Monthly archives: February 2022
LGBT History Month – transgender awareness training: 25 February
As you may be aware, February is LGBT History Month and to celebrate the month. our LGBT Staff Network at the Trust have put together comprehensive list of events associated with the month which colleagues can attend throughout February.
Transgender awareness training – hosted by Robyn Foley, Transgender Strategic Development Officer for Birmingham LGBT, Friday 25 February, 1pm – 3pm. This event will give attendees:
- An understanding of the correct terminology used to refer to transgender people and the importance of pronouns.
- An increased awareness of transgender issues
- Increased cultural competency, to allow you to better understand and communicate with transgender service users and colleagues.
- An overview of your responsibilities towards trans co-workers and service users as mandated by law, including the Gender Recognition Act
Click here to find out more and join this event.
The full list and attendance details can be accessed below in the LGBT History Month events list.
LGBT History Month – transgender awareness training: 25 February
As you may be aware, February is LGBT History Month and to celebrate the month. our LGBT Staff Network at the Trust have put together comprehensive list of events associated with the month which colleagues can attend throughout February.
Transgender awareness training – hosted by Robyn Foley, Transgender Strategic Development Officer for Birmingham LGBT, Friday 25 February, 1pm – 3pm. This event will give attendees:
- An understanding of the correct terminology used to refer to transgender people and the importance of pronouns.
- An increased awareness of transgender issues
- Increased cultural competency, to allow you to better understand and communicate with transgender service users and colleagues.
- An overview of your responsibilities towards trans co-workers and service users as mandated by law, including the Gender Recognition Act
Click here to find out more and join this event.
The full list and attendance details can be accessed below in the LGBT History Month events list.
Duty of Candour month
As you may be aware, throughout this month the patient safety team has been releasing communications highlighting the Duty of Candour (DoC) process and providing different tools to help colleagues to complete this process.
This week the team are offering a free Duty of Candour online training course through Grey Matter Learning. Once the course is completed, you will be a given a digital certificate which can be used for your CPD.
In case you missed it, you access last week’s Duty of Candour month message by clicking here.
Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 18 February
Dr Rupali Saluja, Intensive Care Consultant was interviewed earlier this week by ITV Central regarding our inspirational COVID survivors; Dr Imran Zaman, GP at Heath Street Health Centre recently spoke to Year 5 and 6 students about healthy living and careers in healthcare; Tipton vaccination hub is now administering jabs for 5-11 year-olds; and, be sure to have your say in this year’s SWB travel survey [/caption]
This week we have shared through the COVID-19 bulletin the start of our plans to ease out of restrictions and manage our response to the virus as business as usual. We will introduce changes in a phased approach so that we can monitor the impact and ensure we have updated our risk assessments to keep patients and staff safe.
We are beginning with stepping down the enhanced PPE arrangements that we put in place during this latest wave when the Omicron virus was taking hold. The introduction of FFP3 face masks as standard in amber areas is no longer in place and colleagues can return to fluid resistant surgical masks. FFP3 masks remain a requirement for those staff whose risk assessment indicates that enhanced protection is required, for certain procedures and in red areas.
This step down in PPE is not because COVID-19 as gone away, but because of our updated risk assessment that has considered the community infection rate which has come down, the numbers of patients who have COVID-19 in our hospital beds that is continuing to reduce, and a reduction in outbreaks.
Within the next fortnight we will re-introduce visiting in a controlled manner which I know will be a welcome change for patients and relatives. We all know how important this is for patient’s recovery and it should also help to ease the communication channels with patients. Thank you for continuing to support your patients and their loved ones while these restrictions have been in place.
We will also move back to face to face meetings rather than solely virtual, although ensuring that masks and 1m social distancing can be maintained.
Over the next few weeks, we will continue to update you with our roadmap for change. Please continue to be cautious, follow our guidance and don’t let your guard down.
Earlier this month NHS England published the delivery plan for tackling the backlog of planned care that has been created by the pandemic. The plan includes guidance to help systems address key issues, and recover and expand elective services over the next three years with some ambitious goals to eliminate long waits, reduce diagnostic waiting times, and return to delivering the cancer faster diagnosis standards.
This recovery and expansion will take our collective effort right across the Trust, but importantly, we know we will only be able to deliver this for patients if we work collaboratively with neighbouring Trusts across the Black Country and Birmingham systems and in an integrated way with our colleagues in primary care. Our Trust has a strong track record of stepping up to meet challenges such as these, and being a good partner in putting aside organisational boundaries to deliver what’s best for patients.
Stop norovirus spreading – wash your hands with soap and water
Norovirus, sometimes known as the “winter vomiting bug”, is the most common stomach bug in the UK, affecting people of all ages. It is highly contagious and is transmitted by contact with contaminated surfaces, an infected person, or consumption of contaminated food or water.
The symptoms of norovirus are very distinctive – people often report a sudden onset of nausea followed by projectile vomiting and watery diarrhoea.
Good hand hygiene is important to stop the spread of the virus. This means taking the time to wash your hands with soap and water – not relying simply on alcohol hand sanitiser.
An infection with norovirus is self-limiting and most people will make a full recovery in 1-2 days. It is important to keep hydrated – especially children and the elderly.
Colleagues are advised to:
- Wash their hands thoroughly using soap and water and drying them after using the toilet, before preparing food and eating.
