Monthly archives: July 2023
SAHM: What countries make up South Asia?
What countries make up South Asia?
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- India
- The Maldives
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
Every single one of those countries has been hugely impacted by its relationship with Britain, primarily through war, colonisation, and ultimately via the British Empire. People of South Asian heritage are a significant part of the British population, with about 1 in every 20 people in the country being of South Asian heritage.
Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 28 July
At the Trust Management Committee (TMC) earlier this week we took some time to look at financial recovery and the interventions that can help us deliver our £18.8 million deficit plan.
For those of you not aware, TMC was until recently known as Clinical Leadership Executive. It is a group consisting of your local clinical group leaders and the executive team which meets once a month to make collective decisions about the function of the organisation.
I want to make it clear that we don’t want a reductionist approach to cost savings, this is why we have agreed to drive the Midland Met service transformations harder and capture their financial benefit.
I would also remind you that when team budgets are set, they are an agreed maximum of what you can spend throughout the year.
At TMC we looked at four high impact interventions, one of which focussed on delivering our production plan and ensuring we recover the income associated with elective recovery. In last week’s blog I mentioned the continued challenges presented by industrial action which has unfortunately led to some procedures being postponed.
Closing beds that are not budgeted for is also an area we discussed. As I mentioned last week, we are on track but will rely on front door interventions and community wrap around services to ensure we don’t re-open beds during peak demands. Please engage with services such as virtual wards – it is disappointing that we are not yet using this service to full capacity. I urge you speak to the virtual ward team about how the service could benefit your patients. Also watch this video which gives a simple explanation of what a virtual ward is.
Another important area we discussed is making the best use of our workforce. Our ask to you is simple. Make sure you’re recruiting appropriately using the vacancy control process that has recently been established. We need to get a grip on bank and agency spend and urge you to only use these options when you absolutely need to – and then, only within our establishment. I know we’re experiencing sickness levels over and above that which we’re funded for at the moment, and I recognise that it’s a very real pressure. Please be assured you can seek approval if you feel unable to contain expenditure within a rota period, within your budget. But if we can really focus on reducing our use of agency and managing within the controls we’ve got around agency approval, that would really help.
The senior leadership team at the Trust is now tasked with delivering actions against the high impact interventions to aide our financial recovery. And over the coming weeks and months you will begin to feel the impact of that work within your teams.
And in the meantime, please discuss within your teams if there’s anything we can do to improve grip and control. What could we do better? Where are our processes not quite working as expected? How can we safely maintain quality and still make efficiencies?
You are the ones on the ground and know best how to do your role. Only you know how you can work smarter for our patients and each other. Working smarter does not necessarily mean cutting costs, perhaps you have an idea for an investment that could eliminate waste and improve our financial position.
This should remain an objective for all of us. Speak to your managers about this and feel free to contact me or Dinah McLannahan, Chief Finance Officer with your ideas.
Job of the week: Band 4 Senior Business Support
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced administrator to join the Primary Care, Community & Therapies Clinical Group. The Group provides inpatient, outpatient, community therapies and nursing care. The role of the admin is to facilitate responsive care therefore the services require an effective, efficient and comprehensive administrative service in and out of hours.
You will also provide administrative support and cover for Senior Management Team Group Meetings, ensuring comprehensive administrative support, formulation of agendas, minutes and maintenance of action logs.
You will be expected to under take first line supervision of Care Navigation Centre admin teams that fall under the services Ambulatory Therapies Directorate, ensuring the daily provision of a comprehensive administration service, tailored to support a number of clinical services throughout the Group.
To liaise effectively with the Care Navigation Centre and Administrative Hubs Team Lead ensuring they are kept informed of any issues which may impact on the effectiveness of the administrative function or affect clinical services. To ensure that the administrative service delivery develops alongside developments within the clinical services
Main duties of the job
The function of the Administrative Service is first point of contact for patients for the specific services in and out of hours, referral management, registration of patients to services using patient registration systems and bespoke systems, ordering of equipment, typing clinical correspondence, managing clinical diaries. There will be a requirement to learn all the different electronic systems used by the administrative and clinical services in order to carry out its function, undertake staff PDRs and assist in training of staff.
The role is for 37.5 hours per week working, Mon – Sun, 8.00am – 6.00pm and Bank Holiday cover 8am – 6pm, with some need to cover 12.00 – 20.00 on a rota basis
The successful candidate will enhance our team by having the following experience and qualities:
- Significant experience within a healthcare administration environment
- Line Management experience
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Previously gained or working towards a health records management qualification recognised by IHRIM, NVQ level 4 or equivalent experience/knowledge.
- RSA III or equivalent,GCE/GCSE English and Maths equivalent to a Grade C
- Excellent communication skill to deal with patients, colleagues and referring agents.
