Monthly archives: January 2024

Clinical support system maintenance: 6 February, 7am – 7.30am

An essential CSS (clinical support system) maintenance will be taking place on Tuesday 6 February to ensure the Trust’s system remains stable. The work is being carried out by IT and is scheduled to begin at 7am for approximately 30 minutes and should be completed by 7.30am.

During this time colleagues using CSS may experience brief disconnections and be forcibly logged off the system but will be able to log straight back in.

We would recommend colleagues try not to upload documents into CSS, access the ‘CDA’ icon in Unity to view historical patient records, or complete eOutcomes from the link in Unity between 6.55am and 7.05am. This timeslot has been chosen as a quieter time operationally to minimise impact.

The activity will be closely monitored by our IT support teams.

As always, should you have any further queries please do contact the IT Service Desk on ext. 4050 or 0121 507 4050 or via Chat with the IT Service Desk.

Lost a stephescope?

If you think you have lost your stethoscope at City yesterday, please visit the immunisation staff breastfeeding room opposite D6.

Infection prevention link study session: 26 March

Infection prevention link study session takes place on Tuesday 26 March, 9am – 1.30pm in the Postgraduate Centre dining room, City.

This study session is open to all levels of staff it aims to take away new infection control updates and help keep high standards in their area.

Places are limited therefore we encourage you to book as soon as possible.

To book an appointment please call ext. 5900.

New year new connections randomised coffee chat

Randomised Coffee Chat are running throughout February and March, this a chance to meet and chat with another member of staff about projects, new developments or sharing best practice. The chat can be virtual or in person, whichever you prefer.

RCC’s help us connect with colleagues, learn from and about each other. It’s free, easy and informal.

Register your interest by emailing swbh.welearnrandomisedcoffeechat@nhs.net by Thursday 29 February with your name, job title, department and location. You will have the month of March to have your conversation – we’ll tell you who you are paired with and then it is over to you.

New urine tubes to be introduced from 1 February

From Thursday 1 February, we will be introducing new urine tubes across SWB. The new urine tubes are primary urine containers that replace (in the majority of circumstances) the old white and red topped universal containers.

The old red topped universal containers will be collected by the roll out team as they will no longer be accepted. White topped ones will remain as they would use these for samples not suitable for the primary urine containers.

All areas will be provided with the new urine tubes as well as training literature from Thursday 1 February.

For further details, please below information sheets:

• Urine Monovette 3.2ml – points to remember
• Boric Acid Urine Monovette 10ml – points to remember
• Urine tests sheet

For more information please email rwh-tr.bcps@nhs.net

Are you a qualified Nursing Associate and want to become a Registered Nurse?

If you would like to become a registered nurse, the nursing associate team are offering an opportunity for nursing associates to become registered nurses.

In order to take up this opportunity the following criteria applies:

-Completed and signed managers approval letter

-Evidence of achieving the required Nurse Associate Qualification this evidence will need to be presented to the university for RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning).

-Confirmation of support from the line manager for the duration of the programme, time out for study days and placement etc.

– Confirmation from the line manager that there will be a Registered Nurse (Band 5) vacancy in the area upon completion.

The intake for Birmingham City University is September 2024, the intake at Wolverhampton University is July 2024.

If you are interested and would like further information please email the nursing associates team.

Applications must be in by Tuesday 2 April 2024

Freedom to Speak Up policy launched

We have recently launched our new Freedom to Speak Up policy. This is to show our continued commitment to Freedom to Speak Up and ensure all staff feel comfortable when a raising concerns.

The policy replaces our previous whistleblowing policy and encourages staff to speak up about all matters which affect them in their jobs.

The policy also allows staff to raise patient safety concerns if this is the process you feel most comfortable with.

Be sure to check out this short video featuring Dan Conway, Associate Director of Corporate Governance talking about the policy launch.

You can also check out the policy by clicking here.

For more information, please email swbh.freedom-to-speak-up-guidance@nhs.net.

The People Pulse quarterly staff survey is still open!

Some colleagues may have noticed they are yet to receive their Pulse Survey. This is because it may have gone into your junk inbox. Colleagues can access the survey by clicking here or accessing their junk email inbox.

Listening to your views remains as important as ever to us. We are using the NHS Quarterly Pulse Survey to regularly check in with you and help improve the support we provide for all colleagues.

This will take just five minutes of your time to complete and allows you to tell us more about your experiences at work including how motivated you feel and what would make the biggest difference to improve what it’s like to work here.

Every colleague is being given the opportunity to have their say and the survey data is shared with our Trust Board, who hold us to account for how we respond.

We have made it even easier for you to have your say, no searching for an e-mail link, simply scan the QR code above (on any device) or click on the link below.

www.myonlinesurvey.co.uk/FFST/RXK

The three teams with the highest response rates will receive £200, £100 and £50 worth of shopping vouchers respectively.

On Thursday 4 January, we held a staff survey line manager briefing. In case you missed it, you can access the recording below.

The quarterly survey is being administered by Quality Health, on behalf of SWB so your responses are strictly confidential and will be handled in accordance with current data protection legislation, GDPR and following the principles of the NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice. No personal data will be passed back to the Trust that could result in anyone being identified.

Note: The survey will close on Wednesday 31 January.

Should you have any questions or difficulties completing the survey, you can contact survey helpline on 0800 783 1775 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm). Alternatively, you can email helpline@quality-health.co.uk

Could you help us with our in-house inspections?

As part of our CQC preparedness plan we are continuing our programme of in-house inspection visits across all clinical services within the Trust. Visits take place each week and cover all hospital sites. Each visit usually lasts around three hours and visits are scheduled for both morning and afternoon sessions.

This is an exciting opportunity to gain an insight into what a CQC inspection entails and to help shape the improvement of our organisation and fulfil our ambition of being good or outstanding in everything we do. We are looking for colleagues from all staff groups (medics, nurses, operational colleagues, pharmacists, facilities colleagues, executive and non-executive directors) to come along and support with our visits. More information and a list of forthcoming dates is available on our weAssure page on Connect.

So if this is something that you think you could help with, please email ruth.spencer10@nhs.net with the date you would like to volunteer for from the in house inspection visits.

Delivering research at SWB

The research and development team is offering training sessions in the following areas; Good Clinical Practice Consolidation (GCP), Principal Investigators (PI) Essentials, and Principal Investigators (PI) Master Class.

• If you are new to research and have completed the NIHR Online Introduction to GCP please book a GCP consolidation course (or if you would like further face-to-face training after attending the virtual GCP course online).
• If you are a new PI with less than 12 months of experience or would like to become a PI of a research study please book onto the PI essentials, this is highly recommended for all new PIs in the Trust.
• If you are an established PI, please book the PI masterclass this will be a good session sharing best practices and local examples/case studies.

Please note all sessions below are face-to-face:

• GCP consolidation Friday 19 April, Postgraduate Centre, City 9.30am – 12.30pm
• GCP consolidation Thursday 16 May, Sandwell Education Centre, 9.30am – 12.30pm
• PI Masterclass Friday 21 June, Postgraduate Centre, City 9.30am – 12.30pm
• PI essentials – Thursday 11 July Sandwell Education Centre, 9.30am – 12.30pm
• GCP Consolidation Friday 13 September, Postgraduate Centre, City 9.30am – 12.30pm
• GCP Consolidation Thursday 10 October, Sandwell Education Centre, 9.30am – 12.30pm
• PI Essentials: Friday 15 November, Postgraduate Centre, City 9.30am -12.30pm

To book a place on the sessions, please complete the form here.

For more information please email swbh.randd.generic@nhs.net.