Monthly archives: December 2024

Heightened security measures now in place for VPN external access to SWB

In response to the the high profile cyber attacks on the NHS over the past few weeks the Trust will be implementing measures to enhance security around external access. Primarily this will focus on VPN access from areas outside the UK.

Areas that will not be impacted are connections within England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and certain regions within Canada and Spain. Other areas outside the United Kingdom will be unable to connect unless specifically requested ahead of time.

This is part of an ongoing strengthening of the Trusts cyber security posture, which aims to significantly reduce the risk factors and likelihood of rogue actors using stolen credentials and accessing the Trust from non authorised locations.

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 use the IT service desk live chat.

MMUH parking bay marking works: 16 – 18 December

Please be advised that the car park at MMUH will have bay marking works taking place from Monday, 16 December – Wednesday, 18 December.

These works will require the car share bays on level 0 and the priority bays to be restricted.

This may cause parking capacity issues and we suggest staff to use the site office car park (formerly the Balfour Beatty site office car park), if possible.

In the event of parking capacity issues, Q-Park will direct staff to the former Balfour Beatty car park, which is accessed from Cranford Street. The contractors will work efficiently to reopen bays as soon as possible to minimise disruption.

Rowley staff parking: Due to patient parking capacity issues at Rowley, we must remind staff to park on the staff only car park around the rear of the building and not on the visitor car park.

Job of the week: Band 4 Alcohol Practitioner Secondment

*This is a maternity cover role for 10 months from December 2024*

The Alcohol Practitioner will use their knowledge and experience to holistically assess patients who are in hospital and who have issues with alcohol. They will develop therapeutic relationships and provide appropriate advice and motivational support. They will make appropriate referrals into internal and external services to meet the needs of the individual.

They will liaise with nurses and doctors to ensure effective communication and use these opportunities to provide information on addiction to improve the knowledge of clinical staff.

They will screen patients to identify those at risk from alcohol related health and social problems and those whose health is being damaged by alcohol and provide brief interventions as appropriate.

They will manage a small caseload of patients who are unsuitable or unwilling to engage in community services.

For more information about the role including job description and personal specification, please click here.

Job application will close on Sunday 29 December at 8am.

If you would like to contact Carol Appleyard for more information you can do so by either contacting her via 0121 507 5074 or email her carol.appleyard@nhs.net 

Christmas Carol Services at Midland Met

Our Chaplaincy team are hosting two carol sessions at Midland Met. The first one, will be held on Wednesday 18 December from 12.30pm to 1.15pm, Spritual Care Centre on Level 5, where the team will be hosting refreshments until 2pm.

They will be visiting the wards that same evening ( Wednesday 18 December) at 6pm where staff are welcome to join.

Finally, on Christmas Day ( 25 December) the team will be hosting their Ecumenical Christmas Service, 2.30pm – 3pm, all are welcome to join.

Shuttle bus timetable

The new schedule will now include a stop at Midland Met as well as at City and Sandwell. Please take a moment to review the updated timetable and plan your travel between sites as needed.

Please note the pick up and drop off will now take place at the BTC at City.

There are two shuttle buses running in conjunction with each other. Please refer to the relevant departure point to see when the shuttle bus is leaving your location and be sure to arrive in advance as the shuttle bus will depart promptly.

The shuttle bus service is provided to support work-related travel between our sites and is not intended for commuting to and from work.

Should you have any queries, please contact 0121 507 3869 option 4 or extension 3869 option 4.

DoLS and MCA training session: 8 January

Vulnerable Adults team will be hosting a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and Mental Capacity Act (MCA) training sessions across the Trust.

The training is aimed at colleagues in patient facing roles. Year 3 student nurses are also welcome to join the session. The training will include topics such as the criteria of a DoLS, who needs a DoLS, how to complete a DoLS form and where a DoLS form is sent. The training will also cover the Mental Health Act 2005 and lastly flow charts on how to access and complete MCA and DoLS via Unity.

The training will take place on Wednesday 8 January from 10am to 12pm at MMUH, Lift A, Level 4, Seminar Room ADM 422

To book on please email r.begum19@nhs.net

Volunteers required: Mock CQC inspections/Fundamentals of Care visits

We are looking for volunteers to take part in our Fundamentals of Care Visits (Mock CQC inspections).

These visits are crucial for our clinical teams, and for the organisation as a whole, to be assured of the continual improvements being made to clinical care, patient outcomes, and patient and staff experience.  By being part of a team of volunteers to peer review care across our organisation you will be contributing to the Trust’s wider aim of developing a culture where recognising excellence and identifying opportunities for improvement is part of everyone’s role.

If this is something that you are interested in, and you would be available to come along and carry out a visit (taking approximately three hours) we would love to hear from you.

Visits are observational and involve chatting to staff and patients.  We provide a comprehensive toolkit to support you with what evidence to look for and we start each session with a briefing meeting before the visit where you will be put into a small team of volunteers.  Visits to our clinical areas happen across the whole of the SWB campus (all sites, including community).

If you would like to book a place to come along and undertake a visit, or if you would like any further information regarding this opportunity then please email ruth.spencer10@nhs.net.

The dates for the sessions are listed below:

Midland Met wayfinding maps

To help you easily find your way around MMUH, we’ve got Midland Met wayfinding maps ready!

Whether you’re locating a ward or finding a department, these maps will guide you through every corner.

We’ve now updated the maps to include level 5, which you can find here.

Click here to access the MMUH Wayfinding Maps.

NHS Fraud Cyber Awareness Webinar, 28 January 10am – 11.30am

NHS Cyber Fraud awareness team are hosting a webinar which is aimed to improve the awareness of cyber fraud and ensuring vigilance amongst all staff.

This session will cover the following:

• Types of cyber fraud threats a healthcare organisation may be under including current, future and emerging risks;
• Spotting suspicious communications;
• Tactics used by fraudsters; and
• How to report concerns.

The webinar will take place online on Tuesday 28 January, from 10am – 11.30am

To register your place please click here.

Attention all managers: Join the SWB managers WhatsApp group today

We know many of our senior managers across the Trust cannot always access their emails and other forms of communication on a regular basis. With this mind, our WhatsApp group allows managers to receive the most important information and messages which need to be cascaded to their teams and departments on the go.

How do I join the WhatsApp group?

Simply complete this short Microsoft form and you will be invited to the group.

How to download WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is compatible with both iPhones and Android handsets and is available to download from the Apple Appstore as well as the Google Playstore, simply search for ‘WhatsApp’.

Still having issues?

Please contact the Communications team by emailing swbh.comms@nhs.net or call 0121 507 5303 and the team will be able to support you.