Monthly archives: February 2021
Q-Park to become Trust’s new car park operator from 1 March
Monday 1 March will usher in a new era for our car parks when Q-Park takes over as the new car parks operator.
Many of you will have already seen the construction being undertaken by Q-Park at Sandwell Hospital and City Hospital, bringing new spaces to meet the demand from colleagues.
The two new multi-storey car parks opening in summer 2021 will offer 550 spaces at City Hospital and 401 spaces at Sandwell Hospital.
This means effective from Monday 1 March Q-Park will move into temporary parking lodges. At City Hospital they can be found in the Energy Centre and at Sandwell Hospital in an office adjacent to the restaurant entrance. Rowley Regis will not have a permanent Q-Park presence but will benefit from new equipment that can be operated remotely and regular patrols.
Colleagues should not see any significant changes at this time as the Q-Park team work to familiarise themselves with the sites and site practices.
If you require a new pass or have a query you can still contact the team on ext. 6424 or carparkidadminoffice@nhs.net.
COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 18 February
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Numbers not statistics: This week (last week)
As colleagues will know, it remains vitally important that we all follow the Government rules as we face a daily battle against COVID-19. Despite the roll out of the vaccination, the virus is still out there infecting many people so we must continue to act like we’ve got it – anyone can spread coronavirus. This means wearing your mask when you are on your break in a room with others and maintaining a distance of two metres. If you are on your lunchbreak for longer than 15 minutes and cannot safely social distance, then you must find an alternative space to take your break. If there is limited availability, then please speak to your manager who will help to source another area where you can continue your break safely. If you don’t follow social distancing guidelines you are in breach of both Trust policy and the law. Colleagues must not share a break facility without the ability to socially distance. By following these simple rules, it will ensure that you are not only protecting your patients, but also yourselves, your family and your colleagues. Taking breaks without following these measures could lead to the virus spreading amongst staff and to our patients, so it is essential that everyone plays their part and adheres to the rules. This also applies when colleagues are taking breaks outside. Please social distance and if you cannot do this in the space provided, then move to another area.
Many famous faces have lent their support to encourage people to have their vaccination when offered to them. One such person who has shared a message exclusively with SWB is ITV weatherman and our Star Awards host, Des Coleman. In his video, Des says: “I know there is a lot of misinformation circulating about the vaccine, and that some people are intent on discouraging others to get vaccinated. But I would urge you not to believe hearsay. Please look to trusted sources such as the NHS for your information.” Click below to watch the message from Des:
His message is echoed by Dr Masood Ahmed, Chief Medical Officer for the Black Country and West Birmingham CCG. He recently urged members of the BAME community to ignore the myths around the vaccine in a series of videos produced by the Trust, which feature hard-hitting footage of an intensive care unit at City Hospital. He says: “In terms of vaccinations, one of the concerns is misinformation and there’s been a lot of that going round, whether it be through Facebook or WhatsApp.” He adds: “The vaccines don’t have animal products in, they don’t have foetal cells in, they certainly don’t have microchips and 5G, and if you’ve got any concerns, go to trusted sources. Your GPs know what the truth is, we’ve looked at the evidence, we know that it’s safe, we know that it’s effective.” In another film, Deputy Medical Director Chizo Agwu, reveals she has been vaccinated and why she’s encouraging colleagues to step forward and get the lifesaving protection offered by the COVID-19 vaccination. Meanwhile, Dr Harj Kainth, a consultant in the acute medicine unit at City Hospital, delivers her message about the vaccination in Punjabi. We would encourage you to share these videos with your patients, family and friends. They can be accessed by clicking the names below:
There has been a marked increase in the number of disposable face masks littered across our sites and in the surrounding areas. The issue was highlighted this week by Sandwell charity Litterwatch, which was featured in a TV media report, with a focus on the area around Sandwell Hospital. We would like to remind colleagues that they should dispose of any used PPE in the bins provided. Used masks are an infection control risk to others and also are harmful to the environment and local wildlife. Please don’t be a litter bug – make sure you bin your masks. |
New forms for detaining patients under the Mental Health Act 1983
As you may be aware, effective from 1 February 2021 when sectioning a patient under the MHA only the new section papers can be used, these can be found on the intranet or online. The old section papers are now obsolete and cannot be accepted to detain a patient.
