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COVID-19 Bulletin: Monday 16 November

November 16, 2020

To keep up to date with the pace of change we will be sharing a bulletin on a daily basis. There’s a lot of change taking place at the moment so please make sure you catch up with the latest bulletins throughout the week, as even if some points seem familiar you may find the details have been updated a great deal.

During this second lockdown period, we must ensure we look after ourselves and others within our community. Make sure you keep in touch with those you love and your neighbours. People may well be feeling anxious, lonely and scared at this time.

Thank you for looking out for one another

1. New: Out-of-hours support for colleagues

We have a number of health and wellbeing initiatives in place for colleagues to help support them out-of-hours as well as during normal working hours as we continue to face the pandemic.

This includes “A Listening Ear” where someone is there to speak to you seven days a week, between 8am and 10pm. You can call for support or to “simply offload”. You can find out more about “A Listening Ear” by clicking here.

A support line operated by the Samaritans is also available seven days a week, between 7am and 11pm. To access this click here.

Other resources that can be accessed out-of-hours are available by clicking here and they include 10 tips to help you de-stress and information on looking after yourself and colleagues.

Managing your stress and psychological health at this time is as important as your physical health and so it is important that you take care of your basic needs and use helpful coping strategies.

2. New: Trust’s COVID-19 response plan Q&A sessions

A series of briefings are being held for colleagues who wish to find out more about the Trust’s plans as we face a second surge during the pandemic.

They are being led by our Executives over the next two weeks and will be held via WebEx.

Colleagues will be given an opportunity to ask questions about our COVID-19 response plan.

The first will be held tomorrow at 4pm for one hour, whilst the second session will take place on Friday, 20 November.

Further briefings are planned on 23 and 25 November – more details on these sessions will be released nearer the time.

3. Updated: Clarification on enhanced Bank rates

On Friday we shared news about a change in bank rates for some bank shifts to thank and reward colleagues who are supporting the Trust in this way, and to help reduce our reliance on agency staff. To clarify, the new rates apply to:

  • All Band 5 Nurse bank shifts across the Trust
  • All Specialist Nurse bank shifts (ITU, neonates, theatres, ED and NIV)

We hope that you will continue to support our workforce needs through the winter period, whilst also ensuring that you get sufficient rest and recuperation after what has been a very testing year. The new rates are as follows and come into effect immediately:

  Enhanced bank rate including working time directive WTD) 12.07%
Day Sat / N Sun / BH
Band 5 Nurse £23.53 £29.42 £35.50
Specialist Nurse £30.26 £35.10 £39.94

There is no longer a requirement to book five shifts with the Bank to be entitled to an enhanced rate. If you would like to sign up to the Trust Bank there is a fast-track process in place. Call 0121 507 3600 or email swb-tr.trustbankrequest@nhs.net for a pack. We will also be reviewing AHP bank rates.

4. Reminder: Use purple bags for urgent swabs

Starting today wards and departments will have access to purple bags which can be used to place urgent rapid samples.

The bags have been introduced to replace the urgent stickers. But don’t worry if you use the urgent stickers, your samples will still be processed.

One of the key issues experienced is swabs being sent for routine rather than rapid testing due to the correct labelling not being used. The introduction of purple bags will be clearer and easier for all to use and will also help the lab to identify any samples that need to be processed urgently thus improving turnaround times.

If you need these bags out of hours they can be collected from D18 at City Hospital and the Bryan Knight Suite at Sandwell. Please note that rapid swabs are not processed overnight but will be done the following working day.

In other news, we have now temporarily increased the availability of urgent and rapid PCR sampling to 158 tests per day for two weeks only until 29 November. Urgent respiratory PCR including COVID is also now increased to 30 tests per day.

We will be running a pilot in ED and AMU for the next two weeks when all patients who come through this route will receive a rapid test.

For further information see the test allocation table on Connect by clicking here.

If you have an urgent sample:

  • Place the correctly labelled specimen into a clear specimen bag and seal.
  • Place into the second larger clear zip locked specimen bag.
  • Place this doubled bag specimen into a purple urgent COVID sample bag
  • The purple urgent bag can now also be posted into the COVID drop off box.

Further information on processing samples can be found on Connect by clicking here.

5. Reminder: Contacted by NHS track and trace? Do not give details of your work contacts if you have complied with our IPC guidelines

Many of you will have downloaded the new NHS contract tracing app designed to help the NHS understand where and how quickly the virus is spreading, so we can respond quickly and effectively.

On the chance that you are contacted through NHS track and trace stating that you are considered a contact of a case of COVID-19, it is important that you ONLY give your personal/community contacts if you have been complying with PPE and infection control guidelines whilst at work. You should then contact your line manager, who will complete a risk assessment with you to understand the occasions where you may have been in close contact with a patient or member of staff who has tested positive for COVID-19.

As the app is anonymised, it will not be apparent whether your contact occurred within or outside the Trust setting. Where there are cases of transmission of the virus within the Trust we will carry out our own contact tracing processes.

Remember to pause the app when at work

You must pause the app when:

  • You are at work following infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance.
  • You are wearing correct PPE at work and maintaining 2m social distancing in clinical and non-clinical areas.
  • You are working behind a fixed Perspex (or equivalent) screen and are fully protected from other people.
  • You store your phone in a locker or communal area.

You can read the latest government guidance for healthcare workers by clicking here