- Don’t rely on alcohol gels as these do not kill the virus.
- Colleagues should not return to work until 48 hours after their last symptom.
Managers are advised to:
- Report multiple cases of vomiting and/or diarrhoea in their team to infection control.
Heartbeat: New structure to deliver group and organisational strategy
The medicine and emergency care group has undergone a restructure that has been fully launched 2022.
Work to review how the group works and ensure colleagues and patients are supported adequately has been a year in planning.
Heartbeat caught up with Demetri Wade, Group Director of Operations to find out more. He said: “When we embarked on this project we wanted to ensure that the way we work as a team is consolidated to meet the requirements of service delivery.
“This meant looking at the roles that we needed in each area at all levels. I’m pleased that for all but one of many of the new posts created we were able to make internal promotions. This demonstrated that we are keen to develop our staff and give them opportunities to grow their careers.”
Each directorate within the group is set up to be clinically led with operations colleagues supporting the delivery of services.
“We set up three distinct directorates – emergency care, admitted care A and admitted care B,” added Demetri. “These are three self-sufficient directorates with established leadership teams. In reality this means we now have appropriate representation of nursing, medical, AHP and HCS staff. As I mentioned before there is also a clear line of development for the team and we want colleagues to take advantage of opportunities that are available.
“Our new structure also ensures we have senior level of experience to provide strategic overview and direction allowing staff to get on with their day to day duties. This enables us to think ahead instead of being reactive and only focussing on each day.
“The last two years have been particularly hard on our teams, but despite the pressures everyone has really done a fantastic job and they should be proud. One of our main goals with the new structure is to ensure we are staffed appropriately so we can better support staff in clinical delivery of our services but also enable improved access to wellbeing and personal development activities.”
Listening events throughout March
Throughout the month of March, our clinical teams will be holding listening events. These sessions aim to listen to colleague feedback and ask how we can make changes to ensure we make our organisation a great place to work.
Please see details below for each event:
| Group | Date | Time | Joining link |
| Surgical Services | Thursday 3 March | 9am – 10am | Click here to book via Eventbrite |
| Women’s and Child Health | Thursday 3 March | 9am – 10.30am | Click here to join via Teams |
| Imaging | Monday 14 March | 1pm – 2pm | Click here to join via Teams |
| Medicine | Tuesday 15 March | 2pm – 3pm | Click here to join via Teams |
| Surgical Services | Tuesday 15 March | 3pm – 4pm | Click here to book via Eventbrite |
| PCCT | Thursday 24 March | 4pm – 5pm | Click here to join via Teams |
Point of care testing: Glucose and Ketone results in Unity
Message on behalf of point of care testing:
Please be advised that all Point of Care Glucose and Ketone results will automatically appear in Unity if the correct patient ID (RXK number) is entered into the meter. There is no need to enter Point of Care glucose or ketone results manually into Unity.
For more information call 0121 507 5352.
Did you know…? Free online training in end of life care is available via e-ELCA
Free online training in end of life care via e-ELCA is available through the education tab of the connected palliative care Connect page. This includes all healthcare professional groups. Certificates can be used as evidence of ongoing learning and uploaded to portfolios.
Caring for patients and their family living and dying with a palliative diagnosis is a core part of care across the Trust. We want help you to gain and maintain the knowledge and skills to enable you to provide this care confidently and competently.
We are developing a face to face program with specific sessions that will be advertised via staff communications as they become available.
Currently you can access over 150 free e-learning sessions available across eight themed modules, run by e-ELCA – End of Life Care for All. Each module takes no more than 20 – 40minutes. Certificates of completion provided at the end of each module can be attached as evidence onto relevant professional development portfolios. See our Connected Palliative Care education page for which modules we recommend for each staff group, and also for updates on new training that comes available
Amber weather alert: Strong winds expected in to the weekend
Storm Eunice may cause significant disruption due to extremely strong winds throughout day and into the weekend with the Met Office issuing an amber weather alert for the West Midlands.
What to expect:
- There is a good chance that flying debris could result in a danger to life
- Damage to buildings and homes is likely, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down
- Roads, bridges and railway lines are likely to close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights
- There is a good chance that power cuts, possibly prolonged, could occur and possibly affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
- Large waves are likely and beach material is likely to be thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
- It is likely there will be falling branches and some uprooted trees
This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Please refer to the Trust’s Severe weather plan.
All areas should have business continuity plans agreed with their staff. These should include:
- Working with colleagues regarding their ability to report for work if transport systems are affected
- Agreeing working arrangements for severe weather in advance, including potentially the need for staff to stay overnight
Colleagues are expected to make every reasonable effort to attend work (including using public transport when they wouldn’t normally) providing it is safe to do so.
- If not able to reach their normal base, to attend an alternative base if that is easier to reach.
- To work from home (if applicable and agreed with their manager)
- Colleagues unable to attend work or work from home, to notify their managers ASAP and required to either take the day as annual leave or time in lieu (to be agreed locally).
- Colleagues who are able to walk in but are not rostered to work may be asked to support their work area. This is not mandatory and will be based on mutual agreement and rescheduling of work duties
Please ensure that all staff contact details are up to date and that you have a plan in place so that you are aware of any issues at departmental level.
← Older items Newer items →