagues in pre-approved areas are reminded that they are able to access a new Rapid COVID-19 swab test.

This test provides results within two hours from when it is received at the lab.
When submitting this test please ensure you carry out the following action:

Please ensure that the ‘Urgent 2 Hour TAT’ sticker is attached to the outer blue transport bag and is hand delivered to pathology reception. DO NOT put urgent samples into the MediBins.

Pre-approved areas are:

• AMU (both sites)
• ED (both sites)
• If a patient is has new symptoms (any area)
• Paediatrics (for diagnosis and clinical decision making)
• Or following discussion with the on-call microbiologist/IPC team

We have also increased availability of urgent and rapid sampling, going from 16 samples daily to 76 overall. More details can be found in the following document:

• Rapid PCR Flowchart

3. Sticking to the right restrictions

You may have noticed an array of floor stickers inside and outside our sites, which will aid queueing, correct social distancing and prompt people to wear their masks and use of hand sanitiser.

These are being laid down in the Emergency Departments, Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, Outpatient Departments and the Birmingham Treatment Centre as a priority and then other areas will follow.

We hope that these reminders will prompt patients and colleagues to adhere to the restrictions currently in place following a sharp increase in COVID-19 infection rates across Sandwell and Birmingham.

Correct use of PPE is essential. Please ensure you follow these guidelines and challenge others to do the same. Failure to follow our PPE protocols will be taken extremely seriously and could lead to disciplinary action.

• Non-clinical office buildings – colleagues should maintain social distancing and handwashing. There is no requirement to wear masks, however you may wear your own face covering if you choose. However, where 2m social distancing cannot be maintained consistently, you must wear a face mask.
• Clinical areas including wards, clinic rooms and imaging  – wear PPE as currently advised (Fluid-resistant surgical mask (FRSM), disposable gloves and apron in all clinical areas with visor/FFP3 for close clinical care/AGP).
• Trust clinical buildings – colleagues must wear a FRSM on entrance to the building and in all communal areas. This includes all corridors.
• If you are attending a meeting or huddle where social distancing cannot be maintained consistently, face masks should be worn.

See our overview here

And then there’s the question of how to wear your mask

The instruction here is simple – your mask should cover your mouth and your nose. See our dos and don’ts graphic.

4. COVID-19 classification changes are in effect

As mentioned at the start of the month, following recent national guidance relating to infection prevention and control we have moved to a new classification system for our services which is now active.

Green Areas: These are areas of low risk where patients have been self-isolating prior to attending or may have had a negative COVID-19 swab result.

Amber Areas: Formerly our blue wards, as you can see by the poster on the right nothing has changed in terms of PPE or swabbing for these areas. It just unifies our classifications with those nationally.

Red Areas: These remain and represent high risk areas where patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being treated or, alternatively, where aerosol generating procedures are being undertaken.

Lilac Areas: While not part of the national guidance, our lilac wards remain in place for now as an additional step down area for patients who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 or who have been in contact with COVID-19 positive patients.

If you have not yet done so, please ensure you are up to date with the status of the ward or area you are working in. Clear guidance on the PPE requirements of each area is displayed on the posters at the entrance to each ward and department and all colour changes are now reflected on the homepage of Connect. The guidance on the new classifications is linked below.

• Summary IPC Guidance flow chart planned and unplanned admissions

5. Appropriate use of social media – reminder for colleagues

Social media is a very useful tool which allows people to interact with one another, to share information, knowledge and opinions. It penetrates every facet of our society, with few workplaces exempt from its influence. Hence it has never been more important for all colleagues to be mindful of the both the benefits and risks associated with using social media. Please remember to take care and be alert when using social media. When using your own personal social media channels please ensure that you are not breaching patient or staff confidentiality through sharing of identifiable images or information.

This is important as the NHS continues to be in the spotlight particularly from the media, who may be looking for an inside view from staff and get a story taken out of context from your social media channels. Information published on social media channels can quickly go further than your immediate contacts.

