COVID-19 Bulletin: Monday 4 May
May 4, 2020
This is our every single 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. You are doing a great job!
We are not ‘past’ Covid-19. 99 people are with us with a positive diagnosis and community prevalence is unknown. A second surge is probable, not possible. We need to stay vigilant, with handwashing and social distancing. But also we need to stay KIND: Our first “rainbow birthday card” goes out tomorrow to an inpatient not able to have their family around them on their Special Day. Just one of loads of projects trying to help patients to stay connected. Every ward has technology to do that: Let’s use it widely and wisely. 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 |
| 1110 (1097) |
713 (704) |
298 (297) |
99 (98) |
99 (96) |
524 (537) |
1. Handwashing Week gets going
Jackie Slater kicked off the Trust’s handwashing week at the weekend with her count of 70 handwashes in one day – can you beat it? Let us know at swbh.comms@nhs.net, sharing your pictures, films and stories and share them on social media too using #SWBcleanhands
Our Chief Nurse, Paula Gardner, emphasises why thorough handwashing is so important and for at least 20 seconds. Is this how you wash your hands?
2. Supporting patients who are discharged
Over 700 patients who were +COVID have now been discharged from our community and acute hospitals during the pandemic. A discharge pathway has been produced which gives clinicians guidance on when it is clinically appropriate to discharge a patient. It includes mandatory discharge summary documentation as well as the follow up arrangements for patients in the community.
Our discharge pack is now available to help patients as they return home with useful advice, exercises to aid recovery and who to contact if you need help.
3. Webex for home workers: 14 May 14.30 – 15.30
On 14th May at 14.30, people who have been working from home during the pandemic are invited to take part in a webex meeting to share your experiences and ideas.
To access the webex please follow the link below – https://swbhnhsevents.webex.com/swbhnhsevents/onstage/g.php?MTID=ece1a91f23682a8cbe9f39af46f2936a4
Use the password SWBWFH
If you have questions or comments you would like to post ahead of the meeting please email them to swbh.comms@nhs.net
If you are on our WFH register we will pop you a questionnaire later this week on your experiences to date!
4. COVID-19 research trials expand at pace: 99!!!
The range of research opportunities and numbers of patients taking part is growing rapidly and our Trust is at the forefront of these research trials. Please consider whether your patients are suitable for these trials and you can hear from a number of colleagues on the film below:
5. Testing patients for COVID-19: Use the correct swab
It is vital to follow the correct process for sampling of swabs from our patients. This will ensure that the swabs are able to be processed by the labs so that results are returned promptly. Follow the directions on the swab guidance document linked below.
SWB in the news:
Following in the footsteps of Charlene Nelson, one of our colleagues who has recovered from COVID-19, Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on Friday featured critical care nurse Rachel Winterflood, and this evening our outstanding midwives will be featured on The One Show with their new football ground clinics – tune in to see them and their mums in these clinics in the community.