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Monthly archives: June 2021

New blood assist app

 

The ‘blood assist’ app is a brand new free to use app supporting safe blood transfusion for patients aged 18 years and over. It has been developed by the patient blood management team at NHS Blood and Transplant. This app incorporates the latest guidance, recommendations and advice from the serious hazards of transfusion (SHOT) the UK haemovigilance scheme, the British Society for Haematology (BSH) and the advisory committee on the safety of blood, tissues and organs (SaBTO).

The app is available on all SWB NHS Trust mobile devices. Please click here for further details.

For more information please email swbh.Bloodtransfusion@nhs.net.

Sign up now to join Nick Makwana for his final #Dance4Wellbeing

 

Today is the last day to sign up to join Dr Nick Makwana for his final #Dance4Wellbeing on Monday 5 July.

During the pandemic our dancing doctor has led a variety of dance workshops for colleagues. And now we can all get the chance to join in the top three dances as voted for by you – Jerusalema, Rockafeller Skank and Blame It On The Boogie.

Click here to watch all three routines, learn the moves and join in on Monday 5 July.

Play your part in raising much needed funds for Your Trust Charity, pop on your dancing shoes and start raising money. Sign up by Friday 18 June – simply email amanda.winwood@nhs.net.

Remember to donate using our Virgin Money Giving page.

Uncomfortable conversations training

 

Uncomfortable conversations training is mandatory for accredited managers and also open to all managers or aspiring managers across the organisation. If you go to ESR you can book a space by searching for the word ‘Accredited’ and will be sent a link. The course covers how to have everyday conversations with staff to improve their performance and build a high performing team.

For more information please email richard.burnell@nhs.net.

Heartbeat: Fractured Neck of Femur: Breaking the cycle

 

Amongst elderly patients, hip fractures are associated with an in-hospital mortality rate of 7–14 per cent nationally, and often result in profound temporary and sometimes even permanent impairment of independence and quality of life. With an aging population, global pandemic creating chaos on an unprecedented level, it’s important that we break the cycle of broken hips becoming broken lives. And at our Trust, we proud to announce, we have ‘smashed’ the best practice for four consecutive months.

The hip fracture guideline published by NICE emphasises the importance of early treatment of hip fracture patients. With hip fracture surgery often subject to delay in comparison with other operations surgery is still considered the best form of pain relief. Postponement of surgery prolongs pain and carries an increased risk of complications.

Despite the challenges that we have faced this year as a Trust, the specialist surgery directorate is proud to announce that it has met the Fractured Neck of Femur Best Practice tariff target of surgery within 36 hours for the past four months and on target to complete the fifth month.

Sharing their news, Specialist Surgery Directorate General Manager Natasha Dupree said, “We have a cohesive multidisciplinary team dedicated to the management and care of Neck of Femur (NOF) patients including orthopaedic consultants, an ortho-geriatrician, nursing staff, trauma coordinators, anaesthetists, physiotherapists, theatre staff, and management. This team meets bi-weekly to review patient pathways, undertake a root cause analysis of any breaches and to identify areas of opportunity of improvement and themes in avoidable breaches.

“A significant aspect of meeting the best practice target has been down to our excellent and refreshed team of Trauma Coordinators who work 7 days a week proactively overseeing the NOF pathway and ensuring maximum utilisation and efficient listing of trauma surgery.

“In November 2020 we established a working group outlining an improvement plan. The plan includes several task and milestones including the development of a trauma surgery standard operating procedure, routine review of breaches and improved data capture. Going forward, we will be continuing this work over the next few months to improve the digital management of NOF patients including the development of KPIs across the pathway that we can regularly report on and monitor. We are also planning the development of a Unity pro-forma to enable robust reporting on NOF KPIs and creating alerts within Unity to support proactive management. As a team we will be preparing for MMUH and mapping the pathway to our new hospital, identifying opportunities for further improvement”

Changes to blood tubes

 

The Black Country Pathology Services are in the process of standardising processes across SWB, Dudley Group NHS Hospital Foundation Trust, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

This will require the standardisation of blood tubes across the four Trusts listed above. Therefore, from Monday 5 July there will be some changes to the blood tubes ordered. The main changes colleagues will see is the change from a push cap to screw cap tube for the majority of tubes together with some volume changes.

Below are two documents showing:

  1. SWB Tube change which details the changes
  2. BCPS Vacuette chart which details the order of draw for future reference

Please continue to utilise existing stocks and order new stock codes when required.

For more information please email michelleharris3@nhs.net.

 

BMEC car park closure: 24 and 25 June

 

The entrance to the BMEC car park will be closed on Thursday 24 June and Friday 25 June for essential work to install new service ducts.

The contractors will enable access for ambulances and disabled patients only.  All other vehicles will be re-directed to other visitor car parks. QPark will oversee traffic management in the area.

