Skip to content Skip to main menu Skip to utility menu

COVID-19 Bulletin: Thursday 4 February

February 4, 2021

Numbers not statistics: This week (last week)

 

No. of our patients confirmed with COVID-19 No. of positive COVID-19 patients who have been discharged No. of COVID-19 positive patients who have died in our hospitals No.of COVID-19 positive current inpatients No. of COVID-19 research trial participants to date No.of staff logging lateral test results
Pre-Sept:
1,393From 1 Sept:
4,034
(3,719)		 Pre-Sept:
1,218From 1 Sept:
3,673
(3,318)		 Pre-Sept:
392From 1 Sept:
599
(534)		 344
(384)		 1,056
(1,040)		 2,376
(2,346)

1. New: Enhanced surveillance of COVID-19 cases in vaccinated individuals

Clinicians who see patients with SARs-CoV-2 infection with symptom onset at least 10 days after their first dose of vaccine (including patients who develop symptoms after a second dose of vaccine) are requested to report any cases to PHE Colindale. Where the individual is asymptomatic, test date should be used in place of symptom onset date. Cases can be reported using the online reporting form on the GOV.UK website, further guidance has been provided by PHE.

A repeat nose and throat swab and a serum sample should be submitted to the national reference laboratory (Virus Reference Dept., PHE Colindale), as soon as possible. Confidential information on such cases can also be reported to phe.vaccines@nhs.net.

2. New: Get fit tested this weekend

If you need to get fit tested we have availability this weekend at both City and Sandwell.

To book your test, please call 0121 507 5050.

Note: Phones lines are open daily until 8pm.

 

3. Update: COVID-19 resource pack for managers

If you are a manager, you must familiarise yourself with the new COVID-19 Resource Pack for Managers. This resource pack contains all of the information you need to support your colleagues during COVID-19 and includes topics such as recording absence, isolation and shielding guidance.

As you know, our focus remains on kindness during difficult times with worried colleagues, visitors and patients anxious for information and advice. Things move very quickly with COVID-19 – it is therefore essential that managers keep up to date with key messages and guidance and read the COVID-19 bulletin.

The resource pack is reviewed on a regular basis, and the Trust has now issued an update to the document. The updated sections are highlighted in red on the contents page. You can access it on Connect.

 

4. Update: Annual leave carry forward

Further to previous guidance about annual leave for the year 2020/21 we have updated our guidance which means that:

  • Any colleague who has been unable to take their annual leave entitlement due to the impact of COVID-19 on our services, has the opportunity to carry over up to 10 days. This must be agreed by the line manager and documented (updated on ESR, rostering system or other leave booking system). The line manager will need to agree that it has been impossible for the individual to take their leave during the 2020/21 leave year.
  • Colleagues who have more than 10 days annual leave entitlement remaining may be able to carry over up to 20 days. This will need to be agreed by the line manager, approved by the Group triumvirate, or departmental lead, for corporate areas and signed off by the relevant Executive Director. The expectation is that the leave that is carried over will be taken during 2021/22 at a time agreed with the line manager and service manager. There may be opportunity for colleagues to be paid for some of this leave entitlement should colleagues prefer. Any carried over leave must be documented on ESR/eRoster or other leave booking system.

The line manager must agree that carried over leave is due to the impact of COVID-19 on the services that the Trust provides and the need for staff to be at work and not on leave. It is not to be carried over because people have had holiday arrangements disrupted due to for instance, travel restrictions. All annual leave carry over discussions must be completed by 28 February and added to ESR, eRoster or the relevant annual leave booking system.

Please note: Usual arrangements apply for those with accrued annual leave relating to sickness absence, maternity, paternity or other leave.

The ESR team will be co-ordinating the annual leave carry forward for all colleagues and will enter the information into the employee’s record. Once updated in ESR the hours will transfer automatically to e-Roster.

During the week starting 8 March, managers will receive an email from the ESR team asking them to provide the relevant information regarding leave carry over days for their team members. Managers are asked to not send any information about leave carry over to the ESR Helpdesk prior to this date.