Monthly archives: May 2022
Revised pay date for colleagues on Trust Bank due to Bank Holiday
Due to the Bank Holiday, colleagues who work on Trust Bank will be paid on days below:
- Week ending Friday 20 May – pay day will be Friday 27 May (no change here)
- Week ending Friday 27 May – pay day will be Friday 10 June (one week later due to double bank holiday)
- Week ending Friday 3 June – pay day will be Friday 10 June (no change here)
Please also see monthly pay dates up until March 2023 listed below:
- Friday 27 May 2022
- Tuesday 28 June 2022
- Thursday 28 July 2022
- Friday 26 August 2022
- Tuesday 27 September 2022
- Friday 28 October 2022
- Friday 25 November 2022
- Wednesday 21 December 2022
- Tuesday 24 January 2023
- Tuesday 28 February 2023
- Tuesday 28 March 2023
Job of the week: Vulnerable adults team secondment opportunity
An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Trust for a six-month full-time secondment to work in the vulnerable adults team in corporate nursing, offering support to vulnerable patients and including those with a learning disability. The post will be full-time paid at Band 6 level and will entail working weekdays (not including bank holidays).
Training will be given to support the successful applicant including, personal care planning, reasonable adjustments, learning disability passports, consent to flagging process and the mental capacity act and assessment processes. The team will also be able to provide personal development with training and support around dementia and delirium and adult safeguarding processes.
This post will be providing essential support to vulnerable adults accessing the Trust services, ensuring a quality experience of their hospital journey. It will give the applicant deeper insight and experience of specialist services and corporate nursing quality initiatives.
Those expressing an interest should email stephen.keates@nhs.net or call 07966 625103.
Scam alert: Fake NHS PCR text message
It has been recently reported that fake text messages are being sent encouraging people to order COVID testing. If you receive a text message similar to the image below, please delete the message and do not click the link.
Need a lateral flow test? Lateral flow tests are free for NHS colleagues. You can order your lateral flow kit by visiting https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests. You will be prompted to set up an account using your NHS email address. Once set up please select “Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust” from the list and continue to place your order.
All suspicions of fraud or bribery should be reported to the Local Counter Fraud Specialist Sophie Coster (Tel: 07436 268747), Chief Finance Officer Dinah McLannahan; or NHSCFA via 0800 028 40 60.
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week
Mental ill health affects around one in four people in any given year. Common mental health issues range from worries and stress to anxiety and depression
This short video produced by the NHS encourages anyone who is struggling with their mental health not to be afraid to ask for help.
As a Trust, we have seen first-hand the focus and priority that has been on providing first class patient care during these testing times. The time has come for us all to think about our colleagues that have weathered these storms, we all need to take a moment and process the last year and think about what support we all need.
Counselling support available for colleagues: Counsellors providing this service are trained to help with a wide range of issues and problems within the workplace and in your personal life. The service is completely confidential. You do not need to leave your name with Occupational Health if you don’t want to, just your contact telephone number.
There is also a range of other support services which you can be directed to as appropriate.
You can contact your confidential employee counselling service free of charge. To book an appointment, whether that be face to face or via the telephone consultation, please call occupational health on 0121 507 3306, option 1.
Samaritans: The NHS have introduced a confidential staff support line, operated by the Samaritans which can be accessed by calling: 0300 131 7000 or 0800 069 6222 from 7am – 11pm, seven days a week. If you need to access the 24/7 service emergency Samaritans service, please call 116 123.
Other local support services offered:
- Weekly mindfulness sessions every Monday for all ICS colleagues – click here to find out more
- Wellbeing Hubs at Sandwell, City and the Sanctuary – click here to find out more
Important information for your elective surgical patients
Colleagues are reminded that when they are preparing elective surgical patients who may require a blood transfusion it is important that all relevant samples are collected and sent to the blood transfusion lab in advance of the patient going to theatre.
This will prevent delays in transfusion or delays in the patient having their surgery.
