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COVID-19 Bulletin: Monday 18 May

May 18, 2020

This is our seven days a week 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.

 At the foot of this message we draw attention to our swabbing pathway.  That is emphasised because this weekend we have identified a handful of un-swabbed inpatient admissions, and because back in March we were not swabbing all asymptomatic patients on discharge.  It is important you apply now the policy as appended.  That may vary from historic practice but it must be our standard approach.  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
1190

(1172)

 782

(777)

 334

(332)

 115

(114)

 74

(63)

 570

(615)

1. Our Wellbeing Sanctuary: Take time for you

Your health and wellbeing remains paramount which is why we opened our COVID-19 wellbeing sanctuary based at The Learning Works, Unett Street, Smethwick, and would recommend you take advantage of what is on offer. The Sanctuary is accessible to all colleagues and offers a range of health and wellbeing activities. 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 depths of the oceans of Bali relaxing in 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 – Breathe and Relax. Enjoy the power of connection and self-kindness.

Many colleagues are already taking advantage of the services on offer. A ward services officer who has been visiting the Wellbeing Sanctuary on a regular basis told us. “I have been off work with anxiety and the help I am getting here is really helping me to get my mind ready so I am able to return to work. The colleagues here are wonderful, I would definitely recommend it.”

Sessions last between 20 and 40 minutes. See the full timetable here. You can book a session by calling 0121 507 5886.

2. Outpatients by video

Visionable is our online tool that enables us to hold virtual clinics with patients via a videolink working from both laptops or desktops.  Patients can use their mobile phones or a tablet. The Visionable system is in use across outpatients and is our default system to use for clinic appointments.  A handful of pre-agreed exceptions for certain circumstances will be in place where a face-to-face appointment is necessary. Visionable enables clinicians to see patients safely whilst practicing social distancing. It also supports the involvement of family members who do not live locally.


Today Consultant Paediatrician Nick Makwana demonstrates how you can setup your clinics on Visionable so that you can continue to see your patients.

Further information on Visionable is available in the attached Standard Operating Procedure.

For more information on the new system or to obtain your access, contact Mark Whitehouse on markwhitehouse@nhs.net

3. It is important that you take annual leave

There is no annual leave ban in place at the Trust so everyone’s encouraged to take a break. Please have a think about your leave plans for July, August and September and try and confirm them with your line manager.

We want to put in place security of service supply so that patients who have been waiting for some time are able to be booked in for care. Numbers may not be huge but it is important any bookings we make are honoured. In July we will publish guidance on spreading leave over the period to March 2022. So we are encouraging everyone to make plans now for the summer. That helps your wellbeing and ensures we do right by our patients.

4. More services are back up at BTC this week

Re-introducing elective surgery for our patients this week

A dedicated elective care facility  has been created in our Adult Surgical Unit, in the BTC. The unit provides an extended range of  surgical procedures and a 48 hour inpatient facility.

The unit has an enhanced  team of ward services colleagues to provide cleaning schedules to minimise the environmental risks associated with COVID -19. Patients are requested  to self- isolate for 14 days prior and have a swab taken for COVID-19 72 hours prior to their date for surgery. Our first patients are scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday 19 May) and over this week we will be undertaking ENT, orthopaedic and general surgical lists.

Routine diagnostic imaging has re commenced at BTC today

Patients who had their appointments postponed in March are now being asked to attend for their MRI, CT, US or x-ray test. The waiting list has been reviewed and prioritised so that the first cohort of patients to be booked are those with the most clinical need.

All the patients are being contacted directly by telephone and are asked a number of questions to ensure that they are not exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. This ensures that the BTC remains a Blue area so that patients and colleagues remain safe. The patients will enter through the main door and be given hand sanitiser and masks to ensure that the BTC and the imaging facilities remain Covid free. It is recognised that normal service is not exactly resumed due to the need to adjust appointment times and availability to facilitate social distancing, however this is a welcome start to our journey of recovery. #greenshoots

5. Patient swabbing pathway

Over 780 of our patients who were COVID+ have now been discharged in to the community to recover and recuperate in the surroundings of their own home.

To ensure that we are able to safely admit patients and have a plan on their route through our hospitals and services we have devised the attached Patient Swabbing Pathway to illustrate the points at which patients will be swabbed and how they will be supported through our services.