Monthly archives: January 2024

What is Prevent? – terrorism and extremism

Prevent is about safeguarding individuals from extremism and terrorism offering resources to help build resilience, mentoring and support to help people out of criminal spaces.

Terrorism has no religion, race, nationality and gender. You can help save lives and prevent terrorism by reporting concerns you witness or see online. Trust your instincts and act.

Any piece of information could be important. Together we can defeat Terrorism.

To report concerns visit gov.uk/ACT

For more information please visit www.sandwell.gov.uk/prevent

Security patches deployment affecting Radiology Information System (CRIS): 24 January, 7am – 8.30am

Please be aware essential security patches are to be deployed taking place on Wednesday 24 January affecting the Radiology Information System (CRIS). The work is scheduled to begin at 7am for approximately 90 minutes and should be completed at approximately 8.30am.

During this time Unity and PACS will continue to function as normal.

For up to one hour business continuity will be required in all areas for radiology.  

From 7am to 8am, any urgent radiology orders placed by our ED, high dependency wards during this time with the intent to be scanned immediately will need to be also written on paper request forms in addition to placing the electronic order via Unity as CRIS will not be receiving the orders during this time.

Please include contact details on the request form. Any electronic messaging between Unity and CRIS (orders and reports) will be stored and caught up no later than 8.30am. Any unexpected findings will be communicated directly from Radiology to the referrer. Any reports produced prior to the planned downtime will be available on Unity as normal.

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

As always, should you have any further queries then please do contact the IT Service Desk on ext. 4050 or 0121 507 4050 for home workers or via chat with the IT service desk.

New Pure Air 8 airflow mattresses available at City

From week commencing Monday 22 January, the Tissue Viability team along with the mattress suppliers Wincare, will be exchanging the green airflow mattresses and pumps for Pure Air 8 airflow mattresses and pumps.

Training on the use of these mattresses will be given to staff by the Wincare team on the wards on the following dates:

• Tuesday 23 January
• Wednesday 24 January
• Thursday 25 January
• Tuesday 30 January
• Wednesday 31 January
• Thursday 1 February

Please note that practice remains the same in that once a patient is discharged, the mattress they have used is rolled up, placed inside a plastic bag and along with the corresponding pump is placed in your specified area ready for collection and decontamination.

Any queries, please contact the Tissue Viability team on ext. 3278.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 19 January

Dear colleagues,

We are now more than halfway through January, so let me firstly take this opportunity to thank those who have taken the time to complete the pulse survey. I have also been impressed by the way that some of our managers have taken real ownership of the response rates in recent days. We have seen leaders going out, engaging with their teams, and encouraging, and supporting staff to complete this very important survey. We have also seen this hard work starting to be reflected in some (though certainly not all) of the response rates, by way of example one of our groups has increased their response rates by over four per cent (Thank you Admitted Care B)  in the last few days.

As of today, we stand at 22 per cent for the Trust, with 1,750 staff having completed the survey out of the total workforce of 7,955. This shows that we need to really push response rates in ALL areas during the next two weeks ahead of the survey closing at the end of the month.

I have highlighted below the group level response rates. As you can see, except for Imaging (thank you) all our other clinical groups are below 20 per cent and corporate areas haven’t yet broken 30- per cent which shows that there is much further to go.

I have asked all managers to spend time with their teams over the next 13 days to increase the Trust response rate to a minimum of 40 per cent.

Engaging regularly wit their teams is an important part of being a line manager and is in line with the level of staff engagement that we have committed to fostering within our SWB People Plan (which remember was developed as a direct result of feedback from you).  Your feedback helps us to gauge the overall engagement level at SWB, it allows us to see the areas of strength which we can share across the organisation, but most importantly it allows use to see areas where we need to improve to enhance your experience of being part of our SWB family.

Some of the feedback I have heard is that colleagues think they can’t feedback any concerns because their comments will be identified. I can assure you that the survey is completely confidential. It is run by a third-party organisation, and any comments that we receive as a Trust have been redacted to avoid individuals being identifiable.  So please don’t think that you can’t take the opportunity to have your say, and I would encourage you to be open and honest about how you feel.

Let’s work together over the next two weeks to achieve a position on the staff survey that we can all be proud of, and which provides us with reliable and meaningful insights into the experiences of our people, which we will act upon.

The survey will take you no longer than five minutes to complete, and don’t worry about finding a link in your e-mails – it can be accessed by clicking on the one below:

Click here to complete your survey

As we progress throughout the year, and edge closer to the opening of our new hospital, each of my weekly messages will bring you an update on Midland Met – you will see it, hear it, and hopefully feel it more and more over the coming weeks and months.

On Monday next week, we will be bringing all our corporate senior leaders together for Midland Met Corporate Readiness Day. These away day events are an extremely important part of the calendar in the build up to opening the new hospital as they offer an opportunity to not only hear the latest updates on progress but also ensure how they and their teams are working on the right things prior to move to meet critical milestones.

