COVID-19 Bulletin: Friday 15 May
May 15, 2020
This is our every-day bulletin. Please use this bulletin and cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide your actions. Throughout May we are determined to reduce avoidable harm and death in the people we are taking care of. Kindness remains the guiding principle of all the actions in our work to tackle the virus – kindness in how we look after patients, visitors, and one another.
We’re worried. Worried that as we get tired, weary and exhausted, local departmental infection control habits are slipping. Two metres, the right PPE, changing your PPE between patients as guidance requires, not wearing scrubs on the bus or to the shops, making sure you wash your hands dozens of times a day. It can harder still to challenge others, because we know how hard everyone is trying. But this month and next month, tonight and tomorrow, we have to keep going. Please be part of the effort – the effort to get this right. Thank you.
Numbers not statistics: Today’s totals (Yesterday’s totals)
| Number of our patients confirmed with COVID-19 during the pandemic | Number of positive COVID-19 patients who have been discharged during the pandemic | Number of patients who have died in our hospitals who tested positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic | Number of patients entered by the Trust into a COVID-19 research trial to date | Number of COVID-19 positive patients who are inpatients with us today | Number of our staff absent due to ill-health or isolation today |
| 1169
(1169) |
772
(767) |
329
(326) |
113
(112) |
68
(76) |
615
(538) |
1. Please prone when it is needed
We are working every day to save lives. Please make sure you do two things:
Our guidance on awake proning covers length of time, positioning and the importance of consent. You can also watch a demonstration of the positioning in the video above.
We must also record patient proning in Unity using the Awake Prone Position (APP) PowerPlan. A Quick Reference Guide (QRG) has been developed to guide you through the steps you need to take to record proning.
If you have any questions about our Proning Policy please contact Chief Nurse, Paula Gardner directly. Let’s not miss any more moments getting this right.
2. PPE – dates and openness
As indicated yesterday here, and covered in Toby’s Friday message tonight, not all of our masks are inside the date initially recommended by their manufacturer. That makes us the same as the whole country. So the masks we got from the national stockpile in March were in some cases after date, and had been reviewed for safety by Public Health England before issue. We re-reviewed them and they passed our safety tests. However, most of our masks, our Alphas, were not from that source and are still inside the dates on the boxes. They also pass our safety tests. Betafit masks were beyond date but also passed. If you do experience issues, it is more likely that the issue is one of fit, but we will work with you on a personal solution. If you have concerns because you are hearing this for the first time or have questions, please get in touch with Dinah Mclannahan or Paula Gardner. We are confident in the safety of the equipment provided.
3. Basic and mandatory training: The time is now
The importance of completing your mandatory training remains and now is an ideal time for some before we restore elective services and some corporate functions. A&E and maternity will get busier in the summer. We expect all colleagues who were not compliant in 2019-20 to be fully compliant with all modules by 1 July, just six weeks away.
All courses can now be supported virtually. Most courses can be completed online. The few courses that were face to face are now being delivered via webex (eg Safeguarding) or a video (Local Fire Training). Basic Life Support (BLS) assessments can be done in a safe, socially distanced way.
For details on how to complete your mandatory training please go to https://connect2.swbh.nhs.uk/learning-development/mandatory-list/
4. Our Wellbeing Sanctuary: Take time for you
Your health and wellbeing remains paramount which is why we have recently opened our COVID-19 wellbeing sanctuary based at The Learning Works, Unett Street, Smethwick. The Sanctuary is accessible to all collagues and offers a range of health and wellbeing activities for colleagues. You can also pop in for a coffee and chat, or just to relax. Daily sanctuary sessions include:
- Deep Relaxation and Breathing through Soundscape – Travel from the peaks of the Himalayas to the depth of the oceans of Bali relaxing in a harmonious tranquillity.
- Music Therapy – A time to find inner stillness through the tranquillity of relaxing sound vibrations.
- Restorative Clinical Supervision (Health and Wellbeing Lead) – A safe and confidential space to explore the impact of work pressures.
- Unwind with Mindfulness – Breath and Relax. Enjoy the session of being present and the power of connection and self-kindness.
Sessions last between 20 and 40 minutes. See the full timetable here and you can book a session by calling 0121 507 5886.
5. Revitalised services spring back to life at Birmingham’s Treatment Centre
With a focus on getting routine surgery and services back up and running, our Birmingham Treatment Centre has sprung back to life this week. Patients and you can attend safe in the knowledge that they are in clean surroundings.
On Tuesday theatres in the BTC reopen to provide surgical services.
The BTC is the first step in our journey to reopening, recovering and restarting services for our patients. If you work in the BTC or need to go there, please make sure you follow the new procedures in place. Entry is through a single point, and everyone must stop, sanitise and replace any PPE they may be wearing to ensure the BTC remains Covid free.