Monthly archives: January 2021

Heartbeat: SPA service reassures patients about COVID safety

The Single Point of Access (SPA) team has been working closely with West Midlands Ambulance and GPs to ensure that patients who need emergency care attend hospital.

The SPA team is contacted for support by either the patient’s GP or paramedics if a person they are looking after refuses to go to the hospital because of COVID-19.

A member of the SPA team will reassure the patient that it is safe to attend our emergency departments that have non-COVID and COVID areas, and talk them through what measures are in place.

The Trust assesses all patients before and upon arrival to check if they have COVID-19 symptoms. Anyone entering our buildings receives a surgical face mask to wear and, hand sanitiser.

When being seen, we ensure that the patients and staff are wearing the right PPE; including face masks, gloves, aprons and visors, where necessary. We educate patients in the correct way to wear PPE and about social distancing. Our staff observe social distancing and, we have frequent and thorough cleaning in place, which is especially important between every patient.

Janice Barrett, Lead Nurse for SPA, which is the first port of call for GPs who are referring patients needing urgent care, introduced the new element into the service.

She explained: “We have been successfully supporting GPs and paramedics so that patients who are reluctant to attend hospital will get the care they need. Whether this is by either reassuring them about the safety measures in place or explaining how important it is they receive this care or arranging further support at home.

“Patients are very receptive to a call from the team and, there have been many examples where we have been able to ensure that a person receives the correct care by coming to our hospitals.

“There was an incident where a young patient was suffering from an underlying illness and, the carer was hesitant about sending the child into the hospital when the paramedics went to her home. I spoke to the carer about the risks involved, and as a result, the child is now being managed by our clinicians.

“This shows good collaborative working between SPA, GPs and West Midlands Ambulance Service. SPA continues to go from strength to strength as we introduce innovative and new ways to support our patients. We are also able to provide clear documentation to the patient outlining the concerns of the referring clinician ensuring that patients receive the care they need efficiently. This fulfils the GMC’s delegation and referral guidance.

“To help us manage all our resources together, if you are not calling 999, then please refer to SPA.”

Heartbeat: Investing in IT: It’s not all LOWs, WOWs and COWs

14 months on from the launch of Unity where we traded towers of notes and a mystifying mix of processes for one perfectly formed and unified system we look back and learn from our endeavour, challenging our practices, learning from our failures and celebrating our successes.

Whilst launching a new system in IT seems like a simple job, it’s quickly complicated by the fact that there are thousands of clinical colleagues and almost 500,000 patients relying on you. The success or failure of your project could be the difference between life and death, being treated or transferred. And, let’s be honest, NHS IT projects are not generally known for their successes.

However on the weekend of 22 September when most of us were fast asleep, across our Trust colleagues very quickly transitioned from our outdated processes and over to Unity, bringing to fruition one of the biggest changes to our Trust. It has had an impact on every patient we treat and as we have since learnt, not a moment too soon with the onset of Coronavirus.

Many of you appreciate the incredible changes the IT department had to put in in preparation for Unity; hundreds of new devices, WiFi across the Trust, improved connections to all our sites, a 24-hour service desk and a new approach from the whole team. Others may have forgotten where we came from or not appreciate the journey so far.

Alongside the launch of Unity, colleagues across the Trust received a brand new range of COWs, LOWs and WOWs, that being computers, laptops and workstations on wheels with the latest and greatest in wristband printers, barcode scanners and in some places infection control compliant keyboards and mice. For the first time in a while, we finally had a stable level of equipment in place for colleagues to be able to use reliably, without the need to queue up or crowd around one computer.

To find out more about the developments in IT since Unity rolled out, Heartbeat caught up with Chief Informatics Officer, Martin Sadler. He said: “The launch of Unity came at the back of an incredibly busy year for informatics. We supported our clinical teams, the roll-out of equipment and the epic endeavour from all the Trust’s Unity Champions and others in training all of our staff on our new system and that was no mean feat. I am proud of what the informatics team have achieved so far. The additional demands that arrived for the team as a result of the Trust working more ‘digitally’ have been huge and the team have responded extremely well, helped not least by the support and thanks from our end users.

