Monthly archives: July 2022
Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 29 July
After years of planning, the Commonwealth Games has officially opened, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors, spectators and athletes to the City of Birmingham and across Sandwell. Last night’s opening ceremony was a true celebration of diversity, recognising the many nations that will be participating and also the vibrancy, multiculturalism and optimism that is characteristic of our part of the world. Birmingham is one of the youngest and most ethnically diverse cities in Europe.
Whilst we have the world on our doorstep over the next couple of weeks, let’s seize the opportunities that this brings. I know that our services will be busy, particularly our urgent care provision, but we are not shouldering the bulk of the health care needs that will arise, as the CWG22 has extensive medical support with on site clinics at all the major venues and dedicated clinical teams. Several of our own staff are spending their valuable annual leave joining such teams, or volunteering in other ways and we really hope you enjoy this experience.
We can show the world just how great we are as an organisation – whether that is by providing the latest health care treatment, our pioneering research and development or simply in the way we welcome, value and care for everyone who comes through our doors.
Dr Vaishnavi Kumar book of condolences/memories
Following the sad passing of Dr Vaishnavi Kumar, a book of condolences/memories for colleagues to write messages and thoughts which will be passed on to her family, is available.
If you wish to add a message to this book, it will be available in the Sandwell Education Centre until Friday 12 August.
The family of Dr Vaishnavi Kumar have also asked should anyone wish to give any kind of donation, it be given to Binti Period. Binti Period is a charity which works towards ensuring every girl has access to menstrual dignity, education and freedom from the stigma or taboos associated with menstruation. This was something that Vaishnavi felt strongly about and was a topic close to her heart. Click here if you wish to donate.
Are you using CapMan to request porters to collect blood components?
All wards at Sandwell should now be using CapMan to request porters to collect blood components (red cells, platelets, FFP and cryoprecipitate only) from pathology and not going to collect it themselves.
It is vital that all patient pre-collection checks are made prior to making the request and that the blood component is ready for collection.
All ward computers now have software installed on them called ‘BloodTrack Ward Enquiry’, this enables you to see if the blood component is ready. If the software is not on a computer, please contact the Transfusion Practitioners by calling ext. 2494 or emailing swbh.bloodtransfusion@nhs.net with the computers Hostname and this will be installed.
Please see the documents and guides on how to make a request using CapMan and how to use BloodTrack ward enquiry below.
Note: Blood bank colleagues will no longer remove blood components from the issue fridges unless in an emergency or a major haemorrhage. Ward colleagues who previously had blood collection training will have their access to the fridges disabled and the training removed from their ESR.
Evaluation of palliative and end of life e-learning modules survey
Thank you to all colleagues for their engagement with the essential end of life training modules on ESR which have been introduced for everyone in the Trust. It has been helpful to hear several reports back of your experience.
As a result, training has been allocated with the aim of:
- Providing some of the professional knowledge needed to be able to consistently give excellent care to patients and the people who care for them as they approach the end of their lives and beyond into bereavement.
- Empowering colleagues as individuals to be able to support people in their personal networks, who are sadly in need of palliative and end of life care, so they are aware of what options people have and how to access high quality care.
This is a new venture at the Trust and we really appreciate your feedback on how the modules work for you and your team. Please could you consider completing a brief survey to allow us to adjust the programme as needed. You can access the survey here.
For more information, please email michael.blaber1@nhs.net.
Geriatric clinics – internal referrals (ED, AMU, wards)
If you think your patient requires an appointment with an elderly care specialist please refer your patients into one of our clinics for a review.
Geriatric Medicine Clinics :
Age: 65 years and older
Clinic details: Frail complex elderly, collapse, loss of consciousness, maligant disorders, acute confusional states, impaired mobility, anaemia dizziness, disability, leg ulcers, pressure sores, malnutrition, gait disturbances, multiple organ disease, vascular dementia, incontinence, syncope/presyncope, instability and assessment for rehabilitation.
We run a clinic per week at both City and Sandwell.
Movement Disorder Clinics:
Age: 70 years and older
If your patient has suspected Parkinson’s disease please refer to our movement disorder clinic.
We run these clinics every week at both Sandwell and City sites.
