COVID-19 Bulletin: Friday 10 December

December 16, 2021

Numbers not statistics: This week (last week). 

(Note: Percentages may decrease due to changes in the number of inpatients and in the number of staff members (starters and leavers).

1. New: Trust guidance following government Plan B announcement

Colleagues should now be aware of the government announcement on Wednesday night to bring “Plan B” into effect to aim to slow down the transmission of COVID-19 and particularly the Omicron variant.

With this in mind, colleagues are expecting to follow the below in order to keep themselves and others safe:

Working on site: When we are working on site it is absolutely essential to ensure we adhere to our infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance which means wearing a mask at all times in shared spaces and keeping a distance of 1m+. The only exception to this is when eating and drinking. I expect everyone to take responsibility for yourselves and challenge your colleagues and others who are not complying. We need to all work together to keep safe.

Work from home: Essentially, if you can work from home, please do so. We know that most of our clinical roles will require on site working on a full-time basis and your ability to continue attending on site to support colleagues and care for patients is greatly appreciated. We expect all managers to make an extra effort to keep in touch with team members who are working from home more frequently.

Face to face meetings: Any face to face meeting from Monday 13 December should be changed to a virtual meeting unless it is actually essential for this to be face to face (such as clinical huddles). 1:1 meetings are acceptable between colleagues who are on-site.

Christmas get togethers: We must emphasise that there should not be any on site Christmas parties this year. We know there are risks of transmission when people meet together and it is easy to lose sight of our restrictions when socialising together. Please ensure that you don’t attend or arrange Christmas get togethers within our healthcare environments. Where you have work events outside of our premises please ensure that you are cautious and follow the national guidance. As NHS employees we have a duty to set an example and ensure we don’t put ourselves or others at unnecessary risk.

Visiting: Our current visiting arrangements remain in place and will continue to be assessed weekly based on our risk assessment of numbers of cases in the community, number of COVID-19 patients in our hospital beds and any outbreaks. See visiting item below for the arrangements that are in place for safe visiting

2. New: Have your passport at the ready ahead of Plan B

As you are aware the Government have enacted Plan B in response to the rapid rate spread of the Omicron variant in the UK.

In order to slow the spread of Omicron the following actions will come into force:

• From today, face masks will be required in more public settings – including theatres and cinemas
• From Monday 13 December, people will be asked to work from home wherever possible
• From Wednesday 15 December, the NHS COVID Pass will be required for a series of different types of public events and meeting places

In order to help you to continue with any plans you have ahead of the Christmas period, like visiting the theatre, going to panto or attending an event etc. where you will now need to show proof of your vaccination status, see below details on the NHS App which you can download to view and share your NHS COVID Pass.

The NHS App is free to download and register and is available on the App Store or Google Play.

You can also use the NHS App to get health advice, book appointments, order repeat prescriptions, view your GP health record and more. Please encourage and help any friends or relatives to also download and use the app, a short video on how to do this can be viewed here

Note: that criminals are using the NHS COVID Pass as a way to target people by convincing them to hand over money or financial details to access their pass. The NHS App is free and you COVID Pass free! The NHS will never ask you for money or financial details to access either of these, please ensure you also share this with friends and family.

For more information go to www.nhs.uk/nhsapp.

3. New: Changes to wellbeing hour from 1 January

Following the implementation of wellbeing hour, we have received feedback from both colleagues and managers that this approach isn’t working for all teams. Ongoing operational challenges have made it difficult to facilitate this time in a regular and consistent way across the Trust. As such, we have reviewed the feedback and suggestions received and will be taking a refreshed approach to supporting staff with their wellbeing from January 2022. We recognise that services remain under significant pressure in dealing with increasing rates of COVID-19 and the challenges that the winter season brings. It is ever more important that we all remain focused on our own health & wellbeing and the following approaches are intended to support with this:

From 1 January 2022, the weekly individual hour for wellbeing will no longer be part of our Trust wellbeing guidance. We recognise that for those staff that have managed to utilise this time, this may come as a disappointment. However, to support all teams to allocate appropriate time to focus on wellbeing, we will be looking at creating structured time within existing team forums for this purpose.

Investment in the improvement and refurbishment of staff rest areas to ensure that colleagues have a restful environment in which to unwind during their breaks. The process will begin with discussion of the scope and process with Estates and Engie colleagues next week. There will then be further information about how you can access funds to refurbish and refresh your rest areas.

Continue with our strong focus on recruitment and retention to improve staffing levels to relieve pressure on existing colleagues.

