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Monthly archives: March 2021

Heartbeat: Signing up to a better patient experience

 

A project to improve signage across all Trust sites leading to a better patient experience is now complete.

Led by Victoria Williams from the patient access team, it ensures signage and directions in patient letters and texts now matches what they see when they visit our sites. The patient access team worked alongside estates and the improvement team on the project.

Explaining the need for the improvements, Victoria said: “We wanted to ensure that the patient journey was seamless and easy as possible right from the start. We found that although we were signposting patients to particular areas, this didn’t match what they were seeing when they were on site.

“Patients would complain about being lost, and this would lead to them being late for their appointments. Many would have to stop staff for directions. The point of the project was to alleviate this and improve the patient experience from the moment they arrived on site.”

The 12-month project started with Victoria alongside colleagues from estates and the improvement team walking around each site to check signage and directions to flag up any initial problems.

Colleagues from across the Trust were asked to voice any issues they had spotted. Victoria added: “We had good engagement from colleagues about areas where signage needed to be improved.

“We were able to act upon this information and change signs. It’s undoubtedly had a positive effect, and we are also hoping that it will mean that patients are more likely to attend appointments on time with the improved information on directions.”

Are you interested in the Black Lives Matter reverse mentoring support scheme?

 

It is essential that our health and care system reflects the UK demographics as a whole, especially when two of Britain’s greatest assets are our diversity and deep inter-country ties. Despite the improvements that the NHS has made on improving its overall diversity, more work is needed in the representation of racial diversity at senior grades, ensuring that the NHS is culturally diverse and embodies an inclusive thinking and performing culture. Evidences show that by listening, learning and embedding the lived professional expertise and experiences of ethnic minority staff into new work practices and delivery; that this produces quality improvements in working cultures and service outcomes.

To support the above the STP Black Lives Matter reverse mentoring support scheme (BLM RMSS) is being launched. This innovative and most timely required scheme will see senior leads identified within the STP https://www.healthierfutures.co.uk restoration and recovery board membership paired with ethnic minority frontline staff to address and help challenge ingrained views on what talent looks like, break down stereotypes and biases, but to also essentially establish a new model of inclusive productivity and culture in action planning, co-design and inclusive best practice.

The STP BLM RMSS is a direct response to not only 2019/20 national, regional & local Black Country STP improvement action plans, but it will also proactively respond to the publication of the Foreign Office report, ‘Black skin, Whitehall: Race and the Foreign Office, 1945 to 2018’.

It will also significantly address:

  • Adopting a proactive improvement and change plan that evidences being advocates and activists to support the international, national, regional and local ‘Black Lives Matters’ Campaigns.
  • The STP pledge to deliver on addressing the acute health inequalities for ethnic minority communities; not only due to the concerning revelations of how Covid-19 affects ethnic minority population, but essentially because we have a moral and ethical duty to fully commit to equality rights.
  • Creating a network of champions reverse mentors required to help move the NHS forward.

Please see STP BLM RMSS Expression of Interest Form if this is of interest to you.

Note: All completed expressions of interest forms should be returned to Yassar.mohammed@nhs.net by Monday 5 April, 5pm.

For further information please call 07970 372473.

 

New Non-Obstetric Ultrasound service (NOUS)

 

SWB CCG has commissioned a new service which will be jointly delivered by us and Modality LLP from Thursday 1 April.  The service, previously delivered by Health Harmonie, will now benefit from:

  • A fully IT integrated service where all ultrasound scans taken in the community setting are available to SWBHT in real-time enabling a smooth and efficient patient pathway
  • Referral process using ICE saving time for referrers
  • Accessibility from 6 community locations including:
    • West Birmingham: Nishkam Pharmacy (Handsworth), Shanklin House Surgery (Handsworth) & Tower Hill Partnership Medical Practice (Perry Barr)
    • Sandwell: Neptune Health Park (Tipton), Rowley Regis Hospital (Rowley Regis) & Hill Top Medical Centre (Oldbury)
  • A fully integrated clinical model where SWBHT Consultant Radiologists provide clinical oversight for community sonographers
  • Appointments for direct access ultrasound requests offered within 10 days of referral
  • Ultrasound reports sent back to the referring GP within 2 days

For further details please NOUS information sheet.

Note: The new service is now accepting  referrals  with clinics running from the Thursday 1 April.

Health Education England webinar – academic writing masterclass: 6 April

 

Are you looking for help on how to publish your work, academic writing or research?

Health Education England are running a webinar Tuesday 6 April, 9.30am – 1pm. To sign up please click here.

For more information please email publichealthtraining.wm@hee.nhs.uk.

