Monthly archives: December 2020

COVID-19 Bulletin: Tuesday 29 December

New: 

• Second wave of vaccination programme goes live at Sandwell
• Do you have patients suitable for the RECOVERY trial?

Reminder: 

• Rapid swabs must be used in ED
• Remember to go with the (lateral) flow – input your results

1. New: Second wave of vaccination programme goes live at Sandwell 

The next phase of our COVID vaccination programme for colleagues, patients, and care home partners began today at the Education Centre, based at Sandwell Hospital.

Those having their jab should arrive at their timed slot and wear warm clothing as they may have to wait outside.

It’s expected the process will take around 30 minutes per person.

The phased roll out is targeting colleagues in the first instance who fall under the very high or high risk category and those working in the following areas, ITU, neonatal ITU, D15, D17, emergency departments, AMU, ENT, delivery suite and the mortuary.

Colleagues who fit the above criteria, should have received an email with the booking details. If you are working in one of these areas and have not been contacted please raise this via your group Tactical representative or line manager.

There are still slots available for those matching the above criteria.

Call the booking line on ext 4112 for an appointment.

The phoneline is open between 8am-8pm today and tomorrow.

Given the limited supply of the vaccine, if for whatever reason you are no longer able to attend your appointment, please contact the booking team to cancel and reschedule.

If you have either a first or follow up appointment booked at Walsall Manor Hospital, they will be honouring these so please ensure you attend.

Earlier this month Your Health Partnership Primary Care Network (YHP PCN) started delivering the vaccine to patients in the first wave of the programme.

2. New: Do you have patients suitable for the RECOVERY trial?

If you have any patients who are either COVID-19 positive or suspected to have the virus in your ward or area please consider talking to them about the RECOVERY trial.

The study aims to find effective treatments for patients with the virus and has already established the use of dexamethasone as standard therapy.

It has three randomisation stages which means that it is possible for the patient to receive any combination of these treatments or none at all.

Colleagues can discuss the aims and the treatment options with a research nurse, or they can simply seek permission for the research nurse to visit their patient to discuss the study in more detail and obtain the consent. An eligibility form will need to be completed and this will also establish the suitability of the treatment options. The research nurse will on hand to help you.

The recovery trial was one of the very first COVID-19 studies to commence running here at the Trust with the primary investigator being Dr Sarb Clare.

To find out more details, please watch this short video featuring Ash Turner, Clinical Research Charge Nurse:

For more information please visit https://connect2.swbh.nhs.uk/recovery-trial/ or call ext. 6657.

3. Reminder: Rapid swabs must be used for ED patients

Clinical colleagues working within our emergency departments must use rapid swab testing for ALL patients in both Amber and Red streams. Rapid tests will be processed urgently, improving the turnaround times.

If you have an urgent sample:

• Place the correctly labelled specimen into a clear specimen bag and seal.
• Place into the second larger clear zip locked specimen bag.
• Place this doubled bag specimen into a purple urgent COVID sample bag
• The purple urgent bag can now also be posted into the COVID drop off box.

Further information on processing samples can be found on Connect by clicking here.

4. Reminder: Remember to go with the (lateral) flow – input your results

Thank you to all of you who have submitted your lateral flow test results onto Connect so far. Lateral flow tests are designed to help to identify any asymptomatic COVID positive cases and helps ensure we are playing our part in keeping patients, fellow NHS workers and our families safe.

More than 5,000 frontline colleagues have received the self-testing home kits. Of those just  2,000 have submitted their results. Recording this data could help to save lives, so it’s really important that each time you use the test your results – positive or negative – are submitted.

You can upload your test results here via Connect, but only when you are on the Trust network. If you carry out the test and it is positive, please ensure you contact your line manager immediately and book in for a PCR swab test to confirm the result.

Important information for managers:

If you have any Lateral Flow test kits remaining in your department that are not allocated to an individual please ensure you return these to Mike Carr or Kulwinder Johal as soon as possible. It’s important that we are able to roll out the testing kits to as many colleagues as possible and don’t allow any kits to remain unused.

Heartbeat: The power of research – a reflection from the frontline

In 2020, Dr Leila Fares joined SWB as a clinical trials pharmacist. Little did she know the year that would unfold ahead of her, nor did she realise the role she had stepped into would play such a pivotal part in this pandemic.

Before joining SWB, Dr Fares worked in a community based pharmacy setting from 1999 – 2020. Before that, she had completed her PhD at Birmingham University in biosciences and, this year decided that she wanted to embark on a new challenge.

