Monthly archives: July 2023
Summer Holiday Activities
Sandwell Go Play – Sandwell celebrates National Playday at West Smethwick Park
Playday is the national day for play, celebrated each year across the UK on the first Wednesday in August. Playday 2023 will be celebrated with a FREE event on Wednesday 2 August between 12pm – 4pm at West Smethwick Park. Join in some fun activities such as Dhol drumming workshops, Forest Play sessions, giant bubbles, and food-making workshops. (Flyer attached)
Bookings are now open!
Please see the attached flyers for more information on what’s going on in your area this summer.
Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 14 July
Our board meeting this week highlighted the scale of work required to meet our key priorities for the remainder of this financial year.
To highlight some of the challenges ahead:
- Reduce length of stay and increase the use of our out of hospital services such as Urgent Community Response, which has met the national target of 70 per cent of all patients seen two hours for the third consecutive month, with 85 per cent of all patients remaining in their usual place of residence.
- Close beds that are not budgeted for – this is essential for us to safely move into Midland Met. The right interventions at the front door along with our community wrap around services will ensure we are able to keep unfunded beds closed even during peak demands.
- Continue to influence the development of Place in Ladywood and Perry Barr to ensure comparable services as to those in Sandwell.
- Tackle our long wait lists – by March 2024, no one must wait more than 65 weeks for an elective procedure.
- Reduce our spend on Bank and agency.
- Safely open Midland Met in 2024 – there is now a real focus on readiness to ensure we have a safe and successful move for our patients, colleagues and local population.
- Get a grip on our cost improvement programme to deliver our £18.8m deficit plan.
As you know our annual plan sets out 14 objectives that need to be delivered by April 2024, six of which we have prioritised. This huge agenda underlines the need for us to have a clear focus on this. You can hear more about how you can contribute to the annual plan by attending my ‘town hall’ sessions.
This is all in the backdrop of mitigating the risks caused by industrial action, which is now underway for our non-consultant doctors until 7am on 18 July. This action is the longest ever taken by non-consultant colleagues and for the first time includes a weekend, a time we traditionally rely on the services of these colleagues even more. And soon after, on 20 July, there will be a 48-hour action by consultant colleagues.
Our tried and tested command and control structures are in place, and I would once again like to thank you for stepping in to ensure we continue to provide safe care to our patients, while supporting colleagues who have chosen to take strike action.
The Board understands that each period of industrial action is harder for colleagues, mentally and physically – we have seen this in the sickness rates which are starting to creep up. Your wellbeing is important to us, so please speak up if you need help. I, along with other senior colleagues will be conducting wellbeing checks during the strike days so do tell us how we can make things easier for you.
You can also speak to your line manager or confidentially approach colleagues in our occupational health and wellbeing team for help and support.
Have a good week.
Job of the week: Band 6 Tissue Viability Specialist Nurse
We are seeking to appoint a registered nurse who has a passion for wound care to join a highly motivated Tissue Viability Team. Our Tissue Viability Team work with patients and professional colleagues across both our community and Hospital settings.
We would welcome applications from enthusiastic Band 5 nurses who have a keen interest in wound management and harm free care. This exciting development opportunity will ensure your progression to Band 6 after successfully achieving set competencies and relevant wound care training. We will support you to achieve this over a six-month time frame.
We are seeking to recruit an individual who has relevant knowledge, skills and experience in pressure ulcer, complex wound, and leg ulcer management. As a tissue viability specialist nurse you will provide specialist assessment, care planning for a range of complex wounds and provide advice on ongoing management, supporting the delivery of evidence based wound management. A key element of the role is the provision of education, training and support to members of the MDT. You should have excellent communication and organisational skills, which will support you to challenge and embed best practice across the Trust.
If you are energised and motivated to work with our Tissue Viability Team and excited by this development opportunity, then we would like to hear from you.
To view the job description click here.
To view the personal specification click here.
The closing date for applications is 30 July 2023. To apply for the job please click here.
Patient safety incident response framework (PSIRF) introduction sessions
The risk management team are hosting sessions aimed at all colleagues who are interested in changes regarding the new serious incident investigation process.