Allocate funding from our training & development budget to support training in health & wellbeing.

Exploring ways in which to support staff with their nutrition and hydration whilst at work.

In the meantime, please do continue to access the wide range of wellbeing support available in the Trust. If you need support in being released to access any of the services we offer to support your wellbeing please liaise with your manager.

4. New: The Coronavirus Act and the end of temporary suspensions for retire and return employees of the NHS pension scheme

From Wednesday 25 March the UK government’s emergency legislation had temporarily suspended some of the regulations governing the administration of NHS pensions, which allowed employees who had retired and returned to increase their working hours without having their pension benefits suspended or reduced.

This included the temporary suspension of:

• The 16-hour rule for retire and returnees
• Abatement for special class status holders in the 1995 Section
• Draw down abatement in the 2008 Section and 2015 Scheme

You can read more about the temporary suspensions on the NHS Pensions website: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pensioner-hub/covid-19-guidance-support-retired-members

These temporary suspensions will end on Thursday 24 March 2022.

The Department of Health and Social Care has informed NHS Pensions to ensure employers and employees are prepared for an end to the temporary suspensions and a return to normal arrangements from Friday 25 March 2022.

This is when the 16-hour rule in the 1995 Section, abatement for special class status holders in the 1995 Section and draw down abatement in the 2008 Section and 2015 Scheme will come back into force.

5. New: Don’t get caught out – COVID-19 fraudulent PCR test alert

We have been informed that fraudsters have circulated posts on social media, purporting to be from the NHS, advising about availability of a newly developed PCR Test that detects the Omicron variant. The post includes a link to order the test. Attempts are being made to remove these posts, a copy of which can be seen below:

If you would like to report any instances of the above information being used in similar fraud attempts please email them to intel@nafn.gov.uk and the details will be forwarded to the relevant teams.

All suspicions of fraud or bribery should be reported to the Local Counter Fraud Specialist Sophie Coster (Tel: 07436 268747), Chief Finance Officer Dinah McLannahan; or NHSCFA via 0800 028 40 60.

6. New: COPE-WM study follow up survey

The University of Birmingham would like to thank everyone that took the time to complete the COPE-WM study baseline survey.

If you completed the baseline survey and this was more than 4 months ago you should have received an email asking you to complete the follow up survey for the study. The email was sent to the email address you provided when asked for your personal email address when you completed the baseline survey. Thank you to everyone who has already completed their follow up survey.

Please be aware that for some participants the COPE-WM study emails have been filtered to their spam/junk folder – please check there if you think you should have received an email

If, however, you received a request email but have not yet completed the survey we would encourage you to do so to ensure your follow up data contributes to the study outcomes. Survey completion should take no more than 20 minutes of your time.

If you took part in the study more than 4 months ago and either have not received an email request to complete the follow up survey or remember receiving one but are no longer able to access it and would like to complete the survey please contact the study research team by email: cope-wm@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

If you took part less than 4 months ago, please keep an eye out for the email about the follow up that you should receive in the next few weeks.

The higher the number of participants who complete their follow up survey the better the study will be able to understand the impact of COVID-19 on people working in healthcare settings.

Please be aware that for some participants the COPE-WM study emails have been filtered to their spam/junk folder – please check there if you think you should have received a follow up survey email but don’t recall having seen it.

If you were unable to join the recently held COPE-WM study public involvement webinar that started to communicate some of the initial findings from the study and would like to see it, keep an eye on the on the COPE-WM study website (www.birmingham.ac.uk/COPE-study) where a link to a recording of the event will be available.

7. Updated: It’s not too late to get your jab!

Just over a year ago the United Kingdom became the first place in world to deploy an approved COVID-19 vaccine with 90-year-old Margaret Keenan becoming the first person to get the jab. Since then, the vaccination programme achieved phenomenal success with 120 million doses administered across the country, saving many lives and reducing the pressure on the NHS.

Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself, friends and family from winter viruses so you can enjoy the festive season safely. You need to get your flu jab and COVID-19 booster vaccination for maximum protection while spending time with loved ones this festive season.

When and where to get your jabs:

City: The City vaccination hub in Sheldon Block is open seven days a week between 8am – 6pm for walk-ins.

Sandwell: The next pop up clinic will take place on 16 December at the Berridge Suite between 9am – 4pm.

Note: You can also book a vaccine on the national booking website.

Be sure to also check out this sort video featuring colleagues and a patient from across the Trust talking about facts around the COVID-19 booster.

