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Monthly archives: August 2024

Black Country ICS – support meeting following far right protests today at 4.30pm

 

In view of the ongoing unrest in several parts of the country, The Black Country ICS are holding a online meeting to provide a space for staff to come together and support one another. The meeting will be facilitated by senior leaders across the system and will take place today from 4.30pm.

To join the meeting via Teams, please click here.

 

Cellular pathology requisition form: 12 August

 

As of the Monday 12 August, Black Country Pathology Services will be introducing a new cellular pathology request form which allows users to select the priority levels, based on the various national/screening cancer pathways.  This will replace the old form and is to be used from the stated date onwards.

The priority levels are:

  • 28/62 day
  • Cervical screening
  • Bowel screening
  • Lynch screening
  • Not on pathway

Please ensure that that correct pathway has been clearly identified when completing the request form.  For electronic requesting the systems have been updated to reflect these changes and this can be accessed via your EPR systems.

The Trust has been facing substantial rises in the number of samples received within the department which are classed as urgent.  The high volume of urgent requests can cause significant delays to the sample pathway and impacts those cases which genuinely require an urgent turn around.

We are hoping that this new request form resolves this issue.

For further queries, please contact:

Our Midland Met bus is heading to a site near you

 

Our engagement team are back, spreading the word about our new hospital on the road with the Midland Met bus. Malvinder Phull is a hard-working member of our engagement team and one of the many friendly faces you will see visiting our SWB Estate.

This summer, she is joined by members of the Organisational Development team as we continue to Get Set for Midland Met!

The next Midland Met bus visit will be at:

  • Sandwell Outpatients: Monday 12 August, 10am – 2pm.

Far right protests – please stay vigilant

 

As you may be aware there have been far right protests and civil unrest across the country resulting in many casualties and injuries.

With must remind staff to stay vigilant and plan extra time when travelling to and from our hospital sites and in around the local area.

We must also remind staff where possible they should:

  • Walk with a friend/colleague – Find a friend/colleague who will be taking a similar route.
  • Ensure you lock your car – Wind up your windows and lock your car as you leave.
  • Charge your phone – Make sure your phone is fully charged before setting out so that it’ll be working should you need it.
  • Plan your route – Try to stick to well-lit areas where you know it is likely that there will be people around.
  • Be alert at all times – Avoid wearing headphones and items of clothing that obscure your vision. When travelling along a road it is safer to walk in the direction of oncoming traffic, so you are visible to drivers.
  • Keep expensive items hidden – Keep expensive items such as mobile phones and iPods away from sight.
  • Carry a deterrent – Having a deterrent such as a screech alarm or personal safety device can give you extra peace of mind. Our security team have a stock of keyring torch alarms if anyone would like one for personal security.
  • Remember to keep where you work secure – Before you leave work, close the windows to prevent any intruders breaking and entering.

If you feel unsafe at work or notice any suspicious behaviour within your ward or department and require security, please contact the security team:

  • City Security – 0121 507 4133
  • Sandwell Security – 0121 507 3163

Note: In an emergency you should always call the police on 999. You can also call the security team on any internal phone on ext. 2222.

Richard Beeken, Chief Executive has also spoken on this issue, click here for details.

Important update from Richard Beeken, Chief Executive

 

As a Trust we value and appreciate all of our staff and have a zero tolerance of racism towards our colleagues or patients. We want to support our colleagues in any way we can and will not tolerate, under any circumstances any of our staff being subjected to intimidation, harassment, or racist abuse.  The recent events fuelled with violence and destruction with some appalling behaviours really bring home the importance of kindness and support in our Trust. We want to support anyone who may be feeling vulnerable or anxious and this is delivered through the Trust’s zero tolerance of violence and aggression, racism, and discrimination of any other form towards staff, which are more important than ever. We need to support each other, protect each other and be allies for those who may be feeling particularly anxious or concerned about the troubling events that have happened

