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Monthly archives: December 2023

Vaccination’s available 1 – 5 January

 

The vaccination team continued to run their vaccination clinics across sites in January.

If you would like your vaccination, please check the vaccination timetable below.

Urgent webinar for healthcare staff on measles cases in Birmingham

 

All healthcare staff are invited to an online webinar on Tuesday 19 December 2023, 6pm to 7pm, via MS Teams.

The webinar will cover:

  • An introduction from meeting chair Dr Clara Day, Chief Medical Office at NHS Birmingham and Solihull.
  • Paul Fisher, Consultant in Health Protection at UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), will provide an update on current context, including the West Midlands and Birmingham and Solihull position, the confirmed SITREP as of 18.12.2023, and key issues of note for next step actions.
  • Dr Steven Welch, Consultant Paediatrician at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), and Dr Ahmed Mohamed, Paediatric Registrar at UHB, will discuss measles presentation, diagnosis, vulnerable groups, and the clinical pathway to follow.
  • There will also be an updated on community actions, and coordinating the response for community and primary care.

Aim of the webinar:

To provide a space for staff to have an opportunity to understand and ask questions about measles cases in Birmingham and our system response.

If you would like to join the webinar please click the link below. 

Click here to join the meeting

 

Latest Opportunities for AHP Support Workers

 

SWB employs nine AHP professions including chiropodists/ podiatrists, dietitians, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, physiotherapists, prosthetists and orthotists, radiographers, and speech and language therapists.

2024 dates have also been launched for the SWB AHP Support Worker Forum please click here to access the dates and register interest, once approval from your Line Manager, for attendance, has been confirmed.

Further training and CPD opportunities, for AHP Support Workers, can be found on the Connect page by clicking here.

If you would like further information about preceptorship, student and educator information, events and opportunities, and the career development pages please click here or email Sian Davies – Lead AHP Support Worker ( siandavies4@nhs.net)

Join our chaplaincy team throughout the festive period!

 

This year’s theme is “Blessings of Christmas”. Christians view the birth of Jesus Christ as the greatest gift and best expression of blessing to humanity. The Christmas blessing is a person and is given to the world. It also encourages us to reflect that in our lives as we share our various blessings to others, especially those who are in need. To joyfully celebrate, our Chaplaincy Team will be hosting a series of festive events throughout the Christmas period across sites as supported by different groups and churches in the community.

Sandwell:

  • Wednesday 20 December,12.30pm – 1.15pm : carol service (ecumenical and multi-cultural) at Sandwell Chapel (second floor, main block), with refreshments to be served until 2pm
  • Monday 25 December, 9am Christmas morning celebration and communion at Sandwell Chapel (second floor, main block)

City:

  • Thursday 21 December, 12.30pm – 1.15pm : carol service (ecumenical and multi-cultural) at City Chapel (first floor, opposite D20), with refreshments to be served until 2pm
  • Monday 25 December, 11am  Christmas morning celebration and communion at City Chapel (first floor, opposite D20), followed by gift giving to nominated wards

Leasowes:

  • Thursday 21 December, 3pm – 5pm carol singing on the wards

Colleagues are also most welcome to join us for the carol singing on the wards as we spread the blessings of Christmas!

For more information the team can be reached at City on ext. 4055/5051 and at Sandwell on ext. 3552/3557.

Pharmacy supplies over the Christmas and New Year period

 

From Monday 18 December until Friday 22 December, Pharmacy will be issuing a minimum of two weeks supply on TTOs and blister packs to ensure patients have enough supply of their medications throughout the Christmas and New Year period.

A reminder to all prescribers to ensure any Controlled Drug prescriptions (wet copies) have the correct legal requirements documented including the correct quantities to cover the two week period.

New courses on Centric Cortex: Tracheostomy and passy muir speaking valve

 

There are new courses available on the Centric Cortex online learning platform (the platform used for Unity training and other courses):

  • Tracheostomy course – suitable for all staff working in critical care and cohort wards across the Trust
  • Passy muir speaking valve curse – suitable for critical care colleagues only

Both courses are available on Centric Cortex, in the mandatory/other training section, which can be accessed by this link https://swbt.premierit.co.uk/login

Most colleagues will already have an account for Centric Cortex, and you may reset your password if required from the home screen. You may also register for an account from the home screen if you don’t already have an account. A full user guide for Centric Cortex is available at by this link Centric Cortex Online Learning System – SQL Server 2019 Reporting Services

For further information on the two courses, please contact email nheys@nhs.net. For any issues logging into Centric Cortex, please email swbh.informaticsbookings@nhs.net.

My Part in Midland Met – Malvinder Phull

 

From now until we move into Midland Met, we will be sharing updates with you about the many people involved in the project and the role they each play.    

The successful opening of Midland Metropolitan University Hospital relies on many people, teams and stakeholders. Once open, it will have a far-reaching impact – not only on those we care for but also on colleagues and our community in terms of regeneration, jobs, housing, charitable endeavours and so much more.  

Getting us to Midland Met is a team effort. We all have a part to play in making it #morethanahospital! 

How long have you been at SWB and what is your current role?  

I joined SWB in November 2022. As part of my role, I support public and community engagement. We help to provide opportunities for our patients and local people to tell us what they think about their experiences with our services and what they feel could be improved. This insight is valuable to help improve service delivery at Midland Met. 

