Monthly archives: April 2021

Do you know how your PDR will work this year?

The PDR process will be different this year. This has been an unprecedented year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result the Trust has carefully considered its approach to the personal development review (PDR) process to ensure that it is both meaningful and conducted in a way which is practical.

We know that many colleagues have been re-deployed into other areas or taken on other duties, and that they may not have been able to focus on the objectives or personal development discussed in their PDR last year. For these reasons, for this year, it has been decided to change the focus from traditional scoring against objectives, to the development of a personalised discussion and plan for each individual alongside the timescales for completion being increased: April to July 2021.

The process for 2021 will consist of the following:

• Part 1 – personalised discussion and plan
• Part 2 – objectives for the year ahead, future aspirations and development plan

The PDR form has been amended to reflect this and the form for 2021 can be found by clicking here.

Dr Nick’s eighth #Dance4Wellbeing – send us your photos and videos

As you may have seen at the start of March, Dr. Nick Makwana led you through the seventh in a series of #Dance4Wellbeing routines to help you get up and go. The routine was based round Madonna’s classic hit Vogue.

For the month of April, Nick has come in with a routine based around Fatboy Slim’s Rockafeller Skank and is joined by Dinah McLannahan, Chief Finance Officer and Martin Sadler, Chief Informatics Officer.

You can see all their fantastic moves by clicking on the video below.

We’re encouraging colleagues from across the Trust to send us their photos and video clips of their fantastic moves to  swbh.comms@nhs.net.

In case you have missed any of the previous routines you can check them out by clicking here.

For more information please contact Johnny.shah@nhs.net.

Heartbeat: Brexit deal or no deal – and the challenges for imaging

With much of the Brexit-related talk in the media being focused on potential food shortages and whether the fish are happier as British fish, exit from the EU had the potential for other more far reaching implications, particularly in the absence of a deal.

These included how our healthcare and medical needs can continue to be best served in the complex new relationship in which we find ourselves. In the four years since the 2016 referendum up to the announcement that UK and EU leaders had managed to come to a compromise meaning we would not have to face a ‘no deal’ scenario, colleagues across our Trust had been hard at work developing contingency plans.

One area that was quick to begin work on scoping out impact was our imaging team who were acutely aware that the EU withdrawal would also mean an exit from the European Atomic Energy Community.

Jilly Croasdale, Head of Radiopharmacy Services gave Heartbeat an insight into how imaging has been preparing for Brexit and what the changes mean for our service. She told us: “The radiopharmacy community in the UK has been very involved in the negotiations throughout this process. When this started, I was Chair of the UK Radiopharmacy Group and sat on the British Nuclear Medicine Society (BNMS) Council. It meant I was involved as one of the NHS stakeholders in Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) meetings to develop contingency plans. I co-wrote the BNMS Guidance on how to manage Radiopharmacy and nuclear medicine services in the event of a no-deal Brexit with the Royal College of Radiologists and also liaised with other radiopharmacies and nuclear medicine departments across the West Midlands to assist in the development of their risk assessments and contingency plans.

“A major impact of a no deal Brexit was the potential to disrupt how goods, including medicines, move in and out of the UK. During the years following the referendum, whilst a deal was being negotiated, the government worked closely with stakeholders in the UK to make contingency plans to limit the impact of any disruption at borders. These included the NHS and industry partners.

“For medicines, decisions were made to stockpile where possible. However, our area was highlighted as having a particular problem because of their time-critical nature. These were the radioisotopes used in radiopharmacy and nuclear medicine. Since these materials are radioactive, and as such, are decaying away all the time, any delays have the potential for making them unusable. It would result in disruption and subsequent delays to patient appointments and, subsequently, diagnosis. Although many nuclear medicine patients are outpatients, the majority of them are cancer patients, or those suffering from cardiovascular problems. Delays to diagnosis and treatment can be serious.

“Initially Brexit represented a significant clinical risk to the radiopharmacy and nuclear medicine service. A lot of planning and negotiation followed to mitigate these risks. It resulted in a move from road to air freight for all radioactive shipments into the UK. The reason for this is that, without a deal, the channel tunnel and the ‘short straights’ (for example, short channel crossings via Dover and Calais) could become congested and the risk of substantial delays was a real threat. In contrast, air freight is booked, planned and arranged in advance – it is a good solution. However, it has been challenging to arrange suitable flights. There have been some delays, it’s not ideal, but is manageable.”

