COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 19 November

November 19, 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.

Numbers not statistics: This week (Last week)

1. New: Services on the move as part of COVID plans

Colleagues should be aware of a series of service moves that have taken place at the City site, as part of the Trust’s COVID plans.

The Medical Infusion Suite (MIS), including clinical immunology, has now relocated from D42, in the main building, to the oncology unit situated on the ground floor of the Birmingham Treatment Centre for the foreseeable future.

The Emergency Gynaecology Assessment Unit (EGAU) has moved into D42, and also has six emergency beds for inpatients. Whilst, D21, its’ former location, continues being home to Gynaecology and Gynaecology-Oncology elective patients along with Breast, creating a ‘green’ post-surgery recovery ward.

When ward changes are confirmed, these will be reflected on the ward tracker, which you can find on the front page of Connect.

2. Updated: Working From Home arrangements extended

Thank you to all those who completed our Working From Home survey, which has now helped to shape updated guidance.

As you know, we continue to evaluate what is best for colleagues and the services we provide, and this new document will now be in place up to 31 March 2021. We plan to issue a longer-term strategy about home working arrangements in the coming months to carry the Trust through the period to 2023 and to put arrangements on a firmer and more contractual footing.

This ensures fairness for existing and new employees and clarity about eligibility and decision making. We expect this longer-term guidance to lead to more home working than pre COVID-19, mindful of social distancing and the open plan nature of office accommodation in particular in the Trust’s estate from 2022.

The COVID SAFE office space review to ensure that those working on site can comply with the two metre rule has now been completed.  The Health and Safety team have written to managers who must ensure they have responded. If you require any information on the safe office space review then please contact Jacque Calloway on ext 4118 or Ruth Spencer on ext 2914.

If you haven’t completed the WFH survey please could you do so before 26 November when it will close.

You can read the policy in full by clicking here.

3. Reminder: 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 are being held via WebEx.

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

Our second session this week is being held tomorrow at 10.45am for one hour. To join the briefing go to: https://swbhnhs.webex.com/swbhnhs/onstage/g.php?MTID=e59c590edf4adec548c2b89b43a4dbf2f

Further briefings are planned next week – more details on these sessions will be confirmed soon.

4. Reminder: Purple bags = rapid labs

If speed is of the essence with your sample, the recent introduction of purple bags make identification and prioritisation easier for the lab. These are replacing the “being phased out” urgent two hours priority stickers, which can still be used as necessary.

Wards must regularly check to ensure  that they have adequate stock of COVID-19 swabs and purple bags for the weekends and out of hours.

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.

We also currently have temporarily increased availability of urgent and rapid PCR sampling to 158 tests per day for two weeks only until 29 November. Urgent respiratory PCR including COVID-19 is also now increased to 30 tests per day, if you need to take advantage of this please do so while you can, being sure to secure your sample correctly

If you have an urgent sample:

• Place the correctly labelled specimen into a clear specimen bag and sealed fully
• Repeat this process, using the second larger clear zip locked specimen bag
• Add this doubled bag specimen to a purple urgent COVID-19 sample bag
• The purple urgent bag can now also be posted into the COVID-19 drop off box

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

5. Reminder: Staying safe and praying in private

Due to COVID-19 and following the extension of the national lockdown restrictions, all congregational prayers have been postponed until further notice for all faith groups. This includes all Muslim congregational prayers, daily and Friday Juma’ah prayers in the BTC Prayer Room and in the Sandwell Meeting Room.

The prayer rooms and chapel will however remain open for colleagues to use for private prayers. Colleagues are also welcome to pray in rooms available within their own areas.

Please ensure you follow the handwashing guidelines and practice social distancing. If you require any further information then please contact the chaplaincy department through switchboard.

The prayer rooms and chapel will remain open for individual prayers. Private prayer rooms can be found in these locations:

• Sandwell prayer room and chapel – second floor
• City prayer room and chapel – first floor
• BTC Centre prayer room – second floor

Rowley Regis prayer room and chapel – ground floor