Episodes
-
David Carruthers, Medical Director
Toby is away
Sunday was a special day, when we saw the NHS celebrated nationally for providing free healthcare at point of use to our communities for 72 years. As we joined in the celebrations, this year was all about thanking our communities for their support to the NHS during the pandemic. You will have seen on social media photos of our sites (City, Leasowes, Rowley and Sandwell) lit up in blue. I am grateful to those of you who put a light in your windows to say thank you to all those who have stood with us.
With the further easing of lockdown this past weekend and social distancing measures, it is now more important than ever to ensure we do not relax our approach to COVID-19. We have all worked so hard to offer patients the best we can under challenging circumstances. We must continue to maintain our handwashing, mask wearing, good use of PPE and social distancing (in our workplace we will continue to observe the 2m social distancing rule).
As we continue to play our part in finding out more about COVID-19, I’m pleased that our research and development team have announced the launch of the SIREN study. It aims to determine if previous COVID-19 infection in healthcare workers confers future immunity from having the infection again. It will also look at any new infection and therefore will involve both repeat swab and the antibody blood test every two weeks on average (variable from 1 to 4 weekly sampling), for one year. Dr Masood Aga, Consultant and Specialty Lead in Occupational Medicine is leading the study, please consider whether you can help and contact the team for more information.
Tackling COVID-19 means ensuring that we are doing all we can to keep you safe at work. Over the past week you will have received an email from occupational health asking you to complete your risk assessment. Over 2,000 have now done this – thank you. If you haven’t already done so, I would urge you to do so as soon as possible. Your response will help us to assess your level of risk and enable managers to be provided with the actions they are required to take to keep you safe at work. Follow this link to complete the form COVID Risk Assessment Form
Your health and wellbeing remains a significant part of our offer as we fight COVID-19. I do encourage you to take advantage of the services we have on offer. See Connect for further details and take that first step to look after your wellbeing.
At Public Health & Equality Committee this week we discussed the ‘countdown plan’ to launch the healthy weight element of our staff wellbeing programme. This is due to go live on 14 August, and over the coming weeks you will begin to see a preview of some of the exciting offers we will launch next month. Our wellbeing programme is part of our wider wellbeing strategy which aims to tackle the rising incidence of obesity in our locality. More information will continue to be shared in the communications bulletin, please get involved and share your views.
It was good see the Junior Doctors and Medical Students Common Room, finally open on Tuesday. The new area boasts comfy sofas, a kitchenette, and two rest rooms, which each house a reclining chair and black out blinds. There are lockers and two computers where colleagues are able to continue with any work they need to. This is a fantastic resource for our medical colleagues. Thank you to doctors Alison Eastaugh and Eoin Dore for coming up with the idea and seeing it to fruition.
Congratulations to Dr May Yan who has taken over as Clinical Specialty Lead for Acute Medicine. May’s immediate priority is to help the team ‘restore and recover’ to some normality, to identify useful changes and new ways of working from our COVID-19 experience and how to sustain them, and to also to focus on the team’s training, education and wellbeing. May will play a vital role in integrating our City and Sandwell acute medicine teams in preparation for our move into MMUH...
-
Just over a year ago, the brand new clinical research facility (CRF) celebrated its launch. The CRF which boasts nine clinic rooms and associated facilities is available for research clinics and research related procedures. During May this year, new monitors with webcams were installed to ready the facility for Visionable web-clinics.
Prior to suspension of face to face clinics, the CRF was regularly used to approach and consent discussions and follow up visits for a variety of research projects for patients with a number of health conditions including cardiac problems and metabolic disorders, gastroenterology and haematology. Preparations to transfer in Dr Diana Kavanagh’s Friday respiratory clinic had been underway immediately prior to the shutdown of non-essential face to face clinics at the start of the pandemic. There are also plans to move in some of the haematology outpatients.
“You don’t have to only see patients who are going to be taking part in research to use the clinical research facility,” said Gina Dutton, Head of Research and Development. “Clinics that are suitable to take place in the CRF are those where a high proportion of patients are suitable to take part in research. So we would expect you to have a study open or ready to open and a plan for pipeline of studies to use the facility for a full clinic. “The CRF has been an excellent investment and has meant that we have the facilities available to enable Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust to be chosen to deliver staff research.
“We are keen for new investigators to come forward and make grant applications to expand both within Trust research and to have a wider influence.”