 

City car park adjacent to pathology closure: 29 March

 

On Monday 29 March we are closing the City carpark adjacent to the pathology department to get access for a crane to be bought in for essential works to be carried out for the mortuary.

The works should take no longer than one day and as soon as the works are completed the area will again be open as normal.

Plenty of additional City parking is available at the rear of Summerfield House, around Brookfield House, at the rear of the old Laundry building and in the Sunken Gardens car park.

Note: The area will be barriered off during Sunday 28 March in the evening by the estates team meaning there will be no access to this car park on the Sunday night.

For more information about these works please email stephen.coles@nhs.net.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 26 March

 

Some big changes ahead as Engie continue their final preparations to become the provider for much of our estates services from 5 April. My thanks to everyone involved in this transition. I recognise that the change has been unsettling for the many people who now have a new employer. May I assure you that the estates colleagues transferring over remain very much a part of the SWB Trust family as we are one team supporting and delivering care for our patients. And the Engie team have much to offer their new colleagues in terms of career and team development opportunities as well as bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge in the estates management field.

Next week we see a change to urgent care offered at Sandwell as the Trust takes on the activity from the former Parsonage Street Urgent Treatment Centre (Walk-in Centre). For an interim period from 1 April, while work continues to create the centre in the Sandwell outpatient area, patients with urgent care needs will attend the Sandwell Emergency Department entrance where they will be assessed and directed towards the clinical rooms for treatment. The service is GP-led and open 8am to 8pm seven days a week.

A reminder to attend your second vaccine dose appointments as the Sandwell Hospital Hub reopened earlier this week. Please make sure you know when your appointment is so that we make the most of the booking slots and available vaccines. First dose appointments can still be booked at other centres – details in the COVID-19 bulletin.

Congratulations to this week’s star of the week, Luke Priest, nominated by his colleagues for his enthusiasm and professionalisms. Luke started as a Healthcare Assistant on McCarthy ward at Rowley Regis Hospital at the end of October 2020 and has demonstrated his caring and compassionate nature with lots of positive patient feedback. His team have commented on how much they enjoy working with him. Luke has taken on some additional shifts as a COVID-19 Liaison Officer offering vital support to help patients and relatives keep in touch. Thank you, Luke, for your commitment and dedication.

You’ve all no doubt had your heads down like everyone else of late, pushing through the working day, doing the best you can to deliver care and support your colleagues.  The national news, if you are anything like me, can often wash over your head at the moment, with it being still almost endlessly COVID or COVID vaccine related.  Even if the news of the new government White Paper on the future of the NHS and social care in England has reached your consciousness, then you are likely to not have taken much notice, principally because structural and policy change in the NHS is a frequent cycle of events and because how the NHS is managed isn’t often a point of great interest or debate.

Despite the above, I am keen to get a couple of key elements of the White Paper across to you, through the lens of what it will mean for us in Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust.

Firstly, the autonomy of NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trust is definitely waning.  The legislation clips our wings because it is introducing a “system by default” mantra and forming “Integrated Care Systems” which will have all of the authority to allocate resources, make big decisions about service change or provision and do what is “best for the system” as opposed to what is “best for a Trust”.  Locally, our system is Black Country & West Birmingham, so we now must discuss and agree approaches to resourcing and delivering health services with other organisations and around the principle of “the greater good”, as opposed to organisational self interest.  We must now worry as much about Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton as places, just as they must worry about Sandwell, Ladywood and Perry Barr.  How all this will play itself out when there are disagreements, is still anybody’s guess, given the detail on how independent Trusts play into this, has yet to emerge.  One thing is for sure, the previous approach to assuming one organisation would take work off another and make money from doing so, have come to an end.

Secondly, the legislation mandates NHS Trusts to collaborate with one another to deliver better care for patients, as opposed to competing with each other for work.  This is a good thing.  The Black Country in particular, has a lot of acute hospitals in a very small geographical area.  None of them, not even the two which we manage, are big enough to sustainably deliver high quality 7 day services to a consistent standard everywhere.  Workforce shortages in most professions, compound this, leaving us all competing for staff in a pool which, no matter which way you cut it, is too small to service demand.  The Black Country & West Birmingham has over 1.5 million residents, yet precious few specialist services, because none of the Trusts have worked well with each other to integrate their workforce to deliver them.

This has to change.  To that end, our Trust has started to participate openly and transparently in a new collaboration with the other acute hospital Trusts in our system.  Our aim?  To improve service resilience, tackle workforce challenges, develop specialist services and standardise care to national best practice.  Sessions will be held this summer in which our senior clinical colleagues will get their chance to influence what our system priorities should be for change.  We will then move quickly to make those changes with you, for the benefit of the whole population in our system.