How to book:
Email swbh.geriatricmedicineservice@nhs.net or 0121 507 4718 to get in touch with the elderly care medical administration team who will organise an appointment.
Living With COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 28 July 2022
1.New Swabbing Guidelines
As you are aware, COVID-19 guidance to protect the safety of both our patients and our staff is subject to change on a regular basis. With this in mind, there have been some recent changes to the Midlands Regional Infection Control Guidelines and it’s crucial that colleagues are up to date with this information. Changes affect all patients.
You can read the guidelines in full by clicking here.
Managers are urged to print this guidance, so it is easily accessible for colleagues in your department. Please bear in mind that guidance changes regularly, and if you choose to display this information you must ensure it is removed and/or replaced with updated guidance as and when this occurs.
2. Returning to work after a COVID-19 diagnosis
COVID-19 cases continue to rise and we are seeing an increasing number of staff absences due to the virus.
Here is a reminder of the staff isolation and return to work guidance should you test positive.
All colleagues who have received a positive COVID-19 test result, regardless of whether they have symptoms, can return to work if they have had two negative lateral flow tests (LFT) taken 24 hours apart, feel clinically well and have a normal temperature.
The first LFT should not be taken before day four and should be ideally taken as soon as possible on waking.
Colleagues who have respiratory symptoms should ensure you test with a LFT device. If you are COVID-19 negative and feeling well you may return to work.
However as you know, the tests are not 100% sensitive so you should wear masks in all public / shared areas in line with our Trust-wide policy and test daily for the period of time that you are experiencing respiratory symptoms. If you do become positive with COVID-19 please follow the guidance, available here.
3. Contacting Microbiology
Clinical advice and support is available from our microbiology team who can be contacted at any time through the main switchboard on 0121 553 1831. Simply ask for the ‘duty microbiologist’ and they will be happy to support. Alternatively if your enquiry is more routine it is possible to ask for less urgent advice via e-mail to swb-tr.SWBH-GM-micromedics@nhs.net. Please do not phone the Microbiology department at New Cross Hospital, in Wolverhampton.
4. Update to COVID-19 terms and conditions: Joint letter to all colleagues from the Trust and Staff Side
On 21 February, the government set out their plans for living with COVID-19 which saw the withdrawal of legislation restricting public freedoms.
On 13 April 2022 the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) wrote to the joint chairs of the NHS Staff Council setting out their intention to withdraw the staff terms and conditions section of the COVID-19 workforce guidance. The Staff Council co-chairs received confirmation from the DHSC on 29 June 2022 outlining the timeline to withdraw the guidance.
The withdrawal of the guidance will see a return to normal contractual arrangements for staff and includes the removal of:
- COVID-19 sick pay (full pay) for COVID-19 related sickness absences; and
- COVID-19 special leave (full pay) for self-isolation
All remaining temporary enhancements within the guidance ended on 7 July 2022.
Managing infection control
- From 7 July 2022 the Trust started to follow infection control guidelines set out by the UK Health Protection Agency (UKHSA), for all healthcare staff. This includes staff who test positive for COVID-19 and those who are required to stay away from their workplace.
- If a member of staff is either asymptomatic or symptomatic but clinically well enough to work, they will be required to stay away from their workplace. In such cases the staff member will receive the pay they would receive if they were at work. This is regardless of whether the staff member can work from home, including on altered duties or not, during this period. This period of absence will be treated as authorised absence, not sickness absence.
- Where possible, SWB will facilitate staff members to work from home where they have tested positive for COVID-19 or where, in line with the UKHSA guidance, their risk assessment deems it is not suitable for them to be physically present at work. In such circumstances it may be appropriate for managers to consider reallocating duties for a staff member to facilitate home working.
What does this mean for me?
- If you are currently off work due to COVID related symptoms and have been on long term leave as a result, your manager, or another member of the management team, will meet with you over the next few weeks (either virtually or face to face) to discuss how this affects you. If you are a member of a Union, we strongly encourage you to seek their support at this meeting and beyond. After the meeting you will receive a letter from the manager outlining what was discussed and also formally confirming notice of withdrawal of the staff terms and conditions section of the COVID-19 workforce guidance. This means that any ongoing sickness leave from 1 September 2022, will be managed by the Trust absence policy.
