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Monthly archives: November 2020

COVID-19 Bulletin: Monday 30 November

 

To keep up to date with the pace of change we will be sharing a bulletin on a daily basis. There’s a lot of change taking place at the moment so please make sure you catch up with the latest bulletins throughout the week, as even if some points seem familiar you may find the details have been updated a great deal.

During this second lockdown period, we must ensure we look after ourselves and others within our community. Make sure you keep in touch with those you love and your neighbours. People may well be feeling anxious, lonely and scared at this time.

Thank you for looking out for one another.

In today’s COVID-19 bulletin 

New

Reminders

1. New: The spirit of Christmas looks different this year

As you may imagine, Christmas decorations must be different this year, as traditional tinsel and Christmas trees are not COVID safe, so we are currently considering some alternatives to the norm to introduce the Christmas spirit during the festive season. 

The traditions we have enjoyed in the past are denied to us this year, as Christmas trees, advent

calendars, and sharing festive food must pause for 2020. Please do not purchase your own decorations or accessories. Deely boppers, antlers and festive headwear this year must remain at home.

We trust we will return to such joys next year – including the marvel of colleagues’ creativity in imaginative decorations to claim a prize in our annual competition.  However for now we will focus on what we can safely do, next year will wait.

We will be updating colleagues with some ideas of what will be acceptable this festive season, in line with the infection prevention and control policy. Keep an eye out for more information around Christmas in bulletins later this week.

2. New: Booking a hotel? Then follow the “how to” guide

A flow chart which details the process colleagues should follow when booking a hotel room is now available.

There is a certain criteria that staff should meet for them to be able to access accommodation. This is if they live with a vulnerable family member who maybe shielding, isolating or clinically extremely vulnerable and the staff member is working with positive COVID-19 patients.

Further steps are detailed in the guidance.For more details about the process, please click here.

 3. New: NHS Blood and Transplant issue urgent appeal for plasma donations

Colleagues will be aware that NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is leading a major programme, on behalf of the Government, to collect convalescent plasma as a potential treatment for COVID-19.

The organisation is now urgently appealing for more people to donate and is prioritising males who have been hospitalised due to a tendency to have high antibodies.

The appeal is not only urging colleagues to donate, but also encouraging our male patients to put themselves forward for this important study.

Colleagues and patients can donate plasma by calling 0300 123 23 23, or by providing details at www.nhsbt.nhs.uk.

Convalescent plasma is being collected at NHSBT’s 23 donor centres around the country, and a number of pop-up donor centres. Donation takes about 45 minutes. Your body usually replaces the plasma you’ve donated in 24-48 hours. Your body also quickly replaces the donated antibodies. All donations are tested for COVID antibodies.

4. Reminder: Look out for the green button on Connect: Self-testing for frontline colleagues

We have added a green button prominently on Connect so colleagues can easily find the correct location to load the results of their lateral flow test.

Yesterday we advised you that all patient-facing staff of NHS Hospital Trusts are being asked to take part in the new self-testing programme. As the new lateral flow tests start to be distributed across the Trust, frontline colleagues will receive their home tests within the next fortnight. All the information you need is here.

As a summary, here is what to do when you receive your tests:

  • When you are given your test supplies you will be asked to sign a form to say you have received them.
  • Your kit will contain 25 tests.
  • You should familiarise yourself with the instructions on how to use the test. A useful video can be viewed by clicking here: You can view this at home as long as you have an internet connection as it is hosted on YouTube.
  • You should take your test at home twice a week (every three or four days) for the 12 weeks after receiving your kit.
  • If you have a question please check here for our Frequently Asked Questions.
  • If you are not confident about the process, you should be supervised by a clinician while you complete your first test.
  • As soon as you start testing, you should record your results here. Please record your result even if it is negative. Note you must read your result 30 minutes after you have taken the test. Leaving the test longer before you read the result may lead to an inaccurate reading.
  • If you get a positive result you should notify the contact centre who can submit the information on your behalf. You will be asked to supply a photograph of the positive test result. They will also arrange for you to have a COVID-19 swab to confirm your result. Do not come into work if you see a positive result other than to have a swab taken.