If you have any concerns or would like some guidance please talk to the Communications Team on ext. 5303 or by emailing  swbh.comms@nhs.net. There is always someone on call 24/7 who you can contact through switchboard in the event of an emergency.

6. SIREN study – why not get involved?

The SIREN study focuses on healthcare workers who have overcome COVID-19 or those who are in a patient-facing role.

SIREN (Sarscov2 Immunity & REinfection EvaluatioN) specifically looks into the impact of antibodies that fight the virus which causes COVID-19. The study is open to anyone working in a hospital building where there will be incidental contact.

Colleagues taking part in the study are asked to complete a registration questionnaire and provide an updated symptom review, nose and throat swabs, and blood samples regularly (usually once every two to four weeks) for up to 12 months.

This is so a full medical timeline of events can be captured showing how a person’s health is affected from before infection to being infected.

Whilst SIREN focuses on healthcare workers only, there are also many other R&D projects being undertaken by the Trust that the public can join. By taking part in research projects we help to speed up the fight against Coronavirus.

For further details on the SIREN study and details on how to join click here.

For information on other COVID-19 studies currently ongoing within the Trust click here.

7. Your mental health and wellbeing is paramount

Your mental health and wellbeing is vital to us. On World Mental Health Day the focus was on you to look after your mental health. We’d like to remind you that we offer a variety of health and wellbeing resources available for you. These include:

• Access to the Thrive app. Go to https://swb.thrive.uk.com to create an account and claim your free access to Thrive.
• Our recharge booth takes place every Thursday. It offers a safe space to come together with others, reflect, recharge, decompress, and join a safe and confidential discussion. For more information please contact Richard Burnell on 07747 144874 or Angharad MacGregor on 07976 322893. Alternatively, drop an email to rechargebooth@nhs.net.
• The wellbeing sanctuary offers a chance for colleagues to de-stress and relax. You can take advantage of a free massage, meditation, music therapy and relaxation hypnotherapy. It is located at the Learning Works on Unett Street, Smethwick, B66 3SY with free onsite parking.

Click here for a detailed list of health and wellbeing resources available to colleagues.

• There is also, for both colleagues and patients, a 24/7 mental health helpline available operated by the Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. If you are feeling low, having difficulty sleeping due to things on your mind, suffering from anxiety – anything that is bothering you – if you feel unable to cope and need to speak to someone urgently please dial 0800 008 6516.

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 Sindeep Chatha, Head of Patient Safety and Risk.

P is for Patient Safety

Patient safety is at the heart of an open and transparent Speak Up culture. Learning from incidents, identifying themes and trends and investigating untoward events allows us to improve how we work, how we ensure safety and how we experience working within the Trust.

Sindeep Chatha, Head of Patient Safety and Risk, said: “Learning from incidents is about working in a culture that is blame free so that everyone involved in service delivery, whether this be clinical or a support service, knows that they can raise concerns safely and without fear”.

The Patient Safety Team comprise of:

• Sindeep Chatha, Head of Patient Safety and Risk – ext. 4974, sindeepchatha@nhs.net
• Laura McQuilkin, Patient Safety Manager – ext. 4885, laura.mcquilkin2@nhs.net
• Benjamin Hunwick, Patient Safety Manager – ext. 4850, benjamin.hunwick1@nhs.net

Heartbeat: Proactively supporting staff with their health

A new policy has launched recently which focuses on supporting colleagues to remain at work and to more quickly return to work, looking positively at what colleagues can do rather than what they cannot.

The newly revised and renamed Attendance at Work Policy (formerly known as Sickness Absence) launched on 1 August and is the result of significant joint working and consultation with our trade union partners. The policy has been written to ensure we have robust processes in place to manage sickness absence and to ensure our colleagues are provided with proactive support during times of ill health and to give them the opportunity to return to work sooner, which we know is better for our mental and physical health.

To find out more about the new policy and the changes it brings, Heartbeat caught up with Director of People and Organisation Development Raffaela Goodby, she said, “ The change in policy name has been a deliberate decision in support of the Trusts focus on promoting an attendance culture that recognises that it is generally better for an individual’s health and wellbeing to be at work, ensuring that the focus should be on supporting what an employee can do to remain in work or return to work, rather than focussing on what they are unable to do.

