COVID-19 Bulletin: Tuesday 5 May
May 5, 2020
This is our every single day bulletin. Please use this bulletin and cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide your actions. Throughout May we are determined to reduce avoidable harm and death in the people we are taking care of. You are doing a great job!
Sadly we have now recorded our 300th death with Covid-19. The Trust has lots of support in place to help you as colleagues, and the loved ones of the bereaved with these tragic situations. It is really important that at a time when death certification, funeral arrangements, collecting possessions, and Rapid Release, are additionally difficult and traumatic, we all make sure we know how to help someone and who can help. If you are not sure the answer to a question relating to death with Covid-19 please contact the C.A.R.E.S office on 0121 507 4638.
Numbers not statistics: Today’s totals (Yesterday’s totals)
| Number of our patients confirmed with COVID-19 during the pandemic | Number of positive COVID-19 patients who have been discharged during the pandemic | Number of patients who have died in our hospitals who tested positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic | Number of patients entered by the Trust into a COVID-19 research trial to date | Number of COVID-19 positive patients who are inpatients with us today | Number of our staff absent due to ill-health or isolation today |
| 1114 (1110) |
716 (713) |
300 (298) |
99 (99) |
98 (99) |
515 (524) |
1. Hand Hygiene – Do you know your 5 moments?
Today is Hand Hygiene Day, and this is our Handwashing week, so now is the perfect opportunity to remind colleagues that not only should you be washing your hands for 20 seconds or more, and as many times as possible, it’s key to make sure you wash your hands at key moments.
Remember to clean your hands :
- Before touching a patient
- Before clean/aseptic procedure
- After body fluid exposure/risk
- After touching a patient
- After touching surroundings
The expert infection control team can be reached on extension 5900.
| Did you know?
The hand hygiene technique used all over the world today was actually developed back in the 1970s at the Hospital Infection Research Laboratory which was based on the City Hospital site at the time. |
2. Do you know what to do if someone discloses domestic abuse?
Tragically, during lockdown we know that domestic abuse is more prevalent with less opportunity for people to find help. Some testing sites across the country and other locations where people have been attending for health care needs have had cases of people presenting to disclose a domestic abuse situation.
Support services remain open including Black Country Women’s Aid with a 24 hour helpline and whatsapp message service. Information on how to get help is on the gov.uk site that includes free, confidential helplines as well as West Midlands Police information https://www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/no-excuse-for-abuse/.
3. Information for women on access to maternity care
It’s International Day of the Midwife! The maternity team have produced a range of information for women and their families describing how to access maternity care during the pandemic and to provide reassurance about the safety of the services we provide.
It is really important that women attend for face to face appointments if they are asked to do so, and many of these appointments are now taking place in community venues such as Villa Park and The Hawthorns. The pathway for pregnant women includes screening for COVID-19 symptoms, telephone consultations and face to face visits.
The information on maternity services during the pandemic is published here.
4. Working from home: we need your views
A special Webex to hear from people who have been working from home is taking place next Thursday 14 May at 14.30. We would like to hear from everyone who has worked from home about your experiences so please take 10 minutes to complete this short survey to share your views and ideas on what has worked well and what has been difficult. This will help to inform the Trust’s future home working guidance.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SWBWFH2020
5. VE Day 75: Friday 8 May
This Friday is a public holiday, to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day. This year, due to the Government’s stay at home guidelines, people are being encouraged to celebrate from the safety of their own homes with no traditional events or street parties.
At 11am people are invited to observe a two-minute silence with a toast to heroes of the Second World War at 3pm.
Sandwell Council staff and councillors have recorded a short film encouraging people to “Raise a Cuppa” at home or at work to pay tribute – remember to stay 2m apart. You can watch the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vImZ37QneqQ.
Find out more on the discoversandwell.co.uk website.