Heartbeat July 2020

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The Sapphire Service – offering a gem of a lifeline to the local community PRIMARY CARE, COMMUNITIES AND THERAPIES The Sapphire Service has been delivered at Sandwell Hospital for two years supported in partnership by Agewell and by the West Bromwich African Caribbean Resource Centre. The aim of the service, for those that don’t know, is to support older people (Sandwell residents in particular) and their family carers while they are in hospital and when they are discharged. They provide the ‘wraparound’ service that commences when a patient goes home. The aftercare provided by the team focuses not only on making sure that discharged patients are taking care of themselves but is about keeping the avenues of independence open, something Community Pathfinder Jason Denny told Heartbeat about earlier this year. He said: "It's about maintaining that independence, that freedom and making sure patients who are potentially susceptible to being readmitted get the support they need. Going from being without social contact to being almost cocooned in the care doctors and nurses provide, only to then go back to that social isolation. We want to make sure that doesn't happen." Services are funded by the Better Care Fund and Sandwell West Birmingham NHS Trust’s Hospital to Home scheme. Sapphire staff aren’t based on the wards, but discharge planners and the iCares team can refer patients who may need this extra help. As a result, the Sapphire Service team works with Sandwell’s ED and AMU quite a lot but are keen to encourage other wards and departments to contact them if they come across someone they think is vulnerable. Sandwell residents who have been treated at both City Hospital and Russell’s Hall Hospital are also eligible. Yet since the coronavirus, the team have not been able to be as visible and that has seen a dramatic reduction in referrals at a time when those who are alone and vulnerable have been made even more so. The list of things that the Sapphire Service can help with is significant, including acting as a guide to navigating the Government’s coronavirus guidance. While a one-off initial shop for patients and collections of prescriptions is also a vital part of the team’s remit, Krishna Khosla they also offer financial and emotional care too. Another key part of the service is the education aspect. The team suggest techniques and approaches for keeping active and staying healthy, identifying meaningful ways to stay connected, engaged and occupied. The team can also help signposting organisations in the community that can provide additional help, suggest benefits that patients may be able to claim and act as a go-between to set up discussions with other professional bodies. Krishna Khosla and Ranson Notice are two such individuals who in recent weeks have had the benefit of support from the Sapphire Service. “The service is excellent,” says Krishna. “Without them doing my shopping I would have gone without food. I’m so grateful for Sapphire’s support and the befriending calls I received each week.” The Sapphire Service made a real difference to Ranson, who struggles with both arthritis and dementia. He said he was very grateful for the support provided to him and looks forward to seeing the team each week and through Ranson Notice social distancing is happy he can talk to staff while he stands at his front door. "Returning home can be a daunting prospect for our most vulnerable patients and their families, whether after attendance to ED or after discharge following an overnight stay in one of our acute medical units,” adds Interim Clinical Directorate Lead for iBeds, Sarah Oley. “It’s fantastic to have this enhanced discharge support offer which has been added to our already wellestablished Sapphire Service. The team are flexible in providing what is important to the patient and even during the pandemic have been able to provide a modified and safe, patient-facing service, to support vulnerable members of our local community, enabling them to remain safely at home and promoting their long term independence, health and wellbeing." The Sapphire Service has continued to develop since its inception as a pilot project initially funded by Your Trust Charity. Eddie Edmead is the charity’s major grants manager, he said: “With our support, the Sapphire Service is steadily growing into a flagship patient outreach service. We are ensuring it is able to address, monitor and maintain service take-up and standards, whilst remaining compliant in meeting its funding and contract requirements with the Trust.” If there’s a patient you feel could benefit from the Sapphire Service, you can call to discuss the matter on 0121 796 9333 (Monday to Friday 09:00 am to 4:30 pm). Alternatively, you can also refer via the referral form on www.agewelluk.org.uk or via email at agewell.uk@nhs.net or info@agewelluk. org.uk. Patients will receive a call in three working days of their discharge after which the Sapphire Service will provide a time-limited intervention for up to six weeks. 24