Add video thumbnail here of all the people talking about the facts regarding vaccine.

8. Reminder: Visiting to wards

At present we are keeping our visiting arrangements in place and will continue to risk assess this weekly based on the case rate in the community, numbers of COVID-19 patients in our hospital beds and any outbreaks.

Due to confirmed cases of COVID-19 on D11(Winter bay) and Lyndon 5 (bay 4), there are now bay closures in effect on both wards. Visiting on Lyndon 5 and D11 is now limited to end of life patients and exceptional circumstances only.

We are aware that there is some inconsistency in the advice colleagues are giving people who wish to visit inpatients, so would like to be very clear about what our rules are. Please read and understand what visitors are expected to do to ensure they can visit their loved ones safely. Visitors given conflicting advice can understandably get very upset in what is already a situation of high emotion being separated from their friend or family member. Please be kind and ensure you give them the correct information below to allow them to visit safely.

The following points summarise our rules and are for those wards where visiting is allowed. Red and green areas, (D17, D21, D25, L2 and L3) and some community wards where visiting is not allowed due to infection prevention and control measures, should ensure robust systems remain in place to support communication between patients and their loved ones.

To visit a ward:

Visitors must prove either photographic evidence of a negative lateral flow test (done the same day they wish to visit) or provide evidence from the government website where they uploaded their results. Their evidence will be checked on entrance to the site, not the ward.

If prospective visitors cannot evidence a negative lateral flow test they will not be permitted to visit.

Colleagues should be aware that enabling someone to tailgate behind you as you enter the building through a staff only entrance is a breach of IPC rules, and could cause transmission of the virus. Do not hold the door for someone to enter without a staff ID card.

The Trust cannot provide lateral flow tests or accommodate visitors who wish to do a lateral flow test on site.

Visiting restrictions allow inpatients in amber areas to receive one visitor for up to 30 minutes per day. Patients can nominate two individuals who can visit for the duration of their stay, ideally from the same household.

Visitors must use hand sanitiser and wear a face mask on entry.

All visits must be booked in advance by telephoning the ward to allow wards to limit the number of visitors on a ward/bay at any one time.

All visitors must be free of COVID-19 symptoms, and must not attend if they are a household contact of a COVID-19 positive case. We regret children (under 16 years) or those who are immunocompromised are not allowed to visit at this time.

The current visiting arrangements for paediatrics, maternity and ICU remain in place. Our usual exemptions apply for inpatient children, those at end of life and people who lack mental capacity. We will review visiting arrangements weekly based on a risk assessment taking into account COVID-19 case rates in the community and numbers of COVID-19 cases in our hospitals.

9. Reminder: Celebrating Christmas safely

Christmas will soon be upon us and whilst we’re not going to take on the role of the Grinch, we do need to remind colleagues to please remain mindful that we are still operating in an uncertain time where COVID is still rife in the community and we are still battling to protect our patients.

For now our rules regarding masks, social distancing and limitation to visiting remain in place.

We want to be in a position where we can enjoy Christmas so there are a few basic rules we need to ensure we all follow when getting wards and departments trimmed up for Christmas:

• Christmas trees can be displayed
• All decorations and trees must be flame retardant
• All decorations, including lights, must be wipeable and cleaned before being displayed
• Decorations cannot be in any area where clinical procedures take place, e.g. bays/side rooms on wards
• Decorations should be limited to a single area on wards to ensure effective cleaning can take place
• Decorations attract dust – do not suspend them from walls and ceilings
• If a ward is closed due to an outbreak of an infection, e.g. Norovirus, you must dispose of all decorations

We ask that colleagues use their common sense and their skills as clinicians to avoid risky environments. Continue to wear masks in all shared areas and remember to wash and sanitise your hands regularly.

We regret that this year there should be no Christmas get togethers on our premises.

Any further queries should be directed to the IPC team on ext. 5195.

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

Did you know saliva testing (known as LAMP – Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification) is a speedy and less invasive way of detecting COVID-19?

You can book 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.

You can find drop off points and more information by clicking here.

If you are still unsure how to complete your LAMP test, be sure to check out the step-by-step guide in the video below:

Even if you are vaccinated it is vital that you register and carry out the weekly tests as they will help identify if you’re asymptomatic. Your saliva sample is ONLY used to test for COVID and is disposed of after testing.

The weekly saliva test is an easy way to help us all ensure we are remaining safe and playing our part in the battle against COVID-19.

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: