Monthly archives: January 2023
Message from Chief Nursing Officer, Mel Roberts – Industrial action affecting NHS services – Chartered Society for Physiotherapists
Colleagues will be aware that the Chartered Society for Physiotherapists (CSP) recently balloted their members on industrial action. Further to the ballot confirmation was received that the CSP achieved the legal ballot threshold with over 50 per cent of their members voting and the majority voting in favour for industrial action. As such the CSP have confirmed strike action on 26 January 2023 at the Trust. The Trust recognise that colleagues may want to exercise their legal right to take strike action.
We have created an FAQs document which can be found on Connect for additional information and support about strike action. In addition, colleagues can contact the Trust HR advice line on ext 6680 with any queries they may have.
The Trust is working closely with local and regional CSP representatives to maintain open dialogue in order that we can support colleagues with strike action and maintain a safe level of service for our patients.
NHS Smartcards: Planned maintenance taking place Wednesday 25 January
The National Smartcard system is being updated on Wednesday 25 January from 6:30pm through to 8:30pm. During this period we will not be able to issue new smartcards or reset passwords on smartcards, however cards already in use will remain fully functional.
The work is scheduled to begin at 6:30pm and should be completed by 8:30pm.
Should you have any queries on this please contact the IT Service Desk on ext. 4050 or 0121 507 4050 for home workers or via ‘Service Desk Live Chat’.
Locally Employed Doctors sessions taking place
A new monthly gathering has been arranged for Locally Employed Doctors (LED) in the Trust. There is a desire to improve the experience of junior specialist doctors and specialty and associate specialist doctors at SWB, such that it is a place where you feel a sense of belonging and where you can thrive in your career.
The next LED gathering is due to take place at City Hospital on 26 January from 12:30 – 2pm and will be repeated at Sandwell in February.
Venue: Meeting/Dining room (Ground Floor), Post Graduate Centre, City Hospital
Guest speaker: Dr Mark Anderson, CMO 12:30 1pm
Topics: Role of Responsible Officer, GMC guidance; documentation and note keeping.
There will be free lunch.
Join online event and help build the UK’s largest ever health research programme
Birmingham and the Black Country are playing a special role in Our Future Health – helping to build something revolutionary – the UK’s largest ever health research programme.
Join for a one-off free online event on Wednesday 15 February at 10.30am to hear from local volunteers, Our Future Health senior leaders and local partners for a discussion about the ongoing success of the programme so far in the West Midlands, including:
- What we’ve learned from you
- How Our Future Health will have a positive impact on your local priorities
- How we’re working to represent your diverse community
- Opportunities to ask questions
- Three breakout groups:
-
- How can we help people live in good health for longer?
- How do we ensure our diverse community is represented?
- How do we maximise the potential of Our Future Health data and insight?
The event is open to all stakeholders and the public in the West Midlands and will be of interest to people at all levels working in:
- Health research
- Public health
- Local government
- NHS and Integrated Care Boards/Partnerships
- Third sector/community groups
- As well as Our Future Health volunteers and anyone interested in joining the programme
Numbers are limited so reserve your place now to avoid disappointment.
Join the alcohol care team for Dry January
Our alcohol care team will be hosting a Dry January themed stand at Sandwell main reception aimed at colleagues who want advice, or if they have a family member or friend they are concerned about regarding difficulties with alcohol consumption from 12pm – 3pm on Tuesday 17 January.
The team will also be selling raffle tickets offering an array of prizes, from afternoon tea for two, Safari Park tickets, comedy club tickets, Cadbury world tickets plus much more.
For further information, please email cheryl.jones9@nhs.net or call ext. 5153.
Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 13 January
This week Richard’s message highlights the improving outlook following on from last week’s critical incident. We have managed to close 50 out of the 75 additional beds we opened to cope with the demand and we continue to see an improving picture with calmer, safer care being delivered from our acute and emergency services. Thank you for all of your efforts in helping to discharge patients and keep us safe.
As part of our ‘Population’ objective, we also hosted a session yesterday with Mayor of West Midlands Andy Street, Leader of Sandwell Council and senior representatives from each of our partner organisations to discuss the regeneration potential in and around the Midland Metropolitan development to provide local jobs for local people.
