COVID-19 Bulletin: Tuesday 28 April

April 28, 2020

This is our every single day bulletin. Please use this bulletin and cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide your actions. Remember KINDNESS is our watchword in implementing our plans. In the rest of April and throughout May we are determined to reduce avoidable harm and death in the people we are taking care of.

Thank you to everyone who spared a minute and some time to think for the memorial silence at 11.00 a.m. today.  Everyone knows someone directly affected by the virus, and even though we are seeing absences and admissions fall, each loss is a tragedy.  We are conscious of colleagues on our staff currently still undergoing treatment both with us and elsewhere and want to take this opportunity to convey our thoughts and best wishes to them and their loved ones.

Numbers not statistics: Today’s totals (Yesterday’s totals)

1. Managing patient and family uncertainty

We now have a single information pack for patients to take away who are leaving our care after being tested positive for COVID-19, or with COVID-19 symptoms who are awaiting a test result. The pack describes how to manage symptoms such as breathlessness, guidance on isolation, managing stress and anxiety and who to contact for help. The guidance pack is available on our website and on Connect. Printed copies will be distributed this week to red and lilac wards.  Copies on our website will be available in all local languages.

2. Trying to bridge the gap – Your Special Day

Over the last few weeks, lots of teams have put forward or undertaken great ideas to narrow the communication gap between visitors who cannot come onto site and their loved ones, being looked after by us in our community or hospital settings.

One of those ideas kicks off Monday:  Patients who have a birthday whilst an inpatient in our wards will be unlikely to see their family and friends. From next week all patients with birthdays will receive a birthday card from the Trust to recognise their day.

The card will be given to the ward two days before the patient’s birthday so that they can be given out by the ward team – ideally by the person who has formed a close bond with that patient. For more information contact Claire Hubbard.  The card features one of many beautiful rainbow designs sent to us by local kids over the last few weeks.

3. Looking after your skin beneath PPE #welearn

We have continued to focus hard on this issue which is a big deal.  The Tissue Viability Team have produced helpful guidance for colleagues to protect and treat skin from damage beneath PPE.

It is now clear that we can see a major reduction in skin irritation when you wipe away the residue from Clinell wipes that are used to clean the re-usable face masks. Let’s do this and save your skin…

4.Care of the dying – managing possessions

We have set up new locations at City and Sandwell Hospitals for relatives to collect the belongings of their loved ones who have sadly passed away in our care.

This avoids relatives needing to enter clinical areas and ensures that belongings are kept safely and securely. The locations are open to receive patient belongings Monday – Friday between 8am and 4pm. Patient belongings must be recorded and placed in the correct property bags which must be labelled in line with the Standard Operating Procedure.

• Sandwell Hospital: Berridge Room (corner of the Courtyard next to Occupational Health)
• City Hospital: Anne Gibson Rooms (by staff shuttle bus stop)

The service will then make appointments for the next of kin or their nominated representative to collect the belongings.

5. Supporting Black and Minority Ethnic employees

The Board remains deeply and actively concerned by the national data showing such a disproportionate impact among BAME NHS staff from the virus.  The cause for that is unknown and enquiries nationally are being established.  The Trust accepts four recommendations from national professional bodies representing doctors born overseas – although of course we apply these arrangements to all our disciplines:

1. Redeployment of high risk employees, regardless of ethnic origin, based on the risk factors we issued in our guidance (this includes options to undertake outpatients and ward rounds remotely using technology)
2. Freely available testing for employees working with COVID-19 patients
3. A clear support and wellbeing model for employees and commitment to ensure that no-one feels bullied into working in unsafe conditions
4. Advice on Vitamin D deficiency as follows: ‘Whilst there have been some news reports about Vitamin D reducing the risk of coronavirus there is no established evidence that this is the case. However, colleagues may have reduced vitamin d levels from lack of sunlight as a result of lockdown restrictions so may want to consider as Vitamin D replacement or to address any underlying D3 deficiency.’

Personal protective equipment is always a feature of our bulletins.  Dr Mark Anderson’s two videos on the subject are both included below.