Heartbeat July 2019
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<strong>July</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />
Sandwell and West Birmingham<br />
NHS Trust<br />
The pulse of community health, Leasowes, Rowley Regis, City and Sandwell Hospitals Issue 118<br />
Full support for Trust's<br />
smoking ban page 3<br />
Colleagues were out in full force on the first day of our smoking ban - spreading the smokefree message and sign<br />
posting patients, visitors and fellow colleagues to the vast support available to those wanting to quit the habit. And<br />
bottom left, E-cig Wizard shops are now open at our Sandwell and City sites.<br />
Hospital at night –<br />
New simulation<br />
The road to Unity -<br />
Coloured dots help<br />
what's it<br />
training centre<br />
a six week guide<br />
to welcome new<br />
all about?<br />
opens at City Hospital<br />
starters<br />
page 11<br />
page 12<br />
Centre spread<br />
page 21
FROM THE CHAIR<br />
Contact us<br />
Communications Team<br />
Ext 5303<br />
swbh.comms@nhs.net<br />
HELLO<br />
Welcome to our <strong>July</strong> issue of<br />
<strong>Heartbeat</strong>. We are now a smokefree<br />
site. Read about how the ban has<br />
attracted international attention on<br />
page 3.<br />
As we all get set for Unity, the centre<br />
spread gives you a week by week guide<br />
on what you need to do to ensure you<br />
are ready for our electronic patient<br />
record.<br />
Also, see page 21 for a simple initiative<br />
to help welcome new starters using<br />
coloured dots.<br />
Communications Department<br />
Ground Floor, Trinity House<br />
Sandwell Hospital<br />
Published by<br />
Communications Team<br />
Sandwell and West Birmingham<br />
Hospitals NHS Trust<br />
Designed by<br />
Medical Illustration,<br />
Graphics Team<br />
Sandwell and West Birmingham<br />
Hospitals NHS Trust<br />
We are determined to keep our sites<br />
smokefree<br />
This month has demonstrated great team<br />
work at our Trust as we became smokefree<br />
across our sites. I have been delighted to<br />
see the concerted effort from so many<br />
colleagues in ensuring that our ban is, to<br />
date, a real success. This has involved our<br />
ward teams, clinicians talking to patients<br />
in pre-op, pharmacy, occupational health,<br />
partner organisations, the security team<br />
and service leaders who have all taken part<br />
in smokefree patrols.<br />
My particular thanks to our staff at Rowley<br />
Regis who went above and beyond to<br />
get their site ready. There is a renewed<br />
effort to make sure that the site is never<br />
forgotten, and new arrangements for<br />
security at the hospital are under urgent<br />
review.<br />
As you all know, smoking kills which is why we<br />
are so determined to keep our sites free from<br />
the toxins produced by cigarette smoke.<br />
Over 70 people have taken part in smoking<br />
warden patrols (including myself!) and many<br />
are keen to continue, building it into their<br />
working week/day. What most people have fed<br />
back is how enjoyable these walkabouts have<br />
been in providing an opportunity to really see<br />
what is going on across our sites, a chance to<br />
bump into colleagues as well as talk to patients<br />
and relatives. The more people who take part<br />
in a patrol as well as all of us continuing to<br />
challenge any sign of smoking, will see us<br />
sustain our success. The anxiety that many had<br />
about challenging smokers has largely been<br />
reduced as all but a handful of people smoking<br />
have been quick to apologise, stub it out or<br />
move off site.<br />
Part of our success has no doubt been the fact<br />
that we are offering alternatives, with free<br />
NRT and access to clinics during work time<br />
for colleagues, provision of vaping shops that<br />
are there to help people cut down and quit<br />
smoking, and NRT supplied on our wards for<br />
inpatients. Lots of you have told me that the<br />
date of 5th <strong>July</strong> gave them something to work<br />
towards to stop smoking and I am so pleased<br />
to hear of the money saved and health benefits<br />
that are already being realised. Many Trusts<br />
have been in touch to see how we can help<br />
them on their smokefree journey so I’m sure<br />
your hard work will be replicated elsewhere<br />
– hopefully by the next NHS birthday every<br />
healthcare facility will be smokefree.<br />
The day before our smokefree launch we held<br />
our Trust Board meeting at the Nishkam Centre<br />
on Soho Road. It was great to return to that<br />
facility and inspiring yet again to see how the<br />
Nishkam is integrating and supporting the<br />
community around it including providing an<br />
‘outstanding’ rated school, a pharmacy, health<br />
centre and many other support services. They<br />
are truly an example to us all of integrated<br />
care in action. Board colleagues were also<br />
delighted to hear from our children’s services<br />
to better understand the vital role that our<br />
health visiting, school nursing, complex care<br />
and paediatric teams provide to support<br />
children and their families – and how these<br />
teams were determined to work seamlessly for<br />
our younger patients with partners and each<br />
other. Our ambitious public health plans rely<br />
on wrap around care for the youngest in our<br />
communities and it is heartening to hear about<br />
the difference those teams are making, day in,<br />
day out and their drive for achieving the best<br />
health outcomes from their services.<br />
Richard Samuda – Trust Chairman<br />
Submit an idea<br />
If you’d like to submit an idea<br />
for an article, contact the<br />
communications team<br />
Ext 5303<br />
swbh.comms@nhs.net<br />
Stay updated<br />
We send out a Communications<br />
Bulletin via email every day and you<br />
can now read <strong>Heartbeat</strong> articles<br />
throughout the month on Connect.<br />
Don't forget you can follow us on:<br />
Celebrating Eid alongside our colleagues in the Muslim Liaison Group
Smokers supported to quit as<br />
ban comes into force<br />
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
Shanice Abbott from Everyone Health delivers Stop Smoking services at our sites and in the<br />
community<br />
Our site-wide smoking ban began on<br />
5 <strong>July</strong> – the 71st birthday of the NHS<br />
- which saw “smokefree champions”<br />
wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the<br />
words: “Smoking Kills, Kill Smoking”<br />
patrolling the sites, asking people to<br />
stub out their cigarettes.<br />
Anyone ignoring the ban and lighting<br />
up on site receives a £50 fine. Smoking<br />
enforcement officers have been on site from<br />
5 <strong>July</strong>. Cameras to support the policy are<br />
also in place.<br />
Many have commended the organisation<br />
for its bold move to bring in vaping shops at<br />
Sandwell and City Hospital.<br />
Ecigwizard shops are now open and offer<br />
a 30 per cent discount to colleagues. It is<br />
being offered as an alternative to smoking.<br />
David Carruthers, Medical Director,<br />
explained: “We know that vaping is a route<br />
to cutting down or quitting smoking. There<br />
is evidence that it might be a route into<br />
smoking among young people, a group<br />
whom we would actively discourage from<br />
taking up vaping.<br />
“Vaping poses only a small fraction of the<br />
risks of smoking and switching completely<br />
from smoking to vaping conveys substantial<br />
health benefits, with the aim of stopping<br />
both smoking and vaping in the longterm.”<br />
Joe Lucas, Head of Retail for Ecigwizard<br />
said: “We’re incredibly happy to announce<br />
the opening of our two shops at Sandwell<br />
and City Hospital, supporting the Trust’s<br />
smokefree status. We are keen to offer<br />
vaping as an alternative to smoking, as a<br />
means to help people cut down or quit.<br />
“The Trust chose to partner with Ecigwizard<br />
because of our attention to detail on<br />
quality and safety, from testing eliquids in a<br />
purpose built laboratory and state of the art<br />
cleanroom.”<br />
Meanwhile the benefits of a smokefree<br />
Trust are already evident.<br />
In the paediatrics outpatient area at<br />
Sandwell Hospital, they are now able to<br />
open the windows. Previously smokers<br />
would stand near to the windows and<br />
puff away.<br />
Fikirini Ramadhani, Paediatric Trainee<br />
Advanced Nurse Practitioner, said: “It’s<br />
so much better now that we are able<br />
to open the windows. Previously they<br />
had to be kept closed to stop the smell<br />
of smoke coming into the waiting area.<br />
There are also two consultation rooms,<br />
and doctors had to keep the windows<br />
closed for the very same reason. Now<br />
our young patients are able to breathe in<br />
fresh air.”<br />
Chelsea Cook was visiting the area with<br />
her brother who is a patient. She said:<br />
“I think it is a lot better if the windows<br />
are open especially during the hotter<br />
weather.<br />
“The fact that they were not able to do<br />
this because of people smoking outside<br />
is really shocking.<br />
“It’s not fair that children visiting a<br />
hospital have to suffer because of other<br />
people’s bad habits. I think banning<br />
smoking on site is a really great thing to<br />
do.”<br />
Our smokefree campaign has received<br />
worldwide coverage – after the Trust<br />
was featured in American and Spanish<br />
media.<br />
The move was reported in the New York<br />
Times and the Florida Post as well as<br />
national media in the UK and created<br />
huge debate across social media.<br />
As a route to quit smoking or cut down,<br />
our vaping shops provide one option. Stop<br />
smoking services and other NRT is also<br />
available<br />
3
Distinctive quality is our 2020<br />
vision too<br />
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
Each <strong>Heartbeat</strong> we will be<br />
highlighting some of our 2020<br />
quality plan measures. These are<br />
areas of care outcome and patient<br />
experience where we have set an<br />
ambition to be among the very best<br />
in the NHS. The quality plan includes,<br />
of course, our No1 priority, which is<br />
sepsis.<br />
Unplanned readmissions to<br />
hospital<br />
Over many years, the organisation has<br />
tried to tackle the issue of unplanned<br />
re-admissions within 30 days of<br />
discharge. The reason we want to<br />
make a difference to this is that such<br />
unplanned re-admissions often offer a<br />
poor care experience. Sometimes, care<br />
pathways or treatments are restarted, or<br />
knowledge is lost between admissions.<br />
But other times someone spends many<br />
hours in an environment like A&E,<br />
waiting to return to the specialist ward<br />
that their care requires, where perhaps<br />
the staff know the patient already.<br />
Unplanned re-admissions can also be a<br />
signal that something has gone wrong<br />
in our care planning – either because<br />
something has not been organised<br />
outside hospital, or because something<br />
was organised but has fallen through. So<br />
unplanned re-admissions are not always<br />
good for patients and they can indicate<br />
that our plans to become outstanding at<br />
care co-ordination have gone awry.<br />
Over 8,500 times last year someone was<br />
re-admitted to one of our hospitals. Our<br />
aim is to reduce that figure to 7,500 or<br />
less. That improvement would make us<br />
one of the better Trusts and care systems<br />
in the NHS, whereas now our results are<br />
average.<br />
Lots of different projects are taking place<br />
to help. The issues will be different in<br />
general surgery than in elderly care. One<br />
of our biggest changes is to use our<br />
adult community teams in Sandwell to<br />
contact all discharged patients within<br />
two days of going home. That call – our<br />
Bridge project – looks at how someone’s<br />
care was in hospital, whether they have<br />
any unmet needs now they have been<br />
discharged, and what help our teams,<br />
or voluntary sector partners, could offer.<br />
Over 500 patients have been through<br />
the project since it started in June, and<br />
The Trust runs the breast screening service locally<br />
over 100 potential re-admissions have been<br />
avoided. At the same time our Canadian<br />
LACE tool that looks at risks of re-admission<br />
is being re-animated within our teams.<br />
Although the re-admissions work is<br />
everyone’s business our efforts are being<br />
coordinated by Melanie Roberts and<br />
the leadership team in the primary care,<br />
community and therapies group.<br />
Screening services<br />
The Trust runs the breast and bowel<br />
screening service locally, as well as other<br />
vital teams like new born hearing screening.<br />
As part of our work to tackle cancer<br />
mortality, we are looking to improve early<br />
detection, diagnosis and treatment of<br />
cancer. Part of that aim is working closely<br />
with GPs on good referral practice. The<br />
Trust’s breast cancer protocols for primary<br />
care have now been adopted across the<br />
Black Country. But we are working to tackle<br />
take up rates from screening services too.<br />
The project plan is being finalised over the<br />
next couple of months, but it includes in<br />
particular:<br />
• Expanding our breast screening pilot<br />
project to work alongside GPs to text<br />
reminders and other prompts to<br />
patients to improve their attendance at<br />
screening services<br />
• Working with faith and community<br />
groups to target literature,<br />
encouragement, peer advocacy and<br />
service delivery in a more sensitive way<br />
to meet specific community needs<br />
• Providing more video clips and other<br />
material in multiple languages to tackle<br />
issues of literacy and of understanding<br />
to improve take up rates and explain<br />
why people should attend each round<br />
of screening.<br />
We are aiming to lead the Midlands with<br />
a breast screening rate above 70 per cent,<br />
and once we have stabilised staffing within<br />
our bowel screening service to improve<br />
take up rates there too. As we roll out our<br />
Making Every Contact Count programme<br />
within Unity we will also look to use each<br />
health interaction to promote take up<br />
of screening services, a model which has<br />
worked well in women’s health.<br />
Our monthly Cancer Board is<br />
responsible for keeping track of<br />
progress so contact Liam Kennedy, our<br />
Deputy Chief Operating Officer if you<br />
want to know more.<br />
4
Award win for supporting young<br />
people into work<br />
It’s the annual awards ceremony<br />
that celebrates the best apprentices<br />
and their employers working across<br />
the Greater Birmingham area,<br />
acknowledging those up-and-coming<br />
talents working in fields as diverse<br />
as manufacturing, creative industries,<br />
finance, digital industries and the public<br />
sector.<br />
At this year’s Ladder for Birmingham<br />
Apprenticeship Awards, we scooped<br />
one of the main prizes - Birmingham<br />
Apprenticeship Training Provider of the Year.<br />
“It was a fantastic honour to hear our<br />
organisation announced as the winner<br />
of such a prestigious award,” said Libby<br />
Marshall, Apprenticeship Co-ordinator.<br />
“Feedback from the judges was that<br />
the award was in recognition of how<br />
far we had come since setting up as a<br />
provider in 2017. It was absolutely great<br />
news especially after receiving a positive<br />
report following an OSFTED inspection in<br />
December last year.”<br />
We currently have 140 apprentices<br />
working across a range of departments.<br />
Our 'Live and Work' project, in partnership<br />
with St Basil's homeless charity, provides<br />
accommodation and jobs through the<br />
apprenticeship route and has so far<br />
supported around 25 homeless young<br />
The learning and development team were<br />
delighted to receive the Birmingham<br />
Apprenticeship Training provider of the year<br />
award<br />
adults to change their lives through increased<br />
confidence, skills and employment with the<br />
Trust.<br />
Libby added: “We have been able to support<br />
the Level 4 teaching award for our team<br />
which has enabled us to ensure improved<br />
practice and a better apprentice experience.<br />
Our aim is to have a culture of inclusivity<br />
and we are pleased to have been asked<br />
to participate in the 'Five Cities Diversity<br />
Programme' – a new government project<br />
aimed at increasing apprenticeships within<br />
underrepresented groups.”<br />
The awards night saw us as runner up in two<br />
other categories: Large Employer of the Year<br />
and Outstanding Apprentice of The Year –<br />
Appreciating every member of<br />
the team<br />
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
Public & Charitable Sector for Amanda<br />
Healy.<br />
“We were delighted for Amanda to be<br />
recognised in this way,” said Libby. “In<br />
2016, Amanda was a domestic assistant<br />
with a dream of becoming a midwife.<br />
Her personal determination saw her<br />
overcome a number of barriers and gain<br />
support to work additional hours as a<br />
health care assistant apprentice.<br />
“She did this while still doing her ward<br />
services role and it was the first time<br />
a domestic had done this. As a result<br />
of Amanda scoring the highest grade<br />
available in her 2018 PDR, she has<br />
been selected to join the nursing career<br />
escalator programme to look at future<br />
training and development opportunities<br />
and plans to study for a midwifery<br />
degree apprenticeship at university.<br />
“Amanda’s story shows that<br />
apprenticeships are for everyone. I would<br />
encourage colleagues to get in touch to<br />
