Monthly archives: November 2022

NHS Staff Survey: What happens to your feedback?

Every year we call on colleagues to feedback on their views about working for SWB. Some of you may wonder what has happened to the feedback you have given so far.

Here are some developments that have come about in IT as a result of the staff survey feedback:

You Said: Make our systems stable.

We Did: We improved our processes for making changes, we improved our staff’s knowledge on systems and we bought you technology to enable you to carry out your duties. While there are still occasional outages on individual systems, the frequency and impact of these continues to reduce.

You Said: To ensure patient safety we need an electronic patient record that is easily accessible to colleagues who are looking after our patients.

We Did: In 2019 we successfully launched Unity (our electronic patient record). Work is now underway to ensure colleagues who have access to Unity can realise the benefits of the system.

You Said: We need WiFi that is readily available for colleagues and visitors.

We Did: We have eliminated WiFi blackspots where possible and introduced free WiFi for staff and visitors.

You Said: Our network needs to be quicker.

We Did: We turned our external network from the equivalent of a canal towpath to the size of the Aston Expressway! Connectivity to the outside world is now secure and fast and we regularly support over 500 people a day working off-site.

You Said: We need more equipment to enable us to carry out our roles.

We Did: We rolled out over 500 additional workstations on wheels.

There are changes going on where you work too. Speak to your manager and discuss the issues in your team meetings.

There is still time to have your say. Many of you will have received an invitation via email to your NHS account from insightandfeedback@iqvia.com. Colleagues in catering, transport, portering and domestic/ward services will have received paper copies with a freepost envelope to send the feedback straight to Quality Health.

If you have any queries or have not received your survey please contact Quality Health 0800 783 1775 or helpline@quality-health.co.uk

The survey will close on 25 November.

Calling all EIDO users

Do you use the EIDO patient information leaflet portal to download leaflets for your patients? If so, we want to hear from you!

We are reviewing the service to ensure it is offering value for money.

All you need to do is fill in this very quick survey which is just six questions! You can access the survey by clicking here.

Delay affecting Haematology results

Following a software issue over the weekend, Haematology results (including FBC, ESR and blood films) may be slightly delayed. All urgent requests should remain unaffected.

Normal service is envisaged to resume late in the morning on Tuesday 8 November.

NHS Staff Survey: What happens to your feedback?

Every year we call on colleagues to feedback on their views about working for SWB. Some of you may wonder what has happened to the feedback you have given so far.

Here are some developments that have come about as a result of the staff survey feedback:

Carparking

You Said: There is lack of carparking across the sites. This can be very stressful particularly when you find yourself spending up to half an hour driving around trying to find somewhere to park. This is not a great way to start the day. We should be able to come to work and park safely everyday.

We Did: In 2021 we were pleased open new multistorey car parks at City and Sandwell Hospitals allowing colleagues the ability to park their cars safely.

Aways days

You Said: We need dedicated time out for teams to bond and recharge after such a challenging two years.

We Did: The Trust recognises that taking time out is important for both mental and physical health and wellbeing. In 2021, funding was made available for dedicated team time-outs and due to popular demand, funding will be made available again. Further details on how to apply for funding will be available soon.

Wellbeing

You Said: We want access to wellbeing facilities.

We Did: Gyms have reopened and been refurbished at Sandwell and City sites. On site wellbeing hubs are available in addition to the Sanctuary that is available for all colleagues to access free of charge.

Clinical group listening events

You Said: We want the opportunity to feedback on the staff surveys with senior members of our clinical groups.

We Did: We have introduced clinical group listening events which are exec led and run every quarter allowing colleagues to discuss the survey feedback and well as contribute to action plans set by the groups. You can view recording of events on Connect https://connect2.swbh.nhs.uk/communications/listening-events/

The events are open to all – please look out for diary invites from your managers. Joining details are also shared in the communications bulletin and on Connect.

There are changes going on where you work too. Speak to your manager and discuss the issues in your team meetings.

There is still time to have your say. Many of you will have received an invitation via email to your NHS account from insightandfeedback@iqvia.com. Colleagues in catering, transport, portering and domestic/ward services will have received paper copies with a freepost envelope to send the feedback straight to Quality Health.

