Monthly archives: September 2024

MediSOFT will be replaced with mediSIGHT: Friday 6 September 7.30pm – Monday 9 September 9am

MediSOFT is coming to an end and will no longer be available. This is being replaced by mediSIGHT (same company, different product).

The work is being carried out by our support vendor Medisoft, IT teams and clinical/non-clinical staff in Ophthalmology.

Colleagues who use MediSOFT please note the following:

• MediSOFT will be switched off at 7.30pm on Friday 6 September.  At 8.30pm, a read only version of mediSOFT will be available, which will not let you print, edit or add patient data.
• Any patient data from Friday 6 September 2024 7.30pm until Monday 9 September 9am should be added to Unity. For any other areas it might impact, please refer to your business continuity plans.
• Please print anything you need to including batch printing before 7.30pm on Friday 6 September.  Ensure you save any records you are working on, as from 7.30pm, all users will be pushed out of mediSOFT and any records that have not been saved will be lost.
•  Training content is available here. If you require any further training, please reach out to the training team.

The activity will be closely monitored by Medisoft, IT support teams and staff in BMEC and will be supported by desktop alerts which will be issued from 6pm on Friday 6 September.

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.

MMUH matters – Trust ID and access control cards

As we prepare to move to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, it’s time to provide all SWB colleagues with their new Trust ID and access control card.

We have a series of roadshows across our SWB sites to make this process as smooth as possible for you.

Security/Admin teams will be located at:

• Sandwell main entrance – main lift lobby: week commencing Monday 2 September – Friday 13 September, 8am to 3.30pm
• City / BMEC – behind City BTC reception: Week commencing Monday 16 September – 9am to 4.30pm
• Rowley Regis outpatients reception desk – opposite main reception: Monday 23 September – Wednesday 25 September, 8am – 3.30pm
• Leasowes – ground floor reception desk: Thursday 26 September – Friday 27 September, 9am – 4.30pm

Evening sessions will take place to capture our evening staff, with locations and times will be communicated later this week,

Please ensure you have completed your centric cortex MMUH induction online module – completion of this will be checked before your new, ID and access card are issued.  Your new card will not be activated for MMUH until Sunday 6 October. 

You will need to bring along with you your current ID card and your current black/blue fob. You will then be issued with your new card which will be you trust ID card and Access card for access across all SWB sites. We will retain your trust black/blue fob as these will be deactivated during this process.

Your new card will serve as both your Trust ID and access control card across all SWB sites – subject to your current access level.

LGBTQ+ Staff Network Meeting: 17 September

The next LGBTQ+ Staff Network meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 17 September, 10pm – 3pm, room 9, Sandwell Education Centre

Note: Attendees can drop in at any point during the meeting if they are unable to stay for the full duration.

The meeting is hybrid for those who cannot attend in person.

If you have anything you wish to discuss at the meeting or wish to add an agenda item please email swbh.lgbt@nhs.net 

Or you can access the meeting via the following link.

Streamlining Stroke Services: From hospital to home

Big changes are coming to our stroke services at SWB with the eagerly anticipated opening of Midland Metropolitan University Hospital on Sunday 6 October, we’ll also be transforming the way we deliver stroke care from starting from Tuesday 3 September.

As part of the opening of the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, we are reconfiguring our stroke care delivery to enhance patient outcomes and experiences. These changes are designed to ensure that every patient receives the highest quality of care, tailored to their individual needs, and aligned with the latest national clinical guidelines.

What’s changing?

Our stroke care will be reconfigured in three parts, each designed to provide seamless, high-quality care tailored to every patient’s unique needs:

1. Inpatient Medical Treatment from Sunday 6 October: Midland Metropolitan University Hospital will be the new hub for acute stroke care and initial rehabilitation. This cutting-edge facility will host specialist teams and state-of-the-art diagnostics, ensuring swift, effective treatment.
2. Home-Based Rehabilitation: For patients stable enough to leave the hospital, we have already expanded our services to bring rehabilitation right to their doorstep. Our Integrated Community Stroke Service (ICSS) is geared up to offer intensive, multidisciplinary support at home.
3. Inpatient Rehabilitation at Rowley Regis Hospital from Tuesday 3 September: When home-based care isn’t feasible, Rowley Regis Hospital will provide specialised inpatient rehabilitation. Equipped with the necessary resources and expertise, Rowley is ready to support complex rehabilitation needs.

Why these changes?

Midland Met our new hospital is focussed on providing acute and emergency care, this restructuring allows us to separate acute services from rehabilitation, aligning with the national stroke service model for optimal patient outcomes.

Clinical evidence strongly supports home-based rehabilitation, showing it leads to improved recovery times and better patient experience. This approach is in line with our Trust’s “home first” ethos, enhancing patient choice and fostering a supportive recovery environment.