Please ensure you follow the Sampling Pathway for Elective Surgical Patients.
International Nurses Day 2022: 12 May
Today (Thursday 12 May) sees us celebrate International Nurses Day 2022. The awareness day is an annual celebration of the nursing profession, held on Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
As part of celebrations we will be recognising and highlighting some of our colleagues throughout the week.
Today we feature Richard Beeken, Chief Executive, Mel Roberts, Chief Nurse and Medical Director, David Carruthers wishing everyone a happy International Nurses Day and thanking our nurses for their hard work.
Be sure to also check out this short video featuring a number of our patients thanking nurses at the Trust for their care, compassion and dedication as we celebrate International Nurses Day.
International Nurses Day activities at City:
As part of International Nurses Day acute medicine are hosting a special event in the dining room in the postgraduate centre at City from 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 3pm with a variety of activities based on the fundamentals of care including:
- I’m a nurse get me out of here
- Guess the right of the wee
- Pin the body part on the patient
- Hook a “pressure sore” Duck
- Mocktails
- I am proud to be a nurse because… board
There will also be massage and threading, a bake off and a tombola. All colleagues both clinical and non-clinical are welcome.
Note: There will be no activities over patient lunch time (12pm – 1pm) so colleagues can assist their wards at that time.
Unison big pay bus tour at Sandwell and City
Unison will be on site at both Sandwell and City on the below dates to discuss pay rates with Trust colleagues.
- Sandwell, between the Education Centre and multi-storey: Thursday 12 May, 10am – 3pm
- City, outside the BTC: Monday 16 May, 10am – 3pm and Thursday 19 May (time to be confirmed)
For more information please call 07375 380589.
Additional pension session due to high demand – money matters webinar: 17 May
The money matters webinar sessions are a friendly, informative way of giving attendees hints and tips for better managing their money. They also aim to helping you to engage with your household financial situation and identify areas of change or where you can obtain additional support. This is particularly important at the moment for many with the rising costs of food, fuel and household bills.
The webinar will last around 90 minutes and will cover an array of topics including:
- Household income vs. expenditure
- Where you can get help
- Additional income you may be entitled to
- How small changes can make savings
- Managing debt
- Saving for a rainy day
- Pensions
Please see session details below:
- Tuesday 17 May, 1pm – 3pm
Note: These sessions are for guidance and education purposes only and do not offer specific financial and investment advice.
You can book onto any of the sessions by clicking here. Once booked, you will receive a confirmation email which will contain a link to access the session.
weLearn Wednesday – Spinal Cord Compression and Cauda Equina Syndrome
Each month as part of weLearn Wednesdays we will present a new learning pack identified as a key learning topic from local serious incidents, investigations, complaints, litigation or coroner cases. The learning may not have a direct link to your area of work, however the learning provides an opportunity to reflect on some of the wider issues that could be useful for you to consider.
Lightning Learning – Flash Card
MP6609 Learning Alerts – Airflow meters
Learning on a Page
Metastatic spinal cord compression May 2022 -Evidence Summary (002) weLearn on a page
Learning Pack: Video; Guideline; Nice; Slides; Quiz
Staff network day at Sandwell: 11 May
As part of the relaunch of the staff networks, a special event will be taking place on Wednesday 11 May to coincide with Staff Networks Day at Sandwell courtyard gardens, 10.30am – 2.30pm.
The following teams will be in attendance should you want to find out more about their networks or teams:
- BME Staff Network
- LGBT Staff Network
- Disability and Long Term Conditions Staff Network
- Women’s Clinical Network
- Women’s Network
- Muslim Liaison Group
- Chaplaincy team
- EDI Team
Come along to the event and find out more about the networks and how you can get involved. There will also be light refreshments including samosas available to those who attend.
Be sure to check out this video featuring Richard Beeken, Chief Executive and Frieza Mahmood, Chief People Officer talking about the importance of staff networks.
For more information please email estelle.hickman@nhs.net or khalil.miller@nhs.net.
← Older items Newer items →