Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 29 October
October 29, 2021
By Dinah McLannahan, Chief Finance Officer
Dear colleagues,
Last week Richard’s message was very brief, but to the point;
- Please get your COVID booster jabs done ASAP
- Please get your flu jab done ASAP
- Please complete your staff survey return ASAP
I do hope you have been able to act on this request this week, and if not yet, have imminent plans to do so. I saw a league table of flu vaccine uptake in our region this week – nationally uptake is at an average of 34% according to that data – we are at 28%, and 9th from the bottom. The HSJ also reported on COVID vaccine uptake and we featured as one of 16 Trusts nationally where fewer than 5 in 6 colleagues have had both initial dose vaccines. We aren’t proud of this performance and regularly discuss what we can do to improve it. If there is something you think we are not doing, let us know by emailing swbh.comms@nhs.net.
Protecting yourself, your families and friends, your colleagues and our patients becomes even more important as we head in to what is almost certain to be one of the toughest winters for the NHS. We continue to plan and implement initiatives and schemes that will help us manage the inevitable challenges ahead. You will all have seen in the news the risks around the cost of energy at the moment. Did you know our Trust has a budget of c£6.6m per annum for electricity and gas? The risks around prices at the moment means that could increase to over £10m – a cost pressure of nearly £4m. We will see what transpires with the market and perhaps the NHS will be compensated for these pressures – but in the meantime, recognising we do have some very energy inefficient buildings, please “do your bit” by turning lights off and saving electricity where possible, closing doors and windows (subject to ventilation needs), and don’t have the heating on if it’s not needed!
Continuing on with the energy theme, next Wednesday the Midlands Greener NHS team are staging a regional virtual roadshow for NHS colleagues to find out more about the NHS carbon ‘net zero’ target – and how everyone can play their part in creating a greener NHS right here in the Midlands. It runs from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. You can secure your place at Midlands regional roadshow by booking-on via clicking here.
The event will mark ‘one year on’ from the NHS becoming the first health system in the world to set an ambitious net zero target and will coincide with the UK hosting COP26, the UK’s international climate change conference. It will also be a chance to find out more about the national and regional work that’s already underway to help ‘green’ the NHS, as well as hearing how NHS people across the East and West Midlands are bringing that work to life through examples of good practice from across medicines, estates and facilities, procurement and the supply chain, travel and transport and PPE.
October is Black History Month and yesterday Unison in conjunction with the equality, diversity and inclusion team and the BME Staff Network hosted a special Black History Month event at Miller’s Restaurant. Of course we can together celebrate Black history all year round and I would strongly encourage this approach – for all of our wonderful diverse workforce. Tonight I am so proud and delighted to be representing our Trust and attending a dinner and awards ceremony to celebrate Black History Month and reward and recognise the achievements of our Black Caribbean / Black African frontline heroes from the Black Country and West Birmingham Trusts and their efforts during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Have a great week 🙂
#bekind