Thankfully we secured a deal with the EU, so we asked Jilly how this will positively impact our service. “Now a deal is agreed, most deliveries are being made as expected, albeit with the 24- hour delay for some things, which does have a financial impact.

“However, although it has been an uncertain and worrying few years, it shows how the NHS, Government and industry can work together to overcome potential patient problems. Throughout this process, the seriousness with which the DHSC took the impact on our small specialty could not be faulted. So in the end, whatever your views on Brexit, this turned out to be a good news story.”

Green Impact – get involved and make a difference

Want to join our exciting ‘green’ sustainability programme to help make a difference?

We appreciate that times are extremely difficult at the moment. We are busy looking after our patients but we can easily make simple changes that can protect our planet and save valuable money and resources.

We want you and your team to join us in our movement to go green with our environmental sustainability programme – Green Impact. All you have to do is work with your team to complete the simple actions in the toolkit (for example, switching off lights and equipment when not required, wasting less and using the correct bins, driving less, reducing paper use, etc.) These simple actions collectively make a big difference and help us move towards a more sustainable and healthier place to work.

Note: The level of input it flexible and down to you so please do get involved.

If you would like to find out more, please contact Francesca.silcocks@nhs.net.

Caring for the Dying

New video to help you improve your knowledge and skills by Palliative Medicine Consultant Dr Mariam George, see it here

Cancer services April sale

Our cancer services are hosting a virtual sale with all funds raised going towards Your Trust Charity to support cancer patients wellbeing. They are offering a variety of items jigsaws, puzzles, games and much more.

Please see cancer services virtual activity April item list for further details.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the items, would like to see further pictures of an item you are interested in or would like more information, please call ext. 2776 or email jennifer.donovan@nhs.net.

BD Alaris IV administration set update

We can now confirm that BD (Becton Dickinson) Gravity IV administration sets with the NHS Supply Chain code FSB1487 and manufacturer’s product code 03508384208H are not affected by the latest recall and are safe to use in your wards and areas.

For all other volumetric pump IV administration sets and more further information, please continue to follow the information in the previous bulletin by clicking here

COVID-19 Bulletin: Friday 9 April

Numbers not statistics: This week (last week)

1. New: Dr David Carruthers shares an important update on COVID-19

This week, Dr David Carruthers, our Medical Director, shared an update on how we can collectively help reduce the risk of acquiring and spreading COVID-19 among family, friends and patients.

Dr Carruthers highlighted the continued importance of following infection, prevention and control measures. Whilst we may be moving forward on our journey towards easing lockdown measures, it remains vital that we all follow social distancing guidelines, hand hygiene and continue to wear masks.

We are asking all colleagues to complete their LAMP testing. Dr Carruthers urged colleagues to engage fully in this programme to keep infection rates in our workplace as low as we can.

Those who are scheduled to have their vaccine are encouraged to attend their appointments or book in to have their first vaccine.

Watch the full video here:

2. New: MHRA and JCVI announcement re AstraZeneca vaccine 

Since the start of the pandemic over 4 million COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in the UK causing more than 120,000 deaths. Over 30 million people have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine since the start of the programme, which Public Health England (PHE) estimate has prevented at least 6,000 deaths in the first 3 months of 2021. There have been reports of an extremely rare adverse event of concurrent thrombosis (blood clots) and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) following vaccination with the first dose of AstraZeneca. JCVI has weighed the relative balance of benefits and risks and advise that the benefits of prompt vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh the risk of adverse events for individuals 30 years of age and over and those who have underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease.

MHRA and JCVI have made clear the balance of risk is still very much in favour of vaccination, and that all those who have received a first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should take their second dose of the vaccine, irrespective of age. For colleagues under 30 without underlying health conditions it is preferable for them to be offered an alternative COVID-19 vaccine, if available. The Trust is currently looking at logistics for the under 30s who have not yet had their first AZ vaccine with a view to have another type, keep your eye on staff comms for more details in coming days.

Colleagues can read the full MHRA and JCVI announcement online here.

3. New: Welcome back – SWB trials welcoming back visitors 

From Monday, 12 April, we will begin a phased trial where we will slowly start to welcome visitors back into our organisation.

Our initial rollout will focus on supporting visiting at Rowley Regis Hospital and Maternity at City with a plan to allow visiting at Sandwell antenatal clinics later that week.

