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COVID-19 Bulletin: Wednesday 15 April

April 15, 2020

This is our once a day bulletin. This will take all national and professional 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 our plans.

Numbers not statistics: A new every day feature of our bulletin.

Number of our patients confirmed with COVID-19 during the Pandemic Number of positive COVID-19 positive  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
756 373 216 38 167 769
  1. Thank you to those who joined us at 5pm today ‘virtually’ or online by the BTC to clap for businesses

The support we have received from local businesses and organisation further afield has been phenomenal, helping us with deliveries of supplies including consumables, equipment and donations of food.  At the time that many in our community are struggling with the effects of the lockdown we wanted to take a moment today to publicly thank key regional and local businesses who have supported us.  The roll of honour will continue to be added to after today.

At 5pm today on the corner of Western Road and Dudley Road many colleagues showed support by clapping. Thank you for joining us to demonstrate our thanks.

2. Quality Improvement Half Day tomorrow: welearn from excellence

Tomorrow is our second with-Covid QIHD.  The Chief Executive’s Update 12 today urged us to unleash your ideas and to be honest with ourselves about what is working and where we could do better.  Please find a moment to get involved in this work.

For the last five weeks, we have been studying hard, with the University of Birmingham, patterns of demand, need, and care in the people we are looking after.  That shows nationally and locally differences in presentation across age bands, gender, and ethnic background.  Of course it shows that poverty and inequality, and the co-morbidities associated with exclusion, like diabetes, are absolutely central to understanding where we need to focus our efforts.

3. Looking after your skin beneath PPE

We recognise that that is a crucial issue for you.  There is more we need to do and we welcome your ideas and innovations.

Monday’s bulletin included a useful guide from the tissue viability to help you protect and treat your skin from damage beneath PPE. The tissue viability team are available to offer advice to any colleague who is concerned about the condition of their skin from wearing the PPE masks.  Get hold of them via tissueviability2@nhs.net or urgently through Lesley McDonagh on 07976 133 426 or Pat Flaherty on 07976 133 427.  The team are already visiting red departments to see if there are any colleagues who are concerned about their skin due to the PPE masks.

A key focus for our PPE Yellow Brigade will be making sure that you have enough stock of ‘PPE skin protection stations’ to care for your skin: Barrier film, adhesive remover and duoderm.  Emergency stock will be available on D18 at City and the PPE collection point in Sandwell main reception (Bryan Knight suite).

4. We are still testing for COVID-19!

If you have symptoms of coronavirus (fever, persistent cough) then you can get a test tomorrow or the next day by calling 0121 507 2664 option 5 to book an appointment.  The test is also available to members of your family (including children) if you are self-isolating at home because of their symptoms.

Our new regional drive- thru test centre opened this week at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital visitor car park which is currently for colleagues from transport companies, social care, the police and fire service, primary care, Care Homes and other key worker organisations.

Staff swabbing still takes place at City Hospital and the Little Lane Car Park in Sandwell.

5. Maintaining good oxygen levels

With the need for oxygen therapy for more patients than would normally need it, we have plans in place to ensure we have sufficient oxygen supplies, that take into account the surge needs. Our usual usage of oxygen at both City Hospital and Sandwell sites is approximately 500 litres per minute (l/m) and now we are using around double that (1000 l/m). We have capacity to increase usage up to 3000 l/m at each site that is well within what would be required at a peak. We have tested different scenarios and have put in arrangements to check our oxygen supply 24/7 on all sites.