- Ability to prioritise own work and work under pressure with conflicting demands.Team player
To see further information regarding the person specification, please click here.
To view the full job description, please click here.
The closing date is 10 August.
Apprenticeship training opportunities at SWB
With the PDR season upon us, there are a variety of apprenticeship courses available at SWB.
These courses are designed in partnership with the NHS Leadership Academy and funded by the apprenticeship levy.
To see a full list of the courses, please click here.
If you are interested and would like further information or to make an application to join a programme, please email benblack@bpp.com.
If you require information on apprenticeships and accessing the levy, please email Maxine.griffiths@nhs.net.
Job of the week: Join the MMUH team as a Clinical Change Manager
The MMUH Programme team are funding 2.0 FTE Clinical Change Mangers to support the transition to our new hospital site. This exciting secondment opportunity is open to experienced registered nurses, allied health professionals or health care scientists, who have a clinical background and are currently a professional registrant.
The successful applicants will work closely with wards, departments, and services to support the implementation of the standardisation projects aligned to the year 1 Fundamentals of Care delivery workstream and support the MMUH communications team in roll out of the staff facing communications strategy – supporting the development of MMUH Corners, establishing staff MMUH huddles to disseminate key messages and report back on staff feedback.
Postholders will need to demonstrate that they have successfully led clinical improvement initiatives in their current role and have excellent communication skills and leadership attributes.
The duration of the secondment is 12 months.
Staff interested in applying for this secondment are asked to submit the expression of interest (attached) by Thursday 27 July. Interviews will be scheduled for Thursday 10 August .
This opportunity is open to staff looking for a full time/ part-time secondment (work plans and division of work will be established with the successful applicants). Applicants should have agreement with their line manager prior to submitting an expression of interest
- MMUH Clinical Change Manager – Role specification
- MMUH Clinical Change Manager – Expression of Interest
If you require any further information, please contact Marsha Jones (MMUH Associate Deputy Chief Nurse: email marsha.jones3@nhs.net or Ann Marie Bogle (MMUH: PA) on 07812 771140.
Overnight closures of Lee Bridge until Monday 4 September
Lee Bridge will be closed overnight throughout the school holidays until Monday 4 September. During this period we advise staff to plan for delays when travelling to and from City Hospital due to the three-way light traffic system.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Please view the documents below as a visual aid of these closures.
South Asian Heritage Month: What’s the significance of the dates?
The month begins on 18 July, the date that the Indian Independence Act 1947 gained royal assent from King George VI, and ends on the 17 August, the date that the Radcliffe Line was published in 1947, which finally set out where the border between India, West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) would be.
The start and end dates show just how much of an influence Britain has had on South Asia as a whole over the last few centuries. The dates coincide to a large extent with the South Asian month of Saravan/Sawan, which is the main monsoon month when the region’s habitat undergoes renewal. Having it take place across the two Western calendar months of July and August is entirely apt, as it respects the traditions of the South Asian calendars. This period also includes several independence days connected to South Asian countries.
Join Green Impact in 2023 and create positive changes in your workplace
Are you interested in creating positive changes in your area of work and supporting our Trust in becoming a leading sustainable healthcare provider?
If so, why not join our ‘Green Impact’ programme where colleagues work together in teams to complete simple, everyday actions. This could be anything from turning off lights and equipment when not required, wasting less and using re-usable items, getting out and taking a walk, using the car less, empowering patients to think ‘green’, and much more.
In case you missed it, we have launched our 5th cycle and have a brand new toolkit. There will be a chance to win prizes throughout the year, with awards and recognition for your team.
To find out more and register please click here or alternatively email Francesca.silcocks@nhs.net.
Medicines safety notices
We have six drug safety notices from our pharmacy department which clinical colleagues should be aware of.
- Amiodarone 300mg/10mL solution for injection/infusion in a 10mL pre-filled syringe is out of stock until early August 2023.
- Very limited supplies of all glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) licensed in the management of Type 2 diabetes. Supply is not expected to return to normal until at least mid-2024.
- Lidocaine 1% with adrenaline 1 in 200,000 injection and Lidocaine 2% with adrenaline is in short supply until December 2023.
- There is a current shortage of Selegiline 5mg and 10mg tablets with supplies not anticipated until end of July at the earliest. Pharmacy have limited supplies remaining.
- The manufacturer of Tresiba (insulin degludec) 100units/mL FlexTouch pen are currently experiencing a shortage which is expected to last from August 2023 until January 2024. Other presentations of Tresiba, including within other insulin pens, are unaffected by the shortage
Please see information sheets below for further advice and alternatives:
Amiodarone 300mg in 10mL PFS 02-0723
Lidocaine with Adrenaline Injection 06-0723
Tresiba Flextouch 100Unit FlexTouch Pen 05-0723
For more information please contact the pharmacy department on ext. 5263/3783.
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