Monthly archives: June 2021

The Inclusion Cafe Book Club – Living library: 16 June

In the run-up to Windrush Day, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Library and Archive will be holding a special Living Library event: Stories of Windrush, Migration and Black Nurses’ Voices on Wednesday 16 June, 5.30pm – 6.30pm and 6.30pm – 7.30pm.

They will be sharing the stories of immigrant and black healthcare workers whilst holding onto their identity and fighting for their rights. This event is in partnership with the Migration Museum, a museum which explores how the movement of people to and from Britain across the ages has made us who we are – as individuals and as a nation. Speakers include Allyson Williams MBE and Councillor Alift Harewood.

For more information and to book your place please click here.

Library services awareness week: 14-18 June

Library services awareness week aims to shine a light on the positive impact of NHS knowledge and library services. Throughout the week we are going to showcase the library skills training on offer at SWB.

Searching for evidence

Did you know our library service offer help and guidance for to anyone who is struggling to find journal articles or evidence for a report/QI project/paper you may be working on. The library can help by showing you how to search databases such as Medline, CINAHL and Embase.

The service are running online sessions over the next few months on the dates below. If you would like to book a place either for yourself or as a group please contact the library at  swbh.library@nhs.net or 0121 507 3587.

• Monday 14 June, 11am – 12pm
• Tuesday 29 June, 1pm – 2pm
• Friday 9 July, 9.30am – 10.30am
• Wednesday 21 July,  3pm – 4pm
• Monday 9 August, 11am – 12pm
• Thursday 19 August, 2pm – 3pm
• Tuesday 31 August, 9.30am – 10.30am
• Friday 17 September, 11.30am – 12.30pm
• Wednesday 29 September, 1pm – 2pm

Diabetes Week: 14 – 20 June

14 – 20 June is Diabetes Week, an annual UK-wide initiative which aims to raise awareness of diabetes as well as raise vital funds to help research the condition.

Can you reverse type 2 diabetes?

The strongest evidence we have at the moment suggests that type 2 diabetes is mainly put into remission by weight loss. Remission is more likely if you lose weight as soon as possible after your diabetes diagnosis. However, we do know of people who have put their diabetes into remission 25 years after diagnosis.

It’s important to know that not everyone who loses weight will be able to put their diabetes into remission. But losing weight comes with a lot of health benefits, even if it doesn’t lead to remission. Research shows that getting support to lose just 5 per cent of your body weight can have huge benefits for your health such as:

• Fewer medications
• Better blood sugar levels
• A lower risk of complications

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.

Visionable training sessions

Visionable is our solution to being able to provide patients with much needed remote consultations. Remote consultations reduce the need for patients to travel in to hospital to see a clinician, when the alternative is simply a video call that can be taken on a mobile.

The team from Visionable are hosting three training sessions on how to create, manage and attend appointments on the web or Visionable app.

• Wednesday 23 June, 5pm – 6pm
• Thursday 24 June, 1pm – 2pm
• Friday 25 June, 3pm – 4pm

If you’re are interested in attending any of these training sessions, please email training@visionable.com.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 11 June

My blog this week is unashamedly targeted at the men in our Trust.  In particular, I want to concentrate on men’s health as next week (14 – 21 June) is Men’s Health Week, acknowledging the issues that may have emerged during the pandemic as we continue to navigate through the ease of lockdown. We will be shining a spot light on the issues that affect our male workforce.

It may not have escaped those of you who have met me that I am a man.  Men tend to be pretty non-committal when it comes to talking about their health and then taking the next step to seek professional advice when its required.  If I share some of my own experience in the last 10 years or so openly with you, perhaps it might make a few more men come forward to ask about their own health and seek advice when they need it.  If I can help shift just a few people’s opinions and approaches, then it will have been worth sharing this.  The publicity of next week should help shift some more people’s stances on this too:

• I have had a testicular cancer “scare” – but the issue was resolved without additional concern or intervention because finally, after years of nagging, my wife persuaded me to examine my testes for lumps
• I suffer with IBS and, after years of drinking beer and eating curry like many “blokes” I’ve adjusted my diet significantly to alleviate the symptoms
• I have had mental health issues in the past and plucked up the courage to get beyond the wave of male embarrassment to seek help and received cognitive behavioural therapy via my local GP practice, to assist
• My weight has shifted significantly through periods of “boom and bust” on eating and exercise, and I now seek much more balance to my diet and lifestyle but still don’t do anywhere near enough exercise for a man approaching 50 rapidly
• I have had a heart condition which I sought help for too late and made myself quite ill in the interim, just hoping that the unsettling symptoms would pass, almost fainting in a meeting at work in the process

Mental health in men is a real issue.  1 in 8 men have common mental health concerns and are often less likely to talk to someone. Sadly research by the Samaritans shows that 76% of suicide related deaths relate to men with men in the 45 – 49 aged category still having the highest rates of suicide.