 You can contact the contact centre on the following numbers:

Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm

  • 0121 507 2664

When you hear the options, press 6 for your call to be transferred into the swabbing queue and prioritised.

Weekends, 8am – 4pm

  • 07816 992873 or
  • 07970 428995

These tests are being distributed in a phased way. Your department is likely to receive additional kits over the course of the next week as part of the phased roll out. If by Thursday 3 December you have not received a kit, please call the contact centre.

Recording patient ethnicity

 

There is a national requirement to increase the percentage of ethnic codes recorded on our Trust systems against our patients. Colleagues are reminded of the importance of asking patients their ethnic category when they attend the Trust as an inpatient, outpatient, direct admission or if they attend ED.

From 2 December, Ward clerks/Matrons will receive daily automated email from sqlmessenger.user if they have not captured patient’s ethnicity within their ward. Please reply to viral.bhatt@nhs.net if you think you have received email incorrectly.

The ethnic category is contained within the patient details page within IPM, the tab is labelled as “sensitive” but this is where the ethnic category should be recorded.

Please see below image for details.

COVID-19 Bulletin: Friday 27 November

 

Following the announcement yesterday of the tier system that is coming in following the end of the second lockdown, we have received notice from the government that colleagues who have been shielding during this time will no longer be required to, so will return to work if they are unable to work from home.

 Many patient facing colleagues will by now have received their lateral flow testing kit, but if you haven’t, don’t worry, approximately 500 kits are being delivered every day, up until 3 December. If you were expecting a kit and haven’t received one by then please call the contact centre Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm on 0121 507 2664, option 6.      

Our daily COVID bulletin is produced for the purpose of sharing news and decisions made by our Trust. If you have a question you would like answered or if you would like to nominate a PPE hero for demonstrating best practice, please let us know by emailing swbh.comms@nhs.net. All the latest information about our COVID response is published on Connect here. Please take the time to keep yourself updated and safe.

  1. Updated message: Staff Swabbing Testing Process

Swabbing for colleagues who have COVID symptoms and/or a positive Lateral Flow test remains available through our drive-through at City Hospital and Little Lane car park at Sandwell Hospital. If you have been experiencing COVID symptoms (high temperature, new continuous cough or loss/change in taste or smell) or have tested positive on your Lateral Flow test you can book an appointment for a swab by calling the community contact centre on 0121 507 2664 option 6 Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm. On weekends call 07816 992873. Please do not just turn up!

Test results will be available within 72 hours from the Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service which has been running its result service over 7 days to facilitate the need to communicate results to staff as soon as possible. If you have not received your results within 72 hours then please email swbh.occyhealthcovid19@nhs.net. Please avoid calling Microbiology or Occupational Health before 72 hours of your test as results are unlikely to be ready if they have not been sent out. If you have had a Rapid Swab Test then you may call Microbiology to enquire about the result if it has not been sent out by 7pm on the day your swab was taken.

If you have a positive result the occupational health team will text and email your result to let you know. They will also call you over the same day or the next day 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. On occasions, you may receive a message regarding your result from the National Test and Trace service before Occupational Health. You can read the staff swabbing and results process by clicking here. All staff swabbing enquires can be made via swbh.occyhealthcovid19@nhs.net. Staff members are advised to inform their line manager of their result particularly if a positive test result is received and a period of self-isolation required. No results will be communicated in the late hours or overnight but results will be sent over the weekends.

2. New message: Clinical coding and mortality statistics

We are currently showing the highest mortality figures in the region, due to the way patient diagnoses are being incorrectly recorded – as our COVID deaths are being included in our normal expected death in hospital figures. All other Trusts have their COVID death figures taken out of their total. We must improve accuracy in our clinical coding, as it is essential that diagnoses are documented in patient records as clearly as possible, reducing ambiguity and using approved terminology. This will help improve coding accuracy, which in turn impacts on the Trusts Mortality statistics.  Clinicians should note that when documenting a diagnosis, or probable diagnosis, the following terms are accepted in accordance with the National Clinical Coding Standards:

  • Definite Diagnoses
  • Treated As
  • Probably/probable
  • Presumed

 Consider the above alternatives in place of or in addition to terms which you might normally use such as:

  • Differential Diagnosis
  • Possible
  • Maybe
  • Suspected
  • Impression
  • Diagnosis follow by a ‘?’

