COVID-19 Bulletin: Wednesday 10 February
February 10, 2021
1. New: COVID-19 vaccine
Colleagues who have had their first dose of the COVID vaccine will be aware that on attending your first appointment your second appointment will be booked – you do not have to phone to book your second appointment. If you have an appointment with the Trust for your first vaccine and then are offered it elsewhere, please cancel your booked appointment to ensure we have as much notice as possible to rebook your slot. Unfortunately we have experienced a high number of DNAs recently which could potentially cause significant wastage.
The vaccine hub at Sandwell will stop offering first doses after this week in order to support the allocation of vaccine supplies across the system so that priority groups are able to be vaccinated as quickly as possible. The facility will reopen in March to administer second doses. If you require a vaccine after this week please see more information about alternative vaccination centres on Connect by clicking here.
There are still slots available for first doses of the vaccine this week in the Vaccine Hub at Sandwell Hospital Education Centre.
To book please call 0121 507 4112 between 8am – 8pm.
2. Reminder: Collect your LAMP testing kit
In Monday’s bulletin we advised colleagues that we are due to switch over to LAMP (Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification) testing from the Lateral Flow test. If you are in the following directorates, you MUST collect your kit before Monday 15th February.
- Admitted Care A
- Admitted Care B
- Emergency Care
ONLY colleagues from these directorates should ring 0121507 2664 option 6, Monday to Friday between 8am–6pm or Saturday and Sunday on 07816992873, between 8:30am-4pm to register and book your kit collection slot. Next week we will advise the next group to collect their tests before Monday 22 February, so please look out for this important information. The roll out plan is available here.
LAMP testing is a weekly test where your saliva will be sent off to the lab to be tested. Results are processed quicker than the usual PCR swab tests. Instructions on how to perform the test can be accessed by clicking here. If the result comes back positive you and your household will need to immediately isolate for 10 days and you will not require a PCR swab test to confirm the result.
By 22 March, we will have testing available for all staff. You should continue with the lateral flow testing until you move to the LAMP testing programme. If you have kit left over from your lateral flow tests please return these to your service area and we will arrange for left over testing kit to be collected. If you are at the end of your Lateral Flow Test kit and not due to transition over before you run out of kit, please contact the Community Contact Centre on 0121 507 2664 option 6.
You can read the Frequently Asked Questions by clicking here
3. Reminder: Restricted visiting arrangements for inpatients
We’d like to remind colleagues that although visiting restrictions remain in place for all inpatients, there are exceptional circumstances where limited visiting is allowed, for example for young patients, those who lack mental capacity and patients who are at the end of their life. For these patients it is really important – not least as an act of kindness – that we are able to safely facilitate limited visiting rather than adopt a blanket ban, so please if in doubt ask your group for advice. There are also arrangements in place to allow limited visiting on postnatal wards, a partner to accompany scanning appointments and an additional birthing partner.
It is essential to note that even for these groups visiting is NOT ALLOWED by anyone who is self-isolating, regardless of the circumstances.