Consider ways to support your wellbeing – here are four ways to make a start:

• Connect with others, stay engaged, spend time with people who make you feel good
• Take notice be in the present, explore your surroundings and find new local places to visit
• Learn something new
• Stay Active – being outside and being active can help lift our mood. Fancy getting fitter? try this link:  https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/

Within our Black Country & West Birmingham system we are supporting Black Country Healthcare NHS FT in collaboration with the NIHR Clinical Research Network West Midlands – in running the first NHS Men’s Health Event – developed specifically to celebrate topics of interest to our male workforce during Men’s Health Week.

Sessions are designed to explore a range of topics:

• weight management and nutrition
• male-specific cancer awareness
• understanding gender identity
• lived experience of mental health conditions
• sleep, relationships and parenting
• addictions (gambling, drugs and alcohol)
• finance
• divorce, bereavement, andropause and self-esteem
• and much, much more!

The event is available to all, and each session will be supported by both experts and those with lived experience. There will also be an opportunity to take part in some fitness sessions; these will range from yoga and meditation, to a low/high impact bodyweight workout.

To find out more, please visit the event page where you can see the full schedule of sessions taking place daily, starting on Monday 14 June.

Bookings are now live (all places are free)

Please register your interest by securing your place on Eventbrite. Registration for each session is located on the main event page where you will receive your link to join via MS Teams.

There will be an opportunity to watch a recording of all the sessions if you are unable to attend. The event page will act as a useful resource afterwards, to provide a reference to all topics and can be accessed in the future.

If you have any questions, please send an email to info.menshealth@nihr.ac.uk, tammy.partridge-smith1@nhs.net, samuel.skelding1@nhs.net.

Helpful support and resources for men’s health and wellbeing

https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/five-ways-wellbeing
https://people.nhs.uk/
Men’s Sheds
Head 4 Health, Wolves Foundation
Beating Eating Disorders
The Male Menopause
Male specific cancers
NHS Health Check
The campaign against living miserably
Mental Health for BAME and POC
LGBTQ Foundation
Men’s Advice Line
Drink Aware
Sexual Health
Quit smoking
Kickstart your health
Risk factors for heart health

Finally, remember – if a gruff, middle aged Yorkshireman like me can get over his embarrassment and anxiety and seek help on his health issues, then so can you.  Please do engage in this important agenda.

Have a good week.

Richard

COVID-19 Bulletin – Friday 11 June

Number not statistics: This week (last week)

New: It’s hot out there but you still need to keep yourself safe

We’re expecting high temperatures this weekend which are likely to trigger heatwave plans. In order to ensure we’re prepared and our patients are kept safe it is essential that all managers ensure that all actions for levels 1 and 2 are being carried out.

Please ensure you’ve read and understood the Trust’s Severe Weather Plan.

Any issues should be escalated to the site senior capacity managers or the CNPs after 7pm.

Factors which increase an individual’s risk during a heatwave include:

• Chronic and severe illness, including heart conditions, diabetes, respiratory or renal insufficiency, Parkinson’s disease or severe mental illness.
• Medications that potentially affect renal function, the body’s ability to sweat, thermoregulation or electrolyte balance can make this group more vulnerable to the effects of heat
• Inability to adapt behaviour to keep cool: having Alzheimer’s, a disability, being bed bound, babies and the very young

Actions to be taken include the following:

• Minimise heat increase by drawing blinds or curtains
• Where possible switch off anything connected to the power system and likely to produce heat e.g. computers, printers, additional lighting
• Maintain hydration in patients by offering additional drinks

Ensure that discharge planning takes into account the temperature of the accommodation and level of daily care during the heatwave period.

Personal protective equipment and heat: risk of heat stress

Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) in warm/hot environments increases the risk of heat stress. This occurs when the body is unable to cool itself enough to maintain a healthy temperature. Heat stress can cause heat exhaustion and lead to heat stroke if the person is
unable to cool down.

Colleagues working in warm/hot conditions wearing PPE should follow the below advice:

• Take regular breaks, find somewhere cool if you can.
• Make sure you are hydrated (checking your urine is an easy way of keeping an eye on your hydration levels – dark or strong-smelling urine is a sign that you should drink more fluids).
• Be aware of the signs and symptoms of heat stress and dehydration (thirst, dry mouth, dark or strong-smelling urine, urinating infrequently or in small amounts, inability to concentrate, muscle cramps, fainting). Don’t wait until you start to feel unwell before you take a break.
• Use a buddy system with your team to look out for the signs of heat stress (e.g. confusion, looking pale or clammy, fast breathing) in each other.
• Between shifts, try to stay cool as this will give your body a chance to recover.