“The policy has changed, for example with changes to the sickness episodes triggers and how we treat multiple absences in a short amount of time. We have also included a firm commitment to the Trade Union Congress ‘Dying to work ‘voluntary charter, which outlines how our colleagues will be treated with dignity, respect and compassion if diagnosed with a terminal illness.

“It’s really important that all colleagues take some time to read and understand the revised policy, as all sickness absence from 1 August (unless being managed within an existing process) will now be managed in accordance with these new parameters. To help colleagues understand the changes, we have drafted a briefing paper, some frequently asked questions and a toolkit of supporting documents. These are available on our dedicated sickness absence page on Connect. We are also planning a series of training sessions and information sessions to help you understand the new policy. “

#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.

With this in mind we have dug deep to share changes both big and small which have been implemented across the Trust.

During this week we will sharing these stories throughout our daily bulletin.

Introduction of physiotherapy within Orthopaedic Fracture Clinic during COVID-19 together with e referral:

Prior to COVID-19, the target within SWB for referral of acute orthopaedic patient from point of referral to initial physiotherapy assessment was 14 days. Due to a number of factors including increasing number of referrals and additional processing time due to information quality and legibility, the actual time was 17 days.

In order to reduce the number of hospital visits the service needed and to prioritise patient safety whilst optimising care, an advanced specialist MSK physiotherapist (ACP) was allocated to work within the fracture clinic MDT. Electronic referral was additionally introduced for those patients assessed virtually by staff or seen elsewhere when physiotherapy was unavailable.

To find out more about this story, be sure to check out this short video featuring Kevin Tucker, Advanced MSK Practitioner as well as the below service evaluation:

Service evaluation – introduction of physiotherapy within orthopaedic fracture clinic during COVID-19 together with e referral

Star of the Week – Sonia Bal

Our Star of the Week this week is Sonia Bal, Sister on Newton 3.

During the COVID-19 pandemic Sonia has organised a variety of wellbeing events for her team whilst maintaining social distancing.

It has allowed her colleagues to feel heard, valued, supported and included. it also meant colleagues were able to air concerns they may have as well as talk openly and honestly about mental health and wellbeing during the current pandemic. Due to the success of her wellbeing events, she plans to host more in 2021.

Sonia is an asset to her team and sets a perfect example to others around her, both clinical and non-clinical.

Do you know someone in your team that has gone above and beyond the call of duty? Why not put them forward for Star of the Week by clicking here.

Heartbeat: Introducing Emma Barton – our new staff side convenor

Most staff in any hospital are members of a trade union or professional organisation, and this is certainly true of our workplace. With over 13 different groups represented, it’s important for managers to keep up to date with their collective feedback.

Emma Barton has recently taken on the mantle from Chris Rickards as our new staff side convenor and will continue the task of taking the views of all trade unions and professional organisations to decision makers in the Trust.

A clinical nurse specialist by trade, we caught up with Emma to find out why she has decided to take on this new and important role in our organisation. “I’ve been involved in unions and professional organisations for the majority of my career,” said Emma. “I have been a rep for Unite and enjoy helping and supporting colleagues at work.”

“Believe it or not, I also love reading through policies and help with their development,” she laughed. “I am excited to be taking on this role and very encouraged that we now have a huge number of new staff side colleagues from varied professions choosing to become reps.”

Emma would like to hear your views about how the service could be improved.

She added: “I welcome all feedback to ensure the service is as representative as it can be. I aim to set up a shared mailbox that the unions can use to communicate with colleagues, as well as them being able to communicate with existing members through their union. There are also plans for a monthly staff side newsletter which will feature the matters staff side are working on.”

Since qualifying as a nurse in 1998, Emma has worked in a variety of roles including in the community, the prison service and for local authority public health. Away from work, Emma spends time with her four children, grandchildren and her dog. She loves cooking and going to the gym.