We plan to welcome visitors back to stroke services on 26 April, followed by elderly care at Sandwell and City Hospitals from 10 May. A further rollout plan for the rest of the hospital areas will then follow.

We will be monitoring our visiting arrangements closely to ensure that we are able to maintain a safe environment for patients, colleagues and visitors.

All visitors will need to call ahead to relevant wards to book an appointment slot to visit; during this call visitors should be screened to ensure they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms. All visitors must wear a mask when on site. General patient visits will last a maximum of 30 minutes and should be limited to one visitor per patient, however maternity visitors will be allowed one hour.

In line with national guidance, general visiting will only be allowed for patients that have been in the hospital for seven days or more. (This does not apply to women in maternity, please read on for specific arrangements covering maternity.)

We’d like to remind colleagues that there are exceptional circumstances where visiting is allowed in all areas, for example for young patients, patients who lack mental capacity and patients who are at the end of their life. For these patients it is important that we are able to safely facilitate visiting, 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 COVID-19 symptomatic or self-isolating, regardless of the circumstances.

Visiting arrangements for maternity

Visiting arrangements within our maternity department at City Hospital will be as follows:

• Birthing partners will now be able to accompany the mum-to-be to her scans and antenatal appointments. Antenatal at Sandwell will adopt this from 19 April.
• A birthing partner will still be allowed to accompany a woman during her labour.
• The Trust is also able to offer designated one-hour slots for visiting on inpatient wards within our maternity department.
• Upon arrival, those accompanying the mum-to-be, either for a scan, appointment, labour or visiting, will have to undergo a COVID-19 test before they are allowed entry.

To book a visit for maternity services, visitors will need to call 07814 226106/0121 507 5743 between 9am-11am to book a visiting slot for the afternoon. You can find out more here.

4. New: Our roadmap to reopening gyms 

12 April is one of the most highly anticipated dates in 2021 so far. With Boris Johnson moving forward with his roadmap to recovery and moving onto phase two that sees non-essential shops, gyms, outdoor hospitality returning to England, we too have reviewed our roadmap to reopening our gym facilities.

Several factors have been taken into consideration when looking at when and how we will reopen our gyms.  Our rationale includes some of the following factors:

• Cleaning processes – a large number of touchpoints exist within gyms
• There is no way of restricting the numbers in the gym area as it is not monitored
• Exercise increases the respiratory effect and increases shedding of the virus from asymptomatic positive individuals.

We have completed a review of gyms at both sites to ensure they are COVID safe. We understand how important the gyms are for colleagues and are actively looking at ways to make these spaces better to boost staff wellbeing. Some of the things we are exploring include refurbishing areas and putting in new flooring and changing rooms.

Our priority remains staff safety, and we will reopen our gyms as soon as we can safely do so. In the meantime, we have several wellbeing options available to colleagues. We’d encourage everyone to find a way that works for them to support their mental wellbeing.

These are just some of the ways you can support your personal wellbeing:

• You can take advantage of a 20 per cent discount per month at Sandwell Leisure Trust via their one card membership.
• Try something new such as mindful yoga with Chris
• Try out our relaxation pod. Call 0121 507 5886 to book
• Book a chat at the sanctuary by calling 0121 507 5886
• Call our counselling service on 0800 06 96 222 between 7am – 11pm
• Have a conversation with one of our REACT Practitioners by calling 0121 507 5886
• Sign up for a Blue Light Card to access exclusive discounts for NHS staff.

5. New: People in Greets Green & Lyng and Newton areas urged to take extra care as COVID-19 cases increase 

People living and working in the Greets Green & Lyng and Newton areas of West Bromwich are warned to be extra cautious as COVID-19 rates rise sharply once again.

The rate of infection in Greets Green & Lyng ward is 108 per 100,000 people with 15 new cases in the last seven days of data (30 March – 5 April). Comparable figures for the same period in Newton ward show an infection rate of 103 per 100,000 with 13 new cases. The rates are more than twice the current average rate for Sandwell which is 39 new cases per 100,000.

Dr Lisa McNally, Sandwell’s Director of Public Health, said: “Recently, we have seen a sharp rise in infection in these areas. There has been no single large outbreak – rather there has been a general rise in infections, with sometimes several cases within one household.

“People living and working in these areas must take extra care to avoid becoming infected and passing COVID-19 on to others.  In particular, if you have COVID-19 symptoms, stay home and book a test. If we don’t self-isolate when we have symptoms we can put other people’s lives at risk.”