Have a good weekend, colleagues

Richard

IT maintenance affecting Pathology service now deferred

 

Please be aware that the IT infrastructure maintenance affecting the Pathology service at City and Sandwell sites that was due to take place this weekend has now been deferred to a later date.

Important message: Alaris giving set alert

 

Problem:

Becton Dickinson (BD) have notified the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that the sterility of some of their devices cannot be guaranteed due to quality issues with their third-party sterilisation provider. The following stock is affected:

[caption id="attachment_288528" align="alignnone" width="566"] Alaris GP volumatic pump (with safety clamp)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_288529" align="alignnone" width="566"] Alaris Infusion Set (gravity)[/caption]

Although the devices are likely to be sterile this cannot be guaranteed so there is a very small risk of infection from treatment with these devices. There will be supply disruption whilst Becton Dickinson transfer products to a new sterilisation provider.

This is a global issue and all Becton Dickinson infusion lines will be recalled when:

  • Alternative products are available or
  • When Becton Dickinson advise that the disruption to the supply chain has been resolved.

Please see MHRA safety notice in regards to supply disruption of sterile infusion sets and connectors manufactured by Becton Dickinson.

Immediate actions:

Using an alternative volumatic pump – should be considered. However colleagues MUST be trained and competent in their use and able to verify their competency, by ensuring their training records are updated.

If administering fluids and drug infusions via gravity line always seek to use an alternative line other the Becton Dickinson infusion set.

If no alternative device or clinical approach is available you should before administration through the Alaris giving set:

  1. Undertake the Risk Assessment Checklist for Use of Alaris (BD) giving sets (please see volumatic pump checklist)
  2. Follow the alternative advice outlined below
  3. Following completion the checklist must be scanned into the patient’s UNITY notes
  4. Ensure any incidence of infection that may be linked to these infusion sets are reported through Safeguard.

Monidrop devices are available for wards, prior to use colleagues MUST be trained and competent in their use.

Over the coming weeks the Trust will be providing stock from other manufacturers and we will keep you updated as to when Becton Dickinson stocks can be removed from use.

Administration set supplies:

Becton Dickinson stocks within the Trust will be rationalised and centrally stored from the following bases:

  • Sandwell – Room 369, Bryan Knight
  • City – Ward D30 (sister’s office).

Prior to collection please ensure you complete the volumatic pump checklist, which MUST be left in the tray. This is very important so that we can monitor use.

Areas that routinely use the critical medicines will be allowed to keep reserve stocks of administration sets. All other areas will need to collect administration sets when required from the central bases, provided that the drug to administer is on the critical medicines list. This will be confirmed by colleagues who are manning the central distribution points.

Gravity IV Sets have not been removed, however all wards and departments should manage their stocks on a daily basis.

Advice/alternative:

Prior to administering any fluids or drug infusions, the NHS Medusa Injectable Medicines Guide MUST be checked. Many drugs are appropriate to be given as a bolus injection and this should be the first choice where clinically appropriate. To access Medusa please click here.

The following general information may be of use.

Gravity infusion calculations and drip rates:

When administering an infusion by a gravity giving set, nursing colleagues will be required to calculate the drip rate. Guidance on how to do this can be found by clicking here.

Fluid replacement:

Alternative gravity giving sets have been procured by the Trust. It is clinically appropriate to give most routine fluid infusions via a gravity infusion. Exceptions to this include strong potassium solutions and some electrolyte containing infusions, so the NHS Medusa injectable medicines guide must always be checked before starting to administer any fluids.

The list of critical medicines, medicines suitable for gravity infusion, Alaris IV volumatic pump sets affected and further detailed information can be found by clicking here. Please also see IV infusion administration alternate methods by clicking here.

Actions:

  1. All clinical colleagues are to conserve stocks of administration sets when administering fluids and infusions by following the advice.
  2. All clinical colleagues are to use the NHS Medusa Injectable Medicines Guide to confirm whether a drug is suitable for bolus or gravity infusion prior to administration.
  3. The procurement team will identify excess BD administration sets from non-critical areas and will be returned, to be redistributed centrally.

When collecting administration sets from the central base, ward colleagues must provide details of the drug required to be administered, which must be on the critical medicines list.