”We are, however, the first to recognise that we have a long way to go yet. There are still systems that are in dire need of replacing, equipment that is past its best before date and a heap of new requests to take our digital abilities to the next level – our Digital Ambitions.

”We have learnt a lot in the last year about the hardware that we sent out. Some areas really cannot work with laptops on wheels, cables get chopped in other bits of furniture moving, printing between label printers and A4 printers isn’t always simple enough, charging the computers on trolleys often gets forgotten and, a computer that is not owned by an individual do not get the love and attention that personal computers get.

”We realised quite quickly that the original requests for kit had been understated in several areas and we let computers naturally move to where they were needed which then meant that they weren’t connected to the right printers.

”We also found that people assumed that someone else had reported any equipment faults which meant nobody had. We introduced regular ward walks by informatics staff, but these have become more time consuming and more difficult to visit everywhere. We are looking for an easier way to report issues.

Now we know the most appropriate equipment by location we are ordering more stock on trolleys to help across the Trust. We are using our experience of faults to help the clinicians make better informed decisions this time round for choosing the equipment. And most of all, we are open to discussion. If there’s something that doesn’t quite work the way it should, we want colleagues to come forward and say so.

“Alongside the lessons learnt from Unity, there have been some challenges posed by COVID-19, and we have been able to play our part. We were already doing limited remote working and video meetings and, the expansion of this has shown that we were doing the right thing. The preparation for Unity had put us in a better place than we would have been otherwise.

”We are heartened by the way we have coped and feel that our efforts have been worthwhile and, we are working on further improving our services, introducing new hardware to the worst struggling areas and becoming the best IT service that we can. We are open and receptive to suggestions and feedback.”

Heartbeat: Are you antibiotic aware?

Antibiotics are incredibly important medicines and effectively fight infections caused by bacteria but their widespread misuse has increasingly led to bacteria adapting and evolving to become resistant to them. Once this happens, those antibiotics quickly lose their effectiveness and no longer work.

Every year, Antibiotic Awareness Day is held on November 18 bringing the spotlight on the ever present danger of antibiotic overuse and resistance.

Antibiotics do not help fight infections that are caused by viruses. All colds and most coughs and sore throats are caused by viruses. Viral infections are much more common than bacterial infections.

In recent years fewer new antibiotics have been discovered. As antibiotic resistance grows, it will become more difficult to treat infection, and this affects patient care.

To find out more about antibiotic guardianship, Heartbeat spoke to Conor Jamieson Pharmacy Team Leader – Antimicrobial Therapy, he said: “Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats facing us today and the overuse or misuse of antibiotics is making the problem worse. Without effective antibiotics, many routine treatments will become increasingly dangerous. Setting broken bones, basic operations, transplants, even chemotherapy all rely on access to antibiotics that work. To slow resistance we need to cut the use of unnecessary antibiotics.

“The key points to remember are that antibiotics are not harmless; they are medicines in their own right and can have serious side effects, as well as important drug interactions. Inappropriate use of antibiotics may cause patients to become colonised or infected with resistant bacteria.”

Research published in The Lancet in 2018 shows that 33,300 patients die each year due to antibiotic-resistant infections in Europe. If we don’t change how we prescribe and use antibiotics, by 2050 there will be an extra 10 million deaths each year worldwide due to resistant infections, with an associated economic cost of £66 trillion.

All medical, nursing and pharmacy colleagues can play their part in antibiotic stewardship, ensuring that every prescription for antibiotics has the indication, duration or a review date documented. Antibiotics should be reviewed regularly to make sure they are still needed. We need to change the focus from ‘Is it safe to stop antibiotics?’ to ‘Is it safe to continue antibiotics?’

Always check a patient’s drug allergy status before prescribing or administering any antibiotics. Always check for drug interactions before prescribing them. Make sure the dose is appropriate for their weight and renal function. You can report adverse reactions to medicines via the Yellow Card Scheme.