The sessions will include:
- An understanding of why incidents occur, and what we can learn from them
- How events are classed as serious incidents and what this means
- How the new process will differ from previous
- How we support people involved and affected by the event
- Chance for staff to suggest how we can implement the changes.
All sessions will run from 10am – 11am
Dates:
- 25th of July 2023 via MS Teams
- 22nd of August 2023 via MS Teams
- 19th of September 2023 via MS Teams
- 24th of October 2023 via MS Teams
To book on a session or for more information please email swb-tr.RiskManagement@nhs.net.
Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 7 July
This week we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS. I use the word celebrate deliberately because I honestly feel that we should do more than just note it, we should celebrate the NHS, what it stands for and reflect on what life would be like if we did not have it.
It is easy to be very downbeat about the NHS now and I am not alone in occasionally slipping into a narrative about the NHS being in terminal decline. I check myself whenever I do this for one reason – that being that if we fall into this trap, we will enhance the unhealthy narrative that the NHS is an outmoded concept which needs to be ditched and replaced with “an alternative” system. There are two issues I have with this assertion. One is that those people who say this, never articulate clearly what the alternative is. Secondly, those who say it are almost always those who can afford to “go private” or they are people who haven’t yet faced the fear associated with acute or serious illness or injury.
Yes, the NHS is struggling. The next, exhausting wave of non-consultant and consultant medical strike action is a symptom of this. So is much of the crumbling estate we work in, the vacancies we struggle to get ahead of in recruitment terms, the post-COVID recovery journey for staff and quality standards and the downward pressure from politicians of all colours, for us to achieve rapid results and improvement, in the context of our resources not keeping pace with inflation or demographic change. I cannot and will not ignore those realities and what it means for our staff or our patients. However, to drive us on and to ensure we do celebrate the 75th birthday of the service, we must remind ourselves about the great principles of the NHS and locally, remind ourselves about our own local circumstances and reasons to be optimistic:
Firstly, the NHS and its principles. Needs led, person centred care, free at the point of delivery, not based on your ability to pay. Can there be a more unifying or inspiring set of principles than that? They are the reasons why I joined, and they are the reason I still get out of bed every morning and come to work.
Secondly, our local circumstances. We serve some of the most deprived and ethnically diverse populations in the country. They are the people who deserve and need a service based on the principles I described above. A major development that should lead to significant improvements for them and for you as our colleagues, is the Midland Met Hospital and its associated care model. Not only are we imminently going to occupy a state-of-the-art hospital to replace our outmoded and declining estate, but we are also adopting a care model for our local population which focuses as much on chronic disease management, admission avoidance and community care, as it does on hospital admission. Our local population need both that new hospital and the radical change to care which will underpin it. I cannot think of a better motivation than that.
Happy birthday, NHS. May you live for another 75 years.
Yoga class on Monday cancelled
The yoga class scheduled to take place on Monday 10 July has been cancelled. Classes will resume at Sandwell in the Berridge room, Sandwell Courtyard Gardens, Monday 17 July from 4.45pm – 5.45pm.
Yoga classes are also available at City gym every Thursday, 4.45pm – 5.45pm starting 27 July. Note: There are no yoga classes on 13 July and 20 July.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Our NHS at 75: A message from Amanda Pritchard, NHS Chief Executive
A message from Amanda Pritchard, NHS Chief Executive
On this day, 75 years ago, our country did something remarkable. In creating a comprehensive, universal and free National Health Service, we freed tens of millions of people from fear of the financial impact of getting ill, and gave them the hope of a healthier future for themselves and their families.
As we mark three quarters of a century, I wanted to share some personal reflections on how far we have come, where we are now, and the hope we can have for the future.
Proud of our shared history
Over the last 75 years we have continually innovated and adapted to meet the changing needs of our patients and communities, and in doing so ushered a string of major advances in care which have benefited people here and around the world – from the first full hip replacement to genome sequencing.
But we have also faced challenges from Day One. Windrush Day was a reminder that we have always not just welcomed talent from around the world, but relied on it.