Important message: Two serum samples are now required for hepatitis C serology

 

The technical processing of serology samples is now being undertaken by the BCPS clinical chemistry department.

Due to a technical change, two serum samples will be required for hepatitis C serology. This will allow the laboratory to report both a serology result and a viral load result at the same time. Where electronic requesting systems are being used these will be updated to prompt this at the time of sample collection.

Serology results will also now appear in the blood sciences section of electronic systems. It is anticipated that there will be no other appreciable difference in your experience of requesting serology tests or receiving results.

Please see serology letter for further details.

The arrangements for clinical interpretive advice remain unchanged and the duty microbiologist can be contacted in cases where any discussion or clarification is required.

The contact details for clinical advice are listed below:

Note: You can contact the out of hours consultant microbiologist via switchboard.

It’s Diabetes Week: Meet David Krishna Roy

 

Diabetes Week is an annual UK-wide initiative which aims to raise awareness of diabetes as well as raise vital funds to help research the condition.

Our diabetes team work alongside colleagues from Heartlands including David Krishna Roy, MSc, Eye Screener.

David believes eye screening makes a difference to patients’ vision and mental health giving them vital information to make more informed decisions. David likes to empower his patients as it is really important that if you are diabetic, to attend your diabetic eye screening appointments at your local opticians to help keep your sight and reduce the chances of any vision loss.

Untreated diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common causes of sight loss. When the condition is caught early, treatment is effective at reducing or preventing damage to your sight.

Do you live with diabetes and want support?

Would you like to be empowered and learn more the about support available to better manage your diabetes? Would you like to learn up to date information and guidance about your diabetes as well as alternative diabetes education platforms available to you?

If so please email anitakaur@nhs.net who can help you access education or support with your diabetes.

It’s Diabetes Week: Meet Adel and Paulette

 

Diabetes Week is an annual UK-wide initiative which aims to raise awareness of diabetes as well as raise vital funds to help research the condition.

Our diabetes team work alongside colleagues from Heartlands who lead on the diabetes retinopathy service. Heartlands colleagues, Adel Pinnock and Paulette Robinson play vital roles in the service.

Adel has been a retinal screener/grader for the Birmingham, Solihull, and Black Country Diabetic Eye Screening Programme for five years. Her role is to screen patients living with diabetes for any signs of diabetic retinopathy – one of the leading causes of blindness in the working age population. She also grades those images from the screening clinic in which the results are sent to the patient. She believes it is really important that if you are diabetic, to attend your diabetic eye screening appointments at your local opticians to help us help you keep your sight and reduce the chances of any vision loss.

Paulette is a dedicated failsafe co-ordinator/officer based within the hospital eye service at Heartlands allowing a direct link into each of the 9 hospital sites that are served by the Birmingham, Solihull and Black Country Diabetic Eye Screening Programme. She has direct access to the hospital appointments systems which allows her to gain clarification that patient appointments are booked in a timely manner and in the appropriate clinics. This also ensures patient queries are answered in a timely fashion.

Do you live with diabetes and want support?

Would you like to be empowered and learn more the about support available to better manage your diabetes? Would you like to learn up to date information and guidance about your diabetes as well as alternative diabetes education platforms available to you?

If so please email anitakaur@nhs.net who can help you access education or support with your diabetes.

Wellbeing Wednesday: Men’s Health Week

 

The spotlight is on our male colleagues as it’s men’s health week. We want to encourage you to talk about your personal wellbeing, it’s strength!  Many male colleagues have used the services at the wellbeing hub and some feel it’s like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders.

Zaheer Iqbal, Portering and Security Manager after just 25 minutes on the relaxation pod at the wellbeing hub: “Wow that was amazing, everyone should experience this!”

The wellbeing hub is free and provides a safe space for a confidential chat, you can book a meditation session or unwind with a massage, enjoy  walking therapy – your choice – just call 0121 507 5886 to book. These are complimentary services available from our Trust because we care about you.

Men’s health – useful links:

Are you concerned about something? There is support for you daily. Here are some useful numbers:

  • Counsellors: The NHS direct counselling service:  0800 06 96 22 (7am – 11pm, 7 days a week)
  • Bereavement support:0300 303 4434 (8am – 8pm)
  • Trouble sleeping: Click here for help and guidance
  • Just need a confidence conversation?  Book a one to one at the wellbeing sanctuary by calling 0121 507 5886
  • REACT practitioners: Talk to colleagues who have been trained to have a confidential conversation with you near to where you work. Email  wellbeinghub@nhs.net to find out who is your nearest REACT practitioner
  • SHOUT service: Text SHOUT to 85258 confidential TEXT support

Chaplaincy team: All  our chaplaincy team are trained listeners and people who care for you. You can email mary.causer@nhs.net or call either 0121 507 3552/4055 or 07972 572854 to get in touch with the team

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