So what can individuals do to help tackle antibiotic resistance? It might seem to be an overwhelming problem, like climate change, that individuals are powerless to do anything about, but that is not the case. Simple actions can help protect you, your family and loved ones – don’t ask your GP for antibiotics for a cold, flu or sore throat, they don’t work against viruses, and avoiding taking antibiotics when they aren’t needed is a great way to avoid the side effects they cause; antibiotics can alter the balance of bacteria in the gut and can have longer-term health implications that we are only beginning to realise. Ensure you and your loved ones are up to date with their vaccines. Practice good hand hygiene.

Sign up to become an Antibiotic Guardian – Antibiotic Guardian is a campaign run by Public Health England and a range of partners. Health professionals, patients, health leaders and those who work with, own or treat animals are being encouraged to visit www.antibioticguardian.com and choose a pledge that they can fulfil and play their part in protecting some of our most precious medicines.

COVID-19 Bulletin: Friday 15 January

1. New – Changes in children’s emergency care to support patients and colleagues 

Starting at 5pm today Friday 15 January we are making some temporary changes to the acute paediatric service in order create more capacity to treat our seriously ill patients as well as increase resources to support colleagues. Patients under 16 who need emergency care and dial 999 will be taken directly to Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH). We are grateful to BCH for their support during these challenging times. This will enable us to focus on our Covid-19 response whilst the numbers of adult patients needing admission remains high.

The following changes are being made:

• The Children’s Emergency Care Unit at City Hospital will step down temporarily. This will mean that there will be no paediatric ED or a paediatric assessment unit on the City site. To aid this all paediatric ambulances will be diverted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for both sites. We will continue to have specialist colleagues available to treat walk-in patients, who will be stabilised and moved to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital or Sandwell.
• At Sandwell the paediatric ward (Lyndon 1) will be temporarily converted into an Amber area for AMU. We expect to be able to do this over the weekend.
• Paediatrics will retain Lyndon Ground.
• Sandwell paediatric ED will still be accepting walk-in patients who will be triaged and either sent to paediatrics for assessment/admission or have any minor injury treated in the department.

Families with young children who need urgent healthcare but not an ambulance are advised to dial NHS111 who will assess the child’s symptoms and direct to the most appropriate place for care. This includes the option to book an urgent appointment at the most appropriate emergency department or GP out of hours service. Thank you to all colleagues both in the acute and community for all their help during these challenging times.

2. Updated: PPE guidance revised to keep you and your patients safe 

Increased cases of COVID-19 in the community are having a huge impact on our services as we continue to see a high number of patients with Coronavirus.

You will be aware that patients regardless of whether they are on an Amber ward can very quickly test positive for COVID-19. In order to keep each other and all our patients safe, you are advised to treat each patient as being potentially COVID+ so you are reminded to adhere to PPE requirements in your area.

With the new variant strains of COVID-19 which are more transmissible beginning to surface all over the world, we have decided to act to change the guidance in Red and Amber areas.

Key changes to the guidance include the following:

• If you are in direct  contact with a patient you MUST wear a FFP3/silicone mask. This applies to Red and Amber areas.
• If you are in a Red and Amber area and not in contact with a patient, then you may to continue to wear the fluid resistant surgical mask
• If you are visiting the ward from another area, a minimum requirement when entering the unit will be to wear a mask (please note: staff must follow their individual risk assessment for PPE).

Colleagues carrying out a single Aerosol Generated Procedure (AGP), for example intubation, extubation, tracheotomy, suctioning or those having close contact with a patient, should wear a single use gown with full sleeves with a plastic apron over the gown. Please remove the gown after the task is completed.

For sessional work within a VERY HIGH RISK area or an AGP area, a sessional gown with rolled up sleeves (BARE BELOW THE ELBOWS) should be worn. Colleagues should wear a disposable plastic apron over the sessional use gown and change this in between patients. Please wash your hands and arms in between patients.

This guidance is for ward areas only (not critical care) and for patient-facing clinical colleagues.

If you are visiting the ward from another area, a minimum requirement when entering the unit will be to wear a mask (please note: staff must follow their individual risk assessment for PPE).

This guidance must be followed so as we maintain strong infection prevention and control measures across all our sites.

You are able to view the full guidance on PPE here.

Revised posters will be available in coming days.

Remember: PPE is only part of what is necessary in order to combat Coronavirus and keep ourselves, our patients and the wider public safe.

