Monthly archives: January 2025

Do you want four weeks FREE bus travel and eight weeks at 25 per cent discount?

The Trust is committed to working in more environmentally friendly ways and has in place a Trust Board approved Green Strategic Plan. We are keen to support staff with getting to and from work using active and sustainable modes of travel.

As part of the West Midlands Bus Scheme, we are extending our offer for eligible staff for four weeks free bus travel and then eight weeks travel at 25 per cent discount.

• To be eligible, you must be a non-frequent bus user (one – two times a week or less). Please ensure you select that you are a non-frequent bus user when completing the form otherwise you won’t be eligible.

This is a programme to encourage modal-shift and is intended to support sustainable travel habits. Those eligible will be supported with free bus travel via Swift technology.

The form will close on Monday 27 January, 8pm. Applications will be processed at the end of each week and issued to eligible staff.

To apply, please click here.

Codes cannot be requested via email and will be sent directly from Transport for West Midlands. The form must be completed to assess eligibility.

Please only apply if you intend to use the bus pass as this will be monitored by Transport for West Midlands.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I complete the form multiple times to get more codes?

No, only one form should be completed per person. One application is permitted per individual.

When will I receive my code?

If you are eligible, you will receive a code once the window for the webform closes.

How can I redeem the codes?

• You can redeem the four week free bus travel code at the website provided in the automated email. Once the code is redeemed, you will order a Swift Card that will provide four weeks free bus travel and eight weeks at 25 per cent discount, the card will come preloaded with four weeks free travel.
• Once the four weeks is nearly over, you will automatically receive another email with the 25 per cent discount. Once the next four weeks is nearly over, you will automatically receive another email with the final 25 per cent discount.

For more information, please click here for the attached guides and information sheets. 

One Health and Care system maintenance: Today from 1pm

Please be advised the One Health and Care system will be undergoing essential maintenance on today (Thursday 23 January) between 1pm – 4pm.

During this time the One Health and Care link in Unity may not return any data and colleagues may have their session terminated but will be able to log straight into the system afterwards.

This will have no impact on any other Trust system and the rest of Unity will continue work as expected. The Health Information Exchange (HIE) will also continue to work as expected during this time allowing access to West Birmingham and Sandwell GP records.

Colleagues should not use the system during the maintenance window as data may only be partially complete.

PET Team: Happy Mug initiative

Following on from previous staff survey results, directorates have come together to form People Engagement Teams (PETs) which are designed to represent the various departments and their roles inside their group.

As a Trust we are always looking to improve our survey results across the directorates and see the results in place, one example of this is from our Medicine and Emergency Care group, who have recently implemented the ‘Happy Mug’ initiative.

Happy Mug focuses on providing positivity to colleagues across the group, by encouraging colleagues to share something ‘happy’ whether that’s a fancy new pen or some sweet treats or even a positive message all inside a mug.

Gareth Shaw, Deputy Group Director of Nursing explains all about it below

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbYYcw0g3QY[/embedyt]

Glucose and Ketone meter EQA – January (GK0125)

The glucose EQA has been delivered to all areas.

A typo in the results letter requests running the sample as a patient.  Please run as a proficiency test as previously as follows:

To analyse:

• Press ‘menu’ and
• select ‘3-Proficiency Test’.
• Scan operator ID.
• Enter sample ID GK0125.
• Record your results on the results sheet and return by the return date to swb-tr.swbh-poct@nhs.net

Deadline is Tuesday 28 January.

For more information please email a.mctiernan@nhs.net

IT maintenance at Rowley: 21 January, 6pm to 7pm

Please be aware essential IT maintenance will be taking place at Rowley Regis Hospital on Tuesday 21 January from 6pm to 7pm to update the core IT network switch to help provide resiliency.

From approximately 6pm to 6:30pm there will be a 10 minute total loss of IT Network, access to shared drives, Unity and Wi-Fi at Rowley Regis Hospital. 

We would recommend that affected colleagues save their work before the pre-agreed timeslot and have business continuity plans in place during this time.

The activity will be closely monitored by our IT support teams.

Give your colleague a shout out!

Shout out is a way for colleagues to be recognised for their excellent work

The top shout out’s of each month will be published on our internal staff Facebook group, Our SWB Family, which you can join here 

If you believe a member of your team, or someone from elsewhere in the organisation deserves a mention, then click the link here and give them a shout out.

They may have gone out of their way to help you with something or you may have witnessed them make a difference to a patient or colleague.

If you have any questions about shout out, please contact the comms team on swbh.comms@nhs.net or extension 5303.

Sickle cell and thalassaemia training programme

Do you look after patients who have Sickle Cell or Thalassaemia? Are you interested in learning about the management of these patients when they attend our hospitals for care? If so, we would like you to come along to our sickle cell and thalassaemia training programme.

We have a sessions at Sandwell Education Centre, room 15, 9.30am – 12.30pm on the following dates:

• Tuesday 29 April
• Tuesday 27 May
• Tuesday 24 June

For more information and to book your place on any of the training days, please call ext. 6040 or email rejoice.nhevera1@nhs.net.

Get to know your new Chief Exec, Diane Wake

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Diane Wake, our new Chief Executive, to learn more about her on a personal level. In this candid conversation, Diane shares what she likes to do in her downtime and what drives her passion for making a difference.

Watch the video below to find out more:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scn1LtZLCOM[/embedyt]

Patient Experience Ambassadors Forum: 28 January

Our patient experience ambassadors are hosting a forum, on Tuesday 28 January from 9am to 1pm in the Lecture Theatre, Education Centre, Level 5 MMUH.

All patient experience ambassadors are encouraged to attend this event, refreshments will be provided.

For more information, please contact Grace Hughes via email grace.hughes3@nhs.net or Julie Thompson,julie.thompson40@nhs.net and Jamie Emery jamie.emery2@nhs.net

BCPS Microbiology Processing Issues

Update

We are pleased to inform you all that the IT issues in the BCPS Microbiology department have now been resolved. Work will now progress to addressing any backlog and we hope turnaround times to return to normal by next week.

A problem has arisen in the computer interfacing software that provides links between our laboratory computer system and our automated analysers. This affects most of our non-blood processes in microbiology for the Black Country. We are working with our supplier and IT departments to fix the interface as soon as possible but it is estimated that it may take 48 to 72 hours to remedy.

As a result, our usual process of alerting the electronic records in real time of positive blood cultures will no longer be possible, paediatric blood cultures will not be reported at 36 hours and all results for culture and sensitivity of all specimens will need to be reported manually. This increase in manual reporting necessitates re-allocation of staff from other less urgent samples to prioritise the most clinically urgent reports.

Please be aware that this means there will be longer turnaround times for all microbiology tests. We are aware that this will add additional pressure to clinical teams at this time of increased activity. Our interface provider partner is aware of the serious nature of the issue and is working closely with us to fix the problem. We will work to reduce any backlog over the coming week.

For urgent clinical enquiries please continue to contact your duty microbiology doctors as usual and avoid ringing the microbiology laboratory. Results cannot be released by the laboratory over the telephone.