COVID-19 Bulletin: Tuesday 2 March

March 2, 2021

1. New: Provision of refreshments to Trust staff: Forthcoming changes

This latest wave of the pandemic has been particularly challenging and the Trust has tried to ensure that, as well as the psychological support on offer, your basic hydration and nutrition needs have also been looked after. Although the impact of the pandemic will be long-lasting, it is good news that patient numbers in our hospitals and in the community are beginning to decrease.

Over the last few months additional food and drink has been made available to teams who were struggling to get the time to buy their own refreshments. We expanded this to include provision for most teams, regardless of whether you were working on a COVID area or not, as a thank you gesture to recognise your hard work and commitment.

Following careful review we are reducing the free provision of food and drink over the next month as follows:

Snacks and drinks will continue to be distributed weekly to wards and departments up to 31 March 2021
W/C 8 March will be the last week of distribution of food vouchers, these can be exchanged for food in any of our catering retain outlets up to the 31 March 2021
The last delivery of out of hours sandwiches is 3 March 2021
The last delivery of frozen meals for out of hours use is 12 March 2021.
Supplies direct to ICU, respiratory hub and ICU will end at the end of March.

Thanks go to the catering team for supplying the food and drink, to the volunteers who have delivered much of the snacks to ward areas and to community partners for donating some additional supplies.

2. New: Extension of enhanced bank rates

The Trust has agreed to continue offering the enhanced bank rates for nursing and therapy shifts as previously shared. The current enhancements will continue up to 31 March and we will be reviewing longer term bank rates along with our partner Trusts in Birmingham and the Black Country.

If you are interested in joining the Trust Bank please look at the information on Connect or contact the team on 0121 507 3600 or email swb-tr.trustbankrequest@nhs.net.

3. Reminder: Trust the facts not fiction when it comes to getting your vaccination

In the UK, 20.5m jabs have been administered so far. Approximately 770,000 were second jabs, yet, there is a lot of misinformation and a lack of trust around getting vaccinated.

Colleagues and BAME members of the community, in particular, are being urged to ignore myths around the vaccine. Several videos on social channels such as WhatsApp contain inaccurate information.

Many famous faces have lent their support to combat this and encourage people to have their vaccination. One such person who has shared a message exclusively with SWB is ITV weatherman and our Star Awards host, Des Coleman.

In his video, Des says: “I know there is a lot of misinformation circulating about the vaccine, and that some people are intent on discouraging others to get vaccinated. Please look to trusted sources such as the NHS for your information.”

His message is echoed by Dr Masood Ahmed, Chief Medical Officer for the Black Country and West Birmingham CCG. He said: “In terms of vaccinations, one of the concerns is misinformation and there’s been a lot of that going around, whether it be through Facebook or WhatsApp.”

He added: “The vaccines don’t have animal products in, they don’t have foetal cells in, they certainly don’t have microchips and 5G, and if you’ve got any concerns, go to trusted sources.”

4. Reminder: Complacency is our enemy – we must continue to wear the correct PPE

As we start to see a downward trend in COVID-19 cases within our hospitals and communities, it is important to keep focused on the bigger picture.

Numbers are indeed starting to decrease, but it is also true that our numbers are decreasing slower than in other areas. We have come so far in our battle against COVID-19, so we must not become complacent as we reach this crucial point. The roadmap set out by Prime Minister, Boris Johnson will only go ahead if we meet all of the milestones, and to do that we must keep the rate of infection down.

As an organisation, we have not changed our PPE guidance. Therefore, everyone must continue to wear the correct PPE and play their part to stop the spread of COVID-19.

For all inpatient areas where there is direct patient contact (in red and amber wards), staff should wear:

A silicone mask/FFP3 mask and a visor, these can be sessional use. Single use gloves and aprons (please ensure you have been fit tested for an FFP3 mask before use)
You should wear a fluid-resistant surgical face mask if you do not have direct patient contact. Non-direct patient contact includes walking on a ward area, pharmacists, clerical staff, estates and facilities staff. Disposable gloves/aprons should be worn for contact with patients/immediate environment. Porters who are transferring patients should wear FFP3/silicone face mask when transferring patients to red and amber wards.
If you are visiting the ward from another area, a minimum requirement when entering the unit will be to wear a fluid resistant surgical face mask.

Please note: staff must follow their individual risk assessment for PPE, occasionally this will recommend a higher level of protection depending on your individual assessment.

For all outpatients and community staff inclusive of health visitors/school nurses/GP practices, for staff visiting care home facilities, patients and families homes, surgical face masks and visors should be worn as a minimum with a disposable apron and gloves for direct patient care.

If clinical intervention is required, a clinical risk assessment should be undertaken prior to the contact to establish whether there is a requirement for a higher level of PPE.

For example if a patient with a known respiratory condition has a persistent cough (not COVID related), an FFP3 and a visor should be worn in the event that the contact is essential and cannot be delayed.

Porters and facilities staff on wards can continue to wear a surgical face mask. However, if they are in direct patient contact they will then need to follow the guidelines outlined above for inpatient staff.

If you have any questions please speak to your line manager or infection control who will advise you.

5. Reminder: Community vaccination slots available – secure your appointment today

If you are yet to get the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, you can still book in to get your jab at either Walsall Hospital, at the Black Country Living Museum or now at the newly opened at Tipton Sports Academy vaccination centre. Alternatively, colleagues can also book their jab through the Your Health Partnership Primary Care network.

To book your jab online use one of the following links:

We advise all colleagues to take the time to read the COVID-19 guide for healthcare workers.

Please ensure you take your Staff ID with you when you attend your appointment as it’s important you’re able to confirm you are eligible for the vaccination. If you do not have your ID, you will not be able to have your vaccination.