BME Staff Network hosted event: COVID vaccine your questions answered – Monday 29 March, 1pm – 2pm

 

The BME Staff Network are hosting a Q&A event aimed at answering the questions and concerns you may have about receiving the COVID vaccine. They will be joined by a panel of senior leaders within the organisation including:

  • Dr Masood Aga, Consultant and Specialty Lead in Occupational Medicine
  • Puneet Sharma, Chief Pharmacist
  • Dr David Carruthers, Medical Director

There will also be an opportunity hear from Steven Shanu, Lead Pharmacist who will talk about his own experiences of being part of the clinical trials for the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

The event will be held on Monday 29 March, 1pm – 2pm. Please join in and send your questions prior to the event to BME Staff Network Vice Chair, Malik Umar malik.umar@nhs.net.

Everyone is welcome.

To join the event, please see instructions below:

COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 25 March

 

Numbers not statistics: This week (last week)

No. of our patients confirmed with COVID-19 No. of positive COVID-19 patients who have been discharged No. of COVID-19 positive patients who have died in our hospitals No.of COVID-19 positive current inpatients No. of COVID-19 research trial participants to date
6,218
(6,185)		 6,077
(6,007)		 1,188
(1,180)		 67
(84)		 1,126
(1,112)

NB: Figures listed now represent the combined total during the pandemic.

1. New: UHB and ROH spinal services referrals update

Following a full divert of spinal emergencies from University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (ROH) in January 2021 as part of mutual aid to help support the wider system, the NORSE referrals divert was removed as of 22 March 2021.  Clinicians should revert to the usual referring pathways that were in place prior to the divert when referring patients to spinal services. For further information please contact Lisa Savage at ROH on lsavage@nhs.net.

2. New: Convalescent Plasma Programme has finished

NHSBT has advised the Trust that the Convalescent Plasma Programme (CVP) has finished due to the trial results, declining patient numbers and the success of the vaccine roll out. There will not be any further research, as results from the trials have undergone robust analysis and did not show any benefit to patients. As a result, the collection of CVP has stopped.  Please ensure all remaining leaflets supplied by NHSBT are removed from patient discharge packs. Thank you to all colleagues who supported this research.

3. New: COVID-19 staff bulletin moving to once a week

From next week the frequency of COVID-19 strategic meetings will move to once a week, held on Thursdays. Following this we will also reduce the number of COVID-19 bulletins – issuing weekly on a Friday. Everything you need to know about our current response to COVID will be included in the bulletin, so please ensure you look out for it. All up to date information and reference will be published on Connect on our COVID pages.

4. New: Testing programme for South Africa variant strain in parts of Sandwell: New home testing and mobile collections

Drop and collect tests are being offered door to door in specific streets within the wider DY4 7, DY4 8 and B69 2 postcode areas. The area is loosely between Birmingham Canal in the north, New Birmingham Road in the south, Coneygree Road in the west and Vaughan Trading Estate in the east.

The home test kits are aimed at those who can’t get to the new mobile testing unit (MTU) in the car park of Pure Gym, Dudley Port, which is open 9am-3pm seven days a week.

People without symptoms who can get to the MTU are urged to go as soon as possible – you can walk-in without booking, but if you have to drive there you must book an appointment.  A booking system for drive-in appointments is available on the council’s website.

Colleagues can go to the council’s testing webpage here to check if you’re in the area where you need to get a test and details of how to book.

Starting today Sandwell Council’s mobile library will also be visiting locations in the target areas People living there are urged to return completed tests to these mobile collection points if they are not in when council volunteers call to pick them up. The home testing kits are only for people without symptoms – so the mobile collection point does not bring an infection risk to the area. Council drop and collect teams are knocking on doors and giving out home test kits which will then be sent for special sequencing testing to identify any cases of the variant. If nobody is at home they will post a missed collection leaflet so that residents know about the alternative service.

See location schedule:

Date and time Location
Thursday 25 March 3pm – 6pm Walford Street
Friday 26 March 3pm – 6pm Gate Street
Saturday 27 March 11 – 2pm Brindlefields Way
Sunday 28 March 11 – 2pm Calley Close
Monday 29 March 3pm – 6pm Mayfair Gardens
Tuesday 30 March 3pm – 6pm Walford Street
Wednesday 31 March 3pm – 6pm Gate Street

5. New: All Chaplaincy congregational services reopen

The Trust Chaplaincy service is happy to advise colleagues that services have resumed for all staff and patients. Please ensure you follow social distancing, PPE and hand hygiene rules when entering all areas designated for prayer. The following timetable now applies:

Friday Prayers:

City: Old Millers Restaurant (Next to Post Grad)

  • 1.15pm  Khutbah
  • 1.30pm  Jamaat

Sandwell Chapel 2nd Floor:

  • 1.15pm  Khutbah
  • 1.30pm  Jamaat

      Sunday Communion Services: Starting with Easter Day Services  4 April

  • City Hospital (1st Floor) 11am
  • Sandwell (2nd Floor) 2pm
  • City Catholic Mass 12pm: 1st Wednesday of every month
  • Sandwell Catholic Mass 11am: 1st Friday of every month.