Looking back, Dr Fares remarked: “I joined the Trust in February. It was an exciting opportunity for me as I joined after spending many years working in a community pharmacy setting. As much as I was worried about moving into secondary care, the prospect of working in clinical research was irresistible. Having a background in scientific research, I always aspired to carve a career out in clinical trials and research.

“Six weeks into my new role, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 as an international pandemic. It was inevitable that a new virus with no established effective treatment and no vaccine would make unusual demands on health systems, especially those related to clinical research activities.”

Dr Fares continued: “As a novice clinical trial member, I was blindsided by how much I hadn’t known about hospital pharmacy and clinical trials. I needed to get my training and competencies up to speed as I was keen to be actively engaged in the fight against COVID‐19 and to help the team attain their targets and succeed. I needed to have adequate learning time and available training opportunities which I did.”

Looking back to the start of the pandemic, Dr Fares recalls the speed at which we introduced new COVID-19 trials as being remarkable. “Witnessing the simultaneous initiation of many trials and being involved in the collaborative work that took place between different health and research professionals to accomplish many trial setups and management was impressive.”

Like all of us, the clinical trials teams have had to adapt to how they work and quickly. “The issues the clinical trial community faced were unprecedented. We have all adjusted, adapted, found new methods of working and implemented new processes into clinical trials. Like many others, we had to transition to online research meetings, virtual discussions and visits. Zoom, WebEx and Microsoft Teams have become the norm.

“I am proud that as a team we found ways to approach and cope with challenges. We successfully set up two of the largest trials (Recovery and Remap-cap) alongside many others, and we continue to deliver and manage those trials.”

So what have been the positives we asked? Dr Fares remarked: “As a new trial member, and despite the strange circumstances, I believe that I’ve adjusted rapidly. I’m blown away by the sense of camaraderie. The leadership, compassion, and dedication shown by my manager and research colleagues are truly humbling.

“For me, the past months have been about the workforce I am proud to be a part of. I must acknowledge the hard work that has been carried out by my colleagues in clinical trials, the wider pharmacy colleagues, the aseptic team, the EPMA team, the research nurses, the hospital clinical teams and the nurses of the infusion suite. They have repeatedly stepped up, worked across new teams and shared their expertise and insights to deliver a high-quality service.

“The changes and the pace at which we have achieved them show the strength of our current model of care delivery to achieve a common goal. There can be no doubt that fostering such an attitude of dedication will make us come out the other side of this pandemic stronger and better prepared to face future challenges.”

Stars of the Week – Jacqueline Clarke and Davinia George

We have two Star of the Week awards this week – Jacqueline Clarke and Davinia George from Your Health Partnership.

Both Jacqueline and Davinia rapidly set up the successful delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations for the over 80s within the local community. They have both worked incredibly hard, attending work on rest days to ensure the team were in a position to administer the vaccines rapidly and safely. This has been a mammoth effort undertaken at very short notice and with constantly changing information. They considered all aspects of the patient journey, ensuring patients were cared for holistically. They worked with the local community and other services within the Trust demonstrating and embracing integrated care and successfully administering over 900 vaccines across just 3.5 days.

In addition to the logistical and clinical work, they have constantly supported colleagues, protecting their wellbeing. They have both gone above and beyond to support the local community, demonstrating each of the Trust promises and undertaking work which will positively impact patients and the wider community.

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.

Fraud Notice: December 2020

The festive season is rife with fraudsters looking to take advantage of us opening our
wallets and feeling merry.

Here are some things to watch out for:

HMRC scam:

HMRC is aware of an automated phone call scam which will tell you HMRC is filing a lawsuit against you, and to “press 1 to speak to a caseworker to make a payment”. HMRC has confirmed this is a scam and you should end the call immediately. This scam has been widely reported and often targets elderly and vulnerable people.

Counterfeit goods:

Looking to buy a loved one a present from a well-known brand this Christmas? Stay vigilant for counterfeit goods. These can range from poorly made t-shirts with rip-off logos to electronics which could break after one use or even be dangerous. This year, a specialised Europol unit shut down 20,520 websites for illegally trading counterfeit merchandise online.

Be sure to check out the December 2020 fraud notice by clicking here.

Your local counter fraud specialist (LCFS) team can be contacted using the details below:

Sophie Coster, Senior Consultant, Lead Local Counter Fraud Specialist:

• Email: Sophie.coster@rsmuk.com
• Tel: 07436 268747

Bradley Vaughan, Managing Consultant, Counter Fraud Client Manager:

• Email: Bradley.vaughan@rsmuk.com
• Tel: 07436 268 331

Keeping in touch with abuse victims during the festive period

Black Country Women’s Aid 24-hour helpline will be fully operational over the festive period for those who need to reach us for support or refuge.