The CRF is an ideal location to undertake research where a new treatment modality or intervention which can be delivered in an outpatient setting can be tested. There is a research laboratory with facilities to process blood and other samples for refrigeration and freezing for storage and dispatch to analysis labs. The CRF is also used for research project site initiation visits and monitoring visits, where sponsors visit the Trust to check source data for licencing studies. Face to face external visitor meetings are temporarily suspended and so our new web equipment has proved invaluable in making sure that these important activities can continue.
Colleagues are encouraged to contact R&D early in your discussions about new SWB originated research. The team can show you the facilities available as well as provide advice on grant applications and ethics and approvals processes. Contact Zaida Khalil on [email protected].
Be sure to check out this short video featuring Gina Dutton, Head of Research and Development talking about our clinical research facility at the Trust.
-
Missing episodes?
-
The local organisations listed below have confirmed to the Trust that they will be operating holiday play clubs on a limited basis for children up to 11 years of age.
Colleagues wishing to access their facilities should make contact with them directly as soon as possible as places are limited.
Note: As part of their risk assessment arrangements parents may be required to provide details of schools/childcare facilities children have attended during the COVID-19 pandemic to enable them to comply with current public health guidance and maintain consistent child groups or bubbles.
The Gap Centre, Hargate Lane, West Bromwich. Tel 0121 525 4442, website: thegaponline.org
Kaidrums Childcare, Yew Tree Estate, Walsall. Tel: 07800 590 548, email: [email protected]
Victoria House Holiday Playscheme, Corbett Street, Smethwick. Tel: 0121 555 6361
Bright Lights Day Care , Great Arthur Street, Smethwick B66 1DH. Email: [email protected]
Kings Camp – Birmingham (Blue Coat School and King Edwards Boys School). Website: kingscamps.org
Further details of other child care facilities including childminders can be found by clicking here.
For more information please call 0121 507 3566.
-
An important note for those at both City and Sandwell Hospitals regarding PPE and scrubs.
As of Monday 13 July the PPE hub at City presently on D18 will be relocating to the reception area outside the Foot Health and Diabetes Outpatients Clinic – on the first floor above Arches Café.
This area is sufficient for PPE but unfortunately cannot facilitate space for scrubs. Scrubs should therefore only be collected from the wards where they are delivered daily. Similarly, scrubs will no longer be available from the PPE area at Sandwell (outside the Bryan Knight Suite). Again, scrubs should be collected from the wards.
-
The Good Clinical Trials Collaborative would like anyone who has actively working on a randomised clinical trial since the beginning of the year to complete a short survey of experiences of conducting research during the COVID-19 pandemic including where you have had to make changes to your practice.
Note: A short introductory video and the survey can be found at the link below.
-
Our Star of the Week Award this week goes to Catherine Morris, Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Catherine has gone above and beyond the call of duty for the past few months. she has managed to juggle her professional role by working within the acute setting and within the community hospital (Leasowes). Catherine always remains approachable, bubbly, caring and professional despite the pressure from the pandemic. Cath has adapted well to the changes made within the team. She has had to put her new job role on pause to ensure that there is enough support for colleagues within both settings and for the patients. Catherine is very thorough in her role, values the points of others and ensures that others are informed at all times. She gets on well with everyone and has supported and guided the therapists within the acute setting and at Leasowes during the pandemic.
Do you know someone in your team that has gone above and beyond the call of duty? Why not put them forward for Star of the Week by clicking here.
-
The transfusion practitioners will be doing training for blood collection on Wednesday 15 July at Sandwell Education Centre (Room 5). The team currently have nine appointments available.
Note: Training is by appointment only.
To book please email [email protected] or call ext 2494.
-
As we prepare to go live with the upgrade of Unity on Wednesday 26 August we are upgrading single document capture on Monday 13 July at 7.30pm.
We have deliberately chosen a time to do this change where the single document capture function is not in great use in order to minimise impact.
Unity will remain operational however there will be no ability to scan documents directly in to Unity and archived reports will be unavailable.
Should you have any queries please contact the 24 hour IT helpdesk on ext. 4050 or 0121 507 4050 for home workers.
-
Caring midwives at Serenity birthing unit have proved that it takes more than a pandemic to stop a birthday celebration. Marking 10 years of babies born on the same day as the International Day of the Midwife – 5 May – the unit was pleased to welcome baby number 12,274.
Taking to Instagram to share their big day, the team explained to their followers that although they had a much bigger party planned – before the pandemic – nevertheless they still wanted to mark the day with the age old tradition of tea and cake, to the sound of a newborn baby’s cry. Wellwishers were quick to add their messages of support on social media with one user congratulating the midwives social distancing party photo.
