Monthly archives: July 2024

My Part in Midland Met – Rhodri Morgans

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 – what is your current role?

I have been with SWB since December 2022. I joined as a group business change manager (BCM), working closely with PCCT and M&EC. I am also the Lead BCM – I lead the BCMs working with the clinical, clinical support and corporate groups to support them in their operational preparation for the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital opening (MMUH).

What does your role contribute to the Midland Met project?

I contribute to one of the critical success factors of the MMUH Programme – operational readiness. Working with departments moving or impacted by the opening of Midland Met across all groups to ensure we are operationally ready for day one in our new hospital.

We are achieving this through completing the Operational Readiness Checklist, which has up to 75 actions to complete for departments where applicable.  Actions include updating operational policies and business continuity plans, for example, and ensuring safe staffing for opening on day one. Tracking the IT work aligned to systems configurations and end-user devices and confirming teams have completed their inductions.

The BCM team is also supporting gathering and completing operational interdependencies. It involves identifying and working with the teams to resolve interdependencies between two or more departments due to the opening of Midland Met. We are also considering how those teams will work together in the new building and across our SWB estate.  

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

As the opening gets excitingly closer, we have increased the frequency of reviewing the operational readiness work within the team and with the groups to ensure that we are all aligned and closing issues and actions.

We are readying ourselves to support the site tours that are available for booking and continuing to ensure all teams are ready for the opening of MMUH, reacting to new issues, interdependencies and risks.

The biggest benefit that Midland Met will bring is…

Midland Met offers a state-of-the-art facility for our patients, people and population. It has acted as the catalyst for transformational change to support better health outcomes and the best care for our patients.

Have you been on a site tour?

Having visited the site several times, the progress I have seen since my first visit in 2023 is incredible; the facilities are first class. The layout and design make it an exciting building to think about working in and for our patients and visitors.

I am looking forward to seeing the buzz in the Winter Garden, as this is an incredible space to have in a hospital.

Omnicell – Our super user training has gone live!

Last week our Omnicell super user training took place at Sandwell.

The session focused on learning how to safely operate our Omnicell Alphatron Smart Carts. This machinery will help to modernise our medication management and offers a significant, positive change to both our patients and colleagues across the Trust.

City super user training will follow, on Monday 12 August. Super users will again take the lead in training all end users across departments.

If you are invited to begin training, please prioritise attending and stay as engaged as possible through the short, one hour process.

After this phase’s completion, end-user training will start for the rest of our colleagues led by our super users.

For more information on Omnicell, take a look at our dedicated Connect page, here: https://connect2.swbh.nhs.uk/omnicell/

What colleagues can’t wait for at Midland Met – Max Newbould tells all

As we Get Set for Midland Met, our video series continues, spotlighting what colleagues are looking forward to about moving into Midland Met.

Midland Met Programme Delivery Manager, Max Newbould, shares his thoughts.

Championing patient care with our patient transfer groups

Teams across SWB are working incredibly hard as we continue to Get Set for Midland Met. This week, we shine a spotlight on our patient transfer groups.   

Following a recent patient transfer meeting, some engaging discussions took place that helped colleagues uncover crucial learnings centered around the needs of our patients during the move process.   

As we Get Set for Midland Met, teams continue to work hard in their patient transfer groups. Joined by Joe Harnett from HCR, teams engaged in a Sandwell patient transfer group. An overview of our successful June mock move week provided some engaging discussions that helped colleagues focus on crucial learnings centered around the needs of our patients during the move process.     

The timings for the patient journeys tested at Sandwell were well executed. Senior Commissioning Manager, Paul Hazle, commented: “We had some good experiences – it gave us a chance to test the roles and resources required and to pick up on any issues.” 

If invited to attend the next patient transfer group for City, please attend. Your input is crucial to help us further develop our move planning. 

Do you know an outstanding HCA?

The clinical nursing education team are looking for nominations for outstanding HCAs from Managers, colleagues, patients and relatives. One HCA per month will receive a caregiver bronze award certificate of achievement.

In December, the nurse education team will award a Gold Award to one outstanding HCA who has already received a caregiver bronze award.

Please email the details and a brief statement about why you have nominated to swbh.nurse-education@nhs.net

The latest Line Manager briefing: Key information you should know

In case you missed the Get Set For Midland Met: Line manager briefing from last week, please see video below to watch back the session.

Last week, we had our latest line manager briefing which identified several items to be aware of and what is necessary to work on before moving into Midland Met, in October.

As you may know, our operational readiness was 46.6%, against a target of 49.9%. Moving forward, there are some key things that we need to focus on that must be delivered before the end of July.

Things to focus on:

• Continue to finalise job plans and consultant rotas for Midland Met and upload them onto E-Allocate
• Continue to work with IT to validate devices – this is to ensure that the equipment you are issued with, based on what you have in your current location, is correct. If you need any assistance, please contact Imran Ravat (i.ravat@nhs.net) or Zurvad Hussain (zurvad.hussain@nhs.net)
• Unity ward build confirmations to be sent to business change managers with any changes or updates
• Check any patient leaflets that might need amending due to service changes – you need to speak to the library services about amends that need to be made

Other recent progress:

• IPC checks completed
• The beds have been delivered to MMUH
• Learning Campus agreement signed with Sandwell Council

Key dates for your diary:

• 25 July – Group reviews – Stocktake on Operational Readiness took place
• 1 August – Get Set for Midland Met execs walkabouts begin
• 5 August – Automated Drugs Cabinets arrive at City Hospital
• 6 August – Omnicell roll out starts on Sandwell wards

As we gear up to Get set for Midland Met, it is important to attend line manager briefings if you can. These take place bi-weekly and will involve our Directorate and Group leaders. The next meeting is on Monday 5 August, 12pm – 1pm. Click here to join the meeting.