We understand staff, particularly lone workers in the community may come up against amplified racism and so, unless life or limb of the patient is threatened , they have the right to step away/withdraw treatment as per your relevant  professional code and the sections relating to withdrawing from treatment or engagement with patients who have racially abused or threaten violence towards any of our practitioners. You can also refer to our Lone Worker policy and Violence and Aggression Policy

Our security colleagues have been extremely supportive during the past 48 hourrs, picking up additional shifts to provide an increased presence on both City and Sandwell, they have demonstrated agility in their ways of working to undertake different requests. Our  team is re committed to ensuring our SWB teams feel as safe as possible. 

However, we are still asking staff to stay vigilant and plan extra time when travelling to and from our hospital sites and in around the local area.

We would like to remind staff where possible they should:

  • Walk with a friend/colleague – Find a friend/colleague who will be taking a similar route.
  • Ensure you lock your car – Wind up your windows and lock your car as you leave.
  • Charge your phone – Make sure your phone is fully charged before setting out so that it’ll be working should you need it.
  • Plan your route – Try to stick to well-lit areas where you know it is likely that there will be people around.
  • Be alert at all times – Avoid wearing headphones and items of clothing that obscure your vision. When travelling along a road it is safer to walk in the direction of oncoming traffic, so you are visible to drivers.
  • Keep expensive items hidden – Keep expensive items such as mobile phones and iPods away from sight.
  • Carry a deterrent – Having a deterrent such as a screech alarm or personal safety device can give you extra peace of mind. Our security team have a stock of keyring torch alarms if anyone would like one for personal security.
  • Remember to keep where you work secure – Before you leave work, close the windows to prevent any intruders breaking and entering.

If you feel unsafe at work or notice any suspicious behaviour within your ward or department and require security, please contact the security team:

  • City Security – 0121 507 4133
  • Sandwell Security – 0121 507 3163

Note: In an emergency you should always call the police on 999. You can also call the security team on any internal phone on ext. 2222

In addition, the Trust’s behaviour framework is available here and we expect staff to adhere to our values of ambition, respect and compassion  at all times. Any unlawful activity will be treated as such and will be referred to the Police.

Staff are reminded that Trust behaviours also extend to social media which can be incredibly harmful in spreading misinformation, therefore, staff are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the Trust’s social media policy which can be found here.

If you are feeling affected by events or need support, there are several resources available both at a national and local level including NHS England’s confidential text support service, we you can access by texting SHOUT to 85258 for support 24/7.   This service is available to all our NHS colleagues who have had a tough day, who are feeling worried or overwhelmed, or who have a lot on their mind and need to talk it through. There is also supportive information about racism and mental health on the MIND website.

The following resources are available to staff to help and provide support during this time. Please speak to your manager in the first instance or seek advice from HR (01215076680 or  swb-tr.swbh-GM-HR-Enquiries@nhs.net). You can also seek support via the following:

Our Wellbeing Hubs (located at City and Sandwell) also offer confidential chats with trained wellbeing coaches (as well as meditation and massage options). This can be useful for those that may need to decompress. Call 0121 507 3306 for an appointment.

Richard Beeken (CEO) will be hosting his drop-in coffee session (everyone welcome) at the BTC at City Hospital from 9am – 10am on Thursday 8 August and will be joined by colleagues from the EDI team if you feel that you would like to pop along and offer some reflection and share thoughts and concerns.

In our hospitals and across our community services we value the contribution that all of our colleagues make towards caring for and supporting patients. The diversity of our staff is our strength, and your dedication and compassion are the backbone of our organisation. Thank you for playing your part in making a positive difference to everyone who uses our services, as well as each other, and showing how proud you are to be part of a welcoming and inclusive Trust.

IT maintenance: 12 August, 2am – Tuesday 13 August, 6am

 

Please be aware an essential IT maintenance will be taking place on Monday 12 August, 2am overnight to Tuesday 13 August, 6am to carry out security patching and reboots to ensure the Trust’s systems remains compliant.

