COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 1 April

April 1, 2021

Numbers not statistics: This week (last week)

1. New: Caring and compassionate conversations with colleagues

As the recent surge in COVID-19 begins to recede and we once again look at returning to normality, its an ideal opportunity to ensure we are practicing the same care principles we stand by for patients and applying them to the colleagues we work with.

No doubt the past 12 months have been a traumatic experience, regardless of the drills, exercises and training, a pandemic in the scale we have just experienced is likely to have a lasting effect even on the most strong-willed of staff. So it’s more important than ever to take the time to have a compassionate and caring conversation with each and every one of your colleagues.

• Encourage colleagues to take up the COVID-19 vaccination if they haven’t done so already. It’s the best protection we can offer to not just to ourselves, but to our families, our patients and our colleagues.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the wellbeing team have been able to launch a range of services for colleagues to relieve the stresses and strains of the past 12 months. These services are continuing and colleagues are encouraged to contact the wellbeing team to book a chat or any of the therapeutic sessions at The Wellbeing Sanctuary.

Further details of the services on offer can be found in the ‘Daily Sanctuary Session’ flyer which explains the different therapeutic sessions offered.

Also, there are some other additional supports colleagues could explore shared in the ‘Wellbeing Together Newsletter’ and ‘NHS Supporting Our People’ flyer.

Please, feel free to contact the Wellbeing Team on 0121 507 5886 to book yourself for any of the following therapeutic sessions:

• A Confidential Chat – If you are finding things difficult and would like to talk to someone  0121 507 5886
• Relaxation Pod -Unwind and let go
• Meditation- Be transported to a beautiful place
• Hypnotherapy – Let go and relax
• Music/Soundscape – Therapy balance your energy
• Mindfulness -Just connect
• Single Session Therapy – A session to work towards a behavioural change

Should you need Counselling, this is available via:

• Occupational Health on 0121 507 3306
• The NHS Direct Counselling Service  0800 06 96 22 (0700 – 23:00 – 7 days a week)

Urgent Support is available on:

• NHS 111 Advice Line
• Dial 999
• Your GP
• CALM – 0800 58 58 58 (17:00- Midnight – Anonymous)

2. New: Actions for managers – Capturing vaccine status from every employee

Thank you to the thousands of SWB staff who have now had their first doses of the vaccine, and those who are attending for second dose appointments. It is important that we are able to accurately understand and report our staff vaccination numbers, however, the Trust is not notified when people receive the vaccine at sites other than the Sandwell Hospital Hub. We also want to be able to support colleagues who have concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines.

Every line manager has been asked to gather vaccination information from their team members and also have a wellbeing conversation with each colleague where there are concerns. These conversations aim to help with providing the latest information and signpost to any specialist advice that may be needed.

Each staff member will be asked to complete a form that includes whether and where they have had the vaccine, or if they are declining. This is similar to the flu vaccination forms that colleagues will be accustomed to. Managers will submit a report to the HR team on a weekly basis. Colleagues may also be contacted directly over the next seven days by telephone to capture their vaccination status.

For more information please contact 0121 507 6680 or email swb-tr.swbh-GM-HR-Enquiries@nhs.net

3. New: Ramadan advice and BAME Network event

The second week of April this year will mark the start of a month of prayer and fasting for Muslim colleagues and patients.

Ramadan will commence at a critical time in the NHS vaccine rollout. Concerns had been raised about whether the act of getting the vaccine would break the fast, as well as potential side effects of feeling unwell after being vaccinated, and reservations about taking daily pain relief medication. Dr Habib Naqvi, director of the NHS Race Health Observatory has said: “There is no reason why a first or second dose vaccine cannot be administered during Ramadan. The content is halal, and receiving it will not invalidate the Ramadan fast, as per the opinion of Islamic scholars”.

Further guidance has been developed by the British Islamic Association (BIMA) debunking myths surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine including during Ramadan.

BME Staff Network – COVID Vaccines: Your question’s answered

Earlier this week the BME Staff Network hosting a Q&A event aimed at answering the questions and concerns you may have about receiving the COVID vaccine. Joined by a panel of subject experts within the organisation the event discussed the concerns, queries and questions colleagues had about the COVID-19 vaccination as well as hearing from Steven Shanu, Lead Pharmacist who shared his own experiences of being part of the clinical trials for the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

If  you missed the session, you can watch a recording below:

4. New: Hands. Face. Space. Fresh Air.

As you know, as of 29 March a number of COVID-19 lockdown measures were eased. Letting us all take another positive step forward in the direction of normality.

Unfortunately however, ‘easing’ does not mean ‘over’. There are still difficult hurdles for us as a community, as a people and even as a nation to overcome. This is reflected in the most recent campaign being shared by Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care: Hands. Face. Space. Fresh Air.

The “Rule of 6” is now back in effect but that doesn’t mean an end to the necessities of hand washing, mask wearing and social distancing have gone away. As we gradually come out of lockdown, you should always make sure to take the same precautions as previously when meeting people from other households.