This away day will be themed around delivering success and corporate readiness to move into MMUH, and the roles that our corporate teams undertake are all imperative to ensuring a successful move for colleagues and patients. I am sure it will be an enlightening and useful day for those attending.

Looking further ahead, February will see the launch of phase three of the Midland Met management of change programme. This will see approximately 3,600 colleagues enter a formal process of consultation about some changes to their roles/base to enable us to successfully open and move into Midland Met.

I know this could bring some worry to some of you, but the process is designed not to be onerous, and you will enable you to ask any questions and raise any concerns that you have. You will also find out more information on travel, parking, facilities on site, rest areas etc. More information about the process and timescales will be coming out in the next couple of weeks.

If there are topics around Midland Met you would like me to addresses, or questions you would like me to answer, please do let me know.

Have a great weekend.

Many thanks

Richard

QI foundation programme – spaces available

There a few spaces left on the upcoming QI Foundation course, which will re-run again on Wednesday 7 Febuary and Tuesday 20 March.

If you would like to enrol please complete the form here or contact Lauren Wattley for any further questions.

The programme allows you to understand how audit and QI can be used together for improvement at SWB. This opportunity allows you to complete a project as part of your portfolio requirements and present your work in front of a prestigious SWB senior leadership pannel. Additionally, it’s a great time to think about QI and audit as we move to MMUH.

This training is open to all who wish to complete a project.

Managers please share with your teams as development opportunities.

Quality Improvement Half Days for 2024/25.

Are you an avid knitter?

The cancer team is on the hunt for some Easter-themed knitted items to be sold to help raise funds for their summer Cancer Wellbeing fair.

If you or a colleague or a friend are able to knit the following items for the team to sell at their Easter fundraising, please register your interest with Jenny Donovan 

Easter-Wreath-pdf-9e247db
Easy Bunny Basket Knitting Pattern
Hot Cross Buns
Sweet Little Easter Baskets
 white bunny

Items must be knitted before Tuesday 5 March.

Personalisation of care event – vulnerable adults 15 March

The patient experience team is hosting their second ‘ Personalisation of care ‘ event on Friday 15 March from 9 am to 4pm in the Conference Room, Sandwell Education Centre.

The day will be themed around vulnerable adults and personalising their care, the day will be filled with external speakers along with a lunch break.

A full schedule of the day is yet to be released.

If you would like to book a place for the session, please contact Harry Cleaver,

Deadline to book a place is Wednesday 14 Febuary

Niche to Normality! Genomics for nurses, midwives and HCPs webinar

Niche to Normality! Genomics for nurses, midwives and HCPs – webinar 3

Learn more about the patient and family experience of genomic healthcare, especially those with rare diseases.

Join Central and South Genomics for an exciting online event, our third webinar designed specifically for nurses, midwives, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) interested in genomics, and discover how genomics is transitioning from a niche field to an essential part of everyday healthcare practise.

We are holding the event on Rare Disease Day, 29 February 2024, and the session will focus on the patient and family experience of genomic healthcare with a particular emphasis on rare diseases. We will have patient advocates with rare inherited conditions in their family discussing their experiences of whole genome sequencing. Other topics will include:

• Ethical and legal issues
• Impact on insurance
• Inequalities in precision medicine
• Lived experiences.

Please note the webinar will be recorded and shared with all who have registered via our website and YouTube channel.

To join, please click here to register via Eventbrite

Healthier Futures – Black Country ICS Newsletter January edition

Dear colleagues,

Welcome to the January 2024 edition of our Healthier Futures Newsletter.

I hope you have all been able to relax and spend time with family and friends over the holiday period.

This edition of the newsletter looks back at last year’s great work, showcases current campaigns and also looks to the future for our ICP Committee. Our first meeting is this month, where we will share ideas on how to work and think differently together to achieve better health outcomes for our Black Country population.

This edition shares some real successes of which we should all be proud. Black Country Connected Programme has been shortlisted for an award and Walsall Together were winners of the HSJ Place-Based Partnership and Integrated Care Award. Well done all.

Our Place Partnerships have continued to support our residents with new community based services, warm spaces and advice and support on keeping healthy and well during the winter period.

Acute colleagues have shared their innovative work which is making a real difference to our patients. In Dudley, a procedure was carried out by two consultants 170 miles apart and Walsall is helping women with day case laparoscopic hysterectomies.

The year ended on a high note for the Shine a Light Choir with their last concert of 2023. Read about the difference it makes to those with and those supporting their loved ones with dementia with the power of music.

Download January’s newsletter or catch-up on previous editions on our ICS website.

Best wishes

Jonathan Fellows

Chair, Black Country Integrated Care Partnership