COVID-19 Bulletin: Friday 27 August

August 27, 2021

We continue to ask colleagues to remain mindful of the risks posed by COVID-19 and follow the existing rules and infection control and prevention guidance. We continue to see positive cases of COVID-19 across our organisation, and the only way we can safely facilitate patient care and protect our colleagues is by collectively following guidance to keep our Trust as COVID secure as we can. 

If you aren’t already, please sign up to take part in our saliva testing programme (LAMP). It is a fast, efficient and non-invasive way of protecting yourself and it assures you that you aren’t unknowingly spreading COVID-19 to your loved ones, colleagues and patients.

Numbers not statistics: This week (last week)

1. New: Self-isolation changes   

As you’ll be aware, on 16 August, national self-isolation rules changed. Public Health England guidance was altered to allow fully vaccinated NHS staff identified as a contact of a positive COVID-19 case to return to work without self-isolating in exceptional circumstances, provided they have had a negative PCR test and complete daily lateral flow testing for 10 days.

After careful consideration, the Trust has decided not to allow anyone that lives directly within the same household as a positive COVID-19 case to return to work apart from some agreed exemptions. This decision will ensure we can continue to support safe patient care and the safety of all our colleagues.

There will be an exemption to this for those working in critical care and where the prolonged absence of staff risks the safety of providing clinical or care services. On that basis, the team will mitigate that risk by allowing those who’ve had direct contact with a household member who is COVID positive to return to work with restrictions in place including being PCR test negative and having no contact with non-COVID-19 patients. Where the clinical need for delivery of services can be adequately covered in critical care, colleagues will stay in self-isolation.

The decision to allow staff to attend work in other areas will be made on a case by case basis. A COVID-19 self-isolation exemption decision assessment will need to be completed by a line manager. It will also require authorisation by the Director of IPC/Deputy Director IPC or the on-call manager out of hours.

This change is effective immediately. For the protocol and guidance, click here.

2. New: Wanted! Please return your respirator hoods     

Ahead of winter, the infection, prevention and control team (IPC team) are conducting an audit of all respirator hoods in use across the organisation.

The team would like to ensure that all hoods are available and  in good working order. Your cooperation will ensure we have the equipment in place ahead of winter and that it is fit for purpose.

If you have any respirator hoods that you no longer require, please contact the IPC team or Scott Shenton on ext. 5089 or 07866 007539.

3. New: COVID vaccination status for NHS staff entering care homes

From 11 November 2021, all care home workers, and anyone entering a care home, will need to be fully vaccinated, unless they are exempt.

These new government regulations state that all care home staff are required to provide proof of having had two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine or that they come within a specified exemption.  This is applied to all CQC regulated care homes providing nursing or personal care in England.

All Trust staff (including temporary, voluntary, bank and agency staff) working to fulfil a service in a care home funded by the NHS are in scope of these regulations. This will include, but is not limited to:

• Primary care (general practice, dentistry, optometry and pharmacy), community health, mental health, learning disability and autism (MHLDA), acute teams providing outreach into care homes, non-emergency patient transport services, end of life community teams and staff attending to maintain medical equipment
• Staff not in a front-line caring role who visit a care home. For example, in relation to continuing health care or a training provider.

Under current vaccination guidance, eight weeks are required between the first and second vaccine dose. Therefore, all staff entering a care home for work – who are not exempt – need to have had their first dose by 16 September 2021 at the latest.

Line managers are asked to liaise with their teams who may be affected by these regulations to:

• Understand and document vaccination and exemption status of staff members
• Actively support uptake of vaccination ahead of 16 September 2021 and conduct supportive one to one conversations to establish reasons for vaccine hesitancy
• Carry out a risk assessment for staff and services impacted and actively plan workforce deployment for services. This is to avoid disruption to our service provision in care homes
• Ensure that relevant staff will be able to demonstrate, via the NHS app or otherwise, that they have either been fully vaccinated or are exempt from the requirement.

Further information/guidance can be obtained via Group HR Business Partners. You can read the latest FAQs here.

4. Updated: Vaccines now available for expectant mums in antenatal at City every Tuesday and Friday

If you are pregnant you can receive your COVID-19 at clinics which are being held within our antenatal department at City Hospital every Tuesday and Friday, 1pm – 6pm.

The hub is still open to get your COVID-19 jab: The City Hospital vaccination hub in Sheldon Block is still open (under the leadership of SWB) for those aged 16 or older who would like their first or second jab. Colleagues are able to walk-in to the City Hub for their vaccination.