A really important session where everybody was prepared to commit to working closely together on turning strategic intent around economic and social regeneration in and around the Midland Met in to practical reality.
Recording an incident in Safeguard
Going forward, if you have an action recorded on Safeguard on an incident that is allocated to you, you will now receive a reminder a week before the action is set to go overdue. Once the action has gone overdue, you will receive weekly reminders on a Friday.
To avoid the weekly reminders, please log in to the action on Safeguard and close it with evidence.
For further details including a step-by-step process of how to close action with evidence, an example of the email reminder and SOPs for completing/updating actions on Safeguard please click here.
For more information please email swb-tr.RiskManagement@nhs.net.
BMJ leaders live leadership event: 24 February
The NHS Leadership Academy are strategic partners with BMJ leaders for a brand-new leadership event on Friday 24 February in London. This multi-professional leadership event will have a combination of keynote lectures and workshops aimed at early, current and senior leaders with diversity and inclusion at the heart of the programme.
The NHS Leadership Academy are offering funded places and particularly welcome applications from clinicians who are often disadvantaged from such opportunities including those from ethnically diverse, LGBTQIA+ and disability backgrounds as well as those facing financial hardship. The venue is accessible with lunch and refreshments included throughout the day.
They’re are also providing a widening participation grant to help support travel for those who are not able to access funding or facing financial hardship. Please indicate if you would like to apply for this on the form below.
They ask that as part of the application process you have pre-authorised study leave for the day and are willing to participate in a post programme survey as well as a one-hour virtual focus group for the evaluation.
To apply for a place please fill out the form here. Deadline for applications is midnight Monday 16 January.
Successful applicants will be informed by Friday 20 January, 4pm so if you do not hear by then your application was not successful. They will be operating a waiting list so please select on the form if you wish to be added. For more information please email clinicalleadership@leadershipacademy.nhs.uk
Calling all ethnic minority nursing and midwifery colleagues
Your views are required to help shape Hexitime, an online knowledge sharing platform.
We need your views to help shape and design a Midlands virtual time exchange platform to support ethnic minority nurses and midwives across the region to share guidance and knowledge with each other.
The Midlands NHS England Nursing and Midwifery workforce team will be using a virtual time exchange platform called Hexitime https://hexitime.com/ . The online platform allows colleagues across healthcare to learn from improvement work in other organisations, pick the brains of subject matter experts irrespective of location or seniority, share knowledge with others and to find a specific skill to support with improvement work.
The aim is for the platform to be a specific protected virtual regional space designed in collaboration with the Chief Nursing Officer’s (CNO) & Chief Midwifery Officer’s (CMidO) Ethnic Minority Expert Reference Group and the CNO & CMidO BME Strategic Advisory Group for the Midlands where ethnic minority nurses and midwives can seek support, guidance and knowledge from others whilst also giving back at the same time. This could for example include coaching and mentoring support, interests e.g. workforce improvement or specific skills e.g. quality improvement.
How to participate:
This regional survey has been produced to capture the feedback of ethnic minority nurses and midwives about the platform. Please take 5 minutes to complete this survey. The deadline for responses is Tuesday 31 January. Your views are very important to help shape this development offer. We also welcome volunteers who wish to support the testing and the design of this platform. Please e-mail thomaswarner@nhs.net if you are interested.
We need your views to help design a virtual time exchange platform to support ethnic minority nurses and midwives across the region to share guidance and knowledge with each other.
You can participate by clicking here.
Schwartz Rounds continue on 26 January
Schwartz Rounds have been relaunched with the next session taking place on Thursday 26 January, 12.30pm – 1.30pm in the committee room at Rowley Regis Hospital.
Schwartz Rounds are a forum for clinical and non-clinical colleagues from all backgrounds and levels, to come together once a month, for one-hour meetings in which staff talk about the emotional and social challenges of caring for patients.
For further details please click here or email swbh.schwartzrounds@nhs.net.
To register via Eventbrite please click here.
← Older items Newer items →