Anyone showing symptoms must self-isolate and book a COVID-19 test at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.

People without symptoms, who have to leave home for any reason, can book regular rapid COVID-19 tests at the West Bromwich Town Hall testing site. Visit www.sandwell.gov.uk/testsandwell for details or, for people who cannot book online, call 0121 569 6999. These tests are only for people without symptoms.

6. Reminder: LAMP testing 

LAMP (Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification) testing continues to be rolled out to all colleagues across the Trust and thank you to everyone who has taken the time to register and continue with the testing programme.

LAMP testing is a speedy and reliable COVID-19 test which requires you to collect a saliva sample once a week in the morning before you brush your teeth or have your breakfast.  When you arrive at work, you can deposit your sample into a collection box – and you’ll receive your result within 48-72 hours.

If you haven’t already, you can now book a kit collection slot by calling 0121 507 2664 and selecting option 6.

Detecting positive cases sooner reduces the risk of the virus being passed on to patients, colleagues, and family members and beyond in the community.

Weekly testing can detect the great majority of staff who may not know they have the virus and are potentially infectious to others.

We must remind everyone that LAMP testing is open to both clinical and non-clinical colleagues. It is vital that we continue to test despite colleagues having had the COVID vaccination and infection rates starting to drop.

Please drop off your sample into phlebotomy department  Mon – Friday  from 7:30am –  3:30 pm in the following locations:

• OPD  first floor Corridor D Sandwell Site
• Ground floor BTC
• Ground floor Rowley Regis Hospital
• First floor Neptune Health Park
• Second floor Lyng Health and Social Care Centre
• Victoria Health Centre
• Oldbury Health Centre

Alternatively you can drop off your samples in the LAMP collection bins at Sandwell outside the Bryan Knight Suite, outside Pathology or A&E.

At City, the LAMP collection bins can be found outside Pharmacy main spine, outside Pathology and A&E.

Further information on LAMP testing can be found in the attached FAQs.

Watch our animation on how to take part in LAMP testing or read more here.

Star of the Week – Darren Whitehouse

Our Star of the Week this week is Allergy CNS, Darren Whitehouse.

Darren has worked single handed to organise and deliver all immunology’s day case treatments since at least October. Without him, treatments would have been delayed, leading to patients experiencing worsening symptoms, likely calling on acute medical services when they are already stretched.

His work has meant that Immunology has been able to deliver a normal day case service at a time of colleagues on secondments. Darren’s work is greatly appreciated by the entire team and the patients.

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.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 9 April

Hello, colleagues.

This week I want to address an issue which may feel like something that is either temporary or not hugely important, but is likely to become a mainstay of our lives and very important as we play our part in a return to some kind of post-pandemic normality. That issue is regular COVID testing.

Recently, I received an information return that showed that our use of lateral flow testing by us as employees of the Trust, together with the percentage of staff who regularly provided the results for our database, was some of the lowest in the region. This was a concern both to our senior leadership team and the regional NHS team as well. We now have a more convenient and accurate method of regular testing for all of us, called LAMP testing. The key facts of LAMP testing are set out below:

• LAMP testing is a more accurate method of testing than the previously used Lateral Flow Test, you also don’t need to upload results yourself.
• Asymptomatic testing, when completed across the whole organisation allows us to look after our patients and fellow colleagues, by reducing asymptomatic transmission, and allows us as an organisation to have oversight of any outbreak areas so we can take immediate action.
• This is available to all staff, regardless of job role, profession or which area you work in.
• To register call 0121 507 2664 option 6, then a time will be arranged for you to collect 12 weeks worth of test kits.
• Each week you’ll need to deposit your sample in one of the multiple drop off points across the organisation including at our community bases.
• Any positive results will be sent directly to you before 9am the next day, negative results may take up to 24 hours.

I would like to encourage every colleague in the organisation to take this up and test themselves regularly. For us to be able to manage in a world in which the COVID-19 virus will be ever present, but not dominant in our lives, this is a change to our weekly rhythm of work and personal life that we must all commit to. That way, we can protect ourselves, our patients, our families and our colleagues. COVID will be with us for the foreseeable future. LAMP testing will be with us for the foreseeable future. Let’s help to manage COVID as a low level backdrop to our lives by adopting this straight away and on an ongoing basis.

Have a good weekend.

Best wishes
Richard