• Regular and effective handwashing is the best way to reduce the spread of the virus.
• Practice social distancing by leaving 2 metres (6ft) between you and those around you.
• Wear a mask when in communal rooms for both clinical and non-clinical areas.
• It is important that you get fit tested for the type of masks we have available. Remember, the mask will not give you full protection if you have grown a beard since being fit tested.

3. Reminder: Remember to take 5

We are seeing a huge number of patients across our sites and we know this is having a huge impact on colleagues as you continue to feel the pressure of fighting the pandemic within our hospitals.

As we mentioned in Wednesday’s bulletin, it is important that you EAT, REST and TALK.

Across the organisation we have a number of rest areas that you can use to relax and unwind during your shift. This list of rest areas on Connect is not definitive, so please do speak to your line manager if you don’t know where your rest area is.

Taking 5 really can make a difference to how you feel so we ask that you take the time to have your break away from where you work.

You may also consider taking advantage of our energy pods to help you recharge. We have three state of the art energy pods available in AMU at City and Sandwell and maternity at City.

The groups are currently collating ideas regarding what you would like to see to aid your wellbeing. We have already had requests for items such as radios and massagers. If you feel that there is something that could really help the wellbeing of your team then please email swbh.wellbeing@nhs.net and the team will consider your request.

4. Reminder: COVID vaccine – answering your questions 

Whilst 2020 was a year we would all like to forget we managed to start 2021 the right way with the launch of our vaccination hubs at Sandwell and City Hospitals. Each one, working hard to stream as many patients, colleagues and members of the public as possible to ensure we’re able to tackle this devastating virus.

The rollout of the vaccine has been a tremendous effort, from those colleagues in pharmacy who have handled the fragile Pfizer vaccine with the care it deserves, colleagues in the contact centre who have spent endless hours contacting patients and colleagues, to the vaccinators who are entrusted with the final task of dispensing the vaccine.

Whilst we have done incredibly well to launch our vaccination programme, it’s clear that there is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding surrounding the vaccination. To clear up the confusion, we recently held a staff briefing to answer some of your burning questions around how the vaccine was developed, trialled and delivered. We also discussed how we plan to ensure that every one of our patients and colleagues has the opportunity to be vaccinated.

For those who didn’t manage to make the briefing, you can find a link to it below, plus a roundup of the frequently asked questions and our responses.

• https://youtu.be/PmiGqPjsQaE

Every drop of vaccine counts – Booking in to available slots at short notice

As the vaccination programme continues to roll out there will on occasion be opportunities for colleagues to book in to free slots at short notice to ensure we are able to use all of our available vaccine effectively.

This weekend we have slots available on Sunday, 17 January, for colleagues who are working in a patient facing role in the acute hospitals or within community services.

Colleagues who meet the criteria should contact the booking team on 0121 507 4112 to book in to an available slot. Please note however that these slots are for colleagues to receive their first dose of the vaccine, follow up appointments for the second dose have now been rescheduled to be at 12 weeks following the initial dose. Letters will shortly be sent out to all colleagues advising you of your new follow up appointment date and time.

5. Reminder: Desperately seeking scrubs 

This is no mid 80s film script – this is a plea to the heart of our organisation. Despite repeated reminders we continue to be in a desperate situation regarding the lack of scrubs, even though we have once again invested in a bulk order of new scrubs to replace those that have been taken without authority. Unbelievably they too have vanished leaving us in a vulnerable position when trying to maintain our service. It is not only essential, but a matter of respect for others that colleagues abide by the rules and return the scrubs they have worn. This is not optional but a matter of urgency, as we do not have sufficient sets of scrubs to meet the increase in demand as many have disappeared, been worn or taken home, contrary to Trust policy.

All used scrubs must be placed in the blue trollies situated on the links and in departmental areas so they can be laundered and put back in to circulation.

Harsher penalties will be introduced should you not return scrubs. You will be challenged if caught in person or on camera arriving in or leaving the hospital in scrubs. There is no special circumstance that allows ANY colleague to disregard this rule.  