Rehabilitation at home: Introducing our Integrated Community Stroke Service (ICSS)

The new Integrated Community Stroke Service (ICSS) will provide home-based stroke rehabilitation through a specialist multidisciplinary team available seven days a week. This service includes early supported discharge and intensive rehabilitation, managing complications such as positioning issues and spasticity. Available for up to 12 weeks following discharge, the ICSS can include multidisciplinary visits as needed, ensuring continuous support and optimal recovery.

Consistent medical provision

A dedicated team of consultants and doctors will oversee care at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. Upon discharge, patients will transition to their GP for ongoing care, with a six-week review by a specialist hospital consultant. For those in inpatient rehabilitation, seamless care transfer to the medical team at Rowley Regis Hospital will be ensured, with regular consultant ward rounds.

The benefits of moving rehabilitation to Rowley

• Centralised expertise: By centralising rehabilitation services at Rowley Regis, we provide a larger, more resilient team of specialists, enhancing care quality and responsiveness.
• Improved transitions: Co-locating the ICSS team at Rowley Regis ensures smoother transitions for patients from hospital to home-based care.
• Cost efficiency: Consolidating services reduces costs, allowing more clinical time for patient care and supporting our commitment to greener practices.
• Staff Retention and Recruitment: An expanded specialist site improves our ability to attract and retain highly skilled staff, ensuring ongoing excellence in rehabilitation services.

Start the conversation this September to prevent suicide

Tuesday 10 September, marks world suicide prevention day. This day reminds us amongst the business of everyday lives to reflect on an event that touches many lives but is often left unspoken.

Mental health and wellbeing are essential components of a fulfilling life, both at home and at work. Together, as a Trust it is our collective responsibility to foster a supportive environment where everyone feels safe, seen, heard and valued.

The theme for this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day is ‘Changing the narrative on Suicide’ and to encourage each other to #Starttheconversation. Changing the narrative means fostering empathy and compassion for those who are struggling. It means understanding that suicidal thoughts and feelings are a sign of immense pain and- distress but talking about suicidal thoughts does not increase their presence or occurrence. It means listening without judgment, offering support, and guiding individuals towards help.

Here at the Trust and across the NHS, we have a range of resources that are available to all staff who can talk to someone without judgement and guide you towards the help you need; these are:

• Free counselling service via Occupational Health – 0121 507 3306
• NHS Talking Therapies – you can refer yourself directly to the service or via a referral from your GP.
• Access to NHS therapy and counselling here
• Visit your local mental health services
• Or, call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans. Text ‘ SHOUT ‘ to 85258

If you or someone you know needs help, please remember that support is available.

Together, let’s start the conversation around mental health.

IT patching affecting printing services at Sandwell: Sunday 22 September, 2am – 6am

Please be aware essential IT Patching will be taking place on Sunday 22 September to ensure the Trust’s printing server remains stable. The work is being carried out by IT and is scheduled to begin at 2am for approximately four hours and should be completed by 6am.

During this time, the following service will be unavailable for up to 30 minutes during the above time:

• Equitrac printing services at Sandwell – 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.

Note: 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.

Annual General Meeting 2024: 10 September, 4pm – 6pm

We are delighted to invite you to this year’s Annual General Meeting which will be taking place on Tuesday 10 September, 4pm – 6pm in the conference room, Sandwell Education Centre.

At the meeting, we will present the Trust’s 2023/24 Annual Report and Accounts and share information with you about the work of the Trust during 2023/24. We will also highlight our plans for the future.

You are invited to send any questions relating to this in advance by emailing daniel.conway4@nhs.net by Friday 6 September, 5pm.

To confirm your attendance, please visit the Eventbrite link below.

To register please click here.

Midland Met staff welcome brochure now available

The Midland Met staff welcome brochure is now live. It provides a comprehensive overview of our brand-new hospital, highlighting everything from our state-of-the-art facilities to food and retail services.

Go behind the scenes with us as we Get Set for Midland Met. Discover how we’ll work together, how to navigate the site and where to get your Costa coffee fix.

Please take a moment to read through it here.

Notification from SPARC

We are currently updating our brand-new staff portal ( SPARC) and uploading forms and documents. Some members of the Trust have received a notification email requesting them to review a form. This email does not need to be actioned.

If you do receive any emails from swbh.sparc@nhs.net, please ignore them.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and are working hard to resolve the matter.

Patient census week

This week marks the start of Patient Census Week. Over the next two weeks we’ll be taking a closer look at our patients’ needs to understand who needs to stay in hospital, what support they require, and how we can tailor our services to meet those needs.

This is a crucial step as we prepare to move into Midland Met. Listen to Dr Sarb Clare explain more.