October is Speak Up Month

October is Speak Up Month, take a few minutes to watch this short video from Kathleen French, Interim Chief Nurse regarding the importance of Speak Up Month and how speaking up needs to become part of the culture at the Trust.

This Speak Up Month, 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 Harpal Tiwana, Assistant Service Manager and Speak Up Guardian

O is for Openness

To empower staff we need to create an environment where we regard all viewpoints as important.  We should actively seek input from all staff to ensure they feel involved in change thus creating an open, honest and inclusive culture.

The winner takes it all with this year’s flu campaign

Our 2020 flu campaign is officially underway with Flu-Per Troopers out and about across the organisation vaccinating our frontline colleagues.

2020 has been a challenging year – that’s why we are calling upon all colleagues to get their flu jabs. It remains as important as ever that individuals take advantage of the free flu vaccination on offer to help protect themselves, patients, colleagues and loved ones from flu this year.

As a thank you for having your flu jab everyone will be entered into a prize draw to win tickets to see Mamma Mia! The Party in London.

Find your nearest Flu-Per Trooper on Connect.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 16 October

National and local Covid restrictions came into force this week which has an impact on our daily lives as well as our working practices. You will know that Birmingham and Sandwell are now in tier 2 meaning high alert level and household mixing  is now restricted indoors. People who can work from home are urged to do so and our work from home guidance remains in place. We are seeing steady numbers of patients admitted with Covid into hospital beds and numbers in intensive care fluctuates on a daily basis. We are working closely with partners in the region, as we always do, on intensive care arrangements to make sure that patients who need it get access to the right critical care services.

You will have seen that we have slightly changed the data we are reporting weekly through the Covid bulletin. We are keeping data related to the first surge and have started a new line with case numbers reported from 1 September. This hopefully gives you a better idea of how numbers are changing in relation to this current phase of the pandemic. We have also pulled out the numbers of staff involved in the SIREN study separately. This study is for healthcare workers, whether or not you have had the virus, and will help understand how the virus is spread and what impact it can have on individual’s health in the short and longer-term. Any healthcare professional can sign up and I would urge you to do so. I joined up yesterday and would like to see many more recruits. To find out more and sign up please go to https://connect2.swbh.nhs.uk/staff-covid-19-research/.

I’m really pleased that on Monday we will be holding our first virtual inclusion day. There are a number of really good speakers that you can hear as well as our Q&A panel in the morning that includes our Trust Chairman, Chairs of our staff networks and Frieza Mahmood who is sharing with Bethan Downing the Acting Director of People and OD on an interim basis, following Raffaela Goodby’s departure this week. Celebrating inclusion and diversity has been a passion of Raffaela’s and her legacy will continue as we strive to be a more inclusive health care provider and employer. Other speakers on the day include Dean Eales from AccessAble who develop detailed access guides to places for those with mobility needs; Nesta Williams, a leading consultant in equality and engagement; and Katie Neeves who will be sharing her own journey being transgender. To join in any of these please email Estelle.hickman@nhs.net who will book you a place. All sessions will be recorded so if you can’t join in at the time you can see watch at your convenience.

The flu campaign continues and thank you to all the flu-per troopers who are out in their areas performing their peer vaccination role. Over 1500 colleagues have now been vaccinated and our supplies are continuing to come in. We have prioritised patient-facing colleagues but we don’t expect any issues with ongoing supplies of the vaccine meaning that all colleagues will be able to have the jab. Make sure you know when and where you are getting your flu vaccine.

This week our maternity team marked Baby Loss Awareness Week by lighting up the department at City in blue and pink. Our midwives and colleagues who support women and families who lose a baby recognise the impact the tragedy has on people’s lives and want to raise awareness to contribute to breaking the silence that often exists in these circumstances. The lights were switched on in memory of all the babies who lit up people’s lives for a short time, and kindly funded by CLC Group, a company who work closely with our estates team on maintenance and refurbishment across our Trust sites.

Huge congratulations to Deputy Medical Director and Acute Medical Consultant Dr Sarb Clare, who was awarded a MBE in the Queen’s Honours last weekend. Along with so many others, Sarb has contributed hugely to our response to Covid-19, with leadership, integrity and kindness, providing first class care for patients and standing with and supporting colleagues. As Sarb herself has said, she is one of a team of great people working here and we share in her success.

Our star of the week is Sonia Bal, Ward Sister in Surgical Services who took it upon herself to arrange a wellbeing event for staff to help with mental wellbeing over the Covid pandemic. Sonia was nominated for going above and beyond to support her colleagues. She was redeployed to ITU during the first surge and also moved to different wards where support was needed. The wellbeing event was greatly appreciated by those who attended as it gave time for people to share their experiences and learn about the support available.

Last week I highlighted the support on offer as part of mental health awareness week. Please challenge yourself and your colleagues to try out one of these resources that are freely available. Many colleagues have shared their experiences of how valuable this help is, particularly as we enter new restrictions and Covid cases continue to rise so do take the time to make use of them.

David Carruthers
Acting Chief Executive

COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 15 October 2020

Welcome to your Thursday edition of the COVID-19 bulletin. 2020 continues to fly by, but as time passes new developments continue and new challenges arise that we all need to meet head-on. Autumn is here and winter is not far away, along with all that brings. As always, kindness must remain our watchword in all that we do.

Below you will see new statistics which show data captured up to August 31 and figures from September 1 to the present day. This is so you are able to see how the situation is changing in relation to the first surge and as we are enter the next phase of the pandemic. Our contribution to Research and Development remains vital in supporting the fight against this virus. The data below shows the numbers of patients in clinical trials and the number of our Trust staff who have signed up to the SIREN study.

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

1. ICU reservists team appeals process

Thank you to everyone who stepped forward and supported colleagues in Critical Care during the first surge in COVID-19 cases earlier in the year. We are now looking to welcome nursing and health care support colleagues from across the organisation into our newly formed ICU Reservist Team.

With cases of COVID-19 beginning to once again increase, we may need to increase the size of our ICU service significantly at short notice to cope with the additional clinical needs. To cope with this, we need people like you to make sure we do it quickly and safely.​

If selected to join the reservists but you do not wish to do so, an appeals process is in place. This process has been put in place to allow colleagues to raise a formal objection about the temporary redeployment. Where possible, the Trust will work with colleagues to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate their circumstances.

If you choose to log an appeal, colleagues will need to ensure they fit into the criteria and provide the necessary supporting evidence for an informed decision to be reached by HR.

The Trust will only be able to consider objections to temporary redeployment in line with the criteria set out below:

• Health conditions, pregnancy or other considerations covered by national exemption
• Protected disabilities under the Equality Act
• Formal caring responsibilities (as a registered carer) for someone identified as extremely vulnerable in line with government guidelines which could be evidentially and significantly adversely impacted by a temporary redeployment to alternative working arrangements or duties and which cannot be mitigated
• Other objections on exceptional grounds.

To find out more click here.

           2. Accessing PPE out of hours

Colleagues wanting to access PPE out of hours are able to do so by gaining access to the Bryan Knight Suite and D18 stock rooms via Security and the Clinical Nurse Practitioners team.

There is an ample supply so there shouldn’t be any shortages of PPE out of hours.

Wards are now responsible for stocking up their own workstations and dispensers.  Additional PPE is being sent out to make up for the removal of the PPE warden service.

As for all other PPE, the wards are topped up to their agreed requirements; if there are any specific examples of this not happening, if wards need to increase their stock levels or require replenishing more regularly, please let the PPE team know and they’ll top it up further. 

If wards are concerned that they are running low on their PPE stock, they can request an urgent top-up during office hours via:

• Sandwell – galsinh@nhs.net, rebecca.vanes@nhs.net, debra.chetwynd@nhs.net
• City – southall1@nhs.net, mark.shervington@nhs.net, jgraham9@nhs.net, earl-edward.ebanks@nhs.net

         3. Applications open for Test &Trace support payments

Both Sandwell Council and Birmingham City Council are now accepting applications for self-isolation support payments from people suffering financial hardship who have either tested positive for COVID-19 or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

If you have been told to self-isolate on or after 28 September 2020, you’re under a legal obligation to do so, and could be eligible for a lump sum of £500 Test and Trace Support Payment if you meet all the required criteria. 