 Ensure you state the main diagnosis rather symptom for example, Anaemia probably due to Gastric Carcinoma, or Hyponatremia  probably due to Metastatic Lung Carcinoma. Avoid interchangeable terms and ensure you list all co-morbidities. For example, instead of LRTI/Chest Infection, state ‘treated as Pneumonia’, if this is the presumed diagnosis which is being addressed in the current episode. This is as pneumonia has a greater impact on the Charlson Co-morbidity Index (CCI). Ensure all co-morbidities are documented on admission (which is listed as “problems” (active or resolved) on Unity), as this contributes to the patient’s mortality risk profile. Ensure you are specific when recording the co-morbidities: e.g. Recording creatinine levels does not permit a clinical coder to record CKD, this must be documented explicitly. Congestive Cardiac Failure or Congestive Heart Failure needs to be stated as CCF and not CHF.

 Please see useful materials regarding the above:

  1. Reminder: Hand Hygiene – Do you know your 5 moments?

We all know why we should wash our hands regularly and even how to wash our hands properly (we should, we invented the protocol) but are you clear on the when? Here’s a reminder for colleagues that not only should you be washing your hands for 20 seconds or more, and as many times as possible, it’s key to make sure you wash your hands at key moments.

Remember to clean your hands:

  1. Before touching a patient
  2. Before clean/aseptic procedure
  3. After body fluid exposure/risk
  4. After touching a patient
  5. After touching surroundings

The expert infection prevention and control team can be reached on ext. 5900

Did you know?

The hand hygiene technique used all over the world today was actually developed back in the 1970s at the Hospital Infection Research Laboratory which was based on the City Hospital site at the time.

Heartbeat: Record number of entries for weLearn poster contest

 

We received whopping 97 submissions for this year’s quality improvement poster competition – the most entries during the contest’s three-year history.

Library and Knowledge Services Manager, Preeti Puligari, told us: “We are delighted to receive so many entries, particularly, as colleagues have been so busy dealing with the pandemic. It’s fantastic to see so many teams come forward to share their quality improvements.

“So much innovation takes place at our Trust leading to a positive impact on the patient experience. This competition encourages colleagues to share their good practice, shout about their improvements and help spread the change across our organisation.”

The poster competition allows colleagues to share their innovative work to a panel of experts, explain their processes and show the impact, all through the medium of a poster – with a grand prize of £5,000 up for grabs for the best project poster.

This year’s entries are now being designed by the medical illustration team.

“Alongside the judges, colleagues also have the opportunity to have their say and will be able to vote online for their favourites from 16 November through to midday on 27 November,” added Preeti. “Voting forms will be available on Connect and posters will be displayed in the Education Centre at Sandwell and on our digital displays across the rest of the Trust.”

Teams with shortlisted posters will be invited to an awards ceremony at the Education Centre on 3 December. Teams will also record a one minute video on their project to share at the awards ceremony.

If you would like to find out more about the poster competition, contact the weLearn team via email swbh.welearnposters@nhs.net.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 27 November

 

Today is the culmination of this week’s build up to our 2020 star awards. As you know, we normally celebrate these awards with 250+ colleagues and friends at a big party. But, this year, our plans have had to change several times to fit with the Covid restrictions at the time. I hope you were able to watch the awards at lunchtime today and, if you haven’t yet managed to do so, please find time to have a look when you can.

The awards recognise just some of the many hundreds of brilliant people who make up our fantastic organisation. There are stories of great team work, kindness and innovation in today’s ceremony. Every single nominee, all our shortlisted colleagues, and the winners had one thing in common – determination to do what is right, and going above and beyond the call of duty to get there. Whether that was in leading a service to develop better use of digital technology, learning and developing others, or standing alongside colleagues, patients and families to provide essential care and support. We have much to be proud of and thankful for.

We know we are not perfect in every way. There is always more we can and must do to further improve our consistent standards of care, the quality of treatment we provide and our ability to work with others to wrap care around patients. And we are an ambitious organisation that will always strive to push ourselves to do even better. But I hope that today is a chance to reflect on our achievements together, recognising the valuable contribution that each of us can and does make to the patients and communities we serve. We are one team at SWB and we will continue to succeed and make positive changes because we do so together.

Here is the list of the final winners announced today  – congratulations to everyone!

[caption id="attachment_263431" align="alignright" width="250"] Carly Aston-Mead – Maternity Clinical Educator[/caption]

Today being our annual awards ceremony doesn’t mean we stop our weekly star of the week, so, well done to Carly Aston-Mead, Midwifery Clinical Educator for receiving the Trust’s award this week. Carly was nominated by a colleague for supporting all midwives and members of the wider multi-disciplinary team to complete their mandatory training. Carly put all of the information together to enable virtual learning as well as facilitating the face to face training for basic life support and newborn resuscitation. Carly is always there to help her colleagues. Thank you, Carly.

[caption id="attachment_263433" align="alignright" width="250"] Fluper Trooper Hayley Griffiths[/caption]

I am doing one final request to ask you to get your flu vaccination, if you have not yet done so. Thousands of you have had the jab to protect yourselves, your families and your patients – thank you. But there remain a significant number who haven’t. Let me be very clear – flu is serious. You may think you will be ok if you get it but you may not be. And of course, you can pass it on to others who are more vulnerable. Flu can kill. We need you to get the protection now so that we can begin our Covid vaccination programme and have a clean break between receiving the flu vaccine and the Covid vaccine. Let’s get this done. Find your flu-per trooper and get the jab before Monday when the campaign will close. Thanks to Hayley Griffiths who took our Abba theme to the next level in getting dressed up whilst running her clinic.

Covid-19 continues to test us, and I know there will be mixed views about the tier arrangements following this current lockdown. Case numbers in hospital beds are beginning to level off but it really is too early to tell whether or when we will see a sustained decrease. My advice remains that all of us must continue to abide by the current lockdown restrictions and the tier 3 rules. Household mixing indoors remains the primary cause of transmission in the community. Our infection prevention and control guidance must also be followed at all times to minimise hospital / healthcare transmission. Patients will be rightly concerned at the risk of catching Covid-19 in hospital unless we can assure them we do everything we can to reduce this risk. Outbreaks also lead to wards being unable to accept new admissions putting patients at risk of receiving the right care.

Your lateral flow test kits are on the way to frontline staff, with them all being distributed by next Wednesday. You can find information in the Covid bulletin on how to do your test and where to record your results.

Today we launch the vote for the QIHD poster competition! All the entries are now available for you to view. Thank you to everyone who submitted a poster. Just like with the star awards, it is incredible to see the range of excellent improvement initiatives that have been implemented right across the Trust. You can follow this link to see all the posters and cast your vote for your favourites. There are great prizes for the winners so make sure you have your say and recognise your colleagues in their efforts to improve services, care and treatment.

I end this week’s message on a sad note. One of our worthy star award winners today was Clair Millard, who sadly passed away suddenly earlier this year. I know Clair is dearly missed by all her team and we remember her family and friends today. We also learned recently of the sudden passing of valued colleague Carrie-Ann Thomas who died on 14th November. Carrie-Ann worked as a community matron within iCares and was a well-respected colleague and an extremely talented nurse. She will be sadly missed and our thoughts are with her team members and of course her family who are coming to terms with this sudden loss.

David Carruthers
Acting Chief Executive

Updated opening times for our retail outlets

 

Trust retail outlets opening days and times:

Please see revised opening days and times of our retails outlets below.