No scrubs rules:

• No scrubs should be stockpiled in lockers – they must be laundered regularly on site
• No scrubs should be binned, they should be deposited in to the blue trollies situated on the links and in departmental areas
• No scrubs should be worn outside the hospital or while travelling to and from hospital or taken home for laundering. By doing so you are putting yourself, your family and the public at risk.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 15 January

Our vaccination programme continues to progress and we expect that around half of our workforce have now received their first doses of the Pfizer/BionTech vaccine at either the Sandwell Hospital hub or at neighbouring Walsall Manor or a primary care setting. This is in addition to vaccinating vulnerable patients and beginning to expand to cover staff in other health or care settings. Thank you to everyone who has embraced the opportunity to be vaccinated. Remember that all staff who have patient contact can now book a slot at Sandwell, by calling 0121 507 4112. Progressing with vaccination at speed remains the main way we are going to be able to exit the various restrictions that have been in place over the past 10 months in one form or another. And getting more people vaccinated with the first dose will save lives, which is why I am supportive of the change in policy to give the second dose at around 12 weeks rather than 3 weeks. The numbers in the community are very high and the more people get protected the safer our communities will be, which will impact positively on people’s health. Our services are under severe pressure and reduction in cases and spread of the virus is essential.

Thank you to the R&D team for leading our staff briefing on vaccination earlier this week. I hope that the 100 or so of you who were able to join in felt that we did justice to your questions. We are publishing today the recording of the session and the questions and answers so that more of you can feel fully informed about the vaccine programme and the regulatory process the vaccines have been through to ensure they are safe and effective.

As the need for patients to be admitted to our acute and community beds remains, and community cases are still high, it is more important than ever that we focus on the patients who are able to be discharged, recognising that there are a number of support services in the community who can safely look after people in their own homes or in a care facility. In yesterday’s Covid bulletin we outlined the services that are available and how to contact our Discharge 2 Assess team, pictured above, who can make all the arrangements necessary and ensure patients are well looked after. This includes the home oxygen monitoring for Covid patients that can avoid a stay in hospital. I know that many of you may feel uncomfortable or uncertain at discharging people earlier than you normally would and I have written to all consultants to outline the support and protection that is available to you as you make these difficult clinical decisions. Without timely discharge we are risking more people not getting the care they desperately need.

The need for reservists continues and thank you to everyone who has stepped forward to help our critical care service, respiratory hub, medical wards and vaccination programme. More of you are working in other areas, or because staff are absent, you are being deployed to a different ward or service to help and support. We do aim to keep these moves to a minimum but they are essential to keep our services safe. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility.

With high community infection rates and increased numbers of patients in hospital who are testing positive, we are now also recommending that an increased level of PPE is worn on red and amber areas when you are providing direct patient care. This means that you should wear a FFP3 or silicone face mask that you have been fit-tested for to provide you with additional protection. Make sure you have been fit-tested for the masks we currently have available. Additional fit-testing clinics have been set up and you can book an appointment at a time that is convenient to you by calling 0121 507 5050.

To end with some welcome good news, we are starting to see community cases reduce. This has been consistent over the last four days so it is early days but welcome nonetheless. We know that it takes time to see the positive impact of that on NHS services but I am confident it will come. With the vaccination programme progressing and lockdown restrictions reducing transmission hospital cases may continue to rise for a couple of weeks but they will come down. That is why it remains essential to follow IPC guidelines, even when you have received the vaccine.

No one repeats that mantra more at our Trust than Julie Booth, lead nurse for infection prevention and control, who is our most recent star of the week. Julie continues to work tirelessly to ensure we are following the right guidance and offers support and advice on all aspects of infection prevention and control. A large part of our pandemic response is thanks to Julie and her team, working hand in hand with Dr Saluja and our diligent microbiology team. Thank you, Julie and congratulations.

Dr David Carruthers, Acting Chief Executive

Keeping Hallam restaurant safe

We’d like to remind colleagues that any ward used PPE must be replaced before entering Hallam Restaurant.

We want to absolutely minimise the possibility of bringing anything from the wards into an enclosed social area. There is a station at the entrance with the usual offerings: a yellow bin for disposal, hand gel and masks. Even if you have been in the hospital with a basic mask on, please take the time to bin it, disinfect your hands and then replace the mask with a fresh one before you enter the restaurant.

