Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 18 February

February 21, 2022

Dr Rupali Saluja, Intensive Care Consultant was interviewed earlier this week by ITV Central regarding our inspirational COVID survivors; Dr Imran Zaman, GP at Heath Street Health Centre recently spoke to Year 5 and 6 students about healthy living and careers in healthcare; Tipton vaccination hub is now administering jabs for 5-11 year-olds; and, be sure to have your say in this year’s SWB travel survey

This week we have shared through the COVID-19 bulletin the start of our plans to ease out of restrictions and manage our response to the virus as business as usual. We will introduce changes in a phased approach so that we can monitor the impact and ensure we have updated our risk assessments to keep patients and staff safe.

We are beginning with stepping down the enhanced PPE arrangements that we put in place during this latest wave when the Omicron virus was taking hold. The introduction of FFP3 face masks as standard in amber areas is no longer in place and colleagues can return to fluid resistant surgical masks. FFP3 masks remain a requirement for those staff whose risk assessment indicates that enhanced protection is required, for certain procedures and in red areas.

This step down in PPE is not because COVID-19 as gone away, but because of our updated risk assessment that has considered the community infection rate which has come down, the numbers of patients who have COVID-19 in our hospital beds that is continuing to reduce, and a reduction in outbreaks.

Within the next fortnight we will re-introduce visiting in a controlled manner which I know will be a welcome change for patients and relatives. We all know how important this is for patient’s recovery and it should also help to ease the communication channels with patients. Thank you for continuing to support your patients and their loved ones while these restrictions have been in place.

We will also move back to face to face meetings rather than solely virtual, although ensuring that masks and 1m social distancing can be maintained.

Over the next few weeks, we will continue to update you with our roadmap for change. Please continue to be cautious, follow our guidance and don’t let your guard down.

Earlier this month NHS England published the delivery plan for tackling the backlog of planned care that has been created by the pandemic. The plan includes guidance to help systems address key issues, and recover and expand elective services over the next three years with some ambitious goals to eliminate long waits, reduce diagnostic waiting times, and return to delivering the cancer faster diagnosis standards.

This recovery and expansion will take our collective effort right across the Trust, but importantly, we know we will only be able to deliver this for patients if we work collaboratively with neighbouring Trusts across the Black Country and Birmingham systems and in an integrated way with our colleagues in primary care. Our Trust has a strong track record of stepping up to meet challenges such as these, and being a good partner in putting aside organisational boundaries to deliver what’s best for patients.