Monthly archives: September 2024

Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 27 September

The NHS Staff Survey is the largest single workforce survey in the world and is carried out every year to improve staff experiences across the NHS. It is the primary method of listening to staff and is aligned the NHS People Promise.

The Staff Survey helps us as a Trust to understand what it is like for colleagues across different parts of the organisation and work to make improvements and ultimately help to improve patient care. For SWB to implement the changes required to make our organisation the best lived experience for all our colleagues it is important that we hear all voices, that is why having your say does count.  This year’s survey launches on Monday 7 October and runs through October to the end of November.

We have acted on the feedback from last year’s Annual Staff Survey, we have taken action at Trust and local levels (Clinical Groups and Corporate Directorates) to improve the working lives of our people, and as a result we have seen in a significant increase in both our Pulse Survey response rates and Pulse Survey staff engagement scores. I wanted to share with you some examples of how we have acted on the feedback from last year’s survey.

Firstly, our ‘promise’ to improve teamwork , we have rolled out our compassionate ARC leadership programme and team effectiveness programmes across the organisation and we now  have 320 leaders have fully completed phase one of our ARC Leadership programme and 630 colleagues have attended the ARC Compassionate Caregiver course, an outstanding achievement given getting ready to move to MMUH .

Our ‘promise’ to improve our wellbeing programme has seen us launch the New Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and our first “Benefits and Beyond” events were held in July 2024. This showcased our holistic staff wellbeing, reward (benefits), recognition and development offer. In addition, our new Learning & Organisation Development prospectus was launched in July 2024 in response to your feedback and we have developed guidance on having one-to-one conversations.

Our promise to implement our EDI priorities , we have reinvigorated our staff networks, an Inclusive Resourcing and Talent Management Group has been established to support the work required to ensure that our recruitment processes are transparent and equitable and we have commenced our first inclusive talent management programme.

Our promise to lead from the top has seen us appoint an executive and non-executive sponsor to each of our staff networks – who will support and champion their work at Board level

We made a promise to support our line managers so that they have clear PDR objective for strengthening staff engagement , through role-modelling compassionate, restorative, and inclusive leadership behaviour, our PDR process has been updated to include a standard objective for all managers to embed this within their teams.

Finally, our promise to establish our People Engagement Teams has got off to a fantastic start, each Clinical Group now has a People Engagement Team in place who are responsible for supporting and driving staff survey response rates, as well as developing and implementing improvement actions in response to feedback.  The People Engagement Teams have identified a range of high-impact actions in response to the specific staff survey feedback received within their Groups. A lot of work has taken place to make the improvements that matter at a local level and I would like to thank all those driving this work.

This shows a snapshot of the work against People Promises to date if you would like to find out more please link to People Corporate Objectives and actions here 

We know and appreciate that everyone is extremely busy at the moment with the opening of Midland Met, but please do take the time to complete your staff survey so we can hear about what the  experience of working at SWB is like for you and what can be done to make the workplace a good place for everyone. The changes to clinical services from both a community and acute perspective that MMUH brings, should be seen as a launchpad for improving staff engagement.

Last year we had our lowest ever response rate of just 29 per cent – so let’s improve on this and make it our best response rate. A high response rate means we are hearing a wider range of voices, which increases the reliability of the data we use to inform the improvements we need to make. It helps us ensure we’re doing that right things that will matter to you.

The survey is being run by Picker and most staff will receive it via e-mail – please click the link to open and complete the survey.

Porters, Catering and Ward Services staff will receive a paper copy of the survey.

Your responses are completely confidential and anonymous. It only takes 15 minutes to complete, and the closing date is Friday 29 November.

Car Sharing app registration required for parking in car sharing bays at MMUH

We have partnered with KINTO Join and the Integrated Care System (ICS) so that colleagues can buddy up and car share to get to/from work. The app also allows for cycling and walking in groups and is free to use. Car sharing, walking and cycling via the app allows colleagues to share journeys to work, reducing carbon emissions and helping people save money.