Sarah explained: “Originally we had planned a garden party celebration to mark our birthday but had to change our plans. We wanted to invite families who had used Serenity over the last 10 years, along with staff who have moved on and retired. However, we are hoping to reschedule later in the year or next year depending on when restrictions are eased, and it is safe to do so.
The 10th anniversary was a time to look forward to the future, and in so doing, to remember the past. In looking back to the very beginning and the first baby born in the unit, Lead Midwife Sarah Figg recalled baby Sakinah Mariam Yusuf, who was born to proud parents Donna Corbin and Abdur Yusuf. They were so impressed with their surroundings and the care they received they named their precious girl Sakinah (which is Arabic for Serenity) after the unit.
Speaking at that time, Donna said: “My first impressions of the unit were wow! It is such a special unit and I had a fantastic birth. The midwives allowed me to listen to what my body was telling me and the midwives on the unit have been incredibly supportive. Dad Abdur added: “I think the beautiful environment and positive attitude of the midwives here really makes a difference, which has led to Donna and myself having a very special birthing experience. As a dad, I have been made to feel very welcome and it is great to see a birthing centre like this that has been designed with dads also in mind.”
Serenity has been nominated for a number of prestigious awards including the RCM award for promoting Normal Birth in January 2013, Team of the Year via the British Journal of Midwifery in 2013 and, the BJM Innovation in Practice Award. The unit is also a beacon site for midwifery units.
Speaking of the team, Sarah told us: “Of the original staff from our launch in 2010, myself, Mani Bahia, Amanda Brown, Maike Lehmann-Sander, Helen Powell, Sue Wainwright, Jas Kaur, Anna Kipps, Amie McGovern and Anita Taylor are still here and loving the job we do. We have been joined by many more brilliant midwives and maternity support workers, some of whom went on to complete their midwifery training, in the last 10 years.
“Some of our midwives have given birth to their babies here as well (Jo, Gemma and Anja) and Lynne’s grandchildren were born here. Mandy has attended the births of over 1000 babies and our much loved Helen Giles retired this April after being a team leader for eight years.”
-
Supporting further education and advancement is a prominent part of our culture. So when Monica Quinlan completed her Masters in Advanced Clinical Practice at Birmingham City University (BCU), it took her on both a personal and professional journey that has changed her life. Heartbeat caught up with Monica who shared her heartfelt story with us.
“I completed my Masters in February 2020. It was a three-year part-time course funded by the Trust. Being able to join this course meant so much to me. I required the academic side to support and underpin my advancing role, and I was determined to complete the course. It involved combining practical work placements and classroom sessions.”
“I was due to complete my course in October 2019; however I took four months off from studying as I lost my husband, who also worked at the Trust, in December 2018. He took his own life and, as you can imagine, my world fell apart.
“My older son was at university at the time, and my younger son was completing his GCSEs – both were distraught. My eldest son did his best to support us through what was the most traumatic time of our lives.”
Looking towards a brighter future, Monica explained how her studies helped her to find the focus she needed to start rebuilding her life. “I found strength in focusing on my academic work; it gave me the distraction I needed to overcome some of my weakest moments. My studies helped me discover the strength, focus and determination to move forward during this painful time, and I am thankful to the Trust for that.”
Monica is also grateful to everyone that supported her over the last few months. She told us how the kindness and compassion of those around her made such a positive difference. “The Trust, my department, my late husband’s colleagues, BCU, my family and friends have all been a huge support to me. The wellbeing department has been on hand to help me navigate the different stages of my grief – their support has helped me to start looking ahead to the future.”
She added: “So many people cheered me on to help me achieve my goal of completing my course. I’d like to say a special thanks to all of those people and in particular the library staff. Nicola Ager and her team have been a huge help over the past three years. Having a resource like a library within our organisation is invaluable.”
-
After months of hard work, the Junior Doctors and Medical Students Common Room, finally opened yesterday (Wednesday 8 July).
The new area, formerly the physiotherapy gym at City Hospital, boasts comfy sofas, a kitchenette, and two rest rooms, which each house a reclining chair and black out blinds.
There are lockers and two computers where colleagues are able to continue with any work they need to.
Raffaela Goodby, Director of People and Organisation Development, attended the opening, alongside the Wellbeing and Medical Education Team who have worked together with Rita Brown from Estates to bring this project to life. The medical students from University of Birmingham and Aston University will be sharing the space with our junior doctors. This is a huge step forward in supporting the wellbeing of both groups and developing the relationships and transition from medical student to junior doctor trainee.
Watch the video below to see what the facility looks like.