If you have any queries or have not received your survey please contact Quality Health 0800 783 1775 or helpline@quality-health.co.uk

The survey will close on 25 November.

Latest technology benefits – order by 19 December

Here’s your chance to take home the latest technology and spread the cost, with affordable monthly payments from your salary.

Key features from the benefit include:

• Spread the cost over 36 months for tech and 24 months for smartphones
• National Insurance savings of up to 12 per cent (based on a basic rate taxpayer)
• Extended warranty/insurance included with most main packages
• No credit checks, upfront costs or deposits
• You own the equipment ordered from day one
• Nothing further to pay at the end of the agreement
• Home delivery included.

Note: The order window will be open until 19 December.

View the full range of products at www.swbhbenefits.co.uk

For further details please call 0330 2000 230 or email justask@lets-connect.com.

Prince’s Trust recruitment event: 18 November

Aston Villa will be hosting the Prince’s Trust healthcare recruitment event on Friday 18 November for any colleagues looking for roles within the NHS and the social care sector.

For further information and the registration link please click here.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 4 November

On a monthly basis I have the honour of chairing the urgent and emergency care (UEC) board on behalf of the Black Country system which I did this morning

I talk regularly here about the significant pressure that is being experienced across most of our health and social care services. It is no consolation, but the picture across the whole country is similar. It is encouraging, however, that performance across a number of measures relating to urgent and emergency care puts the Black Country system among the best in the region. It may not feel like it, but it is positive that the schemes that are in place to avoid admission, keep people at home and enable safe and timely discharge are getting more traction making a real contribution to improving patient care.

At the UEC Board meeting this morning we scrutinised each place’s winter plans to assess how robust the arrangements are to meet the expected need this winter. We know we are expecting a very challenging period and achievable plans are essential.

There are two significant factors that will affect our plans.

1.A bad bout of flu and / or COVID-19 circulating in the community and amongst staff

The best contribution you personally can make, beyond your own work contribution to patient care, is to get vaccinated. Clinics and pop-up vaccination centres are available and the team will even come out to your area of work if you and your colleagues are struggling to get to a clinic. COVID-19 is still around. In vulnerable people COVID-19 can still be extremely severe, even fatal. You have a duty to yourselves and to your patients to get the best protection. The COVID-19 vaccine we are predominantly offering you is proven to be effective against the Omicron variant and has far fewer side effects being reported. And, as you all know, flu is also very serious and can be a killer. It’s easy to get both your jabs either at the same time or on different occasions. But please don’t delay. We will all have a better winter if our vaccination rates are high.  At present, we have a staff vaccination rate of between 22 and 30% only.  This stark statistic serves as a reminder to us all that we can do better.

2. Industrial action

Many Unions are balloting members over industrial action related to pay. This is not exclusive to the NHS but is affecting many sectors across the country. I wholly recognise the very real impact the current cost of living is having on individuals and families and we are committed to doing all we can, within the resources available to us, to ease the burden.  We are sharing those initiatives, such as discounted hot meals and discounted food and essentials shopping, over the coming days on Connect.  Over the next fortnight our emergency preparedness will be stepped up to plan for safe patient care during periods of reduced staffing as a result of potential action.

My thanks as ever go to all of you for putting your commitment to our patients at the forefront. Wherever I go across the Trust, I see and hear about your determination to do the best job you can for our patients and our population, supporting your colleagues along the way.

And finally, my plea is to tell us how it really is. The staff survey is the best way of doing that. It is entirely confidential and available to everyone. Find the message in your emails or if you are stuck get in touch and we will help you access your survey. It makes all the difference to how we improve our organisation as a place to work so that you can feel happy and fulfilled in your role.

Thank you

Richard

Getting everyone in the Loop!

Loop is our new app that allows you to view rosters, book annual leave and bank shifts and take control of your work life from the palm of your hand – click here to find out more!

General FAQs:

How does this affect you? – All doctors will already have received their login details, please ensure you have signed up and logged in to Loop. There will be a phased rollout for nursing teams and colleagues will receive an email with their account details once their area goes live.