I recently met Carol, a Matron at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, whose mum emigrated to England and also worked in the NHS. We talked about what our shared history means to her – you can watch our conversation.
Our NHS at 75
The story of the NHS has always been one of progress and resilience in the face of challenges, and that is true today. I know colleagues continue to work flat out to improve the quality and timeliness of care patients receive, often having to work around rota gaps, and often in facilities that make delivering care less efficient than it could be.
Whether on waiting lists for planned treatment, access to primary, community or mental health care, or the timeliness of urgent and emergency care, we still have a lot to do. But we are making progress – because of the work you are doing.
So while we all remain focused on delivering for patients, it is right that today is a moment to celebrate colleagues, past and present. Whether that’s the service at Westminster Abbey, the
NHS Parliamentary Awards, the NHS at 75 photography competition or the dozens of local events taking place across the country – all will put staff at the centre.
I’m also delighted to say that from Thursday, the George Cross – awarded last year to all NHS staff for their 74 years of service to the nation – will be on display at the Science Museum in London. Plans are also in place for the exhibit to move to regional museums over the coming years.
Ambitious for the future
Milestone anniversaries like today aren’t just about looking back, but also looking to the future. And building a stronger NHS for the future means more colleagues, working in new ways and with the support they need to do what they do best.
I recently returned to my old school, Durham Johnston Comprehensive, as part of the NHS75 Speakers for Schools partnership. I was blown away by the number of young people who were already interested in coming to join us.
The NHS can’t afford to let that enthusiasm and ambition go to waste – just as we must do everything within our power to retain the skills and experience of our existing staff. So I am delighted that we have been able to publish our Long Term Workforce Plan, which for the first time in our 75-year history sets out how we will train and retain more staff over the coming years, and reform how we learn and work.
If you haven’t yet had chance to take a look, the full version is here, and I attempt to summarise it in 30 seconds here.
The recent NHS@75 report from the NHS Assembly was another reminder of how ambitious our colleagues are about improving health and care – whether by boosting prevention, embracing innovation or shifting more care into the community and people’s homes. These are all ambitions I share, and I talked about them in my recent speech to the NHS ConfedExpo conference, which you can read, watch or listen to.
Thank you
I know today will be a busy day like any other Wednesday. NHS teams will deliver around 1.6 million patient contacts. Hundreds of new lives will be brought into the world, countless lives will be improved through care and treatment, and many will be saved. That’s what we do, every day.
Whatever part you have played to date in the ongoing mission of the NHS, and will play in its future, I want to thank you once again for your contribution. You make the NHS what it is today, and you will make sure it continues to be there for future generations.
With best wishes
Amanda Pritchard, NHS Chief Executive
Health Information Week continues this week
Thursday is the fourth day of Health Information Week.
High quality health information can have a huge impact on people’s ability to stay healthy and manage illnesses effectively, giving them a better quality of life. We all need health information that we can trust. We also need to look after our well-being, whether our mental health or our physical health. In response to these needs, each day a different topic has been chosen and then resources for both healthcare staff and members of the public, to support that topic have been identified.
Thursday’s topic is Social Prescribing – the resources are available here.
Nursing Associate Apprenticeship applications close 28 July
Do you have a passion for healthcare? If so, the Nursing Associate Apprentice role could be perfect for you! Nursing associates work as a vital part of the wider nursing team – this important role sits between healthcare assistants and registered nurses.
You will need:
- Evidence of achieving the required numeracy and literacy standard functional skills level 2 Maths and English or GCSE at C/4 or above
- Confirmation of support from your line manager
- To work a minimum of 30 hours per week
- Six months healthcare experience
Applications close Friday 28 July, 5pm. For more information and to join, please email swbh.nursingassociates@nhs.net.
75 per cent off in Morrisons cafés for NHS birthday
To celebrate the 75th birthday of the NHS, Morrisons is offering 75 per cent off on all hot menu items, regular hot drinks and cakes in all its cafés for NHS colleagues on Wednesday 5 July.
For further details, please click here.
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