discuss the options available.”<br />
To find out more contact Libby<br />
Marshall on ext 3196 or email:<br />
swbh.apprenticeship@nhs.net<br />
After having a particularly busy shift<br />
where she had not even had time to<br />
take a break, Sister Sophia Panton was<br />
touched by a patient who commented<br />
that all of the staff worked so hard but<br />
didn’t receive the appreciation that<br />
they deserved. Sparked by the patient’s<br />
kind words and recognising that we<br />
should start to appreciate each other,<br />
Sophia decided to take on the task of<br />
organising what has now become the<br />
AMU Appreciation Ball.<br />
Sophia invites colleagues from the AMU<br />
and other multi-disciplinary teams to<br />
an evening where colleagues can come<br />
together and celebrate. The night is an<br />
awards ceremony, voted for by staff in<br />
various categories with awards such as<br />
AMU nurse of the year, AMU consultant<br />
of the year, with AMU registrar of the year,<br />
acute nurse practitioner of the year, unsung<br />
hero, patient’s choice, and rising star.<br />
Sophia Panton (second from right) and<br />
colleagues enjoy the ball<br />
The big award of the evening is the AMU<br />
Appreciation Award which is essentially<br />
the people’s choice award. Everyone in the<br />
department votes for one person that they<br />
think has gone above and beyond in their<br />
role, is approachable and possesses qualities<br />
that make them easy to work with. Ward<br />
Nurse, Claire Obiakor took home the big<br />
prize this year.<br />
Sophia is extremely dedicated to making<br />
sure the evening is an enjoyable one,<br />
organising everything from venue and<br />
ticket sales to seating plans and posters.<br />
She has even designed an electronic<br />
voting system to allow staff to vote for<br />
their colleagues.<br />
Recognising people’s hard work and<br />
making them feel appreciated is crucial<br />
and Sophia understands the importance<br />
of this. ‘We spend most of our days with<br />
our colleagues, it’s important to show<br />
love and appreciation to each other,”<br />
she said.<br />
145 colleagues attended this year and<br />
Sophia is excited about making the event<br />
even bigger and better next year. “I am<br />
thinking about how I can make it a little<br />
bit different next year, maybe I can get in<br />
a local artist to make an appearance.”<br />
5
Stepping Up to develop senior leaders<br />
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
This month we played host to<br />
the graduation of over 100 BME<br />
colleagues from across the region<br />
from the NHS Leadership Academy<br />
Stepping Up programme.<br />
The programme which is aimed at bands<br />
5, 6 and 7 colleagues who self-define<br />
as being from black, asian or minorityethnic<br />
backgrounds aims to develop<br />
senior leaders in the NHS who will lead<br />
effectively, creating and embedding<br />
organisational inclusive cultures whilst<br />
also looking to create a deeper level<br />
of understanding to help change take<br />
place. The programme was funded<br />
by the Local Workforce Action Board<br />
(LWAB) as part of building leadership<br />
capability in the Black Country.<br />
Donna Mighty, Assistant Primary Care<br />
Liaison Manager was part of the first<br />
The <strong>2019</strong> graduating cohort of the NHS Leadership Academy Stepping Up programme<br />
cohort of colleagues to take part in the<br />
Stepping Up programme and subsequently<br />
went on to help organise the graduation.<br />
She said: “The Stepping Up programme<br />
was empowering and enlightening and I’m<br />
immensely proud to have been part of it.”<br />
Director of People and Organisation<br />
Development, Raffaela Goodby said: “As<br />
an organisation we are proud to be part<br />
of this programme and we welcome any<br />
opportunity that helps to build greater<br />
levels of inclusion within our workplace. My<br />
congratulations to everyone who graduated<br />
and to those joining the two cohorts we<br />
have planned for later this year.”<br />
If you would like to join the next cohort<br />
of the Stepping Up programme, contact<br />
Estelle Hickman for more information<br />
on estelle.hickman@nhs.net.<br />
Signing skills to help communication<br />
with patients<br />
A group of 12 colleagues from across<br />
the Trust, both clinical and nonclinical,<br />
have recently completed<br />
their level one course in British<br />
Sign Language. They finished their<br />
third and final exam in June and are<br />
expecting to receive their results<br />
shortly.<br />
The group, who work in a range of areas<br />
including A&E, women and children,<br />
and complaints, met every Wednesday<br />
from January onwards as they gradually<br />
developed their understanding and<br />
signing skills. Their instructor conducted<br />
the class completely in sign.<br />
The course is organised through the<br />
Trust’s equality and diversity team and<br />
delivered by an external provider called<br />
Signature. It’s been an enjoyable process,<br />
with the group helping each other along<br />
and becoming good friends.<br />
Charlie Duhig, a midwife at the Serenity<br />
Birthing Suite, was excited to take part:<br />
“I wanted to do the course as I felt it<br />
would benefit my practice to be able to<br />
communicate better with those who are<br />
deaf or hard of hearing. I felt it would<br />
The British Sign Language course motivated<br />
colleagues to make a difference<br />
make them feel more relaxed and hopefully<br />
have a better birth experience,” she said.<br />
“It can be very alienating to be in a hospital<br />
setting for anyone. But when you add this to<br />
an already heightened emotional time such as<br />
labour, and you are struggling to make sense<br />
of what is going on around you, I felt this skill<br />
would be particularly beneficial.”<br />
Natalie Trepsenishti, a charitable funds and<br />
cash office administrator at City Hospital,<br />
was also motivated to make a difference for<br />
patients. She enjoyed the experience too.<br />
“Deaf people are cut off from the usual<br />
forms of communication such as hearing<br />
your name being called at the doctor’s<br />
or exchanging a few kind words with a<br />
stranger. This means that deaf people<br />
can feel isolated and find it hard to get<br />
information or even help in an emergency,”<br />
said Natalie.<br />
“I wanted to be able to help by learning the<br />
basics of sign language, even just to say a<br />
friendly ‘How are you today?’ or ‘Can I help<br />
you?’ That feeling of making someone feel<br />
included is amazing.<br />
“BSL is a beautiful visual language. We<br />
had so much fun every week learning and<br />
practising the signs. Our tutor, Karl, was<br />
superb and I am grateful for his support and<br />
encouragement to do well.”<br />
Having learned a lot over the last six<br />
months, it’s something they would<br />
recommend to others. Most are keen to<br />
continue onto the level two course, which<br />
will be self-funded. A second cohort has<br />
also recently started up.<br />
For further information about the BLS<br />
course contact Estelle Hickman on<br />
estelle.hickman@nhs.net<br />
6
Parents’ meningitis experience prompts<br />
better sharing of information<br />
Each month a patient or relative is<br />
invited to share their story of our care<br />
at our public Trust board meetings.<br />
In <strong>July</strong>, the Board meeting was held<br />
at The Nishkam Centre on Soho<br />
Road, where Board members were<br />
introduced to Simon Carswell, a local<br />
dad, whose six week old daughter<br />
Aubree became seriously ill and was<br />
treated at Sandwell Hospital.<br />
Simon explained how his daughter<br />
Aubree had become very unwell<br />
overnight and, to get help, he and his<br />
partner Kirstie called NHS 111 who<br />
were able to arrange an emergency<br />
appointment at Sandwell Hospital.<br />
Aubree was assessed and moved swiftly<br />
to the paediatric ward at Sandwell for<br />
further investigations. On arrival they<br />
were taken to a bay and several doctors<br />
and nurses attended within seconds.<br />
“At that point it turned into carnage<br />
from my perspective,” said Simon. “Fear<br />
attacked me and Kirstie. We didn’t know<br />
what was going on. I was brought over<br />
to try and calm Aubree down. Kirstie<br />
had a doctor with her who was trying to<br />
update her and I was trying to comfort<br />
Aubree. I heard words like ‘sepsis’ and<br />
we were being asked lots of questions.<br />
We were really scared.<br />
“Things settled after five to ten minutes<br />
– it felt like a lifetime. She was given<br />
antibiotics and put on a monitor. We<br />
were taken to Lyndon 1 to our own<br />
cubicle and things settled a bit. I have<br />
L-R Paula Gardner, Chief Nurse, with Aubree’s<br />
dad Simon Carswell and Cheryl Newton, Group<br />
Director of Nursing – Women’s & Child Health<br />
never experienced anything like that before.<br />
I don’t think I ever worried about anything<br />
until that point.<br />
“The feedback I can provide is not relating<br />
to the care she received - the care was<br />
spot on - but instead it was about how<br />
the information was shared with us. She<br />
had lots of tests and we would be told for<br />
instance that there would be a result in<br />
24 hours. Once 24 hours had passed we<br />
weren’t always informed of the result and<br />
we were left in limbo. Every second that<br />
passed 24 hours we became more and<br />
more concerned.<br />
“There was confusion about where some of<br />
the tests went and when the results would<br />
be back. We always had to ask people<br />
what the test results were and what was<br />
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
going on. We stayed every night and<br />
were up almost all of the time waiting<br />
for some form of indication as to what<br />
was going on. Aubree improved and<br />
was discharged and we subsequently<br />
found out that she had viral meningitis.<br />
I can’t fault the time and attention the<br />
staff gave us but it was frightening not<br />
knowing what was going on.”<br />
Paula Gardner, Chief Nurse, thanked<br />
Simon for sharing his story, “I agree<br />
that healthcare professionals need<br />
to be pro-active and communicate<br />
continually to parents and carers. We<br />
need to take particular care with people<br />
whose first language isn’t English. The<br />
quality listening time that we have in<br />
place in some wards is a really helpful<br />
opportunity for relatives to meet with<br />
the clinicians and find out about the care<br />
plan for their loved one.”<br />
Toby Lewis, Chief Executive, asked Simon<br />
whether it would have been helpful to<br />
have fixed points during the day where<br />
you could find out information. Simon<br />
felt that it would have been useful,<br />
saying: “The information would come<br />
90% of the time when the doctors<br />
did their rounds so we gave up asking<br />
questions we just waited for those<br />
moments. It would have been good to<br />
have other opportunities.”<br />
Did you know that you can download<br />
treatment-specific patient information<br />
leaflets from the EIDO Healthcare<br />
website for FREE?<br />
EIDO has hundreds of patient leaflets for different procedures<br />
that are being carried out across the Trust.<br />
They are available in an easy-to-read format and<br />
in different languages.<br />
Visit Connect Clinical Systems EIDO PT Leaflets.<br />
For more information, please contact the Communications Team<br />
on ext. 5303 or email: swbh.comms@nhs.net<br />
7
Course skills up security to support<br />
people with mental health issues<br />
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
Lance Bryan, Security Officer at City<br />
Hospital is well aware of the high<br />
number of incidences that he and<br />
his colleagues are called to which<br />
involve a person with a mental<br />
health issue.<br />
He thought that the team would benefit<br />
from some in depth training in order to<br />
help them deal with what can be a very<br />
challenging aspect of the role.<br />
Taking the opportunity to try to better<br />
equip himself and his colleagues, he<br />
managed to secure funding for the<br />
team to undertake an intensive Level 3<br />
Principles in Mental Health course.<br />
“The courses that we had been on<br />
previously only scratched the surface,<br />
such as one day seminars. I wanted<br />
something that meant we could dig a<br />
little deeper,” Lance said.<br />
The course covered a range of topics<br />
including coping mechanisms, root<br />
L - R: Lance Bryan, Security Officer with<br />
Santokh Sagoo, Security Manager<br />
causes and how to deal with people who may<br />
be suffering with mental illness.<br />
Lance added: “The nature of our job means<br />
that we can be called into A&E where a<br />
patient may be in the middle of a mental<br />
health crisis. And the course has helped a lot<br />
in dealing with that.”<br />
The team is already very skilled in approaching<br />
challenging situations but the course<br />
has allowed them to build on existing<br />
experience.<br />
Santokh Sagoo, Security Manager, also<br />
attended the course, he said: “When you<br />
get a deeper knowledge of a subject, when<br />
you understand what a person is going<br />
through and the reasons behind it, you gain<br />
empathy for people. That leads to treating<br />
people with more humanity.”<br />
Getting physical with a service user is a<br />
last resort and it is traumatic for everyone<br />
involved, including for members of the<br />
security team. Training is a way of equipping<br />
the team to de-escalate a situation before it<br />
gets to that point.<br />
“Any course that you do is holistic, it’s not<br />
just that you learn but it gives other skills.<br />
We gained academic skills, because it was<br />
at the level of an A- Level, this upskills us in<br />
all aspects of our work. I think it’s important<br />
to highlight the benefits of ongoing training<br />
for staff groups at our level as it increases<br />
aspirations and drives engagement and<br />
ownership because staff feel more valued as<br />
people,” Santokh commented.<br />
Surveillance Camera Day dispels<br />
myths of CCTV<br />
Colleagues had the opportunity to<br />
see behind closed doors, as well<br />
as get a taste of life in the control<br />
room when they were given the<br />
opportunity to join the security team<br />
for the day to celebrate Surveillance<br />
Camera Day.<br />
Surveillance Camera Day is a national<br />
awareness event which aims to<br />
encourage a conversation about the<br />
use of surveillance cameras in modern<br />
society. The awareness day forms part<br />
of the civil engagement strand of the<br />
National Surveillance Camera Strategy<br />
and is a world first.<br />
Colleagues from across the Trust<br />
took the open invite and flocked in<br />
throughout the day hoping to learn<br />
more about the security team and to<br />
see what happens in the control room<br />
amongst the array of CCTV screens.<br />
Mark Stankovich, Directorate General<br />
Manager – Portering and Security<br />
said: “The majority of people have an<br />
Our security team at the City Hospital control<br />
room<br />
apprehensive view towards CCTV so the aim<br />
of Surveillance Camera Day was to show<br />
everyone what really goes on as well as dispel<br />
some of the myths that surround CCTV and<br />
its uses.”<br />
CCTV on our City site covers over 135<br />
areas and helps us to keep everyone on our<br />
premises safe. The system allows us to react<br />
almost instantly should anything out of the<br />
ordinary occur which means we’re better<br />
able to look after patients, visitors and<br />
colleagues.<br />
Mark Lee, Security Officer played a vital<br />
role in the initiative and hopes that inviting<br />
colleagues into the security control room<br />
will help reduce the stigma attached to<br />
surveillance technology.<br />
He said: “With the average person captured<br />
on CCTV at least 70 times a day, it’s great<br />
to be able to show colleagues what we<br />
in security use our CCTV system for and<br />
crucially the benefits of it to them as well as<br />
others.<br />
“It was great to hear conversation about<br />
CCTV and more specifically the increased<br />
use of facial recognition advancements<br />
amongst colleagues at our awareness event<br />
but most importantly, it’s nice to know that<br />
everybody who came along went away<br />
feeling more positive about the security<br />
team and surveillance across our hospital<br />
sites.”<br />
8
Never give up! Dinah gets ready to<br />
run an ultra-marathon<br />
YOUR TRUST CHARITY<br />
@SWBHCharity To donate<br />
to the Your Trust Charity text<br />
“SWBH16 £5” to 70070<br />
Dinah McLannahan, Acting Director<br />
of Finance, has enjoyed sport for<br />
most of her life, having caught the<br />
physical activity bug whilst still at<br />
school and continuing to stay active<br />
ever since. Now she is taking on her<br />
biggest sporting challenge to date,<br />
after agreeing to undertake an ultramarathon.<br />
Dinah is no stranger to keeping fit, and has<br />
been a longstanding Board member of the<br />
Sandwell Leisure Trust typically going to the<br />
gym five times a week, where she attends a<br />
variety of high intensity exercise classes with<br />
Dinah McLannahan is raising money for Your<br />
Trust Charity<br />
a mix of Les Mills, body combat, body pump,<br />
with sprint being her favourite.<br />
So when Your Trust Charity challenged people<br />
to take part in an ultra-marathon to raise<br />
money for the charity, Dinah thought it was the<br />
perfect opportunity to a push herself further<br />
than ever before as well as help a good cause.<br />
“It’s a massive challenge. People do 10km<br />