This year they also have a new Whatsapp and text referral line, as many victims will be at home where it may not be safe to make a phone call. This number will also be operational over the bank holiday period, from 9am – 9pm.

• Call: 0121 5542 6448 (24 hours)
• Text or Whatsapp: 07384 466 181 (9am – 9pm)

Special COVID-19 Bulletin: Monday 28 December

1. New message: Colleagues warned to prepare for more snow

As many of you may have noticed snow has fallen overnight, with more forecast tomorrow, alongside rain and low temperatures.

It is now more important than ever, that colleagues make every effort to attend work as planned as we will continue to run a 24 hour service during this time.

Colleagues who are critical to the service, who think they will not be able to make it in for any shift under their normal transport arrangements, should advise their manager now as we have a limited number of onsite accommodation which we can provide.

Arrangements can be made for 4×4 transport in exceptional circumstances. All requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Staff and/or managers should contact the duty manger to discuss options for securing a taxi (4×4) to come to work.

Colleagues can also refer to their business continuity plans and check that they are prepared to continue services in the event of bad weather conditions. Our Trust’s severe weather plan sets out appropriate preventative action and can be accessed here: Severe weather plan 2020

2. Updated message: Vaccinations will be rolled out tomorrow

Tomorrow we begin our COVID vaccination programme for colleagues, patients, and care home partners.

It will be a phased roll out which will mean the following colleagues receiving the vaccination in the first instance:

• Those who are at very high or high risk, following the outcome of their COVID risk assessment

And those working in the following areas:

• ITU
• Neonatal ITU
• D15
• D17
• Emergency Departments
• AMU
• ENT
• Delivery suite
• The mortuary

People fitting this criteria should have received an email with the booking details. If you are working in one of these areas and have not been contacted please raise this via your group Tactical representative or line manager.

There are still slots available tomorrow for those matching the above criteria, so they should ensure they call the booking line on ext. 4112 for an appointment. The phone line is open between 8am-8pm today and tomorrow. The vaccination hub is based at the Education Centre, Sandwell.

Given the limited supply of the vaccine, if for whatever reason you are no longer able to attend your appointment, please contact the booking team to cancel and reschedule.

If you have either a first or follow up appointment booked at Walsall Manor Hospital, they will be honouring these so please ensure you attend.

Can you help administer the vaccination?

We also still require the help of volunteer medical staff at ST3 and above to support the vaccination hub.

Volunteers will need to be on site and support with prescribing and enhanced assessment for the rare occasions that this may be required.

Vaccinations will be administered between 12.30pm and 10pm and then from 8am on Wednesday and Thursday. Volunteers are required to do 4-6 hour stints. If you are ST3 or above and are willing to help, please contact your Group Director as below:

• MEC – Chetan Varma (varma@nhs.net)
• SS – Siten Roy (roy@nhs.net)
• W&CH – Nick Makwana (nmakwana@nhs.net)
• PCCT – Tammy Davies (tammy.davies@nhs.net)

Special COVID-19 Bulletin: Sunday 27 December

New message: Medical support for Vaccine Hub Sandwell

As you may know we are planning to start our COVID vaccination programme on Tuesday (29 December) in the Education Centre at Sandwell. To enable us to do this we need volunteer medical staff at ST3 and above to support the vaccination hub. The requirement is to be on site and support with prescribing and enhanced assessment for the rare occasions that this may be required.

Vaccinations start on Tuesday 29 December from 12.30pm – 10pm and then from 8am on Wednesday and Thursday. Volunteers are required to do 4-6 hour stints. If you are ST3 or above and are willing to help, please contact your Group Director as below:

• MEC – Chetan Varma
• SS – Siten Roy
• W&CH – Nick Makwana
• PCCT – Tammy Davies

Thank you.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 25 December

So here we are – Christmas Day 2020. When we think of the last year it’s almost unimaginable to think how what started as a mysterious respiratory disease in Wuhan, China almost a year ago, has completely changed our lives and how we work.

It has been a difficult year for all of us, and one where we have all pulled together to help each other through with kindness. This pandemic has taxed us way beyond what we would ever have expected. And, we are still stepping up and responding, as we continue to endure all that COVID-19 brings to our door.

To say thank you, you will all be receiving a little package (distributed through your Groups) as gratitude for your hard work. Within it you will find a commemorative rainbow badge, a £10 shopping voucher and of course the obligatory bar of chocolate – after all tis the season to be jolly! This, just a small token to thank you for all you do for each other and our patients. Our fight against COVID-19 is not over, but there is a glimmer of hope as we continue to learn about improved treatment for coronavirus patients and the new vaccine that some of our most vulnerable are already benefiting from.

COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 24 December

1. New: SWB joins COVID-19 hospital hub sites

This week we received the very welcome news that we have been selected as a ‘hospital hub’ site to deliver the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

As you will know a vaccine has been approved as effective and safe which is fantastic news in the fight against COVID-19, and from next week our Trust will begin to start administering the vaccination.

The order in which people will receive the vaccine is decided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and they have advised that age is the single greatest risk of mortality from COVID-19.

Patients aged 80 and above who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, and those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay, will be among the first to receive the life-saving jab.

The hospital hub will start to work with care home providers to book their staff and patients in to vaccination clinics. Appointments not used for these groups will be used for healthcare workers who are at highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19.

All those vaccinated will need a booster jab 21 days later.

We expect we will begin vaccine administration by the middle of next week.

2. New: Getting to work over Christmas and New Year

With Christmas and New Year likely to cause further disruption to public transport, it’s important that colleagues who rely on these services are still able to get to work as planned.

Over the bank holiday weekend, if you are due on shift and the changes to the public transport schedules are likely to cause you problems getting to work or getting home, you’ll be pleased to know you can book a taxi and claim back the cost.

All you have to do is:

1. Confirm with your Line Manager that you need a taxi in order to get into work to cover a bank holiday shift.
2. Books and pay for the taxi and retain a receipt for the journey.
3. Collect and complete a petty cash form. These can be found in the cash offices at each site (Main Reception at Sandwell and AMU foyer at City).
4. Complete the petty cash form, attach the receipt and ensure your line manager has signed off Petty Cash form. They will also need to assign a cost code to the petty cash claim form.
5. You can then claim your expenses by presenting your completed petty cash form back to the cash office at Sandwell or City Hospital and be reimbursed in cash – up to a maximum of £50 per petty cash claim.

3. Update: Resource Pack for Managers

If you are a manager, you must familiarise yourself with the new COVID-19 Resource Pack for Managers. This resource pack contains all of the information you need to support your colleagues during COVID-19 and includes topics such as recording absence, isolation and shielding guidance.

As you know, our focus remains on kindness during difficult times with worried colleagues, visitors and patients anxious for information and advice. Things move very quickly with COVID-19 – it is therefore essential that managers keep up to date with key messages and guidance and read the COVID-19 bulletin.

The resource pack will be reviewed on a regular basis. You can access it on Connect.

  4. Reminder: Elf and safety – Facemasks before fashion

Colleagues are reminded to please ensure that they are wearing the Fluid Resistant Surgical Face Masks (FRSM) provided by the Trust. Whilst not quite as fashionable as the fabric masks that can be bought on the high street, the FRSMs have been tested and certified as providing a safe level of protection in the hospital.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for fabric masks which differ significantly in their levels of protection. Wearing these puts yourself, colleagues and patients at risk of infection.

 Remember, the rules and regulations are here to keep you, colleagues and patients safe,

Please try not to fall foul of any of the following faux pas:

• Exceeding recommended number of individuals in lifts, meeting and other rooms
• Using red lifts when not with COVID patients
• Not wearing a face mask properly (e.g. below nose) or consistently (e.g. when walking down corridors)
• Inappropriate and inadequate hand hygiene (e.g. using alcohol gel on gloves)
• Not bare below the elbows (e.g .wearing bands/watches in clinical areas)
• Not wearing masks at all times when in rooms with other individuals (e.g. when taking a break)
• Not replacing mask immediately after having food/drink
• Not maintaining social distancing
• Wearing the incorrect PPE

If you feel that FRSMs are damaging your skin or you need support finding an alternative, please get in touch with colleagues in the Tissue Viability Team or Infection Prevention and Control.

And lastly: A far from silent Knight

We wanted to end things on our last COVID-19 bulletin before Christmas on a positive note, so thought we’d share this with you.

In gratitude to all the hard-working NHS and social care staff, whether you’re on duty over the festive season or taking a well-earned break – Beverley Knight (and friends) would like to thank you for everything you’ve done this year in the form of a very special performance of the song Lean On Me.

From everyone at the Communications Team have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Connect Coronavirus page is continually being updated with the latest news and guidance regarding the virus, please take the time to read and familiarise yourself with this.

Do you know how to contact Think Glucose?

We must remind all wards and departments that if they wish to contact Think Glucose they should go via the switchboard. If using an internal phone please dial 0 and ask the operator for Think Glucose.