In much the same manner and whilst it is an unfortunate necessity, please avoid encouraging patients from attending the restaurant during this period.

Waste disposal is not a new normal

We know that we are all working under very different situations at present, and our normal working lives have been turned upside down. All the various cycles of working that we fall into, our routines – the well-trodden practices  of how we operate, it’s all gone completely out of the window. Every day is constantly changing and we’re constantly changing to stay on top of it. However, waste disposal hasn’t changed, just the volumes.

It has been recognised  that policies and practices have slipped and the normal rules are not being followed within the frame work of  waste management.

Whilst it is appreciated there’s more deliveries than usual as departments get new equipment and supplies, and we’re also going through consumables at a highly accelerated rate. As a result of this and people are so busy, inappropriate disposal of both domestic and clinical waste is piling up all around the Trust.

Bags are being left on the floor instead of putting them into bins, cages are being left in corridors full of boxes that have not been flattened, this is not only presenting an infection control risk, but it endangers colleagues who have to pick it up and there also the fire risk element.

The correct  rules of segregation apply even in COVID areas:

• Only healthcare infectious waste should be placed into Orange bags (no packaging)
• PPE in to offensive (Tiger bags) (no packaging)
• Domestic waste should be placed in black bags.
• All cardboard should be flattened.

So if you have any general rubbish that needs disposal please make sure it is placed in the correct waste stream to await collection.

COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 14 January

Numbers not statistics: This week (last week)

1. New: Safe patient care: Focus on discharge arrangements

As you know, hospitals all around the country are facing unprecedented strain. Where possible we must do what we can to manage the number of patients staying with us and discharge patients wherever clinically safe.

Acting Chief Executive, David Carruthers has written to all consultant colleagues expressing the need to support early discharge, how to do it, and the protection in place if colleagues are working in areas that are not their usual areas of practice.

We have also published on Connect a pathway which sets out the discharge process from an acute setting.

There are a number of services available to you supporting patients at home that will enable early discharge:

COVID-19 Virtual Ward – Monitoring You at Home (MYAH)
The Monitoring You at Home (MYAH) Service is a COVID-19 virtual ward operated by iCares which accepts referrals for patients from SWB wards and ED. The patients must:

• Have been diagnosed with COVID-19: either clinically or via a positive test result AND are symptomatic
• Be aged 18+ years.

Referrals will be accepted via the form on Connect.

The last referral will be accepted at 6pm for patients to be seen same day. The service operates 7 days/week. Patients will then be provided with a pulse oximeter, symptom diary and safety netting advice. The MYAH Service will regularly contact patients to support them in the community. Patients will be monitored for 14 days from the onset of symptoms, after which they will be transitioned to either a rehabilitation phase, alternative community services, discharged or remain on monitoring.

Discharge to assess hub (D2A)
The D2A team conduct daily reviews of patients requiring discharges and also put plans in place for those patients who could potentially be discharged.

The team will help with patients on the following pathways:

• Pathway 1 = Support to recover at home; able to return home with support from health and/or social care.
• Pathway 2 =  Rehabilitation or short-term care in a 24-hour bed-based setting.
• Pathway 3 = Require ongoing 24-hour nursing care, often in a bedded setting.
• Pathway 4 = End of Life pathway.

All wards are encouraged to use the D2A service for support or queries relating to discharge. Usual processes are unchanged but responses are swifter so please ensure your patients are prepared for discharge as soon as they are declared medically optimised.

You can contact the team on 07815 647936, from 8am to 5pm, 7 days per week.

Support for patients in the community
There are a wide range of services available to patients once discharged home including district nursing and rehabilitation. See the latest information regarding the support available.

2. New: Refreshment provision for colleagues

We recognise the pressure that all colleagues are facing whilst at work and want to make sure that people have easy access to food and drink.

Out of hours staff fridges and freezers are located on D18 City and Main Reception at Sandwell. The fridges are being stocked with a selection of sandwiches and wraps including vegetarian and vegan choices along with crisps and that’s every afternoon from as of now. The Sandwell fridge will be unlocked by security at around 9pm ready for the night staff.

The CCU ward and A&E will also receive a direct daily delivery of sandwiches for staff who are unable to leave the area.

A selection of frozen meals were delivered earlier today to the Trust and the freezers stocked. These will be checked and topped up daily as required.

Staff vouchers are being distributed to all wards across City and Sandwell.

Bottles of water and cartons of fruit juice are being delivered daily to all wards across both acute hospital sites along with a number of departments as requested and snacks continue to be delivered weekly to every ward across Sandwell and City as well. An additional weekly snack delivery has been arranged to Critical Care to help.

Rowley and Leasowes are not being forgotten in all of this and they will also be receiving fridges and freezers for sandwiches and frozen meals for their out of hours workers. They will also receive the same drinks and snack on offer as Sandwell and City – as well as the aforementioned vouchers.

If areas require anything specific, need to report notify any issues or have any general queries please speak to your team leads so that it can be brought forward.

3. Update: Purple bags = rapid swabs

 As you know from our Tuesday bulletin, purple bags are back in circulation.  If speed is of the essence with your sample, then purple bags make identification and prioritisation easier for the lab. These are replacing the “being phased out” urgent two hours priority stickers, which can still be used as necessary.

The update comes in the form of our further information guidance, which has had some additions following feedback to include an additional step. You can familiar yourself with this processing sample guidance on Connect.

Remember: Wards must regularly check to ensure that they have adequate stock of COVID-19 swabs and purple bags for the weekends and out of hours.

Please note that rapid swabs are not processed overnight but will be done the following working day.

 If you have an urgent sample:

• Place the correctly labelled specimen into a clear specimen bag and sealed fully
• Repeat this process, using the second larger clear zip locked specimen bag
• Add this doubled bagged specimen to a purple urgent COVID sample bag
• The purple urgent bag can now also be posted into the COVID drop off box.

Additionally, there has been a change in the number of rapid allocations:

Online Grand Round: 21 January

We will be hosting an online Grand Round on Thursday 21 January, 12.30pm – 1.30pm via WebEx. The main topics will be around emergency steroid cards and transfusion errors with presenters  Louise Chamberlain, Pharmacy Governance Manager and Trust Medication Safety Officer and Dr Pancham, Consultant Haematologist.

Please see WebEx joining details below:

• Event address for attendees: https://swbhnhs.webex.com/swbhnhs/onstage/g.php?MTID=ebe1571d731bb683db0ad0c20d9cdd3ae
• Event number: 174 534 0001
• Event password: GRJAN
• Audio conference: +44-20-3478-5289
• Access code: 174 534 0001

Heartbeat: Safety huddles soon to be a part of our organisation

We all play a part to ensure safety in our work for the benefit of patients and each other as colleagues.

Over the next few months, the Trust is working to introduce new short multidisciplinary meetings, held at a predictable time and place, and focused on reducing harm.

To find out why, Heartbeat caught up with Deputy Medical Director, Dr Chizo Agwu, who told us more.

She said: “Safety huddles increase safety awareness among front-line staff, allow teams to develop action plans to address identified safety issues and foster a culture of safety. They are a well-established form of huddle across many organisations and, we intend that they are part of normal care across our organisation by spring 2021.”

NHS Improvement advocates the use of ‘safety huddles’ to support effective communication at key points in the care of individuals, to improve safety.

Chizo added: “Effective safety huddles involve agreed actions, are informed by visual feedback of data and provide the opportunity to celebrate success in reducing harm.

“Huddles help clinical colleagues prioritise patient care and focus on patient safety. They provide the opportunity to discuss any safety events that have occurred, how the event happened, and how to prevent recurrences.

“There is research evidence that they improve patient safety. In one organisation so far, 6,051 falls have been prevented. Based on cost estimates from NHS Improvement, this equates to £15.7 million in avoided healthcare costs for Yorkshire and a return on investment of 107 per cent.”

Chizo is encouraging all teams to embrace safety huddles as they complement and enhance other safety measures in place and link into both the safety plan and the quality plan.

“Safety huddles are an ever more important part of how we create the conditions for outstanding care in our clinical services,” added Chizo. “They help to reinforce team working, prevent harm and improve the patient experience.”