and 5km but I wanted to do something really<br />
special,” she said.<br />
The Ultra London, an urban ultra-marathon<br />
event, is a multi-distance event which<br />
will be held on an innovative course that<br />
aims to showcase some of London’s finest<br />
viewpoints.<br />
“Realistically, I’ll be going for 7 or 8 hours<br />
so I just want to finish it. I think it’s going<br />
to be ace being able to see all of the<br />
landmarks on the route, and London has a<br />
great buzz,” she said.<br />
Dinah has already completed a few half<br />
marathons, but is well aware of the<br />
magnitude of taking on an ultra-marathon<br />
(55km): “I’m trying to get my head around<br />
the distance, and I know that I’ve got work<br />
to do but I think it will be an amazing<br />
experience.”<br />
The determination that is required to train<br />
for and complete this event is something<br />
that Dinah feels can also be carried over<br />
into everyday life.<br />
“In this job resilience is important, as it is in<br />
many roles in the NHS. It’s never easy and<br />
you have to keep pushing through. You<br />
have to keep going and there is a definite<br />
parallel there. Never give up.”<br />
Youngsters’ choral tunes entertain<br />
on Newton 4<br />
Stroke patients were left singing the<br />
praises of youngsters when they were<br />
entertained by a local school choir.<br />
The pupils from Ryders Green Primary School,<br />
in West Bromwich, visited patients on Newton<br />
4 ward at Sandwell Hospital.<br />
The choir sang an array of songs for patients<br />
and their visitors including school classics such<br />
as Any Dream Will Do and We Like Joyful<br />
Music.<br />
They were invited to the hospital by Your<br />
Trust Charity, as one of the many projects<br />
it organises to enhance the experience of<br />
colleagues, patients and their families.<br />
Fundraising Manager, Amanda Winwood,<br />
organised the visit. She said: “It was fantastic<br />
to see our patients on Newton 4 enjoying<br />
the Ryders Green Choir with many of them<br />
tapping their feet and even singing along.<br />
Children from Ryders Green School perform<br />
for the patients on Newton 4<br />
“The rehabilitation ward can sometimes have<br />
many patients who aren’t in the best of spirits<br />
so to be able to lift their moods, even if it’s just<br />
for an afternoon, is truly a special thing.”<br />
Natalie Heath, Senior Sister for Newton 4,<br />
added: “I was delighted when we were asked<br />
if we would like a visit from the choir. Newton<br />
4 is a stroke and neurological rehabilitation<br />
unit, so our patients can be in hospital for<br />
quite a few weeks, due to their disabilities<br />
both physically and cognitively that may<br />
have developed through their condition.<br />
“While the children were performing, I<br />
witnessed a patient who was not very<br />
responsive previously, express emotions. She<br />
began talking when she heard the children<br />
singing, which was very touching to<br />
observe. I know all of Newton 4's patients<br />
and staff were very grateful to have been a<br />
part of this experience. The children were<br />
extremely pleasant, polite and seemed very<br />
happy with their performance.”<br />
If you would like more information<br />
or would like to fundraise for ‘Your<br />
Trust Charity’, please contact amanda.<br />
winwood@nhs.net or call 0121 507<br />
4847.<br />
9
Pioneer teams kick start<br />
engagement drive<br />
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
Nine teams have embarked on a<br />
six month journey to improvement<br />
engagement within their teams.<br />
The teams are part of the weconnect<br />
Pioneer programme which launched in<br />
June this year.<br />
Speaking to <strong>Heartbeat</strong>, Ruth Wilkin,<br />
Director of Communications said: “The<br />
weconnect Pioneer programme is a<br />
tried and tested approach already used<br />
in several NHS organisations. Our aim<br />
is to improve how happy, motivated<br />
and involved people are within their<br />
workplace and this programme helps us<br />
to do just that.<br />
“The pioneer teams are receiving help<br />
and support from their HR business<br />
partner, a specially trained Connector<br />
and an executive director sponsor.<br />
“It is a real opportunity for the teams to<br />
listen, learn and make improvements to<br />
their working lives.”<br />
To kick off the programme all the teams<br />
were asked to take part in a survey to<br />
assess how they feel about working in<br />
their team or service. Team leads are<br />
now in the process of feeding back<br />
the findings and have started to work<br />
together with colleagues to put in place<br />
Colleagues are taking part in a six month<br />
programme to improve engagement<br />
action plans. A second survey will follow at<br />
the end of the programme to see whether<br />
the activities they have set up have made a<br />
difference to how people feel about their job<br />
and team.<br />
Theatres are one of the teams taking part<br />
in the programme. <strong>Heartbeat</strong> caught up<br />
with Matron, Louisa Adams, she said: “This<br />
programme has come at an ideal time for us<br />
as we work to move away from having three<br />
distinct teams, to having the ethos of one<br />
team that works cross site.<br />
“Colleagues are excited about being part of<br />
the programme and really embraced it at the<br />
recent QIHD when we presented the findings<br />
of the first survey. The programme gives us<br />
a platform to improve engagement and the<br />
activities we will set up should give colleagues<br />
control and influence over how they work and<br />
continue to provide a high quality service to<br />
our patients.<br />
“There is plenty of opportunity to raise<br />
concerns and share ideas to provide<br />
high quality care. Our aim is to be a gold<br />
standard, national centre of excellence. The<br />
weconnect Pioneer programme will help<br />
and support us on that journey.”<br />
Also taking part is the estates team.<br />
Speaking of behalf the team, Head of<br />
Estates, Steve Lawley told <strong>Heartbeat</strong>: “The<br />
estates and new hospital directorate is<br />
looking forward to being involved in the<br />
pioneer team cohort to develop closer<br />
internal team relationships and improve the<br />
integration of estates, car parking, catering,<br />
waste and the new hospital project team.<br />
“An additional driver is to standardise and<br />
improve our processes to enhance the<br />
quality of our service for our customers and<br />
to create time in the working day/week for<br />
our staff to reflect, train, share and increase<br />
knowledge.”<br />
The teams in the first cohort of the<br />
pioneer programme are:<br />
Theatres, breast team, City ED,<br />
estates, health visiting, pharmacy<br />
operational management team, sexual<br />
health services, medicine therapy and<br />
rapid response therapy services and<br />
informatics service support team.<br />
Fun in the sun to mark<br />
40 years of Day Nursery<br />
Forty years ago Sandwell Day Nursery<br />
opened its doors to its first pupils and<br />
this month, it had the opportunity<br />
to invite back families from past and<br />
present to celebrate its momentous<br />
anniversary.<br />
On a sun soaked Saturday afternoon,<br />
children from past and present dressed<br />
as their favourite Disney character and<br />
celebrated with nursery staff at a day<br />
hosted at the nursery.<br />
The fun filled day saw young and old<br />
reminiscing about their time at the day<br />
nursery as they enjoyed the party. The event<br />
which included a tombola, raffle, Disney<br />
makeover and café was a delight for both<br />
young and old.<br />
The nursery which caters for children from<br />
the age of 3 months up to 5 years first<br />
opened in 1979 and over the years has<br />
nurtured the development of over 3,000<br />
children.<br />
<strong>Heartbeat</strong> caught up with Nursery Manager,<br />
Emma Collier to find out more, she said:<br />
“It’s been an amazing opportunity to see<br />
some of the children we’ve supported over<br />
the years and to learn more about their<br />
memories of their time at the nursery.<br />
We’ve been here on the same site for 40<br />
years now and our family of nursery pupils<br />
has grown significantly.”<br />
Sharing their experience of the nursery,<br />
Anthea and Teagan Forsythe summed up<br />
their experience in four short words. “The<br />
best nursery ever!”<br />
Former pupils Libby (16) and Charlotte<br />
Ogleby (18) returned to their former<br />
nursery to celebrate its 40th anniversary<br />
6 yr old Sienna Whyte dressed as a Disney<br />
princess to mark the momentous occasion.<br />
10
Our hospital at night is all about<br />
patient care<br />
As darkness falls and the sound of<br />
sirens fade, there are still some of our<br />
colleagues whose work continues. That<br />
is especially so for the out-of-hours<br />
team working across Sandwell and City<br />
Hospitals.<br />
Running the “hospital at night” service is<br />
Matron Rebecca Bloore, who served as a<br />
clinical nurse practitioner (CNP) for nine<br />
years with the team, before landing her<br />
current role as matron for the service.<br />
There are 16 CNPs and they can deal with<br />
anything from deteriorating patients to<br />
major incidents, a recent example of this is<br />
when the IT system failed. Becky, as she is<br />
known, says: “It’s a varied job and you are<br />
faced with many different scenarios on a<br />
day-to-day basis. We’ve been through a lot<br />
of changes and we are now relaunching the<br />
service.”<br />
The service is the first line of contact for the<br />
wards during out-of-hours. Becky explains:<br />
“Unwell patients are referred to us via the<br />
hospital at night system from clinical teams<br />
working during the day. This is discussed at<br />
a 9pm meeting which is held every night.<br />
During weekends and Bank Holidays, this<br />
meeting takes place at 9am in the ED<br />
seminar room and is chaired by the CNP.<br />
“The emergency medicine response team<br />
(EMRT) also attend these meetings where<br />
they flag up their roles for that evening.<br />
They will discuss any patients that may<br />
have required the EMRT during the day.<br />
We go on to discuss the patients referred<br />
to the hospital at night service and their<br />
care pathway for that night. We cover all<br />
specialities, although patients from the<br />
medical wards are predominantly cared for<br />
by the CNP out-of-hours team.”<br />
Becky explains further: “At Sandwell, the<br />
medical wards would be OPAU, the fourth<br />
and fifth floor wards, whilst at City, this<br />
would be D5, 7, 11, 15 16, and 26. On<br />
average we could be looking after around<br />
one to seven patients per hospital site. Plus<br />
any other patient referred to us during our<br />
shifts.<br />
“These are patients who maybe<br />
haemodynamically unstable or have other<br />
clinical concerns. We are there to make sure<br />
they are stable or their condition doesn’t<br />
deteriorate. Our role is to ensure they are<br />
seen by the right person, at the right time<br />
and given the right treatment.”<br />
The role of the CNP doesn’t stop there.<br />
“While we are on the wards we look to<br />
encourage and support the teams. This<br />
is achieved through discussing patient<br />
conditions and working through treatment<br />
plans or assisting nurses with competency<br />
sign off for skills such as cannulation,”<br />
adds Becky. “It’s about the learning and<br />
development offered out-of-hours.”<br />
Shift patterns vary from a 5.30pm to 6am (a<br />
twilight shift) or the traditional night shift,<br />
which, for the team, starts at 6.45pm and<br />
runs until 7.15pm. During weekends they<br />
will also work 6.45am to 7.15pm.<br />
There are two members of the team per<br />
site – one takes the clinical role, whilst the<br />
other takes on the role of site manager. At<br />
Sandwell they are based in the Bryan Knight<br />
Suite, whilst at City, they are at D18.<br />
The site management role sees Becky<br />
or one of her team members take over<br />
from colleagues within the capacity team<br />
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
at 7.15pm, where during a 10 to 15<br />
minute meeting, a handover occurs.<br />
“It is about looking after the entire site,”<br />
says Becky. “We deal with capacity and<br />
flow, troubleshoot and offer solutions to<br />
any issues that arise. We are also there<br />
to support our colleagues in ED and<br />
beyond.<br />
“At the end of the day, it is about<br />
patient safety and making sure they<br />
receive the right treatment.<br />
“We are there to also deal with a<br />
multitude of tasks such as complaints<br />
and staffing issues too. The CNP team<br />
are responsible for the safety of the site<br />
and at times it can mean having to move<br />
colleagues between wards or cross-site if<br />
there is a shortage.”<br />
With the relaunch also comes a new<br />
look. The team will soon be wearing<br />
new and more distinctive uniforms.<br />
“Previously we used to wear scrubs<br />
which I think was received well,” says<br />
Becky. “Now we are in tunics and so<br />
sometimes colleagues will not realise<br />
that we are in a clinical role. We are in<br />
a position to move forward and we are<br />
very positive that the new uniforms will<br />
make us stand out.<br />
“It’s an exciting time for the clinical<br />
nurse practitioner out-of-hours team.<br />
We strive for high quality care for our<br />
service users and we want to make sure<br />
that our colleagues are aware of the<br />
service we provide.”<br />
The hospital at night team are ready to treat patients at both City and Sandwell Hospitals<br />
11
welearn poster competition:<br />
Improvements through innovation<br />
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
Last year we launched the annual<br />
poster competition, laying the<br />
foundations of welearn a Trust-wide<br />
development programme designed to<br />
encourage colleagues to share their<br />
quality improvements and ideas, and<br />
we were overwhelmed with over 65<br />
entries.<br />
This year, the competition has returned<br />
and colleagues are being encouraged to<br />
submit their ideas in the form of posters<br />
to be in with an opportunity to win up to<br />
£5,000 for your department.<br />
Last year, simple ideas from introducing<br />
pet therapy on wards to support patients<br />
to relax and recuperate to reviewing<br />
clinical guidance promoting fluid intake<br />
and improving perioperative recovery,<br />
were amongst some of the highest<br />
scoring ideas.<br />
Leading on the welearn programme is<br />
Kam Dhami, Director of Governance,<br />
she said: “We know our colleagues are<br />
always working hard to innovate their<br />
services and improve the experience<br />
Creating a safe, risk free<br />
environment for learning<br />
The brand new Simulation Training<br />
Centre (STC) opened earlier this year at<br />
City Hospital main spine and the team<br />
are eager to highlight what is available at<br />
this unique and exciting facility.<br />
The old simulation centre was a dated<br />
room which became an unworkable space,<br />
particularly uncomfortable to work in during<br />
the summer months with rising temperatures<br />
and various maintenance issues. After the<br />
hospital estates team looked at ways of<br />
improving the area, it was decided that the<br />
best and most cost effective option was to<br />
refurbish a completely new space.<br />
Funding was secured with agreement from<br />
the Trust Board and a fantastic new centre<br />
was created. What makes the STC unique<br />
is that it is very interchangeable as a clinical<br />
space, it can be made to look like many<br />
different ward based areas. The space can be<br />
made into a ward, a theatre, a resuscitation<br />
area, and even a GP surgery.<br />
The STC also includes a space purely for<br />
communication skills, something which very<br />
few simulation centres around the country are<br />
Clinical Lead Podiatrist, Thomas Calderbank<br />
presents ‘Rate my Day’<br />
of patients, what we are hoping to do<br />
with welearn is to spread those quality<br />
improvements that we know exist in pockets<br />
of our organisation across the Trust. The<br />
poster competition provides an opportunity<br />
for colleagues to take their ideas and present<br />
them to a distinguished panel, prove that<br />
they work and ultimately win the backing<br />
of peers, not only for the prize on offer but<br />
also for the opportunity of spreading your<br />
innovation and potentially improving the<br />
experience of patients across the Trust.”<br />
One of the projects which was well received<br />
across the organisation was ‘Rate my<br />
Day’, submitted by Clinical Lead Podiatrist,<br />
Thomas Calderbank. Rate my day focussed<br />
on developing a process to capture the<br />
opinions of colleagues as to how they felt<br />
able to offer. This provides the opportunity<br />
to use actors or “plants” to simulate difficult<br />
conversations, such as breaking bad news, in<br />
a controlled and safe environment.<br />
The scope for the use of simulations is wide<br />
ranging, from training to re-enacting clinical<br />
incidents, testing protocols and guidelines,<br />
whatever is required for the learning of the<br />
team.<br />
Joe Weston-Price started at the Trust last year<br />
in his role as simulation fellow, a year-long<br />
employment as a doctor who is involved in<br />
simulation education for all members of staff.<br />
He said: “I am able to meet up with<br />
colleagues who feel that simulation is<br />
something that could benefit them. We can<br />
then discuss their ideas and concerns to see<br />
how we can work together to put that into<br />
a simulation. The process is very collaborative<br />
with the simulation (sim) team deciding<br />
with staff what learning they are hoping to<br />
gain and a plan being built around how the<br />
training is going to be delivered.”<br />
The team are keen to highlight that the<br />
their working day had progressed and to<br />
identify issues which could potentially lead<br />
to poor patient experience. Explaining the<br />
principles behind ‘Rate my day’, Thomas<br />
said: “Whilst as managers we feel we are<br />
reasonably good at identifying some of the<br />
bigger issues that affect patient experience,<br />
we found that minor issues were often going<br />
unnoticed. Rate my day gives us the ability<br />
to poll our staff on a daily basis and visualise<br />
trending issues affecting staff morale, service<br />
delivery and patient experience.”<br />
Following on from the poster competition,<br />
Thomas has gone on to present his idea<br />
to peers at Teamtalk as well as supporting<br />
colleagues to embed the process in to their<br />
services across the Trust.<br />
If you would like to submit your ideas to<br />
this year’s welearn poster competition you<br />
can find templates and further information<br />
on Connect. Entries are encouraged and<br />
welcomed from everyone and don’t be<br />
put off if poster creation and design is<br />
not your thing because help is available<br />
- please contact Preeti Puligari, Library and<br />
Knowledge Services Manager on extension<br />
3112 or email preeti.puligari1@nhs.net.<br />
The closing date for the competition is 11<br />
October.<br />
Max Newbould, Apprentice Simulation<br />
Technician shows us the STC equipment<br />
STC has potential benefits for all members<br />
of staff. Colleagues in non-clinical roles are<br />
encouraged to explore ways of using the<br />
space for their training needs.<br />
For example there is plenty of opportunity<br />
for staff who work in admin to practice<br />
their communication skills if needed. The<br />
security team can test out difficult scenarios<br />
such as dealing with patients with mental<br />
health issues or angry relatives, in a safe<br />
space. Portering teams may want to test<br />
procedures for moving critically ill patients or<br />
new protocols and systems in a comfortable<br />
environment.<br />
Everyone is welcome to use the space.<br />
Those interested should email Max<br />
Newbould at max.newbould@nhs.net<br />
12
Portering and critical care teams<br />
prepare for<br />
Unity will be a brand new way of<br />
working for teams throughout the Trust<br />
so it’s vital that everyone is prepared<br />
for when it goes live in September.<br />
Although they’re all working to the<br />
same schedule, different areas are<br />
getting ready in different ways to<br />
reflect their needs.<br />
The portering team have an important<br />
role to play in tying everything together,<br />
ensuring patients and equipment are in<br />
the right place at the right time. Their<br />
manager, Zaheer Iqbal, is relatively new to<br />
the organisation but has recognised the<br />
importance of Unity and making major<br />
strides with it over the next couple of<br />
months.<br />
“I’ve had to learn how the porters are<br />
currently doing their duties and how the<br />
work is distributed. I’ve also had to learn<br />
how we as a team will be moving forward<br />
with Unity. This has been challenging at<br />
times but we can see real progress being<br />
made,” said Zaheer.<br />
“We have faced many challenges with<br />
individuals lacking IT experience and not<br />
having the necessary equipment to be able<br />
to log on to ESR to check training, or log<br />
on to the Trust network to complete their<br />
individual training requirements. Therefore<br />
we have set up a separate PC for the<br />
porters to be able to access their personal<br />
ESR in readiness for Unity.”<br />
Requests for support from the portering<br />
team are currently made through traditional<br />
bleep systems, fax machines, two-way<br />
radios and mobile phones. But once Unity<br />
goes live, this will be done exclusively<br />
through the new system. To familiarise<br />
Matrons Amber Markham and Dean<br />
Farrington show off their Unity corner<br />
everyone with it, training and regular<br />
practise has been a big priority.<br />
There have been some important<br />
developments recently, with training<br />
sessions booked for the whole team,<br />
including digital champions and super<br />
users,” explained Zaheer.<br />
“We have also arranged additional dress<br />
rehearsals so the portering team can<br />
run through some test scenarios. These<br />
sessions will help us to gain valuable<br />
experience, iron out any foreseeable issues<br />
and become more familiar with the system.<br />
As a result we now feel more comfortable<br />
with the progress being made by the<br />
team.”<br />
The same is true of the critical care team,<br />
who also have dress rehearsals scheduled<br />
for the end of <strong>July</strong> at both City and<br />
Sandwell. As another key area where Unity<br />
needs to succeed, their preparations have<br />
been particularly thorough. Matrons Amber<br />
Markham and Dean Farrington have been<br />
leading the way.<br />
“As matrons we’ve created a Unity corner<br />
on each unit,” said Dean, the Unity lead for<br />
critical care. “I think, on the whole, since<br />
we started the 28-Day Challenge, we’ve<br />
noticed the momentum across the two<br />
units really start to pick up.<br />
“The motivation is there and now we’re<br />
starting to get the workstations on wheels.<br />
When we’ve got some quieter times we’re<br />
getting nurses involved in looking at the<br />
workstations and trying to replicate their<br />
everyday practice in Unity.”<br />
“You’ve got to keep Unity in people’s minds<br />
so we make a real focal point of it every<br />
morning,” said Amber. “We’ve always got<br />
an update at handover around training,<br />
super users, and the Unity – it’s all about U<br />
checklists. This is organisational change and<br />
it’s about making sure that we’re creating<br />
the momentum and that we’re getting a<br />
snowball effect.”<br />
“Since the 28-Day Challenge and the<br />
Favourite Fairs there’s been a realisation that<br />
it is definitely coming this time. We’ve had<br />
a lot of people come forward to be digital<br />
champions and super users, who are going<br />
around and helping people. We’re buddying<br />
them up and giving peer support. We’ve<br />
got a real buzz going around Unity now.”<br />
If you think you have a good example<br />
of Unity readiness to share with other<br />
teams, or would like help setting up<br />
a Unity corner in your area, including<br />
access to relevant resources, please<br />
email swbh.Digital-Champions@nhs.net.<br />
The portering team will play a key role in the implementation of Unity<br />
13
It’s full steam ahead for<br />
preparations in August<br />
August is going to be a busy and exciting<br />
month as our preparations for going live<br />
with Unity ramp up. While work continues<br />
on readying the Trust’s IT infrastructure,<br />
with the device roll-out and Wi-Fi upgrade<br />
ongoing, there are four key areas for<br />
colleagues to focus on:<br />
• Practising and perfecting your<br />
UniTeam competencies<br />
• Completing CapMan training<br />
• Adding Tap-and-Go function to your<br />
ID badge or smartcard<br />
• Attending an Access Fair to check<br />
your login details<br />
UniTeam competencies<br />
Everyone should already have completed<br />
the relevant ‘Unity – it’s all about U’<br />
checklist, a role-based competency<br />
assessment for all colleagues who will use<br />
the new electronic patient record. It was<br />
designed to ensure that colleagues identify<br />
any gaps in their Unity knowledge and<br />
undertake additional learning to become<br />
100 per cent compliant by the end of <strong>July</strong>.<br />
The UniTeam competencies look to build<br />
on this.<br />
Bethan Downing, Deputy Director of People<br />
and OD, told <strong>Heartbeat</strong>: “The UniTeam<br />
competencies are the next step on from<br />
the individual competency assessment,<br />
and involve working together to replicate<br />
your everyday practice in Unity. They will<br />
support clinical teams to progress from an<br />
awareness of Unity to an understanding<br />
of how it will work in reality. It will help<br />
provide confidence to everyone in clinical<br />
settings that their teams are ready for golive”.<br />
“There are 10 core competencies within<br />
UniTeam. Some teams may need all 10,<br />
but most are likely to require a selection<br />
that reflects the work they are required to<br />
do in their areas. Your team lead, in most<br />
cases the ward manager or department<br />
manager, will be able to clarify which ones<br />
are relevant to you. Teams will be asked to<br />
practise at least five times. The number of<br />
practices undertaken in each area will be<br />
captured and entered onto Connect by the<br />
team lead. “<br />
The 10 competencies are:<br />
1. Board round<br />
2. Ward round<br />
3. Handover<br />
4. EMRT<br />
5. Outpatients<br />
6. Deceased patient<br />
7. Safeguarding<br />
8. Business continuity plans<br />
9. Non-theatre area consent<br />
10. Shift-to-shift handover.<br />
Resources, which include instructional<br />
videos, published on the Unity section of<br />
Connect will help your teams to practise<br />
the UniTeam competencies. Please use<br />
them to refresh your knowledge and guide<br />
you through the process. There’s plenty<br />
of other support, including e-learning<br />
modules, standard operating procedures<br />
and quick reference guides, available on<br />
Connect too.<br />
During the last two weeks of August, your<br />
area will be visited by a member of the<br />
Unity support team to provide support<br />
and observe that your team can effectively<br />
carry out the competencies you have been<br />
practising. By the end of August all teams<br />
will have gained confidence in using Unity,<br />
received productive feedback and will be<br />
even more prepared for Unity to go live.<br />
All clinicians who provide outpatient clinics<br />
will work with the outpatient nurses to<br />
ensure they know where to find their clinic<br />
lists, how to order tests and review patients,<br />
and how to cash up the clinic. This will<br />
make go-live run much more smoothly.<br />
If additional learning needs to take place<br />
there are lots of resources to help you.<br />
Don’t forget to talk to your super users and<br />
digital champions and use the Play System<br />
to practise in a safe environment whenever<br />
you get the chance. Safety is our priority in<br />
implementing Unity, so please make sure<br />
that you and your teams are prepared by<br />
practising, identifying gaps and putting<br />
plans in place to support everyone for a<br />
successful go-live.<br />
14
CapMan training<br />
There are still some classroom sessions<br />
available, but to make it even easier to<br />
complete your CapMan training, we<br />
have introduced an e-learning module<br />
too. CapMan is a critical part of Unity<br />
and will be used for lots of key clinical<br />
administration tasks to help patients flow<br />
smoothly around the Trust, so please ensure<br />
you complete your training as soon as<br />
possible, if you haven’t already.<br />
Full details of how to register and enrol<br />
on any of the e-learning modules can be<br />
found on the Unity section of Connect. If<br />
you have any queries, contact the learning<br />
and development team on swbh.landd@<br />
nhs.net.<br />
Tap and Go<br />
Tap and Go is new software to support a<br />
faster login into Unity and single sign-on<br />
into other applications will be rolled out<br />
across the Trust during August.<br />
Devices to support the Tap and Go function<br />
will be deployed during August and<br />
while everyone will have access to the<br />
system, those who will need to use Unity,<br />
particularly in busy areas where multiple<br />
people will be working from a single<br />
device, need to self-enrol onto the tap-andgo<br />
system using their smartcard (v6 and<br />
above).<br />
Devices with a Tap-and-Go function will<br />
prompt you to do this. If you do not have a<br />
smartcard you will be able to use your Trust<br />
ID with the use of a RFID sticker which will<br />
be provided.<br />
During August enrolment fairs and clinics<br />
will be set up to help with enrolment<br />
as well as visits to clinical areas where<br />
required.<br />
Initially the system will provide a faster<br />
login into Unity. Over time it will be further<br />
developed to enable you to sign into other<br />
IT systems. If you have any questions or<br />
queries please email mark.taylor38@nhs.<br />
net or you can contact Mark on x5971.<br />
Access Fairs<br />
Ahead of going live with Unity, it’s essential<br />
that all colleagues who will need to use<br />
the system have access to it. Therefore,<br />
we will be running Access Fairs from 2-15<br />
September.<br />
Everyone who will use Unity as part of their<br />
role will need to book in (during August)<br />
and attend (During September) to ensure<br />
that they can log in to the system. If you<br />
can’t log in then the Unity team will get this<br />
sorted for you. Access Fairs will be running<br />
every day between 2-15 September, from<br />
7am to 8pm at the Coffee Pot at Sandwell,<br />
and D29 at City. You will need to book<br />
onto the sessions and can do so through<br />
Connect<br />
For more information about Access<br />
Fairs, or how you can prepare for going<br />
live with Unity, please visit Connect or<br />
email unity.cutover@nhs.net.<br />
Sandwell and West<br />
Birmingham Hospitals<br />
NHS Trust<br />
15
The road to<br />
a six week guide<br />
Week 5<br />
activities to be completed by all<br />
managers who will use unity<br />
FROM 2<br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
All our sites will be fully live on Unity on Monday 23 September. The<br />
new electronic patient record will be switched on at City Hospital<br />
in the early hours of Saturday 21 September. This will be followed<br />
by the switch on at Sandwell Hospital in the early hours of Sunday<br />
22 September with the rest of our sites coming on board on<br />
Monday 23 September. There is still much to do to get us ready for<br />
this new way of working. The ‘road to Unity’ graphic will help give<br />
you some guidance of what you need to do to ensure a smooth<br />
and safe go-live of Unity.<br />
REMEMBER: Connect has all the information you need to get<br />
your team ready for Unity. You can book training, sign up<br />
for events and find out more about practising your UniTeam<br />
competencies. The daily communication bulletin also has<br />
news and updates. For queries please email the Unity project<br />
team swbh.eprprojectpmo@nhs.net<br />
Week 3<br />
FROM<br />
19<br />
AUGUST<br />
• Check your go-live rota including Bank and<br />
agency plans<br />
• An independent colleague will visit to support<br />
you with your team practise<br />
• Do you have a process in place to look after<br />
your devices? See examples on Connect.<br />
ALL COLLEAGUES WHO WILL USE UNITY<br />
Attend the go-live clinics. Get all the information<br />
you need to know about go-live activities. The<br />
team are waiting to meet you and to answer<br />
your questions.<br />
• Ensure you attend the Access Fairs.<br />
Week 6<br />
activities to be completed by all<br />
managers who will use unity<br />
• Make sure you discuss business continuity plans for<br />
your area<br />
FROM 9<br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
FULLY<br />
LIVE<br />
activities to be completed by all<br />
managers who will use unity<br />
• Arrange for your team to be observed<br />
practising their UniTeam competencies<br />
• Ensure your team complete their CapMan<br />
elearning<br />
• Check your department has a Ready for Unity<br />
pack in place. See Connect for further info.<br />
5<br />
Trust Board will<br />
meet to discuss<br />
our readiness<br />
with a view to<br />
making a<br />
go-live decision<br />
• Make sure you discuss and enrol on Tap and Go<br />
• Re-check your department has a Ready for Unity<br />
pack in place. See Connect for info.<br />
ALL COLLEAGUES WHO WILL USE UNITY<br />
Attend Access Fairs. Make things easy for yourself by<br />
mak ing sure your log in works when you first come on<br />
shift after go-live<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
6<br />
Week 1<br />
FROM 5<br />
AUGUST<br />
activities to be completed by all<br />
managers who will use unity<br />
• Ensure your team members complete their Unity<br />
individual competency checklist<br />
• Ensure you are up to date with individual<br />
competency validation<br />
• Make preparations to undertake UniTeam simulation<br />
• Ensure your team complete their CapMan elearning<br />
Week 2<br />
activities to be completed by all<br />
managers who will use unity<br />
• Keep practising your Uni-Team competencies<br />
• Ensure your team complete their CapMan elearning<br />
FROM<br />
12<br />
AUGUST<br />
Week 4<br />
activities to be completed by all<br />
managers who will use unity<br />
• An independent colleague will visit to support you with your<br />
team practise.Practising your UniTeam competencies should<br />
be complete by the end of this week.<br />
• Do you have a process in place to look after your<br />
devices? See examples on Connect.<br />
ALL COLLEAGUES WHO WILL USE UNITY<br />
Attend the go-live clinics. Get all the information you need<br />
to know about go-live activities. The team are waiting to<br />
meet you and to answer your questions.<br />
FROM<br />
26<br />
AUGUST<br />
What else is going on?<br />
• OUR OPTIMISATION METRICS WILL BE LAUNCHED TO MEASURE INDIVIDUALS'<br />
AND TEAMS' USE OF UNITY AFTER GO-LIVE<br />