-
An ambition within our Trust’s public health plan, primary care plan, and featuring in both integrated care partnership (ICP) plans, is to tackle the rising incidence of obesity. We are implementing a strategy to support improved wellbeing among:
Our own workforce
Our patients
Our communities, with a focus on children
We have begun an 8 week countdown plan to launch the healthy weight element of our wellbeing programme with colleagues on 14 August.
We would like to ask you some short questions on the menu of options we will launch which will support our:
1. Mental wellbeing
2. Physical health (activity and exercise)
3. Nutrition (food and drink)
You can complete the survey by clicking the link below.
Note: All of your answers will remain anonymous and will be treated in the strictest of confidence.
-
This is our weekly bulletin and will be issued every Wednesday. Please use this bulletin and cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide your actions. We are determined to reduce avoidable harm and death in the people we are taking care of. Kindness remains the guiding principle of all the actions in our work to tackle the virus – kindness in how we look after patients, visitors, and one another.
Numbers not statistics: Today’s totals (Wednesday 1 July’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 people who have had antibody tests including partner agency staff
Number of our staff absent due to ill-health or isolation today
1332
(1329)
926
(913)
385
(384)
156
(155)
22
(32)
11108
(9344)
478
(518)
1. Don’t forget to complete your COVID-19 assessment
Our Trust is providing COVID-19 risk assessments for all of our colleagues to help categorise the level of risk to each individual person and enable managers to be provided with the actions they are required to take to keep colleagues safe at work. We launched the risk assessments a few weeks ago and colleagues to date have been able to contact occupational health to have their assessment completed.
Unless you have already had this assessment with occupational health please complete the form here: COVID Risk Assessment Form
Completed risk assessments should be sent to [email protected].
Thank you to the many colleagues (over 2000 of you) who have already completed and sent back their risk assessment form. Anyone who has responded so far should get a response letter from occupational health this week.
All the data is collated and aggregated within occupational health. As an organisation we are required to report nationally on the following:
Number of staff risk-assessed and percentage of whole workforce.
Number of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff risk assessments completed, and percentage of total risk assessments completed and of whole workforce.
Percentage of staff risk-assessed by staff group.
Additional mitigation over and above the individual risk assessments in settings where infection rates are highest.
For more information please call 0121 507 3306.
2. Red vs Blue: New ED streaming criteria
Changes to the red/hot and blue/cold ED streaming criteria, as agreed by the ED, acute medicine, respiratory and microbiology teams rolled out yesterday.
Patients presenting with following conditions should be streamed to the RED stream:
1. An influenza like illness or fever >37.8, with one of the following respiratory symptoms, which must be acute in onset: a new persistent cough (with or without sputum), hoarseness, nasal discharge or congestion, shortness of breath, sore throat, wheezing or sneezing.
2. A new loss of sense of smell or taste (anosmia) either in isolation or combination with any of the other symptoms.
3. A new onset of persistent cough.
4. A new and unexplained shortness of breath.
5. A recent COVID-19 positive test (within last 28 days) with any new systemic or unexplained symptom.
6. History of exposure to a COVID-19 positive patient within the last 14 days and symptomatic with any of the above symptoms (contacted by NHS Test and Trace).
7. Any patient in cardiac arrest, needing AGP ( Airway management/support in low GCS patients or conscious sedation), needing chest procedures (seldinger/surgical drain) should be streamed to the RED
The following patients can be streamed to the BLUE stream :
1. Patients known to have COPD/asthma or cardiac failure presenting with sym...
-
Following the recent upgrade to Pulse, we now need colleagues to ensure they allow the installation to take place on their machines.
If you have not yet done so, please click on the ‘Upgrade’ button when you are presented with the ‘Software upgrade for Sandwell Pulse VPN’ window.
This is an official pop up,safe to accept and will ensure that your service is up to date with the latest software.
The upgrade should only take a few minutes to complete but will mean you momentarily lose connection to the network.
If you have any further queries then please contact the IT Service Desk on ext. 4050.
-
Each Friday, Chief Executive, Toby Lewis writes a message to all colleagues, which is published on the front page of Connect. He discusses important topics or events that have occurred during the week.
David Carruthers, Medical Director wrote the blog as Toby is away. He spoke about the Trust’s recent AGM meeting via WebEx which saw our non-executive directors, executive team and chairman talk about the last 12 months and the future of the Trust going forward.
He also covered:
NHS 72nd Birthday celebration – check out our thank you video by clicking here
Star of the Week, Eoin Dore
Upcoming 2020 Star Awards
The latest Trust annual report which you can check out by clicking here
You can read the full message by clicking here.
You can read previous messages by clicking here.