Community care continues on the terraces Health visitors have joined midwives in delivering care to our community from the comfort of the VIP boxes at West Bromwich Albion. And the move has scored some great feedback from parents using the service, with many praising the venue, saying it is comfortable and has great parking facilities, whilst others commented on the need for face-to-face appointments. Rachel Langford, Team Leader for Health Visiting, said it was important that the service continued seeing parents face-to-face during the lockdown. “The Health Visiting Service has been able to maintain a high-quality service during the pandemic because of the continued hard work from all of our staff and the generosity of West Bromwich Albion for allowing us to utilise their fantastic venue. “Health visitors and community nursery nurses have continued to be front facing during this time while adapting to a different way working and service delivery. They have utilised the PPE that they have been provided with to protect themselves, colleagues and our families. “The services offered at the Hawthorns have provided a learning experience for our student health visitors, as they have also had to adapt to a different way of delivering a service and have been able to see the processes and systems that have been put in place to achieve this.” Clinics are run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday most weeks, dependant on football fixtures. During the period from 18 May to 26 June, the team have seen 206 babies and/ or children for weight checks and they have completed 79 development reviews. The service has gone from offering no baby clinics and completing development reviews by telephone to seeing over 285 youngsters to date. All patients are screened over the phone before WOMEN AND CHILD HEALTH attending their appointment and on the day they will once again be asked COVID-19 related questions to ensure the site remains secure from the virus. The clinical appointments cover the usual advice around weaning, feeding, healthy diets, breastfeeding support, development in baby clinics, removal of bottles and dummies, speech developments and how to encourage this, behaviour management, skincare, parenting skills, toilet training, and sleep routines. Health visitors make their mark on the Baggies’ ground, as they carry out appointments Coronavirus leads to increase in breastfeeding, experts reveal Our infant feeding team has noted an increase in breastfeeding of newborn babies which could be linked to the stay at home restrictions as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Breastfeeding initiation rates in April were around 86 per cent – a six per cent increase compared to figures recorded at the same time last year at our Trust*. The figures were released during National Breastfeeding Celebration Week (Monday 1 June to 7 June). An initial study** of breastmilk expressed by mothers recovering from COVID-19 found specific IgA antibodies against the virus in 80 per cent of milk samples. COVID-19 virus has not been found to be transmitted in breast milk unlike other body fluids. Mum-of-four Sonia Thompson, aged 38, gave birth to Myah on 17 April and has been breastfeeding her since she was born. “I was always going to breastfeed Myah regardless of what was happening in the outside world,” said Sonia. “I have found that I can focus on it more because there are less interruptions. Usually I would have New mum Sonia with baby Myah who was born at City Hospital to stop to take my 10-year-old son to school.” Myah was born at City Hospital, but was transferred into the neonatal unit after she had problems with her oxygen levels and had lost blood. Sonia added: “I didn’t hesitate in expressing my milk so that she could drink it through a tube feed whilst she was being cared for in the neonatal unit.” Louise Thompson, Infant Feeding Coordinator, said: “Breastfeeding is designed to be protective, it isn't just nutritional. When women are exposed to bacteria and viruses their body responds by sending specific antibodies to breastmilk. “In addition to this, we have spoken to lots of mums who have told us that they are able to spend more time learning to breastfeed their child because they are staying at home. This seems to be helping breastfeeding get off to a better start although lack of social support can also make mums feel lonely and isolated. “During the pandemic the feeding team have been offering virtual clinics. These have been really helpful especially when women are unable to get in to see us in the hospital. “We are also using an interpreting service so that all women and babies receive the same level of care.” Louise added that face-to-face clinics are also continuing at City Hospital and at both West Bromwich Albion Football Club and Aston Villa. *In April 2019 343 women of 431 initiated breastfeeding (79.6 per cent). In April 2020 317 of 370 initiated breastfeeding (85.7 per cent). ** Initial study can be found here: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.110 1/2020.05.04.20089995v1.article-metrics 25
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Heartbeat July 2020

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