• eLearning and Play System is available throughout for self-learning and practise<br />
• New devices will be delivered and set up in your department – by week<br />
beginning 2 September<br />
• WiFi improvements have already happened at Sandwell and Rowley. Works at<br />
City will be complete by week beginning 2 September<br />
• Tap and Go a new software to support a faster login into Unity and single<br />
sign-on into other applications will be rolled out across the Trust during August.<br />
Keep an eye out for enrolment fairs and clinics.<br />
Throughout the six week period before go-live there is plenty of activity to help you get ready<br />
Play System is available > Sign-up for Access Fairs > Complete CapMan training > Attend super user training > Attend digital champion training > Make your Unity corner work for you > Devices will continue to be issued –<br />
managers will be asked to sign that they have received the correct equipment > Managers should compile and print a Ready for Unity pack (includes locally relevant workflows, SOPs, QRGs, and go-live rota)
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
Shout out has been a regular feature<br />
in <strong>Heartbeat</strong> and it is fantastic to see<br />
colleagues regularly taking the time<br />
to give positive feedback to each<br />
other.<br />
We regularly receive positive feedback<br />
from our patients too, and this month<br />
we wanted to share some of those<br />
heart–warming messages which have<br />
been sent via our website and social<br />
media platforms.<br />
To: Rob the volunteer, Dawn, Gwen, Jayne,<br />
Naz, Kira, Lily, Emma, and Sandie on<br />
Lyndon 2<br />
Sorry this is late coming, during my stay on<br />
the ward their smiles, laughter and being<br />
very helpful and kind helped me through<br />
each day, keep it up you are fantastic<br />
people.<br />
From: Jayne Morgan<br />
To: Student Nurses on Lyndon 5<br />
Very grateful to student nurses who were<br />
on Lyndon 5 week commencing 17 June.<br />
They offered great support to the ward<br />
during a very tough week. Thank you all.<br />
From: Alice and Karen<br />
To: D25, Amandeep Kaur and Amanvir<br />
Hayre<br />
For going the extra mile in making an<br />
extremely anxious patient feel comfortable<br />
before surgery, and for putting her at ease.<br />
You really helped in getting her to theatre<br />
and did a superb job. Well done!<br />
From: Rob Parker<br />
To: Jason and The Sapphire Service<br />
Amazing work the team are doing!<br />
Nothing is too much and they are there<br />
for the benefit of the patients no matter<br />
the problem. We as a team are grateful for<br />
your service and I'm sure the patients are<br />
ecstatic! The recent work with a patient in<br />
his home to help him gain a better quality<br />
of life is astounding! thank you so much<br />
for your intervention! Keep up the good<br />
work and the alcohol team will spread<br />
the word of the miracles you perform in<br />
holistic patient care!<br />
From: Amy Hunt<br />
To: Haroon Akhtar<br />
Went the extra mile! Fabulous assistance<br />
with the VPN on our laptops and also<br />
resolved 3 other IT issues! Well done and<br />
thank you, you are a credit to your team.<br />
Also full of smiles - thanks.<br />
From: Jenny Cadwallader-Hunt and Sally<br />
Haycox<br />
To: Stephanie Bament<br />
Steph has helped source essential<br />
equipment at exceptionally short notice<br />
(less than 24hrs) in order to ensure safe<br />
delivery of continuous care on the NNU<br />
during the ground works for the extension<br />
of the neonatal unit. She recognised<br />
the need to expedite the process and<br />
maintain safe service functionality. Steph<br />
also signposted me on process and who<br />
to contact for help completing the task.<br />
Thank you, you made my Wednesday<br />
afternoon and job so much easier!<br />
From: Jennifer Cadwallader-Hunt<br />
To: Band 6s on D5/D7<br />
Huge thanks to the band 6s on D5 and<br />
D7 who have significantly reduced the<br />
number of false PPCI call outs since the<br />
introduction of the alert phone. Well<br />
done you're all doing an amazing job!<br />
From: Michelle Holt<br />
To: Emma Thompson<br />
Ray the son of Violet who sadly passed<br />
away after a 9 days on AMUA, wanted<br />
to share his heart warming thanks to<br />
Dr Emma & the team. He stated all the<br />
staff were welcoming, friendly and<br />
caring but in particular Dr Emma took<br />
extra time to chat daily with them- on a<br />
busy unit. This attention was noted and<br />
made a difference to them as a family.<br />
From: Jody Stubbs<br />
To: Alan Patterson<br />
Alan has been amazing and extremely<br />
professional and accommodating in his<br />
role as painter and decorator for the<br />
Trust whilst completing painting work<br />
on Lyndon One. I would like to say<br />
thank you from myself and the team<br />
on Lyndon 1 for making our ward area<br />
bright and cheerful, and also for going<br />
that extra mile.<br />
From: Joanne Wright<br />
To: Tim Lock<br />
He is always very cheerful and friendly<br />
when transporting staff between two<br />
sites. Service with a smile.<br />
From: Stephanie Coates<br />
To: Angela Mack<br />
For recently supporting a twin mummy,<br />
ensuring she had received all the best<br />
evidence based knowledge regarding<br />
colostrum harvesting and expressing for<br />
her soon to be premature babies. And<br />
discussing the benefits and protective<br />
factors of her milk!<br />
From: Carmen Nuttall<br />
To: Martin Butler<br />
Thank you to Martin, for coming over to<br />
our new department clinic 6A first floor<br />
outpatients and sorting out our air con/air<br />
flow temperature. In recent days we have<br />
been melting (no windows) with the higher<br />
temperatures. Martin came and sorted it<br />
out and we now have much better working<br />
conditions.<br />
From: Jean Whitehouse<br />
To: Barbara Sawyers<br />
Went out of her way to help me and a<br />
patient who I had taken from my ward.<br />
Waited most of the day and evening<br />
waiting to be seen chasing up and<br />
seeing what is happening. And to Janet<br />
from Boaters restaurant (I think that<br />
was her name) for helping as well. You<br />
were both stars.<br />
From: Lee Hunt<br />
18
Recognising years of service to<br />
the NHS<br />
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
Two colleagues who had each<br />
reached the 40 year milestone were<br />
among those being recognised at the<br />
most recent Long Service Awards.<br />
Between them they have managed<br />
to contribute a staggering 80 years<br />
of service to the NHS!<br />
This included Mrs Mavis Grant, Senior<br />
HCA Admitted Care – Medicine &<br />
Emergency Care who started working<br />
for the NHS on 24 <strong>July</strong> 1978. Mavis is<br />
known for her friendly and supportive<br />
manner and the calming effect she<br />
has on both colleagues and patients.<br />
Always pleasant and hardworking she<br />
is someone who has always shown<br />
an inner strength particularly during<br />
challenging times over her long and<br />
fulfilling career.<br />
Also recognised on the day was Ian<br />
Hawthorn from our estates team who<br />
started his career as an apprentice<br />
Mavis Grant accepting her award from<br />
Director of People and OD, Raffaela Goodby<br />
craftsman in 1978. He progressed to<br />
become an electrician in 1981 and rose<br />
through the ranks to estates operational<br />
manager in 2005.<br />
Ian often goes above and beyond in order<br />
to achieve deadlines for capital projects<br />
and maintain a safe patient environment.<br />
This can involve working long hours and<br />
weekends which mostly goes unseen. Over<br />
the past 12 years Ian has been instrumental<br />
in organising the annual Trust Charity bike<br />
ride, raising in the region of £30,000 which<br />
goes towards local charities as well as the<br />
Ian Hawthorn receives his long service award<br />
Trust charitable fund.<br />
Raffaela Goodby, Director of People and OD<br />
said: “Chairman, Richard Samuda leads the<br />
Long Service Awards ceremony for our Trust<br />
twice a year. I was delighted to stand in for<br />
him at our recent event and recognise the<br />
fantastic service of hundreds of colleagues.<br />
We welcome our long serving colleagues<br />
and love to welcome family members to the<br />
ceremony, often celebrating generations of<br />
families giving their lives to this Trust and<br />
our patients.”<br />
Nurse recruitment event makes<br />
'on the day' job offers<br />
Matrons, sisters and ward managers<br />
were out in force on 10 <strong>July</strong> as the Trust<br />
welcomed visitors to the Postgraduate<br />
Education Centre at City Hospital as<br />
part of a nursing open day.<br />
Departments from primary care community<br />
and therapies, to paediatrics and from<br />
theatres to elderly care were in attendance<br />
for the day-long event that welcomed<br />
individuals curious about joining nursing to<br />
find out more about the services that the<br />
Trust’s hard-working nurses provide.<br />
Whether it was nurses from other Trusts,<br />
those looking to get back into nursing,<br />
those student nurses who were looking for<br />
guidance or even those with a non-nursing<br />
background in care, there was plenty of<br />
discussion at the event, which also saw<br />
nineteen planned and ‘ad-hoc’ interview<br />
panels held for Band 5 positions, of which<br />
15 applicants secured conditional offers.<br />
“Recruiting is always important for our<br />
organisation, especially at present with<br />
demand for nursing staff so high across our<br />
Paediatrics were just one of the teams out to<br />
woo interested visitors<br />
local area,” explained Deputy Chief Nurse,<br />
Paul Hooton to <strong>Heartbeat</strong>.<br />
“It’s important for Sandwell and West<br />
Birmingham to hold events like these so<br />
as to show our dedication to caring and<br />
our best advertisement is our nursing staff.<br />
I can’t wait to see our new colleagues<br />
helping patients in Sandwell, City, Rowley<br />
Regis and throughout the Trust.”<br />
These nurses will join those already set to<br />
join the Trust over the course of the next<br />
year from other locations, such as the fifty<br />
plus from Australia that has been reported<br />
in local media earlier this month.<br />
Speaking with the Sandwell Express and<br />
Star, Chief Executive Toby Lewis clarified this<br />
move:<br />
“More than 50 nurses will join us over the<br />
next year from the Antipodes, albeit some<br />
are returning Brits.” Mr Lewis added: “We<br />
are engaged in discussions with a number<br />
of other partners about other recruitment<br />
projects abroad, notwithstanding<br />
intimations that a national approach could<br />
be taken under the recently-published<br />
Interim People Plan from NHS England.”<br />
More recruitment events will be held<br />
throughout the year ahead, should you<br />
be interested in other opportunities at<br />
the Trust, please contact Amir Ali on<br />
extension 6148.<br />
19
Celebrating the Windrush generation<br />
and our contribution to the NHS<br />
CORPORATE AND GENERAL<br />
NEWS<br />
Guests enjoy the Windrush festivities<br />
On the 23 June we held our second<br />
event to acknowledge and celebrate<br />
the contribution made by the Windrush<br />
generation to the NHS.<br />
Last year, with the 70th anniversary of both<br />
the arrival of the Windrush and the birth of<br />
the NHS taking place within weeks of each<br />
other, Donna Mighty, Assistant Primary Care<br />
Liaison Manager & Chair of the BME Staff<br />
Network wanted to mark the occasion with<br />
something special.<br />
“I thought that it was really important as a<br />
Trust that we acknowledge the Windrush<br />
generation. It’s no coincidence that the<br />
(anniversary) dates are so close together.”<br />
A tea party was held which was very well<br />
received and a positive output was that a<br />
number of portraits of Caribbean nurses<br />
were taken which are now displayed around<br />
the Education Centre at Sandwell Hospital.<br />
Hoping to build on last year’s success,<br />
the idea of a garden party was formed. A<br />
variety of partner organisations including<br />
Recognize Black Heritage and Culture,<br />
the University of Birmingham BAME Staff<br />
Network and Ladywood Arts Forum came<br />
together to organise the event securing<br />
Soho House in Handsworth.<br />
“We wanted to bring the garden party into<br />
the heart of the community, which worked<br />
really well with lots of people turning up.”<br />
Donna said. “Many people have never even<br />
heard of the venue, so it was also nice to<br />
raise awareness of Soho House itself”.<br />
On the day there was music, food and<br />
garden games to enjoy. There were also<br />
two black heritage walks from the site<br />
and later on in the evening, a showing<br />
of the film, Fire in Babylon.<br />
A good number of people enjoyed the<br />
party and took part in the walks with<br />
about 250 passing through during the<br />
day.<br />
The food was generously donated by<br />
the Real Junk Food Project Birmingham,<br />
a project which intercepts food that<br />
would otherwise go to waste from<br />
supermarkets, restaurants and other<br />
sources; turning it into healthy, nutritious<br />
meals for all on a “Pay-As-You-Feel”.<br />
They kindly gifted the food for the event.<br />
Donna is really pleased with the way the<br />
celebrations went and is already looking<br />
ahead to 2020. She said: “It worked so<br />
well this year, we are exploring whether<br />
we lock in the venue again next year!”<br />
Our volunteer service are centre<br />
stage at national event<br />
Our volunteer service was at the heart<br />
of a recent national event hosted at City<br />
Hospital by Helpforce, an organisation<br />
committed to creating a better future in<br />
health and care through the power of<br />
volunteering.<br />
Trusts from across England gathered<br />
to participate and share ideas on how<br />
to improve patient experience through<br />
volunteers. Manchester University NHS<br />
Foundation, South West Yorkshire and<br />
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trusts were<br />
some of the many trusts that attended.<br />
Sally Williams, Learning Network Manager at<br />
Helpforce, told us: “The purpose of today’s<br />
event was to bring trusts and volunteer<br />
service managers together to share their<br />
success stories, challenges and to see how<br />
they can help one another.<br />
“We definitely achieved the desired<br />
outcome, with representatives from the<br />
trusts having the opportunity to network with<br />
one another. Everyone engaged in conversation<br />
and activities on how best to improve their<br />
volunteer service. We would like to thank the<br />
volunteer team at SWB for their wonderful<br />
hospitality. They looked after us so well and<br />
made each of us feel so welcome.”<br />
We are one of 12 pilot trusts selected by<br />
Helpforce to recruit volunteers specifically<br />
for the mobility role, which allows patients<br />
to maintain existing levels of mobility and<br />
independence. This is by encouraging them to<br />
walk or engage in safe exercises.<br />
Jonathan Maddison, Volunteer Service Project<br />
Manager was asked what he hoped to gain<br />
from the event. He told us: “I appreciated<br />
the fact that we were meeting managers<br />
from other trusts and educating ourselves on<br />
what they do for their volunteers, along with<br />
how to ensure good practice in volunteer<br />
management. It was a learning curve and<br />
opportunity to connect with those who<br />
are in similar positions to us in terms<br />
of managing volunteers. It was an<br />
informative event.”<br />
Helpforce Roadshow event brings together<br />
trusts from all around England<br />
20
Say hello to me – Identifying<br />
new starters<br />
MEDICINE AND EMERGENCY<br />
CARE<br />
A new initiative in the emergency<br />
department aims to combat new<br />
starters feeling isolated and welcome<br />
them to the team.<br />
After being made aware that a number<br />
of new colleagues were feeling isolated<br />
during the first days and weeks at our<br />
Trust, Annabel Bottrill, ED Matron and her<br />
team decided to come up with a scheme<br />
to help discreetly identify those who may<br />
need some help to feel welcome. The<br />
“Say Hello to Me” initiative was created,<br />
a system of coloured dots which are<br />
added to name badges.<br />
The dots let colleagues know that the<br />
member of staff is new and encourages<br />
them to take extra time to engage and<br />
Catherine Witton, Staff Nurse sports the<br />
green dot showing she has worked in the<br />
department for a year or more<br />
offer support if needed. Each coloured<br />
dot represents a different amount of time;<br />
pink means that they have never worked<br />
in NHS before, maybe because they are<br />
newly qualified or have joined from abroad,<br />
orange means that someone is new to the<br />
department but has previously worked for<br />
the NHS, green signals that they have<br />
worked in the department for a year or<br />
more and finally, light blue shows that the<br />
person is bank, agency or locum staff.<br />
Prior to this system being introduced<br />
new starters were simply introduced<br />
during handovers which meant that<br />
they saw everyone as a large team and<br />
during various shifts. The dots allow easy<br />
identification of any colleagues that are<br />
new, which pulls the team together and<br />
builds a more collaborative team.<br />
Annabel said: “This has helped build the<br />
team and ensures that all new colleagues<br />
are recognised which helps support them.<br />
It has helped the new starters by making<br />
them feel identified and part of a team.<br />
We would like to develop this further<br />