How do I get my login details? – If you are a doctor, then you should already have your details emailed over, if you are unsure if this has happened you can contact our help desk on  swbh.allocatequeries-helpdesk@nhs.net, however, if you are a nurse then you will be contact when your area goes live.

How do I use the Loop App? – Please see the Allocate Page on Connect with user guides on booking shifts, expressing interest and all other features on the app.

Should you have any issues downloading the Loop App please contact the IT Service desk on ext. 4050 or by contacting the Chat with the IT Service Desk.

Are your details up to date? All colleagues must ensure their contact details on ESR are up to date. If your details are incorrect, please ensure they are updated.

Your contact number and address can be updated by:

• Logging into ESR
• Clicking on the ‘My Personal Information’ drop down on the main page
• Click on ‘Update my contact details’

For support with updating these details please see managing personal details information sheet.

For further information about Loop including user guides for logging into the app, finding available bank shifts plus much more please visit the Loop connect pages by clicking here.

Remember to return syringe drivers when not in use

Colleagues are reminded to ensure they return Syringe Drivers to Medical Engineering when they’re no longer in use or required, due to the fact that we frequently have times when we have very low stocks of syringe drivers, they are essential for the symptom control of our end of life and palliative patients.

A syringe driver is used to administer medication at a regular rate over 24 hours. The syringe driver is used to relieve symptoms such as pain in palliative patients.

When it is identified that a syringe driver is required the clinical team will collect a syringe driver from the medical engineering department (available on City and Sandwell site). When the syringe driver is collected a record is left of the patients details and place of care (ward, care home, home address). When the syringe driver is no longer required it must be returned to medical engineering for essential maintenance.

If the syringe drivers are not returned to medical engineering the essential maintenance cannot take place and we will find that there not be enough for all of the patients who require them.

It is essential that all Syringe drivers are returned to medical engineering as soon as they are not in use. 

Please check your clinical areas for any syringe drivers not in use and return them immediately

Heartbeat: Going to work saved my life – Matthew Maguire’s story

It was meant to be a normal summer’s day, however for Matthew Maguire, it would be a day like no other – a day he would come close to losing his life.

Coming in to work at his office at Sandwell Hospital, Associate Director of Performance and Strategic insight Mathew Maguire had no idea he would soon find himself going from staff member to patient, whilst doctors and nurses rushed to treat a life-threatening condition.

Unbeknownst to Matthew, on this day he would suffer a pulmonary embolism, a condition which occurs when a blood clot gets stuck in an artery in the lung, blocking blood flow to part of the lung.

However, fortunately for Matthew, he works at SWB and was surrounded by quick thinking colleagues who were able to spot that something was not quite right and call for urgent help. And within moments of the call going out, Mathew found himself in the hands of our EMRT team who arrived in his time of need.

“The team were very quick to respond to the emergency,” said Matthew.

“They got a trolley and moved me directly to our A&E department. I have a good relationship with John Bleasdale who was in charge of the EMRT team on that day and though I wasn’t too well at the time, he was able to keep things jovial and light-hearted which stopped me from panicking. Nothing seemed like it was out of the ordinary for them and they were in control of the situation the whole time.”

Matthew was moved from A&E resus to AMU as he was struggling to breathe and required constantly monitoring.

“The nursing staff on AMU showed great patience and understanding with me despite my condition which only made me feel better in their care.

“I must give a special mention to HCA Stuart on AMU A in bay A. It was watching Stuart interact with other patients’ relatives that made him stand out, he made hand puppets for some children whose grandfather had obviously had some bad news and he would help distract the grandchildren so that the grandfather and father could have some quiet time to talk. Though this was a small touch it really stood out to me and encompassed the great care offered.”

On the whole, Matthew received excellent care from his initial admission to his eventual discharge.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to all the clinical and non-clinical staff who supported me on patient journey as I know how close I came to death. They all cared for me on a professional and personal level, and it is truly humbling. Simply put, going to work that day saved my life!”

Matthew is currently working from home. He is currently on long term anti-coagulants with a short (three month) to medium term (six month) plan in place for his care.

Everyone at SWB would like to wish Matthew all the best and hope to see him fit and well soon!