COVID-19 Bulletin: Monday 14 December
December 14, 2020
If a message is in the bulletin, then it means all colleagues need to know about it. It is your responsibility to read the bulletin every day and if you think of a way to improve the bulletin, please let us know by emailing swbh.comms@nhs.net.
All the messages that are published in the bulletin are signed off during our daily Trust tactical meeting, and you can find the latest information about our COVID response on Connect here. Please take the time to keep yourself updated and safe.
- New message: Are you currently wearing an Alpha mask?
We expect to run out of Alpha masks within the next seven days but there are alternatives available. Colleagues are therefore advised to get fit tested for a half face silicone or Handanhy mask as a replacement.
To book yourself in for fit testing please call ext. 5050 and the team will book you into a slot at a site, date and time to suit you.
2. Repeat message: Remember to go with the (lateral) flow – input your results
Thank you to all of you who have submitted your lateral flow test results onto Connect so far. Lateral flow tests are designed to help to identify any asymptomatic COVID positive cases and helps ensure we are playing our part in keeping patients, fellow NHS workers and our families safe.
Thousands of frontline colleagues have received the self-testing home kits, however only a relatively small percentage of results have been submitted so far. Recording these results could help to save lives, so it’s really important that each time you use the test your results – positive or negative – are submitted.
You can upload your test results here via Connect, but only when you are on the Trust network.
The initial roll out of self-testing home kits for colleagues has now been completed. If you haven’t yet received a kit and work in a patient-facing area, please speak to your service lead and ask if they have included you in the submission that they have made for additional kits required.
Important information for managers distributing kits:
Please return your completed collected kits proforma to sandwell.adminhub@nhs.net along with the number of additional kits required.
3. Updated message: Are you wearing the correct PPE?
We have now updated our guidance around Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which includes clarification around when and where you should be bare below the elbows.
Amber and red posters displaying the new guidance have been produced and are now being displayed across the Trust.
Key changes to the guidance include the following:
Don’t forget: In both amber and high risk areas you must also wear eye protection for sessional use!
Colleagues carrying out a single Aerosol Generated Procedure (AGP), for example intubation, extubation, tracheomtomy, suctioning or those having close contact with a patient, should wear a single use gown with full sleeves with a plastic apron over the gown. Please remove the gown after the task is completed.
For sessional work within a VERY HIGH RISK area or an AGP area (for example D17), a sessional gown with rolled up sleeves (BARE BELOW THE ELBOWS) should be worn. Colleagues should wear a disposable plastic apron over the sessional use gown and change this in between patients. Please wash your hands and arms in between patients.
This guidance is for ward areas only (not critical care) and for patient-facing clinical colleagues.
If you are visiting the ward from another area, a minimum requirement when entering the unit will be to wear a mask (please note: staff must follow their individual risk assessment for PPE).
The new guidance must be followed so as we maintain strong infection prevention and control measures across all our sites.
You are able to view the full guidance on PPE here including a document which explains the new policy on PPE.
These are the new posters – click to view as larger images.
