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COVID-19 Bulletin: Friday 20 August

August 20, 2021

Summer days, light nights and staycations are upon us. 18 months into the pandemic, we have all found ways to adapt and make the most of these unusual times.

We must remember that COVID-19 has not gone away. As you’ll have seen in recent updates, we are experiencing consistent COVID admissions and a reluctance among some to have the vaccine. We are having to expand the capacity in our hospitals to safely care for patients with COVID-19 that at times means changes at short notice. Thank you for your readiness to support our surge plans and your flexibility in our response to COVID-19.

All colleagues are urged to follow COVID guidelines – sanitise your hands and keep a sensible distance from people in public spaces.

Thank you for your continued dedication.

Numbers not statistics: This week (last week)

 

No. of our patients confirmed with COVID-19 No. of positive COVID-19 patients who have been discharged No. of COVID-19 positive patients who have died in our hospitals No.of COVID-19 positive current inpatients No. of COVID-19 research trial participants to date
7,397

(7,248)

 7,430

(7,278)

 1,257

(1,248)

 92

(87)

 1,155

(1,153)

1. New: Recording of COVID related absence in ESR

In the unfortunate event that a member of your team has to be off sick due to a positive COVID-19 test, has COVID-19 symptoms or in a rare case has had a reaction to the COVID vaccine, line managers need to log the absence correctly in ESR.
If the related reason is added correctly to ESR, the sickness does not get counted as an episode by HR and the employee’s pay and entitlement to sick leave are not reduced in any way. Please do not record an absence if they are working from home.

Should they receive a negative result but remain off sick please close the COVID related sickness and open a new sickness absence without COVID in the related reason.

Managers must ensure absence is recorded accurately on ESR see the guidance on Connect and on e-rostering – for guidance click here.

 

2. New: Wellbeing Hubs at Sandwell, City and Rowley

Wellbeing Hubs are now available at Sandwell, City and Rowley Regis.

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 hub is 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 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, 1st 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.

3. Updated: 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.

4. Reminder: Visiting restrictions continue

We are still seeing increasing numbers of COVID-19 positive patients admitted to our hospitals.

Whilst we all wish to return to pre-COVID times, we must not lower our guard, we must stay cautious.

Our current arrangements for colleagues, patients and visitors at the Trust will continue. We must ensure we are able to continue to protect our patients, public and each other. These arrangements will remain in place in line with national guidelines for the NHS.

This also means our visitor guidance will stay in place across all our health services to ensure patients and staff are protected.

As a reminder, in all areas visiting inpatients is permitted for one person at a time for patients who are at end of life and those with limited mental capacity, one parent/guardian of a child as well as other exceptional circumstances. Please make a reasonable local judgement regarding the time you allow for each visit.

Please continue to encourage the use of mobile devices/tablets for families to keep in touch with their loved ones.

5. Reminder: Still on the fence about getting your jab?

Community Services Lead for Sandwell, Ruth Williams is warning people about the dangers of Long COVID – which manifests after the original COVID-19 virus has infected the body. It is not known who will suffer Long COVID or how long it lasts, as Ruth explains some sufferers who attend our community Long COVID clinic have improved then suddenly relapsed with full blown symptoms.

With no cure on the horizon, Long COVID is a risk for those who stay unvaccinated, with potentially life changing consequences.

If you are still unsure about getting vaccinated please talk to a trusted medical colleague or get the facts from reputable sources such as the Red Cross or the NHS.

You can still get your jab
The City Hospital vaccination hub in Sheldon Block is open from 8am – 6pm daily for both walk-ins and bookings via the national booking website.

You can also still get vaccinated at:

6. Reminder: Monitoring You At Home (MYAH)

A reminder about a unique project for confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients monitored via a virtual ward by our clinicians in the community.

Patients referred to the Monitoring You At Home (MYAH) service via their GP or from within the Trust are given an oximeter to measure their oxygen saturation levels for early signs of hypoxia.