 The hub operates from 8am – 6pm daily for walk-ins, whilst it is open until 7.30pm for those who have booked an appointment. Bookings can be made via the national booking website.

The hub will be administering both Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Pfizer will be administered to the under 40s and AstraZeneca to the over 40s as per the current JCVI guidelines.

Alternatively, to find a venue closer to your home, click here.

5. Reminder: Do you know about long-COVID?

Long-COVID can lead to terrible fatigue and brain fog, whilst some people have reported hair loss as a symptom.

Be sure to check out this short video featuring Ruth Williams who is our community and primary care lead speaking about the devastating effects of long-COVID on those who have had the virus.

Referrals for long COVID assessment clinic:

 An online referral form is now available for patients who are registered for a GP in Sandwell who have been clinically diagnosed with COVID and who are still presenting with symptoms to a long COVID assessment clinic.

Once submitted the patient will be contacted with an appointment date and time. The assessment clinic is a virtual assessment clinic to identify the rehab needs of the patient.

After the patient has been assessed, they may  be given self-care advice, referred on to appropriate community services for treatment or referred to a consultant led MDT for more specialist care.

You can access the form by clicking here.

Note: Patients without a Sandwell GP should be referred to their own GP to access their own local COVID clinic.

6. Reminder: Warning – anti face mask posters

We have been alerted to anti face mask posters being put up in some Trusts nationally and at vaccination sites. Some of these contain hidden razor blades.

If you see any of these posters at our sites, please DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THEM. Contact security on ext. 2222 who will do this safely.

When logging a call, please reference ‘the security alert for removal.’

7. Reminder: Wellbeing hubs at Sandwell, City and Rowley

Focusing on ensuring that colleagues have a good day every day, the new hubs aim to help improve mental health, relieve stress, build resilience and restore balance.

Recognising that colleagues need to be able to access services easily, the new hubs are set to provide much needed health and wellbeing for colleagues closer to their work base.

Services in the new wellbeing hubs include:

• Confidential chat – an opportunity for colleagues to offload and talk about anything which is troubling them
• Meditation
• Relaxation POD (massage chair)

The wellbeing hubs are completely confidential. All services and treatments are free of charge for Trust colleagues and delivered by trained wellbeing coaches.

The wellbeing hubs are a regular service available weekly across all the sites listed below between 8am – 4pm:

• Every Monday in the Jayne Wright Therapy Room, Trinity House, Sandwell
• Every Wednesday in the therapy room Archer, first floor, Rowley Regis Hospital
• Every Friday in the therapy room, City Gym

To book a session contact the wellbeing team on 0121 507 5886 or 0121 507 3854.

8. Reminder: Swabbing for safety – ensuring we protect our patients throughout their care pathway

We continue to see COVID-19 positive patients within our hospitals, therefore it is essential that colleagues ensure they are following the correct swabbing pathways. This is essential to maintain patient safety and uphold infection prevention and control principles.

It is important that colleagues take the time to understand their responsibility when it comes to swabbing. Please take the time to read the pathway guidance linked below as well as the ‘To swab or not to swab’ poster for further guidance on your responsibility to swab test patients in our care.

• Unplanned Admissions Swabbing Pathway
• To swab or not to swab poster

9. Reminder: Join the weekly saliva testing programme to protect your patients and loved ones

Did you know we currently offer a weekly testing programme for all colleagues that allows you to get reliable results on COVID testing through a completely pain free and non-invasive test?

You can register for LAMP testing and book in to a kit collection slot for the weekly test, which requires you to spit into a tube in the morning before you brush your teeth or an hour after you have eaten.

When you arrive at work, you can deposit your sample into a red collection box. Many of these are positioned around our acute and community sites. And within 24-48 hours you will get a text message confidentially sent to you alerting you to your results.

For a full list of drop off points and for details on how to register, click here.

Packaging samples

In order to help processing at the labs, please make sure that samples are correctly packaged:

	Peel label off the request form and attach it vertically to the outside of the pot, avoiding any overlap so that all details including the barcode can be seen clearly.
	Fold the request form in half top to bottom, then fold again but not quite in half so the patient details show. Put the request form inside the larger bag, in the sleeve for the request form, ensuring that your patient details are visible.  Then place the sealed smaller specimen bag into the outer larger bag sleeve marked LAMP SPECIMEN, sealing the sample sleeve closed, keeping the sample secure

For more information click here.

Uptake of the weekly saliva test is monitored to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect our patients, the public and each other.

The latest data by group is below: