COVID-19 Bulletin: Wednesday 24 June

June 24, 2020

This is our weekly bulletin and will be issued every Wednesday. Please use this bulletin and cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide your actions. Throughout June we are determined to reduce avoidable harm and death in the people we are taking care of. Kindness remains the guiding principle of all the actions in our work to tackle the virus – kindness in how we look after patients, visitors, and one another.

Numbers not statistics: Today’s totals (Weds 17 June’s totals)

1. Face masks and ID badges – it’s for your safety and that of your colleagues’

We must remind ALL colleagues that when entering the buildings where clinical services are being provided you must ensure you use hand sanitiser and put on a fresh Fluid-resistant surgical mask(FRSM). You will also be required upon entry to show security colleagues your ID badge. This is so we can keep you, colleagues, patients and approved visitors safe and help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Additional stations with PPE are being placed at entrances. You must not take more masks than you need or take home for use outside work. We are monitoring stock levels closely and checking what is being taken using CCTV.

Our security team will be on hand at all main entrances to clinical buildings to remind you. Please ensure that you give these valued colleagues the respect they deserve when they are implementing this approach. Any occasions of disrespect or discourtesy will be not be tolerated. Incidents will be reported and investigated in line with our Trust policies.

For more information about face masks see our FAQs here.

2. Guidance for shielding colleagues and returning to work

As lockdown eases and risks reduce, staff who are currently shielding may soon be able to come back on site, especially given the recent changes in guidance announced by the Government (which can be found here).  As always, your safety is a priority – and for that reason those in the position to return are able to undertake an independent risk assessment with the occupational health team.

At the beginning of the month we finalised the new COVID-19 risk assessment tool for Trust colleagues which covers assessment of the risk level within the current service/work setting as well as individual risks including gender, ethnicity, age and underlying health conditions. The outcomes of that assessment lead to clear actions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 for individuals.

If you are currently shielding or if you consider you are in a higher risk group you should arrange an assessment which can be organised by email via swbh.riskassessmentoh@nhs.net or via phone on 0121 507 3306. Read the risk assessment document here.

3. Antibody testing reaches next stage

Much like any good mystery, with COVID-19 the search for clues that will enable us all to find an ultimate solution continues. One piece of the puzzle that we have mentioned in previous bulletins is antibody testing.

Antibody testing may help with clinical management in some patients; the main purpose of performing these tests is to help understand the national and local prevalence and possibly transmission paths for the virus. Therefore it will help inform national and local policy on pandemic management. It will also help to inform research into the characteristics and behaviours of the virus and human immune systems. This may help speed up the implementation of vaccination and COVID-19 management policy in the future.

Over 6,000 colleagues from around the Trust have now been tested with many more booked and awaiting their test. However as of Monday the testing has moved into the next phase, with inpatients at City Hospital, including AMU Blue stream, maternity and paediatrics patients being tested. The following week will see inpatient testing rolled out to Sandwell Hospital and then Rowley Regis the week after that.

You can find the pathway details here, and the latest version of the testing Q&A here.

Colleagues that are yet to have a test are still encouraged to do so, you can book an appointment by calling 0121 507 6104 and select option 2.

4. COVID-19 research update

Although the numbers of patients with COVID-19 continues to fall, the COVID-19 research portfolio continues to expand and the Trust has been approached to participate in several new research projects. Information about open studies for patients can be found on this Connect page. Several of the new studies in the pipeline focus on testing and genomics.

A staff study called SIREN is expected to open in the next two weeks. This study is looking to see if colleagues who have evidence of prior COVID-19 infection (positive antibody test) are protected from future episodes of infection. This study will involve repeat swab and antibody tests. More information will be available on Connect when the study is ready to accept participants.

In last week’s bulletin we reported that the RECOVERY trial found that dexamethasone, a steroid that is cheap and widely available and is commonly used to reduce inflammation in conditions such as asthma, saves lives in those people most affected by COVID-19. It reduces deaths by one third in people on a ventilator and by one fifth in patients receiving oxygen only. In light of these findings, the four UK chief medical officers have recommended that it is reasonable for practice to change in advance of the final paper.

 5. FFP3 face FIT testing for new starters

New clinical colleagues due to start work in the Trust are required to get a FFP3 face FIT test prior to commencing clinical duties.

If a new colleague has previously been FIT tested in another organisation then they should provide the infection control team with the results of the testing. The team will need this information to ensure the mask the colleague has been face FIT tested with is in stock. If a new starter cannot provide this information, then they will need to be FIT tested again.

To book a FFP3 face FIT test call 0121 507 5050.

6. Contacting the independent domestic violence advisor

Due to COVID-19 victims of domestic abuse may struggle to get help or to access support services. Presenting for clinical care may be the only opportunity to offer support.

The ED independent domestic violence advisor service is still supporting victims that come through ED. They can be contacted on 07823 336964 (Sandwell) and 07989 843233 (City).

Alternatively, you can contact the safeguarding team on ext. 2844, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.

Note: It may not be safe for the team to make contact with a victim once they have left ED or hospital. If this is the case and it is safe to do so, please give them any of the Black Country Women’s Aid contact details listed below:

• Text/WhatsApp referral option: 07384 466181 (messages checked Monday – Friday, 9am-9pm)
• 24-hour helpline: 0121 552 6448
• Email:  idva@blackcountrywomensaid.co.uk (messages checked Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm)

As well as women, the ED independent domestic violence advisor service and Black Country Women’s Aid also support men who are victims of domestic abuse/sexual abuse/forced marriage/same sex relationships/historic domestic/sexual abuse. Helplines can also be found listed below.

• Men’s advice line helpline: 0808 801 0327
• Mankind helpline: 01823 334244

7. Diabetes and COVID conversations

The Coronavirus pandemic has forced health services around the world to change the way they provide healthcare and affected patients, in particular those with pre-existing conditions, to adapt to new ways of gaining access both to treatment and their needed medicines. These changes have thrown into stark relief previous questions about the effectiveness of care systems, and organisations across the country are beginning to take what has been learned during this year and use it to re-evaluate how it could be made better for everyone.

One such organisation is Diabetes UK, who are hosting a Lab later this week, the first in a series of informal and creative online conversations designed to explore the pandemic and both what it has meant and will mean for the future of diabetes care. The aim is to create a space where diverse perspectives, ideas and reflections can be shared. The sessions are open to anyone interested in the future of diabetes care, and are being held via Zoom at 7pm on Thursdays for the next four weeks. Interested parties can register online and find out more about the Lab here.

8. World Wellbeing Week

Once again we end our bulletin with a reminder that your personal wellbeing should be taken seriously.

As it happens, this week is also the second annual World Wellbeing Week, so a fantastic opportunity for us to reflect on our own health and wellbeing.

Throughout this pandemic we have strongly been pushing the wellbeing message as we, as a Trust, know how important it is to unpack, de-stress and be in a positive state of mind. We know that with everyone having to embrace the ‘new normal’, changes in shift patterns, for example, can be an issue. In particular for those working for long periods or taking on night shifts.

If you are feeling pressure due to this or your experiences during the pandemic, wellbeing support continues to be expanded; so please do take the time to look at the resources on offer as highlighted on Connect. There is also a range of support films on form our clinical teams offering guidance and tips on keeping well. You can view these in our video and podcast library. You can also visit the Sanctuary at The Learning Works in Unett Street, Smethwick. Sessions run between 9:30 and 16:15, so pop in or call to book a session on 0121 507 5886. You can see what’s on offer here.

The Connect Coronavirus page is continually being updated with the latest news and guidance regarding the virus, please take the time to read and familiarise yourself with the available guidance.