-
This is our weekly bulletin and will be issued every Wednesday. Please use this bulletin and cascade arrangements within care and corporate groups to guide your actions. We are determined to reduce avoidable harm and death in the people we are taking care of. Kindness remains the guiding principle of all the actions in our work to tackle the virus – kindness in how we look after patients, visitors, and one another.
Numbers not statistics: Today’s totals (Wednesday 24 June’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 people who have had antibody tests including partner agency staff
Number of our staff absent due to ill-health or isolation today
1329
(1326)
913
(906)
384
(383)
155
(150)
32
(37)
9344
(7341)
518
(531)
1. Swabbing patients – Do you know when and how often you should be swabbing?
It is vital that inpatients are not only placed in the right care environment (Red, Lilac , Blue ward) but also that swabbing is carried out appropriately and effectively in each environment.
Remember:
1. Every patient MUST be swabbed on admission.
2. Patients on Lilac wards MUST be swabbed every 3 days.
3. Patients on Blue wards MUST be swabbed every 5 days.
Alongside swabbing at the right time, it’s critical that swabbing is carried out using the right swabbing kit and collected in the right manner.
White\Green\Yellow swab kits should be used for all inpatient swabs and for retesting in blue and lilac areas. Black swabs are only for urgent testing in pre-agreed areas.
Guidance on how to collect samples is available in the linked document.
COVID-19 Patient Swabbing Guidance
Where swabs are taken, colleagues must ensure that they are hand delivered to the pathology departments as soon as possible so that they can be tested and reported without delay. Samples must not be left on wards for extended periods of time as this significantly delays the time taken to report results and ultimately puts patients and colleagues at risk.
Triple bagging swab samples for safety
Remember when you are bagging your swab sample, you must ensure the red topped bottle is first put in a clear specimen bag, this should then be placed in a clear zip lock bag and finally packaged in a blue specimen bag alongside any paperwork.
2. Face masks and ID badges – it’s for your safety and that of your colleagues’
As with last week, we remind ALL colleagues that when entering the buildings where clinical services are being provided you must ensure you use hand sanitiser and put on a fresh Fluid-resistant surgical mask (FRSM). You are also required upon entry to show security colleagues your ID badge. This is so we can keep you, colleagues, patients and approved visitors safe and help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Additional stations with PPE are now in place at entrances. You must not take more masks than you need or take any home for use outside work. We are monitoring stock levels closely and checking what is being taken using CCTV.
Our security team are on hand at all main entrances to our clinical buildings to remind you. Please ensure that you give these valued colleagues the respect they deserve when they are implementing this approach. Any occasions of disrespect or discourtesy will be not be tolerated. Incidents will be reported and investigated in line with our Trust policies.
For more information about face masks see our FAQs here.
3. Colleague risk assessments
Many of you have completed a risk assessment with the Occupational Health department that takes into account your individual risk of COVID-19,...
-
The mental health and wellbeing of colleagues is important and we want to ensure that everyone is able to get help when they need it.
As a result colleagues have exclusive access to the Thrive: Mental Wellbeing app, which is there for the prevention, screening and management of anxiety, depression and stress.
The app tackles common stressors such as sleep, bereavements, work issues and more. It also signposts to external support services – with users able to seek immediate help directly from the app.
To find out more about how Thrive can help you, and how to access it, click here.
You can also access the full range of health and wellbeing support on Connect.
-
TeamTalk took place on Wednesday 24 June where colleagues were briefed digitally due to social distancing measures on national and regional updates.
If you were not able to make one of the sessions you can download a copy of the briefing presentation.
TeamTalk Briefing – June 2020
-
Do you know an individual or team who has exhibited best practice in providing safe care, who has openly raised awareness of safety issues, championed transparency or introduced new ways of working to a service or treatment that has improved patient safety?
Nominate them for the Patient Safety Award in this year’s upcoming Star Awards!
Ways to nominate:
You can complete a paper nomination form which you can download by clicking here.
You can send in a video nomination for free to [email protected] via www.wetransfer.com Choose go to free. When doing the recording remember to state clearly who you are and the name of the person/team you are nominating.
You can complete the online form by clicking here.
Be sure to check out this video featuring last year’s winner Sarah Oley.
If you have any questions regarding the Star Awards, please contact the communications team on 0121 507 5303 or email [email protected].
For more information, please visit our dedicated Star Awards page on Connect.
-
We offer free will writing services for all colleagues including junior doctors courtesy of Dunham McCarthy Estate Planning and Will Specialists.
For more information please see Will Writing – NHS Offers
To find out more about employee benefits at the Trust please contact [email protected].
- Show more