What part does your role contribute to the Midland Met project? 

I go out into the community and inform our communities and the general public about Midland Met. We talk with people about what services will move from and stay at Sandwell and City hospitals and our retained estate.  

We have also revamped an unused patient transport vehicle to take out into the community, which is a great way to get people to stop and have a chat with us. 

How are you preparing for the opening of Midland Met in your team/department? 

I am providing feedback from our local communities to help inform the public facing communications materials about Midland Met. 

In what ways will our new hospital help to shape your role for the better?  

Engaging with our patients and local communities helps provide valuable feedback to help shape the decision-making process for patient pathways in the new hospital.  

The biggest benefit that Midland Met will bring in your opinion is… 

The new hospital will help improve local health outcomes and provide a better patient experience. One of the ways it will achieve that is with the state-of-the-art technology and design that allows for maximum patient comfort and dignity in rooms and shared spaces on the wards.  

Have you been on a site tour?  

Yes, and I was impressed. The patient rooms are spacious, well designed and flow seamlessly from one area to the next. 

My Part in Midland Met – Emma Loosley

 

From now until we move into Midland Met, we will be sharing updates with you about the many people involved in the project and the role they each play.    

The successful opening of Midland Metropolitan University Hospital relies on many people, teams and stakeholders. Once open, it will have a far-reaching impact – not only on those we care for but also on colleagues and our community in terms of regeneration, jobs, housing, charitable endeavours and so much more.  

Getting us to Midland Met is a team effort. We all have a part to play in making it #morethanahospital! 

How long have you been at SWB and what is your current role?  

I have worked at the Trust for 33 years, starting in September 1990 as a rotational physiotherapist. I’m currently working as a senior commissioning manager as part of the Midland Met programme. 

What part does your role contribute to the Midland Met project? 

I joined the Midland Met project team in 2014 as a nine-month secondment. I was involved in supporting clinical engagement and design development. My secondment was extended, and my role became permanent to utilise the knowledge and experience I had gained.  

I provide the link between the project and the clinical teams, particularly women and child health services, critical care and the adult inpatient wards, answering queries and providing information. I also support the site tours taking clinical teams around the site to see the locations they will be working in.   

My role involves working closely with our construction partner, Balfour Beatty, to: 

  • Progress the benchmark rooms. 
  • Develop wayfinding.   
  • Support the development of the fire cause and effect work.   
  • Undertake a review of the areas as the Balfour Beatty works get completed to ensure that they are clinically functional. 
  • Develop the plans for the orientation and navigation of staff at Midland Met.  
  • Taking the infection prevention and control team around the site every four weeks to review progress and solve problems as they arise. 

How are you preparing for the opening of Midland Met in your team? 

My role is to assist Balfour Beatty in completing Midland Met, helping to resolve issues as they arise and getting information from the clinical teams, when required, to support decision making.  

I support services and teams moving into Midland Met to allow them to prepare for their moves. I’m the point of contact for any queries that may arise among the teams I support.  

I review spaces to ensure they are as intended and meet the standards agreed upon through the benchmark process. 

In what ways will our new hospital help to shape your role for the better?  

The focus of my role is to assist the Trust with the process of completing the construction of Midland Met, supporting the activation period when we prepare the finished building to become a hospital ready to deliver healthcare and assisting the teams move successfully to Midland Met.   

When Midland Met becomes operational, my role will be to assist, as required, to embed the teams and ensure that any issues they identify are managed appropriately. 

The biggest benefit that Midland Met will bring in your opinion is… 

Our acute services will be located on one single site allowing care to be delivered in an efficient way with seven-day services for our local population. 

Coping with Christmas

 

The month of December can be a mixture of emotions for many of us, excitement, fear, joy, dread, happiness and sadness.

Christmas can be a challenge in so many ways, think about reaching out and checking in with others affected by death and/or grief. Ways to help a grieving friend at Christmas | Help 2 Make Sense – This article gives some advice from a support worker at Winston’s Wish and some of the youth team who have shared what would have helped them during the festive season.

  • Acknowledge that this time of year can be difficult
  • Ask them if they want to talk about their grief or not
  • Check in with their wellbeing and offer support
  • It will feel different around Christmas without the loved one around, but it is okay to have ups and downs during this time.
  • Let them know they don’t need to send a long reply, just a simple ‘ok’ or emoji
  • Talk about their person if they want to
  • Reassure them it’s okay to cancel or change plans
  • Be there and/or listen
  • Get help – Winston’s Wish are here to help! We offer one-to-one and group grief support sessions. You can call us on 08088 020 021 or email ask@winstonswish.org.

Check useful documents below:

Grieving at Christmas | Advice and Support | Winston’s Wish (winstonswish.org)

Tips on coping with grief at Christmas from other grieving young people | Help 2 Make Sense

How to manage your grief during the Christmas season | Help 2 Make Sense

Additional links:

Get your Vaccination! – Have a Christmas full of gifts, not sneezes and sniffs

 

Our staff have come together to remind you of the importance of looking after your loved ones at this festive time of year.  To find out what our staff have to say, click the video below.

Want to get vaccinated before Christmas? View the vaccination timetable below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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