For more information please see personal protective equipment and heat – risk of heat stress guidance

New: Join the community swabbing reserves

Being able to test, track and tackle community outbreak of COVID-19 is critical in our fight to prevent the virus taking hold in our communities. Our community swabbing service has led the way in responding to local community outbreaks since the very first surge, playing a vital role in our ability to understand the spread of infections and to support the community to protect itself.

This vital work can only be done with support from our staff, calling on the colleagues who have been able to be redeployed or those who are willing to offer their time on the Trust bank. This role is not restricted to clinical staff as full training is provided.

To ensure this critical work can be carried on and to support our ability to respond to outbreaks at short notice we’re calling on colleagues to take the time to put their names forward to become Community Swabbing Reservists.

To join the reserves contact Jo Tonks on email: joanne.tonks@nhs.net.

New: Mental Health – Getting the right help at the right time

When someone is struggling with their mental health, it’s often referred to as a crisis, it’s a time when you will find patients at their most vulnerable, and when they are in desperate need for those they seek help from to do everything in their power to get them the right help.  And thanks to the latest addition to Unity, the right support is just a couple of clicks away.

With the launch of online mental health referrals, we can be assured that patients are being referred in a timely fashion, with accurate records stored in a central system and coordinated care between acute and mental health.

The mental health liaison service at Sandwell Hospital responds to referrals for those aged 18+ and City Hospital service responds to referrals for those aged 16+. Both services provide a full comprehensive biopsychosocial mental health assessment of patients referred, in addition to a robust risk assessment. Both teams are commissioned to provide a service for inpatients and those in A&E, referrals for day patients will not be accepted.

All referrals made from inpatient wards can expect a response within 24 hours of the referral being made. AMU can expect a response within 4 hours, and A&E 1 hour. When making a referral, ensure that the patient is well enough to engage in the assessment; patients do not need to be declared ‘Medically Fit For Discharge’ prior to referral.

All urgent referrals should be followed up with a phone call to the respective liaison team in order to alert them to the urgency of the referral.

For any further queries relating to mental health referrals, please contact Abbie Gogarty, team lead for Sandwell Mental Health liaison Team, and Patrick McGlynn , Team Leader for the City hospital based Liaison psychiatry team.

• Sandwell Liaison Psychiatry 0121 612 8607
• City Liaison Psychiatry 0121 507 6063

Updated: Get in the loop with weekly COVID-19 testing

The COVID-19 weekly saliva testing programme (LAMP – Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification) is now well established across our organisation. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to register and continue with the testing programme.

The weekly saliva test is an easy way to help us all ensure we are remaining safe, and, most importantly, keeping our colleagues and Trust as COVID secure as we can. Detecting positive cases sooner reduces the risk of the virus being passed on to patients, colleagues, family members and beyond in our communities.

Even if you are vaccinated it is vital that you register and carry out the weekly tests. This will identify asymptomatic cases and is of particular benefit in helping to pick up positive cases that would then be sequenced to identify any variants.

All line managers are asked to remind colleagues to:

• Call and book a kit collection slot by calling 0121 507 2664 and selecting option 6
• To undertake weekly testing and drop off their samples

Samples can be dropped off at the phlebotomy department, Monday – Friday  from 7.30am – 3.30pm and 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, samples can be dropped off 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.

The latest data by group is below.

Reminder: NO change to IPC rules within health and social care settings 

As the landscape outside work changes with the relaxing of rules enabling two households to meet indoors and face coverings no longer required in classrooms, some questions have been posed by colleagues wanting to know if the new rules apply at work. So we would like to clarify that there has been NO change to the rules within health and social care settings, meaning colleagues must stick to the hands, face, space, fresh air rules we are now used to. This is to ensure we keep our patients and colleagues safe.

Reminder: Changes to FIT Testing – Book in on ESR

We have recently made changes to how you arrange to get FIT tested. Previously colleagues have been asked to call ext.5050 to arrange an appointment however now you need to book in on ESR.

• Log onto ESR and book an appointment to be fit tested
• Search for ‘Fit Testing’ under the My Learning section and book in to a slot
• Fit testing is a mandatory role specific requirement
• Fit Testing is held in the Old Security Bungalow, City Hospital

For any urgent requests or more information please contact the infection, prevention and control team on ext. 5195.

