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COVID-19 bulletin: Tuesday 24 March

March 24, 2020

The Trust is now publishing a daily bulletin. This will take all guidance and information and tell you which changes we are implementing when and how. Please use this bulletin and daily cascade arrangements within clinical groups to guide local action. Remember KINDNESS is our watchword in implementing these changes.

  1. Reiterated and important guidance on working from home

In light of last night’s message from the prime minister some colleagues need to consider working from home (WFH). With over 1800 job titles in our Trust and almost 100 roles, we cannot issue a simple list to you, and so we need to continue to work on trust with your judgment.  We wrote to everyone in the Trust on Friday and that guidance is still accurate.

  • If you work administratively, managerially or clinically in a patient facing area, we do not recommend that you work from home.
  • If you provide ancillary work, for example as a porter or driver, supporting patient care, including transporting samples or stock, we do not recommend that you work from home.
  • If you work in a corporate / backbone function, for example in finance, governance or HR, it may be possible for you to work from home.  We estimate that between 300-500 employees from our 7000 colleagues may be in this position.  At this stage we believe all our IT and estate staff do need to be on site.  This is likely to change next week after some new arrangements are put in place.

If you are able to work from home there are circumstances where we may ask you to return to site, and that includes circumstances where we ask you to undertake different work in support of the pandemic response.

We cannot provide computer equipment for everyone working from home.  Our priority is clinical areas for technology.  But we have published on Connect simple guidance for how you can use technology which you can download to run or be part of meetings, and how you can potentially get access to drives and documents. From April 1st we expect to have more capacity to provide technology for home working.

If you consider you should work from home you must do 4 things:

  1. Talk to your line manager and discuss this with them.  Their agreement is required.
  2. Send an email explaining your job role and the decision you and your manager have made to wfh@nhs.net.This will help us know who is away but well.
  3. Download the My Connect App onto your phone so you can keep up to date with our guidance and stay in touch with the Trust.
  4. Make sure it is clear on your Trust emails and Trust telephone extension ansa-phone that you are working from home due to Covid.

Support is available to colleagues with any underlying health conditions to ensure any risk of exposure to Covid-19 is minimised. Those who wish to share any health issues they may have, should speak to their manager and raise any concerns. A plan can then be made for their future working arrangements that is in agreement to both of you. It may be concluded that they need to work in an alternative role or at a different location. If this is the case Human Resources will be able to make arrangements for this.

Remember we have issued guidance for staff over 70, those who are under 28 weeks pregnant, and those advised by NHS England yesterday by personal letter/email to shield yourself for 12 weeks.  If you are not covered by those provisions, then the paragraph above applies.

For more information email swbh.hr-advice-for-covid-19@nhs.net or please call 0121 507 3116.

2. Postponing routine imaging

We have already made changes to operations and outpatient care, as well as altered our ways of working in community nursing teams.

Non-urgent imaging tests are being postponed by the imaging team. The team are contacting each patient to advise them of the cancellation and will rebook the test at a future date. All referrers (primary care and hospital based) will be contacted to advise them of the cancellation and a process in place should you still want your patient to be scanned. We are continuing with the following:

  • Urgent diagnostics
  • 2 week wait cancer pathway diagnostics
  • Planned cancer surveillance diagnostics

All patients for these diagnostics are being contacted to screen for COVID-19 symptoms. Those with symptoms who can delay their tests will have their appointments rebooked. The imaging team will ensure they wear appropriate PPE for testing patients who are symptomatic.

3. Health and wellbeing around COVID-19

Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, fearful or anxious at the moment is a completely normal response to the situation for all of us. Managing your stress and psychological health at this time is as important as your physical health. Taking care of your basic needs and employing helpful coping strategies are top priorities.

To find out how you can look after your health and wellbeing click here.

4. Can you use video link to see your patients in our community or hospital teams?

We are holding drop-in sessions for Visionable, an online tool that enables you to see your patients via video link. To find out how to use Visionable you can drop in to attend a session where you will be:

  • Given a license
  • Shown how to use the system
  • Demo real time patients

Pop in at any time from Tuesday 24 March through to Friday 27 March between 8.30am to 4pm at Patient Access Department, Hallam Building, Sandwell.

Contact Mark Whitehouse for any queries markwhitehouse@nhs.net

For more information about Visionable visit the website https://visionable.com/videos

5. Closing our sites to all but essential visitors

Consistent with country-wide attempts to limit avoidable travel, but also to make sure that our sites are only used by those needing or providing care, from 09.00 am on Thursday 26th March anyone entering Leasowes, BMEC, Sandwell, BTC, City or Rowley Regis will be challenged.

Only Trust and University staff, volunteers working for the Trust, students, and designated patient visitors will be allowed onto our sites.  We will use this challenge ‘moment’ to reinforce the fact that visiting is not now taking place face to face in our wards, other than in very specific circumstances.

This is being done to protect us all so do please try to respond positively if challenged. Mindful of the positive impact of donations from visitors and partners, we are making alternative arrangements to conduct our own pick up of such donations. Please contact amanda.winwood@nhs.net if you know of someone wishing to make a donation in kind to our teams.