Please ensure when completing the forms you carefully read what details are required to be entered and/or omitted to avoid the section papers being returned to you for correction and a possible unlawful detention.
Once completed, section papers must be sent to swbh.mental-health-act@nhs.net in all cases, to be received by the Mental Health Act Administrator.
For any guidance on completing the forms, please contact either sam.takesha@nhs.net or cheryl.stewart2@nhs.net
COVID-19 Bulletin: Tuesday 16 February
1. Reminder: Know how to stream patients correctly
Streaming patients to the most appropriate ward areas is critical to not only preventing the spread of COVID-19 in our hospitals but it’s a practice that allows us to balance the risk of inconclusive test, clinical suspicion and likelihood of asymptomatic infection.
We know that the sensitivity of a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test is around 80 per cent. With this in mind, colleagues must look at the clinical presentation with the swab result when deciding how to stream a patient. For example if the swab is negative but the clinical presentation is highly suggestive of COVID-19 they must be streamed onto a Red ward or for patient presenting with low suspicion of COVID-19 and in Red stream initially, with subsequent negative swab result must be transferred onto a Contact ward (Newton 3 at Sandwell, with ward on City site TBC) while they await a further PCR test.
You can find the COVID-19 Infection control patient risk stratification table and the guidance in full on the Connect swabbing pathways page. Please ensure all staff are aware of both these important documents so we ensure our patients are cared for in the right place.
2. Reminder: Restricted visiting arrangements for inpatients
We’d like to remind colleagues that although visiting restrictions remain in place for all inpatients, there are exceptional circumstances where limited visiting is allowed, for example for young patients, those who lack mental capacity and patients who are at the end of their life. For these patients it is really important – not least as an act of kindness – that we are able to safely facilitate limited visiting rather than adopt a blanket ban, so please if in doubt ask your group for advice.
It is essential to note that even for these groups visiting is NOT ALLOWED by anyone who is self-isolating, regardless of the circumstances.
3. Reminder: Let’s talk about mental health
Managing our stress and psychological health at this time is as important as our physical health. Taking care of basic needs and employing helpful coping strategies are top priorities.
The Trust offers a range of support including one to one counselling, referral to mental health practitioners as well as helpful advice through the Wellbeing Together newsletter. But it is important that you decide what the right support is for you.
Remember, it’s ok to not be ok, and if you aren’t, there is support available to you.
An example of this is Frontline19 – an independent UK nationwide service delivering psychological support to those who are, or have been on the frontline of COVID-19. The service can ensure you get the right help quickly and easily and is free and confidential. So, if you need someone to talk to, they can put you in touch with a therapist and you can take it from there.
Some common themes healthcare professionals request support for include:
- Worrying and over-thinking a situation and its consequences
- Poor concentration on other things and easily distracted
- Feelings of anxiety
- Feelings of panic
- Irritability
- Restlessness and fidgeting
- Sleep disturbances
- Poor daily functioning and difficulty carrying out routine tasks
- Avoidance of usual tasks and routines
- Feelings of helplessness and loss of control or incompetence
- Fatigue and muscle ache.
To get started all you need to do is fill in a short online form. Pairing usually takes seven days or sooner if possible. Visit https://www.frontline19.com/ for more information.
4. Reminder: Donate your plasma in the fight against COVID-19
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.
Heartbeat: SCaT Centre rises to pandemic challenge
When the pandemic was declared in March last year, our colleagues in the SCaT centre (Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia) sprang into action to ensure they could continue supporting their patients. Lead Nurse Liz Green explained: “Following the announcement and our assessment of the safest way to care for our patient group we moved straight into virtual telephone clinics, spending time each week to phone our patients due to come in the next week to tell them not to attend as instead they would get a phone call.
“Patients both understood and appreciated this response to COVID. They were a shielding population so did not want to present to the hospital unless necessary. All day case pain management and blood transfusions ran throughout the pandemic. We were able to relocate our patient group very quickly to the BTC, as it was not used at the time since outpatient activity had been cancelled. We stayed there, along with immunology and the medical infusion suite, for about four months. The national haemoglobinopathy panel held weekly meetings on ‘zoom’ throughout this time to update and inform the centres. This ensured we kept up with current advice for our patient group. It was good to be able to tell our patients that this national level of communication was happening.”