with silicone surrounds for name badges<br />
and potentially roll it out across the whole<br />
Trust.”<br />
Single point of access shows<br />
patients are receiving the right care<br />
Figures have revealed that our single<br />
point of access service (SPA) has seen a<br />
total of 4,528 patients avoiding a trip<br />
to our emergency departments since its<br />
inception.<br />
The initiative was launched in November<br />
and is for patients being treated by their GP<br />
who require emergency care.<br />
GPs can call a special phone line linking<br />
them to a team of nurses who will carry<br />
out a telephone assessment and triage the<br />
unwell person.<br />
As well as thousands of patients bypassing<br />
emergency departments at both Sandwell<br />
and City Hospitals, our data shows a total<br />
of 449 have completely avoided coming<br />
into our hospitals, receiving the right care<br />
through other pathways. The total number<br />
of referrals during the period it has been<br />
operating is now at 5,437.<br />
Janice Barrett, who leads the team of nurses<br />
said: “We have seen a phenomenal number<br />
of referrals to the service and we have been<br />
able to triage the patients so that they<br />
receive the right care in the correct setting.<br />
“This is what we set out to do when the<br />
initiative was launched and we are very<br />
pleased with the data so far. There are<br />
still a number of GPs who are not using<br />
the service and I would appeal to them<br />
to contact SPA when they have a patient<br />
requiring emergency care. It means that<br />
they will be dealt with efficiently.”<br />
Dr Simon Butler, a local GP from<br />
Handsworth Wood Medical Centre said::<br />
"The SWB SPA has been a really useful<br />
Sister Jesiamma John, one of the SPA advisers<br />
service to help manage my patients when I<br />
need a specialist opinion.”<br />
SPA does not replace the two week patient<br />
pathway, urgent pathway referrals or single<br />
point of access initiatives currently operating<br />
for other Birmingham healthcare trusts.<br />
21
Allergy poster scoops first prize at<br />
European conference<br />
A poster presented at an international<br />
conference by allergy experts from our<br />
Trust has scooped first prize.<br />
The allergy health professional team<br />
presented three posters in total at the<br />
European Academy of Allergy and Clinical<br />
Immunology (EAACI), which was held in<br />
Lisbon.<br />
Faye Mathias, Clinical Nurse Specialist,<br />
showed data around nasal phototherapy,<br />
whilst Gill Ashton, Paediatric Dietitian looked<br />
at food allergy profiles observed within<br />
ethnic populations.<br />
The poster presented by specialist trainees<br />
Amrit Dhesi and Maria Raptaki won in its<br />
category.<br />
Amrit said of the poster entitled ‘Regional<br />
audit of paediatric anaphylaxis management<br />
in the Midlands: Are we following the<br />
national guidance?’: “I presented a regional<br />
audit which was conducted in several<br />
hospitals across the Midlands looking at<br />
emergency anaphylaxis management and<br />
compliance with national guidance.<br />
“It highlighted the need for ongoing<br />
education for health professionals particularly<br />
with regards to counselling, adrenaline<br />
autoinjector training and written emergency<br />
plans before hospital discharge. The audit<br />
was a fantastic collaboration between<br />
other hospitals in the region and allows the<br />
formation of strong links. The audit also<br />
emphasized the high quality of history taking<br />
which is key to allergy diagnosis."<br />
Gill’s poster was titled ‘Food allergy profiles<br />
observed within ethnic populations in<br />
Sandwell and West Birmingham, UK’.<br />
She said: “My research mainly highlighted<br />
the importance of using culturally<br />
appropriate food examples in dietetic<br />
literature and translating information into<br />
relevant languages. The audience was<br />
interested to hear which food allergies<br />
particular ethnic groups seemed to develop<br />
as there isn’t much data on this in the UK or<br />
worldwide. I believe that it will inspire others<br />
to collect data like this in their own countries<br />
or regions.”<br />
Meanwhile, Faye’s poster was entitled<br />
‘Acceptability and short term efficiency of<br />
nasal phototherapy in a small paediatric<br />
population, a patient and nursing<br />
perspective’.<br />
She added: “I reported on findings from<br />
our paediatric allergy unit, the first UK NHS<br />
Paediatric Allergy Unit to provide nasal<br />
phototherapy (UVA, UVB and high intensity<br />
natural light therapy) for difficult to manage<br />
allergic rhinitis.<br />
“The reported incidence of allergic rhinitis in<br />
the UK paediatric population is high, and can<br />
impact significantly on the child’s and family’s<br />
quality of life. Despite standard medication<br />
some children continue to experience<br />
symptoms resulting in poor school<br />
attendance, reduced academic performance,<br />
restrictions on social activities and difficult<br />
to manage asthma. It highlighted excellent<br />
improvements in regard to quality of life and<br />
WOMEN AND CHILD HEALTH<br />
symptom control.”<br />
“There were a few reports of mild side<br />
effects, but the treatment was well<br />
tolerated and fast, effective and pain free.<br />
From a nursing perspective the treatment<br />
was simple and quick to administer and<br />
demonstrated great results. We are very<br />
fortunate to be the first UK, NHS Trust<br />
to provide this treatment; it adds an<br />
additional treatment option to an already<br />
excellent allergy service."<br />
Allergologists, adult and paediatric<br />
consultants, scientists, specialist nurses<br />
and dietitians from all over the world<br />
attend the annual conference, which<br />
covers topics including food allergy,<br />
asthma, allergic rhinitis (hayfever),<br />
eczema, drug allergy, immunology and<br />
allergy diagnosis.<br />
The event aimed to 'help all attending<br />
delegates and participants to advance<br />
their knowledge and navigate the<br />
complex world of today’s allergies and<br />
clinical immunology'.<br />
We have the biggest paediatric allergy<br />
service in the region. It is hoped that the<br />
information taken from this congress will<br />
allow us to keep up-to-date with recent<br />
research findings and new therapies<br />
which will benefit our staff and patients.<br />
(Left) Amrit Dhesi presents her prize-winning poster titled ‘Regional audit of paediatric anaphylaxis management in the Midlands: Are we following the<br />
national guidance?’ as a doctor from another trust looks on<br />
22
Excellence training gives theatres<br />
nurses a better feel for their roles<br />
SURGICAL SERVICES<br />
In mid-June a training evening for<br />
new theatre nursing staff was held<br />
with the idea to give them a feel for<br />
what they will be doing within their<br />
new role in a safe space.<br />
The initiative was the idea of<br />
Bushra Mushtaq, Clinical Director of<br />
Ophthalmology and organised for the<br />
benefit of a new intake of nursing<br />
colleagues who are not necessarily<br />
ophthalmology trained but will receive<br />
training on the job.<br />
The evening consisted of three stations,<br />
cataract, glaucoma and ocular plastics,<br />
showing the range of equipment used<br />
in these areas. The stations provided an<br />
opportunity for nurses to have a handson<br />
look at equipment, ask questions<br />
and to receive a brief overview of the<br />
sequence of usage for the equipment.<br />
The idea was to give colleagues a feel for<br />
what they will be doing within the role in<br />
a way that would help to minimise any<br />
Theatre Lead, Mr Yajati Ghosh and some of<br />
the nursing team<br />
apprehension. It also aimed to help bring<br />
down any barriers there may be between<br />
consultants and nursing colleagues.<br />
The evening was a relaxed gathering where<br />
colleagues could ask any questions they had<br />
and ended with a dinner.<br />
Feedback was that the evening was enjoyed<br />
by all, particularly having the opportunity to<br />
ask questions in an informal setting.<br />
The session was facilitated by consultants<br />
including Theatre Lead, Mr Yajati Ghosh,<br />
Mr Mitra, Miss Mathews and senior nurses<br />
Olive Johnson, Cheve Luckett and Ann<br />
Durant.<br />
“It was hugely successful, and the plan is<br />
to do more of these and to include more<br />
specialties,” Mr Ghosh said.<br />
It is hoped that the training will be held 2-3<br />
times a year to coincide with new intakes.<br />
Bushra said: “The event helped to build<br />
essential skills but also morale and team<br />
spirit. It helped forge working relationships,<br />
and gain insight into multiple essential<br />
roles within the theatre setting. It helped to<br />
develop a mutual understanding of pressure<br />
on surgeons when doing the most delicate<br />
surgery in the body and for surgeons to<br />
understand how much work goes on in<br />
the background by nurses in order to run<br />
efficient ophthalmic theatres.<br />
“Both the nursing staff and the surgeons<br />
gained from this event which was reflected<br />
in the feedback we received. We also had<br />
a nice social element in the end with hot<br />
buffet enjoyed by all and token gifts for the<br />
nursing faculty.<br />
“We plan to do these events regularly<br />
due to popular demand and hope that<br />
we maintain this excellent new learning<br />
tradition.”<br />
Critical care – What’s all the FUSS?<br />
A patient’s journey in critical care does<br />
not end when they leave our unit.<br />
When a patient leaves the critical care unit,<br />
their ongoing recovery is supported by the<br />
follow up support service (FUSS). The team<br />
of two is led by Senior Sister, Catherine<br />
Beddowes alongside Senior Sister, Simone<br />
Johnson-Newton.<br />
The impact of a critical care stay is huge<br />
both physically and psychologically<br />
for patients and research shows that<br />
patients who have been in critical care<br />
can experience a long rehabilitation and<br />
recovery taking up to 12 months and in<br />
some cases beyond. Family members with<br />
a loved one in critical care experience an<br />
equally traumatic time but for very different<br />
reasons and FUSS recognise the importance<br />
of ensuring our relatives are fully supported<br />
too. The FUSS team carry out ward visits, do<br />
outpatient appointments and run quarterly<br />
forums, which continue to offer support to<br />
both the patients and their families.<br />
The patient and carer forums run every<br />
three months and are open to all previous<br />
patients and their families for as long as<br />
they wish to continue attending.<br />
The forums provide continued support in<br />
a safe and friendly environment. It enables<br />
the coming together of patients and their<br />
families to share their experiences and<br />
listen and learn from those who have been<br />
through a similar experience. The FUSS<br />
team provide information and explanation<br />
about physical symptoms and discuss at<br />
length hallucinations and vivid nightmares<br />
which many patients experience and find<br />
most distressing in their memory of their<br />
critical care stay. For patients, having this<br />
context allows them to normalise those<br />
experiences and help to gain some closure.<br />
Catherine Beddowes said: “Patients and<br />
relatives who attend the forums all feel<br />
the huge benefit. For our patients, talking<br />
about their experiences and sharing these<br />
stories is one of the best therapies. For<br />
families too, they find a great sense of relief<br />
in being able to share their experiences and<br />
feelings of being on the other side.”<br />
Simone Johnson-Newton added: “It is such<br />
a pleasure to see our patients leave forums<br />
with a smile on their faces and to see how<br />
new friendships are being forged.<br />
“For critical care services, the forum<br />
provides a great platform to receive both<br />
positive and negative feedback. The main<br />
benefit for colleagues is hearing the<br />
opinions and perspectives directly from<br />
patients and their families about their<br />
experiences. In turn this helps to change<br />
the way we think about the care we<br />
give and the impact this care has on our<br />
patients. Using feedback has enabled us<br />
as a service to then explore ways, through<br />
implementing change, to further enhance<br />
the patient experience. Examples of this<br />
have been - promoting the importance<br />
of and use of patient diaries, providing<br />
information for relatives about delirium<br />
and enhancing both patient and family<br />
involvement in the rehab process for our<br />
long term patients.”<br />
The patient and carer forums run every<br />
three months<br />
23
Bikers are on “the road” to<br />
raising awareness<br />
Respiratory patients and colleagues<br />
cycled a virtual 75 miles to the<br />
Cotswolds – all to raise money<br />
for charity and awareness during<br />
Pulmonary Rehab Week.<br />
Ruth Morrey, Respiratory Physiotherapist<br />
and Alice Harvey, Respiratory Clinician,<br />
organised the event at Portway Leisure<br />
Centre, in Oldbury where they set up in the<br />
reception area on two exercise bikes.<br />
In total £311 was raised through<br />
sponsorship and the cash will be split<br />
between Your Trust Charity and the British<br />
Lung Foundation.<br />
Sheila Worswick, a pulmonary rehab<br />
patient, who carried out three 10 minute<br />
sessions during the bikeathon, said: “I took<br />
part in the bikeathon so that I could raise<br />
awareness for the rehab programme and<br />
also around lung conditions. I want people<br />
to know how these sort of conditions can<br />
Patients Sheila Worswick and Terry Blakesley<br />
get on their bikes to start the virtual bikeathon<br />
be helped and controlled. You don’t have to<br />
just live with it.”<br />
Sheila has been regularly attending<br />
pulmonary rehab sessions with the<br />
community respiratory team. She added: “I<br />
really am feeling the benefits of attending<br />
the sessions. I didn’t know there was<br />
PRIMARY CARE, COMMUNITIES<br />
AND THERAPIES<br />
pulmonary rehab until my caring doctor<br />
initiated things.”<br />
Alice told <strong>Heartbeat</strong>: “As a Trust we<br />
offer four different pulmonary rehab<br />
classes around the area. It’s an excellent<br />
treatment for patients with chronic lung<br />
conditions such as COPD, Asthma and<br />
Bronchiectasis, and we also offer it to<br />
patients who are going for lung surgery.<br />
“The event was held to raise awareness<br />
of the lung conditions not just for the<br />
public, but also for our GP practices in<br />
the area.<br />
“The money raised will go towards<br />
funding equipment for the pulmonary<br />
rehab group and other services that we<br />
offer.”<br />
Library service spreads the word<br />
about health resources<br />
Library services were out in force<br />
earlier this month promoting the<br />
health resources available within their<br />
community.<br />
This was to mark the promotion of Health<br />
Information Week, a national, multisector<br />
campaign to promote high quality<br />
information for patients and the public.<br />
Nicola Ager, Service Development<br />
Librarian, and Preeti Puligari, Library and<br />
Knowledge Services Manager, visited our<br />
GP surgeries – Lyndon Health Centre, and<br />
Great Bridge Health Centre – as well as<br />
Sandwell Hospital’s main reception and<br />
the Birmingham Treatment Centre at City<br />
Hospital, to raise awareness around the<br />
services.<br />
The stand at Lyndon Health Centre, which<br />
is based at Parsonage Street, focused on<br />
mental health, whilst at Great Bridge Health<br />
Centre, the spotlight was on long-term<br />
conditions. Both roadshows also included<br />
information on social prescribing.<br />
The library team in partnership with our<br />
Sandwell community librarians were<br />
promoting the various support groups and<br />
health and wellbeing sessions in community<br />
that patients and public can access to help<br />
recover, reduce loneliness and chat about<br />
mental health issues.<br />
Nicola Ager, Service Development Librarian,<br />
Dr Ambreen Sheriff, GP at Great Bridge<br />
Health Centre, Jayne Charlesworth, and Ann<br />
Thomson, who are both Librarians at Great<br />
Bridge Library.<br />
One of the patients at Lyndon Health<br />
Centre said she found “a way forward in<br />
life” after speaking to the public library staff<br />
and “learnt about useful online websites”<br />
that she could research in her own time.<br />
Meanwhile over at our hospital sites, the<br />
team concentrated on health and digital<br />
literacy.<br />
Francis Osazuwa, Healthcare Assistant<br />
at City Hospital said: “I learned about<br />
some good online resources and support<br />
groups from the community libraries that<br />
I can share with patients.”<br />
Patients visiting the sites were able to go<br />
away with information about support<br />
groups in the community, and also gain<br />
knowledge about what reliable health<br />
information is available for them to<br />
access from public libraries in the area.<br />
Preeti said: “We had a good response<br />
across the areas, and especially at<br />
Lyndon Health Centre.<br />
“A walk-in centre is also based at the<br />
practice which meant there were a lot<br />
of patients waiting in the reception<br />
to be seen by doctors. We had good<br />
interaction with those who were there<br />
and we are keeping in touch with<br />
patients so we can find out how helpful<br />
the service has been to them.<br />
“In the coming months we will be<br />
working with both the GP practices to<br />