Stick to the guidance and lets take the next steps safely as we ease out of lockdown.

5. New: Change to Trust Bank rates from 12 April

From 12 April, our Trust Bank rates will change and will revert to the enhanced rates that were put in during April 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These rates will remain in place during the first quarter of the year (1 April – 30 June 2021) while work continues to look at aligning rates across neighbouring Trusts. This includes reviewing our Bank rates for all levels including for portering, security and ward service officer shifts.

Rates from 12 April are as follows:

Further information about joining the Trust bank can be found on Connect or by calling 0121 507 3600.

6. New: Caution to residents of Hateley Heath, Newton and Tividale

People living and working in the Hateley Heath and Newton areas of West Bromwich, along with Tividale in Oldbury are being warned to be extra cautious as we approach the Easter weekend – as COVID-19 rates in those three wards are on the increase.

The rate of infection in Hateley Heath ward is 222 per 100,000 people, with 34 new cases in the last seven days of data (22-28 March) among people living in the area. Comparable figures for the same period for Tividale show an infection rate of 193 per 100,000 people with 25 new cases, and for Newton ward, 191 per 100,000 people and 24 new cases. The rates are around twice the average rate for Sandwell (96 per 100,000) as a whole.

Anyone showing symptoms must self-isolate and book a COVID-19 test at the Trust, via www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.

7. Update: Don’t miss out on your dose

The Sandwell vaccination hub will be open on Bank Holidays so please attend if you are booked on those days.

While the warm weather and the Easter Bank Holiday is something to celebrate, colleagues are reminded to please ensure they remember to attend the vaccination centre on their booked date for their second vaccination dose. If you are not able to make your booked vaccination date, you can rearrange your appointment by calling the vaccination call centre on 0121 507 4112, but you are advised not to go beyond 12 weeks after your first jab. It is essential that you attend as there will be no further appointments beyond 26 April for you to receive your second Pfizer dose.

Second vaccine dose appointments at City Hospital – you must complete a form before 2^nd April to book in for your jab

Colleagues who were vaccinated at City Hospital’s Vaccination Hub in the Sheldon Block and were not issued with an appointment for their second dose must complete the following form to be booked in for their second dose. The form must be submitted before the 2^nd April.

https://forms.office.com/r/i9HgiAvGgN.

For those who have appointments and have had 2^nd vaccine doses elsewhere please cancel your appointment, stating that you have had your vaccine and where you had it so that we can update our records and offer the slots to other people.

Tipton Sports Academy Vaccine Hub – April Plan

Tipton is also available as a potential destination for you with the hub running Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm from the 6 to 30 April. However they have bespoke vaccine clinics for specific cohorts:

• Mondays: Faith groups (Supported by relevant interpreters)
• Tuesdays: Learning disabilities
• Wednesdays: Women only (staff will be women only too)
• Thursdays: Shielding / CEV
• Friday: Heath and Social Care staff including carers

Ring 0121 796 1504 for an appointment or walk in. A local booking system will be set up early next week.

8. Update: Working From Home guidance update

We published the updated home working guidance in last week’s bulletin. The guidance has been added to with some more information about IT systems and equipment for home working. You can see the revised guidance here.

9. Reminder: Drop off points for LAMP testing samples

LAMP (Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification) testing continues to be rolled out to all colleagues at the Trust – thank you to everyone who has taken up this new speedy and more accurate way of testing for COVID-19.

Instructions for the test have now been updated and can be found here. Changes have been made to the way the request form is folded and where it is now placed, within the bag provided.

We must remind everyone that LAMP testing is open to both clinical and non-clinical colleagues. It is vital that we continue to test despite colleagues having had the COVID vaccination and infection rates starting to drop.

Drop off points are now available at the following community venues:

• Neptune Health Park, first floor, Sedgley Road West, Tipton.
• The Lyng Centre for Health and Social Care, second floor clinical suite, Frank Fisher Way, West Bromwich.
• Oldbury Health Centre, ground floor, Albert Street, Oldbury.
• Victoria Health Centre, ground floor, Suffrage Street, Smethwick.
• Rowley Regis Hospital, Outpatients.

Additional drop off bins have been added to Sandwell site at:

• Pathology
• A & E
• Bryan Knight Suite
• Phlebotomy, first floor Outpatients Sandwell Corridor D

Additional  drop off points at City Hospital are planned and will be available shortly. We’ll keep you updated via the COVID-19 bulletin as to where these will be. The current drop off point at City is Phlebotomy, found on the ground floor of the BTC.

• Remember to carry out your COVID-19 testing, whilst community prevalence is low, it only take a few people to be carrying COVID-19 for an outbreak to take hold. Lateral flow test have worked well for us but now we have much more accurate LAMP testing in place. Remember to register for your testing kits and carry out your test once a week. LAMP testing doesn’t involve any needles or swabs, just a sample of saliva taken first thing in the morning.