If you would like to access the slides from the session, please see GSFMM line manager briefing – Monday 22 July slides.

Drug shortage notice: Remifentanil 1mg

Remifentanil 1mg powder for concentrate for solution for injection or infusion

Problem:

• We are currently unable to obtain supplies of remifentanil 1mg powder for injection.
• Remifentanil 1mg strength is stock in Theatres, Ophthalmology Theatres and Maternity theatres

Alternative:

• Supplies of remifentanil 2mg powder of injection for use as a substitute product have been obtained by the pharmacy.

Advice:

Prescriber:At the time of prescribing, please check which preparation is in stock in the clinical area and prescribe the product that is in stock. Please note that remifentanil 2mg vials are not multi-dose vials, and each vial may only be used for one patient.

For further information, contact:

• Your ward pharmacist or technician.
• Pharmacy department – City: 5263 / Sandwell: 3783
• Lead antimicrobial pharmacist: a.brush@nhs.net

Job of the week: WorkWell Service Senior Project Manager

There is an amazing job opportunity available for two WorkWell Service Senior Project Managers within the Strategy Unit – Transformation. Alpha Tower (Birmingham), Solihull Council House (Solihull) or alternative location(s) within the system as may be required, including any current or new partner sites. We work within a hybrid working model and promote flexible working.

Hours/working pattern: 37.5 per week – full-time, part-time and flexible working arrangements.

It will be a fixed term contract to 31 March 2026 – this post is being an offered as a secondment opportunity to organisations in Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System.

To view the job advert and job description, click here –  job advert and job description.

To apply, please send your expression of interest form to bsol.hr@nhs.net by 5pm on Wednesday 31 July 2024.

If you have any queries, please contact Lindsay Carswell, Associate Director Transformation, via email.

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 26 July

I am very conscious that in recent weeks I have written Friday Messages which are, if not downbeat, then certainly ones which have focused on challenges we face, issues we haven’t fixed or risks which we haven’t mitigated.  So, this week, I want to tell you about something more positive –  a working week for me which has shown us at our best, in so many ways.

So why have I had such a positive week?  Two reasons, really:

The first is a small thing – but one which nevertheless made me feel both valued myself and one in which I am sure the colleagues who I spoke to, felt valued by me.  This occurred on my visit to Leasowes on Wednesday.  As many of you know, since my first week at the Trust I have been doing drop-in sessions most weeks, and I rotate between our main sites, occasionally rotating through Rowley Hospital and this week, Leasowes.  I had lovely conversations with nursing, HCA, Chaplaincy and receptionist colleagues at Leasowes, ranging from busting some myths and rumours about MMUH, through to the unique and emotionally challenging role they play in providing end of life care to very frightened and vulnerable people.  My overwhelming emotion after going on Wednesday, was that I felt better connected and better informed.  Moreover, the positivity and empathy shown by that team to their client group, was powerful.

The second reason I have had a good week is because the executive team and I have explored, in some detail, how prepared and ready our clinical directorates and services are, to occupy the Midland Met this autumn.  I remind myself and colleagues in the wider system locally, that our clinical leaders and operational managers have a far greater challenge than in most Trusts, because on top of every aspect of service delivery and service improvement challenge, our teams must prepare, in eye-watering detail, to occupy our new hospital safely.  Here are some of the things which we explored and tested our clinical teams on this week, to give you a flavour of how detailed our assurance needs to be:

• On-call rotas and job plans complete and/or amended
• Theatre schedules and associated rotas complete
• Business continuity plans and operational policies complete
• Over 270 clinical “interdependencies” between services, explored and safely managed
• Equipment requirement lists completed, assessed, and properly funded and procured
• Induction and training sessions for thousands of staff, anticipated and planned for
• Hard to fill clinical posts identified, with unique and bespoke recruitment plans for each developed
• Space allocation in both MMUH and retained estate, resolved in detail, down to each clinical service
• Clinical pathway changes/improvements delivered in the planned timescales, in line with national best practice

Overall, our Clinical group leadership teams gave us reasonable or strong assurance on most of these things, in impressive detail.  It made me proud of them and they should be proud of themselves too – everyone who has contributed to this planning and operational readiness journey, should be proud.  Every piece of assurance provided will form a detailed recommendation to our Trust Board about whether we are safe and ready to occupy the hospital this autumn.  This week gave me real confidence that, with some exceptions, we are well on the way to being able to do that.

Have a good week.

Staff benefits and beyond event prize winners

Last week we hosted our benefits and beyond events and as part of the event, we hosted a special competition for staff in attendance. Below are the winners from the event from a total of 650 entries.

• Molly Grimston, Midwife (Maternity) £125 curry voucher
• Racquel Black, Therapy Assistant Practitioner (iBeds) £150 B&M voucher
• Zoe Wallace, Healthcare Assistant (D27) £111 The White Company voucher.

Thank you to all our SWB colleagues who attended.