During this time there was a decline in our inpatient activity, as the centre averaged two patients, instead of their normal six each day. Pain management is a primary concern for this patient group, so pharmacy arranged home delivery of essential medications to keep patients well.
The team run telephone clinics to identify any tests needed by patients, who then are able to book to come in at convenient times.
This ensures a safer patient flow. The team has also relocated to a bigger department where they are able to socially distance more effectively.
Sixteen year old Ibrahim is a sickle cell patient who needs treatment on the unit every four weeks. He appreciates the measures Liz and her nursing team have put in place to protect him and others like him. He said: “I am worried about the COVID pandemic, but I know it is safe to come into the hospital, because they are keeping me safe.”
However, the changes were not without challenges, as Liz recounted: “As a team we responded quickly, putting our patient at the forefront of any decisions we made. Our patient group is around 500 individuals, with varying needs. We were working with reduced staffing as half our colleagues were by necessity redeployed to help other areas in their response.
“We now have a unit that is located near the back of the hospital which will allow us to continue to function throughout the pandemic in a safe socially distanced way.
Tissue viability training throughout April and May
The tissue viability team and ConvaTec are inviting clinical colleagues to join in their online their training sessions throughout the months of April and May.
| Date | Session |
| 14 April | Bugs and biofilms – managing wound infection |
| 20 April | Deep diving into cavity wounds |
| 29 April | Managing the moisture – exudate, the good, the bad and the ugly |
| 5 May | Dressing choice made easy |
Note: All training in March is now fully booked.
If you would like to attend any of the above sessions please email william.latham@convatec.com. For more information please email tissueviability2@nhs.net.
COVID-19 Bulletin: Wednesday 17 February
1. New: Listening in to your views on COVID-19
The Black Country and West Birmingham Sustainability Transformation Partnership is seeking views from its colleagues to truly understand what it is like to work in the health and care industries in the area.
In particular, we are interested in understanding inequalities at multiple levels. To find out more about the work of the Black Country and West Birmingham STP please click here
https://www.england.nhs.uk/integratedcare/stps/view-stps/the-black-country-and-west-birmingham/
As many of you are aware, events throughout 2020 – including the unprecedented socio-economic crisis created by COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter movement has shown the extent to which inequalities and discrimination impact our communities and society. These events have highlighted institutional and socio-economic discrimination which discriminates against or limit opportunities for too many of our staff and communities because of their race, disability, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation or class or a combination of these characteristics.
Listening events are taking place on
- 19th March, 10.00am
- 22nd March 6.00pm
- 26th March, 11.00am
To attend the listening events please click on the Microsoft team links in the flyer and save them in your outlook calendar. All of the listening events will take place on line and will be facilitated by external partners and are 100% confidential.
If you are not able to attend please take the time to complete the short survey by clicking on the link within the flyer. The survey is open until the 26th March 2021.
Click here to download the flyer
2. New: COVID-19 vaccination second doses at Walsall
If you were one of the colleagues who received your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Walsall in December you will be aware that your second dose has been re-arranged for between 10 and 12 weeks after your first dose. Second doses are currently taking place at Walsall Manor Hospital. Please ensure you know the date and time of your second jab and set yourself a reminder to be sure you don’t miss it.
If you don’t know when your appointment is for your second dose at Walsall, you should contact their vaccinations team on covacc.enquiries@walsallhealthcare.nhs.uk or 01922 444023 (9am-5pm, 7 days per week).
3. Reminder: Keeping you safe by shielding, isolating and working from home
You may have seen in the press recently that the 1.7m people nationally have been added to the shielding list, encouraging them to safely remain at home to protect themselves. At the start of the pandemic, our Trust was quick to adopt remote working, allowing teams and departments to keep themselves and each other safe, this rule remains in place and we have over the past 12 months demonstrated that we can continue to deliver safe and effective services, by using technology and remote working.