have a small collection of health and<br />
wellbeing books and details of support<br />
groups that practice staff can signpost<br />
patients to in the community.”<br />
24
Top tips for teeth as Trust takes to<br />
the community<br />
PRIMARY CARE, COMMUNITIES<br />
AND THERAPIES<br />
Our student health visitors took over<br />
Boots in Cape Hill earlier this month<br />
all in an effort to remind pre-school<br />
children of the importance of brushing<br />
teeth.<br />
The health visitors encouraged parents of<br />
children under the age of five to try dental<br />
products and advised them on the benefits<br />
of cleaning teeth from a young age. They<br />
also answered questions parents had<br />
around dental healthcare helped signpost<br />
people to their local dentist.<br />
Denise Darbyshire, Student Health Visitor<br />
was part of the team at the chemist on<br />
the day. She said: “It was fulfilling to be<br />
able to educate so many parents around<br />
dental healthcare in Smethwick on a range<br />
of different topics from being smart with<br />
sugar, when to see the dentist, when and<br />
more importantly how often to brush and<br />
the quantity of toothpaste necessary for<br />
young children.”<br />
According to the Royal College of Surgeons,<br />
it’s estimated that around 80 per cent of 1-2<br />
year old children haven’t visited a dentist in<br />
Our student health visitors remind parents of pre-school children the importance of brushing teeth<br />
12 months. Sarah Hibbert, Student Health<br />
Visitor believes such a shocking statistic<br />
should not exist in <strong>2019</strong> and hopes the<br />
awareness event they hosted can help<br />
reduce this figure.<br />
She said: “If by us hosting this promotion<br />
day helps just a few children have better<br />
quality of teeth through their childhood<br />
and adulthood then it will have been<br />
worthwhile. Whether it’s frequency of trips<br />
to the dentist or even just brushing teeth<br />
twice a day, every little bit counts towards<br />
improving oral hygiene and preserving the<br />
quality of teeth into adulthood.”<br />
Tooth decay is one of the most common<br />
reasons children aged 5-9 are admitted to<br />
hospital. Sarah added: “Sugary food and<br />
drinks cause bacteria on teeth to produce<br />
harmful acid that rots them and can lead<br />
to painful toothaches. However, even<br />
swapping sugary drinks out of a child’s daily<br />
diet for plain water or even lower fat milks<br />
could help prevent tooth decay in the long<br />
term.”<br />
Slips, trips and falls – Not on<br />
my watch<br />
Some people might consider patient<br />
falls as being inevitable, something that<br />
is bound to happen and no amount of<br />
support will affect, but this is definitely<br />
not the case for staff on the Eliza<br />
Tinsley ward at Rowley Hospital who<br />
have recently launched their pioneering<br />
‘bay monitor’ campaign.<br />
The project sees colleagues assigned to bays<br />
wearing a red arm band taking ownership<br />
to ensure patients are provided with<br />
appropriate support so that their risk of<br />
falling reduces.<br />
To find out more about the project,<br />
<strong>Heartbeat</strong> caught up with Matron, Justine<br />
Irish who has championed this work, she<br />
said: “Recently, we noticed that our last<br />
three harms from falls were due to staff<br />
leaving a bay to assist other patients or talk<br />
to a relative, we discussed the issue with<br />
the ward team and the idea of bay monitors<br />
came from them. Essentially, with the<br />
support of a visual aid, in this case the arm<br />
bands, staff will have an extra cue to remind<br />
them that when they need to leave their<br />
bay, they must pass on the responsibility of<br />
supporting their bay to a colleague. “<br />
The project which has been in place for<br />
three weeks has been received well with<br />
colleagues commenting that ‘it empowers<br />
them to take ownership and stay in the bay<br />
without feeling guilty’ and the handover of<br />
the arm band between colleagues reminds<br />
them that they are accountable for the bay<br />
and the duty of care of patients.<br />
Sharing her thoughts on the campaign,<br />
Justine added: “This was very much a trial<br />
on Eliza Tinsley and we’re really proud that<br />
colleagues have taken ownership of this<br />
work, they’ve taken it from the initial idea<br />
of a sash, to wholeheartedly welcoming the<br />
arm bands. Hopefully we’ll see a reduction<br />
in falls in our ward and if it does prove<br />
successful, we’ll be looking to roll this out<br />
to the rest of our community wards and<br />
working with colleagues to see if inpatient<br />
wards could benefit too.”<br />
HCA, Hayley Spittle proudly shows off her bay<br />
monitor arm band<br />
25
OU students receive insight into<br />
cardiac rehabilitation<br />
PRIMARY CARE, COMMUNITIES<br />
AND THERAPIES<br />
Students from the OU, staff from the Careers and Employability team along with Christos Lykidis,<br />
Senior Exercise Physiologist enjoy the morning<br />
On 12 June <strong>2019</strong> the cardiac<br />
rehabilitation team arranged for 10<br />
health science undergraduate students<br />
from the Open University to visit our<br />
cardiac rehabilitation department at<br />
City Hospital. The morning provided<br />
an opportunity for the students<br />
to familiarise themselves with the<br />
theoretical principles underpinning<br />
cardiac rehabilitation and also observe<br />
the busy exercise classes.<br />
The team have been committed to<br />
informing the future workforce about<br />
cardiac rehabilitation and also to raising<br />
the profile of the department and our<br />
workplace.<br />
They have established collaborations<br />
with all major higher education<br />
institutions within Birmingham,<br />
facilitating various clinical or work<br />
placements as well as lectures and other<br />
educational activities.<br />
Christos Lykidis, Senior Exercise<br />
Physiologist commented: “It has been<br />
a great pleasure to host this insight day<br />
for Open University students who were<br />
informed on the theory underpinning<br />
cardiac rehabilitation, observed the staff<br />
working practices during a busy exercise<br />
class and also had the opportunity to<br />
talk to our patients. I would like to<br />
thank our collaborators from the Open<br />
University as well as the learning and<br />
development department for addressing<br />
the administrative side of this insight<br />
day. “<br />
Joanne Cordon from the Employer<br />
Engagement team at the Open<br />
University said: “OU students usually<br />
have a wide range of practical life and<br />
work experience that employers value<br />
in addition to their OU study, so they<br />
are especially keen to see how academic<br />
knowledge is applied in real-life<br />
situations. The visit gave our dedicated<br />
students a fascinating glimpse of health<br />
sciences at work, inspiring them to keep<br />
working towards their career goals.”<br />
Reducing our reliance on<br />
single use plastics<br />
Part of the chief executive’s monthly column this<br />
year is focussed on our plans to change our use of<br />
single use plastics.<br />
The next plastics reduction initiative on our ‘bucket’ list requires your<br />
help. When ordering the Clinell wipes, please only order the refill wipes<br />
themselves that are placed inside the bucket container and not the bucket<br />
each time.<br />
The bucket should have multiple uses. In doing this, we can save money and<br />
also significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste we dispose of.<br />
Do you have any other ideas to help us reduce our reliance on single use<br />
plastics? Send them to Fran Silcocks, Sustainability Officer<br />
francesca.silcocks@nhs.net<br />
26
New weekend MRI service means<br />
faster treatment for patients<br />
IMAGING<br />
The imaging department is now<br />
providing an inpatient MRI service on<br />
Saturdays and Sundays. This service<br />
is available at both the City and<br />
Sandwell sites in addition to the regular<br />
metastatic cord compression slots that<br />
have always been available.<br />
The service is currently provided between<br />
the hours of 2.30pm and 5pm and,<br />
requests are prioritised on the basis of<br />
clinical need. The aims of this new service<br />
provision are to:<br />
• Improve patient experience<br />
• Facilitate faster diagnosis and/or<br />
treatment<br />
• Reduce the waiting time for MRI scans<br />
across the Trust<br />
• Smooth the peaks and troughs<br />
of inpatient MRI demand across<br />
the week.<br />
Reporting of the scans is undertaken<br />
offsite by one of the imaging department’s<br />
external tele-radiology partners, within four<br />
hours.<br />
Early analysis of performance has shown<br />
that at Sandwell on average five inpatients<br />
are scanned on a Saturday and four on a<br />
Sunday. All have been reported within two<br />
to four hours.<br />
“At a recent MRI service review meeting<br />
Senior radiographers at the Sandwell MRI Centre<br />
between the Trust and InHealth (who<br />
provide the MRI facility), the inpatient<br />
radiology care pathway was identified as an<br />
area that would benefit from optimisation.<br />
As such, a joint decision to provide<br />
weekend scanning services at Sandwell<br />
General Hospital for urgent inpatients was<br />
made,” said Judith Davis, the operational<br />
manager of InHealth.<br />
“We feel that this additional capacity, with<br />
the support of the Trust portering team and<br />
referring clinicians, will significantly ease<br />
inpatient pressures, whilst reducing waiting<br />
times and improving the patient experience.<br />
Initial feedback to the Trust imaging<br />
management and InHealth teams has been<br />
extremely positive.”<br />
Fiona Rotherham, Deputy Group Director<br />
of Operations for imaging, said: “This new<br />
service means access to MRI seven days a<br />
week, facilitating clinical decisions without<br />
delay. This ultimately improves patient<br />
outcomes and experience by enabling<br />
patient treatment plans to commence<br />
sooner and reducing unnecessary hospital<br />
stays.”<br />
SWBH<br />
Sandwell and<br />
West Birmingham<br />
NHS Trust<br />
intranet at your fingertips<br />
Do you find it difficult to stay up<br />
to date with everything that’s<br />
happening in our organisation?<br />
We have just launched a brand<br />
new app which aims to give you<br />
the ability to access information<br />
that would normally be found on<br />
the intranet from the comfort of<br />
your mobile phone.<br />
Download the app from Apple<br />
App Store or Google Play<br />
Store on to your Trust mobile<br />
phone or your personal mobile<br />
phone by searching for ‘SWBH<br />
myConnect’.<br />
For more information contact<br />
the Communications team<br />
on 0121 507 5303 or email<br />
swbh.comms@nhs.net<br />
27
Pulse<br />
News in brief from around our organisation<br />
If you have a story you would like to appear<br />
on the Pulse page, please email a photo and a<br />
short explanation to swbh.comms@nhs.net<br />
Yvonne kicks her way to gold<br />
in Croatia<br />
Yvonne Gibson, a mild mannered<br />
health visitor kicked her way to<br />
winning a Gold medal in foot<br />
destruction at the recent European<br />
Taekwondo Championships in<br />
Novigrad, Croatia.<br />
Not only did Yvonne win a gold medal<br />
for foot destruction but she also achieved<br />
two bronze medals. One of these medals<br />
was for sparring and one for patterns<br />
made up of 68 movements and to top it<br />
off, this was after Yvonne took a 27 year<br />
break from Taekwondo.<br />
In 1982, Yvonne originally started training<br />
to help with building her confidence<br />
and for self-defence, however she soon<br />
discovered she had exceptional talent in<br />
Taekwondo and was encouraged to enter<br />
competitions by her instructor. Currently,<br />
she is a 3rd degree international Black<br />
Belt. She also attained a World Champion<br />
sparring bronze trophy in 1985 and a<br />
World Champion Gold medal in foot<br />
destruction in 2013 and 2016.<br />
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art,<br />
characterised by its emphasis on headheight<br />
kicks, jumping and spinning<br />
kicks and fast kicking techniques. The<br />
martial art requires intense training which<br />
Yvonne embraced in the lead up to the<br />
championships in Croatia where she<br />
took on an intense training programme<br />
alongside her day job.<br />
Yvonne said: “Building up to the<br />
championships in Croatia I was training at<br />
least five times a week compared to the<br />
usual twice a week alongside balancing<br />
my refereeing duties at local Taekwondo<br />
tournaments and my health visitor role.”<br />
Competition was fierce with many<br />
Yvonne Gibson show off her medals<br />
top athletes from across Europe at the<br />
competition in Croatia but Yvonne feels<br />
she did herself and Great Britain proud.<br />
She said: “I felt honoured to be able to<br />
represent my country. I would like to say<br />
a massive thank you to everybody who<br />
supported me as well my coaches as<br />
without them I wouldn’t have been so<br />
successful.”<br />
Yvonne isn’t planning on hanging up her<br />
Taekwondo suit anytime soon as she is<br />
hoping to attain her 4th degree black belt<br />
in the martial art.<br />
NHS 71 not out as smoking ban<br />
comes in<br />
Birmingham may have played host to the<br />
Cricket World Cup but it was the NHS<br />
that achieved a most impressive total on<br />
5 <strong>July</strong>, when it celebrated its seventy-first<br />
birthday.<br />
Last year's NHS 70 celebrations were, of<br />
course, very large indeed. However <strong>2019</strong><br />
saw an equally big turnout thanks in-part<br />
to the birthday also being the launch date<br />
of smokefree across our workplace.<br />
Colleagues turned out at Sandwell<br />
General Hospital's Courtyard Garden to<br />
chat, catch-up and enjoy themselves with<br />
a free lunch of Indian cuisine, something<br />
more burger-shaped from a visiting<br />
kitchen van or a refreshing ice cream to<br />
enjoy in the blazing sunshine. The event,<br />
organised by trade union UNISON also<br />
had a number of other tents designed to<br />
educate and entertain.<br />
From the education side, the Trust's library<br />
team were in attendance to talk about<br />
how their healthy living board games<br />
could be used by colleagues to train and<br />
inform both inside and outside of the Trust<br />
and representatives from both vaping shop<br />
operators Ecigwizard and Everyone Health<br />
to explain alternatives to smoking tobacco<br />
based products.<br />
Caroline Kenny, Community Engagement<br />
Lead at Everyone Health told <strong>Heartbeat</strong>:<br />
"Cigarettes contain several thousand<br />
chemicals in each cigarette, and cause<br />
lots of illnesses to not just the respiratory<br />
system but all around the body. It's in<br />
people's best interest, certainly the best<br />
interest of their health, to not smoke.<br />
We're there for those that do by helping<br />
with smoking cessation."<br />
For those looking for something more<br />
carefree, there was also a popcorn<br />
machine, sweets and cupcakes as well<br />
as a tent for people to pick up a cold<br />
slush-style beverage. UNISON were also<br />
running multiple competitions, including<br />
a raffle and a contest to guess the name<br />
of a truly ginormous bear who watched<br />
over proceedings. The bear eventually<br />
revealed itself - <strong>Heartbeat</strong> did not ask<br />
how - to be named 'Mia' and it was won<br />
by Healthcare Assistant, Louise Hall from<br />
Lyndon 3.<br />
"It's the 71st birthday of the NHS, and<br />
it's always nice to celebrate the birthday<br />
under the effect of 'it's free at point-ofdelivery',"<br />
said Chris Rickards, colleagues<br />
Side Convenor and UNISON Branch<br />
Secretary. "The things we're doing here<br />
today, are free for people to come and<br />
enjoy - staff or public - it's great to bring<br />
everyone together to celebrate the NHS."<br />
Chris Rickards at the event held in the<br />
Courtyard Garden<br />
28
Cheryl Newton<br />
Group Director of Nursing for Women and Child Health<br />
We would like to give a SWB welcome to<br />
Cheryl Newton who has returned to her<br />
roots having trained at as a registered<br />
general nurse at Dudley Road Hospital in<br />
1986. Finding the experience thoroughly<br />
enjoyable, Cheryl decided that paediatrics<br />
was where her heart lay.<br />
She told <strong>Heartbeat</strong>: “I then trained as a<br />
registered sick children’s nurse at Birmingham<br />
Children’s Hospital in 1992 and returned<br />
to Dudley Road soon after. I went on to<br />
train as a health visitor and worked within<br />
the community supporting families. I<br />
continued my professional journey and have<br />
held various leadership roles for universal<br />
and specialist children’s services including<br />
spending two years working within Black<br />
Country Partnership as a general manager for<br />
children’s and CAMH’s services.”<br />
Cheryl’s role involves supporting service<br />
innovation and delivery with the nursing,<br />
therapy and health visiting teams across<br />
acute paediatrics, gynaecology, neonates,<br />
community children’s nursing, and therapy<br />
services.<br />
“Time seems to have flown by since joining<br />
in June,” added Cheryl. “I look forward to<br />
getting to know colleagues within the teams. I<br />
am also looking forward to hearing about and<br />
observing great care in action and working<br />
with colleagues to celebrate this whilst also<br />
supporting each of the specialities in further<br />
service development to realise innovation in<br />
practice and provide the best possible care.”<br />