COVID-19 mainly affects the lungs and causes a viral pneumonia that can lead to low oxygen levels. By measuring the oxygen levels using the oximeter probe that sits on the patient’s finger, clinicians are able to identify early when a patient’s health deteriorates and can recommend corrective measures.

The programme, rapidly closing in on its first anniversary, is for patients who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and who are not unwell enough to be admitted to hospital but still need to be monitored with oximetry. Those under MYAH are given instructions on how to record their oxygen saturation and their pulse as well as keeping a check on general symptoms.

You can refer your patients to MYAH via Connect

7. Reminder: Discharge to assess hub (D2A)

The D2A team conduct daily reviews of patients requiring discharges and also put plans in place for those patients who could potentially be discharged.

The team will help with patients on the following pathways:

  • Pathway 1 = Support to recover at home; able to return home with support from health and/or social care.
  • Pathway 2 =  Rehabilitation or short-term care in a 24-hour bed-based setting.
  • Pathway 3 = Require ongoing 24-hour nursing care, often in a bedded setting.
  • Pathway 4 = End of Life pathway.

All wards are encouraged to use the D2A service for support or queries relating to discharge. Usual processes are unchanged but responses are swifter so please ensure your patients are prepared for discharge as soon as they are declared medically optimised.

You can contact the team on 07815 647936, from 8am to 5pm, 7 days per week.

8. Reminder: We have #ZeroTolerance for colleagues suffering abuse at work

Readers of Heartbeat will have seen that our Chairman, Sir David Nicholson wrote last month about the troubling rise in COVID-19 misinformation, which has brought with it a marked increase in abuse and harassment that colleagues are subjected to whilst trying to do their job.

He wrote of his concerns about reports from colleagues who are being abused by patients ill with COVID, who are denying the virus exists. But regardless of the reason for this abuse, as a Trust and a wider NHS we absolutely will not put up with it. And, to be very clear to those who think they can get away with it, we have created posters which state categorically that we will not hesitate to call the police if we feel threatened.

Education is the way by which we address misinformation, and so as a Trust we continue to work both with mainstream media and our own social media channels to share the truth and be a trusted information source for our communities. You can support us by sharing our content from any of the following:

9. Reminder: Visit the sanctuary

Would you like to take 30-90 minutes to look after yourself? We very rarely take the time, so why not book now!

Our Wellbeing Sanctuary gives you the chance to de-stress and relax in a confidential safe place.

The sanctuary has a variety of offerings including:

  • Massage
  • Chill out downtime over a tea/coffee and a biscuit
  • A chat – a listening ear to hear anything you want to talk about in confidence
  • Meditation
  • Mindfulness
  • Relaxation hypnotherapy
  • Music therapy

Note: Social distancing measures are in place and PPE and sanitisation is provided on site.

To book please contact the wellbeing team on 0121 507 5886 to book your free session.

The sanctuary is only a 5 minute drive away from City Hospital and a 10 minute drive away from Sandwell Hospital (Learning Works on Unett Street, Smethwick, B66 3SY) with free secured parking right outside.

For further details please see daily sanctuary information sheet.

Additional support, if you need to talk to someone in confidence:

  • Counsellors: The NHS direct counselling service: 0800 06 96 222 (7am – 11pm, 7 days a week)
  • Bereavement support:0300 303 4434 (8am – 8pm)
  • Trouble sleeping: Click here for help and guidance
  • Just need a confidence conversation?  Book a one to one at the wellbeing sanctuary by calling 0121 507 5886
  • REACT practitioners: Talk to colleagues who have been trained to have a confidential conversation with you near to where you work. Email wellbeinghub@nhs.net to find out who is your nearest REACT practitioner
  • SHOUT service: Text SHOUT to 85258 confidential TEXT support
  • Chaplaincy team: All our chaplaincy team are trained listeners and people who care for you. You can email causer@nhs.net or call either 0121 507 3552/4055 or 07972 572854 to get in touch with the team