Whilst remote working is encouraged, we have to be clear that this must be done with the agreement of line managers and risk assessments regarding working practices completed.
- If you are working from home you must have the written agreement of your line manager and work in a non-clinical function
- If you are self-isolating because of your own symptoms or those of your loved ones, you must contact your line manager who will register your absence on ESR / eRoster.
- If you are shielding because of a notified condition having received a letter from your GP or NHS England, please make sure your line manager has updated your record on ESR.
If you are not sure if you qualify to work from home or if you feel that you have reason to be shielding, please contact the HR department on extension 3116 or email swbh.hr-advice-for-covid-19@nhs.net
Heartbeat: MMUH masterplan gets going!
Our long awaited new hospital continues to progress well on Grove Lane in Smethwick. Construction partner Balfour Beatty have worked closely with the Trust to ensure staff on site can work safely, amid the Covid-19 restrictions and the new hospital opening remains set for 2022.
The construction of the building is, of course, only one part of the numerous work streams that need to come together to ensure that on opening day everything works, we are safely able to treat patients and that we begin to realise the benefits that this fantastic new building brings.
Many areas of work depend on each other to ensure that delivery milestones are met and over the past few months Rachel Barlow, Director of System Transformation, has been working with teams across the Trust to pull together the masterplan and this month led a workshop with workstream leads and others so that all had an understanding of the different programmes and how they interact.
Talking about the new hospital build programme, Rachel said: “We are continuing to see good progress on the build, despite the complications of COVID-19. Now is the time for clinical, operational and support teams to think through what they need to do over the next 18 months to get ready to move into the new building. The model of care that we will provide in Midland Met has been set out in outline, but of course each specialty and service needs to spend time understanding the way they want and need to work when we have a single acute hospital on one site.
“We have long intended that patients who need to stay in hospital at MMUH will be supported to be as independent as possible. This means things like encouraging people to be more mobile and move around the hospital, making use of the public spaces and ample grounds. This is quite different to our usual practice, so needs a change in how we arrange care and think about our patients. This is just one example of a change we need to make.”
Mark Taylor is leading the IT workstream for Midland Met. He said: “We’ve spent time understanding what the technical requirements are for the new hospital and when the key points are that we need to finalise decisions about things such as digital wayfinding and the technology that is going into each bedroom. It’s been good to see how everything fits together.”
Early in the New Year clinical groups will be setting up their governance structures for MMUH, and acute care transformation projects will begin. From April clinical and operational “move” leads will be recruited and operational policies will be reviewed and changed where needed.
Rachel continued, “We have done large scale transformation at this Trust before and I know we have all the right foundations in place to make sure Midland Met is a real success story and provides the clinical care for our patients that they deserve.”
LGBTQ+ conference 25 March
Save the date: West Midlands NHS healthcare providers are working in partnership to bring you a regional LGBTQ+ conference for all colleagues. The digital conference will take place Thursday 25 March, 12pm – 3pm. Keep an eye on the daily communications bulletin for more details including how you can join the conference.
There are an array of information and events online to attend virtually this month to celebrate LGBTQ+. You can check these out below:
- https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/lgbt-history-month/index.aspx
- https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/
- https://blgbt.org/heritage/
Happy #LGBTQ+HistoryMonth
Star of the Week – recognising the great work of colleagues
As our annual Star Awards have proven year on year there are hundreds of colleagues throughout our Trust that go above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis. Star of the Week aims to shine a light on all of the great work that goes on at our Trust on a weekly basis.
The Star of the Week recognition programme allows both clinical and non-clinical colleagues to be recognised for their amazing work on a weekly basis in their departments, with managers taking the lead to appreciate, acknowledge and award at a local level.
Each week, a worthy winner will be chosen who upholds our nine care promises:
- I will make you feel welcome
- I will make time to listen to you
- I will be polite, courteous and respectful
- I will keep you informed and explain what is happening
- I will admit to mistakes and do all I/we can to put them right
- I value your point of view
- I will be caring and kind
- I will keep you involved
- I will go the extra mile
If you have someone in your team that has gone above and beyond the call of duty, put them forward as a Star of the Week by clicking here. You can also check out all our previous winners on that page too!
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