6. Update: Working from home: Trust guidance extended to 21 June 2021

Colleagues should note that our current ‘working from home’ guidance will remain in place until 21 June this year, and as such we are NOT expecting a mass return of home workers back to Trust sites after 31 March.

We plan to issue a longer-term strategy regarding home working arrangements in the coming months to carry the Trust through the period to 2023 and to put arrangements on a firmer and more contractual footing. This ensures fairness for existing and new employees and clarity about eligibility and decision making. We expect this longer-term guidance to increase the number of staff working from home than we saw pre COVID-19. This is due to being mindful of social distancing and the open plan nature of office accommodation in particular in the Trust’s estate from 2022.

We recognise that some staff may prefer to bring home working arrangements now to a conclusion – please talk to your manager to ensure this can be done safely. However, for clarity such decisions will have no bearing on roles designated longer term as home based, nor will occupying a desk alter desk allocation after we have completed our COVID SAFE assessments. It is expected that multi-occupant offices will have fewer work spaces within them and that some teams and departments will relocate with priority given to patient facing roles and remits in on site bases.

If you are currently working from home you must contact your line manager prior to 31 March and confirm your arrangements through to 21 June. This conversation would typically include re-confirming hours of work to avoid situations where there is a perception that it is difficult to say no/switch off when working electronically and from home. Work/life balance is important to us.

Staff who have been shielding and unable to work from home must complete a new risk assessment and be cleared to return to site before they come back. All future updates to our home working guidance will be shared in the COVID staff bulletin.

7. Update: Swabbing pathway: Important changes to be aware of

We have updated our swabbing pathway with the following amends. The flowchart is published on Connect here.

  • Previously COVID-19 positive patients do not need re-screening for 90 days from first positive result unless they have new COVID symptoms. If a previously positive patient is re-admitted within 14 days please use the last swab result on the system.
  • Should an asymptomatic previously positive patient inadvertently be re-tested within 90 days as positive then this result can be disregarded.
  • Contact tracing bay patients who have been contacts will need swabbing every 3 days for 14 days (IPC will place flag on Unity).
  • In the event of an outbreak, contacts of a positive patient will need to be isolated or cohorted on the current Amber ward or in the contact bay for 14 days (irrespective of the negative result).
  • For stepping down to amber ward after 14 days, there should be complete resolution of COVID symptoms along with senior consultant review. A negative swab is not required. For Immunocompromised patients after 14 days with complete resolution of symptoms, 2 negative swab results 24 hrs apart or 1 negative lower respiratory sample e.g. sputum, is acceptable for stepdown to the Amber ward. If a patient develops new COVID-19 symptoms after a 90 day period, they should be isolated and tested again as this could be a new infection.
  • Nursing home discharges: An exception to this process is for individuals who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 and are within 90 days of their initial illness onset or positive test date. If these individuals have already completed their 14-day isolation period from the onset of symptoms or positive test result (if asymptomatic) and have no new COVID-19 symptoms or exposure, they are not considered to pose an infection risk. They therefore do not have to be re-tested and can move directly to any care home from the hospital.

8. Reminder: Second vaccine dose appointments at City Hospital – you must complete a form to book

Colleagues who do not have an appointment for their second dose of the vaccine due to having your first dose at City Hospital’s hub in Sheldon Block, are asked to complete the following form to ensure you secure an appointment for your second jab:  https://forms.office.com/r/i9HgiAvGgN.

For those who have appointments and have had 2nd vaccine doses elsewhere please cancel your appointment, stating that you have had your vaccine and where you had it so that we can update our records and offer the slots to other people.

9. Reminder: BME Staff Network hosted event 29 March: COVID vaccine your questions answered

The BME Staff Network are hosting a Q&A event aimed at answering the questions and concerns you may have about receiving the COVID vaccine. They will be joined by a panel of senior leaders within the organisation including:

  • Dr Masood Aga, Consultant and Specialty Lead in Occupational Medicine
  • Puneet Sharma, Chief Pharmacist
  • Dr David Carruthers, Medical Director

There will also be an opportunity hear from Steven Shanu, Lead Pharmacist, who will talk about his own experiences of being part of the clinical trials for the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

The event will be held on Monday 29 March, between 1pm and 2pm. Please join in and send your questions prior to the event to BME Staff Network Vice Chair, Malik Umar malik.umar@nhs.net.

Everyone is welcome.

To join the event, please see instructions below:

Additional Q&As are available on Connect on a number of subjects. Please click below for more details:

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