- What will happen with regards to payments for sickness? All sickness periods that have been treated as COVID-19 sickness and have not been counted towards normal sickness absence (in relation to pay and/or sickness absence triggers) until 1 September, should retain that status. After 1 September 2022 this will be disregarded when calculating sick pay.
- What if I need to self-isolate in line with the UKHSA guidance? You will be supported to work from home in the first instance wherever possible. Where this is not possible, you will be on ‘authorised absence’ and receive full pay as if at work. This will not be treated as sickness absence.
- What happens if staff are required to stay away from the workplace in line with infection control and public health advice? Substantive staff who are clinically well but have a positive COVID-19 test or symptoms of a respiratory infection which require them to stay away from the workplace in line with UKHSA guidance should be given work they can complete remotely. Where this is not possible, they should receive confirmation that the time they spend away from work will be recorded as authorised absence (not sickness absence) and they will receive their full pay.
The Trust and the Trade Unions have not made this decision independently and we are following the guidance as issued by NHS Employers. For those who are directly affected we urge you to meet with your managers alongside your Trade Union representation where requested to do so. Details of Unions and Representatives can be found on Connect. Or you can email the confidential Staff side collective email on mswbh.unioncollective@nhs.net. For those not in a Union, you may contact Simon Morley our Trust Staff Side Convenor on Simon.morley1@nhs.net for advice and support.
A frequently asked questions sheet will be issued shortly to answer any questions you have or to reflect any issues already raised. You can read the COVID-19 NHS Staff joint council guidance here.
Frieza Mahmood, Chief People Officer
Simon Morley, Trust Convenor
All managers should ensure that staff have seen this communication, especially those who may not access the intranet within the next 7-10 days. Roster users and managers will be contacted directly with guidance on any changes to processes. Attached is the guidance on recording absences on ESR.
5. COVID-19 Resource Pack for Managers
If you are a manager, you must familiarise yourself with the new COVID-19 Resource Pack for managers that has recently been updated.
It’s essential that managers keep up-to-date with the latest guidance.
The resource pack will be reviewed on a regular basis but the latest version is available to view here.
Black Country World Suicide Prevention Day event: 9 September
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust are hosting a World Suicide Prevention Day event where attendees will get to hear from survivors of suicide and community and national experts. The event which takes place on Friday 9 September, 10am – 12pm via the Zoom platform will feature people with lived experience of suicide as well advocates of suicide prevention from across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
For further information and to attend, please click here.
Eid Celebration: 4 August
The Muslim Liaison Group would like to invite colleagues, patients and visitors to join them in celebrating Eid.
Come along to the old Millers Restaurant, City between 12pm – 2pm, Thursday 4 August to participate in this joyous occasion where there will be delicious cuisine literature and giveaways.
Note: Colleagues attending this event will be required to follow infection and prevention control guidance including wearing masks and social distancing.
Diane Bate retirement celebration: 27 July
We will be waving goodbye to Diane Bates, Trust Theatre Scheduler who will be retiring from SWB today after four decades. Diane joined the Trust back on Monday 5 October 1981.
Diane Bate’s retirement celebration will be taking place today (Wednesday 27 July) and will be hosted in the Sandwell Committee Room, 12pm – 2pm.
Snacks will be provided at the celebration.
Note: Colleagues attending this event will be required to follow infection and prevention control guidance including wearing masks and social distancing.
Happy retirement Diane – thanks for all hard work and dedication to SWB!
New joint Diabetes and IAPT pilot available to support patients with diabetes
New joint Diabetes and Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) pilot is available to support patients with diabetes.
Living with a long-term condition can become challenging at times. Self-management of diabetes can be often overwhelming and can impact your mood. Your feelings are as important as the physical symptoms you experience.
Fast access to bespoke online support is available for people over the age of 16 struggling with anxiety and depression as a consequence of their diabetes who are registered with a GP in the Black Country.
The programme helps people identify unhelpful thought processes which can maintain low mood and anxiety and teaches techniques which enable the client to manage their symptoms.
The programme utilises popular evidence based cognitive behavioural therapy principles and techniques guided by a psychological practitioner who will support clients through their journey using the programme.
For further details please see Sandwell Healthy Minds Diabetes Poster.
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