From Monday 30th September to Monday 14th October, colleagues that register and have been active on the app between these dates will be eligible for a free healthy lunch voucher to use at the Trust food outlets (value up to £3). Once you have registered, you will need to email swbh.sustainability@nhs.net. Vouchers are limited and will be first come, first served.

There will be car sharing priority bays at Midland Met. To use these, you must register with Kinto.

Click here to join the ICS carpooling community

Looking for evidence/doing an assignment for a course?

Our Searching Healthcare Databases session covers how to find journal articles on databases such as Medline, CINAHL or Embase.

Topics covered include:

• Structuring a clear and focused clinical question (using PICO)
• MeSH headings
• Saving and exporting searches and results
• Applying Limits
• Accessing full text journals online

This can be booked as a group or on a one-to-one basis, in person or via Teams and usually takes about an hour, depending on your needs.

We don’t schedule particular sessions so if you would like to book a place either for yourself or as a group please contact the library on  ext 3587 or swbh.library@nhs.net

Are you an AHP in our trust, then we need you!

To celebrate AHP day on Monday 14 October, we are looking for AHP’s across our Trust to help us promote your service by taking part in our video – telling us why you love being an AHP, what you do in your job role?

We understand that everyone is busy at the moment, so in order for us to make this a success we are asking for staff members to contact Hermione from our communications team via 07977 704 705 or via email hermione.crump@nhs.net by Tuesday 1 October with your availability from Tuesday 1 October – Wednesday 9 October.

Saying goodbye to City and Sandwell

As we prepare to close the emergency departments at City and Sandwell Hospitals and move all acute services to Midland Met, we want to reflect on the special memories these hospitals hold for so many of us.

Whether you’ve been part of our team for years or are a recent starter, your experiences are part of our history. Maybe you’ve met lifelong friends or even your partner at work, have family members who call these hospitals home, or you want to share how you’ve cared for patients at SWB.

We’ve created some A2 goodbye boards for City and Sandwell teams with spaces to gather your messages and memories. These are available to be collected by those moving to Midland Met at the Midland Met Corner opposite Boaters restaurant at City from Monday, 30 September and via the communications team office in Corridor A at Trinity House in Sandwell from Friday, 27 September.

Before we officially say farewell, we would love to hear all your stories – big or small – so we can capture your memories in a special look back about our time at City and Sandwell. Please take the time to be part of our special goodbye and be sure to share your messages on your goodbye boards and on Our SWB Family Facebook group.

If you have a memory you would like to share or any old photos or video footage, please email it over to swbh.comms@nhs.net. The deadline for all submissions is Monday, 11 November.

Thank you for being a part of our story at SWB.

Brand new logistics team roles available

To support the successful opening of Midland Met, we have several interim positions available in our brand new logistics team. These roles are open to all colleagues already signed up with the Bank.

These roles offer flexibility with a variety of shifts available during weekdays, weekends, and both day and night shifts. Roles available include logistics team leader, warehouse operative and general transport drivers. We also have some warehouse operative roles available at Sandwell Hospital.

Positions are available over the following days and hours:

• General Transport Drivers: Monday – Friday.
• Logistics Operatives: Available on weekdays, weekends with day and night shifts.
• Logistics Team Leader: Working shifts across seven days.

This is what the roles entail:

• Logistics Team Leader: Overseeing the day-to-day management of the logistics team, ensuring goods are received, and waste is disposed of safely and efficiently.
• General Transport Driver: Responsible for transporting laundry (clean and dirty), stock, and delivering/collecting equipment, notes, and confidential letters to hospitals and GPs.
• Logistics Operative: Supporting the logistics team with tasks like checking and signing for products, loading and moving cages plus more.

To find out more, or to express your interest, please contact rebecca.bassan@nhs.net or samantha.sohal@nhs.net.

Changes to blood and pathology sample logistics

We would like to make all colleagues aware of the changes to blood and pathology sample transportation between SWB sites from Sunday, 6 October 2024.