On Monday 12 August from 2am until 6am and again from 10pm until 6am on Tuesday 13 August, Unity will remain fully available however the following services will be unavailable for up to 30 minutes during the above time:

  • Equitrac printing services – Ricoh MFD (multi-functional device) printers and scan to email functionality. All other printing such as labels, pathology specimen and desktop printing will remain available as normal.
  • Wristband printing  

Colleagues will need to ensure they revert to local business continuity plans during this time.

This timeslot has been chosen as a quieter time operationally and the activity will be closely monitored by 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 or via Chat with the IT Service Desk.

Join our official SWB Fantasy Football league!

 

With the Premier League season fast approaching, we have officially launched our SWB Fantasy Premier League and are encouraging colleagues to join!

Whichever colleague finishes top of the league come the end of Gameweek 38 will win a special prize.

If you wish to create a team, click the link below:

https://fantasy.premierleague.com/

Once you have created your team, visit this link to auto join the SWB league – https://fantasy.premierleague.com/leagues/auto-join/xz4rdu

Alternatively, you can join the SWB league using code xz4rdu in the joining league section of the Fantasy Premier League site.

Note: Please ensure you use your real name when entering as this year we have had issues contacting the winner resulting in us giving the prize to the next best team.

If you having difficulties creating your team or joining the SWB league, please contact anil.patel11@nhs.net.

 

Coming to a department near you – Exec walkabouts

 

Executives and senior leaders from the Trust will be walking around departments across our sites engaging in discussions about the move to our new hospital.

As we all Get Set for Midland Met, it’s important to make use of time with them to ask any questions and learn as much as possible ahead of our moves in October and November.

The first visits will take place on the following dates and times:

  • Sandwell mortuary/ phlebotomy services – Rachel Barlow – Tuesday, 6 August – 8am – 9am.
  • Sandwell ED and UTC – Dr Mark Anderson/Dr Sarb Clare – Wednesday, 7 August – 9.30am.
  • Endoscopy – Johanne Newens – Wednesday, 7 August – 11am – 12pm.
  • BMEC – Richard Beeken – Thursday, 8 August – 10.30am.
  • Priory 5 (Gastro/General Medicine), Lyndon 5, Newton 5 – Simon Sheppard – Thursday, 8 August – 1.30pm.

Temperature Checks – are you set for Midland Met?

As part of the walkabouts, we want to make sure we’re fully prepared for the opening of our new hospital. To help us identify any knowledge gaps, we’re asking for your input – please take a moment to complete the temperature check and share it with your team. There is also the opportunity for you to ask any questions and tell us what more information you need.

Temporary suspension of fire detection and alarm system at Sandwell: 12 August

 

There will be a temporary suspension of the fire detection and alarm signal Monday 12 August from 1pm – 1.30pm at Sandwell so essential maintenance works can be carried out. During this time, the following measures will be implemented to ensure safety across the site:

  • Awareness and monitoring: Be vigilant in all unoccupied areas of the building. It is recommended that staff members are present in key locations to maintain oversight and detect any signs of fire.
  • Fire detection and response: In the event of detecting a fire, immediately implement the local fire response procedure and dial ext. 2222 to report the incident. The fire response team leader for the day must be informed promptly, along with Security personnel.
  • Precautionary measures: Limit the use of cooking and other catering equipment across wards.

For more information please email swbh.fire-safety@nhs.net.

Waste awareness road show – 8 August Sandwell

 

On Thursday 8 August from 10am – 2pm in main reception, Sandwell where there will be a waste awareness session. Our clinical and domestic providers, Stericycle and Velioa, will be on-site to discuss segregation, recycling, and the new legislation taking place.

Alongside this, there will be a chance to take part in a competition and win amazing prizes—one of them including an Amazon Echo Dot!

A short survey will need to be completed in order to have a chance of winning.

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