Reminder: Looking after your wellbeing

We continue to review our roadmap to reopening our gym facilities so we can reopen as soon as we can safely do so. In the meantime you can take advantage of a 20 per cent discount per month at Sandwell Leisure Trust via their one card membership.

There remain a wide range of wellbeing options available to colleagues. These are just some of the ways you can support your personal wellbeing:

• Try something new such as mindful yoga with Chris
• Try out our relaxation pod. Call 0121 507 5886 to book.
• Book a chat or massage at the Sanctuary by calling 0121 507 5886. The ‘Daily Sanctuary Session’ flyer explains the different therapeutic sessions offered.
• Call our counselling service on 0800 06 96 222 between 7am – 11pm or book via occupational health on 0121 507 3306.
• 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.

Exploring grief, loss and bereavement: Online webinars

As we continue to face this unprecedented situation, the impact of the pandemic will have far reaching consequences for us all; affecting both our emotional wellbeing and mental health.

To help support you through these challenging times, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice and Healthier Futures Black Country and West Birmingham are hosting interactive Zoom webinars throughout June.

Key learning from these sessions will cover:

• How grief, loss and bereavement impacts our lives and wellbeing differently, and how we may cope and grieve
• Different types of death: including sudden and anticipated
• How grief might affect you, your peers, the patients/ clients
• The wider impact bereavement has on family, friends and children
• How to support the bereaved including signposting and the referral process.

To find out more and book yourself a place, please click here.

Heartbeat: Luke Priest – The lifeline to families

When COVID-19 first hit, as a Trust we had to make the difficult decision to restrict visiting to protect our vulnerable patients. At a time when we would normally wholeheartedly encourage families to support each other, we were forced to ask them to part ways as they entered our care.

For some patients, this change was a minor inconvenience, they were able to reconnect with their loved ones through Facetime, Zoom and WhatsApp, but for our more elderly patients, who did not have the lifeline of technology at their fingertips, this change was a difficult pill to swallow.

Whilst clinical teams fought to save the lives of patients, families frantically phoned the hospital hoping to speak to their loved ones and find out how they were progressing. The incredible amount of communication, organisation and engagement required to keep everyone involved up to date on patient progress soon began to take its toll and it was clear that this was a role someone needed to undertake directly – and so the role of ward liaison officer was born.

In steps Luke Priest, Healthcare Assistant by day and when he’s not on shift doing his day job, he took on the role of ward liaison officer, providing a lifeline to families across the ward.

Sharing his thoughts on his role, Luke said, “Wards can be incredibly busy, with numerous people involved in the care of a particular patient, each with an insight in to how that patient is doing. My job when I’m not in my HCA role is to be the link between the hospital and the families of our patients. It’s my job to make sure they’re kept up to date with their loved ones, to support them to have time to talk to each other, reassure them and answer any questions they have.

“It’s an incredibly difficult and worrying time for all those people who have put their trust in us to help their loved ones get better, they’re not allowed to visit and the stories in the press of the devastation caused by COVID does nothing to calm their fears.”

Sharing her thoughts on the Ward Liaison Officer role, McCarthy Ward Manager Lady Ann Ordona said, “We’re incredibly grateful to have the support of Luke who has so selflessly supported our ward. Normally, we would encourage the clinicians who are involved in the care of patients to take the lead on discussing progress with families, but the unprecedented nature of the pandemic and surges meant that we needed someone else to take the lead, and thankfully Luke took on that role.

“Luke has been a lifeline to our patients, their families and loved ones, whilst keeping them in touch and involved, his work has meant that our doctors, nurses, hca and therapists can focus on delivering care.”

Limited spaces available – vulnerable adult study day: 15 June

We are hosting a vulnerable adult study day on Tuesday 15 June in the conference room, Sandwell Education Centre, from 8am – 4pm.

The training is aimed at all clinical colleagues at all levels, in particular, nurses and HCAs.

Note: The training is for the full day and must be attended for the full duration of the day (8am – 4pm).

To book please email r.begum19@nhs.net or call ext. 2669.

Cancer services father’s day sale: 15 and 16 June

Our cancer service is hosting a special father’s day sale on Tuesday 15 June and Wednesday 16 June in the Berridge room at Sandwell next to occupational health.

There will be a variety of gifts available as well as handmade cards. There will also be a selection of summer clothes, footwear, sun lotion, hats, garden, picnic items and jewellery.

Please see summer sale catalogue for further details.

Note: All proceeds will go towards Your Trust Charity for a cancer patient event later this year or early 2022.

For more information please call ext. 2776 or email jennifer.donovan@nhs.net.