On 7 October, following Sandwell acute services moving to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) on 6 October, the pathology laboratory at Sandwell will change from an essential services lab to a specialist chemistry only lab.  That means that any blood or pathology samples taken at Sandwell Hospital after this time will need to be transported to MMUH to be sorted and processed.

At each location where samples are currently taken, sample collection containers will be provided. These will be collected hourly and taken to a centralised ‘Pick Up/Drop Off’ point on the site. Please use these standardised containers only, as this is where the logistics operatives will be advised to collect from.

The pick up/drop off point will be collected on an hourly basis by Transport and taken to MMUH where it will be registered by the pathology sample reception and either processed on site, or sent to RWT depending on the type of sample.

Please ensure that samples are placed in the yellow collection container as soon as they are taken rather than at the end of a clinic or session as this will ensure they are transported as quickly as possible.

For any queries or issues please email swbh.pathologylogistics@nhs.net

Please note that City processes will not change until the City Hospital move in November and further comms will be shared closer to that time.

Keeping our stakeholders, media and near neighbours informed

Last Friday, we hosted a successful media day where several TV and radio stations from across the region came to visit Midland Met.

Speaking with many members of our clinical teams, the press were shown around various departments and had the opportunity to ask their questions and take photographs – a real sneak peek behind the scenes before we open on 6 October.

We also hosted our stakeholders on the same day, offering them the chance to join us for an update on the project. Level 5 was full to the brim with colleagues, partners and supporters who’ve played a pivotal role in the opening of our new hospital over the years.

On Monday, we welcomed members of our community who live within a mile radius of the hospital, to take an exclusive visit to Midland Met, to hear information and ask any questions ahead of the imminent moves, beginning Sunday, 6 October.

Take a look at some of the coverage from our media day here.

Are you interested in supporting the patient transport team ahead of the move to MMUH?

We are currently seeking SWB colleagues who want to support us in moving patients to MMUH on Sunday 6 October. You will need to be physically fit and have up to date patient manual handling training (this can be arranged if you are not to up to date).

If you’re interested, please discuss with your manager if you are able to rearrange your working week to cover this or alternatively you can book via the Trust Bank (given the timing you will already need to be registered on the Trust Bank for this).

You will be required to attend either Sandwell or MMUH sites (you will be informed ahead of time which site this will be) at 6.15am on Sunday 6 October and will be asked to work until the patient transfers are complete at approximately 4pm.

For more information, please email zaheer.iqbal@nhs.net or kellythompson1@nhs.net  by Friday 27 September, 5pm.

Phone system maintenance: 26 September, 9pm overnight – 27 September, 6am   

Please be aware IT will be carrying out further essential maintenance to the Trust’s phone system on 26 September from 9pm overnight to Friday 27 September 6am. This is to facilitate the opening  of MMUH and the movement of staff and services.

During this time, the Mitel phones at City, Sandwell, Rowley and the Community Sites (with the exception for Aston Pride, Halcyon and Sandwell Council as these have already migrated) will be rebooted at some point during the window for around 5 minutes. The method we are using will only reboot the phone if it is not in use. No active phone calls will be interrupted.

• This will not affect the analogue phones
• This will not have any impact on any current diverts on numbers or answer machines on these numbers.
• This will not affect 8×8 solution.
• This will not affect the Bleeps application, mobile phones or emergency red phones utilised in our A&E, maternity and cardiology departments.

We would recommend that this information is included in ward handovers and that business continuity is put in place including all ward mobile phones charged and actively manned by ward leads during the times stated.

In the unlikely event of issues with the phone system, radios are located in both security offices at Sandwell and City as well as and Rowley reception which will be fully charged and available for collection. Desktop alerts will be issued from 7pm.

Please be assured the activity will be closely monitored by our IT support and telephony teams.

As always, should you have any further queries then please do contact the IT Service Desk on ext. 4050 or 0121 507 4050. Alternatively you can live chat with the IT Service Desk.