To be eligible for the Support Payment, people must be:

• Asked to self-isolate by NHS Test & Trace either because they have tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive
• Employed or self-employed
• Unable to work from home and will lose income as a result
• Currently receiving Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, income-based Employment & Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit.

Local authorities await further detailed government guidance about the scheme, which will run until 31 January 2021.

A discretionary payment from the council may be available for people who are not receiving any of the above benefits but who are on a low income and experiencing financial hardship because they have to self-isolate.

These changes came into effect on 28 September 2020, alongside the legal duty to self-isolate and backdated claims are allowed from people eligible before that date.

Applications for the grant can be made online via ‘My Sandwell’, on the council’s website.

For applications to Birmingham City Council, click here.

          4. SIREN study is pushing forward with new recruits

The SIREN study focuses on healthcare workers who have overcome COVID-19 or those who are in a patient-facing role – and new recruits include our very own Medical Director David Carruthers. 

SIREN (Sarscov2 Immunity & REinfection EvaluatioN) specifically looks into the impact of antibodies that fight the virus which causes COVID-19. The study is open to anyone working in a hospital building where there will be incidental contact.

Colleagues taking part in the study are asked to complete a registration questionnaire and provide an updated symptom review, nose and throat swabs, and blood samples regularly (usually once every two to four weeks) for up to 12 months.

This is so a full medical timeline of events can be captured showing how a person’s health is affected from before infection to being infected.

Whilst SIREN focuses on healthcare workers only, there are also many other R&D projects being undertaken by the Trust that the public can join. By taking part in research projects we help to speed up the fight against Coronavirus.

For information on the SIREN study and details on how to join click here.

For information on other COVID-19 studies currently ongoing within the Trust click here.

          5. New local restrictions explained

On Monday, the Government announced a new COVID alert system which will standardise local rules by introducing a three-tiered system – medium, high and very high.

Sandwell and Birmingham, along with Walsall, Wolverhampton and Solihull, have been placed in the high category.

So what does this mean for colleagues living in these areas?

On top of restrictions in alert level medium, the following also applies in the high category:

• You must not socialise with anybody outside of your household or support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place
• You must not socialise in a group of more than 6 outside, including in a garden or other spaces like beaches or parks (other than where specific exemptions apply in law)
• Businesses and venues can continue to operate, in a COVID-secure manner, other than those that remain closed in law
• Certain businesses are required to ensure customers only consume food and drink while seated, and must close between 10pm and 5am
• Businesses and venues selling food for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-through
• Schools, universities and places of worship remain open
• Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees
• Exercise classes and organised sport can continue to take place outdoors. These will only be permitted indoors if it is possible for people to avoid mixing with people they do not live with or share a support bubble with, or for youth or disability sport
• You can continue to travel to venues or amenities that are open, for work or to access education, but should look to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible.

You must:

• wear a face covering in those areas where this is mandated

You should continue to:

• Follow social distancing rules
• Work from home where you can effectively do so
• Walk or cycle where possible, or plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport.

For the full guidance on the new alert system and restrictions, click here.

            6. Staff swabbing and results process

Swabbing for symptomatic colleagues remains available through our drive-through at City Hospital and Little Lane car park at Sandwell Hospital.

If you have been experiencing symptoms, you must not come into work. Please book an appointment for a test by calling the community contact centre on 0121 507 2664 option 5, Monday to Friday, between 8am and 6pm. On weekends call 07816 992873. Please do not just turn up.

Test results will be available after 48 to 72 hours. If you have a positive result the occupational health team will call you to discuss your result, offer support and will work closely with infection prevention and control and your manager in situations where there is a significant breach in PPE in order to contact trace and manage the situation locally.

If your test result is negative then you will receive a text message and/or email to inform you of your result.

You can read the staff swabbing and results process by clicking here.