COVID-19 Bulletin: Monday 20 April
April 20, 2020
This is our once a night bulletin. Please use this bulletin and daily cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide local action. Remember KINDNESS is our watchword in implementing our plans. It is also our way of keeping in touch with shielders, home workers, part-timers and volunteers. You are on the team. Thank you!
More training has taken place today for our Green, Blue and Yellow brigade teams. Thank you to everyone volunteering a shift, a day, or much of their time to this effort. Any Exit plan from Covid-19 continues to depend on our ability to protect our workforce and ensure our workplace is Outstandingly clean. You are vital!
Numbers not statistics: An everyday feature of our bulletin (yesterday’s data..)
| Number of our patients confirmed with COVID-19 during the Pandemic | Number of positive COVID-19 positive 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 |
| 846 (836) | 443 (435) | 245 (242) | 56 (52) | 158 (159) | 674 (714) |
1. Last chance to volunteer as mental health first aider
Applications close tomorrow for our first wave of 60 mental health first aiders. First advertised a week ago, and with expressions of interest flooding in, we will stop taking nominations tomorrow at 3pm, so that we can start selecting by department and get moving with training next week. If you want to put yourself forward please contact Raffaela Goodby via r.goodby@nhs.net – we are especially keen to make sure we have coverage across our primary care and community teams as well as acute colleagues.
The attached guidance explains again the role and its part in our plans.
2. Making sure we have good quality NIV in place
If you have been following the professional literature on treating Covid-19 you will be aware of debates and evidence about the role of mechanical ventilation and non-invasive care. The Trust, building on our respiratory hub service, is rapidly expanding our provision, and you will have seen that our Respiratory Physiology team won last week’s Star of the Week award. We are determined to deploy everything we can to improve outcomes.
If you work in our acute care pathways and are unsure of the NIV arrangements now in place across the Trust, please speak up! The approved pathways are included here for ease of reference.
- COVID NIV (CPAP) Pathway Sandwell
- COVID NIV (CPAP) Pathway City
- COVID NIV (BiPAP) Pathway City and Sandwell
3. Are we planning for recovery? Yes, we are
Consistent with recent messages we are beginning planning arrangements for re-starting some services across our sites. These changes will begin with ensuring that we have capacity and capability to undertake diagnostic imaging to support video-based outpatient work, and any surgical activity that we may re-commence in May.
Just as we took a structured approach to surge, we will be taking a sequenced approach to recovery work. The most important thing is that we ensure we retain workforce capacity to manage safely our emergency patients, and work alongside partners across the Black Country and West Birmingham to re-establish services for elective care.
We will use this bulletin to keep you posted on service recovery. The tactical group that was meeting twice daily is now using some of its time to oversee this work – talk to your rep!
4. You really need to get your form in …….(nursing colleagues!)
Thank you to all our medical staff who have completed forms on redeployment training and competency. Nursing colleagues across critical care and our adult ward base now need to follow suit. Following previous appeals here and elsewhere, we are asking everyone who was redeployed over recent weeks to make sure that you have got your personal competency declaration form in by midday on Wednesday 22nd April. It is not linked to wages, but it is important anyway to your portfolio….
The form and checklists are attached again. If you have any questions please contact Helen Cope.
- Personal Competency Declaration Form
- Non-Critical Care Staff Skills Checklist
- eLfH Resources for Ward Working
5. There when you need it: Grief and bereavement support
At home or at work, many of us are thinking through loved ones’ lost or deeply unwell. It is really important to find space and scope to talk and think. When you are ready. Our support package is with us for a long time, but do think about whether you need help now.
Extended on site counselling Service: Our Occupational Health Service currently offers a free and confidential counselling service. The contact number is ext. 3306. You can ask for a counselling appointment and leave your phone number and a counsellor will be in touch. A drop in, on site counselling service is available throughout the week and including weekends.
Drop in appointments can be accessed via one of the Trust’s accredited counsellors.
- Linda, Contact Telephone 07973664125 * Available up until 12 midnight at Weekends.
- Tony, Contact Telephone 07970225929