Sandwell Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
OPD 8.15am- 3.30pm 8.15am- 3.30pm 8.15am- 3.30pm 8.15am- 3.30pm 8.15am- 3.30pm Closed Closed
Dining Room 7.30am-6.30pm 7.30am-6.30pm 7.30am-6.30pm 7.30am-6.30pm 7.30am-6.30pm 7.30am-6.30pm 7.30am-6.30pm
Main Reception 8am-7.15pm 8am-7.15pm 8am-7.15pm 8am-7.15pm 8am-7.15pm 10.30am-3.30pm 10.30am-3.30pm
City
Maternity

 

Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed Closed
BTC Costa

 

8am-3pm 8am-3pm 8am-3pm 8am-3pm 8am-3pm Closed Closed
Coffee Culture 7.30am-

5pm

7.30am-

5pm

7.30am-

5pm

7.30am-

5pm

7.30am-

5pm

Closed Closed
Boaters 8am-5pm 8am-5pm 8am-5pm 8am-5pm 8am-5pm Closed Closed
Arches 7.45am-9pm 7.45am-9pm 7.45am-9pm 7.45am-9pm 7.45am-9pm 7.45am-9pm 7.45am-9pm
Rowley
Coffee Pot 9.30am-2pm 9.30am-2pm 9.30am-2pm 9.30am-2pm 9.30am-2pm Closed Closed

For more information please contact michael.best@nhs.net.

Action required: Urgent IT Maintenance affecting multiple systems taking place at 5pm today

 

Please be aware in order to try to resolve an ongoing issue with pathology results not appearing in Unity; IT will be carrying out urgent maintenance today at 5pm which will affect multiple IT systems. The work is scheduled to begin at 5pm and should be completed by 6pm. This will result in the systems detailed below being temporarily unavailable for up to 45 minutes:

  • Patients new to the Trust will not be able to be registered on iPM (Lorenzo) and FirstNet – full BCP required.
  • Patients new to the Trust will not be able to be visible in Medisoft – full BCP required.
  • Orders placed in Unity will not go to Radiology/Pathology during this time but will be sent once the systems come back up – BCP required.
  • New results will not be visible in Unity during this time but will be sent once the systems come back up.
  • Inpatients admitted from ED will not show up in iPM until the systems are back up.
  • Inpatients transferred between Wards will show on Capman but not on iPM until the systems are back up.
  • Inpatients discharged during this time will not show as discharged in iPM until the systems are back up.
  • Any new baby registrations will not be able to be completed until the systems are back up.

Colleagues will need to ensure they revert to BCPs for Blood Tests and Imaging requests during this time. Other Unity functionality such as documentation and Meds Admin will not be affected by this activity. Desktop alerts will be issued from 4pm advising colleagues about the planned downtime.

Please be assured the activity will be closely monitored at all times.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Should you have any further queries then call the 24 hour IT service desk on ext. 4050 or 0121 507 4050 for home workers.

Star Awards 2020 Employee of the Year – Edward Fogden

 

Well done to Edward Fogden, consultant gastroenterologist on winning this year’s Employee of the Year!

Dr Edward (Ed) Fogden has demonstrated huge commitment to the trust during the last year and in particular during recent times with the COVID-19 pandemic. As well as continuing his work in gastroenterology, he has regularly and willingly supported the acute take, sourced resources to distribute and support colleagues, been involved in management/protocols and has tirelessly worked to support teams.

Star Awards 2020 Clinical Team of the Year (Adults) – palliative care team

 

Huge congratulations to the palliative care team on winning this year’s Clinical Team of the Year (Adults)!

There are 58 staff in the palliative care team. Opening Leasowes Intermediate Care Centre to 20 beds in response to COVID-19 is mentioned as one of the team’s greatest achievements of the past year. Furthermore they have continued working with the care homes team to improve end of life care and enabled the discharge enablement team to support end of life patients getting out of hospital to the place they want to die.

Star Awards 2020 Clinical Team of the Year (Children) – neonatal unit

 

Well done to the neonatal team on winning this year’s Clinical Team of the Year (Children)!

Thinking about the last 12 months, the neonatal team cite the extension and refurbishment of the unit as a great success. Everything was revamped from the floor to the ceiling to create a purpose-built high dependency unit for our most poorly babies. There now is plenty of room between the six cots to care for the babies, as well for their parents to spend time with them without feeling cramped and claustrophobic.


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