Away from work Cheryl enjoys live music,<br />
theatre and cycling. She said: “I have<br />
completed several long distance events,<br />
cycling from London to Paris, Prudential 100<br />
(London) and the Birmingham/West Midlands<br />
Velo twice each time raising money for<br />
charity.”<br />
Cheryl Newton, Group Director of Nursing for<br />
Women and Child Health<br />
Julie Thompson<br />
Group Director of Nursing for Medicine and Emergency Care<br />
Returning to the SWB family after eight<br />
years, we would like to give a warm<br />
welcome to Julie Thompson, our new<br />
Group Director of Nursing for Medicine<br />
and Emergency Care.<br />
Julie started her career at City Hospital in<br />
1979. She left briefly to follow a career in<br />
critical care in Coventry before returning to<br />
City Hospital to work on the West Midlands<br />
Poisons unit as a ward manager: “I then<br />
set up the first medical assessment unit at<br />
City and completed my master’s degree<br />
in advanced clinical practice,” Julie told<br />
<strong>Heartbeat</strong>.<br />
Her next step was to become one of<br />
the first matrons when the role was reintroduced<br />
by the Government.<br />
“It was an interesting time,” Julie<br />
reminisced. “We initially were given red<br />
jackets which made us the butt of many<br />
jokes!<br />
“I was then offered an excellent opportunity<br />
to work on the Mid Staffordshire NHS<br />
Foundation Trust Review. I left in 2011 to<br />
work in Burton as head nurse for medicine<br />
and emergency care, a role I did for three<br />
years. During this time I set up a frailty team<br />
at the front door, innovated and delivered<br />
an enhanced care team for the care of<br />
patients with cognitive impairments which I<br />
rolled out to 12 trusts across the country.<br />
“The opportunity to return to SWB was too<br />
good to pass by. I knew it would be a good<br />
place to complete my career back where it<br />
all began.”<br />
Julie’s role is to lead on nursing and to<br />
ensure that the medicine and emergency<br />
care group deliver high quality, safe care to<br />
our patients.<br />
She said: “It is also about developing and<br />
empowering nursing teams to be the best<br />
they can be and to enjoy coming to work.<br />
It involves working with teams across all<br />
groups and supporting and advising when<br />
nursing expertise is required. It also means I<br />
have to provide assurance to the executive<br />
team regarding nursing and patient<br />
care and safety. An element of this is<br />
surrounding patient journeys from the front<br />
door to the discharge home.<br />
“I feel positive and look forward to the<br />
challenges that are ahead especially the<br />
move into Midland Met.”<br />
In her spare time Julie enjoys cycling and<br />
taking part in cycling events. She loves to<br />
travel and is currently learning Spanish. She<br />
added: “I also enjoy time with my three<br />
beautiful grandchildren. I also fit in three<br />
hours of voluntary work a week to support<br />
those in need.”<br />
Julie Thompson, Group Director of Nursing for<br />
Medicine and Emergency Care<br />
29
Letters, of less than 200 words please, can be sent to the Communications Department,<br />
Trust Headquarters, Sandwell Hospital or by email to swb–tr.SWBH–GM–<strong>Heartbeat</strong>@nhs.net<br />
YOUR RIGHT TO BE HEARD<br />
Where is the protection for<br />
staff?<br />
Dear <strong>Heartbeat</strong>,<br />
I was led to believe that the Trust was<br />
supposed to practice a zero tolerance policy!<br />
Although I think I may be wrong. I would<br />
therefore like to ask that why a patient whom<br />
of which has mental capacity is allowed to be<br />
physically and verbally abusive to staff, along<br />
with being racist!!!<br />
Today along with my colleagues I have been<br />
racially, verbally and physically abused by<br />
this patient. He has also spat at me and my<br />
colleagues.<br />
We have been told to document all of the<br />
patient’s verbal comments. Needless in saying,<br />
nothing has been done. Although he has<br />
been spoken to by one of the lead directors<br />
in regards to his behaviour, we sadly have to<br />
tolerate it, why???<br />
Why should we, and have to tolerate such<br />
appalling behaviour? It is extremely distressing<br />
not only for staff but for other patients and<br />
their visitors to hear this language which is<br />
extremely offensive.<br />
We are all disgusted and distressed in putting<br />
up with such appalling behaviour from a<br />
patient, with nothing being done.<br />
I look forward to hearing your reply.<br />
Anon<br />
Dear colleague<br />
I am so sorry that you have experienced<br />
such unacceptable behaviour from a<br />
patient. As you imply, we have very clear<br />
policies on Mutual Respect and Tolerance,<br />
and an approach that red/yellow cards<br />
patients and visitors where there are<br />
persistent issues. The red/yellow card<br />
policy will be re-launched in September.<br />
I now coordinate a monthly security<br />
management group, reporting to our<br />
Risk Management Committee, to improve<br />
our response to such incidents. This<br />
includes de-escalation training and the<br />
introduction of body cameras into clinical<br />
areas. We would expect those changes to<br />
be in place by Christmas.<br />
On a day to day basis, your directorate<br />
matron should be able to coordinate our<br />
response and make sure things are done,<br />
liaising with Paula Gardner or with me. It<br />
sounds like that did not happen this time<br />
and as a team you might want to talk<br />
through with your ward manager so that if<br />
this re-occurs you are well supported. I am<br />
sorry for what happened.<br />
Kind regards<br />
Rachel Barlow, Chief Operating Officer<br />
Should security allow you onto<br />
the car park if your card is not<br />
working?<br />
Dear <strong>Heartbeat</strong>,<br />
I would like to highlight the problem we are<br />
having with the security staff at Sandwell. I came<br />
on duty one night and my pass card to the car<br />
park where the mobile breast screen scanner was<br />
situated allowed me to enter.<br />
When I returned again after being out on visits<br />
to see patients as we are the out of hours district<br />
nurses my card declined to let me on the car park<br />
at 00.30. So I pressed the buzzer to inform the<br />
security guard and he hung up on me. I had to<br />
press again and the barrier was lifted for me to<br />
enter to park my car. I pay £21.25 per month to<br />
park my car in order to do the job I am paid to<br />
do.<br />
Another colleague was forced to park on the<br />
road as her card would not work as it kept saying<br />
invalid. The security guard on duty refused to let<br />
her on and told her to sort her card out the next<br />
day. This put a colleague (female) in a vulnerable<br />
unsafe position as she had to park up the road<br />
and walk down to the base which is the palliative<br />
care hub.<br />
Could you please tell me what the protocol is for<br />
when the barriers refuse your card – what should<br />
security do in those instances?<br />
Regards<br />
Anon<br />
Dear colleague,<br />
Thank you for your letter. Security colleagues<br />
make every effort to manage these<br />
occasional situations sensitively. I am sorry<br />
that on this occasion you were refused<br />
entry. We are working to improve barrier<br />
reliability, and the arrangements for this<br />
will change later in <strong>2019</strong> when Q-Park take<br />
on responsibility for our car parks. Mark<br />
Stankovich in my team manages our security<br />
team and if you have queries in the future<br />
you would be well advised to get in touch<br />
with Mark.<br />
Kind regards,<br />
Rachel Barlow, Chief Operating Officer<br />
Patient information must be<br />
ready before discharge through<br />
transport<br />
Dear <strong>Heartbeat</strong>,<br />
I work as a controller for patient transport and<br />
I am wondering if nursing staff on wards can<br />
check if discharge patients using patient transport<br />
have keys or whether relatives aware that their<br />
loved ones are coming home? Or even if they are<br />
being discharged to the right address?<br />
The ambulance crews are having to bring patients<br />
back to wards on a regular basis because none of<br />
the above has been done. This is wasting travel<br />
time and it can’t be very nice for the patients<br />
either!<br />
Also, when control staff try to ring the wards for<br />
clarification or more information the phone is not<br />
answered for ages and ward staff don’t seem to<br />
have the information to hand.<br />
This is very frustrating because it is delaying<br />
discharge of patients and we at patient transport<br />
can’t do our jobs properly.<br />
Kind regards<br />
Anon<br />
Dear colleague,<br />
Thank you for your letter.<br />
I have liaised with all group directors<br />
of nursing to ensure that we are safely<br />
discharging our patients in particular those<br />
patients requiring transport. We have also<br />
put in place mechanisms to ensure our<br />
processes are appropriately monitored.<br />
Going forward do ask your line managers<br />
to talk directly to the ward managers and<br />
matrons of those wards where things seem<br />
to go persistently awry. As you write, we<br />
need to get this right.<br />
Kind regards<br />
Paula Gardner, Chief Nurse<br />
30
Toby writes about …<br />
getting started with Unity<br />
TobyLewis_SWBH<br />
TOBY’S LAST WORD<br />
In a few weeks’ time we will take<br />
our first few Unity steps. The “first<br />
few steps” because over the next six<br />
months we will also switch on our<br />
Patient Portal. And with go-live our<br />
Health Information Exchange (HIE)<br />
connection into each local general<br />
practice switches on. In between<br />
we begin to try and manage the<br />
optimisation of Unity use across our<br />
workplace. What that means is that<br />
individuals and individual teams will<br />
begin to get comparative data on your<br />
use of the system. That is because the<br />
collective calibre of how we use Unity<br />
will determine how much value we all<br />
get from it.<br />
Part of the value that we are<br />
seeking is to reduce the amount<br />
of time spent looking for, or<br />
recreating information. But part of<br />
the value too lies in understanding<br />
the history of the patients that we<br />
look after, across and between<br />
departments, and across our own<br />
work and that of primary care. It is<br />
very clear from our current work on<br />
the 48-hour Bridge project that there is<br />
still more we can do to ‘join up’ care.<br />
In that project’s first few weeks over<br />
500 patient discharges from hospital<br />
have been followed up by community<br />
teams. Almost half of those patients<br />
are now benefitting from other care<br />
that was not part of the discharge<br />
summary or care plan. The impact<br />
of that kind of work on unplanned<br />
re-admissions is yet to be calculated,<br />
but is prima facie significant. At the<br />
same time, as we focus more and<br />
more effort on radiology, and turning<br />
scans into reports and reports into<br />
clinical decisions, it becomes clear<br />
how routine requests are being made<br />
with limited insight into previous scan<br />
reports.<br />
We all know that, despite all of the<br />
training and work that has gone into<br />
preparation, some things we do now<br />
will take longer in the first few days<br />
of Unity implementation. That is why<br />
we are working on three things to<br />
manage those risks:<br />
1. So-called Gold and Silver teams<br />
will have additional staff in<br />
place to 110% and 120% of<br />
current for the first fortnight<br />
after go-live<br />
2. Planned and elective care has<br />
been reduced by up to 40% for<br />
the immediate go-live period<br />
3. We are focusing on the<br />
optimisation metrics so that<br />
we can track by individual<br />
employee, team and directorate<br />
how people are using the<br />
system, who is using it best,<br />
and how everyone can learn<br />
from that.<br />
We have over 20 optimisation<br />
measures to test how well<br />
Unity is working for you! These<br />
include:<br />
• Maximum log in time for top<br />
10% of users<br />
• Average log on time<br />
• Undifferentiated total number of<br />
clicks per session<br />
• Saved but unsigned documents<br />
• Clerking KPIs - based on<br />
maximum 5 tasks to complete<br />
clerking activities<br />
• VTE assessment completed in 6<br />
hours from admission<br />
• Care plans completed<br />
• Drugs administered without a<br />
bar code scanner<br />
• Accuracy of consultant<br />
attribution<br />
• Orders verified within 72 hours<br />
of prescribing<br />
• Drug histories completed within<br />
48 hours of admission<br />
• Results acknowledgment –<br />
time of result available to time<br />
acknowledged average and<br />
longest<br />
If you are a line manager, you have, of<br />
course a dual responsibility. Your own<br />
practice needs to be up to scratch.<br />
Many line management roles are now<br />
designated as super users. Those super<br />
user colleagues get additional<br />
training, but also are responsible<br />
for making sure that others in the<br />
department know how to use Unity<br />
well. That responsibility includes<br />
any bank or agency staff working in<br />
your area.<br />
We need you to make sure you:<br />
• Complete your on-line<br />
CapMan training during<br />
August<br />
• Finish your Unity<br />
Competencies, which we<br />
launched in April, and have<br />
your skills validated by your<br />
line manager<br />
• Take part in the team<br />
readiness simulations that<br />
were launched with QIHD in<br />
early <strong>July</strong><br />
There is little substitute for<br />
using the on-line resources that<br />
you can find on Connect. Quick<br />
Reference Guides should lead you<br />
through the key steps you need to<br />
take on the system to do what you<br />
want to do for our patients. The<br />
Play System lets you test out your<br />
skills in a safe environment.<br />
If you are reading this and worrying<br />
that everyone else is miles ahead of<br />
you, worry not. There is still time for<br />
you to become expert in Unity. And<br />
we need you to do that. But you<br />
need to start now!<br />
By the end of August our devices<br />
and printers will be out and<br />
about and tested. Wifi completes<br />
installation in coming days. Look<br />
out for details of the Tap and Go<br />
product which will give you speedy<br />
access to Unity at your PC and<br />
prevent other people using your<br />
log in.<br />
As the centre-spread sets out, we<br />
are weeks away from potential<br />
go-live. Please play your part in<br />
this huge change in the way our<br />
organisation cares for patients.<br />
See page 26 for August's<br />
plastics reduction initiative.<br />
31
Events diary August <strong>2019</strong><br />
EVENT DATE TIME VENUE<br />
Public Trust Board 1 9.30am to 12.30pm<br />
Conference Room, Education Centre,<br />
Sandwell Hospital<br />
Clinical Leadership Executive 27 2pm to 5pm Anne Gibson Boardroom, City Hospital<br />
SWB TeamTalk 28<br />
Mental Health Awareness for Managers 1<br />
Introduction to Managing Anger and<br />
Frustration<br />
11am – midday<br />
1pm – 2pm<br />
1pm – 2pm<br />
10am – 1pm<br />
7 10am – 1pm<br />
Committee Room, Rowley Regis Hospital<br />
Education Centre, Sandwell Hospital<br />
Post Graduate Centre, City Hospital<br />
Berridge Room, Courtyard Gardens, Sandwell<br />
Hospital<br />
Berridge Room, Courtyard Gardens, Sandwell<br />
Hospital<br />
Suicide Awareness 15 10am – 1pm Surgical Skills Room Postgraduate, City<br />
Workplace Stress Management 27 1.30pm – 4.30pm Surgical Skills Room Postgraduate, City<br />
Introduction to Mindfulness 21 10am – 1pm Berridge Room, Courtyard Gardens, Sandwell<br />
June <strong>2019</strong> staff lottery results<br />
1st £187.50<br />
Karen Burkitt<br />
Name: ___________________________________________<br />
Name: Name: ___________________________________________<br />
2nd £112.50<br />
Anne Marie Rutland<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>Heartbeat</strong> cr<br />
3rd £75.00<br />
Remilynn Dichoso<br />
Don’t forget that Your Trust Charity lottery costs just £1 a month and anyone<br />
who works for the Trust can join. Payment is deducted from your wages each<br />
month. To take part email amanda.winwood@nhs.net.<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>Heartbeat</strong> crossword<br />
Date: ___________________<br />
1<br />
1<br />
2 2 3 3<br />
1<br />
4<br />
4<br />
_____________________________<br />
2 3<br />
Date: ___________________<br />
5<br />
5<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>Heartbeat</strong> crossword<br />
4<br />
Take a break:<br />
5<br />
in this month's <strong>Heartbeat</strong><br />
1<br />
4<br />
2 3<br />
Test your knowledge of the news in this month's<br />
<strong>Heartbeat</strong> by completing the crossword below. You<br />
can e–mail your answers to swbh.comms@nhs.net<br />
and all correct answers will be put into a draw to<br />
win vouchers – good luck!<br />
5<br />
Across Across<br />
4. Who 4. Who won won gold gold at the at the the recent recent European European Taekwondo<br />
Championships?<br />
5. What 5. What anniversary is the is the Sandwell Sandwell Day Day Nursery Nursery celebrating?<br />
Down Down<br />
1. What 1. Wha tea<br />
2. What 2. Wha is<br />
3. Which 3. Whic fa<br />
Across<br />
4. Who won gold at the the recent European Taekwondo<br />
Championships?<br />
5. What anniversary is the Sandwell Day Nursery celebrating?<br />
Down<br />
1. What team runs the hospitals when darkness falls?<br />
2. What is the Unity focus for August?<br />
3. Which famous American newspaper ran a story on our smoking ban?